HomeMy WebLinkAboutBolas, Jim_Public CommentFrom:Jim Bolas
To:PublicComments
Subject:Written Testimony Re: Support for Adopting Riverside’s Safe Communities Resolution on Transparency,
Community Safety, and Federal Enforcement Identification Standards
Date:Wednesday, March 4, 2026 12:34:00 PM
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HRC-SBC Letter of Support SB March 2026.docx
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To Whom It May Concern,
Please accept this submission of my written testimony, attached, re: Support for Adopting
Riverside’s Safe Communities Resolution on Transparency, Community Safety, and FederalEnforcement Identification Standards.
If you have any questions or concerns re: the contents or transmission of this email or its
attachments, please feel free to contact me at this email or via my mobile number listed
below.
Be well,,
James "Bo" Bolas
Jim "Bo" Bolas
All Pronouns Appropriate
Chief Program Officer, Family Assistance Program
Phone (760) 843-0701 | Mobile (917) 689-9659
Website www.FamilyAssist.org | Email jim@familyassist.org
Address 15075 7th Street, Victorville, CA 92395
\"We don't see things as WE are, we see them as THEY are.\" -AnaÏs Nin (Author)
The Human Rights Coalition of San Bernardino County
March 4, 2026
City Council
City of San Bernardino
290 N D St
San Bernardino, CA 92401
Re: Support for Adopting Riverside’s Safe Communities Resolution on Transparency, Community
Safety, and Federal Enforcement Identification Standards
Dear Mayor Tran and City Council Members,
On behalf of The Human Rights Coalition of San Bernardino County, I write to express our strong support
for the motion being considered on March 4th to initiate the formal process of addressing immigration
enforcement measures within our community. This motion represents a critical first step toward ensuring
that San Bernardino remains a safe and inclusive city for all residents, including our immigrant communities.
Our organization is committed to foster a safe, inclusive, and equitable San Bernardino County by
connecting communities to resources, offering compassionate support to those impacted by hate and
discrimination, and building resilience through education, advocacy, and collective action. The majority
of our work is educating the community around their right to safety, support and lack of harm based on
ability, identity, belief, class, or affiliation.
The Human Rights Coalition is currently developing a Hate Crime Rapid Reporting Tool that will both
connect hate crime survivors to necessary support and advocacy services and provide San Bernardino
County with more immediate hate crime and bias incident data. Considering the current environment, we
know that our education and support work clearly dovetails with supporting the rights of immigrant
communities, as hate crime is rapidly becoming federally sponsored and literally deadly to California’s
protected classes and communities, which clearly includes immigrant communities in San Bernardino.
Through our bi-monthly coalitions and focus groups we regularly hear about the community’s fear of the
government officers and, by proxy, their policing behaviors. There’s already an expressed lack of trust in
San Bernardino and with the current rash of violence and attacks on individuals by people hiding behind
masks (regardless of whether they are legal or not), it’s only amplified and increases direct attacks or abuse
through isolation and fear. We believe everyone, regardless of immigration status, should feel safe
accessing city services and participating in civic life.
I strongly urge the Council to commit to working towards a resolution that:
• Upholds California state law, including laws that govern the conduct of federal immigration
enforcement officers within our jurisdiction.
• Enforces SB 805 and affirms the city’s commitment to transparency by requiring that all law
enforcement officers clearly display government-issued identification during any enforcement
activities.
The Human Rights Coalition of San Bernardino County
• Enforces SB 627, the “No Secret Police Act”, and ensures accountability by barring officers
from wearing facial coverings while performing their duties.
Importantly, this motion does not interfere with federal authority over immigration enforcement. Rather, it
concerns the City’s responsibility to ensure lawful conduct, transparency, and public trust within its own
jurisdiction. Initiating this process sends a clear and measured message: San Bernardino is committed to
transparency, constitutional governance, and community safety. Passing this motion allows for thoughtful
development of a legally sound resolution that reflects both state law and local values.
For these reasons, we respectfully urge you to vote in favor of the March 4th motion and to begin the formal
deliberative process.
Sincerely,
James “Bo” Bolas (All Pronouns)
Chairperson
The Human Rights Coalition of San Bernardino County
jim@familyassist.org
917-689-9659