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I'M CURRENTLY OVER THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AT HPD.
ON BEHALF OF CHIEF TROY THINNER, OUR EXECUTIVE STAFF AND OUR ENTIRE HPD FAMILY, WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO OUR ANNUAL MARCH ON CRIME NEWS CONFERENCE.
WE ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK MAYOR BUSTER TURNER.
UH, OUR HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALL OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS YOU SEE HERE TODAY.
THIS SHOWS OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORT THAT WE ALL DEVOTE TO KEEPING OUR CITY ONE SAFE.
IN DECEMBER, 1984, THE MARCH ON CRIME CAMPAIGN WAS BORN OUT OF A GROWING CONCERN OF VIOLENT CRIMES BEING COMMITTED IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
THE FIRST YEAR OF THIS CAMPAIGN WAS SUCH AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS THAT A SIMILAR PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.
LUCHA CONTRA REMAN BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER, 1986.
MARCH ON CRIME IS A CITYWIDE CRIME INITIATIVE CAMPAIGN USED TO EDUCATE AND INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT CRIME TRENDS OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE HOUSTON AREA.
THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE CAMPAIGN IS TO HIGHLIGHT PREVENTION EFFORTS AIMED AT THE ELIMINATION OF CRIMINAL INCIDENTS, RATHER THAN RESPONDING TO THEM AFTER THEY HAVE OCCURRED THIS YEAR.
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR PATROL DIVISIONS, WILL FOCUS ON GUN SAFETY, BURGLARY OF MOTOR VEHICLES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS, WHILE ADDRESSING ALL OTHER CRIME ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL BUSINESSES.
I'D NOW LIKE TO INTRODUCE HOUSTON'S MAYOR, SYLVESTER TURNER.
AND, AND LET ME START OUT BY SAYING GOOD AFTERNOON AND CHIEF NER AND TO ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, UH, REPRESENTATIVES.
LET ME JUST SAY, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TO THAT, TO YOU.
AND THEN CERTAINLY I'M NOT HERE BY MYSELF.
UM, UH, COUNCILMAN ABEY CAYMAN, WHO CHAIR THE PUBLIC SAFETY HOMELAND, UH, COMMITTEE IS HERE.
THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S BIRTHDAY.
IS YOUR BIRTHDAY ON THE SAME DAY? YEAH.
AND SO, UH, IT IS JUST GOOD TO BE HERE.
UH, AS IT JUST SAID, THIS IS THE NOW THE 39TH ANNUAL MARCH ON CRIME INITIATIVE AND THE 37TH LUCIA REMAN CAMPAIGN, WHICH ARE CITYWIDE PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS USED TO EDUCATE AND INFORM.
I WANT TO THANK HOUSTON POLICE CHIEF TROY FENNER AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS PRESENT TODAY TO SHOW RESPONSIBILITY AND SUPPORT TO SUCH AN IMPORTANT INITIATIVE.
A LITTLE OVER TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, CHIEF FAN AND I MET WITH SENATOR CORNY, OUR DEPUTY INSPECT GENERAL CRESTOR LARA, FOR AND OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS TO DISCUSS.
SENATOR CORNYN'S LAW ENFORCEMENT DEESCALATION TRAINING ACT SIGNED INTO LAW AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, AND THE LAW WOULD HELP TO EQUIP LOCAL AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
IT WOULD DIRECTLY CORRELATE TO THE MARCH ON CRIMES MAIN FOCUS AT HIGHLIGHTING PREVENTION EFFORTS AIMED AT THE ELIMINATION OF CRITICAL, CRITICAL INCIDENTS.
AND THE LAW FOCUSES ON RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT, UH, THAT WE HAVE BEEN ADDRESSING IS THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE, A COMPREHENSIVE VIOLENT REDUCTION INITIATIVE THAT LINKS RESEARCH BASED STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY AND REDUCE THE HARMS CAUSED BY VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, AND I WILL SAY SINCE FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR, IT HAS PROVEN TO HAVE SOME VERY POSITIVE RESULTS.
