[Public Safety Committee on May 14, 2024. ]
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MY NAME IS AMY PECK, CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 10:02 AM WE ARE JOINED IN CHAMBERS BY COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANNE HUFFMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ JACKSON.
AND OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON AS WELL.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE STAFF FROM, UM, MAYOR PRO, TIM CAS, TATUM'S, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S OFFICE, UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS'S OFFICE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IS HERE AS WELL.
AND ONLINE WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER OFFICE.
UM, BEFORE WE START OUR FIRST PRESENTATION TODAY, I DO WANT TO MENTION, UM, THE SUSPENDED HPD CASES.
THAT IS OF COURSE SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMITTEE, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS.
UM, WE DID ASK FOR THE INDEPENDENT BOARD THAT IS OVERSEEING, UM, THE, THE INVESTIGATIONS TO GIVE A PRESENTATION AT THIS COMMITTEE.
WE WERE TOLD THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO COME TO THE FULL COUNCIL BODY FIRST.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER THAT HAPPENS AND THEN HAVE THEM COME TO COMMITTEE AND ADDRESS THAT IN COMMITTEE.
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC, OBVIOUSLY, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THAT HERE AS WELL.
WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
ALL OF THE PRESENTATIONS ARE POSTED ON THE COMMITTEE'S WEBSITE AT HOUSTON TX.GOV/COUNCIL/COMMITTEE/PUBLIC SAFETY.
THE FIRST PRESENTATION TODAY WILL BE FROM DR. STOUT, UM, PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER.
SO AM WE ARE ALSO JOINED, UM, ONLINE, UM, BY STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S OFFICE.
UM, OKAY, SO WE GOT THAT UP THERE.
UH, JUST A QUICK INTRODUCTION 'CAUSE THERE'S A FEW FOLKS FROM THE LAB HERE FROM I GUESS YOUR RIGHT TO LEFT.
AKILAH MANZ, WHO'S OUR GENERAL COUNSEL IS HERE, AND DR. AMY CASTILLO, WHO'S CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER FOR THE LABORATORY.
COURTNEY, WHO RUNS OUR BIOLOGY DIVISION, DONNA, WHO RUNS FIREARMS. AND THEN JACKIE, WHO IS OUR QUALITY DIRECTOR.
SO YOU KIND OF GOT SOME OF THE, THE MAJOR SECTIONS OF THE LABORATORY.
I ASKED BIOLOGY AND FIREARMS IN PARTICULAR, 'CAUSE I KNOW THOSE ARE TWO OF THE BACKLOGS FOR US THAT ARE OF MOST CONCERN ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
SO YEAH, I'VE GOT SOME UPDATES ABOUT THE LAB AND WANTED TO TALK ALSO ABOUT, UH, THE CONCEPTUALIZED SHIFT OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT THAT WE NOW HAVE UNDERWAY.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS TO POINT OUT, WE JUST HIT 10 YEARS, WHICH IS REALLY A PRETTY REMARKABLE THING.
UH, HFSC TOOK OVER MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS AFTER HMM, DECADES OF CHALLENGES IN APRIL OF 2014.
AND REALLY THAT IS A PRETTY HISTORIC THING.
UH, I TALK IN ALL KINDS OF PLACES PRETTY MUCH ALL OVER THE WORLD ABOUT HFSC.
AND I REALLY DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE, WHAT HOUSTON DID FOR THE LABORATORY IS REALLY QUITE UNIQUE AND GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION AROUND THE WORLD.
UM, YOU ALL SHOULD BE VERY PROUD ABOUT THE CHOICE TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING TRULY DIFFERENT WITH A FORENSIC LABORATORY.
UM, WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO, NO QUESTION, BUT WE GET A LOT OF ATTENTION AND PEOPLE HAVE REALLY COME TO LOOK AT WHAT USED TO BE THE ARCHETYPE OF THE FAILED FORENSIC LABORATORY NOW AS A MODEL FOR, HEY, MAYBE WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING HERE.
AND PART OF WHAT I WANTED TO KINDA START THE CONVERSATION TODAY WITH Y'ALL MAY RECOGNIZE THIS PICTURE.
UM, YOU PROBABLY RECOGNIZE WHERE THAT PICTURE WAS TAKEN.
YOU RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THAT PICTURE.
UH, GEORGE RODRIGUEZ IS ONE OF FOUR MEN WHO WERE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED AND EXONERATED.
THE WRONGFUL CONVICTION WAS BASED VERY DIRECTLY OFF OF A FAILING IN THE FORENSIC LABORATORY.
HE SERVED 17 YEARS FOR A SEXUAL ASSAULT HE DID NOT COMMIT.
AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF MY CONVERSATION HERE, I'M MORE INTERESTED IN THE FACT IN 2011, HE HAD SUED THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES
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INFRACTION AND PREVAILED.SO IN 2011, THERE WAS A DECISION HANDED DOWN, UH, A $9 MILLION JUDGMENT AGAINST THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR DELIBERATE INDIFFERENCE AROUND THE HANDLING OF THE FORENSIC LABORATORY.
WHAT I TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND IN ALL KINDS OF PLACES ABOUT FORENSIC LABORATORIES IS FORENSIC LABS ARE RISK FACTORIES.
WE ARE RISK WHEN WE DO SOMETHING.
WE ARE RISK WHEN WE DON'T DO SOMETHING.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT, AND WHAT GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION IN FORENSIC LABORATORIES IS THE COST OF WRONG.
AND WE USE GEORGE RODRIGUEZ AS AN EXAMPLE OF A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THAT'S $9 MILLION FOR ONE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.
WE PROCESS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 25 AND 30,000 REQUESTS A YEAR, WHICH MEANS STRAIGHT LINE, SIMPLE CALCULATION OF RISK FOR THE LABORATORY IS SOMETHING IN EXCESS OF $200 BILLION A YEAR OF RISK.
NOW CLEARLY WE'RE NOT GONNA SCREW EVERYTHING UP, BUT THE SCALE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING HERE IS IMMENSE.
AND WE POSE A HUGE RISK IF WE GET STUFF WRONG.
THERE IS ALSO RISK, THOUGH, IF WE ARE LATE.
AND THIS, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING WITH A LOT OF THE ADVOCACY COMMUNITY THAT ARE RIGHTFULLY FOCUSED ON LABORATORY PERFORMANCE AND ACCURACY.
BUT THERE IS A REAL RISK IF WE DON'T GET STUFF THERE ON TIME.
THE RIGHT ANSWER LATE DOESN'T DO ANYBODY ANY GOOD.
AND I USE, THERE'S A 2010 STUDY.
SO THESE ARE 2010 NUMBERS THAT TRIES TO ESTIMATE THE COST OF VARIOUS CRIMES TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
YOU KNOW, INVESTIGATION COSTS AND LOST WAGES AND DAMAGES AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
THEY PEG A HOMICIDE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 5 MILLION, 14 MILLION, SEXUAL ASSAULT AT ABOUT A HALF A MILLION, A BURGLARY AT ABOUT 40,000.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE RISK OF US BEING SLOW, IT HAS A REAL SCALE TO IT AS WELL.
FOUR HOMICIDES IS BASICALLY THE SCALE OF OUR BUDGET.
70 SEXUAL ASSAULTS IS THE SCALE OF OUR BUDGET.
WE GET ABOUT 1200 SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS A YEAR.
SO THERE ARE VERY REAL, VERY LARGE NUMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH EVERYTHING WITH THE LAB.
WHICH MEANS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF TRYING TO MANAGE THIS IS WE'RE TRYING TO MANAGE A SYSTEM TO ABOUT A ONE IN 10,000 KIND OF FAILURE RATE, WHICH IS A REAL ENGINEERING CHALLENGE.
UM, BECAUSE A ONE IN 10,000 RISK MEANS WE'VE GOT A RISK OF THREE CATASTROPHIC FAILINGS A YEAR, WHICH IS ABOUT THE SCALE OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET OF THE ORGANIZATION.
UM, NOW IF I WERE TO TRY AND STATISTICALLY DEMONSTRATE THIS, IT'S JUST NOT REALISTIC.
AND WE GET A LOT OF ATTENTION.
I THINK I'VE TALKED WITH JUST ABOUT ALL OF YOU ABOUT OUR BLIND TESTING PROGRAM GETS ATTENTION ALL OVER THE WORLD AND THAT GIVES US A HOOK ON BEING ABLE TO STATISTICALLY DEMONSTRATE FAILURE AND ERROR RATE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
BUT IF I WERE TO TRY AND STATISTICALLY DEMONSTRATE SOMETHING ON THE ORDER OF A ONE IN 10,000 RATE, I'D NEED TO RUN 150,000 BLINDS A YEAR THROUGH THE SYSTEM TO THE COST OF ABOUT $130 MILLION A YEAR.
THAT THAT JUST ISN'T GONNA HAPPEN.
AND I SAY THAT AGAIN, FOR THOSE WHO ARE CRITICAL OF FORENSIC LABORATORIES AND SAY EVERYTHING SHOULD BE DONE BLINDED.
I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT WRONG, BUT THEY'RE ALSO NOT REALISTIC.
NOW, IF WE LOOKED AT ABOUT A THOUSAND BLINDS A YEAR, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE MORE REALISTIC, WE CAN STATISTICALLY DEMONSTRATE ABOUT A, THAT OUR ERROR RATE WOULD BE SOMETHING LESS THAN ABOUT 0.2%, ABOUT A 95% CONFIDENCE LEVEL IN THAT.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE SOMETHING THAT'S WORKABLE.
AND JUST FOR SCALE RIGHT NOW, WE INSERT ABOUT 400, SO WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THERE.
BUT I SAY ALL OF THIS BECAUSE THE SCALE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING FOR FAILURES, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE TALKED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE STATE LEVEL, LOCAL LEVELS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
WE TEND TO LOOK AT FORENSIC LABORATORIES AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT, WHEN REALLY THE COST OF FAILURES WITHIN LABORATORIES IS MORE THE SCALE OF CRASHING AIRPLANES.
IT'S HUGELY EXPENSIVE WHEN STUFF FAILS IN LABORATORIES.
IT'S ALSO HUGELY EXPENSIVE WHEN WE'RE SLOW.
UH, WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE UPDATE ABOUT ARPA FUNDING BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN A REAL LIFELINE TO US FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UH, WE HAVE, I THINK, DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF USING THESE FUNDS.
WE HAVE USED THEM PRIMARILY FOR TRAINING NEW STAFF, FOR OUTSOURCING TO TRY AND DEAL WITH SOME OF THE BACKLOGS THAT WERE A RESULT OUT OF COVID AND HARVEY.
UM, AND FOR SOME NEW TECHNOLOGIES, PARTICULARLY IN FIREARMS. SO WE HAVE FUNDED MORE THAN 50,000 TRAINING HOURS OF STAFF OVER THE LAST, UH, ABOUT 18 MONTHS, UM, THAT IS SUPPORTING THE TRAINING OF FIVE NEW FIREARMS EXAMINERS
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FOR SCALE, THE ASSOCIATION OF FIREARM AND TOOL MARK EXAMINERS, WHICH IS THE MAIN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION OF FIREARM AND TOOL MARK EXAMINERS IN THE WORLD.ESTIMATES THERE ARE ABOUT A THOUSAND CERTIFIED FIREARMS EXAMINERS IN THE WORLD.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRETTY HEALTHY TOTAL PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FIREARMS EXAMINERS IN THE WORLD WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THIS.
BUT WE'VE GOT FIVE IN TRAINING THAT WE'VE BEEN USING THE ARPA FUNDING FOR ALSO IN FIREARMS. WE ARE PURCHASING TWO OF WHAT ARE CALLED 3D SCOPES.
THESE ARE THE NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGY THAT IS, UH, ESSENTIAL TO ADDRESSING SOME VERY REAL, VERY SIGNIFICANT CRITICISMS OF HOW FIREARMS IS PRACTICED.
UH, THOSE TWO SHOULD HOPEFULLY BE DELIVERING HERE IN ABOUT THE NEXT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS.
WE'VE GOT ONE OF THE INSTRUMENTS IN PLACE ON A RESEARCH PROGRAM, A RESEARCH PROJECT THAT WE HAVE UNDER A GRANT WITH DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ALREADY.
UH, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO BEEN USING, UH, ARPA FUNDING TO SUPPORT BRIEF REFORMULATING OUR LATENT PRINT UNIT AND CLEAR THE BACKLOG THERE.
AND WITH THE OUTSOURCING OF STUFF, WE HAVE, UH, ELIMINATED ABOUT 90% OF THE TOXICOLOGY BACKLOG AND CLEARED THE BACKLOG IN MULTIMEDIA.
SO THE MONEY HAS GONE A LONG WAY FOR US.
I DID WANNA MENTION ABOUT OUR BUDGET, 'CAUSE I KNOW SOME OF THAT WAS IN, UM, THE MEDIA.
WE, WE DROP A TOOTHBRUSH, WE'RE IN THE MEDIA, UH, BUT FOR THE FY 25 BUDGET, WHAT OUR BOARD PASSED.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, WAS, OH, ACTUALLY THE FIRST PART I'VE GOT THERE IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A HIGH LEVEL BREAKDOWN OF HOW MONEY GOES FOR US.
LIKE MOST GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, MOST OF OUR COST IS PEOPLE COST.
UH, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 60 AND 70% OF OUR COSTS ARE FOR THE PEOPLE TO DO THE WORK.
THE BIG ORANGE CHUNK THERE IS SERVICES.
PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CHUNK OUT OF THAT IS OUTSOURCING TO COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES AND TOXICOLOGY AND DNA OF THE SERVICES THERE.
ANOTHER BIG CHUNK ARE COMPUTER SERVICES.
ALL THE STUFF WE DO WITH OFFICE 365 AND UH, AZURE, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT BIG ORANGE CHUNK.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE SMALLER SLICES THERE OF, UH, WHAT WE USE IN SUPPLIES AND CAPITAL AND NON-CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE GENERAL BREAKDOWN'S.
PRETTY STABLE FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
WHAT MY BOARD PASSED BACK, UH, ORIGINALLY WAS A SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS INCREASE, OR A 22% INCREASE, WHICH IS BIG.
UM, WHAT OUR PO PURPOSE IN THIS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE THINK WE NEED TO DO TO ACTUALLY MAKE PROGRESS.
AND I DO NOT ENVY YOU ALL ANY OF THE DECISIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE.
UM, AND I FULLY APPRECIATE WHERE WE'RE AT ON STUFF, WELL
UM, AND IN DISCUSSING WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, I THINK WHERE WE'RE COMING DOWN TO THE, THE RED BOX THERE IS FOCUSING ON THE NEEDS IN FORENSIC BIOLOGY AND THE NEEDS AROUND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT.
SO ALL THE THINGS IN BETWEEN WILL BE A CONTINUING DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE DO.
WE'LL LOOK AT HOW WE CAN BE CREATIVE ABOUT THINGS, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT MAY JUST HAVE TO WAIT, BUT THAT MEANS THEN ABOUT A $3.6 MILLION INCREASE OR ABOUT 12%, WHICH IS STILL LARGE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WILL LET US ACTUALLY MAKE SOME PROGRESS IN BIOLOGY.
COUPLE OF THINGS TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT UNDER THAT.
SO IN BIOLOGY, HOW WE'VE BUILT THAT IS ABOUT A TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE THAT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
INITIALLY WE'RE GONNA USE THAT MORE FOR OUTSOURCING AS WE BUILD IN MORE PEOPLE.
AND I THINK, AGAIN, ALL OF YOU, I'VE TALKED WITH ABOUT THE FACT THAT BUILDING A NEW ANALYST IS ABOUT A $2 MILLION OR ABOUT A TWO YEAR ARC AND ABOUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR PROCESS.
IT TAKES US A LONG TIME TO BUILD NEW PEOPLE.
ONE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IS THE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE HAVE DEPENDED ON FOR OUTSOURCING IN BIOLOGY ISN'T KEEPING UP WITH THE COSTS OF THE NEED FOR OUTSOURCING IN BIOLOGY.
SO SOMEHOW WE GOTTA MAKE UP THE GAP THAT'S PART OF THAT, AND THAT 2 MILLION FOR OUTSOURCING.
UH, IT ALSO GIVES US SOME FLEXIBILITY TO OUTSOURCE THINGS OTHER THAN SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
THOSE ARE ALSO VERY EXPENSIVE THINGS TO OUTSOURCE.
BUT AS WE INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, THE INTENT IS TO DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF OUTSOURCING AND BALANCE THAT OUT.
UM, THEN DOWN AT THE BOTTOM END IS THE PROPERTY ROOM, WHICH IS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS THERE THAT, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT PROPERTY, BUT WHAT WE'VE GOT BUILT INTO THE BUDGET IS AN ESTIMATE OF ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF LEASE, UH, WHICH IS THE LEASE THAT YOU ALL CONSIDERED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
UH, AND THEN DIRECT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH
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THE MOVE OF EVIDENCE AND GETTING THE CONSTRUCTION DONE AND THE ENGINEERING DONE FOR THE SHIFT OF EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT, AT LEAST INITIALLY.SO THINGS THAT WE LEAVE ON THE TABLE AND THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DISCUSS.
THINGS LIKE EXPANDING THE CRIME SCENE UNIT.
UH, 'CAUSE CLEARLY WE STRUGGLE THERE.
KEEPING UP, UM, FIREARMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A VULNERABILITY.
UM, TOXICOLOGY IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL HAVE TO CONSIDER HOW WE LOOK AT THAT.
UH, AND THEN SOME OF THE SUPPORT ASPECTS TO SUPPORT THE REST OF THE STAFF.
NOW I MENTIONED ABOUT THOSE SUPPORT PARTS 'CAUSE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
PART OF THE SUPPORT THINGS GO TO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT YOU SEE IN THE MEDIA.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN SOME OF THESE HEADLINES.
THIS PARTICULAR ARTICLE I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE GRAPH THAT THEY GOT A PICTURE OF AND THE POOR TWO PEOPLE THAT HAD TO STAND THERE NEXT TO THE GRAPH.
