In the News: Violence Against Asians

Recent news reporting violence against Asians locally and around the country are a blunt reminder of how far we are from meeting fundamental human rights, let alone those held as American ideals. Attacks have ranges from verbal abuse, to assault and battery causing injury and sadly death.

It's a stark reminder of our people, and even worse, our own government's history mistreatment of those who look, speak, worship or have orientation different from a white population or differ from a white male population.

For real and lasting change for the better, I think it is important that individual step up and contact their elected representative in support laws, City Charter provisions, and Constitutional  amendments that promote fair and equitable treatment regardless of race, belief, origin, sexual orientation, gender, age or economic status.

There will always be bigots, and people from time to time will act on the worst side of human nature, but our governments can and should be institutions that continuously promote equal rights and equitable treatment for all. 

21st Century Police Policy and APD's Armored Vehicle

I used to think that public oversight by the City Council in a city Alameda's size would be good enough, but absorbing the past year and a half  I realize I was wrong. Ongoing and public civil oversight of the police department is essential in a modern democracy and must be embedding in city government. 

I agree the recommendation from the Committee on Police Reform and Racial Equity to establish a Charter Commission, institutionalizing our community's expectations and measuring police actions against those expectations and the law.  

Related to police policy, the March 16th Council Agenda Item 6B on decides the fate of APD's armored vehicle. To me oversized vehicle this smacked of militarization, with its drab paint job and intimidating image. I don't think this is good for Alameda  or in keeping how police should interact with our community. I hope the Council votes to get rid of it.

And, since it deployment in 2013 it has been used 33 time, just 2 of being in Alameda. This vehicle, driven by APD has been deployed 8 times to Berkeley, whose City Council denied funding to it's police department for buying its own armored vehicle, some saying, reflecting its distaste for military style vehicles!

 See the full staff report at this link:

https://alameda.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx