Jul 06, 2021 Public Safety Commission

SO LET'S START WITH OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.

UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A STORY OF CARLOS LEON, IS THAT RIGHT? CHAIR? CARLOS IS ACTUALLY NOT ON THE LINE YET.

TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES SINCE THAT GENERALLY TAKES A QUICK AMOUNT OF TIME.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

WELL, I BELIEVE HE HAD, LET'S SEE, UM, I GUESS WE CAN MOVE

[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – June 7, 2021 3:20pm-3:25pm]

SO I WILL DIRECT THE COMMISSIONERS TO LOOK AT THE MINUTES OF THE JUNE 7TH, 2021 MEETING.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS.

I'M SEEING NOS FROM EVERYONE.

SO IN LIGHT OF NO COMMENTARY OR QUESTIONS, I'M GOING TO CALL THE MEETING MINUTES FROM LAST MONTH'S MEETING AS ACCEPTED.

UM, SHALL WE MOVE FORWARD OR DO WE HAVE MR. LEON ON THE LINE YET? CHAIR? I STILL DON'T SEE A NUMBER AT ALL.

SORRY.

NO, THANK YOU.

IT'S NOT, OBVIOUSLY NOT YOUR ISSUE.

THANK YOU THOUGH, FOR CHECKING.

UM, MS. JACKSON, SHOULD WE JUST CONTINUE ON WITH OUR AGENDA AND PUT IN MR. LEONE IF HE EVER COMES ONLINE? YES, I THINK WE'LL BE OKAY WITH DOING THAT.

I WAS CHECKING TO BE SURE WHAT'S 3 0 5.

YEAH, IT IS.

I'LL GIVE YOU THREE.

HOLD ON THE TECHNICAL GUIDE CHAIR.

WE HAVE AN EMBER NOW.

I'M LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS THE AB TICKETS CITY HALL.

MAY I ASK YOU IF I WENT TO 9, 7, 4? IS, ARE YOU TALKING TO ME? YES, SIR.

I WAS JUST TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE NUMBER.

CARLOS I'M CARLOS LIL, AND I'M A SPEAKER SIGNED UP FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING.

[00:05:01]

UM, MR. LEON, HI, THIS IS CHAIR GONZALEZ.

BEFORE YOU BEGAN.

I UNDERSTAND YOU'D HAVE TWO DIFFERENT POINTS YOU WANT TO MAKE.

WOULD YOU AGREE? ONE FOR ONE FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION AND ONE FOR ITEM TWO EIGHT.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPLIT THOSE INTO TWO DIFFERENT THREE MINUTES OR DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THEM ALTOGETHER? UM, I MEAN, AS WE ARE GOING TO, TO A RIGHT AFTER YOU SPEAK, THEN LET'S PUT IT AS SIX MINUTES STRAIGHT AND IN THIS WAY I CAN DO IT ALL AT ONCE.

HOW'S THAT SOUND GOOD? OKAY.

ALL

[Citizen Communications 3:05-3:20pm (from speakers signed up to speak)]

RIGHT.

YOU ARE WELCOME TO START WHENEVER YOU'D LIKE.

5, 5, 2 0.223 REQUIRES APD TO TREAT ALL REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION UNIFORMLY WITHOUT REGARD TO THE POSITION OF THE REQUESTER.

THANKS.

SO AT CARLOS LEON FIRST AND FOREMOST, BUT ALSO SAW THE ALERTS FOR LETTING ME EXPOSE AND COMBAT CONTINUING CAP.

METRO CRIMINALITY, A PUBLIC SAFETY THREAT AGAINST US ALL PER APD GENERAL OFFENSE REPORT 2 0 2 1 DASH 1 2 7 0 3 7 8 OLDER BLACK MALE CAP, METRO BUS DRIVER, DAVID R. HARRIS INTENTIONALLY MADE A DEATH THREAT AGAINST ME ON THE PUBLIC BUS.

HE WAS DRIVING EARLY MORNING, MAY 7TH, 2021 PER UNITED STATES V SOTO MARTINEZ A THREAT OF DEATH, MAYBE IN THE FORM OF A GESTURE, INCLUDING THE DRAWING OF ONE'S HAND ACROSS ONE'S OWN THROAT IN A SLASHING MOTION BECAUSE HARRIS THREAT OF BODILY HARM WAS IMMINENT.

I E IMPENDING HANGING THREATENINGLY OVER ONE'S HEAD.

HE VIOLATED TEXAS PENAL CODE 22.0 1-822-ILLEGALLY COVER HIS ASSAULT BY THREAT HARRIS LIED, TELLING THE COP HE MOTIONED WITH HIS RIGHT HAND FROM HIS CHEST AREA OUT, BUT NEVER MADE ANY THREATS OR MOTION TO ANY THREATS AGAINST ME, KNOWINGLY MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT MATERIAL TO A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, TO A PEACE OFFICER WITH INTENT TO DECEIVE VIOLATING TEXAS PENAL CODE 37.08 A ONE BECAUSE HARRIS COMMITTED BOTH CRIMES ON CAMERA.

I MADE A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST WITH CAP METRO FOR THE INCRIMINATING VIDEO EVIDENCE TO CONVICT HARRIS IN A COURT OF LAW, WHICH CAT METRO AMAZINGLY PROVIDED ME EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON.

IF THE VIDEO IS LEGIT, IT'S EVIDENCE CAT METRO'S NEW COMMUNITY ORIENTED IN-HOUSE POLICING MODEL LED BY CHIEF SAFETY.

OFFICER GARDNER TAYVON IS WORKING FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY BECAUSE A PREVIOUS PIR FOR VIDEO OF A DIFFERENT INCIDENT WITH A CAT METRO SECURITY OFFICER WAS NEVER FILLED BECAUSE THERE CAN BE NO PUBLIC SAFETY FOR ANYONE WITHOUT EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW FOR EVERYONE.

THIS TANGIBLE ARTIFACT APPEARS TO BE A FIRST STEP TOWARDS BUILDING REAL TRUST WITH THE PUBLIC.

HOWEVER, BECAUSE HARRIS IS STILL THE ONLY DRIVER ON THE WEEKDAY MORNING, 3 45 ROUTE.

I CANNOT WRITE IT THEN BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TRUST A DRIVER WHO THREATENED TO KILL YOU TO SAFELY TRANSPORT YOU.

IN FACT, HARRIS ADMITTED TO BEING A CRIMINAL ON-CAMERA MAY 7TH, THEREFORE FIRING HARRIS AND MAKING ALL CAT METRO BUS DRIVERS COMPLY WITH GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER 36 WOULD BE TRUST STEPS, TWO AND THREE TO REMOVE EVIL AND DEFEAT THE ILLEGAL FACE MASK, TYRANNY BULLYING, AND CONTROLLING PASSENGERS OF CAT.

THAT CAT METRO IS LEGALLY BOUND TO SERVE.

NOW I'M MOVING ON TO ITEM TWO, A FIRST AND FOREMOST.

GOOD.

ALSO I SAW THE OLS FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TO A P D REALITIES ITEM.

TWO A'S REPORT SHOULD ADDRESS AFTER I TOLD APD ABOUT HARRIS'S DEATH THREAT AGAINST ME AND OFFICER RESPONDED ON WITHIN 10 MINUTES, THAT OFFICER WHO DOES NOT CONTRACT WITH CAT METRO RESPECTFULLY AND PROFESSIONALLY HEARD, UNDERSTOOD AND HELPED ME OFFICIALLY SPEAKING WITH QUESTIONING AND I DEAN HARRIS WITH THE BODY CAM ON MY PIR FOR A COPY OF THAT VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM APD GENERATED A $32 PROCESSING FEE.

YET I WAS UNABLE TO PAY IN PERSON AT APD HEADQUARTERS DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS ON JUNE 25TH, BECAUSE THE BUILDING WAS STILL COVID-19 CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC THOUGH.

GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S MAY 18 EXECUTIVE ORDER 36 PREVENTS ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY OR OFFICIAL FROM REQUIRING ANYONE TO WEAR A FACIAL COVERING EMPLOYEE RODRIGUEZ TOLD ME THERE WAS NO WAY TO PAY IN PERSON THOUGH.

TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 6 5 8 0.0058 SAYS NORMAL OFFICE HOURS OF A STATE AGENCY ARE EIGHT TO FIVE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY TO RECEIVE VISITORS AND TRANSACT BUSINESS AND SAID CODE

[00:10:01]

NOT ONLY DOES MY INVOICE SAY, QUOTE, IF YOU AGREE TO ACCEPT THESE CHARGES, YOU MAY BRING A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PAYABLE.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO OUR OFFICE AT SEVEN 15 EAST EIGHTH STREET, BUT APDS PUBLIC RECORDS WEBSITE SAYS IN MULTIPLE PLACES I CAN PAY IN PERSON AFTER COMMUNICATING ALL THIS IN WRITING TO APD.

I WAS THEN GIVEN A LIMITED TIMEFRAME ON TWO WEEKDAYS TO PAY IN PERSON.

IF I SAID AHEAD OF TIME, WHEN I'D BE THERE, THOUGH, THAT HELPS THE BOTTOM LINE IS REOPEN APD HEADQUARTERS FULL-TIME TO THE IN-PERSON PUBLIC.

THEY SERVE LIKE THE OFFICER OF THE GOVERNOR HAS TO ACCOMMODATE US NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

RODRIGUEZ TOLD ME TO SPEAK TO THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY COUNCIL ABOUT THIS IMPLYING.

THEY DECIDE WHEN THAT BUILDING OPENS NOT INTERIM CHIEF TO CONE.

AND THESE BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETINGS NEED TO AGAIN BE IN PERSON SO I CAN LOOK Y'ALL IN THE EYE.

WHEN I ADDRESS YOU IN REAL TIME AND SPACE, THEREFORE TELL PUBLIC SERVANTS, APD CITY COUNCIL, AND THE CITY MANAGER TO GET HER DONE.

NOW ASK APD TO SPEAK TO THESE ISSUES DURING ITEM TWO, A DISCUSSION IN JESUS' NAME.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONSTITUTIONAL LAW TRUTH AND ABOVE ALL COMO CM.

PRAY.

GOD'S WORD ABOUT, THANK YOU, MR. LEONE.

SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS, QUARTERLY REPORT, CHIEF GAY.

NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR PUBLIC

[2.a. Public Safety Organizations Quarterly Report – Austin Police Department (sponsors: Commissioner Hausenfluck and Gonzales) 3:25pm-3:40pm Speaker(s): -Troy Gay, Chief of Staff, Austin Police Department]

ARE YOU WITH US? THERE YOU ARE.

HELLO COMMISSIONERS.

HOW ARE YOU? THIS IS A CHIEF TROY GATES' CHIEF OF STAFF WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

I HOPE EACH OF YOU HAD A WONDERFUL 4TH OF JULY.

UM, IS SOMEONE GOING TO PULL THE POWERPOINT UP POTENTIALLY? YES, SIR.

IT'S COMING.

UH, THE, UH, TOTAL CALLS RESPONDED TO ARE SLIGHTLY, UH, INCREASING, UH, BUT, UH, WE ARE, AS WE SAY, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN, I'LL GO OVER OUR STAFFING HERE IN A MINUTE, UH, WHICH IS HAVING AN IMPACT ON OUR RESPONSE TIMES.

UH, JUST REAL QUICKLY, I'LL BE GOING OVER, UH, THE CRIME STATS JUST BRIEFLY, OUR RESPONSE TIMES, UH, OUR OVERTIME BUDGET AND STAFFING.

UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

THIS IS JUST OUR CHIEF'S MONTHLY REPORT, WHICH IS ON OUR WEBSITE, WHICH I JUST WANTED TO GO OVER BRIEFLY, AS YOU CAN SEE OUR CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS IS THAT WE ARE, UH, DOWN 2% FOR THE YEAR AT THIS, UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, SLIGHTLY TWO AREAS THAT WE ARE UP IN OUR MURDERS, UH, 79% AND OUR, UH, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, UH, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT 15%.

THOSE, THOSE ARE TWO THAT ARE DRIVING THE VIOLENT CRIME NUMBERS, BUT OVERALL WE ARE DOWN A YEAR TODAY.

WE WANT TO GO TO THE PERSON'S NEXT SLIDE.

WHEN WE GO TO A PROPERTY, WHICH DOES INCLUDE ROBBERY AT THIS POINT, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE DOWN 10% IN THE MONTH AND 1% OVERALL FOR THE YEAR.