I THINK THEY GOT THE MEMO ABOUT, PLEASE DON'T SMILE IN THE PICTURE, BUT IF YOU NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE GRAPH IN PARTICULAR, I THINK IT KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE SEE.
AND KEEP IN MIND, THE LAB SITS BETWEEN THE INVESTIGATIVE FUNCTIONS AT HPD, WHICH ARE RIGHT OFF IN THE BAT.
WE ALSO GET STUFF THAT COMES FROM THE COURTS AND THE DAS AS THEY DEAL WITH THE ADJUDICATION OF A CASE.
SO YOU LOOK AT THIS, EVERYBODY'S BACKLOGS INFLUENCE EVERYBODY'S ELSE'S.
WE'RE ALL TIED TOGETHER AND EVERYBODY MAKES AN IMPACT ON EVERYBODY ELSE.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, 'CAUSE THEY, THEY GAVE THIS CHART, THAT IS THE AVERAGE TIME THAT IT TAKES FOR A CASE TO GET TO TRIAL FROM FILING.
AND BACK IN 2015, UH, YOU CAN SEE IT WAS ABOUT TWO YEARS, ABOUT 24 MONTHS BACK IN 2015, MY TURNAROUND TIME IN FIREARMS WAS LESS THAN A MONTH.
OUR TURNAROUND TIME IN SEIZE DRUGS WAS ABOUT SEVEN DAYS.
AND I WAS GETTING ABOUT 2,500 SUBPOENAS THAT HELD PRETTY CONSISTENT THROUGH 20 17, 20 18.
HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY REMEMBERS WHAT HAPPENED IN 2017 WAS HARVEY, WHICH DESTROYED THE COURTHOUSE AND STARTED BACKING UP THE COURTS.
SO THERE'S WHY THE THINGS WENT RED BETWEEN 2017 AND 2018.
IN 2018, OUR TURNAROUND TIME WAS STILL LESS THAN 30 DAYS IN FIREARMS, LESS THAN SEVEN DAYS, AND DRUGS STILL GETTING ABOUT 2,500 SUBPOENAS.
BUT YOU CAN START TO SEE THE COURTS BASICALLY HAD REAL TROUBLE IN 2020 THAT NOW STARTS TO CREATE A BULGE IN THE SYSTEM THAT YOU KNOW IS GONNA START COMING BACK AND INFLUENCING OUR WORK IN THE COMING YEARS AFTER THAT.
SO WE KNEW IN ABOUT 20 19, 20 20 THAT THINGS WERE GONNA GO START GETTING CHALLENGING.
SO WE STARTED TRYING TO PROPOSE INCREASES TO BUDGET IN ABOUT 2020, KNOWING THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE US TWO TO THREE YEARS TO BUILD THAT CAPACITY.
AGAIN, I DON'T ENVY Y'ALL ANY OF THE DECISIONS Y'ALL HAD TO MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT YOU DID, BUT WE DIDN'T CHANGE THE BUDGET AT THAT POINT, WHICH MEANT YOU COULD SEE THE D WAS KIND OF CAST.
WE WEREN'T IN A POSITION TO HAVE THE RESOURCES BY ABOUT 2023 BECAUSE WE DIDN'T START BUILDING IT IN 2020.
BUT THAT COURT DEMAND KEEPS PUSHING BACK INTO THE NEEDS OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
SO OUR BACKLOG IN FIREARMS WAS ABOUT IN 2023, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NINE MONTHS TO TURN AROUND A FIREARM SEIZED DRUGS AS UP TO ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MONTHS.
WE'RE NOW SEEING NEARLY 4,000 SUBPOENAS BECAUSE OF THIS DEMAND IN THE COURT, WHICH IS STILL GONNA BE THERE FOR A FEW YEARS.
BUT YOU ALSO LOOK, THE TIMELINE TO GET SOMETHING TO COURT IS NOW ABOUT FOUR YEARS.
WE ARE A PORTION OF THAT, BUT WE AREN'T THE WHOLE PART OF IT.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE THE POINT OF HERE IS, YES, OUR BACKLOG HAS REAL IMPACTS ON THE COURT, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SCALE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE, THE COURT'S BACKLOG HAS MORE IMPACT ON US THAN WE HAVE ON THE COURT BACKLOG.
OUR BACKLOG HAPPENS IN REALLY PAINFUL SPOTS FOR THEM, BUT IN GENERAL, THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT PUSHES BACK TO US FROM THE CHALLENGES IN THE COURT IS QUITE LARGE.
AND IT SHOWS UP IN THINGS LIKE TESTIMONY.
UM, COURT IS ALWAYS CHALLENGING.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME LAWYERS AND SOME FORMER PROSECUTORS ON HERE AND, UH, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ AND I HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS.
THERE IS NO EASY WAY TO MAKE COURT EFFICIENT, LIKE YOU'D THINK IT MIGHT, WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO BE WAITING AT THE COURTROOM, BUT IT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO ENGINEER FOR IN THE PROCESS THAT WE SPEND ABOUT 80% OF OUR TIME THAT'S WRAPPED UP IN COURT, SITTING THERE WAITING TO TESTIFY.
AND BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF EVIDENCE, CRIME SCENE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE CALLED MORE BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY INTRODUCE EVIDENCE.
SO YOU CAN SEE IN THE GROUPS THAT END UP OVER THE COURTROOM IS AN UNFORTUNATE COINCIDENCE WITH WHERE OUR BACKLOGS
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ARE BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE GROUPS THAT END UP IN MOST OF THESE CASES.CSU SPENDS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME OVER THERE.
BIOLOGY, FIREARMS BECAUSE WHAT'S GETTING TRIED, HOMICIDES AND VIOLENT CRIMES, MOST OF THOSE HAVE BIOLOGY EVIDENCE AND FIREARMS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
NOW AGAIN, YOU CAN ALSO SEE IT AND WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED THROUGH THE CASES THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THAT WE'VE HAD SUBPOENAS FOR.
SO THESE, THESE ARE BASICALLY THINGS THAT HAVE, WE'VE DONE WORK, IT'S GOING TO TRIAL.
UH, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 4,000 SUBPOENAS IN 2023 OF WHICH THAT WAS FOR ABOUT 14, 1500 COURT CASES.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT HOW THOSE CASES WORK OUT, WE TESTIFY ACTUALLY IN ONLY ABOUT 7%.
AGAIN, I CAN'T GUESS AT WHAT CASES ARE REALLY GONNA END UP IN TRIAL.
SO I'VE GOTTA TREAT THEM ALL LIKE THEY'RE GONNA END UP IN TRIAL, EVEN THOUGH WE ALL KNOW THAT'S GONNA END UP IN A LOT OF WASTE.
BUT I CAN'T PREDICT WHICH CASE IS GONNA GO THERE.
BUT EH, CLOSE TO 40% OF CASES CASES ARE DISMISSED OR DISPOSED, WHICH IS ALSO, I'VE DONE WORK ON THAT FOR IT TO NEVER GO ANYWHERE.
AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE I CAN PREDICT WHICH CASES ARE GONNA GET DISPOSED.
THERE ARE CASES THAT ARE WRAPPED UP IN THERE THAT OUR WORK WAS ESSENTIAL TO BEING ABLE TO DISPOSE THE CASE.
BUT ABOUT HALF THE TIME THEY'RE RESET FOR ALL KINDS OF REASONS.
ABOUT 1% OF THE TIME IN 2023 WHERE THEY RESET FOR AN ACTUAL HFSC REASON.
SO THERE'S ABOUT 17 CASES THAT WERE RESET BECAUSE WE WERE SLOW ON GETTING SOMETHING DONE THAT WAS FIVE CASES.
UH, MOST OF THOSE WERE ON MATERNITY LEAVE.
AND I'LL EVEN OWN THE ONES WHERE A REQUEST CAME IN REALLY LATE AND WE COULDN'T GET SOMETHING TURNED AROUND IN TIME 17.
SO THE, AGAIN, THE CHALLENGE IN THE COURTS HAS MORE IMPACT ON US THAN OUR IMPACT ON THEM.
I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THOSE 17 WERE REALLY PAINFUL PLACES FOR 'EM BECAUSE THOSE WERE PROBABLY MAJOR HOMICIDE CASES.
SO NO, IT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY REAL HARM THERE.
WE DO, BUT IT'S NOT THAT BIG IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON THROUGH THERE.
IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE THOSE SUBPOENAS GO, THESE ARE, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT MAKES ME KIND OF SCRATCH MY HEAD ABOUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK YET TO DO IN THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
ABOUT A THIRD OF THE SUBPOENAS THAT WE GOT IN 2023 WEREN'T FOR US.
THEY WERE FEW PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T WORK FOR US.
SO NO, IS THAT A HUGE CHALLENGE FOR US TO MANAGE THAT? NO, BUT IT IS, I THINK AS I'VE RUN BIG SYSTEMS, ONE OF THOSE LITTLE TELLTALES THAT MAKES YOU THINK, WAIT A SEC, THERE'S MORE GOING ON HERE.
AND SOME WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THIS IS INEFFICIENT FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
AND YEAH, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAY, WE DROP A TOOTHBRUSH, WE'RE IN THE MEDIA, BUT, UM, I I, WHERE WE'RE AT IN OUR BUDGET, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH, WE'LL MAKE PROGRESS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL UNDERSTAND THE PLACES THAT WE STILL HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT, BUT I THINK WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS WITH THAT BUDGET.
ALREADY WHAT WE'RE SEEING, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BIG BACKLOGS THAT ARE OF MOST CONCERN TO EVERYBODY, UM, SEIZE DRUGS.
WE'VE GOT A NEW PERSON SIGNED OFF.
WE'VE GOT THREE MORE THAT ARE GONNA GET SIGNED OFF.
I THINK WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A LITTLE PROGRESS.
BUT CS DRUGS BACKLOG HAS BASICALLY CONTINUED TO GO UP FORENSIC BIOLOGY, UH, WITH THE MONEY THAT WAS THE ADDITION, UM, LAST YEAR, 600,000, EXCUSE ME, THAT ALLOWED US TO KEEP OUTSOURCING.
UM, THE COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES ARE MAKING PROGRESS ON THEIR TURNAROUND TIMES.
UM, SO THAT HAS IMPROVED OUR OVERALL TURNAROUND TIME BECAUSE THEIR TURNAROUND TIME HAS COME DOWN, THEY'RE NOW CLOSER TO ABOUT 60 DAYS.
UH, AND FIREARMS. FIREARMS IS STILL A CHALLENGE, BUT THAT'S KINDA WHERE WE'RE SITTING IN ALL OF THOSE BACKLOGS.
SO LAST BIT I'VE GOT HERE IS ABOUT, UH, PROPERTY TRANSITION.
THIS IS A LARGE PROJECT THAT WILL HAPPEN OVER YEARS TO SHIFT PROPERTY DIVISION OUT OF HPD OVER TO HFSC.
AND IT'S THE FIRST STEP I HOPE, 'CAUSE WE'VE TALKED LOTS ABOUT THIS, OF MY ARGUMENT IS IF WE REALLY WANT SOMETHING THAT IS A SHARED SERVICE TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCIES WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, WHAT ABOUT A COMBINED COORDINATED
[00:25:01]
AND CONSOLIDATED PROPERTY MANAGEMENT EFFORT FOR ALL OF THE EVIDENCE IN HARRIS COUNTY? BECAUSE IT ALL ENDS UP IN THE SAME COURTROOM, ALL WITH THE SAME DA COLLECTED 97 DIFFERENT WAYS.IT CREATES A HUGE CHALLENGE IN THE COURTS, BUT JUST DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THERE.
UM, SO AS THIS HAPPENS, YOU CAN THINK STANDARDIZING HOW EVIDENCE IS COLLECTED, OPTIMIZING THINGS TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT EASY FOR OFFICERS TO COLLECT AND SPEND LESS TIME TAGGING STUFF IN.
IT INCREASES THE EFFICIENCY FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, THE COURTS, THE PROSECUTORS, AND THE LABS.
THIS PROPERTY LINE, THE CLOSEST TO THE PROPERTY LINE OF THE BUSINESS, AND THAT'S WHERE WE TAKE OUR READING, BUT WITHOUT A METER, WE DON'T, WE REALLY FROZEN STORAGE, THOSE WILL BE THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE TACKLE.
UM, AND WE WILL MOVE SOME OF THE STAFF THIS YEAR AND THEN MOVE MORE OF THE STAFF IN NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UH, AND THE 1201 WASHINGTON FACILITY WILL ULTIMATELY COME UNDER HSCS MANAGEMENT, BUT IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL YEARS TO GET THERE OVER TIME.
WE CAN SEE THERE ARE INEFFICIENCIES IN THE SYSTEM THAT, LIKE WITH THE START OF HFSC, AS WE GET MORE EFFICIENT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TURN THOSE RESOURCES TO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN USE IN THE LAB.
BUT INITIALLY, YEAH, WE'VE GOT COSTS, COST TO MOVE, COST TO ENGINEER, COST TO DEAL WITH SAFETY CHALLENGES THAT WE KNOW EXIST.
UM, AND I'M SURE Y'ALL, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER FUND 2213, BUT FUND 2213 WILL COME BACK.
THAT WOULD BE THE MECHANISM THAT WILL SHUFFLE THESE THINGS AROUND.
SO THAT WAS LEASE AMENDMENTS ADD SPACE AT 500 JEFFERSON.
UH, WE MET WITH THE, UM, ARCHITECT JUST LAST WEEK TO START KICKING STUFF OFF.
WE'LL START MOVING STAFF HERE SOON.
UM, I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO START MOVING EVIDENCE BY ABOUT THIS POINT NEXT YEAR, UH, INTO A FACILITY THAT'S ACTUALLY ENGINEERED TO DEAL WITH THE KNOWN HAZARDS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, IT'S A PRETTY DECENT DEAL FOR US.
WE GET THE 12TH FLOOR ABOUT ANOTHER 30,000 SQUARE FEET IN THE BASEMENTS.
WE KEEP THE OPEX COSTS AND THE PER SQUARE FOOT LEASE COSTS THAT WE NEGOTIATED FROM SIX YEARS AGO.
UH, AND CHIEF PENA BACK HERE GETS SOME OF THE STUFF OUTTA THE BASEMENT AND UP ONTO THE 19TH FLOOR FOR THE SAME PRICE THAT THEY'VE GOT IT IN THE BASEMENT.
SO I THINK IT, IT DOES SOME GOOD STUFF FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT THOSE WERE THE UPDATES THAT I HAD.
HOPEFULLY I HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE NO SHORT STORIES WITH ME.
BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
OH, THERE'S, I PUT, I TALKED A LITTLE TIMELINE IN THERE AND ALSO THE LAST ONE IS, THERE IS NOW AN ACCREDITATION PROGRAM FOR, UH, LABORATORY FOR FORENSIC EVIDENCE THAT HASN'T EXISTED BEFORE.
WE'RE THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF THAT ACCREDITATION FOR THE EVIDENCE HANDLING WITHIN HFSC.
THAT'S THE SAME ACCREDITATION PROGRAM THAT WE WOULD LOOK TO WRAP AROUND ALL OF EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT.
THANK YOU DR. STOUT FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE DO HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
UH, DR. STOUT OR PETER, WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A WHILE.
SO SLIDE NUMBER 10 HAS A COUPLE OF, UH, UH, ACRONYMS. AND YOU MAY HAVE MENTIONED WHAT THIS STANDS FOR AND I APOLOGIZE, I THAT, I APOLOGIZE IF I MISSED IT.
AND THEN CSCM CLIENT SERVICES CASE MANAGEMENT.
THAT IS OUR GROUP THAT BASICALLY HANDLES EVIDENCE, TRANSFERS, DOCUMENTS, THEY MANAGE ALL OF THE SUBPOENAS.
THEY'RE KIND OF THE FRONT DOOR FOR THAT STUFF.
NOW YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT ARE SPENT WAITING MM-HMM
UH, TO TESTIFY OR NOT TESTIFY.
ARE YOU REFERRING TO HOURS SPENT DOWN AT THE COURTHOUSE OR IN THE OFFICE OR BOTH? THOSE ARE THE HOURS DOWN AT THE COURTHOUSE.
AND WHAT EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO WORK WITH THE DA'S OFFICE, THE PROSECUTOR AND OR THE COURTS, THE JUDGES TO REDUCE THAT? WE HAVE DONE QUITE A BIT AND I, I WILL GIVE, UM, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON THAT.
IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY MUCH BETTER NOW THAN IT HAS BEEN.
UM, WE WORK WITH THEM REGULARLY TO TRY AND BE ON CALL AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
UM, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR, THERE ARE SOME COURTS THAT ARE MORE WILLING TO WORK WITH THAT THAN OTHERS.
AND I WISH CITY COUNCIL COULD DO SOMETHING TO HELP YOU WITH THAT.
YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S ALL UP TO THE PARTIES AT THE COURTHOUSE.
UH, THE JUDGES WHO ARE ELECTED EVERY FOUR YEARS.
AND OF COURSE THE, UH, THE PROSECUTORS.
SO, UH, SORRY YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT.
UM, YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT IN ALL AREAS EXCEPT FOR A FEW, UH, BACKLOGS HAVE BEEN REDUCED OR ELIMINATED.
[00:30:01]
AREAS WHERE WE HAVE NOT SEEN A BACKLOG REDUCTION OR ELIMINATION IS FIREARMS. YEP.ARE WE DOING ALL OUR FIREARMS CASES IN-HOUSE? BY AND LARGE, WE JUST MANAGED TO GET AN AGREEMENT WITH TARRANT COUNTY, UM, WHO IS PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE THAT HAS A LITTLE BIT OF CAPACITY.
UH, SO THEIR COUNTY COMMISSION JUST PASSED THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOU FOR US TO BE ABLE TO OUTSOURCE SOME FIREARMS CASES UP THERE.
WE'RE WE'RE TALKING A HANDFUL OF CASES THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEND UP THAT THEY HAVE TWO EXAMINERS.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT ABOUT 300, 350 BACKLOGGED FIREARMS EXAM CASES THAT REPRESENTS PROBABLY SOMETHING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT 20 TO 50,000 LABOR HOURS.
