[Public Safety Committee on September 9, 2025.]
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COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANN HUFFMAN.
AND IN CHAMBERS, WE ARE JOINED BY STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S OFFICE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
AND, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM'S OFFICE IS ONLINE AS WELL.
SO TODAY WE HAVE ONE PRESENTATION.
IT WILL BE A PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFING FROM METRO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, CHIEF, IF YOU WANNA COME FORWARD, COVERED AND IF YOU WANNA MAKE ANY INTRODUCTIONS BEFORE YOU GET STARTED, WHY DON'T I GET STARTED? UM, UH, COMMITTEE CHAIR AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, STAFF, WE'RE, UM, WE'RE DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.
THIS IS, UH, A TERRIFIC OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHOWCASE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, THE, TO THE STAR OF THE SHOW, CHIEF 10, TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS.
BUT, UH, FIRST I JUST WANTED TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS BEFORE HE GETS IN, INTO HIS PRESENTATION, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AND HALF AGO, WE'LL RAISE IT UP A LITTLE BIT.
IS THAT GOOD? YES, THIS IS MUCH BETTER.
SO ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, METRO WAS FACED WITH A DILEMMA ABOUT, UM, PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN OUR SYSTEM.
AND WE HAD TO MAKE A DECISION AS TO A PATH FORWARD.
DO WE, DO WE CONTINUE DOWN, UM, A PATH OF, UM, OF ASSUMING THAT THINGS WILL GET BETTER OR DO WE STRETCH SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS IT? AND I'M, I'M, UM, HERE TO TELL YOU, WE WENT BACK TO BASICS.
WE FOCUSED ON, UM, A SAFER, CLEANER, MORE RELIABLE AND MORE ACCESSIBLE SYSTEM.
AND IN DOING SO, WE HAVE SEEN, UM, A STEADY REBIRTH, IF YOU WILL, OF OUR, UM, REGULAR RIDERSHIP.
WE ARE APPROACHING NUMBERS THAT ARE, UM, ABOVE COVID, UH, MOST OF THE SYSTEM.
IT'S KIND OF WEIRD HOW IT'S DEVELOPING SOME, UH, SOME ROUTES ARE DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS AS FAR AS WHAT EXISTED BEFORE AND WHAT IT IS TODAY.
BUT WE'RE VERY, UH, FORTUNATE IN HAVING, UM, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO REGROW.
AND, UM, AND I HAVE TO SAY WE'RE ONE OF THE LEADERS IN THE NATION.
WE ARE ABOUT 7% ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AS FAR AS REBUILDING RIDERSHIP.
THERE ARE, UM, THINGS YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEWS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN DIFFERENT TRANSIT SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE THEY'RE, UH, MANY OF THEM FACING FINANCIAL CRISIS, UH, FINANCIAL CLIFFS, THEY CALL 'EM.
WE ARE, UH, WE HAVE SOUND FINANCIAL FOOTING.
WE ARE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, FOCUSED ON, UH, BASICALLY REBUILDING.
WE'RE BUYING NEW FACILITIES TO HELP, TO HELP, UM, UH, ADDRESS OUR NEEDS FOR, UM, GROWING AND, AND CHANGING THE WAY OUR POLICE FORCE IS, IS, UH, OUT AND ABOUT.
SO YOU'LL SEE, UM, METRO LOOKING TO A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT POSTURE IN THE FUTURE WITH, UH, A DECENTRALIZED, UM, UH, FOCUS ON WHERE WE OPERATE OUT OF.
UH, THOSE ARE A FEW OF THE, OF THE HIGH POINTS.
UM, AND I REALLY WANT TO HAND IT OVER TO THE STAR OF THE SHOW HERE, CHIEF TAN.
BUT, UM, WE'RE BACKING 'EM UP FINANCIALLY.
WE ARE PUTTING, UH, MORE AND MORE RESOURCES INTO, UM, UH, OUR POLICE EFFORTS.
WE HAVE, WE ARE AT, UH, UH, WE HAVE EXCEEDED OUR OBJECTIVE THIS YEAR FOR HIRING AND WE'RE OUTING ADDITIONAL PIECE, UM, UH, POSITIONS FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SYSTEM IS, UM, SAFE, APPEARS SAFE, AND APPEARS CLEAN AND, AND IS RELIABLE.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'M TURN IT OVER TO THE CHIEF TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION.
AND CHIEF BEFORE YOU START, MR. JASON, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, REN, DID YOU WANNA ASK A QUESTION NOW OR WAIT TILL THEN? JUST REAL QUICK.
I MEAN, THE NEW ONES ARE JUST LOOK SO GOOD.
THE A DA ACCESSIBILITY HAS BEEN A HUGE THING.
YOU'VE GOT MADE GREAT STRIDES ON THAT.
UH, THE, THE THING THAT PEOPLE CARE MOST ABOUT IN STUDIES AND OTHER THINGS IS, IS INCREASED FREQUENCY.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE INCREASED FREQUENCY ON SEVERAL LINES, AND I THINK THAT HAS A TON TO DO WITH THE INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP.
'CAUSE IT'S BEEN A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP OVER THE LAST YEAR, RIGHT? CORRECT.
DO YOU HAVE NUMBERS ON THAT? VERY SIGNIFICANT.
WE'RE, UM, LIKE HOW MANY ADDITIONAL RIDERS ARE? SO, UH, IT'S ABOUT 5%.
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WE'RE UP TO NOW ABOUT 75 MILLION RIDERS A YEAR.SO THAT'S LIKE A 5% INCREASE OVER THE LAST YEAR.
AND, AND I DO THINK THAT, AND I, AND I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE IT, EXCITED TO HEAR FROM CHIEF 10 ABOUT THE, THE SAFETY AND ABOUT THE CLEANLINESS.
BUT I MEAN, YOU GUYS REALLY, YOU SHOULD TOUT THAT THAT INCREASED, UM, YEAH.
FREQUENCY, BECAUSE I MEAN, PEOPLE JUST WANT THE BUS TO COME FASTER.
AND SO THAT, THAT A STORY YOU SHOULD TELL.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU KEEP MAKING INCREASED FREQUENCY A, A PRIORITY.
AND, UM, UH, THE OTHER THING I FAILED TO MENTION IS, UM, YOU'LL SEE US FOCUSING MORE ON, UM, ADDRESSING WHAT I WOULD CALL MOBILITY FOR ALL.
SO WHILE WE WERE PREPARING TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC STREET CONDITIONS WHERE OUR BUSES, UH, DROVE, WE'RE NOW IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND WITH OTHERS, UM, REPAVING AND IMPROVING CONDITIONS, UM, ON THE ENTIRE STREET.
SO, UH, WE'LL DO, YOU'LL BE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF THAT.
AND, AND HOW ARE YOU? UM, AND DEFINITELY, I MEAN, I LIVE RIGHT BY WHAT YOUR, YOUR WORK THAT YOU'VE DOING ON WESTHEIMER.
SORRY, I'LL, I'LL GET OFF THIS FOR A SECOND, BUT WHILE I'VE GOT THE METRO CHAIR HERE, IT'S FUN TO ASK.
UM, HOW ARE YOU FINANCING THE ROAD REPAIRED WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE CITY? UH, THAT'S PURELY OUT OF, UH, METRO, UH, REVENUE SALES TAX.
THAT'S JUST OPERATING FUNDS? YES.
LIKE DEBT FINANCED, LIKE IS IT, IS IT COMMERCIAL PAPER? IS IT, HOW ARE YOU? NO, AT THIS POINT, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO USE, UM, UH, ALL METRO RESOURCES.
IN SOME CASES WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAP SOME FEDERAL GRANTS.
SO WE, WE ASSEMBLE EVERYTHING WE CAN.
WE HAVE NOT ISSUED ANY, UH, DEBT FOR PROBABLY EIGHT YEARS, UH, AT METRO.
SO NONE OF THE METRO NEXT BOND REFERENDUM, NONE OF THAT DEBT HAS BEEN ISSUED? NO.
I, I ANTICIPATE WE WILL BE LOOKING TO THAT HERE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
BUT AT THIS POINT, UH, NO, WE HAVE NOT.
AND CHIEF, BEFORE YOU GET STARTED, WE WERE ALSO JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND STAFF FROM VICE CHAIR JACKSON'S OFFICE AND ONLINE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S OFFICE.
SO CHIEF, IF YOU'D LIKE TO BEGIN, THANK YOU.
UH, MY NAME IS BEN 10, METRO CHIEF OF POLICE.
THE LAST TIME I WAS UP HERE, I WAS IN A DIFFERENT UNIFORM, BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT THIS PROBABLY LOOK A LITTLE BETTER, RIGHT? JUST JOKING FOR ALL MY HPD, YOU KNOW, FRIENDS WATCHING.
BUT, UH, TODAY I'LL HAVE A, A QUICK UPDATE AND A PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFING.
THE REALITY IS SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR OUR RIDERS AND TO THE PUBLIC IS NOT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.
IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, AND IT IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.
OUR INTENT IS ALWAYS TO KEEP OUR SYSTEM SAFE, CLEAN, RELIABLE AND ACCESSIBLE BY BUILDING THE COMMUNITY TRUST, INCREASE OUR VISIBILITY, OUR PROFESSIONALISM THROUGH DIGNITY, CARE, AND RESPECT.
THIS IS WHAT WE'LL BRIEFLY, UH, HIGHLIGHT OVER, AND THEN I'LL LEAVE THE SOME ROOM IN THE BACK FOR SOME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
I DID NOT REALIZE HOW BIG OF A RESPONSIBILITY I HAVE UP UNTIL I JOINED METRO TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE, UH, 1300 SQUARE MILES.
IT KIND OF TRY TO FRAME THE ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S ALMOST THE SIZE OF THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND.
RHODE ISLAND IS ROUGHLY ABOUT LIKE 1500 SQUARE MILE, AND IT COMES FROM WATERWAYS IN IT TOO, RIGHT? AND IT COVERS FOUR COUNTIES.
UH, HARRIS BEING THE BIGGEST IN THE CENTER, GRAVITY ALONG WITH, UH, FORT BEND, MONTGOMERY, AND ALSO WALLER.
