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2021-04-20 CC Agenda - Public Communications2021-04-20 CC AGENDA PACKET PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS Weaver, Tracy (City Clerk) From: Scott Wilson <scott@havmar.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 6:01 PM To: public communications Subject: Supporting Implementation of RIPA now El Segundo City Council, I have been a resident of El Segundo for 18 years and support Sweat Equity Alliance's proposal to implement California RIPA requirements now vs. waiting for the state deadline. Instead of being forced to change, we have the opportunity to show the world the type of city we are and to set an example for other cities to follow. Sincerely, Scott Wilson Harada, Patricia From: Mark Knight <carletonknight@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 3:40 PM To: public communications Subject: Public communication for 4/20 City Council meeting My name is Mark Knight, and I live, work, and volunteer in El Segundo. In 2020, a Stanford -led study analyzed 95 million traffic stops, using seven years of reports filed by officers with 21 state patrol agencies and 35 municipal police forces. They found that black drivers are pulled over more frequently than white drivers during the day, and that this difference diminishes when sunset pulls down "a veil of darkness" and masks their race. The analysis was robust, and left no doubt that the darker it got, the less likely it became that a black driver would be stopped. You can review the study in the journal of Nature Human Behaviour (DOI: 10.1038/s41552-020-0858-1) El Segundo PD could not be among the analyzed agencies, because the data required to understand racial disparities in our local policing is either not gathered or not accessible. I support the Stats on Stops proposal. Harada, Patricia From: Jan Lebow <z2hebu@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 3:41 PM To: public communications Subject: Edited comment for tonight's meeting --- Stats on Stops Just as good data is needed to help detect the prevalence of Covid in any given community, and to decide upon the ways in which to address it, so too is good data needed to assess the level of another dangerous disease --- systemic racism. Stats on stops will help determine how pervasive the problem of racial bias in our El Segundo Police Department is, and allow the city to determine what steps to take to ameliorate the situation should the data establish that change is necessary. I am confident that everyone in El Segundo wishes to avoid a tragedy similar to the George Floyd and Daunte Wright police killings and every effort should be made to usher in changes that will prevent such senseless events from taking place here in our town. Greater governmental transparency is good for all --- start keeping stats on stops. Jan Zoochie 900 Cedar Street, #302 E1Segundo Harada, Patricia From: Kate Quinones <kalavez@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 4:21 PM To: public communications Subject: Public Comments My name is Kate Alavez. I am a concerned El Segundo resident. Racial profiling is ineffective, dangerous and unfair policing. It is imperative that we begin tracking the ethnicity of drivers and pedestrians being stopped in El Segundo to make sure there is no unfair policing going on in our city. And if there is racial profiling going on we need to know about it now, and fix it now. Not 2 years from now. Thank you. Be well! Kate Alavez (Quinones) Harada, Patricia From: Laura Sorensen <poetryl80@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 4:24 PM To: public communications Subject: public comment 4-20-21 Good afternoon: I am a 15 year resident of El Segundo. It is very important to me as a citizen that El Segundo Police Dept collect, and make available to the public, the traffic -stop data that is required by AB953, starting today. People of color cannot feel safe, and therefore our community should not rest, until the data shows without question that officers treat everyone equally under the law, regardless of their skin color or perceived racial identity. Please commit to aggregating this data, and please also commit to transparency by providing that information upon request to the public. Please don't delay any longer. Thank you. Laura Sorensen poetry180@yahoo.com Harada, Patricia From: Ben Watkins <ben.watkins@bluemondayproductions.