[District B Town Hall Meeting with HPD Chief Troy Finner]
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THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US, UM, ON OUR MONTHLY DISTRICT B BRIEFING.UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
BRIEFING IS OUR FIRST BRIEFING IN PERSON, PERSON.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING THESE BRIEFINGS FOR THE PAST, WHAT, UM, 18, 19 MONTHS, UM, VIA ZOOM.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING.
AND WE ARE ALSO EXCITING THAT IT'S THE FIRST TIME IN OUR GYM, FRANK SEAL'S GYM, SINCE IT'S BEEN, UM, RENAMED.
AND SO BEFORE WE BEGIN, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR VERY OWN MR. JAMES JOSEPH, COME UP AND START US OFF WITH A PRAYER, AND THEN WE'LL GET THIS KICKED OFF.
THANK YOU, FATHER GOD, FOR JUST SIMPLY WAKING US UP THIS MORNING AND BREATHING YOUR AIR.
LORD, WE WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR US COMING TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY TO DO A BETTER WILL.
LORD, WE WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY, OH LORD, AND SEE THAT WE ARE SAFE AND SOUND, OH LORD.
BUT WE MUST ALL COME TOGETHER TO DO THE WORK AND THE WILL OF YOU.
SO WE WANNA SIMPLY SAY THANK YOU.
LORD, WE WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE SPACE THAT YOU PROVIDED FOR US TODAY.
BECAUSE WE COULDA HAD SOMETHING ELSE.
WE WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY OH LORD, THAT YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER FOR US.
WE JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR NORTHEAST COMMUNITY.
AS WE COME TOGETHER AS ONE, EACH OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS COMING TOGETHER UNDER ONE CITY, OH LORD, WE WANNA SIMPLY SAY THANK YOU IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, IN THE NAME OF THE SON, AND IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING THIS MONTHLY BRIEFING AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS MONTHLY BRIEFING.
UM, AND WE HAVE HIM EVERY MONTH.
AS I SAID, WE'VE BEEN HAVING A BRIEFING SINCE I STARTED OFFICE, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR OFFICE IS TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE TO THE RESIDENTS FOR DISTRICT B, TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SPACE THAT YOU CAN COME AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS, YOUR CONCERNS, AND JUST LEARN ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE DISTRICT, AND THAT WE'RE CO-CREATING THE AGENDA TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR C'S MOVING FORWARD SUCCESSFULLY.
UM, BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANT TO THANK, UM, DIFFERENT ONES FOR, YOU KNOW, SHOWING UP FOR US TODAY.
WE GOT HTV, UM, CJ AND KEITH JACKSON.
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND RECORDING THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS LIVE SO THAT RESIDENTS THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO BE HERE IN PERSON CAN, UM, VIEW THIS, THE VERY IMPORTANT MEETING, UM, ONLINE OR, UM, PRERECORDED FOR LATER.
WE ALSO WANNA THANK, UM, OFFICER DELL OF THE NORTHEAST STATION.
UM, WE HAVE MISS ALAVITA FOR DIRECT DECORATIONS.
THE DECORATIONS ARE BEAUTIFUL.
UM, WITH PRECIOUS MOMENTS, SHE ACTUALLY BROUGHT RESIDENTS FROM DISH, UM, FROM THE FIFTH WARD AREA.
SHE, I'M DRIVING THEM HERE RIGHT NOW, AND I SEE THAT THEY, THEY COMING IN.
SO I WANT TO THANK HER, UM, FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND FOR HER SUPPORT.
UM, I WANNA THANK MY STAFF, UM, THE DISTRICT B STAFF FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE DONE TO KEEP, GET THIS MEETING MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE COACH JERRY FOR HIS HARD WORK, OUR HOT BE CLEAN TEAM.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT AROUND THIS COMMUNITY, KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS CLEAN AND SHOWING UP FOR EXTRA, UM, EVENTS.
JUST DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO SUPPORT EVERY, UM, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN DISTRICT B.
AND THEN ALSO OUR CIVIC CLUBS.
I KNOW WE GOT QUITE A FEW CIVIC CLUBS SHOWING UP HERE.
I SEE WE GOT EAST HOUSTON CIVIC CLUB.
THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD HERE.
WE GOT GLENWOOD FOREST, NORTHWOOD MANOR, AND I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER CIVIC CLUBS HERE.
JUST THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND FOR JUST BEING A PART OF THIS DISTRICT AND BEING A PART OF THIS WORK.
I ONLY WAY I CAN MOVE THE DISTRICT FORWARD.
AND SO JUST OUR CONSTANT COMMUNICATION AND CONSTANT DIALOGUE IS HOW WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING, LIKE THE ILLEGAL DUMPING AND, UM, AND SO FORTH.
AND ALSO, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THIS, THIS WALKED IN THE ROOM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, WHO IS ALSO JUST THE CHAMPION FOR OUR DISTRICT.
AND SHE'S ALWAYS SHOWING UP IN THESE SPACES THAT WE NEED HER.
AND SO, UM, THIS MEETING, THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING OVER THE PAST YEARS ABOUT CRIME WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, CRIME WITH THE, ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HTVS TAKING OVER THE STREET.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEALING WITH ILLEGAL DUMPING.
THERE'S A LOT OF GUNFIRE, SHOOTINGS, UM, AT CONVENIENCE STORES.
AND SO WE AS COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN MEETING, UH, MR. MR. WOODS AND SEVERAL ONES.
WE HAVE A, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WHERE WE JUST HAVE COME TOGETHER AND JUST LOST, STARTED THINKING ABOUT SOME SOLUTIONS AND WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE SAFE.
BECAUSE WE CAN'T JUST PUT IT ALL ON HPD, IT'S, WE HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL.
AND SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS TO CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE, BUT THEN ALSO LEARN ABOUT WHAT HPD IS DOING, OUR VERY
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OWN CHIEF CENTER AND HIS TEAM, WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SAFE.I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM OVER THE PAST, UM, WEEKS AND MONTHS, AND, UM, I'M HEARING SOME GOOD THINGS.
IN FACT, OUR CRIME IS, IS DOWN IN DISTRICT B BY 15%, AND THAT IS HUGE.
GIVE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT ACTUALLY WE HAVE TO BE CLAPPING FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT'S LETTING US KNOW THAT WE ARE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
BUT WE HAVE A LOT MORE WORK TO DO.
AND SO THIS MEETING RIGHT HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COME TOGETHER AGAIN, TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT OUR HPD DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT AND TEAM IS DOING TO HELP US BATTLE CRIMES, AND THEN COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS FOR OURSELVES, WHAT WE CAN DO AS CITIZENS TO MOVE THIS, UM, MOVE THIS FORWARD.
SO I HAVE SOME, BEFORE WE BRING TWO CENTER UP, I HAVE SOME HOUSEKEEPING RULES.
UM, IF YOU GOT, THE RESTROOMS ARE RIGHT OVER THERE, YOU SEE THE RESTROOMS RIGHT THERE TO YOUR, TO MY LEFT.
AND THEN ALSO, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION THAT YOU WANT TO ASK, THERE ARE SOME POSTCARDS OR SOME, UM, INDEX CARDS THAT THEY ARE PASSING OUT.
WE ARE ASKING YOU TO WRITE YOUR QUESTIONS DOWN.
AND THEN WE WILL ASK YOUR QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
AND EVENTUALLY, ONCE WE GET, UM, I KNOW CHIEF FINNER HAS TO LEAVE, UM, WITHIN AN HOUR.
SO WE THOUGHT WE WAS GONNA HAVE 'EM FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF, BUT HE HAS TO LEAVE ABOUT, WHAT, AN HOUR, 10 MINUTES, AN HOUR AND 10 MINUTES.
BY 12 O'CLOCK HE'LL BE LEAVING.
SO WE WANNA GET AS MANY OF OUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED, UM, WITHIN THIS SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU PASS YOUR CARDS TO MARY, AND THEN WE WILL, YOU KNOW, ASK YOUR QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF FENNER.
BUT I WANNA START OFF BY LETTING CHIEF FINNER DO HIS OPEN REMARKS, BECAUSE I'M SURE HE CAN ANSWER A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE DURING HIS OPENING REMARKS, BECAUSE I KNOW WE KNOW SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE'RE HAVING.
BUT I WANNA GIVE HIM THAT TIME, UM, TO GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS YOU.
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR SHOWING UP.
I MEAN, THIS IS A GREAT TURNOUT.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING, UM, OF THE BEGINNING.
AND LET'S GET THIS MEETING STARTED.
UH, IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE, UM, TO COME HERE ON A SATURDAY MORNING AND SEE SO MANY, UH, GREAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE.
UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, OUR ESTEEMED COUNCILWOMAN, UM, WHO IS, UH, A VERY INTELLIGENT LADY.
NICE SOMETIMES, BUT LET ME TELL YOU, TRUE ADVOCATE FOR HER DISTRICT B.
AND I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, SHE DON'T PLAY AROUND WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESOURCES AND THINGS THAT NEED TO BE.
SO, I, I APPRECIATE HER AND COUNCILWOMAN ALCON, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, I ALWAYS SEE YOUR FACE IN, IN ALL DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
UH, YOU'RE AN ASSET TO OUR CITY AS WELL.
I WANT TO THANK THE LEADERSHIP OF, UH, NORTHEAST AND, UH, NORTH DIVISION, BOTH OF MY COMMANDERS, COMMANDER DELL, COMMANDER BRYANT, ALSO ALL OF THE, UH, FRONTLINE INDIVIDUALS, SUPERVISORS, AND, AND EVERYBODY THAT TAKES A PART OF IT BECAUSE, UM, I'M JUST THE CHIEF.
UM, AND, AND I CANNOT DO IT ALONE.
I TOLD MY SUPPORT STAFF ON THE WAY HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO DRIVE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE WHEN I GO ON HESTER STREET, 61 19 HESTER STREET, I SPENT MANY, MANY WEEKENDS AND SUMMER DAYS OUT HERE.
I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS JUST A SLIDE OUT HERE, WHAT I USED TO CALL THE SNOW, THE SNOW CONE SLIDE.
GRANDMOTHER AND, AND GRANDFATHER.
AND, AND, AND, AND SHADY DALE.
I GOT PEOPLE SCENIC WOODS ALL OVER.
SO THIS PARTICULAR COMMUNITY IS NOT FAR.
AND Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT MY FIFTH WARD ROOTS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT HARAM CLARK ROOTS, BUT PEOPLE REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PARTICULAR AREA AROUND HERE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, AND I'M PROUD OF IT.
I DO WANNA GET SOME WATER IN THIS POOL, UM, NEXT SUMMER.
AND, UH, I, I KNOW THE MAYOR AND OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE COMMITTED, UM, BECAUSE IF KIDS DON'T HAVE THINGS TO DO, AND ONE THING ABOUT WATER
WE NEED TO THROW OUR ARMS AROUND THESE KIDS AND GET THEM INVOLVED IN SOME EVENTS THAT KEEP THEM OUT OF TROUBLE.
BUT REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY, UM, I, I DON'T WANT Y'ALL TO THINK THAT I'M RUSHING OUTTA HERE TODAY BECAUSE I DON'T CARE.
BUT, UH, ONE OF MY, UH, GOOD FRIENDS LOST HIS SISTER.
AND WE HAVE TO STAND BY OUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND OUR FRIENDS WHEN THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THEIR MOST DIFFICULT TIMES.
BUT WE'RE GONNA PUSH BACK TO, UH, 1115.
SO I'M GONNA BE REALLY SHORT AND, AND, AND MY PRESENTATION, BECAUSE WHAT I CAME HERE FROM IS TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SOMETIMES POLICE AND EVERYBODY ELSE, YOU THINK WE HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
BUT IF YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO PEOPLE, YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS.
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KNOWS WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, OTHER THAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS.I CAN TELL YOU SOMETHING, UH, WHAT I'M OFFENDED BY, AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, I'M OFFENDED BY A SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHEN WE GOT SO MANY GREAT RESIDENTS IN ALL OUR COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY COMMUNITIES IN THE INNER CITIES THAT WORK HARD.
THEY GO TO CHURCH, THEY GO TO THEY PLACE OF WORSHIP, THEY TAKE CARE OF THEIR PROPERTY.
AND WE GOT A SMALL HANDFUL, FEW OF KNUCKLEHEADS, WHAT I CALL THEM THAT'S MESSING THINGS UP AND WHATEVER WE COME UP WITH, WHATEVER STRATEGIES, YEP.
COUNCIL MEMBERS SPOKE ABOUT IT.
AND THERE'S BEEN SOME CONTROVERSY AROUND OUR CITY THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
BUT WHEN I SPEAK IN TERMS OF NUMBERS, I DON'T LIE ABOUT MY NUMBERS.
I MEAN, WE'RE TRANSPARENT WITH IT.
CRIME IS DOWN, BUT IS IT WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE? NO, IT'S NOT WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE.
I WANT IT TO GO ALL THE WAY DOWN, YOU KNOW, TO PRE COVID NUMBERS, OKAY? UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
BUT IN WORKING WITH AND IDENTIFYING THOSE FEW INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT'S CAUSING CRIME TIME AFTER TIME, WE NEED YOUR HELP.
SO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AT LEAST HOOKED UP ON THAT TOGETHER, UH, GOING AFTER THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
IT'S SOME LOCATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I'M NOT JUST PICKING ON CONVENIENCE STORES, OKAY? BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I'M NOT FAR INTO HOUSTON.
BEEN HERE ALL MY LIFE, AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON.
NOT EVERY CONVENIENCE STORE OWNER IS A BAD PERSON, IS A BAD BUSINESS PERSON.
WE HAVE SOME THAT'S RESPONSIBLE, BUT WE HAVE TOO MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT THEY ALLOW DRUG DEALERS TO COME IN, GANG MEMBERS TO COME IN AND HANG OUT AND SET UP A FORTRESS AT THEIR PLACE OF BUSINESS.
I'M NOT HERE TO SHUT DOWN ANYBODY'S BUSINESS, BUT IF YOU GOT A LOCATION, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S CONVENIENCE, STORE, GAS STATION, WHATEVER IT IS, IF THEY'RE NOT CONTRIBUTING POSITIVELY TO THE COMMUNITY, WHY ARE WE SUPPORTING THEM? NOW? WE'RE GONNA DO OUR PART.
YOU LOOK AT THE HOMICIDE NUMBERS AND YOU LOOK AT OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME THROUGHOUT THE CITY, IT'S DOWN.
OKAY? NOW PEOPLE SAY, WELL, CHIEF, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S JUST 3%.
OKAY? BUT ANY REDUCTION DURING THIS TIME, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BACKLOG THAT WE HAVE IN, IN OUR COURT SYSTEMS, AND I'M NOT HERE TO POINT FINGERS, I, I, I DON'T, I DON'T DO THAT.
IF WE'RE NOT ABOUT SOLUTIONS, I'M NOT ABOUT A WHOLE LOT OF NEGATIVE TALK.
BUT WE DO HAVE TO SPEAK TO THE FACTS.
WHEN YOU HAVE LIKE OVER 30,000, 130,000 CASES BACKED UP IN HARRIS COUNTY, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
AND WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
WHEN YOU HAVE VIOLENT OFFENDERS AND IT'S TAKEN THEM THREE TO FIVE YEARS TO GET TO TRIAL, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
OKAY? BUT WE GOTTA WORK ON IT TOGETHER.
AND IT'S NOT JUST THE JUDGE'S FAULT OR THE DA'S FAULT, OR, OR THE POLICE, IT'S, IT'S A HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY PROBLEM.
AND EVERYBODY GOTTA STEP, STEP UP AND DO WHAT THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT TO GET THOSE NUMBERS DOWN.
AS FAR AS, UH, FIGHTING VIOLENT CRIME ON, ON THE STREETS, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE, UH, WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND, AND THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE TO GO AFTER THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
AND I SAY TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AND I'M GONNA BE UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT IT.
IF YOU OUT HERE AND YOU COMMITTING VIOLENT CRIME, WE'RE GONNA COME AFTER YOU.
BUT WE HAVE TO ENFORCE CRIME IN A WAY THAT WE DON'T OFFEND OUR GREAT NE UM, RESIDENTS.
LIKE EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE, WHEN WE PICK UP AND WE SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE TRAFFIC STOPS, WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE OUR PRODUCT, OUR, OUR PROACTIVE PRODUCTIVITY, SOMETIMES THAT CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH THE GOOD PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO Y'ALL HAVE TO GET US OUT THERE AND, AND, AND, AND, AND SPREAD THAT WORD.
WE'RE NOT PROFILING, WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH CRIME DOWN.
YOU LOOK AT THE NEWS EVERY DAY AND YOU SEE ALL THESE RAPE ROAD RAGE, ALL THESE DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS AND ALL THAT FOOLISHNESS, NOT IN OUR CITY.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN, BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT IN THE WAY.
AND THIS IS THE CHALLENGE WHEN, WHEN MAJOR CITY POLICE DEPARTMENTS REDUCING CRIME IN A TOUGH TIME AND KEEPING AND BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
BECAUSE IF WE REDUCE CRIME AND WE RIP APART THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING.
BUT AS WE REDUCE CRIME TOGETHER AND WE BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, THAT'S GONNA BE A FORM THAT THAT SUSTAINS ITSELF.
SO LOOK, I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE LONG.
I JUST WANT TO GET UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS.
I'M HERE AND I'LL CONTINUE TO BE HERE, KEEP THE COMMUNICATION
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GOING WITH OUR DIVISIONS.BUT, UM, I WANT TO GET OUT THE WAY AND I WANT TO LISTEN.
YOU GONNA ANSWER, ANSWER, GOOD.
SO I'M GONNA SHIFT THIS UP A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO AN ASK YOUR OWN QUESTIONS.
I KNOW WE GOT 'EM ON THE CARD.
WE, WE WILL COMPILE 'EM, UM, THESE QUESTIONS.
AND IF THE ONES WE DON'T GET TO, WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET THE ANSWERS TO IT.
BUT WE ARE GONNA START OFF LIKE, I KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR PERSON IS.
I'M GONNA CALL, ASK YOU TO STAND UP, AND THEN CHIEF NER WILL REPEAT YOUR PERSON.
AND THEN HE WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTION AND WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT PERSON.
SO I HAVE FRANK WOODS, UM, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY CHRISTOPHER RIVIERA.
AND THEN THAT'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MS. SHIRLEY JEFFERSON LITTLE.
AND SO YOUR NAME, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEN YOUR PERSON.
OKAY? THANK WHY WE GIVE THE MIC TOO.
WELL, YOU CAN RUN THE MICROPHONE.
UM, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
UH, AND THANK YOU CHIEF NER, UH, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
I'M, I'M GONNA GET RIGHT TO THE POINT.
I AM THE, UH, INTERIM CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENT OF NORTHWOOD MANOR.
AND SIR, WE'RE AT A, UH, UH, ALL TIME ALARM IN TERMS OF, UH, DRUG HOUSES.
WE HAVE DRUG HOUSES ON NEARLY EVERY STREET.
AND WHEN ONE ONE GETS, UH, QUIETED DOWN, BECAUSE THEY NEVER REALLY GO AWAY, OTHERS POP UP.
THEY'RE MAINLY AT RENTAL HOMES.
THEY TAKE 'EM OVER, THEY SHOOT AT NIGHT.
WE JUST HAD A SHOOTING, UH, THIS WEEK.
AND, UH, WE DIDN'T SEE MUCH RESPONSE.
SO MY, MY QUESTION IS, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THE POLICE AND WHAT ARE THE POLICE DOING, UH, TO, TO HELP PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES FROM THE DRUG HOUSES, SPECIFICALLY THE DRUG HOUSES? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
LOOK, UM, WHEN I, I WANT Y'ALL TO DO ONE FAVOR FOR ME.
UM, WHEN YOU COMING UP, OR, AND YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE THE SPECIFIC INFORMATION TODAY, GIMME SOME ADDRESSES, OKAY? AND IF YOU HAVE THOSE ADDRESSES, UM, UH, WE WILL, BECAUSE LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT A DRUG HOUSE, IT WILL MESS UP EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING ON THE BLOCK, UH, NOT FOREIGN TO ME.
SO, UM, WITH NORTH DIVISION, NORTHEAST DIVISION, WHATEVER DIVISION IT IS, INCLUDING, UM, OUR NARCOTICS DIVISION.
SO IF THERE ARE DRUG HOUSES, I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
AS FAR AS OUR RESPONSE TO SHOOTINGS AND WHATNOT, THERE SHOULD BE A RESPONSE.
BUT I DO WANT TO, AND ALONG WITH MY COMMANDERS THAT'S HERE, IF YOU HAVE A LOCATION, UM, I DO WANT TO LOOK AT IT AND IT'S, YOU GIVE ME AN ADDRESS AND SAY, WELL, HEY, THIS, WE, WE CALLED AND WE GO AND WE RESEARCH, AND THEN I'LL GET BACK WITH YOU BECAUSE FOLLOW UP IS IMPORTANT.
IF WE JUST COME HERE AND WE JUST TALKING, AND I DON'T DO ANY FOLLOW UP, THAT'S, NO, THAT'S NO GOOD.
SO I WILL DO SOME FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
BUT, UM, WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT REMOVING DRUG HOUSES OR CRACK HOUSES, WHATEVER WE WANT TO CALL THEM IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO PARTNER TOGETHER, BUT I DO, UH, YOU GET WITH THE COMMANDER, MAKE SURE WE GET THAT INFORMATION, OKAY? AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP.
ANYBODY ELSE? MR. CHRISTOPHER RIVERA? NO.
AND THEN WHILE WE WANT TO TALK INTO MIKE, I THINK, UH, SOME PEOPLE ARE VIRTUAL, SO, YEAH.
AND THEN SHIRLEY JEFFERSON, YOU'LL BE NEXT.
UH, MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER RIVERA AND I WORK WITH THE TEXAS CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT.
AND, UH, LAST YEAR, HPDS TRAFFIC DATA REVEALED THAT BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE OR LATINO DRIVERS WERE STOPPED, SEARCHED, CITED, AND ARRESTED IN HIGHER NUMBERS.
THEY ALSO EXPERIENCED USE OF FORCE IN HIGHER NUMBERS, PARTICULARLY BLACK DRIVERS AT ABOUT 60%.
AND WE SAW OR NOTICED THAT WHITE DRIVERS EXPERIENCE USE OF FORCE DURING TRAFFIC STOPS AT ABOUT 6%.
SO THERE'S CLEAR RACIAL DISPARITIES IN, UH, THE WAY HPD CONDUCTS TRAFFIC STOPS.
SO WHAT IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS WELL AS HPD DOING TO STOP THESE TYPES OF VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENTS FROM HPD ONTO THE COMMUNITY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, TRADITIONALLY, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, I CAN'T STAND BEFORE A COMMUNITY OF COLOR AND SAY THAT THERE'S NOT ANY PROBLEMS, OKAY? BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE ARE TRANSPARENT.
UM, I LIKE FOR EVERYBODY TO, TO, YOU KNOW, EVERY INCIDENT OR EVERY TRAFFIC STOP TO BE BEHAVIOR, UM, UM, INDUCED, OKAY? BECAUSE IF YOU JUST LOOK IN TERMS OF JUST NUMBERS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THE RACE OF A PERSON, OKAY? IF WE IN THIS COMMUNITY, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR PEOPLE ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN? OKAY? SO YOU, YOU GOTTA TAKE THAT IN, IN CONSIDERATION.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, WELL, YOU LOOK AT NUMBERS AND YOU SAY, WELL, YOU JUST PICKING ON THIS PARTICULAR GROUP,
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THAT'S NOT ALL THE ALWAYS TRUE.BUT AS THE CHIEF, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TREATING PEOPLE, UH, FAIR.
MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO PROFILING.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, I DON'T CARE WHAT COLOR YOU ARE, IT'S A EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IF YOU OUT HERE COMMITTING CRIME.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO LOOK AT.
BUT WE DO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, OUR TRAFFIC STOPS.
AND, AND, AND THE MAIN THING IS, IF ANYBODY'S MISTREATED, THEY NEED TO GET IT UP TO US SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND WE CAN INVESTIGATE IT.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO HERE IN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT I WANT PROPER INFORMATION TO COME IN AND, AND THE CONTEXT IN WHICH WE PUT IT OUT, IT'S IMPORTANT.
YOU CAN'T JUST COME UP AND I, I, I RESPECT, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION, BUT, AND THE INFORMATION.
BUT YOU CAN'T JUST COME UP AND, AND, AND PEOPLE JUST SAY, OKAY, THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS.
WHAT'S BEHIND THOSE NUMBERS? OKAY? IF YOU IN AN AREA THAT'S, THAT IS MOSTLY LATINO, IT'S MOSTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN OR ASIAN OR CAUCASIAN, AND YOU GO, THAT'S WHERE THE TRAFFIC STOPS ARE GOING TO BE.
BUT WE, WE NEED TO ALSO KEEP AN EYE ON AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST ANYBODY.
UH, TO OUR CITY, COUNCILWOMAN, THANK YOU.
AND OUR POLICE CHIEF, UH, UH, ROTH FINNER.
I JUST WANNA SAY A, A COMPLIMENT, UH, TO OUR CHIEF AND, UH, THAT I'VE BEEN KNOWING HIM WHEN HE WAS THE BABY.
THIS IS SUCH AN HONOR THIS MORNING BEFORE I GET TO MY QUESTION, AND WE, AS PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE TIME TO CELEBRATE, UH, US THAT HAVE MOVED UP IN GOING ON, AND THEY HAVE BECOME GREAT IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I JUST THANK GOD FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT HE SENT HIS MOM AND DAD HAD PULLED SO MUCH INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THEY, AS THEY BORN CHILDREN THAT ARE GREAT.
AND I JUST THANK THE LORD THIS MORNING.
LET'S GIVE HIM SOME, SOME PRAISE FOR WHAT HE'S DONE, WHAT HE'S DOING.
AND YOU GIVE HONOR TO THOSE THAT ARE HONORED TO, AND I'M JUST LOOKING AT HIM AND I KNOW THAT GOD HAS GREATER PLANS FOR HIS LIFE, AND I WANNA THANK OUR CITY COUNCILWOMAN.
GIVE HER SOME, GIVE HER SOME PRAISE.
AND WHEN HE WAS TALKING, I WAS THINKING, UH, HE'S DOING, HE'S DOING A BUSINESS OF THE CITY AND SOME, AND WE NEED TO DO GOD'S BUSINESS, BUT WE ARE DOING THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY.
AND I JUST THANK GOD FOR THAT.
YOU DIDN'T KNOW I WAS COMING
I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM FOR YEARS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT, THAT, THOSE COMPLIMENTS.
AND I THANK GOD FOR, UH, OUR CITY COUNCILWOMAN.
SHE'S A, I DIDN'T VOTE FOR HER, BUT SHE IS DOING A GREAT JOB.
COME ON, PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER.
SHE, YOU, UH, YOU CAN EMAIL HER.
AND SHE EMAILED ME EVERY FRIDAY, AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I MET HER IN PERSON.
THIS IS A PERSONAL TESTIMONY I JUST WANNA RELEASE.
AND THIS IS A GREAT COMMUNITY.
MY MOM MOVED OVER HERE IN 19, UH, 65.
OKAY? THIS IS, UH, THIS IS MY QUESTION.
IS THERE A CODE FOR HOUSING THAT WOULD ALLOW HALFWAY HOUSES AND ROOMS TO RENT IN A SINGLE HOME? IS THERE A CODE OR IS THERE A LAW AGAINST, UH, THIS, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I HEARD ABOUT THE GUN, BUT WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HEAR GUNSHOTS? THANK, THANK YOU,
UM, HALFWAY HOUSING AND, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT TO BRING IN MORE REGULATION.
I, I TELL YOU BECAUSE THAT'S DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY.
PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE.
UM, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE REGULATED.
AND WHEN YOU MOVE IN A COMMUNITY HALFWAY BOARD AND HOUSE, WHATEVER WE WANT TO TURN, YOU NEED TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, OKAY? AND IF YOU'RE NOT A GOOD NEIGHBOR, UM, YOU NEED TO MOVE OUT.
UM, AND, AND, AND SO WE DO UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION ON, ON THAT, THE SHOOTINGS, UM, AND DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS. OF COURSE, IF SOMEBODY, TWO DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGIES, WE USE DISCHARGE.
A FIREARM IS NORMALLY WHEN SOMEBODY'S SHOOTING IN THE AIR AND, AND THEY DON'T HIT ANYBODY.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST DOING CRAZY STUFF.
THAT'S WHAT MOST OF OUR STUFF IS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT'S SCARY.
YOU SLEEP OR YOU IN YOUR DEN WATCHING TV AND THEN BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
SO, UM, WE DO HAVE SHOT SPOTTERS.
UM, IT'S TERRIBLY EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S SOME REALLY, REALLY GOOD TECHNOLOGY.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE OF 'EM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA TELL Y'ALL, Y'ALL ASK ALL THE TIME EXACTLY WHERE IS IT NOT GONNA TELL YOU.
[00:25:01]
CATCH SOME FISH.AND WHEN I SAY CATCH SOME FISH, I'M TRYING TO CATCH SOME PEOPLE SHOOTING GUNS, AND WE GO RIGHT TO 'EM.
SO, BUT AS WE GROW, UM, WE WANT TO GET MORE OF THOSE GUNSHOT DETECTION SYSTEMS IN AND AROUND THE CITY, AND IT PUTS YOU PRETTY MUCH ON THE DOT WITHIN 25 FEET OF THOSE DISCHARGING FIREARMS. AND YOU NEED TO SEE THE LOOK ON A PERSON FACE WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE JUST DOING STUPID STUFF AND DISCHARGING A FIREARM.
AND WITHIN MINUTES, OFFICERS ROLLING RIGHT UP ON THEM.
KNOW, WHO DO YOU CALL? WHO DO YOU FOR GUNSHOTS? YEAH.
GO, GO THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT ALSO EVEN BEFORE THEN, OUR DRT OFFICERS DIS, UH, DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE OFFICERS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE AT THE DIVISION, OKAY? I WANT OUR RESIDENTS TO CONTACT THE DIVISION, OKAY? ONCE YOU DO THAT, WE'LL WORK WITH ALL THOSE OTHERS.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW YOUR COMMANDERS AND YOU KNOW, THE TEAMS THAT, THAT'S ASSIGNED TO, UH, THE DIVISIONS, OUR DRT.
REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU CALL THE, THE, THE DIVISIONS, ASK FOR A DRT OFFICER.
AND THEN CALL OUR OFFICE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HELP NAVIGATE HOW YOU DOING? GOOD TO SEE YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, PERSONALLY THANK OUR COUNCILWOMAN THIS MORNING FOR PUTTING THIS EVENT TOGETHER.
AND, UH, FOR THE PRESENCE OF OUR HOMEGROWN PERSON HERE WHO'S NOW CHIEF OF POLICE, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT, PARTICIPATING, AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE A FIRST FIRST OF A, OF A DIALOGUE.
MY QUESTION THIS MORNING, UM, IS BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, UH, I AM HAVING MUCH DIFFICULTY GETTING, UH, SOMEONE TO RESPOND.
FOR EXAMPLE, LABOR DAY, THAT WAS A GENTLEMAN HALF DRESSED WHO RAN INTO MY YARD, UM, FROM ONE OF THE NEIGHBORING DRUG HOUSES, HALF DRESSED, HALF DRESSED.
AND, UH, WE TOOK PICTURES WITH OUR ZOOM CAMERAS.
THEY RECOMMENDED, WELL, MAYBE IF THE SENIORS GET ZOOM CAMERAS OR THE RING BELLS, THAT WOULD HELP, UH, PROVIDED, UH, THAT INFORMATION TO OUR PERSONS WHO WE WORK WITH AS DRT OFFICERS.
AND, UM, THE QUESTION THAT I WAS, OR THE RESPONSE THAT I, I BASICALLY GOT WAS, UH, WE PROBABLY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE DID HE DAMAGE YOUR TREE OR YOUR GRASS? AND THEY TOLD ME I COULDN'T SHOOT HIM.
NOW, UH, CAPTAIN, I LOVE MY NORTHEAST FOLKS.
AND, AND, UM, MY BASKETBALL PARTNER THIS MORNING ASKED ME THE SAME THING, WHICH IS OUR CHIEF AT LAY ROAD STATION, UH, BECAUSE I WAS SHARING SOME OF THOSE EXPERIENCES WITH HIM, HOW TRAUMATIC IT WAS.
THAT WAS SEPTEMBER 5TH, MONDAY OF THIS PAST WEEK.
I WISH WE WOULD'VE GOTTEN JUST BANG, BANG, BANG, LIKE YOU SAID, BUT IT WAS A ROUND OF SHOTS.
ROUND OF SHOTS DURING THE NIGHT.
WE CALLED IN AND WAS PLACED ON AFTER FOUR TIMES, UH, CALLING IN AND BEING PLACED ON HOLD.
FIFTH TIME I FINALLY GOT A LIVE PERSON WHO TOLD ME SHE WAS NOT A POLICE OFFICER, BUT COULD TAKE THE INFORMATION.
SHE COULDN'T GUARANTEE SOMEONE TO COME OUT.
WAS ANYBODY KILLED? DID THEY HAVE A MENTAL PROBLEM? NOW I'M IN THE HOUSE AS MY OTHER NEIGHBORS WERE SENIORS LAYING ON THE FLOOR TALKING TO SOMEBODY ON THE CELL PHONE.
AND THEN I HAD A BURGLARY, BURGLARY NEIGHBOR, SUPPOSEDLY LIVING RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, UH, ATTEMPTED, WELL THEY CALLED IT A BURGLARY.
[00:30:01]
HE DIDN'T BREAK IN.HE WAS JUST KICKING IN DOORS AND BROKE A LOCK ON A DOOR.
THEN WHEN I MENTIONED THE WORD POLICE WAS EN ROUTE, THE PERSON WENT BACK ACROSS THE STREET AND THE NEIGHBORS CAUGHT HIM, BUT DA DID NOT TAKE THE CHARGE.
NOW, UP TO THIS DAY, I DON'T KNOW THE PERSON'S NAME, I WOULDN'T KNOW HIM IF I SAW HIM.
WE SAY, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING WE ARE SEEING AND WE ARE SAYING, WE AIN'T SHOWING UP FAST ENOUGH FOR YOU.
OR EITHER NOT SHOWING UP AT ALL.
ALRIGHT, LOOK, LET ME EXPLAIN.
AND, UH, WHEN I ASKED FOR A DISCUSSION THAT THAT'S WHAT I WANT, THAT'S WHAT I, I I NEED TO HEAR IT.
BUT LET'S START WITH ONE THING.
HOW OUR DISPATCH SYSTEM IS, IS SET UP, OKAY? PRIORITIZE SYSTEM.
UM, WHEN YOU FIRST CALL 9 1 1 OR TWO, TWO, TWO, THREE, ONE, THREE, ONE, IT GOES TO INTAKE.
OKAY? THEY DON'T WORK FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY WORK FOR EMERGENCY, UH, HEC CENTER.
AND THEN THEY ROUTE IT TO, THEY'LL SAY, YOU NEED POLICE TO FIRE, WHATEVER.
AND I UNDERSTAND IT, OKAY? I'VE CALLED MYSELF AND I'M, I'M CHIEF.
WHEN YOU HAVE TO CALL AND YOU DON'T WANT TO JUST GO THROUGH THE RADIO, IT'S NOT EMERGENCY.
UH, SO THERE IS SOME FRUSTRATION THERE.
I DO HAVE MY TEAMS AND DISPATCH WORKING ON THAT.
BUT I WANT TO BE HONEST, BECAUSE IF YOU SHOW UP IN THE FRONT OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY, UH, MY, MY, MY NORTHEAST NORTH FAMILY DON'T COME HERE AND NOT TELL THE TRUTH, OKAY? AND THE TRUTH IS, WE ARE EXTREMELY SHORT.
NOT AN EXCUSE, JUST THE TRUTH.
AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU ONE JUST KIND OF SCENARIO REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY.
CITY OF CHICAGO, IF WE CALLING IT ALL OUR PEOPLE UP, BEEN ALL, UH, UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE, WE'D PROBABLY BE ABOUT THE SAME IN POPULATION, THEY COVER 240 SQUARE MILES.
WE COVER 600 AND, UH, 61 WHEN YOU ADD OUR LAKES, OKAY? WHICH WE DO HAVE TO RESPOND TO, THEY GOT 13,000 POLICE OFFICERS.
IF YOU LOOK AT PHILADELPHIA, 140 SQUARE MILES, 1.6 MILLION INDIVIDUALS, OKAY? WE GOT 2.4, 2.3, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE COUNT EVERYBODY.
THEY GOT 6,400 POLICE OFFICERS.
NOW, LET ME GIVE SOME CREDIT TO THE MAYOR AND OUR CITY COUNCIL.
THEY HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE IN DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN DO TO INCREASE.
BUT WE'RE AT A STAGE RIGHT NOW WHEN WE PUT OFFICERS IN THROUGH THE ACADEMY, WE GOT JUST THAT MANY GETTING OUT THE DOOR, RETIRING.
SO IT'S GONNA TAKE US A WHILE, BUT IN THE PROCESS WE HAVE TO BE REASONABLE TO, UM, THE POLICE OFFICERS, BUT ALSO WE GOTTA HEAR OUR CITIZENS.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT NIGHT THAT IS.
THAT WAS, AND I WANNA RESEARCH THAT IF YOU GOT FIVE OR SIX CODE, ONE CALLS DROPPING ASSAULTS IN PROGRESS, SHOOTINGS IN PROGRESS OR WHAT, WE GOTTA GET TO THOSE FIRST AND SOMETIME YOURS BACK DOWN.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT DOES NOTHING FOR YOU AND YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN SOMEBODY NEED A POLICE OFFICER, SOMEBODY COME IN YOUR YARD AND THEY HAVE DRESS, YOU'RE SCARED AND YOU, I KNOW YOU GOT YOUR GUN.
I KNOW YOU, BUT LOOK, I DON'T WANT YOU SHOOTING ANYBODY UNLESS THEY ARE INTIMATE THREAT TO YOU, OKAY?
BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO, UH, BE PATIENT WITH US.
UM, I DO WANT TO, YOU SAID IT'S A HALFWAY HOUSE OR WHATNOT, I DO WANT YOU TO GET WITH, UH, OUR, OUR COMMANDERS.
I WANT US TO GET SOME SPECIFIC INFORMATION, SOME LOCATIONS DOWN SO I CAN GIVE MYSELF A REPORT CARD AND I CAN GRADE MYSELF AND MY DEPARTMENT IF I DON'T DO THAT.
AND IF IT'S JUST TALK, IT'S NOTHING.
HARON MEANS HUTCHINSON, IF YOU CAN COME UP AND GET READY FOR YOU.
UM, MY QUESTION IS JUST QUICK AND SIMPLE.
WHAT DO WE, I'M IN THE NORWOOD MANOR SUBDIVISION.
WHAT DO WE AS RESIDENTS NEED TO DO TO GET MORE POLICE PRESENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? AND HOW CAN WE AS THE RESIDENTS HELP? GOOD, GOOD.
EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE, AND I, I JUST GAVE YOU SOME NUMBERS AND NO EXCUSES.
I, I WISH I HAD A 2000 MORE POLICE OFFICERS, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'VE ASKED, UM, OUR TROOPS TO DO RIDE AROUND IN BETWEEN THOSE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF, IF, IF I JUST DROVE UP AND I WORK PATROL AND I'M JUST, MA'AM, I SAW YOU OUT HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY HELLO TO YOU.
HOW YOU DOING? WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY? I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M OFFICER FINNER THAT, AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND
[00:35:01]
THAT YOU, YOU SAY YOU'VE GOTTEN IT SO THAT THAT'S GOOD.BUT I, I WANT US TO DO THAT MORE.
BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES THOUGH.
I DO UNDER, BECAUSE I LOOK AT THE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
WE'RE AT 1.2, 1.3 MILLION A YEAR.
THAT'S A LOT OF CALLS FOR SERVICE FOR, AND NOT ALL OF THOSE 5,200 POLICE OFFICERS ARE WORKING PATROL.
WE GOTTA HAVE SOME IN INVESTIGATIONS.
WE GOTTA HAVE SOME IN ADMINISTRATIVE ROLES.
SO, UM, BUT I DO WANT US TO GET IN THE COMMUNITIES MORE.
I, I WANT YOU TO, TO TO SEE OFFICERS AND I WANT MORE INTERACTION, SO WE'RE GONNA DO OUR PART ON IT.
BUT YOU STAY ON YOUR COMMANDERS TOO.
YOU CALL 'EM AND SAY, HEY, I WANNA SEE MORE OFFICERS OVER HERE.
BUT SERIOUSLY, WE WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
I'M PAULETTE MOORE HUTCHINS, AND I'M HERE WITH MY AUNT AND THREE OF MY SISTERS, UM, CAROLYN, VERONICA, AND LISA.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF SHOOTINGS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD RECENTLY.
UM, LAST WEEK WE CALLED THE POLICE BECAUSE AT MY FAMILY HOME, MY MOM'S HOME, I GUESS THEY COME TO THE CORNER OF ARAPAHOE AND CALLUS, WHICH IS NOW CAROL, SOMEBODY.
AND THEY WERE SHOOTING AND THAT, LIKE, WE CALLED THE POLICE, THERE WERE LIKE 14 GUNSHOTS OUT, YOU KNOW, CASING ON THE STREET.
I LIVED NEAR THE COKE APARTMENTS.
SO, UM, I CALLED THE POLICE BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME SHOOTING.
APARTMENTS ARE BEHIND MY HOME.
BUT WHEN I CALLED, I NEEDED TO ANSWER WHAT KIND OF GUN THAT THE PEOPLE HAD.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF GUN.
I WANTED TO HANG UP BECAUSE YES, MA'AM, I'M CALLING TO REPORT A GUNSHOT.
I'M NOT, GIVE ME A POLICE OFFICER THERE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF GUN THEY HAVE OR WHO THEY, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE RECENTLY THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT, A LOT OF SHOOTINGS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT AS RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OR WHEN WE CALL THE POLICE, I KNOW WE CAN, UM, REQUEST CON, UH, LIKE A PATROL MM-HMM
BUT EVERY, THE POLICE ARE SAID TO ME THAT IT'S LIKE HARASSMENT, UH, THEY JUST CAN'T DRIVE BY UNLESS WE REQUEST IT, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT TRUE.
I NOT, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT WHAT THEY TRUE WHAT THEY TOLD YOU.
IT'S NOT TRUE THAT, THAT IF YOU ARE GOING BY AND WE AS POLICE OFFICERS, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING.
