Jan 11, 2021 Community Police Review Commission

[00:00:02]

OKAY, WELL, IT IS SIX OH ONE.

UM, AND

[CALL TO ORDER]

THIS IS A CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION SIX OH ONE.

WE'RE GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AND GET STARTED.

UM, SO FOR THE RECORD, UM, I WOULD LOVE FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO WHEN CALLED UPON, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.

UM, SO YOU, WE HAVE YOU RECORDED IN ATTENDANCE, STARTING WITH COMMISSIONER MCMANN.

OH, SO YOU CAME MCMAHON.

THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER FLORES.

COMMISSIONER FLOOD IS PRESENT COMMISSIONER CARLINO.

HI, THIS IS RYAN CARLINO HERE.

COMMISSIONER ROSEMONT, COMMISSIONER TEST ANITA ELIZABETH CAST.

ANITA HERE.

THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER BRECKER, BRICKER HERE AND COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER CONNOLLY.

ARE YOU PRESENT? PRESENT? THANK YOU.

UM, SO WE WILL GET A AHEAD, GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.

UM, IF YOU LOOK AT ITEM NUMBER ONE, NEW BUSINESS,

[1a. CPRC Mental Health Recommendations to Austin Police Department (APD)]

SO FOR THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND OUR PROCESS AND WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON IN DECEMBER, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THESE ITEMS COMING ABOUT IN JANUARY.

AND SO IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT OUR SUBCOMMITTEE HAS BEEN DOING THE RESEARCH ON, ON BEST PRACTICES.

AND WE'VE ALSO GOTTEN, UM, SOME COMMUNITY INPUT FROM ORGANIZATION TO FOCUS AND STUDY AND RESEARCH DISABILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH AND HOW THAT INTERSECTS WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE.

UM, SO THESE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'VE CREATED, UM, AN HANDFUL OF THEM AND WE WILL BE REVIEWING AND VOTING ON THEM IN A PRIVATE SESSION.

AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE DELIBERATED ON THEM AND COME TO A CONSENSUS, WE'LL BE SENDING THEM TO CHIEF MANLEY AS WELL AS SIMULTANEOUSLY RELEASING THEM TO THE PUBLIC.

SO YOU ALL CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING.

UM, AND THE RESEARCH THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN ON THIS EFFORT.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BY COMMISSIONERS ON THIS TOPIC? I JUST WANT TO SAY COMMISSIONER TURNER'S PRESENT AS WELL.

UH, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER TURNER.

UM, OKAY.

WE WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO,

[1b. CPRC Letter to City Council and APD on Resolution 95]

SO FOR SOME CONTEXT ON THIS ISSUE, WE HAVE WRITTEN A LETTER AND SUBMITTED IT TO CITY COUNCIL, AS WELL AS TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT ON OUR INVOLVEMENT AND POLICY REVIEW.

UM, SO THERE WERE SEVERAL POLICIES OVER THE SUMMER THAT WERE CHANGED AND UPDATED AND REVIEWED.

UM, AND WE'RE GOING, SUPPOSED TO GO THROUGH A COMMUNITY, UM, REVIEW PROCESS.

AND SO WE JUST VOICED OUR OPINION AND OUR SUPPORT FOR THE CITY AND GETTING INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS AND BEING FURTHER PART OF THAT REVIEW.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING, UM, THAT WE WILL BRING UP AND GIVE AN UPDATE AT OUR NEXT MEETING AS TO WHAT THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN FROM COUNCIL.

UM, AS WELL AS WHERE WE ARE IN THAT PROCESS.

NOW, IF WE ARE THEN INCLUDED IN THAT COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW PROCESS OR WHAT THAT FINAL DECISION WAS COMING OUT OF THOSE ACTIONS, ARE THERE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION FROM COMMISSIONERS ON ITEM B ONE? GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU.

IN THE VERY RECENT PAST, JUST, JUST NOW WE ACTUALLY DID RECEIVE A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT THE GENERAL ORDERS FROM THAT RESOLUTION.

UM, AND WE WILL BE REVIEWING THE POLICIES AND PROVIDING FEEDBACK DIRECTLY TO APD.

UM, THEY HAVE ALSO OFFERED TO PRESENT THE DRAFT POLICY CHANGES AT THE NEXT CPRC MEETING.

SO, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATE FOR THIS COMMISSION TO HAVE INVOLVEMENT, UM, FOR ALL OF THOSE IMPORTANT GENERAL ORDERS HAD HAD THAT CAME DIRECTLY FROM, AND IN RESPONSE TO, UM, POLICE RESPONSES TO THE PROTESTS OF LAST YEAR.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL LIKELY HAVE ON OUR AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BY COMMISSIONERS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO NOTE AT THIS TIME? NO.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

[1c. Officer Involved Shooting Case: 2019-0206]

[00:05:01]

UM, SO PLEASE NOTE, UM, THAT FOR THIS CASE, UM, WE HAVE RECEIVED A PRIVATE BRIEFING FROM INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS CASE, UM, AT THE AGENDA ITEM FOUR.

UM, BUT OUR DELIBERATE, OUR DELIBERATIONS ARE IN PRIVATE SESSION.

AND SO WE WILL THEN TAKE A VOTE AS A COMMISSION AND THEN RELEASE, UM, OUR JOINT STATEMENT AFTER WE HAVE TAKEN ACTION ON THIS ITEM.

SO, UM, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM TWO STAFF BRIEFINGS, AND WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA,

[2a. Equity Office Presentation, Brion Oaks and Kellee Coleman: SWOT analyses and report on racial inequities within Austin Police Department]

SO I CAN SEE A PRESENTATION BEING PULLED UP AND WE HAVE TWO PERCENTERS BRIAN OAKS.

AND FORGIVE ME IF I BUTCHER THIS NAME.

UM, AND I BELIEVE KELLY COLEMAN ARE HERE 2%.

HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.

WE HAVE ONE MORE STAFF MEMBER WHO'S HELPING US PRESENT TONIGHT.

AMANDA HASA, UH, SHOULD BE ON WITH US AS WELL.

AND, UM, UH, GIVE HER A SECOND TO JUST SEE IF SHE'S MOVED OVER YET.

OH, I SEE HER HERE.

PERFECT.

PERFECT.

UM, WELL, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.

WE, UH, WANTED TO COME AND SHARE WITH YOU ALL, SOME, UH, HIGHLIGHTS OF A VERY EXTENSIVE BODY OF WORK, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH EQUITY OFFICE.

AND IT'S THE FIRST SORT OF, UH, UM, APD, UH, DIVISIONAL LEVEL EQUITY ASSESSMENTS.

AND THIS IS PART OF A BIGGER BODY OF WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, CITYWIDE.

AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT TONIGHT, BUT WE WANTED TO SORT OF, UH, COME AND GIVE YOU A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW, UH, OF THAT ASSESSMENT AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR FINDINGS, UM, WITHIN THESE FIRST SEVEN DIVISIONS, THAT'S GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH US THAT WE THINK CAN INFORM THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

UM, BUT THEN ALSO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, NEXT STEPS IN HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE THIS DATA.

AND, UH, IF WE HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY, WE WILL SEND OUT THE LINK TO THE REPORT TO YOU ALL IT'S 152 PAGES.

SO IT'S A LOT OF, UM, MATERIAL JUST TO SORT OF GET THROUGH AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WILL NOT BORE YOU ALL TONIGHT WITH A WHOLE LOT OF DATA, BUT WE'LL, IT'S REALLY KIND OF TRY TO KEEP IT HIGH LEVEL, BUT ALSO TRY TO SORT OF TALK ABOUT PATTERNS OR TRENDS THAT WE SAW ACROSS ALL THE DIVISIONS.

AND THEN WE'LL PARTICULARLY WANT TO GO INTO DETAIL ON THE TRAINING DIVISION, WHICH I THINK AS YOU SORT OF READ THE REPORT, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST EXTENSIVE AREAS COVERED BY OUR RESEARCH OR GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE FINDINGS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE UNCOVERED, UH, AS WE STARTED TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

SO WITHOUT FURTHER DO, UM, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I WILL GIVE YOU ALL A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, UM, ABOUT, UH, THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOL AND THE PROCESS THAT WE DO AS AN EQUITY OFFICE ACROSS THE CITY.

UM, BACK IN 2015, OUR CITY COUNCIL, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH LOT OF COMMUNITY ADVOCACY HAS THE RESOLUTION, WHICH INSTRUCTED THE CITY MANAGER TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN EQUITY ASSESSMENT THAT WOULD BE UTILIZED ACROSS ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS.

AND IT WAS A DESIRE OF THE MAYOR AND A COUNCIL AT THAT TIME IN 2015 WAS, WOULD BE FOR US TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AS THEY RELATED TO EQUITY AS A CITY.

AND THAT'S REALLY BEEN A CORE PART OF THE WORK THAT WE DO AS AN EQUITY OFFICE.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON A PATHWAY TO, TO HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS INTO THIS PROCESS OF DOING RACIAL EQUITY ASSESSMENT.

AND THEN FROM ASSESSMENTS, UH, WE DO SORT OF THIRD PARTY INDEPENDENT EVALUATIONS.

AND FROM THOSE EVALUATIONS, WE WORK WITH DEPARTMENTS TO DO RACIAL EQUITY ACTION PLANS, AND WE'LL GIVE THEM ABOUT TWO YEARS TO IMPLEMENT AND IMPROVE, AND THEN THEY COME BACK AND ASSESS AGAIN.

AND SO THIS IS A BODY OF WORK FOR US AS A SORT OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT CYCLE.

AND WE SORT OF FEEL THOUGH THE MORE SORT OF CYCLES OF ASSESSMENTS

[00:10:01]

AND, UM, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT, UH, ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE DEVELOP THE CITY'S RACIAL EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOL.

THE FIRST YEAR OF OUR OFFICE, WE REALLY SORT OF SPENT, UH, WORKING WITH COMMUNITY TO CO-CREATE THIS TOOL AND, UH, HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, EVEN, UH, TO US DEFINING WHAT EQUITY WOULD NEED AS WE DID THIS WORK FOR THE CITY, UM, WHICH FOR US IS AN AUSTIN WHERE RACE NO LONGER PREDICTS, UH, ANY OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES.

AND SO WE KNOW THAT WE'VE ACHIEVED IT WHEN WE CAN NO LONGER.

SO I LOOK AT THESE DATA SETS AND SEE RACE AS A PREDICTOR OF WHO FAIRS WILL AND WHO DOES IT IN OUR, IN OUR CITY.

UH, WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK AND THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TOOL.

WE, UM, RECEIVED THE, UH, STAR LEVEL INTERVENTION RECOGNITION FROM THE OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP, WHICH IS SORT OF AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT LOOKS AT TRANSPARENCY AND CITY GOVERNMENT.

SO REALLY PROUD ABOUT THAT.

AND, UM, BUT, AND AS WE SORT OF APPROACHED APD WITH THIS PROCESS, I THINK THAT THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT THE REPORT TALKS ABOUT, UM, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE DEVIATED A LITTLE BIT FROM OUR NATURAL PROCESS, UM, THAT WE DO WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS, WHICH IS THAT WE DO THIS, YOU KNOW, WE DO THIS ASSESSMENT AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL, BUT WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TO TALK TO, UH, LEADERSHIP FROM MAPD, UM, AND GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS AND THE UNIQUENESS OF THOSE FUNCTIONS, THE FUNCTIONS ACROSS THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, WE ACTUALLY MADE A DECISION TO DO, UM, THIS ASSESSMENT FOR APD AT THE DIVISIONAL LEVEL, UH, WHICH IN HINDSIGHT, I THINK WAS A REALLY, UH, AN APPROPRIATE AND A GOOD CHOICE FOR US TO MAKE, BECAUSE AS YOU GO THROUGH AND DO YOU COMPARE SOME OF THE DIFFERENT RESPONSES FROM DIVISIONS, YOU TRULY SEE, UH, HOW STARKLY DIFFERENT EVEN WITHIN A DEPARTMENT, UH, PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES ARE, BUT THEN ALSO OPERATIONALLY, UM, HOW DIFFERENT WE CAN BE, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO EQUITY.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I THINK A UNIQUE PART OF THIS APPROACH WAS THAT EARLY ON, UH, AS WE STARTED TO DO THIS WORK, UH, WITH APD AROUND SORT OF GETTING RESPONSES TO THE ASSESSMENT, UM, WE WERE NOT REALLY GETTING, UM, WE THOUGHT THE QUALITY OF RESPONSES AND PARTICIPATION, UH, FROM SOME STAFF.

AND SO WE ACTUALLY ADDED A COMMUNITY COMPONENT TO THIS, UH, OF COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT WE INVITED TO THE TABLE TO BE A PART OF, UH, OF WORKSHOP MEETINGS WITH OUR, OUR APD STAFF.

UH, AND SO EVERY PART OF THE WAY AS WE WENT, SORT OF THROUGH COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE REALLY ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND GET CLARIFICATION AND REQUEST ADDITIONAL DATA.

AND, UH, WE ARE REALLY, UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THAT, BECAUSE IF WE THOUGHT THAT THAT ACTUALLY MADE THIS ASSESSMENT A LOT MORE RICH THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE COMMUNITY COMPONENT THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THAT, AND WE DEFINITELY SEE THAT AS A BEST PRACTICE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

AND SO, UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

WE CAN REALLY START TO KIND OF GET INTO, UM, SOME OF THOSE FINDINGS THAT WE HAD FOR THE REPORT.

