[Press Conference: "Second Gun Buyback Event Details"]
[00:00:18]
LET ME, LET ME JUST WELCOME, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN TIFFANY THOMAS, WHO REPRESENTS DISTRICT F.
UH, DID I GET RIGHT? DISTRICT F YEAH, I WAS BY SOME, UM, ON THE WEST SIDE, THE ALE AREA IN PARTICULAR.
YOU'LL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT THAT.
UH, CONGRESS CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN, UH, FROM THE NINTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, WHICH ALSO REPRESENTS THAT WEST SIDE AS WELL.
THAT INCLUDES, UM, AFER YOUNG BLACK CONGRESS, CITA SYLVIA GARCIA.
UH, GOOD TO BE WITH HER, THE 29TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS, UH, PRECINCT, UH, PRECINCT ONE, UH, SANJAY RUM HADDING, WHO IS THE CHAIRMAN OF METRO.
AND THEN OF COURSE, CHIEF NER AND HIS COM.
UH, MEMBERS OF HIS COMMAND STAFF WHO ALSO PRESENT, UH, JUSTIN ROBINSON OF THE HOUSTON AREA URBAN LEAGUE IS ALSO HERE.
UH, MOM'S, UH, DEMAND AGAINST, UH, ACTION, ALSO PRESENT AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS GROUPS WHO ARE WITH US TODAY.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE DATE AND DETAILS OF THE SECOND, UH, GUN BUYBACK EVENT.
UH, IT HAS BEEN ALMOST, UM, ONE MONTH TO THE DAY THAT WE HELD OUR FIRST GUN BACK, UM, ON SATURDAY, JULY 29TH.
REALLY SPENT A FEW MONTHS, UH, AT WHEEL AVENUE NEW BAPTIST CHURCH.
AT THAT TIME, WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU WAS AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS.
IT WAS SCHEDULED TO START AT 8:00 AM IT, AND END AT NOON, BUT THE RESPONSE WAS SO OVERWHELMING AND PEOPLE LINED UP IN THEIR VEHICLES AND WAITED HOURS TO TURN IN THEIR GUNS TO RECEIVE A GIFT CARD.
IN FACT, UH, THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY, THE LINE WAS TWO MILES LONG.
UH, WE HAD TO CUT THE LINE OFF ABOUT 7:00 PM INSTEAD OF 12 NOON.
UM, SO IT WAS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN ANY OF US COULD IMAGINE.
UH, CERTAINLY WANTED TO THANK THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR JUST DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB.
CHIEF FINNER AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM, AND A NUMBER OF GUNS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND IT'S BEEN REPORTED, WERE COLLECTED.
UH, THEY WERE GUNS, THERE WERE PISTOLS.
THERE WERE SOME MANUFACTURER WEAPONS.
I MEAN, YOU NAME IT, THEY WERE ALL COLLECTED.
THE GUNS TURNED IN, UH, WILL NEVER BE STOLEN OR USED IN THE COMMISSION OF AN, OF A CRIME, SUICIDE, OR AN ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING BY A CHILD.
YOU KNOW, REAL PLEASED OF THAT.
TODAY, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE DATE OF THE SECOND GUN BUYBACK EVENT.
IT WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 8:00 AM AGAIN, WE'RE SAYING TO NOON, BUT WE WILL BE FLEXIBLE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER THE EIGHTH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER THE EIGHTH, UH, STARTING AT 8:00 AM AGAIN AT THE METRO PARK AND RIDE LOCATED AT 11,000 0 5 0 HARWIN DRIVE.
THAT'S 11,000 0 5 0 HAR HARWIN DRIVE, AND THIS TWO IS IN THE A AREA DISTRICT F IN THE NINTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
OUR GOAL IS THE SAME FOR THIS EVENT TO GET GUNS OFF THE STREETS, BUT WE HAVE TO, UM, BUT WE WILL BE TWEAKING THE PROCESS, UH, TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, YOU KNOW, AT WHEELER WE HAD COMMISSIONER IS WE HAD ONE LINE, AND IT WAS A LONG LINE TO MY LOAN.
UH, THIS TIME WITH THE, UH, WITH THE, UH, SUPPORT AND HELP OF HPD AND CHIEF FON AND HIS GROUP, UH, THERE WILL BE MORE THAN ONE LINE, MORE THAN ONE DRIVE THROUGH LINE.
SO WE ARE GONNA SPEED UP THE PROCESS BY HAVING MORE LINES.
PEOPLE WON'T HAVE TO WAIT NEARLY, NEARLY AS LONG.
AND THEN AT THE LAST GUN, BACK BY BACK PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE COULDN'T REACH EVERYONE, WE GAVE OUT 150, UH, PRIORITY VOUCHERS, UH, PASSES FOR THE NEXT TIME.
SO THOSE WHO RECEIVED THOSE 150 PRIORITY PASS VOUCHERS, UH, WILL BE ALLOWED TO, TO COME TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE, UH, FROM THE, FROM THE FIRST EVENT.
FOR THIS ONE, KRISTEN GORA FOR YOU SHOULD BE STANDING CLOSE, UH, BY HERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE SITTING OVER THERE,
UH, UH, WE WILL NOT, AND LET ME UNDERSCORE THIS, WE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING ANY PRIVATELY MANUFACTURED WEAPONS, THOSE GHOST GUNS, UH, THAT WILL NOT BE A PART OF THIS EFFORT.
OKAY? SO THEY WILL, LET ME JUST REPEAT THAT.
WE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING ANY PRIVATELY MANUFACTURED WEAPONS AS WE DID THE FIRST ROUND.
DON'T EXPECT ANY, UH, GIFT CARDS FOR THOSE PRIVATELY MANUFACTURED WEAPONS.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE NOT ASKING ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET OUT YOUR VEHICLES.
[00:05:01]
YOU CAN GO TO THE MULTIPLE LINES, AND THEN WE WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE.UH, NO PEOPLE, UH, QUESTION WHETHER GUN BUYBACKS ARE WORTH IT.
I, AGAIN, LET ME SAY WHAT WE'VE SAID BEFORE.
IF WE TAKE ONLY ONE GUN OFF THE STREET, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ATO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN STOLEN OR USED TO INJU OR KILL SOMEONE, THEN THE INITIATIVE HAS BEEN WORTH IT.
EVERY GUN WE CAN GET OFF THE STREET TODAY CAN HELP US CREATE A SAFER TOMORROW FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE GUN BUY BACK IS ONE TOOL IN THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE, A COMPREHENSIVE, HOLISTIC APPROACH TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE.
