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S. F. Supervisor Proposes Legislation on Police Calls, Redirecting Police Funding

Published

4 years ago

June 25, 2020

Kiki

San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton proposed legislation to address the racial discrimination resulting from emergency 911 calls and will call for a commitment from the city to redirect funds from the San Francisco Police Dept. to the Black community in an upcoming board meeting.

The legislation is co-sponsored by supervisors Dean Preston, Matt Haney, Hillary Ronen, Gordon Mar, Ahsha Safai, and Sandra Fewer, seven of the 11 members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Walton was ahead of the current call to “defund the police,” which also involves reimagining and reinventing the way policing is done as well as a redistribution of funding.

According to his press release from June 2019, he introduced a resolution “condemning the increase of racial profiling and discrimination harassment from private businesses and individuals who profile people of color for suspicion of crime or denial of service based on the individual’s race, age, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, and national origin.”

Incidents of 911 calls on people of color doing daily activities continue to happen, most recently as June 13 when a white couple in Pacific Heights called police on a Filipino man for stenciling “Black Lives Matter” in chalk on his own residence and accused him of defacing someone else’s property despite the fact that it was his home.

“When law enforcement respond to non-emergency calls as a result of the caller’s racism and racial bias, it diverts resources away from actual emergencies to unnecessary policing of people of color,” a press statement revealed. “This ordinance aims to amend the Police Code to make it unlawful to cause a peace officer to contact a person based solely on a desire to discriminate against the person on the basis of the person’s race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, and will create a civil cause of action and implement fines for violating this prohibition.

“Supervisor Walton also introduced a resolution urging the board of supervisors to commit to redirect resources from the San Francisco Police Dept. back into the Black community.

“On June 4, Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Walton announced plans to prioritize the redirection of resources from the San Francisco Police Dept. to support the Black community in the upcoming budget.”

Decades of disinvestment, public policies, and institutional practices in the Black community have disproportionately harmed all aspects of life including health, wellness, mortality, housing security, education and economic opportunities.

In San Francisco, the average income for a Black household is $31,000, as compared with $110,000 for white families. As many as 19% of Black children in San Francisco live in poverty.

Black and African American individuals comprise 35% of the City’s unhoused population, despite making up only 5% of the population as a whole.

“We have been pushing for reparations for Black people here in San Francisco for decades and we have continued to see Black organizations inequitably disregarded and disproportionately left out of vital resources,” said Walton.

“In these times of continued systemic and systematic oppression of Black people, we have to be innovative and strong with our solutions. It is also our collective responsibility as the board of supervisors to prevent racial discrimination in all its forms and seek justice for people when we are unable to stop discrimination from happening.”

“There should be consequences for actions that threaten the freedom and safety of others,” said Sheryl Davis, director of the Human Rights Commission. “Calling the police on someone that you label as out of place, simply for being Black or a person of color in public, is just as dangerous as yelling fire in a crowded theater. You are putting someone’s well-being at risk by subjecting them to a humiliating, unnecessary, sometimes lethal police interaction. Fining 911 abusers who waste police time and violate their fellow citizens’ civil rights is one way to discourage this abhorrent behavior.”

“It’s time to hold people accountable for these frivolous, racist and life-threatening calls,” says Shakirah Simley, director of the Office of Racial Equity. “In a time where we are rethinking policing and its disparate impact on the Black community, we need more meaningful measures in place to put an end to racial profiling. It’s time to send a stronger message — You belong here. We see you. We support you.”

Kiki

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Oakland Post: Week of November 27 – December 3, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 27 – December 3, 2024, 2024

Published

2 days ago

November 30, 2024

Oakland Post

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OCCUR Hosts “Faith Forward” Conference in Oakland

The conference featured Congresswoman-elect Lateefah Simon, who will begin her term representing California’s 12th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in January.
Simon was honored with a special recognition from OCCUR for her civic and nonprofit leadership.

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2024

Oakland Post

President and CEO of OCCUR addresses the audience at OCCUR Faith Forward 2024 Conference at Resurrection Church. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal (OCCUR) hosted its Faith Forward 2024 Conference on Nov. 8 at Resurrection Church in Oakland.

The conference featured Congresswoman-elect Lateefah Simon, who will begin her term representing California’s 12^th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in January.

