[00:00:20]
OKAY.UH, APPRECIATE US GETTING RIGHT TO IT.
HPD, THE BIGGEST BUDGET OF THE CITY, AND THE LAST BUDGET WORKSHOP.
I APOLOGIZE, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO BE STEPPING OUT.
UM, MY VICE CHAIR WILL BE TAKING OVER HERE IN A LITTLE WHILE.
UM, BUT JUST WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY BEFORE I GO TO THANK ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, UM, FOR ALL OF YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE WORKSHOPS, I DO WANNA WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS WHO CAME IN DURING THE LAST WORKSHOP.
AND, UM, MOSTLY I WANNA THANK MY STAFF, KATIE AND JORDAN AND HELEN, WHO REALLY DO ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR THESE WORKSHOPS.
UM, VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
AND WITH THAT, UH, CHIEF, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
GOOD MORNING BECAUSE YOU, OKAY.
UH, I'M HERE ALONG WITH THE INTERIM DEPUTY DIRECTOR JOANNE TR.
AND, UH, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FY 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH INCLUDES A GENERAL FUND ALLOCATION OF JUST OVER $1.2 BILLION.
I'M HONORED TO BE HERE ON BEHALF OF CHIEF DIAZ TO REPRESENT THE HARDWORKING, CLASSIFIED OFFICERS AND CIVILIAN PROFESSIONALS WHO SERVE THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON EVERY DAY.
UNDER LEADERSHIP OF CHIEF DIAZ, HPD CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON ACCOUNTABILITY, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND ABOVE ALL SERVICE.
WE CONTINUE TO REINFORCE THE FOUNDATION OF THIS DEPARTMENT BY BUILDING NEW INITIATIVES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, SUPPORT OUR OFFICERS, AND BETTER SERVE THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
I'M PROUD TO REPORT THAT CRIME IS DOWN IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ACROSS ALL NEIGHBOR'S CATEGORIES.
RESPONSE TIMES ARE DOWN ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES, AND CRASHES ARE DOWN ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES AS WELL.
SOME AREAS OF PROGRESS THAT I'LL TOUCH ON AT THE END FOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE, ARE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, OPERATIONAL CHANGES IN PATROL THAT IMPROVED OFFICER WELLNESS, DECREASED RESPONSE TIMES, AND DECREASED OVERTIME, SPENDING THE ADDITION OF OPERATIONAL SUPPORT DIVISION AND THE PATROL SUPPORT UNIT, WHICH WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
AND AS WE MOVE INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, I JUST WANT TO SINCERELY THANK THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, UH, AND ALL OF YOU HERE FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, YOUR SUPPORT HAS ALLOWED THE DEPARTMENT TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE AND MEET THE NEEDS OF CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL.
SO HERE WE HAVE THE HPD ORG CHART.
THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE HERE FROM LAST YEAR IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY TOP RIGHT, THE YELLOW BOX TO THE RIGHT OF CHIEF OF STAFF IS OPERATIONAL SUPPORT DIVISION.
AND LIKE I SAID, I'LL TOUCH ON THAT TOWARD THE END.
SO THE NUMBERS AS OF APRIL 30TH, 2026, YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, THE ONES I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT.
SO, OUR, UH, BREAKDOWN BY GENDER, THE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE, 76% MALE, 24% FEMALE.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CLASSIFIED WORKFORCE, OUR POLICE OFFICERS WE'RE 81% MALE, 19% FEMALE.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CADETS RIGHT NOW IN THE ACADEMY, IT'S 79% MALE, 21% FEMALE.
SO HOPEFULLY IN SEVEN OR EIGHT MONTHS, OUR NUMBERS WILL INCREASE, UM, ON FEMALE OFFICERS.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT OUR ETHNICITY, WE ARE A MAJORITY MINORITY DEPARTMENT.
SO WE ARE BROKEN UP, CLASSIFIED HISPANIC OFFICERS, 36% WHITE OFFICERS ARE 34% AFRICAN AMERICAN OFFICERS, 21%, ASIAN 8%, AND THEN OTHER OR MIXED MAKES UP 1% OF THE DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE SERVE AN INCREDIBLY DIVERSE CITY, AND WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE AND BLESSED TO HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT REPRESENTS THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.
AND THERE WAS EFFORTS MADE A VERY LONG TIME AGO TO INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS.
BUT THE FACT IS TODAY THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS SO DIVERSE AND THE CITIZENS THAT LIVE IN OUR CITY AND THE ONES THAT HAVE A DESIRE TO SERVE, WE HAVE TO DO VERY LITTLE TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THE DIVERSITY OF OUR APPLICANTS IS, IS MAINTAINED.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY WITH A HEART FOR SERVICE AND, AND THE APPLICATIONS AND THE ETHNICITY BREAKDOWN OF OUR APPLICANTS SHOW THAT NEXT SLIDE, STRATEGIC GUIDANCE ALIGNMENT.
SO HERE, DISCUSSING THE ALIGNMENT TO THE MAYOR'S DEFINED PRIORITIES INITIATIVES, UM, AND THE WAY OUR BUDGET BREAKS DOWN.
SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, 95% OF OURS GOES IN PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS.
WE'VE OUTLINED HPDS $8.9 MILLION BUDGET REDUCTIONS BY PROGRAM.
SO AS WE LOOK TO TRY TO MAKE REDUCTIONS TO BETTER ALIGN OUR OPERATIONS AND OUR STAFFING LEVELS WITH
[00:05:01]
THE CITY'S CURRENT NEEDS AND OUR CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS, ALONG WITH PRIORITI PRIORITIZING SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY, WE CUT $8.9 MILLION OUT OF THIS BUDGET.AND WE MADE UP FOR IT IN TWO WAYS, OR WE COUNTED FOR IT IN TWO WAYS.
NUMBER ONE, A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS CAME FROM OUR EPRO SYSTEM, WHICH IS OUR, OUR PROGRAM.
UH, ALLOWING RETIRED OFFICERS TO COME BACK AND WORK ON A PART-TIME BASIS FOR AN HOURLY WAGE TO HELP WITH A WHOLE VARIETY OF THINGS.
AS OF JULY ONE OF 27, THAT PROGRAM WILL BE ELIMINATED FOR NOW.
SO THAT MAKES UP FOR, OR THAT ACCOUNTS FOR 1.5 MILLION.
ANOTHER 7.4 MILLION COMES FROM 91 FTES OR FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT CIVILIAN POSITIONS THAT WE ARE FREEZING FOR THIS BUDGET YEAR.
UM, OUR CLASSIFIED, OR OUR, OUR CIVILIAN WORKFORCE AT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ABSOLUTELY INVALUABLE TO US.
WE HATE TO BE AT THIS POINT, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SERVICES WE NEED TO PROVIDE TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, THIS IS THE SPOT, THE TWO SPOTS WE FELT LIKE WE COULD MAKE THE CUTS RIGHT NOW WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF IMPACT TO RESPONSE TIMES, INVESTIGATIONS AND SO FORTH.
I WOULD NOTE THAT THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE WILL TOUCH ON THIS IN A MINUTE, BUT THIS YEAR OUR OVERTIME SPENDING IS DOWN 22% AS OPPOSED TO LAST YEAR BY DOLLAR, BUT IT'S DOWN 27% BY HOURS WORKED.
AS YOU GUYS KNOW, WE HAD A CONTRACT, A CONTRACT THAT GAVE US, UM, A MUCH NEEDED RAISE, WHICH HAS ALSO HELPED WITH RECRUITING AND RETENTION, WHICH I'LL DISCUSS IN A LITTLE WHILE.
BUT WITH THOSE CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS COME RAISES, AND WITH THOSE RAISES, THE OVERTIME RATES GO GO UP BY HOUR.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE FINANCIAL AMOUNT THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S THE NUMBER OF HOURS WORK THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THAT FINANCIAL AMOUNT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE BUDGET YEAR, AND JOANNE WILL TOUCH ON THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE BUDGET YEAR, WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT MAKING, I KNOW YOU, YOU FOLKS HAVE HEARD THIS ALREADY, BUT SAVINGS IN OTHER CATEGORIES TO OFFSET THE COST.
SO AS BUDGET LINE ITEMS ARE ALLOCATED, AS THE YEAR GOES ON, OUR FOCUS AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND AS AN EXECUTIVE STAFF IS TO KEEP THE OVERALL BOTTOM LINE ON BUDGET.
AND WE MAY GO OVER ON SOME LINE ITEMS BELOW ON OTHER, SOME, SOME LINE ITEMS, BUT OUR GOAL IS TO MEET THE FINAL BUDGET AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, RIGHT ON AT THE END OF JUNE.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO JOANNE.
THANK YOU, AND GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BEFORE I BEGIN MY PIECE OF THE PRESENTATION, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE POLICE FINANCIAL SERVICES TEAM FOR THEIR DEDICATION HARD WORK IN FINALIZING THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND PREPARING TODAY'S PRESENTATION, THEIR COMMITMENT, INCLUDING MANY LATE NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, MADE IT POSSIBLE.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE FY 27 FINANCIAL BUDGET FOR HPD AND, AND AM HONORED TO DO SO ON THEIR BEHALF.
TEAM, PLEASE STAND UP TO BE RECOGNIZED.
A LOT OF MONEY AND SMALL TEAM.
OH, THAT'S IT, THAT'S THE RIGHT SIDE.
UH, THE REVENUE BY FUND IS THIS SLIDE.
THIS SLIDE COMPARES THE HPDS FY 27.
PROPOSED REVENUE TO THE FY 26 ESTIMATE IS ORGANIZED BY THE FUNDING SOURCES.
IT SHOWS WHERE THE BIGGEST SHIFTS ARE HAPPENING.
OUR TOTAL REVENUE IS PROJECTED TO BE DECREASED BY $5,000 FOR FY 27.
GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF EACH FUND AND EXPLAIN WHAT'S DRIVING THE CHANGES.
THE GENERAL FUND AN INCREASE OF $6.3 MILLION OR INCREASE OF 8%.
THE GENERAL FUND IS OUR LARGEST AND MOST FLEXIBLE SOURCE, INCLUDES REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE METRO AND THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, AS WELL AS REVENUES FROM OPEN RECORDS, TRAFFIC REPORT PORTS, AND TAKE HOME VEHICLES.
5.5 MILLION OF THAT 6.35 IS RELATED INCREASE IS RELATED TO THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE IAH AND HOBBY OP OPERATIONS.
AND HOBBY ALSO INCLUDES THE ELLINGTON, UH, ELLINGTON AIRPORT INCREASES PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTED TO THE 8% INCREASE IN THE CLASSIFIED BASE, PAY FOR THE MEET AND CONFER A $2.2 MILLION INCREASE FROM THE METRO MOBILITY.
GENERAL MOBILITY PROGRAM IS NOW PROJECTED FOR 29.7 MILLION FOR FY 27, AN OFFSET BY THE DECREASE OF $1.3 MILLION.
IT IS RELATED TO A ONE-TIME FEMA FUNDS RECEIVED FOR THE DERECHO STORM THAT OCCURRED IN FY 26,
[00:10:01]
BUT WILL NOT OCCUR IN FY 27.THE NEXT FUND IS THE POLICE SPECIAL SERVICES FUND, A DECREASE OF $4.2 MILLION.
THIS FUND HOLDS THE RESTRICTED USE REVENUES SUCH AS SPECIAL EVENT REIMBURSEMENTS, TRAINING, TRAINING GRANTS AND DONATIONS.
THE NET DECREASE IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FIFA WORLD CUP AND IN HOMELESS NOTE IN HOMELESSNESS COSTS THAT WAS IN THE POLICE SPECIAL SERVICE FUND, BUT IS NOW IN THE GRANTS.
THE NEXT FUND IS AUTO DEALERS FUND, AND THIS IS A DECREASE OF 125,000.
THE AUTO DEALERS FUND SUPPORTS REGULATIONS OF AUTO DEALERS STORAGE LOTS AND TOWING OPERATIONS REVENUES COME FROM LICENSES, PERMITS, AND TOWING FEES.
THIS DECREASE IS DUE TO A DROP IN REVENUE FROM UNCLAIMED VEHICLES SOLD AT AUCTION, WHICH CAN FLUCTUATE ANNUALLY.
THE NEXT FUND IS A CHILD SAFETY FUND.
THIS FUND PROVIDES THE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD PRO PROGRAMS ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON ACROSS THE 17, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT IS FUNDED BY VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES AND COURT FINES TIED TO THE SCHOOL ZONE VIOLATIONS.
THE NEXT FUND IS ASSET FORFEITURE FUNDS A DECREASE OF $1.89 MILLION.
THESE FUNDS COME FROM SEIZURES OF ASSETS LINKED TO CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT HELP SUPPORT OVERTIME SURVEILLANCE AND SPECIALIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO ONLY THE STATE FORFEITURE FUNDS ABOUT $2 MILLION CAN BE BUDGETED.
FEDERAL FUNDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OR DEPARTMENT OF TREASURIES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET PER FEDERAL RULES.
AGAIN, THE ASSET FORFEITURE, THEY COME FROM THE SEIZURES OF ASSETS.
SO WE REALLY, IT IS NOT A REVENUE GEN GENERATING TYPE FUND.
SO IT'S, IT'S WHAT WE GET FROM OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE, UH, WITH RELATED TO SEIZURES OF ASSETS IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES.
THE NEXT FUND IS A FORENSIC TRANSITION FUND THAT'S A DECREASE OF 37,000.
THIS FUND OFFSETS COSTS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES WORKING IN THE HOUSTON FORENSICS CENTER, AND THIS IS, UH, HPD IS REIMBURSED FOR THESE PERSONAL EXPENSES.
SO GOING INTO FY 27, THIS FUND HAS TRANSITIONED TO ZERO FTES.
LAST YEAR WE HAD ONE, UH, CIVILIAN THAT WAS IN THIS FUND, AND, UM, THIS COMING YEAR IT'LL BE ZERO FTES.
AND THIS NEXT FUND IS A HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECOVERY RESPONSE FUND.
THIS FUND IS A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND TO COMPLY WITH CHANGES IN TEXAS LAW REQUIRING FORFEITED ASSETS FROM HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND RELATED PROSTITUTION OFFENSES TO BE USED SOLELY TO SUPPORT VICTIMS OF THOSE CRIMES.
SO THIS IS, UH, A, A, A, UH, SPECIAL, UH, FUND THAT, UH, THAT REQUIRES A SEPARATE, UH, FUND TO BE SET UP.
