City Council meets tomorrow (Tuesday, April 23rd) for budget meetings, please help to remind the Council (citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com) that funding for public safety services should be a priority again! Here is our letter:
Honorable Mayor Watkins and Councilmembers;
One of the generally understood and accepted components of the contract between government and the people is public safety. It is the very foundation upon which we build a community – we trust that the investment that our elected government makes on our behalf will, at the very least, provide some reasonable continuance of public safety – and it is this matter that we bring to your attention today.
The Santa Cruz Police Department has suffered through many years of being woefully understaffed for sworn officers. Take Back Santa Cruz has repeatedly advocated for a closer look at this issue, asking that the City take immediate action to preserve the ability of the Department to execute its mission, and prepare for potential shortfalls of staff in the future through attrition. The latest was in 2016: https://takebacksantacruz.org/scpd_staffing_priority/
As budget season is upon us, we implore the Council to ensure proper staffing levels at the Santa Cruz Police Department both today and in the future. We ask that the City again make this fundamental part of the public contract a priority.
Take Back Santa Cruz, 2019