Between cops and a hard place. Five takeaways from my talk with Mayor Steinberg
My Facebook Live interview with Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg Wednesday revealed a politician who has taken many lumps in recent days from advocates who say he isn’t bold enough. And he counters, yes he is, his way.
They say he needs to cut the city police budget.
They are after him to keep his promises on inclusive economic development.
That’s another way of describing targeted economic policies for ethnic communities that need small business assistance, after-school opportunities, job training for young people, mental health assistance and myriad other investments advocates want instead of more cops on the street.
Steinberg described himself as the leader standing between cops on one side and advocates on the other.
Here are my five takeaways from our conversation. We talk at 6 p.m. every Wednesday.
1. Defunding the police? No
Steinberg is telling both sides: “It doesn’t matter to me if you don’t like me or respect me.”
“I do represent those voices of pain and despair,” Steinberg said. “But I also represent the entire city and I don’t believe in the movement to ‘defund’ police...I’m sorry. I don’t believe in it. I hear from just as many advocates who say they want police to respond when they are in trouble. Systemic racism in policing is real but I don’t believe every police officer is bad, just the opposite.”
Steinberg gets angry at the suggestion he is backing off a promise. In 2018, Steinberg sold voters on Measure U on a 1-cent sales tax increase and the promise that half would go to Sacramento communities that needed investment.
But on Tuesday, The Bee’s Theresa Clift reported how Steinberg was getting slammed by advocates because the Measure U money meant for communities was going toward city services:
“The city can legally use the money for anything, however, as it flows to the general fund,” Clift wrote. “City officials said they had to use Measure U funds for core services this year – including the police department – to make up for the more than $90 million loss in expected revenue due to the (COVID-19) virus.
Some advocates want him to take the $45.7 million going to police and divert it to the community. Steinberg wants to keep the police whole and honor his commitment to economic equity by using federal COVID-19 stimulus money.
But the federal money comes one time and then is gone. The whole point of Measure U was that the community would get that money and a citizens committee would help direct the spending.
In other words, some advocates felt Steinberg was going back on his word and that long-ignored communities in Sacramento would once again have a promise broken.
2. Says keeps promises? Yes
Steinberg bristles at the suggestion that he is forsaking his promises.
“I’m sorry if the money comes from different sources but green is green,” he said “My commitment is intact.”
Steinberg said the federal funds would help fulfill his promise on Measure U in the short term and he would find the money year-over-year to keep his promises.
“Here is the way I looked at it. We could balance the city budgets without making deep cuts across city departments – and still honor our commitments...We can balance the budget without laying people off.”
Referring to his critics, Steinberg said: “Is (a layoff) what you want when we are already 100 police officers (short) of our peak? When we can’t staff sexual assault units, a gang unit, a traffic unit. If that is what you want to do then I’m not sure I’m your guy.”
3. Promises to find money? Yes
Steinberg promised to find the money to help struggling Sacramento communities: “Can I promise to spend $40 million a year on economic inclusion? Yes. I’ll hold myself to that standard.”
4. Need a study on police? No
Steinberg is not impressed with other cities, such as Los Angeles, whose leaders are exploring ways to cut their police budget following the protests and demands for reform after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
“I don’t need no study,” he said.
He said he is bringing a resolution to the council on June 30 that calls for independent investigations of city police and an overhaul of the 911 system that would change how the police department is staffed and funded.
“Steinberg’s idea to send trained civilians instead of armed officers to some 911 calls is modeled after similar programs in Eugene, Ore., and a pilot program in Portland, Ore,” Clift wrote earlier this week.
Steinberg said such changes would reform the culture within Sacramento Police without sacrificing needed staffing.
“This is actually doing something big by shifting resources based on changing the function (of day-to-day police services.)
5. Political points? No
Steinberg knows his strongly held feelings will not be enough for some – and so be it.
“There are some who never think I am going to do enough,” he said. “But I’m not trying to make quick political points to satisfy people.”
This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
