[Houston Forensic Science Center: Board of Directors Meeting on September 12, 2025.]
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SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE? YES, MADAM CHAIR.I WILL BEGIN THE ROLL CALL NOW.
CHAIRWOMAN COHEN HERE, VICE CHAIR BAIRD.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE ROLL CALL.
MADAM CHAIR, YOU MAY CONTINUE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM THREE.
AND I WANNA REPORT THAT I, I DID WANT TO REPORT ON OUR TIME AT CITY COUNCIL FROM EARLIER THIS WEEK, WHICH WAS REALLY A LOT OF FUN.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND, COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK WAS KIND ENOUGH TO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION FOR DR. STOUT AND DR. CASTILLO IN HONOR OF THEIR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY AT WORKING AT HFSC.
AND I WAS, IT WAS REALLY FUN TO SEE THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THEY WERE VERY EXCITED THROUGH HONOR, UM, BOTH, UM, DR. STOUT AND DR.
IT WAS, UM, IT'S THE KIND OF THING, HAVING BEEN A COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT WE ENJOY IT TO BE ABLE TO HONOR SOMEONE INSTEAD OF ARGUING ABOUT THINGS.
SO THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING US WITH THAT OPPORTUNITY.
WE ALSO ARE APPROACHING OUR LAST BOARD MEETING OF THE YEAR, WHICH IS IN NOVEMBER.
WE'D LOVE FOR EVERYONE TO ATTEND THE FINAL MEETING, AND WE DO ANTICIPATE SOME BUDGETARY ITEMS THAT WILL BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO WE'D APPRECIATE EVERYONE MAKING AN EXTRA EFFORT TO BE HERE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS? OKAY.
THAT CONCLUDES THE CHAIR'S REPORT.
NOW WE'LL PROCEED TO ITEM FOUR.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND INVITE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISHES TO SPEAK TO COME TO THE PODIUM AND ADDRESS THE BOARD.
WE ASK ALL SPEAKERS TO SIGN IN AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM SO WE ARE AWARE OF YOUR PRESENCE AND THAT ALL COMMENTS BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
YOU MAY SPEAK ON ANY MATTER CONCERNING THE BOARD AND HFSC AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HAS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANYONE SEEING NO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
OF OUR, OUR AUDIENCE TODAY, WE'VE WHO'VE SIGNED UP FOR COMMENT.
I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS CLOSED.
NOW I'LL CONSIDER MEETING MINUTES FROM THE JULY 28TH, 2025 SPECIAL BOARD MEETING.
DOES ANYONE HAVE CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS TO THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED? OKAY.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL CONDUCT A VOICE.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.
SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
DID YOU GET THAT MADAM SECRETARY? OKAY.
ANY DISCUSSION, PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS AT THIS TIME FOR AVO.
THE MOTION CARRIES AND PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
UM, WE'LL NOW PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN MEMBERS.
AGENDA ITEM SEVEN HAS BEEN PULLED.
SORRY ABOUT THAT REPORT FROM DR. STOUT.
YOU JUST, YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO KEEP IT.
WELL, YOU JUST SAID YOU'RE LONG.
SO I WAS TRYING TO SKIP OVER YOU.
I GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM.
REPORT FROM DR. PETER STOUT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS AND TECHNICAL UPDATES AND OTHER CORPORATE BUSINESS ITEMS. HOW GOOD MORNING Y'ALL.
GET THE MICROPHONE IN THE RIGHT PLACE HERE.
SO YEAH, TYPICAL UPDATES OF STUFF.
SO, COUPLE OF JUST NOTABLE THINGS.
THE CONSTRUCTION PARTS ARE MOVING RIGHT ALONG.
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UM, THE LOADING DOCK IS DONE RIGHT NOW.CRIME SCENE AND CLIENT SERVICES ARE WORKING THROUGH HOW BEST TO COORDINATE ACCESS WITH THE BUILDING TO THE LOADING DOCK.
AND ALL THE BASEMENT PERMITS ARE DONE.
ACTUALLY, WE ARE EXPECTING MUCH OF THE BASEMENT CONSTRUCTION TO BE COMPLETE BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
SO THEY'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS ON THINGS.
UH, THE LC Q TOFFS ARE, WELL, ONE OF 'EM IS SITTING ON THE FLOOR UP IN THE SEIZES DRUGS, UH, LAB.
THE OTHER ONE IS TO BE DELIVERED FOR TOXICOLOGY.
BUT WE'VE GOT SOME ELECTRICAL WORK THAT COORDINATES WITH THE STUFF IN THE BASEMENT.
I REMEMBER BEING A SCIENTIST AT ONE POINT IN TIME.
NOW, SEEMINGLY MOST OF WHAT I DO IS ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING
UM, IT'S, IT IS A COMPLEX THING OF, YOU KNOW, HOW WE, WHERE WHAT PANELS GO WHERE UP ON THE 18TH FLOOR AND IN THE BASEMENT AND WHAT'S ON THE GENERATOR, AND HOW WE STEP THINGS OVER FROM THE GENERATOR AND ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO THERE'S SOME COORDINATION OF THAT, BUT I, I THINK HERE PROBABLY BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE WILL HAVE EVERYTHING PRETTY WELL SETTLED, INSTALLED, DEALT WITH THE ELECTRICAL, AND THEN I CAN JUST LOOK AT PLUMBING.
UM, BUT SO YOU'VE GOT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF AN IDEA.
UM, THEY'RE NOT TERRIBLY EXCITING PICTURES OF CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE THEY'RE BIG OPEN SPACES THAT ARE JUST GONNA BE FILLED WITH, UH, SHELVING.
BUT JUST SO YOU'VE GOT A BIT OF A FLAVOR OF OUR BIG OPEN SPACES THAT WILL BE FILLED WITH SHELVING AND FREEZERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S STORAGE.
IT'S NOT PRETTY, BUT IT'S VERY FUNCTIONAL.
I THINK IT WILL SERVE THE PURPOSES QUITE WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THE CONSTRUCTION STUFF? ALRIGHT, UM, WE'VE PUT THIS IN THERE FOR A WHILE NOW, JUST OF THE THREE BIGGEST BACKLOGS THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE THE MOST CONCERNED OF.
UH, THE ONE ON THE LEFT THERE IS FORENSIC BIOLOGY, AND YOU CAN SEE THE BULGE IN THE GREEN AND THE ORANGE LINES.
AND THAT IS THE KYOGEN EFFECT.
UM, THAT IS WHICH EFFECT? THE, FROM QIAGEN, THE MANUFACTURER ERROR THAT OCCURRED UP ENDED, EH, THE OLD COUNTRY, UM, WE WAS THAT IN GERMANY? WAS THAT THE, THE COMPANY ITSELF IS, IS GERMAN.
UM, BUT THAT THE, THE REAGENT THAT THEY MADE, IF YOU REMEMBER, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT REAGENT, THE LITTLE CASSETTES THAT WE USE FOR EXTRACTION PURIFICATION OF DNA.
UM, AND OUR OUTSOURCING LAB USES THE SAME TECHNOLOGY.
SO THAT BULGE REALLY REPRESENTS THE DELAYS THAT WE HAD IN WORKING WITH THE OUTSOURCING LABORATORY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD APPROPRIATE CONTROLS IN PLACE TO CATCH THIS.
WE PAUSED TESTING FOR A LITTLE WHILE, AND THAT'S GONE BASICALLY EXACTLY AS WE WERE PREDICTING, UM, THE INCREASE IN TURNAROUND TIMES AND NOW THE DECREASE IN TURNAROUND TIMES AS EVERYTHING'S GOTTEN BACK GOING.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY BACK TO ABOUT THAT 90 DAY REQUIRED TURNAROUND TIME.
UH, BUT THAT'S WHAT THAT BULGE IS IN THE TURNAROUND TIMES.
FIREARMS JUST KEEPS CRAWLING UP.
UM, I'M GONNA TALK MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT FIREARMS HERE AND GIVE YOU JUST A REFRESHER OF SOME HISTORY AROUND FIREARMS TO EXPLAIN THAT ONE.
AND SEIZES DRUGS IS NOW MAKING STEADY PROGRESS DOWN.
WE'VE HAD ANALYSTS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN SIGNED OFF AND IT IS, AGAIN, EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECTED TO HAVE HAPPEN AS THOSE ANALYSTS HAVE GOTTEN INTO PRODUCTION.