AND TODAY, VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN 10 PLUS PERCENT, AND THE MURDER RATE IS DOWN BY 3% AS I LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS THIS MORNING.
BUT WE'RE NOT SATISFIED UNTIL NO ONE HAS BEEN KILLED IN OUR CITY, AND VIOLENT CRIMES ARE AT THEIR LOWEST, LOWEST POINT.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK COLLECTIVELY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
NOW, LET ME JUST YIELD AND LET ME FIRST BRING UP, UH, CHIEF NER, WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN.
REALLY QUICKLY, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT.
I WANT TO THANK OUR CONGRESSIONAL, UH, MEMBERS FOR THE SUPPORT.
UM, MAYOR ONE SAFE HOUSTON, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND MOST IMPORTANT IS CITIZENS OF HOUSTON.
WHENEVER YOU SEE AN AN, UH, OUTPOURING, UH, LIKE WE DID THE PARTICIPATION, IT'S SUCCESSFUL.
UM, AND, AND WE EXPECT THE SAME THING.
A FEW LESSONS LEARNED FROM HPD.
UM, WE HAVE STEPPED UP AND WE WILL HAVE MORE LINES.
UH, WE'LL BE SENDING OUT MORE, UM, INFORMATION AS DAYS COME BRING YOUR PATIENTS.
UM, WE'LL GET YOU THROUGH, UH, QUICKER.
AND AS THE MAYOR SAID, THOSE WITH PRIORITY WILL BE MOVED UP TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE.
UM, AND, AND LOOK, LET ME SAY THIS 'CAUSE I, WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS IN ALL POLICIES LAST TIME.
THE PRIVATELY MANUFACTURED GUNS, YOU CALL 'EM GHOST GUNS OR 3D WHATEVER YOU WANT TO, WE'RE NOT ACCEPTING 'EM.
YOU CAN BRING THEM IN, WE'LL ACCEPT THEM, BUT YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY MONEY FOR IT.
OKAY? SO LET, LET'S JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE AND, AND, AND BE HONEST AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT.
UH, IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE BRINGING IN GUNS AND ANY GUN THAT COMES IN.
UH, IT'S A WIN FOR THE CITY AND THE WIN FOR THE CITIZENS, UH, IN THE HOUSTON REGION.
AND WE WANT TO KEEP THAT GOING.
SO, UH, PROUD, UH, ABOUT THE, UH, TURNOUT ON LAST TIME, AND WE EXPECT EVEN MORE ON THIS TIME.
AND, UH, WE'LL GET EVERYBODY THROUGH THAT WE CAN.
AND I KNOW THE MAYOR SAID WE WE'RE TARGETING START AT EIGHT, 8:00 AM AGAIN AT 12, BUT I PRETTY MUCH THE TROOPS KNOW, UH, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA GO, UM, BEYOND THAT.
SO JUST GLAD AND AND PROUD OF THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE HERE.
SO THANK Y'ALL BEFORE CONGRESSMAN GREEN COMMERCE AND, AND, UH, AND CONGRESSWOMAN CITY, YOU GARCIA SAID, I DO WANNA NOTE THIS.
UH, THIS IS AN INITIATIVE, UH, WORKING IN COLLABORATION, OF COURSE, WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, BUT WITH THE COUNTY, UH, AGAIN, COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS HAS, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST WORKING WITH THE COUNTY.
SO THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, UH, CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER AS WELL.
BUT THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PROGRAM, UH, IS BEING UNDER RIDDEN, UH, BY $53 MILLION.
THOSE ARE $53 MILLION COMING FROM OPERA FUNDING.
SO BEFORE THE CONGRESS PERSON COMES UP, I WANTED TO NOTE THAT THIS IS A $53 MILLION PROGRAM, THE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM.
UH, 1 MILLION OF THAT 53 GOES TO THE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM.
AND AS THE LAST TIME, UH, WE END UP, UH, DISTRIBUTING, UH, CLOSE TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THAT PROGRAM, THIS GUN BUY BUYBACK PROGRAM IS BUILT IN THAT ONE SAFE HOUSTON.
AND WE ANTICIPATE DOING ANOTHER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND HOPEFULLY EVEN MORE.
UH, BUT I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT, BUT FOR THE FEDERAL DOLLARS, BUT FOR THE OPERA FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THESE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAMS AND THEN WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY.
SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FOR THESE DOLLARS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR, FOR YOUR VERY KIND WORDS.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR STEWARDSHIP IN MANAGING THE FUNDS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, DOES RETURN TO HOUSTON.
AND I PUT THE EMPHASIS ON RETURN BECAUSE THESE ARE OUR TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING BACK TO OUR COFFER OUT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S COFFER.
I WANNA THANK THE COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
UH, HE IS A GREAT PARTNER TO, UH, WORK WITH.
HE'S SOMEONE THAT, UH, UNDERSTANDS THESE ISSUES QUITE WELL AND HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF IMPARTING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, THE CITY COUNCILWOMAN, UH, WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR LABORS ON CITY COUNCIL TO HELP MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.
WORKING WITH THE MAYOR AS WELL AS ALL OF
[00:10:01]
THE OTHER PERSONS WHO ARE HERE THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ENDEAVOR.AND OF COURSE, MY COLLEAGUE, UH, GARCIA, I THANK YOU AND I THANK, UH, JACKSON LEE.
I THANK LIZZIE FLETCHER BECAUSE WE ALL VOTED FOR THIS.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO STAND HERE AND CLAIM MORE THAN I'M, I DESERVE.
UH, I DESERVE TO HAVE YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN CONGRESS FROM HOUSTON WHO WORK TOGETHER, VOTE TOGETHER, AND TOGETHER WE MAKE THINGS LIKE THIS POSSIBLE, WORKING WITH THE MAYOR, WORKING WITH THE COMMISSIONERS, AND, UH, WORKING WITH OTHER PERSONS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THESE ISSUES.
FINALLY, THIS, DEAR FRIENDS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UM, THAT NO QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED.
UH, THERE'S NO ONE WHO'S GOING TO TRY TO SOMEHOW FIND OUT HOW YOU ACQUIRED THIS WEAPON ON THIS OCCASION OR WHATEVER.
UH, THIS IS ALL ABOUT GETTING THE GUNS OFF THE STREET.
UH, SO YOU NEED NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT QUESTIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ASKED UNLESS YOU SHOW UP AND SAY SOMETHING THAT
OKAY? UH, BUT, UH, THE NEXT POINT, UM, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR.