FIREARMS EXAMS ARE VERY LABOR INTENSIVE AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO OUTSOURCE, BUT THERE ARE VERY LIMITED PLACES THAT WE CAN OUTSOURCE.
AND WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT, UH, OUTSOURCING TO TARRANT COUNTY BEFORE MM-HMM
I BELIEVE THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW.
THEN THE, I'M AWARE OF I THINK TWO CASES THAT HAVE GONE THERE.
I MEAN, IT'S, ANY CASE IS AN IMPROVEMENT 'CAUSE IT'S ONE LESS CASE, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ONE TO TWO CASES A MONTH THAT CAN GET OUTSOURCED TO TARRANT COUNTY.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER POTENTIAL, UH, SOURCES THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF WHERE, NOT THAT I AM AWARE OF.
IT IS, IT IS ONE OF THE REAL CHALLENGES FOR FIREARMS. UM, THEY'RE JUST, EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY IS STRUGGLING WITH IT.
IF YOU GO LOOK, AND I THINK I'VE GIVEN MOST OF YOU THE LINK TO THE LATEST CENSUS OF PUBLICLY FUNDED CRIME LABORATORIES, WHICH BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS DOES.
UH, AND IN THOSE MOST RECENT NUMBERS, THE BACKLOG IN FIREARMS CASES HAS DOUBLED IN THE NATION.
EVERYBODY IS STRUGGLING WITH FIREARMS AND AM AM I CORRECT IN, IN, UH, SAYING THAT, UH, YOUR, YOUR SEXUAL ASSAULT, UH, CASES GO TO SIGNATURE SCIENCES? CORRECT.
AND DO ALL OF THEM GO THERE? YEAH, WE, WE OUTSOURCE ALL SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, JUST, UH, POINT OF CLARIFICATION, YOUR, YOUR WEBSITE LISTS A NUMBER OF PENDING REQUESTS AND, UH, YOUR TERMINOLOGY WHEN YOU USE THE WORD PENDING INCLUDES, UH, CASES WHERE NO MORE WORK IS BEING DONE, BUT IN THEORY ADDITIONAL CASE WORK MIGHT BE REQUESTED.
AND ALSO IN THAT PENDING IS, YOU KNOW, A REQUEST THAT WE GOT THE DAY BEFORE THOSE NOBLE NUMBERS PUBLISHED, AS WELL AS STUFF THAT'S LONGER.
IT'S, IT'S EVERYTHING THAT'S PENDING IN THERE.
UH, JUST APPRECIATE THE COOPERATION I'VE GOTTEN FROM YOU AND, AND YOUR, YOUR STAFF OVER THERE AT THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER.
I KNOW WE'VE MET MULTIPLE TIMES AND, AND TALKED BY PHONE A LOT AS WELL.
AND ACTUALLY, I HAVE REALLY APPRECIATED SOMEBODY THAT UNDERSTANDS THE INSIGHTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE WORLD AND THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE IN THERE.
UM, WE WERE JOINED DURING THE PRESENTATION, UM, BY STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS'S OFFICE AND ONLINE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
UM, UP NEXT WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM IN THIS VERY HELPFUL, UM, PRESENTATION.
UH, GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL FUNDING AND I APP, WE'RE IN BUDGET SEASON.
WE'RE ABOUT TO START IN LITERALLY 30 MINUTES.
UM, I HAD PUT FORWARD LAST YEAR A BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT WAS PASSED, UH, I BELIEVE FOR UPWARDS OF 500 TO $600,000 ADDITIONAL, UH, FUNDING FOR THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER.
AND IT WAS PASSED BY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY.
CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY WHERE THAT FUNDING WENT? ALL OF THAT WENT TO OUTSOURCING ALMOST ENTIRELY SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
UH, SO THE, THE DIFFICULTY THAT WE HAD WAS WE WERE RUNNING OUT OF THE FEDERAL MONEY BECAUSE OF THE SCALE AND THE COSTS THAT WE COST COST RISE THAT WE'D SEEN.
SO THE 6.5 MILLION THAT YOU REFERENCED IN YOUR POWER, IN YOUR SLIDE, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL, THAT ADDITIONAL 500 IS THE 0.5 THAT, OR IS THAT ON TOP OF? THAT'S ON TOP OF.
SO IT'S CLOSER TO 7 MILLION NOW.
AND, UH, BECAUSE A LARGE PORTION OF THAT WAS ARPA DOLLARS.
UM, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT THAT WENT TOWARDS TRAINING AND ADDRESSING THE BACKLOG.
UH, IS THAT NOW A SHORTFALL THAT WE WILL NEED TO ADDRESS OR BECAUSE OF WHAT IT WAS DIRECTED TO? WE DON'T HAVE THAT GAP PER SE.
I KNOW WE, WE NEED MORE FUNDING.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GAUGE THE IMPACT.
IT STILL IS, IS THERE'S STILL A SHORTFALL ACROSS THIS NEXT YEAR BECAUSE OF STILL PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NEED TO OUTSOURCE.
[00:35:01]
THINK, LIKE I SAY, THE, THE, WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY.ARPA WAS PRETTY RESTRICTIVE IN WHERE WE COULD APPLY IT.
SO I THINK THE, THE REPLACEMENT, WE'VE GOT MORE PLACES AND MORE WAYS WE CAN USE IT, BUT WE STILL HAVE TRAINING NEEDS IN FIREARMS. WE STILL HAVE TRAINING NEEDS IN BIOLOGY, AND WE STILL HAVE OUTSOURCING NEEDS.
UM, AND AS IT RELATES TO THE BUDGET, WHO FUND, WHAT ARE THE FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER? THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON
UM, AND A VANISHINGLY SMALL, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A FEW TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN WORK THAT WE DO FOR A COUPLE OF SMALL MUNICIPALITIES.
THE VAST MAJORITY IS CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO THE CITY OF HOUSTON FUNDS IT.
BUT YOU REFERENCED A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PARTIES THAT UTILIZE THE SERVICES OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER.
IS THAT CORRECT? TH THOSE SERVICES ARE SERVICES THAT WE USE.
SO OUTSOURCE COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES AND IT SERVICES.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SERVICES WE SPEND MONEY ON.
DO, UM, DOES THE COUNTY UTILIZE THOSE SERVICES, FOR EXAMPLE, I DO.
DOES THE, UH, SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR I KNOW THAT THE DA DOES, WHICH IS AN ARM OF THE COUNTY.
SO IN WORKING WITH YOUR OFFICE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SUBPOENAS YEAH, WE, WE DON'T GET ANY MONEY FROM ANY OF THOSE ON THE COUNTY SIDE.
BUT THEY, THEY ARE STILL PART OF THE NETWORK IN WHICH THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER IS PROVIDING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
AND I KNOW WE HAD DEALT WITH THE CHALLENGE.
SO, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CAYMAN'S POINT, UM, ARE THERE ANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDING AT ALL FROM HARRIS COUNTY? IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IT'S A SHARED SERVICE AND YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, AND ESPECIALLY AS PERTAINS TO MENTAL HEALTH.
AND CERTAINLY WE KNOW THE COUNTY'S REALLY, UH, FOCUSED ON THAT AND MAY AS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTHS.
I, I, I WISH THERE WAS, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING.
UH, AND I JUST DEFINITELY WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, IF FOLKS ARE DEPENDING ON THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER TO TAKE CARE OF A LOT OF THEIR, THEIR, UM, THEIR WORK, THEN THERE SHOULD BE A SHARED, UH, UH, COST AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M HAVING THIS CONVERSATION YEP.
WITH A COUPLE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PERMITTING, IF EVERYBODY'S DEPENDING ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEN HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THEY'RE STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE? I MEAN, YOU, YOU THINK ABOUT IT AND IT IS SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES.
WE ABOUT 75% OF THE CRIMINAL CASES THAT MOVE THROUGH HARRIS COUNTY COURTS ORIGINATE WITH HPD, MEANING COME THROUGH ME.
SO WE, WE MAKE UP THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHAT GOES THROUGH HARRIS COUNTY COURTS.
I'D DEFINITELY BE INTERESTED IN, IN CONTINUING THAT CONVERSATION WITH, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
UH, IN PREVIOUS YEARS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT CHALLENGES WITH STAFFING AND THAT THIS WASN'T AN ISSUE SPECIFIC TO HOUSTON TRYING TO RECRUIT THIS IS A NA NATIONAL ISSUE.
ARE WE STILL SEEING STAFFING SHORTAGES ACROSS THE BOARD? YES.
UM, NOW WE HAVE BEEN PRETTY FORTUNATE IN RECRUITING.
WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FILL POSITIONS.
THEY ARE NEW PEOPLE WITH A LONG TRAINING ARC.
UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING PRETTY WELL AT FILLING POSITIONS.
IT, IT IS STILL A NATIONWIDE CHALLENGE.
EXPERIENCED PEOPLE, THEY DON'T MOVE LABS.
THERE ARE VERY FEW EXPERIENCED PEOPLE ON THE MARKET.
OFTEN THE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE MARKET MIGHT WANNA HESITATE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT IT IS, IT IS STILL VERY MUCH A NATIONWIDE CHALLENGE, PARTICULARLY IN FIREARMS AND PARTICULARLY THE, THE DNA, WHAT WE CALL ANALYSTS.
THOSE THAT ARE DOING THE DATA ANALYSIS, EVERYBODY STRUGGLES WITH THOSE.
AND YOU, GOING BACK TO THE BACKLOG CHALLENGES, RIGHT? HARVEY IS THE CATALYST AND THEN WE GET INTO THE PANDEMIC.
YOU TALKED ABOUT TESTIFYING TIME AND YOU ALSO REFERENCED THE COURT DEMAND HAS INCREASE.
SO IS THAT SOLELY TESTIFYING TIME, UM, OR WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE INCREASE IN SUBPOENAS, IS THAT, UH, JUDGES, IS THAT PROSECUTORS KIND OF, WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM? IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN TO THE LAY PERSON? IT'S, IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH.
UH, WE GET SUBPOENAS LARGELY FROM THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY ARE RESPONDING TO PRESSURES FROM THE COURT.
THE COURT IS TRYING TO CLEAR THEIR DOCKETS.
AGAIN, EVERYBODY'S BACKLOGS BASICALLY INFLUENCE AND DRIVE EVERYBODY ELSE'S.
UH, THE COURT DEMAND, YES, THERE'S THE TESTIMONY PART, BUT REALLY THE LARGER PART IS THE PREPARATION FOR THE TESTIMONY.
THE PREPARATION FOR CASES, THE PREPARATION TO HELP EDUCATE NEW ADAS.
[00:40:01]
'CAUSE I MEAN, AND THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT JUST HERE AS WELL.EVERY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN THE COUNTRY IS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR OWN STAFFING CHALLENGES, WHICH MEANS LESS EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS, WHICH MEANS MORE DEMAND FOR OUR FOLKS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THE EVIDENCE MEANS, HOW THEY NEED TO BE ASKING ABOUT IT.
DOCUMENTATION REQUESTS HAVE GONE UP SUBSTANTIALLY.
UM, AND THAT'S DRIVEN SOME BY STATE LAWS, BY SUPREME COURT DECISIONS.
BUT ALSO JUST THAT'S WHERE THE WORLD HAS GONE A MUCH GREATER APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THERE THAT SHOULD BE GETTING RELEASED, WHICH IS ULTIMATELY IS GOOD FOR THE SYSTEM, BUT THAT MEANS WE'VE GOT MORE DOCUMENTATION DEMAND THAT WE NEED TO PRODUCE.
AND LASTLY, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CONSOLIDATION IN BOTH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND I GET VERY EXCITED BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A WHILE.
UM, ARE THERE DIFFERENT EVIDENCE SYSTEMS THAT YOU ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH AS YOU PROCESS EVIDENCE AND THEN TURN IT OVER FOR COURT? SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE DEALING WITH CITY OF HOUSTON AND HPD, BUT ARE THERE OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY ON THE SAME SYSTEMS PER SE? OH YES.
AND CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT CHALLENGE OR THE IMPACT ON THAT TO THAT? SO AS, AS WE WOULD LOOK TO TRY AND CONSOLIDATE ACROSS AGENCIES, UM, ALL OF THE AGENCIES RUN ON DIFFERENT, WHAT ARE CALLED RMS SYSTEMS, RECORD MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, WHICH ARE WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS THEMSELVES, HOW THEY MANAGE, UM, WIDE VARIABILITY IN PROFICIENCY, IN PACKAGING DOCUMENTATION, HOW THEY DO THAT DOCUMENTATION, WHAT'S MANUAL, WHAT'S ELECTRONIC.
HPD ACTUALLY HAS BEEN IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE, RELATIVELY SPEAKING.
THEY'VE GOT WHAT'S CALLED AN EMS SYSTEM, EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
SOME OF THE AGENCIES HAVE A FILE CABINET, SOME OF THE AGENCIES HAVE A SPREADSHEET, SOME OF THE AGENCIES HAVE LESS PROFICIENT EMS SYSTEMS. ALL OF THAT WOULD HAVE TO GET RECONCILED INTO SOMETHING.
COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN, DO YOU WANNA BE ADDED BACK TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER? ALCORN, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND, AND TO THAT POINT, SO IT MAY MAINLY BE LIKE HARRIS COUNTY.
SO THEY'VE GOT THE SHERIFFS AND THE CONSTABLES.
SO WHATEVER EVIDENCE, SO YOU'LL DO 75% OF THE CASES ARE COMING THROUGH HPD THAT YOU'LL GET, DO WE HAVE CAPACITY LIKE WITH THIS NEW LEASE WE'RE DOING AT JEFFERSON AND, AND WITH OUR EXISTING PLACES TO ABSORB THE ADDITIONAL, I KNOW YOU DEAL WITH OTHER AGENCIES BE BESIDES HARRIS COUNTY, BUT TO ABSORB, UM, HARRIS COUNTIES.
AND WE DON'T WANNA DO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER STUFF, RIGHT? I MEAN THAT'S CORRECT.
THEY CAN DO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER, BUT ALL THE OTHER EVIDENCE, THE SAME STUFF, THE BALLISTICS, THE, THE DNA, ALL THAT STUFF THAT THEY'RE COLLECTING, WE COULD LIKE CHARGE THEM PER ITEM.
I MEAN, THEY BRING THE ITEM, THEY CHECK IT IN, WE CHARGE 'EM PER ITEM, THEY DON'T HAVE TO STORE IT, THEN WE CHECK IT, THEY CHECK IT BACK OUT WHEN THEY NEED IT FOR, UM, FOR TRIAL OR WHATEVER.
I MEAN, YOU'RE JUST ACT AS THE, AS A THING.
I GUESS WE COULD DO IT WITH OTHER SMALLER COUNTIES TOO THAT, THAT COULD HELP.
BUT, BUT MAINLY HARRIS COUNTY, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE A, SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME.
DO WE HAVE ROOM IN THESE, IN OUR PLACES TO TAKE ON THE EXTRA 25% OF STUFF? THE, THE OTHER WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT IS, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT ONE SINGLE WAREHOUSE.
IT, IT IS THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF THE EXISTING FACILITY.
SO LIKE THE 1201 WASHINGTON FACILITY THAT'S HPDS PROPERTY IS, IS A GOOD FACILITY.
AND WE NEED TO CARVE MORE SPACE IN IT.
THERE'S NO NEED TO REPLACE THAT FACILITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS I ARGUE FOR IN THIS CONSOLIDATION IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT IS DISPOSITION.
YOU GOTTA GET STUFF OUT AND BRING STUFF IN.
SO IF WE WERE TO CONSOLIDATE THIS, IT CHANGES THE NEGOTIATION AROUND DISPOSITION.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS PROPERTY FALLS TO THE END OF THE LIST FOR EVERYBODY.
THE COURTS, THE DAS, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
IF YOU ROLL IT UP IN ONE SPOT WITH SOMEBODY THAT CAN PAY ATTENTION TO IT AND BE THE NOISY SQUEAKY WHEEL OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR ALL OF THE EVIDENCE, I THINK THERE'S MORE CHANCE TO SOLVE THAT DISPOSITION AND MAKE THAT PART EFFICIENT.
SO, SO CHAIR, IF THIS COMMITTEE WOULD BE WILLING TO EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY TO KIND OF START THESE CONVERSATIONS.
I KNOW WE, WE KIND OF DID SOME OF THAT WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT ANOTHER LEASE SPACE WITH SHERIFF GONZALEZ.
BUT, BUT I'D, I'D LOVE TO BE PART OF THAT EFFORT.
UM, AND I'M NOT ON THIS COMMITTEE, BUT A PART OF ALL SHARED SERVICES, UH, UM, EFFORTS.
BUT I, UH, I THINK THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, HE CAN'T, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, HE'S NOT GONNA REALLY DO IT.
IT'S KIND OF UP TO THE POLICY MAKERS OF THE COUNTY AND THE CITY TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING WE REALLY WANNA LOOK INTO.
SO, HOWEVER THAT LOOKS, UM, I'D LIKE FOR THIS, THIS COMMITTEE TO EXPLORE THAT.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ON THAT.
UM, UP NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
[00:45:01]
A COUPLE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS REGARDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING.IT'S MY, UNDER MY BELIEF THAT THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ARE SITTING ON MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ASSET FORFEITURE FUNDS.
HAVE WE EVER TRIED TO GET THEM TO SHARE SOME OF THAT, UH, TO HELP PROCESS OUR WORK? I'VE, I'VE TRIED.
AND WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE, UM, ABOUT LIKE, YOU'D EXPECT MM-HMM
MAYBE MAYBE, UH, MAYBE SOME OF, SOME OF US CAN, UH, KEEP, KEEP THAT FIGHT UP.
YOU, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SHY, SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE ASKED, I'LL KEEP ASKING.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER OFFICE.
UH, IT'S GOOD SEEING YOU AGAIN.
UM, STOUT, UM, SEEING INGREDIENTS ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, UH, WE APPRECIATE THE TOUR THAT YOU GAVE US, UH, BACK IN JANUARY.