AND SO, UM, USUALLY THE WAY THAT WE DO AN EQUITY ASSESSMENT REPORT IS THAT WE TRY TO SORT OF MAKE, UM, THE FEEDBACK AND THE DATA SORT OF, UH, REALLY SORT OF EASY FOR BOTH THE DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT WE FIND.

AND WE USUALLY SORT OF DO THAT THROUGH THE STRUCTURE OF A SWAT ANALYSIS.

AND SO CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? UM, SO LET ME BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.

SO, UM, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL ASK THE QUESTION, SO WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS YOUR TOOL GET AT MEASURING OR EVALUATING ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE FOR IT.

AND AS WE SORT OF DID THE WORKSHOPS TO CO-CREATE THE TOOL WE, YOU WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD CONSISTENTLY SORT OF HAVE THESE THEMES THAT SORT OF CAME UP FROM COMMUNITY.

UM, I SAY A LOT OF TIMES, AS IT RELATED TO THE PAIN POINTS OF HOW A COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR INTERACTED AND ENGAGED THE CITY AND THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAD, UH, HISTORICALLY WITH THE CITY.

AND SO, UM, THESE ARE REALLY SORT OF THE SIX SORT OF CORE PRINCIPLES OR VALUES THAT REALLY SORT OF DRIVE THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOL, YOU KNOW, AT A HIGH LEVEL, THESE ARE SORT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD.

AND, AND, UH, WE REALLY BUILT THIS FROM THE FEEDBACK THAT WE WITH COMMUNITY.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THEN THE, FOR US TO LEAD WITH RACE AND ETHNICITY, UH, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, HOW WE LEAD WITH RACE

[00:15:01]

AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR TOOL IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT.

UH, BRINGING CONSCIOUS ATTENTION TO RACIAL INEQUITIES AND DISPARITIES BEFORE DECISIONS ARE MADE.

SO REALLY THIS NOTION OF, UH, WE WANT TO DO THIS WORK WELL, SO WE CAN PREVENT BAD STUFF IN THE FIRST PLACE.

AND, UM, HOW DO WE SORT OF POSITION AT, AND AS WE MAKE DECISIONS AS A CITY, UM, WHEREAS THIS EMBEDDED INTO THE PROCESS OF HOW WE, YOU MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.

AND WE OPERATIONALIZE AS A CITY OF THE FOCUS ON HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN AND INSTITUTIONAL EMPATHY, WHICH IS REALLY SORT OF GETTING AT, UH, AS WE DESIGN, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CENTER PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST AT THE MARGINS OR WHO ARE MOST NEGATIVELY IMPACTED.

AND WE BELIEVE THAT IF WE CAN SORT OF REALLY DESIGN, UH, WITH THOSE FOLKS AT THE CENTER OF WHATEVER WE DO WILL WORK FOR EVERYONE.

AND WE'LL BE A REALLY GOOD SOLID DESIGN AVOIDING OR MINIMIZING UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND IMPACT AFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT TO, UH, EQUITY INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY AS A CITY AND ENGAGING RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE ADVERSELY EFFECTED IN DECISION-MAKING.

THOSE ARE ALL THEMES THAT WE REALLY SORT OF LOOK AT AND WE SCAN FOR ACROSS THE, THE EQUITY ASSESSMENTS AS WE DO THIS WORK.

SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, NOW WE CAN START TO START TO GET INTO SOME OF THE, UH, THE OUTCOMES.

AND, UH, I'LL ASK THAT KELLY AND AMANDA KIND OF HELP, UH, WEIGH IN ON SOME OF THESE FINDINGS.

AND SO WE THOUGHT TO START OFF, UH, WOULD BE TO JUST AT A HIGH LEVEL, UM, GIVE YOU ALL SOME CONTEXT TO THE FINDINGS THAT WE SAW ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL THE DIVISIONS.

AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE VISIONS THAT WERE ASSESSED WERE THE TRAINING DIVISION, UM, OUR RECRUITMENT DIVISION, DATA PLANNING, INTERNAL AFFAIRS, FINANCE, HUMAN, A HUMAN RESOURCES, AND, UH, AND PICKED THEM SERVICES.

AND THEN ON THE LEFT, UM, OR SOME OF THE PATTERNS OR THE TRENDS THAT WE SAW, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD.

AND, AND, UH, I'LL START OFF WITH, WITH SOME OF THE DISCUSSION AROUND THIS.

UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK FOR US, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SORT OF SAW THROUGH THIS PROCESS, ESPECIALLY AS YOU'RE RELATED TO THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, UM, WAS A LOSS OF TRUST OUR COMMUNITY TRUST WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND, UM, IF YOU SORT OF GO THROUGH AND READ SOME OF THE RESPONSES FROM OUR COMMUNITY, UM, THERE ARE NOTION THAT THERE WAS ALMOST A SENSE OF DEFENSIVENESS, UM, AS ISSUES WERE RAISED ARE THAT QUESTIONS WERE ASKED, UH, AND SO DEFINITELY, UM, AN EARTH US VERSUS THEM, UH, SORT OF A SENTIMENT AS IT RELATED TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND THEN KILLING AMANDA.

YOU DON'T WANT TO SORT OF WEIGH IN ON SOME OTHER AREAS TOO.

SURE.

UM, I'LL SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE, UH, LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF EQUITY.

AND SO, UM, WE GOT A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO, UH, NORMALIZE AND TRAIN AROUND THIS.

AND SO, UM, AS WE DO WITH EVERY DEPARTMENT, THEY GO THROUGH A WORKSHOP, THEY USUALLY GO THROUGH UNDOING RACISM, AND THEN WE DO A WORKSHOP, UH, JUST ABOUT THE TOOL.

AND SO WE HAD DONE, UM, QUITE A FEW OF, OF, OF THESE WORKSHOPS AND, UM, AND IT JUST, THERE WAS A LOT OF DEFENSIVENESS AROUND THAT.

UM, WHEN BRIAN MENTIONED THAT, UM, WE HAD TO SHIFT, UH, FROM DOING IT MORE INTERNALLY TO JUST BRING IN THE COMMUNITY AND TO ASK THE QUESTION SO WE COULD ACTUALLY GET ANSWERS.

UM, THAT'S ROOTED IN, IN, UM, THE PRINCIPALS THAT WE WORK WITH TOO.

RIGHT.

AND SO, UM, THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF, UM, A LOT OF PUSH BACK ON, UM, ON REALLY, REALLY BEING COMMITTED TO THOSE PRINCIPLES.

