* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Press Conference: "Police, Pastors, & Police Initiative"] [00:00:16] I REALIZE THAT IT'S, UH, I REALIZE THIS IS A LARGE CROWD, BUT, UH, THE MORE THE MERRIER BECAUSE OF THE ISSUE THAT WE ARE GOING TO IDENTIFY. UM, THERE ARE SOME OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT HERE, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DEFINITELY RECOGNIZE THEM, UM, THAT SOME THAT MAY NOT HAVE GOT UP. BUT AS WE KIND OF GO THROUGH THE NAMES AND CALL THEIR NAMES, YOU ARE, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW EXACTLY WHO THEY ARE. UM, LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING FIRST, GOOD MORNING. MORNING TO ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING. IT'S A VERY HUMBLING AND A VERY, UH, UH, ABSOLUTELY, YOU KNOW, UPLIFTING FOR ME TO SEE AS MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE CONCERNED, UH, ABOUT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S ONE THAT'S DEAR TO MY HEART. AND WHEN I SPOKE TO, UH, OUR MAYOR AND OUR CHIEF OF POLICE, UM, THEY EMBRACED IT. AND FOR THAT REASON, I'M, I'M SO THANKFUL, UH, PROBABLY MORE HUMBLE THAN THANKFUL, BUT I'M THANKFUL THAT EVERYBODY IS THINKING THE, THE ALONG THE SAME LINES, BECAUSE IT'S A NECESSARY MUST. IT'S A NECESSARY ISSUE. AND, UH, AND I'M GOING TO KIND OF GO THROUGH A FEW THINGS, BUT LET ME BEGIN BY FIRST OF ALL, LETTING YOU KNOW THAT, UM, I WANT TO THANK OUR MAYOR BECAUSE WHEN I TOOK IT TO HIM, HE EMBRACED IT IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE HIS ANGLE WHEN FIRST COMING INTO OFFICE WAS THAT HE WANTED TO MAKE PUBLIC SAFETY HIS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, AND IT WAS MINE. AND I RAN ON THAT. SO I WANT TO THANK EVERY ONE OF YOU TODAY FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE. I'M HONORED TO BE JOINED BY ALL OF THESE WHO ARE STANDING WITH ME. AND LET ME JUST GO THROUGH SOME OF THOSE NAMES FOR MOST OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW AND THOSE THAT ARE VIEWING. UH, I'M PASTOR, COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS OF AT LARGE POSITION NUMBER TWO, AND I'M HONORED TO SERVE IN THAT POSITION. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW, AND I AM JUST, UH, EAGER TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE MY CITY BETTER. THESE WHO JOINED WITH US AS OUR MAYOR, OF COURSE, JOHN WHITMEYER, HPD, CHIEF JOE, UH, JAY NOEY DIAZ, HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF, ED GONZALEZ, METRO POLICE, CHIEF MAN, 10 CRIME STOPPERS, RONYA S UH, CRIME STOPPER, COO, UH, RONYA, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW AS ICEO OF CRIME STOPPERS. COO IS NICOLE CHRISTOPHE, CRIME STOPPERS DIRECTOR, VICTIM SERVICES AND ADVOCACY. ANDY KAHN, CRIME STOPPERS, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS, SIDNEY ZEER, UH, WHO WE LEAN ON SO MUCH AS WELL AS THE OTHERS. UH, ALSO I WANT TO RECOGNIZE REPRESENTATIVES FOR MANY OF OUR COUNCIL SEAT. UH, MY COLLEAGUES, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM WOULD'VE BEEN HERE WITH US TODAY, BUT SHE HAD A LOSS IN HER FAMILY. AND, UH, AND SO SHE'S NOT PRESENT. UH, THERE WERE OTHERS WHO ATTEND TO TO BE HERE, BUT MANY OF US ARE KIND OF SCATTERED ABOUT SOME IN AUSTIN AS I WAS FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. UM, DA SEAN TERRY'S OFFICE REPRESENTING, I THINK THEY HAVE SOMEONE HERE. UM, I, MS. MANNING, I BELIEVE SHE'S HERE TO REPRESENT HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE PRECINCT ONE, ALLEN ROSEN, HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE PRECINCT TWO, JERRY GARCIA HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE PRECINCT THREE SHERMAN EAGLETON, HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE PRECINCT FOUR, MARK HERMAN HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE PRECINCT FIVE. TERRY ALRE, HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE PRECINCT SIX. SYLVIA TINO AND CONSTABLE HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT SEVEN. SMOKEY PHILLIPS AND HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT EIGHT. PHILIP SANDERLIN, REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT. BIANCA MALVO, A-A-P-O-L, AFRICAN AMERICAN POLICE OFFICERS LEAD, UH, PRESIDENT OF SERGEANT BRANDON LOVE. AND, UH, ALSO ALONG WITH THAT, OUR, THE MAYOR SENIOR ADVISORIES, UH, REBECCA WILLIAMS, WHO WORKS WITH OUR TEAM IN REGARDS [00:05:01] TO KEEPING IN CONTACT WITH MANY OUR PASTORS. OUR PACKER COORDINATOR, HPD OFFICER JULIO RELL, UH, PACKER COORDINATORS, SERGEANT VINCENT JOHNSON, AND ALSO PRESIDENT GABRIEL GARCIA. AND, UH, AND ALSO OUR PRESIDENT OF APO, SERGEANT BRANDON LOVE. THESE ARE SOME OF THE MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE. ALONG WITH THAT, LET ME JUST SAY IN THE, IN THE OFFSET, THE MINISTERS AND PASTORS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID COMING ON, MANY OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW, BUT IN THE LONG HISTORY OF HOUSTON, WE HAD A GROUP OF PASTORS CALLED THE MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR. AND IT WENT ON FOR WELL OVER 20 YEARS. AND WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE, IT HAD KIND OF DISBANDED, BUT I MADE SURE THAT WE RESURRECTED IT. I'M JUST A BELIEVER, NOT JUST BECAUSE I'M A PASTOR, BUT BECAUSE PASTORS DO MANY THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T SEE THEM DO. AND MANY OF 'EM, I DON'T JUST MEAN PASTOR REGARDS TO CHRISTIANS, BUT OTHER LEADERS, RABBI, UH, UH, AND MANY OF OUR MUSLIM CHURCHES, EVERYBODY'S DOES SOMETHING IN THAT CITY. AND SO WE CREATED, I RESURRECTED THE MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR. THE MAYOR EMBRACED IT. AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S AN ACTIVE GROUP, PASTORS SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AND THEY SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN WHAT WE DO TO MAKE OUR CITY A BETTER PLACE. WE HAVE HOUSTON MINISTER AGAINST CRIME, UH, THE PRESIDENT, PASTOR FLOYD WILLIAMS. SECOND IS HERE. PASTOR DAVE WELCH OF THE HOUSTON AREA PASTOR COUNCIL, PASTOR MAX MILLER OF THE MINISTERS ASSOCIATION OF HOUSTON VICINITY, PASTOR RONALD SMITH, UNION BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP, PASTOR SJ GILBERT HOUSTON METROPOLITAN MINISTERS ASSOCIATION, PASTOR ROLAND ROBINSON ON THE NORTHEAST, PASTOR CARLOS JONES OF THE FORT BEND PASTOR ASSOCIATION. ALL OF THESE LEADERS ARE JUST A FEW WHO ARE ON BOARD WITH OUR MAYOR MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD. AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THESE PEOPLE KNOW. AND THERE ARE OTHER PASTORS HERE WHO ARE STANDING WITH US, UM, PASTOR RUDY RASMUS, AND THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE NOT LEADERS OF A DIFFERENT ASSOCIATION, BUT THEY ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT ME AND THE, THE, THE THING THAT WE'RE DOING IN ORDER TO MAKE OUR CITY BETTER. UH, I WANT TO START OFF TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY IS, IS ABOUT A CONSTANT AND EVER GROWING CONCERN IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THE RISE OF VIOLENT CRIME AND YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS WHO ARE COMMITTING THESE CRIMES. UH, I JUST BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD STOP BEING REACTIVE AND WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE. THE POLICE PASTOR AND PEOPLE INITIATIVE WILL AIM TO STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT, FAITH LEADERS, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS. IT WOULD TAKE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE RISE IN THE VIOLENT CRIME IN OUR CITY. MANY OF YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, BUT I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, TEXAS BOY, BORN AND RAISED. BUT I SERVED IN CHICAGO FOR FOUR YEARS AS A PASTOR AND OF A LARGE CONGREGATION ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO, WHICH IS DUBBED AS THE WORST SIDE. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, I SAW IT. AND WHEN I CAME BACK TO HOUSTON IN 2010, I SAID IN PLACE IN MY HEART, I DID NOT WANT MY CITY TO LOOK LIKE WHAT I LEFT. AND THAT'S WHAT SPARKED ME TO RUN FOR OFFICE AND ALSO TO COME UP WITH INITIATIVES, NOT JUST TO BE A COMPLAINER, BUT COME UP WITH THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE. DURING MY DEEP DIVE IN THE STATISTICS OF HOUSTON, I WAS ASSISTED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON AND I WANT TO THANK SIDNEY ZEER IN PARTICULAR FOR ASSISTING MY OFFICE UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CRIME STOPPERS, ALLOWING HER AND GIVING THE TIME TO DO THAT. SO WE CERTAINLY WANT TO, UH, IDENTIFY ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING WITH US. I WANT TO GO OVER A FEW THINGS AND THEN I'M GOING TO, UH, ASK THOSE TO COME UP. OUR MAYOR AND OTHERS, I'M GOING TO ASK TO JOIN WITH US. UH, IN DOING THIS. WE ARE GOING TO SHOW SOME SLIDE PRESENTATIONS AS WE RUN THROUGH THIS. I KNOW IT MAY SOUND LIKE A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER AND I THINK MANY OF US HEAR IT AND SEE IT ON THE RADIO AND TELEVISION ALL THE TIME OF THE MANY CRIMES THAT'S GOING ON. SO BEFORE I BEGIN TO DO THAT, LET ME, UM, I WANT TO JUST IDENTIFY A FEW OF THE SLIDES AND AFTERWARDS I WANT [00:10:01] TO INTRODUCE OUR MAYOR AND OUR CHIEF, WHO I SENT WITH OUR CHIEF AND MY TEAM ON LAST WEEK. AND WE WENT INTO A DEEP DIVE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. LET ME START WITH THIS SLIDE ONE. I KNOW IT MAY BE, UH, SOME, OH YEAH, YOU CAN SEE IT HERE AND I KNOW SOME MAY BE ABLE TO SEE IT. I'M HOPING YOU ALL CAN SEE IT ON THE BACK SCREENS BEHIND YOU. I KNOW SOME OF THEM ARE STANDING, UH, IN FRONT OF THAT. THERE YOU GO, BROTHERS, IF WE JUST KIND OF, JUST SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET A CHANCE TO SEE IT. ALRIGHT, SLIDE ONE. LET ME, LET ME TALK ABOUT WHAT THESE, THESE STATS WERE SOURCED FROM N-I-B-R-A-S, THE NATIONAL INCIDENT BASED REPORTING SYSTEM. THEY WERE COMPILED BY HPD, TEXAS DPS HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT, AND CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON AT SLIDE TWO. AS YOU CAN SEE ON SLIDE TWO, HOUSTON VIOLENT CRIME TOTAL US FOR 2024 WERE UP 4.6% OVERALL VERSUS 2023 IN PARTICULAR, SEXUAL ASSAULTS WAS UP 9.3. AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS WAS UP 8.9. AND AS YOU CAN SEE NOW ON SLIDE THREE, HERE IS THE THING THAT'S MOTIVATED ME MORE THAN ANYTHING. SLIDE THREE, THESE ARE THE AGE GROUP BREAKDOWNS DONE BY CRIME STOPPERS. AGGRAVATED ASSAULT UP 8.5 AMONG THE YOUTH SEXUAL ASSAULT WAS UP 9.3. THIS IS MIND BOGGLING NUMBERS TO SEE THIS HAPPENING AMONG OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. THAT'S, THAT IS REALLY DETRIMENTAL TO OUR SOCIETY. SO WHAT REALLY STANDS OUT IS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE NATIONAL DATABASE AND SEE THE STATS ON THE AGE GROUPS, 16 THROUGH 20 AGE GROUP HAS THE SECOND OR THIRD HIGHEST NUMBER OF OFFENDERS ACROSS ALL VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORIES. WE NEED TO GET THESE NUMBERS DOWN, WE'VE GOT TO GET THESE NUMBERS DOWN. SLIDE FOUR AS YOU CAN SEE NOW ON SLIDE FOUR, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 157 JUVENILES, AGE 13 THROUGH 17 THAT ARE UNDER DETENTION IN HARRIS COUNTY. THESE ARE KIDS THAT COMMITTED FELONIES AGAINST PERSONS AND PROPERTY. WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO GET THESE NUMBERS DOWN. THERE IS NO GOOD REASON FOR KIDS TO BE COMMITTING THESE KINDS OF CRIMES. THESE ARE KIDS WHOSE LIFE TRAJECTORY, UH, WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE AFFECTED AND NEGATIVELY BECAUSE OF THE CRIMES THAT THEY'VE COMMITTED. AND THESE ARE JUST STATS THAT I JUST PRESENTED. UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR SOME KIND OF INTERVENTION BEFORE THE SITUATION GETS REALLY OUTTA CONTROL. NOW MY ATTEMPT TO THIS IS TWOFOLD. THIS IS NOT FOR US TO LOCK UP ALL OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. THE ATTEMPT IS TO MAKE AWARENESS TO THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHY THESE PASTORS ARE HERE. THAT'S WHY THESE LAW ENFORCEMENTS AGENCY HERE, THAT'S WHY THE MAYOR EMBRACED THIS. IF WE WANNA PROMOTE GOOD COMMON TO CITIZENS, 'CAUSE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVES CAN BE RUINED FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. SOMEBODY NEED TO STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING. SO LET ME JUST PAUSE AND TAKE A MOMENT AND BEFORE I LAY OUT SOME OF THE OTHER ASPECTS I WANT, I WILL MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER TO COME AND ADDRESS SOME OF THESE VERY ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S COMPASSIONATE, DEEP TO HIS HEART AS IT IS OF MINE. MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. AND THANK EVERYONE THAT'S HERE. AS MAYOR, I COULD BE AT A HUNDRED LOCATIONS RIGHT NOW OR EVENTS, BUT THIS IS WHERE I NEED TO BE. AND THIS IS WHERE I WANT TO BE BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THE SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. WE HAVE A GREAT CITY, GREAT PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE CHALLENGES LIKE MOST MAJOR CITIES. AND THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GONNA RESOLVE THESE CHALLENGES IS TO ADMIT YOU HAVE AN ISSUE BEFORE YOU CAN FIX SOMETHING. YOU'VE GOT TO ADMIT AND SHARE WITH ALL THE PARTIES THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM. AND LET'S GO TO WORK. WHEN I WAS ASKED TO LEAD THE SENATE WHERE I CHAIRED CRIMINAL JUSTICE, WE MADE A DIFFERENCE. WE WERE TOUGH ON VIOLENT [00:15:01] OFFENDERS AND GAVE NONVIOLENT A SECOND CHANCE. YOU LOCK UP PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE AFRAID OF, NOT THAT THOSE THAT YOU'RE MAD AT. I'VE TRAVELED THE NATION TALKING ABOUT TREATMENT FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUGS, MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. AND WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. BUT BEFORE WE CAN ADDRESS THE NONVIOLENT LIKE WE SHOULD, WE'VE GOTTA DEAL WITH THE VIOLENT OFFENDERS. WE HAVE MURDERERS, REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDERS. IT'S UNHEARD OF IN MY CAREER IN AUSTIN THAT YOU WOULD GIVE A CAPITAL MURDER THE MOST SEVERE CHARGE. YOU CAN GIVE SOMEONE A BOND. BUT IT'S HAPPENING IN HARRIS COUNTY. SO WE'RE COMING TOGETHER WITH THE SHERIFF. THANK YOU. METRO CHIEF DIAZ. CERTAINLY CHIEF DIAZ. I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, THESE CONSTABLES. YES, YES. AND THESE EMPLOYEE GROUPS. AG O IS OUR PARTNER. H-P-O-U-I COULD GO AROUND THE ROOM, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. I LEFT THE SENATE BECAUSE HOUSTONIAN SAID YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT CAN ADDRESS OUR ISSUES. AND NUMBER ONE ON THAT LIST, BECAUSE I STRONGLY BELIEVE NOT ONLY AS A LONGTIME LEGISLATOR BUT NOW MAYOR, BUT A FATHER AND GRANDFATHER, SOMEONE THAT'S BEGGED FOR MY LIFE IN A DARK GARAGE IN 1992. I THOUGHT IN MOST WOULD SAY IT WAS FINISHED GUN IN MY FACE WITH MY 9-YEAR-OLD AFTER A WIFE SCREAMED. BUT THE LORD I BELIEVE HAD A PURPOSE IN ME. AMEN. YES SIR. IT WAS A CALLING AT THAT MOMENT TO ATTEMPT TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY'RE VIOLENT, TO HELP THOSE THAT NEED A SECOND CHANCE. AND I THINK IT WAS A CALLING TO COME BACK AND BE MAYOR NOW IT'S GONNA DO NO GOOD FOR US TO BE HERE TODAY UNLESS WE HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION. YOU KNOW, THE TALK IS GREAT. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FIREPOWER IN THIS ROOM. AND LET ME, LET ME JUST EMPHASIZE WHAT MAKES OUR CITY SO GREAT WHILE I'M WORKING ON CITY ISSUES ON A DAILY BASIS. THE HOMELESS ISSUE, SOLID WASTE, PUBLIC SAFETY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. I WORK ALL DAY ON CITY ISSUES, TRYING TO GET CITY GOVERNMENT UP TO STANDARDS THAT THE RESIDENTS DESERVE. AND SOMETIME LATE IN THE EVENING ON THE WAY HOME, I'LL THINK MY PLATE IS SO FULL TRYING TO FIX THIS CITY. HOW'S IT? SO GREAT FOLKS, YOU'RE WITNESSING THIS MORNING. WHAT MAKES HOUSTON GREAT. THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S PEOPLE, IT'S ORGANIZATIONS, IT'S CRIME STOPPERS. IT'S THE FAITH COMMUNITY. IT'S THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. SO WHY CITY GOVERNMENT HAS CHALLENGES, NEGLECT FROM YEARS PAST. WE GO ABOUT BEING A GREAT CITY. SO IF YOU'LL JOIN ME IN BRINGING UP CITY OPERATIONS WHERE IT SHOULD BE, THERE'S NOTHING CAN HOLD US BACK. NOW LET'S TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. IT'S MY NUMBER ONE ISSUE. IT'S THE REASON I RAN FOR OFFICE AND PASTOR DAVIS CITY, COUNCILMAN DAVIS, WHO HAS BECOME ONE OF MY STRONG ALLIES OWN COUNCIL BECAUSE HE JUST WANTS TO FIX HOUSTON. WE DON'T WORRY ABOUT PARTY LABELS, CHURCH MEMBERSHIP, AS LONG AS YOUR FAITH-BASED, I DON'T CARE WHAT DENOMINATION YOU ARE. IN FACT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE THE PASTOR'S ADVISORY GROUP TO BRING IN OUR MUSLIM BROTHERS JEWISH. WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER THAT KNOW THAT MAN CAN AND WOMAN, HUMANS CAN'T FIX ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS. THAT'S RIGHT. IF SOMEONE WILL OFFER ME A PRAYER, I WILL ACCEPT IT BECAUSE I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET. SO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU PASTORS. THIS IS SUCH AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT ONE, IT'S COLLABORATION IS GONNA HELP US SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. BUT LET ME ALSO EMPHASIZE WE GOTTA TALK ABOUT IT AND LET'S NOT POLITICIZE [00:20:01] IT. LET'S TALK DIRECT. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, AND I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE ONLY SINCE JANUARY 24. I INHERITED SO MUCH THAT NEEDED OUR ATTENTION. YOU CAN'T GO AROUND HOUSTON SAYING ONE SAFE HOUSTON, WE GOT IT TAKEN CARE OF AND WE GOT THIS GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM. FOLKS, WE CAN'T GOVERN BY SPEND. WE GOTTA DEAL WITH DATA. WE GOTTA DEAL WITH THE FACTS. AND THE FACTS WERE, WE WERE NOT ONE SAFE HOUSTON. WE HAD CHALLENGES. THE PUBLIC KNOWS IT. THEY TOLD ME I LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD GUN BUYBACKS. THEY AIN'T THE FIRST BAD GUY. BOUGHT HIS, SOLD HIS GUN. IT JUST DON'T WORK LIKE THAT. AND I'M GONNA BE TALKING MORE AND MORE WITH EVERYONE THAT'S HERE ABOUT HOW NOT ONLY DO WE NEED MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREET, BUT WHEN THESE OFFICERS PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE AND DO THE JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING AS WE TALK, THERE'S OFFICERS FROM EVERY LEVEL. THAT'S RIGHT. WHEN THEY ARREST A REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDER THAT THERE'S A WARRANT FOR HIS OR HER ARREST AND THEY TAKE 'EM TO THE COUNTY. AND THE COUNTY NOW WE'VE DISCOVERED IS ACTUALLY LOANING THEM MONEY TO POST BOND WITH YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS WILL NEVER ACCOMPLISH THE SAFETY THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. TAKE PEOPLE TO TRIAL. IF THEY'RE INNOCENT, LET THEM GO IF THEY'RE VIOLENT. I'VE ALREADY ANNOUNCED YOU LOCK UP VIOLENT PEOPLE, FOLKS THAT NEED ASSISTANCE AND WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND WORK ON OUR HOMELESS INITIATIVE. MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES. YES, YOU WORK WITH THAT COMMUNITY. SO I'M FIRED UP. WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ IS OUR FULL-TIME PARTNER. WE NEED TO HOLD EVERYONE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABLE. I'VE SAID FOR YEARS FROM EXPERIENCE CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS A SYSTEM. THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT. ANY PIECE OF THE SYSTEM, WHETHER IT'S THE OFFICER ON THE STREET, THE COURTS, THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT, ALL FACET OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS TO BE WORKING. IF WE FIND ONE COMPONENT, ONE ELEMENT THAT DOESN'T WORK, WE GET PEOPLE TO COURT OR IN JAIL AND THEY DON'T TAKE 'EM TO COURT. WE GOT A BREAKDOWN THERE. SO LET'S ALL COME TOGETHER. HOUSTONIANS. WE KNOW YOUR CONCERNS. YOU OF AGE STUDENTS BEEN IN THE NEWS THE LAST TWO DAYS. YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY IN OUR SOCIETY ABOUT CAN YOU WALK TO CLASS AND FEEL SAFE. YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO GO WALK TO GALLERIA AND BE SAFE. AND YOU OUGHT TO GET UP ON SUNDAY MORNING OR QUARTER. GO TO PRAYER, BREAK SERVICE, WEDNESDAY NIGHT SERVICE AND FEEL SAFE. NOT ONLY ARE WE, NO, THAT'S WHAT'S RIGHT. WE'RE GONNA ACCOMPLISH THAT. I WILL WORK WITH ANYONE, THE PASTOR'S ADVISORY GROUP, THIS NEW POLICE, PASTORS, PEOPLES. THAT'S RIGHT. PUT ME IN THE PASTOR CATEGORY IF YOU WANT TO , LET'S FIX A PROBLEM AND GO TO WORK. THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THAT'S HERE. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK MY FRIEND, MY FELLOW COLLEAGUE, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, FOR JOINING US TODAY. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER PRESIDENT, I CERTAINLY WANT THEM TO, TO BE HERE. IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER THAT ARE HERE. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY REPRESENTATIVES. YES. WHO IS OH YES. ONE IN, IN C. GOOD IF THAT. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES BECAUSE THIS IS A COLLABORATION. THIS IS, THIS IS NOT CERTAINLY ABOUT, UH, WILLIE. I, I'M, I'M ONE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT BIG ON CAMERAS AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF, BUT I'M BIG ABOUT BEING IN THE TRENCHES. I'M A I'M A GO TO WORK PERSON. AND THAT'S WHY I'M SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THOSE WHO EMBRACE THIS IDEA. I WANT TO, WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM A FEW PEOPLE. AND THEN I ALSO WANT YOU TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THE MINISTRY FATE BASED LEADERS, BECAUSE THIS IS A COLLABORATION. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER SAID COMING WHEN HE, UH, WAS SWORN IN. AND OUR FIRST COUNCIL MEETING, I REMEMBER VIVIDLY SAYS, WE NEED TO COLLABORATE. I WANT TO SEE MORE COLLABORATION. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS TODAY. AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK I SEE [00:25:01] THE NEED. I WANT TO INVITE UP NOW OUR CHIEF OF POLICE, UH, CHIEF DIAZ TO COME AND SPEAK TO US FOR A FEW MINUTES, FOLLOWED. YES, YES, YES. COME ON, CHIEF. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. THANK YOU FOR BEING SO GRACIOUS WITH YOUR TIME. 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T GET IT BACK RIGHT IN THE LAST 20 MINUTES. SO I WANNA THANK THE GOOD MAYOR FOR HIS KIND WORDS. IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO COME IN AND SPEAK AFTER THE MAYOR. 