UM, SO WE'RE STILL, UH, MAINTAINING THE LARGE NUMBERS ARE MAINLY IN THE, UH, THE BURGLARY NUMBERS, WHICH, UH, ARE A 4%, BUT WE DO HAVE LARGE NUMBERS OF, OF THOSE SPECIFIC CATEGORIES.

UM, NEXT PLEASE SLIDE.

UH, THIS IS OUR CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY.

UM, THE ONE IS OUR WEAPONS LAW VIOLATIONS, AS WE MENTIONED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, UM, UH, CRIMES INVOLVING WEAPONS ARE ON THE INCREASE AND HERE'S WHERE YOU CAN JUST SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN OUR WEAPONS, UH, VIOLATIONS.

BUT OVERALL WE'RE DOING WELL FOR THE YEAR AT A NEGATIVE, UH, 37%.

UH, WE'LL MOVE TO RESPONSE TIMES.

UH, THIS WAS JUST GIVING YOU FOR OUR QUARTER THREE FOR THIS YEAR ARE URGENT, WHICH IS OUR PS ZERO ON EMERGENCY CALLS B ONE.

UH, WE HAVE A TARGET OF EIGHT MINUTES AND 24 SECONDS, AS YOU CAN SEE IN APRIL.

AND WE WERE ABOVE THAT ALMOST TWO MINUTES.

AND IN JUNE WE DID COME DOWN TO NINE MINUTES AND 46 STILL ABOVE OUR TARGET.

[00:15:01]

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

UH, THIS IS JUST ABOUT OUR CALL VOLUMES AND RESPONSE TIMES, UH, PER COUNCIL DISTRICT.

UH, IF ANYONE DOESN'T HAVE A QUESTION WE'LL MOVE TO OVERTIME, BUT I'LL, I'LL PAUSE FOR A SEC.

IF WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, OUR NEXT SLIDE IS OUR OVERTIME BUDGET, UH, THIS YEAR AND, UH, FYI 21, WE WERE REDUCED TO THE 3.5 MILLION.

UH, CURRENTLY OUR OVERTIME EXPENDITURES ARE ABOUT 7.1.

UH, WE NORMALLY, UH, EACH AND EVERY YEAR WE'RE WELL ABOVE A 10 MILLION EACH YEAR ON OUR OVERTIME, BUT THAT IS WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY AT.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND, UH, OF COURSE WE ARE AUTHORIZED THE 1809, EXCUSE ME, GO AHEAD.

UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY AUTHORIZED 1809.

UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 148 VACANCIES.

UH, WE DID START THE 140 FOURTH CADET CLASS WITH A HUNDRED CADETS ON JUNE 7TH.

AND THAT IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, GAY? THIS IS, UH, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

YES.

UM, SO I REMEMBER THE LAST TIME, UH, YOU DID A PRESENTATION.

I ASKED ABOUT, UH, CLEARANCE RATES AND IF WE COULD ADD THOSE TO YOUR PRESENTATIONS, UM, AND I'M NOTICING THEY'RE NOT THERE.

I APOLOGIZE.

MA'AM I WILL, UH, I WILL GET THOSE TO YOU AND I WILL MAKE SURE MS. JACKSON EMAILS THOSE OUT AND WE'LL BE INCLUDING THEM NEXT TIME.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

AND I'M ALSO CURIOUS OF THE 100 CADETS THAT STARTED, UM, THE, UH, JUNE 7TH, UH, PROGRAM.

HOW MANY ARE STILL, UM, IN HOW MANY ARE STILL TRAINING? I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AROUND 97, THE LAST TIME I KNEW A PROBLEM.

CHIEF JAY, JOHN CAROL COUGH.

REBECCA ASKED THE FIRST FLOOR THAT I HAD ABOUT ORAL MONTH INTO THAT ACADEMY, BUT BEING 148 SHORE.

UH, DO YOU RUN CONCURRENT ACADEMIES? IS THERE ANOTHER ACADEMY THAT IS IN THE WORKS? UM, IN THE PAST WE HAVE RUN CONCURRENT CLASS IN CLASSES.

UH, CURRENTLY WE'VE ONLY GOT THE AUTHORIZATION TO RUN THIS, UH, RE-IMAGINED PILOT CADET CLASS.

UH, SO WE WILL NOT BE STARTING ANOTHER CLASS, UH, AS OF NOW UNTIL THE END OF THIS ACADEMY, WHICH IS IN FEBRUARY OF, UH, 23.

WELL, I KNOW YOU STILL HAVE RETIREMENTS AND PEOPLE LEAVING THE DEPARTMENT.

SO THAT 1 48 I THINK IS GOING TO INCREASE AND, UH, THE 197 IN THIS CURRENT, UH, ACADEMY, AREN'T GONNA FILL, UH, TAKE UP THE SLACK.

SO, UM, THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS I HAD.

WHEN WE HAVE LAST MET EIGHT MINUTES AND 24 SECONDS.

NO PROBLEM, SIR, CHIEF JAY, WILL YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE CITYWIDE AVERAGE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIME FOR THE QUARTER? I'LL HAVE TO GO THAT'S IT RIGHT.

THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, THE ONE BEFORE, ONE MORE BACK ON, MORE BACK.

THERE WE GO.

SO WHEN WAS THE LAST QUARTER THAT APD MET THE CITY-WIDE TARGET? UH, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND SEE WHEN THE LAST TIME WE'VE MET THE, THE, THE ACTUAL TARGET, BUT IT'S BEEN WELL OVER A YEAR, I BELIEVE.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK RIGHT NOW IN AUSTIN ABOUT HOW MUCH FUNDING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GETTING AND, UH, WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY MEANS.

UM, I'M JUST WONDERING WHETHER THERE'S ANY TRENDS WITH THE RESPONSE TIME HERE.

THIS IS, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE, SO I'M JUST HOPING YOU COULD PUT IT MORE IN CONTEXT IS, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, 10 MINUTES AND 13 SECONDS, WAY MORE THAN IT'S BEEN.

AND THEN I AM REALLY PARTICULARLY INTERESTED TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU ABOUT, UM, IF YOU COULD GET THAT INFORMATION DURING THE MEETING

[00:20:02]

I WILL, UH, I WILL GO THROUGH MY EMAILS.

I KNOW I HAVE THE INFORMATION AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.

I DO KNOW THAT CHIEF TACAN HAS BEEN MEETING WITH ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND HAVE PROVIDED OUR TARGETS, UH, AND WHAT THE STAFFING NEED WOULD, UH, WOULD BE TO, IN ORDER TO MEET THOSE TARGETS.

SO I'LL, I'LL, UH, I'LL GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU.

THANKS CHEAP.

SO COMMISSIONERS, I'M JUST, I'M BRINGING THIS UP BECAUSE STAFFING IS NOT THE ANSWER TO RESPONSE TIMES AND TO MAKE A ONE-TO-ONE COMPARISON, IT'S VERY MISLEADING.

AND SO I REALLY THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS SLIDE, IT NEEDS CONTEXT.

WE NEED TO KNOW WHETHER RESPONSE TIMES HAVE BEEN UP TO ALMOST TWO MINUTES OVER THE TARGET AS THEY WERE IN MAY, THEN THE WHOLE DEFUND POLICE CONVERSATION RE-IMAGINE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, STARTED, OR WHETHER IT PREDATES THAT.

AND, UH, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING SHE TO LET US KNOW WHEN IT WAS LAST MET, BECAUSE IF IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR, WHILE HAS IT BEEN TWO YEARS, HAS IT BEEN THREE YEARS? IS THE CITY WIDE TARGET, YOU KNOW, EVER MEET A BUBBLE, BUT I THINK WE NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.

AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT STAFFING IS NOT THE ANSWER COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ.

I'VE JUST, UM, TO HIT THAT POINT HOME A LITTLE BIT MORE.

I KNOW THAT THE 1 48 IN VACANCIES FEEL STUNNING, BUT YOU KNOW, GOING BACK, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY LOWER.

UH, THE VACANCY RATE IS, IS ACTUALLY A LOT LOWER THAN IT HAS BEEN.

UM, HISTORICALLY EVEN, UM, JUST IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN ON THE SAFETY COMMISSION, BUT I KNOW THAT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S, IT'S BEEN HIGHER AT POINTS.

UM, BEEN FOLLOWING POLICE REPORTS FOR A REALLY LONG TIME IN THIS WHOLE, UM, THE, THE, THE, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POLICE OFFICERS IS SOMETHING THAT IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT'S THAT GOES BACK VARIOUS POLICE CHIEFS.

AND SO I JUST WANTED, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE OUT LOUD, BUT THAT THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES IS ACTUALLY LOWER RIGHT NOW THAN IT HAS BEEN IN EVEN JUST MORE RECENT MONTHS.

I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP FOR THAT, UM, FOR CHIEF GAY.

UM, WILL YOU REMIND US, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, THE CHIEF SETS THE CITYWIDE TARGET.

WILL YOU REMIND US HOW THAT NUMBER HAS COME UP WITH AS WELL AS HOW LONG THAT'S BEEN THE TARGET, FIRST OF ALL, AND THEN SECOND OF ALL KIND OF ADDRESSING WHAT THE OTHER TWO COMMISSIONERS WERE SPEAKING UP.

DO YOU FEEL THAT THIS INTERPERSONAL OPINION IS A STAFFING ISSUE, OR DO YOU SEE OTHER ITEMS IN THERE THAT'S CAUSING THE DELAY IN RESPONSE TIMES? WELL, SPECIFICALLY I AM TRYING TO FIND THE EXACT POWERPOINT.

IT MIGHT TAKE ME A FEW MINUTES TO FIND IT, UH, THAT, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO, WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS, HAVE MEET A PARTICULAR METRIC TO, UH, MEET OUR TARGETS.

OUR TARGETS ARE SHIFTED.

UH, EVERY YEAR WE, WE TAKE THE FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE AND TRY TO, TO, TO MEET THAT PARTICULAR GOAL.

UH, THEY ARE HIGHER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST.

I, IN MY OPINION, I DO THINK THAT THERE IS, IS A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN OUR RESPONSE TIME, UM, UH, AND THE STAFFING THAT WE HAVE, UH, WE RECENTLY JUST PUSHED BACK, UH, UH, OVER, UM, I, I BELIEVE ALMOST 40 OFFICERS BACK TO THE STREET.

THAT'S WHEN WE SUSPENDED SOME UNITS.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT FROM MAY TO JUNE, THE RESPONSE TIMES WENT DOWN.

WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO PUSH BACK SOME ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL TO PATROL, TO HANDLE SOME OF THOSE VACANCIES.

SO WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU WILL, AGAIN, IN OUR NEXT REPORT, YOU'LL SEE THE RESPONSE TIME, UH, WILL IMPROVE BECAUSE WE ARE PUSHING PEOPLE BACK TO PATROL TO MAKE SURE IT'S ADEQUATELY STAFFED.

COUGH.

I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, AS A NEW MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, AND OTHERS MAY KNOW THIS WHAT'S A PRIORITY ZERO, A PRIORITY, ZERO ARE CALLS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS.

THEY'RE VIOLENT CRIMES THAT ARE OCCURRING IN PROGRESS, LIKE A GRAPE IN PROGRESS OR A, UH, A AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IN PROGRESS THAT IS, IS ACTIVELY OCCURRING.

AND I, AND I CAN ACTUALLY SEND, UH, THROUGH MS. JACKSON, I CAN SEND THE PRIORITY UH ZERO'S AND ONE'S BROKEN

[00:25:01]

DOWN.

SO THE COMMISSION WILL UNDERSTAND THE TWO DIFFERENT, UH, RESPONSE CALLS.

AND IF, IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE ME ALL OF THE PRIORITIES ZERO THROUGH THREE, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE DEFINITION OF THOSE.

ABSOLUTELY, SIR.

I, I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT, UM, I THINK THERE WAS MORE CONVERSATION AND I MIGHT'VE MISSED IT ABOUT KIND OF, UM, OFFICER INITIATED CALLS THAT BEING LIKE 30% OF CALLS AND WONDERING IF THERE IS, YOU KNOW, ATTENTION BEING PAID TO HOW MUCH TIME IS ACTUALLY BEING SPENT, UM, DOING STUFF NOBODY CALLED POLICE TO DO VERSUS, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE HIGH PRIORITY CALLS.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF TIME THAT PLEASE SAY SPENDING DOING THINGS THAT, UM, MAYBE MAY NOT BE AS NECESSARY AS, AS THESE KINDS OF PRIORITY 1, 2, 3 CALLS.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHERE THAT CONVERSATION IS.

