Laserfiche WebLink
City Council Meeting Minutes March 3, 2020 <br />good for our economy. It makes economic sense for a stable workforce that <br />our employers will appreciate. <br />Ann Whitus, spoke in favor of cite and release. Ms. Whitus stated professionals <br />tell us about preventing personal preference comfort level and past experiences <br />from clouding one's judgment is extremely difficult in the best of <br />circumstances. That is why in court trials, juries are questioned for bias. Today <br />in San Marcos, we are asking San Marcos law enforcement officers to act as <br />judge and jury for misdemeanors, taking punishment into their own hands <br />when cases can be more fairly adjudicated by the practice of cite and release <br />when allowed by State law. The numbers clearly tell us that in San Marcos <br />from 2018, while black people made up only 5% of the population, there were <br />22% of cite eligible arrests. While white people were under criminalized relative <br />to their population. Hispanics were over criminalized but not to the extent of <br />our black community members. She stated that this is discrimination against <br />people of color. She is asking Council to support the application of ordinance <br />with only 6 disqualifying circumstances and not by resolution. The ordinance <br />will remove intention or unintentional inclination for bias, which the numbers <br />have shown and we all will be treated fairly regardless of color or economic <br />background. <br />Alexis Duran, spoke on behalf of Texas Rising and in support of cite and <br />release. She wanted to reiterate what the other speakers have said. She stated <br />that no one's life should be ripped away and ruined when they can be given <br />another chance by recieving a citation. People deserve to have hope and San <br />Marcos Police Department has the ability to give out citations and have not <br />been using it. <br />Jordan Buckley, spoke in favor of cite and release. He stated that this evening <br />reminded him of Senate Bill 4 vote in which Mano Amigo was just born. He <br />stated that he had been to jail three times and how humiliating can it be. He <br />mentioned that will be hearing statistics from the Police tonight and the <br />committee members received a report last month on how many people <br />committed class A, B, and C misdemeanors but only certain numbers are <br />eligible. He stated that the bigger number doesn't matter at all. He stated that <br />he is not speaking for those that are not eligible to be cited. He stated that the <br />smaller number on who is eligible and of those who are eligible who got <br />arrested and cited. He stated what is important under State law, who is eligible <br />and who got arrested and cited. He stated that three quarters who were eliglibe <br />for citations, instead got arrested. He talked about discussion on discretion, <br />disqualifiying circumstances that police leadership has had 9 months to look <br />City of San Marcos Page 9 <br />