May we have the link to the survey in the chat?

https://bit.ly/ReconcileLBSurvey

Thats the link, Christopher! :)

Thank you Shreya!

Thank y’all for the Community Agreements

Tonight’s Community Agreements: 1. Center Black voices2. Keep your phone or device muted if you’re not talking3. If you’re able to, please turn your camera on ​4. Step up, step back5. One mic, one voice6. Not a debate - we’re here to share and listen

👍🏽

I appreciate the pre planned community agreements. Can this community add the community agreements?

Feel free to share your thoughts on community agreements Christopher, they will be recorded and considered.

Work to recognize our privilege (gender, racial, economic, etc)Take risks: Lean into discomfort (We are all in different stages of our journey. Challenge yourself to contribute even if it’s not perfectly formulated)

What kinds of programs and services would you want in communities to promote community safety?Share an experience in Long Beach when police were called to respond but it should have been handled by another entity (e.g. mental health professional or social worker), or maybe the police shouldn’t have been called at all. How do you think the situation should have been handled instead?What could some community-based alternatives to police look like here in Long Beach?

Lesli: You are the next speaker :)

Thank you for your service

Leslie, then Padric

@janet

Sorry, I was just clapping for Janet’s retirement! Wasn’t raising my hand

ok :)

We would love to see restorative justice training in schools instead of safety officers

hearing feedback from Lesli’s phone

would love to highlight the restorative justice diversion work happening in Long Beach with my org CCEJ (California conference for equality & justice) but ways we could increase the work with more funding divested from law enforcement

I’m curious as a police officer what Janet wished was not one of her police officer responsibilities while on the beat?

https://bit.ly/ReconcileLBSurvey

sorry I wasn’t clear in earlier chat - I do want to speak on RJ diversion and concerns about reform initiatives .. happy to wait until more POC voices share. I believe first round of voices have been white participants

Hi Vanessa, If you'd like to talk, use the raise hand function or wave on camera. you'll be called upon.

Certain districts have been prioritized, attention and funding needs to be given to every single district in an EQUITABLE manner

https://bit.ly/ReconcileLBSurvey

There should be a non-violent, unarmed system to monitor protests or other types of large gatherings to ensure the safety of participants, which can include young children

While I haven’t had an experience here specifically with LBPD, my experience with a hate crime and the PD was sad. There wasn’t a proper police report, there wasn’t a connection with the police officer who was not a person of color, the entire experience felt like it wasn’t real. How serious does a hate crime get taken up for investigation?How do we ask police officers to be apart of the community while we also need them to take care of every day patrolling for traffic safety or assaults? When there’s a store owner being robbed at gun point, I do want a police to protect me. Yet, when there’s a hate crime who should be the appropriate agency to investigate and find justice. How do you police for racism?

More funding for paramedics. It’s not right that someone who is tasked with saving lives in emergency situations is paid minimum wage

I've already shared this, but In October 2018, I was hit by a van while walking to a bus stop on my way to work. I was injured and bleeding and in shock. LBPD refused to take my report at the hospital. I asked if they were denying me medical attention and their response was, "Well if you want to play games then are you fleeing the scene?!" Scared and frustrated, we went back. There were six police vehicles there. Six. Police. Vehicles. When they took my report, they did not believe anything I said even though I was clearly injured and bleeding and even though the driver who hit me corroborated my account. This is in no way comparable to others' experiences with police--good or bad. However, standing next to my white boyfriend and the white driver who both supported me while the cops intimidated me, I fear that this may have ended with my arrest for something I didn't do were it not for them. If this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.

If it can happen while people are with me, watching and defending me, it can happen when no one is looking. I shouldn't have to be afraid to call the police if I need help. But I am. This is a problem. And it will take a whole lot of work to fix that.

There is also a great need for social services for homeless and underserved that is easy and simple to access. A possible solution could include housing these resources in public places like libraries or other community spaces

Check out Long Beach People’s Budget!

For example, there could be a counselor or advocate or other types of resources at Bixby Park Community Center that people could use to find or get help

Question: if the police funding moves to another bucket will that move out of the LBPD and into Health Services or does it stay in LBPD and they just re-allocate it to newly created divisions? How is this being envisioned?

