[Call to Order]
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ON THE VIRTUAL DAYAS.UH, WE HAVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, MAYBE PRETEND THAT GARZA, UH, VICE CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBER TO STAR, AND IT COMES FROM HARPER, MADISON ON THE CALL, AS WELL AS, UH, ALMOST EVERY CURRENT MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, POSSIBLY ALL OF THE MEMBERS AS THE TECHNOLOGY LETS FOLKS INTO THE MEETING.
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT.
UM, SO THIS IS, UH, AN IMPORTANT MEETING AND IT IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST MEETING I HAVE CHAIRED WITH THIS NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT.
SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR, FOR COMING TO THIS MEETING.
UM, A LITTLE BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING.
UM, I WILL MUTE YOU IF YOU FORGET TO MUTE YOURSELF, PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY, BUT I DO HAVE THE BUTTONS TO DO THAT.
SO, UM, I PROMISE NOT TO DO THAT IF YOU'RE SPEAKING, BUT UH, IF YOU'RE DONE SPEAKING AND I STILL HEAR STUFF, I WILL, UM, I CAN SEE EVERYBODY ON MY SCREEN.
UH, IF THERE ARE SLIDES, I WILL STILL BE ABLE TO SEE EVERYBODY ON MY SCREEN CAUSE YOU JUST HAVE THE RIGHT SET OF SETTINGS AND I CAN FIGURE THAT OUT.
IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TO TURN YOUR VIDEO OFF, BUT YOU WANT TO LET ME KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR WANT TO SPEAK.
IF YOU OPEN THE, UH, PARTICIPANTS PANEL, WHICH IS A BUTTON ALONG THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN IN THE, UH, CORNER, THERE'S A RAISE HAND BUTTON.
AND I WILL ALSO KEEP MY EYE OUT FOR THE RAISED HAND BUTTON.
IF YOU, UH, WANT TO KIND OF LET ME KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO BE CALLED ON TO SPEAK, UH, AS IS OUR COMMON PRACTICE IN COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UH, WE WILL DEFER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTARY TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, BUT OF COURSE EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, HAS THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE.
AND I WILL MANAGE THAT BY THE ORDER IN WHICH I CALL ON FOLKS.
DURING THIS MEETING, WE HAVE A PACKED AGENDA.
UH, HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY READ THE MESSAGE BOARD AND SAW THE STAFF THAT IS PRESENT.
HOPEFULLY YOU GOT YOUR QUESTIONS AND, UH, THAT YOU, UM, UH, SO THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO, TO HOPEFULLY GET OUR ANSWERS AND LIMIT OUR COMMENTARY TO THE STUFF THAT GOT LEFT OUT.
UM, THE, THE INTENT OF OUR MEETING FOR THE PUBLIC.
WELL, THE COUNCIL MEETING ON THURSDAY, WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY.
WE TOOK HOURS UPON HOURS UPON HOURS OF PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
AND THEN THE COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY AND CO-SPONSORED UNANIMOUSLY THE SET OF REFORMS WE ARE GOING TO DIG INTO TODAY.
THIS MEETING IS A DIFFERENT MEETING.
WE ARE NOT TAKING PUBLIC TESTIMONY TODAY.
WE ARE AS A COUNCIL COMING TO THE STAFF TO ASK THE HARDER QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THIS STUFF'S ACTUALLY GOING TO GET DONE.
THIS ISN'T THE TIME FOR SWEEPING ORATORY AND IT'S NOT A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING.
SO YOU MIGHT SEE OTHER, UH, GOVERNMENT BODIES DO THESE MEETINGS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
THIS IS NOT THAT TYPE OF MEETING.
IT ALSO MIGHT BE FRUSTRATING FOR THE PUBLIC BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY BEEN A WEEK SINCE WE ADOPTED THOSE ITEMS. AND SO I DON'T FULLY EXPECT THE STAFF TO HAVE EVERY SINGLE ANSWER READY TO GO, BUT WE ARE INITIATING THE DIFFICULT PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH FRANKLY IS MUCH HARDER THAN ADOPTING THE DIRECTION WE WISH TO TAKE.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, THIS WILL NOT FIT.
THERE WILL BE TIMES IN THE FUTURE FORM OF MORE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
WE ARE EXPLORING THOSE OPTIONS, UH, BECAUSE IT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AS WE DO THIS WORK.
UM, I THINK I HAVE COVERED ALL OF MY INTRODUCTORY MOMENTS.
DO ANY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WISH TO HAVE A BRIEF STATEMENT BEFORE WE GO TO STAFF COUNCIL MEMBER, HOPPER, MADISON, I JUST WANTED TO LAY IT PLAIN THAT, UH, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EVOLUTION OF THIS NEWLY FORMED BODY AND UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER, FLANAGAN, UM, AND CHAIR, UH, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO US GETTING WORK DONE.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU SAID THE WORDS, THIS IS WHERE WE ACT.
THIS IS WHERE WE MAKE IT TANGIBLE.
AND SO I CAN'T EXPRESS MY EXCITEMENT ENOUGH ABOUT US REALLY GETTING SOME WORK DONE HERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS WISH TO SPEAK RIGHT NOW.
ALRIGHT, LET US, UH, UH, I SEE COUNSELOR, BRENT, MARIA HAS JOINED US, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TEST YOUR AUDIO, HEAR A LOUD AND CLEAR.
SO LET, UH, THE ORDER IN WHICH WE ARE GOING TO TAKE UP THESE ITEMS, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, WE ARE, I'M GOING TO MUTE PO TOLD YOU Y'ALL WOULD DO IT.
WE, UH, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP THESE ITEMS IN A NON SEQUENTIAL ORDER.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP ITEMS THREE AND FOUR COMBINED FIRST, UH, CITY MANAGER, KRONK, UH, HAS ASKED TO TAKE UP THE ITEMS WHERE HE IS SPEAKING EARLIER SO THAT HE CAN GET
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BACK TO ALL OF THEIR COMPLICATED DUTIES THAT HE HAS.UH, I WOULD PREFER THAT WE LET THE STAFF GO THROUGH ALL OF THEIR COMMENTARIES SINCE HOPEFULLY WE HAVE ALL ASKED OUR QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE AND MAYBE MANY OF THEM ARE ANSWERED.
THEN WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS AT THE END, UH, THAT HOPEFULLY WE WILL WRAP UP WITHIN AN HOUR WE'LL THEN GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER THERE FOR ANOTHER 30, 25 30 MINUTES.
WE'LL COME BACK OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND TAKE UP THE ITEMS ONE AND TWO WITH STAFF, BUT WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF THE CITY MANAGER SO THAT WE CAN KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN ANY REMAINING ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO DISCUSS IN THE FUTURE.
WE'LL, WE'LL LEAVE A FEW MOMENTS AT THE END.
MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN GET THIS THING WRAPPED UP ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE AND THAT WE WILL BE DONE BY FOUR O'CLOCK.
SO, UH, AS WE SAID, LET'S GET TO WORK.
[Item 3 (Part 1 of 2)]
SO STARTING WITH ITEM NUMBER THREE, CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO BEGIN? THANK YOU, CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE LISTENING.UH, IT WAS AN HONOR TO BE IN FRONT OF THIS NEWLY FORMED COMMITTEE.
AND AS I ECHO A COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER MEDICINES POINTS, THIS IS WHERE WE REALLY WANT TO GET TO WORK AND THE VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY AND, AND THE ACTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL LED WITH LAST THURSDAY ARE VERY LOUD.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING IMMEDIATE AND DIRECT ACTION TO IMPLEMENT THOSE, THOSE, UH, THOSE RESOLUTIONS.
UH, YESTERDAY I SENT A MEMO, UH, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE WILL BE SEEN WITHIN, UH, THE CITY MANAGEMENT.
AND I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THOSE, BUT PER THIS, UH, ITEM ON THE AGENDA, I WANT TO FOCUS ON, UH, THE BUDGET IMPACTS OF FISCAL YEAR 2021.
UH, BUT I'LL START OUT WITH JUST SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, AS OUR COMMUNITY, AS A COUNTRY, AS A WORLD, UH, IS REALLY REEXAMINING WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY MEANS, UH, FOR US, FOR US AS A COMMUNITY, FOR US AS A SOCIETY.
UH, I AM SO PROUD OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR LEANING INTO THAT.
AND SO JUST AS WE'VE HEARD THE DEMANDS AND CRIES OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ORGANIZING OURSELVES TO BE RESPONSIVE AND APPROACH THIS IN A WAY THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF WHAT THAT COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE.
AND SO I HAVE OUTLINED IN THE MEMO I SENT YESTERDAY THAT I AM LOOKING AT A CORE LEADERSHIP TEAM WITHIN THE CITY MANAGERS OFFICE THAT WILL CONSIST OF OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, NURIA RIVERA, UNDERMINE OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CHRIS SHORTER, AND OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, RAY ARIANO.
THESE THREE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, THE EQUITY OFFICE, OUR INNOVATION TEAM, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT LEGAL.
SO MANY OF THE FOLKS THAT NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE TO REALLY REIMAGINE AND REDEFINE HOW WE THINK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE FUTURE.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, NOT ONLY HEARING YOUR CLEAR DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL, BUT HEARING FROM OUR COMMUNITY, HOW DO WE WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT THAT FUTURE OF PUBLIC SAFETY LOOKS LIKE AS, YOU KNOW, A CORE FUNCTION OF CITY GOVERNMENT IS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE, BUT THAT MEANS SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND WE HAVE TO THINK DIFFERENTLY BOLDLY AND STRONGLY ABOUT HOW TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING CREATIVELY OF WHAT THAT SAFETY IS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S EXACTLY THE WORK THAT WE ARE SET OUT TO DO, AND WE ARE ALL COMMITTED TO LEANING INTO IT IN A VERY PROACTIVE WAY THAT WILL HAVE BASED ON THE RESOLUTIONS THAT WERE PASSED LAST THURSDAY, UH, IMPACTS ON HOW WE ARE PRESENTING THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET IN JULY NEXT MONTH.
UH, SOME OF THOSE WERE OUTLINED IN THE, IN THE PROPOSAL, UH, OF THE MEMO THAT I SENT.
AND I WANT TO GO THROUGH A FEW OF THOSE CLEARLY THE NEED FOR THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS, WILL REQUIRE AN IMAGINATION THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST.
WE NEED SOME PICK APART THE DIFFERENT PIECES THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN ASKED OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SPECIALIZING THOSE OR THE UNIQUE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT EACH ONE IS EQUIPPED TO HANDLE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MORE EMPHASIS ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, MORE EMPHASIS ON ENSURING THAT AS WE GET A CALL, THAT THE RIGHT PERSON IS GOING OUT TO RECEIVE THE FEEDBACK AND THE INFORMATION TO RESPOND TO THAT CALL.
THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE, BUT FRANKLY, THEY WON'T BE DONE IN THE NEXT WEEK BEFORE WE ARE FINALIZING OUR BUDGET, UH, AND, AND PASSAGE.
SO WHAT I'VE DONE AS I OUTLINED IN THE MEMO IS REALLY TAKE SOME OF THOSE AREAS AND I WILL APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK AND ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE ON WHAT ARE THOSE PIECES OF THE BUDGET WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF POLICE THAT CAN BE THOUGHT OF DIFFERENTLY.
ALL OPTIONS NEED TO BE ON THE TABLE, AND WE NEED TO HAVE A COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION AROUND THEM.
THERE WILL BE LEGAL AND CONTRACTUAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES AS A RESULT OF THAT, BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL WORK THROUGH THOSE IN
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A PRODUCTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE WAY.WITH MANY OF OUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS, IT WILL TAKE ALL OF US COLLECTIVELY TO MOVE FORWARD, TO REALIZE THESE CHANGES AND GET THEM IMPLEMENTED, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS COMMITTEE WANTS TO DO.
SOME OF THOSE I HIGHLIGHTED LIKE THE FORENSIC UNITS ARE CALLED DISPATCH SYSTEM, VICTIM SERVICE COUNSELORS, ALL THOSE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED OVER THE COURSE OF THE COMING MONTHS.
AND I AM COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT STAKEHOLDERS AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS NOT ONLY COUNCIL, BUT THIS PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT WHAT THOSE SERVICES MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
WE WILL BE INNOVATORS IN THE COUNTRY ON HOW WE THINK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR NEW AND RE-IMAGINED WAY.
AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROSPECT.
I ALSO MENTIONED A PER THE COUNCIL DIRECTION THAT THE ELIMINATION OF ABOUT A HUNDRED OF POSITIONS WOULD ALSO BE IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET.
THESE ARE POSITIONS THAT WERE EITHER FORECASTED TO BE IN THE BUDGET LIKE 30 OFFICERS THAT WE HAD IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED BY COUNCIL IN 2018 ON THE STAFFING PLAN.
THOSE ARE NO LONGER, UH, IN THIS, IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET PER THE DIRECTION THAT WE RECEIVED LAST THURSDAY.
IN ADDITION, THE DIRECTION FROM LAST THURSDAY TALKED ABOUT UNFILLED VACANCIES THAT WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE FILLED WITHIN THIS YEAR.
AND WE HAVE ESTIMATED WITH THE DEPARTMENT A LITTLE OVER 60, 65 ISH THAT WE WILL BE NOW ELIMINATING, BUT PROVIDING THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HOW THOSE POSITIONS AND HOW THAT FUNDING COULD BE SEEN IN OTHER AREAS.
UH, THE COUNCIL WAS VERY, UH, DIRECT AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE AREAS.
AND SO THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE, AND, AND IN THE COURSE OF THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS, WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT WHERE THOSE FUNDS COULD BE DIVERTED.
MANY OF THE GREAT OPTIONS THAT WERE PROVIDED BY THE COUNCIL ARE CERTAINLY A TOP OF MIND, BUT THERE MIGHT BE OTHERS AS WE CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON WHAT THAT FUTURE, UH, RESOURCING MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CADET ACADEMY, AND I REALLY THINK THAT, UH, SOME OF THE WORK THAT IS ON HOW WE TRAIN AND RECRUIT, UH, FUTURE OFFICERS IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THIS.
I'M GOING TO ASK ACM ARIANO TO WALK THROUGH THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE ON THE RESOLUTION.
UH, BUT LET'S CALL A RESOLUTION 66 FROM LAST DECEMBER.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT PROGRESS, BUT
[Item 4]
I HAVE MENTIONED IN THAT MEMO THAT WE ARE DELAYING THE START OF THAT CAUSE THAT CLASS, UNTIL WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT CURRICULUM IS UP TO THE STANDARDS THAT WE ALL EXPECT FOR OUR OFFICERS IN THE FUTURE.SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO ASK ACM ARIANO TO HIGHLIGHT A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE CADET CLASS AND THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING ON THE TRAINING ACADEMY ITSELF.
AND JUST TO CHECK, MAKE SURE THAT I CAN BE HEARD.
UH, SHERIFF LAN AGAIN, MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TO EMBARK UPON THE WORK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING HERE FOR THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY WITH REGARDS TO RE IMAGINING HOW WE MIGHT DO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO HERE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH REGARD TO THE RESOLUTION FROM DECEMBER HAVING TO DO WITH THE TRAINING ACADEMY.
SO YOU MAY RECALL THAT THERE ARE FOUR MAIN ELEMENTS FOR THIS RESOLUTION.
ONE IS TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ALLEGATIONS OF RACIST REMARKS, CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION EVALUATION TO RATE INTO INSTITUTIONAL RACISM, AND THEN CONDUCT APD TRAINING AUDIT WITH THE OTHER DIRECTION IS TO DELAY THAT CADET CLASSES.
AND SO I WILL FOCUS NOW ON BIG ABD TRAINING AUDIT, AND THEN COVER THE REST OF THE OTHER PORTIONS OF ZERO SIX, SIX, UH, AFTER YOUR EXECUTIVE SESSION, WHEN WE TALK MORE BROADLY IN ITEM RESOLUTION NUMBER FOUR, OR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
SO, UM, IN TERMS OF THE TRAINING AUDIT, AGAIN, THERE ARE ACTUALLY ONE, FOUR SEGMENTS OR ELEMENTS WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR, UM, SCOPE OF WORK.
IT'S THE REVIEW OF THE COURSE MATERIAL REVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING, OR IDENTIFYING AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR THE TRAINING ACADEMY AND A REVIEW OF THE VIDEOS, UH, SHOWN AT THE ACADEMY, UM, IN TERMS OF THE REVIEW OF COURSE, MATERIAL THAT THERE, THE STAFF HAS GONE, GOTTEN TOGETHER TO OUTLINE THE REVISIONS AND CORRECTIONS TO COURSE MATERIAL, UH, AND IS ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETED THIS WEEK.
AND SO ONCE THOSE ARE COMPLETED, WE'LL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF INCORPORATING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS SO THAT IT CAN BE READY FOR THE NEXT START OF THE NEXT ACADEMY, IN TERMS OF REVIEW OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING.
THIS REVIEW WAS COMPLETED IN THE SPRING, UH, EARLIER YEAR, UH, AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED, UH, REVISIONS TO THE PROGRAMMING AND INCLUDE BROADENING THE LIST OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS, UH, TO
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MORE APPROPRIATELY REFLECT THE COMMUNITY AND PLACING MORE STRUCTURE AROUND THE PROGRAM, UH, AND TO MAKE IT MORE MEANINGFUL.UM, ONE OF THE, THE, THE THIRD ITEM IS TO IDENTIFY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR APD TRAINING ACADEMY.
SOME OF THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN INCORPORATED OR WILL BE INCORPORATED.
UH, AND CERTAINLY ONCE THE, UH, CONSULTANT COMES ON BOARD TO DO THE, THE LARGER SCOPE OF WORK, THERE MAY BE OTHER ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT WILL BECOME AVAILABLE, UH, TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE, UM, ACADEMY, A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES HERE, INCLUSION OF THE HISTORY OF POLICE AND WASTE IN AMERICA, UH, BACK IN MARCH, UH, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT FAIR MUST GET IN THE DIRECTOR, SENT A MEMO TO ACHIEVE MANDALAY, TO FORMALLY RECOMMEND THAT THIS BE INCORPORATED.
UH, AND SO THAT IS GOING TO BE DONE.
UH, YOU MAY KNOW THAT THE, WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE WE'VE, UH, STARTED THE PROCESS OF USING THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOL.
UH, AND SO, UH, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, INCORPORATING SOME OF THOSE, UH, ELEMENTS TO RECOGNIZING THAT, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION IS VERY LARGE IN TERMS OF THE DIVISIONS WITHIN THERE.
AND SO THEY ARE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS OF LOOKING THROUGH AND USING THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOL, UH, IN A STRUCTURED WAY.
UM, YOU MAY KNOW THAT, UH, THE APDS TRAINING ACADEMY LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS COMPLETED THE BEYOND DIVERSITY TRAINING OFFERED BY LEADERSHIP AUSTIN.
AND SO APD STAFF IS CONTINUING TO ENGAGE, UH, THE GROUP, A GROUP TO STRATEGICALLY IMPLEMENT KEY COMPONENTS OF THE TRAINING CURRICULUM INTO THE TRAINING ACADEMY, AS WELL AS PROVIDING TRAINING TO CURRENT, UH, OFFICERS IN APD.
SO LET ME TOUCH NOW ON THE LAST PIECE OF THE TRAINING, UH, AUDIT, AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE VIDEO REVIEWS.
THE LAST SEGMENT, UH, IS TO, UM, LOOK AT THOSE REVIEWS, UH, OR VIDEOS WITH A LENS TO REDUCING RACIAL DISPARITIES AND THE USE OF FORCE AND SEVERITY OF FORCE, REDUCING RACIAL DISPARITIES IN DISCRETIONARY SEARCHES AND INCREASING DEESCALATION.
AND WE HAVE TO BE FRANK ABOUT THIS.
THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING, UM, PIECES OF THE WORKOUT BEFORE US, BY WAY OF BACKGROUND.
