[Press Conference: "One Safe Houston Homicide Report Comparison" ]
[00:00:19]
UH, FIRST I WANNA START OFF BY, BY THANKING, UH, HPD, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, OUR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, UH, FOR HOW THEY HANDLE, UH, THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN OUR CITY OVER THIS, OVER THE, UH, OVER THE WEEKEND, UH, LAST, LAST WEEK, UH, WAS STRESSFUL AND PAINFUL ON SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS.AND TO HAVE, UH, THE VALDI, UH, MASSACRE, UM, IN, WHEN 19 KIDS LIVES WERE TAKEN TWO ADULTS ON A TUESDAY, UH, FOLLOWED BY THE NRA BEING IN TOWN, UH, WITH OVER 60,000 PEOPLE, UH, STARTED.
THAT STARTED REALLY ON THURSDAY, ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
UH, BUT, UH, AND THEN FOR EIGHT HPD, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, OTHER CITY PERSONNEL AS WELL AS OTHERS TO, UH, TO STEP IN, TO MAINTAIN THE PEACE.
UM, I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR JUST DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
'CAUSE THEY DID DO AN IN AN INCREDIBLE JOB, UH, UNDER SOME VERY TOUGH, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES.
UH, AND I WANNA THANK THE PEOPLE IN, IN OUR CITY.
I MEAN, PEOPLE WHO VISITED OUR CITY, WHO BEHAVED THEMSELVES IN AN ODDLY FASHION.
THEY EXERCISED THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, THE DELEGATES CAME TO, TO THE CONVENTION, UH, BUT FROM EVERY REPORT, UH, THAT I HAVE RECEIVED, UH, THINGS WERE HANDLED, COULD NOT HAVE BEEN HANDLED BETTER, UH, BY ANY CITY.
AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK, UH, ALL, UH, CHIEF SLINKER ON BEHALF.
I KNOW CHIEF NER IS, IS OUT OF THE STATE.
UH, BUT TO THE POLICE OFFICERS, TO CHIEF PENA AND ALL OF THE FIREFIGHTERS AND CITY EMPLOYEES.
LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND FOR THE PEOPLE, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, HAVING SAID THAT, UM, FROM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION, UM, UH, REPORTS IN REFERENCE TO, UH, RECORD BREAKING CRIME, UH, IN OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO HOMICIDES.
UH, THESE ARE NUMBERS THAT I LOOK AT, UH, EVERY SINGLE MORNING, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY THE WEEKEND.
UH, BUT EVERY, EVERY SINGLE MORNING, UH, AND I WILL SAY TO YOU, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, ALL OF US CAN RECALL IN JANUARY, UH, THE REPORTS THAT WERE BEING MADE GIVEN, UH, THAT HOMICIDES, UH, WHERE THE RECORD BREAK AND PAGE, UH, AHEAD OF WHERE THINGS WERE, UM, IN, IN A YEAR AGO.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN JANUARY, UH, THERE WERE, PEOPLE WERE REPORTING, UH, THAT CRIME WAS, UH, HOMICIDES WERE UP, LET'S SAY AT LEAST 65% OVER AND ABOVE LAST YEAR, YEAR TO DATE.
UH, AND PEOPLE SAYING HOUSTON MIDDLE CAPITAL WERE, I MEAN, JUST A LOT OF REPORTS THAT WERE, WERE TAKING PLACE, UH, THAT WERE, UH, BEING SPOKEN.
UH, WE DID INSTITUTE, UH, ONE SAFE HOUSTON ON FEBRUARY THE SECOND, UH, OF THIS YEAR, UH, USING 52, REALLY $52 MILLION OF OPERA FUNDING, UH, TO ADDRESS, UH, CRIME IN OUR, IN OUR CITY.
REALLY TOOK A VERY HOLISTIC APPROACH, UH, IN DOING THAT.
UH, IT WAS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH.
SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK, UM, HPD CHIEF'S THINKING, WHY DON'T YOU STEP OVER IN THE BACK? UH, CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK, UM, UH, HPD, UH, THROUGH INCREASED, UH, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AS WELL AS THROUGH, UH, UM, THE OVERTIME INITIATIVE, ADDING 125 POLICE OFFICERS PER DAY, UM, WORKING VERY, UH, INTENTIONAL IN ADDRESSING THAT.
UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE, THE CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE INITIATIVES THAT WE, UH, THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE, UM, CRACKING DOWN ON SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS, AND THE TWO, MICHELLE FOR, AND, AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR, FOR THE WORK THAT, UH, THEY DID IN MOVING FORTH, UH, CRYSTAL LA GORE FOR, UH, HAD THE, HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF KIND OF OVERSEEING ONCE STATE HOUSTON TRACKING WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE, UH, IN ALL OF THOSE INITIATIVES.
UH, CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL FOR SAYING YES, UH, TO MANY OF THE INITIATIVES.
