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From:Rob Versluis To:publiccomment Subject:Subject: Public Comment against Item 6B, May 12 agenda (Tasers) Date:Sunday, May 11, 2025 6:24:56 PM You don't often get email from rmversluis1@gmail.com. Learn why this is important Dear Mayor Martínez Saballos, Vice Mayor Eakin, and Council members: I am writing on behalf of Fixin’ San Mateo County to ask you to remove Item 6B from the agenda and schedule a study session at a later date to look at whether it is appropriate for the Redwood City Police Department to use Tasers at all. Approximately 64,400 of Redwood City's residents are people of color. That number represents the 64,400 of Redwood City’s residents who are at risk of being tased and potentially seriously injured or even murdered by these deadly weapons. Until a study session is complete, the City should not purchase upgraded Tasers at the taxpayers’ expense. These are not nonlethal tools, as their manufacturers may have you believe; they are deadly weapons.. On October 3,2018, Chinedu Okobi died tragically at the hands of San Mateo County deputies, who deployed Tasers several times in response to a non-violent interaction on El Camino Real in Millbrae. Fixin’ San Mateo County was born out of that tragic event. That death cost San Mateo County taxpayers $4.5 million, in addition to causing his family irreparable harm that will impact that lineage forever. Fixin’ San Mateo County is dedicated to ensuring that all residents of San Mateo County are treated with equity and dignity, and that we do not have another senseless death like Chinedu’s. Redwood City police deployed Tasers 91 times between 2015–2020, representing over a quarter of all use-of-force incidents. In 2018, Redwood City police officers deployed Tasers 2–3 times against Ramzi Saad during a domestic violence call on Lanyard Drive. The 55-year- old, who had schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, became unresponsive in post-deployment and died at a hospital. Last summer Redwood City projected a budget gap of $3.9 Million over the next decade, and this proposal would spend an additional $1.6 Million. It is fiscally irresponsible to use taxpayer dollars to purchase 110 upgraded lethal weapons. We appreciate your consideration in removing this item from the agenda and scheduling a study session to look more closely at the high cost and dangers of Tasers as well as alternatives including de-escalation training. Sincerely, Rob Versluis 266 Jeter Street 94062