UH, WE DO, UH, LOOK AT OUR SELF INITIATED CALLS.

SO JUST RECOGNIZING THAT OUR ASSIST SELF-INITIATED CALLS ARE ALSO CALLS TO WHERE A OFFICER MAY WITNESS A, UH, VIOLATION OF THE LAW, UH, IN HIS PRESENCE.

SO THERE MAY BE TRAFFIC THAT MAY BE OTHER TYPES OF OFFENSES THAT OCCURRED.

SO JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS TITLED SELF-INITIATED DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT AN OFFICER NEEDS TO IMMEDIATELY ACT UPON, BUT YES, WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO OUR SELF-INITIATED CALLS.

I DO KNOW THAT OUR TRAFFIC STOPS, WHICH ARE IN THE CATEGORY OF SELF-INITIATED CALLS HAVE BEEN REDUCED THIS LAST YEAR BY, UH, OVER 49% THIS YEAR.

AND I DO WONDER ABOUT THAT.

I THINK THERE IS, I WAS LOOKING AT ONE OF THE GRANTS, UM, AND JUST THINKING ABOUT REPORTING FOR GRANTS THAT REQUIRES, YOU KNOW, 20, EVERY, EVERY 20 MINUTES CONTACT OR SOME KIND OF CONTACT WITH PEOPLE, UM, AND DOING TRAFFIC STOPS, RIGHT? WHETHER THAT'S A TICKET OR NOT, THERE'S ALMOST LIKE INCENTIVIZING, UM, OFFICER INITIATED, UM, CALLS AND, YOU KNOW, SO I, I RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF IT IS ABOUT HOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS FUNDED, BUT TO ME, THIS GETS BACK TO LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE NOT RESPONDING TO CALLS AS READILY AS WE SHOULD BE YET.

THEY'RE HAVING, THEY'RE BEING PUSHED TO MAINTAIN CONTACT EVERY 20 MINUTES.

UM, SO I, I DON'T KNOW.

SO I DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE THAT'S A BIGGER CONVERSATION.

I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT, UM, UH, INITIATED BY SOMEONE IN CRISIS DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT SOMETHING POLICE SHOULD BE DOING AND HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? LIKE, HOW DOES, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE WE ABLE TO LET GO OF SOME OF THOSE OFFICER INITIATED ISSUES, UM, IN ORDER TO INCREASE OUR CALL TIMES TO, UM, PRIORITY ONE, ONE ISSUES.

SO JUST TO QUICKLY, I KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING BEYOND THE CONVERSATION TODAY, BUT IN REFERENCE TO YOUR SPECIFIC ABOUT, UH, INTERACTION EVERY 20 MINUTES, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, UH, MANDATORY FOR OUR PATROL OFFICERS.

YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT A STEP GRANT THAT IS FEDERALLY FUNDED, AND IT IS, UH, FOR OVERTIME OFFICERS THAT IS NOT INCLUDED, UH, IN THE, THE COVID RESPONSE OR THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THAT IS STRICTLY AN OVERTIME ASSIGNMENT IN REFERENCE TO OUR OFFICERS THAT ARE ON THE STREET ARE PRIORITY ONE CALLS AND PRIORITIES.

ZERO TALL CALLS ARE A PRIORITY, AND IF THEY ARE ON A TRAFFIC STOP, MOST OF OUR OFFICER'S SERVERS WILL BREAK LOOSE AND GO TO THAT PRIORITY ZERO PER A PRIORITY ONE CALL IF THEY CAN.

SO JUST, JUST BECAUSE YOU USE THAT ONE EXAMPLE, THAT THAT IS NOT A METRIC THAT IS USED FOR OUR PATROL OFFICERS, AND I WILL FIND THAT INFORMATION COMMISSIONER WEBBER, UH, AND THEN I WILL, I, UH, HAVE THAT BY THE END OF THE, UH, OF THE MEETING, HOPEFULLY.

AND IF I DON'T HAVE TIME, I WILL PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO, UH, THE COMMISSION CHAIR.

A RED LIGHT VIOLATION VIA SELF-INITIATED CALL.

JUST, YEAH, JUST ONE MORE TIME.

IT WOULD BE

[00:30:04]

JUST ONE MORE CLARIFICATION CHAIR.

SO IT IS IT'S 100% THE OFFICER'S DISCRETION WHETHER TO BREAK AWAY FROM A TRAFFIC STOP TO YOUR PRIORITY CALL.

WELL, IF THEY'RE, IF IT'S JUST A TRAFFIC STOP, THEN YES, THE OFFICERS HAVE THE DISCRETION, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT MOST OF THEM, UNLESS THERE IS A PARTICULAR CRIMINAL VIOLATION THAT THEY CANNOT BREAK AWAY FROM A TRAFFIC STOP TURNS INTO OTHER THINGS.

SO UNFORTUNATELY IT'S, IT'S BASED ON THE CIRCUMSTANCE.

SO WE CAN'T GIVE ONE ANSWER, UM, TO EVERY PARTICULAR TRAFFIC STOP.

ARE THERE GUIDELINES OR TRAINS ON THIS? SO I'M, I'M THINKING ABOUT HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION WHERE SOMEONE IS DOING A CONSENT SEARCH.

UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE GUIDANCE TO PATROL OFFICERS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN GOING TO THE PRIORITY CALL? IF, IF THERE WAS A BASIC CONSENT SEARCH WHERE YOU DID NOT FEEL THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR VIOLATION OCCURRING, THEN THOSE OFFICERS WOULD NEED TO, UH, BREAK FREE AND ANSWER THAT PRIORITY ZERO PRIORITY ONE CALL, AND WHAT IS A MAJOR OFFENSE IN THAT SITUATION? LIKE COULD BE AN, UH, AN OFFENSE, AN OFFENSE WITH A WEAPON IN THE CAR.

IF I SAW A WEAPON IN THE CAR THAT I WOULD EXPECT THAT THAT OFFICER WOULD GO AHEAD AND INVESTIGATE TO FIGURE OUT IF THAT WAS, UH, UH, ILLEGAL FIREARM, THAT WAS POSSESSED BECAUSE AS WE'RE POINTING OUT WITH OUR HOMICIDES OR AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS AND OTHER THINGS IS THAT, UH, WEAPONS VIOLATIONS, UH, TURN INTO, UH, OTHER MORE CRITICAL VIOLATIONS.

SO IT JUST DEPENDS.

I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN ANSWER FOR EVERY TYPE OF PARTICULAR VIOLATION, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M GETTING AT DRUGS IS THAT MAJOR.

NO, IT IS NOT OKAY.

AND THAT IS WHAT IS TAUGHT.

AND THAT IS THE POLICY.

IT IS NOT THE POLICY, AS I SAID, IS THAT WE ARE, WE ALLOW OFFICERS SOME DISCRETION.

UH, BUT YES, IS THAT, THAT IS THE GUIDANCES THAT ARE PRIORITY ZERO AND PRIORITY.

ONE CALLS ARE, UH, ARE OUR PRIORITY AS, AS OUR DEPARTMENT.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, RIGHT? THANK YOU, CHIEF GAY.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON TO ADD INTO YOUR NEXT REPORT.

THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.

OF PROP B CALL BY COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT AND WILSON'S BOOK.

UM, NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE, UH, PANEL ON THE IMPLEMENTATION

[2.b. Implementation of Proposition B ordinances (sponsors: Commissioner Bernhardt and Hausenfluck) 3:40pm -4:25pm Speaker(s): -Bill Brice, Downtown Austin Alliance -Troy Gay, Chief of Staff, Austin Police Department -Lawrence Davis, Lieutenant, Austin Police Department -Rob Vires, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire Department -Brandon Wade, Assistant Chief, Austin Fire Department -Jasper Brown, Chief of Staff, ATCEMS (Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services)]

AND I WANTED TO ADD THAT THERE WILL ALSO BE A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WORKS WITH HOMELESSNESS AND PEOPLE AFFECTED BY HOMELESSNESS, WHO WILL, SHOULD BE ON THE PANEL AS WELL.

SO, UH, MR. BRYCE, G GAY, UH, LIEUTENANT DAVIS, CHIEF BUYERS, ASSISTANT CHIEF WADE, AND SHE BROWN, IF YOU GUYS CAN ALL COME ON VIDEO WITH US AND, UH, DO WE HAVE MR. JOSEPH ON THE LINE AS WELL? AND DID WE HAVE ANYONE CALL IN THAT WE HAVEN'T CONNECTED YET SHARE? THERE'S NO ONE CALLED IN RIGHT NOW.

INVESTOR RELATIONS WITH DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.

CHAIR, I MAY HAVE HEARD THAT, UH, THIS ITEM STARTED AT THREE 40, SO SHE MAY BE, UH, THINKING IT'S STARTING IN A LITTLE BIT.

I THINK WE COULD START IT AND, UH, HAVE HER POP IN.

SO, UM, COMMISSIONER BARNHART, WHILE YOUR MIC IS OPEN, DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THIS OR SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE GET STARTED? SURE THING.

UM, SO, UH, I, I THINK THAT WE ON THE COMMISSION ARE REALLY INTERESTED AND, UM, AND I THINK A BIT CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSITION B, UM, MIGHT BE GOING, UM, OR SORT OF HOW IT'S HAPPENING.

UM, AND, UH, AND WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE GROUND, WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGES THERE ARE.

UM, AND, UH, AND WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE ON, UH, THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY OF THE CHANGES IN THE LAW.

UM, SO I THINK WE CAN START FROM THERE.

WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

UM, MR. BRYCE, YOU ARE FIRST ON MY LIST.

SO DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND KICK US OFF? SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UH, BILL BRYCE, VICE PRESIDENT

[00:35:01]

UM, OUR ORGANIZATION DOES NOT HAVE A DIRECT ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING ORDINANCES, BUT I, I, I DID WANT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT BY SHOWING THE, UH, SLIDE THAT'S ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW.

UH, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE BEGAN IN MAY DOING MONTHLY COUNTS AT NIGHT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE DOWNTOWN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.

AND SO ON BOTH OF THE MAPS THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, THE BRIGHT RED LINE IS THE BOUNDARY OF THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND OUR AMBASSADORS.

AND SOME OF OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE GOING OUT NOW ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

THE THIRD THURSDAY OF THE MONTH, BETWEEN THREE AND 6:00 AM, SIMPLY COUNTING PEOPLE.

IT'S NOT LIKE THE ECHO ANNUAL COUNT WHERE PEOPLE ARE BEING INTERVIEWED AND ASKED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.

IT'S SIMPLY TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE UNSHELTERED, HOW MANY TENTS THERE ARE, OR OTHER STRUCTURES THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE LIVING IN, AND HOW MANY VEHICLES WE PERCEIVE PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN WITHIN THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.

SO THE NUMBERS YOU SEE AT THE TOP BASICALLY REFLECT THAT ON JUNE 17, WE ESTIMATE A TOTAL OF 808 PEOPLE COUNTED UNSHELTERED DOWNTOWN.

THAT INCLUDES 436 INDIVIDUALS THAT LITERALLY WERE COUNTED, NOT INSIDE A TENT, A STRUCTURE OR A CAR.

AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU HAVE THE NUMBER OF TENTS OR STRUCTURES COUNTED AT 3 37 AND THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES AT 38 AND SO APART.

UH, SO BASICALLY, UM, UH, APARTMENT HAD MISSPOKE TO THE COLUMN 300, 436, 203 TENTS OR STRUCTURES, THE 20 VEHICLES, UM, USING FACTORS THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE USED.

WE ESTIMATE THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS 1.6 PEOPLE PROTECT 1.7, FIVE PEOPLE PER VEHICLE.

AND SO BASED ON THAT CALCULATION, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF, UH, OF AN ESTIMATE ESTIMATED 808 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN DOWNTOWN THAT DROPS SLIGHTLY FROM AN ESTIMATE OF EIGHT 13 IN MAY.

BUT AGAIN, BASED OFF THE VARIABLES IN TERMS OF THE FACTORING FOR TENSOR STRUCTURE TO VEHICLES, THERE'S THERE, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM FOR ERROR THERE.

SO AGAIN, JUST TO PROVIDE SOME PERSPECTIVE ON WHERE PEOPLE ARE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN DOWNTOWN, AND, UM, THEN WHETHER THEY'RE JUST COMPLETELY UNSHELTERED IN ANY WAY, UH, OR UNSHELTERED STAYING IN A, IN A, IN A STRUCTURE OF SOME SORT OR A TENT, OR PERHAPS, UH, A CAR OR OTHER TIMES.