AND JUST LIKE HARRIS COUNTY, THEY ALSO HAVE A HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECOVERY RESPONSE FUND.
AGAIN, THIS FUND IS ONLY FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE VICTIMS OF THOSE CRIMES.
THIS, THIS IS A CHART OF THE REVENUE BY THE FUND.
HP D'S REVENUE SOURCES ARE A BLEND OF SERVICE REIMBURSEMENT, RESTRICTED USE PROGRAM FUNDS, AND SPECIAL EVENT SUPPORT.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET REFLECTS INCREASED ACTIVITY AND PLANNING FOR FY 27, PARTICULARLY FOR EVENTS, AND CONTINUES TO ENSURE COST RECOVERY ACROSS OUR OPERATIONS.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A VISUAL SNAPSHOT OF HPDS REVENUE BY FUND, AND IT SHOWS THE FY 25 ACTUALS, THE FY 26 ADOPTED BUDGET, FY 26 ESTIMATE, AND THE FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET.
I'D LIKE TO, FOR THE FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO DESCRIBE THE MAKEUP OF THESE REVENUES AND THEIR SOURCES.
FIRST, THE TOTAL PROPOSED REVENUE FOR FY 27 IS APPROXIMATELY $114.7 MILLION.
NOW I'M GOING TO GO INTO THE, THE DIFFERENT COLORS OF THE FUNDS THAT IT REPRESENTS HERE ON THIS CHART.
THE FIRST FUND IS A GENERAL FUND FOR THE FY 27 PROPOSED IS THE $87.4 MILLION.
THIS IS THE LARGEST COMPONENT OF OUR REVENUE OUT OF THE $114.7 MILLION.
[00:15:02]
AND IN THE GENERAL FUND, THE 87.4 49 MILLION OF THAT COMES FROM THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE SERVICES THAT, UH, WE PROVIDE AT IH AND HOBBY IN TON.THE NEXT, UH, ANOTHER 30 MILLION IS FROM REIMBURSED FROM THE METRO THROUGH THE GENERAL MOBILITY PROGRAM.
AND ANOTHER 5 MILLION COMES FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEES AND INDIRECT COST RECOVERY FROM THE AUTO DEALER'S FUND.
AND THEN ADDITIONAL 3 MILLION COMES FROM THE TAKE HOME VEHICLE FEES, OPEN RECORD REQUESTS, AND INCIDENTAL REPORT FEES.
AND FOR THE POLICE SPECIAL SERVICE FUND, $9.4 MILLION IS PROJECTED FOR THE, FOR THE REVENUE 5.2 MILLION IS REIMBURSEMENT FOR CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE EXTERNAL AGENCIES THAT WE, UH, WORK WITH THEM ON, SUCH AS THE F-B-I-D-E-A AND THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS AND OTHERS FOR SECURITY AND EVENT SUPPORT.
1.2 MILLION IS FROM THE BUSINESS CONTRIBUTIONS SUPPORTING THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION EFFORTS.
AND 1.2 MILLION IS A TRANSFER FROM THE TOURS ACTUALLY, OF THAT 1.2 MILLION 980 IS FROM THE TOURS FOR THE OUR DOWN DOWNTOWN DISTRICT.
AND ANOTHER, UH, 230 IS FOR THE, FROM THE BUSINESS OF OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NINE ONE ONE CRISIS CALL DIVERSION PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE WITH THE HAIR CENTER.
AND THEN 1.1 MILLION FOR MOBILITY PERMITS, ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATOR RESTITUTION CASES, GAMBLING SEIZURES, AND OTHER SOURCES.
AND THEN 700,000 FROM THE STATE.
AND THIS IS FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER STANDARDS AND EDUCATION OR LEOS.
AND THAT'S FOR THE POLICE PERSONNEL TRAINING.
THE NEXT FUND IS AUTO DEALERS FUND, $12.5 MILLION.
THIS FUND SUPPORTS THE REGULATION OF AUTO DEALERS, AUCTIONS, TOWING AND STORAGE LOCKS AND REVENUES FROM THE INDUSTRY, LICENSING, INSPECTING FEES AND TOWING RELATED CHARGES.
THE CHILD SAFETY FUND, THE $3.3 MILLION.
AGAIN, WE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS A, A PASS THROUGH.
UH, IT SUPPORTS THE 600, UH, CROSSING GUARDS ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN THE 17 SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND AGAIN, THE REVENUE IS FROM THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES AND THE MUNICIPAL COURT FINES TIED TO THE SCHOOL ZONE AND PARKING VIOLATIONS.
THE, UH, REVENUE HERE IS 2 MILLION.
AGAIN, THESE FUNDS COME FROM THE STATE LEVEL.
LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS SUPPORTS OVERTIME, NARCOTICS, INVESTIGATIONS, EQUIPMENT, AND OTHER ENFORCEMENT COSTS.
WE DON'T, UH, BUDGET FOR THE FEDERAL, UH, REVENUES DUE TO THE LEGAL RESTRICTIONS AND THE, UH, FORENSIC FORENSIC FUND.
THE FORENSIC TRANSITION FUND IS ZERO FOR THE COMING, UH, FY 27 AND THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESPONSE AND RECOVERY FUND IS $404,000.
FOR THE REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS, THIS, THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS.
WE ALREADY DISCUSSED THAT BACK IN SLIDE SEVEN WHEN WE WERE COMPARING THE VARIANCES BETWEEN THE FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET AND FY 26 ESTIMATE.
SO WE'LL GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE REVENUE BY THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, UH, KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING ON THIS SLIDE, WE LIST ALL THE RELEVANT PROGRAMS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR HPD.
HERE WE'LL, UH, HIGHLIGHT ALL THE REVENUES AND HHPD GENERATES.
AGAIN, THIS IS ACROSS ALL FUNDS.
THE POLICE PATROL VARIANCE DECREASE OF $122,000 IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE NORTH BELT FACILITY RENTAL ANTICIPATED TO EXPIRE IN 2027 IN THE POLICE SERVICES FUND.
THE HOMELAND SECURITY SPECIAL EVENTS VARIANCE DECREASE OF 4.4 MILLION IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FIFA WORLD CUP SOCCER AND IN STREET HOMELESSNESS BEING ACCOUNTED FOR NOW IN THE GRANTS INSTEAD OF THE SPECIAL SERVICES FUND, THE INVESTIGATIVE VARIANCE DECREASE OF 1.8 MILLION IS PRIMARILY DUE TO FEDERAL GUIDELINES, NOT ALLOWING THE FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL, UH,
[00:20:01]
DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY AND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO BE BUDGETED IN ADVANCE IN THE ASSET FORFEITURE.VARIANCE INCREASE OF 5.5 MILLION IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE GENERAL FUND INCREASE REIMBURSEMENT FROM HAS FOR THE AIRPORT OPERATIONS.
AND THIS IS THE INCREASE OF THE 8% IN THE CLASSIFIED BASE PAY FOR THE MEET AND CONFER.
THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT INCREASE OF 2.2 MILLION IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE INCREASE IN METRO GENERAL MOBILITY PROGRAM IN THE GENERAL FUND.
THE TRAINING VARIANCE DECREASE OF 23,000 IS DUE TO THE TRAINING TRACK RENTAL AVAILABLE FOR USE FOR THE FULL FISCAL YEAR IN FY 27 IN THE POLICE SPECIAL SERVICES FUND.
AND THE MENTAL HEALTH DECREASE IS PRIMARILY DUE TO SITE INSPECTION OF THE POLICE SPECIAL SERVICES FUND.
THE NEXT PROGRAM IS A STRATEGIC OPERATIONS VARIANCE DECREASE OF 258,000.
THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE ESTIMATE, DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF AMOUNT ASSOCIATED WITH CASES, CASES CLEARED, AWARDED TO HPD IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THE LAST PROGRAM IS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE VARIANCE DECREASE OF 1.1 MILLION.
AND THIS IS DUE TO THAT ONE TIME FEMA PAYMENT FOR THE DERECHO STORM IN THE GENERAL FUND THAT IS NO LONGER, UM, IS NOT HAPPENING IN FY 27.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE PRESENTS A OF ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET ACROSS ALL FUNDS, EXCLUDING GRANTS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
THE TOTAL BUDGET DISPLAY IS $1.25 MILLION BILLION.
THIS VIEW ENFORCES THE HPD REMAINS LABOR INTENSIVE DEPARTMENT WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE DEDICATED TO PERSONNEL COSTS ACROSS ALL FUNDS.
PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 87.5% OF THE FY 27 BUDGET, WHILE NON PERSONNEL ACCOUNT FOR THE REMAINING 12.5% IN FY 27, APPROXIMATELY 83% OF THE DEPARTMENT'S $8.9 MILLION IN THE REDUCTION THAT, UH, CHIEF HARDIN TALKED ABOUT IS A CHIEF THROUGH THE ELIMINATION OF THE 91 FTES OR VACANT CIVILIAN POSITIONS.
AND THE REMAINING 17%, OR THE 1.5 IS REALIZED THROUGH THE ELIMINATION OF THE EMPLOYEE PROGRAM OF RETIRED OFFICERS.
THESE REDUCTIONS REFLECT THE DEPARTMENT'S ONGOING EFFORTS TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS.
PRIORITIZE IS CENTRAL SERVICES ALIGN AVAILABLE RESOURCES WITH THE CITY'S OVERALL BUDGET STRATEGY.
THIS CHART ON THE SLIDE FURTHER ILLUSTRATES THE ALTERNATE VIEW OF FY 27, BREAKDOWN OF THE PERSONNEL AND NON-PERSONNEL FUNDING FOR GENERAL FUND AND SPECIAL FUNDS, AGAIN, EXCLUDING GRANTS AND, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
NOW WE'LL GET INTO THE EXPENDITURES BY FUND.
THIS FUND COMPARES THE FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET TO THE FY 26 CURRENT BUDGET BY FUND, AND IT HIGHLIGHTS SUN NET CHANGES IN EXPENDITURES.
PERSONNEL COSTS CONTINUE TO REPRESENT THE DEPARTMENT'S LARGEST EXPENDITURE DRIVER.
WHY THIS SLIDE ALSO HIGHLIGHTS STRATEGIC FUNDING INCREASES ASSOCIATED WITH GLOBAL AND CITYWIDE EVENTS OVERALL, HPDS FY 27 PROPOSED EXPENDITURES FOR FY 27 REFLECT A NET INCREASE OF $76 MILLION OR 7% COMPARED TO THE FY 26 CURRENT BUDGET.
THIS INCREASE IS ACRE IS SPREAD ACROSS BOTH OUR GENERAL FUND AND THE SPECIAL FUNDS FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
THE INCREASE OF 87 POINT $87 MILLION OR 87%, THE MAKEUP OF THAT INCREASE, $85.3 MILLION IS FOR THE CLASSIFIED COMPENSATION FOR THE MEET AND CONFER, AND IT INCLUDES THE HEALTH AND PENSION.
$8.9 MILLION IS FOR THE RESTRICTED ACCOUNT ALLOCATIONS, $6.6 MILLION IS FOR THE CLASSIFIED OVERTIME.
$3.8 MILLION IS FOR THE CIVILIAN COMPENSATION FOR OUR HOPE CONTRACT AND THE HEALTH AND PENSION AND $8.9 MILLION IS FOR THE BUDGET REDUCTION.
[00:25:01]
$6.6 MILLION DECREASE IS FOR THE APPROVED PBJS.THAT FOR FY 26 AND 27, UH, THE CLASSIFIED, UH, OVER TIME THE UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT CRITICAL POSITIONS, THE WELLNESS AND THE REMAINING CADET SALARY INCENTIVE.
THE NEXT FUND IS POLICE SPECIAL SERVICES FUND, THE DECREASE OF $10.6 MILLION.
THIS DECREASE IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE FIFA, UH, WORLD CUP GAME THAT WE HAD BUDGETED IN THE POLICE SPECIAL SERVICES AT THE TIME WHEN WE WERE DOING IT IN FY 26, WE DID, WE DID NOT KNOW THAT IT WAS GONNA BE A GRANT FROM THE STATE, SO IT WAS, UM, BUDGETED LIKE WHEN WE HOSTED THE SUPER BOWL.
THE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, REIMBURSED US FOR THAT.
BUT SINCE THEN, WE FIND OUT IT'S A GRANT FROM THE, UH, FEDERAL AND STATE.
THE NEXT FUND IS THE AUTO DEALERS FUND, AND THIS IS THAT INCREASE OF THE 46,000 IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE SUPPLIES AND SERVICES AND THE CHILD SAFETY FUND, THE DECREASE OF 87,000.
AGAIN, HPD IS A, UH, UH, IS THE MIDDLE.
UH, WE, WE, WE ACT AS A A MIDDLE CONDUIT.
WE GET THE FUNDS AND WE, WE, UH, SEND IT STRAIGHT OUT TO THE SCHOOLS.
SO THIS IS FROM THE PRIOR, UM, BALANCE THAT'S ROLLOVER FROM THE PHYSICAL PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR THAT'S NOT ANTICIPATED IN FY 27.
AND THE ASSET FORFEITURE, THE 97,000 INCREASE IS DUE TO THE OVERTIME EXPENDITURES FOR UNSCHEDULED EVENTS AND UNALLOCATED CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND THE FORENSIC FUND, UH, THAT DECREASES BECAUSE WE'RE GOING FROM THE ONE TO ZERO EMPLOYEES FOR THE FY 27.
THIS IS A EXPENDITURES BY FUND GRAPH.
UH, THIS SLIDE OUTLINES THE TOTAL EXPENDITURES FOR HPDS GENERAL FUND AND SPECIAL FUNDS, WHICH IS ABOUT 97% OF OUR EXPENDITURES ARE FUNDED FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
I'M GONNA GO SPEND SOME TIME TO GO OVER THE FUNDS AND THE ASSOCIATED EXPENDITURES.
UH, THE, BEFORE I DO THAT, UH, LET ME JUST TELL YOU THE, THE OVERALL NUMBER, THE FY 20, UH, FIVE EXPENDITURES.
THE ACTUALS WAS $1.09 BILLION FOR THE FY 26 CURRENT BUDGET.
IT'S 1.18 BILLION FOR THE ESTIMATE IS 1.67 BILLION.
AND FOR OUR PROPOSED FY 27 BUDGET IS $1.25 BILLION.
THE BREAKDOWN OF THE $1.25 BILLION, 1.2 BILLION OF THAT IS FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THIS IS THE 97% OF THE EXPENDITURES.
