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EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE, UH, PARTICULARLY[Press Conference: “Harris County & City of Houston Gun Buyback Program”]
THE SHERIFF AND THE MAYOR.UH, WE CHOSE THIS LOCATION FOR THIS PRESS CONFERENCE.
PRINCIPAL HARE, WHERE ARE YOU? DON'T BE BASHFUL.
WE CHOSE THIS LOCATION, UH, BECAUSE THIS MAYOR IS A POWERFUL PIECE OF PUBLIC ART WITH A BOLD AND IMPORTANT CALL TO ACTION FOR OUR YOUTH TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE, IN CASE YOU HADN'T FIGURED IT OUT.
THESE ARE STUDENTS AT WORTHING SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BEHIND ME.
I MIGHT ADD I'M A PROUD GRADUATE OF THIS HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL.
JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, UH, PRINCIPAL EVERETT HARE IS HERE, AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE HIM HERE.
OBVIOUSLY, OUR MAYOR AND MY SHERIFF, WE ALL DESERVE TO LIVE IN SAFE COMMUNITIES AND HOMES THAT ARE FREE FROM GUN VIOLENCE INSTEAD OF GUN VIOLENCE.
UH, INSTEAD OF GUN VIOLENCE IS CLAIMING TOO MANY LIVES AND FUTURES IN HARRIS COUNTY ACROSS THE STATE, AND IN PARTICULAR IN THE SEAT OF HOUSTON.
THE STATE'S DANGEROUS GUN LAWS ARE FUELING THE CRISIS AND FLOODING OUR COMMUNITIES WITH GUNS.
WHILE WE CALL ON OUR AUSTIN LEADERS TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT AND PASS SAFER GUN LAWS, I WANNA REMIND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE NOT POWERLESS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE ABANDONS OF GUNS.
WE CAN GIVE GUNS OFF THE STREET AND KEEP THEM OUT OF DANGEROUS HANDS, UH, IN OUR COUNTY.
AND THIS IS OUR FIRST FULLY FUNDED COUNTY GUN BUYBACK, BUT IT IS NOT THE FIRST ONE WE HAD.
WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO COMBINE OUR RESOURCES ON TWO YES PREVIOUS GUN BUYBACKS.
I'M PROUD TO CO-HOST THIS GUN BUYBACK EVENT WITH OUR PARTNERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO ARE HERE AS WELL, AND WE APPRECIATE THEM.
WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, WE SEND A POWERFUL MESSAGE.
I WANNA THANK SHERIFF ED GONZALEZ AND HIS TEAM MIKE LEE AND EVERYONE ON THE SHERIFF'S TEAM FOR HELPING TO MAKE THIS UPCOMING EVENT THE SUCCESS THAT IT WILL BE.
UH, SHERIFF, YOUR TEAM DID A GREAT JOB OF UNITING ALL OF US TO COME TO A COMMON CONSENSUS ON HOW TO HAVE THIS THIRD GUN BACK BUYBACK.
WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW THE SAME PROCEDURES THAT WE HAVE FOLLOWED FOR THE OTHER TWO.
TRULY, THIS GUN BACK, BACK GUN BUYBACK IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN TY HARRIS COUNTY AND THE COMMUNITY.
WE NEED EVERYONE TO DO THAT PART.
WE'RE ASKING OUR FRIENDS IN THE PRESS TO SPREAD THE WORD TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GET IT OUT.
THE WORD IS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GUN BUYBACK ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY THE 18TH AT DEON PARK FROM 8:00 AM UNTIL NOON.
MAYOR, I WANTED YOU IN PARTICULAR TO BE HERE BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE IN OUR REGION, UH, KNOW YOU A LOT BETTER THAN THEY MAY KNOW MANY OF US AT THE COUNTY.
THAT'S WHY I APPRECIATE YOU JUGGLING YOUR SCHEDULE AND YOUR TEAM HELPING TO JUGGLE YOUR SCHEDULE TO GET YOU TO COME OVER HERE TODAY.
UH, THIS IS OUR FIRST, UH, GUN BY WE HAD OUR FIRST TWO GUN BUYBACK EVENTS IN JULY WAS NUMBER ONE, AND OCTOBER WAS THE SECOND ONE OF LAST YEAR.
THEY WERE TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL.
THOSE ARE 2000 GUNS THAT WILL NEVER BE USED IN A CRIME, AN ACCIDENT, OR SUICIDE.
WE CAN'T BRING A LIFE BACK, BUT WE CAN BUY A GUN BACK AND MAKE SURE IT NEVER FALLS INTO THE WRONG HANDS AND CAUSE THIS HARM TO SOMEONE.
SO PLEASE DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN TO HELP MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER BY SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT THIS.
OUR THIRD GUN BUYBACK IN HARRIS COUNTY Q IN THE CITY.
THIS ONE WILL BE A COUNTY FUNDED ONE, BUT ANYBODY IN THE REGION, WE DON'T ASK QUESTIONS.
WE DON'T CARE IF THEY COME FROM OTHER COUNTIES.
A GOOD NUMBER OF A MAYOR AT PREVIOUS EVENTS CAME FROM OTHER COUNTIES.
