[Public Safety Committee on July 21, 2025.]
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COMMITTEE TO ORDER.UM, WE ARE JOINED TODAY BY OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, ALSO, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER.
COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND ONLINE IS COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN AND MAYOR PROM, CASTEX TATUM.
WE ARE ALSO JOINED IN CHAMBERS BY STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN'S, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S OFFICE.
COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S, OFFICE MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM'S OFFICE AND COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS'S OFFICE STAFF FROM HUFFMAN AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S OFFICE AS WELL.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
OUR FIRST PRESENTATION TODAY WILL BE, UM, BRIAN MASON, THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, TO TALK ABOUT, UM, COMMUNICATION PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP.
WHERE DO I AND WE ARE GETTING THE PRESENTATION ON YEP.
GETTING THE PRESENTATION QUEUED UP THE PODIUM.
DO YOU WANNA SIT OR ARE YOU GONNA STAND? WE CAN RAISE IT UP.
STAND, YEAH, WE'LL RAISE UP THE PODIUM.
IS THAT GOOD? OR, I USUALLY WALK AROUND AND I'M REAL ANIMATED.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR HAVING ME.
SO, ONCE AGAIN, I'M BRIAN MASON.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, BRIEFLY TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNICATION PROCESSES AND OUR SYSTEMS. BASICALLY HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH RESIDENTS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER, UM, AN INCIDENT OR AN EVENT.
WE'RE GONNA DO AN OVERVIEW OF O OF OEM, UH, THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT KIND OF OUR THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS.
WE HAVE 'EM BROKEN OUT INTO BLUE SKY, GRAY SKY, AND BLACK SKY WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNICATION DAYS.
SO, OEM, RIGHT? SO ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, RECOVERY, AND MITIGATION EFFORTS, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, AND THIS IS REALLY DONE THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS.
SO VERY STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH ALL OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, WITH OUR COUNTY PARTNERS, UM, STATE LOCAL FEDS WITH THROUGH ALL OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS.
AND WE'RE HERE TO SAFEGUARD EVERYONE AGAINST, UH, ALL HAZARDS AND THREATS HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
SO WE HAVE ONE, UM, THING THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED.
IT'S CALLED OUR DUTY OFFICER PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S AVAILABLE 24 7 365 TO CITY DEPARTMENTS.
FIRE AND POLICE WILL CALL IT MORE OFTEN THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
UM, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO REACH BACK, UH, TO OEM IF THEY NEED SOME SUPPORT ACROSS THE CITY.
WE HAVE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES THAT ARE SET UP FOR THOSE DUTY OFFICERS TO WHERE THEY KNOW HOW TO REQUEST RESOURCES OR SUPPORT FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON COORDINATION OF LARGE SPECIAL EVENTS FROM MONITORING THE WEATHER.
AND WE'RE BRIEFING OEM LEADERSHIP ON SIGNIFICANT EVENTS.
SO THAT'S WHAT OUR DAY-TO-DAY DUTY OFFICER DOES, WHICH IS A 24 7 POSITION.
WE KIND OF BROKE THESE IN THROUGH KIND OF THREE DIFFERENT KIND OF HIERARCHIES OF HOW WE DO OUR COMMUNICATION.
SO FIRST, WHAT WE'LL SAY, BLUE SKY COMMUNICATION.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT GOES ON 355 DAYS A YEAR, 360 DAYS A YEAR.
WE HOPEFULLY DON'T HAVE THAT MANY GRAY SKY DAYS OR BLACK SKY DAYS, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE JUST DOING GENERAL.
OUR GENERAL PREPAREDNESS 365 AND REALLY TRYING TO CHANGE THE PREPAREDNESS CULTURE HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
UM, WE DO THINGS VIA OUR WEBSITE, HOUSTON OEM.ORG.
WE DID A COMPLETE REFRESH OF THAT WEBSITE IN 2024 AND THEN NOW TRANSLATES EVERYTHING INTO SIX LANGUAGES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT TOPICS AND IT'S MUCH EASIER TO NAVIGATE FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO GET OUT THERE.
WE HAVE ALL THE DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.
WE DO REGULAR PREPAREDNESS, MESSAGING AND AWARENESS.
ME MESSAGING, UM, OUTREACH, JUST IN JUNE OF 2025 ALONE, WE DID 18 EVENTS WITH OVER A THOUSAND ATTENDEES, AND THEN SEVERAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS, 11 MEDIA INQUIRIES, AND, UH, SEVEN ON-CAMERA INTERVIEWS.
SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF OUR DAY-TO-DAY GENERAL OUTREACH AND PREPAREDNESS STUFF.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I'LL SAY IN MY 20, ALMOST 25 YEARS OF DOING, UH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WORK, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE PREPAREDNESS AN INDIVIDUAL TAKING ON PREPAREDNESS KIND OF AS THEIR ROLE OR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE BOTH PLANNED, UH, BOTH AT HOME AND AT WORK.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S KIND OF FALLEN OFF THE WAYSIDE A LITTLE BIT.
LIKE, I DON'T THINK, JUST AS AN INDIVIDUAL, A LOT OF RESIDENTS, I'LL USE MY NEIGHBORS FOR EXAMPLE.
THEY AREN'T NEAR AS PREPARED AS THEY SHOULD BE WHEN YOU GO AROUND AND TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.
SO WE'VE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON PREPAREDNESS 365,
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MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE PREPARED, BE SAFE, BE ALERT HOUSTON.SO WE HAVE A WAY, UM, TO ENROLL ON THAT, YOU CAN SIMPLY TEXT ALERT HOUSTON, ALL ONE WORD TO TRIPLE EIGHT, TRIPLE SEVEN, AND THAT WILL GET YOU INTO OUR SYSTEM.
WE DID SOME WEB WEBSITE ENHANCEMENTS.
ONCE AGAIN, EVERYTHING IS, UH, IN THE SIX MAIN LANGUAGES.
IT'S A DA COMPLIANT, IT'S VERY USER FRIENDLY.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE CONSTANTLY PROMOTING OUR STEER ENROLLMENT AND OUR ALERT HOUSTON ENROLLMENT AS WELL.
THIS WILL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO A LOT OF WHERE ALL THE, WHERE A LOT OF THESE RESOURCES ARE TO OUR WEBSITE AND, UH, HOW TO SIGN UP FOR STEER.
UM, WE HAVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS GUIDES.
UH, OBVIOUSLY SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES ARE ALL LISTED THERE.
AND THEN YOU CAN REQUEST A PRESENTATION, UM, FROM ONE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS TO GO TO ONE OF YOUR EVENTS.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF BLUE SKY, DAY-TO-DAY STUFF.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE TAKING ALL OF OUR BLUE SKY THINGS THAT WE'D BE DOING, SOCIAL MEDIA, A LOT OF THOSE REGULAR THINGS.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA ENHANCE, UM, THE FREQUENCY, UM, AND THE CONTENT THAT WE PUT UP THERE ALSO DURING OUR GRAY SKY.
SO AS AN EVENT'S STARTING TO MOVE INTO OUR AREA, WE'LL HAVE A LOT MORE INTERVIEWS WITH MEDIA, UM, AND DO MEDIA INQUIRIES.
WE WILL START TO SEND ALERT HOUSTON AND STEER NOTIFICATIONS, WHICH I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE IN JUST A SECOND.
AND THEN IF NEEDED, DEPENDING ON THE EVENT, WE'LL STAND UP A JOINT INFORMATION CENTER, WHICH IS WHERE WE BRING IN ALL THE PIOS OR EXPERTS FROM THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS TO COME IN AND WORK THE INCIDENT TOGETHER TO WHERE WE HAVE A UNIFIED MESSAGE GOING OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
SO SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALERT HOUSTON STEER AND THEN I'LL TALK ABOUT IPOS, WHICH IS THAT, UM, EMERGENCY WIRELESS ALERT THAT CAN BE SENT.
SO ALERT HOUSTON FOR US, IT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO OPT INTO.
SO AS A PUBLIC RESIDENT, YOU HAVE TO EITHER TEXT, UH, TEXT ALERT HOUSTON TO TRIPLE EIGHT, TRIPLE SEVEN, OR YOU CAN GO ONTO OUR WEBSITE AND YOU HAVE TO ENROLL IN ALERT HOUSTON.
IT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO OPT INTO, INTO, IT'S OPEN TO, ANYBODY CAN REGISTER FOR IT.
UM, BUT ONCE AGAIN, IT'S A VOLUNTARY EN ENROLLMENT FOR THIS.
THIS IS HOW WE DO ENHANCED AWARENESS.
SO WE'RE PUSHING STUFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON A DAILY BASIS, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
IF WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES MORE OF A SENSE OF URGENCY OR WE WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE SEE IT, WE CAN SEND SOMETHING OUT THROUGH ALERT HOUSTON.
SO WE CAN SEND A TEXT MESSAGE, WE CAN SEND AN EMAIL.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS TO SEND CONTENT.
TO GIVE YOU A BENCHMARK, SINCE AUGUST OF 2025, WHEN I OFFICIALLY TOOK OVER THE ROLE AT OEM, WE'VE SENT A TOTAL OF FIVE ALERT HOUSTON MESSAGES.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A BASELINE, IT'S SOMETHING WE DON'T BLOW UP PEOPLE'S PHONES WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT IF WE WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF SOMETHING, WE'RE GONNA SEND THAT TO YOU.
SO OUTTA THE FIVE MESSAGES WE HAD SINCE AUGUST OF 20 25, 3 WERE TIED INTO THE WINTER WEATHER.
WE HAD, UM, THE, UH, 18TH, 20TH, AND 21ST ONE WAS FOR A PRESCRIBED BURN.
HFD WAS DOING A BURN DOWN ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN.
SO WE, UH, SEND A NOTICE OUT FOR THAT.
AND THEN THE, UH, THIRD TYPE WAS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WE HAD AT BEGINNING OF MAY.
SO ONCE AGAIN, NOT SOMETHING WE USE ALL THE TIME.
JUST WHEN WE WANT TO ELEVATE AWARENESS, WE'LL SEND IT OUT.
SO STEER IS A STATE OF TEXAS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE REGISTRY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, ONCE AGAIN, CITIZENS HAVE TO OPT INTO.
IT'S REALLY DESIGNED, UH, OR REALLY TARGETS OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
SO OUR MEDICALLY FRAGILE OUR ELDERLY COMMUNITIES, IT'S A WAY FOR THEM TO SIGN UP.
AND THEN THAT GIVES US OUR, THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION FOR US TO PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH THEM DURING AN INCIDENT.
WE CAN FOLLOW BACK UP WITH THEM.
WE CAN CHECK IN WITH THEM, SEE IF THEY NEED SPECIAL ASSISTANCE.
UM, ONCE AGAIN FOR THIS, WE WILL SEND OUT ENHANCED AWARENESS MESSAGES, UM, AND THEN ENCOURAGED OR VOLUNTARY ACTIONS.
UM, AND THEN ONCE AGAIN, TO GIVE YOU BASELINES, SINCE AUGUST OF 2025, WE SENT OUT A TOTAL OF SEVEN STEER MESSAGES.
SO ONCE AGAIN, NOT SOMETHING WE SEND ALL THE TIME.
FIVE WERE FOR WINTER WEATHER, AND TWO WERE FOR GENERAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS.
UM, SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY IF WE SEND SOMETHING OUT VIA THE IPOS, WHICH IS THE FEMA TOOL, WE'RE WARNING PEOPLE MOST LIKELY TO TAKE SOME TYPE OF IMMEDIATE ACTION.
THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO, UH, PROPERTY OR TO, UH, HUMAN HEALTH.
SO ONCE AGAIN, UM, IPOS IS A, A FEDERAL TOOL THAT WAS CREATED BY FEMA.
UM, US AS CITY OF HOUSTON, WE ARE WHAT WE CALL AN ALERTING AUTHORITY.
SO THERE ARE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO TO BE AN ALERTING AUTHORITY.
WE HAVE TO TAKE SOME ONLINE TRAINING CLASSES EVERY MONTH.
WE HAVE TO DO A TEST IN THE SYSTEM TO VALIDATE THAT THAT PERSON STILL HAS ACCURATE, UH, CREDENTIALS.
OBVIOUSLY, THEY DON'T WANT SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T SEND THESE OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS TO JUST FIRE UP THE SYSTEM AND SEND SOMETHING OUT TO EVERYBODY'S CELL PHONES.
SO IT'S VERY STRUCTURED IN THE TRAINING.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE ONLINE MONTHLY THINGS.
YOU HAVE TO DO ANNUAL THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO TO MAINTAIN AND BE AN ALERTING AUTHORITY.
UM, SOME EXAMPLES OF THE IPOS TOOLS YOU'LL GET THE AMBER ALERTS,
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THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALERTS, PUBLIC SAFETY ALERTS, A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT BUZZ THROUGH ON OUR CELL PHONE.SO REALLY KIND OF A SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON OF THE IPOS.
UM, AND THEN VERSUS ALERT HOUSTON.
SO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE IPOS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE OE, WHICH IS THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERT PORTION OF IT, IT ALLOWS US TO GEOCODE AN AREA SO WE CAN DRAW AROUND AN AREA, AND THEN EVERY CELL PHONE THAT HITS A TOWER IN THAT AREA WILL GET THAT MESSAGE.
SO ALLOWS US TO GEOLOCATE AND SEND SOMETHING OUT.
UM, VERSUS ALERT HOUSTON, ONCE AGAIN, ALERT HOUSTON'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO OPT INTO, AND WE CAN ONLY SEND IT TO YOUR NUMBER.
SO WE AREN'T DOING THIS GEOGRAPHICAL PINGING OFF EVERY CELL PHONE.
THAT'S WHAT THE OE OR THE IPOS.
USUALLY WHEN YOU WOULD GET AN IPOS MESSAGE, ESPECIALLY FROM CITY OF HOUSTON, OEM, THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE WARNING YOU TO TAKE SOME TYPE OF IMMEDIATE ACTION.
IT'S NOT A, HEY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S GOING ON.
IT'S A, WE NEED YOU TO TAKE IN AN ACTION.
SO IT COULD BE A, THERE'S A CHEMICAL RELEASE GOING ON IN THE SHIP CHANNEL.
IT COULD BE A SHELTER IN PLACE MESSAGE THAT COULD GO OUT TO A SMALL AREA.
IT COULD BE IF WE WERE DOING A HURRICANE EVACUATION AND IF THE MAYOR AND THE JUDGE CALL FOR A MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR CERTAIN ZONES, WE COULD SEND OUT THAT MESSAGING TO THOSE SPECIFIC ZIP CODES OR THAT SPECIFIC AREA TO GIVE THEM A TARGETED MESSAGING.
THE ONE NEGATIVE THING ABOUT IPOS, AND CHECK TO SEE WHO'S DONE IT AS, AS PART OF THE GROUP HERE.
UM, YOU CAN GO INTO YOUR PHONE AND YOU CAN TURN OFF EMERGENCY ALERTS ON YOUR PHONE.
SO YOU CAN GO INTO YOUR IPHONE, YOU CAN GO TO NOTIFICATIONS, AND YOU CAN TURN OFF AMBER ALERTS.
YOU CAN TURN OFF ALL THOSE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS.
THAT IS REALLY KIND OF OUR LAST ATTEMPT TO PUSH SOME CRITICAL INFORMATION TO YOU.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE GET ANNOYED BY THOSE ALERTS, AND SO THEY'VE TURNED THEM OFF OR DISABLED THEM IN THEIR PHONE.
SO MY REQUEST TO YOU, OR TO ALL THE RESIDENTS AND ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS WOULD BE PLEASE HAVE THAT ENABLED.
