23 Dec Richmond Mayor Addresses Public Safety in ‘State of the City’ Days After Police Chief Decries Defunding

Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez’s “State of the City” address comprised remarks from City Council chambers on Dec. 17 and a prerecorded video. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

The Richmond City Council’s last meeting of the year, held Dec. 17, saw Mayor Eduardo Martinez highlight public safety in the annual “State of the City” and Richmond making history as one of the first sanctuary cities in the country for transgender people. 

Martinez’s address, which jumped between a video presentation and a live speech from council chambers, touched on a 1% crime increase and crime prevention programs. 

“We focus not just on holding people accountable but also on addressing root causes of crime,” Martinez said about crime prevention programs in his address. “Our goal is to prevent violence through community-centered programs to create a greater community for everyone.” 

His comments on public safety come days after council member Soheila Bana shared a letter from Richmond Police Chief Bisa French sharing the effects of being “extremely short-staffed.” 

“This is a direct result of the defunding by the City Council in 2021,” French wrote. “I made it clear that if the defunding happened, there would be negative impacts to our response times and our ability to respond to calls for service.  My concerns fell on deaf ears and the officers were left feeling devalued and unsupported.”

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French said that some of those impacts include not having a mental health response team, not having a parole or probation unit, not having a stand-alone traffic unit and not having a school resource officer unit. 

“The lack of these resources leaves us in a position in which we are forced to be re-active to problems instead of proactively preventing problems,” French wrote. 

Over 50 officers left the Richmond Police Department between 2021 and 2022, according to French, 26 in 2021 and 27 in 2022. However, Martinez said in his address the department gained five sworn officers in 2024 despite 24 leaving. 

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Still, French that same night planned to unveil a proposal that would use $500,000 to incentivize current officers and those who join. It would give new officers a $45,000 bonus if they have at least three years of experience. But the proposal was pushed back to a meeting in February. 

The bonus, which would be among the highest in comparison to nearby jurisdictions (only the city of Alameda’s is more, according to French’s staff report, and the next closest, Antioch’s, is $15,000 less), would actually only have an impact of $81,228. That’s because, French’s report states, of the savings of not having to send 10 recruits to the police academy.

Transgender sanctuary city

Richmond follows in the footsteps of other California cities — Sacramento, West Hollywood and San Francisco — by declaring itself a Transgender Sanctuary City, which protects individuals who are seeking gender-affirming care. 

“Expanding our sanctuary status to them is not just protecting them,” said Jamin Pursell of Richmond Rainbow Pride, “but enriching the city and showing we are an inclusive community that is strengthened by its diversity and collaboration.” 

California does not criminalize or otherwise restrict access to gender-affirming care and “has been a leader in protecting the rights of transgender individuals,” according to the resolution brought forward by council member Cesar Zepeda, making the resolution largely symbolic. 

The state also protects individuals from criminal penalties other jurisdictions may have to target those who seek gender-affirming care in California. 

Over 30 states have considered anti-LGBTQ legislation in 2024 but at least 13, including California, have laws in place to protect access to gender-affirming care. 

“Richmond declaring ourselves a sanctuary for me and my community gives me hope,” said Raelyn Rose, who is transgender, “hope that I can continue to live as myself, hope that I can continue to keep that happiness, and hope that I can stay here and in my home.”