[00:00:19]
UM, I'D LIKE FOR EVERYONE TO PAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THIS, PAY OUR RESPECTS AND SEND OUR CONDOLENCES AND PRAYERS TO OFFICER DEPUTY FERNANDO ESCADA.
UH, HARRIS COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF THAT WAS MURDERED LAST NIGHT.
HE WAS AMBUSHED AND, UH, HE WAS PROTECTING US WHEN HE GAVE HIS LIFE.
THIS AFTERNOON, WE ARE GETTING TO PRESENT A LAW ENFORCEMENT TOOL OF COLLABORATION TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC IN JANUARY, IF YOU'LL RECALL, RECOGNIZING THE SHORTAGE OF HPD OFFICERS, ACTUALLY ACTING CHIEF SATTERWHITE HEADED UP.
OUR EFFORT IN JANUARY HAD 30 PLUS LOCAL AGENCIES COME TOGETHER AT CRIME STOPPERS TO DISCUSS HOW WE WERE GONNA COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER.
IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL NOW WITH BERYL BURL COMING THROUGH HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY BEING SO AFFECTED.
THE AGENCIES WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HAVE THEIR OWN CHALLENGES, SO WORKING WITH THE CHIEF, HIS TEAM, AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT, THE STATE OF TEXAS COLLABORATION AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT WORK.
AND WE'RE ROLLING OUT A VALUABLE TOOL THIS AFTERNOON WHERE WE'VE TAKEN OUR LOCAL COLLABORATION MODEL STATEWIDE, WORKING WITH ACTING GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK NIM KIDD, OUR DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY CENTER FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.
IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW WE COULD SHARE RESOURCES, THE TEAM AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND OUR EMERGENCY CENTER SAID, WELL, WE SHARE RESOURCES IN PUBLIC WORKS DURING STORMS. WE SHARE EMS FIRE PROTECTION.
WHY WOULDN'T YOUR MODEL WORK STATEWIDE? SO, I'M PLEASED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW ON THEIR WAY TO HOUSTON RIGHT NOW ARE OVER A HUNDRED OFFICERS FROM OUR MAJOR CITIES AND AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THEY WILL BE HERE TO WORK WITH HPD
THEY WILL BE WORKING WITH THE DPS, THEY'RE GONNA BE WORK WITH H-P-D-H-P-D WILL BE ACCOMPANYING THESE OFFICERS.
WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
WE HAVE 1400 TRAFFIC LIGHTS OUT OF ORDER AS I TALKED TO YOU.
COMBINATION OF PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY'RE DARK.
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS 'CAUSE THEY'RE DARK TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE OF BROKEN LIGHTS.
AND ALSO, LET ME EMPHASIZE TO RELIEVE HBD OFFICERS THAT ARE WORKING 12 HOUR SHIFTS HAVE ALSO THEIR FAMILIES TO CARE FOR.
THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM OF COLLABORATION, PROVIDING PUBLIC SAFETY, LOOKING OUT FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
SO I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT THIS TO HOUSTONIANS.
WE HAD YOU COVERED BY WORKING OVERTIME FROM THE DAY THE STORM ARRIVED.
THEY'VE WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK, ALL HANDS ON DECK UNDER DIRECTION OF CHIEF SATTERWHITE.
I'M VERY PLEASED TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW PUBLIC SAFETY HAS BEEN MY HIGHEST PRIORITY.
IT IS HAS BEEN, IS IN GOING FORWARD.
NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SAFETY.
WE KNOW WE HAVE VIOLENT, DANGEROUS OFFENDERS WITNESSING THE TRAGEDY LAST NIGHT OF OFFICER EDA.
FURTHERMORE, I WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT ENERGY, ELECTRICITY IS ALSO A VERY HIGH PRIORITY.
WE WOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION IF WE HAD ELECTRICITY, BUT WE HAD A MEAN STORM COME THROUGH DOING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.
2.3 MILLION INDIVIDUALS AND USERS OF ELECTRICITY WE'RE OUT OF SERVICE.
I KNOW WHAT A DARK NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS LIKE.
SO WHAT HOUSTONIANS ARE EXPERIENCING,
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ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM THAT LIVE IN HOUSTON ARE EXPERIENCING, WE WANNA PROVIDE PUBLIC SAFETY.ELECTRICITY IS RIGHT THERE AS A PRIORITY WITH PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO ALL I CAN SAY IS LET'S GO TO WORK.
I WANT TO INTRODUCE THE CHIEF TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESS.
I WANT TO THANK GOVERNOR PATRICK NIM KIDD FOR THEIR VISION, THEIR LEADERSHIP.
AND IT WILL ONCE AGAIN DEMONSTRATE MY COMMITMENT TO COLLABORATION WITH EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT TOGETHER.
WE'RE SO MUCH BETTER THAN WE ARE INDIVIDUALLY.
AND THAT'S BEEN MY PRACTICE SINCE I GOT TO CITY HALL ON JANUARY ONE.
CHIEF SATELLITE, WOULD YOU WALK TO THE, UH, GREAT OPERATION THAT YOU'RE OVERSEEING? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UH, FIRST I WANNA GO BACK TO, UH, DEPUTY ESCADA.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS AT THE HOSPITAL LAST NIGHT WITH, UM, ACTING SHERIFF AT THE TIME.
UM, MIKE LEE AND I KNOW, UM, SHERIFF GONZALEZ IS BACK AND EVERYBODY, UH, FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM OF THEIR AGENCY IS JUST HEARTBROKEN.
UM, I WILL LET THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BE THE PRIMARY, UH, INFORMATION SOURCE, BUT I WILL TELL YOU WHAT WAS REPORTED LAST NIGHT.
UM, AND JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE ARE FACING IN THAT REGARD AND THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR, BECAUSE WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD INFORMATION THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS UPSET, UH, AT A, AT A RESTAURANT WITH THE ORDER HE HAD AND RESORTED TO ASSAULTING AND PISTOL WHIPPING ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT'S HOW THE CALL WENT OUT.
SO THIS, OUR, THE DEPUTY, OUR DEPUTY, I'LL SAY IN BECAUSE WE'RE ALL A FAMILY, WENT, UH, ALONG WITH OTHER DEPUTIES LOOKING FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL, LOOKING FOR THE CAR.
AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, HE FOUND THE CAR AND, UH, PUT THAT OUT.
AND HE WAS WATCHING THE CAR, BUT COULDN'T SEE THE, THE SUSPECT.
AND IT APPEARS FROM THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE IN HAND RIGHT NOW, AND THEY WILL CLARIFY THAT OUR DEPUTY WAS JUST AMBUSHED IN HIS CAR.
HE, I MEAN, JUST SENSELESS ACT OF EVIL.