THANK YOU, MR. MARQUEZ, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION FOR MR. BRICE OR WE CAN ACTUALLY SAVE THOSE TO THE END, LET EVERYONE SPEAK.

UM, AND THEN WE CAN DO OUR QUESTIONS TOGETHER THAT WORK.

THANK YOU, MR. BRYCE, CHIEF GAY.

UM, DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH THOSE, OR ARE YOU LEAVING THAT FOR, UH, LIEUTENANT DAVIS? WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE IT.

I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO LET LIEUTENANT DAVIS, UH, HE IS, UH, NOW, UH, OUR COMMUNITY LIAISON LIEUTENANT ON THE FIFTH FLOOR WITH THE CHIEFS AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HIM ON BOARD AND, UH, LET HIM TALK ABOUT THIS PLAN THAT WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER.

SO THANK YOU.

AWESOME.

UM, CAN YOU GUYS GIVE ME CONTROL OVER THIS SHARE SCREEN OR DO YOU GUYS CONTROL IT? THIS IS DAVEY TECH.

I CAN GIVE YOU A CONTROL FOR SURE.

UH, THIS IS, UH, MR. DAVIS.

THERE YOU GO.

HERE.

WE CAN SEE YOUR SCREEN.

I'M GOING TO LET ME JUST AWESOME.

USED TO HEARING THE RPM OR RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.

SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME.

I'M JUST DELIGHTED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.

ANYTIME I CAN TALK ABOUT OUR RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, I JUST GET A LITTLE BIT EXCITED.

SO, UM, I THINK IT'S TRULY IMPORTANT THAT, UM, I KIND OF FRAME, UM, HOW ARE WE ARRIVED AT WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE RPM PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, BECAUSE IT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND, UM, THE, THE, UM, HOW, WHY WE'RE BEING FLUID AND FLEXIBLE.

AND I'LL ALSO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO.

SO JUST A LITTLE BIT, UM, WHEN WE'RE, AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO GET

[00:40:01]

THE ONE THING THAT WE DID IS WE RECOGNIZE THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ISSUE.

AND WHEN I SAY COMPLICATED, WE TALK, UH, AND POLICE ACADEMIA.

AND IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE, I APOLOGIZE.

I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO FRAME THE, UH, THE RESPONSE.

UM, AND PLEASE ACADEMICS.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY OF A PROBLEM, THE FIRST THING WE LOOK AT IS, IS IT A MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL MULTI-AGENCY OR A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY DISCIPLINARY PROBLEM? AND THIS CERTAINLY IS.

AND THEN THE NEXT THING WE LOOK, LOOK AT IS, IS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO INVOLVE COMMUNITY EFFORTS AND A PRIVATE INDUSTRY AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL INDUSTRY, AND QUITE FRANKLY, COMMUNITY SUPPORT, NOT AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.

AND THIS IS, AND THEN WE START LOOKING AT, IS THIS GOING TO HAVE A CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, ECONOMIC IMPACTS AND PROPERTY CONSERVATION AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN, THIS WILL, AND THEN WE START THINKING IN TERMS OF, ARE WE ARE, UM, ARE WE IN A RESOURCE RICH ENVIRONMENT, WHETHER IT BE, UH, MONETARY ENVIRONMENT, UH, WHETHER IT BE, UM, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES.

AND THEN WE START THINKING OF COMPLEXITIES AS IS THIS GOING TO END, UH, EXTEND BEYOND MULTI OPERATIONAL PERIODS? IS THIS ONE FIXED WHERE WE CAN SEND OFFICERS OUT AND THEY CAN RESOLVE IT, OR IS THIS GOING TO EXTEND OVER MULTIPLE OPERATIONAL PERIODS? AND THEN WE, UM, WE, UH, CONSIDER IS THIS GOING TO REQUIRE SENSITIVITY? AND WHETHER IT BE MEDIA OPTICS OR JUST PEOPLE OPTICS.

AND THEN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CONSIDER IS IS THIS GOING TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF HUMAN BEINGS? AND THERE CERTAINLY IS.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE BEGAN WITH, UM, UM, CO UM, DETERMINING HOW WE WANT IT, THIS OPERATION TO LOOK WHAT, WHAT WE WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE AND HOW WE WANTED TO, HOW TO PLAY OUT.

SO REAL QUICK ON OUR, I JUST WANT TO GO OVER A QUICK, OUR MISSION AND OBJECTIVES.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR PHASED APPROACH, AND THEN I WANT TO KIND OF LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE, UM, INEXPERIENCED AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACING.

UM, SO MISSION WAS REAL, WAS SIMPLE.

WE WAS WANTING TO ESTABLISH A COORDINATED AND CONSISTENT PROCEDURE TO RESPOND TO HOMELESS.

WE FELT LIKE THIS WOULD NOT ONLY KEEP OFFICERS FATE, BUT IT WILL HELP KEEP THE PUBLIC INFORMED.

AND IT WOULD ENSURE A FRAMEWORK OF ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT MOST IMPORTANT.

UM, WE WANTED A PATHWAY TO SUCCESS, UH, TO SHOW A PATHWAY TO SUCCESS.

AND THEN THE SECOND THING WE WANT OUR OBJECTIVE IS WE WANT TO DO THIS.

WE WANT TO DO IT SAFELY.

WE WANT TO DO IT HUMANELY, AND WE WANT TO PRESERVE PEOPLE'S DIGNITY AND RESPECT, BUT WE ALSO WANT IT TO, UH, PROMOTE VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.

UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, HOMELESSNESS DOESN'T REPRESENT A DIGNIFIED FORM OF SHELTER, BUT WITH A PASSAGE OF PROP B, WE, WE KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ENFORCING THE EXPRESS WILL OF THE PEOPLE AND THE, AT A VULNERABLE POPULATION, WE KNEW THERE WAS GOING TO BE A CAREFUL BALANCING OF ALL HUMAN INTERESTS AND SO ARRIVED AT WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST RESPONSIBLE WAY TO, UM, TO IMPLEMENT PROPERTY.

AND, UH, WE, WE BEGAN WITH PHASE ONE AND WE BEGAN WITH JUST EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND REAL QUICK, THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH COMPONENTS.

WE WANTED TO A EXPLAIN, UH, WHAT PROP B IS, UM, HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR VULNERABLE POPULATION, UM, WHAT THE, THOSE IMPACTED CAN EXPECT FROM APD.

AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IS TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY OR RESPECT, YOU CAN EXPECT TO A REASONABLE, UM, TIME FOR COMPLIANCE.

YOU CAN EXPECT, UM, UM, UH, UH, PROGRESSIVE ENFORCEMENT AND, AND YOU CAN EXPECT TO HAVE A, SOME RESOURCE PLACED IN YOUR HAND.

SO WE CREATED OUR OWN RESOURCE MATERIAL WHEN WE CONSULTED WITH THE EXPERTS, OF COURSE, UH, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPES OF INFORMATION WE'D BE DISTRIBUTED.

SO THAT WAS THE EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PHASE.

DURING THAT FEED PHASE, THERE WERE NO WARNINGS WRITTEN OR NO CITATIONS WRITTEN, AND WE DIDN'T ENCOUNTER, YOU KNOW, TO BE QUITE FRANK.

WE DIDN'T ENCOUNTER ANY, UM, FOLKS THAT WERE HIGHLY RESISTANT.

IT WENT RELATIVELY SMOOTH.

SO THAT'S, IF I COULD JUST FRAME THAT'S HOW IT FELT LIKE ANECDOTALLY AND, AND, UM, AND WITH THE DATA.

UM, SO AS WE MOVE TO PHASE TWO, THAT BEGAN IN JUNE 13, WE'VE MOVED TO THE WRITTEN WARNING SPACE.

AND SO, UM, UH, AGAIN, WE CONTINUED IN THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH COMPONENT, BUT WITH WRITTEN WARNINGS, WE ADDED THE COMPONENTS OF ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO WHAT WE'RE CALLING IT, RIGHT-SIZE FOR IMMEDIATE MOBILITY.

AND WHAT WE WANT FOLKS TO DO IS JUST BEGIN TO REDUCE YOUR FOOTPRINT.

AND SO THAT, SHOULD WE CONNECT YOU WITH RESOURCES? YOU CAN BE PREPARED IT TO BE FOR IMMEDIATE MOBILITY.

YOU YOU'RE ABLE TO GO TO THOSE RESOURCES.

SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD ENCOUNTERED WAS WHEN WE'RE CONNECTING SOMEONE THEY'RE NOT FULLY PREPARED TO LEAVE.

AND SO, UM, AND SO THERE WAS HESITANCY OR WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH MY STUFF? SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE ALSO GOING THROUGH IN THAT PHASE IS CONNECTING FOLKS WITH THE BOTTLE OF KEEPSAKE PROGRAM WHERE WE, UH, THAT FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T AWARE OF, THAT IT'S BASICALLY A STORAGE CONTAINER, A THREE BY THREE, UH, THREE FOOT BY THREE FOOT STORAGE CONTAINER.

IT'S

[00:45:01]

IT'S COLORED THE VIOLET VIOLET, WHICH IS THE COLOR OF OUR, UM, OUR, UH, IN HOUSE ENDEAVOR, UH, ADOPTED CITY ADOPTED COKE, UH, COLOR.

AND SO WE WERE ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO REDUCE THEIR, UH, THE FOOTPRINT.

AND SO, AS WE MOVED TO JULY 11TH, WE WILL BE GOING TO THE FAKE CITATIONS PHASE FROM JULY 11TH, JULY 11TH, THROUGH AUGUST 7TH.

AND THEN AFTER THAT, IT WOULD GO TO PHASE FOUR, WHICH WILL BEGIN AUGUST 8TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 4TH.

UM, REAL CRITICAL TO KNOW IS, UM, WHEN WE DID THIS PROGRAM, WE WANT IT TO BE HARMED FOCUSED ON WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS WE WANT TO ASK IN EVERYTHING WE DO, WHAT HARM ARE WE GOING TO COST AND HOW CAN WE BEST MITIGATE THAT HARM? SO WITH THE PHASE FOUR, WE ARE IN TALKS OF A DIVERSIONARY PROGRAM.

SO SHOULD WE BE ENCOUNTER SOMEONE WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CUSTODY.

WE WANT TO DO THAT WITH A SERVICE ORIENTED, CONNECTED APPROACH.

SO WE DON'T WANT TO BE TAKING FOLKS UP SOLELY TO LOCK THEM UP.

WE WANT TO BE CONNECTING THEM WITH SERVICES WHILE WE'RE OUT THERE DOING THIS, UH, DATA COLLECTION.

NICE TO HAVE.

I MEAN, IT'S IMPORTANT.

SO, UM, WE ARE, WE ARE, UM, MAKING SURE WE HAVE, UM, COLLECTING WHAT WE CALL THE, LET ME BACK UP.

CAUSE WE HAVE WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE LISTEN REPORT.

AND WITH THE LISTEN REPORT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LOCATIONS, THE INCIDENT, THE SITUATIONS, TIME TO ENFORCEMENT IN THE NUMBERS.

SO WE WANT TO, THIS IS MORE TO GIVE US A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.

AND SO THAT WE HAVE A PLAN THAT IT SHOULDN'T REQUIRE ADJUSTMENTS.

WE HAVE DATA THAT WE COULD COME BACK AND LOOK AT, AND I'M ALMOST HESITANT TO SHARE DATA SIMPLY BECAUSE, WELL, NOT, NOT ONLY IS NOT COMPLETE IS WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TYPE OF STORY THAT DATA TAILS IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE, UH, WE MAY HAVE CONNECTED FOLKS WITH SERVICES OR MOVE OUT LESS TENSE, BUT THAT COULD DISPLACEMENT.

AND SO W UM, WE WANT TO NOTE, MAKE SURE WE'RE INTERPRETING THE DATA, RIGHT? SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS FOR, UM, WE HAD 114 PEOPLE THAT WERE EITHER IN THE PROCESS OR CONNECTED WITH SOCIAL SERVICES DURING OUR EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.

UM, I THINK THAT IT DOESN'T SAY, BUT LIKE 13 OF THOSE WERE, WERE CONNECTED TO THE VA.

OH, IT DOES IT, YEAH.

WE'RE CONNECTED TO THE VA.

UM, UM, NOW I GOT TO WORK ON THAT NUMBER.

THE, THE, THE BUS TICKET NUMBER WAS, THERE WERE 90 FOLKS THAT WERE READY TO LEAVE SHIFT IF WE COULD HAVE CONNECTED TO THE BUS TICKETS, BUT THAT VENTURE FELL THROUGH.