'CAUSE HE SAYS EVERYTHING, RIGHT. EVERYTHING THAT I WANNA SAY. I GIVE HIM ALL THE NOTES BEFOREHAND. UH, YEAH. SO HE COVERS IT. SO, BUT, UH, NO, I WANT, I WANT TO THANK, UM, THE PASTORS UP HERE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, IN A COMMUNITY THIS SIZE, THIS INCREDIBLY CONNECTED THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY GROWING IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, CONSTANTLY REACHING OUT, CONSTANTLY MAKING AN EFFORT AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT TO GET OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER IDEAS INTO OUR OFFICE TO MAKE US BETTER. RIGHT? UH, IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. I, I TELL MY YOUNG PEOPLE AT THE OFFICE EVERY TIME I SEE THEM, TO, TO GET REALLY GOOD AT THE STUFF THAT REQUIRES NO TALENT. RIGHT? WHICH IS BEING KIND, SHAKEN A HAND, GIVING SOMEONE A SMILE. YEAH. THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. WIN THE DAY FOR PEOPLE. THAT'S RIGHT. BECAUSE USUALLY THE OFFICE MEETS FOLKS AT THEIR VERY WORST, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF ALCOHOL, DIFFERENT SITUATIONS IN THE FAMILIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO OUR OFFICE IS, IS FOCUSED. UH, I'M FOCUSED ON THEM SO THAT WHEN THEY COME TO YOUR DOOR, THAT THEY'RE DOING GOOD THINGS, THAT THEY'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND BEING SIGNIFICANT IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I NEED THESE PASTORS. I I NEED THEM. THIS IS, THIS IS MY RECRUITING TEAM RIGHT HERE. RIGHT? I WANNA, UH, RECOGNIZE THE GOOD SHARE OF THE PARTNERSHIPS. YES. WE, YOU OFTEN SEE IT. A LOT OF OTHER MAJOR CITIES ACTUALLY SHOWBOAT IT. THEY PUT IT ON TV. BUT THIS ACTUALLY WORKS. EVERY CONSTABLE'S HERE. I WANT TO THANK OUR PARTNERS IN LABOR. UH, THEY DO A GREAT JOB. THIS, THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT HERE. UH, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE GROW EVERY DAY. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GROWING WITH A COMMUNITY. AND I, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO KEEP, UH, SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE SHORT STAFFED. 'CAUSE WE, I MEAN, THIS IS A COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNITY HELPS US TO BE BIGGER, TO BE, UH, UH, MORE INFLUENTIAL IN THE COMMUNITY. AND ALL THESE EFFORTS THAT WILL HAPPEN WITHIN OUR OFFICE, WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIVISION WILL BE ALSO, UH, CONDUCTED AS OUR REGULAR ROUTINE PATROL STUFF. BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD, RIGHT? THE GUYS AND GIRLS THAT'LL NEVER COME UP HERE AND GET IN FRONT OF A MICROPHONE, RIGHT? THAT ARE THE, THE STAFF THAT'S IN A CAR FOR 18, 20 HOURS DURING A SNOWSTORM THAT ARE, THAT ARE OUT CHECKING ON PEOPLE EVERY SINGLE DAY. UH, QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S HERE TO SERVE. UH, 30 YEARS AGO, THE POLICE JUST A COUPLE OF DWIS, UH, SOME TICKETS. AND THAT WAS IT. NOW A LOT IS PUT ON THE OFFICERS MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AND NOW THERE'S THIS COMPONENT OF ACTUALLY BEING INVOLVED WITH OUR, WITH OUR WORSHIP FOLKS, RIGHT? WITH OUR TEAMS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO US. THAT'S RIGHT. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO THAT, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GETTING BETTER. AND OUR FOCUS AT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GROWING AND, UM, GETTING THE MOST OUT OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS AND GROWING WITH THEM SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BRING NEW OFFICERS INTO THE FIELD. AND I WANT TO THANK THE FAMILY MEMBERS. 'CAUSE I ALWAYS FORGET THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE POLICE OFFICERS. YES. YES. RIGHT? WHEN THEY GET 'EM OUT THE DOOR, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T SEE THEIR LOVED ONE FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS. YOU GUYS ARE SAFE. BUT OUR TEAM IS AT AN INTERSECTION AND THE RAIN AND THE COLD AND, AND, AND, AND INCLEMENT WEATHER WE'RE, WE TRULY ARE THE FIRST RESPONDERS. AND I WANT TO THANK THE FAMILIES FOR ALLOWING THEM TO COME DO THIS FANTASTIC JOB. BECAUSE WITHOUT THE FAMILIES BEHIND THE SCENES, UH, IT, IT, IT MAKES A JOB EVEN TOUGHER. SO, I'LL, I'LL END WITH THAT. I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S OUT HERE. THANK YOU FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, THEIR CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY. 'CAUSE THIS IS WHAT THIS IS. THAT'S WHAT, IT'S THEIR TIME TODAY IS TANGIBLE, RIGHT? IT'S MONEY, RIGHT? ALL THESE PASTORS ARE HERE. THEY COULD BE ANYWHERE ELSE. AMERICA COULD BE AT A HUNDRED OTHER LOCATIONS, BUT HE CHOOSES TO BE HERE BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY, NOT ONLY TO US, EXCUSE ME, BUT TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. SO I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. AND THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY. THANKS, CHIEF. NOW WE WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR THANK YOU, CHIEF. I WANT TO, WE WANT TO HEAR NOW FROM OUR SHERIFF, UH, HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF ED GONZALEZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS AND, UH, HOUSTON POLICE CHIEF DIAZ TO, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, UH, IN COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, CONSTABLE PHILLIPS, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER CONSTABLES TO THE PASTORS. EVERYONE THAT'S GATHERED HERE TODAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, I COMMEND YOU. UH, YOU SPOKE TO ME MONTHS AGO IN PASSING, AND YOU HAD A VISION FOR THIS. AND HERE WE ARE. YOU MADE [00:30:01] IT HAPPEN. MAYOR WHITMEYER. I THINK ONE OF YOUR VERY FIRST MEETINGS WAS TO CHALLENGE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY, UH, TO BRING ABOUT MORE COORDINATION, MORE COLLABORATION. YOU'RE CONSTANTLY, UH, DOING THAT AND BRINGING US TOGETHER. AND I THINK WE'RE BETTER FOR IT. AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING BETTER OUTCOMES NOW. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BUT COUNCIL MEMBER DIAZ AND WHITMEYER AND MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU FOR GATHERING US ALL HERE TODAY TO SHOW OUR COMMITMENT TO WORKING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME, COMMITTED AND IMPACTED BY JUVENILES. WHILE OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME RATES DECLINE LAST YEAR ACROSS UNINCORPORATED HARRIS COUNTY, WE CONTINUE TO SEE TOO MANY JUVENILES COMMITTING CRIMES THAT ENDANGER THEIR OWN LIVES. AND YOU SAID IT WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE SEE THE TRAJECTORY AND IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD. AND WE KNOW WHAT THE FINAL OUTCOME WILL BE IF WE DO NOT COURSE CORRECT. THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS GRATEFUL, UH, TO OUR FAITH LEADERS FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AS WE COME TOGETHER TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER. IN RECENT MONTHS, OUR AGENCY, OUR DEPUTIES, HAVE BEEN CALLED TO HANDLE A VARIETY OF SERIOUS CRIMES INVOLVING OUR YOUTH. LAST MONTH, WE TOOK CUSTODY OF A 12-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO ALLEGEDLY STOLE A CAR AND LED DEPUTIES ON A BRIEF CHASE BEFORE HE FLIPPED THE CAR IN SOMEONE'S FRONT YARD. NEIGHBORS TOLD US THE CHILD HAS A HISTORY, A HISTORY OF CAUSING PROBLEMS, BUT NO ONE MANAGED TO INTERVENE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. ON CHRISTMAS DAY, THREE BOYS AGES 12 TO 15 YEARS GOT THEMSELVES SHOT. WHEN THEY ALLEGEDLY ATTEMPTED TO ROB A MAN AT GUNPOINT IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, THE MAN THEY TARGETED HAD A GUN AND SHOT THEM ALL. A MONTH EARLIER IN LATE NOVEMBER, WE WERE SUMMONED TO A TOMBA HOME WHERE A 16-YEAR-OLD BOY HAD BEEN SHOT TO DEATH. HIS 