WE WERE WORKING WITH HARRIS COUNTY LAST NIGHT LOOKING FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL.
WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL.
FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE FOLLOWING HARRIS COUNTY AND THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEIR MESSAGING OUT.
IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING, WE ASK YOU TO REACH OUT TO HARRIS COUNTY OR HPD OR ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO.
AND WE WILL GET THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE WE WANNA GET THIS INDIVIDUAL OFF THE STREET RIGHT NOW BEFORE HE HURTS SOMEBODY ELSE.
THIS MAN GAVE HIS LIFE OUT THERE TRYING TO HELP IN THOSE DARK NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THE MAYOR'S TALKING ABOUT, UH, TRYING TO HELP THE PUBLIC.
AND HE LOST HIS LIFE TRYING TO DO SO.
AND WE HONOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND PLEASE KEEP THEM IN THEIR PRAYERS.
HPD IS STILL AND WILL CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO BE ON FULL MOBILIZATION, MEANING HALF OF OUR DEPARTMENT WORKS DAY SHIFT AND HALF OF THE DEPARTMENT WORKS NIGHT SHIFT.
UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE VULNERABLE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF NEEDS.
UH, YESTERDAY MORNING WE WERE, WE WENT TO THAT FULL, I'M SORRY, TUESDAY MORNING WE WENT TO THAT FULL MOBILIZATION.
AND BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON, WE HAD, WE WERE GETTING ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS OF, OF WATER, OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION, OF SHELTERS AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO BE REMAIN AT FULL MOBILIZATION AND WE'RE GONNA REMAIN IN THAT POSTURE ALL THE WAY THROUGH SUNDAY, PROBABLY INTO MONDAY MORNING.
AND THAT CAN SHIFT LEFT OR RIGHT.
AND IT'S VERY UNLIKELY THAT IT WILL NOT CONTINUE, AT LEAST THROUGH SUNDAY.
I WILL TELL YOU ALL, IT COULD GO INTO MONDAY AND TUESDAY, DEPENDING ON THE NEED.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE IT THROUGH, UH, THROUGH SUNDAY BECAUSE ALL OF OUR SHELTERS AND ALL OF OUR FACILITIES THAT NEED COVERAGE, UH, WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE HAVE CREWS OUT THERE WORKING TO RESTORE POWER AND WE'RE HELPING THEM OUT TOO.
WE HAVE CREWS THAT ARE OUT THERE PUTTING GENERATORS AT INTERSECTIONS AND, AND IT'S VERY DARK AND WE'RE HELPING THEM OUT.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE DEMANDS, UH, THAT WE FACE WITH THIS POWER OUTAGE.
THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO STAY ON TWELVES, UH, AND STAY AT FULL MOBILIZATION, UH, THROUGH SUNDAY, AT LEAST UNTIL CENTER POINT CAN GET MOST OF THE POWER BACK ON.
AND WE CAN GET THE PUBLIC BACK ON ITS FEET, IS WHAT WE NEED.
I AM VERY THANKFUL TO THE LI THE ACTING, UH, GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK TO CHIEF NIM KIDD TO THE STATE FOR ALL THAT THEY ARE DOING.
CHIEF KIDD AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ON TUESDAY EVENING WHERE RIGHT AFTER, RIGHT BEFORE OUR PRESS CONFERENCE AND HE SAID, HEY, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE A MODEL THAT WE USE RIGHT NOW FOR FIRE AND EMS WHERE THE, WHERE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE STATE WILL COVER THE COST OF ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL TO COME IN AND HELP A CITY THAT'S, UH, BEEN IN A DISASTER ZONE AND TO HELP COVER THAT.
SO WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION AND WE SAID, THAT'S VERY INTERESTING.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND HE SAID, I THINK I CAN DO IT.
AND ON WEDNESDAY MORNING EARLY, I CALLED HIM AND TOOK HIM UP ON HIS OFFER BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID,
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WE HAVE A LOT OF OFFICERS OUT THERE.THEY'RE OUT THERE, THEY'RE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT OUT THERE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE FULL MOBILIZATION TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE.
BUT WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT THEY, THEY WERE PERSONALLY IMPACTED.
THEY HAVE TREES IN THEIR HOUSES, THEY HAVE NO POWER.
THEY HAVE FAMILIES THAT ARE IN NEED.
SO WE, I REALIZED THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS AFTER, AFTER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF, UH, DAYS AT 12 HOUR SHIFTS, FATIGUE REALLY SETS IN AND THERE ARE NEEDS.
AND SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THOSE OFFICERS THAT TIME TO DO SO.
SO BY CALLING CHIEF KIDD AND, AND, AND WORKING THROUGH, UH, ACTING GOVERNOR AND PATRICK, WE, UH, WE, WE PULLED THE TRIGGER ON THIS THING AND WE, AND WE SAID, I ASKED FOR ABOUT A HUNDRED OFFICERS AND HE SAID, DONE.
SO, UH, YESTERDAY MORNING THEY WERE CALLING AROUND, CHIEF KBB WAS CALLING AROUND TO MAYORS.
HE WAS CALLING AROUND TO, UM, UH, CITY MANAGERS AND SAYING, HEY, UH, HPD COULD USE SOME HELP.
AND, AND I WILL TELL YOU, I WILL LIST THE NAMES OF THE AGENCIES THAT ARE COMING, BUT NOT ONE, NOT ONE BULKED AT THAT.
THEY WERE ALL READY AND COMING TO HELP.
AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH THANKS TO ALL OF THEM FOR THAT.
AND OUR DEPARTMENT IS VERY THANKFUL BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA GIVE OUR CHANCE TO MAINTAIN OUR CONSTANT COVERAGE.
'CAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE NOT UNCOVERED.
WE'RE OUT THERE, UH, AND WE'RE OUT THERE IN FORCE.
BUT THIS WILL ALLOW A FEW OF 'EM TO BE ABLE TO GO HOME, TAKE CARE OF SOME THINGS THAT THEY NEED SO THAT THEY CAN COME BACK TO WORK.
BECAUSE WE, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES, THE FOCUS IS NOT 100% ON THE THREAT WE SAW.
WE SEE WHAT THE THREAT IS OUT THERE.
WE SAW IT MONDAY NIGHT WHEN I HAD, WE HAD AN OFFICER, UH, THAT WAS SHOT IN THE LEG.
THANK GOD HE IS, HE IS STABLE AND CONVALESCING.
BUT WE LOST A DEPUTY LAST NIGHT BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS A CHALLENGE, RIGHT? AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE OFFICERS OUT THERE TO COVER EVERYTHING.
AND THEY ARE COMING IN AS WE SPEAK.
