[Press Conference: “HPD Suspended Lack of Personnel Case Report”]
[00:00:19]
UM, THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
WHEN I RAN FOR OFFICE, I MADE PUBLIC SAFETY MY HIGHEST PRIORITY 'CAUSE I WAS REPRESENTING THE CONCERNS OF HOUSTONIANS.
IT ANGERS ME WHEN HOUSTONIANS ARE NOT SHOWN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE TRUE OPERATIONS OF HPD.
THE CITIZENS KNEW THAT WE HAD A CRIME ISSUE, EVEN THOUGH THE ADMINISTRATION WAS SPINNING IT LIKE SAFE HOUSTON GIMMICKS, LIKE BUYING BACK GUNS, BAD GUYS AND CROOKS DO NOT TURN IN THEIR FIREARMS. SO WHEN I WAS SWORN IN WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, THEN I WAS NOTIFIED FEBRUARY 7TH.
CHIEF FINNER WAS, WAS OUT OF TOWN ON A FRIDAY, AND HE NOTIFIED I GOTTA GET BACK TO HOUSTON.
THE PRESS HAS OUR SL CASE AND I'VE GOTTA DEAL WITH IT.
HE CAME BACK, I STILL DIDN'T HAVE THE FULL APPRECIATION FOR THE VOLUME OR THE SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
AND, UH, THE REST HAS BEEN FOLLOWED PRETTY CLOSELY, CERTAINLY THROUGH THE PRESS.
BEFORE WE FINISHED HAVING THE PRESS CONFERENCES THAT HPD CHIEF FINNER DISCLOSED THAT THERE WAS 264,371 CASES THAT HAD BEEN SUSPENDED FOR LACK OF PERSONNEL.
BROKE 'EM DOWN INTO SEXUAL ASSAULTS, APPROXIMATELY 800, THE ASSAULTIVE CASES, PERSONAL PERSON 4,000 PLUS.
SO THEN HE IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO ACTION TO REVIEW THOSE CASES.
AND, UH, WE'VE USED A LOT OF RESOURCES.
PULLED 45 PLUS OFFICERS FROM OTHER DIVISIONS TO SPEND FULL TIME ON THIS PROJECT.
ALSO, HUNDREDS OF OFFICERS IN THEIR OWN DIVISION WITH THEIR REGULAR ASSIGNMENTS WENT INTO REVIEWING THE MATTER AND TRYING TO CLEAR THIS UP.
WE WORKED WITH THE DA'S OFFICE.
MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS GOT COUNSELING RESOURCES.
IT'S VERY COMPLEX BECAUSE SOME HAD ALREADY MOVED ON IN LIFE AND DIDN'T WANT TO REVISIT THE SUBJECT.
SO ALL I CAN SAY IS, UH, WE HAVE A GREAT CITY, GREAT PEOPLE, AND A GREAT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT THE CHALLENGES THAT OFFICERS FACE DURING THE STORMS. THEY'RE OUT ON THE FRONT, ACTUALLY BURIED A CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE THIS WEEK BECAUSE OF HIS CALL TO DUTY AND HIS WILLING AND IS HIS, HIS PASSION TO SHOW UP AND GO TO WORK.
THE PUBLIC HAS NOT SEEN A PICTURE OF THE SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS AND RESOURCES SINCE 2010.
STRIKE THAT 10 YEARS AGO, 2014, WHEN CHIEF MCCLELLAN IN PUBLIC AT COUNCIL SAID THAT THERE WAS A SHORTAGE.
SINCE THEN, IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED VERY LITTLE EXCEPT THE PUBLIC KNEW.
AND I WAS DRAFTED TO RUN FOR MAYOR BECAUSE OUR RESPONSE TIME WAS GROWING.
CLEARANCE OF CASES WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
AND I COULD NAME YOU LOCATIONS IN HOUSTON THAT PEOPLE WERE BEGINNING NOT TO VISIT.
THE GALLERIA BECAME PART OF MOST DISCUSSIONS ABOUT NOT GOING THERE.
GANG ACTIVITY I TO THIS DAY, AND WE'VE HEARD A VERY GOOD REPORT, AND I'M GONNA CALL CHIEF SATTERWHITE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS WITH US.
I DON'T KNOW, AFTER SPENDING YEARS UPON YEARS OF CHAIRING CRIMINAL JUSTICE, WORKING WITH HBOU AND EMPLOYEE GROUPS, HOW THIS WAS NOT REPORTED TO THE PUBLIC AND CERTAINLY TO CITY OFFICIALS.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE RECORD REFLECTS.
SO, UH, I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE WORK OF THE HPD REVIEW, THE SET, THE, UH, MY INDEPENDENT REVIEW IS IN THE FINAL DRAFT HAVING BEEN WATCHING THE WORK PRODUCT OF HPD.
[00:05:01]
IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE THEY'LL HAVE CHAIRMAN COHEN'S REPORT.SO, WITH THAT SAID, I WILL YIELD TO ANY QUESTIONS FOR MYSELF AND CERTAINLY CHIEF SATTERWHITE.
MAYOR, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, WHAT THE POINTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER
I KNOW OBVIOUSLY YOU HEARD A LOT OF TALK TODAY ABOUT OFFICER SHORTAGES AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT H HP'S BEEN STRUGGLING WITH FOR YEARS.
WE ALSO ARE DEALING WITH THE CITY'S FINANCIAL STATE AND ALSO THE FIRE DEAL.
AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU WHERE YOU STOOD ON THE REVENUE CAP.
WE'RE GONNA DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE HOUSTON SAFE.
UH, AT ONE TIME I SAID EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE.
AND THEN WE STARTED GETTING REPORTS OF CORRUPTION.
$80 MILLION IN WATER CONTRACTS GIVEN TO FOLKS WHO DON'T EVEN HAVE A BUSINESS.
WE'VE SEEN INDICTMENTS IN THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS IN MIDTOWN.
SO THEN I SAID, NOTHING'S ON THE TABLE TILL I CAN GO TO THE PUBLIC AND ALLOW THEM TO KNOW THAT WE'VE ELIMINATED AS MUCH CORRUPTION AS WE CAN FIND.
AND WE'RE NOT THROUGH ON THAT FRONT.
UH, EVERYTHING'S IF, AS I'VE SAID REPEATEDLY, AND YOU CAN QUOTE ME, IF WE DON'T MAKE THE CITY SAFE, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.
AND WE HAVE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES.
I WAS IN AUSTIN MONDAY TALKING TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS IN RECEIVING SIGNIFICANT MONIES AND NEW INITIATIVES.
UH, SO WE'LL GO WHEREVER IT TAKES US TO GET THE RESOURCES TO GET THE OFFICERS ON THE STREET.
WE'VE SPENT 3 MILLION ON THIS REVIEW.
WE HAVE FUNDED THE SIXTH CLASS.
SO, UH, I DON'T HAVE PATIENCE.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ROBBED AT GUNPOINT.
VERY BLESSED THAT I DIDN'T GET SHOT WITH MY WIFE AND 9-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
SO I KNOW THAT'S THE REASON I RAN FOR MAYOR.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER CHALLENGES AND PEOPLE CAN DEMAGOGUE ABOUT WHAT THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE DONE SETTLEMENT HAVE DONE TO CITY BUDGET.
AS I MENTIONED THIS MORNING, WE'RE 160,000 MILLION SHORT IN JANUARY, SO I KNOW IT MAKES GOOD POLITICAL TALK.
THEN WE WANNA TALK ABOUT PREPARATION FOR THE STORM THAT YOUR PAPER DID THIS MORNING.
WE DID EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO GET READY, COLLABORATION WITH EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, ALL HANDS ON THE DECK.
BUT QUITE FRANKLY, PREPARATION WITH THE STORM SUFFERED FROM UNDERFUNDING.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T GO AROUND TURNING ON THE GENERATORS AT 10 FIRE STATIONS.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE A FIRE CHIEF.
LO AND BEHOLD, I DISCOVERED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM THAT BECAUSE OF LACK OF CITY FINANCES AND RESOURCES AND PREPARATION BY CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS, YEAH, THERE'S 10 FIRE STATIONS THAT HAD TO BE CLOSED.
AND I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT WE WERE PREPARED.
JUST THINK IF WE HADN'T BEEN AS PREPARED AS WE ARE PRE-POSITIONING THINGS, EMPLOYEES, MOBILIZATION OF POLICE.
AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY, BUT IT FITS INTO THE NARRATIVE THAT THE CITY IS UNDERFUNDED.
YOU OUGHT TO TALK TO THE PARKS DIRECTOR.
TO SHUTTLE PEOPLE, TO WORK SITES.
'CAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE VEHICLES.
SOLID WASTE WORKING 18 HOUR DAYS, SIX DAYS A WEEK.
SO YES, IT'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
IT WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WHEN BACK TO SPEND, WE GOT A SURPLUS.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING.
THE MAYOR WHEN I GOT HERE, WE HAVE A $400 MILLION SERVICE.
NO ONE THAT'S REVIEWED IT KNOWS THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
IF WE'D HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A FIREFIGHTER SETTLEMENT, 160 MILLION SHORT, BECAUSE HE WAS FUNDING IT WITH ONE TIME FEDERAL ART MONEY.
SO PLEASE INCLUDE THE OVERALL PICTURE AND WHY WE'VE GOT TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE FACING.
DOWNSTAIRS TODAY, YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE I GOT HERE.
THAT WAS ALL HANDLED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
AND I APPLAUD COUNCILMAN ALCORN.
BUT WE'RE GONNA ALLOW EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE.
AND OH, WHEN I GO AFTER SOME POOLS OF MONEY, YOU'LL HEAR A LOT OF HOWLING.
YOU KNOW, DON'T FORGET WHAT BOB LANIER DID TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IN THE EARLY NINETIES.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK WHERE WE CAN TO FIND POOLS OF MONEY BECAUSE NOTHING MATTERS MORE THAN FIXING THIS PROBLEM.
MAYOR, FOR YOU OR FOR SATURDAY, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS MISSING IN TODAY'S BRIEFING IS THAT THERE WAS NOBODY NAMED WHO WAS THE PERSON WHO RAISED THEIR HAND AND SAID, I THINK THIS CODE SHOULD BE INVENTED.
I'LL BE, THAT'S A DARN GOOD QUESTION, BECAUSE THAT'S THE SAME QUESTION I HAVE.
AND I, IN THIS REPORT, THERE IS A MEMO THAT SAID IN 2016 THAT IT WAS MELISSA CUMMINGS AND AUNT MEYER THAT INVENTED IT.
ARE THESE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SAYING,
[00:10:01]
UH, UH, I'M GONNA JUST YIELD TO HIM 'CAUSE HE'S BETTER.'CAUSE I'M GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU, UH, AS HE MENTIONED, WHEN WE'RE CLOSING, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT EVEN DISCUSSED ARE NOT EVEN IN THE DEPARTMENT ANYMORE.
BUT ANYWAY, CHIEF SATELLITE, YOU WANT TO THANK YOU MAYOR ADDRESS THAT.
ACTUALLY, I DID COVER IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION.
SO WE HAD A SUSPENDED CODE THAT WAS IN INVESTIGATIONS, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING BEYOND JUST SUSPENDED.
AND SO WHEN INVESTIGATIONS WERE DONE BEFORE THE SCOPE WAS CREATED, IT COULD BE SUSPENDED BECAUSE PATROL MADE AN ARREST.
IT COULD BE SUSPENDED BECAUSE THERE WERE NO WORKABLE LEADS, OR IT COULD BE SUSPENDED BECAUSE THERE WERE WORKABLE LEADS, BUT NO P NO PERSONNEL AVAILABLE TO DO THE INVESTIGATION.
SO WHEN THEY CREATED IT, AND, AND I SAID IT, IT WAS EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF MEYER AND ASSISTANT CHIEF DON MCKINNEY.
