Everything Wrong with the DefundSGPD Movement

Full disclosure, this is an opinion piece. Certain descriptions of groups are opinionated but the data provided will be factual and sourced for your convenience.

You have heard it, you have seen it, you may have even experienced it. But if you have not then get ready for an uncomfortable truth: police brutality is a real occurrence and it happens more than it should. Police incompetence and power abuse is a real issue and everyone seems to be on board with fixing this problem nationwide. The South Gate Police Department should be scrutinized when needed and there can be an open discussion with our city council and Chief Randy Davis about how we as a community can build a safer South Gate.

But any room for discussion and opportunity for growth is being shut down by the arrival of DefundSGPDinto our city. A group filled with progressives who are severely misguided in their venture for the abolition of the South Gate Police Department. Seemingly at the forefront of this battle is Maria Estrada, a radical progressive who ran a failed campaign against Anthony Rendon and has become notoriously known for her less than savory tactics against her political opponents. So let us venture into what the DefundSGPD movement is and what it is that the movement is demanding according to a speech posted by them onto social media. More importantly, let us discuss what things they get right and what it is that is sorely incomprehensible, which is to say most of their platform.

Who are DefundSGPD and What do They Want?

DefundSGPD may have been in the works for sometime but their earliest timestamp of existence is June 19th when a Google Drive that hosts scripts, propaganda, talking points and council member information was created. Upon reading their literature it seems innocuous and in line with what it is the standard talking points are formovements like these. Their demands are as follows:

In fairness, I agree with these people on bullet points #2 and #3. I think the implementation of a "problematic police persons" database at the local, state and federal level is a huge step in the right direction; a legitimate request that has the possibility for positive change. The recent signing of an executive order at the federal level also shows that there is bipartisan support for such action. This is where I believe they are right and to that, I look forward to working together in accomplishing this.

What DefundSGPD Really Wants

Their actual demands are a lot more misguided than the simple talking points that they are sharing online. What the movement actually wants was shouted from a bullhorn on the steps of City Hall this past Tuesday. Moreover, who wanted these demands ranged from a miniscual amount South Gate residents, to people from other cities, all the way to activists groups with no relation to the city itself. In a very telling moment, a speaker can be heard calling the city, the city of Downey despite all the signage around her. (You can see the full video of the speeches yourself here)

What they want is an abolition of the entire South Gate Police Department because according to the movement, the police department is "rooted in keeping [the South Gate residents] under their control." The SGPD according to them is a "systematic system of oppression" that was created to maintain a framing of our community as "more violent" than others. One member of the group can be heard offering links to share literature by Angela Davis, a self proclaimed Marxist and Leninist giving an insight into to the extreme ideology of the group. In the mind of this movement, "defunding equals decolonization"of the people of South Gate.

Why DefundSGPD Is Misguided

They go on to say that they support defunding the police to reinvest that money into different programs but the issue with that is that all the programs they are asking for are either already in action by the city or is beyond the city council's purview. For example, they demand that the city build more housing for those in hard times but if they were actively engaged in our city, they would know that the city has already begun construction on the PATHs Villas at South Gate. A 60-unit affordable apartment community that includes studio and one-bedroom apartments for Veterans and men and women with fragile health moving out of homelessness. If that is not enough for them, although Area 5 did not quite approve of another project, the city essentially inherited another one of these fine projects--the Downey Home for Vets. So within a mile of each other there are two solutions to their proposals in the works already.

They also demand the defunding of police because that money is not being invested into the businesses both during regular times and during the Coronavirus crisis. But even this is also rooted in falsehood because the Community Development department has had an active role in the aesthetics upgrades on Tweedy Blvd and other retail parts that have been realized over the past several years with programs such as the Commercial Facade Improvement Program. The city has proactively helped create an atmosphere that attracts more businesses for it's residents such as Milk+Cookies, PWS Laundry, Eatgud Cafe or Velma's Cafe to name a few.

And to say that the city did not do anything for businesses during the pandemic is also completely incorrect. The city passed had the Small Business Job Retention and Creation Grant Program where they were able to provide $10,000 grants to help twenty small businesses retain staff and continue to provide quality services to its residents.

The City of South Gate's education system is run by the Los Angeles Unified School System, so if you think the schools are oppressive or corrupt, South Gate Police Department has nothing to do with failing schools. As a matter of fact, Council Member Denise Diaz made a wonderful point during the June 9th City Council meeting when she said that the schools need more positive interactions with our police officers to build relationships and trust. The idea that our local police department is here to oppress us is laughable simply because many of these police officers grew up and still live in the city.

Why DefundSGPD is Lying to You Using Numbers

You see, DefundSGPD is hoping on getting people riled up with emotion about the amount of the budget dedicated to the police versus other programs. But, you are a level headed person that does not run on emotion. Rather you run on logic, data and information so here are the numbers broken down:

• 56% of the total city budget is dedicated to police.
• 16% is dedicated to Parks and Recreation
• 8% to Public Works
• And the rest is too embarrassing to even mention according to the speaker

So let us begin with the claim that 56% of the budget goes to the police. The 56% is the current proposal according to the Proposed MOE-Budget but overtime this trajectory will look similar to previous budgets below. According to OpenGov.com, the total percentage that went to the police department was a whopping 22% in 2017-2018. Public Works 33% comes in as the biggest culprit for the budget with Administrative Services at 24%, Community Development at 9.5% and then Parks and Rec 7.6%. And when balanced out a couple years from now, the 2020-2021 pie chart will look like this as well.

And naturally one might think, "what a bummer" that the latter of the group get such a small percentage but the dollar amount is not insignificant. These department heads are in charge of their budgets and every year for the past years they have requested budgets that have seen either an increase or a steady trajectory. They are funded to what they need and not one department is losing out because of the South Gate Police Department. You can review those numbers below:

Final Thoughts

If South Gate Police Department is abolished the Sheriff's department will take over in it's absence. A department that runs the possibility of being less accountable, more aggressive in it's presence just like in Camden, New Jersey where the dismantling of their city police department brought in loads of county police. Strangers in a town that do not know the people and this is where the potential for violent police encounters is likely to occur.

Where there is racism or oppression, let us point out the specific person, policy or law that is discriminating against anyone so we can fight it together. Where there are bad cops who need to be brought to light and justice then let us fight together for the protection of the people. I for one do no believe in qualified immunity and believe it should be abolished. I for one also do not believe in public unions that protect the bad apples of their bunch. But the whole Defund the Police movement is not relevant to our police department.

Our Police Department may not be perfect, but it is not this large system or animal that cannot be reasoned with. You can visit the chief of police and have lunch with him here in the city. You can ask the police for a ride along and get to know the folks who patrol the area. Yes there are bad apples out there but just as the protesters desperately asked us not conflate the few violent rioters with the true movement, we should not conflate rogue police officers with our local department.

As always, please be kind to your fellow neighbor in person and online. Keep our city beautiful and clean so children, seniors and adults can continue to enjoy working, living and playing in South Gate.

Your Neighbor,
Jim