AND MANY OF THE DISTRICT CITY COUNCILS WERE DOING THINGS IN THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT.
UH, IT HAS BEEN AN ON, UH, ALL HANDS ON DECK.
I WANT TO THANK OUR OTHER PARTNERS AS WELL, UH, FOR STEPPING UP COUNTY DA'S OFFICE, UH, UH, AND ADDRESSING THE SITUATION.
UM, CRIME STOPPERS ALL OF THE PARTNERS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, PEOPLE TAKING AN INTEREST IN THEIR, IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT.
[00:05:01]
THEN WANT TO JUST UNDERSCORE THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED, UH, FROM THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION AS IT RELATES TO, UM, CRIME REDUCTION.UH, UH, ANYWAY, THE, THE POINT THAT I, I SIMPLY WANNA MAKE EVERY, EVERY MORNING BEEN LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS, UH, FOR THE LAST, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN TRENDING IN THE, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN ALMOST EVERY, UH, CATEGORY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HOMICIDES.
WE ARE, WE HAVE BEEN BELOW YEAR TO DATE WHERE THINGS WERE, UH, THIS MORNING, FOR EXAMPLE, LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS.
UH, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR, WE ARE NOW BELOW, UH, WHERE WE WERE A YEAR TO AGO AS IT RELATES TO HOMICIDES, UH, UH, LAST YEAR.
AT THIS TIME, WE KNOW 192, UH, MURDERS ON, IN OUR CITY.
AS OF THIS MORNING, THAT NUMBER IS 180 7.
AND SO WE ARE 3% BELOW WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR.
AND THOSE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN TRENDING IN THE RIGHT, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND NOT JUST ON HOMICIDES, BUT ALMOST IN ALL OTHER CATEGORIES, VIOLENT CRIME BEEN TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I'M NOT HERE TO, AT ALL TO SAY, UH, THAT, UH, IT'S A MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
WHAT I AM HERE TO SAY, AND WHAT I WANT TO ASSURE HOUSTONIANS, IS THAT WITH THE INITIATIVE, THE ONE STATE HOUSTON PLAN THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE, UH, IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, UH, UH, IT IS WORKING, IT IS EFFECTIVE, IT IS HAVING AN IMPACT.
UH, AND THE NUMBERS WILL SPEAK TO THEMSELVES.
NOW, IF IT'S ONE CRIME, IF YOU, IF IF ONE PERSON IS INVOLVED IN ONE CRIME OR ONE LIFE IS LOST, THAT IS WAY TOO MANY.
SO YOU'RE NEVER SATISFIED UNTIL THERE IS NO CRIME, NO MURDERS BEING COMMITTED IN YOUR CITY, NO ROBBERIES BEING TAKING PLACE, UH, IN YOUR CITY, NO ASSAULTS BEING TAKING PLACE IN YOUR CITY.
BUT FROM WHERE THINGS WERE IN JANUARY AND ALL OF THE STATEMENTS AND THE REPORTS THAT WERE WERE, WERE MADE, BUT THAT WERE, THAT WERE BEING MADE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH THE, WITH THE STEPS THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE, UH, FROM ALL INDICATIONS, THE ONE STATE HOUSTON INITIATIVE IS WORKING, AND THE NUMBERS ARE SPEAKING, UH, FOR THEMSELVES, UM, IN FACT, EVEN AS IT RELATES TO HOMICIDE CLEARANCE.
AND THE CHIEF FINN'S NOT HERE, BUT, UH, CHIEF SLINKER AND TO HPD, UH, THE CLEARANCE RATE IS AT 80%, AND THAT'S ABOVE, UH, THE CLEARANCE RATE IN 2020 AND 2021.
UM, SO MORE CRIMES ARE BEING SOLVED.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK H UH, HPD, UH, FOR, FOR THEIR WORK IN THIS AREA, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE STARVING MORE, UH, NOW, WE SIMPLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT AS THEY GET SOLVED AND THEY GO THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THAT THE JUDGES, THE COURTS, AND EVERYBODY ELSE, UH, ARE WORKING WITH US, UH, TO KEEP PEOPLE THERE AND KEEP THEM, TO KEEP THEM OFF, OFF THE STREETS.
UM, SO, AND, AND, AND THERE ARE ADDITIONAL STEPS THAT, THAT ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED.
AGAIN, JULY, THE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM WILL TAKE OFF, WILL KICK IN.
SO WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT INITIATIVE.
AND CRYSTAL AGO FOR IS PROVIDING LEADERSHIP ALONG WITH HPD ON, ON THAT INITIATIVE, UH, THE REENTRY PROGRAM, UH, PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING, UH, REDUCING ITS RECIDIVISM THAT ALSO WILL BE TAKING PLACE WITH RESPECT TO THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS PROGRAM.
