REMARKS
Relationship between poverty, community resources, and policing needs
2:51:18
·
4 min
Council Member Yousef Salaam reflects on the relationship between poverty, community resources, and policing needs, emphasizing the importance of addressing root causes of crime.
- Salaam suggests that many issues could be resolved by addressing poverty in communities.
- The council member highlights the need for increased resources and opportunities in impoverished areas.
- The discussion touches on the historical context of police-community relations in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
- Salaam emphasizes the importance of sensitivity and understanding the community's perspective when policing in impoverished areas.
Yousef Salaam
2:51:18
Definitely.
2:51:19
One of the one of the things that I was thinking about in preparation for our hearing today was that that very thing.
2:51:28
You know, part of the issue, of course, in our communities, especially in the more impoverished communities has been stated, is the resources that are needed.
2:51:35
The opportunities that, you know, even council member Holden had brought up about opening up the schools and and and going to the mayor to ask for those types of resources that are needed.
2:51:45
But I'm thinking about some of the, I guess, the trends that have been explained.
2:52:00
I'm I'm trying to understand the trends from the perspective of, are we talking about things that could be fixed if we fix poverty?
2:52:16
Like, I I know, you know, Council Member Caban, you know, you talked about the differences in the levels of what was happening in schools and the communities and things of that nature.
2:52:28
And of course, in more impoverished communities, especially when we talk about what happened during COVID, people who are already in the margins of life now trying to figure out how can they feed their families and of course, you know, unfortunately folks had the masks on as well, right?
2:52:45
So it was a lot harder to identify folks.
2:52:49
I think part of the real push that we should be trying to figure out as a city is how do we really increase the it's not just the quality of life issues.
2:53:10
I think a lot of things can be fixed if we solve for poverty.
2:53:16
Because then the folks in the community, because I've had the same experience in my community.
2:53:22
People have said we need officers to show up right next to grocery stores because folks were their grandmothers were afraid to go to grocery stores.
2:53:31
This is prior to me becoming a councilman.
2:53:33
And when I left the meeting, I was shocked to see officers maybe every 2 blocks.
2:53:40
And people were still saying we're afraid to go to grocery stores and things of that nature.
2:53:45
But I do know a lot of it is related to poverty in the communities that we're in.
2:53:49
The lack of resources, the opportunities, the things that folks find themselves doing trying to survive.
2:53:56
I think and the reason why I'm bringing this up in terms of just, a start is the level of sensitivity needed in those communities has to acknowledge the history that happens in those communities.
2:54:22
Like what, what is this community?
2:54:24
What, what are we going to?
2:54:26
You know, oftentimes I don't want to think that I'm joining a police department because I want to just make sure that I'm safe if I'm a black person.
2:54:38
Right?
2:54:39
Go along to get along or so, you know, those types of issues.
2:54:44
I want to really be able to say that police officers are people who are there to protect and serve.
2:54:52
These are guardians of society.
2:54:55
And that guardianship is a guardianship that is not always perceived in the best ways in more impoverished neighborhoods, even though we want officers to keep us safe.
2:55:09
But that that historical piece is there.
2:55:11
Right?
2:55:19
I'm gonna pass it to I know we have a second round coming.
2:55:23
Wanna pass it back to council member Kaban to motion.
2:55:29
Yes.
Tiffany Cabán
2:55:29
Thank you.