AND THIS SUPPORTS HPDS OPERATIONS.
IT INCLUDES PERSONNEL, PERSONNEL, PATROL, INVESTIGATION, AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
THE POLICE SPECIAL SERVICES FUND THE EXPENDITURES HERE, 10.1 MILLION OR 0.8% IS USED FOR RESTRICTED PURPOSES, SUCH AS THE JOINT LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS.
THE TASK FORCE THAT WE HAVE WITH THE FBI AND, AND, AND SECRET SERVICE AND DEA, THE TRAFFIC CONTROL POLICE TRAINING PERSONNEL TRAINING THROUGH THE OUR LEOS PROGRAM AND THE, UH, DETERRENCE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
THE NEXT FUND IS THE AUTO DEALERS FUND, 13.4 MILLION.
THIS SUPPORTS REGULATION AND OVERSIGHTS OF THE AUTO DEALERS STORAGE LOTS AND TOWING OPERATIONS, AND THE CHILD SAFETY FUND.
THAT 3.3 MILLION IS TO SUPPORT THE 600 600 MORE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS THAT'S IN THE, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND THE ASSET FORFEITURE 9.1 MILLION.
THESE ARE RESTRICTED USE SUPPORTING THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT EQUIPMENT.
AND OVER TIME, AGAIN, THE FORENSIC IS ZERO FOR FY 27 AND THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING RECOVERY RESPONSE IS THE 196,000 IS TO BE UTILIZED TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY TRAFFICKING VICTIMS SHORT-TERM NEEDS.
THIS SLIDE GOES INTO THE EXPENDITURES BY PROGRAM.
THIS SLIDE DEPICTS EXPENDITURES FUNDING BY PROGRAMS ACROSS ALL FUNDS OF WHICH GENERAL FUND COMPRISES OF 97%.
THE NET INCREASE OF THE $76 MILLION OR 7% IS DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY THE 8% CLASSIFIED BASE PAY, IMPACTING SALARIES AND BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH
[00:30:01]
THE POLICE MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENT.ADDITIONAL NET VARIANCES ARE PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTED TO INTER DEPARTMENTAL PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENTS, INCLUDING APPOINTMENTS, PROMOTIONS, AND ORGANIZATION RESTRUCTURING.
I MADE IT THIS FAR, NOW I'M LIKE
THE FY 27 PER BUZZ BUDGET FOR ALL PROGRAMS INCLUDE 3.5% INCREASE IN CIVILIAN SALARIES AND BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HOPE AND MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENT.
THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES PROVIDE A MORE DETAILED SUMMARY OF EACH OF HPDS PROGRAMS. I WILL HIGHLIGHT EACH PROGRAM AND RESERVE TIME AT THE END FOR QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE PROGRAM BUDGETS AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
THE POLICE PATROL PROGRAM IS COMPRISED OF HPDS PATROL REGENTS ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
EACH COMMAND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERSIGHT AND OPERATIONS OF PATROL WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE, UH, RESPONSE TIME FOR, FOR PRIORITY ONE CALL FY 26 PROGRESS, UH, THIRD QUARTERS, 5.7, 5.7 MINUTES.
AND THE PRIORITY TWO CALLS IS 10.9 MINUTES.
AND, UH, AS OF MAY, MAY, THE, UM, THOSE RESPONSE TIMES HAVE GONE DOWN TO 5.5 RESPONSE TIME AND 10.7 UM, MINUTES ON RESPONSE TIME.
AND THE MAKEUP OF THE, UH, GENERAL FUND IS THE MAKEUP OF THE PATROL CON CONTRIBUTES $475 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND, 3.4 MILLION FROM THE ASSET FORFEITURE AND THE, UH, SPECIAL POLICE SPECIAL SERVICES FUND, 1.5 MILLION.
SO THAT 480 IS WHAT IS MAKING UP THE FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE POLICE PATROL.
THE HOMELAND SECURITY EVENTS SPECIAL EVENTS, THE HOMELAND SECURITY SPECIAL EVENT PROGRAMS LEADS IN PLANNING AND COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH INTENTIONAL ACTS OF TERRORISM OR NATURAL DECLARED EMERGENCIES.
THIS PROGRAM ALSO ASSISTS WITH THE COORDINATION OF ALL SPECIAL EVENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND STAFFS POLICE RESOURCES FOR ALL CITY SPONSORED SPECIAL EVENTS.
THE, THE, UM, THE FUNDING FOR THIS COMES FROM THE GENERAL FUND, THE $54 MILLION POLICE SPECIAL IS 2.2 MILLION.
AND SO FOR THIS FUND IS 56.5 MILLION FOR THE FUNDING.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE, INVESTIGATIONS.
THE INVESTIGATION PROGRAM IS OUR SECOND LARGEST PROGRAM AS CITYWIDE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DELIVERING SPECIALIZED INVESTIGATIVE POLICE SERVICES.
IN ADDITION TO COMBINING THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AND SPECIAL INVESTIGATION COMMANDS, THIS PROGRAM IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REVIEW AND VERIFICATION OF ALL GANG RELATED CRIMES IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
AND THE CHIEF MENTIONED THAT ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS CRIME, UH, IS DOWN.
YOU CAN SEE FOR THE, THE, THE ANNUAL, THE NEIGHBORS, THE NEIGHBORS CRIME AGAINST PERSON THAT'S CURRENTLY DOWN BY 6%, THE NEIGHBORS CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY DOWN BY 25%, A NEIGHBORS CRIME AGAINST SOCIETY DOWN 8%.
AND THE FUNDING, YOU CAN SEE FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT SOURCES THAT WE HAVE FOR THE $254 MILLION THAT SUPPORTS THIS PROGRAM.
THIS IS OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM PROGRAM THAT CONSISTS OF THE IAH AND THE HOBBY AND INCLUDES ALSO HOBBY ALSO INCLUDES THE ELLINGTON FIELD, CONSISTS OF THE 24 7 POLICE PATROL ON THE PASSENGER SCREENING CHECKPOINTS, BOARDING THE GATES REMAINING IN THE TERMINALS FOR BREACHES OF SECURITY, WEAPONS, BOMB THREATS, AND ANY, ANY
[00:35:01]
OTHER THREATS TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY.AND THIS IS FROM THE GENERAL FUND, THE $45 MILLION.
AND THIS WE GET REIMBURSED BY THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM.
THIS IS A TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
THIS INCLUDES THE DWI TASK FORCE, THE MOBILITY RESPONSE TEAM, THE MOTORCYCLE DETAIL, OUR RADAR, OUR TASK FORCE, AND HIGHWAY INTERDICTION.
AND THIS IS, UH, FROM THE GENERAL FUND, 29.6 MILLION, UH, DOLLARS.
AND THIS IS SUPPORTED BY THE METRO MOBILITY, UH, PROGRAM.
AND AS A PART OF THE MEASUREMENTS, WE WE'RE LOOKING INTO, UM, VISITING THE AREA OF REDUCING THE PERCENTAGE OF THE VEHICLE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN FATALITY PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR FY 27.
AS WE LOOK AT MORE OF THESE, UH, MEASUREMENTS, NEXT SLIDE.
OUR NEXT PROGRAM IS A JOINT PROCESSING CENTER, AND THIS IS A SHARED SERVICE THAT'S MANAGED BY HARRIS COUNTY AND IT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BOOKING AND PROCESSING OF ALL PR PR PRISONERS ARRESTED BY THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND JUST A NOTE ON THESE, UH, MEASUREMENTS, H-P-D-H-P-D DOES NOT CONTROL THE AVERAGE PROCESSING TIME AT THE JPC FOR HPD ARREST.
OUR NEXT PROGRAM IS A TRAINING PROGRAM, AND IT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CADETS DURING THEIR TRAINING AT THE POLICE ACADEMY, RECRUITING APPLICANTS, CONDUCTING BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE SU REGARDING THE SUITABILITY OF THE APPLICANTS, AND CONTINUE EDUCATION THROUGH IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR ALL THE HPD EMPLOYEES.
AND HERE, JUST A NOTE THAT ON FOR THE CADETS, UM, THEIR, THEIR, UM, SALARY WAS ABLE TO BE INCREASED BY 10,000, FROM 42,000 TO 52,000.
AND THIS HAS HELPED IN OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS.
THE NEXT SLIDE, EMPLOYEE SERVICES AND WELLNESS.
THE EMPLOYEE SERVICES WELLNESS PROGRAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION SERVICES, DEPARTMENT-WIDE EMPLOYEE WELLBEING, MANAGING EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HIRING AND PROMOTIONS, PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS, AND JOB POSTING.
THIS PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES FOUR VOLUNTARY SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT PROGRAMS KNOWN AS PHASE DOWN OPTIONS FOR OFFICERS DISTRIBUTION OF THE SICK VACATION AND COMPENSATORY TIME LEAVE BALANCES.
THE MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO CONSUMERS THROUGH VARIOUS PROGRAMS SUCH AS A CRISIS INTERVENTION RESPONSE TEAM, HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING, COALITION, CL, CLINICIAN OFFICER, REMOTE EVALUATION, AND THE CHRONIC CONSUMER STABILIZATION INITIATIVES.
THESE ARE ALL FROM OUR, UH, MENTAL HEALTH TEAM AND LOOKING AT ONE OF THE MEASUREMENTS THAT INCREASED DAILY OUTREACH FOR HOMELESS COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS FOR FY 26, PROGRESS THIRD QUARTER, YOU SEE THAT 5,595, UH, UH, CONTACTS.
AND THIS IS DUE, UM, DUE TO THE, THE SHORTAGE OF, OF, OF STAFF WITHIN THAT, THE MENTAL HEALTH.
THEY, THEY NOW HAVE, UH, A HOT SERGEANT THAT'S IN PLACE THAT'S, UM, THAT'S HELPING WITH THAT.
AND THEN ALSO A HOT LIEUTENANT THAT'S ASSIGNED TO OVERSEE THE OPERATIONS AND THEY'RE GETTING A CIVILIAN STAFF MEMBER ON BOARD TO HELP WITH, UH, MORE OF THE OUTREACH.
THIS PROGRAM IS THE TRA OUR STRATEGIC OPERATION.
AND THIS STRATEGIC OPERATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THE EFFECTIVE
[00:40:01]
AND EFFICIENT OPERATION AND USES OF RESOURCES BY THE DIVISIONS.AND THE DIVISIONS IN THIS PROGRAM ARE THE RECORDS PLANNING AND DATA GOVERNANCE, FIELD OPERATIONS, INVESTIGATIVE OPERATIONS, STRATEGIC OPERATIONS, ORGANIZATION, SUPPORT COMMAND, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION, COMMAND CENTER, PROPERTY AND DETENTION, AND THE FLEET MANAGEMENT.
AND JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, ON ONE OF THE MEASUREMENTS THAT MAINTAIN ERROR RATE BELOW 3% AND ALL POLICE REPORTS SUBMITTED IN BRS FOR FY 26 PROGRESS, UH, THIRD QUARTER, YOU SEE THAT 5.44% AND THAT WAS WHEN THE, UH, THE INFORMATION WAS DOWNLOADED.
BUT NOW, UH, CURRENTLY THE RATE IS AT 2% ERROR RATE, WHICH IS BELOW THAT 3%, WHICH IS THE STANDARD CERTIFICATION, UH, RATE.
THIS NEXT PROGRAM IS OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND VICTIM SERVICES.
THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND VIC VICTIM SERVICE PROGRAMS ARE RELATIONAL POLICING INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO FACILITATE PUBLIC SAFETY THROUGH THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA VICTIM SERVICES PROGRAM PROVIDE RESOURCES AND REFERRALS FOR CRIME VICTIMS BASED ON THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS.
OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOCUS ON CRIME PREVENTION, COMMUNITY SERVICE, YOUTH SERVICE, AND ENCOURAGES POSITIVE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY.
AND OUR NEXT SLIDE, OUR LAST SLIDE IN THE PROGRAMS IS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE PROVIDES THE SUPPORT FOR THE, FOR LEADERSHIP AND EXECUTIVE SUPPORT.
AND THIS INCLUDES THE OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE CHIEF OPERATIONAL SUPPORT, LEGAL SERVICES, RISK MANAGEMENT, AND GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND, UH, IN HERE IS ALSO THE, UM, THE, THE REDUCTION OF THAT 1.5 MILLION FOR THE, UH, EPRO PROJECT.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT BACK TO CHIEF HARDEN.
SO WE'LL TOUCH ON THE THREE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT I DISCUSSED EARLIER.
SO THIS, THE SLIDE IN FRONT OF YOU, WE SHOW THIS SLIDE EVERY YEAR IN THE BUDGET PRESENTATION.
IT'S ALSO TYPICALLY SHOWN IN OTHER PRESENTATIONS, BUT IF YOU, THE BLUE LINES ARE GRADUATING CADETS, RED LINES ARE ATTRITION.
AND OBVIOUSLY IF YOU WANT TO INCREASE YOUR MANPOWER, YOU NEED THE ATTRITION TO BE LOWER THAN YOUR GRADUATING CADETS.
ONE OF THE PROFOUND IMPACTS OF OUR NEW CONTRACT, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, WAS NUMBER ONE, $10,000 PAY RAISE FOR CADETS, WHICH HELPED US IMMENSELY FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE GOING TO OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE THEIR PAY WAS HIGHER WHILE THEY WERE IN THE ACADEMY.
AND THEN THE RAISE TO CLASSIFIED OFFICERS AS WE GO THROUGH THE FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT, MAKES US MORE COMPETITIVE WITH EVERY OTHER MAJOR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SMALLER OR MID-SIZE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE FAR RIGHT FY 26 UP UNTIL APRIL, YOU WILL SEE THAT OUR GRADUATING CADETS IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN OUR ATTRITION.
AND THIS WAS PULLED RIGHT UP UNTIL THE END OF MARCH AND WE JUST GRADUATED A CLASS OF 69 PEOPLE LAST WEEK.
SO I CAN TELL YOU WE ARE OFFICIALLY OVER 5,400 CLASSIFIED FOR, UM, FIRST TIME IN A VERY LONG TIME.
IF YOU GO ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT SIDE, YOU'LL SEE FISCAL YEAR OH NINE, UH, WE HAD A LARGE NET GAIN IN CLASSIFIED OFFICERS BETWEEN GRADUATE CS AND AND ATTRITION.