SO, AND THEN I THINK TOO, UM, THE CULTURE FOLLOW UP ON THAT SORT OF, OH, THAT'S OKAY.

I WAS JUST, I WAS JUST GONNA LIKE, UH, FOLLOW UP ON WHAT YOU WERE SAYING IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC EXAMPLES AROUND, UM, WHAT THAT PROCESS BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND APD LOOKED LIKE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK APD WOULD SORT OF COME INTO THE COMMUNITY, THE SPACES WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE SHARING FOOD WHERE WE SPENT TIME IN THE, IN THE BEGINNING, KIND OF DOING SOME FELLOWSHIP WORK.

UM, BUT APD WOULD KIND OF COME IN WITH, WITH THEIR GUNS,

[00:20:01]

AND I THINK THAT ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS HONEST CULTURE FEAR, LIKE BOTH ON THE APD SIDE AND THE COMMUNITY SIDE.

UM, BUT THEN ALSO SORT OF THAT EROSION OF TRUST, UM, THAT WE WERE TRYING TO KIND OF GET TO.

AND I WAS THINKING SPECIFICALLY WHEN KELLY, I SUPPOSE I WAS THINKING ABOUT OUR DATA PLANNING, UH, DIVISION AND THE HEAD OF DATA PLANNING AT THAT TIME.

UM, HE VERY PLAINLY SAID HE NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT, UH, DIVERSITY BY RACE OR, OR THINKING ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY AND HOW HE ANALYZED DATA AND IN TERMS OF HIRING, HE ACTUALLY THOUGHT VERSUS DIVERSITY OF RACE.

AND SO IT SORT OF JUST, YOU KNOW, LITTLE EXAMPLES ABOUT, UM, JUST SORT OF THIS GENERAL LACK OF, OF, UH, COMMITMENT OR UNDERSTANDING AS IT RELATED TO RACE EQUITY.

UM, AND EVEN IN OUR UNDOING RACISM TRAININGS, I THINK THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR, OUR WE TENANTS OR DIVISION LEADERSHIP WHO WENT THROUGH OUR UNDOING RACISM TRAINING OR THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTES ON DOING RACISM OR ACTIVELY SERVING TO DISRUPT THE PROCESS.

AND SO THAT ALSO IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY TO SORT OF SEE THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO, UM, TO RACIAL EQUITY CONVERSATION.

YEAH.

AND, UM, REALLY QUICKLY JUST FOR THE RECORD, I WANT TO, UH, I JUST WANT TO STATE FOR THOSE LISTENING, THAT THAT WAS AMANDA, WHO WAS SPEAKING AND GIVING THAT TESTIMONY IN CONTEXT AT KELLY, PLEASE.

CHRISTINE, THANK YOU.

YES, NO PROBLEM.

UM, AND, UH, I WAS GOING TO SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INCOMPLETE DATA COLLECTION, AND THIS IS REALLY, UM, ALSO WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, MADE IT, MADE IT, UM, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMUNITY KIND OF, UH, BE OUT IN FRONT OF THIS PROCESS WAS BECAUSE WHEN WE WORK REQUESTING DATA, RIGHT.

REQUESTING INFORMATION TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IN THE TOOL, WE WOULD GET NOT APPLICABLE OR NOTHING.

OR IF WE GOT A RESPONSE, RIGHT.

DEPENDING ON THE DEPARTMENT OR THE DIVISION THAT WE WERE TALKING TO.

I'M SORRY.

AND SO, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF THAT, RIGHT.

A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH, UM, COMMUNITY WAS DOING THEIR OWN RESEARCH.

SO WE WOULD HAVE A MEETING WITH APD ONE WEEK AND THEN WE'D HAVE A MEETING WITH JUST COMMUNITY THE NEXT WEEK.

RIGHT.

UM, AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF TRYING TO, TRYING TO CATCH UP AND DO OUR OWN RESEARCH.

UM, AND THEN I WOULD SAY TOO, AROUND THE, THE, UM, DATA PLANNING STUFF, RIGHT.

WE WERE ASKING QUESTIONS AROUND LIKE READING LEVEL AND HOW THE DATA IS ORGANIZED RIGHT.

IN THE, UM, PUBLICLY RIGHT IN THE, IN THE, UM, IN THE PUBLIC, UH, PORTAL.

RIGHT.

AND, UM, WE KIND OF GOT, WE GOT THIS ANSWER THAT WAS BASICALLY LIKE, WELL, I ASSUME THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR IT.

THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, AND WE DON'T NEED TO BE CONCERNING OURSELVES WITH MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE.

RIGHT.

AND THIS WAS TO THE COMMUNITY PIECE.

THEY WERE THE ANSWERS TO THE COMMUNITY.

UM, IT GOT A LITTLE BIT BETTER WHEN WE BROUGHT, UM, COMMUNITY FOLKS IN, BUT THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, UM, WE WERE TRYING TO TRY TO LIKE, UH, BUILD COMMUNITY TOGETHER, BUT THERE WAS STILL, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME BACK AND FORTH, ESPECIALLY I THINK AS THE COMMUNITY FOLKS SORT OF GOT THEIR FOOTING AND KNEW WHAT TO ASK AND KNEW WHERE TO PUSH AND, AND SORT OF SHARPEN THEIR ANALYSIS AROUND THIS STUFF.

RIGHT.

UM, AND I THINK THERE WAS OTHER WORK HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY TOO.

RIGHT.

LIKE, UM, AJCS WORK, GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP'S WORK.

AND SO PEOPLE WERE, I THINK GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TO LOOK FOR TOO.

RIGHT.

UM, AND SO THEY STARTED TO PUSH AND IT, AND THE FRIENDLINESS, UM, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE BETWEEN THE FRIENDLINESS THAT STARTED WHERE IT WAS JUST SORT OF ASSUMED, AND NOW IT WAS KIND OF LIKE THIS, THIS CRITICAL RESPECT RELATIONSHIP.

RIGHT.

LIKE, UM, IT, IT DEFINITELY WAS A DIFFERENT SPACE AT THE VERY END OF THE PROCESS.

SO, SO WHAT YOU ALL FIND IN THE REPORT IS THAT, UM, EAST OF VISION, UM, HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE ASSESSMENT AND THEY'RE ALL SORT OF A STANDALONE.

[00:25:01]

I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO DO THAT.

UM, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF TONIGHT, UH, WE REALLY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE TRAINING DIVISION ASSESSMENT IN DETAIL, UH, BECAUSE AS WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THAT WAS THE ONE THAT REALLY SORT OF STOOD OUT TO US, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, INPUT FROM COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO INPUT FROM OUR RESEARCHER.