AND THANKS TO THIS PROGRAM AND OTHER COMBINED EFFORTS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON SAW A REDUCTION IN EVERY MAJOR VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORY.
THIS IS NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE ADDITIONAL OFFICERS ON THE STREET, BUT ALSO C COMMUNITY BUY-IN AND SUPPORT.
WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM.
AND THE THIRD GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM, SHERIFF AGON, UH, GONZALEZ.
UH, SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR, FOR THOSE EFFORTS, UH, LEADING TO ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
UH, SO IN ADDITION TO RECOGNIZING THE AMAZING HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND OUR CITY COUNTY AND PARTNERSHIPS, I ALSO WANNA THANK THE COMMUNITY, UH, BECAUSE THESE EVENTS AND THIS INITIATIVE WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT.
WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GOFTON AREA OR TALKING ABOUT AREAS ON THE NORTH SIDE IN NORTHEAST, UH, IN CENTRAL HOUSTON, IT HAS TAKEN ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO, TO DRIVE POSITIVE RESULTS.
WE ARE SEEING A 22% DECREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME AS COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 2022 YEAR TO DATE,
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AND A 26% DECREASE AS COMPARED TO 2021 YEAR TO DATE.WE ALSO ARE SITTING AT A 9% DECREASE IN PROPERTY CRIME, BUT BOTH BURGLARIES AND AUTO THEFTS ARE TRENDING ABOVE LAST YEAR'S YEAR TO DATE.
TOTALS, AND I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE HAPPY TO REPORT, THAT THESE NUMBERS ALSO INDICATE THAT VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN IN EACH OF THEIR DISTRICTS.
BUT LET ME QUICKLY ADD, AS LONG AS ONE PERSON IS THE VICTIM OF A CRIME, IT'S ONE TOO MANY.
WHETHER THAT'S VIOLENT CRIME, WHETHER THAT'S PROPERTY CRIME, YOU NAME IT.
IF IT'S ONE PERSON BEING VICTIMIZED FOR THAT PERSON, THAT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UH, SO WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK COLLECTIVELY, COLLABORATIVELY WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY.
AND I'M JUST VERY PROUD IN THIS CITY, UH, THAT WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER AND NOT WORKING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.
AND THEN I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL, UH, POLICE, FIRE, MUNICIPAL WORKERS, COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD LEVEL, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, CONSTABLES, YOU NAME IT, WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, CHIEF, UM, I WANNA PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO YOU.
UH, WE'LL DO IT IN PART, LIKE WE DO IT.
LIKE IF WE WERE AT CITY HALL SINCE COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND HAS IT, I'M GONNA LET HER START IT AND THEN I'M GONNA STEP BACK.
AND I'LL ASK MY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COME IN A LITTLE CLOSER.
THE MARCH ON CRIME PROGRAM WAS CREATED IN DECEMBER, 1984 BY MR. DAWN ROSETTE.
OUT OF THE GROWING CONCERN OVER VIOLENT CRIMES BEING COMMITTED IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, THE CAMPAIGN'S FIRST YEAR ACHIEVED MUCH SUCCESS IN A SIMILAR PROGRAM FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.
LURA ELMAN BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER, 1986.
THE PROGRAMS WERE COMBINED IN 1991 AND OPEN TO ALL CITIZENS OF HOUSTON MARCH ON CRIME.
LURA ELMAN IS DESIGNED TO DISSEMINATE CRIME PREVENTION INFORMATION THROUGH BOTH ELECTRONIC AND PRINTED MEDIA, AS WELL AS TEACHING THOSE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY NEW STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CRIME IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS IN 2023.
