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SHAKING HER HEAD NO, BUT I LOVE DROUGHTS.[FY 2023 Budget Workshop: Houston Police Department]
FROM PARKS AND RECREATION TO HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.AT THIS TIME, I WOULD WELCOME CHIEF FENDER AND, UH, MS. RHONDA SMITH, THE CFO OF HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH CHIEF SATTERWHITE.
CHIEF SLINKER, AND I THOUGHT I SAW CHIEF JONES AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE, MS. RHONDA SMITH, THE CFO CHIEF.
I SAW YOU IN DC YOU LOOKED GOOD.
HOW WAS THAT PLANE TRIP? I WAS ON EARLIER PLANE.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I, I JUST WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FOR SUCH SUPPORT.
UH, IT MEANS A LOT, UH, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO CHIEFS ALL AROUND THE NATION AND TO HAVE THE SUPPORT, UH, FROM THE HORSESHOE, IT MEANS A LOT.
CHIEF TROY FINNER AND ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT THE HPDS PROPOSED BUDGET, BUDGET FOR FY 2023.
LET ME FIRST SAY HOW PROUD I AM TO BE THE POLICE CHIEF IN THIS GREAT CITY WITH THIS GREAT DEPARTMENT, THE BENEFIT OF THE BUREAU AUDIENCE.
UM, HPD IS THE LARGEST AGENCY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
IT'S FOURTH LARGEST IN THE NATION.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, OVER, I'M SORRY, THE FIFTH LARGEST IN THE NATION.
WE HAVE OVER 6,100 BOTH CLASS, UH, CLASSIFIED AND, UH, CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.
UM, BEFORE MOVING FORWARD, UH, I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT ESPECIALLY THE EXECUTIVE STAFF AND THE BUDGET AND FINANCE STAFF WHO HAS WORKED SO DILIGENTLY TO PREPARE THIS PRESENTATION THIS YEAR BEGAN, UM, AND HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING FOR US, UH, AS AROUND THE NATION.
UH, WE LOST SOME OF OUR OWN FAMILY MEMBERS, UM, BUT IN HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY, UH, THERE WAS A TOTAL OF SIX.
UH, NOW, UH, LAST WEEK, SEVEN LINE OF DUTY DEATHS.
UH, WE ALSO, UH, FACES THE CHALLENGE OF, UM, INCREASING CRIME, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, ESPECIALLY, UH, MY TOP PRIORITY, UH, TO, UH, ADDRESS THOSE, UH, THE TRENDS OF, OF INCREASING CRIME WAS TO REDUCE THE VIOLENT CRIME, UH, ENHANCE TECHNOLOGY, AND ALSO IMPROVE THE STAFFING.
JUST WANT TO SAY, UM, THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
UH, WE'VE BEEN DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB.
UM, LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS EVERY WEEK, THOSE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN GOING DOWN, AND WE'VE SEEN A, A REDUCTION IN VIOLENT CRIME ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR.
I WANT TO THANK CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR THE ADDITIONAL, UM, OPERA, UH, RESCUE FUNDING AND FIGHTING CRIME, AND REDUCING, UH, UH, SOME OF THAT, UH, CRIME AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
I WANT TO HIT ON, UH, ONE, ONE STAT, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
IN JANUARY, AS COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR, OUR HOMICIDE NUMBERS WERE OVER 70%.
TODAY IT'S 7%, AND THAT IS A DIRECT, UH, UM, UH, RESULT OF GOOD POLICING, BUT ALSO, UH, EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER, OUR CITIZENS AND, AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM COMING TOGETHER.
TECHNOLOGY, UH, WE HAVE SECURED THE FOLLOWING MAJOR TECHNOLOGY MILESTONES, BODY-WORN CAMERA UPGRADES, UM, WILL ALLOW US TO PURCHASE THE NEXT, UH, WELL, 300, I'M SORRY, 3,500 NEXT GENERATION BODY-WORN CAMERAS.
UH, THE HPD DATA CENTER, CENTER LOCATE LOCATION.
WE COMPLETELY MOVED THE HPD PRIMARY DATA, UH, CENTER TO A, A SHARED SPACE WITHIN THE CITY DATA CENTER.
WE'VE MOVED OVER A HUNDRED, I'M SORRY, OVER 300 SERVERS.
WE'VE IMPLEMENTED SHOT SPOTTERS, UH, NOT ONLY IN THE SOUTHEAST, BUT ALSO IN THE NORTH DIVISION NOW.
UM, OUR RRMS, UM, IT'S RE UH, I'M SORRY, OUR RMS SYSTEM.
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UM, WE HAVE AN RRFP OUT.THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA SAY ABOUT THAT.
BUT IT WILL, UH, ASSIST US IN, IN OUR FIGHT A VIOLENT CRIME.
WE WANT TO MAKE OUR REAL TIME CRIME CENTER A TRUE STRATEGIC, UH, DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM.
UM, THE EXPANSION OF, UH, LICENSE, AUTOMATED, LICENSE PLATE READERS AND HIGH CRIME AREAS, AND ALSO, UH, CAMERAS.
SO WE ARE LOOKING, AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, FOR FUNDING THAT, UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO, UH, MOVE AROUND THE CITY, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OF, OF THE CITY AND TAXPAYERS.
WE WANT TO GET EVERYBODY ON BOARD ON THAT.
WE'RE ALSO IN, IN TERMS OF STAFFING, UH, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FUND, UM, THE FIVE ACADEMY CLASSES EACH YEAR.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK COUNCIL, UH, AND, AND FOR WORKING ON CITY ORDINANCE FOR THE CADILLAC CONVERTER ORDINANCE, UH, THE NOISE ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE, AND ALSO, UM, THE EXTERIOR SECURITY VIDEO CAMERA AUDIT ORDINANCE, AND ALSO THE COUNTY FOR PASSING THE, UH, 10%, UH, BOND FOR DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH VIOLENT CRIME.
THE PRESENTATION WILL BEGIN WITH AN OVERVIEW OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.
FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I WILL MOVE THROUGH THESE SLIDES QUICKLY AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THE END.
UH, THIS SLIDE SHOWS THAT, UH, CURRENT ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE.
THIS SLIDE IS, UH, BASICALLY THE, THE ADDITION OF THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF, I'M SORRY, THE EXECUTIVE CHIEF, UH, CHIEF SLINKER, UH, WHICH WE ADDED THAT NEW POSITION, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF MY ADMINISTRATION.
THIS IS THE OFFICE OF THE POLICE OF, UH, THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
EVERYTHING THAT'S UP UNDER MY COMMAND.
THIS SLIDE, IT LOOKS AT INVESTIGATIONS AND, UH, SPECIAL OPERATIONS.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE IS PATROL OPERATIONS ON THE CHIEF SATELLITE.
THIS IS THE SPECIAL FUNDS, UM, IN ADDITION TO OUR GENERAL FUNDS, OUR ORGANIZATION INCLUDES OPERATIONS AND SPECIAL FUNDS.
THESE ARE FUNDS THAT ARE RESTRICTED.
UH, THE MONEY IS RESTRICTED FOR RESTRICTED USE.
I MEANT TO SAY MS. SMITH WILL, UM, GO INTO FURTHER DETAIL HERE JUST SHORTLY.
I WANNA LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN OF AGENDA OF OUR AGENCY.
UH, THE SIGNIFICANT THING ABOUT THIS SLIDE IS, UM, FOR CITIES OF OVER 1 MILLION IN POPULATION, UH, ONE MORE SLIDE.
FOR CITIES OVER 1 MILLION IN POPULATION, UM, AND, AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE SEVEN, SEVEN 17%.
FEMALE, HPD IS ALSO AT 17%, UH, FOR THE CIVILIAN, THAT'S FOR CLASSIFIED FOR THE, UH, CIVILIANS, UH, WE'RE AT 68% AS COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 66%.
HPD IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE NATION.
HPD IS THE MOST DIVERSE, UH, ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE AGENCIES IN THE NATION.
WE ARE A MAJORITY MINORITY, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH 78% OF 78.9% OF THE CIVILIANS ARE MINORITY.
UH, 60.9% OF CLASSIFIED A CLOSER BREAKDOWN OF IT.
AND LOOKING AT A CLASSIFIED SIDE, 39%, UH, CAUCASIAN, UH, 31% LA HISPANIC, OR LATINO.
UH, 21% AFRICAN AMERICAN, AND, UH, 8% ASIAN FOR THE CIVILIAN WORKFORCE.
UH, WE HAVE 45% AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, 21% WHITE, UH, 25% LATINO, HISPANIC, AND THEN 8% ASIAN.
UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO, UH, STATE OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
UH, MISSION STATEMENT IS TO HAN THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, IN THE, IN THE CITY OF, IN HOUSTON, BY, BY WORKING COOPERATIVELY WITH THE PUBLIC, WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE, UH, US CONSTITUTION, TO ENFORCE LAWS PRESERVE THE PEACE, UH, REDUCE FEAR, AND PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
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NEXT SLIDE.REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME IS ONE OF THE MAJOR, ONE OF THE MAYOR'S, UH, HIGHEST PRIORITIES.
AND WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN ACCOMPLISHING THE GOAL.
DESPITE FINANCIAL, UH, CHALLENGES AND STAFFING SOME OF THE COURT, UH, DUTIES, WE PREVENT CRIME, RESPOND TO CALLS FOR SERVICE, CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS, ARREST INDIVIDUALS SUSPECTED OF COMMITTING CRIMES, COORDINATE WITH HOMELAND SECURITY ACTIVITIES, PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY DURING MASS GATHERING AND SPECIAL EVENTS, AND ALSO ENFORCING TRAFFIC.
DEPARTMENT PROGRAM CONTINUES, UM, STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS OF DELIVER DELIVERY OF SERVICES, THE TEXAS CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, AND THE CITY ORDINANCE CHAPTER 34.
ARTICLE TWO DEFINES THE DUTIES OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
RECENTLY, UH, WE DE WE PUBLISHED THE, OUR TEAM, UH, PUBLISHED THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, LESS THAN FIVE KEY ORGANIZATIONAL PRIORITIES.
ONE WAS PUBLIC SAFETY, BUILDING COMMUNITY TRUST WAS TWO, THREE WAS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FOUR WAS OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, AND FIVE WAS PRODUCTIVITY.
THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL, UH, FUNDING, UH, REQUEST FOR KEY INITIATIVES, DISCUSSING THIS PLAN, WHICH ARE FIRST EPRO, AND THAT THAT IS, UH, EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS FOR RETIRED OFFICERS.
UH, 42, UH, INDIVIDUALS WILL COME BACK AS RETIRED OFFICERS, AND THEN WILL GIVE US IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE IN, UH, INVESTIGATIONS AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES.
UH, FIVE CADET CLASSES BUDGETED FOR 5 75 PER CLASS, A GUN INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH A TF TO IMPLEMENT AN, UH, A ROBUST GUN INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
AND ALSO, UH, CELL PHONES, CONTINUED CELL PHONES FOR EACH, UH, CLASSIFIED OFFICER.
UH, PREVIOUSLY THIS IS FUNDED BY THE, UH, CARES ACT.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOW ASK MS. SMITH, OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE 20, UH, I'M SORRY, 2023 PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, MY NAME IS RHONDA SMITH AS THE, UH, CHIEF HAS SAID, AND I AM THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I AM, I ECHO CHIEF, UH, FINN'S SENTIMENT IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH SUCH A GREAT CREW.
AND SO I WANNA TAKE JUST A MINUTE POINT OF PRIVILEGE TO TALK ABOUT THE OFFICE OF BUDGET AND FINANCE WHO'VE BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND PARTICULARLY NOW FOR THE BUDGET PRESENTATION.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK THEM JUST TO STAND SO I CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.
AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS BEHIND THE SCENES, SO THEY ARE A LITTLE SHOCKED
SO, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, THIS FIRST SLIDE IS THE REVENUE BY FUND.
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OPERATES UNDER SIX FUNDS.
THE PRIMARY FUND IS THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH MAKES UP ABOUT 97% OF OUR OPERATIONS.
THE OTHER FUNDS ARE SPECIAL FUNDS.
AND SO EACH FUND HAS A REVENUE COMPONENT, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU SEE HERE ON THIS SLIDE.
SO, FOR THE FIRST ITEM, GENERAL FUND, AND I'LL BE SPEAKING FROM THE COLUMN THAT'S TITLED, FISCAL YEAR 23, PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE GENERAL FUND, THE PROPOSED REVENUE ANTICIPATED IS $43.5 MILLION.
NOW IT'S REVENUE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A REIMBURSEMENT.
84% OF THAT IS THE REIMBURSEMENT THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE AIRPORT SYSTEMS. SO WE PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES FOR INTERCONTINENTAL HOBBY AND THE ELLINGTON FIELD.
THE NEXT ITEM IS OUR POLICE SPECIAL SERVICES FUND.
THIS IS A COLLECTION OF SPECIAL FUNDS FOR RESTRICTED USE.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, ALL OF THE TRAINING THAT WE DO THAT IS PROVIDED BY THE STATE, UH, COME FLOWS THROUGH THIS FUND REIMBURSEMENT FOR WHAT'S CALLED MOUS, OR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, WHICH WE HAVE WITH OTHER, UM, AGENCIES, FLOW THROUGH THIS FUND AND FUNDING FOR OUR COMBAT FOR AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AS WELL AS COST RECOVERY SERVICES AND SPECIAL FUNDS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT BUDGET WOULD BE 7.9 MILLION.
AND OUR NEXT ITEM, OUR SPECIAL FUND, IS AUTO DEALERS.