WE JUST WANT TO GET THE GUN BUYBACK TO BE A SUCCESS.
OUR GUN BUYBACK INITIATIVE IS A PART OF A, OF THE COUNTY AND THE CITY'S MUCH BROADER COMMITMENT AND A STRATEGIC STRATEGY TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, PUBLIC HEALTH AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER.
WITH HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF VIOLENCE WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THE REAL VISION THAT'S REFLECTED ON THIS MURAL BEHIND US, A REALITY FOR EVERY CHILD, EVERY FAMILY IN EVERY COMMUNITY, ALL DEPART FOUR ON BANNING GUNS INSTEAD OF BANNING BOOKS.
BUT THE SUPERINTENDENT WOULDN'T LET ME SAY THAT WHEN WE DEDICATED TO MERRILL, BUT SINCE HE'S NOT HERE TODAY, I DO WANT TO SAY IT.
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I WANNA LET PRINCIPAL HARE SAY A WORD AND WELCOME US HERE TO HIS HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, EVERETT HARE.UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT JUST HERE IN THE SUNNYSIDE AREA, UH, THE STUDENTS, THE STAFF, FACULTY AND COMMUNITY OF, UH, WORTHING EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, UH, AND ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND SPREAD THE MESSAGE.
UH, WE ARE TAKING A STAND AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE AND TRYING TO ENSURE THAT IT'S SAFETY.
UH, THAT'S OUR PRIORITY FOR NOT JUST THE SCHOOL, BUT THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A WHOLE.
UH, THIS MURAL IS A REPRESENTATIVE SYMBOL, UH, AS PEOPLE ARE DRIVING UP AND DOWN SCOTT STREET, UH, IN THIS HISTORIC AREA OF SUNNYSIDE SO THAT WE, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WE ARE TAKING A STAND.
UH, WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO WEAPONS OR ANYTHING THAT COME INTO THE SCHOOLS, UH, BUT ALSO EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS SO THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME KNOWLEDGE, UH, RESPECTFULLY, UH, AND MAKING THIS A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
WE WANT EVERY STUDENT IN THIS BUILDING, EVERY STUDENT BEHIND ME TO HAVE, UH, THAT EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO COLLEGE, TO ENJOY THE WORKFORCE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, AND IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THEM SAFE.
UH, WE'RE VERY THANKFUL TO, UH, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT COMMISSIONER, RODNEY ELLIS, UH, MAYOR TURNER AND EVERYONE ELSE, UH, FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN TERMS OF ALLOWING THIS TO BE THE SPOT, UH, FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
AND, UH, WE'RE DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF IT.
SO, AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF.
GLAD TO SEE COUNCILOR ABBY CAYMAN COME OVER.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, MAYOR, BY WORKING TOGETHER.
WE DID A GREAT JOB OF PROMOTING THOSE FIRST TWO EVENTS.
YOU AND I EVEN WENT AND CUT A VIDEO, UH, I THINK ON THE FIRST ONE AND THE SECOND ONE, SHERIFF, I THINK THE RECORDS WILL SHOW WE HAVE HAD THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ONE DAY GUN BACK, GOT GUN, ONE GUN DAY BUYBACK IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA SO FAR.
THAT WAS THE SECOND ONE THAT HE, WE HAD HELD IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE, UH, HOPE WITH THIS EVENT, I'M NOT LOOKING AT MY NOTES, BUT WE WERE 2000 AT THE LAST ONE.
I THINK LETITIA JAMES, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NEW YORK MAYOR, I THINK IT'S ABOUT 3,800 THAT SHE HAS COLLECTED SINCE SHE'S BEEN IN.
UH, IT MAY HAVE BEEN OVER ONE YEAR PERIOD.
I'M HOPING THAT IF WE GET ANOTHER 2000, I WANNA CALL UP GENERAL JAMES AND SAY, HEY, SO MUCH FOR NEW YORK, UH, IN TEXAS, WE HAVE SURPASSED THAT RECORD.
UH, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO COME HERE IN SUNNYSIDE, THE TWO MAYOR, TOUGHEST AREAS COUNTYWIDE WOULD BE CYPRESS STATION AND SUNNYSIDE IN TERMS OF GUN VIOLENCE ISSUES.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO COME HERE.
I KNOW CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, AND CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN WANTED TO BE HERE, COULD NOT BE HERE.
UH, THEY BOTH HAVE REPRESENTATIVES HERE.
I SHOULD POINT OUT, THIS IS ARPA MONEY.
THIS IS FEDERAL MONEY PAYMENT HAS GONE BACK.
SO WE APPRECIATE ALL OF OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, EVERY ONE OF 'EM FOR MAKING THAT MONEY AVAILABLE.
MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR COMING, GETTING THE WORD OUT.
UH, YOUR OFFICE DID PROMOS FOR THE FIRST TWO.
I THINK YOU ALL ARE PUTTING THEM TOGETHER AGAIN.
UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE, EVEN IF WE ARE OUT A LITTLE WAYS, THE TWO HOTSPOTS, CYPRESS STATION AND SUNNYSIDE.
