a Smarter Approach to Community Public Safety

I will advocate for more County resources to be allocated towards supporting Campbell social services in order to tackle homelessness, illness, poverty and other barriers to wellbeing. It is critical that social services are prioritized in order to implement a community-oriented and holistic approach to public safety.

 Without public input, the City is proposing to spend $250,200 to purchase a military armored vehicle for use on Campbell streets — a V150 Lenco BearCat vehicle. Previously, in 1998, the City acquired this vehicle from the U.S. military under the Department of Defense’s 1033 program. This vehicle was returned on August 22nd, 2019. But in the 2020 proposed budget (page 271), the Police Department is requesting to purchase its own vehicle at the cost of $62,550 per year from 2021 through 2025 — for a combined total of over a quarter of a million dollars. This was done without public input or discussion from City Council, at a time when the City is facing budget shortfalls of millions of dollars. Moreover, the Department of Defense 1033 program has led to escalated police responses, which endangers us all, in communities around the country, and there is bipartisan support for ending its militarization of our streets. 

Military vehicles have no place on our streets, and won’t make us safer or help protect us from property crimes, the most common type of criminal activity in Campbell according to FBI data. We must invest in making our community safer, not in purchasing military equipment. 

 Each year, the Campbell Civic Improvement Commission allocates $2,500 for small $500 grants, awarded to neighborhood associations to use in community projects. Grants can currently be allocated on the basis of four different criteria, including public safety. 

As Councilmember, I will work to set aside an additional pilot amount of $1000 specifically for community-led public safety measures, and work on outreach to all our communities to ensure applications for qualified projects that meet the criteria for funding from a diversity of neighborhoods. 

With 987 incidences of theft and 209 cases of burglary in Campbell in 2019, property crime is by far the biggest threat to public safety — and according to FBI crime statistics, it’s on the rise by 5% year over year,. (According to Police Chief Gary Berg, it is down significantly this year due to COVID-19 shelter-in-place requirements, though this is unfortunately likely to be a temporary drop). 

As Councilmember, I’ll lead on proven deterrents to property crime, such as identifying locations to increase street lighting, using environmental design to fight property crime without raising policing costs. 

In a randomized control trial in New York City, this method was shown to reduce “nighttime outdoor index crimes” by an incredible 36%. 

Tear gas is banned in war under the Geneva Convention. Many people are shocked, then, to learn that it is allowable for use against Campbell residents by police officers — it’s right there in section 308.6 of the Campbell Police Department Policy Manual. 

Tear gas has no place on our streets, and our official policy must be updated to reflect that. 

One of the greatest local public safety resources we have in Campbell is the Community Emergency Response Team. Campbell CERT is a 501(c)3 and volunteer-led team, with over 200 trained members, which equips Campbell residents to assist their neighbors in emergency and disaster situations. I was proud to assist in 2019 with a CERT training in a volunteer capacity. 

As Councilmember, I will work with Campbell CERT on public safety issues, support their work, and undergo training myself as a CERT volunteer. 

 I will ensure that updates on Measure O, the 2018 bond measure which sets aside $50 million to be used for a public safety center and library building, are shared with the public and easily accessible, including providing regular updates at Council meetings. In addition, I will monitor the impact on the surrounding neighborhood, ensuring traffic mitigation on residential areas. 

Measure O construction will also significantly impact the nearby historic Ainsley House, which traditionally relies on wedding revenue. I will improve the communication of updates between the Ainsley House and the surrounding area.  

I will direct staff to apply for federal Community Development Block Grants. Campbell is eligible to receive hundreds of dollars of federal money to award to local nonprofits but currently does not receive them. This money can be allocated, among other uses, to meet public safety needs through community-led efforts. 

Campbell is a diverse community, which is why culturally sensitive policies and a police force that reflects the full diversity of the community are critical to keeping all of us safe. I’m proud that the policy of the Campbell Police Department includes both “Identification of racially and culturally diverse target markets” and “Use of marketing strategies to target diverse applicant pools” as part of its overall recruitment strategy. 

