[00:00:16]
THANK YOU, THANK YOU CHIEF AND UH, INSTRUCTORS AND THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
I WISH TIME WOULD ALLOW YOU AND ME TO STAND UP AND HEAR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL'S BACKGROUND AND STORIES.
UH, CERTAINLY APPEARS TO BE VERY DIVERSE.
EVERYONE'S GOT THEIR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, HOW YOU GOT HERE, BUT I'M HERE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT LONG BEFORE I WAS MAYOR, I WAS STATE SENATOR CHAIR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
SO I WAS AROUND CADET CLASSES ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT YOU MAKE SACRIFICES QUITE FRANKLY, AND YOUR FAMILY DOES TO BECOME A HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER.
AND I USED TO HEAR ABOUT AS CADETS, MANY WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE A CUT IN INCOME TO JOIN THE ACADEMY, BE AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY.
AND, BUT NOW YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND I WAS A STATE SENATOR.
I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CITY OPERATIONS, BUT I CERTAINLY WAS AROUND YOU ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT, UH, YOU'RE SPECIAL.
AND PROBABLY MOST DAYS NOT SHOWN ENOUGH APPRECIATION.
ONE SMALL WAY I KNEW HOW WE COULD SHOW IT IS YOUR SERVICE REVOLVER.
I USED TO HEAR STORIES THAT CADETS WOULD GO JOIN THE CREDIT UNION AND GET A LOAN TO BUY THEIR THEIR FIREARM.
AND I SAID, WELL, THAT'S CRAZY.
WE GOT, WE GOT A LARGE COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ACROSS HOUSTON THAT TALK A GOOD GAME ABOUT THEY WANT TO HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THEY HAVE MEANS WHETHER IT BE A UNION, WHETHER IT BE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE POLICE FOUNDATION, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE FOUNDATION BUILDS THE VILLAGE WHERE YOU TRAIN FOR CIRCUMSTANCES.
THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A, UH,
I'VE HAD MORE THAN ONE DISCUSSION BEFORE I WAS MAYOR WITH, WHY DON'T YOU BUY THEIR SERVICE REVOLVER? OH, WE CAN'T SPEND IT ON SALARIES.
IS THE FOUNDATION TALKING ON SALARIES OR GIVE MONEY TO THE OFFICERS OR CADETS? THE LIGHTS CAME ON AFTER I BECAME MAYOR.
AND SO I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT TO YOU.
I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU INDIVIDUALLY, BUT CHIEF SCOTT HERE CHECKS 63 OF 'EM TO PAY FOR YOUR SERVICE REVOLVING.
SO THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING UNDER MY ADMINISTRATION AND I HOPE HE CATCHES ON AND LIVES FOR YEARS AFTER I'M GONE.
AND I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE ANYTIME SOON THAT PEOPLE NOT ONLY TALK A GOOD GAME ABOUT SHOWING THEIR APPRECIATION FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, BUT THEY, UH, THEY SHOW IT, SHOW IT.
YOU KNOW, SOME WILL SAY, OH, IT'S A SMALL TOKEN.
NO, IT'S A BIG DEAL TO SOME OF Y'ALL.
I KNOW I HAD A, UH, NEPHEW THAT SERVED IN A NATIONAL GUARD WITH A YOUNG MAN ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO.
I HAD A SENATE OFFICE ON 19TH IN THE HEIGHTS IN AN OLD HOUSE, AND HE MET A FELLOW GUARD MEMBER FROM LIKE MINNESOTA, SOMEWHERE UP NORTH.
NEXT THING I KNOW HE HAD READ ABOUT HPD WAS HIRING.
SO HE SHOWED UP IN HOUSTON ON LIKE A FRIDAY WITH A WIFE AND A BABY AND A DOG FOR A CADET CLASS TO START ON MONDAY.
AND MY NEPHEW CALLED AND SAID HE GOT HIS DATES MIXED UP.
THERE'S ABOUT THREE OR FOUR DAYS BEFORE HE GETS ANY COMPENSATION OR THE CADET CLASS STARTS.
SO WE LET HIM SLEEP, HE AND HIS WIFE AND FAMILY AND BABY PUT THE DOG OUTSIDE ON THE PORCH IN THE HEIGHTS, UH, ON A OUT COUCH.
AND OF COURSE, IF I WAS THE MAYOR AND I HEARD ABOUT THAT IN THIS DAY AND TIME, WE'D HAVE PUT THE FAMILY UP IN, IN A, IN A HOTEL.