17-YEAR-OLD SIBLING WAS CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER. OUR INVESTIGATORS DETER DETERMINED THE BOYS HAD BEEN DRINKING AND HANDLING A GUN WHILE THEIR PARENTS WERE AWAY. THE STORIES GO ON AND ON. AS A COMMUNITY, WE MUST COME TOGETHER TO SHOW OUR CHILDREN A BETTER WAY. TALK TO YOUR FAITH LEADERS ABOUT YOUR SAFETY CONCERNS. AND WE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH THEM AND WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND THIS MAYOR AND POLICE CHIEF DIAZ READY TO ACT IN THE HOPES OF PREVENTING MORE SENSELESS CRIME. YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE SO BLESSED AS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN THAT WE'RE IN A COMMUNITY THAT WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS CALLS AND THIS MAYOR CALLS, THAT WE COME TOGETHER BECAUSE WE ALL WANNA BE PART OF A SOLUTION TOGETHER. WE ARE BETTER. NONE OF US HAVE INFINITE RESOURCES. WE ARE ALL MANAGING SO MANY DIFFERENT CHALLENGES. BUT THANK GOD THAT WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT'S REALLY READY TO STEP UP, READY TO WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THE PASTORS AND EVERYBODY TO COME UP WITH SHARED SOLUTIONS THAT ARE GONNA MAKE FOR A BETTER PLACE, NOT ONLY NOW, BUT FOR THE FUTURE. AND I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE THAT TYPE OF COLLABORATION HERE, PASTOR, BECAUSE THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE IN SO MANY OTHER PLACES. YES. WHERE THERE'S MORE DIVISION. SO, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS MARTINEZ FOR CONTINUING TO BUILD THOSE SEATS OF, OF COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION JUST BRIEFLY IN SPANISH. IT'S DAVIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT. NOW I THANK YOU SHERIFF GONZALEZ. I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH. I ALSO WANT TO INVITE OUR METRO POLICE CHIEF, WHO IS VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE NEED HIS BROTHER THROUGH CHIEF MANIN. THANK WELL, I HAVE THE BEST PART. GOOD MORNING. UH, BY THE TIME, UH, MAYOR HAVE SPOKEN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HAVE SPOKEN, AND SHERIFF AND CHIEF DS. I COULD JUST, UH, DROP THE MIC . BUT, UH, THE REALITY IS, IS, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INVITATION. UH, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S A GOOD THING OR A BAD THING WHEN A COUNCIL MEMBER HAVING YOUR PERSONAL CELL NUMBER BECAUSE, UH, THOSE PHONE CALLS ALWAYS COME, YOU KNOW, UH, ON SUNDAY NIGHT. YOU KNOW, UH, I GUESS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER'S BUSY DURING THE DAY. SO SUNDAY NIGHT, WE HAVE SOME TIME, HE'LL CALL. BUT I AM HONORED EVERY SINGLE TIME WHEN I RECEIVE THOSE PHONE CALL BECAUSE OUTTA ALL THOSE PHONE CALL, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS NOT ASKED ANYTHING FOR HIMSELF. IT'S ALWAYS HOW WE CAN SERVE THE VETERANS, THE COMMUNITY. THE LIST CAN GO ON AND ON, BUT NONE FOR THEMSELVES. SO, THANK YOU, SIR. I'M HONORED TO BE HERE AND, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TALK ABOUT COLLABORATION. UM, I'M, I'M NOT THAT SMART, BUT, UH, BUT I WOULD SAY THIS IS WHAT COLLABORATION MEAN [00:35:01] TO ME. COLLABORATION MEAN TO ME IS THE FACT THAT EVERY DAY I COME TO WORK AND I HEAR STORIES ABOUT MY OFFICER, HOW THEY COLLABORATE WITH HOUSTON PD, OUR COUNTY PARTNERS TO GO AROUND TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF HOMELESS INITIATIVE, QUALITY OF LIFE STUFF, VIOLENT CRIMES. YES. COLLABORATION MEAN TO ME IS, AS I WALKED THROUGH THAT DOOR, OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, EXTENDED FAMILY FROM, UH, PRECINCT FOUR TOLD ME, HEY, CHIEF, THAT WAS A GREAT CATCH A FEW DAYS AGO WHEN YOU'RE ALSO WORKING A JOINT EFFORT WITH THE HPD, WHEN Y'ALL KEY UP THE MIC, WE WERE THERE WOULD END SECOND. AND SUBSEQUENTLY, MULTIPLE SUSPECTS WERE APPREHENDED. AND COLLABORATION MEAN TO ME IS, UH, WHEN MY OFFICERS WORKING OUT THOSE EXTENDED SHIFT OUT IN THE HEAT AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WALK UP, HEY, OFFICER, HERE'S THE WATER. THAT'S WHAT COLLABORATION IS. MOST IMPORTANTLY IS, UH, AS I WALKED IN SOME OF THESE MINISTER AND PASTOR, WE USED TO, UH, WALK THE HALLWAYS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SAFE START TO KEEP ALL THE KIDS SAFE WHEN THEY GOT OUTTA SCHOOL. AND I ALWAYS WONDER HOW COME EVERY SINGLE YEAR, FOUR YEARS IN A ROW BELIEVE CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT. AND OUR INITIATIVE IS ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL. NOW I FINALLY REALIZE WHY WHEN YOU HAVE FOLKS THAT TALK DIRECTLY TO THE GUY UPSTAIRS, I GUESS IT DEFINITELY HELPS. BUT, UH, I'M HONORED TO BE PART OF THIS. MAYOR, I'M HONORED FOR YOUR SUPPORT. YOU HONOR, FOR NOT JUST TO TALK ABOUT COLLABORATION AND PUT EMPHASIS IN COLLABORATION AND TO MAKE OUR REGION BETTER. BECAUSE I AM, A DEPARTMENT CONSISTS OF ONLY A FEW HUNDRED OFFICERS. MY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY CONSISTS OF 1300 SQUARE MILES, FOUR COUNTIES, AND 14 CITIES. THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I CAN DO THIS ALONE WITH THE MAYOR'S SUPPORT, WITH ALL MY EXTENDED FAMILY LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT. THIS IS WHY WE ARE HERE. SO, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, KEEP DOING IT. AND I WELCOME THOSE PHONE CALLS EVERY SINGLE DAY. I'M HONORED. GONNA KEEP COMING. THANK YOU, CHIEF DAN. ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO, WE COULDN'T HAVE A LOT OF THE ACTIVITY THAT WE'RE DOING. AND MY TEAM WHO WORKS DILIGENTLY, MY CHIEF OF STAFF, MY ADMINISTRATOR, BOTH, UH, THEM AND TWO OF MY CONSTITUENT GUYS, I COULDN'T HAVE DID ALL OF THIS WITHOUT THAT WORK. AND, UH, AND CERTAINLY NOT WITHOUT THESE PEOPLE, I WON'T INVITE CRIME STOPPERS UP. UH, THE CEO RUN YOUR, UH, MEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO BE HERE. A BIT OF A CATHARTIC MOMENT. UM, I WANNA THANK YOU, PASTOR COUNCIL, MEMBER DAVIS. MAYOR WHITMEYER. THANK YOU. I WANNA JUST STEP BACK FOR A MOMENT. IN 2019, OUR ORGANIZATION REALLY TOOK THE FOREFRONT IN SOUNDING THE ALARM ON THIS, THE VIOLENCE WE WERE SEEING AS A COMMUNITY WHEN YOU'D HAVE REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDERS BACK OUT IN THE STREETS. AND WHAT DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO IT IS WE STARTED TO PAY REWARDS, MULTIPLE REWARDS ON THE SAME VIOLENT SUSPECT FOR ELEVATING CRIMES. AND WE THOUGHT THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. AND WE STARTED TO SOUND THE ALARM. AND WE GOT NOT JUST PUSHBACK, SEVERE PUSHBACK. IT WAS UNLIKE ANYTHING I'VE EVER SEEN. AND NOW, THE 18 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN AT CRIME STOPPERS, I GOT TWO PHONE CALLS. AND I'LL TELL YOU, I LOVE THAT EVERYBODY HERE HAS MY CELL PHONE NUMBER. UM, THE FIRST PHONE CALL WAS FROM THEN SENATOR JOHN WHITMEYER, WHO SAID, YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING. YOU KEEP GOING, YOU KEEP GOING, YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING. AND THEN I GOT A CALL FROM THEN, PASTOR, WELL STILL PASTOR, UH, DAVIS, WHO SAID, I'M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU. I'M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. THIS IS OUR CITY AND WE LOVE THIS CITY. AND I'M SO PROUD THAT NOT ONLY DID WE KEEP SPEAKING, NOT ONLY DID WE TAKE THE PUNCHES, BUT WE PUT ONE OF OUR SHARKS, ANDY KAHN DIRECTLY OVER THIS ISSUE AND TOLD HIM TO GO. AND THEN WHEN WE WERE TOLD TO STOP LOOKING AT THE DATA, STOP LOOKING AT THE DATA. SO I SAID, SIDNEY ZEER, OUR OTHER SHARK, I SAID, LET'S LAUNCH A RESEARCH CENTER. LET'S PROVIDE DATA. LET'S PROVIDE TRANSPARENT DATA, AND LET'S KEEP PUSHING DATA OUT. WE REALIZED