AND FOR REVENUE FOR THAT ONE, IT, WE ARE ANTICIPATING 8.5 BUDGETED FOR THE AUTO DEALERS.
AND OF COURSE, WITH AUTO DEALERS, IT'S A STANDALONE FUND.
IT IS, UH, AND THIS FUND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REGULATING AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESSES, AUTO SALES PERSONS, STORAGE LOTS, AND TOWING INDUSTRY.
SO THE REVENUE WE RECEIVE PRIMARILY IS COMING FROM, UH, FEES THAT WE CHARGE
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IN, IN SERVICING THAT PROCESS.OUR NEXT ITEM IS CHILD SAFETY FUND, AND THAT'S CLEARLY JUST THE FLOW THROUGH.
UH, JUST BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, UH, IN 1991, THE STATE LEGISLATOR REQUIRED THAT ANY POPULATION OVER 850,000 SHOULD FUND IT.
AND WE FUND IT THROUGH, UH, ASSESSING CERTAIN FEES ON MUNICIPAL, UM, FINES.
AND SO WHAT WE GET, WE PASS BACK THROUGH.
AND IF WE DON'T GET ENOUGH, THEN THERE'S NO MONEY ELSE, NO OTHER WAY TO GET THE FUNDING.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THAT CHILD SAFETY FUND IS.
AND OF COURSE, ASSET FORFEITURE.
SO UNDER ASSET FORFEITURE, THE ONE THING I'LL SAY, AND I KNOW MY STUFF IS LOOKING AT ME, BECAUSE WE CANNOT BUDGET FOR ASSET FUNDING, ASSET FORFEITURE BECAUSE IT'S ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, OTHER THAN THE STATE ALLOWS US TO DO SOME BUDGETING.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT TYPICALLY RIGHT NOW, WE'RE BUDGETING $2 MILLION, WHICH IS, IF YOU LOOK IN THE HISTORY, IT'S A LITTLE LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED.
BUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT WE'VE, OR TAKING THE SAME IMPACT EVERYONE ELSE IS WITH COVID AND THE, THE COURT SYSTEMS, BECAUSE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THESE FUNDS, IT HAS TO FLOAT THROUGH THE, UH, THE COURT SYSTEM.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT IN TIME, UH, THAT WE WILL BE BACK ON CHART.
AND LASTLY IS THE FORENSIC TRANSITION FUND.
AND THAT FORENSIC TRANSITION FUND THAT SHOWS 373 MILLION IS REALLY JUST A FLOW THROUGH, UH, BECAUSE BACK IN 2014, I BELIEVE WE TRANSITIONED THE OPERATIONS OF THE FORENSIC FUND TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
BUT WE KEPT THE FUNDING, WE KEPT THE ACTUAL INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH HPD ON IN OUR, IN OUR FUNDING.
SO WE RECEIVED, UH, REIMBURSEMENT.
SO THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S DOING WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO.
IT STARTED WITH PROBABLY MORE THAN 20.
NOW WE ONLY HAVE THREE STAFF LEFT, SO WE ANTICIPATE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS THAT THAT WILL MOVE DOWN.
SO WHAT WE HAVE IN TOTAL IS, UH, $65 MILLION FOR REVENUE.
SO THIS, UH, SLIDE JUST HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THERE'S A DIFFERENCE FROM YEAR TO YEAR, AND THE COMPARISON IS WITH THE ESTIMATED REVENUE COMPARED TO THE BUDGET.
SO FOR GENERAL FUND, WE'RE SHOWING A $1.4 MILLION INCREASE.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, 84% OF THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE HAS TO DO WITH OUR SERVICES TO THE POLICE OF SERVICES TO THE AIRPORT SYSTEMS. SO OF COURSE, A LOT OF THE INCREASE HAS TO DO WITH THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS IN REFERENCE TO THE 4% INCREASE FOR, UH, POLICE AND THE 3% FOR CIVILIAN.
THE ONE THING I WILL HIGHLIGHT, THAT THE ONE NEW ADD-ON IS, UH, SEVEN POSITIONS ANTICIPATED FOR THE LAST FIVE MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE INTEGRATED COORDINATION CENTER, WHICH IS BEING CREATED BY THE AIRPORT SYSTEM.
AND THEY HAVE REQUESTED OUR PARTICIPATION IN THAT, BUT OF COURSE, THEY WILL BE REIMBURSING US FOR IT.
SO I'M GONNA SKIP TO AUTO DEALERS, AND YOU'LL SEE A SMALL DECREASE.
BUT REALLY THAT'S JUST BECAUSE FISCAL YEAR 22, WE SAW, UH, UPTICK IN, UH, THE INCREASE OF SELLING CARS THAT HAVE BEEN STORED AND, AND THE, THE ACTUAL FUNDING FOR THAT.
SO WE TEND TO BUDGET PRETTY CONSERVATIVELY.
SO WE'VE GONE BACK TO WHAT IS, WHAT WE TYPICALLY WOULD SEE DURING A YEAR.
AND THE LAST ITEM THAT I WILL INCLUDE IS THE FORENSIC TRANSITION, BUT I'VE ALREADY EXPLAINED THAT ONE, WHY THAT'S GOING DOWN.
SO THIS IS THE EXPENDITURE BY FUND.
SO FOR GENERAL FUND, UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS $988 MILLION OR A DIFFERENCE OF 33,000, 33 MILLION.
AND I WILL EX, UH, EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER ON AND GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
IN TERMS OF THE GENERAL BUDGET FOR A POLICE SPECIAL FUND, WE HAVE A BUDGET OF 10.9 A MILLION DOLLARS, AND MOST OF THAT IS PERSONNEL, BUT WE DO ALSO HAVE SOME INCREASES BECAUSE OF, UH, TECHNOLOGY INCREASE TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING THIS FISCAL YEAR.
THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WILL, UH, FOCUS ON IS ASSET FORFEITURE, BUT I THINK I'VE KIND OF MENTIONED THAT BEFORE AND WHY THAT NUMBER, IT APPEARS TO BE GOING UP, BUT WE DIDN'T SPEND AS MUCH LAST YEAR, BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE SPENDING A LITTLE BIT MORE THIS YEAR.
THIS IS THE EXPENDITURE HIGHLIGHTS, WHICH SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE.
AS I MENTIONED WITH GENERAL FUND, THERE'S A $33 MILLION DIFFERENCE, WHICH I'LL GO IN TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND, UM, I BELIEVE I'VE ALREADY EXPLAINED THE DIFFERENCES IN THE OTHERS.
SO I'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, SO THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT EXPLAINS HOW WE CAME UP TO THE 988 MILLION.
IF YOU RECALL, LAST YEAR, WE HAD A BUDGET ADOPTED OF 955 MILLION.
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THE YEAR, THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET.UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE RESTRICTED FUNDS, UH, THAT ARE SHARED FUNDS THAT WE ARE, UH, PROVIDED THAT NUMBER FROM, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION.
AND THEN WE, OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE ADJUSTMENT FOR THE 3% INCREASE FOR THE HOPE BUDGET IS WHAT I LIKE TO REFER TO AS THE 3, 3 3 THAT WE'RE ALL VERY ECSTATIC TO, UH, SEE HAPPEN.
AND THEN WE HAD A DECREASE IN OUR HEALTH BENEFIT.
SO THAT'S PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF MORE ATTRITION THAT ANTICIPATED.
SO THE BUDGET WAS ADJUSTED TO REFLECT THAT DECREASE FOR HEALTH BENEFITS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE COUN COUNCIL, UH, SUPPLY OR COUNCIL SUPPORT MONIES THAT WE'VE RECEIVED ABOUT 129, UH, THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND, AND OF COURSE I CAN'T, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ADD ON THAT.
WE ADDED, UH, THE GUN GUN, UM, GUNSHOT DETECTION WITH THE SHOT SPOTTER.
AND THOSE ARE TWO LOCATIONS, THE THREE 50 EACH, SO THAT'S A 700,000.
SO THAT GETS US DOWN TO WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE CURRENT BUDGET.
AND THE CURRENT BUDGET IS JUST THE ADOPTED PLUS ANY ADJUSTMENTS WE'VE MADE THROUGH THE YEAR.
AND FROM THERE, WE GET DOWN TO HOW WE CAME TO THE CURRENT BUDGET, TO THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.
AND THIS PRETTY MUCH SHOWS YOU EVERY ITEM THAT HAS BEEN ADJUSTED.
A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE HOPE AND THE, UM, THE CONTRACT WITH THE POLICE UNION, HPOU IN TERMS OF THE INCREASES, THE 4% AND THE 3%.
AND OF COURSE, WE HAD AN INCREASE IN THE HEALTH HEALTHCARE ALSO.
SO I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH EACH ONE.
I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THOSE ITEMS. THAT MAY BRING UP SOME QUESTION.
IF YOU LOOK ABOUT A THIRD OR ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN, THERE'S THE CADET ADJUSTMENT.
SO LAST YEAR WE, WE HAD ANTICIPATED SIX CLASSES, BUT WE NOW KNOW THAT FILLING UP THE FIVE CLASSES IS OUR PRIORITY.
SO WE READJUSTED THAT DOWN TO FIVE CLASSES VERSUS SIX CLASSES.
AND THEN, UH, THE LAST SEVERAL ITEMS HERE, UH, IT'S CALLED APPROVED PBJS.
AND THOSE ARE REQUESTS THAT WE'VE MADE, UH, TO ADJUST OUR BUDGET.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE HAD FOUR THIS YEAR.
UH, ONE HAD TO DO WITH THE BODY-WORN CAMERAS OF WHICH WAS APPROVED THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR.
AND THIS 1.8 REPRESENTS, UH, THE STORAGE COST FOR THE BODY-WORN CAMERAS.
AND OF COURSE, THE CHIEF MENTIONED THE EPRO PROGRAM ALSO.
SO THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE, THE BALANCE BETWEEN PERSONNEL COST AND NON-PERSONNEL COSTS.
SO, INTERESTING ENOUGH, WE HAVE 988000091% OF THAT PERTAINS TO PERSONNEL COST.
UH, LAST YEAR WAS ABOUT 92, 90 3%.
AND YOU MAY ASK, WELL, WHAT'S HAPPENED? WELL, WE'VE GOT THE EPRO PROGRAM, AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER PROGRAM, UH, NO, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME, BUT THE OTHER PROGRAM, WHICH ACTUALLY HAS ADDED TO, UH, THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
SO NOW IT'S 91%, SO IT'S GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO I'M GONNA MOVE THROUGH THESE PRETTY QUICKLY, BECAUSE IF YOU SEE WHAT THE SPECIAL FUNDS, UH, IT'S MOSTLY 50 50, MOSTLY PERSONNEL AND NON-PERSONNEL IS ABOUT 50 50.
SO WITH THE POLICE SPECIAL FUND, IT IS 52% FOR PERSONNEL AND 48% FOR NON-PERSONNEL AND SPECIAL FUNDS.
A LOT OF THE PERSONNEL HAS TO DO WITH OVERTIME.
THERE IS, THERE ARE SOME STAFF, BUT IT'S PRIMARILY OVERTIME COSTS, UH, THAT WE RECEIVE FUND REIMBURSEMENT FOR.
SO THIS IS ASSET FORFEITURE THE SAME, IT'S THE SAME CASE AS 50 50 JUST ABOUT.
AND, UH, THAT'S PERSONNEL VERSUS NON-PERSONNEL.
AND THIS IS THE AUTO DEALERS, THE, THE, THE SAME, SAME WITH THIS ONE, IN TERMS OF PERSONNEL VERSUS NON-PERSONNEL.
SO WE'VE PUT THESE TWO ON THE SAME SLIDE.
THE FIRST ONE IS A CHILD SAFETY, AND OF COURSE, THAT'S STRICTLY A FLOW THROUGH.
SO IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, OR ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT FLOW THROUGH FOR SERVICES.
AND FOR THE FORENSIC, IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT PERSONNEL.
SO THIS GIVES YOU A HISTORICAL FACTOR IN TERMS OF HOW WE HAVE FARED IN COMPARISON WITH WHAT WE'VE SPENT VERSUS OUR ADOPTED BUDGET.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE THAT WE TYPICALLY COME ON BUDGET.
WE, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME MAKING SURE THAT WE STAY WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
WE UNDERSTAND THE BUDGETS ARE TIGHT, AND WE ARE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT WE STAND HERE.
SO THIS, THIS ACTUAL PRESENTATION SHOWS THAT IN A GRAPHICAL MANNER.
SO THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, YOU'LL SEE THAT
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THE ADOPTED BUDGET IS MUCH MORE THAN THE EXPENDITURES.A LOT OF TIMES WITH THE SPECIAL FUNDS, IF WE DO NOT, UH, HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO SPEND THE MONEY, IT'S JUST ROLLED OVER TO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE FIRST, UH, FIVE YEARS OF 2019 THROUGH 2023.
THE SAME WITH ASSET FORFEITURE.
YOU'LL SEE THAT SAME TREND, UH, BUT WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, THE REVENUE AND THE, THE, THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND THE EXPENDITURES ARE IN LINE.
BUT THERE ARE SOME TIMES WHEN WE RUN OUT OF TIME.
AND THIS IS THE AUTO DEALERS, WHICH IS TYPICALLY ON TARGET.
UH, THERE, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND OF COURSE, IT'S THE CHILD SAFETY, WHICH IS A SMALLER FUNDS.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO PASS IT BACK OVER TO CHIEF IF HE'D LIKE TO CLOSE US OUT.
YEAH, JUST AGAIN, THANKS FOR, UM, THE SUPPORT, UM, OF, OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND THE CITIZENS AS WELL.