ANY QUESTIONS THERE SO FAR? YES.
IS THE HEMP ISSUE GOING TO IMPACT THAT? OH, JUST SHOOT ME ON HEMP
UM, YEAH, I'VE GOT A SLIDE AT THE END BECAUSE YES, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL WITH THC TO CONT WELL, IT WILL CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE WHERE WE'RE AT BECAUSE REALLY THERE IS NO RESOLUTION.
UM, I TUCKED THIS ONE IN HERE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE STUFF BECAUSE MY ANNUAL PERFORMANCE IS ONE OF THE AGENDA ITEMS. I JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS BACK ON HERE SO THAT YOU HAD A REFRESHER OF WHERE WE WERE AT.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE SET THE CORPORATE LEVEL GOALS BASED AROUND KNOWING WHAT OUR CAPACITY AND STAFFING IS CURRENTLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I COULD SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR PEOPLE TO GO, HEY, WAIT A SECOND.
YOU'RE RATING YOURSELF PRETTY DARN GOOD WHEN YOU STILL HAVE SOME BIG BACKLOGS.
BUT THE STAFF ARE DOING EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECT THEM TO DO.
IN FACT, THEY'RE DOING FAR MORE THAN WE EXPECT THEM TO DO.
THIS IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT IS STILL NEEDED TO ACTUALLY MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE SYSTEM AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT OF STAFF.
UM, SO FROM THE GOALS THAT WE HAD, WE HAD THE MONTHLY ONE-ON-ONES.
WE'RE ACTUALLY SHIFTING THAT NOW TO A SECTION LEVEL GOAL.
AND WE'VE GOT DIFFERENT, AND, AND WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THOSE APPROVED THE NEW GOALS FOR THE, THIS NEXT EVALUATION YEAR.
UM, THE NEXT TWO WERE AROUND PRODUCTION GOALS AND QUALITY GOALS.
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GOAL THAT WASN'T MET IN, ACTUALLY, IT, IT WAS AN AUDIT GOAL THAT THEY DIDN'T MEET FOR QUALITY GOAL IN IT.AND SO THAT WAS THE 13 OF 14 SECTIONS.
AND THEN OUR VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATE, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ONE BECAUSE POST COVID, I THINK YOU REMEMBER IN COVID, OUR VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATE RANGED UPWARDS OF ABOUT 20% AT PROBABLY THE MOST PAINFUL POINTS.
AND NOW WE'RE BACK TO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS MORE LIKE PRE COVID AT ABOUT 9%.
SO THAT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE.
AND AS I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT WE CAN ATTRIBUTE TO, UH, OUR NEW HR DIRECTOR WHO'S BEEN WITH US A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A YEAR NOW, TY, UM, HAS DONE SOME MARVELOUS WORK FOR US THERE.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT PART? ALRIGHT, SO A LITTLE BIT OF A HISTORY LESSON HERE, JUST SO YOU'VE GOT, BECAUSE WE, THAT FIREARMS BACKLOG IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST PAIN POINT.
UM, I HAVE FOUND THAT IT HAS RESONATED WITH A LOT OF LEGISLATORS THIS LAST SESSION TO POINT OUT IN TEXAS, THERE ARE 72 LICENSED FIREARMS EXAMINERS IN THE ENTIRE STATE.
72, UH, FOR JUST ONE LITTLE PERSPECTIVE IN THERE, NEW YORK PD, WHICH BASICALLY DOES, UH, THE FIREARMS WORK FOR MANHATTAN.
UM, AND THEY DO WORK DIFFERENTLY THAN WE DO.
SO IT'S NOT EXACTLY AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON, BUT THEY HAVE 70 FIREARMS PERSONNEL IN JUST MANHATTAN.
THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS HAS 72.
THIS IS A PROBLEM ALL ACROSS THE STATE FOR FIREARMS. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PARTS THAT GO INTO THIS.
UH, AND WE PUT UP THERE THE, THE NUMBER OF SUBPOENAS.
AND SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN ABOUT 20 21, 20 22, JUST SO WE GOT KINDA SOME HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF WHERE WE STARTED TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON.
2020, THAT FUN YEAR OF COVID, BASICALLY THE COURTS STOPPED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE THAT WE COULD SEE.
I KNOW THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT WILL SAY THE COURTS KEPT PROCESSING STUFF.
BUT FROM WHAT WE SAW OF TRYING CASES THAT INVOLVED FORENSIC EVIDENCE, CALLING OUR PEOPLE TO COURT TO TESTIFY AND PROSECUTING CASES THAT WAY, THE COURTS JUST STOPPED IN 2020.
SO THAT BUILT UP AN ENORMOUS MIND BOGGLING BACKLOG IN THE COURTS STARTING IN 2020.
AND THAT WAS STACKED ON TOP OF THE BACKLOG THAT HAPPENED FROM HARVEY BECAUSE THE COURTHOUSE WAS DESTROYED IN HARVEY.
SO IN 2022, THE COURT STARTED BACK UP AND WE SAW A MAJOR INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SUBPOENAS IN THE DEMAND FOR OUR WORK IN COURT.
AND YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER SOME OF THESE HEADLINES THAT WERE IN ABOUT 2023.
AND THAT ONE I USE REGULARLY BECAUSE I LOVE THAT CHART THERE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT CHART, IT STRETCHES FROM 2017 OUT TO 2023.
AND SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS ONE IN 2023, BUT I POINT OUT ON THERE IN COMPARISON TO THE TIMELINES OF HOW LONG IT TOOK A CASE TO GET TO TRIAL, THAT WAS ABOUT 24 ISH MONTHS IN 2015 TO 2017.
UM, OUR TURNAROUND TIMES IN FIREARMS AT THAT POINT WAS LESS THAN 30 DAYS FOR ALL OF THAT STRETCH IN SEIZED DRUGS.
IT WAS ABOUT SEVEN DAYS, AND WE WERE GETTING ABOUT 2000 TO 2,500 SUBPOENAS.
THE COURT STARTED GETTING BADLY BACKLOGGED.
THE, THE COURT TURNAROUND TIME JUMPS UP TO ABOUT 34 MONTHS.
OUR TURNAROUND FIREARMS WAS STILL OF LESS THAN 30 DAYS.
WE WERE STILL LESS THAN ABOUT SEVEN DAYS IN SEIZES DRUGS.
AND WE WERE STILL GETTING ABOUT 2,500 SUBPOENAS.
WE COULD SEE THAT THIS WAS GONNA BREAK STARTING IN ABOUT 2019 TO 2020.
SO WE STARTED TALKING WITH THE CITY THAT WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO ADD CAPACITY AND FIREARMS BECAUSE WE KNOW IT IS GOING TO TAKE US AT LEAST TWO YEARS TO TRAIN ANY CAPACITY THAT WE ADD THERE.
AND YOU COULD SEE WHERE THE TWO LINES WERE HEADED.
SO YOU, YOU COULD SEE THIS TRAIN COMING.
AND IN 2020 WE STARTED SEEING OUR FIREARMS TURNAROUND TIME WAS CREEPING UP OVER A MONTH.
BUT LIKE I SAY, IN 2020, WE HAD BASICALLY NO SUBPOENAS BY 2022 AND 2023, FIREARMS TURNAROUND TIME WAS UP ABOUT NINE MONTHS.
SEIZED DRUGS WAS UP ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MONTHS.
I ALSO POINT OUT IN THAT, THAT THE COURT TURNAROUND TIME WAS ABOUT 45 MONTHS.
SO WE WERE NOT THE MAJORITY OF THE TIMELINE YET.
YET WE CONTRIBUTED TO IT, BUT WE WEREN'T THE ENTIRE REASON OF IT.
AND I THINK OUT OF THIS, POINTING OUT AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND OUR BACKLOG DIDN'T PREDICATE THE COURT BACKLOG.
THE COURT BACKLOG PREDICATED OUR BACKLOG.
YES, OUR BACKLOGS CONTRIBUTE TO THE COURT.
BUT THE COURT'S BACKLOG INFLUENCE
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US PROBABLY MORE THAN OUR BACKLOG INFLUENCES THE COURT.SO IN 2022, UM, STARTED TRYING TO EXPLAIN ALL OF THIS STUFF TO THE CITY.
SO THIS IS UNDER, UM, MAYOR TURNER'S ADMINISTRATION.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE WERE TELLING 'EM AT THAT POINT.
