2020/07/01 Council Agenda Packet

Deb Williams From: Spencer Watkins <spencer.r.watkins@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2020 10:56 AM To: DL-Council Subject: Defund EPD Attachments: CR_NoCops_reform_vs_abolition_CRside.pdf Dear Everett City Council Members, I'm writing to you today to advocate for the implementation of the following measures, as outlined by Paige Fernandez, a featured writer for the ACLU: • "-End the presence of police in schools, which exacerbates racial inequalities, puts immigrant students at risk of deportation, and limits opportunities accessible to low-income students. (Minneapolis Public Schools just voted to end its contract with the city's police department.) • • -Develop mobile crisis services, peer crisis services,and crisis hotlines and warmlines(where people can call when they just need to talk to someone who understands what it's like to live with mental health problems)to support people who have a behavioral or mental health crisis. • • -Ban pretextual stops and consent searches that act as common mechanisms for police to engage in racial profiling and circumvent legal standards. • • -Implement common-sense, civilly and criminally enforceable legal constraints so there will be only rare instances in which officers are able to use force against community members." I implore you to do more than pay lip service to half measures such as increases in body camera utilization,training, and community-lead police accountability boards. Please review the attached PDF graphic for details. I wish you the best of luck in implementing these outlined measures.We need to move with haste in supporting and allying with POC and marginalized communities that have suffered and endured unchecked police brutality for generations. Sincerely, Spencer Watkins, MSW Case Manager- PRMCE- Everett,WA 1