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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCORRESPONDENCE - 85A - ADDITIONAL Mitre-Ramirez, Norma From: Joel Cazares (SABHC) < Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2016 12:35 PM To: eComment Cc: Pulido, Miguel; Sarmiento, Vicente; Martinez, Michele;Amezcua, Angelica; Benavides, David; Tinajero, Sal Subject: Encouraging Santa Ana Mayor and City Council to think broadly about Public Safety Attachments: Santa Ana City Council Letter 10.04.16.pdf Importance: High Greetings Mayor Pulido and City Council Members I hope this email finds all in great health! Please see the attached letter on behalf of the Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities collaborative. Thank you for your time and attention. Best, Joel Cazares Program Coordinator Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities 1505 E. 17th Street, Suite 111 Santa Ana, CA 92705 Tel: 714.617.8891 ext. 116 Fax: 714.647.0901 ioel.cazares@sa-bhc.org www.sa-bhc.org www.facebook.com/sabhcl www.twitter.com/sabhc1 CCM 08/16/16 85A 4.,ANAI Tr N aely '›,., ' I rip A Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities Building Healthy 1505 E 17th St,Suite 111,Santa Ana,CA 92705 Communities PHONE:(714)617-8891 I FAX:(714)647-0901 I www.sa-bhc.org October 4,2016 Santa Ana City Council 22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana,CA 92701 Re: City Council Meeting August 16,2016,Agenda Item 85A Dear Mayor and City Council, We write to you as a coalition of community members and local organizations interested in public safety. Collectively, we are concerned of the potential harm to local businesses and the community in general,when false crime statistics in the City of Santa Ana are purposely and unethically spread. During a discussion of police officer pay and the police budget at the August 16th City Council Meeting, Santa Ana Police Officer Association President, Gerry Serrano, argued for increases to police pay and budgets, based in part on the assertion that Santa Ana is experiencing an unprecedented increase in crime rates. We echo the sentiments expressed by Council Member Sal Tinajero that the crime data Mr. Serrano presented is questionable, that overstating the crime rate in Santa Ana harms local businesses and the community at large, and urge that the City respond to any concerns about public safety with a comprehensive approach that addresses health, education, job opportunities and violence prevention programs rather than simply increasing Police Department budgets. Moreover, we encourage the City of Santa Ana and the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) to develop metrics of success based on community relationship-development. Mr. Serrano argued that the crime rate has risen five hundred percent and is currently at an unprecedented level. Crime statistics can be erratic and are subject to manipulation, often for political ends. In recent years, law enforcement has raised the specter of rising crime, blaming criminal sentencing reforms in Prop 47.1 However, the data and community perception proves otherwise. Crime rates have continued to decline over the past fifteen years and California, by 2014, had the lowest violent crime rate since 1967.2 On a national level, crime rates remain at a historic low.3 The exploitation of crime data is concerning because community members have united behind a new vision for safety,health,and justice in California. Community members recognize that more can be done to improve public safety-that is why the majority of voters in Orange County approved Prop 47 almost two years ago.4 To the undersigned community organizations, investing in public safety means investing in health and education for all Santa Ana residents. ' Jordan Graham, Crime's up in Orange County; what's to blame?, Orange County Register (Mar. 30, 2016), http://www.ocregister.com/articles/crime-710203-county-police.html. 2 Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, Changing Gears: California's Shift to Smart Justice PROP 47 Year One, ACLU of Northern California(Nov. 2015), https://www.acluca.org/wp- content/uploads/2015/11/Prop47-1 yr-Report-FINAL_web.pdf 3 Ames Grawert and James Cullen, Crime in 2015:A Final Analysis, The Brennan Center for Justice(April 20, 2016), https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/crime-2015-final-analysis 4 Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State, Statement of the Vote(Nov. 4, 2014), http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2014-general/pdf/88-bal lot-measures.pdf ANA f"Q , k ° ° I Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities Building Healthy 1505 E 17th St,Suite 111,Santa Ana,CA 92705 Communities PHONE: (714)617-8891 I FAX:(714)647-0901 I www.sa-bhc.org SAPD can uphold public safety by measuring department and officer success according to non-traditional relationship-development metrics including diversion of youth offenders, ensuring safe passage for students traveling to school,and partnering with community stakeholders to solve safety issues.9 As the City begins planning the budget for the fiscal year 2017-2018, we encourage the Mayor and City Council to invest in broader services for the safety, health, and wellbeing of all community members. As Council Member Vicente Sarmiento acknowledged,no one is comfortable with the crime rate. Because of this,we believe broader solutions to public safety must be prioritized by the Mayor and City Council. The City of Santa Ana and SAPD can measure increased public safety by developing metrics based on community relationship-development. Finally, we encourage the Mayor and City Council to continue rejecting calls to respond to crime by increasing the Police Department budget and to fund broader solutions to public safety. Thank you, Sincerely, SABHC Collaborative ec, ACLU J r 7 I ,2 -— AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION? ,Madison Park`. of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAS NEIGHBORHOOD KidWorks°' nssoCtNNNAH MPNAr touching lives with hope: Coalition of Orange County Community Health CentersNOCCOR D G jAT,1N0 STRONG VOICE FOR A FAIR ECONOMY AHEALTH CCLS5 9 See I.D.