THIS IS A MEANS BY WHICH WE CAN SAVE LIVES.
UH, THERE'S NO WAY TO PROVE THE NUMBER OF LIVES THAT WILL BE SAVED, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT IF THAT GUN IS NOT ON THE STREET, IT WON'T BE A PART OF ANY VIOLENCE.
SO PLEASE, UH, BRING YOUR WEAPONS IN.
YOU CAN GET UP TO $200 DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF WEAPON, AND YOU CAN HELP US TO MAKE HOUSTON A SAFER COMMUNITY FOR ALL OF OUR PEOPLE.
AND I WANNA SAY, ESPECIALLY OUR CHILDREN, BECAUSE I CANNOT HELP BUT MENTION THE 19 THAT LOST THEIR LIVES IN A SCHOOL HERE IN TEXAS.
UH, LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO SAVE SOME OF THESE BABIES AND PREVENT THIS FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN.
UH, THANK YOU ALL PERSONS WHO ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
AND AGAIN, MY COLLEAGUES AND I ALL VOTED FOR IT.
UH, IT WASN'T JUST A VOTE FROM AL GREEN.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE HERE ON THE STAGE.
UH, I KNOW THAT ALL OF US HAVE WORKED TOGETHER ON MAKING SURE THAT WE REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE IN HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY.
AND I THINK WHEN WE, WE THINK ABOUT THIS MAYOR, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE BIG PICTURE.
THERE ARE 400 MILLION, 400 MILLION GUNS IN CIRCULATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
IT IS MORE GUNS THAN PEOPLE IN POPULATION FOR THOSE SMARTYANTS, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S, WE ARE A POPULATION OF ABOUT THREE 30 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES.
WHY? THAT'S WHY GUN BUYBACK PROGRAMS WORK.
THE MORE GUNS YOU GET OUTTA CIRCULATION, THE LESS VIOLENCE AND THE, AND YOU PREVENT CRIME.
SO I BELIEVE IN GUN BACK PROGRAMS BECAUSE THEY WORK.
THERE WAS 3,600 TEXANS WHO DIED LAST YEAR.
THINK ABOUT HOW MANY LIVES MAY HAVE BEEN SAVED WHEN YOU KNOW THAT 3,600 DIED.
GUN VIOLENCE IS NOW THE NUMBER ONE DEATH, NUMBER ONE DEATH REASON FOR CHILDREN, NOT DIABETES, NOT SICKLE CELL, NOT HEART DISEASE, BUT DEATH FROM GUN VIOLENCE IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHILDREN.
AND AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID EARLIER, IT REALLY IS ABOUT THE CHILDREN THINK OF THE LIVES WE COULD HAVE SAVED IN A BALD DAY AND IN OTHER OF THESE SHOOTINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND IN TEXAS, IT'S EASIER TO BUY BEER THAN IT IS.
IT IS EASIER TO BUY THEIR AR 15 THAN IT IS TO BUY BEER.
I'VE SEEN THAT BACKWARDS BECAUSE AT LEAST AT THE LIQUOR STORE, YOU GET CARDED.
AND YOU CAN'T DO IT TILL YOU'RE 21.
IN TEXAS, YOU COULD BE 18 AND ORDER ONLINE OR WALK INTO A STORE AND BUY AN AR 15.
AND THE SMARTYANTS IN THE ROOM KNOW THAT AR FIFTEENS ARE THE, THE AUTOMATIC WEAPONS MILITARY STYLE.
SO WE NEED TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM.
AND THAT, TO ME, THE, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GUNS LESSONS REGULATION.
IT JUST MAKES SENSE THAT THE CRIME WILL GO DOWN.
BUT AS THE MAYOR INDICATED THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, THOSE OF US IN CONGRESS, INCLUDING CONGRESSMAN GREEN, SHEILA JACKSON, LEE, LISA FLETCHER, MYSELF, WE PASSED THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
[00:15:01]
AS MAYOR SAID, $53 MILLION HAVE COME TO HOUSTON, WHERE THEY'VE USED IT FOR THESE GUN BY UH, BACK PROGRAMS. THEY'VE USED IT FOR CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS. THEY'VE USED IT TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME.WE ALL WANT SAFER COMMUNITIES.
ANYONE WHO SUGGESTS ANY DIFFERENT IS JUST NOT LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE.
AND, AND THIS LAST WEEK, WE VOTED FOR MORE DOLLARS TO BE COMING DOWN TO CITIES ACROSS AMERICA.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THE SENATE WILL PASS THE BILL.
BUT IF THE BILL THAT, THAT WE JUST PASSED ON FRIDAY WOULD EVEN GO TO RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF POLICE OFFICERS FOR ALL COMMUNITIES OF LESS THAN 125 OFFICERS, YES, THAT DOESN'T INC WILL NOT INCLUDE HOUSTON CHIEF FENNER.
'CAUSE YOU'VE GOT 1 25 PROBABLY NEVER SHIFT OR MORE.
BUT IT'LL HELP COMMUNITIES LIKE JADO CITY, GALENA PARK PROBABLY ALE A NUMBER OF C COMMUNITIES AROUND THE AREA.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CRIME, IT'S NOT JUST HOUSTON.
IT'S THE ENTIRE AREA OF THE HOUSTON AREA.
IT ALSO WILL INCLUDE MONEY FOR MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS TO GO ON THE SCENE WITH POLICE OFFICERS TO GET DIRECTLY AT SOME OF THE CASES THAT THEY HANDLE THAT ARE MORE THAN JUST ABOUT THE CRIME.
IT'S ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
IT'LL INCLUDE, UH, FUNDING PROGRAMS THAT ARE EVIDENCE-BASED, UH, THAT THAT WILL GO ABOUT, ABOUT GUN PREVENTION.
SO ACHIEVE THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR.
AND IT'LL ALSO INCLUDE PROGRAMS, UH, FUNDING FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE CLEARANCE RATES AND HOMICIDES AND HOMICIDES.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD WITH OUR LOCAL PARTNERS ON ALL THESE INITIATIVES AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO MORE AND MORE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN A MAYOR AND A COUNTY JUDGE MORE FOCUSED ON GETTING TO REDUCING CRIME VIOLENCE IN OUR REGION.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HELP FUND IT AS MUCH AS WE CAN FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND MAYOR, I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY, I MENTIONED A LOT OF PEOPLE, RIGHT? FOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS I DID NOT MENTION A REPUBLICAN.
TRUTH IS THEY DON'T VOTE FOR THESE BILLS, BUT THEY LIKE TO TALK ABOUT US BEING, FOR DEFUNDING THE POLICE AND BEING FOR THIS AND THIS.
BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHO'S GETTING IT DONE AND WHO'S DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND THAT'S OUR MAYOR, OUR COUNTY JUDGE, OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THEY'RE WORKING BECAUSE THEY ALL KNOW THAT WE WANT AND NEED SAFER COMMUNITIES.
AND LASTLY, I'LL FINISH WITH THIS ONE.
CHILD'S LIFE IS WORTH MORE THAN ALL THE GUNS IN THE WORLD.
LET'S CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO IMPROVE AND DO MORE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAMS. 'CAUSE WE NEED TO BE ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF SAVING OUR CHILDREN'S LIVES.
UH, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK YOUR TEAM AS WELL WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST GUN BUYBACK.
TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE WERE A LITTLE WORRIED A WEEK BEFORE THE EVENT ON HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD SHOW UP.
WE WERE SHOCKED THAT SO MANY PEOPLE DID SHOW UP.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU MAYOR AND YOUR TEAM.
BECAUSE OF LAX GUN LAWS IN TEXAS, OUR COMMUNITY IS DROWNING IN THE SEA OF GUNS.
CONGRESSWOMAN, YOU'RE RIGHT, THAT FIGURE 400 MILLION GUNS COMES FROM DEPUY, A VERY REPUTABLE SOURCE OF HOW MANY GUNS ARE IN AMERICA.
THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH GUNS FOR EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD IN THE COUNTRY.
I'M EXCLUDING ALL OF THE GUNS THAT THE MILITARY HAS.
ALL OF THE GUNS THAT YOU AND THE SHERIFF AND ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE.
WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE TO OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, CONGRESSMAN SYLVIA GARCIA, AND LIZZIE FLETCHER IN PARTICULAR, FOR GIVING US THIS MONEY.
AS WE GIVE YOU ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR DOING THAT, WHILE WE DON'T CONTROL GUNS IN THIS STATE, WE ARE NOT POWERLESS TO TAKE GUNS OFF THE STREET.
OUR FIRST GUN BACK PROGRAM WAS AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS.
MAYOR, AS YOU POINTED OUT, BASED ON THE RESEARCH WE'VE DONE 900 GUNS.
IT WAS THE SECOND MOST SIGNIFICANT GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA IN TAMPA, WHERE A STORM MAY HIT OUR FRIENDS, SOON THEY NETTED A THOUSAND GUNS.
AS YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS, INCLUDING THE PROBLEM WITH GUNS.
AND LET REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH.
SO THOSE 900 GUNS, THAT'S 900 LESS GUNS IN THE HANDS OF SOMEBODY WHO COULD HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE IS A GUN BACK, GOT GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM THAT END ALL,
[00:20:01]
NO.WILL THIS INITIATIVE BY ITSELF SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS? NO, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WE ARE NOT WILLING TO DO.
THESE CONGRESS PEOPLE, THE COUNCILWOMAN JUDGE ALGO, COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND I HAVE VOTED FOR IT.
UH, THESE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, WE'RE NOT WILLING.
WE'RE NOT JUST GONNA SIT BACK AND HOPE AND PRAY THAT GUN VIOLENCE WILL GO AWAY EVERY TIME THERE'S A MURDER.
YOU HEAR ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE ON THE NEWS COMING UP WITH A HOST OF REASONS ON WHY THEY THINK A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED.
SOME OF THE REASONS ARE RAPE, BUT RARELY DO YOU HEAR SOMEBODY TALK ABOUT THE INFLUX OF GUNS IN OUR SOCIETY.
FOR OUR PART, HARRIS COUNTY HAS SET ASIDE 1.1 MILLION FOR GUN BUYBACKS.
THE CITY HAS SET ASIDE A MILLION.
THIS UPCOMING ALE EVENT, UH, I HOPE IF NOT, UH, AS LARGE AS THE LAST ONE, WILL AT LEAST BE AS LARGE AS WHAT THEY HAD IN TAMPA, FLORIDA.
AND THIS IS JUST ONE PIECE OF A BROADER COMMITMENT TO DEAL WITH VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
HARRIS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAVE MOBILIZED RESOURCES WITH ABSOLUTE EMERGENCY IN A FULL COURT PRESS TO REDUCE VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
ON THE COUNTY SIDE, WE DEDICATED $1.4 BILLION OF OUR ANNUAL BUDGET TO JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
THAT'S THE LARGEST AMOUNT EVER ALLOCATED IN THE HISTORY OF HARRIS COUNTY ON JUDGE HIDALGO'S WATCH.
AS THE FACE OF OUR COURT, WE'RE ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES AND GETTING TO WORK ON SMART AND MEANINGFUL PROGRAMS. AND WE ARE BENEFITING FROM MISTAKES THAT OTHER GUN BUYBACK PROGRAMS AROUND THE NATION HAVE HAD.
WE'RE NIMBLE, AS THE MAYOR SAID.
WE LEARNED A FEW THINGS FROM THE FIRST ONE, AND WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THOSE THINGS IN FUTURE ONES.
UH, WE'RE GONNA DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT FROM THE COUNTY SIDE.
JUDGE O DOGGO, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, OUR STATE REPS.
SOME HAVE CALLED THE CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE.
THE REAL KEY IS TO GET THE WORD OUT.
IT'S A SAFE, SECURE WAY TO GET SOME OF THOSE GUNS OFF THE STREET.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY, WE'RE GLAD TO PARTICIPATE AND IT WON'T BE THE LAST ONE.
THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER, AND TO ALL OF MY PUBLIC OFFICIAL COLLEAGUES THAT ARE IN SERVICE WITH US, UM, FOR TODAY'S EVENT, UM, LET ME START BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR COMING TO THE WEST SIDE, WHICH I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE IS THE BEST SIDE OF HOUSTON, BUT WE WON'T REMAIN THE BEST SIDE IF WE'RE NOT SAFE.
AND ACTUALLY, I HAD PREPARED A PARTICULAR SET OF REMARKS UNTIL I WAS TAGGED ON TWITTER AND SOMEONE NOTIFIED ME THAT THERE WAS A REPORT.
THERE WERE FOUR MEN WITH GUNS LAST NIGHT NEAR SOUTH KIRKWOOD, WHICH IS CLOSE TO WHERE I STAY.
SO THIS EVENT IS FOR COMMUNITY AND IT WAS ACTUALLY A COMMUNITY MEMBER IN DISTRICT FA PASTOR OF PILGRIM REST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH THAT ACTUALLY REQUESTED FOR THIS EVENT TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
SO I WANNA THANK, UH, THE COMMUNITY FOR REQUESTING THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AND ALSO FOR MAYOR, YOUR ADMINISTRATION, THE TEAM FOR RECEIVING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN.
I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IN DISTRICT F CRIME, VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN 10% FROM LAST YEAR.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE NOTED, AND I THINK WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
UM, AND, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN.
WE'VE INVESTED IN OVERTIME, WE'VE APPROVED CAMERA ORDINANCES, WE'VE EXPANDED IN TECHNOLOGY, AND WE'VE REMINDED RESIDENTS THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALL OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WE PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND WE ASK THEM TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT.
AND SO TODAY YOU'LL SEE FLANKED IN FRONT OF ME AND OTHERS.
UH, WE'RE JOINED BY A FEW GROUPS THAT WERE WILLING TO PUT THEIR MONEY WITH THEIR MISSION AND SPONSOR RADIO ADS TO HELP PROMOTE THE GUN BUYBACK EVENT.
ON OCTOBER 8TH, STARTING AT 8:00 AM WE HAVE THE HOUSTON AREA COALITION OF OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY, THE ONE HOUSTON SIGMA COUNCIL OF CHAPTERS OF FIVE BETA SIGMA, THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN ALUMNI CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA AND THE HOUSTON TEXAS CHAPTER OF THE LINKS.
EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND THEY CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE ASK COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO LEND THEIR PHYSICAL LABOR WHEN WE HAVE A DISASTER RECOVERY, WHEN THERE'S A CITYWIDE RESPONSE TO, UM, SERVICE.
UM, BUT THEY ARE LENDING THEIR INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY WHERE THEY'VE SUBMITTED RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON POLICE REFORM, AND THEY'RE ALSO LENDING THEIR FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE NATIONAL POSITIONS AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO THEIR NATIONAL DIRECTIVES AT A LOCAL LEVEL IN THE HOUSTON REGION IS TO BE COMMENDED.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE PARTNERSHIP
[00:25:01]
AND THEN THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO EXCEEDING WHAT, UM, EXCEEDING THE AMOUNT OF GUN COLLECTION THAT WAS HOSTED AT THE WHEELER AVENUE LOCATION.THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER FOR INVITING ME TODAY.
AS METRO GETS READY TO HOST THIS PROGRAM AT OUR WEST CHASE PARK AND RIDE 1105 OH HAR DRIVE AT METRO SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY.
SO WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT MAYOR TURNER'S ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE CAN'T TACKLE CRIME ALONE.
IT TAKES PARTNERSHIPS TO SEE RESULTS.
AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE COMMITTED TO THIS PARTNERSHIP.
FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, THE METRO POLICE DEPARTMENT, MPD, HAS BEEN WORKING TO KEEP OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM SAFE AND IMPROVE MOBILITY ACROSS THE HOUSTON REGION.
METRO IS ONE OF THE SAFEST TRANSIT SYSTEMS ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
WE NOT ONLY WANT TO KEEP IT THAT WAY, BUT WE WANNA BUILD ON THAT SUCCESS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE MPD CONNECT, SMART APP, EMERGENCY CALL BOXES, SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, OR NOW INSTALLING SAFETY MONITORS WITH LIVE FEEDS.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE BELIEVE IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
THAT'S THE REASON WE ARE HERE TODAY, SUPPORTING OUR FRIENDS AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AT HARRIS COUNTY AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS FIGHTING CRIME.
CRIME TAKES TEAMWORK, FIGHTING CRIME TAKES TEAMWORK.
AND WE ARE PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS TEAM.
AND LEMME THANK ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS TEAM.
UH, HPD, UH, THEY HAVE HELPED TO DESIGN THIS PROGRAM USING BEST PRACTICES.
THEY DID AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB, UH, AT THE FIRST GONE BUY BACK PROGRAM, UH, STAYING.
I, I KNOW CHIEF AND WE SAID NOON.
UH, BUT HPD WAS OUT THERE UNTIL PAST 7:00 PM AND I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR JUST BEING HIGHLY EFFICIENT.
I WANT TO THANK OUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, UH, WHO ARE PARTICIPATING OUR FAITH-BASED LEADERS.
AND THEN I WILL NOTE THAT WE HAD REPRESENTATIVES, UH, FROM JAPAN THAT CAME IN TO WITNESS THIS GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO PARTICIPATE, OKAY? BECAUSE, UH, CREATING A PUBLIC SAFE, UH, SAFE COMMUNITY REQUIRES EVERYBODY TO PARTICIPATE.
AND AS, AS SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT I TALKED TO WHO WERE IN THE LINE THAT WHEELER SAID WHEN THEY DROVE UP, IS THAT THIS AFFORDED THEM AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO TURN BACK GUNS THAT THEY HAD, THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT IN POSSESSION OF THEIR CHILDREN OR SOMEBODY ELSE GETTING THE GUN AND THEN USING IT TO HURT SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO EVERYBODY CAN PARTICIPATE IN IT, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU.
SO AGAIN, UH, THE DATE SATURDAY, OCTOBER THE EIGHTH, 8:00 AM SCHEDULED TO GO TILL NOON FOR THOSE THAT 150 WHO GOT THEIR PRIORITY PASSES BECAUSE WE COULDN'T GET TO THEM LAST TIME.
UH, YOU CAN COME TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE, JUST BRING YOUR PRIORITY PASS.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT WOULD BE AT THE METRO PARK AND RIDE LOCATED AT 11 0 5 0 HARDWOOD DRIVE ON OCTOBER THE EIGHTH.
AND I DO WANT TO THANK THE MEDIA COMMUNITY BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, IT WAS BECAUSE OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MEDIA COMMUNITY THAT MADE THE LAST GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM SO SUCCESSFUL.
HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, UH, IF THERE ARE A FEW QUESTIONS, WE'LL TAKE THEM.
AND THEN, UM, WE'RE GOING TO GET READY.
I WAS, I INTENDED TO DO THIS MYSELF IN SPANISH, BUT MY, UH, BUT MY VOICE IS A LITTLE STRESS, UH, TODAY, SO, UM, COMMANDER.
[00:30:30]
YOU SAY YOU CAN QUESTION ANYBODY.JUST THE WAY YOU MAYOR, I, I KNOW THAT MAYOR, MAYOR, I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SPANISH VERY WELL, BUT I JUST NEED A CLARIFICATION HERE FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S BENEFICIAL.
WILL THERE BE ANY KIND OF IDENTIFICATION THAT NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED AT ANY POINT IN TERMS OF, BECAUSE IN THE LATIN COMMUNITY, THERE'S BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THAT IN THE PAST.
SO IF YOU WANNA ADDRESS THAT VERY QUICKLY, YOU WANT TO SAY IN SPANISH, TOTALLY ANONYMOUS.
I DO WANT YOU TO, UH, ADDRESS THAT IN, UH, SPANISH.
UH, UM, WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME IN AND, AND I, I DIDN'T SAY THIS, BUT I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NECESSARY RIGHT NOW.
SO MANY PEOPLE, IF YOU WERE OUT THERE AND, AND, AND I, I WANT TO THANK THE MEDIA ALSO, SO MANY INDIVIDUALS.
'CAUSE Y'ALL SAW ME WALKING DOWN THE LINE OUT THERE SWEATING JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
THANK YOU HPD FOR GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TURN IN THE GUNS.
UM, YOU DON'T NEED IDENTIFICATION FOR THAT, AND NO DISRESPECT TO TO YOUR QUESTION, BUT WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BRING IN THE GUNS, OKAY? HOWEVER MANY GUNS THEY BRING IN IS LESS GUNS ON THE STREET.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SHEET, IT'S IMPRESSIVE TO EXAMINE, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT MOST GUN BUYBACKS, THE STEREOTYPE THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE GOING IN IS THAT THIS IS GRANDMA'S SHOTGUN THAT SHE HAS IN THE ATTIC, OR IT'S SOMEONE'S LONG RIFLE GUN.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STATS FROM JULY, YOU HAVE 512 PISTOLS, HANDGUNS FULLY AUTOMATIC AS WELL.
WERE THERE, UM, THAT WERE TURNED IN, YOU HAD 201 SEMI-AUTOMATIC.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, DID THAT EXCEED THE EXPECTATIONS FOR YOU IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU WERE EXPECTING JUST ON HANDGUNS? YEAH.
THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE FIRST GUN BY GUN, GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM EXCEEDED ALL OF OUR EXPECTATIONS.
I MEAN, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASON WE SET IT FOR EIGHT TO 12.
I MEAN, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE GONNA GET 50 OR UH, 250 OR 300 GUNS.
AND I THINK FOR MOST OF US, WE THOUGHT IF WE GOT, UH, 400, WE WOULD BE DOING EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.
WELL, WE END UP, UM, EVEN DOUBLING MORE THAN DOUBLING THAT NUMBER.
SO, UM, AND IT WASN'T, IT WAS LONG GUNS, IT WAS PISTOLS, AS YOU WOULD SAID, SOME SEMI AUTOMATICS, UM, ALL OF THAT.
AND SO IT WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHAT WAS SO IMPORTANT.
I THINK WHAT WAS POIGNANT TO ME WAS THE FACT THAT IT ENABLED THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
THAT REGULAR PERSON, UH, WHO HAD GUNS IN THEIR HOME OR HAD GUNS THAT THEY KNEW, UH, WERE JUST LYING AROUND, UH, GUNS THAT ARE SOMETIMES USED IN DOMESTIC ABUSE, GUNS THAT ARE SOMETIMES USED IN PEOPLE COMMITTING SUICIDE, OKAY? THAT THESE GUNS WERE NOW BEING TURNED IN AND THEY WERE BEING VOLUNTARILY GIVEN, OKAY, NOT FORCED, BUT VOLUNTARILY BEING BROUGHT.
SO IT WAS, IT, IT EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS.
AND AS COMMISSIONER ELLIS SAID, THE SECOND MOST SUCCESSFUL IN THE COUNTRY, I THINK SPEAKS VOLUMES.
SO VERY PROUD OF PEOPLE IN THIS CITY, AND VERY PROUD OF ALL OF OUR PARTNERS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PART, THE TEAM HAS GROWN BECAUSE NOW YOU HAVE THESE FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, CIVIC GROUPS, THESE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE SAYING, WE WANNA PARTICIPATE AND WE ARE GIVING MONEY TO HELP PROMOTE AND MARKET THE, THEIR, THEIR GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM THEY'RE GIVING.
THESE ARE NOT FEDERAL DOLLARS, CITY DOLLARS OR STATE DOLLARS.
THEY'RE GIVING DOLLARS FROM THEIR OWN ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE IT.
SO THAT, THAT JUST SPEAKS VOLUMES.
I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE EUROPA HARRIS EUROPA.
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU, SO STANDING OFF ON THERE, YOU KNOW, YOUR BOSS IS GONNA BE MAD WITH YOU.
[00:35:01]
REPRESENTING CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE.UH, MAYOR, I REMEMBER BACK IN JANUARY WHEN YOU ANNOUNCED THIS PROGRAM, IT WAS BURIED WITHIN YOUR, YOUR ONE SAFE HOUSTON OF ABOUT 45 PAGES, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
DID YOU EVER ENVISION THAT YOU'D GET TO THIS POINT WHERE NOT ONLY WOULD YOU HAVE YOUR SECOND EVENT BY OCTOBER, BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU ALSO HAVE COMMISSIONER ELLIS IN HARRIS COUNTY INVESTING AND PARTNERING UP? WELL, AND I'M, I'M GONNA HAVE COMMISSIONER ELLIS COME AND ANSWER THAT, UH, BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, HE CARRIED THE FIRST ONE.
UH, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY HAS JUST BEEN EXTRAORDINARY.
UH, WORKING WITH JUDGE LENA HOGO, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, UH, COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA HAS JUST BEEN INCREDIBLE.
I DON'T THINK THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY HAS EVER BEEN AS STRONG.
AND, UH, THE PARTNERSHIP HAS JUST BEEN INCREDIBLE.
HE'S VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
SO COMMISSIONER, WHY DON'T YOU, WHY DON'T YOU ADDRESS THAT? IT'S A, IT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
UH, THE LAST TIME I REMEMBER ONE MAY HAVE BEEN WHEN LEE BROWN, UH, WAS MAYOR, UH, SHORTLY AFTER I WENT TO THE SENATE FROM THE RESEARCH WE LOOKED AT, I THINK IT WAS PHILADELPHIA, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IS THAT RIGHT? WHICH IS THE FIRST CITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAD ONE.
SO I HAD A SENSE IT WOULD WORK WHEN WE PICKED A DATE, WE WERE TRYING TO PICK A DATE THAT THE MAYOR, IT WOULD WORK FOR HIS SCHEDULE.
UH, AND MY SCHEDULE WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO PICK A DATE THAT WORKED WITH JUDGE HIDALGO AS WELL.
SO THE STAFF KEPT GIVING US DATES AND WE KEPT MOVING THEM.
SO I WAS WORRIED THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE A GOOD TURNOUT, VERY WORRIED AND THOUGHT WE'D BE EMBARRASSED.
NOT ONLY DID WE RUN OUTTA MONEY, APPARENTLY PEOPLE MUST HAVE THOUGHT WE WOULD RUN OUT BECAUSE THE LINE STARTED AT 6:00 AM IN THE MORNING.
SO IT CERTAINLY EXCEEDED MY IMAGINATION, AND I'M JUST GLAD OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS STEPPED UP WITH SOME MONEY FIRST GO AROUND.
WE PUT THIS TOGETHER SO QUICK.
WE HADN'T GONE THROUGH HOOPS SO THE COUNTY COULD PUT UP ITS PART OF FEDERAL MONEY, SO THEY TOOK IT OUT.
BUT I'M GONNA TRY TO GET IT BACK IF I CAN
BUT LOOK, I, I HOPE THAT THE WORD WILL GO OUT AND IT'LL BE MUCH BIGGER THIS TIME.
UM, CONGRESSMAN, CAN WE JUST, I'M SORRY, COME BACK.
UH, I, I, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT CRIME'S DOWN VIOLENT CRIME, MERGERS DOWN, BUT I KNOW THERE'S STILL MANY IN THE, IN THE CITY AND IN THE COUNTY WHO STILL HAVE GREAT CONCERNS ABOUT THE CRIME RATE.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO, AND THEY MAY HAVE NOT KNOW ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT THE GUN BACK PARK PROGRAM OR THE IMPACT IT MIGHT HAVE.
WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO THEM TO REASSURE THEM THAT THIS EFFORT, THIS BUYBACK PROGRAM, IS GONNA GO TOWARDS, TRY REASSURING THEIR FEARS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE GROWING CRIME AND THE, AND, AND IS PART OF THE EFFORT TO REDUCE CRIME IN THE CITY AND IN THE COUNTY? AND I, I WILL SAY TO I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, I AM VERY MUCH STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE CRIME RATE, UH, JUST BECAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN.
IT'S NOT, UH, IT IS NOT YET WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE.
UH, WE WANTED TO GO DOWN, UH, AND STAY DOWN BELOW 2021 AND THEN BELOW IN 2020 AND BELOW 9 20 19.
SO YOU WANT TO GET IT DOWN AS LOW AS YOU CAN, AS LONG AS ONE PERSON HAS BEEN, LET'S SAY KILLED IN OUR CITY, IT'S ONE TOO MANY.
AS LONG AS ONE PERSON IS A VICTIM OF VIOLENT CRIME, ONE TOO MANY.
SO I FULLY GET IT, UNDERSTAND IT, OKAY.
UH, BUT WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE, UH, THAT WE HAVE THESE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE CAN PUT INTO THE PROGRAM AND FIGHTING CRIME, WHICH IS UNPRECEDENTED.
$53 MILLION OF FEDERAL DOLLARS BEING DEVOTED.
WE HAVE PUT MORE MONEY INTO OVERTIME FOR HPD THAN IN RECENT PAST.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO DO MORE AS WHAT IS NEEDED.
WE ARE BUYING MORE TECHNOLOGY, UH, UH, UTILIZING MORE TECHNOLOGY.
UH, WE ARE DOING, WE ARE, WE ARE INVESTING, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MORE PARK RANGERS, UH, AS WE SPEAK.
UH, WE ARE TAKING DOLLARS FOR EXAMPLE, AND, UH, REENTRY, UH, COMMUNITY REENTRY PROGRAM.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WE ARE DOING.
WE ARE PUTTING CLOSE TO $28 MILLION IN CRISIS INTERVENTION.
OKAY? WE'RE PUTTING $10 MILLION IN DOMESTIC ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TO FIGHT AGAINST THAT.
SO IT'S A VERY HOLISTIC APPROACH.
SO I RIFE, I, I, I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE FACT, UH, THAT WE STILL HAVE TOO MUCH CRIME, UH, WITHIN OUR CITY, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE A COLLECTIVE EFFORT.
THIS IS JUST ONE TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX.
AND THIS IS ONE TOOL THAT ALLOWS EVERYBODY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT CHOOSES TO TURN, TURN IN THEIR GUNS TO DO.
IT'S A VOLUNTARY INITIATIVE, BUT EVERYONE CAN PARTICIPATE IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO.
AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE CRYSTAL
QUITE FRANKLY, WHAT SHE HAS DONE HAS EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS.
I GUESS I SHOULDN'T NO PAY RAISE THOUGH,
[00:40:02]
I GET IT AND I UNDERSTAND IT.AND WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS THAT WE ARE LASER FOCUSED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN COLLECTIVELY AND TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY, OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, OUR STATE PARTNERS, OUR COUNTY PARTNERS ON EVERY SINGLE LEVEL WORKING TOGETHER, NOT CASTING STONES, BUT WORKING TOGETHER TO DRIVE DOWN CRIME AND TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY SAFE.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, DANIELA WITH A BC 13.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE HEARD THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS AND MONTHS SINCE THE PROGRAM FIRST LAUNCHED IS A LITTLE BIT OF CRITICISM AND PUSHBACK EITHER FOR THE MONEY BEING ALLOCATED AND WHY NOT.
PEOPLE ASK US, WHY ISN'T THIS MONEY BEING USED TO ADD MORE OFFICERS OR PAY MORE OVERTIME? AND THE OTHER ASPECT OF THE CRITICISMS WE'VE HEARD ARE FROM LEADERS IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHO HAVE TOLD OUR CREWS AT ABC 13 THAT THEY DON'T AGREE WITH THE APPROACH OF SAYING, HEY, THIS IS A NO QUESTIONS ASKED, GUN BUYBACK.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE, NOT ONLY TO LEADERS ACROSS YOUR COMMUNITY? UM, AND IF BOTH OF YOU COULD ANSWER, WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.
LET ME TAKE A, UH, LET ME ANSWER BRIEFLY AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF FINN.
WHAT I WOULD SAY TO YOU IS THAT THERE'S NOT A DOLLAR THAT HPD HAS ASKED ME FOR THAT WE HAVEN'T GIVEN A PART OF.
ONE SAFE HOUSTON IS TO PUT ANOTHER 125 OFFICERS ON THE STREET IN THE OVERTIME PROGRAM.
THE INITIAL, UH, UH, DISTRIBUTION WAS 5.7 MILLION JUST IN OVERTIME FOR THOSE 125 OFFICERS.
UH, SINCE THEN, WE'VE ADDED ANOTHER 5 MILLION.
SINCE THEN, I'VE ADDED ANOTHER 2.5 MILLION THAT'S JUST FOR POLICE, JUST FOR OVERTIME.
AND THAT'S NOT EVEN COUNTING THE PARK RANGERS.
THAT'S 1.9 MILLION JUST FOR PARK RANGERS IN OUR PROGRAM.
THAT'S NOT COUNTING THE MONEY THAT WE ARE PUTTING ON TECHNOLOGY, OKAY? SO THERE'S NOT $1 THAT WE ARE TAKING AWAY FROM THE MEN AND WOMEN IN POLICE ON THIS GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM, NOT $1.
SO WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WELL, YOU, YOU COULD BE PUTTING THAT MONEY ON POLICE, WE ARE PUTTING THAT MONEY ON POLICE.
BUT LET ME SAY THIS, PUTTING MONEY JUST ON POLICE IS NOT GOING TO DRIVE DOWN CRIME JUST BY ITSELF.
YOU CANNOT ASK HPD, YOU CAN ASK HPD TO DO IT ALL, OKAY? THEY ARE A VITAL PART OF IT, BUT THE COMMUNITY HAS A ROLE TO PLAY.
AND SO, CRISIS INTERVENTION, DOMESTIC ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ALL OF THAT'S IMPORTANT.
YOUR COMMUNITY INFLUENCERS, YOUR COMMUNITY MESSENGERS PROGRAM, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
EVERY SINGLE YEAR YOU GOT 12 TO 14,000 PEOPLE COMING OUTTA TDCJ, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, RETURNING TO HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY.
THEY NEED HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT.
WE'RE PUTTING MONEY IN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHERE WE HAVE OUR REENTRY GRADUATION PROGRAMS, BUT WE ARE STANDING PEOPLE UP TO PUT THEM IN A BETTER POSITION.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A HOLISTIC APPROACH.
AND ANYONE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND A HOLISTIC APPROACH DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO MAKE A COMMUNITY SAFER.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, THAT'S NOT EVEN FACTORING THE DOLLARS AND THE INVESTMENTS WE ARE PUTTING IN, IN UNDERSERVED, UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES TO BUILD THEM UP AND TO MAKE THEM A SAFER PLACE.
NOW, THIS IS NOT A PERFECT SOLUTION, BUT IT'S ONE OF THE TOOLS, BUT IT'S NOT PERFECT.
AND WHEN ANYBODY TELLS ME THE PERFECT SOLUTION, THEN WE'LL OPT TO DO THAT SOLUTION AND WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE AWAY FROM EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT LET ME, LET ME STOP AND I'LL TURN OFF YOU DOWN.
UH, ONE THING I WANT TO SAY, AND I SAY IT VERY RESPECTFULLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYBODY IN HARRIS COUNTY, HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY CAN CRITICIZE THIS ONE SAFE HOUSTON PROGRAM BECAUSE AROUND THE NATION, ALL THE WAY UP INTO DC AND IN COUNTIES ALL AROUND THIS NATION, PEOPLE ARE APPLAUDING IT.
AND YOU HAVE THIS MANY PEOPLE THAT COME OUT AND TURN IN GUNS.
WHAT'S NEGATIVE ABOUT IT? AND THE MAYOR AND I, I JUST WANT TO STAY IN MY LANE AND LET ME SPEAK FOR MYSELF AS A CHIEF.
AND I ASK THAT EVERYBODY ELSE STAY IN THEIR PERSPECTIVE LANE AS WE MOVE TOGETHER TO FIGHT CRIME.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND THAT'S WHAT I ASK EVERY LEADER TO DO IN HARRIS COUNTY AND WHO IT APPLIES TO.
IT APPLIES TO, I DON'T DO PERSONAL ATTACKS, BUT EVERYONE NEEDS TO JUST REMAIN POSITIVE.
AND IF IT'S A PROGRAM THAT'S REMOVING GUNS OFF, OFF STREET, WHAT PERCENTAGE IS 1 MILLION FROM 50 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS? AND YOU GOT ALL THESE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, SO I GUESS WE
[00:45:01]
JUST DISREGARD THEM.THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A SAFE PLACE TO BRING A GUN BACK.
DON'T ACT LIKE WE'RE NOT GONNA CHECK ALL THESE GUNS FOR BEING STOLEN.
DON'T ACT LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA NOT RUN THEM THROUGH TO SEE IF THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRIME AND IF THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRIME.
DO YOU THINK I WANT TO BE WORRIED ABOUT MECHANICS AND, AND, AND, AND THE POLICY.
THE BEST THING AND THE BEST PLACE FOR A GUN IS IN THE CUSTODY OF RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE.
AND IF NOBODY WANTS THAT GUN ANYMORE AND THEY WANT TO TURN IT IN FOR A CREDIT CARD, MY GOD, COMMON SENSE SAY TAKE IT.
ALRIGHT, LASTLY, AND WE WRAPPING IT UP.
WE WRAPPING IT UP AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE ME MEDIA AGAIN BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE SO INSTRUMENTAL IN THE LAST, UH, GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM.
SO LET ME, LET ME THANK THE MEDIA, UH, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM.
AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE PASTOR FM WILLIAMS, UH, JUNIOR AND SENIOR.
AND THEY'RE VERY ACTIVE WITH, WITH MINISTERS AGAINST CRIME.
THEY'RE VERY ACTIVE WITH MINISTERS AGAINST CRIME.
AGAIN, IT'S A TOTAL COLLABORATION AND A TOTAL PARTNERSHIP.
SO WE WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEM.
I DON'T WANNA LEAVE OUT THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY AS WELL.
WHAT GUNS, UH, YOU MOVE THE GUNS AND YOU PRAY AND YOU KNOW, THE FERVENT PRAYERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS VALLEY MUCH.
SO ALL OF THAT, WE ARE UTILIZING ALL OF THAT.
OKAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 8:00 AM A LEAF AREA, THE METRO PARKING RIDE, AND A LIFT.
AND LEMME THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.