THAT'S A PROPER, IF YOU LOOK TO THE RIGHT SECTION, THE SERVICES AND FACILITY THAT IS ENORMOUS, ALL THE WAY DOWN THE RIDERSHIP TO WHAT BOSS JUST, UH, KIND OF COMMENT, UH, THIS IS LIKE A LITTLE TYPO RIGHT THERE.
SO WE ROUGHLY AT AROUND LIKE 75 MILLION TO KIND OF PUT IN PERSPECTIVE THAT'S ON AVERAGE.
SO THIS IS NOT BEING A LEAP YEAR.
WE ROUGHLY AVERAGE OVER 200,000 RIDERS AND USER IN OUR SYSTEM EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THE NU THE NUMBER IS ENORMOUS.
SO THIS IS THE VERY MUCH THE MAP OF THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA THAT WE COVER.
AND THIS IS WHAT CALLED HEAT MAP IS USED FOR A HISTORICAL HEAT MAP THAT WE USE.
SO EVERY TIME IT'S LIKE A LITTLE DOT RIGHT NEXT TO IT THAT WE HAVE TO DELIVER SERVICE TO THOSE OUR KEY LOCATION.
YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW ENORMOUS OUR AREAS IS.
NEXT SLIDE, BUT I REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON THE MASTER OF RIDERS IS FOCUSED ON THE THREE MAIN RAIL SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE.
THE RED LINE, WHICH RUN ALL THE WAY FROM FAN AND SOUTH AND NORTH TO NORTH LINE.
AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THAT AREAS OUT THERE.
AND ALSO OUR GREEN LINE RUNS ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE EAST END.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR PURPLE LINE THAT COVER ALL THE UNIVERSITY GOES TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST.
SO NEXT ONE WE'LL TALK ABOUT IS THE GROWTH AND DECENTRALIZATION.
WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO REACH, UH, OUR FULL STAFFING A HUGE MILESTONE EARLY THIS YEAR, BUT FULL STAFFING, UH,
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IN TERMS OF A LOT OF LARGER POLICE DEPARTMENT PARTNER A THOUSAND.BUT FOR ME IT'S IN A HUNDRED TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE, IT'S, UH, SOUTH OF, UH, 200 FRONTLINE OFFICERS.
SO TO MAKE THIS WORK FOR, MAKE OUR RESOURCES, THE LIMITED RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO US, WE HAVE TO MAKE, COME UP WITH SOME NEW IDEAS, PERHAPS MAYBE NOT NEW, NEW, BUT GET BACK TO THE BASIC, TO WE INVENT SOME IDEAS TO MAKE IT WORK.
SO WE TRY TO, IN THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY DEVELOPING SOME ADDITIONAL SATELLITE SUBSTATION TO EXPAND OUR VISIBILITY, OUR FOOTPRINT, THE INTENT TO GO IS TO HAVE THOSE STATION STRATEGICALLY PLACE A LOCATION WHERE'S MOST NEEDED.
SO OFFICER CAN CAST USE IT AS A BASE SO THEY CAN QUICKLY RESPOND TO CALL WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY.
YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE IF YOU HAVE A HEAVY COMMAND AND CONTROL HEADQUARTER IN DOWNTOWN EVER JUST COME TOWARDS DOWNTOWN.
IT HAD AS BIG AS HOUSTON WAS THE MAP.
I JUST SHOW Y'ALL THE DIFFERENT PLACES I WOULD GO TO TAKING TRAFFIC CONSIDERATION.
IT'S GONNA A LOT OF UNNECESSARY DELAY TIME.
SO THE GOAL IS TO INCREASE OUR FOOTPRINT WITH SUBSTATION.
SO IN ORDER FOR US TO, UH, DECENTRALIZE, WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE OUR BIGGEST CONCERNS AREAS WILL BE.
AND I'LL BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT THAT, UH, LATER ON.
THAT WAY WE DO IT, WE HAVE TO LEVERAGE OUR PARTNERSHIPS.
SO AS I MENTIONED, WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE HUNDRED FRONTLINE OFFICERS, FIELD OFFICERS IN THE FIELD WORKING.
YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE DIVIDE THAT INTO THREE SHIFTS.
AND WITH SOME SUPPORT AND SOME INVESTIGATIVE FUNCTION, THE NUMBER IS, UH, EXTREMELY LIMITED.
SO WITH THAT SAID, WE LEVERAGE OUR PARTNERS, WELL, HOUSTON PD, HARRIS COUNTY, THE PRECINCT OFFICES, AND ALSO ALONG WITH, UH, MOST OF OUR PARTNERS WITH THE STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS AS AS WELL, TO INCREASE OUR RAPID RESPONSE TIME.
SO OUR FOOTPRINT COVERED THROUGH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
SO WHEN SOMEONE CALLED 9 1 1, THE FIRST PRIORITY WILL BE IS THE CLOSEST AGENCY.
WE SEE THAT NINE ONE ONE CALL WILL GO AND ADDRESS THE LIFE AND SAFETY PROBLEMS, AND THEN METRO WILL GO BACK TO AUCKLAND THEM AND SUPPORT THEM.
WE TAKE OVER WHEN IT HAPPENS IN OUR FOOTPRINT.
IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, I'VE BEEN AROUND THE BUSINESS LONG ENOUGH THAT I DO REALIZE, AND, UH, WE TALK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME COMES REMEMBER THAT, UH, WE JUST CANNOT ARREST OUR WAY OUTTA PROBLEMS. WITH THAT SAID, WE LEVERAGED A LOT OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES LIKE THE VETERAN AFFAIRS TO HELP SOME OF THOSE HOMELESS POPULATION, ALL THE SOCIAL SERVICE AND MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS, AND TO EXTEND OUT OUR OUTREACH JUST BEYOND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND THESE COLLABORATION HAVE TURNED INTO, UH, UH, SOME CRITICAL MOMENTS FOR US.
BASICALLY, WE TRY TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WE REPHRASE AND ALSO REVITALIZE THE MODEL TO HAVE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE ALL ENFORCEMENT CONCEPT TO TRULY TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE SOME REHABILITATION AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE OF THOSE NEEDED, YOU KNOW, THAT USE OUR SERVICES.
SO SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME INITIATIVE THAT WE HAVE FOUND LATELY HAS BEEN EXTREMELY, UH, BASICALLY IN, IN OUR FAVOR.
SOME MORNING OPERATIONS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO BASICALLY WE KNOW THE RIDERS, A LOT OF OUR RIDERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE RAIL SYSTEM, UH, USE IT TO GO TO WORK AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE DO HAVE A, A, A, A, A, A ISSUE, A CONCERN WITH SOME HOMELESS POPULATION SLEEPING ON A TRAIN.
SO WE STRATEGICALLY STAGE THEM AT CERTAIN POINTS TO KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE NO BUSINESS RIDING A TRAIN TO REMOVE THEM FROM THE TRAIN AND TO PROVIDE 'EM THE SERVICES THAT THEY BE MOST NEEDED.
I'LL BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT OUR CARE UNIT MOMENTARILY AND ALSO OUR PLATFORM PRESENCE.
NOW, I DO KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE A LOT OF PLATFORMS FROM THE FIRST FEW SLIDES I SHOW Y'ALL.
WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO COVER EVERY SINGLE PLATFORM, BUT WE DO MONITOR OUR HEAT MAP SO WE CAN STRATEGICALLY PAY, DEPLOY OUR OFFICES TO DO THIS PLATFORM WHERE WE HAVE THE BIGGEST CONCERN, BIGGEST PROBLEM.
SO WE HAVE THE HIGHEST PAYOUT, AS I MENTIONED AT THE CARE UNIT.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE SIX CLINICIAN.
UH, WE BASICALLY GO AND ENCOUNTER WITH THE HOMELESS POPULATION AND PROVIDE 'EM SERVICES AND CARE.
AND, UH, WE ARE IN A PROCESS OF EXPANDING THEM INTO THE EVENING HOURS TO DOUBLE THAT SIZE.
AND THE AVERAGE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IS ROUGHLY ABOUT 200 CONTACTS PER WEEK.
THEY BASICALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO THROUGH ALL THOSE RESOURCES WE TALKED ABOUT, TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO SHELTERS, MEDICAL CARE, MENTAL HEALTH CARE IS TO A LARGE DEGREE, SOME OF VETERANS TO VETERANS, UH, BENEFITS US AS WELL.
AND, UM, WE BASICALLY WANNA SHIFT THE MINDSET AND MODEL TO SHIFT TOWARD COMMUNITY BASED TYPE OF POLICING AND PROBLEM POLICING.
SO WE CAN BE MORE INTENTIONAL AND MORE SPECIFIC TO THE PROBLEMS WE GOTTA DEAL WITH.
WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF OUTREACH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME RIDE ALONGS AND A PARTNERSHIP IS KEY.
BUT THIS IS A PART THAT, UH, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO MORE.
WE WANNA, OUR MODEL, OUR HPD PARTNERS DO HAVE SOME OF THOSE POSITIVE INTER INTERVENTION PROGRAM, THOSE BUSINESS PIP TYPE OF MEETINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT TO BRING INTO, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR NETWORK.
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SO THIS IS OUR FUTURE PLAN.UH, FEW MONTHS BACK, WE ACHIEVED A HUGE MILESTONE.
WE ACHIEVE OUR FULL STAFFING FOR THE FRONTLINE OFFICERS.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO GROW TO GROW TO STRENGTH, TO STRENGTHEN OUR SECURITIES POSTURE THROUGH OUR SATELLITE SUB STATION THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND ALSO WE WANT, DEFINITELY WANT TO PREPARE FOR IT, NOT JUST THE 2026 WORLD CUP, BUT ALL KEY EVENTS COMING UP IN THE FUTURE.
I'M CONFIDENT THAT HOUSTON, UH, HAS ALREADY EXCEEDED TO BE THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE NATION.
I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR TRAINING TECHNOLOGY AND OUR TRANSPARENCY.
