[Public Safety Committee on June 10, 2025.]
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UM, I'M AMY PECK, CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.
WE ARE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY, UM, WITH MICROSOFT TEAMS, BUT IT IS WORKING ON HTV.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANYONE YOU KNOW, WATCHING IT ON TEAMS, PLEASE TELL THEM TO TURN IT ON HTV INSTEAD.
UM, WE ARE JOINED TODAY BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE.
CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
TWILA CARTER'S OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S, OFFICE MAYOR PRO TEM KAT'S OFFICE.
UM, MARY ANNE HUFFMAN'S OFFICE, OUR VICE CHAIR, UM, TARSHA JACKSON'S OFFICE.
ABBY CAYMAN'S OFFICE, AND FRED FLICKINGER OFFICE AND ONLINE WATCHING IS COUNCIL MEMBER.
GET EVERYONE AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S OFFICE ONLINE AS WELL.
TODAY WE WILL HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS.
UM, THE FIRST WILL BE FROM THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION.
AND THEN OUR SECOND PRESENTATION WILL BE THE COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH.
SO WE WILL START FIRST, UM, WITH HPD, UM, SERGEANT HAM, DO YOU WANNA COME UP? HI, GOOD MORNING.
I'M THE SERGEANT OVER THE HIGHWAY INTERDICTION UNIT OUT OF THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION FOR HOUSTON PD.
AND, UH, YOU MIGHT MIGHT'VE SEEN ME OVER THE LAST WEEK.
UH, I WAS ON HPDS HOUSTON POLICE'S SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE NEWS BECAUSE, UH, ONE OF THE NARCOTICS CANINES ASSIGNED TO MY UNIT, UH, HAD A RETIREMENT AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF SERVICE, UH, ASSIGNED TO OFFICER MAYOR SAUL GONZALEZ.
AND WE HAD A, A BIG RETIREMENT CEREMONY FOR HER LAST WEEK.
AND SO THAT KIND OF MADE THE SOCIAL MEDIA ROUNDS.
UH, BUT TODAY I JUST KINDA WANNA TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO AT THE HIGHWAY INTERDICTION UNIT.
UM, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT, UH, SLIDE PLEASE? SO OUR MAIN FOCUS AT HIGHWAY INTERDICTION IS TO DISRUPT AND DISMANTLE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT OCCURS IN THE HIGHWAYS THROUGHOUT THE HOUSTON AREA.
SO YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF WHY IS HOUSTON'S SUCH A HUB? UM, A, UH, A PLACE WHERE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OCCURS? UM, WELL, IT HAS A COUPLE REASONS.
IT'S OUR NEXUS TO THE BORDER, UM, THE HIGHWAYS THAT TRAVERSE THROUGH THE HOUSTON AREA, CONNECTING MULTIPLE OTHER LARGE CITIES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE VARIOUS STATES.
AND ALSO OUR PROXIMITY TO THE PORT OF HOUSTON, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND BUSIEST PORTS.
SO ALL THREE OF THOSE THINGS COMBINED TOGETHER, UM, MAKE IT AN AREA WHERE A LOT OF CONTRABAND, NARCOTICS AND WEAPONS GET TRAVELED THROUGH.
SO, UH, THE HIGHWAY WIND ADDICTION UNIT, AND I MIGHT REFER TO IT ALSO AS HIU, IS A SMALL UNIT ASSIGNED TO THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION.
UM, WE ARE OFFICERS THAT ARE IN, UM, MARKED UNIFORMS IN MARKED PATROL CARS, UM, CONDUCTING TRAFFIC STOPS PRIMARILY ON THE FREEWAYS IN AND AROUND THE HOUSTON AREA.
UH, WE HAVE TWO NARCOTICS CANINES ASSIGNED TO OUR UNIT.
UM, TRAFFIC STOPS ARE THE MAIN WAY WE DO ENFORCEMENT AND OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO GO BEYOND THE TRAFFIC STOP.
SO TURN NORMAL TRAFFIC STOP INTO A LONG-TERM CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IF THAT'S WHAT WE DETERMINE IS GOING ON.
UM, SO IF YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURE THERE, UH, ON THE RIGHT, UM, THAT IS A RESULT OF A TRAFFIC STOP THAT WAS DONE BY MY UNIT AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL.
THERE WAS A COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE, A REFRIGERATED TRAILER THAT WAS DRIVING THROUGH THE HOUSTON AREA.
UH, WE CONDUCTED A TRAFFIC STOP ON IT, UH, AFTER WE DEVELOPED PROBABLE CAUSE AND AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE DRIVER, WE DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON.
WE REALIZED THAT THE STORY, THEY HAD THE, UH, SHIPPING DOCUMENTS, THE MANIFEST DIDN'T QUITE MATCH UP.
AND THROUGH OUR INVESTIGATION ON A CANINE ALERT, UM, WE ENDED UP FINDING 16 AFTERMARKET COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE BATTERIES.
THEY WEREN'T HOOKED UP TO THE CAR, THEY WERE JUST SITTING IN THERE, UH, MIXED IN WITH THE PRODUCE AND THE, UH, PERSONAL OBJECTS IN THE UH, CAB.
AND WHEN WE USED THOSE, UH, WE SAW THOSE, WE RAN THE DOG ON THE BATTERIES AND ENDED UP FINDING 60 KILOS OF COCAINE AND 10 KILOS OF FENTANYL INSIDE THOSE BATTERIES.
AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE THERE ON THE HOOD OF THE POLICE CAR.
UM, SO WHAT WE DO IN OUR INVESTIGATIONS, WE ALSO WORK WITH OTHER DIVISIONS WITHIN HOUSTON, POLICE, LIKE OUR NARCOTICS DIVISION, MAJOR OFFENDERS OR CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE, AND THEN WE ALSO WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR OTHER LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS.
SO OUR FOCUS IS ON ALL CRIMES, ALL THREATS AND ALL HAZARDS.
SO, UH, ALTHOUGH WE DO SEE A LOT OF NARCOTICS AND WEAPONS, AND THAT IS A LOT OF WHAT WE SEIZE, NO MATTER WHAT WE RUN ACROSS, WE'RE GONNA HANDLE IT.
SO, UM, OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS ALWAYS ON A TRAFFIC SAFETY.
SO IF WE SEE SOMEBODY DRIVING RECKLESSLY, YOU KNOW, SPEEDING, WEAVING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC, WE WILL CONDUCT TRAFFIC STOPS
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AND ISSUE CITATIONS OR GIVE VERBAL WARNINGS DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.UM, BUT WE ALWAYS LOOK TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON.
UM, SO IN ADDITION TO THE NARCOTICS AND THE WEAPONS, WE ALSO ENCOUNTERED, UH, COUNTERFEIT AND STOLEN CARGO, UH, VIN SWAPPED AND STOLEN VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAYS, AND THEN FUEL THEFT AND CREDIT CARD SKIMMING.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES THERE, THE TOP LEFT, UH, THAT WAS 16 KILOS OF COCAINE THAT WAS SEIZED OUT OF A TRANSIT VAN THAT WAS ON A CAR HAULER HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA, UH, ACTUALLY JUST NORTH OF DOWNTOWN, UH, AT 45 AND I 10.
THEY HAD PULLED OVER INTO A LOVE'S TRUCK STOP DURING THE SNOWSTORM WE HAD BACK IN JANUARY, AND ONE OF MY OFFICERS DID THE STOP LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE TRANSIT VAN THAT WAS UP THERE AND NOTICED SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT.
AND THEN WE FOUND THE 16 KILOS HIDDEN INSIDE A COMPARTMENT THERE.
UM, THE TOP RIGHT PICTURE THERE, UH, THIS IS BACK IN 2021, UH, MY UNIT DID A STOP ON A TRUCK THAT WAS PULLING A TRAILER, UH, NEAR THE 2 49 AND HIGHWAY 45 AREA.
AND THAT RESULTED IN THE SEIZURE OF 612 KILOS OF METHAMPHETAMINE AND 135 KILOS OF HEROIN, UH, AT THE TIME THAT HAD AN APPROXIMATE STREET VALUE OF ABOUT $50 MILLION.
UH, AND THAT WAS LINKED THEN TO SEVERAL OTHER INVESTIGATIONS, BOTH IN THE HOUSTON AREA AND AROUND THE US.
UH, THE BOTTOM PICTURE, UH, THAT IS THE PICTURE OF A TRACTOR.
UH, IT WAS NOT PULLING A TRAILER, BUT IT WAS PULLED OVER TO THE LOVE'S TRUCK STOP AT 45 AND, UH, PATTON.
AND WHAT THEY HAD DONE IS THEY HAD TAKEN, UH, THEY HAD STOLEN CREDIT CARD INFORMATION AND CREATED CLONED CREDIT CARDS AND THEY WERE STEALING FUEL, UH, FROM THE TRUCK STOP.
AND ON THE RIGHT PICTURE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD THE BED FOR THE TRACTOR.
THEY ACTUALLY HAD AN AFTERMARKET TANK AND THAT TANK WAS THEN USED TO FILL UP WITH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF STOLEN FUEL.
CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? SORRY, WE'RE STILL HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY.
WE'LL GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE IN JUST A SECOND.
AND JUST TO TALK ABOUT KIND OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN, UH, I TOOK OVER THE UNIT IN 2020 AND FOR THE YEARS OF 2021 TO 2024, UM, WE SEIZED 331 WEAPONS, UH, 1,705 KILOS OF COCAINE, 3,726 KILOS OF METHAMPHETAMINE, 172 KILOS OF HEROIN, AND 43 KILOS OF FENTANYL IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
AND SO FAR, YEAR TO DATE, UP THROUGH THE END OF MAY, WE'VE SEIZED 27 WEAPONS, 271 KILOS OF COCAINE, 92 KILOS OF METHAMPHETAMINE, UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER ONE KILO OF HEROIN AND 10 AND A HALF KILOS OF FENTANYL IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
SO, UH, THE PATTERNS THAT WE'VE SEEN ARE THAT COCAINE HAS CONTINUED TO BE ON THE RISE COMING INTO THE HOUSTON AREA.
UH, THE METHAMPHETAMINE SEIZURES HAVE DROPPED OFF BECAUSE SO MANY OF THE LOADS HAVE BEEN INTERCEPTED AT THE BORDER TRYING TO COME INTO THE US.
UM, BUT THEY STILL ARE COMING INTO THE CITY.
CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? UH, SO IN ORDER TO CONCEAL CONTRABAND, WHAT THE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS DO IS THEY WILL CREATE, UH, WHAT'S CALLED TRAPS OR THEY'LL DO AFTERMARKET CONCEALMENTS OR COMPARTMENTS.