UH, GETTING THE COMMUNITY INFLUENCES IN PLAY.
UH, THAT WAS A CLASS THAT GRADUATED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
SO THAT PIECE IS MOVING FORWARD.
UH, THE CRISIS INTERVENTION INITIATIVES, ALL OF THAT'S IN PLAY AND MOVING FORWARD, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY PIECE, WE'RE UTILIZING MORE TECHNOLOGY THAN WE'VE USED IN THE PAST.
IT'S ALL OF THESE PIECES WORKING TOGETHER AGAIN.
UH, WE ARE NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE, BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY, UH, TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UH, AND WHEN IT COMES TO HOMICIDES, UH, I JUST WANT, I WANT THE WORD TO GO BE VERY CLEAR.
UH, THERE ARE FEWER HOMICIDES, UH, TODAY, HERE, TODAY THAN THERE WERE A YEAR AGO.
AND WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL, UH, TO DRIVE THAT NUMBER DOWN, UH, EVEN, EVEN MORE.
NOW, CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND ON ANY GIVEN DAY AND ANY GIVEN WEEK, UH, NUMBERS CAN TICK UP, NUMBERS CAN TICK UP, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY IS BECAUSE IN JANUARY, SO MUCH ATTENTION WAS GIVEN.
AND SO THAT INFORMATION WAS WHEN WENT OUT IN TERMS OF THE MURDER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
I THINK THE SAME DEGREE OF ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO WHEN THE RESULTS ARE POSITIVE FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY
[00:10:01]
OF HOUSTON.AND THAT IS, UH, THAT INSTEAD OF BEING 65 PLUS PERCENT ABOVE IN HOMICIDES WHERE WE WERE, UH, IN JANUARY ON MAY THE 30TH, ON MAY THE 30TH OF THIS YEAR, WE ARE 3% BELOW WHERE WE WERE.
SO YOU'VE GONE FROM 65 PLUS PERCENT IN JANUARY TO NOW 3% BELOW THAT IS, UH, THAT IS A, THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT SWING.
SO, UH, CHIEF SLINKER, LET ME AGAIN, LET ME THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK, UH, AND LET ME THANK THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
NOW, LET ME, LET ME STOP SINCE CHIEF SLINKER.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND THE MAYOR COVERED EVERYTHING COMPREHENSIVELY.
AND ON BEHALF OF CHIEF FENNER, WHO'S OUTTA TOWN ON CITY BUSINESS, AND ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRST, LET ME, UH, SAY A THANKS, UH, TO THE HARDWORKING MEN AND WOMEN OF HPD AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS IN OUR REGION WHO HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL AND HAVE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB IN ADDRESSING THIS VIOLENT CRIME INCREASE THAT WE WERE SEEING THROUGHOUT OUR NATION IN, IN EVERY MAJOR CITY.
AND WE'VE COVERED THAT, UM, VERY WELL, THAT HOUSTON WAS NO DIFFERENT IN SEEING THAT RISE IN VIOLENT CRIME OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
AND I WANNA THANK THIS MAYOR AND THIS COUNCIL BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT WE HAVE COME TO THIS MAYOR COUNCIL, WHEN WE ARE FACING UNIQUE CHALLENGES LIKE OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN FACING IN THIS VIOLENT CRIME, UH, ISSUE FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, EVERY SINGLE TIME WE HAVE COME TO THIS MAYOR AND THIS COUNCIL, YOU HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL, AND YOU HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL, AND YOU HAVE GIVEN US THOSE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT WE NEED, EVEN IN A VERY TOUGH, CONSTRAINED FISCAL ENVIRONMENT, YOU HAVE GIVEN US THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO BE AS RESPONSIVE AS POSSIBLE TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT CITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING SINCE FEBRUARY.
UM, MAYOR, YOU'VE ALWAYS SAID, AND YOU HAVE REALIZED, UM, AS WE HAVE SAID MANY TIMES, LAW ENFORCEMENT CANNOT DO IT ALONE.
WHEN WE FACE UNIQUE CHALLENGES LIKE THIS, AND THIS MAYOR AND THIS COUNCIL UNIQUELY UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT'S WHY ONE STATE HOUSTON, THAT WAS ROLLED OUT IN FEBRUARY WAS TRULY COMPREHENSIVE.
IT'S MORE THAN JUST ENFORCEMENT.
IT'S MORE THAN JUST LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE.
IT SPEAKS TO THE MORE HOLISTIC ENDEAVORS THAT MUST TAKE PLACE FOR US TO ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME IN ONE OF AMERICA'S MAJOR CITIES.
AND YOU CAN SEE A FEW MONTHS INTO OUR INITIATIVE, IT IS WORKING BECAUSE IT WAS QUITE ALARMING THAT WE ENTERED 2022 OUTPACING WHAT EVERYONE KNEW WAS A RECORD YEAR IN 2021.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CURB THAT.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STEM THAT, AND WE WILL TAKE THAT AS A VICTORY.