UM, WE, WE, IN THE YEAR I'VE BEEN HERE, HAVE NEVER SENT AN IPOS OR A WE A MESSAGE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BLOW UP YOUR PHONE WITH UNNECESSARY STUFF.
IF WE SEND AN IPOS OR A, OR A WE A MESSAGE, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THERE'S AN IMMINENT THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH OR TO PROPERTY.
AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION.
I'M NOT GONNA READ IT ALL TO YOU.
UM, BUT THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS ALERT HOUSTON, YOU HAVE TO OPT IN VERSUS IPOD.
I COULD SEND IT OUT TO YOU EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT OPTED IN, BUT YOU CAN TURN THE NOTIFICATION OFF IN YOUR PHONE, WHICH IS KIND OF THE, THE TRICKY THING ON IT.
SO, THREE MAIN PATHWAYS WITH THE IPOS, RIGHT? I TALKED ABOUT THE WEA, THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS.
WE HAVE THE EMERGENCY ALERTING SYSTEM, THE EAS, YOU CAN REMEMBER HOW OLD SOME OF US ARE.
YOU'D GET THE BREAKTHROUGH ON YOUR TV BACK IN THE DAY.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TEST OF THE EMERGENCY, YOU KNOW, BROADCAST SYSTEM.
THAT'S THROUGH ALL THAT EAS SYSTEM.
SO THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO BREAK IN, UH, AS LONG AS, UM, THE, THE TV STATIONS OR THE BROADCASTERS ARE A PARTNER AND THEY ENABLE THAT MESSAGE, THEN THAT WILL BREAK THROUGH INTO THE, YOUR SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING.
THAT MESSAGE WILL COME THROUGH.
UH, ALSO THE NO RA RADIO, NO WEATHER RADIO.
IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IF COMMUNICATIONS GO DOWN, IT'S ANOTHER WAY TO GET SOME TYPE OF IMPORTANT MESSAGING.
I TALKED ABOUT THE EXAMPLES ALREADY.
SO, PARTNER, UH, ALERTS EXAMPLES THROUGH WEAS.
YOU'RE GONNA GET A LOT FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
THEY'RE PROBABLY THE MAIN ONE YOU GET THINGS FROM.
AND THEN THE AMBER ALERTS AS WELL.
ONCE AGAIN, CITY OF HOUSTON EXAMPLES MAY BE AN EVACUATION ORDER, A SHELTER IN PLACE OR ANY OTHER CITYWIDE EMERGENCY.
HERE'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT AN A WE WOULD COME THROUGH.
SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO READ ALL THIS, BUT IT KIND OF SPECIFIES HOW AND WHERE WE WOULD STR UH, UH, PUT THE CONTENT.
UM, SO AN IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW IS IF, IF WE PUT IMMINENT, THAT WOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PRESERVE LIFE OR PROPERTY VERSUS IF WE PUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT MAY NOT BE A LIFE SAFETY THING, BUT IT'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT WE WANT YOU TO KNOW.
SO THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A MESSAGE MAY COME THROUGH, UM, WHEN IT COMES THROUGH ON YOUR CELL PHONE.
SO I, I THINK KIND OF THE MAIN OVERARCHING SUMMARY FOR US WHEN IT COMES TO OEM NOTIFICATIONS IS WE HAVE ALERT HOUSTON AND STEER, BUT BOTH OF THOSE ARE THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO OPT INTO.
YOU HAVE TO OPT INTO THAT SERVICE.
THE IPOS OR THE WEA, THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO GE UH, GEOGRAPHICALLY, BUT PEOPLE CAN TURN THOSE OFF ON THEIR PHONE AND STILL OPT OUT OF THEM.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE THING WE DO, PROBABLY 360 PLUS DAYS A YEAR IS JUST OUR BLUE SKY GENERAL SOCIAL MEDIA PREPAREDNESS, UM, YOU KNOW, MESSAGING OUT TO OUR PUBLIC NEXT SLIDE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IS IT, UNLESS YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME.
WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
BEFORE WE GET TO QUESTIONS, WE WERE ALSO JOINED BY STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE AND ONLINE BY STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER
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PLUMMER'S OFFICE.UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I APPRECIATE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE OPTING OUT.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU.
UM, AND I THINK IN THE PAST, A LOT OF PEOPLE OPTED OUT OF, UM, THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS, BECAUSE MY OPINION MAY HAVE BEEN KIND OF ABUSED IN THE PAST, NOT BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN ANY FORM, BUT IS THERE A WAY, AND THIS MIGHT BE MORE OF A QUESTION FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO KIND OF CRACK DOWN ON IT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MESSAGES ARE ONLY AN IMMINENT DANGER, AND THEN ONCE THAT'S, UM, KIND OF STREAMLINED TO MAKE IT SO THAT PEOPLE CANNOT OPT OUT OF IT.
I KNOW THERE'S OTHER, YOU KNOW, ALERT HOUSTON, OBVIOUSLY MM-HMM
BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AN IMMEDIATE DANGER AND IF THE SYSTEM ISN'T BEING ABUSED, MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T LET PEOPLE OPT OUT OF IT.
I I THINK THE MOST CHALLENGING THING IN MY JOB IS TAKING ALL THE INFORMATION AND TURNING IT INTO USEFUL INTELLIGENCE.
AND I THINK THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO THE AUTHORIZING AUTHORITIES OR ENTITIES.
SO THE LOCALS THAT ARE DOING IT, AND THEY PROBABLY NEED TO GIVE THEM SOME REFRESHER TRAINING ON, DO YOU NEED TO SEND A STATEWIDE ALERT IF THERE'S A AMBER ALERT IN AMARILLO? I DON'T KNOW.
RIGHT? UM, SO I DO THINK IF YOU'RE ABLE TO REALLY HONE IT DOWN, I, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THE FEDS WILL EVER MAKE A REQUIREMENT NOT ALLOWING PEOPLE TO OPT OUT.
BUT I MEAN, DEFINITELY SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY WITH SPECIAL SESSION COMING UP RIGHT NOW, AND MAYBE SOMETHING WE CAN BRING UP TO AUSTIN ABOUT, AT LEAST IN TEXAS, MAKING THAT CHANGE.
AND ARE WE WORKING WITH THE MEDIA AT ALL TO REMIND PEOPLE TO NOT TURN OFF THE, I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA EVEN HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE'S AN OP WAY TO TURN IT OFF, BUT ARE WE WORKING AT ALL TO REMIND PEOPLE MAYBE IT'S TIME TO TURN THOSE BACK ON IF YOU'VE TURNED IT OFF? YES.
AND THEN WE HAVE ACTUALLY, UM, I'LL VERIFY IT'S UP ON OUR SOCIAL.
THERE'S A, A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS ON HOW YOU TURN THEM BACK ON IF YOU HAPPEN TO TURN THEM OFF AND YOU CAN'T FIND IT.
SO YEAH, WE'LL WORK WITH THE MEDIA AND THROUGH OUR NORMAL BLUE SKY COMMUNICATION TO GET THAT OUT.
AND THEN HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SIGNED UP FOR ALERT HOUSTON RIGHT NOW? SO LAST I HEARD WAS A, DON'T LAUGH, IT'S 112,000, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT IN A CITY OF 2.5 MILLION, I WOULD SURE HOPE IT WAS A LOT MORE THAN 112,000.
UM, ON THE FLIP SIDE, TALKING WITH SOME OTHER SISTER JURISDICTIONS, WE'RE RIGHT ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE WHEN IT COMES TO KIND OF THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION.
SO I WOULD THINK 112, THAT'S NOT VERY MUCH.
WELL, THAT MAY END UP BEING ABOUT KIND OF THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE.
JUST A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T OPT IN FOR IT.
WE DID NOTICE ON JULY 4TH WHEN THAT THE EVENT HAPPENED IN KIRK COUNTY, WE HAD ABOUT 75 PEOPLE SIGN UP THAT DAY.
UM, ARE WE OFFERING OR LOOKING AT ANY KIND OF INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE WHO SIGN UP FOR ALERT HOUSTON? NO.
LIKE, WHETHER THAT'S SOME KIND OF REDUCTION IN SOME FEE THAT THEY'RE PAYING ALREADY, OR, OR SOME KIND OF OPTION JUST TO MAKE PEOPLE WANT TO SIGN UP FOR THAT SYSTEM.
NO, BUT THAT'S A GOOD, I'LL TAKE IT DOWN AND WE'LL BRAINSTORM, SEE IF WE CAN FIND SOMETHING.
QUESTIONS WE HAVE, UM, ONLINE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME ALL RIGHT? YES.
UH, DIRECTOR, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA THANK YOU AND ALL OF THE STAFF AT OEMA LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, UM, OFTENTIMES WHEN Y'ALL ACTIVATE, EVEN IF IT'S JUST FOR THE MARATHON OR ANOTHER MAJOR EVENT, THE HOURS THAT ARE PUT IN, UM, AND THE TIME THAT IS SPENT AWAY FROM FAMILY, UM, KEEPING HOUSTONIANS SAFE.
SO AGAIN, MY APPRECIATION, UH, WE HAVE TALKED, YOU AND I, ABOUT CONCERNS RELATED TO COMMUNICATIONS, NOT SO MUCH AHEAD OF A STORM.
UM, I THINK WE ARE TESTED AND TRUE AND DOING A VERY GOOD JOB DOING WHAT WE CAN TO REACH RESIDENTS AHEAD OF A KNOWN STORM.
MY CONCERN IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CELL SERVICE AND TELECOMS GO DOWN? FOR EXAMPLE, UH, DURING THE DERECHO, UH, THE STORM CAME IN, CELL SERVICE STARTED GOING OUT, UH, AND THEN IT HIT DISTRICT C AND PEOPLE, ONE COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
WE ALSO THOUGH RESIDENTS DID NOT KNOW THAT JUST A FEW MILES AWAY, THERE WAS POWER OR THERE WERE RESOURCES.
SO WHAT ARE OTHER CITIES DOING AND WHAT ARE SOME OF OUR OPTIONS FOR HOW WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH RESIDENTS WHEN CELL SERVICE, WHEN TELECOMS GO DOWN? SO JUST TO BE HONEST, THERE'S NOT A REAL GOOD ANSWER.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL BECOME RELIANT ON OUR CELL PHONES, UM, AT LEAST FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY CITY OPERATIONS SIDE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO NETWORK AND SOME OTHER TOOLS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE CORE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS.
BUT AS FAR AS COMMUNICATING WITH, UH, FOLKS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THAT'S THE ADVANTAGE, OBVIOUSLY, OF THE NO O RADIO, UH, WEATHER NETWORK, UH, UH, AS WELL IS THAT
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CAN BE BROADCASTED OUT.UM, BUT HONESTLY, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE JUST DON'T REALLY HAVE A GOOD ANSWER.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE AND BRAINSTORM WITH OUR OTHER COUNTERPARTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, BUT THAT IS A QUESTION THAT WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME WHEN WE GET TOGETHER AS A GROUP, THAT HOW ARE WE GONNA COMMUNICATE WHEN ALL THE TECHNOLOGY WE'VE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE.
AND MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS A CITY WE NEED TO LOOK AT VERY AGGRESSIVELY.
UM, MY OFFICE IS, UH, GOING TO BE PROVIDING FUNDING, UH, FOR NO RADIOS.
IF WE CAN FUND THEM, UH, FOR RESIDENTS, RIGHT, TO GIVE THEM OUT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE THEM.
DIRECTOR, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED, I'M HAPPY TO HELP FUND AND I WELCOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HELP FUND A PILOT, WHETHER WE'RE USING, UM, DRONES, RIGHT, WITH MICROPHONES THAT CAN GO INTO PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT WHERE THEIR CLOSEST RESOURCE CENTER OR HUB MAY BE, UM, WHERE ICE DISTRIBUTIONS MAY BE, WHATEVER THOSE MESSAGES ARE, IF EVACUATIONS ARE BEING ORDERED.
UM, BUT THE, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE HORRIFIC FLOODING THAT OCCURRED IN ALONG GUADALUPE, THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON WARNING SYSTEMS. AND AGAIN, WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR SYSTEM IN PLACE.
I THINK THERE'S ROOM TO IMPROVE, BUT AS A CITY, WE NEED TO BE, I BELIEVE, FOCUSED ON HOW WE'RE COMMUNICATING IN THE AFTERMATH.
UM, SO I WOULD REQUEST THAT WE DIRECT OR CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I'D ALSO LOVE TO KNOW SOME OF THE EXAMPLES THAT OTHER CITIES MAY BE PILOTING SO THAT WE CAN CONSIDER THOSE.
BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, RESIDENTS, INCLUDING MYSELF, WE'RE, WE'RE SO RELIANT ON OUR PHONES NOW.
MOST PEOPLE ARE SWITCHING TO STREAMING.
SO WE DON'T EVEN HAVE NECESSARILY THAT, THAT LOCAL NEWS, UM, THAT'S COMING ON THE TV IF WE DO HAVE TELEVISION SERVICE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY, ARE YOU AWARE OF WHAT OTHER CITIES MAY BE DOING TO PILOT AFTERMATH COMMUNICATIONS? SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, NO.
BUT WE WILL, WE WILL COORDINATE AND, AND TRY TO GET SOME TYPE OF INFORMATION BACK.
AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M HAPPY, UM, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, TO HELP FUND WITH WHAT LITTLE DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS WE HAVE, BUT I WOULD ASK, YOU KNOW, IF OTHER COLLEAGUES ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING TO FUND A PILOT THAT WAY.
UM, BUT THIS IS, I THINK, A BIG CONCERN IN VULNERABILITY, ESPECIALLY GIVEN WHAT WE SAW, UM, WITH LINES DOWN, POWER DOWN, CELL TOWERS DOWN, UH, DURING LAST YEAR'S STORMS. THANK YOU.
AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WHEN IN THE DIRECT SHOW, MOST OF DISTRICT A ALSO DIDN'T HAVE CELL SERVICE, SO IT WAS A CHALLENGE TO, UM, COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE.
SO I, I DIDN'T HAVE CELL SERVICE EITHER AND HAD TO DRIVE OUT OF SPRING BRANCH TO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE.
SO ABSOLUTELY THAT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT.
UM, DIRECTOR, WHEN LOOKING AT THE, UM, EMERGENCY ALERTS TO TURN THEM ON AND OFF ON PHONES, THERE'S THE AMBER ALERTS MM-HMM
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EMERGENCY ALERTS AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY ALERTS? SO WHEN WE WANNA COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS THAT GEOTAGS WHERE YOU ARE, YOU NEED TO TURN THAT ON YOUR PHONE.
WHICH ONE OF THOSE TWO ARE BOTH? BOTH.
YEAH, I WOULD HAVE BOTH THE AMBER ALERTS, OBVIOUSLY SPECIFIC JUST FOR THE AMBER ALERTS, BUT THE OTHER ONES I WOULD HAVE 'EM ALL ON.
I HAVE THEM ALL ON, ON MY PHONE, UM, STAFF FROM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU GET THE AMBER ALERT AT TWO 30 IN THE MORNING ON TUESDAY NIGHT, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S INEVITABLY WHEN IT HAPPENS.
SO IT'S CHALLENGING FOR FOLKS.
UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
SO IF ABOUT 5% OF OUR FOLKS ARE SIGNED UP FOR ALERT HOUSTON, RIGHT, EVEN GIVEN ALL THE OUTREACH THAT Y'ALL ARE ALREADY DOING, IS THERE A THOUGHT TO AN ADJUSTED STRATEGY OUTREACH PLAN, OR WHAT'S YOUR FEELING ABOUT THAT? WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING EVERYTHING EVEN FROM, WE'RE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER MORE OF A KIND OF MARKETING PLAN WITH MAYBE SOME SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS AND SOME OTHER FOLKS THAT MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE A BIG FOLLOWING.