WE HAVE THE BULK OF THEM COMING DOWN, AND WE WILL GET FOOTAGE OF THAT THAT WE WILL PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR FIRST ROLL CALL WILL BE TONIGHT AT 6:00 PM AT OUR UNION HALL AT 1602 STRAIGHT STATE STREET, WHERE THEY WILL COME IN FOR ROLL CALL AND A WELCOME AND, AND THE MAYOR WILL BE THERE AND I WILL BE THERE TO THANK THEM.
AND THEN JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE OPERATIONALLY THEY WILL BE PARTNERED WITH HPD.
SO FOR THOSE WONDERING, HEY, I DON'T, WHY IS DALLAS POLICE CAR, BECAUSE THEY'RE BRINGING MARKED CARS.
SO FOR AN EXAMPLE, WHY IS DALLAS POLICE MARKED CAR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? WELL, THAT CAR WILL HAVE A DALLAS POLICE OFFICER AND IT WILL HAVE A HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER.
AND LIKEWISE, IN ONE OF OUR POLICE CARS ON ONE OF OUR MARKED SHOPS, IT WILL BE A HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER AND A DALLAS POLICE OFFICER.
MAINLY MEANING THAT WE ARE GONNA BE WORKING IN TANDEM IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, IN OUR, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THAT BACKUP.
SO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC, UH, WHILE WE ALL WORK TO GET THROUGH THIS STORM CRISIS.
SO WE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE AGENCIES THAT ARE COMING.
AND IT'S A LONG LIST, SO I'M GONNA READ FROM IT.
APOLOGIES, UH, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE I GET EVERYBODY.
THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FORT WORTH POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CORPUS CHRISTI POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE ALLEN TEXAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE GRAND PRAIRIE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE PLANO POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY OF TROPHY, CUB POLICE DEPARTMENT CLUB, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT, MCKINNEY, THE CITY OF MCKINNEY, MCKINNEY POLICE DEPARTMENT, CARROLLTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, MESQUITE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IRVING POLICE DEPARTMENT, GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT, HOUSTON OAKS POLICE DEPARTMENT AT AZEL POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND FOR ALL OF THOSE AGENCIES.
AND, UH, I WILL ALSO EXTEND OUR THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS RIGHT HERE NEXT TO US AND DPS BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN HERE, UH, ALREADY, AND THEY HAVE 80 TROOPERS DEPLOYED, 40 ON DAYS AND 40 ON NIGHTS.
ALL THESE OUTSIDE AGENCIES AND THEIR LEADS, THEIR CHIEFS, UH, THEIR MAYORS AND CITY MANAGERS.
AGAIN, I REALLY WANT TO EXTEND OUR GRATEFUL, WELL THANKFUL FOR THAT.
AND I'M GONNA, WHEN I'M DONE, I WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO, UH, UH, ACTING GOVERNOR PATRICK AND TO CHIEF NIM KIB, EITHER ONE, TO EXPLAIN HOW THAT'S GONNA BE PAID BECAUSE WE ARE SO THANKFUL, AND I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO YOU HOW THAT WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
SO JUST SO YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BE HERE.
THE PLAN IS FOR THE NEXT FOUR DAYS, UH, STARTING TONIGHT, UM, TO, TO ASSIST, UH, AND WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR OFFICERS IN THE FIELD, KEEPING EVERYBODY SAFE.
UH, THEY'RE BRINGING THEIR OWN MARKED PATROL CARS, AS I SAID.
SO DO NOT BE ALARMED OR, YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ALWAYS ASK.
BUT, BUT WE'RE GONNA, WE, WE ALSO HAVE A CHALLENGE IN, YOU KNOW, LACK OF, UH, POLICE CARS.
SO THIS IS A HUGE HELP THAT THEY'RE BRINGING THEIR OWN CARS TO HELP US WITH THIS.
WE CAN COVER MORE TERRITORY THAT WAY.
AND, UH, THEY'LL HAVE ALL THAT THEY NEED.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE NEEDING THEM PASSED SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING, WE ARE THINKING, WE BELIEVE THAT WE MIGHT BE IN A POSITION AFTER CENTERPOINT MAKES PROGRESS, THAT WE CAN LET THEM GO HOME BACK TO THEIR AGENCIES AND REJOIN THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR AGENCIES.
IT COULD SHIFT, IT COULD SHIFT LONGER
[00:15:01]
DEPENDING ON WHAT WE'RE FACING.AND THE, UH, ALL THE LEADS UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WE, YOU CAN ANTICIPATE THEM BEING HERE FOR THE NEXT, UH, FOUR DAYS, HELPING US OUT, UH, KICKING OFF TONIGHT AND FOR THE NEXT FOUR NIGHTS DOING THAT.
SO I'M GONNA STOP RIGHT THERE.
I WANNA OFFER UP, UM, UH, UH, GOVERNOR DAM, PATRICK, I THINK GOVERNOR DAM PATRICK OR CHIEF NIM KID, BOTH, BOTH WANT OR BOTH TO COME UP, EXPLAIN HOW THAT'S GOING BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ACTUALLY, THE STATE IS ACTUALLY THE ONE THAT IS COVERING THE COST OF ALL OF THIS.
SO WITH THAT, IT'S, UH, EITHER ONE.
AND GOVERNOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, WE WERE HERE TUESDAY, UH, WITH THE MAYOR.
AND LET ME SAY SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO SAY TUESDAY THAT I DIDN'T.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS NEVER HAD A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP THAN WE HAVE TODAY.
MAYOR WHITMEYER, AS YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN A LONG TIME LEGISLATOR, THE DEAN OF THE SENATE.
HE KNOWS HOW TO GET THINGS DONE.
HE HAS THOSE, HE HE HAS THOSE, UH, RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE.
WE'VE WORKED ON A LOT OF PROJECTS TOGETHER OVER THE YEARS, SOME VERY BIG PROJECTS.
AND, UH, I'M PROUD OF THE JOB HE'S DONE AS MAYOR.
AND, UH, DURING THIS TIME, UH, ONCE IT WAS PRESENTED TO US, UH, NIM CREATED THE PROGRAM IN HIS MIND, AND HE SAID, WE HAVE TO WRITE THE CHECK AND WE'LL WRITE THE CHECK.
SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU SAID CHIEF AND THAT THE MAYOR SAID THE OTHER DAY, I THINK WHEN WE WERE TALKING, IS THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF POLICE CARS.
LAST SESSION, UH, AFTER TRAVELING THROUGH RURAL TEXAS, UM, AND I FOUND OUT THE NEED IN RURAL TEXAS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE CREATED A $350 MILLION PROGRAM FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, I THINK, MAYOR, WHAT YOU AND I SHOULD WORK ON IS WE NEED TO FIND FUNDING FOR POLICE CARS FOR OUR CITIES.