SO I, THAT SOME ADJUSTMENTS.

AND SO THE TOTALS AS OF TODAY, UH, WERE THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, 384 PEOPLE EDUCATED, 382 WARNINGS.

AND, UH, THE TWO, THERE WERE TWO, WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT, DO WE GET PEOPLE OF HIGH RESISTANCE OR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE TO BE QUITE FRANK? WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE THAT THEY, UM, PEOPLE WANT SAFE SPACES, SO THEY THEY'RE, THEY WANT HELP.

SO WE AT 290 PEOPLE THAT WERE, IF WE HAD A PLACE FOR THEM TO GO, WE'RE WILLING TO COME INTO VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS FROM THE MOMENT WE STARTED WRITING THE RPM, THE RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT TO DATE, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS A BIT, HEY, WHERE DO WE TELL FOLKS TO GO? AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOLKS TO LEAVE, WE OUGHT TO HAVE A PLACE TO TAKE THEM.

SO THAT'S, UM, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE CONTINUING WITH, UM, SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS, THIS IS NOT THE ENTIRETY OF ACIDITY, BUT THIS IS THE, THE AMOUNT OF SITES THAT WERE VISITED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.

SO WHAT WE DID SEE WAS THOSE, UM, THE ENCAMPMENTS.

SO LIKE WE VISITED B MAY HAVE VISITED, HAD 261.

THIS IS THE TOTAL FOR THE ONES THAT WERE VISITED MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS.

SO SECOND AND THIRD VISITS, WE HAD DECREASES FROM ONE FIRM TO A 261 PERSONS TO 206 PEOPLE.

THE TAKEAWAY IS OUT OF THE 58 CAMP SITES VISITED.

THERE WAS A 21% REDUCTION IN TENTS.

SO, UH, WHAT'S NEXT? SO PHASE THREE BEGINS JULY 11TH.

UM, THE, UH, WHAT ARE, WE'RE CALLED, UM, WE'RE OPENLY TALKING ABOUT THIS, THAT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM OR THE DIFFICULTY OR THE CHALLENGE IS AS PROVIDING A VIABLE LOCATION FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO COPE.

AND THEN THE, UM, AND THE FINAL, UH, UH, UM, DIVERSIONARY PROGRAM THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.

IS IT, SHOULD WE TAKE SOMEONE IN CUSTODY? WE NEED TO HAVE A DIVERSIONARY PROGRAMS. UH, WE DON'T WANT TO BE PUNITIVE.

WE JUST WANT TO ENFORCE THE LAW AND, AND BRING FOLKS IN THE VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, LIEUTENANT DAVIS? I THINK WE'RE GOING TO WAIT TO DO QUESTIONS AFTER, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

THAT'D BE A BOTH OUT.

[00:50:07]

UH, NEXT PERSON ON MY LIST IS CHIEF VIARS.

DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION OR DO YOU JUST WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR INFORMATION? GOOD AFTERNOON.

UH, WE DON'T HAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, TO SHOW, BUT I DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO SHARE ABOUT HOW WE'RE PARTNERING WITH OTHER CITY AGENCIES TO TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH FOR THE LIFE SAFETY AND FIRE SAFETY OF ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AND WITH THAT, WE, UH, CHIEF WADE, WHO'S NOT ABLE TO BE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON AS A PART OF THE CROSS DEPARTMENTAL HOMELESS WORKFORCE.

AND THE THINGS THAT HE'S WORKED ON IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE IS TO BE ABLE TO CREATE INFORMATION THAT, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO SEND OUT TO, UH, THE DIFFERENT CAMPS TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE SO THAT THEY CAN BE SAFE IN WHATEVER ENVIRONMENT THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN.

UH, THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'VE SHARED IS THAT, UM, BY A CITY ORDINANCE, THERE WAS NO CAMPING ALLOWED AND HIGH WILDFIRE RISK AREAS.

THAT'S NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE.

UH, SO THAT INFORMATION, UH, STAYED IN 20 FEET AWAY FROM STRUCTURES.

UH, IF THEY'RE SETTING UP, UH, NO CAMPING IN WHAT'S CONSIDERED A DRAINAGE OR CREEK AREA ISSUES, THERE ARE THINGS LIKE FLASH FLOODING, AND WE DON'T WANT SOMEONE TO SET UP WHAT THEY PERCEIVED AS A SAFE PLACE TO NOT BE SAFE.

SO WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM EDUCATION AND INFORMATION.

SO THEY KNOW NOT TO STEP IN A PLACE SUCH AS THAT I'M NOT BLOCKING THE EGRESS, THE EXITS FOR BUILDINGS, WHEREVER THEY SET UP.

UH, I CAMP, UH, THAT NO STRUCTURE OTHER THAN MEMBRANE TENTS ARE ALLOWED.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS AVOIDING THINGS LIKE PLYWOOD, PALLETS, UH, ADDITIONAL THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT CREATE A LARGER FIRE LOAD AND BURN RAPIDLY AND VERY HIGH.

AND SO YOUR CONCERN IS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FOLKS THAT WOULD BE IN THAT STRUCTURE, AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL SPREAD OF FIRE FROM THAT, UM, THE SEE NO FIRES OF ANY KIND ARE ALLOWED UNDER BRIDGES.

UH, THE, UH, THERE'VE BEEN INCIDENTS BEFORE ATLANTA, AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN CHIEF BAKER WAS THE FIRE CHIEF, THERE WERE A FIRE WAS SET, IT WAS SOME CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL, AND IT ENDED UP CAUSING THE BRIDGE TO COLLAPSE.

SO, WHICH THEN BECAME A, AN INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE FOR THE CITY BECAUSE IT AFFECTED THE ABILITY FOR COMMUTE FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO WORK.

UH, SO NOT ALLOW THAT NO FIRES WITHIN 25 FEET OF A COMBUSTIBLE.

THE CONCERN IS, AGAIN, FIRE SPREAD THERE, AND THE LIST GOES ON THINGS THERE THAT HELP PEOPLE TO, TO, UH, MAKE GOOD SAFE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES AND WHATEVER ENVIRONMENT THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN.

UH, THERE'S NOT A, UH, A PUNITIVE MEASURE, THIS IT'S IT'S INFORMATION SO THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE GOOD CHOICES THERE.

UM, SO, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE AN APP THAT WE'RE HELPING WITH COLLECTING INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, WHERE SITES ARE.

SO THE HOST TEAMS CAN GO OUT AND VISIT AND SHARE THIS PARTICULAR INFORMATION.

AND ALSO, UH, LOOK FOR AS A, TO THE DAVIS OFFERED PATHS TO, TO, UM, UH, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW TO RESOLVE THEIR SITUATION AND GET THEM BACK INTO, UH, EITHER A JOB AND, OR A BETTER ARRANGEMENTS AS FAR AS LIVING.

UH, WE'VE ALSO BEEN A PART OF HELPING WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS THEY'RE IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AS THEY'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY SANCTIONED PLACES MOVING FORWARD AND SETTING UP CRITERIA THERE, AS FAR AS FIRE SAFETY GOES, UH, THEIR PROXIMITY TO, UH, UH, WILDFIRE AREAS, UH, FORESTRY AREAS, THE ABILITY FOR US TO GET IN AND ADDRESS A FIRE WITH A BRUSH TRUCK, UH, AND OR THEIR PROXIMITY TO A HYDRANT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE LIFE SAFETY ASPECT, THOSE ARE SORT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON AND WITH OUR FIRE MARSHALS, OUR, OUR OPERATIONS CHIEF, AND WORKING WITH THE, UH, UH, THE HOMELESS TASK FORCE AS WELL.

YOU BET, CHIEF BROWN, ANYTHING TO ADD TO THE DISCUSSION.

THIS IS JASPER BROWN, CHIEF OF STAFF WITH AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THOSE TEAM, UM, AND LIEUTENANT, UM, AND I'LL, UM, MENTIONED EARLIER PHASES.

THEY'VE BEEN WITH THE CHP HAS BEEN WITH THEM AS THEY GO THROUGH THOSE ENCAMPMENTS.

UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO, UH, PARTICIPATE WITH THEM AND BE PART OF THAT.

WE'VE ALSO BEEN PART OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE AND HOUSING PEOPLE.

UM, SO, UM, WE'RE JUST WITH THAT PARTNERSHIP AND, AND PARTICIPATING IN ALL OF THOSE, UM, AREAS THAT ARE HIT ARE, UH, ARE VISITED.

I DON'T KNOW THERE WAS ACTUALLY NO ONE CALLED IN RIGHT NOW, SO I THINK YOU'RE CORRECT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF BROWN.

UM, UNFORTUNATELY I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAVE OUR, UH, NONPROFIT COMMUNITY MEMBER, UH, ON THE LINE, MAYBE CHECK CITY HALL, UH, AB MY CORRECT BY SAYING THAT

[00:55:01]

THEY'RE WELCOMING MR. COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, PLEASE.

UM, SO, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT TO QUESTIONS.

AND IF, UM, MS. JOSEPH JOINS, WE CAN HAVE HER, UM, START.

SO, UM, MY FIRST QUESTION IS TO YOU, MR. BRYCE, IF I CAN START.

UM, SO WE HEARD LIEUTENANT DAVIS, GIVE US THE PRESENTATION, TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PHASES AND, UM, HIS IMPRESSION IS THAT IT'S GOING WELL, AND IT'S GOING SMOOTHLY.

CAN YOU GIVE US A PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE? IF THAT'S SOMETHING, IF YOU'VE BEEN, UM, IMPACTED BY THE, THE, THE PROGRESS THAT'S GOING ON DOWNTOWN WITH PROMPT AND IF YOU FEEL THAT IT'S GOING SMOOTHLY, UM, I CAN'T NECESSARILY SPEAK TO WHETHER IT'S GOING SMOOTHLY.

I THINK THE LIEUTENANT CANON HAS SPOKEN TO THAT.

UM, WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT THIS IS A PRIMARY CONCERN OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.

THOSE WE REPRESENT PEOPLE THAT OWN AND MANAGE, UH, AND OCCUPIED PROPERTIES IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, PARTICULARLY AMONG OUR VISITORS INDUSTRY.

UH, WE RECOGNIZE THERE ARE STILL IN THE, THE, THE SLIDE THAT I SHOWED EARLIER REPRESENTS THERE, THERE ARE STILL A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING SHELTERED HOMELESSNESS.

I THINK THE KEY QUESTION THAT MUST BE ANSWERED, UH, IS, IS ONE THAT THE LIEUTENANT BROUGHT UP, BUT I WILL EMPHASIZE, AND THAT IS WHERE CAN PEOPLE GO? AND WE HAVE YET, AFTER TWO YEARS OF CHANGING THE ORDINANCES, JUNE 20TH, 2019, NOW CHANGING THEM BACK, UH, STILL HAVE NOT A PLAN TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

WHERE CAN PEOPLE GO AND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, AND I PERSONALLY WORK EVERY DAY, UH, TO ADDRESS THAT VERY QUESTION IN TERMS OF ADVOCATING FOR IMPROVED PLANNING AND POLICY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, WHICH WE ARE STILL NOT THERE WITH AS A COMMUNITY.

UH, THE QUESTION OF WHERE SANCTIONED PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO DESIGNATED IN CAMP MINTS OR OTHER, UH, RESOURCE FACILITIES CAN BE, UH, ALWAYS RECEIVES CONSTANT PUSHBACK ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS, UH, PEOPLE IF IN OUR COMMUNITY, IF WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE LIVING ON SHELTERED, UNDER BRIDGES, IN OUR PARKS AND OUR WOODS, GREENSPACE HIGH FIRE DANGER, FLOOD RISK AREAS, THEN WE'VE GOT TO SAY YES TO HAVING APPROPRIATE FACILITIES FOR THEM TO BE.

AND WE'VE GOT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT AS A CITY, WE CAN MANAGE THAT EFFECTIVELY.

AND SO KEEPING THOSE AREAS SAFE, ENSURING THEY DON'T GLIDE A NEIGHBORHOOD, ENSURING THAT THEY ARE WELL MANAGED IS ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THOSE WHO ARE, WHO ARE POTENTIALLY MANAGING, OPERATING AND OVERSEEING THOSE SITES, INCLUDING THE CITY.

SO, UM, FOR ME, THAT'S A KEY QUESTION THAT MUST BE ANSWERED, UH, OTHERWISE, UH, WE, WE ARE TELLING PEOPLE YOU'VE GOT TO MOVE AND WE CAN'T TELL THEM WHERE THEY CAN GO.

