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Orozco, Norma <br /> From: Greg Camphire <gcamphire@gmail.com> <br /> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2022 3:52 PM <br /> To: eComment <br /> Subject: Agenda Item 31 <br /> Greetings Mayor Sarmiento and other members of the Council, <br /> My name is Greg Camphire and I am a resident of Ward 2, writing to express my opinion of Agenda <br /> Item #31, which is the discussion of SAPD's use of military equipment. I am strongly against the <br /> militarization of the SAPID or any other police force. <br /> Military equipment has no place in a civil police force that is meant to protect and serve its <br /> communities. Instead, the presence of military equipment increases the chances of escalating <br /> conflict, harm, and violence; and decreases the level of trust that citizens have for police officers. It's <br /> well-documented that the very same military equipment provided to U.S. police departments is also <br /> used abroad by autocratic or fascist government forces for acts of intimidation, oppression, invasion, <br /> apartheid enforcement, genocide, and other war crimes. We also now have an April 2022 report Law <br /> Enforcement Departments Have Not Adequately Guarded Against Biased Conduct, which proves <br /> significant racial bias among California police officers, as well as disturbing connections with <br /> extremist hate groups linked to the January 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Giving military- <br /> grade arms to these untrained and violence-prone officers would be a grave mistake. <br /> For these and many other reasons, I ask that you all vote against allowing SAPID to continue using <br /> military equipment. The health and safety of our Santa Ana communities depends on it. <br /> Thank you, <br /> Greg <br /> i <br />