I DID GO TO WORK ON MONDAY MORNING AND THE DAMN DOG PAWS WERE ALL OVER THE DOOR, THE WINDOWS AND EVERYTHING WHERE THEY'D TI HIM ON THE PORCH.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT GOES WITH THE EXPERIENCE.
BUT I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY.
[00:05:01]
BE AT YOUR GRADUATION TOMORROW.I'M SAD THAT I'M NOT GONNA BE DISAPPOINTED, BUT I'VE GOTTA TALK TO THE FORT BEND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE IN FORT BEND.
AND OUR MESSAGE WILL BE THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
THE BAD GUYS DO NOT RECOGNIZE COUNTY LINES OR CITY LIMITS.
SO I'VE GOTTA GO TO FORT BEND TOMORROW, SOMEONE'S SCHEDULED AT THE SAME TIME AS YOUR GRAD CADET GRADUATION.
BUT LET THIS BE A, UH, INDICATION OF MY COMMITMENT TO YOU.
I WANT YOU TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, FOLLOW THE LAW, FOLLOW YOUR TRAINING, AND I'LL BE THERE.
WITH THAT SAID, I'M GONNA ASK YOUR INSTRUCTORS AND COUNSELORS TO HAND THESE OUT AND, UH, Y'ALL BE SAFE.
AND, UH, I'M, I GOT AN OPEN DOOR IF YOU EVER NEED TO SEND.
WE GOT WROTE, WROTE OVER HERE WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
YOU KNOW, I'VE KNOWN CHIEF DIAZ FOR LIKE 20 YEARS.
WHEN HE WAS A RANGER, HE WORKED WITH HPD, HE'S THE REAL DEAL.
AND I KNOW HE'S GOT YOUR BACK COVERED TOO.
YOU FOLLOW THE LAW, YOU TRAINING HIM.
YOU GOT THE BEST CHIEF IN AMERICA.
YOU'LL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF YOU MAKE BAD JUDGMENT IN TERMS OF VIOLATING YOUR TRAINING OR THE LAW.
IF YOU FOLLOW YOUR TRAINING, YOUR LAW.
I KNOW HOUSTON, I KNOW HOUSTONIANS NOT ONLY APPRECIATE YOU, THEY WANT YOU AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO GO FIND SOMEBODY ELSE TO GO HELP US BE RECRUITERS.
GUESS WHERE MOST OF THE POLICE RECRUITS CAME FROM? POLICE OFFICERS.
THEY WOULD BRING THEIR FRIENDS, THEIR NEIGHBORS, THEIR RELATIVES, THEIR NEPHEWS, THEIR SONS.
WE GOT, WE GOT SEVERAL GENERATIONS IN A ROW OF HPD OFFICERS.
IT IS A HELL OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE YOUR FELLOW COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, I'M A PUBLIC SERVANT.
IT IS A REAL RUSH TO HELP SOMEBODY THAT'S IN NEED.
AND YOU'RE GONNA DO IT AND YOU'RE GONNA DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
Y'ALL ARE A BEAUTIFUL GROUP OF DIVERSE CITIZENS THAT, LIKE I SAID, SOMEDAY I'LL MEET YOU OUT THERE ON THE STREETS AND I WANT TO HEAR WHERE YOU CAME FROM, WHAT YOU WERE DOING FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND I HOPE I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, PEOPLE ARE TALKING TO ME ABOUT IMPROVING THE RETIREMENT BENEFITS.
AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, BECAUSE WE NOT ONLY WANNA RECRUIT OFFICERS, WE WANNA RETAIN YOU.
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO GO ANYWHERE.
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO GO ANYWHERE 20 YEARS FROM NOW.
AND IF I CAN GET THE BENEFITS UP IN NEXT YEAR'S NEGOTIATION AND I WON'T HESITATE TO GO TELL THE PUBLIC I NEED SOME MONEY.
I NEED SOME MONEY FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
I WANT TO GET THE BENEFITS SO COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER MAJOR CITIES.
I WANNA LEAD THE STATE MAJOR CITIES WITH WHAT WE TAKE DO FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
WE, YOU WON'T BE WORRIED ABOUT THE RETIREMENT END OF IT.
YOU, YOU'LL SAY, I WANT, I WANT TO STAY RIGHT THERE IN HPD, THANK Y'ALL AND UH, APPRECIATE YOU.
