[Mayor Whitmire Announces HPD Cadet Pay Increase]
[00:00:22]
FIRST OF ALL, I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE FOR 52 YEARS, CHAIRMAN OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
I'VE BEEN TO MANY, MANY CADET GRADUATIONS, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS FIRST TIME I'VE GOT TO ADDRESS AN ACTIVE, UH, CADET CLASS.
I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED, UH, WHY Y'ALL WERE NOT MORE PROVIDED FOR IN THE POLICE CONTRACT.
I WORK WITH HPOU AND THE OTHER EMPLOYEE GROUPS, AND I'LL SAY, WHY DO THE CADETS? MOST OF THEM, IN FACT, I, I COULD DO A SHOW OF HANDS, BUT I KNOW MOST OF YOU PROBABLY TOOK A SALARY CUT TO BECOME A CADET.
42,000 IS NOT MUCH TO ASK SOMEONE TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES.
SO I CAN EITHER TELL YOU WHY I WANTED TO BE HERE IN PERSON VERSUS YOU READING ABOUT IT IN THE PRESS OR GETTING IT FROM THE COMMAND STAFF.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO TELL YOU NOW BECAUSE I'M NOT TOO TALKING TO YOU OR WAIT UNTIL YOU AT THE END, THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET A $10,000 RAISE WHILE YOU'RE IN THE ACADEMY.
YOU'LL GET THAT $10,000 RAISE IMMEDIATELY.
THEN WHEN YOU GET OUT AND YOU'RE CERTIFIED BY TOO CLOSE, YOU GET YOUR $5,000 INCENTIVE THAT IS STILL NOT APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE TO PUT YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE.
BUT IT IS A START IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO LET MEN AND WOMEN ACROSS THE STATE, THIS NATION AND THIS GREAT CITY TO KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO BECOME A HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER.
I'VE BEEN WITH POLICE OFFICERS IN THE BEST OF DAYS AND THE WORST OF DAYS, BUT ALWAYS IT'S A DEDICATED GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS.
NOT ALWAYS CLASSES AS DIVERSE AS THE ONE I'M STANDING THERE LOOKING AT.
I CAME OUTTA WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL, NORTHWEST HOUSTON IN 1968.
THAT'S WHERE THE OFFICERS CAME FROM.
SO I HAVE WATCHED THE TRANSITION OF THE DEPARTMENT TO BECOME ONE THAT REPRESENTS THE DIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND THIS GREAT NATION.
SO I'M HERE TODAY TO LET YOU KNOW THAT.
THANK YOU AND I WILL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND I KNOW THE DISCIPLINE Y'ALL ARE PRACTICING WHILE YOU'RE IN THE ACADEMY.
I'LL WATCH YOU AT THE GRADUATION.
I JUST SAW A LITTLE SAMPLE OF IT.
BUT IF YOUR INSTRUCTORS WOULD ALLOW, AND I THINK THEY KIND OF WORK FOR THE MAYOR, BUT I'M STILL PRETTY NEW IN THIS JOB.
I'D BE GLAD FOR ANY ONE OF YOU, A REPRESENTATIVE OF YOU OR INDIVIDUALLY STAND UP AND SAY, MAYOR, THANK YOU, OR MAYOR, THIS IS WHAT WE SUGGEST.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE AROUND ME.
I'M NOT ONE OF THE POLITICIANS THAT COMES AROUND FOR PHOTO OPS.
I'M NOT RUNNING FOR OFFICE TODAY.
I KNOW FOR A FACT THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT.
AND I'LL BE BACK BEFORE YOU WHEN YOU GRADUATE.
I'LL THANK YOUR FAMILIES FOR DOING SUCH A FINE JOB OF RAISING YOU.
SO I COULD BE AT A HUNDRED PLACES RIGHT NOW, BUT THIS IS WHERE I WANTED TO BE.
I COULD PUT OUT A PRESS RELEASE, WHICH WE WILL, TO LET HOUSTONIANS KNOW OUR SHOW OF COMMITMENT BY RAISING YOUR SALARY.
