HomeMy WebLinkAboutRev. Steven Shepard_ REMARKS FOR CITY COUNCIL_Redacted 1
St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church 1355 West 21st Street Rev. Steven Shepard, Pastor June 30,2020 REMARKS FOR CITY COUNCIL Meeting on July 1 2020 I am Pastor Steven Shepard of St Paul AME Church on 21st and Mt Vernon in San Bernardino. The oldest church 116 years in the city serving African American citizens.
It is my understanding that at your last council meeting you directed the staff
to present before you on July 15th a resolution to consider placing Measure
Z, to extend taxes, on the Nov 3 election ballot. Measure Z was first passed
by the citizens back in 2006 for the purpose to increase e better public safety
and hire more police officers, is my understanding. Contrary to the survey
report given to you at the last meeting by your consultant firm, I do not think
under the current climate of “Black Lives Matter” and citizens calling for
police reform, my question is how have the past tax dollars been used?
What are you going to tell the Black citizens of San Bernardino, why they
should vote in favor of giving you more of their hard earned money?
Currently you give the police department 63% of the budget that is over $80
million dollars. Then you have 93% of our officers (219) living in other
communities with our money. You have a police force that is 60% white in a
city that is over 80% Black and Latino. Being a former Navy man myself,
this is like having a military occupied force with guarding the city citizens.
You have 71% of the other city staff (595) living in other communities, in
my opinion this is a result of bad governing by elected and paid staff policy
makers. That is 71% of our budget (tax dollars) leaving the city and you
want them to give you more before you correct the problem.
According to your last year’s report to one of my members, you had14 Black
officers. Now you have one Black Lieutenant that you recently promoted
that came about because Interim Chief McBride refused to assign Shauna
Gates, African American, as Western Region Commander of your
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Community Policing Program, I understand Gates left and is Chief of Police
at Riverside Community College.
You have a police department that has existed for 114 years and no Black
chief and only one Black in the rank of captain. From the looks of things you
have no written plans to dismantle this white privilege Institutionalized
Systemic Racist Policy and Past Practice System.
Blacks have been in this county and area before the city was annexed into
the United States. Like I said earlier St. Paul AME Church has been in this
city for 116 years that make it older than the police department, so we have
made a great contribution to this city.
In my opinion you need to evaluate and asked yourself what have the Black
citizens received from our tax dollars? You have never even considered
hiring a Black as Chief and the position is currently open. Is this a Black
citizens in San Bernardino pay the taxes and Whites enjoy the benefits.
You have the opportunity before you to dismantle discriminatory practices
brought on by racism of the majority race. You have the City Manager
leaving at the end of the year another opportunity.
I want to be respectful of your 3 minute time clock but I have a lot to say
and will say before I can encourage my members to extend or support a tax
increase that will not benefit them