BUT WE REALLY WANTED TO KIND OF MOVE THROUGH QUICKLY BECAUSE I, I WANTED TO SAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND, AND, AND ANSWERS.
AND, AND CHIEF FINNER, IT'S NOT EVERY DAY THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE YOU AND YOUR COMMAND STAFF IN FRONT OF US.
SO AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, CHIEF SLINKER, CHIEF JONES AND CHIEF SATTERWHITE, AND ALSO RAY HUNT AND DOUG GRIFFIN.
WITH HPOU, WHO ARE VALUABLE PARTNERS, NOT ONLY TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS WELL.
AND ALSO MR. PETER STOUT WITH THE, UH, CEO OF THE, UH, HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE LAB.
OUR FIRST QUESTION COMES FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
AND I HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS, SO JUST GO AHEAD AND PUT ME BACK IN QUEUE.
UH, CHIEF, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND TO THE ENTIRE TEAM, UM, ALL THE WAY ON DOWN TO EACH DIVISION, UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO FACE, UH, NOT ONLY THE SURGE VIOLENT CRIME FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC LOCALLY, BUT COULD YOU SHARE WHAT YOU'RE SEEING? I KNOW YOU WERE JUST IN DC UM, WHAT THAT TRIP WAS ABOUT AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING NATIONALLY AND HOW WHAT WE ARE DOING IS EITHER WORKING OR NOT WORKING.
UM, IT, IT WAS, IT WAS A GOOD TRIP TRIP, UM, FOR NOT ONLY ME, BUT FOR THE MAYOR AND FOR OUR CITY.
UM, AND VISITING WITH THE PRESIDENT, UM, THE, UM, UM, UH, RESCUE ACT.
UH, HE PLEDGED, UM, TO CONTINUE TO FUND US.
AND, AND, AND THAT WAS A HUGE THING.
BUT THE MEETING, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UM, UM, HONORED TO THOSE MEN AND WOMEN WHO PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, UM, DURING THAT WEEK, DURING THAT WEEKEND OF, OF MEMORIAL.
BUT, UM, YOU, YOU EX, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO OTHER CHIEFS FROM AROUND THE NATION, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS. WITH ONE EXCEPTION, NOBODY HAS THE BACKLOG PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE HERE IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, ABSOLUTELY NOBODY.
AND IN OUR CONVERSATIONS, THEY WERE AMAZED, BUT THEY'RE DEALING WITH SOME OF THE SAME OTHER ISSUES, THE GUN VIOLENCE, UM, UM, UM, LETTING INDIVIDUALS OUT OF, OUT OF, UH, JAIL, UM, WHEN THEY'RE RE RE REPEATING, UH, TIME AND TIME, VIOLENT CRIME.
SO, UH, THAT'S THIS CHALLENGE.
BUT ALSO, UH, RECRUITING, UM, AND, AND, AND JUST HEARING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND, AND, UM, I, I TOLD THE MAYOR THAT I THINK ABOUT MEETING THIS THURSDAY, I WANNA TALK TO HIM ABOUT SOME OF THE RECRUITING, UM, INITIATIVE INITIATIVES THAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN PLACE.
UM, AND, AND ALSO PROBABLY USING AS MORE FUNDING COMES IN, USING SOME OF THAT FOR SOME INCENTIVES, UM, FOR INDIVIDUALS COMING IN, UH, TO THE, UH, UH, ACADEMY OR ACTUALLY RECRUITING THEM.
MENTIONED, UM, RECRUITMENT, THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATIONS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT CADET CLASSES.
AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED, UH, IN THIS BUDGET THERE'S FIVE.
AND COULD YOU CLARIFY, THOUGH, BECAUSE WE OFTENTIMES TALK ABOUT CADET CLASSES, BUT WE ALSO ARE DEALING WITH RETENTION ISSUES.
SO CAN YOU SHARE WITH US WHERE THAT BRINGS US IN TERMS OF HPD? UM, YES.
UM, SO STAFFING, THE, THE RECRUITING, UH, WE CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE.
BUT THE, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IS ATTRITION RATE.
UM, WE'RE AGENT AGENCY, UH, AND A LOT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LEAVING WHEN THEY GET 35, 30 YEARS, UM, IT IS HARD TO KEEP 'EM WHEN THEY'RE READY TO GO.
SO, UM, AS WE PUT CADETS IN THE CLASS, ON THE BACK END, PEOPLE ARE RETIRING.
SO THAT, THAT IS A, A HUGE, UH, CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO IT, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, WE JUST DON'T LOSE HOPE AND UNDERSTAND AND, AND HOPING THAT, THAT TIME ITSELF OUT AS SOME OF THOSE RETIRE.
[00:30:01]
AND THEN OTHER, UH, UM, CADETS, UH, COME THROUGH OUR ACADEMY AND COME ON OUT ON, OUT ON THE STREETS, HOPEFULLY ON THE BACK END IN A FEW YEARS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HOLD ON TO, UH, A LOT MORE FOR A LONGER TIME.SO IT'S NOT JUST THAT WE'RE ADDING ADDITIONAL NUMBERS, WE'LL PUT YOU BACK IN QUEUE.
GOT THAT COMES FROM MEMBER SALLY ALCORN.
AND THANK YOU CHIEF, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT INVESTIGATIVE AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS.
I KNOW THERE WAS TALK ABOUT CLEARANCE RATES AND HOW WE WERE DOING BETTER 10 YEARS AGO THAN, THAN WE WERE DOING, YOU KNOW, NOW.
AND WE ADDED, I THOUGHT SOME, UM, SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, CLASSIFIEDS TO THAT DIVISION.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE BUDGETED FOR MORE LAST YEAR AND THEN HIRED FEWER.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YEAH, I'M, I'M PROUD TO SAY, UM, THAT OUR CLEARANCE RATE, UH, DIVISIONAL CLEARANCE RATE AND AND HOMICIDE IS, IS AT 80% NOW.
THAT'S A GREAT, YEAH, THAT'S WAY UP FROM 2020.
WHEN YOU LOOKED AT, UH, LAST YEAR IN, IN 2020, UM, THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS WERE DOWN.
SO WE'RE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, I WANT TO GIVE, UH, UH, CREDIT TO THE GREAT INVESTIGATIVE WORK AND ALSO THE LEADERSHIP OF, UH, ON THE INVESTIGATIVE SIDE, UH, CHIEF JONES AND, AND, UH, SOME OUR OTHER ASSISTANT CHIEFS AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE DOING, UH, JUST KNOCKOUT INVESTIGATIONS.
BUT AGAIN, UM, PEOPLE, UM, DON'T GIVE ENOUGH CREDIT TO THE VALUE OF, OF GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH CITIZENS.
UM, AND YOU SEE TIME AND TIME AGAIN, CITIZENS ARE STEPPING UP MORE.
AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE OF A, A BETTER RELATIONSHIP, UM, AND MORE TRUST, UH, BUILDING IN.
SO, UH, IT HAS TO ALL GEL TOGETHER.
BUT, UH, I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND I JUST PRAY THAT WE CONTINUE TO TREND IN THAT WAY.
UM, THE PROPERTY ROOM, HOW MANY, UH, HOW MANY CLASSIFIEDS DO WE HAVE WORKING AT THE PROPERTY ROOM? I'M NOT SURE ON THAT NUMBER.
DOES, DOES ANYBODY HAVE A PROPERTY ROOM? AND, AND IF, IF NOT, WE'LL GET THAT TO YOU.
AND, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE, IN ADDITION TO THE CLEARANCE RATE, BE PUT ON THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT Y'ALL INCLUDE IN THE BOOK, UM, UH, THE, THE DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHAT WE RECEIVE IN AND WHAT GOES OUT.
UM, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE WAY IN MORE, WE HAVE WAY MORE IN, IN ALL CATEGORIES THAN YES.
AND THAT TIES UP A LOT OF, OKAY.
OFFICERS, WE INCLUDE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, TIFFANY THOMAS.
HOW YOU DOING THIS MORNING? UM, I'M, WELL, SO TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE'S AN ASIDE FROM THE GENERAL FUND, I'M PRETTY CLEAR ABOUT HOW, HOW YOU'RE FUNDED.
BUT OFTENTIMES WE RECEIVE GRANT WHERE COUNCIL APPROVES GRANT AWARD GRANT APPLICATIONS, RATHER, TO SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT.
AND I REMEMBER THERE WAS ONE ITEM, PARTICULARLY THAT WAS ALMOST LIKE A COMMUNITY MOBILE UNIT, UM, THAT WAS, THE APPLICATION WAS SUPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, UH, USE TO DO SOME COMMUNITY EFFORTS.
WHAT, WHEN DO WE RECEIVE INFORMATION THAT THE AWARD WAS ACTUALLY ACCEPTED OR FUNDED? AND THAT THOSE CAPITAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT ARE ACTUALLY WITHIN OUR HANDS.
THAT, UH, MOBILE GRANT, I THINK THAT GOT IT'S JOHNSON, IT'S CHIEF JOHNSON, COMMANDER JOHNSON.
WE JUST, UH, UM, UM, PUT IN FOR, MAYBE IT WAS A YEAR AGO.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL GET SOME, UH, FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND SEE WHERE WE ARE.
WE WANNA GO TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE, WE'VE, UM, BECAUSE OF STAFFING, A LOT OF THE STOREFRONTS WERE, UH, CLOSED DOWN.
SO IF WE CAN HAVE A MOBILE OUTREACH, UH, UM, UM, I GUESS I, I USED TO CALL 'EM, UH, UH, WINNEBAGOS
VEHICLES, BUT WE CAN GO DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUNITY AND, AND IT HUGE.
JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE, THE STATUS OF THAT.
AND THEN SECONDLY, UM, I, I THINK MY FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE, I TOOK A TOUR OF THE FORENSIC CENTER.
I WAS FASCINATED BY IT JUST MM-HMM
OVERWHELMED WITH THE, THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT THEY DO.
UM, IF I UNDERSTAND THIS, THIS IS A, A, A DECREASE IN THEIR BUDGET.
IS THIS THE VARIANCE? IS THAT A VARIANCE? OH, SO FOR WHAT WE HAVE, IT'S JUST THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT TRANSITION OVER FROM THE CITY TO THE FORENSICS.
SO IT'S JUST KIND OF LIKE A HOLDING PATTERN, UH, BECAUSE THAT WAS WHAT WAS AGREED UPON IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM WITH THE, THE BENEFITS OF THE CITY.
SO THEN THIS LEADS TO MY QUESTION IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, YOUR OFFICERS ON THE GROUND ARE DOING YEOMAN'S WORK AROUND WITH THE HOMICIDE RATE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S DOING THEIR PART.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE ASK THAT WE'VE ASKED THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT TYPE OF FUNDING WOULD THEY NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT EVIDENCE IS NOT BACKLOGGED, ALL OF THAT DATA COLLECTION SO THEY CAN KEEP IN TRACK WITH THE GOALS THAT WE'RE SETTING IN THE CITY? WE, WE HAVE TO STAY IN COMMUNICATION WITH OUR, UH, FORENSIC, UH, CENTER.
UH, AS WE MAKE MORE ARRESTS, UM, THERE IS, UH, MORE OF A DEMAND ON THEM, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE MEETING THAT DEMAND.
SO, UM, UH, WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION AND, AND, AND I'M SURE THEY'RE GONNA BE IN,
[00:35:01]
UH, COMMUNICATION WITH THE, WITH THE MAYOR TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY GET WHAT THEY NEED.SO YOU NOT, YOU'RE NOT SAYING WE NEED TO PLAY THE MEGA MILLIONS IN ORDER TO, TO GET THIS FUNDED.
'CAUSE MAYBE WE NEED TO PLAY SOME NUMBERS.
I THINK THAT IT, THERE SHOULD BE, UH, SOME, UH, UH, DIRECT CONVERSATIONS SURE.
AND, AND, AND, UM, UH, WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
AND, AND, AND THE MAYOR HAS BEEN, JUST STAND OUT WITH THAT AND, AND INCLUDING THE COUNCIL, WHEN ANY OF US, UH, PERTAINING TO, UH, SAFETY OF OUR CITY NEEDS SOMETHING AND WE PRESENT IT TO EVERYBODY, HAS BEEN VERY FAIR.
AND, AND, UH, I WANT US TO KEEP DOING THAT WITH ALL, UM, NOT ONLY HPD, BUT WITH ALL, UH, DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY.
VICE MAYOR PRO TE, MARTHA CASTEX.
CHIEF FINNER, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
MS. SMITH, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING SO VERY THOROUGH.
UM, I MEAN, AND WE HAD ALMOST A UNANIMOUS, UM, COUNCIL VOTE ON THE SUPPORT OF SHOT SPOTTER.
OUR RESIDENTS ARE CLAMORING FOR SHOT SPOTTER IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I WANT TO, UM, IF YOU CAN GIVE US SOME INSIGHT ON THE VALUE OF THAT.
AND IF YOU ANTICIPATE THAT THE COST OF SHOT SPOTTER WILL DECREASE, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT DECREASING.
UH, WE HOPE AS WE ADD MORE, UH, WE CAN MAKE BETTER DEALS.
UM, BUT IT IS, IT'S, IT'S A TREMENDOUS, UH, PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY, UH, GUN DETECTION.
UH, WE'VE HAD CASES WHERE, UH, WHEN YOU, UH, WHEN THEY'RE, UH, DISCHARGE A FIREARM, WE'RE IMMEDIATELY RESPONDING TO IT.
UM, AND, AND WE HAVE MADE SOME ARRESTS.