SO, UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, PROPOSITION B WAS ABOUT MORE THAN CAMPING AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S TALKED ABOUT A LOT LESS, BUT, UH, THE, THE, UH, REINSTATEMENT OF THE AGGRESSIVE SOLICITATION LAWS ALSO WENT INTO EFFECT AS DID THE ORDINANCE AGAINST SITTING IN LINE IN THE PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY.

WE SEE LITTLE ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE ORDINANCES HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

I UNDERSTAND THAT APD AND LIEUTENANT, YOU CAN CONFIRM IF YOU'D LIKE IT'S TAKING A FAITH IN APPROACH TO ALL OF IT.

UM, NOT JUST, NOT JUST CAMPING, UM, BUT, UH, THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS THAT ARE TURNING AWAY, VISITORS THAT ARE CONCERNING TENANTS RESIDENTS, PEOPLE THAT ARE, UH, UH, OCCUPYING OFFICE SPACE AND OTHER BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN, BUT ALSO, UM, BY VIRTUE OF ALL OF THIS FUNDING, THE TAX BASE THAT PROVIDES THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED.

AND SO WE ALSO CANNOT ALLOW IN OUR CITY FOR THAT TAX BASE TO BE ERODED THAT IS SO DESPERATELY NEEDED TO FUND THE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.

AND SO WE CAN'T OVERLOOK THAT EITHER.

AND THEN MR. KIRKOFF.

YEAH, I ACTUALLY HAD A LONG LIST OF QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL KEEP IT SHORT.

UM, ONE IS THAT, UM, LIEUTENANT DAVIS, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S BEEN A 28% REDUCTION IN TENTS, AND I AM WONDERING IF THE CITY IS DOING ANY, UM, TRACKING WITH REGARDS TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING, BECAUSE I KEEP THINKING ABOUT WITH CHIEF FIRE SAID, LIKE, WE DON'T WANT THEM TO END UP IN CREEK BEDS.

WE DON'T WANT THEM TO END UP IN WATERWAYS.

AND SO THE TENTS ARE 28% LESS TENSE, BUT WHERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE GOING? BECAUSE 28% THAT ENDED UP IN HOMES.

SO I'M WONDERING HOW THE CITY IS TRACKING THAT.

SO, UM, SO THE, IT WAS 21%, I BELIEVE WAS THE 21, UM, 21.

WE'RE DOING, WE'RE GOING BACK TO LIKE, WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, YOU MIGHT HAVE A TENT WHERE IT'S BEEN DISCARDED AND OBVIOUSLY ABANDONED.

UM, I'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK.

UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS, WHAT

[01:00:01]

UM, SO YOU'LL COME BACK.

WE'RE, WE'LL, WE'LL GO OUT AND DO OUTREACH, AND THEN WE'LL PUT MATERIAL ON A TENT, WE'LL MARK THE TENT AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK.

BUT EVERYTHING'S WHERE WAS, WAS ONCE LEFT OR B YOU COULD OBVIOUSLY DAMAGE HER, OBVIOUSLY NO LONGER EXISTENCE.

SO, OR THE FOLKS THERE WAS A, HEY, THAT PERSON LEFT.

THEY WENT WITH SO-AND-SO OR THEY JUST, THEY, THEY JUST VACATED.

SO AT THAT POINT, WE'LL RECOGNIZE IT.

THERE NO ONE THERE, THIS IS AN ABANDONED ACCOUNT.

NOW PUBLIC WORKS DOES ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OF TRASH BRUSH DEBRIS BUILT THERE UNDER THE OVERPASS UNDER PASSES.

SO IF THEY CAN FIND A OBVIOUSLY DAMAGED ABANDONED TEMP, THEN THERE ARE GOING TO REMOVE THAT AS WELL.

SO, UM, AS FAR AS THE DATA COLLECTION, THE OFFICERS ARE JUST BASICALLY GOING OUT TO PARTICULAR LOCATIONS, SEND THIS HAP THIS X AMOUNT OF TENTS ON MONDAY, THURSDAY, THERE WERE X AMOUNT OF TENTS.

AND THEN MY SECOND FOLLOW-UP QUESTION WAS ALSO REALLY BRIEF, AND IT WAS JUST ABOUT, UM, DATA TRACKING AS WELL.

YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT YOU'RE TRACKING THE PERCENTAGE OF THAT, THAT YOU'RE COMING ACROSS.

AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S BEING TRACKING OF YOUTH AND FAMILY UNITS WITHIN THOSE NUMBERS AS WELL.

CAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF FIGURING OUT WHAT KINDS OF HOUSING, UM, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE SURE.

AND LET ME, LET ME ALSO EMPHASIZE THAT WHEN I, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BEING HARM FOCUSED, THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER VARIABLES WE'RE CONSIDERING EVEN IN ENFORCEMENT.

UM, WE DON'T WANT TO BREAK UP FOLKS THAT HAVE FORMED FAMILY, A STRUCTURE AROUND, WE DON'T WANT TO INTERFERE WITH DISPLACEMENT OR PEOPLE THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY ABOUT TO RECEIVE SERVICES.

UM, AND SO, SO WHEN WE'RE COMING THERE, UM, UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT LAWS HAVE CHANGED.

OUR HUMANITY HAS NOT LEFT US.

WE'RE WE'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO BE RESPONSIBLE.

THAT'S WHY WE CAME UP WITH A RESPONSIBLE PLAN.

UM, I SAY THAT TO SAY THAT, UM, UM, WE CAN PULL LARGE AMOUNTS OF DATA.

CAUSE WHEN YOU, IF, WHEN YOU WRITE A WRITTEN, UM, UH, WRITTEN, UH, WARNING, THE SAME DATA THAT YOU WOULD USE TO, IF YOU WROTE A WRITTEN WARNING FOR ANY, ANYTHING ELSE IS ENTERED INTO OUR TRACKING DATABASE.

SO THE INFORMATION I PRESENTED YOU AS OUTSIDE IS EXTRA INFORMATION OUTSIDE WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY TRACK.

SO THERE'S A GREAT DEAL.

YOU CAN START BREAKING DATA DOWN, UM, UM, JUST BY INFORMATION THAT'S ENTERED INTO THE SYSTEMS. I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO SHARE WITH Y'ALL THAT, UM, THE INFORMATION I SHARE, IT WAS WHAT WE CALL A LISTEN REPORT, BECAUSE AS WE'RE AT AT, UM, SOMETIMES DATA DOESN'T REFLECT COMMUNITY SENTIMENT OR WHAT'S ACTUALLY OUT THERE.

SO WHILE I HAVE THE OFFICERS OUT THERE, I'M TELLING THEM, DON'T JUST RIGHT.

I GOT ONE PERSON, THIS X AMOUNT OF AGE, THIS, UH, LET'S LISTEN AND SEE WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ACTUALLY SEEING AND ALL GOOD.

ALL NEWS, ALL GOOD NEWS IS GOOD NEWS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PUSH FOLKS FURTHER BACK IN, UH, WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE THAT SERVICE DISRUPTION AND WE TO, UM, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL A STORY THAT'S TRUE OR THAN JUST WHAT RAW DATA SHOWS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UH, COMMISSIONER KICKOFF, PLEASE GO AHEAD.

YEAH, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, IN REGARDS TO, UH, LIEUTENANT DAVIS, HIS PRESENTATION, YOU MENTIONED, UH, A SITE FOR THE PEOPLE TO GO TO ONCE WE DO HAVE TO RELOCATE THEM.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE CITY IS CURRENTLY EVALUATING TWO SITES.

WHERE ARE THOSE SITES? I DO NOT KNOW OF THE TWO CURRENT SITES THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT OR THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.

UM, I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SITES, UH, I THINK ESPERON THE CROSSING THAT'S AVAILABLE AND THE, UH, UH, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION, SIR.

ALRIGHT, OKAY.

THAT'S OKAY.

AND, UH, AND CHIEF BUYERS, ARE YOU THE CONTACT PERSON, UH, WITH AAF THE, UH, FOR THESE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE IN, UH, THESE FIVE RISK AREAS THAT YOU MENTIONED? YES, SIR.

THAT CAN BE FORWARDED TO ME AND I'D PASS IT ONTO THE CHIEF DALE ARAIZA.

WHO'S OVER WILDFIRE TO, TO ASSESS BY MAPPING OR THE EMAIL IDENTIFIED HIGH WILDFIRE RISK AREA.

UH, AND IF SO, HOW TO TRACK THAT INFORMATION AND GET IT BACK TO THE HOST TEAMS TO GET THEM INFORMED AND POTENTIALLY RELOCATED.

BUT I AM THE CONTACT PERSON.

THAT'S FINE.

DO YOU HAVE A PHONE NUMBER OR DO YOU WANT EMAIL? YES, SIR.

I CAN SEND THAT TO YOU HERE OFFLINE.

HAPPY TO DO THAT.

REPRESENTING AND JUST THE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE CONNECTION THAT THAT ENTITY HAS WITH POPPY.

AND THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

UM, COMMISSIONER LEWIS, I SAW THAT YOU HAD YOUR HANDOFF.

IS THAT I'M SORRY, I JUST NOTICED IT.

NO, IT'S IT'S OKAY.

I MEAN, I'M, I'M, I HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS HERE.

UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY AND MAYBE ASK, UM, I THINK THINKING ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, UM, THAT BELL BRYCE IS

[01:05:01]

UM, BUT THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A WHOLE LOT OF A DIFFERENT IN A CONVERSATION OF IF THAT PROP ACTUALLY DEDICATED MONEY TO HOUSING.

RIGHT.

I THINK MY FRUSTRATION AND MY LACK OF, YOU KNOW, I'M A SOCIAL WORKER I'VE BEEN IN, YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS POLICY UP MY WHOLE CAREER AND THE AUDACITY FOR THERE TO BE A, UH, SOMETHING TO PUT ON, PUT ON THE BOOKS TO CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS, WITHOUT ANY DIRECTION ON HOW TO FUND, HOW, HOW, HOW TO DO THIS WORK PROPERLY COULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY DEDICATED MONEY AND COMMITTED RESOURCES.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE BUSINESSES OF AUSTIN COULD HAVE PUT THAT MONEY TOWARDS HOUSING, THEIR NEIGHBORS INSTEAD OF PROMOTING, UM, A HATEFUL, UH, PIECE OF, UM, UH, POLICY.

AND SO I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT, UM, ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW'S THE POLICE DOING AND, AND TRYING TO, UH, FIX A SOCIAL ISSUE THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE FIXED BY POLICE ACTIONS.

UM, I HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES AND CONCERNS ABOUT JUST HOW BUSINESSES IN AUSTIN THINKS THIS STUFF WORKS.

UM, HOW, UH, HOW THEY THINK IT'S FUNDED, UM, WHAT THEIR CONTRIBUTION IS TO ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE AND HOW THEY'VE DECIDED TO PUSH THAT ISSUE ON, UM, ON, ON FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL SERVICES THAT ARE NOT FUNDED TO DO THIS ADDITIONAL WORK, UM, UH, POLICE THAT ARE NOT, UH, THE BEST FIT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMELESS.

UM, SO I, I I'M, UH, I'M VERY, I'LL JUST SAY I'M DISTURBED BY IT.

I'M FRUSTRATED THAT THIS IS THE DIRECTION.

AND LIKE I SAID, I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THE CONNECTION TO PROP B AND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, BUT I WILL SAY, UM, THERE'S A LACK OF HUMANITY HERE THAT I'M STRUGGLING TO NAME, BUT I WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.

NO RESPONSE.

OF COURSE, FIRST OF ALL, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE WAS NOT A SUPPORTER OF PROPOSITION B FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT'S ILLEGAL FOR US TO GET INVOLVED IN ANY ELECTIONEERING, UH, SUPPORTING REFERENDA OR CANDIDATES OR ANY KIND OF ELECTION.

SO WE WERE NOT PART OF THAT.

UH, I AM THE PERSON WHO WAS THE CONVENER THAT LED TO THE CREATION OF OUR HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH STREET TEAM WITH APD EMS INTEGRAL CARE'S PERMISSION.

I WAS THE PERSON THAT LED THE CONVERSATIONS AND ALL OF THE MEETINGS THAT BEGAN APRIL 15TH, 2016, TO CREATE HOSTS, WHICH A MONTH LATER, 45 DAYS LATER BECAME A PILOT THAT CONTINUES TODAY.

I WAS THE INDIVIDUAL THAT LED TO THE CONVENING OF THE HOMELESS SUMMIT THAT HAPPENED IN MARCH AND APRIL TO COME OUT WITH A PLAN, AN ACTIONABLE PLAN WITH GOALS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.