THEIR EFFORT, THEIR GOAL WAS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW WE'RE SUSPENDING THOSE CASES BECAUSE, AND WE NEED DATA ON THAT.
AND THAT WAS A PART OF COMPLYING WITH THE NEW RMS THAT WE WERE, WE WERE VENTURING INTO.
AND THEN ALSO TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY CASES FOR THOSE CASES, THEIR INTENT WAS FOR THOSE CASES THAT WERE SUSPENDED WITH WORKABLE LEADS THAT ON THE PROMISE OF MORE PEOPLE, THOSE CASES MIGHT BE REOPENED OR MORE INFORMATION BECAUSE A LOT OF 'EM PRESUMABLY WERE NOT AS STRONG OF A CASE, AND SO THEREFORE THEY WERE WORKABLE.
LEADS NOT AS STRONG AND THEY WERE SUSPENDED, LACK OF PERSONNEL.
SO THERE, THAT IS THE CREATION OF THE SUSPENDED, UH, LACK OF PERSONNEL CODE.
THEY JUST NEVER, AND, AND I HAVEN'T TALKED TO THEM PERSONALLY, UH, IN FACE, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THEY PROBABLY NEVER IMAGINED IT BEING USED IN THE MANNER THAT IT WAS USED.
THE PROBLEM WAS, AND AS I STATED, UM, THERE WERE NO GUARDRAILS.
THERE WERE NO PARAMETERS INTO WHERE YOU COULD USE IT AND WHERE YOU COULD NOT USE IT.
AND THE TRAINING THAT WAS EMPLOYED WERE INVESTIGATORS.
AGAIN, TO MY KNOWLEDGE AND OUR INVESTIGATION, THERE WERE NO GUARDRAILS OR PARAMETERS.
GOOD INTENT ON TRYING TO CREATE IT.
HOW INVOLVED WERE ASSISTANT CHIEF WYATT MARTIN, AS WELL AS DON
SO THEY WERE A PART OF THIS WITH A WHOLE TEAM.
THERE WERE LOTS OF PEOPLE, ALL OF THE COMMANDERS, EVERYBODY THAT'S BEING TOUCHED BY THIS.
SO THEY WERE INVOLVED AS WELL AS WE WERE, THEY WERE PUTTING TOGETHER, THERE WAS WEEK, DAILY, ALMOST DAILY MEETINGS.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO, YOU KNOW, INPUT FROM, UH, THE INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
THEY, THEY, I WANNA BE CLEAR, THEY WERE STAYING INDEPENDENT.
IT'S NOT LIKE, BUT THEY NEEDED INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE IN INVESTIGATIONS HAD.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE ALL THE OUTREACH GROUPS ALSO, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THE HAWK AND ALL THEM, BUT YOU ASKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UH, CHIEF MARTIN, HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THAT REPORT ALONG WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER PEOPLE.
AND I ASK, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN AN ALLEGATION MADE WITH REGARDS TO RETALIATION INVOLVING A COMMANDER WHO BROUGHT FORTH KEY INFORMATION DURING THE COURSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION.
AND THOSE TWO PEOPLE WERE STILL INVOLVED IN THIS NOTE PRESENTED.
SO HOW CERTAIN IS IT THAT HOUSTONIANS ARE GETTING THE COMPLETE STORY HERE TODAY WITH THIS REPORT, CONSIDERING THAT TWO OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED WERE ACTUALLY PART OF A COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST THEM FOR RETALIATION, FOR BRINGING KEY INFORMATION TO LIFE ABOUT THIS.
SO I HAVE ASKED ALL OF EVERYBODY INVOLVED, UH, IN THE MEETINGS, CERTAINLY IN THE LAST SEVERAL MEETINGS WHERE THIS WAS IMMINENT AND READY TO BE PRESENTED.
IS THERE ANYTHING, AND IT WASN'T JUST THE TWO INDIVIDUALS, THE TWO COLLEAGUES THAT YOU WERE MENTIONING, BUT IT WAS MULTIPLE PEOPLE.
IS THERE ANYTHING IN THERE THAT IS NOT ACCURATE? MOST OF THE STUFF THAT'S IN THAT REPORT HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED.
YOU KNOW, THAT, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S BEEN ALL OF THE CIRCULARS, THE MEMO, THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATEMENT THAT STARTED, AND EVERYTHING'S OUT THERE ALREADY.
SO WHAT'S IN THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED BY THE MEDIA IN ADVANCE OF THIS.
HOWEVER, WHAT WE PROVIDED WAS CONTEXT, WHAT WE PROVIDED TO THE DEGREE WE COULD, BECAUSE THERE IS AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION.
AND SO WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT THAT, ESPECIALLY THE ONE YOU JUST MENTIONED, BECAUSE I CAN'T TALK ABOUT THAT IT WAS JUST FILED.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT FOR A LOT OF YOU, I DOUBT YOU'RE HEARING A TON OF NEW STUFF BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO WIDELY REPORTED IN THE MEDIA ALREADY.
THE DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS, THE DIFFERENT STATEMENTS, A LOT OF IT PEOPLE
[00:15:01]
ARE TALKING TO THE MEDIA.BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS GIVE YOU AN ACCURATE PICTURE OF WHAT, WHAT OCCURRED.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WAS, HOW IT, WHAT, HOW IT HAPPENED, WHY IT HAPPENED, BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT BAD PEOPLE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT CREATED THIS CODE OR, OR OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED.
MISTAKES WERE MADE, MRS. WERE MADE.
AND THERE ARE REAL VICTIMS. YOU CAN'T RUN FROM THAT.
BUT THAT, BUT YOU'RE, BUT YOU'RE, I YOU'RE ASKING THE VALIDITY OF THE REPORT.
IT'S AS VALID, IT'S AS VALID AS I CAN STAND BEFORE YOU AND SAY AS MUCH AS OVERSIGHT AS I'VE HAD.
AND I'VE GOT COLLEAGUES THAT ARE IN THE OTHER ROOM THAT WERE DOING IT, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEFS AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
I HAVE ASKED EVERY ONE OF 'EM.