WE WERE ABOUT A YEAR BACKLOGGED, WHICH NO, DON'T LIKE THAT.
UH, BUT THE COURTS WERE ABOUT TWO YEARS BACKLOGGED.
AND YOU COULD SEE WHERE THESE TWO LINES WERE GONNA CROSS IN ABOUT ANOTHER YEAR WHERE THE COURT'S BACKLOG WAS GONNA CATCH UP TO US AND WE WERE GONNA START TO BE THE BACKLOG.
UM, YOU, YOU COULD SEE THAT COMING.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THROUGH COVID, YOU KNOW, THE DA'S OFFICE LOST PEOPLE HAND OVER FIST LIKE EVERYBODY DID.
SO WE WERE DEALING WITH HIGHLY INEXPERIENCED ADAS.
THEY STRUGGLED MANAGING THEIR COURTROOM, WHICH THEN LEFT US WITH ANALYSTS SITTING OVER AT COURT FAR MORE.
WELL, IF THEY'RE SITTING AT COURT, THEY'RE NOT DOING WORK.
UM, THEY, THEY WERE INEXPERIENCED.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT THEY WEREN'T TRYING TO DO THINGS.
IT'S NOT THAT THEY WERE INCOMPETENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE.
INTRODUCING, TRYING CASES WITH FORENSIC EVIDENCE IS COMPLEX.
IT REQUIRES A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE AND NUANCE, AND THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE IT.
SO THAT WAS FEEDING BACK INTO US AND CREATING ISSUES.
AND BY AND LARGE, DEFENSE DIDN'T STOP THROUGH COVID.
SO THEY BECAME A LOT MORE EXPERIENCED AND A LOT MORE PROFICIENT.
SO THAT COMBINATION STARTED CREATING A LOT MORE PRESSURE ON US.
UH, THIS WAS PART OF WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION IN OUR BUDGETING CYCLE IN 2022 ISH.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE JUMP IN TURNAROUND TIMES FROM PRE COVID.
SO THE FIRST COLUMN THERE THAT SAYS TURNAROUND TIME, PRE COVID TO TURNAROUND TIME POST COVID CSU WENT UP 200%.
FIREARMS WENT UP A HUNDRED PERCENT.
DIGITAL MULTIMEDIA JUMPED NEARLY 500% SEIZED DRUGS JUMPED 230%.
IF YOU LOOK WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, THOSE SAME DISCIPLINES.
SO THAT THE BLUE BOX THERE, JUST SO YOU'VE GOT A PERSPECTIVE OF WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
CSU IS BACK DOWN WHERE WE WOULD EXPECT ABOUT 20 DAYS, 23 DAYS.
FIREARMS. YES, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FIREARMS FOR YEARS.
THEY'RE ROUGHLY 270 DAYS NOW DIGITAL MULTIMEDIA BACK DOWN TO ABOUT 36 DAYS.
YOU, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S BEHIND SEIZES DRUGS IN THERE.
UH, DRUG TOXICOLOGY HAS IMPROVED.
WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO IN DRUG TOXICOLOGY AND LATENT PRINT BACK DOWN TO ABOUT 70 DAYS.
SO WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN A LOT OF PLACES.
BUT FIREARMS WE KNEW WAS A VERY LONG ARC TO TRAIN.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS THAT WE WERE ASKING ABOUT FOR BUDGET BACK THERE, WE'VE BEEN ASKING AFTER CSU AND EXPANSIONS IN CSU FOR QUITE SOME TIME, UM, FIREARMS WE WERE TRYING TO ADD.
AND WE, WE, I, I CAN'T SAY I FAULT THE CITY, I MEAN THE CITY STRUGGLES AND I DO NOT ENVY ANYBODY IN FINANCE OR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TRYING TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS OF WHAT COMES FIRST, WHAT GOES SECOND.
BUT THE CHOICE AT THAT POINT WAS TO NOT FUND THAT STUFF.
SO THE DIE WAS SET IN ABOUT 2022 FOR WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
SO MUCH SO THAT IF YOU LOOK, SO THIS WAS JUST LOOKING AT BUDGETS AND THE BUDGETS WE REQUESTED VERSUS THE BUDGETS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD FUNDED ACROSS THE LAST, WHAT IS THAT? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, ALMOST 10 YEARS.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS IN THERE, IT IS A PRETTY FLAT BUDGET.
AND ACTUALLY THE INCREASE IN BUDGET FROM, LET'S SEE, WHAT ARE THOSE, UH, ABOUT 2021 TO 2024 WERE MOSTLY WHAT, REMEMBER THE ARPA DOLLARS, THE RECOVERY ACT DOLLARS.
WE, WE WERE ABLE TO USE A LOT OF THAT, REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT WITH THAT.
BUT THAT'S A ONE-TIME FUNDING KIND OF THING, NOT A RECURRENT FUNDING.
SO YES, IT HELPED US, BUT WE ALSO KNEW THAT THERE WAS AN END TO THAT.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO KIND OF SEE A SHIFT IN THE STRATEGY OF HOW WE HAVE DISCUSSED BUDGET WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE THAT FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS THERE IN THE TURNER ADMINISTRATION, THE WAY WE WOULD GO ABOUT IT IS DISCUSS, AGREE A BUDGET.
THAT'S THE BUDGET THAT THE BOARD WOULD PASS RATHER THAN TRYING TO MAKE IT MORE CLEAR OF THE NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
AND THERE'S THE BUDGET THAT THE BOARD PASSES TO THEN HAVE AN ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND UNDERSTAND WE'RE GONNA COME BACK WITH SOMETHING ULTIMATELY LESS.
BUT, SO IT IS CLEARER WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND WHERE THE RISKS ARE.
AND WE SHIFTED BACK TO THAT STRATEGY REALLY AT THE END OF TURNER'S ADMINISTRATION AND WITH THE WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION.
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INCREASES WE HAVE HAD IN BUDGET HAVE BEEN UNDER THE WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION.SO AGAIN, THE ISSUES, PARTICULARLY IN FIREARMS, THAT COURSE WAS SET IN 2021.
IN FACT, THIS WAS, UH, A MODEL THAT WE USED IN 2021 THAT WE WERE CALCULATING.
WE WOULD SEE A BACKLOGS UPWARDS OF ABOUT 700 BACKLOG REQUESTS IF NOTHING CHANGED.
NOW THE ORANGE BARS IN THERE ARE, UH, GRABBED A FEW DATES OF OUR ACTUAL BACKLOG NUMBERS, AND IT'S PRETTY STRIKING HOW CLOSELY WE FIT OUR MODEL.
AND THE DIFFERENCE IS THE FACT THAT WE MOVED SOME POSITIONS AROUND THAT BECAME AVAILABLE IN OTHER SECTIONS.
SO WE BASICALLY CANNIBALIZED RESOURCES OUT OF OTHER PLACES KNOWING THAT FIREARMS WAS A SENSITIVITY.
AND SO WE HAVE MITIGATED THAT BACKLOG SUM, BUT IT WAS STILL GONNA HAPPEN.
NOW IT IS ALSO GOING TO TAKE YEARS TO CLEAR IT, BECAUSE YEAH, WE'VE GOT, OH, AMY, WE MIGHT HAVE TO HELP ME OUT WITH THIS.
WE'VE GOT WHAT, SEVEN IN TRAINING NOW? FIVE.
AMY CASTILLO THE CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER.
WE HAVE FIVE POSITIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO POST FOR THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE FOUR NIVAN TECHNICIANS IN TRAINING.
SO ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE IN TRAINING AND FIREARMS. WE HAVE FIVE FULL-TIME EXAMINERS.
UM, BUT THREE OF THOSE HAVE TO BE PULLED TO HELP WITH ALL THAT TRAINING.
SO WE ARE, AND OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE 13 FIREARMS EXAMINERS.
SO TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE CHALLENGE WE'RE DEALING WITH IS WE NEED 13 AND WE HAVE TWO FULL-TIME.
UM, IF WE DON'T PULL THOSE THREE TO HELP TRAIN, THOUGH, WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET THESE TRAINEES THROUGH.
UM, WE ARE, WITH OUR CURRENT BUDGET INCREASE, THE CITY DID GIVE US MONEY TO BRING IN EXTERNAL TRAINING.
SO CURRENTLY WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING THROUGH A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO HAVE HELP TRAINING THOSE NEXT FIVE SO THAT WE CAN GET THEM.