UH, THE EQUITY OFFICE HELPED, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING, A VIDEO REVIEW PANEL COMPRISED OF 11 MEMBERS, SIX ARE FROM THE COMMUNITY, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE EQUITY OFFICE AND ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL, UH, WITH EXPERTISE IN RACIAL JUSTICE, INEQUITY, A POLICE LIEUTENANT TWO OVERSEAS CADET TRAINING, UH, AND AN APD TRAINING INSTRUCTOR.
AND SO THE PANEL WAS CHARGED WITH SELECTING VIDEOS FOR ACCURACY, RELEVANCE, EFFECTIVENESS, AND CULTURAL SENSITIVITIES, AND THEN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO THE PANEL BEGAN MEETING ON MAY 15TH.
HOWEVER, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT, UH, THE TIMELINE OF THE PROCESS WAS, WAS TOO QUICK FOR, UH, PARTICULARLY IN THE FEEDBACK THAT WE WERE RECEIVING FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UH, AND, UH, THE CHALLENGES OF THE COVID-19, UH, PANDEMIC REALLY, UM, INTRODUCED AN ELEMENT THAT WE HADN'T ANTICIPATED AS WE TRIED TO PUT THIS TOGETHER, THIS OIL BALL BOILED DOWN INTO WHETHER OR NOT, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE WE COULD MAKE, UH, UH, OR CONDUCT A SIGNIFICANT, A SIGNIFICANT REVIEW AND MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEN FINALLY, CERTAINLY, UM, THE, THE, UH, TRAGIC DEATH OF MR. GEORGE, UH, FLOYD, THE MINNEAPOLIS, AS WELL AS OUR OWN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING DEATH OF MR. MICHAEL RAMOS CREATED A SITUATION WHERE WE JUST NEEDED TO TAKE A PAUSE AND REASSESS OUR APPROACH.
UH, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SIGNING ON AT THE LOCAL FACILITATOR WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND A STRONG BACKGROUND IN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND RACIAL JUSTICE WILL BRING NEW STRUCTURE TO THE PROCESS.
UH, AND WE ARE LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THE FACILITATOR WILL BEGIN THEIR WORK NEXT WEEK.
THAT INCLUDES MY, UH, CONCLUDES MY, UM, UPDATE FOR THE TRAINING ACADEMY I DID AND BE HAPPY TO ANSWER, I GUESS, PASS IT BACK TO THE CHAIR FOR COMMENTS.
WELL, IF I MIGHT, WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY TEAM THAT HAVE BEEN REVIEWING.
UH, I'M GOING TO BRING BOTH OF YOU INTO THE MEETING AS A PANELIST AND GIVE YOU ALL AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD ANY ADDITIONAL BRIEF COMMENTS THAT YOU FEEL WOULD BE HELPFUL AT THIS TIME.
UH, I KNOW IT TAKES A SECOND ONCE I BRING YOU IN FOR THE TECHNOLOGY TO CATCH UP, BUT, UH, ANGELICA AND NIKKI, I THINK YOUR AUDIO IS ON, SO YOU CAN SPEAK GREAT.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING US TO SHARE WITH YOU OUR EXPERIENCE ON THE PANEL.
UM, SO THE, THE NUMBER OF VIDEOS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING IS A LOT.
I THINK THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING ABOUT 30 BY NOW, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE WATCHED MAYBE EAT, UM, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION TO HAVE AROUND THESE VIDEOS.
UM, AND A LOT OF CONTEXTS THAT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE MISSING A LOT.
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SO FOR INSTANCE, THE ONE ON MONDAY, UM, WE WATCHED THREE VIDEOS.THEY WERE VERY SHORT, ABOUT THREE MINUTES A PIECE, UM, AND THE FIRST ONE HAD, UM, A, IT BEGAN AT, UM, UH, CONFLICT AND, UM, KEEP TWO PEOPLE GRAPPLING.
UM, THE OFFICER'S A YOUNG WHITE WOMAN.
UM, THERE WAS A GUN, UM, IT WAS HERS.
SHE BROUGHT OUT THE GUN AND SHE SHOT HIM TWICE.
YOU TOOK IT, UM, AND STARTED SHOOTING AT HER.
AND THEN LIKE, YOU SEE THE, THE, THE, THAT IT ENDS WITH HER BEING FINE.
SHE DIDN'T GET HIT AND HIM BEING IN AN AMBULANCE.
UM, AND THAT'S THE VIDEO LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ENTIRE VIDEO.
AND SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF LIKE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE CONTEXT THAT WE'RE PUTTING THIS IN? WHAT IS THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING? THIS IS A CONVERSATION, SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF, SEE THESE PEOPLE ARE REALLY DANGEROUS AND YOU'VE GOT TO BE ON YOUR GUARD ALL THE TIME, OR IS IT, UM, HEY, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU DON'T DEESCALATE EARLY ENOUGH, RIGHT? LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONVERSATION IS AROUND THIS PIECE OF MATERIAL TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE IT PARTICULARLY WELL.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED A LOT MORE CONTEXT, AND HONESTLY, I THINK THAT WE NEED A LOT MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO VIEW SOME OF THE VIDEOS.
UM, THE OTHER TWO VIDEOS, UM, THAT WE'VE SAW ON MONDAY, BOTH HAD, UM, BOTH ENDED WITH, UM, THE NON FOR THE CIVILIAN BEING SHOT.
UM, THE FIRST ONE, UM, THIS MAN WAS SHOT IN MID BODY, 10 TIMES.
UM, THE SECOND ONE, UM, THE MAN WAS SHOT IN MID BODY TWICE, AND THE CAMERA ENDED WITH HIM ON THE GROUND BLEEDING AND NOT MOVING.
UM, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END OF THAT.
UM, SO THESE ARE LIKE LIGHT, FUN, HAPPY VIDEOS.
LIKE SOME OF THEM ARE REALLY TRAUMATIC.
AND SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE US A LONGER TIME TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS THEM, UM, AND TO, TO PROVIDE CRITIQUE AND FEEDBACK.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME PATTERNS THAT WE'VE SEEN, UM, WITH SOME OF THE VIDEOS THAT ARE A LITTLE, UM, THAT ARE A LOT CONCERNING.
UM, THERE'S ONE, AND I'M SO SORRY.
I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF WHICH SUPREME COURT CASE IT WAS, BUT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A ROLE PLAY FOR A PARTICULAR SUPREME COURT CASE.
AND, UM, THE, THE VIDEO HAD BECOME RACIALIZED.
SO, UM, I THINK INITIALLY IN THE SUPREME COURT CASE, IT WAS, UM, TWO, UM, WHITE MEN AND SOMETHING LIKE HE GOT PULLED OVER FOR A TRAFFIC STOP.
UM, HE HAD A GUN IN THE CAR AND WAS ORDERED TO COME OUT THE CAR AND WAS GOING TO BE ARRESTED.
UM, AND IN THE VIDEO THAT THEY PROVIDED, IT WAS A BLACK MAN THAT THEY WERE STOPPING.
IT WAS A WHITE WOMAN WHO WAS STOPPING HIM AND THE REASON THAT THEY WERE STOPPING, BUT THEY ORDERED HIM OUT OF THE CAR AND WAS IN, AND TO BE DETAINED WAS BECAUSE, UM, SHE WAS AFRAID FOR HER LIFE BECAUSE IT WAS DARK AND IT WAS SCARY.
UM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THAT'S NOT EVEN A LEGAL NOW, LIKE THIS VIDEO WAS MADE SO LONG AGO THAT THE LAWS IN TEXAS HAVE CHANGED AROUND LIKE, UH, CONCEALED CARRY.
AND LIKE, YOU CAN'T JUST ORDER SOMEBODY OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE IT'S DARK AT NIGHT AND THEY HAVE A GUN, RIGHT? SO LIKE EVEN THE THINGS THAT LIKE THE WAY IT'S BEING TAUGHT AND BEING RACIALIZED AS A PROBLEM, BUT ALSO THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING TAUGHT IN THE VIDEO, UM, ARE OUTDATED AND FRANKLY INCORRECT.
UM, AND THAT'S VERY, VERY CONCERNING IF THIS IS A TRAINING VIDEO FOR AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS, CAUSE I KNOW THAT LIKE YOU'LL HAVE A REALLY PASSAGE INTO, THEN YOU WANTED IT TO BE QUICK.
UM, I VERY MUCH THINK THAT WE NEED A LONGER TIMELINE AND WE NEED TO SEE MORE OF THE VIDEOS.
SO THE VIDEOS THAT WE SAW ON MONDAY, UM, HAD THIS KIND OF PREFACE THAT WAS SAYING THAT, UM, THESE AREN'T THE DEESCALATION VIDEOS.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEBODY HAS TAKEN YOUR WEAPON, BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE DEESCALATION VIDEOS THAT THEY'RE REFERRING TO SAYING, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THESE OTHER VIDEOS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THAT PARTICULAR CONTEXT.
YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE PLANS TO SEE SOME, BUT WE DON'T HAVE PLANS TO SEE ALL OF THEM.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IF WE COULD GET KIND OF A LIST OF LIKE, WHAT ARE THE VIDEOS THAT ARE OUT THERE SO THAT WE CAN ALSO BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE WHICH ONES WE GET TO SEE AND WHICH ONES WE DECIDE THAT WE DON'T NEED TO.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE'RE GETTING A REALLY INCOMPLETE PICTURE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THAT'S THAT'S MOST OF IT.
OH, THE OTHER THING WAS, UM, IN SOME OF THE VIDEOS WHERE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT LEGAL EASE, UM, THEY SEEM TO BE FOCUSING A LOT ON, UM, THE RIGHTS OF THE POLICE OFFICER AND NOT AT ALL THE RIGHTS OF, UM, THE CITIZENRY OR THE CIVILIANS.
SO IT'S KIND OF POSITIONED IN THIS WAY TO, UM, FIGURE OUT HOW YOU CAN GET OVER OR HOW YOU CAN COVER YOUR BUTT ONCE YOU GET TO COURT, BUT NOT LIKE, HEY, THESE PEOPLE HAVE THIS, RIGHT.
AND SO YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND YOUR JOB IS TO PROTECT THOSE RIGHTS REGARDING ON THE WHO'S, REGARDLESS OF WHO'S REFERRING INFRINGING ON THEM.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE REALLY, UM, A LOT MORE COMPLICATED.
UM, I THINK THEN THAN THE ORIGINAL PLAN OF LIKE, LOOK AT THIS VIDEO, SEE IF IT'S OKAY, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE ORIGINAL VIDEO, THE REASON WHY WE CAME ON HERE IS BECAUSE THERE WAS A VIDEO THAT
[00:25:01]
I SAW IN THE TRAINING WHERE, UM, THERE WAS A WOMAN WHO, UM, WAS, WAS BEING TALKED DOWN BY AN OFFICER.AND FOR 12 MINUTES UNDER THIS 15 MINUTE VIDEO, WHICH WAS, WAS, WAS IN GENERAL A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT TO DO.
AND THERE WERE NO, THERE WERE NO LIKE LITTLE RECTANGLES.
THERE WAS NO BLURRING OUT ANYTHING LIKE THIS WAS JUST A TOPLESS WOMAN HAVING THE WORST DAY OF HER LIFE, RIGHT.
UM, AND LIKE THAT, THAT THERE WAS A VERY CLEAR, LIKE THIS THING WAS INCORRECT.
PUT SOME RECTANGLES OVER THAT.
LIKE, LET'S GO MOVE UP, MOVE ON TO THE NEXT VIDEO.
AND I THINK THAT THESE VIDEOS ARE A LOT MORE COMPLEX.
I NEED TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION AROUND THEM.
AND ANGELICA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? YOU'RE MUTE YOU.
CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME JUST FINE? YOU SOUND GREAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
I'M A PART OF THE COMMUNITY REVIEW BOARD AS WELL WITH THE KIA AND AGREE WITH ALL THAT THE KIA HAS SAID IN REGARDS TO OUR EXPERIENCE, AS FAR WITH THIS PROCESS, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST FOR COUNCIL, THE MAYOR TO CONSIDER GIVING US MORE TIME TO LOOK AT THIS AUDIT RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO WATCH 112 VIDEOS AS A WHOLE FOR ALL, ALL THE CONTENT AND THEN 30 VIDEOS BY THIS TIME.
AND SO FAR WE'VE ONLY WATCHED LIKE EIGHT VIDEOS.
SO IT REALLY SHOWS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE DIALOGUE THAT GOES BEYOND JUST SURVEYS AND MINIMAL CONVERSATION.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST THAT WE EXPAND THE TIME TO SUBMIT THE SURVEY CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 24 HOURS TO SUBMIT OUR FEEDBACK BASED OFF THE SURVEYS, BASED OFF THE VIDEOS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN EXPAND THAT TIME, UH, TO ALLOW FOR MAYBE ONE, ONE WEEK DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT TAKES PEOPLE A BIT MORE TIME TO DIGEST THE INFORMATION, OR MAYBE THEY WANT TO THINK THROUGH.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST FOR ALL THE VIDEOS TO BE SUBMITTED TO A DRIVE FOR ONLY RIGHT NOW, WE GET ACCESS TO THE VIDEOS.
MAYBE ONE WEEK BEFORE OUR MEETING, LET'S SAY, WE'LL GET ACCESS TO IT ON A FRIDAY.
AND THEN FOR THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, WE'RE WATCHING THE VIDEOS DURING THE TRAININGS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALL THE VIDEOS AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, HAVING, HAVING IT IN A, IN A FILE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GO BACK TO AND IDENTIFY REPETITIVE PATTERNS, AS OPPOSED TO JUST ONE OFFS.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUGGEST NEW CONTENT, NOT JUST WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE VIDEO, BUT WHAT COULD THE VIDEO BE REPLACED WITH AND ALLOWING A SPACE FOR THAT TO BE PROCESSED AND RECEIVED A POST TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE.
SO CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE VIDEOS.
A LOT OF THE INFORMATION IS OUTDATED.
IT'S ALSO CONCERNING THAT THE INFORMATION MIGHT ACTUALLY BE INCORRECT LEGALLY.
UH, SO JUST ALLOWING OUR GROUP TO SAY, MAYBE THIS COULD BE REPLACED WITH XYZ AND HAVING THAT BE PROCESSED AND RECEIVED, NOT JUST ACKNOWLEDGED, LIKE THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT LET'S SEE IF THERE'S A WAY TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THIS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE A FOCUS GROUP OF FORMER CADETS THAT LEFT TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK THROUGH THEIR EXIT INTERVIEWS, TO REVIEW INFORMATION, TO IDENTIFY IF THERE'S PATTERNS, WHETHER THAT BE THROUGH OUR GROUP OR THROUGH AN EXTERNAL GROUP.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO INTERVIEW THOSE CANDIDATES, THOSE CANDIDATES THAT LEFT THROUGH THEIR EXIT INTERVIEWS, BECAUSE WHEN THEY LEAVE A CHAR, YOU KNOW, HAS THEM WRITE DOWN A DOCUMENT ABOUT WHY THEY DECIDED TO LEAVE THE ACADEMY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THOSE DOCUMENTS TO BE REVIEWED FROM THE EXIT INTERVIEW TO IDENTIFY IF THERE'S REPETITIVE PATTERNS.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT TO SEE IF THERE'S A PATTERN HERE MOSTLY AROUND, YOU KNOW, PHYSICAL, IF, IF, IF THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY WEREN'T PHYSICALLY FIT SEEING IF THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HAZING WHILE PEOPLE WERE IN THE TRAINING ACADEMY, OR IF THERE WAS MISTREATMENT FOR GENDER INEQUALITY, WHICH WE'VE HEARD OF.
AND THEN ALSO IDENTIFY IF THERE'S A LOT OF W WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF RACIALIZED CONTENT, UH, FROM THE NARRATIVES THAT WE SPEAK TO.
SO WHAT NICAEA WAS SAYING, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THESE RACIALIZED CONTENT WHERE SPECIFICALLY AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE BEING PORTRAYED IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT.
UM, AND WE'D LIKE A COMBINATION OF SEEING THE CURRICULUM THROUGH THE VIDEO.
SO CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WE RECEIVED THE VIDEO.
SOMETIMES WE RECEIVED THE CURRICULUM OR NOT.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSES, THEY'RE SAYING, WE'RE ASKING QUESTIONS FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE JUSTIFICATION.
AND THEY'RE SAYING, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THE CORRECT TRAINER TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S HAPPENING DURING THIS CURRICULUM, OR WE NEED TO BRING IN THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
OR, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT IT LATER DOWN THE LINE.
IT REALLY IS DIFFICULT FOR US TO PROVIDE CRITICAL FEEDBACK IF WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS FEEDBACK FROM THE VIDEO.
SO SEEING THE CURRICULUM, A BRIEF SUMMARY, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH A PDF OR FOR SHORT PRESENTATION, THAT WAY WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE BETTER INFORMATION.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST FOR A CRIMINAL ATTORNEY TO ALSO JOIN THIS VIDEO CLASSES, BECAUSE I'M COMPLETELY CONCERNED THAT SOME OF THE LEGAL JARGON THAT'S BEING UTILIZED IS OUTDATED AND INCORRECT.
AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING A JUSTIFYING IT TO THE CADETS IS WE EXPLAIN IT REALLY DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO HAVING A CREDIBLE ATTORNEY TO ALSO LOOK AT THE VIDEOS, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT INFORMATION IS CORRECT, THAT REALLY LOOKING FOR PATTERNS OR RACIAL DIFFERENCES, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A CRIMINAL ATTORNEY TO LOOK MORE ON TO THE LEGAL
[00:30:01]
SIDE OF THINGS.AND LIKE MAKIA SAID, IT'S NOT FOCUSED ON SERVING PEOPLE LIKE WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS VIDEO.
IT'S NOT REALLY TRADING THE CADETS.
IT'S MORE ABOUT HOW TO UTILIZE THEM AND THROW A BOOK.
HE SAID, THERE IS A TRAFFIC STOP STOPS.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE CONTENT AROUND SERVING THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST HOW TO COOL, WELL, LET'S FIGHT THE EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST FOR COUNCIL COMMUNITY REPORT.
SO MEN
UH, THERE'S A REPORT THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED BY BUTTERS, SARAH AND WEBBER AND APD.
WE WOULD LIKE FOR THE MAYOR TO SAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO MANDATE A COMMUNITY REPORT AS WELL, SO WE CAN DEVELOP OUR REPORT WE'RE REQUESTING.
SO THAT'S A LOT RIGHT THERE WHERE THAT INFORMATION, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU.
YOUR AUDIO IS BREAKING UP A LITTLE BIT AT THE END.
SO YOU MIGHT BE HAVING SOME SLIGHT INTERNET ISSUES, BUT I WANT TO ASSURE BOTH OF YOU.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE MEETING TODAY AS INVITED TESTIMONY.
I WANT TO ENSURE YOU THAT THIS IS NOT YOUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO TELL US WHAT YOU NEED.
SO THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, PLEASE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH MY OFFICE AND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL.
UM, HE HAS A LOT OF, A LOT OF LISTS OF REALLY GOOD STUFF.
I WANT TO GIVE EITHER RAY OR SPENCER, A BRIEF OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FIRST.
I'LL, I'LL START AND THEN PASS IT OVER TO ACM.
ARIANO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THIS WORK, BECAUSE IT DOES NOT LOST SOME ME THE, BOTH THE TIME COMMITMENT AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, UH, TAKE THIS, UH, UH, UH, CHALLENGE ON, UH, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND THAT WAS ONE REASON I DELAYED THE ORIGINAL, UH, JUNE CLASS.
AND THEN NOW MADE THAT DECISION TO FURTHER DELAY BECAUSE NOT ONLY OF THE REASONS THAT, UH, ACM ARIANA MENTIONED, BUT I'D ALSO HEARD THIS FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND, AND WORKING WITH THE NEW CONSULTANT THAT WILL BE BROUGHT ON BOARD TO ADDRESS EACH OF THE CONCERNS THAT YOU RAISED IS SAN FERNANDO.