AND I THINK WE HAD PRETTY MUCH UNANIMOUS SUPPORT, UM, TO HELP THE RURAL AREAS.
AND I KNOW CITIES HAVE BIGGER BUDGETS, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON THOSE BUDGETS BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE THE MEN AND WOMEN AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE VEHICLES YOU NEED, UM, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD, UH, HELP WITH.
AND WE'LL WORK ON THAT BECAUSE HIS NUMBER ONE JOB IS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC.
IT'S OUR NUMBER ONE JOB TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC.
AND I'M PROUD OF ALL THESE, UH, AGENCIES WHO JOINED.
SO, UH, THANKS TO ALL OF THEM.
AND NIM YOU WANNA EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM? THANK YOU, GOVERNOR AND, AND MAYOR, THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR THE PARTNERSHIP CHIEF, APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP.
AND I, I CAN'T LEAVE OUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, MY FAMILY THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH TOGETHER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
UH, PROGRAMS LIKE THIS STARTED BACK IN 1997, ACTUALLY, AS, AS SAD AS THAT SOUNDS, WITH THE URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE PROGRAM FOR THE STATE, STATE FOLLOWING THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING.
UH, IT CREATED TEAMS LIKE THE ONE I WENT TO WITH THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ON NINE 11 ATTACKS, TO BE ABLE TO TAKE LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND BE PAID BY THE STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THAT CASE TO GO TO SOMEBODY ELSE'S DISASTER.
OVER THE YEARS, WE BUILT FROM THE URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE COMPONENT TO THE WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING COMPONENT, WHERE WE BORROW LOCAL GOVERNMENT FIREFIGHTERS AND MOBILIZE THEM ON THE STATE EXPENSE TO SEND THEM INTO A DISASTER AREA TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL IMPACTED COMMUNITY.
WE THEN BLENDED THAT INTO THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TASK FORCE.
THE AMBULANCES THAT YOU'RE SEEING FROM OUT OF THE AREA RIGHT NOW ARE PART OF THE EMTF PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE, WE'VE MOVED THAT ON INTO THE PUBLIC WORKS SCENE.
SO YOU'LL SEE PUBLIC WORKS TRUCKS FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN THIS DISASTER SITE.
TALKING TO CHIEF SATTERWHITE ON TUESDAY, IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE THIS IDEA.
WE'RE DOING THIS FOR THESE OTHER JU DISCIPLINES.
CAN WE WORK WITH THIS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT? AND I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT HE SAID, YES, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM.
THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA QUESTION THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT LIKE THIS PROGRAM ARE THE CRIMINALS.
EVERYBODY ELSE WILL APPRECIATE THE RESPECT AND SUPPORT THAT THE OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE.
AND I HOPE THAT THE HOUSTONIANS THAT GET THIS MESSAGE CAN HEAR THIS MESSAGE.
YOU'RE NOT FORGOTTEN, YOU'RE NOT LEFT OUT.
PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE STATE WANNA BE HERE TO HELP YOU GET BACK UP ON YOUR FEET.
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CRIME STOPPERS, LET ME EMPHASIZE THAT I KNOW THIS WILL WORK.WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS WITH THE DPS FOR MONTHS.
NOT ONLY PERSONNEL BUT RESOURCES.
THEY HELP US WITH OUR FORENSIC LAB.
THEY'VE HELPED US WITH AIR COVERAGE DURING A CHASE.
IT'S ACTUALLY REDUCED CHASES BECAUSE HOUSTON DOESN'T HAVE 7 24 HELICOPTER PROTECTION.
THE DPS WILL JOIN IN AND SHORTEN THE LENGTH OF SOME OF OUR CHASES.
SO I KNOW THE COLLABORATION IS WORKING LOCALLY, AND I KNOW THIS MODEL WILL WORK STATEWIDE.
I WANT TO THANK THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FOR HIS EXPRESSION OF SUPPORT.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED AN URBAN INITIATIVE FROM AUSTIN TO HELP MAJOR CITIES WITH THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY.
I ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE, AGAIN, IF WE HAD ELECTRICITY, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION.
ELECTRICITY PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
THE LIGHTS OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CREATES SERIOUS VULNERABILITIES.
OUR TRAFFIC LIGHTS ARE CRITICAL.
I WOULD ASK HOUSTONIANS, PLEASE LIMIT YOUR DRIVING AT NIGHT TILL WE GET ELECTRICITY ACROSS OUR REGION.
IN FACT, BE LOOKING OUT FOR INTERSECTIONS.
SOMETIME YOU APPROACH AN INTERSECTION AND DO NOT RECOGNIZE IT.
SO ELECTRICITY IS ONE OF OUR, IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, COUPLED WITH PUBLIC SAFETY BECAUSE THEY GO HAND IN HAND.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO LET HOUSTONIANS KNOW THIS TEAM IS DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PUT PRESSURE ON CENTER POINT,
[00:25:01]
DO A BETTER JOB.I DON'T KNOW WHAT EVERYONE WAS DOING THIS MORNING AT 7:00 AM I WAS TALKING TO THE CEO OF CENTER POINT, LETTING HIM KNOW THEY MUST DO BETTER.
SO YES, WE'RE GONNA HOLD CENTER POINT ACCOUNTABLE AFTER WE DO AN ACTION REVIEW, BUT RIGHT NOW THE FOCUS IS GET THE LIGHTS ON AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS, SPEAK FOR HOUSTONIANS, AND LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THE LIGHTS ARE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.
ONE ADDITIONAL THING BEFORE I TAKE QUESTIONS ON A SILLY NOTE, BECAUSE I WAS COMPARING FIRE STATIONS AS A CRITICAL SERVICE.
WE HAVE 10 FIRE STATIONS THAT DO NOT HAVE ENERGY OR A BACKUP GENERATOR.
GREAT CITIES DO NOT OPERATE LIKE THAT.
BUT WHEN 10 FIRE STATIONS ARE NOT OPENING OUR CONVENTION CENTER, NOT OPENING, WHEN WE GOT 1500 FFA STUDENTS IN OUR CONVENTION HOTELS WAITING TO HAVE A CONVENTION AND THEN A BLOCK AWAY, WE HAVE A SPORTS VENUE WELL LIT, NO CRITICISM, CRITICISM TO THE ASTROS.
YOU KNOW, WE LET PEOPLE KNOW THE POLITICS IS OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION.
I WAS NOT CRITICIZING THE ASTROS.
I WAS CRITICIZING, QUITE FRANKLY, CENTER POINT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE PRIORITIES.