NOW, I DO WANT TO FOCUS ON THE TRAINING AND BECAUSE BASED ON THE EVOLVING NEEDS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DO HIRE A LOT OF, UH, OFFICERS AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE NEED ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND 2020 JUST HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD SLIGHTLY.
SO WE'RE JUST GONNA REVISIT AND HOW WE NEED TO TRAIN STUFF AND STRENGTHEN SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE NEED TO TRAIN IE TO PROVIDE CARE FOR THOSE, LIKE WITH A MENTAL HEALTH NEXUS TO IT.
NOW, I JUST MENTIONED A LOT OF STUFF AND A LOT OF, UH, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM INCREASING, UH, FOOTPRINT TO INCREASING OUR STAFFING TO DECENTRALIZATION.
SO HOW DO WE DO IT WITH SOME METRICS, WITH SOME HIGH LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY? I CAN DEFINE WHAT ARE SOME OF SUCCESS, BUT WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS THE FACT THAT I HAVE A LOT OF POSITIVE CONTACT AS I RIDE THE SYSTEM AND FOLKS CAN COME OUT AND TELL ME, CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THEN THEY ALWAYS LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT OF A COUPLE OF, UH, LOCATIONS LIKE WILLER NORTHLINE WHERE THE PRESENCE, A LIMITED PRESENCE OUT THERE, BUT WE HAVE ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
BUT TAKING GUNS OFF THE STREET FROM CRIMINALS ON A PRETTY REGULAR BASIS, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MANY CRIMES WE'VE PREVENTED.
AND ALSO WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HOMELESS COALITION TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM RESOURCES WHEN MOST NEEDED.
THESE ARE ACTUAL ACCOUNT, MY CARE UNIT, WHICH IS MY CLINICIAN IS TELLING ME, CHIEF, WE HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL, NOT THE FIRST, NOT THE SECOND, NOT THE 10TH, NOT THE 20TH, BUT THE 50TH TIME.
NOW THEY FINALLY TAKE OUT CARE.
AND THOSE ACTUALLY THANKS TO THE CO UH, THE HOMELESS COALITION INCREASING OUR CAPACITY, WE WERE ABLE TO AT LEAST IMPACT HUNDREDS OF LIVES.
AND THIS IS WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE METRO IS A PART OF A SMALL SYSTEM WITHIN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM.
AND A LAW ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM IS WITHIN A LARGER CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
WE CAN ONLY DO WHAT WE CAN DO BY, MEANING THE FACT THAT TAKE MODEL STREET, BUT WE CAN ONLY DO A BEST THAT WE CAN UP TO THE POINT HOW THE SYSTEM CAN SUPPORT THAT DESPITE THOSE ARRESTS, WHAT MAY BE, THOSE MAY GET DIVERTED DESPITE GOING TO THE MENTAL HEALTH WARD TO, TO GET THEM CARE, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT 24, 40 HOURS, WE'RE BACK IN THE SYSTEM AGAIN, THE KEY IS TO FIND LONG-TERM CARES FOR THEM.
NOW, THE ONE I REALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS THE FACT THAT, MA'AM, SINCE YOU'RE HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I'LL HIGHLIGHT, UH, SPRING BRANCHING EXAMPLE.
THERE IS NO WAY WITH THE BEST OF TECHNOLOGY, UH, THE BEST OF, UH, METRICS AND EVERYTHING THAT I I I CAN USE, I CAN PURCHASE OFF THE SHELF OR WHETHER IT MAY BE OR BY DESIGN.
IT'S NOTHING BETTER THAN THE HUMAN INTELLIGENCE BOOTS ON GROUND.
THE PERSON IS CLOSEST TO CONTACT OR PROBLEM.
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, MA'AM, YOU TELL US, WOULD A SHELTER HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS? SO WE WOULD HIGH LEVEL SPECIFICITY, SEND CARE CONDITIONS, SEND OFFICER, GO AND ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
UH, WE ALSO GET LOCATIONS, HEY, YOU ARE PLACING YOUR OFFICER AT A CERTAIN LOCATION MAY NOT BE THE BEST ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, LOCATION FOR HOV, YOU MAY, MIGHT WANNA SHIFT IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO THOSE ARE STUFF THAT, THOSE ROLL LIVE INTEL, THOSE ROLL LIVE DATA THAT WE GET FROM THE PUBLIC, FROM PEOPLE THAT CARE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW WE DELIVER OUR SERVICE.
NOW, I DO WANT TO KIND OF, UM, END WITH THIS AND, UH, I DO WANNA SAVE SOME TIME FROM SOME QUESTIONS, MEANING THE FACT THAT, UH, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 10 MONTHS AND, UH, MY COMMITMENT REMAIN UNCHANGED, CAN I DO BETTER? ABSOLUTELY, EVERY SINGLE DAY I STRIVE TO DO BETTER, BUT I TRY TO FULFILL THESE THREE COMMITMENTS.
I TRY TO BE AS RESPONSIVE AS I POSSIBLY CAN WITH THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT I HAVE.
MEANING THE FACT THAT I MENTIONED THAT WE'VE BEEN TAKING GUNS OFF THE STREET, WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING LONG-TERM SHELTER FOR FOLKS, WE'VE BEEN PREVENTING CRIMINAL ACTS.
BUT THE REALITY IS WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO MORE.
BUT I JUST WANNA FRAME THAT IN PERSPECTIVE.
WE ARE PART OF A LARGER SYSTEM, MEANING THE FACT THAT LIKE ANY BIG CITY CRIME OCCURS EVERY SINGLE DAY, A METRO BUS STOP, A METRO ROUTE IS ALL WITHIN THE CITY ITSELF.
AND IT'S JUST, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST INEVITABLE.
BUT HOW WE RESPOND, HOW WE DETER, THAT'S GONNA BE KEY.
AND THE SECOND THING TOO IS THIS FACT THAT, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE AVERAGE ROUGHLY 75 MILLION RIDERS ON A DAY JUST BASED ON THE AVERAGE.
SO IF I USE MY FINGERS AND TOES CORRECTLY, ROUGHLY 200,000 A DAY, A LOT OF THOSE, IF NOT A LARGE MAJORITY, 99% OR MORE OF THOSE ARE
[00:20:01]
UNEVENTFUL, RIGHT? SO, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE DONE SOMETHING RIGHT? OR UNLESS YOU'RE JUST EXTREMELY LUCKY, I WANNA FULFILL THIS COMMITMENT.EVERY CALL, EVERY POST, EVERY COMPLAINTS, EVERY SINGLE PHONE CALL I RECEIVE, I TRY TO FULFILL THE THREE COMMITMENTS BY MEANING, THE FACT THAT I WANT TO DELIVER SERVICES TO, TO ADDRESS THOSE AS MUCH AS I CAN WITH THE CAPACITY AND THE RESOURCES THAT I HAVE.
BECAUSE THE MOMENT I DON'T, THREE THINGS JUST HAPPEN.
EITHER ONE, PEOPLE THINK I CAN'T DO ANYTHING, AND NUMBER TWO, PEOPLE THINK I WON'T DO ANYTHING.
BUT NUMBER THREE, THEY DON'T THINK I CARE EITHER ONE IS GONNA BE CATASTROPHIC FOR ME OR METRO PD.
AND AT LEAST FOR WHAT MY BOSS JUST MENTIONED, TO GO BACK TO THE BASIC TO DELIVER SAFE, CLEAN, RELIABLE, DEPENDABLE SERVICES FOR EVERYONE.
SO WHAT THE MESSAGE IS, UH, I CAN DO SOMETHING WITH THE RESOURCES I HAVE.
IF SOMETIME IT IS LIMITED, I WILL DO SOMETHING WITH THE RESOURCES I HAVE AND I DO CARE PENDING.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU CHIEF, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WE WERE JOINED, UM, BY VICE CHAIR JACKSON AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND ALL OF THE METRO POLICE OFFICERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN SO MUCH AMAZING WORK FROM ALL OF THE OFFICERS, UM, ESPECIALLY LATELY WORKING WITH HPD.
I KNOW MY OFFICE CONTACTS METRO PRETTY MUCH EVERY WEEK ABOUT CONCERNS AND I MEAN, IT'S JUST FOLLOWED UP ON IMMEDIATELY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING.
UM, JURISDICTIONS, SO I KNOW THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, ENTITIES, UM, MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, LIKE YOU MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT WHERE DOES YOUR JURISDICTION STOP AN HPD BEGIN? SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AT A METRO STATION AND THEN MAYBE THE INDIVIDUAL MOVES AT OFF OF THAT STATION, WHAT ARE YOU ABLE TO DO, UM, OR WHAT HAVE YOUR OFFICERS DONE IN THE PAST? UM, AS FAR AS WORKING WITH HPD AND JURISDICTIONS? MA'AM, THAT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT QUESTION.
I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.
PERHAPS I SHOULD DO A BETTER JOB BRIEFING NEXT TIME TO COVER THAT.
SO THE REALITY IS WE HAVE THE SAME ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY AS ANY STATE CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICER.
SO WITH THAT SAID, WE CAN ENFORCE ALMOST EVERYTHING WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITHIN HARRIS MONTGOMERY, FORT BENNINGTON, A LARGE DEGREE ALSO WALLER COUNTY.
BUT THE GOAL IS WE TRY TO FOCUS WITHIN OUR SYSTEM THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE BUS STOP, THE BUS SHELTER.
BUT JUST BE MINDFUL TOO OF THAT'S STILL PART OF THE HARRIS COUNTY FOOTPRINT.
THAT'S STILL PART OF HPD FOOTPRINT.
THIS IS WHY THE COLLABORATION IS SO IMPORTANT.
SO THE LINE GET EXTREMELY FUZZY, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO YOU START? WHERE DO YOU BEGIN? A GOOD COP THAT CARES WILL EXTEND BEYOND WHAT'S ASKED OF THEM TO SEE IF THEY CAN ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
FOR INSTANCE, IF THE BUS THE PROBLEM OCCUR IN MY BUS STOP, WE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD ADDRESS THAT, HIT OUR BUS, WE SHOULD ADDRESS THAT.
BUT I HOPE I HAVE SOME MEMBER WHO CAN SPEAK ON MY BEHALF AND AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, CAN TESTIFY TO THAT.
