[Press Conference: "Bissonnet Track Clean Up"]
[00:00:20]
INITIALLY, WE WERE GOING TO, UH, HAVE THIS PRESS CONFERENCE, UM, RIGHT OUTSIDE, UH, OFF, YOU KNOW, OFF OF BISSONNET.UM, BUT THAT'S A HUNDRED DEGREE WEATHER CHANGE CHANGED OUR MIND.
SO, UH, I WANT TO START OFF BY THANKING, UH, THE, IT IS THAT THE TOTALLY AIS AIS? YES.
NOW, I WANNA START BY, THINK OF THE ATIS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL, UH, KAYLEE, UH, CALLUM BARRETT, YES.
UH, FOR ALLOWING US TO HOLD, UH, THIS NEWS CONFERENCE INDOORS, UH, AND OUT OF THE HEAT.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
UM, AND I'M HERE WITH A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS, UH, CHIEF FENNER, COMMANDER REESE HARDY FROM THE WEST SIDE AND COMMUNITY, UM, STATIONS.
WE ARE IN DISTRICT J, SO COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD POLLARD IS HERE.
AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM CHARLIE MINA PATEL DAVIS.
WE'VE GOT SOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM TERRA 20 WHO ARE HERE, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE, UM, BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE IN THE AREA.
UM, AND LOOK, UM, WE'VE INVITED YOU HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE BINET TRACK INITIATIVE, UH, FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND PROBABLY I WOULD SAY FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.
SO FOR, YEAH, MORE THAN A DECADE.
UH, IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE, UM, ON CRACKING DOWN ON PROSTITUTION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
UM, IN THIS AREA KNOWN AS THE BISSONNET TRACK.
UM, VEHICLES HAVE BEEN, UH, DRIVING UP AND DOWN THE STREET BETWEEN SOUTHWEST FREEWAY AND BELTWAY EIGHTH FOR THE PURPOSE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, DRUGS, GANG ACTIVITY, PROSTITUTION, AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF.
UH, THIS AREA RECEIVED HAS RECEIVED NATIONAL ATTENTION, BUT IT'S RECEIVED NATIONAL ATTENTION FOR THE WRONG REASONS.
UH, AND THEN, UH, EVEN A MOVIE HAS BEEN DONE, UM, ABOUT THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE PROSTITUTION, UH, RIGHT, UH, HERE IN THE BUSINESS THAT TRACK, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS AND RESIDENTS FOR YEARS HAVE VOICED THEIR FRUSTRATION WITH THE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY TAKING PLACE, UH, RIGHT HERE IN THE AREA, HOW IT HAS ADV ADVERSELY AFFECTED THEIR BUSINESS, THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE, AND HOW, HOW IT REFLECTED ON THE NAME AND CHARACTER, UH, OF THIS COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE, AND BEEN DOING BUSINESS IN THIS AREA FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UM, WE PUT FORTH ONE SAFE HOUSTON IN FEBRUARY OF 22, AND THEN SEVERAL MONTHS, UH, LATER.
UH, I CAN RECALL I WAS TALKING WITH CHIEF FELLER AND, UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, UH, TO MAKE OUR CITY SAFE.
AND SPECIFICALLY, UH, THE BINET, UH, TRACK, THE BI AREA CARD THAT CAME UP, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT CAN WE DO, UH, THAT WOULD BE, UM, MORE TRANSFORMATIVE IN, UH, ERASING WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
AND CHIEF FINNER TOLD ME, SHE SAID, LET MAYOR, LET ME, LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT IT, AND THEN WE'LL GET BACK WITH YOU.
THE BINETTE QUARTER INITIATIVE, UH, CAME OUT OF THAT CONVERSATION BEGAN MAY, AND IT BEGAN MAY 16TH.
UM, WE MET WITH AREA STAKEHOLDERS, LISTENED TO THEIR CONCERNS, UH, TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT WE HAD DONE IN THE PAST, THOSE THINGS THAT HAD WORKED, THOSE THINGS THAT HAD NOT WORKED SO WELL.
UM, AND THEN, UH, ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE ALONG THE WAY.
UH, I WANNA START OFF BY THANKING CHIEF AND AT HPD, UH, I JUST WANT, I CANNOT GIVE ENOUGH CREDIT.
I, I JUST WANT TO START OFF BY THANKING, UH, CHIEF NER HPD, UH, FOR COMING UP WITH THE INITIATIVES.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS THEIR INITIATIVE.
UM, MINA PATEL DAVIS, I'M GONNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
YOU'VE BEEN WITH ME FOR EIGHT YEARS, UH, IN DEALING WITH HUMAN TRAFFICK, DOMESTIC ABUSE.
UM, SO I, I JUST WANT TO THANK THEM FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
NUMBER ONE, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD WORK.
UM, BUT, UM, NOT DOING SOMETHING WAS NOT GOING TO BE THE ANSWER.
