* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Mayor's Youth Council Fireside Chat: Crime and Violence Impact on Community Youth] [00:00:16] LENA WITH THE YOUTH POLICE ADVISORY COUNCIL OF HPD, AND MY NAME IS JOON CLEMONS, REPRESENTING DISTRICT D ON THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL. TODAY WE WILL TALK OVER ISSUES FACING, ISSUES, HOUSTON YOUTH FACE, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO RESOLVE THEM. WE ARE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE TO SHARE THIS EXPERIENCE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF ADVOCATES WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS REAGAN HOUSE AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT D FOR THE HOUSTON MAYORS YOUTH COUNCIL, AND I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE MR. SYLVESTER TURNER. HE IS A PROUD AKER HOMES NATIVE AND THE 62ND MAYOR OF HOUSTON. HE'S ALSO A PROUD GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND HARVARD LAW. GIVE HIM A HAND, EVERYBODY. MAY I HAVE YOUR ROCKS? YES. YES, SIR. IT'S ON. LOOK. THANK YOU. SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE INTRODUCTION. UH, AND LOOK, I, I, I APPRECIATE BEING HERE AND, UH, FOR THIS, UH, YOUTH TOWN HALL MEETING. I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST ONE OF THIS FORMAT, UH, THAT I'VE HAD SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE AS MAYOR. SO, LOOK, I'M ALL EXCITED AND FIRED UP AND, AND READY TO GO. AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, NOT JUST FOR, UH, CHIEF FINN AND I TO DO THE TALKING, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, FOR US TO DO SOLICITING. SO I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME FANTASTIC IDEAS, CONCERNS, ISSUES, EVEN CHALLENGES, UH, THAT YOU WANT TO PRESENT TO US. I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK MY MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT EVERY ONE OF THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS, UM, HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO GO BEFORE YOU ALL, UH, A FEW TIMES AND LOOK FORWARD TO GOING BEFORE YOU AGAIN. SO, LOOK, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION AND, UH, THANK, UH, THA WHERE'S OPRAH WITH ANYWAYS, OPRAH . YOU'RE WELCOME. YEAH, . SO THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CASSIE MAI AND I'M PART OF THE YOUTH POLICE ADVISORY COUNCIL. AND TODAY, CHIEF FINNER WILL BE JOINING US FOR OUR FIRESIDE CHAT. CHIEF FINNER IS A HOUSTON NATIVE, AND HE HAS WORKED WITH HPD FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS. HE'S REALLY COMMITTED AND DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE YOUTH AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. HE'S CONSTANTLY CONNECTING AND GIVING ADVICE ON TOPICS SUCH AS TEEN DATING, VIOLENCE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND BULLYING AT YPAC DISCUSSIONS. AND NOW, WE'LL, LIKE TO WELCOME CHIEF FINNER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE VERY NICE, UH, INTRODUCTION. LET ME SAY THIS. UH, FIRST OF ALL, PARENTS, UH, VOLUNTEERS, ANYBODY, OUR POLICE OFFICERS, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR INVESTING IN OUR KIDS. AS I LOOK AROUND AND YOU LOOK AT THE SUCCESSFUL ADULTS DIDN'T BECOME SUCCESSFUL BY YOURSELVES, THAT WE, WE ALWAYS HAD A VI VILLAGE CONCEPT, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. BUT LET ME SAY, I'M SO PROUD, PROUD OF THE MAYOR'S, UM, COUNCIL, I'M PROUD OF OUR WHY YPAC? BECAUSE YOU'RE TRULY LEADERS AND PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE. FIVE TIMES A A YEAR, I GET A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN AND, AND VISIT. AND THE MAYOR AND I JUST TALKED ABOUT, WE WANT TO BRING THE GROUPS TOGETHER EVEN MORE. BUT WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHEN I'M LISTENING TO Y'ALL, I'M LEARNING, OKAY? AND IT DRIVES POLICY. AND, AND PEOPLE DON'T THINK IT DOES, BECAUSE WHEN Y'ALL TELLING ME, HEY, WHAT ANGERS KIDS? YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES KIDS LAUGH AND, AND, AND WHAT Y'ALL CHALLENGES ARE, THAT DRIVES POLICY AND THAT'S POWER. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY, I'M, I'M SO PROUD. UM, OPEN, HONEST COMMUNICATION BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS. AND I CAN THINK OF NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR FUTURE LEADERS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL ARE. AND LEARNING THINGS FROM ONE ANOTHER, AND THEN GETTING OUT INTO YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES, SHARING THAT, IT'S A POWERFUL THING. SO, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, WE WANT TO DO MORE LISTENING AND LEARNING FROM Y'ALL TONIGHT. I KNOW WE GOTTA ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, JUST EXCITED ABOUT THIS VENUE TONIGHT. AND THANKS FOR EVERYBODY [00:05:01] WHO TOOK TIME IN ORGANIZING AND, AND ALL OF OUR, UM, OUR YPAC LEADERS AND, AND, AND, UM, ON THE MAYOR'S SIDE. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. UM, SO NOW WE WILL BE BEGINNING THE PANEL DISCUSSION. IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR FINGER AND WE WILL TAKE A MICROPHONE TO YOU. UM, AND PLEASE REMEMBER TO BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE'S TIME AND EVERYONE'S QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. IT'S ALL RIGHT. IT'S NASHVILLE. PHONE'S RING RINGING. GOT YOU. GOOD. I'M BRAVE. SO FIRST, UM, THIS IS DIRECTED TO MAYOR TURNER. VOTING ADVOCACY HAS BECOME A PROMINENT GOAL IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE NATION. HOWEVER, IT REALLY ONLY REACHES SENIORS AND STUDENTS WHO ARE NEARLY, OR AT THE AGE OF 18. HOW CAN YOU GET YOUNGER AGES, EVEN THOSE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, INTERESTED IN THE WAY THEIR CITY WORKS AND HOW IT'S MANAGED? THANK YOU. VERY, VERY GOOD QUESTION. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO GET PEOPLE MORE ACTIVE IN TERMS OF VOTING, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REACH THEM AT AN EARLY AGE. OKAY? IT'S JUST LIKE READING. YOU CAN'T WAIT UNTIL PEOPLE GET TO BE, UH, EVEN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR JUNIOR HIGH, WE START OFF IN KINDERGARTEN AND PRE-K, UH, JUST LIKE THIS LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, I WAS READING TO SOME KINDERGARTEN KIDS. UM, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF GET OUT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M ALWAYS AMAZED. I DON'T CARE HOW YOUNG PEOPLE MAY BE, PEOPLE HAVE GOOD IDEAS AND THEY ARE LISTENING. YOU KNOW, I, I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED. I, I, I WENT INTO THIS KINDERGARTEN CLASS, UH, CHIEF AND I, AND I ASKED, UH, UM, WHO KNOWS WHO I AM? WELL, A FEW OF SAY WE DON'T KNOW. UH, BUT THEN THERE WAS, THERE WAS THIS ONE STUDENT RAISED HIS HAND AND HE SAID, UH, YOU ARE THE MAYOR. AND, UM, AND I WAS SURPRISED. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GO OUT, WE TALK TO FOLK AND TALK TO PEOPLE, UM, UH, DON'T TALK DOWN TO 'EM, TALK TO THEM, AND HAVE, AND HAVE A GOOD CONVERSATION. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. YOU GOTTA LET PEOPLE KNOW, UM, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO VOTE. AND EVEN IF THEY CAN VOTE, THEIR PARENTS CAN VOTE. THEIR RELATIVES WHO CAN VOTE. SO SOMEBODY 16, 14, 12, 10, THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE, BUT THEY KNOW SOMEBODY WHO CAN. SO WE CAN, IF WE CAN CONVINCE THEM TO GO CARRY THE MESSAGE, THEN IT, THEN IT WORKS. OKAY? SO GET PEOPLE EARLY AND DON'T ASSUME THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE YOUNG, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND AND THEY DON'T GET IT. QUITE FRANKLY, THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT OF OLDER FOLK, UH, LIKE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE OLDER THAN I AM IN THIS ROOM. UH, 'CAUSE I'M YOUR AGE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE NEED TO CONVINCE THEM, BUT GET TO 'EM YOUNG, AND I THINK YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. ALRIGHT? AND WE'LL TAKE OUR NEXT QUESTION FROM THIS SIDE. UH, MR. NER, UM, WHY ISN'T CHILD AND TEEN GUN SAFETY NOT A MANDATORY COURSE IN OUR SCHOOLS FROM PRE-K TO HIGH SCHOOL? SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME. I'M SORRY. WHY ISN'T CHILD AND TEEN SAFETY, GUN SAFETY NOT A MANDATORY COURSE IN OUR SCHOOLS FROM PRE-K TO HIGH SCHOOL? IT SHOULD BE. AND, AND THIS IS WHY I'M, I'M SO EXCITED WHEN I SPEND TIME WITH Y'ALL, Y'ALL BRING UP IDEAS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I, I DON'T SET THE AGENDA, UH, FOR, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT WE SHOULD, UH, BE TEACHING THAT, UM, AT THE EARLIEST STAGES. UM, BECAUSE WHATEVER SIDE YOU'RE ON RIGHT NOW, UM, AS ADULTS WITH GUN, UM, VIOLENCE AND, AND, AND, AND, AND RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP AND ALL, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT TOPICS, THE EARLIER YOU START WITH PEOPLE TO LET THEM KNOW, UM, A RESPECT FOR GUNS AND, AND, AND JUST, IT GOES BEHIND THE GUNS TOO. UH, BECAUSE, UM, IF YOU WORK ON THE HEARTS AND THE MINDS OF PEOPLE, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. BUT WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE THAT EDUCATION ON, ON, ON GUNS. SO I WOULD CARRY YOUR MESSAGE, UM, TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS 'CAUSE I HAVE MY REGULAR BEATS WITH THEM AND TELL 'EM, HEY, A WILD PACKER SAID YOU SHOULD PUT THIS IN. OKAY? SO WE WON'T DO IT. ALL RIGHT? I'LL MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION. [00:10:16] BUT IF THERE'S NO COMMUNITY, SO IT'S IMPORTANT, GO OUT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, FIVE, UH, DOCUMENT, IT DOESN'T MATTER. I REPRESENT EVERY IT DOES. I CAN'T I BE OUT THAT YOU MAY NOT, YOU MAY NOT EVEN KNOW VERY MUCH ABOUT, HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO DEFEND YOURSELF. ONE THING I WANNA SAY, OKAY, NECESSARY, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT I WANT Y'ALL AWAY WITH THINGS NECESSARY. YOU HAVE THIS PERSON, THIS PERSON, PERSON. YOU CAN AVOID IT. AVOID THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR IN DANGER. YOU HAVE TO DO, YOU HAVE MOST, YOU GOT TO BACK UP DEESCALATE THE SAME AS YOU DO HAVE. BUT SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY POSITION I THE OF, BECAUSE I WANNA OTHER SIDE. SO PEOPLE [00:16:00] TRY FIND WEAKNESS. YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU DON'T HAVE STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR LOVED ONE, OKAY? THEY TRY, COME IN AND TELL EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, GET SO THE, YOU GOTTA LOVE YOURSELF MORE THAN GETTING INVOLVED IN YOU IN A GANG OR WHATNOT. SOMETIMES YOU'RE IN A C NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE TOUGH AS WELL, BUT YOU HAVE TO LOVE YOURSELF. FLAG. AND WHAT, WHAT, TALKING ABOUT FLAG, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU GOT COUNSEL, YOU GOT PEOPLE WHO, THOSE INDIVIDUAL, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT A LOOK AT GANG MEMBERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY TWO UP END UP IN TROUBLE. NEITHER ONE OF THOSE ARE GOOD. SO THEY'LL, THEY'LL USE WHATEVER THEY CAN. YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA PROTECT YOU. I LOVE YOU THAN FAMILY. WHATEVER. IT'S WHATEVER THAT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S AWAY. RUNNING AWAY INTIMIDATE YOU. THAT'S QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S SOCIAL MEDIA, SOCIAL, EVERYTHING. DO NEWSPAPERS TO EDUCATE YOURSELF. READ, DON'T FALL INTO ONE, IT'S GONE. YOU CAN NEVER CONTROL IT. CAN'T GET IT BACK. BUT WHEN YOU'RE ON IT, USE IT FOR A POSITIVE. BECAUSE REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE, BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, GETTING INFORMATION, THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, VICTIMS. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE QUESTIONS. I AM ALEX XAVIER, AND I HAVE THE HIGH [00:20:01] HONOR OF SERVING AS CHAIR OF THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL FOR THIS YEAR. I WILL BE INTRODUCING OUR SOCIAL MEDIA WINNER, HADDI HADDI. IF YOU CAN PLEASE UNMUTE AND ASK YOUR Q2 QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. HI. UH, THESE QUESTIONS ARE DIRECTED TO THE BOTH OF YOU. SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THE CITY PLAN TO ENSURE THAT ALL YOUTH HAVE ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITIES REGARDLESS OF THEIR ZIP CODE OR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS? AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS, AS YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY BECOMING POLITICALLY ENGAGED AND ACTIVE, WHAT STEPS ARE THE CITY TAKING TO ENSURE THAT ALL ELIGIBLE YOUTH HAVE ACCESS TO THE POLLS AND ARE ABLE TO EXERCISE, EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE? AND AND BOTH ARE EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT QUESTIONS. UH, WHEN I CAME IN AS, UM, MAYOR SEVEN PLUS YEARS AGO, UH, THE CITY DID NOT HAVE A A AN OFFICE OF EDUCATION. UM, AND WHAT I SAID IS THAT YOU, YOU CAN'T HAVE A GROWING DYNAMIC CITY, UH, AND MOVING IN ONE DIRECTION IF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WAS MOVING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. SO I ESTABLISHED THE OFFICE OF EDUCATION, UH, HERE AT THE CITY AND WITH THE DIRECTOR THAT REPORTS DIRECTLY TO ME. UH, OLIVER KAKA IS NOW MY DIRECTOR. THERE SHE IS WHERE THE HAND UP ON BAR. AND SHE, UH, SHE INTERACTS, UH, DIRECTLY, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH OUR SUPERINTENDENTS AND WITH OUR EDUCATIONAL LEADERS, UM, UH, WITH UNESCO, WHICH IS A PART OF THE UNITED NATIONS. UH, SHE IS IN CHARGE OF MY HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH SUMMIT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PAID INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, UH, FOR STUDENTS BETWEEN AGES OF 16 TO 24. UH, SHE'S IN CHARGE OF THAT. SHE'S IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A CHILD FRIENDLY CITY. OKAY? UH, SHE RUNS ON TOP OF THAT. SO, UM, HERE AT THE CITY, EDUCATION IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. JUST LIKE WE ON SAFE ROADS, WE WANT A SAFE STREET. WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE HAVE A CITY THAT'S EDUCATION FOCUSED. UM, AND THEN WE RESPECT TO, UM, PEOPLE VOTING. IT'S IMPORTANT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, UH, STUDENTS THAT WHEN THEY BECOME ELIGIBLE TO VOTE, TO GO AND REGISTER AND VOTE. BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE QUESTION THAT WAS HER SIZE, THAT WE NOT WAIT UNTIL SOMEBODY IS 17, 18 YEARS OLD, THAT WE TALK TO THEM EVEN SOONER. AND THEN IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE IS PROTECTED BECAUSE YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE. UM, AND SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. BUT EDUCATION IS, EVEN THOUGH AS MAYOR, I'M NOT ANYBODY'S SUPERINTENDENT, I DON'T RUN THE SCHOOLS, OKAY? WE DON'T HIRE THE TEACHERS, WE DON'T HIRE THE SUPERINTENDENTS. WE DON'T HAVE THAT CONTROL, THAT LEVEL OF CONTROL, BUT WE CAN ENGAGE AND WORK VERY CLOSELY, UH, WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED FROM THE CITY'S POINT OF VIEW. SO THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS. UM, AND I HOPE THAT, UH, ANSWERS THEM. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS BIANCA JUEZ, AND I'M GONNA BE ASKING THIS DIRECTLY TO YOU. CHIEF CENTER HOUSING CONCERN YOUTH BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND AFFAIRS WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEIR SELECTIVE COMMUNITIES. AS IN WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO INCREASE YOUTH AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE OF POLICING SAFETY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION WITH OUR PEERS? THANK YOU SO MUCH. I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY, BUT THE MAYOR HIT IT. WE SIMPLY AS, AS, AS PROFESSIONALS, AS, AS LEADERS IN OUR CITY, WE HAVE TO TAKE IT TO, AND FINDING YOU GUYS, THE LADIES WHERE, WHERE Y'ALL ARE. AND, UM, WE, WE DO THAT A NUMBER OF WAYS AND, AND ALL OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS, BUT WE HAVE TO REALLY BE INTENTIONAL GETTING OFFICES TO, TO SCHOOLS, UH, GETTING OFFICER IN ANY SOCIAL, UH, ENVIRONMENT, A SETTING THAT WE CAN, UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S SO MUCH TO LEARN FROM Y'ALL, IS PEOPLE JUST LOOK AT IT AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? THE KIDS ARE LEARNING FROM Y'ALL. NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE. I'VE SPENT SO MANY YEARS, UM, UH, SPENDING TIME WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH YOUTH OVER MY 33 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH, WITH HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT, THAT, THAT WE CAN DO IT. AND, AND, AND ANY VEHICLE THAT WE CAN USE, IF IT'S SPORTS, UH, IF IT'S A SOCIAL ACTIVITY OR WHATEVER, WE NEED TO REALLY BE DOING THAT. AND, AND, AND I WANT Y'ALL EXCITED ABOUT IT AND INTENTIONAL ABOUT BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. UM, SO, UM, THIS IS A GREAT SETTING, BUT IT HAS TO HAPPEN EVERY DAY IN OUR [00:25:01] SCHOOLS AND OUR COMMUNITIES. AND, AND, AND, AND I'M GONNA LOOK FOR Y'ALL TOO. YOU ASKING ME, AND I'M ASKING YOU IN, IN WAYS OF, OF HOW CAN WE, BECAUSE I'M, I'M 50, I TURNED 56 YEARS OLD. THE MAYOR'S A LITTLE BIT YOUNGER THAN ME. I DON'T HAVE ALL THOSE ANSWERS. OKAY. RIGHT. TELL TRUE . THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA START OUR QUESTION, ANSWER SECOND. HI, I'M HOPE, FAITH, AND MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ENVIRONMENT EXISTS IN SCHOOLS THAT HAVE A HIGH AVERAGE OF FIGHTS COMMON AMONG STUDENTS DURING SCHOOL? SAY THAT FIRST PART AGAIN. SORRY. WHAT ENVIRONMENT EXISTS IN SCHOOLS THAT HAVE A HIGH AVERAGE OF FIGHTS AMONG STUDENTS DURING SCHOOL? I CAN, THE, THE ENVIRONMENT IS, IS, IS A LACK OF ANGER MANAGEMENT. UM, A LACK OF DEESCALATION JUST AS ANYTHING ELSE. BUT, UM, I LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON CURRENTLY, LOOK AT THE LEADERSHIP, SO-CALLED LEADERSHIP WHEN, AND, AND I DON'T LIKE TO TO TOUCH ON CERTAIN POINTS, BUT LOOK, WE WE'RE HERE, WE'RE LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER. SOME SO-CALLED LEADERS WHEN IT'S ALL RIGHT TO BE RUDE AND JUST NASTY. JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY DISAGREED WITH YOU. IF IT'S ALL RIGHT, YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN THROW A PUNCH AND WHATNOT, WE GOTTA STOP THAT. IT, IT, IT STARTS WITH LEADERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP AT HOME OR LEADERSHIP, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, AND THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, LEADERSHIP WITH THE POLICE, WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE, WITH THE MAYOR. UM, WE GOTTA REALLY START REWARDING PEOPLE FOR BEING PEACEMAKERS AND LET THAT BE SOMETHING. AND, AND, AND EVEN TELLING THE TRUTH WHEN YOU CAN SIT UP AND YOU CAN JUST BE UNTRUTHFUL ABOUT SO MANY THINGS WHERE OUR MORALS AND OUR ETHICS THAT WE CAME INTO, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNTRY THAT MEANT SO MUCH. SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT DRIVES IT. BUT THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE TURN AROUND? HOW DO WE TURN IT AROUND? IF YOU'RE AT A SCHOOL, THE STUDENTS, YOU HAVE TO STAND UP AND BE LEADERS TOO. UH, THE GOOD STUDENTS, LIKE, LIKE RIGHT AROUND HERE THAT'S SITTING HERE TONIGHT, WE HAVE TO TURN IT AROUND AND, AND, AND SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND TAKE CONTROL OF IT WITH THE HELP OF ADMINISTRATORS. SO I THINK THE SAME THING THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE SCHOOL THAT'S UNHEALTHY, UM, IT'S ELSEWHERE AS WELL. SO, AND I'M JUST, TO WHAT SHE SAID, I AGREE WITH WHAT SHE SAID A HUNDRED PERCENT. YOU KNOW, WORDS, WORDS MATTER. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, PEOPLE SAY, PEOPLE CAN SAY SOME UGLY STUFF AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE INTO A FIGHT. SO WORDS, WORDS, WORDS MATTER. AND THEN, UM, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SEE SOMETHING ON SOCIAL, PEOPLE SAY SOMETHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEN, AND THEN THAT STUFF CARRIES OVER TO SCHOOL. AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR IT. UM, PEOPLE GET ANGRY. PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HAVE TO HANDLE THE ANGER. SO THEY GET INTO, INTO SOME FIGHT. UM, AND THEN SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST, PEOPLE COME FROM HOME MAD. MM-HMM . AND ANGRY. UH, THEY MAY HAVE BEEN HURT IN SOME FORM OR FASHION, AND THEN PEOPLE WANT TO HURT SOMEBODY ELSE BECAUSE THEY'RE HURTING. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, TALK THINGS OUT. UM, BUT IF I COULD DO THIS, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME ON THAT. 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION. LET ME ASK, LEMME GET A THOUGHT FROM YOU ALL. WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE REASON WHY THERE'S SO MANY FIGHTS? I, I LIKE TO HEAR 'CAUSE YOU ALL ARE THERE IN REAL TIME. YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST THERE, UH, IN SCHOOL FIVE YEARS AGO, , UH, BUT YOU ALL ARE THERE AND , SO WHAT DO, WHAT DO I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU THINK GIVE, GIVE US SOME, HELP US EDUCATE US ON THAT, ON THIS ONE. OKAY. I THINK THAT THERE ARE BAD COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS. I FEEL THAT STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE HOW THEY FEEL OR THEIR OPINIONS ON THINGS IN A CIVIL MANNER THAT CAN JUST BE TALKED ABOUT. I THINK STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER AND NOT GET ARGUMENTS ABOUT IT. I AGREE. HAVING ON TO THAT. I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THAT THEY'RE ENCOURAGED TO BEHAVE IN THAT MANNER WITH ARGUING BACK AS SHOWN IN A POSITIVE LIFE. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAY CAUSE SPICE IS SOCIAL MEDIA. [00:30:01] AS YOU SEE ON ALL DIFFERENT PLATFORMS, THERE ARE FIGHTS, THINGS THAT MAY IN, IN DIFFERENT INTERACTIONS THAT MAY CAUSE THAT. SO WHEN THEY SEE THAT, THEY TAKE IT TO SCHOOL AND THEY ACT THE SAME WAY. BUT THE THING IS JUST LIKE ONE, LIKE THERE'S NO GOOD LEADERSHIP. SO EVEN IF WE HAVE IT AT SCHOOL, I THINK IF WE HAVE GOOD LEADERSHIP AT OUR SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY WHERE I'M AT, THAT'S THERE'S 10 TONS OF FIGHT. I CAN GIVE YOU REASONS OF WHY IT'S A PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS NO GOOD LEADERSHIP WHERE KIDS CAN SEE, HEY, I SHOULD START DOING THIS, OR MAYBE I SHOULD APPROACH THIS A DIFFERENT MATTER. THAT'S BECAUSE ALL, EVEN ALL OF OUR ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE, IT'S ALL FALLING APART. WE ARE LOSING MEMBERS FASTER THAN WE ARE HAVING STUDENTS THAT WANT ATTEND SCHOOL. MM. SEE , THEY Y'ALL ANY KIND OF DEESCALATION IN, IN, IN THE CLASSROOMS OR I I'VE HEARD BOTH SIDES. SO WHAT, AT YOUR SCHOOL? YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY WHAT SCHOOL, BUT, WELL, THE APS TRY TO GET DEESCALATED. OKAY. BUT AS THEY TRY TO GET IN, IN BETWEEN IT, THE SITUATION GETS EVEN MORE OUT OF HAND. WOW. UM, HELLO TO CHIEF. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. UM, I ATTEND ALDI, UM, REGARDING DEESCALATION. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE, UM, UM, FURTHER DONE AS FAR AS THE AWARENESS AND AVAILABILITY FOR EACH. UM, KIDS WE'RE ALL UNIQUE IN OUR OWN WAY FOR US TO KNOW THAT, UM, IT'S OKAY FOR EVERYONE NOT TO BE THE SAME. AND I THINK IT SPANS FROM A LACK OF RESPECT OF SOMEONE WHO'S, UM, NOT THE SAME AS YOU. AND KIND OF LIKE YOU SAID, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIFFERENT, UM, LEVELS OF INFLUENCE AND, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE THE NEGATIVE INFLUENCE IS SOMETHING THAT'S OUTWEIGHING, UM, THE POSITIVE. BUT AS FAR AS IN THE EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT, UM, AS FAR AS DEESCALATION AND ALTERNATIVE, UM, RESOURCES, THAT'S NOT, UM, DONE QUITE OFTEN. BUT I KNOW AT ALDI WE HAVE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL, UM, SUPPORT. UM, WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT OR OFFICE DEDICATED TO THAT WITH OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF. I THINK IT STANDS FOR, UM, THE LACK OF RESPECT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT DISTINCT. AND I THINK, AND I AGREE AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR, EVEN AS ADULTS, WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB AT, UM, EVERYBODY'S DIFFERENT. AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT IS OKAY. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ALL LOOK THE SAME. WE DON'T ALL TALK THE SAME. WE DON'T COME FROM, WE HAVE DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND IT'S, IT'S OKAY, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET ALONG WITH ONE ANOTHER. OKAY? AND I, I, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK, UM, AS, AS ADULTS, WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF SAYING WE LIVE IN A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHY I SAY ALL THE TIME, THIS CITY IS THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE COUNTRY. AND THAT'S, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD THING. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO BE DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE AT THE SAME TIME. OKAY? AND, AND SOME OF THE LESSONS THAT WE ARE GIVING GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE CLASSROOMS. OKAY? SO, UH, I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND, UH, BUT LEMME JUST SAY YOU ALL ARE THE LEADERS WHERE YOU ARE. MM-HMM . OKAY? AND, UH, SO, UH, YOU'RE DEPENDING ON, YOU ARE, IF LEADERSHIP AIN'T EASY, , I'M GONNA TELL YOU, SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA MAKE UNPOPULAR DECISIONS. BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. GO HOME WITH YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH KNOWING THAT YOU DID AND YOU SAID THE RIGHT THING FOR THAT DAY, FOR THAT MOMENT. OKAY? NOW, HELLO, MY NAME'S CHEMI AND WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND CRIME AND THE PUNISHMENT FOR IT. BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU TWO COULD SPEAK ON THE CAUSES OF YOUTH CRIME AND WHAT PROGRAMS WE HAVE IN PLACE OR WILL HAVE IN PLACE TO KIND OF CURB THE REASONS WHY SAR AND ESPECIALLY EARLY CHILDREN, AND HOW THAT MIGHT EVEN TIE INTO THE EDUCATION SYSTEM. WELL, UM, THE, THE, THE PUNISHMENT, YOU GOTTA LOOK AT STATURE AND AT WHATEVER AGE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WELL, THE KID UNDER 10 OR WHATNOT DOES SOMETHING, THEY SHOULD BE THERE. OKAY? YOU, YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THE AGE, YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THE SERIOUSNESS OF IT AND WHATNOT. BUT, UM, WE GOTTA START TEACHING VERY, VERY EARLY, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU GOTTA LOOK AT, WELL, WHAT PROGRAMS ARE WE DOING? I DIDN'T SAY THIS EARLY, BUT WE HAVE A MAYOR THAT EVERY CONVERSATION, IT STARTS WITH WHAT WE COULD DO FOR EVERYBODY. NOT JUST THE RICH PEOPLE OR, OR, OR, OR THE FLUENT PEOPLE OR PEOPLE WITH, WHAT CAN WE DO FOR EVERYBODY, EVERY SCHOOL. AND YOU LOOK AT HPD AND, AND HE WAS INTENTIONAL [00:35:01] IN THIS, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WHEN HE FIRST APPOINTED ME, AND ALSO CHIEF OFFICER BAYO YOUTH PROGRAMS. WE GOTTA GET OUT THERE AND WE GOTTA HELP HIM. YOU KNOW, OUR PAL PROGRAMS, OUR, OUR YPAC PROGRAMS, OUR TASK PROGRAMS WHERE WE GET OUT THERE AND WE REALLY TEACH WAYS OF THAT. YOU CAN, UH, AVOID CONFLICT, AVOID, YOU KNOW, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. BUT WE SIMPLY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. UM, AT THE EARLIEST AGE, WE KNOW. AND, AND WE GOTTA LOOK AT ALL OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEMS. YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU ARE HUNGRY, IF YOU'RE SEEING TRAUMA AND YOU'RE SEEING ASSAULT AND YOU'RE SEEING PEOPLE SHOT AND STABBED AND WHATNOT, AND YOU GET NO COUNSELING AND NOBODY'S SAYING ANYTHING TO THAT KID OR TRYING TO HELP THAT KID, THAT KID IS GONNA START ACTING OUT ON SOME OF THAT THINGS. SO WE, WE GOTTA BRING OUR WHOLE COMPLETE COMMUNITY INTO IT. AND THAT'S WHAT THE MAYOR HAS TRIED TO DO IT. AND I'VE TRIED TO EMULATE IT AS, AS THE POLICE CHIEF, WE GOTTA LOOK AT EVERYTHING. AND PEOPLE JUST CAN'T SAY, WELL, IT'S THE POLICE. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN KNOW ALL OF US, EVERY SOCIAL SERVICE INDUSTRY, WE GOTTA STEP IN AND HELP KIDS AT THE EARLIEST AGE. UM, AND, AND, AND, AND PEOPLE GOING IN THE RIGHT WAY. AND THEN IT IS, IT'S LIKE, WHO'S FOLLOWING WHOM? IF YOU, IF YOU FOLLOW THE WRONG PERSON, THE WRONG PERSON'S COMMITTING A CRIME, YOU GET CAUGHT UP IN TO, SO WHO'S FOLLOWING WHOM? AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF, THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS, KIDS WHO JUST ANGRY. THEY'VE LOST HOPE. THEY DON'T THINK PEOPLE LOVE 'EM. SO THEY, THEY'RE ANGRY, THEY'RE MAD, THEY LOST HOPE. AND, UM, AND SOMETIMES, UM, PEOPLE MAKE BAD MISTAKES. THEY MAKE BAD MISTAKES. AND, UM, AND MISTAKES THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE YOUNG, WHAT CAN GO WITH YOU THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? SO, UM, UH, AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT GANGS EARLIER AND WHY PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO GANGS. SOMETIMES WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE, UM, YOU'RE NOT ANYBODY, NOBODY CARES FOR YOU. NOBODY LOVES YOU. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU COME TO THIS GROUP TO CLAIM LIKE TELLING YOU THE BEST EVER. AND YOU KNOW, WE WITH YOU AND, UM, AND THEY, AND, AND THEY BRING YOU IN AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PART OF SOME GANG. AND THEY SAID, OKAY, NOW THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO PROVE YOUR LOYALTY AND WHO YOU ARE. AND NEXT THING YOU DO, YOU OUT THERE DOING SOMETHING AND YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T GO IN ANY THE WRONG DIRECTION. THAT'S WHY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO HERE AT THE CITY, I THINK AT ONE TIME, SEE, I THOUGHT WE, I THOUGHT WE SAID WE HAVE ABOUT 20,000 GANG MEMBERS MORE. YES SIR. 20,000 PLUS GANG MEMBERS IN THE CITY. SO, YOU KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING AS THE CITY? WE DECIDE, OKAY, THERE ARE 20,000 GANG MEMBERS. WE WANT TO HAVE 20,000 PAID SUMMER JOBS. MM-HMM . SO FOR EVERY GANG MEMBER THAT THAT MAKES THIS, WE WANNA SAY, AS THE CITY, WE GOT A JOB FOR YOU BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU MORE THAN A GANG DOES. SO THIS SUMMER, THIS SUMMER, THIS SUMMER, WE HAVE ASKED BUSINESSES AND CORPORATIONS TO STEP UP. WE GOT CLOSE TO ABOUT 500 OF THEM. 600 AND 600 BUSINESSES AND CORPORATIONS FOR EVERYBODY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 24. IF YOU'RE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 24, WE GOT A A JOB FOR YOU THIS SUMMER. PAID, YOU KNOW, EIGHT WEEKS AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, AND NOT JUST YOUR CITY HOME, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN STEM AND ALL THESE OTHER AREAS BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WE LOVE YOU MORE THAN A GANG AND WE KNOW YOU NEED MONEY. BECAUSE SOME OF, SOME OF OUR, OUR YOUNG FOLK IN OUR CITY, THEY DON'T JUST NEED THE MONEY FOR THEMSELVES. THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THEY MOM OR THEIR SISTERS AND DRUNKS. ARE THEY HELPING TO PAY A LIGHT BILL? OKAY? SO PEOPLE DO THINGS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS AND WE HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE TO THAT AND WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO THAT. AND THEN THE LAST THING I'LL SAY, SHE TOLD YOU, YOU KNOW, HIS BACKGROUND RACE COME FROM, YOU KNOW, THE KIND BLUFF AREA. SAME THING HERE. YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I COME FROM ACRES HOME, THE FOUR FOUR AND UH, AND STILL LIVE IN A ACRES HOME, THE FOUR, I STILL LIVE IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH I GREW UP IN. SO WE'VE GOT TO, PEOPLE DO BAD THINGS FOR BAD REASONS. UH, AND WE, WE, WE HAVE TO LET THEM KNOW WE [00:40:01] ARE HERE, WE CARE, WE LOVE YOU, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE YOU STAY ON THE RIGHT COURSE. 'CAUSE YOU, YOU NEED TO BE MAYOR ONE DAY SITTING IN THIS SEAT. OKAY? ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA TAKE OUR NEXT QUESTION FROM THIS SIDE. UH, EITHER ONE OF Y'ALL CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION. WHAT'S YOUR NAME AGAIN? I'M THOMAS. THOMAS. OH, THANK YOU. UH, CAN WE REQUIRE A CLASS OR TRAINING EVERY YEAR FOR STUDENTS ABOUT LOVE AND RESPECT FOR LIFE? I ASK THIS TELL ME, CAN, CAN WE REQUIRE A CLASS ON LOVE AND RESPECT? UM, I WILL TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF FUNNY THAT THE LEGISLATURE IN ALSO IS KIND OF SAYING WHAT TEACHERS CAN TEACH AND CAN'T TEACH. UM, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT SHOULD BE TAUGHT EVERY DAY FROM THE HOME, IN THE SCHOOL, IN BUSINESSES HERE AT THE CITY. UH, THOSE ARE JUST CORE VALUES. THOSE ARE JUST CORE VALUES. BUT, AND, AND I'LL GIVE THE PEOPLE, LEMME TELL YOU, BUT FIRST YOU GOTTA LOVE AND RESPECT YOURSELF, OKAY? AND I'LL TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, I LOOK IN THE MIRROR, I LOVE ME . NOW I KNOW YOU, YOU MAY NOT LOVE ME, BUT I LOVE ME AND I'M GONNA RESPECT ME AND I'M NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING TO HURT ME. OKAY? SO LOVE AND RESPECT START WITH. AND IF YOU DON'T LOVE YOURSELF, YOU'RE NOT GONNA LOVE ANYBODY ELSE. YOU DON'T RESPECT YOURSELF, YOU AIN'T GONNA RESPECT EVERYBODY ELSE. SO IF HER GOTTA START WITH, YEP. GREAT, GREAT QUESTION. AND, UH, I WISH IN A, IN A PERFECT WORLD, YEAH, BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING TO CHALLENGE. YOU GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THE MAYOR HIT IT ANGRY. CAN YOU IMAGINE? MAMA GOT KILLED TOSSING, LET'S TOSS SOME REAL TALK RIGHT NOW. MY BROTHER DEAD NOW DEAD LOCKED UP. SOMEBODY RAISED ME, YOU DON'T REALLY CARE FOR ME. OKAY? WE GOTTA REALLY TOUCH THE HEART AND THE MINDS OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS. AND I TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME. NOT SO MUCH OF A HAND OUT. HAND UP HAND UP MEANS THAT YOU SHOW A PERSON THAT YOU LOVE AND YOU CARE FOR THEM AND, AND, AND, AND YOU INSTILL SOME THINGS IN THEM THAT'S GONNA GET THEM INDEPENDENCE AND A POSITIVE ADULT. UM, SO WE GOTTA DEAL WITH A LOT OF ISSUES. BUT IT STARTS AT HOME. IT STARTS WITHIN YOU. YOU GOTTA LOVE YOURSELF JUST ENOUGH, WHATEVER YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. AND THIS IS SOMETHING I WANNA LEAVE WITH Y'ALL, OKAY? THIS IS IMPORTANT, JUST UNDERSTANDING LIFE. I WANT Y'ALL TO SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS. IT'S LIFE. IT AIN'T GONNA BE PERFECT. AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOMETHING, YOU FOCUS IN ON THAT ONE PERSON IN YOUR LIFE AND IT MAY JUST BE ONE THAT LOVE YOU. IT COULD BE A TEACHER, IT COULD BE SOMEBODY IN PLACE OF WORSHIP, IT COULD BE A PERSON THAT LIVE ON YOUR BLOCK. THAT'S ALL YOU NEED. TAKE IT UP AND MOVE WITH IT. AND, AND, AND, AND THAT'S FOR REAL. A A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT GIVE UP JUST BEFORE THERE IS NO SUCCESS. AND YOU HEAR ME ON THIS? NO TRUE SUCCESS UNLESS THERE'S HARDSHIPS. YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THOSE HARDSHIPS. A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE, THEY GIVE UP RIGHT BEFORE THEY GET TIRED AND THEY SAY, I'M GONNA THROW IN THE TIME TO GO OUT HERE AND JOIN A GAME OR GO OUT HERE AND START SELLING DOPE. I'M GONNA GO OUT HERE AND RAW OFF SOMEBODY. DON'T EVER GIVE UP. LOVE YOURSELF ENOUGH THAT YOU'RE GONNA ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING REGARDLESS OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, OKAY? AND DON'T, DON'T BE IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE COME UP IN, IN, IN ABUSIVE WITH FAMILIES. THAT'S THAT ANYBODY WHO, WHO'S ABUSIVE AIN'T LOVING YOU, OKAY? AND YOU DON'T WANT TO HANG WITH SOMEBODY THAT THAT ALWAYS TRYING TO PUT YOU DOWN AND TALK YOU NEGATIVE TO YOU. THAT AIN'T NOTHING THAT AIN AIN'T RESPECT EITHER. OKAY? SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T NEED ANYBODY THERE TO PUT ME DOWN OR TO DISRESPECT ME. UM, THAT'S SOMETHING, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT MY, UM, MY MOM AND DAD SAID TO ALL NINE OF THEIR KIDS. OKAY? WE LOVE YOU. AIN'T PUTTING YOU OUT [00:45:01] THERE FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO DISRESPECT YOU. YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. AND, AND THEN UNDERSTAND LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. MM-HMM . AND LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS FAST. AND YOU DON'T WANT TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU THROW IN THE TOWEL. YOU JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, IT AIN'T WORTH IT. NOW, LIFE IS NOT EASY. LIFE IS NOT FAST. SOMETIMES BAD STUFF HAPPENS. UH, BUT YOU GOTTA KEEP MOVING AND KEEP NAVIGATING. UH, 'CAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO THROW IN THE TOWEL. SUN ALWAYS