BUT WHEREVER THE GUNS ARE, UH, IF PEOPLE WANT TO TURN 'EM IN, WE WANNA MAKE IT EASY.
THE SHERIFF WILL GO THROUGH THAT EARLIER.
LET'S MAKE THIS ONE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR TEXAS TO BEAT OUT THE NUMBER FOR THE ENTIRE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SO WITH THAT, LET ME BRING UP A GREAT MAYOR.
I'M SO PROUD OF YOUR SERVICE, MAYOR.
AND AS AL GREEN ALWAYS SAYS, YOU MAKE THE CASE WHILE WE ALL NOT HAVE TERM LIMITS.
SO, WELCOME MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER FROM HOUSTON.
THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS, AND IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE STANDING WITH, WITH, UH, WITH THE COMMISSIONER AND APPRECIATE HIS, HIS SUPPORT FOR THE, FOR THE CITY.
IF YOU'RE IN THE CITY, YOU'RE IN THE COUNTY.
AND THEN TO SHERIFF, UH, EGG GONZALEZ.
APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP AND APPRECIATE STANDING WITH YOU AND, UH, COUNCIL, UH, CITY COUNCILWOMAN ABBY CAYMAN, WHO IS OUR CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AT THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND IS A STRONG PROPONENT OF, OF INITIATIVES LIKE THIS.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, TO THE PRINCIPAL, MR. HARE IS GOOD TO BE ON THE CAMPUS OF WORTH OF WORTHING, UH, EARLY, UM, UH, I WANNA SAY THE COLLEGE, UH, PREP SCHOOLS.
UH, BUT I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, I'M A NORTH SIDE KID, BUT I'M QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND SO WE ARE RIGHT HERE AT WORTHING.
LOOK, I, I, I JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH, UH, FOR COMMISSIONER ELLIS WHO'S TAKING THE LEAD, UH, WE HAVE PARTNERED TOGETHER ON THE FIRST TWO AND THE FIRST TWO, UH, GUN BUYBACK PROGRAMS WERE SUPER SUCCESSFUL.
AND NOW WE ARE PARTNERING, UH, WITH
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THE COUNTY ON THE THIRD.SO I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH FOR THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY.
AND THIS IS A GREAT LOCATION TO MAKE TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT IN FRONT OF THE STOP GUN VIOLENCE MURAL AT WORTHING EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, BECAUSE THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE FOCUS AND THE MESSAGE OF GUN BUYBACK EVENTS, STOPPING GUN VIOLENCE.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY GUNS, UH, ON OUR, ON OUR STREETS.
AND SO, UH, I'M ALSO JOINED BY CHRISTIAN GOFOR, WHO HAS LED THE EFFORTS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON THE LAST TWO, UH, SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS. SHE CAN GIVE YOU THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS. AND I'LL BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION OUR, AGAIN, OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION CONGRESSWOMAN, CHIEF JACKSON LEAD CONGRESSMAN, NOW GREEN, UH, EUROPA HARRIS IS HERE REPRESENTING CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE.
THESE ARE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE ARE USING.
SO WE WANT TO THANK THEM, UH, FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION.
OF COURSE, THE THE FIRST ONE WAS HELD AT WHEELER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH IN JULY OF LAST YEAR.
UH, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
UH, WE WERE PLANNING FOR JUST A FEW HUNDRED GUNS.
AND THEN THE, THE LINE WAS TWO MILES LONG.
UH, THE NEXT ONE WAS IN, UM, IN THE ALE AREA.
AND AS, AS COMMISSIONER ELLIS HAD SAID, UH, THAT ONE BROKE THE RECORD, UH, NATIONALLY, MORE GUNS WERE RETRIEVED, UH, AT THAT POINT.
AND SO NOW WE FIND OURSELVES BACK HERE AGAIN.
THE SUCCESS OF THE TWO EVENTS DEMONSTRATED THAT PEOPLE DO WANT A SAFE, UH, AND SPACE TO DISPOSE OF THEIR GUNS.
AND SURE, SOME MAY HAVE BEEN DRIVEN BY THE GIFT CARDS, BUT THE IMPACT IS UNDENIABLE.
WE REMOVE GUNS THAT WERE UN UNWANTED AND HAD THE POTENTIAL OF FALLING INTO WRONG, IN WRONG HANDS.
OUR GOAL THEN AND NOW IS TO KEEP GUNS IN THE HANDS OF RESPONSIBLE, UH, OWNERS, AND TO GIVE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET RID OF THEIR GUNS A SAFE WAY TO DO THAT WITHOUT KEEPING THEM ON THE STREETS OR AT ANY HOME WHERE THEY COULD FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE WRONG PERSON.
AND LEMME JUST PUT A POINT HERE, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE NOT TO LEAVE THEIR GUNS JUST IN VEHICLES, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, PEOPLE ARE SMASHING THE WINDOWS OF, OF, UH, CARS IN PARKING LOTS.
THEY'RE NOT LOOKING FOR CASH, THEY'RE NOT LOOKING FOR JURY, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR GUNS.