IS THERE, IS THERE VERY PAGE, IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG HERE? AND WHEN YOU ASKED ALL OF THOSE MEMBERS OF LEADERSHIP AS YOU WENT TO THAT, TO ASK THEM THIS ALL OVER AGAIN, WERE MARTIN AND CRAWFORD STILL A PART OF THIS? AFTER THE COMPLAINT WAS ISSUED? THE COMPLAINT WAS JUST ISSUED TO, OKAY.
SO WE WERE ALREADY PRETTY MUCH DONE WITH THE REPORT.
WE WERE PUTTING FINISHING TOUCHES ON IT.
THE COMPLAINT WAS JUST ISSUED.
AND THAT'S WHY I CAN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE WERE AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE COMPLAINT.
AND MY QUESTION WAS, DID YOU GO BACK TO THEM AGAIN AFTER THE COMPLAINT WAS ISSUED, SIR? UH, TO THE EVERYBODY? YES.
NO, I JUST ASKED THAT QUESTION YESTERDAY.
THE LAST, BEFORE I WALKED OUT OF THE ROOM YESTERDAY WITH THE GROUP.
IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS REPORT THAT IS INACCURATE? I OVERSAW, I SAW A LOT OF IT, BUT I'M RUNNING THE DEPARTMENT, SO I DIDN'T OVERSEE EVERYTHING, BUT I HAVE TRUSTED AGENTS IN THERE, AND EVERYONE FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES SAID, THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE THAT'S NOT ACCURATE.
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANNA SAY ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON ANYBODY INAPPROPRIATELY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO YOU WENT BACK AND ASKED THAT QUESTION YESTERDAY, CRAWFORD AND MARTIN, YESTERDAY.
I ASKED EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, SO I NOT NOT COMMANDER CRAWFORD.
SHE'S, SHE WASN'T THERE, BUT IT WAS ASSISTANT CHIEF MARTIN WAS THERE.
EVEN THOSE HAD BEEN LEVIED AGAINST IN THIS ALLEGATION.
I MEAN, THE ALLEGATION, BUT THE, THE REPORT, LIKE I SAID, WAS, WAS NEAR, WAS REALLY COMPLETE.
I THINK WE WERE MAKING, BECAUSE I HAD BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THERE WAS A COUPLE OF THINGS WE WANTED TO ADD THAT CAME FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, BUT NOT ANYTHING, UH, THAT I KNOW OF FROM HIM.
SO YOU'RE, I'M, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M GONNA GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW, LIKE I SAID, WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT ANY COMPLAINTS, BUT THE TEAM THAT WAS WORKING ON THIS WE'RE WORKING AND MAKING REVISION AFTER REVISION, AFTER REVISION.
AND MOST OF EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THAT REPORT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS IN THE MEDIA.
SO AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT REALLY COMES TO A BIG SURPRISE TO MOST OF YOU.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAD SEEN THIS TYPE OF PRESENTATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS WATCHING THIS ON THE FEED BEHIND THE MAYOR'S LAW.
YOU SPOKE FOR, I BELIEVE, OVER AN HOUR THERE, SIR.
AND YOU TOOK THE QUESTIONS FROM EVERYBODY, BUT THERE WAS ONE THING THAT WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM YOU.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE FRAGILITY.
WE TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU MADE MISTAKES, BUT THE HOUSTONIANS OUT THERE AS WELL AS TO THE FACT THAT BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING TO COME HERE FOR CORPORATIONS TO INVEST IN OUR CITY.
AND THOSE CORPORATIONS WILL HELP FUNNEL NEW JOBS BY PRESENTING, BRINGING COMPANIES HERE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY REMORSE OVER THIS TO THE CITY? I ACTUALLY THINK I DID SAY NOT THOSE WORDS, BUT I THINK I, FIRST, I STARTED OUT THE VERY FIRST THING, ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO REACH OUT.
WERE REAL VICTIMS HERE AND WE HATE THAT.
AND THAT WE ARE SO, SO HATING THAT THIS ALL HAPPENED TO THE PUBLIC.
I MEAN, REACHING OUT TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE OWE TRUST TO, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE TO SERVE.
YOU HAVE A GOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I SAID, PRIMARILY IT WAS AT LEADERSHIP.
ARE YOU SORRY, SIR? I AM DEVASTATED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
I, THIS IS MY DEPARTMENT, 34 YEARS, I HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS AND ALWAYS, AND I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE AND BLESSED TO MOVE UP IN THE RANKS.
AND MY GOAL WAS ALWAYS TO MAKE THIS PLACE BETTER THAN BEFORE, THAN WHEN I GOT HERE.
I AM DEVASTATED THAT THIS HAPPENED.
AND THERE ISN'T A MAN AND WOMAN IN THERE THAT ISN'T, WE ALL ARE.
WE NEED THE TRUST AND THEY'RE GOOD.
AND I HATE THAT THIS MIGHT OVERSHADOW SOME GOOD, THAT THIS DEPARTMENT DOES.
WHEN I LEAVE HERE, I NEED, I WANT KNOW THAT I'VE DONE EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE IT BETTER.
HOW DO YOU,
YEAH, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, SIR, FROM DAY ONE.
HOW, HOW DO ESTONIANS KNOW THAT, WHETHER IT'S WITH AN HP OR WHAT OTHERS CAPACITY YOU MIGHT BE WITHIN THE REPORT THAT YOU WON'T MISS SOMETHING LIKE THIS
[00:20:01]
AGAIN.AND YOU INDICATED YOU MISSED IT.
UM, AND I'M, I'M NOT A BIG NAME CALLER.
UM, I BELIEVE AS LEADERSHIP, WE HAVE TO OWN IT.
I'M A PART OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM AND WE HAVE TO OWN IT AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM.
THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE BEFORE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE NOW.
UH, AND HOW I MIGHT DO IN FUTURE, I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
IF THERE'S ANOTHER WAY THAT I CAN SERVE, I'M GOING TO, I'LL ALWAYS TRY TO DO MY VERY BEST.