BUT WE'RE STILL, I WOULD SAY AT LEAST SIX MONTHS AWAY FROM THE CURRENT EXAMINERS, UM, CONTRIBUTING.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER TWO YEARS WHEN THOSE FIVE COME IN TO GET THEM READY.
SO, AND KEEP IN MIND, WE NEED TO HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OF BRAND NEW EXAMINERS WHEN THEY'RE SIGNED OFF.
THEY'RE NOT FUNCTIONING LIKE SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR FIVE TO 10 YEARS.
THEY'RE DOING IT LIKE SOMEBODY WHO'S JUST BEEN SIGNED OFF.
AND, AND WE DO HAVE THE POSITIONS POSTED ALREADY IN CASE ANY OF THOSE 72 IN TEXAS, UM, IF SOMEBODY EXPERIENCED WANTED TO COME.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO TACKLE IT FROM EVERY ANGLE TO WHERE WE HAVE THOSE POSTED.
BUT IF WE DON'T, AREN'T ABLE TO RECRUIT SOMEBODY BEFORE WE HAVE THIS RFP DONE, THEN WE'LL SWITCH IT ALL OVER TO, UM, TRAINEES TO COME IN AND START GETTING TRAINED.
QUESTION, ARE PEOPLE JUST SHOOTING EACH OTHER MORE AND WE HAVE MORE CASINGS? WELL, HOUSTON'S A, HOUSTON'S A PRETTY SHOOTY PLACE.
UM, WE, WE, WE LIKE TO, WE LIKE TO SHOOT AT STUFF.
UH, ACTUALLY THE HOMICIDE RATE IN HOUSTON IS DOWN THIS YEAR, OVER LAST YEAR, AS IT IS ALMOST EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
I THINK MILWAUKEE AND FORT WORTH ARE THE ONLY TWO MAJOR CITIES WHERE THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN HOMICIDE, BUT IT'S STILL THERE.
THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE GETTING POLLS POKED IN WITH GUN.
AND THE OTHER WAY I TRY TO EXPLAIN THIS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS IS EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, THE COURTS IN GENERAL ARE STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH PRO ADJUDICATING CRIMES AGAINST PERSON.
AND THE PRIMARY WAY THAT SOMEBODY GETS A HOLE POKED WIN IN 'EM IN THIS COUNTRY IS WITH A GUN.
SO FIREARMS EVIDENCE IS A CRITICAL PIECE OF EVIDENCE IN THE CASES THAT THE COURTS ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO TRY AND WILL BE FOR YEARS.
BE INTERESTING TO SEE A CHART THAT SHOWS, UH, PRE UH, GUN CONTROL, RIGHT? WE HAD GUN CONTROL AND THEN WE DIDN'T.
AND IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE.
IT'S, YOU ALSO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND, AND I, I TELL A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS THIS TO POINT OUT, THERE ARE PROBABLY SOMETHING NORTH OF 450 MILLION FIREARMS IN PRIVATE HANDS IN THIS COUNTRY.
THERE ARE MORE GUNS IN THIS COUNTRY THAN THERE ARE PEOPLE.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE, WE ARE NOT PUTTING THAT GENIE BACK IN A BOTTLE.
BUT I ALSO TRY TO POINT OUT TO PEOPLE 2022 NUMBERS ON GUNSHOT WOUND DEATHS, WHICH I THINK ARE THE CURRENT MOST CURRENT NUMBERS I'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND.
56% OF THOSE GUNSHOT WOUND DEATHS ARE SUICIDES.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT IT THAT WAY.
SO IT'S REALLY EASY TO THINK ABOUT THIS, THAT
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MORE SHOOTING IS HAPPENING, MORE OF THESE THINGS.IT, IT'S JUST, IT IS JUST A LOT.
UM, I'M NOT SURE REALLY A LOT OF VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN NOW COMPARED TO PARTICULARLY LIKE BACK IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES.
I MEAN, HOUSTON'S HOMICIDES IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES.
I THINK WE'RE UP AROUND SIX OR 700 HOMICIDES A YEAR.
WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA TOP OUT THIS YEAR SOMEWHERE AROUND 300.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE STAFFING, UM, AND YOU SAY IT'LL TAKE A YEAR OR TWO YEARS GENERALLY TO BRING THEM UP.
UH, WHO ARE YOU HIRING? ARE THESE PEOPLE JUST OUT OF UNIVERSITY AND THEY'VE NEVER TOUCHED ANY OF THIS? OR ARE YOU TRYING TO HIRE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN OTHER FORENSICS SCIENCE CENTERS?
SO BASICALLY OUR GOAL, ESPECIALLY IN FIREARMS RIGHT NOW, WOULD BE TO FIND SOMEBODY EXPERIENCED.
WE'RE JUST NOT HAVING LUCK DOING THAT.
UM, IF WE WERE ABLE TO FIND THAT, WE ESTIMATE IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
AND THAT SIX MONTHS THEN CONSISTS OF THEM COMING IN, LEARNING OUR QUALITY SYSTEMS, LEARNING OUR LABORATORY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, HOW WE REPORT, HOW WE DOCUMENT.
UM, THAT'S WHY IT WOULD STILL TAKE THAT LONG FOR THEM TO BE SIGNED OFF TO DO CASEWORK AT HFSC.
WE DON'T HAVE GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.
SO THEN THE PEOPLE WE ARE BRINGING IN ARE STRAIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE.
UM, AND SO THEY HAVEN'T HAD FIREARMS EXPERIENCE.
AND FIREARMS IN PARTICULAR IS VERY CHALLENGING BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A COLLEGE COURSE THEY COULD HAVE TAKEN TO START LEARNING IT.
AND WHEN THEY COME IN, NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE TO LEARN THE EXAMINATION PART OF IT, WHICH ACTUALLY COMES LATER IN TRAINING, THEY ALSO HAVE TO LEARN ALL ABOUT GUNS.
RIGHT? AND IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO DIGITAL MULTIMEDIA WHERE WE SAY, YES, YOU'RE AN ANALYST, BUT YOU'RE ALSO A CELL PHONE REPAIR PERSON AT THIS POINT.
AND THOSE TECHNOLOGIES AND WHAT COMES THROUGH OUR DOOR CHANGE EVERY DAY.
AND SO WE'RE HAVING TO ALSO TRAIN THEM TO BE ABLE TO WIN THESE GUNS COME IN FROM CRIMES, NOT NOT FROM A STORE.
UM, HOW TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THAT AND HOW TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T DO SOMETHING WITH THAT GUN.
SO THAT'S WHERE IT'S LIKE THE, THE PROGRAM GROWS VERY QUICKLY IN TIME WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM HAVING TO LEARN ALL THAT AND THEN HAVING TO LEARN COMPARISONS AND SOMETHING IN FIREARMS. AND I'M GONNA USE ANOTHER DISCIPLINE NOW NOT TO JOIN LATENT PRINTS, IS THERE IS A COMPONENT OF DOING THOSE COMPARISONS THAT CANNOT BE REPLICATED OTHER THAN YOU DOING IT.
AND, AND THAT IS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEN WE NEED TO FIND THE TIME ONCE WE'RE READY TO HAVE THEM START DOING MOCK CASE WORK, THAT THEY JUST HAVE TIME AT THE SCOPE.
UM, AND NOTHING CAN REPLACE THAT.
AND SO THAT ALSO ADDS CHALLENGE BECAUSE WE MAY SAY TWO YEARS AND THEY MAY GET ON IN A YEAR AND NINE MONTHS AND WE MAY SEE YOU NEED MORE TIME.
UM, WE WE, AND WE CAN'T SKIP THAT PIECE IF WE SEE THAT THEY NEED MORE TIME.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING, I WOULD SAY, IN FIREARMS. SO IF, IF SOMEBODY GRADUATES FROM A UNIVERSITY AS A THEATER MAJOR, AND YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS AROUND, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF JOBS, BUT THEY'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO WORK IN THIS FIELD AND THERE'S A JOB OPENING, THEY APPLY, THEY ARE WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT IT IS WE DO, BUT WE WILL TRAIN THEM THEN, UM, I WOULD SAY NOT A THEATER MAJOR, A CHEMISTRY MAJOR.
A C CHEMISTRY, SOME KIND OF SCIENCE MAJOR.
WE WOULD, THEY WOULD COME IN, BUT WE DO NEED THAT.