THAT WHEN CRIME GOT OUT OF HAND, IT WAS GONNA REPLICATE AND LOWER IN YOUNGER COMMUNITIES. AND SO WE SAID, HOW DO WE STOP THIS AMONGST OUR YOUTH? WE DON'T WANT ANY CHILD TO GO TO WHAT'S CALLED THE CRADLE TO PRISON PIPELINE. WE WANT THEM TO MAKE A CHOICE THAT IS AWAY FROM CRIME BEFOREHAND. SO WE'VE LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN THROUGH OUR SAFE SCHOOL INSTITUTE TO REACH A MILLION CHILDREN FOR SAFETY. JUST THIS YEAR ALONE, A HISTORIC EFFORT. WE'RE MONTH TWO INTO IT. AND WE'RE THE ONLY CITY IN AMERICA TO HAVE DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS. WE BELIEVE IN SYSTEMS BEING LOOKED AT. THE MAYOR HAS TALKED ABOUT WHEN A SYSTEM'S BROKEN, WE ALL FEEL THE RAMIFICATIONS OF IT. I'M SO THANKFUL THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AND I PAUSE 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I WANNA SAY PASTOR OR COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, I LOVE PASTOR. I LOVE COUNCIL MEMBER. I LOVE 'EM BOTH. I WE'RE SO THANKFUL THAT COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS HAD THIS IDEA MONTHS AGO, AND NOW IT'S COMING TO FRUITION BECAUSE BRINGING THE SYSTEM TOGETHER OF FAITH LEADERS CAN DO SO MUCH IN A YOUNG PERSON'S LIFE WHEN [00:40:01] PARENTS AREN'T THERE, WHEN FAMILIES ARE BROKEN, WHEN COMMUNITY PRESSURES ARE THERE, WHEN THERE'S NO ONE ELSE TO TALK TO, A FAITH LEADER CAN LITERALLY TURN THE TIDES. WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THE PRAYERS. WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THE GUIDANCE. WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THE GIANT SHOULDERS WE STAND ON. WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR DOUG AND RAY AT THE HBOU, WHO WERE ALSO CALLING ME AND ENCOURAGING ME FOR THE SHERIFF WHO WAS SAYING, IT'S GONNA BE HARD, BUT WILL STAND WITH YOU, WITH THE VICTIMS ARE CRYING AND SCREAMING AND, AND SHARING THEIR FEELINGS. I'M SO THANKFUL WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING. HOUSTON IS JUST AN INCREDIBLE CITY. IF YOU LIVE HERE, IF YOU'RE SENDING YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL HERE, IF YOU WORK HERE, YOUR INVESTMENTS ARE HERE. YOU PLAN TO RETIRE HERE. YOU'VE GOT TO BE INVESTED IN THE SAFETY OF THIS CITY. YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. WE'RE GONNA KEEP WORKING TOGETHER. UM, I'M THANKFUL THAT OUR COO IS WITH US AND AT THIS TIME I'LL INVITE ANDY KAHN. YES, THANK YOU. YES, YES, EVERYONE. ABSOLUTELY. MORNING, I'M ANDY KAHN, DIRECTOR OF VICTIM SERVICES OF CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON. YOU KNOW, MAYOR, YESTERDAY I WAS UP IN AUSTIN AT THE CAPITOL TESTIFYING AT THE SENATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE. AND THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS, I DIDN'T SEE YOU SITTING OVER THERE. SO IT WAS KIND OF A INTERESTING EXPERIENCE. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE SORELY MISSED, BUT YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE. YOU NEED TO BE HERE. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS AND HIS STAFF ASKED ME IF I WOULD, WOULD KEEP MY REMARKS UNDER AN HOUR. SO ALL RIGHT. PUT PUT THE HOURGLASS ON AND LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS FROM HERE. YOU KNOW, CRIME VICTIMS ARE THE ONLY UNWILLING PARTICIPANTS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. EXACTLY. EVERYONE ELSE CHOSE THEIR ROLE. LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT YOU SEE HERE, PROSECUTORS, DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, JUDGES, VICTIM ADVOCATES, CRIME STOPPERS, BUT NO ONE EVER SAID, PICK ME, PICK ME. THAT'S RIGHT. I WANT TO BE A VICTIM OF A VIOLENT CRIME. THAT'S RIGHT. AND IT'S THE LEAST WE CAN DO, PARTICULARLY IN GOVERNMENT TO LOOK OUT FOR THEIR RIGHTS, THEIR DUE PROCESS AND THEIR WELLBEING. I SERVE ON THE BOARD OF PARENTS AND MURDER CHILDREN AND SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS OF HOMICIDE, WHICH WE MEET AT CRIME STOPPERS THE SECOND TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. THAT IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTRY IN WHICH SOMEONE ELSE WRITES OUT YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR YOU. NO ONE HAS TO BE PART OF THIS. YES. YET, AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE ALSO PROUD AND HONORED THAT WE CAN SERVE FAMILIES WHO LOST LOVED ONES TO HOMICIDES. AND I'VE BEEN WITH THEM FOR 30 YEARS AND I, I'VE PROUD, PROUD TO BE PART OF THEIR GROUP AS WELL. ON THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT IF YOU'RE A VICTIM OF A CRIME. WE SEE THIS ALL THE TIME, PARTICULARLY IN THE NEWS WHERE FAMILY START LIKE A GO. YOU KNOW, THEY LOST A LOVED ONE, THEY HAVE EXPENSES, AND THERE'S A GOFUNDME PAGE SET UP FOR THEM. AND I, MY IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO REALLY DO THAT. WE HAVE RESOURCES OUT THERE. AND WITH THAT IN MIND, WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION ACT. AND IT'S ALWAYS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE TO LET VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME KNOW THAT THIS EXISTS TO HELP YOU WITH EXPENSES SUCH AS FUNERAL EXPENSES, MEDICAL BILLS, LOSS OF WAGES. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE IN A STORE, PARTICULARLY A CONVENIENT, AND YOU'RE SHOT JUST TRYING TO DO YOUR JOB AND YOU CAN'T GO TO WORK, THEY WILL HELP YOU WITH LOSS OF WAGES. COUNSELING IF YOU'RE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, A SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM, RELOCATION EXPENSES. ONE OF THE PROUDEST BILLS THAT I'VE EVER GOTTEN THROUGH IN A LEGISLATIVE SESSION HAD TO DO WITH A 4-YEAR-OLD BOY NAMED SIR ROMEO, WHO WAS SITTING IN WATCHING, WATCHING TV WITH HIS GRANDFATHER. AND STREET FIRE ERUPTED. HE WAS SHOT, THEY HAD TO TAKE HIM TO BEN. HE'S SIX MONTHS IN REHAB. WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR HIM TO BE RELEASED, THE GRANDMOTHER REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID, IS THERE, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING WE CAN DO, WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO TAKE HIM BACK TO WHERE HE WAS SHOT. IT BRINGS NIGHTMARES TO HIM. I SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. LET ME LOOK INTO IT. FOUND OUT THAT AT THAT TIME WE HAD TWO CATEGORIES OF VICTIMS ELIGIBLE FOR RELOCATION EXPENSES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT. AND I CALLED HER, I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING. UH, WE ENDED UP FILING A BILL AND WE CALLED IT THE SER ROMEO LAW. AND NOW ANY FAMILY WHOSE CHILD WAS SHOT WILL NOW BE ELIGIBLE FOR RELOCATION EXPENSES. AND I DON'T GET A CHANCE TO SMILE. AND I CALLED SER ROMEO'S GRANDMOTHER, I'M, I SAID, LORI, YOU KNOW, I DON'T GET A CHANCE TO SMILE TOO OFTEN, BUT TRUST ME, I'M BEAMING IN THE PHONE. I SAID, I TOLD YOU WE WERE GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND I TOLD YOU, SIR ROMEO, HIS LEGACY LASTS FOR ETERNITY. AND THAT'S [00:45:01] WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. AND WITH THAT IN MIND, THE RESOURCES, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU THIS RIGHT NOW. CRIME STOPPERS, OUR TEAM IS INCREDIBLE WHAT WE DO HERE. I'M SO PROUD AND HONORED TO BE PART OF THIS INCREDIBLE ORGANIZATION. WITH THAT IN MIND, WE'VE DEVELOPED A VICTIM OF CRIME RESOURCE GUIDE. IT HAS QUESTIONS, ANSWERS, IF YOU'RE A VICTIM OF A VIOLENT CRIME, RESOURCES THAT YOU CAN HAVE. AND I BROUGHT SOME OVER HERE, AND I'M GOING, MAKE SURE PASTORS OUT HERE THAT YOU HAVE THIS, YOU PASS THAT AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THAT. SO GET IN TOUCH WITH THIS. I DO HAVE A FEW RIGHT HERE AS WELL. AND WITH THAT IN MIND, UH, OUR POSITION AT CRIME