BUT IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS OUTSIDE MY FOOTPRINT, IT'S AN IMMEDIATE AREA, WE CAN KEEP IT CLEAN, KEEP IT SAFE.
MY OFFICERS ARE COMMITTED TO DO IT.
BUT, BUT IT ALSO ALL BOILED DOWN TO THIS IS A PART I HAVE TO BE HONEST AND I HAVE TO MANAGE EXPECTATION.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CAPACITY, WHAT RESOURCES HAVE AVAILABLE TO ME.
AND WE'VE ABSOLUTELY SEEN THAT IN DISTRICT A ESPECIALLY RECENTLY, WE HAD, UM, SOME, UM, CONCERNS AT A BUS STATION THAT KIND OF TRICKLED OUT PAST THE BUS STATION AND, UM, METRO POLICE STAYED ON TOP OF IT.
YEAH, I MEAN, WE'VE DEFINITELY SEEN THAT.
SO, SO THEY DON'T, LIKE, EVEN, LIKE THE, THE BAD GUYS, THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW, LIKE JU THEY HAVE NO JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES.
AND THEN I, WE UNDERSTAND THAT TOO.
THE GOAL IS TO HOW CAN WE HOLISTICALLY ADDRESS THE PROBLEM? AND ALSO I ALSO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST TO, TO ADDRESS THOSE PROBLEMS BECAUSE AT SOME POINT THOSE PROBLEMS WILL FEED INTO, YOU KNOW, THE SYSTEM AS AS WELL.
SO THIS IS WHY THE PARTNERSHIP IS, IS, IS SO CRITICAL.
UM, WHEN DEALING WITH ISSUES OF, UM, MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW LAWS THAT JUST PASSED SEPTEMBER 1ST, DOES METRO POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, EVER TRANSPORT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SEEKING HELP? OR ARE YOU WAITING FOR OTHER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS OR HPD? HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO YEAH, SO, UH, METRO PD DO TRANSPORT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE NEEDS ARE, BUT WE HAVE A CAPABILITY THAT ALLOW LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, OUR SISTER UNIT PARTNERS DON'T HAVE HERE.
IT'S THE FACT THAT WE ALSO HAVE METRO LIVES.
SO WE NEED TO LEVERAGE THOSE FACILITY.
WE CAN MOST OUR CONTACTS DEAL WITH THE FOLKS WITH MENTAL HEALTH, AT LEAST THOSE CHRONIC MENTAL HEALTH.
WE TRY TO USE THE SOFTER POSTURE WITH A CLINICIAN TO COME IN CONTACT.
AND MOST OF THE TIME, I DON'T EVEN LIKE TO USE SOME OF MY FRONTLINE OFFICER TO GO WITH THE DEAL WITH THE DIRECT CONTACT.
RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE THE SAME PERSON TRY TO, YOU KNOW, TRY TO RUN YOU OFF A FACILITY, GET YOUR TRESPASSING, AND MAY THE REST LIKE A FEW DAYS BEFORE
[00:25:01]
AND HAVE THE SAME PERSON OFFER SERVICE, RIGHT? SO WE ALWAYS TRY TO USE OUR, OUR CLINICIAN AS THE PUBLIC FACING TO DEAL WITH THEM.NOW THEY, THE OFFICER WILL BE BACK THERE JUST TO, TO, TO ENSURE EVERYTHING IS SAFE AND, YOU KNOW, ACT WHEN NEEDED, UH, IF NEEDED.
SO THE GOAL IS JUST SO METRO PD DO, DO TRANSPORT IN IN A LOT OF WAYS.
AND, UH, IF THERE'S A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, OF COURSE WE'VE ALWAYS LEVERAGE HFD TO COME AND CHECK THE INDIVIDUAL OUT TO DO THE TRANSPORT.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, IF SOMEONE RIDING A BUS, UM, YOU HAS A SAFETY CONCERN, HOW DO THEY REPORT IT TO YOU? THERE, THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT YOU CAN REPORT IT.
WE HAVE TEXT LINE AND WE HAVE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, NUMBERS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OPERATORS AND ALL THOSE ARE VIS VISIBLY, YOU KNOW, AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM FROM THE BUS AND ALSO OUR TRAINING SYSTEM.
AND WE DO ENCOURAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS TO CALL, RIGHT? JUST DON'T WAIT TILL THE PROBLEM TO OCCUR TO CALL, CALL IN ADVANCE.
IF WE SHOW UP, YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE'S NOT MUCH GOING ON, PERHAPS WE MAY JUST SHOW UP ON TIME TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM.
SO I DO ENCOURAGE THEM TO UTILIZE THOSE INFORMATION PLACARDS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM.
UM, WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY COUNCILMAN DAVIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ELKHORN, THANK YOU CHAIR.
BUT, UM, UM, HOW MANY OFFICERS DO YOU HAVE NOW? SO MA'AM, I WOULD, UH, THE FRONTLINE OFFICERS, RIGHT? WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS, UH, CLOSE TO 200.
THE INTENT IS TO GROW TO ROUGHLY MAYBE AROUND IN THE TWO TWENTIES AND TWO THIRTIES OKAY.
AND, UM, Y'ALL ARE IN BUDGET SEASON RIGHT NOW? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO I, UM, I JUST LOOKED, IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR SAFETY ACROSS THE SYSTEM BUDGET IS 50 MILLION.
IS THAT, DOES THAT RIGHT OR THAT THAT'S ABOUT ROUGHLY PRETTY ACCURATE.
AND IS THAT AN INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR OR IS THAT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OVER IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT SO FAR, BUT, UH, I ALSO HAVE TO RESPONSE BE RESPONSIBLE AS WELL.
THIS IS FULL TRANSPARENCY, MEANING THE FACT THAT I DO KNOW THERE IS A DEFINED BUDGET AND I SORT OF NEED TO BE AS A GATEKEEPER TO STAY WITHIN A BUDGET.
SO I HAVE BEEN REEVALUATING MY ENTIRE OPERATION AND SHIFT RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO MAYBE REDUCE SOME, TO INCREASE WHERE IS MOST NEEDED.
WHEN YOU SAY 200 FRONTLINE OFFICERS, THAT'S 200 PEOPLE OUT THERE, THAT MEANS 200 FRONTLINE OFFICERS, THE RANK OF OFFICER, RIGHT? LIKE SO COUNTING THE SUPERVISOR, THE LIEUTENANT.
AND THE, BUT AS FAR AS PEOPLE OUT THERE AT THE STOPS AT THE, YOU KNOW, MONITORING CRIME, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR PATROL OFFICERS KIND OF, YOU KNOW YES MA'AM.
THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE 200 THAT THAT IS CORRECT NUMBER THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GROW AND YOU, YOU STATION THEM OR YOU POSITION THEM BASED ON YOUR HEAT MAP BASED ON WHERE THERE'S INCIDENTS.
I IT SEEMS TO BE A LOT ALONG THE, THE PLATFORMS ALONG THE, THE LINES WHERE THERE, THERE, THERE ARE MORE INCIDENTS.
THAT'S WHERE I'VE KIND OF NOTICED AN INCREASE.
AND WE'RE GOOD REASON AND I, WE'RE GOOD REASON I CANNOT OVER ADVERTISE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PACKAGE SURE.
WHERE EVERYBODY IS, REASONS EVERYBODY IS, BUT THAT, THAT SEEMS TO BE, YEAH.
AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER PECK ASKED ABOUT HOW PEOPLE REACH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE, IF THERE IS SOME KIND OF, I MEAN I'VE BEEN RIDING THE BUS FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL THE YEARS, ONCE A WEEK OR YES MA'AM.
I'M NOT A PUR COMPLETE PURIST, BUT I, I'VE REALLY HAD GOOD EXPERIENCES.
I'VE NOT HAD ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, FULLY SCARY HAPPEN OR ANYTHING ON THE BUS.
SO, BUT I KNOW OCCASIONALLY THERE IS, IS THERE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT, AT STATS OF WHAT HAPPENS? UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR CRIME STATS AND WHAT HAPPENS? UH, IS THERE A DASHBOARD OR ANYTHING WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN BE AWARE OF, OF SAFETY THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING? YES, MA'AM.
WE, WE PUBLISH OUR, OUR, OUR STATS.
SO HOPE ME OUT HERE TEAM, DO WE PUBLISH ON A MONTHLY BASIS? I BELIEVE WE, WE DO, YEAH.
WE PUBLISH OUR STA OUR STATS ON THE MITCHELL WEBSITE.
SO I JUST NEED TO LOOK FOR THAT.
OKAY, WELL THANK YOU FOR, BUT I WOULD DEFINITELY FOLLOW ON THAT.
LEMME JUST GONNA DOUBLE CHECK THAT.
NO, I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AROUND ON YOUR WEB ON YOUR WEBSITE NOW AND YOU HAVE CAMERAS.
UM, THAT'S PART OF, I SEE ON THE BUDGET.
AND UH, THOSE, THAT'S PART OF OUR TECHNOLOGY EXPANSION, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE AND EXPAND MORE AND, UH, WITH DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY, IT'S DEFINITELY GONNA HELP US IN A LOT OF GREAT WAYS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE ALL GONNA TRY TO VENTURE INTO THAT TO KIND OF LEVERAGE THAT HEAVILY.
AND, AND TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE, THE FRONTLINE OFFICERS, SO 200 THAT ARE LIKE DEPLOYED AND THEN HOW MANY MORE? SO YOU GET THE, THE REST OF THEM ARE BASICALLY YOUR SU YOUR SUPERVISOR AND YOUR SUPPORT STAFF, LIKE YOUR SERGEANTS, THEY STILL DEPLOY, BUT SUPERVISOR.
SO WHAT'S YOUR OVERALL STAFF? MY OVERALL NUMBER IS, MA'AM, I WILL GIVE YOU A-A-A-A-A-A ESTIMATE.
SO WE'RE PROBABLY LATE TWO 70 TO TWO 80.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, AND PROVIDING THE UPDATE.
YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING A FANTASTIC
[00:30:01]
JOB.AND THERE'S BEEN A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE, UH, SPECIFICALLY IN DISTRICT H WITH REGARD TO SAFETY ON THE RAIL AND AT OUR BUS STOPS.