AND AGAIN, I WOULD ECHO MY APPRECIATION, UH, AND CERTAINLY PERSONAL RECOGNITION OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE.
IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT WE WERE GOING TO WANT TO GET, TAKE THIS FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE AND WORKING WITH THE FACILITATOR, BE ABLE TO STRUCTURE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THE TRAINING ACADEMY VIDEOS AND THE, AND THE COURSE MATERIAL GENERALLY.
SO WE STAND READY TO MEET WITH, UH, THE PANEL AGAIN, UH, WE'LL ALSO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION SOME OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS WITH REGARD TO ADDITIONAL MEMBERS THAT MIGHT BE, UH, INCLUDED IN THE PANEL AND SEE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH A, THAT WILL MAKE BETTER SENSE.
I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE GOOD TIME.
DO ANY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? THAT'S NUMBER HOPPER, MADISON.
UM, AGAIN, I'LL ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF THE CHAIR AND, AND, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS IN THE LINE, UH, AND RECOGNITION OF BOTH NICAEA AND AN UNHEALTHY GUY.
UM, I THINK WE, DON'T OFTEN ENOUGH TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THESE ARE VOLUNTEER ROLES, UM, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME AND THE EFFORT AND PUTTING FORWARD, UM, UH, MAKING SPACE TO DO THIS WORK.
UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WERE SAID THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION NOW, UM, SOMETHING ABOUT, UM, THE TIMELINE.
I JUST WONDER IF EITHER OF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE BODY ABOUT TIMELINES, SUGGESTIONS, UM, JUST IN YOUR MIND'S EYE, IF YOU'RE SAYING YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT 130 VIDEOS AND THUS FAR YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW EIGHT, HAS THE BODY, UH, TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF THINK THROUGH WHAT WOULD BE A MORE REASONABLE TIMELINE, SO MAKE YOU FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN, BUT FOR US CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO DICTATE A TIMELINE DUE TO THE FACT THAT WHENEVER WE'RE REVIEWING THESE VIDEOS, SOME VIDEOS, UH, ALLOW FOR LARGER DISCUSSIONS AND SOME, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR, BUT THAT'S BEEN THE DIFFICULT THING HERE IS PUTTING A TIME TO THE VIDEOS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THERE'S PEOPLE THAT OUR CALL TO HAVE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES.
SO FOR US, THERE'S NO WAY TO DICTATE A TIME.
AND WE'D LIKE THE FLEXIBILITY OF SAYING DUE TO THE FACT OF ALL THE CONTENT THAT WE'RE REVIEWING, POTENTIALLY EXTENDING THE TIMELINE IN A WAY THAT MAKES MORE SENSE AND THAT'S FEASIBLE FOR US, BUT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DICTATE SPECIFICALLY HOW LONG EACH VIDEO CAN TAKE THE KIA.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SECOND WHAT YOU SAID, AND ALSO, UM, SOME OF THE VIDEOS VERY CONSIDERABLY IN LANCE WITH LIKE SOME OF THEM ARE THREE MINUTES.
SO, UM, AND THE, THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE IS ALSO VARIES DEPENDING ON THOSE VIDEOS.
SO LIKE WE'VE HAD SOME OF THE LONGER CONVERSATIONS ON THE THREE MINUTE VIDEOS.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DICTATE A TIMELINE,
[00:35:01]
ESPECIALLY SINCE I THINK THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THE OTHER VIDEOS THAT WE'RE MISSING AND TO INCLUDE THOSE IN OUR WORK.AND SO I THINK UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO SEE, LIKE, WHAT ARE THE VIDEOS THAT WE CAN BE LOOKING AT, IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY DIFFICULT TO ASSESS THAT.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST MOVING FORWARD, WHAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO DO RIGHT.
IS GET TO A PLACE WHERE, WHERE, UM, UH, COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS.
UM, AND SO IN MY MIND'S EYE, IF WE COULD ASK YOU ALL AGAIN, I MEAN, WE KEEP ASKING CLEARLY, UM, IF WE COULD ASK YOU AGAIN FOR ONE MORE THING, IF YOU COULD GIVE US A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT AN APPROPRIATE TIMELINE WOULD BE FOR YOU TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK WE PUT BEFORE YOU, WE RECOGNIZE THE DIFFICULTY OF IT.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE ASKING A LOT.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP.
UM, BUT ON OUR END, UM, BOTH BY WAY OF THE MANAGER AND THIS BODY, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IS BE THINKING THROUGH NEXT STEP.
SO IN THEORY, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT CLASS IN OCTOBER.
SO IF WE AREN'T GONNA HAVE A JULY CLASS, UM, AND YOU GUYS HAVE WATCHED EIGHT OF OVER A HUNDRED VIDEOS IN JUNE, DOES THAT LOOK LIKE WE ALSO NEED TO BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WITH IT OCTOBER CLASS.
AND I'D LIKE VERY MUCH TO START HAVING THAT CONVERSATION NOW AND NOT SURPRISE PEOPLE AND NOT PUT ANYBODY IN A POSITION TO WHERE THEY JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAD ENOUGH IN THE WAY OF RUNWAY.
AND SO, UH, JUST IF AS A BODY, YOU ALL COULD START THINKING THROUGH TIMELINE, LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M ASKING NECESSARILY FOR YOU TO HAVE REALLY, YOU KNOW, SUCCINCT DATA, UM, FOR LIKE PER VIDEO.
IT TAKES US THIS AMOUNT OF TIME TO PROCESS THE INFORMATION, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BUT IF, IF IN THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS, WE COULD JUST GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT IT IS WE'RE ASKING YOU FOR AND WHAT ARE THE DIRECT IMPLICATIONS FOR WHAT THE NEXT CADET CLASS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION VERSUS STARTING HAVING SOONER THAN LATER.
UM, SO I'M SORRY TO ASK, BUT THAT'S ONE MORE TASK.
UH, IF Y'ALL COULD JUST GIVE US A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT NEXT STEPS LOOK LIKE THERE.
UM, THERE WAS ANOTHER THING THAT OCCURRED TO ME AS YOU ALL WERE HAVING THE CONVERSATION, UM, EXCUSE ME.
AND IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT CAPACITY, UM, THIS VOLUNTEER BODY THAT WE'RE ASKING TO DO SO MUCH FROM A CAPACITY PERSPECTIVE, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH? ARE WE SUPPORTING YOU ENOUGH? DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE? DO YOU W WHAT MORE COULD WE BE DOING TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS THAT YOU KNOW, WERE BROUGHT FORWARD BY WAY OF THE RESOLUTION THAT CALLED FOR THE CREATION OF THIS BODY TO DO THIS AUDIT AND REVIEW? DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH AND ARE WE SUPPORTING YOU ENOUGH? AND IF NOT, WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED AND DELEGATE YOU'RE ON MUTE.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO REMIND FOLKS WE'RE REAL BRIEF AND FEEL FREE TO TAKE QUESTIONS AS RHETORICAL AND GET THEM ANSWERED LATER.
SO THANK YOU, MEMBER COUNCIL MEMBER, NATASHA HOPPER, MADISON, OUR GROUP WILL GET TOGETHER AND IDENTIFY POTENTIAL TIMELINE, AS WELL AS DISCUSS IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN ADDITION THAT WE NEED.
THERE'S FOUR ADDITIONAL TEAM MEMBERS THAT WILL COMPILE SOME INFORMATION AND THEN PROVIDE INFORMATION, UH, TO, TO THE GROUP.
SO THE KEY, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? UM, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT WE'RE NOT TECHNICALLY VOLUNTEERS.
UH, WE ARE ACTUALLY GETTING PAID SOME AMOUNT OF THE SERVICE, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR ARRANGING THAT.
UM, SO I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, ONCE WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT EXACTLY OUR CURRICULUM CAN BE LOOKING AT THE CONTEXT AND LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF VIDEOS THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WATCH, UM, I THINK IT WILL BE A LOT EASIER TO BE ABLE TO DISCRIMINATE A TIMELINE.
SO AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION, WE'LL BE ABLE TO START WORKING ON WHAT, WHAT A REALISTIC TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THAT FEEDBACK.
AND THANK YOU CHAIR FOR THE TIME CHECK REMINDER AND NIKKI, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU OFFERING THE CLARITY THERE ABOUT THE PAYMENT, CAUSE I THINK THAT'S OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
UM, SO MY, UH, MY APOLOGIES FOR, FOR, UH, MESSING THAT UP AND AGAIN, THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
AND, AND JUST IN GENERAL, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE BUDGET CONVERSATION, WHICH IS OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT, DO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS OR ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO JUMP IN QUICKLY COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, IN A THING, ADD MY, THANKS TO THE PANELISTS FOR THAT REALLY USEFUL FEEDBACK.
UM, AND FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK, YOUR LONG WORK AND YOUR HARD WORK, I WANTED TO ASK, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, ARIANA, I THINK THIS QUESTION WOULD BE DIRECTED AT YOU.
UM, THE PANELISTS REQUESTED MORE CONTEXT, CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE CURRICULUM AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT'S PRESENTED.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH PRETTY QUICKLY? CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE HAVING
[00:40:01]
THOSE, HAVING THOSE PROFESSIONAL STAFF, UM, AVAILABLE TO THE, TO THE COMMITTEE, TO THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD, AS WELL AS THOSE ADDITIONAL MATERIALS ARE REALLY GOING TO HELP FACILITATE THEIR WORK.UH, AND SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THE WORK THAT OUR, OUR FACILITATOR IS GOING TO START, UH, WITH THE PANEL IS TO GET ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, WHICH HOPEFULLY IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU THEN, UM, TOTING DOWN AND CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT, UH, AND REALLY TRY, TRY TO RESTRUCTURE THE ENTIRE WAY WE APPROACH, UH, THE VIDEO REVIEWS OF THE INFORMATION THAT, UH, UH, OUR PANELISTS HAVE BEEN PROVIDING US IS CERTAINLY VERY IMPORTANT.
AND WE WANT THIS TO BE A MEANINGFUL, UH, COMPREHENSIVE WAY SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE.
AND BY, UM, BY EXTENSION, CERTAINLY COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, MAKING SURE THAT THE TRAINING MATERIALS THAT WE PROVIDE TO OUR NEW CADETS, UH, MATCHES OUR EXPECTATIONS.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD, YOU BELIEVE CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IMMEDIATELY? WELL, WE START THAT PROCESS OF THE DISCUSSION AND SEE HOW IT MIGHT BE STRUCTURED, UH, AS EARLY AS TOMORROW, UH, NEXT WEEK AND OUR NEXT MEETING.
THAT'S FROM COSARA DID YOUR HAND GO UP? YEAH.
ONE WAS PRIMARILY TO COUNCIL MEMBER.
THOSE QUESTION, I WOULD REALLY LIKE CLARITY OR REPORT BACK ON WHICH PARTS OF THE CURRICULUM, IF ANY, THERE ISN'T COMMUNITY INPUT ON, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE, LIKE THEN CURRICULUM WRAPS AROUND THESE VIDEOS AND THAT WE SHOULD BE AN OPEN BOOK AND THEN ALL OF THIS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE GROUP SO THAT THEY AREN'T GETTING INPUT ON SOME STUFF OVER HERE WITHOUT THE CONTEXT OF THE REST.
SO IF, IF A DECISION HAS ANYTHING OTHER THAN WE'RE AN OPEN BOOK AND ANY OF THE CURRICULUM IS OPEN FOR COMMUNITY INPUT AND THAT'S, I THINK MY PREFERENCE AND I THINK THE PANELIST HERE IS, IS WHAT I'M TAKING FOR THEM.
AND IF THE DECISION IS ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HEAR JUST, AND THEN, AND THEN SEPARATELY, UM, TO, UH, TO THE POINT ABOUT, UH, REPORTS FROM THE COMMUNITY PANEL.
UM, I HEAR THAT THAT WOULD BE USEFUL AND INTERESTING FOR Y'ALL TO PUT TOGETHER FOR US MANAGER, FROM THE RESOLUTION WE PASSED LAST WEEK.
IT'D BE IMPORTANT FOR COUNCIL TO, TO VOTE, TO SAY, LET'S START THE CADET CLASS BACK UP.
AND SO I THINK HAVING A REPORT ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THINK BEFORE WE TAKE THAT VOTE WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL.
SO, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S EVEN A NEW CHARGE WE HAVE TO GIVE YOU, I THINK IT'S, IT MAKES GOOD SENSE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT VOTE, WE WOULD WANT, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL TO HAVE WRITTEN SOMETHING UP FOR US AND TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
SO I'LL TRY TO BE REALLY QUICK.
I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE NEW MATERIALS AND PARTICULARLY THE CLASS THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED ABOUT, UM, RACE IN THE HISTORY OF POLICING, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS A VERY POWERFUL CURRICULUM.
ONE IS, UM, WILL WE BE ABLE TO DELIVER THAT COURSE WITH A FACULTY MEMBER THAT'S SORT OF NOT PART OF THE ACADEMY SO THAT IT CAN BE, UM, TAUGHT AT THE LEVEL IT NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT.
AND SECONDLY, UM, CAN WE THINK ABOUT, UM, ENGAGING OTHER MEMBERS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH THAT COURSE, UM, ONCE IT'S DEVELOPED AND BEEN DELIVERED, UM, TO AN ACADEMY, UM, SO I'M SEEING HERE A RESPONSE THAT YES, THE HISTORY, UH, OF, UH, UH, RACISM COURSE WILL BE TAUGHT BY AN OUTSIDE PERSON.
UH, AND THEN AS TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION, I WASN'T QUITE CLEAR ON WHAT THAT QUESTION WAS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CADET CLASSES, ONE ELEMENT OF TRAINING, UM, BUT THAT IS A COURSE THAT ARE BY VIRTUE OF IT NOT HAVING BEEN PART OF THE ACADEMY IS A COURSE THAT OTHER OFFICERS MIGHT BENEFIT FROM.
UM, AND SO, I MEAN, THIS IS TRUE, PERHAPS WITH A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE CADET ACADEMY THAT AS WE CHANGE THEM AND WE FIND THAT PARTICULAR PIECES MAY BE POWERFUL FINDING WAYS TO, UM, ENGAGE EXISTING OFFICERS, UM, WITH THAT TRAINING.
UM, AND I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THIS COURSE ON THE HISTORY OF POLICING AND RACE.
SO, UH, I'M GETTING THE SIGNAL HERE THAT, YES, THIS, UH, UH, THIS COURSE WILL ALSO BE ROLLED INTO TRAINING, UH, FOR ACTIVE OFFICERS.
AND THEN ONE JUST LAST THING FOR THE PANEL.
UM, WHEN YOU DO PROVIDE THE SENSE OF THAT TIMELINE, IF YOU CAN GIVE A FULLER PICTURE, IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO, UM, ROLL OUT THE CLASS, LIKE LET THEM BEGIN AND FINISH SOME OF THE WORK AFTER THEY STARTED, OR IF IT'S A PIECE AND INTEGRATED THAT THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT THERE'S ANY FLEXIBILITY IN THAT.
UM, AND YOU HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF, OF THE REVIEW, THE REVIEW PROCESS CAUSE OF THE KITCHEN JUST QUICKLY, AND THIS CAN BE HANDLED OFFLINE.
[00:45:01]
FLAG THE POTENTIAL TO, UM, OVER TIME TO WORK WITH ACC ON REVAMPING THEIR TRAINING OR NOT TRAINING THEIR COURSEWORK THAT THEY, THAT THEY DO THERE, THAT, UM, MANY PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN BEFORE THEY COME INTO TRAINING.SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THIS, I THINK WILL BE, I CAN ALREADY HEAR THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE VERY, VERY USEFUL, VERY INFORMATIVE, AND VERY TRANSFORMATIVE, AND WOULD JUST LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT AT SOME POINT IN THE PROCESS, THERE'LL BE, UH, SOME COLLABORATION OR WORK DONE WITH ACC, UH, TO IMPROVE THE CURRICULUM THAT THEY HAVE.
WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, ESTABLISH THAT POINT OF CONTACT AND PROVIDE INFORMATION BACK TO ACC.
I'LL, I'LL SHARE THE, UH, I'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THE, UM, UH, ACC, UH, BOARD MEMBERS AND I'LL SHARE THAT CONNECTION.
UM, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT TIME.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT CAP COGS TRAINING ACADEMY TO SEE IF THERE'S MAYBE PARTS OR PARCELS THAT WE MIGHT FIND, UM, COST SAVINGS OR MORE EFFICIENCIES BY DOING A WORK THROUGH THE CAPCO PROCESS.
THINK IT'S ANOTHER GOOD OPTION TO LOOK AT.
UH, THANK YOU, ANGELICA AND THE KIA FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY, UH,
[Item 3 (Part 2 of 2)]
CITY MANAGER, WILL YOU TAKE US INTO THE BUDGET ITEM PLEASE? SURE.CHAIR, YOU KNOW, AS WE, AS I BRIEFLY MENTIONED IN THE BEGINNING, AND THEN AS PART OF THE MEMO, UH, THERE WAS CLEAR DIRECTION AND THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED LAST THURSDAY, ABOUT HOW TO THINK ABOUT NOT ONLY THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT FUTURE BUDGETS, UH, REGARDING NOT ONLY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC SAFETY FUNCTIONS THAT MAY BE THOUGHT OF IN A DIFFERENT WAY, UH, INCLUDING INVESTMENTS IN, UH, OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, UH, AND OUR OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT IN OUR PERFORMANCE REVIEW METRICS AND HOW WE CAN HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO THOSE.
AND SO WE HAVE THEN QUICKLY, UH, WORKED WITH OUR, OUR, UH, BUDGET STAFF AND PART OF THOSE I HIGHLIGHTED IN AND THE MEMO.
UM, BUT I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION HERE ON REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THE BUDGET IS PRESENTED NEXT MONTH, WHAT I'M SEEING IS AREAS IN WHICH WE CAN THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT FUNCTIONS THAT HAD BEEN ALLOCATED WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN A NEW WAY.
AND SO WE HAD A ROBUST DISCUSSION INTERNALLY AND THERE WAS, UH, A LONG LIST AND SOME OF THOSE MIGHT BE EASIER TO REIMAGINE THAN OTHERS.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE ON THE TABLE AND HOW WE THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THESE FUNCTIONS.
AND I'M EXCITED TO HAVE BOTH PARTNERS WITHIN THE CITY ENTERPRISE, UH, WITH YOU, UH, AND THIS BOTH PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE COMMITTEE, UH, AND IMPORTANTLY, MANY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, NOT ONLY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, BUT, BUT, UH, OUR POLICE ASSOCIATION, UM, UH, OUR, OUR ADVOCATES, OUR LEGAL COUNSEL AND OUR LEGISLATORS, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE WILL REQUIRE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES.
AND SO AS WE PUT THE ADVISORY GROUPS TOGETHER, UH, AND WORKING WITH THIS COMMITTEE, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW WE MIGHT BE IMAGINED, UH, THIS, UH, THIS NEW PUBLIC SAFETY FUNCTION IN THE FUTURE.
UH, SO WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE BUDGET ITSELF IS THAT THERE WILL BE, UH, DELINEATIONS OF THESE FUNCTIONS THAT COULD BE THOUGHT OF DIFFERENTLY.
AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WILL BE KIND OF RIPE FOR THOSE IMMEDIATE DISCUSSIONS TO TAKE PLACE IN A NEW AND UNIQUE WAY.
THOSE DISCUSSIONS MAY BE ABLE TO BE HAD BEFORE BUDGET ADOPTION.
UM, BUT THEY ARE NOT, UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE WE'RE ALMOST PUBLISHING THE BUDGET, UH, IN REAL TIME.
UH, NOT IN A WAY THAT I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH BEFORE WE WOULD GET TOGETHER AND GET THE COMMUNITY BUY IN AND CONSENSUS AROUND WHAT THOSE FUTURE FUNCTIONS MIGHT LOOK LIKE, UH, GOING FORWARD.