How is the change going to happen with our current police chief? We listen to his speeches. He justifies what is going on versus listening. Some of his comments are insulting and lack accountability. It is not easy job to be a police chief but our leadership must listen to understand what's going on. I'm not saying he cannot do the job but the leadership has to either change or be completely on board. How can the community have faith in this process if the leaders are saying things that conflict the conversations?

Kim, THANK you for your leadership & insights! We can make decisions even while we talk. ACTION is way overdue. NOW!

https://bit.ly/ReconcileLBSurvey

Thank you Carole, appreciate your support.

We agree Sontue. Luna blamed the endangerment of a child on a father who was exercising his right to free speech, when it was a badly trained officer who was pointing their gun directly at protesters. How can we expect police officers to protect us when they are the very ones threatening our lives and well being? we need to re-allocate resources, not to separate or newly created divisions of LBPD, but to existing welfare services like mental health, homeless services, youth and after school programs, etc.

From Sona 
Was trying to call-in, but think I need to be admitted. Sorry do have to run now. Please share that I agree with KT's comments on lots of data available, and time for action. I would like to better understand the PD data on interactions and where we could best transition services to other departments. Can funding be provided to the Health Dept, so Health Department staff can respond to calls to do welfare checks on homeless individuals in our city. I've seen police officers responding to check on people on the street, and those calls can likely be handled by other departments.

I went to LBCC and Cal State Long Beach and decided to move here because of the diversity. I feel that everyone has a voice and going to school in Long Beach I learned from all my classmates who came from different walks of life and I was impressed by some of their realities that I would not have learned in other cities in California. But we all have a part and it requires people getting together and understanding that everyone should have a voice and that would include the police.

Leadership has to be on-board. They are in leadership positions for a reason. They know the data and have to review it, understand it, and do something with it. And like Christopher said... be accountable. It's unacceptable that data exists and they are asking some of these questions. They should know that now they will be held accountable and the community will ask these questions now to understand their goals. The "politically correct" answers are no longer acceptable. The community feels safe when the leaders are honest and create a safe place. I'm a strong supporter of leading by example.

Thank you

To be fair, Rex Richardson (who wrote this BS, band aid framework) and the whole of City council, as well as Robert Garcia have perpetuated systemic racism in Long Beach during their terms. The reason we have not seen progress is because of them.

Form a Youth Department from the fund

Give charters for the Human Relations Commission

Grandfather in the Office of Equity.

Pass the Long Beach Peoples Budget as a short term!

DIVEST FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENTDefund the Long Beach Police Department to end their pattern of targeting low-income communities of color and criminalizing poverty. Policing is not the answer to our schools’ and communities’ most pressing needs, including jobs, housing, homelessness, health, and immigration. When we divest from police, we redirect resources so that Black, Indigenous, and people of color can live successful lives.

With everything that is good and sustainable it takes time to become that way. I think people want a big change in a short amount of time.

REINVEST IN BLACK LIVES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLORReallocate funds and direct additional resources on an on-going basis to community-led priorities that create health, opportunity, community, and justice:Reimagined community safety without police terror and grounded in restorative justice and Black Empowerment:Invest in Black family unification, community-led crisis response, violence reduction, and prevention strategies that are outside of the police;Provide reparations to Black/African American people from the war-on-drugs era and to victims and their families of racial profiling and police violence;Prioritize families directly impacted by the war on drugs in all social and economic opportunities, especially in the equitable ownership of cultivation and distribution in the cannabis industry.Invest in community-led restoration events to support stronger connections among neighbors.

It’s been a long time, people have been waiting for decades to see this change

Affordable and Supportive Housing: Establish a dedicated source of funding for supportive housing with wrap-around supportive services for residents experiencing or on the brink of homelessness.Right to Counsel for All Renters: Establish a Right to Counsel to provide legal resources and representation to renters in need regardless of immigration status, effectively reducing evictions, preventing homelessness, preserving affordable housing, and stabilizing communities.Citywide Rental Housing Division: Establish a Rental Housing Division within the Development Services Department to communicate with both tenants and landlords, issue legal bulletins and updates, enforce renter protection laws, centralize information and forms, and administer a citywide Right to Counsel program for renters.Community Health Councils: Establish funding for neighborhood-based Community Health Councils to implement community-led crisis response for mental health, safety, and well-being emergencies.

