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From: Emil Hanscom To: PublicComment Subject: Item 9.A: Redwood City Resident for Defunding the RCPD Date: Monday, June 22, 2020 12:14:10 PM Hello, My name is Emil Hanscom, and I've been a resident of Redwood City for over two years. I urge you to reject tonight's proposed budget because it wastes $49 million by allocating it into an outdated and dangerous police system. These funds are better suited for crime prevention services, like community services, non -police response teams and affordable housing. I've read the Mayor's statement on adopting the Obama Foundation Mayor's Pledge, but this action does nothing to address the pressing needs of our community. The initiatives of the Mayor's Pledge are even weaker than the 8 Can't Wait proposals created by Campaign Zero, who has since issued a statement stating 8 Can't Wait is not effective enough to curb police violence. Additionally, in the recent town hall our police chief spent a substantial amount of time walking through each 8 Can't Wait proposal, and then went into excruciating detail as to why our small city lacked the ability to adopt these steps. If our police department cannot adopt even the simplest of reforms, it's clear that we need a dramatically new system of safety and accountability. I know we'd like to think Redwood City is different and that we do not have the systemic racism of other communities. However, this is willfully ignorant and dangerous. Independent analysis has shown that RCPD disproportionally arrests Latinx and Black residents. Additionally, RCPD used more force per arrest than 53% of other police departments in the United States. As we speak tonight, there is injustice occurring in our backyard. Currently, inmates in downtown's Maguire Correctional Facility are on a hunger strike to protest gross exploitation and deprivation inside the facility. All the actions we are discussing tonight are incredibly time sensitive. We all want a city that is safe, comfortable, and viable for all our residents. That is why I urge you to make a difference tonight and not push the conversation to October. In the next three months, more residents will be targeted and abused by police. We need action now to change our city's future. Thank you, Emil Hanscom Redwood City