WE ARE REQUIRING MORE IN FIREARMS NOW REGARD.
THEY NEED THE SCIENCE MAJOR, BUT BECAUSE OF LICENSING, OH, THAT ANSWERS IT, RIGHT? THEY NEED STATISTICS.
THERE ARE SOME COLLEGE COMPONENTS THAT THEY NEED TO COME IN WITH.
IT'S JUST THAT LIKE, NOW YOU'RE LEARNING ACTUALLY FIREARMS EXAMINATION AND IT, IT'S ONE OF THE MORE CHALLENGING AREAS.
'CAUSE BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY, YES, THERE'S A FORENSIC COMPONENT OF IT THAT IS VERY CHALLENGING, BUT YOU STILL LEARN BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY IN COLLEGE FIREARMS. THERE IS NO COLLEGE COURSE FOR FIREARMS EXAMINATION.
THERE, THERE IS NOW ONE FIREARMS PROGRAM AT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY THAT JUST STARTED LAST YEAR.
UM, THAT'S A, THAT'S A COLLEGE PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO TRY AND CREATE FIREARMS EXAMINERS, UH, RON SMITH AND ASSOCIATES HAS JUST LAUNCHED ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF PROGRAM.
THAT'S ONE WE'RE TALKING WITH ABOUT POTENTIALLY USING THEM.
ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE ON THIS, I TRY TO POINT OUT TO LOTS OF PEOPLE IS THE ASSOCIATION OF FIREARM AND TOOLMARK EXAMINERS, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION OF FIREARMS EXAMINERS ESTIMATES.
THERE ARE A THOUSAND CERTIFIED FIREARMS EXAMINERS ON THE PLANET.
I WAS GONNA ASK, SO THIS ISN'T PITCH YOUR PITCH, YOUR MICROPHONE.
JUST THE, THE LACK OF STAFFING IS NOT A BUDGETING
[00:30:01]
ISSUE.IT IS A RECRUIT, IT'S, IT IS A NATIONWIDE RECRUITING ISSUE BECAUSE THE DEMAND FOR FIREARMS EXAMINERS IS ENORMOUS AND THEY JUST DON'T EXIST.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, BECAUSE OF THAT, I THINK THAT'S WHY OUR BUDGET'S SO IMPORTANT MM-HMM
BECAUSE WHAT WE, WHAT WE SAW COMING BACK IN 2020 IS WE LOST A FIREARMS EXAMINER.
AND I THINK I'VE USED THE ANALOGY BEFORE, WE'RE STAFFED TO TREAD WATER.
SO IF WE LOSE ONE STAFF MEMBER, WE'RE ALREADY, WE'RE, WE'RE DIGGING OURSELVES A WHOLE, WE'RE DROWNING, BUT IT TAKES US TWO YEARS TO REPLACE THEM.
AND SO I DO THINK THERE'S THIS ASPECT AND NR 13 THAT OUR GOAL IS, THE IDEAL WOULD BE IF WE DO LOSE AN EXAMINER, WE'RE NOT AUTOMATICALLY BACKSLIDING WHILE WE REPLACE THAT POSITION.
UM, GIVEN WE KNOW WE'RE TWO YEARS IN WHEN WE DO THAT.
SO BUDGET IS IMPORTANT FOR THOSE DISCIPLINES THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE JUST A LITTLE, WE WILL USE, WE WILL USE THAT CAPACITY.
THEY WILL NOT BE SITTING IDLE
UH, JUST QUICK FOR THE COURTROOM REQUESTS, UH, THE OLD REQUEST COMPARISON TASK OR SOME OF THE CASE INVOLVE GENERAL FIREARM FIREARM EXAMINATION, LIKE A FUNCTIONAL TESTS ALL OF THE ABOVE.
SO COMBINED IT CAN, WE'VE GOT CASES WHERE IT'S COMBINED, WE'VE GOT CASES WHERE IT IS COMPARISONS.
WE'VE GOT CASES WHERE IT IS FIRED, EVIDENCE ONLY.
WE'VE GOT CASES WHERE IT'S GONNA, I MEAN, IT IS HIGHLY VARIABLE.
UM, YEAH, BECAUSE I I SEE THE COMPARISON TASK WOULD BE WOULD TAKE MORE TIME YES.
THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE TO DO THAT.
SO IF THE COURTROOM 4,000 CASES, THERE ARE SOME OTHER KIND OF FIREARM EXAM QUESTIONS, THEN THOSE TYPE OF CASE COULD BE EASIER TO HANDLE COMPARED TO COMPARISON.
AND, AND AT THE END, ALSO, KEEP IN MIND ON THIS, THERE IS THE OVERLAY OF THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PROSECUTORS, THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE COURT IN HANDLING FIREARMS CASES GET COMPLICATED QUICKLY.
AND WE ALSO HAVE STACKED ON THIS SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT, VERY REAL, VERY SERIOUS, DON'T BE IGNORING THEM KINDS OF CRITICISMS OF FIREARMS. AND SO IT IS AN ONGOING, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A CASE RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE, WE, WE WILL, WILL TALK WITH THE DA'S OFFICE NEXT WEEK ABOUT VERY COMPLICATED FIREARMS CASE.
IT HAS MORE THAN A THOUSAND CASINGS INVOLVED IN IT.
UM, AND IT'S GOT ONE OF THOSE THAT I THINK OUR EXAMINER SAID IS SPIDEY SENSES GOING OFF OF THIS COULD BE ONE OF THOSE CASES.
THAT'S A REAL PRECEDENT KIND OF THING THAT COULD BE REALLY DIFFICULT.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE CASES AROUND THE COUNTRY WHERE FIREARMS EV EVIDENCE HAS BEEN EXCLUDED, HAS BEEN LIMITED.
UM, AND LIKE I SAY, THE, THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT IS CENTRAL TO JUST ABOUT EVERY VIOLENT CRIME OUT THERE.
SO THE STAKES ARE IMMENSE ON THIS.
THE GOAL TO SIGN OFF THE FIREARM EXAMINER IS THAT FIREARM EXAMINER CAN HANDLE.
EVERYTHING JUST ABOUT, UM, IT'S THAT YEAH, FIREARMS IS ONE OF THOSE DISCIPLINES.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT SOME, WE, WE START TO SIGN 'EM OFF ON THE FUNCTIONALITY STUFF FIRST.
UM, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO SIGN 'EM OFF ON A LOT THAT'S REALLY FUNCTIONAL AND CASE WORK TO DO INDEPENDENT WORK WITHOUT BASICALLY THE WHOLE THING.
AND AND ANOTHER ANALOGY OF THAT ACTUALLY IS IN SEIZED DRUGS, IT USED TO BE YEARS AGO BEFORE HB 1325, UH, WE WOULD SIGN OFF PEOPLE IN SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ABOUT FOUR AND SIX MONTHS TO DO MARIJUANAS.
AND THEY COULD BE PRETTY PRODUCTIVE IN THE LABORATORY AFTER THAT, BECAUSE MARIJUANA IS NOW ONE OF THE MOST COMPLICATED ANALYSES WE DO, WE END UP BASICALLY HAVING TO TRAIN A SEIZE DRUGS ANALYST IN EVERYTHING BEFORE WE CAN SIGN 'EM OFF.
SO IT HAS BECOME A MUCH LONGER ARC TO TRAIN BECAUSE THE SIMPLEST THING WENT AWAY.
SO IN FIREARM, WE, WE DO HAVE A STEP ONE.
YEAH, THERE IS, BUT IT'S PROBABLY, MULTIMEDIA IS ABOUT THE EASIEST PLACE WHERE WE CAN SIGN PEOPLE OFF THAT'S ACTUAL, ALL THE WAY THROUGH CASE WORK BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF MODULARIZED IN THE KINDS OF EVIDENCE THAT WE GET.
UM, AND IT CAN BE VERY DIFFERENT BETWEEN DISCIPLINES.
BUT YEAH, FIREARMS, IT'S REALLY TOUGH TO SIGN SOMETHING OFF THAT THEY CAN DO THAT
[00:35:01]
MINOR PART AND IT REALLY CONTRIBUTES TO WHAT'S GOING TO COURT.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER? MOVING ON.
UM, SO YEAH, LAST BIT I HAD IS JUST AN UPDATE OR JONI ASKED ABOUT THIS ALREADY OF THC.
UH, SO YES, THE SECOND SPECIAL SESSION CLOSED OUT, UH, WITH NO LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION.