I WANT, IT'S LIKE I JUST SAID, I'M NOT PERFECT, BUT I'M GONNA DO MY VERY BEST TO MAKE SURE I DON'T MISS ANYTHING.
OKAY? THIS ONE WILL GO WITH US.
THIS WILL GO WITH ME NO MATTER WHAT, BECAUSE THIS IS MY DEPARTMENT AND THIS HAPPENED IN MY DEPARTMENT.
LAST QUESTION WITH REGARDS TO YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM AND IMPRESSIVE SHOWING THERE, EVERYBODY WAS IMPORTANT, HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN EAC THAT WAS MISSING.
AND HATCHER, WHAT'S HER STATUS, SIR? SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, IS SHE STILL AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF? SHE WILL NOT BE A PART OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM.
HAS SHE BEEN DEMOTED? THE SHE IS STILL MAKING DECISIONS.
AND IN RESPECT TO HER, I'M LETTING HER MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
AND SHE HAS SOME TIME TO DO THAT.
UM, AND THE MAYOR'S APPOINT, YOU KNOW, WE, SO SHE HAS SOME TIME, 31 YEARS OF SERVICE.
I WILL SAY THIS, AT OUR LEVEL, AT THE CHIEF LEVEL, WHEN WE PUT ON THE EXTRA STAR, WE ALL KNOW IT'S AN APPOINTED POSITION AND THINGS CAN HAPPEN SOMETIMES WITHIN OUR CONTROL, SOMETIMES WITHOUT OUR CONTROL.
EITHER WAY, WE CAN STILL NO LONGER BE ON THE TEAM.
THAT'S THE DEAL WE ALL TAKE AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO CHIEF HATCHER, 31 YEARS DEDICATED, WE'LL MAKE DECISIONS FOR HER.
OKAY? BUT SHE IS RIGHT NOW AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SHE SHOULD CONFIRM, UH, IF ANYONE WAS EVER DISCIPLINED.
AND IF SO, HOW? HOW SO THE, THE ALL THE IAD CASES, AND I KNOW Y'ALL FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN TAKING REALLY LONG, AND THEY HAVE, BUT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE JUST GONE THROUGH OUR INDEPENDENT, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE.
AND THEY'VE JUST GONE THROUGH OUR INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD AND ALSO OUR DE OUR CITY OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL ARE LOOKING.
SO I HAVEN'T FINALIZED CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM ON ALL THE CASES THEY HAVE A SAY.
ULTIMATELY, THE FINAL, FINAL ENDS WITH ME.
THIS ONE I WANTED TO CAUTION AND, AND MANAGE EXPECTATIONS.
A LOT OF THE OFFICERS AND EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THIS, THEY WERE ACTING WITHIN POLICY.
YOU KNOW, WE DISAGREE WITH THE POLICY.
AND I THINK IN HINDSIGHT, THAT'S, WE CAN ALL SAY ULTIMATELY THE WRONG THING WAS DONE, THE INTENT BEING WHAT IT WAS.
BUT IF YOU'RE ACTING WITHIN POLICY IN OUR DEPARTMENT, THEN THE RESPONSIBILITY GOES BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO WRITE THE POLICY, WHICH IS LEADERSHIP.
NOT NOT THE INVESTIGATORS, NOT THE OFFICERS ON THE LINE.
BUT WILL THERE BE INDIVIDUALS HELD ACCOUNTABLE? AND WHEN, AND IF THAT HAPPENS, WILL YOU, WHERE, WHERE IT IS APPROPRIATE, WHERE IT IS APPROPRIATE, UH, DISCIPLINE SITES WILL, WILL BE ISSUED.
BUT WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE, AGAIN, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A WIDE SWATH OF A LOT OF DISCIPLINE, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME SAY RIGHT FRONT, IT WON'T BE THAT WAY.
WE ALL HAVE TO LIVE WITH THIS.
WE ALL FACE THIS AND IT'S NOW GOING TO BE, IT'S THERE AND IT'S A MARK GOOD DEPARTMENT, BUT WE GOT A MARK.
BUT THE REALITY IS, UM, WHEN I SAY SYSTEMIC FAILURE, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST ONE PERSON.
SO ITS MAY NOT SEE A WIDE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING DISCIPLINED, UH, A LOT.
THERE WERE A LOT OF MOVES, A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVED DIFFERENT POSITIONS.
I DON'T, I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT.
CHIEF, YOU, UH, WE'VE HEARD A COUPLE DIFFERENT NUMBERS ABOUT WHAT IT COST TO FINANCE THIS REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION.
CAN YOU TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, THE MONEY ASPECT OF THIS? SURE.
SO WHEN WE, WHEN THIS WAS THE MAGNITUDE OF IT WAS DISCOVERED AND THEN WE PUT INTO PLACE A PLAN TO RESPOND IT, WE PULLED IN OFFICERS ON OVERTIME.
THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION GRANT AUTHORIZED THE OVERTIME.
AND I THINK OUR ACTUAL NUMBER RIGHT NOW IS JUST UNDER 2.8 MILLION.
HOWEVER, UH, WE WILL VERY QUICKLY EXCEED 3 MILLION AND BEYOND BECAUSE WE ARE STILL GOING THROUGH CASES, ESPECIALLY PROPERTY CRIME, UH, AND OTHER CASES.
AND IT'S JUST GONNA TAKE TIME.
AND WE WANT TO BRING THESE TO CLOSURE ON BEHALF OF THE PERSONS WHO WERE VICTIMIZED, RIGHT? SO THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
[00:25:01]
BUT WE BROUGHT IN OFFICERS FROM ALL OVER THE DEPARTMENT.THEY WERE PULLED FROM OTHER ASSIGNMENTS.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THAT WE DID A WHOLE LOT IN A VERY SHORT TIME.
AND A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL SAY, WELL, IF YOU CAN DO THAT, WHY CAN'T YOU ALWAYS DO IT? 12 AND 14 HOUR SHIFTS CONSTANTLY.