AND IF WE CAN FURNISH ELECTRICITY TO A BALLPARK, WE CAN SURE AS HECK HAVE OUR CONVENTION CENTER AND OUR FIRE STATIONS SHOULD BE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.
SO LET'S GET THAT SILLY NOTION OUTTA THE WAY.
SO ELECTRICITY IS OUR HIGH PRIORITY, BUT FIRST WE'VE GOT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE LOOK OUT FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS THAT NEED TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILY DURING CHALLENGING TIMES, AND ALSO GO FORWARD WITH A MODEL THAT I THINK WILL BE REPLICATED NOT ONLY ACROSS NEXT WEEK, IT MAY BE DALLAS THAT WE'RE ASSISTING OR THE VALLEY THAT MIGHT HAVE ISSUES.
SO LET'S REMEMBER WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
THIS IS EXACTLY THE PROGRAM THAT I CAMPAIGNED ON COLLABORATION WITH THE STATE, AS THE GOVERNOR SAID, WE DO HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH AUSTIN.
IT WASN'T THERE WHEN I GOT THERE IN JANUARY.
WITH THAT, WE'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND I'LL BE GLAD TO YIELD TO, UH, THESE OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONALS BEHIND ME.
UH, JOHN M CHRONICLE, UH, I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.
CHIEF FOR CHIEF SATTERWHITE, IF THAT'S OKAY, UH, FOR YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE NOTE OF ELECTRICITY, UH, CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON, UH, POWER OF WATER PLANTS AND, UH, ARE ANY OF THE BUILDINGS THERE IN DANGER OF FAILING? UH, SHOULD BE SOMEONE BE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR WATER AT ALL.
WHEN I LEFT TO COME OVER HERE, OUR WATER SUPPLY IS SECURE AND, UH, SOME CHALLENGE.
OUR WATER SUPPLY IS VERY PROTECTED AND SECURE, FULL SUPPLY, SOME REDUCTION IN PRESSURE, BUT NOTHING THAT'S INTERFERING WITH OUR OPERATIONS.
AND CERTAINLY HOMEOWNERS WASTEWATER.
WE HAVE CHALLENGES BECAUSE ANYTIME YOU HAVE THE HUGE AMOUNT OF RANGE WE HAD IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, SOME OF THE WASTEWATER PLANTS GO OFFLINE.
THERE AGAIN, NEED THOSE BACKUP GENERATORS.
YOU KNOW, DON'T GET ME STARTED ON GENERATORS, BUT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A TEST DAY CITYWIDE, MAYBE THE FIRST DAY OF HURRICANE SEASON.
EVERYBODY FOR CERTAIN OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES NEED TO BE FIRING UP, TESTING, TOPPING OFF FUELS OF OUR GENERATORS.
THAT IS A CRITICAL PART OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND LIFE AND WELFARE ISSUES.
SO YES, WATER FINE WASTEWATER CHALLENGED ABOUT 150,000 GALLONS WERE RELEASED IN SOME OF OUR VALUES, WHICH, YOU KNOW, VIOLATES A CONSENT DECREE.
WE'RE SPENDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS COMPLYING WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS.
BUT PRIOR ADMINISTRATIONS DID NOT APPLY SOME RESOURCES TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT, WHICH GOT US IN THE AGREEMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE.
WE HAVE A GREAT CITY AND GREAT PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE CHALLENGES LIKE MOST MAJOR CITIES DO.
BUT WE'RE A CAN-DO ADMINISTRATION.
WE'VE GOT PARTNERS THAT JOIN ME TODAY AND WE WILL FIX OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALWAYS MAKE PUBLIC SAFETY OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.
ANYONE ELSE? SO, UH, UH, CHIEF SAT FOR YOU, YOUR UNDERSTANDING FROM CENTER POINT IS THAT LIGHTS WILL BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH ON SUNDAY WHERE YOU WOULD NOT NEED, UM, THE OUTSIDE.
I, I THINK I'LL LET THE CHIEF YEAH, I'LL ANSWER THAT.
DESCRIBE HIS MODEL CENTER POINT AT OUR DIRECTION AND THEIR OWN INITIATIVE IS DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE.
[00:30:01]
WE'RE PRESSURING THEM DO BETTER AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.AND SO MANY ISSUES STARTING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES STARTS WITH WE NEED ELECTRICITY.
THAT'S WHAT THIS TEAM'S FOCUSING ON.
AND I'M CERTAIN THAT WE WILL MONITOR CENTER POINTS TO SUCCESS AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COVERAGE THAT WE'RE DISCOVERING DISCUSSING TODAY.
SO CHIEF SAT, YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT CONCERN? OKAY.
SO THERE'S ACTUALLY A LOT OF HOPE IN MY VOICE WHEN I SAY THAT BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE COULD SHIFT LONGER.
UM, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO THOSE AGENCIES IF I FEEL THE CRITICAL NEED TO DO SO.
UH, BUT I AM HOPEFUL, AND I'VE HEARD REPORTS AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON IT THAT MOST, OR AT LEAST EXCEPT FOR THERE'LL STILL BE SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM REPORTS EVEN AFTER SUNDAY, THAT WILL BE WITHOUT POWER.
BUT I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH POWER, ENOUGH LIGHT IN THE CITY, LIGHT RED LIGHTS OBVIOUSLY WORKING AGAINST STREET LIGHTS AND ALL THOSE THINGS TO LIGHT THINGS UP AT NIGHT LIKE WE ARE NORMALLY USED TO, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BETTER SEE EVERYTHING AND HAVE OUR OFFICERS OUT THERE AND HOPEFULLY NOT NEED, UH, THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE FROM OUTSIDE.
AND BY THEN, HOPEFULLY THOSE OFFICERS THAT WE NEED TO KINDA LET GO HOME AND GET TAKEN CARE OF IN TERMS OF FAMILY WILL THEN BECOME AVAILABLE AGAIN TOO.
I AM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU FOR SURE THAT WE ARE GONNA DEMOBILIZE ON MONDAY MORNING.
I'M TELLING YOU THAT I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN DEMOBILIZE BY MONDAY BECAUSE IF WE CAN, THAT MEANS THE CITY'S BACK ON ITS FEET AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.
WE ALL WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING.
CHIEF, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU GUYS ARE FACING RIGHT NOW? SO IT'S LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, IT'S, IT'S REALLY POWER WITH WITHOUT POWER.
UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE MULTIPLE CHALLENGES.
NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC ON THE ROADWAYS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY INTERSECTIONS THAT WITHOUT POWER YOU DON'T KNOW THEY'RE THERE UNTIL YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM.
