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Correcting the Sentinel's Latest Errors Food Not Bombs activist Keith McHenry corrects errors, omissions, and distoertions in Sentinel writer Jessica York's recent story "Santa Cruz County launches joint homelessness task force in coronavirus pandemic; Food Not Bombs expands food distribution" (4 PM, April 4th) at https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/04/04/santa-cruz-county-launches-joint-homelessness-task-force-in-coronavirus-pandemic ....
Posted: Sun Apr 5, 2020 3:41PM
Coronavirus pandemic in Oakland: Crisis, What Crisis? 
Coronavirus pandemic in Oakland: Crisis, What Crisis?
Then I spotted a group of people (7-10 people) hanging out in a yard drinking, smoking, chatting, and having a Bar-B-Q....
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:41PM
Updates from the "Ignore Them Until they Disappear or Die Off" Genocide Zone While City & County officials who live indoors postulate, ponder, and predict, no safe shelters, sanitary shithouses, or reliable food services have opened up to replace those shut down. HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) critic passes on some updates and the latest in-the-field reports from Food not Bombs still-serving-under-fire foodster Keith McHenry....
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:47PM
Sacramento Police Have Arrested Unhoused People Seeking to Shelter in Place 
At a time when the entire State of California has been asked to shelter in place, unhoused populations remain unprotected, with nowhere to go, no house to shelter in, no sanitary supplies, and no means by which to honor social distancing requirements....
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:34PM
ACSO Requests $255M in New Funding; COVID-19 Reaches Santa Rita Without Plans in Place 
Just over a week into the “shelter in place” directive that is now statewide, COVID-19 has reached Santa Rita Jail. The County confirmed on March 26 that a nurse working in one of the jail’s housing units has tested positive for the virus. In response, that pod as well as one other in Santa Rita were placed under quarantine on Friday, March 27. The second pod was quarantined allegedly in response to a case of pneumonia or other similar medical condition. All transportation of detainees betwee...
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:18PM
Know Your Rights during COVID-19 (Coronavirus) 
While the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates public health measures to reduce the impact of the virus on our communities and health care systems, we must be vigilant and resist authoritarian and violent tendencies....
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:22AM
As COVID-19 Reaches Santa Rita Jail, Decarceration Becomes More Urgent 
Oakland, CA — According to Alameda County jail officials, a nurse in Santa Rita Jail has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the first positive test in the jail. The positive case follows at least one confirmed exposure and several possible exposures at the jail by an arrestee and sheriff deputy. For the last two weeks, advocates with the Audit Ahern Coalition and healthcare labor unions have been calling for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), Alameda County District Attorney’...
Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 3:23PM
Alameda County Public Defender Wins COVID-19 Release of More Than 300 Inmates 
OAKLAND, Thursday, March 19 – Lawyers with the Public Defender’s Office in collaboration with the Sheriff, prosecutors and courts have secured the release of more than 300 people because of the threat of COVID-19 in Santa Rita County Jail....
Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 3:16PM
In The Pandemic, Vallejo PD Buys $750K Cell Site Simulator 
On the consent agenda for the March 24, 2020, Vallejo City Council meeting was $766,018 to purchase a KeyW cell site simulator....
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 5:19PM
Santa Cruz Police Prohibit Food Distribution to Homeless at Town Clock 
Santa Cruz Chief of Police Andrew Mills has addressed a cease and desist letter to Keith McHenry, the co-founder of Food Not Bombs, demanding McHenry, "cease feeding people at the clock tower immediately." Additionally, Police have issued a public notice to vacate the area of the Town Clock, which states that all personal belongings must be removed from the park by March 25 at 9 am. Since the Coronavirus/COVID-19 shelter in place order issued by the County took effect on March 17, Santa Cruz ...
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2020 3:29PM
Alameda County Sheriff's Office Makes Surprise $85 Million Request for Santa Rita Jail Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors will vote today to allocate an additional $85 million toward staff for Santa Rita Jail....
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2020 1:19PM
Five Demands for Emergency COVID-19 Survival 
With the Bay Area and now all of California on coronavirus lockdown, millions going without paychecks and health insurance, prisoners and unsheltered folks at great risk of contracting the virus, wheatpaste posters have gone up in Oakland making five reasonable demands to increase our collective chance at survival....
Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2020 2:30PM
Legality of shelter-in-place orders is questionable 
Coronavirus pandemic fears result in California Lock-down!...
Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2020 5:14PM
Jewish Activists Demand Governor Newsom Release Detainees In Light of Covid-19 Outbreak 
In a March 21 press release, Never Again Action Bay Area calls on Governor Newsom to take immediate steps to release migrants from unsanitary, overcrowded “death camp” detention centers...
Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2020 11:29AM
Shutdown of Post Office Encampment After Denial of Portapotties & Wash Stations There Chief Mills and a dozen or more cops, rangers, and camp trashers moved on to evict and fence out the homeless tent-shelter-in-place encampment along Water St. near the Post Office. This "out of sight/out of town" policy, while claiming a public health rationale rings false given the lack of protected indoor shelter being offered in spite of the funding available....
Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 7:57PM
ACLU Demands the Release from Prisons and Jails of Communities Vulnerable to COVID-19 
ACLU Also Calls for Release of People Currently in Pretrial Detention Because of Cash Bail to Prevent a Public Health Crisis...
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 3:21PM
Santa Rita Jail Solidarity During the Coronavirus Pandemic 
As businesses, schools, and institutions close to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, many people are wondering how to support people in jails, prisons, and immigration detention centers....
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 2:00PM
Shelter-in-place orders are a prelude to Martial Law I was in the Philippines during 1972 while Martial Law existed under the Marcos administration. There were soldiers/armed forces on the streets and anyone caught on the streets after midnight was subject to arrest or being shot. At times it was very frightening!...
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2020 11:43PM
Santa Cruz Committee Unanimously Forwards 1st Predictive Policing Ban in US 
On March 11, the Public Safety committee of the Santa Cruz City Council unanimously recommended passage of a surveillance transparency ordinance for the City of Santa Cruz....
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2020 11:51AM
Santa Cruz City Council Committee Advances Surveillance Oversight Ordinance SANTA CRUZ, March 12, 2020 – On Wednesday, the Santa Cruz Public Safety Committee voted to approve a Surveillance Technology Ordinance that would prevent the government from using any surveillance technology without public debate, clear use policies, and mechanisms of oversight and accountability. The law also prohibits government use of facial recognition, and in what would be a national first, bans government use of predictive policing technology as well....
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2020 9:39PM