UH, BUT, BUT HERE, I REALLY WANT TO GET THE FEEDBACK ON THE INITIAL REACTION TO HOW I'M STRUCTURING THE BUDGET.
AND THEN IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL DIRECTION THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO GIVE AT THIS POINT IN TIME, DOES THAT HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, AND ARE YOU STILL WITH US? ALL RIGHT, CAN WE BE MEMBERS? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS? UH, RIGHT NOW, NO COUNSELOR POOL.
AND TO THE CITY MANAGER, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS, UM, A LOT OF WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, AT OUR MEETING ON JUNE 11, WHICH IS GETTING OUR POLICING BACK TO ITS CORE MISSION, PROVIDING THE SERVICES THAT ARE AT ITS CORE CORE MISSION, AND THEN LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT HAVE ACCRETED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
[00:50:01]
OVER THE YEARS AND ANALYZING THEM TO SEE WHO IN FACT WOULD BE THE MORE APPROPRIATE ENTITY TO HANDLE THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES.IS THAT, IS THAT ACCURATE? THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE ASKED A LOT OF OUR OFFICERS, AND NOW THE QUESTION NOT ONLY BECOMES WHAT DO WE WANT OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO BE DOING, BUT THEN HOW MIGHT THESE OTHER FUNCTIONS EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY IN, IN A, IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN THEY HAVE BEFORE? AND SO I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S AN EXCITING DISCUSSION.
I THINK IT'S A NEEDED DISCUSSION, UH, BUT IT REALLY NEEDS TO TURN INTO ACTION BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL SAFE, UH, IN A WAY THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE PAST.
AND SO, BUT YOU CHARACTERIZE THAT EXACTLY HOW I'M THINKING A COUNCIL MEMBER.
PRETEND IS THIS ITEM TWO OR THREE IT'S HISTORY.
UM, AND I'M SORRY IF I MISSED THIS, UM, THE 100 POSITIONS THAT YOU COULD YOU, COULD YOU, UM, COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT DOLLAR, WHAT THAT AMOUNTS TO IN, IN DOLLARS? YES.
SO I'M GONNA START OUT BY THEN.
I'M GOING TO ASK THEM OUR, OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR, OUR BUDGET OFFICER HAD BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALSO INCLUDED, BUT IN ITEMS 60 96 FROM, UH, LAST THURSDAY, UH, UNDER THE VIET RESOLVED, THE FIRST TWO BULLETS THAT WERE INCLUDING NO ADDITIONAL SWORN POLICE STAFF POSITIONS.
AND SO, UH, WHEN WE PUT THE FIVE-YEAR STAFFING PLAN TOGETHER, THAT WAS VOTED BY THE COUNCIL IN DECEMBER OF 2018, IT INCLUDED 30 NEW OFFICERS PER YEAR FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND SO WE HAD INCLUDED THOSE POSITIONS, UM, IN OUR FORK AND IN OUR, IN OUR PLANNING.
UM, BUT WE ELIMINATED THOSE POSITIONS, UH, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND THEN THE SECOND BULLET WAS AROUND ELIMINATING THE SWORN POSITIONS.
I CAN NOT BE REASONABLY FILLED IN THIS YEAR.
AND WE WORKED WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT NUMBER REALISTICALLY WOULD BE, AND IT WAS IN THE MID SIXTIES.
AND SO, UH, JUST FOR PURPOSES, WE, WE DID SAY ABOUT A HUNDRED OF THOSE, BOTH WITH THE VACANCIES AND THEN THE, THE POSITIONS THAT WERE NOT, UH, THAT WOULD NOT BE PART OF THAT FIVE-YEAR STAFFING PLAN ANYMORE, UH, WOULD BE THAT, UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER FOR WHAT THAT SAVINGS WOULD BE, BUT I THINK IT'S CLEAR THAT ANY SAVINGS THAT WOULD COME FROM THOSE, UH, WOULD BE FOR THE PURPOSES OUTLINED IN THAT RESOLUTION.
AND SO WE'VE STARTED THAT WORK NOW, BUT LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT DISCUSSION CAUSE ULTIMATELY THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO APPROVE HOW WE THINK ABOUT THOSE POSITIONS DIFFERENTLY AND BENNY TO DO ON SAY ANYTHING I WOULD ADD IS THAT, UM, UM, A NEW, A NEW POLICE OFFICER SALARY WAGES, BENEFITS, RETIREMENT AND MEDICAL COSTS, UM, COMES OUT TO ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PER OFFICER.
UH, THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO ASSESS THE, UH, THE VACANCIES THEY CURRENTLY HAVE THAT CAN'T REASONABLY BE FILLED NEXT YEAR.
WE THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE AROUND 65.
IT DEPENDS UPON THE ATTRITION RATES AND THINGS.
SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO DIAL THAT NUMBER IN, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, 60 OR A REDUCTION OF, OF MID SIXTIES, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SIX, SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IS ABOUT WHAT THE COST OF THAT WOULD BE.
UM, AND THEN THE THIRD POSITION WOULD BE A, UM, $3 MILLION, BUT WE DON'T TYPICALLY BUDGET, UM, BRAND NEW POSITIONS.
WE'RE ADDING TO THE, TO THE DEPARTMENT, UM, FOR THE FOUR YEAR BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY CAN'T BE FILLED INITIALLY.
SO, UM, BUT THE, UH, CERTAINLY THE ONES THAT WE HAD IN THE BUDGET THAT WON'T BE ABLE TO BE FILLED BY REMOVING THEM WILL BE SIX TO SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THEN THIS ISN'T SO MUCH A QUESTION, BUT A REALLY IMPORTANT DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE.
AND THERE SEEMS TO BE THIS, THIS CONSTANT, UM, REFERENCE BACK TO THE MATRIX REPORT AND TO, UH, COMMUNITY POLICING.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, I'M A DEFER TO THE CHAIR ON, ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT I FEEL AT THIS POINT, THERE MAY NEED TO BE SOME FURTHER COUNCIL ACTION, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE WERE STUCK IN THIS LOOP OF, YOU KNOW, WE KEPT ASKING FOR MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY AND THE RESPONSE WE WOULD GET WOULD WAS WELL THAT'S COMMUNITY POLICING.
AND THEN, AND THEN IT MOVED FROM THERE TO COMMUNITY POLICING MEANS WE NEED,
[00:55:01]
WE NEED MORE POLICE OFFICERS BECAUSE IF WE'RE USING THIS CERTAIN RATIO TO DETERMINE, UM, TIME COMMITMENTS AND BEING ABLE TO RESPOND AND BEING ABLE TO COMMUNITY POLICE, WE WERE IN THIS, OKAY, YOU WANT, YOU WANT REFORM, YOU NEED COMMUNITY POLICING, YOU WANT COMMUNITY POLICING, YOU NEED MORE POLICE OFFICERS.AND I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE MOVED THE MOMENT IS DEMANDING US MOVING FROM THAT NARRATIVE, THE NARRATIVE OF THAT, THAT IS THE WAY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
AND SO I WANT US TO MOVE FROM REFERRING TO THE MATRIX SUPPORT AND SAY, THE MATRIX SUPPORT TOLD US THIS AND THIS, BECAUSE IT IS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THIS, ON THIS COMMITTEE, OR HOWEVER, WE ALL BELIEVE IT'S IT'S BEST TO ADDRESS THAT, BUT WE HAVE MOVED FROM THIS IDEA THAT ADDING STAFF IS GOING TO FIX ANYTHING CAUSE IT'S NOT.
AND SO, UM, JUST WANT TO ADD THOSE COMMENTS AND HAPPY TO HEAR PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS ON, ON HOW WE MOVE FROM THAT EVERY TIME I WILL, I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
THIS CONVERSATION TODAY IS NOT THE CONCLUSION OF OUR BUDGET CONVERSATION, AS YOU KNOW, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC WHO IS, UH, WATCHING INTENTLY, THIS IS, UM, THE BEGINNING OF THAT CONVERSATION.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE ON VACATION.
AND, UH, I THINK MR. BENNY KNEW AND, UH, THE CITY MANAGER ARE GOING TO BE TIRED OF HEARING FROM ME.
AND MAYBE FROM ON THE REST OF YOU TOO, ABOUT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO INNOVATE ALSO THE OTHER ITEM ON THIS AGENDA, ITEM TWO, WHICH IS YOUR RESOLUTION MAYOR PRO TEM ABOUT METRICS IS GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.
CAUSE WE'RE COSARA DID YOU HAVE THAT, UM, THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THIS IS, UH, AS A FIRST STEP AND OF COURSE WE'LL WORK ON THE BUDGET ONCE YOU PUT IT FORWARD, BUT I, I APPRECIATE, UM, UH, THE REDUCTION ESSENTIALLY JUST FOLLOWING WHAT, WHAT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
UH, AND WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT MANY OF US WANT TO DO, UM, EVEN MORE AND IT'LL BE OUR TASK TO SEE HOW MUCH MORE WHAT IS WE CAN DO.
UM, AS FAR AS WHAT WE MOVE THE FUNDS OVER TO, I KNOW THAT THERE IS A LIST IN THE RESOLUTION, BUT IN MY OWN REFLECTION IN THE LAST WEEK, I REALLY DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO INVEST IN MORE FORMS OF COMMUNITY SAFETY.
UH, SO I'VE BEEN WORKING OFF SORT OF A, A LIST OF, OF SEVEN THINGS AND PROBABLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADD MORE, BUT, UH, FAMILY VIOLENCE, SHELTER AND PREVENTION, GIVEN THAT THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF OUR VIOLENT CRIME, UM, UH, THAT OFTENTIMES DOESN'T JUST GET FIXED WITH MORE PATROLS TO MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE, WHICH I KNOW WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
AND, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF LEADERSHIP FROM THE CITY IN THE LAST YEAR ON, BUT REALLY RAMPING THAT UP THREE, UH, ADDICTION TREATMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE SO OFTEN RESPOND TO IT, ADDICTION WITH, UH, POLICING THAT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE, THE ADDICTION.
UH, WE, UH, ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS WITH HOUSING AS NUMBER FOUR, UM, SOMETHING THAT INCREASED CONTINUES TO BE A, A REAL ISSUE IN MY DISTRICT.
I KNOW OTHER PARTS IS SUPPORT FOR SEX WORKERS.
YOU KNOW, SO OFTEN AGAIN, WE TRY TO ADDRESS THAT WITH POLICING, BUT IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY, UH, HELP FOLKS THAT OFTENTIMES REALLY NEED, NEED OUR SUPPORT, UM, UH, GUN VIOLENCE, INTERVENTION, AND PREVENTION.
AND I APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE WHO SET UP THAT TASK FORCE.
WE REALLY INTERESTED IN THEIR NON POLICING IDEAS FOR, UH, ON THIS.
AND THEN I'VE BEEN SEEING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, HOSPITAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMS, UM, WHERE WE GET TO PEOPLE AT THE HOSPITAL THAT, UM, UH, WHEN THERE'S BEEN VIOLENT CRIME AND SORT OUT ISSUES, MAKE SURE THAT ISSUES DON'T ESCALATE FURTHER.
UM, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN SOMEBODY WINDS UP IN THE HOSPITAL FOR VIOLENCE, IT BREEDS, UM, MORE VIOLENCE AND HAVING INTERVENTION THERE.
THOSE ARE JUST, THAT'S JUST A SHORT LIST OF SEVEN IDEAS.
UM, BUT I THINK HALF OF OUR TASK IS HOW TO REALLOCATE DOLLARS FROM POLICING TO THESE OTHER SOLUTIONS.
AND THE OTHER HALF OF THE TASK IS TO ACTUALLY INVEST IN THOSE SOLUTIONS.
THAT WILL BE MORE, THAT WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY HARD WORK WE NEED TO DO, AND I WANT TO BE ABOUT IN THIS COMMITTEE.
SO I WANT IT TO BE JUST FLOATING, THAT KIND OF LIST OUT THERE FOR FOLKS.
AND ONE OTHER THING WOULD BE, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS TRYING TO LOOK AT OUR BUDGET AND THE TRADITIONAL WAYS WE HAVE THE BUDGET BINDERS SOMETIMES MAKES IT HARD OR SOMEWHAT OPAQUE TO GET INTO SOME OF THE DETAIL.
BUT LINE ITEM BUDGETING IS ALSO SO COMPLICATED.
SO IF WE COULD HAVE A LEVEL OF THE POLICE BUDGET THAT WE'RE AT, IS THAT A MIDPOINT LEVEL, I'D BE INTERESTED IF OTHER COUNCIL OFFICES ARE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT MAY MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE THAT WILL BE WATCHING THIS CLOSELY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS WE'RE WORKING ON A SO MANAGER.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
I THINK MANY OF US WILL WANT TO GO, GO PUSH TO GO FURTHER ON SOME OF THOSE ISSUES, BUT I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR.
[01:00:03]
THAT WAS ONE OF THE PICTURE.UM, YES, I'D ECHO WHAT ALL MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID.
UM, AND, UM, CITY MANAGER AT THE RIGHT TIME, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, AND IT'S PROBABLY OFFLINE, BUT, UH, NIGHTTIME UNDERSTAND THE, UM, THE GROUPS THAT YOU'RE CREATING.
I FORGET HOW YOU CHARACTERIZE THEM IN THE MEMO, BUT WHAT SUBJECT MATTER AREAS THEY'RE GOING TO COVER AND WHAT YOUR TIMELINE IS FOR SETTING THOSE UP.
I ALSO THINK THAT IT COULD BE USEFUL AT SOME POINT TO LOOK AT THE MATRIX REPORT.
UH, I AGREE WITH WHAT LAYER PART TIM IS SAYING.
I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE, I THINK TO SOME EXTENT, THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE METRICS REPORT GOT OVERSHADOWED BY THE CONVERSATION THAT SHE HIGHLIGHTED, UH, AND WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN THAT CONVERSATION ANYMORE.
UM, THERE ARE SOME, UH, OTHER TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE MATRIX REPORT THAT, UM, I DON'T BELIEVE WE REALLY, UM, CARRIED OUT AND I'D LIKE FOR US TO PERHAPS AT SOME POINT REVISIT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, FINALLY I WOULD SUGGEST AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAN, SO I APPRECIATE THE, UM, AREAS THAT YOU'VE LAID OUT.
AND, UM, I WOULD AGREE WITH THOSE.
I THINK THERE IS A, UH, UH, INTERSECTION HERE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, AT THE RIGHT TIME WHEN WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UH, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL NEED TO BE FRONT AND CENTER AS PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND AT SOME POINT I THINK THAT THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE, UH, CAN HELP ADD TO THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING HERE IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
AND THERE MIGHT BE OCCASION FOR SOME JOINT, UH, SOME JOINT MEETINGS THERE.
SO, AND THEN FINALLY, I WOULD JUST SAY CITY MANAGER, I, I DON'T WANT, UM, I DON'T WANT US TO GO BACKWARDS IN TERMS, AND I DON'T THINK YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT WE GO BACKWARDS IN ANY WAY.
I DON'T MEAN THAT, BUT, UM, WE HAVE, UH, AT LEAST ONE PROGRAM, WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER POOL AND I HIGHLIGHTED IN, AND THAT'S THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION INITIATIVE.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO WAIT TO DECIDE TO BRING THAT TO FULL FUNDING.
UM, AND WHAT WE PUT IN THE RESOLUTION WAS THAT THAT ONE BE BROUGHT TO FULL FUNDING.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME WITH ALL OF THESE AREAS TO, TO, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND FLESH OUT THE APPROPRIATE PLACES, BUT I DON'T, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST, AND AT LEAST IT WAS NOT THE INTENT OF THE AMENDMENT THAT, THAT, THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM, UH, WAIT, UH, IN TERMS OF IT BEING FULLY FUND.
SO WE CAN HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.
AND I AGREE WITH MY CARDIAC, YOU KNOW, WE NEED A LOT OF MENTAL HEALTH TO VIRGIN RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT WE'RE FACING HERE IN AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS AND I'VE BEEN READING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE DOING IT IN EUROPE AND, UH, AND OTHER PLACES IN THE WORLD.
AND, UH, THEY GOT VERY GOOD, GOOD PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, WITHOUT HAVING TO POLICE OFFICERS AND BOBBED AND, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH AND DISCO AND PATROL THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT ARE, UH, MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP THAT ARE HIRED OUT TO GO OUT TO DO THAT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEP POPPING OUT AT ME THAT THERE ARE, THEY REALLY DO WORK AND THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL WHERE PEOPLE CAN IMPLEMENT THAT WITH FOSSIL VERY EXPENSIVE AND IT COST A LOT TO IMPLEMENT THESE KIND OF PROGRAMS. SO I AM REALLY, REALLY WANT TO LOOK REALLY DOWN INTO AND TAKE ADVANTAGE AS MUCH AS WE CANDLE INTO WE'RE GOING INTO A, UH, FISCAL YEAR WITH, UH, WITH A LOT OF UNKNOWN WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO, UH, GENERATE IN REVENUE.
WE LOSE IT IN A LOT OF PART OF SALES REVENUE OUT THERE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE AVAILABLE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, UH, I, UM, CITY MANAGER, I THINK THAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS RIGHT.
WE NEED TO BREAK UP THESE DEPARTMENTS SO THAT WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, PICK IT OUT OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN HAVE THESE PROGRAMS TO HELP OUR CITIZENS AND LEAD US.
SO BY THE WAY, AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE, BUT I HOPE THAT YOU CAN GO OUT THERE AND FIND THE RESOURCES, AND WE SHOULD REALLY JUST START LOOKING AT WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SO WE CAN IMPLEMENT THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS. THANK YOU.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO
[01:05:01]
SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO HOW WE MIGHT INCORPORATE A, SORT OF A COMBINATION OF ZERO-BASED AND OUTCOMES BASED BUDGETING AS WAS IN 96.UM, MOVING FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET, UM, WHETHER IT'S IN FISCAL YEAR 21 ON MIDYEAR ARRANGEMENT OR FISCAL YEAR 22, UM, UNLESS WE KIND OF GO DOWN TO THE VERY BOTTOM AND REALLY TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW EVERY EXPENDITURE IS MEETING GOALS THAT WE HAVE AND OUTCOMES THAT WE WANT.
I'M NOT SURE HOW WE TRANSFORM THINGS.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S WAS SHORT ORDER, UM, FROM LAST WEEK TO, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THIS WEEKEND TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO YOUR BUDGET PROPOSAL, BUT I THINK WE NEED, WE NEED A PATH THAT, THAT HELPS US TO SEE HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT INVESTIGATION AND, AND, AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO UNPACK THE BUDGET.
UM, CAUSE IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE PUT FORWARD ABOUT A HUNDRED OR SO, UM, POSITION SAVINGS.
UM, THERE MAY BE A FEW THINGS THAT MOVE AROUND, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY BETWEEN THURSDAY AND TODAY, THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT QUITE GETTING US WHERE WE NEED, WE NEED TO DO SO.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW, HOW WE WOULD INCORPORATE, UM, THE ZERO-BASED NOT OUTCOMES BASED APPROACHES, UM, INTO THE TIMELINE AND THE TRAJECTORY.
UM, AND ALSO IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO HOW SOME OF THE WORK YOU INITIATED IN THE LAST BUDGET ABOUT COST EFFICIENCIES, ET CETERA, MIGHT BE, UM, DEPLOYED TO HELP US, UM, IN LOOKING AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN PARTICULAR, THANK YOU FOR THAT OPENING COUNCIL MEMBER.
I DO THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE COMING YEAR.
AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, UH, THERE JUST WASN'T ENOUGH TIME TO THINK MORE HOLISTICALLY ABOUT A ZERO BASED APPROACH FOR THIS NEXT, OR AT LEAST THE PROPOSAL THAT I WOULD BE PUTTING FORWARD IN JULY AS WE DO HAVE TO TIGHTEN THOSE SCREWS BEFORE THE, ESSENTIALLY BY TOMORROW THIS WEEKEND, UH, AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF THIS, BUT THE GROUNDWORK HAS BEEN LAID.