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 1:35 PM To: public communications Cc: Weaver, Tracy (City Clerk) Subject: Re: Time to LEAD not FOLLOW (REVISED for word length) Public comment for April 20, 2021 City Council Meeting: Dear Council Members, My name is Ben Watkins. My family has lived in El Segundo for 13 years. My four sons have grown here and three of them have been unnecessarily stopped, questioned or followed by ESPD, as have many of their Black and Brown friends. This could be a coincidence. Or it could be indicative of a problem. The only way to know for sure is to keep STATS ON STOPS. If there is a problem, we need to know so we can fix it immediately. If there is not a problem, we need to know so we can let the community know we are headed in the right direction. Either way, WE NEED TO KNOW Don't delay. Don't make excuses. If you care about our community please direct the Police Department to start tracking STATS ON STOPS. Harada, Patricia From: Reba Hoeschler <reba.hoeschler@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 2:30 PM To: public communications Subject: Supporting Stats on Stops My name is Reba Hoeschler. I am writing to support the Stats on Stops proposal and I am asking all council members to publicly support this. It is critically important that we have this data. Having the information is the only way to have accountability. Transparency is a way to learn and create trust. Please institute this to help ensure El Segundo is a safe and welcoming place for all. Thank you. Harada, Patricia From: Julie Fishman Holop <jmfishman@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 2:47 PM To: public communications Subject: Adopt STATS on STOPS City Council, My name is Julie Holop and I'm an El Segundo resident. Members of our community have reported instances of racial profiling by ESPD. Please help prevent a tragedy in our town like the many similar ones around the country by using your office to adopt the STATS on STOPS policy and help ensure El Segundo is a welcoming place for all. Thanks, Julie Holop i uliefis hm a ncreative_co m @iuliefishmancreative on Insta Harada, Patricia From: Melissa Cueto <melissa@havmar.com> Sent: Monday, April 19, 2021 4:36 PM To: public communications Subject: Supporting Sweat Equity Alliance's Stats on Stops Policy Proposal El Segundo City Council Members, am a resident of El Segundo for almost 15 years, an ESUSD parent and an El Segundo homeowner, and I support the Sweat Equity Alliance's policy proposal to implement the California RIPA requirements immediately rather than waiting for the legal deadline (Stats on Stops). We owe it to the residents and visitors of El Segundo to seek to continuously improve. We need to provide Chief Whalen and ESPD the support required to obtain real data and insight into areas that need attention, immediately. It is the right thing to do for the people of color who live in and visit El Segundo, for the businesses of El Segundo, for ESPD, and for the City. The City of El Segundo and ESPD can lead the way and be an example to other South Bay communities. We can act urgently. Not because we have to, but because we want to. Sincerely, Melissa Cueto Harada, Patricia From: Keith Puckett <keithp@wokeurbanapparel.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 7:07 AM To: public communications Subject: STATS on STOPS Hello City Council, My name is Keith Puckett. I support the call for STATS on STOPS. According to data from the Racial Identity and Profiling Act, Black drivers across California are more than twice as likely to be stopped by the police. What are the numbers in El Segundo, a community with a legacy of racism and unjust policing? We don't know because we don't keep track. It's time for that to change so we can eradicate racial profiling once and for all. We are lagging behind the rest of the country. Let's catch up. Let's turn our backs on our racists pasts and move forward together. Let's do the right thing here, STATS on STO PS I I Thank you. Keith E. Puckett Owner (310) 961-8970 keithp@wokeurbanapparel.com 3 Harada, Patricia From: Lindsay Pinkham <lindsaypinkham@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 11:10 AM To: public communications Subject: Comment for City Council mtg My name is Lindsay Pinkham, a 34-year resident of El Segundo. In 1987, when we were ready to start a family, my husband and I were cruising El Segundo looking for homes for sale. Coming up West Palm Avenue (where I have lived now for 34 years) we saw two small black boys, around 10 years old, riding bikes up the street. All of a sudden an ESPD patrol car swooped around us, cut us off, and pulled over by the boys. I'm sure someone called ESPD to report "someone who doesn't belong." I have always regretted not pulling over just to act as a witness and to follow up to make sure the boys were all right. Is this kind of thing still happening in my adopted town? The only way to know is to start collecting data on police stops, including the race of the people who get stopped. I fully support the Stats on Stops proposal. Harada, Patricia From: Jon Michaels <jon.michaels@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, April 19, 2021 3:57 PM To: public communications Subject: Stats on Stops am writing to express my support in favor of STATS on STOPS. As an ES homeowner, parent of ESUSD children, and concerned citizen, I have a right to know how my community is being policed. Publicizing this data is essential. Depending on the findings, it would help us, as a community, either (1) dispel unfair and unfounded rumors about El Segundo being unwelcoming to people of color or (2) hold ourselves accountable for history wrongs and do what we can to end racial