YOU'RE GONNA BE EXCITED TO WORK FOR THE COMMAND STAFF.
YOU COULDN'T HAVE A BETTER CHIEF.
THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD CHIEFS, BUT THIS INDIVIDUAL IS GONNA BACK YOU UP.
I'VE WORKED WITH HIM FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
YOU FOLLOW THE LAW AND FOLLOW YOUR TRAINING.
THIS CHIEF AND THIS MAYOR WILL BACK YOU UP.
THERE IS UNFORTUNATELY ACROSS THE NATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT IS AFRAID, OFTEN,
[00:05:02]
OFTEN AFRAID TO GET INVOLVED, OFTEN AFRAID TO DO THEIR JOB.I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THERE'S SOME CHATTER IN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, UNDERSTAFFED, UNDER-RESOURCED, GOT A VERY AGGRESSIVE DA THAT SOMETIME GOES TO LINKS TO WHAT HE WOULD SAY, HOLD OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE.
THEY DO THEIR JOB, FOLLOW THE LAW.
THEY'RE TRAINING, THEY'RE GETTING IN TROUBLE IN AUSTIN.
SO WHAT'S THE CHATTER AMONG OFFICERS? JUST DRIVE ON BY.
THAT MODEL DOESN'T WORK, FOLKS.
THE MODEL WE WANT IN HOUSTON IS LAW ENFORCEMENT.
PROTECT THE PUBLIC, PROTECT YOURSELF, YOUR FAMILY.
AND I'LL EVEN GO A STEP FURTHER.
I'VE BEEN WANTING TO SAY THIS TO A GROUP OF OFFICERS AND CERTAINLY CADETS, IT'S APPROPRIATE WHEN YOU PULL SOMEBODY OVER.
I BELIEVE IT'S YOUR DUTY TO TREAT THAT PERSON LIKE A FAMILY MEMBER.
AND THERE'S GONNA BE FOOLS GONNA BE SOME VIOLENT PEOPLE.
PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, PEOPLE WHO OWN DRUGS.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO USE FORCE TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND THE PUBLIC.
BUT IN EVERY INSTANCE THAT YOU CAN USE, WHEN YOU PULL SOMEBODY OVER FOR A DWI, THAT'S YOUR DRUNK BROTHER, IT'S YOUR DUTY TO SEE THAT THEY GET HOME SAFE AS YOU PROTECT THE PUBLIC, BUT TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY YOU'D WANNA BE TREATED.
I DON'T KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES YESTERDAY IN MIAMI BEFORE THE FOOTBALL GAME WHEN THEY PULLED OVER A STAR, A BLOCK FROM THE STADIUM.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT EXCHANGES TOOK PLACE BEFORE PULLING OVER, BUT SEVERAL OFFICERS THAT GATHERED THERE REAL QUICK, I THINK WOULD'VE BEEN WISE TO PROTECT THEMSELF TO THE PUBLIC, BUT TREAT THAT PERSON LIKE IT WAS A FAMILY MEMBER.
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LET HIM SAY, HELL, I'M JUST, I'M THE BALL PLAYER.
I'M NOT TRYING TO CREATE A PROBLEM NOW.
YOU KNOW, I QUIT MYERS TALKING ABOUT TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING HE KNOWS VERY LITTLE ABOUT.
IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN HAND LANGUAGE.
THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT COULD HAVE, THERE'S ALWAYS THE REST OF THE STORY.
BUT ALL I'M SAYING IS I'VE BEEN WANTING TO SAY TO MY LONG TIME, HPD FRIENDS, YOU KNOW, THINGS WOULD DO GO A LOT BETTER IF YOU TREAT SOMEBODY THAT YOU'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH.
LIKE IT'S A BROTHER OR COUSIN OR SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT BE ACTING LIKE A FOOL.
BUT IT'S REALLY YOUR DUTY TO SEE THAT THEY GET HOME SAFE.
SO WITH THAT SAID, I'M NOT EXPECTING ANY ONE OF Y'ALL TO ASK ME A QUESTION, BUT I SURE WISH SOMEONE WOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO KNOW.