YOU DO GU YOU GUYS DO LOOK AMAZING.
I KNOW YOU GUYS, EVERYBODY HAS CELL PHONE AND SEEING THE NEWS.
UH, THE MAYOR'S GOT A HUNDRED PLACES UP SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT HE CAN BE, BUT HE CHOSE TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS.
AND I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, UH, KNOW THAT FROM THE FOLKS AT 1200 TRAVIS, YOU'RE LOVED AND I AM WORKING FOR YOU.
YOU'RE NOT WORKING FOR ME, RIGHT? SO I'M FOCUSED ON YOUR STATIONS, FOCUSED ON THE EQUIPMENT, FOCUSED ON WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, MAKING THIS OFFICE THE HIGHEST PAID IN STATE.
BUT IT STARTS WITH YOU, RIGHT? NO ONE, NO ONE HERE, NO ONE IN THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY, UH, CHEERED FOR THE DISCIPLINE YOU SHOWED FOR THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS, RIGHT? NO ONE, NO ONE CLAPPED FOR YOUR CONSISTENCY, RIGHT? BUT I'M HERE TO CHEER YOU ON.
UH, KNOW THAT THE APPLAUSE IS NOT WHAT YOU NEED.
'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE PUBLIC SERVANTS, YOU'RE GONNA GET A RUSH FROM IT.
THIS JOB'S GONNA BE GREAT FOR YOU AS A 35 YEAR POLICE OFFICER, I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN TOMORROW.
THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING HPD THANK YOU FOR BRINGING YOUR VERY BEST TO THIS COMMUNITY.
AND TO ECHO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, PLEASE HELP US RECRUITING, RIGHT? UH, YOU GUYS, WHEN YOU GRADUATE TOMORROW, THEY'LL, THEY'LL, THEY'LL HAVE BEEN 396 POLICE OFFICERS THAT HAVE GRADUATED THROUGH THIS ACADEMY SINCE YOU'VE TOOK OFFICE MAYOR.
SO WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE TRAINING, THE TRAININGS, THE TRAINING IS DOING FANTASTIC.
THE RECRUITING'S DOING FANTASTIC, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS USE HELP.
THIS IS A LEGACY THING FOR US 'CAUSE IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
THAT'S WHY YOU'RE GETTING A HARD WRITTEN CHECK.
NO OTHER, NO OTHER MAYOR, NO OTHER CHIEF HAS BEEN ABLE
[00:10:01]
TO GIVE BACK TO THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'VE MADE TO MAKE THIS CITY SAFER.YOU'RE GONNA GO TO A GREAT AREA.
YOU'RE GONNA GO AND MEET VERY GREAT PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT REALLY HAVE YOUR BACKS.
THAT 1% THAT YOU HEAR ONLINE, THE NEGATIVE.
YOU'RE AL WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE THAT.
BUT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA GO INTO A COMMUNITY AND BE PART OF THE TAPESTRY OF THIS COMMUNITY AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND YOU'LL LOVE YOUR JOB.
RIGHT? DON'T MESS UP DRIVING HOME.
SO, BUT I, WE APPRECIATE YOU, THANK YOU.
AND PLEASE GO OUT AND RECRUIT FOR US.
GOD BLESS YOU AND I WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW MORNING.
AND I WANNA THANK HECTOR FOR, UH, SORRY.
SO HECTOR FOR DOING A GREAT JOB.
UH, YOU GUYS HAVE GOT SOME WORLD CLASS TRAINING AND UH, AND IT DOESN'T STOP TODAY.
YOU GOTTA KEEP HITTING THE BOOKS, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER AT YOUR JOBS AND IN TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS YOU'LL BE SMARTER THAN THE CHIEF, I PROMISE YOU.
'CAUSE YOU'LL, 'CAUSE YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK, RIGHT? IT'S NOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE AT 1200, IT'S ABOUT YOU GUYS DOING THE WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY, KNOCKING ON DOORS, VISITING WITH PEOPLE.
YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES PUTTING IT TOGETHER.
SO THAT DOES NOT GET MISSED FROM OUR OFFICE AT 1200.
ALL THE ACCOLADES, POLICIES, DIRECTION HAPPENS AT 1200.
BUT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE GIVEN THE CREDIT FOR IT 'CAUSE YOU GUYS ARE DOING THE WORK AND I APPRECIATE IT SINCERELY.