UM, DOING THIS KIND OF WORK WILL CREATE BURNOUT AND THE ULTIMATELY WILL LEAD TO POORER INVESTIGATIONS.
WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE JUST GOT OFF OF TWELVES OR, YOU KNOW, MOBILIZATION FOR HURRICANE BURL.
IT TAXES OUR PEOPLE AND, AND THEY NEED TO BE, I NEED 'EM TO BE, YOU KNOW, FULLY READY AND REFRESHED WHEN THEY'RE GOING OUT INTO THE FIELD BECAUSE THEY'RE FACING DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.
SO I HAVE, WE, SO HOW IT WORKS IS WE BROUGHT 'EM IN, WHICH MEANT THAT WE HAD TO PULL 'EM OFF OF OTHER ASSIGNMENTS.
AND WE ALSO PAID OVERTIME TO GET THROUGH THESE CASES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO AS WAS STATED, I THINK EARLIER BY THE MAYOR AT THE HORSESHOE, THERE WERE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DID NOT HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT THEY NORMALLY EXPECT THEM TO BE IN.
THERE WERE OTHER DUTIES, UM, AND, AND PROBLEMS THAT ARE NUISANCE RELATED OR WORSE, MORE HIGHER CRIMES THAT DIDN'T GET THE ATTENTION THAT THEY NEEDED BECAUSE WE WERE FOCUSED ON THIS.
WE NEED MORE PEOPLE, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
UM, AN EXTRA JOB THAT PROBABLY REQUIRES MORE OFFICERS.
IN YOUR REPORT, YOU MENTIONED, UH, FELONIES, MISDEMEANORS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THIS.
ARE WE EXPECTING ANY SORT OF COMPREHENSIVE LIST THAT SHOW WHAT CASES RECEIVED CHARGES? YES.
LEGAL SUSPECTS ARE THAT SORT OF REPORT.
SO I BELIEVE, UH, AS I REPORTED EARLIER, AND I'M, NOW, I'M PULLING FROM MY MEMORY, BUT I THINK WE HAD, UH, CHARGES OF 111, UH, FELONIES AND, AND THEN, UM, MORE SO ON MISDEMEANOR.
SO YES, WE WILL BE MAKING REPORTS, YOU KNOW, THOSE REPORTS WILL BE COMING OUT AND THE NUMBER OF CHARGES, THE FELONY, MISDEMEANOR AND ALL THOSE THINGS, IT'S IN THE REPORT.
SO YOU HAVE IT, UH, EITHER IN THE SLIDE DECK OR THE ACTUAL REPORT.
AND ACTUALLY THE ACTUAL REPORT IS, IS MORE COMPREHENSIVE.
AND, AND, UM, AND ANOTHER THING ON THAT NOTE, YOU KNOW, WE, THE, THE PLAN, YOU KNOW, THE ULTIMATE DECISION WAS WE ANSWERED TO THE PUBLIC, LET'S TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED IN THE EXECUTIVE REPORT AND NOT, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE CHIEF, THIS WAS ADDRESSED BEFORE COUNSEL, UH, A LITTLE BIT.
I KNOW YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS OF HOW THE CRIME RATE WILL CHANGE MM-HMM
ONCE THESE CASES ARE LOOKED INTO AND SOLVED.
SO I THINK, UM, THERE MIGHT, THERE MIGHT BE SOME VARIANCE BECAUSE AS WE GET MORE CASES, WE LOOK INTO, UM, WE MIGHT FIND MORE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT CRIMES.
SO WHAT, WHAT'S TITLED IN A REPORT COMING IN SOMETIMES IS NOT WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS.
SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE TITLED A RO A THEFT AND IT'S ACTUALLY A ROBBERY, OR VICE VERSA.
IT MIGHT BE TITLED I WAS ROBBED AND IT ACTUALLY WAS A THEFT.
SOMEBODY BROKE INTO THEIR CAR AND SOLD THEIR PURSE.
RIGHT? AND SO PROPER TITLING AND ALL THOSE THINGS WILL AFFECT DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES AND HOW THEY'RE REPORTED.
UM, THE ONES THAT ARE LESS LIKELY TO CHANGE ARE LIKE HOMICIDE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, THOSE, UH, BEING A SMALLER NUMBER AND, AND SO MANY THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT, THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE PROBABLY MORE ACCURATE, CONFIDENT, UM, AND MAY NOT CHANGE AT ALL.
BUT WHEN YOU GET TO THE OTHER CRIMES, WHEN THERE'S A LOT HIGHER VOLUME, IT'S, IT, I DON'T THINK IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY GONNA CHANGE, BUT I THINK THERE WILL BE SOME CHANGE THERE.
YOU SAID NON HBD QUESTION CATCH MM-HMM
UM, I, I WANT TO TEAR SOMETHING UP.
UH, MARIO, IT DID NOT HAPPEN ON MY WATCH.
I'M IN A CLEANUP MODE RECOVERY, IF YOU MIGHT SAY, FROM THIS CRISIS, BUT I APOLOGIZE TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, THE CITY LEADERSHIP AND HPD LEADERSHIP, LET THEM DOWN.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE WHAT A GREAT CITY WE HAVE THROUGH SOME EFFORT THROUGH MAINTAINED PUBLIC SAFETY.
JUST DURING THE STORM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A HUNDRED OFFICERS FROM COLLABORATION AROUND THE STATE.
WE WORK WITH OUR CONSTABLES, WE HAVE PARTNERSHIP WITH DPS.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE DON'T HAVE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AT THE STATE COUNTY CONSTABLES, THE ADJOINING PRECINCTS.
BUT, UH, WE WANT HPD TO BE THE VERY BEST IT CAN BE.
THE RANK AND FILE GO TO WORK EVERY DAY AND PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE IN MY OFFICE MARRIED TO HPD OFFICERS, UH, IT DOES IMPACT YOUR FAMILY.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS.
[00:30:01]
AN APOLOGY AND PEOPLE ARE STILL MOVING TO HOUSTON.UH, THE CHIEF'S DOCUMENTED FEWER OFFICERS THAN 10 YEARS AGO.