AND SO THIS CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS MAYBE TAKING A, A LUGGAGE AND THEY PUTTING LOCKS ON IT, PUTTING SOMETHING IN THERE TO KEEP US FROM BEING ABLE TO DETECT IT, UH, OR MAYBE AFTERMARKET, UH, PARTS ADDED ONTO VEHICLES OR, UM, OTHER THINGS ON VEHICLES THAT WE CAN ADD ON.
SO, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR PICTURES THERE, THE TOP LEFT, UH, THAT WAS A SEIZURE THAT WAS MADE ALONG I 10, UH, COMING BACK FROM ATLANTA AND THEY HAD TAKEN A, UH, SUITCASE AND PUT LOCKS ON IT.
AND AFTER A, UH, CANINE ALERT ON IT, WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL HANDHELD X-RAY MACHINES ASSIGNED TO OUR UNIT AND WE WERE ABLE TO SCAN IT AND SEE THE CONTRABAND INSIDE AND THEN WE, WE OPENED IT UP AND RECOVERED IT.
UH, THIS TOP RIGHT PICTURE, UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT WAS A, UH, A BOX, A COMPARTMENT THAT WAS ADDED ONTO THE TRAILER OF AN 18 WHEELER THAT WE RECOVERED TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, WHERE WE RECOVERED 17 KILOS OF COCAINE.
UH, AND THE BOTTOM LEFT, I HAD TALKED ABOUT THE BATTERIES THAT WE HAD SEIZED AT 60 KILOS OF COCAINE AND THE 10 KILOS OF FENTANYL.
THOSE WERE THE BATTERIES THAT WE HAD FOUND INSIDE THE 18 WHEELER, AND THAT WAS IN THE BACK OF ONE OF OUR TRUCKS RIGHT THERE.
AND THIS BOTTOM RIGHT PICTURE RIGHT THERE, THAT IS THE, OUR X-RAY, UM, IT'S CALLED A ZBV X-RAY BACK SCATTER VAN THAT'S ASSIGNED TO OUR UNIT.
AND SO TYPICALLY WHAT WE DO WITH THAT IS WHEN WE CONDUCT TRAFFIC STOPS AND WE DEVELOP PROBABLE CAUSE, UM, AFTER A CANINE ALERT, IF WE SUSPECT THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME KIND OF CONTRABAND HIDDEN INSIDE A VEHICLE THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO EASILY ACCESS, THEN WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL BRING THAT VEHICLE OUT TO THE SCENE AND WE CAN SCAN AROUND THE VEHICLE AND, UH, DETECT IF ANY CONTRABAND IS THERE.
AND SO LASTLY, THIS IS WHAT I TALKED ABOUT.
UH, WE HAD CANINE FRIDA RETIREMENT LAST WEEK ON JUNE 4TH.
UH, SHE SERVED FOR EIGHT YEARS, UH, WITH OUR UNIT AND FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND DURING HER TENURE, SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SEIZURE OF 33 KILOS OF HEROIN, 1,560 KILOS OF COCAINE, 2,400 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA, AND 12,222 KILOS OF METHAMPHETAMINE.
AND HER CANINE HANDLER OFFICER MARIEL GONZALEZ
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JUST PICKED UP HER NEW PARTNER LAST THURSDAY ON JUNE 5TH.UH, HER NAME IS PLUMA AND WE JUST STARTED TRAINING WITH HER ON YESTERDAY.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
BEFORE WE GET TO COUNCIL MEMBER QUESTIONS, WE WERE JOINED, UM, BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS'S OFFICE, TIFFANY HUMAS AND ED POLLARD'S OFFICE.
AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON IS WATCHING ONLINE AS WELL.
UM, FIRST UP, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR SPECIFIC UNIT, WHAT SO PROBABLE CAUSE.
SO IF YOU PULL SOMEBODY OVER, IS IT USUALLY FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION OR YOU'RE ALREADY LOOKING FOR THAT PARTICULAR, OR PROBABLY A COMBINATION OF BOTH OR YOU'RE ALREADY LOOKING FOR WHITE VAN FROM SOME OTHER AGENCY THAT'S TELLING YOU TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF FACTORS.
UH, A LOT, SOME OF WHAT WE DO IS A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IS JUST COLD TRAFFIC STOPS.
WE'RE JUST OUT THERE WATCHING THE ROAD AND WE LOOK FOR DRIVER BEHAVIOR, UH, THINGS THAT LOOK AMISS AND SOMETIMES WE ARE GIVEN INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A CERTAIN VEHICLE.
AND EVERY VEHICLE WE STOP IS BASED ON PROBABLE CAUSE.
AND, AND IF YOU HAVE PROBABLE CAUSE, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO SEARCH THE VEHICLE, I MEAN, THERE'S THAT'S CORRECT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO GET A SEARCH WARRANT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
YOU WERE FIRST CAROL, THE, UH, AUTOMOBILE EXCEPTION, YES.
THAT ALLOWS US TO CONDUCT A, UH, A WARRANTLESS SEARCH OF THE VEHICLE WHENEVER WE HAVE PROBABLE CAUSE.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHAT YOU'RE STOPPING FROM COMING IN.
SHE DID A GOOD JOB IN HER EIGHT YEAR TENURE.
AND HOW, JUST TWO DOGS? YES, WE HAVE TWO DOGS ASSIGNED OUR UNIT.
THERE, THERE ARE OTHER DOGS ASSIGNED TO THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT OUTTA NARCOTICS DIVISION.
BUT WE HAVE TWO SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNED TO OUR UNIT.
AND HOW MANY OFFICERS IN YOUR UNIT? UH, 10 ALTOGETHER.
AND ARE, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE CATCHING PEOPLE LIKE EVERY DAY, UH, PRETTY FREQUENTLY, YES.
AND AS YOU'RE DOING THESE STOPS, HOW MUCH ARE YOU RELYING ON THE FLOCK CAMERAS, UM, AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY TO FIND DIFFERENT VEHICLES? SO IT'S A, IT'S A TOOL THAT WE USE IN THE TOOLBOX, BUT OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON THE HIGHWAYS AND THE FLOCK CAMERAS ARE IN THE CITY, SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE USE ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE PRIMARILY WATCHING THE ROADS AND LOOKING FOR DRIVERS, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF SEE US AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY EXIT OR THEY CHANGE LANES OR THEY TRY TO, YOU KNOW, HIDE.
UM, BUT OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON THE HIGHWAYS, NOT SO MUCH USING THE FLOCK CAMERAS.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU SERGEANT FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN ASKED, UH, ABOUT UH, HOW YOU, HOW YOU COME TO, UH, STOP VEHICLES AND, AND SOME OF IT IS INFORMATION THAT'S PASSED ALONG TO YOU FROM OTHER, OTHER OFFICERS, I, I TAKE IT OR AGENCIES.
UH, BUT THEN TWO PART OF YOUR JOB IS JUST LOOKING FOR VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR PAST EXPERIENCE MIGHT, UH, BE, UH, TRAFFICKING, NARCOTICS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, SO WHEN, WHEN YOU DO THAT, WHEN YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY ACTING ON A TIP, UM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION IN ORDER TO PULL SOMEONE OVER, IT'S BASICALLY THE THE CASE, ISN'T IT? YES.
EVERY TIME WE PULL SOMEBODY OVER WE HAVE TO HAVE PROBABLE CAUSE RIGHT? OR REASONABLE SUSPICION, UM, AS THE CASE MAY BE.
SO, SO THERE ARE FOLKS OUT THERE WHO SAY, WELL, HPD SHOULDN'T CONDUCT TRAFFIC STOPS ANYMORE FOR VEHICLE VIOLATIONS.
SO IF, UH, IF THAT WERE TO BE THE RULE, IF WE WERE NO LONGER, UH, ALLOWED TO PULL VEHICLES OVER ON TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, WOULD THAT PRETTY MUCH KILL A LOT OF, UH, YOUR CONFISCATION OF, OF THESE DANGEROUS DRUGS? ABSOLUTELY, IT WOULD.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER KINGMAN'S OFFICE.
UH, I MIGHT BE A LITTLE EARLY.
UM, WE RECEIVED A QUESTION FROM A RESIDENT.
SHOULD I SAVE THAT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OR GOTCHA.
WE'LL DO THAT DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SEEING NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
UP NEXT, WE WILL HEAR A PRESENTATION FROM COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH.
IF THEY WANNA START COMING UP, WE'LL PULL UP THE PRESENTATION AND, UM, THIS WAS ON THE REQUEST OF VICE CHAIR JACKSON.
I KNOW SHE IS WATCHING THIS AND EAGER TO HEAR THIS PRESENTATION AND WE'RE EXCITED FOR YOU TO BE HERE TODAY.
MY NAME IS TIFFANY CHEVERIA AND I'M WITH COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH, AND I'M JOINED BY MICHAEL.
AND SO I'LL LET HIM INTRODUCE HIMSELF.
UM, MY NAME IS MICHAEL GALLOWAY AND I AM ALSO WITH COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH.
I AM A PROJECT ASSOCIATE AND I ALSO ASSIST WITH MANAGING THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM.
AND SO IN OUR PRESENTATION FOR YOU TODAY, WE'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS PROGRAM.
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AND THEN WE EVEN HAVE SOME OF OUR PHENOMENAL MENTEES WITH US WHO CAN SPEAK TO THEIR EXPERIENCE AS WELL.SO NOT WITH US TODAY IS OUR YOUTH JUSTICE DIRECTOR WILL HARRIS.
AND SO HE'S ACTUALLY WITH OUR PARTNERS DOING, UH, OUR MONTHLY PARTNER MEETING.
AND SO I'LL TELL TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HOW THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE PROGRAM.
AND BY CREATING SPACES FOR OUR PARTNERS TO CONVENE AND MEET REGULARLY, IT'S ONE OF THE KEY PIECES OF HAVING THIS BE EXTREMELY FUNCTIONAL AND REALLY CUSTOMIZED FOR THE HOUSTON LANDSCAPE.
SO, COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH AS A NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO CREATING COMMUNITIES WHERE ALL YOUNG PEOPLE CAN THRIVE, WE PRIMARILY FOCUS ON COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, AND WE DO THIS BY CARING ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS.
SO A LOT OF OUR SERVICES AND PROGRAMS REALLY WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS ONE-ON-ONE AND IN GROUP SETTINGS TO HELP THEM ADVANCE THEMSELVES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE FOOD IN THEIR HOME.
AND THEN WE GET TO TALK ABOUT LARGER ISSUES THAT'S IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
PRIOR TO BECOMING A C3 IN 2021, WE OPERATED AS AN INITIATIVE AND WE FOCUSED ON DUALLY INVOLVED YOUTH.
