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[Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee on November 17, 2022.]
PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE, THE COMMITTEE, THE MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 2:04 PM AND TODAY WE HAVE, UH, PAC SCHEDULE FIVE PRESENTATIONS.UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR END OF YEAR DEPARTMENTAL REVIEWS.
UH, BUT FIRST WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARING FROM COMMANDER HARRIS AND LIEUTENANT PLEASANT WITH HP'S VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION ON AN UPDATE, AN OVERVIEW OF THE DIVISION'S, RESOURCES, EXPANSION, UH, AND ALL THE WORK THEY'RE DOING TO SUPPORT VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS.
AFTER THAT, WE'LL HEAR FROM CHIEF FINNER, UH, WHO WILL PRESENT ON HPD, CHIEF PENA FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR MOCK WITH HECK, UH, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING A FISCAL YEAR 23 ANNUAL BUDGET, AND AS WELL AS SOME UPDATES ON RECENT IMPROVEMENTS AT THE CENTER.
AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, UH, JUDGE MARSHALL WITH OUR MUNICIPAL COURTS JOINING US IN CHAMBERS.
I HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WELCOME AS WELL AS STAFF FROM VICE MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX, TATUM'S, OFFICE, VICE CHAIR KNOX, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S OFFICE.
AND VIRTUALLY, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE JOINED, UH, SOON BY COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, VIRTUALLY.
UH, WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S, OFFICE, COUNCIL MEMBER ASH'S OFFICE, ROBINSON, AND CISNEROS.
IS THERE ANY, AND ALSO, WE HAVE NOW JOINING US VIRTUALLY, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ.
WE ALSO HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WATCHING ONLINE AND ON HTV.
UH, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PRESENTATIONS ARE UPLOADED ON THE COMMITTEE'S WEBSITE AS WELL FOR FOLKS WHO WANNA FOLLOW ALONG THAT WAY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, WE WILL TAKE QUESTIONS AT THE END OF EACH PRESENTATION, UH, FOR THOSE VIRTUALLY TO PUT YOURSELF IN QUEUE SO WE KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK.
AND WE HAVE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TODAY.
A FEW QUICK, UH, REMINDERS AS WE GO INTO THE HOLIDAYS, UH, ENCOURAGING AND JUST REMINDING EVERYONE TO BE SAFE, WHETHER THAT'S PRACTICING, UH, BEST PRACTICES AS IT RELATES TO FIRE SAFETY WITH HEATING OR, UH, FIREARM SAFETY.
UH, WE JUST HAD ANOTHER, UH, VERY CLOSE CALL WITH SOME OF OUR OFFICERS IN HPD LAST NIGHT, AND WE'RE GLAD THEY'RE OKAY.
UM, PLEASE STORE FIREARM SAFELY, UH, AS YOU'RE TAKING TIME TO BE WITH FAMILY.
UH, CARE FOR YOURSELVES, THE ONES YOU LOVE, AND, UH, HELP SPREAD LOVE, UH, NOT FEAR RIGHT NOW.
UH, OTHER THAN THAT, UH, CHIEF PENA GIVING A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW WE HAVE OPERATION STOCKING STUFF FOR GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
UH, RESIDENTS CAN GO TO WWW.OSSTOYDRIVE.COM, UH, TO PURCHASE GIFT FOR THOSE IN NEED.
I THINK Y'ALL ARE SERVING, WHAT, 30,000 CHILDREN, 32,000 CHILDREN, UH, AND FAMILIES, UH, THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
AT THIS TIME, UH, THE CHAIR WILL RECOGNIZE COMMANDER HARRIS, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE LIEUTENANT PLEASANT JOINING US VIRTUALLY, UH, WITH HPD VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION.
UH, I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, HOW IMPORTANT THIS DIVISION IS.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS PRESENTATION, PERSONALLY COMMANDER.
UM, BUT THE FACT THAT WITHIN HPD, THIS FOCUS ON ASSISTING SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS' FAMILIES, UH, SO THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
COMMANDER OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT'S VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION.
AND, UM, AS YOU SAID, MA'AM, WE ALSO HAVE JOINING US VIR VIRTUALLY IS LIEUTENANT JULIE PLEASANT.
I ALSO HAVE BEHIND ME, UH, LIEUTENANT EQUIVALENT, SHE'S A CIVILIAN.
SHE ALSO RUNS PART OF THE DIVISION WITH US, AND THAT'S MISS MARNE, MARLENE MCLEOD.
SO, WHAT I WANNA DO TODAY IS GIVE YOU AN INFORMATION BRIEF ON THE DIVISION ITSELF.
AND ALSO WE JUST RECEIVED A GRANT, AND I WANNA BRIEF YOU ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE THAT MONEY.
UM, YOU HAVE A JAM PACKED AGENDA,
SO IN ORDER TO MEET THE TIMELINE, I CANNOT GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE SLIDES IN DETAIL.
SO SOME OF THEM I'M GONNA HAVE TO SKIP AND SOME I'M JUST GONNA HAVE TO MENTION BRIEFLY AND THEN MOVE ON.
BUT THE SLIDE DECK IS AVAILABLE TO YOU, AND THE LAST SLIDE HAS OUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
SO, THE MISSION STATEMENT, VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION IS UNIQUE WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE THE ONLY DIVISION THAT IS LOOKING STRICTLY AT ASSISTING THE VICTIM, WHEREAS MOST OF THE OTHER DIVISIONS, AS YOU KNOW, ARE LOOKING AT SOLVING A CRIME.
THEY'RE FO THEY'RE FOCUSING IN ON THE SUSPECT.
SO WE PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS OF CRIMES AND THEIR FAMILY.
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LAW ENFORCEMENT APPROACH HAS BEEN, SO WHEN I STARTED WAS IF YOU'RE A VICTIM, I ASK YOU, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE SUSPECT? WHAT'S HIS NAME? HOW TALL, HOW TALL IS HE? ET CETERA.AND THEN I WAS DONE WITH THE VICTIM.
SO THERE'S BEEN A HUGE SHIFT WITHIN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE CREATION OF VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION AND THE WORK THAT LIEUTENANT PLEASANT DID WHEN SHE WAS CHARGED INITIALLY WITH CREATING THE UNIT.
NOW A DIVISION, THE FOCUS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO, UH, THIS IS SLIGHTLY OUT OF ORDER.
YOU COULD SAY, 'CAUSE NOW I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS GRANT THAT WE GOT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, YOU KNEW HOW WE WERE SPENDING THIS MONEY.
SO WE RECEIVED THE DEPARTMENT, SPECIFICALLY VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION, RECEIVED A GRANT FROM A CONGRESSMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER AND SHEILA JACKSON LEE, THEIR WORK.
AND IT'S $975,000 TO BE SPENT OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD.
SO THE BURN DISCRETIONARY COMMUNITY GRANT IS GOING TO BE SPENT, UH, AS YOU SEE RIGHT THERE, SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR THREE VICTIMS. ADVOCATES.
IT'S DIFFICULT KEEPING UP WITH THE CASELOAD.
SO THESE THREE VICTIMS ADVOCATES ARE GONNA HELP SUBSTANTIALLY.
AND IF YOU LOOK DOWN, UH, THE NEXT ONE DOWN, SALARY FOR TWO PART-TIME HOMICIDE AND VEHICULAR CRIMES VICTIMS ADVOCATES.
SO WE DEAL, OF COURSE, WITH, UH, MAINLY FAMILY VIOLENCE CASES, BUT WE ALSO TRY TO DEAL WITH THE VICTIMS, THE, THE NEXT OF KIN OF VICTIMS OF HOMICIDES AND VEHICULAR CRIMES, THOSE DWI CASES THAT RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
SO, TO KEEP UP WITH THAT CASELOAD, I HAVE TWO OFFICERS DOING THAT FULL-TIME RIGHT NOW, BUT ADDING TWO ADDITIONAL PART-TIME IS GONNA GO QUITE A WAYS.
AND THEN THE THREE ADVOCATES THAT I TALKED ABOUT, THEY'RE ON DART.
I'LL MENTION THAT HERE IN JUST A SECOND.
BUT THEY, THEY ARE ADVOCATES OF THE TEAM UP WITH AN OFFICER AND DRIVE TWO SCENES, AND THEY DO IT IN PATROL CARS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BUY ADDITIONAL CARS PLUS THE ACCESSORY PACKAGE FOR THOSE CARS, AND EIGHT, AND A TOTAL OF EIGHT CARS, AND THEN SOME OTHER, UH, ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT LIKE WEBCAMS, UM, TABLETS SO THAT WE CAN TALK TO VICTIMS VIRTUALLY FACE-TO-FACE INSTEAD OF JUST OVER THE PHONE.
SO THAT'S $975,000 THAT WILL BE SPENT OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
SO, TRANSFER TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE.
IN 1990, THERE WERE SIX VICTIMS ADVOCATES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT.
LIEUTENANT PLEASANT WAS CHARGED, UH, BY THE CHIEF TO ESTABLISH A VICTIM SERVICES UNIT, WHICH SHE DID.
SHE STARTED IN 2017, AND THEN IN 2020, CHIEF FINNER CHANGED THE UNIT INTO A DIVISION.
SO WE NOW HAVE MORE RESOURCES IN ORDER, IN ORDER TO, UH, DO OUR JOB A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
UM, BUT IT WAS A, A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT TO CONSOLIDATE EVERYBODY, GET THEM TRAINED SOPS, FUNDING VEHICLES, ALL OF THAT.
AND NOW, UH, EVERYBODY IS IN ONE DIVISION, AND SO WE CAN BETTER UTILIZE OUR RESOURCES AND REACH MORE PEOPLE.
SO CURRENTLY, LIKE I SAID, IN 1990, THERE WERE SIX ADVOCATES.
THE CHART THERE SHOWS A TOTAL OF 44 PEOPLE.
WE DO A FEW OTHER THINGS, WHICH I'LL MENTION AS WELL, BUT BETWEEN, UH, BETWEEN THE DIVISION NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE CONSOLIDATED AND MUCH MORE, UH, RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF CITIZENS.
I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT OUR ADVOCATES ARE NOT CENTRALIZED.
THE MANAGEMENT IS CENTRALIZED IN THE DIVISION, BUT OUR ADVOCATES ARE DECENTRALIZED.
YES, WE HAVE SOME AT 1200 TRAVIS, BUT OF OUR 26 ADVOCATES, WE HAVE 12 OF THEM SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO YOU CAN SEE AT THESE VARIOUS PATROL STATIONS WHERE THEY ARE.
SO SOME OF THEM ARE WITHIN YOUR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL.
IT'S MUCH EASIER FOR, UH, PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO COME AND TALK TO AN ADVOCATE INSTEAD OF HAVING TO COME TO THE CENTRAL POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
IN, UH, THIS PAST YEAR, JANUARY THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2021, THE 26 ADVOCATES, YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR CASELOAD SAW, TALKED TO OVER TWO, UH, 20,000 VICTIMS PROVIDED CARE TO THEM.
64% OF OUR CASELOAD ARE VICTIMS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE.
AND THEN DART, IT'S A SPECIALIZED UNIT, WHICH I'LL GO TO A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A MINUTE.
UH, THEY SAW, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT PARTNER AN ADVOCATE WITH AN OFFICER IN A PATROL CAR AND GO TO SCENES WHILE THEY'RE ACTUALLY OCCURRING.
THOSE ARE LIVE SCENES HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
THEY HAD, UH, CONTACT WITH OVER 4,300 VICTIMS. SO IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT, THE HELP THAT WE'RE PROVIDING PEOPLE.
SO THERE'S PILLAR ONE, VICTIM'S OUTREACH.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE ARE STREAMLINING, IT'S CONFUSING IF YOU'RE A VICTIM, IT'S A BUREAUCRACY.
HOW DO I GET HELP? WHO DO I TALK TO? AND, AND WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE'RE CONTACTING THOSE VICTIMS, BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS THAT, THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR MIND, NOT
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KNOWING WHERE TO GO, HELPING THEM WITH THE BUREAUCRACY.UH, IT'S A DAUNTING TASK FOR THEM.
SO WHAT, WE'LL, WHAT WE DO WITH VICTIMS, UH, OR CRISIS INTERVI INTERVENTION, WE WILL ACTUALLY GO ON SCENE, LIKE I SAID, WITH THE DART OFFICERS.
THEY'RE THERE WHILE THE, THE SCENE IS OCCURRING.
THESE ARE MAINLY FAMILY VIOLENCE, CONTINUOUS FAMILY VIOLENCE, SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, DEATH, STRANGULATION, THESE SORTS, THESE SORTS OF CASES.
AND THEN THE NEXT DAY, THE ADVOCATES THAT ARE NOT IN DART THAT ARE AT THEIR OFFICES WILL FOLLOW UP, AND THEY'LL SOMETIMES GO TO THE HOMES.
BUT USUALLY IT'S DONE, UH, VIRTUALLY TELEPHONE.
AND LIKE I SAID, WITH THAT GRANT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO SEE PEOPLE FACE TO FACE.
BUT WE'RE HELPING THEM WITH, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT MEDICAL CARE, LOST WAGES, RENT, AND ALL THESE.
UM, ALL THIS HELP IS COMING THROUGH THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, UH, THROUGH THE, UM, UH, VIOLENT CRIME ACT.
IT'S FUNDED THROUGH FINES, BASICALLY THROUGH COURT CASES.
SO WE ARE ABLE TO HELP THEM WITH THAT, FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK, LINK THEM UP WITH THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, UH, AND ACCESS CRIME VICTIMS COMPENSATION ACT.
AND THEN THE BOTTOM, THE BOTTOM, UM, BULLET RIGHT THERE, INFORMATION REFERRALS.
I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IT'S FOR OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
HPD DOESN'T RUN A SHELTER, A FOOD BANK, CRISIS COUNSELING, DRUG COUNSELING, ET CETERA.
THERE'S REASONS WHY PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY DO.
WE ARE THERE TO STOP THE IMMEDIATE HARM, BUT THEN WE PARTNER WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND THEN THEY TAKE OVER THE LONG-TERM CARE.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I WON'T GO OVER THIS.
I WILL SHOW THAT ON THE, ON THE BOTTOM THERE, ON-CALL TEAMS. WE HAVE A TWENTY FOUR SEVEN CAPABILITY, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE THANKSGIVING PARADE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.
WE HAVE ALREADY DESIGNATED THE ON-CALL TEAM, SHOULD WE HAVE TO STAND UP A FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER.
UM, IF SOMETHING TERRIBLE WERE TO OCCUR AND THERE WERE SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS, THEN WE WOULD RESPOND ALONG WITH OTHER AGENCIES.
3 1 1 HEALTH DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, RED CROSS.
BUT WE WOULD STAND UP A FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER.
SO WE'RE ALREADY, WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE PEOPLE IDENTIFIED, RIGHT.
EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING, AND WE'RE READY TO GO.
THE SECOND PILLAR, U VISAS AND T VISAS.
UVES R VISAS THAT ARE GIVEN TO NON, UM, TO, TO NON, UH, US CITIZENS, IMMIGRANTS WHO HAVE COME TO THE UNITED STATES HAVE, UH, SUFFERED THROUGH A CRIME.
AND THERE'S CERTAIN CRIMES THAT QUALIFY THOSE, THE ONES THAT MAINLY WE'RE FOCUSED IN ON.
AND THE GOVERNMENT IS INTERESTED IN HAVING THEM AVAILABLE IN ORDER TO TESTIFY.
SO GRANTING THEM A VISA, IT'S DONE BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT, NOT US, BUT WE INITIATE IT AND START THE PROGRAM.
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH, UH, NONPROFIT IMMIGRATIONS PRIVATE ATTORNEYS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
YOU'LL SEE US GOING TO ALL SORTS OF COMMUNITY EVENTS, UH, SETTING UP BOOTHS TO INFORM PEOPLE.
UM, SO WE ARE, WE'RE INTERESTED IN FORMING THE PUBLIC, BUT ALSO SOMETHING A LITTLE UNIQUE IS WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN KEEPING HPD INFORMED OF OUR DIVISION.
THIS DIVISION HASN'T EXISTED FOR TWO YET.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT THIS IS NEW TO.
SO WE HAVE MANDATORY AND SERVICE TRAINING THAT IS GIVEN TO OFFICERS.
THEY LEARN ABOUT OUR DIVISION.
AND THEN UNIQUELY, UH, THE CHIEF HAS TOLD US TO GO TO THE CADET TRAINING.
SO AS CADETS ARE COMING INTO THE DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE BEING, THEY HAVE A TWO DAY CLASS ON VICTIM SERVICES, WHAT WE DO AND HOW THEY, THEY CAN, UH, PARTICIPATE IN IT.
SO THE OLD FOLKS LIKE MYSELF AND THE NEW FOLKS, THE CADETS THAT WE'RE ALL LEARNING ABOUT THE DIVISION, WE SHOULD ALL BE AWARE OF IT.
THIS IS, UH, A VERY IMPORTANT PILLAR.
WELL, THEY'RE ALL VERY IMPORTANT, BUT DART IS VERY UNIQUE DOMESTIC ABUSE RESPONSE TEAM.
THAT IS THE GROUP THAT I SAID WHERE WE, WE PARTNER A TRAINED SOCIAL WORKER.
THEY'RE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES OF HPD ASSIGNED TO VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION.
SO OUR VICTIMS ADVOCATES THAT BELONG TO HPD ARE PARTNERED WITH AN OFFICER, AND THEY GO FROM SCENE TO SCENE, THEY LISTEN TO THE RADIO, THEY LOOK AT THE MOBILE DIGITAL TERMINAL, AND THEY RESPOND TO THE SCENE.
THE BEAT OFFICER IS HANDING THE TRADITIONAL POLICE WORK, WRITE THE REPORT, FILE THE CHARGE, MAKE THE ARREST, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT THE ADVOCATE THEN IS PARTNERING WITH THE VICTIM AND TALKING TO THE VICTIM TO ESTABLISH, UH, DO, WHAT DO THEY NEED? DO THEY NEED, UM, IMMEDIATE CARE CRISIS INTERVENTION? DO THEY NEED TO GO TO A SHELTER? UM, DO THEY NEED TO LINK UP WITH A FORENSIC NURSE FOR EXAM? SO WE ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING FROM 7:00 PM TO 3:00 AM CITYWIDE.
WE'RE NOT OPERATING ON THE OTHER SHIFTS.
UH, SO THERE IS A NEED FOR THAT.
BUT I'VE GOTTA GIVE CREDIT TO LIEUTENANT JULIE PLEASANT AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR CARVANA, CLOUD OF HPDS PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMAND.
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CAME UP WITH THE DART CONCEPT AND, UH, PILOTED IT.I WAS FORTUNATE AT NORTH DIVISION.
I WAS THE COMMANDER THERE WHEN WE DID THE PILOT AT NORTH DIVISION.
AND NOW, OF COURSE, IT'S GONE CITYWIDE.
UM, NEXT, I I'M GONNA HAVE TO SKIP OVER THIS ONE IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, BUT IT'S MORE INFORMATION ON DART.
UH, I, I DO, YOU KNOW, ASK THAT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, UH, NEXT FORENSIC NURSES.
SO WE HAVE NOT JUST THE ADVOCATE AND THE OFFICER RESPONDING TO THE SCENE, BUT THE SUPERVISOR, MANY TIMES IT'S LIEUTENANT PLEASANT, IS ACTUALLY OUT THERE DRIVING AROUND AS WELL.
THE SUPERVISOR WILL HAVE A FORENSIC NURSE RIDING WITH, UH, WITH HER OR HIM.
AND IF NEEDED, IN ORDER TO COLLECT EVIDENCE FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, INVESTIGATION, THE FORENSIC NURSE IS THERE, UH, TO DO THAT APPROPRIATELY.
IT, IT'S RESPECTFUL OF THE VICTIM, IT'S TRAUMA INFORMED, AND IT HELPS US MAKE SURE THAT THE EVIDENCE IS COLLECTED IN A WAY THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY WOULD THEN AND, AND LAB WOULD BE ABLE TO USE TO HELP FURTHER, UH, CONVICTION.
SO WE HAVE A PROFESSIONAL DOING THAT.
NEXT, LIKE I SAID, DART IS FOCUSING ON OUR HIGH RISK CASES, MAINLY, UM, FAMILY VIOLENCE, CONTINUOUS FAMILY VIOLENCE, STRANGULATION, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
AND BECAUSE OF THIS, I'LL SHOW YOU SOME STATISTICS HERE IN A SECOND.
