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Orozco, Norma <br />From: Francisco Isais < <br />Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2023 2:52 PM <br />To: eComment <br />Subject: 08/15/23 City Council Meeting Item #14 Public Comment <br />I am a lifelong Santa Ana resident and employee of the County of Orange working directly with homeless, <br />substance use, and severely mentally ill clients in Orange County. Any discussion of interventions aimed at <br />tackling this very complex problem that only look at police interventions are short sighted. That is being <br />generous because frankly it sounds like an excuse to increase funding to the police department further down <br />the line. The hope team, for example, works with other cities engaging with clients struggling with <br />homelessness and addiction and provides a variety of services. If the goal is to encourage folks to access help, <br />then the first contact should not be our already busy police who's training is not geared towards mental health <br />or substance abuse treatment. If cases require an escalation to police involvement it is easy enough to request <br />their presence. I humbly request that alternative programs are explored first or at the very least implemented <br />alongside efforts to increase police enforcement and that we collect statistical data for any program we <br />implement. <br />Francisco Isais <br />Ward 5 Resident <br />