SO YOUTH GOING THROUGH CHILD WELFARE AND JUVENILE PROBATION.
SO THE WORK STARTED FOR US IN 20 16, 20 18, AND FROM THERE, JUST THE NATURAL NEED TO CREATE A COMMUNITY ORGANIZING ARM AROSE.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR 20 PERSON TEAM.
SO COLLECTIVE EXTRA FOR YOUTH.
I'M SORRY, FOR OUR 21 PERSON TEAM.
AND WHY I FIND THAT TO BE FASCINATING IS BECAUSE IN MY TIME SPENT SPENT IN NONPROFIT, I THINK THAT IN ORDER TO CREATE SOME INTERNAL INNOVATION AND TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO HAVE THAT UPWARD MOBILITY INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION, IT IT, IT'S VERY UNIQUE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN IN YOU BE A YOUNGER PERSON.
SO ALLOWING US TO HIRE YOUNGER.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, 75% OF OUR STAFF HAVE DIRECT EXPERIENCE IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM OR THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM.
IT JUST CREATES A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY BE OVERLOOKED IN LARGER ORGANIZATIONS OR EVEN MORE ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONS.
OUR STAFF IS COMPRISED OF 90% BIPOC, AND OUR BOARD IS A HUNDRED PERCENT BIPOC AS WELL.
AND SO IT'S A VERY UNIQUELY POSITIONED ORGANIZATION THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO HAVE A SPECIAL REACH INSIDE THE COMMUNITY.
SO TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR CREDIBLE MESSENGER'S TIMELINE, THIS
SO OUR TEAM WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE TRAINING FROM THE CREDIBLE ME MESSENGER'S MENTORING MOVEMENT BASED OUT OF DC.
AND SO THIS ORGANIZATION NAMED, UH, CM THREE, THEY HAVE PEOPLE FROM NEW YORK, THEY HAVE PEOPLE FROM DC AND A LITTLE BIT OF ALL OVER FROM AMERICA.
AND TOGETHER THEY CREATED THE ARCHES PROGRAM.
THEY GO AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THEY TRAIN PEOPLE ON HOW TO DO THIS CREDIBLE MESSENGERS PHILOSOPHY.
SO IN SPRING 2021, OUR TEAM FIRST RECEIVED THE TRAINING AND WE WERE ABLE TO FILL IT OUT.
WHAT WAS THIS WHOLE CM THREE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS PHILOSOPHY, HOW DID IT DIFFER FROM OTHER PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY? AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO TINKER AND WE HAD SOME REALLY AMAZING SUCCESS RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
SO WHEN THE CITY POSTED A SOLICITATION, WE WERE PLOT, WE APPLIED AND WE DID SO WITH 13 OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS.
AND SO WE PUT TOGETHER A REALLY ROBUST PROPOSAL, AND WE RECEIVED THE LETTER TO LETTER WITH INTENT TO PROCEED IN NOVEMBER OF 2023.
AND WE ENTERED INTO A PLANNING PHASE, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO START PULLING DOWN ON FUNDS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024.
FROM THERE, WE SEARCHED HIGH AND LOW FOR OUR INITIAL CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, AND WE STARTED WITH ONBOARDING.
WE HAD THOSE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS COME IN AND SUPPORT US, WHICH AS A NON NONPROFIT PROFESSIONAL, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I FIND QUITE FASCINATING IS BECAUSE WE OFTENTIMES LOOK ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR PROGRAMS AND SOMETIMES WE'LL BRING IN A COMPLETE OUTSIDER TO WORK HERE IN HOUSTON, AND IT DOESN'T ALWAYS GO AS WE PLANNED.
AND THIS IS VERY UNIQUE IN THE SENSE THAT THEY, THEY CAME, THEY DID A LOT OF HANDHOLDING, THEY PICKED UP THE PHONE WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS SOBBING AT LIKE 2:00 AM LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AND PROVIDE THE SUPPORT, BUT ALLOWED US TO CUSTOMIZE IT FOR WHAT WE KNEW THAT HOUSTON NEEDED.
FROM THERE, WE WERE ABLE TO START OUR FIRST MENTEE MATCH IN OCTOBER 24, AND IT'S REALLY BEEN OFF, OFF TO THE RACES SINCE THEN.
SO WHEN WE INITIALLY GOT STARTED, WE HAD SOME PILOT FUNDING FOR, UM, 500,000, AND THEN IN FEBRUARY WE RECEIVED A LARGER ALLOCATION TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM.
AND SO NOW WE CAN REACH 216 MENTEES.
AND WE'RE ABOUT AT THE HALFWAY MARK RIGHT NOW WITH FILLING UP OUR CASELOAD.
WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO CREATE A COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION STRATEGY WITH URBAN BRIDGE CONSULTING AS WELL IN MARCH.
AND SO I'M, AS THAT UNFOLDS, I'M EXCITED TO SHARE SOME UPDATES AS THERE AS WELL.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAM MODEL.
OKAY, SO, UM, I WANT TO DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CLIENT JOURNEY OF OUR MENTEES, BUT FIRST OFF, I WANT TO DEFINE WHAT A CREDIBLE MESSENGER IS REAL QUICK.
SO A CREDIBLE MESSENGER, THE TERM IS AN INDIVIDUAL WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE.
NOW LIVED EXPERIENCE IS SOMEBODY THAT HAS BEEN JUSTICE IMPACTED, HAS HAD FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN JUSTICE IMPACTED, THAT HAS HAD TO LIVE IN THE STREETS, THAT HAS HAD TO SURVIVE, THAT HAS
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MAYBE BEEN TO PRISON AND HAS COME OUT OF THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE AND SHOWN A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF DOING THE RIGHT THING.AND THEY ARE IN A POSITION TO WHERE THEY WANT TO HELP OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE TO NEVER FOLLOW THAT ROAD.
THAT IS WHAT A CREDIBLE MESSENGER IS.
SO THE FIRST PART OF OUR CLIENT JOURNEY IS THE REFERRAL PROCESS.
SO WE HAVE A LINK THAT'S ONLINE AND WE ALSO CANVAS OUT IN THE COMMUNITIES TO, OF COURSE PROMOTE THE PROGRAM AND WE RECEIVE REFERRALS FROM THREE DIFFERENT AVENUES.
SO THE FIRST AVENUE IS OF COURSE, THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE'RE OUT THERE CANVASSING DOOR TO DOOR, GOING TO BUSINESSES, PROMOTING THE PROGRAM SAYING, HEY, LOOK, WE GOT THIS TRANSFORMATIVE MENTORING PROGRAM.
WE, WE WANT YOU TO SIGN UP IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY, PLEASE SIGN UP.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GIVE IT AWAY.
AND ANOTHER WAY THAT WE RECEIVE REFERRALS IS THROUGH THE HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT IT HAS DEFINITELY BEEN, UM, ALMOST AN ACT OF CONGRESS TO GET THAT, THAT COLLABORATION.
BUT SINCE WE HAVE, WE HAVE MADE THAT, THAT CONNECTION AND THAT PARTNERSHIP, WE HAVE RECEIVED A STEADY FLOW OF REFERRALS FROM THEM.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM HERE TODAY.
UM, AND THE LAST PLACE THAT WE RECEIVE REFERRALS IS FROM THE ACTUAL COURT SYSTEM.
SO FROM THE JUDGES THEMSELVES.
AND WE HAVE MADE STRATEGIC ALLIANCES WITH TWO JUDGES THUS FAR, JUDGE THOMAS, KATHLEEN THOMAS, AND JUDGE GRAY.
WHEN A MENTEE OR POTENTIAL MENTEE FILLS OUT A REFERRAL, THE FIRST PART IS ME OR MY YOUTH JUSTICE DIRECTOR WILL, WILL REACH OUT TO THESE REFERRALS AND ASSESS WHETHER THEY ARE QUALIFIED.
AND THERE'S ONLY THREE QUALIFICATIONS.
THE FIRST QUALIFICATION IS THEY HAVE TO BE WITHIN THE AGE RANGE.
AND THIS IS GONNA SEEM LIKE A SUPER BIG AGE RANGE, BUT THERE'S REASON BEHIND THE MADNESS, I CAN ASSURE YOU.
SO THE AGE RANGE IS BETWEEN 10 TO 35.
I KNOW SOUNDS CRAZY, BUT THIS IS WHY, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN ASSIST MENTEES WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG AND FOCUS ON THE PREVENTIVE SIDE.
BUT IF THEY'RE GOING BACK INTO COMMUNITIES, INTO ENVIRONMENTS THAT, THAT ARE STILL NEGATIVE, WHAT WHAT IS IT GONNA DO? SO WE ALSO TRY TO FOCUS ON THE INTERVENTION SIDE.
SO WE, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SUCH A BIG RANGE.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, TO EMPOWER AND TRANSFORM THE ENTIRE FAMILY AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO THEY HAVE TO BE WITHIN THE AGE RANGE FROM 10 TO 35.
SECONDLY, THEY HAVE TO LIVE AND RESIDE WITHIN ONE OF OUR ZIP CODES, WHICH IS DISTRICT B.
SO ALL THE WAY UP FROM CASHMERE GARDENS, TRINITY GARDENS, ACRES, HOME GREENS POINT CITY GAS HOMESTEAD, ALL OF THESE COMMUNITIES ARE THE ONES IN WHICH WE SERVE.
AND WE HAVE SIX ZIP CODES THIS FAR.
AND THEN THE LAST THING IS THEY CANNOT HAVE, UH, A SEX CRIME OR AN RSIC CRIME.
SO IF THEY MEET THOSE QUALIFICATIONS, THE NEXT STEP IS TO, TO GET A MENTEE OUT THERE, A MENTOR OUT THERE TO, TO MAKE THAT FIRST CONTACT WHEN THEY MAKE THAT FIRST CONTACT.
UM, WE MEET OUR MENTEES WHERE THEY ARE AS A BIG, THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE DO, IS WE, WE TRY TO TEND TO THEIR IMMEDIATE NEEDS BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR MENTEES ARE IN CRISIS.
AND THE NUMBER ONE THING, WE CAN NEVER HAVE A MENTEE, UH, COME TO A POINT WHERE, WHERE THEY WANT TO ACHIEVE GOALS.
IF THEY'RE CONSTANTLY IN STATE CRISIS, THAT'S LIKE HAVING A KID GO INTO SCHOOL THAT HASN'T SLEPT ALL NIGHT, THAT HASN'T ATE, AND, AND EXPECTING HIM TO LEARN WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
SO WHEN OUR MEN, OUR MENTORS GO OUT THERE AND THEY BRIDGE THAT CONNECTION AND THEY TEND TO THEIR IMMEDIATE NEEDS, THE NEXT STEP IS TO ASSESS THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS AND MEDICAL HISTORY, WHICH WE HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE WITH OUR LICENSED CLINICAL THERAPIST AFTER THAT, THE CM MATCH BEGINS.