UM, YOU SHOWED US QUITE A BIT OF GUNS AND WEAPONS
AND SO I WAS THINKING AFTER SOME KIND OF STATUTORY PER PERIOD WHEN THE CASE IS CLOSED, IS THAT SOME KIND OF WAY THAT THAT CAN BE SOLD? THAT THAT MONEY'S GONNA BE PUT BACK IN YOUR COFFERS? YEARS AND YEARS AGO, THAT'S WHAT USED TO HAPPEN WITH GUNS.
THE DIFFICULTY IS, AND THE HAZARD IS WHAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE GUNS AFTERWARDS.
UM, AND THERE WERE, AND THIS IS, I MEAN THIS IS GOING BACK LONG BEFORE MY TIME, BUT THERE WERE SOME REALLY UNFORTUNATE THINGS OF GUNS THAT HAD ENDED UP, THAT HAD BEEN IN EVIDENCE AND ULTIMATELY ENDED UP BACK IN CRIMES.
AND SO THE DECISION WAS MADE MANY YEARS AGO THAT THE GUNS WOULD BE DESTROYED.
SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW IS THE GUNS ARE, THEY'RE CHOPPED UP AND THEY'RE SOLD FOR SCRAP METAL.
I THINK WE HAVE NOBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UP NEXT, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY CHIEF PENA AND I BELIEVE DR.
AND WE'LL GET THOSE SLIDES UP.
VICE CHAIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR THE RECORD.
I'M THE FIRE CHIEF AND I'M JOINED HERE BY OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, DR. DAVID PER AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT, UH, TO THIS COMMITTEE SOME POTENTIALLY LIFESAVING INITIATIVES THAT WE ARE ROLLING OUT WITH THE HOUSTON PAR UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
BUT BEFORE I BEGIN, LET ME JUST, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I, UH, I DO WANNA SAY THAT I APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH OUR WORLD CLASS MEDICAL CENTER HERE IN HOUSTON.
WE COULDN'T DO OUR JOB OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY AND SAVING LIVES WITHOUT, WITHOUT THAT PARTNERSHIP.
SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.
ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND HIS TEAM, AND OF COURSE, THE, UH, MEN AND WOMEN OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO SHOW UP EVERY DAY LOOKING TO DO GOOD WORK.
UM, TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE ANNOUNCING TWO NEW PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ROLLING OUT AND AN ENHANCEMENT OF AN EXISTING PROGRAM THAT, UH, I BELIEVE WILL IMPROVE LIFE, SAFETY, LIFE, UH, LIFE SAVING CARE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
PER IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THESE THREE PROGRAMS, BUT, UH, ONCE THEY'RE FULLY IMPLEMENTED, UH, AGAIN, I DO BELIEVE THAT IT'LL IMPROVE THE CHANCES OF A GOOD OUTCOME FOR PRE-HOSPITAL CARE.
WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT.
THAT IS A UNIT THAT WE HAVE ONE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE LOOKING TO ENHANCE THAT WITH THE SECOND ONE.
AND THAT HAS ALREADY DEMONSTRATED A, A POSITIVE IMPACT AND AN ACCELERATED TIME IN, IN, IN DIAGNOSING, UH, STROKES AND INITIATING THE LIFESAVING CARE AHEAD OF TIME.
THE SECOND, THE SECOND, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GONNA ANNOUNCE IS THE ECMO PROGRAM.
UM, THIS IS AN AMAZING, UH, TREATMENT OPTION THAT ESSENTIALLY ESTABLISHES A TEMPORARY EXTERNAL, UH, LUNGS AND ARTIFICIAL LUNGS AND, AND, AND HEART FUNCTION FOR, FOR A PATIENT.
AND THE THIRD ONE IS OUR WHOLE BLOOD PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GONNA BE INITIATING.
THIS IS GONNA ALLOW THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT TO TAKE A HUGE STEP FORWARD IN PROVIDING BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS IN THE FIELD FOR PATIENTS THAT NEED THAT.
THIS IS, UH, THIS IS CUTTING EDGE RIGHT NOW, BUT I BELIEVE AND WE BELIEVE THAT IT'S GONNA BE THE STANDARD OF CARE IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE'RE, UH, WE'RE PROUD TO BE ROLLING THESE THESE THINGS OUT.
AND BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO DR.
[00:50:01]
PER, UH, I DO WANNA SAY THAT I'M IMPRESSED WITH THE COLLABORATION AND THE COORDINATION WITH THIS TEAM AND ALL THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS THAT, UH, THAT WERE PART OF THESE INITIATIVES.UM, EMS, THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL, UH, COMMUNITY CARDIOLOGIST, AND OF COURSE THE, UH, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I WANNA THANK THEM FOR ALL THE EFFORTS IN BRINGING THESE LIFE SAFETY, UH, INITIATIVES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU CHIEF AM CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
UH, THESE ARE THREE GOOD NEWS STORIES AND ALSO POINT OUT THAT THERE IS NO COUNCIL ACTION COMING.
YOU DON'T NEED TO VOTE ON ANYTHING.
SO YOU CAN RELAX AND, AND, UH, JUST ENJOY WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEAR.
CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? AND THIS IS THE AGENDA WHICH, UH, CHIEF, UH, PENA JUST WENT OVER.
AND, AND I WANNA POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT CHIEF PENA BECAUSE I HAVE ZERO BUDGETARY UM, POWERS.
AND AS WE GO THROUGH THESE, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THESE HAVE, ARE COSTING US ESSENTIALLY ALMOST NOTHING.
UH, THESE PROGRAMS ARE BEING DONE BASICALLY WITH ZERO TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
THE WHOLE BLOOD PROGRAM, UH, IS COST US A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH THAT NEEDED TO COME TO COUNCIL.
AND I NEED TO THANK CHIEF PENA PERSONALLY FOR FINDING THOSE FUNDS AND ALLOCATING 'EM TO THIS PROGRAM DURING THE VERY DIFFICULT FINANCIAL TIMES OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, THAT.
BUT, UH, HE WAS ABLE TO FIND IT.
I NEED TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I'VE THANKED YOU IN PERSON A DOZEN TIMES, BUT LET, THANK YOU IN, IN PUBLIC.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING FIRST ABOUT THE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM.
THIS IS A MOBILE STROKE PROGRAM.
AND IF THIS SLIDE, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS VEHICLE AROUND TOWN ALREADY DRIVING ON THE STREETS.
THIS IS THE EXISTING MOBILE STROKE UNIT.
WHAT THAT IS, THAT IS AN AMBULANCE THAT HAS A CT SCANNER IN IT.
AND, UH, THIS ONE IS THE, THIS IS THE CURRENT ONE WITH THE NEW, UH, WRAP ON IT, THE NEW MARKING.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT'S BEING, UH, SUPPORTED RIGHT NOW BY THE MEMORIAL HERMANN HOSPITAL.
AND IT IS OUT AND ON THE ROAD.
UH, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A STORY AS TO HOW WE GOT TO HAVE A MOBILE STROKE UNIT, A CT SCANNER, AND AN AMBULANCE ON THE STREETS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A STORY.
THIS WAS NOT DONE OUT OF A, A WHIM.
THIS IS NOT JUST SOME IDEA THAT SOMEBODY HAD.
WE'VE ACTUALLY APPLIED SCIENCE TO THIS AND STARTED OFF WITH A REALLY COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
AND AS CHIEF PENA POINTED OUT, UH, WE HAD TO GET ALL OF THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS IN THE REGION THAT ARE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN STROKE CARE, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH ALL THE FIVE BIG SYSTEMS. UM, YOU KNOW, THE HERMAN UT SYSTEM, METHODIST, BAYLOR ST.
LUKE'S, HARRIS HEALTH, UM, ALSO HCA HOSPITAL SYSTEM.
AND WE, UH, HAD TO GO TOGETHER AND WE DID A RESEARCH PROJECT WHERE WE PUT THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT OUT THERE.
AND WE LOOKED AT IT FROM A COUPLE OF WAYS.
WE LOOKED AT IT, IS IT CLINICALLY BENEFICIAL? DO WE ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE IMPROVEMENT OF PATIENTS' LIVES AFTER THEY'VE BEEN TREATED IN THE MOB STORY? AND ALSO WE LOOKED AT IT FROM A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS FROM THE FINANCIAL STANDPOINT.
SO I THINK WE WERE VERY RESPONSIBLE AND WITH THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, WE DIDN'T DO IT.
WE ACTUALLY HAD THE UT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AS A THIRD PARTY INDEPENDENT OBSERVER, UH, DO THOSE, UH, TRIALS.
AND SO WE GOT EVERYONE TOGETHER.
AND IN ADDITION, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO WEST U AND BEL AIR FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THIS.
AND SO, UM, WE DID THAT AND WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE THAT RESULTED IN A PUBLICATION IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE.
AND I DUNNO ABOUT YOU, BUT IN MY WORLD, GETTING SOMETHING PUBLISHED IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE IS REALLY HARD TO DO.
THEY'RE ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT, HIGHEST STANDARD, UH, UM, UH, JOURNALS, MEDICAL JOURNALISTS, PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS TO GET SOMETHING IN.
AND THIS GOT IN THERE BECAUSE THE TWO BIG REASONS, ONE, THE PROJECT WAS DESIGNED EXTREMELY WELL.
IT WAS EXECUTED EXTREMELY WELL AND THE RESULTS WERE RATHER LANDMARK, UM, AND SHOCKING.
AND SO IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WHAT WE SHOWED WAS THAT, AND THIS, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT WITH THIS BAR GRAPH ON THE TOP IS THE RESULTS FROM THE MSU, THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT.
AND WHAT THIS SHOWS IS THE PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS WHO WERE TREATED IN THAT FIRST BAR OF 33%, THAT'S A THIRD OF THE PATIENTS THAT WERE TREATED BY THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT, WERE TREATED WITHIN THE FIRST HOUR OF THEIR SYMPTOMS. YOU COMPARE THAT WITH THE GROUP DIRECTLY BELOW IT.
THIS WAS THE CONTROL GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO GOT TREATED IN THE HOSPITAL.
IT WAS ONLY 3% OF PATIENTS WERE TREATED IN THE FIRST HOUR.
AND THE REASONS FOR THAT ARE A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE IS IT IS HUMAN NATURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE HAVING A STROKE, THAT THEY DON'T WANNA BE HAVING A STROKE.
AND IT IS A HUMAN EMOTIONAL REACTION TO PRETEND THAT MY ARM WILL START WORKING AGAIN.
MY SPEECH IS NOT JUST SLUR, I'LL BE OKAY.
THAT IS A NORMAL HUMAN REACTION AT SOME POINT, GENERALLY, ALMOST AN HOUR LATER, UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF PEOPLE FINALLY GIVE AND RECOGNIZE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM AND THEY ASK FOR HELP IN THE TRADITIONAL WAY.
WE COME, WE RECOGNIZE THESE FOLKS, WE GET 'EM TO A STROKE CENTER HOSPITAL.
AND WHAT IS A HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT? IT IS A BIG BUILDING WITH REALLY SMART PEOPLE AND LOTS OF HIGH TECH EQUIPMENT WHERE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS WEIGH EXCEEDS THE NUMBER OF CAREGIVERS AVAILABLE.
AND THERE'S USUALLY SOMEBODY ALREADY IN THE CT SCANNER WHEN THEY GET THERE BECAUSE THE EMERGENCY DEPART IS SO BUSY.
AND THIS IS WHY ONLY 3% OF PATIENTS GET TREATED WITHIN THE FIRST HOUR.
WE KIND OF REVERSE THAT CARE RATIO WITH THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT.
YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT A CT TECH, YOU'VE GOT A CRITICAL CARE NURSE, YOU'VE GOT TWO PARAMEDICS,
[00:55:01]
YOU'VE GOT ON RADIO AND, UH, THROUGH TELEMEDICINE.YOU'VE GOT A STROKE NEUROLOGIST AND YOU'VE GOT A STROKE RADIOLOGIST.
WE'VE GOT A CT SCANNER THAT'S EMPTY AND WE'RE ALL FOCUSING ON THAT ONE PATIENT.
I WILL SHARE WITH YOU THAT THIS IS THE DATA THAT WAS IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE SHOWING THAT A THIRD OF PATIENTS WERE TREATED IN THE FIRST HOUR TODAY, I FOUND OUT YESTERDAY.
AND WHAT THAT TRANSLATES INTO IS PATIENT'S BRAINS BEING SAVED BECAUSE WHEN YOUR BRAIN TISSUE IS BLOCKED THROUGH A CLOT OR, OR WHATEVER THE PROBLEM IS, AND THERE'S, I WANNA GET INTO IT, BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE A STROKE.
WHEN THE BRAIN TISSUE ISN'T GETTING, UH, THE OXYGEN IT NEEDS, THE LONGER IT GOES OUT WITHOUT OXYGEN, THE LESS LIKELY IT IS TO RECOVER.
BUT IF WE CAN GET THAT BLOOD FLOW RESTORED QUICKLY ENOUGH, THE, IT MAY TAKE WEEKS OR MONTHS FOR THAT BRAIN TISSUE TO COME BACK AROUND AND, AND UH, UH, GET ITS FUNCTION BACK.
AND SO THOSE BAR GRAPHS, I WON'T GO THROUGH THE REST OF 'EM, BUT YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF HOW MUCH MORE, UH, CARE IS GIVEN EARLIER IN THE DISEASE PROCESS.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE LOGISTICS OF THIS NEXT SLIDE.
WE STARTED OFF WITH THE RED DOT, WHICH IS BASICALLY A FIVE MILE CIRCLE AROUND THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
'CAUSE THERE'S ONE MOBILE STROKE UNIT LOCATED IN THE MEDICAL CENTER.
SO WHAT WE WOULD CO DISPATCH, WE HFD WOULD CO DISPATCH THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT ALONG WITH OUR UNITS.
IF THE CALL CAME IN, IN THAT RED AREA IN THE BE IN THE, UH, WITHIN A FIVE MILE RADIUS, WE QUICKLY DECIDED THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND ALLOW OTHER UNITS TO WHO ARE OUTSIDE OF THAT, THAT IF THEY GET A STROKE THAT THEY THINK IS SOMEBODY WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM WHAT THEY CAN CALL AHEAD AND THEY WILL RENDEZVOUS.
SO NOW THE FOOTPRINT IS NOT THE ENTIRE CITY, BUT IT IS A SIZABLE PERCENTAGE OF OF THE CITY.
AND WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THAT AND WE PUBLISHED THAT.
THAT ALSO GOT PUBLISHED IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE.
AND IN THAT PICTURE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER, THAT IS THE ORIGINAL MOBILE STROKE UNIT, UM, WHICH TRAGICALLY WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION AND GOT REPLACED BY THE NEW ONE THAT YOU SAW IN THE, IN THE FIRST SLIDE.
I WANNA ALSO POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY FORWARD LEANING ON THIS.
NOW, THIS IS A BIT OF A BUSY SLIDE.
I WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE COLUMN ON THE LEFT, THE ACTIVE MSU ACTIVE MOBILE STROKE UNITS.
THAT IS, THAT LIST IS IN THE ORDER OF WHEN THEY STARTED SERVICE.
THE FIRST ONE IN THE WORLD WAS IN HAMBURG, GERMANY.
UM, AND THEY HAD THEIRS UP AND GOING FOR ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE WE HAD OURS UP.
WE WERE THE SECOND IN THE WORLD, THE SECOND CITY IN THE WORLD, THE SECOND MOBILE STROKE UNIT IN THE WORLD TO BE ON THE STREETS TAKING CARE OF PATIENTS.
YOU CAN NOW SEE THROUGH THE REST OF THAT SLIDE.
YOU CAN SEE HOW MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY IN, IN THE MAP SHOWS, NOT ONLY THE UNITED STATES, BUT AROUND THE GLOBE, ARE NOW ADDING ON TO OR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS CONCEPT TO TRY TO PREVENT OR BETTER TREAT STROKES.
AND I WOULD OFTEN SAY THAT I THINK EVERY ONE OF US HAS SOMEBODY IN YOUR FAMILY WHO SUFFERED A STROKE AT SOME POINT.
I WILL TELL YOU, IT WAS MY BROTHER WHO HAD A DEVASTATING STROKE.
HE WAS COMPLETELY PARALYZED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS BODY.
HE DID NOT GET TREATED IN BUBBLE STROKE UNIT.
IT OCCURRED IN MIAMI, FLORIDA.
HE GOT EVERYTHING BACK BECAUSE IT, IT HAPPENED.
AND HE, THEY CALLED, HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL 27 MINUTES AFTER HIS STROKE OCCURRED, AND HE GOT EVERYTHING BACK, EXCEPT HE COULDN'T FEEL HIS LEFT HAND.
AND HE COULDN'T, HE COULD WALK JUST FINE, BUT HE COULDN'T RUN 'CAUSE HIS HIP FLEXORS.
HE WAS COMPLETELY PARALYZED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS BODY.
THERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT EARLY TREATMENT OF MOBILE STROKES CAN DO.
YOU SHOULD BE PROUD THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS SECOND IN THE PLANET, SECOND IN THE UNIVERSE.
UM, I DUNNO HOW TO GET ANY BIGGER THAN THAT.
BUT WE WERE SECOND AND WE ARE NOW FIRST IN THE US FIRST IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND, UH, WE ARE NOW VERY SHORTLY WE'LL BE ADDING A SECOND ONE, WHICH I NEED TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR.
AND, UM, SOME MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, BECAUSE WE DID GET MONIES TO PAY FOR THE NEW ONE.
SO THIS DID NOT COST ANY CITY OF HOUSTON TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
WE JUST, ON FRIDAY, TOOK DELIVERY OF IT.
IF IT WAS, I WOULD'VE HAD THAT, UH, PICTURE ON THE SLIDE, BUT IT IS NOT YET WRAPPED.
SO IT'S JUST PLAIN WHITE AT THIS POINT.
AND WE ARE WORKING, UM, AGREEMENTS WITH WHAT IS BEING DEVELOPED AS THE MOBILE STROKE CONSORTIUM, WHICH IS THOSE FIVE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS WORKING TOGETHER, ALONG WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER TO HAVE AN ENTITY TO HELP US STAFF IT, OPERATE IT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE, AND THEN BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS UT HEALTH, THEY WILL HAVE ONE ON THE STREET AS WELL.
