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MOMENT.WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR THE BIG BILLION.
POINT THREE, RIGHT? WE GOT 0.3 THIS YEAR.
WHAT'S THE RON? RHONDA, WHAT IS IT? 1.3.
UM, NO, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER NOW IN THE CHAMBER.
UM, I THINK SHE IS THE ONE THAT IS NEW THIS TIME.
UM, SOME SAD NEWS ON THE BUDGET TOWN HALLS.
I I AM, UH, THE, THE STORMS HAVE, HAVE JINXED US.
SO TONIGHT,
UM, SO WE HAVE DECIDED TO CANCEL TONIGHT'S TOWN HALL.
UM, SADLY WE STILL HAVE THE, MY, YOUR 2 CENTS, UM, SURVEY OUT.
WE STILL WANNA HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC ON, UH, BUDGET PRIORITIES, AND WE WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS.
I'LL GET THAT OUT ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA AND, UM, UH, APOLOGIZE TO ANYONE THAT INCONVENIENCES.
UM, WITH NO FURTHER ADO, WE WILL START WITH ACTING CHIEF OF POLICE.
LARRY SATTERWHITE, GREAT TO SEE YOU AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, RHONDA SMITH, ALSO GREAT TO SEE YOU AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY, AND ESPECIALLY IN THESE RECENT DAYS WITH THE, WITH THE BAD WEATHER.
SO, UM, THE FLOOR IS YOURS, CHIEF.
ALRIGHT, UH, THANK YOU, CHAIR KORIN, UH, VICE CHAIR CASTILLO, AND, UH, ALL OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO I'M HONORED TO PRESENT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FY 2025 PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH INCLUDES A GENERAL FUND BUDGET OF OVER $1 BILLION, UH, SPECIFICALLY 1.1 BILLION 71 0 7 1.
AND HAVING, HAVING SERVED THIS DEPARTMENT FOR OVER 34 YEARS NOW, AS THE ACTING CHIEF, I AM PROUD OF, OF THE DEDICATION OF OUR CLASSIFIED OFFICERS WHO ARE ON THE FRONT LINES, PUTTING THEMSELVES IN HARM'S WAY TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS.
EQUALLY COMMENDABLE ARE OUR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES WHOSE TIRE, WHOSE TIRELESS SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL TO OUR MISSION.
DESPITE CURRENT CHALLENGES SUCH AS THE BACKLOG OF INCIDENT REPORTS AND LIMITED RESOURCES, OUR TEAM CONTINUES TO PERFORM WITH EXCELLENCE.
I ALSO WANT TO EXTEND MY APPRECIATION TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN PRIORITIZING PUBLIC SAFETY.
ENSURING THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT RELIES ON YOUR SUPPORT AND THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF OUR CITIZENS.
BEFORE WE CAN DISCUSS THE SPECIFICS OF THE BUDGET, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW KEY ACHIEVEMENTS.
HPD IS LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE OUR CAPABILITIES.
THIS YEAR, WE FINALIZED THE CONTRACT AND BEGAN IMPLEMENTING A STATE-OF-THE-ART RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
WE ALSO PLAN TO UPGRADE OUR REAL-TIME CRIME CENTER IN 2025.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR APPROVING THAT.
SECURING GRANT FUNDS IS VITAL, GIVEN THAT 91% OF OUR BUDGET IS ALLOCATED TO PERSONNEL COSTS, MEANING SALARIES AND BENEFITS, HP HAS SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED OVER $80 MILLION IN GRANTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TDOT, THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, AND THE MOTOR VEHICLE CRIME PREVENTION AUTHORITY.
OUR STAFFING REMAINS A CHALLENGE.
WE HAVE 300 FEWER OFFICERS NOW THAN WE DID 25 YEARS AGO.
IN 1998, THERE WERE NEARLY 505,500 CLASSIFIED OFFICERS, WHEREAS LAST MONTH WE HAD LESS THAN 5,200.
JUST AS IMPORTANT TO OUR NOTE IS OUR CIVILIAN STAFF HAS DECREASED BY MORE THAN HALF FROM OVER 1900 CIVILIANS IN 1998 TO 878 CIVILIANS TODAY.
SO WE ARE DOWN MORE THAN A THOUSAND CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES WHO HANDLED JOB DUTIES THAT MANY OFFICERS HAVE HAD TO TAKE ON OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS.
ONE BRIGHT SPOT ON STAFFING IS THAT WE HAVE HIRED 550 CADETS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, WHICH IS A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SOME MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS YEAR INCLUDE OUR VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING THE BINET CORRIDOR CLEANUP, THE ADDITIONAL 234 NEW CLASSIFIED OFFICERS BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND THE SIGNIFICANT TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS THAT WE ARE MAKING.
NOW, LET'S DIVE INTO THE DETAILS OF THE BUDGET.
SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS A TABLE OF COMPETENCE, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I PROMISE THAT WE WILL NOT GO WORD FOR WORD ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THAT, BUT, UH, MYSELF AND DIRECTOR SMITH WILL CERTAINLY HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS.
SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AS IT STANDS TODAY, UH, OF OUR DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH, UM, AT THE, MYSELF BEING ACTING CHIEF AT THE TOP, AND THEN ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, UH, CIVILIAN AND CLASSIFIED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO DIVISIONS.
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THIS SLIDE SHOWS AN OVERVIEW OF HP'S ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.THE 606,254 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENCE IN THE FYI 2025 BUDGET IS COMPRISED OF 5,235 CLASSIFIED AND 897 CIVILIANS AND 138 CADETS.
SO THE, THE CHIEF'S COMMAND, AS YOU CAN SEE, CONSISTS OF THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND MANY OF THE DEPUTY DIRECTORS, UH, MY COLLEAGUE NEXT TO US OVER BUDGET AND FINANCE, LEGAL SERVICES, TECH, UH, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, TECHNOLOGICAL SERVICES, UH, PLANNING AND DATA GOVERNANCE, AND SEVERAL OTHERS.
AND YOU CAN SEE I DON'T WANNA LIST THEM ALL IN THE SPIRIT OF TIME.
THEN YOU'LL SEE FIELD OPERATIONS, UM, DOWN BELOW, WHICH IS BASICALLY ALL OF PATROL AND ALL OF OUR UNIFORM PERSONNEL THAT ARE IN THE FIELD THAT COMPRISES 18 DIVISIONS.
UM, IT'S 14, UH, PATROL DIVISIONS, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION, UM, THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION, AND BOTH BUSH AND HOBBY AIRPORTS INVESTIGATIVE AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION IS ANOTHER COMMAND, UH, THAT INCLUDES, UH, ALL OF OUR INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS THAT YOU MIGHT NORMALLY THINK OF BETWEEN HOMICIDE, UM, ROBBERY, UH, ARY AND THEFT, OR PROPERTY AND FINANCE AND, AND FINANCIAL, EXCUSE ME.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, ALSO OUR HOMELAND SECURITY DIVISION.
THEN YOU HAVE SUPPORT OPERATIONS AS THE THIRD AS YOU CAN SEE THERE.
AND THAT IS, UM, GONNA BE THE RESPONSIBILITIES INTERNALLY, ADMIN, JAIL, UM, UH, THE JPC, UM, ALSO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPEN INTERNALLY, INCLUDING TRAINING.
UH, THOSE THREE FIELD OPERATIONS RIGHT NOW IS CURRENTLY BEING FILLED BY AN ACTING ASSISTANT CHIEF, UH, AS I ATED THAT SPOT TO BE ACTING CHIEF.
UH, AND SHE IS IN THE ROOM, ASSISTANT CHIEF MEGAN HOWARD, DOING AN AWESOME JOB.
THEN, UH, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF OR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF BAND 10 IS IN THE ROOM OVER INVESTIGATING SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF CHANDRA HATCHER IS ALSO IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME OVER SUPPORT OPERATIONS.
SO, JUST A REAL QUICK ON THE, THE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT, UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ON THAT.
IT'S, IT'S ESTIMATED AS AN ANNUAL PERSON'S ANNUAL PERSON HOURS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES EXPECTED TO FILL POSITIONS WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION FOR ALL OF THE PORTION OF THE YEAR DIVIDED BY 2088, WHICH HOW MANY HOURS ANNUALLY.
SO, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY KIND OF, KIND OF, SORT OF UNDERSTANDS THAT I CAN ANSWER FURTHER IN THAT, EVEN HAVE DIRECTOR SMITH ANSWER MORE IF YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW THE FULL DETAILS OF A FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT.
OKAY, ON THIS SLIDE WE TALK ABOUT HP'S DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION, UH, THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
OVERALL, WE ARE 75% MALE AND 25% FEMALE WORKFORCE.
UH, HOWEVER, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL BREAKDOWNS BETWEEN CIVILIANS AND CLASSIFIED, THE NUMBERS ARE, ARE CONTRASTED.
UM, FEMALES COMPRISE 18% OF THE CLASSIFIED WORKFORCE, UH, IN OUR DEPARTMENT, UM, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT.
I THINK THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS IS MORE LIKE 13%, CERTAINLY MAJOR CITIES.
IT'S, UH, I THINK AROUND 19%, BUT STILL WE'RE RIGHT IN LINE WITH MAJOR CITIES, WHICH IS, UH, ADMIRABLE, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING TOWARDS INCREASING THAT NUMBER.
UM, ON THE, ON THE CIVILIAN SIDE, THEY MAKE UP 67% OF OUR CIVILIAN WORKFORCE.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, HPD IS AT A VERY DIVERSE DEPARTMENT, AS THEY WOULD LIKE TO CALL IT.
IT'S A MAJORITY MINORITY DEPARTMENT.
AND, UH, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, OVERALL, AS YOU LOOK AT THE PIE CHARTS, CLASSIFIED MALE, A 2% FEMALE, 18% CIVILIAN MALE, 34% FEMALE, 66% CADETS, 81% MALE, 19% FEMALE FOR A TOTAL OF THAT 2070 5% AND 25% I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER AND ACTUAL RAW NUMBERS, WHAT THAT MEANS IS 4,282 4,245 MALE, UH, CLASSIFIED, 931 FEMALE CLASSIFIED 296 MALE, CIVILIAN 582 FEMALE CIVILIAN 163 MALE CADETS, 39 FEMALE CADETS, GIVING YOU THE NUMBERS.
4,704 MALE 1,552 FEMALE FOR A TOTAL OF 6,256.
AND OUR COMPARISON GENDER WISE IS COMPARABLE OTHER MAJOR CITIES.
ON THIS SLIDE, WE'VE OUTLINED HPDS ALIGNMENT TO THE MAYOR'S DEFINED PRIORITIES INITIATIVES AS AS SHOWN HERE, ALL OF OUR DEFINED HPD PROGRAMS ALIGN TO THE MAYORAL PRIORITY AND THE OVERALL DEPARTMENT BUDGET IS BROKEN DOWN AS SUCH.
SO, AS YOU MAY HAVE GUESSED IT, OVER 95% OF HP'S FUNDING IS TIED TO PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE.
AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR RHONDA SMITH, AND SHE'LL GO THROUGH THE, UH, THE REMAINDER OF THE PRESENTATION UNTIL WE GO TO QUESTIONS.
WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
AS THE CHIEF MENTIONED, MY NAME IS RHONDA SMITH AND I'M THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND BEFORE I GET STARTED ON THE NUMBERS, I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY STAFF THAT'S
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HERE, THAT'S BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY, UH, OVER THE WEEKS AND HAVE ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS.SO THEY DON'T LIKE TO BE HIGHLIGHTED, BUT I NEED TO HIGHLIGHT THEM.
SO IF THEY COULD WAIVE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SO, UM, WHILE WE GET STARTED, I'M GONNA START FOR THE REVENUES BY FUND.
SO THIS SLIDE, UH, REFLECTS A VISUAL PICTURE OF OUR TOTAL REVENUE OF ABOUT $80 MILLION.
UH, THIS INCLUDES OUR GENERAL FUND AND SPECIAL FUNDS.
SO I'M GOING TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME DESCRIBING OUR VARIOUS FUNDS AS WELL AS GOING OVER THE ASSOCIATE REVENUE.
UH, SO AS I MENTIONED, OUR TOTAL REVENUE THAT COMES FROM HPD IS ABOUT $80 MILLION.
SO IN THE BLUE, THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 25 GENERAL FUND REVENUE REPRESENTS ABOUT 50.6 MILLION.
AND IT IS REPRESENT, IT REPRESENTS THE FUND, THE, THE MOST, THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF REVENUE COMING FROM THE FUND, WHICH IS ABOUT 63% OF THE REVENUE THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH HPD.
SO WHAT IS THE REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GENERAL FUND? PRIMARILY, THIS PERTAINS TO THE REIMBURSEMENT OF COST PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM.
THIS REPRESENTS ABOUT 41 MILLION OR 84% OF TOTAL REVENUE BUDGETS.
THE REST OF THE REVENUES THAT YOU SEE COMING OUTTA GENERAL FUND TYPICALLY HAVE TO DO WITH, UH, COST RECOVERY.
SO I'M GOING TO MOVE OVER TO NOW THE POLICE SERVICE, UH, POLICE SPECIAL SERVICE, WHICH IS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE ORANGE, AND IT REPRESENTS ABOUT $9.6 MILLION.
SO THIS IS A COLLECTION OF SPECIAL FUNDS FOR RESTRICTED USE.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE TRAINING FUNDS FROM THE STATE, UH, REIMBURSEMENTS GENERATED FROM, UH, MOUS, MEMORANDUMS UNDERSTANDING AND, UH, REVENUES ALSO FROM, UM, COST RECOVERY, OTHER COST RECOVERY SERVICES.
THE NEXT ON THE, UM, SCHEDULE IS THE AUTO DEALERS.
AND AUTO DEALERS REPRESENTS ABOUT 14 MILLION.
SO THE AUTO DEALERS IS A, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REGULATING AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESSES, AUTO SALES PERSONS STORAGE LOTS AND TOWING INDUSTRIES.
THE REVENUE SOURCES ARE FROM AUTO DEALER INDUSTRY, LICENSE PERMITS, AUCTION FEES, AND ADMINISTRATIVE TOWING FEES.
AND SO THIS REPRESENTS 14.2 MILLION.
UH, AND THEN WE COME TO OUR CHILD SAFETY FUND.
AND THE CHILD SAFETY FUND FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 IS BUDGETED AT 3.2.
THIS FUND PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL CROSSINGS.
GUARDS COVERED BY AVAILABLE FUNDING ARE APPROXIMATELY 700 GUARDS IN 16 SCHOOLS.
IN 1991, THE TEXAS LEGISLATOR LEGISLATURE REQUIRED EACH MUNICIPALITY WITH A POPULATION GREATER THAN 850,000 TO CREATE THIS CHILD SAFETY FUND.
SO THE PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS INSIDE THE CITY.
THE REVENUE TO THE FUND COMES FROM ASSESSMENTS OF $5 MUNICIPAL COURT FEES ON EACH PARKING VIOLATION, $25 MUNICIPAL COURT FEES ON EACH VIOLATION IN A SCHOOL CROSSING ZONE, AND A DOLLAR 50 FEE FOR EACH VEHICLE REGISTRATION.
SO THE NEXT REVENUE IS OUR ASSET FORFEITURE.
AND WITH THE ASSET FORFEITURE, THIS IS GENERATED AS A RESULT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS AGAINST ILLEGAL CRIMINAL AND DRUG ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES.
THE REVENUES OF 2 MILLION ARE ONLY FOR STATE OF TEXAS BASED ON FEDERAL GUIDELINES.
HPD CANNOT ANTICIPATE OR BUDGET REVENUE FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE US DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY.
THESE FUNDS PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING AND RESOURCES TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND LASTLY IS OUR, UM, FORENSIC TRANSITION SPECIAL FUND.
THAT WAS A FUND CREATED IN 2014 WHEN WE TRANSITIONED TO THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, AND WE ACTUALLY HAD ALL OF THE TRANSITION COSTS.
AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S ONLY THREE INDIVIDUALS LEFT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE FUND.
AND IT'S SMALL, BUT IT'S A REVENUE.
WE CONSIDER IT A REVENUE, BUT IT'S REALLY COST RECOVERY.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO OVER TOO MUCH OF THIS SLIDE.
I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF ITEMS ON THIS SLIDE.
IT'S COMPARING, UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO THE, UH, ESTIMATE.
SO I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT IN THE GENERAL FUND, YOU'LL SEE A, A, A NUMBER THAT'S SHOWING A CHANGE OF 3.5 MILLION, AND THAT PRIMARILY HAS TO DO WITH THE INCREASE, UH, FOR OUR, UH, SALARY COST ADJUSTMENTS OF 3.5%.
NOW WE HAVE THE REVENUE BY PROGRAM, AND THIS IS KEEPING IN LINE WITH OUR OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING.
ON THIS SLIDE, WE LIST ALL OF THE RELEVANT PROGRAMS HERE.
WE OUTLINE ALL THE RE THE REVENUES THAT HPD GENERATES, AGAIN, AS THIS IS ACROSS ALL FUNDS, OF WHICH THE GENERAL FUND
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MAKES UP 63%.SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THEM, BUT I'LL HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THEM.
SO WITHIN THE POLICE PATROL, YOU'LL SEE THE COMP COMPARISON.
AND THAT DIFFERENCE REALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE ADJUSTMENTS GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN, UH, VARIOUS, UH, DIVISIONS, AS WELL AS THE CHANGES PRIMARILY DUE TO THE SALARY INCREASES AND HOMELAND SECURITY.
AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH HOMELAND SECURITIES, A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH SPECIAL EVENTS.
SO IF ONE YEAR WE HAVE A SPECIAL EVENT, THE NEXT YEAR WE DON'T, THEN YOU'LL SEE IT GOING UP AND DOWN, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL SEE.
AND WITHIN INVESTIGATIONS, THAT CHANGE REALLY HAS TO DO WITH ASSET FORFEITURE.
WITHIN INVESTIGATIONS, THERE ARE A LOT OF FUNDS PERTAINING TO ASSET FORFEITURE.
SO SINCE WE CANNOT BUDGET FORWARD, YOU'LL SEE THOSE CHANGES.
SO THESE ARE THE REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS, I THINK I'VE MENTIONED MOST OF THEM.
SO, UH, WITH THE GENERAL FUND, THE 3.5 MILLION INCREASE, UH, TO BE REIMBURSED BY THE, UH, HOUSTON POLICE DEPART, I AM SORRY, HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, UH, THEIR NUMBER HAS ACTUALLY GONE UP BECAUSE THEY NEED OUR ASSISTANCE MORE WITH THE TRAFFIC CONTROL THAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE NOW.
AND WITH THE POLICE SPECIAL SERVICES FUND, IT LOOKS LIKE IT DECREASED, BUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WAS LAST YEAR WE RECEIVED MORE MONEY FOR TRAINING.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THE ADJUSTMENT GOING BACK DOWN.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO EXPENDITURES.
SO THIS SLIDE OUTLINES THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR HPDS GENERAL AND SPECIAL FUNDS, WHICH IN THE GENERAL FUND, IT MAKES UP ABOUT 97% OF ALL OF OUR EXPENDITURES.
SO WE ARE TRULY, UH, GENERAL FUND CENTRIC.
SO FOR ALL FUNDS, WE'RE SHOWING A FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET OF 1,077 MILLION, AND OF WHICH 1,047 MILLION PERTAIN TO THE GENERAL FUND.
THE NEXT IS FOR THE CHILD SAFETY FUND.
THE NEXT IS FOR, UM, THE POLICE SPECIAL FUND, WHICH IS 9.6 MILLION.
AND THEN WE GO TO AUTO DEALERS CHILD SAFETY FUND AND ASSET, EXCUSE ME, THAT WAS THE REVENUE.
SO FOR THE EXPENDITURES, IT'S THE GENERAL FUND IS, UH, 1.43, AND THE POLICE SPECIALS FUND IS 10 MILLION.
MY, AND THEN FOR AUTO DEALERS, IT'S 13 MILLION.
SO YOU'LL SEE THE VARIANCE, UH, THERE, BUT THE TOTAL NUMBER IS 1,000,000,077.
SO I'M, THIS IS THE SAME SLIDE AND IT'S JUST COMPARING THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO THE ESTIMATE.
AND AS I MENTIONED IN THE GENERAL FUND, THAT'S SHOWING THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE FROM YEAR TO YEAR, YEAR TO ESTIMATE.
THAT PRIMARILY PERTAINS TO, UH, THE INCREASE IN SALARIES OF THE 3.5%, AND THEN YOU SEE THE OTHER ADDITIONS FOR THE POLICE SERVICE FUND AND ET CETERA.
SO NOW WE GET DOWN TO A LITTLE BIT OF A DETAIL AND DRILL DOWN INTO WHAT'S IN THE EXPENDITURES.
AND AS, UH, CHIEF MENTIONED, 91% OF OUR FUND, UH, FUNDING, IT PERTAINS TO PERSONNEL COST.
AND WITHIN THAT PERSONNEL COST, ABOUT 82% OF THAT PERTAINS TO CLASSIFIED.
AND THEN ANOTHER 9% PERTAINS TO, UH, CIVILIAN.
SO THAT LEAVES ABOUT 9% FOR NON PERSONNEL COSTS.
AND IF YOU TAKE THAT AND LOOK AT THE, WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS THE, UM, RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS, UH, 51 MILLION, THAT'S ABOUT A LITTLE OVER HALF OF THE NON-PERSONNEL COSTS.
AND THE RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS ARE REALLY SHARED SERVICES, AND WE'RE ALLOCATED THAT FUNDS.
SO WE DO NOT MANAGE THAT, BUT IT IS MANAGED CENTRALLY.
AND SO WHEN YOU TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT, AND YOU ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE COST OF THE JOINT PROCESSING CENTER AT 15.5 MILLION BUDGETED, UH, THAT LEAVES A LITTLE BIT FOR MANAGING.
MOST OF OUR, MOST OF OUR BUDGET IS ARE OBLIGATED CONTRACTUALLY.
SO THIS IS THE EXPENDITURE, UM, BY PROGRAM.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO, DELVE DOWN INTO IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
YOU KNOW, POLICE DEPARTMENT IS VERY LARGE, AND SO WE HAVE ABOUT 13 PROGRAMS. UH, SO THIS SLIDE DEPICTS EXPENDITURE FUNDING, UH, BY PROGRAM.
AND THE EXPENDITURES OVERALL NET INCREASE FROM YEAR TO YEAR IS ONLY 3%, AND THAT REALLY IS A NET OF THE 3.5% INCREASE IN SALARY AND ALL, A LOT OF ADJUSTMENTS GOING BACK TO, UH, THAT ACTUALLY NETS TO 3%.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS BUDGET IS NOT REFLECTING A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
IT'S REALLY, UH, PRETTY MUCH STATUS QUO.