THE HOUSTON POLICE IMPLEMENTED BARRICADED STREET CLOSURES, UH, DIRECTED MORE UNIFORM POLICE, UH, VISIBILITY FROM 10:00 PM
[00:05:01]
TO 6:00 AM AND INCREASED MARKED PATROL VEHICLE PRESENCE IN THIS AREA DURING PEAK TIMES OF THE DAY AND NIGHT SIGNS WENT UP, PREVENTING VEHICLES FROM MAKING U-TURNS.UM, AND AFTER ROUGHLY MORE THAN THREE MONTHS, UM, WEST SIDE AND VICE DIVISIONS WORKING ON THIS INITIATIVE, THE TRAFFICKING ACTIVITY WE HAVE LONG SEEN FOR OVER A DECADE, UM, THE TRAFFICKING ACTIVITY ON THESE STREETS HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHED, AND IN SOME CASES ELIMINATED.
AND I KNOW WE WERE HAVING A POSITIVE EFFECT, UM, BECAUSE I GOT A CALL FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD P*****K, WHO SAID, UM, WHATEVER IS TAKING PLACE, UH, IS BEEN NOTICEABLE, UM, BY THE PEOPLE IN DISTRICT J.
UM, AND SIMPLY ENCOURAGED, UM, US TO WHATEVER WE WERE DOING TO CONTINUE, UH, TO MAINTAIN IT FROM MAY THROUGH LAST NIGHT.
FROM MAY THROUGH LAST NIGHT, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN 105 FELONY ARRESTS, 41 MISDEMEANOR ARRESTS, 141 WARRANT ARRESTS, THREE JUVENILES RESCUED.
OVER 1000 TRAFFIC STOPS HAVE RESULTED IN OVER 1200 CITATIONS.
AND CHIEF FINNER CAN SPEAK EVEN MORE TO THAT.
THE FOCUS OF THE ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT OF THIS INITIATIVE IS ON THE BUYERS AND THE PIMPS, WHILE GUIDING VICTIMS TO SERVICES WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR ADVOCACY PARTNERS LIKE THE LANDING AND MINO PATEL DAVIS, CONCERNING, SPEAK TO THAT.
SHE'S BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A DIRECTOR, SHANNON BUZZ, WHO'S DIRECTOR OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
AND ALL OF THIS FALLS WITHIN OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, OUR COMMITMENT TO RESCUING VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
IT'S UNWAVERING AND A FOCAL POINT OF THIS INITIATIVE ALONGSIDE THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN STRATEGIES, NIGHTTIME STREET CLOSURES, LIGHTING, TREE, TRIMMING, CLEANUP, YOU NAME IT.
AND THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS FOR THIS INITIATIVE IS THE LACK OF ACTIVITY WE ARE NOW SEEING ALONG, UH, THE BINETTE CARD.
AND AS POLICE HAVE SHARED, THEY NOW SEE PEOPLE OUT JOGGING.
AND AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCILMAN POLLEN HAS SAID TO ME AND HIS STAFF, PAUL, UM, PEOPLE ARE VOICING POSITIVE SUPPORT, UH, TO WHAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE.
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SCHOOL SAID THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, PARENTS AND TEACHER AND, UH, STUDENTS COMING TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL AS WE BEGAN.
BUT THE RESPONSES HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY POSITIVE.
AND THE RESPONSE FROM BUSINESS LEADERS, AS YOU'LL HEAR, HAS BEEN POSITIVE AS WELL.
THE SUCCESS WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING TODAY, EMPHASIZING THAT ADDRESSING TRAFFICKING REQUIRES A HOLISTIC APPROACH.
AND HISTORICALLY, TWO HPD DIVISIONS HAVE HELPED MITIGATE TRAFFICKING IN HOUSTON.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO CREDIT CHIEF NER AND THE MEN AND WOMEN OF HPD, WHO WORKED ALL HOURS WITH REDUCING THE ACTIVITY THAT HAS LONG HAD THIS AREA HIGHLIGHTED FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS.
AND I'M PROUD THAT THIS MULTI-STAKEHOLDER EFFORT BORN BY HPD HAS HAD THEIR, HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
IT IS A NEW DAY FOR RESIDENTS, THE BUSINESSES OWNERS, AND THE CHILDREN, AND ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN, UH, THAT GO TO SCHOOLS HERE AND IN THE NEARBY SCHOOLS.
BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE, UH, THAT OUR EFFORTS MUST REMAIN DILIGENT, AND WE MUST CONTINUE TO BE VIGILANT.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE, UH, AUTHORIZED AN ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION, UH, TO HPD, UH, FOR THEIR OVERTIME PROGRAM.
THEY'LL BE INFUSED INTO OUR ONE CLEAN HOUSTON INITIATIVE BECAUSE I SIMPLY WANT TO LET, UH, THE PIMPS AND EVERYBODY ELSE KNOW, UH, THIS IS NOT, UH, HERE TODAY, AND WE ARE GONE.
UH, THIS INITIATIVE WILL CONTINUE, UH, THROUGHOUT, UH, THE REMAINING OF THIS YEAR AND HOPEFULLY BEYOND.