YOU KNOW, I REALLY THINK THAT NOT ONLY THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING BY DELINEATING THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE MIGHT BE THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT, UH, AS I WILL BE DOING IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, AND SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL DIRECTION THAT WAS GIVEN IN THAT RESOLUTION OF LOOKING AT ALL THE GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE APPROPRIATE RESOURCES THAT WOULD BE GOING TO THE DEPARTMENT? UH, BUT THERE IS A SEQUENCING WITH THAT BECAUSE WE NEED TO DEFINE WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS TO BE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN BUILD THE BUDGET BASED ON WHAT THOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I DO THINK OVER TIME THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE, UH, THROUGH THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, UH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A MORE ROBUST CONVERSATION ON HOW TO ESSENTIALLY, AS YOU, AS YOU POINTED OUT, HAVE A ZERO BASED BUDGETING EXERCISE FOR NOT ONLY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT, UH, OTHER DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
I THINK WE ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD OFF OF THE WORK THAT WE DID DO ON EFFICIENCY.
THAT IS SOME OF THAT'S LOOKING AT OUR SUPPORT SERVICES.
SO WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS, UH, RESOURCES FROM HR TO IT, TO, TO FINANCE THAT COULD BE DONE IN A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE.
AND THAT IS THE WORK ESSENTIALLY THAT, UH, PART OF, PART OF OUR EFFICIENCY STUDY IS MOVING FORWARD WITH.
AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE UPDATES TO NOT ONLY THIS COMMITTEE, BUT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, UH, AS WE HAVE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS GOING FORWARD, UH, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO ED TO SEE IF HE HAS ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS JUST AS THE BUDGET STRUCTURED.
CAUSE THERE ARE SOME TIME CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT ARE ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
YEAH, I JUST WOULD JUST ADD TO IT.
THE CITY MANAGER SAID THAT, UM, I FOR ONE WAS ACTUALLY VERY HAPPY THAT THAT WAS A FAIRLY LATE, BUT A GOOD ADD TO THE RESOLUTION FROM LAST WEEK BECAUSE ABSOLUTELY WE'RE GOING TO REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY IN AUSTIN.
THE CORE PART OF THAT HAS TO BE RETHINKING THE BUDGET FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE WILL BE PRESENTING THAT BUDGET PROPOSAL TO YOU ON JULY 13TH, WHICH FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES MEANS IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, WE NEED TO GET THE NUMBER BUTTON DOWN SO WE CAN PREPARE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION.
SO, UM, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT A FULLY RETHOUGHT OUTCOME-BASED ZERO BIG BUDGET AND TIME FOR FISCAL YEAR 21, BUT I AM EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT DOING THAT.
UM, AS PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 22 BUDGET.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, POTENTIALLY, WE COULD COME BACK, UM, WITH, UH, WITH A MIDYEAR CHANGE TO THE BUDGET AND IF THE TIMELINES THAT WERE ON ALLOW FOR THAT TO, UM, TO OCCUR.
BUT AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, WE REALLY DO NEED TO DO THE WORK.
FIRST OF FIGURING OUT WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE RE-IMAGINED
[01:10:01]
APPROACH TO RELEASING AND PROVIDING PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE CITY, UM, WHAT ARE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES GOING TO BE? AND IMPORTANTLY, WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE OUTCOMES WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE? AND THEN DO THE ZERO BASED BUDGETING BECAUSE IF WE START FROM ZERO WITH OUR CURRENT BULLS AND OUR CURRENT OBJECTIVES AND OUR CURRENT APPROACH TO POLICING, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU WE'RE GOING TO PRETTY MUCH BUILD IT UP FROM ZERO AND IT'S GOING TO LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE IT DOES NOW.SO WE REALLY HAVE TO FIRST HAVE THAT BROADER CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, UM, WHAT THE RE-IMAGINED, UH, FRAMEWORK REPUBLICS THEY DEAL WITH.
LIKE, UM, AND I KNOW THAT THEY NEED IT WASN'T MENTIONED, BUT I'M ALSO AN INITIATIVE WE LAUNCHED LAST YEAR WAS RELATED TO
UM, WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE, UM, AT, OR THE CITY MANAGER, IF YOU COULD PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARING BACK SOME OF THOSE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EFFICIENCY STUDY, UM, AND HOW THEY FIT INTO THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO, I WANTED TO ECHO ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT I THINK I HEARD, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASAR HIGHLIGHT, WHICH WAS, UM, DEALING WITH GUN VIOLENCE, UM, AND STEPS THAT WE CAN TAKE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT INVOLVE APD WITH RESPECT TO GUN VIOLENCE THAT OUR TASK FORCE WILL BE GETTING BACK TO US WITH, UM, SHORTLY, UM, THAT IT WAS MAY HAVE A REALLY BIG IMPACT ON SAFETY AND THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO THOSE.
UM, AND THEN AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WAYS, UM, TO REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR CONTRIBUTIONS, I ALSO WANT TO, UM, PUT OUT THERE THAT THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, UM, FOR YOUTH TRAINING, YOUTH LEADERSHIP, UM, COUNSELOR AND TRAINING KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, THE AQUATICS PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE FOR LIFEGUARDS, UM, AS WELL AS SOME PUBLIC SAFETY LIGHTING IN OUR PARKS AND FUNDING FOR SOME OF OUR REC CENTERS, LIKE THE MILLENNIUM YOUTH CENTER THAT ALL MAY, UM, CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER ENVIRONMENT, UM, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR YOUTH.
SO JUST AS A TIME CHECK, UM, UH, WE CAN DO A LITTLE BIT MORE, I WANT TO GET US INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I WILL SAY FROM MY PART, I AM INTERESTED IN AN ANALYSIS OF NINE 11 CALLS AND THE NATURE OF THOSE CALLS AT THE TIME SPENT ON THOSE CALLS AND THE RIDE ALONG THAT I DID, IT WAS VERY EYEOPENING THAT THERE'S WORK OFFICERS ARE DOING THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN OFFICER OR THE OFFICER COULD BE DOING THE FIRST 30 MINUTES OF, BUT NOT THE FOUR HOUR PARTS THAT I SAW THE OFFICER I WROTE ALONG WITH AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TRANSFER SOME OF THEIR DUTIES TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WE MANAGE THE WORK THEY HAVE TO DO.
WE ARE PRETENDING I SAW YOUR HAND UP.
YEAH, I KNOW WE, I KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH TO HEAR, WE CAN'T DO THIS, THIS BUDGET, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL DO THIS BUDGET AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL TIE THAT.
AND I TOLD HER, I UNDERSTAND ADD, AND I KNOW THIS IS HARD WORK AND, AND, AND WE ALL WISH WE WERE IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY RIGHT NOW, BUT I JUST CAN'T, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS MOMENT AND THE NEED FOR CHANGE.
AND WE KNOW THAT ONCE A BUDGET IS, IS APPROVED, IT'S, IT IS INCREDIBLY HARD TO MOVE, MOVE STUFF AROUND.
AND SO IF I, IF I MISUNDERSTOOD, I APOLOGIZE, BUT I FEEL LIKE, AND I'M EVEN MORE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION NOW, BECAUSE THE NEXT TIME WE MEET BE WHEN WE'RE GETTING A PRESENTATION OF WHAT THE BUDGET IS.
SO I GUESS MY THOUGHTS TO THE CITY MANAGER IS WE HAVE GOT TO BE PRESENTED WITH SOMETHING THAT PROVIDES A SIGNIFICANT, UM, MOVE TOWARDS, UM, DIVERTING FUNDS FROM THE WAY WE USED TO DO PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE WAY WE USED TO RESPOND, UM, IN A, IN OUR POLICE CAPACITY.
UH, BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT, OKAY, I GUESS MY HOPE IS, AS WE ALL MADE SOME VERY CLEAR STATEMENTS ABOUT WANTING CHANGE.
AND WITHOUT THAT, I DON'T, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF WE DON'T DO THAT WORK NOW, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE SIX VOTES TO PASS THE BUDGET? BUT THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE, YOU KNOW, ON THE LAST DAY OF OUR BUDGET RATINGS AND WE, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO
[01:15:01]
DO THAT WORK BECAUSE WE'VE TOLD OURSELVES, WELL, THAT'S TOO HARD TO DO RIGHT NOW.WE'LL MAKE SURE WE DO IT NEXT TIME.
UM, I JUST WANT NOT TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN'T PASS A BUDGET.
I HAVE, I KNOW THERE ARE CONCESSIONS MADE IN BUDGETS.
I'VE NEVER BEEN, NONE OF US HAVE EVER BEEN 100% HAPPY WITH EVERY BUDGET.
UM, BUT WE VOTED YES, BECAUSE NOT ALL OF US, BUT WE VOTED.
BECAUSE WE, UM, WE UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE STILL NEED TO OPERATE AS A CITY AND HAVE THAT BUDGET, BUT I CAN'T SEE MYSELF UNLESS THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT MOVE FROM, FROM MOVING FUNDS.
UM, I CAN'T SEE MYSELF VOTING YES.
ON, ON A BUDGET AND I WOULD HATE FOR MY LAST BUDGET TO BE A NO VOTE.
SO JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE, THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.
I THINK THAT WAS POINTED IN MY DIRECTION AND I, AND I WEAR IT WITH HONOR.
UH, UM, SO I THINK IT'S TIME TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? NO, NO, OBJECTION.
IT JUST SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE ALL ASKED FOR SHORT, LIKE IN SHORT ORDER, UM, THE NINE ONE, ONE CALLS BREAKDOWN THAT YOU MENTIONED, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SOME HEADS NODDING THAT SOME LEVEL OF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, AND, UH, SOME BETTER WAY TO LOOK AT THAT BUDGET, UH, THAN JUST THE BIG BUDGET BINDER SO THAT WE COULD DO THE WORK THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM MENTIONED.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT'S ABOUT 60 POSITIONS THAT COULDN'T BE FILLED NEXT YEAR, IT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL TO KNOW WHICH ASSUMPTIONS GO INTO THE BACKEND OF THAT, ESPECIALLY WHAT WE JUST HEARD ABOUT DELAYING THE CADET CLASS.
SO AT A MINIMUM, THOSE THREE THINGS IN AN EMAIL TO US WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL.
THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER DOCUMENTS MENTIONED BY, UH, BY MEMBERS, BUT THOSE THREE THINGS WOULD ALL BE VERY HELPFUL FOR ME.
CAUSE NUMBER HOPPER, MADISON, A CHAIR, COULD YOU GIVE ME SOME CLARITY? ARE WE COMING BACK OUT HERE AFTER EXEC SESSION? YES.
WE WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE'LL COME BACK OUT AND TAKE UP THE OTHER TWO ITEMS, WHICH WILL BE THE VIEW OF THE YEAH.
WE'LL REVIEW THE PROTESTS AND WE WILL REVIEW THE GENERAL ORDERS, UH, AND, UH, THE ITEM FROM THE MAIN PROTEST.
AND YOU, IN WHICH CASE, ONE OF THE THINGS I'LL KEEP TO MYSELF FOR NOW, BUT SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE LIST OF POINTS OF CONSIDERATION.
THIS WAS A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD BEFORE.
S SCOTT AND SLUNG HIM RIGHT INTO AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, TERRITORY.
UM, BUT WE WERE HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS LAST YEAR ABOUT DISPATCH.
UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THESE OTHER POINTS OF CONSIDERATION, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D REALLY LIKE FOR US AS A BODY TO REALLY START HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IS THE EFFICACY OF DISPATCH.
LIKE WHAT TOOLS ARE WE DEPLOYING AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES, ET CETERA.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME NATIONWIDE PUSH FOR FOLKS TO JUST REALLY TALK ABOUT HOW TO REALLY, AS A NATION, YOU KNOW, HAVE SORT OF THIS UNILATERAL, UM, RETOOLING OF DISPATCH SYSTEMS. AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY COULD DIVE INTO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DEPLOYING THE APPROPRIATE TOOL FOR THE APPROPRIATE CALL AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND SO IF WE, AS A BODY COULD START HAVING THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL, I KNOW THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS WE CALLED FOR THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO, UM, UH, TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO CAUSE NUMBER ELLIS, I'LL BE VERY BRIEF.
UM, BUT WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER HEPPER MADISON SAID, UM, MADE ME WANT TO ALSO ASK ABOUT SHIFT CHANGES.
THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF INCIDENTS IN THE PAST YEAR WHERE SOMETHING HAPPENED DURING A SHIFT CHANGE AND THERE WAS A DELAY IN RESPONSE.
AND SO I WANT TO KNOW KIND OF MORE ABOUT HOW TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE GAPS IN SERVICE DURING SHIFT CHANGES.
THAT'S A GOOD CONVERSATION, CAUSE IT DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
CAUSE NUMBER TOGO, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? I DID HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER CITY MANAGER.
THANK YOU FOR THE MEMO OF YESTERDAY.
I HAD A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU REGARDING, UM, SOMETHING YOU MENTIONED ON PAGE TWO OF THREE ABOUT LAUNCHING CREATING A CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION.
THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN AUSTIN, UM, IS THAT ANTICIPATED TO BE WITHIN THE POLICE OVERSIGHT, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT OR IS THIS IN SOME WAY LINKED TO OUR, OUR NEW CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE? UH, IT'S THE LATTER COUNCIL MEMBER.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
IT WOULD BE, UH, WHETHER IT'S CALLED AN OFFICE DIVISION, BUT IT WOULD BE INDEPENDENCE OF BOTH HR AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS, PARTICULARLY NOT WITHIN OPO OR WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT WE'RE WORKING OUT SOME OF THOSE DETAILS.
THERE WILL BE A REPORT THAT'S FORTHCOMING, IT'S KIND OF IN THE FINAL DRAFT STAGES THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, BUT I, AFTER NOT ONLY HEARING FROM, UH, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS, BUT TALKING TO STAFF, I WANTED TO ACCELERATE THAT WORK AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT SLOWING DOWN TO, TO ESTABLISH THAT, THAT, UM, ENTITY GOING FORWARD.
I THINK A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER MIGHT BE ON THE LINE AND IF I MISS ANYTHING, SHE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CHIME IN, BUT I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION JUST TO CLARIFY.
[01:20:01]
IS THE CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE THAT WAS CONTEMPLATED AND HAD COME FORWARD.AND SO I GUESS, AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TIME TODAY, BUT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW SORT OF HOW, HOW YOU ARE RECONCEPTUALIZING IT BASED ON, ON, UM, SOME OF THE CURRENT IMPERATIVES AND RESOLUTIONS.
UM, I WAS CLEAR WITH KIND OF WHAT ITS RULES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, AS A, A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK MORE WITH STAFF ABOUT HOW THAT'S, HOW THAT'S, UM, SORT OF DEVELOPING GREAT.
AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, WE'LL JUST FOLLOW UP WITH A MEMO TO ALL, ALL MAYOR AND COUNCIL ABOUT THAT STATUS.
I DID IT PROMOTE THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER INTO THE MEETING? YEAH, SHE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT WHILE HER TECH CATCHES UP TO THE MEETING COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
ALSO, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE SEE THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, UM, WEAVING WITH OUR NEW PROCESSES, UM, IN THE PAST THEY WERE PART OF THE CITIZEN REVIEW AND OVERSIGHT AND, UM, AND THAT DROPPED OUT IN OUR LAST ITERATION OF THE CONTRACT AND SOME CHANGES THAT WE MADE.
SO I'D LIKE TO GO BACK AND REVIEW THAT AND SEE IF WE CAN'T LEAVE THOSE MOST EXCELLENT VOLUNTEERS BACK INTO THESE PROCESSES MORE FULLY.
THANK YOU, CUSTOMER POOL FOR MENTIONING THAT WE'RE ALREADY PLANNING TO ENGAGE WITH THE CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
THEY HAVE ALREADY REACHED OUT TO ALL OF US, UH, WITH THOSE SAME THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO START ENGAGING IN THAT CONVERSATION.
I WANTED TO GET THROUGH THROUGH TODAY, UH, FIRST, UH, MARIA, DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? I, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM, UM, THE EXPECTATION EXACTLY AS THE CITY MANAGER HAD SAID, ALTHOUGH THE GROUP HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT BROADENING THIS WORK.
AND SO WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT CERTAINLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION, UM, AND SOME OF THE WORKPLACE ISSUES THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE, BUT THERE WAS ALSO A NOT IN THE FUTURE TO EXPAND TO A VARIETY OF, OF BROADER ISSUES AS WELL.
SO WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED AND WE CAN LOOK BACK.
[Executive Session]
OTHER OBJECTIONS TO MOVING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? OKAY.I WILL SEE YOU ALL ON THE OTHER SIDE WHILE I READ THE SCRIPT FOR THE PUBLIC WHO DOESN'T NORMALLY WATCH COUNCIL MEETINGS, THIS IS THE LEGAL EASE WE HAVE TO READ.
BEFORE WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE COMMITTEE WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP ONE ITEM PURSUANT TO SECTION FIVE, FIVE, ONE OH SEVEN, FOUR OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.
THE COMMITTEE WILL CONSIDER ITEM SIX, DISCUSS THE EMPLOYMENT AND DUTIES OF THE CITY MANAGER HEARING.
THE COMMITTEE WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
LET'S GET STARTED AND I'LL WORK ON THAT WHILE WE GET GOING.
SO THE, HOPEFULLY THE PUBLIC IS ABLE TO SEE, SO THIS IS THE LEGAL STUFF I HAVE TO READ.
WHEN WE FINISH OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE ARE NOW OUT OF CLOSED SESSION IN CLOSED SESSION.
WE CONSIDERED PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO ITEM SIX.
SO NOW WE CAN PROCEED WITH OUR MEETING.
WE ARE GOING TO TAKE UP ITEMS ONE AND TWO, UH, AND ACM ARIANO.
UH, BEFORE WE DO THAT, UH, CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO JUST MAKE YOUR STATEMENT AND THEN YOU ARE DISMISSED.
SO FOR US TO FINISH THIS MEETING.
COUNCIL MEMBER AND COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL, UH, MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, I REALLY APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK AND COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT WE WERE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE THAT WE NEED FOR THE CITY AND HOW YOU'LL BE HOLDING ME ACCOUNTABLE.
SO IN TURN, HOLD MY ENTIRE EXECUTIVE TEAM ACCOUNTABLE, UH, INCLUDING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY LEADERSHIP, UH, THAT INCLUDES OUR CHIEF AND I'VE HAD MANY POINTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
UH, I ASSURE YOU THAT BOTH THE CHIEF MANLEY AND THE ENTIRE PUBLIC SAFETY TEAM ARE COMMITTED TO THIS TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE.
AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, WE UPHOLD EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT MANNER.
AND SO WITH THAT, I TURN IT BACK TO YOUR CHAIR.
THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, AND AGAIN FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, A LOT OF, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS YET TO COME.
NONE OF THIS IS MOVING AS FAST AS I THINK, AS ANY OF US ON THE COUNCIL WANTED TO MOVE, BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOWN TO 15 MINUTES TO GO.
SO LET US JUMP INTO THE LAST TWO ITEMS ON THIS AGENDA, AND LET'S START WITH A REVIEW
[Item 1]
OF THE PROTESTS AND WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH THAT, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.ARIANNA, ARE YOU GOING TO LEAD ON THIS DISCUSSION? UM, SHAREPOINT AGAIN, LET ME JUST MAKE SOME OPENING REMARKS AGAIN, CERTAINLY THE EVENTS OF THE MAY PROTESTS, UM, SET A IN MOTION, UH, KIND OF THE, THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE CURRENTLY TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT MEANINGFUL CHANGES IN THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS.
UH, CLEARLY THERE, IT TAKES TIME TO DO SOME OF THESE THINGS.