SO WE, WE, WE TAKE OUR CREDIBLE MESSENGERS AND WE MATCH THEM WITH THE MENTEE BASED ON THEIR BACKGROUND, BASED ON THEIR PERSONALITY AND THEIR SKILLSET.
SO THAT, THAT WAY THERE'S A COHESIVENESS TO THAT, TO THAT RELATIONSHIP.
AND THIS RELATIONSHIP WILL FLOURISH ORGANICALLY, AND WE HAVE SEEN IT TO BE TRUE.
THE NEXT STEP IS OUR PHASE TWO.
WE HAVE THREE PHASES OF THE PROGRAM.
PHASE ONE IS BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIP, TAKING THEM OUT OF CRISIS.
THE SECOND PHASE IS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
WE, THAT'S A BIG THING ABOUT OUR MENTEES.
THEY, THEY DON'T KNOW THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE EXPOSURES THAT THEY TRULY HAVE.
WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE OUR MENTEES A TRUE FIRST CHANCE AT LIFE.
AND SO WE ASK THEM TO DREAM, WE
[00:25:01]
CREATE AN ACTION PLAN.AND IT CAN BE AS BIG AS, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF A MENTEE SAYS, I WANNA SKATEBOARD ON THE MOON, I'M NOT GONNA TELL 'EM NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA TELL 'EM NO.
WE'RE GONNA SAY, OKAY, SO HOW DO WE FIGURE THAT OUT? WHAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS THAT YOU GOTTA DO? WELL, YOU GOTTA COMPLETE SCHOOL, THEN YOU GOTTA BE AN ASTRONAUT, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE STEPS.
AND THAT'S JUST AN EXTREME CASE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T HAD ONE OF THOSE YET, BUT WE DO HAVE THEM DREAM BIG BECAUSE WE NEVER WANT TO TELL OUR MENTEES NO.
AND SO WITH THAT SECOND PHASE OF CREATING AN ACTION PLAN, WE PARTNER THEM UP WITH ONE OF OUR 13 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS BASED ON WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
AND SO THESE OUTLETS, IF, IF A MENTEE SAYS, HEY, I WANT TO BE A BARBER, I REALLY WANT TO TRY THAT OUT, WELL, GUESS WHAT? WE ARE PARTNERING UP WITH ACRES HOME BARBER COLLEGE, AND WE PAY FOR THEIR FULL TUITION TO GO THROUGH THAT.
AND I MEAN, WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE THERE, HERE TODAY AS WELL.
IF THEY WANT TO BE A BOXER AND THEY, AND THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN INTO SPORTS AND THEY HAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY FOR IT, THEIR FAMILY DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY FOR IT.
WE ARE PARTNER UP WITH CDM BOXING AND THEY CAN GO TO BOXING AS MUCH AS THEY WANT FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
THEY CAN WORK THE HEARTS OUT IF THEY WANT TO, BUT WE ALWAYS WANT TO INSTILL THAT BELIEF LIKE WE WANT TO EMPOWER THEM.
BUT THIS IS A TRANSFORMATIVE MENTORING, NOT JUST A MENTORING PROGRAM.
WE DON'T JUST HELP THEM OUT, WE RAISE THEM UP, RIGHT? WE BREATHE LIFE INTO THEM.
AND SO THOSE ARE JUST A FEW 13 EXAMPLES.
AND AS THIS PROCESS GOES, OUR MEN, OUR MENTORS ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY.
WE DON'T DO DRIVE BY MENTORING THAT DOESN'T AND DRIVE BY.
WHAT A DRIVE BY MENTOR IS, IS SAYING, HEY, UH, I WAS JUST CALLING TO CHECK IN ON YOU, SEE HOW YOU'RE DOING.
NO, WE PULL UP ON OUR MENT ON OUR MENTEES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT COMING FROM THESE COMMUNITIES, UM, THE ONLY CONSISTENCY THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR LIFE IS INCONSISTENCY.
AND SO WE WANNA SHOW THEM WHAT TRUE SUPPORT IS AND OUR, OUR MENTORS MAKE AT LEAST THREE INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR MENTEES EVERY WEEK.
SO CHECKING IN ON 'EM ON THE PHONE, STARTING OFF THE WEEK, HEY, HOW'S IT GOING MAN? WHAT, WHAT DO YOU GOT PLANNED FOR THIS WEEK? AND THEN THEY HAVE TWO FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONS.
SO THEY GO PULL UP ON THEM IF THEY NEED ASSISTANCE WITH, WITH TRANSPORTATION, IF THEY NEED ASSISTANCE, GETTING TO, TO A COURT DATE, UM, TO EMERGENCY NEEDS, FOOD STAMPS, EVERYTHING.
WE TEND TO THOSE NEEDS AND THOSE, THE, THOSE INTERACTIONS IS PROBABLY WHAT'S, IS ANOTHER THING THAT SETS US APART FROM DIFFERENT MENTORING PROGRAMS. AND WE CONSTANTLY, WE REVIEW ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR NOTES TO SEE THE PROGRESS OF OUR MENTEES BECAUSE WE ALWAYS WANNA SEE PROGRESS, WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MENTORS ARE TAKING THEM TO THAT NEXT LEVEL AND, AND WALKING RIGHT ALONGSIDE THEM.
AND THESE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, AGAIN, ARE FROM THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY ARE FROM THESE STREETS AND THEY HAVE WALKED THE SAME WALK AND THEY SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE AS THESE YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO REACH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AND STOP THEM FROM EVER ENTERING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
SO OUR CREDIBLE MESSENGER TEAM, NOW, I KNOW YOU SEE EIGHT ON THIS PAGE, BUT WE HAVE DEFINITELY GROWN.
SO WE HAVE A, A MAX CAPACITY OF 10 CREDIBLE MESSENGERS AT THIS POINT.
ALRIGHT, NOW CA FOUR Y COVERS 10 CREDIBLE MESSENGERS.
THREE OF OUR, UH, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE A FULL-TIME CREDIBLE MESSENGER THAT IS GONNA HAVE A MAXIMUM CASELOAD OF 15 MENTEES A PIECE.
AND THAT IS YOUNG PEOPLE IN ACTION EXCEL BEYOND CIRCUMSTANCES AND US DREAM ACADEMY.
AND THEN WE HAVE THREE OF OUR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH ARE IN OUR TIER TWO, OUR TIER TWO THAT HAVE PART-TIME CREDIBLE MESSENGERS THAT WILL TAKE ON A CASELOAD OF SEVEN MENTEES A PIECE AS WELL.
AND THEY JOIN US WITH OUR CREDIBLE MESSENGER MEETINGS EVERY WEEK JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THAT THEY HAVE PROGRESS AND THAT THEIR NEEDS ARE BEING MET AS WELL.
AND HERE IS A WONDERFUL PICTURE OF, UM, ALL OF OUR 13 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.
SO I CAN RUN THEM BY YOU REAL QUICK.
I KNOW I'VE ALREADY SAID A COUPLE OF THEM, BUT ACRES HOME, BARBER COLLEGE, EXCEL BEYOND CIRCUMSTANCES, US DREAM ACADEMY, TXRX, WOMAN HEALING, EMPOWERING WOMEN OPERATION, PRISON PREVENTION, YOUNG PEOPLE IN ACTION, SONS OF SOPHISTICATION, PURE JUSTICE CDM BOXING, A NEW APPROACH AND DESTINED FOR EMPOWERMENT.
AND WHAT SETS A, ALL OF THESE 13 ORGANIZATIONS APART IS THEY ALL BRING SOMETHING UNIQUE TO THE TABLE.
LIKE I JUST KIND OF EXPLAINED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO GET INTO BARBERING, IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO BE A BOXER, IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO DESIGN SNEAKERS OR GET INTO WELDING OR
[00:30:01]
3D PRINTING, UM, IF THEY WANTED TO GET INTO THE REALM OF BEING AN INFLUENCER OR, OR A RAPPER OR AN ARTIST, ALL OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE A, A UNIQUE VALUE THAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE, EVEN IF THEY'RE, THEY'RE CURRENTLY FACING CHARGES PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM.YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A PARTNER ORGANIZATION THAT DOES LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND THEY ADVOCATE.
AND SO AGAIN, 13 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THAT COVER A, A WIDE VARIETY OF VALUES.
AND SO THE 13TH ONE NOT LISTED IS CR AND JUST, UM, AS AN ASIDE THAT I JUST FIND INTERESTING AS FAR AS NONPROFITS.
SO ALL OF THESE PARTNERS ARE, ARE SUB-GRANTEES.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, ARE ABLE TO REGRANT THEM DOLLARS AND THEY ALL HAVE MOUS WITH US.
EACH PARTNER HAD BEEN TRAINED IN THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS PHILOSOPHY AND THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF TENSION RISING PRIOR TO THE SOLICITATION BEING RELEASED.
AND EVERYONE WANTS TO GO AFTER DOLLARS AND SECURE RESOURCES FOR THEIR NONPROFIT.
WE ALL CAME TOGETHER AND PARTNERED IN A FAIRLY SEAMLESS MANNER.
UM, I KNOW THAT IT CAN BE REALLY TENSE FOR NONPROFITS TO WORK THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT CAN LOOK COMPETITIVE, BUT REALLY IT WAS COMMUNITY COMING ARM TO ARM.
AND SURE THERE WERE ONE OR TWO PARTNERS WHO JUST COULDN'T GET DOWN WITH THIS MODEL BECAUSE IT WASN'T TECHNICALLY AN INTERMEDIARY.
IT'S NOT TECHNICALLY A PASS THROUGH IT, IT'S KIND OF ITS OWN THING.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I THINK MAKES HOUSTON SO UNIQUE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PROGRAM THAT REALLY FITS FOR HOUSTON AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE PARTNERS AT THE TABLE WHO ARE WILLING TO MAKE COMPROMISES.
SO REALLY INCREDIBLE GROUP OF PARTNERS WHO SOME OF THEM COULD ABSOLUTELY HAVE APPLIED, FACILITATE SOLICITATION WITHOUT US.
AND WE, WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, HEY, IF YOU WANNA GO FOR IT WITHOUT THE PARTNERSHIP, YOU CAN, BUT SOME ARE REALLY SMALL AND WOULD REALLY STRUGGLE TO GET THROUGH PROCUREMENT.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO PARTNER LIKE THIS HELPS US ALL, HELPS ALL BOATS RISE, THEN WE CAN SKIP THAT ONE.
AND SO WE WANTED TO SKIP THE COACH.
