The answers to the questionnaire were sent to us by the candidate via email and have been edited for brevity and clarity.

There has been mounting evidence showing that Black people in Long Beach are disproportionately stopped and searched by police, whether it’s while they drive, ride a bike, or ride public transportation. If elected, how do you plan on addressing this?

I personally have experienced being pulled over by Long Beach police in Bixby Knolls, where I was asked where I was going, was I driving my own car, and did I live in the neighborhood. The data shows that our police department’s relationship with the African-American and Latino communities needs to change. I have taken the no cop money pledge because I believe our City Council needs an independent voice to prioritize accountability and rebuild trust. My opponent, Al Austin, has received nearly $38,000 in contributions from the Police Officers Association throughout his career as a politician, making it difficult for him to be an independent voice.

I will focus on bringing together the community and the police to pursue a true community policing partnership. We have a level of understanding and expectations between the residents and LBPD regarding enforcement and service.

We recently reported that there is little transparency and guiding policy around the police department’s use of invasive surveillance technology, such as facial recognition software and thermal cameras originally designed for the military. How will you ensure that officers are properly using this equipment and that residents’ privacy is safeguarded?

In addition to FORTHE’s reporting on the surveillance technology utilized by LBPD, we have seen numerous stories about artificial intelligence and the bias and racist nature of facial recognition technology. I intend to ask questions about using this equipment in our department, the training associated, and the potential legal issues when someone becomes wrongly targeted or accused because of misuse. I share the concern about privacy, but I am equally concerned that using this technology is not a path to restoring trust between the community and the police department.

Officers involved in killing or injuring civilians are almost never fired, even after a civil jury finds that they violated a person’s rights, according to police misconduct lawsuit data we compiled. In some cases these same officers were later rewarded with promotions and commendations. Yet police misconduct has ruined lives and cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in payouts. Do you believe officers named in these lawsuits should be held personally accountable, and if so how?

I do agree that officers need to be held accountable for their actions. We need to take a closer look at our current policies and build the political will for our council to ask the tough questions about our department’s practices. We need oversight with teeth where police conduct decisions don’t get overturned by bureaucrats at City Hall. Much needs to change on the local, state, and federal levels to bring true change to our policing. I intend to be an independent voice, but I will also need the community to demand this change. I will work to organize and invite community voices to be heard.

During the primary race, you said you did not support shifting money from the police department’s budget to fund preventive and supportive programs. Since then, protesters have called for defunding the police all summer long. Do you still stand by the position you took on this issue earlier in the year? 

We have a duty as a city to ensure all residents’ safety, regardless of race, creed, and gender identity. Our national conversation about the intersection of race and policing calls us to reimagine what public safety truly means. In the primary, I said that our city should prioritize preventive and supportive programs, but not at the expense of public safety. However, it is evident that our police department needs reform and independent voices calling for change. 

We also need to listen to our officers, who have been asked to take on more duties that would be better suited for social workers and health professionals. It’s why I am advocating for a comprehensive strategy to address homelessness, housing, and economic development so our city can be more proactive in our responses to resident’s needs rather than reactive with police involvement.

The effects of pollution and climate change disproportionately affect people of color, who are the majority in the district you’re running to represent. If elected, how do you plan to address environmental issues?

As a mother of a child suffering from asthma, I believe that climate issues are social justice issues. We do not have to make the false choice between our physical and environmental health. It is the reason that I have developed a step-by-step climate plan that will lead us to a clean energy future. I have advocated for environmental justice as a board member of the Greenlining Institute, led the Long Beach 2019 National Drive Electric Week Vehicle Test Drive, and am a dedicated member of the Sierra Club of California. 

I will push to fund and implement the Climate Adaptation Action Plan (CAAP). I will also push for the Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) policy. Our community could link existing solar, wind, and wave power to create more clean energy production in our city. It would create local jobs and give residents more clean energy choices at lower electricity prices.

COVID-19 has created a grim outlook for the city’s budget in the coming years. It’s likely that if elected you will be faced with tough financial decisions in the next few budget cycles. How do you plan to protect the most vulnerable in Long Beach—such as elderly and low-income residents—who most rely on city services while balancing budget holes? 

I believe our city budget is a reflection of our values. Too many parts of our city, including parts of the Eighth District, have been left out in terms of being prioritized. We don’t see the same investment in streets, sidewalks, and trees. We need to make sure that the communities traditionally underfunded are not the first places to experience cuts. I want to preserve critical services that make our communities livable, such as libraries and parks, and ensure they remain open. I intend to look at the entire budget and believe no department is off-limits. 

Everyone will have to figure out how we do more with less. Start with the things that are nice but not essential to have. I don’t want our city to balance the budget on the backs of those already the hardest hit by the pandemic and economic downturn.

What lessons has the coronavirus pandemic taught you about local government’s role in public health?

We no longer have the luxury of a “wait and see” approach to helping our residents. The pandemic also brought to light what happens when our elected officials fail to speak up for the community. Our city could have focused early testing and outreach resources to areas of the city that have populations most severely impacted. COVID-19 has disproportionately affected African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Pacific Islanders, who are most likely to have jobs deemed essential. 

Only when we had city data analyzed by a third party did the city finally react and provide us with the North Long Beach testing site. That is a failure of leadership by our current councilmember. Our policies and actions need to improve dramatically to include all parts of our city, and I will make that a priority as a councilwoman.

The high rate of underlying health conditions and social problems faced by people of color are factors that may be contributing to disproportionate rates of coronavirus infections in these communities. If elected, how do you plan to ensure your constituents—especially the most vulnerable—are safeguarded against health threats like COVID-19?

I will focus on an equitable response to the health crisis. We need to ensure our residents, especially our essential workers, have access to testing and care they need. We also need to ensure we create a culture that protects one another by encouraging mask-wearing and social distancing. The coronavirus health crisis made the issues plaguing our community even more pressing. 

We have an urgent need to prevent families from falling into homelessness and restoring economic opportunity. We need to provide financial support for small businesses and bring back jobs lost during this pandemic. I will use my skills and expertise to get these resources to our community.

According to the county’s homeless count, an average of 207 people exit homelessness every day, while 227 people become homeless. You’ve called for “securing a source of funding for the City’s existing Affordable Housing Trust Fund.” Where do you envision this money coming from in the midst of a recession with public funding—including at the state and federal level—being curtailed due to budget deficits?

Our city needs to find more sustainable streams of revenue to ensure our city can weather the COVID-19 economic storm hitting us now. We rely on boom and bust industries, such as tourism, to fund our budget, making us vulnerable when times get tough. We have a budget crisis. We need to diversify our tax base and ensure we make our city friendlier to small businesses that create the newest jobs, who are likely to be more invested in the long-term success of all of Long Beach.

We can’t afford not to do anything when it comes to housing. If we do nothing, it will become worse. I know where to push for federal, state, and county resources because I have been doing this work for decades throughout our region. I will use my skills and expertise in building new housing and increasing economic opportunity to work for Uptown Long Beach.