I THINK WHAT WE'LL SEE IS WHERE THE JUNE PROTESTS, AGAIN, A RECOGNITION OF HOW WE MIGHT, MIGHT BE ABLE TO AND MUST BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
UH, WHAT WE'LL DO HERE IS I'LL ASK CHIEF MANLY TO
[01:25:01]
PROVIDE, UH, HIS, UH, BRIEFING BRIEFS, UH, COMMENTS, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE CHANGES THAT HE SAW OR THAT YOU CAN PROTEST TO THIS POINT.AND I'VE ASKED, UM, CHIEF RODRIGUEZ TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT IN TERMS OF, UM, INJURIES THAT THEY MAY HAVE TRANSPORTED DURING THAT TIMEFRAME.
AND THEN ENDED UP WITH, UH, DIRECTOR OF PARENT MUST GET DENTAL OVERSIGHT TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO A PLACE THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED ON DURING THIS TIME.
AND SO WITH THAT, LET ME ASK, UH, CHIEF MALLEY TO PROVIDE HIS, UH, UH, BRAKING, CERTAINLY GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I'LL MAKE JUST A BRIEF COMMENT REGARDING THE MANAGER'S COMMENT A MOMENT AGO, UH, UH, CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, GAY.
AND I ACTUALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN A MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS LEADERSHIP CORE TEAM EARLIER THIS WEEK, WHERE WE REALLY DID TALK ABOUT RE-IMAGINING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THINGS THAT POTENTIALLY COULD HAPPEN.
OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THEM EASIER THAN OTHERS, BUT LOOKED AT THOSE FUNCTIONS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO LIE WITHIN A POLICE AGENCY, BUT EITHER DO BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS HAVE, OR BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR THEM.
UH, I WOULD JOIN PROBABLY EVERYONE THAT'S ON THIS CALL AND ON THIS COMMITTEE AND SAYING THAT OFTENTIMES WE HAVE OUR POLICE OFFICERS RESPONDING TO INCIDENTS THAT WE ARE NEITHER THE BEST TRAINED, NOR EQUIPPED FOR.
WE ARE JUST SIMPLY THE ONLY RESOURCE OUT THERE.
SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THESE DISCUSSIONS AND THIS CITY BUILDS ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HANDLE SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE A ARMED POLICE OFFICER, WE STAND READY AND LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS AS WE REIMAGINE THESE THINGS GOING, GOING FORWARD.
UH, AND I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT AS WE SEE REPORTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY OF POLICE OFFICERS WALKING AWAY FROM THEIR JOBS, WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT HERE IN AUSTIN, THE WOMEN AND MEN THAT SERVE OUR COMMUNITY ARE COMMITTED.
THEY ARE SHOWING UP EVERY DAY, THEY ARE GIVING IT THEIR ALL UNDER SOME VERY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO THIS IS A DEPARTMENT TO BE PROUD OF, BUT LIKE ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE ARE NOT PERFECT.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE AREAS WHERE WE CAN, AND ESPECIALLY AS WE TALK ABOUT, RE-ENGINEERING WHAT WE WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
AND TO THAT I'LL LEAD INTO CHANGES THAT WE MADE BASED ON THE FIRST WEEKEND OF PROTEST ACTIVITIES.
SO THEN I KNOW OUR TIME IS SHORT, SO I'LL FOCUS ON THE, WHAT WE'VE SEEN SINCE THAT TIME.
AND WE DID MAKE SOME IMMEDIATE POLICY CHANGES SUBSEQUENT TO THAT FIRST WEEKEND.
UM, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DID ONCE WE REALIZED, UH, THE INJURIES THAT WERE BEING SUSTAINED BY THE USE OF A TOOL OR LESS LETHAL SHOTGUN THAT WE HAVE HAD IN OUR DEPARTMENT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND NOT SEEN THAT TYPE OF A, UH, AN INJURY PATTERN, WE IMMEDIATELY CEASED THE USE OF THAT IN CROWD SITUATIONS CHANGED THAT POLICY IMMEDIATELY.
UH, WE ALSO IMMEDIATELY CEASED THE ABILITY TO USE TEAR GAS ON THOSE THAT HAVE GATHERED, UH, MASS GATHERINGS, UH, DOING, UH, THE PEACEFUL PROTESTS.
WE PUT A STOP TO THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN, ALTHOUGH IT WAS NEVER USED FOR THIS HEARING, THE CONCERNS RAISED LAST WEEK, OVER OUR LONG RANGE ACOUSTICAL DEVICE, THAT WE HAVE THE LRN, WE ARE WRITING THAT INTO POLICY.
WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN OUR PRACTICE THAT THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THAT AS A SOUND, A WEAPON FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, UH, IS PROHIBITED.
AND IT IS TO ONLY BE USED AS A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT SYSTEM, AS WE HAVE ON TOP OF POLICY CHANGES, THOUGH, WE MADE ADDITIONAL CHANGES THAT I THINK, UH, GIVEN WHAT WE SAW AS A CHANGE IN THE PROTESTS THEMSELVES, THE FACT THAT THEY HAD RETURNED TO WHAT WE TYPICALLY SEE IN AUSTIN, A CITY THAT IS HOME TO MANY DEMONSTRATIONS THAT WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY INTERACTED WITH OVER THE YEARS AND EVEN PARTICIPATED IN SOME, WE SAW THAT RETURN AFTER THAT FIRST WEEKEND.
AND WE SAW QUITE A DIFFERENT SENSE, UH, IN, IN THESE PROTESTS, WE MADE CHANGES.
WE ACTUALLY FORMED A PRIOR TO THAT SECOND WEEKEND, WHAT WE CALL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAMS, TEAMS OF OFFICERS THAT ACTUALLY GO OUT INTO THE DEMONSTRATORS AND OPEN THEMSELVES UP FOR CONVERSATION, TRYING TO ENGAGE THE DEMONSTRATORS IN CONVERSATION SINCE THESE DEMONSTRATIONS ARE SO MUCH ABOUT POLICING AND POLICE ISSUES, UH, A NATIONAL ISSUE THAT OBVIOUSLY WE SAW HAPPEN, UM, UH, THAT LED TO ALL OF THESE DEMONSTRATIONS, BUT OUR OWN LOCAL OFFICER INVOLVED INCIDENT AS WELL.
SO THEY ARE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY RE BUILDING UPON THAT TRUST ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
WE ALSO SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, AVOID WHAT WAS THE CONFRONTATION LINE.
AT TIMES WHEN WE HAVE OFFICERS STANDING THERE, EITHER WITH THEIR BIKES OR RIGHT AT A BARRICADE, IT ALLOWS FOR SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY THAT SOMETIMES THAT CAN ESCALATE THINGS.
SO WE BROUGHT IN WATER BARRICADES SO THAT OUR OFFICERS COULD HAVE A MUCH GREATER STANDOFF.
[01:30:01]
PROVIDE THE SECURITY AROUND THE EVENT, BUT OUR OFFICERS DIDN'T HAVE TO BE DIRECTLY OUT THERE.WE ALSO SAW SOME DANGEROUS ACTIVITY WITH VEHICLES THAT WERE EITHER DRIVING TOWARDS OR DIRECTLY AT THOSE THAT WERE OUT PROTESTING AND DEMONSTRATING IN THE STREETS, MADE A COUPLE OF ARRESTS FOR DWI IN THOSE INSTANCES.
SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, ANYTIME PEOPLE ARE OUT ON A ROADWAY, THAT'S TRAVELED, THERE IS INHERENT DANGER THERE, EVEN WHEN WE PUT UP BARRICADES.
SO WE CREATED A WATER BARRICADE AREA ON EIGHTH STREET AS A SAFE ZONE FOR THOSE THAT WERE COMING OUT, WANTING TO DEMONSTRATE AND WANTING TO FEEL SAFE FROM THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF VEHICLES THAT WERE TRAVELING ON THE ROAD.
SO WE ADDED THAT TO, UM, TO, UH, OUR, OUR APPROACH AS WELL.
AND THEN WE ALSO, WHEN APPROPRIATE ARE WEARING, UH, LESS OF THE TACTICAL GEAR AND REALLY ONLY TRYING TO HAVE THAT IN USE AT THOSE TIMES WHERE IT MAY BE NECESSARY.
SO THAT'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, UH, IN, IN THAT AREA TO TRY AND HANDLE THE, UH, THE PROTESTS THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN, UH, I GUESS, LET ME, LET ME STOP THERE.
CAUSE I KNOW TIME IS SHORT, NOT, I DON'T WANT TO GO OFF TOPIC IF THERE'S THINGS I HAVE HERE THAT YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED IN.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE A CHANCE FOR CHIEF RODRIGUEZ TO TALK ABOUT FOLKS WHO WERE INJURED TO THE EXTENT THAT OBVIOUSLY UNDER, UNDER HIPAA GUIDELINES AND OTHER GUIDELINES, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE TALK ABOUT, BUT I WANT TO HEAR FROM CHIEF RODRIGUEZ.
AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT ON THE COMPLAINTS TO FREDERICK.
A COMMITTEE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND COUNCIL.
MATTER OF FACT, AGAIN FOR, FOR HOSTING THIS MEETING TODAY, ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME OKAY.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, TAKE MANLY WHAT EVER YOU'VE DONE.
YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT SEEM TO BE HAVING A GREAT IMPACT.
I HAVE THE GOOD NEWS OF HAVING NO MORE INJURIES TO REPORT ON, UH, SINCE THE CHANGES YOU'VE MADE AND, AND I THINK THAT'S TREMENDOUS.
UH, SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO SAY THAT IT SEEMS THAT SOME OF THE, THE GREATER INJURIES THAT WE SAW PREVIOUSLY ARE NOT CONTINUING TO OCCUR.
UH, AND WE'VE HAD VERY, VERY FEW INCIDENCES THAT THAT EMS HAS HAD TO RESPOND TO.
SO, UH, CHANGES SEEM TO BE WORKING.
UM, AT THE LAST REPORT THAT I GAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN ASKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER DATA AVAILABLE, UH, FROM HOSPITALS, UH, REGARDING THE INJURIES, WORKING WITH THE APH, A TEAM THAT DOES THE EPIDEMIOLOGIST EPIDEMIOLOGICAL WORK, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A REPORT TOGETHER AND WE'LL BE SENDING THAT REPORT, OR MAYBE ALREADY HAVE IN BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR YOU JUST TO SUMMARIZE, THEY IDENTIFIED ABOUT 27 INJURIES WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF ABOUT 25 YEARS OLD, UH, WITH ABOUT 88 TO 90, 89%, UH, INVOLVING, UH, THE NON-LETHAL MUSICIANS.
UM, AND MOST OF THE, UH, THE, THE ED VISITS OCCURRED BETWEEN 2:00 PM AND 1:00 AM.
SO THEY WERE AFTERNOON TO LATE OR EARLY MORNING TYPES OF INJURIES.
UM, REALLY, I WAS ALSO ASKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY UPDATES ON THE CONDITIONS OF SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF PRIVACY LIVES, I'M NOT ABLE TO GET ANY INFORMATION.
UM, HOSPITALS CAN'T RELEASE THAT INFORMATION TO ME UNLESS THE PATIENT WANTS TO RELEASE THAT.
AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO EXERCISE ANY KIND OF, UH, DOCUMENTS OR RELEASES OR ANYTHING IN THE TIME THAT WE, THAT WE'VE HAD RECENTLY.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING NEW TO REPORT ON THE INJURIES OR UPDATES ON, ON THE PATIENTS.
UH, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES KIND OF, WE LIVE IN A VERY UNIQUE INTERSECTION.
IT'S AN INTERSECTION BETWEEN HEALTH CARE, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND WE ARE OUR CLINICIANS PRACTICE RIGHT INSIDE OF THAT DOMAIN.
SO IT'S WHERE SEVERAL KEY THINGS MEET THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE EXCITED, UH, TO HELP IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN TO BE SUPPORTIVE AND TO EXERCISE AND LEVERAGE OUR CAPABILITIES GOING FORWARD.
UM, JUST TO PREVIEW A QUESTION, I DID NOT EMAIL YOU, BUT WE'D LIKE YOU TO ADDRESS AFTER OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
UM, THE, THE NUMBER OF EMS FOLKS WHO'VE REACHED OUT TO ME ABOUT THEIR HESITATION TO CALL ON APD IN CERTAIN CASES, UNRELATED TO THE PROTEST.
BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
DEAN, ARE YOU REMARK ON THAT? GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR COUNCIL, FAIR MUSTARD IN DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON WHERE WE AT WITH, UM, FORMAL COMPLAINTS THAT WE'VE SUBMITTED TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR OUR INVESTIGATION.
UM, SO OUR CURRENT NUMBER, UM, UP UNTIL THE LAST NIGHT IS 255 COMPLAINTS, UM, THAT WE'VE SUBMITTED
[01:35:01]
FOR INVESTIGATION.WE'VE HAD OVER 900 CONTACTS IN OUR OFFICE BETWEEN JANUARY 1ST TO YESTERDAY.
AND THOSE VARY FROM PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, AND THE ONLINE COMPLAINT FORM.
AND JUST TO GO OVER, GENERALLY, SOME BUCKETS THAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE THREE, UM, THREE INCIDENTS THAT, THAT YOU'RE ALL AWARE OF THAT HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF MEDIA ATTENTION.
UM, AND THEN SPECIFICALLY USE OF THE BEAN BAGS AND THE RUBBER BULLETS, UM, PEPPER SPRAY DIRECTLY AT PEOPLE IN THEIR FACES, UM, UM, ATTITUDE, KIND OF IMPARTIAL ATTITUDE, UM, OFFICERS WITH OFFICERS ENGAGED WITH, UM, WITH THE PUBLIC AT THE PROTEST.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT A HALF A DOZEN SPECIFICALLY NAMED OFFICERS THAT HAVE A GROUP OF COMPLAINTS, UM, IN GENERAL USE OF FORCE AS IT RELATES TO PUSHING AND SHOVING INDIVIDUALS.
UM, I AM GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE L READ.
UM, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A BUCKET OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT, UM, THE DEPLOYMENT OF THAT SOUND DEVICE AND ITS IMPACT ON INDIVIDUALS HEARING.
SO DO YOU THINK THAT, UM, I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT NOW THAT IS A HUGE, HUGE IMPROVEMENT.
UM, BUT GENERALLY, UM, THEY WERE, THEY REPRESENT SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS THAT COMMUNITY HAD ABOUT THE TACTICS THAT WERE USED.
UM, THAT'S CLEARLY THE GENERAL THEME OF MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS.
UM, IT IS, UM, THE TWO 55 IS PRETTY, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
WE'RE WORKING WITH, UM, I KNOW INTERNAL AFFAIRS IS, UM, DEVELOPING A BUCKET LIST AND WE WILL GET THAT LIST, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW TO DIVIDE THE INCIDENTS.
WE WILL GET THAT LIST ON TUESDAY AND HOPEFULLY COME TO AN AGREEMENT ABOUT, UM, THE COMPLAINTS THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED.
UM, BUT THAT'S CURRENTLY THE STAGE THAT WE'RE AT, WHERE THEY'RE STILL COMING IN.
WE'D BEEN JUST THIS WEEK, WE'VE SUBMITTED EIGHT EACH DAY.
UM, AND SO WE, UM, THEY'RE SLOWING DOWN, BUT THEY'RE STILL COMING.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, TO DATE WE'RE AT 255 NOTICES, A FORMAL COMPLAINT THAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED TO INTERNAL.
SO THE LAST THING I WANT Y'ALL LOOK, THE LAST THING I WANT YOU ALL TO ADDRESS, UM, BEFORE WE TAKE QUESTIONS IS THE MORE RECENT VIDEOS THAT WE'VE SEEN.
AND I APPRECIATE CHIEF RODRIGUEZ, UM, REMARKING ABOUT THE INJURIES THEY'VE SEEN, BUT WE'RE ALSO BEING SENT VIDEOS BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
SO CHIEF, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN ADDRESS, BUT I FEEL IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND I, AND, AND I, I HAD THAT IN MY NOTES.
I WASN'T SURE IF WE WERE GOING TO GO THERE.
THERE IS ONE I KNOW THAT IS GETTING SOME PARTICULAR ATTENTION OF AN ARREST OF AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS TAKEN DOWN TO THE GROUND AND IN THE PROCESS OF BEING HANDCUFFED, UH, THERE ARE TWO OFFICERS ATTEMPTING TO PUT HIM INTO CUFFS.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE JOINS IN ON THE HANDCUFF.
AND THERE ARE VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT ARE, UM, INDICATING THAT HE WAS ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S NECK.
THERE IS BODY WORN CAMERA, UM, THAT INDIVIDUAL, UH, THE SUSPECT THAT WAS ARRESTED IN THAT INCIDENT, UH, FROM THE TIME THE INITIAL OFFICER MADE CONTACT AND TOOK HIM TO THE GROUND TO THE TIME HE WAS STOOD BACK UP AND WALKED AWAY TO ARREST WAS JUST OVER 30 SECONDS.
SO EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED THERE HAPPENED VERY QUICK AND IT IS ALL UNDER REVIEW RIGHT NOW.
OOPS, I'VE BEEN SO GOOD AT THAT.
UM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS QUESTIONS, PROPER MEDICINE.
I MEAN, JUST WITH THE SHEER NUMBERS THAT DR.
MUSKEGON JUST PRESENTED, I'M HAVING A TOUGH TIME IMAGINING THAT THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO PROCESS THIS.
AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS A BODY, HOW QUICKLY CAN WE INFORM COUNCILS ABILITY AND THE, THE MANAGER'S ABILITY TO HELP TO FORTIFY THAT OFFICE.
IT DOESN'T SOUND EVEN HUMANLY POSSIBLE PROCESS THAT MUCH IN THE WAY OF JUST MAYBE I'M SPEAKING OUT OF TURN DIRECTOR MUST GET IN, BUT I MEAN, DO Y'ALL NEED IMMEDIATE HELP IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
LIKE, IT'S SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU PROBABLY NEED SOME IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY ALL THOSE ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS.
WELL, I AM FORTUNATE AND PROUD TO HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM.
AND, UM, I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PULL IN MY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM TO HELP PROCESS SOME OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND ALSO HANDLE THE PHONES BECAUSE OUR PHONES HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY.
UM, BUT I'M PROUD THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SUBMIT THESE 255.
AND I'M ALSO FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY MANAGER AND THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER WHO ALLOW ME TO HIRE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP US NOT ONLY PROCESS THESE COMPLAINTS, BUT AS THEY GO INTO INVESTIGATION THAT WILL, UM, NEED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN, WE HAVE ONE PERSON THAT WE BROUGHT ON
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AND WE HAVE ANOTHER PIPELINE.SO THAT WILL BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL, PARTICULARLY AS WE GET INTO THE MONITORING OF THE INVESTIGATION STAGE, BECAUSE THAT WILL BE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT GIVEN THIS NUMBER, BUT I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL GET THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED.
I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION AS A RESULT OF THAT ONE QUESTION, I'M SORRY.
I'M HEARING FEEDBACK FROM SOMEBODY ON THE OTHER THING I WOULD ASK IS, UM, IT WOULD STAND TO REASON FOR ME THAT AS WE'RE MOVING INTO THIS PROCESS OF RE-IMAGINING RETOOLING, RIGHT-SIZING OUR RESOURCES.
UM, SHOULD IT COME OUT THAT SOME OF THOSE, UH, HALF DOZEN OR SO OFFICERS WHO'VE RECEIVED, UM, COMPLAINTS THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS PROCESS, UM, SHOULD IT COME OUT THAT THEY HAD ANY PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS AND, OR, UM, MISCONDUCT, UH, ON THE RECORD, WHAT WOULD BE THE, THE NEXT STEP? UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, JUST FROM A PROCEDURAL PERSPECTIVE.
