Safety Now Rally’s Call to Action –
It is true that Oakland has endured more than five decades of gun and gang violence that has destroyed lives, futures, communities, neighborhoods and the city’s reputation.
What is also true is that Oakland did something about it. With support from the City, the community created a network of programs to reduce violence and support traumatized victims. And prior to the onset of the public health crisis and economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, and before the extreme, traumatic social and political upheaval that accompanied it, by most measures, levels of violence in Oakland had been falling for years.
On February 23rd in Sacramento, legislators listened to the pleas of survivors of violence to continue to fund community crime prevention and healing programs throughout the state. At a rally sponsored by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, speakers, including Youth ALIVE! Advocacy Director Gabriel Garcia and CSSJ Executive Director Tinisch Holland, urged greater investment in trauma recovery and fairness in victim compensation eligibility rules. Watch and listen to Gabriel’s speech:
Some of the coverage on TV, radio and in print:
TV
CAL MATTERS: California Democrats make appeal to crime victims
Radio