THIS YEAR, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY OF THESE CADETS THAT JUST GRADUATED TUESDAY GET OFF PROBATION ARE NET GAIN FOR THE YEAR WILL BE ONE 50 OR ABOVE, WHICH IS VITAL TO PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE CITY FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
YOU KNOW, WE, IF WE'VE DISCUSSED COUNTLESS TIMES, WE KEPT THE SAME MANPOWER SINCE THE 1990S UNTIL LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR RIGHT NOW WE'RE STARTING TO GAIN OFFICERS AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF BENEFITS TO THAT BESIDES JUST THE OBVIOUS OF MORE COPS IS A SAFER CITY.
IT ALLOWS US TO STAFF DIVISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SHORT STAFFED FOR A LONG TIME.
IT ALLOWS US TO CREATE NEW INITIATIVES THAT WE WANTED TO DO TO HELP OUR OFFICERS AND THE CITIZENS WE SERVE.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE OVER 5,400 NOW.
WE ADDED 320 CLASSIFIED OFFICERS, WHICH IS THE LARGEST NET GAIN IN 17 YEARS.
OUR CURRENT CADET CLASSES IN THE ACADEMY TODAY ARE AT 79 AND 76, AS WELL AS TWO LATERAL CADETS.
AND THEN OUR NEO GOV APPLICATIONS, WHICH IF YOU KNOW ANY JOB YOU APPLY FOR AT THE CITY, YOU HAVE TO APPLY THROUGH NEO GOV.
OUR NEO GOV APPLICATIONS HAVE INCREASED 47% YEAR OVER YEAR SINCE
[00:45:01]
THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CONTRACT.SO IT DOES A REMINDER JULY ONE OF 26 WILL BEGIN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE CONTRACT.
AND OUR ACADEMY CLASSES GREW FROM PRE RAISES, AVERAGES OF 41 TO 60 TO POST RAISE CLASSES RANGING FROM 72 TO 81 RECRUITS.
SO AS WE TALK ABOUT ADDING MORE PEOPLE TO THE STREET AND BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT SOME PROJECTS THAT, THAT WE'VE WANTED TO FOR A LONG TIME, THE ONE I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY, UM, ACTUALLY I'LL TOUCH ON PATROL FIRST.
SO OPERATIONAL CHANGES IN PATROL, I APOLOGIZE.
WE STARTED TO TEST FOUR 10 HOUR SHIFTS IN PATROL BACK IN 2022 WHEN I WAS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OVER PATROL REGION ONE.
AND MOST PATROL OFFICERS UNTIL THAT, WELL, ALL PATROL OFFICERS UNTIL THAT TIME WORKED FIVE EIGHT HOUR SHIFTS, TWO DAYS OFF, REGARDLESS OF WHAT SHIFT OR WHAT YOUR DAYS OFF WERE.
WE STARTED TO TEST FOUR TENS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, MORE OFFICER WELLNESS, UH, SEE IF WE COULD DECREASE RESPONSE TIMES, DECREASE DIFFERENT METRICS, INJURED ON DUTY, USE OF FORCE, USED TO, UH, DUE TO FATIGUE, A VARIETY OF FACTORS.
SO WHEN WE STARTED TO ADD THESE BODIES LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, IT BEGAN TO GIVE US ENOUGH BODIES TO FULLY STAFF OUR FIVE LARGEST PATROL STATIONS TO ALLOW US TO GO TO FOUR 10.
SO IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, EARLY JANUARY, MID-JANUARY, LATE JANUARY, OUR FOUR BIGGEST STATIONS THAT DID NOT HAVE FOUR TENS NOW HAVE FOUR TENS.
SO WE ARE AT SEVEN STATIONS NOW WHERE THE PATROL OFFICERS WORK FOUR TENS.
THERE'S A FEW STATIONS THAT HAVE A COUPLE HYBRIDS.
THEY MAY HAVE FIVE OR SIX INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK FIVE EIGHTS PER SHIFT TO HELP COVER THAT, THAT GAP.
BUT THE THREE DAYS OFF IS SHOWING TO HAVE TREMENDOUS BENEFITS FOR OUR PATROL OFFICERS AND OUR DEPARTMENT AND OUR BUDGET.
IT ALLOWS IMPROVING OFFICER WELLNESS, RIGHT? ANOTHER DAY OFF IS, IS ANOTHER DAY OF REST.
SO DECREASED FATIGUE, THE SHIFT OVERLAPS.
SO WHEN YOU WORK FIVE EIGHTS, THE OVERLAP IS ONE HOUR.
SO EARLY SIDE IS SIX TO TWO, LATE SIDE IS SEVEN TO THREE, AND THEN NIGHT EVENING SHAPE WOULD START 2:00 PM TO 10 AND THEN 3:00 PM TO 11.
WHEN YOU WORK FOUR TENS, YOU HAVE A WIDER OR A LONGER OVERLAP OF EITHER TWO OR THREE HOURS DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE.
THAT OVERLAP ALLOWS US TO SPEND LESS OVERTIME.
AND THE WAY THAT WORKS OUT ON LESS OVERTIME IS YOU GET FEWER LATE CALLS BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAVE ANOTHER SHIFT THAT'S BEEN ON FOR AN HOUR OR TWO.
SO WHEN YOU WORK FIVE EIGHTS, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR IN THE LAST HOUR OF YOUR SHIFT TO YOU GET, UH, GET ONE OR TWO CALLS FOR SERVICE.
IF IT'S A COMPLICATED CALL FOR SERVICE, IT'S GONNA TAKE YOU WELL OVER YOUR SHIFT.
WHEN YOU HAVE AN OVERLAP OF TWO TO THREE HOURS, YOU'RE WAY LESS LIKELY TO GET THAT CALL.
SOMEBODY THAT CAME ON TWO HOURS OR THREE HOURS AGO, IT'S MORE LIKELY TO GET THE CALL.
SO WE'RE SEEING A DECREASE IN OVERTIME.
THERE'S ALSO EARLY INDICATIONS THAT WE HAVE LESS TIME BURNED BY OFFICERS AT THESE STATIONS.
THAT'S ADDED BENEFIT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
ONE MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREET.
TWO, IMPROVE OFFICER WELLNESS.
THE FEWER OUR PEOPLE CALL IN TELLS ME THE HAPPIER THEY ARE AND THE HEALTHY THEY ARE.
NEXT SLIDE, OPERATIONAL SUPPORT DIVISION.
SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THINGS WE WANT TO DO TO HELP OUR OFFICERS AND, AND HELP BETTER SERVE THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, THE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT DIVISION, WHAT STOOD UP THIS YEAR? WE STARTED WITH EVENING SHIFT, OR THEY'VE BEEN ONLINE SINCE OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER AND NOW WE ARE ROLLING INTO NIGHT SHIFT.
NIGHT SHIFT IS CURRENTLY IN TRAINING AND WHAT OPERATIONAL SUPPORT IS, IT'S EXPANDED TACTICAL CAPABILITIES TO SUPPORT PATROL AND INVESTIGATION.
SO INSIDE THIS DIVISION YOU HAVE OUR SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM, WHICH USED TO BE OUR NARCOTICS TACTICAL TEAM.
THEY SUPPORT SERVICES OF HIGH RISK SEARCH WARRANTS AND HIGH RISK ARREST FOR INVESTIGATIONS.
OUR PATROL SUPPORT TEAM, WHICH IS THE NEWLY DEVELOPED TEAM, WHICH IS THEY WORK FOUR 10 HOUR SHIFTS ALSO.
AND THEN OUR PATROL CANINE IS ROLLED INTO THAT DIVISION ALSO.
THEY USED TO BE IN TACTICAL OPERATIONS AND NOW THEY'RE IN OPERATIONAL SUPPORT.
THE REASON FOR THAT MOVE LIGHTENED LOAD ON THE CAPTAIN AT TACTICAL OPERATIONS AS WELL AS OUR CANINE OFFICERS WORK HAND IN HAND EVERY SINGLE SHIFT WITH OUR OPERATIONAL SUPPORT.
UM, OUR PATROL SUPPORT TEAM, OUR PATROL SUPPORT TEAM ENHANCES PATROL EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH TACTICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT.
SO THESE OFFICERS ARE TWO MAN UNITS.
THEY'RE SPREAD OUT ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THEY'RE NOT IN THE CALLS FOR SERVICE LOOP.
WHAT THEY DO IS VOLUNTEER AND RESPOND TO SOME OF OUR MOST HIGH RISK CALLS WITH IMPROVED TECHNICAL TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT.
SO DRONES, CAMERA SYSTEMS AND THE LIKE, THINGS THAT TAKE EXPERIENCED AND MORE HOURS OF TRAINING AND ALSO HAVE A HIGHER DEGREE OF REQUIRED OVERSIGHT BASED ON FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER TACTICAL CAPABILITIES THAT THE AVERAGE PATROL OFFICER DOESN'T HAVE.
AND THE IDEA IS FOR THEM, THEY GO THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE 10 TO 12,
[00:50:01]
12 WEEK TRAINING PROCESS, BOTH WITH THE EQUIPMENT BUT ALSO IN TACTICS.AND THE IDEA FOR THEM TO SHOW UP, HELP THESE PATROL OFFICERS ON THESE HIGH RISK SCENES MINIMIZE THE USE OF FORCE USED AGAINST THE SUSPECTS.
THE LEAST AMOUNT OF FORCE WE CAN USE TO TAKE ANYBODY INTO CUSTODY IS OBVIOUSLY PREFERRED.
AND THE ADDITION OF THESE TOOLS AND THESE OFFICERS ON THE STREET WITH THIS TRAINING, WE HOPE OVER TIME AS WE, AS THE DATA PLAYS OUT WE'LL, WE'LL DO JUST THAT.
SUMMER WILL COME ON, OR NIGHT SHIFT WILL COME ONLINE IN SUMMER OF 26.
LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE IN THEIR TRAINING RIGHT NOW.
EACH SHIFT IS ABOUT THREE SERGEANTS AND 20 OFFICERS.
AND WITH THAT, TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK Y'ALL BOTH FOR THE THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
I APPRECIATE, UM, GOING THROUGH IT WITH THE FINE TOOTH COMB AND THE DETAIL.
I WANNA START, UH, SLIDE SIX PLANS TO ELIMINATE THE GAP.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH, VICTIM SERVICE, SEVEN VACANCIES THAT, UM, ARE BEING FROZEN.
IS THAT WHAT, UH, THE WORD THAT WAS USED FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR? THEY'RE NOT BEING ELIMINATED, BUT THEY'RE BEING FROZEN.
AND THESE ARE CLASSIFIED POSITIONS? NO, SIR.
NO, THESE ARE CIVILIAN POSITIONS.
SO ALL OF THE FTES IN THAT, UH, 8 MILLION ARE ALL CIVILIAN, NO CLASSIFIED.
THAT IS ONE THING THAT I HEAR A LOT ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, THE COMMUNITY, THE LIAISONS, THE VALUE, UH, THAT FOLKS FIND IN NEIGHBORHOODS FROM HAVING PRESENCE AT CIVIC CLUBS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.
SO THESE POSITIONS BEING CIVILIAN, HOW IS IT GOING TO IMPACT, UM, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SIDE OVERALL? HAVING THEM FROZEN FOR ONE FISCAL YEAR IN THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND VICTIM SERVICES.
THOSE SEVEN CIVILIANS WERE NOT DOING ANY COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
SO THEY WERE, UM, WELL, ACTUALLY I, I SHOULDN'T SAY THAT BECAUSE SOME OF THEM WERE FROM OUR DART PROGRAM.
AS WE ROTATED MORE CLASSIFIED OFFICERS OVER INTO OUR DART PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAFFED IT, WE ALSO, OUR DART PROGRAM USED TO BE FUNDED THROUGH ARPA FUNDS.
AND WHEN THE ARPA FUNDS ELIMINATED OR WERE ELIMINATED BY NO STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, DID WE WANT TO GET RID OF THE DART PROGRAM.
SO WE ABSORBED IT INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND FOUND COST SAVINGS IN OTHER PLACES TO FUND THAT.
SO THE CIVILIAN POSITIONS THAT ARE MISSING WILL NOT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY RELATIONS AT ALL.
IN FACT, AND I KNOW THIS QUESTION WILL COME UP, SO I'LL JUST DISCUSS IT NOW, BUT AS WE HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL DIFFERENT QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PAST YEAR, OUR COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIVISION GOING AWAY AND QUOTES.
SO THERE WAS 71 ALLOCATED POSITIONS IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
AND THE IDEA BEHIND THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIVISION A VERY LONG TIME AGO, SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES WHEN IT WAS DEVELOPED, WAS TO HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT COULD LIAISE WITH THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY COMMUNITIES DIDN'T FEEL DID, DID NOT FEEL LIKE THEY WERE REPRESENTED BY THE OFFICERS OF HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, WE ARE ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTRY NOW, 71 ALLOCATIONS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO THEY MAY GO OUT TO COMMUNITY EVENTS, BUT OUR IDEA OF COMMUNITY POLICING IS THAT ALL 5,400 OF US ARE LIAISONS.
SO SOMEONE WHO GOES TO A COMMUNITY EVENT AND THE ONLY TIME YOU MAY EVER SEE THEM AT THAT COMMUNITY EVENT AND THEN YOU NEVER SEE 'EM AGAIN BECAUSE THEY GO BACK TO HEADQUARTERS, IS NOT OUR IDEA OF COMMUNITY POLICING.
SO AS WE TOOK THE OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, WE KEPT A CORE GROUP CALLED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT OR FIELD OPERATIONS RUN UNDER CHIEF, UH, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF GUZMAN, A LIEUTENANT OF SERGEANT AND NATE OFFICERS.
THE OTHERS WERE PUT OUT INTO THE STATIONS IN THE AREAS THAT THEY WORKED IN THE MOST.
IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY AT YOUR COMMUNITY EVENT, WE WANT IT TO BE AN OFFICER THAT YOU ARE VERY LIKELY TO SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
THE OTHER ADVANTAGE OF GAINING CLASSIFIED OFFICERS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT, THE EVENTUAL GOAL OF ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE THAT YOUR OFFICERS HAVE ENOUGH DOWNTIME TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY THEY SERVE.
WHEN YOU ARE SHORT OFFICERS, ALL OUR FOLKS DO IS RUN FROM CALL TO CALL TO CALL.
THEY BARELY EVEN HAVE TIME TO STOP AND GET A DRINK.
THEY DEFINITELY DON'T HAVE TIME TO STOP AND VISIT WITH THE STORE OWNER OR THE SHOPKEEPER OR WHOEVER.
