REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action to Delegate Authority to Mayor Gillmor and Chief Nikolai to Establish An Ad Hoc Committee in Support of the "Commit to Action" Initiative [Community Pillar: Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency]
Report
BACKGROUND
On June 3, 2020, former President Obama issued his "Commit to Action Initiative" ("Initiative), which called upon Mayors to make reforms to redefine public safety so that it recognizes the humanity and dignity of every person. Mayor Gillmor signed on to the Initiative on June 4, 2020. A community letter authored by the Mayor, Police Chief, City Manager, and City Attorney reiterated the City's commitment to racial equity and continuous improvement of police operations was also issued that same day (Attachment 1).
On June 23, 2020, the City Council adopted two resolutions: 1) Resolution 20-8858 that confirmed the City's support of the Initiative (Attachment 2); and 2) Resolution 20-8859 condemning racial inequity in all forms and violence against the Black community by law enforcement, committing to actively listen and learn from the Black community and to encourage the community to stand together through peaceful exchange and discourse, to enact change and move forward towards a future with more equity and inclusion in the City of Santa Clara, the State of California and the nation as a whole (Attachment 3).
DISCUSSION
At the June 23rd meeting, Council also approved a motion to place an item on the July 7, 2020 Council agenda to consider the establishment of an ad hoc committee to help advance the Initiative in the City of Santa Clara. With an understanding of this historic window and sense of urgency for meaningful change, the Council expressed support for engaging in a local community dialogue on a Santa Clara Plan to address systemic racism and the four components of the Initiative, which are:
1) A review of the Police Department's use of force policies;
2) Engagement of communities by including...
Click here for full text