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Budget Committee to Hold Hearings on Police Response to Demonstrations
SF Supervisors review the literal costs of war
On Thursday, April 10th, the Budget Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will be holding a hearing "to discuss the fiscal impacts of Police response during the recent San Francisco peace demonstrations," including whether the SFPD overreacted. They will also be looking more broadly at the costs of the war on Iraq on the City's budget.
Many protesters testified at the March 27th meeting of the full Board of Supervisors about police officers using excessive force, conducting false arrests, and threatening people who were not even breaking laws. Several speakers were responding directly to Supervisor Tony Hall's proposed legislation to pass along police costs to demonstration organizers.
The Budget Committee meeting will take place at 1:00pm at City Hall, Room 263. These items are third and fourth on the agenda, and will include a public comment period. Members of the public are invited to voice their concerns about the police response to the peace demonstrations and the City's priorities during this time of fiscal crisis.
Many protesters testified at the March 27th meeting of the full Board of Supervisors about police officers using excessive force, conducting false arrests, and threatening people who were not even breaking laws. Several speakers were responding directly to Supervisor Tony Hall's proposed legislation to pass along police costs to demonstration organizers.
The Budget Committee meeting will take place at 1:00pm at City Hall, Room 263. These items are third and fourth on the agenda, and will include a public comment period. Members of the public are invited to voice their concerns about the police response to the peace demonstrations and the City's priorities during this time of fiscal crisis.
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Hall can't "bill" protesters he can only "bill" groups or those arrested and in either case there would have to be trials. Taking 1000 people to court would seem like a huge expense and the only winable cases for the city would be against people who chose to get arrested (since most of the other arrests were illegal street sweeps). Did the police even record which arrests were by those doing CD and which were illegal street sweeps (if not, no charges by them would stick)
Isn't it also true that in the cases of people who chose to be arrested it's possible for people to do jail time (costing city money) in lieu of fine? If everyone who was legally arested for CD did that the city wold HAVE to drop the charges or pay a huge amount to jail hundreds for a few days.
In confused by what Hall proposes and if it is just a PR ploy perhaps that should be the focus of the debate since he hopes to rally his conservative base when the proposal gets defeated...
Isn't it also true that in the cases of people who chose to be arrested it's possible for people to do jail time (costing city money) in lieu of fine? If everyone who was legally arested for CD did that the city wold HAVE to drop the charges or pay a huge amount to jail hundreds for a few days.
In confused by what Hall proposes and if it is just a PR ploy perhaps that should be the focus of the debate since he hopes to rally his conservative base when the proposal gets defeated...
I think what Hall wants to do is make the protestors financially responsible for causing the city to loose (supposedly) 900,000.00 . I spoke with someone at the NLG shortly after the protests took place and was told those arrested would mostly be charged with a traffic violation, and that chances were the charges would be dropped. It would cost the city too much to have each person have their day in court. 2300 people would clog up the courts for a very long time, as well as cost the city more money than it's really worth.
When you get down to it, it will be the city DA who makes the final decision on whether or not charges will be dropped.
Also, if you think about it, it's been over 2 weeks since the direct actions shut down the city and the board has yet to vote on any resolutions. I do think the first trials are scheduled for right after Easter. Time may be on the protestors' side.
When you get down to it, it will be the city DA who makes the final decision on whether or not charges will be dropped.
Also, if you think about it, it's been over 2 weeks since the direct actions shut down the city and the board has yet to vote on any resolutions. I do think the first trials are scheduled for right after Easter. Time may be on the protestors' side.
i think that regardless of whether or not the charges against people may be dropped (and we should note, they aren't, yet), it's important to go to this hearing to help defeat tony hall's proposal - the proposal that "protestors" (presumable those arrested, wrongly or not, since those are the people whose names the police have) and organizations sponsoring protests (DASW?) would have to somehow pay for the costs of policing. ridiculous, i know, but who knows? i feel like there's a backlash afoot, and it would set an ugly precedent and curtail future protest (and fighting it legally would cost a lot of time, $, and energy that could better be spent doing other work.)
i called matt gonzalez' office to find out who's on the budget committee, and it includes Sophie Maxwell, Aaron Peskin, Matt Gonzalez and Chris Daly, (and I guess Tony Hall, tho' i'm not sure,) so if you can't make it to the hearing, calling these people (particularly maxwell and peskin, as i would assume daly and gonzalez are already on our side) would help, i suppose.
i called matt gonzalez' office to find out who's on the budget committee, and it includes Sophie Maxwell, Aaron Peskin, Matt Gonzalez and Chris Daly, (and I guess Tony Hall, tho' i'm not sure,) so if you can't make it to the hearing, calling these people (particularly maxwell and peskin, as i would assume daly and gonzalez are already on our side) would help, i suppose.
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