WE ARE CONVINCED THAT THE WORK OF DART PARTNERING WITH THE PATROL OFFICERS FOCUSING IN ON THOSE SPECIFIC SCENES, HAS, UH, THE ABILITY TO DECREASE HOMICIDES AND PREVENT FURTHER VICTIMIZATIONS THAT COULD EASILY TURN INTO HOMICIDES.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT IN 2019, SERGEANT BREWSTER WAS MURDERED, AS WAS, OR SERGEANT PRESTON WAS MURDERED, UH, I'M SORRY, SERGEANT BREWSTER IN 2019, SERGEANT PRESTON IN 2020.
AND THEY WERE MURDERED AS A RESULT OF INVESTIGATIONS THAT THEY WERE CONDUCTING SCENES THAT WERE RESPONDING TO, UH, RELATED TO FAMILY VIOLENCE.
SO STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT 32 50% OF THE PERPETRATORS WHO KILL POLICE OFFICERS HAVE A DOCUMENTED PUBLIC RECORD OF INTIMATE PARTNER STRANGULATION.
SO WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO CERTAIN CRIMES, ESPECIALLY, WE WANNA RESPOND TO ALL VICTIMS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFFING FOR IT.
AND ALL CRIMES ARE IMPORTANT, BUT WE'RE FOCUSING IN ON SPECIFIC CRIMES BECAUSE OF THE RESULT THAT THE INVESTIGATIONS ARE OUR, OUR ASSISTANCE ARE GOING TO BRING.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE VERY DANGEROUS CRIMES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND WE'RE FINDING THAT MANY OF THE VICTIMS, UH, THE, THE SUSPECTS ARE ENGAGED IN BEHAVIORS THAT THEY BLEED OVER INTO, NOT JUST THE, THE VICTIM THEMSELVES, THE CITIZEN, BUT THE PATROL OFFICERS AS WELL.
AND VERY EARLY IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE ALSO HAD A SCENE, AGAIN, RELATED TO A FAMILY VIOLENCE CALL, WHERE AN OFFICER OFFICERS WERE FOLLOWING THE SUSPECT WHO WAS LEADING HIM ON A CAR CHASE.
HE WRECKED, HE FIRED AT THE OFFICERS WITH A MODIFIED WEAPON.
SO IT WAS A FULLY AUTOMATIC WEAPON.
THREE OF THE OFFICERS WERE SHOT, THEN HE CARJACKED A CITIZEN AND CONTINUED.
OF COURSE, HE WAS, HE WAS APPREHENDED.
THIS WAS FAMILY VIOLENCE RELATED CASE.
NEXT, UM, LIEUTENANT PLEASANT FOUND OUT DURING HER TIME THERE ON THE STREETS THAT MANY OF THE SCENES THAT WE WERE GOING TO SURPRISINGLY, UM, WERE SWAT SCENES.
AND WE FOUND OUT THAT 50% OF THE SWAT CALL OUT SCENES ARE RELATED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
THE SUSPECT WILL BARRICADE THEMSELVES OR THEY'VE TAKEN HOSTAGES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO PATROL OFFICERS RESPOND, SECURE IT, BUT IT'S SWAT THEN THAT THAT HANDLES THAT PARTICULAR SCENE.
AND WHAT SHE FOUND WAS THAT IF WE CAN TALK TO THE VICTIM, AND MANY TIMES WE CAN, THEY CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S THE MENTAL STATE OF THE SUSPECT, ARE THERE WEAPONS? WHAT'S THE LAYOUT OF THE INTERIOR OF THE HOME? AND SO SHE, LIEUTENANT PLEASANT AND HER SUPERVISORS NOW ENSURE THAT THE VICTIM IS CONTACTED, AND THAT INFORMATION IS RELAYED TO SWAT.
SWAT CAN USE THAT IN ORDER TO MORE SAFELY RESPOND AND HOPEFULLY SAVE LIVES.
AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY GOOD AT THAT.
NEXT, IN CLOSING, AND THERE'S, THERE'S SOME OF THESE SLIDES HAVE LINKS TO THEM, SO I DON'T HAVE TIME TO PLAY THEM, BUT THIS IS A GREAT ONE.
IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE, CLICK ON THE LINK THERE AND SEE, SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR PARTNERS, OR WHAT OUR PARTNERS ARE DOING WITH US.
WE CANNOT DO OUR JOB WITHOUT OUR PARTNERS.
HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, THE BRIDGE, EVERYBODY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
LIKE I SAID, THE FOLLOW ON CARE.
WE, WE PROVIDE CARE AT THE IMMEDIATE ONSET STOP THE, I CALL IT STOP THE BLEEDING.
BUT THEN HOW DO YOU TREAT SOMEBODY? WHY ARE THEY DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING? THAT'S WHAT OUR PARTNERS DO.
AND THEY'RE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION IS, IS, I BELIEVE, SUCCESSFUL AND ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DO.
IT HAS OUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
UM, I REALIZED I WENT OVER THIS VERY QUICKLY, BUT IF, IF YOU WANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT ME.
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THANK YOU, TRULY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR THIS COMMITTEE, TAKING IN AN INTEREST IN VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING, LIKE I SAID, IS VERY UNIQUE.I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT DIVISION.
I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
I'M THE FIRST COMMANDER OF THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED DIVISION.
AND IT, AND IT'S VERY GOOD THE WORK THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING, OUR PARTNERS ARE DOING.
AND I THINK THE EFFECT THAT WE'RE HAVING FOR OUR CITIZENS IS KEY, AND WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTIONS COUNCIL MEMBERS, BECAUSE, UH, LIEUTENANT PLEASANT WAS SO INTEGRAL IN, UH, NOT ONLY DART, BUT ALL OF THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS NEW DIVISION.
UH, LIEUTENANT PLEASANT, I KNOW IS VIRTUAL.
IF YOU CAN HEAR US, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD? AND SHE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO QUEUE IN RIGHT NOW, BUT I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE AS YOU DID COMMANDER, UM, HER WORK, MS. MCLEOD, UH, AND, UH, CHIEF NER, UH, AND IT, AND CHIEF SLINKER, I KNOW THAT THIS, UH, WAS A PRIORITY WHEN YOU ALL, UH, UNDER YOUR VISION.
SO I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING THAT, UH, I BELIEVE COMMANDER IS THIS, THIS IS PRETTY, I'M ASSUMING THIS IS PRETTY INNOVATIVE NATIONWIDE.
DO WE SEE THIS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, OR CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? VERY FEW.
SO LIEUTENANT PLEASANT IS ONE, SHE'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER FOUR YEARS NOW.
UH, THE VICTIM SERVICES UNIT, SHE ESTABLISHED IT.
SHE WORKED ON THAT FOR ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
THEN I JOINED LOS ANGELES AND AUSTIN, UH, HAVE SIMILAR, I DON'T THINK LOS ANGELES HAS THE DART PROGRAM ANYMORE, BUT THEY, THEY HAD SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR, AND SHE WAS ABLE TO RESEARCH THAT, TALK TO PEOPLE, AND BRING THAT MODEL HERE.
AND THEN I HAVE TO SAY, SHE GREATLY EXPANDED IT.
WE HAVE A, COMPARED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE NATION, VERY FEW HAVE FULL-TIME ADVOCATES LIKE WE DO.
AND COMPARED TO ALL OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO, PHILADELPHIA DEPARTMENT'S, BIGGER IS, UH, ABOUT THE SIZE OF US.
WE ARE REALLY PLACING AN EMPHASIS.
CHIEF FINNER IS REALLY PLACING AN EMPHASIS ON CARING FOR THE VICTIMS. SO WE HAVE A VERY LARGE VISION COMPARED TO MOST OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
UH, FIRST IN QUEUE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN.
THANK YOU COMMANDER, AND, AND TO EVERYONE FOR THIS, THIS DIVISION.
THIS IS, THIS IS CRITICAL AND, AND GREAT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THE, THE CRISIS INTERVENTION AND FOLLOW UP.
WE OFTEN HEAR FROM, UH, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND THINGS, PEOPLE TRYING TO GET INFORMATION FROM OUR INVESTIGATIVE STAFF.
SO IF YOU COULD TALK ME THROUGH A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, UH, I MEAN, I KNOW EVERYBODY'S GOT A MILLION CASES AND INVESTIGATORS HAVE A LOT TO DO, BUT FOR EACH FAMILY, IT'S SUCH A BIG DEAL TO BE ABLE TO GET REGULAR INFORMATION.
SO HOW, HOW ARE YOU PROACTIVE? DO YOU, I MEAN, HOW DO YOU GET INVOLVED IN MAKING SURE THAT FAMILIES KNOW THE STATUS OF THEIR CASE, EVEN IF THERE'S NO STA UPDATES OR, I MEAN, AS A FA, IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED TO ME AND SOMEBODY WAS MURDERED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED IN MY FAMILY, YOU KNOW, YOU'D WANT SOME KIND OF PERIODIC UPDATES ABOUT IT.
I KNOW A LOT OF THAT'S WITH THE DA AS WELL, BUT, BUT WHAT DO WE DO AS, AS POLICE? YES.
SO, VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION, LIKE I SAID, IS CONCENTRATING ON SOME SPECIFIC CRIMES.
NOT EVERY CRIME WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, LIKE PROPERTY CRIMES, WE ARE, WE'RE NOT INVOLVED WITH THAT.
HOWEVER, UM, SO WHEN WE DO OUTREACH TO A VICTIM, WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THEIR NEEDS AND MEETING THOSE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THE INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION IS CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION.
LIKE I SAID, THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH OF WHO'S THE SUSPECT IN BUILDING THE CASE.
SO THOSE TWO THINGS ARE GOING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND THEY'RE DIFFERENT.
BUT WE DO KNOW THE, UH, OTHER COMMANDERS OF THE DIVISIONS, THE ADVOCATES USED TO WORK IN THESE OTHER DIVISIONS, THEY CROSSTALK ALL THE TIME.
SO IF THE, IF THE VICTIM HAS A QUESTION ABOUT THE INVESTIGATIVE SIDE OF THEIR CASE, THEN WE CAN REFER THEM OVER TO, THEY SHOULD ALREADY HAVE, BUT WE CAN REFER THEM OVER TO THEIR INVESTIGATOR AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHO THAT IS.
I CONTACT MY FELLOW COMMANDERS ALL THE TIME AND SAY, HEY, CAN YOU HAVE YOUR INVESTIGATOR REACH OUT TO MR. AND MRS AND UPDATE THEM? UM, IF IT'S A CASE WHERE, LET'S SAY IT WAS A BURGLARY CASE, WE DON'T DEAL WITH THOSE.
BUT IF SOME REASON THAT PERSON CALLS US UP AND ASKS FOR HELP, THEN YES, WE'RE GONNA ASK THEM, WHAT'S YOUR CASE NUMBER? AND THEN WE'LL RESEARCH THROUGH OUR SYSTEM, FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DIVISION THAT IS, AND, AND THEN I CONTACT THAT COMMANDER, OR WE CAN CONTACT THAT, UH, INVESTIGATOR AND ASK THEM TO REACH OUT TO THE CITIZEN.
SO THAT'S, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT KIND OF INVOLVED IN THAT.
THAT'S MORE IN THE INVESTIGATIVE STAFF THAT PEOPLE ARE FOLLOWING UP WITH.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THAT YOU SERVED AS LIKE AN OMBUDSMAN TO TRY TO GET INFORMATION FOR 'EM.
YOU PROB LIKE, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DO ON THE MURDER CASES, AND YES.
[00:25:01]
THOSE, THOSE DEATHS, UM, THE MURDER CASES, THE VEHICULAR CRIMES CASES, WE'RE DEFINITELY WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE YEAH.WITH THE INVESTIGATORS ON THOSE.
AND, AND I JUST WANNA COMMEND, I, I'VE SEEN YOUR VICTIM SERVICES TEAM AT A LOT OF COMMUNITY EVENTS.
I FEEL LIKE YOU ARE VERY PROACTIVE ABOUT LETTING, UM, APARTMENT COMMUNITIES, ALL KINDS OF COMMUNITIES KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU DO.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY SMART.
UM, PEOPLE ARE GETTING TO YOU GUYS BEFORE THEY EVEN BECOME A VICTIM OR KNOW OF SOMEBODY THAT NEEDS YOU.
AND, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OUTREACH.
UH, DART FALLS IN DART'S ITS OWN PROGRAM, BUT IT FALLS WITHIN VICTIM SERVICES.
UH, WHAT IS THE OPERATING BUDGET OF, OF VICTIM SERVICES? AN ANNUAL BUDGET.
I KNOW IT'S, WE DON'T DO THE BUDGET THAT WAY, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE AN ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR, UH, WE JUST, SO, BECAUSE WE JUST GOT FORMED AS A DIVISION RECENTLY, WELL, TWO YEARS AGO, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR OWN DIVISIONAL BUDGET.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I PREPARED FOR THIS BRIEFING EXCEPT FOR THAT QUESTION,
I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO, WE CAN CERTAINLY GET BACK TO ME ON THAT.
WE ONLY, AND WE'LL SUBMIT A QUESTION ON IT.
UH, ANYONE ELSE IN QUEUE? I DON'T SEE ANYONE.
I THINK, UH, LIEUTENANT PLEASANT MAY BE TRYING TO CALL HIM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, COMMANDER, UM, I MEAN, YOU HIT NUMBERS LIKE OVER 20,000, UH, VIOLENT CRIME VICTIMS, 64% OF THAT IS RELATED TO FAMILY VIOLENCE.
AND THEN, UH, JUST BRINGING THAT HOME, 50% OF SWAT RESPONSE IS RELATED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S, UH, FUNDING SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES THAT YOU ALL HELP, UH, THEM NAVIGATE AND BRING, DRAW DOWN ON.
UH, DO YOU ALSO, I'M ASSUMING, WITH, UH, AWA VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN'S ACT AND OTHER FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE ALSO INVOLVED THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE, UH, BEING ABLE TO ACCESS.
UM, IN, IN FACT, UM, I TOOK A LOOK AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO, AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I GIVE YOU THIS INFORMATION AS WELL.
WE, WE, UH, ARE THE RECIPIENT OF SEVERAL GRANTS, AND IT FUNDS ABOUT HALF OF OUR ADVOCATE'S SALARIES.
SO, UM, AND, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT WE ARE DEPENDENT UPON THE GRANT AND RENEWING IT, AND IT'S GOOD FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS.
BUT BEYOND THAT, THEN YOU BEGIN TO WONDER, OKAY, HOW STABLE IS THIS? SO TRYING TO GET THE BUDGET SWITCHED OVER TO, UM, NON NON-GRANT, SO IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE.
BUT YES, THOSE GRANTS, FOR EXAMPLE, DART, UH, IS GRANT FUNDED, AND WE RELY UPON THOSE GRANTS IN ORDER TO DO WHAT WE, WHAT WE DO.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA TURN THAT OFF.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP SUSTAINING THAT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
BUT WE ARE HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON GRANTS RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ALSO GONNA BRING UP.
I'M SEEING A LOT OF GRANTS IN SOME OF THE SLIDES.
UM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, DART, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE TIME 7:00 PM TO 3:00 AM WHICH ARE THOSE, I'M GOING TO ASSUME PEAK TIMES, UH, FOR CALLS, BUT I'M GUESSING, AND I'M ALSO LOOKING AT CHIEF FINNER, UH, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY A NEED TO EXPAND THAT, UH, COVERAGE.
SO LIEUTENANT PLEASANT, WHAT SHE DID WHEN SHE CREATED THE PROGRAM, SHE RUNS THE, THE STATISTICS OF THOSE CRIMES THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN, IN IMPACTING THE VICTIMS THAT WE NEED TO TALK TO.
WHEN ARE THEY OCCURRING, WHAT TIMES, WHAT DAYS, AND WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN SHE CAME TO NORTH DIVISION, I WAS THE COMMANDER AT THE TIME THERE, SHE PICKED NORTH DIVISION SIX B 20 SPEED, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THE STATISTICS SHOWED THAT'S WHERE THE GREATEST NEED WAS.
AND DURING THE EVENING SLASH NIGHT.
SO WE DID THE PILOT PROGRAM THERE, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND IT.
THERE'S A NEED NOT FOR AS MUCH DURING THE DAYTIME AS WE HAVE DURING THE, THE DARK HOURS.
UM, BUT THERE, IF WE HAD THE BUDGET FOR IT, WE WOULD HAVE DART RUNNING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK ON ALL SHIFTS.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD ALLOCATE TO HOWEVER THE STATISTICS SHOW.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE GREATEST NEED IS THAT 7:00 PM TO 3:00 AM TIME.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING IN ON.
SO, BUT AGAIN, THERE IS A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL, ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
UH, I'M, I, YOU KNOW, THIS POPPED UP ON MY RADAR MORE WHEN WE HAD RECENTLY COUNSEL APPROVED THE CLOSE TO MILLION DOLLAR GRANT THAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT, THAT CONGRESSWOMAN FLETCHER, AND I BELIEVE YOU SAID, UH, JACKSON LEE, SHE, THE JACKSON LEE HAD HELPED.
BUT WE NEED MORE KIND, SECURE FUNDING, ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.
AND AGAIN, I, I JUST WANNA COMMEND THE DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP IN THIS SPACE.
SO WE REALIZE THE GENERAL FUND IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH MONEY WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THAT'S WHY LIEUTENANT PLEASANT HAS SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME RESEARCHING ALL THOSE VARIOUS GRANTS, APPLYING FOR THEM.
[00:30:01]
BEEN QUITE SUCCESSFUL.BUT LIKE I SAID, THAT'S TO SUSTAIN, THAT'S NOT THE IDEAL WAY OF DOING IT.
AND YES, WE WOULD LOVE TO EXPAND.
UM, IT'S JUST RESOURCE INTENSIVE.
UH, OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, PRESENTATION, EXCUSE ME, CHIEF FINNER AND, UH, EXECUTIVE CHIEF SLINKER.
UM, ALSO, UM, WANT TO THANK THE, UH, COMMUNITY, UM, AND EVERYBODY THAT CALLED ABOUT OUR OFFICERS.
UM, OUR MORNING PRETTY MUCH STARTED AT, UH, 1:30 AM UM, AFTER THAT SHOOTING.
AND, UH, JUST TO SEE THE AFTERMATH, UM, ALL THE SHOTS TO THE POLICE VEHICLE.
UM, THANK GOD THAT THEY'RE ALL RIGHT.
AND, UM, SUSPECT WAS, UM, INJURED, UM, AND, AND STILL IN THE HOSPITAL.
BUT, UH, THANK GOD THAT THE OFFICERS ALL RIGHT.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THAT WE ALWAYS FROM THE COUNCIL, UH, AND STAFF, UM, AND CERTAINLY OUR HOMELAND SECURITY, UM, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE.
I KNOW WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TODAY.
SO, 2020, UH, TWO HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, FOCUSED IN ON PRIMARILY, UH, THREE AREAS, UH, COMBATING VIOLENT CRIME, INCREASING, UH, THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY, UH, ALSO FOCUSED ON RECRUITING AND RETENTION.
UH, THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF, UM, OFFICERS AND OUR CIVILIAN STAFF.
UM, ALSO OUR LOCAL, FEDERAL, STATE, UH, PARTNERSHIPS AND ALL GREAT CITIZENS.
UH, WE HAVE MADE, UM, REDUCTIONS IN ALMOST EVERY CATEGORY AND VIOLENT CRIME, UM, IN 2020, UH, COMPARED TO 2021.
VIOLENT CRIME IS OVERALL IS DOWN 8.53%.
SEXUAL ASSAULT, 19 POINT, UH, FIVE, 5%.
UM, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS ARE DOWN, UH, 8.56%.
IN THE AREAS OF TECHNOLOGY OR, UM, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF COUNCIL, ALSO MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, UH, PRIVATE BUSINESSES, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, UH, LICENSE PLATE READER, UM, AND FLOCK CAMERAS AROUND THE CITY.
AS FAR AS COUNCIL, WE HAVE 380, UH, AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS HAVE BEEN PURCHASED.
OF THOSE, UM, 264 COUNCIL DISTRICT CAMERAS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED.
UM, INSTALLATION WILL BE COMPLETED, UH, BY THE END OF DECEMBER.
UH, THAT WILL BE A HUNDRED AND, UH, SIX CAMERAS.
THE REMAINING 10 CAMERAS ARE, UH, WILL, UH, LOCATIONS ARE BEING RESEARCHED BY, UH, PARK HOUSTON, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, AREAS OF DEPARTMENT, UH, ADDITIONAL 25, UH, FLY CAMERAS WERE PURCHASED USING A GRANT, UM, AND WILL BE DEPLOYED IN THE, UH, NORTHEAST AREA.
UH, THIS SOMETIME IN THIS SUMMER, I'M SORRY, THIS PAST SUMMER, THEY WERE DEPLOYED ALSO AN AREA OF TECHNOLOGY SHOT SPOTTER, WHICH AUTOMATICALLY, UH, THE DETECTS GUNSHOT, UM, IN THE AREAS, UH, AND ALERTS THE POLICE.
UM, LATE IN DECEMBER, 2020, UM, WE, UH, UH, PLACED ONE IN OUR SOUTHEAST AREA PATROL AREA.
UH, RECENTLY WE EXPANDED TO, UH, NORTH PATROL DIVISION, UM, THAT WHICH RESULTED IN, UM, 5,203, UH, PUBLISHED ALERTS.
OF THAT 94 ARRESTS, 64 WERE, UH, FELONY CHARGES.
UM, 4,216 FIRED CARTRIDGE CASES, UM, WERE RECOVERED.
94 GUNS, I'M SORRY, 93 GUNS WERE RECOVERED AND TAGGED.
EIGHT 108, UM, SORRY, EIGHT, 814 OFFENSE REPORTS WERE ENTERED INTO, UH, NYMAN SYSTEM IN THE AREA OF, UH, COMMUTE.
UH, IN THE AREA OF COMMUNITY, UH, PARTNERSHIPS WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN, UM, THAT, UM, THE WAY TO PREVENT CRIME AND, AND REDUCE CRIME IS, UM, PARTNERING WITH, UH, HOUSTON COMMUNITIES.
UM, HPD HAS IN, UH, ENHANCED THOSE EFFORTS, UM, THROUGH A HOST OF YOUTH PROGRAMS, UM, REACHING OUT, WORKING WITH KIDS, UM, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, UH, TO MAKE BETTER LIFE CHOICES AND, AND ACTING AS COACHES AND MENTORS.
[00:35:01]
AND I KNOW SOME OF THAT IS NOT IN THE SLIDES, BUT IT'S, IT'S TRUE ON OUR, UH, YOUTH PROGRAMS. VERY INTENTIONAL, UM, WITH OUR ENTIRE TEAM TO REACH OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TOUCHING YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN AND, AND, UM, AND EVERY, UH, UM, YOUNG KIDS, I MEANT TO SAY, IN EVERY COMMUNITY.ALSO, I WANT TO, UH, UH, MAKE NOTE OF, UH, TWO, UH, SUCCESSFUL, UH, GUN BUYBACK, UM, UM, INITIATIVES.
WE WERE, UM, THERE WERE 2000, UM, 61 GUNS TAKEN OFF THE STREET.
WE HEARD A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THAT, BUT, UH, I THINK THAT WAS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, THOSE AMOUNT OF GUNS AND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE 'EM OUTTA THE HAND OF CRIMINALS, UM, THEY DON'T FALL IN THE HANDS OF KIDS WHO CAN NUMB, UH, END UP HURTING THEMSELVES.
ALSO, UM, WE'RE, UM, INTENTIONAL IN REACHING OUT TO THE PUBLIC IN WAYS THAT THEY CAN, UH, PREVENT CRIME AND, AND, AND, UM, NOT BECOME TARGETS.
AND, UM, IN A WAY OF THEFTS, CADILLAC CONVERTERS, UH, KEEPING GUNS.
UH, AND OUT OF, UH, VEHICLES, UH, WE HAD, UH, WHAT WAS THAT NUMBER? UM, UH, 30, A LITTLE OVER 3000, 3,600.
I THINK GUNS WERE STOLEN LAST YEAR.
UM, SO IF WE EDUCATE PEOPLE TO KEEP THOSE GUNS OUT OF THE CARS AND DO THINGS, UM, THAT, UM, CAN PREVENT SOME OF THE CRIMES AND DEFINITELY, UM, YOU KNOW, TO PROTECT YOUR LOVED ONES AND, AND, AND OTHER PROPERTIES.
I KNOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, OUR, OUR VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION, AND I WANT TO THANK THEM.
A LOT OF THIS KIND OF FALLS WITH WITHIN THEM TOO, BUT A LOT OF INITIATIVES AND, AND, UH, BECAUSE OF ONE SAFE HOUSTON AND THE MAYOR'S, UH, UM, UH, VISION AND HIS INITIATIVES.
AND ALSO, UH, CITY COUNCIL, JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK THEM.
AND I'LL MENTION VERY BRIEFLY, UM, AND SEND THE SLIDES AND WE CAN REVIEW, UH, LATER.
UM, OUR CORE PROGRAM, UM, OUR SERVE PROGRAM AND MOP PROGRAM, REALLY, IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM TO, UM, OFFICERS ARE ALWAYS CALLED UPON TO RESPOND TO PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING OR IN CRISIS AND MENTAL ILLNESS.
AND, AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE NEVER WORK FULLY EQUIPPED TO DO THAT.
SO WE HAVE THOSE GREAT, GREAT PARTNERSHIPS AND, AND ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND THAT.
UM, I WANT TO, UH, IN TERMS OF RECRUITING, UM, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO RECRUIT THE MAYOR.
UM, COUNCIL HAS, UH, BUDGETED FOR, UH, FIVE CLASSES EACH YEAR.
UM, I WANNA ALSO, UM, STATE, AND IT'S NOT IN THE, IN THE, UM, SLIDES.
WE HAVE 183, UH, CADETS CURRENTLY IN THE ACADEMY.
AND WE HOPE THAT ALL OF THEM GRADUATE.
IT'S VERY CHALLENGING, BUT WE, WE NEED THEM.
UM, THE MAYOR AND I, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, UM, A PROMOTION, UH, UM, SOME PUBLIC EVENT THAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS, UH, AND MENTION HIS 10,000, UH, DOLLAR BONUS, UH, FOR CADETS COMING INTO THE ACADEMY.
WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST ALL OTHER CITIES AND, AND, UH, WE GOT A GREAT CITY, UH, UH, WITH GREAT RESOURCES HERE, BUT THE MONEY HAS TO BE THERE ON THE FRONT END, AND I WAS VERY PROUD, PROUD OF THAT.
SO WE, WE'LL SEE THAT ALSO IN TERMS OF RETENTION.
MATT HAS A LITTLE BIT SHY THAN I DO, BUT WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR THEM TO RETIRE, THEY'RE GONNA RETIRE.
BUT IF WE CAN DO ANYTHING TO HOLD SOME OF THEM BACK FOR A FEW YEARS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
UH, REALLY, UH, UH, PROUD, UH, THROUGH, UH, THE NEW MEETING CONFER CONTRACT OVER THE NEXT, UH, THREE YEARS.
YOU GET A 4%, A 3%, AND ALSO A 3.5% RAISE.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT'LL HELP US, UH, UM, RETAIN SOME OF THEM.
WE'RE ALL CHALLENGED IN, IN ALL OF OUR, UH, UH, BUDGETS.
UM, SO, UM, WE'VE MANAGED, UH, TO SEX, UH, SUCCESSFULLY PROCURE, UH, 58 GRANTS TOTAL MORE THAN, UH, UH, 67.5 MILLION.
UM, THESE GRANTS ARE FURTHER TO USE, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS.
SO I THINK THAT IS, UH, THE FINAL SLIDE AND WE'LL OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY, UH, PARTNER IN CRIME CHIEF, MY NUMBER TWO, UH, CHIEF SLINKER, UH, WHO'S BEHIND THE SCENES AND, UH, REALLY DON'T, DON'T GET A LOT OF, UH, UPFRONT, UH, PUBLICITY, BUT I CAN TELL HE'S VALUED TO, UH, ME AS THE CHIEF, AND HE'S VALUED TO OUR DEPARTMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR ENTIRE TEAM.
AND THEN ALSO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, UM, WHICH INCLUDE FIRE.
AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR BEING HERE, BUT ANYBODY THAT HAS, UH, UH, THE JOB OF SERVING OUR CITIZENS AND INCLUDING OUR SUPPORT STAFF.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT.
YEAH, NO, OBVIOUSLY THE CHIEF COVERED EVERYTHING.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO,
[00:40:01]
TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE, THE CRIME NUMBERS THAT THE CHIEF GAVE, UH, TALKING ABOUT MURDERS TODAY, 11% AS WE SIT HERE, UH, DOWN YEAR TO DATE, UH, KEEP IN MIND, AS WE'VE SAID, AND, AND WE'VE SAID PUBLICLY, AND I KNOW THE MAYOR HAS, UH, WE'RE STILL WORKING TO GET TO THOSE PRE COVID NUMBERS, RIGHT, THE 2019 AND BEYOND.SO NOBODY IS SAYING AT THE OUTSET THAT, UM, IT IS A GREAT GAUGE TO GAUGE YOURSELF AGAINST LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS A RECORD YEAR.
BUT AGAIN, WE ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND THE LAST TIME THAT WE WERE HERE MANY MONTHS AGO, IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR FOR AN UPDATE WHERE WE INDICATED VIOLENT CRIME WAS DOWN IN EVERY CATEGORY, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, AT THAT TIME, OVERALL, VIOLENT CRIME WAS DOWN ABOUT 4.5%.
TODAY, I THINK THE CHIEF DISTRICT REPORTED TO YOU, IT'S 8.5 OR 8.6, AND MURDERS AT THAT TIME OF THAT MEETING, WERE DOWN 3%, UH, YEAR TO DATE.
NOW WE'RE HERE A FEW MONTHS LATER AND WE'RE DOWN 11% ON MURDERS AND 8.5 ON OVERALL VIOLENT CRIMES.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
AND LASTLY, THE ONLY THING THAT I WILL ADD, UM, TO REITERATE WHAT YOU FINNER SAID, UM, AND BECAUSE THEY'RE HERE, I WANNA PUBLICLY SAY THIS, WE HAVE DIRECTOR GEORGE BUNI, UH, THAT'S HERE, UH, DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY, ALONG WITH, UH, DIRECTOR MOCK FROM THE HEC CENTER, AND THEN OUR PARTNERS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, CHIEF PENA AND HIS STAFF, AND HIS COMMAND STAFF THAT IS HERE, UM, WHAT WE JUST ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE ASTROS PARADE.
WHAT WE JUST ACCOMPLISHED, UM, MANY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND UNLESS YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
UM, THE GREAT LIFT THAT IS TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THAT THIS CITY DID STRESS YEAH.
AND WE COULD NOT DO WHAT WE DID TO KEEP THAT SAFE WITHOUT THESE PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A COLLECTIVE TEAM, INCLUDING SUSAN CHRISTIAN IN THE MARRIAGE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS.
AND REALLY QUICKLY, UM, I WAS SITTING NEXT TO THE JUDGE, JUDGE MARSHALL, I'LL PRESIDE IN MISS MUNICIPAL COURT, JUST IN CASE I GOT A TICKET OR WHATNOT.
AND SHE TOLD ME, CHIEF, YOU KNOW, I'M THE LAST ONE.
SO I, I, YOU KNOW, JUDGES HAVE A LOT OF POWER, SO THANK YOU, JUDGE, AND THANK YOU.
TRIAL VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION, THE GREAT LEADERSHIP.
AND, AND THANK YOU CHIEF TO BOTH OF YOU AND CHIEF SLINKER BRINGING UP THE PARADE.
'CAUSE IT WASN'T JUST THE PARADE, IT WAS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES.
UH, SO YOU HAD WORLD SERIES BEFORE THAT, A LCS, I MEAN, IT WAS NON-STOP FOR ALL OF YOU.
CHIEF UNI'S TEAM, CHIEF PENA'S TEAM, UH, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
SO REALLY, UM, OUR HEARTFELT APPRECIATION FOR THAT AND TO THE RESIDENTS, UH, EVERYONE STEPPED UP AND SHOWED WHAT HOUSTON IS AND CAN BE, UH, WITH THAT FIRST IN QUEUE ONLINE, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK.
UM, AND SORRY, I'M NOT THERE IN PERSON TODAY.
UM, CHIEF FIRST, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I AM SO THANKFUL THAT OUR OFFICERS, UM, WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING THIS MORNING ARE OKAY.
IF ANYONE HAS NOT SEEN THE PHOTOS OF THE POLICE CAR THAT WAS COMPLETELY SHOT UP, UM, IT'S ON TWITTER, AND I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO WALK AWAY WITH THAT, WITH, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING INJURED.
BUT I'M SO THANKFUL THAT THEY ARE OKAY AND GREAT WORK TO THEM.
UM, CHIEF YOU MENTIONED, UM, THE SHOT SPOTTER NUMBERS, AND THOSE NUMBERS WERE REALLY GREAT.
I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT.
DOES THAT INCLUDE THE SHOT SPOTTERS THAT SPRING BRANCH ISD PURCHASED THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM ON? OR IS THAT JUST HP D'S SHOT SPOTTERS? I THINK THOSE NUMBERS ARE INCLUDED, BUT, UH, BEFORE I, I JUST SAY FOR SURE, LET ME VERIFY IT AND, AND I'LL SEND IT TO YOU.
BUT THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP, BECAUSE SPRING BRANCH SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS ALLOWED US TO, UH, UH, MONITOR, UM, THOSE, UH, SHOT SPOTTERS, UH, IN, IN, IN THEIR AREA TOO.
SO, UH, I WANT TO SAY A BIG THANKS, BUT LET ME GET THOSE NUMBERS TO YOU, UH, VERIFIED NUMBERS.
YEAH, WE HAVE THE THREE IN SPRING FRANCHISE D AND DISTRICT A, AND THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING OVERTIME, JUST LIKE WE THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD, UM, BECAUSE THOSE ARE KIND OF, UM, AREAS OF HIGH GUN VIOLENCE.
SO, UM, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET THE PUBLIC THAT MM-HMM
UPDATED INFORMATION IF IT DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT.
UM, CHIEF YOU ALSO MENTIONED 183 CADETS ARE IN THE ACADEMY RIGHT NOW.
UM, WHERE DOES THAT TAKE US AS FAR AS NUMBERS OF POLICE OFFICERS, UM, THAT WE WILL HAVE BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND WHERE WE SHOULD BE? LIKE WHAT IS OUR GAP AFTER THOSE CADETS COME THROUGH? I THINK WE HAD YEAR, KIND OF YEAR TO DATE, WE HAD CHECK THOSE NUMBERS.
UM, 74 RETIREMENTS, UH, THUS FAR.
UM, SO IF WE KEEP GOING, THE RATE THAT WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GONNA ADD, UM, TO, BUT, UH, AGAIN, I'M GOING TO CHECK THOSE NUMBERS FOR YOU AS WELL, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE NUMBERS THAT I HAVE, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, UH, 74, SO, SO FAR.
SO, UM, IF WE CAN KEEP THEM IN AND GET 'EM EDUCATED AND SUCCESSFUL THROUGH THE ACADEMY, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD
[00:45:01]
BE.AND FINALLY, I JUST WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS, UM, FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK THIS YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST BEEN, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CRIME, AND SO THEY'VE BEEN WORKING OVERTIME, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT A.
WE HAVE OUR OVERTIME INITIATIVE AND THEY HAVE REALLY BEEN PUTTING IN MANY, MANY HOURS.
AND I JUST WANNA SHARE MY APPRECIATION FOR ALL OF OUR HPD OFFICERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER PECK NEXT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR HAVING THIS PRESENTATION.
IT'S A GREAT WAY TO KIND OF WRAP UP WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
AND WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON TO ADDRESS CRIME, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE IT KIND OF CONCISELY PUT LIKE THIS.
UM, AND ALSO CONGRATULATIONS ON THE DECREASE IN, IN VIOLENT CRIME.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S HAD EYES ON THAT, AND THAT'S DEFINITELY GOOD NEWS AND, AND TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, TALK, CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT STATS ON PROPERTY CRIME, WHERE WE ARE ON THE NON-VIOLENT CRIME? LET ME, LEMME GET THOSE, UM, UM, TO YOU.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE UP IN, UH, I KNOW, UM, BURGLARY OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND IT'S DRIVEN BY THE, THE, UM, ATE, CONVERT, INVERTED THEFTS, UH, WHICH, SO IT'S LITTLE IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE NATION.
UM, BUT LET ME GIVE YOU THE, THE STATS, SO WE'LL GET TO YOU.
I APPRECIATE YOUR SLIDE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH UMHMM,
UH, I KNOW WE'VE, UH, DEDICATED CONSIDERABLE 20 PLUS MILLION OF ARPA FUNDING IN THAT.
AND THOSE ARE NOT, THOSE ARE NOT PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GONNA WANNA GO AWAY AFTER 2024, AND THAT THOSE FUNDS HAVE GONE AWAY.
SO OUR, I'M SURE WE'RE PLANNING ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO, UM, AND, AND, AND IT'LL BE A COUNCIL PRIORITY TO, I JUST PRAYED GOING, I SPRAYED THAT.
UM, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDING IS THERE FOR THOSE PROGRAMS, UH, UM, AND EVEN WHEN WE CAN INCREASE THE NUMBERS BECAUSE IT HELPS OUR OFFICERS, UM, BUT IT HELPS THOSE, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN CRISIS, UH, THAT WE CAN BRING, UH, THOSE INCIDENTS TO RESOLUTION A, A SAFE, UH, SAFE RESOLUTION FOR EVERYBODY.
AND, AND KIND OF LIKE THE, UM, THE QUESTION I HAD FOR THE VICTIM SERVICES, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, BUT IF I COULD GET THE, THE KIND OF OPERATING BUDGETS FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE THREE PROGRAMS, WE WILL, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, AN ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET, REMIND ME, THE START, THE SALARY SOMEBODY MAKES WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY COME TO THE POLICE ACADEMY, AND THEN ONCE THEY GRADUATE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S 42 5 IF I'M, I'M NOT CORRECT.
UM, UM, IF I'M CORRECT, I MEANT TO SAY, BUT WITH THE, UH, 10,000 SIGNING BONUS THAT, THAT 52 5, AND THAT'S RIGHT.
WHEN YOU GO TO THE ACADEMY YES, MA'AM.
AND THEN ONCE YOU GRADUATE, WHAT DOES THAT BUMP TO? UM, THE, THE FIRST YEAR, I'M SORRY, IT'S, UH, IT'S OKAY.
JUMPS UP TO, I'M, I'M SLEEP DEPRIVED.
WE STARTED ONE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING'S, BUT MATT, IF YOU, I DON'T, I'LL GIVE YOU, I'LL SEND YOU THE EXACT NUMBER.
BUT IT GOES INTO THE 60 60, UH, YEAH.
LET ME JUST ADD ONE THING YEP.
THERE AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET YOU A BREAKDOWN.
UM, BUT THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL, UH, INCREASE IN THAT FIRST YEAR, RIGHT? WHAT WAS REALLY LAGGING BEHIND WAS THAT CADET STARTING PAY.
RIGHT? UM, BUT THEN WHAT YOU HAVE TO ALSO CONSIDER, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THESE TO YOU, UH, ONCE YOU'RE OFF PROBATION AND YOU'RE IN THAT FIRST YEAR AND BEYOND, THEN YOU START TO REALLY DELINEATE BASED ON WHEN YOU'RE WORKING AND WHERE YOU'RE WORKING, UNDERSTOOD DEGREES, RIGHT? THOSE SPECIAL PAYS, RIGHT.
WHETHER YOU'RE GETTING PAID, UH, ADDITIONAL FOR DEGREES OR WHETHER YOU'RE GETTING A SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL.
THEN ALL THOSE, WE CAN PAY ALL THOSE PAYS WE'LL ALL IN RIGHT AWAY RIGHT AFTER YOU GRADUATE THOSE KICK IN OR JOURNEY.
SO THOSE WILL KICK IN AFTER YOU GET OFF YOUR PROBATIONARY STATUS.
AND SO THOSE SPECIAL PAYS, IF YOU'RE WORKING WEEKENDS, IF YOU'RE WORKING, SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL, THOSE THINGS AND 'CAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT AND I'LL RECRUIT AND, AND, AND THE COUNSEL AND EVERYBODY ELSE NEED TO KNOW THE FULL PACKAGE, RIGHT? WITH HPD IS, IS REALLY ATTRACTIVE.
AND, AND I KNOW SOME OTHER AGENCIES NOT QUESTIONING INTEGRITY, SOMETIMES THEY PLAY GAMES WITH NUMBERS AND WE WE'RE STRAIGHT UP.
BUT, UM, THANK GOODNESS FOR THE MAYOR AND, AND COUNCIL AND THE SUPPORTIVE AT THAT ADDITIONAL 10,000 SIGNING BONUS AND, AND, AND RECRUITING.
I MEAN, I'VE RUN OUT AT MEMORIAL PARK IN THE EARLY MORNING, SEE YOU RECRUITING GUYS OUT THERE A LOT.
UM, WHAT DO Y'ALL JUST PULL JOGGERS OFF THE TRAIL OR
WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN, UH, UM, PASS THE TEST.
PHYSICAL TESTS AND IT'S A GOOD WAY TO, UH, UH, BEND, UM, MOLD WITH THEM AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.
AND, BUT, BUT ANECDOTALLY, JUST ON THAT, WE, WE'VE HAD A RUN WITH YOUR RECRUITER PROGRAM FOR MANY YEARS.
AND SO IT'S JUST A WAY FOR US TO MEET OUT, UH, POTENTIAL APPLICANTS IN MEMORIAL PARK AND RUN.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ON THE RECRUITMENT FRONT, 'CAUSE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S GONNA GET THIS QUESTION TOO.
UH, IS THERE AN AGE CAP IN TERMS OF CADETS WHO CAN AND CANNOT APPLY? WHAT IS THAT? YOU HAVE TO BE 45.
UM, UM, BEFORE, UM, YOU GOTTA BE, UM, ON THE DATE OF, UM, GRADUATION, YOU HAVE TO, YOU CAN'T BE PAST 45.
[00:50:01]
WHERE IS THAT? DO WE KNOW WHERE THAT COMES FROM? WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S FOR US, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TCO UH, GUIDELINES, I DON'T EVEN THINK THEY HAVE A AGE REQUIREMENT BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE SEEN, UH, SOME OTHER OFFICERS GET IN OTHER AGENCIES.UM, AND, BUT WE, WE TAP OUT, UM, AT, AND I THINK THAT'S A, UH, CITY, CITY CHARTER, SO.
I THINK CHIEF PENA KNOWS WHY I'M ASKING THAT.
UM, THE ONE THING, I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE SUCCESSES AND I KNOW NOT ALL OF THE SUCCESSES OF THIS YEAR, AND WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, RIGHT? WE NEVER STOPPED, BUT, WELL, ONE, ONE THING TO ADD THAT I'VE, I FAILED TO MENTION YEAH.
UM, IS, AND, AND CHIEF FIN, CHIEF FINNER MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE DONE AS FAR AS GUN BUY BACK INITIATIVES AND WHAT WE'VE DONE AS FAR AS, UH, TRYING TO DO OUR VERY BEST ON BURGLARY MOTOR VEHICLE, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, WE'VE PUBLICIZED FOR SEVERAL YEARS THAT TOO MANY GUNS ARE STOLEN EACH YEAR FROM VEHICLES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
BUT I ALSO WANNA, UM, THANK THE CHAIR FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON THE LOCK IT UP SAFE INITIATIVE, I'M SORRY, AND THE LOCK IT UP SAFE INITIATIVE AND WHAT'S BEEN DONE ON THAT, BECAUSE THE, THE CRIME SIDE OF CRIME GUNS AND CRIME GUN INTELLIGENCE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR A TF PARTNERS, UH, HEAVILY ON CRIME GUN INTELLIGENCE.
BUT THE CRIME SIDE OF THAT, RIGHT? UM, IS, IS JUST ONE PIECE.
THE EDUCATION PIECE, WHICH I THINK YOU'VE HIT ON WITH LOCK IT UP SAFE, YOU PROBABLY WANT TO ADD TO THAT, UM, HAS BEEN ENORMOUS BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE TRAGIC ACCIDENTS THAT WE SEE ARE NOT ABOUT IMPROPER OWNERSHIP OR THEFT OR GUNS IN THE WRONG HANDS, IT'S SIMPLY LACK OF EDUCATION ABOUT HOW TO LOCK AND SECURE PROPERLY.
AND SO I THINK THOSE EFFORTS HAVE PAID GOOD DIVIDENDS.
AND I WAS GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S SHOT SPOTTER WITH, I THINK I JUST PULLED ONE OF THE NUMBER 60 FELONY CHARGES.
UM, SO WE, IN Y'ALL'S OPINION, IS THAT WORKING? YES.
AND, UM, THERE ARE OTHER SUCCESSES YOU LISTED, I MUST CREDIT, UM, NOT ONLY YOU ALL BUT MAYOR TURNER FOR HIS LEADERSHIP ON ONE SAFE HOUSTON, RIGHT? YES.
WHICH HAS NOW BEEN FEDERALLY, YOU NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THIS.
UM, BUT CHIEF SLINKER, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP, UH, AND EVEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PROPERTY THEFT, A LOT OF THOSE CAR BREAK-INS ARE FOR GUNS.
UH, AND I HAVE TO CREDIT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL AND, UH, ALSO CHIEF SATTERWHITE, UH, FOR WORKING WITH ME AND OTHERS ON LOCK IT UP SAFE.
UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, OFFICER JONES, OFFICER VO, EVERYONE, THEY'RE OUT AT CIGNA SUNDAYS, WE HAVE TABLES SET UP, PEOPLE ARE ENGAGING.
SO WITH CAR DEMONSTRATE, NOT CAR LOCK DEMONSTRATIONS TO SECURELY STORE.
AND I WANNA LIFT THAT UP BECAUSE AGAIN, AS WE GET INTO THE HOLIDAYS, WE DO SEE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, AN UPTICK IN CRIME OVER THE HOLIDAYS, UM, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO LOCK YOUR GUN UP SAFELY.
BUT, UH, I HAVE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP, UH, IN OUR DISTRICT.
AND I ENCOURAGE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO START WORKING ON THIS AS WELL.
UH, WE ARE PURCHASING GUN LOCKS FOR DISTRIBUTION, WHICH IS PART OF ONE SAFE HOUSTON, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO PTOS AND WORKING WITH WRAPAROUND COUNSELORS IN HISD, UH, TO START NORMALIZING THE CONVERSATION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCKING UP AND SAFELY STORING YOUR FIREARMS IN HOMES.
TEXAS NOW LEADS THE COUNTRY IN UNINTENTIONAL SHOOTINGS BY CHILDREN, BY CHILDREN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL SAW THE CHRONICLE ARTICLE, UH, I THINK IT CAME OUT YESTERDAY OR A FEW DAYS AGO ABOUT IN HARRIS COUNTY ALONE, UM, CHILD VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE.
SO IT, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO ELEVATE THAT, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP.
UM, ONE REQUEST WOULD BE THE DISTRICT BREAKDOWNS THAT YOU ALL PRESENTED TO US WERE SO HELPFUL IF WE COULD GET AN UPDATE ON THAT, UM, EITHER AT THE END OF THE YEAR OR THE START OF NEXT YEAR THAT WE ABSOLUTELY CAN CIRCULATE AS WELL AS, AGAIN, I KNOW OUR BENCHMARK RIGHT NOW HAS TO BE THE PANDEMIC.
BECAUSE NATIONALLY WE HAVE SEEN THIS TREND THAT WE ARE TRYING TO COUNTERACT AND RESPOND TO.
BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO CONTINUE TO SEE THOSE PRE NUMBERS, RIGHT? SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THOSE BENCHMARKS AND SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHERE WE NEED TO GET TO.
UH, BUT AGAIN, MY HEARTFELT APPRECIATION TO ALL OF OUR OFFICERS, UH, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL DO AND THE LEADERSHIP, UH, UNDER MAYOR TURNER, BUT REALLY THAT THIS DEPARTMENT IS DOING, UH, IN SETTING THE TONE NATIONWIDE FOR HOW WE RESPOND.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS CHAIR AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE.
JUST ONE FINAL REMINDER TO ALL OF OUR CITIZENS DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
PLEASE BE SAFE, BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND, UH, DO WHAT YOU CAN, UH, TO PREVENT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS FROM BEING A VICTIM OF CRIME.
YES, YOUR HONOR, AT THIS TIME, UH, CHAIR CALLS CHIEF PENA, UH, WHO WILL PRESENT FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
[00:55:12]
GOOD AFTERNOON.IS THIS ON AFTERNOON? YES, SIR.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR AND, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S, UM, SUMMARY AND YEAR SUMMARY OF RESOURCES.
BEFORE I BEGIN, UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK MY COMMAND STAFF.
I HAVE A EXECUTIVE CHIEF, UH, RODNEY WEST.
I HAVE, UH, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF, UH, WELLS, AS WELL AS OUR FIRE MARSHAL, CHIEF MARTINEZ HERE PRESENT WITH ME.
AND THE REST OF THE STAFF IS, UH, MONITORING ONLINE.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR, MY BROTHER AND PARTNERS IN PUBLIC SAFETY THAT THEY ALREADY RUN OUT THE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, LOOK, WE WANNA, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE, UH, THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT ALL FIRST RESPONDERS ARE DOING.
UM, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THOSE TWO OFFICERS ARE, ARE STILL ALIVE AFTER LAST NIGHT'S SHOOTING.
IF YOU SAW THE, AT LEAST THE PICTURES, YOU CAN SEE WHAT TYPE OF DANGER THAT, UH, THAT THEY FACE EACH AND EVERY DAY.
AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ARE AT THE CORE OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR, THEIR SACRIFICES AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE.
UM, SO WITH THAT MADAM CHAIR, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN, SO AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA DO OUR YEAR END SUMMARY AS IT RELATES TO STAFFING SERVICE DEMAND.
AND FIREFIGHTER HEALTH AND SAFETY.
WE BEGIN WITH THE, UH, STAFFING LEVELS HERE.
WE ARE APPROXIMATELY 260 FIREFIGHTERS DOWN FROM OUR OPTIMAL STAFFING AT THIS POINT.
WE, AS YOU SEE FROM THIS CHART, UM, OVER 25% OF OUR CURRENT HEADCOUNT IS ELIGIBLE FOR RETIREMENT EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
SO THAT IS A RISK THAT WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED AND WE'RE WORKING TO, TO ADDRESS.
THE RECRUITING EFFORTS ARE CONTINUING, AND WE'RE HOPING TO ATTRACT 350 FIREFIGHTERS PER YEAR EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN ALLOCATED FIVE ACADEMY CLASSES OF 70.
WE HAVE, UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 137 RECRUITS AT THE ACADEMY.
WE EXPECT TO START, UH, OUR NEXT CLASS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, THE 28TH, I BELIEVE.
AND WE'RE BRINGING ON ADDITIONAL 49 RECRUITS.
AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE UP THE, THE GAPS THAT WERE, THAT WERE CAUSED BY ISSUES THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
IN 2020, AFTER PROPOSITION B PASSED, WE HAD TO CANCEL FOUR ACADEMY CLASSES, SO WE MISSED OUR RECRUITMENT TARGET IN 2020 BY 280 FIREFIGHTERS.
AND EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN, THE MAYOR TURNER AND COUNCIL HAVE APPROVED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL CLASSES TO MAKE UP THAT GAP.
BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE US, UH, SEVERAL YEARS TO, TO DO THAT.
WE HAVE A NORMAL ATTRITION EACH AND EVERY YEAR OF ABOUT 170.
THAT'S RETIREMENTS, RESIGNATIONS, UH, MEDICAL SEPARATIONS.
SO WE'RE HAVING TO HIRE ABOUT A HUNDRED TO 180 ABOVE EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S OUR GOAL TO TRY TO MAKE UP FOR THE GAP THAT, UH, HAPPENED A FEW YEARS BACK.
UM, AGAIN, EMS IS IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND OUR, OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE.
ALMOST A FULL 90% OF OUR SERVICE DEMAND IS IN EMS WORK.
WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE OF OVER 15% IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, AND IT'S BEEN STRICTLY IN EMS WORK.
WE FIND OURSELVES IN WHAT WE CALL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ABOUT 13% OF THE TIME.
UH, OVERALL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IS A TOOL THAT, AN ADMINISTRATIVE TOOL THAT ALLOWS US TO DO CERTAIN THINGS.
PRIMARILY, IT'S, IT ALLOWS OUR EMTS AT THE HOSPITALS TO LEAVE A PATIENT, A STABLE PATIENT THAT MEETS CERTAIN PARAMETERS.
WHEN WE ARE IN EMS RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, LEAVE THOSE PATIENTS IN THE TRIAGE ROOM INSTEAD OF STANDING BY AND WAITING TO DELIVER THAT PATIENT ON OUR STRETCHER.
SO THE, THE WALL TIME, WHEN WE CALL IT THE TIME THAT WE WAIT TO DELIVER OUR PATIENTS, IS A CONCERN FOR US.
THERE ARE TIMES, ON AVERAGE, WE'RE WAITING ABOUT 30 TO 40 MINUTES.
IT MEANS HALF THE TIME IT, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY WORSE.
SO ESPECIALLY IN THE TIMES WHERE WE HAVE, UH, OUR PEAK TIMES, WHICH ARE FROM EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO ABOUT EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, UH, WE SEE AN INCREASE IN, IN CALL VOLUME.
WE ALSO SEE A DELAY, AN INCREASED DELAY IN OUR OFFLOADING OF OUR PATIENTS AT THE HOSPITALS.
SO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ALLOWS US SOME DISCRETION TO, OR THE MT SOME DISCRETION TO LEAVE THE, UH, A, A STABLE PATIENT AND GET BACK INTO THE ROTATION.
'CAUSE OUR GOAL IS PRIMARILY TO HAVE UNITS IN SERVICE.
UM, IT ALLOWS US TO DO OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, ADMIT WE CANCEL SOME ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, UH, FUNCTIONS.
AND THE GOAL IS, AGAIN, TO PUT MORE UNITS AND HAVE MORE UNITS AVAILABLE IN THE ROTATION.
[01:00:01]
MADE A RECOMMENDATION IN THE PAST, WE NEEDED TO ADD FIVE ADDITIONAL, AT LEAST FIVE ADDITIONAL UNITS TO THE SYSTEM.MAYOR TURNER AND COUNCIL HAVE APPROVED ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR US TO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO STAFF UP FIVE ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES, PEAK TIME AMBULANCES.
SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE 24 HOURS, THEY'RE GONNA BE 12 HOUR UNITS FROM.
AND THE, UM, RIGHT NOW THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO FROM EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA ADD UP FIVE ADDITIONAL UNITS, AND THAT'S GONNA HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE WORKLOAD AS WELL, AND BE ABLE TO, TO KEEP RESPONSE TIMES DOWN AND IMPROVE THE, THE, UH, WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR, FOR OUR PERSONNEL AS WELL.
BY THE SECOND WEEK OF NEXT MONTH OF, OF DECEMBER, WE SHOULD HAVE ALL THE COMPONENTS IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO STAFF UP THOSE ADDITIONAL UNITS.
UM, THE, THE ISSUE THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH IS WE GOT APPROVED FOR THE STAFFING, AND WE'RE GONNA STAFF UNITS ON OVERTIME.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE AMBULANCE UNITS THEMSELVES WE'RE FACING THE SAME SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS FACING.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, THIS YEAR WE ORDERED, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS 30 AMBULANCES CHASSIS, AND WE'RE GETTING SIX.
SO WE'RE HAVING TO COMPETE WITH THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, REALLY FOR, FOR AVAILABLE FOR THE LIMITED SUPPLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE A BETTER, UH, BETTER TIME TO, OR, OR BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO GET PICKUP TRUCKS.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS PUT SOME OF THE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT, THE PARAMEDICS ON THOSE PICKUP TRUCKS, FREE UP FIVE TRANSPORT UNITS, WHICH ARE THE AMBULANCES, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES WE'RE GOING TO USE TO PUT INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S WHY THIS PROGRAM IS, IS TAKING JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
WE'RE HAVING TO REPURPOSE SOME OF OUR EXISTING EQUIPMENT, BUT THOSE SHOULD BE COMING ONLINE THE SECOND, BY THE SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER.
IN TERMS OF OUR RE REPLACEMENT, UH, OUR FLEET REPLACEMENT, AGAIN, WE, UM, WE'VE BEEN MAKING INCREDIBLE STRIDES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
WE'VE REPLACED, AS YOU CAN SEE, OVER 50% OF THE ENGINES THAT WE HAVE IN, IN SERVICE.
UM, NOW WE'RE, WE WILL BE CLOSE TO 50% OF THE, OF THE AERIALS THAT, UH, WE HAVE IN, IN OUR SYSTEM.
AND OVER 50% OF OUR, OUR AMBULANCES HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
THOSE ARE THE HEAVY APPARATUS.
IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE ALSO REPLACED ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE STAFF VEHICLES IN THE LIFE SAFETY BUREAU AND ARSON DIVISION.
UH, THAT'S THROUGH OUR LEASE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
BUT, UH, AGAIN, UH, MAYOR TURNER AND CITY COUNCIL, THIS CITY COUNCIL HAS, HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE IN, IN ALLOCATING THE, THE, UH, RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO MAKE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS, IN THIS PROGRAM.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IN 2016, WE WERE GETTING ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FLEET.
AND WE HAVE 88 ENGINE COMPANIES, 38 LADDER COMPANIES, AND OVER A HUNDRED AND OVER A HUNDRED TRANSPORT UNITS.
THAT'S NOT INCLUDING ALL THE SUPPORT UNITS THAT WE HAVE TO REPLACE.
AND $5 MILLION WAS JUST NOT ENOUGH TO DO THAT.
AND EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE, IN THE ALLOTMENT.
THIS IS WHAT, UH, WE'VE REPLACED AND WHAT WE'VE EXPECTED, UH, OR, UH, RECEIVED THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, THOSE 10 AND OVER $10 MILLION HAS, UH, HAS, THIS IS THE, UH, THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN REPLACING.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE ALSO MADE ADDITIONAL RE UM, PURCHASES TO ADD TO, TO OUR SYSTEM IN TERMS FOR THE RESPONSE TO FLOOD INCIDENTS.
UH, AS FAR AS EVACUATION BOATS, HIGH WATER VEHICLES, NOW WE HAVE 15 OF THOSE THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE DEPLOYED ACROSS THE CITY.
WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM THE SINGLE FUNCTION UNITS, THE HIGH WATER TWO AND A HALF TON UNITS.
NOW WE'RE PURCHASING A, A BRUSH TRUCK THAT CAN DO DOUBLE DUTY.
SO THOSE BRUSH TRUCKS, IF WE NEED TO HAVE ADDITIONAL, UH, EVACUATION EQUIPMENT, WHAT WE CAN DO IS REMOVE SOME OF THE COMPONENTS IN THE BACK OF THOSE TRUCKS.
THOSE TURN INTO SEATS, AND NOW WE CAN REDEPLOY 'EM AS, AS EVACUATION VEHICLES, WHICH IS A BETTER USE OF, OF TAXPAYER MONEY, AND WE DO DOUBLE DUTY WITH, WITH THOSE.
SO, IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS WE MENTIONED, UH, EARLIER, WE'VE ESTABLISHED A, AN 80 MEMBER WATER STRIKE TEAM THAT IS EQUIPPED AND TRAINED TO AUGMENT THE EXISTING UNITS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
THE LEASE PROGRAM IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF.
WE ENTERED INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH ENTERPRISE RENTA CAR TO LEASE 105 VEHICLES FOR OUR LIFE SAFETY BUREAU.
PRIMARILY WHAT THAT DOES IS WE, UH, THE CITY DOES A CAPITAL OUTLAY INITIALLY TO PURCHASE 105 VEHICLES.
WHAT ENTERPRISE DOES IS THEY'LL GIVE US BRAND NEW VEHICLES.
THEY'LL SELL THE EXISTING VEHICLES IN THEIR NETWORK, AND THEN REIMBURSE THE CITY THE PROCEEDS OF THOSE, WHICH
[01:05:01]
OFFSET THE INITIAL CAPITAL OUTLAY.THE FIRST YEAR WE SAW IN FISCAL YEAR 22, WE SAW A POSITIVE IN THIS PROGRAM OF 407, UH, THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, WE WERE WORKING WITH 20-YEAR-OLD VEHICLES.
NOW EVERY YEAR WE'RE WORKING WITH AT LEAST ONE OR 2-YEAR-OLD VEHICLES.
THAT'S THE, THE POSITIVE SIDE.
ON, UH, IN, IN ADDITION TO THE FINANCIAL GAINS, AGAIN, THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES PREVENTED US FROM DOING A WHOLESALE REPLACEMENT.
THE, THE FIRST YEAR, SO 49 OF THE 105 VEHICLES WERE REPLACED, BUT ENTERPRISE GAVE US 65% EQUITY ON THE REMAINING VEHICLES.
WE HELD ONTO 'EM FOR A SECOND YEAR.
THIS YEAR, WE SAY WE FACED THE SAME CHALLENGES WITH SUPPLY CHAIN.
UM, INITIALLY CHEVY HAD CANCELED THE ENTIRE ALLOCATION OF 105 VEHICLES.
THEY COULDN'T SUPPLY, THEY COULDN'T MAKE THAT SUPPLY.
WE WENT TO RAM, MADE THE SAME REQUEST.
WE'RE STILL IN THE, UM, IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS WITH THEM.
CHEVY HAS COME BACK NOW AND SAYS THEY GOT 21 VEHICLES THAT THEY'RE GONNA ALLOCATE TO THIS, AND WE'RE HOPING TO GET THE REMAINDER OF THOSE THROUGH SOME OTHER VENDOR.
BUT, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN THE END.
UM, THE SERVICE THAT, THAT WE'RE PROVIDING AND THE TOOLS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND OUR INSPECTORS, UH, HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, EVEN WITH THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND THE INABILITY TO, TO DO A WHOLESALE REPLACEMENT OF THE VEHICLES, THE INITIAL OUTLAY FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 WAS OVER $800,000.
IN THE END, ONCE WE DO THE, THE RESALE, WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT THE TOTAL COST FOR SERVICEABLE VEHICLES SAFE VEHICLES IS GONNA BE ABOUT 120,000.
SO THAT'S A HUGE, UH, COST SAVINGS TO, TO THE CITY.
UH, IN TERMS OF THE FIREFIGHTER HEALTH AND SAFETY, AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, I MENTIONED WHEN I WAS FIRST HIRED THAT WE WERE GONNA ADDRESS, AND WE HAVE DONE, UH, AMAZING WORK.
UH, THE COMMAND STAFF, THE SUPPORT STAFF AND CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT IN ADDRESSING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES, UH, FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, THE PLY EVENT SYSTEM, THOSE ARE THE EXHAUST SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE, UH, INSTALLED IN OUR STATIONS.
WE'VE MODERNIZED THE STATIONS WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, A VENT FOR THE EXHAUST OF EACH ONE OF OUR VEHICLES.
WE RUN ABOUT A THOUSAND CALLS FOR SERVICE A DAY, A THOUSAND TO 1100 EACH TIME THEY TURN THOSE VEHICLES ON.
THE SOOT WAS PERMEATING THROUGHOUT THE STATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE CARCINOGENS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THOSE STATIONS.
CANCER IS THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF FIREFIGHTERS IN THE INDUSTRY.
SO THIS IS A, THIS WAS A CRITICAL ISSUE THAT, UH, WE WANTED TO ADDRESS SINCE THE BEGINNING.
OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE UPGRADED AND MODERNIZED NEARLY 80% OF THE FIRE STATIONS ACROSS THE CITY.
WE HAVE IN DISTRICT A AND IN DISTRICT G, WERE HAVE BEEN THE LOWEST.
THE, UH, AS FAR AS REPLACEMENTS, WE'RE AT 44% OF THE STATIONS IN DISTRICT A.
AND 33% OF THE STATIONS IN DISTRICT G HAVE BEEN UPGRADED.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE THE EQUIPMENT NOW PURCHASED ONSITE, AND THE INSTALLATIONS WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF JANUARY FOR, FOR THOSE STATIONS.
SO BOTH, SO DISTRICT A WILL MOVE FROM 44% UP TO 78% OF THEIR STATIONS COMPLETE.
AND DISTRICT G WILL MOVE FROM 33% TO 83% BY THE END OF JANUARY.
UM, OVERALL, WE'VE REACHED ABOUT 80% OF THE STATIONS, UH, ARE DONE.
WE DO HAVE THE FUNDING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 10 STATIONS, WHICH, UH, WHICH WILL LEAVE ONLY THOSE STATIONS THAT DID NOT QUALIFY FOR GRANT FUNDING TO UPGRADE.
THE REASON FOR THAT WAS THAT THEY WERE BUILT AFTER THE REQUIREMENT WAS MADE TO INSTALL AN EXHAUST SYSTEM IN THE STATIONS.
AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, UH, THEY WEREN'T BUILT WITH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM.
BUT, UH, MAYOR TURNER HAS COMMITTED TO FINDING THE FUNDS TO DO THE REMAINING OF THE, THE REMAINDER OF THE STATIONS.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING DONE BY THE END OF NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE STATIONS.
AND THAT IS A HUGE, HUGE WIN FOR, FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS, AND TO PROVIDING 'EM A SAFE SPACE TO WORK IN.
IN ADDITION TO THAT COMMERCIAL EXTRACTORS, THOSE ARE THE WASHERS FOR THE, FOR THEIR BUNKER GEAR.
WE'VE PURCHASED A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE UNITS NECESSARY TO OUTFIT EACH AND EVERY STATION, UH, INCLUDING ARSON AND THE TRAINING ACADEMY WITH ONE OF THESE COMMERCIAL WASHERS, WE'RE AT, 79% OF THEM HAVE BEEN INSTALLED.
SO WE STILL NEED ABOUT 16 TO, TO INSTALL ON OUR STATIONS.
THERE HAS TO BE SOME UPGRADES TO SOME OF THESE STATIONS BECAUSE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHETHER IT'S THE ELECTRICAL OR THE PLUMBING, CAN'T SUPPORT IT.
AGAIN, THE MAYOR, UH, THE MAYOR HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE IN ALLOCATING FUNDS TO MAKE THOSE UPGRADES, UH, THROUGH GSD.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE COMPLETED AGAIN BY THE END OF NEXT CALENDAR YEAR AT THE LATEST.
SO, THIS IS, UH, A SUMMARY OF WHAT I'VE JUST PRESENTED IN TERMS OF THE
[01:10:01]
HEALTH AND SAFETY.ONE OF THE THINGS I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT IN ADDITION TO EQUIPMENT, WE'VE ALSO ALLOCATED PERSONNEL TO DEDICATED JUST FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY ASPECT OF OUR, OF OUR FUNCTIONS.
WE CREATED A SAFETY CHIEF'S POSITION THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE NOW FOR NEARLY A YEAR, AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING ENORMOUS, TREMENDOUS WORK IN, IN LOOKING AND EVALUATING INJURY ISSUES AND, AND HEALTH AND SAFETY NEEDS FOR, FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE SAID WE WERE GONNA DO IS, IS PURSUE A GRANT TO FUND FIREFIGHTER PHYSICALS, NFPA COMPLIANT FIREFIGHTER PHYSICALS AND CANCER SCREENINGS FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE, WE DID OBTAIN THAT GRANT THROUGH FEMA THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF FIREFIGHTER GRANT.
IT'S A 2.2 MILLION ALLOCATION TOTAL OF WHICH ABOUT 300,000 IS COMMITTED FROM THE CITY TO, TO MATCH THAT GRANT.
AND WE'RE NOW IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO FIND A VENDOR TO DELIVER THESE, THESE EXAMS TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A, THIS IS A HUGE WIN FOR, FOR OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAM THAT, UH, I'M VERY PROUD THAT, UH, WE'VE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT, VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THE COMMAND STAFF AND SUPPORT STAFF HAS, HAS BEEN DOING IN PURSUING THIS, THIS GRANT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE ALSO PROCURING ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING FOR PEER FITNESS TRAINERS FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPLEMENT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY ASPECT OF, OF OUR JOB.
SPEAKING OF GRANTS, WE'VE BEEN VERY DILIGENT IN TRYING TO, TO FIND, YOU KNOW, NON-TRADITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES TO, TO DO THE WORK AND TO MEET THE OBJECTIVES OF OUR, OF OUR JOBS, AND TO PROVIDE TOOLS AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
OVER THE LAST, UH, SINCE 2017, WE'VE PULLED DOWN OVER $19 MILLION IN GRANTS, WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL GRANTS, STATE OR LOCAL, UH, DONATIONS, UH, TO GO DIRECTLY TOWARDS PROGRAMS AND TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS NEED TO SAFELY DO THEIR JOB.
SO, AGAIN, VERY PROUD OF THE ABILITY TO, TO SEEK NON-TRADITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL FUND WITH ALL THE OTHER OBLIGATIONS, UM, WE WOULD FALL SHORT.
BUT THIS HAS GONE A LONG WAY TO HELP US MEET OUR, MEET OUR GOALS.
AND THIS IS JUST A, A LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT, UH, THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST YEAR.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT IS AN ISO CLASS ONE DEPARTMENT.
WE ALSO ACHIEVED THE ACCREDITATION THROUGH THE COMMISSION ON FIRE ACCREDITATION INTERNATIONAL.
THAT IS THOSE TWO DESIGNATIONS.
UH, PUT US IN A UNIQUE, UH, CLA AN ELITE CLASS.
'CAUSE THERE ARE VERY FEW DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE BOTH AN ISO CLASS ONE AND AN ACCREDITED AGENCY DESIGNATION.
AND THEN ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT, UH, THAT WE'VE DONE.
THE OTHER THING WE'VE, WE'VE SECURED RECENTLY WAS A CONTRACT WITH THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO PROVIDE SOME OF OUR EMT TRAINING.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESILIENCY AND, AND MEETING A CAPACITY, AGAIN, WITH THE APPROVAL OF 350 CADETS TO BE TRAINED EACH AND EVERY YEAR, WE NEEDED ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
WE NEEDED A PLACE TO SEND OUR, OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO GET TRAINED.
WE JUST COMPLETED AND COUNCIL APPROVED A BUDGET OR A, A CONTRACT WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPLEMENT OUR EXISTING CONTRACTS, WHICH, UH, AGAIN, IS A, IS A HUGE POSITIVE FOR OUR, FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THESE, I KNOW IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, WE CAN, UH, WE'LL LEAVE 'EM UP HERE AND, AND WE CAN ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, THAT YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THESE OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT, THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, I, I KNOW I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL FIRST, UH, IN THE QUEUE IS COUNCIL MEMBER PECK ONLINE.
AND THANK YOU CHIEF, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, JUST WANNA FIRST THANK ALL OF THE FIREFIGHTERS FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK THIS YEAR, UM, DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB IN DISTRICT A AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU.
UM, THE VEHICLE LEASE PROGRAM CHIEF, AS YOU KNOW, I LOVE THIS PROGRAM, UM, AND CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR EXPANDING IT, UM, IN HFD AND ALSO IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
GIVEN THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, ARE THERE STILL PLANS TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM? OR ARE WE KIND OF PAUSING ON THAT UNTIL THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES? UM, KIND OF CALMED DOWN.
UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE, THE, THE, WE'RE WORKING TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN FISCAL YEAR 23.
WE WANT, UH, WE WERE GONNA ADD ADDITIONAL UNITS TO, TO THAT PROGRAM.
PRIMARILY WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ARSON DIVISION TO BE ABLE TO FOLD THEM INTO THIS PROGRAM AS WELL.
IT JUST, FINANCIALLY, IT MAKES GOOD SENSE, AND I BELIEVE IT'S GOOD GOVERNMENT TO, TO SEEK THESE TYPES OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
[01:15:01]
AS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THE PROOF OF CONCEPT, IS THERE THAT, THAT THERE IS A POSITIVE IN, IN THE FINANCIAL, ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE.BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICEABLE EQUIPMENT TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS IS CRITICAL.
AGAIN, WE WERE WORKING, THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS THEY WERE REPLACING 20-YEAR-OLD VEHICLES, AND SOME OF THOSE DIDN'T HAVE THE SAFETY COMPONENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN UPGRADES THAT ARE IN THE NEW VEHICLE.
SO YES, WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM BEYOND JUST THE LIFE SAFETY BUREAU.
WE HAVE THE LIFE SAFETY BUREAU, OEC, SOME TRAINING, UH, UH, DIVISIONS.
BUT THE ARSON DIVISION IS, IS WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IN, IN BRINGING THEM INTO THE FOLD.
AND, UM, TALKING ABOUT MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES, THE, UM, THE PLAN THAT YOU PROVIDED AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT ARE GETTING REPLACED, UM, AT THIS RATE, DO WE KNOW KIND OF WHAT YEAR WE BREAK EVEN AS FAR AS ALL THE BACKLOG OF THE VEHICLES THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED? OR IS THIS JUST KIND OF AN ONGOING ISSUE THAT THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE REPAIRS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN? OR LIKE WHEN AT WHAT YEAR DO WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE NOT REPLACING VEHICLES THAT HAVE REACHED THEIR, UM, END OF LIFE CAPACITY YEARS AND YEARS PRIOR? YEAH, SO THE STAFF VEHICLES ARE, ARE A LOT EASIER TO, TO FOCUS ON.
I MEAN, THERE'S MORE AVAILABILITY, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AND, AND SPEAKING WITH, YOU KNOW, VENDORS TO SEE IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO INCORPORATE THIS TYPE OF APPROACH TO SUPPLYING VEHICLES FOR OUR HEAVY APPARATUS, PRIMARILY OUR, OUR ENGINES AND OUR LADDER COMPANIES, THE, THERE ARE PROGRAMS THAT EXIST IN OTHER PLACES WHERE, WHERE WE CAN DO THE SAME TYPE OF APPROACH WITH, WITH THE HEAVY APPARATUS.
AND, UM, AND SO WE'RE EXPLORING THAT AS WELL.
AGAIN, I, I'M A FAN OF THIS, OF THIS APPROACH, AND I THINK THERE'S A, A, A PROPER APPLICATION, ESPECIALLY FOR SOME OF THE SLOWER STATIONS ACROSS OUR SYSTEM THAT MAY BE BENEFITING, THAT WE MAY BENEFIT FROM, FROM DOING A LEASE, UH, PURCHASE WITH, WITH, UH, FOR THOSE UNITS.
UM, WE DO ANTICIPATE THE SAME TYPES OF DELAYS OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO FOR EVEN THE LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES.
UM, BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO 25 OF THE MAJOR CITY, UH, FIRE CHIEFS AND MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS TO SUBMIT A, A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, UH, THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION AND SECRETARY OF COMMERCE, AND MAKE THE REQUEST.
OUR REQUEST, OUR REQUEST IS, IS A LITTLE BIT KINDER.
WHAT WE'VE ASKED IS TO, FOR THE ABILITY TO PRIORITIZE THE PUBLIC SAFETY REQUESTS TO MEET OUR NEEDS.
UH, RIGHT NOW IN THE TIMES OF, OF THESE CRUNCHES, UM, THE, ONE OF THE RESULTS OF PEOPLE STAYING HOME DURING A PANDEMIC IS THAT EVERYBODY WAS ORDERING THINGS ONLINE.
SO THE OVER THE ROAD TRUCKS, THOSE ARE GETTING PRIORITIES IN, IN REPLACEMENT, UM, FROM VENDORS IS, IS WHAT WE UNDERSTAND.
WE WANNA JUST PARTICIPATE IN THAT, IN THAT POOL TO BE ABLE TO CATCH UP ON OUR INITIAL, AND THEN WE CAN, AGAIN, WE CAN FALL BACK TO AND GET IN LINE THE WAY WE'VE, WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IN, IN COMPETING AND FOR, FOR THESE LIMITED, UH, UH, RESOURCES.
SO WE'RE NOT JUST SAYING, HEY, WE GET WHAT WE GET.
WE'RE, WE'RE PURSUING OTHER AVENUES.
BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME CHALLENGES IN GETTING A WHOLESALE REPLACEMENT EACH AND EVERY YEAR FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED, CHEVY HAS COME BACK TO US AND SAYS, HEY, WE CAN, WE CAN ALLOCATE 21.
WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER VENDORS, WHETHER IT'S RAM, WHETHER IT'S FORD, WHOEVER IS, UH, HAS THE AVAILABILITY TO MAKE THOSE, THOSE REPLACEMENTS.
AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WORKING THROUGH OUR VENDOR, THEY CAN INCORPORATE THOSE NEW UNITS INTO, INTO THE PLAN.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE VEHICLE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND THE EXTRACTORS.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER DEVICES THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT PURCHASING, UM, TO HELP WITH SAFETY OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS THAT MAYBE, UM, WE CAN START WORKING ON NOW? I KNOW THAT THESE THINGS TAKE A LONG TIME TO ROLL OUT TO ALL OF OUR STATIONS, SO IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT TO PURCHASE? WELL, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, AT EMERGENT TECHNOLOGIES, THE, THE, THERE ARE TECHNOLOGIES OUT THERE THAT THE NEW VEHICLES, THE NEW HEAVY APPARATUS COME WITH A, A FILTERING SYSTEM FOR THE CABS.
AND SO ANY OF THE NEW PURCHASES THAT, THAT, UH, WE'RE MAKING, WE'RE INCLUDING THAT INTO THE SPECIFICATIONS TO INCORPORATE INTO OUR, INTO OUR NEW PURCHASES.
SO, SO ANY NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT'S OUT THERE AS IT RELATES TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS, ESPECIALLY CANCER PREVENTION, WE ARE INCORPORATING INTO THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR NEW PURCHASES.
SO THE, THE ONES THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE REQUESTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, UM, THOSE WILL BE, THOSE WILL HAVE THE NEW FILTERING SYSTEM IN THE CABS AS WELL.
BUT, UM, LOOK, WE'RE, WE'RE IN ADDITION TO THE FILTERING SYSTEMS
[01:20:01]
IN ADDITION TO THE, TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEMS AT THE STATIONS, WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED FIREFIGHTERS WITH THE RESPIRATORS, RIGHT? HALF MASK RESPIRATORS.SO THEY CAN USE IN, IN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THEY DON'T REQUIRE THE AIR TANK, BUT IT'S STILL A, COULD BE A TOXIC ENVIRONMENT OR HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENT SO THEY CAN HAVE THOSE RESPIRATORS.
WE'VE EXTENDED THOSE, THOSE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO THE LIFE SAFETY BUREAU FOR OUR INSPECTORS AND OUR A INVESTIGATORS AS WELL TO USE AT, AT SCENES AND, AND ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THEY, UH, SUSPECT THAT THE ATMOSPHERE MAY BE HAZARDOUS.
COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AROUND FIREFIGHTER SAFETY.
AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE AT, AT CITY HALL, I'VE NEVER HEARD IT BE SUCH A, A BIG PRIORITY AS, AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE LAST FEW YEARS MM-HMM
AND ON THE GRANT THAT YOU GOT FOR THE PHYSICALS, THE CANCER SCREENINGS, HOW LONG WILL THAT GET US? HOW MANY SCREENINGS DOES THAT GET? UM, HOW LONG WILL THAT LAST? AND SO THE, UH, THE GRANT WAS WRITTEN TO GET EVERY SINGLE FIREFIGHTER ON THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, A CANCER SCREENING FOR THIS YEAR.
THE PERFORMANCE PERIOD COUNCIL MEMBER IS, IS TWO YEARS.
UM, WE'RE HOPING TO GO HAVE A VENDOR IN PLACE BY THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR.
AND, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE, THE REMAINDER OF THAT YEAR AND A YEAR AND A HALF TO, TO GET EVERYBODY THROUGH THAT.
MY PLAN STRATEGICALLY IS TO GET FULL PARTICIPATION FROM FIREFIGHTERS BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT IS A BIG DEAL.
YOU KNOW, WE SAID WE WERE GONNA DO THIS FOUR YEARS AGO AND, AND NOW WE'RE HERE.
AND, AND SO I ENCOURAGE EVERY FIREFIGHTER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS, OF THIS, UH, PHYSICAL NO COST TO THEM.
THERE IS NO, UM, IT'S NON-PUNITIVE.
AND SO MY PLAN IS TO SHOW FULL PARTICIPATION AND THEN COME TO COUNCIL TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THE COST FOR AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL TO CONTINUE BEYOND THIS YEAR INCORPORATED INTO OUR BUDGET.
UM, AGAIN, EARLY DETECTION A LOT OF TIMES IS GONNA BE KEY TO A, TO A LONG AND, AND FRUITFUL CAREER.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING GETTING AT.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WHEN THE GRANT'S OVER, YOU KNOW, UH, 'CAUSE I GUESS BEFORE THE GRANT WE'RE JUST RELYING ON PEOPLE TO GO TO THEIR PRIVATE DOCTORS RIGHT.
AND DO WHATEVER SCREENINGS THROUGH OUR NORMAL WELLNESS PROGRAM AT THE CITY.
WE WERE, WE WERE RELYING ON JUST PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR SURE.
HOWEVER, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO WHAT THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION, THE NFPA SAYS SHOULD BE SCREENED FOR FIREFIGHTERS.
SO WHETHER, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE FULL GAMUT.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S A CANCER SCREENING.
SO, SO IT'S A, IT'S A VERY COMPREHENSIVE PHYSICAL THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE HOPING TO PROVIDE AND HOPING TO CONTINUE THAT BEYOND THE PERFORMANCE PERIOD OF THE GRANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THOSE OF US THAT ATTENDED THE, THE FIREFIGHTER MEMORIAL, WHEN YOU LOOK THROUGH THOSE 81 FIREFIGHTERS WHO'VE DIED SINCE HFD STARTED, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, ESPECIALLY IN THE LATER YEARS WHEN WE'RE TRACKING OUR HEART ATTACKS AND CANCER.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
UH, REMIND ME THE, THE, WHEN SOMEBODY DECIDES TO GO TO THE FIREFIGHTER, UH, CADET ACADEMY, WHAT THEIR PAY IS AND, AND LIKE, IS IT DIFFERENT IF YOU'RE GOING FOR THE PARAMEDIC TRACK? AND SO, MAYOR, MAYOR TURNER, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO APPROVED AN INCREASE OF PAY TO THE CADETS.
IT HADN'T BEEN DONE IN 20 YEARS.
THEY START AT 36 WHILE THEY'RE AT THE ACADEMY.
UM, RIGHT NOW WITH THE, THEY'VE RECEIVED 12% OF THE 18% THAT WAS PROMISED TO THEM.
UH, PAY RAISE FOR, FOR THE VETERAN FIREFIGHTERS ONCE THEY GRADUATE FROM THE ACADEMY, A FIRST YEAR FIREFIGHTER, UH, MAKES $49,000 AFTER GRADUATION FROM THE ACADEMY.
AND AFTER THEIR PROBATION PERIOD IS DONE, 49,000 IN JULY OF NEXT OF THIS COMING YEAR OF 23, THEY'LL GET THE FINAL 6% INSTALLMENT OF THE 18%.
SO A FIREFIGHTER WILL BE MAKING A LITTLE OVER $50,000 FOR THE FIRST YEAR ONCE THEY GRADUATE FROM THE ACADEMY AND GET OFF PROBATION.
AND LIKE I TOLD YOU, WHEN I CAME IN, I HAD THE GOOD PLEASURE OF GOING TO STATION 38 TODAY FOR THEIR POPEYE'S DAY AND DISTRICT A COUNCIL MEMBER PECK MM-HMM
AND, UM, 10 GREAT, GREAT FIREFIGHTERS THERE, GOT THE CHANCE TO TALK TO, AND THEY DESCRIBED KIND OF THE, THE MOST RECENT HOUSE FIRE THAT HAD OCCURRED.
THEY TAKE CARE OF A LOT OF ACCIDENTS ON I 10, UM, CAR ACCIDENTS THERE.
AND THERE'S ALSO, UM, SOMEWHAT CLOSE TO A, UH, AN ASSISTED LIVING.
UM, AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD THE CONVERSATION IN THE PAST, AND I DON'T NEED TO BELABOR IT, BUT WE DO SPEND QUITE A LOT OF TIME AND RESOURCES, UM, BASICALLY JUST LIFTING PEOPLE BACK INTO, INTO BED AFTER A FALL.
AND, UM, ANYWAY, DO LIKE TO EXPLORE THAT A LITTLE FURTHER.
BUT, UM, THEY, THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT AND THAT YES, THAT'S A DRAIN.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO DO IT, UM, I KNOW WHAT A DRAIN ON RESOURCES THAT IS.
[01:25:01]
AND, AND IT IS, AND LOOK, THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB EACH AND EVERY DAY.WE, UH, THERE ARE NO SLOW STATIONS ANYMORE.
SOME ARE, SOME ARE BUSIER THAN OTHERS, BUT, BUT EVERYBODY IS, IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB EACH AND EVERY DAY.
UM, 30 EIGHTS JUST CAME BACK ONLINE.
THIS IS THE CONVERSATION WE WERE HAVING EARLIER.
BECAUSE IT WAS BEING REMODELED.
SO THEY HAD SOME UPGRADES IN CER CERTAIN, UH, AREAS.
UM, WE HAVE 94 FACILITIES ACROSS THE CITY, AND THEY ALL NEED SOME ATTENTION.
SO I'M HAPPY THAT THE BOND PASSED BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING TO, TO ADDRESS A LOT OF ISSUES IN, IN THESE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE, UH, WE HAVE AGING FACILITIES AND, AND SO IT NEEDS A LOT OF INVESTMENT BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN THESE, IN THESE HOUSES, YOU KNOW, A QUARTER OF THEIR LIFE.
UM, AND SPEAKING ABOUT THE CALL VOLUME, WE DO HAVE, AND WE HAVE INFORMATION HERE AS FAR AS THE, THE SUPER UTILIZERS IS WHAT WE CALL 'EM.
AND WE HAVE AN INSTANCE OF, WE HAVE 174 INSTANCES OF PEOPLE CALLING 9 1 1 15 TIMES OR MORE.
UM, THOSE ARE, THAT WAS IN 2021.
WE HAD 205 PATIENTS THAT CALL THE, THE NINE ONE ONE SYSTEM MORE THAN 15 TIMES PER YEAR.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY DON'T NEED ACCESS TO 9 1 1 AND THEY DON'T NEED THE MOST EXPENSIVE TAXI.
WHICH IS THE AMBULANCE TO TAKE 'EM TO THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART OF THE HOSPITAL, WHICH IS THE ER.
THEY NEED ACCESS TO THE RIGHT SOCIAL SERVICE AND THE, AND SUPPORT.
AND IT'S IN THOSE AREAS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON BECAUSE WE'RE NEVER GONNA HAVE ENOUGH FIREFIGHTERS OR AMBULANCES IN THE SYSTEM IF WE DON'T ADDRESS THE CORE ISSUES, UH, OF THESE PATIENTS THAT KEEP USING THE SYSTEM OVER AND OVER.
AND, AND CHAIR, YOU'LL ALLOW ME ONE, ONE MORE? UM, YEAH, JUST, WE JUST, WE ALSO YEAH, THAT'S, I'M DONE.
UM, AND SO REALLY QUICKLY, CHIEF TO THAT POINT, UM, WE'RE SEEING THE DEMAND FOR AMBULANCES INCREASE MM-HMM
IS THAT REGARDING WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH WHAT I'LL CALL FREQUENT FLYERS OR FREQUENT CALLERS? UM, IS THAT WHAT THAT IS ABOUT? OR WHAT IS THAT UPTICK? WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR CALLS THAT ARE, THAT ARE THOSE, UH, PEOPLE THAT CALL THE SERVICE MORE THAN THREE TIMES A YEAR.
A SIGNIFICANT, ALMOST 25% OF OUR BASIC LIFE SUPPORT CALLS ARE FREQUENT USERS OR SUPER UTILIZERS.
AND AGAIN, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE CORE ISSUE OF WHAT THEY'RE CALLING FOR.
A LOT OF TIMES IT'S LIFT ASSIST, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S ELDERLY WHO, WHO TRIP AND FALL AND, AND THEY NEED ASSISTANCE, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR MEDICATION, ACCESS TO, UM, CLINICS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S BECOMING A 9 1 1 PROBLEM, OR IT HAS BEEN A 9 1 1 PROBLEM.
BUT WHAT THEY REALLY NEED IS A SOLUTION IS, IS THE RIGHT SOCIAL SERVICE TO ADDRESS THEIR CORE NEEDS.
WHICH WILL ASSIST IN, IN, UH, LOWERING THE, THE CALL VOLUME FOR US AS WELL.
AND, AND I'M ASSUMING ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER TO, YOU KNOW, FROM THE COST PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE SHOULDERING A LOT OF THAT BURDEN IF SOMEBODY DOES NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE OR DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO EXPANDED HEALTH COVERAGE BECAUSE OF WHAT THE STATE HAS REFUSED TO DO, THAT IS FALLING ON THE CITY ON TAXPAYERS TO SHOULDER THAT COST BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT ACCESS RIGHT NOW.
LOOK, THE, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON IS, IS SUBSIDIZING ABOUT 60% OF THE EMS SERVICE IN THE CITY.
SO OUR RE OUR REIMBURSEMENT IS 39% IS, IS WHAT WE GET BACK FROM, FROM WHAT IT COSTS US TO DELIVER THE SERVICE.
AND, UH, GOING BACK TO FIRST OFF, LOVE, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU ALL FOR, INCLUDING WHAT DISTRICTS ARE FUNDING.
I LOVE THAT, YOU KNOW, DISTRICTS SEE ZODIAC, BUT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ALSO PITCHING IN TO HELP, UH, GOING BACK TO RECRUITMENT MM-HMM
I ASKED HPD THIS QUESTION, SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU AS WELL, WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM AGE LIMIT THAT SOMEBODY CAN ENTER THE ACADEMY AT? FOR THE, FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HERE IN HOUSTON IS 36 YEARS OLD.
THAT'S TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 1 43 0 2 3.
AND I MEAN, I HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN HERE.
IT SAYS, A PERSON MAY NOT BE CERTIFIED AS AN ELIGIBLE FOR BEGINNING POSITION AS A FIRE IN A FIRE DEPARTMENT IF THE PERSON IS 36 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.
SO I, I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
AGAIN, I KNOW IT'S IN STATE LAW, BUT MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN BE TAKING A LOOK AT THAT TO CAP ENTRY WHEN WE HAVE SUCH CADET SHORTAGES THAT 36 YEARS OLD, UM, IF SOMEONE IS IN PHYSICAL CONDITION, GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION.
IF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WILLING TO SERVE.
LOOKING AT THAT, UH, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
WELL, I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, UM, THE ONE THAT I CAME FROM, FROM EL PASO, THEY, THEY DID AWAY WITH THAT, WITH THAT CAP.
UM, AND IT WAS A PENSION AGREEMENT IN THE PENSION.
UM, AND SO YEAH, IT DOES INCREASE THE POOL OF QUALIFIED APPLICANTS.
[01:30:01]
KNOW WE HAVE OUR FRIENDS FROM, UH, HECK HERE TODAY, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT 9 1 1, BUT WHAT YOU ALL DO IS SO INTEGRAL MM-HMMWITH THAT, UH, I KNOW I'M THE BROKEN RECORD, BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CAD AND WHAT THAT COULD DO TO ALLEVIATE, UH, RESOURCE STRAINS ON YOUR DEPARTMENT? WELL, LOOK, WE NEED A NEW CAD SYSTEM.
I'M GONNA PUT IT AS PLAINLY AS THAT.
THE ONE WE'RE WORKING WITH IS ALMOST 20 YEARS OLD.
AND IN TECHNOLOGY A YEAR COULD BE A LIFETIME, ESPECIALLY FOR SOMETHING THAT'S CRITICAL AS THE COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH, WHICH ALLOWS US TO, TO TRIAGE CALLS APPROPRIATELY AND DISPATCH THE RIGHT UNIT TO THE RIGHT CALL, UM, WE NEED A SYSTEM THAT CAN, THAT, UH, IS ADAPTABLE, I GUESS, TO NEW TECHNOLOGY.
AND WE'RE SENDING, LIKE, WE HAVE THIS VERY SEXY, TIERED SYSTEM OF, OF RESPONSE AND, UH, ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT AND BASIC LIFE SUPPORT.
BUT BY THE TIME THE CALL IS PROCESSED, THE RECOMMENDATION IS JUST, WE WE'RE JUST SENDING EVERYTHING.
SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO A PRIORITY DISPATCH SYSTEM.
IF WE CAN BOLT SOMETHING ON THAT, THAT WOULD BE, UH, THAT THE SY CURRENT SYSTEM CAN ACCEPT WITHOUT CREATING A FRANKENSTEIN, THEN UH, THEN WE'RE GONNA GO A LONG WAY IN BEING ABLE TO TRIAGE THAT CALL APPROPRIATELY AND SEND THE RIGHT RESOURCE TO THE RIGHT CALL, WHICH WILL SAVE IN RESOURCES AND RESPONSES AND DUPLICATE, UH, EFFORTS IN, IN THE SYSTEM.
AND I'M ASSUMING GOING BACK TO FLEET ISSUES, WEAR AND TEAR ON VEHICLES, BEING ABLE TO PROCESS AND GET AMBULANCES TO THE RIGHT PLACE VERSUS ANOTHER TYPE OF VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT PLACE? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE THE UNITS THAT WE'RE ADDING, WE'RE ADDING MORE AMBULANCES.
THAT'S OUR, THAT'S OUR PRIMARY WORK DEMAND.
UM, BUT ANYTIME WE DISPATCH SOME OF THESE UNITS IS IT'S, IT'S COST NOT ONLY IN MAINTENANCE, BUT ON SOME OF THE HEAVY TRUCKS, THE A THE AERIALS, WE MAY GET A MILE TO THE GALLON OF GAS OF FUEL.
SO VERY EXPENSIVE TO RUN, VERY INEFFICIENT.
UM, SO WE NEED, WE NEED, NEED TO LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY APPROPRIATELY TO BE ABLE TO, TO SEND WHAT IS NEEDED, UH, AT THE END.
WELL, AGAIN, CHIEF TO YOUR EXECUTIVE, TO YOUR COMMAND STAFF, TO ALL OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS, WE APPRECIATE IT.
UM, AND AGAIN, FIRE SAFETY AS WE HEAD INTO THE CONTINUING COLD WEATHER, UH, ALWAYS IMPORTANT.
SO WE APPRECIATE THE RESOURCES Y'ALL ARE PUTTING OUT AND THAT OEM IS ALSO PUTTING OUT AND AMPLIFYING ON THAT.
SO THANK YOU CHIEF SMOKE DETECTORS, EARLY DETECTION IS KEY SMOKE DETECTORS.
IF YOU NEED ONE, IF YOU NEED ONE INSTALLED, REACH OUT TO THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE WILL SCHEDULE AND COORDINATE, UH, FOR YOU TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE SMOKE DETECTOR IN YOUR HOME.
SO RESIDENTS CAN REACH OUT TO THEIR LOCAL FIRE STATION AND GET A FREE, OR WHAT, WHO DO THEY CONTACT? THEY CAN GO ONLINE TO THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE.
WE HAVE A LINK FOR OUR SMOKE DETECTORS PROGRAM.
GO ON THERE, YOU KNOW, PUT, PUTTING YOUR INFORMATION AND, AND WE'LL, UH, ENSURE THAT YOU GET A SMOKE DETECTOR.
THANK YOU FOR PUSHING THAT OUT.
AT THIS TIME, UH, CHAIR CALLS DIRECTOR MOCK FROM HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER.
UH, THIS IS GONNA BE A UNIQUE PRESENTATION, UH, BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE HAVE TO AND STAFF, UH, APPROVE, UH, GREATER HARRIS COUNTY NINE ONE ONE'S BUDGET, UH, IN A FEW WEEKS.
AND WE HAVE TO GET THAT THROUGH.
SO, UH, DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE OUR FRIENDS, UH, FROM HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1 IN THE BACK AS WELL.
AND, AND, UH, THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOU DO AND APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY.
UH, JUST A QUICK, SINCE YOU MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE FOLKS HERE FROM HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1.
HE IS THEIR, UH, 9 1 1 OPERATIONS OFFICER.
AND THEN WE HAVE RICHARD CORBITT IS THEIR FINANCE OFFICER.
SO, UH, THIS IS, WE HAVE A LITTLE PRESENTATION HERE FOR YOU.
SO THIS IS BASICALLY, UH, SORRY, THERE'S A GLARE ON HERE.
UH, THE, SO THE, WHAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR IS, UH, GREATER HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN GOVERNING BOARD AND THEIR OWN, UH, THEIR OWN DECISION MAKING BODY.
BUT AS FAR AS IN THEIR CHARTER AND IN STATE LAW, THAT WHEN THERE'S TIME FOR THEIR BUDGET, THAT, UH, THE TWO LARGE AGENCIES OR LARGE MUNICIPALITIES IN, IN THIS COUNTY HAVE TO APPROVE THEIR BUDGET.
SO CITY OF HOUSTON HAS TO APPROVE THEIR BUDGET, AND HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT HAS TO APPROVE THEIR BUDGET EACH YEAR.
THEIR FISCAL YEAR RUNS THE CALENDAR YEAR.
IT STARTS JANUARY 1ST, SO I BELIEVE YOU PROBABLY HAVE A COPY OF THEIR ACTUAL BUDGET AND, UH, IN A, IN A POWERPOINT, IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST, IF NOT A HARD COPY AS WELL.
UH, SO THE, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TASKED TODAY WITH JUST PRESENTING SOME OF THEIR, UH, BENEFITS TO US AS A PARTNERSHIP AND WHAT THEY DO FOR US.
SO GREATER HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1.
THEY, UH, PROVIDE, UH, SERVICE TO, UH, TWO COUNTIES, ALL OF HARRIS COUNTY AND FORT BEND COUNTY, 40 49 CITIES
[01:35:01]
AND MUNICIPALITIES.SO ALL THE NINE ONE CALLS IN THAT AREA, THEY, THEY, UH, THEY PROVIDE SERVICE AND ROUTE THOSE CALLS TO THE APPROPRIATE AGENCIES.
UH, THEIR BUDGET REQUESTS THIS YEAR IS RIGHT AT $57 MILLION, $56.9 MILLION.
UH, SO THIS IS WHERE, UH, SO AS IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM, WE GET A SIGNIFICANT, UM, UH, AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE FROM GREATER HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1 TO RUN THE HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER.
UH, THEY BASICALLY FUND 178.5, UH, SALARIES AT THE CENTER, UH, FOR OVER $17 MILLION.
AND THEN WE ALSO GET ANOTHER 600 AND SOMETHING THOUSAND 600 AND THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR, UH, FOR, UH, SUPPLIES AND, AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO THIS YEAR, THIS TOTAL BUDGET YEAR FOR, UH, UH, HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER, WE'RE EXPECTING OVER $18 MILLION IN, IN REFUNDS FROM HARRIS COUNTY.
SO, UH, HARRIS COUNTY, GREATER HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1.
SO AGAIN, IT'S A VERY, IT'S A VERY, UH, GOOD PARTNERSHIP WITH, FOR US AND FOR THE CITY, AND, UH, HELPS US WITH, UH, RESPONDING TO THESE NINE ONE ONE CALLS.
OUR CALL TAKERS, UH, WE HAVE A MOTTO ON OUR BUILDING.
THEY'RE THE FIRST FIRST RESPONDERS, AND, UH, SO THEY ARE THE FIRST PERSON TO CONTACT WHEN SOMEBODY NEEDS HELP.
SO, AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT.
SO WE HAVE, UH, GREATER HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1 HELPS NOT ONLY HELP US WITH THE SALARIES, BUT, UH, THEY'VE, UH, UH, REPLACED OUR WORKSTATIONS LATELY.
AND, UH, IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, AND ACTUALLY THE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE BIT DATED HERE, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY UP TO 90 WORKSTATIONS NOW OVERALL THAT WE CAN UTILIZE TO TAKE CALLS IN THE CENTER.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER 10 PORTABLE STATIONS OR RUGGEDIZED LAPTOPS THAT WE CAN USE, UH, TO ANSWER 9 1 1 CALLS AS WELL.
UH, THEY'VE RECENTLY UPGRADED THE NINE ONE ONE POINTS PHONE SYSTEM TO VOIP AND, AND OVER THE ANALOG SYSTEM.
AND SO IT'S, UH, A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY IN, IN ROUTING THESE 9 1 1 CALLS AND GETTING, GETTING THEM, YOU KNOW, TO THE RIGHT PLACES.
UH, THEY'VE ACTUALLY, UH, UH, SUPPORTED THIS PAST YEAR TO UPGRADE HPDS CONSOLES AS WELL.
UH, WHICH THEY TYPICALLY DON'T
BUT, UH, THERE WAS SOME AGREEMENT THEY SAID THEY WOULD GO AHEAD AND UPGRADE THEIR CONSOLES.
SO WE HAVE A REALLY NICE CENTER ON THE FLOOR CALL FLOOR RIGHT NOW.
IF ANYBODY WANTS TO COME OUT, WE GLADLY GIVE YOU A TOUR AND SHOW YOU WHAT GOES ON THERE.
AND I REALLY WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO GREATER HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1 FOR BEING, UH, PRETTY WELL FULLY TRANSITIONED TO NEXT GEN 9 1 1.
SO I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THAT, AND PEOPLE HAVE HEARD, HEARD WHAT IT IS.
BUT, UH, IN A NUTSHELL, IT ALLOW, IT ALLOWS FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY AND ROUTING CALLS AS WELL AS, UH, ALLOWING AGENCIES TO RECEIVE VIDEOS AND PICTURES.
AND AT SOME POINT, EVEN LIVE STREAMING WILL BE COMING THROUGH THERE.
WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET BECAUSE OUR CAD ISSUE COMES IN PLAY RIGHT HERE ON OUR END.
WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION, BUT OUR CAD CAN'T ABSORB IT RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'S, AND AGAIN, THE CHIEF MENTIONED, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DESPERATELY NEED A NEW CAD AND THERE IS SOME CONVERSATION ON THAT.
THERE IS A VENDOR HELPING US DESIGN THAT, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE WORKS.
SO TYPICALLY WE RECEIVE OVER 2 MILLION CALLS A YEAR, UH, TO 9 1 1 FOR, UH, AT HEC, UH, AND ANOTHER 600,000 PLUS NON-EMERGENCY POLICE CALLS.
SO, ONE THING, AND I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, WE USE THE SAME CALL TAKERS TO ANSWER NINE ONE ONE CALLS AND THE NON-EMERGENCY POLICE CALLS.
SO REALLY DEPE, DEPENDING ON STAFFING NEEDS, WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO MAXIMIZE OUR STAFFING ON THE 9 1 1 SIDE FIRST, 'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE EMERGENCY.
AND THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, THAT LEADS TO SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE DELAYS THAT WE HAVE ON THE NON-EMERGENCY SIDE.
BUT, UH, STAFFING'S AT A, AT A, AT A PREMIUM RIGHT NOW, UH, TO DATE THIS YEAR, WE'VE HAD OVER 1.8 MILLION CALLS.
SO WE'RE ON TRACK TO, TO BE JUST PROBABLY RIGHT THIS, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE RUNNING ABOUT 1% LESS FEWER CALLS THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR.
SO, WE'LL, WE WILL EASILY HIT OVER 2 MILLION FOR THE END OF THE YEAR AND, UH, YEAR TO DATE, 547,000 NON-EMERGENCY CALLS.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE TRANSFER OVER 50,000 CALLS A YEAR TO OUR LANGUAGE SERVICES, OUR TRANSLATION SERVICES FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING, UH, PEOPLE NEEDING HELP.
AND, UH, SO THESE CALLS NATURALLY TAKE LONGER.
AND BECAUSE WE HAD TO GET AN INTERPRETER ON THE LINE, BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY, WE'VE SEEN A BIG INCREASE OVER THE LAST, UH, SEVERAL YEARS.
YOU USED TO AVERAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, THREE, 3000, 3,500 CALLS A MONTH.
WE'RE UP TO 6,000 A MONTH NOW THAT NEED LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION.
SO THAT'S REALLY, AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, CORRECT? YEAH.
UH, UH, AND I, I, I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER.
I THINK THERE'S 134 LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN HOUSTON, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN FIND A TRANSLATOR FOR ANY OF THEM.
[01:40:01]
SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.SO, UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STAFFING AT HEC, AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF YOU HAVE FIELDED QUESTIONS AND FROM CITIZENS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE 212 FRONTLINE CALL TAKERS AND SUPERVISORS, UH, POSITIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER CALLS AND, AND, AND BOTH EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY CALLS FOR POLICE.
BUT WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING ABOUT A 35% VACANCY RATE.
UM, NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKER TURNOVER IS, IS, IS STILL, UH, NATIONWIDE, IS, IS, IS CRITICAL.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL USE THAT WORD CRITICAL.
UM, IF YOU CAN, YOU CAN GOOGLE NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKER SHORTAGE ANYWHERE AND COME UP WITH A DOZEN ARTICLES, AUSTIN, DALLAS, YOU KNOW, EVEN LOCALLY.
IT'S A BIG COMPETITION FOR THOSE THAT ARE WILLING AND AVAILABLE TO DO THIS, DO THIS TYPE OF WORK.
UM, WE, WE BRING IN, YOU KNOW, NINE TO 10 NEW, UH, NEW CALL, HIGHER CALL TAKERS EVERY SIX TO WEEKS.
WE, WE'VE INCREASED OUR PROCESSING OVER THE LAST, SINCE JANUARY.
I MEAN, JUNE ACTUALLY, WE REALLY FOCUS WITH OUR HR PARTNERS AND, UH, REALLY TRYING TO GET MORE FEET THROUGH THE DOOR, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE IN.
AND, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE PEOPLE IN AND, UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S A SLOW, IT'S A SLOW GAME.
UM, UH, SOME OF 'EM, HONESTLY, THEY, THEY GET HERE AND IT'S NOT THE, IT IS NOT THE CAREER FEEL FOR THEM, AND, AND THEY DON'T STAY.
WE TRY TO GIVE 'EM AS MUCH INFORMATION UPFRONT, BUT THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK IN, WE ARE A 24 7, YOU KNOW, 365 DAY OPERATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, HOLIDAYS,
SO, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT TAKES A SPECIAL, SPECIAL PERSON WITH THE, WITH THE, YOU KNOW, A SPECIAL LIFESTYLE TO ADAPT TO THAT.
SO WE'RE WORKING REAL HARD TO CLOSE THAT, THOSE VACANCY GAPS AND, AND HOPEFULLY INCREASE OUR RESPONSE TIMES A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I'M READY FOR QUESTIONS.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND QI HAVE A HUNCH IT'S GONNA BE POTENTIALLY ON WAIT TIMES.
I KNOW WE BOTH HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON THAT.
UM, BUT I, I FIRST WANNA AGAIN, RECOGNIZE OUR PARTNERS, UH, AT GREATER HARRIS, GREATER HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1 FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN THE UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS AS MUCH AS THE CONVENTIONAL WAYS.
AND, UH, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, WHAT'S COMING TO COUNCIL IS THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET, BUT WITHIN THAT IS AN 18.4 ROUGHLY MILLION DOLLAR REIMBURSEMENT TO THE CITY.
PUT AN EXCLAMATION ON THAT, THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE NEED THAT, WE REALLY NEED THOSE DOLLARS BACK.
MY, MY TOTAL, MY TOTAL BUDGET IS ABOUT 29 MILLION.
SO THIS IS NEARLY TWO THIRDS OF IT.
UM, THAT SUPPORTS THE GENERAL, DOESN'T, DOESN'T HAVE TO COME OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND.
AND I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, THE NON-EMERGENCY LINE.
UH, AND I GOT THANK YOU CHIEF BUCH FOR A VERY DETAILED, UH, ACCOUNTING OF WHAT, UH, YOU DIRECTOR MOCK AS WELL AS HPD COMMANDER LORENNA ARE DOING TO ADDRESS, UH, THE DEFICIENCIES.
HOW, HOW MUCH DO YOU MAKE WHEN YOU, I KNOW IT PROBABLY VARIES ON THEIR EXPERIENCE, BUT CAN YOU GIMME A SALARY RANGE OF A CALL TAKER? SO AGAIN, THEY ANSWER, THEY, DEPENDING ON NEED, THEY COULD ANSWER EITHER NON-EMERGENCY OR EMERGENCY CALLS.
SO STARTING, UH, WE START AT AROUND, UH, UH, BETWEEN 37,000 AND RIGHT AT 40,000 A YEAR, DEPENDING ON IF THEY HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE OR NOT, OR WHATEVER EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE.
AND, AND THE 212 CALL TAKERS, IS THAT 212 EVERY SHIFT OR 212 TOTAL? NO, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S, AND THAT'S POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE.
POSITIONS THAT'S TOTAL POSITIONS TO COVER ALL THE SHIFTS.
INCLUDING, INCLUDING FIRST LINE SUPERVISORS, BUT WE DO UTILIZE THEM TO ANSWER CALLS AS WELL.
THREE TO SIX PERSONNEL PER SHIFT FOR NON-EMERGENCY? YES.
UM, CAN WE DO ANYTHING IN THIS BUDGET TO, TO, I, I, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE LOOKING AT ALL OPTIONS.
YOU'RE AN ENTRY LEVEL PAY RAISE.
UH, IS, IS A, A CONSIDERATION, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE CONSIDERING WITHIN THIS BUDGET ALSO.
UM, UH, UH, SIGNING BONUS OR, OR WHATEVER.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PART OF THE BUDGET, IF WE'RE GONNA BE APPROVING THIS BUDGET OR ABLE TO MAKE ANY, AND PROBABLY NOT MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO IT.
'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S BASED ON FORMULA, UM, AND, AND REIMBURSEMENT AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT I WANNA BE SURE IT'S, IT'S ON US WHEN WE'RE APPROVING THIS BUDGET.
I, I DO NOT THINK THREE TO SIX IN A CITY OF 2.3, UH, HARRIS COUNTY GREATER IS, IS NEARLY ENOUGH PEOPLE ON A SHIFT TO BE HANDLING THOSE NON-EMERGENCY CALLS.
YOU WANT THE BULK OF THE, OF THE CALL TAKERS TO BE ON THE EMERGENCY CALLS, BUT I HAVE A HARD TIME TELLING CONSTITUENTS TO CALL THAT NON-EMERGENCY LINE AND, AND EXPECT THAT TO BE IN ANY KIND OF THING.
SO WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP TO GET YOU THE MONEY YOU
[01:45:01]
NEED TO GET MORE PEOPLE ON THOSE NON-EMERGENCY? WELL, AND LIKE I SAID, WE, WE'VE GOT THE POSITIONS.IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST THE VACANCIES.
IT'S GETTING THE TRAFFIC FLOW.
WELL, IT'S MONEY IN TO MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE.
I MEAN, 37,000 AND THIS IS A TOUGH JOB.
I'D SURE BE WILLING TO UP THAT STARTING SALARY.
AND WE DID, WE DID, UH, GET, GET SOME INCREASES LAST YEAR ALREADY TO THE SALARY.
WE GOT A SEVEN AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE TO THEIR SALARIES LAST YEAR.
UH, WE DID GET A COUPLE BONUSES, UH, UH, AND I WOULD CALL IT A, UH, A, UH, A, A RETENTION BONUS FOR, FOR THEM ALSO.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE, UM, ATTRITION? HOW LONG DO MOST PEOPLE STAY IN THIS JOB? IF YOU HAD TO AVERAGE IT OUT? WHAT'S THE LENGTH OF TIME PEOPLE STAY? THERE'S PROBABLY SOME THAT LEAVE QUICK AND SOME STAY.
THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THAT 30, YOU KNOW, 30 YEARS AND THERE'S SOME THAT ARE THE THREE MONTHS.
BUT, BUT, UH, AVERAGE PROBABLY SIX OR SEVEN YEARS.
UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT VARIES DEPENDING ON THE PERSON, BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S, UM, THE HIGH, IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT IT, IT IS A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM.
NOW, I GUESS BEFORE WE APPROVE THIS BUDGET, I'D, I'D REALLY LIKE TO BEST UNDERSTAND WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT SALARIES ARE BUILT IN, WHAT INCREASES, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING TO, I KNOW YOU SAY THE MONEY'S THERE, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF RECRUITING 'EM.
UM, NINE TO 10 EVERY SIX WEEKS SOUNDS LONG TO ME.
I MEAN, THAT'S A, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT, WELL, IT, AND, AND IT, IT, IT, IT DOES, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT IT TAKES, UH, IT TAKES ABOUT 12 WEEKS TO GET SOMEBODY TRAINED TO BE A CALL TAKER AND 10 OF THOSE 12 WEEKS, THEY'RE SITTING WITH ANOTHER CALL TAKER.
AND SO, SO WHAT HAPPENS? I'M, I'M, I'M LIMITED IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE I CAN TRAIN ALL TIME.
I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS AN HR HICCUP OR SOMETHING.
BUT THAT'S REALLY ALL YOU CAN NO, HR HASS BEEN REALLY, REALLY, THAT'S REALLY ALL YOU CAN TAKE IN.
FUNCTIONALLY, THAT'S ALL WE CAN ABSORB AT ONE.
I HAVE 12 TRAINING STATIONS IN THAT I CAN TRAIN 'EM ON, IN, IN, IN, IN MY TRAINING CLASSROOM.
SO THE MAXIMUM I CAN TAKE AT A TIME IS 12.
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU THREE TO SIX, I'M, I'M GONNA KEEP, I'M GONNA UNDERSTAND THAT, UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT REALLY ALARMING TO ME IN A CITY THIS BIG.
BUT I'LL, I'LL GET OFF MY SOAPBOX.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AND, AND ANY WAY THAT WE CAN HELP YOU OUT AS A, AS A COUNCIL.
AND I WILL JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE, I KNOW IT, IT IS NOT HELPFUL WHEN SOMEBODY HAS TO WAIT.
OUR AVERAGE, UH, ANSWER TIME FOR THE NON-EMERGENCY YEAR TO DATE THIS YEAR, ALMOST 600,000 CALLS SAW IT IS IS FOUR MINUTES.
IT'S FOUR MINUTES, WHICH SOUNDS GREAT, BUT THAT'S, WE MUST HEAR FROM
AND, AND, AND WE, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT STAT.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN DO BETTER AND IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY, IT, IT'S COMING DOWN STAFFING.
WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THE CITY.
AND FOR CLARIFICATION, DIRECTOR, UM, THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE APPROVING IS GOING TO BE GREATER.
IS HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1? IT'S NOT.
SO GREATER HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1 HAS ITS BUDGET IN THE LARGEST TWO COUNTIES, UH, IN THE REGION THAT THEY COVER, HAVE TO APPROVE GREATER HARRIS COUNTY NINE ONE ONE'S BUDGET.
UM, I ALSO AGREE IN HERE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THERE, WELL, I'LL SAY, I DON'T WANNA PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH.
IS THERE ANYTHING IN THAT BUDGET THAT WE CAN BE DOING? UM, BUT WE HAVE TO, I BELIEVE, APPROVE THIS.
RIGHT? SO, BUT LEGALLY BY, BUT I, BUT I WILL SAY GREATER HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1 HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT WITH SUPPORTING ALL INITIATIVES THAT WE DO.
I GO TO THEIR BOARD MEETINGS MONTHLY AND THEY CONTINUE THEIR, THEY'RE WILLING TO SUPPORT US ANY WAY THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, UH, PHYSICALLY AND PHY, PHYSICALLY AND PHYSICALLY.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DEFINITELY DEFINITELY IN INTO THAT BECAUSE THEY, THEY, THEY WANT US TO BE, YOU KNOW, SUCCESSFUL AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THAT PARTNERSHIP AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN YOUR POINT, I HEAR IT TOO, UM, WHERE THE NON-EMERGENCY LINES ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, A ARE CHALLENGING RIGHT NOW, BUT I WANTED TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE AS YOU DID THE CALL TAKERS, UH, THAT IS A HIGH STRESS, LIKE YOU SAID, 24 7 ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU WERE HEARING SOMEBODY AT THE WORST TIME IN THEIR LIFE.
UH, AND I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO INTO THE TYPES OF SUPPORT SERVICES THAT YOU ALL PROVIDE FOR THEM AS CALL TAKERS, BUT ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS AND SUPPORT THAT, UM, AS WELL AS, I KNOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT CREATIVE WAYS FOR RECRUITMENT, BUT ANYTHING WE CAN BE DOING IN THAT RESPECT AS WELL, UM, TO THE NON-EMERGENCY CALL LINE ISSUE.
UM, AND I WAS JUST ON THE PHONE YESTERDAY WITH A FEW SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS IN THE DISTRICT THAT BROUGHT THIS UP.
SO I SAID I WOULD, YOU KNOW, ASK THIS QUESTION OF YOU AGAIN.
I KNOW WE GOT A, UM, SOME RESPONSES BACK THE LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED THIS AT COUNCIL.
IF WE COULD MAYBE GET AN UPDATE ON, YOU KNOW, JUST
[01:50:01]
AGAIN, WHERE WE STAND, UH, WITH 9 1 1 NON-EMERGENCY STATISTICS VERSUS EMERGENCY LINE STATISTICS.UH, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I'M HEARING IS WE HAVE THE STATISTICS ON, UH, WHAT THE WAIT TIMES ARE, BUT I'M HEARING FROM RESIDENTS WHO HAVE HUNG UP BECAUSE THEY WERE ON HOLD FOR LONGER.
LET'S SAY SOME, YOU KNOW, 1 45 MINUTES, THAT MAY BE AN OUTLIER, BUT DO, ARE WE ABLE TO TRACK THE HANGUPS VERSUS WHO'S BEEN ON HOLD THAT WE ACTUALLY PICKED UP? WE MAY NOT HAVE THAT CAPACITY, BUT I'M, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE HANGING UP RIGHT NOW ON THE NON-EMERGENCY SIDE, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT SYSTEM.
WE DO TRACK 'EM, WE ACTUALLY CALL 'EM BACK ON THE EMERGENCY SIDE, EVEN IF THEY DO HANG UP.
SO WE MAKE, OR AT LEAST ATTEMPT TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THEM, THE, THE NON-EMERGENCY SIDE IS NOT SET UP THAT WAY AT THE MOMENT, BUT, UH, WE CAN, WE LOOK AND LOOK AND SEE IF WE CAN GET ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
WE'RE KINDA LIMITED ON THE INFORMATION WE GET OUT OF THAT.
YEAH, AND AGAIN, THAT'S A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, THAT GOES BACK TO ALL THE TECHNOLOGY CAP CAPABILITIES THAT WE NEED.
THE LAST QUESTION I HAD, AND I KNOW JUDGE MARSHALL, THANK YOU FOR BEING SO PATIENT WITH US.
UM, THE, WITH THE WAIT TIMES SOMETIMES THAT RESIDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING, AND AGAIN, A LOT OF IT CAN BE LOUD NOISE ISSUES, UH, OTHER TYPES OF NON-EMERGENCY ISSUES THAT DO MATTER TO OUR RESIDENTS AND AND SHOULD MATTER.
UM, IS THERE OTHER, ARE THERE OTHER WAYS FOR THEM TO REPORT THAT? WHETHER IT'S AN EMAIL, LIKE ON EMERGENCY, IF YOU TEXT 9 1 1, UH, YOU HAVE THAT CAPABILITY.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT FOR NON-EMERGENCY THAT MAYBE HELP SUPPORT OR LOWER THAT CALL LINE NEED? RIGHT AT THE MOMENT, NO, BUT WE'RE EXPLORING THOSE OPTIONS AGAIN.
WE'RE DEALING, YOU KNOW, WITH SOMETHING THAT NEEDS UPGRADING AS WELL.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HOPEFULLY MORE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS AS WELL TO HELP WITH THAT.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST GETTING THOSE IDENTIFIED AND SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE, THAT'S GONNA WORK FOR US.
UM, THERE, THERE ARE A FEW OUT THERE, BUT THERE'RE NOT A LOT OF, AREN'T FULLY DEVELOPED YET, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT MORE AUTOMATION AS YOU KNOW, AS TIME GOES ON.
WELL, DIRECTOR AGAIN, THANK YOU.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING TO COME UP WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AND WHAT'S A NATIONAL ISSUE RIGHT NOW, UH, ACROSS CITIES.
BUT WE APPRECIATE YOUR GUYS' SUPPORT AND IN APPROVING THIS BUDGET THAT, THAT HELPS US, YOU KNOW, HELPS US GET MONEY, KEEP THOSE DOLLARS AND, AND KEEP EVERYTHING WORKING.
WE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST
UH, CHAIR NOW CALLS, UH, PRESIDING JUDGE MARSHALL WITH HOUSTON MUNICIPAL COURTS.
JUDGE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAND OR SIT? SIT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK I CAN STAND.
YOU SURE WE LOWER FOR A WHILE? I CAN STAND, I CAN STAND.
WELL, TRYING TO SEE HOW WE HAVE IT.
SO, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR US WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL.
ATTENDING WITH ME TODAY IS MY DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NELLY SANTOS, AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, LILY WARDEN.
SO I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AND A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE MUNICIPAL COURTS.
THIS PRESENTATION IS REFLECTIVE OF OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE THROUGH THE VARIOUS INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
ON THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE SOME, UH, COMPARATIVE STATISTICS.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON MUNICIPAL COURTS HANDLES A WIDE RANGE OF CASES THAT START ALL THE WAY.
THEY'RE ALL CLASS CS AND THEY ARE FROM DIFFERENT TYPES OF, OF CLASS C VIOLATIONS FROM ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS THAT INCLUDE DANGEROUS BUILDINGS ALL THE WAY TO PARKING, CITATIONS, AND BOOT HEARINGS.
UH, THE MUNICIPAL COURTS HAVE, OUR COURTHOUSE HAS THREE TIMES AS MANY CASES FILED, AND TWICE AS MUCH REVENUE COLLECTED AMONG THE TOP FIVE CITIES THAT YOU WILL SEE ON THE SLIDE.
SO, AS PART OF OUR MISSION TO PROVIDE A FAIR AND EFFICIENT LEGAL FORUM TO THE COMMUNITY, WE TAKE PRIDE IN THE, IN THE VARIOUS TYPES OF INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER.
IS THAT MUSIC FOR ME
THE COVID-19, UM, PANDEMIC NEGATIVE EFFECT NEGATIVELY AFFECTED SO MANY CITIZENS, PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE HAD, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO LOST HOMES, WHO LOST HOUSES, WHO GOT EVICTED, AND THE LAST THING ON THEIR MIND WAS PAYING A, A MOVING VIOLATION.
SO FOR ME, IT WAS A WAY TO DEVELOP A COURT, A COURT SYSTEM, A, THE SAFE HARBOR COURT THAT COULD ONCE AGAIN TRY TO BRING SOME NORMALCY TO THE CITIZENS AND TO LIFT THE FINANCIAL BURDEN
[01:55:01]
THAT WAS, UH, PLACED ON THEM FROM COVID-19, WE HAVE DEDICATED JUDGES, AND WE STARTED OUT TRYING TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY WITH THIS PROGRAM, BUT BECAUSE OF THE COVID RESTRICTIONS, WE KIND OF SCALED BACK TO THAT AND JUST OPENED IT UP AT THE COURTHOUSE.AND IT'S OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AT THE, AT THE MAIN COURTHOUSE.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE SAFE HARBOR COURT HAS BEEN OPERATING SINCE, UH, 2020, ITS INCEPTION.
THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH DOCKETS THAT YOU SEE HERE ARE TWO OF THESE THAT, THAT WE STARTED ARE WE CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE CRITICAL NEED AND THE CRITICAL PROBLEM OF HOMELESSNESS THROUGH OUR HOMELESS COALITION.
WE PARTNER ALSO WITH THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS AND A DEDICATED TEAM OF CASEWORKERS WHO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN RESOLVING THEIR COURT MATTERS, UH, THROUGH THEIR COMMUNITY SERVICE.
THIS ALLOWS THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO COME IN, GAIN ACCESS AND GAIN THE TOOLS NEEDED TO GET THE CASES RESOLVED AND THEN GET BACK TO, TO DOING SOME THINGS WITH THEIR LIVES AND HOPEFULLY TRY TO EXIT THAT HOMELESSNESS.
UH, THE GOAL OF MY VETERANS COURT, UH, WAS INITIALLY STARTED BECAUSE, UM, WE SEE SO MANY DIFFERENT VETERANS WHO COME OUT OF THE MILITARY.
AND IF YOU'RE IN THE MILITARY AND YOU'RE IN A SPECIALIZED UNIT, THE ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE OR YOU DON'T HAVE ARE JOBS FOR THOSE SPECIALIZED DIFFERENT TYPES OF AREAS.
IF YOU WERE IN THE MILITARY AND YOU MADE BOMBS WHEN YOU CAME OUT, YOU HAD NO JOB.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO HELP THEM.
THE LAST THING THEY COULD DO WAS IF THEY COULDN'T FIND A JOB, WAS TO NOT PAY A, A TRAFFIC CITATION.
SO TO KEEP OUR VETERANS FROM GOING INTO THE, THE CRIMINAL SYSTEM ON THE DISTRICT COURT AND THE FELONY CASES, IT USUALLY STARTED WITH A CLASS C.
SO THAT'S WHY WE DEVELOPED THE, UH, THE VETERANS COURT.
AND WE HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL PARTNERS WITH THE VA AND WITH THE, UH, ASSOCIATION OF, UM, THE BEACON ASSOCIATION AND COMBINED ARMS. SO WE HAVE, HAVE DEVELOPED A REALLY GOOD RAPPORT FOR THE VETERANS.
OUR AMNESTY PROGRAM, WE JUST STARTED IT BACK AFTER BEING, UH, ON PAUSE SINCE, UH, COVID STARTED.
WE ARE PLEASED TO ONCE AGAIN BRING IT BACK.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, THE SAME THING WE ALWAYS DO WITH THE AMNESTY PROGRAM IS A THREE WEEK PERIOD, WE GIVE CITIZENS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN IF YOU HAVE DELINQUENT CASES, TO TALK TO THE JUDGES, TO TRY TO WORK OUT A SYSTEM WHERE THE WARRANTS CAN BE RESOLVED AND YOUR CASES CAN BE RESOLVED AND YOU CAN GET THAT THREAT OF ARREST OFF OF YOU.
UM, WE RAN, WELL, WE DID, WE STARTED OCTOBER THE 28TH.
I ALWAYS KNEW THAT THE ASTROS WERE GONNA WIN.
I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE WAITED A FEW, FEW WEEKS AFTER THAT, BUT WE STARTED AND WE CAME UP WITH THE ASTROS PARADE, THE ASTROS WIN THEN ELECTION.
AND SO NOW HERE WE ARE AT THE, THE FINAL STRETCH, BUT BE, EVEN WITH ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAD GOING ON, WE STILL HAVE MANAGED TO COLLECT ABOUT $230,000.
SO I THINK IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN GOOD FOR THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON AND, AND FOR THE CITY.
AND JUDGE, REALLY QUICKLY SHARE JUST ONE MORE TIME FOR THE PUBLIC WHEN THIS FALL TERMS ENDS, BECAUSE THIS AMNESTY PROGRAM ENDS THIS SATURDAY, UM, NOVEMBER 19TH AT 11:59 PM SO YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO COME IN.
AND THE ONLY, THE, THE ONE THING THAT I WANNA SAY TO THE PUBLIC IS, WE CAN'T HELP YOU IF YOU DON'T COME.
IF YOU DON'T COME, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN, WE CAN ASSIST YOU.
THAT'S, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE AND HIGHLIGHT AND FOR, UM, COUNCIL OFFICES TO PUSH THAT OUT AS WELL.
NEXT, YOU KNOW, I SOUND LIKE THAT'S THE, THE SONG THE LAST OF, UH, WHEN YOU GET OFF ON THE EMMYS.
IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO SIT DOWN
OUR, UH, MATTRESSES SERVICES AND OUR JAIL DOCKETS, UM, I WANT TO AT LEAST BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE WE PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, THOSE ARE DEDICATED SERVICES, AND WE HAVE JUDGES AND STAFF WHO WORK 365 DAYS A WEEK, UH, A YEAR, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND 24 HOURS A DAY.
OUR STAFF ARE VERIFYING WARRANTS.
OUR JUDGES ARE THERE AT THE JOINT PROCESSING CENTER, AND THEY ARE CRITICAL TO PUBLIC SAFETY BECAUSE WE ARE THERE HOLDING DOCKETS SO THAT CITIZENS THAT ARE ARRESTED CAN HAVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION BACK OUT AND NOT BE HELD IN JAIL OR HELD OVER LONGER THAN IS NECESSARY.
SO THAT IS ONE THING THAT WE DO.
OUR JAIL DOCKETS ALLOW THE DEFENDERS TO BE RELEASED IN A MORE EXPEDIENT MANNER, MORE TIMELY, AND IT REDUCES THE, THE JAIL POPULATION AND ALL OF THE CROWDING, THIS, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE JAIL.
SO WE HAVE JUDGES THERE WHO ARE DEDICATED TO,
[02:00:01]
UM, TO THAT, THAT PORTION OF THE JOINT PROCESSING CENTER.NEXT SLIDE, OUR WARRANT VERIFICATION STAFF IS, IS HOUSED, UH, IN OUR, IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT BUILDING ON LUBBOCK.
AND THEY CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT WARRANT VERIFICATION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN THEY CALL IN TO SEE IF A WARRANT IS STILL GOOD WHEN THEY HAVE SOMEONE ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET.
THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF THAT IS THAT THESE OFFICERS RELY ON THE FACT THAT WE CAN TELL THEM THIS PERSON HAS THIS WARRANT OR THAT WARRANT, AND IT, IT IS CRITICAL TO, TO THEIR SAFETY AS WELL.
SO I, UM, OUR STAFF DOES A, A GREAT JOB OF DOING THIS AND ALTHOUGH IT BENEFITS, UM, HPD, JUST, WE ARE JUST THERE KIND OF STRUGGLING ALONG DOING IT AT, AT OUR OWN EXPENSE AND BUDGET.
BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PROVIDE.
SO OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVES, WE HAVE, UH, OUR PIO THAT THAT HOSTS VARIOUS SCHOOL TOURS AND EVENTS.
WE ALSO COME INTO VARIOUS DISTRICTS AND HOLD SEMINARS AND HOLD DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UM, UH, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS THAT PEOPLE CAN COME IN AND TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN MUNICIPAL COURTS.
OUR SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS TAKE THE PLEDGE NOT TO TEXT AND DRIVE, UH, AND THE DANGERS OF WHAT GOES ON WITH THAT.
AND THE STUDENTS ARE VERY, VERY RECEPTIVE TO THAT.
AND WE ALSO OFFER THE STUDENTS AND THE COURT VISITORS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND EXPERIENCE FIRSTHAND THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND DRIVING, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD WITH, AND THE OFFICERS TAKE A LOT OF TIME WITH THE OLDER ADULTS AS WELL AS THE STUDENTS.
NOW, THIS ONE RIGHT HERE IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO ME.
THIS IS THE TEEN COURT INITIATIVE.
YOU KNEW I WAS GOING TO KIND OF THROW THAT ONE IN THERE, AB ABSOLUTELY.
AND YOU SHOULD
IF I COULD SAY NOTHING ELSE, IS THAT ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING THINGS THAT I DO AS A JUDGE, WHEN WE STARTED, WE HAD VERY FEW STUDENTS, AND NOW WE HAVE A WAITING LIST.
WE'RE UP TO 150 PLUS 155 STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE NOW.
WE OPERATE ONE, ONE TIME A MONTH, WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, TO INCREASE THAT.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS WE ARE RUNNING OUTTA SPACE BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE TEEN COURT NOW WE OPERATE IN THREE DIFFERENT COURTS.
SO WE HAVE TO COMBINE THE COURTS AND, AND NOW WE'RE JUST, WE'RE RUNNING OUTTA SPACE.
SO WE ARE HAVE A DEDICATED TEAM OF MENTORS.
WE HAVE STUDENT VOLUNTEERS, WE HAVE, UM, PROSECUTORS, JUDGES, UH, WE HAVE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS AND CITY ATTORNEYS.
WE HAVE EVERYONE THERE HELPING JUVENILE CASE MANAGERS ARE THERE WITH US.
AND THIS PROGRAM IS ONE WHERE I CAN TRULY STAND HERE AND SAY THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN A REC RECIDIVISM.
I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE STUDENT THAT WAS A REPEAT OFFENDER.
AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY COME OUT, THEY, THEY WANNA HELP IF THEY'RE A DEFENDANT.
AND MY STUDENT VOLUNTEERS ARE BEING FIRST TIME COLLEGE STUDENTS TO THEIR FAMILIES.
SO I, I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF ARE DOING.
THEY, UH, MY, UH, I WANNA TELL YOU ALSO THAT WE ALSO JUST OPERATE TEEN COURT ON A FOOD BUDGET.
WE FEED EVERYONE, ANYONE WHO WALKS THROUGH THE DOORS.
SO THE JUVENILE CASE MANAGER PROGRAM IS, UH, ONE THAT REMAINS THE PREMIER TRUANCY PROGRAM IN THE STATE.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL US, A LOT OF PEOPLE TRY TO, TO PATTERN AFTER US.
AND OUR PROGRAM HAS GROWN SO SIGNIFICANTLY, SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE IT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2009.
WE HAVE, UM, JUVENILE CASE MANAGERS THAT WORK THE SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE THEM IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
THEY HAVE PROGRAMS FOR THE KIDS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. THEY HAVE, UM, THEY'VE SUPPLIED, YOU KNOW, UH, DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS IN THE, IN THE, UH, HOLIDAY SEASON, TAKING FOOD TO THE FAMILIES THAT NEED 'EM BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THAT, IN THAT SYSTEM WITH THE STUDENTS WHO THEY KNOW ARE EITHER GONNA BE TRUANT OR TRY TO HELP FA FEED THEIR FAMILIES.
SO THEY'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB OF DOING THAT.
WE TAKE THEM IN THE SUMMERTIME IN OUR PROGRAMS TO DIFFERENT PLACES.
UH, WE'VE HAD THE AXIOM SPACE AND HCC AND FUN ACTIVITIES WITH THEM.
BUT, UM, THE ONE THING I WANNA SAY IS WE'VE PARTNERED WITH HISD SPRING BRANCH AND WE JUST ADDED ALDE ISD.
WHAT IMPORTANT I THINK FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO KNOW IS THAT WE ARE IN FIVE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS, BUT WE HAVE A WAITING LIST.
THERE ARE K-D-I-S-D, THERE'S DIFFERENT, UM, INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE CALLING SAYING, CAN YOU SEND THEM? WE ARE GRANT FUNDED, SOME OF IT.
AND SO WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH, UH, GRANT FUND MONEY MONEY AS WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST YEAR.
SO WE'VE HAD TO KIND OF SCALE IT BACK AND PUT PEOPLE ON A WAITING LIST.
BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT GETTING THE KIDS INVOLVED IN OTHER THINGS OTHER THAN,
[02:05:01]
UH, CRIME OR BEING PART OF THE SYSTEM, THE, THIS IS WHERE I THINK IT STARTS.SO, UH, I'M REAL PROUD OF OUR CASE MANAGERS WHO WORK THIS PROGRAM.
NOW, THE SECURITY OF OUR COURTS, UM, IN ALL LOCATIONS HAS, HAS BEEN OUR TOP PRIORITY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF INITIATIVES IN PLACE THAT, UM, TRY TO INCREASE.
WE TRY TO INCREASE THE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF SECURITY FOR OUR VISITORS AND STAFF.
WE HAVE JURORS WHO COME IN AT TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, THE LUBBOCK AND THE WEST SIDE LOCATION.
SO WE HAVE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY, UM, INVOLVEMENT IN OUR COURT SYSTEM.
AND SO WE ARE, WE HAVE A COURT SECURITY COMMITTEE THAT ALWAYS MEETS ONCE A MONTH TO TRY TO DISCUSS ANY ISSUES THAT WE MAY HAVE, SUCH AS PANIC BUTTONS OR, OR THOSE, UM, TYPES OF INITIATIVES THAT WE NEED TO UPGRADE.
WE ARE LIMITED AT, AT LUBBOCK, UH, AS TO WHAT REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF INSTALLATION OF HIGH TECH, UH, SECURITY CAMERAS AND THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S A LIMIT AS TO WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT BUILDING.
SO, UM, SO DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC, WE, THE COURTS REMAINED OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
WE SUSPENDED THE JURY DOCKETS.
AND FROM MARCH 25TH, 2020 THROUGH MARCH 31ST, 2021, THE CASES WERE RESCHEDULED.
I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT THE HOUSTON MUNICIPAL COURTS, UNLIKE A LOT OF OTHER COURTS, YOU WON'T FIND A BACKLOG BECAUSE WE MANAGED TO HAVE CASES RESET ON DOCKETS.
WE STRATEGICALLY PICKED DOCKETS, THE ATTORNEYS CAME IN, EVERYBODY WORKED AS A TEAM BECAUSE WE HAVE A HIGH VOLUME OF CASES AND WE HANDLE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF CASES THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO US NOT TO GO INTO OPENING UP IN 2022 WITH AN ENORMOUS BACKGROUND, UH, BACKLOG.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE WERE PRIDING OURSELVES IN DOING WITH THE COVID.
AND LASTLY, I THINK WHAT YOU KNOW IS THAT WE CONTINUE, UM, TO BE THE FACILITY OF, OF ALL FACILITIES THAT ARE, WE STILL HAVE NO BASEMENT.
WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE PROBABLY UTILIZED EVERY, AS MY GRANDMOTHER USED TO SAY, NOOK AND CRANNY, THAT 1400 LUBBOCK COULD, COULD GIVE US.
WE HAVE TRIED TO KNOCK OUT WALLS, PUT UP DIVIDERS ALL THROUGH FEMA GUIDELINES, AND WE ARE STILL OPERATING.
AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT OUR, OUR STAFF IS RESILIENT.
UM, THEY TAKE IT, WE'VE, WE'VE RENOVATED CLOSET SPACES, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO GET, UH, OUR COURTHOUSE AND MAKE SURE IT KEEPS RUNNING AND, AND TO DO THE INITIATIVES THAT YOU AND, AND MAYOR TURNER WANT US TO DO.
SO WE ARE STILL WAITING TO SEE IF WE'RE GOING TO GET ANY, ANY DIFFERENT PLACES TO LOOK AT AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
IT MEANS A LOT TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL YOU OR CALL AND SAY, HEY, WE HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, BECAUSE THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR US JUST MEANS SO MUCH.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR US, AND, UM, I JUST APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO.
I, I THINK, UH, WE ALL APPRECIATE YOU, YOUR ENTIRE STAFF.
UM, ALL OUR JUDGES, UH, I'LL HOLD OFF ON MY COMMENTS UNLESS COUNCIL MEMBER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, REALLY QUICKLY, THE JUVENILE CASE MANAGER PROGRAM, YOU SAID THAT THERE'S A WAIT LIST RIGHT NOW.
WHAT'S THE COST OR WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO BRING MORE, UM, YOUTH INTO THE PROGRAM? IN TERMS OF OUR JUVENILE CASE MANAGERS? WE'D HAVE TO HAVE, HAVE, BE ABLE, HAVE THE ABILITY TO HIRE MORE OF, OF CASE MANAGERS TO SEND THEM OUT INTO THOSE.
AND, AND I WOULD SAY, AND IF Y'ALL WANNA GET BACK TO US ON IT, WE CAN, WE CAN SUBMIT A QUESTION, BUT JUST SO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? IF WE HAVE OTHER ISDS WAITING TO GET INVOLVED, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S PARTNERSHIP OR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THERE, BUT, UM, WE'LL GET THE NUMBERS BACK TO YOU.
AND AGAIN, JUDGE, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, LITERALLY OPERATING OUT OF CLOSETS, LITERALLY WITH DIVIDERS BECAUSE OF HARVEY.
THE FACT THAT, UM, Y'ALL ARE AT NO BACKLOG WITH CASES.
AGAIN, WE HAVE COUNTY COURTS, WHICH THE CITY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE, BUT AS A CITY, WE HAVE NO BACKLOG DESPITE ALL OF THESE CHALLENGES.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, UM, YOU ARE DOING JUVENILE CASE, TEEN COURT, AMNESTY, VETERANS PROGRAMS, HOMELESS PRO.
I KNOW THIS IS A, A LABOR OF LOVE, BUT IT REALLY IS OUTSTANDING THAT WE'RE THE HIGHEST NUM, WE GET THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASES OF ANY CITY IN THE STATE, AND YET WE HAVE NO BACKLOG.
AND YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED ALL OF THIS.
SO I, I GIVE HUGE CREDIT TO MAYOR TURNER, BUT ALSO YOUR
[02:10:01]
LEADERSHIP, UM, OF THE COURTS AND YOUR STAFF AND YOUR TEAM.UM, DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATE FROM FEMA? IT'S MY ONLY QUESTION.
UM, I THINK IT CHANGES REGULARLY.
WE HAVE, UH, NONE THAT, THAT I HAVE BEEN BRIEFED ON JUST, UH, FORMALLY, UH, AS OF YET.
SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH FEMA EXCEPT JUST WAITING ON WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO OR WHAT TYPE OF FUNDING WE CAN USE TO, TO DO IT.
WELL, PLEASE KEEP US POSTED ON ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU, UH, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR PATIENCE, UH, TODAY, UH, THIS WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT PRESENTATION TO HEAR, BUT ALSO FOR ALL THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
AND WITH THAT, UH, WE AGAIN, HAVE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
UH, APPRECIATE ALL THE PRESENTERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF FOR, UH, THIS KIND OF MARATHON.
NOT THE LONGEST WE'VE EVER HAD, BUT A MARATHON END OF YEAR MEETING.
AND HTV, UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, OUR INTERN COLE, WHO, UH, IT'S HIS LAST WEEK WITH OUR OFFICE.
SO COLE, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE, UH, AND TO MY STAFF.
UH, OUR NEXT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE IN JANUARY OF 23.
AND A REMINDER THAT THE AGENDA AND PRESENTATIONS ARE ONLINE, ON THE COMMITTEE'S WEBPAGE, AND A RECORDING OF THE MEETING IS POSTED ON HTVS WEBSITE.
WITH THAT, THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 4:15 PM.