The Advocate

( Illustration: Maxime Mouysset) Well, looks like we made the papers! (Again.) Check out this investigative piece from Bloomberg / CityLab by Sarah Holder and Fola Akinnibi,  Nextdoor’s Quest to Beat Toxic Content and Make Money It still only scratches the surface. On Nextdoor in San Leandro, racial profiling, antisemitism, harassment, and abuse are rampant to the point that they've become core features of the platform. Users on Nextdoor in our city spread false kidnapping claims and call the police on innocent people, advocate for gun violence, share COVID-19 conspiracy theories, as well as attack anyone who doesn't subscribe to their brand of bigotry. People in San Leandro have been hurt because of the toxicity that congeals on Nextdoor, spilling over into real life again and again. In less than two years, we've seen the results from assaults on BIPOC participating in our local Buy Nothing group to attacks on our unhoused population just trying to find a safe place to ...

I recently took a ride-along with a sergeant of the San Leandro Police Department. The revelations that occurred left me pensive and unsettled as I challenged and was challenged about basic principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Yet, at the end of our four-hour appointment, I was able to shake hands with a person whom I disagree with on levels so fundamental that it was a wonder we were able to stay in the same car for 10 minutes. Whether that’s a testament to the sergeant, myself, both of us, or some higher power, I leave for you to discern. But let me back up a bit and provide some context. While this was my first ride-along with SLPD, it wasn’t my first ride-along with law enforcement. I’ve taken ride-alongs with police departments in Costa Mesa (CA), Billings (MT), Las Vegas (NV), Harrison (AR), and Scranton (PA), as well as Border Patrol and the Sheriffs in Imperial County (CA). I’ve also been a victim or almost a victim of many different crimes from childhood t...

Come out this Monday, May 30, for a parent-led community-building event! We'll be at Halcyon Park from 5:00 to 7:30 PM. Food is potluck, and there'll be games, arts, as well as resources for SLUSD families. This is about celebrating our solidarity and building new relationships while eating some delicious food and having a good time. We hope to see y'all there!

As has become my habit, here are my votes for the 2022 primary election, along with reasons and receipts. This will be a long post, so buckle up! (For the tl;dr version, please scroll to the bottom.) For my general overview reference point, please see https://progressivevotersguide.com/california/2022/primary/county/alameda , https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2022/ , and the official Voter Information Guide for Alameda County you may have received in the mail. I am also considering individual guides like those by the San Francisco League of Pissed Off Voters and Oakland Rising Action . More specific citations are provided in each area. The order of appearance below matches the order of appearance on my ballot. Standard caveats: I have not received in fact or in promise any money from any candidate. I have not received in fact or in promise a vote for a specific interest that would benefit me financially or professionally. I have no financial interest, such as a business or...

Last month, San Leandro's City Council voted to establish a Community Police Review Board (CPRB) as part of citywide efforts to reimagine public safety in our city. This was a huge win for the people of San Leandro and we think a party is in order! Please join us to celebrate what we achieved together at Drake's Barrelhouse on 1933 Davis beginning at 3 PM on May 29. Drake's is family-friendly, so Feel free to bring your under-21's small, medium, and/or large. Donations are welcome and encouraged (but not required). All proceeds go towards a scholarship for a San Leandro resident to attend the  National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) Conference this September. This is our chance to thank you all in person for your support over these past two years—and to talk about the next steps for a successful rollout of the CPRB. ​What we need   is  a strong, diverse pool of applicants from the community to serve on the Board. The  deadlin...

Elections are one of our biggest opportunities and voting is one of our most important tools to choose the kind of world we want to live in and the people who will represent our communities. Come join us for a voter registration and outreach rally! The event will feature prominent guest speakers from the community, as well as Congresswoman Barbara Lee. We will be tabling and passing out information on voting in the June 7th primary and gearing up for the November general election, as well as helping people register to vote at outside of the San Leandro main library. Event details: Saturday, May 28, 2022 11 AM to 1 PM PDT 300 Estudillo Ave San Leandro, CA 94577 Sign-up for the event in advance at https://www.mobilize.us/bl22/event/463120/?force_banner=true&share_context=event_details&share_medium=copy_link. Remember: “there's no such thing as a vote that doesn't matter.”  I hope to see y'all there! Take note and take care.

(Photos of SLPD in 2013, courtesy of Urban Shield.) Cops are not supposed to be soldiers. City streets are not a battlefield. Police are not meant to be military occupation. Law enforcement has become increasingly militarized over the years to the point that it is often hard to tell the difference between them. Here in San Leandro, our police department is finally moving to comply with Assembly Bill 481, an act to help change this trend. Accordingly, the city has publicized a list of all the military equipment that SLPD possesses and uses , including chemical agents like tear gas, grenades like flashbangs, and heavily modified AR-15-style assault rifles. The latter are especially troubling because they are owned by individual officers, not the department itself. Indeed, the use of personal non-standard equipment of this nature is troubling, to say the least, given the lack of extensive rationale to justify their use. Notably, command staff asserted that SLPD, purportedly, did not ...