As a resident of District 4, I am disappointed to see the city allocate a disproportionate amount of this grant to a single police officer while it continually under-funds community groups with a track record of achieving positive outcomes in Sacramento. If the city really wants to decrease gang violence then we need to cease police involvement and increase support for programming led by these community members who have navigated gang violence. Whenever community groups present at meetings, they face questioning to ensure that funds allocated to them have met intended objectives. Why don't police face this burden of proof? Study after study shows that having more cops doesn't decrease crime, but our public safety budgets refuse to implement an evidence-based approach. This reflects that our council would rather reinforce systems that oppress people than prioritize actions that prevent crime, reduce gang violence, and most importantly provide opportunity for young people in Sacramento.
Yet again, is upsetting to see that the lion's share of the money for another Sacramento program go to the police. One FTE eats up around 45% of this budget, with the next largest portion going to the DA's office. Investment in community-oriented and run programs police would be money better spent.
Good intentions are not enough when the budget priorities enrich SPD and do not support the communities at risk. Instead, please prioritize funding to give community leaders the ability to lead these efforts. Look for other solutions than increased policing and increased funding to programs run by the police.
It simply does not make sense for this money to disproportionately go to a single police officer's salary. I don't understand how that would make any meaningful impact on gang violence. Police don't stop gangs, they only show up after crimes have been committed to punish people. If the SacPD can't stop gang violence with 30% of our general fund, why would a few more thousand dollars help? Please use this money to fund community organizations with a track record in actually stopping gang violence and stop contributing to our city's bloated police budget.
If the city really wants to decrease gang violence then they need to cease police involvement and implement programming led by community members who have navigated gang violence. The organizations who are actually doing the work and know how to have a positive impact are left with little to no support. Disproportionate funding between community organizations and the single officer that will be funded by this budget reflects a budget that upholds oppression and systemic racism in Sacramento. Voting yes on this item is a vote for systemic racism and injustice for our community.
Do not give this position to a police office; instead give it to local organizations that know what they're doing, because they've been doing it for a long time.
I would like to express my concerns on how the budget in this item is being prioritized, and how these investments work in opposition to the goals of these grants. Policing goes not decrease gang violence, and investing the majority of this budget in one officer is not an appropriate use of funds. This money can be better invested in current and new grantees. Please do not approve this budget.
As a sister of someone who was formerly in a gang, this budget is really hurtful. This budget disproportionately funds one FTE police officer, twice as much as it does the community orgs actually doing the work. On top of that, the organizations are required to match 10 percent of the grant funding received. This is not okay City Council. Sacramento is so so so behind in restorative programming, even Oakland is a head of us. We need to be more innovative and open to reimagining public safety. Sending police to communities with gang violence is not the answer, instead it is harmful to Black and Brown lives. There are programs, such as CURE Violence, that has been proven to work to reduce violence .These programs are made up of community members, members that have navigated gang violence and have those relationships with involved folks. Please readjust this budget and remove the police dept, DA, and probation dept, the do not need more money they already have bloated budgets.
Please take the time to readjust the budget by removing the police officer, DA, and probation department from receiving funding. Instead, invest more in the community programs, and replace the police officer with a community member that has navigated gang violence and provide them with the training and tools to lead.The budget for this grant disproportionately funds one FTE police officer with 48 percent of the budget, and 68 percent of the budget goes towards the carceral system. This budget should be prioritized to invest in actual gang violence prevention, intervention, and recovery programming. City Council needs to start working towards programming that does not involve law enforcement or the carceral system. Sacramento has wonderful community leaders that can support this programming, and instead of one FTE police officer as the main POC it should be a community member who has navigated gang violence and is familiar with those experiences and the involved community members.
Mayor Steinberg and City Council,
My name is James Mizoguchi. I live in District 4. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my comment.
I am happy to see grant funding going toward community-based programs. However, I would ask you all to please reallocate as much funding as allowed by the grant’s conditions to community-based programming or programming that does not directly involve law enforcement or the carceral system. I believe that the communities which are most likely to be impacted don’t have enough trust in the police or the carceral system for them to effectively lead gang violence suppression programming. Please do not allocate grant funds to police or the carceral system. Please reallocate funds to community-based programs.
Invest in community programs that work to prevent gang violence. Do NOT continue funding police and involving them in this issue.