THIS STATE CONTINUES TO FOCUS THIS MONTH, EXCUSE ME, CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC, ON CRIME AND CRIME PREVENTION IN THEIR COMMUNITY, AND REINFORCE THE KEEP SAFE, KEEP HOUSTON SAFE PUBLIC SAFETY CAMPAIGN OFFICERS THROUGHOUT HOUSTON, REACH OUT TO LOCAL BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITIES TO CONTINUE CRIME PREVENTION AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS AIMED AT THE ELIMINATION OF CRIMINAL INCIDENTS.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS MARCH ON CRIME AND LUMAN FOR ITS TIRELESS WORK THROUGHOUT LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO INFORM CITIZENS ABOUT CRIME PREVENTION AND ITS EFFORTS TO REDUCE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
AND CHIEF FOR THE FINAL TIME AS MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SAYING, SO.
THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIMED MARCH 1ST, 2023 AS MARCH ON CRIME LU CONTRARY OF QUEENMAN DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THANK EVERY POLICE OFFICER, EVERY MEMBER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, COUNTY, DA'S, OFFICE, STATE, LOCAL, YOU NAME IT, FEDERAL, UH, FOR WORKING TO HELP TO MAKE OUR CITY A SAFE CITY AND REGION IN WHICH TO LIVE.
THANK, I WANT TO GET THAT PHOTO RIGHT QUICK.
YEAH, PLEASE GET, IT'S MY FINAL TIME.
COME COUNT OUT A LITTLE BIT OFF THE SIDE, JUST A LITTLE BIT.
NO, Y'ALL GOTTA STAND WITH ME A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK TURNED 21 TODAY, AND I ACTUALLY TURNED 36 TODAY,
BUT LOOK, UM, SO PROUD YOU LOOK AROUND.
IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT FAMILY THAT WE HAVE, AND RIGHT ALONG WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IS HFD FIRST RESPONDERS.
BUT I WANNA PAUSE JUST FOR A SECOND.
THIS IS THE LAST, UM, MARCH ON CRIME WITH WITHOUT GREAT MAYOR.
AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING.
FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS AND SOME MONTHS, I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE SAYS.
I'VE BEEN THERE THROUGH EVERY STORM, THROUGH
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EVERY, EVERY TRAGEDY.AND HE IS A MAN AND OUR CITY COUNCIL, THEY ARE NOT ONLY TOUGH ON CRIME, THAT'S SMART ON CRIME.
AND I WANT PEOPLE TO REALIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS WITH THE BACKLOG THAT WE HAVE AND NOT POINTING FINGERS ANYWHERE.
IT'S A PROBLEM THAT WE GOTTA DIG OURSELF OUT AS A TEAM COLLECTIVELY.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE THESE NUMBERS GOING DOWN THE WAY THEY'RE GOING DOWN, I SIMPLY ON MARCH ON CRIME, I WANTED TO PAUSE AND LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT I'M PROUD AND I'M PROUD OF ALL MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT YOU SEE HERE REPRESENTED.
I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
THAT'S WHY WE POSTPONED ON MONDAY.
BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WANTED AS MANY AS MY PARTNERS AND THE LEADERS TO BE HERE BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT STAMPING OUR CRIME IN HOUSTON, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSTON REGION BECAUSE CROOKS, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND AND THEY DON'T RECOGNIZE BOUNDARIES.
OKAY? SO WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT FAMILY, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.
SO I JUST WANT, AND I, AND I HOPE I DON'T MISS ANYBODY, BUT SHERIFF ERIC GONZALEZ IS HERE IN SHERIFF DEPARTMENT PRECINCT FOUR, MARK HERMAN, UH, MARLON REYNOLDS FROM KLEIN, UH, CHIEF COOK AMBOY, ISD, UH, PAUL CARDO, CHIEF CA DOVER.
HE'S HERE FROM, UH, ALDEAN, ISD.
ISD GOT HENRY GALL FROM KATY, ISD, UH, CLEAR LAKE IS, IS, IS, UH, REPRESENTED ALSO.
UM, KEVIN HUNT, CAPTAIN KEVIN HUNT FROM FORT BEND COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
WHAT OTHER PRECINCTS ARE HERE? I I, I CAN'T SEE THE UNIFORMS. SEVEN, SEVEN PRECINCT SEVEN IS HERE.
