* 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. [Press Conference: "Acting HPD Chief Satterwhite Speaks to Media"] [00:00:18] WELL, I'VE BEEN ON THE DEPARTMENT 34 YEARS. UM, STARTED IN JANUARY, 1990, UH, AND, UH, SPENT A LOT OF MY CAREER IN PATROL AND OPERATIONS CAPACITIES. UH, IN FACT, MY FIRST ASSIGNMENT WAS, UH, BEACH NUT. AT THAT TIME, IT WAS WHAT WE NOW CALL SOUTHWEST PATROL BEING, UH, AREAS IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. AND THEN, UH, FROM THERE, I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE SELECTED FOR OUR TACTICAL OPERATIONS DIVISION, UH, SWAT TEAM. SO FOR 10 YEARS I WAS IN PATROL, UM, RESPONDING TO CALLS FOR SERVICE, DOING SOME PROACTIVE WORK, UH, THROUGH OUR DEFENSIVE TACTICS UNIT OR DIVISION, TACTICAL UNIT, AND PLAY WHAT WE NOW CALL OUR CSTS. UM, WORKING IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES IN THAT ROLE, COMMUNITY SERVICE, UH, BIKE PATROL, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. UH, THROUGH THE NINETIES, UH, BEFORE I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE SELECTED TO THE FULL-TIME SWAT TEAM, WHERE I STAYED FOR SIX YEARS, UM, DOING WHAT YOU ALL MIGHT IMAGINE SWAT OFFICERS DO. UH, FROM THERE I DID PROMOTE, UH, TO THE RANK OF SERGEANT, AND MY FIRST ASSIGNMENT WAS BACK TO SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. AT THAT TIME, WHAT WE CALLED FONDANT DIVISION, UH, BOTH PATROL AND THEN RUNNING, UH, A TEAM SIMILAR TO WHAT I'VE, THE, OUR CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAMS ARE, ARE TITLED AND DO NOW, PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT. UH, WENT FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO OUR VEHICLE CRIMES DIVISION, AND THEN WAS FORTUNATE TO GO OVER TO OUR CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE DIVISION, UM, WORKING IN, IN A CAPACITY OF HOMELAND SECURITY, UM, DEALING WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, DEALING WITH ISSUES THAT MIGHT BE A THREAT TO US FROM A LOCAL, STATE, FEDERAL FOREIGN THREAT, UM, AND, AND ALSO HOMEGROWN AND DOME AND FOREIGN POTENTIAL EXTREMISM. IT WAS, UH, THEN I MADE COMMANDER, UH, CAPTAIN AT THAT TIME, THE COMMANDER NOW IS WHAT WE CALL IT, AND TOOK OVER A SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION. AND THAT'S WHERE I STARTED OVERSEEING OPERATIONS THAT WERE OF CONSIDER THINGS OF PUBLIC ORDER, UH, CROWD CONTROL, UM, PROTEST ACTIVITY, FIRST AMENDMENT, ACTIVITY MAJOR, UH, UM, EVENTS, BE IT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, UH, WHATEVER, CONCERTS, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE MIGHT RUN INTO THE CITY HAS HOSTED OVER MANY DECADES. AND IN MY OPINION, MINE, WE'VE DONE, HAVE, HAVE DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB TAKING CARE OF, UH, AND, AND REPRESENTING THE CITY. UH, AND I'M PROUD OF THAT. UM, THEN I WAS FORTUNATE TO MAKE ASSISTANT CHIEF, UH, FORMER CHIEF ART ACEVEDO, UH, APPOINTED ME TO ASSISTANT CHIEF, UH, IN 2017. AND, UH, I THINK IT WAS APRIL THAT I ACTUALLY WAS APPOINTED. AND THEN I TOOK OVER OUR HOMELAND SECURITY COMMAND, AND AGAIN, WAS DOING MUCH OF THE SAME THINGS, BUT AT THE ASSISTANT CHIEF LEVEL, HANDLING ISSUES OF THREAT, ISSUES OF PROTEST, UM, HANDLING COVID-19 WHEN IT HIT OUR CITY, AND IT HIT THE NATION. AND SETTING UP, UM, UH, OUR TESTING CENTERS AROUND OUR MAJOR STADIUMS, ALL THOSE THINGS. UH, MAJOR HURRICANES, HURRICANE HARVEY THAT HIT US. UM, UH, JUST OUR WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIPS THAT WE'VE, THAT WE HAD HERE IN THE CITY. I'M VERY PROUD OF THE ASTROS. SO WE HAD ALL OF THOSE THINGS, AND THOSE WERE REALLY MY SHOP AS THE CHIEF OVER HOMELAND, THE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMAND. UH, AND THEN, AS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW, UH, WITH A LITTLE SHORT BIT OF RESEARCH, UH, IN 2021, I WAS PROMOTED, UH, TO EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF AND TOOK OVER OUR FIELD OPERATIONS AND OUR FIELD OPERATIONS, UH, WHICH I HAD AS OF YESTERDAY BEFORE MY, UH, APPOINTMENT, UH, IS OVER PATROL. SO I HAVE A LITTLE OVER AT THAT TIME AND HAVE HAD FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, A LITTLE OVER HALF THE DEPARTMENT, A LITTLE OVER 3000 OF THE 6,000 EMPLOYEES WERE UNDER MY COMMAND. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, FIELD OPERATIONS IS YOUR PATROL DIVISIONS. WE HAVE 15 PATROL DIVISIONS IN THE CITY. UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE BOTH BUSH AND HOBBY AND ELLINGTON AIR FORCE BASE. UM, WE HAVE A ROLE THERE. SO THE AIRPORTS, I ALSO HAD THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, UH, DIVISION, WHICH HANDLES THE WHOLE CITY. AND THEN I HAD THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION. SO AGAIN, MUCH OF MY ROLE, MY RESPONSIBILITY WAS RESPONDING TO YOU WHEN YOU CALLED FOR THE HELP. WHEN YOU CALLED 9 1 1. WHEN YOU, WHEN WE HAD A PROBLEM [00:05:01] IN THE COMMUNITY WITH OR IN ON OUR ROADWAYS, UH, WITH ANY KIND OF ROADWAY, RAGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WOULD FALL INTO MY COMMAND. NOW KNOW THIS, I MEAN, I HAD THREE ASSISTANT CHIEFS AND I HAD 15, UH, COMMANDERS AND, AND ALL THOSE OFFICERS. SO IT'S NOT LIKE I'M OUT THERE DOING ALL THOSE THINGS. IT'S THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT ARE ALL OUT THERE DOING THE BEST JOB THEY CAN, RESPONDING TO THOSE THINGS. AND, AND OF COURSE, AND FOR ME AS A SUPPORT, TRYING TO HELP THEM ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS. SO THAT IS KIND OF SOME OF THE THINGS ABOUT ME AND WHAT I'VE DONE IN MY CAREER WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. UM, AND I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS ON THAT LATER FOR YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT REGARD OR ANYTHING ELSE A LITTLE BIT, UM, ABOUT, UH, CHIEF TROY FINNER. UM, I, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS SERVICE HERE. UH, HE DID 34 YEARS. UH, CHIEF NER TROY TO ME, UH, STARTED THE, UH, DEPARTMENT, STARTED THE POLICE ACADEMY A FULL TWO MONTHS AHEAD OF ME, OR EIGHT WEEKS WE WERE IN THE ACADEMY TOGETHER. AND HE ALSO WENT OUT SOUTHWEST. SO, UM, HE DID DO EVERYTHING HE COULD, I THINK, TO HELP. SO I REALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND THANK HIM BECAUSE HE WAS THE ONE THAT DID PROMOTE ME TO EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF, UH, IN 21. THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT'S MISSION HASN'T CHANGED REGARDLESS OF WHO'S SITTING AT THE, UH, IN THE SEAT OF THE CHIEF AND MAKING THOSE DECISIONS. OUR JOB IS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC, IS TO BE OUT THERE, TO BE AVAILABLE, TO TRY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO LOOK OUT FOR THEM, WHO HAVE NO, UM, I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT LIVE ON THE MARGINS, LIVE IN AREAS THAT ARE, THAT HAVE HIGH CRIME AND, AND HAVE NO WAY OF MAKING IT BETTER OR MOVING, OR SOME OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. AND WE'RE ALL THEY HAVE. SO MY JOB, THE MISSION OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS TO SERVE THE PUBLIC AND PROTECT EVERYBODY OUT THERE. THAT HASN'T CHANGED. IT DID NOT CHANGE AS OF TODAY. UH, IT'S BEEN THE SAME FOR MY ENTIRE CAREER AND BEFORE. UM, AND I WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, I AM HONORED TO BE IN THIS ROLE RIGHT NOW, HOWEVER IT OCCURRED, BECAUSE, UH, I AM SO PROUD OF THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT I GET TO WORK WITH EVERY DAY. AND, AND IT IS THEM THAT KEEP US GOING. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. UH, AND IT'S YOU ALL AS THE PUBLIC WHO SUPPORT US, BECAUSE I HAVE OFTEN BRAGGED ON CAMERA TO MANY OF YOU, UH, THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE, I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL, NOT JUST THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO THE WORLD. AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE HERE FROM THE COMMUNITY, I SAY IS, IS, IS SECOND TO NONE. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND AGAIN, I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT. SO, BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTIONS, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO ACKNOWLEDGE, ACKNOWLEDGE SOMETHING. IS THERE WATER? LET'S, UH, I THINK THIS IS POLICE WEEK, AND, UH, I DID A, WE DID A, UH, PRAYER THIS MORNING JUST OUTSIDE OUR HEADQUARTERS. AND, UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE MEN OF FAITH AND WOMEN OF FAITH THAT SHOWED UP FOR THAT. AND ALL THE OTHER, ALL THE PUBLIC AND OUR OFFICIALS THAT SHOWED UP FOR THAT. I WANNA TAKE THIS CHANCE AGAIN, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE SERVICE OF SO MANY. AND, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE 121 MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIFE FOR THE CITY, FOR THEIR FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST, UM, THEIR MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILY, DADS, MOMS, BROTHERS, SISTERS, SONS, DAUGHTERS. UM, I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT THOSE FAMILIES GO THROUGH EVERY DAY. AND IT'S MY JOB TO TAKE CARE OF THEM TOO. AND THIS IS THE WEEK MORE THAN ANY OTHER 'CAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS HONORING, BUT THIS IS THE WEEK MORE THAN ANY OTHER THAT WE WANT TO REMEMBER THEM AND, AND RECOGNIZE THEM AND TAKE CARE OF THEM, BECAUSE THEY WILL ALWAYS, ALWAYS BE HPD FAMILY. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. SO WITH THAT SAID, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT I'LL GO TO QUESTIONS. SO TO MAKE THIS WORK BEST, UM, IS PROBABLY GO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, UM, AND MAYBE A COUPLE OF ROUNDS OF QUESTIONS, IF THAT'S FAIR TO EVERYBODY. THAT MAY, YOU MAY WANT MORE, AND WE'LL SEE HOW THINGS GO. UM, I DO WANT TO, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, AGAIN, TO EMPHASIZE, UM, AND THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE, BUT IT IS A FACT THAT I TOOK OVER LAST NIGHT AT 10 30, UM, AND MY ROLE, UM, HAS BEEN IN THE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND HAS BEEN FOR SOME TIME, BUT CERTAINLY IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, UH, STILL HAS BEEN THE FIELD OPERATIONS CHIEF, UH, TO HANDLE THINGS THAT ARE [00:10:01] IN THE FIELDING HAPPENING NOW, WHILE, WHILE MY FORMER BOSS, CHIEF TROY FINNER AND EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF, UH, BAND 10, AND SO MANY OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE WORKED ON THESE CASES THAT I'M SURE YOU'RE GONNA ASK ABOUT THE SL ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS. SO MY FOCUS HAS BEEN EXTERNAL OUTWARD, RESPONDING TO CALLS, DOING THE HANDLING, THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. IT'S ALSO BEEN TO MANAGE SOME OVERTIME FUNDS THAT THE, THE, UH, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UM, FUND GAVE US FOR ADDITIONAL OVERTIME BECAUSE WE ARE SHORT, UM, THAT'S BEEN SAID AD NAUSEUM, BUT WE ARE SHORT. AND THOSE OVERTIME FUNDS ARE HELPING US OUT IN MANY WAYS TO TRY TO TAMP DOWN VIOLENT CRIME. WE STILL HAVE CHALLENGES, NOT TO MENTION OUR SOUTHEAST TEXAS CRIME REDUCTION INITIATIVE THAT WE LAUNCHED IN JANUARY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE MAYOR, AND HE GAVE THAT TO ME, WHERE I HAVE MULTIPLE AGENCIES THAT WE'RE MEETING WITH EVERY WEEK, I MEAN, EVERY MONTH. AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE OPERATIONS OF OCCURRING WEEKLY TO COMBAT ROAD RAGE, AGGRESSIVE DRIVING TO, TO FIND AND ARREST THOSE FUGITIVES THAT ARE OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY THE VIOLENT ONES, AND TO ATTACK OUR AREAS AND TRY TO BRING CRIME DOWN IN OUR HARDEST HIT NEIGHBORHOODS AND AREAS. SO THESE ARE THE, THOSE ARE KIND OF THE THREE PILLARS OF THAT INITIATIVE. AND I THANK MY COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE REGION, UM, THAT ALL THE COUNTIES AND ALL THE MUNICIPAL AGENCIES AND THE STATE DPS FOR HELPING US OUT IN THAT REGARD. SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY MY FOCUS HAS BEEN OUTWARD. NOW THAT I AM THE ACTING CHIEF OF POLICE AND, AND, AND, UM, NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, I AM STILL GETTING CAUGHT UP IN A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING THROUGH THAT INVESTIGATION. SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME, BE PATIENT. I'LL ANSWER WHAT I CAN. AND IF I HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU, I PROMISE I WILL. SO WITH THAT, LET'S GO TO QUESTIONS. YES. AND NOW THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE CASES, DO WE KNOW, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA IF THIS INVESTIGATION'S GONNA HAPPEN? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ALL THESE CASES? WHAT I KNOW? WELL, I MEAN, SO WE HAD THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE CASE THAT, UH, WE JUST, THE DISCOVERY THAT, UH, CASES HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED, THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID, AND IT'S HEAVILY BEEN WRITTEN ON IN THE NEWS. AND THAT'S BEEN THE EFFORT TO GO BACK AND, AND TRY TO GO BACK THROUGH ALL OF THOSE CASES AND, AND TRY TO REACH SOME RESOLUTION, FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THOSE CASES. EACH ONE, EVERY, EVERY SINGLE CASE IF POSSIBLE. WHAT HAPPENED? UH, IS THERE MORE THAT WE CAN DO WITH IT? UH, IS THERE NOT MORE THAN WE CAN DO WITH IT? AND, UH, IT WAS POSSIBLY MISCODED, THERE WAS A LOT OF CASES MISCODED, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO, UM, TO STATE THAT EVEN WITH ALL OF THAT, WE STILL HAVE REAL VICTIMS. OKAY? AND SO WE NEED, AND SO FOR THAT, WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, UM, TO, TO HELP THEM TO TRY TO BRING RESOLUTION TO AS MANY AS WE CAN AND, AND TRY TO JUST OWN THIS AND GO FORWARD. SO THAT, UM, THAT IS ONGOING. THE, THE EFFORT TO GET THROUGH THE, I THINK THE NUMBER HAS BEEN 260,000 THAT'S BEEN QUOTED PRETTY OFTEN. IT'S TAKING TIME. UM, OUR FOCUS PRIMARILY ARE ON THE ISSUES THAT WERE, OR THE, THE CASES, UM, THAT WERE INVOLVED PERSONAL IN PERSON VIOLENCE. UM, AND I THINK YOU ALL WOULD AGREE THAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES TO FOCUS ON FIRST. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THROUGH. AND WE HOPE, WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, WE WILL HAVE SEEN ALL THOSE CASES AND, AND WORKED ON THAT AND, UM, MADE A, UM, MADE AN IMPACT FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE, WHO WERE HARMED IN THAT THE PROPERTY CRIME ONES ARE A LITTLE BIT, THERE'S, THERE'S ALSO THOSE, THOSE COULD TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER. AGAIN, IT'S THE, THE SHEER VOLUME IS GOING TO MEAN A LONGER EFFORT TO TRY TO TAKE CARE AND, AND GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE CASES AND BRING SOME TYPE OF RESOLUTION THAT'S APPROPRIATE TO THEM. AGAIN, MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR THE PERSONS WHO WERE HARMED. UH, AND THEN FOR THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL, KNOWING THAT THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING HARD FOR THEM, AND WE'RE TRYING NOT TO LET ANYTHING GET BIAS. SO, DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? OKAY. HOW EARLY WERE YOU AWARE OF THE MISSING CASES AND THE CODE? SAY THAT AGAIN PLEASE? HOW EARLY WERE YOU AWARE OF THIS ISSUE OF THE MISSING CASES AND THE MISCODING, IF YOU PUT, SO FOR ME, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT HARDER QUESTION TO ANSWER. UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN MUCH TALK ABOUT 2021 AND A MEETING BY AT THE COMMAND STAFF, EXECUTIVE STAFF