YOU KNOW, I, UH, I DRIVE BY THE CAVALCADE STATION A LOT.
I LIVE CLOSE TO IT, SO I SEE IT MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I HAVEN'T SEEN A METRO PD OR A FAIR CHECKER OR THE PLATFORM BEING CLEANED GOING BY IT.
AND, UH, THAT HAS BEEN A AREA OF CONCERN FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND Y'ALL HAVE RESPONDED AND STEPPED UP, WORKED WITH HPD REALLY WELL AS PART OF THE DISTRICT H PATROL INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS THOSE AREAS.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE, THE NEW THINGS THAT WERE BEING DONE THE MORNING, UH, CLEANING AND THE CARE TEAM.
UM, THE UNIT THAT'S, THAT'S GOING IN, THE MOBILE UNIT THAT'S GOING IN WILL PROVIDE THE 24 HOUR PRESENCE.
WHAT, WHAT WILL DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, HOW SUCCESSFUL THAT IS OR HOW ARE Y'ALL MEASURING SUCCESS WITH, WITH THAT SPECIFICALLY? SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KIND OF LIKE, UH, LAUNCH, YOU KNOW, LEAN FORWARD TO, TO ADVERTISE WHY MOBILE COMMAND POST THAT WAS REFERRED TO, UH, TENTATIVELY IT SHOULD BE DELIVERED PROBABLY AROUND LIKE, UH, THE SECOND QUARTER OF, UH, 2026, WHICH IS AROUND LIKE JUNE TIMEFRAME.
SO WITH THAT SAID, IS THE BEST THING WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW IS IF THERE'S A HOTSPOT, THERE'S A PRIVATE LOCATION AREA, WE JUST GONNA DEPLOY SOME RESOURCES TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNER TO GET OUT THERE WITH THE MOBILE COMMAND POSTS.
UH, MOST OF Y'ALL PROBABLY APPROVE THE BUDGET TO PURCHASE THEM BEFORE A LOT OF TIME AGENCY USE THOSE MOBILE COMMAND POSTS FOR DURING CRISIS, DURING HUGE RESPONSE DURING DISASTER CATASTROPHIC EVENT, MAN MADE A A, A A A A NATURAL DISASTER.
RIGHT? OUR CONCEPT IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
WE WILL USE THAT FOR THAT WHEN NEED TO, OR IF NEED TO.
HOWEVER, THOSE WILL BE DEPLOYED ON A DAILY, PERHAPS EVEN A WEEKLY BASIS.
MEANING THE FACT THAT WE WILL MONITOR BASICALLY BY DIFFERENT METRICS.
WE ARE GAUGE BY THE HEAT MAP WHAT A CRIME NEED TO TAKE US TO OR BY REQUESTS WHERE THE PROBLEMS MAY BE.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT FACILITY UP TO A LOCATION, A DEFINED LOCATION WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE, AND OCCUPY THAT FOR A LONG TIME WITH GOOD REASON.
WHEN YOU BRING A POLICE FACILITY THERE, NATURALLY ALL DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY AND DIFFERENT RESOURCES WILL GRAVITATE THERE TO HOLISTICALLY ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
BUT Y'ALL WOULD SAY, HEY CHIEF, THIS IS NOTHING NEW.
YOU KNOW, WE SEARCH AN AREA, BUT YOU KNOW, AREAS THAT, YOU KNOW, CRIME IS GONNA DISPLACE AND OVER TIME.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA REALLY SERVE ITS PURPOSE.
THIS IS WHY THE MOBILE STOREFRONT, THE MOBILE STATION IS SO VALUABLE AS THE CRIME PATTERN SHIFT, WE CAN SHIFT THE ENTIRE ASSET OUT THERE.
OVER TIME, PROBLEMS BECOME SMALLER PROBLEMS, SMALLER PROBLEMS BECOME ISSUES, AND HOPEFULLY IT'S TO ERADICATE, AT LEAST MITIGATE THEM.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, SIR, THE PRIORITIES WILL BE, IS HEAT MAP DATA DRIVEN AND ALSO BY REQUESTS, DESPITE, I I, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, I STAY TRUE TO THAT, UH, DESPITE THAT I COULD LOOK AT A COMPUTER SCREEN, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND PERHAPS THAT MIGHT BE THE HIGHEST YOU CONCENTRATED, YOU KNOW, HEAT AREAS THAT NEED TO BE DEPLOYED TO.
BUT MOST OF THE FOLKS THAT KNOW THE PROBLEMS, KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOODS SAY, HEY, YOU MIGHT WANNA DEPLOY THERE, PERHAPS YOU MAY HAVE THE PROBLEM THERE, BUT THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM START FROM THERE.
SO HEAT MAP, DATA DRIVEN, CRIME DRIVEN.
AND ALSO TO YOUR POINT TOO, SIR, IS, IS, IS FROM THE FEEDBACK THAT WE COLLECT THROUGH THE COMMUNITY MEETING AND THROUGH THE TRUST THAT WE HAVE, OUR PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TELL US WHERE WE NEED IT MOST.
AND THE GOAL IS TO, IF, IF, IF BUDGET PERMIT IN THE FUTURE, NOT TO OVER, UH, OVER COMMIT OVER, UH, TELEGRAPH, THAT IS TO NOT JUST HAVE THE ONE ASSET TO PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE THAT WILL BE KIND OF OUR MODEL WITH MULTIPLE ASSET TO SUCCESSFULLY COVERAGE THE 1300 SQUARE MILES.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONED THE HOLISTIC APPROACH AND YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT NOT JUST ARRESTING YOUR WAY YES SIR.
AND WITH YOUR CARE UNIT, WITH YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE NOT JUST FOCUSING ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE, BUT ALSO THE SERVICE AND SUPPORT SIDE, THAT IS A VITAL PART OF THE EQUATION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, TO YOUR POINT, UH, I OFTEN GET A LOT OF COMMENTS TO SAY, HEY, CHIEF, YOU'RE NOT DOING SO WELL HERE.
AND THOSE COMMENT IS PRETTY, PRETTY HARD TO TAKE, BUT I NEED TO TAKE ALL OF IT, RIGHT? BECAUSE THOSE ARE TRUE COMMENTS.
THIS IS HOW I KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
IF NOT, IF I JUST TAKE ALL THE GOODS, I JUST THINK I'M DOING A GOOD JOB AND IF I DO A PRETTY BAD JOB THAT I DON'T KNOW.
SO I I I WELCOME THOSE COMMENTS AS AS WELL.
CHIEF, UH, YOU AND I GO WAY BACK.
AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU IN THIS, UH, POSITION.
AND PLEASE, UH, RELAY OUR GRATITUDE TO THE WOMEN AND MEN THAT YOU WORK WITH WITHIN METRO PD.
WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING HARD, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE SUMMER MONTHS.
[00:35:01]
YOU KNOW, THE WORK, THE IMPORTANT WORK OF GETTING FIREARMS OFF THE STREETS.UM, IT'D BE HELPFUL TO KNOW, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE IT IN THIS PRESENTATION, BUT IF YOU DO HAVE STATISTICS AND NUMBERS, SO HOW MANY ENGAGEMENTS WITH AN INDIVIDUAL THAT DID HAVE A FIREARM, UM, JUST ANY WAY TO QUANTIFY THAT, UM, WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR ME.
SO, SO WHAT I CAN QUANTIFY IS THE FACT THAT, UH, TEXAS IS A OPEN CARRIER STATE.
SO THE ONLY ONE I CAN QUANTIFY IS NOT THE FIREARMS THAT COME IN CONTACT EVERY DAY.
WE CAN TAKE OFF THE CRIMINALS EVERY SINGLE DIRECT.
THAT'S, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PLATFORM PRESENCE, AND THIS MAY BE A QUESTION, UH, FOR OUR OTHER FRIENDS AT METRO, UH, AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE Y'ALL AS WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, IN SOME OTHER CITIES, RIGHT? THERE ARE ACTUAL PLATFORM BARRIERS.
YOU CANNOT GAIN ENTRY TO THE PLATFORM WITHOUT A TICKET THAT YOU'VE PURCHASED.
SO RATHER THAN HAVING TO HAVE INCREASING PRESENCE, WHICH IS A STRAIN ON YOUR RESOURCES, RIGHT? WE'RE, WE'RE DESIGNING IN SUCH A WAY, AND I'M SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO POTENTIALLY AROUND MIDTOWN, RIGHT? THAT'S WHERE, AT LEAST FOR DISTRICT C, WE GET A LOT OF THE COMPLAINTS IN.
UM, ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO REDESIGN SOME OF THOSE PLATFORMS TO RESTRICT THAT ENTRY AT THE PLATFORM SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP HAVING THE SAME RECURRING ISSUES OVER AND OVER AGAIN? SO MA'AM, YOU'RE ACTUALLY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE YOU'RE SPOT ON.
UH, MEANING THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A TIME, AND I'M MAKING ASSUMPTIONS RIGHT NOW, I HAVE NOT BEEN IN METRO LONG ENOUGH TO TRULY KNOW ALL THE ANALYTICS AND HAVE ALL THE DETAILS.
SO I'M JUST MAKING AN ASSUMPTION.
SO THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE DESIGNED OUR SYSTEM, THE METRO SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON, THEY CALL IT THE SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY.
WE ALL A FRIEND THE CITY, AND THEN WE ALL A GREAT CITY.
AND YOU CAN TELL EVERY SINGLE DISASTER I WAS, I, I TOLD ALL MY, BASICALLY MY LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE COUNTRY, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE HAVE DURING DISASTER WAS THE FACT THAT WE ASK PEOPLE, WHAT DO YOU GOT NO FOOD.
PLEASE DON'T BRING US ANY FOOD ANYMORE.
SO, SO, BECAUSE HOUSTON SUCH A GREAT CITY, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THEY DESIGNED THAT PLATFORM, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS EXTREMELY, I GUESS ADEQUATE AND, AND AND CONDUCIVE FOR THE, THE, THE ENVIRONMENT AT THE TIME, RIGHT? BUT THE TIME HAS CHANGED.