SO LET'S BE MINDFUL OF THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN WHEN WE LEAVE GUNS AROUND, THOSE GUNS COULD FALL IN THE HANDS OF CHILDREN OR BE USED IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
LASTLY, THE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM IS PART OF THE CITY'S ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE THAT WE LAUNCHED IN A YEAR AGO, FEBRUARY OF 2022.
WE USED, UH, UH, $53 MILLION INITIALLY.
WE HAVE INCREASED THAT NUMBER.
A MILLION OF THOSE DOLLARS WERE DEDICATED TO GUN BUYBACK PROGRAMS. SOME MIGHT ASK, UH, HAS THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL? AND THE NUMBERS WILL SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES? JUST LAST WEEK, THE MAJOR CITY POLICE CHIEFS, UH, PUBLISHED STATISTICS FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE MAJOR US CITIES FOR 2022.
AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAD THE LARGEST DROP IN MOST SERIOUS CRIMES OF ANY METROPOLITAN REGION IN THE COUNTRY.
NOT JUST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, NOT JUST IN THE SOUTHWEST, BUT IN THE COUNTRY.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, IF YOU ALL CAN RECALL LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME, PEOPLE WERE SAYING HOUSTON WAS THE MURDER CAPITAL WORLD AND LEADING, AND DA, DA DA DA, DA, ON AND ON AND ON.
BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE HAVE FEWER HOMICIDES NOW THAN WE HAD LAST YEAR.
AND AGAIN, IF THE TREND CONTINUES, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS GO DOWN.
AND I WANNA ATTRIBUTE THAT TO ALL OF THE COMPONENTS THAT WE HAVE PUT UTILIZE IN ONE SAFE HOUSTON, EVEN GUN BUYBACK INITIATIVES.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO JOINING WITH THE COUNTY, WITH THE COMMISSIONER, WITH THE SHERIFF, UH, WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHERS ON FEBRUARY THE 18TH AT 8:00 AM AT DO SOME PART, UH, FOR THE THIRD, THIRD GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM.
AND I'M ASKING ALL OF US, UH, TO HELP, TO MAKE IT A HUGE, HUGE SUCCESS.
SO THANK YOU STILL VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE STUDENTS TO BE HERE BECAUSE PRINCIPAL, I'M SURE THEY DON'T DO IT NOW, BUT WHEN I WAS HERE, UH, I WAS A TALKER.
I WAS NOT A VERY GOOD FIGHTER, BUT I DID STIR THINGS UP FROM TIME TO TIME.
AND STUDENTS BACK THEN, I'M OLD SCHOOL, THEY, THEY WOULD HOLD UP THREE THAT MEANT AT THREE O'CLOCK YOU WISH YOU WEREN'T ON THE DEBATE TEAM, BECAUSE ALL THE TALKING WOULD BE OVER WITH.
THAT'S WHEN THEY FOUND OUT HOW GOOD OF A TRACK STAR I WAS, BECAUSE I WAS RUNNING HOME.
I'M SURE THAT THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN NOW, BUT THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THERE WERE FEW PEOPLE WHO WERE BULLIES
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THAT IF I HAD KNOWN HOW TO GET ACCESS TO A WEAPON, I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN ONE.AND I PROBABLY COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING THAT WOULD'VE CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF MY LIFE.
MANY OF THESE GUNS ARE GUNS THAT ARE STORED SOMEWHERE IN A HOME, AND THE PARENTS OR SOMEONE MAY THINK SOMEONE CANNOT GET INTO THAT CHEST, OR IT MAY BE HIDDEN UNDER A BED OR IN A CORNER IN A CUPBOARD.
UH, AND MANY TIMES THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.
AND THEN WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT SUICIDES AND A HOST OF OTHER ISSUES, BUT THAT ACCESS TO GUNS, UH, AND PRINCIPLE AND SHERIFF, THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO DO THIS MURAL.
WE WANT TO BREAK THAT CULTURE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR OF THINKING.
THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT HAVING A WEAPON.
AND ALTHOUGH I FACETIOUSLY SAY IT, THE FOCUS OUGHT TO BE ON BANNING GUNS AND NOT BOOKS.
THE REALITY IS THAT'S SUCH A PROLIFERATION OF GUNS.
IN FACT, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO EVEN KNOW HOW MANY GUNS ARE IN HARRIS COUNTY, UH, IN HOUSTON, THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE, BECAUSE EVEN THE REPORTING LAWS ARE SO WEAK.
WITH THAT, I WANNA BRING UP THE SHERIFF.
UH, I DID MENTION THIS TO CHIEF FINN.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE COLLECTED SO MANY GUNS.
I, I'M TOLD IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PROPERTY ROOMS, BOTH OURS AT THE COUNTY SIDE AND THE CITY SIDE.
WE HAVE SEVERAL MORE BUDGETED.
THEY HAVE SO MANY GUNS THAT WE CAN'T FIND A PLACE TO PUT 'EM UNTIL THEY CAN DISPOSE OF 'EM.
AND WITH THAT, I WANNA BRING UP TO SHERIFF, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM, SHERIFF GONZALEZ.
THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER MAYOR, TO ALL THE, UH, THE PRINCIPAL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, YUBA, EVERYONE THAT'S GATHERED HERE TODAY, THE STUDENTS THAT ARE WITH US AS WELL, IT'S GREAT TO, UH, LIVE AND LEAD IN A REGION WHERE IT'S SO COLLABORATIVE.
UH, WE ON A REGULAR BASIS WORK TOGETHER ACROSS, UH, COUNTY, CITY LINES.
IT'S ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER AND FIGHTING OUT HOW WE COULD CONTINUE, UH, TO IMPROVE THINGS THAT MAKE OUR JOINT COMMUNITY SAFER.
UH, WORK WITH CHIEF NER AND HIS TEAM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I'VE BEEN A PART OF YOUR, UH, GUN, UH, VIOLENCE, UH, PREVENTION TASK FORCE IN THE PAST.
AND IT'S ALWAYS VERY COLLABORATIVE.
AND I LIKE WHAT YOU SAID, MAYOR AS WELL, THAT IT'S A HOLISTIC APPROACH.
WE, UH, ARE FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE'RE FOCUSED ON GUN BUYBACKS.
WE'RE, UH, FOCUSED ON OBVIOUSLY MAKING SURE THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT'S OUT IN THE COMMUNITY'S WORKING HAND WITH THE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH COMMUNITIES TO REDUCE CRIME IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND ALSO WITH THIS EFFORT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE OUTLET FOR THOSE THAT MAY WANT TO TURN IN UNWANTED GUNS.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN PERHAPS A LOVED ONE THAT PASSED AWAY AND LEFT A CADRE OF GUNS IN THE HOME.
AND FAMILY MEMBERS DON'T KNOW HOW TO DISCARD 'EM.
NOW WE NOW PROVIDE 'EM THAT OPTION.
AND SO WE HOPE TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, LEARN FROM WHAT WORKED FOR THEM AND TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ON THAT.
AND OBVIOUSLY, THEY SET A VERY HIGH MARK.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ABOUT KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
AND THERE'S AN ENTIRE TEAM THAT HAS WORKED ON THIS EFFORT.
SO I'D BE REMISS NOT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM THAT ARE GATHERED HERE, UH, THIS MORNING.
UH, TO MY LEFT, WE HAVE CHIEF DEPUTY LEE.
WE HAVE SERGEANT WHITE AND HIS TEAM OVER HERE, MAJOR SHELTON ASSISTANT, UH, CHIEF WYNN, AS WELL AS DEPUTIES MORENO AND ESCOBAR.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO JOINING.
COMMISSIONER ELLIS, THANK YOU FOR LEADING ON THIS EFFORT AND TO ALL OF COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS FOR PUTTING THE DOLLARS IN PLACE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THIS.
AND WE HOPE TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
AND SO PLEASE HELP US RAISE AWARENESS.
I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, RAISING AWARENESS AS WELL TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS OPTION FOR THEM.
WE HAVE A, A VERY LARGE, UH, REGION AND MANY PEOPLE THAT WAITED IN LINE AT THE CITY EVENT JUST, JUST COULDN'T WAIT ANY LONGER.
AND SO NOW THEY HAVE ANOTHER OPTION COMING UP.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SPREADING AWARENESS.
UH, BRIEFLY IN SPANISH TURNER.
SHEILA JACKSON, HARRIS, HOUSTON, ABBY CAYMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER.SO WITH THAT, I THINK THAT WAS AN OMAN THAT WE COULD LET THE CHAIR, THE COUNCIL, PUBLIC SAFETY SPEAK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
I'M, I'M HERE TODAY TO OFFER MY APPRECIATION AND SUPPORT.
UM, WE ARE SEEING UNPRECEDENTED PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, AND MAYOR, THAT THANKS TO YOUR EFFORTS AND COMMISSIONER YOUR EFFORTS, UH, AND OUR SINCERE APPRECIATION BECAUSE FIREARMS ARE NOW THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND ACCORDING TO CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FOR CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF FIVE AND 14, WITH GUN OWNING PARENTS, ROUGHLY THREE AND FOUR CHILDREN KNOW WHERE THEIR FIREARMS ARE STORED.
AND ROUGHLY ONE, ONE IN FIVE HAVE ACTUALLY HANDLED THAT FIREARM WITHOUT THEIR PARENTS' KNOWLEDGE.
AND THESE STATISTICS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE, AGAIN, GUN BUYBACKS ARE SPECIFICALLY TO ASSIST PEOPLE WHO NO LONGER WANT, UH, FIREARMS IN THEIR HOMES.
A WE'RE PROVIDING A SAFE WAY FOR THEM TO DISPOSE OF THEM SO THAT THEY DO NOT END UP IN THE WRONG HANDS OR ON THE STREETS.
SO AGAIN, MY DEEPEST APPRECIATION, UH, ONE TO THE SHERIFF, THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM TO ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS.
