Blog #13

Although, my CP the Independent Police Auditor works for the government there is no direct interaction between my community partner and the governor. My CP the IPA works directly with the City of San Jose, the mayor, and the council members as opposed to working with the governor. I believe that the governor has the authority to make an impact on my CP's operations, but because it is about the city of San Jose's officer I doubt that the governor would go and make an impact. However, the IPA-TLC was invited last summer to the capitol and received an award for being the first in the nation to create a group like this  and for all the outstanding work we are doing in San Jose. Not only do we have the support from the residents in San Jose, but we also have the support from the workers in the capitol. 

Blog #12

My CP, the Independent Police Auditor- Teen Leadership council is not constitutionally mandated. It also does not seek any kind of protection to its existence or scope. It also does not under state constitution. However, they do report to local officials instead of state ones. The Office of the Independent Police Auditor (IPA) was established by the San José City Council in 1993 with the enactment of a City ordinance codified in the San José Municipal Code. Thereafter, on November 6, 1996 the voters of San José amended the City Charter to establish the Office of the Independent Police Auditor as a permanent arm of city government. In addition to the functions, powers and duties set forth elsewhere in this code, the Independent Police Auditor shall have the duties and responsibilities set forth in this section. The police auditor shall review police professional standards and conduct unit investigations of complaints against police officers to determine if the investigation was complete, thorough, objective and fair.The police auditor shall participate in the police department's review of officer involved shootings.The police auditor shall file annual public reports with the city clerk for transmittal to the city council. The police auditor shall comply with all state laws requiring the confidentiality of police department records and information as well as the privacy rights of all individuals involved in the process. No report to the city council shall contain the name of any individual police officer.

Blog 11

My CP the Independent Police Auditor Teen Leadership council does not have the authority to raise funds through taxations. However, we are funded and are apart of the city of San Jose. The city of San Jose receives part of their money through taxations so some of the money that is given to use is through taxations. Since we are apart of the City of San Jose we must have a budget submitted and approved by the city since we are funded by them. I believe that tax payers are putting their money to good use because the IPA-TLC is helping to create better streets for the youth in San Jose. They are opening up many opportunities not only for the people in the IPA-TLC but other people in the community. It is a great group and it blossomed into an amazing program over the last couple years. 

Blog #10

My CP, the Independent Police Auditor- Teen Leadership Council relies on money from public services to keep the program growing. We rely on the city to fund us. However, when we first started the IPA-TLC in 2011 there was very little funding for the IPA-TLC. The Castro family who won the lottery a couple years back agreed to donate five thousands dollars to the IPA-TLC if we could match them by fundraising the same amount. Judge Cordell the Independent Police Auditor had to go before the city council and the mayor and had to get this idea approved. Once it was approved Judge Cordell was able to meet the quota the Castro family provided. The IPA-TLC relies on a lot of funding to hold the month meetings, to go on retreats and to do the outreach. Each year Judge Cordell has to submit a proposal of the budget to the city and it has to be approved. Since the IPA-TLC has been created many people have been delighted to donate to this great organization that is making a difference in San Jose. With the help of city and private donations the IPA-TLC is now recruiting for their fourth year. 

Call of Action

For Call of Action the organization that I worked with was Collective Roots. Collective Roots is a nonprofit organization founded and based in East Palo Alto. They seek to educate and engage youth and communities in food system change through sustainable programs that impact health, education and the environment. Collective Roots achieves its mission through the innovative integration and implementation of two key programs areas: community based programs and school based programs.  When I signed up for collective roots I thought we were just going to be doing simple gardening. Boy, was I wrong. We spent the day picking out weeds, loosening the dirt in a blanket, covering it with new soil, and cutting trees. It was a lot harder than I expected. After a couple hours I was exhausted and so glad to be done. It made me think back to my grandparents and my uncles. My grandparents and uncles worked in the fields for long hours and little pay. It made me appreciate everything they sacrificed so we could have what we have today. Every time we pass by the fields my uncles always tell me that if I don’t get an education than I will end up in the fields. However, Collective Roots is a nonprofit organization that helps people with food situations. There are only four workers at the office and a lot of stuff that needs to be done. It makes participation from a community to keep collective roots running. Volunteering for Collective Roots was a great experience and I am glad that I participated in that event. 

Blog #9

My community partner,Indpendence Police Auditor- Teen Leadership council, does not have recourse to judicial processes as a way of resolving problems.  Also, my community partner does not involve the prison system in anyway. However, we do work with people who have been in the prison system. Many times people who have been in the prison system have had a been encounter with a police officer, because they were treated unfairly. Even though they have previously committed a crime it doesn’t mean it is okay to treat them unfairly. We also have had representatives from FLY come work with us. Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) is an award winning non-profit dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence, crime and incarceration of teens. Through FLY’s unique and powerful combination of programs-legal education, leadership training, and one-on-one mentoring-youth get off probation, engaged in school, and back on track with their lives.Each year, FLY helps 2,000 youth who are either part of the Santa Clara and San Mateo juvenile justice system or are “at-risk” of entering the system, to develop important life skills like empathy, problem solving and anger management in order to gain an understanding and respect for a legal system that previously only seemed punitive. FLY youth are also connected with positive adult role models whose support and guidance help them realize their potential and set goals for their future.Improving the juvenile justice system requires trust and mutual respect. FLY programs are well-respected by juvenile justice system staff, including judges, district attorneys, probation officers and police.As a result, FLY and FLY youth are regularly invited to participate in conversations about how the system can become more effective and humane. One of our greatest accomplishments, in addition to helping youth transform their lives, is to have become an invited guest at the table to discuss issues of juvenile justice reform.

Blog #8

My CP is the Independent Police Auditor Teen Leadership Council which works with the Independent Police Auditor Judge Cordell. My CP interfaces with local governments units all the time, because they are a local government unit. Judge Cordell is a leader who has had a key impact on the success of their development. Judge Cordell has an incredible background. LaDoris Hazzard Cordell is a 1974 graduate of Stanford Law School.For five years, she practiced law in East Palo Alto, California, a predominately African American and Mexican American community, establishing herself as the first lawyer to open a private law practice there.In 1978, she was appointed Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at Stanford Law School, a job that she held in addition to her private law practice. Judge Cordell was the first African American Superior Court Judge in the county’s history, and the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court in northern California. Judge Cordell has gone out of her way to make the Independent Police Auditor expand. She created the Independent Police Auditor Teen leadership Council.The IPA-TLC was the first in the nation to be created. It was created in order to make a better relationship between the SJPD and the teens in the city. Judge Cordell has done numerous things to help the teens in San Jose. She is an amazing leader and has inspired many.