UM, SO AS MANY MORE AS WE CAN STAND UP, UH, AS FUND AND ALLOW.
BUT AGAIN, UM, YOU LOOK AT DIFFERENT CITIES, IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, UH, RESPONSIBILITY.
EVERYBODY HAS TO KICK IN CORPORATIONS AND, AND, UH, SO WE CAN STAND UP MORE, BUT, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NEEDED AND WANTED BY THE CHIEF AND, AND, AND, UH, OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM.
SO, UH, IT, IT'S, UH, IT'S SOMETHING I HOPE WE CAN FIND MORE, BUT ALSO, UM, UM, UH, THE CORPORATIONS AND, UH, PRIVATE ENTITIES STEP UP AND, AND ASSISTANCE WITH THAT.
AND THEN I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE ROLLOUT OF THE OUTWARD FACING CAMERAS.
UM, IF WE CAN EVENTUALLY COME BACK TO MAYBE PUBLIC SAFETY MM-HMM
UM, ONCE THAT 90 DAY PERIOD IS UP, GIVE A REPORT TO TALK ABOUT THOSE, UM, PLACES THAT HAVE INSTALLED THOSE CAMERAS, OR THE ONES THAT HAVE NOT.
UM, WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENFORCING THAT ORDINANCE.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS WE HAVE IN OUR, IN OUR DISTRICT IS, UH, THE NUISANCE THAT IS CREATED AT A LOT OF THOSE CONVENIENCE STORES, RIGHT.
AND WHEN YOU LET THAT PETTY CRIME GO ON, IT LEADS TO BIGGER CRIME.
SO I THINK WE ARE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UM, WITH THOSE ORDINANCES, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT, UH, YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM IS DOING TO KEEP US ALL SAFE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE'RE VERY INTENTIONAL ON HOLDING THOSE, UH, UM, CONVENIENCE STORES, BARS, AND ANYBODY ANY ESTABLISHED, UM, ACCOUNTABLE FOR HELPING US FIGHT CRIME.
COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER.
WHAT IS THE RETENTION RATE OF OUR CADETS? HOW OFTEN, I MEAN, HOW DO THEY STAY WITH THE, DO THEY STAY WITH THE FOREST? WHO WE FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, I HAD SOME, LEMME SEE IF I HAD SOME NUMBERS, UM, WHEN THEY GRADUATE.
SO I FORGOT WHERE I WAS ON MY PAGE.
I LOOKED AT IT UP WHEN, LET ME BE SPECIFIC.
UM, I, I, I KNOW WE HAVE IT SOMEWHERE HERE, BUT I, I DON'T, WE WILL GET THAT TO YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT GRADUATION RATING.
THAT'S WHEN THEY COME IN, HOW LONG THEY STAY ON THE FORCE.
I'M SORRY, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE RETENTION RATE OF OUR GRADUATES? OKAY.
BECAUSE WE'RE PAYING FOR THEM TO BE TRAINED.
AND THEN THE OTHER, AND THEN WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF INCREASING THAT NUMBER, WHATEVER THAT IS.
THE OTHER QUESTION IS, YOU MENTIONED, UM, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.
CONGRATULATIONS ON MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT.
UM, I, I JUST HONESTLY, I HEAR THAT WE, WE CAN PUT THOUSANDS OF OFFICERS ON THE GROUND, BUT IF WE DON'T GET FORENSICS FUNDED PROPERLY, UM, IT LEADS TO TWO ISSUES, RIGHT? THE BACKLOG IS GONNA CONTINUE TO INCREASE AND THEN PEOPLE CAN BE FALSELY ACCUSED FOR ISSUES.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, MAYBE THIS IS A NOT RIGHT NOW QUESTION, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UM, OUR FORENSICS DEPARTMENT GET THE MONEY THAT THEY NEED.
I THINK THEY NEED, I THINK THEY'RE SHORT, LIKE $9 MILLION, UM, TO, TO FILL THAT, TO GET THAT BACKLOG HANDLED.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, TRAINING AND FUNDING GOING TOWARD OUR OFFICERS THAT COLLECT THE DATA SPECIMENS, ET CETERA, ON THE GROUND SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WHATEVER IS COLLECTED IS COLLECTED
[00:40:01]
PROPERLY.AND OUR OFFICERS ARE GONNA NEED TRAINING AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT THEY NEED TO, TO DO THAT, TO DO THAT.
SO THOSE ARE TWO THINGS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE LINE ITEMS FOR.
THAT'S COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ.
AND I BELIEVE LAST YEAR, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD GAVE 50,000, I THINK, TO THE FORENSICS UNIT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, LIKE THEY SAY, FOLLOW THAT CAB.
I'D LIKE TO DO THAT AS WELL FROM MY COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS.
AND I URGE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO LOOK AT THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO GET THESE CASES YES.
UH, GET THE INFORMATION THAT IS GIVEN TO US EXAMINED IN ORDER TO MOVE THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SAY THAT AND CHALLENGE MY COLLEAGUES TO DO THE SAME.
UM, HEY CHIEF, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD MORNING, COUNCILOR.
UM, SO I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS.
SO WHAT IS HB D'S CLEARANCE RATE FOR VIOLENT CRIME LAST YEAR AND WHAT IS THE CLEARANCE RATE FOR CRIME OVERALL? AND THEN LASTLY, UM, CONSTITUENTS HAVE REACHED OUT ABOUT, UM, THE CADET CLASSES AND JUST WANNA KNOW, WHAT IS HBD DOING TO RECRUIT FROM WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOODS? UM, THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINT THAT, WELL, A CONCERN THAT THE OFFICERS THAT'S PATROLLING THE NEIGHBORHOODS DO NOT REFLECT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE RACE MM-HMM
THE PEOPLE THAT'RE, SO THEY WANNA SEE MORE BLACK, UM, OFFICERS IN THE DISTRICT.
AND SO, JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO RECRUIT THE, UM, BLACK OFFICERS? LET ME, UH, UH, START WITH THE, UH, CLEARANCE RATES.
I, I WENT OVER THE HOMICIDE, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU.
UM, AND WE'LL GET SOME TIME IN A DAY ON THE, UH, OTHER CLEARANCE RATES, UM, FOR, UH, VIOLENT CRIMES IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, UM, SPECIFICALLY AFRICAN AMERICAN OFFICERS.
UM, THE FIRST THING I WANT TO DO IS, IS MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RECRUITING GOOD OFFICERS.
I WANT TO LOOK AT THAT HEART, BUT I UNDERSTAND, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, OFFICERS FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE COMMITTED AND WHO KNOWS THE COMMUNITY, IT HELPS.
UM, SO, UH, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO INCREASE THE DIVERSITY IN OUR AGENCY.
UM, BUT I ALSO, UH, DO NOT, AND, AND, AND I SAY THIS WITH, WITH WITH A LOT OF RESPECT.
I DON'T EVER WANT TO DISCOUNT, UM, THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF, UH, NON-MINORITY OFFICERS WITH, WITH, WITH OUR AGENCY.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT ASKING OR SAYING THAT, BUT I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR WORK BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES DOING THE OMAN'S WORK, UH, FOR 25, 30, 35 YEARS WITH NOT ANY COMPLAINTS.
UM, AND, AND RETIRED HONORABLY.
SO I DO WANNA, UH, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO INCREASE, UM, UM, MINORITIES, UH, WE'RE GOING OUT, UM, TO WHERE THEY ARE TO UNIVERSITIES? LET ME STOP, KEEP GOING.
UH, UNIVERSITIES, UH, SOME OF THE RADIO STATIONS, HIP HOP RADIO STATIONS, UM, TO THE, UH, UM, UH, WHEREVER THEY ARE, UH, WE HAD INSTITUTED, UH, UH, UM, UH, NOT THE WORK STUDY, BUT THE LIFE, UH, UH, UM, THE, THE LIFE, UH, PROGRAM, LIFE, LIFE, UH, WHAT IS IT, LIFE HISTORY WHERE YOU, UM, GET AN INDIVIDUAL, AND, AND I'LL GIVE THIS QUICK EXAMPLE.
WE, WE HAD, AT FIRST YOU HAD TO HAVE SO MANY COLLEGE HOURS OR YOU HAD TO BE HONORED, DISCHARGED FROM THE MILITARY.
WHAT ABOUT THE YOUNG MAN AND YOUNG LADY THAT, THAT WORKED AT UPS OR ANY OTHER JOB FOR FIVE YEARS? AND, AND, AND AS A GREAT INDIVIDUAL, AND WE SAY IN OUR AGENCY, WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE A COLLEGE, YOU DON'T HAVE THE MILITARY.
WE DON'T WANT YOU, WE DID AWAY WITH THAT.
SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN RECRUIT NOT ONLY MINORITIES, BUT ANYBODY TO INCREASE THAT, THAT POOL.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
BUT I NEED HELP FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EVERYBODY ELSE IN OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT THE JOB OF, OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I NEED Y'ALL TO ADVOCATE FOR US, AND I KNOW Y'ALL DO.
UM, BUT ALL CITIZENS, IT'S, IT IS A GREAT CAREER.
AND I KNOW PEOPLE DON'T THINK THAT SOMETIMES BECAUSE THEY LISTEN TO THE NEGATIVE, BUT THIS IS A HONORABLE PROFESSION.
AND, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO WHATEVER.
WE CAN INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS.
SO BEFORE WE GO TO SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND IT'S RELATED TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS YOU MADE, SPECIFICALLY BACKLOG AND MORE DEMAND ON THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER.
UH, YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE BECOME VERY AWARE OF A SIGNIFICANT BACKLOG AND FORENSIC LAB TESTING, YOU KNOW, MOSTLY DUE TO COVD, MOSTLY DUE TO A HALT IN COURT OPERATIONS, UH, INCREASE IN HOMICIDES.
UH, WE HAVE JOB OPENINGS THAT WE CAN'T FILL.
WHAT CAN WE DO? BECAUSE IT SEEMS AS
[00:45:01]
THOUGH THE TESTING THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY WON'T BE AVAILABLE FOR THREE YEARS.SO, TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S POINT AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S POINT, IF WE ARREST SOMEONE TODAY FOR A HOMICIDE OR WHATEVER, DO SOME TESTING, UH, IT'S NOT FOR THREE YEARS THAT THIS PERSON ACTUALLY GOES TO COURT.
THUS WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF BAD PEOPLE GOING BACK ON THE STREETS.
SO WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT VIOLENCE, I, I WILL POINT POINT TO THE COURTS, THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE HOUSTON FORENSICS SCIENCE LAB.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THESE BAD GUYS TO TRIAL QUICKER WITH FORENSIC EVIDENCE AND GET 'EM OFF THE STREETS? MAYOR PRO TEM, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT, UH, WHATEVER WE DO, UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S PROPER, PROPERLY STAFF STAFFING AND, AND FUNDING, UH, OF THAT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE OPERATIONS OVER THERE, BUT, UM, JUST AS, UM, WE SUPPORT THE POLICE OFFICERS, WE GOTTA SUPPORT ALL, UM, THE DEPARTMENTS AND, UH, THEY NEED SOME HELP OVER THERE.
AND, AND AGAIN, I, I THINK THE, THE MAYOR, UM, WHEN IT'S BROUGHT TO HIM, UM, AND, AND LAID OUT, HE'S GONNA MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION.
AND, AND I'M SURE THAT CITY COUNCIL WILL, WILL SUPPORT IT.
SO AS A, AS A NON-POLICE GUY, I'M GONNA DRAW A PARALLEL BETWEEN FORENSIC TESTING BACKLOG AND NUMBER OF CRIMINALS THAT ARE ON THE STREETS.
SO UNTIL WE GET PART A SOLVED, WE'RE GONNA CONSTANTLY SEE MORE BAD GUYS ON THE STREETS.
SO I'LL POINT TO SOMETHING, WE GAVE YOU A MILLION DOLLARS IN ARPA FUNDS FOR BUYBACK GUNS.
HAS THAT PROGRAM BEEN SUCCESSFUL? HOW MANY GUNS HAVE WE BOUGHT BACK? AND SPECIFICALLY, HOW MANY DOLLARS HAVE WE SPENT ON THAT BUYBACK PROGRAM? WE'RE STILL STANDING IT UP.
UM, IT, IT, IT, IT, IT WAS A LOT DEALING WITH IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE RUNNING ALL OF OUR GUNS THROUGH, UM, UM, THE N SYSTEM.
UM, SO I WANT TO DO THAT, BUT IN A GAP BY A GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM, YOU CAN'T GET ANY IDENTIFICATION FROM THE PEOPLE, WHAT I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, BUT I STILL WANNA RUN THOSE GUNS.
SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S A BIT COMPLICATED.
UM, BUT, UM, I, I THINK, UM, AND I GOT MS. CLOUD IS NOT HERE WITHOUT COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
UM, SHE'S COORDINATING THAT WITH US, BUT, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE CAN WITH THAT.
UM, CHIEF, I ASK EVERY DEPARTMENT THIS, AND I, I KNOW THAT IN THE APPENDIX, YOU HAVE A LIST HERE.
UM, IHPD IS DOING AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB WITH, UM, VERY TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES, THE UNMET NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
I'D LIKE YOU TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT IN THE BUDGET, THEIR CONSTRAINTS.
UH, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS? I'M LOOKING, YOU KNOW, AT THIS LIST, A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH TECHNOLOGY.
I'M LIKE THE BROKEN RECORD ABOUT IT.
BUT CAD, RMS RELIES ON CAD, UH, REALTIME CRIME CENTER HAS TO DO WITH CAD.