BUT COMMISSIONER ELLIS FOR YOU, TAKING UP THE TORCH, UH, TO CONTINUE THE IMPORTANT WORK TO CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
I KNOW THE STUDENTS' IN A HURRY TO GET BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM, BUT WHEN I WAS HERE, MAYOR, I WOULD'VE YOU, YOU ON THE DEBATE TEAM, I WOULD'VE RELISHED AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING.
SO MICAH'S GONNA SAY SOMETHING ON BEHALF OF THE WORTHING STUDENTS.
HI, I'M MICAH AND I'M WITH WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M ALSO WITH MAMA G WITH, UM, LEGENDS AND LEGACIES.
UM, HONESTLY, I'M JUST VERY THANKFUL THAT THE, THAT THE CONGRESSMAN, UM, CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY ENOUGH TO DO A GUN BACK OR A GUN BUYBACK.
I SAID IT WRONG,
UM, THE SHEETS ARE QUITE, QUITE DANGEROUS WITH ALL THE GUN VIOLENCE AND STUFF.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES SOME STUFF COULD HAPPEN AT SCHOOL AND THEN PEOPLE WOULD THREATEN TO SHOOT THE SCHOOL OR SOMETHING.
SO THEN WE'LL HAVE TO GO ON LOCKDOWN.
AND I'M HONESTLY KIND OF HAPPY THAT THE GUNS ARE GETTING TAKEN OFF OF THE STREETS, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY AS MUCH AS WE NORMALLY WOULD ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE AND STUFF HAPPENING WITHIN THE SCHOOLS OR IF WE LEAVE SCHOOL ALSO, BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT WHEN YOU'RE NOT AT SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, THEY SAY THE NUMBER ONE FEAR MOST PEOPLE HAVE IS PUBLIC SPEAKING.
AND I DIDN'T TELL HER UNTIL I LOOKED BACK AND SAW THOSE STUDENTS AND THINK OF SHE SPEAK WE'LL TAKE SOME QUESTIONS ON THIS SUBJECT.
ANYBODY, MR. BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND.
THERE WERE SOME CHANGES WITH, YOU KNOW, UH, THREE PRINTED GUNS CHANGING UP THE YS.
ARE THERE ANY CHANGES THIS TIME AROUND FROM THINGS YOU LEARNED IN THE SECOND EVENT? FAR AS HOW THIS
SO IF YOU GOT ONE OF THOSE, HEY, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S YOU.
I'D SAY THAT'S THE BIG EXCHANGE.
MAYOR, COULD YOU OR SHERIFF THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE? I THINK THE MAIN THING WAS NO, NO GHOST GUNS, NONE THAT CAN BE GEN GENERALLY PREPARED.
AND THEN WE DISCOVERED WE NEEDED MORE LINES AND MORE PEOPLE, MORE STAFF, UH, BECAUSE THE FIRST ONE WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW MANY, WE THOUGHT A FEW HUNDRED, UH, BUT THE LINES WERE LONG.
SO NO GHOST GUNS AND UH, AND MORE LINES, MORE STAFFING.
JUST, UH, BRIEFLY, SERGEANT WHITE'S BEEN, UM, ON, ON TOP OF THIS FOR US, ONE OF THE THINGS IS WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BUILD SOME EFFECTIVENESS IN OUR PROCESS, THE COLLECTION PROCESS.
SO THAT WAY A LOT OF IT ISN'T NECESSARILY DONE AT THE POINT OF, OF WHERE THE, UH, EXCHANGE IS BEING, UH, CONDUCTED.
IT'LL BE HAPPEN MORE BEHIND SO THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, SLOWING DOWN THE LINES AS MUCH.
SO IT'S MORE LOGISTICS IMPROVEMENTS.
AND, AND IF YOU ALL IN THE MEDIA, IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU SEE, YOU OUGHT TO TELL US.
I MEAN, WE'RE LEARNING, UH, AS WE GO.
LOOK, I WANNA THANK MY STAFF THAT DID A LOT OF WORK ON THIS AS WELL.
IT'S A GREAT PART BY THE WAY, UH, MAYORS WAY OUT ON YOUR SIDE OF TOWN.
UH, BUT YOU NEED A GREAT VIEW, A GREAT VIEW OF LAKE HOUSTON.
SO THAT MEANS THERE ARE THINGS TO DO.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE WANNA MAKE SURE IF THEY AGREE AND IT'S SAFE, WE'LL PROBABLY THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S A B CYCLE STATION OUT THERE.
THANK GOD WE'RE WORKING THAT OUT WITH METRO.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ONE'S OPEN OR NOT, BUT WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT AN INTERESTING DAY AND I
[00:25:01]
HOPE IT'LL BE GREAT WEATHER.I'LL TAKE ANOTHER ONE ON THIS SIDE REAL FAST.
PEOPLE ARE GONNA WONDER WHAT ARE THE COSTS FOR THE GUTS? WHAT ARE THEY GETTING IN TERMS OF THE FREEDOM ECONOMY? YOU GOT OUR NUMBERS.
YOU ALL ARE THE EXPERTS ON THE NUMBERS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THE LOWEST DENOMINATION IS $50 AND THE HIGHEST DENOMINATION IS GONNA BE $200.