WE DEDICATE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HOUSING PROJECTS TO TEST NEW SOLUTIONS.

WE JUST STARTED A NEW PROJECT WITH INTEGRAL CARE CALLED HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS THAT LAUNCHED IN TRYING TO GET PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, DOWNTOWN, A DIRECT LINE OF HEALTH CARE, PARTICULARLY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES, LEVERAGING THE NEW MEDICAL CLINIC AT THE TERRORIST THAT OAK SPRINGS.

WE EMPLOY PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS.

WE INTENTIONALLY STRIVE TO EMPLOY PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS AND HAVE OTHER BARRIERS.

AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION OR COMMENT, BUT DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE WAS NOT PART OF PROPOSITION B.

WE DID NOT ADVOCATE THAT FOR THAT IN ANY WAY, I WILL SAY SO THAT FULL DISCLOSURE HERE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE ABSOLUTELY DID PARTICIPATE AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE HELPING TO SHAPE THE POLICY RELATED TO HOUSE BILL 1925, THAT PASSED BANNING CAMPING AND PUBLIC STATEWIDE.

AND WE DID THAT FOR A SPECIFIC REASON.

ONE, WE KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO PASS TOO, WITHOUT SUPPORTING IT.

WE HAD LITTLE HELP OR CHANCE OF HELPING TO SHAPE IT.

THIRDLY, THINGS ARE SO OUT OF BALANCE IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW WITH PEOPLE LIVING IN PLACES, NOT INTENDED FOR HABITATION, THAT THAT IS NOT GOOD, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE.

THEY'RE NOT GETTING ENGAGED AND ENROLLED IN THE SYSTEM THAT CAN PUT THEM ON A FASTER TRACK TO RESOLVING THEIR HOMELESSNESS AND LIVING UNSHELTERED.

AND SO WE DID SUPPORT THAT.

SO FULL DISCLOSURE, WE CAN LOBBY, WE DID LOBBY FOR THAT, AND WE HELPED TO SHAPE IT WERE VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE NOTIFICATION OF WHERE PEOPLE CAN FIND RESOURCES IS OZ.

NOW, ALL PART OF THAT, AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES.

SO FULL DISCLOSURE, WE WEREN'T PART OF PROPERTY.

YOU WERE SUPPORTIVE OF THE LEGISLATION THAT PASSED, AND THOSE WERE THE REASONS BEHIND ALL OF IT, AS WELL AS THE WORK THAT WE DO.

WE ARE ALL ABOUT TRYING TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM, NOT JUST ENFORCING AGAINST IT.

THANK YOU, MR. GRICE, COMMISSIONER WEAPON.

SO NOT ALL

[01:10:01]

BUSINESS LOBBYISTS, AMANDA, I GUESS, UM, LACK HUMANITY AND MR. BRYCE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A LEADER HERE REPRESENTING, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES.

I, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THAT MAYBE YOU WERE PUT ON THE SPOT AND YOU FEEL DEFENSIVE, BUT IT DOESN'T ERASE THE FACT THAT $3 MILLION WERE SPENT PASSING PROP B.

AND, UM, THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A HUMANE SOLUTION.

AND, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF HEAR YOU TO BE HERE SAYING THE SAME THING, BUT THE FACT IS THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION'S GOAL IS TO MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF DOWNTOWN.

SO THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES CAN MAKE MORE MONEY AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FINE.

I JUST, I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOUR AWARD FROM THE GREATER AUSTIN CRIMES COMMISSION OR WHATEVER FOR WHATEVER YOU'VE DONE TO HELP PEOPLE.

BUT THE FACT IS, IS THAT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WERE SPENT PASSING THAT.

AND I THINK AMANDA'S POINT IS WELL-TAKEN THAT THAT MONEY COULD HAVE BEEN SPENT HELPING PEOPLE.

I PAID HER COMMISSIONER WEBER, FINITE, UM, MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY RESPOND TO THAT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, AGAIN, WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH PROPOSITION B.

I AGREE THERE WAS MORE MONEY RAISED TO PASS THAT THEN PROJECT CONNECT OR ANY OTHER SPECIAL INTERESTS REFERENDUM, UH, IN OUR CITY'S RECENT HISTORY.

UM, AND SO I, AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.

I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT, UH, THAT SAVE AUSTIN NOW IS LOOKING AT OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES, UH, TO HELP SUPPORT HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVES.

BUT AGAIN, I'M NOT PART OF THAT.

UH, YOU SPEAK ABOUT OUR GOALS.

THERE IS NO WRITTEN GOAL I'VE BEEN WITH THE ORGANIZATION 18 YEARS.

THERE IS NO GOAL OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE TO MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF DOWNTOWN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

WE DO HAVE A STATED GOAL TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

WE ALSO ARE HERE TO HELP KEEP DOWNTOWN AUSTIN SAFE AND WELCOMING FOR EVERYONE.

I ALSO HAVING BEEN HERE 18 YEARS, DON'T HAVE ANY RECOLLECTION OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE RECEIVING ANY KIND OF AWARD OR COMMISSIONED FROM THE CRIME COMMISSION.

SO I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THAT, BUT, UH, IN, IN THAT CONTEXT, BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVE NO SUCH AWARD OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE CRIME COMMISSION.

SO I, AGAIN, I, I'M JUST BEING VERY FACTUAL ABOUT WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE STAND FOR AND WHAT WE HAVE NOT DONE IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SIERRA OR ABELLO PLEASE.

UH, THANK YOU TO THE, BOTH OF THE SPEAKERS WHO CAME TO SPEAK ON PROPERTY TODAY.

MY QUESTION IS FOR APD, UH, AND LIEUTENANT DAVIS, UH, THERE WAS A SECTION IN YOUR PRESENTATION ABOUT THE PHASED APPROACH TO PROP B MOVING FROM WARNINGS TO CITATIONS TO POSSIBLE ARREST IN DIVERSION.

MY QUESTION IS RELATED TO GETTING SOME CLARITY AROUND THE DISTINCTION YOU'RE DRAWING BETWEEN ARREST CITATION AND DIVERSION, A VERY STANDARD CYCLE, AND THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM IS CITATIONS THAT ARE NOT PAID, CAN THEN TURN INTO BENCH WARRANTS, WHICH THEN CAN LEAD TO ARREST.

SO WHEN YOU SAY DIVERSION IS THAT SPECIFICALLY DIVERSION FROM ARRESTS AND THUS CITATIONS ARE STILL USED, WHICH CAN THEN LEAD TO BENCH WARRANTS, AND THEN THAT PERPETUAL CYCLE OF ARREST REARREST, ET CETERA.

UH, HOW ARE, HOW IS THE APD TREATING THOSE THINGS AS DISTINCT OR ARE THEY TREATING THOSE THINGS AS DISTINCT? YES.

THANK YOU, SIR.

OH, YES.

THANK YOU SIR, FOR THAT QUESTION.

AND, UM, LET ME, LET ME BE A LITTLE MORE CLEAR AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT CONFUSION, WHAT I'M S WHAT WE'RE SAYING, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVEN'T WRITTEN ANY CITATIONS AS OF THIS POINT.

WE'RE NOT EVEN IN THAT PHASE, BUT WHEN WE DO WRITE CITATIONS FOR THAT, THAT GOES TO DOWNTOWN AREA, AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH DIVERSION ON THAT.

AND, AND ALSO WHEN THEY GO FOR A CITATION, IT'S, UH, IT'S AN ATTEMPT FOR A SERVICE CONNECTION WHERE YOU'RE GETTING AN ASSESSMENT WITH THEIR SOCIAL WORKERS AT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.

WELL WE'RE, BUT ALSO EVEN IF WE LET SOMETHING LED TO WHERE WE WERE TAKING SOMEONE CUSTODY, THERE'S A DIVERSIONARY PROGRAM IN THE WORKS ON THAT, ON THAT END AS WELL.

SO, UM, ULTIMATELY WE WANT, UH, TO BE PLACED AN EMPHASIS ON SERVICE CONNECTION, BUT I DON'T WANT TO PAINT A PICTURE THAT IS ROSY ALL ROADS IN GUARD, UH, ROSENGARDEN.

WE MAY HAVE TO EFFECT AN ARREST AND TAKE SOMEONE THAT'S NON-COMPLIANT WHEN WE MOVED BEYOND, UM, WHEN WE MOVED FROM CIRCUMSTANCE TO BLATANT DISREGARD, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO MAKE A JUDGMENT CALL AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT THE LAW PRESCRIBES.

AND WHEN WE DO TAKE THAT PERSON INTO CUSTODY WHO WANT TO TAKE THEM INTO CUSTODY WITH EMPHASIS ON CONNECTING THEM TO SERVICES, I HOPE THAT CLEARS IT UP JUST A LITTLE BIT, SIR.

IT DOES.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BURNETT, THE POLICE.

UM, I JUST, I I'M, I DON'T KNOW WHY THE INFORMATION IS DIFFERENT, BUT, UM, THE,

[01:15:01]

THE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER WHO WAS GOING TO SPEAK ACTUALLY COULDN'T MAKE IT, UM, MICHELLE, JOSEPH, BECAUSE SHE'S OUT PROVIDING SERVICES, UM, TO THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY, UM, THE, UH, DIRECT MESSAGE THAT I GOT FROM HER SAID, SORRY, THEN OUT AT CAMPS, TRYING TO HELP CITATIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED.

UM, SO I MEAN, HER MESSAGE IS THAT THAT THE POLICE ARE ISSUING CITATIONS.

UM, AND I, I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT INFORMATION IS DIFFERENT, BUT IN ANY CASE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

AND I MEAN, THE INFORMATION THAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE HOMELESS POPULATION IS THAT THE COMMUNITY COURT IS REALLY NOT.

AND, AND HASN'T BEEN FOR A LONG TIME, A GOOD SOLUTION FOR HOMELESS FOLKS OR UNHOUSED FOLKS IT'S REALLY, UM, UH, UH, CONDESCENDING, UM, DEMEANING, UH, PROCESS, UH, THAT WAS WELL-INTENDED WHEN IT WAS CREATED.

UM, BUT, UH, IS, IS REALLY NOT ACTUALLY VERY APPROPRIATE.

UM, AND, UH, AND I KNOW THE FOLKS WHO CREATED IT, I ACTUALLY KNOW, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE JUDGES WHO CREATED IT, UM, AND I KNOW IT WAS VERY WELL-INTENDED, UM, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN WORKING FOR A LONG TIME.

AND I THINK THAT, UH, THE CITY NEEDS TO REALLY RADICALLY RETHINK, UM, HOW, UH, UNHOUSED FOLKS ARE TREATED WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CONNECTING THEM WITH SERVICES, UM, WHETHER WE'RE REALLY MEETING UNHOUSED PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT, OR WHETHER WE ARE, UM, IN VERY DRAMATIC WAYS THAT, UH, REALLY ARE, ARE JUST NOT WORKING AT ALL, UM, PROJECTING OUR ASSUMPTIONS AND OUR BIASES ABOUT WHO UNHOUSED PEOPLE ARE ON THEM, UM, AND JUDGING THEM AND, UM, AND REALLY NOT PROVIDING APPROPRIATE SERVICES BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING.

UM, AND I'M NOT SURE WHO IN THE CITY NEEDS TO HEAR THAT.

MAYBE WE NEED TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF MAYBE, UM, Y'ALL AT APD COULD HELP US FIGURE THAT OUT.

IF THERE ARE FOLKS WE COULD CONNECT WITH, UM, AT THE COMMUNITY COURT, UM, OR FOLKS THAT WE COULD CONNECT WITH WHO ARE GOING TO BE DOING THIS DIVERSION.

AND, AND IF, IF I MAY, UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN I DO THE PRESENTATION, UM, WE'RE ALWAYS SEEKING INPUT AND WE VALUE THAT, UM, WE'VE WORKED WITH, UM, OUR, OUR NON-PROFITS, OUR FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UM, ALL SERVICE PROVIDERS AND WE'RE WILLING PARTNERS, UH, FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO BE A, UH, A TEAM OF THE WILLING.

AND SO WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH DOWNTOWN, UM, COMMUNITY, AND I CAN'T SPEAK TO HOW IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN WE WERE CRAFTING THIS PLAN, UM, WE JUST BROUGHT THEM TO THE TABLE WITHOUT KNOWING WHO THEY WERE TO FIGURE OUT, HOW CAN I NEED TO KNOW HOW DO YOU OPERATE NOW? WHAT'S WORKED WHAT DOESN'T WORK AND WHAT'S PROMISING, AND WHAT CAN WE BUILD ON? SO IT'S NOT JUST D DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.