AS WE ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREET, IT'S ALLOWING, AGAIN, RESPONSE TIMES ARE DOWN.
UH, THE, THE MORE OFFICERS WE GET ON THE STREET, THE MORE IT WILL ALLOW OUR OFFICERS TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF THE REGULAR CALLS FOR SERVICE.
THANK YOU FOR THE, THE ANSWER THERE.
THANK YOU VICE CHAIR AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT TOO.
[00:55:01]
JUST TO CLARIFY, SO THERE'S THE VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION AND THEN THERE WAS THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIVISION THAT IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR WE ALLOCATED ROUGHLY $9 MILLION FOR.UM, SO HOW HAS THAT MONEY, HOW HAS THAT MONEY BEEN REALLOCATED IN THE DEPARTMENT? DID THAT MONEY JUST GO WITH THE OFFICERS AS THEY WERE KIND OF REALLOCATED TO THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS? CORRECT.
SO ALL OF THE SALARIES AND BENEFITS OF THE OFFICERS THAT WERE IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS WERE MOVED TO WHATEVER STATIONS OR COMMANDS THEY WERE MOVED TO.
AND THEN THE SUPPLIES BUDGET, THE MISCELLANEOUS BUDGET WAS ROLLED INTO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT, WHICH WAS THAT CORE GROUP THAT STAYED FROM COMMUNITY AFFAIRS THAT NOW REPORTS TO FIELD OPERATIONS.
SO HAVE WE HAD TO ALLOCATE ANY OTHER FUNDING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS CHANGE IN POLICY OTHER THAN JUST SHIFTING? NO, MA'AM, NOT RIGHT NOW.
UM, FOR THE CADET CLASSES, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT WE'RE GETTING MORE COMPETITIVE AND GETTING MORE OFFICERS.
HOW MANY OFFICERS ARE WE STILL SHORT? I KNOW THAT'S A HARD NUMBER TO ANSWER, BUT IT IS ROUGHLY, THERE'S BEEN A VARIETY OF MANPOWER STUDIES DONE OVER THE YEARS BY A VARIETY OF PEOPLE.
THERE WAS ONE TIME WHERE IT WAS, ONE WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE CITY, ONE WAS COMMISSIONED BY A LABOR GROUP, THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE COMMISSIONED BY AN OUTSIDE ENTITY.
AND THEY ALL COME UP WITH VARIOUS NUMBERS.
AND THESE ARE, ALL OF THESE STUDIES ARE ANYWHERE FROM EIGHT TO 10 TO 12 YEARS OLD, AND THEY ALL COME AROUND THE 65 TO 7 6500, 7,000 NUMBER.
I THINK THE ANSWER FOR ME IS WE CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH AS LONG AS WE CAN STAY WITHIN BUDGET.
AND, AND THAT IS ANOTHER TRICK WITH THE BUDGET.
AS ATTRITION DECREASES, WHICH IS A BLESSING, YOUR OVERTIME SHOULD DECREASE AS WELL BECAUSE YOU WERE, AS THE, THE YEAR GOES ON AND WE CONSTANTLY LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND TRY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN COST CENTERS OR OTHER PROGRAMS TO ADD TO OVERTIME AS NEEDED.
AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT BOTTOM LINE BUDGET ALL THE TIME.
SO AS WE INCREASE OFFICERS, WE SHOULD BE DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF OVERTIME SPENT.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE WERE DOWN 22% THIS YEAR IN OVERTIME SPENT BY DOLLAR AMOUNT AND 27% IN HOURS SPENT.
SO AS WE INCREASE THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS, WE HOPE THAT THAT OVERTIME SPENDING WOULD DECREASE TO STAY AT THE BOTTOM LINE ALSO.
AND HOW MANY CADET CLASSES, UM, ARE SCHEDULED FOR FY 27? FIVE.
AND IF WE FOUND FUNDING FOR AN ADDITIONAL SIX CLASS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HPD HAS THE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT? IT IS VERY DIFFICULT.
IT'S DIFFICULT LOGISTICALLY, IT'S DIFFICULT FINANCIALLY, BUT YES, IF WE HAD THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS THAT WERE QUALIFIED TO FILL SIX CLASS, THE MORE THE MERRIER.
UM, FOR THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING REVENUE FUND.
YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A DECREASE IN THAT FUND.
UM, WHY WAS THERE A DECREASE OR IS THERE PROJECTED TO BE A DECREASE IN THAT FUND? UH, IT'S FOR THE, UM, FOR THE, UH, SEIZURES.
AND IT'S SPECIFIC FOR THAT, THAT, UM, THAT ACTIVITY MEANING, UH, IT'S, WE, WE, THE SEIZURES OF ASSETS, UH, FROM RELATED TO THE, THE, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THE, THE, UH, UH, THE VICTIMS. AND SO IT'S, SO IT'S, IT, I THINK THAT FUND WAS JUST SET UP LIKE LAST YEAR.
SO WE'RE JUST PROJECTING FEWER SEIZURES THAN RIGHT.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE BUDGET HAS TO GROW AS SALARY INCREASES COME INTO EFFECT JUST BECAUSE MOST OF, UH, THE BUDGET IS SALARY.
UM, WE NOTICED OUT OF THE BIG BOOK, I'M GONNA ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS OUTTA THE BIG BOOK THAT WE GOT.
THE, OF COURSE THE BUDGET IS GROWING, BUT THE RATE OF INCREASE IS GROWING AS WELL.
26, JUST OVER 6%, 27, ALMOST 8%.
SO DO YOU FORESEE THAT CONTINUING? BECAUSE IF IT DOES, IT, YOU KNOW, HAS SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS, UH, SEVERAL YEARS OUT, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE OVERALL BUDGET.
BUT DO YOU EXPECT THE RATE OF INCREASE TO CONTINUE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? IF THAT MAKES SENSE? YEAH, JUST LIKE, UH, THE CONTRACT FOR THE MEET AND CONFER, UH, LAST YEAR FOR THE CLASSIFIED WAS 10% IN THE FY 27 IS 8%, AND I BELIEVE NEXT YEAR IT'S, UH,
[01:00:04]
IT IS 6%.SO IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, THE, WITH THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS THAT WILL BE INCREASING.
AND WHAT ABOUT AFTER THE 6%? DO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION? UH, YEAH.
UH, FOR THE EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST, 2028 WOULD BE ANOTHER 6%.
THAT'S THE CLASSIFIED MEET AND CONFER CONTRACT.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT, LET, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
THERE'S, THERE'S A PAGE AND IT'S PAGE 51.
IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE THE BOOK, YOU MAY NOT HAVE IT WITH YOU.
PAGE 51, UH, BUSINESS AREA 1000 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
IT BREAKS DOWN THE NUMBER OF CIVILIAN CLASSIFIED CADET THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
AND, UM, FOR FY 27, THE PROJECTION IS 165 CLASSIFIED UNDER ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
TWO YEARS AGO, FY 25, IT WAS 83.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE ON PAPER, MAYBE, MAYBE I'M READING THIS WRONG, IT LOOKS LIKE ON PAPER WE'VE GOT MORE CLASSIFIED OFFICERS, UM, ASSIGNED TO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
IS THAT CORRECT OR IT'S CORRECT BY TITLE, BUT NOT ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
SO THE NEW DIVISION I DISCUSSED OPERATIONAL SUPPORT.
THEY FALL UNDER, RIGHT NOW IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, THEY'RE UNDER THE CHIEF OF STAFF CHIEF COLLIE.
AND SO THAT COMES OUTTA THE CHIEF'S OFFICE.
SO THOSE BODIES ARE LISTED, CLASSIFIED AS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
THEY'RE DOING THE ABSOLUTE OPPOSITE OF ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
SO THEY'RE THEY'RE ON THE STREET, THEY'RE NOT, YES.
FOR CLARIFICATION, I'LL GO BACK INTO THE QUEUE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, APPRECIATE, UH, REALLY IDENTIFYING HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OFFICERS THAT ARE LEAVING COMPARED TO THOSE THAT ARE COMING IN.
BECAUSE I THINK MY FIRST YEAR, THE, THE CHIEF WAS SAYING THAT, UM, 10 YEARS PRIOR THERE WAS, WE HAD LESS OFFICERS AT THAT TIME THAN WHAT WE HAD 10 YEARS PRIOR TO THAT.
SO, UH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT.
BUT I DO WANT TO JUST GET BACK TO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT MY VICE CHAIR WAS, UH, WAS DISCUSSING ON COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
UM, I CAN APPRECIATE THAT EVERY OFFICER IS DOING COMMUNITY OUTREACH, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T AGREE WITH IT.
UM, I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO BE VERY SPECIFIC, VERY INTENTIONAL TRAINING AS WELL.
UH, THE POLICE ACTIVITY LEAGUE IS ONE THAT I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE REACTIVE, BUT THERE'S PROACTIVE LAW, LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK THAT SHOULD BE DONE AS WELL.
UM, AND SO I WANNA PUSH BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE AS I'VE LOOKING AT THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, UM, FOR FY 25, THERE'S 163,000, UH, IN, IN, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM PARTICIPATION.
UH, CURRENTLY IN THE Q3, IT'S 83.
SO THERE'S A DECREASE IN NET ACTUAL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION.
UM, WHEN WE START LOOKING AT, UH, PIP MEETINGS, 4,700, UH, NOW 1300.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK THE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO, AND, AND YOU WERE SPEAKING TO IT TO BE BEING ABLE TO HAVE THOSE INTERACTIONS, UM, WITH MORE OFFICERS.
SO BEING ABLE TO STOP AND TALK TO THE DRY CLEANERS OR TALK TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE RESTAURANT OWNER.
UH, BUT EVEN MORE INTENTIONAL, ACTUAL EDUCATION ON REPORTING HOW TO REPORT CERTAIN THINGS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN A HUGE ADVOCATE OF IS HOW, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE, ESPECIALLY OUR SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNITY, UH, HOW, HOW DO THEY FIND WAYS TO PARTNER WITH, UH, WITH OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT? AND SO, UM, I, I CAN APPRECIATE SAYING THAT EVERY OFFICER WILL BE DOING COMMUNITY OUTREACH, BUT I ALSO, UM, QUITE FRANKLY, BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DO, UNFORTUNATELY CAN'T DO IT IN IN THAT CAPACITY.
UH, SO I WOULD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL EVEN MORE SO CHIEF TO IDENTIFY HOW WE COULD REACH FOLKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
UH, THERE WAS A, UM, AN A PRETTY GOOD PLATFORM THAT WAS REALLY SPEAKING TO ALL KINDS OF COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST ONE PARTICULAR COMMUNITY, BUT ALL KINDS OF COMMUNITIES WITH, UM, ON WHAT TO REPORT DMV, UH, OR, UH, YEAH, UM, WHENEVER FOLKS WOULD BREAK TO VEHICLES, UH, HOW TO REPORT THAT.
UM, AND SO HAVING MORE OF THOSE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, MEETINGS, UM, ARE IMPORTANT.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST SEEING THE, THE DECREASE IN ENGAGEMENT, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT RAISES SOME RED FLAGS TO ME.
THAT'S WHERE TRUST BREAKS DOWN.
AND, UM, COMMUNITY POLICING IS IMPORTANT TO ME.
UH, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK HOUSTON WAS ALWAYS PRIDED IN ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, AND AS WE DISCONNECT FROM THAT BUILDING THAT TRUST BACK IS MAKES, IT JUST MAKES IT SO MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.
SO, I DUNNO IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS TO
[01:05:01]
THAT, BUT AGAIN, I I JUST PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT THAT EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, EVERY POLICE OFFICER ON THE ON THE STREETS IS GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH.I DO HAVE A RESPONSE, SO THANK YOU.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT EVERY STATION STILL HAS THE NUMBERS ON THIS SLIDE.
PART OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE WAY WE WERE TRACKING THE NUMBERS AS WE LOOKED AT THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIVISION AND THE WAY THE NUMBERS WERE BEING TRACKED AND THE WAY THE INTERACTIONS WERE BEING TRACKED.
THERE WAS SOME NUMBERS THAT I FOUND TO BE UNREALISTIC.
UM, AS WE CHANGED THE WAY WE TRACKED NUMBERS WITHIN COMMUNITY EVENTS OR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT, I BELIEVE WE'RE TRACKING NUMBERS MORE ACCURATELY RIGHT NOW.
I DO ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT OUR PIP MEETINGS HAVE NOT GONE AWAY.
OUR PIP MEETINGS PER STATION STILL EXIST.
OUR CITYWIDE PIP MEETINGS STILL EXIST.
WE USED TO DO THE CITYWIDE PIP AT THE UNION EVERY SINGLE PIP MEETING.
AND ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS WE HEARD WHEN WE GO OUT TO TOWN HALLS OR COMMUNITY EVENTS WAS THAT IT IS JUST NOT REASONABLE TO GET TO IT.
SO NOW WE TRAVEL AROUND THE CITY MM-HMM
EVERY, EVERY PIP MEETING IS IN A DIFFERENT PLACE AROUND THE CITY TO ALLOW DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES TO, TO COME AND, AND HEAR THE PRESENTATION AND ENGAGE WITH OUR, OUR COMMAND STAFF.
OUR DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE TEAMS AT OUR STATIONS ARE STILL DOING COMMUNITY WORK.
SO WHILE WHAT I SAID IS ACCURATE, WE HOPE AND EXPECT EVERY OFFICER TO BE A LIAISON TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE STILL HAVE SECTIONS OR UNITS WITHIN EVERY POLICE, UH, STATION, EVERY DIVISION THAT ARE DOING COMMUNITY WORK, THEY'RE JUST NOT IN THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIVISION, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, ONE, IF I CAN JUST THIS LAST QUESTION, THE, AS THAT DIVISION WAS TAKEN AWAY, STILL DOING IT, RIGHT, UH, THE, THE THOUGHT PROCESS WAS THEY'D BE BOOTS ON THE, ON THE, ON THE GROUND, RIGHT.
UM, DO Y'ALL HAVE A NUMBER OR ARE THEY PARTICIPATING IN CALLS FOR SERVICES AS WELL? THOSE FOLKS THAT WERE TAKEN OUT? I HAVE SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, AS A FORMER STAFFER, I KNOW A LOT OF THESE FOLKS THAT WERE DOING SOME OF THIS WORK.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THOSE THAT WERE TAKEN OUT OF, UH, THIS MORE DIRECT KIND OF INTERACTION, UM, ARE THEY ROLLED INTO CALLS FOR SERVICES AS WELL OR ARE THEY DOING SOME OTHER OTHER DUTIES? IT VARIED PER INDIVIDUAL.