SO ALL OF THESE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE COSTS? ANY ADDITIONAL NEEDS INCLUDING, UM, FACILITY NEEDS FOR OUR DIVISIONS? BECAUSE THOSE, YES.
THOSE BUILDINGS ARE LIKE THE REST OF THE CITY RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF STRUGGLING.
WE WE'RE IN A CITY OF, UH, A HUGE CITY.
YOU LOOK AT ALL SQUARE MILES, UH, THE FIRST NEED, UH, WE HAVE AN AGING FLEET.
IF WE GET ANYTHING ADDITIONAL, UH, OR EXTRA MONEY, UM, ALMOST 50% OF OUR FLEET FLEET IS PASSED THE LIFESPAN.
AND THAT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND FIVE YEARS FOR MARKED 120,000 MILES.
UM, AND SEVEN YEARS FOR UNMARKED.
ALMOST 50% OF OUR VEHICLES ARE OVER.
I, I WAS AT THE GAS PUMPS, UM, UM, BEFORE I WENT TO DC.
AND, UH, THERE WAS A, A YOUNG FEMALE OFFICER, AND I HAD TO APOLOGIZE TO HER.
AND SHE DROVE UP IN THAT CAR TO PUT GAS IN THERE.
AND, AND I KNOW WE'RE DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO, BUT WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
UM, AS FAR AS A REALTIME CRIME CENTER, UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, UH, THROUGH THE, UH, TAG CENTER, UH, THEY HAVE PLEDGED TO, UH, UH, FUND, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, UH, ADDITIONS WE NEED TO MAKE IT A, A TRUE, UH, REALTIME CRIME CENTER.
UM, WE'RE STILL WAITING, UM, FOR THAT MONEY TO COME DOWN.
HOPEFULLY THEY'LL PROVE IT AND, AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY NUMBER ONE, THE, THE NEED AND, AND, AND, AND FOR BETTER VEHICLES AND NEWER VEHICLES, THAT THAT IS A MUST.
UM, WE'RE NOT IN A CITY THAT'S VERY SMALL AND, AND YOU CAN DO A,
[00:50:01]
A LOT OF FOOT PATROL, EVEN THOUGH I WOULD LOVE, I LOVE FOOT PATROL, I LOVE NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING.BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS YOU MOVE AROUND IN VEHICLES IN, IN HOUSTON, AND, AND WE NEED TO KEEP UP WITH THESE CRIMINALS.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT IS PUT MONEY IN FUNDS AS MUCH AS WE CAN INTO THE FLEET.
AND, UM, REALLY QUICKLY, I, IN ADDITION TO VICE MAYOR PRO TEMS REQUEST ON FOLLOW UP ON THE, UH, NEW CAMERA ORDINANCE, UH, I'D LOVE TO GET AN UPDATE FROM Y'ALL ON, UM, THE A TF PARTNERSHIP.
WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME.
THERE WAS ABOUT 1,000,004 INCREASE IN TEMPORARY PERSONNEL SERVICES IN THE CHIEF'S COMMAND.
IS THAT FOR A SPEC, A SPECIFIC PROJECT OR IT'S E PROS.
THAT'S WHAT THE, UH, YES, THEY'LL BE FUNDED THROUGH.
AND THEN I JUST WANNA POINT OUT, AND YOU NOTICED, YOU, YOU HAD IT IN THE ADJUSTMENTS.
THIS WAS A $2 MILLION OVER, UH, BUDGETING OF, OF, UM, HEALTH BENEFITS THAT COMES BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? LIKE LAST YEAR THERE WAS A NO.
SO IT WAS ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED THAT THERE WOULD BE MORE, UH, STAFFING AND THAT WOULD, UH, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY ADJUST FOR THE HEALTH BENEFITS.
AND SO, UH, THE HEALTH BENEFITS WAS REDUCED BY THE FINANCE TEAM.
AND ON RECRUITING, UM, UM, I LIKE THE CHANGES.
YOU MADE THE UPS EXAMPLE AND ALL, AND ALSO YOU GUYS SPEND, YOU KNOW, OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH IS A REALLY GOOD THING ON TUITION REIMBURSEMENT.
THAT SHOULD BE ANOTHER BIG RECRUITING THING.
UH, ANY, ANY KIND OF INCENTIVE.
I, I REALLY WANT US TO LOOK AT THAT AS, AS, AS A TEAM.
UM, AND, BUT EVEN FRONT END INCENTIVES, UM, THAT, THAT'S BEEN AT THE MEETING IN DC UM, YOU ASKED ABOUT A COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, THAT'S WHAT I THINK HAS BEEN WORKING FOR OTHER AGENCIES.
AND IT MAY WORK FOR US, BUT ALSO TO, UH, HELP WITH SOME OF THE DEBT.
NOW THE CHALLENGE IS WHEN INDIVIDUALS COME IN AND WE GIVE 'EM FRONT END INCENTIVES AND THEY LEAVE, AND WE CAN SAY, WELL, HEY, WE REQUIRE YOU, UM, TO STAY THREE YEARS OR FIVE YEARS, BUT WHEN THEY LEAVE, WHO'S COLLECTING THE MONEY? SO THEN THAT'S THE CHALLENGE THAT SOME OF THE OTHER CHIEFS HAD AS WELL.
SO JUST WANNA BRING THAT UP SO WE HAVE NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE.
I'LL, I'LL ASK THE, THE LAST QUESTIONS.
IT REALLY UPSETS ME WHEN I TURN ON THE MEDIA AND I HEAR COMMENTS LIKE THE MURDER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, AND THEN YOUR COMMENT ABOUT HOMICIDES MOVING FROM 70% TO 70.
WE, I HAD SOME VISITORS IN TOWN, UH, FROM MY HOMETOWN OF NEW ORLEANS, AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT CRIME, MURDER RATES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND MY EXPLANATION THEN WAS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
YOU KNOW, THE OTHER DAY I READ A REPORT WHERE A LADY APPROACHED A MAN WITH A GUN, MAN TOOK IT FROM HER AND SHOT HER.
I DON'T KNOW ANYONE IN THE WORLD WHO CAN STOP SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHETHER YOU HAVE THE, A POLICE FORCE WITH 2 MILLION PEOPLE OR A POLICE FORCE WITH ONE.
IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHOOTINGS, AND I'LL CALL 'EM, HOMICIDES ARE HAPPEN IN EACH AND EVERY DAY.
SO I THINK I UNDERSTAND YOUR STATISTICS ON 70 TO SEVEN, BECAUSE EVERY TIME I LOOK AT THE TV, THE MURDERS ARE RELATED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
SO CAN YOU LEND A LITTLE COLOR TO THAT AS FAR AS THE HOMICIDE RATE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO? DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS, IS IS ONE, UH, CATEGORY THAT'S DRIVING OUR HOMICIDE UP.
BUT THERE HAS TO BE EDUCATION, THERE HAS TO BE INTERVENTION AND, UH, INTERVENTION, UM, INTO IT.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WITH OUR DART PROGRAM, AND, AND I'M SO PROUD OF THAT, WHEN WE HAVE A C UM, AN ADVOCATE IN THE CAR WITH THE POLICE OFFICER, ONCE YOU GO TO THAT SCENE AND ASSAULTED, THEY STILL ALIVE.
IT'S A VICIOUS CYCLE THAT'S GONNA GET WORSE.
IF WE CAN LEND IN WHICH WHAT WE DO, THOSE RESOURCES TO THAT VICTIM OR THAT COMPLAINANT RIGHT AWAY, GET THEM OUT OF THAT, UH, SITUATION.
UM, THAT'S THE WAY THAT WE, WE, WE, WE, UH, UM, SAVE LIVES.
BUT IT IS FRUSTRATING TO POLICE OFFICERS WHEN WE'RE JUDGED.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN PREVENT IT WHEN IT'S BEHIND WALLS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE, WE, WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT 'EM.
WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AS A SOCIETY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING AND WE ARE.
IT'S ALSO FRUSTRATING WHEN PEOPLE TURN AND THEY, THEY, THEY PUSH THEIR OWN NARRATIVE.
AND WHAT'S THE NARRATIVE NOW? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE, YOU TALK AND YOU HEAR TALKING ABOUT THE DRAMATIC DROP IN HOMICIDE RATE.
OKAY, NOW WE KNOW SUMMER'S HERE AND, AND WE KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT DURING
[00:55:01]
THE SUMMER, BUT WE'RE ROLLING UP AND WE'RE GONNA MEET THE CHALLENGE.AND I DON'T TAKE ALL THE CREDIT FOR HOMICIDES.
I SAID WE HAD SOME GOOD INVESTIGATORS AND GOOD POLICE WORK, BUT IT IS TRULY SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY HAS TO PARTNER UP WITH US TO MAKE THE CITY SAFER.
BUT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
AND, AND I, I THANK Y'ALL AGAIN FOR ALL Y'ALL SUPPORT.
MAYOR, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU BROUGHT UP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN CHIEF.
I'M GONNA ASSUME THAT THE OVER $4 MILLION, UM, IN ARPA FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TO TOWARDS DART, DART FORENSIC NURSES IS HELPING.
AND AGAIN, HATS OFF TO DART SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS, OUTSTANDING, DANGEROUS SITUATIONS THAT THEY'RE RESPONDING TO.
BUT MAYOR PRO TEM, TO YOUR POINT, IN TERMS OF PREVENTATIVE ACTION, AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDES ARE WITH A FIREARM.
THE COURTS AREN'T ABLE EVEN TO ENFORCE RIGHT NOW.
SO IF THERE'S A RECORD OF SOMEONE PERPETRATING OR IS A DOMESTIC ABUSER, WE'RE STILL NOT, I'M ASSUMING CHIEF, Y'ALL CAN'T REMOVE THOSE FIREARMS FROM THAT SITUATION.
YEAH, WE, WE CAN, UH, WE STILL CAN MOVE, UH, UM, WHEN THERE'S EVIDENCE OF VIOLENCE, YOU CAN TEMPORARILY MOVE THOSE FIREARMS AND, AND, AND WE DO DO IT.
BUT, UM, I DON'T DAB INTO THE POLITICS TOO MUCH, BUT I, I DO WANT TO SAY THIS, UM, LAWMAKERS, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN DC AROUND THE NATION.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE LOCAL, YOU STATE, OR YOU FEDERAL, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE REAL CAREFUL.
UH, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND VIOLENT CRIMES, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU VOTE FOR.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WRITE IN LAW.
WHEN THERE'S A BACKLOG, UM, WE NEED TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO AND NOT POINT FINGERS AT REDUCING THE GUNS ON THE STREET, ESPECIALLY IN THE WRONG HANDS OF, OF, OF INDIVIDUALS WHO COMMIT VIOLENCE AFTER VIOLENCE.
NOW, EVERYBODY'S SMART IN HERE AND WE, WE READ THROUGH THE LINES, BUT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO DO THEIR PART.
AND, AND, AND I, I, I JUST ENCOURAGE FRIENDS AND, AND FAMILY AND ANYBODY, WE NEED TO DO OUR PART AND BE SMART ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE.
COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS.
UM, MAYOR PRO TIM, RAISE A REALLY GOOD POINT ABOUT THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UM, BUT I CAN'T HELP TO THINK ABOUT ACTIVE SHOOTER, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUES HAPPENING.
AND I KNOW THERE WAS SOME IN NORTH HARRIS COUNTY, BUFFALO IS THE LATEST ONE.
AND SO, UM, THE INVESTMENT IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS SIGNIFICANT.
BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACTIVE SHOOTER AND MAKING SURE YOUR DIVISION IS READY, BECAUSE I HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FATHER ABOUT GOING TO GROCERY STORES.
AND TRANSITIONING THAT BECAUSE OF WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE, WE'RE A HUGE CITY.
SO, AND I DON'T SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, UM, YOUR, YOUR DIVISION AROUND ACTIVE SHOOTER AND THAT TRAINING, BUT DO YOU NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR YOUR MEN AND WOMEN IN ORDER TO, WE CAN ALWAYS USE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
ACTIVE SHOOTER, ANYTHING ELSE BUT COUNCILWOMAN, YOU, YOU BRING UP A VALID POINT.
WE DO NEED THE, THE WORLD THAT WE'RE LIVING IN TODAY, WE ALL NEED TO BE READY FOR WHATEVER COMES IN.
AN ACTIVE SHOOTING IS A PROBLEM.
UH, AND I, I JUST, I HOPE I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER.
AND WE ALL HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS.
I I WANT US TO KEEP GOING WHERE WE'RE GOING AND TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER, BUT BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS.
UH, WE'LL CONTINUE WITH OUR ACTIVE SHOOTING TRAINING THAT, UH, UM, STEPHEN DANIEL DOES AND, AND SOME OTHER, UH, INDIVIDUALS.
UH, AND WE NEED TO INCREASE THAT BECAUSE, UM, YOU HAVE TO BE IN A MINDSET.
AND IF YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT IT BEFORE IT HAPPENS, UM, YOU'RE GONNA FREEZE.
SO WE GOTTA GET IN THE MINDSET AND WE HAVE TO TRAIN OUR OFFICERS TO RESPOND QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY.
BUT ALSO CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO.
UM, THE, THE FIRST FEW SECONDS OF AN ACTIVE SHOOTER, THE FIRST FEW MINUTES, IF YOU CAN SURVIVE THAT, IF YOU CAN DO THE RIGHT THING AND, AND, AND, AND WAIT FOR THE POLICE TO ARRIVE.
ONCE WE ARRIVE, WE HANDLE IT PRETTY QUICKLY.
SO WE ALL NEED TO, AS A COMMUNITY, BE AWARE OF IT AND, AND, AND, AND TRYING UP VICE MAYOR PROAM.
