Let’s take a minute to talk about the Sacramento City Council meeting that took place on Tuesday, January 12. There were two items on the discussion calendar that are worth noting. The “discussion calendar” items are those that are examined through an oral presentation. There were two of these items at this meeting.
The first was a discussion of the City Auditor's 2020 Audit of City Employees' Workforce Diversity and Salary Trends, which was approved unanimously. The key takeaway from this report is that there are gender and racial disparities when it comes to salaries at the city. Also, while the city has made some progress in recruiting diverse employees, the city’s workforce does not reflect the city’s population.
The second item consisted of a presentation surrounding the City Auditor's 2020 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Survey Results. These results were also passed with a unanimous motion. This survey was the first since the implementation of the city’s Race & Gender Equity Action Plan. The results will be used as a benchmark moving forward.
At the close of the meeting we had some OUTSTANDING comments made by members of the public who called in to the meeting. The callers about the police sweeps of the unhoused and callers demanding an explanation from the Council about their response to the Proud Boys protests that have been happening here in our city.
About those police sweeps
Especially at a time when COVID is spiking in our community, we should be making every effort to avoid displacing people who are living outside and not conducting police sweeps. Continuing to clear encampments can create a very serious medical crisis in our city’s homeless population.
It is challenging as it is to provide continuity of medical care [to the unhoused]. Now with constant breaking up and relocation of encampments, providing continuity of care is more difficult.
About PD's (lack of) response to the Proud Boys
What are you doing about white power within this city? Mr. Mayor, there is a lynch mob in my neighborhood. And that lynch mob has been organizing for months like their counterparts in all 50 states culminating in that seditious attack on our nation’s capital last week. I find it unsurprising that the city has allowed an unlawful assembly to continue without consequence. Sac PD directly coordinates with these white power groups in securing their perimeter. Sac PD stands back while white power groups attack BIPOC and they arrest anyone who tries to defend themselves. We have seen week after week, the city has allowed white supremacists to come and go around the capitol. While counter protesters are harassed and followed by police. BLM protesters were shot with rubber bullets and tear gas. The disparate treatment of BIPOC and allies by police is disgusting. There’s footage of an officer telling a Proud Boy we got your back.
At one point during public comment Steinberg noted that the Council calls out White Supremacy when they see it. He then announced a community forum during the City Council meeting on January 19. Let’s see if he really does call it out.