Page 4 - Sonoma County Gazette June 2017

LETTERS cont’d from page 3
condolences, after the tragic and unnecessary death of our eldest son, give us strength.
The beginning of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE), in 1997, gave hope to many that civilian oversight of law enforcement would becomeareality.Twentyyearslater, we see no improvement in police practices. Instead, we have seen a severe worsening of police policies and practices. We have been betrayed again and again by elected officials, who create impotent ‘oversight’ agencies that soon become another layer of justification for bad police work.
and building upgrades, workforce development and scholarships, historical commissions, homeless services, and public safety grants that allowlocal redistrictstopurchase criticallife-savingequipment.Andlast year, we dedicated $1 million of TOT to support workforce housing initiatives.
Both of us greatly appreciate the work of the Police Brutality Coalition (PBC), a local citizens coalition formed in response to the brutal attack by correctional officers on men incarcerated at the county jail on May 28, 2015.
The list goes on, but one thing is for sure, our Board prioritizes creating balanceinhowTOTfundsareusedto support a wide variety of local needs. In light of Measure L passing last November, and with anticipated new revenue of nearly $5 million going into the new scal year, our Board has a great opportunity to dedicate these new funds to further enhance services and programs within the Advertising Program, and to fund other critical needs of our community, such as emergency services, a ordable housing and roads. We are listening to your concerns and are committed to representing your priorities through our budgeting process with these funds.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/ news/4576359-181/lawsuit-claims- sonoma-county-jail?artslide=0
We applaud the efforts the Board of
5) A complete understanding of the critical incident of Branch’s death on May 12;
Supervisors is doing to put as much
money into fixing roads as is available to
6) Elevation of public awareness of the value of citizen’s independent
the county. In budget hearings coming
up, this topic will continue to scream for
attention. And the districts that generate oversight of police policies,
Supporters of Measure C continue making bold but unsubstantiated claims about benefits the measure would provide for renters, but the fact is, renters will continue facing rental increases without a broader policy solutionthatprovidesmoreaffordable housing.
the majority of TOT tax revenue will continue to ask for their fair share to fix roads and support essential services that benefit everyone. ~ Vesta
LawEnforcementUseof Excessive Force
On May 12th, our son, Branch Wroth, died at the hands of Rohnert Park Public Safety officers, after they deployed a Taser on him. Branch was unarmed. We want to thank each and everyoneofourfellow-activistsinthe fight against local law enforcement’s use of excessive force over the past three decades. Your sympathy and
procedures, and practices.
From our perspective, it is not premature for any oversight committee to demand the discontinuance of taser use by law enforcement personnel. No further study is needed, as the accumulated evidence is clear - taser use is causing many unnecessary deaths. https://news.vice.com/article/ this-instrument-can-kill-tasers- are-not-as-harmless-as-previously- thought Everywhere in California, unarmed staff persons routinely use state-approved restraint techniques to subdue unarmed large males in residential facilities. RPPS uses tasers, instead, to subdue unarmed members of the public who are experiencing a
mental health crisis.
Measure C was devised by politicians, not those who use data and statistics to come up with sound policies that actually lower rents over time and improves the quality of life of low-income residents.
Presently, Sonoma County doesn’t have any effective oversight of law enforcement use-of-force policies and practices. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors built a faux oversight agency (IOLERO), with no subpoena or independent investigative powers. It is clear that elected officials, who depend on law enforcement’s support to be reelected, are unwilling to insist on accountability from local law enforcement.
Unlike impotent NACOLE- sponsored government ‘auditors,’ we will work with the PBC to learn more about the death of Branch, the policies and practices of RPPD and the County Coroner, and much more.
4) A transparent and humane procedure for autopsies by the County Coroner;
The Economist magazine notes rent control policies do not work. And a poll amongst economists, outlined in a New York Times column, notes 93 percent of economists oppose policies like Measure C.
Marni & Chris Wroth, Mt. Shasta
District 1 Supervisor Susan Gorin
While supporters of Measure C have made vague promises about the positives of Measure C, anyone who does their homework and sees the voluminous data questioning policies like Measure C should come to the conclusion that Measure C is the wrong solution to our rental housing crisis.
Thanks for responding to the OpEd to clarify perspectives. I connected Craig Harrison with Tim Zahner and they each came to the conclusion that they would have to agree to disagree, which is the simplest way to put it.
Rohnert Park Public Safety (RPPS); 2) Mandatory training for all sworn personnel at RPPS in management of assaultive behavior and therapeutic crisis intervention
When Santa Rosa first began discussing rent control, economist Chris Thornberg noted “it’s a terrible idea.” His conclusion is supported by research outlined in a recent report by the State Legislative Analyst’s Office, a non-partisan fiscal watchdog, which notes policies like Measure C does “very little to address the underlying cause of California’s high housing cost: a shortage of housing.”
Craig did revise his original OpEd,
so we posted the revised version on our website, and have it included in this print edition n the OpEd section.
techniques;
3) The adoption by RPPS of widely-
I think there’s one area we can all agree on...our roads need help. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a tourist or a resident who is driving our storm-damaged and budget- torn roads, we all hit potholes and broken pavement.
accepted methods of safe restraint of unarmed adults that are currently in use at licensed residential facilities for the mentally ill;
As past members and supporters of PBC, we would like anti-brutality activists to work with us to investigate the death of our son, Branch. We would like to achieve the following objectives:
1) An end to the use of tasers by
NO on Measure C
As a citizen of Santa Rosa who is a renter I urge you to Vote No on Measure C.
Michael Monroe, Santa Rosa
4 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 6/17