AND YOU'VE, SO YOU'VE IMAGINE YOU'VE GOT CARS COMING FROM TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND IT CAN BE CATASTROPHIC, RIGHT? SO THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE, BECAUSE WHEN IT GETS DARK LIKE THIS, UH, WE HAVE PREDATORS THAT WILL GO OUT THERE AND TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
WE'RE ALREADY POSTING PICTURES, WE'RE GONNA BE POSTING PICTURES OF SUSPECTS THAT, THAT WE CAPTURE FOR BURGLARY, FOR OF BUSINESSES.
OF ALL THOSE THINGS THERE, SADLY, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE.
UH, THEY CARE NOTHING FOR ANYBODY ELSE.
AND, AND WE WILL HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
BUT WE NEED THE, WE NEED, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICERS OUT THERE, UH, ROLLING AROUND, BEING PRESENT, RESPONDING TO CALLS, RESPONDING TO ALARMS AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE BEST SERVICE POSSIBLE.
AND, AND ANOTHER THING IS JUST THIS, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALREADY LIVING ON THE MARGINS.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT BEFORE THE STORM HIT.
NOW THE STORM HAS HIT AND THEY'RE WITHOUT POWER AND THEY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.
AND, AND WE REPRESENT, UH, IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY THAT'S THERE TO HELP.
AND WHEN THEY SEE AN OFFICER IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME, WE STILL DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.
BUT TO THE DEGREE WE ARE, WE'RE OUT THERE ENFORCING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S GONNA GIVE 'EM A LITTLE BIT OF COMFORT AND A LITTLE BIT OF ASSURANCE THAT WE'RE THERE FOR THEM.
UM, I ASK ALL THE PUBLIC, IF, IF YOU, AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, POWER OUTAGES IS NOT A REASON TO CALL 9 1 1.
UH, WE ASK THAT YOU CALL CENTER POINT, IT'S AT TWO ZERO, YOU KNOW, 7 1 3 2 0 7 2 2 2 2.
BUT IF, BUT IF YOU'RE AFRAID, IF SOMETHING'S HAPPENING, IF SOMETHING'S SUSPICIOUS HAPPENING, CALL, WE HAVE THE NUMBERS OUT THERE TO RESPOND AND WE WILL RESPOND.
TO BE CLEAR THAT INCOMING HEALTH, THEY'RE COVERING ALL SHIFTS.
SO BASICALLY THE WAY I'M GOING, THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DID DURING HURRICANE IKE AND I WAS THERE, RIGHT? SO I I'VE BEEN ON 34 YEARS.
UM, SO IN HURRICANE IKE, I RAN A TEAM AND A PROACTIVE TEAM, UH, OUT IN THE SOUTHWEST AREA OF HOUSTON.
SO AFTER I HIT, UH, WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, WITH A FEW DAYS, WE HAD OUTSIDE AGENCIES COME IN AND SUPPORT AND UNDER A DIFFERENT MODEL.
AND DALLAS, I HAD A TEAM OF, OF DALLAS OFFICERS THAT PARTNERED WITH MY TEAM IN THE FIELD.
AND SO I'M USING THE SAME MODEL THAT WE USED THEN OF GOING OUT WITH PROACTIVE OFFICERS THAT KNOW THEIR AREAS VERY WELL.
THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW THEIR CRIME HOTSPOTS.
THEY KNOW, UH, THE STREETS, THEY, THEY KNOW THE, AND ALL THE CHALLENGES BECAUSE THIS IS AN OFFICER SAFETY ISSUE.
WE'RE BRINGING OFFICERS IN THAT DO NOT KNOW THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WE PARTNER WITH US THAT WE DO.
AND IT'S, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE PARTNERSHIP WILL BE, UH, AN HPD OFFICER AND AN OUTSIDE AGENCY PARTNER TOGETHER SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES IT SAFER AND MORE EFFECTIVE.
BUT WE WELCOME THE HELP AND THAT'S, THAT'S HOW THAT MODEL WILL WORK.
AND YES, WE WILL, BECAUSE WE HAVE A HUNDRED COMING IN, WE WILL DISPERSE 'EM THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR AREAS IN HOUSTON.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T BE IN EVERY DIVISION.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ONES THAT WERE MOST IMPACTED, THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE MOST, UH, UH, HARMED BY THE STORM AND ARE ARE WITHOUT POWER AND, AND COULD
[00:35:01]
USE THAT HELP.WHICH ONES ARE THOSE NOW? UH, DO YOU HAVE A FEW? SO IT'S ALL, ALL OVER THE CITY.
I MEAN, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, IT'S, WE HAVE AREAS NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, WE HAVE IT EVERYWHERE, CENTRAL AND, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE TRY TO HIT ANYTHING THAT WE CONSIDER HIGH CRIME AREAS THAT ARE ALSO IMPACTED BY THIS.
UM, AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND WE WILL ADDRESS ACCORDINGLY.
SO IF YOU SEE A PLACE WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF POWER OUTAGE, WE'RE GONNA BE THERE.
AND HAS THERE BEEN A SPIKE IN CRIME SINCE? UH, SO IT'S, WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY WITNESSED A HUGE SPIKE IN CRIME.
AND I THANK THE PUBLIC FOR THAT IN TERMS OF, UH, THEIR CALLING.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY OUT THERE AND WE'RE REALLY VISIBLE.
UH, WE DID SEE A SPIKE IN, UH, CRASHES, RIGHT? AND WE ATTRIBUTE THAT DIRECTLY TO IT BEING DARK AND PEOPLE CAN'T SEE AND A HUGE SPIKE IN CRASHES.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT OVER TIME, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL WANT TO GET BACK OUT.
AND SO WHEN THEY'RE GETTING BACK OUT, THEY NEED TO SEE US FOR THEIR, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW THEY'RE SAFE.
AND WE ALSO, FRANKLY JUST WANT TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT THAT WOULD TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE THAT WE ARE, UH, WE'RE OUT THERE AND WE WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE AND, UH, WE WILL PUT YOUR PICTURE UP.
'CAUSE THIS ISN'T, THERE'S NEVER A TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR CITIZENRY.
AND WE WILL ABSOLUTELY HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE ON THE STREET TO HELP WITH THAT.
MAYOR, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, THE RECOLLECTION THAN THE RECOLLECTION? RECONNECTION? NO, THE DEBRIS COLLECTION.
UM, RIGHT AFTER I TALKED TO THE CENTER POINT CEO THIS MORNING, I TALKED TO OUR DIRECTOR OF SANITATION, SOLID WASTE.
UH, THEY BRING ON ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND THEY'RE WORKING LONG HOURS, 18 HOURS.
UH, THEY COULD GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY DAYS IT'S GONNA TAKE TO PICK UP MANY, BUT IT'S EVEN ACTUALLY BEING COMPLICATED BECAUSE MANY FALLEN TREES THAT THEY NEED TO PICK UP, UH, ARE ON, UH, LIVE WIRES.