I, I REALLY WANTED TO, UM, JUST AMPLIFY SOME OF THE, UM, PERFORMANCE MEASURES, UM, THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR BOOK AND THE EXTERNAL CITIZEN COMPLAINTS, UM, WITH THE EXPECTED PERFORMANCE MEASURES OF A REDUCTION OF 2%.
UM, I, I LIKE THE TREND, UM, IN THAT SPECIFIC CATEGORIES, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE MORE WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO REPORT THEIR COMPLAINTS.
AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE, UM, OPENED THAT UP, UM, WITH THE ADDITION OF, UH, MS. ALFORD'S OFFICE YES.
AND THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO ACTUALLY EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS
[01:00:01]
AND THAT WE'RE TRENDING DOWNWARD.I THINK IT SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR OUR CITY AND FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN ON, UM, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE COMPLETED, 78 OF 104 OF THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON POLICING REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS.
I DON'T THINK WE TOUT THAT ENOUGH WHEN THAT WAS HAPPENING.
UM, WE HAD RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ASKING FOR THESE ITEMS, AND WE COMPLETED 78 OF 104 OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND AS A CITY AND A POLICE DEPARTMENT, I THINK THIS SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT WE HEAR THEM.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SERVING THEM TO THE BEST OF OUR CAPABILITIES.
AND SO I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR HPD OFFICERS AND EVERYONE THAT SERVED ON THAT TASK FORCE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TO THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON, BECAUSE PUBLIC SAFETY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN OUR CITY.
AND I THINK WE ARE LEADING THE NATION, HENCE YOUR VISIT TO, UH, THE WHITE HOUSE AND SETTING, SETTING A REAL STANDARD AS WE DEAL WITH TOUGH ISSUES IN THIS COUNTRY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
THAT WAS IN THE TALKING POINTS AND, AND I, I WAS TRYING TO SAVE TIME, BUT IT, I'M SO PROUD OF THAT AND WE ARE ALL PROUD OF THAT.
UM, I WANNA SAY THIS TOO, RIGHT QUICK IF I CAN.
UM, WHEN I WAS UP IN DC, UM, PRESIDENT BIDEN'S ADMINISTRATION, SEVERAL MEMBERS SPOKE OF OUR ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN.
THEY SAID THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THAT THEY HAVE SEEN BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND FIGHTING CRIME, UM, UM, VIOLENCE DISRUPTION PROGRAMS, UH, DEALING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, MORE FUNDING FOR THAT, WORKING WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
BUT THEY WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE WAY THAT WE ARE BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, BUILDING TRUST, UH, UH, WORKING ON, UH, UM, UM, ISSUES THAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, AND, AND, AND I, I'M REALLY PROUD AND EXCITED ABOUT IT.
IT'S NOT A POLICE THING, IT'S A COMMUNITY THING.
AND, UH, IT STARTS WITH COUNCIL, IT STARTS WITH OUR GREAT MAYOR.
AND I, I, I'M JUST REALLY, I'M, I, I WAS VERY PROUD AND I AM PROUD ABOUT IT.
THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SAY THAT.
AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS THAT ARE GONNA COME BEFORE US IN A MINUTE, BUT BEFORE WE LET YOU GO BACK TO THE STREETS, UM, I, I APPLAUD YOUR DECISION.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE WHO MADE IT ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM TO BUT TO GO FROM SIX CADET CLASSES TO FIVE, BUT TO STAFF 'EM WITH MORE INDIVIDUALS TO GET 'EM ON THE STREETS MORE RAPIDLY.
I THINK THAT WAS A BRILLIANT MOVE, AND I'M GLAD TO SUPPORT IT.
YOU KNOW, IN THE DAY OF DEFUNDING POLICE, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ADD MONEY TO YOUR BUDGET, BUT WE CAN REALLOCATE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THERE TO CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS, LIKE YOU MENTIONED WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT.
SO A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY ARE VERY CREATIVE.
AND I APPLAUD YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR DOING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
THE ONE THING THAT ALWAYS BOTHERS ME, AND I ALWAYS, THIS IS MY NINTH POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET PROCESS, I ALWAYS ASK THIS QUESTION, HOW MANY OF YOUR POLICE OFFICER, RETIREMENT OR RETIREMENT ELIGIBLE TODAY, PERCENTAGE WISE? JUST A GUESS.
AND I LOOK BEHIND YOU AND I SEE SOME GREAT INDIVIDUALS, AND I WALK THE STREETS EVERY DAY, AND Y'ALL DO A PHENOMENAL JOB.
AND, UH, AS I ALWAYS SAY, WHENEVER I SAY I'M THE LAST GUY, IT COMES BACK TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALL GOES, I'LL GIVE YOU THE LAST WORD.
THANK, THANK YOU, CHIEF, FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION IN REGARDS TO THE BUDGET, UH, IN REGARDS TO RECRUITING, UM, DOES HBD REACH OUT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, WORKING SOME KIND OF A, I I KNOW, LIKE YOU STATED THAT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE YES.
REQUIRED SOME COLLEGE DEGREE OR SOME COLLEGE CREDITS.
UH, AND WHAT HAVE YOU, UH, SO ARE, ARE Y'ALL PARTNERING WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT? YES.
NOT ONLY THAT, HIGH SCHOOL, OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS WITH OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS. AND, AND, AND I, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT.
I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP YOUTH PROGRAMS AND I'M STEPPING OUTSIDE OF MY, MY, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT YOUTH AND GOING INTO THIS SUMMER, PLEASE, WHATEVER WE DO WITH, WITH PARKS AND RECS, GET THOSE POOLS OPEN, HIRE MORRIS, UH, LIFEGUARDS, AND GET SOME BASKETBALL GOALS UP.
SO WE HAVE TO DO THAT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
AND, AND THAT'S A PART OF OUR RECRUITING WITH OUR EXPLORER PROGRAM.
WE START WORKING WITH THOSE, UH, YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN AT, AT A, UH, A YOUNG AGE, AS EARLY AS, AS THE NINTH GRADE, UH, GETTING THEM ACCLIMATED AND, AND HOPING THAT THEY JOIN OUR AGENCY, UH, LATER.
WELL, THAT, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.
AND I, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, ALSO ALSO YOU MENTIONING REGARDING, UH, YOU KNOW, KEEPING, UM, OR US BEING AWARE
[01:05:01]
OF WHAT'S OUT THERE IN REGARDS TO, I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEKEND IN BUFFALO AND WHAT HAPPENED IN EL PASO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.UH, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT WE RECEIVED CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
UH, THERE WAS A NEO-NAZI GROUP THAT WAS PUTTING BAGGIES OUT IN PEOPLE'S DRIVEWAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, PROMOTING NEO-NAZIS.
UH, AND OF COURSE, WE ASKED THEM TO CALL HPD.
UH, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, ARE YOU GETTING OTHER CALLS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AS WELL? WE, WE, WE TAKE THOSE, UH, UM, HEY, CRIMES AND CRIMES ARE BIAS, UH, UH, REALLY SERIOUSLY.
UM, I HADN'T SEEN AN UPTICK, UM, IN IT, BUT I, I'LL GET YOU SOME STATS JUST TO, TO MAKE, UH, SURE.
BUT IT'S A CALL TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO LOOK AFTER ONE ANOTHER, AND WE REALLY NEED TO STAMP OUT THAT HATE AS AT THE EARLIEST, UH, MOMENT.
UH, JUST STOP IT AND STAMP IT OUT.
AND, UH, THERE'S SOME RESPONSIBILITY TO, UH, CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL.
WHEN YOU SEE IT, GET YOUR LOVED ONE SOME HELP.
THANK, THANK YOU TO MY FRIENDS AND HPOU.
AND AS I HEARD TWO WEEKS AGO, OFFICERS DISMISSED, WILL NOW GO TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS MAYOR PRO TIM.
BEFORE WE LEAVE, I WANTED TO JUST, UH, REITERATE THAT FOR THE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM, IT'S ACTUALLY STARTING JULY 30TH, SO I THINK THAT ONE WAS JUST DETERMINE THIS MORNING.
FIRST PUBLIC SPEAKER IS FABIOLA JIMENEZ.
SORRY,
I WASN'T EXPECTING EVERYBODY TO RUN OUT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND, AND WE'RE GONNA HOLD EVERYBODY TO ONE MINUTE AS INSTRUCTIONS STATED, BECAUSE WE HAVE A MEETING THAT STARTS IN JUST A LITTLE WHILE AND WE HAVE TO TRANSITION.
SO THIS HANDOUT SHOWS ITEMS THAT ARE CONSISTENTLY HIGHER IN GENERAL FUND SPENDING THAN ACTUALS, AND THEREFORE GOOD CANDIDATES FOR ALLOCATION TO A DEPARTMENT LIKE HOUSING.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CASA TATUM IS GONE, BUT SHE MENTIONED THE COMPLAINT PROCESS.
IF YOU GO ON HP D'S WEBSITE RIGHT NOW, PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU SEE AN EASIER PROCESS FOR FILING A COMPLAINT.
IT HASN'T CHANGED ON THEIR WEBSITE.
IT STILL ASKS FOR YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.
IN A CITY LIKE HOUSTON, ACCORDING TO HP D'S STATS AND PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENTATIONS, VIOLENT CRIME AND CRIME OVERALL WAS DOWN YEAR TO DATE BEFORE ONE SAFE HOUSTON WAS ANNOUNCED.
I'M CONCERNED THAT THE PUBLIC IS BEING MISLED ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT.
ALSO, ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS SANDRA BLAND, UH, ACT, RACIAL PROFILING DATA FOR 2021, HPD IS A STATE LEADER IN VIOLENT TRAFFIC STOPS.
WE HAVE ONLY 3% OF STOPS IN TEXAS, BUT 44% OF VIOLENT STOPS STATEWIDE.
THAT AVERAGES OUT TO FIVE VIOLENT STOPS PER DAY WITH THREE OF THEM TARGETING BLACK PEOPLE EACH DAY WITH THESE TERRIBLE STATISTICS AND THE CLEAR DANGER POSTS BOTH TO OFFICERS AND RESIDENTS BY THESE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF STOPS, HOW MUCH ARE WE PAYING FOR THIS TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT? THANK YOU.
AND, UM, I'M ASSUMING THIS IS REFERRING TO WHAT I WOULD CALL A SORT OF A SURPLUS LOOK AHEAD.
EVERY YEAR, YOU'LL NOTICE WITHIN THE, THE MOER MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORTS, WHEN WE GET TO THE END OF THE YEAR, UH, WE HAVE A LARGE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN WHAT WE GAVE DEPARTMENTS AND WHAT THEY'VE ACTUALLY SPENT.
ALL THAT MONEY ROLLS INTO OUR FUND BALANCE.
THAT'S WHY WE MAINTAIN A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR.
IT'S PROJECTED TO BE 13 FIVE BASED ON EXACTLY THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU GAVE US.
SO WHEN THE DEPARTMENTS DON'T SPEND THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED BY COUNCIL, IT ROLLS INTO FUND BALANCE, AND WE'RE AT 13.5%, AND THE OBLIGATED FUND BALANCE IS 7.5%.
SO WE'RE DOUBLING THAT FOR THE RAINY DAY, BUT WE WANT DEPARTMENTS TO SPEND THAT MONEY, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
SO IF WE REALLOCATE THESE, THESE OVERAGES, RIGHT? CORRECT.
NOT JUST HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, BUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
WE BIG NUMBERS, WE USE THOSE MONIES FOR BUYBACK PROGRAMS OR FORENSIC, WE HEARD THE PROBLEM WITH FORENSIC SCIENCE LAB.
MAYBE WE USE SOME OF THAT FOR THOSE PURPOSES.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THESE ARE CLEAR CANDIDATES FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF POTENTIAL REALLOCATION FROM YEARS OF CONSISTENT OVER BUDGETING FOR THESE ITEMS. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DRAINAGE
[01:10:01]
IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN DISTRICT B? ABSOLUTELY.DISTRICT E AING STOP A BLANDING.
OH, WAS THERE A, A QUESTION COMES FROM A
I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, I, I DID ASK, I DID NOTICE THAT $1.4 MILLION INCREASE IN TEMPORARY PERSONNEL SERVICES, THAT IS FOR HIRING THE RETIRED OFFICERS.
SO THAT WAS, THAT LOOKS LIKE YOUR BIGGEST ITEM ON THERE.
AND I THINK THESE ARE ADJUSTMENTS FROM WHAT, WHERE WE END UP AND WHERE WE'RE BUDGETING NEXT YEAR.
SABA BLENDY DID BRING YOUR DAUGHTER TODAY.
HOW MANY YOU MISSING HER? HOW MANY I KNOW SHE HAD START TESTING.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WITH A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES DID HPD ARREST IN 2020 AND 2021? HOW MANY CALLS RECEIVED BY EMERGENCY DISPATCH REGARDING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS WERE RESPONDED TO WITH ARMED POLICE OFFICERS IN 2020 AND 2021? HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE PART OF A CERT TEAM? HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS? WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF A TRAINED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, HOW MANY CALLS RECEIVED BY EMERGENCY DISPATCH REGARDING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS WERE RESPONDED TO WITH AN UNARMED RESPONSE THROUGH MCO IN 2020 AND 2021? I HEARD IT WOULD ONLY COST 23 MILLION TO EXPAND HEART HOLISTIC ASSISTANCE RESPONSE TEAM TO COVER ALL OF HARRIS COUNTY.
HARRIS COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS INVESTED 1.2 MILLION FOR A PILOT PROGRAM.
