Marqueece Harris-Dawson

Last updated

When the Metro train connector to LAX was planned to go above ground, potentially dividing the Crenshaw Corridor, Harris-Dawson saw it as an economic opportunity and a place-keeping strategy. Where the Metro would go above ground he envisioned the first enclave dedicated to the African-American experience in Los Angeles, similar to other cultural districts in the city. This initiative led to the construction of Destination Crenshaw, a 1.3-mile public art museum along the boulevard, featuring notable Los Angeles artists and muralists, to narrate the African American experience in Los Angeles. [26]

Community Safety Partnership

Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson has been a pivotal figure in promoting the Community Safety Partnership (CSP), an initiative aimed at enhancing public safety through a collaborative approach involving community members and law enforcement. [27] [28] Initially launched as a pilot program to address a public safety crisis at a neighborhood recreation center, CSP has evolved into a permanent fixture for the LAPD and the City of Los Angeles. [27] [28] On September 17, 2022 the Harvard Park Community Safety Advisory Council celebrated five years of CSP at Jackie Tatum Harvard Park, highlighting the program's achievements and challenges. [28]

CSP integrates gang interventionists and preventionists via the Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD), offering comprehensive programs targeting all community members, from youth to seniors. This inclusive approach has significantly transformed the neighborhood's atmosphere, eliminating homicides and reducing violent crime by nearly 50% over five years.

Initially launched as a pilot program to address a public safety crisis at a neighborhood recreation center, CSP has evolved into a permanent fixture for the LAPD and the City of Los Angeles. Harris-Dawson’s leadership has been crucial in expanding the program's reach and efficacy, with a particular focus on building relationships and strengthening community ties through relationship-based policing. [28]

The program has been lauded for its success in reducing crime and improving community-police relations. [29] [30] However, it has also faced criticism. Activists, including those from Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, argue that expanding CSP effectively redirects funds back to the police, rather than investing in alternative community-based services that might address social issues more effectively. [31] Critics claim that while CSP aims to foster trust, many residents still harbor deep mistrust of the police and are concerned about potential mistreatment. [32]

Despite these criticisms, Harris-Dawson remains committed to CSP as part of a broader strategy to reform public safety. [33] He has advocated for leveraging significant federal, state, and local funding to revitalize South LA, addressing disinvestment, and supporting crime prevention through robust partnerships with law enforcement, community organizations, and social service providers. [34] This approach aims to create safe, thriving neighborhoods and enhance public safety, civic participation, and community development in areas like Harvard Park. [35]

Leaked Audio Tapes

In response to the 2022 scandal, then-Councilmember Harris-Dawson introduced and seconded various motions calling for Nury Martinez's removal from the position of council president, the removal of all three council members from their committees, and their censure. [36]   He also introduced a motion calling for a charter amendment to strengthen the outcomes of a council censure. [37] [38]

Additionally, he has advocated for an independent redistricting commission by opening up the charter for full reform. [39] The support of an independent redistricting commission will be on the November 2024 ballot. [40]

Leadership Positions

Harris-Dawson with Mayor Eric Garcetti after taking his oath of office in 2015. Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson's Oath of Office (19131385364).jpg
Harris-Dawson with Mayor Eric Garcetti after taking his oath of office in 2015.

In 2023, the sitting council president pro tempore stepped down from their position due to an embezzlement investigation. [41] The council nominated and unanimously elected Harris-Dawson to fill the position. [42]

In June 2024, Harris-Dawson was unanimously elected, 14-0, to serve as Council President beginning September 20th, 2024. [43]

Awards and Honors

Councilmember Harris-Dawson has received numerous awards, including:

He also served as a board member for the Liberty Hill Foundation. [44]

Personal Life

Harris-Dawson resides in South Los Angeles with his wife, Karrie. [45] Aside from his work in the nonprofit and public sectors he has an avid interest in history and music. Harris-Dawson is also a longtime vegetarian.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Police Department</span> Primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-largest municipal police department in the United States, after the New York City Police Department and the Chicago Police Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Hahn</span> American lawyer and politician

James Kenneth Hahn is an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, Hahn was elected the 40th mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He served until 2005, at which time he was defeated in his bid for re-election. Prior to his term as Mayor, Hahn served in several other capacities for the city of Los Angeles, including deputy city attorney (1975–1979), city controller (1981–1985) and city attorney (1985–2001). Hahn is the only individual in the city's history to have been elected to all three citywide offices. He is currently a sitting judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard C. Parks</span> American politician and former police chief in Los Angeles (born 1943)

Bernard C. Parks is an American politician who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing the 8th district in South Los Angeles from 2003 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Parks served as Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from August 1997 to May 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Koretz</span> American politician

Paul Koretz is an American politician, who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 5th district from 2009 until he was term-limited in 2022. He was previously a member of the California State Assembly and the West Hollywood City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Greuel</span> American politician

Wendy Jane Greuel is an American politician. She served as Los Angeles City Controller from 2009 to 2013. Greuel was the second woman elected to citywide office in Los Angeles, after her predecessor Laura Chick.