RIDING THROUGH, TALKING TO PEOPLE SAYING WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY DISTRICTS IN MY BEAT.
AND SO ON THE CORNER OF, OF SONORA MM-HMM
AND CAROL WAY, WHAT IS THE NAME? CAR, CAR OLIVER WAY ON THAT CORNER.
THERE USED TO BE A, UM, CAR WASH IS WHAT THEY MADE IT, IT USED TO BE A GAS STATION WHEN I WAS LITTLE SINCLAIR.
AND SO THEY MADE IT A CAR WASH.
AND THEN THERE ARE LIKE TWO LITTLE DUPLEXES, LITTLE HOMES THERE.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE ACTIVITY IS AT THESE TWO LITTLE HOMES.
AND AT THIS CORNER, CAR WASH, SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.
THE OWNER, UM, FENCED IT IN, BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP PEOPLE FROM HANGING OUT.
I, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? I, I THINK YOU, UH, THANK YOU, MA'AM.
I THINK YOU'RE DOING YOUR JOB.
I THINK WE GOTTA MEET YOU THERE.
UM, WHEN I SAID CONVENIENCE STORES, I MEANT ALL THOSE LOCATIONS, DOPE HOUSES, UH, GAS STATIONS, CAR WASHES OR WHATNOT.
IF IT'S DRIVING CRIME, WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
BUT WE'RE GONNA NEED THE COMMUNITY'S, UH, SUPPORT YOU DOING YOUR JOB.
AND THERE IS SOME FRUSTRATION.
EVERY MEETING THAT I GO TO WHEN I CALL, WHEN I CALL, NOBODY SHOWING UP BUT TRY TO GET YOU GOOD.
SO THE HOUSE WAS SHOT, THE FRONT DOOR GOTTA COME ON UP, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
I LIVE IN THE 5,400 BLOCK OF ARAPAHOE AND THE 1200 BLOCK OF CARROLL'S HOLLOWAY.
ON MONDAY NIGHT, THEY DID A DRIVE-BY SHOOTING FOUR FORD F-150 TRUCKS CAME UP ON THE 5,200 BLOCK OF ARAPAHOE WHERE MY AUNT LIVES.
19 CASES WAS FOUND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
ONE BULLET WAS FOUND ON MY DOORSTEP TO WHEREAS MY HOUSE GOT HIT, MY WINDOW, MY BEDROOM WINDOW WAS GAZED AND MY
[00:40:01]
STORM DOOR WAS SHOT UP.I'M AFRAID TO EVEN SLEEP IN THE BEDROOM NOW WHEN I HEAR SOMETHING, I JUMP BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
THEY CAME BACK TUESDAY NIGHT AND DID 10 MORE ROUNDS.
IT, WE DON'T HAVE, THEY HAD A A, A CAMERA ON THE POLE.
SOMEONE TOOK THAT CAMERA DOWN SO THAT THEY CAN SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
WE DON'T, UH, MY NEIGHBOR JUST SO HAPPENED TO LIVE NEXT DOOR TO MY AUNT TO HAVE CAMERAS TO WHERE HE CAN SEE TO THE CORNER THAT HELP THE DETECTIVES.
BUT WHAT DO WE DO IN THE MEANTIME TO PROTECT OURSELVES? I HAVE GRANDCHILDREN THAT, THAT LIVES THERE AND THEY WALK HOME FROM SCHOOL.
WHAT DO WE DO WHEN I CALL PRECINCT SIX? THEY SEND ME TO A VOICEMAIL TO TALK TO THE CHIEF, AND THEN I HAVE TO PUT IN AN ORDER TO, TO BE PATROLLED.
HOW DO I PROTECT MYSELF? I'M NOW TAKING A PILL FOR ANXIETY SO I CAN TRY TO SLEEP AT NIGHT.
I HAVE NOT HAD NO PROPER SLEEPING SINCE MONDAY, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO JUMP OFF LIVING ON THAT CORNER.
UH, YOU STANDING WITH YOUR CHIEF? OKAY? YES, SIR.
NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT.
AND I, I DO APPRECIATE YOU FOR COMING UP.
I KNOW WE'VE GIVEN IT ATTENTION ALREADY, BUT WE'RE GONNA GIVE IT SOME MORE ATTENTION.
AND WHAT, WHAT I'M HEARING THAT'S GOTTA BE SOME GANG OR SOME DRUG STUFF GOING ON.
UM, LET ME GET ON THAT RIGHT AWAY.
I NEED YOU TO GET YOUR NUMBER, UM, TO, UH, MY COMMANDERS OVER HERE.
I WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH YOU THIS WEEK.
WE GOTTA GET YOU SOME SLEEP, OKAY? YES SIR.
MY NAME IS LETICIA GRANT AND I'M THE ACRES ACRES HOME SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND VERY SIMILAR TO MANY OF THE RESIDENTS ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE.
WE FACE A SIMILAR ISSUE OF GUNSHOTS.
UM, WHERE I AM SEEKING IS I AM SEEKING ADVICE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WHAT CAN WE DO IN COLLABORATION WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT? WHAT HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THAT WORKS THE BEST FOR BEST RESULT BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT? BECAUSE SURELY MANY OF THESE LOCATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN ERS, HOMES AREA, WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANT LAND.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF OPEN SPACE.
WE AS WELL HAVE A LOT OF PROPERTY THAT HAS BEEN, THAT'S DILAPIDATED WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING THERE.
SO WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED TO DO TO COLLABORATE TO, FOR BEST RESULTS FROM COMMUNITY END? PLEASE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK THAT YOU DO FOR SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS AND THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
'CAUSE WE HADN'T TALKED ABOUT THIS AND I STAY AWAY FROM THE POLITICAL STUFF, OKAY? I'M THE POLICE CHIEF, BUT WE HAVE TOO MANY GUNS IN OUR CITY.
UH, TOO MANY GUNS IN OUR CITY.
AND, UM, NOT, NOT HERE TO BLAME ANYBODY, BUT THAT'S JUST A FACT.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MANY GUNS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, WE ALL KNOW JUST BY GOING TO PSYCHOLOGY 1 0 1, YOUR BRAIN DON'T FULLY DEVELOP THAT REASONING INSIDE UNTIL YOU'RE ABOUT 25, 26, OR 27 YEARS OLD.
WE KNOW THAT WE CANNOT KEEP PUTTING THESE GUNS IN THE HANDS OF YOUNG 18-YEAR-OLD KIDS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND EXPECT THAT'S WHAT THEY GONNA DO.
EVEN WHEN THEY NOT SHOOTING ANYBODY, JUST DOING CRAZY STUFF, YOU KNOW, AND JUST SHOOTING UP IN THE AIR.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THE GUNS AIN'T THE PROBLEM.
IT'S THE INDIVIDUAL HOLDING THE GUN.
BUT IF YOU GOTTA GET DRIVING LICENSE TO DRIVE A CAR, MY GOD, OKAY, LET'S JUST HAVE SOME COMMON SENSE.
I'M NOT PUTTING MY RESPONSIBILITY OFF ON SOMEBODY ELSE.
I'M JUST SAYING WE ALL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
WE GOTTA HAVE BETTER LAWS COMING SINCE GUN LAWS.
AND I'M NOT POINTING A FINGER THAT IT, IT GOES TO EVERYBODY, ANYBODY WHO'S A LEGISLATOR.
I, I MEAN, YOU GOT AUTHORITY, YOU GOT VOTING.
LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND MAKE THAT CHANGE.
BUT YOUR QUESTION IS, WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THE POLICE? CONTINUE TO WORK WITH US, CONTINUE TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION.
ONE THING I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO DO, YOU GET FRUSTRATED AND YOU SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? CHIEF FINNA JUST SHOWED UP, OR THE COMMANDERS AND EVERYBODY ELSE, THEY JUST SHOWED UP.
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US, SO I'M NOT GONNA CALL.
THAT'S THE WORST THING THAT WE CAN DO.
I'M NOT GONNA CALL AND GIVE INFORMATION, BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOMETHING.
AND I HADN HADN'T HEARD IT FROM THIS GROUP.
SOMETIMES YOU AFRAID TO CALL IF YOU GOT A BUNCH OF KNUCKLEHEADS LIVING NEXT DOOR TO YOU, YOU AFRAID.
ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY GO OUT AND THEY SHOOT
[00:45:01]
SOMEBODY OR THEY DO SOMETHING IN THE FRONT OF EVERYBODY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY OUT THE NEXT DAY.WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
BUT LOOK, CALL IN AND KEEP THAT INFORMATION GOING.
BUT WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT ALL THESE GUNS IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE EVEN WHEN THEY'RE NOT SHOOTING SOMEONE, IF THEY'RE AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN A NEGATIVE WAY, IT'S JUST AS WORSE AS IF YOU SHOOTING AT SOMEBODY, SHOOTING SOMEONE.
SO WE GOTTA WORK AS A TEAM AND, AND I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE SILVER BULLET THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM.
BUT I JUST WANT US TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
UH, LET'S CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
I FORGOT YOUR NAME IN THE BACK, SIR, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE NOT DISCRIMINATING AGAINST PEOPLE.
BUT WE, WE THERE WITH YOU? YES, MA'AM.
SHE WANTS TO START SOME TYPE OF WORKING GROUP AND I, I'M, I'M, I'M I'M NOT AGAINST THAT.
I'M THE COMMANDER OF NORTH DIVISION, WHICH COVERS ACRES HOME.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, THIS WEEK, THIS THURSDAY NIGHT, WE HAVE OUR ACRES HOME.
PIP I'LL BE THERE AND MY DRT WILL BE THERE AND WE CAN ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE WITH THE VACANT LOTS AND EVERYTHING OR ANY OTHER CRIMINAL ISSUES YOU MAY HAVE.
SO I INVITE YOU AND ANYBODY ELSE HERE FROM A ACRES HOMES COME TO THE MEETING THIS THURSDAY NIGHT.
IT'S AT THE ACRES HOME, UH, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER RIGHT THERE ON WEST MONTGOMERY.
THAT'S DIRECTLY TO YOUR COMMANDER.
WERE Y'ALL ABLE TO HEAR THAT? OKAY.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 49 50 AS WELL AS I SIT ON THE BOARD WITH CLAREMONT PLACE CIVIC CLUB, UH, THAT WAS SHOTS FIRED AT A RESIDENCE THAT IS KNOWN TO BE A NUISANCE.
UH, THAT RE WE'VE HAD A DEAD BODY IN THE DRIVEWAY.
WE'VE HAD WARRANTS BEING SERVED FOR AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD.
WE'VE HAD ALL KIND OF INCIDENTS.
SO MY QUESTION TODAY IS, AS A COMMUNITY, WHAT, JUST SIMILAR TO WHAT THE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID, WHAT IS OUR GREATEST MEANS OF ASSISTING HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT REGARDING SHOTS FIRED, ILLEGAL TAGS, NOISE ORDINANCE, STREET BLOCKING, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE BLOCKING THE STREET FROM IMPEDING THE FLOOR OF TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THEIR GATHERING AT THIS PARTICULAR RESIDENCE SHEET.
METAL FENCING, WHICH IS HIDING SUSPICIOUS OR ACTIVITY.
WE HAVE A BIG DEAL ABOUT SEX TRAFFICKING AND WITH THESE METAL SHEET METAL FENCES, WHEN WE CALL IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD, THEIR RESPONSE IS THERE'S A SHEET METAL FENCE AND THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO SEE.
SO WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT GETTING AN ORDINANCE CHANGED IF THAT'S WHAT'S REQUIRED, SO THAT THE POLICE CAN SEE THE ACTIVITY THAT PEOPLE CHOOSE TO HIDE BEHIND SHEET METAL FENCING AND STRAY DOGS.
WE'VE HAD RESIDENTS TO MENTION THAT THEY WALK, WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL THING.
AND WHEN THESE STRAY DOGS ARE APPROACHING THEM, THEY ARE ARMED.
AND WE JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO START SHOOTING ANIMALS BECAUSE THEY FEEL THEY'RE IN IMMINENT DANGER.
WE, WE COVERED SOME OF THOSE, BUT UH, WE DIDN'T COVER THE FENCES.
UM, I WANT YOU TO WORK WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND THE MAYOR SO WE CAN GET WITH, UH, CITY LEGAL, ANY ORDINANCE THAT WE CAN, UH, WORK ON, UH, THAT'S GONNA MAKE THINGS BETTER AND EN ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO, UH, ENFORCE CRIME.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING.
STRAIGHT DOGS OR DOGS THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED BY IRRESPONSIBLE OWNERS, UNRESPONSIBLE OWNERS.
THAT'S A PROBLEM WE'VE HAD IN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY CITIZENS WHO WERE KILLED BY PACKS OF DOGS, PLEASE CALL IN TO THEM.
AND I'M NEVER GONNA TELL ANYBODY TO USE DEADLY FORCE ON A DOG OR A HUMAN OR ANYBODY ELSE.
THAT'S A PERSONAL CHOICE THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND YOURSELF.
OKAY? BUT IF YOU LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY THAT'S PACKING A GUN, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE TRAINED AND PROFICIENT IN THAT GUN.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT OVERREACTING.
OKAY? I WANT TO SAY THAT, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE MA'AM.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU, WHERE YOU WENT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
I HEAR YOU ON ALL OF THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THE, THE POWER AND, AND WHAT YOU CAN GET REALLY,
[00:50:01]
REALLY QUICK RESULTS IS WITH YOUR COMMANDERS AND THEIR TEAMS. THEY WORK RIGHT THERE.HE, BOTH OF THEM HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES OF THEIR ENTIRE DIVISION.
I HAVE THE RESOURCES OF THE ENTIRE CITY, BUT ALSO GOT THE PROBLEMS OF THE ENTIRE CITY AND THE DIVISIONS.
THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN GET THINGS TAKEN CARE OF REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY.
AND I HEAR ALL OF Y'ALL AND IT'S NOT ON DEAF EARS 'CAUSE I WANT TO REPORT BACK THE INFORMATION THAT Y'ALL GIVE THEM IN 30 DAYS.
I WANNA REPORT ON EVERYTHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT HERE.
I'VE BEEN IN COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, MEETINGS WITH OTHER MEMBERS BEFORE AND THAT'S JUST HOW I AM.
I WANT FEEDBACK AND I WANT THAT REPORT CARD SO I CAN REPORT BACK TO Y'ALL.
