FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – With just about two weeks before the election, Republican Mayoral candidate Lee Brand unveiled a police initiative at a press conference outside Fresno Police Headquarters on Monday morning.
Brand’s plans has five different points:
1. Increasing the number of police officers on duty serving and protecting the citizens of Fresno to 1,000 with short-term and long-term strategic hiring plans based on developing sustainable funding sources.
2. Instituting community policing throughout the city that will engage residents with the police department in deterring and reducing crime.
3. Creating a Citizen’s Police Advisory Board to implement community-based policing and to provide more accountability and oversight of the police department to the people of Fresno.
4. Joining with Mayors and County Supervisors throughout California to start another successful grassroots campaign to force Sacramento politicians to return us just 5% of the income taxes paid to them by the citizens of Fresno to pay for improving our entire criminal justice system and investing in rehabilitation and prevention.
5. Fighting the state’s dangerous policies of releasing convicted felons onto our streets.
“Other cities – San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles – every city and every county has the same dilemma [Fresno does],” said Brand. “That’s why we believe we can get the inertia, we can start the effort and join by these cities and the collective power of all these cities – then we’ll have a powerful voice in Sacramento.”
Former Mayor Alan Autry is a part of Brand’s plan – he will be in charge of heading up a task force to expand law enforcement funding if Brand is elected.
Brand’s opposition – Democratic candidate Henry Perea – said Brand’s plan would cost millions and position Fresno for a new tax. Perea says partnering resources with Sheriff Margaret Mims is a better idea.
“The sheriff has 400 deputy sheriffs,” said Perea. “How do we work in cooperation with Sheriff Mims in thinking of new ways to police our neighborhoods? That’s an immediate 100-day plan.”
Perea adds that Brand’s idea for a Citizen’s Police Advisory Board for the Police Department would be a slippery slope and second guess the P.D. Both agree on community-based policing.
