Dear Chief Bertini, Last week during the teleconference with the Mayor, a caller asked where Menlo Park stood in alignment with the 8cantwait ( https://8cantwait.org/ ) goals to increase public safety and reduce physical confrontations between officers and members of the public. You stated with great confidence that the current policies are completely in alignment with those 8 goals and invited us to check out the department policy manual for ourselves. So I checked. And I was aghast to learn that you lied. The very first item on 8cantwait is the elimination of choke and strangle holds. Early on in the Use of Force section (300.3.4) are detailed directions regarding who, how, and when to use choke (e.g., carotid control) holds. My trust in any of your other statements from that evening or that I might hear in the future went right out the window. As a Quaker integrity is paramount to how I live my life and what I expect from public officials. Without truth, integrity is a hollow shell. To say I am dismayed is an understatement. San Francisco policies are indeed in alignment with the 8cantwait goals. Is Menlo Park really that dangerous of a place to live and work? How can you expect to build trust with members of the community who have lived with oppression for over 400 years if you don't speak truthfully? With deep sorrow, Virginia Talley Kenyon 2351 Sharon Road Menlo Park, CA Received on Wed Jun 10 2020 - 13:55:38 PDT