As Councilmember, I’ll work with all our communities to ensure a diverse pipeline of qualified recruits to the Campbell Police.

In the proposed Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget, the Campbell Police Department made a smart request: hiring an additional part-time person to cover responsibilities currently filled by overtime workers. 

This would reduce expensive overtime costs, allow City government to run more efficiently, and help increase public safety. As Councilmember, I’ll work with police to find creative solutions such as this one to further reduce overall costs while increasing public safety. 

We’re in a moment of national reckoning on police use of force issues. I’m proud that in Campbell, much of the conversation this year has been led by cultural and faith leaders. In my conversations with them, they’ve shared with me that they had never been consulted by City leaders on these issues. This is wrong — Campbell is a diverse and welcoming community, and we need to engage all parts of that community to have a robust conversation around how to move forward as a city. 

For example, important decisions, like the request to spend $250,200 on a military armored vehicle, were done largely out of sight and without significant public input or engagement from these community groups. This needs to change, and I plan to be part of that conversation. 

As Councilmember, one of my first actions will be to host a community round table with public safety officials and Campbell residents. I’m grateful the Police Chief Gary Berg has been proactive about meeting with groups such as the San Tomas Area Community Coalition, an active and valued local group. 

However, I also know that there are many in the community who feel they have been left out of those conversations, which is why an open round table is critical to moving our City forward.  

I will establish a Human Rights Commission, modeled after similar bodies at the County level and in nearby cities. It would take inspiration from the mission statement of the County Commission, in this case advising the City Council “on issues that affect the human and civil rights of all County residents and advocate for and take positive action to eliminate prejudice and discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, cultural background, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability or other factors.” 

This would include issues of race and equity in Campbell, providing an evaluation on the equity of City policies and current access to City programs and services. It could also take inspiration from the models cities like Austin and Oakland have implemented in City Departments to combat institutional racism and improve the quality of life for their residents. 

The Commission would, among other duties, draft and help execute an actionable plan to ensure all Campbell residents are receiving equitable support from our City government, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or background.   

I will establish a Human Rights Commission, modeled after similar bodies at the County level and in nearby cities. It would take inspiration from the mission statement of the County Commission, in this case advising the City Council “on issues that affect the human and civil rights of all County residents and advocate for and take positive action to eliminate prejudice and discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, cultural background, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability or other factors.” 

This would include issues of race and equity in Campbell, providing an evaluation on the equity of City policies and current access to City programs and services. It could also take inspiration from the models cities like Austin and Oakland have implemented in City Departments to combat institutional racism and improve the quality of life for their residents. 

The Commission would, among other duties, draft and help execute an actionable plan to ensure all Campbell residents are receiving equitable support from our City government, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or background.   

Effective leadership starts with knowing the employees who are on the ground implementing City policy. That’s why I’ll take the time to personally meet with all City employees, including law enforcement, and to maintain an open door policy, to candidly and transparently address issues in partnership with the community.  

Housing is a public safety issue. In the past, the general fund has sometimes carried a large surplus — not due to any smart budgeting decisions, but because housing prices in the community make it difficult to hire qualified people to fill public safety positions. 

As Councilmember, I’ll focus on addressing housing issues, as well as exploring creative ideas, such as potential land swaps, to create housing specifically for public employees, including those in charge of keeping us all safe. 

As Councilmember, my commitment will always be to the safety and well-being of our community, which requires my independence. I will never be beholden to any particular group — only to the Campbell community as a whole. That’s why I have rejected financial support from employee associations which have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Campbell. 

Security from fires is a key part of public safety, particularly as climate change threatens our environment and the rate of wildfires continues to increase in California year after year. 

That’s why I’ll work with the Santa Clara County Department of Agriculture and Environmental Management to continue partnering with the City of Campbell on our Weed Abatement Program, critical to preventing dangerous brush fires. I’ll also proactively work with the Santa Clara County Fire Department, which contracts with the City of Campbell to provide fire services, on fire safety measures.