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SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EACH ONE, UH, OF THEM.BUT I WILL SAY THAT, UH, THE NEXT SLIDES, THE NEXT 13 SLIDES I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH VERY QUICKLY BECAUSE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO JUST GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW AND TALK AND THEN LEAVE A LOT OF, UH, TIME FOR Q AND A.
SO OUR FIRST, UH, PROGRAM IS THE POLICE PATROL, AND OF COURSE, I'M GONNA HAVE TO PUT ON MY GLASSES, UH, POLICE PATROL.
AND THE POLICE POLICE PATROL PROGRAM IS OUR LARGEST PROGRAM AND IS COMPRISED OF HPDS PATROL REGIONS ONE, TWO, AND THREE COMMAND.
EACH COMMAND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERSIGHT AND OPERATIONS OF PATROLS WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT REPRESENTS ABOUT 2,872 FTES, AND THE BUDGET IS FOR TOTAL IS 409 MILLION.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS PATROL OR THIS PROGRAM NOT ONLY HAS MONEY COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND, BUT FROM ASSET FORFEITURE AND THE POLICE SPECIAL.
OUR NEXT SLIDE IS HOMELAND SECURITY.
UH, THE PROGRAMS, UH, LEAD LEADS PLANNING AND COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH INTENTIONAL ACTS OF TERRORISM AND ACCIDENTAL AND NATURAL CATASTROPHIC EVENTS AND INCIDENTS.
THIS PROGRAM ALSO ASSISTS WITH THE COORDINATION OF ALL SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND STAFFS RESOURCES FOR ALL CITY SPONSORED SPECIAL EVENTS.
SO WITHIN HOMELAND SECURITY, YOU HAVE ABOUT 281 FTES AND THE GENERAL FUND, TOTAL COST FOR GENERAL FUND AND ALL FUNDS IS ABOUT 53 MILLION.
SO, UH, INVESTIGATIONS, INVESTIGATIONS IS OUR SECOND LARGEST PROGRAM AND HAS CITYWIDE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DELIVERING SPECIALIZED INVESTIGATIVE POLICE SERVICES.
IN ADDITION TO COMBINING THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE AND SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE, UH, COMMANDS.
THIS PROGRAM IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REVIEW AND VERIFICATION OF ALL GANG RELATED CRIMES IN HOUSTON IN OUR GANG DIVISION.
SO IT HAS A, A TOTAL OF 1,351 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS, AND THE BUDGET IS 225 MILLION.
SO NOW WE HAVE THE AIRPORT SYSTEM, AND THE AIRPORT SYSTEM PROGRAM CONSISTS OF THE INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT PATROL BASED AT INTERCONTINENTAL, THE HOBBY AIRPORT PATROL, INCLUDING ELLINGTON FIELD BASED AT HOBBY.
AND, UH, THE AIRPORT CONSISTS OF 24 7 POLICE SUPPORT BY TRUCK PATROLLING, PASSENGERS, SCREENING CHECKPOINTS, ET CETERA.
SO IT HAS A TOTAL OF 212 FTES AND A TOTAL BUDGET OF 37 MILLION.
SO FOR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM INCLUDES THE DWI TASK FORCE, THE MOBILITY RESPONSE TEAM, MOTORCYCLE DETAILS, RADAR TASK FORCE, AND HIGHWAY INTERDICTION.
AND NOW WE HAVE OUR JOINT PROCESSING CENTER, WHICH IS ITS OWN PROGRAM.
UH, THE JOINT PROCESSING CENTER IS SHARED SERVICE MANAGED BY HARRIS COUNTY THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BOOKING AND PROCESSING OF ALL PRISONERS ARRESTED BY THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE GENERAL FUND COSTS ALSO INCLUDES NOT ONLY THE JPC CONTRACT, BUT OUR JOINT PROCESSING OPS STAFFING AND THE JUVENILE INTAKE UNITS.
IT HAS A TOTAL OF 71 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS, AND THE BUDGET IS 25 MILLION.
SO UNDER TRAINING, THE TRAINING PROGRAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING CADETS DURING THEIR TRAINING AT THE POLICE ACADEMY, RECRUITING APPLICANTS, CONDUCTING BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS, AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE SUITABILITY OF APPLICANTS AND CONTINUING EDUCATION.
IT HAS A TOTAL OF 315 FTES, BUT I'LL JUST NOTE WITHIN THAT THREE 15, UH, IS A, UH, 139 FOR CADETS, AND THE TOTAL BUDGET IS 37 MILLION.
UNDER EMPLOYEE SERVICES WELLNESS, UH, PROGRAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION SERVICES, DEPARTMENT-WIDE EMPLOYEE WELLBEING, HIRING AND PROMOTING.
AND THIS PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES FOUR VOLUNTARY SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT PROGRAMS KNOWN AS PHASE DOWN.
THE FULL FTES ARE 72, AND THE FUND TOTAL FOR THE PROGRAM IS 67 MILLION.
OUR NEXT SLIDE IS MENTAL HEALTH.
THE MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO CONSUMERS THROUGH VARIOUS PROGRAMS, SOME OF WHICH INCLUDE THE CRISIS INTERVENTION RESPONSE TEAM, THE HOMELESS OUTREACH, CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING, CLINICIANS OFFICE, REMOTE, ET CETERA.
IT HAS A TOTAL OF 4 45 FTES WITH A BUDGET OF 7.6 MILLION.
SO NOW WE GET TO OUR SUPPORT SERVICES, AND THE SUPPORT PROGRAM
[00:25:01]
INCLUDES RECORDS TECHNOLOGY, SERVICES PLANNING, AND DATA GOVERNANCE, SUPPORT SERVICES, COMMAND, INVESTIGATIVE AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMAND, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, ET CETERA.THOSE ARE ALL OF THE DIVISIONS THAT SUPPORT, UH, THE DEPARTMENT.
IT HAS A TOTAL OF 584 FTES AND THE BUDGET OF 138 MILLION.
SO NOW WE GET TO OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND VICTIM SERVICES.
THESE PROGRAMS ARE RELATING, ARE RELATIONAL POLICING INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO FACILITATE PUBLIC SAFETY, VICTIM SERVICE PROGRAMS, PROVIDE RESOURCES AND REFERRALS FOR CRIME VICTIMS. AND OUR OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOCUS ON CRIME PREVENTION, COMMUNITY SERVICE, YOUTH SERVICES, AND ENCOURAGE POSITIVE INTERACTION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY.
OH, THE FTES ARE 89.5 AND THE BUDGET IS 13 MILLION.
AND LASTLY, BUT NOT LEAST, IS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, UM, PROGRAMS, AND IT INCLUDES THE OFFICE OF BUDGET AND FINANCE, LEGAL SERVICES, RISK MANAGEMENT, GENERAL SERVICES LIAISON, AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO BEFORE PASSING THE PRESENTATION BACK TO CHIEF, UH, SATELLITE, I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS BUDGET IS REALLY BASED ON, UH, LAST YEAR'S AND IT ONLY IS SHOWING A 3% INCREASE AND IT'S VERY BASIC AND, UM, WITH RESOURCES BASED ON FISCAL YEAR 24.
AND SO I'M GOING TO PASS IT BACK ON OVER TO, UH, CHIEF SATELLITE SO WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT ELSE, UH, WE SEE COMING.
SO WITHIN, UH, SUSTAINABILITY, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE TRIED TO JUST SUMMARIZE, UH, UM, WHAT WE SEE THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO REALLY BE FULLY ENGAGED AND EFFECTIVE.
UM, AS I'VE MENTIONED THAT THIS BUDGET DOES NOT INCLUDE QUITE A BIT OF RESOURCES THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED IT.
SO UNDER CADET HIRING RETENTION, UNDER THE CADET HIRING RETENTION, UM, CHIEF, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CADET? I'LL TAKE IT, THE MISSING THAT SLIDE IN MY FLIP, BUT I'LL DO IT FROM RIGHT HERE.
SO, UM, SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE CADET HIRING AND RETENTION, WE'RE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, INCREASE IN SALARY FOR OUR CADETS TO, UM, TO ATTRACT THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FOR TO COME ON THE JOB.
SO WE'RE LOOKING, UM, FOR EACH CADET, UH, GOING FORWARD FOR AN ADDITIONAL TOTAL OF $15,000, THAT'S $10,000 IN SALARY, UH, WHICH WOULD MAKE US MORE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER AGENCIES AROUND THAT WE ARE COMPETING WITH FOR QUALITY CANDIDATES AND AN ADDITIONAL 5,000 BONUS DOLLAR BONUS.
AND THIS IS, AGAIN, WE, WE REALLY, UM, IT'S NO SECRET TO EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM THAT WE ARE VASTLY, SEVERELY SHORT ON STAFF WHEN WE NEED TO HIRE AND WE NEED TO GET QUALIFIED CADETS CANDIDATES WHO ARE GONNA BE FUTURE POLICE OFFICERS AND DO THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS A REQUEST FOR THIS, UH, 20 FOOT, THIS NEXT YEAR'S FISCAL BUDGET AS AN INCREASE OF $6.9 MILLION TO MEET THAT, UH, THAT NEED.
SO THAT'S IN CADET HIRING AND RETENTION.
MOVING OVER TO THE RIGHT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STAFFING.
WE ARE ASKING, ARE YOU READY TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT? OH, I WAS JUST GOING TO MENTION THAT WITH THE CADET HIRING AND THE 6.9 MILLION, UH, SO FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT HAS BEEN FUNDED WITH ARPA FUNDING AND WE'VE SEEN A, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUR RECRUITING.
SO IT REALLY HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD PROGRAM.
UH, BUT IT IS GOING AWAY AFTER JUNE OF 2025.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING, AS THE CHIEF MENTIONED, IS FOR IT TO BE PERMANENT, AND NOT ONLY TO BE PERMANENT, BUT TO ADD IN, UH, AN EXTRA 5,000 FOR INCENTIVE.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR, IF YOU LOOK, IF YOU COMPARE US TO OTHER, OTHER, UM, AGENCIES IN THE STATE, UH, WE ARE ABOUT 11 TO $13,000 LESS IN OFFERING FOR OUR CADETS AND CHIEF, THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT NO, THANK YOU.
SO MOVING OVER TO STAFFING, WE ARE ASKING FOR AN $11 MILLION, $11 MILLION ADDITIONALLY IN OVERTIME.
AND THAT'S TO COVER ALL THE COSTS AND SUSTAIN ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND TO BE FAIR, THIS WHOLE SLIDE IS LABELED SUSTAINABILITY.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND SUSTAIN THE OPERATIONS WE'RE DOING.
IT DOES NOT REALLY REFLECT THE TRUE NEED THAT WE HAVE.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO SPEAK TO.
I CAN EVEN SAY IT TO IT RIGHT NOW.
THIS, THIS, UH, OUR TRUE NEED IS MUCH GREATER THAN WHAT WE ARE PRESENTING TO YOU.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE UNDERSTANDING OF, OF OUR, THE, YOU KNOW, THE REVENUE AND THE TAX DOLLARS AND THE, AND THE CITIZENS, UH, THAT ARE, THAT WE SERVE HERE.
SO WE'RE GOING, THIS IS A, THE SLIDE AND THIS INFORMATION WE'RE PASSING TO YOU IS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY.
[00:30:01]
GREATER, AND I NEED TO MAKE, PUT THAT ON RECORD RIGHT NOW.SO AS WE SAY THOUGH, THE NEXT ONE IS STAFFING IS $11 MILLION FOR OVERTIME TO CONTINUE OUR VIOLENT CRIME INITIATIVES.
UH, MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO KEEP THE, THE CITY SAFE TO DEAL WITH ALL THE CHRONIC, UH, ISSUES THAT ARE PLAGUING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, AND AS MANY OF YOU, I'LL TALK TO YOU ON A DAILY BASIS ABOUT ISSUES THAT YOU EMERGE IN YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS, BE IT, UH, NOISE COMPLAINTS OR, YOU KNOW, HIGH, HIGH DRUG TRAFFIC IN CERTAIN AREAS, OTHER TYPES OF ISSUES THAT ARE COME, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LARGE AND SMALL, ALL OF THEM, UH, AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR CITIZENRY.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE NEED, UH, FOR SUSTAINMENT TO GO FORWARD FOR THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
WE ALSO HAVE LISTED THE 49, UH, POSITIONS ON THE CIVILIAN SIDE THAT WERE DELIMITED LAST YEAR AS A COST OF $2.5 MILLION.
WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THOSE CIVILIANS BACK, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
THEY ARE AWESOME TEAMMATES AND HELP US ACCOMPLISH SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT FOR YOUR BENEFIT FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT.
SO WE DO NEED THOSE POSITIONS BACK AND MORE.
UM, I SEE I HAVE, WE HAVE E PROS LISTED THAT WOULD BE OUR SO RETIRED OFFICER BACK TO WORK PROGRAM.
AND WHAT THAT BASICALLY IS, IS, IS OUR, OUR OFFICERS AND AND SUPERVISORS THAT HAVE RETIRED, GONE ON TO ENJOY THAT, THAT THEY'VE WELL EARNED, BUT THEY HAVE A, THEY HAVE A STRONG SKILLSET AND INVESTIGATION AND, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ALL TYPES OF FUNCTIONS THAT WE NEED TO, TO FILL.
UM, AND THEY COME AT A BARGAIN.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN EPRO PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE, UH, SUSTAINED MONEY FOR APPROXIMATELY 42 POSITIONS.
THOSE ARE RETIRED OFFICERS AND THEY'RE WORKING ON A PART-TIME BASIS AT, UM, I BELIEVE THE, THE SALARY IS LIKE $30 AN HOUR, BUT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE BENEFITS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
SO WE'RE NOT HAVING TO COVER ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
IT'S JUST A STRAIGHT HOURLY WAGE AND THEY'RE DOING LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES.
THEY, UM, HAVE ALREADY BEEN VETTED THROUGH CIS THEY, THERE, THERE'S NO TYPE OF ADDITIONAL VETT THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH IN THAT REGARD AND, AND THEY CAN TRULY HELP US OUT, UH, NEAR OUR TIME OF NEED, WHICH WE ARE SO VASTLY UNDERSTAFFED.
UH, THE, THESE, THESE INDIVIDUAL, THESE OFFICERS, PROFESSIONALS CAN COME BACK AND TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WE'RE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL $2.2 MILLION, WHICH WOULD HOPEFULLY TAKE OUR NUMBER ALL THE WAY UP TO 100 FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, WHICH WOULD BE A HUGE HELP.
AND WE COULD PUT 'EM AROUND THE CITY DOING INVESTIGATIONS, HELPING US PLAY, UH, CATCH UP ON ALL THE PLACES THAT WE HAVE GAPS AND COVER THINGS THAT REGULAR PATROL OFFICERS AND COULD THEN GO BACK OUT AND DO THE JOB THAT WE WANT THEM TO DO THAT ARE FULL TIME.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT, UH, UH, WAY TO PLUS US UP AT NOT A HEAVY COST AND IT'S ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO, UM, IT HAS TO BE RE-UPPED EVERY YEAR.
WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY LIKE TO RE-UP IT THE FOLLOWING YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER THAT 'CAUSE IT'S STILL GONNA BE QUITE SOME TIME BEFORE WE GET THE STAFFING THAT WE REALLY, TRULY NEED.
AND THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
BUT IT IS AN ANNUAL COMMITMENT, SO COUNSEL WILL KNOW THAT YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING IF, IF WE RUN INTO DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES FINANCIALLY, IT'S NOT, IT'S LONG TERM COMMITMENT.
IT'S AN ANNUAL EVERY YEAR, BUT FOR NOW, AN ADDITIONAL 2.2 MILLION COULD GET US THAT, THAT NUMBER OF 100 EPRO THAT I THINK WE COULD REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UH, FOR ALL OF OUR INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS, ESPECIALLY AND FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR THE PUBLIC THAT WE SERVE.
AND FINALLY, UNDERSTAFFING, YOU SEE 10 ADDITIONAL LIEUTENANT POSITIONS.
IT'S ABOUT $185,000, UH, ANNUALLY TO DO THAT.
BUT THOSE ARE 10 MORE MID-MANAGEMENT POSITIONS THAT WOULD HELP US IMMENSELY IN TERMS OF OVERSIGHT AND, AND MANAGEMENT.
UH, OF ALL THE THINGS, UH, THAT WE HAVE GOING ON AND EX YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE, UH, DECISION MAKERS AT THE MID-MANAGER LEVEL THAT, UH, CAN, CAN HELP US ON THE INVESTIGATION SIDE, WHICH WE TRULY, DESPERATELY NEED, AND QUITE A FEW OTHERS PLACES.
UM, AND TO PROVIDE THE SUPPORT TO THE OFFICERS BECAUSE ALL OF US, UH, ABOVE THE RANK OF SERGEANT ARE SUPPORTING OUR OFFICERS AND SERGEANTS WHO ARE OUT THERE IN THE FIELD, UM, MEETING THE PUBLIC FACE-TO-FACE ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND SO WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GIVE THEM ALL THE OVERSIGHT AND ALL THE SUPPORT AND EVERYTHING.
AND THIS ADDITIONAL 10 LIEUTENANT POSITIONS WILL HELP US IN THAT ENDEAVOR.
MOVING OVER TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, BLOCK.
IT SAYS OUR PROPOSITIONS, THOSE ARE FUNDED THROUGH NEXT YEAR, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND JUST ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION, I MISTAKENLY SAID THAT THE CADET INCENTIVE FUNDING, UH, ENDED IN 2025.
IT ACTUALLY ENDS IN 2024, SO IT ENDS IN A, YEAH, COUPLE OF NEXT MONTH.
WE, WE HAVE 30 DAYS, RIGHT? SO NO PRESSURE, BUT WE DO, WE DO NEED IT.
UM, RIGHT, SO, SO THE POSITIONS, THEY'RE ALREADY FUNDED THROUGH NEXT YEAR, BUT THAT MONEY WILL RUN OUT AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2025.
AND, UH, WE WILL CERTAINLY WANT TO KEEP THAT GOING AND HELPS US IN MANY PLACES, ESPECIALLY
[00:35:01]
IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.UH, WE ARE DESPERATELY SHORT ON CARS, UH, AND WE NEED CARS.
THIS IS A BIG CITY, 670 SQUARE MILES.
UH, THIS IS A CITY WHERE IT REQUIRES US TO TRAVEL BY CAR ALMOST EVERYWHERE TO SERVE THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, WE ARE DESPERATELY SHORT, SO WE'RE ASKING FOR $24 MILLION, UH, TO PURCHASE MORE VEHICLES, BOTH MARKED AND UNMARKED.
UM, THEN RIGHT IN THIS CENTER, IT SAYS MARKED, BUT WE'LL NEED BOTH.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU THAT HEADS UP.
AND THEN OF COURSE, AIRCRAFT, UH, PARTS AND REPAIR, WE NEED A MILLION DOLLARS, UH, TO KEEP UP OUR FLEET OF HELICOPTERS, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $4 MILLION.
WE'RE 4 MILLION, WE'RE ASKING FOR ANOTHER PURCHASE OF ANOTHER HELICOPTER TO INCREASE OUR FLEET.
UM, RIGHT NOW, WE, WE REALLY, UH, ARE LIMITED IN OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE OVERWATCH OVER THE CITY AND PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL LAYER OF PROTECTION FOR OUR OFFICERS, UM, LIMITED, LIMITED BY OUR FLEET AND LIMITED BY OUR BUDGET.
SO WE REALLY NEED AN INCREASE THERE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
UH, DOWN, DOWN BOTTOM LEFT IS VERIZON ACCOUNT.
MAYBE I SHOULD LET YOU TALK TO THAT.
THAT IS ACTUALLY THE CELL PHONES, UH, THAT WE PROVIDE TO EACH OFFICER.
SO THIS WAS ORIGINALLY FUNDED, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO WITH CARES FUNDING.
AND SO WE'VE JUST BEEN ABSORBING IT, BUT WE ALWAYS WANNA BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION THAT AT ONE POINT, NOT ALL OFFICERS HAD CELL PHONES ASSIGNED TO THEM, BUT BECAUSE OF CARES FUNDING, WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT AND WE JUST MAINTAINED IT.
AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNEW THAT.
UM, NEXT BLOCK WOULD BE OUR, OUR MICROSOFT AND, AND SOFTWARE SUPPORT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, UH, 1.5 MILLION NEEDED, MILLION DOLLARS NEEDED ANNUALLY TO CONTINUE THAT SUSTAINING WISE.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE IS OUR AUTOMATED, UH, LICENSE PLATE READER, UM, CAMERAS.
THESE HAVE BEEN A HUGE GAME CHANGER FOR OUR CITY.
MOST OF YOU, AND I THINK JUST ABOUT ALL OF YOU IN THIS ROOM, HAVE INVESTED IN LICENSE PLATE READER TECHNOLOGIES FOR YOUR SPECIFIC DISTRICTS.
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS HAVE ALSO DONE, SO OUR CURRENT NUMBER IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING OF, UH, DEPLOY CAMERAS THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO FOR LICENSE PLATE READER IN THE HOUSTON REGION AREA IS ABOUT 3,500 CAMERAS.
NOW, WE PROBABLY ARE THE LARGEST DEPLOYMENT OF LICENSE PLATE READER IN THE, IN THE, UH, NATION.
AND IT'S BEEN A HUGE, UH, HELP IN INVESTIGATION, UH, CATCHING PERSONS THAT WE MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE IDENTIFIED FOR IN COMMISSION OF CRIMES, UH, BECAUSE WE CAN CAPTURE, UM, THEIR VEHICLE, IDENTIFY INFORMATION, AND FROM THERE, FOLLOW UP ON THE CASE MANAGEMENT AND THE, UH, INVESTIGATION'S.
HUGE, HUGE PLUS WE'RE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL $700,000 NEEDED ANNUALLY TO CONTINUE AND SUSTAIN THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, OUR IN-CAR CAMERAS, UH, SYSTEM THAT, UH, JUST LIKE WE HAVE BODY-WORN CAMERAS ON ALL OF OUR OFFICERS THAT WE'RE DEPLOYING AND EVENTUALLY THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT FOR EVERYBODY, ONCE WE HAVE A FULL COMPLIMENT, WE'RE TRYING TO, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IN-CAR CAMERAS FOR EVERY PATROL CAR.
AGAIN, IT'S JUST, UH, IN 2024 POLICING AND A MAJOR CITY, THAT'S AN EXPECTATION OF THE PUBLIC.