SO 50, A HUNDRED AND 150 AND 200 DEPENDING ON THE WEAPON, IF IT'S FUNCTIONING OR NOT.
AND IF IT'S A HANDGUN OR IF IT'S A RIFLE OR A SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE.
AND I KNOW THAT, THAT, UH, I'M DOING, WE DOING SOME ADS, YOU KNOW, SO IT'LL BE IN THE PRESS RELEASE.
BUT THE SAME NUMBERS THAT WE HAD BEFORE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND OTHER FOLLOW UP TO THAT
'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED THIS JAMES.
I WAS IN NEW YORK WHEN THEY DID THE GUN FIGHT BACK IN 2012.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE NYP IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK TEAM WAS OFFER A $1,000 REWARD FOR ILLEGAL GUNS THAT WERE BEING, OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD BE A TIP.
AND YPD WOULD TAKE THAT TIP AND THEY WOULD SAY, HEY, IF THEY COME ACROSS THAT ILLEGAL GUN, IT'D BE A $1,000 REWARD.
HAS HAS ANY THOUGHTS OF, AND THE RESEARCH THAT YOUR STAFF HAS DONE, HAS THERE BEEN ANY WE HAVE.
WE, WE ARE NOT GONNA TRY THAT WITH THIS ONE, BUT IT'LL BE SOMETHING TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
I KNOW WE HAVE, I THINK THE NUMBER WAS FIVE.
UH, IF MARY AM I RIGHT WAS AT FIVE.
WE, WE BUDGETED FOR BETWEEN THE TWO OF US.
YEAH, A TOTAL OF A MILLION WE'RE GONNA SPEND.
DEPENDS ON HOW MANY THAT'S RIGHT.
IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY GUNS WE GET.
UH, BUT I, I MAY TRY TO WORK THAT INTO IT.
AND THE OTHER THING ON THAT IS, HOW MANY OF THE GUNS CAN THE ORIGINAL TWO GUN BY MAX ACTUALLY ILLEGAL GUNS? BECAUSE THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE WITH THE VIOLENCE.
HOW MANY OF THEM WERE ONLY GUNS THAT PEOPLE WERE THE SAYING WE DON'T WANT THEM ANYMORE? SHERIFF, YOU AND MIKE KNOW MIKE LEE.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE CITY'S.
YEAH, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE CITIES.
WE CAN'T GET THAT FROM CRYSTAL FOUR.
I GOING FORWARD, BUT HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
AND MAYOR, WHAT FAULT YOU, SIR, LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME YOU DID LOT TAKE HOUSTON.
YOU INDICATED WE HAD SPENT $53 MILLION.
HOW MUCH MORE HAS BEEN ADDED THAT WE HAVE NOW SPENT? UH, ABOUT 63, ROUGHLY ABOUT 63 MILLION.
AND, UM, AND THEN WE WILL SPEND SOME ADDITIONAL AMOUNT IN, UM, IN MORE OVERTIME FOR THIS YEAR, UH, GOING THROUGH UP UNTIL JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
SO I THINK THE LAST NUMBER I SAW WAS ABOUT 63 AND I'VE APPROVED ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR, FOR OVERTIME.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE AFTER YOU LY DONORS, LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL DISPOSE OF THEM SAFELY.
SAFELY? I DON'T TELL THE DETAILS.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHABA JOINED US AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US SHERIFF.
YOU PICKED A COUPLE LOCATIONS ALREADY THAT WERE IN HIGH CRIME AREAS.
THIS ONE'S A NORTHWEST, UH, HARRIS COUNTY CRIME SHOW.
NEARLY AS BAD AS THOSE TWO OTHER AREAS.
ARE YOU PERFECT, UH, PICKING CERTAIN LOCATIONS.
AND WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AFTERWARDS IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS SINCE THOSE TOOK PLACE? IN TERMS OF CONDUCT? UM, OUR LOCATIONS WERE SELECTED JUST WHERE WE COULD, UH, BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY BE ABLE TO CONDUCT THE EVENT WHERE WE HAVE, UH, UH, EASY, UH, ACCESS TO AND FROM AND, AND LOGISTICS AND ALL THAT.
SO THOSE WERE MORE, UH, DETERMINED BASED ON, ON THOSE FACTORS.
IN TERMS OF THE, THE RESULTS RIGHT AFTER, WITH HPD, I THINK, UH, OCA FOUR IS, IS IS WORKING ON THAT WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON? I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER FOR
[00:30:01]
THE DIRECT RESULTS OF, OF WHAT? HOUSTON POLICE AND, AND THE CITY, THE ONES THAT HAPPENED IN THE CITY.SO THE, THE FOCUS ON THIS IS NOT SO MUCH GUN VIOLENCE DIRECTLY THAT'S USED FOR LEGAL PURPOSES.
SO FIRST WE DID ONE AT WILLA AVENUE CHURCH 'CAUSE IT'S NEW TO US.
I DON'T THINK WE'D HAD A GUN BUYBACK SINCE MAYBE LEE BROWN WAS MAYOR OR POLICE CHIEF.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE LAST TIME WE HAD ONE, I, I WENT, BUT I JUST CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT LEE BROWN WAS.
