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From: <br />To: GRP -City Council <br />Subject: Public Comment Jan. 11,2021 <br />Date: Monday, January 11, 2021 1:39:45 PM <br />CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or <br />clicking links, especially from unknown senders. <br />Dear Council Members, <br />After the attack on January 6, 2021 on our democracy in DC from domestic terrorists it removed the band-aid from <br />racist law enforcement for the entire world to see. Not only is this happening at the national level and State level it's <br />also at the local level. It was clearly displayed during our BLM protest and Back the Blues events downtown. The <br />stark difference from Redwood City Police during these two events has made it clear who our Police department <br />serves. <br />Our Redwood City politicians have too long married our City to the police unions and if you are truly honest about <br />EQUITY it is time to reimagine your idea of Public safety that means reimagine policing. Your denial cannot <br />continue it is time our City Council to have uncomfortable conversations and negotiate police union contracts that <br />truly benefit ALL citizens after all don't they work for us? Stop the over policing of our working class communities <br />and refund social services that have been neglected for too long and benefit working class residents, Community <br />resources are public safety. <br />Theres has been a lot of talk from our Council about racial injustice, but it has all been performative. With the <br />listening sessions over last summer and hearing from over 500 of our neighbors witch a large majority opposed the <br />$48.9 M allocation of tax payers' money to the police budget our City Council was very dismissive of the feed back <br />It cherry picked who to listen to. Mayor Howard wrote " the City Council is required by law to adopt a FY 2020/21 <br />budget before June 30,2020 and expect the FY 2020/21 Budget will change significantly this fall ". It did not <br />significantly change for the police department the Council actually approved a pay increase for the police <br />department. <br />On August 24, 2018 the City Council passed Resolution No. 15704 thanks to Mr.Kevin Shenkman of the law firm <br />Shenkman & Hughes that put a stop to the diluting of our minority vote in Redwood City by voting at -large. On this <br />resolution the City Council stated that there were no evidence supporting the claim of a California Voting Rights <br />Act violation. After this past local elections it's clear there were violations the evidence is in having 3 of the 4 <br />previous Council members removed. We will demand accountability from our current City Council and unsure that <br />you do what's best and right for ALL Redwood City residents and not for special interests or to further your <br />political career. <br />Thank you for your time, <br />Marcelene Luna <br />