Supervisor Simitian, Sheriff Smith to hold Telephone Town Hall - "After Ferguson: Lessons Learned"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN JOSE – County Supervisor Joe Simitian and Sheriff Laurie Smith will hold a telephone town hall from 11 a.m. to noon this Sunday, February 8th, and invite the public to join them. Simitian, Smith, and other guests will address questions of public safety, race, and community confidence in law enforcement raised by the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri, and elsewhere around the country over the last year.

“We can’t afford to just accept these tragedies as unavoidable or inevitable,” said Simitian. “I want to hear what the community thinks will make a difference – to improve relationships, keep folks safe, and avoid a similar tragedy here. The questions are simple. I suspect the answers are not.”

"Effective law enforcement requires those of us in uniform to earn and keep the trust of the people we serve," said Sheriff Laurie Smith. "This is a conversation that every community around the country should be having, and I hope people take advantage of this event and join in."

This telephone town hall is open to anyone who wants to join the conversation (toll-free) by calling (855) 866-6313. The discussion will be moderated by Carl Guardino, the president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and host of the “CEO Show” on KLIV Radio.

Supervisor Simitian and Sheriff Smith will be joined for a portion of the call by:

• Judge LaDoris Cordell, San Jose Independent Police Auditor;
• Deputy District Attorney Johnny Gogo; and
• Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University

Simitian, who late last year proposed the use of body worn cameras by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department, stressed at the time that there was "no easy answer, no quick fix" to fostering and maintaining a healthy working relationship between law enforcement and the communities they protect.

“That's why I wanted to have this discussion,” said Simitian of the telephone town hall. “I want to make sure that after Ferguson fades from the headlines, our county is taking constructive steps to get it right.”

To participate in the telephone town hall, call (855) 866-6313.

WHAT: Telephone Town Hall on race, public safety, and law enforcement

WHEN: Sunday, February 8, from 11 a.m. to noon

WHO: County Supervisor Joe Simitian and Sheriff Laurie Smith

Moderated by Carl Guardino, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and host of KLIV’s “The CEO Show”

Joined for a portion of the call by San Jose’s Independent Police Auditor, Judge LaDoris Cordell; Deputy District Attorney Johnny Gogo; and Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, Associate Professor of Psychology, Stanford University.

TOLL FREE CALL-IN NUMBER: (855) 866-6313

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