UM, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, AND IT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, IT'S OUTPUTS VERSUS OUTCOMES, RIGHT? SO I CAN GO TO 20 DIFFERENT EVENTS AND DO HAVE A LOT OF OUTPUTS, BUT IF I'M NOT REALLY GETTING THAT INCREASE IN THE ALERT HOUSTON, I'M NOT REALLY IMPROVING THAT OUTCOME.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET THAT EN ENGAGEMENT AND HAVE THAT ENROLLMENT GO UP.
WE'RE HAPPY TO BRAINSTORM WITH YOU, PLEASE.
NOT THAT WE'RE MARKETING GURUS, BUT, UM, THE 5% DO, IT MAY NOT BE A UNIFORM RIGHT ACROSS THE CITY, 5%.
ARE THERE CERTAIN POPULATIONS THAT YOU THINK MAY BE LESS REPRESENTED IN THAT GROUP, RIGHT, IF THEY'RE ALREADY ISOLATED OR, I DON'T, I'VE NEVER LOOKED AT THE DATA IN THAT MUCH DETAIL, BUT I WILL.
[00:25:01]
A GOOD QUESTION.LIKE, ESPECIALLY MAYBE BY DISTRICT OR BY SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU MAY FIND HIGHER DENSITIES IN SOME LOCATIONS ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, SO I KNOW, SO RIGHT NOW IT'S A BLUE SKY, RIGHT? SO I CAN'T TOTALLY TEST THIS, BUT IN TIME OF A DISASTER, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THE WEBSITE WILL TRANSFORM, UM, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY TO HAVE SORT OF WHAT, WHAT CONSTITUENTS MOST WANNA SEE AT THE, AT THE TOP? SURE.
SO AT THE, WHEN YOU GO TO THE HOMEPAGE, THERE'S A SLIDER THAT MOVES THROUGH THE TOP, THAT'S THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND THOSE THINGS GET UPDATED ALL THE TIME.
SO IF WE WERE HAVING POTENTIAL MANDATORY EVACUATION, THAT WOULD BE THE VERY FIRST THING THAT WOULD COME UP ON THE HOMEPAGE AND YOU WOULDN'T MISS IT.
IT WOULD TAKE UP PROBABLY HALF THE HOMEPAGE RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING.
SO WE MOVE THAT CONTENT DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, THIS WASN'T EXACTLY WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, BUT I'M GONNA, UH, USE IT ANYWAY.
SO OUTREACH TO SENIOR CENTERS IN TIMES OF A POWER OUTAGE IN PARTICULAR, DO WE HAVE A LIST, A WORKING LIST OF CENTERS? AND IS THERE ONE HUMAN WHO'S A POINT PERSON FOR WHO'S GONNA, OR A COUPLE WHO ARE DESIGNATED RESPONSIBLE PARTIES? THAT'S GOOD QUESTION.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, MULTI-PRONGED.
A LOT OF OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY, HOPEFULLY IS ALREADY ENROLLED IN STEER WHERE WE ARE PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATING AND REACHING OUT TO THEM.
IF THEY'RE NOT, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE, GET ENROLLED.
UM, A LOT OF THE REGULATED FACILITIES, SO IF YOU'RE A NURSING HOME, YOU'RE A REGULATED FACILITY, YOU'RE ALREADY IN STEER, THAT'S ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS.
BUT THERE ARE SOME HOMES THAT, INDEPENDENCE HALL IS A PRIME EXAMPLE, UM, WHERE IT MAY NOT MEET THE THRESHOLD TO BE A REGULATED FACILITY.
UM, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THOSE ACROSS THE AREA.
SO OUR REQUEST WOULD BE FOR PEOPLE TO SELF-ENROLL AND TO STEER, AND THEN THAT WAY WE WILL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM DURING AN INCIDENT DIRECTLY.
SO HOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ENROLLED IN STEER? IN STEER, WE HAVE ABOUT 4500, 4600 IN STEER, AND OF THAT ABOUT A THOUSAND ARE MEDICALLY FRAGILE.
SO THOSE WOULD BE OUR TOP PRIORITY.
SO JUST TO, JUST TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION, THERE IS A LIST THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING UP WITH OF SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES.
SO, BUT IT'S USUALLY INDIVIDUALS SIGNING UP.
SO I DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, SUNNYSIDE NURSING HOME AS A SPECIFIC FACILITY.
I MAY HAVE A RESIDENT IN THAT NURSING HOME THAT WE'RE ABLE TO FOLLOW BACK UP WITH THAT, THAT INDIVIDUAL.
AND THAT'S JUST THE STEER OR THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL LIST THAT'S JUST STEER AND STEER ONCE AGAIN IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO OPT INTO OR SELF-ENROLL IN.
BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS.
THEY HAVE TO SIGN UP ANNUALLY OR, OR RE-SIGN UP ANNUALLY TO KEEP THAT DATA FRESH.
SO IT'S A LIST OF DATA THAT WE GET FROM T DM FOR US TO NOTIFY AND COMMUNICATE WITH ALL THOSE RESIDENTS.
I WAS WONDERING, DO YOU ALL PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS? IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE, WE WE SURE DO.
I MEAN, AND HONESTLY FOR A LOT OF OUR STUFF, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ONE OF THE BIG PARTNERS, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA, IF THE MAYOR MAKES A DECISION TO CLOSE SCHOOLS OR SOME, OR IF WE'RE GONNA CLOSE THE ROADS, OBVIOUSLY SCHOOLS ARE ONE OF THE FIRST DECISIONS THAT HAS TO BE MADE.
SO WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THEIR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR FOR HISD, UM, AND ALSO WITH THEIR CHIEF OF STAFF AND SOME OTHER, SOME OTHER, THEIR LEADERSHIP.
AND SO I'M ASSUMING THEY PUSH OUT THE ALERT HOUSTON FOR YOU BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A NUMBER ONE SHOT.
WE USUALLY ASK OUR PARTNERS TO AMPLIFY AND SHARE NOW WHETHER THEY ALWAYS DO THAT, YOU KNOW, UP TO THEM.
BUT I WOULD SAY PRETTY CONFIDENT MAJORITY OF THE TIME, IF IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE PUSHING, THEY'RE GONNA SHARE IT AS WELL.
I'M MAKING A LIST OF PLEASE WHO I, WHO I WOULD APPROACH, BUT THANK YOU.
UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
UH, GOOD MORNING, DIRECTOR MASON.
THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS PROVIDING SUCH DILIGENT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ IS CONCERNED ABOUT HER VERY LARGE SENIOR CITIZEN CONSTITUENCY, AS WAS MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US THAT THE STEER PROGRAM REQUIRES ANNUAL OPT-IN.
ONE OF THE STEPS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER DOES IN CASE OF A MAJOR EVENT IS CALLED A ROBODI.
MANY OF OUR SENIORS, THEY'RE NOT SOCIAL MEDIA SAVVY MM-HMM
SO WE WILL RECORD A SPECIFIC MESSAGE THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO THEIR PHONES AT HOME.
IS THERE ANYTHING SIMILAR THAT YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING FOR THAT SENIOR COMMUNITY? WE DO THE SAME THING.
SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEND A TEXT MESSAGE.
WE PREFER, INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING THE COMPUTERIZED VOICE, WE NORMALLY HAVE ONE OF OUR PIOS DO THE RECORDING.
SO IT'S A HUMAN VOICE INSTEAD OF JUST A COMPUTERIZED VOICE.
AND NORMALLY WE SEND BOTH THOSE OUT WHEN WE DO A NOTIFICATION TO OUR STEER COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, MY LAST QUESTION, MADAM CHAIR, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF A CAMPAIGN FOR THIS COMMUNITY? 'CAUSE WE GO TO OUR CIVIC CLUBS, MOST OF US DO, AND WE TELL THEM IN THIS TIME, UH, UH, THE, THE HURRICANE SEASON TO SIGN UP MM-HMM
[00:30:01]
CONCERTED CAMPAIGN TO GET OUR SENIORS TO SIGN UP? SO WE DO EVERYTHING FROM ALL OF Y'ALL'S EVENTS TO SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS.WE PARTNER WITH SETRAC, WHICH IS, UH, THE GROUP THAT COORDINATES WITH ALL THE HOSPITALS AND NURSING HOMES.
SO SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCILS, SETRAC, THEY COORDINATE WITH ALL THE HOSPITALS IN KIND OF THE REGION, THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGION.
SO WE PARTNER CLOSELY WITH THEM.
UM, THEY CAN HELP US GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO SOME OF THOSE REGULATED FACILITIES, NURSING HOMES AND THINGS WHEN THEY'RE GOING OUT AND DOING THEIR VISITS.
UM, WE ACTUALLY, WHEN WE DID A BRIEFING FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, I KNOW MAYBE THREE TO FOUR WEEKS AGO WE HAD SET TRACK THERE.
THEY WERE ONE OF THE PARTNERS THERE.
SO YOU GUYS COULD HEAR FIRSTHAND FROM THEM ON WHAT THEY DO.
SO WE ARE TRYING EVERYTHING WE CAN FULL COURT PRESS TO GET THE MESSAGING OUT.
BUT WE ARE OPEN TO ANY AND ALL IDEAS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
I MEAN, IF THERE'S SPECIAL EVENTS, TOWN HALL MEETINGS, UM, ANYTHING WE CAN DO, WE WILL GLADLY DO IT.
YOU BRIEFLY MENTIONED SUNNYSIDE.
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US IN ANOTHER WEEK OR TWO AT THE SUNNYSIDE MULTIPURPOSE CENTER FOR SUCH SUCH AN EVENT.
AND MATTER OF FACT, I'LL BE AT SUNNYSIDE TONIGHT.
THERE'S ONE, THERE'S AN EVENT THERE TONIGHT.
AND THEN WE WILL BE THERE, I GUESS IN A COUPLE WEEKS.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS'S OFFICE.
AND, UH, MR. DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, TOUR.
I THINK IT WAS THE END OF LAST MONTH.
IT WAS REALLY NICE IN YOUR THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
MY QUESTION IS, 'CAUSE COUNCIL MEMBER BELIEVES IN CO UM, COLLABORATION, HOW MUCH COLLABORATION, IF ANY, DO YOU HAVE WITH HARRIS COUNTY? I MEAN, QUITE, QUITE OFTEN.
UH, SO I WOULD SAY, UM, ESPECIALLY, UH, POLICE, SO, UH, FIRE MARSHAL'S, OFFICE, HFD, THEY'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
THEY WORK SPECIAL EVENTS TOGETHER.
THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER ALL THE TIME.
I COORDINATE WITH MY COUNTERPART AT THE COUNTY, MARK SLOAN AT LEAST TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK, IF NOT DAILY.
WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING, UH, WITH THEM.
UM, SO I, I THINK OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY'S STRONG, UM, I THINK ALL PARTNERSHIPS COULD BE BETTER AND STRONGER OF COURSE, BUT I THINK THAT WE, WHEN IT COMES TO SERVING THE RESIDENTS, I THINK THAT ALL OF US WORK VERY WELL TOGETHER.
STAFF FOR MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX SAT'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU, UM, DIRECTOR FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU, UM, ON BEHALF OF MAYOR PRO TEM FOR BEING SO RESPONSIVE.
UM, WHEN WE CONTACT THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR PRESENTATIONS IN OUR DISTRICT.
UM, YOU RECENTLY DID, UM, AN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PRESENTATION AT THE SOUTHWEST, UM, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, STATION.
UM, AND ALSO IN, IN LOOKING AT THE OEM WEBSITE, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WEBSITE, UM, THERE IS A, A TAB TO REQUEST FROM MATERIALS AND PRESENTATIONS AS SUCH.
AND, AND IN THOSE MATERIALS IS THE STEER, IS THAT INFORMATION INCLUDED? SO YES, MA'AM.
AND THEN ALSO IN ALL THE, ON MY SLIDE DECK, I HAD A QR CODE THAT WAS IN PROBABLY TWO THIRDS OF THOSE SLIDES.
THAT QR CODE WILL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO A SPLASH PAGE THAT HAS 10 OR 12 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ALL RIGHT THERE, JUST STRAIGHT OFF THAT QR CODE.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UM, US AND ALSO OUR, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, ORGANIZATIONS TO VISIT THE WEBPAGE AND ALSO GET THAT INFORMATION TO SPREAD THE WORD SO THAT PLEASE, MORE HOUSTONIANS CAN SIGN UP FOR THE ALERTS.
I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE APPRECIATE IT AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, WHICH WILL BE, UM, CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON TO PROVIDE US AN OVERVIEW MORNING ALSO.
AND I ALSO GET VERY ANIMATED AND I CAN TALK ABOUT CRIME STOPPERS ALL DAY LONG.
SO YOU MAY NEED TO THROW SOMETHING AT ME TO TELL ME TO HUSH UP.
SO, UM, WE WILL DEFINITELY TRY TO GO AS QUICK AS WE CAN TO SAVE AS MUCH TIME AS WE CAN.
UM, WE CAN JUST SCROLL ON TO LIKE THE TITLE SLIDES.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS GOING TO BE OUR, SOME OF OUR SPONSORS, UM, HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA, OUR GENERAL OPERATING SPONSORS, WE COULDN'T DO WITH THE WORK THAT WE DO WITHOUT THEM.
I AM THE COO OF CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON.
I'M OUR SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS, AND I'VE BEEN THERE SINCE 2018.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO WE ARE.
UM, OUR MISSION IS TO SOLVE AND PREVENT CRIME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE MEDIA AND THE CITIZENS AND OUR AREA AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
THIS, THESE ARE GONNA GO REAL QUICK.
FOUNDED IN 1976 IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO.
UM, CAME HERE TO HOUSTON IN 1980.
[00:35:01]
JUST A TIP LINE.THE THOUGHT OF THE MISSION BACK THEN WAS THAT A CRIME SOLVED IS A CRIME PREVENTED BECAUSE THAT SUSPECT IS NO LONGER ON THE STREETS TO COMMIT MORE CRIMES.
HOWEVER, WE'VE DISCOVERED THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE.
SO I'LL GET INTO THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.
IN 1997, WE LAUNCHED OUR SAFE SCHOOL PROGRAM, WHICH BROUGHT THE TIP LINE TO SCHOOL CAMPUSES.
AGAIN, JUST A TIP LINE, RECOGNIZING THAT STUDENTS ARE THE EYES AND EARS OF THEIR CAMPUSES AND THEY COULD TAKE A PROACTIVE ROLE IN KEEPING THEM SAFE.
UM, IN 2013, WE EXPANDED THAT PROGRAM TO INCLUDE PREVENTION, TALKING TO STUDENTS ABOUT THE TYPES OF CRIMES THAT THEY COULD BECOME A VICTIM OF.
CYBER SAFETY, TEEN DATING, VIOLENCE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
UM, WE HAVE A SESSION CALLED JUVENILE LAWS.
A LOT OF STUDENTS DON'T REALIZE THAT THEY CAN BE CHARGED WITH A CRIME AT 10 YEARS OLD.
WHEN THEY HEAR THAT, THEY START TO THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTLY.
HOPEFULLY PROVIDING SOME INTERVENTION FOR A STUDENT THAT'S POSSIBLY STARTING TO TEETER ON A LINE THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE ON.
IN 2017, WE BUILT THE FIRST EVER CRIME STOPPERS HEADQUARTERS, WHERE THE ONLY SITE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD THAT DOES THE PREVENTION WORK THAT WE DO AND HAS ITS OWN HEADQUARTERS, OF COURSE, NAMED AFTER OUR FAVORITE REPORTER, DAVE WARD.
