BACKGROUND:
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd tragically died while being detained by a Minneapolis police officer, who kneeled on Mr. Floyd’s neck and did not respond to his requests for help. Protestors have gathered throughout the country in response to his death.
The majority of protestors have acted peacefully and lawfully. But some protests throughout the country and in surrounding cities such as Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose have resulted in civil unrest, including looting and rioting, causing injuries and significant property damage, including to public facilities. In Oakland on May 29, people blocked streets, shut down the Bay Bridge, and looted various businesses. Violence there resulted in the death of a Federal Protective Service Officer. In San Francisco on May 30, looters broke into the Westfield Centre and other retail businesses in the Union Square area, several fires were set, and buildings were defaced. In San Jose on May 29 and 30, there was looting and rioting in the downtown area. In Walnut Creek on May 31, a woman was shot in the arm while looting occurred at Broadway Plaza. Bay Area Rapid Transit stations in Concord, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill, and Walnut Creek were shut down. This civil unrest has resulted in conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property, including to public facilities, within the County.
Proclaiming a local emergency authorizes counties and other local jurisdictions to impose curfews within designated boundaries to provide for the protection of life and property. The cities of Walnut Creek, Danville, Lafayette, and Pleasant Hill have imposed curfews. The Board will consider whether to ratify or proclaim the local emergency and to extend or impose the curfew, and if so, the duration of the curfew, and its geographic scope.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: