[Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee on January 26, 2023.]
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THIS MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER ON JANUARY 26TH, 2023 AT 2:05 PM UH, TODAY WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL KOFO, UM, AND I BELIEVE WE ALSO HAVE ON THE LINE HPD, DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND CHIEF DATA OFFICER MELISSA CUMMINS, UH, WITH A IMPORTANT ANNUAL UPDATE.
I'VE ASKED HPD AND I APPRECIATE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THIS TO BE PROVIDING US WITH UPDATES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HOUSTON AND HPDS POLICING AND COMMUNITY SAFETY REFORMS. THESE ARE THINGS LIKE THE HPD TRANSPARENCY PORTAL, THE IMPLEMENTATION AND THE STATUS.
WHERE ARE WE TODAY WITH SITE AND RELEASE AND HOW THAT'S WORKING.
CHANGES TO HPD GENERAL RULES, UH, WHETHER THOSE WERE, UH, IMPLEMENTED UNDER MAYOR TURNER'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS, OR THROUGH HPD ON THEIR OWN, UH, AND THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS COUNCIL, THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF.
UH, CURRENTLY WE ARE JOINED BY, UH, IN CHAMBERS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, AND WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, ALCORN, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM, UH, VICE CHAIR KNOX, AND COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S OFFICE.
AND WE ARE JOINED ONLINE, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PLUMMER'S OFFICE, AND, UH, EXCUSE ME, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S OFFICE AND COUNCIL MEMBER ROS'S OFFICE.
HAVE I LEFT OUT ANYONE? AND I'M SORRY.
ALSO STAFF, UM, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ASH'S OFFICE ONLINE AS WELL.
SO WE WELCOME EVERYONE NORMALLY, UH, IN JUST A FEW QUICK NOTES, UH, WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WATCHING ONLINE AND ON HTV.
UH, PLEASE NOTE THE PRESENTATION HAS BEEN UPLOADED ON THE COMMITTEE WEBSITE AS WELL, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, WE ONLY HAVE THAT ONE PRESENTATION TODAY.
SO WE'LL HOLD ALL QUESTIONS TO THE END.
AND THEN, UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW EITHER ONLINE FOR STAFF THROUGH THE CHAT FUNCTION OR IN THE QUEUE PER USUAL.
UH, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR THIS MEETING.
YOU WILL BE CALLED AT THE END OF TODAY'S MEETING.
AND AGAIN, I BELIEVE MOST OF THEM, IF NOT ALL, ARE JOINING VIRTUALLY.
BUT AT THAT TIME, WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE HIT, UH, STAR SIX TO UNMUTE.
UH, IF YOU UNMUTE BEFOREHAND AND BEGIN TALKING, WE WILL, WE'LL GIVE YOU A WARNING, BUT IF YOU CONTINUE TO DO SO, WE'LL HAVE TO REMOVE YOU FROM THE MEETING.
I, UM, WAS ASKED TO RELAY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, THE COMMUNITY'S APPRECIATION, UM, BOTH TO HPD EXECUTIVE COMMAND STAFF, UM, THE HATE CRIMES DIVISION, AND, UH, SOUTH CENTRAL PATROL, UM, OVER THIS WEEKEND'S, RECENT EVENTS RELATING TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND THE ATTACKS ON, UH, ONE OF THE CONGREGATIONS.
AND THE MEMBERS WANTED ME TO EXPRESS PUBLICLY THEIR APPRECIATION, UM, AND REMIND AS CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
I WILL SAY, UH, THERE IS ZERO TOLERANCE FOR ACTS OF HATE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, NO MATTER AGAINST ANY GROUP, BUT THERE IS NO TOLERANCE, PERIOD.
UM, I ALSO THOUGH THINK IT WOULD BE, UH, IN INAUTHENTIC OF US TO BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION TODAY ABOUT REFORMS AND TRANSPARENCY AND NOT RECOGNIZE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OTHER PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY.
UH, THE FOOTAGE OF THE BRUTAL BEATING AND DEATH OF TYREE NICHOLS IS GOING TO BE RELEASED TOMORROW.
AND I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE LISTENED TO THE WORDS, UM, OF THEIR CHIEF OF POLICE ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THAT, AND THAT, UM, THEY WILL BE HOLDING THOSE RESPONSIBLE ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT THERE IS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THIS COUNTRY.
AT THE SAME TIME, THIS IS HOUSTON, THIS IS NOT MEMPHIS, THIS IS NOT MINNEAPOLIS, AND THIS IS NOT MURPHY.
AND I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UH, THAT IS ACTUALLY AT THE HORSESHOE.
HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, PROACTIVELY HAVING ANNUAL REVIEWS TO SEE WHERE WE ARE, UM, WITH, AND I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE WITH THE WILLING AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF HPD.
AND I EVEN TODAY SPOKE WITH CHIEF FINNER, UM, ABOUT THE, THE EVENTS AND THE VIDEO THAT IS GOING TO BE RELEASED, UH, TOMORROW.
AND, UH, HE AND OTHERS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN, UM, BUT ALSO HAVE REINFORCED THE MESSAGE.
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RELAY IT TODAY, THAT HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH, THE RIGHT TO GATHER, THE RIGHT TO SPEAK YOUR MIND, BUT TO DO SO PEACEFULLY.UH, SO WHILE WE WAIT FOR TOMORROW'S FOOTAGE, I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT, THAT EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO GATHER AND TO PROTEST AND TO SPEAK YOUR MIND UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF OUR CONSTITUTION.
BUT HERE IN HOUSTON, WE, WE ARE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE AS WE ALWAYS HAVE TO DO SO PEACEFULLY, RESPECTFULLY, UM, AND THAT WE WILL ALL BE IN IT TOGETHER.
UH, WITH THAT, UH, I AM GOING TO, UH, LASTLY, AND THEN WE'LL, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR GET TO YOU.
UM, I'LL POINT OUT THAT, UH, WHO I'M CALLING UP IS THE HEAD OF AN OFFICE CREATED BY MAYOR TURNER, SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO THE TYPE OF CITY THAT WE ARE.
UH, SO IT'S A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU TODAY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU HAD TO, UH, YOU HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH SOME PERSONAL MATTERS THAT HAVE MADE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO BE HERE.
AND I KNOW, GIVEN YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS, UH, I RESPECT AND APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE HERE TODAY.
SO, WITH THAT, UM, ARE WE BACK ON HTV YET? WE'RE CHECKING.
WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH HTV, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PRESENTATION IS OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WE'RE GONNA PAUSE FOR JUST ONE MOMENT.
UM, AND WOULD YOU LIKE A CHAIR? ERIN, WOULD YOU, IN THE BACK CORNER OVER THERE, THERE'S A FEW CHAIRS IN CASE YOU'D LIKE TO SIT.
I THINK EVERY SINGLE COMMITTEE HAS HAD CHALLENGES SO FAR THIS YEAR.
I WAS REALLY HOPING WE'D BE HERE.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, AND THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PATIENCE.
UM, I NOW RECOGNIZE DEPUTY INSPECTOR, UH, GENERAL CRYSTAL KOFO AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND CHIEF DATA OFFICER, DIRECTOR CUMMINS IS ONLINE IN CASE, UH, COLLEAGUES AND STAFF.
WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR HER SPECIFICALLY TO HOW HPD DEALS WITH THEIR DATA.
SO PLEASE PROCEED AND WE'LL PULL UP THE, UH, IS THE PRESENTATION READY TO GO? YES.
I STILL SEE THE AGENDA, SO, OH, THERE WE GO.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN FOR, UM, INVITING ME TO SPEAK THIS AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK THIS AFTERNOON.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THAT ARE HERE AND THEIR STAFF, UM, THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THAT WE DISCUSS THIS INFORMATION AND I'M GLAD TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, I'M GOING TO DISCUSS THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE RECEIVED IN 2022.
I'M ALSO GONNA REVIEW THE DASHBOARD, THE POLICE TRANSPARENCY DASHBOARD THAT WAS RELEASED, UM, AND COMPARE 2021 TO 2022, SOME POLICY CHANGES WITHIN HPD THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2022.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO REVIEW MAYOR TURNER'S EXECUTIVE ORDER 1 0 1 DASH SIX SEVEN, WHICH IS THE USE OF FORCE FORCE.
UM, THROUGH MY OFFICE, WE HANDLE, UM, ALL INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMPLAINTS.
THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN FILE A COMPLAINT.
YOU CAN FILE A COMPLAINT, UM, ONLINE THROUGH THE POLICE TRANSPARENCY HUB IN FIVE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, CHINESE, AND VIETNAMESE, AND, I'M SORRY, VIETNAMESE AND ARABIC.
YOU CAN ALSO REACH OUT TO THE OFFICE OF POLICING REFORM VIA EMAIL OR CALLING OUR OFFICE.
AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT INTERNAL AFFAIRS THROUGH HPD AT ANY OF THEIR FIELD OFFICES.
WHEN, WHENEVER YOU FILE A COMPLAINT, UM, NO MATTER WHERE YOU FILE THAT COMPLAINT, WHETHER IT'S WITH INTERNAL AFFAIRS OR THROUGH MY OFFICE, MY OFFICE AND THE CHAIR OF THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD, STEVEN IVES, REVIEW THE CASES.
WE REVIEW EVERY SINGLE CASE THAT COMES THROUGH, AND THEN WE DETERMINE IF IT'S A CASE IN WHICH THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD NEEDS TO REVIEW.
LAST YEAR, THERE WERE 660 IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMPLAINTS, AND THERE WERE 23 CASES, UM, THAT CAME THROUGH THE OFFICE OF POLICE WHO REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IN OTHER CITY, MAJOR CITIES ALSO,
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MAJORITY OF THE COMPLAINTS ARE COMING THROUGH, UM, THE POLICE AGENCY.LAST YEAR, THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD, THEY REVIEWED 106 COMPLAINTS OF THOSE, UM, MAJORITY OF THEM WERE USE OF FORCE.
THERE WERE, UM, THAT WAS ABOUT 38.6% OR 41 COMPLAINTS.
OF THE 104, THERE WERE 14 IMPROPER POLICE PROCEDURES, 12 DISARM DISCHARGE OF A FIREARM, 14 DISCHARGING A FIREARM WHERE A CITIZEN DIED.
AND THEN THERE WERE SEVEN QUESTIONS REGARDING POLICIES OR USE OF FORCE.
THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD REVIEWS, ALL INTERNAL AFFAIRS CASES IN WHICH THEIR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING ANY IN CUSTODY, DEATH, OR A USE OF FORCE ALLEGATION.
AND CURRENTLY, THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS THROUGH THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PAGE.
AND SO IF YOU GO ON THAT PAGE, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND APPLY TO JOIN THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD AS LONG AS YOU LIVE IN WITHIN THE, UH, HARRIS COUNTY AREA.
NEXT WE'RE ABOUT TO REVIEW THE DATA DASHBOARDS, THE DATA DASH.
UM, THE POLICE TRANSPARENCY HUB DASHBOARDS WERE RELEASED IN 2020.
UM, IT'S AN INTERACTIVE MONITORED, UM, INTERACTIVE BOARD THAT ALLOWS YOU TO SEE ALL OF THE DATA THAT COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE DATA'S UPDATED ON THE SECOND DAY OF EVERY MONTH.
YOU'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT FROM A PARTICULAR YEAR.
YOU'RE ABLE TO CHANGE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON RACE OR GENDER DIFFERENT, UM, VALUES.
IT'S ON EACH PAGE, SO IT'S VERY INTERACTIVE AND COMPLETE.
THERE'S ALSO A DATA DICTIONARY ON THERE, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO SEE WHAT THE DEFINITIONS OF DIFFERENT TERMS ARE.
ALL OF THE INFORMATION ON THE POLICE TRANSPARENCY HUB IS PULLED DIRECTLY FROM HPD.
THERE'S NO MANIPULATION ON OUR PART AT ALL.
SO WHATEVER THEY MAKE IT, WHATEVER THEY QUALIFY SOMETHING AS IS EXACTLY HOW YOU'LL SEE IT ON THE POLICE TRANSPARENCY HUB.
SO ONE OF THE MAJOR, UH, THERE'S FIVE DIFFERENT, UM, THERE DASHBOARDS.
THE FIRST IS THE SITE AND RELEASE DASHBOARD.
THIS IS, UM, ONE OF THE NEW POLICIES OVER AT HPD.
IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM, YOU HAVE TO BE, UM, OVER THE AGE OF 17, YOU HAVE TO BE A RESIDENT OF HARRIS COUNTY AND YOU CANNOT HAVE ANY OUTSTANDING WARRANTS.
AND THEN IT HAS TO BE AN OFFENSE THAT'S ELIGIBLE FOR SIGHT AND RELEASE.
SOME OF THE ELIGIBLE OFFENSES ARE LISTED HERE ON THIS SLIDE.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S LOW LEVEL OFFENSES.
THESE ARE TYPICALLY YOUR LOWEST CLASS B MISDEMEANORS.
WHEN YOU SEE THE THEFTS, IT'S TALKING ABOUT A THEFT, TYPICALLY LIKE A SHOPLIFTING FROM A CONVENIENT STORE OR A WALMART TYPE OF A SITUATION.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE A THEFT FROM A HOME OR ANYTHING, OR A BUSINESS, UM, LIKE WHERE YOU'RE BREAKING INTO A BUSINESS.
THAT WOULD BE A BURGLARY OF A BUILDING OR A BURGLARY OF A HABITATION, AND THOSE WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR SITE AND RELEASE.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE IS NOTHING ON HERE ABOUT MARIJUANA.
THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS ITS OWN DIVERSION PROGRAM FOR MARIJUANA.
SO THAT'S NOT PART OF THE SITE AND RELEASE DATA, AND THAT'S WHY OUR NUMBERS LOOK SO MUCH SMALLER THAN OTHER COUNTIES AND CITIES BECAUSE WE DON'T COUNT, UH, QUANTIFY MARIJUANA AS PART OF THE SITE AND RELEASE.
IN PREPARATION FOR THIS PRESENTATION, WE REACHED OUT TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO GET THAT INFORMATION, BUT WE WERE NOT PROVIDED IT IN TIME FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT MAJORITY OF THE SITE AND RELEASE WERE FOR, UM, THEFTS, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S THIS AN INCREASE IN THAT FROM 2021 TO 2022.
HERE YOU'LL SEE THE SITE AND RELEASE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
FROM THE INFORMATION WE WERE ABLE TO PULL FROM, UM, BETWEEN 2020 AND JANUARY OF 22, YOU'LL SEE, UM, THAT THEIR HPD AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ARE PULLING THE BULK OF THE SITE AND RELEASE, AND THAT MAJORITY OF THOSE OFFENSES ARE FOR THEFT.
AND SO APPROXIMATELY 300 WERE FILED FOR THEFT BETWEEN 2020 AND JANUARY OF 22.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT HPD IS HAS SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN SITE AND RELEASE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT INCLUDING ANY DIVERSION PROGRAMS THROUGH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
HERE, YOU'LL SEE, UM, THE TRAFFIC STOPS.
AND SO WE LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC STOPS AND WE DO IT, UM, BASED ON THE MOVING VIOLATION, AND WE ALSO DO IT BASED ON RACE.
AND THAT'S TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POLICE AGENCY IS NOT RACIAL PROFILING.
RACIAL PROFILING IS, UM, DEFINED AS DECRIM DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OF TARGETING INDIVIDUALS FOR SUSPICION OF A CRIME BASED ON THEIR RACE, ETHNICITY, RELIGION, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.
AND SO WE LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS TO DETERMINE WHERE WE ARE, WHERE HPD IS, UM, STANDING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
CURRENTLY, THE DEMOGRAPHICS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON ARE 40%
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HISPANIC, 22% AFRICAN AMERICAN OR BLACK, AND THEN 25% WHITE.IF YOU LOOK AT THE DEMO, UH, THE PERCENTAGES, YOU'LL SEE THAT IN 2021 VERSUS 2022, UM, THERE'S ABOUT THE SAME DEMOGRAPHICS FOR, YOU KNOW, GIVE OR TAKE ONE OR 2%, BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN ARE AT 35, ALMOST 36% OF THE TRAFFIC STOP, WHEREAS THEY'RE ONLY 22% OF THE, UM, CITY OF HOUSTON'S COMMUNITY.
AND THEN HISPANICS ARE 30, UH, APPROXIMATELY 30% LAST YEAR, AND THEY'RE 40% OF THIS, UM, CITY OF HOUSTON'S COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WHITE IS 27.8% AND THEY ARE 25% OF THE COMMUNITY.
HPD IS CURRENTLY, UM, IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, THEY'VE HIRED AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THEIR TRAFFIC STOPS AND TO DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES WITH THEIR RACIAL PROFILING AND IF THERE'S ANY POLICY CHANGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS THEY SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH.
NEXT SLIDE ON THIS SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE ANNUAL REPORT FROM 2021 THAT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT DID.
WE HAVE NOT REC I MEAN THE 2022 REPORT'S NOT AVAILABLE YET, BUT BASED ON THE 2021 NUMBERS, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE WAS A DECREASE IN TRAFFIC STOPS FROM 2020 TO 2021 OF AFRICAN AMERICANS BY 10%, HISPANICS BY 3.5%, AND THEN WHITE BY 4.2%.
AND SO IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THOSE NUMBERS ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UP NEXT, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
HERE IS THE USE OF FORCE, UM, DATA THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO THE USE OF FORCE IS SHOWING ANY ALLEGATION OF A USE OF FORCE NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL, UM, IT SHOWS.
UM, THE NUMBERS ARE ARE LARGE, BUT IT'S BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE MULTIPLE USE OF FORCE ALLEGATIONS.
IT'S BASED ON A PARTICULAR INCIDENT.
SO IF ONE, IF AN OFFICER PULLS SOMEONE OVER FOR A FELONY TRAFFIC STOP, AND WHEN ALL OF THE OFFICERS GET OUT, SAY THERE'S FOUR POLICE OFFICERS ON THE SCENE AND THEY ALL DRAW THEIR WEAPONS BECAUSE IT'S A FELONY STOP, THEN ALL FOUR OF THOSE OFFICERS WOULD DO A USE OF FORCE, UM, INCIDENT REPORT.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE SHOWN ON HERE AS FOUR DIFFERENT USE OF FORCE, ALTHOUGH IT'S ONLY ONE INCIDENT.
AND ALSO THIS SHOWS ANY TIME THERE'S A USE OF FORCE, WHETHER IT'S HANDCUFFING AS LOW AS SOMETHING AS SMALL AS HANDCUFFING ALL THE WAY UP TO, UM, YOU KNOW, A IN CUSTODY DEATH OR AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING.
AND SO ON THIS FIRST, UM, SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE WHAT THE REASON FOR THE ACTION WAS, HOW THE OFFICERS GOT TO THE SCENE.
SO WHETHER THERE WAS A CALL FOR SERVICE, A FELONY STOP, AN ON VIEW, A SEARCH WARRANT, UM, TRAFFIC STOPS OR AN INCIDENTAL ENCOUNTER.
UM, AND THEN THE BLANK IS JUST HOW THEY'RE DOCUMENTING IT, WHERE IT, THEY DIDN'T, IT WASN'T A REQUIRED FIELD.
AND SO THESE ARE, YOU'LL SEE SOME CHANGES IN HOW IT'S BEING, UM, TAKEN, UH, HOW THE DATA POINTS ARE SHOWN IN THE PAST FROM 2021 AND 2022.
SOME OF THAT IS BECAUSE, UM, HPD HAS MOVED TO A DIFFERENT REPORTING SY.
UM, THEY'RE REPORTING THINGS DIFFERENTLY TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE DOJ.
UM, AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S A CHANGE.
AND THEN ALSO FOR THE USE OF FORCE ON THE SUBJECT OUTCOME ON WHETHER THERE WAS INJURY, DEATH, NO INJURY OBSERVED.
AND SO SOME OF THAT, UM, AGAIN, IS BASED ON THEIR DIFFERENT CHANGE IN REPORTING FROM 2021 TO 2022.
HERE YOU'LL SEE THE DISCIPLINARY ACTION AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S A DA DECREASE IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION FROM 2021 TO 2022, APPROXIMATELY ALMOST 50, UM, DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS DECREASE.
UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS THE POLICY AND THE TONE THAT CHIEF FENDER SETS OVER THERE AT HPD.
AND ALSO THEY HAVE AN INCREASE IN TRAINING.
THEY'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF POSITIVE TRAINING TO HELP TRAIN OFFICERS AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND THAT TONE IS REALLY TRICKLING DOWN TO THE ENTIRE, UM, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE WILL STEADILY SEE A DECREASE IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION MOVING FORWARD.
HERE ARE THE INCIDENTS FOR WHAT THE DISCIPLINARY ACTION WERE, WHETHER IT WAS, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE GOING, UH, CITY PROPERTY LOSS, FAILING TO REPORT FOR DUTY, UM, AN INCOMPLETE SEARCH OF A PRISONER IN SERVICE TRAINING VIOLATIONS.
SO YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT ON THE DATA DASHBOARD, IT, IT BREAKS DOWN EVERY SINGLE INCIDENT AND YOU'LL SEE ON THIS SLIDE.
AND THEN ALSO THE NEXT SLIDE, IT SHOWS EVERY INCIDENT.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE WHETHER IT WAS JUDGMENT NOT WEARING A SEATBELT, UM, AND SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THESE, UM, THINGS ARE REPEATS, BUT IT'S JUST THAT'S THE WAY THAT THEY'RE DOCUMENTING.
SO WE DIDN'T WANNA ADD NUMBERS TOGETHER.
IF THEY DOCUMENT IT DIFFERENTLY, WHETHER IT'S THE PERSON THAT'S DRIVING FOR THE SEATBELT INFRACTION, IT COULD BE THE PERSON DRIVING VERSUS THE PASSENGER, BUT IT'S JUST LABELED ON HERE THE WAY THAT WE GET IT FROM HPD.
AND SO NEXT SLIDE HERE YOU'LL SEE THE
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DIVERSITY OF HPD.YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, FROM 2021 TO 2022, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE AGE OF THE EMPLOYEE.
UM, WE SEE THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN, UH, THE CLASSIFIED OFFICERS ARE ALMOST FOUR YEARS OLDER OR CLOSER TO THREE YEARS OLDER.
AND THEN ON THE CIVILIAN SIDE, UH, A YEAR AND A HALF OLDER THAN WE SAW IN 2021, HPD IS ACTIVELY RECRUITING.
AND THANKS TO COUNCIL AMIR TURNER, THEY WERE ABLE TO NOW OFFER A $10,000 BONUS FOR THE CADET CLASSES UPON THEIR GRADUATION.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN AND A FEW OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE THERE AT THE CADET GRADUATION EARLIER THIS MONTH.
IT WAS VERY INSPIRING TO SEE THOSE OFFICERS AND THE TRAINING THAT THEY GO THROUGH AND THE COMMITMENT THEY HAVE TO OUR CITY.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE THAT IS BELIEVING THAT THEY MIGHT BE A POLICE OFFICER TO APPLY FOR HPD.
I BELIEVE IT'S THE BEST, UM, POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTRY.
AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND WITH THAT EXTRA $10,000 BONUS, I THINK IT'S GONNA MAKE IT MORE COMPETITIVE IN THE SALARY SO THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET INCREASED, UM, CADET CLASSES.
BUT, UM, YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT WE HAVE THE DIVERSITY HERE.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A SLIGHT, THE NUMBERS FROM 2020, UH, ONE TO 20 23, 2 ARE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME.
THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN ABOUT SEVEN PEOPLE IN CLASSIFIED.
YOU'LL SEE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE NUMBERS AS FAR AS DIVERSITY ARE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW IN 2022.
THERE IS AN ACTIVE ROLE TO, UM, INCREASE DIVERSITY AMONG HPD WITH WHERE THE RECRUITING AND SOME OF THE RECRUITMENT MATERIALS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND THEY'VE ALSO CHANGED SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS AS FAR AS THE EDUCATION.
SO SOMEONE THAT HAS BEEN ELIGIBLE TO, UM, THAT'S WORKED FOR A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME, THEY'RE ABLE TO APPLY TO HPD NOW INSTEAD OF HAVING THAT EDUCATION REQUIREMENT.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WILL ALSO INCREASE ENROLLMENT.
HERE YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE MAJOR POLICY CHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE LAST YEAR.
UM, FIRST STEP IS THE GENERAL ORDER, 500 DASH OH SIX.
IT'S THE JUVENILE AND YOUNG ADULT ENCOUNTERS.
UM, HERE YOU'LL SEE THE MAJOR CHANGE FOR, UM, THIS PART OF IT WAS THAT PREVIOUSLY OFFICERS WOULD HAVE TO DO A JUVENILE DOCUMENTATION ANYTIME THEY ENCOUNTERED A JUVENILE, WHETHER IT WAS A CASUAL ENCOUNTER OR AN INCIDENTAL ENCOUNTER.
NOW IF IT'S AN INCIDENTAL OR CASUAL ENCOUNTER, THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT DOCUMENTATION, WHICH TAKES DOWN ON SOME OF THE PAPERWORK AND ALLOWS THEM TO GET BACK ON THE STREET FASTER.
UM, ANOTHER CHANGE WE SAW IS, UM, ON AUGUST 1ST, THERE WAS A CHANGE TO THE GENERAL ORDER OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN GENERAL ORDER 600 DASH 14.
WHEN IT COMES TO JUVENILES, IT WAS SO THAT OFFICERS ARE NO LONGER CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS OF JUVENILE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS.
THOSE ARE GONNA BE DONE BY FORENSIC INTERVIEWERS AT THE CAC.
UM, THOSE, UH, FORENSIC INTERVIEWERS ARE SPECIFICALLY TRAINED INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE EL, UM, AT THE CAC, AND THEY TALK TO THE CHILD, UH, ABOUT WHAT TOOK PLACE AND WHY THEY'RE AT THE CAC FOR THAT INTERVIEW IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE AND IN A CHILD APPROPRIATE MANNER.
AS A FORMER PROSECUTOR, I REVIEWED THESE VIDEOS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THE WAY IN WHICH THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT OF THAT CHILD VICTIM, IT WAS JUST, IT WAS SO AMAZING TO WATCH SUCH A SAD SITUATION, BUT THEY HAD DOLLS AND THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT CHILD IN THAT LANGUAGE.
AND THOSE, UM, VIC FORENSIC NURSES, THEY FOLLOW THOSE, UM, CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS WHILE THEY GO THROUGH THE CRIMINAL PROCESS.
THEY SHOW UP AT EVERY INTERVIEW WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THEY SHOW UP AT COURT, AND SO THAT CHILD HAS SOMEBODY FAMILIAR THAT'S WITH THEM VERSUS IF AN OFFICER DID IT AND THEN THE OFFICER CHANGES ASSIGNMENTS OR DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S CHANGES HIS ASSIGNMENT, THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON.
AND THAT'S BEEN THERE THE WHOLE TIME.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THAT CHILD GETS READY TO TESTIFY IN COURT, THE JUDGES ALLOWED THAT VICTIM, THAT PERSON FROM THE CAC TO BE THERE WITH THAT CHILD ALSO.
SO THAT GIVES THAT CHILD KIND OF THAT FAMILIARITY AND COMFORT AS THEY BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT WHAT TOOK PLACE TO BRING THEM THERE.
UM, THERE'S ONE MORE ON THAT SLIDE.
IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
ANOTHER CHANGE WAS THAT, UM, IN GENERAL ORDER, 600 DASH OH EIGHT, IT MISSING PEOPLE USED TO BE, UM, CLASSIFIED AS WANTED.
AND IF THEY, THAT CLASSIFICATION, CLASSIFICATION OF WANTED MADE IT SEEM AS THOUGH THEY WERE WANTED ON A FUGITIVE WARRANT, LIKE A FELONY WARRANT OR A MISDEMEANOR WARRANT.
AND SO THEN THEY WERE HANDLED AS SUCH.
IT'S NOW BEING CLASSIFIED AS A MISSING PERSON, MSP.
AND SO THEN, THEN THEY'RE NOT HANDLED AS A FUGITIVE.
THEY'RE HANDLED AS A MISSING PERSON.
SO IT CHANGES, YOU KNOW, THE DYNAMICS IN HOW YOU'RE APPROACHED.
UM, THERE ARE TWO OTHER CHANGES TO GENERAL 5,500 DASH OH SIX WITH THE JUVENILE AND, UH, YOUNG ADULT ENCOUNTERS.
ONE OF THOSE WAS THAT IT DEFINES JUVENILES AS A PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF 17 AND A YOUNG ADULT AS SOMEONE 17 TO 19.
UM, ALTHOUGH THE YOUNG ADULT WOULD BE PART OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE ADULT SYSTEM,
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UH, HPD WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE HANDLED IN THE SAME AS A JUVENILE AND SO THAT YOU ARE, AND SPECIFICALLY THAT THEY ARE, YOU TRY OFFICERS ENGAGE IN DEESCALATION TACTICS BASED ON THE CHILD, THE PERSON'S AGE, PRIOR TO ANY TYPE OF USE OF FORCE.AND SO THAT SHOULD, THEY REALLY SHOULD BE DEESCALATING AND BASED ON THE CHILD IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.
AND SO THAT WAS A BIG CHANGE THERE.
UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL CHANGES TO 600 DASH 17, WHICH IS THE USE OF FORCE THAT WAS ON MARCH 4TH, 2022.
UM, ONE OF THE KEY CHANGES WAS THAT THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY CHOKE HOLDS OR NECK RESTRAINTS.
UM, THOSE ARE DEFINED, UM, IN THE GENERAL ORDER.
AND ALSO THEY ARE NOT TAUGHT AT THE TRAINING ACADEMY.
SO THEY'RE NO LONG, THEY'RE NOT TAUGHT AT ALL AS PART OF THE TRAINING, UM, AND ARE CONSIDERED DEADLY FORCE.
ALSO, THERE WAS A CHANGE, UM, THAT IF SOMEONE, AN OFFICER ENCOUNTER SOMEONE THAT IS INJURED WHEN THEY COME ON THE SCENE OR INJURED BY THEIR USE OF FORCE, THEY HAVE TO CALL FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES, UM, AND EMS. AND THEY ALSO ARE TAUGHT AND EQUIPPED WITH TRAUMA KITS IN THEIR, UM, VEHICLES SO THAT THEY CAN ASSIST IF ABLE TO, UM, THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT TO ASSIST, BUT IT IS, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD BE ASSISTING US.
THAT'S KIND OF THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THEN THE LAST CHANGE THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY AS FAR AS GENERAL OR 600 DESK 17 IS THAT THE, UM, OFFICERS HAVE A DUTY TO INTERVENE IF THEY SEE A FELLOW OFFICER USING FORCE THAT IS ABUSE, UM, ABOVE WHAT IS NECESSARY AT THAT TIME.
SO IF THEY SEE AN OFFICER USING ANY KIND OF UNNECESSARY FORCE, THEN THEY HAVE A DUTY TO INTERVENE AT THAT TIME.
UM, AND THAT IS A MAJOR CHANGE WITHIN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND IT'S ALSO SEEN IN EXECUTIVE ORDER, ONE DASH SIX SEVEN.
SO EXECUTIVE ORDER ONE DASH SIX SEVEN WAS SIGNED BY MAYOR TURNER ON JUNE 10TH, 2022.
THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER, UM, IT MADE A LOT OF CHANGES.
SOME OF THE KEY CHANGES WERE IT, UM, RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE OFFICERS SHOULD ONLY USE THE AMOUNT OF FORCE NECESSARY TO SUCCESSFULLY PROTECT THEMSELVES OR OTHERS.
UM, THEY ALSO SAY THAT THEY SHALL USE DEESCALATION TECHNIQUES TO GAIN VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE SHOULD ONLY BE USED AFTER THEY TRY DE DEESCALATION TECHNIQUES WHENEVER POSSIBLE EXHAUSTS ALL OTHER ALTERNATIVES AND SHOULD ONLY BE USED UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE OFFICER REASONABLY BELIEVES THAT THEIR LIFE OR THE LIFE OF ANOTHER OFFICER IS AN IMMINENT, UM, IMMINENT SERIOUS BODILY INJURY OF DEATH.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE ONLY TIMES IN WHICH USE OF DEADLY FORCE CAN BE USED.
ALSO, IT SAYS THAT OFFICERS SHOULD NOT BE SHOOTING AT MOVING VEHICLES.
IT PROHIBITS THE TECHNIQUES OF, UM, THE CHOKE HOLDS AND ALSO NECK RESTRAINTS.
IT ALSO SAYS THAT NO KNOCK WARRANTS SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS SIGNED BY THE CHIEF OF POLICE IN WRITING AND THEN SIGNED BY A DISTRICT COURT.
AND IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT THE DUTY TO INTERCEDE AND WHENEVER, UM, THEY SEE SOME, A FELLOW OFFICER USING A, A USE OF FORCE THAT IS NOT IN COMPLIANT.
THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE FOR YOU.
AND WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING INTO ALL THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, COMPARING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTIONS, UM, AND I DON'T SEE ANYONE IN QUEUE, SO HOP IN IF YOU WANT TO.
UM, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR CUMMINS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? NO, I BELIEVE, UH, DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL, UH, CRYSTAL FOR COVERED ALL OF THOSE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE AND AND REALLY IMPRESSED THE, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DATA THAT WE'RE SHARING.
UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY, UH, ADMIRABLE THAT, UH, THE CITY AND THE LAW AND UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY CAN WORK TOGETHER AND SHARE THE LEVEL OF DATA, UM, THAT WE HAVE, UH, THE SPECIFICITY IN THAT DATA.
UM, AND TO DO SO COLLABORATIVE COLLABORATIVELY FOR THE PUBLIC, I THINK IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO VERY, VERY PROUD OF THIS INITIATIVE.
AND BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTIONS, UM, ONE QUESTION FOR YOU, 'CAUSE YOU BROUGHT UP THE DATA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND OR MAYOR, UH, MAYBE FOR EITHER OF YOU WITH THIS, DO YOU KNOW OF OTHER, I MEAN, HERE IN HOUSTON WE LAUNCHED THIS.
UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE SEEING IN OTHER CITIES? WHERE IS HOUSTON COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES AS IT RELATES TO TRANSPARENCY AND OF, OF DATA AND INFORMATION IN THIS WAY? YEAH, I, I, I BELIEVE WE'RE REALLY AT THE FOREFRONT.
I THINK A LOT OF AGENCIES ARE LOOKING TO SHARE DATA WITH THEIR CITIES.
UM, THERE ARE STATE LAW AND FEDERAL LAW THAT PREVENT, UH, THE SHARING OF ALL DATA.
AND SO IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT
[00:30:01]
TO HASH OUT WHAT CAN BE SHARED AND HOW TO PRESENT IT IN A WAY THAT'S DIGESTIBLE BY THE PUBLIC.AND SO WHILE THERE MAY BE, UH, A HANDFUL OF DASHBOARDS OUT THERE, UM, UH, AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING, UH, AT WHAT OTHER AGENCIES TO DO TO SEE IF THERE ARE BEST PRACTICES, BETTER PRACTICES, BUT, BUT I'M PROUD OF THIS INITIATIVE.
I WOULD COMPLETELY AGREE WITH, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, UH, CUMMINGS SAID OUR DASHBOARDS, I BELIEVE ARE BETTER THAN MOST.
I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYONE THAT IS UPDATED AS FREQUENTLY AS, YOU KNOW, WITH AS MUCH DETAIL AS WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY LEADING.
ALSO, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE CALLS FROM OTHER CITIES ABOUT HOW WE'RE ABLE TO DO THESE DASHBOARDS AND WHAT KIND OF FIGHT OUR AGENT, OUR POLICE AGENCY PUT UP WITH.
AND I WAS LIKE, OUR POLICE AGENCY SHARES THIS OPENLY WITH US.
THEY DON'T, THERE'S NO FIGHTING ABOUT IT.
SO IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A VERY GREAT EXPERIENCE.
UM, I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, ONLINE, UH, DURING THE PRESENTATION, WE WERE JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN AND STAFF FROM BOTH MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN'S OFFICE AND COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
AND I SEE IN THE QUEUE, UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO I WAS WONDERING, IS THERE ANY DATA AVAILABLE THAT WOULD PERHAPS HAVE A BREAKDOWN AVAILABLE OF CIVILIAN VERSUS INTERNAL COMPLAINTS? UM, I CAN PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.
IT'S NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
WE DO HAVE IT INTERNALLY THROUGH MY OFFICE, WHETHER IT IS A CIVILIAN COMPLAINT.
UM, A MAJORITY OF THE COMPLAINTS ARE FROM THE AGENCY ITSELF, SO MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS ARE WITHIN, ARE FILED BY POLICE OFFICERS.
YEAH, IF WE COULD GET THAT DATA, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
AND, AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP, WE'RE WRITING THAT QUESTION DOWN AND WE'LL SUBMIT ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER TODAY AND, AND GET THOSE TO YOU ALL.
UM, I DO NOT SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A FEW, UM, YOU, YOU VERY POLITELY SAID, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SITE AND RELEASE, A BIG PORTION OF THAT IS OUR POLICIES RELATED TO MARIJUANA.
AND, UH, I I PICKED UP WHEN YOU SAID THAT WAS THE DATA FROM THE DA'S OFFICE WAS NOT PROVIDED TO US IN TIME FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
SO I I I MUST ASK, DID WE REQUEST THAT INFORMATION? YES, WE REQUESTED IT, UM, WHEN YOU CONTACTED OUR OFFICE ABOUT DOING THIS INFORMATION.
SO OVER TWO WEEKS, MAYBE THREE WEEKS AGO, I BELIEVE IS WHEN WE STARTED, UM, CONTACTING THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO TRY AND GET THAT INFORMATION.
AND DID THEY PROVIDE OTHER TYPES OF INFORMATION? UM, THEY DID PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PULL AS FAR AS THE, UM, SECOND SLIDE HERE WITH THE, UM, SITE AND RELEASE FOR THE COUNTY.
SO THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, BUT DID THEY GIVE A REASON AS TO WHY THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE US WITH INFORMATION RELATED TO THE DA'S MARIJUANA SITE AND RELEASE? UM, WE DIDN'T GET NECESSARILY A, A REASON, IT'S JUST THAT IT WAS NOT, UM, THE MARIJUANA PROGRAM WAS NOT SITE AND RELEASE.
UM, AND SO THEY, THAT WAS ALL THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THAT THAT DID NOT APPLY TO SITE AND RELEASE.
AND WE ASKED JUST FOR PARTICULARLY HPDS ASPECTS OF IT.
SO AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL PUBLICLY SAY AND ENCOURAGE THAT.
I HOPE THAT THE DA WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE AGAIN, THOSE ARE CITATIONS THAT HPD IS ISSUING, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW MANY WE ARE ISSUING AS A POLICE FORCE COMPARED TO HOW MANY ARE ACTUALLY GOING INTO THE DIVERSION PROGRAM OF THE DA'S OFFICE.
SO I THINK THAT THAT, UM, IS CRITICAL.
AGAIN, THAT'S NOT BEING CRITICAL OF YOU ALL, BUT THAT INFORMATION IS VERY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF ASSESSING, UM, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE PROGRAMS. UM, WERE THERE ANY OTHER CHALLENGES IN OBTAINING THIS TYPE OF DATA THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF? NO, THAT WAS REALLY THE ONLY CHALLENGE THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET.
UM, THE INFORMATION ON THE DIVERSION PROGRAMS FROM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UM, DEPUTY DIRECTOR CUMMINGS AND HPD WERE GREAT WITH GETTING US ALL THE INFORMATION WE NEED FOR OTHER THINGS.
THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THAT, UM, INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THEM.
WELL APPRECIATION TO HPD FOR THEIR, THEIR TRANSPARENCY ON THAT.
UM, ON SLIDE 12, UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED FROM 21 TO 22, THERE IS AN INCREASE IN ALL CATEGORIES, PARTICULARLY, AGAIN, I WANT TO GO GO BACK TO THE USE OF FORCE, UM, NUMBERS.
I, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT, UM, THAT FOR, I'LL JUST, I'LL RE-ASK THE QUESTION.
DO WE KNOW A REASON FOR THAT INCREASE THAT'S A LITTLE CONCERNING? MELISSA, DO YOU WANNA EXPLAIN THE DATA CHANGES? YEAH.
SO IN, UH, FEBRUARY OF THIS PAST YEAR, WE IMPLEMENTED A NEW DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM AND IT CATEGORIZED THINGS VERY SIMILARLY,
[00:35:01]
BUT THERE WERE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENCES.ONE OF THE MAIN, UH, BENEFITS THAT WE'RE SEEING TO THAT NEW DATA COLLECTION IS A REDUCTION IN THESE BLANK FIELDS.
SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGY TO REQUIRE, UH, THE ENTRY OF THOSE FIELDS AND TO MANDATE THOSE PRIOR TO A SUBMISSION OF A RECORD.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THE TIMELINE BY WHICH, UH, THE RECORD HAS ACTUALLY SUBMITTED, UH, SHIFTED VERY, VERY SLIGHTLY.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S GIVEN OUR OFFICERS, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO, UH, RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, THE INJURY, UM, OF A SUBJECT OR TO KNOW THAT OUTCOME, UM, AND TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT, UM, WHEN THEY'RE SUBMITTING THEIR, THEIR RECORDS THERE.
SO AS WE CONTINUE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS NEW, UH, DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM, I DO ANTICIPATE THAT THE NUMBER OF BLANK VALUES WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE.
AND AS SUCH VALUES THAT WERE QUOTED BLANK PREVIOUSLY ARE NOW, UH, FALLING WITHIN THEIR APPROPRIATE CATEGORIES.
SO I AM, UH, I'M PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING IN TERMS OF, UH, DATA QUALITY THERE.
SO IT'S THAT BEFORE WE HAD A LOT OF BLANK CATEGORIES THAT DIDN'T NECESSARILY CAPTURE WHAT WAS REALLY HAPPENING NOW THAT WE'RE UPGRADING AND INVESTING IN THESE SYSTEMS. AND I'LL DO MY TYPICAL PLUG FOR RMS UPGRADES, UM, BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF IT, UH, AND CAD WITH THAT, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SHINING A LIGHT ON NUMBERS WE DIDN'T USE TO SEE, WHICH IS GONNA BUMP THAT UP.
AND OUR HOPE IS TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON DRIVING THAT DOWN.
UM, AND TO THAT POINT, THE DISPARITY IN, UH, TRAFFIC STOPS, UM, IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, CONCERNING, UH, TO ME AND I'M SURE TO OTHERS THOUGH, I CERTAINLY DO NOT SPEAK FOR ANYONE ELSE.
UM, YOU, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT, DID YOU SAY SOMEONE'S LOOKING INTO THAT? I JUST, I WANTED TO CO GO INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
HPD IS DOING, UM, HAS HIRED AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK INTO THEIR, UM, RACIAL PROFILING AND TRAFFIC STOPS.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR A REPORT INTO THAT.
SO THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THAT.
UM, I WOULD REQUEST, OBVIOUSLY INVESTIGATIONS ARE ONGOING AND Y'ALL ARE NOT ABLE TO COMMENT ON THAT, AND I WANNA RESPECT THE AUTONOMY OF THAT INVESTIGATION, BUT I WOULD ASK FOR, UM, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THAT A BRIEFING OR INFORMATION SO THAT WE AS COUNSEL CAN UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE AND WHAT WE CAN BE DOING TO SUPPORT, UH, DRIVING THOSE NUMBERS DOWN.
IF I COULD, IF I COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
UH, SO WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH AN EXTERNAL AUDITOR, AND THE INTENT IS TO HELP US IMPROVE NOT ONLY THE DATA COLLECTION, BUT THE WAY WE'RE RETAINING AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE AND REPORT IT.
AND SO I DO ANTICIPATE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT WOULD REQUIRE US TO MODIFY OUR DATA COLLECTION, BUT IT'S ALL IN THE INTEREST OF, OF, OF TRANSPARENCY AND BEST PRACTICE.
UM, I THINK WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB IN OUR DATA COLLECTION, ESPECIALLY AROUND, UH, OUR, OUR TRAFFIC STOPS AND RACIAL PROFILING DATA.
UH, WE DO COMPLY WITH THE ANNUAL REPORT AS, UH, MS. KOFO MENTIONED, UM, AND SUBMIT THAT ANNUAL THOLE REPORT, UH, TO THE STATE IN MARCH OF EACH YEAR.
SO YOU WILL BE SEEING, UH, THE 2022 NUMBERS COME OUT HERE, UH, RECENTLY MY SHOP IS, IS WORKING ON THOSE AS WE SPEAK.
UM, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHILE I ENGAGE OR ENCOURAGE ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION AROUND IT, UM, I, I THINK THAT WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB IN TERMS OF, OF TRYING TO WORK FORWARD AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY CAPTURING QUALITY DATA THAT WE CAN SHARE.
AND THEN JUST SOME GENERAL QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE I, I REALLY SUPPORT A LOT OF THE CHANGES TO THESE GENERAL ORDERS THAT YOU SPOTLIGHTED.
HOW OFTEN ARE GENERAL ORDERS CHANGED? THEY'RE CHANGED ALL THE TIME.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CHIEF JONES ON A CHANGE BASED ON SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FROM IPO AS FAR AS HOW THEY EXECUTE, UM, HIGH VALUE WARRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SO TO DECREASE ON OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS.
SO THOSE, UM, GENERAL ORDERS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
AND SO, UM, MY OFFICE HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THOSE, UM, WITH HPD, THEY'VE BEEN VERY COLLABORATIVE.
WE HAVE MEETINGS REGULATED TO DISCUSS THEM.
WELL, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THOSE.
I CERTAINLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO GET AN UPDATE IF THERE'S SOME BIG CHANGES ON THOSE.
UM, FINALLY THE TWO LAST QUESTIONS.
THE, WE DIDN'T TOUCH ON, UH, VIDEO RELEASE POLICY.
AGAIN, MY OPENING REMARKS REFERRED TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
UM, BUT WE HAVE A PRETTY STANDARD RULE WHEN IT COMES TO VIDEO RELEASE POLICY, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY.
UH, DO YOU MIND RESTATING WHAT THAT POLICY IS? AND THEN MY QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE THAT IS BEING, UH, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT.
SO WE DO HAVE A BODY CAM RELEASE POLICY.
IT HAS TO BE RELEASED WITHIN A, UH, 45 DAYS OF A CRITICAL INCIDENT.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT IS PRETTY QUICK, UM, TURNAROUND VERSUS MOST OTHER PEOPLE DON'T EVEN HAVE A RELEASE.
UM, AND SO WE ARE RELEASING THEM AND WE ARE IN COMPLIANT, MOST OF THEM ARE TAKING PLACE WELL BEFORE THAT TIMELINE.
THERE'S ALSO A POLICY TO MAKE SURE THAT
[00:40:01]
THE INDIVIDUAL, UM, IT'S SHOWN TO THE FAMILY AND THINGS LIKE THAT PRIOR TO A PUBLIC RELEASE AND NEXT TO KEN AND EVERYONE IS INVOLVED.BUT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY IN COMPLIANCE WITH IT.
AND I AM, AND I GET TO VIEW, I VIEW THOSE VIDEOS, UM, PRIOR TO THE RELEASE ALSO.
MAKE SURE THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, FOR EITHER OF YOU, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK, UH, LAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY IN THE YEAR PRIOR ABOUT TRAINING, AND WE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE ALL BEEN TO THE CADET GRADUATIONS AND IT'S VERY EXCITING.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEING REMOVED FROM TRAININGS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, HOW TO RENDER AID IF POSSIBLE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
WHAT ABOUT CONTINUED TRAINING AND EDUCATION? UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT A LOT OF THESE THINGS, RIGHT, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE ALREADY IN THE FORCE.
SO CAN YOU TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INVESTMENT THAT HPD MAKES IN CONTINUED TRAININGS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT? YEAH, THERE'S ALWAYS, UM, AND MELISSA, YOU MIGHT KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY HOURS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR OFFICERS TO DO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TRAINING EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND SOME OF THAT TRAINING IS RACIAL BASE AND SITUATIONAL BASE.
UM, THERE'S ALSO BEEN AN IMPLEMENTATION OF ADDITIONAL TRAINING WITHIN, INSIDE OF EACH LIKE COMMAND STATION WITH WHEN PEOPLE ARE LEAVING TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT IF AN OFFICER HAS BEEN AT A PARTICULAR STATION FOR 25 YEARS AND SOMEONE ELSE IS NOW TAKING THAT PERSON'S SPOT, THERE'S SITUATIONAL TRAINING.
SO THEY CAN GET OUT INTO COMMUNITY, MEET THE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY INVOLVED SO THAT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS ABOUT A CHANGE, ESPECIALLY OF HIGH LEVEL OFFICERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, THERE'S TRAINING INTO DIFFERENT DEESCALATION TECHNIQUES.
THERE'S EQUIPMENT BEING PURCHASED TO HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS TO HELP WITH OUR, OUR LOWER NUMBER OF OFFICERS SO THAT HP IS ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB, UM, WITH AS MANY OFFICERS AS THEY HAVE.
MELISSA, DID YOU WANNA ADD? I THINK THAT SUMMARIZES IT PRETTY WELL.
WE, WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A PRETTY RIGOROUS, UH, TRAINING REGIMEN BOTH WITH OUR CADET TRAINING, INCLUDING DEESCALATION TRAINING, UM, OUR CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING.
WE DO SOME CULTURE DIVERSITY TRAINING.
UM, BUT THE TRAINING DOESN'T STOP AT THE END OF THE ACADEMY.
UH, NOT ONLY DO WE PUT, UM, OUR OFFICERS THROUGH, UH, REGULAR TRAINING EACH YEAR AS PART OF THE TAL CYCLE.
ALL OF OUR CIVILIAN PERSONNEL ALSO ATTEND ANNUAL TRAINING.
UM, AND, UH, SOME OF THOSE ARE TOPICAL, BUT, UH, BUT THE, THE MAIN DEESCALATION USE OF FORCE, UM, ALL OF THOSE SKILLS-BASED TRAININGS ARE, ARE CYCLED THROUGH VERY FREQUENTLY.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS I THINK THAT WE AS WE THE CITY, BUT HPD GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND THE BASIC TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
AND I HAD A CHANCE TO ATTEND SEVERAL OF THE TRAININGS.
UM, AND, AND PARTICULARLY I WENT TO, UM, THE CERT TEAMS AND THE MENTAL HEALTH TEAMS THAT GO OUT, THEY DID TRAININGS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, LEARNING HOW TO HANDLE THE SITUATION WHEN YOU'RE WALKING IN, WHAT TO APPROACH.
AND WHEN YOU GO TO THOSE TRAINING, YOU REALLY SEE THAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING VERY QUICKLY, BUT THEY'RE THE LAST THING THE OFFICER EVER WANTS TO DO BASED ON WHAT WE LEARN IN THESE TRAININGS IS USE A WEAPON.
THEY'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO DEESCALATE, COME IN AND DIFFUSE A SITUATION.
AND EVEN JUST ABOUT HOW YOU APPROACH IT, WHAT KIND OF TONE TO TAKE, WHAT APPROACHES FOR A MALE VERSUS A FEMALE BASED ON AGE, GENDER, RACE, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS SO THAT THEY CAN APPROACH A SITUATION AND DO IT IN THE BEST POSSIBLE MANNER FOR THE MOST APPROPRIATE OUTCOME.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES AT THIS TIME? AGAIN, UM, DEPUTY DIRECTOR CUMMINS, THANK YOU FOR BEING AVAILABLE AND FOR, UM, ALL THE DATA POLLS THAT YOU DO.
IT CAN BE A, A ONE, UH, PERSON SHOP OVER THERE AT TIMES, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
AND THEN, UM, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, THANK YOU, UH, AGAIN, I'M NOT GOING TO THANK YOU, SHARE PUB, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE INFORMATION, BUT IT TOOK A LOT FOR YOU TO BE HERE TODAY.
UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, AS A CITY CONTINUING TO LEAD THE WAY ON THESE TYPES OF, UH, IMPORTANT INITIATIVES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, WITH THAT, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, PIVOT TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
EACH, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKER WILL HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES.
UM, AND WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, IF YOU CAN PLEASE HIT STAR SIX TO MUTE, UH, TO UNMUTE, AND JUST FOR STAFF, UH, AND THOSE ONLINE, WE HAVE FOUR SPEAKERS SIGNED UP.
UH, FIRST I, WE DID NOT SEE THEM ONLINE, BUT JUST IN CASE, UH, DOMINIC MAIK, I'M HERE.
[00:45:01]
THERE YOU GO.I'M HERE IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
YOU GUYS SEE ME MORE AT THESE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THERE WAS COMMITTEE MEETINGS HERE AS MUCH AS METRO DOES.
LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THE CITY OPERATES.
I HAVE HPD AND I'M A NAVY HOUSTONIAN.
AND HPD MOST OF MY LIFE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE A LITTLE BIT ON THE AGGRESSIVE SIDE, SO I'M KIND OF GLAD TO SEE THAT, UH, THERE'S PROCESSES TO DEESCALATE ENCOUNTERS FROM THE GET GO.
UH, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE WEARING A UNIFORM DOESN'T MEAN IT MAKES YOU A SUPREME BEING.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE EMPHASIZED FOR ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
WE ARE ALSO TOO, THOUGH, THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS ABOUT THIS I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT IS I CAN UNDERSTAND LOWERING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IT TAKES, UH, TO LET SOMEBODY LOOSE, YOU KNOW, FIRST TIME OFFENSE, BUT IF YOU MAKE IT TOO LOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE STORES LEAVING AREAS OF THE CITY THAT ARE ALREADY FOOD DESERTS.
WE GOT FOOD DESERTS IN THIS TOWN.
I LIVE NOT TOO FAR FROM ONE, IT'S CALLED ACRES HOME.
I LIVE ACROSS THE FREEWAY FROM ACRES HOME.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT MAYBE THE FIRST TIME IT'S A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, FIRST TIME A LITTLE BIT LOWER, AND THEN IT, IT KEEPS GOING.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO UP THE AMOUNT THAT, UH, SOMEBODY STEALS BEFORE THEY CAN BE LET GO.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO SEE SOME PROPORTIONALITY TO, TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, MAYBE TOO, IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A JUVENILE, MAYBE GET THE PARENTS INVOLVED.
BUT HERE'S THE THING TOO, IF I GO TO A STORE AND THEY'RE GETTING STOLEN FROM, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO RAISE THE PRICES ON ME.
SO THAT'S ACTUALLY STEALING TWICE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A CINDERELLA THING.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT TOO HARD.
AND LASTLY THOUGH, AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT PEOPLE I'M HEARING FROM, FROM PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS THERE'S NO COPS ON THE STREETS ENFORCING OUR TRAFFIC LAWS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
I GUESS THAT'S A STAFFING ISSUE.
I'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT IT, IS I BE INVOLVED WITH THIS TYPE OF STUFF.
ALSO TOO, I THINK SOME OF THIS ESCALATION PROBLEM IS FROM THE LACK OF CIVILITY THAT PEOPLE HAVE TODAY.
YOU KNOW, I'M TALKING TO YOU, I'VE HAD CONCERNS.
I'M, WE'RE HAVING A, HAVING A CONVERSATION, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
BUT WE HAVE PEOPLE NOW THAT HAVE NO CIVILITY AT ALL.
I'VE NOTICED THIS IN THE GROCERY STORE.
I TOOK METRO HERE TO, I WENT TO A METRO BOARD MEETING TODAY AND CAME OVER HERE AND GOING TO GO BACK ON METRO.
UH, I MEAN, SO SOME OF THIS I THINK IS BEING BROUGHT ON BY THE CITIZENS THEMSELVES, UH, WHEN THEY MAKE THE ENCOUNTER.
MR. MEZA, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CIVILITY.
UH, NEXT, UH, I BELIEVE ONLINE OR CALLING IT IS SABA BLANDING.
SABA, IF YOU'RE ON HIT, UH, THE UNMUTE BUTTON OR I, OH, THERE YOU GO.
UM, ONE DAY I'M GONNA GET REALLY GOOD AT THIS.
UM, SO I, I HAD A HANDFUL OF QUESTIONS BASED ON THE PRESENTATION.
UM, MY FIRST ONE WAS THAT ON SITE, ON SLIDE THREE, UM, IT MAKES REFERENCE TO THE 180 DAY RULE, UM, WHICH THE MAYOR'S OWN TASK FORCE ON POLICING REFORM AND OTHER, UM, ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED AS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
UM, AND I KNOW I'VE ASKED THIS IN OTHER MEETINGS, BUT, UM, MY QUESTION IS IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT REMOVING THIS IN THE UPCOMING POLICE UNION CONTRACTS, AND IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT EFFORTS TO MAKE HOUSTON POLICE UNION NEGOTIATIONS PUBLIC LIKE OTHER CITIES? UM, AND THEN ALSO IN REGARDS TO THE DASHBOARD, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL ARE FANS OF ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, BUT I AM.
BUT THERE, I'M REWATCHING IT WITH MY DAUGHTER AND HONESTLY, THE DASHBOARD REMINDS ME OF WHEN THE TEACHER, JANINE MAKES A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL, BUT IT LIKE, GETS DINGED BACK TO THE PRINCIPAL.
SO LIKE THE PERSON SHE'S COMPLAINING ABOUT SEES AT FIRST.
UM, AND IT JUST KIND OF FEELS LIKE THE DASHBOARD REALLY NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY OUTSIDE, UM, OF HPD.
UM, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING, UM, POINTING TO SOME OF THE ISSUES ON SLIDE NUMBER 11.
I'M REALLY, OH, IS THAT MY DEAN? NO, YOU STILL HAVE A MINUTE, BUT IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEARLY.
[00:50:01]
UP WHAT YOUR QUESTIONS ARE.I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE THEM, BUT KEEP GOING.
SO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR BRINGING UP SOME OF THE NUMBERS ON SLIDE 11.
I'M JUST REALLY CONCERNED WITH, UM, TWO IN PARTICULAR, A LOT OF THEM, BUT TWO IN PARTICULAR.
ONE, UM, REGARDING USE OF FORCE IS DEATH HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED FROM 2021 TO 2022.
UM, AND INJURIES ALMOST QUADRUPLED.
I LIKE THAT'S A BIG JUMP EVEN IN CHANGING DATA INFORMATION.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING IS IN REGARDS TO USE OF DEADLY FORCE, I NOTICED THAT THE STOPS LEADING TO USE OF DEADLY FORCE, UM, IN THOSE, IT WAS TRAFFIC STOPS AS THE ORIGIN.
AND THOSE HAD ALMOST DOUBLED IN TERMS OF THE, THE PREDICATING STOP THAT LED TO THEIR USE OF FORCE.
UM, AND THAT'S ALSO CONCERNING.