AND IT TRULY HELPS US, AGAIN, IN THE INVESTIGATION OF INCIDENTS OUT IN THE FIELD AND CAPTURING THINGS THAT, UH, THE PUBLIC WANTS TO KNOW THAT WE WANT TO KNOW.
AND, AND IT HELPS US HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF, OF WHAT HAPPENED AND, UH, TO BE AS CLEAR AND CONCISE ON ALL OF OUR INVESTIGATIONS.
SO, JUST SOME ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT, UH, HPD HAS EXPERIENCED, UM, HAD, UH, WE HAVE, UH, FOUND THAT PAGE AGAIN, SO SUCCESSFULLY ENHANCED SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE ALONG THE BINET CORRIDOR.
EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF THAT AND HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM THAT WAS.
AND, UH, JUST A HORRIBLE SITUATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ESPECIALLY, UH, YOUNG GIRLS BEING, UH, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IN THAT AREA.
AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK WE'VE DONE ALONG THE BISSONET CORRIDOR AND GETTING IT CLEANED UP.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISPLACEMENT, UH, THAT IS TRUE, BUT WE ARE STEADILY WORKING ON THOSE OTHER LOCATIONS TOO, SO THAT WE CAN ATTACK THE WHOLE CITY, UH, IN TERMS OF TRYING TO, UM, ELIMINATE THIS PLAGUE THAT, THAT HAS HITS OUR CITY.
HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE WORST, UH, IN TERMS IN THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UM, OF A LOT OF REASONS FOR PROXIMITY AND OTHERWISE.
BUT WE ARE, WE ARE FAST WORKING, UH, TO ELIMINATE THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND MANY OF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN THAT FIGHT WITH US SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.
WE STARTED IN JANUARY, OUR, UH, SOUTHEAST TEXAS CRIME REDUCTION, UM, INITIATIVE.
AND THIS IS AN INTER-AGENCY INITIATIVE.
ONE OF THE MAYOR'S PRIORITIES WHEN HE FIRST TOOK OFFICE WAS, UH, TO PARTNER WITH OTHER AGENCIES, COLLABORATE AND, AND LEVERAGE EVERYBODY'S RESOURCES.
THE SIMPLE FACT IS WE ARE SHORT, EVERYBODY IS SHORT.
UH, THERE'S ANOTHER AGENCY OUT THERE THAT WILL TELL YOU THEY HAVE
[00:40:01]
PLENTY OF PEOPLE, WE'RE ALL SHORT.BUT WE HAD FIND THAT BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN PLUS EACH OTHER UP.
WE CAN LEVERAGE EACH OTHER'S SKILL SETS AND RESOURCES TO HAVE A BETTER IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY.
I'M VERY PROUD THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS.
TO BE FAIR, WE WERE ALWAYS DOING THIS TO SOME DEGREE, BUT WE REALLY PUT IT ON STEROIDS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
AND, UH, WE HAVE BEEN MEETING REGULARLY WITH ALL OF OUR AGENCY, UH, SISTER AGENCY, CHIEFS OF POLICE AND, AND THEIR DELEGATES AND THEIR TEAMS. AND, AND THE FOCUS HAS BEEN, UH, REALLY THREE-TIERED AS WE ATTACK THIS PROBLEM.
ONE HAS BEEN ON MAKING OUR ROADWAYS MORE SAFE, OUR SAFE ROADWAYS INITIATIVE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, AS YOU, MANY OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY HAVE TRAVELED UP DOWN OUR MAJOR FREEWAYS.
THERE'LL BE TIMES WHEN YOU'LL NOTICE MANY, MANY PATROL CARS, SOMETHING YOU NEVER SAW BEFORE, UH, IN A LONG TIME.
BUT WE'RE OUT THERE, WE'VE GOT OFFICERS OUT ON THE FREEWAYS AND ALL THE MAJORLY TRAVELED ROADS, AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE, GET PEOPLE TO SLOW DOWN, UH, TRY TO DEFEND AGAINST, UH, AGGRESSIVE DRIVING.
CERTAINLY WE WANNA STOP ROAD RAGE AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
SO THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR, ONE OF OUR THREE AREAS OF CONCERN AND EMPHASIS, AND I APPLAUD OUR TEAM AND EVERYBODY THAT'S BEEN A PART OF THAT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO BEEN LOOKING FOR, WE HAVE MULTIPLE THOUSANDS OF FUGITIVES OUT THERE THAT ARE WANTED FOR VIOLENT CRIMES.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THAT COLLECTIVELY WITH MANY AGENCIES IN THE, IN THE REGION TO GO OUT AND, AND IDENTIFY, FIND THEM, AND GET THEM IN CUSTODY AND BRING THEM BEFORE A JUDGE, UH, TO MAKE THE CITY SAFE AND THE PUBLIC SAFE AND THE REGION SAFE.
FRANKLY, WE'RE WORKING FOR NOT JUST THE HARRIS, NOT JUST HARRIS COUNTY, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE SIX SURROUNDING COUNTIES AND WE'RE, THAT'S HOW WIDESPREAD OUR, OUR COLLABORATION IS, WHICH AGAIN, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
AND THEN THE THIRD PART OF THAT IS GONNA BE OUR HOTSPOT, OUR HIGH CRIME AREAS THAT WE PUBLISH ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND SEND OUT TO OUR COMMANDERS, BUT WE ALSO SHARE WITH OTHER AGENCIES AND EVERYBODY, THEY SHARE THEIR DATA.
THE GOAL IS TO, UM, SURGE IN THOSE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE A HIGH INSTANCE OF CRIME, UH, TO TRY TO GET THOSE AREAS UNDER CONTROL, BELIEVING THAT IF WE BRING THOSE WORSE SPOTS UNDER CONTROL, THEN THE WHOLE REGION, AND IT'S BEEN PROVEN TO DO SO, DOES, DOES HELP THE WHOLE AREA, THE NEIGHBORHOODS, THE COMMUNITIES THAT SURROUND IT AND BRING RELIEF TO THEM.
WE PROVIDE PRE SERVICES TO LARGE SCALE EVENTS, INCLUDING, UH, A LOT OF OUR, OUR THINGS, OUR MAJOR EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE CITY IN TERMS OF SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, BE IT THE CHEVRON HOUSTON MARATHON, THE HOUSTON SHOW AND RODEO, THE TOUR TO HOUSTON, OUR TEXANS GAMES, UH, OTHER SCHEDULED EVENTS.
AND WE'VE ALSO HELPED IN, IN OUR ELECTION SERVICES, UH, TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY CAN SAFELY AND PEACEFULLY GO AND VOTE AND EXERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT, THEIR THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE.
UH, WE'VE ALSO ENHANCED OUR CADET RECRUITING BY OFFERING INCENTIVES AS WE'VE DESCRIBED EARLIER, IN THE $10,000, WHICH HAS BEEN TO HELP.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA NEED THAT GOING FORWARD IN 30 DAYS.
UM, OUR ENHANCED TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES, WE HAVE PURCHASED A NEW RMS SYSTEM, AND WE ARE VERY WELL STRONG, YOU KNOW, LEADING INTO THAT.
WE ANTICIPATE TO GOING LIVE IN MARCH, UH, OF NEXT YEAR, BASICALLY, UH, FIRST QUARTER, 2025, UH, WHICH WILL REPLACE A VERY ANTIQUATED SYSTEM WITH LIMITED CAPABILITY.
AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY GONNA HELP US IN THE TERMS OF INVESTIGATION AND CASE MANAGEMENT, WHICH, UH, I'M SURE YOU ALL ALREADY KNOW THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED THE HELP ON.
UH, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES THROUGH A COMBINATION OF YOUTH PROGRAMS INITIATIVES.
SO WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ENGAGE THEM, UH, TO, TO BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS, UH, HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY.
SEE MANY OF THEM JOIN OUR, OUR RANKS AS POLICE OFFICERS TAKE THE BATON AND DO BETTER THAN US.
THAT'S ALWAYS THE GOAL THAT WE WANT FOR OUR YOUTH TO BE LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE INTENDING TO DO.
WE HAVE, UM, LET'S SEE, STICK COUPLE WITH THINGS.
WE PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT TO OVER 17,900 ADULT VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME.
THIS IS, THIS INCLUDED EMOTIONAL SAFETY SERVICES, REFERRALS, LEGAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE THROUGH NAVIGATING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
UH, A LOT OF THIS IS THROUGH OUR VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION, WHICH WE'RE VERY PROUD THAT HPD HAS ESTABLISHED WHERE WE DO A LOT OF OUTREACH TO THE PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN BEEN HARMED, AND WE TRY TO GET THEM BACK ON THEIR FEET.
THE FACT IS, IS THAT MANY OF OUR VICTIMS, THE PEOPLE WHO BECOME VICTIMS IN OUR CITY, ARE ALREADY LIVING ON THE MARGINS.
THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY BANDWIDTH FOR ANY CATASTROPHE AT ALL.
AND THEN ONCE THEY BECOME A VICTIM OF A CRIME, THEY ARE IMPACTED EMOTIONALLY FIRST.
THEIR LIVES ARE OFTEN COMPLETELY TURNED UPSIDE DOWN, IF NOT DESTROYED FINANCIALLY.
THE DEVASTATION FROM BECOMING A, BEING A VICTIM, UH, IN OUR CITY, UH, IS CAS IS ON A CASCADING, UH, LEVEL WHERE MANY PEOPLE AROUND THEM ARE AFFECTED TOO.
BUT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO REACH OUT TO THEM, TO GIVE THEM THE RESOURCES AND THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED
[00:45:01]
TO LIFT THEM UP AND GET 'EM BACK ON THEIR FEET SO THAT WE CAN ALL MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE A SAFER CITY.SO WE'LL STOP ON THE, ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UM, AND WE'LL GO TO QUESTIONS.
UM, CHIEF, THANKS TO YOU, THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT FOR EVERYTHING.
I DO WANNA FIRST AT THE OUTSET, TAKE A MOMENT TO PUBLICLY ALSO RECOGNIZE AND THANK, UH, CHIEF FINNER YES.
FOR HIS SERVICE, UM, OVER THREE DECADES TO OUR CITY.
AND I KNOW THAT, UH, WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH A LOT TOGETHER.
UM, AND HE HAS, UH, HIS WORK CONTINUES TO SHINE THROUGH, UH, IN ALL THAT WE DO.
AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU ARE DOING IN TERMS OF NOW LEADING THE DEPARTMENT AND STEPPING INTO THOSE SHOES AND FURTHERING THE DEPARTMENT AND THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE CITY.
UM, AND YOU PERSONALLY, CHIEF, I WANNA RECOGNIZE, I MEAN, IT TOOK ONE PHONE CALL BETWEEN YOU AND ME, UH, AND THAT'S WHAT KICKED OFF, LOCK IT UP SAFE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT HAVE MADE THAT A CITYWIDE PROGRAM AS WE CONTINUE TO, UM, DISCUSS AND EDUCATE AND MOVE TOWARDS, UM, A SAFER CITY AS IT RELATES TO REDUCING AND ENDING VIOLENCE.
UH, AS IT RELATES TO, YOU STARTED OUT BY TALKING ABOUT PERSONNEL AND THE LEVELS TO WHICH WE HAVE, UH, SHORTAGES OF STAFFING.
AND THE NUMBERS YOU PROVIDED WERE COMPARISONS TO YEARS PAST, GOING BACK DECADES, UM, THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, CAN YOU JUST SAY OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD AGAIN, WHAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WE NEED TO GET TO IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL STAFFING? THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND, UH, BEFORE I ANSWER THAT QUESTION, I WILL SAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, WE ARE ALWAYS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF GUNS ON THE STREET THAT END UP IN THE HANDS OF, OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE FIREARMS. AND THE SIMPLE FACT IS, IS THAT, UH, YEAR OVER YEAR, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN GUNS BEING STOLEN FROM CARS.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS A, IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S BECOME THE NUMBER ONE, UM, ITEM THAT, UH, WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN SUSPECTS ARE BREAKING INTO CARS, IF THEY'RE AFTER HIS FIREARMS, THAT THEY WILL THEN TURN AROUND AND USE TO DO TERRIBLE THINGS IN OUR CITY.
SO WE DO ASK, I MEAN, I THINK YEAR OVER YEAR OR LAST YEAR WAS OVER 4,000 GUNS.
THAT'S 4,000 GUNS IN THE HANDS OF, UH, OF CRIMINALS.
PEOPLE THAT COMMITTED A CRIME JUST TO STEAL THE GUN ITSELF.
SO THE LOCK IT OF SAFE PROGRAM IS OUR EFFORT TO GET OUR PUBLIC, UH, TO, TO BE AS CAREFUL AND RESPONSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FIREARMS DO NOT END UP, UH, IN THE HANDS OF A CRIMINAL WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY WILL THEN BE USED AGAINST THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS, THE FELLOW PUBLIC.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A HUGE CAMPAIGN.
IT'S SOMETHING VERY NEAR AND NEAR TO ME AND KNOW TO YOU.
IN TERMS OF NUMBERS THAT WE, WE NEED, UM, IN 2014, UH, WE HAD A STUDY CONDUCTED WHERE CHIEF THEN CHIEF CHARLES MCCLELLAN STATED THAT WE NEEDED ABOUT 1400 MORE CLASSIFIED.
THAT WAS FROM A STUDY DONE BY JUST X.
THEN 10 YEARS AGO, WE HAVE BEEN STATING THE NUMBER MYSELF, CHIEF FINNER, AND YES, THANK YOU, CHIEF FINNER AND I CAME UP TOGETHER.
UM, I, UH, APPLAUD HIM FOR HIS SERVICE AND ALWAYS WE, I'LL ALWAYS BE LOOKING OUT FOR HIM AND, AND, UH, AND CERTAINLY HE WAS A PART OF THIS THAT WE ARE DOING TODAY.
UM, BUT IN, BUT IN TERMS OF THOSE NUMBERS, UH, THAT WE NEED NOW THAT, THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE STATED THE NUMBER 2000, AND WHILE WE HAVEN'T DONE A STUDY TO, TO, UM, TO, TO, TO MAKE SPECIFICALLY 2019 50 OR 2150, WE'VE SAID THE NUMBER 2000.
BUT I THINK WE STAND PRETTY STRONGLY THAT THAT IS AN ACCURATE NUMBER.
SIMPLY PUT, IF YOU COMPARE US TO OUR SISTER CITY OF SIZE IN TERMS OF POPULATION IN CHICAGO, THEY HAVE TWICE THE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS WE HAVE, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE 650 SQUARE MILES COMPARED TO WHAT SOME OF THE CITIES HAVE WITHIN THAT.
AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO GO BACK IN QUEUE THOUGH.
I, ONE, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, 'CAUSE OUR POPULATION HAS GROWN, SO THAT 2000 NUMBER COVERS THAT BECAUSE OF COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN.
BUT THIS GOES TO THE POP, THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS.
WE NEED INVESTIGATORS THAT HAS BEEN IN THE HEADLINES, CORRECT? WAY TOO MUCH IN TERMS OF THE SHORTCOMINGS OR THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE FACED ON THE INVESTIGATION SIDE.
HOW MANY INVESTIGATORS DO WE NEED AND DOES THAT IN, IS THAT INCLUDED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET? SO WE ARE STILL DOING, UH, A STUDY TO, TO GET YOU A MORE PRECISE NUMBER.
UH, WHEN I SAY 2000, I'M THINKING ABOUT 400 OF THOSE WOULD GO TO INVESTIGATIONS.
FACT IS RIGHT NOW WE NEED AT LEAST 150 AT MINIMUM FOR
[00:50:01]
SUSTAINABILITY.SO, UM, MY COLLEAGUE BEHIND ME, UH, CHIEF
AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT THOSE THINGS, BUT ACTUAL NUMBERS, UH, REQUIRES A LITTLE BIT MORE DATA AND A LITTLE BIT MORE RESEARCH, UH, THAT WE, WE ARE STEADILY WORKING TOWARDS, BUT MANY OTHER THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF DELAY.
SO IS THE ONE 50 THAT'S NEEDED TODAY INCLUDED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL? IT IS NOT.
UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, FIRM AND STEADY HAND DURING THE RECOVERY.
UM, IT WAS GOOD TO SEE YOU AND YOUR UH, UH, TEAMMATES OUT THERE MAKING SURE OUR CITY WAS SAFE.
UM, THIS QUESTION'S DIRECTED TO, UM, OUR DIRECTOR, UH, RHONDA, CAN YOU GO BACK TO PAGE EIGHT? YOU TALKED THERE WAS A 12% DELTA AROUND PATROL.
AND SO, UM, UH, YOU MENTIONED IT, BUT I, IF YOU CAN COLOR IN THE LINES FOR THAT.
THE SECOND QUESTION IS ABOUT SHOT SPOTTER.
THAT'S A $3.5 MILLION EXPEND EX EXPENSE FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, THE SUSTAINABILITY SLIDE.
WHEN I, I TRIED TO TAB THE UP ALL OF THE 6.9, 1.9 12 MILLION, RIGHT? THE TOTAL CALCULATION OF INVESTMENT INTO THE DEPARTMENT.
IF THERE'S A TOTAL NUMBER OF THAT, I WOULD LIKE THAT.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, SLIDE EIGHT AND THE, THE 12% DELTA FOR POLICE PATROL.
SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER, THE QUESTION PERTAINS TO POLICE PATROL, RIGHT? SO YOU SAID THERE'S A 12% CHANGE.
CAN YOU EXPAND THAT BECAUSE I ONLY CAUGHT, YOU KIND OF JUST TOUCHED ON IT.
SO WITHIN THIS NUMBER, THIS IS A REVENUE NUMBER AND WE RECEIVE MONIES FROM MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
AND SO WE ARE NOT, UH, ACTUALLY ANTICIPATING AS MUCH COMING FROM THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
SO WHAT THIS IS SHOWING YOU IS THAT FOR NEXT YEAR, WE'RE NOT BUDGETING THE SAME AMOUNT COMING FROM OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, RIGHT.
'CAUSE MANY OF 'EM CONTRIBUTE FOR OVER TIME.
AND, AND THAT, BUT THOSE, THAT FUNDING MAY COME AT A LATER DATE BECAUSE IT MAY COME AT A LATER DATE.
WE JUST TAKE A VERY CONSERVATIVE, UH, GOT IT.
SO, UM, UH, I SUPPORTED SHOT SPOTTER, UH, WHEN THAT CAME TO COUNCIL BECAUSE THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO INVEST TECHNOLOGY THINGS JUST EXPLODED IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I WENT TO RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT F, UM, TELLING THEM THAT SHOT SPOTTER WAS COMING TO THE CITY, SHOT SPOTTER WAS COMING TO DISTRICT F SPOTTER HAS NOT COME TO DISTRICT F AND WE'RE SPENDING AN, UH, A LOT OF MONEY ON THIS TECHNOLOGY.
UM, AND SO, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT, UH, IS THIS CITYWIDE, IS THIS JUST TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT FOR THE DEPARTMENT? BECAUSE I'M, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE MAKING THESE EXPENSES OUT, WE DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GET TO YIELD SOME OF THE FRUIT OF THAT, RIGHT? UM, SO WE CAN GO BACK TO RESIDENTS AND TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESSES THE DEPARTMENT'S MAKING BECAUSE WE'VE INVESTED AT LIEUTENANT LEVEL, BECAUSE WE'VE INVESTED AT SPECIAL, UH, AT, AT SPECIAL SERVICES LEVEL.
SO, CAN WE TALK ABOUT SHOTSPOTTER AND, AND THIS IS MORE TOWARDS CHIEF SAT SATELLITE AND YOUR IMPRESSION OF THE USE OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE LOCATIONS IT'S CURRENTLY AT.
SO THE, IN THE LOCATIONS THAT SHOT SPOTTER HAS BEEN INSTALLED, UH, WE HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF CALLS, UH, FOR GUNSHOT DETECTION.
IT'S IN THE THOUSANDS, I BELIEVE, UH, OVER THE TWO LOCATIONS, POSSIBLY A THOUSAND IN EACH ONE.
WE HAVE SEEN THAT IT WENT UP AND NOW WE HAVE SEEN A DECLINE.
I WILL ALSO SAY THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD THING.
WE'VE ALSO, I WILL ALSO SAY THAT, UH, THROUGH SHOT SPOTTER, WE HAVE FOUND INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE SHOT WHEN THERE WAS NO REPORT OF GUNSHOTS IN AN AREA.
AND WE HAVE, EXCEPT FOR THE DETECTION, AND WE'VE RESPONDED AND WE'VE FOUND, UH, INDIVIDUALS, I THINK THE NUMBER IS THREE, WHO WERE SHOT AND INJURED AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM, UH, SOME TYPE OF SERVICE BECAUSE OF THAT AND HELP.
SO THOSE ARE THE VERY GOOD THINGS, UH, THAT WE CAN, WE HAVE SEEN THROUGH THAT TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY.
HOWEVER, I AM, I AM STILL YET TO, TO TELL YOU THAT IT IS DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT IT TO DO.
UH, IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROGRAM AND IT COVERS A VERY SMALL AREA AND, UH, THERE ARE OTHER TECHNOLOGIES COMING ON BOARD THAT ARE SIMILAR, THAT ARE, MIGHT BE MORE AFFORDABLE.
SO I WANNA BE A VERY BALANCED IN RESPONSE TO YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.
IT'S, IT IS STILL, WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW THAT I TASKED OUR TEAM TODAY ON IS TO TELL ME HOW MANY PEOPLE,
[00:55:01]
UH, THEMSELVES HAVE BEEN HARMED BY GUNFIRE IN THOSE AREAS AT THAT TIME AND DURING THAT SAME DURATION AND TIME PERIOD AND WERE SHOT DETECTION, UH, TECHNOLOGY IS INSTALLED BECAUSE EVEN IF THE NUMBER OF SHOTS DETECTED GO DOWN, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD THING IF PEOPLE BE, ARE STILL BEING HARMED AT THE SAME RATE, THAT IS A QUESTION MARK FOR ME.I APPRECIATE THAT AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU HAVE YOUR EYES ON LOOKING AT, UH, DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES.
SO IT'S, UH, BALANCE ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE, UH, SLIDE 26.
THANKS FOR PULLING THAT BACK UP.
SO THIS IS JUST TO KEEP YOU, THIS IS ALMOST LIKE BRIDGE FUNDING THE WAY I INTERPRET IT, JUST TO KIND OF KEEP Y'ALL MOVING ALONG, RIGHT? NOT, UH, UH, NOT NECESSARILY PHASED OUT.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF NUMBER, THIS TOTAL NUMBER, THIS IS NOT WHAT'S CURRENTLY IN FISCAL 25, RIGHT? WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED IS BASICALLY THE 3% INCREASE FROM PERSONNEL THAT'S BASED ON A CONTRACT.
