Redwood City Racial Equality Community Dialogues
Redwood City is reviewing its community policing policies and is working to identify necessary changes to serve the community better. On June 10th, a virtual town hall on the topic of community policing brought 500 community members together with the mayor, vice-mayor, council members and the police chief. Throughout the town hall, the police chief answered the most commonly asked questions submitted by the community before the live meeting. The last half hour of the town hall was dedicated to hearing comments, concerns and questions directly from community members. The large number of participants wanting to take part in the process of initiating meaningful policing change prompted Redwood City to schedule additional public forum sessions.
In partnership with Redwood City, PCRC is moderating the Community Dialogue Sessions. The goals of the dialogue series encompass bringing community members, elected officials, and city staff together to identify ways to meaningfully change city policies, service delivery and policing. Through sharing personal stories and perspectives, participants will gain understanding and cultivate community trust, and deepen understanding of the complex issues related to racial equity. The community-level discussion will impact the policy, priorities, and stakeholder processes of decision-makers. New or strengthened community partnerships and collaborations will be initiated and individuals will learn and develop new attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs through public participation, encouraging emerging leaders.
To date, six sessions have been scheduled over the next two months. The first one took place on July 28th and was fully booked with 89 participants in attendance. There will be both Spanish and English language sessions to help make the conversation accessible to all residents. And a special session will be held for youth participants so their unique voices will be heard and included in the shaping of policy.
With the conclusion of the dialogue series, a virtual town hall will be held in the fall to digest the themes and share recommendations for moving forward based on community input. If you are a Redwood City resident, make sure your voice is heard and register for your spot at an upcoming dialogue session.