UM, IN 2018, WE EXPANDED OUR SAFE SCHOOL PROGRAM TO REACH ACROSS THE STATE.
AS A RESULT OF THE SANTA FE SHOOTING, GOVERNOR ABBOTT ASKED US TO HELP TRAIN OTHER CRIME STOPPER SITES, HOW TO IMPLEMENT A SAFE SCHOOL PROGRAM LIKE OURS.
UM, IN 2018, WE BECAME THE FIRST AND ONLY CRIME STOPPER SITE THAT HAD A PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED FOR VICTIM SERVICES TO WALK THROUGH EVERY STAGE OF VICTIMIZATION WITH A VICTIM OF CRIME.
WE WALK THROUGH THE SOLVING PART, HELPING THEM GET CRIME STOPPERS INVOLVED IN THEIR CASE.
WE WALK THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS OR THE JUSTICE PROCESS ONCE THE SUSPECT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.
AND THEN AFTER THE SUSPECT IS SUCCESSFULLY PROSECUTED, WE WALK THROUGH THAT WITH THEM AS WELL.
UH, GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF THAT IN JUST A MOMENT AS WELL.
IN 2020, WE LAUNCHED OUR BALANCED VOICE PODCAST WITH OUR CEO RAN MAN CAROS, TALKING ABOUT ALL THINGS PUBLIC SAFETY OFFERING DIFFERENT SIDES AND DIFFERENT VIEWS.
DID I MISS SAVE? NO, YOU'RE HERE.
UM, IN 2022, WE LAUNCHED OUR GLENDA GORDY RESEARCH CENTER, WHICH SPECIFICALLY LOOKS AT CRIME DATA IN HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, CRIME DATA IS REPORTED DIFFERENTLY FROM AGENCY TO AGENCY, UM, DEPENDING ON WHEN THEY REPORT IT, WHAT ARE THEY REPORTING ON A CASE OR ARE THEY REPORTING ON A SUSPECT? SO OUR RESEARCH CENTER, UM, DISSECTS MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF LINES OF DATA EVERY SINGLE MONTH TO PROVIDE THIS.
UM, REALLY REMARKABLE, AT A GLANCE, UM, SNAPSHOT OF CRIME IN OUR AREA.
YOU CAN DRILL DOWN BY COURT, YOU CAN DRILL DOWN BY CRIME TYPE.
IN 2024, WE LAUNCHED OUR MILLION FOR MILLION CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS BASICALLY TRYING TO REACH 1 MILLION STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR CRIME PREVENTION AND, UM, EDUCATION.
SO OUR MISSION IN PROGRAMS WE HAVE ON THE CRIME SOLVING SIDE, WE HAVE THE TIP LINE, WHICH EVERYONE KNOWS MY PHONE NUMBER.
DOES ANYONE NOT KNOW MY PHONE NUMBER? SEVEN ONE THREE TWO TWO TWO TIPS.
AND OUR VICTIM ADVOCACY ADVOCACY PROGRAM.
ON THE CRIME PREVENTION SIDE, WE HAVE OUR SAFE COMMUNITY INSTITUTE.
WE HAVE OUR SAFE SCHOOL PROGRAM, THE SAFE COMMUNITY INSTITUTE HOUSES, THE BALANCED VOICE PODCAST, VICTIM ADVOCACY PROGRAM, AND THE GLENDA GORDY RESEARCH CENTER.
THE SAFE SCHOOL PROGRAM HOUSES OUR, UM, SAFE SCHOOL INSTITUTE, WHICH DOES THE EXPANSION ACROSS THE STATE.
OUR TEAM, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART BECAUSE YOU ALL PLAY A VERY VITAL ROLE IN THIS.
WE HAVE A BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OF COURSE, IT'S WELL OVER 30 NOW, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE 30 BOSSES.
SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE TAXING, BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT'S REALLY GOOD.
UM, ON THE NONPROFIT SIDE, WE HAVE 29 PEOPLE ON OUR NONPROFIT TEAM.
MOST OTHER SITES IS LIKE A ONE OR TWO MAN SHOP.
UH, ONE PERSON THAT DOES THE TIP LINE PART.
AND THEN ANOTHER PERSON, WHICH IS USUALLY A BOARD MEMBER THAT GOES OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TALKS ABOUT CRIME STOPPERS.
UM, WE FORTUNATELY HAVE 29 PEOPLE, MOST OF WHICH ARE OUR PROGRAMS TEAM THAT GOES OUT INTO SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES, EDUCATING, UM, THE COMMUNITY ABOUT CRIMES OF OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY COULD BECOME A VICTIM OF, UM, OUR LAW.
OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT TEAM, THIS IS WHERE YOU ALL COME
[00:40:01]
IN.WE HAVE 11 OF PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO US.
UM, THEY, UM, OVERSEE OUR TIP LINE OPERATIONS.
SO WE ARE VERY, VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH HPD, PASADENA PD, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND METRO PD.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE A HOST OF HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS.
UM, WE HAVE OVER 312 COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE LIKE TO EXPAND THAT AS OFTEN AS WE CAN.
IT GOES EVERYTHING FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO MEDIA PARTNERS, AS WELL AS OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE PARTNER WITH, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE NOT ALWAYS 100% THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT.
SO WE WILL BRING THEM IN TO HELP US PUSH THE PREVENTION INFORMATION OUT.
OUR HEADQUARTERS, UM, IF YOU DIVIDED OUR MISSION IN HALF, THE FIRST FLOOR REPRESENTS IT PERFECTLY.
ONE SIDE OF THE FLOOR IS OUR COMMUNITY ROOM, WHICH IS WHERE WE HOST PREVENTION PROGRAMMING THAT WE PARTICULARLY PUT ON THE OTHER SIDE IS THE SOLVING SIDE.
WE HAVE A VICTIM SERVICES ROOM WHERE WE PREP FAMILIES FOR PRESS CONFERENCES.
THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ROOM, ESPECIALLY TO ME.
UM, MOST OF THE TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE GETTING PREPPED FOR PRESS CONFERENCE, IT'S BECAUSE THE WORST OF THE WORST HAS HAPPENED TO THEIR FAMILY.
WE WANT THEM TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN A NICE NEUTRAL SPACE.
IT'S SET UP LIKE A LIVING ROOM.
UM, AND IT JUST, I GET GOOSEBUMPS WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US THAT THE VICTIM FEELS COMFORTABLE WHEN THEY'RE ABOUT TO GO OUT AND LAY THEMSELVES BARE, ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC'S HELP IN A CASE.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR PRESS ROOM.
OUR HEADQUARTERS AT THE DAVE WARD BUILDING IS ALSO HOME TO THE HARRIS COUNTY FALLEN DEPUTIES MEMORIAL.
WE HOST A MEMORIAL SERVICE EVERY SINGLE YEAR DURING POLICE WEEK AT THIS, AT THIS LOCATION TO HONOR THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT HAVE PASSED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
OUR PROGRAMS, I'M GONNA LET SYDNEY TAKE OVER THAT PART.
SO FOR THE MOST PART, NEXT SLIDE.
WHEN WE ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, I FORGOT TIP LINE.
FORGOT TIP LINE, TIP LINE, TIP LINE.
100% ANONYMOUS 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
WE FIELD ABOUT 2,500 CALLS PER MONTH, AND WE RECEIVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TIPS EVERY MONTH.
UM, THEY'RE COMMUNITY TIPS OR ADULT TIPS AND CAMPUS-BASED TIPS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S STAFFED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION THAT I DON'T, PLUS I'M A NOSY ROSY.
SO IF SOMEBODY SAYS, HEY, NICOLE KNOCKED OVER THE LIQUOR STORE, I'M GONNA BE LIKE, REALLY? HOW DO YOU KNOW
UM, THERE'S THREE WAYS TO REPORT.
ALL THREE WAYS ARE 100% ANONYMOUS.
UM, HOW DOES IT WORK? NEXT SLIDE.
WE WILL NEVER EVER ASK YOU FOR ANY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION, YOUR NAME, PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
NOT EASY TO GET A PHONE SYSTEM WITHOUT CALLER ID THESE DAYS.
NO ONE IS EVER GONNA KNOW THAT YOU CALLED CRIME STOPPERS UNLESS YOU YOURSELF TELL THEM NEXT SLIDE.
AND ALSO, WE HAVE NO WAY TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE A TIPSTER OR NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU CALL IN A TIP, YOU'RE GIVEN A CODE NUMBER THAT'S UNIQUE TO YOU.
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY YOU OR SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE TIP THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED.
UM, IF YOUR TIP, UM, WE WILL, WHEN WE GET YOUR TIP, WE WILL TELL YOU TO CALL BACK AT A SPECIFIC DATE AND TIME.
UM, JUST BECAUSE WE GET A TIP DOESN'T MEAN THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT'S GONNA COME OUT AND ARREST YOU RIGHT AWAY.
THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TO GRANT PROBABLE CAUSE.
IT IS JUST A LITTLE EXTRA INFORMATION TO GUIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN A DIRECTION.
UM, WE WILL TELL YOU TO CALL BACK FOR THE STATUS OF YOUR CASE.
AGAIN, WE CANNOT CALL YOU BACK BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE YOUR PHONE NUMBER.
WE COMMUNICATE WITH A TIPSTER THROUGH THE MOBILE APP AND WEBSITE, BUT WE CANNOT CALL THEM BACK.
UM, IF YOUR CASE, IF YOUR TIP WAS SUCCESSFUL AND RESULTED IN THE ARREST OR THE SOLVING OF A CASE, WE WILL OR RESULTED IN, UM, DISCIPLINARY ACTION IN CASE OF A SCHOOL CASE.
WE WILL GIVE YOU, UM, SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON A BANK HERE IN HOUSTON TO GO TO WITH SOME INFORMATION.
YOU GO TO THE BANK DRIVE THROUGH, YOU GIVE THE TELLER THIS INFORMATION THAT WE GIVE YOU, AND THEY GIVE YOU AN ENVELOPE WITH YOUR CASH IN IT.
IT'S ALL DONE WITH CODE NUMBERS.
THE ORIGINAL WAY THAT IT STARTED IN 1976 IS THE WAY WE STILL DO IT TODAY.
IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.
[00:45:01]
ARE UP TO $5,000.UM, THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE WE GET SUPPLEMENTAL REWARDS.
WERE SOMEONE FROM THE COMMUNITY WILL COME FORWARD AND SAY, HEY, I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THIS CASE, OR THIS CASE REALLY BOTHERED ME.
I WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE THE REWARD.
AND THAT'S WHEN YOU SEE WHERE OUR REWARDS ARE MORE THAN 5,000.
WE'VE SOLVED OVER 37,000 FELONY CASES.
THOSE OF THOSE 37,000, 60% OR MORE ARE VIOLENT IN NATURE.
SO THESE ARE NOT PETTY CRIMES.
WE DO NOT TAKE TIPS ON MISDEMEANORS UNLESS IT'S ANIMAL CRUELTY OR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UM, WE HAVE HELPED APPREHEND OVER 28,000 SUSPECTS, MEN, WOMEN AND JUVENILES THAT HAVE, UM, PARTICIPATED IN CRIME OVER, I'D SAY 90% OF OUR CASES HAVE ENDED IN SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION.
SO THESE ARE NOT JUST BOGUS TIPS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN SOMEBODY GETTING ARRESTED AND THEN A CASE GETTING DISMISSED.
AND WE HAVE PAID OVER 24,000 TIPSTER OVER $13 MILLION IN CASH REWARDS.
UM, THIS IS KIND OF A BREAKDOWN OF THE TYPES OF CASES THAT WE'VE SOLVED, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THEM, THEY ARE ALMOST ALL VICTIM CENTERED.
A VICTIM WAS INVOLVED IN ALMOST EVERY SINGLE CASE THAT WE HAVE HELPED SOLVE.
WE HAD A WOMAN THAT ADOPT, UM, TRIED TO SCAM AN ADOPTION AGENCY, PROVIDED A FAKE, UM, ULTRASOUND PICTURE AS THE DUE DATE WAS GETTING CLOSER.
UM, THEY FINALLY DID SOME RESEARCH ON THEIR OWN AND DISCOVERED THIS WAS A BOGUS ULTRASOUND.
UM, SHE REMAINED AT LARGE UNTIL WE GOT A TIP ON IT.
SHE LATER ACCEPTED A PLEA DEAL AND WAS SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN A STATE JAIL.
UM, WE HAD ANOTHER ONE WHERE A CHOP SHOP WAS SHUT DOWN OVER A MILLION DOLLARS OR NEARLY A MILLION DOLLARS IN STOLEN VEHICLES AND CAR PARTS WERE, UM, RECOVERED AS A RESULT OF THIS TIP.
AND THEN THIS ONE WAS A MOM WHO TRIED TO SELL HER NEWBORN ON FACEBOOK.
IT WAS NOT FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE.
IT WAS AN ADOPTION, UM, PAGE FOR PROSPECTIVE PARENTS.
SHE HAD, UM, WAS BASICALLY TRYING TO SELL HER BABY FOR $150.
UM, SHE REMAINED AT LARGE ALSO UNTIL WE GOT A TIP THAT HELPED, UM, GET HER ARRESTED.
UM, MASS SHOOTING THWARTED AT A LOCAL UNIVERSITY NOT FAR FROM THIS LOCATION.
UM, ONE STUDENT HAD SEEN SOME INFORMATION THAT ANOTHER STUDENT WAS POSTING AND MAKING NOTES ON OF SOME VERY, VERY DISTURBING THINGS THAT HE WANTED TO DO, AS WELL AS ACTIONS THAT HE WANTED TO CARRY OUT.
AS A RESULT OF THAT TIP, THAT STUDENT RECEIVED SOME EXTREMELY IMPORTANT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT HE MIGHT NOT HAVE OTHERWISE RECEIVED.
SO, UH, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS END NECESSARILY IN A RESULT OF, OF A PRISON SENTENCE OR JAIL, BUT SOMETIMES IT IS THAT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE THAT'S DESPERATELY, DESPERATELY NEEDED.
UM, OUR SAFE SCHOOL INSTITUTE.
UM, I'M GONNA LET SYDNEY TAKE OVER ON THIS PART.
SO FOR MANY YEARS, HOUSTONIANS NEW CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON AS A TIP LINE.
SO I'M, IT'S PERFECT THAT YOU COVERED TIP LINE FIRST.
IT'S LIKE, WE PLANNED THIS RIGHT? UM, AND THEN IN 2013 WHEN WE EXPANDED AND INTO PREVENTION EDUCATION, WE REALLY TOOK A LENS OF HOW DO WE EDUCATE AND EMPOWER HOUSTONIANS PRE-K ALL THE WAY THROUGH SENIOR CITIZENS.
SO WE TALK STARTING AT ABOUT AGE FOUR ALL THE WAY UNTIL OUR SENIOR POPULATIONS.
AND I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU GUYS ARE ASKING ABOUT THAT.
UM, OUR SCHOOL PROGRAM, THE EASIEST WAY TO THINK ABOUT WHO IS EDUCATED WHERE AND WHAT PROGRAM FALLS INTO WHAT CATEGORY, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT, IS ANYONE, UM, IN HIGH SCHOOL OR BELOW, IS EDUCATED IN SERVICE THROUGH OUR SAFE SCHOOL INSTITUTE.
UM, AS NICOLE SAID, WE HAVE A LOCAL SAFE SCHOOL INSTITUTE THAT HAS, UM, WE, WE REACH ROUGHLY 125,000 STUDENTS IN A YEAR AT LOCAL HOUSTON SCHOOLS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A, A REPLICATED PROGRAM ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH STAFF IN AUSTIN, DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO, AND HERE IN HOUSTON.
