Perez Announces Policy Proposals to Fight Racism

PALM DESERT – Supervisor V. Manuel Perez is sending a letter to local leadership to support the fight against racism.

In addition, on Tuesday, June 9, Perez will bring measures before the Board of Supervisors to condemn the murder of George Floyd, initiate a review of Riverside County’s policing policies, and support dialogue through community forums.

“It is important that we recognize that racism does exist and it is our duty to ensure that all members of the public are treated fairly, equitably, and free from discrimination and social injustice,” Perez said in a prepared statement. “We need a vaccine, a cure, to racism and the pandemic, and that can come by being empathetic and listening to each other and working on all levels as community members and policymakers to create change in a positive way.”

On Tuesday, Supervisor Perez will seek his colleagues’ support for a resolution condemning the murder of George Floyd and a review by the Riverside County Executive Office and the Sheriff’s Department of police procedures, with a report in 90 days. The item also recommends that county staff and Sheriff’s Department engage with the public through community forums.

The text of the resolution and review proposal can be found on the Board of Supervisors agenda, as items 3.22 and 3.23.

Cathedral City Mayor John Aguilar told Uken Report that Cathedral City Chief of Police George Crum, will be specifically looking at the Department’s policies to determine if additional changes and recommendations should be made to our use-of-force policies.

Aguilar said the city is also reviewing the eight recommendations from the #8cantwait campaign for possible inclusion in the city’s policies. You may read his entire opinion here.

Indio City Councilmember Waymond Fermon told Uken Report, “I’ve been employed as a peace officer for 18 years and I support Supervisor V. Manual Perez’s resolutions and pro-active approach in acknowledging the issues that face our nation during these troubling times. These conversations are essential.”

Perez’s proposed Resolution condemns the murder of George Floyd and criminal convictions and sentencing against all four police officers involved to the full extent of the law.

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an African American man died at the hands of four Minneapolis, Minnesota police officers. This apparent unprovoked and intentional act of violence represents a blatant disregard for the dignity and sanctity of human life, according to the proposed resolution.

The actions of these four police officers do not represent the thousands of men and women that serve and protect their respective communities with the highest level of professionalism, but their actions do impact the relationships between those communities and their respective police departments, Perez writes in the proposed Resolution.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has addressed the issue.

Perez’s proposed resolution doesn’t stop with George Floyd. There have been many other tragic deaths of innocent persons at the hands of police officers who use excessive force, including Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Sean Bell, Sandra Bland, Walter Scott and Oscar Grant.

The proposed Resolution calls on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to commit to the community that the county does not and will not tolerate, nor accept in any way, violent or disrespectful treatment of others that degrades dignity and disregards human life; and calls upon communities and residents to join with supervisors in committing to introspective evaluation of ourselves as public servants, community citizens and as brothers and sisters regarding this tragic event.