HOW WOULD IT RELIEVE HPD OFFICERS TO HAVE SUCH A PROGRAM EXPANDED INTO HOUSTON? WOULD THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONSIDER EXPANDING THE HAR PILOT INTO HOUSTON TO QUOTE, UH, PRECINCT TO COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA HART IS A HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC SAFETY, AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS CUTTING EDGE PROGRAM BE LAUNCHED SOON AS A LONGTIME MEMBER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO HAS SEEN FIRSTHAND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SOME COMMUNITIES.
I KNOW THAT HAVING THE RIGHT PEOPLE RESPOND TO A SCENE CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A POSITIVE OR TRAGIC OUTCOME.
WHAT I WOULD DO IS I WOULD SEND THAT EXACT LIST AND GIVE IT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, AND, AND LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT ANSWERED.
AND WE'LL POST THAT ON SHAREPOINT FOR EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
YOU'VE SAT THROUGH A LONG MEETING AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY TRYING TO SPIT IT ALL OUT.
I WILL HAVE A FORUM UP ON MY WEBSITE, HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE DAY, I SENT IT OUT VIA EMAIL TO WHERE YOU CAN SUBMIT QUESTIONS, UM, EASILY.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE TRACK ALL THAT TOO FAST TO WRITE DOWN.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND, AND WE DO RESPECT THE FACT THAT YOU ARE, UH, HAVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT ANSWERED.
AND ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED DURING THIS SESSION AND OTHER SESSIONS POSTED TO SHAREPOINT AS WELL.
AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THOSE INCLUDED FOR THE PUBLIC CO.
UH, MR. CHRISTER, CHRISTOPHER RIVERA.
I'M GLAD, UH, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS MENTIONED THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES MEASUREMENTS.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, WHY SHOULD THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL $32 MILLION WHEN THEY CONTINUE TO FAIL AND IN SOME INSTANCES BARELY MEET THE DEPARTMENT'S 2022 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT GOALS? FOR EXAMPLE, THE POLICE SET A RESPONSE TIME GOAL 75%.
THE POLICE ESTIMATE, THEY'LL ONLY REACH, UH, THAT GOAL BY 80, UH, 55% THIS YEAR.
THEY FAILING TO MEET THAT GOAL BY 20%.
NEXT YEAR, THE POLICE WILL BE LOWERING THAT GOAL TO 65% TO ACCOMMODATE THE POLICE SLOW RESPONSE.
WHEN POLICE BARELY REACHED THEIR GOAL, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PRIORITY WAS TO HAVE AN AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME OF FOUR TO SIX MINUTES.
THE POLICE ESTIMATE THAT THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME IS FIVE MINUTES AND 54 SECONDS.
THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S RESPONSE TIME WAS SLIGHTLY FASTER.
WHY SHOULD WE CONTINUE INVESTING SYSTEMS THAT FAIL US WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH NEED FOR HOUSING, PARKS AND SERVICES THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AND DOESN'T CRIMINALIZE US? I WOULD LIKE A RESPONSE.
THERE ARE NO COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE.
AM I CLOSING THIS OUT TODAY? UM, SO I JUST, JUST TO BE FAIR, UM, I HEARD YOU SAYING THAT WE SHOULD SUBMIT OUR, UH, QUESTIONS TO THE COUNCIL AND, AND WE'LL DO THAT.
BUT ALSO WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE BECAUSE THE PRESENTATIONS HADN'T BEEN MADE.
I KNOW THE SLIDES WERE AVAILABLE, BUT ALSO THE PROCESS HAS BEEN DIFFERENT IN PREVIOUS DAYS, SO THAT WASN'T POSSIBLE.
UM, I WAS INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES THAT HAS BEEN USED IN 2020 AND 2021, AND ALSO IF THERE ARE PLANS TO EXPAND IT AND FIND OUT WHERE THE PROBLEMS EXIST IN THAT PROGRAM.
BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO, I, I THINK IT SHOULD HAVE, SHOULD BE BEING USED MORE AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN SEEING IT LIVE UP TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT AND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THAT PROGRAM.
[01:15:01]
AND THAT'S IT.DR. PETER STOUT, HEAD NERD OF THE CRIME LAB
UM, I MOSTLY SHOWED UP JUST TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I FIGURED THERE PROBABLY WOULD SEEM BE SOME QUESTIONS WITH HPD AS, UM, WE ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED TO WHAT HPD DOES.
THEY DEPEND ON OUR RESULTS FOR THEIR INVESTIGATIVE INVESTIGATIONS.
THE COURTS DEPEND ON OUR RESULTS FOR PROSECUTIONS.
UM, AND IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER FOR YOU NOW ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT, I KNOW THERE WAS ONE QUESTION, I FORGET WHO ASKED IT.
ABOUT PAGES 4 56 AND 4 57 ARE FUND 2213.
THAT WAS THE TRANSITIONARY FUND FOR THE LGC WHEN WE STARTED AS THE LGC.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S GOT THREE EMPLOYEES LEFT IN IT.
UM, THAT'S WHY THAT IS ONLY ABOUT 300,000.
IF YOU LOOK FOR THE REST OF WHAT OUR BUDGET IS, IS ON PAGE 2 33.
THERE'S ONE NOTE IN THERE OF THE 28 AND A HALF MILLION.
AND THAT IS REALLY THE DISCUSSION OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND WHAT MY BOARD PASSED, UM, AND THE DIFFERENCES OF WHAT THAT'LL MEAN FOR US OF WHAT WE CAN DO IN THE COMING COUPLE OF YEARS.
BUT IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER.
COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
STAFF FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO WITH YOUR WHOLE ENTIRE TEAM.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT, I KNOW THERE'S A, TELL ME EXACTLY HOW MUCH YOU'RE LOOKING TO, UM, THAT YOU NEED IN TERMS OF INCREASE OF YOUR BUDGET, AND THEN JUST A VERY QUICK SYNOPSIS OF WHAT THOSE THOSE ARE GONNA BE USED FOR.
UH, WHAT MY BOARD PASSED WAS 34.4 MILLION.
UM, THAT INCLUDES 2.6 MILLION FOR WAGE ADJUSTMENTS.
WE ARE GETTING OUR HEADS HANDED TO US IN RETENTION AND RECRUITING.
UH, THERE'S ABOUT A MILLION IN THERE TO EXPAND THE CRIME SCENE UNIT.
THERE IS, UH, ABOUT 500,000 IN THERE.
AND, AND WE BASICALLY WALK DOWN THE PLACES THAT WE ARE THE MOST CONCERNED CRIME SCENE FIREARMS. UH, NEXT AFTER THAT IS TOXICOLOGY LATENT PRINTS.
AND THE, THE BALANCE OF THAT IS, IS ABOUT A $5.9 MILLION DIFFERENCE FROM THIS YEAR'S BUDGET INTO NEXT YEAR.
SO IT'S BETWEEN STAFFING AND THEN TRYING TO STABILIZE THE GROWTH OF THE BACKLOGS THAT WE'RE SEEING.
AND IF YOU RECEIVE THAT MONEY, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WE COULD DECREASE THE BACKLOG THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY? I DON'T THINK SO.
UM, AND THIS IS PART OF THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE.
WE HAVE HAD BACKLOGS GROW SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TWICE TO ABOUT FIVEFOLD, DEPENDING ON WHICH DISCIPLINE YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
THE, THE DIFFICULTY FOR US IS WE ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY HOMICIDE IN PARTICULAR.
THE EVIDENCE THAT IT CREATES GOES TO OUR MOST EXPENSIVE DISCIPLINES.
SO IT'S REALLY DISPROPORTIONATE IN THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON THE LABORATORY.
UH, IT IS VERY LONG ARC FOR US TRAINING EXAMINERS, UH, FINDING EQUIPMENT.
SO REALLY, IF I WERE TO TRY AND ELIMINATE THE BACKLOG, THAT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE SOMETHING MORE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 45 MILLION.
EVEN IF THAT NUMBER WERE REALISTIC, I COULDN'T SPEND IT.
I CAN'T FIND THE PEOPLE, I CAN'T FIND THE EQUIPMENT IN THIS NEXT YEAR.
SO THE 34 IS DESIGNED TO WORK WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT AND TRY AND STABILIZE THE GROWTH OF THE BACKLOGS.
THAT'S, WE HAVE 200 AMAZING PEOPLE.
I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE THEY WILL PROBABLY EXCEED EXPECTATIONS, BUT SO THAT YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT THAT'S DESIGNED FOR, IT IS TO STABILIZE BACKLOGS, NOT REDUCE ANYTHING.
UM, DROUT, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EVIDENCE BACKLOGS, THAT'S DISTINCT FROM THE CURRENT COURT BACKLOGS, CORRECT? CORRECT.
DO YOU WANNA EXPAND UPON THAT A LITTLE BIT? OH BOY.
SO A CRIME LABORATORY GETS TO BE SANDWICHED BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT DOING INVESTIGATIONS, AND WE DO EVIDENCE PROCESSING AS PART OF INVESTIGATIONS, AND AS LAW ENFORCEMENT BUILDS A CASE, THEN LAW ENFORCEMENT HANDS THAT CASE OVER TO PROSECUTORS TO DEVELOP THE CASE FOR PROSECUTION.
AT THAT POINT, THERE IS A WHOLE NOTHER SUITE OF REQUESTS WE OFTEN GET THAT COME FROM PROSECUTION.
SO FOR US, WE'VE GOT THE INCREASE IN PARTICULARLY HOMICIDE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT SANDWICHED US FROM THAT SIDE.
NOW WITH THE ABSOLUTELY MIND BOGGLING BACKLOG IN THE COURTS, AS THAT IS PICKING BACK UP, THE PRESSURE FROM THAT TO SUPPORT PAST RESULTS THAT WE'VE DONE IN COURT GOES UP AND THE REQUEST FROM PROSECUTORS WHO ARE NOW STARTING TO DEAL WITH CASES GOES UP.
SO RIGHT NOW, MY FOLKS ARE TESTIFYING ON VIOLENT CRIME CASES TYPICALLY FROM ABOUT 20 17, 20 18, AS THE COURTS CATCH UP TO WHERE WE'RE AT.
THIS IS PART OF MY CONCERN IS SOMEWHERE
[01:20:01]
IN ABOUT THE NEXT SIX TO 12 MONTHS, WE START TO BECOME THE BACKLOG AND THE BOTTLENECK, BECAUSE THE COURTS ARE, ARE THEN GONNA START WAITING ON US FOR RESULTS ON CASES WHEN THEY GET THERE.SO, YEAH, JUST TO BE CLEAR, AS IT STANDS TODAY, AND I, I APPRECIATE IT ALWAYS HELPS, RIGHT? WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE SAYING, HEY, IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CHALLENGE AND WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THAT NOW.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.
AND RIGHT NOW, UM, THE COURT BACKLOG OH, IS, IS NOT YEAH.
HINGING ON THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER IS DOING.
THE DA'S OFFICE IS NOT HINGED ON THAT EITHER.
NO, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT YOU CAN SEE THE ARC OF THIS.
I MEAN, I JOKE EXPLAINING OUR WORK IS A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE EXPLAINING ORBITAL DYNAMICS THAN IT IS LIKE DRIVING A CAR.
BECAUSE WHAT WE DO NOW FOR US IMPACTS WHERE WE'RE AT IN ABOUT TWO YEARS.
AND MY CONCERN IS EVEN IF YOU BACK THE TRUCKLOAD OF MONEY OVER ON ME IN TWO YEARS, I CAN'T DO MUCH WITH IT FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS.
BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION.
SO A FOLLOW UP, SO YOUR BACKLOG IS RELATED TO PEOPLE AND EQUIPMENT? CORRECT.
SO YOU HAVE A HOMICIDE TODAY LOOKING AT A PRESENTATION THAT YOU HAD GIVEN A WA WAYS BACK.
UM, WE WON'T GET TO THE EVIDENCE BECAUSE OF THE BACKLOG THAT WE HAVE FOR THREE YEARS.
AND IF THAT EMPLOYEE WHO'S DOING THE EVIDENCE COLLECTION AND THE DATA LEAVES THE CLOCK STARTS OVER AGAIN, SO THAT EMPLOYEE GOES BACK TO DAY ONE AND THAT THREE YEARS WAS WASTED.
THIS, THIS IS A CONSISTENT PROBLEM FOR US AND REALLY FOR EVERY LABORATORY IN THE STATE AS WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT LEAVE.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS PART OF THE COST TO ME FOR EMPLOYEES.
WE FIGURE, AND I WAS JUST AT THE MEETING OF AMERICAN SOCIETY CRIME LABORATORY DIRECTORS, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, MOST LABS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 300,000 AND $500,000 TO TRAIN A NEW ANALYST JUST OUTTA THE BOX SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ABOUT A YEAR TO THREE YEARS BEFORE THEY'RE PRODUCTION PRODUCTIVE IN THE LABORATORY.
IF THEY LEAVE IN THE COURT, UNLESS WE CAN GET THAT PERSON TO COME BACK AND TESTIFY ABOUT THAT, THE EVIDENCE BECOMES HEARSAY.
SO MOST PROSECUTORS WILL WANT AND PRESSURE US TO REWORK THE CASE WITH SOMEBODY THAT'S ACTUALLY CURRENTLY EMPLOYED.
SO YOU CAN ALMOST TAKE WHEN AN EMPLOYEE LEAVES, YOU CAN TAKE THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE FOR ABOUT THE LAST THREE TO FIVE YEARS AND THROW, THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW BACKLOG.
UM, SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION? WE HAVE TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND THIS IS WHY TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S POINT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT THE PROBLEM.
