Dear Mayor Steinberg,

My name is [insert name here], and I’m a [student, citizen, activist, resident,etc.] living in Sacramento, CA. Over the last few days I have taken action to help my black brothers and sisters, but feel that your response as mayor has fallen short in terms of policy. I see that you have been active in the community by attending the peaceful protests and clean-ups, but your action is performative until you publicly demand for policing policy to change. As mayor, you are uniquely positioned to spearhead this political change.

I email you today courtesy of the organization 8CANTWAIT. Data from the organization’s researchers has shown that there are 8 tactics that, when implemented, can reduce police brutality and violence by 72%.

These 8 tactics are 1) Banning chokeholds and strangleholds, 2) A required de-escalation, 3) A required warning before shooting, 4) Exhausting all other means before shooting, 5) The duty of other officers to intervene, 6) Banning shooting at moving vehicles, 7) Requiring the use of a force continuum, and 8) Requiring comprehensive reporting for all acts of force.

Sacramento only has implemented three of these policies: required de-escalation, the duty to intervene, and the required warning before shooting.

I passionately encourage you to take a strong stance by publicly calling for the implementation of ALL of these policies into the Sacramento Police Department. With the decrease in police brutality these policies will bring, I believe it will be a step towards peace in our city. When people think of the police, they need to feel protected, not terrorized.

Please email me back when you can adequately share how your administration will reform the Sacramento Police Department. I promise to no longer sit on the sidelines while my black brothers and sisters continue to fear for their lives; can you say the same?

Sincerely,

[insert name here]