HOW YOU DOING? THANK YOU CHIEF AND AND EFFORT TO, UM, BE RESPECTFUL OF CHIEF TOM.
I KNOW HE HAS TO HEAD TO A FUNERAL.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE MS. ANNA BROOKS, BRIDGET MURRAY, RITA ROBLES AND RONALD FORD.
AND UM, MS. AND IF WE HAVE TIME, EARNEST, I'M TRYING TO TOUCH EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, SO LEMME PUSH IT TO YEAH, LEMME PUSH.
WHAT TIME IS IT NOW? THIS IS IMPORTANT, HUH? YEP.
WHY DON'T WE GO TO 1115? OKAY.
BECAUSE I WANT TO GET EVERYBODY, THIS IS IMPORTANT, OKAY? AND THAT'LL COVER PLEASANTVILLE, DENVER HARBOR FIFTH WARD, RIVERWOOD CASHMERE GARDEN.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE TALKING
NO, I KNOW I AIN'T, I'M NOT COVERING SOME PEOPLE IN 10.
NAH, NO, COME ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND LET'S JUST ASK OUR PERSON SO THAT WE CAN TO KIND OF GET TO THE NEXT ONE.
IF I GET A SPEEDING TICKET, I WANT Y'ALL TO COVER IT FOR COME ON,
UH, MY NAME IS ANNA BROOKS AND I'M STEP UP TO THAT MIC.
MY NAME IS ANNA BROOKS AND I'M OUT OF THE NORTHWOOD MANOR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, I'M WITH MS. SMITH ON THE SHOOTINGS AND THE, UM, THE DRUGS ON OUR STREETS AND, UH, WE ARE ALMOST SCARED TO CALL THE LAY ROAD SUBSTATION BECAUSE WE CAN NEVER GET ANYBODY OUT THERE THAT NEED TO BE CHECKED.
OKAY? THE, THE LARO SUBSTATION.
WE, I, I SIT UP LA UH, TUESDAY NIGHT, I CALLED THEM AT 11 AND THREE O'CLOCK I SIT UP TO THREE O'CLOCK.
LET ME, UH, I'M, I DON'T WANT TO CUT YOU OFF.
I THOUGHT YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE.
LET'S, LET'S, AND, AND I WANT TO GET SOME KIND OF CLARIFICATION ON, ON SOMETHING.
IF YOU NEED THE POLICE, YOU NEED TO BE GOING THROUGH DISPATCH.
OKAY? UM, BECAUSE IF, IF YOU CALL THE STATION, WHAT IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, TIED, I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES, OKAY? I'M JUST TELLING YOU CALL DISPATCH.
THAT'S WHAT WE DIS WE DON'T DISPATCH OUT OF THE STATION.
UM, THE DIVISIONS, UM, SO CALL THEM.
BUT DURING THE REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS, ALL OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PEOPLE HERE, WHAT I DO WANT YOU TO DO, AND EVERYBODY HERE, THIS IS THE KEY WORD, IF YOU GET SERVICE THAT'S NOT SO GOOD.
IF YOU GO TO ANY OTHER BUSINESS OR ANY ENTITY, IF YOU GET SERVICE, THAT'S NOT, WHAT DO YOU DO? TAKE THAT UP TO SOMEBODY WITH SOME AUTHORITY.
THAT'S WHAT I NEED Y'ALL TO DO.
DON'T JUST LEAVE IT THERE AND JUST BE UPSET AND SAY ALL THAT WHOLE HPD, THEY JUST FULL OF CRAP.
KICK IT UP TO US WHERE WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
I'M HEARING A LOT OF THINGS THAT'S, UM, MAYBE NOT SO GOOD, BUT I'M HEARING SOME GOOD THINGS.
BUT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON OUR COMMANDERS AND OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON THAT.
SO, UM, KICK IT UP TO US THE NEXT DAY.
YOU CALL THAT STATION, I NEED TO TALK TO THE COMMANDER.
I NEED TO TALK TO THE SHIFT LIEUTENANT.
I'M PRESIDENT OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, COUNCIL IN THE PLEASANTVILLE AREA.
AND I REALLY CONSIDER MYSELF A FRIEND TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT CAPACITY AS WELL AS HOW IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WE CAN LOOK AT HOW ASSIGNMENTS ARE MADE TO HPD AND THE ABILITY FOR HPD TO CARRY THOSE THINGS OUT.
SO WE ARE AWARE THAT MANY RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO HPD BY CITY ORDINANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, NO PARKING IN THE YARD, TRUCK ENFORCEMENT VIOLATIONS, EVEN STREET RACING.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE SURVEILLANCE AND ENFORCEMENT IS CONSIDERED LOW PRIORITY AND THE CHIEF HAS BEEN SHARING THAT WITH US ALL MORNING.
THEY HAVE TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE MAJOR, YOU KNOW, WHERE PEOPLE LIVES ARE AT, AT RISK.
ANY CONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN TO LOOKING AT ALL OF THE DUTIES ASSIGNED
[00:55:01]
AND CREATING STRATEGIES TO ENSURE RESIDENTIAL CONCERNS ARE ADDRESSED PROPERLY? YES, MA'AM.YEAH, WE LOOK AT 'EM, UM, DAILY AND, AND DEFINITELY WEEKLY.
UM, PEOPLE GOTTA REALIZE THIS ONE THING, WHEN WE HAVE CRIME AND YOU HAVE SO MUCH CRIME AND YOU, YOU HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT DAILY AND WE CAN PUT, LOOK AT THE STATISTICS, WHERE'S THE CRIME? AND YOU MOVE RESOURCES AROUND DAILY AND WEEKLY.
BUT I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, MA'AM, AND, AND AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, POLICE CAN'T DO IT ALL ALONE.
OKAY, WE GOTTA BE SMART AND WE GOTTA WORK WITH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY AND WE ARE DOING THAT WHERE WE CAN RELIEVE JUST LIKE, UM, I FORGOT WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD IT WAS.
UM, PROBABLY ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO I WAS IN A MEETING AND THE RESIDENTS WERE HAVING, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINTS ABOUT PARKING AND CLUBS IN THEIR AREAS AND STUFF.
AND, AND, AND I, I TOLD 'EM, I SAID, MA'AM, WE CAN'T ENFORCE ALL THE PARKING BECAUSE WE ARE OUT RUNNING CALLS FOR SERVICE AND ADDRESSING VIOLENT CRIME.
BUT OUR PARKING, I FORGOT THE DEPARTMENT, THE PARKING REGULATION, UM, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT IT AND IN CONVERSATION THEY GOT KIND OF BUSINESS HOURS, BUT THIS SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CLUBS AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF, PARKING IN FRONT OF THEIR RESIDENT, THEY CAN'T EVEN GET IN AND GET OUT.
AND MY RECOMMENDATION WAS PARKING REGULATION TO PARK.
EVERYBODY WANT BUSINESS HOURS AND BANKING HOURS, WHAT I CALL WEEKENDS OUT.
SO COME AND GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF HELP.
I HADN'T TOUCHED ON ONE SAFE HOUSTON, THAT'S ANOTHER CONVERSATION.
BUT I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL AND OUR MAYOR AND ALSO OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR SENDING THOSE FUNDS DOWN HERE.
NOT JUST MONEY GOING TO POLICE OFFICERS.
WE NEED ALL OF EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER, ALL OUR SOCIAL SERVICE, UM, UM, UM, INDUSTRY WORKING TOGETHER TO REDUCE CRIME AND, AND ADDRESS SOCIAL ISSUES.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP AND WE ARE DOING IT.
HOW YOU DOING? HI, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, HAVING THIS MEETING FOR ALL OF THE NORTHEAST.
MY NAME IS, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES.
MY NAME IS RITA ROBLES AND I LIVE IN THE DENVER HARBOR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS IN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.
AND UM, I'M ALSO THE BEST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CIVIC CLUB OVER THERE.
AND, UH, THIS IS KIND OF LONG, SORRY, I COULDN'T WRITE IT ALL ON HERE.
UM, HOW CAN HPD BETTER RESPOND TO NINE ONE CALL, 9 1 1 CALLS IN OUR AREA? SOMETIMES WE WILL CALL AND I HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF CALLING THIS SOMETHING IS HAPPENING AND, UM, THEY DON'T SHOW UP FOR HOURS AND INSTEAD THEY'LL CALL OR THEY'LL KNOCK ON THE DOOR AT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING SAYING, DO YOU STILL NEED SOMEBODY TO COME OUT? WE HAVE A LOT OF GUN VIOLENCE.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CRIME IN SPECIFIC AREAS THAT WE KNOW THAT ARE EITHER HALFWAY HOUSES OR RENTAL APARTMENTS WHERE THERE'S DRUG ACTIVITY, PROSTITUTION, WHATEVER.
AND WE DON'T GET MUCH OF A RESPONSE.
WE, WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE, UH, NOT VERY MANY POLICE OFFICERS.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S NOT AN EXCUSE, BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE AND A LOT OF EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE IN DENVER HARBOR, WHICH IS A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE, DISABLED, HANDICAPPED, AND MOSTLY FAMILIES, THEY'VE GOTTEN TO THE POINT, AND I HEAR THIS VERY OFTEN, THAT THEY FEEL NEGLECTED BY HPD AND ALL OF THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE THIS REDHEADED STEPCHILD AND THEY HAVE GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE FRUSTRATED AND THEY'RE LIKE, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US.
AND I'M, I'M SORRY THAT, THAT THEY'RE FEELING THAT WAY.
BUT LET, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I WANT TO DO, UM, HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, MA'AM.
UM, YOU'RE A COMMUNITY LEADER OUT THERE, DENVER HARBOR.
THAT'S, UH, UM, LET'S GET TOGETHER ON A, A LITTLE TOWN HALL JUST LIKE WE DOING HERE TODAY.
UH, WE DO HAVE THE CHALLENGES, BUT I DO WANT TO TELL, AND, AND OUTTA RESPECT TO THE, THE OFFICERS ON THE FRONT LINE, ANY IN PROGRESS CALL WHERE THERE'S DANGER, OKAY? IN PROGRESS WHERE SOMEBODY'S GETTING SHOT, GETTING ROBBED, UM, GETTING STABBED SEXUAL ASSAULT OR WHATNOT.
WE ARRIVE ON ALL THOSE CALLS WITHIN MINUTES, OKAY? SO I'M NOT USING EXCUSES, BUT IT IS FRUSTRATING AND IT TEARS DOWN YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN SOMETHING IS HAPPENING.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT ALL CALLS ARE IMPORTANT TO US, BUT WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY CALLS
[01:00:01]
WITH LESS UNITS.BUT I DO WANT TO GET WITH YOU, LET'S SET UP A MEETING HERE REAL SOON AND, UM, LET'S, LET'S TALK FACE TO FACE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME, BECAUSE I MYSELF HAVE MADE CALLS TALK TO IN PERSON, WE IN FIGHT LAW, LAW ENFORCEMENT.
LEMME LET ME DO THIS, LEMME DO THIS, OKAY.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, BUT I WANT TO ADDRESS WHAT YOU BRINGING UP TODAY IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY.
WE JUST TALKING IN TERMS JUST GENERAL, AND I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFICS WHAT DAY I CALLED OR WHATNOT.
THAT'S WHAT I CAN LOOK AT AND ADDRESS.
LET'S, LET'S SET THAT UP SOON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THE HOUSE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED AND I'D LIKE TO THANK OFFICER MILES, COMMANDER LL COMMANDER BRYANT, MISS YOU SO MUCH.
AND SERGEANT MCDANIEL, THIS IS NORTHEAST.
MY QUESTION IS THIS, HOW CAN WE STOP CITIZENS FROM DROPPING OFF PETS IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AND RUNNING, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THE STRAY DOGS COME ABOUT, BECAUSE I'VE TAKEN PICTURES AND CALLED IN THE LICENSE PLATE.
AND HOW, UM, CAN YOU HIRE CITIZENS TO OPERATE THE FRONT DESK AT THE STATION? BECAUSE I GREW UP IN CASHMAN GARDEN AND WE HAD THE SMALL STATIONS WHERE CITIZENS WERE WORKING AT THE FRONT DESK.
I KNOW HIPAA HAS CAME IN, THINGS HAVE DONE.
AND ALSO HOW CAN WE GET THE OFFICERS IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO BE FRIENDS WITH THEM, TO LET THEM KNOW, DON'T BE AFRAID TO TALK TO ME.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO SAY ANYTHING TO ME BECAUSE I TOOK MY GRANDCHILDREN TO PIP, NORTHEAST PIP AND THEY LOVE NORTHEAST PIP.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
UM, LET ME ADDRESS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP OUR KIDS.
UM, EVERYBODY THAT'S SITTING HERE WELL, AND ABLE BODIED SOUND MIND WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHEN YOU WERE A TEENAGER, SOMEBODY WORKED WITH YOU IN A POSITIVE WAY.
AND WE SIMPLY HAVE TO DO THAT IN OUR COMMUNITIES HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, SO I DO WANT OUR OFFICERS IN THOSE SCHOOLS MOST, AND A LOT OF TIMES WE, WE CONCENTRATE ON MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOLS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MOST OF OUR PROBLEMS ARE.
BUT CAN WE JUST BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PROACTIVE AND PREVENTIVE IN OUR MEASURES IN WHAT WE ARE DOING AND OUR STRATEGIES? THAT'S WHAT I WANT US TO DO.
WE DO NEED TO GET INTO THOSE SCHOOLS MORE.
AND IF YOU TALK TO COMMANDERS AND OTHER PEOPLE IN MY LEADERSHIP, I'M VERY STRONG ON THAT.
SO I WANT US TO DO A BETTER JOB.
DROPPING OFF DOGS IS A PROBLEM.
OKAY? IF YOU GOT AN ADDRESS OR WHATNOT, WE DON'T REGULATE THE, THE DOGS.
AND YOU THINK WE SHORT STAFFED, THEY ARE TREMENDOUSLY SHORT STAFFED, BUT PEOPLE NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
BUT IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY DROPPING IT OFF, I LOOK AT IT JUST LIKE YOU DROPPING OFF A KID, IT'S NOT RESPONSIBLE AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO GET THAT INFORMATION TO US AND AND, AND LET US ADDRESS IT, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ANIMAL CONTROL.
UM, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU UP FRONT THAT I DO HAVE A VOICE DISORDER.
