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Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform

The cornerstone of a modern state is trusted law enforcement and a fair and equitable justice system. Without a fair and equitable system to enforce our laws and administer justice, all of our other rights are endangered. Unfortunately, our current system of justice in this country is broken and in desperate need of repair. The trust between the police and certain communities has been lost, often due to policy choices made without the consent of those communities. Our justice system is rarely just and too often influenced by money and power. In order to remedy these problems, the Santa Clara County Democratic Party:

Law Enforcement

  • Supports adequate funding for police, fire, and other public safety departments.
  • Believes that it is the duty of local governments to provide adequate funding, and opposes the illegal and unconstitutional seizure of personal property as a means of bolstering law enforcement budgets, including civil asset forfeiture policies. 
  • Supports competitive compensation for public safety employees and adequate funding for public safety programs, particularly those programs designed to build relationships with low-income communities, communities of color, and the LGBTQ community.
  • Supports reasonable restrictions on the use of lethal force by the police, and training for the police in de-escalation techniques preferably non-violent ones.
  • Supports the mandatory use of body-cameras for police officers, and clear policies regarding the use of this technology and limiting the circumstances in which the camera can be deactivated.
  • Encourages incarceration and facility considerations for gender and gender identity.

Relationship with the Federal Authorities

  • Opposes any effort by the federal government to commandeer local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law.
  • Supports sanctuary policies that protect law abiding documented and undocumented immigrants and refugees from unwarranted searches and abduction by federal agents.
  • Opposes the forced separation of immigrant families and the indefinite detention of immigrant children without due process, and demands an end to these policies.
  • Supports the Santa Clara County civil detainer policy and opposes local law enforcement notifications to ICE under any circumstances.
  • Believes that the United States does not need an unaccountable, unconstitutional secret police force, and, therefore, supports the immediate abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), and an investigation into the department’s activities.
  • Demands an end to the unlawful detention of undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens in federal detention facilities, and an investigation into the human rights abuses perpetrated in these facilities.

Criminal Justice Reform

  • Demands a permanent end to the death penalty in California (and nationwide).
  • Strongly supports an end to the privatization of prisons, police forces, and other law enforcement functions and the closing of all private prisons in California.
  • Demands fair and equitable application of criminal justice laws as well as an equitable bail system, including a pre-trial assessment to avoid ‘too poor to pay bail’ cases.
  • Supports adequate restorative justice and rehabilitation to ensure public safety and promotes better education for post-conviction rights.
  • Supports the automatic expungement of all conviction for marijuana possession.

Ending Gun Violence

  • Supports the continued implementation and enforcement of gun control measures already in place, which are making California safer.
  • Supports a nationwide ban on military-style assault weapons as well as high capacity magazines and clips that can hold more than 10 bullets at a time.
  • Supports universal criminal background checks on all weapons purchases, regardless of where the purchase takes place, and a sufficient waiting period for law enforcement and public officials to complete such a background check.
  • Supports ensuring the availability of mental health and substance abuse services to those who are most at risk of engaging in gun violence and those who are the victims of gun violence.
  • Supports mandatory liability insurance for gun owners and/or a tax on gun purchases to help offset the cost of gun violence, and a cash reward system for those who report unlawfully obtained weapons.