PUBLIC SAFETY, ENERGY, WHICH IS SO IMPACTED PUBLIC, SAFETY'S IMPACTED BY THE ENERGY, AND THEN DEBRIS IS RIGHT BELOW IT.
UH, MANY FAMILIES HAVE TREES ON LIVE WIRES IN THEIR BACKYARD.
WE'RE WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS, BY THE WAY.
PUBLIC WORKS HAS FOLKS WHO FIX THE STREETS.
LET ME ALSO GIVE A SHOUT OUT, TALK ABOUT COLLABORATION.
TDOT TDOT IS NOT ONLY TAKING CARE OF THEIR THOROUGH AFFAIRS ON THE FEEDERS TO OUR HIGHWAYS, THEY'RE COMING INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON HELPING US ON SHEPHERD SIX 10 GOING NORTH.
THEY'RE HELPING US AT 34TH STREET, 43RD STREET, PINE, MONT.
SO WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
AND THIS IS A DEMONSTRATION TODAY OF WHAT BEING UNITED WITH ONE FOCUS MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
SO YES, DEBRIS IS A HIGH, HIGH PRIORITY, AND WE ARE BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE SOURCES.
LET, LET ME, LET ME BEFORE I FORGET ABOUT IT.
EMPHASIZE TO Y'ALL TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THE SUSPECT AND THE SHOOTING LAST NIGHT OF SIR ESTA, UH, IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS, HIGHLY DANGEROUS.
AND HIS PICTURE WILL BE SHOWN.
SO IF ANYONE HAS ANY LEADS OR INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW WE SOLVED JOCELYN'S MURDER.
THE PUBLIC CAME FORWARD WITH LEADS.
THIS PERSON IS, UH, MOST VIOLENT AND HAS TO BE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS.
BUT WE DO ASK THE PUBLIC AND THE PRESS TO HELP US FIND THIS INDIVIDUAL.
AND THERE AGAIN, WE'LL BE WATCHING THE BAIL BOND SYSTEM.
WE'LL BE WATCHING JUDGES, HOW YOU HANDLE THIS VIOLENT OFFENDER.
IT'S UNHEARD OF IN MY CAREER AS CHAIRMAN OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, THAT SOMEONE CHARGED WITH CAPITAL MURDER IS OUT ON A BOND THAT LEADS TO THE DANGERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES, DANGERS TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT ALSO THE PUBLIC.
THERE SHOULD BE NO BOND FOR A CAPITAL MURDER.
THEY'RE OUR MOST DANGEROUS PROFILE DEFENDANTS.
THEY KNOW WHEN THEY GET A BOND, GET OUT ON THE STREET WHEN THEY'RE, AND, AND FURTHERMORE, THEY VIOLATE THEIR, THEIR BOND.
THEY BECOME FUGITIVES AND THE MOST DANGEROUS INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO JUDGES DO YOUR JOB, PROTECT THE PUBLIC.
I'LL ALSO GO AHEAD AS THINKING ABOUT MY LEGISL DAYS, WE NEED AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION THAT SAYS CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AFTER THEIR DUE PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN BOND.
BONDS ARE IN OUR CURRENTLY CONSTITUTION A REQUIREMENT, BUT CAPITAL MURDERS, THERE'S AN EXCEPTION THERE.
I WOULD SUGGEST EVEN SOMEONE CHARGED WITH MURDER SHOULDN'T BE RELEASED OUT ON BOND.
WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, AND I'LL BE MONITORING THE COURTS, THE BOND SYSTEM TO SEE THAT THIS VIOLENT
[00:40:01]
OFFENDER IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE.WE OWE IT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND WE CERTAINLY OWE IT TO THIS VICTIM AND HIS FAMILY.
WITH THAT SAID, UH, CAN I GET ONE MORE FOR CHIEF SATELLITE? SURE.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO ASK, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF HOUSTONIANS, WE WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD, UH, BY BARRELL, YOU KNOW, DO YOU THINK THAT WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT NOW, UH, IT WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER TO HAVE GONE TO A FULL MOBILIZATION ON MONDAY AS OPPOSED TO TUESDAY? SO, I, I ADDRESSED THIS A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, BUT, BUT BASICALLY WE WERE ALREADY LEANING IN.
WE WEREN'T A FULL MOBILIZATION AND WE WEREN'T EVEN SURE WE WOULD NEED FULL MOBILIZATION BECAUSE THE WEATHER REPORTS WERE THAT IT WAS GONNA BE FAR WEST OF, UH, SOUTH AND WEST OF US AND NOT HERE.
AND, UH, YOU REMEMBER AT THE BEGINNING IT WAS GOING INTO MEXICO AND IT STARTED TO MAKE ITS WAY UP.
SO AS YOU KNOW, IN PLANNING, WE, WE LOOKED AT THAT AND, YOU KNOW, WE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT MAY NOT HIT US, BUT WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE LEANED IN.
SO EVEN ON SUNDAY MORNING, UH, I PERSONALLY SENT OUT AN EMAIL WITH A LIST OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL OFFICERS.
UH, WE DIDN'T, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR OWN WAY OF ASKING FOR VACATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, ASKING FOR THE DAY OFF.
WE CANCELED THAT UNLESS THEY WERE ALREADY IN THE BOOK.
AND, AND, AND WE WANTED TO HONOR THAT, BUT WE DIDN'T LET ANYBODY ELSE ASK TO TAKE OFF, BROUGHT EVERYBODY IN, DIRECTED EVERYBODY TO COME IN ON MONDAY MORNING IN UNIFORM AND READY TO RESPOND TO BRING ALL PROVISIONS BECAUSE WE COULD BE LOOKING A LONG DAY.
AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET.
UM, AND, AND SO WE WERE ALREADY POSTURING FOR THAT.
WE WEREN'T FULL MOBILIZATION, I WILL TELL YOU THAT.
BUT WE WERE ALREADY POSTURING FOR THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE COULD END UP WITH EXTENDED SHIFTS.
SO THEY ENDED UP BEING REALLY LONG SHIFTS ON MONDAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH PERSONNEL ALL THE TIME.
SO AFTER THE STORM BLEW THROUGH, UH, MONDAY, YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY ALMOST TILL TWO OR THREE IN THE AFTERNOON BEFORE THINGS WERE REALLY KIND OF GETTING BACK TO WHERE WE WEREN'T EXPERIENCING HIGH WINDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
WE WERE ALREADY MEETING, WE WORKED LATE, WE HAD THE DISCUSSIONS.
AND IT WAS THEN BY THAT, THAT I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S GONNA BE HARD BECAUSE WE DID IT MONDAY NIGHT, UH, TO GET ALL THAT COORDINATED.