SOME WENT TO MOST WENT TO A DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE TEAM OR A, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT AT A DIVISION.
SOME DID GO TO THE CALLS FOR SERVICE LOOP.
LOOKS LIKE THE RESPONSE TIME ACTUALLY GOT WORSE FOR LEVEL ONE CALLS WHEN THE DATA WAS PULLED AT THE END OF APRIL.
THAT RESPONSE TIME IS OF, AS IT STANDS TODAY, IT IS DOWN AT 5 2 9 I WANNA SAY.
UM, OVERTIME, JOINT PROCESSING, IS THAT STILL CAUSING ISSUES? YES.
UM, SOME OF THE OFFICERS HAVE TOLD ME THEY CAN SPEND AS, DEPENDING ON WHEN THEY GO, IT IS MULTIPLE HOURS THAT, THAT THEY'RE SPENDING DOWN THERE.
SO HOPEFULLY THE COUNTY CAN DO SOMETHING TO, TO, UH, RESOLVE THAT.
UM, ALSO WITH THE OVERTIME, UM, THERE WAS, UH, AN ARTICLE CAME OUT IN THE CHRONICLE, SO PLEASE CORRECT ME IF IT'S WRONG, IT IS THE CHRONICLE.
UM, OFFICER DAVIS I KNOW HERE LAST YEAR HAD BEEN REASSIGNED FROM TRAFFIC AFTER HE'D GOTTEN ABOUT $170,000 IN OVERTIME.
THE CHRONICLE STATES THAT HE HAD TWO OTHER ISSUES WITH OVERTIME PREVIOUSLY.
UH, ONE IN 2012 WHERE HE GOT SUSPENDED 30 DAYS, AND THEN 2013 WHERE HE GOT SUSPENDED 15 DAYS.
DO YOU KNOW IF THAT'S CORRECT? I DO BELIEVE THAT TO BE CORRECT.
UM, HOW'S IT LOOKED AT WHEN SOMEBODY HAS MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THE SAME, SAME TYPE OF A, A, A, YOU KNOW, INFRACTION LIKE THAT? UH, I MEAN, I, I WOULD THINK ONE OF THE THINGS MAYBE THE DEPARTMENT WOULD SAY IS THAT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED ANY OVERTIME EVER.
UH, GIVEN THAT HE'S APPARENTLY ABUSED THE SYSTEM ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.
THERE, THERE WAS A FEELING OF THAT POTENTIALLY, AND THAT IS WHY HE IS NOW WHERE HE IS.
ON SLIDE 19, WHICH IS THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SLIDE, THE KPI REDUCED PERCENTAGE OF VEHICLE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES IN 20 FY 25 WAS A 2.2 ANNUAL PERCENTAGE DECREASE.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN A KPI FOR THAT SINCE AN ACTUAL PERCENTAGE NUMBER.
MY CONCERN IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF VEHICULAR PEDESTRIAN, UM, INCIDENTS, DEATHS
[01:10:01]
ACCIDENTS.WHY DID WE SEE THAT NUMBER? OR THAT KPI DROP OFF? OH, YOU MEAN ON THE NA FOR YES.
I'M NOT SURE WHY IT'S NOT THERE.
I CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THE, THE REDUCTION IN BOTH ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES ARE RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE AN 8% REDUCTION IN MINOR AND MAJOR CRASHES AND AN 11% YEAR TO DATE REDUCTION IN FATALITIES SO FAR.
BUT I WILL GET YOU AN ANSWER FOR WHY THAT'S NOT ON THERE.
I KNOW THAT THE, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT PEOPLE GETTING STRUCK, UH, EITHER PEDESTRIAN CYCLING, UH, WE HEAR ABOUT THE MAJOR ACCIDENTS, AND SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW, UM, ON THAT SPECIFIC KPI.
COUNCIL MEMBER OR VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK.
THE PROGRAM TO ALLOW RETIRED OFFICERS TO COME BACK AND WORK ON AN HOURLY BASIS, CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHY WE'RE ELIMINATING THAT? IT WAS A, A SOURCE OF INCOME THAT WE COULD ELIMINATE TO TRY TO CLOSE THE GAP WITHOUT GETTING RID OF ANY CLASSIFIED OFFICERS AND WITHOUT GETTING RID ANY, OR LAYING OFF ANY, ANY CIVILIAN OFFICERS.
SO AS WE LOOK TO TRY TO CLOSE THE BUDGET GAP AND FURTHER ALIGN BUDGET SHORTFALLS WITH OUR PERFORMANCE METRICS AND WHAT WE WANT TO PROVIDE TO THE CITIZENS, IT WAS A, A FUND THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO SAVE A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS WITHOUT AFFECTING ANYBODY WHO'S A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE.
UH, FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ ASKED ABOUT, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UM, LIAISONS, WE, WE HAVE HEARD, UH, REPEATEDLY FROM THE ASIAN COMMUNITY, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, L-G-B-T-Q COMMITTEE, UH, COMMUNITY, THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEIR LIAISONS BACK.
I UNDERSTAND MAYBE 75, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS AREN'T REQUIRED FOR THAT SORT OF THING, BUT HA HAVE Y'ALL GIVEN THOUGHT TO PAIRING IT DOWN SO THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU'VE, YOU'VE GOT FEWER OFFICERS THAT ARE STILL LIAISING LIAISON WITH, UH, WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE, WE STILL HAVE AN L-G-B-T-Q LIAISON.
SHE'S ASSIGNED TO CENTRAL DIVISION DRT, BUT SHE STILL SERVES AS A LIAISON AS WELL.
MY QUESTION WOULD BE, WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING TO GAIN FROM REACHING OUT TO THAT SPECIFIC ONE HUMAN BEING AS OPPOSED TO THE INDIVIDUALS THAT SERVE THAT COMMUNITY OR THE CAPTAIN OF THAT DIVISION? WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY SPECIFICALLY KNOW THE INDIVIDUALS WORKING ON A GIVEN SHIFT AT A, AT A GIVEN TIME, BUT I BELIEVE WITHOUT SPEAKING FOR THEM, UH, THAT THERE WAS A COMFORT LEVEL AND IN A LEVEL OF TRUST, I'M HAPPY TO TRY TO BRING SOME OF THOSE FOLKS IN TO VISIT WITH YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT IF, IF Y'ALL WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT.
MY, MY ANSWER WOULD BE, I WOULD HOPE THAT LEVEL OF TRUST WOULD BE ESTABLISHED WITH THE INDIVIDUALS WORKING AT THAT STATION WHEREVER, WHEREVER THEY ARE IN THE CITY.
UM, THE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT DIVISION SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA.
UM, I'M, I'M WONDERING ABOUT OTHER SORT OF SPECIALIZED, UH, UH, UNITS.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, WE STILL CONTINUE TO GET A LOT OF NOISE COMPLAINTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND, UM, SOMETIMES IT, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT, UH, THEY MIGHT NEED.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, THAT THERE, THERE, THERE CONTINUE TO BE THOSE COMPLAINTS AND HOPEFULLY IF, IF WE CAN BEEF UP AT ALL ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE VIOLATIONS, UH, WHICH AS I MENTIONED OCCURRED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING.
I ALSO WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT, UH, MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE.
I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU GUYS TOUCHED ON THAT A LITTLE BIT AND, UH, UM, REFERENCE WAS MADE TO CITYWIDE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
DOES THAT REFER TO THE SPECIALLY TRAINED OFFICERS PATROLLING AT EV ANY GIVEN TIME? IT DOES.
AND DO YOU KNOW, UH, AT ANY GIVEN TIME, HOW MANY OF THOSE UNITS WE HAVE PATROLLING THE CITY, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE CERT UNITS? THAT'S ONE OFFICER AND A, A CLINICIAN OR A CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINED OFFICER? HOW ABOUT BOTH?
[01:15:02]
WE HAVE OVER 4,000 CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINED OFFICERS.I CAN'T REMEMBER THE CLASS WE STARTED WITH YEARS AGO.
LUCKILY, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS ON THE FOREFRONT OF CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING AND DEESCALATION WITH PEOPLE IN CRISIS.
AND, AND IS THAT NOW A T COLE REQUIREMENT? IT IS.
UH, THE OTHER SPECIALIZED, UH, TEAMS, THE CERT TEAMS THAT ARE A CLINICIAN AND AN OFFICER MM-HMM
RESPOND TO AS MANY CALLS AS THEY CAN THAT THEIR WORKLOAD ALLOWS, I WOULD SAY.
AND SO THERE ARE TIMES WHERE YOU HAVE A VARIETY, OR I SHOULD SAY A LOT OF CIT CALLS THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM A C UNIT, AND THERE JUST AREN'T ENOUGH OF 'EM.
OFTENTIMES THERE'LL BE A PHONE CONSULTATION, BUT WE CAN USE THE CORE PRO OR WE WERE USING THE CORE PROGRAM, WHICH IS A, UM, TELE, UM, A TELE APPOINTMENT WITH A, A CLINICIAN, WHICH HAD SOME SUCCESS, BUT WE'RE GONNA MOVE IT TO A CELL PHONE 'CAUSE IT WAS ON IPADS AND NOW WE ALL HAVE CITY CELL PHONES.
BUT YEAH, THE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS ARE A VERY HIGH FREQUENCY, AND WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB IN HARRIS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON OF TRYING TO DIVERT AS MANY AS WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT PATIENCE IS WHAT'S REQUIRED FOR SOMEONE THAT'S IN CRISIS AND TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET THEM THE HELP THEY NEED.
AND I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE OVER THE DECADES AND LEADING THE CHARGE OF UNDERSTANDING THAT BEING IN CRISIS IS NOT A CRIME.
SO IF YOU ARE A DANGER TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS, WE'RE THERE TO GET YOU HELP.
AND, AND I APPLAUD THAT AND I'VE PERSONALLY SEEN, UM, UH, A MENTAL HEALTH INCIDENT HANDLED WITH, UH, WITH GREAT CARE AND DISCRETION BY, UH, ONE OF YOUR SERGEANTS AND, AND ACTUALLY, UH, A PATROL OFFICER BEFORE THAT.
AND, AND, AND I SHOULD HAVE NOTED HIS NAME AND SENT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, A COMBINATION COMMENDATION LETTER ON HIM.
BUT, BUT NO, I, I APPLAUD THAT AND THE, THE STATE REQUIREMENT THAT, THAT, THAT TRAINING BE MANDATORY, UH, OF OUR CADETS.
SO I, I WANT TO COME BACK TO THIS AND I'LL GO BACK IN THE QUEUE.
SO, UM, CHIEF ON THE FOUR 19 EMANCIPATION FACILITY, I UNDERSTAND THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM WILL BE STATIONED THERE.
WILL HPD BE RECEIVING ANY REIMBURSEMENTS AT ALL FOR THE OFFICERS BEING ON SITE, UM, OR INCUR ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS AT ALL? NO.
AND THEN ON SLIDE 22, EMPLOYEE SERVICES WELLNESS, UM, I SAW ON THE PREVIOUS, UH, PLAN TO ELIMINATE THE GAP.
THERE'S A SIX FTES THAT WILL BE FROZEN FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN IN THE, THE BUDGET BOOK ITSELF, THE COUNT FROM 26 ESTIMATE GOES FROM 72.8 TO 27, BUDGET 58.
UM, THIS IS IN THE, THE BIG BUDGET BOOK ON PAGE 54 FOR THE FTES BY PROGRAM BREAKDOWN.
UM, THAT DROP IN THE COUNT, I'LL, I'LL GIVE A SECOND.
JUST SAY 54, IT GOES FROM 72.8 FROM THE FY 26 ESTIMATE TO 58 AND THE FY 27 BUDGET, IS THAT THE FTES? CORRECT.
WHICH PAGE ARE YOU ON IN THE BIG BOOK? 50 54.
FOR SOME REASON OURS DOESN'T MATCH UP, BUT I, I WILL GET YOU A WRITTEN ANSWER.
OURS, NOT SURE WHY OURS IS BLANK.
BUT WE, WE WILL GET YOU AN ANSWER AND WRITE TO THAT QUESTION.
AND THEN WE'RE BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
UM, JUST TO FINISH UP ON THE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, TOPIC.
WE THINK VERY HIGHLY OF THE CRISIS CALLED DIVERSION ASPECT OF 9 1 1.
THAT CAN KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT, THAT DON'T NEED TO BE THERE.
AND, UH, WE'RE CONCERNED THAT, UM, FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS MIGHT REDUCE, UH, THE STAFFING 24 7 TO HANDLE THOSE CALLS.
DO YOU FEEL THAT THERE'S ADEQUATE STAFFING 24 7 TO, UH, HANDLE THOSE KINDS OF CALLS THROUGH 9 1 1 AT THE CRISIS DIVERSION AT THE HECK MM-HMM
[01:20:01]
I DON'T, I CAN LOOK INTO IT AND GIVE YOU AN ANSWER.
LOOK, WE CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH STAFFING FOR, FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT OVERTIME.
SO FY 27 BUDGET, UM, UH, PROJECTS THAT OVERTIME, IF I UNDERSTAND THIS CORRECTLY, OVERTIME WILL DECREASE 22% OVER THE FISCAL YEAR.
DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? THE ALLOCATED MONEY ALLOCATED MONEY IS DECREASED BY 22%.
UM, CAN YOU, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT SORT OF OPERATIONAL CHANGES, WHAT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR THAT WILL BRING THAT NUMBER DOWN? WELL, WE HOPE TO BRING THE NUMBER DOWN, BUT I CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT WE WILL.
IN, IN THE PAST, THE GENERAL FUND CLASSIFIED OVER TIME HAS BEEN $14 MILLION.
THIS YEAR IT'S BEING BUMPED UP TO OVER 21.
AND THAT 14 MILLION, I WOULD TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, IS TAKEN UP BY HOLIDAYS AND THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, RIGHT OFF THE BAT, THAT $14 MILLION IS, IS GONE IMMEDIATELY.
AND AIRPORT, DO WE GET AN INTER FUND TRANSFER FROM THEM? OKAY.
EVERYTHING AT THE, AT BOTH AIRPORTS, SALARIES, VEHICLES, EVERYTHING IS REIMBURSED BY HAAS, BUT IT'S THAT GENERAL FUND, RIGHT? SO THE AIRPORTS AND HOLIDAYS, IF YOU REMEMBER, THE COUNCIL WAS KIND ENOUGH TO ADD TWO MORE HOLIDAYS TO CITY, UM, CITY HOLIDAYS, THERE'S NOW 13 HOLIDAYS, SIX OF WHICH THE DAYS VARY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN TERMS OF DAY OF THE WEEK.