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the 2nd largest public school district in the United States, with only the New York City Department of Education having a larger student population. During the 2022–2023 school year, LAUSD served 565,479 students, including 11,795 early childhood education students and 27,740 adult students. During the same school year, it had 24,769 teachers and 49,231 other employees. It is the second largest employer in Los Angeles County after the county government. The school district's budget for the 2021–2022 school year was $10.7 billion, increasing to $12.6 billion for the 2022–2023 school year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of the Los Angeles City Council</span>

The President of the Los Angeles City Council is the presiding officer of the Los Angeles City Council. The president presides as chair over meetings of the council and assignments to City Council committees and handles parliamentary duties like ruling motions in or out of order. The president automatically becomes an acting mayor when the mayor is out of state. Since 2020, the president has been elected at the first scheduled council meeting in January of even-numbered years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Buscaino</span> American politician and police officer

Giuseppe "Joe" Buscaino is an American politician and former police officer, who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 15th district from 2012 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Buscaino served as President pro tempore of the council from 2020 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Los Angeles</span>

The government of the City of Los Angeles operates as a charter city under the charter of the City of Los Angeles. The elected government is composed of the Los Angeles City Council with 15 city council districts and the mayor of Los Angeles, which operate under a mayor–council government, as well as several other elective offices. Under the California Constitution, all judicial, school, county, and city offices, including those of chartered cities, are nonpartisan. The current mayor is Karen Bass, the current city attorney is Hydee Feldstein Soto and the current city controller is Kenneth Mejia.

Sandra Figueroa-Villa is a former member of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, the five-member appointed body that oversees the Los Angeles Police Department. She has been described as "a key leader in the Latino community" in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lee (California politician)</span> American politician

John S. Lee is an American politician, serving as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 12th district. Formerly a Republican, Lee is now an independent and is the only non-Democrat currently on the city council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Los Angeles mayoral election</span>

The 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the mayor of Los Angeles, California. A top-two primary was held on June 7, 2022. Candidates could win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote, but no candidate received a majority. More than forty candidates formed committees to run. Twenty-seven filed their declaration of intention to collect signatures for the ballot, and of these twelve qualified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nithya Raman</span> American politician and activist

Nithya V. Raman is an Indian American urban planner, activist, and politician serving as the Los Angeles City Councilmember for the 4th District since 2020. Raman, a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, defeated incumbent Councilmember David Ryu in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Los Angeles elections</span>

The 2020 Los Angeles elections were held on March 3, 2020. Voters elected candidates in a nonpartisan primary, with runoff elections scheduled for November 3, 2020. Seven of the fifteen seats in the City Council were up for election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Los Angeles elections</span>

The 2022 Los Angeles elections were held on June 7, 2022. Voters elected candidates in a nonpartisan primary, with runoff elections scheduled for November 8, 2022. Eight of the fifteen seats in the City Council were up for election while three of the seven seats in the LAUSD Board of Education were up for election. The seat of Mayor of Los Angeles was up for election due to incumbent Eric Garcetti's term limit. The seats of the Los Angeles City Controller and the Los Angeles City Attorney were also up for election, as their incumbents, Mike Feuer and Ron Galperin, were running for mayor and California State Controller respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Los Angeles special elections</span>

The 2019 Los Angeles special elections were held on March 5, 2019, and June 4, 2019. Voters elected candidates in a nonpartisan primary, with runoff elections scheduled for May 14, 2019 and August 13, 2019. One of the fifteen seats in the City Council were up for election while one of the seven seats in the Board of Education were up for election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Soto-Martinez</span> American labor organizer and politician

Hugo Soto-Martinez is an American labor organizer and politician, currently serving as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 13th district since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, Soto-Martinez defeated incumbent Mitch O'Farrell in the 2022 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nika Soon-Shiong</span> American politician and activist

Nika Soon-Shiong is an American politician and activist who served as a Public Safety Commissioner of West Hollywood from 2021 to 2022. She is the founder and Executive Director of the Fund for Guaranteed Income and was also part of the Compton Pledge and Long Beach Pledge guaranteed income programs. She is currently on the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydee Feldstein Soto</span> American attorney and politician (born 1958)

Hydee Feldstein Soto is an American attorney and politician, who is the incumbent City Attorney of Los Angeles. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Los Angeles elections</span>

The 2024 Los Angeles elections was held on March 5, 2024. Voters will elect candidates in a nonpartisan primary, with runoff elections scheduled for November 5. Seven of the fifteen seats in the City Council will be up for election.