TOGETHER THEY EDUCATE ROUGHLY 250,000 STUDENTS IN A YEAR ON SUBJECTS LIKE CYBER SAFETY, MENTAL HEALTH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE, UM, RELATIONAL HEALTH, ANYTHING THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING IN A SCHOOL SETTING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO EDUCATING SCHOOL STAFF AND SCHOOL-BASED LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, OF COURSE WE STILL TALK ABOUT OUR TIP LINES STARTING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, TEACHING OUR STUDENTS HOW YOU REPORT SOMETHING.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING, PLEASE SPEAK UP.
UM, OUR MILLION FOR MILLION CAMPAIGN THAT NICOLE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THAT WE LAUNCHED IN
[00:50:01]
2024 AND REALLY HAS BEEN A MAJOR FOCUS FOR US THIS YEAR, UM, IS SURROUNDING, UM, RE EDUCATING A MILLION STUDENTS.THE WAY THAT WE HAVE BROKEN THAT DOWN IS THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO EDUCATING 250,000 STUDENTS FACE TO FACE IN PERSON IN CLASSROOM AND ASSEMBLY TYPE SETTINGS.
AND THEN THE OTHER 750,000 IN THE DIGITAL SPACE.
AND WE HAVE WELL SURPASSED BOTH OF THOSE FOR THE YEAR.
UM, HERE ARE SOME OF OUR SAFE SCHOOL KIND OF SUBJECTS THAT WE COVER AND, AND CONTENT THAT WE COVER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN A TRUSTED ORGANIZATION, UM, SINCE 1997 IN THE SCHOOLS AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW.
SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE SUBJECTS THAT WE HAVE, BUT I, I'VE COVERED MANY OF THEM.
AND I'LL SAY A BIG BULK OF WHAT WE'RE ASKED TO TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS ONLINE SAFETY.
IT'S A HUGE SUBJECT FOR US AND WE HAVE MANY DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT WE TALK ABOUT.
EVEN THINGS LIKE DEEPFAKES AND AI SCAMS, AND WE ARE ADAPTING ALL THE TIME.
WE HAVE NEW RESOURCES THIS YEAR FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT AI.
UM, WE, WE REALLY FOCUS ON PARTNERSHIP IN OUR PROGRAMS, UM, FOR SCHOOLS.
MANY YEARS AGO, JETBLUE ACTUALLY APPROACHED US AND ASKED US FOR OUR INPUT AND OUR INSIGHT AS SCHOOL SAFETY EXPERTS ON AN ACTIVE SHOOTER PRESENTATION.
YES, JETBLUE, THE AIRLINE COMPANY,
WE'D LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU ON IT.
AND AT THAT POINT, THEY TRAINED OUR STAFF ON HOW TO FACILITATE THEIR PRESENTATION THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, CELEBRITIES IN IT AND REALLY IS, IS CAPTURED THAT SUBJECT IN A WAY THAT'S MEANINGFUL TO BOTH PARENTS AND STUDENTS.
AND SO NOW OUR STAFF WITH THEIR BLESSING GOES OUT AND EDUCATES WITH THAT CURRICULUM.
UM, THE SAME THING IS TRUE WITH OUR BE NICE CURRICULUM.
OUR BE NICE IS OUR MENTAL HEALTH CURRICULUM.
UM, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION OF WEST MICHIGAN.
UM, THEY CREATED THIS REALLY GREAT ACRONYM TO KIND OF HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND MENTAL HEALTH FROM A BASELINE NOTICE, EMPOWER CHALLENGE, SORRY, NOTICE, INVITE, CHALLENGE, AND EMPOWER.
UM, AND IT REALLY RESONATES WITH OUR STUDENTS.
AND THEN OUR DAVID'S LEGACY FOUNDATION IS A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE PARTNER WITH A FAMILY OUT OF SAN ANTONIO WHO LOST A TEENAGER TO, UM, SUICIDE AFTER SEVERE CYBER BULLYING.
THEY'VE HELPED CHANGE LAWS IN TEXAS.
AND SO WE PARTNER WITH THEM FOR OUR BULLYING AND CYBER, SOME OF OUR CYBER BULLYING EDUCATION.
UM, WE NOW OFFER QUARTERLY STATEWIDE TRAININGS TO, TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON HOW TO REPLICATE OUR PROGRAM ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, AND THEN OUR SAFE COMMUNITY INSTITUTE IS OUR ADULT EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.
UM, WE HAVE FOUR MAJOR PROGRAMS THAT ARE INCLUDED, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A NEW ONE THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT YET.
BUT I SEE MANY FACES WHO HAVE HELPED SUPPORT THAT PROGRAM.
IT'S OUR NEEDS PROGRAM AND IT, IT IS A PROGRAM THAT IS DEDICATED TO HELPING THE NEURODIVERSE COMMUNITY, UM, EMPOWERING THE FAMILIES AND PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR THEM.
SO ASIDE FROM THAT, OUR OTHER FOUR MAJOR PROGRAMS ARE SAFE COMMUNITY PROGRAM, THAT'S OUTREACH AND EDUCATION FOR ADULTS.
AND MANY OF YOU ENGAGE WITH US IN OUR SAFE COMMUNITY PROGRAM.
I'M SEEING MANY OF YOUR OFFICES THAT WE ARE EITHER CURRENTLY WORKING ON, UM, EVENTS WITH OR WE HAVE IN THE PAST.
UM, AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
YOU GUYS PLAY SUCH A HUGE ROLE IN ENSURING THAT OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT CRIME STOPPERS HAS MUCH MORE TO OFFER OUTSIDE OF THE TIP LINE AND EVEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TIP LINE.
UM, IN SAFE COMMUNITY, WE COVER VERY SIMILAR PROGRAMS LIKE WE DO IN SCHOOLS.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, ANIMAL SAFETY, SAFETY AND ABUSE.
MM-HMM
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR VICTIM SERVICES PROGRAM.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR WHO, WHO ATTEND EVERY YEAR OUR MAJOR VICTIM SERVICES EVENTS.
WE HAVE TWO THAT ARE UPCOMING.
ONE IS OUR NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE EVENT WHERE WE REALLY HONOR THE LIVES.
LOST THIS CALENDAR YEAR OVER THE PAST YEAR, UM, TO HOMICIDE.
AND THEN IN DECEMBER WE HOST AN ANNUAL TREE CEREMONY WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES AT ANY TIME CAN COME AND PUT AN ORNAMENT ON ONE OF OUR FIVE TREES, UM, TO REMEMBER THEIR LOVED ONE.
YEAH, WE HAVE FIVE TREES THERE UM, BUT IN VICTIM SERVICES, WE DO, WE HELP VICTIMS FROM THE MOMENT OF VICTIMIZATION ALL THE WAY THROUGH POST-CONVICTION.
AND SOMETHING THAT WE'VE REALLY FOCUSED ON OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS IS OUR POST-CONVICTION EFFORTS.
UM, IT IS A AREA IN VICTIM SERVICES THAT IS LACKING AND THAT REALLY NEEDS SOME ASSISTANCE.
WE HAVE KIND OF CREATED PROGRAMS AND EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE AFTER SENTENCING O OCCURS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE OFTEN JUST KIND OF LOST AT THAT POINT.
WE SERVICE A LOT OF SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS OF HOMICIDE, BUT ALSO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, CHILD ABUSE,
[00:55:01]
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE, UM, AND ARE VERY PURPOSEFUL IN THE WAY THAT WE HELP THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERE TRAUMA.UM, THEN WE HAVE OUR BALANCED VOICE PODCAST IN ENGLISH.
IT WAS LAUNCHED IN 2020, BUT WE ALSO LAUNCHED OUR SPANISH PODCAST THIS YEAR.
WE'RE SO GLAD TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A GREAT DIGITAL WAY FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF OUR NATION'S MOST PRESSING PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES.
AND REALLY, WE TRY TO FOCUS ON LARGE SCALE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES THERE.
AND WE BRING ON EXPERTS AND GUESTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE, UM, OUR CEO ON OUR ENGLISH SIDE, ALONG WITH ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, AND THEN, UM, A LONGTIME SUPPORTER AND PREVIOUS BOARD MEMBER.
AND, UM, A LOCAL MEDIA ICON AS OUR SPANISH HOST.
AND SO WE COVER ALL KINDS OF SUBJECTS.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK IT OUT.
WE'RE ON APPLE PODCAST, SPOTIFY, YOUTUBE PODCAST, FACEBOOK.
IT'S A GREAT WAY TO KNOW KIND OF WHAT ARE THE MOST PRESSING THINGS THAT ARE OCCURRING RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN, UM, OUR FINAL PROGRAM WITHIN OUR INSTITUTE IS OUR GLENDA GORDY RESEARCH CENTER.
AND AS NICOLE SAID, THE MISSION BEHIND THAT IS TO PROVIDE EASY TO ACCESS DATA THAT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE DATA CAN BE QUITE CONFUSING, AND THAT'S THE ENTIRE HEART BEHIND THAT PROGRAM.
UM, THIS YEAR THEY REVAMPED THEIR ENTIRE WEBSITE TO MAKE IT MUCH MORE INTERACTIVE, EYE CATCHING, EASY FOR YOU TO MANIPULATE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT CATEGORIES TO SEE WHAT YOU WANT.
AND THEN ALSO WE'VE, WE PROVIDE DATA AS ASKED, UM, BY MANY OF YOU.
IN FACT, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS'S OFFICE OFTEN ASKS US FOR DATA, AND WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THEM, UM, FOR YOUNG ADULTS AND JUVENILES TO REALLY SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND MAKE SOME INFORMED DECISIONS THERE.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE PROVIDE OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITY PROGRAM.
WE DO IN-PERSON PRESENTATIONS.
WE HAVE DIGITAL SERIES, LIKE VIDEO, YOUTUBE SERIES.
WE HAVE, UM, WE ATTEND OUTREACH EVENTS WHERE WE GO AND SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE HAVE CHILD ID KITS, WHICH I THINK ARE SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE.
IT'S A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN FILL OUT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD, BUT WE ALSO USE THEM FOR THE ELDERLY AS WELL, SO THAT SHOULD ANYTHING HAPPEN TO THEM AND THEY GO MISSING, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO BEGIN THAT INVESTIGATION.
HERE'S SOME OF THE SUBJECTS THAT WE PROVIDE.
AGAIN, VERY SIMILAR TO THE THINGS THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN THE SCHOOL SETTING.
UM, WE ALSO PROVIDE COMMUNITY-BASED ACTIVE SHOOTERS.
SOMETHING THAT WE NOTICED, UM, SEVERAL YEARS AGO IS THAT THERE ARE A FEW OCCASIONS WHERE ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENTS WERE HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE STUDENTS, THE KIDS WOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT THE PARENTS WOULD PANIC AND, AND NOT KNOW, AND, AND ADULTS WOULDN'T KNOW, AND THE STUDENTS WOULD BE KIND OF DRAGGING THE PARENTS ALONG.
SO WE SAW A NEED TO TRANSFORM OUR ACTIVE SHOOTER EDUCATION TO A COMMUNITY BASED SETTING AND PROVIDE THAT 'CAUSE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN.
UM, THIS IMAGE RIGHT HERE IS A, STILL FROM A REALLY IMPACTFUL PROJECT THAT WE STARTED THAT'S REALLY PRECEDENT SETTING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE PARTNERED WITH THE PAROLE BOARD TO FIND A WAY FOR VICTIMS' VOICES TO BE PRESERVED IN THE PAROLE PROCESS FOREVER.
UM, WE WERE SEEING A LOT OF OUR VICTIMS WERE AGING.
UM, WE NOTICED HOW RE-TRAUMATIZING IT IS FOR A, A VICTIM TO MEET WITH A PAROLE BOARD MEMBER, WHICH THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO ANYTIME THEIR OFFENDER IS ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE.
AND WE SAID, HOW DO WE KEEP THEM FROM HAVING TO DO THAT ALL THE TIME? AND ALSO, IF THEY'RE GOING TO PASS BEFORE THEIR OFFENDER IS ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THEY'RE STILL HEARD? WE CREATED THE VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT VIDEO PROJECT WHERE WE RECORD, WE HAVE THEM COME TO THAT VICTIM SERVICES ROOM THAT NICOLE WAS TALKING ABOUT, A VERY CALM, UM, PEACEFUL TYPE SETTING.
UM, AND WE ASK THEM A, A SERIES OF QUESTIONS AND HELP THEM KIND OF RETELL THEIR STORY AND SAY WHAT THEY WANNA SAY TO THE PAROLE BOARD.
WE THEN SUBMIT IT TO THE PAROLE BOARD AND ENSURE THAT IT IS SEEN EVERY TIME THEIR OFFENDER IS ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE.
WE'VE NOW RECORDED OVER 50 OF THOSE VIDEOS, UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSION WITH SEVERAL OF YOU AND, AND ALSO WITH THE DA'S OFFICE ON HOW TO ENSURE THAT MORE VICTIMS IN HOUSTON AND ACROSS TEXAS KNOW ABOUT THAT PROGRAM AND HAVE THE CORRECT LINK TO APPLY TO BE PART OF THAT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN, IN THE LEGISLATURE OVER THE YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY LOOK AT LEGISLATIVE BILLS THAT ARE VICTIM CENTERED.
UM, WE'VE WORKED IN SUPPORTED THINGS THAT ARE RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
WE'VE WORKED IN SUPPORTED THINGS THAT ARE RELATED TO CAMP SAFETY, WHICH IS A VERY RELEVANT TOPIC RIGHT NOW.
SO WE TRACK PUBLIC SAFETY BILLS.
WE INFORM IT'S A LOT, YOU'LL KEEP HEARING ME SAY, INFORM AND EMPOWER EVERY LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WE HAVE A PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE THAT HAS
[01:00:01]
ANYTHING THAT IS RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY LISTED AS A BILL TO WATCH.AND THEN WE EVEN HAVE VIDEOS ON WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
WHAT IT IS IF YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT AND YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED, HOW TO BE INVOLVED.
THIS IS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESEARCH CENTER.
AND FINALLY, HERE ARE SOME OF OUR GUESTS THAT WE'VE HAD ON THE BALANCED VOICE.
UM, I WILL SAY WE'VE BEEN WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS BY THE COMMUNITY AND BY SOME REALLY LEGENDARY TEXANS THAT HELPED US KIND OF GET OUR NAME OUT THERE.
IN ONE OF OUR VERY FIRST SEASONS, WE HAD MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY ON.
AND ALTHOUGH HE TALKED ABOUT YOUTH EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT, IT REALLY GAVE US A PLATFORM TO SPEAK ON OUR LARGER SCALE.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST THIS YEAR ALONE, WE'VE, WE'VE REACHED OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE WITH EDUCATION THROUGH THAT PROGRAM ALONE.
UM, OUR NEEDS PROGRAM, LIKE I SAID, IS OUR, IS OUR PROGRAM DEDICATED TO THE NEURODIVERGENT COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS OFFICE HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT PROGRAM AND HELPING US GET INFORMATION OUT ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENCES IN THE AUTISM COMMUNITY, THE NEURODIVERSE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH HPD, WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WITH, UM, MULTIPLE OF OUR CONSTABLES OFFICES TO TRAIN ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN SOMEONE IS LIVING WITH AUTISM, AND THE CHANGES AND THE DIFFERENCES THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IN BEHAVIOR TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE CARED FOR IN THE BEST WAY IF THEY EVER HAVE CONTACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND WE HAVE TWO UPCOMING EVENTS, UH, TWO LUNCH AND LEARNS UPCOMING, WHERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND ALSO LEARN ABOUT SUBJECTS LIKE, UM, AUTISM WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, AUTISM IN THE SCHOOL SETTING.