STOPPERS IS WE CAN'T GO BACK AND CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU OR YOUR FAMILY, BUT WE TRY TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR OTHERS TO COME ALONG. AND YOU'VE ACHIEVED A LASTING LEGACY AND YOU'RE SEEING A LASTING LEGACY RIGHT HERE. SO LET'S TAKE SOME OF THESE NEGATIVES. LET'S TURN IT INTO POSITIVE ACTION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE, AND LET'S GET TO WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ANDY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND, AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE SPEAKERS WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE CAME BEFORE US AND, AND SHARED THEIR COMMENTS AND CONCERNS AND THEIR COMPASSIONATE YES. ALSO, I WANT TO THANK, UH, OUR CONTROLLER, CHRIS LEY, FOR JOINING US AND ALSO WHO ELSE WE HAVE AND, UH, AND ALL OF OUR CONSTABLES. I AM JUST SO OVERWHELMED WITH OUR CONSTABLES. WE CALL THEM, THEY ARE HERE. AND THAT SAYS A WHOLE LOT ABOUT WHERE AND WHERE WE FEEL ABOUT, UH, OUR CITY. LAST, IN THE LAST SEGMENT HERE BEFORE WE CLOSE, AND THERE'S A FEW PEOPLE JUST IN A SHORT ARE GOING TO SPEAK, BUT I WANT SERGEANT LOVE AND ALSO SERGEANT, UH, CAR. HE, WHERE IS YES, SIR. IS HE, YES. IF YOU BOTH WOULD COME UP, UH, WITH ME HERE, JUST BECAUSE I WANT THEM TO SEE THESE TWO, UM, OFFICERS, BECAUSE THESE GUYS EMBRACED, UH, WHEN I ROLLED THIS OUT AFTER TALKING WITH THE MAYOR, UH, AND THE CHIEF, AND, UM, THEY BOTH AGREED. UM, LET ME JUST LAY OUT THE, THE, THE ACTUAL INITIATIVE POLICE. THAT'S THE FIRST P POLICE, THE FIRST ASPECT OF THIS INITIATIVE. POLICE ARE HERE TO PROTECT US. WE NEED TO HAVE A COLLABORATIVE DIALOGUE WITH THEM. WE NEED POLICE LEADERSHIP TO COMMUNICATE WITH PASTORS. LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE CURRENT CRIME SITUATION AND WHAT CURRENT MESSAGE NEEDS TO BE COMMUNICATED TO THE COMMUNITY. THERE'S A CHURCH AND A PASTOR FOR NEARLY EVERY COMMUNITY AND LEADER, FAITH LEADER IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS CITY, PASTORS AND FAITH LEADERS. THE SECOND ASPECT OF THE P PP, THIS SECOND INITIATIVE IS PASTORS. OUR GROWING NETWORK OF PASTORS. THE MAYOR, UH, PUT HIS AGREEMENT AND SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR. WE WILL BE THE LIAISON TO THE COMMUNITY AND EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE THOSE MESSAGES FROM POLICE LEADERSHIP TO THE COMMUNITY. PEOPLE ARE NATURALLY INCLINED TO LISTEN AND TO TALK TO THEIR FAITH LEADER. AND FATE LEADERS WILL THEN COMMUNICATE THAT CONCERNS FROM THE COMMUNITY BACK TO THE APO LEADERSHIP THAT WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER. AND THAT WAY WE CAN HELP US TO TOUCH EVERY COMMUNITY, BLACK COMMUNITY, HISPANIC COMMUNITY. THE, THE MINISTER ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR, LET ME MAKE NOTE OF THAT. THIS HAS CROSSED EVERY RACE, EVERY ECUMENICAL DENOMINATION. WE DO NOT SEPARATE FROM ANY, WE ALL LIVE IN HOUSTON. WE ALL HAVE A STAKE IN HOUSTON AND WE REPRESENT HOUSTON. THE LAST PART, UH, IS PEOPLE, THE FINAL ASPECT OF THIS INITIATIVE IS THE PEOPLE DON'T BE AFRAID TO TALK TO THE FAITH LEADERS. DON'T BE AFRAID. THOSE BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY NEED TO BE A PART OF THIS. WHETHER YOU OWN A HAIR SALON OR BARBER SHOP OR STORE OR WHATEVER OUTLET YOU RUN, THEY NEED TO BE A PART OF THIS PROGRAM. AND SO THE INITIATIVE OF POLICE, PASTOR AND PEOPLE, CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS, FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, WE DON'T CARE. WE WANT YOU TO BE A PART. YOU LIVE HERE. WE ALL HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE SAFETY OF OUR CITY. WE WANT TO HAVE A CONTINUOUSLY DIALOGUE BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS WITH FAITH LEADERS BEING THE LIAISON THAT MEET WITH BOTH SIDES AND COMMUNICATE IDEALS AND CONCERNS FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER. THE INITIAL DECISION WILL BE LED BY ALL OF THESE FATE LEADERS. AS WE EMBRACE THE MINISTER ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR. WE HAD A GREAT SHOWING IN NOVEMBER THAT WE HOPE TO DO IT ANNUALLY. UH, I'M HOPING THAT [00:50:01] OUR MAYOR WILL CERTAINLY, HE'S ALREADY OPENED UP THE DOORS TO US. UH, WE WILL BE MEETING AT CITY HALL ONCE A MONTH. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM, UH, ONE OF OUR PRESIDENTS OF THE GROUP. AND, UH, WE MEET ONCE A MONTH AND THE MAYOR'S GIVEN US ACCESS TO THAT. AND WE WANT YOU TO BE HERE WITH US. SO INITIALLY WE WANTED TO IDENTIFY, UH, SERGEANT, UH, CARR AND SERGEANT LOVE. UH, WE GOING TO BE MEETING TOGETHER, UH, A POLL. AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE THE INITIAL THING THAT WE WOULD TOUCH EVERY AREA OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. THEY WILL TOUCH EVERY AREA. WE WILL WORK HAND IN HAND TOGETHER. AND I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR TAKING THIS ON. THIS IS NOT A SMALL SITUATION, BUT THEY WERE WILLING TO STEP UP. JUST THE LAST, A FEW PEOPLE THAT GOING TO SPEAK, I JUST WANT YOU TO SEE THEM AS FIRST IS OUR MINISTER AGAINST CRIME PRESIDENT, UH, DR. FLOYD, WILLIAM II. UH, HE'S GOING TO COME AND SHARE WITH US OF HIS PRESENT FOLLOWING HIM WOULD BE, UH, DAVE WELCH. UH, OUR LEADER OF THE HOUSTON AREA PASTOR COUNCIL. UH, AND I DON'T SEE MAX MILLER, DR. MILLER HERE TODAY, BUT HE'S ALSO A PART. AND PASTOR RONALD SMITH OF UNION BAPTIST. PASTOR MILLER IS THE HOUSTON BAPTIST MINISTER AND VICINITY. AND, UH, ALSO WE HAVE CMC. UH, MANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE, UH, HISPANIC COMMUNITY, GILMORE RODRIGUEZ, WHO'S ALSO A PART OF THE CMC, UH, AND THE PASTOR METOVA. THEY'RE ALL A PART OF US. WE ARE NOT JUST OF ONE RACE OR ONE DENOMINATION. WE ARE MULTIPLE. SO YOU WILL HEAR MUCH FROM THEM. SO I'M GOING TO, UH, TO ASK THAT, UH, PASTOR WILLIAM WOULD COME. UH, AND THEN WE WANT, UH, PASTOR, UH, PRESIDENT, UH, UH, LOVE TO SPEAK IN REGARDS TO THAT PART. PASTOR WILLIAM, WHERE IS IT? HERE WE GO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, CERTAINLY, UH, RECOGNIZING OUR MAYOR AND CERTAINLY PASTOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, TO ALL OF THE OFFICIALS, TO ALL OF OUR PASTORS, TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE ASSEMBLED, I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US AS WE GO FORWARD TO LOOK AT IT FROM THE POINT OF OUR OWN PERSONAL INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITY THAT WE WANT TO SEE. MM-HMM . HOW MANY OF YOU HERE ARE PARENTS? THEN WE HAVE A BURDEN AND RESPONSIBILITY. THE LORD DELAYING HIS COMING TO DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF CITY WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO LIVE IN. THERE'S AN ADAGE AND I, AS I STAND HERE, I COMMIT, UH, HOUSTON MINISTERS AGAINST CRIME, WHO'S TRIED TO SERVE AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THIS COLLABORATION. UH, WE HAVE SOME OF OUR MEMBERS HERE. UH, WE THANK GOD FOR THEM, BUT CONSIDER IT IN THIS WAY. YOU HAVE A BRIDGE THAT YOU'VE CROSSED OVER, AND THE BRIDGE HAS FALLEN INTO DISREPAIR. IT IS NOW OUR JOB TO REBUILD THE BRIDGE FOR THOSE WHO COME AFTER US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, PASTOR DAVE WELCH. WELL, THANK YOU PASTOR DAVIS. IT IS A JOY AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE TODAY. AND I'M, I'M EXCITED BECAUSE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CHURCHES OF THIS, OF THE COMMUNITY, OF EVERY COLOR IN EVERY CORNER THAT WE SERVE AND REPRESENT TO STEP FORWARD. WE HAVE A UNIQUE ROLE IN THIS PROCESS OF THE THREE STAGES OF, OF ELIMINATING AND REDUCING CRIME. AND THAT IS, NUMBER ONE, IS PREVENTION. THAT'S RIGHT. WE HAVE TO CHANGE LIVES. WE HAVE TO CHANGE FAMILIES. WE HAVE TO