UH, AND SO I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE TODAY, UH, THAT WHAT WE HAVE STARTED, UH, WE CONTINUE, UH, TO FOLLOW THROUGH AND WILL PROVIDE HPD AND OTHERS WITH THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN THE SAME LEVEL OF DILIGENCE, UH, THAT WE HAVE UTILIZED, UH, OVER THE LAST, OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS.
SO, UH, AN AREA THAT WAS, UH, NATIONALLY KNOWN AS, UH, UM, UH, THE, UH, PROSTITUTION HUMAN TRAFFICKING SECTOR OF BINET, UM, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME UP WITH A NEW MOVIE AT ANOTHER LOCATION.
UM, THIS ONE, THIS SEQUEL, HAS NOW COME TO AN END, AND WE INTEND TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
NOW, LET ME STOP FIRST, AND LEMME BRING UP COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD.
UH, AND THEN HE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY CHIEF FINNER.
[00:10:01]
TO EVERYONE.UH, MAYOR TURNER, CHIEF FINNER, UH, ALL OF HPD AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, DIRECTOR BUGS PATEL, AND IT
THIS IS A, A COLLECTIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE CITY, UM, OUR PRIVATE SECTOR, THE NONPROFITS, THE COMMUNITY, ALL COMING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS A ISSUE THAT HAS PLAGUED THIS COMMUNITY FOR OVER A DECADE.
IF YOU DRIVE DOWN THIS AND THAT RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL SEE A STARK DIFFERENCE THAN IF YOU, THAN FROM JUST A YEAR AGO, JUST SIX MONTHS AGO.
THIS IS A IMPROVEMENT THAT YOU CAN SEE, THAT YOU CAN FEEL.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT IT'S WORKING.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO OUTSIDE.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO AND TALK TO THE RESIDENTS, THE BUSINESS OWNERS, THE SCHOOLS.
YOU DO NOT SEE THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY WHEN IT COMES TO PROSTITUTION, UH, GANG AND DRUG ACTIVITY.
UM, SOME OF THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING THAT WAS BEING DONE ON BINET, GIVING IT THE REPUTATION THAT WE DID NOT WANT TO HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, UH, WITH THE WORK OF HPD AND COMMANDER HARDY WEST SIDE DIVISION, UH, THESE STREET CLOSURES HAVE PROVED TO BE BENEFICIAL.
THE NO U-TURN SIGNS THAT HAVE GONE UP HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO PROVE TO BE BENEFICIAL, AND YOU SEE MUCH LESS ACTIVITY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THOSE WHO ARE COMING TO THIS AREA SEEKING TO BUY OR DO SEXUAL ACTIVITY.
UM, AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT COMMITMENT.
I WANT TO THANK YOU CHIEF FINNER, UH, FOR HAVING THE VISION TO MAKE THE BINETTE CORRIDOR A PRIORITY.
I WANT TO THANK YOU, MAYOR, UH, FOR THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE THAT PUTS FORTH THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS INITIATIVE.
IT TAKES DOLLARS, IT TAKES RESOURCES, IT TAKES PEOPLE, UH, TO COME TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
AND WHAT YOU'VE SEEN THUS FAR IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
UH, WE DON'T WANT TO JUST HAVE THIS BE AN AREA WHERE IT IS JUST FOCUSED ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO LOOK AT THIS AREA TO FIND WAYS IN WHICH TO BEAUTIFY IT SO THAT THE RESIDE AND THE BUSINESSES, UH, HAVE A PLACE THAT THEY'RE PROUD TO CALL HOME.
SO JUST TOMORROW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A HUGE, UH, CLEANUP FOR, JUST, FOR JUST THIS AREA.
WE'RE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.
KEEP HOUSTON BEAUTIFUL, THE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
AND IT'S GONNA BE FUNDED THROUGH THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON, AND THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON INITIATIVE, WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, OVER A HUNDRED, HOPEFULLY VOLUNTEERS ON SITE, UH, WILL HAVE, UH, EQUIPMENT FROM THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT TO GO UP AND DOWN BI NET AND THE SIDE STREETS, CLEANING IT UP, PICKING UP THE LITTER, PICKING UP THE ILLEGAL DUMPING.
WE DON'T WANT JUST THIS PLACE TO BE SEEN, UH, FROM A STANDPOINT THAT WE CLEARED IT OUT FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE, BUT WE REALLY WANT THE RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT WE CARE ABOUT THEM, THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW IN WHICH WE CAN IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND IF THEY SEE US PUTTING FORTH THE, THE EFFORT AND INVESTING IN THEM BY CLEANING UP THE EFFORT, WE BELIEVE THEY WILL KEEP IT CLEAN AS WELL.
SO THAT'S THE NEXT PHASE IN THIS, UH, INITIATIVE.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO MORE, UH, AS WE GO ALONG, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IN THE PAST, WE'VE SEEN INITIATIVES HAPPEN FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, UH, AND THEN IT GO AWAY.
AND THIS MAYOR AND THIS, UH, CHIEF OF POLICE HAVE BEEN COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT WE SUSTAIN IT.