WE ALREADY EXPLAINED IT A LITTLE BIT.
BUT TO TALK ABOUT SOME LEARNING SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES THROUGH OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY MATRIX AND REALLY, UM, MEETING ONE-ON-ONE WITH OUR MENTEES.
WE HAVE KNOWN THIS TO BE TRUE.
SO THREE PRIMARY AREAS ARE AREAS OF FOCUS WITH OUR MENTEES WHEN WE, WHEN WE BRING 'EM INTO THE PROGRAM.
SO OBTAINING FOOD, SECURITY, EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION RANK IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY OF, OF OUR MENTEES NEEDS THUS FAR.
AND WE RECEIVED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF REFERRALS FROM THE ZIP CODE 7, 7 0 2 8 7 7 0 1 6 AND 7 7 0, 6 0.
AND OUR AVERAGE MENTEE AGE IS 21 YEARS OLD.
SO IT'S RIGHT THERE IN THAT SWEET SPOT OF, UH, A YOUNG PERSON GETTING READY TO ENTER ADULTHOOD.
AND OUR CASELOAD IS COMPRISED OF 81% MALES AND 19% FEMALES.
AND MIGHT I ADD, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T SEE THEIR PICTURE, BUT WE DO HAVE THREE, UH, FEMALE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS ON OUR TEAM.
AND THIS IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE STATISTIC THUS FAR, IS 0% OF OUR JUVENILE PROBATION CLIENTS HAVE REOFFENDED SINCE ENTERING THE PROGRAM.
AND THEN THIS NEXT SLIDE IS JUST THE FLYER THAT WE USE TO PASS OUT.
AND SO WE JUST HOPE THAT YOU HOLD ONTO IT AND IF THERE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO YOU FEEL LIKE COULD FIT THE PROGRAM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PASS IT ALONG.
AND OR IF YOU KNOW ANYONE IN YOUR NETWORK WHO PROVIDES TRAINING, WHETHER FOR OUR CMS OR FOR OUR MENTEES, WE WOULD ALSO LOVE TO TO NETWORK AND BE INTRODUCED TO THEM.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, TO HAVE ZERO JUVENILE PROBATION CLIENTS, UM, RE-OFFEND.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT STATISTIC TO HEAR BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T OFTEN HAPPEN.
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
UM, WE WERE JOINED EARLIER BY COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER AND SHE'S FIRST F IN THE QUEUE.
WHAT A WONDERFUL PROGRAM WE NEED AT CITYWIDE.
UH, KUDOS TO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR HAVING IT IN HER DISTRICT.
BUT YOU KNOW, I'VE OFTEN SAID THAT CERTAINLY OPPORTUNITY AND EXPOSURE, RIGHT? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO EXPOSE YOUNG PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING NEW, ABSOLUTE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY MAKES THE CHANGE.
AND, UH, I CAN TELL THAT YOU BOTH REALLY ENJOY WHAT YOU DO AND YOU'RE VERY PROUD OF THE PROGRAM AND YOU SHOULD BE THAT, THAT LAST BOTTOM LINE THAT YOU SHARED WITH US, ZERO, THAT'S, THAT'S A STATISTIC TO SHARE TIME.
AND AGAIN, SO MY OFFICE WILL REACH OUT TO YOU BECAUSE WE'D LOVE TO, TO SEE HOW WE CAN WORK WITH YOU AND, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
I KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING AND AND SHE WAS REALLY THE FIRST PERSON THAT TOLD ME ABOUT CREDIBLE MESSENGERS
[00:35:01]
AND WHAT A GREAT IDEA.AND YOU CAN TALK AT SOMEBODY FOR SO LONG, BUT TALKING WITH THEM AND SOMEBODY WITH A SHARED LIFE EXPERIENCE, I MEAN, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME AND REALLY JUST PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND I WAS GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT THE MONEY.
HOW, HOW LONG IS YOUR GRANT AND FROM WHOM DID YOU GET, REMIND ME ABOUT THE, I REMEMBER WHEN WE DID THE $500,000 DEAL.
AND THEN REMIND ME ABOUT THE REST OF THE FUNDING AND YES.
SO THE EXPANSION WENT SHORTLY AFTER AND IT WAS FOR 2000001.5 DEDICATED TO THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS PROGRAM, 500 DEDICATED TO THE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION PIECE.
THE GRANT IS FOR ONE YEAR, AND IT GOES THROUGH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND IT WAS, IS IT A FEDERAL GRANT? IT WAS USING ARPA DOLLARS, IF I'M CORRECT.
SO IT'S JUST ONE YEAR, YOU JUST HAVE ONE YEAR.
WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND IT FOR AN ADDITIONAL YEAR.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
UH, GOOD MORNING AND CONGRATULATIONS ON SUCH AN EFFECTIVE AND, UH, IMPORTANT, UM, EFFORT THAT YOU ARE DOING FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT GOING UP TO AGE 35, BUT IT'S A GOOD REACH.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR FOOD, UH, SECURITY.
MY QUESTION IS TO PAUL, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE INDIVIDUALS YOUR MENTEES ARE DEALING WITH FOOD INSECURITY? I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT AT LEAST 80%.
WHAT, WHO ARE YOU PARTNERING WITH, UH, TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY? OH, AND I WILL SAY THIS WITH A BIG SMILE ON MY FACE.
THEY, THEY ARE SO WONDERFUL ABOUT GETTING EMERGENCY GROCERIES TO OUR MENTEES AS SOON AS WE MEET THEM.
SO IF WE GO TO A MENTEE AND THEIR FAMILY DOESN'T HAVE ANY FOOD IN THE HOUSE, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE'LL HAVE TO MEET WITH THEIR, THEIR FAMILY AND THEIR PARENTS AND, AND GET THEIR CONSENT, BUT WE AUTOMATICALLY, ARE Y'ALL GOOD OVER HERE? Y'ALL GOT FOOD? IF NOT, OKAY, LET ME GET ON THE PHONE REAL QUICK.
AND DUSTIN FORM EMPOWERMENT JUMPS RIGHT ON IT.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE NEXT STEP IS, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEM ARE, ARE TRYING TO ENTER EMPLOYMENT OR THEY MAY BE DEALING WITH HOMELESSNESS.
SO TRYING TO GET THEM EMERGENCY FOOD STAMPS FOR THAT THREE MONTHS UNTIL THEY CAN GET ON THEIR FEED IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND AS, UH, UH, THE COUNCIL LADY, EVERY SHABAZZ IS VERY INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT YOUR PROGRAM BECAUSE DISTRICT D WE DO HAVE CHALLENGES AS DO THE REST OF THE CITY.
AND AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON SUCH AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM.
THANK YOU CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
UM, AND JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, KUDOS AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND Y'ALL HIGHLIGHTED ONE SPECIFIC THING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN YOU HAVE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SUFFERING IS BECAUSE OF THE, IT'S, IT'S THE ECONOMICS, RIGHT? SO THE JOBS, JOB SECURITY, UH, ONCE FAMILIES HAVE JOBS, UH, THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS A LOT MORE ISSUES, UH, CHALLENGES THAT THEY MIGHT BE HAVING.
UM, WHAT PARTNERS DO Y'ALL CURRENTLY HAVE RIGHT NOW? UM, I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE, UH, YOU SAID BARBER, UM, BOXING, TX RX, YOU LEARN SOME SKILLS, BUT DO Y'ALL HAVE ANOTHER, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNER? ABSOLUTELY.
SO WORK FAITH CONNECTIONS IS, IS ONE.
UM, ALSO SIR JOBS, SERVE JOBS, YOU KNOW, PROVIDES THAT FREE VOCATIONAL TRAINING, UM, FOLLOWED BY JOB PLACEMENT.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THOSE, THOSE, UH, PARTNERS BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE ENTITY CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
AND I THINK AS WE VOTE ON OTHER ITEMS LIKE SIR JOBS SPECIFICALLY, I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT THAT IN, IN, IN THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MINDS THAT AS WE'RE PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT, WE'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT IT'S IMPACTING FOLKS POCKETBOOKS.
UH, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT FINANCIAL SECURITY IS REALLY WHAT BRINGS SECURITY OVERALL.
SO, UH, JUST CONGRATULATIONS ON, ON, ON YOUR EFFORTS AND, UM, DISTRICT I, EAST END HOBBY AREA, NORTH, NORTHEAST, UH, FOR HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT TOO FAR FROM YOU ON THE NORTH, THE NORTHEAST PART OF HOUSTON, BUT, UM, WE ALL HAVE THIS, THIS CHALLENGE ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, UM, OUT OF MY HIGH SCHOOLS, WHETHER IT'S MILBY CHAVEZ OR HER, UH, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, TEEN VIOLENCE SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND SO I, I APPLAUD THE WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW WE CAN EXPAND IT, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S ABOUT A YEAR OF, OF FUNDING.
UM, ANY PLANS ON HOW TO BRING IN MORE FUNDING? YES, SO WE ARE PURSUING PRIVATE DOLLARS AS WELL, BUT THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY.
AND SO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO SHOWCASE THE SUCCESSES AND THE CHALLENGES, WE'RE MORE THAN WILLING TO DO THAT.
AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I APOLOGIZE I HAD TO MISS PART OF IT, BUT, UM, IT'S GREAT TO SEE PROGRAMS THAT ACTUALLY WORK AND, UM, GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU AND OTHERS DO IN CONNECTION WITH THIS PROGRAM.
[00:40:01]
I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF, UM, IF Y'ALL HAVE SORT OF LIKE A TWO DEEP LEADERSHIP REQUIREMENT, LIKE, UH, SCOUTING DOES, UM, HOW DO Y'ALL, HOW DO Y'ALL HANDLE THOSE SITU? ARE THERE ONE-ON-ONE, UM, SITUATIONS WITH, UH, WITH THE YOUTH YOU SERVE, OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? YES, SO THE MENTORING MODEL MM-HMMTHEY, THEY HAVE ONE-ON-ONES WITH, WITH, UH, THEIR CREDIBLE MESSENGERS.
SO THOSE, THOSE, THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE DONE ONE-ON-ONE.
OF COURSE WE HAVE, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE EVENTS EVERY, EVERY MONTH AND WE HAVE HEALING CIRCLES FOR PEER SUPPORT WHERE THEY COME TOGETHER ONCE A MONTH, AND SO THEY'RE SURROUNDED BY OTHER MENTEES TO BE ABLE TO, TO SHARE THAT PEER SUPPORT.
AND, AND WHEN, WHEN PARENTS ARE AVAILABLE, HOW, HOW, WHAT'S THE INVOLVEMENT OF PARENTS WHEN THEY ARE AVAILABLE? YES.