UM, BUT THIS IS A FUTURE REQUEST THAT YOU ARE ASKING US TO CONSIDER.
ARE YOU JUST TRYING TO GIVE US CONTEXT TO LIKE THE TYPE OF, THE TYPE OF FINANCIAL INVESTMENT IT TAKES IN ORDER FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO MOVE FORWARD? ALL OF THE ABOVE.
I KIND OF HAD A SIMILAR QUESTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, IS THIS IS THE 6.9 IN THE BUDGET? IT IS NOT IN THE BUDGET.
SO NONE OF THIS STUFF IS, NONE IS IN THE BUDGET.
SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS PRESENT WHAT WE WOULD REQUEST, WHAT WE HAVE, AND WE'RE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT.
WE THINK WE, WE KNOW WE NEED IN ORDER TO BE SUSTAINABLE, BUT IT'S NOT CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET, BUT IT IS BEING DISCUSSED AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION TO YOU.
ALSO, CAN I, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL TO GIVE UH, SOME CONTEXT.
AND SO WHEN WE DID THE 10, THE 10,000 FOR THE CADET, SO AND THAT ENDS WITH ARPA, YOU'RE ASKING FOR US TO DO AN ADDITIONAL 5,000 ON TOP OF THAT FOR THE SAL THE BASE SALARY, RIGHT.
KEEP THE 10,000 INCENTIVE PAY AND THEN WE DO THE 5,000 SALARY.
IT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ARPA FUNDING.
RIGHT? WELL, JUST THE 10,001 TIME CADET COME IN AND THEN WITH THE ADDITIONAL FIVE YES.
WE'LL, UM, HIT THEIR BASE PAY.
IT'S 10,000 ADDED TO THE BASE PAY.
SO WE GO FROM 42 TO 52,000, AND THEN THE 5,000 IS FOR AN INCENTIVE AT THE END.
SO THE 10,000 PER CADET WITH THE ARPA FUNDS WERE FOR THE LAST FIVE CADET COURSE, UH, CLASSES WE'VE DONE, RIGHT.
THEY DID THE 10,000, IT WAS FOR THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS.
SO THEN, SO THEY RECEIVED THE 10.
SO THE REQUEST MOVING FORWARD WOULD BE BASE PAY UP THAT RIGHT.
THE REQUEST IS TO MAKE IT PERMANENT.
THEY COMPLETE AND IF THEY RIGHT, AND IF THEY COMPLETE THEIR CADET, THEY COMPLETE THE PROCESS, THEY MAKE IT THROUGH, THEN THERE'S AN INCENTIVE ON THE 5,000.
WE BELIEVE THIS WILL MAKE US COMPETITIVE EVEN MORE SO.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, 'CAUSE THAT THAT WAS UP IN, IN, IN MY HEAD TOO WHEN I SAW THIS SLIDE.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE IN DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE FY 2025 BUDGET.
AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
AND CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP AND, AND, UH, DOING, DOING YOUR, YOUR DUTY HERE, UH, FOLLOWING UP ON SHOT SPOTTER, UM, IS, I WASN'T HERE WHEN IT WAS PASSED, BUT SHOTSPOTTER IS PAID OUT OF GENERAL FUND OR GRANT FUNDS, OR HOW'S IT PAID FOR? I BELIEVE IT'S GENERAL FUND.
WAS THERE NOT A GRANT AVAILABLE TO COVER THE COST OF IT, OR WE JUST DIDN'T APPLY OR WHAT? SO WE HAVE NOT SEEN THAT TYPE OF, UH, FUNDING AVAILABLE.
WE PURSUE ALL FUNDING, BUT WE DID NOT SEE THAT ONE.
AND IS IT THREE AND A HALF MILLION PER YEAR OR THREE AND A HALF MILLION OVER THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT? NO, IT'S NOT PER YEAR.
IS IT STILL ONLY IN TWO AREAS IN THE CITY THAT, YES, SIR.
UM, SO THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE CHRONICLE BY YIN CHANG THAT POSITED THAT, UH, BECAUSE, UH, SHOT SPOTTER ALERTS ARE TREATED AS CODE ONE, ALL OF 'EM, IT ACTUALLY INCREASED RESPONSE TIMES IN THOSE AREAS BECAUSE OFFICERS WERE PULLED OFF CALLS, UH, OTHER CALLS, BURGLARY, BUR, YOU KNOW, UM, AUTO THEFT, WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, WHAT, DO YOU HAVE A REACTION TO THAT? IS THAT ACCURATE OR DO YOU THINK, OR NOT? IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY ACCURATE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE RES CODE ONE PRIORITY ONE CALLS ALWAYS ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RESPOND TO, UH, IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE SOMEBODY MIGHT BE IN HARM'S WAY AND, AND IMMEDIATELY BE IN, UH, POTENTIALLY THEIR, THEIR LIVES ARE POTENTIALLY AT RISK.
[01:00:01]
ARE GONNA BE GOING TO THOSE.FIRST AND FOREMOST, THEY HAVE TO, WHICH MEANS THAT LOWER PRIORITY CALLS, UH, WILL, WILL HAVE TO SIT AND WAIT UNTIL OUR OFFICERS ARE ABLE TO GET TO THAT PRIORITY ONE AND VERIFY THAT NOTHING IS HAPPENING OF URGENCY.
SO THEN THEY CAN THEN MOVE BACK TO THAT OTHER LOWER PRIORITY CALL.
SO THE OVERALL IMPACT IS THAT OTHER CALLS OF LOWER PRIORITY ARE, ARE, UH, ARE IMPACTED.
NOT TO MENTION EVEN OTHER POTENTIAL, I MEAN, WE ONLY HAVE SO MANY OFFICERS IN A GIVEN AREA, SO IF THEY'RE RUNNING TO THE CODE ONE, UH, SHOT DETECTION, SHOT SPOTTER CALL, UH, AND THEY'RE ALREADY GOING TO THAT, AND THEN WE HAVE A BURGLARY IN PROGRESS AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE OFFICER, WELL MM-HMM
THEY'RE GOING TO ONE, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO THE OTHER.
SO ONE WILL HOLD A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
WE TRY OUR VERY BEST TO HAVE ENOUGH PERSONNEL TO ALWAYS GO TO THAT.
BUT COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU, IT'S, I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU IT'S WRONG.
UH, THERE ARE, IT DOES AFFECT CALL RESPONSE TIMES AND OBVIOUSLY WE WANT MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREET.
HOW MANY CADET CLASSES DO WE HAVE IN THE BUDGET? FOR 25? WE'RE BUDGETING FIVE CADET CLASSES.
WE, I WAS TALKING TO CHIEF HATCHER WHO'S HERE TODAY EARLIER.
WE ALWAYS TRY TO STAFF, OR THE GOAL WILL BE TO STAFF AT 82, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME ATTRITION EVEN ON THE FRONT END AT THE ACADEMY TO AT LEAST HAVE 75 GRADUATE PER CLASS FOR A TOTAL OF 375 A YEAR.
CAN YOU TELL US HOW MUCH DOES EACH CADET CLASS COST ROUGHLY? THAT WOULD BE A DIRECTOR SMITH.
SO THE CADET CLASS IS SIX MONTHS AND IT COST ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION, BUT 2.5, BUT THAT'S SIX MONTHS.
AND THEN THEY, THEY SPEND SIX MONTHS AS A, A PROBATIONARY AND THAT'S WHERE THE 42,000.
SO, UH, THE TOTAL COST IS JUST NORTH OF 4.5 MILLION.
AND, AND THAT INCLUDES WHAT, FOR THE 4.5? SO THAT INCLUDES A FULL YEAR AS A CADET AND A PROBATIONARY.
4.5 MILLION FOR ONE CADET CLASS FOR A FULL YEAR.
SO IT'S BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS HEARD 2 MILLION PER, IT'S 2 MILLION PER CLASS, BUT THEY, THEY, AND THEN THEY BECOME A PROBATIONARY OKAY.
SO IT'S TWO AND A HALF, AND THEN YOU SPEND THE OTHER HALF AS A PROBATIONARY EL.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION TO EVERYONE AT HPD FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
UM, SO WE KNOW WE NEED MORE PATROL OFFICERS, WE KNOW WE NEED MORE INVESTIGATORS.
UM, KIND OF TAKING THOSE TWO THINGS OUT OF THE EQUATION, WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED? I MEAN, YOU KIND OF TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY IF THERE'S ANY BIG THINGS THAT YOU SEE ON THE HORIZON THAT IF WE DON'T FUND RIGHT NOW, IF WE DON'T MOVE OFFICERS TO RIGHT NOW, THAT THERE COULD BE AN ISSUE IN THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS COMING TO HOUSTON THAT ARE SO, YOU KNOW, REALLY GREAT THINGS FOR OUR CITY.
UH, ONE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS IS COMING IS FIFA IN 2026.
UH, THAT'S, AS IT'S BEEN DESCRIBED TO ME, 31 DAYS OF SUPER BOWL.
THAT'S THE KIND OF FERVOR, THAT'S THE KIND OF ATTENDANCE THAT WE MIGHT SEE IN OUR CITY AS WE PARTICIPATE IN THOSE, IN THOSE, UH, SOCCER MATCHES AND THOSE GAMES.
THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE STRAIN ON RESOURCES, UH, THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH.
WE'RE GOING TO REAL, WE'RE VASTLY UNDERSTAFFED FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
UH, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING WE ALSO, WE JUST TOLD GREAT.
BUT WE'RE GONNA HOST THE, UH, THE, UH, THE BASEBALL CLASSIC.
I DON'T WANNA SAY IT WRONGLY, BUT THAT'S COMING TO HOUSTON.
THERE ARE MAJOR EVENTS COMING TO OUR CITY, WHICH SHOWCASES THE STRENGTH OF OUR CITY AND THE ATTRACTION.
AND THOSE ARE GREAT THINGS, BUT THEY ALL REQUIRE POLICE OFFICERS TO PROVIDE THE KIND OF PROTECTION TO THE PUBLIC ATTENDING AND THE PUBLIC AROUND FOR THE MOBILITY ISSUES THAT WE WILL FACE, UH, SIMPLY JUST FOR SHEER VOLUME.
UH, AND IT, NOT TO MENTION, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY, UH, ANGLE.
LARGE CROWDS ARE TARGETS FOR PEOPLE THAT WISH TO DO US HARM, BE IT, UH, HOMEGROWN OR FOREIGN VIOLENT EXTREMISM.
ALL OF THESE ARE CONCERNS FOR US.
SO WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE BODIES FOR THAT.
UM, WE, YES, WE'LL STILL NEED PATROL OFFICERS AND WE'LL STILL, WE'VE, WE ARE REALLY UNDERSTAFFED IN INVESTIGATIONS THAT WE NEED TO COVER THAT.
OUR, THE, THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS DO ARE NOT GETTING SMALLER.
UH, WE HAVE OUR HOMELESS POPULATION THAT WE DO WELL.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, HOUSTON IS, IS SEEN AS A LEADER IN HOW WE MANAGE AND TRY TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREET AND OUT OF THOSE DIRE SITUATIONS.
AGAIN, STILL A PROBLEM, HEAVY RESOURCE INTENSIVE, UH, TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE LEAST FORTUNATE IN OUR SOCIETY.
I COULD PROBABLY GO ON COUNCIL MEMBER.
THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A FEW NEEDS, A LOT OF HOLES IN OUR DEPARTMENT, IN OUR CITY THAT WE NEED TO FILL.
UM, WE'RE SEEING THIS YEAR ALONE AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER OF STORMS. AS WE SAW ONE TODAY, WE SAW ONE JUST LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AGO THAT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND COST IN THE BILLIONS AND COST TOOK FOUR LIVES JUST IN OUR CITY ALONE.
[01:05:01]
ALL OF THESE THINGS REQUIRE RESPONSE AND THE DEMAND STILL KEEPS COMING FROM JUST THE STUFF THAT WE DO EVERY DAY.AND THEN, UM, THE, I THINK YOU SAID $11 MILLION IN OVERTIME.
UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY CHANGE WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION AS FAR AS POLICY ABOUT HOW THAT MONEY IS ALLOCATED? UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PAY A LOT OF MONEY IN OVERTIME WITH OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS.
I KNOW A LOT OF OTHER DISTRICTS DO AS WELL.
SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE THE FUNDING ALREADY FOR OVERTIME AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T.
SO, HAS ANYTHING CHANGED AS FAR AS HOW THAT MONEY IS ALLOCATED TO DIFFERENT DIVISIONS? I WILL, I WILL SAY THIS, UM, UH, THIS, THE OVERTIME, THE VIOLENT CRIME OVERTIME HAS, HAS, UM, BEEN SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, OVERSEE IN TURN IN TERMS OF DIRECTION AS FIELD OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE CHIEF.
AND WE'RE WEEKLY AND MONTHLY REEVALUATING HOW WE DEPLOY.
WE KNOW THAT OUR WORST TIMES WHERE THEY'RE VOTED, WHERE IT CAN DO THE MOST GOOD IS IN THE EVENING SHIFT HOURS WHEN WE HAVE VIOLENT CRIME SEEMS TO BE AT ITS HIGHEST, BASICALLY THE 3:00 PM TO 3:00 AM HOURS THAT 12 HOUR PERIOD IN THE EVENING.
WE KNOW THAT WEEKENDS WE HAVE SPIKES.
UM, THE OTHER ISSUES IN TERMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UH, THE, THE NOISE AND ALL THE THINGS ELSE THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PEOPLE'S QUALITY LIFE.
MOST OF THAT HAPPENS AT THAT TIME.
BUT IF WE, WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING, IF THERE'S A PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT'S HAPPENING AT A DIFFERENT TIME, WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
IF THERE'S A, THERE'S AN AREA THAT'S PARTICULARLY GETTING HIT.
WE'RE DOING WEEKLY AND ALMOST DAILY EVALUATIONS OF HIGH CRIME AREAS AND ADJUSTING PERSONNEL.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE THE BEST STEWARDS POSSIBLE.
WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE REALTIME CRIME CENTER THAT, UH, WE'VE GOT FUNDING THROUGH THE STATE FARM.
WE DO THINK THAT WITH THAT TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S COMING ON BOARD, THAT WE'LL SERVE THE ENTIRE CITY AND REGION.
UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BETTER PINPOINT PROBLEMS, UH, DO APPLY REAL ANALYTICS.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO AT THE LEVEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US NOW.
WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE ANYTIME SOON.
SO TECHNOLOGY IS OUR WAY OF, OF, OF BRIDGING THAT GAP FOR NOW.
THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER WILL HELP US WITH THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I'LL TALK TO EVERY ONE OF YOU.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND AND, AND WE WILL COME, UH, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO SERVE YOU AND YOUR AREA BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A CONSTITUENCY THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
UM, SO THE SUSTAINABILITY SLIDE IS THE ONE THAT I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION ON FOR THE A LPR CAMERAS, THE 700,000 NEEDED ANNUALLY, DOES THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE MONEY THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS USE FROM THEIR BUDGETS TO HAVE THOSE CAMERAS IN THEIR DISTRICT? OR IS THAT IN ADDITION TO WHAT IS ALREADY IN THE DISTRICTS THROUGH THE CDSF UH, BUDGETS? SO THIS NUMBER INCLUDES WHAT'S COMING FROM THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND WHAT'S COMING FROM THE HPD, UH, IN THE BUDGET.
SO WE ARE SEEING THAT IT'S 700,000 AND WHAT WHAT COULD HAPPEN IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT, IT IS SUSTAINABLE.
SO IT DOES INCLUDE THAT NUMBER.
SO IT'S NOT, IN ADDITION TO IT IS ACTUALLY SAYING THAT, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE SEE AS BEING, UH, CONSISTENTLY NEEDED AND WE APPRECIATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THE, THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS MAKE.
AND SO WE'RE SAYING THAT, WELL, LET'S MAKE THIS, UH, PART OF WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY AND PUT IT IN THE BUDGET.
SO THIS, THIS 700,000 MAINTAINS YES.
THE CAMERAS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE DEPLOYED, THIS IS NOT ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL CAMERAS.
SO I'LL, I WILL ADD TO THAT COUNCIL MEMBER NA SENSEI, BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT FUTURE ADDITIONS AND, AND I'M GETTING THAT FROM YOU ALL.
ALL THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.
WE ARE FORTUNATE IN OUR CITY, IN OUR REGION THAT NOT ONLY YOU ALL ARE SUPPORTING, UH, LPR LICENSE PLATE READER TECHNOLOGY, BUT ALSO WE HAVE PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORT AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THOSE CAMERAS.
UH, THE 3,500 ENCOMPASSES ALL THE CAMERAS WE HAVE ACCESS TO, NOT JUST THE ONES THAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY THAT APPEARS TO BE THE ENTIRE CITY NEEDS TO BE ALL, APPEARS TO BE ALL IN ON WHICH WE APPRECIATIVE AND WE'RE NOT HAVING TO PAY FOR THOSE.
I MEAN, THAT MODEL IS REALLY WORKING WELL FOR US.
AND AGAIN, IT'S BEING COPIED AROUND THE COUNTRY WHERE OTHER AGENCIES SIMPLY AND CITIES CAN'T AFFORD ALL THOSE CAMERAS.
BUT WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS ALSO MAKING THOSE INVESTMENTS.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I I THINK POSSIBLY WE COULD, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A GOOD DEAL FOR US AND IT'S REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT A LITTLE MORE CLARITY ON.
[01:10:01]
MEMBER MARTINEZ.UH, AND JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT, 'CAUSE I HAD THE SAME QUESTION.
UM, AND I THINK FROM DISTRICT, I WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE PROBABLY GIVING CLOSE TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND CONSECUTIVE, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR.
UM, DOES IT MAKE MORE SENSE TO JUST STOP SHOP SPOTTER AND INVEST THOSE DOLLARS INTO THE, THE LICENSE PLATE READER? UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE, IT'S NOT ACROSS THE CITY, UM, FROM WHAT I'VE READ AND, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO IS REALLY NOT DOING THE JOB THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, I THINK TOM HAS MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE SAYING THAT WE WERE GONNA GET IT IN 13 DISTRICT AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN IN AND WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA GET IT.
AND SO DOES IT MAKE MORE SENSE TO JUST GO AHEAD AND INVEST THOSE DOLLARS INTO THE, UM, LICENSE PLATE READER CAMERAS? I, I WILL SAY THAT IT'S A GOOD TECHNOLOGY, BUT IT HAS LIMITATIONS AND IT'S EXPENSIVE AND IT ONLY COVERS A VERY SMALL AREA.
SO FOR MYSELF, UH, AS, AS SERVING YOU ALL IN THIS ROLE RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO BE THE BEST STEWARD OF THE DOLLARS AND THE RESOURCES THAT YOU ALL PROVIDE US.
SO, UH, WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO SOME MORE STUDIES.
CERTAINLY, I THINK IN TERMS OF ACTUAL BENEFIT, WE'VE SEEN GREATER BENEFIT FROM OUR LICENSE PLATE READER TECHNOLOGY, UH, BECAUSE IT IS, AGAIN, PICKING UP ON THE, UM, THE, THE BAD ACTORS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND HELPING US SOLVE THOSE CRIMES.
SHOT DETECTION IS A GOOD TECHNOLOGY AND IT'S PROBABLY IN THE FUTURE GOING TO BE FANTASTIC WITH THE NEW THINGS THAT I'D SEE US COMING ON BOARD.
SO MAYBE SHOT SPOTTER, WHICH IS A VENDOR OR, AND OTHER, UH, COMPANIES INVESTING IN SHOT DETECTION ARE GOING TO MAKE HEADWAY AND EVENTUALLY THIS'S GONNA BE AWESOME FOR US ALL.
BUT RIGHT NOW, UM, I THINK WE NEED MORE RESEARCH ON ITS OVERALL IN TERMS OF GETTING AS MUCH AREA COVERED AS POSSIBLE AND IN, IN ALREADY A STRAINED BUDGET.
UH, THANKFULLY I GET TO SAY THAT I'M COUNTING ON Y'ALL TO HELP ME WITH THAT TO, TO THAT POINT.
UM, I FEEL LIKE THE LICENSE PLATE READERS ARE YOUR PATROLMEN JUST PARKED THERE.
AND THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THESE LICENSE PLATES, SO IT'S HELPFUL.
HAVE Y'ALL, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME HPD HAS REDISTRICTED THEIR BEADS? BECAUSE I THINK WE KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN POPULATION IN THE NORTHWEST, I CAN SAY FOR THE 14TH AND 13TH DISTRICT, WHICH IS SOUTHEAST 14TH DISTRICT GETS A LOT OF CALLS.
13TH DISTRICT, WE'RE USUALLY EVEN SOME OF OUR PRIORITY CALLS ARE GETTING, YOU KNOW, LOWERED AS WELL.
HAS THERE BEEN A THOUGHT PROCESS OF MAYBE EAST SIDE PATROL TAKING ON SOME OF THAT SOUTHEAST THAT IS CLOSER TO THE EAST END CLEAR LAKE, MAYBE TAKING, YOU KNOW, RIGHT UNDERNEATH HOBBY? UM, AND I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH A FEW MM-HMM
UH, COMMANDERS AND, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE LAST REDISTRICTING, PER SE, FOR BEATS HAS, HAS HAPPENED, BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT HELP ALSO LEVEL OFF SOME OF YOUR OFFICERS IN CERTAIN AREAS WHERE IT'S PROBABLY NEEDED.
SO, EV EVALUATIONS OF OUR DEPLOYMENT POSTURE IS, IS
UM, WHEN I THINK WHEN WE GROW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CERTAINLY THAT WE COULD LOOK AT.
WE'RE ALREADY, UH, DEPLOYING BASED ON NU POPULATION, UH, SIZE OF AREA TO BE COVERED BECAUSE THERE NEEDS TO BE A MINIMUM NUMBER, OUR OFFICERS, UH, TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO TO BACK EACH OTHER UP.
SO ALL THOSE THINGS GOING TO, UH, GO INTO THAT EQUATION IS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEPLOY THE NEW CAD SYSTEM THAT THE CITY HITS IS, UH, LOOKING TO PURCHASE.
THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO LOOK GEOGRAPHICALLY AT HOW WE MIGHT RE UH, CHANGE BOARD BOUNDARIES OF DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
UH, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, WHAT WOULD HELP US RIGHT NOW IS JUST MORE, MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREET AND, UH, AND EVEN LIKE EAST SIDE HAS CHA EVERY EVERY PART OF THE CITY HAS CHALLENGES, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALL COVERED.
