Santa Cruz targets "Gangs", scapegoats lower-income communities

"Santa Cruz Task Farce Rides Again"
2013-10-01 by Robert Norse from "Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom (HUFF) - Santa Cruz" [http://www.huffsantacruz.org] [https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/10/01/18744150.php]:

Title: Public Hysteria Gang "Targets" Other Gangs
START DATE: Wednesday October 02
TIME: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location Details: Community Room of the Santa Cruz Police Department at Center and Laurel Streets. 809 Center St., Santa Cruz, CA
The Mayor's handpicked "scapegoat the homeless" Task Force will be meeting Wednesday, October 2 in its familiar meeting place--the Community Room of the Santa Cruz Police Department.
The audience, as usual, will be gagged (i.e. refused any public comment period and rudely advised to shut up if they dare to raise a question or react to the ongoing show).
The topic will be Gangs--without, of course, any representation from current gang members on police abuse, background on gangs from the gang member's point of view, and/or suggestions for real solutions rather than throwing more money at police or forming local vigilante Take Back Santa Cruz style counter-gangs..
Prior agendas, staff reports, minutes, and audio of this City-funded Circus can be found at http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=1924 where the agenda and staff report for the meeting tomorrow can be found.
The next meeting will be held at Branciforte Middle School on October 9 (see below) and will actually allow the public to speak before resuming "no comment" sessions in a weekly schedule throughout October. This is as distinguished from its bi-weekly schedule previously.
The staff person being paid to do research, record, and organize these meetings is Susie O'Hara, who actually gave me her direct city contact phone after the city offices would not (it's 420-5013). She can be reached by e-mail at sohara [at] cityofsantacruz.com .
I suggest those who go bring placards silently indicating their opinions ("Stop Scapegoating Street People") or even a more versatile sign like a double-sided one with 'half-truth" on one side and "total bullshit" on the other. Signs referencing the new Downtown Ordinance outrage against street culture would also be welcome.
More discussion on the issue at the HUFF meeting tomorrow 11 AM 10-2 at the Sub Rosa Cafe 703 Pacific Ave.

For ease of reference, I include the agenda as PDF.
For some prior indybay articles on the Task Farce and its members see
* "Mayor's Public Safety Task Force Member is "fine with junkies dying" at [http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/07/25/18740407.php]
* "Strongly Biased Public Safety Survey" at [http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/06/10/18738231.php]
* "Mayor's Stacked and Packed "Public Safety Task Force" meets" at [http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/05/28/18737491.php].
To be clear, this post is by Robert Norse in its entirety--the information was in part supplied by city staffer Susan O'Hara, whose opinions are not necessarily represented by this article.