AND RIGHT NOW I NEED TO SEE MY VOICE DOCTOR, SO I APOLOGIZE IF YOU HAVE SOME TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING ME.
UM, WHAT I WROTE ON MY CARD IS THERE IS THE LOVE.
THAT'S WHAT MR. JOSEPH TALKED ABOUT.
TASHA TALKED ABOUT, CHIEF FINNEY TALKED ABOUT.
AND BEFORE I GO FURTHER, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK CHIEF FINN'S SUPPORT TEAM TO STAND UP AND WE APPLAUD THEM FOR BEING HERE AND FOR AND FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
AND WE REMEMBER THAT OF COURSE THERE MAY BE SOME BAD GOD, BUT THAT'S NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WHOLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE KNOW THAT ESPECIALLY ON LAY ROAD.
WE KNOW THERE'S SOME GOOD COPS AND THERE IS SOME LOVE.
[01:05:01]
CHIEF FINN TALKED ABOUT THE CONVENIENCE STORES AND THE PEOPLE ASSEMBLING AT THE CONVENIENCE STORES.I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN I SEE THE PEOPLE AROUND THE CONVENIENCE DOORS, THAT HELPS THE OWNERS OF THOSE DOORS USE THAT CROWD.
NOW I'M SAYING PERHAPS USE THAT CROWD TO PROTECT THEM FROM ROBS.
I REALLY DO THINK THAT SOMETIMES I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I THINK THAT SOMETIMES.
AND, AND I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE WAS NEVER ANYBODY SURROUNDING THOSE STORES IF IT WOULD BE WORSE THAN IT IS ALREADY.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK CHIEF NER AND HIS TEAM THAT, HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THAT.
THERE'S ENTIRELY TWO MANY GUNS ON THE STREET AND WE'VE GOTTA COME UP WITH A WAY TO GET 'EM OFF THE STREETS, ESPECIALLY IN THE HANDS OF KIDS.
I WAS WITH CHIEF FINN LAST WEEK.
I SAID, SIR, I WANNA TELL YOU SOMETHING.
AND I SAID TO HIM, WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE SAME CHURCH.
I LOVE YOU AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU ARE ON THE PRAYER LIST DAILY.
MS. TYSON JACKSON, WHO BOUGHT ME OUT THE MINUTE I CAME IN HERE TODAY.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT BECAUSE I'M MAD AT HER.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT BECAUSE SHE'S MAD AT ME.
SHE NOT, SHE LOVES ME TOO AND I LOVE HER TOO.
AND I LEFT PJ A MESSAGE ON HIS PHONE JUST YESTERDAY AND I SAID, PJ, I JUST CALLED YOU TO TELL YOU I LOVE YOU
AND I LOVE TASHA AND I LOVE MARY.
ASK HIM, DIDN'T I SAY THAT? WE'VE GOT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
WE'VE GOT TO PUT MORE POSITIVE INTO OUR SPIRIT AND OUR WALK, OUR TALKING, WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE DO IT.
ONE LAST THING, AND I'M GOING TO SIT DOWN.
MY HUSBAND DIED LAST YEAR, THE 29TH OF AUGUST, JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO WAS A YEAR SINCE HIS DEATH.
I TOLD CHIEF FINNEY, I HAD TO TELL CHIEF FINNEY 'CAUSE I NEVER IN AN ENVIRONMENT WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE, THE, UH, AMBULANCE ATTENDANTS.
I TOLD HIM THERE WERE EIGHT PEOPLE IN MY HOUSE TRYING TO SAVE MY HUSBAND'S LIFE.
AND I TOLD HIM I WOULD LIKE TO HONOR THEM, HOW HARD THEY WORK TO SAVE MY HUSBAND'S LIFE.
WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME TALKING ABOUT THE BAD THINGS PEOPLE DO.
THANK SO, SO WE, I THINK WE'RE LIKE ON FIVE MINUTES.
SO I'M GONNA ASK THE LAST FOUR QUESTIONS AND THEN YOU CAN JUST ANSWER.
UM, ONE IS ABOUT ILLEGAL GUN ROOMS. WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO ABOUT THE GAME ROOMS? GAME ROOMS, UM, OTHER IS ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME IN THE FIFTH WARD AREA.
UM, MOTORCYCLES AND SPEEDING, RUNNING STOP SIGNS.
AND, UM, THE AIRBNBS PEOPLE, HOW ARE WE GONNA STOP THESE STAY IN PLAYS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS? OKAY.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS ONE RIGHT HERE TOO.
LET ME START WITH THE ILLEGAL GAME ROOMS. OKAY? IT'S A PROBLEM.
[01:10:01]
BUT I TELL YOU, LIKE I USED TO TELL MY MOM ABOUT WHEN THE REST OF HER SOUL LOVE HER TO DEATH.SHE WAS BIG ON LEGAL GAMBLING, WHICH I CALL THEM SCRATCH OFF CARDS.
AND HER HEALTH STARTED FAILING HER.
SHE ALWAYS WANTED ONE OF HER KIDS TO GO AND INCLUDE ME.
AND I SAY, MOM, FIRST OF ALL, I CAN'T BUY THEM THINGS WHILE I'M IN UNIFORM AND I'M ALWAYS IN UNIFORM.
BUT SERIOUSLY TO SAY THIS, WE STOP.
WE HAVE TO STOP SUPPORTING THEM.
OKAY? TELL ME, WHAT DOES A LEGAL GAME ROOM DO TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? ARE THEY CONTRIBUTING ANY FUNDS TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? NO, THEY'RE NOT.
AND THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL REGULATE 'EM, BUT THEY GO AROUND THE LITTLE GRAY AREAS AND TRY TO STAY LEGAL.
AND WE SEND UNDERCOVERS IN THERE AND WE DO MAKE ARRESTS, BUT THEY MAKING SO MUCH MONEY, THEY STILL STANDING UP.
BUT ONE THING ABOUT IT, DON'T GO IN THERE.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW THEY GONNA OPERATE IF NOBODY GO IN THERE AND SUPPORT 'EM? OKAY.
UM, WHAT ELSE? UH, NEIGHBORHOODS R AND B.
UM, AIRBNB, I MEANT TO SAY REALLY ROUGH, BUT IT'S NOT ONLY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, IT'S IN THE FLUENT NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL.
UM, ONE THING I WILL SAY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WE GOTTA GET BACK OUR, UM, UM, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? OUR, OUR DE RESTRICTIONS.
WE GOTTA BRING THAT STUFF BACK.
WHEN I CAME FIRST STARTED COMING OUT HERE IN WHATEVER NEIGHBORHOOD, SCENIC WOODS AND WHATNOT, YOU HAD A STRONG CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
OKAY? WE GOTTA BRING THAT BACK BECAUSE A STRONGER CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
LET THAT BEER, AIRBNB AND SOME OF THEM ARE FLUID NEIGHBORHOODS AND SEE WHAT THEY GONNA TO DO.
THEY GONNA WRITE 'EM, THEY GONNA FIND 'EM AND TELL 'EM, HEY, DON'T DO IT AGAIN.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO ON THAT.
UM, THE GALLERIA, WHAT'S YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON PREVENTING JU JUVENILE CRIME IN THE GALLERIA? I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE ASKING.
UM, JUST THE SAME AS ANYWHERE ELSE.
UM, I MET WITH, UH, SOME OFFICIALS IN THE GALLERIA, UM, JUST DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY, JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE.
UH, BUT WHAT'S NEW IS THEY'RE EXPERIENCING SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS FOR MANY YEARS.
OKAY? SO THAT, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
BUT WE GOTTA ENFORCE JUST LIKE WE ENFORCE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S NOT THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S FAULT.
IF WE DON'T GIVE THEM ORGANIZED ACTIVITIES TO DO AND LOVE AND THROW OUR ARMS AROUND THEM, WE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBLEMS, OKAY? BECAUSE MOST OF THEM ARE NOT BAD.
WE JUST NEED TO FOCUS IN ON THOSE ONES WHO ARE BAD.
NOW, THOSE JOKERS GOING OUT THERE ROBBING FOLKS AND OUT, NO, WE DON'T, WE DON'T TREAT 'EM WITH A SOFT GLOVE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE ENFORCE THE LAW ON THEM.
WE LOST ILLEGAL GAME ROOMS. WE GOT THAT OUT THE WAY.
AND WHAT I DON'T HAVE MY SPECS ON, IT'S, UM, KIPP ACADEMIES, UM, ARE AT A PEAK ENROLLMENT THIS YEAR.
STUDENTS PARENTS HAVE TO PICK UP, UM, THEM UP, OKAY? UM, BUT THEY'RE BLOCKING THE ENTRANCE EXIT FOR ABOUT 40, 30 TO 45 MINUTES.
I NEED THAT LOCATION AND THEN WE'LL GET WITH THE COMMANDERS.
UM, I NEED TO ADD THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES, OUR SERGEANT AND, UH, OFFICERS HERE.
SO WHOEVER HAS A QUESTION ON THAT, PLEASE, UH, STAND UP SERGEANT SO THEY CAN SEE YOU.
PLEASE, UH, MEET WITH HIM BEFORE YOU GET OUTTA HERE.
LET ME SAY THIS REALLY QUICKLY.
UH, IT IS BEEN TRULY AN HONOR AND A JOY, UH, FOR ME, UH, TO COME OUT AND MEET AND IN DISCUSSION, UH, WITH SO MANY GREAT MEN AND WOMEN WHO'VE BEEN IN OUR CITY FOR MANY YEARS.
YOU GOT A QUESTION BACK THERE? I DON'T WANNA LEAVE YOU.
WHAT'S THAT? YOU GOT SOMETHING FOR ME? THANK YOU.
I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M ABOUT TO POISE.
I CAN'T HEAR, I CAN'T HEAR YOU WANNA COME UP, SEE THE MOTORCYCLES AND THE MUSIC AND ALL THAT? OKAY.
LOOK, LET ME SAY SOMETHING BECAUSE THOSE ARE THOSE DIRT BIKES, ATVS, MOTORCYCLES WHO ARE THINKING THEY TAKING OVER OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU THE CHALLENGE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE, IF I COULD JUST SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? ROLL SOME CARS UP THERE AND CHASE 'EM AND WHATNOT.
BUT IF, YOU KNOW, IN THE PROCESS OF PURSUING AND WEED SOMEBODY STOP IN FRONT OF US AND WE HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND WE ROLL OVER SOMEBODY AND THEY DIE, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT THE, THE NARRATIVE'S GONNA BE.
HPD JUST RAN OVER SOME INNOCENT KIDS OR WHATNOT.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON A PLAN CITYWIDE ON THAT.
[01:15:01]
NOT ONLY IN THIS COMMUNITY, THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, THROUGHOUT THE NATION, BUT, UM, WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THE PLAN.WE'RE NOT GONNA ALLOW 'EM TO TAKE OVER OUR STREETS, OKAY? BUT LOOK, THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, BEING HERE.
Y'ALL GIVE IT UP AGAIN FOR CHIEF FINN AND HIS TEAM.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU CHIEF, FOR, FOR BEING HERE AND JOINING US.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND LOVE OUR COUNCIL.
AND THEN I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO'S HERE.
UM, I SEE THAT, UM, WE GOT COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
THEY'RE, THEY HAVE A TABLE BACK THERE IN THE BACK.
AND THEN WE HAVE JUDGE BATES WANNA GIVE HER A SECOND TO, UM, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE CIVIC LEADERS HERE TODAY.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S WONDERFUL THAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN TASHA JACKSON AND CHIEF WAS HERE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE, NOT JUST FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, BUT FOR ALL THE COMMUNITIES.
BUT I DO THANK YOU FOR AT LEAST PRESENTING YOUR CASE AND ALLOWING THEM TO AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.
AND THEN I WANNA, UH, GIVE MY COLLEAGUE AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
LISTEN, A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAME UP TODAY.
STRAY DOGS, TRUCKS AND, UM, 18 WHEELERS AND STUFF IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, THE, THE METAL FENCING, ALL THOSE FALL UNDER THE PURVIEW OF REGULATORY AND NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE ISSUES.
UM, SO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, CONTACT YOUR CONTACT COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, CONTACT ME AND LET ME KNOW MORE ABOUT SPECIFICS.
AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT ORDINANCE CHANGES TO IMPROVE THOSE AREAS.
AND WE HAVE A FEW MINUTES LEFT AND I WANT, I HAVE SOME OTHER CARDS THAT, UM, PEOPLE ASK SOME QUESTIONS AND I MEAN, I FELT THAT IT IS, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT CHIEF HAD TO LEAVE, BUT I WANT TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME, UM, TO ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, UM, THAT ARE ON THIS CARD.
SHE SAID IN HER, IN OUR COMMUNITY, BEAUTIFYING IS SERVICE BEAUTIFICATION, ET CETERA, FROM TRUCKS AND SERVICES STATIONS THAT HAVE FLOODED THIS AREA.
AND SO I'M NOT CLEAR WHAT THE, THE QUESTION IS.
I, BUT IF, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FLOODING, WE ARE WORKING ON, WE'RE WORKING ON QUITE A FEW FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
WELL, COME ON UP AND, AND, AND CLARIFY.
OH YEAH, THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM.
MY QUESTION IS, UM, IS OUR, IS OUR COMMUNITY BENEFITING IN ANY WAY FROM ALL THE TRUCKS AND THE TRUCK BUSINESSES AND THE TRUCK BUSINESS ATTACHMENTS? MM-HMM.
UH, IS THAT, ARE WE, IS OUR COMMUNITY BENEFITING ANY WAY THEY'RE TEARING UP OUR ROADS? MM-HMM
THEY'RE LOCKING UP THE TRAFFIC.
AND, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GETTING AND, AND SERVICE STATIONS, RIGHT? THERE'S A, THERE'S A NEW SERVICE STATION MM-HMM
ESPECIALLY ALONG TIDWELL THAT'S COMING UP JUST SEEMS LIKE EVERY OTHER MONTH.
SERVICE STATIONS AND TRUCKS, TRUCKING COMPANIES POPPING UP IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS A BIG ISSUE.
AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE IS THAT WE HAVE NO ZONING.
AND SO IT'S THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY.
THEY CAN BUILD WHAT THEY WANT, BUT AS A COMMUNITY, WE CAN CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATE, UM, COME TO CITY HALL AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE MAYOR KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, BUT IN THE END, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO GET RID OF THE, THE, WE HAVE TO GET RID OF THE, THE NO ZONING.