AND SO, CERTAINLY, IF YOU REMEMBER THAT MAP A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, THE FOOTPRINT OF CARE WILL BE MUCH GREATER THAN JUST THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO OUR COLLEAGUES, OUR COLLEAGUES, OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES WILL ALSO BE GETTING, UM, CARE AS WELL.
AND I HOPE THAT WE WILL HAVE IN THE FUTURE MORE, UH, MOBILE STROKE UNITS, UM, UH, HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
AND PERHAPS WE'LL HAVE THEM IN DALLAS AND SAN ANTONIO AND AUSTIN AND OTHER PLACES AS WELL.
BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, HOUSTON HAS TO TAKE THE LEAD.
I'M SORRY, WE JUST, IT'S, WE, WE JUST HAVE TO BE THE LEADERS IN THIS.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE ECMO PROJECT.
THIS IS A NEW PROJECT, UH, FOR US.
UM, IT IS, AS CHIEF POINTED OUT, IT'S, IT'S LIKE HEART LUNG BYPASS TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO LAST YEAR, 2023, WE WENT OUT IN 2200 CARDIAC ARREST CASES.
THIS IS A CASE WHERE SOMEBODY'S HEART STOPPED BEATING THE, UM, UH, PEOPLE CALLED, AND THEY, WE TRY TO RESTART THEIR HEARTS.
WE ACTUALLY DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB WITH THIS.
[01:00:01]
A CARDIAC ARREST IS NOT A CARDIAC ARREST IS NOT A CARDIAC ARREST, THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY SOMEBODY'S HEART CAN STOP BEATING.I WANT YOU TO THINK IN YOUR MIND ABOUT THE CLASSIC PERSON YOU WERE TAUGHT ABOUT IN HIGH SCHOOL AND STUFF.
THE GUY WHO'S OUT MOWING THE LAWN, HE GETS PAIN IN HIS CHEST, HE GRABS HIS CHEST, THE PAIN RATING, HE'S DOWN TO HIS LEFT, HIS LEFT ARM, HE GETS A LITTLE WOOZY, BREAKS DOWN INTO A SWEAT, COLLAPSES, AND THEN THEY TAKES YOU TO DO BYSTANDER CPR ON THAT PERSON.
THAT IS, UH, SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME.
BUT WE ALSO RESPOND TO THE, UH, 80-YEAR-OLD PERSON WHO'S GOT LONG STANDING HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, LUNG DISEASE IS IN A HOSPITAL BED AT HOME, AND THE FAMILY JUST CANNOT LET GO OF THEM.
AND THEY WANT US TO TRY AND RESTART THEIR HEARTS.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO EXTREMES.
AND THERE'S EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
WITH THE ECMO TRIAL, WE'RE GONNA BE, BASICALLY, IT IS WHAT THE CHIEF DESCRIBED IT, IT IS BASICALLY AN EXTERNAL HEART LUNG BYPASS MACHINE.
SO WHEN I WAS IN MEDICAL SCHOOL, THE HEART LUNG BYPASS MACHINE WAS THIS GREAT BIG, HUGE THING.
IT WAS IN ONE OR 'CAUSE YOU COULDN'T MOVE IT.
AND, UH, IT HAS NOW BEEN, UH, MADE MUCH, MUCH SMALLER.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH UT HEALTH TO HEALTH TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM WHERE WE CAN GO OUT, OUT IN THE STREET AND WITH SELECT PATIENTS.
I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE GUY OUT MOWING THE LAWN, NOT THE 80-YEAR-OLD WITH ALL KINDS OF HEALTH PROBLEMS, UM, WHO IS ALREADY IN A HOSPITAL BED AND HAS A TERRIBLE QUALITY OF LIFE.
THEY WOULD FOR A VARIETY OF NOT ONLY, UM, UH, UH, MORAL REASONS AND ETHICAL REASONS.
AND BY THE WAY, THIS HAS ALL GONE THROUGH THE ETHICIST, BUT ALSO FOR TECHNICAL REASONS THAT ELDER PERSON CAN BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO GET ON PUMP.
SO THIS IS WHAT THE NEW DEVICE LOOKS LIKE.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT LOOKS LIKE A PORTABLE GENERATOR YOU MIGHT HAVE AT YOUR HOUSE FOR WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT.
BUT IT IS A HEART LUNG BYPASS MACHINE.
THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CANNULATE, GET THE, UH, UH, IVS, IF YOU WILL, INTO THE FEMORAL ARTERY AND THE FEMORAL VEIN.
AND AS WE GET OLDER, UM, OUR BLOOD VESSELS BECOME SORT OF CRUSTY, IF YOU WILL.
AND, UH, THEY'RE NOT YOUNG AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, EASY TO, TO MANAGE.
AND SO, UM, IT BECOMES TECHNICALLY VERY DIFFICULT TO GET ELDER PATIENTS ON ON THESE DEVICES.
BUT NEVERTHELESS, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LEANING FORWARD AGAIN.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THIS WITH JUST ON A WILLY-NILLY.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF ARTICLES, UH, IN THE PEER REVIEW JOURNAL LOOKING AT THIS.
UH, WE ARE NOT QUITE THE SECOND ON THE PLANET TO DO THIS.
IT HAS BEEN DONE MOST IN PARIS, FRANCE, BUT ALSO IT'S PRETTY COMMON ACROSS EUROPE.
ONE OF THE BIG DIFFERENCES WITH THE EUROPEAN EMS SYSTEM, THE AMERICAN SYSTEM IS THE EUROPEAN SYSTEM GENERALLY HAS PHYSICIANS ON THEIR AMBULANCES IN THE MAJOR URBAN AREAS.
IN THE UNITED STATES, WE DON'T DO THAT.
BUT IN, IN ALBUQUERQUE AND IN MINNEAPOLIS, UH, THEY'RE DOING IT IN MINNEAPOLIS.
THEY BRING THE CARDIAC ARREST PATIENTS, CERTAIN ONES TO CERTAIN HOSPITALS, PUT 'EM ON HEART LUNG BYPASS THERE, AND THEN TRANSFORM 'EM TO A BIG HOSPITAL IN ALBUQUERQUE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO, WHICH IS ACTUALLY PUT 'EM IN HEART BYPASS, UH, IN THE FIELD.
THEY'VE HAD A HANDFUL OF CASES THAT ARE ONLY, THEY'RE ONLY A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF US IN DOING IT.
AND HERE'S THE THING, IT'S NOT A RACE TO BE FIRST.
IT IS A BIT OF A CHALLENGE TO BE THE BEST.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO.
THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE VEHICLE THAT YOU MAY SEE AROUND THE STREETS.
THEY ACTUALLY LAUNCHED YESTERDAY WAS DAY ONE FOR THEM.
UM, THEY DID RESPOND TO A CALL.
AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY THE PATIENT DIDN'T MEET CRITERIA.
UM, UH, AS IT TURNED OUT, HE HAD A, HE HAD A NON-CARDIAC PROBLEM.
UH, EVEN IF HE HAD MET CRITERIA, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIX HIS PROBLEM TRAGICALLY.
UM, BUT IT, THEY STARTED YESTERDAY.
IN BRIEF, WE'RE GONNA KIND OF PATTERN THIS A LITTLE BIT LIKE WE DID WITH THE MOBILE STROKE.
WE'RE GONNA CRAWL BEFORE WE WALK, BEFORE WE RUN.
AND SO TODAY THE, UH, ECMO UNIT IS, UH, DOWN IN THE MEDICAL CENTER.
THEY WILL BE CO DISPATCHED ALONG WITH HFD ON CARDIAC ARREST THAT ARE OCCURRING RIGHT NEAR THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
THESE GUYS WILL, UM, THEY WILL, WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO IS THEY'RE GONNA GET IN THEIR CAR, THEY'RE GONNA DRIVE NO LIGHTS, NO SIRENS.
OUR CREWS WILL GET ON SCENE, LET THEM KNOW WHAT THEY FOUND, AND IF IT'S A POTENTIAL CANDIDATE, THEY'LL THEN TURN ON THEIR LIGHTS AND SIRENS TO GET THE REST OF THEIR WAY THERE.
THEY'LL THEN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THE PATIENT IS A CANDIDATE.
IF NO, THEN HFD CONTINUES TO CARE FOR THE PATIENT AS WE WOULD'VE.
IF YES, THEY WILL START CARING FOR THE PATIENT, PUT 'EM IN THE HFD AMBULANCE AND TAKE THEM ON TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A VISUAL, HERE'S SOME PICTURES OF TRAINING.
THAT'S A MANNEQUIN ON THE FLOOR.
THAT'S NOT A PERSON, BUT IT'S A MANNEQUIN ON THE FLOOR THAT A LARGE PICTURE ON THE LEFT WAS, THAT'S A FIRE STATION 33, WHERE WE'RE KIND OF TRYING TO SIMULATE IF IT OCCURRED IN SOMEBODY'S HOME.
AND ON THE RIGHT, THOSE ARE MORE PICTURES OF SORT OF LIKE OUT ON PUBLIC ON A SIDEWALK, IF YOU WILL.
AND THEN WE, WE TOOK IT TO THE POINT WHERE WE ACTUALLY LOADED THE MANNEQUIN ON THE STRETCHER, GOT HIM IN THE AMBULANCE, GOT EVERYBODY IN THE AMBULANCE, AND THEN DROVE TO THE HOSPITAL JUST SO WE WOULD PRACTICE, UM, EVERYTHING WE COULD.
AND IN ADDITION, THIS IS, ALTHOUGH YESTERDAY WAS DAY ONE FOR THE MOBILE, UM, THIS TEAM HAS ACTUALLY ALREADY TREATED ONE PATIENT.
THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN WHO COLLAPSED NEAR THE FINISH LINE IN CARDIAC ARREST.
[01:05:01]
THE ECMO TEAM WAS IN THE GEORGE R. BROWN ALREADY PREPPED, READY TO GO.AND THEY DID ACTUALLY, UM, HELP TAKE CARE OF THIS MAN.
HE WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL ABOUT A WEEK LATER.
THAT'S A PICTURE OF HIM AND HIS WIFE AFTER THE DISCHARGE FROM THE HOSPITAL.
THIS IS THE ORDER OR THE MEMORANDUM RATHER, THAT WENT OUT TO THE FIELD, UH, TELLING FOLKS, UM, UH, BASICALLY HOW TO INTERACT WITH THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT.
THEY SAID WE HAD A, A MOBILE STROKE, THE MOBILE ECMO UNIT.
UH, WE HAD THEM OUT YESTERDAY.
THERE WERE NO HIS, UH, ISSUES.
AND I JUST WANT TO, AGAIN, TAKE A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK OUR COLLEAGUES AT UT HEALTH FOR THE PHYSICIANS AT MEMORIAL HERMANN FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
'CAUSE WE COULD, THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS, UH, WITHOUT THEM.
THIS IS NOT ONLY COMPLICATED, UH, BUT WE NEEDED, YOU KNOW, THE PHYSICIAN.
WE ALSO NEEDED THE, THE ETHICS PEOPLE TO BE INVOLVED.
WE NEEDED FINANCE PEOPLE TO BE INVOLVED.
WE, WE THINK WE'VE COVERED ALL THE BASES THERE.
AND FOR THE LAST PRESENTATION IS THE ROLLOUT OF THE, UH, PREHOSPITAL BLOOD TRANSFUSION PROGRAM.
UH, THIS IS A CONCEPT THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE MEDICINE, THE PROBLEM IS THE LOGISTICS OF IT.
SO IT'S BEEN WELL STUDIED IN THE MILITARY AND IN HELICOPTER EMS SYSTEMS AROUND THE UNITED STATES.
IN FACT, OUR LOCAL MEMORIAL HERMANN LIFE FLIGHT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST HELICOPTER PROGRAMS IN THE NATION TO CARRY BLOOD.
THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR OVER A DECADE, UH, WHEN THEY GO OUT AND TAKE CARE OF PREDOMINANTLY TRAUMA PATIENTS.
UM, WE NOW HAVE A LOT OF LOCAL EMS AGENCIES, NOT ONLY, UM, IN THE HOUSTON AREA, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I'LL HAVE A SLIDE TO SHOW THAT IN A MINUTE THAT HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT IT.
AGAIN, THIS IS ALREADY WELL STUDIED FROM, UM, EVERY ANGLE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MEDICALLY, UH, AND ETHICALLY APPROPRIATE.
AND, UH, THOSE, ALL THOSE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED AND ANSWERED.
SO, TRAGICALLY, WE ARE, WE ARE REALLY SORT OF LATE TO THE GAME.
AND ALTHOUGH THIS SLIDE DOESN'T SHOW IT VERY WELL, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK, YOU'LL, YOU'LL KIND OF NOTICE THAT LOS ANGELES, SAN DIEGO, ACTUALLY, SAN FRANCISCO, CHICAGO, IF IT WAS BLOWN UP, YOU WOULD SEE THAT NEW YORK, UM, MIAMI, THEY ARE NOT DOING IT.
AND THE REASON FOR IT IS THAT WITH A SMALLER EMS AGENCY, IT'S EASIER TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROGRAMS THAN WITH A BIG ONE.
HERE ARE OUR LOCAL, UH, EMS SYSTEMS THAT ARE ALREADY DOING THIS.
AND I'M GONNA GET TO THE QUESTION OF WHY IS IT DIFFICULT IN A BIG CITY? I'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
UM, WHO'S GONNA GET IT? YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA THINK ABOUT THE PERSON, LIKE IN THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT, THE, THE INJURED PERSON, THE BLEEDING PERSON, AND WE WILL.
BUT AS IT TURNS OUT, MOST OF THE FOLKS WHO GET TREATED ARE ACTUALLY PEOPLE WHO'VE GOT INTERNAL BLEEDING.
SO GI BLEEDS, UM, MOMS WHO ARE HEMORRHAGING DURING CHILDBIRTH.
UM, PEOPLE THAT, UM, HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, TUMORS THAT THEY'RE EXSANGUINATING FROM THEIR, THEIR TUMORS, IT TURNS OUT THAT ACTUALLY MOST OF THE PATIENTS ARE NOT TRAUMA PATIENTS.
THEY'RE MEDICAL PATIENTS WHO ARE BLEEDING.
AND THIS IS WHAT ALL THAT RESEARCH HAS SHOWED US.
THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, OUR PHASE ONE, WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH THE DISTRICT CHIEF, THE EMS SISTER CHIEF, AND TWO SENIOR CHIEFS WILL WORK OUT WHATEVER KINKS WE COME UPON THERE.
WE'LL THEN EXPAND IT ONCE WE FEEL COMFORTABLE TO THE, UH, REST OF THE EMS SUPERVISORS.
THERE ARE STATIONS ARE IN RED NOW THERE, THAT'S WHERE THEIR STATIONS ARE.
BUT TRUST ME, THESE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING ALL OVER THE CITY ALL DAY LONG.
OKAY? SO, UM, THAT'S JUST WHERE THEIR STATIONS ARE.
WE'RE USING WHAT'S KNOWN AS LOW TITER OSA.
SO PRETTY MUCH ANYBODY, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, UM, BLOOD REACTIONS.
THEY HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED IN SPECIAL COOLERS AT A SPECIAL TEMPERATURE.
CHIEF PENA, THANK YOU FOR GETTING US THOSE SPECIAL REFRIGERATORS TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
WE'RE GONNA BE USING IT ON OUR EMS SUPERVISORS AS THEY POINTED.
NOT ONLY DAY TO DAY, BUT ALSO LARGE EVENTS, LIKE WHEN THEY DO SWAT CALL OUTS.
UM, AND THEY'RE A STANDBY THERE.
HERE IS THE CHALLENGE WITH A BIG CITY, WE WILL BE USING A LOT OF BLOOD.
WE, WE WILL, WHEN I SAY USING, WE WILL NEED TO HAVE A LOT OF BLOOD IN OUR UNITS ON THE STREET TO BE USED IN A BIG, HUGE CITY LIKE HOUSTON.
WE WON'T PROBABLY ACTUALLY USE ALL OF IT.
AND WE DON'T WANT IT TO EXPIRE.
BLOOD HAS ABOUT A 30 DAY SHELF LIFE.
SO THE PROBLEM WE'VE ENCOUNTERED IS NOT WANTING TO WASTE THAT BLOOD.
WE HAD TO GET AWAY TO GET THE BLOOD BACK FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BACK INTO THE SYSTEM TO BE USED AT HOSPITALS.
AND NO ONE HOSPITAL WAS WILLING TO TAKE THE VOLUME OF BLOOD WITH ONLY NOW ONLY A TWO WEEK, UM, LIFE SHELF SPAN ON IT.
SO NO HOSPITAL WOULD INDEPENDENTLY DO IT.
'CAUSE THEY THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE PROVIDING MORE BLOOD THAN THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE.
SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH THE BLOOD CENTER, RIGHT, THE, THE REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER, AND THEY ARE NOW GOING TO, TO MANAGE THIS FORCE AND DISTRIBUTE IT.
THIS IS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THEY HAVE IN MIAMI, LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO, NEW YORK, DC ALL BIG CITIES.
THAT IS THE PROBLEM OF MAKING SURE THAT THE BLOOD DOESN'T GET WASTED.
AND SO WE THINK WE'VE GOT THAT SOLVED, SO NO BLOOD WILL BE WASTED.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE SAVING LIVES PRETTY QUICK WITH THE WHOLE BLOOD.
AND I KNOW, UM, WE'VE TALKED FOR A LOT, SO I'LL STOP TALKING AND WE'RE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
THIS IS ALL REALLY GREAT STUFF.
[01:10:01]
ALREADY GIVES TO EVERYBODY IS JUST TOP NOTCH.AND THIS IS JUST GONNA BE SUCH AN ADDED BENEFIT FOR THE CITY.
SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
UM, UP FIRST WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN.
UM, GOING TO FIRST TO THE STROKE UNIT.
I KNOW TWO YEARS AGO WE PRESENTED ON THE STROKE UNIT COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE TWO YEARS AGO.