ACTUALLY WHEN I MADE THIS SLIDE WAS BEFORE THE EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT GOVERNOR ABBOTT ISSUED, UM, ON THC.
SO NOW THERE IS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS.
THE MAIN THING IT MEANS IS YOU HAVE TO BE OVER 21 TO PURCHASE CANNABIS PRODUCTS.
UM, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT IT'S GONNA TRANSLATE TO FOR THE LABS YET, BUT BASICALLY WE ARE IN THE SAME KIND OF MURKY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WE'VE BEEN FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS.
IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT REALLY WE NEED TO ANALYZE.
IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT IS ACTUALLY REALLY LEGAL AND NOT THE WHOLE DELTA EIGHT, DELTA NINE, DELTA 10, HHC.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE STILL PRETTY MURKY.
THE EXECUTIVE ORDER DOES ATTEMPT TO DEAL WITH THE CANNABINOL ACID CONVERSION TO TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA WORK OR NOT.
UM, I DO POINT OUT IN HERE, AND IT IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN THIS BECAUSE WE DID LOSE STAFF IN THE PROCESS OF THIS.
BUT BEFORE HOUSE BILL 1325 WAS SIGNED, OUR TURNAROUND TIME AND SEIZE DRUGS WAS SEVEN DAYS.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE COMPLEXITIES OF MARIJUANA.
THE FACT THAT IT CHANGED HOW WE HAVE TO TRAIN PEOPLE, WHICH MADE IT A MUCH LONGER ARC TO TRAIN PEOPLE.
UM, IT'S EXPENSIVE TESTING AND THAT HAS AN IMPACT AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON US FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
SO, UM, OH, ONE QUICK UPDATE ABOUT THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
UM, SO THAT WAS WHAT PASSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UH, WE BASICALLY HAVE FUNDING WITHIN THAT FOR 18 APPRENTICES STATEWIDE.
WE HAVE ALREADY SOLICITED INPUT FROM PROSECUTORS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ABOUT WHAT THEY VIEW AS OUR PRIORITIES.
THE PRIORITIZATION IS GONNA BE DNA FIREARMS, MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY IN THIS ORDER, BUT THE, THE DISCIPLINES THAT WE ARE TARGETING.
DNA FIREARMS, SEIZE DRUGS, TOXICOLOGY, UM, AND PROBABLY BREATH OUT OR PROBABLY BLOOD ALCOHOL AS PART OF THAT TOXICOLOGY OR WHAT WE'RE TARGETING FOR THE APPRENTICES IN THAT WE ARE MEETING REGULARLY.
WE ACTUALLY JUST MET LAST NIGHT, UM, AND I'VE GOT A DAY LONG SESSION, UH, 2ND OF AUGUST, 2ND OF OCTOBER TO GO TO AUSTIN AND WORK ON, THERE'S RULEMAKING THAT TFSC WILL NEED TO PUT IN PLACE WITH THIS.
ALL OF THIS MONEY FLOWS THROUGH OFFICE COURT ADMINISTRATION AND TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION MANAGES IT.
THERE'S MONEY IN THERE TO CONTRACT WITH THE MAJOR FORENSIC PROGRAMS IN THE STATE TO HELP WITH MANAGING THIS AND HOW THIS WORKS.
SO ALL OF THAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF WHAT I PROBABLY WILL BE INVOLVED WITH IS WORKING WITH TFSC AND STANDING THIS UP IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? GOOD DISCUSSION.
OH, WAS THERE ANOTHER QUESTION?
UM, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? THANK YOU AGAIN.
AND WE WILL PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN, WHICH WE ACTUALLY WON'T BECAUSE AGENDA ITEM SEVEN HAS BEEN PULLED BY OUR GENERAL COUNSEL.
THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT A LATER MEETING MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND JACQUELINE MORRELL WILL PRESENT HI, WHO? JACKIE? GOOD.
WHO IS A QUALITY DIRECTOR, INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF THE BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM, UPDATES ON QUALITY AND TESTIMONY AND METRICS.
AND YOU'LL DO IT IN FIVE MINUTES.
UM, SO ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS GIVING YOU SOME QUALITY UPDATES.
AND I AM KIND OF HAPPY TO BE HERE TO PRESENT ON A-H-F-S-E MILESTONE.
UH, THIS YEAR OUR BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM TURNED 10.
UM, SO THIS PROGRAM, UH, STARTED IN 2015.
IT WAS A VISION AND SOMETHING THAT DROUT BROUGHT OVER WHEN HE FIRST STARTED HERE AT HFSC.
AND HE TRUSTED THE QUALITY DIVISION
[00:40:01]
IN SORT OF GROWING THIS PROGRAM INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY.UH, THE BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM CONSISTS OF US, THE QUALITY DIVISION, CREATING TEST SAMPLES THAT EMULATE AND LOOK LIKE REAL EVIDENCE AND INTRODUCING THEM INTO OUR TECHNICAL PROCESSES AS A MEANS OF MONITORING, UM, OUR PROCESSES, METHODS, PROCEDURES, COMPETENCE OF, OF OUR LABORATORY, RIGHT? THE KEY WORD HERE IS BLIND.
WE DO TRY TO PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO MAKING THEM LOOK LIKE EVIDENCE BECAUSE WE WANNA TRULY TEST AND SEE HOW CASEWORK IS TREATED, RIGHT? THAT'S THE ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES THAT WE HAVE WITH PROFICIENCY TESTS.
UM, THEY TEST THE COMPETENCE AND ALSO THE ACCURACY OF OUR METHODS, BUT THE ANALYSTS KNOW THAT THEY'RE ACTIVELY BEING TESTED.
SO THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY THRIVE TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM AS SUB BLIND.
UM, IN FACT, I WOULD GO ON TO SAY THAT WHILE THE INTENT WAS TO DO THIS FOR IN-HOUSE, AS YOU HAVE SEEN THIS YEAR, UM, THIS HAS THIS PRO, UM, THIS BLIND QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM HAS DETECTED AND CONFIRMED MANUFACTURING DEFECTS, UM, FROM COMMERCIAL, FROM A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE REAGENT.
SO CEMENTING THE IMPORTANCE BOTH IN-HOUSE AND FOR EXTERNAL PROCESSES, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM.
NOW, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THIS, UH, 10 YEARS, UH, THIS PROGRAM IN SIX OF THE SEVEN FORENSIC DISCIPLINES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, DR. STOUT GAVE A BIG EXEMPTION CARD, A CRIME SCENE, BECAUSE AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THAT'S A REALLY HARD, UM, SECTION TO GET VOLUNTEERS, UM, OR CREATE REAL EMULATING SAMPLES.
UM, OVER THIS COURSE OF THE YEARS, WE HAVE SUBMITTED OVER 4,000 CASES AND THE QUALITY DIVISION HAS SPENT OVER 5,000 HOURS, UM, IN CR IN THE CREATION, ONLY IN THE CREATION OF THESE SAMPLES.
THIS TIME OR THIS AVERAGING DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL OF THE RESEARCH MEETINGS, ET CETERA.
THEY HAD TO PUT ON THE FRONT END TO DEVELOP AND EMULATE THE DIFFERENT PROCESSES TO MAKE THEM BLIND OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND, UM, SUBMISSION PAPERWORK THAT THEY HAVE TO DO, UM, ON A WEEKLY BASIS FOR THIS.
UM, BEFORE I CONTINUE ON TO MY NEXT TOPIC, I DO WANNA THANK DR. STOUT FOR TRUSTING US ON THE QUALITY DIVISION FOR THIS PROGRAM.
I WANNA THANK THE BOARD FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND CONTINUING IT.
UM, A BIG, BIG, I WANNA USE THIS PLATFORM TO THANK THE QUALITY DIVISION TEAM FOR, UM, ALL OF THEIR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK WITH ALL THESE HOURS SPENT, RIGHT? SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO, YOU KNOW, DO THIS IN A WEEKLY MANNER AND TO SEE THE VALUE OF IT.
SO, BUT THEY'RE VERY DEDICATED.
AND I ALSO WANTED, UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, TO, UH, THANK THE HFSC STAFF FOR SLOWLY EMBRACING AND, UH, THIS PROGRAM, RIGHT? AND ALSO IT PAINS ME TO SAY FOR THANKING THEM FOR LETTING US KNOW WHEN THEY DISCOVER BLINDS.