YEAH, NO, DEFINITELY CHIEF AND I, I APPRECIATE, UH, HPD AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, UM, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, 2014 WE NEEDED SO MANY OFFICERS, 2015, WE NEED SO MANY OFFICERS, AND WE WERE SAYING THE SAME THING.
AND AT SOME POINT, I THINK EVERY DEPARTMENT THAT NEEDS MORE OR NEEDS TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS WHERE WE ARE AS WELL.
UM, WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO RECRUITMENT.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS, BUT, UM, IN THE TIME THAT WE ARE IN NOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE DO TO, YOU KNOW, HELP OFFSET SOME OF THOSE AND STRESSES ON, ON HPD OFFICERS? UM, AND I'LL, I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT HOT, THE HOT TEAM AS WELL.
UM, THANK, THANK YOU, UH, CHIEF SATTERWHITE AND, UH, DIRECTOR SMITH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE'VE ALL TOUCHED ON A, A FEW THINGS HERE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO, UH, ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND ALSO POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR CADETS AND TRAINING AND, AND REALLY HIRING
[01:15:01]
OVERALL.AND JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE INVESTMENTS MADE THROUGH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THROUGH THE HOUSTON POLICE FOUNDATION HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT IN THAT THE TACTICAL VILLAGE HAVE, IF, IF NOT FOR THE FOUNDATION, I MEAN, THAT'S A WORLD CLASS TRAINING CENTER, THE NEW RIFLE RANGE.
UM, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE FINAL COST ON THAT IS, BUT CERTAINLY THOSE ARE INVESTMENTS FROM THE OUTSIDE.
JUST WANNA NOTE THAT THE CITY DOESN'T SUPPORT ON THAT.
THE OTHER PIECE OF IT, UM, I KNOW THAT OVER THE PAST YEAR, UM, SOMEWHERE AROUND ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, THE FOUNDATION HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PURCHASE OF WEAPONS, VEHICLES, EQUIPMENT THAT YOU NEED TO DO YOUR JOB EVERY DAY, UH, TO BE SAFE AND, AND TO PROVIDE SAFETY FOR OUR OFFICERS TO SO THAT WE CAN STAY SAFE.
MY CONCERN IS, UH, WITH THE ARPA FUNDING GOING AWAY AND THE, UH, FIFA COMING AROUND THE CORNER, THE, UH, SPECIFIC TEAM SUCH AS THE, UH, DART TEAM, HUMAN TRAFFICKING WILL BE AT A ALL TIME HIGH.
ALL OF THESE RESOURCES THAT, THAT THE ARPA FUNDING HAS COVERED.
UM, AND, AND YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL, SO TO SPEAK, AND SHUFFLING THE, SHUFFLING THE MONOPOLY MONEY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I THINK WE HAVE A HUGE CONCERN ON WHAT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS NEXT YEAR LOOKS LIKE.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T FLIP A SWITCH AND, AND BRING THE WORLD CUP HERE OVERNIGHT.
IT TAKES A, A LOT OF MANPOWER AS, AS YOU POINTED OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALSO LOOKING AT YOUR NUMBER OF STATIONS, YOU HAVE 15 STATIONS AROUND THE CITY.
DO YOU, DO YOU NEED MORE STATIONS? YOU KNOW, WE NEVER GET TO A POINT WHERE WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WOULD SUBSTATIONS DO IN THESE HIGH CRIME AREAS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY PIECES OF THE PUZZLE, AND I COMMEND YOU ALL FOR DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, BEING GOOD STEWARDS.
BUT THERE'S SO MANY PIECES OF THIS PUZZLE MISSING.
AND I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT YOUR ASK, IN MY OPINION, ARE CERTAINLY WELL BELOW WHAT'S IN REASON
SO, YOU KNOW, TELL ME ABOUT THE SUBSTATIONS.
COULD YOU ALL USE, USE MORE AROUND TOWN? YES, MA'AM.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE TWO, UH, DIVISIONS THAT, UM, COVER A, A LARGE, LARGE AREA.
ONE NORTHEAST COVERS THREE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE WEST SIDE, UH, WHICH COVERS TWO DISTRICTS, BUT IT'S A MASSIVE POPULATION THAT THEY COVER.
AND, UH, WE, THERE ARE COMMANDERS OVER THOSE DIVISIONS AND THEY COVER SUCH A LARGE AREA THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
UH, I, I THINK I SAID BEFORE, UM, I'LL SAY AGAIN, I, I, I AM A FAN OF A FLAT ORGANIZATION WHERE THE RESOURCES ARE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM AND SPAN AND CONTROL IS IMPORTANT.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF, OF STATIONS THAT WE COULD ADD A COUPLE OF DIVISION, UH, PATROL DIVISIONS TO, UH, KIND OF REDUCE THE OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY, UH, DOWN TO A, A SMALLER COMMANDER AND A VISION, AND PROBABLY PROVIDE BETTER RESOURCES AND BETTER SERVICES.
WE ALSO, UH, HAVE STATIONS THAT ARE DESPERATELY NEEDING AND REPLACED.
THEY'RE IN THE CIP, UM, I MEAN, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT COUNCIL MEMBER PAT HERE FOR NORTHWEST.
I KNOW EAST SIDE, I'M LOOKING AT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
AND, AND, AND WE DON'T STOP THERE.
WE KNOW THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE REPLACED FOR SOUTH CENTRAL BECAUSE OF A, THE PENDING TRANS, UH, EXPANSION.
OUR FACILITIES ARE IN DIRE STRAITS ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S A LONGER CONVERSATION WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE TIME FOR.
AND WE, WE COULD CERTAINLY, UH, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATROL, UH, STATIONS, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE BETTER SERVICES, BETTER POINT TO POINT SERVICES FROM US TO THE PUBLIC IF WE WERE ABLE TO KINDA REDUCE THE OVERALL IN THOSE LARGER STATIONS, UH, PERSONNEL OR JUST BASICALLY SPLIT THEIR HISPANIC CONTROL AND THEIR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT, UH, STOREFRONT POLICING? STOREFRONTS WERE AWESOME.
I, I, I SPENT SOME TIME IN THE STOREFRONT.
THE PROBLEM IS WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE PERSONNEL.
UM, AND IN THIS DAY AND AGE, UH, TECHNOLOGIES HAVE CHANGED AND A LOT OF OUR PUBLIC, UH, NOW USE OUR SMART TECHNOLOGIES AND DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT MEANS OF INTERACTING MAYBE STOREFRONTS.
THERE ARE, WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF 'EM IN THE CITY, AND, AND THEY'RE GREAT, BUT IT'S, IT WOULD NOT BE A PRIORITY FOR ME RIGHT NOW.
MORE STATIONS, MORE OFFICERS, JUST GETTING TO THE PROBLEMS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS WOULD BE MY FIRST PRIORITY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY DIVISIONS THAT ARE FULLY STAFFED? COUNCIL MEMBER, ROD? I CAN'T THINK OF ONE RIGHT NOW.
AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION ABOUT
[01:20:01]
RETIRED OFFICERS COMING BACK AND JUST, UM, YES, MA'AM, CORRECT ME IF I MAKE A STATEMENT, BUT DID YOU SAY, UM, WE HAVE 42 RETIRED OFFICERS THAT HAVE COME BACK AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY GETTING A HUNDRED, IS THAT CORRECT? SO I ACTUALLY HAD THE OCCASION TO TALK TO THE MAYOR YESTERDAY, AND I SAID, SIR, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE 200 TO START, BUT I UNDERSTAND BUDGET CONCERNS AND CHALLENGES.IF WE COULD JUST THE NUMBER THAT $2.2 MILLION AN ADDITIONAL FOR THE EPRO PROGRAM WOULD TIP US RIGHT OVER THAT A HUNDRED MARK.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 42 OFFICERS, UH, WORKING IN THAT DETAIL, UH, ACROSS OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND YES MA'AM, IF WE COULD ADD, IF, IF WE'RE FUNDED THE ADDITIONAL 2.2 MILLION, WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT NUMBER RISE TO 100.
AGAIN, THESE ARE SEASONED INVESTIGATORS, SEASONED POLICE OFFICERS THAT CAN JUST DROP RIGHT IN AND HANDLE SOME OF THE LOAD.
UH, AND, AND SO THAT OUR OFFICERS CAN GO DO THE THINGS THEY NEED TO DO.
THEY WON'T BE CLASSIFIED OFFICERS, THEY WILL NOT BE LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT THEY WILL.
BUT THEY'VE, THEY'VE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, MET THE STANDARDS FOR CIS COMPLIANCE.
UM, AND, UH, THEY ALREADY KNOW THE JOB.
AND QUITE HONESTLY, THEY, THEY, THEY SEE THE STRUGGLES THAT WE'RE IN.
I TALK TO 'EM A LOT AND THEY WANNA HELP.
UM, HOW MANY OFFICERS ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE LACK OF MANPOWER CASES? UM, I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER.
BECAU, AND IT'S KIND OF A MOVING, SO WE HAVE FULL-TIME OFFICERS THAT ARE IN THE DIVISIONS THAT ARE WORKING THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION, UM, OUR MAJOR ASSAULT FAMILY VIOLENCE DIVISION, SOME, UM, A SMALL NUMBER OF HOMICIDE AND OTHER DIVISIONS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OFFICERS THAT, UH, WE HAVE TASKED, UM, THAT HAVE, WE'VE HAVE GONE THROUGH SOME TRAINING AND HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT ARE HELPING US IN THE REVIEW PROCESS THROUGH OUR DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE TEAM OFFICERS.
WE, ACROSS THE CITY, WE'VE USED A PORTION OF THEM, UM, TO, TO DEAL WITH THAT.
I THINK OUR NUMBER WAS, WELL, ABOUT 45 OF THEM.
WHEN YOU REMEMBER THE, AT THE OUTSET, WE HAD OUR CENTRAL GYM, UH, EQUIPPED, UH, WITH TABLES AND WE HAD OFFICERS THERE DOING THE REPORT REVIEW THERE.
THEN WE HAD OFFICERS GOING AND KNOCKING ON DOORS FOR THOSE, THOSE COMPLAINANTS THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH VIA PHONE, UH, BY EMAIL OR, UM, BY CERTIFIED MAIL.
BUT WE WOULD ACTUALLY GO OUT AND KNOCK ON THE DOOR.
SO THE ACTUAL NUMBER I DON'T HAVE FOR YOU, I, I MIGHT HAVE A CLOSED PERSON BEHIND ME THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU AN ACTUAL NUMBER IN CHIEF 10, BUT, UH, FOR NOW, IT'S STILL NOT INCLUDING THE INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS THAT ARE FULL-TIME WORKING ON THAT.
I'M THINKING THE NUMBER WOULD BE ABOUT 40, 45.
AND LET ME LOOK BACK AND SEE IF I GET A NOD OF APPROVAL HERE.
UH, 30, UH,
COME ON UP, CHIEF, SO WE CAN BE ON THE MIC.
'CAUSE IT'S HTV AND EVERYTHING.
UH, IN PERSPECTIVE FOR SPECIAL, UH, VICTIM DIVISION, WE ADDED 32 APPROXIMATELY TO ADAM.
BUT PUT IN PERSPECTIVE, WE ALSO AUGMENTED OVERTIME ADDING THE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENCY.
SO BASICALLY THE TWO MAJOR, UH, DIVISIONS, THE HIGHEST PRIORITY IS SPECIAL VICTIM AND MAJOR ASSAULT.
WE BASICALLY TRIPLE THE CAPACITY TO FOLLOW UP WITH BACK LAW CASES.
AND REAL QUICK, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, YOU MENTIONED CHIEF ABOUT DRT, SOME OF THE DRT OFFICERS BEING PULLED AWAY TO, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY WORK ON THESE KIND OF CASES.
WE WANNA KEEP THEM IN OUR, IN OUR DISTRICTS.
AND SO I'M JUST, THAT'S JUST A COMMENT.
UM, AND I'LL GO BACK IN THE QUEUE.
WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M SURE THEY'RE WATCHING RIGHT NOW AND LOVE WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
UM, NO, THEY'RE, THEY ARE AWESOME AND VERY MUCH NEEDED FOR THE THINGS THAT WE NEED THEM TO DO.
UH, EVERYBODY'S ROLLING THEIR SLEEVES UP TO, TO TRY TO GET US THROUGH THIS, THIS THING, THIS TERRIBLE THING.
UH, WE OWE THAT TO THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY, MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO THOSE PEOPLE, UH, WHO WERE HARMED.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S AN ALL IN SITUATION AND THEY'RE GREAT, UH, OFFICERS AND, UH, LIKE YOU, I THANK THEM VERY MUCH.
THEY'RE NOT LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS THERE.
THEY WILL BE BACK IN THE DRT CAPACITY SOON.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU CHIEF.
REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO AND YOU'RE OVER 30 YEARS OF SERVICE AND EVERYTHING THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT DOES.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
LAST YEAR WE PASSED THE FAMILY LEAVE FOR ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES.
HOW MANY OFFICERS DO YOU HAVE OUT AT ANY GIVEN TIME? DO YOU KNOW? I'M GONNA GUESS IT COULD BE 20 TO 25.
AM I CLOSE THERE? OKAY, WE CAN I GET YOU THAT NUMBER COUNCIL ABSOLUTELY.
BUT I, I HAVE, I'VE SEEN THE NUMBER AS HIGH AS 20 TO 25.
OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE INTERIM RIGHT NOW.
[01:25:01]
YOU'RE IN THIS JOB FOR THE NEXT YEAR, HOW WILL YOU JUDGE HOW GOOD A JOB HPD DID? UH, AND, AND I'M NOT, I'M, I DON'T KNOW.AND, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THE PUBLIC LOOKS AT CRIME RATES AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT GOES INTO IT THAT YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE DA'S OFFICE, FORENSICS JUDGES, WHATEVER IT IS.
SO HOW DO YOU JUDGE YOURSELF IN, IN THE JOB THE DEPARTMENT'S DOING? SO FOR US, FOR THE WAY WE SEE IT IS, IS FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, PUBLIC SATISFACTION.
WE SERVE THE PUBLIC AND WE WANT TO KNOW THAT, THAT THEY'RE CONFIDENT IN US, THEY TRUST US, AND, AND THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN FOR 'EM.
AND THAT MATTERS A LOT, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE OWE TO THEM.
CERTAINLY CRIME RATES IS, IS A MEASUREMENT, UH, UH, THAT, UH, AS OFTEN MOST POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE MEASURED BY, WE DON'T HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OVER THE CRIME.
UH, SOME THINGS, SOMETIMES WE CAN DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE AND STILL HAVE A CHALLENGE.
THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS FOR THAT.
BUT TODAY, UM, OUR, WE ARE DOWN 16% IN HOMICIDES FROM LAST YEAR, YEAR TO DATE.
AND IF YOU GO OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE ARE, WE ARE AT OUR LOWEST POINT YEAR TO DATE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS SINCE 2020.
THAT MEANS TODAY WE HAVE 23 MORE PE PEOPLE MORE ALIVE TODAY THAN LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME.
'CAUSE EVERY EVERY PERSON MATTERS.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF THAT.
SO THAT IS NOTHING REALLY TO CELEBRATE.
WE, WE HAVEN'T HIT, GOT AS LOW AS WE WERE IN 2019 PRE COVID.
BUT CERTAINLY WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING AS HARD AS WE CAN TO GET THERE.
OTHER WAYS OF, OF, OF JUST GENERALLY ASSESSING HOW OUR PERSONNEL ARE DOING.
WE DO INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS TO SEE HOW OUR OFFICERS ARE DOING.
ARE WE TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN PEOPLE? THAT'S A, THAT'S A, AN ISSUE FOR SUCCESS.
AND, AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THE TYPICAL OTHER MEASUREMENT TOOLS, RESPONSE TIMES, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, THE ALL THE DIFFERENT METRICS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE BEST JOB WE CAN.
WE'RE WE'RE EVALUATING AND ASSESSING AND LOOKING FOR OTHERS.
YOU ARE CORRECT, SIR, THAT WE ONLY HAVE CONTROL OF A PORTION OF, OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
UH, WE HAVE THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE HAVE THE COURT SYSTEM, WE HAVE, UH, OUR HOUSTON, UH, FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER.
ALL OF THOSE ARE OTHER PARTNERS IN US.
AND THERE ARE CHALLENGES THAT THEY ARE FACING THAT I THINK IF THEY'RE ABLE TO OVERCOME THEIR CHALLENGES, I THINK WE AND THE WHOLE CITY WOULD BENEFIT.
WE NEED, UM, WE HAVE PR, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE, UH, ARE OUT ON BOND FOR FOUR AND FIVE YEARS, UM, FOR VIOLENT CRIMES.
THEY'RE NOT SEEING THE INSIDE OF A COURTROOM.
AND IF WE HAD MORE TRIALS, THEN THEY WOULD GET THEIR DAY IN COURT TO PROVE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE INNOCENT, WHICH THEY DESERVE.
AND THE VICTIMS WOULD GET THEIR DAY IN COURT, UH, TO FACE THE PERSON THAT, THAT THEY HAS ACCUSED OF HARMING THEM.
UH, AND, AND, AND THAT WOULD LEAD TO POSSIBLY SOME OF OUR WORST ACTORS, UM, TAKING, GETTING US A BREAK FROM THEM, UM, IN, IN A, IN A PENAL SYSTEM FOR A WHILE, UH, WHICH WILL GIVE THOSE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE BEING HARMED BY THEM THAT, UH, THAT BREAK THAT THEY DESPERATELY NEED.
AND THE OVERALL, OVERALL, THE WHOLE CITY BENEFITS FROM THAT.
ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR SERVICE.
THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT.
LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING TO CHIEF SADDLE WHITE AND TO, UH, CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER SMITH, THANK YOU FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO, UH, TO ALL OF YOUR STAFF, ALL YOUR CHIEFS, UM, AND, UH, AND THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE UP TO THIS.
FOR THOSE OF US THAT LIVE IN HOUSTON AND TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE THIS HPD UH, DEPARTMENT, WHICH I THINK IS THE GREATEST POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND IN THE NATION.
NOW, I, I ALSO WANT TO, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANT TO ASK, BUT ALSO CHIEF, I WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR FOLLOWING A GREAT, UH, CHIEF LEADER AND, UM, AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE THUS FAR.
UM, AND THEN TO SAY YOUR CONSERVATIVE ASK OF 2000, YOU KNOW, I, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, I'VE BEEN SAYING IT FOR YEARS, AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER, WE REALLY NEED ABOUT 2,500.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE RATIO OF THE CLASS, THAT GOING THROUGH BAR NO PROBLEMS, BAR, NO WEATHER INCIDENTS, BAR ANY OTHER CATASTROPHE IN THE CITY,
[01:30:01]
THE, THE JOB THAT CHIEF HATCHER HAS TO DO IN RECRUITING AND TRAINING AREAS, WHICH IS OF RESPONSIBILITY, WHICH IS A TALL ONE TO SAY THE LEAST.AND LOOKING AT CRIME AND THE WAY CRIME IS GOING UP.
'CAUSE I'M WALK, I'M WATCHING AND MARKING THOSE NUMBERS, WHICH IS WHAT I TALKED ABOUT PRIOR TO ME BEING HERE.
I'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN ALL MY LIFE AND I'VE SAID, BUT HERE IS THE DEAL.
I ALSO WANT TO ASK IN THE 9 1 1, LET ME ASK YOU, WHAT DO WE, HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK AT 9 1 1? I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER, BUT I MIGHT HAVE THE PERSON BEHIND ME THAT DOES.
COUNCIL MEMBER GOOD ASSISTANT CHIEF ANDERSON, IF YOU WANNA MENTION ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 9 1 1, I'M GONNA LET YOU DO THAT.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING TO.
YEAH, WELCOME IN THE HOT SEAT.
I'M ONE OF THE ASSISTANT CHIEFS.
UM, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND WHEN WE GET PRETTY FREQUENTLY, UH, BUT THERE'S AN INTERESTING DISTINCTION IN THAT HECK COMPRISES BOTH CALL TAKERS, WHICH ARE THE NINE ONE ONE FOLKS AND DISPATCH.
SO CHIEF SATTERWHITE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND NEITHER CAN I, BECAUSE THE NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS FALL UNDER HECK NOT HPD.
AND I, AND I, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GOT THAT INFORMATION.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION IS BECAUSE AS WE KNOW THAT TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO EQUIP OUR OFFICERS TO MAKE OUR CITY SAFE GOING FORWARD, THAT'S A, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT AREA.
AND THERE'S A TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE.
I KNOW CHIEF ER WHITE AND SOME OF THE OTHER CHIEFS KNOW, IT'S CALLED LIVE 9 1 1, WHICH I ALSO BELIEVE WOULD BE A GREAT ASSET TO US.
I'M CERTAINLY NOT AGAINST OFFICERS GETTING PAID OVERTIME, BUT OVERTIME CAN ALSO MEAN OVERWORK.
BUT THE 9 1 1 LIVE, 9 1 1 WOULD BYPASS THAT FOR THOSE FORT BEND, MISSOURI CITY INSULATED.
IT WAS THE FIRST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER.
AND I'M HOPE THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL, UH, WOULD, WOULD CONSIDER THAT GREATLY TO BE AN ADDITIONAL TO WHAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND DEPARTMENT NEED TO MAKE OUR CITY SAFE.
ON, ON SLIDE 16 INVESTIGATIONS.
SO DESCRIBE THESE, SO THESE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE BASICALLY REDUCING CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, REDUCING, I MEAN, INVESTIGATIONS ARE INVESTIGATING THE CRIMES THAT HAVE HAPPENED, RIGHT? SO IS IT, WOULD A PERFORMANCE MEASURE BE LIKE A CLEARANCE RATE FOR INVESTIGATIONS? KIND OF CONFUSED ABOUT THESE, THESE PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
I MEAN, GOOD PERFORMANCE MEASURES, WE WANNA REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CRIMES, BUT INVESTIGATIONS ARE, ARE KIND OF AFTER THE CRIME, RIGHT? MAYBE IF YOU SOLVE THE CRIME, YOU REDUCE THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE.
BUT JUST, JUST HELP ME WITH THAT AND WHY, WHY THERE'S NOT LIKE CLEARANCE RATES OF CR OF CRIMES AS A PERFORMANCE MEASURE FOR THE INVESTIGATIVE DIS DIVISION.
AND I'M TO TO, TO PROPERLY ANSWER THIS COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M GONNA BRING UP DIRECTOR CUMMINS.
I OVERSEE OUR OFFICE OF PLANNING AND DATA GOVERNANCE.
WHEN WE MADE THE TRANSITION TO NIBRS IN THE MIDDLE OF 2018, THE STATE DIDN'T HAVE A GREAT WAY TO PRODUCE TRUE CLEARANCE NUMBERS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT CLEARANCE NUMBERS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF CASES CLEARED WITHIN A TIMEFRAME IN RELATION TO THE NUMBER OF CASES RECEIVED DURING THAT TIMEFRAME.