BUT I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, UH, THIS HAS BEEN IN DISCUSSION, BUT, UH, THE REALITY IS I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE STRATEGIC GOALS.
SO, UH, I'M THE SECURITY LAW ENFORCEMENT GUY, SO HAVE THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE MY JOB SO MUCH EASIER, RIGHT? BUT I KNOW THAT'S GONNA TAKE INTO A LOT OF CONSIDERATION, BUDGET PLANNING, FORECAST AND STUFF LIKE THAT, RIGHT? SO PERHAPS I CANNOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION TODAY, BUT I WELCOME THAT PASS THROUGH
AND I, I LASTLY WANTED TO THANK YOU, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AS AN EXAMPLE AT WEST GRAY, UM, YOU ALL, METRO PD HAS STEPPED UP IN SUCH A WAY TO INCREASE, UH, SECURITY PRESENCE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUTH PROGRAMMING THERE, RIGHT? AND WE'RE SERVING AT WEST GRAY VERY, UM, VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? A LOT OF, YES MA'AM.
AND WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S A WELCOMING PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
UH, BUT YOU ALL HAVE STEPPED UP IN SUCH A WAY BECAUSE METRO SERVICES THROUGH METRO LIFT, THAT LOCATION IS VERY, VERY HEAVILY USED BY METRO.
UM, BUT I, I WANTED TO GIVE Y'ALL A SHOUT OUT FOR REALLY WORKING WITH THIS CITY, UH, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE NEEDS THERE, BOTH SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM.
THAT'S SORT OF, KIND OF ANSWERS SEGUE BACK INTO MA'AM, YOUR, YOUR POINT EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSIBILITY, WHAT IS THE, THE PHASE LINE? SO THIS IS THE, SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO DISTINGUISH, RIGHT? WE HAVE AN ISSUE CONCERN OUT THERE AT THAT LOCATION BECAUSE WE HAVE A CERTAIN RIDERSHIP IS, IS VULNERABLE, THEN WE INCREASE OUR FOOTPRINT TO HOLISTICALLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
EVERYTHING YOU AND YOUR TEAM DO, UH, I'VE GOT A QUESTION ON THE HOMELESS WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE HOMELESS.
CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH HOW THAT ACTUALLY WORKS? ARE YOU WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY OR THE COUNTY TO TRY AND GET THEM INTO PERMANENT HOUSING OR WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE DOING? SO, SO, YES SIR.
SO UNFORTUNATELY JUST BEING HOMELESS SELF IS, IS IS NOT A CRIME.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, HOMELESS, YOU KNOW, THEY DO HAVE A A SOME OF THEM NOT ALL, YOU KNOW, AND I TRULY KIND OF, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, I CAN FRAME HOMELESS INTO KINDA LIKE THREE CATEGORIES, RIGHT? THERE ARE SOME JUST BASICALLY DOWN IN LUCK, THEY'RE DOWN TO THE LAST PENNY AND THEN THEY GOT EVICTED.
BUT THOSE ARE PRETTY EASY, RIGHT? YOU KIND OF, KIND OF HELP THEM WITH SOME RESOURCES.
THEY, YOU KNOW, CATAPULT THEM FORWARD AND THEY CAN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SEEK RESOURCES.
THE SECOND TYPE I DO REALIZE IS THE, THE DRUG DEPENDENCY.
THAT THAT IS HUGE TOO, RIGHT? AND THE THIRD THING IS, IS BASICALLY SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, CHOOSE TO BE HOMELESS BECAUSE OF THEIR MENTAL HEALTH NEXUS.
I'M NOT COMMITTED A CRIME, BUT THAT'S IS THE MENTAL HEALTH NEXUS.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE, SO I JUST TO, FROM A LAYMAN PERSPECTIVE, 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY WHAT MY, YOU KNOW, CLINICIAN DO EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO I CAN'T LAY OUT ALL THE RESOURCES.
THEY WILL COME IN CONTACT, TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, AND MOST OF THE
[00:40:01]
TIME THEY ALREADY KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND THEN TRY TO OFFER THEM SERVICES.SOME OF THEM I JUST SAY, HEY, I NEED, YOU KNOW, MEDICINE, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
YOU KNOW, THEY'LL PROBABLY TRY TO DIVERT THEM TO THE, THE, THE, THE SOCIAL SERVICES PROVIDE 'EM MEDICATION THAT THEY NEED.
OR THEY SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T THINK I FEEL TOO WELL DIVERT THEM TO THE HOSPITAL THAT POTENTIALLY MAY NEED TO DO A MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATION FOR THEM.
OR THEY SAY, HEY, I DON'T FEEL TOO WELL PERHAPS EVEN GO TO THE ER TO GET CHECKED OUT.
RIGHT? AND THEN FIND LONG TERM SERVICE.
SOME OF THEM THAT ACTUALLY TOOK THE SERVICE.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM TO CERTAIN SERVICE IN THE LONG TERM.
BUT YOUR QUESTION WAS FOCUSED ON WHAT IS THE NEAR TERM.
SO IN THE PAST, IT'S ALL ABOUT CAPACITY.
AS AS, AS WELL FROM THE DIVERSION CENTER TO A FEW OTHER PLACES.
THEY HAVE LIMITED BED, YOU KNOW, JUST AVAILABLE.
BUT BY WORKING WITH A HOMELESS COALITION, UH, LATELY THEY WERE ABLE TO INCREASE A LOT OF THE CAPACITY.
SO EVEN THOUGH SOME OF THOSE, WE CAN TAKE THEM FOR A SHORT TURNAROUND, PERHAPS.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, WE SEE A PROBLEM GETTING ABLE TO ESCALATE AND THEN YOU CAN COUNTER THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL AND THEN THEY'RE WILLING TO GO TO A SHELTER OR WHATEVER IT IS, CAN TAKE THEM TO AT LEAST HOUSE THEM FOR A 24 HOURS.
AT LEAST THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO TOO.
YOU KNOW, GIVE 'EM A MEAL AND ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
NOW THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE, I I, I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS, IS THIS IS THE PART, AND THIS IS THE PART REVERT BACK TO BEING HOUSTONIAN.
OUR HEART IS ALWAYS BIG AND GREAT DESPITE OUR BEST INTENTION.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS THE FACT THAT A LOT OF GROUPS, INSTEAD OF LIKE FEEDING THE POPULATION AT A DEFINED LOCATION WHERE THEY COULD GO TO GET THE RESOURCES, THEY SOMEHOW LIKE TO COME TO DOWNTIME WITH GOOD REASON.
YOU KNOW, THEY FEEL BAD, THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T HAVE A MEAL.
AND THEY FEED THEM BECAUSE BY FEEDING THEM, THEY KNOW IT'S A DEFINED LOCATION IN DOWNTOWN, PERHAPS IN MY TRANSIT.
THEY KNOW WHERE TO GET THE RESOURCES THEY NEED VERSUS TO GO TO DIFFERENT LOCATION FACILITY.
THEY CAN GET LONG-TERM RESOURCES.
BUT TO YOUR POINT TO, TO BASICALLY WRAP UP IN ONE SENTENCE, WE COUNT ON, WE, WE COME IN CONTACT WITH A HOMELESS, THE CONDITION, ASSESS WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE AND TO PROVIDE 'EM THE SERVICES THEY NEED.
IF OFFICERS COUNT IN CONTACT WITH THEM, WE DETERMINE HAS THE LAW BEEN BROKEN? IF NOT, WE EITHER, LIKE PERHAPS THEIR TRESPASS CERTAIN LOCATION, WE GIVE WARNING NOT TO TRESPASS.
IF THEY ELEVATE TO A POINT THAT CRIMINAL ACT IS COMMITTED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LEVERAGE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
OR IF THERE'S MENTAL HEALTH, NO NEXUS TO THAT IN CRISIS, WE LEVERAGE THE MENTAL HEALTH, THE EDO PROCESS.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY OUR GOAL IS NOT JUST TO MOVE 'EM FROM ONE PLACE ON THE NEXT, BUT ABSOLUTELY.
FIND SOME LONG TERM SOLUTIONS.
IT'S ALWAYS A LONG TERM SOLUTION.
UH, AND ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT IN MY DISTRICT, UH, I'VE GOT AN ACQUAINTANCE OF MINE THAT, THAT LIVES DOWN IN THE MUSEUM DISTRICT, AND HE'S TOLD ME THAT THE LIGHT RAIL STATION AT WHEELER IS STILL A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST, WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
UH, AND THE LAST THING, AND YOU MENTIONED IT EARLIER, THE, UH, ENFORCEMENT OF THE HOV LANES.
UM, I COME IN 59 PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DO ENFORCEMENT AND I'M GOOD WITH THAT.
UH, THE PROBLEM IS WHERE THEY ACTUALLY PLACE IT.
UH, IF TRAFFIC IS MOVING WELL ON THE FREEWAY, IT WILL HAVE A LOT OF CONGESTION RIGHT.
IN FACT, I'VE ALMOST BEEN INVOLVED IN A COUPLE OF ACCIDENTS BECAUSE YOU GET OVER THE OVERPASS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYBODY STOPPED.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAN DO THAT ENFORCEMENT, MAYBE EVEN BACK AROUND SAN CENTER RIVER, UH, THERE'S A ENTRANCE RAMP.
AND I THINK THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE ENTERING THE FREEWAY BETWEEN, UH, KINGWOOD DRIVE AND TOWNSEND BOULEVARD.
AND THERE'S A LARGE AREA UP THERE WHERE THERE'D BE PLENTY OF ROOM.
AND I THINK IT PROBABLY CAUSED A LOT LESS CONGESTION ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THEY THEY DID IT THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK.
UH, WE ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND I THOUGHT I ADDRESSED THAT.
MAYBE THEY ADDRESSED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT, SO SIR, THIS IS NOT A PROCESS PROBLEM.
BACK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE FEEDBACK.
THOSE, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR FOR BOTH, UH, BRINGING THIS, UH, METRO HERE IN THEIR PRESENTATION.
FIRST OF ALL, CHIEF 10 IS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.