UM, ALTHOUGH AT THE BEGINNING IT MIGHT BE DISCOURAGING, UM, IT HAS HELPED US IMPROVE THIS PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
FOR MY NEXT TOPIC, UM, WE HAD OUR A NAB SURVEILLANCE ASSESSMENT WITHOUT WITNESSING, WHICH IS A BIG NAME THAT BASICALLY TRANSLATES INTO A VIRTUAL DESK AUDIT THAT IS LED BY ONE ASSESSOR.
UH, IN THIS ASSESSMENT, THIS ASSESSOR LOOKED AT ONLY 17 OF THE PLETHORA OF THE DIFFERENT CLAUSES FOR THE 17 0 2 5 PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THESE CLAUSES FOCUS MORE ON THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SIDE OF THINGS, DON'T, THEY DON'T REALLY GO INTO THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS.
SO THOSE ARE REALLY NICE BECAUSE IT'S MORE OF A QUALITY WORKS IN THE BACKGROUND FOR THIS.
AND IT HAS MINIMAL OPERATIONAL IMPACT ON THE SECTIONS, RIGHT? UH, THERE WERE NO NON-CONFORMANCES NOTED, UH, DURING THIS ASSESSMENT.
MOVING ALONG IN THE THEME OF CONFORMANCE, WE WRAPPED UP OUR CLIENT SERVICES CASE MANAGEMENT INTERNAL AUDIT DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
AND NO NON-CONFORMANCES WERE NOTED.
NOW, CSCM IS ACCREDITED BY THE A EB PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE, UM, PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT INTERNAL AUDIT FROM THE OTHER SECTIONS, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE HA WE'RE HANDLING AND MANAGING TWO DIFFERENT ACCREDITATION PROGRAMS. UH, FOR, FOR THIS ONE, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO REITERATE THAT INTERNAL AUDITS ARE A GREAT MECHANISM FOR US TO SORT OF MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONFORMING TO OUR REQUIREMENTS, BUT IT'S, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO ALSO SEE AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT, RIGHT? SO WHILE THERE WERE NO NON-CONFORMANCES NOTED, THERE WERE SIX RECOMMENDATIONS DONE AND NOTED FOR THE SECTION, RIGHT? THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE A WAY TO PROMOTE CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OR KIND OF DETECT AREAS WHERE YOU MIGHT BE CONFORMING TODAY, BUT IF YOU CONTINUE DOING IT, IT COULD BECOME A NON-CONFORMANCE IN THE FUTURE, RIGHT? WE WANNA PREVENT THOSE.
UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY AUDIT THAT KIND OF OVERSEES A WHOLE FACILITIES, UM, THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER THE 20TH THROUGH THE 24TH.
[00:45:03]
MY LAST TOPIC FOR TODAY, I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT DISCLOSURES.WE RECENTLY HAD A DISCLOSURE THAT WAS EVALUATED AND REVIEWED BY THE TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION DURING THEIR QUARTERLY MEETING THAT WAS HELD ON JULY 25TH.
NOW, BEFORE I MOVE ON AND START EXPLAINING OR KIND OF RELATING WHAT THE DISCLOSURE WAS, I KIND OF WANNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND AS TO THE, UM, CONTEMPORANEOUS DOCUMENTATION ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE NOW FOR THIS REQUIREMENT.
IN AN IDEAL WORLD, YOU WOULD CONTEMPORANEOUSLY WHILE YOU ARE PROCESSING YOUR SCENE OR YOU'RE CONDUCTING ANALYSIS IN YOUR CASE WORK, YOU WOULD CONTEMPORANEOUSLY WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN, CONCLUSIONS, EVERYTHING THAT WAS COLLECTED AT THAT TIME.
HOWEVER, WE LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD WHERE WE HAVE PHONE CALLS, RAIN, ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, END OF SHIFTS AND OTHER ITEMS, RIGHT? SO THIS ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENT KIND OF UNDERSTANDS THAT WE LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD.
SO WHILE YOU MAY NOT WRITE EVERYTHING CONTEMPORANEOUSLY, THIS REQUIREMENT ALLOWS YOU, IF YOU WERE TO MAKE ADDITIONS AT A LATER DATE, THAT'S OKAY, AS LONG AS IT'S DEPICTED AND DOCUMENTED THE DATE OF THOSE ADDITIONS, RIGHT? IT'S KIND OF TO, THE INTENT OF THIS IS TO ESTABLISH LIKE A CHRONOLOGICAL TIMELINE AS TO WHAT EVENT EVENTS, FACTORS, EVERYTHING, THAT IT WAS PART OF A CASE.
THE WAY THAT I KIND OF SEE THIS, IT'S LIKE A PUZZLE, RIGHT? WHERE YOU NEED ALL OF THE FUNDAMENTAL AND IMPORTANT PIECES IN ORDER TO SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE IN THE CASE RECORD OR WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CASE RECORD.
WHEN YOU'RE MISSING THESE, THEN OBVIOUSLY CAN'T COMPLETE YOUR CASE RECORD PUZZLE.
UM, SO FOR THIS INSTANCE, WE HAD A CSI THAT DID NOT DOCUMENT THEIR NOTES IN A CONTEMPORANEOUS MANNER, RIGHT? THEY MADE ADDITIONS.
AND WHEN THEY WERE APPROACHED IN QUESTION BY CRIME SCENE MANAGEMENT, THEY DENIED MAKING THESE ADDITIONS, RIGHT? UM, HOWEVER, CRIME SCENE MANAGEMENT HAD A PHOTO, AN EARLIER PHOTOCOPY OF THE CASE WORK CASE COPIES THAT CONFIRMED THAT INDEED THESE ADDITIONS WERE MADE.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, THE DISHONESTY AND LACK OF CANDOR, UM, WAS ATTRIBUTED OR CLASSIFIED AS AN INTEGRITY ISSUE.
AND WHEN WE HAVE THIS TYPE OF CIRCUMSTANCE, WE ARE REQUIRED TO, TO DISCLOSE TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND TO OUR ACCREDITING BODIES.
AND, UH, DURING THE QUARTERLY MEETING, OUR, THE COMMISSIONERS REVIEWED OUR CORRECTIVE ACTION REPORT, LOOKED AT OUR ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS, OUR CORRECTIVE ACTIONS, UH, PLAN, UM, HOW WE REMEDIATED THE SITUATION AND VOTED TO TAKE NO FURTHER ACTION NEEDED.
MEANING THAT THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR NEEDED TO DO FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS, AND THEY KNEW THAT WE DID AS MUCH AS WE COULD.
UM, ONE THING I DIDN'T ADD IS THAT THE CSI IS NO LONGER, UH, WITH HFSC.
WHAT'S A PERSON'S UNDERLYING RATIONALE FOR NOT PUTTING THE DATE AND TIME? DID THEY JUST NOT WANT TO, OR WERE THEY EMBARRASSED OR, SO FOR THIS SITUATION, WE WERE UNABLE TO INTERVIEW THE CSI TO KIND OF ATTRIBUTE MORE, MORE SO LIKE THAT ROOT CAUSE AS TO WHAT WAS, UM, THE SITUATION, RIGHT? BUT IT SEEMED THAT IT WAS THROUGH THE INVESTIGATION THAT IT WAS SOMETHING SYSTEMIC.
WHAT, UH, SOMETHING OF A SYSTEMIC BEHAVIOR.
IN, IN MY EXPERIENCE OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE ALWAYS CONCERNED OF CAUTIOUS OF.
YOU CAN SEE THE FOOTPRINTS OF STUFF LIKE THIS IN THE MISSY WOODS IS, AND THE ANNIE DUGANS AND SOME OF THESE NOTORIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND IT'S MY, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF ME ANECDOTAL.
I DON'T THINK WHERE THERE'S ANY ACTUAL, LIKE, SYSTEMATIC DATA ON THIS, BUT THE, THE PRESSURES OF TURNAROUND TIME, EVEN WHEN YOU TRY AND DO AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN TO INSULATE PEOPLE FROM THE, THE ANALYSTS FEEL THIS.
AND THE DEMAND FOR SOME PEOPLE TENDS TO DRIVE 'EM TO THINK THEY ARE BEING MORE PRODUCTIVE BY DOING SOME OF THESE THINGS, WHEN REALLY THEY AREN'T.
UM, AND IT IS A CONSTANT THING TO BE CAUTIOUS OF IN ALL LABORATORIES.