ALTHOUGH WE'VE GROWN BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS AND IT'S NOT GONNA SLOW DOWN ANYTIME SOON.
THE GROWTH WE'VE BEEN DISCOVERED, PEOPLE WANT TO BE HERE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SO WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THE OFFICERS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AND FAR.
AND THEN ALSO WE'VE GOT TO DOUBLE DOWN.
I SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO BE CREATIVE ABOUT RECRUITING OUR BEST RECRUITERS OR HPD OFFICERS.
THEY WANTED TO WORK IN MY ADMINISTRATION.
THEY KNOW WE'RE TELLING IT LIKE IT IS, AND THEY'RE RECRUITING THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS TO JOIN US.
I'M TALKING TO THE LEGISLATURE ABOUT MEASURES THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO BRING ON, UH, RECRUITS THAT LOSING AFTER HIGH SCHOOL AND BEFORE THEY TURNED 21 THEY JOINED THE ARMY OR MOVE ON TO OTHER OCCUPATIONS.
WE WANT TO GET AHOLD OF THOSE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES.
SOME HAVE GONE TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY.
WE WANT THEM TO BE HPD OFFICERS AND IT'S PRETTY EXCITING.
SO WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HAVE BEEN REVEALED TODAY, BUT, UH, WE'RE NOT KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD ANY LONGER.
QUICK POINT OF CLARIFICATION ON ITEM 11.
SO YESTERDAY, YOUR OFFICE WAS ADAMANT THAT YOU HADN'T WITH THIS BOARD, THAT IT WAS OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO IT'S THE PICKETING ORDINANCE.
SO THEY WERE ADAMANT THAT YOU HADN'T BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, THAT IT WAS OTHER ALLEGED.
UH, WE'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOUR INTERPRETATION OF BRINGING SOMETHING FORWARD, UH, BUT THAT'S WHAT SOMEONE ON MY TEAM APPARENTLY SAID THAT IT'S BROUGHT FORWARD BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THERE WAS A LOT OF MISINFORMATION.
THOSE VARIED PROTESTORS WERE PUTTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA MISREPRESENTATION.
NO ONE WAS GONNA BE PREVENTED FROM PAROLE TESTING.
IT WAS JUST, YOU HAVE TO DO IT AND RESPECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOLLOWING DALLAS AND OTHER FOLKS TODAY, IT SEEMED PRETTY CLEAR THAT THIS WAS IN REGARDS TO AN ISSUE AT YOUR HOME
AND, OKAY, LET ME, I I, IT'S A NICE TRY, BUT IT'S NOT JUST DIRECTED AT MY RESIDENCE.
LIZZIE FLETCHER CONGRESSWOMAN, VERY FRIGHTENED AT HOME, YOUNG KIDS SENATOR CRUZ.
IT'S GONNA BE OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE DRAWING PROTESTORS.
WHAT'S REALLY FASCINATING IS THEY'RE PROTESTING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AND BECOMING MUCH LARGER NUMBERS AND MORE AGGRESSIVE OVER SOMETHING THAT'S NOT EVEN A CITY ISSUE.
SO WE STARTED BEING ADVISED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE LOOKED AT ORDINANCES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE SUPREME COURT BACKS WHAT WE DID.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT CRITICS AND, UH, DARN NEAR ANYTHING I'M GONNA PROPOSE WHETHER IT'S MORE SAFETY OR BETTER TRANSPORTATION.
UH, I'VE GOT CRITICS OUT THERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WITNESSING.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M DOING IT FOR YOU.
I COULD SEE WHERE PERHAPS SOMEONE MIGHT WANT PROTEST IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME.
SO THE INITIAL STORY, THOUGH, WAS THAT OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS HAD PITCHED THIS TO YOU.
SO WAS IT FLETCHER? I'M JUST TELLING YOU.
OR WAS IT YOU? WE WALKED, WE WORKED THE ENTIRE, THE ENTIRE GROUP.
YOU, THE THREE OF YOU WORKED AS A GROUP.
WHERE'D YOU COME UP WITH THAT? YOU SAID WE WORKED AS A GROUP.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND YOU ABOUT THIS.
WELL, SEE, THAT'S HOW YOU, THAT'S HOW WE GET MISREPRESENTATIONS.
YOU JUST, WE WORKED THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
I WAS TOLD A LARGE NUMBER WANTED TO GO FORWARD.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE REFERENCING.
WE WOULD NOT TAKE SOMETHING OUT THERE IF IT WON.
IT WAS NOT CREDIBLE NEEDED LEGAL.
AND WHEN WE TALKED TO THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THEY WANTED SOME MORE INFORMATION.
'CAUSE THEY'RE READING THE MISINFORMATION.
UH, IT'S VERY CONSTITUTIONAL, BEEN IN, IMPLEMENTED IN OTHER CITIES, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD THE DESCRIPTION.
MY NEIGHBORHOOD CANNOT LIVE IN PEACE.
IF YOU'RE GONNA ALLOW PEOPLE AT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT WITH BULLHORNS DRUMS, SHINING LIGHTS INTO YOUR HOUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU OUGHT TO BE IN MY SHOES.
GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR FOR FEAR.
AND I'VE GOT YOUNG FAMILY GRANDSONS.
I GOT NEIGHBORS THAT ARE BEING PUT THROUGH THIS.
IT'S UNNECESSARY AND SHOULD BE PERMITTED.
I TALKED TO HPD, THEY'RE USING LARGE RESOURCES TO PROTECT RESIDENCES.
AND SO NOW IF YOU CAN JUST BACK 'EM BACK FROM THE FRONT DOOR, IT'S GONNA BE A BETTER COMMUNITY FOR ALL OF US.
JUST TO CLARIFY THOUGH, I MEAN, YOU STILL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
I'M JUST CONFUSED AS TO WHY YOU WON'T TAKE OWNERSHIP OF IT.
I I CAN'T BE ANY MORE CLEARER.
[00:35:02]
I LEAD THE COUNCIL, I SET THE AGENDA, I PROPOSED THE IDEA.