HOWEVER, THE MAYOR SAID ONE IS TOO MANY, AND THAT IS TRUE EVERY SINGLE DAY AND EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT WE PUT THIS UNIFORM, UNIFORM ON AND SERVE OUR CITIZENS, ONE VICTIM IS TOO MANY IN ANY VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORY.
THERE IS MUCH WORK TO DO, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE PROBABLY STILL HAVE SOME CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US, BUT WE WILL FACE THOSE AND WE WILL FACE THEM TOGETHER AS ONE CITY AND ONE SAFE HOUSTON MAYOR, COUNSEL, I APPRECIATE IT.
AND HPD WILL CONTINUE TO BE OUT THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND THANK YOU TO OUR CITIZENS, UH, FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
WE NEED YOU TO HELP US SOLVE VIOLENT CRIME AND THAT INCREASED INTERACTION WITH CITIZENS AS WORKING AND TO THE HARDWORKING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN THIS REGION.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I KNOW YOU'RE TIRED, BUT LET'S KEEP IT UP BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
AND WANNA JUST LET THE, THE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY, HOUSTONIANS IN OUR CITY TO KNOW, UH, COLLECTIVELY THAT WE ARE WORKING ON YOUR BEHALF.
WE KNOW PEOPLE DON'T FEEL SAFE, AND WE KNOW THAT THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN TOO HIGH, OKAY? WE KNOW PEOPLE DON'T FEEL SAFE.
THE NUMBERS, UH, HAVE BEEN TOO HIGH.
AND SO OUR JOB COLLECTIVELY, IN FACT, ALL OF OUR JOBS, UM, OUR JOB IS TO BRING, UH, THE CRIME DOWN AND TO CREATE A SAFE CITY.
UH, AND THAT'S WORKING TOGETHER.
AND SO AS LONG AS THERE'S ONE MURDER, ONE ASSAULT, ONE BURGLARY, UH, IT IS ONE TOO MANY, OKAY? IT IS ONE TOO MANY.
BUT I DO WANT THOSE WHO, UM, UM, HAVE ANY INTENTIONS OF COMMITTING A CRIMINAL ACTS IN OUR CITY.
NUMBER ONE, THE CITY WILL PUT FORTH ALL THE NECESSARY RESOURCES, UH, TO PREVENT IT.
AND NUMBER TWO, UH, TO, UH, UH, TO FIND YOU, UH, TO ARREST YOU, AND THEN TO PUT YOU THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, UH, THAT WE ARE INTENDED TO DO THIS.
HOUSTON IS NOT THE CITY, UH, WHERE YOU WANT TO COMMIT, WHERE YOU WANT TO COMMIT YOUR CRIMES, AND THEN WORKING WITH OUR OTHER PARTNERS, UH, THE COURTS, WITH THE JUDGES AND OTHERS, UH, THEN WE CAN HAVE, WE CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT, A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
[00:15:01]
UM, HAVING SAID THAT, UM, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THEM NOW, BUT ONE THING IS THAT, UM, YOU, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CLASSES, CADET CLASSES THAT HAVE GRADUATED THAT'S HELPING TO ADD TO THE NUMBERS.UH, THE SECOND IS THE OVERTIME.
YOU KNOW, INITIALLY WE EXPANDED, UH, UH, 5.7 MILLION UNDER ONE STATE, HOUSTON, UH, TO PROVIDE ONE A HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE MORE POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREET EVERY DAY, UH, UH, SINCE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION TO THAT, UH, FOR THE OVERTIME INITIATIVE.
SO THAT'S TAKEN PLACE, UH, THE UTILIZATION OF MORE TECHNOLOGY.
UH, THEY'RE UTILIZING MORE TECHNOLOGY NOW THAN THAT THEY HAVE EVER USED, UH, THAT IS HELPING IN SOLVING THE CRIME.
THE HOMICIDE CLEARANCE RATE IS A KEY COMPONENT, UH, BECAUSE IT IS AT 80% AS OF THIS MORNING, THAT IS HIGHER, UH, A HIGHER CLEARANCE RATE THAT EXISTED IN 2020 AND 21.
OKAY? AND SO THEY ARE SOLVING THESE CRIMES, AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK THEM AND WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS, CRIME STOPS THAN OTHERS WHO ARE PROVIDING TIPS THAT ARE HELPING TO GET US, UH, IN A POSITION TO SOLVE THEM.
SO THOSE INITIATIVES, UM, FROM HPD, THOSE INITIATIVES ARE WORKING, AND THEN THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE DA'S OFFICE TO IDENTIFY THE 200 TOP, UH, VIOLATORS, SO TO SPEAK, AND TO REALLY CONCENTRATE GETTING THEM OFF THE STREET.