AND, UH, ALSO INPUT FROM, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO SORT OF INTERVIEW AND INCORPORATE SOME OF THE FORMER CADETS OF OUR ACADEMY INTO THIS PROCESS, BECAUSE AS THEY LEARNED ABOUT IT, UM, THEY TOO SAID, HEY, WE ARE COMMUNITY.

AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL OUR EXPERIENCE.

AND, UH, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SORT OF PUSH BACK AND TELL OUR TRUTH ABOUT SOME OF THE NARRATIVE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE DEPARTMENT WAS, THE DIVISION WAS RESPONDING TO IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSES.

SO IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND LET'S GO ONE MORE, ONE MORE OVER, I THINK TOTALLY WE'RE ALMOST AT OUR TIME, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE LIKE TALKERS.

UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANT IT TO REALLY CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE RECOMMENDATION FROM OUR RESEARCHER FOR THE TRAINING DIVISION.

AND, UM, THAT RECOMMENDATION WAS REALLY FOR US TO DO A COMPLETE REDESIGN OF OUR TRAINING ACADEMY, UM, DIVISION AND, UH, ON THE RIGHT IS WE'LL GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT IN TERMS OF WHAT, UH, THE RESEARCHER UNCOVERED AND YOU KNOW, WHY HE DECIDED TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.

AND SO, AS WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, ONE, THE THINGS THAT WE IDENTIFIED WAS THAT, UM, THIS ASSESSMENT FOUND SIGNIFICANT RACIAL AND GENDER DISPARITIES IN THE STANDARDS AND PRACTICES OF APDS TRAINING DIVISION, DIVISION LEADERSHIP FAILED TO PRODUCE ANY MEASURABLE STANDARDS FOR ENSURING EQUITABLE PRACTICES.

UH, THE DIVISION OF SELF-ASSESSMENT IDENTIFIED ONLY ONE BLACK EMPLOYEE IN THE DIVISION DATA PROVIDED BY APD HIGHLIGHTED FOR THE DISPARITIES AND GRADUATION RATES, WHICH JUST REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME THAT, UM, THE GRADUATION RATE FOR WHITE CADETS IS 81.6 COMPARED TO ONLY 48.5% FOR BLACK MALE CADETS.

THAT'S CRAZY TO ME, UM, THE GAP IN WHAT THOSE GRADUATION RATES LOOK LIKE.

WE ALSO, UM, UH, SAW A PATTERN OF, UH, OF EXCESSIVE INJURIES AND ACADEMIES, AND THAT ACTUALLY HAD A RACIAL DISPARITY ASSOCIATED WITH IT AS WELL.

AND SO OVER THE FIVE YEARS, BLACK CADETS ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY 5.1, 9% OF ALL ACADEMY GRADUATES, UM, BUT WERE MORE LIKELY TO LEAVE THE ACADEMY OR SUSTAIN AN INJURY THAN ANY OTHER RACIAL GROUP IN OUR ACADEMY, UH, OVER THOSE SAME FIVE YEARS TOO.

AND SO WHAT REALLY SORT OF STOOD OUT TO US WAS TO REALLY, UM, ASK THE QUESTION OF, OF THAT EXPERIENCE, UH, OF SORT OF OUR BLACK CONDENSERS.

THEY GO THROUGH OUR TRAINING ACADEMY AND SORT OF SEEING SUCH SIGNIFICANT, UH, RACIAL DISPARITIES IN TERMS OF THAT.

AND THEN I WOULD SAY FOR CADETS OVERALL, UH, THERE WERE ALSO FINDINGS IN TERMS OF, UH, SOME OF OUR, UH, DRILLS THAT WE DO AND, UH, AND AROUND HOW THEY LEAD TO SUSTAINED INJURIES FOR CADETS.

AND AS YOU LOOK AT THE FIVE-YEAR PATTERN OF THE INJURIES, YOU DEFINITELY SORT OF SEE THAT OUR QUANTITATIVE DATA, UM, OFTENTIMES REALLY SORT OF REINFORCED THE NARRATIVES AND THE STORIES THAT COULD HAVE TOLD AS THEY WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS AS WELL.

SO IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WHAT ARE WE GO FROM HERE? LIKE, WHAT ARE OUR NEXT STEPS? UM, WE REALLY SORT OF HOPE THAT THIS REPORT, UM, CAN INFORM DECISION MAKING AS WE MOVE FORWARD, ESPECIALLY AROUND, UH, FOR THE DECISION TO, YOU KNOW, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CADET CLASSES AND WHAT THE DESIGN OF OUR TRAINING ACADEMY WILL LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE.

UH, FOR ME, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THERE, UH, SOME, SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE DISCOVERED THROUGH THIS ASSESSMENT THAT I SAY, UM, HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY TO THEM THAT WE HAVE TO SORT OF FIX AND ADDRESS, UM, BEFORE WE CAN TRULY MOVE FORWARD AND, AND, UH, SUBJECT PEOPLE TO THAT ENVIRONMENT.

I THINK, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO WHAT THE EXPERIENCE OF BLACK CADETS, UH, REALLY REPRESENTS AS THEY GO THROUGH OUR, OUR ACADEMY.

UM, ALSO, UH, IT'S OUR INTENTION THAT THIS REPORT CAN HELP INFORM, UH, THE COMPREHENSIVE AUDIT THAT'S TAKING PLACE WITH APD BY CRAWLING ASSOCIATES.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE SHARED THIS REPORT WITH THE RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCES AS THEY DO THEIR WORK, UH, TO REALLY SORT OF VISUALIZE AND LOOK WHAT THEIR FUTURE OF PUBLIC SAFETY LOOKS LIKE FOR,

[00:30:01]

SO THEIR DATA AND INFORMATION IN THIS REPORT FOR THAT, UH, WE'LL BE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE DIVISIONS, UM, TO DEVELOP AN EQUITY ACTION PLAN.

AND SO, UM, FOR THIS MONTH, AND NEXT MONTH WE'LL BE SETTING UP ONE-ON-ONES WITH THE DIVISION LEADERS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE SEEN THEIR RESULTS.

WE SHARED THAT REPORT WITH APD LEADERSHIP, BUT REALLY DOING A SIT DOWN AND KIND OF GOING IN DEPTH ON THE RESULTS AND THE FINDINGS, BUT ALSO STARTING THAT PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR ACTION PLANS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE SORT OF ADDRESS THE THREATS AND, AND, UH, AND WEAKNESSES THAT WE IDENTIFY, UH, IN THE AREA.

AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THOSE INTERVENTIONS LOOK LIKE FOR US TO ADDRESS THOSE? UM, I ALSO THINK ANOTHER IMPORTANT PIECE OF DATA AND BODY OF WORK THAT'S TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW IS, UM, THE CONNECTION WITH OUR VIDEO COMMUNITY VIDEO REVIEW PANEL, UM, WHICH SORT OF GIVES INSIGHT ON THE CURRICULUM.