HMM? I SAID THANKS FOR CLEARING THAT UP.
AND WE DO HAVE A TWO O'CLOCK MEETING.
MAYOR, WE WANNA START WRAPPING UP.
NO, I'M ENJOYING, I'M ENJOYING THIS TOO MUCH.
HAS ANYONE ELSE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM? SO PRIOR TO ME TAKING OVER, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FORMERLY ASSISTANT CHIEF KEVIN D AND FORMERLY ASSISTANT CHIEF ERNEST GARCIA WERE DEMOTED TO COMMANDER.
UM, SO THAT WAS THE OTHER TWO.
THAT THERE'S NO ONE ELSE AT THIS POINT, UM, THAT, THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE TEAM.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT WAS YOU TALKED ABOUT ISSUING A DIRECTIVE ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE SOME OF THIS MOVING FORWARD.
I MEAN, IS THAT WRITTEN DOWN? IS THERE YES, YES.
WE, WE, WE, IN IN OUR MEETINGS, MULTIPLE MEETINGS IN OUR MINUTES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, AND IT WAS CATEGORIZED.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE THE CHIEF OF STAFF RIGHT NOW, UH, COMMANDER GARCIA, WHO'S ALSO GONNA DO SPANISH FOR US IF YOU NEED, IF, IF NEEDED MM-HMM
UM, BUT YEAH, THIS IS, THEY ALL, EVERYBODY KNOWS THE POLICY.
UM, AGAIN, WHAT I HATE, WHAT I HATE ABOUT IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO DO ALL CRIMES.
SO PROPERTY CRIMES WILL SUFFER, BUT WE HAVE SAID ALL SERIOUS VIOLENT CRIMES ARE GONNA GET INVESTIGATED.
IF THERE'S ANY WORKABLE LEADS AT ALL, THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
AND BY THE WAY, I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP AGAIN.
I THOUGHT I SAID IT IN ABOUT A MULTIPLE WAYS.
WE LIKE THE MAYOR, WE, WE HATE WHAT HAPPENED.
AND I HAVE, AND AS A MEMBER OF THIS DEPARTMENT AND NOW REPRESENTING IT, I AM SO SORRY TO AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY IN THE CITY.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THEIR TRUST.
NOBODY WANTED THIS TO HAPPEN AND WE'RE FIXING THIS, BUT IT DID HAPPEN.
AND, UM, AND THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO THAT, RIGHT? UH, AND IT, THE CONSEQUENCES ARE MOST IMPACTFUL AROUND LEADERSHIP BECAUSE WE NEED THE MEN AND LI WOMEN OF THIS DEPARTMENT TO TRUST THE PEOPLE MAKING THE DECISIONS ALL THE WAY UP THE CHAIN.
THEY NEED TO HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE TOO.
CHIEF THE REPORT, UM, YOU'VE SPOKEN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY SPEAK TO THE LEVEL OF HARM OR THE EXTENT HARM.
UM, YOU SAID THERE ARE REAL VICTIMS AND THE REPORT HAS THE NUMBER OF CHARGES, BUT I THINK THERE'S TWO THINGS AT PLAY WHERE THERE ARE REPORTS THAT WERE, UM, MISCLASSIFIED.
THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED, BUT THEY WERE USED THE WRONG CODE.
AND THEN THERE ARE CASES WHERE, UM, AND I WOULD HOPE TO GET TO THIS MATTER, THERE ARE CASES WHERE ARREST PERHAPS POTENTIALLY WEREN'T MADE AND, UM, LEADS WEREN'T FOLLOWED UP ON.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE
WE HAD A SEXUAL ASSAULT, A ROBBERY, AND A SEXUAL ASSAULT.
AND THERE WAS A PRIOR CASE, AND IT'S HOW WE FOUND OUT ABOUT IT, WHICH IS THE CASE THAT BROKE ALL THIS OPEN.
WE FINALLY DID OUR DEEP DIVE WHEN WE FINALLY SAID, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AT, I GUESS AT OUR LEVEL.
AND, UM, AND THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT IF WE'D HAVE DONE EVERYTHING IN THE FIRST CASE, THAT SECOND ONE WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.
SO THERE ARE REAL VICTIMS, RIGHT? BUT AS, AS FAR AS LIKE THERE BEING POTENTIALLY DETAILED ACCOUNTING OF, YOU KNOW, WARREN BAILS AND YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, ACCOUNT FOR THE PRIVACY OF VICTIMS, OF COURSE, BUT YES, SO THAT'S ALWAYS THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS, THE VICTIMS. THOSE ARE OUR FIRST PRIORITY.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY, AS, AS, AS CASES ARE INVESTIGATED AND INFORMATION IS KNOWN, UH, MORE MAY COME OUT.
UH, AGAIN, PART OF THAT IS VICTIM CENTERED FIRST AND FOREMOST.
SO WE'RE NOT RUNNING AWAY FROM ANY OF THESE THINGS.
WE'RE GONNA TELL THE STORY WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD, BUT UM, NOW WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
MAYOR, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU MAY KNOW WHO OUR NEXT, UH, CHIEF IS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT YOU'RE ABLE TO SHARE ON A PERMANENT TRUSTEE? NO, NOT, NOT TODAY.
THIS IS THE FOCUS OF, UH, THIS REPORT.
AND, UH, I THINK CHIEF SATTERWHITE, AS I SAID IN COUNCIL, IT'S PAINFUL.
HE SPENT HIS ADULT LIFE IN THE DEPARTMENT AND, UH, BEEN TO FUNERALS, BEEN GOOD TIMES TOO.
AND, UH, ANY FUTURE DECISIONS, WE'LL DISCUSS ANOTHER DAY.
OTHER THAN THAT, THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
YOU WANT TO DO SPANISH REAL QUICK? OH, YEAH, YEAH, I GET SOME.
MAYOR, DO Y'ALL NEED TO SPANISH? YEAH.
[00:40:01]
OKAY.I HAVE YOUR BRIEF ON THIS ONE,