I AGREE WITH, UH, WITH, UH, OUR, MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN ALCORN.
I, WE REALLY MISS YOU, UH, IN YOUR ROLE.
BUT, UH, I'VE, I'VE JUST APPLAUD THE FACT THAT I ATTEND SEVERAL OF THE BOARD AND, UH, MEETINGS WITH METRO AND THE HEROIC WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AT METRO IS JUST PHENOMENAL AND CONGRATULATIONS ON, ON THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THAT, THE ROLE THAT YOU PLAY IN THE CHIEF AND ALSO TO OUR INTERIM PRESIDENT, CEO BROTHER THOMAS.
AND WE OF COURSE SEE EACH OTHER, UH, SOMETIME, BUT I JUST HAD A FEW THINGS I WANTED TO BRING UP FOR THE FIFA AND I MAY, IT MAY HAVE BEEN MENTIONED EARLIER BEFORE I CAME INTO THE CHAMBER.
UH, IN REGARDS TO THE PREPARATION FOR THE WORLD CUP.
UH, DO YOU ALL HAVE, UH, IS THERE EXTRA MANPOWER THAT YOU,
[00:45:01]
YOU ALL HAVE ADDED TO THE METRO FOR THE PREPARATIONS OF FIFA? YEAH.SO THAT'S PART OF OUR GROWTH, THE PROJECTION OF GROWTH TO INCREASE.
WE, LIKE I SAID, A FEW MONTHS BACK, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO TO TO, TO REACH A HUGE MILESTONE TO ACCOMPLISH FULL FRONTLINE OFFICER FULL STAFF.
NOW WE ACTUALLY INCREASED THAT, THOSE STAFFING THAT WE NEED.
ON TOP OF THAT, UH, WE HAVE BEEN LIKE REGULAR MEETINGS WITH YEAH.
OUR PARTNERS, WHICH IS THE LEAD LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SURE.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM AND WE ALSO WORK WITH OTHER, LIKE SMALLER AGENCY HOW WE BEST CAN PROTECT OUR FOOTPRINT.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY IS THIS IS WHY WE WANT LEVERAGE A-A-A-A-A OVERTIME PROGRAM, RIGHT.
TO GET OUR PARTNERS INVOLVED, RIDE OUR SYSTEM.
NOT JUST TO INCREASE PRESENCE OUR SYSTEM DURING LIKE REGULAR TIME.
BUT ALSO TO LOAD, KNOW OUR SYSTEM TO WHEN DURING TIME CRITICAL EVENTS OR YOUR BIG EVENTS IS MOST NEEDED, THAT THEY KNOW THE SYSTEM, THEY CAN BETTER NAVIGATE AROUND THERE.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TOO, SIR YEAH.
IS, IS, IS, IS TO TO TO CHANGE THE MINDSET.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT SIR, CAN I INCREASE A LOT OF STAFFING IN THE, IN THE NEXT, UH, EIGHT, NINE MONTHS? PERHAPS THE ANSWER IS, IS, IS, IS IS MAYBE NOT.
BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THE FACT THAT, UH, A BAD GUY, THEY'RE WATCHING THIS, UH, ALREADY CLOSED THE RED BOOK, WHICH MEANS NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO TAKE OFF DURING THAT TIME.
AND THAT, AND THAT IS ALWAYS A CONCERN BECAUSE THE WORK THAT HOUSTON FIRST DOES IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY, UM, ADMINISTRATION AND HPD AND EVERYBODY IN PREPARATION BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE BIG.
IT'S GOING TO CERTAINLY IMPACT OUR CITY.
YOU KNOW, BUT OF COURSE PUBLIC SAFETY AND SAFETY FOR TOURISTS AS WELL AS THE RESIDENT IS THE PRIORITY TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ENJOYING, UH, THE, THE, THE FEE FOR THE WORLD CUP.
UH, SO, SO GOOD COMMEND YOU AND PRAYING.
THAT YOU GUYS REALLY, UH, 'CAUSE WE NEED ALL OF YOU IN THAT RESPECT.
SECONDLY, LAST THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT.
WHEN I DO SEVERAL OF MY TOWN HALL MEETINGS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I GET ALWAYS CALLED AND QUESTIONED ABOUT IS MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY SENIOR CITIZENS WHO GO TO THE BUS STOP, THERE ARE HOMELESS PEOPLE SLEEPING ON THE BENCHES, YOU KNOW, AT SEVERAL OF THOSE SPOTS.
AND I KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY A BIG CONCERN OF METRO, UH, IN DEALING WITH THAT.
AND I'M GLAD WHAT, UH, YOU WERE SPEAKING TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICK YOU ABOUT IN REGARDS TO THOSE HOMELESS AND WHAT YOU DO WITH THAT.
IN ASSISTING WITH THE HOMELESS COALITION.
BUT IT, IT CAN BE A PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH COUNCIL, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE THE SIDEWALK, UH, ORDINANCE OF REMOVING.
SO WE KNOW, AND I KNOW PERSONALLY, ESPECIALLY IN FANNING, A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW, 'CAUSE I LIVED THERE, BUT FANNING, UH, AT THE RAIL ALONG WITH BUFFALO SPEEDWAY, UH, THOSE AREAS IS PRETTY OFTENTIMES CROWDED WITH THE HOMELESS, ESPECIALLY UNDER SIX 10.
SO IS THAT BECOME A REAL TARGET WITH THE SLEEPING ON THE BENCHES AND THAT TYPE OF THING? ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET TO THE WORLD CUP EVENT AS WELL AS JUST EVERY DAY? YES, SIR.
THEY, THEY, THEY'RE OUT THERE.
THEY GET THE SHELTER DESPITE THE FACT THAT EVEN WHEN WE PUT A CONVEYOR BELT TO KIND OF LIKE MOVE THEM ALONG YEAH.
PROVIDE SOME SERVICES, BECAUSE NATURALLY THERE'S A REASON WHY THEY GO BACK THERE.
EITHER A, THEY FIND SOME SORT OF COMFORT TO, TO, TO, TO SHELTER OUT THERE OR SOMEONE BE FEEDING THEM, OR THEY CAN GET THE RESOURCES TO PANHANDLE WHAT THAT MAY BE.
SO WE TRY TO HOLISTICALLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SIR, THE LONG TERM SOLUTION WILL BE IS YEAH, ONCE WE INCREASE THE CAPACITY FOR LONG-TERM LIKE BEDS OR WHATEVER THAT MAY BE, WE'RE WORKING ON THE ANGLE.
AND I BELIEVE I DON'T HAVE THE, THE, THE HOMELESS COALITION STAFFS IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW MM-HMM
I, I'LL LET THEM ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
BUT, UH, THEY HAVE MAKE SOME SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN TERMS OF THE LONG-TERM HOUSING SIDE OF IT, AND THEY ACTUALLY TRY TO DO MORE.
I KNOW CHIEF SATTERWHITE, UH, IS OVERSEE THE HOMELESS COALITION STUFF, AND THEN HE'S WORKING ON THAT ANGLE AS WELL, ALONG WITH MIKE NIKOS.
SO MY GOAL IS THE FACT THAT UP UNTIL WE GET THE LONG TERM SOLUTION, I WANNA PROVIDE THOSE IMMEDIATE RELIEFS.
SO TO YOUR POINT, SIR, WHEREVER THOSE LOCATION IS MM-HMM
BUT YOUR STAFF DEFINITELY NEED LIKE, LIKE, LIKE WE ALWAYS DO BY XPD.
HEY CHIEF, I NEED TO GO TO THIS.
SO I NEED TO HAVE THOSE LOCATION, COMPILE IT AND SEND IT TO MY TEAM SO WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE CONVEYOR BELT AND PART THE RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE RESOURCES.
BUT IT'S GREAT TO HAVE RESOURCES TO MOVE TOWARDS THE RIGHT DIRECTION YEAH.
AND ADDRESS PROBLEMS WHERE'S MOST NEEDED.
BECAUSE IF NOT, WE'RE JUST GONNA LOOK AT A HEAT MAP, HEY, THIS IS THE PROBLEM WHERE IT IS.
PERHAPS THAT MAY NOT BE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, TO YOUR POINT, THAT IS IMPORTANT.
[00:50:01]
THE ELDERLY TRY TO GET A RIDE.I DON'T WANT THEM TO, TO GET HOME FOR YOU TO YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
BECAUSE SOME OF 'EM COMPLAIN, THEY GO TO THE BUS STOP, HOMELESS PEOPLE THERE, AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY SHOULD STAY THERE.
WHAT? SO SIR, GET, GET THAT LIST.
I, I PROMISE YOU WE WILL ADDRESS THAT.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, JACKSON, HOW YOU DOING, MA'AM? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
HEY, UM, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, JOINING US, UM, AT THIS COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, I CAME IN A LITTLE BIT, UM, WHEN YOU HAD ALREADY STARTED THE PRESENTATION, AND SO THE, UM, THE SLIDE THEY HAVE AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.
IS THAT THE, UM, TRANSIT CENTERS, THE, THE DIFFERENT, YEAH.
SO EVERY, THESE ARE BASICALLY ALL THE, THE SERVICE AREAS THAT WE COVER.
AND THE SERVICE FACILITIES THAT WE OWN LIKE IN A THOUSANDS AND A LOT.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE WILL BASICALLY, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THIS IS BASICALLY THE HEAT MAP SHOWN THAT WE HAVE RESPONDED TO CALL IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM IN THOSE AREAS.
OUR AREAS ACTUALLY PRETTY BROAD.
MEANING THE FACT THAT I I I, I MAKE, I'M NOT SURE YOU, YOU WERE HERE WHEN I, I MADE A COMMENT TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE TO FRAME IT, WE PRETTY MUCH ALMOST THE SIZE OF THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND.
AND ON TOP OF THAT FOUR COUNTIES, HARRIS IS, IS IS THE, THE CENTER, UH, OF GRAVITY.
MEANING WE HAVE MONTGOMERY, FORT BEND, AND ALSO WALL COUNTY AS WELL.