CAN YOU JUST VERY SIMPLY, HAS THE PROGRAM EXPANDED? I, I CAN TELL FROM THE SLIDES WE'RE SEEING THE BENEFITS OF IT, BUT HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO GROW THAT PROGRAM? YEAH.
SO, UM, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE VEHICLE THAT WE DID IS IT GOT INTO A WRECK AND THAT TOOK IT OFF THE STREET FOR, I WANNA SAY ABOUT 18 MONTHS.
YEAH, ABOUT TWO YEARS MM-HMM
YEAH, BECAUSE THEY HAD TO BUILD A NEW ONE, RIGHT? AND, AND THESE, THEY TAKE THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR TO BUILD.
UM, SO THAT UNIT IS BACK ON THE STREET BASICALLY DOING WHAT THE FIRST UNIT WAS.
AND SO THE, UH, THE EXPANSION REALLY IS NOW THE ADDITION OF A SECOND UNIT THAT WE TOOK POSSESSION OF ON FRIDAY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHAT, SO WE HAVE TWO UNITS.
UM, THE GOAL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER STRATEGICALLY IS TO GET AT LEAST ONE IN EVERY QUADRANT.
IF WE DIVIDE A CITY UP IN FOUR, UH, THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO GET TO.
WE'RE ESSENTIALLY DOUBLING THE, UH, THE CAPACITY RATE NOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO THAT POINT ABOUT WHAT THE NEED IS, AND WE TALK A LOT ABOUT RESPONSE TIMES, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE, UM, INTERVENTION METHODS THAT HELPS ALL THE WAY DOWN, RIGHT? UH, THE LINE OR UP THE LINE IN THE, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO BUDGET, I'M ASKING A LOT OF BUDGET QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE THE MAYOR'S RELEASING HIS BUDGET TODAY.
UH, DO WE HAVE PLANS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THINGS LIKE THOSE MOBILE STROKE UNITS TO KEEP ADDING CAPACITY? SO, SO THIS SECOND UNIT IS, IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRST BECAUSE WE WILL ACTUALLY BE MAINTAINING THE UNIT AND WE WILL BE, UH, DRIVING IT.
SO WE WILL ASSIGN A, AN E, UH, EO TO THAT.
SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE, UM, WHAT WE WILL BE CONTRIBUTING HERE TO THIS, TO THIS PROGRAM.
AND WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR THAT ASPECT IN THIS, IN THIS CURRENT BUDGET PROPOSAL.
AND THEN, UM, YOU HAD A RESULTS SLIDE.
UH, I'M NOT SURE WHICH UH, SLIDE NUMBER IT IS, BUT IT RELATES TO THE GOLDEN HOUR.
COMPARING THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT TO STANDARD EMS IS STANDARD EMS, UH, ADVANCED OR BASIC OR BOTH? SO, SO FOR STROKE, IT'LL BE A, AN A LS TYPE CALL.
AND, AND THE BENEFIT OF THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER IS THAT WE WILL INTERCEPT THE, UH, THE INITIAL RESPONSE, RIGHT? TO, TO PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL TREATMENT AS THE, AS THE DOCTOR MENTIONED, THAT WE ESSENTIALLY BYPASS THE ER AND ALL THAT STUFF AND DO THE DIAGNOSIS, START THE MEDICATION BEFORE THEY GET TO THE, TO THE HOSPITAL.
THAT IS THE BENEFIT OF THIS, OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND WE GET, WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THE BENEFIT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO I, I REALLY WANNA CONGRATULATE, UM, EVERYONE ON EVEN GOING BEYOND THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT INTO THESE NEWER RIGHT, UM, EFFORTS AS WELL WITH THE BLOOD SUPPLY.
UH, CHAIR, YOU AND I TALK A LOT ABOUT THIS, UH, IN, UH, EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS.
WE'VE HAD CHALLENGES WITH BACKUP GENERATION AT TIMES.
UH, THESE SPECIALIZED FRIDGES, CAN THEY WITHSTAND LOSS OF POWER OR WHAT, WHAT VULNERABILITIES ARE THERE POTENTIALLY WITH THAT? YES.
THESE, THE, THIS, SO THE BLOOD, THE, OUR OBLIGATION IS TO MAINTAIN 'EM IN SOME HIGHLY REGULATED COOLERS, RIGHT? SO WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, TO PLAN FOR THAT.
UM, NOT INEVITABILITY, BUT FOR THAT POSSIBILITY THAT WE LOSE POWER ON THE MOBILE UNITS, ON THE UNITS ITSELF.
SO WE CAN HOOK 'EM UP TO THE, TO THE ONBOARD CHARGING SYSTEM OR WHATEVER WE, WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
BUT, UH, SURE, THAT'S PART OF THE WHOLE PLANNING PROCESS, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND AS THE DOCTOR MENTIONED, WE HAVE SECURED FUNDING FOR THOSE COMPONENTS.
UH, NOW IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GETTING THE, UH, THE CONTRACT DONE WITH GULF COAST, UH, GULF COAST BLOOD BANK TO ENSURE THAT, THAT LOGISTICALLY WE CAN RECEIVE THE BLOOD AND THEN ROTATE IT OUT.
WELL, AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS AND CHAIR.
UM, UP NEXT, UM, VICE CHAIR JACKSON.
THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT HOUSTONIANS ARE SAFE, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN, UM, THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SURVIVE IN A, IN A MIX OF A CRISIS.
AND SO THIS IS, UM, A GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'M HEARING ABOUT THE STROKE UNIT.
UM, AND SO AS I'M LOOKING AT THE MAP, UM, YOU HAVE, YOU STARTED OUT IN ONE LOCATION, THE CENTRAL LOCATION, AND THEN YOU SPREAD IT OUT, AND THEN YOU HAVE DESTINATION HOSPITALS.
IS THERE ANY, UM, CHANCE IN THE FUTURE YOU'LL BE PARTNERING WITH OTHER DESTINATION HOSPITALS THAT WILL BASICALLY COVER MORE OF, OF COURSE, NORTH HOUSTON, UM, GREENSPOINT, WILLOWBROOK, I MEAN, OF COURSE THIS IS BLACK, BROWN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, MOST HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND, AND, AND PRONE TO STROKE.
[01:15:01]
AND SO JUST SEEING THE MAP AND NOT SEEING THAT THERE IS ANY DESTINATION HOSPITALS IN THAT AREA.JUST CURIOUS, IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY CHANCES THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN SOON? YES.
AND SO THE HOSPITALS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH ARE ONES THAT ARE RECOGNIZED AS BY THE STATE AS, UH, STROKE CENTERS.
THERE'S A COMPREHENSIVE STROKE CENTER, WHICH CAN TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING.
AND THEN THERE'S A PRIMARY STROKE CENTER, WHICH CAN DO THE FIRST FEW HOURS, AND THEN THEY GENERALLY TRANSFER 'EM UP TO THE COMPREHENSIVES.
SO THE HOSPITALS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE TALK ABOUT FOOD DESERTS MM-HMM
WHERE YOU CAN'T GET, THERE'S NO SUPERMARKET.
WELL, THERE'S ALSO, AND HERE'S, WE'VE GOT HOSPITAL DESERTS.
WE'VE GOT AREAS WHERE THERE AREN'T, UM, WELL, THERE JUST AREN'T HOSPITALS.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT AREAS WHERE THERE ARE HOSPITALS, BUT THEY'RE SMALL HOSPITALS WITH LIMITED CAPABILITY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S, WE DON'T OWN AND OPERATE HOSPITALS.
SO, UH, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT BEYOND OUR REACH.
BUT, UM, YEAH, ONCE THEY, ONCE ANY HOSPITAL, AND, AND PART OF IT WAS THAT WHEN WE, WHEN I TALKED IN THE BEGINNING WITH GETTING ALL THE HOSPITALS THAT HAD COMPREHENSIVE AND PRIMARY STROKE CENTERS ON THE TEAM, UH, THAT'S ALL THEY HAD TO DO.
THEY JUST HAD TO BE THAT, AND THEY WERE PART OF THE SYSTEM.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA BRING A PATIENT WITH A STROKE TO A HOSPITAL.
THEY'RE JUST GONNA TELL US TO TURN AROUND AND TRANSFER 'EM ELSEWHERE.
SO, AND I LIKE THE, THE, THAT YOU TRANSITION, YOU HAVE, SO YOU DON'T, YOU TAKE CARE OF THEM BEFORE THEY GET TO THE HOSPITAL.
UM, MY MOM SUFFERED, SUFFERED A STROKE.
AND, UM, SHE PASSED AWAY THREE YEARS AFTER HER STROKE.
UM, BUT I WAS RIGHT THERE WHEN SHE HAD A STROKE.
SO JUST HAVING, KNOWING ABOUT THIS UNIT COULD HAVE LIKE, PRETTY MUCH, SHE, SHE WOULD'VE CAME OUT A LITTLE BIT BETTER IF WE WOULD'VE GOT TO THE HOSPITAL SOONER OR GOT HELP SOONER.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, TO YOU, TO YOUR POINT, AND I, AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT, THAT CONCERN, BUT WHAT THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT DOES IS IT ESSENTIALLY BRINGS THE ER OR THE HOSPITAL TO THE PATIENT OUT IN THE FIELD.
UM, IT IS, UH, DATA DRIVEN AS FAR AS WHERE WE LOCATED THE NEXT ONE.
UH, THE SECOND ONE WE'RE, WE'RE PLANNING INITIALLY TO HOUSE IT AT STATION 37 ON STELLA LINK.
AND, AND IT'LL BE THERE PARKED OVERNIGHT, BUT BASED ON WHATEVER DATA WE'RE SEEING THAT MAY BE, UH, YOU KNOW, RELOCATED AS, AS NEEDED.
BUT THEIR, THEIR FOOTPRINT, THEIR COVERAGE IS GONNA BE ALMOST IF YOU SAW THE MAP ALMOST THE ENTIRE CITY.
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
IF I CAN TAKE EVERYTHING TO PLANT A SEED AND TO PIGGYBACK ON SOMETHING THE CHIEF SAID, BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE EXPECT UT HEALTH WILL HAVE ONE ON THE STREET AS WELL, RIGHT? UM, THERE WAS THE RED CIRCLE AND THEN THERE WAS THE LARGER CIRCLE.
REMEMBER THE RED CIRCLE IS WHERE THEY GET DISPATCHED INITIALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE CLOSE TO IT.
THE LARGER CIRCLES WHERE OUR UNITS GET ON SCENE AND THEY SAY, OH MY GOSH, THIS IS A BAD STROKE.
LET'S CALL THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT.
AND THEY TRY TO VILLE WELL, THERE'S LOST TIME THERE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
I MEAN, IT'S NOT A TON OF TIME, BUT IF IT'S MY BRAIN, IT'S A LOT OF TIME, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND SO IDEALLY WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH UNITS SO THAT THE RED CIRCLES COVER THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, WE MAY COME BACK TO YOU AND ASK YOU FOR SOME MONEY TO PURCHASE YET ANOTHER.
SO LEMME JUST PLANT THAT SEED.
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY MONEY TODAY, BUT, BUT, UH, WE GOT A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT THIS.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR.
AND, UM, ADDING ONTO THAT, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST FOR EACH MOBILE STROKE UNIT, IF YOU WERE TO COME BACK TO US ASKING FOR IT? THE MOBILE STROKE UNIT ITSELF IS BETWEEN, IT'S, I'M GONNA SAY IT'S ABOUT $1.2 MILLION.
UM, SO YOU'VE GOT THE CT SCANNER ON IT.
YOU'VE ALSO GOTTA HAVE TO HAVE ALL KINDS OF EXTRA SHIELDING ON IT FOR RADIATION.
BUT THEN IN ADDITION, THERE ARE BLOOD TESTS THAT ARE DONE ON THAT.
SO WE WON'T, WE CAN'T GIVE THE BLOOD THINNING DRUG TO SOMEBODY WHO'S ALREADY ON BLOOD THINNERS.
RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO CHECK TO SEE WHAT THEIR OTHER GET SPECIAL BLOOD TESTS ON QUICKLY.
SO WE DO THE CT SCAN, WE SEND IT TO A RADIOLOGIST, WE THEN INTERFACE WITH 'EM BASICALLY THROUGH SKYPE, IF YOU WILL.
BUT THAT'S GOT ALL BE ENCRYPTED AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND THEN IN ADDITION, WE ALSO THEN HAVE TO HAVE A STROKE NEUROLOGIST TO INTERVIEW THE PATIENT.
AGAIN, IT ALL HAS TO BE ENCRYPTED.
SO THERE'S OTHER HIGH TECH EQUIPMENT BEYOND THE CT SCANNER, AND THAT'S WHAT ADDS TO THE COST.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY A YEARLY COST THEN THAT, THAT'S THE PURCHASE COST.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE THE YEARLY COST TO MAINTAIN IT? YEAH, COST WOULD, THEN WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE, THE STAFFING, UH, OBLIGATION AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE, OF THE UNIT.
SO A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR IS FOR THAT PORTION OF IT.
AND THE CT SCANNER ITSELF DOES HAVE, WITH EXTRA MAINTENANCE THAT HAS TO BE DONE ANNUALLY THAT WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T DEAL WITH THAT WITH OUR OTHER UNITS.
BUT THERE IS ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE BECAUSE OF THAT HIGH TECH EQUIPMENT.
UM, UP NEXT STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS'S OFFICE.
UM, UM, CHIEF PENA, AS YOU VERY WELL KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS CALLS YOU BROTHER.
AND, UM, I'M SURE IF HE WAS HERE, HE WOULD SAY, UM, GOOD JOB, BROTHER.
CHIEF, YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING SOME EXCELLENT WORK AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CREDIT GOES TO, TO EVERYBODY.
IT'S, IT'S COLLABORATION REALLY.
UH, AS WE MENTIONED, THE MEDICAL CENTER HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN, UH, A KEY IN, IN, IN HAVING THESE INITIATIVES, UH, ROLL OUT.
[01:20:01]
SO WE, UH, WE'RE PROUD OF THE PARTNERSHIP, PROUD OF ALL THE WORK THAT, THAT EVERYBODY'S DOING.THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL.
THANK YOU, CHIEF PENAN AND DR.
PER, WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UP NEXT, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE VIN INSPECTION FEE.
UM, THE PRESENTATION WILL BE GIVEN BY COMMANDER HITMAN AND LIEUTENANT HARDING, AND THIS WILL BE THE LAST PRESENTATION.
SO IF THERE'S ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HAS NOT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UM, YOU CAN GO TO THIS FRONT TABLE OVER HERE TO SIGN UP.
I'M THE COMMANDER OF THE AUTO THEFT DIVISION FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'M JOINED TODAY BY LIEUTENANT TOLEN HARDING, WHO'S A LIEUTENANT OVER THE HOUSTON AUTO CRIMES TASK FORCE.
WE'RE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT A PRESENTATION, A PROPOSAL FOR A VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION, UH, NUMBER INSPECTION FEE.
SO THE PROPOSAL IS TO, UH, ADD A NEW FEE TO THE CITY FEE SCHEDULE AT $40.
AND ALSO THE REQUEST IS THAT THE REVENUE GENERATED, UH, WOULD BE RETAINED BY THE HOUSTON AUTO CRIMES TASK FORCE GRANT AS COST RECOVERY FOR THE PERSONNEL AND OPERATION, UH, EXPENDITURES.
UM, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES REQUIRES A VENT INSPECTION FEE ON CERTAIN VEHICLES.
UM, THESE VEHICLES CAN BE TRUCKS, TRAILERS, UH, CARS, SUVS, MOTORCYCLES, ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA BE DRIVEN ON THE ROAD.
UM, WHAT TYPE OF VEHICLES DOES DMV REQUIRE THIS EVENT INSPECTION FOR? WELL, ONE OF THE MAIN ONES IS ANY VEHICLE THAT TEXAS DMV DOES NOT HAVE A RECORD FOR, OR CANNOT FIND A RECORD FOR IN THE NATIONAL MOTOR VEHICLE.
TITLING INFORMATION SERVICE BASICALLY MEANS THEY CAN'T FIND A RECORD OF THAT CAR EVER EXISTING.
UM, THE SECOND SITUATION IS WHERE A VEHICLE REQUIRES A BONDED TITLE.
A BONDED TITLE SITUATION OCCURS WHEN AN OWNER OF A VEHICLE HAS LOST THE TITLE.
THE TITLE CAN'T BE FOUND, THE ORIGINAL OWNER CAN'T BE CONTACTED TO COMPLETE THE, UH, TITLE PAPERWORK, UH, THE OWNER IS DECEASED.
UM, A THIRD INSTANCE IS WHEN AN INSPECTION IS REQUIRED, IS WHEN A VEHICLE IS IMPORTED FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
AGAIN, THIS COULD BE A VEHICLE THAT WAS NEVER INTENDED FOR THE US MARKET, UM, COULD BE A RARE OR SPECIALTY CAR, UH, BUT AGAIN, THERE, COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, THERE WOULD BE NO TITLE HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES FOR DMV TO CONFIRM, UH, ANOTHER TYPE OF VEHICLE THAT WE REQUIRE.
A EVENT INSPECTION FEE IS A VEHICLE THAT'S BEEN PURCHASED OUT OF STATE, AND IT'S BEING REGISTERED FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HAPPENS TO BE REGISTERED IN TEXAS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT HAS NO PRIOR STATE RECORDS AND NO RECORDS IN THE EN VITAS DATABASE, UH, FOR THE EN VITAS DATABASE.
IT IS ONE, ONE PROBLEM WITH IT IS NOT EVERY STATE PARTICIPATES, THEREFORE, THERE CAN, THERE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE THERE ARE NO RECORDS THERE.
UH, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A VEHICLE THAT NEEDS AN INSPECTION FEE IS A VEHICLE THAT NEEDS AN ASSIGNED OR REASSIGNED VIN NUMBER.
TYPICALLY, THESE ARE VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD THE VIN NUMBERS OBLITERATED, REMOVED, OR DAMAGED.
AND THESE ARE TYPICALLY VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN STOLEN AND THEN REQUIRE AN INSPECTION TO CONFIRM THE IDENTITY OF IT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOLEN, THE CROOK ATTEMPTED TO OBLITERATED OR, OR HIDE THOSE VIN NUMBERS.