AND, YOU KNOW, IN THIS ASSESSMENT, WE GOT A LITTLE BIT, UH, OF, UM, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO VIEW A LITTLE BIT OF SOME OF THE, UH, CURRICULUM FROM THE TRAINING DIVISION.

UH, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE COMMUNITY PANEL.

THAT'S REALLY DOING A DEEP DIVE INTO THAT, THAT WE THINK WILL SORT OF FURTHER, UH, GIVE US INSIGHT.

AND, UH, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO START BEGINNING TO PLAN FOR OUR NEXT SET OF DIVISIONS, WHICH WILL BE KIND OF QUEUING UP THE NEXT SEVEN DIVISIONS THAT WE DO.

UM, AS AN OFFICE, WE'D ACTUALLY BE INTERESTED IF THERE'S PARTICULAR DIVISIONS THAT YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN, THAT YOU WOULD, UH, HAVE IDEAS ABOUT US PRIORITIZING AS WE MOVE FORWARD AS, AS AN EQUITY OFFICE.

AND WE WOULD BE OPEN TO GETTING THAT FEEDBACK, UH, FROM YOU ALL AS WELL, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T REALLY SORT OF DECIDED OR IDENTIFY, UH, WHAT THE NEXT SEVEN A SET OF SEVEN WOULD BE.

AND THEN IF WE HAVE TIME, WE CAN OPEN UP FOR A FEW QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING.

UM, ALL THREE OF YOU, THIS IS SUPER HELPFUL.

ONE QUESTION I HAVE REALLY QUICK IS AROUND THE TIMING OF THE EQUITY ACTION PLAN.

UM, I THINK WITH THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS WE'VE HAD FROM THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, LOOKING AT THE DISPARITIES AS IT RELATES TO RACE AND USE OF FORCE, AND THEN ALSO SEEING HERE SOME OF YOUR FINDINGS AS TO THE INTERNAL CULTURE IN THE TRAINING, UM, AND HOW THERE'S DISPARITY IN GRADUATION RATES AND JUST, YOU KNOW, CONTINUES, IT KIND OF BLEEDS OUT.

UM, WHAT DOES THAT TIMELINE LOOK LIKE FOR THOSE ACTION PLANS? UM, LIKE HOW ARE ALL THINKING AS FAR AS TIMEFRAMES, IS IT LIKE A FIVE-YEAR PLAN THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO DEVELOP, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, COME UP WITH SOME OF THESE SOLUTIONS OR HOW ARE WE ALL FRAMING THAT AND THINKING ABOUT THAT PROCESS? SO THE ACTION PLAN ITSELF, WE WOULD ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT BEING SORT OF A TWO YEAR WINDOW TO, TO STAND UP AND THEN ALSO MONITOR WHATEVER INTERVENTIONS THEY'RE GOING TO DO.

UM, FOR THAT PARTICULAR DIVISION AND OUR, UM, IN OUR OFFICE, WE HAVE BRANDON CRUZ.

WHO'S KIND OF LIKE OUR HE'S OUR TECHNICAL MANAGER.

WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A DUE DATE THIS YEAR FOR WHEN ALL PLANS ARE DUE, BUT HE'S NOT HERE.

AND, UH, AMANDA KELLY, DO Y'ALL REMEMBER WHAT THE DUE DATE IS.

I THINK IT MAY BE IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR.

IT'S JAM.

YEAH, I GOT IT.

SO, UH, SO WE DO HAVE LIKE A HARD DUE DATE IN JUNE FOR THE PLANS TO BE SUBMITTED, AND WE CAN DEFINITELY SHARE THAT WITH Y'ALL AS WELL.

OKAY.

SOUNDS GOOD.

THANK YOU.

AND I THINK THAT AS A COMMISSION, I'LL SPEAK FOR EVERYONE HERE.

I THINK WE WOULD BE INTERESTED AS WE FURTHER GO INTO YOUR REPORT AND YOUR PRESENTATION, UM, AND SUGGESTING WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND GETTING SOME COMMUNITY INPUT INTO THAT PROCESS OF, UM, NEXT STEPS.

YEAH, DEFINITELY.

I MEAN, WE WERE THINKING AHEAD OF TIME, LIKE, WELL, WE'VE GOT 152 PATIENTS, SO YES, I APPRECIATE CONDENSING FOR US.

UM, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMISSION, UM, FOR ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON THE PRESENTATION.

HEY ALL, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR RESEARCH WITH US.

I'M CURIOUS, YOU DID MENTION, YOU HEARD AT LEAST ANECDOTALLY SOME OF THE REASONS WHY, UM, BLACK CADETS, UH, LEFT, YOU KNOW, 50% IS A PRETTY HUGE ATTRITION RATE.

AND SO I'M CURIOUS IF YOU COULD SHARE WHAT YOU HEARD PEOPLE SAYING, WHY THEY LEFT, YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THAT ONE.

KELLY, NO, YOU GO AHEAD, BRIAN.

UM, YEAH, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM THE INTERVIEWS WITH CADETS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, DEFINITELY

[00:35:01]

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, WAS UNCOVERED FOR US IS, IS THAT THERE ARE SPECIAL DRILLS THAT ARE DONE CALLED SMOKE, SMOKE UP, SPOKE OUT SESSIONS, AND A SMOKE OUT SESSION IS REALLY LIKE AN INTENSE SORT OF PHYSICAL ENDURANCE FITNESS DRILLS THAT MANY TIMES, UH, IN THIS CASE, CADETS COMPLAINT OF NOT BEING ALLOWED TO HAVE WATER AND, UM, EVEN SO THAT SOME OF THEM TOLD THE NARRATIVES OF, UH, IF YOU EVEN HELPED ANOTHER FELLOW CADET WITH WATER, THEN YOU GOT IN TROUBLE AS, AS WELL.

AND SO FROM HEARING THAT STORY, DO YOU LOOK AT THE PATTERN OF THE DATA AND, AND, AND THE INJURIES THAT YOU SEE, YOU DEFINITELY SEE THAT IN FORCE.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, THERE WERE NARRATIVES FROM BLACK CADETS WHO, UH, FELT LIKE THEY, UH, WERE OFTENTIMES TARGETED, UH, OR ONCE THEY SUSTAINED THE INJURY, THEN, UM, THEY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, SORT OF FACED, UM, DISTANT INCREASE OR PRESSURE, OR SOMETIMES EVEN THE BELIEF THAT THE INJURY WAS NOT AS SERIOUS AS THE INJURY, YOU KNOW, WAS, UM, IN.

AND SO, UM, YEAH, SO I THINK THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT WE SAW IT, IT WAS REALLY SORT OF SURPRISING FOR US.