SO WE HOST, UH, PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO WE HAVE ONE UPCOMING THIS MONTH AROUND RESUME BUILDING BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IF WE JUST SERVE ONE PERSON IN THE HOUSEHOLD, YOU HAVE, IT'S MORE, IT'S A SMARTER STRATEGY TO TRY TO SERVE THE ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD, SO TO CHANGE THE OUTCOMES FOR EVERYONE LIVING IN THE HOUSE.
AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS SLOW BUILDING.
WE CAN SAY THAT WHEN WE STARTED OUR HEALING CIRCLES, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE PULLING TEETH.
WE HAD ONE OR TWO YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEM COME OUT.
BUT IT'S SLOWLY BUILDING TOWARDS, UM, WE JUST HAD 17 COME OUT FOR ONE OF OUR LAST HEALING CIRCLES, SO WE KNOW IT'S GONNA BE SLOW BUILDING, BUT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MAKE THE OFFERING AND HAVE THAT WARM, CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP TO INVITE THE PARENTS TO INVITE THE AUNTIES AND THE UNCLES TO COME OUT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU TRANSFORM A COMMUNITY.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, SO THEY, THEY ARE ALSO ABLE, THE FAMILIES ARE ABLE TO COME TO THE HEALING CIRCLES.
UM, AND LIKE SHE SAID, IT HAS DEFINITELY BEEN SLOW.
UM, I REMEMBER OUR FIRST COUPLE HEALING CIRCLES, ZERO PEOPLE.
IT WAS JUST ME AND THE, I THOUGHT I WAS, AND THE PIZZA GETTING COLD.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A HEALING CIRCLE FOR THE STAFF, BUT, UM, THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FAMILIES TO COME TOGETHER AND TO HAVE THAT, THAT CIRCLED AROUND HEALING, THAT SOMATIC HEALING WITH THE, WITH THE FAMILIES.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S OFFICE.
GREAT PRESENTATION BY THE WAY.
HOW MANY MENTEES DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE? 96.
THERE'S NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS TODAY.
UM, EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
THERE IS A SIGNUP SHEET IN THE, ON THE FRONT DESK OVER HERE IF YOU ARE IN THE AUDIENCE AND HAVE NOT SIGNED UP YET TO SPEAK.
AND YES, I DID TAKE METRO THIS DAY.
I TOOK THE 96 TO NORTH SHEPHERD PARK RANCH, 1 0 8 M SO THAT'S, TAKE CARE OF THAT.
SORRY, I, I THINK THAT I NEED TO TALK TO YOU, AND I THINK THIS, THIS COMMITTEE IS PART OF IT IS THAT, UH, THE COUNCIL MANAGER, BOB WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, SECURITY ISSUES ON, ON METRO.
AND, UH, ONE CITY COUNSELED ME, OR SHE MADE A COMMENT.
AND I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, METRO HAS A NEW POLICE CHIEF AND HE'S BEEN VERY PROACTIVE AND HE'S ACTUALLY ASKED ME A LOT.
I TEXT HIM A LOT, I SEE A PROBLEM.
AND, AND IT'S, AND HE'S ON IT.
HE'S TRYING TO STOP PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY START.
AND IN FACT, FOR MARIO, YOU CAN TELL HIM THEY'RE GONNA PUT IN A NEW POLICE, UH, STATION AT NORTHLAND TRANSIT CENTER BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY ISSUES UP THERE.
AND MY THING IS, I TEXTED HIM AND CHAIR, MAYBE YOU, YOU CAN TALK TO HIM, UH, CHIEF TEON ABOUT COMING HERE, LIKE THE OFFICERS DID EARLIER ABOUT THE, THE DRUGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD THING FOR THE CHIEF OF METRO TO SPEAK, UH, ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE REDO OF METRO PD IS ABOUT.
AND TWO, METRO HAS LAST BOARD MEETING IS WORKING ON AN MOU BETWEEN ITSELF, MPD AND THE SHERIFF'S SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SO THAT THEY WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER.
I'M NOT, AND I'M SPEAKING HERE AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN, I'M, I'M NOT HIRED BY METRO OR ANYTHING, BUT I THINK THE HORSESHOE NEEDS TO KNOW NOT JUST WHAT METRO IS DOING TRANSPORTATION WISE, PROVIDING BUSES AND WHATEVER, OR REPAVING ROADS, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS, THIS COLLABORATION AS THE MAYOR WOULD SAY BETWEEN THE VARIOUS POLICE DEPARTMENTS, I THINK THIS GROUP AND THE HORSESHOE IN GENERAL NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.
SO WITH THAT, OH, AND THIS GROUP HERE,
[00:45:02]
UH, SIR, I THINK AS THE METRO COULD BE A HELP TO YOU BECAUSE TO YOUR GROUP, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE CARS, AND I THINK METRO COULD PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION, PARTICULARLY AN ACRES HOME.YOU GOT THAT, UH, 3 44 CURB TO CURB SERVICE.
SO I THINK, UH, BETWEEN THAT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE METRO BE MORE INVOLVED WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE SEA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR YOUR GREAT IDEA.
I'M A DISTRICT C CONSTITUENT, AND I WANTED TO SPEAK ON BOTH AGENDA ITEMS. FIRST, I WANNA MENTION THAT I, UM, WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE EARLY ON IN SOME OF THE WORK THAT CA FOUR Y WAS DOING, UM, IN TERMS OF THEIR YOUTH LED PRESENTATIONS AND PROGRAMS. AND I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT THE WORK THEY DO IS IMPRESSIVE.
THEY ARE VERY ADEPT AT LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPACTED AND WHO HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND LETTING THEM LEAD THE PROGRAM WITH THE, UH, ADULTS WHO HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE EXPERTISE TO PUT THOSE, UH, SKILL THOSE, UM, NEEDS INTO, INTO PLAY.
SO, UH, COULD, I HADN'T HEARD ABOUT THEM IN THIS PROGRAM, AND IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE AND NOT SURPRISING WHEN THEY'RE ENTRUSTED WITH THIS.
SECONDLY, UM, I WAS LATE TODAY BECAUSE MY DOG IS SICK, BUT I LISTENED TO AS MUCH OF THE HPD PRESENTATION AS I COULD, AND, UM, I APPLAUD THE RESULTS THEY'RE GETTING.
I ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COUNSEL LAST WEEK VOTED TO ELIMINATE ILLEGAL TRAFFIC STOP QUOTAS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
MY CONCERN IS THE METHODS NOT MENTIONED IN THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, I KNOW THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE I HAVE A FAST CAR.
EVERYBODY KNOWS MY CAR IS FAST AND I DRIVE IT FAST.
AND IN 50 YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE VERY RARELY BEEN PULLED OVER, MAYBE 10 TIMES IN THE LAST 35 YEARS, I'VE A CRACKED WINDSHIELD.
I HAVEN'T EXPIRED INSPECTION STICKER.
UM, AND I LEAVE THEM THAT WAY ON PURPOSE JUST TO TEST MY THEORY.
SO I DON'T WANT MY UNDOCUMENTED NEIGHBORS PULLED OVER, UM, AND HELD FOR ICE WARRANTS.
I, UM, I KNOW THAT EVEN AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL TRAFFIC STOP, PEOPLE'S DAYS ARE RUINED.
UM, IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO RECOVER WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE HOPING TO SURVIVE AND ENCOUNTER, AND YOU DO.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE TERROR IS OVER IT.
AND, AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE THEN MADE LATE FOR WORK, WHICH COULD INVOLVE LOSING THEIR JOB.
UM, I KNOW ONE TIME I WAS PULLED OVER AND I WAS LATE TO PICK UP MY CHILD FROM SCHOOL WHEN I WAS MUCH YOUNGER AND IT WAS EXPENSIVE.
THE LATE FEE, I COULD AFFORD IT, BUT A LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS CAN'T.
SO I JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE METHODS THAT HPD IS USING TO ACHIEVE THOSE REMARKABLE RESULTS.
I'M SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR DOG.
I'M A TEACHER AND I'M HERE AGAINST HPD AND ICE COOPERATION IN ALL CAPACITIES, INCLUDING NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS.
UM, CITY COUNCIL, WE HAVE TO REMOVE HPD FROM TRAFFIC STOPS.
HPD SHOW DATA HAS SHOWN ITSELF THAT 98% OF HPD INITIATED TRAFFIC STOPS DO NOT LEAD TO ARRESTS FOR SERIOUS TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.
HPD DATA ALSO SHOWS THAT HPD HAS RACIALLY PROFILED BLACK DRIVERS, STOPPING THEM AT DISPROPORTIONATE RATES.
THIS PRACTICE DOES NOT KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE.
THIS PRACTICE TERRIFIES AND TERRORIZES BLACK AND BROWN FAMILIES, AND ENDING NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS WILL MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF LAW ABIDING HOUSTONIANS WHO WOULD BE DETAINED FOR ICE WARRANTS.
HPD IS USING THIS POWERFUL SURVEILLANCE TOOL TOOL AND ABUSING IT TO TRACK VEHICLES, FLOCK CAMERAS.
AS THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOUSTON CHRONICLE REPORTED THIS MORNING THAT HPD IS USING IT MORE THAN EVER WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SEARCHES JUST LAST YEAR.
AND THE POLICE ARE FAILING TO DOCUMENT THEIR PURPOSES AND ARE NOT RESPONDING TO COMMENTS FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE AS TO WHY THIS IS HAPPENING.
HPD IS ABUSING THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM AND IS NOT OFFERING ANY SPECIFICS OF THE CRIMES OR INDIVIDUALS IN QUESTION, BUT THERE ISN'T RAMIFICATIONS.
THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO REPORT WHY THEY'RE SEARCHING THEM, BUT GIVING POLICE THAT FLEXIBILITY STRETCHES THAT LINE BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT
[00:50:01]
AND, YOU KNOW, INFRINGING ON PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT AND PERSONAL LIVES.AND BASICALLY, HPD CAN GO IN, SEARCH IN ALL THESE CAMERAS, GET A PATTERN OF YOUR MOVEMENTS AND WITHOUT A WARRANT OR REASON.
THIS IS ABUSE OF A TOOL AS THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HPD POLICE SEARCHES AND SURVEILLANCE IS ON A SURGE.
LAST YEAR, THIS WEEK IN JUNE, IT WAS ABOUT 6,600 SEARCHES.
AND THIS YEAR, ON AVERAGE, UH, EACH WEEK IN MAY, IT WAS ABOUT 15,000.
AND THEY'RE NOT PROVIDING JUSTIFICATIONS, THEY'RE JUST PUTTING IN, I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S A HOUSTON CHRONICLE ARTICLE.
I, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GO INTO IT, BUT I I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK IT UP.
