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3. Allocate increased funding for an additional staff person at the City's WORK <br /> Center and youth jobs within City Government that are accessible to undocumented <br /> Youth. <br /> 4. Allocate increased funding for youth service programs within areas in City Hall and <br /> not within the police department, such as those that can provide young people with <br /> access to skill development, recreation, and housing. <br /> Context Police Oversight: <br /> Over the last two years, a majority of this Council has voiced support for the creation of a Police <br /> Oversight Board in Santa Ana. While the Council's Police Oversight Ad-Hoc Committee drafts a <br /> policy proposal the council must allocate funds to properly fund the Police Oversight Board. <br /> The Council allocated $141,082,500, or 40%, of the 2021-22 Fiscal Year General Fund to the <br /> Santa Ana Police Department. The estimated annual cost for an effective investigative-auditor <br /> model for police oversight is less than 2% of the annual Police Department budget. <br /> Context Youth Funding Priorities: <br /> Over the Fall of 2021, Chispa, Latino Health Access, Project Kinship, Invest in Youth, Alianza <br /> Translatinx, and Santa Ana Youth Ballot held a series of focus groups in Santa Ana to hear from <br /> young people ages 14-25 about the youth services they need and current services they receive <br /> through their school, city, or community organizations. These focus groups revealed that young <br /> people want to see the programs and services listed above prioritized for funding. Historically <br /> youth services have been chronically and systemically underfunded. The Council must increase <br /> youth investment to improve public safety. <br /> Members of the Council have continuously expressed a strong desire to continue improving <br /> safety by addressing root causes and investing in residents' material needs and wellbeing. <br /> SABHC believe that the recommendations outlined above achieve these goals by supporting the <br /> City's community partners to provide mental health services, counseling and preventative <br /> services,jobs, and recreational activities. We urge you to adopt these recommendations in the <br /> first reading. These resources will provide a foundation for the City's young people to <br /> thrive. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Joel Cazares <br /> Director of Operations <br /> Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities <br />