AND SO, UM, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE.
ANYONE CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, CRIME SHOPPERS.ORG, AND WE HAVE A BIG EVENTS CALENDAR AND YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT THERE.
UM, WE CAN'T DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT VOLUNTEERS.
WE REACH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL ANYTIME IS ANYTIME ANYONE IS COMING TO VOLUNTEER WITH US, AND MANY OF YOU HAVE, UM, PEOPLE LIKE TO COME AND COMPILE THOSE CHILD ID KITS.
IT'S MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT GO TOGETHER TO MAKE THOSE CHILD ID KITS.
SOMETHING THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS DID THIS PAST WEEK IS HELP US WITH OUR FLOOD RELIEF DRIVE, WHERE WE, UM, SOLICITED FUNDS, NOT FUNDS, ITEMS, ITEMS, UM, TO GIVE TO THE, THE FLOOD VICTIMS. AND WE HAVE AN ENTIRE 18 WHEELER.
IT'S SEMI-TRUCK, FULL, FULL OF SUPPLIES.
AND WE COULDN'T DO THAT WITHOUT OUR, OUR VOLUNTEERS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GIVE BACK AND ENGAGE.
UM, AS WE KNOW, COVID PUSHED US ALL ONLINE.
SO DURING COVD, WE REALLY EXPANDED OUR VIRTUAL REACH OPTIONS.
WE HAVE PRETTY MUCH ANY PUBLIC SAFETY SUBJECT THAT YOU CAN THINK OF THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN.
WE HAVE DIGITAL EDUCATION FOR THAT.
NOT ONLY DO WE DO LIVE, UH, TRAININGS WHERE YOU CAN JOIN US ON FACEBOOK OR ON OUR ZOOM MM-HMM
LINKS THAT WE PUT OUT EACH WEEK, ONE ON MONDAY, ONE ON TUESDAY, BUT ALSO ALL THAT'S ARCHIVED.
SO COMMUNITY MEMBERS OFTEN SAY, HEY, I NEED INFORMATION ABOUT RELATIONAL SAFETY.
AND WE CAN SEND THEM A DIRECT LINK TO THAT EDUCATION.
WE HAVE AN ENTIRE RESOURCE CENTER THAT WAS REDONE IN 2024 TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE USER FRIENDLY FOR YOU.
THAT COVERS EVERY SUBJECT AND MORE THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.
UM, AND IT PROVIDES DIFFERENT FORMS OF EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS, FOR PARENTS, FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OR THE ELDERLY.
UM, WE HAVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF COLLATERAL THAT YOU CAN SEE THERE.
YOU CAN FIND THE RELEVANT PODCAST EPISODES TO THAT SUBJECT.
YOU CAN FIND SPECIFIC TRAININGS.
YOU CAN FIND SHORT VIDEOS IF A SHORT VIDEOS IS MORE OF YOUR PREFERENCE.
UM, AND SO IF YOU NEED SOMETHING OR YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH SOMETHING, OF COURSE REACH OUT TO US.
BUT ALSO YOU CAN FIND ALL KINDS OF FREE RESOURCES ON OUR WEBSITE.
EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS FREE.
IT'S WHAT MAKES US, I THINK, THE MOST POWERFUL AND THE MOST UNIQUE IS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE DESERVES ACCESS TO SAFETY AND TO PUBLIC SAFETY EDUCATION.
THIS IS A, A LOOK AT OUR NEW RESOURCE CENTER.
UM, AND YOU CAN FIND EVERY RESOURCE THAT WE PROVIDE BY SCANNING THIS QR CODE OR BY GOING TO A RESOURCE CENTER.
SO, UM, IF YOU'D LIKE TO DOWNLOAD IT YOURSELF, YOU'RE WELCOME TO.
SOMETIMES YOU GUYS REACH OUT TO US AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC RESOURCE.
THIS IS OUR VICTIM RESOURCE GUIDE.
IT TALKS ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THE MOMENT OF VICTIM VICTIMIZATION THROUGH POST-CONVICTION.
UM, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO DELIVER THEM TO YOU OR PREPARE THEM FOR YOU TO COME PICK UP.
THESE ARE REALLY HANDY RESOURCE.
WE HAVE THEM IN A SMALL VERSION, IF YOU
[01:05:01]
PREFER A POCKET VERSION AND A LITTLE BIT LARGER VERSION IF YOUR EYES ARE GETTING BAD, LIKE MINE.UM, THAT'S EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND TO EMPOWER THEM AND KEEP THEM AWARE, TO EDUCATE THEM, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE CAN MAKE THE BEST INFORMED DECISIONS.
I ACTUALLY LOVE THAT WE FOLLOW THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT YEAH.
TEAM, BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF ALL TOGETHER IN THIS.
SO, UM, WE, WE, UM, ALSO CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION TO YOU FOR YOUR SPECIFIC DISTRICT MM-HMM
UM, HOW MANY CASES WE HAVE SOLVED, HOW MANY SUSPECTS ARRESTED, UM, AT ADDRESSES IN YOUR, IN YOUR DISTRICT, AS WELL AS EDUCATION THAT WE'VE PROVIDED IN YOUR DISTRICT.
WE ALSO HAVE ONLINE, UM, EMAILS THAT WE SEND OUT.
I COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER MM-HMM
UM, SHARES IT ON HER NEWSLETTER AS WELL.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE THAT MONTHLY EMAIL THAT GIVES WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR MONTH, WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO INCLUDE YOU ON THAT EMAIL SO THAT YOU CAN THEN PUSH THAT OUT TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS NOT TO FRIGHTEN THE COMMUNITY BY ANY MEANS, BUT TO EMPOWER THEM TO TAKE THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.
'CAUSE AN INFORMED COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE A SAFER COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ALSO HAPPY TO TAILOR INFORMATION.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO FOR COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER'S OFFICE, IS WE TAILOR, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE THINK WOULD BE MOST RELEVANT TO SEND OUT IN A NEWSLETTER.
OUR NEWSLETTER, UM, HAS SO MUCH INFORMATION.
SO SOMETIMES YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC NEED IN YOUR SPECIFIC COMMUNITY THAT IS RELEVANT TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TAILOR THAT FOR YOU AS WELL.
I THINK WE'RE CLOSE TO THE END.
UM, WE HAVE A NEW PROGRAM CALLED SAFE TEXT.
YOU CAN SCAN THIS QR CODE AND THEN YOU OPT INTO A TEXT.
YOU CAN TYPE IN A SPECIFIC, UM, PHRASE, CYBER SAFETY FOR STUDENTS, AND YOU'LL RECEIVE A TEXT BACK WITH THOSE RESOURCES.
AND IT'S, IT'S AN EXTREMELY LONG LIST OF RESOURCES, BUT IT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY TO GET ALL OF THOSE SAME RESOURCES BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE TRYING EVERY SINGLE WAY WE CAN TEXT, VIDEO, YOU, I MEAN HALF MOUTH.
WE WANT, WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE SAFE AND TAKE THIS INFORMATION, UM, AND SHARE IT.
SAFE TEXT COVERS OVER A HUNDRED RESOURCES.
SO IF THERE'S A SUBJECT THAT YOU NEED, YOU CAN SIMPLY TEXT CYBER OR HUMAN TRAFFICKING OR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND IT WILL GIVE YOU EVERY RESOURCE THAT IS RELEVANT TO THAT SPECIFIC PHRASE.
SO THAT'S THE END OF OUR SHOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
FIRST IS COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER FLICKINGER.
JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO VIC VICTIM ADVOCACY.
UH, I DON'T THINK NEARLY AS MUCH FOCUS IS SPENT ON THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY THE VICTIMS OF THE CRIME.
UM, I TOO WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
AS YOU WERE SITTING HERE TALKING, I WAS THINKING ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE I HAD OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS, UM, CRIME STOPPER HELPING A VICTIM, UM, WHO WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, UM, WAS SHOT AND NEEDED SOME ASSISTANCE.
AND YOU GUYS HELP WITH MEDICAL BILLS AND JUST CONNECTED THEM WITH TO ALL DIFFERENT RESOURCES.
AND SO, UM, WE HEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CRIME AND MM-HMM.
AND VICTIMS, BUT NOT LITERALLY VICTIMS THAT'S IN THE HOSPITAL.
WAS THAT SIR ROMEO? HUH? WAS THAT SIR ROMEO? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
BUT I GOT A CHANCE TO WITNESS YOU GUYS IN ACTION AND SO JUST ANYTHING THAT MY OFFICE CAN DO, WE CAN COLLABORATE.
AND LITTLE THANK YOU, YOU KNOW, WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS.
STAFF FROM MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU FOR THE VERY DETAILED AND INFORMATIVE, UM, PRESENTATION.
AND ALSO I ECHO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER INGER AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON STATED.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK, UM, ON BEHALF OF, UM, MAYOR PROAM CASTEX TATUM.
UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
UM, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM DOES INVEST, YOU KNOW, IN ILLEGAL DUMPING SIGNS.
UM, BECAUSE ILLEGAL DUMPING IS LITERALLY ON THE INCREASE.
UM, AND WE WANT TO DETER TO HER THAT IT IS A CRIME AND IT LEADS TO MORE AND THOSE SIGNS, YOU KNOW, THE TIP SIGNS DO, DO HELP, UM, DETER THAT.
SO ON THAT NOTE, ARE THERE STATISTICS, UM, THAT STATE, UM, ANY ACTIVITY, UH, ANY TIP ACTIVITY FROM THOSE SIGNS IN YOUR DISTRICT? YES, YES.
WE CAN CERTAINLY PULL, I CAN PULL IT FOR SURE.
UM, WE HAVE HAD DEFINITELY HAD CASES BASED ON THOSE SIGNS.
SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO KNOW, WAS IT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF A SIGN?
[01:10:01]
UM, THE TIPSTER OFTEN DOESN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, I SAW THE ILLEGAL DUMPING SIGN AND I KNOW THIS HAPPENED.UM, BUT I CAN DEFINITELY LOOK TO FIND THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
AND WE CAN LOOK AT WHEN YOU STARTED OUTREACH.
'CAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY BEEN WORKING HARD IN THE OUTREACH SPACE FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING SIGNS FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH YOU ALL FOR THAT.
AND WE CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS HAPPENING BEFORE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AFTER.
WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO LINK IT DIRECTLY TO A SIGN, BUT WE CAN LOOK AT HOW, HOW IS YOUR OUTREACH KIND OF CORRELATED WITH WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR DISTRICT.
AND ANY, ANY UPDATES ON ANY OF THE CULPRITS BEING CAUGHT ARE PROSECUTED.
SO THAT'S ONE PART THAT WE, WE, UM, WE'RE LIMITED IN WHAT WE, WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, KNOW MM-HMM
UM, WE WILL ONLY PAY A TIP IF LAW ENFORCEMENT LETS US KNOW THAT IT RESULTED IN SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION, WHICH ALSO MEANS THAT THE DA HAS TO TAKE THE CHARGES.
SO IF THAT PART DOESN'T HAPPEN, THEN WE UNFORTUNATELY ARE NOT AWARE OF THE FULL OUTCOME.
SO IF THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND, UM, SHE'S ADAMANT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE PAYING, YOU KNOW, PAYING FOR THEIR CRIMES MM-HMM
AND BEING, YOU KNOW, JUSTICE BEING SERVED.
'CAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, CAUSING SUCH BLIGHT IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
BUT THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
AND WE HAVE SOME SAVE THE DATES.
YOU PROBABLY HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS FROM OUR OFFICE.
OUR GALA IS COMING UP IN OCTOBER, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU, I HAVE THE SAVE THE DATES HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE THEM.
UM, AND THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING.
UM, STAFF ROOM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND I HAVE WORKED SOME ON IDEAS, UH, AROUND SEX TRAFFICKING.
AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED HUMAN TRAFFICKING A FEW TIMES.
COULD YOU EDUCATE US A LITTLE BIT WHAT YOUR PROGRAM IS OR TRAINING OR WHATEVER YOU'RE UP TO IN THAT REAL? SO, SO WE HAVE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS.
SO I WOULD SAY ONE ELEMENT, OUR MOST ROBUST ELEMENT OF OUR PROGRAM IS EDUCATION ON SIGNS, SYMPTOMS OF TRAFFICKING AND HOW TO REPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, TIP LINE, HOW, HOW DO YOU EFFECTIVELY REPORT TRAFFICKING.
BUT WE ALSO CONDUCT BUS TOURS WHERE WE TAKE PEOPLE AROUND THE CITY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ELIJAH RISING TO SHOW THEM WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AND THEN WE HELP IN THE LEGISLATURE WITH PROVIDING DATA AS BEST WE CAN.
WE'VE HAD A VERY ROBUST REPORT THAT CAME OUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THAT TRACKED CASES ALL THE WAY THROUGH, THROUGH, UM, FINAL, FINAL OUTCOMES, SO TO SAY.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S VERY HARD TO, TO SEE FULL CHARGES FOR TRAFFICKING.
UM, BUT IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO LOOK AT THAT.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE HAD HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS BE PART OF OUR VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT VIDEO PROJECT.
AND HAS THAT SPECIFIC VICTIM HAS THEN USED HER VIDEO TO TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND HOW THE RETRAUMATIZATION OF TALKING ABOUT HER VICTIMIZATION AGAIN AND AGAIN, AFFECTS HER AND OTHER VICTIMS TO KIND OF GARNER MORE TRAFFICKING VICTIMS FOR THAT SUBJECT.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS' OFFICE.
THANK YOU, GOD VERY MUCH FOR AWESOME PRESENTATION.
OF COURSE, I'D BE REMISS SIDNEY TO NOT.
GIVE YOUR PUBLIC SHOUT OUT FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR OFFICE.
COUNCILMAN DAVIS AT LARGE TWO, UM, AS A PASTOR, CRIME IS NEAR AND DEAR TO HIS HEART, UH, PARTICULARLY AMONG THE YOUTH.
AND, UM, YOUR, THE DATA THAT YOU PROVIDE CAUSES HIM TO DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION TO THE MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD.
HE REINSTITUTE REI INSTITUTED IT IN, RESURRECTED IT, AS WELL AS HIS PPP INITIATIVE, POLICE PASTORS AND PEOPLE.
AND, UM, THOSE ARE THE TOOLS THAT HE USED TO TRY TO HELP, UH, CURTAIL YOUTH CRIME, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, TO, FOR CRIME PREVENTION.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, I'M SURE HE'S GONNA ALWAYS PLAY A VITAL ROLE WITH THE NEEDS PROGRAM BECAUSE HIS GRANDSON IS AUTISTIC.
SO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH CRIME STOPPERS FOR WHAT YOU DO.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR HELPING TO DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION.
YOU GUYS HAVE PLAYED SUCH A ROLE IN SHOWCASING THE GLENDA GORDY RESEARCH CENTER, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU GUYS DO THROUGH PPP AND YOUR OFFICE.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE APPRECIATE IT AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, IT'S SO NEEDED.
OUR FINAL PRESENTATION TODAY WILL BE CHRISTINA NAC, DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL, UM, AND TINA JASON, SENIOR STAFF ANALYST ABOUT THE OFFICE OF POLICING REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY
[01:15:01]
AND THE DATA DASHBOARD.WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAND OR SIT? I'M OKAY WITH STANDING.
WE ARE GONNA TRY TO KEEP IT AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I HAD THE SLIDE DECK SENT TO ALL OF YOU.