UM, 'CAUSE I MEAN, WE CAN'T STOP THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, THE THREE RISES THAT'S COMING UP.
THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY PLEASE, BUT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE.
AND WE ARE ENCOURAGING FOLK NEIGHBORHOODS TO GET DE RESTRICTION.
I KNOW CHIEF NER MENTIONED IT EARLIER, EARLIER, GET DE RESTRICTION.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THERE'S SOME OTHER PROGRAMS THAT IS, THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE PIKE.
WE ARE ACTUALLY TALKING TO LEGAL ABOUT A TRUCK REROUTING ORDINANCE.
AND I KNOW, UM, UM, UM, UM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER NOTICE SOME THINGS, OTHER THINGS THE CITY IS DOING RIGHT NOW THAT WE CAN DO TO COMBAT THE TRUCKING.
DID YOU WANNA COME UP AND EXPLAIN SOME OF THEM? CAN YOU COME EXPLAIN THAT? 'CAUSE I KNOW WE INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF THE, THE FEE FOR TRUCKS THAT'S IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WE HAVE SOME MEASURES IN PLACE.
UM, BUT WE JUST NEED TO, YOU KNOW, UTILIZE 'EM.
UH, WE HAD A MEETING ON THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE TRUCKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, AND WE, I HAVE A MEMO ON THE MAYOR'S DESK WITH LIKE 20 RECOMMENDATIONS.
I KNOW FOR SURE HE'S AGREED TO UP THE FINES TO MAKE IT A LOT, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT MORE PAINFUL FOR THEM TO GET FINED.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW OUR FINE'S ONLY LIKE $60.
SO SOME OF THAT'S IN THE WORKS.
THERE'S ALSO SOME THINGS WE'RE GONNA DO.
SOMEBODY MENTIONED PARKING IN YARDS TOO AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE THIS COMING SESSION.
WE'VE GOT A LIST OF THINGS WE WANNA CONQUER THERE.
WE DON'T WANT THESE VEHICLES IN Y'ALL'S NEIGHBORHOOD.
[01:20:01]
BRINGS DOWN THE QUALITY OF LIFE.OR TRUCKS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD APARTMENT IN THE DOG.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF IT.
AND AGAIN, CONTACT OUR OFFICE, UM, FIRST CALL 3 1 1 AND REPORT IT.
I KNOW WE DON'T LIKE THREE, BUT CALL 3 1 1 SO WE CAN GET IT ON RECORD.
AND THEN CONTACT OUR OFFICE AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THE DEPARTMENT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, ENFORCING IT.
AND THEN WE HAVE MS. BARBARA COOPER.
SHE ASKED, UM, THE NEED TO CITY TO MOW, NEED CITY MOWERS TO CUT DOWN BUSHES, HANGING OVER IN STREETS.
UM, AND WE KNOW SHE NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
SO AGAIN, CONTACT OUR OFFICE AND WE'LL GET WITH THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR CUTTING THESE, THESE, UM, TREES IS HANGING OVER, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS DOWN.
BUT THEN ALSO OUR OFFICE, WE ACTUALLY GONNA BE ROLLING OUT A MOW DOWN PROGRAM.
UM, WE ACTUALLY GONNA BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UM, PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, WE ACTUALLY JUST GAVE THEM THE RESOURCES TO START THIS.
SO, UM, LOOK OUT FOR THE NEWSLETTER.
WE ARE GONNA GIVE YOU INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW THE PROGRAM IS GOING TO WORK.
BUT FOR OUR SENIORS WHO NEED HELP CUTTING THEIR DITCHES, KEEPING THEIR DITCHES CLEAN, THIS IS WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
BECAUSE THIS IS ANOTHER WAY OF TACKLING THE FLOODING ISSUE.
IF OUR DITCHES ARE, UH, CLOGGED UP, THEN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE GONNA FLOOD.
AND SO WE NEED TO DO, I NEED TO DO OUR OFFICE, NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT PUBLIC WORKS AND THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN LIKE, MAINTAINING THOSE DITCHES.
SO CONTACT OUR OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
YOU'LL FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT IN THE NEWSLETTER.
UM, BUT WE WILL BE ROLLING THAT OUT SOON.
HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL MONEY ARE YOU HAVING TO BUDGET FOR, FOR SERVICES THAT SOME OTHER, UH, SOME OTHER COUNCIL, OTHER DISTRICTS DON'T HAVE BUDGET.
SO WE'VE ALLOCATED $50,000 FOR THE MOW DOWN PROGRAM GIVEN BECAUSE WE SPENT A TOTAL OF FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE, FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY 5,000 ON SPEED BUMPS.
I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SPEEDING, UM, UP AND DOWN THE STREETS.
AND WE HAD A, A, A LONG LIST OF RESIDENTS THAT HAD REQUESTED SPEED BUMPS DATING BACK TO 2011.
AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO KNOCK THOSE SPEED BUMPS OUT.
AND I THINK WE GOT A TOTAL OF 14 NEIGHBORHOODS COVERED THIS GO ROUND.
AND THEN THE NEXT ROUND WE'LL START LIKE TACKLING, CHIPPING AT NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE RIGHT, THE CITY DON'T COVER THE COST OF SPEED BUMPS.
YOUR DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS HAVE TO COVER THAT.
AND ALSO THE DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS HAVE TO COVER OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, LIKE THE MOW DOWN PROGRAM, ET CETERA.
AND THEN, UM, LIGHTS FOR THE LEGAL DUMPING.
AND ANOTHER THING, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ILLEGAL DUMPING, WE'RE EXPANDING THE HOT TEAM RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE ONE HOT TEAM AND WE ARE GONNA EXPAND IT TO TWO HOT TEAMS BECAUSE WE KNOW THE LEGAL DUMPING IS REALLY BAD IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TWO TEAMS OUT THAT CAN TACKLE, UM, THE LEGAL DUMPING IN THE DISTRICT.
I KNOW YOU HAVE THE POSTCARDS.
CALL 3 1 1 FIRST, CONTACT OUR OFFICE AND THEN WE'LL GET THE HOT TEAM OUT.
OR WE'LL WORK WITH THE ANTI-LITTER TEAM TO TRY TO GET UP SOME OF THESE BIG PAWS.
THE FIRST THING ON SIGN BANDITS.
CALL 3 1 1 AND THEN CONTACT OUR OFFICE AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEN OF COURSE, HPD, WHATEVER OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING CARE OF THIS, THOSE HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
JUST FOLLOW, FOLLOW THROUGH WITH US AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THE DEPARTMENT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
WE GOT, UM, SOUNDING THE ALARM DOGS OFF, DROP OFF DOGS.
I THINK WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, MS. FOSTER, I HAVE A LETTER.
I HAVE A CARD HERE FROM MS. FOSTER.
UM, AND OF COURSE I'M, THE THING ABOUT ME IS I'M GONNA HOLD MYSELF ACCOUNTABLE.
IF I'M NOT DOING WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, PLEASE CHECK ME AND I'M GONNA SAY, OKAY, I APOLOGIZE.
SO, MS. FOSTER, SHE BASICALLY SAID, YOU KNOW, I DID, WHEN I WAS ELECTED, I DIDN'T KEEP MY PROMISE.
UM, I DIDN'T COME BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY TO MY SUPPORTERS, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
THE DISTRICT IS REALLY BIG, AND IF I TRY TO MAKE IT TO ALL THE EVENTS THAT I CAN MAKE IT TO, AND I'VE ACTUALLY SET UP DIFFERENT WAYS WHERE COMMUNITY CAN BE INVOLVED.
BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT ME.
I NEED YOUR HELP AND YOUR SUPPORT.
SO WE HAVE THESE MONTHLY BRIEFINGS.
EVERY THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, WE HAVE A DISTRICT B BRIEFING WHERE COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER AND SHARE THEIR CONCERNS.
YOU KNOW, UPDATE ME ON THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY AND JUST LEARN ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
YOU CAN ALL, WE HAVE THE NEWSLETTER, WHICH IS THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER THAT COMES OUT EVERY FRIDAY, LETTING YOU KNOW EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING IN DISTRICT B, MAKING SURE YOU ENGAGE, ET CETERA.
WE ALSO HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE THAT MEETS ONCE A MONTH AND THEY DISCUSS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
THEY, IN FACT, THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, UM, UM, AIR MONITORS THROUGHOUT NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WE JUST HAVE GONNA BE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH UNION PACIFIC TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THE TRASH
[01:25:01]
ISSUES.WE ALSO HAVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, WHICH IS ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT COME TOGETHER AND JUST COME UP WITH WORKING TO COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS ON HOW WE CAN MOVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FORWARD WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
SO I HAVE, EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T BE IN EVERY PLACE, I HAVE A TEAM AND I WANTED MY TEAM TO RAISE THEIR HAND.
WE GOT MARY, MY CHIEF OF STAFF, UM, RIGHT HERE, THAT'S DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
WE HAVE PJ JONES, WHICH IS OUR NEW CONSTITUENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE.
IF I'M NOT THERE, IF THEY CAN, IF THEY GONNA, THAT MEANS I'M THERE.
IF THEY'RE PRESENT, THAT MEANS I'M PRESENT.
BUT I, I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND, I CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE, BUT I WOULD DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO BE, YOU KNOW, BE AT YOUR PLACES AND IF YOU HAVE A CONCERN, CONTACT ME.
MY, GET A, I'LL GIVE YOU MY BUSINESS CARD SO THAT YOU HAVE MY CELL NUMBER.
CALL ME AND HEY, WE ARE GONNA GET YOUR, YOUR ISSUE TAKEN CARE OF.
BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, I FIND IT A BLESSING TO BE ABLE TO SERVE GOD'S PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
I'VE JUST ONLY BEEN DOING IT IN ORGANIZING A NONPROFIT BEFORE BECOMING AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
I RAN BECAUSE I LOVED THIS DISTRICT.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IT, AND I SAY IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
BORN IN ACRE HOMES, GREW UP IN NORTH FOREST AREA, WENT TO KIRBY EAST HOUSTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I WENT TO HUMBLE MIDDLE SCHOOL, I WENT TO C KING.
I WENT TO ALL, I'VE BEEN IN EVERY SCHOOL ACROSS THIS DISTRICT.
MY MOM HAD 16 KIDS, SO BELIEVE ME, I KNOW A LOT OF THE GROWN, THE OLDER FOLKS RUNNING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I REALLY CARE ABOUT THE DISTRICT.
IF YOU DON'T HEAR FROM ME, PLEASE HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE, REACH OUT, LET ME KNOW.
I'M NOT DOING MY JOB, AND I'LL GET WITH THE PROGRAM.
SO THANK YOU FOR HOLDING ME ACCOUNTABLE.
GIVE YOU A BIG THANK YOU, MR. OKAY.
AND THEN ALSO I WANT, AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, GO AHEAD, SIR.
YOU WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT HIS NAME, MR. FORD HAD SOMETHING TO SAY? I WISH WE CAN.
THANK YOU, MR. FORD
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY A LONG TIME.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
AND AGAIN, IF WE'RE NOT DOING OUR, IF WE'RE WE'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS, WE'RE NOT DOING OUR JOB, PLEASE CALL US AND HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE, LET ME KNOW.
BUT THEN I ALSO WANTED TO TAKE THE TIME TO JUST UPDATE YOU ON UPCOMING INITIATIVES THAT WE GOT ROLLING OUT.
AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CRIME IN THE, IN OUR DISTRICT, WE CAN'T TACKLE CRIME AND WE CAN'T TACKLE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE, THE ISSUES OF ILLEGAL DUMPING.
IF WE DON'T ADDRESS POVERTY IN OUR DISTRICT, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 38% OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS ARE MAKING UNDER $25,000 A YEAR OR LESS.
THAT MEANS WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY.
WE HAVE 68% OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS ARE RENTERS.
AND SO WE'LL BE ROLLING OUT AN INITIATIVE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS THAT'S GONNA, IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING POVERTY, IS ADDRESSING PUBLIC SAFETY AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE RESIDENTS.
IN DISTRICT B, THIS INITIATIVE IS WORKING FO FOCUSING ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHERE WE ARE GONNA BE TRAINING AND HIRING COMMUNITY RESOURCE NAVIGATORS.
AND WE ARE GONNA ANCHOR THESE NAVIGATORS ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
SO IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IF YOU IN ACRES HOMES, IF YOU IN GREENS POINT, IF YOU IN FIFTH WARD, ANY NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU'LL HAVE ACCESS TO A NAVIGATOR, COMMUNITY RESOURCE NAVIGATOR THAT YOU CAN CONNECT TO.
AND THAT NAVIGATOR'S GONNA CONNECT YOU TO THE RESOURCES THAT'S AVAILABLE THAT'S OUT THERE.
BECAUSE ONE I'M LEARNING IS THERE'S A LOT OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE, BUT WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO ACCESS 'EM.
AND SO THIS INITIATIVE IS GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ACCESS THIS.
WE ARE ALSO GONNA BE WORKING WITH OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER FOR US TO REALLY MOVE OUR COMMUNITIES FORWARD.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, IT WAS THE COMMUNITY HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE.
IT WASN'T POLICE, IT OUR COMMUNITY, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD THINGS TO EAT, OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND SO WE ARE GONNA BE SUPPORTING OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, GIVING THEM THE COACHING THAT THEY NEED ON HOW TO LIKE, RUN A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, HOW TO FUNDRAISE, WHERE THE RESOURCES AT, HOW TO GET YOUR BOARD IN ORDER SO THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE CAN'T ALWAYS RELY ON GOVERNMENT TO DO WHAT WE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
AND SO WHAT I'M GONNA BE DOING OVER THE NEXT, WE HAVE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED A TOTAL OF 35 ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE BEEN VETTING OVER THE PAST YEAR.
AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS, THEY DO A VARIETY OF PROJECTS.
AND WHETHER IT IS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, ENTERTAINMENT, WHATEVER, THAT'S IMPROVES OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE GONNA WORK WITH THEM TO BUILD THEM UP SO THAT THEY CAN WORK WITH YOU ALL AND NOT HAVE, YOU WON'T HAVE TO RELY ON THE GOVERNMENT.
AND THEN LASTLY, AS WE TALKED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, THE, UM, UM, CHIEF NER MENTIONED THE MAYORS ONE, SAFE HOUSTON.
WE WILL BE ROLLING OUT OUR B UH, OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT IT'S CALLED, CREDIBLE MESSENGERS INITIATIVE.