AND THEN, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH FOR THE COLLABORATION WITH OUR FEDERAL, OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS.
AND IN MANY CASES, WE CAN GET CASES TO TRIAL QUICKER IN FEDERAL COURT THAN WE CAN HERE, UH, IN THE COUNTY COURTS.
SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UH, IN COMBINATION, THOSE THINGS, THOSE THINGS ARE, THOSE THINGS ARE WORKING.
SO EVERY DAY YOU MIGHT HAVE EBBS AND FLOWS IN THAT NUMBER, BUT OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS 125 ADDITIONAL.
RIGHT? NOW, I WILL TELL YOU, UM, THE OFFICERS ARE TIRED AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES BEING ORDERED TO WORK, RIGHT? ADDITIONAL HOURS AFTER YOU ALREADY HAVE, THAT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, THAT'S AT TIMES ALSO FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATIVE WORK THAT IS DONE TO HIT THAT OVERALL WORK OF 125 WITH 125 ADDITIONAL, BASICALLY FTES.
AND SOMETIMES THAT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP WORK TO GET SOMEBODY IN CUSTODY.
COULD INCLUDE WARRANT TEAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE FIGHTING VIOLENT CRIMES.
SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UM, COMPREHENSIVELY GO INTO THAT ADDITIONAL 1 25, UH, TO COMBAT THE, UH, THE VIOLENT CRIME THAT WE WERE SEEING.
SO WE ARE MEETING OUR TARGETS AND WE'RE MEETING OUR NUMBERS.
UM, THERE ARE INITIATIVES SOMETIMES WHERE ON SOME DAYS MAYBE WE'LL HAVE A SURGE WHERE WE MIGHT GO OVER THE 1 25 ON SOME DAYS BECAUSE WE HAVE WARRANT TEAMS THAT ARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO GET VIOLENT OFFENDERS INTO CUSTODY.
AND SO THAT 1 25 IS ALWAYS OUR GOAL.
SOMETIMES WE MAY EXCEED THAT ALSO, STAYING WITHIN THE BUDGET PARAMETERS OF WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT HAS BEEN PUT OUT THERE FOR ONE SAFE HOUSTON.
UM, BUT THAT'S ALWAYS OUR GOAL.
AND, AND CHIEF FINNER STOOD UP HERE WITH YOU IN FEBRUARY AND ALSO SAID THAT HPD IS COMMITTED EVERY SINGLE DAY TO PUTTING OUT THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT THIS MARYLAND COUNCIL WILL GIVE US.
AND WE ARE DOING THAT NOW EVERY SINGLE DAY, RIGHT? THERE'S MINOR CHALLENGES THAT COME UP WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH STAFFING, AND THEN YOU FACTOR IN OTHER MAJOR EVENTS THAT MAY OCCUR THAT COULD ALSO PULL FROM STAFFING.
LIKE WE HAD A VERY, VERY BUSY WEEKEND RIGHT? IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH OTHER EVENTS AND THINGS THAT ADDITIONALLY NEED TO BE STAFFED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE ADJUST EVERY SINGLE DAY WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL HITTING THAT 1 25 SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE ADDITIONAL COVERAGE THAT THIS MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAS ALLOWED.
WELL, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL CONTINUE TO ADD CADET CLASSES.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S KEY FOR US BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY ATTRITION, UH, ATTRITION IS SOMETHING THAT WE DEAL WITH ON A YEARLY BASIS.
SOME YEARS ATTRITION WILL TREND, HIGHER RETIREMENTS WILL TREND HIGHER THAN OTHER YEARS.
SO WE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF THE CADET CLASSES THAT ARE BEING FUNDED AND FUNDED FULLY EVERY SINGLE YEAR BECAUSE IT'S ALLOWING US TO KEEP UP WITH ATTRITION AND THEN HOPEFULLY RIGHT BY THE TIME WE GET THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR, HAVE A NET POSITIVE GAIN OF OFFICERS AFTER WE HAVE FACTORED IN ATTRITION.
AND SO, SO FAR, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE RECENT YEARS, THE MAYOR COUNCIL HAVE BEEN GREAT ABOUT DOING THAT AND ALLOWING US TO HAVE OUR FULL, UH, CADRE OF CADET CLASSES
[00:20:16]
GO DOWN SOME SURE RESPONSE TIMES.RESPONSE TIMES IS ALWAYS A METRIC THAT WE FOCUS ON.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE HIT THAT MARK AND RESPONSE TIMES FOR THOSE PRIORITY ONE CALLS THAT WE CONSIDER THE MOST THREATENING CALLS, UH, THOSE IN PROGRESS CALLS.
UH, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE MEET THAT MARK AND WE'RE BELOW WHAT WE, WHAT WE HOPE TO HAVE, WHICH IS A, A FIVE MINUTE RESPONSE TIME.
AND THERE ARE TIMES THAT THAT, UH, GOES ABOVE THAT.