Simon was honored with a special recognition from OCCUR for her civic and nonprofit leadership. During her remarks, She commended nonprofits making a difference, and shared how she looked forward to representing Oakland and surrounding areas.

Simon also encouraged attendees to continue fighting despite their concerns about the presidential election results. She also cautioned that there may be resources that are discontinued as a result.

“We know the assignment. We have many of the resources right within our own community, and we will be ok,” Simon assured the audience.

The conference led by OCCUR president, Dr. David B. Franklin, also featured panels on funding opportunities, case studies, economic development, sustainable housing solutions, and organizing for action.

“In order for organizations serving the community to thrive, everyone must collaborate, share resources, and not operate in silos,” said Franklin.

Speakers included San Francisco Foundation CEO, Fred Blackwell, San Francisco Foundation FAITHS Program Director Dr. Michelle Chambers, and Kingmakers of Oakland Founder, Chris Chatmon. Guests were briefed on how Kingmakers of Oakland has gone from a budget of zero to several million and is set to acquire 200 acres of property to expand their programs serving young boys. The leadership at the San Francisco Foundation encouraged nonprofits, churches, and community leaders to work together, especially when donations and funding numbers are lower.

Ben Bartlett of Berkeley City Council; Trevor Parham, CEO of Oakstop; and CEO of the Lao Family Community Development, Inc., Kathy Chao Rothberg, inspired attendees with stories about their journeys in the nonprofit sector.

Additional speakers included Deka Dike, CEO of Omatachi; Landis Green, CEO of DGS Strategies; Sasha Werblin, Director of Economic Development, LISC Bay Area; Oakland City Councilmember Treva Reid; Faith and Justice Organizer of East Bay Housing Organizations, Ronnie Boyd; and Todd Bendon, Executive Director of Faith in Action East Bay; among others.

The event allowed community leaders, faith-based leaders, and nonprofits to gain Insight on how to strengthen their profits financially, and communally.

OCCUR has served the community for over 70 years supporting the wellbeing of historically marginalized communities with collaborative strategies. For more information visit occurnow.org

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Richmond Seniors Still Having a Ball After 25 Years

The Senior Winter Ball is a symbol of the Commission on Aging’s broader mission of providing enriching life experiences to the local senior community, particularly those in need of them. “Besides the social activities, we focus on issues such as housing, transportation and health,” said Michelle Hayes, the commission’s chairperson. “We get things done for our senior population.”

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Myrtle Braxton (l-r), Byran H. Harris, and Michelle Hayes. Photo by Mike Kinney.

By Mike Kinney
The Richmond Standard

For a quarter century, seniors in the local community have had a prime location in the heart of the city to gather and celebrate the holidays.

That is courtesy of the annual Senior Winter Ball, which will mark a milestone this year when it takes place for the 25^th time. The gala will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Richmond Memorial Auditorium.

The holiday tradition was started by the City of Richmond’s Commission on Aging in 1999 to entertain and celebrate seniors. The event also raises funds for local senior causes. Attendees wear their finest attire and enjoy dinner and dancing.

“It’s so exciting to see all of the gala attendees all dressed up and seeing their lifetime friends and making new friends as well,” said Bryan M. Harris, secretary for the Commission on Aging. “They will reminisce about old Winter Ball memories and at the same time create new ones.”

Richmond’s very own Chef Josephine Orozco of El Sol Catering will serve at this year’s anniversary dinner. The gala will also feature the band Top Shelf Classics, which plays hits from the 50s through the 80s and has been the gala’s annual performer for the last decade.

The Senior Winter Ball symbolizes the Commission on Aging’s broader mission of providing enriching life experiences to the local senior community, particularly those in need of them.

“Besides the social activities, we focus on issues such as housing, transportation and health,” said Michelle Hayes, the commission’s chairperson. “We get things done for our senior population.”

Myrtle Braxton, 97, has served on the commission for 17 years and is its current vice president. She says her goal is to increase the quality of life for seniors through safe social events.

“So many seniors are isolated and are sometimes forgotten by society,” Braxton said. “So, our commission is their advocate and makes sure they are not left behind.”

Tickets to the 25th Silver Anniversary Annual Senior Winter Ball are $45 per person or $360 for a table of eight. They are available in person via the Main Recreation office at 3230 Macdonald Ave., via email at csdregistration@ci.richmond.ca.us or by phone at 510-620-6793.