AND, UH, I'M PROUD TO BE STANDING UP WITH YOU ALL HERE, UH, TODAY.
UM, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THIS IS WORKING.
WE HEAR FROM THE BUSINESSES, WE HEAR FROM THE RESIDENTS, UH, ON A ROUTINE BASIS ON HOW PROUD THEY ARE TO BE IN THIS AREA NOW, AND THE DIFFERENCE THAT THIS INITIATIVE HAS MADE.
AND SO CONTINUE TO, UH, SEE THE PROGRESS CONTINUE TO COME TO BINET AS AN AREA THAT WE KNOW IS ON THE COME UP THAT WILL BE THRIVING LIKE IT ONCE WAS.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE IN PART BECAUSE OF THIS INITIATIVE.
SO, THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING US.
AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, NOTHING GETS DONE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT, POLITICAL SUPPORT AND FUNDING.
SO I, I JUST WANT TO THANK Y'ALL.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, YOU SEE THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND YOU SEE THE POLITICAL LEADERS IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS.
BUT THIS INITIATIVE, UH, IS, IS SUCCESSFUL MAINLY BECAUSE THE MEN AND WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINE AND THE LEADERSHIP THAT WE HAVE IN OUR DIVISION.
SO I WANT TO THANK, UH, COMMANDER HARDY FOR BEING HERE AND YOUR, AND, UM, INITIATIVES THAT, THAT, THAT YOU PUT UPON YOUR OFFICERS AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY,
[00:15:01]
UH, THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX AND DOING THINGS THAT WE WOULDN'T, WE REALLY HADN'T DONE.SO, A BIG THANKS TO YOU AND ALL YOUR TRUTHS ALSO TO OUR VICE DIVISION, UH, COMMANDER ZI, OUR TRAFFIC, ENFOR ENFORCEMENT, EVERYBODY TOOK PART IN THIS.
BUT ONE BIG THING, AND I I, I WANT EVERYBODY TO HEAR THIS.
AND I WISH MORE MEDIA WAS HERE AND I RESPECT THEM.
UM, WE, WE GOT GREAT MEDIA HERE IN HOUSTON, BUT I HOPE WE DON'T LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE NATION HOW THIS IS DONE.
AND IT WAS DONE THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP, NOT JUST LAW ENFORCEMENT AND, AND, AND US LOCKING PEOPLE UP.
NO, IT WAS DONE WITH A PARTNERSHIP.
WE GOT OUR PARTNERS STANDING HERE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
MOST IMPORTANTLY THING, SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, JUST LIKE THE COUNCIL MEMBER SAID, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE THESE INITIATIVES AND YOU ROLL UP AND WE CLEAN UP THINGS, AND THEN IT'S RIGHT BACK NOT HERE.
UH, I WANT A NEW NAMING ON IT.
'CAUSE IT USED TO BE THE THIS AND THAT STRIP.
I DON'T EVER WANT TO HEAR THAT TERM AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION.
THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE TO GOOD BUSINESSES AND GOOD COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND SUPERINTENDENT, WE GOT YOUR BACK AND YOU UNDERSTAND THAT.
THE MAYOR CAPTURED EVERYTHING, BUT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
THE ONLY THING THAT I'M GONNA ASK MY TEAM, AND I ASK THAT THE OTHER TEAMS, LET'S HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS TO CHECK OURSELVES AND SEE IF, IF, HOW THINGS ARE MOVING FORWARD.
AND IF THINGS ARE SLIPPING, WE WANT TO QUICKLY GET THEM BACK IN LINE BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF WORK.
AND FINALLY, I'M GONNA SAY AGAIN, THE MEN AND WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINE.
I'M SO PROUD OF YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TAKE TO MAJOR CITY CHIEFS AND AROUND OUR NATIONS AND SHOW 'EM HOW IT'S DONE.
SO AGAIN, MEDIA, I'M GONNA NEED SOME HELP WITH THAT AND, AND, UH, TELL THIS STORY.
YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE PRESSURE THAT'S BEEN PUT ON US FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FILMMAKERS, CONSTITUENTS, AND THE IRRITATION OF EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON ON BINET HAS PRODUCED A PEARL IN COMMANDER REESE HARDY, CHIEF FINNER, AND ALL OF THE MEN AND WOMEN IT TOOK TO DO THIS.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN THIS KIND OF PROGRESS IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR MAYOR TURNER.
AND WE HAVE TRIED A MYRIAD OF THINGS.
SO I COULD NOT THANK YOU MORE SINCERELY FOR THE IMPACT YOU'VE HAD ON A LONGSTANDING PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO COME UP THIS, COME UP WITH THE SOLUTIONS FOR.
SO OUR HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE.
UH, SUPERINTENDENT KAYLEE CURO.
UH, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, UH, I'M SUPERINTENDENT KAYLEE CURO OF TWA ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL.
WE'RE A FREE OPEN ENROLLMENT, UM, COLLEGE PREP CHARTER SCHOOL FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE.