References

  1. ↑ Harris-Dawson, Marqueece. "Towards a New Generation of African American Leaders in Los Angeles" (PDF). The Durfee Foundation.
  2. ↑ LA Times: "Marqueece Harris-Dawson takes office as councilman of L.A.'s 8th District", 1 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 Harris-Dawson, Marqueece (2015). "Towards a New Generation of African American Leaders in Los Angeles" (PDF). Durfee Foundation. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Marqueece Harris-Dawson". www.libertyhill.org. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  5. ↑ "L.A. Area Chamber Congratulates Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson on Being Elected as Los Angeles City Council President - Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce". lachamber.com. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  6. ↑ Santjer, Margaret (2006-05-12). "The job is not done when foster care ends". Casey Family Programs. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Our Victories – Community Coalition" . Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  8. ↑ Santjer, Margaret (2006-05-12). "The job is not done when foster care ends". Casey Family Programs. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  9. ↑ Renwick, Lucille (1997-03-30). "Proposition BB". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  10. ↑ Schreiber, John (2015-03-05). "L.A. election results: Marqueece Harris-Dawson wins 8th District city council race". MyNewsLA.com. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  11. ↑ "2024 Los Angeles County primary election: Live results". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  12. ↑ "Los Angeles cuts LAPD spending, taking police staffing to its lowest level in 12 years". Los Angeles Times. 2020-07-01. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  13. ↑ "L.A. vowed to cut police and help disenfranchised areas. Now that plan is under fire". Los Angeles Times. 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  14. ↑ "L.A. cut millions from the LAPD after George Floyd. Here's where that money is going". Los Angeles Times. 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  15. ↑ "Unarmed specialists, not LAPD, would handle mental health, substance abuse calls under proposal". Los Angeles Times. 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  16. ↑ "Reimagining Traffic Safety & Bold Political Leadership In Los Angeles". Race Counts. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  17. ↑ Holland, Gale (2016-09-12). "L.A. officials launch campaign for homeless housing bond measure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  18. ↑ "Marqueece Harris-Dawson's vision as LA City Council's next president". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  19. ↑ "Unarmed specialists, not LAPD, would handle mental health, substance abuse calls under proposal". Los Angeles Times. 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  20. ↑ "Reimagining Traffic Safety & Bold Political Leadership In Los Angeles". Race Counts. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  21. ↑ Holland, Gale (2016-09-12). "L.A. officials launch campaign for homeless housing bond measure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  22. ↑ "Councilmember Harris-Dawson Launches Meal Program to Support South L.A Seniors and Small Businesses During COVID-19". Los Angeles Sentinel. August 21, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Small Restaurants Feeding Seniors While Receiving City Support". spectrumnews1.com. 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  24. ↑ "Governor Newsom Announces Initiatives to Support Older Californians During COVID-19 Pandemic". Governor of California. 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  25. ↑ X (2020-04-24). "California effort will employ restaurant workers to provide meals for seniors amid coronavirus crisis". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  26. ↑ Nys Dambrot, Shana (November 14, 2018). "Destination Crenshaw: Black Los Angeles Greets the World".
  27. 1 2 "LAPD revolutionized this community. Here's how they turned it around". www.heart.org. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  28. 1 2 3 4 "Community Safety Partnership Holds 5th Anniversary Community Block Party". The Sentinel. September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Mayor Garcetti Announces Progress Made under Community Safety Partnership in LAPD; Captain Emada Tingirides Appointed Deputy Chief of CSP Bureau". The Sentinel. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  30. ↑ Dunseith, Les (2020-05-22). "UCLA Study Finds Strong Support for LAPD's Community Policing Program". UCLA Luskin. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  31. ↑ Network, Black Lives Matter Global (2021-11-05). "We urgently need a transformative approach to public safety". Medium. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  32. ↑ "The LAPD Is Doubling Down On A Community Policing Program. Why Some Activists Are Opposed". LAist. 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  33. ↑ Brown, Lila (June 12, 2024). "Algin Sutton Block Party Highlights Community Safety Partnership with LAPD". The Sentinel. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  34. ↑ "'Safe Passages' program returns to South LA parks". Our Weekly. 2020-07-23. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  35. ↑ "How LAPD's Community Safety Partnership Bureau is working to build trust with the community". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  36. ↑ "LA City Council member Marqueece Harris-Dawson responds to racist audio". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  37. ↑ "22-1285 (CFMS)". cityclerk.lacity.org. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  38. ↑ "The Los Angeles City Council censures members involved in racist conversation". NPR. October 26, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  39. ↑ Fuller, Elizabeth (December 21, 2023). "A Year of City Governance Reform Efforts – Where Things Stand". Larchmont Buzz. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  40. ↑ "L.A. will switch to independent redistricting if voters approve in 2024 election". Los Angeles Times. 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  41. ↑ "Los Angeles city councilman charged with 10 counts, including embezzlement and perjury". AP News. 2023-06-13. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  42. ↑ "LA City Council elects Marqueece Harris-Dawson as president pro tempore, replacing Curren Price". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  43. ↑ X; Instagram; Email; Facebook (2024-05-28). "L.A. Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson wins the council presidency, will replace Krekorian". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-09-16.{{cite web}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  44. ↑ "Marqueece Harris-Dawson". www.libertyhill.org. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  45. ↑ "Marqueece Harris-Dawson". www.libertyhill.org. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
Marqueece Harris-Dawson
Marqueece Harris-Dawson, 2024.jpg
Dawson in 2024
President of the Los Angeles City Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 20, 2024
Political offices
Preceded by Member of the Los Angeles City Council
from the 8th district
2015–present		Incumbent
Preceded by President of the Los Angeles City Council
2024–present
Preceded by President pro tempore of the Los Angeles City Council
2023–2024		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.