LEVEL. AND WHILE THAT MEETING WAS ON MY CALENDAR, AND I REMEMBER SOMETHING ABOUT IT, UH, THAT WEEK, [00:15:01] AND SPECIFICALLY THAT DAY, I WAS FOCUSED ON THE LARGE EVENT AT NRG STADIUM, THE CONCERT THAT WAS GONNA OCCUR OVER THE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. UM, AND I ACTUALLY HAD A WALKTHROUGH, UH, THAT STARTED, UH, AT 11 O'CLOCK. THE, THE MEETING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, I THINK WAS 10 O'CLOCK, AT 11 O'CLOCK. I SIMPLY DON'T REMEMBER MUCH ABOUT IT. I REMEMBER SOMETHING ABOUT IT, AND I DON'T KNOW, THAT DOESN'T SOUND GREAT, BUT I REMEMBER SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BUT IT WASN'T MY FOCUS BECAUSE OF, AS A FIELD OPERATIONS CHIEF AND WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING OUT REALLY AT OPERATIONS AND THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE MOMENT. I WASN'T AS FOCUSED ON THAT. AND CERTAINLY, I BELIEVE IT WAS ON THE AGENDA, AND I REMEMBER SOMETHING ABOUT IT, I JUST DON'T REMEMBER ENOUGH ABOUT IT. AND THAT MIGHT BE BECAUSE I LEFT THAT MEETING VERY EARLY TO BE AT NRG FOR THE, THE, UH, WALKTHROUGH FOR THAT EVENT, WHICH WAS MY FOCUS AT THE TIME. JUST SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO THAT. JUST TO PIGGY OFF OF THAT, UM, WHAT MAKES, WE HAVE CHIEF NER SAYING THE 2018 MEMO, HE KIND OF SAID THE SAME THING, THAT HE HAD NO RECOLLECTION. HERE YOU ARE STANDING HERE SAYING SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR. MM-HMM . WHAT MAKES YOUR POSITION ANY DIFFERENT THAN TROY NERS? I'M NOT SURE THAT IT DOES, IN THE SENSE THAT I, I CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT I REMEMBER. I, UM, AND, AND, AND I WRITE MY BRAIN ON ALL OF THIS AND, AND TRYING TO, TO REMEMBER IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE. AND I DON'T, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT SOMETHING WASN'T SAID, I JUST DON'T REMEMBER. IT WAS OVER TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, AND IT WASN'T NORMALLY WHAT I WOULD BE FOCUSING ON. IN MY ROLE, WE HAVE, IT'S A BIG DEPARTMENT WITH SO MANY RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THIS IS GONNA SOUND LIKE AN EXCUSE, AND I DON'T MEAN FOR IT TO DO THAT. I REALLY DON'T. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT FIELD OPERATIONS, PATROL, RESPONDING TO CALLS, UM, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ISSUE, ROAD ROAD ISSUES, UH, MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING TODAY, RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE HAPPENING OUT THERE. AND AS OF YESTERDAY, THOSE WERE MY FOCUS AND MY RESPONSIBILITY. NOW MY FOCUS IS ON THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT, BUT I JUST DON'T RECALL, UM, MUCH MORE THAN I REMEMBER SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BUT NAILING IT DOWN TO A SPECIFIC CONVERSATION ON A CASES THAT WERE SUSPENDED DUE TO LACK OF MANPOWER, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. I'M STRUGGLING TO GO THERE AND REMEMBER ALL OF THAT. SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE A GOOD ANSWER FOR YOU. WHAT, WAIT, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK IN LINE. YEAH. SO JUAN, BUT CAN WE STAY ON THIS LINE OF QUESTIONING FOR A SECOND? UM, MY GUESS IS HE'S GOING TO STAY ON THAT LINE. WELL, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T MISQUOTE YOU HERE. RIGHT? SO I, I, I UNDERSTAND YOU WEREN'T EVEN AT OR FOR THAT ENTIRE MEETING ON NOVEMBER 4TH, 2021, BUT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS CODE AFTER THAT? LIKE, WAS THIS PART OF A DISCUSSION THAT YOU KNEW ABOUT IT HAPPENING AT THE DEPARTMENT? THE MAYOR AND I ASKED THIS BECAUSE THE MAYOR SAID THIS MORNING THAT AS FAR AS HE KNOWS YOU, YOU DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ANY RECOLLECTION OF IT THOUGH. SO WE JUST WANNA SEE IF, IF WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY PROBLEM. AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, AND, AND ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS WHAT I REMEMBER. UM, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THOSE TYPES OF DETAILS. I REMEMBER IT WAS ON THE AGENDA. OKAY. SO I SEE THE AGENDA, AND I CAN SEE THAT AGENDA FOR THAT DAY THAT, THAT WAS ON THE AGENDA, WHICH I THINK WAS SOMETHING ALONG STAFFING FOR SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION. UH, AND IT SEEMS LIKE I REMEMBER SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BUT I JUST DON'T REMEMBER ENOUGH. I WAS JUST FOCUSED ELSEWHERE. IS THAT MY FAULT? MAYBE SO, BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT I REMEMBER AND WHAT I DON'T, UH, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. BUT PRIOR, PRIOR TO THAT MEETING, PRIOR TO THAT MEETING, YOU'D NEVER HEARD OF THIS CODE BEFORE. YOU NEVER KNEW IT WAS BEING USED, EVER. I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. I, I DON'T DO INVESTIGATIONS. I'M, I HAVEN'T DONE INVESTIGATIONS SINCE THE EARLY NINETIES WHEN I MIGHT HAVE DONE A COUPLE OF ROBBERY INVESTIGATIONS ON THAT DTU THAT I DISCUSSED EARLIER AS A PART OF MY CAREER. SO I, EVER SINCE THEN, IT'S BEEN OTHER OPERAT, OTHER OPERATIONS, OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES, OTHER MISSIONS. SO I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. I CERTAINLY DO NOT REMEMBER EVER PERSONALLY SUSPENDING ONE OR, YOU KNOW, FOR LACK OF MANPOWER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT TO ME, AND I JUST DON'T REMEMBER IT THOUGH. AND, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I HAVE TO STAY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN YEARS AND, AND I SIMPLY DON'T. OKAY. THAT'S BEEN ASKED AND ANSWERED. WE'RE GOING ON BACK TO JUAN. I'M NOT QUITE SURE YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION THOUGH, BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC MEETING, BUT IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER THAT, WHEN IS THE FIRST TIME? SO IT WAS VERY OBVIOUS, UH, THAT WE HAD A PROBLEM. I THINK GOING INTO THE END OF LAST YEAR IS WHERE, UH, IT REALLY CAME TO THE FOREFRONT. AND, AND THEN OF COURSE, THEN THE INVESTIGATIONS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND HOW THINGS HAPPENED. SOMEWHERE IN THAT TIMEFRAME IS WHERE IT STARTED TO BECOME, UM, MORE KNOWN TO EVERYBODY. [00:20:02] OKAY. JUAN, CHIEF, UH, YOU SAID EARLIER THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, THROUGH ALL OF THIS INVESTIGATION, BEEN FOCUSED MORE OUTWARD QUANTIFIED EFFORTS. YES, SIR. THE MAYOR EARLIER TODAY TALKED ABOUT THAT THIS HAS ALL THESE ISSUES AND THE RECENT REVELATIONS WITH THE CHIEF, FORMER CHIEF FINN, THAT THIS HAS BECOME A GROWING DISTRACTION TO THE DEPARTMENT. IT'S BEEN AFFECTING EFFORTS TO FIGHT CRIME. I WANTED TO GET YOU UP FOR YOUR PERSPECTIVE. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS HAS BECOME A DISTRACTION, THE DEPARTMENT THAT THIS IS AFFECTING CRIME FIGHTING EFFORTS, WHICH THE MAYOR SAID SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE FOCUS OF THE DEPARTMENT? I, I'LL GO BACKWARDS ON THAT. IT SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE FOCUS ON THE DEPARTMENT AS FIGHTING CRIME. SO IT'S A CHALLENGE. WE HAVE FANTASTIC MEN AND WOMEN ARE OUT THERE, AND THEY'RE TRYING VERY HARD, UH, TO RESPOND TO CALLS, DO INVESTIGATIONS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK BEING DONE. BUT FOR ME, ME TO SIT HERE, STAND HERE AND TELL YOU, THIS HASN'T IMPACTED THEIR MORALE TO SAY IT HASN'T IMPACTED, UH, THEIR, THEIR, UH, EFFORTS OUT THERE BECAUSE IT'S, NO ONE LIKES THIS. AND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, WE ALL TAKE PRIDE IN OUR WORK. AND THIS IS HARD. THIS IS HARD TO BE HERE AND TO BE GOING THROUGH THIS. IT'S BEEN 34 YEARS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MAKE THE DEPARTMENT BETTER. AND WE HAVE, AND THEY'RE FANTASTIC PEOPLE, BUT THIS IS A TOUGH ONE FOR US. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE REAL VICTIMS. AND SO THIS, THIS IS NOT EASY. AND THE MEN AND WOMEN SEE THIS, HEAR THIS, AND, UM, AND, AND, AND THEY, THEY WANT BETTER. THEY DO. THEY DESERVE BETTER. OKAY. UM, SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, IS FEBRUARY, WHEN CHIEF NER MENTIONED ALL OF THIS, THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU REALLY RECOGNIZED THAT THIS CODE WAS AN ISSUE TO THE DEPARTMENT? UH, I, I WANNA SAY IT'S ACTUALLY TOWARDS THE END OF 23, EARLY, EARLY 24 IN JANUARY AND ALL, I HAD A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON. IT STILL WAS NOT MY FOCUS, UH, BECAUSE IN MY CURRENT ROLE, UH, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHEN THE DISCUSSION STARTED HAPPENING. HEY, WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE, SOMEWHERE IN THERE. AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS THAT LONG BEFORE IT WAS ZEROED IN, NAILED DOWN. AND I HATE TO GET INTO SPECIFIC DATES BECAUSE I'LL BE WRONG, AND, AND, UH, AND SO I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BEFORE ME, BUT IT'S IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TIMEFRAME, THAT END OF LAST YEAR, BEGINNING OF THE YEAR THIS YEAR, THAT WE REALLY STARTED LOOKING HARD AT IT. UH, AND I STARTED REALLY GETTING MADE FULLY AWARE OF, OF WHAT'S GOING ON. AND I STILL DO NOT KNOW THE MAGNITUDE OF IT UNTIL LATER, UNTIL WE REALLY DUG DEEP. UH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHEN THE, THE NUMBER OF TWO 60 WAS, WAS FIRST SAID, BUT, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WAS POSSIBLY DAYS OR WEEKS BEFORE WE STARTED DIGGING IN, AND THEN WE'VE DISCOVERED EVERYTHING. SO IT'S, YEAH, I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S, I, I, YOU WANT, YOU WANT ME TO NAIL YOU DOWN, NAIL DOWN TO A SPECIFIC DAY? I DON'T HAVE ONE FOR YOU. UM, BUT IT'S IN THAT TIMEFRAME. WELL, WERE YOU INTERVIEWED AS PART OF THE I INVESTIGATION OR ASKED FOR PROVIDE A STATEMENT, OR ARE YOU TRULY TRYING TO GET UP TO SPEED ON HOW'S HAPPENED IN DECISIONS? IN TERMS, SO I, I AM TRULY TRYING TO GET UP TO SPEED ON EVERYTHING. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT ALLOWED, WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT ACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS. I RECENTLY DID, UH, UM, I WAS RECENTLY ASKED A QUESTION THAT I ANSWERED, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I HAVE TO STAY. AND THAT'S, I MEAN, AND I'M ALWAYS GONNA BE TRUTHFUL WITH Y'ALL IF, IF I, YOU KNOW, UM, IF I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER. IF I DON'T, I DON'T. BUT IN THAT REGARD, UH, BEYOND THAT, I REALLY CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE IED INVESTIGATION. BUT IF YOU ASK, IF I WAS ASKED, I WAS, OKAY, LILIAN, YOU ALREADY ASKED. WELL, I'M GONNA ASK QUESTION UNLESS Y'ALL WANNA COMBINE IT TOGETHER. I MEAN, I, DO YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH ME ASKING A QUESTION? CHIEF? UH, . I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T LOOK, THANK YOU. TRYING TO BE FAIR TO EVERYBODY. YEAH. I MEAN, YEAH, WE WANNA BE FAIR, BUT I TOLD YOU THERE'LL BE TWO ROUNDS. YEAH. AND MAYBE BY THE TIME WE GET TO THAT END, Y'ALL ARE ALL GOOD. AND I'M JUST TRYING TO GET CLARIFICATION. SO WE QUOTE HIM PROPERLY. WE DON'T WANNA MISQUOTE HIM EITHER. SO THAT, LIKE, THIS IS ALL HAPPENING RIGHT. AS THE CHIEF IS TRYING TO FORM, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE MAYOR, A NEW BUDGET. MM-HMM . HE ALWAYS DEFERRED TO FINNER IN TERMS OF HOW MANY OFFICERS HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE. MM-HMM . UM, AND ONE THING THAT FINNER HAS SAID IS, DURING THIS IED INVESTIGATION, NONE OF THIS CHANGES THE FACT THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S UNDERSTAFFED. MM-HMM . FINNER ALWAYS USED THE WORD 2000. HE WOULD LIKE 2000 MORE OFFICERS. ARE YOU GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THE MAYOR NOW TO HELP CRAFT THIS NEW BUDGET? DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN TERMS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE, ADDITIONAL OFFICERS HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE? MM-HMM . DO YOU GET THAT PRIVILEGE AS ACTING, OR IS THAT GONNA BE YES. T CHIEF'S ROLE? UM, SO THE MAYOR, UM, WHEN I TALKED TO HIM, UH, WAS, WAS VERY, YOU KNOW, DEMONSTRATED A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN ME. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I REALLY DO. UM, I'M HONORED TO BE IN THIS ROLE FOR HOWEVER LONG THAT IS, BUT I AM AN ACTING CHIEF, NOT THE CHIEF. UM, I AM THE CHIEF NOW, JUST TO BE CLEAR. UM, I'LL MAKE THE DECISIONS [00:25:01] AS THE CHIEF, BUT IN SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE, THE MAYOR, UM, MAY SELECT SOMEBODY DIFFERENT, AND WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT. SO, UH, YES, FOR NOW I AM, HE IS ASKING ME TO BE TOTALLY A PART OF EVERYTHING, BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT TO RUN, AND WE HAVE A PUBLIC TO PROTECT THAT CANNOT STOP, YOU KNOW, EVER. WE, PEOPLE NEED OUR HELP. SO YES, I WILL GIVE HIM WHAT I HAVE BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE AND WHAT I THINK WE NEED. I HAVE ALSO SAID MANY TIMES, 2000, THAT NUMBER, I MEAN, WE DID A REPORT YEARS AGO, AND THE NUMBER WAS 1400. I ASSURE YOU THE NUMBER'S GOING UP. NOW. I, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE 2000 MORE OFFICERS TODAY. I THINK THERE'S SO MUCH MORE WE COULD DO FOR THE PUBLIC IF WE HAD THEM. IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME, BUT THAT'S YOUR NUMBER TWO, 2000. I WOULD SIT, I'M, I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH 2000 RIGHT NOW. UH, DON'T WANNA SOUND GREEDY, BUT I'D TAKE MORE IF I COULD GET THEM. I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AT THE CENTER OF THIS INVESTIGATION, THE VICTIMS. YOU JUST TOOK ON A MASSIVE ROLE IN A MASSIVE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT HAS A BIG INVESTIGATION GOING ON RIGHT NOW. YES, SIR. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL AS YOU ARE WRAPPING YOUR HEAD AROUND THIS BIG SUDDEN CHANGE AND HOW YOU FEEL LIKE THIS INVESTIGATION MAY OR MAY NOT CHANGE NOW THAT YOU'RE TAKING ON THIS ROLE. AND KIND OF TALK TO THE VICTIMS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. LET'S START WITH THE VICTIMS. OKAY. BECAUSE AT THE HEART OF THIS, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MATTER THE MOST. UM, THEY'RE THE ONES WE OWE EVERYTHING TO. JUST LIKE WE OWE EVERYTHING TO THE PUBLIC THAT'S BEING, THAT NEEDS OUR HELP, WE OWE IT TO THE VICTIMS. SO WILL THE ACTUAL INVESTIGATION CHANGE? I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT CLOSE ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU A DEFINITIVE ANSWER ON THAT. I THINK WE HAVE REALLY GREAT PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING THROUGH ALL THIS. IT IS MASSIVE. I MEAN, 260,000 PLUS CASES IS MASSIVE BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT DIDN'T STOP EVERYTHING THAT'S STILL HAPPENING EVERY DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. IT'S A BIG CITY. UM, AND, AND A LOT OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF BAD ACTORS OUT THERE THAT ARE DOING BAD THINGS, AND WE NEED TO BRING THEM TO JUSTICE TOO. SO WE HAVE TO DO BOTH. SO IT'S MASSIVE. I HAVE TRUST AND FAITH IN, IN THE TEAM THAT'S WORKING ON THIS. THEY'RE MY COLLEAGUES OR MY FRIENDS. BUT CERTAINLY IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY NOW TO LOOK EVEN DEEPER INTO IT. AND IF THERE'S A WAY I CAN HELP, IF THERE'S A BETTER IDEA, AND, AND THAT IS OP, I AM OPEN TO EVERYBODY. I WILL ALWAYS TAKE ADVICE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING I HAVE TO OFFER, THEN YOU BET AS CHIEF, IT'S MY JOB NOW. SO EARLIER TODAY, THE MAYOR SAID BASICALLY THAT, UH, IT BLEW HIS VINE. THAT THE SL CODE COULD HAVE BEEN USED AS MANY TIMES AS IT WAS OVER SO MANY YEARS, AND NOBODY BLEW THE WHISTLE AND NOBODY CAME FORWARD. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? YEAH, I JUST, SO WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CHALLENGED WITH PERSONNEL AND, AND IT'S BEEN REPORTED OFTEN. UH, THESE WERE THINGS BEING BROUGHT TO PUBLIC YEARS AGO, SO WE'VE BEEN SHORT, BUT TO DO THIS WITH VIOLENT CRIMES IS STILL HARD FOR ME TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND. I'LL JUST TELL YOU HONEST. SO THERE'S, THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE. I MEAN, BECAUSE, UM, I THINK WE HAVE GREAT MEN AND WOMEN, AND I THINK WE JUST HAD SO MUCH GOING ON AND, AND THIS HAPPENED. AND, UH, AS AN AGENCY, UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT ONE OF OUR HIGH TIMES. IT'S ONE OF OUR LOW TIMES AIL ADVISED FOX 26, DO YOU WANT THIS POSITION TO BE PERMANENT? AND IF NOT, WE KNOW IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IT ISN'T, YOU KNOW, AS AFFECT, RIGHT? BUT DO YOU WANT IT TO BE PERMANENT? AND IF NOT, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU? I WANT TO SERVE THE PUBLIC, AND I LOVE THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT. I LOVE THE MEN AND WOMEN ON THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND, UM, I'VE BEEN THROUGH GOOD TIMES AND BAD SEEING, SEEN REALLY AWESOME WORK AND LIVES SAVED AND, UM, SEEN TRAGEDY FIRSTHAND THAT I'LL ALWAYS HAVE WITH ME. BUT I STILL LOVE THIS DEPARTMENT. I LOVE BEING A PART OF IT. UM, BUT THAT IS FOR THE MAYOR TO DECIDE WHO, WHETHER IT MIGHT SOMEDAY IT MIGHT TURN INTO BEING ME ON A FULL-TIME BASIS, OR IT MIGHT BE SOMEBODY ELSE. AND I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND, UH, THE SITUATION, UH, THAT HE IS IN, IN MAKING THOSE DECISIONS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN. AND HISTORICALLY, IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE NATION, WHEN WE HAVE, UM, WHEN AN, AN AGENCY GOES THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THERE'S A STRONG DESIRE TO BRING SOMEBODY IN FROM THE OUTSIDE, QUITE HONESTLY, SOMEBODY THAT HAS NO, THAT YOU'RE NOT ASKING, WERE YOU EVER PART OF THIS? BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T BE, THEY WEREN'T EVEN HERE. AND, [00:30:01] AND I UNDERSTAND THAT TOO. MY, UM, MY RESPONSE WILL BE, AND MY DUTY IS TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON AND THIS, THESE MEN AND WOMEN HERE. SO I WILL LEAVE THAT TO THE MAYOR. BUT JUST TO, DO YOU WANT TO STAY IN THIS POSITION THOUGH? IS THAT YOUR DESIRE? I'M STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT . SO, NO, I THINK I, I THINK I WOULD BE HONORED TO SERVE IN A PERMANENT CAPACITY. I DON'T EVER WANT YOU TO THINK THERE'S SOMEBODY STANDING UP HERE THAT DOESN'T, ISN'T HONORED TO BE HERE AND EVERYTHING ELSE. AND SO I'M TRYING TO BE, PROBABLY INSERT A LITTLE BIT OF HUMILITY HERE. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BE THE CHIEF, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE REAL WORLD AND, AND I'M, UM, I'VE BEEN ON A LONG TIME. AND SO I, UH, I WILL LIVE WITH WHATEVER DECISION, YOU KNOW, HOPING THAT IT'S THE RIGHT DECISION FOR ALL OF YOU, DO YOU THINK THAT FITTER MADE THE RIGHT DECISION, STEPPING DOWN AND CHOOSING TO RETIRE? I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK FOR CHIEF FINNER. I REALLY DON'T. I THINK, I THINK THAT WOULD BE UNFAIR FOR ME TO SPEAK FOR HIM OR EVEN OFFER AN OPINION ON THAT. I WOULD ASK THAT YOU GO TO HIM. I KNOW, UM, LIKE I SAID, I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR 34 YEARS, AND SO I THINK THIS IS KILLING HIM, NOT HIS, I MEAN, EVERYTHING, RIGHT? HE INHERITED A LOT OF THESE ISSUES THAT HAPPENED IN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION WITH WHAT HE CHOSE TO DO WITH THE INFORMATION. AS THE ACTING CHIEF RIGHT NOW, HOW DO YOU THINK HE HANDLED IT? WOULD YOU HAVE HANDLED THINGS DIFFERENTLY IF YOU WERE IN THAT POSITION AND YOU HAD KNOWN ABOUT THAT CODE? SEE, I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE I HAVE THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT THAT HE DID NOT HAVE. UM, SO YEAH, NOW I CAN TELL YOU DEFINITIVELY WE'D HAVE GONE FULL FORCE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, BUT THIS IS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW ALL THESE OTHER THINGS. AND SO, AGAIN, SAYING WHAT I CAN, I KNOW THAT'S A LEGITIMATE QUESTION TO ASK ME. WHAT WOULD I DO? I WOULD LIKE TO THINK I'D HAVE DONE A LOT MORE, BUT THEN I'M TRYING TO BE REALISTIC TOO. UM, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT, LET'S JUST SAY I WOULD, I WOULD HOPE THAT I'D HAVE DONE A LOT. BUT I DID, I DO NOT ENVY THE POSITION THAT CHIEF THINNER WAS IN. THIS IS THE MAN THAT PROMOTED YOU, AND NOW YOU'RE STANDING HERE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT THAT IS FOR YOU? IT'S HARD RIGHT NOW. IT'S HARD. IT'S HARD. HE'S A FRIEND. TROY'S A FRIEND. I DON'T MEAN TO BE DISRESPECTFUL, BUT, UH, LIKE I SAID, HE'S A FRIEND. AND SO IT'S, IT IS HARD. IT IS HARD IN THAT REGARD. UM, I DIDN'T WANNA BE STANDING HERE, CERTAINLY NOT UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND, AND I, I CARE ABOUT HIM, BUT I CARE ABOUT ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. 'CAUSE THEY'RE TO BE, TO BE CERTAIN. THERE ARE OTHER MEN AND WOMEN IN THIS DEPARTMENT THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THIS. AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE INVESTIGATIONS AND, AND, AND EVERYTHING, AND LOOKING AT THIS DEPARTMENT WHOLLY ON, ON THAT REGARD. BUT THESE ARE ALL PEOPLE THAT I BELIEVE CARE VERY MUCH FOR THE PUBLIC AND HAVE TRIED THEIR BEST TO TAKE CARE OF OTHERS. AND, UM, SO I DO NOT SIT IN JUDGMENT OF ANY OF THEM. MY JOB IS TO TAKE CARE OF THEM ALL. AND ALSO I WILL TAKE CARE OF CHIEF FINN IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE. AND MY LAST QUESTION FOR YOU IS, YOU SPOKE ABOUT OBVIOUSLY WORKING IN HINDSIGHT, BUT MOVING FORWARD, UM, WHAT WOULD LEAD ANYONE TO BELIEVE THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO OPERATE DIFFERENTLY NOW WITH YOU CALLING THE SHOTS AND WITH ALL OF THESE, UM, NOW CASES, POLICE REPORTS THAT YOU'RE INVESTIGATING, WHY ARE THINGS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT NOW WITH YOU IN CHARGE? I COME FROM A VERY STRONG OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT, AND I THINK I HAVE SOME IDEAS THAT I THINK WILL BE VERY, UH, HELPFUL. AND I THINK THEY'LL BE A VERY MUCH MORE, MORE EFFECTIVE. AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE WEREN'T TALKING ABOUT THIS IN ADVANCE. UH, THE, WITH THE EXECUTIVE WITH CHIEF FINNER, THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO, IT'S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE OF OUR LACK OF PEOPLE. BUT I THINK MAKING SOME MOVES WILL, WILL, UH, HOPEFULLY BRING A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFECTIVENESS, UH, GETTING INVESTIGATORS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER, UH, TO THE FIELDS. I'M A DECENTRALIZED GUY. I'LL JUST TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, MY PHILOSOPHY IS, IS MORE OF A FLAT ORGANIZATION WHERE I HAVE AS MANY PE OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES OUT THERE IN THE FIELD AS POSSIBLE, WORKING WITH THE PATROL OFFICERS, WORKING WITH EVERYBODY TO GET THINGS DONE. IT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE. IT TAKES TIME. UM, BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU, I, YOU KNOW, AND DOING THIS JOB AS LONG AS I HAVE, I HAVE SOME IDEAS THAT I THINK WILL WORK. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, UH, CHIEF NER DID NOT HAVE GOOD IDEAS. HE HAD GREAT IDEAS TOO. WE ALL WERE WORKING. UH, I THINK I SAID EARLIER, I DO NOT HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. AND I WILL, I WILL LISTEN. I WILL TAKE ADVICE AND, AND, UH, REASSESS AND REASSESS AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE TO BE EFFECTIVE. SO I'D LIKE TO PROMISE YOU THAT IT'S ALL GONNA BE MUCH BETTER NOW. I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO MAKE IT BETTER, [00:35:01] AND THEN WE SHALL SEE. CHIEF, GOOD AFTERNOON. I KNOW IT'S BITTERSWEET FOR YOU TO BE IN THIS POSITION, SO I ALSO KNOW THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT'S PROBABLY TYPE OF POSITION, SO CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, SIR. UM, HOUSEKEEPING, WHO REPLACES YOU STILL BEING WORKED OUT AND, AND, UH, I HAVE SOME IDEAS ON THAT, BUT THERE ARE POSITIONS THAT HAVE TO BE FILLED. UM, YOU KNOW, NOW I HAVE THE DEPARTMENT, SO MY PRIOR ROLE AS FIELD OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE, ASSISTANT CHIEF, UM, SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO OCCUPY THAT BECAUSE IT'S A MONSTER. IT'S IN AND OF ITSELF, THINGS ARE HAPPENING EVERY DAY. UH, LAST NIGHT WE HAD AN OFFICER HIT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. SO I WAS AT, YOU KNOW, THE MEDICAL CENTER AT 10 30, UM, WHICH I STILL WILL DO, BUT, BUT THOSE MEN AND WOMEN OUT THERE, THEY NEED SOMEBODY THAT'S ZERO IN FOCUSED SOLELY ON WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO BE AS EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE. SO IT'S, RIGHT, I'M MAKING THIS A LITTLE BIT LONGER. I, I HAVEN'T FINALIZED WHO THAT'S GOING TO BE AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE. AND WILL IT BE IN AN ENACTING OR A PERMANENT CAPACITY, MEANING AN APPOINTMENT? I HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. AND I SAY HOUSEKEEPING BECAUSE I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR A QUICK ANSWER AT YOU. YEAH, I'M SORRY. AND YOU GOT LONGER THAN YOU ASKED FOR. SORRY. NO, THAT'S OKAY. UM, CHANDRA HATCHER. YES, SIR. WE SPOKE TO THE MAYOR TODAY. MM-HMM . HE SAID THAT ONE OF THE ISSUES, A BIG ISSUE THAT HE HAD IN THE LAST FEW DAYS MM-HMM . WAS THAT LETTER THAT SHE SUBMITTED TO GET THIS INVESTIGATION COMPLETELY STARTED. MM-HMM . THE MAYOR ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD ISSUES WITH REGARDS TO THIS EMAIL FROM 2018 'CAUSE OF WHAT WAS PORTRAYED AND WHAT IS REALITY CONSIDERING WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE AND THE CONCERNS THAT THE MAYOR HAS AND OTHERS ABOUT THAT TWIN, THAT LETTER SUBMITTED BY EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF HATCHER REGARDING A MEETING THAT YOU WERE BRIEFLY AT, AND THEN YOU LEFT, BUT SHE WAS NOT THERE, BUT YET SHE PUT THIS IN WRITING TO GET THIS INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED. I'D LIKE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THOSE ACTIONS AS CHIEF. SO, I, I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS AND NOT JUDGE. AND I THINK YOU, YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME THERE. UH, I, I HAVE A FANTASTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH CHIEF HATCHER, AND I BELIEVE HER HEART IS ABSOLUTELY IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND ALWAYS TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. BIG HEART, I KNOW HER. UM, I THINK WE HAVE TO WAIT AND, AND SEE, UH, WHAT THE, WHAT, HOW SHE EXPLAINS THAT. I THINK WE ENTIT SHE'S OWED THAT. LET HER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN HOW SHE MIGHT'VE WRITTEN IT IN THAT FORM. AND, AND, AND IF MAYBE IT MAKES SENSE, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE IT DOESN'T, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE AT LEAST AFFORD HER THAT OPPORTUNITY. SO FROM MY PART, I WILL GIVE HER AS JUST LIKE, I WOULD ASK ANYBODY TO GIVE ME A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN, LOOKS LIKE I'VE BEEN EXPLAINING TODAY WHAT I MIGHT REMEMBER, WHAT I MIGHT NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, EV YOU KNOW, FROM YEARS BEFORE. AND, AND THEN YOU ALL WILL BE THE JUDGE AT THAT LOOK, THE PUBLIC, THE MAYOR WILL BE THE JUDGE. UH, WILL, WILL, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND, UM, AND WE WILL COME TO SOME TYPE OF DETERMINATION AFTER THAT. UM, I THINK MISTAKES CAN BE MADE, BUT I DON'T KNOW. I NEED TO GIVE EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN. AND IF AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF MAKES A MISTAKE UNDER YOUR WATCH, WILL THAT PERSON BE TREATED AS A PATROL OFFICER ON THE STREETS? SO HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS, MARIO. I, I TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME. AND I TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THINGS HAPPEN BECAUSE BEING THE CHIEF OVERFIELD OPERATIONS, I ASSURE YOU, THINGS HAPPEN FAST IN THE FIELD. ACTIONS, YOU KNOW, CAR CRASHES, SHOOTINGS, UH, FIGHTS, THINGS LIKE THAT, CONFLICT. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, USE OF ALL THESE THINGS HAPPEN AND IT'S NEVER NEAT AND PRETTY. OKAY? SO I GIVE ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE FIELD, I WILL GIVE MY OWN EXECUTIVE STAFF THE SAME RIGHTS, AND, AND THEN, BUT I WILL HOLD. BUT AS AN AGENCY, WE HAVE TO HOLD EVERYBODY TO THE SAME STANDARD. YES. SO WE WILL LISTEN, UH, WE WILL, WE WILL DO AN INVESTIGATION. UH, EVERYBODY GETS TO EXPLAIN WHY, HOW, WHAT, INCLUDING CHIEF HATCHER. AND THEN WE GO FROM THERE. I JUST REALLY DON'T WANNA GET AHEAD OF IT. HI. I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE SEARCH FOR POTENTIAL NEW POLICE CHIEF. I'M SO SORRY. ONE MORE TIME. HI. I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE SEARCH FOR A POTENTIAL [00:40:01] NEW POLICE CHIEF. I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE TIMELINE MIGHT GOING ON THAT, AND IF YOU'RE INVOLVED IN WHAT YOUR PARTY . SO I'M NOT INVOLVED, AND I GET TO ACTUALLY DIRECT YOU TO THE MAYOR FOR THAT ONE BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. I MEAN, IT'S NOT THAT I WOULDN'T, BUT I MEAN, CERTAINLY IF IT'S, IF IT'S NOT ME, I WANT THE BEST CHIEF POSSIBLE. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY DESERVES. UH, AND SO OBVIOUSLY I WOULD BE A CHEERLEADER FOR THAT. BUT NO, THE MAYOR, I MEAN, I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIMELINE THE MAYOR IS ON. THAT'S FOR HIM. AND, UH, SO I WOULD, I WOULD DIRECT YOU TO DOWN. YES, SIR. WHAT SORT OF GUIDANCE WERE YOU GIVEN ABOUT TAKING OVER THIS, THIS POSITION? I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MAYOR WAS TALKING ABOUT A DESIRE TO SORT OF MOVE ON, GET BACK TO PUBLIC SAFETY. I MEAN, HOW IS THAT BALANCE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, CHANGING ONE POSITION IS NOT A WHOLESALE CHANGE IN THE WAY THE DEPARTMENT OPERATES. NO, YOU, YOU'RE RIGHT. YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN A LOT OF WAYS, YOU'RE RIGHT. THE MEN AND WOMEN OUT THERE THAT ARE DOING THE JOBS THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE STILL DOING THEM. THEY WERE DOING 'EM YESTERDAY. THEY'RE DOING 'EM TODAY. CALLS ARE STILL BEING RAN, INVESTIGATIONS ARE STILL HAPPENING. PEOPLE ARE STILL FILING REPORTS, ALL THOSE THINGS. UM, WE'RE STILL ON THE FREEWAYS DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT, THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE, I THINK. UM, SO ONE PERSON, UM, IS, IS, IS IS GOING TO MAKE SOME CHANGE. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN AROUND A WHILE AND I THINK I'M VERY BLESSED. AND I WILL TELL YOU I HAD A LOT OF OUTREACH AND I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT. SO I'M BLESSED TO HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT AND HOPEFULLY THROUGH THAT WE ALL CAN WORK EVEN HARDER, UM, AND, AND DO EVEN MORE BECAUSE THE PUBLIC NEEDS IT. THE PEOPLE OUT THERE NEED IT. AND SO HOPEFULLY I, I CAN BE A PART OF THAT AND MAYBE BE A LITTLE BIT OF A MOTIVATION FOR THAT. THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I HAVE TO BE RIGHT NOW. I, I DON'T TO SAY THAT I'M NOT GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD. OKAY. IT'S KIND OF A FOLLOW UP TO THAT. YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IDEAS FOR KIND OF DECENTRALIZING, STREAMLINING, GETTING PEOPLE CLOSER. YES. ARE THINGS LIKE REVIVING THE INVESTIGATIVE FIRST RESPONDERS UNIT EVIDENCE? SO IT'S, IT'S THE, THE, THOSE OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING AND, UH, WE JUST HAD AN, UH, EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL MEETING JUST A, A WEEK OR TWO AGO WHERE I TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE AT LENGTH. UM, IT, IT COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF NAMES OR IT COULD, I THINK WE HAVE SOME STATIONS HAVE ALREADY KIND OF EMBARKING ON THAT WITH PATROL INVESTIGATIONS UNITS, WHICH ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THING. UM, I DON'T CARE WHAT WE CALL IT. I PERSONALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF INVESTIGATORS CLOSER TO WHERE THINGS ARE HAPPENING, ENGAGING AND GETTING, UH, AND, AND HAVING THOSE DAILY DIALOGUES WITH THE, THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE RESPONDING TO THE CALLS, TAKING THAT INITIAL REPORT THAT'S GONNA END UP AT, AT AN INVESTIGATOR WHO WILL THEN TAKE IT, UH, AND MOVE FORWARD. RIGHT NOW THEY TAKE, THEY WRITE THE REPORTS AND THOSE REPORTS GO TO INVESTIGATIONS ON INVESTIGATIVE SPECIAL OPERATIONS SIDE OF THE HOUSE, NOT FIELD OPERATIONS. UH, AND THEY DO THE INVESTIGATION, THEY DO GREAT WORK, BUT THIS IS ONE OF MY THINGS THAT I'M WILLING TO GO PUBLIC WITH RIGHT NOW. SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD WORK BETTER FOR US. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I, WHILE I HAVE TIME AND I'M IN THIS SEAT, I'M GONNA TRY TO DO JENNY OR DAISY. DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, IF YOU CAN TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT NOW, CONSIDERING THE WHOLE CONTROVERSIAL STUFF HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME THAT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH PUBLIC SAFETY. MM-HMM . WELL, I MEAN, I THINK IT STARTS AND STOPS WITH PUBLIC SAFETY. SO BOTH, BOTH ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. THE CASES ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY'RE, THERE ARE BAD ACTORS THAT IF WE DO THE INVESTIGATION, MAYBE WE CAN IDENTIFY, CHARGE AND GET A BAD ACTOR OFF THE STREET, WHICH MAKES EVERYBODY SAFE AT THE SAME TIME. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS OUT THERE, UH, IN THE, IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW. IT'S A GREAT CITY AND FANTASTIC PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF CRIMINALS OUT THERE ROAMING THE STREETS. WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT SHOULD NOT BE OUT ON MULTIPLE BONDS. AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT AND THIS, THE, THIS APPOINTMENT TO THIS ACTING POSITION. BUT BROADLY SPEAKING, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED HELP GETTING THEM OFF THE STREETS. WE NEED, UM, OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS, IS REALLY, IT SEEMS LIKE OF LATE, AND IT MAY BE MORE ANECDOTAL, BUT I'M READING THOSE REPORTS, I'M READING THOSE READOUTS EVERY DAY. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF VIOLENCE BETWEEN COUPLES AND RELATIONSHIPS, AND PEOPLE ARE DYING OUT THERE. SO WE'RE GONNA BE DOING MORE THINGS WITH THAT. YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE GONNA, I'M GONNA MEET WITH HAWK AND OUR TEAM AND OUR VICTIM SERVICES. WE'RE [00:45:01] GONNA DO MORE MESSAGING. WE'RE GONNA DO OTHER THINGS. I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS BOTH ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. THERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING AND THERE'S BAD GUYS OUT THERE. UH, AND HOWEVER WE IDENTIFY AND IF THEY'RE GUILTY OR IF WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE, UH, THAT SUGGESTS WE MAKE, GET A CHARGE AND DETAIN AND GET THEM OFF THE STREET THROUGH THIS, THROUGH WHAT'S HAPPENED BROADLY ACROSS THE, THE, UH, THE CITY. MY PRIORITY IS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC VIOLENT CRIME HAS TO LEAD THE WAY, AND THEN ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER ISSUES BECAUSE VIOLENT CRIME IS, IS HUGE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT ARE AFFECTING PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS TO DO LOTS OF THINGS BECAUSE THERE ARE JUST A LOT OF NEEDS YOU CAN START BACK OVER, OR IF YOU CAN CLARIFY AS FAR AS THE TIMELINE WITH THE, THE ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS. I KNOW YOU CAN'T TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THEM, BUT AS FAR AS JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, 'CAUSE I KNOW ONE OF THEM SUPPOSED THE IAD INVESTIGATION FINISH ACTUALLY, BUT THEN RESTART THE MAYOR SOMETHING. I WAS HOPING JUST TO CLARIFY WHERE THINGS STAND AS FAR AS MM-HMM . YEAH. THEY BEEN RESTARTED OR THEY CAN N ANY TIMELINES TO WHEN THERE MIGHT BE COMPLETED OR, RIGHT. WELL, I THINK, I DON'T WANNA GET AHEAD OF MYSELF, GET OVER MY SKIS. I THINK THAT WE ARE CLOSE, AND YES, IT WAS REOPENED AND, AND A LOT OF IT I SAW, YOU KNOW, IN THE MEDIA LIKE Y'ALL. SO, BUT, UH, BUT I MEAN, I THINK THERE WAS A FEW EXTRA QUESTIONS THAT EMERGED. I THINK WERE CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL LOOK INTO HOW IT WAS FIRST STARTED AND, AND, AND HOW IT KIND OF EVOLVED INTO WHAT IT EVOLVED INTO. AND OF COURSE, ITS USE, THOSE THINGS ARE PRETTY CLOSE, I THINK, TO BEING CONCLUDED. I THINK THERE ARE SPINOFF, UH, INVESTIGATIONS, UH, AND I THINK CHIEF FINNER USED THAT WORD, I'LL, I'LL USE IT TOO. UH, OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALSO, AND THOSE MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER BECAUSE THERE IS A PROCESS INVOLVED AS WE GO THROUGH THE, UH, OUR INTERNAL AFFAIRS, YOU KNOW, UM, INVESTIGATIONS, UH, WHICH IS PRETTY CONSISTENT ACROSS THE STATE, ACROSS THE NATION, HONESTLY. SO THOSE MAY TAKE A LITTLE LONGER, BUT WE ARE WORKING HARD TO GET THROUGH THAT BECAUSE WE REALLY NEED TO STAY SINGULARLY FOCUSED ON PROTECTING THE PUBLIC. UH, AND, AND THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO CONCLUDE. SO, YOU KNOW, SO EVERYTHING IS FOCUSED WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. OKAY. WE, TWO MORE QUESTIONS. I, SO, SO WHAT DO WE CALL YOU? DO WE CALL YOU CHIEF ACTING? CHIEF INTERIM CHIEF? WHAT? UM, WHAT DO WE DO? I'VE NEVER BEEN BIG ON TITLES. OKAY. UM, YOU, IT'S, IT'S THE, THE TITLE IS ACTING CHIEF. UM, UH, IT USED TO BE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF, WHICH IS JUST A MOUTHFUL IN ITSELF. RIGHT. UM, BUT NORMAL CONVERSATION AROUND THE AGENCY AND AROUND ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY HAS USUALLY BEEN CHIEF. UH, JUST TO MAKE IT EASY, UM, WE ALL KNOW IT'S ACTING CHIEF, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, YOU CAN CALL ME WHATEVER YOU WANT. OKAY. AND AS ACTING CHIEF, IF YOU FIND OUT THAT ANY OF YOUR COMMAND STAFF KNEW ABOUT THIS CODE BEING USED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD STILL BE A PART OF YOUR COMMAND STAFF? SO IT JUST DEPENDS. THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO THAT ON IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT EXACTLY WAS IT PRESENTED? I MEAN, I'M TRYING TO BE FAIR TO EVERYBODY, SO TO TELL YOU, UH, EXACTLY. IF I FIND THIS OUT, BOOM, THAT'S THE DEAL. I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW. I HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING OBJECTIVELY AND MAKE SURE THAT I'M AFFORDING EVERYBODY THE SAME, UH, RIGHTS IN CONSIDERATION THAT I WOULD FOR, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY THAT'S BEEN IN MY COMMAND IN FIELD OPERATIONS. SO THAT, SO I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER RIGHT THERE FOR YOU. UM, AND JUST, JUST UNDERSTAND THAT IN, IN TIME CHANGES COULD OCCUR. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, I'M NOT A BIG BLAME GUY. I REALLY AMT I'M NOT, WE AS AN AGENCY, AS A DEPARTMENT, UM, ON THIS ONE FAILED. AND JUST TO PIGGYBACK, IF I COULD OFF THE, UH, PROGRESS QUESTION THAT WE HAD EARLIER. WE HAVE THIS BIG NUMBER, 260,000. DO WE HAVE A GOOD NUMBER TO GIVE THE PUBLIC NOW AS TO HOW FAR WE ARE INTO LOOKING AT THOSE CASES? WE'RE I DON'T, WELL, I START NAMING NUMBERS AND I'LL BE WRONG. UM, BUT CAN I GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT? I THINK WE CAN PUT SOMETHING OUT TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE. UM, AGAIN, I IT ALWAYS SOUNDS LIKE AN EXCUSE WHEN [00:50:01] I SAY I, I DON'T KNOW, AND I'M STILL LEARNING, BUT I SIMPLY AM STILL LEARNING, TRYING TO GET, MAKE SURE I WANNA GIVE OUT ACCURATE INFORMATION. AT ANY POINT IN YOUR CAREER, WOULD IT HAVE BEEN STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR YOU TO READ THROUGH THE SOPS AND KNOW WHAT CODES ARE BEING APPLIED TO REPORTS AND HOW IT'S YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S POSSIBLE. YEAH. I MEAN, I MEAN, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE, UH, LEVELS OF SU OF SUPERVISION THAT REVIEW THE, THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND LOOK AT ALL THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT. UH, THERE'S A LOT OF TRUST IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND, AND, AND, UH, AND THEN KIND OF, AND THEN FOLLOW UP, YOU KNOW, TRUST BUT VERIFY KIND OF THING. SO, UM, YEAH, THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, I'M, I MEAN, I'VE READ SOPS, YOU KNOW, NOBODY ON THIS DEPARTMENT, I MEAN, EVERYBODY ON THIS DEPARTMENT HAS READ SPECIAL, YOU KNOW, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. UH, AND, UH, LOOKING THAT DEEPLY INTO IT USUALLY IS ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ON THE INVESTIGATION SIDE, UM, EVERYBODY INVESTIGATIONS TYPICALLY SEES SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. AND, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY, UH, I COULD VERY EASILY, I CAN'T TELL YOU, I'VE NOT EVEN SEEN THE S INVESTIGATIONS, SOPS, I'VE BEEN ON 34 YEARS. I MEAN, IT'S VERY CONCEIVABLE I'VE SEEN STUFF LIKE THAT AND JUST DIDN'T REGISTER IT OR SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW. AGAIN, I, I JUST, I, I DON'T WANT TO SAY SOMETHING THAT'S WRONG. YOU DESERVE THE TRUTH. I SIMPLY DON'T KNOW. OKAY. MARIO, LAST QUESTION. UM, CHIEF SAT WHITE FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES, AND YOU KNEW CHIEF FINNER VERY WELL. I DID. YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH HIM DURING THE COURSE OF THE WEEKS AND DAYS IN YOUR ROLE, AND YOU STOOD WITH HIM ON FEBRUARY 22ND WHEN HE HAD THE INITIAL NEWS CONFERENCE MM-HMM . AND AT THAT NEWS CONFERENCE, HE INDICATED TO ALL OF HOUSTON THAT HE LEARNED THAT THE CODE WAS BEING USED AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 7TH OF THIS YEAR. BUT IN HEARING YOU EARLIER, YOU SAID YOU HAD REALIZED THAT THE CODE WAS BEING USED AT THE END OF 2023. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW YOU, IN YOUR POSITION AND KNOWING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR ROLE IN THE DEPARTMENT AND THE INTERACTIONS WITH CHIEF NER, THAT YOU DID NOT CONVEY THAT TO CHIEF NER IN LAST YEAR? SO, AND THIS IS, THIS IS THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETIME AT THE END OF THE YEAR I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, BUT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A ONE, A ONE TIME KIND OF THING, AND I JUST DON'T KNOW. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE I HEARD THAT, UM, AND I, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS LATER THAT THE MAGNITUDE OF IT WAS DISCOVERED. I DON'T EVEN THINK ON FEBRUARY 7TH, I KNEW THE MAGNITUDE OF IT, BUT I JUST, IT'S, I JUST WANNA SAY IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, THERE WAS SOMETHING TO THAT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. MAYBE IT WAS JANUARY, MAYBE IT WAS HER. THAT'S THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT I'M TRYING TO STRUGGLE ON EXACTLY WHEN AND WHAT AND WHAT IT WAS I ACTUALLY MIGHT HAVE HEARD OR NOT. AND SO IT, I DON'T WANT IT TO SOUND LIKE I, I, I JUST DON'T KNOW. NO, I UNDERSTAND CHIEF, BUT WHEN YOU TELL US MM-HMM . TALKING TO ESTONIA LIVE ON TELEVISION RIGHT NOW. RIGHT. AND YOU SAY THAT YOU WERE AWARE OF THIS CODE BEING USED LAST YEAR, AND THEN WE ASK YOU THE QUESTION AGAIN MM-HMM . AND YOU COME BACK AND SAY, WELL, I THINK I HEARD, I'M NOT SO SURE MM-HMM . WE JUST WENT THROUGH THIS THE LAST THREE MONTHS. RIGHT? NO, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE GOING BACK THROUGH THAT WHERE YOU'RE GETTING MIS INFORMATION. I REALLY, LIKE I SAID, I, I WANNA SAY MAYBE SOMETHING WAS, WAS THAT I'D HEARD SOMETHING AND MAYBE IT WAS ON A SPECIFIC CASE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. I JUST SIMPLY DON'T KNOW. UM, SO NOW WE'RE GOING BACK. SO I, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS, I DON'T KNOW. AND SO I DON'T, I CAN'T PIN ANYTHING DOWN MAYBE WHY WASN'T AN ESCALATED CHIEF? WHY DID YOU NOT CONVEY THAT TO CHIEF? I DON'T KNOW. I, LIKE I SAID, I DIDN'T, I'M, I'M AT THAT POINT WHERE, UH, I, I, I GUESS I DIDN'T REGISTER. I'M, I'M, I'M GOING ON RECALL RIGHT NOW, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY, UH, ABOUT THIS. IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS THE END OF THE YEAR BEGINNING THERE. AND THAT MIGHT BE WHAT I MIGHT BE RECALLING AS A CASE THAT EMERGED, UH, THAT WE WERE LOOKING INTO. AND MAYBE THE FACTS OF THAT CASE WERE COMING OUT DURING THAT TIME. AND THAT MIGHT BE WHY I SAID END OF THE YEAR, BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. BUT I, I KNOW I SAID THE UNDERSTANDING WHAT EXACTLY WAS HAPPENING WAS NOT REALLY, DID NOT COME ABOUT UNTIL LATER IN THE YEAR WHEN, UH, SO I AM SORRY THAT'S, THAT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE I KNEW THAT WE WERE SUSPENDING CASES AND DOING ALL THESE THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, AND FOR LACK OF MANPOWER ON SEXUAL ASSAULT, I DIDN'T KNOW ANY OF THOSE THINGS. I DON'T MEAN TO BE, YOU KNOW, INACCURATE, I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT SEEMS LIKE END OF THE YEAR, BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IS WHAT I WANNA SAY. SOMETHING ON THAT, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN WITH ALL THAT WE HAD GOING ON IN JANUARY. [00:55:01] UM, IT COULD HAVE BEEN EARLY FEBRUARY, I'M SORRY. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THAT TIMEFRAME BASED ON, SORRY, JUST REAL QUICK. THINK BACK THAT, BASED ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS, DO YOU THINK THAT FEBRUARY'S FIRST, FEBRUARY 7TH WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE SENT OR HAD HEARD ABOUT IT, OR WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT, WAS WHAT'S THE PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS? AFTER HE HEARD ABOUT IT? HE REALLY STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT. SO SOMEWHERE IN THERE, SOMEWHERE IN THERE. I MEAN, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING TOTALLY PREPARED, BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU IT'S, THAT WAS MONTHS AGO AND WE'RE ALREADY DEEP INTO THIS. AND IT'S, LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT'S, I'M THINKING, I'M THINKING ABOUT A CASE WHEN I SAY I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT IT. UH, BUT I DON'T KNOW FOR A FACT. AND I, I DON'T MEAN TO BE WRONG ON THAT. SO PLEASE FORGET. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. * 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.