SHINE. AND TOMORROW WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN TODAY. OKAY? TOMORROW WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER. SO, AND THAT'S ANOTHER LESSON I THINK WE GOT TO INSTILL NOT JUST IN Y'ALL FOR BOTH THEM TOO, OKAY? DON'T THROW IN THE TOWEL. NEVER THINK IT'S GOT YOU SO BAD THAT IT'S TIME TO END IT. NAH, YOU NEVER GET THAT BACK. OKAY, NEXT QUESTION. I JUST, HI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS. UM, AND MY QUESTION IS DIRECTED TOWARDS EITHER OF YOU, BUT HOW HAS OUR GOVERNMENT SHOWN INTERESTING COMMITMENT TOWARDS STRENGTHENING GUN SAFETY IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IN OUR STATE, ESPECIALLY AFTER THEY FALL THE SHOOTING? I BE BAD WHEN I TALK ABOUT, WELL, I'M, I'M A I THINK THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY GUNS ON, ON OUR STREET. AND I THINK, I THINK AS A, AS A, AS A STATE, AS A GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE, I THINK WE'VE MADE IT WAY TOO EASY FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS GUNS. UH, PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, STOP THE VIOLENCE AND WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T LIKE ALL THESE SHOOTINGS AND ALL THIS, BUT IF, IF THE GOVERNMENT MAKES IT SO EASY FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE A GUN, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? JUST LIKE YOU'RE TALKING OUTTA TWO SIDES OF YOUR MOUTH. AND I'M NOT SAYING GO AND TAKE PEOPLE'S GUNS AWAY, DON'T GET ME WRONG. I'M NOT SAYING THAT. BUT IF THE STATE ALLOWS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR TO GO AND BUY A GUN, NO LICENSE REQUIRED, NO PERMITTING, NO TRAINING, THEN YOU'RE CREATING A MARKET FOR GUNS. SO THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY GUNS THAT ARE OUT HERE. AND, AND, AND, AND SO WHEN PEOPLE GET IN, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE A FIGHT THESE DAYS, IT AIN'T A FIST FIGHT ANYMORE. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE PULL THEIR GUNS AND BOOM, BOOM, GUN OUT IN HERE. SO I THINK WE NEED, WE, WE DO NEED REASONABLE GUN LAWS IN THIS STATE. I THINK IT'S A MISTAKE NOT TO HAVE IT. AND, UH, AND I THINK WE NEED LEADERS TO STAND UP AND LEAD. AND IF YOU SAY YOU CARE ABOUT LIFE, OKAY, THEN DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO PROTECT LIFE. AND AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING GO INTO YOUR HOUSE AND TAKE AWAY YOUR GUNS, BUT I AM SAYING THAT WE HAVE WAY TOO. WE ARE WAY TOO LAX AND WE MAKE IT WAY TOO EASY AND ACCEPTABLE FOR PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND BUY IT. YOU CAN BUY A GUN IN 18, BUT YOU CAN'T BUY CIGARETTES. NOW EXPLAIN THAT ONE TO ME. OKAY? HELP ME, HELP ME HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE ON THAT. OKAY? SO, BUT LEMME TELL YOU WHEN IT'S GONNA TURN AROUND YOUR GENERATION VOTE BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER GENERATION, LIKE MY AGE, NEED A WHOLE LOT OF PRAYER. YOUR GENERATION. WHEN YOUR GENERATION STAND OUT, OKAY, THEN PEOPLE WILL START TO LISTEN. WE, WE JUST LEAVE COMMON SENSE, COMMON SENSE GUN LAWS, OKAY? IF ANY OF Y'ALL DRIVE AGAIN, RIGHT? YET, OKAY, GOT A LICENSE, RIGHT? OKAY. SO YOU CAN GO AT 18 YEARS OLD WITH NO TRAINING IN, AND THAT'S FOR ANYBODY, EVEN AN ADULT, NO TRAINING WHATSOEVER. THAT'S JUST NOT A GOOD THING. AND I DON'T CARE WHAT SIDE YOU ON, UH, POLITICALLY, IT'S JUST NOT SMART. SO WE, WE REALLY GOTTA LOOK AT IT. BUT I'M LIKE THE MAYOR, IF WE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, THE YOUTH GENERATION, WHAT, SEE Y'ALL GONNA MAKE A CHANGE? AND YOU MEAN YOU OUGHT TO BE IN SCHOOL, FOCUSED ON, ON LEARNING AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, INSTEAD OF BEING FEARFUL THAT SOMEBODY GONNA WALK IN THERE MM-HMM . WITH SOME AUTOMATIC JOHN AND BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. SO WE, WE JUST GOT OUR VALUES MIXED UP RIGHT THERE. BUT I'M HOPEFUL, [00:50:01] YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M AN OPTIMIST. I'M AN OPTIMIST. UM, I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION AND THE QUESTION IS FOR, UM, MAYOR, SO HOW DO YOU THINK THAT AS YOUTH WE CAN, UM, ADVOCATE FOR THESE CHANGES? UM, WELL, LEMME TELL YOU, UH, WHEN I CAME IN AS MAYOR, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE A TASK FORCE ON VARIOUS TASK FORCE ON, ON, ON, UM, GUN VIOLENCE. I HEARD ALL THIS NOISE OUTSIDE THE CITY HALL ON THE JEFFERS HALL, AND THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS OUT IN FRONT OF CITY HALL SAYING, DO SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING. UM, AND WE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING, OKAY? FROM THE CITY. UM, YOU HAVE A VOICE, USE IT, YOU HAVE A PEN, USE IT. YOU ARE ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. USE IT. AND THE POINT THAT I DON'T WANT YOU TO MAKE, I AM MAYOR, YOU KNOW WHO I WORK FOR. DO Y'ALL KNOW WHO I WORK FOR? I'M, I'M THE EMPLOYEE. I'M NOT THE EMPLOYER. I WORK FOR YOU. BUT WE DONE GOT IT ALL TWISTED. AND WE ARE TREATING ELECTED OFFICIALS AS IF THE PEOPLE WORK FOR THEM. YOU ALL, I I'M YOUR EMPLOYEE, OKAY? AND SO YOUR VOICE, YOUR PEN, SOCIAL MEDIA, YOUR, YOUR CLASSMATES, YOUR FRIENDS USE IT. AND I PROMISE YOU, I PROMISE YOU, PEOPLE LIKE ME AND OTHERS WILL LISTEN. AND IF WE DON'T, THIS SEAT DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. YOU PUT SOMEBODY ELSE IN OR BETTER YET, YOU RUN YOURSELF. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. CAN WE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO MAYOR TURNER AND CHIEF CENTER? I ENJOYED Y'ALL. AND I'M SORRY, I GOTTA SAY THIS. UM, THIS JOB IS CHALLENGING AS CHIEF, AND I KNOW THE MAYOR'S JOB IS CHALLENGING, BUT Y'ALL WARM MY HEART. I LOOK IN Y'ALL EYES AND, UH, HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR MIND AND YOUR HEARTS. IT'S JUST ENERGY TO BOTH OF US. AND, AND I JUST WANT THANK Y'ALL. I'M SO PROUD OF Y'ALL, SO PROUD OF Y'ALL. KEEP IT GOING. YOU KNOW, THE, I'M LIKE CHIEF FINNA AND, AND LOOK AND, AND LOOK. I MEAN, JUST LOOK AROUND AND LOOK AT, LOOK AT DIVERSITY THAT'S EXIST RIGHT HERE IN THIS ROOM. YOU ALL ARE A REFLECTION OF OUR CITY, OKAY? OUR CITY DOESN'T LOOK, PEOPLE DON'T LOOK THE SAME. YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE A REFLECTION OF OUR CITY, CITY, AND THAT IS A GOOD THING. AND, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I'M, I'M, I'M, I I HAVE ENJOYED BEING HERE. I'VE BEEN INSPIRED, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE. THE COMMENT BEEN INCREDIBLE. AND, UH, I'M, I'M GONNA LEAVE HERE TONIGHT. SAY TO MYSELF, UH, OUR CITY IS IN GOOD HANDS. AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE LISTENING ONLINE, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU. BUT OUR CITY, OUR CITY IS IN GOOD HANDS. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR, FOR THAT. I'M SORRY, I KNOW WE CUT OUT. OH NO. HEY, WE FLOW AROUND HERE, RIGHT? NYC , WE FLOW. OKAY? SO RIGHT NOW, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO ALLOW, IF THERE IS A YOUNG PERSON IN THE AUDIENCE THAT JUST HAS ONE QUESTION, WE'RE GONNA JUST TAKE TWO MORE QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE DONE. SO IF THERE'S SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION, WE WILL BRING A MIC TO YOU OR A PARENT. CHIEF FINN SAID HE WILL TAKE A QUESTION FROM A PARENT AS WELL. OKAY? YES, SIR. CAN WE TAKE A MIC? OH, ELIJAH. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. GOOD. I'M, UM, A RETIRED TEACHER FROM NORTH FOREST, ISD. AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD ONE [00:55:01] TIME WAS WHERE, UH, MINISTERS WOULD COME INTO THE BUILDING FROM TIME TO TIME AND VISIT WITH THE STUDENTS. AND IT WAS A VERY POSITIVE IN, IN, UH, VERY POSITIVE OUTCOME. MY QUESTION IS, CHIEF CENTER, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR OFFICERS TO VISIT, I KNOW WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS, BUT FROM TIME TO TIME, VISIT DURING LUNCH AND SIT DOWN AND HAVE LUNCH WITH, WITH THE KIDS, OR, YOU KNOW, OR JUST SHOW UP IN THE HALL, HAVE A CONVERSATION, OR EVEN AFTER SCHOOL SO THAT THEY HAVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN EDUCATOR FOR MANY YEARS. UM, YOU ARE SO RIGHT, AND, UH, NOT ONLY ARE THE OFFICERS, YOU DON'T SEE YOUR CHIEF GOING AROUND TO SCHOOLS DURING THE LUNCH PERIOD. AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, THE, THE, THE, THE MORE CONTACTS, POSITIVE CONTACTS WE CAN HAVE. YOU DON'T BUILD RELATIONSHIPS IN CRISIS, YOU JUST GET THROUGH THE CRISIS. AND THAT'S WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH A LOT OF OUR YOUTH AND IT'S JUST NOT GOOD. WE NEED TO IMPACT THEM IN A POSITIVE WAY, GETTING INTO THOSE SCHOOLS. AND WE DO HAVE, UH, PROGRAMS THAT'S IN THE SCHOOLS, BUT I WANT MY OFFICER JUST GO THERE, HAVE LUNCH, GO AND, AND, AND MEET WITH THE KIDS, LET 'EM KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE YOU. WE GOT YOUR BACK, AND THEN WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. AND, UH, WE'RE HERE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. SO THANKS FOR SAYING THAT. BUT, UH, YES MA'AM. OKAY. AND WE'RE GONNA, UH, ONE SECOND. WE'RE GONNA TAKE, UH, ELIJAH'S QUESTION. MM-HMM . REALLY QUICK. AND THEN WE WILL GET YOU AND THAT WE WILL CLOSE OUT WITH YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GO AHEAD ELIJAH. YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OH, THAT'S MY NAME. THAT'S ALRIGHT. HE'S NOT YI LOVE, I LOVE HIM. COME ON ELIJAH. SO, SO WHY, SO WHO WAS THE PRESIDENT? I MEAN, WHO WAS THE SECOND PRESIDENT IN AMERICA? HE, SMALL CONS. I'M GONNA HAVE ONE QUESTION. DO YOU WANT A HISTORY QUESTION? HUH? HUH? WHO WAS OUR SECOND PRESIDENT? HUH? DO YOU ANSWER? YOU KNOW THE ANSWER, SOMEBODY PRESIDENT? NO. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU ADAM. JOHN ADAMS . WE, WE GONNA SET HIM. OKAY. IT'S CALLED JOHN SAY JOHN ALLENS, JOHN ADAMS. ALL THANK DID YOU THAT. THANK ELIJAH. OKAY, THERE'S ONE OVER THERE. YES MA'AM. YES. YES MA'AM. GOOD EVENING. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING THIS, THIS EVENING. I HAVE MY DAUGHTER WITH ME. SHE'S A SEVENTH GRADER. SHE'S A VIRTUAL LEARNER AT, UM, K 12, UH, AN HONOR ROLL STUDENT. AND SHE'S VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT RETURNING BACK TO THE CLASSROOM. SHE'S A STRAIGHT, A HONOR ROLL STUDENT AT HOME DOING VIRTUAL LEARNING. UH, SHE STARTED LEARNING VIRTUALLY 2012 WHEN COVID FIRST HIT AND SHE DECIDED TO STAY WITH IT. SHE HAS ONE MORE YEAR LEFT BEFORE SHE FINISHED THIS MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND I'M TRYING TO ENCOURAGE HER TO TRY TO GET INTO THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSION SCHOOL AT DEBAKEY BECAUSE SHE WANTS TO BE A PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGIST TO FIGHT CANCER AND KIDS, BUT SHE'S AFRAID TO RETURN BACK TO A BRICK AND MORTAR BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T WANNA BE BULLIED, SHE DOESN'T WANNA GET INTO FIGHTS AND SHE'S WORRIED ABOUT CRIME AND HER SAFETY. AND I AM HERE TONIGHT WITH HER, EVEN THOUGH SHE'LL BE UP TO TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING DOING HOMEWORK. 'CAUSE I WANTED HER TO BE HERE TONIGHT AND SHE WANTED TO BE HERE TONIGHT. 'CAUSE I WANTED HER TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE FIGHTING HARD TO TRY TO MAKE THINGS SAFE IN SCHOOL. BUT I HEARD ALL THE CONVERSATIONS TONIGHT. THE SCHOOL TEACHER FINISHED IT OFF WHEN, WHEN SHE WAS IN SCHOOL, WE MADE SURE TO BE ON THE PTO. SO THAT WAS THE FIRST DAY THAT WE DID ENGAGE WITH THE SCHOOL, UH, BE THERE. AND I WOULD ALWAYS SAY TO THE PRINCIPAL, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD GET THE POLICE OFFICERS TO COME OUT TO SCHOOL LIKE THEY DID WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID IN SCHOOL AT AUSTIN ELEMENTARY. AND THAT HELPS THE KIDS TO REALIZE, YOU KNOW, IF I WANNA GROW UP AND BE A POLICE OFFICER SOMEDAY OR ANYTHING, GREAT THAT I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT NEED TO GET IN ANY TYPE OF TROUBLE WHILE I'M IN SCHOOL. I NEED TO PROTECT MY REPUTATION TO PROTECT MY FUTURE. SO I AM JUST HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I'M GLAD THAT YOU'S ABLE TO HEAR IN PERSON, THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE CAMPUSES. YOU UNDERSTAND THE KIDS WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU THERE MORE AS ROLE MODELS AND MENTORS, AND IT EVEN MAKES THEM FEEL MORE SAFER. AND I JUST WANT THANK YOU FOR YOUR [01:00:01] TIME AND CONSIDERATION OF EVERYTHING THIS EVENING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU KNOW, WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS LET, UM, CONCERNS ARE GENTLEMEN MM-HMM . AND I THINK WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND WE HAVE TO MEET, UH, PEOPLE'S FEELINGS, UH, STUDENTS, ADULTS, WHERE THEY ARE. SO I DON'T DISCOUNT ANYONE'S FEELINGS, BUT WHAT I WOULD ALSO SAY IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT MORE GOOD PEOPLE OUT HERE THAN HAVE THAT ONES. THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, WE HAVE WAY MORE, UH, STUDENTS WHO ARE PLAYING BY THE RULES, DOING THE RIGHT THINGS THAN THOSE WHO ARE NOT. AND, AND I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, 98% OR MORE OF OUR STUDENTS ARE, ARE DOING IT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE DOING IN SCHOOL LIFE IS A CHALLENGING THING. BUT WHETHER YOU ARE IN SCHOOL OR WHETHER YOU ARE IN A PARK, OR WHETHER YOU ARE IN A MALL, OR WHETHER YOU'RE JUST DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, UM, IT IS A PART OF LIFE. AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS THAT FEAR CAN PARADISE. AND, UH, I'LL GIVE YOU THIS EXAM AND I'LL BE DONE. I WENT ON THIS CONFERENCE ONE TIME AND A PART OF IT WAS FOR US. WE HIKED UP THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, TOOK MOST OF THE DAY HIKING UPSIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. AND WHEN WE GOT TO THE TOP OF THE, TO THE, OF THE MOUNTAIN OF THE CLIFF, UH, PART OF THAT EXERCISE WAS TO ELLE. THEN, UH, NOW I'M FROM ACRE HOME, THE FOUR. SO NOW ONE AIN'T NEVER HIKED UP, NO MOUNTAIN . SO WHEN I GOT UP TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, THEY SAID, AND I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO SLEEP ON TOP THAT EVENING BECAUSE THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU, RIGHT? SO THEY SAID, WE'RE GONNA REPEL DOWN. SO I ASKED THE GUY, I ASKED THE GUY, I SAID, WHAT DO YOU MEAN REPEL DOWN? THANK YOU, . SO HE SAID, SEBASTIAN, YOU KNOW, WE GOING, WE GOT THESE ROPES AND YOU KNOW, WE GONNA HARNESS YOU UP AND YOU GONNA JUMP OFF THE CLIFF AND, AND GO. I SAID, YOU LOST YOUR, YOU LOST YOUR MIND. . SEE? I SAID, I SAID, OH NO, NOT ME. I, MAN, I'M NOT REAL PEDALING OFF, I'M NOT JUMPING ON NO CLIFF. SO HE SAID, WELL, THAT'S PART OF IT. I, I SAID, WELL, I WISH THEY HAD TOLD ME THAT BEFORE I HIKE UP THIS MOUNTAIN. SO TWO BY TWO THEY WENT TO THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF AND THEY JUMPED OFF. AND, UH, EVERY