WE BOUGHT THE BUILDING A YEAR AGO, AND THE DIFFERENCE HAS BEEN MASSIVE.
WE'RE SO EXCITED FOR THE SATURDAY CLEANUP EVENT TOMORROW.
WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE AREA.
WE SERVE OVER 200 FAMILIES AT THIS CAMPUS, AND THEY'RE COMING EVERY DAY.
THEY'RE WALKING, THEY'RE TAKING OUR BUS.
THEY'RE TAKING THEIR CARS HERE, AND WE WANT THEM EVERY TIME THEY SHOW UP TO FEEL LIKE THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PART OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
THERE'S A GORGEOUS GYM AND AUDITORIUM IN THIS BUILDING, AND WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO BENEFIT FROM THAT AND USE THAT EVERY DAY AND FEEL LIKE THEY CAN COME HERE, THEY CAN WALK HERE, AND THAT'S A SAFE ENDEAVOR.
AND SO, I'M JUST SUPER GRATEFUL THAT WE HAPPEN TO BENEFIT FROM THIS WONDERFUL TIMING OF THIS INITIATIVE SINCE WE JUST LAUNCHED OUR FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL THIS WEEK AND BOUGHT THE BUILDING LAST YEAR.
AND, AND WE REALLY HOPE IT CONTINUES AND WORKS.
WE'RE COMING OUT ON SATURDAY TO CLEAN UP WITH ALL OF YOU.
SO THANK AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM TERRA 20.
UM, AS A SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IN TERRA 20, UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE AND ALWAYS ON, IN OUR TOP OF MIND IS THE, UH, BINETTE, UH, CORRIDOR.
AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY THAT, UH, MAYOR TURNER AND ALSO CHIEF NER HAS BEEN, UH, INITIATIVE OF, UH, CLEANING THIS AREA.
AND FOR THE FUTURE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE CITY, THE MAYOR, AND THE, UH, CHIP CENTER TO, UH, CLEAN UP CONTINUOUS, CLEAN UP THE, UH, INE CORRIDOR.
DAN WON THE BUSINESS, UH, OWNERS IN THE AREA.
WE JUST PURCHASED A SHOPPING CENTER RIGHT NEXT TO US OVER HERE LAST YEAR.
WE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES OVER THERE.
AGAIN, WITH THE PROSTITUTION, SAME THING.
UH, WE MET THE POLICE CHIEF AND ALL THIS STUFF, AND WE CLEANED UP THE WHOLE ENTIRE TWO PROPERTIES OVER THERE.
AND WE'VE SEEN THE RESULT IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS.
UH, IT'S NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT GONE AWAY, BUT IT'S TREMENDOUSLY DOWN.
[00:20:01]
UH, LIKE USED TO BE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING OVER THERE TO BUY THE SEX AND ALL THIS STUFF.UH, WE JUST TURNED ON THE BUSINESS.
AND ALL THE RETAIL BUSINESS OPERATORS ARE THERE.
AND I CANNOT BE THANKFUL ENOUGH TO POLICE CHIEF POLICE DEPARTMENT, ALSO CITY HOUSTON, WHO PUTTING THIS GREAT WORK FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND ALL THE BUSINESS OWNERS AROUND HERE.
THANK, AND WE HAVE FOCUSED A LOT ON THE, ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE.
UH, THIS AREA FALLS WITHIN OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, AND I KNOW WE HAVE AN INITIATIVE THAT'S DIRECTED RIGHT IN THIS AREA, BASED IN THAT AREA.
SO LEMME CALL ON SHANNON BROOK.
MAYOR TURNER, THE RESIDENTS OF THE A LEAF WESTWOOD AREA PARTICIPATED IN A PLANNING PROJECT, UM, TO COME UP WITH AN ACTION PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
MAYOR TURNER INITIATED THE WORK OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES IN 2017, AND THE RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA PARTICIPATED IN THAT PROCESS IN 2019, AND THEN THROUGH THE PANDEMIC IN 2020 AND FINISHED THEIR PLAN.
AT THE END OF THE TIME, THE RESIDENTS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS CHALLENGE OF THE FORMERLY KNOWN AS BINETTE STRIP, WAS ONE OF THE MAIN PRIORITIES FOR GETTING THE WORK DONE.
COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD HAS BEEN A GREAT ADVOCATE FOR HELPING THIS RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE, AS WELL AS A MYRIAD OF OTHER ISSUES.
THERE'S ALSO BEEN, UM, FOOD INSECURITY EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN THIS AREA, UM, STARTING HERE AND SPREADING OUT ACROSS THE CITY AND GETTING PANTRIES IN PLACE.
THIS SPACE THAT WE'RE IN, IT'S NOT JUST A BUILDING.