As a resident of District 4, I am disappointed to see the city allocate a disproportionate amount of this grant to a single police officer while it continually under-funds community groups with a track record of achieving positive outcomes in Sacramento. If the city really wants to decrease gang violence then we need to cease police involvement and increase support for programming led by these community members who have navigated gang violence. Whenever community groups present at meetings, they face questioning to ensure that funds allocated to them have met intended objectives. Why don't police face this burden of proof? Study after study shows that having more cops doesn't decrease crime, but our public safety budgets refuse to implement an evidence-based approach. This reflects that our council would rather reinforce systems that oppress people than prioritize actions that prevent crime, reduce gang violence, and most importantly provide opportunity for young people in Sacramento.
More money to police/DA will not stop gang violence. Invest in trusted community orgs/groups not the already bloated ineffectual and violent police!
Yet again, is upsetting to see that the lion's share of the money for another Sacramento program go to the police. One FTE eats up around 45% of this budget, with the next largest portion going to the DA's office. Investment in community-oriented and run programs police would be money better spent.
Good intentions are not enough when the budget priorities enrich SPD and do not support the communities at risk. Instead, please prioritize funding to give community leaders the ability to lead these efforts. Look for other solutions than increased policing and increased funding to programs run by the police.
Spend the money on proven community groups rather than police!
It simply does not make sense for this money to disproportionately go to a single police officer's salary. I don't understand how that would make any meaningful impact on gang violence. Police don't stop gangs, they only show up after crimes have been committed to punish people. If the SacPD can't stop gang violence with 30% of our general fund, why would a few more thousand dollars help? Please use this money to fund community organizations with a track record in actually stopping gang violence and stop contributing to our city's bloated police budget.
If the city really wants to decrease gang violence then they need to cease police involvement and implement programming led by community members who have navigated gang violence. The organizations who are actually doing the work and know how to have a positive impact are left with little to no support. Disproportionate funding between community organizations and the single officer that will be funded by this budget reflects a budget that upholds oppression and systemic racism in Sacramento. Voting yes on this item is a vote for systemic racism and injustice for our community.
Do not give this position to a police office; instead give it to local organizations that know what they're doing, because they've been doing it for a long time.
I would like to express my concerns on how the budget in this item is being prioritized, and how these investments work in opposition to the goals of these grants. Policing goes not decrease gang violence, and investing the majority of this budget in one officer is not an appropriate use of funds. This money can be better invested in current and new grantees. Please do not approve this budget.
As a sister of someone who was formerly in a gang, this budget is really hurtful. This budget disproportionately funds one FTE police officer, twice as much as it does the community orgs actually doing the work. On top of that, the organizations are required to match 10 percent of the grant funding received. This is not okay City Council. Sacramento is so so so behind in restorative programming, even Oakland is a head of us. We need to be more innovative and open to reimagining public safety. Sending police to communities with gang violence is not the answer, instead it is harmful to Black and Brown lives. There are programs, such as CURE Violence, that has been proven to work to reduce violence .These programs are made up of community members, members that have navigated gang violence and have those relationships with involved folks. Please readjust this budget and remove the police dept, DA, and probation dept, the do not need more money they already have bloated budgets.
Please take the time to readjust the budget by removing the police officer, DA, and probation department from receiving funding. Instead, invest more in the community programs, and replace the police officer with a community member that has navigated gang violence and provide them with the training and tools to lead.The budget for this grant disproportionately funds one FTE police officer with 48 percent of the budget, and 68 percent of the budget goes towards the carceral system. This budget should be prioritized to invest in actual gang violence prevention, intervention, and recovery programming. City Council needs to start working towards programming that does not involve law enforcement or the carceral system. Sacramento has wonderful community leaders that can support this programming, and instead of one FTE police officer as the main POC it should be a community member who has navigated gang violence and is familiar with those experiences and the involved community members.
Mayor Steinberg and City Council,
My name is James Mizoguchi. I live in District 4. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my comment.
I am happy to see grant funding going toward community-based programs. However, I would ask you all to please reallocate as much funding as allowed by the grant’s conditions to community-based programming or programming that does not directly involve law enforcement or the carceral system. I believe that the communities which are most likely to be impacted don’t have enough trust in the police or the carceral system for them to effectively lead gang violence suppression programming. Please do not allocate grant funds to police or the carceral system. Please reallocate funds to community-based programs.