THIS WAS THIS MORNING THAT THEY SHARED IT.
AND YEAH, ACCOUNTABILITY, YOU KNOW, POLICE SEARCHES AND SURVEILLANCE IS GOING UP, BUT ACCOUNTABILITY IS TAKING A HIT AND WE NEED TO HOLD HPD ACCOUNTABLE CITY COUNCIL FOCUS ON COMMUNITIES NOT CAGES.
WE HAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP.
I READ THAT ARTICLE AS WELL YEAH.
AND WAS ALARMED THAT, UM, THERE'S NO JUSTIFICATION BEING LISTED IN MANY OF THE INSTANCES FOR THE USE OF THAT TECHNOLOGY.
AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE TECHNO TECHNOLOGY AT ALL, BUT I, I DO THINK IT'S NOT A LOT TO ASK THAT OFFICERS, UH, LIST THE JUSTIFICATION OR WHATEVER INVESTIGATION, UH, THEY'RE WORKING ON.
AND I HOPE THAT HPD WILL CON, UH, CONSIDER ENFORCING THAT, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
MARK ANTHONY, DO I HAVE TO SIT DOWN? EITHER WAY.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MARK ANTHONY VASO STEVENS, AND I'M WITH THE COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH.
I JOINED THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM AROUND FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, WHILE I WAS GOING THROUGH HOMELESSNESS AND RECENT RE RELEASE FROM INCARCERATION, WHICH GAVE ME A SENSE OF HOMELESSNESS WITH NO DIRECTION.
BUT SINCE I JOINED THE PROGRAM, I'VE EXPERIENCED A DRASTIC CHANGE IN MY LIFE, EXPERIENCED SURPRISINGLY FOR THE BETTER.
I'VE BEEN LEARNING TO REGULATE MY EMOTIONS EFFECTIVELY IN POSITIVE WAYS SUCH AS BOXING, MAKING MUSIC AS A FORM OF THERAPY, AND MANY MORE AS WELL.
THE PROGRAM HAS HELPED ME OPEN MY EYES TO SUCH OPPORTUNITIES AS BEING ABLE TO GO TO COLLEGE, WHICH I DIDN'T THINK WAS AN AVENUE FOR MYSELF BEFORE BECAUSE OF MY UPBRINGING AND MY P RECENT INCARCERATION.
BUT THEY HELPED RECENTLY HELPED ME ROLL INTO TSU FOR MAJORING IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND MINORING IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
AND I WILL SAY THE PROGRAM HAS HELPED ME, WILL FIND A MORE DEFINITE DIRECTION IN MY LIFE, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE A SUIT AND TIE BUSINESSMAN WITH REAL GOALS IN MY LIFE, ACHIEVING HIS OWN BUSINESS, AND HOPEFULLY A HOUSEHOLD NAME THAT PEOPLE WOULD KNOW, WHICH I DIDN'T THINK I HAD A CHANCE AT BEFORE, LIKE, BECAUSE OF WHAT I WENT THROUGH.
AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE CHANCE TO ACTUALLY BE IN THE PROGRAM.
'CAUSE I DIDN'T THINK SOMETHING LIKE THIS EXISTED.
I HOPE THEY DO THIS FOR MANY OTHER PEOPLE ALL OVER BECAUSE EVERYONE DESERVES A CHANCE TO BE GREAT.
AND TRULY, TRULY, A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY JUST NEEDS A LITTLE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE AND EVERYBODY COULD BE SUCCESSFUL, PRODUCTIVE PEOPLE IN SOCIETY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SUCCESS THROUGH, UH, UH, EXPERIENCING FROM THIS WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION.
DID I HEAR YOU SAY YOU'VE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE? YES, SIR.
I RECENTLY ENROLLED IN TSU FOR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AS MY MAJOR AND MINORING IN MINORING IN, UH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
BUT I ALSO, THEY HELPED ME GET INTO SIR JOBS AND I ENDED UP GRADUATING FROM MIG AND FLEX CORE WELDING, AND THAT WAS RECENTLY IN JANUARY.
WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS THE GOAL TO GRADUATE.
REMEMBER THAT, UH, THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE WATCHING YOU, THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU COMPLETE THIS JOURNEY.
UM, CHASE WILLIAMS. GOOD MORNING.
UH, AGAIN, I'M CHASE WILLIAMS. I JOINED THE, UH, COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOUTH ABOUT A MONTH AGO IN MAY WHEN I WAS RECENTLY RELEASED.
AND, UM, I CAN SAY THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS TRULY BEEN A BLESSING TO ME.
UM, WITHIN MY MONTH OF MY FIRST MONTH OF BEING HERE, I ACCOMPLISHED A LOT.
I ACTUALLY OPENED UP, UH, I WAS, I WAS SO TO MYSELF TO WHERE IT TOOK ME, ALMOST LEMME GO BACK A LITTLE BIT.
THEY FIRST REACHED OUT TO ME AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.
LIKE I JUST SAID, I DIDN'T JOIN UNTIL MAY.
SO IT TOOK FOR ME TO GO THROUGH SOME STUFF AND I SEEN LIKE HOW MUCH HELP I NEEDED AND I NEEDED THIS PROGRAM.
AND THEY HAVE TRULY BEEN A BLESSING.
I RECENTLY ENROLLED IN BARBER COLLEGE.
[00:55:01]
I'M WORKING ON GETTING MY BARBER LICENSE, BUILDING MY CLIENTELE.AND, UM, AND I ACTUALLY, I ACTUALLY, UM, I BUILD A DEEP RELATIONSHIP WITH MY, UH, WITH MY MENTOR WITHIN THIS PAST MONTH.
LIKE, WE COMMUNICATE AND TALK TO EACH OTHER LIKE WE'RE BROTHERS.
I, I, I LIKE THAT BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY HAVE NOBODY THAT I TALK TO LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THIS PROGRAM AND I WISH THAT WE CAN SPREAD THIS ALL OVER THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT NEED IT.
THANK YOU MR. WILLIAMS. IF YOU COULD STAY FOR, COME BACK FOR ONE SECOND.
SAFFRON COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S OFFICE.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR, YOUR STORY.
UM, WE NEED TO HEAR THIS AND I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE, UM, DOING SO WELL AND, AND YOU ARE WORKING WITH DOROTHY.
I LOVE DOROTHY AND BARBARA'S COLLEGE, SO GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING.
HEY, HOW Y'ALL DOING? MY NAME IS KO HOLDER.
I AM WITH THE COLLECTIVE ACTION ACTIONS AND YOUTH.
UM, I WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST FEW IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, I WAS RECENTLY IN OCTOBER, RELEASED FROM INCARCERATION.
AND I'M NOT FROM HERE, I'M FROM MISSISSIPPI.
AND I COULDN'T GO HOME DUE TO, TO INSUFFICIENT THINGS.
I WENT TO A HALFWAY HOUSE AND REALLY JUST HAD NO DIRECTION.
I HAD BEEN CUTTING HAIR FOR, FOR MANY YEARS, AND I FIGURED THAT'S WHAT I WANNA DO.
SO I WENT AHEAD AND, AND, AND TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO TRY TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UM, THE, THE LAST SCHOOL I CALLED TO TO ASK ABOUT ENROLLMENT WAS ACRES.
AND THERE, MS. DOROTHY, UH, REFERRED ME THROUGH TO THIS PROGRAM.
UM, I ONLY BEEN HOME FOR LIKE EIGHT MONTHS, SO THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, MIKE, I HAVE BEEN HELPED EXTENS LIKE SUBSTANTIALLY.
UM, MY MENTOR, ME AND MY MENTOR'S RELATIONSHIP WENT WAY BEYOND MENTORSHIP.
HE DID A LOT OF THINGS FOR ME THAT WAS, WAS WAY ABOVE HIS JOB.
I HAD THIS PROGRAM, I HAD TRANSPORTATION.
AND BECAUSE OF THIS PROGRAM, NOW I HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE THROUGH MISS DOROTHY.
I WAS ABLE TO, TO FORM A CONNECTION WITH A BARBERSHOP, AND NOW I'M ACTUALLY IN A BARBERSHOP WHILE I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO SCHOOL.
SHE HAS HELPED ME SUBSTANTIALLY TO, TO GET TO WHERE I'M TRYING TO GO.
AND NOW I HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE.
NOW I'M, I'M FINANCIALLY STABLE NOW I'M ABLE TO, SUNDAY, I GET MY KIDS FOR THE FIRST TIME TO COME AND STAY WITH ME A LITTLE BIT FOR THE SUMMER.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN A MAJOR HELP.
AND, AND SECOND, CHANCES ARE VERY, VERY MUCH NEEDED TO TO, TO THOSE WHO, WHO COME HOME AND ACTUALLY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.
NEXT, UM, IS DOMINIQUE CARTER.
I'M WITH THE COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR YOU.
BEFORE I GOT INTO THIS, I AIN'T KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING.
I AIN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT I WAS CONNECTING WITH GOD AND I KNOW I HAD TO LET IT OUT.
THINGS GO, BUT LETTING ALL THE THINGS GO, IT KIND OF GOT A LITTLE LONELY, GOT A LITTLE CRAZY, GREW UP WITHOUT A DADDY.
UH, MY BIG BROTHER KIND OF ALWAYS BEEN MY INFLUENCE, BUT LEARNING FROM GOD AND STUFF, LIKE IT'S GOOD AND BAD AND JUST A LOT OF STUFF HE TELL ME.
SO YEAH, HE, I'VE BEEN WAITING ON HIM TO COME HOME AND HE WAS ON THE WAY HOME.
SO THE LAST YEAR, AND, AND, OKAY, ONE, ONE MORE STEP IN 2022, I HAD A CAR WRECK, A BAD CAR WRECK, AND MY LEG HAD BROKEN.
AND I BEEN, I'D BEEN OUTTA SURGERY FOUR OR FIVE TIMES SINCE THEN.
THERO GETTING INFECTED AND ALL TYPE OF STUFF, NO INSURANCE, STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO MY BROTHER FINALLY CAME HOME AND THEN WE GOT ON, UH, HE GOT IN THE PROGRAM 'CAUSE I I, I WAS GOING TO JOB SEARCHES, GOING THIS, DOING THIS, GOING EVERYWHERE.
AND I FELT I COULDN'T GET A JOB.
I WAS, I'M ON EIGHT YEARS DEFERRED PROBATION.
AND THEY SAID THE PROBATION WOULDN'T, LIKE, IT WOULDN'T SHOW UP, BUT IT ALWAYS SHOWED UP EVER SINCE THEN.
MY BROTHER GOT WITH THE PROGRAM AND THEN THAT WAS JUST LIKE MY PRAYERS ANSWER.