AND SO THESE ARE PAID MENTORS THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WORKING WITH OUR AT-RISK YOUTH
[01:30:01]
AND OUR YOUNG ADULTS.THAT'S ON THE RIGHT ON THE WRONG TRACK.
AS WE TALK ABOUT GROCERY STORES, WE, THE CONVENIENCE STORES AND ALL THIS ACTIVITY, OUR INCREDIBLE MESSENGERS, AS THEY LAING AT THE, UM, CONVENIENCE STORES, THEY GONNA GO.
SO OUR CREDIBLE MESSENGERS ARE GONNA GO POST UP AT THE CONVENIENCE STORES WITH SOME PAMPHLETS AND LET FOLKS KNOW, HEY, YOU NEED A JOB? HERE'S A JOB FOR YOU.
HEY, YOU NEED SOME TRAINING, HERE'S SOME TRAINING FOR YOU.
AGAIN, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW HOW TO ACCESS THE RESOURCES.
AND RIGHT NOW, FOLKS DON'T, THEY DON'T THINK IT'S NO OTHER OPTION.
AND WE WANNA SHOW PEOPLE THERE'S OTHER OPTIONS THAN CRIME.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAND ON THIS CORNER AND SELL DRUGS.
WE CAN GET YOU A JOB AT UNION PACIFIC MAKING 70,000, $80,000 A YEAR.
WE HAVE TO GET OUR PEOPLE INTO SOME JOBS IF WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS A LOT OF THE ISSUES.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO, YOU KNOW, CHECK OUT THE NEWSLETTER.
WE'LL BE LAUNCHING THIS INITIATIVE ON OCTOBER THE FIRST.
NEXT WELL IN TWO, IN TWO WEEKS AT HCC LONE STAR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A TOTAL OF 50 COMPANIES, 50 PLUS COMPANIES READY TO HIRE PEOPLE ON THE SPOT AT HCC LONE.
AND EVERY MONTH AFTER THAT, WE WILL HAVE A COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR.
THAT, THAT WOULD BE NO EXCUSE NOT TO HAVE A JOB.
AND IF YOU WANNA BE AN ENTREPRENEUR, WE GONNA WORK WITH YOU ON HOW TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS UP, HOW TO GET A, UH, ACCESS TO RESOURCES, HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
BECAUSE AS THESE PROJECTS ARE HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS YOU SEE THE STREETS BEING FIXED AND THINGS, WE SHOULD BE WORKING ON THESE PROJECTS BECAUSE IT'S IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO I WANNA SEE THE PROJECTS THAT'S MOVING FORWARD, THESE THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT OUR PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE THE ONES THAT'S GETTING THESE JOBS.
AND SO THIS IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
PULLING ALL OUR RESOURCES AND IDENTIFYING THE RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN MOVE OUR COMMUNITIES FORWARD.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, OUR PARKS.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT PARKS FOREVER, FOREVER.
AND JUST KNOW THE PARKS ARE PART OF THE BE SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAVE DONE, WE DID A TOUR WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS.
WE'VE GOT A LISTING AND THE PRICING OF WHAT IT COSTS, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CITY, THEY JUST HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO DO THE BARE MINIMUM.
WE HAVE TO RAISE THE MONEY TO DO WHAT WE WANT TO GET OUR PARKS UP TO, UP TO SANDERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED.
AND JUST LET ME KNOW, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE MAYOR KNOWS THIS.
THE MAYOR HAS PUT LIKE HIS PART OF HIS 50 50 INITIATIVE, PART OF HIS LOVE, OUR PARKS INITIATIVE, HE HAD PUT QUITE A FEW OF OUR PARKS ON THIS INITIATIVE SO THAT WE CAN GET 'EM MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WE JUST DID, HE JUST DITCHED A LITTLE, SOME UPGRADES AT HAR TAYLOR PARK.
AND OF COURSE IT'LL BE MORE COMING THERE.
I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE ASTROS FOUNDATION WHO HAS COMMITTED TO TAKE OVER OUR SMOKEY JASPER PARK, WHICH IS YES, WHICH IS EXCITING 'CAUSE I WENT IN THERE ASKING FOR A FEW DOLLARS AND IF THEY SAW WHEN THEY, ONCE THEY SEE WHAT IT COST, THE UPGRADED OVER $2 MILLION, THEY GONNA BE LIKE, OH WOW, WE SHOULD HAVE GAVE HER 200,000.
BUT THEY GONNA, THEY COMMITTED, THEY MADE THE COMMITTED TO THE COMMITMENT TO SPORT, UM, TO, TO SPONSOR IT.
BUT THEN ALSO OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, SO FRANIA THOMPSON, SHE DID HER ADVOCACY PUSH TO GET RESOURCES FOR OUR TIDWELL, UM, OUR TWELL POOL.
THEY WERE GONNA PULL THIS POOL UP AND SHE GOT ALL OVER $10 MILLION TO GET THIS POOL REBUILT.
UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER BECAUSE I TRY TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ON WHAT WE DOING BECAUSE A LOT OF IT IS BEHIND THE SCENE MOVEMENT AND MEETINGS AND YOU, IT'S JUST A LOT.
IT'S NOT AS EASY AS YOU THINK IT IS.
A LOT OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE THESE RESOURCES ARE COMING INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY CONCERNS, IF I'M NOT DOING MY JOB, IF YOU FEEL LIKE I'M NOT DOING MY JOB, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
IF YOU WANT ME TO SHOW UP TO YOUR CIVIC CLUBS EVERY MEETING, I WILL DO IT.
BUT I TRY, WHAT I TRY TO DO IS MOVE AROUND BECAUSE WE GOT SO MANY CIVIC CLUBS AND SO LIKE EACH QUARTER I WOULD TRY TO SHOW UP TO A CIVIC CLUB AND THEN HAVE MY STAFF, YOU KNOW, FILL IN.
BUT IF YOU NEED, IF YOU WANT ME THERE, I WOULD BE THERE TO DO AN UPDATE.
I WOULD BE THERE TO DO AN UPDATE.
AND BECAUSE THIS IS MY JOB TO BE HERE, MY JOB IS TO REPRESENT YOU.
AND THE ONLY WAY I CAN REPRESENT YOU IS IF I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS FOR SHOWING UP, UM, TO THIS MEETING.
AND I'M GONNA JUST OPEN IT UP FOR A FEW QUESTIONS BECAUSE I KNOW I PROBABLY DIDN'T COVER EVERYTHING.
WE GOT A LOT OF OTHER THINGS MOVING OUTSIDE OF, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, IF YOU HAD SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT ME TO, TO ANSWER RIGHT NOW, OH, OH, OH.
AND ALSO WE CAN'T LEAVE GOD OUT.
SO EVERY MONDAY MORNING AT 8:00 AM WE HAVE OUR DISTRICT B BE MOTIVATIONAL.
WE GET ON THE LINE AT 8:00 AM AND PRAY IT'S A CORPORATE PRAYER BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY WE GONNA FIGHT AND TACKLE THE ISSUES.
I MEAN WE UNDER, WE UNDER SPIRITUAL WARFARE RIGHT NOW, WE ARE UNDER ATTACKING ALL DIFFERENT ANGLES.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE GONNA LIKE WIN IT IS BY MAKING SURE THAT GOD IS UPFRONT AND LEADING THE EFFORT.
SO EVERY MONDAY MORNING WE GET ON OUR PRAYER LINE.
IF YOU WANT TO LEAD THE PRAYER LINE THAT ON A MONDAY MORNING, LET ME KNOW BECAUSE WE JUST MOVING IT AROUND.
SO, BUT 8:00 AM MOTIVATIONAL PRAYER AND IT'S BEEN GREAT.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THE PRAYER LINE FOR PROBABLY ABOUT OVER A YEAR NOW.
UM, THAT PRAYER LINE HAS BEEN GOING.
SO YEAH, I'M A PIZZA'S KID TOO, SO I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THE CHURCH UP FRONT.
[01:35:04]
OKAY.AND I'LL LOOK AT, I'LL LOOK AT THE, UM, AND BEFORE Y'ALL LEAVE, I THINK, UM, MS. COURTNEY, MS. COURTNEY, UM, SHE HAS SOME TREE BAGS BY COURTNEY OUT THERE AVAILABLE FOR YOU.
OUR, OUR UPCOMING LEADER, SHE'S FIRECRACKER.
BUT, UM, AS FAR AS THE SPEED BUMPS, LET WE'LL GET WITH US AND WE'LL LOOK AT THE MAP BECAUSE HOW THE CITY AMERICAN EXPLAIN HOW THEY, HOW THEY DECIDE ON WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO, HOW THEY DO IT.
SO, UM, WHENEVER WE SUBMIT A REQUEST FROM A, A CONSTITUENT, UH, PUBLIC WORKS LOOKS AT MAJOR STREETS AND THAT'S HOW THEY BOUND IT OFF.
SO THERE WERE TWO, ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS FOR CITY GAS AND WE HAD ENOUGH FUNDS TO COVER ONE OF THE AREAS.
UH, BUT THE OTHER AREA IS STILL BEING CONSIDERED.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO IT SOON.
UM, AND THAT WAY WE CAN COVER THE REST OF THE CITY GAS.
AND, AND THEN WHAT? YEAH, BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THE, WE ARE, IT'S ALREADY SUBMITTED.
SO BASICALLY AGAIN, THE CITY DON'T PAY FOR SPEED BUMPS.
SO I HAVE TO LIKE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, LIKE, OKAY, WHAT CAN WE SPEND, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY SPEED BUMPS WE CAN DO? WE HAVE THE HOT TEAM, WE HAVE THIS.
SO LIKE THE, UH, IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU'RE A NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU HAVE TWO SECTIONS, THEN WE ARE GONNA LIKE TRANS TRANSITION THOSE IN.
BUT I CAN DO 'EM ALL AT ONE TIME.
I WISH I CAN JUST LIKE KNOCK ALL 40 NEIGHBORHOODS OUT AT ONE TIME.
BUT WE DON'T MUCH HAVE ENOUGH NU ENOUGH MONEY FOR THAT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ONE NEIGHBORHOOD CAN COST $200,000 JUST FOR SPEED BUMPS.
YOU KNOW, I HAD UM, IN FACT, UM, UM, PJ'S OLD NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY WAITING BECAUSE THERE'S LIKE 300 AND SOME THOUSAND.
AND SO I HAD TO CHOOSE, DO I USE ALL OUR MONEY FOR ONE NEIGHBORHOOD OR DO I SPLIT IT UP AMONGST OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS? AND, BUT I WILL WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND LET YOU KNOW, OKAY, THIS IS THE TIMEFRAME ON IT, I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE.
AND THEN ALSO WE CAN FUNDRAISE.
AND THAT'S WHAT, WHEN THE THING ABOUT THIS BE SUCCESSFUL IS THAT I'M OUT TRYING TO GET ADDITIONAL RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT, UM, THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD ON.
AND IT, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE DISTRICT SURGE FUNDS IS SPLIT UP EQUALLY AMONGST DISTRICTS.
YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE EACH DISTRICT, EVERY DISTRICT HAS DIFFERENT PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD, OUR PROBLEMS THE MORE, I THINK IT'S MORE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MORE PROBLEMS THAN OTHER DISTRICTS, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS.
WE JUST HAVE TO RAISE THE RESOURCES TO TRY TO GET IT TAKEN CARE OF, BUT IT'S NOT OFF THE LIST.
WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP YOU INFORMED ON WHEN WE CAN MOVE THAT FORWARD.
AND THEN ANOTHER THING IS IF CIVIC CLUBS HAVE RESOURCES, 'CAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF CIVIC CLUBS, YOU RAISE MONEY, WE CAN DO A MATCH.
LIKE IF YOU GOT 500,000 OF IT, I CAN PUT 500,000 UP.
I MEAN WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER ON IT.
AND I'M GLAD THAT THE LELAND LELAND TOURS IS STARTING TO MOVE FORWARD.
'CAUSE I'LL BE PARTNERING WITH THEM ON TRYING TO GET SOME, OKAY.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET, SO I HAVE, SO WE'LL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I WAS JUST SAYING, I WAS JUST SAYING THAT WAS A WAY THAT WE CAN PAR PARTNER.
IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PARTNER, UM, THAT'S HOW WE CAN MOVE IT FORWARD OR, OR WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I'M ABLE TO BUDGET IT WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE YEAR AND THE NEW BUDGET IS COMING UP IN WHAT JUNE.
UM, COURTNEY, DID YOU COME ON, UM, OVER, IN CERTAIN AREAS? BECAUSE
[01:40:20]
WHY ARE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE? NOBODY, SO I MEAN NUMBER, SO I JUST WANTED MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE HAPPENING ACTUALLY MM-HMMOH, AND JUST, JUST FYI, THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM IS, IS ACTUALLY THE DOLLARS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY.
I JUST HAD A MEETING WITH, UM, THE, THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN THE HOLDUP BECAUSE THESE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS HAVE TO GET PAID.
AND SO THE CITY HAS A PROCESS OF DISPERSING THOSE DOLLARS.
AND SO THAT'S BASICALLY, UM, THE, UM, THE, THE, THE HOLDUP ON THAT.
BUT I KNOW THAT WE JUST HAD A TOUR WITH THE PARK OVER THERE, VERDE FOREST PARK.
AND I, I APPRECIATE YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO MY ATTENTION.
AND THAT'S LIKE NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST.
WE ACTUALLY JUST GAVE, UM, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT $300,000 TO START WORKING ON SOME OF THESE PARKS.
AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I THINK YOU GAVE 30,000 OF YOUR, YOUR FUNDS.
SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION.
UM, AND JUST KNOW THAT I'M DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO ADVOCATE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESOURCES ARE, ARE DISTRIBUTED EQUALLY, NOT EQUITABLY, NOT EQUALLY, BUT EQUABLY, EQUABLY AMONGST, UM, OUR, OUR COMMUNITIES.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING OUR MONTHLY BRIEFING.
AND THE NEXT BRIEFING WILL TAKE PLACE, UM, NEXT MONTH, THE THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH.
AND WILL IT BE IN PERSON? IT WOULD BE VIRTUAL.
WE'LL GO BACK ON VIRTUAL SO THAT FOLKS CAN MAKE IT.
BUT WE JUST FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE IN PERSON HERE, UM, BECAUSE OF OUR SPECIAL GUEST CHIEF CENTER.
BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.