THIS CHARTER SCHOOL HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS THING IN SAVING A GYM IN OUR COMMUNITY BY SAVING THIS ENTIRE CAMPUS AND PURCHASING IT AND TURNING IT INTO THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
THIS WAS THE DPO THAT THE HIGHER DIMENSION CHURCH HAD, AND THEY HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR MANY, MANY WAYS OF ADDRESSING WHAT THE RESIDENTS ASKED FOR IN THEIR ACTION PLAN, AS WELL AS THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND, UM, PROSTITUTION AND OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING ON THIS, IN THIS AREA FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING CONCERTED EFFORT INTO TRYING TO FIND GREAT USES FOR THIS CAMPUS.
MENAL PATEL DAVIS HAS BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES, BRINGING FOLKS AROUND TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO TRANSFORM THIS SPACE.
IT WAS HARD WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD TALKED ABOUT THE ACTIVITY HAVING GONE DOWN.
WHENEVER WE CAME TO VISIT, WE COULD SEE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACTIVITIES THAT WERE HAPPENING IN THIS AREA.
IT WAS HEARTBREAKING FOR MANY PEOPLE AND FOR THE ATAL ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL TO DECIDE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PUT THEIR SECOND OUTPOST HERE AND BUILD A SCHOOL AND USE ALL OF THE RESOURCES ON THIS CAMPUS.
THE AUDITORIUM IS ONE PLACE WHERE, I DON'T SAY HIS LAST NAME PROPERLY, BUT TOBY FROM, UH, THE SWAT HAD, UM, ONE OF HIS EARLIEST PERFORMANCES.
THIS IS NOT A SPACE THAT WE WANTED TO GIVE UP.
AND SO TO BE ABLE TO RECAPTURE IT AND THEN TO HAVE THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE, MAKING GOOD ON WHAT THE RESIDENTS ASKED FOR, AND REDUCING THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACTIVITY AROUND HERE, AND REDUCING THE PROSTITUTION AND ALL OF THE NEGATIVE ACTIVITY THAT HAS BEEN, UM, TAKING AWAY FROM THE VALUE OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS A TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS EFFORT THAT THE RESIDENTS CAN BE PROUD OF, THAT THEY ASK FOR.
AND HOW HAVE SEEN THEIR ELECTED LEADERS AND THEIR APPOINTED LEADERS DELIVER ON.
SO WE JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROCESS, IN THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES ACTION PLAN, AND CONTINUING TO WORK WITH US NOW THROUGH THE REST OF THIS YEAR AND BEYOND, TO MAKING SURE THAT WHAT'S IN THEIR ACTION PLAN GETS DONE.
AND AGAIN, LEMME THANK COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, AND, UH, DISTRICT J, UH, 'CAUSE WE ARE PARTNERING WITH, UH, THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM, AND THE PEOPLE OUT HERE, AND WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS TO, UH, TO ANYONE? OH, YES.
I WAS CURIOUS, UH, HOW THE ACTIVITY HAS DECREASED IN THIS AREA.
HAVE YOU SEEN IT ACTIVITY SPREAD TO OTHER AREAS SURROUNDING, OR IS IT JUST GONNA MAKE, MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT? UM, PROSTITUTION AND, AND, AND TRAFFICKING, ESPECIALLY PROSTITUTION FROM THE VERY START OF TIME, IT'S GONNA BE THERE.
IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HANDLE ANY DISPLACEMENT.
BUT, UM, TO SAY IT'S A A A PEAK UP SOMEWHERE, I HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
UM, BUT, UH, WE'RE CONSTANTLY WATCHING, AND I MEET WITH ALL OF MY COMMANDERS IN THE WHOLE CITY EVERY MONDAY.
AND, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE CLEAN THIS AREA UP AND THEY ARE GONNA MOVE TO OTHER LOCATIONS.
BUT ONE THING THAT I DON'T WANT TO GET LOST FOR TODAY, FOR YEARS, AND DON'T SAY WHAT TROY NER IS SAYING FOR YEARS, EVERYBODY, NOT ONLY IN OUR CITY, BUT IN OUR NATION, THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE DRUG TRAFFIC, I'M SORRY, UH, PROSTITUTION
[00:25:01]
AND, AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING AREA IN THE NATION.BUT IF YOU WALK AROUND TODAY, WHAT DO YOU SEE? AND DON'T TALK TO US, TALK TO THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESS OWNERS, AND THAT'S A POWERFUL THING.
BUT WE'LL KEEP LOOKING AT THE DISPLACEMENT.
YOU WANNA ADDRESS THAT PATROLS, THE PRESENCE OF YOU GUYS.
EVERY, EVERYTHING, ALL OF THE ABOVE.
UM, BUT, UM, AGAIN, MY COMMANDER, AND LET ME GIVE HIM HIS CREDIT, UM, IN, IN, IN HIM AND HIS TROOPS, THIS IS NOT A PLAN.
NOW, THE MAYOR, AND HE WAS VERY HUMBLE.
THE MAYOR STAYS UP LATE JUST LIKE I DO.
WE HAVE A LOT OF LATE CONVERSATIONS, AND HE LIKE, LOOK, HEY, LET'S, LET'S DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
I'M GIVING YOU THIS FUNDING AND, AND, AND Y'ALL GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO I WANT TO GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR, FOR STEPPING UP AS, AS THE MAYOR, BUT IT GOES DOWN TO THE DIVISIONAL LEVEL, THE MEN AND WOMEN ON THE, ON THE FRONT LINES.
