Speakers needed for Tuesday's SF Board of Supes' meeting to testify about police actions

My partner and I are planning to speak at Tuesday's meeting of the SF Board of Supervisors to address how the SFPD has acted towards protesters this past week. The Supervisors can not only put pressure on the Mayor to bring the cops back in line, but can also pass new legislation for the City's police code.

If you're free this Tuesday, please consider joining us to speak. Their meeting starts at 2pm, but public comment won't come around until 3:30-4pm because it is the last agenda item. [SF's City Hall is located between Polk/Van Ness and McAllister/Grove near our main library and the Civic Center BART stop. The meeting will be in their main chambers, 2nd floor.]

Members of the public will likely only get 2-3 minutes to speak. Good testifying tends to be concise, courteous, factual, and can provide alternatives to fix a given situation. If you've never testified before, jotting down a few notes about what you want to say might help. You can even *read* a speech if that is what'll make you feel comfortable enough to do it.

Issues to think/talk about:

* What legal and civil liabilities is the City opening itself up to because of the SFPD's actions, especially when we are in such a budget crunch?

* Why is the City spending incredible amounts of money on arrests, jail time, and court appearances ($450,000 spent on arrests alone through Thursday!!), especially during the budget crunch? Where is all of the money the SFPD is currently spending coming from? What public services will eventually suffer as a result?

* How can a city as progressive as SF allow *our City's employees* to abuse our rights to free speech and peaceful assembly?

* How can the City stand by while so much police brutality is happening to our residents and visitors in so many frightening ways?

* Is there a lack of sufficient police presence throughout the City when such vast numbers of officers are detailed to war protests? Has public safety suffered as a result of this (mis)prioritization of resources?

* What is gained by constant helicopter and plane surveillance of our City's streets? How much is this costing? What effects is it having on the mental health of our residents?

* One solution: An executive order from the Mayor could give guidance to the SFPD chief about appropriate (and inappropriate) responses to peace rallies, etc.

* Another solution: The Board of Supes could pass an "emergency order" at Tuesday's meeting to rein in the cops' behavior. They could do this by passing legislation to change the police code to detail what responses the SFPD is allowed to take in times of mass protesting and civil disobediance. What do you think should be in this legislation?

* What are your concerns? What are your solutions?

I hope to see you then. Also, please pass along to anyone you think would be interested...

Emily

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(Agenda item #) 56. PUBLIC COMMENT
An opportunity for members of the public to directly address the Board on items of interest to the public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Board, including items being considered today which have not been considered by a Board committee and excluding items which have been considered by a Board committee. Members of the public may address the Board for up to three minutes. Each member of the public will be allotted the same number of minutes to speak.