AND SOME OF THE, THE AREAS THAT YOU, UM, YOU GUYS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IS THE BUS STOPS AS WELL? THAT, THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
AND SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DATA, UM, I WENT TO THE WEBSITE JUST TRYING TO SEE THE DATA, UM MM-HMM
INCIDENTS THAT'S HAPPENING AT CERTAIN YES, YES MA'AM.
UM, IF WE COULD, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN GET THAT INFORMATION, IT CAN KIND OF GIVE US A GOOD, A BETTER SNAPSHOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICT.
UM, OF COURSE MY DISTRICT IS NOT LIKE REALLY ON THE RAIL DOWNTOWN, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, DO, HAVE, UM, SEVERAL TRANSIT CENTERS.
AND SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ABSOLUTE GETTING COMMUNITY INVOLVED.
WE HAVE INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE TACKLING, UM, CRIME ENG ENGAGE, BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, CREDIBLE MESSENGERS.
AND SO HAVING THOSE HOTSPOTS, IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US BECAUSE WE WOULD KNOW WHERE TO DEPLOY.
THIS, THIS IS ONE THING THAT'S GONNA REALLY GONNA WORK IS THIS, HAVE THOSE VOLUNTEER.
WE ACTUALLY TRY TO WORK ON SOME SORT OF AMBASSADOR PROGRAM IN NEAR FUTURE.
I DON'T WANNA ADVERTISE IT, BUT MA'AM, BUT TO YOUR POINT, I DO LIKE TO ASK A LITTLE MORE TIME FOR THIS.
'CAUSE WHEN I WAS HP DI WAS SPOILED BECAUSE OUR CRIME STATS KIND LINE UP WITH THE COUNCIL DISTRICT IN METRO IS, IS PRETTY BROAD.
SO I REALLY NEED THE TEAM TO HELP ME TO BUILD THAT PRODUCT.
SO IT'S GONNA, IT'S, IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT I PROMISE I WILL DELIVER THE PRODUCT AND THEN JUST, YOU KNOW, MORE DETAIL ON THE PROJECTS OR THE INITIATIVES THAT YOU HAVE LAUNCHED TO PRETTY MUCH ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY OR STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW YOU DO RIDEALONGS, BUT WHAT OTHER INITIATIVES DO YOU GUYS WORK ON, UM, WITH THE COMMUNITY TO STRENGTHEN THAT? AND THEN WHAT, UM, UM, PROGRAMS DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE TO, UM, IMPROVE ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, WITH, WITH METRO? UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
IF YOU CAN GET ME, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET IT TO ME ALL RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, WOULD BE INTERESTING.
SO JUST, JUST TO BE, UH, FULL TRANSPARENCY, MA'AM.
YOU KNOW, I JUST GOT HERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE NINE AND A HALF.
THESE ARE LIKE CONCEPTUAL, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT I WANT TO DO.
SO, UH, YEAH, MY TEAM ALWAYS CALLS ME, CHIEF, YOU'RE SUCH A GOOD IDEA.
JUST THINK OF STUFF AND DON'T GET STUFF DONE.
SO YOU HAVE TO GIMME SOME TIME.
SO NEXT TIME YOU'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR US.
I, I WAS STRIVE TO HAVE THAT CONTINGENT UPON WHEN THE NEXT MEETING IS.
IF COUNCIL MEMBER BECK CALLED ME THE NEXT MONTH, I PERHAPS WOULD BE STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, AND HOW YOU LAID EVERYTHING OUT.
I HAVE A COUPLE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
YOU SPOKE A BIT ABOUT THE CARE UNIT THAT YOU HAVE IN TERMS OF KIND OF ACCESSING THAT.
CAN ANYONE WHO IS CALLING IN A COMPLAINT, UM, OR IS CALLING IF FLAGGING A CONCERN, REQUEST THAT A CARE UNIT COME TO HELP OUT IN A TIME OF CRISIS? OR DOES THE METRO PD CALL THEM WHEN THEY'RE AT THE SCENE? HOW DID THAT PARTNER SUPPORT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UH, BASICALLY, UH, THE, THE METRO, UH, UH, NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER, WHEN YOU CALL THE NUMBER AND SAY, I HAVE A PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH WITH X, Y, Z LOCATION, AND THEN THAT HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL PERHAPS GONNA NEED SOME RESOURCES, ABSOLUTELY WE WELCOME THOSE PHONE CALL.
BUT THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS OUR CAPACITY IS KIND OF LIMITED.
WHEN WE FIRST BUILT OUR CARE UNIT, IT'S BASICALLY LINED UP WITH THE HOURS WHERE THE FACILITY, YOU KNOW, WAS ABLE TO TAKE IN THOSE INDIVIDUALS, RIGHT, THAT NEED CARE.
BUT NOW THE HOURS HAS TO EXPAND.
THIS IS WHY I JUST MENTIONED EARLIER, I WANNA DOUBLE THE SIZE OF MY, UH, UH, MY CARE TEAM TO INCREASE THAT CAPACITY, BUT I'M NOT THERE YET.
[00:55:01]
TO ASSUME IF A REGULAR WORKDAY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY IN A BALLPARK, MAYBE EIGHT TO FOUR IN THE AFTERNOON, YOU'D BE EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL TO GET THE CARE UNIT OUT THERE.HOWEVER, I DO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO CALL BECAUSE WE DO TAP IN WITH THE HPD, YOU KNOW, UNITS THAT LIKE THE, THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, AND ALSO WE HAVE OFFICERS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT CLINICIAN, BUT THEY DO HAVE SOME SKILLSET.
THEY'RE TRAINED IN THAT AND THEY COULD PROVIDE LIMITED FACILITY AND RESOURCES TO THEM, AND THEY ALL TRAINED IN TERMS OF HOW TO PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES.
ARE THEY AS GOOD AS THE CARE UNIT? PERHAPS, MAYBE NOT IN TERMS IN TERMS OF KNOWLEDGE, BUT THE COMMITMENT IS, IS STILL SECOND TO NONE.
UM, AND THEN YOU SPOKE A BIT ABOUT FIFA ARRIVING, AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW HOW BIG IT'S GOING TO BE.
AND THIS A HUNDRED PERCENT STAFFING GOAL THAT YOU HAVE DURING FIFA.
COULD YOU SPEAK A BIT MORE PERHAPS TO THE PLAN, UM, FOR WHEN FIFA ARRIVES AND WE SEE RIDERSHIP INCREASING AROUND TOWN? UM, I THINK THERE'S FOLKS WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT A PUSHING OUT OF HOMELESS TO OUTER AREAS.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS A ISSUE THAT'S RISEN A BIT AS WE'VE SEEN GREATER ENFORCEMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, THERE'S BEEN NEIGHBORHOODS KIND OF IN THE SURROUNDING DOWNTOWN AREAS WHO HAVE SAID, WELL, NOW, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS WHO WERE PROBLEMS IN DOWNTOWN HAVE MOVED TO OUR AREA OF THE CITY, AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED.
SO WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING THERE WHEN WE'RE SEEING INCREASED CAPACITY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA? WELL, THE INTENT IS MOST RIDERS WHO PROBABLY MOST LIKELY UTILIZE OUR RED LINE, AND ALSO TO A LARGE DEGREE, OUR GREEN LINE CONTINGENT UPON WITH SOME OF THOSE EVENTS IS GONNA BE THOSE SWATCH PARTY TYPE.
SO, TO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE WILL SEARCH THOSE KEY AREAS WITH A LOT OF RIDERS.
THAT'S THE HIGHEST RISK, RIGHT? BECAUSE JUST FROM PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE GONNA BE ON A GLOBAL STAGE, AND WE HAVE ONE CHANCE TO GIVE THE BEST SNAPSHOT.
WE WILL TRY TO DELIVER THE BEST SNAPSHOT, AT LEAST FROM THE TRANSIT, YOU KNOW, PERSPECTIVE.
AND, UH, BUT THE REALITY IS IT WAS NEVER THE GOAL, THE INTENT JUST TO KIND OF DISPLACE, RIGHT? AND THE GOAL WITH THE GOLDEN INTENT, THE, THE, THE END STATE IS ALWAYS TO FIND LONG-TERM RESOURCES TO HOUSE THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OPTICS IS OUT THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PERSPECTIVE, AND I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MAY BE.
PERHAPS THAT MAY BE SOME, YOU KNOW, A, A, A A, A, A RUMOR, URBAN LEGEND, ONE THAT MAY BE, UH, IT MAY BE TRUE.
BUT THE, THE REALITY IS IT WAS NEVER THE GOAL JUST TO, JUST TO KICK SOMEWHERE OFF, TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IT WAS BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, LET'S SAY METRO, IF WE MOVE THEM ALONG SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT'S NOT A PROBLEM DOWNTOWN, BUT IT'S STILL A PROBLEM DOWN THE ROAD.
AND I SAID, TAKE MY RESOURCES AWAY FROM THAT.
SO ABILITY, NOT JUST FIX THE SYMPTOM, BUT TRULY GET DOWN WHAT A PROBLEM IS TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
BUT THERE ARE GONNA BE CHALLENGES, RESOURCES, CAPACITY, AND THEN TO A LARGE DEGREE IS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SOME FOLKS, LET'S JUST SAY THE HOMELESS FOR INSTANCE, WE INCREASE RESOURCES IN DOWNTOWN AND THEN WE PROBABLY MESSAGE, HEY, YOU KNOW, DON'T FEED THEM THERE.
DON'T, SO THEY CAN'T PAN PANHANDLE, BUT IT'S STILL, IT'S NOT AGAINST THE LAW FOR THEM TO BE HOMELESS.
MAYBE THEY WOULD NATURALLY GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO IT'S MORE CONDUCIVE FOR THEM.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT ANSWER IS, BUT THE GOAL IS, THIS IS MY COMMITMENT.
IT'S THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO DISPLACE ANYBODY.
THE GOAL IS, IS WE TRY TO DELIVER SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE THAT MOST NEEDED ALIKE.
I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU AGAIN, CHIEF FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I DON'T SEE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGNED UP.
WAS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WANTED TO SPEAK? ALL RIGHT, WELL, OUR, UM, NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING WILL BE ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH AT 10:00 AM AND WE STAND ADJOURNED.