AND THAT DOES HAVE TO DO WITH STAFFING, ALSO HAS TO DO WITH HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE OUT THERE RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT, OR HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GRADUATING, OR WHEN A CADET IS CLASS IS COMING OFF FOR US TO INCREASE THE PATROL NUMBERS.
THEN IT ALSO, UM, SOMETIMES IS FACTORED IN WITH, UM, SPECIAL EVENTS OR OTHER THINGS THAT GO ON THAT MIGHT PULL RESOURCES.
AND THEN IT'S ALSO SOMETIMES EXACERBATED BY, UH, SPENDING TOO LONG ON FOLLOW UP SCENES BECAUSE WE HAVE TOO MANY MAYBE GOING ON, WHICH DRAWS DOWN THE NUMBERS OF OFFICERS THAT ARE READILY AVAILABLE AND NOT ALREADY OUT ON DISPATCH CALLS.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS FOCUS ON.
WE FOCUS ON RESPONSE TIMES EVERY DAY.
AND WHEN THAT GOES ABOVE, AND SOMETIMES IT DOES, THEN WE, UH, MOVE AND ADJUST RESOURCES WHERE WE CAN THROUGH OUR PATROL ALLOCATION MODELS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BRING THAT DOWN.
AND THAT'S JUST A, IT IS JUST A CONSTANT DAILY METRIC FOR US THAT WE WORK ON.
SOMETIMES IT WILL BE LOWER, AND SOMETIMES, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WILL CREEP UP.
AND, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, OBVIOUSLY THE FIFTH LARGEST POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BEHIND NEW YORK, CHICAGO, LA, AND PHILLY, IN THAT ORDER, HOWEVER, IN GEOGRAPHIC SIZE, MOST OF THOSE SISTER CITIES, WE DWARF THEM.
AND, UH, WE RESPOND TO NEARLY 700 SQUARE MILES OF PATROL CARS AND, UH, OF PATROL CALLS, AND HAVE A LOT, UH, MORE CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVE TIME FROM CALL TO CALL.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD LOOK AT DAILY.
WELL, AS WE, WE COVER EVERY YEAR, RIGHT? WHEN WE ENTER THE SUMMER MONTHS, WE, UH, ARE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT INCREASES IN VIOLENCE OR INCREASES IN DISTURBANCES IN VIOLENT CRIME.
UH, THIS YEAR IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER YEAR WHERE WE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, GIVE THOSE, THOSE STATEMENTS ABOUT POSSIBLY AN INCREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, THIS YEAR, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, COMING OUT OF, YOU KNOW, 20 20, 20 21 AND THE INCREASES THAT WE SAW THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, DURING PANDEMIC, AND AS WE MOVE, YOU KNOW, POST PANDEMIC, UM, I WOULD SAY WE'RE EVEN MORE ON ALERT.
AND WE WANT TO KEEP, UH, THAT IN CHECK THIS SUMMER.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT SUMMER MONTHS ARE CHALLENGING EVEN IN A YEAR WHEN YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THESE INCREASES.
AND SO I WOULD GIVE THE SAME MESSAGE FOR THIS SUMMER, AND WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, VIGILANT AND BE, UH, STILL HITTING OUR ONE SAFE HOUSTON TARGETS BEFORE YOU DO.
UM, WHAT I DIDN'T MENTION TOO IS THAT, BEAR IN MIND THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WAS UP LIKE 40%.
AND ONE OF THE INITIATIVES WHERE WE ARE SPENDING OVER $10 MILLION, ABOUT $10 MILLION ON DOMESTIC ABUSE RESPONSE PROGRAM, UH, DART.
SO THAT IS ADDRESSED IN, IN THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO MENTION IS THAT WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE, UH, WE HAD ABOUT 1900 POLICE OFFICERS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE, OKAY? THAT WAS WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE 1900 OF ABOUT 5,100 THAT WERE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE.
WE HAVE BEEN GRADUALLY WORKING TO REDUCE THAT NUMBER, TO BRING IN MORE POLICE OFFICERS, UH, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME TO, UH, TO KIND OF, UH, RIGHTEN THAT SHIP.
UH, BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING, AND WHAT I HAVE APPROVED, UH, AND THAT IS THE RESERVE, UH, POLICE OFFICERS PROGRAM FOR RETIRED, UH, OFFICERS WHO CHOOSE TO RETIRE, BUT TO BRING THEM ON A, AT A, IN A RESERVE CAPACITY THAT CAN AUGMENT, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE PROVIDED AN ADDITIONAL $1.5 MILLION, UH, TO HPD.
AND I THINK THAT WILL HELP TO, TO AUGMENT.
SO THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS THAT WE, WE ARE STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT I DON'T WANT TO UNDERMINE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT WE ARE REPORTING TODAY.