YOU KNOW, AS, AS THE CALENDAR YEAR MOVES ON, ONCE YOU GET PAST THOSE TWO, ALL OPERATIONAL OVERTIME UNTIL THIS BUDGET ADDING THE 6.5 COMES FROM SAVINGS FROM OTHER PLACES.
THE ADDITION OF THE 6.5, I CAN'T REALLY ANTICIPATE.
I MEAN, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT HISTORICALLY, YES, WE'RE GONNA SPEND MORE THAN THAT.
FOR INSTANCE, LAST BUDGET YEAR WE SPENT $39 MILLION IN GENERAL FUND CLASSIFIED.
OVER TIME THIS YEAR WE'RE PROJECTED TO SPEND ABOUT $30 MILLION.
RIGHT? SO YOU'RE DOWN $9 MILLION.
I UNDERSTAND THE TENDENCY TO SAY, WHY WOULDN'T YOU BUDGET THE SAME YOU SPENT LAST YEAR? WELL, HAD WE DONE THAT LAST BUDGET CYCLE, WE WOULD'VE BEEN $9 MILLION OVER IN THAT OVERTIME ACCOUNT AND WE WOULD'VE HAD TO MOVE IT AROUND.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MM-HMM
I WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THE BUDGET CLOSER TO WHAT ALLOCATIONS ARE, BUT OFTENTIMES THE ALLOCATIONS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO ANTICIPATE.
FOR INSTANCE, THIS YEAR, KNOCK ON WOOD, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY WEATHER EVENTS EXCEPT FOR ONE, A WINTER STORM IN JANUARY THAT WE HAD TO DEAL WITH.
OR MAYBE FEBRUARY, WE HAD NO HURRICANES THE YEAR BEFORE WE HAD HURRICANES.
SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF ISSUES THAT COME UP THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
GLOBAL AFFAIRS, THIS PAST YEAR WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON PROTESTS FOR A COUPLE DIFFERENT, UH, CAUSES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY GLOBAL AFFAIRS.
THAT REALLY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH US AS A CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT JUST HAD TO DO WITH THE FACT THERE WAS PEOPLE IN OUR CITY THAT WANTED TO EXPRESS THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO PROTEST AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT.
SO WE SPENT MORE MONEY IN THAT BUCKET THIS YEAR.
AND SO WE'RE JUST CONSTANTLY TRYING TO, TO PLAY THE PLAY THE BALANCE GAME.
SO I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND TELL YOU THAT'S ALL THE MONEY AND OVERTIME I'M GONNA SPEND THIS YEAR.
IS THERE ANY, ANYONE ELSE ON THE QUEUE? IT'S JUST ME.
SO LET'S, LET'S FINISH UP HERE.
SO TO YOUR POINT, I'M GLAD YOU POINTED THIS OUT.
WHEN WE, UH, ADOPT ADDITIONAL HOLIDAYS, THAT MEANS OVERTIME INCREASES BECAUSE IF YOU'RE A POLICE OFFICER AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE HAVING TO WORK A HOLIDAY, THAT'S OVERTIME PAY.
UM, AND UM, JUST JUST TO MAKE SURE FOLKS UNDERSTAND, IF AN OFFICER CALLS IN SICK AND AN ANOTHER OFFICER HAS TO COME IN AND TAKE THEIR PLACE, OR IF THEY TAKE VACATION TIME, DOES THAT RESULT IN ADDITIONAL OVERTIME OR NOT? WHEN AN OFFICER CALLS IN SICK, THERE'S NOT ANOTHER OFFICER THAT COMES IN OKAY.
OUR STAFFING PER STATION, PER SHIFT, PER DISTRICT IS DONE IN A MANNER IN WHICH THERE IS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ALLOWABLE, WE CALL 'EM SPOTS IN THE BOOK 'CAUSE IT'S SPOTS TO BE OFF.
SO LET'S SAY YOUR SHIFT HAS FIVE SPOTS OF VACATION OR TIME BURNED, THAT SHIFT, THE STAFFING IS DONE IN A MANNER TO WHICH YOU UNDERSTAND AND ASSUME THOSE FIVE SPOTS ARE GOING TO BE FILLED EVERY SHIFT BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO ENJOY THEIR TIME OFF.
AND THEN THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF OVERAGE BAKED IN FOR PEOPLE THAT CALL IN FOR UNPLANNED CIRCUMSTANCES.
THEY'RE SICK, SICK CHILD, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
SO AT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, IF YOU WORK IN CENTRAL DIVISION, ONE DISTRICT AND YOU CALL IN SICK, WE DO NOT ORDER SOMEBODY IN
[01:25:01]
FOR OVERTIME.THAT IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE CONTROL OVERTIME THE BEST WE CAN.
THE OTHER OFFICERS IN THAT DISTRICT PICK UP THE SLACK.
AND, AND IT, AND IT'S JUST A GIVEN THAT DEPARTMENT WIDE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF OFFICERS WHO CALL IN SICK ON A GIVEN DAY.
AND, UH, OR TAKE, YOU KNOW, TAKE OFF FOR SOME APPROVED, UH, CAUSE OKAY.
AND LAST SUBJECT I'LL TALK, UH, ASK YOU ABOUT IS WE'VE VISITED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RAPID SCAN DNA, UH, MACHINE, POSSIBLY AT, UH, THE JOINT PROCESSING CENTER.
UM, DO, DOES THAT SOUND LIKE SOMETHING, IF, IF WE WERE ABLE TO FIND, UH, PART OF THE MONEY OR ALL OF THE MONEY, UM, THAT SOME, SO SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD SUPPORT? YES.
I THINK ANY TOOL OR PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT INCREASES THE SPEED AT WHICH WE CAN CATCH SUSPECTS, WE'RE ALL FOR MM-HMM
AND, AND JUST TO, SO EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THAT SORT OF, UH, UH, INSTRUMENT CAN BE LIKE, UM, TAKING SOMEBODY'S FINGERPRINT, ENTERING IT INTO A DATABASE AND THEN WHEN A MATCH IS FOUND, SOME OTHER CRIME, SOME OTHER AGENCY, UH, YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UH, BUT THAT'S WHAT A RAPID SCAN DNA INSTRUMENT CAN DO AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT IS ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING.
BUT I WOULD REFER TO DR. STOUT FOR THAT.
THANK YOU CHIEF AND THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, CHIEF AND INTERIM CFO TRAN THANK YOU'ALL SO MUCH.
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
OUR FIRST PUBLIC SPEAKER, LAURA GALLAGHER.
I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF DOXING ABOUT A QUESTION I ASKED YESTERDAY OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, SO I'M HOPING, UM, THAT I CAN ASK QUESTIONS OUT OF CURIOSITY OF HPD.
ON PAGE 19, THERE WAS A KPI THAT ALMOST DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF ENCOUNTER ENCOUNTERS FOR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT Y'ALL HAVE HEARD A LOT FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW WE'D ACTUALLY LIKE FEWER, UH, ENCOUNTERS FOR TRAFFIC, PARTICULARLY FOR NON-SAFETY OR MINOR TRAFFIC STOPS SUCH AS EXPIRED REGISTRATION, WINDOW TINTING, A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD, SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY IMPACT PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO I WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHY THAT KPI INCREASED.
UM, THE CHIEF SAID THAT MORE COPS IS A SAFER CITY, AND I JUST WANNA ALSO MENTION THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS CREATE COMMUNITY SAFETY AS WELL.
WE HEARD PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT HOW THE LIBRARIES CREATE COMMUNITY SAFETY IN A DIFFERENT WAY, RIGHT? BY MAKING PEOPLE HAVE RESOURCES.
I MEAN, SAFETY IS REALLY ABOUT DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED? AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT MORE COPS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE A SAFER CITY.
UM, ALSO, UM, THE MAYOR'S PODCAST AND ALSO THE CHIEF SAID THAT ALL OF THE HPD AT PROTEST IS, UM, COMING OUT OF OVERTIME.
AND I THINK IT'S REALISTIC TO EXPECT THERE TO BE MORE PROTESTS THIS COMING YEAR, AND I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE FUNDED FROM OVERTIME.
AND ALSO THERE ARE EXTREMELY OVERSTAFFED.
I INVITE ALL OF YOU TO COME TO ONE.
YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ARE NOT SCARY.
UM, THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY PARTICULAR DANGER HAPPENING AT THESE PROTESTS AND THE POLICE PRESENCE IS OVERWHELMING.
UM, OFTEN THERE'S MORE POLICE THAN THERE ARE CITIZENS.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE A WAY TO SAVE A LOT OF MONEY, UM, IN A, IN AN AUSTERITY BUDGET.
MY LAST COMMENT IS THAT THERE ARE $2 MILLION IN THE DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS THAT ARE PAID TO HPD FOR OVERTIME AND FLOCK AND OTHER THINGS.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF WE CAN GET A COMPLETE ACCOUNTING OF WHERE EXTRA MONEY TO HPD IS IN THE BUDGET BESIDES THE DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS AND THE HPD
[01:30:01]
BUDGET.THOSE ARE ALL GOOD QUESTIONS AND, AND POINTS, AND WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH YOU ON THE KPI AND THE, UH, ADDITIONAL NON CDSF FUNDING.
COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE STILL HERE AND STAFF.
UM, CHIEF HARDEN MENTIONED CRIME IS DOWN ACCORDING TO ALL OF THEIR METRICS, BUT I JUST WANNA ASK WHETHER CRIME IS ACTUALLY DOWN OR PEOPLE JUST NOT REPORTING IT BECAUSE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES ARE SCARED OF THE POLICE.
A BIGGER POLICE BUDGET DOES NOT MEAN MORE SAFETY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS AVOID CALLING 9 1 1.
NOW, THEY DON'T REPORT ABUSE OR CRASHES OR COOPERATE AS WITNESSES BECAUSE THEY FEAR THAT HPD WILL CONTACT ICE ON THEM BECAUSE OF CIVIL ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS.
I TALK TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS EVERY DAY AND HEAR THEIR STORIES AND THEY'RE TERRIFIED OF THE POLICE.
CHILDREN NO LONGER LOOK AT THE POLICE AND LIKE WITH ADMIRATION.
INSTEAD, THEY'RE LIKE, OH, ARE THEY GONNA TAKE AWAY MY FAMILY MEMBERS? THERON JUST REPORTED THAT HPD, THAT THE HPD AUDIT OF OVERTIME SHOWS THAT THE MAJORITY OF OFFICERS, UH, COULDN'T VERIFY THEIR HOURS.
HPD PAID 37 MILLION IN OVERTIME TO 129 OFFICERS IN FIVE YEARS.
SO HPD SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE SPENDING OVERTIME WHEN THE OVERTIME CAN'T EVEN BE ACCOUNTED FOR.
MY QUESTION IS, WHAT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE IN SHIFTING HPD TO OUTCOMES BASED BUDGETING RATHER THAN OUTPUTS? METRICS SUCH AS POLICE STAFFING NUMBERS OR THE NUMBERS OF OUTREACH ATTEMPTS MADE TO UNHOUSED COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS TELLS US NOTHING ABOUT WHOSE LIVES ARE IMPROVED BY THIS BUDGET.
WHAT EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT ADDING MORE MONEY TO POLICE PATROLS WILL MAKE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES SAFER RATHER THAN INCREASING FEAR FOR SIMPLY LIVING THEIR LIVES, LIKE GOING TO SCHOOL, TAKING THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, GOING TO CHURCH, GOING TO WORK, OR GROCERY SHOPPING.
CAN YOU REDIRECT FUNDS FROM PATROL EXPANSION INTO OTHER RESOURCES SUCH AS LANGUAGE ACCESS OR VICTIM SERVICES? AND LASTLY, I WANTED TO UPLIFT TWO THINGS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER SAID.
ONE, IF OFFICERS ARE FOUND TO ABUSE THE OVERTIME SYSTEM, THEY SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO USE IT.
AND TWO, HE ASKED THE CONTROLLER WHETHER THE WORLD CUP COULD HELP WITH THE BUDGET DEFICIT.
AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GREAT POINT.
I WANTED TO BRING THIS UP BECAUSE TOURISM DEMAND IS WAY UNDERPERFORMING AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS COLLABORATION WITH ICE.
NOBODY WANTS TO COME TO HOUSTON AND CELEBRATE AND LIKE SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL OUR CITY IS, WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER.
THEY DO THE DIVERSITY OF ITS PEOPLE AND THE, ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION, ABOUT 70% OF HOUSTON HOTELS SAY BOOKINGS ARE COMING IN SLOWER THAN EXPECTED.
AND WE KNOW WHY PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO COME HERE.
THIS IS A HUGE MISSED OPPORTUNITY IN BEING ABLE TO HELP OUR BUDGET.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE COULD BE SPENDING THIS MONEY BETTER.
THANK YOU TERRY, FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT AND YOUR COMMENTS, AND WE'LL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH YOU ON YOUR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR STICKING AROUND, UM, AND ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT HI LOVE IT THERE.
UM, AND I, UM, I USE THE HARRISBURG TRAIL QUITE A LOT.
UM, BUT I HAVE ACTUALLY FELT MORE THREATENED AND INTIMIDATED BY THE OVERWHELMING PRESENCE OF POLICE THERE.
UH, IT'S A VERY SMALL TRAIL, SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S SO MANY COPS ALL THE TIME.
UM, AND I HAVE SEEN MORE POLICE PRESENCE AT THE ENTRANCE AND SURROUNDING AREAS.
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THE POLICE IS HARASSING UNHOUSED COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND I AM NOT SURE IF THESE ARE THE OFFICERS THAT ARE TRAINED FOR MENTAL HEALTH CRISES, BUT I'LL ASK.
THE TRAIL IS FREQUENTED BY MOSTLY ELDERLY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND FAMILIES.
I DON'T BELIEVE THE POLICE PRESENCE HELPS US FEEL MORE SAFE.
MY COMMUNITY AND I ARE SIMPLY EXISTING BY MOVING OUR BODIES.
UM, AND WE SHOULD NOT FEEL PUNISHED FOR DOING THAT OVER-POLICING OUR TRAIL AND COMMUNITY IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND AN INCREASED BUDGET FOR THE HPD DOES NOT AND WILL NOT MAKE US FEEL MORE SAFE.