I ALSO, UM, EMAILED EACH OF Y'ALL'S OFFICES A LINK TO OUR DASHBOARD, WHICH ISN'T PUBLIC YET.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHANGES, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
MANY OF YOU, UM, KNOW, OR ARE SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH THE POLICE TRANSPARENCY HUB.
AND SO THIS IS A, UH, REDESIGN OF THAT HUB.
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SEVERAL GOALS WHEN WE BEGAN THIS REDESIGN JOURNEY.
FIRST AND FOREMOST WAS TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY.
UM, WHEN A CITY INCREASES TRANSPARENCY IN POLICING, IT'S SIMPLY BEING OPEN AND HONEST WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW PUBLIC SAFETY IS MANAGED.
AS WE ALL KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY IS A HUGE, UM, PRIORITY FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION.
UM, AND IT JUST MEANS SHARING INFORMATION SO THE PUBLIC CAN SEE WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT ISN'T WORKING.
AND I THINK A KEY HERE IS SHARING IT IN A WAY THAT IT'S USEFUL TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, OUR SECOND GOAL WAS INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY.
SO, UM, WHILE I DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE CREATION OF THE CURRENT HUB, WHAT I REALIZED ONCE I TOOK THIS POSITION WHEN I WENT AND SPOKE WITH MANY OF YOU, UM, SPOKE AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND TOWN HALLS, IS THAT, UM, PEOPLE DID NOT USE IT VERY OFTEN.
PEOPLE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH IT AND, UM, DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE DATA THAT WAS ON IT.
UM, SO AT THIS JUNCTURE, OUR REDESIGN IS TO CREATE BETTER WAYS OF SHARING AND DISCUSSING THE INFORMATION, MAKING THE PUBLIC AWARE, AND PROVIDING CONSISTENT NOTICE ABOUT UPDATES OF THE INFORMATION.
UH, THE CURRENT POLICE TRANSPARENCY HUB USES THE PLATFORM ARC, GIS.
AND SO WITH ME STANDING HERE IS TINA JASON.
SHE IS THE SENIOR STAFF ANALYST IN MY OFFICE, AND SHE REALLY IS THE BRAINS, UM, BEHIND THE ACTUAL DASHBOARDS.
SHE HAS EXTREME KNOWLEDGE IN BOTH OF THE PLATFORMS, AND SHE RECREATED IT AND THE NEW, UM, PLATFORM OF POWER BI.
AND SO WHILE WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS, WHEN YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC PLATFORM QUESTIONS, DATA QUESTIONS, SHE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE THE BEST PERSON TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, SO THE TRANSITION FROM ARC GIS PLATFORM TO A POWER BI PLATFORM IS BASED ON RECOGNIZING, OH, YOU CAN STAY BACK AT INTRODUCTION, SORRY.
IT'S BETTER FOR CREATING DYNAMIC INTERACTIVE DASHBOARDS, EXPLORING TRENDS OVER TIME, AND INTEGRATING MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES IN REAL TIME.
A COMPREHENSIVE DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR POLICE INTERACTIONS BENEFITS BOTH THE DEPARTMENT AND THE PUBLIC.
A DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR TRAFFIC STOPS USE OF FORCE INCIDENTS AND OTHER POLICE INTERACTIONS IS NOT JUST A TOOL FOR OVERSIGHT.
IT'S A STRATEGIC RESOURCE THAT STRENGTHENS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN THE PUBLIC CAN SEE ACCURATE, CONSISTENT DATA AND HOW POLICE INTERACTIONS ARE CONDUCTED, WHO IS BEING STOPPED, HOW FORCES USED, AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES, IT FOSTERS ACCOUNTABILITY.
THE KEY HERE IS THAT WE WANT THE DATA TO BE USABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UM, I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED IN SEVERAL OF THE PRESENTATIONS EARLIER THAT WE HAVE, UM, A LOT OF ELDERLY CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE STILL VERY INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THE DATA, BUT MAY NOT HAVE THAT TECH SAVVY TO, UM, MANIPULATE IT WHEN IT'S A LITTLE BIT ARCHAIC AND IT'S NOT EASY TO TRANSITION THROUGH AND TO FILTER THROUGH.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS REDESIGN WILL HELP, UM, USERS WHO DON'T HAVE THAT TECH BACKGROUND.
WHEN THE PUBLIC, UM, EXCUSE ME, TRANSPARENCY HELPS DISPEL MISINFORMATION, REDUCES SPECULATION, AND SHOWS THE COMMUNITY THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS COMMITTED TO.
FAIR AND EQUITABLE TREATMENT DATA ALLOWS FOR EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY DECISIONS THAT IMPROVE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS.
SO THE CURRENT HUB, UM, AS I SAID, IS ON THE ARC.
GIS PLATFORM DELIVERS ONLY PRE-CONFIGURED DASHBOARDS WITH BASIC CHARTING AND THRESHOLD FILTERS.
IT IS OVERALL LESS RESPONSIVE FOR GRANULAR EXPLORATION.
IT REQUIRES MANUAL DATA PREP AND MAPPING, WHICH IS LABOR INTENSIVE AND INEFFICIENT.
THE REDESIGN FEATURE HAS AUTOMATED DATA FLOWS, IT CONNECTS TO VARIOUS SOURCES, AND IT HAS SCHEDULING FOR REFRESHES.
THE NEW DASHBOARD CONSOLIDATES MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES
[01:20:01]
INTO ONE SEAMLESS, EASY TO NAVIGATE INTERFACE.USERS CAN VIEW TRENDS FILTER BY DEMOGRAPHICS OR CATEGORIES AND DRILL INTO DETAILS ALL WITHOUT SWITCHING APPS OR PAGES.
THE REDESIGN INCREASES VISIBILITY INTO KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, SUCH AS USE OF FORCE COMPLAINTS AND DEPARTMENTAL DEMOGRAPHICS, WHILE ALSO ALLOWING FOR FASTER, FASTER DATA REFRESH AND BETTER AUTOMATION ON THE BACKEND.
THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT IS THE DISTRICT SPECIFIC CRIME DATA THAT WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE.
SO WHAT I LEARNED FROM SPEAKING WITH MANY OF YOU IN YOUR OFFICES IS THAT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO A CONSTITUENT IN DISTRICT A MAY NOT BE IMPORTANT TO ONE IN DISTRICT B OR DISTRICT G AS A COUNCIL MEMBER OR A CONSTITUENT.
THIS WILL GIVE YOU A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S HAPPENING LOCALLY.
IT PROVIDES DATA TO SUPPORT CONSTITUENT CONCERNS.
GIVEN THE DISTRICT'S GIVE, GIVES THE DISTRICT ABILITY TO SEE DISTRICT SPECIFIC TRENDS AS OPPOSED TO CITYWIDE AVERAGES THAT MAY NOT REFLECT THE DISTRICT'S REALITY.
WHETHER IT'S BUDGET PRIORITIES, YOUTH PROGRAMS, OR PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURES.
THE DATA HELPS TAILOR SOLUTIONS TO ACTUAL NEEDS.
IT WILL ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION WITH HPD AROUND DISTRICT SPECIFIC SHARED GOALS, WHILE ALSO CREATING A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES.
IT ALSO HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE IT EASIER TO ADVOCATE FOR RESOURCES OR SUPPORT NEW INITIATIVES BASED ON CLEAR DISTRICT LEVEL NEEDS.
AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS IS JUST A STARTING POINT.
WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH HPV TO ADD ADDITIONAL DASHBOARDS, INCLUDING CALLS FOR SERVICE RESPONSE TIME, POLICE PURSUIT, DATA CLEARANCE RATES, AND SAFE ROADWAYS INITIATIVES.
SO, OUR VISION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, ULTIMATELY DATA COLLECTION IS ABOUT PARTNERSHIP.
WHEN THE PUBLIC KNOWS THE DEPARTMENT IS WILLING TO HOLD ITSELF ACCOUNTABLE AND ACT ON THE RESULTS, IT FOSTERS A HEALTHIER DIALOGUE BETWEEN POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY.
THIS BUILDS THE FOUNDATION FOR REAL COMMUNITY POLICING, NOT JUST IN WORDS, BUT IN MEASURABLE ACTION.
A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH, OH, NEXT SLIDE.
A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH ENHANCES TRANSPARENCY AND FOSTERS TRUST BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITIES THEY POLICE.
OUR ENHANCED DASHBOARD WILL PROMOTE DATA, DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING.
IT'S DESIGNED WITH CLARITY AND RESPONSIVENESS.
THE NEW DASHBOARD MAKES IT EASIER FOR THE PUBLIC CITY STAFF AND OVERSIGHT BODIES TO ENGAGE WITH THE INFORMATION, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS WITH THE TOOLS TO ANALYZE TRENDS, MONITOR EQUITY, AND INFORM POLICY DECISIONS WITH CONFIDENCE.
IT ALLOWS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY TO COME TO THE TABLE AND HAVE INFORMED CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO CREATE TARGETED RESOLUTIONS IN THEIR PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES.
VIOLENCE REDUCTION INITIATIVES CAN BE TAILORED BASED ON SPECIFIC DATA AND THEN BECOME SHARED GOALS THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS AND WORKS TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE.
IT ALSO PROVIDES AN ADDITIONAL AVENUE TO MONITOR AND HIGHLIGHT SUCCESSES OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT ARE BACKED BY DATA.
IT ALLOWS ALL PARTICIPANTS, THE ADMINISTRATION, COUNCIL MEMBERS, HPD, AND THE COMMUNITY TO SEE THE EFFECT IN REAL TIME OF PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVES AND POLICIES.
I GUESS IN A NUTSHELL, TURNING INSIGHT INTO IMPACT.
YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE MOVING FROM OUTPUT TO OUTCOME, AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR BETTER WAYS TO USE THE DATA TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE BEING EFFECTIVELY USED.
AND IT GOES BEYOND JUST MANAGEMENT.
WE WANT TO SEE REAL TIME EFFECT IN THE COMMUNITIES.
DASHBOARDS TURN RAW DATA INTO INSIGHT BY PROVIDING REAL TIME AWARENESS, EFFECTIVE RESOURCE ALLOCATION, WAYS TO TRACK PERFORMANCE BEYOND SETTING GOALS, AND ALSO IDENTIFY SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS.
IT ALSO ENHANCES OFFICER SAFETY BY UNDERSTANDING PATTERNS OF CALLS OR INCIDENTS TO HELP PREPARE OFFICERS FOR HIGH RISK SITUATIONS.
AND IT BUILDS COMMUNITY TRUST AND STRENGTHENS PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
YOU KNOW, I'VE, AS I SAID, I SENT A LINK TO EACH OF YOUR OFFICES.
UM, WE'RE PREPARED TO, YOU KNOW, ANSWER QUESTIONS TODAY, BUT PLEASE REVIEW AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME TIME, WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT SUB TECH, YOU KNOW, TECHNICAL KINKS WITH HITS.
[01:25:01]
LIKE TO GO LIVE, BUT WE WANT TO INCORPORATE SUGGESTIONS FROM, FROM YOUR OFFICE AS WELL.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION UP.
FIRST WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'VE BEEN PLAYING AROUND ON THE DASHBOARD AND ON THE THE PAGE.
I THINK IT'S REALLY HELPFUL THAT THE, THE DISTRICT BREAKDOWN, UM, OF CRIME DATA.
YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN, WHEN I GO TO A, A CERTAIN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD OR WHATEVER, I LIKE TO BRING THE LATEST CRIME DOC AND WE WORK WITH HPD.
THIS'LL BE A LOT QUICKER WAY TO GET IT.
WHEN YOU GO OVER TO THE CRIME TYPE AND, UH, YOU GOT THE NEIGHBOR'S DESCRIPTION OF IT, AND THEN THERE'S A SUM OF TOTAL OFFENSES WITH A BIG NUMBER AND THEN A HIGHLIGHTED, WHAT, WHAT DO THOSE MEAN? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUM OF TOTAL OFFENSES AND HIGHLIGHTED THE TOTAL OFFENSES IN THAT CATEGORY VERSUS THE NUMBER OF OFFENSES IN YOUR COUNSEL? OKAY, SO THE, THE SECOND NUMBER, THE HIGHLIGHTED ONE IS THE ONE IN THAT COUNCIL DISTRICT? YES.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
SO IF I HEARD YOU RIGHT, PART OF THE INTENT HERE IS TO HELP US MAKE EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY DECISIONS, AND PART OF THE INTENT IS TO PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC.
SO ON THE EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY DECISIONS, CAN YOU GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT ARE SOME POLICY QUESTIONS THAT YOU OR HP IS HOPING TO ANSWER WITH SOME OF THIS DATA? I MEAN, I THINK RIGHT NOW THE GOAL IS GATHERING EVERYONE AT THE TABLE WITH THE SAME INFORMATION.
UM, RIGHT NOW I THINK IT'S SO, UH, DISJUNCTIVE WHERE, YOU KNOW, I CONSTANTLY HAVE PEOPLE REACHING OUT TO ME ASKING LIKE, WHAT'S THE POLICY ON THIS? OR I FEEL LIKE I'VE HAD A NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE, AND WHAT IS HPDS POLICY ON THIS? AND IT'S HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO PINPOINT AND HAVE DATA TO SUPPORT IT WHEN I TAKE THAT ISSUE TO HPD.
SO THE GOAL HERE, UM, IS TO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS CONSTITUENTS IN HPD WORK TOGETHER TO UP WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY'RE UPDATING POLICIES.
UM, IT'S JUST SO EVERYONE HAS A, UM, A VOICE IN THAT BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE HEAR ABOUT A POLICY, UM, ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT MAYBE NOBODY EVEN KNEW WAS AN ISSUE AFTER THE FACT.
AND THEN PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS AND WE'RE ALWAYS KIND OF WORKING REACTIVELY.
AND SO THIS IS TO MOVE THE SYSTEM MORE TO PROACTIVE.
UM, AND SO, I MEAN, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, NAME A PARTICULAR POLICY THAT I FIND PROBLEMATIC RIGHT NOW THAT I'M HOPING THAT THIS WILL ADDRESS.
I JUST KNOW THAT HPD IS ROUTINELY UPDATING THEIR POLICIES.
UM, AND SO I THINK THIS WILL GIVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CONSTITUENTS A BETTER ABILITY TO HAVE A VOICE IN THAT.
WHAT ABOUT IN THE OTHER BUCKET, THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT'S USEFUL TO THE PUBLIC, BUT THAT MAYBE ISN'T, UM, MAYBE HPD IS NOT ASKING FOR IT FROM A MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE.
ARE THERE EXAMPLES THERE THAT YOU'RE INTENDING TO INCORPORATE INTO THE DASHBOARD? WELL, I KNOW, I JUST THINK THAT HPD OFTEN, UM, JUST LIKE EVERYONE WHO'S IN THEIR PARTICULAR POSITION LOOKS AT THINGS THROUGH A PARTICULAR LENS, AND SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO GET OUT OF THAT LENS WHEN YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR SO LONG.
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT'S USEFUL AND EASY TO NAVIGATE THROUGH AND UNDERSTANDABLE BY THE COMMUNITY, OR THEN THEY OFFER INSIGHTS, IT CAN HELP HPD AND MY OFFICE AND THE ADMINISTRATION LOOK AT THINGS FROM A DIFFERENT LENS.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, JUST SPEAKING FROM MY PAST EXPERIENCE, WORKING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN GENERAL, THEY'RE VERY TACTICAL BASED AND SOMETIMES DON'T UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS OF SOME OF THEIR POLICIES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEIR OFFICER SAFETY AND CRIME REDUCTION, AND SOMETIMES IT HAS UNINTENDED EFFECTS ON THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY MAY NOT EVEN REALIZE THAT.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT PROVIDING DATA TO THE COMMUNITY IN WAYS WHERE THEY CAN FILTER OUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM AND THEN PROVIDE INSIGHT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO LIKE OPEN, YOU KNOW, THE, OPEN THE DOOR FOR OTHER PERSPECTIVES IN TERMS OF CREATING POLICY AND PROCEDURE AND STUFF IN THE DEPARTMENT.