AND THAT IS, IN SPITE OF ALL OF THOSE CHALLENGES, THE HOMICIDE RATE IS BELOW WHERE IT WAS A YEAR AGO YEAR TODAY, THERE ARE FEW HO FEWER HOMICIDES TODAY,
[00:25:01]
AND EVEN IN TERMS OF VIOLENT CRIMES, FEWER IN MOST CATEGORIES THAN EXISTED A YEAR AGO TODAY.I DON'T WANT TO UNDER UNDERMINE THAT BECAUSE IN JANUARY THE PUBLIC WAS BEING BOMBARDED ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF HOMICIDES AND THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDES WERE UP.
AND EVEN WHEN WE SAID THE NUMBER WAS SAID, 4% PEOPLE WERE SOMEWHERE, BUT THERE WERE STILL, UH, 15 OR 20 MORE MURDERS.
WELL, TODAY, THERE ARE FEWER MURDERS IN IOWA CITY THAN A YEAR AGO, AND THE PERCENTAGE IS LESS.
AND I DON'T WANT US TO LOSE THAT, OKAY? I DON'T WANT US TO LOSE THAT, BECAUSE IT DOES MEAN THAT WHAT HPD AND THE COMMUNITY AND THE PARTNERS ARE DOING, AND ONE SAFE HOUSTON IS WORKING.
AND I DON'T WANT US TO DE-EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT.
'CAUSE I'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH IT FROM JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH AND APRIL.
OKAY? AND PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW, HOUSTONIANS NEED TO KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON IT EVERY SINGLE DAY TO MAKE THIS AN INCREASINGLY SAFE CITY, UH, FROM THE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, UH, THE ORDINANCE DEALING WITH C CONVERTERS WILL BE KICKING IN AND THE ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO CAMERAS AND, UH, MORE ILLUMINATION AT OUR, UM, CONVENIENCE STORES, CLUBS, AND BARS, UH, THAT WILL ALSO BE KICKING IN.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PIECES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
WELL, AND CERTAINLY INCREASING THE AGE FROM 18 TO 21, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY ON ASSAULT WEAPONS, I, TO ME, IT SHOULD BE AN EASY DEAL, OKAY? UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE CAN'T DRINK AND BUY CIGARETTES, UH, BELOW 21, UH, THE RED FLAG LAWS, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOULD TAKE PLACE.
SO I'M HOPING THAT COULD, WILL MOVE FORWARD.
UM, UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS, 90% OF THE PEOPLE, PEOPLE, UH, SUPPORT IT.
UH, THERE JUST NEED TO BE SOME MOVEMENT.
I'M GOING TO RE, YOU KNOW, I'M GENERALLY AN OPTIMISTIC PERSON.
I'M GONNA RESERVE, UM, MY COMMENTS UNTIL SOMETHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, SANDY HOOK, SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPENED.
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UH, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB IN FLORIDA, SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPENED.UH, SOMETHING CERTAINLY SHOULD HAPPEN.
UM, BUT EVEN AS WE WAIT ON THE, THE UNITED STATES SENATORS TO WORK, IT'S MY HOPE, UH, THAT THE GOVERNOR WILL CALL A SPECIAL SESSION HERE IN TEXAS NOW SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND, AND IMPLEMENT, UH, UH, SOME STEPS, IF NOTHING MORE THAN TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
BECAUSE IF MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW, APPOINTING IN THAT DIRECTION, AND I'M, I'M NOT WANTING TO NECESSARILY BUY INTO TO THAT, UH, BUT THE LEGISLATURE CERTAINLY SHOULD EXPONENTIALLY INCREASE ITS FUNDING TO MENTAL HEALTH.
AND THEN SECONDLY, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE OUGHT TO REPEAL HOUSE BILL 1927 S CARRY.
AND THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE ITSELF SHOULD RAISE THE AGE FROM 18 TO 21.
BUT RAISING AGE 18 TO 21, THE LEGISLATURE CAN DO THAT IN A MINUTE.
REPEALING HOUSE BILL 1927 ON PERMANENT CARRY, THEY CAN DO THAT.
AND PROVIDING SIGNIFICANT MORE FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH, UH, THE LEGISLATURE, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT SUBSTANTIALLY MORE FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH, BECAUSE THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THE LOWER END WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDING AND RESOURCES TO MENTAL HEALTH.
UH, THEY REALLY NEED TO BEEF THAT UP.
AND THEN ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE, UH, TO, UH, ADDRESS THESE, UH, PERPETRATORS OF THESE CRIMES AT THEY LOWER AGE, PEOPLE THAT ARE 18, YOU KNOW, 17, 16, YOU NAME IT, UH, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE A LEGISLATIVE, UH, INVESTIGATION ON WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR BODY.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS ON THE STATE END AND THEN IN THE LOCAL.