AND, AND I THINK WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE CADETS OR WHAT REALLY CAME THROUGH WAS, WAS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK PART OF THE EXPLANATION FOR THAT WAS, WAS THAT, UM, WE WERE TRYING TO PUT PEOPLE IN SORT OF REAL LIFE SITUATIONS.

AND I THINK IT REALLY SORT OF BEGGED THE QUESTION FOR THOSE PARTICULAR DRILLS IN WHAT REAL LIFE SITUATION, WHICH YOU FACE THAT LEVEL OF EXPOSURE TO HEAT AND, AND INTENTIONAL DEHYDRATION AND IN WHAT A REAL-WORLD SCENARIO AS A FELLOW FELLOW OFFICER AND PARTNER THAT I WOULDN'T LEND A HELPING HAND TO PROVIDE WATER IF I HAD IT.

RIGHT.

UH, AND SO I THINK WE REALLY PUSHED THE QUESTION AROUND WHAT REAL LIFE SCENARIOS DOES.

SOME OF THIS STUFF DO I REALLY HAPPENS IN WHY WOULD WE TRAIN TO IT OR THEY FEEL THE NEED TO TRAIN TO IT.

RIGHT.

AND FOR ME, WHAT STOOD OUT THE MOST WAS THIS CULTURE OF HAZING.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY ASKED FOLKS, YOU KNOW, WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A POLICE? RIGHT.

WELL, I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE AND HAVING SOMEONE TELL YOU TO YOUR FACE, IF YOU SAY IT'S BECAUSE I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE, I'M GONNA PUNCH YOU IN YOUR FM FACE.

RIGHT.

UM, THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD.

UM, AND SO IT JUST, IT WAS, UH, IT, I MEAN, I GET IT RIGHT.

LIKE, UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S LIKE, IT'S, IT'S A PARAMILITARY ORGANIZATION.

UM, BUT JUST THE SORT OF HOW THEY DISCONNECT FOLKS FROM THEIR HUMANITY IN A WAY IN A PROCESS.

UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE WERE ALL WHEN WE, WHEN WE HEARD IT AND I'M JUST GOING TO BE REAL, HONEST AND REAL WITH Y'ALL, WE WERE LISTENING TO IT.

AND, UM, IT WAS THIS, IT WAS JUST REALLY SORTA TRAUMATIC FOR US TO EVEN HEAR SOME OF THE STUFF, RIGHT.

LIKE WE HAD TO CHECK IN, UM, AFTER, CAUSE IT WAS LIKE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, SO I GUESS AS A COMMISSIONER TURNER, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU ALL ARE SAYING CORRECTLY NOW, UM, IN THE MILITARY, WHEN WE HAVE, WITH WHAT THEY'RE REFERRING TO AS SMOKING SESSIONS, WE HAVE THE SAME THING.

AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY.

WELL, WE DO IT, IT'S A DISCIPLINARY, RIGHT.

AS CORRECTIVE MEASURES IS WHY WE DO IT.

ARE THEY SAYING THEY'RE DOING IT FOR THOSE SAME REASONS? OR ARE THEY DOING IT JUST BECAUSE, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY SOMEBODY REPLIED TO THEM, OR WHAT DID THEY SAY SPECIFICALLY WOULD CAUSE THESE SMALL DECISIONS, WHAT I WANT TO UNDERSTAND OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT A PART OF THE TRAINING, RIGHT? YEAH.

YEAH.

I WAS GOING TO SAY THEY DIDN'T REALLY, I MEAN, UM, WE CAN DEFINITELY GO BACK AND, AND, UH, TALK TO OUR RESEARCHER AND LOOK AT THE NOTES, BUT WE NEVER, WE DIDN'T REALLY GET AN INDICATION THAT IT WAS DONE OUT OF PUNISHMENT.

UH, WE GOT THE INDICATION THAT IT WAS DONE AS PART OF STANDARD, UM, YOU KNOW, PROCEDURE, BUT OFTENTIMES WAS IMPROMPTU.

I THINK IN THE SENSE OF JUST, UH, UM, TRYING TO SORT OF, UM, I THINK THE WAY IT, I TOOK IT SORT OF TRYING TO SORT OF, UH, BUILD A CONDITION OR CONDITION PEOPLE TO, UH, SITUATIONS WHERE MAYBE THEY WOULD HAVE THE, HAVE TO EXPERIENCE ADVERSE EVENTS ARE, ARE PHYSICALLY ADVERSE SORT OF SITUATIONS AND BEING PREPARED FOR THOSE

[00:40:01]

THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER.

UM, THIS WILL BE OUR LAST QUESTION.

AND FOR ANY COMMISSIONERS WHO WERE UNABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS, UM, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL DO A FOLLOW-UP, UM, AND HAVE THEM COME BACK IN A PRIVATE SESSION FOR US AND DIG DEEP INTO THIS MASSIVE DOCUMENT AND RESEARCH.

UM, BUT COMMISSIONER MCMANN, I BELIEVE YOU HAD A QUESTION AND WE'LL END WITH THIS ONE.

THANK YOU.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS REPORT.

I THINK IT'S REALLY AFFIRMING FOR THOSE 10 CADETS A FEW YEARS AGO, WHO, UM, WERE DISMISSED BY APD.

I BELIEVE ON MY LAST ACCOUNT, THE POLICE CHIEF SAID THAT THE FORMER CADETS RECOLLECTIONS WERE NOT ACCURATE.

SO I FEEL LIKE THIS REALLY HELPS TO BRING ATTENTION AND, UM, TO, TO, UM, AFFIRM THEM, TO MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY JUST WERE NOT CRAZY.

UM, WHEN THEY WENT THROUGH THAT TERRIBLE THING AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR REPORT, YOU THERE'S WORDS LIKE THE, THE TRAINERS WERE VIOLENT AND BRUTAL AND TRAUMATIZING OR MANUFACTURING SOLDIERS, AND, UM, COMMISSIONER TURNER.

THERE WERE SOME FOLKS WHO WERE HAVE MILITARY BACKGROUND THAT SAYS IT WAS WORSE THAN ANYTHING THAT THEY WENT THROUGH.

SO KNOWING ALL OF THAT AND HOW BAD THINGS CONTINUE TO BE.

I MEAN, PERSONALLY, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ANY THOUGHT OF REOPENING THE ACADEMY IN THE NEAR FUTURE BEFORE A MAJOR OVERHAUL IS PREEMPTIVE.

LIKE THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AT ALL.

