What:

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is considering funding Alternatives to 911 in response to sustained pressure for investment in community services.

This specific item is to: "Approve Proposed Pilot Approach For A 911 Alternative Response And Call Center Program". This proposal is insufficient: it doesn't have enough funding and has limited hours, while the need for these services is 24/7.

If Sacramento County is going to seriously consider non-law enforcement crisis response for things like mental health, it needs to be sufficiently funded to be successful.

Our ask for you:

Use this tool to submit a written public comment to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. Your public comment will be emailed to each Supervisor as well as BoardClerk@saccounty.net to be added to the public record.

After you submit your information here, on the next page you will be asked to write your comment

We have prompts on the next page to help you write your comment.

In addition to written comment, you can also call in on the day of the Board meeting to give a live verbal comment; dial (916) 875-2500 around 2:15pm on Wednesday, February 24th.

You can look up who your County Supervisor is by clicking here: https://www.saccounty.net/SupervisorLookUp/Pages/default.aspx

Linked below is a video from Black Zebra Productions as part of a campaign for people to share their #My911Story. If you're looking for more powerful inspiration to draw from, consider checking out the video.

Content warning: The video below includes both (1) people reflecting on their personal experiences with, and (2) footage of, heavy topics including: police/law enforcement terror, sexual assault, abuse, domestic violence, self harm, addiction.

The Backstory:

Sacramento County budget hearings took place in September with a historic level of participation, thanks to widespread demands for law enforcement divestment, uprisings for long overdue racial justice, and the People’s Budget’s efforts to create a more equitable County budget.

Unfortunately, the Board largely voted for a business-as-usual budget. The exception was Supervisor Kennedy’s proposal to divert at least $1.5 million Sheriff dollars into community-based crisis response. This modest proposal was a huge step in the right direction and a refreshing example of electeds listening to their constituents’ priorities.

Supervisor Serna was on board. Sadly, Supervisor Nottoli wasn’t willing to say that this funding should come from the bloated Sheriff’s budget. And ultimately, the task of figuring it out was given to former County CEO Nav Gill, the same CEO who recently retired early amid a scathing investigation and calls to resign.

Gill also gave 85% of our COVID-19 emergency aid to law enforcement and then tried to cover it up. The community still does not have proof that this was simply a “money swap” and not a massive bonus for the Sheriff and Probation. This CEO, and the Board who rubber stamped his recommendations, has been defunding our Health Department for years.

Gill was notorious for being hostile toward the community. This dynamic runs through all of the County’s internal workings; these power dynamics that were put on full display by Gill and the CARES Act scandal are not gone just because Gill is. These power dynamics need to change. The Executive Office and Board of Supervisors cannot continue to bend to a bully Sheriff while telling constituents that our basic needs are too expensive or simply not a priority.

Two “community listening sessions” were announced by Behavioral Health and widely shared by the public before being abruptly canceled without explanation. After public outcry at the Board’s next meeting, and one county executive claiming there was a “scheduling issue,” these events were reinstated. 568 people participated in the two listening sessions or the community input survey, overwhelming recommending the following:

• Response teams should consist of mental health clinicians, peers with lived experience, social workers, and medical clinicians

• Expertise should be de-escalation, trauma-informed, behavioral health-centered, and responsive to race, culture, gender, and disability

• Crisis services must include housing and shelter, mental health assessment and services, food, water, and other survival needs, medical care and medication, and crisis stabilization and respite centers