LASTLY, WHAT I WOULD SAY, UH, FOR THE UNITED STATES, UH, I THINK WE REPRESENT ABOUT 4%, UH, OF THE POPULATION IN THE WORLD, BUT WE OWN 50% OF THE GUNS.
SO SOMETHING, SOMETHING'S MESSED UP ON THAT IN THAT REGARDS.
UH, BUT WE ARE GONNA DO EVERY, EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN LOCALLY, UH, TO ADDRESS THE PROLIFERATION OF GUNS AND GUN VIOLENCE.
AND, UH, AGAIN, UH, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN LOCALLY AND, AND IN SPITE OF ALL OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACING NATIONALLY, I DO WANT TO UNDERSCORE ONE MORE TIME THAT THE HOMICIDE RATE IN THIS CITY, IN THIS CITY, SINCE THE ONSET OF ONE SAFE HOUSTON, IS 3% LESS THAN WHAT IT WAS A YEAR AGO.
FEWER HOMICIDES LESS THAN A YEAR AGO.
AND AGAIN, TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY, WE LOCALLY, COLLECTIVELY, WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SAFE, WANT YOU TO FEEL SAFE, WANT YOU TO BE SAFE, AND TO THE CRIMINALS OR PEOPLE WHO WILL, UH, IN HAVE THE INTENT OF COMMITTING CRIMES, UH, NUMBER ONE, DON'T DO IT.
AND NUMBER TWO, IF YOU COMMIT A CRIME, UH, WE WILL FIND YOU.
OKAY, I WANT TO GET THAT MESSAGE.
NO, WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THE DA'S OFFICE AND IDENTIFYING, AND IT'S NOT JUST THAT LIST, THAT THAT'S AN ONGOING ISSUE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST IDENTIFY THE MOST VIOLENT ON ONE DAY AND THEN STOP.
THAT'S AN ONGOING EFFORT FOR OUR DEPARTMENT IN CONCERT WITH THE DA'S OFFICE, TO, TO FIND THOSE MOST VIOLENT, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST VIOLENT THAT ARE WANTED.
AND, AND AS YOU'VE SEEN, OUR WARRANT TEAMS HAVE BEEN EXCEEDINGLY BUSY IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS OUT, UH, FINDING THOSE, UH, WHO ARE WANTED FOR VIOLENT FELONIES AND IN SOME CASES MULTIPLE VIOLENT FELONIES.
AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT IS THE BEGINNING.
THAT'S A START, RIGHT? IDENTIFYING THE MOST VIOLENT IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE THINK, UH, ONE, ARE CAUSING, UH, THE MOST HARM IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN DEALING WITH THEM APPROPRIATELY THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, DEPENDING ON WHERE THEIR CASE OR CASES IS.
AND SO THAT'S AN ONGOING EFFORT.
SO I DON'T WANNA GET STUCK JUST ON, HEY, YOU'RE GONNA IDENTIFY, UH, SOME VIOLENT OFFENDERS AND THEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THAT.
THAT SHOULD BE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH US.
THE CHOOSE TO CLIFF ASK BECAUSE PARTY, WELL FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT STAND STANDPOINT.
AND THEN OF COURSE YOU'LL NEED TO FOLLOW UP WITH
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OUR COUNTERPARTS AND OUR PARTNERS AT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH.BUT AS THE MAYOR HAS SAID, AS CHIEF
WE ARE ASKING THE REST OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO ENGAGE AND DO THEIR PART.
WHEN WE IDENTIFY VIOLENT OFFENDERS AND GO A STEP FURTHER AND GET VIOLENT OFFENDERS IN CUSTODY, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE WANTED AND THOSE THAT MIGHT BE WANTED ON MULTIPLE FELONY CHARGES, THEN WE ARE ASKING THAT THE COURTS AND EVERYBODY ELSE MOVE THOSE THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND HELP US IDENTIFY AT LEAST THE PRIORITY IN THAT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE GREATEST REALIZED IMPACT FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR PUBLIC.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A BACKLOG THAT IS AS LARGE IS AS IT IS IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, FOR THE MANY REASONS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED OVER THE LAST MANY MONTHS, YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE ON PRIORITIES.
AND THOSE PRIORITIES SHOULD BE WHAT DO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT WILL HAVE THE GREATEST REALIZED IMPACT ON KEEPING THE PUBLIC SAFE? AND FOR US, THAT'S THOSE VIOLENT OFFENDERS AND MOVING THOSE CASE CASES FORWARD AND ADJUDICATING THOSE.
BUT AT SOME POINT, IT'S BEYOND THE CITY AND HPDS CONTROL OF MOVING THOSE FORWARD.
AND WE HOPE THAT THE REST OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ENGAGES WITH US TO DO THAT.
AND RIGHT NOW OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS BEING A GOOD PARTNER IN HAVING THOSE COMMUNICATIONS WITH US.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COURTS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM DO THE SAME BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU TO GET YOU DR.