BUT, UM, THAT'S ME SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, BUT IN TERMS OF EPDS COMMITMENT TO BE IN THIS, UM, ASSESSMENT TO HAVE THIS ASSESSMENT DONE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, DO THEY AGREE TO IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW DOES THIS, HOW DID THIS LAND FOR THEM? UM, I GUESS IS WHAT I'M ASKING, ESPECIALLY AT THE TOP LEVEL, ARE THEY JUST THE WHEELS TURN IN AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO THESE THINGS BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE DONE ALL OF THIS WORK AND IT TRENDS WITH WHAT WE KNEW FROM THE CADETS AND YOU ALL ARE, YOU KNOW, A CITY ENTITY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HA JUSTIFIED AND VALID AND ALL THESE THINGS.

HOW DID IT LAND? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR MODULES IS THAT, UH, FOR OUR, FOR OUR EQUITY OFFICE TALKS ABOUT CRITICAL LOVE.

AND, UH, WE TALK ABOUT CRITICAL LOVE BECAUSE, UH, WE WOULD SAY, WE LOVE THE INSTITUTION.

WE LOVE THE WORK WE DO.

WE LOVE OUR MISSION SO MUCH THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE ABLE TO CRITIQUE IT HONESTLY.

AND, UH, FOR THEM, I WOULD TRULY, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO GET A CRITIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF OR HEAR TO HEAR A CRITIQUE ABOUT, UM, SOMETHING THAT YOU, UH, DEDICATED, YOU KNOW, YOUR TIME, YOUR COMMITMENT, YOUR PASSION, YOUR CAREER TO AND HEAR HOW IT'S, UH, AFFECTS OTHER PEOPLE.

AND I'LL BE HONEST TO TELL YOU THAT OUR INITIAL REACTIONS, I FEEL IT WAS A DEFENSIVENESS AND AS COMMUNITY TALKED ABOUT THE DEFENSIVENESS, WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFENSIVENESS TOO.

UM, BUT THAT'S THE WORK.

AND I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE STARTED REALLY TAUGHT NOT ONLY WITH APD, BUT ALL OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS ABOUT, UM, THE WORK IS REALLY SORT OF JUST BEING ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE DISCOMFORT THAT COMES FROM THE, THE FINDINGS.

AND THAT'S WHY WE DO IT, AND WE DO IT SO THAT WE CAN GET BETTER.

AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THEM, MY MESSAGE TO THEM IS TO REALLY, UM, IS TO REALLY SAY THAT IF WE CAN REALLY TACKLE THESE PROBLEMS, UM, IMAGINE HOW MUCH SORT OF STRONGER AND, UH, IMPACTFUL, UH, YOUR DEPARTMENT WILL BE, THE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY WILL IMPROVE.

YOU KNOW, I SAY DOING REALLY GOOD RACIAL EQUITY WORK REALLY IS SORT OF LIKE THE BEST GROWTH AND PERFORMANCE MODEL, RIGHT.

UM, EVEN THINK ABOUT LIKE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, YOU LOST LIKE ALMOST 50% OF YOUR BLACK CADETS.

AND IF WE TALK ABOUT HAVING AN ISSUE WITH STAFFING RIGHT NOW, IMAGINE IF WE COULD HAVE ACTUALLY GRADUATED THE DIFFERENCE OF THAT AND WHERE WE WOULD BE COMPARED TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.

AND SO, UH, IT'S MY HOPE THAT THEY TRULY, UM, YOU KNOW, OPEN UP SO THAT YOU CAN RECEIVE A CRITIQUE AND, UM, AND NOT TRY TO DISMISS IT.

I WILL SAY ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE DRAWBACKS OF THIS IS THAT, UM, I THINK FOR OUR REPORT, WE ONLY DID MAYBE TALK ABOUT TO EIGHT OR 10 CADETS AND, UM, THERE COULD BE A NEED FOR US

[00:45:01]

UM, BUT I THINK IF YOU COLLECTIVELY START TO PUT THEM TOGETHER, UM, IT IS A CONSISTENT NARRATIVE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S THERE, RIGHT? SO IF ANYTHING, UM, EMPHASIZE BEING ABLE TO GO DEEPER AND HEAR MORE AND GET MORE FEEDBACK, UM, AS IT RELATES TO, YOU KNOW, TO THIS, TO THIS AS WELL.

AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE LAST THING THAT I WAS SORT OF LEAVE WITH IS THAT, UM, FOR US, AS, AS WE SORT OF LOOK FORWARD, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, ESPECIALLY HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH, WITH THE NEXT CADET CLASS OR, OR WHATEVER THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR THE TRAINING ACADEMY, I THINK WE DO START TO HAVE A BODY OF WORK AND EVIDENCE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE SOME MUST HAVES SOME THINGS THAT HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY TO THEM THAT WE HAVE TO FIX BEFORE WE EVER MOVE FORWARD.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT THIS WAS ONE OF THE AREAS FOR ME.

I THINK THE EXPERIENCE OF BLACK CADETS IS LIKE A MUST HAVE FOR ME, YOU KNOW, TO BE SUBJECTED TO HIGHER RATES OF INJURY, THE LOWEST RATES OF GRADUATION SIGNIFICANTLY, RIGHT? LIKE ALMOST OVER 30 POINT DIFFERENCE.

UH, IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE A MUST HAVE FOR ME, I THINK, UM, THE LEVEL OF INJURIES WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REDUCE THAT.

CAUSE EVEN WITH THOSE INJURIES, I THINK WE LOSE GOOD PEOPLE WHO DON'T MAKE IT THROUGH.

AND THAT'S AN INEFFICIENT SYSTEM TO ME AS WELL.

SO I THINK FOR US COLLECTIVELY, IT'S LIKE, HOW DO WE REALLY IDENTIFY WHAT THE MUST HAVES ARE, UH, AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

AND SOME, SOME OF THOSE THINGS I SORT OF FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, SHOULDN'T BE NEGOTIABLE, RIGHT? WE SHOULD REALLY BE CLEAR THAT WE'D BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER ON SOME OF THESE AREAS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

AMANDA, BRIAN KELLY, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND WE ARE STILL THANKFUL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

UM, IT DOES HELP TO BUILD FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO SEE IN THE CITY AND WHERE WE CAN START TO TAKE ACTION.

SO I APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH YOU.

SO WE, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE INTO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS, UM, LET ME LOOK REALLY

[3. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

UM, WE WANT TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENTS, CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM.

COME GIVE US A PRESENTATION ON MORE OF THE PROCEDURES OF WHAT THEY DO.

UM, LIKE I SAID, IN THE BEGINNING, WE'RE WORKING ON OUR MENTAL HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO REALLY HEARING FROM THEM ON HOW THESE POLICIES ARE PUT INTO PRACTICE AND HOW THEY'RE INTERACTING WITH MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

WE'D LOVE TO GET MORE CONTEXT AND INSIGHT ON, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE TRAINING THAT WE HAD AS WE KIND OF ONBOARDED AS COMMISSIONERS, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING INTO, UM, REQUESTING A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HERMAN CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND CRISIS CARE.