REBUILD FAMILIES, THE NUCLEUS OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT CAN HELP TURN THE TRAJECTORY OF, OF WHAT HAPPENS IN PRODUCING CRIME. NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR CORRECTIVE SYSTEM, OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM, COLLABORATE, AS WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY. WE HAVE TO STAND WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM, MAKE IT WORK BETTER, HELP, SUPPORT, AND PRAY FOR, AND CONNECT WITH IT REGULARLY EVERY DAY. AND THIRD REDEMPTIVE THAT WE HAVE A ROLE OF TAKING THOSE THAT HAVE FALLEN PREY INTO BROKEN LIVES AND, AND THOSE WHO ARE WILLING AND, AND HERE AND CAN TURN THOSE LIVES AROUND. AND ON THE REDEMPTIVE COURSE TO AVOID REPETITION. SO I'M, I'M THANKFUL FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF MAYOR WHITMEYER, PASTOR DAVIS AND THE PASTORS THAT WE SERVE AND REPRESENT SOME OF THAT ARE HERE TODAY, DR. HER CASTANO, DOUG STRINGER, UH, DOUG HARRIS, SO MANY OTHERS THAT ARE UP HERE AS WELL. THAT WE CAN BRING SOLUTIONS. WE HAVE TO CHANGE HEARTS AND LIVES. OUR FAITH DICTATES AND DIRECTS US. THAT THAT IS OUR CALL. THAT'S WHAT WE DO, WHERE WE'RE CALLED TO DO EVERY DAY SO WE KNOW, DO IT BETTER, DOING MORE AND, AND, UH, SUPPORT THOSE LEADERS THAT [00:55:01] ARE HERE TODAY AND OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, AND CHARGE MORE OF OUR CHURCHES TO DO MORE. AND THAT'S OUR MISSION, IS TO HELP SERVE THEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THANK YOU, DAVE. THANK YOU. ALSO OUR PRESIDENT, UH, DR. SJ GILBERT II FROM THE, UH, METROPOLITAN BAPTIST MINISTERS AND INC. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. BLESS YOU. YES. FIRST GIVEN PRAISE TO GOD, TO OUR MAYOR AND, UH, TO PASTOR DAVIS AND ALL OF YOU WHO ARE GATHERED, UH, SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT OUR HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF CANNOT STAND, STAND. AND THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON THAT WE ALL AGREE THAN THAT SEPARATES US. AND WE ALL AGREE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS IMPORTANT. THAT'S RIGHT. TO MAKE OUR CITIES BETTER. BUT THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MAKE THIS CITY BETTER IS THAT WE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER. THAT'S RIGHT. AND AS WE UNIFY, COME TOGETHER MM-HMM . SEEKING THE DIVINE HELP OF THE LORD, IT SHALL COME TO PASS. GOD BLESS YOU. BLESS YOU TOO. BLESS YOU TOO. THANK YOU, DOC. AND THEN BEFORE I CLOSE IN, DOC SERGEANT CARR AND SERGEANT LOVE, I WANT THESE GENTLEMEN TO COME BECAUSE THEY DO SO MUCH, AND I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THEM AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR UNIONS, HPOU, OSO, ALL OF THESE, WE, I'VE TALKED TO THEM, THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ALONG WITH US AND WE ARE HAPPY ABOUT THAT. SERGEANT, LOVE. THANK YOU. SURE. UH, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS BRANDON LOVE. I'M A SERGEANT IN OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND ALSO SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT FOR THE ARO AMERICAN POLICE OFFICER LEAGUE. AND BEFORE I CONTINUE, I ALWAYS LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR GREAT MAYOR, MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. PASTOR DAVIS, ALSO UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CHIEF DIAZ WITHIN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. YEAH. I'M SUPER EXCITED TO BE INVOLVED, TO BE A PART OF THIS INITIATIVE. UM, LIKE PASTOR DAVIS MENTIONED THE, THE THREE PS PEOPLE, POLICE AND PASTORS. I'M A MAN OF FAITH. I'M A PERSON AND I'M THE POLICE. SO I THINK I FIT ALL CATEGORIES. , RIGHT. SO, SO I'M, I'M SUPER, I'M SUPER EXCITED TO BE INVOLVED AND TO, TO SHOW OUR, OUR, OUR CITY HOW PUBLIC SAFETY IS OUR, OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL IN MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO RESTORE PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC TRUST WITHIN THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA. I'M SUPER EXCITED WITH ALL THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT I HAVE FROM THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, CLERGY WITH PASTOR F AND WILLIAMS AND HIS TEAM, HA PACKA WITHIN HPD AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, YES, LIKE THE GREAT MAYOR SAID, GET TO WORK AND, UM, AND FAITH. FAITH WITHOUT DEAD, FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. AND, UH, AND IT IS TIME TO GET TO WORK. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING MY PART AS FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE. THANK YOU. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ERIC CARR. I'M A SERGEANT WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR, UH, A O AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE MAYOR AND ME AND THE MAYOR GO WAY BACK TO WHEN HE WAS A SENATOR ON SENATE BILL 30. SO I KNOW THE MAYOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT. ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PASTOR FOR THIS COLLABORATION. UH, OBVIOUSLY OUR CHIEF OF POLICE AND SHERIFF, AND EVERYONE'S HERE, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY, PASTOR, I KNOW YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I'M SO USED TO CALLING PASTOR. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. THAT'S YOU. GOOD. IT IS ABOUT BUSINESS, IT TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS. AND A LOT OF OUR, A LOT OF OUR PEOPLE ARE PERISHING DUE TO LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. THAT'S RIGHT. AND WE ARE HERE TODAY TO ACTUALLY PUT ACTION TO WORDS. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M JUST THANKFUL TO BE PART OF IT, AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SERGEANT. I, I, I WANT TO, IN OUR CLOSING, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE PACKER. THESE ARE ANOTHER GROUP THAT I LOVE DEARLY. I'M SO LOOKING FORWARD TO YOU ALL WORKING WITH US. AND, UH, IN OUR CLOSING, IF YOU ARE A PASTOR, YOU ARE WATCHING OR YOU KNOW, OF US WATCHING THIS PRESS CONFERENCE, WE, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW, SIGN UP WITH US, THE MINISTER ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR. WE WELCOME EVERYBODY. THERE ARE MINISTRIES OUT THERE THAT ARE DOING SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. SO WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH THAT BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE OUR CITY A BETTER CITY. AND, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LEADER. AND I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ. 'CAUSE WE WORK A LOT TOGETHER, JOAQUIN AND I AS OTHERS. BUT WE, WE, I JUST WANTED TO BE KNOWN THAT IT'S A COLLABORATION AND I HOPE THAT'S GOING FORWARD. IF YOU ARE RESIDENT IN THE COMMUNITY, WE WANT YOUR FAITH LEADER, UH, TO BE A PART OF US AND, AND GET IT TO THEM AND NOTIFY OUR OFFICE. UH, MY OFFICE ARE GOING TO BE SENDING OUT MORE DETAILS AND UPDATES ON THIS INITIATIVE IN THE COMING WEEKS. IN CLOSING, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, [01:00:01] ELECTED OFFICIALS, PARTNER IN ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HERE IN SUPPORT OF THIS INITIATIVE. I WANNA SPEAK TO ALL OF US WHEN I SAY THAT WE LOVE OUR CITY, WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE WANT OUR CITY TO BE SAFE, AND WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. AND I THINK ALL OF US CAN AGREE WITH THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH, SO MUCH. IF THERE'S ANY, NO OTHER QUESTIONS THAN WE, WE WOULD, UH, DISMISS. THANK YOU. PHOTO. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.