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Rather than constructively tackling our community's issues, Beckles has focused on ideas that can delve into conspiracy theory. She delivers venomous personal attacks and lies.
Council will vote tonight to give purview over the tenant/landlord relationship for ADUs to the Rent Board. This would stop ADU development being built for rentals in its tracks.
Every two hours workers head out to their cars to put more money in their meters. This creates a parking crunch for shoppers and is one of the byproducts of so much building.
When police are trained to treat people like they are enemy combatants, it increases the chances that they will respond to local emergencies as though they are in a war.
The current configuration of the Urban Shield exercises contributes to the militarization of our department and is overly focused on dramatic, weaponized responses to incidents.
Only eight police officers go to the SWAT *competition* so pulling them out will not materially affect the BPD’s ability to respond to a disaster.
The continued participation of Berkeley police and emergency responders in Urban Shield’s SWAT team competition and vendor show is a threat to the very fabric of our community.
The training is prompting police officers to act more aggressively, particularly with those who have a mental illness or are experiencing homelessness.
Urban Shield trainees were responsible for the violent treatment of protestors in 2014 and 2018. The exercises train police to "shoot to kill," too. Berkeley must withdraw.
How do we get the value of Urban Shield training without the militaristic agendas that are antithetical to most people in Berkeley and to its police and fire departments?
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