DID I LEAVE OUT ANYBODY? ALRIGHT, WELL, GOOD ENOUGH.
LOOK, I WON'T GO OVER THE CRIMES, UH, STATS AGAIN.
UH, THEY SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES AND WE'LL SEND THAT OUT.
BUT I WANT TO THANK OUR GREAT COMMUNITY AND MEDIA, Y'ALL PART OF IT.
EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH, AND WE ASK FOR HELP IN SOLVING CRIMES AND GETTING WORD OUT.
BUT OUR GREAT COMMUNITY, I TRAVEL ALL AROUND THIS NATION, ALL AROUND THIS NATION.
YOU WILL NOT FIND BETTER CITIZENS THAN WE HAVE HERE IN THE HOUSTON REGION, BUT WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND AGAIN, LAST YEAR WHEN THOSE CRIME NUMBERS SHOT UP SOME CRAZY, AND I KEPT TELLING PEOPLE, JUST CALM DOWN.
AND THE MAYOR DROPPED IN THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON WITH ALL THAT FUNDING SUPPORTED BY OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU SAW THOSE NUMBERS GO DOWN.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO STILL.
AND I WANT TO BE HONEST ON THAT.
BUT I WANT US TO GRAB THE MOMENTUM, ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE OUR CITY SAFER.
SO THANKS AGAIN, CITIZENS, BUT WE NEED A LITTLE BIT OF HELP FROM YOU.
WE HAD A THOUSAND GUNS STOLEN OUT OF VEHICLES ALREADY THIS YEAR.
THAT'S 200 AHEAD OF LAST YEAR.
WE HAD 4,400 STOLEN LAST YEAR.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, IF YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE GUNS IN YOUR VEHICLES, GET A SAFE AND LOCK 'EM UP.
WE GOT A CAMPAIGN THAT'S COMING, AND WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING SOME SAFES, BUT WE CAN'T GIVE SAFES TO EACH AND EVERY GUN OWNER IN, IN THE, UH, UM, CITY.
SO IF YOU'RE GONNA GET A GUN AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IT IN THE CAR, GET THE SAFES AND LOCK IT UP.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH IT.
OUR DART UNIT, UH, SENDING A PATROL OFFICER OUT WITH AN ADVOCATE TO GET THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM, UH, THE VICTIMS OF, OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, IMMEDIATE ATTENTION SO WE CAN GET THEM AWAY AND MOVE THEM AWAY FROM THE DANGER.
I ALREADY SPOKE ON, UH, BURGLARY MOTOR VEHICLES.
OKAY? I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT'S DRIVING OUR STATS ON NONVIOLENT, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DOWN, IF WE COULD GET THAT DOWN.
TAKE VALUABLES OUTTA YOUR CAR, LOCK YOUR DOORS, OKAY? AND WORK WITH US AS WE TRY TO MAKE THINGS SAFER IN OUR APARTMENT COMPLEXES, GARAGES, WHEREVER THERE'S A LOT OF CARS AT.
SO, UM, WE'LL KEEP MOVING ON THAT.
IN CLOSING, UH, I WANT TO SAY, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR VICTIM SERVICES.
WHEN SOMEBODY IS, IS, IS A, A VICTIM OF VIOLENT CRIME HERE IN THIS CITY, WE STAND BEHIND 'EM, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
BUT WE'RE GONNA NEED EVERYBODY.
UM, YOUTH PROGRAMS, YOU'LL SEE US DOUBLING DOWN ON THAT.
UM, BECAUSE SOMEBODY HELPED US.
SOMEBODY, IF ANYBODY'S IN THIS ROOM THAT'S SUCCESSFUL, SOMEBODY GAVE US A HAND UP.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT US TO DO AS A COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN THE MAYOR TALKS ABOUT WRAPAROUND SERVICE AND BRINGING EVERYBODY TOGETHER, AND ALSO, UH, WORKING WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS, SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS, WE NEED HELP.
UH, WE GOT A LOT OF TRAINING, BUT EVERYTHING DON'T GO PERFECT OUT THERE.
