(Mountain View, Calif.) — Over the last several weeks, people across the country have been saddened, outraged, and grieving over the senseless and horrific death of George Floyd and others before him. The City of Mountain View shares in our country’s pain and anguish, and stands firmly committed to ensuring equality and justice for all those who call Mountain View home.

As a City, we will work to ensure that as our Mountain View community comes together to help envision and inspire a better future, that we can proudly stand at the forefront of this endeavor and lead by example. In fact, the City has made Community for All a priority goal for years, and at the City Council meeting on June 23, 2020, an official City resolution proclaiming that Black Lives Matter will be adopted. This resolution may be found at MountainView.gov/BLM.

“We are at a juncture in history where it is critical to discuss the racial inequalities that exist so that we can chart a new path forward in our community,” said City Manager Kimbra McCarthy. “Addressing these inequalities means listening to each other and having hard conversations about racism and privilege, acknowledging the framework of institutional racism, and seeking to repair and change these entrenched systems. We are committed to getting this right by listening, learning, and engaging in meaningful dialogue that will lead to positive change.”

In the last several weeks, the City Council and City staff have received hundreds of emails and messages asking for a review of our policing policies and funding. In turn, the City has taken action including banning the use of the carotid hold as a law enforcement restraint tactic, and signing onto President Obama’s “Mayor’s Pledge” to review and reform use of force policies, engage in dialogue with the community, and report the findings back to the community. Other actions include:

• The creation of a City Council subcommittee on Race, Equity, and Inclusion that will work to provide opportunities for meaningful dialogue with the community towards a vision of justice and equity in Mountain View
• A review of policing policies for alignment with best practice recommendations, including those advocated by the 8 Can't Wait campaign, Campaign Zero, the California Attorney General, and the National League of Cities. Our police department is already actively underway with this process.
• A Human Relations Commission roundtable on unconscious bias and other efforts to convene the community.
• A review of alternative service delivery models, working in collaboration with other regional agencies and community partners, to address and achieve better outcomes for community needs such as homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse.

The City will focus on these commitments through the remainder of the Summer. In the Fall, an update will be presented to the City Council for further review as well as for discussion about additional next steps.

“These changes will not happen overnight, but we are committed to reevaluating and reimagining our city operations to ensure they are equitable and just,” added McCarthy. ” We are looking forward to upholding and enhancing the ways that we, as a City, honor diversity and inclusion to ensure that every person feels safe, valued, and welcome.”

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