profiling ASAP. (Just last night, 60 Minutes had a long segment on the detrimental health effects of racial discrimination!) Cities throughout the county, the state, and the nation are owning up to histories of discrimination and subordination --and making clear to businesses, prospective employees, and potential home buyers that they are *now* communities that people can be confident investing in. How can we be informed voters and community members, let alone recruit entrepreneurs, teachers, and families, without access to this pertinent information. Thank you, Jon Michaels Harada, Patricia From: Toni Michaels <toni.michaels@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, April 19, 2021 10:46 PM To: public communications Subject: Public Comments on STATS ON STOPS policy proposal (4.20.21 Council meeting) My name is Toni Michaels and I am an El Segundo homeowner and small business owner. I'm concerned about anecdotal evidence suggesting racial profiling by ESPD. Are ESPD officers really stopping black and brown drivers at disproportionate rates? The frustrating truth is that, at present, we have no way of knowing. That is why the STATS ON STOPS policy is so urgently needed. If stop statistics show that ESPD is performing well in this regard, we will be able to praise its fair policing. If there's a problem, then we will be able to take corrective action. Every day that we wait to implement this basic accountability measure could be the day that racial profiling ends in tragedy in our city. If that happens, there will be no justification to excuse our city's delay in taking this step. I urge you to adopt the STATS on STOPS policy without delay. Sincerely, Toni Michaels Harada, Patricia From: Sorbello (US), Jennifer R<jennifer.r.sorbello@boeing.com> Sent: Monday, April 19, 2021 9:21 PM To: public communications Subject: 4/20/21, Item number 8 I think it would be fantastic if backyard beekeeping was permitted in El Segundo. My son is currently working on his Gardening Merit Badge for Scouts BSA. While he's been interested in plants for awhile, the sole reason he chose to work on this Merit Badge is that there is an entire section on pollinating and beekeeping. One of the requirements is to prepare a honey super for use on a hive or colony, and remove a filled honey super from the hive or colony and prepare the honey for sale. He'll clearly need to work with someone knowledgeable to do this. What he completes his Merit Badge he's really hoping that he'll be allowed to start his own hive. For years, my son has saved bees he's perceived as in danger (on the sidewalk, stuck in water, etc.), so this is just his latest endeavor to help bees. Thanks, Jennifer Sorbello Resident on Hillcrest since 2006 Harada, Patricia From: Charlie Henry <burgers4cph@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, April 16, 2021 10:53 PM To: public communications Subject: Supporting SEA Policy Proposal Hello, I am Charlie, a student at ESHS, and I would like to voice my support for the proposed policy that the city keep records of all police stops and make the data publicly available. We the people must know these numbers or else we will not be able to make informed decisions that benefit the community. Thanks for your consideration, Charlie Sent from my iPhone Harada, Patricia From: Kathryn Tubbs <kathryn.tubbs@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2021 5:24 PM To: public communications Subject: STATS ON STOPS - POLICY PROPOSAL Dear El Segundo City Council Members: I am writing to express my support for Sweat Equity Alliance's Stats on Stops Policy Proposal. As a resident and someone who works in El Segundo, I would like to see the City take every step to make all its diverse citizens, visitors and workers feel represented and cared for. Approving and funding this proposal to speed up the police stats for our small city will go a long way to show that City officials care for all it's constituents. My hope is that you will seriously consider this proposal and find the funds to speed up this reporting. Thank you, Kathryn Tubbs Harada, Patricia From: Chris Busse <cabusse@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, April 19, 2021 2:31 PM To: public communications Subject: Stats on Stops Hi, my name is Chris Busse. I'm a resident of El Segundo of 9 years, my kids go to ESHS. I support the call to track data on ALL stops, vehicular and pedestrian, no matter the outcome. Data can lead us to know if racial profiling and unconscious bias is or isn't a problem for El Segundo. With data, we can analyze and react. With data, we can stop guessing. With data, we can stop partisan posturing. Without data, we can only speculate. Data may reveal uncomfortable truths, but the alternative is hide our head in the sand. If we have a problem, who wouldn't want to know? Who wouldn't want to change? We have a chance here to lead and signal to our residents, our business partners, and our sister cities that El Segundo embraces self -reflection and improvement; that we are a city for all residents, for all people.