blog #7

My CP which is the Independent Police Auditor- Teen Leadership Council gets caught up in conflict relating to its various local and state relationships. The mostly get in conflicts with the Police of San Jose, because that is who they are directly targeting. The Independent Police Teen Leadership Council was created in order to make a better relationship with the Teens in San Jose and the Police of San Jose. The IPA was created in order to take complaints about the police in the city. Since many Teens do not know their rights the IPA-TLC was created. It was created in order for the teens in San Jose to have a voice. Many teens are treated unfairly by the cops, and most times they are to scared to say anything. Also most teenagers do not even know about the existence of the IPA. That is why the IPA-TLC goes out to the community and does outreach to let not only teens but adults know about the IPA and what they do. However, since we encourage people to come and take complaints about the Police it sometimes can come in conflict. Even though we work closely with the chief of police there is many conflicts that we still face with each other. For instance, one thing that we are trying to have changed is how when someone is pulled over an office will handcuff and make the person sit on the curb. However, the Police of San Jose believe that is something that should remain in tact. Even though we work closely with the Police of San Jose we still get caught up in many conflicts with them  over certain issues. 

Founders' Week

This week I participated in the Open Mic Night for students sponsored by the Bohemian club and the Center for Spirituality. At the Open Mic Night students presented whatever they wanted to share such as stories and poetry. They also posted a slideshow of pictures from the other events that occurred during Founders’s Week. It was nice to see all the activities that went on this week and how many people participated in these events.It was interesting to hear all the different variations of types of things that were being said. Someone people said their favorite poems, favorite passage from a book, and some people said an original piece. I was surprised by a couple people who presented an original piece of theirs, because I would have never expected them to write something so powerful. What I learned after attending this event during Founder’ Week was that Notre Dame promotes their students to be open with sharing their pieces. That we are comfortable enough to speak what we want to hear. Everyone that attended this event was very supportive of everyone who went up and presented something. This has influenced me to take on a career that will later help me voice my opinion. That I will be able to express whatever is my mind. To gain confidence when I want to present. This event inspired me to be able to create an event similar to this later in life. Where kids will be able to express what is on their mind without be judged. This is a good way for people to express themselves. It also builds a lot of courage to be able to go up and speak in front of people. 

A family of politicians

After hearing Debbie Bacigalupi speak friday, I started to think about my family and how many of them are engaged in politics. You could say that I am from a family of politicians. Two of my uncles have been elected school board members in the city of San Jose for over twenty years. My aunt Rose Herrera is currently running for Mayor of San Jose. She is also city council member for Evergreen district. Although, Debbie stated that we should be disappointed with democrats and republicans I find that statement to be false. Since my family is involved in local politics I believe they are doing the best job they can to make the City of San Jose a better place. As little grew I was exposed to many political events. Luckily, I have the chance to meet many important members of the community, including state of assembly Nora Campos. I have also included an add from my aunt's campaign. 

Rose Herrera for San Jose Mayor 2014 Dear Friends, After my re-election victory, I was looking forward to digging into issues like getting ballfields built for our kids and making it easier for businesses to create jobs in San Jose. The last thing on my mind was running another campaign. But people I met on the street and community leaders working in the trenches to solve real problems kept encouraging me to run for Mayor. As I watched candidates chase donors and play political games, I realized those encouraging me to run were right - San Jose needs is a Mayor focused on solving problems rather than playing politics. San Jose faces real challenges - making neighborhoods safer, attracting good paying jobs, improving schools, repairing roads, increasing city services like libraries and parks. These are real issues that can make people's lives better.  In Silicon Valley, challenges are opportunities to innovate, work hard and solve problems. We don't need political games or "made for TV" speeches. We don't need division or destructive rhetoric. We need a mayor who's focused on accomplishment, on working hard for real solutions. I'm committed to building on our strengths and bringing people together to make San Jose a better place to live, work and play. As Council Member, I stood up for fiscal reforms even before it was popular, worked hard to make our community safer, worked to bring new businesses and jobs to Evergreen and fought to save Lake Cunningham Skate Park. We have gotten things done by listening to and working with community members. I understand the challenges of this campaign. I'm not an insider who plays the political game. I don't have a posse of big donors or the backing of powerful special interests. But I do know how to get things done. I know I will need to listen even more and reach out to more people- because no one has all the answers and no one can do this alone. That's why I'm asking you to join me. I want your ideas, your advice and your support. I'm building a different kind of campaign because we are facing a new era and will need a new kind of Mayor. I was born and raised in San Jose, after college and serving my country in the Air Force, I returned here to raise my family. I'm committed to San Jose - and I am committed to this campaign. I'll be calling you in the coming days, but please don't wait - call me at (408) 274-6389 to share your ideas and concerns, or to join us in building a better future for San Jose. We're just setting up our website - but you can go to www.RoseHerrera.com now to make a contribution (or you can do an old-fashioned check). And visit often - we're building a campaign portal that will keep you informed and give you new ways to join our campaign! Warm regards,  Rose Herrera for Mayor 2014 -- ID #1362068 -- www.RoseHerrera.com Join Our Mailing List!

State Legislatures

The office of the Independent Police Auditor has not sought or encouraged any legislative changes. The IPA strives to ensure that all concerns reported by members of the public are classified and investigated at the appropriate level based upon the premise that any case brought forward containing misconduct issues will be classified as a complaint with associated allegations, findings, and officer names tracked.The IPA carefully considers aggregate data from complaints, community concerns, and public policy in crafting recommendations aimed toward improving the quality services of the San José Police Department. The IPA reaches out to inform the community about the complaint process and to listen and respond to broader community concerns.