SO I HOPE THAT WE GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE ABSOLUTELY NEED
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IT.BUT IN CLOSING, UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AGAIN FOR BEING HERE.
I'M, I'M PROUD, AND THIS IS WHAT I PICTURED, AND THIS IS WHAT I SAID WHEN, WHEN I CAME, I'M NOT TAKING ALL THE CREDIT, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE ALL WANTED US TO COME TOGETHER AS A TRUE FAMILY AND YOU SEEING IT.
SO, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD, UH, WITH THE HELP OF THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE.
RUBEN FROM THE DA'S OFFICE, AND THEN, UH, GARCIA COMMANDER GARCIA WITH TRANSLATE FORCE IN SPANISH.
MY NAME IS RUBEN PITTI AND I'M BUREAU CHIEF OF SPECIAL CRIMES AT THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I WORK FOR HARRIS COUNTY DA KEMA ON BEHALF OF HARRIS COUNTY.
I WANT TO ECHO WHAT THE CHIEF AND THE MAYOR SAID.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM AND EVERYBODY WHO'S LISTENING TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HELP THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US IN CRUSHING CRIME AND FIGHTING CRIME.
UM, WE, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE CONCERNED, WHO ARE LOOKING AT US, WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CRIME PROBLEM HERE IN HOUSTON.
BUT I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT OUR OFFICE AND ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL, ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, UH, FROM CONSTABLES, ISDS, UH, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, HPD, EVERYBODY, THE DA'S OFFICE, FORT BEN, EVERYBODY, WE'RE ALL WORKING TIRELESSLY TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S OUR DUTY, AND IT'S AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO, TO DO THIS.
IT'S A CALLING FOR US TO, TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, I KNOW THAT WE'RE FRUSTRATED BY DELAY SOMETIMES.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD THE FLOOD, WE HAD THE REBUILDING OF THE COURTHOUSE.
BUT IN SPITE OF THAT, LIKE, LIKE, UH, UH, UH, CHIEF FINN SAID, IN SPITE OF ALL THESE OBSTACLES, ALL THESE ROADBLOCKS WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK DAY AND NIGHT TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC AND CLEAR THIS BACKLOG THAT WE HAVE WHEN GIVEN THE RESOURCES TO OUR OPERATE AT FULL SPEED, WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
WE'RE WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE PASSION AND THE PASSION TO, TO CONTINUE TO WORK.
THOSE OF US IN PUBLIC SERVICE ARE HERE TO PROTECT YOU.
WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE A PASSION TO HELP YOU.
UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA CLOSE AGAIN.
I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, THE CHIEF OF POLICE, EVERYBODY FOR ALL THE HELP AND ALL THE COLLABORATION THAT, THAT THEY'VE GIVEN US.
GOD BLESS OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, THOSE OFFICERS OUT IN THE STREET WHO ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES AT EVERY TRAFFIC STOP EVERY TIME THEY MAKE A SCENE.
I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR RISKING YOUR LIVES, FOR PUTTING YOUR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR US.
AND GOD BLESS VICTIMS AND GOD BLESS AMERICA.
ONE MORE THING BEFORE, COME ON UP.
I WAS JUST LOOKING AT MY NOTES AND I, I LEFT EYE, UH, A VERY INTEGRAL PART OF, UH, OUR CRIME FIGHTING HERE IN THIS HOUSTON REGION THAT IS OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS.
I WANT TO GIVE IT UP FOR THEM.
OUR US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, SOUTHERN DISTRICT, THEY HAVE STOOD UP AND STANDING VERY STRONG WITH US, AND IT'S EVIDENT WE DID A PRESS CONFERENCE ABOUT A NUMBER OF ARRESTS ON FELONS IN POSSESSION OF, OF FIREARMS AND OTHER FEDERAL CRIMES.
SO I WANT TO SAY A BIG THANKS TO OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, THANK YOU, MATTER.