UH, ANOTHER COMMON OCCURRENCE IS HOMEMADE VEHICLES.
THIS IS TYPICALLY WITH HOMEMADE TRAILERS.
YOU CAN BUILD YOUR OWN VEHICLE, YOU BUILD YOUR OWN TRAILER IN YOUR BACKYARD, UH, AND THEN REGISTER IT AND GET LICENSE PLATES FOR IT.
WELL, THE DMV REQUIRES THAT YOU PROVE THAT THAT IS TRULY A HOMEMADE TRAILER AND NOT A STOLEN TRAILER.
UH, ALSO CUSTOM BEAT CUSTOM BUILT VEHICLES.
UH, TYPICALLY THIS MIGHT BE MOTORCYCLES OR A SPECIALTY CAR WHERE YOU'VE BOUGHT A FRAME, AN AFTERMARKET FRAME, AND MADE A CUSTOM VEHICLE OUT OF IT TO YOUR SPECIFICATIONS.
UM, ANOTHER CATEGORY IS EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY THAT WAS NEVER ORIGINALLY ENTITLED OR, OR REGISTERED AND WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE.
UM, THIS COULD BE ROAD GRADERS, STREET SWEEPERS, OR OTHER FARM EQUIPMENT THAT THE OWNER NOW NEEDS TO HAVE A, UH, TITLE AND REGISTRATION AND LICENSE PLATES FOR IT SO IT CAN BE OPERATED ON THE ROAD.
UM, THE LAST SITUATION IS WHEN DMV REQUIRES, UH, AN INSPECTION FOR OTHER REASONS.
AND SOME OF THOSE ARE, THEY'RE SUSPICIOUS OF THE PAPERWORK, UM, SUCH AS A REBUILT SALVAGE THAT DOESN'T QUITE MAKE, DOESN'T QUITE LINE UP, OR THERE'S A LEGAL RESTRAINT ON THE REGISTRATION FOR ANOTHER REASON.
UM, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW MANY, HOW MANY VEHICLES THIS APPLIES TO, IT'S NOT VERY MANY.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 4.2 MILLION
[01:25:01]
VEHICLES IN HAR REGISTERED IN HARRIS COUNTY.AND EVEN IF YOU FIGURE 20% OF THOSE NEED AN A TITLE CHANGE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 800,000 CARS.
THE HOUSTON AUTO CRIMES TASK FORCE DOES ABOUT 1400 INSPECTIONS, UM, A YEAR.
SO THIS FEE WOULD NOT AFFECT A HUGE NUMBER OF CITIZENS, AND IT'S ONLY THOSE CITIZENS WHO HAVE VEHICLES THAT WERE IN THOSE CATEGORIES WHO ARE TRYING TO VOLUNTARILY GET THEM TITLED IN, TITLED AND TITLED AND REGISTERED WOULD NEED TO PAY THIS FEE.
UM, AS A RESULT OF THE EVENT INSPECTION FEE, THE, UH, THE PERSON WHO'S CONDUCTING THE INSPECTION COMPLETES A TEXAS DMV FORM 68 A, UM, AND TYPICALLY THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE THE DMV HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF THE VEHICLE OR THE OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, UH, THESE INSPECTIONS ARE NOT NEW.
THEY'VE BEEN DONE FOR MANY YEARS.
DMV'S REQUIRED THIS FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UH, AND TYPICALLY THIS INSPECTION IS TO CONFIRM THE IDENTITY OF THE VEHICLE IS THE VEHICLE THAT THIS PERSON IS TRYING TO REGISTER.
ACTUALLY THE SAME ONE WITH THE PAPERWORK.
UM, IT'S ALSO A WAY TO, UH, IDENTIFY AND RECOVER STOLEN VEHICLES.
AND THESE ARE TYPICALLY VIN SWAPPED VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN SOLD WITH QUESTIONABLE PAPERWORK OR NO PAPERWORK.
THIS IS CURRENTLY IS VERY COMMON ON, UH, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA SITES WHERE PEOPLE ARE PAY, ARE POSTING VEHICLES ON PLACES LIKE MARKETPLACE, SELLING THEM TO UNSUSPECTING CITIZENS WITH FAKE PAPERWORK.
UM, AND THEY'VE ALTERED THE VIN NUMBERS TO MAKE IT, MAKE IT APPEAR THAT THE, UH, PAPERWORK AND THE VEHICLE MATCH.
UM, THESE INSPECTIONS HAVE TO BE CONDUCTED BY A TRAINED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHO IS ASSIGNED TO EITHER AN AUTO THEFT UNIT OR A MOTOR VEHICLE CRIME PREVENTION AUTHORITY TASK FORCE.
I CURRENTLY AM THE SUPERVISOR OF THE HOUSTON AUTO CRIMES TASK FORCE, AND MY, MY UNIT PERFORMS THESE INSPECTIONS.
THE, UH, MOTOR VEHICLE CRIME PREVENTION AUTHORITY IS UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE TEXAS DMV AND FUNDS, THE HOUSTON AUTO CRIMES TASK FORCE.
THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE CHAPTER 5 0 1 GIVES THE AUTHORITY TO CHARGE FOR A FEE UP TO $40 FOR THESE INSPECTIONS.
AND LIKE LIEUTENANT, UH, HARDING SAID THIS, THESE INSPECTIONS ARE CURRENTLY CONDUCTED BY THE HOUSTON AUTO CRIMES TASK FORCE.
IT TAKES SPECIALIZED TRAINING EQUIPMENT AND KNOWLEDGE TO CONDUCT THESE, NOT, NOT JUST ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER CAN DO IT.
SPECIFICALLY, THEY HAVE TO BE, HAVE COMPLETED THE TRAINING AND ASSIGNED TO AN AUTO THEFT, UM, ASSIGNMENT.
THESE INSPECTIONS CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 15 MINUTES TO SEVERAL HOURS.
WE CONDUCT THEM EVERY MONDAY MORNING, STARTING AT 8:00 AM AT THEIR VEHICLE IMPOUND LOT AT 1300 DART.
UH, WE CURRENTLY USE AN ONLINE, UH, BOOKING SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS FOR UP TO 60 APPOINTMENTS, UH, 60 APPOINTMENTS PER DAY, UH, AND CITIZENS CAN BOOK THEM THREE MONTHS IN ADVANCE.
AND ON AVERAGE, WE COVER ANYWHERE BETWEEN 1300 AND 1400 INSPECTIONS A YEAR.
UM, AND AS PART OF THE, AS THE LIEUTENANT SAID, UH, WE ARE UNDER THE MOTOR VEHICLE CRIME PREVENTION AUTHORITY GRANT.
UH, HPD HAS BEEN A PART OF THAT GRANT FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS.
IT FINDS A MAJORITY OF THE AUTO THEFT, UH, INVESTIGATIONS AND, AND, UH, AND VCPA ALSO SUPPORTS CHARGING THIS FEE.
UH, JUST AS, AS A RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING UNDER THE MOTOR VEHICLE CRIME PREVENTION AUTHORITY GRANT, UH, THESE ARE SOME OF THE, UH, STATUTES AND, AND GRANTS, UM, POLICIES THAT WE ARE, UH, BOUND BY AND, AND PARTICIPATE IN TO FOR THE GRANT AWARDS.
NEXT SLIDE, SPECIFICALLY UNDER THE, UH, TEXAS GRANT MANAGEMENT STANDARDS.
UM, BECAUSE PART OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR TODAY IS, IS NOT JUST TO IMPOSE THE FEE OF $40, BUT WE'RE ASKING FOR THAT FEE OF $40 TO BE PART FOR THOSE REVENUES GENERATED TO GO BACK INTO PROGRAM INCOME FOR THE GRANT RATHER THAN GO TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THIS IS UNDER THE, EXCUSE ME, THE GRANT MANAGEMENT, UH, STANDARDS, THEY DEFINE PROGRAM INCOME IN TWO DIFFERENT, UH, PLACES.
UH, NUMBER ONE, INCOME FROM FEES AND SERVICES PERFORMED.
AND NUMBER TWO, GROSS INCOME RECEIVED BY THE GRANTEE, DIRECTLY GENERATED BY A GRANT SUPPORTED ACTIVITY.
AND THIS IS, UH, GRANT SUPPORTED ACTIVITY.
IT'S MANDATED BY THE STATE UNDER DMV.
THE M-V-C-P-A PAYS FOR THE TRAINING OF OUR OFFICERS, UH, TO, THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO, UH, PERFORM THE, THE, UH, INSPECTIONS.
AND THEN SECONDLY, THE, UH, M-V-C-P-A ADMIN GRANT MANUAL ALSO IDENTIFIES PROGRAM INCOME AS THE GENERATED, UH, PROGRAM INCOME, UH, FOR THE CHARGES
[01:30:01]
AND FEES RECEIVED, UH, USING THE GRANT FUNDED PERSONNEL, UH, AND EQUIPMENT AND FOR THE PROGRAM INCOME.WHEN THAT GOES BACK INTO, UM, THE GRANT FUNDS, WE CAN USE THOSE FUNDS FOR OVERTIME EQUIPMENT OR TO OFFSET THE COSTS OR THE FUNDING REQUESTS THAT WE NEED IN OUR, IN OUR DIVISION.
UH, JUST SOME LAST THINGS THAT I WANTED TO NOTE AS, AS PART OF THIS IS THAT WE WOULD NOT CHARGE, UH, THEFT VICTIMS, UH, THIS FEE.
SO IF A PATROL OFFICER DID A TRAFFIC STOP AND SAW A SUSPICIOUS, UH, VIN PLATE AND WANTED, UH, THAT VEHICLE FURTHER INSPECTED AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION, WE'RE NOT GONNA CHARGE, UH, THAT VICTIM.
THAT'S PART OF A INVESTIGATION.
THIS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS FEE TO BE CHARGED IS, IS SPECIFIC TO THOSE, UH, PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTARILY, YOU KNOW, PER THE, UH, TEXAS DMV NEED TO COMPLY WITH THOSE LAWS AND COME TO, UH, THE VEHICLE IMPOUND LOT, UH, AND NEED THAT INSPECTION FOR TITLING AND REGISTRATION.
AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT THIS, THIS IS NOT A NEW FEE.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO EXPAND THIS, UH, BEYOND WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO.
UH, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO, UH, IMPLEMENT THE FEE TO RECOVER THE EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL COSTS THAT WE PUT OUT FOR, FOR OPERATING THESE INSPECTIONS.
UH, CURRENTLY A FEE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED FOR THIS FEE, AND THE FEE STUDY I, I THINK, WAS $137 IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF, UH, RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL COSTS THAT WE PUT OUT FOR EACH OF THESE IN INSPECT INSPECTIONS.
BUT PER STATE LAW, WE CAN ONLY CHARGE UP TO $40.
SO WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR THE, THE FEE RECOVERY OF THE $40.
AND, AND AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE DON'T WANNA DEAL IN CASH.
SO THESE, UH, TRANSACTIONS WOULD BE CREDIT CARD ONLY.
THAT, AND THAT CONCLUDES THE, UH, PRESENTATION IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, COMMANDER, DO YOU KNOW WHEN THIS WOULD COME TO COUNCIL FOR A VOTE? IS THERE AN ESTIMATED TIMELINE FOR THAT? UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT WOULD BE, UH, IF, IF IT WAS APPROVED BY, UH, THIS COMMITTEE, THAT IT WOULD BE SOON.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, SO WHAT IS THE CURRENT, UM, PROCESS? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF A PERSON, IF YOU HAVE TO DO A, UM, VIN INSPECTION, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE CURRENT PROCESS? SO THEY'RE, WE, WE CONDUCT THESE INSPECTIONS CURRENTLY.
UH, AND SO THE PROCESS IS A CITIZEN THAT NEEDS IT.
THEY GET INTO OUR ONLINE, UH, SCHEDULING SYSTEM AND BOOK AN APPOINTMENT, AND THEY SHOW UP TO THE VEHICLE IMPOUND LOT.
AND A, A TRAINED OFFICER, UH, FIRST OF ALL THAT OFFICER'S DOING RESEARCH ON THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE INSPECTION.
UH, THEY TAKE THAT VEHICLE BACK INTO THE VEHICLE IMPOUND LOT AND, AND CONDUCT THE, THE INSPECTION.
AND THAT'S NORMALLY DONE AT NO COST.
AND IT ACTUALLY, WE'RE TAKING OUR, UH, HOUSTON AUTO CRIMES TASK FORCE OFFICERS.
IT'S TAKEN AWAY FROM THEIR OPERATIONS, UH, TO DO THESE INSPECTIONS EVERY MONDAY.
AND WHO REQUIRES THE INSPECTION BESIDES, I I KNOW YOU SAID LIKE, IF IT'S THE VINN NUMBER LOOKS OFF OR WHATEVER IS DOES THE STATE REQUIRES YES, MA'AM.
ALL THOSE, UH, CRITERIA ARE UNDER THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS FOR A VIN INSPECTION.
AND WHAT, HOW DO THEY CONTRIBUTE TO COVERING THE COST FOR THE INSPECTIONS? THE STATE, SINCE THEY REQUIRED RIGHT.
THE MOTOR VEHICLE CRIME PREVENTION AUTHORITY IS A BRANCH UNDER THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE.
AND WE RECEIVE FUNDS THAT, UH, FUNDS OUR PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING, UH, FOR OUR AUTO THEFT TASK FORCE.
AND HOW MUCH DID WE RECEIVE FROM THEM TO DO THE INSPECTIONS? 'CAUSE WE GETTING PAID TO DO THE RENTS INSPECTIONS, WE JUST WANT TO ADD $40 ONTO IT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE ADDITIONAL MONEY TO COVER OVERTIME.
BUT WE ARE ALREADY GETTING PAID FOR IT, SO IT'S NOT DONE FOR FREE BECAUSE THE STATE IS GIVING US GRANT DOLLARS MONEY TO COVER THIS PARTICULAR TASK.
BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY TASK THAT WE DO.
OUR, OUR, UH, THIS SPECIFICALLY IS OUR PROACTIVE ARM OF THE AUTO THEFT DIVISION.
UH, THEY HAVE MANY TASKS, MANY, UH, OPERATIONS ACROSS THE, THE CITY AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
SO THIS IS NOT THE ONLY TASK THAT THEY DO.
AND THE, THE GRANT DOES COVER A LARGE PORTION OF THE DIVISION, BUT IT DOESN'T COVER THE ENTIRE DIVISION.
UM, AND IT DOESN'T COVER EVERYTHING.
WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE IT, AND IT'S A HUGE COST.
I, I DON'T QUOTE ME, BUT I BELIEVE THE, THE GRANT IS ABOUT $1.3 MILLION.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT OUR ENTIRE OPERATING COST.
THERE ARE NO MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE WILL NOW GO INTO, UM, THE PUBLIC SPEAKER PORTION OF THE COMMITTEE
[01:35:01]
MEETING.UM, EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES, AND YOUR TIME EXPIRES WHEN THE BELL RINGS UP.
I'M A RETIRED HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE CREATE A SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE OFFICERS WHO WERE TERMINATED AFTER REPORTING DISCRIMINATION IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I THOUGHT I HAD MORE THAN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND EVERYTHING IN THIS PACKAGE.
THE PROBLEM IS BECAUSE THE PUB IS HPD CREATED A PUBLIC SAFETY THREAT, MANIPULATED INVESTIGATIONS, TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE AND FABRICATING EVIDENCE.
THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS PATTERN AND BEHAVIOR OF OFFICERS MANIPULATING INVESTIGATIONS, TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE AND FABRICATING EVIDENCE, IS A MATTER OF PUBLIC CONCERN AND PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS WHO REPORT DISCRIMINATION OF VICTIMS. JUST AS THE SEXUAL ASSAULT AND CRIME VICTIMS INVOLVED IN A 2 260 4,000 CASES THAT WERE SUSPENDED, OFFICERS WHO REPORT DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS WERE NOT PROPERLY INVESTIGATED, NOR WERE THESE OFFICERS COMPLAINT TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
INSTEAD, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATIONS INTO THESE OFFICER'S COMPLAINTS WERE MANIPULATED AND EVIDENCE WAS FABRICATED RESULTING IN OFFICERS BEING SUSPENDED AND OR TERMINATED BASED ON UNSUBSTANTIATED INSUBORDINATION AND BOGUS UNTRUTHFULNESS ALLEGATIONS, AND WERE ISSUED ERRONEOUS AND INVALID DISORDER OF DISCHARGE.
AS A RESULT, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT THESE OFFICER'S PERMANENT PERSONNEL FILES ARE TRUE AND CORRECT.
THESE OFFICER'S, PERMANENT PERSONNEL RECORDS ARE TAINTED AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED.
IN ADDITION, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT USED LAST CHANCE COMPROMISE WAIVER AGREEMENTS REQUIRING OFFICERS TO RELINQUISH THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS.
THESE OFFICERS ARE FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR JOBS AND THEIR CIVIL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS REQUIRED TO SIGN THESE LAST CHANCE COMPROMISE WAIVER AGREEMENT BASED ON UNSUBSTANTIATED INSUBORDINATION AND BOGUS UN TRUTHNESS ALLEGATIONS TO IMMEDIATELY WAIVE AND ANY AND ALL COMPLAINTS THEY MAY HAVE WITH EEOC IN ORDER TO SAVE THEIR JOBS.
DESPITE HPD BEING ADVISED THAT THE LAST CHANCE COMPROMISE WAIVER AGREEMENTS REQUIRING OFFICERS TO RELINQUISH THEIR CIVIL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WERE ATTAINED ILLEGALLY, HPD CONTINUED TO USE THESE WAIVERS DESPITE OFFICERS HAVE HAVING A DUTY AND AN OBLIGATIONS TO REPORT DISCRIMINATION ACCORDING TO DEPARTMENT POLICY 300 DASH 11.
THANK YOU MS. LILY FOR COMING.
UM, PLEASE DO EMAIL US THAT INFORMATION.
UM, WE DO HAVE THE, UM, OFFICE OF POLICING REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSIST.