BUT I SAID, NO, I WANT 'EM IN HERE ON MONDAY, TUESDAY MORNING, 6:00 AM FOR THE FULL, UH, FOR THE TWELVES.
THAT IS AN EASIER WAY WHEN YOU DO THAT, TO HAVE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE DAYS AND NIGHTS, BECAUSE AGAIN, I WANNA REMIND YOU, IT IT'S THE POWER AT NIGHT.
BUT IN THE DAYTIME, IT IS ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GONNA BE CALLED UPON POST-DISASTER.
WE ARE COVERING DOZENS, IF, IF NOT 50 PLUS DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AROUND THE CITY FOR SHELTERS, WATER DISTRIBUTION, UH, ANYTHING ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CONTROL, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT THAT STORM DID.
WE, WE GOT IN, WE GOT IN HERE EARLY ON TUESDAY, ON TUESDAY MORNING BEFORE ANYTHING OPENED UP TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THE PEOPLE.
BUT FULL MOBILIZATION IS A VERY FATIGUING THING.
SO AS THE LEADER OF THE AGENCY, I GOTTA, I GOTTA THINK SOBERLY ABOUT ALL OF THAT AND HOW WE DO IT.
I, WE DIDN'T EVEN THINK IT WAS GONNA HIT US.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WE LEANED IN ANYWAY.
WE PRE-POSITIONED HIGH WATER ASSETS, BOATS, EVERYTHING ON SUNDAY.
AGAIN, EVEN EVEN TO THE POINT THAT THE MAYOR AND I WENT OUT OVERNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT, UH, AND WERE OUT IN THE FIELD TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, CONSTANTLY ASSESSING, AND, AND IT'S STILL AT 2:00 AM HAD NOT HIT.
AND WE WERE LIKE, WELL, WHERE'S THE STORM THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE MUCH EARLIER? WHERE'S ALL THESE OTHER THINGS? UM, AND THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM.
WE DO NEED BETTER WEATHER MODELS, OKAY? THIS IS NOT, I'M NOT GONNA CRITICIZE ANYBODY.
I'M JUST GONNA SAY I, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO BETTER TECHNOLOGIES IN THE FUTURE THAT CAN BE BETTER AT PREDICTING WHERE THESE THINGS ARE COMING SO THAT WE CAN PLAN AND RESPOND IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
WE DID EVERYTHING BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE WERE GIVEN AT THE TIME.
AND WE LEAN AND THEN WE LEAN FORWARD FROM THERE WITH DEPLOYING RESOURCES AND CALLING EVERYBODY IN, EVEN TO THE POINT I SAID, BRING YOUR OWN MEDICATIONS.
BECAUSE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY HAVE MEDICATIONS THAT THEY'RE TAKING.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GONNA GET OFF TOMORROW IF THIS THING HITS US.
SO THAT'S HOW IT WORKS ON THAT FIRST DAY.
AND YES, IF I KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE A DIRECT IMPACT, UH, WHERE I'M M I'M CONFIDENT IT'S GONNA JUST ROLL UP ON US, PROBABLY HAVE MORE PEOPLE.
BUT THE REALITY IS, IS WE'RE GOING OFF THE INFORMATION WE HAVE AND WE WERE PREPARED.
WE DID 56 RESCUES ON, ON MONDAY BECAUSE WE WERE PREPARED.
WE GOT PEOPLE OUT OF CARS, WE HAD PLENTY OF PEOPLE.
AFTER THE STORM PASSED OVER, WE WENT OUT INTO RESCUE MODE AND WE, UH, SADLY WE DID LOSE SOMEBODY ONE OF OUR OWN IN, IN RUSSELL RICHARDSON.
AND THAT'S SO TRAGIC BECAUSE I WAS THERE FOR THAT RECOVERY AND I HAD A LOT OF OFFICERS THERE AND, AND WE'LL BE LOOKING TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.
BUT WE WERE PREPARED, WE WERE THERE.
AND MOVING TO FULL MOBILIZATION IS IN PREPARATION FOR ALL THE OTHER DEMANDS THAT WE ARE GOING TO, THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN AGAIN, KEEPING IT THROUGH SUNDAY, UM, IS, IS A LONG 12 SERIES OF 12 HOUR SHIFTS.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, I'D RATHER MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND KNOWING THAT THE PUBLIC NEEDS OUR HELP, UH, BEFORE I, YOU KNOW, DEMOBILIZE
[00:45:01]
AND IT COULD STILL GO FURTHER.UM, BUT THAT'S KINDA WHERE WE'RE AT.
AND ON THAT, THE NOTE OF THAT TRADE OFF, UH, DO INVESTIGATORS LIKE STRUGGLED TO KEEP UP WITH THE, YOU KNOW, EXPANDED SHIFTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? IS THERE ANY TRADE OFF THERE AT ALL? SO THE, THE OUR OWN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, SO WE HAVE OUR INVESTIGATIVE SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND WE'RE USING THOSE FOR, UH, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'RE USING THOSE FOR SOME OF THESE DISTRIBUTION SITES.
WE'RE USING THOSE FOR, UH, FOR, AGAIN, THE GUN SHOPS, THE PAWN SHOPS, THE PHARMACIES, ALL THE THINGS THAT BECOME TARGETS.
SO THEY ARE DOING A DIFFERENT JOB AS OPPOSED TO DOING INVESTIGATIONS RIGHT NOW.
UH, WHEN YOU, WHEN SOMEBODY IS HARMED, THEY'RE STILL DOING THAT TOO.
IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S A GAP IN TIME AND THEIR DOWNTIME, THEY'RE WORKING ON THEIR INVESTIGATIONS TOO.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO PAINT THE PICTURE THAT THEY'RE STEADILY IN THEIR OFFICE TODAY DOING, UH, FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATIONS.
WE ARE STILL IN OUR MIND, UH, RESPONSE RECOVERY.
UM, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY MORE WATER RESCUES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, ALTHOUGH I AM SORRY TO SAY THAT WE DID, UH, JUST VERY RECENTLY, UH, TODAY, UH, DISCOVER, UH, ANOTHER, UH, POSSIBLY PERSON THAT WE'VE LOST IN THE WATER AND WE DON'T KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON THAT UP, BUT, SO THERE'S STILL SOME RECOVERY, SOME RE AND EVERYTHING AND, UH, BUT WE'RE THERE FOR THE PUBLIC THERE FOR RESPONSE AND RIGHT NOW ALSO RECOVERY AND JUST MANAGING, GIVING EVERYBODY WHAT THEY, THAT THE PRESENCE AND THE, AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE CAN DO IN THE, AS THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.