SO JUST THE DISCIPLINE SYSTEM AT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS IT'S BOTH WRITTEN WITHIN POLICY AND WE HAVE A DISCIPLINE MATRIX AND IT'S PROGRESSIVE.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE LOOK AT THINGS IS IF AN OFFICER HAS COMMITTED A POLICY VIOLATION AND THEY HAVE PRIOR POLICY VIOLATIONS, UH, WITH PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE, YOU WOULD SEE A DIFFERENT DISCIPLINE THAN AN OFFICER WHO WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A PRIOR SIMILAR DISCIPLINE.
SO IT'S OUTLINED IN OUR POLICY, WE HAVE A DISCIPLINE MATRIX AND IT IS PROGRESSIVE IN NATURE, SO THAT SUBSEQUENT SIMILAR VIOLATIONS ARE HANDLED AT A MORE SERIOUS LEVEL.
CHIEF IS THE DISCIPLINE MATRIX AVAILABLE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO VIEW AND WHERE CAN THEY FIND THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
IF YOU JUST GO TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE AND YOU PULL UP OUR POLICY MANUAL, IT IS ACTUALLY WITHIN OUR POLICY MANUAL.
IF YOU JUST WORD SEARCH IT FOR MATRIX, IT'S A, IT RESIDES WITHIN THE POLICY.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MUSCULAR, OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS, QUESTIONS, CUSTOMER CONCERN.
SO SHE, THANKS FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE THERE'S A NATIONAL ELEMENT TO THE DEMONSTRATIONS AS WELL AS A LOCAL ELEMENT.
AND, UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SO MANY FOLKS CONCERNED AND ALL OF US HERE CONCERNED WITH, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE KILLING OF, OF MIKE RAMOS.
AND SO CAN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, UH, DURING TESTIMONY, INCLUDING FROM, UH, MR. RAMOS, HIS MOTHER DURING LIVE TESTIMONY WAS WHEN THE ADMINISTRATIVE END OF THE INVESTIGATION AND WHEN A DECISION WOULD COME OUT ON THAT CASE, IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT THE CITY COUNCILS, UH, WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE THAT THAT'S LIES WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S AUTHORITY.
I DO REMEMBER THAT, UM, IN THE, UH, CALLING THEM DAVID JOSEPH, THAT THE DECISION CAME OUT FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OVER FIVE WEEKS AFTER THE INCIDENT.
NOW I KNOW THAT EACH CASE IS DIFFERENT AND I CERTAINLY WANT THE INVESTIGATION BE THOROUGH AND COMPLETE, BUT IT HAS BEEN QUITE SOME TIME.
AND SO I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE TIMELINE IS, UH, OUR, ON OUR END TO BE ABLE TO AT LEAST GIVE SOME LEVEL OF, OF EXPECTATION TO THE COMMUNITY, SINCE THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT THIS WAS ABOUT, CERTAINLY COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CONCURRENT INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW INTO THAT INCIDENT.
ONE BEING THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, BEING CONDUCTED BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT, ALONG WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE TEXAS RANGERS AND THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND THEN THE INTERNAL PROCESS IS THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED BY THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION, ALONG WITH OVERSIGHT FROM THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE CONCURRENTLY WHEN WE DO NOT HANDLE THE ADMINISTRATIVE PORTION OF THE CASE UNTIL THE CRIMINAL PORTION HAS BEEN ADDRESSED.
AND SO IN THIS INSTANCE, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAS ALREADY STATED THAT SHE'S GOING TO TAKE THIS CASE TO THE GRAND JURY.
AND I CONFIRMED WITH HER TODAY THAT THIS STILL HAS NOT CHANGED AS FAR AS POTENTIAL DATES.
AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE GIVEN THE COVID ISSUES AND THE LACK OF A SPECIAL GRAND JURY AT THIS TIME, THE EARLIEST TIME THAT SHE WOULD HAVE A SPECIAL GRAND JURY SEATED TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW THIS CASE WOULD BE AUGUST.
SO WHILE WE WILL CONTINUE TO CONDUCT OUR INVESTIGATION, WE WILL WAIT FOR THE GRAND JURY TO MAKE A DETERMINATION.
AND THEN AFTER THEY MAKE THEIR DETERMINATION IS WHEN WE WOULD HANDLE THE ADMINISTRATIVE PORTION OF THAT CASE.
AND SO WHY WAS IT DIFFERENT, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE CASE, UH, THE OFFICER FREEMAN, UH, WASN'T THAT COMPLETED
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AND DETERMINED? WELL, BEFORE THE GRAND JURY SAW THAT CASE, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE, UH, THE TIMELINES AND THE OUTCOMES.I OBVIOUSLY REMEMBER THE INCIDENT.
IT WAS MONTHS BEFORE THE GRAND JURY DECIDED THAT CASE.
SO IS IT, IS IT A MATTER OF POLICY AND WHY, WHY DOES THE POLICY APPLY DIFFERENTLY IN DIFFERENT CASES? AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER, I WOULD WANT TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE SPECIFICS OF THAT CASE.
THE PRACTICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WE LET THE, UH, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY REVIEW THAT CASE FIRST BEFORE WE HANDLE THE ADMINISTRATIVE PORT PORTION.
BUT I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE SPECIFICS OF THAT INCIDENT TO DETERMINE WHY IT WAS HANDLED IN THAT WAY.
IS IT, AND IT'S NOT BY LAW, THAT'S JUST BY PRACTICE.
IT HAS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ASKED FOR US TO WAIT ON THIS CASE.
I HAVEN'T ASKED HER WHETHER OR NOT SHE PREFERS THAT WE WAIT ON THIS CASE.
CAUSE THAT HAS JUST BEEN OUR ESTABLISHED PROTOCOL.
THAT'S I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD FOR US TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN, BECAUSE FROM, I THINK YOU AND I WERE BOTH THERE, MANY OF US WERE ON COUNCIL AT THE TIME.
AND THERE WAS BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF, OF CONCERN AND HOW SERIOUS THE CASE WAS.
AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY OUR HIGHEST PROFILE CASE SINCE THEN.
UM, I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY ON LEADERSHIP AT THE TIME SAID, IT'S IMPORTANT TO WRAP THAT UP QUICKLY AND THIS GRAND JURY THING WAS NOT AN ISSUE THEN.
UM, AND SO I, I WOULD WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY WOULD HE BE MAKING A DIFFERENT DECISION IN THIS CASE? UH, I WOULD NOT WANT TO, UM, MESS UP ANY CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, BUT OF COURSE I WOULD WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE WOULD BE INTERFERING IT WITHIN IT IN ANY WAY, OR IF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY THOUGHT WE WOULD BE INTERFERING IN ANY WAY, BECAUSE IN THE ONLY OTHER CASE THAT I THINK HAS REACHED THIS LEVEL OF PUBLIC ATTENTION SINCE WE'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, UM, IT'S IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT JUST OVER FIVE WEEKS, SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE A GRAND JURY WAS AT PANEL.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE CULTURED OUT.
I'M NOT TRYING TO RUSH ANYTHING, BUT I WANT THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING THAT QUESTION.
I THINK REALLY LEGITIMATELY THAT IF WE GOT SOMETHING DONE AND JUST OVER A MONTH ON THE ONE HAND, WHY, WHY WAIT SEVERAL MORE MONTHS ON THE OTHER ONE MORE QUESTION FOR CLARITY? IS IT UNTIL AFTER A GRAND JURY ISN'T, UM, MAKES A DECISION THAT WE WOULD WAIT OR WOULD IT BE IF THERE IS AN INDICTMENT, UM, WHICH I KNOW WE EXPERIENCED, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE LARRY JACKSON CASE, IF THERE IS AN INDICTMENT, DO WE CONTINUE TO WAIT UNTIL THE CRIMINAL PROCESSES IS DONE THROUGH, UH, ALL THE WAY THROUGH CORRECT.
THE GRAND JURY IS THE NEXT DECISION POINT.
IF IT IS THE NO BILL, THEN I WOULD MOST LIKELY ONLY HAVE 30 DAYS TO HANDLE THAT BECAUSE TYPICALLY THE 180 HAS EXPIRED AND I'VE HAD TO SEEK OUT AN AG EXTENSION.
SO ON A NO BILL, I WOULD HAVE 30 DAYS, IF A CASE WAS TRUE BILLED, THEN WE WOULD WAIT FOR THE TRIAL AS YOU JUST EXPLAINED.
AND SO I THINK THAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT CHIEF, GIVEN THAT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL, AND WE CAN'T KNOW WHAT A GRAND JURY WOULD DECIDE.
THERE IS A POTENTIAL THAT IT COULD EXTEND EVEN MANY MORE MONTHS AFTER THAT.
AND SO I THINK WE WOULD REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO LEVEL SET THE EXPECTATION TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHY ONE WAY IN ONE HIGH PROFILE CASE THAT WE ALL REMEMBER AND DIFFERENTLY, UH, IN THIS ONE.
UH, MY LAST COMMENT THAT I WILL MAKE IS I WOULD REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND THE MANAGER APART FROM THE IMMEDIATE POLICY CHANGES, UH, WHAT JUST A SET OF, OF LESSONS LEARNED.
BECAUSE I THINK GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, I THINK IT'S MORE THAN JUST INDIVIDUAL POLICY CHOICES.
IT'S SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER ABOUT HOW IT IS THAT WE CAN AVOID THESE SITUATIONS IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE CAN LEAVE THAT FOR ANOTHER TIME.
THINK HE HAS SOME BIZARRE, I KNOW THERE'S A FEW MORE QUESTIONS I WANT TO TIME CHECK.
AND I HAD INSTRUCTED STAFF THAT WE WOULD TRY TO WRAP THIS UP BY FOR ABOUT A FEW OF US ARE PROBABLY ABLE TO STAY A LITTLE LATER.
AND SO I DON'T WANT TO PROMISE THAT AFTER FOUR IS GOING TO HAVE THE FULL COMPLIMENT OF STAFF, BUT WE CAN GO A LITTLE BIT LONGER IF WE, IF WE CAN MAKE THAT WORK.
UM, BEFORE WE DO ANY MORE QUESTIONS BECAUSE OF THE TIME CHECK, I KNOW, UH, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER ALREADY KNOW YOU HAD SENT ME TWO SLIDES FOR THE, FOR THE NEXT ITEM.
AND SO I WANT TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO REVIEW THOSE FOR THE PUBLIC, AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK AND TAKE QUESTIONS ON BOTH ON BOTH OF THE REMAINING ITEMS. OKAY.
I GUESS YOU'RE PASSING ME TO AT LEAST TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THOSE SLIDES ARE.
AND THIS IS REALLY IN SUPPORT OF THE FINAL ITEM WITH REGARD TO, UM, TAKING A LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT RESOLUTIONS, THE THREE JUNE RESOLUTIONS, AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO PROCEED ON THAT? CERTAINLY WE HAVE DONE JUST AS SOON AS COUNCIL APPROVED THOSE ON THOSE DAY TO REALLY START TO WORK AT HOW WE INCREASED THE, UM, THE RESOLUTIONS.
ONE WAS TO START TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE WORK IS AND HOW MIGHT WE BEST
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TRACK IT.UH, AND SO RIGHT NOW YOU'RE SEEING BEFORE YOU, UM, A, A QUICK, WELL, I WON'T SAY QUICK, IT TOOK SOME TIME TO PUT TOGETHER, UM, AT LEAST INITIALLY A WAY TO TRACK ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROVISIONS IN EACH OF THE RESOLUTIONS THAT WERE APPROVED IN JUNE, AS WELL AS WE ARE GOING TO TRACK THE, UH, DECEMBER ZERO SIX, SIX RESOLUTION, UM, FOR THE INVESTIGATION INTO INSTITUTIONAL RACISM WITHIN APD.
SO HERE, I'LL JUST BRIEFLY SHOW THAT, UH, DOWN THE LEFT SIDE IS A COLUMN TO SAY WHAT THE RESOLUTION IS, THE INITIATIVE KIND OF THE SHORT TITLE OF EACH OF THE, UM, BE IT RESOLVED PROVISIONS WITHIN EACH RESOLUTION.
UH, AND THEN A DESCRIPTION WE STARTED TO TRYING TO CATEGORIZE, UH, EACH OF THESE AND, AND JUST GENERALLY THERE, UH, THE CATEGORIES ARE GENERAL ORDERS IF THEY RESPOND TO THAT OR ARE RELATED TO THAT A BUDGET COMPONENT, IF THERE'S A MANAGEMENT COMPONENT AND SO FORTH.
AND THEN WE STARTED TO, I STARTED TO INSERT DUE DATES.
SO THAT, AGAIN, THE INTENT BA WE WILL THIS INFORMATION PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON A DEDICATED WEBSITE THAT IS, THAT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE MANAGER'S MEMO, SO THAT WE CAN BE TRANSPARENT TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS FOR YOU, THE COUNCIL, UH, IN TERMS OF THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING ON ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES.
UM, COURTNEY, IF I COULD ASK YOU TO GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, SO A DIFFERENT VIEW OF WHAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE AGAIN BY THE DIFFERENT, UM, ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES, UH, A GANTT CHART, IF YOU WILL, TO SHOW THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING IN THIS PARTICULAR VIEW.
YOU'LL SEE THAT AGAIN, I HAVE, UH, UP HERE AT THE TOP, THE END OF THIS INVESTIGATION INTO APD IN INSTITUTIONAL RACISM, WHICH IS THE DECEMBER RESOLUTION, UH, THE VERY TOP BAR YOU'LL SEE IS THE INVESTIGATION, SO THAT TATUM REPORT WAS ISSUED.
AND SO, UM, THAT SHOWS KIND OF THE DARKER COLOR.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE YOU SEE IN THE SECOND ROW, THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT THAT WE'RE BRINGING ON BOARD, WHICH WE HOPE TO HAVE BY SEPTEMBER.
AND THEN AGAIN, THE END DATE ON THAT ONE IS DRIVEN BY RIGHT NOW, DIRECTION IN THE RESOLUTION FOR A REPORT OUT IN DECEMBER OF 20, 22 AND SO FORTH.
AND SO AGAIN, JUST A PREVIEW OF THE INFORMATION, UH, THAT WE'LL, WE'LL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO PUT ON THE WEBSITE, IN ADDITION TO ANY OF THE COMMUNICATIONS, ANY OF THE DOCUMENTATION, AGAIN, A PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SEE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE WILL HAVE INVOLVED IN THESE DIFFERENT, UM, ADVISORY WORKING GROUPS.
AND SO I'LL PAUSE THERE AGAIN.
THIS WAS JUST MEANT TO BE A PREVIEW OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE, UH, AND THE WORK THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
AND IF, UH, IS IT OK? UH, CITIZEN CITY MANAGER OF MY STAFF POSTS THAT TO THE MESSAGE BOARD, CERTAINLY IT IS.
AND AGAIN, AT SOME POINT WE WILL HAVE THE FULL BLOWN, UM, SPREADSHEET AND GANTT CHART AVAILABLE ONCE I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE I'M TAGGING THAT HAVE LEAD RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, CAN, UH, DELIVER.
SO, UH, WE WILL, I'LL HAVE MY STAFF POST THAT TO THE MESSAGE BOARD THAT THIS MEETING IS ABOUT.
THERE'S THE FIRST MEETING PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO BOTH THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC CAN ACCESS.
CAUSE I KNOW IT WAS HARD TO READ, UM, QUESTIONS, FURTHER QUESTIONS EITHER ON PROTESTS OR THIS ITEM COUNCIL MEMBER ULCER.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR CHIEF MANLEY.
UM, I, UM, UNDERSTOOD WHEN WE WERE BRIEFED ON JUNE 5TH, UM, THAT THE COMMAND STRUCTURE DURING A PROTEST SITUATION WAS SUCH THAT THERE WAS ABOUT EIGHT TO 10 OFFICERS UNDER ONE COMMANDER.
IS THAT ROUGHLY THE STRUCTURE IN LARGE CROWD SITUATIONS? SO IT DOES DEPEND ON THE SITUATION.
THAT IS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON A TYPICAL DEPLOYMENT.
YOU WOULD HAVE BETWEEN EIGHT TO 10 OFFICERS ON A SQUAD WITH A SERGEANT IN LARGE CROWD CONTROL.
IT MAY BE THAT YOU'VE GOT SUPERVISORS JUST GRABBING ADDITIONAL OFFICERS BASED ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE PRESENT IN FRONT OF THEM, BUT IN THE WAY IT IS STRUCTURED, IT SHOULD BE TEAMS OF EIGHT TO 10 TO A SUPERVISOR.
CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND IF IT'S THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICER WHO MAKES THE DECISION TO FIRE ON INDIVIDUALS IN THE CRACKS? DOES THAT ORDER HAVE TO COME FROM A COMMANDER FIRST? NO, THESE THE, ANY TIME AN OFFICER IS GOING TO USE FORCE OR DEPLOY A WEAPON, THEY HAVE TO KNOW THAT IT IS REASONABLE AND APPROPRIATE.
AND SO THESE OFFICERS ARE MAKING THE DECISION BASED ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE PRESENTING THEMSELVES IN FRONT OF THEM.
WHAT YOU MAY HAVE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE, ESPECIALLY AT HEADQUARTERS, THE SUPERVISORS
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THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEHIND THEM.THEY MAY SEE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN THE GROUP THAT ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THROWING THE ROCKS OR THE BOTTLES OR, OR, OR THE OTHER ITEMS. THEY MAY SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFY THAT PERSON TO THE OFFICER, BUT IT WILL BE THE OFFICER THAT MAKES THAT DECISION, UH, AS, AS THE WAY THESE THINGS PLAY OUT IN A MORE ORGANIZED CROWD CONTROL.
IF YOU'RE TRYING TO MOVE A LARGE GROUP OF OFFICERS, YOU MAY HAVE A LINE OF OFFICERS THAT ARE TAKING COMING INS FROM THE LEADERSHIP TEAM BEHIND THEM, SERGEANTS AND LIEUTENANTS OF WHEN TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TRY AND PUSH A CROWD LEFT OR RIGHT AS WE'RE TRYING TO CLEAR AREAS.
SO IN THOSE, THERE MAY BE DIRECTION GIVEN FROM THE LEADERSHIP KHADRA THE SERGEANTS LIEUTENANTS, THE COMMAND STRUCTURE, BUT, UH, ANYTIME AN OFFICER IS GOING TO UTILIZE FORCE, THEY HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION THEMSELVES.
SO WHEN FORCE WAS UTILIZED DURING THE WEEKEND, THE LAST WEEKEND OF MAY TO BE, HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AT THIS POINT, WHETHER THAT WAS COMING ON THE COMMAND OF ANOTHER OFFICER OR STRICTLY BY THE OFFICER, THAT IS ALL PART OF THE ONGOING REVIEW RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO I'M, I'M SORRY, I'M SORT OF FRUSTRATED THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SEE THE VIDEO AND I ASKED YOU ABOUT THAT ON FIFTH.
AND, UM, I THINK HE COVERED THAT PRETTY WELL TODAY.
UM, BUT MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER WHAT ARE THE OFFICERS WHO WERE KNOWN TO BE INVOLVED IN THOSE SHOOTING DOING NOW? ARE THEY STILL FOR THOSE INSTANCES THAT WERE LEVEL ONE USES OF FORCE, WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT RESULTED IN SERIOUS BODILY INJURY FOR THOSE INSTANCES WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICER WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THAT INSTANCE, THOSE OFFICERS ARE ON AN ADMINISTRATIVE DUTY RIGHT NOW IN THOSE INSTANCES.
AND HOW MANY OF THOSE INSTANCES DO WE HAVE FROM THE PROTESTS THAT FOR BODILY HARM THAT YOU WERE? WE ARE, WE, I, WE WERE TRACKING FOR, UH, LET ME SEE HERE.
WE WERE TRACKING, UH, I THINK WE HAVE 11 RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT RESULTED IN THE SERIOUS BODILY INJURY.
THAT'S THE LAST COUNT THAT I HAVE.
AND OF THOSE 11, HOW MANY OF THOSE HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE OFFICER WHO SHOT I'LL HAVE TO RESPOND BACK TO YOUR OFFICE WITH THAT? I, I KNOW AN ESTIMATE, BUT I WANT TO GET YOU THE EXACT NUMBER.