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ALRIGHT, BEFORE I BRING UP, UH, SHERIFF, UH, I, I KNOW PETE LOPEZ'S WIFE VERY WELL, AND WE LONG TIME FRIENDS.UH, I MAY HAVE FORGOT TO MENTION HIS NAME.
THANK YOU BROTHER FOR BEING HERE.
AND, UH, I STILL NEED A MEAL, MEAL, A FEW MEALS FROM YOUR WIFE, SO COME ON UP.
UH, CHIEF, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE, BE, UH, WITH YOU AND ALL THE PARTNERS THAT ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF, OF HARRIS COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I KNOW ALL OUR, UH, HARRIS COUNTY PARTNERS ARE HERE.
ALL THE EIGHT, UH, ELECTED CONSTABLE OFFICES ARE REPRESENTED HERE TODAY.
UH, CRIME FIGHTING IS REALLY A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY.
AND IF YOU LOOK BACK TO 1984, WHEN THIS EFFORT FIRST STARTED, EVEN BACK THEN, THEY FELT THERE WAS A NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RAISED AWARENESS.
AND TO THIS DAY, THAT EFFORT STILL CONTINUES.
SO KUDOS TO YOU, CHIEF, UH, NER, UH, MAYOR TURNER, UH, COUNCIL, UH, MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE, EVERYONE THAT'S HERE BECAUSE WE MUST CARRY THAT TORCH JUST LIKE THEY DID STARTING IN 1984.
HERE TODAY, WE ARE TO ONCE AGAIN REMIND THE COMMUNITY THAT CRIME FIGHTING, REDUCING CRIME IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AND WE REALLY NEED ALL HANDS ON DECK.
WE NEED THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE SECURE YOUR WEAPONS.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE SEEKING RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE OUT THERE WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES SUCH AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LIKE HOUSTON, AIR WOMEN'S CENTER, AND SO MANY OTHER RESOURCES,
UH, SO WE SHARE THE SAME PRIORITIES THAT YOU DO.
CHIEF, UH, CONGRATS AS WELL FOR ALL THE HARD WORK IN REDUCING CRIME.
WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT AN EASY TASK, BUT KUDOS TO YOUR AGENCY AND ALL THE PARTNERS.
I THINK WE'VE ALREADY BEEN TOGETHER LIKE MULTIPLE TIMES THIS WEEK WITH DIFFERENT MEETINGS, ALL TRYING TO, TRYING TO SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS STAYING FOCUSED ON, AGAIN, OUR NORTH STAR, WHICH IS TO REDUCE CRIME.
AND ALSO, UH, AGAIN, JUST, UH, OUR THOUGHTS AND, AND PRAYERS ARE ALWAYS WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT ARE OUT THERE, THOSE THAT CANNOT BE IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE, WE COMMEND ALL FIRST RESPONDERS, FIRE, EMS, OUR DISPATCHERS AS WELL, THAT, THAT FEEL THOSE CALLS, UH, EVERY DAY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING SAFE OUT THERE, THAT WE GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED.
AND AGAIN, ALL OUR DEPUTIES, DEPUTY CONSTABLES, SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UH, DEPUTIES, UH, POLICE OFFICERS, EVERYBODY THAT'S OUT THERE FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT, TRYING TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
AND, UH, WE MUST WORK TOGETHER AGAIN TO TRY TO SOLVE THE BIG ISSUES, UH, LIKE REDUCING CASE BACKLOGS AND MAKING SURE THAT IN THIS COMMUNITY WE RETURN THAT FEELING OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
BECAUSE FAR TOO OFTEN THERE'S STILL THAT FEELING OUT THERE THAT, THAT, THAT PEOPLE JUST BEING AREN'T HELD ACCOUNTABLE FAST ENOUGH.
SO WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO TACKLE THOSE BIG CHALLENGES.
BUT HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY FRIEND AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE TODAY.
I THINK THAT WE'LL OPEN UP OF COURSE, AS IF THERE ARE ANY, Y'ALL QUICK.
EVERYBODY'S HAPPY? OKAY, WELL GOOD.