'CAUSE LIKE I WAS SAYING, I WAS GETTING CLOSE WITH GOD THE YEAR AND I STARTED PRAYING OUT X AND I WENT TO THE BARBER SCHOOL THAT I'M CURRENTLY IN AND I COULDN'T GET IN THERE.
I WAS GOING THESE PLA I COULDN'T, A LOT OF STUFF WASN'T HAPPENING, BUT THEN IT'S JUST LIKE THEY ALL GOT ANSWERED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND NOW I'M BOXING.
I'M, UH, IN BARBER SCHOOL, I WAS IN CDL SCHOOL, BUT IT KIND OF BECAME A LITTLE TOO MUCH.
AND THEN BY DOING ALL THIS STUFF AND PUTTING IT ALL IN MY BRAIN, UH, I WAS IN CRISIS MODE,
[01:00:01]
LIKE, OH MY GOD.OH, AND THEN CHILD SUPPORT AND THEN THIS, THIS, THIS.
AND THEN I HAD A, A DIFFERENT MENTOR AT THE TIME AND HE CALLED ME AND HE REALLY WAS LIKE, HEY BRO, NOTHING IS WORTH THIS, THIS, THIS.
AND REALLY TALKED ME BACK DOWN.
'CAUSE I WAS JUST WALKING ON THE STREET, WALKING THE, ACROSS THE STREET AND THE CARS COMING.
I WAS JUST LIKE, BUT HE TAUGHT ME.
AND I CAME BACK AND WE BACK ON THE SUCCESS ROAD.
AND WHAT I GOT OUTTA THIS PROGRAM IS REALLY A BETTER MINDSET TO SUCCEED THROUGH ANYTHING.
I REALLY DON'T NEED THE, LIKE, NEED A PERSON TO LIKE FOR A RIDE OR ANYTHING.
'CAUSE YOU CAN GET UP AND GET IT YOURSELF TO GO DO IT.
BUT LIKE, THEY SHOWED ME THAT I CAN DO IT.
LIKE, AND THEY GAVE ME THE CON CONFIDENCE AND SUPPORT THAT I FELT LIKE I DIDN'T HAVE THROUGH, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT I GUESS I WANTED IT FROM.
AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PROGRAM AND I, I BE WALKING AROUND TRYING TO TELL EVERYBODY ABOUT IT AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO, YOU KNOW, USE IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND SHARING YOUR STORY.
AND LAST WE HAVE DAMIEN MILLION.
UM, MY NAME IS DAMIEN MILAN WITH THE CREDIBLE MISS PROGRAM.
AND I JOINED BACK IN MARCH, UM, SOMEWHERE AROUND THAT TIME.
AND MY CURRENT MENTOR, WHICH IS MICHAEL GALLOWAY, GREAT GUY, SHOWS SOME ROLE MODEL FOR ALL THESE YOUNG ADULTS.
UM, THIS PROGRAM, IT BROUGHT A LOT OF HELP AND LESS STRESS FOR ME ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS BECAUSE I GO THROUGH A LOT MENTALLY.
UM, THERE'S REALLY NOBODY I COULD REALLY GO TO.
I MEAN, WHEN I FEEL DOWN IT IS LIKE, I MEAN HE, I'M IN BOXING, THEY PUT ME IN BOXING.
WE GOT, WE GOT A GREAT, UM, COMMUNICATION, EVERYTHING.
UM, IT JUST CHANGED A LOT IN MY LIFE.
AND THEN I HAD TO DO THINGS I DIDN'T WANT TO DO AND HAD TO CHALLENGE MYSELF JUST TO GET WHERE I WANT TO BE AT THIS PROGRAM, IT HELPED ME DEVELOP MY MIND AND IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT SECOND DECISIONS ABOUT BAD THINGS.
AND THEN IT SET A MAJOR SETBACK FOR MYSELF NOT COMING AROUND THE SAME CROWD, SURROUNDING MYSELF WITH GOOD PEOPLE AND TO SUCCEED AND DO RIGHT FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY AND FOR THE BETTER.
HOW YOU GUYS DOING? I'M TYRESE DABNEY.
UM, I'M IN THE COLLECTION ACT FOR YOUTH PROGRAM AS WELL.
I DIDN'T USUALLY DRESS LIKE THIS.
THEY HELPED ME PICK THE SUIT OUT.
SO, UH, LIKE IT'S, IT BOOSTED UP MY CONFIDENCE A LOT.
LIKE AT FIRST I WOULDN'T LIKE, WANT TO TALK LOUD.
I WOULDN'T WANT TO LIKE, I WAS ALWAYS QUIET.
UH, IT ALSO MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I'M NOT BEING DISCRIMINATED WHEN I GO TO INTERVIEWS.
I LOOK UP TO PART OF HOW YOU GUYS LOOK.
UM, SO YEAH, UM, I'M IN, UH, ELECTRONIC.
I MEAN I'M, I'M, I'M TAKING MY A BACKS AND I'M ALSO GETTING MY ELECTRONICS SO IT'S LIKE UNIVERSAL 'CAUSE THEY DON'T DO UNIVERSAL.
SO I'M INTO THAT KIND OF STUFF.
MY MOM IS A PROPERTY MANAGER, SO LIKE WHEN I GO PICK UP FROM WORK, I SEE LIKE THE STUFF THAT THE GUYS ARE DOING WITH THE AC UNITS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO IT KIND OF MADE ME WANT TO FURTHER MYSELF.
BUT, UH, I'M ON FIVE YEARS DEFERRED UNIFICATION FOR AN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, UH, WITH THE DAILY WEAPON I DID BACK IN 2022.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES I EVER MADE IN MY LIFE.
BUT I DON'T REGRET IT BECAUSE ME BEING IN THIS PROGRAM, IT MADE ME LIKE WHO I AM TODAY.
I WAS ABLE TO TEACH DIFFERENT PEOPLE AS FAR AS DOMINIQUE CARTER TOLD YOU WHEN HE WAS UP HERE, THAT'S LIKE A GOD BROTHER TO ME.
SO, UM, WHEN HE MADE HIS MISTAKES AND WHEN HE GOT OUT AND GOT IN HIS PROGRAM AND I SEEN WHAT HE WAS DOING, I KIND OF FOLLOWED IN THE SAME FOOTSTEPS BECAUSE HE, WE WANTED BETTER FOR HIMSELF THAN I DID TOO.
UM, WE'RE FROM ACRES HOME, IT'S LIKE A LITTLE AREA, IT'S NOT AS GOOD, NOT BAD, BUT WE MAKE, WE MADE, WE MADE SOME OF NOTHING WHAT WE HAD.
SO, UM, YEAH, I'M JUST GLAD AND GRATEFUL THAT I HAD THOSE TYPE OF PEOPLE AROUND TO SHOW ME AND KEEP ME GOING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
LIKE, UM, LIKE THEY SAID WITH THE FOOD, WHEN YOU'RE HUNGRY YOU CAN GIVE THEM A CALL LIKE, HEY MAN, I'M HUNGRY, I DON'T HAVE ANY FOOD.
THEY'LL EITHER COME AND BRING YOU FOOD, THEY'RE OFFERED TO MEET YOU SOMEWHERE AT THE STORE.
THEY MIGHT DO AN ORDER AND ORDER FOR YOU, SEND IT TO YOU, STUFF LIKE THAT.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CLOTHES FOR INTERVIEW, THEY'LL GET YOU RIGHT.
THEY HAVE A, A HARDWARE STORE, NEVER FOR CLOTHES.
THEY GET YOU THAT STUFF LIKE THAT.
THEY EITHER COME PICK YOU IN THEIR CAR OR THEY'LL COME CALL AN UBER AND GET YOU LIKE SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO THE LOCATION.
BUT YEAH, THIS PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.
I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GET FURTHER IN THE PROGRAM AND SEE WHAT IT ALL HAS TO, UH, OFFER.
AND SIR, IF YOU COULD, SIR, IF YOU COULD COME BACK, WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WANTS TO ADDRESS YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY AND SAY IT TO YOU, BUT SAY IT TO ALL OF YOU.
DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU'VE COME FROM, IT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND YOU ALL ARE GOING FAR AND YOU'LL DO GREAT THINGS.
AND GOD BLESS YOU FOR COMING HERE TODAY, SHARING YOUR STORY, AND YOU KNOW, THE, THE FOLKS THAT YOU'LL HELP JUST BY
[01:05:01]
TALKING AND SHARING YOUR STORY, YOU'LL NEVER EVER KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU WILL HELP.AND I, I LOOK FORWARD TO Y'ALL COMING BACK ONE DAY AND, AND TALKING ABOUT ALL THE GREAT THINGS YOU'RE DOING, BUT AGAIN, JUST KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND, AND GOD BLESS YOU.
AND AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND HOLD ON ONE SECOND, SETH FROM COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S OFFICE.
UM, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU ALL OF YOU FOR COMING TO SHARE YOUR STORIES.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR.
YOU KNOW, JUST TO REMIND US THAT, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY TAKES MANY FORMS AND THIS IS INVESTING IN OUR YOUTH AND INVESTING IN OUR ORGANIZATIONS IS ONE WAY TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SHARING YOUR STORIES TODAY.
I'M SURE A FEW MONTHS AGO YOU NEVER WOULD'VE IMAGINED THAT YOU WOULD BE HERE AT CITY HALL, YOU KNOW, TELLING YOUR STORIES BEFORE A CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE, BUT THAT'S SUCH A GREAT TESTAMENT TO HOW AMAZING THIS PROGRAM IS.
I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE ALL OF YOU HAVE MADE HUGE STRIDES AND SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF YOU AND THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
YOU KNOW, I HEARD SO MANY OF YOU SAY, WELL, I'M FROM AKERS HOMES, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ALMOST LIKE A NEGATIVE THING.
BE PROUD OF WHERE YOU'RE FROM.
YOU MAY REMEMBER OUR FORMER MAYOR, UM, SYLVESTER TURNER WAS ALSO FROM AKER HOMES.
AND LOOK AT WHERE HE CAME FROM AND WHERE HE ENDED UP.
I MEAN, YOU GUYS CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
SO BE PROUD OF, OF WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND GO BACK TO A ACRES HOMES AND MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE.
UM, OUR LAST SPEAKER IS, UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MAYOR CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
READING ON BEHALF OF A CONSTITUENT WHO COULDN'T BE HERE.
THE CONSTITUENT ACTUALLY CLARIFIED THEIR QUESTION SAID IT MAY NOT APPLY TO THIS PRESENTATION, SO WE'LL SUBMIT SEPARATELY,
LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, SEEING NOBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE, OUR NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, JULY 21ST AND WE STAND ADJOURNED.