THE QUESTIONS, COUNCILMEMBER KITCHEN.
I THINK THIS QUESTION MAY BE FOR, UM, A, UH, RAY ARIANO, UM, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE, UH, TRANSPARENCY.
THAT'LL BE VERY HELPFUL IN TERMS OF, UM, TRACKING PROGRESS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I'D ASKED FOR BEFORE AND WHICH I THINK MIGHT ALSO BE HELPFUL FROM A TRANSPARENCY PERSPECTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND IS THE, UM, IS A, IS A DOCUMENT.
PERHAPS IT'S A FLOW CHART REPS.
IT'S SOMETHING ELSE LIKE THAT, BUT IT REALLY LAYS OUT WHAT THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS IS.
A LOT OF STEPS ALONG THE WAY FOR PEOPLE.
UH, AND WE, WE TALK ABOUT IT AND WE HEAR IT, AND THERE'S JUST A VARYING LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THOSE ARE.
AND, UM, AND, UM, I KNOW SOME OF IT'S DEPENDENT ON DIFFERENT SITUATIONS AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE.
AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE PUTTING TOGETHER A WEBSITE THAT WILL HAVE, UM, INFORMATION ON IT.
SO HAVING THAT KIND OF INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL, UM, IF IT EXISTS AND I JUST DON'T DON'T KNOW, IT JUST LET ME KNOW.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, UH, CERTAINLY COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND IF MEMORY SERVES ME, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A DOCUMENT PRODUCED, IT ISN'T VISUAL.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY I'LL GO BACK AND FIND THAT DOCUMENT AND PROVIDE IT TO ALL OF THE MEMBERS HERE AND SEE IF THERE'S A WAY TO VISUALLY, UM, UH, LIKE THAT POSSIBLY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE ON THE POLICE OVERSIGHT, UM, UM, WEBSITE.
BUT CERTAINLY WHEN WE GET TO CREATING THE, THE MORE SUBSTANTIAL WEBSITE THAT WILL BE THE REPOSITORY FOR ALL OF THIS EFFORT, WE'LL MAKE SURE IT GETS THERE TOO.
I THINK VISUAL WOULD BE HELPFUL, UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME COMPLEXITIES, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
CERTAINLY COUNCIL MEMBER CONCERN.
SO CHIEF, I JUST QUICKLY LOOKED UP THE NEWS STORIES AND THE TIMELINE, UH, IN 2016, THAT WAS FEBRUARY 8TH, WAS DAVID DAVID.
JOSEPH WAS SKILLED MARCH 21ST, ABOUT SIX WEEKS, LITTLE SHY OF SIX WEEKS LATER, A DISCIPLINARY DECISION WAS MADE IN THAT CASE, THE OFFICER WAS FIRED AND THEN IT WAS A TEMPER 22ND.
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SEVEN MONTHS AFTER THE INCIDENT WAS THE GRAND JURY, NO BAIL.SO, SO IN THAT CASE, YOU KNOW, A DECISION WAS MADE, UH, THE NEXT MONTH.
UM, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THE GRAND JURY DECISION.
SO WHAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO ME WOULD BE TO KNOW WHETHER THE DECISION IS A, THE GA ASKING FOR A DELAY IN OUR WORK.
UM, SO THAT, UH, FOR, FOR HER PURPOSES ON THE GRAND JURY OR TWO, IF IT'S AN APD DECISION AND THREE, UH, THE Y JUST SO THAT WE CAN EXPLAIN IT BECAUSE PEOPLE I THINK HAVE RIGHTLY ASKED THE QUESTION WHY ONE WAY ON ONE CASE AND A DIFFERENT WAY ON ANOTHER CASE.
AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT BETWEEN HERE AND TUESDAY, WHICH WOULD BE THE TWO MONTH MARK, I THINK OF THE, OF THE MICHAEL RAMOS, UH, SHOOTING, JUST WHETHER IT'S VA ASKING FOR IT, US ASKING FOR IT.
AND, AND THE REASONING BEHIND THAT.
I, AND, AND I THINK IT'S A FAIR QUESTION WE'RE BEING ASKED BY THE COMMUNITY.
UNDERSTOOD REAL QUESTIONS, COUNCILMEMBER ELLIS, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY CHANGES TO THE WAY THE DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATES WITH STREET MEDICS? I KNOW THAT WAS ONE OF THE TOPICS OF CONCERN THAT CAME UP, WHETHER IT WAS WITH APD OR WITH DPS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT PEOPLE WHO WERE PARTICIPATING AS STREET MEDICS, OR SOMEHOW BROUGHT MORE IN THE LOOP, I, THAT APD AND EMS AND FIRE HAVE THEIR COMMUNICATIONS PRETTY SMOOTHED OUT.
BUT I JUST WAS WONDERING WHAT KIND OF, UM, W WHAT WAS BEING EXTENDED TO STREET MEDICS IN THESE SITUATIONS? I WILL, I WILL HAVE TO CHECK ON THAT.
I WILL SAY THE CROWDS HAVE BEEN SO MUCH SMALLER THAT I'M MORE NOT DEALING WITH WHAT WE WERE DEALING WITH THAT FIRST WEEKEND, WHERE IT WAS AT TIMES, I'M SURE HARD FOR THE OFFICERS TO TELL WHO WAS WHOM, BUT I WILL CHECK ON THE SPECIFICS.
I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE DID MAKE WAS THE ADDITION OF EMS INTO THE DOC, SO THAT THERE WAS BETTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN EMS AND APD.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR LAST TIME WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS, WE WERE UNAWARE THROUGH THAT WHOLE FIRST WEEKEND ABOUT THE INJURIES THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE.
AND SO WE, WE SHORED UP THAT COMMUNICATION CHANNEL.
AND, UH, I'M NOT, I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THE STREET MEDIC PORTION.
I THINK THAT CONVERSATION'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT MOVING FORWARD AS THERE MAY BE OTHER PEACEFUL PROTESTS.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE STREET MEDICS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE COMMUNICATION STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF POLICE AND EMS, BUT ALSO TO KNOW WHERE THAT MAY DIFFER WITH DPS, SINCE THAT'S THE STATE DEPARTMENT, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE INFORMATION NECESSARY ON ALL SIDES OF THIS TO STAY SAFE.
IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THE STREET MEDICS GOT CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE AND MAYBE THINKING THEY WERE FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTION OF ONE OFFICER AND ANOTHER OFFICER WASN'T SURE THAT THAT INSTRUCTION WAS GIVEN.
SO I THINK THAT'S JUST SOMETHING MOVING FORWARD, LONG TERM THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AND COULD HELP MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE PROTECTED FOR THROUGH THESE PEACEFUL PROTESTS.
AS ONE OF OUR ALTAR, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP BEFORE? UM, YEAH.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON THAT L RAD, I UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HAD CHANGED THE POLICY, AND SO NOW IT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS, BUT, UM, WASN'T USED AS A WEAPON DURING THAT WEEKEND.
NO, AND IT NEVER HAS BEEN THAT THAT DEVICE HAS ONLY ALWAYS BEEN USED AS A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT SYSTEM.
WE WENT BACK AND GOT WITH OUR TACTICAL UNITS TO MAKE SURE OF THAT.
AND ALL OF THE INFORMATION IS THAT IT IS ONLY ALWAYS BEEN USED AS A PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM.
I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION WE'RE DONE WITH OUR LAST 10 MINUTES BEFORE FOUR.
UM, SO WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY TAKE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, I DON'T FEEL THE NEED FOR US TO MAKE TIME FOR A LOT OF STATEMENTS AT THE END.
LIKE I STARTED OUR MEETING WITH, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS HOW WE DO THE WORK.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THE PUBLIC IS SEEING A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS MEETING AND THE COUNCIL MEETING, WHERE WE DO TESTIMONY AND STATEMENTS AND, AND TAKE POSITIONS.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE START HOLDING OUR STAFF ACCOUNTABLE TO THE, TO THE DECISIONS THAT THE BODY MAKES.
UM, I'LL MAKE ONE CLOSING STATEMENT JUST AS A PROCESS.
MATTER OF ONCE WE'RE FINISHED WITH OUR QUESTIONS, THAT'S NUMBER HOPPER, MASS.
THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING ME CHAIR.
UM, I WILL, I WILL CERTAINLY TRY TO KEEP IT BRIEF, BUT, UH, THE TIMING OF TODAY'S DISCUSSION IS ESPECIALLY SYMBOLIC.
SINCE, AS WE ALL KNOW, TOMORROW'S JIM T IT'S THE DAY THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS IN TEXAS, LITERALLY ALMOST TWO
[02:05:01]
YEARS AFTER EVERYBODY ELSE FOUND OUT BY WAY OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION LEARN THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER SLAVES TO WHITE MASTERS.IT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT CELEBRATION.
AND ONE THAT I THINK DESERVES A HIGHER RECOGNITION.
ONE OF THOSE RESOLUTIONS THAT I'M GOING TO BE BRINGING FORWARD HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS IS WE WILL SEEK TO MAKE JUNETEENTH UP A PERMANENT OFFICIAL CITY OF AUSTIN HOLIDAY.
NOT ONLY WILL IT HELP OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN EMPLOYEES TRULY HONOR A DAY THAT IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR HISTORY.
IT WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE.
AND THAT MEANS EVERYONE TO REFLECT ON HOW FAR OUR CITY, OUR STATE AND OUR NATION HAVE COME AND HOW MUCH FURTHER STILL WE HAVE TO GO.
AND SO I JUST, UH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE THOSE WORDS.
AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT WHEN WE BRING THE ITEM FORWARD, THAT I'LL HAVE THE SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES.
THANK YOU CHAIR FOR RECOGNIZING ME.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT I AM, BUT I WILL SAY ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THAT.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WAITING FOR OUR TEXAS VOTE HOLIDAY, SO WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN, UM, UM, IT IS OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING ALL SOMETIMES.
SO MAYBE SOMETIMES IT TAKES A COUPLE OF RESOLUTIONS.
SO, UM, MAYBE WE GET BOTH, BUT ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER MADISON'S, UM, DESIRE TO, TO COMMEMORATE THIS VERY IMPORTANT HOLIDAY.
UM, I THINK THERE WAS THERE A FUTURE ITEMS DISCUSSION.
AND, AND IT KIND OF IS COMBINED BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE OUT OF TIME AND WANTING TO RESPECT EVERYBODY'S TIME.
WE WEREN'T ABLE, I SEE THE CHART ABOUT THE RACIAL DISPARITIES RESOLUTION.
UM, I'M SORRY IF I MISSED ANY VERY SPECIFIC NEXT STEPS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THOSE, THE GOALS OF ZERO, UM, DISPARITIES IN, IN ARRESTS AND SHOOTINGS.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THE REPORT THAT CAME OUT YESTERDAY THAT SHOWED, UM, A GREAT MAJORITY OF OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS IN DISTRICT TWO, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE REST OF THE CITY AND, UM, ALL, UH, LATINOS, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY OVERREPRESENTED IN THOSE NUMBERS.
SO IS, IS, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AC I GUESS THAT'S PARTIALLY, I WOULD WANT US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT REPORT.
UM, AND, AND WHAT ARE, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING TO GET TO THAT GOAL OF ZERO RACIAL DISPARITIES.
I WOULD LIKE THAT IN A FUTURE, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING SINCE WE HAVE, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE AT OF TIME.
AND TECHNICALLY WE REALLY COULDN'T TALK ABOUT THAT REPORT CAUSE, UM, IT JUST CAME OUT YESTERDAY AND WE HADN'T POSTED ABOUT IT EITHER.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON, FOR, FOR REC, FOR RECOGNIZING AND TALKING ABOUT JUNETEENTH AND, AND I WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THAT AT WORK.
SO THANK YOU FOR RAISING THAT.
UM, AND, UH, UH, ACMR, ARIANO THE CHART THAT I'M LOOKING AT? UM, I DON'T SEE THE PLACE WHERE WE MIGHT BE INVENTORYING SOME OF THE MILITARY GRADE EQUIPMENT.
THERE IS BOTH THE SECTION ABOUT LABELING THAT FOR US WHEN IT'S UP FOR A VOTE, BUT THEN ALSO THERE WAS A SECTION ABOUT JUST PROVIDING US THAT LEVEL OF INVENTORY.
SO, UH, WOULD APPRECIATE THAT BEING INCORPORATED JUST SO IT DOESN'T FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
I THINK ONE FUTURE ITEMS IS THAT APPROPRIATE.
I THINK THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO WRAP UP OUR THOUGHTS.
I WOULD SUGGEST, AND I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO EITHER OF US CHAIRS SHARE PLAN AGAIN, OR CHAIR UPPER MEDICINE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, UM, A JOINT MEETING WITH THE, UM, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE TO FOCUS ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND IT WOULD BE, AND THAT'S A BIG AREA, BUT TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REALLY HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AND THE IMPORTANCE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT WE'LL NEED TO BE WORKING ON AND, AND, AND, UM, SOLIDIFYING IN, IN, IN DOING MORE WORK ON IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH ARENA.
BUT WE NEED TO ALSO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAVE, UH, IN TERMS OF STAFFING INFRASTRUCTURE AND, UM, IN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING I WOULD SUGGEST AT THE APPROPRIATE, UH, AT THE APPROPRIATE MEETING TO CONSIDER.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
UM, UH, CHIEF MANLEY, STAN LORIANO, AND I'M SITTING UNDER, WHEN YOU ARE BRINGING BACK THE INFORMATION ON THE DIFFERENT CASES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S A MEMBER OF SAR WAS TALKING ABOUT
[02:10:01]
THE, UM, PREVIOUS CASE.UH, JOSEPH MATTER, FOR EXAMPLE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IN ORDER TO, UM, NOT CONFUSE THE PUBLIC, THAT WE ALSO TELL THE STORY OF WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE TIME.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC AND THAT IS DELAYING GRAND JURY, THE GRAND JURY'S MEETING.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT IS A DEFECT.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS PRIMARILY TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANAGE THAT.
UM, SO WE, WE HAVE A PANDEMIC IN THIS INSTANCE, AND SO IT'S HARD TO ASSEMBLE THE GRAND JURIES AND THEN WHAT FOOTAGE WE MIGHT HAVE HAD THE TIME VERSUS WHAT FOOTAGE WE HAVE NOW, AND TO SEE ALSO HOW WE HAVE PROGRESSED.
I'M HOPING THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE ARE GETTING FROM THE BODY CAMERAS IS IMPROVED OVER, UH, OUR SITUATIONS BEFORE, BUT EACH INSTANCE IS A UNIQUE STORY AND, UM, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TELL THOSE STORIES PROPERLY, ACCURATELY, AND ADEQUATELY TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHY THINGS, WHY WE ARE REACHING CERTAIN DECISIONS AND WHY, IF THAT MAKES, THAT MAKES SENSE TO YOU ALL.
DID YOU WANT TO MAKE A CLOSING STATEMENT? UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT, UH, THAT, UH, UM, OFFICER, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY AGAIN, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY MANAGER, AS WELL AS MY, UM, CORE LEADERSHIP TEAM, UH, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER NURIA, UH, RIGHT THERE, THEN MY THEN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CHRIS SCHROEDER, WE ARE HERE TO DO THE WORK, UH, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF PLANNING JUST TO GET TO THIS POINT AND THERE'S MORE TO BE DONE, WHICH STARTS ACTUALLY AS, AS SOON AS TUESDAY, NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE'LL BE GATHERING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THESE, UM, ADVISORY WORKING GROUPS GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND START THAT PROCESS AND VERY QUICKLY AS WELL, TO REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICES.
CAUSE WE BELIEVE IN ORDER FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THE INPUT THAT FROM YOUR OFFICES, AS WELL AS THAT MIGHT BE COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY, IT'S GOING TO BE IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL TO US UNDERSTANDING KIND OF WHAT IS GOING TO BE NEEDED TO SHEPHERD THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.
SO YOU CAN BE SURE THAT WE WILL BE ROUTINELY REACHING OUT TO YOU AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UH, AND CERTAINLY AS THE EXAMPLE OF THE SPREADSHEET AND SO FORTH, CREATING A WEBSITE WHERE WE CAN BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT WHAT IS GOING TO BE A VERY, UM, LONG THOUGHTFUL, UH, AND, UM, HOPEFULLY AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, UH, PROCESS TO GETTING TO WHERE THE COUNCIL WANTS US TO BE.
AND SO JUST, JUST AS A FINAL COUPLE OF NOTES, UM, THANKS TO ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, ESPECIALLY MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, BUT REALLY IT'S VERY ATYPICAL TO HAVE THE WHOLE COUNCIL SHOW UP TO A COMMITTEE MEETING FOR WHICH THEY ARE NOT ALL MEMBERS OF THAT COMMITTEE.
AND I THINK IT IS AN IMPORTANT SIGN TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY.
UM, I AM EXCITED TO THINK ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER IN YOUR ROLE AS CHAIR OF AUDIT AND FINANCE WITH, WITH THE MAYOR AND HIS ROLE AS THE MAYOR, HOW WE ARE INCORPORATING THIS IN THE LARGER BUDGET CONVERSATIONS.
AND I THINK THERE MAY BE SOME PARALLEL WORK TO THIS COMMITTEE AND THAT COMMITTEE, UH, WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF HELP FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN PARCEL THAT PART OUT FOR A DEEPER CONVERSATION.
UH, I SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE WITH, WITH A COUNSELOR, WE'RE ALL SURGEONS, SO WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE SOME GOOD CROSSOVER THERE.
UM, SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID RAY, ABOUT WORKING GROUPS.
YES, IT IS NOT, IT IS NOT LOST ON ANY OF US ON THIS COUNCIL THAT THE GOTO MOVE OF ELECTED BODIES WHEN THEY DON'T WANT TO SOLVE A PROBLEM IS TO APPOINT A BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE.
AND THAT IS IN NO WAY WHAT THIS COUNCIL IS GOING TO DO.
UH, I HOPE IT HAS BEEN CLEAR THAT THAT THIS COMMITTEE IS NOT LIKE WHAT YOU NORMALLY SEE ON TV.
THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE INTERESTING TO REALITY SHOW.
SOMETIMES COUNCIL MEETINGS CAN BE THAT WAY, BUT NOT THIS.
THIS IS, THIS IS THE WORK THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED AND WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
I HAVE ALSO HAD FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY SEND ME, UM, STUFF THAT IS HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES AND THEY DEMAND TO KNOW WHY WE ARE GOING SO SLOW.
BUT WHEN YOU START TO SCRATCH THE SURFACE, YOU REALIZE THOSE CITIES ARE PROPOSING IDEAS, OR THEY HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT TOOK A VOW TO DO SOMETHING.
AND IT IS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THIS IS AN EMERGENCY.
WE ARE GOING TO GO AS QUICKLY AS WE, AS WE CAN.
NO, NO, NO AMOUNT OF TIME WE SPEND ON THIS IS GOING TO MAKE ME HAPPY, BUT WE ARE GOING TO PUSH AS HARD AS WE CAN.
AND I SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AND I AM SURE SPEAKING FOR EVERY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT AS LONG AS WE ALL SIT IN THE SEATS WE ARE IN NOW, WE WILL NOT TAKE OUR EYES OFF THE BALL ON THIS WORK.
ANY REMAINING COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, HOPPER, MADISON, CHEER, FLANNIGAN.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY YOU RUN A TIGHT SHIP AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
[02:15:01]
I RUN A LEAN MEETING.UH, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR, UH, AND STAFF FOR ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION.
THREE, OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, BUT THIS ONE WAS A PRODUCTIVE ONE, UH, TO THE PUBLIC.
ALL OF YOUR WORDS ARE BEING READ, EVEN IF WE CAN'T GET TO THE 15,000 EMAILS AND REPLY TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
SO AT 4:02 PM, I ADJOURN THE MEETING OF THE FIRST PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.