Job Training: Prioritize free job training and job opportunities for Black residents, regardless of their background or education level. Revise the City’s Project Labor Agreement by requiring an independent jobs coordinator, re-defining who qualifies as a Disadvantaged Worker, and adding penalties for noncompliance, so that Black residents actually benefit from these union jobs subsidized by the City.Language Access: Dedicate adequate staff to implement the City’s Language Access Policy (LAP) in full consistently throughout the City and finally create a culture of language justice. Permanently move interpretation and translation services in house to provide faster and higher quality interpretation and translation. Provide Spanish and Khmer interpretation without advance request at all City Council and Charter Commission meetings. Provide community based organizations who work with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) residents ongoing stipends to conduct outreach about the policy.

This is a long time coming. Don’t diminish their feelings nor their demands

Senior and Youth Programming: Increase funding for senior and youth development programs and supportive services through community-based organizations, community centers, public libraries, and parks in historically disinvested neighborhoods. Initiate the implementation of the AARP Liveable Cities Initiative that the City committed to over two years ago and has yet to implement.Universal Legal Representation for Immigrants: Renew and increase funding to the Long Beach Justice Fund to provide free universal legal representation to immigrant residents facing deportation regardless of their background.

The City has no intention of making these changes. Keep the status quo. Politics, unions, money from developers, this is why the city does’t want change.

The City’s budget is a moral document that reflects our city’s values and priorities. Adopting the People’s Budget is more than just a shift in the way the City has done business-- it is a pathway to ending anti-Blackness and structural racism in the City, undoing historical disinvestment that has continued for generations, and moving us closer towards a Long Beach that is safe and healthy for all.Endorse, support, and share the People’s Budget by using the hashtags #PeoplesBudgetLB and #DefundLBPD and visiting LBForward.org/Peoples-Budget.

Thank you Alejandra. Appreciating your heart :)

https://www.lbforward.org/peoples-budget

Black kids do poorly in schools in LB in Math & ELA noticeable in the 3rd grade. Yet the city budget for libraries is 2% and for the police the budget is 48% What are our future priorities as a city?

Stockton launched its guaranteed income experiment, the first in modern US history, in 2019. Since that February, 125 local residents in the economically challenged city have received $500 a month to spend on whatever they choose.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/21/universal-basic-income-michael-tubbs-stockton-coronavirus#:~:text=Stockton%20launched%20its%20guaranteed%20income,spend%20on%20whatever%20they%20choose.

With investments (housing, transit, and greenery) we have to make sure anti-displacement policies are in place else there’s a risk for gentrification in places like West LB and North LB

Universal income works!!

My comment was in response to Padric’s comment, even though I know it’s off topic for this listening session

Great offering for future sessions! Thanks GS

Yes Natalie! 100%. I should have mentioned that EQUITY has to be at the core of all of interventions, especially when we’re talking about the built environment.

People aren't "impatient" Tom. People are dying and we are having a normal response to that face.

fact*

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDING TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT BUSINESS START-UPS AND ENTREPRENEURS

people may have access to internet but don't want to join these meeting bc they cannot join anonymously.

Al Austin was made chair of the budget committee but when he served on the CPCC he ignored every complaint that came through. he took no action other than to file his own complaints against an independent investigator, Thomas Gonzalez, who won a lawsuit against the city for firing him for investigating the police officers complaints were made against

I'm sure people express they miss programs and how impactful programs are to their families to their council members and community members. Leadership has to listen. Survey people prior to cutting programs instead of cutting programs

How can we expect him to advocate for the people and take necessary action to defund the police?

I encourage the city to meet people where they are. Interrupt their routines and ask for ideas from people who don’t expect to be asked. Forums, hearings, and meetings presume that people know ahead of time and can access the session. Go send out survey takers into bars, restaurants, hair salons, trains, hardware stores, health centers, etc. Find citizens where citizens are and engage them on THEIR home turf rather than expecting them to come to these more formal engagements.

Where are we going to find 40 million dollars they asked, giving 265+ million dollars to LBPD every year

hi everyone, one last chance for the survey!

https://bit.ly/ReconcileLBSurvey

and not everyone in the community wants to defund the police in the way they are talking about geting rid of police. crime does not disappear bc we systemic racism. you need to have a balance between community policing and programs and standard policing to keep everyone's neighborhoos safe.

Thank you Chrysta for holding the container as facilitator and for the land acknowledgement.

Thank you... Please don't let this collect dust like the data has collected dust.

Thank you