WE ARE FEARFUL BECAUSE HPD IS KNOWN TO ESCALATE ENCOUNTERS AND IT IS KNOWN TO PROFILE
[01:35:01]
COMMUNITY MEMBERS LIKE MYSELF AND THE ELDERLY.UM, AND THEY ALSO COLLABORATE WITH ICE TO DETAIN US.
I DON'T BELIEVE OUR MONEY SHOULD GO TOWARDS AN ALREADY MASSIVE HPD BUDGET.
AND IF YOU ARE TRULY WORRIED ABOUT MAKING OUR TRAIL AND PARK MORE SAFE, AN INCREASED BUDGET TO THE PARKS AND RECREATIONAL DEPARTMENT COULD HELP.
ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE INCREASING SUPPORT FOR UNARMED MEDICS TRAINED IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND ON-SCENE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.
THIS WOULD, THIS WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER USE OF HARMONY.
AND I WILL, UH, SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE TRAIL WITH SOUTH CENTRAL DOUG SMITH.
DIDN'T REALIZE I'D BEEN SITTING THERE THAT LONG.
UH, ON AS FAR AS, UH, THE OFFICERS ARE CONCERNED, IT'S OVERTIME BASED ON A WEEKLY TOTAL OR A DAILY TOTAL.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT IF, IF IT'S ON A DAILY TOTAL, THEY'RE GENERATING A WHOLE LOT MORE OVERTIME THAN THEY WOULD OTHERWISE.
UH, REGARDING THE OVERTIME AT THE AIRPORT, I THINK WHEN THERE IS A REPORT THAT SHOWS X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS SPENT OVERTIME FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET, THEY SHOULD PUT AN ASTERISK ON THAT SHOWING THE AMOUNT THAT IS COMING FROM THE AIRPORT AND INDICATION THAT IT'S ALL REIMBURSED FROM THE AIRPORT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT DONE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO THAT, UH, UNDER THEIR DEPARTMENT.
THERE ARE, ARE A COUPLE OF, UH, THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO HAVE UNDERSTAND.
UH, THEY WANNA REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC FACILITIES, UH, BELOW THE AVERAGE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
COULD YOU GET ME, UH, THE STATISTICS OF WHAT THE FATALITY RATES WERE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS? AND ON THE CLEARANCE RATES, THE SAME THING.
CLEARANCE RATES FOR GROUP A VIOLET CRIMES, UH, REGARDING, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, UH, INCREASED 26%.
UH, THIS YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE, OR THEY'RE PROPOSING 26%.
AND I FIND IT REALLY INTERESTING UNDER TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, IT'S ONLY 2.3% OF THE TOTAL POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU, BUT I CERTAINLY FEEL THERE'S A MORE NEED FOR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT GIVEN THE WAY PEOPLE DRIVE IN THE CITY.
AND, UH, IT JUST IS SURPRISING TO ME THAT ONLY 2% OF THE WHOLE BUDGET GOES TOWARD THAT.
UH, THEN UNDER ASSET FORFEITURE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL FUNDS NEARLY THE ENTIRE OVER, OR THE ENTIRE, UH, PERSONNEL BUDGET IS OVERTIME.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY BOTH OF THOSE HAVE COMPLETELY OVERTIME AS OPPOSED TO JUST REGULAR, UH, BUDGET.
IT, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
SO IF I COULD GET AN EXPLANATION ON THAT.
AND, UH, INTERESTING THING ON THE ASSET FORFEITURE, THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR 26 WAS $9 MILLION, AND THEY'RE ESTIMATING THAT THEY'RE GONNA SPEND $5.7 MILLION.
AND THE BUDGET FOR 2027 AGAIN IS $9 MILLION.
THAT'S JUST THE OPPOSITE OF ZERO BASED BUDGETING.
THEY HAVE REDUCED THEIR EXPENDITURES, BUT YET THEY'RE GIVEN THE WHOLE AMOUNT THAT THEY HAD BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THE SAME THING, I TALKED TO TRAN AFTER THE, UH, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I QUESTIONED, WHY IS YOUR, WHY ARE YOU GOING SO HIGH THIS YEAR? SHE SAID, NO, NO, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE WHAT WE, UH, WHAT ARE ESTIMATED VERSUS WHAT WAS, THEY DID THE SAME THING TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SO I THINK THAT, UH, WHO'S EVER DOING THE BUDGETING, UH, NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK.
THE QUESTION IS WHY, IF THE ESTIMATE IS 5.7 MILLION, ARE THEY GIVEN A BUDGET OF 9.1 MILLION FOR THE COMING YEAR? IT'S, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
AND LAST QUESTION IS, THERE ARE TWO DEPARTMENTS, STRATEGIC OPERATIONS AND WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE? ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
AND THESE BOTH SOUND LIKE THEY COULD BE STAFFED BY, UH, CIVILIANS AS OPPOSED TO CLASSIFIED, UH, TO A GREAT EXTENT.
I'D JUST LIKE A BREAKDOWN OF THE, BETWEEN THOSE TWO DEPARTMENTS OF THE CIVILIAN AND CLASSIFIED, UH, EMPLOYEES.
AND YOU ONLY HAVE, YOU HAVE 15 MINUTES FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING.
SO WELL HOLD ON, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT VICE MAYOR PRO TEEK.
UM, YOUR COMMENT ABOUT OVERTIME FUNDING, UM, AND WHEN WE GET REIMBURSED THAT WE NEED TO BACKTRACK THAT OUT OF THE OVERTIME FUNDING.
UM, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH, WE NEED TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GETTING REIMBURSED AND IT'S STILL A SERVICE THAT WE'RE OFFERING, BUT WE'RE GETTING REIMBURSED FOR THAT AND IT'S A NEUTRAL COST TO THE
[01:40:01]
CITY, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACCURATELY SHOWING OUR NUMBERS THERE.AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S HAPPEN HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
NOW CAN I GO AND YES, WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS? OKAY, COME ON UP.
UM, JUST STATE YOUR NAME BEFORE YOU START YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY.
UH, WHAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE, UH, THE POLICE BUDGET IS TO ASK A REQUEST THAT Y'ALL, UH, CANCEL AND, UH, DECOMMISSION, UM, ALL THE FLOCK CAMERAS.
UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, FLOCK HAS ABOUT 1100 EMPLOYEES AND APPROXIMATELY 80 TO 90,000, UH, UNITS ALPS ACROSS THE NATION.
THERE'S ABOUT 3,800 IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
UH, THE, THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE IF YOU RECALL IN 2024, THERE WAS A PAGER AND WALKIE TALKIE ATTACK IN LEBANON.
SO ABOUT 4,000 PEOPLE WERE, WERE INJURED, AND 42 PEOPLE WERE KILLED BECAUSE, UH, PAGERS AND, AND, UH, WALKIE TALKIES WERE BASICALLY BLOWN UP ACROSS, ACROSS THE, THE NATION OF LEBANON, ALSO SYRIA.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WITH THE WORLD CUP COMING HERE, UH, TO THE STATES, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, LIKE FLOCK DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE, THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE DOING AUDITS.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF HPD OR OR HCSO ARE DOING AUDITS, WHETHER IT'S SOFTWARE AUDITS, FIRMWARE AUDITS, AND ACTUAL ONSITE AUDITS TO MAKE SURE, UH, THESE UNIT UNITS AREN'T COMPROMISED.
SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S A NATIONAL SECURITY RISK THAT WE SHOULD AVOID AND REDIRECT ALL THAT MONEY TO MAKE METRO, UH, UH, METRO FAIRS FREE.
SO JUST MAKE METRO A FREE THING TO RIDE FOR EVERYBODY BECAUSE WE'RE, WE SAY WE'RE A GLOBAL CITY, LET'S ACT LIKE IT AND LET'S, LET'S START AT THE WORLD CUP, BUT LET, LET'S LET THIS BE A THING THAT WE CONTINUE ON TO HAVE FREE, FREE METRO AND WE DON'T HAVE EYES IN THE SKY AND, YOU KNOW, TRUMP TRYING TO TARGET TRANS PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF BECAUSE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, TOMORROW COULD BE LIKE, ALRIGHT, LET'S TARGET ALL THE TRANS PEOPLE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, EARLIER, UH, WAS THE LIBRARY BUDGET WORKSHOPS AND THEY LISTED VARIOUS LOCATIONS.
SO I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GO JUST NEXT DOOR TO HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY AND CHECK OUT 1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL AND START A BOOK CLUB AND READ IT TOGETHER.
UM, HOW DOES MORE POLICE ON THE STREET HELP WITH DEEPER COMMUNITY TIES? ONE POINT IT SOUNDS OB AS ABSURD AS HEARING HPD GETS $1.2 BILLION AND THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY OR IS HPD THE CITY GETTING $1.2 BILLION? I MEAN, POLICE DO NOT MAKE COMMUNITIES SAFER OR WARMER.
DO LIBRARIES WELCOME UNHOUSED FOLKS OPENLY? AND I'VE SEEN HPD COPS SABOTAGE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS NUMEROUS TIMES IN DOWNTOWN, AND I'M SURE ALL OF YOU HAVE TOO.
AND MORE POLICE ON THE STREET MEANS INCREASED NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY RACIALIZED.
UM, IS THAT THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH THAT CHIEF HARDIN WAS TALKING ABOUT? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE DISAPPEARED TO, IF HE DOESN'T WANNA HEAR WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING, BUT TALKED ABOUT COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND CONNECTING TO COMMUNITY AND ANOTHER ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT THEY FORGOT TO LIST.
UM, JUST WANNA ECHO WHAT MY COMRADE MO SAID IS HPDS INCREASED SURVEILLANCE WITH FLOCK SAFETY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GUIDELINES THAT DO EXIST FOR THEIR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO CONSEQUENCES FOR HPD OFFICERS WHEN THEY CONTINUE TO FAIL TO DOCUMENT THE REASON WHY THEY'RE USING FLOCK.
UM, MORE POLICE MEANS MORE SURVEILLANCE.
I DON'T TRUST HPD, NEITHER SHOULD YOU AND NOR DO THEY DESERVE $1.2 BILLION.
UM, COUPLE QUESTIONS, UH, AND I CAN SUBMIT THEM IN THE PORTAL IF THEY CAN'T GET ANSWERED.
NOW, UM, ON THE MAYOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET, THE D-D-S-R-F, UM, METRO LINE ON PAGE TWO 10 OF THE DOCUMENT OF THE PDF, UM, THERE'S A LINE THAT SAYS 29.7 MILLION TO SUPPORT HPD TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM IN GENERAL FUND.
JUST WANTED, SHE, THEY MAY HAVE MENTIONED IT HERE, BUT JUST WANTED SOME CLARITY ON WHAT THAT NUMBER IS AS IT SITS WITHIN THE, THE METRO PORTION OF THE D-D-S-R-F.
THE SECOND QUESTION WAS, UH, SECOND ONE IS A STATEMENT, UH, ALSO SUPPORTING ENDING CONTRACTS WITH FLOCK.
UM, I THINK WE'VE SEEN THIS COUNCIL, UH, AND SECURITY CONTRACTS BEFORE.
UM, AND I THINK IT COULD SAVE US A LOT OF MONEY AND DEFINITELY KEEP SURVEILLANCE OFF OF COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ALREADY HEAVILY SURVEYED, UH, SURVEILLED.
AND THEN, UM, THE LAST QUESTION I HAD WAS ON BEHALF
[01:45:01]
OF SOMEONE.SO THE, UM, HE MENTIONED THERE'S A $7.3 MILLION REDUCTION IN SOME CIVILIAN FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
UM, WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THOSE EMPLOYEES WERE.
UH, AND IF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES WILL THEN BE TRANSFERRED TO LIKE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, AS LIKE THAT COULD END UP LEADING OVER TIME TO MORE OVERTIME.
BUT, UM, JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHAT THOSE POSITIONS REQUIRED AND THEN ALSO, UM, IF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE BEING PASSED ON LATER INTO THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, HOW MUCH MORE TIME DO I HAVE? YOU'RE THE LAST, UH, SPEAKER FELIX, SO, OKAY, GREAT.
UH, ONE THING, UH, ONE OTHER THING IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON THURSDAY TALKED ABOUT NOT ENOUGH ATTENTION OR DOLLARS GOING TOWARDS YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
UM, IT'S LISTED UNDER THE QUALITY OF LIFE PRIORITY, UM, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS OFFICE OF GANG PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION CONTINUES TO LOSE STAFF AND BUDGET DOLLARS.
NOW AT 600,000, HOW DO WE RECONCILE SCALING BACK YOUTH ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAMS WHILE DESCRIBING PUBLIC SAFETY AS A TOP PRIORITY? ARE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE TODAY SUPPORTIVE OF DIRECTING FUNDS TOWARD THESE SMALL YOUTH ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAMS AS REQUESTED BY DIRECTORS? UM, AND THEN HOW ARE PAYMENTS FOR LEGAL SETTLEMENTS TRACKED IN THE BUDGET IS A SEPARATE QUESTION.
YOU ASKED SOME GREAT QUESTIONS AND MADE SOME GOOD POINTS.
UM, ON THE CIVILIAN, UH, REDUCTIONS, THEY ARE ALL ON SLIDE 12 IN TERMS OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE AMOUNTS OR NO, UM, SLIDE SIX IN TERMS OF, UM, THOSE ARE ALL CIVILIAN, UH, EMPLOYEE FTES.
SO WE CAN GET YOU, UH, A MORE DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THOSE ARE.
I KNOW A COUPLE OF US ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
UM, THE METRO REIMBURSEMENT WAS 25 MILLION FROM METRO PD TO COVER, UM, SOME HPD TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS.
THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THERE.
AND THEN, UH, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? NO.
WE'LL, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON YOUR OTHERS.
AND, UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO SUBMIT THOSE ON THE PORTAL TOO.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, BEING HERE.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
UH, SO I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR ALL THEIR ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP SERIES.
THIS WAS OUR LAST BUDGET WORKSHOP.
THE VIRTUAL BUDGET TOWN HALL WILL BE TOMORROW 6:00 PM IF YOU, UH, WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE, UM, AND HEAR A MORE DETAILED OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES, SHARE YOUR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK.
THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET WILL TAKE PLACE AT 9:00 AM HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER SUBMITTED AMENDMENTS WILL BE DONE, UM, AS WELL ON JUNE 3RD.
AND THEN THE VOTE ON THE BUDGET WILL TAKE PLACE JUNE 10TH.