Monica McDaniel finds room for improvement in homeless policies, police staffing | Chico City Council District 3

When Monica McDaniel arrived in Chico 30 years ago, she knew she wanted to get involved.

McDaniel

McDaniel received her degrees in art history and studio art, and wanted to remain a part of the community after her time in college.

“When I graduated, I found so much joy from service and doing that kind of thing,” McDaniel said. “I joined my first board of directors in 1996 right after I graduated, and that just led me to more community service.”

McDaniel went on to wear multiple hats in the community, including arts commissioner, and is now running for the District 3 seat on the Chico City Council.

The big issue

Previously, McDaniel ran for council in 2022 and said she wants to see change within the city, especially when it comes to homelessness issues.

“I don’t think a lot has changed in the past two years, and that’s what troubles me,” McDaniel said. “It frustrates me that more positive actions haven’t been done, specifically around the unhoused population.”

McDaniel went on to say she hopes to look at the issues with nuance, such as with the complex homelessness problems the city has faced in recent years, adding that she would like to help the city expand its abilities to address homelessness and camping going forward.

“There have been meaningful efforts made, but they were forced by Warren v. Chico,” McDaniel said. “The Pallet shelter is great, but it doesn’t fit everybody. They assess people, but there are still cabins empty there. So that means that there are barriers to get there.”

In terms of public safety, McDaniel said she would like to bolster the Chico Police Department to fuller staffing.

“I think we need to fill out our police department so that we have enough officers who aren’t just responding to calls, but who can be proactive about their policing,” McDaniel said. “We got the Target Team filled out, and that’s great, but we still don’t really have community patrols.”

McDaniel said she also believes in creating a stronger community relationship with police officers.

Ballots for the 2024 November election are scheduled to be mailed out on Oct. 7.