I JUST REMEMBER HIM BEING THERE.
SO IT WAS NEW TO US THE DAY WHEN WE PICKED WILL AVENUE CHURCH.
THEY ALSO HAD A SERVICE, A MEMORIAL SERVICE GOING ON.
WE COULD NOT HAVE PLANNED THAT THE SAME DAY.
AND THERE WAS SOME ISSUES THAT YOU ALL REPORTED ON WITH THOSE LONG LINES.
SO THEN WE WENT TO A, A METRO PARKING RIDE.
HAD NO IDEA THAT MANY GUNS WOULD COME IN ON ONE DAY.
SO I THINK IT WAS TIME TO GO SOMEWHERE, UH, OUT TO THE OUTSIDE, DIRECT PART OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO THAT'S WHY WE PICKED THAT PART.
WHEN WE GET TO OUR MILLION, I THINK IT'S A MILLION BOTH WAYS, A MILLION FROM THE CITY AND A MILLION FROM THE COUNTY.
MY STAFF WILL CHECK AND TELL ME IF MY MATH IS RIGHT.
I THINK WE WERE AT LEAST MATCHING WHAT THE CITY SPENT.
UH, BUT SO WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WHEN WE PICK ANOTHER LOCATION, WE'LL TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
AND THEN REALLY THE, UH, AND SERGEANT WHITE WAS, UH, ALSO MENTIONING THAT THAT LOCATION WAS SELECTED BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE TWO, UH, ENTRANCE WAYS WHERE THEY COULD SET UP LINES INSTEAD OF JUST ONE.
AND THEN TWO, IT IT, IT WON'T BE OUT ON, ON THE PUBLIC STREET ROAD.
IT WILL ACTUALLY BE INSIDE THE PARK ITSELF.
IT'S LARGE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE.
SO WE'RE NOT REALLY IMPACTING THE, THE REGULAR FLOW OF TRAFFIC AS WELL.
AND ONE LAST QUESTION CAN ASK MAYOR TURNER, BUT LEFT.
SO MAYBE ONE STATE COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, HE TOUTED NUMBERS.
YES, NUMBERS ARE ON THE DECLINE, BUT COMPARED TO 2019, SEEN BEFORE SHOW HOMICIDE NUMBERS ARE STILL 45, HIGHER.
SO BETWEEN THESE BUYBACKS, THE, THE, THE STORES HAVING SURVEILLANCE CAMERA, THE ONE SAFETY SCENE, IS IT WORTH ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE STILL HIGH ABOVE 2019 MEMBERS.
YOU WANNA TAKE THEM? ABBY? NO.
I'M COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZ, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT D, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
CERTAINLY YOUR QUESTION IS VERY VALID, BUT IT TAKES TIME FOR THINGS TO ACTUALLY SHOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN, UH, SUCCESSFUL.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY QUESTION WHY DO THEY EVEN DO THOSE BUYBACKS? AND CERTAINLY I THINK IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO SOMEONE WHOSE LIFE WAS, WAS PRESERVED BECAUSE A PERSON DID NOT HAVE AN ILLEGAL GUN.
I ACTUALLY WORKED AT WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL AND SO I'M INGRAINED IN THIS COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AND I LOVE TO SEE THESE BEAUTIFUL YOUNG PEOPLE STANDING HERE.
BUT I WANT THEM TO HAVE A FUTURE.
AND CERTAINLY THESE TYPE OF EFFORTS, I THINK THE COMMISSIONER CERTAINLY AND THE MAYOR FOR CONTINUING TO BATTER AT THESE CRIME STATISTICS AS WELL AS, AS GUN BUYBACKS AND PRINCIPAL HARE AND, AND CERTAINLY THE SHERIFF AND, AND ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE.
AND SO WE ARE GONNA GET THIS DONE.
WE ARE GONNA, LIKE, THEY SAY WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT DO WHAT IT DO.
BUT I'M GONNA SAY THIS, SOME PEOPLE SAY WHY, BUT I SAY MY MOTHER USED TO SAY, AH, IS BETTER THAN THAT.
AND SO IF WE CAN GET SOME OF THESE GUNS OUTTA THE HANDS OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T ACT RESPONSIBLY, I THINK THAT IT'S A GREAT EFFORT.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN, COMMISSIONER.
SO TO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I, I WOULD SAY IT IS ALL OF THE ABOVE.
WHETHER IT'S VIOLENCE, I ERUPTION, THE COUNTY HAS DONE IT, THE CITY HAS DONE IT.
TRADITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH BOTH ENTITIES HAVE INVESTED MORE MONEY IN COUNTY SIZE, ABOUT 44% OF IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S FINDING SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR PEOPLE TO CALL IF THEY HAVE A CRISIS INSTEAD OF ALWAYS CALLING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE.
BUT IT'S, IT'S A ALL OF THE ABOVE APPROACH.
EVERYTHING WE CAN PUT IN THE BASKET.
AND COMMISSIONER, DO YOU KNOW COUNCIL EVAN SHABA?
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HERE.