NOTE: This petition previously stated that funds for this purchase were coming from revenues from bond issuances permitted by Measure O. That was incorrect; this purchase would be funded under the Capital Improvement Plan. The petition has been updated accordingly.

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Campbell PD plans to buy a $250,000 armored militaristic vehicle, despite already owning one, and despite local and nation-wide calls to re-allocate city budgets away from militarized police forces to community-centric programs.

This purchase will not make the public any safer, and it will siphon away funds that could otherwise be spent on after-school programs, the Campbell Community Center, the public library, or other public services. If the funds must be spent on the police department, as proponents argue, then they could be used to fund courses on implicit bias awareness or de-escalation tactics.

The author of this petition genuinely prays for every officer's safety as they respond to the most dangerous aspects of their job — such as when they responded to the shooter standoff at Denny's in 2019 — but he questions how purchasing a second militaristic vehicle will increase either public safety or the safety of active police officers. Campbell PD has successfully borrowed equipment in the past when needed. Based on Campbell's historically low rate of these sorts of incidents, is it not more fiscally, morally, and socially responsible to focus on building assurances that the Campbell PD will continue to be able to borrow such equipment if needed again in the future, as opposed to spending a quarter-million dollars to further militarize the police based off of a "what if" scenario?

By signing this petition, you are agreeing that you reject Campbell PD's attempt to purchase this vehicle, and you instead support allocating these funds toward community-centric programs.

Related documents:

• Public discourse about the motion to purchase this vehicle from the June 23 Campbell Planning Commission meeting: https://www.ci.campbell.ca.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06232020-2110