UH, DO WE KNOW YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OF THIS CSI? SHE WAS FAIRLY EXPERIENCED.
SHE'D BEEN WITH US FOR FIVE YEARS.
UM, SO WE ALL, EVERY, ALL OF THE CASES THAT SHE WAS INVOLVED WITH HAVE BEEN DISCLOSED.
THEY'VE ALL HAD BRADY NOTICES.
UM, SO ALL OF THAT'S BEEN DISCLOSED.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? UM, AND FURTHER, MY LAST TOPIC.
WE HAD, UH, WE WERE RECENTLY COMMUNICATED BY ONE OF OUR OUTSOURCED LABORATORIES THAT WE USED THAT THEY HAD A DISCLOSURE.
SO BEFORE I PROCEED, I KIND OF WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF PERSPECTIVE OF THIS OUTSOURCED LABORATORY, SORT
[00:50:01]
OF LIKE HIGH LEVEL PROCESSES.'CAUSE MY BACKGROUND IS IN CS DRUG, NOT IN DNA.
UM, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FOR THEIR INTAKE PROCESS, WHEN THEY ACCEPT SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS, UM, THIS KITS COME WITH CERTAIN EVIDENCE ENVELOPES AND BOXES THAT CONTAIN SWABS THAT PREVENT CONTACT WITH OTHER SWABS, RIGHT? AND THESE BOXES AND ENVELOPES, THE NURSES MAY DOCUMENT ADDITIONAL CRITERIA OR INFORMATION ON THEM, RIGHT?
UM, SO THOSE, THERE ARE OUTSOURCED LABORATORY EITHER WAY THAT THEY DEPICT THEIR, UM, PROCESSES IS THAT THEY HAVE A SORT OF LIKE AN INTAKE TECHNICIANS WHERE THEY DO THE INVENTORY, WHERE THEY DOCUMENT AGAIN, THEIR NOTES, UM, THEY WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING THEY OBSERVE OR THAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE EVIDENCE, AND THEN THEY CAUGHT THE SWABS IN HALF WHERE ONE HALF IS RETAINED FOR FUTURE TESTING, AND THE OTHER HALF HALF IS THE ONE THAT PROCEEDS THROUGH THE ANALYTICAL DNA WORKFLOW, RIGHT? SO ONCE THAT SWAB PROCEEDS FORWARD, UM, THEY HAVE DNA TECHNICIANS THAT DO ALL THAT WONDERFUL DNA MAGIC AND ANALYSIS, RIGHT? AND, AND FROM THAT DATA, A DNA AN ANALYST IS THE ONE THAT LOOKS OVER IT, MAKES THEIR DEDUCTIONS AND REPORT ON THIS, RIGHT? SO MY INTENT OF THIS DISCLOSURE IS TO KIND OF FOCUS AND SEWN IN, UM, ON THE INITIAL PORTION OF THAT INVENTORY INTAKE PROCESS FOR THEM, UM, DURING AN INTERNAL REVIEW, THEY FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAD A TECHNICIAN, AN INTAKE, UM, INVENTORY, A TECHNICIAN THAT HAD A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN NORMAL DOCUMENTATION ERRORS, RIGHT? UM, THEY SAW THAT THERE, THERE WAS LIKE SOME MAYBE LABELING MISMATCHES, TYPOS, CEILING DISCREPANCIES, RIGHT? UH, AN EXAMPLE OF LABELING MISMATCHES WOULD BE, UH, MAYBE THE SUSPECT'S OR THE VICTIM'S NAME OR WHATNOT, WHAT WAS WRITTEN MAY, MAY, MAYBE IT WAS SWITCHED, OR IF IT WAS COMMON SPELLING LIKE SMITH, MAYBE IT WAS A T KIND OF, UM, SWITCHED.
UH, THIS TECHNICIAN WOULD TRY TO TRY TO LIKE AUTO CORRECT IT.
AND THAT'S NOT PART OF THEIR PROCEDURES FOR THEM.
THEY WANT EVERYTHING TRANSLATED OVER BECAUSE AGAIN, WE CAN'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
WE HAVE TO WRITE EXACTLY HOW IT IS RECORDED OR SEEN.
AND, UM, SO ONCE THEY IDENTIFIED THIS, THEY LET US KNOW, UM, ON EVERY AN EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAD ON SITE, THEY WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT PHYSICALLY AT THE EVIDENCE AND CORRECT AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS NO INCONSISTENCIES WITH THE CASE NOTES THAT THEY HAD, BUT THEY WENT AHEAD AND DISCLOSED IT TO US FOR US TO DISCLOSE IT TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, FOR INSTANCES IN CASE IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, WE CAN COORDINATE AND HAVE THIS OUTSOURCE LABORATORY REVERIFY, UM, EVIDENCE UPON REQUEST, RIGHT? MAKE SURE THAT THE CASE NOTES MATCH, UM, MATCH THE EVIDENCE ITEM LABELING OR IF, IF IT NEEDS TO BE DOCUMENTED OR CORRECTED.
SO ARE THERE ANY, YEAH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? YOU WERE VERY COM COMPLETE.
OKAY, NOW WE'RE GOING TO AGENDA.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER, UH, ISSUES, LET'S PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM NINE.
THIS IS THE EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS 5, 5, 1 AND 0 7 1 FROM THE GOVERNMENT CODE REGARDING PERSONNEL MATTERS AND FINALIZED DR. PETER STOUT PRESENT AND CEO'S ANNUAL EVALUATION.
AT THIS TIME, THE HFSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL GO INTO CLOSED MEETING, ALSO KNOWN AS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND AS PERMITTED BY THE TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT.
THE CLOSED MEETING WILL NOT BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE WILL ASK OUR STAFF, WHICH THEY HAVE JUST DONE TO STEP OUTSIDE UNTIL FOR THE TIME BEING EXCEPT DR. STOUT AND MS. MANZ.
DR. STOUT DOESN'T HAVE TO STEP OUT AT THIS POINT.
UM, I DO NOT ANTICIPATE THE CLOSED MEETING RUNNING TOO LONG, BUT THE BOARD DOES NOT HAVE A SET TIME TO RECONVENE THE THIS, THESE MATTERS TODAY.
TODAY WE'LL RETURN WHEN OUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN CONCLUDED.
PLEASE STOP THE RECORDING AT THIS TIME.
[00:56:02]
OKAY.THE TIME IS NOW 10 49 AND THE HFSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS RECONVENING THIS OPEN MEETING FOR THE RECORD.
WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT AT THIS POINT.
I AM GOING TO, UM, CALL ON VICE CHAIR AND, UH, ASK FOR MOTION REGARDING DR.
STOUT'S ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION.
MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE A 3.5% SALARY INCREASE FOR THE COMING YEAR FOR DR. STOUT.
AND YOU'RE WORTH A LOT MORE THOUGH.
I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, I DO APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT I, I'VE ALWAYS FELT SUPPORTED BY THIS BOARD.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING Y'ALL DO FOR US.
DO THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY COMMENTS IT WISH TO MAKE? OH, I, I THINK YOU'RE WORTH A LOT MORE HIGHER, HIGHER PERCENTAGE, BUT I ALSO GREATLY RESPECT THE REASONS THAT YOU WANT TO KEEP IT AT THAT LEVEL.
MOVE ON TO THE SECOND ITEM FOR VOTE.
DO I HAVE AN ADDITIONAL MOTION RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE FIVE GOALS, UH, PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES FOR DR. STOUT, UH, FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND GOAL NUMBER ONE, TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND THE VISIBILITY IS OF HFSC AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVELS.
GOAL TWO, CONTINUE TO EXPAND THE VISIBILITY AS HFSC AND ITS LEADERS TO, UH, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
GOAL THREE, CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION AND STATE UNIVERSITIES TO MAKE PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTING THE TEXAS FORENSIC ANALYST APPRENTICESHIP PILOT PROGRAM.
GOAL NUMBER FOUR, EXPAND BOARD ENGAGEMENT WITH EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND GOAL FIVE, CONTINUE IMPROVING MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
I WOULD PROPOSE THAT AS A MOTION.
ANY DISCUSSION, PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, SAY AYE.
OKAY, WE ARE MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM 11.
YOU HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.
NO, NO ONE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION TO EVERYBODY.
SO HAPPY WE'RE GONNA STAY HERE THROUGH LUNCH.
DO HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.