[Peace] How to approach City Council re: Stun guns

[Kranich, Kimberlie]

Hi, all.

I just spoke with Champaign City Councilman, Girlado Rosales. Here's the
context he gave me regarding the possible purchase of tasers by the
Champaign police department.

The Mayor added it to the city council agenda without any discussion with
the Council.  Some of the city council members, including Giraldo an Kathy
Ennen, objected to the addition without a discussion. So, the item was
removed from the agenda and will come up during a study session.

Here's how the process works according to Giraldo:

Once an item gets on the agenda, it is pretty much a done deal. Any
influence one wants to exert on the outcome of the decision should happen
before the study session. That's when the council members discuss the issue
(in public, anyway) and then commit to voting one way or the other by taking
a straw poll.

The next study session is March 9.  Tasers could be on the agenda as early
as March 9.

I will contact Tracy Parsons tomorrow about working together. His goal is to
block the purchase of tasers.  So is mine.  We are allies. 

Meanwhile, if you want to sign the petition started by Black folks against
the potential purchase of tasers, the petition is at The Whip Hair Designs,
904 N. 4th St. 

One of the things I have learned about working as allies with Black people
is to reach out and make connections.  Going to the North end to sign the
petition is one way to do that. Our town is still very segregated. But
segregation is a surmountable roadblock to our working together.

Girlado, by the way, will vote against the tasers.  And he said, Mike LaDue
and JW Pirtle do not use their city email accounts, so if you are going to
contact them, please call them.

Ans, Girlado said, the Mayor has purchased tons of riot gear and helmets
that are still in their boxes. What are they preparing for and who will they
use this equipment against?

The News Gazette story by Mike Monson on tasers can be found at the
following link:
http://208.5.125.166/ngsearch/index.cfm?&page=displyStory.cfm&yearfolder=the
04news&file=022704%5Fngstory%5F15534%2Etxt&search=tasers&theorder=asaphrase


Kimberlie