I AM DESPERATELY TRYING TO NOT BE THE PROBLEM ABOUT TWO YEARS FROM NOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TRY AND STAY AHEAD OF THE ARC OF THIS KNOWING ALL OF THESE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE TO GET EQUIPMENT IN TO VALIDATE THINGS, TO TRAIN EMPLOYEES.
UM, SO THAT TWO YEARS FROM NOW, WE AREN'T THE HEADLINE.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD IN INVITE, UH, CHAIR CAYMAN TO BRING THIS UP IN ONE OF YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY, BECAUSE WHEN I STARTED REVIEWING THE MATERIAL FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION, I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE, THE POSITION THAT IF SOMEBODY LEAVES AND YOU START THE CLOCK ALL OVER AGAIN AND YOU JUST WASTED THREE YEARS, AND THAT PERSON SITS IN JAIL FOR SIX YEARS INSTEAD OF THREE UNTIL A TRIAL COMES.
SO, UH, I'D LOVE TO DIG INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE WHEN WE HAVE MORE TIME, THE, THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND THE PLANNING FOR THAT.
WE'RE, WE'RE SPEAKING AT THE, SORRY.
THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY HAVING RIGHT NOW.
NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE.
JOE ROCHELLE, SHE FOLLOWED BY MELISSA MARTINEZ AND ARIS BROWN.
SO WE ARE SPENDING $8 MILLION ON COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
THIS SEEMS LIKE A VERY EXPENSIVE DUPLICATION OF CITY SERVICES, ESPECIALLY NEIGHBORHOODS WHICH COULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM.
WOULD COUNCIL MEMBERS CONSIDER AND SUPPORT CONSOLIDATION? AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS IN, IN, UH, IN WHAT THE POLICE SAID IN, IN HIS OBJECTIVES IS HOW DO YOU MEASURE REDUCED FEAR? I, I WOULD LIKE HIM TO LIKE Y'ALL TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
HOW DO YOU MEASURE REDUCED FEAR? IF YOU WRITE THOSE QUESTIONS, I'M SURE YOU HAVE IN YOUR NOTES, SUBMIT IT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, WE WILL ENTER THAT.
WE WILL GET THE ANSWERS WITHIN 48 HOURS.
SO, AND THANKS AGAIN FOR COMING.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS SUCH AS HOW MANY
[01:25:01]
ON HOUSE STUDENTS AND HOW MANY THE IN-HOUSE AND STUDENTS HAVE BEEN, UH, ARRESTED BY HBD IN 2020 AND 2021, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE CASES OF DOMESTIC ABUSE AND ALL THESE OTHER ABUSIVE VERY VIOLENT, UM, SITUATIONS.AND I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH ANOTHER QUESTION BECAUSE AFTER LISTENING TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP HERE TODAY ON HOW, YOU KNOW, SOME, EVEN YOU YOURSELF PRAISED HOW MUCH THEY COULD DO WHILE BEING UNDERFUNDED AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THEIR OWN LIMITED LOW BUDGETS.
AND I WANTED TO ASK IF THERE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THESE ISSUES OF BEING AT THE INTERSECTIONS AND FACING THESE VIOLENCES THAT THEY DO NEED TO BE FUNDED, SUCH AS HOUSING, YOU KNOW, AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES, THE PUBLIC RECREATIONS, YOU KNOW, AS MYSELF, YOU KNOW, I HAVE, I AM A SURVIVOR OF DOMESTIC ABUSE.
SO IT COMES DOWN TO A, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN EASY EQUATION.
THERE'S, WE RECEIVE REVENUE FROM BASICALLY TWO SOURCES.
PROPERTY TAXES AND SALES TAXES.
OUR SALES TAX PROJECTIONS LOOK PRETTY GOOD.
UNFORTUNATELY, WITH INFLATION TAKING PLACE, THE COST OF GOODS ARE GOING UP, THUS OUR SALES TAX REVENUE IS GOING UP.
THIS WILL BE THE EIGHTH YEAR OUT OF THE PAST NINE YEARS THAT WE'VE HAD A TAX RATE DECREASE.
AND THE TAX RATE IS A FUNCTION, WELL, YOUR TAXES ON YOUR HOMESTEAD IS A FUNCTION OF TWO VARIABLES.
THE TAX RATE THAT WE HAVE TIMES YOUR VALUE OF YOUR HOME, THAT'S THE REVENUE WE RECEIVE ON THE PROPERTY TAX.
SO WE'RE CAPPED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS SO THAT EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO REDUCE OUR TAX RATE, WHICH MEANS WE DON'T GET THE ABILITY TO SPEND THE MONEY THAT IS COMING IN VIA PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE IT IS CAPPED, AS IS EVERY MAJOR CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
HOWEVER, THE CAP WE'RE UNDER IS DIFFERENT THAN THE CAP IS.
DALLAS IS UNDER, SAN ANTONIO IS UNDER, AND AUSTIN AND ON IS UNDER BECAUSE THEY'RE ON A LESSER CAP.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT PROPERTY TAXES, THE TAX RATE HAS GONE DOWN EIGHT OF THE LAST NINE YEARS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT SALES TAX REVENUE, WE'VE HAD SOME TOUGH TIMES DURING COVID, BUT THE PROJECTIONS LOOK BETTER.
AT THE SAME TIME, OUR PERSONNEL COSTS ARE INCREASING POLICE, 4% SALARY INCREASE COME JULY ONE FIRE, 6% SALARY INCREASE COME JULY ONE CITY EMPLOYEES AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, 3% JULY ONE.
AND YOU SAW IN THE INFORMATION WE WERE PRESENTED THAT 65% OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET ON THE EXPENSE SIDE IS DUE TO PERSONNEL.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE EQUATIONS, IT'S A NO WIN SITUATION.
SO YOU, UNLESS YOU GO OUT AND TELL PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, DO YOU WANT YOUR TAXES TO INCREASE? AND SO I, EVERY YEAR I DO THIS AND I ANNOUNCE IT TO FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, I LOOK AT MY TAX BILL AND I SHARE IT PUBLICLY.
AND IN MY TAX BILL THIS YEAR THAT I PAID IN FEBRUARY, THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT I GAVE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS 19% OF MY OVERALL TAX BILL.
MY SCHOOL DISTRICT TAXES ARE 56%.
WE HAD AN ELECTION ON SATURDAY FOR A BOND REFERENDUM THAT PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY, BUT YET EVERY TIME I'M OUT IN PUBLIC, PEOPLE LOOK AT ME AND SAY, YOUR TAXES ARE WAY TOO HIGH IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I POINT BACK TO MY SCHOOL DISTRICT TAXES.
YEAH, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, BUT I HAVE NO CHILDREN ANYMORE THAT ARE IN THE K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION.
AND I LOOK REALLY CLOSELY AT THE DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT IN MY PARTICULAR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A NO-WIN SITUATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE OF THE PROPERTY TAX CAP THAT WE'RE UNDER AND THE, UH, SALES TAX REVENUE PROJECTIONS THAT WE SEE COMING AT US.
BECAUSE BASICALLY WE HAVE THOSE TWO SOURCES.
AND IF I ASK JOE Q PUBLIC IF THEY WANT THEIR TAXES INCREASED BY THE CITY, THEY'LL SAY NOT.
UM, I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH, BECAUSE WE GOT, I GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE.
SO YOU MENTIONED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE CAPS ON THE TAXES AND I WAS ASKING, THAT'S WHY I WAS DIRECTING IT TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, HBD HAVING, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE ALLOCATIONS OF FUNDS AND THAT WAY THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS COULD BE INVESTED THROUGH THOSE IN INSTEAD OF JUST HIRING THESE TAX, UM, CAPS THAT YOU WERE MENTIONING.
[01:30:01]
AND ERIC BROWN, LAST BUT NOT LEAST FOR THE DAY, HELLO CITY COUNCIL.UM, I JUST WANNA SAY IT'S PARTICULARLY HEARTBREAKING TO SIT, UM, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COME FROM THEIR JOBS AND ARE NOT, UM, ABLE TO RECEIVE INCOME BECAUSE THEY'RE HERE AND NOT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY THE FOLKS WHO MAKE THE PRESENTATIONS.
AND SO, UM, I DID WANNA MENTION THAT MY FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, RESEARCH HAS SHOWN STRATEG STRATEGICALLY AND WELL-DESIGNED PARKS CAN REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE, IMPROVE SAFETY, AND KEEP RESIDENTS HEALTHIER.
WOULD THE COUNCIL SEE A BENEFIT IN ALLOCATING SOME OF THE RESOURCES TO THE VERY CLEARLY UNDERFUNDED PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, BUT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY HPD OFFICERS? WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT PREVENTION, UM, AND A LOT OF THE MEASURES THAT WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT WITH, UH, HPDS PRESENTATION HAVE BEEN REACTIVE, ADDING MORE, DOING THIS.
UM, ARE WE INTERESTED IN MORE, UH, PREVENTATIVE MEASURES BY FUNDING THROUGH PARKS AND RECREATION LIBRARIES, ET CETERA? IT'S MY FIRST QUESTION.
MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, THE PFM REPORT IN CHIEF FINN'S COMMENTS LAST YEAR SHOWED THAT WE'VE HAD POLICE OFFICERS DOING THE WORK THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE DONE BY CIVILIANS.
I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT IN THAT PRACTICE AT ALL.
IF YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE, HPD, UM, HAS ABOUT 5,400 OFFICERS AND 892, UH, CIVILIANS.
I'M INTERESTED IF WE'VE MADE ANY SORT OF SHIFTS IN IN THOSE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
IF YOU LOOK AT PERSONNEL CLASSIFIED VERSUS CIVILIAN CLASSIFIED WAS 93%, CIVILIAN WAS 7% IN THE, UH, 2023 BUDGET.
AND THEN THE PERSONNEL ON, WE'LL, WE'LL GET BACK WITH YOU.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES WITH THAT.
SO IF YOU WOULD POST YOUR QUESTION TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S QUE THAT QUESTION IS ANSWERED.
AND, UH, THANK YOU TO ALL THE SPEAKERS WHO SPENT TIME, UH, COMING IN PERSON TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION.
ONE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE STUDY SO I CAN SEE WHAT YOU'RE READING.
SO IF YOU WANNA SEND THAT TO OUR OFFICES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN LOOK AT PREVENTATIVE MEASURES THROUGH EITHER, UH, DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, PARKS, LIBRARIES, UM, AND IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. I THINK FROM PARKS, LIBRARIES, AIRPORTS, POLICE, FIRE, THEY'RE ALL GONNA SAY, WE NEED MORE.
THERE'S NOT ONE DEPARTMENT THAT'S GONNA SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T PERFORM BETTER IF WE HAD MORE DOLLARS.
AND SO FOR OUR STANDPOINT, WE HAVE TO MAKE REASONABLE, UM, DECISIONS REGARDING WHERE THOSE ALLOCATIONS ARE.
EVERY SINGLE NIGHT WE TURN ON THE NEWS, ALL YOU HEAR IS ISSUES WITH PUBLIC SAFETY.
THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE EMAIL WE GET.
THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE CALL WE GET WHENEVER WE GO TO WHEN, WHENEVER WE GO TO HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS.
PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT CRIME, THEY'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT TRASH.
THEY'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE OTHER THINGS, BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT CRIME.
SO WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS IN WHICH TO, UH, PROVIDE, UH, ADEQUATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT ALSO KIND OF REIMAGINE IT, THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS IN THE SAME WAY.
SO TO, SO TO THINK ABOUT POLICE OFFICERS NOT ALWAYS HAVING TO SERVE IN TRADITIONAL ROLES.
I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER LETICIA PLUMMER, SHE BOUGHT FORTH AN AMENDMENT LAST YEAR REGARDING HAVING MORE CLINICIANS AND TECHNICIANS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE MAYOR HAS PUT FORTH IN THIS, UM, ONCE SAY HOUSTON PLAN.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS IN WHICH TO NOT HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF TRADITIONAL, UH, POLICE OFFICERS DO THE SAME TYPE OF TRADITIONAL DUTIES, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THOSE ADDITIONAL STEPS.
AND, AND THANKS FOR MS. BROWN FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THEIR SESSION, UH, WE'VE INCREASED THE BUDGET PROJECTED TO INCREASE THE BUDGET IN POLICE, BUT THE WAY WE ALLOCATE THOSE DOLLARS ARE A LOT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR MOVING FORWARD VERSUS LAST YEAR PIGGYBACKING POLICE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, THE HOMELESS INITIATIVE THAT WE HAVE A BIG SITUATION WITH.
SO TO COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S POINTS, UH, USING THE DOLLARS A LITTLE DIP BIT DIFFERENTLY MOVING FORWARD THAN WE DO TODAY.
CAN WE TALK ABOUT REIMAGINATION? I'M INTERESTED IN HOW WE CAN IMAGINE THESE THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE METHODS THAT HAVEN'T WORKED, LIKE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ACTUALLY PUTTING THEM IN PROGRAMS THAT CAN WORK IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT REIMAGINATION, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.
I, I THINK THAT'D BE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION IN PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT MAY WORK AND WHAT DOES NOT WORK.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE DISCUSSIONS WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE.
AND UH, I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, MAKING THOSE COMMENTS AND IF YOU COULD PROVIDE THE INFORMATION ON THAT STUDY, I'D LOVE TO READ IT.
THERE ARE NO OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKING
[01:35:01]
MEETING ADJOURNED UNTIL TOMORROW.WE'LL PICK UP BUDGET MEETINGS AT ONE O'CLOCK WITH HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM.