The city council meeting on Monday featured an Albany resident and her two young children, who experienced and witnessed racism and hate crimes.

“If we are a sanctuary city, our foundations are cracking.” said the mother. “We need to start bridging the gap because groups in Albany are divided and we need to come together.”

She addressed topics such as local versus national news, civic safety, and the adoption of stricter hate crime policies. The meeting adjourned in remembering, supporting, and honoring the victims of the Las Vegas massacre.

On a night in Sept., an unidentified vandal used spray paint to create a swastika with the word “kill” underneath it on a residence owned by an African American. The Alameda County District Attorney’s office has been notified, and the police are investigating the incident and are treating it as a hate crime. In response to the crime, a rally was organized at Ocean View Elementary School where many children held signs and chanted, “Love is great, no more hate.”

“Our community needs to know when issues like these occur,” said the young mother, going on to insist that a clear resolution needs to be adopted on how hate crimes are documented, tracked and reported.

When discussing her feelings on the recent events, she took a moment to point out her two young children sitting in the audience.

With tears spilling out the corner of her eyes she said, “I can’t imagine this horrific event happening to my children. I don’t want my daughter walking to the library in fear of another incident happening.”