AND, AND, UH, LOOKING AT IT FROM A ENVIRONMENTAL, ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, FIGHTING CRIME, BLOCKING OFF THOSE STREETS AND, AND, AND NOT LOOKING AT HOW MANY ARRESTS WE MAKE, BUT THE EFFECTIVENESS, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IT, YOU KNOW? SO, UH, IT'S A LOT.
AND, AND YOU CAN, UH, TALK SIDEBAR AND TALK TO OUR COMMANDER.
I WANT HIM TO GET SOME CREDIT.
WANT HIS FAMILY TO SEE HIM UP HERE.
MAYOR, YOU WAS BRINGING SOMEBODY ELSE UP.
YEAH, I MEAN, COUNCILMAN, UH, PROBABLY REPRESENTS THE WHOLE AREA, SO HE CAN TELL YOU WHETHER NOT HE'S SEEN IT POP UP SOMEPLACE ELSE.
SO, UH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED MANY CALLS REGARDING OTHER HOTSPOT IN THE AREA.
WILL THERE BE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE HERE AND THERE, OF COURSE.
BUT HAVE WE SEEN ANY OTHER HOTSPOTS IN ALL OF DISTRICT J, WHICH IS PRIMARILY SOUTHWEST HOUSTON? WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING THAT COMES CLOSE, UH, TO WHAT WE SAW HERE ON BINET.
SO, UH, THE DISPLACEMENT, UH, HAS NOT BEEN AN ISSUE.
AND, UM, AS CHIEF FINN SAYS, UM, HPD WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT, UH, LOOK INTO IT.
UH, YOU SAID YOU AUTHORIZED $5 MILLION TO HPD.
IS THAT EXCLUSIVELY WHAT YOU USED FOR THIS NET? AND, UH, HOW LONG DID THAT EXPECT TO LAST? I CAN'T SAY IT'S GONNA BE EXCLUSIVELY USED, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY, WHATEVER THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN, UH, AND TO KEEP THIS AREA, UM, UM, HOW CAN I PUT, WHAT'S THE WORD? FORWARD IT, UM, THE RIGHT DIRECTION, GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UH, THEY WILL HAVE THAT SUPPORT, UH, THAT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE CITY.
SO, UM, UM, WE TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT WAS NEEDED TO, UM, UH, FOR THIS, MISSING THAT INITIATIVE AS WELL AS FOR SOME OTHER INITIATIVES IN THE CITY.
AND, UH, CHIEF FENNER, UH, ENDED UP TELLING ME HE NEEDED, AFTER LOOKING AT EVERYTHING, HE NEEDED $5 MILLION MORE.
WELL, HE, HE GOT THE $5 MILLION
BUT LET ME JUST SAY THIS VERY, VERY CLEARLY.
WHATEVER IS NEEDED TO KEEP THIS AREA, UH, SAFE, UH, AND TO DEAL WITH ANY POPUPS THAT MAY OCCUR, UH, AS WELL AS DEALING WITH, UH, OUR FIGHT, UH, AGAINST VIOLENT CRIME AS WELL AS NONVIOLENT, UH, THEY WILL HAVE WHAT THEY NEED, UH, FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION, COMMANDER HARDY.
THEY, THEY'LL HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.
SO, YOU KNOW, FIVE MINUTES IS NOT SUFFICIENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE PREPARED TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
I'M, WHAT WAS THAT? OH, COMMISSIONER COMMAND.
LET ME, LET ME, YEAH, CHIEF FINN'S GIVING HIS, HERE'S NEWS, WE WANNA GO.
I WILL GIVE YOU THE MAYOR'S COIN, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT ON ME.
UM, AND THANK YOU CHIEF FINNER INTO ALL THE LEADERSHIP THAT'S UP HERE.
UM, A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE GIVEN ME A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THE WORK THAT'S GONE ON OUT HERE.
AND I'VE JUST GOTTA SAY, I HAVE AN INCREDIBLE TEAM AT WEST SIDE.
WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE TEAM AT VICE DIVISION, AND THIS WASN'T ME, THIS WAS ALL OF THE TEAM COMING TOGETHER AND LOOKING CREATIVELY AT SOLUTIONS THAT COULD BRING SOME RESOLUTION TO THE, TO THE PEOPLE IN THIS AREA.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A BLIGHT FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND WE ARE VERY MUCH COMMITTED TO BRINGING YOU SOME RELIEF.
UM, WE'VE DONE INITIATIVES IN THE PAST, WE'VE MADE TONS OF ARRESTS, AND DESPITE ALL THOSE ARRESTS, THEY HADN'T HAD THE OUTCOME THAT WE DESIRED.
SO, UM, LOOKING AT THIS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY, INSTEAD OF FROM AN ENFORCEMENT LENS, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO HOLISTICALLY TO BRING SOME RELIEF TO THE AREA? CLOSING OFF THESE STREETS HAS HAD A TREMENDOUS IMPACT, AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE MEASURING OUR SUCCESS, IS BY THE LACK OF ACTIVITY YOU SEE HERE ON IN BINET.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, EVERYBODY HERE.
