This is the Moment We Have All Been Waiting For

On Tuesday, March 24th, an extraordinary event will be taking place in Santa Cruz. In response to pressure brought to bear by SCRAM! (Santa Cruz Resistance Against Militarization!) and hundreds of citizens who are concerned about the purchase of a BEARCAT armored response vehicle and militarization of law enforcement, an evening session of City Council will revisit these issues. The meeting will begin at 7:00 with chambers doors opening at 6:30. Because the response to this issue has been so overwhelming, overflow seating will be provided at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium for residents who are anticipated to attend but who will not be able to find seating in the council chambers. Proceedings will also be broadcast into the Council Courtyard for those who want a more bird's eye view of the proceedings. SCRAM! urges the entire community to come out and voice their individual concerns.

SCRAM! has been organizing grassroots action to compel the City Council to rescind approval for the BEARCAT purchase and to develop policies that prevent military equipment from flowing into law enforcement. As witnessed at the most recent council sessions, the community has rallied around these goals and SCRAM! has successfully worked to return these issues to the Council Agenda for a full, transparent public hearing. One of SCRAM!'s concerns is voiced by Abbi Samuels of Occupy Santa Cruz and a founding member of SCRAM!. “To obtain the Homeland Security grant, the Santa Cruz Police Department (SCPD) had to agree to designate Santa Cruz as a ‘federal buffer zone,’ with numerous highly dubious terrorism targets like the Boardwalk and UCSC. Clearly, this moves us down the slippery slope to having the military in our streets”.

Why raise these questions? Because the mere presence of the threatening and menacing BEARCAT in our streets may create civil unrest. Says ACLU Santa Cruz County Board Chair and SCRAM! member Peter Gelblum, "These vehicles evoke force and fear, making residents feel like the police view them as enemy combatants. Even though it’s been ordered we still don’t fully know how it’s equipped, how it will be used, the cost of the training and maintenance each year, or a multitude of other questions." Harry Meserve speaking for the Veterans for Peace expresses a related concern. "Many veterans return from service in the Gulf suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We just don't know what effect the presence of a military-style vehicle in our community will have on those returning service men and women and we feel we are justifiably concerned." While SCPD continues to contend that the vehicle is for first responder defensive purposes only, many remain unconvinced. Sherry Conable, Coordinator of CodePink Santa Cruz and a SCRAM! founding members says "the basic vehicle itself comes equipped with 11 gun ports from which officers can fire many types of weapons while completely protected. The weapons they can use from the gunports include tasers, rubber bullets such as those used on US Marine Scott Olson in Oakland during the Occupy Movement and many different kinds of rifles, including high powered automatic weapons. How is this NOT offensive?"

Of additional concern is the process by which the SCPD and the City Council approved and accepted the grant. First, seven months passed before Council was informed that the grant application had been approved. This information could have been disclosed at any time during this period. Secondly, Council was told that there was no time for debate because the funds would be lost if the purchase was not approved immediately. This alleged “deadline” does not appear anywhere in grant application. Third, Council attempted to slip this extremely controversial item past the public by putting it on the Consent Agenda and then provided only selective and unsubstantiated bits of information. Says Keith McHenry, SCRAM! member and founder of the global social justice organization Food Not Bombs, “this situation is not unique to Santa Cruz. We have found a pattern of nondisclosure and misrepresentation about these kinds of grants all over the country. But just because others are doing it doesn’t make it right”.

SCRAM! agrees that keeping first responders and potential victims safe is vitally important. But that does not mean we need the BEARCAT. Former firefighter and SCRAM! member Ron Pomerantz observes, "SCPD has failed to present a single instance in Santa Cruz history where someone suffered an injury that even might have been prevented if a BEARCAT had been available."

SCRAM! urges citizens to join us on Tuesday, March 24th and voice their concerns. No matter where you weigh in on the issue of the BEARCAT and militarization, this is a moment in the history of our community that will be remembered. Be there and be part of that history. Better yet, be there and make history. A rally to be held in the City Council Courtyard will begin at 6:00 and will feature speakers including educators, veterans, faith community members, social and political action activists and former and present elected officials. Richard Stockton and the Raging Grannies will provide comedy and musical comment.