errorBIO 2001 Support Resolution, San Diego City Council, July 23, 2001

SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS — ITEM-34: BIO 2001 Task Force Day.

MAYOR MURPHY'S RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt the following resolution: (R-2002-123)

Proclaiming July 23, 2001, to be "BIO 2001 Task Force Day" in recognition and appreciation to the countless public and private agencies involved in the security strategy for BIO 2001.

Mayor Richard Murphy: We have several special orders of business today. We’re going to begin with item 34, which is a resolution proclaiming July 23, 2001 to be “BIO 2001 Task Force Day.” I would ask the following people to join me down here at the microphone. First, San Diego Police Chief David Bejarano, assistant chief John Welter, captain Adolfo Gonzalez, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender, California Highway Patrol captain John Bailey and assistant chief John Edelman, San Diego FBI office special agent in charge Bill Gore, San Diego fire chief — I guess Chief Osby cannot be here and assistant chief Ogden Beal is going to be here.

San Diego Harbor Police captain Dave Krusa, San Diego city director of special events Carolyn Wormser, and San Diego Human Relations Commission executive director Ashley Walker. I’d ask all to join me. This is all so impressive. They’re all standing at attention. If I could get the City Council to stand at attention like this, it would certainly make things easier for me.

Let me just make a couple of introductory comments, and then read this resolution. As you all know, BIO 2001, the international biotechnology convention, was held in San Diego at the end of last month [June 24-27]. Some feared, perhaps many feared, that protesters would cause havoc on the streets of our city. But through what is truly an extraordinary combined effort of the organizations represented here today, and the individuals represented here today, San Diego had a very successful and peaceful convention.

And so, really on behalf of the people of San Diego, this San Diego City Council wanted to recognize and thank you for all of your efforts on behalf of the region. And so the City Council has put together a resolution today that we’d like to present. I guess for all of you here we need to make about 10 of these. I only have one today. I heard a rumor that, in light of this beach alcohol ban on the calendar today, that the FBI had agreed to federalize the beaches. So maybe I ought to give it to the special agent in charge. I’ll wait until you actually deliver on that promise already. This is a resolution today. It says [Mayor Murphy reads the resolution]:

WHEREAS BIO 2001, the International Biotechnology Convention and Exhibition, held in San Diego on June 24, 2001, expected to draw between 13,000 and 15,000 participants, along with 4,000 to 8,000 demonstrators; and

WHEREAS last year the biotech industry conference in Boston attracted up to 2,500 demonstrators, and this year in San Diego less than 1,000 demonstrators took to the streets, but peacefully; and

WHEREAS the law-enforcement team, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, California Highway Patrol, County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department and the Harbor Police coordinated security and demonstrated that San Diego is a leader in multi-agency cooperation; and

WHEREAS the city’s Office of Special Events worked tirelessly to provide permits to facilitate the demonstrators in marching and staging protests; and

WHEREAS the Fire and Life Safety Services successfully facilitated the use of the city’s emergency operations center by police and other agencies, and the Human Relations Commission provided mediation teams that helped to resolve issued between police and protesters as they arose; and

WHEREAS the citizens of San Diego demonstrated their continuous commitment to making San Diego one of America’s safest cities by working with the law enforcement team and the BIO 2001 officials;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and the Council of the City of San Diego that this Council, for and on behalf of the people, does hereby proclaim today, July 23, 2001, to be “BIO 2001 Task Force Day,” in recognition and appreciation to the countless public and private agencies involved in the security strategy for BIO 2001.

Thank you very much. Job well done, gentlemen. [Applause.] I guess they all decline to speak. That’s amazing when Bill Kolender is here.

Sheriff Bill Kolender: I should have gotten a commendation. I am elected; he [Chief Bejarano] is not. I just wanted to tell you what a pleasure it is working with a group of people like this, and that you can be proud not only of your police chief and your police department, but of the cooperation between law enforcement, government and the community, and many other agencies in this city and county. I think that’s the reason why this city is one of the safest places to live. We appreciate yor willingness — and [that of] the Board of Supervisors — to pay for this, and to see to it that the public was kept safe. Thank you, Mayor.

Police Chief Dave Bejarano: Thank you. Good afternoon. I am the chief, so I’d like to say a few things also. I’d also like to thank the Council and the Mayor for their great support. You see the people to my left and behind me, where there’s Fire, Special Events, our community volunteers, all of our employees and volunteers that contribute to San Diego county law enforcement. Once again, we demonstrated that San Diego can host an international high-profile event, and this is also truly an example of community policing, where we brought in the community. So I’d like to thank all of our volunteers and employees for the success of this conference. And thank you again, Mayor.

Sheriff Kolender: Chief, let me see you down here. I’m just going to tell you something. It is ironic. Today, 45 years ago, I signed on — this is the good news — I signed on as a San Diego police officer. At that time, his [Bejarano’s] mother was pregnant with him.

[The resolution passed the City Council unanimously, 9-0.]