UM, AND THEN I JUST, AS A PARENT, IT BOTHERS ME THE CHANGING POLICY REGARDING THE INCIDENT REPORT FOR JUVENILES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S CURRENTLY CLASSIFIED AS, UM, CASUAL ENCOUNTERS THAT DON'T NEED TO BE WRITTEN DOWN, BUT LIKE, THAT'S VERY OBJECTIVE.
AND I COULD SEE SOME PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD WITH THAT OF, OF, YOU KNOW, AN OFFICER CHOOSING TO DETERMINE AS CASUAL, BUT IT NOT BEING FELT AS SUCH BY THE CHILD.
UM, AND THEN ANOTHER THING REGARDING TO AGE, UM, THE USE OF FORCE, LIKE THE QUALIFICATIONS, BUT THAT WON'T BE USED ON CHILDREN.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW ON EARTH ARE THEY GONNA EVEN KNOW HOW OLD THE KIDS ARE? 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT INCIDENTS WHEN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS ARE PRESUMED TO BE ADULTS WHEN THEY ARE VERY MUCH CHILDREN.
AND SO THOSE ARE JUST KIND OF SOME THINGS THAT, UM, DREW MY EYE AND, AND CONCERN.
AND YOU GOT, YOU HAD FOUR SECONDS LEFT.
SO, UH, GOOD JOB GETTING THOSE QUESTIONS IN.
I HEARD SOME RELATED TO THE HPOU CONTRACTS.
UM, AND WE'LL GO BACK AND LISTEN FOR THE OTHER QUESTIONS.
AND OF COURSE, UH, AS ALWAYS, WE'LL SUBMIT THOSE ON YOUR BEHALF.
HI EVERYONE, THIS IS JASON OLIVER.
UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL SAY WELCOME TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR CUMMINS.
POOR, BUT I APPRECIATE THE WORK SHE DID, UM, TO MAKE C DATA MORE USEFUL AND ACCESSIBLE OVERALL.
I, I THINK I HAVE FOUND THAT THESE DASHBOARDS PROVIDE VERY LITTLE ACTIONABLE INFORMATION, WHICH I THINK EXPLAINS THE LIMITED REACH OF THE NEW COMPLAINT PROCESS AND WHY THE DASHBOARD IS RARELY DISCUSSED OUTSIDE OF THESE ANNUAL PRESENTATIONS.
HOWEVER, I DO THINK THE UNDERLYING DATA MAY BE USEFUL.
SO I'M HOPING THAT, UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT THE DATA BE PUBLISHED.
UM, THE DATA THAT'S PUBLISHED ON THESE DASHBOARDS BE PLACED ON THE CITY'S OPEN DATA PORTAL AS IT IS IN OTHER CITIES.
UM, IF SO, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THAT? IF NOT, I'D LIKE A, A CLEAR JUSTIFICATION FOR RESTRICTING THAT ACCESS.
UH, THERE WAS TALK ABOUT HOUSTON BEING AT THE FOREFRONT.
I KNOW I'VE SPOKEN TO MS. OCO FOR ABOUT THIS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO, TO FOLLOW UP AND RESEND SOME RESOURCES.
I'VE SHARED, UH, WITH, WITH DEFINITELY CHIEF CENTER AND MS. OCO FOR ABOUT WAYS TO IMPROVE OUR DASHBOARDS BASED ON OTHER CITY'S UM, PRACTICES.
NEXT, BASED ON THE, THE PRESENTATION AND THE DASHBOARDS, UH, WHAT, WHAT I'M SEEING IS VERY LOW REACH OF SITE AND RELEASE.
LESS THAN ONE IN EVERY THREE, COMPARED TO EVERY 300 ARRESTS.
UH, HARDLY ANY HOUSTONIANS ARE ACCESSING THE COMPLAINT DASHBOARD.
UM, AND BLACK HOUSTONIANS ARE BEARING THE MAJOR BRUNT OF POLICE, POLICE VIOLENCE.
WITH THAT IN MIND, HOW ARE WE MEASURING SUCCESS WITH THE SUPPOSED REFORMS? AND I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR FOLLOWING UP ON TRAFFIC STOPS.
ALTHOUGH THERE'S, THERE'S NO CONTEXT OR VERY LITTLE IN THIS DASHBOARD THROUGH STATEWIDE DATA, WE KNOW THAT HPD IS A HUGE OUTLIER INITIATING NEARLY HALF OF THE ENTIRE STATE'S.
VIOLENT TRAFFIC STOPS WITH FIVE OF THOSE VIOLENT TRAFFIC STOPS HAPPENING EACH DAY.
BLACK PEOPLE BEING THE VICTIMS OF THREE OUT OF THOSE FIVE DAILY VIOLENT TRAFFIC STOPS.
SO IF, IF POLICY CHANGES HAVE BEEN INITIATED TO STOP DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES BY HPD, WHETHER THAT'S IN TRAFFIC STOPS OR OTHERWISE, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE, UM, HOW CAN WE TRACK THAT PROGRESS? AND THEN ALSO WHAT EXTERNAL AUDITOR IS PERFORMING THIS TRAFFIC STOP REVIEW AND WHAT CRITERIA WAS USED FOR THEIR COLLECTION.
JASON, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS.
UH, WE'LL, WE'LL SUBMIT THOSE ON YOUR BEHALF.
I CAN'T, AGAIN, SPEAK TO SOME OF WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING, UM, 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA TO VERIFY, YOU KNOW, COMPARATIVELY.
BUT WE WILL, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS AND ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT.
UH, FINALLY WE HAVE, UH, CHRISTOPHER UP.
[00:55:05]
COULD YOU HEAR ME? HELLO? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.UM, MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER RIVERA AND I'M CALLING ON BEHALF OF THE TEXAS CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT.
I DO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, AND I'M CALLING IN REGARDS TO, UM, TRAFFIC STOPS AND THE IN RELATION TO SIGN RELEASE PROGRAM.
WHEN IT COMES TO NON-SAFETY VEHICLE TRAFFIC STOPS, SUCH AS SUSPENDED OR EXPIRED LICENSES, THE SIGN RELEASE PROGRAM DOES NOT DO ENOUGH TO KEEP BLACK AND BROWN DRIVERS SAFE AND OUT OF JAIL IN HOUSTON, ACCORDING TO THE TRAFFIC STOP DASHBOARD, VEHICLE TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS WERE THE SECOND MOST USED REASON FOR CONDUCTING TRAFFIC STOPS.
AND IT'S ALSO THE SECOND MOST CITATION ELIGIBLE OF ARRESTS IN 2022.
BLACK AND LATINO DRIVERS WERE TARGETED AT HIGHER RATES, PARTICULARLY BLACK DRIVERS WHO WERE STOPPED 41% OF THE TIME.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE TYPES OF ARRESTS, BLACK DRIVERS REPRESENT 60% AND THEY ALL, AND THEY ALSO REPRESENT NEARLY 60% OF USE OF FORCE DURING TRAFFIC STOPS.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS ADOPT AN ORDINANCE THAT PROHIBITS POLICE FROM BEING ABLE TO STOP SITE AND ARREST PEOPLE FOR NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS SUCH AS SUSPEND OR EXPIRED LICENSES.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON CAN ADOPT AN ORDINANCE THAT IS MODELED AFTER THE DRIVING EQUALITY BILL FROM PHILADELPHIA.
I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AS WELL AS MS. OFOR FOUR TO ADDRESS THIS ADDRESS, SORRY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, BUT WE SEE THAT THE DATA IS ONLY GETTING WORSE.
SO HOW CAN WE MOVE FORWARD AND ADOPTING A BILL THAT IS SIMILAR TO PHILADELPHIA'S, WHICH WILL HELP US ADDRESS THE RACIAL DISPARITIES FOUND IN HPDS TRAFFIC DATA.
UH, WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR, UH, SPEAKING PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR THE DAY.
UH, FIRST, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR PRESENTERS, BUT I DO ALSO WANNA THANK HPD FOR WORKING WITH, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND PROVIDING THIS DATA WILLINGLY.
UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, BUT AGAIN, UH, THE FACT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS OPENLY, UM, AND WITH ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HPDI VERY MUCH APPRECIATE.
UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR STAFF AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO JOINED AND ALL OF OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND EVERYONE TUNING IN.
UH, SPECIAL THANK YOU TO IT AND HTV, UH, FOR, REGARDLESS OF ALL THE HICCUPS, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE SMOOTH MEETINGS.
OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING IS ON FEBRUARY 16TH.
UH, AS A REMINDER, THE AGENDA AND PRESENTATIONS CAN BE FOUND ONLINE ON THE COMMITTEE'S WEBPAGE.
RECORDING OF THIS MEETING WILL BE POSTED ON HTVS WEBSITE.
AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 3:04 PM.