WHAT'S IT TAKE TO GET MORE RECRUITS? AND I'M GOING TO ANSWER THIS GENTLEMAN'S QUESTION IN A MINUTE, BUT I NEED Y'ALL TO BE RECRUITERS FOR ME, HISTORICALLY, AND I TOLD YOU I CAME OUTTA WALTER IN 68, VERY ANGLO MALE DOMINATED DEPARTMENT AT THE TIME.
SO I'VE WATCHED IT TRANSITION AND, AND HISTORICALLY FIRE AND POLICE RECRUITS CAME THROUGH THE RECRUITING OF THE OFFICERS, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, THEIR NEIGHBORS, THEIR COUSINS.
WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN AWAY FROM THAT.
SO I'M LOOKING AT SOME, SOME RECRUITERS TODAY, YOU, I WANT YOU TO LEAVE HERE FIRED UP, I'LL SEE AT THE GRADUATION.
BUT THEN DO THE COMMUNITY AND YOURSELF A FAVOR.
JOIN THIS FINAL ORGANIZATION BECAUSE THE BETTER DAYS YOU'RE IN FRONT OF US.
AND SOMEDAY I HOPE ONE OF YOU WILL ASPIRE TO BE A COMMANDER, A CHIEF.
IT'S THE MOST YOU'LL, YOU'LL FIND OUT I'VE BEEN A PUBLIC SERVANT MY WHOLE LIFE.
I STARTED AT 22 AS A COLLEGE STUDENT KNOCKING DOORS.
THERE'S NO MORE REWARDING EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'RE SOON TO EXPERIENCE THAN TO HELP SOMEBODY IN NEED.
YOU KNOW, YOU WON'T GET RICH DOING THAT, BUT YOU SURE AS HECK ARE GONNA FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF AND THE WORLD IN, IN, AND THE PUBLIC'S GONNA APPRECIATE IT.
YOU INDICATED YOU WANT TO ASK A QUESTION, SIR? OKAY, HERNANDEZ, SIR.
UH, NOT A QUESTION, BUT ON BEHALF OF, UH, CLASS 2, 6, 7 AND ALL FUTURE CADETS, UH, WE JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR WORKING HARD FOR US.
UH, WE KNOW WHENEVER YOU GOT AN OFFICE STARTED WORKING REALLY, REALLY HARD FOR US.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING US AS WELL.
AND, UH, I'LL, UH, OH, THANK Y'ALL.
AND THEN I'M GONNA GO BACK TO WORK.
I'LL BE GLAD TO YIELD TO THE CHIEF AND, UH, WE HAVE A GREAT CITY, GREAT PEOPLE, BUT WE DO HAVE
[00:10:01]
CHALLENGES, SAME CHALLENGES THAT MOST MAJOR CITIES IN AMERICA HAVE.PUBLIC SAFETY IS A CHALLENGE, BUT WE'RE GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HOUSTON.
I WAS GOING TO WORK THIS MORNING AND A RESIDENT IN THE HEIGHTS I'VE KNOWN FOR SOME NUMBER OF YEARS SAID HER BROTHER STAN, WITH HER, HIS CAR WAS STOLEN LAST NIGHT AND SHE SAID HERS WAS STOLEN LAST YEAR.
I SAID, WELL, I THINK MOST OF US IN HOUSTON, EITHER PERSONALLY OR KNOW SOMEONE THAT'S BEEN AFFECTED BY SOME THEFT AND SOMETIME VIOLENT OFFENSES.
SO WE GOT, BOTTOM LINE IS WE DO HAVE PLENTY OF WORK FOR Y'ALL.
OKAY?
I ASKED YOU TO COLLABORATE WITH THE OTHER AGENCIES.
ONE WAY WE'RE GONNA DO A FORCE MULTIPLIER IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE CONSTABLES AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE DPS BACK Y'ALL UP.
BUT IT'S GONNA BE MY JOB ALSO TO GET YOU THE RESOURCE.