DEPENDING ON THE LENGTH OF AN INVESTIGATION, IT CAN TAKE MONTHS TO YEARS TO CLEAR A CASE UNDER A NORMAL TYPICAL, UM, SUMMARY REPORTING TYPE METHODOLOGY.
YOU WOULD REPORT ALL OF YOUR CLEARANCES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE NINETIES TO THE EIGHTIES.
WHEN WE MADE THAT TRANSITION TO BRS IN JUNE OF 2018, THE STATE STOPPED COUNTING ANY CLEARANCES PRIOR TO THAT AND COUNTED ONLY THOSE CLEARANCES FOR CASES THAT WERE REPORTED IN 2018.
MOVING FORWARD, WE MODIFIED OUR RMS SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO REPORT IN NYS, BUT WE DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF THE, UH, INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY TO THEN PRODUCE THOSE NUMBERS THAT ARE RELATED TO THE FLAT FILE THAT WE SEND TO DPS.
SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE CHALLENGES IN CALCULATING ALL OF THOSE VARIABLES, THERE ARE ALSO SOME HARD TIME DEADLINES THAT MAKE IT LESS REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING.
AND I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK THERE, BUT
[01:35:01]
I I COULD DO THAT OFFLINE IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.UM, ON PAGE, ON THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, UM, CHIEF LOOKS LIKE 166 FTES.
SO THAT'S TOTAL, I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT, I KNOW OFFICERS OUT ON PATROL ARE ALSO DOING TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, I GUESS, WHEN THEY SEE SOMETHING, RIGHT.
BUT THIS IS THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION THAT IS CORRECT.
THAT, YOU KNOW, DOES THE HIGHWAY PROGRAM AND DOES, YOU KNOW, SPECIALIZED TRAFFIC STUFF, BUT, BUT LIKE LARGE TRUCK STUFF AND, BUT LIKE, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE, ARE THESE THE OFFICERS THAT ARE ENFORCING TRAFFIC AT THE STOPLIGHTS AND STUFF? OR IS THAT MORE OF A PATROL OFFICER? WELL, IT'S A MIX.
I MEAN, THERE ARE OFFICERS IN TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION THAT ARE POSTING AT PROBLEM AREAS, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT AND DOING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
BUT THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HIGHWAY INTERDICTION UNIT, UH, WHICH QUITE FRANKLY KNOCKS DOWN A LOT OF REALLY BAD ACTORS TRANSPORTING LARGE LEVELS OF NARCOTICS, UH, THROUGH OUR CITY AND, AND ALSO INVOLVED IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS.
THEY WORK WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT TASK FORCES ON THE STATE, LOCAL AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
YOU HAVE, UM, OUR TRUCK ENFORCEMENT UNIT, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, UH, TRYING TO KEEP, UH, OUR LARGE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BASICALLY PROPERLY, UM, EQUIPPED, PROPERLY FUNCTIONING TO NOT BE A HAZARD FOR OUR ROADWAYS.
UH, OUR DRUG DWI TASK FORCE IS IN OUR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION, AND THEY'RE ALL WORKING OVERWHELMING NIGHT SHIFT, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE OUT THERE TRYING TO KEEP IMPAIRED DRIVERS OFF THE ROAD.
UM, SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTS TO THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION WHERE THEY ARE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON THOSE ISSUES.
THE ROAD RAGE TAKEOVER, UH, WHICH OUR CITY AND OUR NATION HAS WITNESSED, IT'S BEEN A BIT OF A, A PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW IN RECENT YEARS WITH, UH, DIFFERENT, UM, MORE ROGUE CAR CLUBS.
NOT THE, THE ONES THAT ARE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A WALL, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT GO OUT AND DO, UM, VERY DANGEROUS THINGS ON A ROADWAYS WITH NO CARE WHATSOEVER TO OUR GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO THEY'RE OUT THERE TRYING TO INTERDICT THOSE AND STOP THOSE FROM HAPPENING.
THEY JUST, IT'S A DIVISION FOCUSED TO MOBILITY.
BUT PATROL STILL DOES TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT TOO.
UH, AGAIN, EVERYBODY HAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COME UPON IT OR WHEN YOU'RE DISPATCHED TO IT, YOU GO IN YOUR MANAGEMENT.
BUT THAT'S, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION SPECIFICALLY FOCUSES ON THAT.
UH, CHIEF, GOING BACK, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, BECAUSE AGAIN, THE SUSTAINABILITY SLIDE, THAT'S ABOUT 70 MILLION NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET AS IT RELATES TO PERSONNEL.
HOW MANY PERSONNEL ARE IN COUNT ACCOUNTED FOR IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET? I SAW THAT ON SLIDE FOUR, THERE'S COUNT FOR HOW MANY PERSONNEL THERE WERE AS OF LAST MONTH.
BUT DOES THIS CURRENT BUDGET INCLUDE ANY INCREASE IN PERSONNEL INCREASE IT'S COUNCIL MEMBER? LET, LET ME GO TO THAT SLIDE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S GONNA INVOLVE, I THINK POSSIBLY AT THE NUMBER, MIGHT BE UPWARDS OF A HUNDRED.
IS IT, SO THERE'S NO ANTICIPATED INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OTHER THAN WHAT WE ANTICIPATE INCREASING BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE CADETS.
SO IT'S THE CADET CLASS INCLUSION.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR 150 INVESTIGATORS, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY INCLUDED IN THIS.
WE'RE AT BASELINE OF WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE PLUS THE TWO CADET CLASSES.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IN TERMS OF THE 150 INVESTIGATORS IS BASICALLY FTES AND PROBABLY ON AN OVERTIME BASIS, WHICH WOULD COME OUT OF THE $11 MILLION THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AND ANY GRANTS AND OTHER FUNDS THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE.
UH, BUT THE GROWTH OF THE DEPARTMENT IS, IS WHAT WE WANT.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT THE GROWTH AT THE PACE THAT WE REALLY TRULY NEED.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE 375, UH, POTENTIAL INCREASE ANNUALLY, IF YOU DO 75 PER PARTICULAR CADET CLASS, OUR ATTRITION IS STILL ABOUT 240.
SO THE NET IS ABOUT 135 A YEAR.
AND THEN, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR, THERE WERE A FEW HEADLINES ON IT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO, UM, METRO PD BEING ABSORBED WITHIN HPD.
UH, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? DO THOSE, HAVE THOSE NUMBERS INCREASED? ARE THEY, WHAT ARE THOSE ROLES? HOW IS THAT WORKING RIGHT NOW? SO THOUGH WE'RE STILL
[01:40:01]
IN CONVERSATION AND, UH, TRYING TO EVALUATE HOW THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE PENSION.UH, UH, RANK STRUCTURE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE INTEREST OF THOSE OFFICERS, OUR OFFICERS, UH, BOTH AGENCIES AS A WHOLE AND HOW WE MIGHT MERGE.
SO IT'S AN ONGOING REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT.
UM, IN TERMS OF HOW THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, I KNOW THAT IS THE VISION OF THE MAYOR.
UM, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN ACTIVATED YET.
NO, THEY ARE STILL INDEPENDENT AT THEIR OWN POLICE AGENCY AT THIS TIME.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE SEVEN, AND FORGIVE ME CHIEF, I'M RUNNING THROUGH 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE SHORT ON TIME.
UH, I, I WILL SAY AT THE OUTSET, I AM IN NO WAY A FAN OF ASSET FORFEITURE AS A PRACTICE.
I RECOGNIZE THAT WE CONTINUE TO USE IT AS DO ALL OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
BUT I DID SEE A DECREASE IN ASSET FORFEITURE, UM, REVENUES BEING BROUGHT IN.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A PRACTICE THAT I SUPPORT, BUT CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THE DECREASE? WELL, WE'RE COMPAR, SORRY.
WE ARE COMPARING IT TO THE ESTIMATE AND SO THE ESTIMATE MAY BE HIGHER, BUT THE BUDGET IS AT BASELINE BECAUSE WE CANNOT ACTUALLY BUDGET FOR ASSET FORFEITURE.
SO THERE'LL ALWAYS BE A VARIANCE THERE BECAUSE WE CANNOT, UM, SO WE'RE NOT DEPENDING ON IT.
WE NOT AS AN ITEM IN, IN THE BUDGET.
I, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK IN QUEUE PLEASE.
HAVE WE HAVE A FUND, IT HAS A FUND BALANCE.
WE FOR CARRY IT OVER, THEN WE HAVE A SPENDING PLAN, BUT WE CANNOT SAY, OH, WE'RE GONNA USE THIS MONEY FOR THIS BECAUSE IT MAY NOT EXIST.
WE SAID FOUR AND A HALF MILLION PER YEAR FOR A FULL YEAR OF PAYING THE CADETS AS WELL.
I'M TOLD THAT, UM, OUR ACADEMY COULD ONLY TAKE FIVE CADET CLASSES ANYWAY.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE PERSONNEL NEEDED TO TRAIN THE FACILITIES, ALL ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT, WHAT WE HAVE EXPLORED IS INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE CLASS INSTEAD OF THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF CLASSES.
THERE WAS A POINT WHERE WE TRIED TO DO SIX CLASSES AND WE FELL BACK TO FIVE LOGISTICALLY BASED ON FACILITIES, TRAINERS, ALL THE THING, ALL THE, ALL THAT IS NEEDED TO PROPERLY TRAIN UP AND PREPARE, UH, A NEW OFFICER.
UH, WE ARE AT STANDING AT FIVE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY LOOKING FOR OPTIONS TO INCREASE IF WE CAN.
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO BE ABLE TO DO SIX, UH, CADET CLASSES A YEAR BEYOND FOUR AND A HALF MILLION FOR, FOR AN ADDITIONAL CADET CLASS? I'M GONNA TAKE A STAB AT IT, BUT I DO HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON IN THE ROOM TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
BUT, UH, AND CHIEF HATCHER WHO'S OVER OUR TRAINING.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE STAFFING AT THE ACADEMY, IT'S ALSO THE TIME THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO RECRUIT MM-HMM
SO WE ARE MOVING AT LIGHTNING SPEED RIGHT NOW AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES TWO TO THREE MONTHS FROM THE TIME SOMEONE APPLIES TO THE TIME THEY GET THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS MM-HMM
AND ARE APPROVED TO START THE ACADEMY.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW MUCH IT WILL COST TO INCREASE A CLASS, WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT RECRUITERS, RECRUITING TIME, ALL OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES, THE TRAINING, EVERYTHING THAT IT TAKES TO GET THAT DONE.
SO I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT MM-HMM
BUT THAT NUMBER INCREASES EXPONENTIALLY BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT IT TAKES TO SUPPORT THAT EXTRA CLASS.
AND SO CLASSES ARE TYPICALLY, WHAT, 75 NOW? CORRECT.
UH, HOW MUCH COULD WE INCREASE EACH CLASS IF, IF WE WERE ABLE TO RECRUIT THE ADEQUATE NUMBERS TO FILL 'EM? SO EACH CLASS IS BUDGETED FOR 75 CADETS, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO FILL EACH SEAT WITH EACH CLASS WITH 82 BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IF 82 STARTS, SOME OF THEM WON'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROGRAM.
SO WE WANT TO GRADUATE AS MANY AS WE CAN.
SO WE WANNA BE AS CLOSE TO THAT 75 AS POSSIBLE.
SO CHIEF BACK TO THE, UH, TO THE CADET.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE CADET'S BASE PAY FOR THE FIRST YEAR? THE BASE PAY? I THINK THAT THE, RIGHT NOW IT'S 42.
IF YOU ADD THE $10,000 IN BASE, IT'LL BE 52 PLUS THE $5,000 BONUS WOULD GET THEM TO 57.
UH, THAT'S THROUGH THE ACADEMY.
AND THEN THE, UH, THE OTHER SIX MONTHS IT GOES UP FROM THERE.
[01:45:01]
FOR THE, FOR THE FIRST FULL YEAR, UH, WITH THE CADETS AND THEN THE, THE PROBATION, IT'S A TOTAL OF 42,000.SO, SO IT'S, AND THEN AFTER THE FIRST YEAR, IT BUMPS UP TO OVER 60.
UM, TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COMING EVENTS THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH DO FOLKS PAY INTO THAT RATHER THAN PUTTING THIS STRESS ON THE, ON HPD WHEN WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE LARGER EVENTS AND PULLING YOU ALL FROM, FROM THE REGULAR PATROL REGULAR DUTIES? YES, SIR.
SO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT REIMBURSABLE, RIGHT, VERSUS WELL, SOME, SOME EVENTS DO COME WITH A BUDGET.
UH, THE CHEVRON HOUSTON MARATHON, UH, PAYS A LARGE PORTION OF THE COST.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A MATCH FROM THE DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF TACTICAL RESOURCES FOR THAT, WHICH IS, HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY OUR POSTURE FOR A LOT OF OUR, OUR MAJOR EVENTS.
UM, BUT THERE ARE SOME EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN THIS CITY, UH, THAT ARE NOT FUNDED.
THE CITY PICKS UP THE TAB FOR THOSE, THOSE, THOSE EVENTS.
UM, UH, MY, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT, UM, SMALLER PARADES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT THE CITY REALLY WANTS TO SPONSOR AND ENDORSE, UH, WE WILL, UM, PICK UP THE COST FOR THAT.
SO IT'S THE BEST PERSON TO ASK ABOUT THAT WOULD BE, UM, DIRECTOR SUSAN CHRISTIAN OVER OUR, UM, MAYOR'S OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS.
SHE HAS ALL THAT PRECISE DATA.
THAT WAS GONNA BE MY NEXT QUESTION.
WHO DO, WHO DO WE SPEAK TO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THOSE CONTRACTS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL ARE GETTING AS MUCH REIMBURSEMENT AS POSSIBLE? YES.
UM, CHIEF, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, THE HOT THE HOT TEAM SPECIFICALLY, HOW MUCH, WHAT'S THE RATIO WITH OFFICERS AND CIVILIAN ON THE HOT TEAM? SO ON THE HOT TEAM, UM, I THINK THOSE ARE OFFICERS AND THERE MAY BE SOME CIVILIANS INVOLVED IN THAT TOO.
THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAMS. I'M CERTAINLY THERE ARE.
UM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. WE HAVE OUR HOT TEAM, OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, WHICH IS A COLLABORATION.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR, OUR CERTS, OUR CERT TEAMS. WE HAVE 18 OF THOSE.
AND THAT'S THE OFFICER AND CLINICIAN THAT WILL ALSO ENGAGE A LOT OF PERSONS IN THE FIELD THAT ARE HOMELESS THAT IT MIGHT BE IN CRISIS.
SO I'M JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IS WHICH ONE ARE WE TALKING? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOT HOT, CORRECT.
THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM? CORRECT.
SO I THINK IT'S A SERGEANT AND FOUR OFFICERS.
I, I DON'T WANT TO, UM, I MIGHT BE WRONG ON THE NUMBER, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE NUMBER RIGHT NOW.
AND I, AND I SPEAK TO IT MOSTLY BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL LIKE I'M GONNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DRT 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THEY DO A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING, RIGHT? THEY DO THE PATROLLING, THEY DO THE LOOSES ABATEMENT, AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE STRETCHING OUR OFFICERS TOO MUCH AT TIMES.
AND SO IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THE CIVILIAN ASPECT ON THAT, ON THAT SIDE, TO MAYBE BE SOME COST SAVINGS AS WELL.
UH, AND AGAIN, NOT HAVING TO HAVE THOSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ALWAYS BE THE FIRST ONE TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THOSE CRISES AS WELL MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
UM, AND, AND TO THAT, TO THE POINT OF DRT, UM, HA.
HAVE THEY EVER RECEIVED ANY INCENTIVE PAY? UM, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
I HEAR ABOUT THAT QUITE OFTEN.
I SAY THAT THEY, THEY'RE DESERVING OF IT.
YOU KNOW, THEY, AGAIN, THEY DO A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING MM-HMM
UM, AND THERE ARE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE OFFICE.
AND SO IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT THERE IS SOME TALKS ABOUT IT.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE, UM, IF I CAN JUST ASK THIS ONE AHEAD, CHAIRWOMAN, UM, WHAT, WHAT, UH, WHAT FUNDING SOURCES CONNECTED TO ADDRESSING, I'M ASSUMING IT'S THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND VICTIM SERVICES FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO MALE HUMAN TRAFFICK, UH, INDIVIDUALS, WHAT I'VE FOUND, AND I'VE GOTTEN CALLS FROM FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN IN, IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY'VE, THEY'VE FOUND SOMEONE, BUT IT'S HARD TO FIND SERVICES FOR THEM, SPECIFICALLY MALES.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE SEVERAL, UH, SERVICES FOR WOMEN, UM, IN TWO INSTANCES, AND IT HAPPENED WITHIN A WEEK.
UH, THERE'S A ONE, ONE THAT WAS BEING, UH, TRAFFICKED AND MADE TO WORK AND ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS FOUND.
AND SO WHERE THEY FIND HOUSING AND WHERE DOES THAT FUNDING COME FROM WHEN Y'ALL DO PROVIDE SOME HOUSING FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS? YES, SIR.
SO WE, I THINK WE, WE INCLUDED A, A LIST OF OUTREACH IN OUR, IN OUR PRESENTATION.
IT'S, IT'S A LARGE, AND, AND THERE IS A CONCERN.
YOU, YOU ARE CORRECT, THERE'S NOT AS MUCH RESOURCE AVAILABLE WHEN, WHEN THE MALE IS THE VICTIM, AN ADULT MALE, UH, CERTAINLY MINORS, YES, BUT NOT ADULT MALES AS MUCH.
IT'S SOMETHING TO WORK ON AND SOMETHING TO LOOK AT.
BUT, UH, RIGHT NOW WE WOULD ABSORB THAT THROUGH OUR CURRENT OTHER OUTREACH.
I I KNOW THAT WE COULD LEAN ON THEM AND THEY WOULD BE THERE FOR THEM.
UH, AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'VE ACTUALLY HAVE A, UM, I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF OUR, OF OUR, OUR CITIZENS, UH, WHO HAS REACHED OUT TO ME REGARDING THAT VERY ISSUE WITH, WITH, WITH HER SON.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THROUGH ALL THOSE THINGS.
I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU, YOU AND YOUR OFF YOUR, YOUR, UH, TEAM, UH, CHIEF TO SEE HOW WE CAN FIND
[01:50:01]
MORE OF THOSE NONPROFITS, THOSE SERVICE SOCIAL SERVICES TO YOU.UM, NOW IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT HPD OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO BUY THEIR OWN FIREARM TO DO THE JOB.
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST OR HOW MUCH WOULD IT ADD TO THE BUDGET IF, UM, HPD PROVIDED, UM, FIREARMS TO THE OFFICERS? SO I HAVEN'T WORKED OUT THE MATH, BUT A FIREARM TODAY, UH, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES, UM, THE, UH, THE SITING SYSTEM, UH, LIGHT AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT GO ON, IT CAN RUN ABOUT $1,200.
SO WE JUST COULD MATH MULTIPLY THAT BY 75 AND YOU WOULD SEE WHAT THE COST FOR A NEW CADET CLASS OR NEW, UH, WOULD COST.
UH, ALSO PROVIDING THEM WITH THAT FIREARM.
UH, WHICH THAT PROBABLY, IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT $85,000 IF I HAD TO GUESS.
AND ALSO, I KNOW THAT, UM, HP OFFICERS, LIKE SAY AN HP OFFICER IS A VICTIM OF A CRIME AND SOME OF THEIR CITY PROPERTY IS STOLEN.
TYPICALLY OFFICERS ARE ASKED TO REIMBURSE 50% OF THE REPLACEMENT COST.
I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, DID WE JUST LEAVE IT VISIBLE? UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE OUR OWN POLICIES IN TERMS OF HOW TO STORE YOUR EQUIPMENT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO THAT ALL GOES INTO THAT EQUATION.
UH, IN TERMS OF WHETHER THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR A PERCENTAGE OR NOT.
SO HYPOTHETICALLY, YOU KNOW, SAY MY STAFFER LEFT AN IPAD ON AN AIRPLANE, RIGHT? I'M NOT A VICTIM OF A CRIME, BUT THAT WAS CITY PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF HOUSTON DIDN'T ASK HER TO, YOU KNOW, PAY FOR HALF OF THE REPLACEMENT COST.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT, UM, THE NUMBER WOULD BE IF, UM, HPD STOPPED THAT POLICY AND JUST REPLACED THE EQUIPMENT? UM, IF, YOU KNOW, FOR SOMETHING LIKE IF THEY WEREN'T NEGLIGENT OR THINGS LIKE THAT? I, I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER.
I MEAN, IT'S, THIS IS A POLICY THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR SOME TIME, UH, WELL, WELL BEFORE ME.
I MEAN, IT IS CONVERSATION THAT WE COULD HAVE.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE OFFICERS DON'T INTEND TO HAVE THEIR PROPERTY TAKEN LIKE NO ONE DOES.
I MEAN, WHEN JOHN Q'S CITIZEN IS OUT THERE, I MEAN, AND THEIR, THEIR PROPERTY GETS STOLEN TOO.
SO WE DO WANT OUR OFFICERS TO BE VERY CAREFUL, ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR FIREARMS. 'CAUSE JUST AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, I DID WITH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, I PREACH THAT QUITE A BIT.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE ONE THAT'S MOST SENSITIVE TO ME.
UH, WE DON'T WANT TO PUT A FIREARM IN THE HANDS OF A CRIMINAL, SO IT'S A CONVERSATION WE MIGHT HAVE, BUT RIGHT NOW I DON'T HAVE WHAT THAT SAVINGS WOULD BE TO THE OFFICER OR TO, OR COSTS WOULD BE TO THE CITY PER SE RIGHT NOW.
UH, JUST TO REITERATE, THE HOT TEAM CONSISTS OF ONE OFFICER AND THREE CIVILIANS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? NO, MA'AM.
I, I THINK OUR HOT TEAM IS A SERGEANT AND FOUR OFFICERS, BUT SERGEANT AND FOUR OFFICERS.
SO FOUR TOTAL FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA T GOOD OVER THERE.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA PHONE A FRIEND.
UM, T GOOD YOU KNOW, IF, UH, HOW ACCURATE I AM ON THAT.
SO, SO AT, AT ANY RATE, JUST WANNA POINT OUT THERE'S A TEAM OF FOUR OR FIVE FOR THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THAT'S IN THAT, THAT TEAM IS IN MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER OFFICERS CAN HAVE RIGHT.