SO HOW, OKAY, SO LET'S SAY YOU GET REQUESTS, OR WE GET REQUESTS THAT WE SHARE WITH YOU FROM CONSTITUENTS.
MAYBE IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD DEALING WITH NOISE ISSUES OR, UM, AN ADVOCACY GROUP ON IMMIGRATION, RIGHT? HOW DO YOU EVALUATE, UM, YES OR NO, WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED WITH TRYING TO INCORPORATE THE DATA THEY WANT INTO THIS DASHBOARD.
WHO DO, WHO DO YOU, WHOM DO YOU CONSULT? UM, WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS DO YOU ASK TO EVALUATE THAT? WELL, FIRST I WOULD SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND THE CONSTITUENT.
UM, I ACTUALLY THINK WHEN I FIRST STARTED THIS PROJECT, I SAT DOWN WITH YOU AND THE CONSTITUENT ON, ON SOMETHING, ON THIS EXACT TOPIC AND, UM, KIND OF DRILL DOWN, YOU KNOW, THEIR PRIORITIES, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR TO HAPPEN.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I WOULD REACH OUT TO, YOU KNOW, THE COMMAND STAFF AT HBD TO FIND OUT WHO THE POINT PERSON IS
[01:30:01]
TO, UM, DEAL WITH THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.AND THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, CREATE A KIND OF, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A GROUP PROJECT WHERE WE CAN SIT DOWN AND, AND I THINK THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS FOR, UM, HPD TO CREATE A PATH FOR HPD TO, UM, BE ABLE TO HEAR, SIT DOWN AND LISTEN TO THESE, UM, CONSTITUENT CONCERNS OR COUNCIL MEMBER CONCERNS THAT MAYBE WASN'T THERE BEFORE.
SOMETIMES IT'S HARD NAVIGATING, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CAN CALL A MAIN NUMBER AND YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO THE RIGHT PERSON IS TO GET, YOU KNOW, TO GET TO.
AND SO WITH THIS DATA, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE BY, YOU KNOW, COMING TO THE TABLE WITH, YOU KNOW, I NOTICED, YOU KNOW, IN, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT A THIS SPECIFIC, THIS SPECIFIC THING IS HAPPENING.
AND SO THEN WE ALREADY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE TOPIC OF THE CONVERSATION IS AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO DRILL DOWN, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME PAGE.
WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE THE INFORMATION, AND THEN IT'S ALL THIS BACK AND FORTH THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY GET TO SOLVING THE PROBLEM.
AND SO OUR GOAL HERE IS TO MAKE THE DATA AVAILABLE.
SO WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A SOLUTION AND WE ARE GETTING EVERYONE TO THE TABLE, THEN WE ALL, WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALREADY.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST CREATING THESE COLLABORATION GROUPS WITH H-P-D-H-P-D HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY INTERESTED IN MY OPINION AND, AND TRYING TO FORM SOLUTIONS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE CONTACTED A HUNDRED TIMES A DAY, AND SO IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO FILTER OUT WHAT IS BASED IN FACT AND WHAT IS BASED IN FEAR OR ANXIETY.
AND SO I THINK WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE TABLE WITH THIS DATA, IT HELPS GET RID OF ALL OF THAT.
AND LAST QUESTION, UM, YOUR NEXT, YOU KNOW, COUPLE WEEKS IN FRONT OF YOU, WHAT ARE THE, YOUR THREE TASKS, RIGHT? WHAT, WHAT ARE THE NEXT THINGS WE CAN EXPECT? WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR THAT? WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE JUST A FEW, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE LAYERS TO PUTTING OUT, UM, A DASHBOARD LIKE THIS.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY OUR BASE DATA, UM, COMES FROM HPD.
WE RELY ON THAT AND IT HAS TO FILTER THROUGH HITS.
AND SO HITS HAS BEEN EXCELLENT.
UM, THERE'S A TEAM THAT WORKS WITH TINA TO HELP, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, PRESENTING OPEN DATA.
YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PRESENTING ANYTHING THAT, UM, CANNOT BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC.
SO THERE REQUIRES A LOT OF BUILDING OF CONNECTIONS AND, AND A LOT OF STUFF LIKE THAT THAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE IS COMPLETELY ACCURATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ANY INSIGHT FROM, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICES, UM, AND ANY OF THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TAKE THAT IN, UM, BEFORE WE KIND OF LAUNCH IT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TRYING TO STREAMLINE IT.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE POLICE TRANSPARENCY HUB, IT'S ON THIS, UH, PARTICULAR HUB, UH, WEBSITE, UM, THAT WILL NO LONGER, LIKE, ONCE WE GO LIVE, THAT WILL NO LONGER EXIST AND WE'RE INCORPORATING IT INTO THE OFFICE'S WEBPAGE.
SO IT CAN BE A ONE STOP SHOP THAT HAS ALL OF THE THINGS BECAUSE THEY WERE DUPLICATIVE.
UM, SO IT'S JUST WORKING OUT ALL OF THE TECHNICAL KINKS.
UM, THERE IS, UM, AS YOU PROBABLY SAW ON THE LINK, UM, THERE WAS SOME DATA THAT, UM, WE WERE STILL MISSING FROM HPD THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, UM, IN TERMS OF TYPES OF FORCE, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE ARE, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE WE RECEIVED SOMETHING THIS MORNING.
SO IT'S JUST GOING ABOUT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO DISPLAY THAT, UM, MAKING SURE IT HAS, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S WORKING.
YOU KNOW, WHENEVER YOU LAUNCH SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN LICENSING ISSUES, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT JUST BECAUSE WE, AS CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES HAVE ACCESS TO IT, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, SOMEONE WHO'S WORKING OFF THEIR MOBILE PHONE OR A COMPUTER AT THE LIBRARY HAS THE SAME PERMISSIONS AND CAN ACCESS ALL THAT INFORMATION.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT IT'S NOT GONNA TAKE MORE THAN A COUPLE WEEKS, BUT ONCE THAT HAPPENS, WE'LL SEND OUT A NOTIFICATION THAT WE ARE GONNA KIND OF GO LIVE WITH IT.
STAFF FIRM, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS'S OFFICE.
UM, THANK YOU LADIES FOR A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
THIS IS MORE OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, COUNCILMAN DAVIS IS HAVING HIS THIRD TOWN HALL MEETING, UM, TONIGHT AT THE, UH, SIX O'CLOCK AT THE SUNNYSIDE MULTI FER CENTER, WHICH IS 44 10 REED ROAD.
UM, THE THEME IS GONNA BE HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS.
UM, HE'S GONNA HAVE ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENT'S HEADS LIKE HE NORMALLY DO, AND VENDORS SUCH AS RED CROSS, UH, FOR THE CONSTITUENTS CONCERNS AND NEEDS.
UM, HE'S GONNA, UM, IF YOU'RE LUCKY, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, DRAWINGS FOR 18 PERIPHERALS.
SO IF YOUR LUCKY NUMBER IS CALLED, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO WIN A AIR PURRY.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, RAISE BARBECUE IS GONNA BE CATERING THE EVENT.
SO IF THOSE, UH, WHO ARE INTERESTED, THOSE WHO SCHEDULE PERMIT,
[01:35:01]
WE, UH, WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COME ON OUT.THERE'S NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
FIRST STEP IS BRIDGET JENSEN, AND EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UM, SO WE JUST HAD THIS GREAT PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS DASHBOARD, AND HAVING ACCESS TODAY IS GREAT, BUT MY CONCERN IS HOW DATA WILL BE MANIPULATED AND BE NOT MANIPULATED, BUT BEING USED FOR PREDICTIVE POLICING AND HOW THAT CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU ONLY FIND THINGS WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS.
AND SO IF YOU'RE GONNA START CONCENTRATING IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, JUST KIND OF LIKE WHAT SHOT SPOTTER WAS TRYING TO DO.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT MAY BE, UM, PUTTING BIAS INTO, UM, HOW POLICE IS RESPONDING SINCE THEY GET SOMETHING AND THEN THEY GO, OH, WE'RE GONNA KEEP LOOKING HERE THEN ANYWAY, I JUST WANNA RAISE THAT FLAG ABOUT, THEY TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND BUILDING TRUST, BUT THEN WE HAVE OUR INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD AND HOW MUCH AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY THAT DOES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE TO THEM.
THEY MAY SUGGEST THINGS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT THERE'S NO, THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T HAVE TO PICK UP ON THAT AND, AND DO ANYTHING THAT THEY, THAT THEY BRING UP.
SO I, I KIND OF QUESTION HOW MUCH RESPONSIVENESS THERE WILL BE, EVEN IF EVEN, UH, OUR, UM, INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD DOESN'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST KIND OF OUTSIDE OF THIS, UM, ABOUT WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS.
I THINK IT'S A REAL SHAME THAT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS COOPERATING WITH ICE.
AND, UM, THAT DOES NOT BRING MORE SAFETY INTO COMMUNITIES.
THAT'S ACTUALLY, UM, DE INCENTIVIZES A LOT OF, UM, A LOT OF THINGS, UH, AS FAR AS, UM, THE, THE, THE SAFETY THAT PEOPLE FEEL.
AND FINALLY, UM, SPEAKING OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THE PEOPLE WHO, UH, ARE UNHOUSED IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, THAT DO SLEEP ON SIDEWALKS, SLEEPING ON SIDEWALKS, IS ACTUALLY THE SAFEST PLACE WHERE THEY CAN BE.
IT'S A REAL SHAME THAT THE, THAT HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL IS, IS CRIMINALIZING, UM, BASICALLY BEING POOR AND UNHOUSED.
UM, ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
WELL, I JUST, I'LL LEAVE IT THERE.
UM, UP NEXT, LAURA GALLAGHER, I DON'T SEE HER HERE.
UM, CHRIS DU VIRTUALLY AND JASON OLIVER.
VIRTUALLY, WE DID NOT SEE ANY OF OUR VIRTUAL SPEAKERS HERE.
UH, I APPRECIATED THE, THE PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
I WAS LITERALLY TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT ALERT HOUSTON, UM, ON FRIDAY, A GROUP OF PEOPLE AT A BOOK CLUB.
WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS HURRICANE SEASON.
I WAS SAYING, WHO SIGNED UP FOR ALERT HOUSTON? THEY'RE LIKE, WE HAVE NO IDEA.
WHERE DO WE SIGN UP? WE HAVE TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THAT.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT I RUN INTO IN TRYING TO SHARE INFORMATION IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY IS IT'S HARD TO, LIKE, I CAN FORWARD THE EMAILS, BUT THERE, I, I DON'T GET A LINK IN THOSE, THOSE EMAILS THAT I CAN SHARE OR ANY KIND OF GRAPHICS.
I'M USUALLY SHARING SCREENSHOTS OR SOMETHING.
I'VE EVEN HAD ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT HAVE ASKED FOR, UM, LIKE ASKED FOR HOW THEY CAN VERIFY THINGS SO THAT, THAT MAKES THINGS CHALLENGING.
SO IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT ALERT HOUSTON, I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UM, CONSIDERATION FOR HOW IT CAN BE DESIGNED TO BE VERIFIABLE AND EASILY SHARED IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY, THAT BEING A PRIORITY, SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHEN IT COMES UP THAT WE ARE, THAT ALERT, HOUSTON IS, IS THE SOURCE.
AND THEY CAN SEE LIKE, OH, IT'S THAT LOGO.
THIS IS WHERE I'M GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT COOLING CENTERS, ABOUT WARMING CENTERS, WHATEVER.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY RESPONSE THERE.
IN TERMS OF ALERT HOUSTON, UM, THE, I I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I, I'VE LONG BEEN A, A CRITIQUE ABOUT THE, THE DASHBOARD AND, AND THE FACT THAT IT DOESN'T PROVIDE ANY USEFUL INFORMATION.
UM, I WILL, I, I DO HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT, I I THINK IT SHOULD ANSWER CLEAR QUESTIONS THAT THE PUBLIC HAS, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, RIGHT? UH, ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
SOME IDEAS, AND, AND CRIME STOPPERS HAD MENTIONED THIS, RIGHT? UH, PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN, UH, CASE OUTCOMES, RIGHT? ARREST AND DISMISSALS.
THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT DATA, BUT YOU DO.
SO THINKING ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE ABLE TO SEE WHAT ARE THE, THE OUTCOMES THERE, UM, PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE THAT, UM, THAT WAS JUST CHANGED LAST WEEK.
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TO CHECK AND SEE WHETHER WE ARE, PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CRIMINALIZING HOMELESSNESS? THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT THIS DASHBOARD CAN AND, AND SHOULD ANSWER A LOT OF.THERE WAS A MENTION OF INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS, BUT A REALLY IMPORTANT THING ABOUT OPEN DATA IS THAT IT'S MADE ACCESSIBLE.
THINK ABOUT THE BUDGET OPEN FINANCE PORTAL, RIGHT ABOUT, CAN I FINISH A COUPLE? YEAH.
THE BUDGET OPEN FINANCE PORTAL, I THINK DOES A GOOD JOB OF PROVIDING ALL OF THAT BUDGET, PAYROLL, CHECKBOOK, DATA, AND SO ON.
UM, MAKING THAT AVAILABLE FOR EXTERNAL ANALYSIS SO THAT PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT CARE ABOUT THIS STUFF AND OTHERS, RIGHT, CAN ACTUALLY DO THAT EXTERNAL ANALYSIS AND SHARE THOSE, THOSE INSIGHTS WITH, UH, WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SO ON.
I, UM, SO I'LL, I'LL DEFINITELY, UM, TALK TO CHRISTINA AFTERWARD.
I THINK THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MEETINGS, LIKE THE ONE THAT'S COMING UP ON THURSDAY ARE ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE.
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT OVERSIGHT, UH, THAT IS A PUBLIC MEETING THAT I THINK PEOPLE WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED IN KNOWING ABOUT THAT CAN, THAT KIND OF INFORMATION CAN BE PROVIDED THERE.
SO REALLY EXCITED TO KIND OF SEE, I, I APPRECIATED A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD IN TERMS OF THE GOALS OF THIS, THIS REFRESH AND THE SHIFT.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THOSE, THOSE DATA SETS ONCE THEY GET UP ONTO THE SITE.
UH, AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO GIVE YOU MY CARD AND WE'LL GET YOU A GRAPHIC FOR THE ALERT, HOUSTON, BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT.
I MEAN IT WHEN IT'S AN OFFICIAL LOOK, IT'S, IT, IT'S EASIER TO SHARE ALSO TOO, UM, ON THE HPDS DASHBOARD.
UM, I THINK THAT HPD WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ONCE IT GOES LIVE, TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND, AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
BECAUSE WE ALL LOOK AT, AS, AS CHRISTINA MENTIONED, THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
AND I CAN ASSURE YOU, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE DASHBOARD FOR A FEW DAYS AT, UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DATA THERE.
AND, UH, IT, IT'S, I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT TOO BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL BE VERY USEFUL ACROSS OUR CITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN YOUR TIME.
WAS THERE ANYONE ELSE YOU WANTED TO SPEAK? OKAY, SEEING NOBODY.
UM, OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING WILL BE ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 12TH AT 10:00 AM AND WE STAND ADJOURNED.