UM, WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.
ANY, ANY, ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? LOOK, I, I'VE, AS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND SOMEONE WHO WILL BE, UH, LEAVING HIM BY FOUR MONTHS, I MEAN, I GREW UP, YOU KNOW, HEARING ABOUT THE BUSINESS STRIP, AND I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE WHO DID
[00:30:01]
A MOVIE ON THE MISS OF THAT STRIP.SO THIS AREA HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH IT.
NA AS CHIEF FINN SAID, NATIONALLY, AND AS YOU ALL HAVE KNOWN, THE COUNTY AND, AND OTHERS HAVE LITERALLY PICKED UP PROSTITUTES IN THE AREA AND A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF.
AND NOTHING SEEMED TO HAVE MADE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE UNTIL NOW.
AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ONE WEEK OR ONE MONTH OR TWO MONTHS.
NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONTHS.
AND IT HAS MADE A MEASURABLE, MEASURABLE DIFFERENCE.
AND SO I, I, I DO HAVE TO GIVE ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, BUT I, I WANT TO SAY TO CHIEF NER, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND YOU CAME THROUGH WITH YOUR ENTIRE TEAM, BUT I WANT TO GIVE, I WANT TO GIVE HPD THE CREDIT THAT THEY RIGHTFULLY DESERVE ON THIS.
OKAY? AND THEN ALL THE OTHER PARTNERS, WE ARE STEPPING UP AND I KNOW COUNCILMAN POLLARD IS HAVING A BIG CLEANUP TOMORROW AND STUFF.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO, EVERYBODY CONTINUE TO DO THAT PART.
SO I, I'M, LOOK, I'M, I'M ELATED, I'M HAPPY ABOUT IT, BUT THE KEY WILL BE ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2023, WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN STAND BEFORE YOU AND SAY THE SAME THING TODAY, SAME THING THEN THAT WE ARE SAYING TODAY.
AND THE LEDGE THAT I'M MAKING, WE WILL SAY THE SAME THING THEN THAT WE ARE SAYING TODAY, AND WE ARE PREPARED TO BACK IT UP AND GIVE ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS WHAT THEY NEED, UH, TO MAINTAIN THE EFFORT.
SO HAVING SAID ALL THAT, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
ENJOY YOUR FRIDAY AND GO DYNAMOS ON THE SEPTEMBER 27TH.
WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S THAT? THEY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
OH, ABOUT THE RNC
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IT'S LIKE BE? WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HOLDING THE NEWS FOR A WHILE, YOU KNOW,
I THINK THE LAST TIME THAT, YEAH, THE LAST TIME THE RNC WAS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I WANNA SAY IT WAS IN 1992.
SO IT'S, IT IT'S BEEN WELL NOW, 30 YEARS.
UM, AND THIS TIME, WHAT THE RNC DECIDED TO DO IS THAT THEY WOULD MAKE THEIR DECISION SOONER FOR 2028.
UM, THEY CAME, THE, THE, THE COMMITTEE CAME, UM, TO THE CITY.
UH, WE TALKED TO THEM, UM, AND, UH, ANSWERED ALL OF THEIR QUESTIONS.
TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT CITY OF HOUSTON IS WELL KNOWN IN HANDLING BIG EVENTS.
UM, AND I THINK THEY WERE IMPRESSED BY WHAT THEY, WELL, I KNOW THEY WERE IMPRESSED BY WHAT THEY SAW.
UM, AND THEY, UH, THE CONVERSATIONS WERE VERY POSITIVE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TODAY, THIS MORNING, UH, IN MILWAUKEE, THEY ANNOUNCED, UH, THAT THE 2020 EIGHTH REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION, UH, WILL BE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT KEEPS US CENTER FOCUSED AT THE FRONT.
SO JUST IMAGINE, UH, THE FIFA WORLD CUP COMES IN 2026.
UH, THE RNC COMES IN 2028, UM, AND THE UNIVERSITY CHAMPIONSHIPS, COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE COMING IN JANUARY OF 24.
NOW, I'M GONNA EXTEND MY TERM JUST FOR ABOUT 60 DAYS.
THE NEW MAYOR WILL TAKE OVER JUST AS SOON AS THE COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS, UH, LEAVE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M EXCITED.
IT SPEAKS WELL, UH, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND OUR REP REPUTATION FOR BEING ABLE TO HOST MAJOR EVENTS AND TO HAVE A, UH, UM, A MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY CONVENTION REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU THINK.
YOU KNOW, I'M A DEMO, YOU KNOW, I'M A DEMOCRAT, SO IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME.
THE FACT IS, UH, THAT THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF PEOPLE COMING FROM ALL OVER AND MEDIA COMING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, UH, THAT WILL BE IN THE HOUSTON CITY OF HOUSTON IN 2028.
AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE NEWS.