THAT CAPABILITY, BUT THAT SPECIFIC UNIT, I BELIEVE IS A SERGEANT AND FOUR OFFICERS.
ALSO TOO, JUST CURIOUS ON THE, AND I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS, BUT ARE THE CADETS REQUIRED TO STAY ANY LENGTH OF TIME AT, AFTER THEY FINISH ACADEMY AND THEIR, THEIR SIX MONTH, I THINK YOU SAID A SIX MONTH PERIOD, IS, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO STAY WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THAT? OR WHAT'S, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THERE'S NO CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION.
YOU'RE SAYING IF THEY GRADUATE, THEY BECOME AN OFFICER? NO, NO.
UM, A FEW JUST SMALLER THINGS, CHIEF, UH, THE NON-EMERGENCY LINE, UH, WE KNOW THAT IT'S VERY HEAVILY USED.
UM, I'VE, I'VE CALLED IN A FEW TIMES FOR DIFFERENT THINGS AND WHOEVER PICKS UP THE PHONE IS ALWAYS TERRIFIC.
BUT UNLIKE 3 1 1, IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU HOW LONG THE EXPECTED WAIT TIME IS WHEN IT, UH, GOES THROUGH RECORDING.
IT'S QUIET FOR DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.
[01:55:01]
I KNOW THE MUSIC THAT YOU NORMALLY HEAR WHEN YOU'RE ON HOLD WITH SOMEONE IS ANNOYING, BUT IT AT LEAST LETS YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE STILL CONNECTED.DO WE KNOW THE APPROXIMATE COST OF UPGRADING THE NON-EMERGENCY LINE? I DO NOT.
I DON'T EVEN THINK I HAVE ANYBODY IN THE ROOM THAT HAS THAT NUMBER.
COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU, BUT, UM, BUT I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
BUT AGAIN, SO MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS USE IT, BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS COMMUNICATE THE INFORMATION NEEDED.
LIKE JUST THAT THEY'RE ON THE, THEY'RE STILL ON MALIGN AND HOW LONG, HOW MANY CALLERS ARE AHEAD OF THEM, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE.
WE TOUCHED ON IT WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE WORLD CUP COMING AND OTHER MAJOR EVENTS, OR IT COULD JUST BE A PROTEST, UH, IN RESPONSE TO AN EVENT THAT'S HERE OR JUST A NATURALLY ORGANICALLY INSPIRED PROTEST.
UM, WE HAVE GRADUATIONS, WE HAVE ASTROS GAMES.
ALL OF THOSE, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC THAT MAY NOT KNOW ARE A COST TO HPD IN THE CITY IN TERMS OF STAFFING.
DO WE HAVE A WAY TO QUANTIFY THOSE COSTS? FOR EXAMPLE, ALL OF THE, UH, THERE ARE SOME CLAUSES WITH HOUSTON FIRST FOR LARGER CONVENTIONS THAT IF AN INCIDENT SHOULD ARISE THAT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL POLICE, IT'S REIMBURSED BY THAT ENTITY THAT'S BEEN CONTRACTED.
BUT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT THE COST IS ANNUALLY FOR THE THINGS THAT HPD MAY NOT BE REIMBURSED FOR WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE AN ASTROS GAME OR ALL OF THE EXTRA SECURITY PROVIDED FOR GRADUATIONS THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT COME UP? SO, COUNCILMAN, WE, I THINK WE ACTUALLY HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS EXERCISE IN THE PAST, AND WE CAN GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU.
IT'S A LARGE NUMBER, JUST, JUST TO BE FAIR, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR FIRST PRIORITY OBVIOUS, AS YOU KNOW, IS PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO IT'S GOT, WE'VE GOT TO DEPLOY THE PERSONNEL EVEN IF WE'RE NOT GETTING REIMBURSED, RIGHT.
BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ENSURE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC.
SO, BUT TO GET YOU THAT ACTUAL NUMBER, IF YOU WOULD GIVE, GIMME SOME, I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
I CAN SHARE IT WITH EVERYBODY AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE THOSE, THOSE FRANK CONVERSATIONS ON WHAT MIGHT BE PERMANENT AND WHAT MIGHT NOT BE PERMITTED.
IN TERMS OF THE SPECIAL EVENT PROTEST OR PROTEST FIRST AMENDMENT, WHEN THEY HAPPEN, WE JUST DEPLOY.
AND WE ARE, WE'VE HAD QUITE SOME VERY LARGE ONES.
UH, WE ARE HAVING QUITE A FEW RIGHT NOW.
AND BEING IN ELECTION YEAR AND A HOTLY CONTESTED ELECTION YEAR, WE ANTICIPATE THAT NUMBER OF PROTESTS AND ACTIVITY, FIRST AMENDMENT ACTIVITY TO INCREASE, WHICH WILL DRIVE UP THE DEMAND ON PERSONNEL AND COST.
SO, AND AGAIN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE QUANTIFY THOSE COSTS, INCLUDING SPECIAL EVENTS WHERE IT'S NOT CONTRACTED FOR REIMBURSEMENT? SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND WE'LL SUBMIT THAT.
LET ME GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND WE'LL COME BACK.
SO I NOTICED THAT PROPOSED EXPENDITURE USING ASSET FORFEITURE FUNDS FOR FY 25 IS 7 MILLION, BUT WE ANTICIPATE, UM, RECEIVING MUCH LESS THAN THAT IN, IN THE SAME PERIOD.
WHAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DIFFERENCE? I, I KNOW THAT WHAT CAN'T INCLUDE FEDERAL FORFEITURE FUNDS IN, IN OUR BUDGET, BUT EVEN THAT NUMBER IS PROBABLY GONNA BE LESS THAN THAT DIFFERENCE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? WHEN WE RECEIVE ASSET FORFEITURE FUNDS, WE DO NOT SPEND ALL OF IT.
SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THAT THIS IS WHAT THE TOTAL FUND IS.
AND SO WE, WE THEN HAVE A SPENDING PLAN, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE 7 MILLION.
SO IT INCLUDES THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT WE CAN BUDGET FOR, PLUS ANY FUNDS THAT WERE REMAINING FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
SO WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE, ESSENTIALLY.
HOW MUCH IS IN THAT FUND BALANCE? RIGHT NOW? YES.
I BELIEVE IT'S ABOUT 10 MILLION, BUT ZERO HERE, 10 MILLION.
GIVE OR TAKE, IT'S BETWEEN SEVEN AND 10 MILLION.
I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT OFFHAND, BUT I, WE WILL GET IT FOR YOU.
AND THE INTEREST ON THAT, IS IT SORT OF REINVESTED INTO THE ASSET FORFEITURE FUND SO THAT WE CAN USE THAT OR DOES IT GO SOMEWHERE ELSE? IF THERE IS INTEREST INVESTED, IT CAN BE REINVESTED WITHIN THE FUND.
AND, AND THE, UM, I-I-H-P-D MUST HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WITH, UH, THE DA'S OFFICE FOR THE SPLIT.
IS THAT ALWAYS SUBJECT TO NEGO RENEGOTIATION, UH, SO THAT WE COULD PRESUMABLY KEEP MORE OF IT, OR HOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK? THAT'S ALWAYS A CONTINUING CONVERSATION.
UH, BECAUSE, UH, THE DA HANDLES IT FOR THE STATE, AND WE DO RECEIVE A SPLIT.
[02:00:01]
I'M NOT INVOLVED IN THAT NEGOTIATION, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE IS A VERY MUCH A CONVERSATION EVERY YEAR OR EVERY MONTH ABOUT THAT SPLIT.BUT PERHAPS CHIEF YOU COULD, UH, NO, I MEAN, IT, IT IS, IT'S, WE, WE, WE SIT DOWN AND WE JUST NEGOTIATE.
AND THEN, UM, AND I COULD PROBABLY LOOK BACK AT ONE OF MY, MY ASSISTANT CHIEFS OVER THAT AND HE WOULD PROBABLY SAY YES OR NO.
UH, WITH STATE AND FEDERAL OR, OKAY.
UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, CHIEF YOU REFERENCED THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS THAT DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN FUND.
FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF US HAVE FUNDED, UM, NOISE METERS.
SOME OF US FUND OVERTIME PATROLS, THE LIST GOES ON.
WE'VE FUNDED POLARIS VEHICLES TO GET TO HARD TO REACH PLACES.
UM, ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, THE SUSTAINABILITY SLIDE, THAT'S ABOUT $70 MILLION.
AND THOSE ARE SOME BIG TICKET ITEMS. DO Y'ALL HAVE SMALLER, BROKEN DOWN ITEMS THAT ARE ON YOUR WISHLIST THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE TO US AS COUNCIL IN TERMS OF WHAT OTHER FUNDING, UM, ITEMS MAY BE NEEDED? AGAIN, WE CAN'T NECESSARILY DO A MILLION OR A $2 MILLION COST, BUT ARE THERE OTHER THINGS ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WISHLIST, ESPECIALLY FROM A TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE TO US? UH, WE MEET WITH OUR PATROL DIVISIONS, UH, TO HEAR WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE, AND WE DO OUR BEST TO MEET THOSE, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SO MANY OTHER DIVISIONS AS WELL THAT MAY HAVE SOME OF THOSE SMALLER BASE NEEDS, UH, AT THIS TIME.
SO GETTING THAT LIST WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
STEVEN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ.
UH, WE HAD TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, ONE, UH, COUNCIL LADY HAS PROVIDED OVERTIME SINCE SHE'S BEEN IN OFFICE AS WELL AS MOST OF HER COLLEAGUES.
WHAT IS YOUR WEAR AND TEAR ON YOUR OFFICERS LIKE THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, WORK THEM LIKE THAT? WELL, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S A COST AND FATIGUE, THERE'S NO QUESTION.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ASKING OFFICERS TO WORK OVERTIME QUITE A BIT, CERTAINLY IN THE LAST TWO TO THREE YEARS.
AND, UM, AND THAT, THAT HASN'T CHANGED BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GET ENOUGH PERSONNEL ON THE STREET TO REALLY, TRULY TRY TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC TO THE VERY BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
SO IT'S ALWAYS A CONCERN OF MINE.
UH, STEVEN, I MEAN, WE JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE DEPLOYING THEM INTO THE FIELD, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UM, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, REFRESHED AND, AND ALERT, UH, BECAUSE FATIGUE INSTEAD, IT CAN CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THEM AND, AND ALSO YIELD LESS THAN THE BEST SERVICE THAT WE WANT TO THE PUBLIC.
SO IF YOU'RE ASKING WHAT THE, WHAT THE WEIGHT IS, I MEAN, IT, IT, THERE'S A COST.
UM, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THE MONEY, AND WE NEED THE MONEY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE OVERTIME AND TECHNOLOGY ARE PROBABLY THE ONLY WAYS WE'RE TRULY GOING TO BE ABLE TO COVER WHAT IS JUST A VAST GAP DELTA THAT WE FACE.
UM, BUT THE COST IS IN WEAR AND TEAR ON OUR PEOPLE.
SO, UH, THE MORE PEOPLE WE GET HIRED, TR TRAINED AND DEPLOYED, THE BETTER OFF WE ALL ARE.
FINALLY, UH, THE CROSS CROSSING GUARD PROGRAM IS 16 SCHOOLS THAT ARE COVERED.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD MORE SPECIFICALLY? WE HAVE A COUPLE IN OUR DISTRICT THAT ARE IN DIRE NEED.
SO IF WE RECEIVE THE REVENUE IN, WE CAN PROVIDE IT, AND IT ACTUALLY IS COMING BACK UP FOR A CONTRACT IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
SO, WE'LL, WE CAN TALK TO THE, WE THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S OFFICE.
UM, THIS IS A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER IN 2022, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, ADDED SIX ADDITIONAL CERT TEAMS AND 20 TEAMS. HOW MANY OF THOSE TEAMS ARE INCLUDED IN THE FY 2025 BUDGET? SO THESE WERE ADDED USING ARPA FUNDING? YES.
SO IT, WE HAVE ENOUGH ARPA FUNDING FOR THAT PROGRAM THROUGH JUNE OF 2025.
SO IT'S NOT IN THIS GENERAL FUND BUDGET, UH, IT IS STILL FUNDED THROUGH THE ARPA MONIES, HOWEVER, IN ONE YEAR WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FUND IT.
[02:05:01]
NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS OR STAFF IN THE QUEUE? WELL DONE.UM, UH, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS THOUGH, SO, UM,
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF RHONDA, THANK YOU AS ALWAYS, UM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND FOR ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS.
I'M SURE MANY OF US WILL BE SUBMITTING SOME IN WRITING OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS TOO, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND ALL THE GREAT WORK AT HPD.
CALL MY FIRST PUBLIC SPEAKER, MO CORTEZ, IF YOU'RE ONLINE START, IF YOU'RE ONLINE, HIT STAR SIX.
NOW, SOME PEOPLE WHO PLAN TO COME IN PERSON ARE NOW DOING VIRTUAL BECAUSE OF THE STORM.
MY NAME IS SARA SEDS, SENIOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZER AT BUDI JUNTOS.
UM, AS A PART OF THE MAYOR'S GOALS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS, I'M JUST GONNA PROVIDE SOME OBSERVATIONS, A RECOMMENDATION, AND JUST A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, EFFECTIVE OUTREACH, UH, AS A PART OF MAINTAINING, UH, PUBLIC CONFIDENCE THROUGH COMMUNITY TRUST REQUIRES MOVING FUNDING AWAY FROM CERTAIN POLICE INITIATIVES AND DIRECTLY INTO THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND EDUCATION FOR THE PUBLIC THAT IS ACCESSIBLE AND EQUITABLE.
UH, ACCOUNTABILITY CANNOT JUST BE THROUGH OPERATIONAL ADVANCEMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY AND RATHER THROUGH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERSHIP REINVESTMENT INTO MARGINALIZED NEIGHBORHOODS.
JUST SOME OBSERVATIONS JUST BASED ON WHAT I HEARD TODAY.
WE HEARD ABOUT A REQUEST TO INCREASE STAFF SUPPORT, BUT WHAT WE HAVE NOT HEARD IS HOW THIS IS RELATED TO A REDUCTION IN CRIME RATES.
WHAT COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE LOOKING FOR IS A HARD STATISTIC.
UH, I HAVE NOT SEEN LANGUAGE ACCESS AT A, AS A PART OF THE INCREASED REQUEST FOR TECHNOLOGY.
I MENTIONED THIS LAST YEAR AS WELL.
KEEP IN MIND FOLKS WHO HAVE THEIR MIRANDA RIGHTS READ TO THEM, THE BAIN ACT, THE FIFTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS, HOW ARE YOU LISTENING TO FOLKS, UM, AND TALKING TO THEM IN THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE? WHAT I DID HEAR FROM OFFICIALS TODAY ABOUT THEIR COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS IN THEIR DESCRIPTION, IT DID NOT INCLUDE LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY.
AND THESE ARE JUST THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE ARE MOVING, UH, AND MAKING OPERATIONAL INITIATIVES WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET DECISIONS.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE REPORTED A MASSIVE DROP IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS UP TO 260,000 INCIDENT REPORTS BY LABELING, LABELING THEM AS SUSPENDED, WHICH WAS A FALLOUT, MANY OF WHICH WERE MISLABELED, UH, AND MANY OF WHICH HAPPENED DURING HURRICANE HARVEY DURING AN EMERGENCY DISASTER.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS A RECURRING THEME, UH, IN BUDGET CONVERSATIONS, AND IT SEEMS LIKE MORE FUNDING SHOULD BE, UH, EMPHASIZED ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES FOR COLLECTIVE INVESTMENT INTO EMERGENCY RESPONSE, NOT NECESSARILY MORE POLICE.
AND JUST SOME QUESTIONS THAT I'M GONNA JUST LEAVE THIS BODY WITH, AND I HOPE SOME OF THE FOLKS BEHIND ME ARE LISTENING FROM HPD.
UM, WHAT PERCENT OF THIS BUDGET'S, EXPENDITURES ARE CONTROLLED BY THE MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENT WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS UNION? THAT'S A QUESTION COMMUNITY LEADERS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
AND THE SECOND ONE IS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
FOIA REQUEST DOCUMENTS ARE SUFFICIENT TO SHOW WHEN HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS WERE USED TO PAY FOR TRAVEL OR TRAINING IN ISRAEL FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT DURING THE CALENDAR YEARS OF 2010 THROUGH 2020.
CAN IT BE CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS STILL HAPPENING? AND IS THIS REFLECTED IN THE CURRENT BUDGET? THOSE WERE MY TWO QUESTIONS.
NEXT WE'LL HAVE LAURA GAL GALLAGHER GONNA TRY TO BE ONLINE.
I THINK YOU ARE ONLINE, LAURA.
OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO MARIE PUSAN.
IS THIS MARIE OR TRACY? MARIE.
MARIE, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I'M MARIE FUSAN, A CONSTITUENT
[02:10:01]
IN DISTRICT C, BORN AND RAISED IN THIS CITY, AND STILL HERE.WHILE I'VE NEVER BEEN A VICTIM OF A CRIME AND I'VE ALWAYS FELT SAFE AT HOME, OTHERS IN THIS CITY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY BUDGET DECISIONS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
I'M A MEMBER OF PURE JUSTICE, AND I'M URGING THIS ELECTED BODY TO KEEP THE PUBLIC SAFER BY DEALING WITH THE ROOT CAUSES OF CRIME, POVERTY, MENTAL ILLNESS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
PLEASE REIMAGINE SAFETY IN THESE THREE WAYS.
IT'S LARGER THAN ANY OTHER IN THE CITY.
MORE THAN $1 BILLION FOR HPD ALONE, SINCE SB THREE PASSED.
THIS POLICE BUDGET CAN NEVER BE REALLOCATED ONCE IT'S SET.
SO INSTEAD OF INCREASING THE BUDGET, USE THOSE TAX DOLLARS TO INCREASE FUNDING IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
ALSO, MANY EMERGENCIES CAN BE HANDLED BY TRAINED MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES AND CRISIS WORKERS WITHOUT ARMED LAW ENFORCEMENT INVOLVEMENT.
SECONDLY, KEEP HPD OUT OF NON-SAFETY.
TRAFFIC STOPS LIKE EXPIRED REGISTRATION OR SIGNAL LIGHTS OUT.
ARMED LAW ENFORCEMENT NON-SAFETY STOPS LEAD TO BAD OUTCOMES THROUGH DISPROPORTIONATE PROFILING OF BLACK AND BROWN RESIDENTS.
UM, INSTEAD, UH, WE COULD INSTEAD WE COULD STOP PENALIZING, UM, POVERTY AND INSTEAD OF FINES, VOUCHERS COULD BE GIVEN TO THOSE MEETINGS TO REPLACE THEIR, UH, TAIL LIGHTS LIKE THE HARRIS COUNTY DOES WITH THE LIGHTS ON MICROGRANTS.
THIRDLY, IN SHOT SPOTTER PROGRAM, IT DOESN'T SOLVE GUN SAFE, UH, GUN VIOLENCE, AND IT'S NOT SOUND THINKING.
ANY LOUD NOISE CAN SET IT OFF.
AND IN ITS PILOT PERIOD, IT FALSELY SENT ARMED OFFICERS INTO COMMUNITIES WHERE A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME NO OFFENSES WERE REPORTED.
ITS $3.5 MILLION COST COULD BE USED INSTEAD IN THOSE SAME COMMUNITIES, MAYBE REPAIRING UNSAFE HOUSING, FLOOD MITIGATION, MONITORING AIR QUALITY.
I URGE YOU TO REIMAGINE SAFETY.
I'LL MOVE ON TO STEVEN WU, WHO I SEE IS IN THE CHAMBER, AND THANKS TO ALL THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR WAITING SO PATIENTLY.
UM, I GOTTA SAY I'M, I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT, UM, CHIEF SATTERWHITE DIDN'T STAY FOR, FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, GIVEN THAT HE JUST ASSUMED THE ROLE OF, OF ACTING CHIEF, UM, WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE, YOU KNOW, ENGAGEMENT.
BUT I'VE, I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, STEVEN WU ORGANIZING A POLICY DIRECTOR WITH WOODY JUNTOS.
DO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF ADDING ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TOWARDS THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN TERMS OF, OR IN REGARDS TO SENATE BILL 23 THAT WAS PASSED IN 2021, THAT'S IF WE INCREASE THE BUDGETS, WE CAN'T MOVE IT DOWN FOR WHATEVER REASONS, UNLESS WE BRING IT TO THE VOTERS.
DO COUNCIL MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THAT'S RISK THAT EVERY TIME WE ADD ANOTHER DOLLAR OR A PERCENTAGE CHANGE, IT'S LESS GEN GENERAL FUNDS THAT WE CAN USE FOR HOUSING FOR EVERYTHING ELSE? I JUST WANT, I I, I'VE, I'VE SEEN THE COMMENTS.
I WAS HERE THE WHOLE TIME AND THERE WAS A LOT OF POSITIVE ENERGY.
AND MY CONCERN IS WE'RE GOING DOWN THIS VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE WHERE EVERY TIME WE TAKE MORE FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL BE PERMANENT, UNLESS THERE'S JUST MAGICAL NEW REVENUE SOURCES THAT COME IN TO REPLACE THAT.
SO I I, I REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND, DO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THAT BY 2030, I'M CURIOUS WHAT WILL BE LEFT OF OUR LIBRARY DEPARTMENTS, WHAT WILL BE LEFT OF OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENTS? WHAT WILL BE LEFT OF OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENTS IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH? THAT'S QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ANY RESPONSE.
WELL, I THINK WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS TO, TO LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT THE FY 2025 BUDGET, BUT WE CERTAINLY KNOW OF THE, OF THE REPERCUSSIONS AS WE SAW THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
SO EV LIKE THE MAYOR SAYS, EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT NEW REVENUE SOURCES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT EFFICIENCIES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT SHARING SERVICES WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES.
[02:15:01]
YOU.AND, AND I HOPE AGAIN, BY 2030, WE STILL HAVE OTHER THINGS.
THE SECOND QUESTION IS MORE SPECIFIC.
SO ON PAGE 22, THERE WAS A MENTAL HEALTH DISCUSSION.
I AM CURIOUS, UH, I SAW THERE WAS LIKE A BLANKET PERFORMANCE MEASURE FOR RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISES, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THAT PERFORMANCE METRIC TO BE BROKEN OUT BY THE DIFFERENT, UM, PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE? WE HAVE OTTS, WE HAVE CERTS.
THEY DO FUNCTIONALLY DIFFERENT THINGS WITH DIFF DIFFERENT PERSONNEL.
WE WERE CHAMPIONS OF THE HEART PROGRAM, THE COUNTY'S EQUIVALENT TO OTT THAT SENDS TWO NON-LAW, NON ARMED LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE, MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS, CRISIS INTERVENTIONISTS TO RESPOND.
IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO MEASURE HOW THESE PROGRAMS ARE DOING IF WE CAN HAVE A DASHBOARD AND OR THESE PERFORMANCE METRICS SEPARATE THE PROGRAMS TO SEE HOW THEY ARE DOING.
IS THAT POSSIBLE? I AGREE WITH YOU.
WE CAN ASK FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS, UM, THIS WAS A PRIORITY ACTUALLY, WE JUST CROSSED THE ANNIVERSARY OF GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER, AND I KNOW THIS BODY DID A LOT TO TRY AND CHANGE HOW WE PRACTICE POLICING.
WHERE DOES SITAN REALLY STAND AS A PRIORITY FOR CI CITY COUNCIL? BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I HEARD THAT ONCE MENTIONED DURING THIS BUDGET MEETING.
AND CAN THAT BE ADDED AS A PERFORMANCE METRIC FOR HPD? WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK SOME MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT SITE AND RELEASE.
HI, UH, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? SHE CAN'T SEE YOU.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS TERRY CHEN AND I'M THE ORGANIZING AND POLICY ASSOCIATE FOR WOODY JUNTOS.
PRESENTLY AND CONSISTENTLY, FOUR OUT OF FIVE PEOPLE IN THE HARRIS COUNTY JAIL HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH FLAG, WHICH MEANS OUR JAIL IS SERVING AS A CAGE FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.
SINCE HPD IS THE PRIMARY AVENUE FOR PEOPLE TO GET PLACED IN THE JAIL COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE HOPING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MEANINGFUL STEPS IS HPD TAKING TO ADDRESS THIS.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM HPD REGARDING THIS.
UM, BUT I HEAR THAT THEY HAVE LEFT THE ROOM.
UM, I RECENTLY VISITED THE JPC AND 1200 BAKER, AND IT'S EVIDENT THAT PEOPLE DO NOT BELONG IN THESE PLACES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH A MENTAL HEALTH MARKER.
THE SPACES ARE LOUD AND ECHOING.
IT'S NOT TEMPERATURE REGULATED, IT'S MOLDY, IT'S NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE.
AND OVERCROWDING JAILS IS AN OBVIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
SINCE WE KNOW THAT MEETING PEOPLE'S BASIC NEEDS IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH, WE ARE ADVOCATING TODAY FOR PUTTING MONEY INTO SERVICES THAT WILL DIRECTLY HELP ALL HOUSTONIANS AS WE HEAD INTO WHAT IS PREDICTED AS ONE OF THE WORST HURRICANE SEASONS.
SO PLEASE FUND OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WITH A ROBUST LANGUAGE ACCESS BUDGET FUND, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FUND, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT FUND, THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING, AND PLEASE MOVE AWAY FROM THE EXCESS $30 MILLION HPD BUDGET.
I'M THE SENIOR POLITICAL AG ORGANIZER FOR NAKASEC ACTION FUND TEXAS.
BEFORE I START, I'D LOVE IF YOU'D WIGGLE AROUND IN YOUR CHAIR, GET SOME ENERGY GOING, UM, I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR YOU.
WE'RE HUMAN BEINGS, NOT HUMANS DOING.
SO I AM GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME TOUGH STUFF THAT YOU MIGHT NOT WANNA HEAR BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, FOR THE RECORD, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, THE FOLKS HERE OF THE, OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD SPIRAL BOUND, PRINTED OUT COLOR, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, A VISUAL FOR THEMSELVES OF THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET.
I THINK WE COULD BE BETTER FINANCIAL STEWARDS, ESPECIALLY AS THEY ASKED FOR AN INCREASE OF 3,330 $2,000 FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
UM, CHIEF, SOME QUESTIONS I HAVE LATE FOR LATER FOR CHIEF.
I WANNA KNOW WHAT THE CHRONIC ISSUES ARE THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT ARE PLAGUING OUR CITY.
UM, AND THEN ONE COUNCIL PERSON, I BELIEVE IT WAS COUNCIL WOMEN
UM, SO AS YOU KNOW FROM, UM, STEVEN'S TESTIMONY AND SOME OTHER FOLKS, THEY'RE, UM, WE CAN'T REDUCE ANY FUNDING, SO WE CAN'T DECREASE ANY FUNDING MOVING FORWARD, AND THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
I SEE THAT IN THE BUDGET FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
THERE'S 118% INCREASE COMPARED TO TRAINING, WHICH IS DECREASING BY 116%.
YOU CAN SEE THAT ON PAGE EIGHT.
[02:20:01]
UM, THE TRAINING THAT IS LISTED UNDER CRISIS, UH, UNDER MENTAL HEALTH IS CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING.AND I THINK THAT IT'S INAPPROPRIATE TO ALLOCATE MONEY FROM THE POLICE BUDGET TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS.
CONSIDERING THAT THESE ARE NOT MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.
WHY IS THAT PART OF THEIR JOB ALLOCATED TO H WHY IS A PART OF THAT JOB ALLOCATED TO HPD AND NOT CASEWORKERS? ANY SITUATION INVOLVING POLICE IS A CRISIS.
SO WHEN YOU CALL ANY HOSPITAL OR ANYONE DENTIST, IT'LL SAY, IF THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, HANG UP AND DIAL 9 1 1.
UM, SO I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT THEY DON'T NEED CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH, THE TRAINING IS NOT FOR THEM.
IT'S FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE SERVING.
WITH THAT IN MIND, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO START INCORPORATING CULTURAL COMPETENCY COURSES OR IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING.
I KNOW THAT FOLKS DON'T LIKE THOSE BUZZWORDS AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE FOLKS THAT DON'T LIKE A SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR, BUT THE REALITY IS LIKE SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR CARE ABOUT SOCIETY, RIGHT? WHERE THEY DON'T JUST WANT TO DO THINGS TO MESS STUFF UP OR TO GET IN AN ARGUMENT WITH YOU OR TO BRING A PITCHFORK.
AS I SAID, WE'RE HUMAN BEINGS NOT HUMANS DOING.
AND I'M SURE YOU'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT OF THIS, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF THIS, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT.
SO MANY PEOPLE TODAY HAVE TESTIFIED ABOUT THE SYSTEMIC ISSUES, AND THE REALITY IS THAT WE ALL HAVE IMPLICIT BIAS.
EVEN LAST WEEK WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LANGUAGE ACCESS ACCOUNT, SOME MEMBERS SUGGESTED THAT WE USE OUR PHONES TO TRANSLATE.
I DON'T MEAN TO CALL THAT PERSON OUT TO CANCEL THEM.
I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE WE ALL NEED TO IMPROVE.
I MYSELF HAVE MY OWN BIASES THAT I MOVE THROUGH THE WORLD WITH, BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS I TRY TO CORRECT MYSELF OR TRY TO HUMBLE MYSELF ENOUGH, SEEK HUMILITY OR IT WILL FIND YOU.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO MOVE DIFFERENTLY.
I KNOW THAT LIKE, AGAIN, A LOT OF THESE BUZZWORDS JUST SEEM LIKE SOME BS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SAY TO YOU, BUT WE ARE, WE CAN IMPACT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LIVES.
AND I THINK THE REALITY IS SOME OF THE STUFF WE'VE DONE HASN'T WORKED.
SO WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE IN TRYING SOMETHING NEW? THANK YOU.
SABA, ARE YOU ONLINE? HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON.
HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING? OH, GOOD TO, GOOD TO HEAR.
UH, GOOD, GOOD TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK.
THANK YOU FOR BEING, UH, OFFERING THE VIRTUAL OPTION, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE UNEXPECTED STORMS. I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, THE FIRST IS ONE OF THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ON PAGE 22 IS TO QUOTE, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OFFICER RESPONSES TO NON-LAW ENFORCEMENT EVENTS.
AND I'M CURIOUS, WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC EFFORTS BEING MADE BY HPD AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO DIVERT THESE RESPONSES? I'LL HAVE TO ASK ABOUT THAT SPECIFICALLY, SABA.
UM, AND MY SECOND QUESTION, IT'S A TWO-PARTER, IS, UH, ONE OF THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AGAIN ON PAGE 22 IS TO QUOTE, INCREASE DAILY OUTREACH TO HOMELESS COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS ON PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES TO HOUSE THIS ESSENTIAL SERVICE WITHIN HPD INSTEAD OF SOLELY WITHIN THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, AND OR THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS WHAT WOULD BE THE POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS TO THE CITY TO HAVE THIS SERVICE LOCATED DIRECTLY IN HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT? SORRY, I KEEP SLIPPING OVER THAT WORD AND THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW THAT, UM, ON THE, THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, WE'RE TRYING TO GET, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS GETTING MORE MEANINGFUL ONES, SO WE KNOW THAT JUST NOT, NOT JUST THAT THE OUTREACH IS PAYING OFF, THAT THE OUTREACH IS HAVING SOME EFFECT.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE HOMELESS INITIATIVES OFFICE, UM, HAS, IS BASICALLY BEING MOVED TO OUTTA THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
BUT AS FAR AS THE, UM, HOT TEAMS THEMSELVES, I THINK THERE DOES NEED TO BE LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, SOMETIMES INVOLVED IN THAT, UM, IN, IN THAT DUTY.
SO, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY, UM, SUBMIT THAT AS WELL.
AND I HAVE A QUICK SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTION.
I WAS KI I WAS REALLY SURPRISED TO HEAR IT'S FIVE OFFICERS.
I KNOW IT WAS LIKE ONE SHERIFF, OR I FORGET THE MAKEUP, BUT FIVE ARMED INDIVIDUALS AND THERE WERE NO CIVILIANS AS PART OF THAT GROUP.
SO, UM, I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR HOW LARGE IT WAS AND THE LACK OF, UM, SOMEBODY OUTSIDE OF POLICE BEING A PART OF THAT, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO BEST INTERACT AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
JASON, ARE YOU ONLINE? JASON OLIVER.
HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH, JASON, I THINK I
[02:25:01]
HEAR YOU.UH, AND I'M JASON OLIVER, A DISTRICT G RESIDENT, AND I WANNA FIRST SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING PEOPLE TO SWITCH TO VIRTUAL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE STORM GOING ON, THAT THAT KIND OF CONSIDERATION IS REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE, THE PRESENTATION AND, AND A BIG TAKEAWAY THAT I HAVE IS, IS, IS REALLY CONCERNED THAT WE AREN'T TAKING SERIOUSLY THE CONSEQUENCES OF ADDING MORE MONEY TO HPD WITHOUT REAL OUTCOMES OR ACCOUNTABILITY.
UH, YOU ALL ASKED GREAT QUESTIONS ABOUT CLEARANCE RATES, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THOSE STOPPED IN 2018.
YOU ASKED ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS COSTS, AND WE WERE BASICALLY TOLD A LOT, BUT WE'RE GONNA PAY IT ANYWAY.
UM, I'M REMINDED OF THE 20 MILLION SPENT FOR HPD OVERTIME AFTER GEORGE FLOYD WAS KILLED, ALONGSIDE THE INSISTENCE THAT EVERYTHING WAS PEACEFUL, RIGHT? AND YET HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE PUT INTO THE JAIL, RIGHT? CLOGGING UP THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM EVEN, EVEN MORE, THESE ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES ARE CONSISTENT.
I DON'T NEED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MENTION THE, THE CURRENT CRISIS THAT HPD IS GOING THROUGH.
UM, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT ISSUES LIKE CRISIS RESPONSE SHOT SPOTTER, RIGHT? AND CALLS FOR SERVICE, BOTH EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY.
UH, ONE THING THAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, AND, AND ASK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HPD HAS A HIGHER OFFICER RATE PER CAPITA THAN NEARLY EVERY OTHER LARGE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN TEXAS.
YOU KNOW, CHICAGO WAS MENTIONED BY CHIEF SATELLITE, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY A MISLEADING COMPARISON BECAUSE IT'S A HUGE NATIONAL OUTLIER IN THEIR OFFICER RATE WITH A MUCH SMALLER AREA.
SO NOT A, NOT A GOOD, UM, COMPARISON DISTRICT.
SO THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT HPD HAS AN ALLOCATION ISSUE, WHICH I'VE, I'VE SEEN PEOPLE FROM THE POLICE UNION ALSO SAY, UM, RATHER THAN A STAFFING ISSUE, CAN YOU ALL PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW HOUSTON IS SO DIFFERENT FROM OTHER LARGE TEXAS CITIES TO JUSTIFY THIS CLAIM OF BEING VASTLY UNDERSTAFFED.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOUSTON AND, AND THESE OTHER CITIES? THANK YOU, JASON.
WE CAN DEFINITELY, I, I'M NOT SURE I HEARD YOUR VERY LAST QUESTION, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT HOUSTON AND THESE OTHER LARGE CITIES TO JUSTIFY THIS CLAIM OF BEING VASTLY UNDERSTAFFED.
WE'LL, I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE TAPE.
WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE SURE, WE'LL MAKE SURE AND TOUCH BASE WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE QUESTION ASKED CORRECTLY.
AND THEN THERE'S, THANKS SO MUCH FOR, UM, ONE OTHER, YEAH.
AND THEN THERE'S ONE OTHER QUESTION I'M, I'M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, VIOLENT CRIME IS, IS A ISSUE THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS.
I I'M THINKING ABOUT THE TRAGIC INCIDENT AT LAKEWOOD CHURCH SHOWING US THAT OFTEN POLICE ARE, UM, NOT THE, THE RESPONSE THAT IS EITHER CAPABLE OR, UH, WILLING.
HOPEFULLY THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE, RIGHT? OF PROVIDING APPROPRIATE, NECESSARY CARE TO PEOPLE FACING MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.
UM, WHICH HPD SERVICES WOULD BE STRONG CANDIDATES FOR TRANSITIONING TO A DEPARTMENT LIKE HEALTH TO ALLOW THOSE RESOURCES TO SERVE THOSE IN NEED IN A MORE TARGETED MANNER TO AVOID INCIDENTS LIKE THE ONE AT LAKEWOOD.
YOU KNOW, AND THIS I THINK IS BUILDING ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED, BUT WE'RE REALLY, I THINK, TRYING TO THINK DELIBERATELY ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEST TRAINED TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND TO PROVIDE HOUSING ASSISTANCE IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE THAT NEED MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
AND WE'LL MAKE SURE TO DE DIG IN A LITTLE DEEPER WITH HPD AND GET YOU SOME RESPONSES.
I THINK SOME PEOPLE DROPPED OFF WITH THE STORM.
THAT'S CHRISTOPHER? NO, CHRISTOPHER.
OH, LAURA, WHOEVER'S OUT THERE.
MY NAME IS LAURA GALLER AND I'M A SENIOR WHITE DISTRICT C CONSTITUENT WITH A LARGE HOUSTON FAMILY.
[02:30:01]
MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF PURE JUSTICE AND MY COMMENTS ARE TAKEN FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF OUR MEMBERS, PRIMARILY AFRICAN-AMERICAN, WHO ARE IMPACTED BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET.
I ASK YOU TO FREEZE HPD BUDGET AT LAST YEAR'S LEVEL SINCE UNDER STATE LAW.
INSTEAD, EXCUSE ME, DEMAND BETTER PUBLIC SAFETY WITH THE ONE POINT SOMETHING BILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY BY MAKING CHANGES IN THE WAYS HPD IS OPERATING ONE.
THIS HPD PRESENTATION SAYS THEY NEED A LOT OF NEW VEHICLES AND 2000 MORE OFFICERS.
I REPORTED TO CITY COUNCIL ABOUT H-P-D-H-P-D DISPATCHING 12 VEHICLES AND 12 OFFICERS PLUS TWO EMS VEHICLES TO DEAL WITH ONE UNARMED HOMELESS MAN.
I VIDEOED OVER HALF OF THESE OFFICERS DOING NOTHING, WASTING THE HPD BUDGET AND TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
I'VE SEEN OTHER SIMILAR WASTEFUL DISPATCHES, AND YOU MAY HAVE TOO.
HPD CAN HAVE MORE VEHICLES AND OFFICERS AVAILABLE IF THEY DISPATCH MORE APPROPRIATELY.
TWO, ON SLIDE EIGHT, THE BUDGET SHOWS SIGNIFICANT REVENUE INCREASES FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND EMPLOYEE WE WELLNESS.
YET ON SLIDE 13, IT SHOWS NO INCREASE IN SPENDING IN THESE DEPARTMENTS.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THIS REVENUE REVENUE IS BEING SPENT AS INTENDED.
THREE SHOT SPOTTER DOES NOT WORK AS INTENDED AND CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN CANCELED AROUND THE COUNTRY.
IT DETECTS NOISES THAT AREN'T GUNFIRE WHEN OFFICERS SHOW UP.
THE SUSPECT IS OFTEN GONE, BUT WHOEVER IS THERE SUDDENLY SEEMS LIKE A SUSPECT.
IT LEADS TO MANY WASTED POLICE DISPATCHES WHILE HPD SAYS THEY ARE UNDERSTAFFED.
NUMBER FOUR, BY CONTRAST, LICENSE PLATE READER TECHNOLOGY COULD SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS BY USING IT TO ENFORCE NON-SAFETY RELATED VEHICLE INFRACTIONS, SUCH AS EXPIRED REGISTRATIONS, BROKEN TAILLIGHTS, AND MORE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COMPLY BUT ARE FINANCIALLY STRAPPED.
A PROGRAM LIKE HARRIS COUNTY'S LIGHTS ON VOUCHER PROGRAM WOULD IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY AT A FRACTION OF THE COST OF USING HIGHLY TRAINED ARMED LAW ENFORCEMENT TO MAKE DANGEROUS TRAFFIC STOPS TO TICKET FOLKS FOR EXPIRED TAGS.
NUMBER FIVE, REACTIVE POLICING DOESN'T KEEP THE PUBLIC AS SAFE AS PROACTIVE POLICIES SUCH AS PROVIDING HUMANE, ACCESSIBLE AND EFFECTIVE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND FAMILY VIOLENCE.
I SUFFER FROM EACH OF THESE, YET I'M ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY BECAUSE I HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY, HIGH QUALITY, EFFECTIVE OUTPATIENT CARE AT MINIMUM COST, WHICH EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE.
AND SIX FIFA NEEDS TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN SECURITY OR PAY FOR EXTRA LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO CAN OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS PLEASE DEMAND BETTER PUBLIC SAFETY WITHOUT INCREASING THE HPD BUDGET.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME CALL IN.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS VERY MUCH.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS ONLINE THAT COULDN'T GET IN? CHRISTOPHER RIVERA.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD.
UH, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE TIME, BUT I AM ALSO DISAPPOINTED THAT INTERIM CHIEF SATTERWHITE HAS LEFT AND NOT ABLE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT THE PUBLIC'S BRINGING UP.
BUT MY QUESTIONS ARE REALLY TIED TO TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
UM, THE PROGRAM REALLY DESCRIBES TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT BEING LIKE A PROGRAM TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BY ENFORCING, UH, CERTAIN LAWS.
BUT THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, IT FAILS TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS THINGS THAT THE POLICE DO THAT OFTEN IMPACTS PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, WHAT, WHAT I MEAN PARTICULARLY IS WHEN THEY CONDUCT NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS, WE SEE THAT BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES ARE OFTEN OVERPOLICED, UH, FACE THE BRUNT OF HIGH EXCESS, UH, EXCESS OF USE OF FORCE AS WELL AS, UH, INCIDENTS OF DEATH DURING THESE TYPES OF STOPS.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF THE POLICE CHIEF WOULD CONSIDER, UH, MEASURING, UM, THOSE TYPES OF PERFORMANCES AND SEEING THAT, UH, UH, A DECREASE IN RACIAL DISPARITIES SUCH AS, UH, WHEN USE OF FORCE IS USED OR THE FACT THAT THEY ISSUE SUCH CITATIONS TO BLACK AND BROWN INDIVIDUALS.
I WAS ALSO WONDERING IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER, UM, TRACKING THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OR ARE INJURED OR ARE FATALLY, UH, WOUNDED DURING THESE TYPES OF STOPS.
[02:35:01]
THAT THE NUMBERS HAVE DOUBLED.UM, IN 2002, 2023, THERE WAS TWO, UH, NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS, UH, DEATHS THAT HAPPENED HPD, AND THEN WE SAW FOR 2023 TO 2024, THERE HAS BEEN FOUR.
SO THERE HAS BEEN A, A DOUBLE IN THE POLICE ASSAULTS IN, UH, THAT THE PUBLIC FACED, BUT YET THE MEASURES HERE DO NOT INDICATE ANY OF THAT.
IT ALSO DOESN'T INDICATE ANYTHING THAT REALLY CURTAILS, UH, PUBLIC, UH, GROWTH FATALITIES AND INJURIES LIKE, UH, SPEEDING, TRYING RECKLESSLY.
THOSE ARE NOT HERE, BUT YET THEY HAVE OTHER MEASURES THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT THEY ARE PERFORMING WELL.
ALSO, UH, I WOULD LIKE THEM TO ADDRESS THE, UH, ACTUAL NUMBER OF HOW MANY, UH, CONTRABAND ITEMS THEY ARE FOUND.
I SEE THAT THEY HAVE CERTAIN NUMBERS HERE, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THE PERCENTAGE IS SO LOW THAT THEY CANNOT ACTUALLY LIST IT.
UM, 'CAUSE MANY STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT WHEN POLICE MOVE AWAY FROM NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS AND COMPLETELY END THEM LIKE THEY HAVE IN PHILADELPHIA, OR HAVE OR EMBRACE OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE THE LIGHTS ON PROGRAM, WE SEE THAT RACIAL DISPARITIES ARE ACTUALLY ADDRESSED AND THE PUBLIC ROAD IS MUCH MORE SAFER.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT HPD WOULD START INCLUDING THOSE TYPES OF STATISTICS.
AND I ECHO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD SAID.
I BELIEVE THE BUDGET SHOULD BE FROZEN.
AND I HOPE THAT INTERIM POLICE CHIEF, UH, SATELLITE WOULD CONSIDER ENDING NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS OR AT LEAST EMBRACING THE LIGHTS ON PROGRAM.
HE KNOWS ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND I HOPE HE WILL TAKE THE TIME TO IMPLEMENT THOSE CHANGES AND MEASURE THE ACTUAL IMPACT THAT THE POLICE HAVE UPON THE PUBLIC.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS ONLINE THAT WOULD LIKE TO, OR IN THE CHAMBER THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE? OKAY.
UM, GREAT, GREAT MEETING AND WE WILL BE BACK AT THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS ON THURSDAY.
AND AGAIN, THE, THE TOWN HALL IS CANCELED TONIGHT.