TIME IT GOT TO ME, I BACKED UP . SO THE OTHER TWO WENT, THEY JUMPED OFF AND I BACKED UP. I, SO IT WAS JUST THIS, THIS FRIEND OF MINE, THIS FRIEND OF AND AND MYSELF WAS, WAS LEFT. WE WAS ON TWO LEFT AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE HARNESSING US UP, AND I SAID TO HIM, I SAID, HEY MAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO JUMP OFF NO CLIFF. WE CAN, WE CAN START WALKING BACK DOWN. SO HE SAID, NAH, NAH, NOTHING. HE SAID, COME ON, WE GONNA JUMP OFF THIS CLIFF. SO, SO I WENT TO THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF AND I LOOKED OVER, I JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS. YES SIR. SO THEY HARNESSED ME UP AND THEY, I TURNED MY BACK AND THEY SAID ON COUNT THREE, JUMP. SO HE SAID, YOU KNOW, ONE, TWO, I SAID, OH, MM-HMM I'M NOT, I'M NOT READY YET. SO I SAID, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, COME ON, COME ON. WHY DID I COME UP ON THIS? SO HE SAID, OKAY, WE GOTTA JUMP. SO ANYWAY, I SAID TO MYSELF, OKAY, JUST I'M GONNA DO THIS. SO I JUMPED, JUMPED AND STARTED YELLING. I JUMPED AND I STARTED SWINGING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. AND THEN IT COMPARE, YOU KNOW, GET YOUR, GET YOUR BALANCE, GET YOUR BALANCE, USE YOUR LEGS, BOUNCE OFF, 'CAUSE OFF THE SIDE OF THE CLIFF. AND SO, BUT ONCE I KIND OF GOT CONTROL OF MY MIND AND THEN I STARTED BOUNCING UP THE SIDE AND STARTED GOING DOWN. AND THE MORE I WENT DOWN, THE FEAR STARTED TO SUBSIDE. AND THEN, AND THE NEXT THING I WAS ON THE GROUND. BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS KEEPING ME ON THE TOP OF THAT MOUNTAIN? FEAR. FEAR WAS MY FEAR. ONCE YOU CONQUER YOUR FEAR, LIFE ITSELF WILL PROGRESS. BUT IF YOU ALLOW FEAR TO GRAB YOU, YOU MAY DO OKAY, BUT YOU'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO DO IT. GO AS HIGH AS YOU WANT. SO YES, THERE ARE BAD THINGS THAT OCCUR. YES, PEOPLE TREAT YOU RIGHT. I MEAN, TREAT YOU, TREAT YOU WRONG. YES, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ALL THAT OTHER [01:05:01] STUFF. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO LEARN TO NAVIGATE THROUGH LIFE AND NOT ALLOW FEAR TO KEEP YOU WHERE YOU ARE. RIGHT? AND YOU HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER, SO MUCH ALL OF Y'ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MY BOSS AND NEWLY ELECTED JUSTICE OF THE PEACE JUDGE DOLORES LOSANO. SHE IS THE CURRENT, SHE IS CURRENTLY THE YOUNGEST JUSTICE OF THE PEACE IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, AND THE FIRST WOMAN IN HER SEAT. SO THANK YOU JUDGE FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. SO LET ME JUST START OFF BY SAYING, FIRST OF ALL, I AM INSPIRED, SO INSPIRED, UH, A LOT OF TIMES WE FORGET HOW ALERT, HOW INTELLIGENT, HOW ENGAGED OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE, BECAUSE AS ADULTS WE GO THROUGH THE LIFE OF ADULTING, RIGHT? DON'T RUSH TO THAT. IT'S A LOT THAT COMES WITH IT AND WE FORGET SOMETIMES HOW MUCH YOU PAY ATTENTION. BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS ACKNOWLEDGE THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL AND OUR YPAC COLLEAGUES FOR PUTTING ON THIS AMAZING OPPORTUNITY. IF YOU ARE WATCHING US ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AS WELL TONIGHT TO THE BEGINNING OF MANY CONVERSATIONS SO THAT THIS GENERATION CAN HELP US ALL BE THE CHANGE THAT WE WANT TO SEE. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT WHEN PEOPLE DO WELL, YOU SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THEM. AND SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR MAYOR AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CHIEF OF POLICE AND THANK THEM SO MUCH FOR MAKING TIME TO COME AND BE WITH US TONIGHT. I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT IT WAS NOT EVEN A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE GOING TO BE HERE. AND THEY MOVED SOME THINGS AROUND IN THEIR SCHEDULES TO ACCOMMODATE BEING HERE. SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY BOTH HAVE A HARD STOP AT SEVEN 30. SO I'M GONNA LIMIT MY COMMENTS SO THAT Y'ALL CAN GET YOUR PICTURE AND THEY CAN GET TO THEIR NEXT STOP. BUT I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY TEAM FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND THANK MS. LASHAWNA BROWN, WHO IS THE COORDINATOR FOR THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL. LASHANNA HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR DIVISION MANAGER, PAUL GREEN, WHO'S STANDING IN THE BACK, WHO GIVES LEADERSHIP TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT, WHICH HOUSES YOUR PROGRAM. I ALSO WANNA GIVE, UH, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO MS. RHONDA WITH YPAC, WHERE'D SHE GO? HI THERE, COME ON UP. WHAT IS GONNA MAKE YOU ALL SUCCESSFUL? AND OUR JOB AS ADULTS IS TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL, IS TO BE RESOURCEFUL FOR YOU. SO WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION, THANK YOU ONLINE AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ELSE FROM HPD AND DON WHO HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH TONIGHT'S PROGRAM. SO AS WE ARE TRANSITIONING, UH, RIGHT NOW, WE WANT TO TAKE A QUICK GROUP PICTURE WITH MAYOR TURNER AND CHIEF FIN WHILE THEY ARE HERE, UH, MR. JEFF TAK, WILL YOU COME ON UP AND GIVE US DIRECTION? Y'ALL MORE THAN LIKELY WILL BE STANDING. UH, GENTLEMEN, CAN WE GET YOU ALL TO STAND UP? WE'RE GONNA REMOVE YOUR CHAIRS AND WE'RE GONNA GET EVERYONE SITUATED. CAN I, LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE TOO, I GOT MY CITY ATTORNEY HERE TO SHERIFF. I ALREADY SAID, UH, OLIVIA, UH, OLIVIA KOKA, UH, VERY KOKA MM-HMM. IS HERE. IS SHE STILL HERE? I THINK SHE LEFT. SHE WAS HERE. I'VE GOT JANICE WEAVER, MY COMMUNITY SERVICE SPACE BASED COORDINATOR, CRYSTAL FOR IS HERE, WORKS WITH . UM, AND THEN, UH, ALL MY CITY PEOPLE, COME ON, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND FOR ME. CAROL'S GOING, COMMUNICATIONS, JEFF, SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO THANK, THANK EVERYTHING EVERYBODY. HPV OH H AND MAYOR, WHILE WE'RE TRANSITIONING, UH, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS ALLOW OUR TWO COORDINATORS TO, UH, SAY A FEW WORDS BEFORE. ONE OTHER THING, GUYS THAT CAME OUT OF TONIGHT, WE KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE READY TO BE ADVOCATES. SO WE DO HAVE A VOTING PROGRAM THAT WE'RE STARTING. SO WE'LL BE COMING TO YOU AND CALLING ON YOU GUYS SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT ENGAGEMENT UP. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL WANNA DO A LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN TO YOUR LEGISLATORS ABOUT GUN CONTROL. ALL RIGHT? ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO JUST RIGHT BEFORE THE PICTURE, AGAIN, MY NAME'S LASHANNA AND I'M THE COORDINATOR FOR THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL. UM, WE'VE THANKED CHIEF FINN AND MAYOR TURNER FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU YPAC AGAIN. AND MS. RHONDA, WE COULD NOT [01:10:01] HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT YOU ALL. UM, AND WE'VE ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED ALL THE OTHER LEADERS, AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE YOUTH. IT IS A PLEASURE AND AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH YOU AND FOR YOU. AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING HOUSTON THE BEST AND BIGGEST CITY FOR YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.