AND SO IF YOU COULD EMAIL THAT TO US, WE'RE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THAT DEPARTMENT AND WITH YOU TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
UM, I'M ONE OF THE OFFICERS, FORMER OFFICERS THAT, UH, OFFICER QUILLY JUST SPOKE ABOUT.
UM, I USED TO BE A HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER, UM, FOR ABOUT A LITTLE OVER 10 YEARS I WAS WRONGFULLY TERMINATED.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT WHEN YOU WRONGFULLY TERMINATE A POLICE OFFICER, IT, IT ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE MANPOWER OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
YOU HAVE TO INVESTIGATE CRIMES SUCH AS HOMICIDE, SEXUAL ASSAULTS, ROBBERIES, OFFICERS THAT WORK ON THE ON PATROL, THAT'S ONE LESS OFFICER.
YOU HAVE TO ANSWER CALLS FOR SERVICE.
SO I IMPLORE YOU, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THIS.
FOR ONE, Y'ALL SHOULD BE, UH, ADVISED ON HOW MANY OFFICERS
[01:40:01]
ARE LOST PER YEAR.WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU HAVE OFFICERS, A NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT ARE THAT RETIRE, THAT ARE TERMINATED, THAT ARE, UH, RESIGNED FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND THIS NUMBER COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 300 TO 500 OFFICERS PER YEAR.
THAT SHOULD BE A MAJOR CONCERN FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU THAT SITS ON THIS COUNCIL BECAUSE LIKE I SAID BEFORE, IT, THIS AFFECTS THE MANPOWER OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WITH THIS SCANDAL, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE CODE, WITH THE LACK OF, UH, PERSONNEL THAT ALL TIES INTO THAT.
SO, MOVING FORWARD, I HOPE Y'ALL LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE I'M TELLING YOU IT, THIS AFFECTS NOT ONLY YOU, BUT YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT YOU REPRESENT IN YOUR DISTRICTS.
I MEAN, SINCE ME AND KATHY SWANLEY HAVE BEEN, UH, LET GO FROM THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING THIS ISSUE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH A NEW ADMINISTRATION IN, IN, UH, IN FOLD IN THE FOLD NOW, I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING COULD BE DONE TO, UH, LOOK INTO THIS, BUT, UH, I JUST WANTED TO COME HERE TODAY AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THAT ON Y'ALL'S, UH, MIND THAT, HEY, UH, THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND I HOPE Y'ALL REALLY CONSIDER, UH, LOOKING INTO THIS.
UH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
UM, SO WHO'S CURRENTLY LOOKING INTO YOUR CASES? I KNOW I'VE HEARD ABOUT, UM, THE ISSUE THAT THE YOUNG LADY WHO JUST SPOKE.
UM, SO WHO'S CURRENTLY LOOKING INTO YOUR CASES AS FAR AS THIS, UH, SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY COUNCIL OR LIKE, UH, JUST YEAH, WHO'S INVESTIGATING IT? SO WHEN WE BOTH CAME, WELL, I BELIEVE IT WAS A MONTH AGO AND SPOKE BEFORE CITY COUNCIL, UH, AND MAYOR WHITMEYER WAS HERE.
UH, HE SAID THAT HE WOULD, UH, ALLOW US TO MEET WITH HIM IN PRIVATE.
SO WE'RE STILL WAITING, UH, TO HAVE THAT MEETING WITH HIM.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S IT.
CAN YOU EMAIL ME YOUR INFORMATION? YES, MA'AM.
NEXT SPEAKER IS TAMMY LANE, CAMPBELL PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M TAMMY LANE CAMPBELL, FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HONEY BROWN HOPE FOUNDATION.
TODAY, I AM HERE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION AN URGENT MATTER AFFECTING PUBLIC SAFETY THAT IS CONNECTED TO HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, DISCRIMINATING AGAINST ITS OWN OFFICERS, AND TO REQUEST THAT THIS MATTER BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA OF A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND TO HAVE SEARCH ITEM CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL IN COMPLIANCE WITH PROPOSITION A.
THE US SUPREME COURT HAS AFFIRMED THAT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMITTED BOTH DISCRIMINATION AND RETALIATION AGAINST ITS OWN OFFICERS.
THE COURT DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A CODE OF SILENCE AT THE HOUSTON, UH, AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR RETALIATING AGAINST ITS OWN OFFICERS.
THE COST, UH, TO TAXPAYERS WAS 150,000 IN DAMAGES.
IN ADDITION, THE TAXPAYERS OF HOUSTON PAID OUT OUTSIDE COUNSELS 175,000 JUST FOR THE FEW MONTHS OF WORK ASKING THE SUPREME COURT TO CONSIDER THIS CASE.
THE TAXPAYERS OF HOUSTON SPENT WELL OVER A MILLION DOLLARS OF ATTORNEY TIME IN EXPENSES IN THEIR EIGHT YEAR EFFORT TO DENY POLICE OFFICER CHRISTOPHER ZAMAR JUSTICE.
THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT'S MISCONDUCT AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AGAINST GOOD OFFICERS HAVE CAUSED GOOD OFFICERS WHO WERE WRONGLY TERMINATED IN THEIR FAMILIES, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO CLEAR THEIR NAMES AND HAVE THE ERRONEOUS AND, AND VALID DISHONORABLE DISCHARGES REMOVED FROM THEIR RECORD.
IN CLOSING, I PRAY THAT YOU, THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, WERE MOVED TO PLACE THIS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE ON THE AGENDA OF A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO HAVE THE ITEM CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL IN COMPLIANCE WITH PROPOSITION A.
AS A CAUTIONARY REMINDER, I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS
[01:45:01]
MESSAGE.ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT VIOLATES ONE OF ITS OWN POLICE OFFICER'S RIGHTS CANNOT BE TRUSTED AND DEPENDENT UPON TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF ITS CITIZENS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I'M THE FOUNDER OF WE THE PEOPLE ORGANIZ FOR YEARS AS A MEMBER OF THE GREATER HOUSTON COLLEGES FOR JUSTICE.
UH, WE FORMED HPD PUT WE, WE INFORMED HPD POLICE CHIEFS AND MAYOR TURNER AND FORMER HPD OFFICER KATHY SWILLEY, DUS WRIGHT AND OTHER OFFICERS WERE TERMINATED AS A RESULT OF OFFICERS MANIPULATING INVESTIGATIONS AND FABRICATED EVIDENCE.
AFTER THESE OFFICERS REPORTED DISCRIMINATION INTO HPD ON JUNE 26TH, 2018, DAVID ATWOOD WITH THE GREATER USE IN COLLEGE SOCIAL JUSTICE, WROTE A LETTER TO HPD, THEN HPD CHIEF ART ACEVEDO REGARDING OFFICERS MANIPULATING INVESTIGATIONS AND FABRICATING EVIDENCE, UH, AGAINST FORMER HPD OFFICERS, CATHOLIC SW DE WRIGHT, AND WRONGFUL TERMINATIONS.
I HAVE HIS LETTER RIGHT HERE AND I I WILL E I'LL FORWARD THAT TO YOU.
UM, MR. EDWARD LETTER STATES THAT THE COALITION WERE CONCERNED THAT THE POLICE MISCONDUCT OF OFFICER DIMITRI'S RIGHT, AND, AND, AND MS. WILLY WAS SUBJECT TO AND THE MALICIOUS INVESTIGATION, FALSIFIED DOCUMENTS AND EVIDENCE AND BASELESS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION WERE DETRIMENTAL TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON.
AND SEVENTH MONTHS LATER, DISABLED SENIOR CITIZENS, REGINA NICHOLAS AND HUSBAND DENNIS TUTTLE AND THEIR DOG WERE KILLED IN A BOTCHED NO-KNOCK RAID BY HP NARCOTICS OFFICER, BASED ON FABRICATED EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO THE JUDGE TO OBTAIN THE SEARCH WARRANT.
I WANTED TO REITERATE, MY ORGANIZATION WAS FORMED TO BRING JUSTICE TO THE TUTTLES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND PLEASE DO SEND US THAT LETTER.
UM, NEXT DOMINIC MAZA
I DID DO MY PART TO REDUCE, UH, BAD AIR TODAY.
I TOOK METRO 96 TO THE RED LINE AND WALKED OVER HERE.
NUMBER, THE, THE THING, I WAS HERE LA FOR THE, UH, I MEETING LAST WEEK, I THINK IT WAS THE SUSTAINABILITY AND, AND, UH, THAT MEETING AND THEY SAID THIS, MEET THIS GROUP MIGHT BE THE BETTER GROUP.
I AM AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR.
I BELONG TO THE AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE AND TWO OTHER CLUBS.
HOWEVER, I AM SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL, INDIVIDUAL HAND RADIO OPERATOR.
SINCE HARVEY, I WAS IN THE EMERGENCY HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER ON CH ACROSS THE STREET FROM ST.
DURING THAT EVENT IN THE HAM RADIO ROOM, THAT'S THE LAST TIME THAT RADIO ROOM, I BELIEVE HAS BEEN USED FOR AN EMERGENCY.
I KNOW THAT THE EMERGENCY THAT THE COUNTY EOC, WHICH IS A TRANS STAR, THEY HAVE A VERY ACTIVE HAMMER RADIO ROOM.
THE THING IS, UM, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ALL COMMUNICATIONS OUT OF HECK WENT DOWN OR A LOT OF THEM WENT DOWN.
HOW WOULD YOU EVEN COMMUNICATE WITH, UM, WITH TRANS START WITH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY AND THE STATE AND METROS ACT? UH, I THINK, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOUR, WHO THE CITY'S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSON IS, BUT I THINK CONSIDERING THAT JUNE THE FIRST IS THE FIRST DAY OF HURRICANE SEASON, IT'D BE GOOD TO SEE WHAT'S IN THAT ROOM IF THE ANTENNAS ARE STILL WORKING, IF THE RADIOS ARE STILL WORKING.
I THINK A LOT OF THAT EQUIPMENT WAS BROUGHT DOWN WITH FEMA GRANTS AND I THINK THERE IS A OBLIGATION OF THE CITY TO MAKE SURE, SURE, THAT EQUIPMENT IS AT LEAST READY TO GO.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHO I NEED TO TALK TO.
UM, I CAN EVEN VOLUNTEER TO GO OVER THERE.
I LIVE AT 45 AND PARKER, WHICH IS,
[01:50:01]
I DO HAVE A CAR.SO EVEN THOUGH I DO USE TRANSIT METRO A LOT, SO MAYBE THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE NEED TO GET, GET GOING.
AND IF IT'S JUST A THING OF CHECKING OUT THE RADIOS, IT'S NOT GONNA COST ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR MAYBE SOMEBODY GOING ON THE ROOF.
I GOT SOME TESTING EQUIPMENT AT HOME TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ANTENNAS ARE WORKING, THAT THE RADIOS ARE WORKING.
BUT I THINK, UH, CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSE SOMEBODY DOES HACK THE, THE, THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM, SUPPOSE SOMEBODY HACKS THE 800 TRUNKING RADIO SYSTEM.
WHAT'S OUR BACKUP? AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.
AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT, UM, I KNOW MAYOR WHITMEYER IS VERY MUCH, UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY THING, UH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING POLICE FIRE EMS OUT THERE, BUT, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE THOSE SYSTEMS TO BACK THEM UP.
UH, AND I'M WILLING TO HELP WITH THAT IF, IF, UH, COUNCIL, THE MAYOR AND PEOPLE HERE ARE WILLING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SUGGESTION.
I KNOW THAT OUR RADIO TOWERS AND, UM, RADIOS ARE UPGRADED ALL THE TIME, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, HAVING A BACKUP LIKE THAT DOES MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THAT.
SO WHO THANK YOU CAN ASK WHO'S THE EMERGENCY MANAGER OF THE CITY? UM, SO WHO, WHO IS, OKAY, LIKE JOY CLEMENS IS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSON AT TRANSFER WHO IS THE CITY EQUIVALENT, Y'ALL KNOW? YEAH, IT'S CHIEF BUNI.
AND HE'S WITH WHAT? THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR FIRE DEPARTMENT? HE'S WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
THAT'S WHERE I NEED TO GO THEN ANSWER MY QUESTION.
OH, BY THE WAY, I'M TAKING ME TO TRANSFER AFTER THIS MEETING.
FOR THE RECORD OF THE SIX COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THERE APPEARED TO BE TWO PRESENT AT THE TIME, AND THE OTHER FOUR APPEARS AT LEAST TWO.
I DON'T SEE A REPRESENTATIVE FOR MS. HUFFMAN OR MR. MARTINEZ.
IS THAT CORRECT? YOU'RE, YOU'RE REPRESENTING MR. MR. MARTINEZ RAMIREZ NOT REPRESENTED.
JUST FOR THE RECORD, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT HPDS RESPONSE TIMES.
I BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO THE FORMER PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND AFTER THAT, THERE WAS CRICKETS.
IN MID-JULY, MIKE MORRIS AND HIS TEAM AT THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE AN EXTENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
AND I CHECKED WITH MIKE GO SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, AND HE HAD NO RESPONSE FROM THE CITY.
OVER A FOUR YEAR PERIOD FROM 2019 TO 2023, THE WEIGHTED RESPONSE TIMES WENT FROM 47.34 MINUTES TO 63.47 MINUTES.
WHEN SOMEONE IS IN FEAR, WHEN SOMEONE IS POUNDING ON THEIR DOOR AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN THE POLICE ARE GONNA SHOW UP, SOME UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES COULD HAPPEN.
THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE START SHOOTING.
PEOPLE ARE OUTSIDE THEIR DOORS.
I MYSELF HAD A SHOOTING ON MY STREET, OR I SHOULD SAY SHOTS FIRED, WHERE WE CAPTURED THE SHOTS AND MY DAUGHTER PANICKING AS SHE WAS BRINGING HER DOGS TO THE TRUCK AND, UM, TOOK TWO HOURS AND TWO MINUTES FOR AN HPD OFFICER TO COME INVESTIGATE.
PART OF IT WAS BECAUSE SHOTS FIRED, BECAUSE NO ONE WAS BLEEDING, GOT REDUCED TO A CATEGORY FIVE.
CONTINUING WITH MY, MY SCRIPT HERE, OCTOBER 17TH, I SPOKE, CAME AND SPOKE AT THE CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC SPEAKER SESSION.
I IMPLORED, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO PROBE.
THEN CHIEF FINNER, WHO WAS DUE TO SPEAK THE NEXT DAY, YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
SO ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE THEN CHAIR OF THE, OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ASKED CHIEF FINNER TO ADDRESS THE MISNOMERS ABOUT THE EXTENDED, UM, RESPONSE TIMES.
THE CHIEF KIND OF SMILED, RAMBLED ON FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN DECLARED THAT WE'RE DOING BETTER THAN OTHER TEXAS MAJOR CITIES.
SORRY, NOT MUCH COMFORT TO ME.
THEN THE MAYOR WENT ON TO HAVE A PEP RALLY FOR THE CHIEF.
SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD, ACCORDING TO THE MONTHLY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY, THE MOST RECENT ONE FROM MARCH OF THIS YEAR, WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF 63.3 MINUTES.
AGAIN, REALLY NOT MUCH IMPROVEMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH CATEGORY FIVE BEING OVER 100 MINUTES.
HOPEFULLY THIS COMMITTEE CAN DIG INTO THIS 'CAUSE THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE.
SOME OF IT'S MANPOWER RELATED, SOME OF IT'S STAFFING RELATED.
[01:55:01]
YOU HAVE 300 OFFICERS OUT ON PAID PARENTAL LEAVE, THAT DOESN'T HELP.SO, LOOKING AT THE CHARTER OF THIS COMMITTEE, WE'LL REVIEW, BUT NOT LIMITED TO PERFORMANCE AND POLICIES OF ANY CITY DEPARTMENT PROVIDING PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES PURCHASES RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD.
I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THIS COMMITTEE ISN'T GONNA BE A REPETITION OF THE LAST COMMITTEE, WHICH SEEMED TO REVEL IN DOG AND PONY SHOWS.
ONLY HAD 10 MEETINGS OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR.
IF IT WAS UP TO ME, YOU'D BE MEETING TWICE A MONTH.
PUBLIC SAFETY IS A MAJOR ISSUE IN THIS CITY.
I TRUST THAT THE NEW MAYOR HAS GIVEN YOU THE POWERS AS STATED IN HERE.
AND I KNOW THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS A VERY BIG PRIORITY FOR MAYOR WHITMEYER.
UM, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, RESPONSE TIMES NEED TO BE BETTER.
AND SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER REASON WHY WE NEED MORE POLICE OFFICERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR IN DISTRICT A AND MANY DISTRICTS.
UM, WE'VE WORKED ON TECHNOLOGY, UM, TO PUT IN PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS CAN'T BE AT ALL TIMES.
SO I KNOW MANY DISTRICTS HAVE WORKED ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND IN REGARDS TO SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT BEING HERE, UM, THE MAYOR IS HAVING A PRESS CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW THAT HE WANTED US ALL TO ATTEND.
WE DID NOT WANNA RECESS THIS COMMITTEE BECAUSE WE HAD PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGNED UP AND WE DIDN'T THINK THAT IT WOULD BE FAIR TO THE SPEAKER.
UH, SHAME ON HIM AT THIS POINT.
SO, UM, I GUESS ON THE LAST, THE LAST PART OF THAT, PART OF IT, I, AS I SEE IS, IS THE, IS KIND OF AN ARROGANCE AND LACK OF COMMUNICATION.
AGAIN, WHEN, WHEN A, YOU KNOW, WHEN A CITIZEN BRINGS THIS TO YOU AND THEN THE NEWSPAPER PUBLISH IT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN REALLY NOTHING SAID, I KNOW WE'RE DEALING WITH THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.
THERE'S REASONABLE, REASONABLE, UH, REASONS FOR THIS.
MOST CITIZENS ARE REASONABLE PEOPLE.
TELL US, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN BE DOING MORE? UH, THAT'S ALL.
THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT WE HAVE SIGNED UP.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTED TO SPEAK TODAY? ALRIGHT, NOT SEEING ANYONE.
UM, THE NEXT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 11TH AT 10:00 AM AND WE STAND ADJOURNED.