THIS, THIS RAISE TODAY WILL BE HELPFUL, BUT THE DEPARTMENT WILL NE WILL NEGOTIATE A NEW CONTRACT NEXT YEAR.
AND, UH, I'LL BE THE SAME MAYOR AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE LOOKING OUT FOR YOU AND THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON THAT I AM TODAY.
SO THAT I'M, UH, I'M, I'M DARN PLEASED TO BE HERE.
CHIEF, I'M HONORED AND AND APPRECIATE ONE THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO COME AND LEAD THIS GREAT DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP.
UH, WHAT I, I WANT TO THANK FIRST, UH, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER.
I'M HERE BECAUSE OF HIM, BECAUSE OF HIS VISION.
IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO TRANSITION.
'CAUSE LEADERSHIP MATTERS, UH, AND NO ONE'S GONNA HAVE THE RESUME.
SO FOR US, UH, THIS IS A ONCE IN A GENERATION MAYOR FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
SO IF YOU ARE GOING HOME TONIGHT, CALL YOUR BROTHERS.
CALL YOUR COUSINS, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR NEIGHBORS.
UH, THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING ORGANIZATION.
AND EVEN IF THEY WANNA BE FIREFIGHTERS, WE'RE PUBLIC SAFETY.
BUT KNOW THAT THIS BUSINESS IS ABOUT PEOPLE AND IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE PEOPLE.
THE MAYOR SAID EVERYTHING I WAS GONNA SAY THAT WAS IN WRITING, RIGHT? SO, UH, KNOW THAT, UH, WE'RE WORKING FOR YOU FROM 1200 TRAVIS.
AND OUR FOCUS IS ON YOU WHEN YOU GET OUT INTO THE FIELD BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU'RE GONNA GO INTO THESE COMMUNITIES, BE KIND TO THE COMMUNITY, AND THE COMMUNITY WILL BE KIND TO YOU.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO SECRETS, ALSO THE POLICE BUSINESS.
BUT LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, GO TREAT EVERYBODY LIKE YOUR FAMILY AND, AND YOU'LL, THAT'LL BE A SUCCESS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
YOU'VE ALREADY WON BECAUSE YOU'RE ON THIS PATH.
YOU STARTED, YOU'RE HERE AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND IF YOU NEED ANYTHING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET WITH YOUR COUNSELORS, YOUR, YOUR COUNSELORS, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HELP YOU AND REMEMBER TO BE KIND TO EACH OTHER HERE.
'CAUSE AS YOU'RE GONNA MAKE FRIENDS FOR LIFE, RIGHT? SO HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS WILL BE HERE IN 20, 30 YEARS.
UH, AND YOU'LL REMEMBER THIS, THAT THE MAYOR CAME TO VISIT WITH YOU, UH, AND IS FOCUSED ON MAKING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
UH, THE NUMBER ONE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE NATION.
AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING YOU AND CONTINUING TO SERVE YOU AS, AS DOES THE COMMAND STAFF.
AND ONE LAST THING I KNOW, UH, THERE'S A CONCERN ABOUT YOUR RETIREMENT.
I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE WHEN WE PASSED THE DROP, WHICH HAD, INSTEAD OF LOSING SOMEONE AFTER 20 YEARS, THEY'D GO INTO A DEFERRED RETIREMENT PLANT.
THEY PRETTY, THEY DID A WAY TO START, SAY THEY MODIFIED IT, THEY ACTUALLY DID AWAY, BUT WE'RE GONNA MODIFY IT AND BRING IT BACK SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT 20 YEARS AND SAY, WELL, I'LL, I'LL START MY HPD RETIREMENT AND GO DO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR ANOTHER OCCUPATION.
I WANT YOU TO BE SENIOR OFFICERS IF YOU HAVEN'T BECOME A COMMANDER.
AND, UH, SO YOU CAN HAVE A LIFE PLAN OF BEING A PUBLIC SERVANT AND A HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER.
I'M GONNA SHAKE EVERYBODY'S HAND BEFORE I GET OUT.