YOU KNOW, I REACHED OUT TO, YOU KNOW, JOSE GARZA IS LIKE, HEY, LOAN US YOUR EXPERTISE.

AND ALSO ALL THOSE SERVICE PROVIDERS.

AGAIN, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I SAID IS THAT AUSTIN, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY PROBLEM.

ALL OF A SUDDEN POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN NOT BE THE TIP OF THE SPEAR, BUT RATHER A LINK IN THE CHAIN.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE A WHEEL WITHIN A WHEEL.

AND OUR GOAL IS TO BRING AS MANY FOLKS WHO ARE, WHO WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS AS POSSIBLE AND, AND PLACE OUR PROGRAM WITH SOME FOLKS AS, HEY, THE LAW PASSED ON THE 11TH, WHERE ARE Y'ALL AT? WELL, WE HAVE TO BE A RE WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND WE HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT WITH HOW WE'VE DONE OTHER OREGON OR, UM, ORDINANCES.

THE ONE THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE MOST FAMILIAR TO YOU WOULD BE THE TALKING IN TEXTING ORDINANCE THAT PASSED IN LIKE AUGUST OF 2014, BUT WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY, UH, WRITE CITATIONS TILL JANUARY.

SO WE DID A HEAVY EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN.

SO WE WERE CONSISTENT WITH SAYING, WE NEED TO BE PROGRESSIVE.

AND THE, UH, THE FOLKS THAT ARE OUR VULNERABLE POPULATION, WHERE THEY MAY NOT HAVE TELEVISIONS AND RADIOS.

SO WE NEED TO PHYSICALLY BE OUT THERE EXPLAINING PROPERLY AND WORKING WITH, UH, UM, UH, WHAT WE WOULD CALL IT, A COALITION OF THE WILLING.

SO, UH, TO OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNERSHIP AND LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS WE RECOGNIZE IN MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND, AND THE, IN THE, UM, IN THE PERSONS UNHOUSED PERSONS THAT WE ARE NOT THE EXPERTS.

WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO DO IS REIMBURSE IS HAVE A PLAN, UH, DURING THE REIMPLEMENTATION OF PROPERTY.

AND WE MADE IT FLUID AND FLEXIBLE WITH AN EYE, UH, TOWARD BEING HARMED, FOCUSED, LISTENING TO THE, UH, TO ALL THOSE INVOLVED.

AND I TRIED TO COME UP WITH A WORKABLE PLAN.

AGAIN, I DO RECOGNIZE THEIR ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM IS WHERE DO WE TELL THEM TO GO? AND THIS IS NOT AN ALL ENCOMPASSED, UH, THIS PLAN IS NOT ALL AN ALL ENCOMPASSING

[01:20:01]

ONE-SHOT SOLUTION.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE A MULTI, UH, COORDINATION, UH, COMMAND AND COORDINATION, A MULTI, UM, UH, UH, UH, D JURISDICTIONAL, UH, MULTIDISCIPLINARY EFFORT FOR THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

AND I'M FULLY AWARE OF THAT.

UM, CAN YOU, ARE, CAN WE CONNECT, CAN I PROVIDE YOU WITH ABSOLUTELY.

UM, RAMIREZ, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? YEAH, I JUST HAD ONE AND IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A LIKE, THINKING IT'S NOT EVEN THAT FAR AHEAD, BECAUSE JULY 11TH IS A FEW DAYS AWAY WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BE WRITING CITATIONS.

AND THE REALITY IS THAT OUT OF THE HOMELESS SUMMIT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BILL BRYCE MENTIONED, LIKE IT WAS ESTABLISHED THAT WE NEED 3000, 3000 UNITS, RIGHT.

WE NEED 3000 HOMES.

WE NEED 3000 PLACES TO PUT PEOPLE.

AND IN FIVE DAYS WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE 3000 PLACES.

AND, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING TO, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED EARLIER AS WELL, LIKE THAT, THAT MEANS THAT POTENTIALLY IN FIVE DAYS, THERE'LL BE 3000 CITATIONS WRITTEN, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY EVEN MORE THAN THAT.

AND SO, UM, THAT I THINK IS, IS THE, THE, THE, THE TRUE EMERGENCY.

IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IN THE MATTER OF A FEW DAYS, WE'RE GOING TO CREATING THIS LARGE, YOU KNOW, ARREST CITATION AND ARREST CYCLE, UM, ALL OVER AGAIN.

AND, YOU KNOW, I CA I MENTIONED THE HOMELESS SUMMIT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS, ONE OF MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM THAT SUMMIT WAS THAT POLICE, UM, WEREN'T, UM, SUPPOSED TO PLAY A LARGE ROLE IN THE SOLUTION.

UM, ACTUALLY THE SOLUTIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT SUMMIT WERE REMOVING POLICE AND ENFORCEMENT FROM THE SOLUTION YET, HERE WE ARE.

AND SO I JUST, IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE SO MUCH GOOD WORK CAME OUT OF THAT SUMMIT.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS ADOPTED A LARGE PART OF THAT SUMMIT IN THAT PLAN IS BUILT AND THERE'S GOING TO BE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT.

BUT THE HUGEST, ONE OF THE LARGEST COMPONENTS, ONE OF THE MOST EMPATHETIC, HONESTLY, COMPONENTS OF THAT SUMMIT WAS REMOVING LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM THE PICTURE.

AND SO THIS IS REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT.

UM, IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO BE FIVE DAYS FROM CITATIONS ARRESTS, PEOPLE ENDING UP IN JAIL, PEOPLE ENDING UP IN CREEK BEDS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.

SO IT'S, IT'S JUST A REALLY DAUNTING.

AND, UM, I HEAR THEIR SUCCESS BECAUSE THERE'S 21% OR 28% LESS TENSE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE PEOPLE WENT.

SO I DON'T, THAT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE SUCCESS TO BE SO.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LEWIS.

CAN I PUT YOU BACK ON THAT? I WANT TO SAY, I MEAN, I, I, I TH I THINK COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ IS, IS SPOT ON AND, YOU KNOW, IN MY WORK PEOPLE DON'T DISAPPEAR.

THEY FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS AND THEY END UP IN A CYCLE, UH, VIOLENCE THAT CRIMINALIZATION OF, UM, ALL TYPES OF ISSUES.

BUT I THINK I JUST WANT TO BE SPECIFIC AND CLEAR THAT I THINK THAT YOU SEE WHERE PEOPLE'S HEART REALLY WAS BY WHAT IS HAPPENING, RIGHT.

THERE'S ALL THIS TALK THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE WERE HOUSED, THAT THERE WERE SERVICES, BUT WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE? WE HAVE CRIMINALIZATION, WE HAVE CITATIONS.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT WAS BY ACCIDENT.

I THINK THAT THE MONEY INTERESTS IN THE CITY HAVE VERY CLEARLY STATED, ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS MAKING MORE MONEY AND ELIMINATING THE VISIBILITY OF HOMELESSNESS AS AN ISSUE IN AUSTIN.

SO I I'M TRYING TO, I WANT TO BE OPTIMISTIC, BUT I ALSO WANT TO JUST, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BE REAL ABOUT EXPANDING THE CONVERSATION OUTSIDE OF POLICING.

AND I HOPE THAT IN CONTINUING CONVERSATIONS, WE CAN HAVE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, UM, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE.

UM, I'M PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT ARE LEADING IN THE ISSUE.

UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT APD IS, IS DOING AND THAT WE, WE GET THESE NUMBERS.

UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE CONTINUATION, LIKE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS TO PEOPLE, I DON'T THINK APD IS GOING TO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS AND SHOULDN'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.

I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE, UM, AND COLLABORATION WITH ECHO AND SAFE ALLIANCE AND, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK JUST TO ADD ON TO, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ IS SAYING, IS THAT, UM, I THINK IT'S A BIGGER CONVERSATION, BUT I THINK BECAUSE THE FOCUS IS ON, UM, CRIMINALIZING, HOMELESS PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TELL WHAT THE MAIN GOAL WAS.

IT WAS NOT ABOUT THE HUMANITY OF MAKING SURE PEOPLE WERE HOUSED.

IT WAS ABOUT,

[01:25:01]

UM, UM, MONEY.

AND THAT'S REALLY SAD AND DEPRESSING.

AND WE DID HAVE AN INTENT OF GETTING COMMUNITY, UM, PARTICIPATION ON THE, ON THE PANEL, BUT UNFORTUNATELY SCHEDULES WERE AS THEY WERE, BUT, UM, WE'RE OUT OF TIME, BUT MR. BRYSON, WE'LL HAVE YOU MAKE A COMMENT AND I KNOW LIEUTENANT DAVIS, YOU WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT AS WELL.

SO I WILL GIVE YOU JUST ONE MINUTE IF WE COULD BE QUICK.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, FIRST OF ALL, UH, IN RESPONSE TO THE LAST TWO COMMENTS, I REALLY COULDN'T AGREE MORE THE NEED FOR PLACES, FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED, HOMELESS.

THIS TO BE IS NOT NEW, IT'S IT WASN'T NEW MAY 1ST WHEN THE VOTE WAS TAKEN, IT WASN'T NEW TWO YEARS AGO, WHEN THE ORDINANCES WERE CHANGED FIRST, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NOT DEALT WITH LONGER THAN WE SHOULD.

UM, BACK IN JUNE, ON JUNE 20TH, 2019, WHEN THE ORDINANCES WERE FIRST CHANGED DIRECTION WAS GIVEN TO CITY STAFF TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH A PLAN THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CREATE SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS, PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE THAT ARE LIVE PARK THAT ARE LIVING IN THEIR CARS, ET CETERA.

THREE MONTHS LATER, STAFF CAME BACK AND SAID, WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING THAT DIRECTION.

UH, SO TODAY THE ORDINANCES ARE BACK IN CHANGED AND IT'S AN, AND WE STILL HAVEN'T SOLVED FOR THAT.

UM, WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE TODAY THAN WE WERE MID APRIL WHEN THE SUMMIT CONCLUDED.

UM, WE DIDN'T KNOW YET WHAT MIGHT COME MAY 1ST FROM THE ELECTION.

UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THE LACK OF PLANNING, THE LACK OF ADDRESSING THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE, REALLY, AND THEN CHANGING THE ORDINANCES BACK, PUTS OUR POLICE OFFICERS IN A REALLY UNTENABLE POSITION.

NOW THEY'RE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN THIS ISSUE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO DEMANDED FORCEMENT, PASSED IT BY THE VOTE, AND YET THEY HAD, THEY DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE STREET AS TO WHERE CAN I GO? WE AS A COMMUNITY, HAVE NOT INSISTED, DEMANDED AND PROVIDED THOSE RESOURCES FOR THEM AS A CITY.

WE'VE NOT DONE THAT AS A COMMUNITY.

WE'VE NOT DEMANDED IT.

AND IN FACT, WE'VE DONE THE OPPOSITE SAYING, DO NOT PUT IT HERE OR ANYWHERE NEAR ME.

THAT IS THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM.

IT CANNOT BE SOLVED UNLESS PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY START SAYING YES TO APPROPRIATE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO BE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT TIME.

MADAM CHAIR.

THANK YOU, MR. BROWN AND LIEUTENANT DAVIS, PLEASE.

I'LL BE BRIEF.

I JUST WANTED TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO, UM, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU.

THIS HAS BEEN IMMENSELY HELP, IMMENSELY HELPFUL, AND I WANT YOU TO GUYS TO KNOW THAT WE'RE LISTENING, UM, THE PROPOSITION BEING AT PASS, AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE RESPONSIBLE IN THE, UM, IN OUR ROLE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION.

SO THANK YOU ALL.

AND IF JANET COULD FORWARD YOU ALL MY CONTACT INFORMATION, SHOULD YOU FIND THE NEED TO CONTACT ME? I WANT TO MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO YOU.

AND, UM, I JUST THINK EACH OF USE, THANK YOU, LIEUTENANT DAVIS.

UM, GREAT, UH, ONTO OUR ALMOST FINAL AGENDA ITEM.

[2.c. Update on Reimaging Public Safety and 8 Can’t Wait Initiative sponsors: Commissioner Gonzales and Webber) 4:25pm -4:55pm Speaker(s): -Farah Muscadin, Director, Office of Police Oversight, City of Austin]

WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE EIGHT CAN'T WAIT INITIATIVE WITH, UH, DIRECTOR MUST IN, ARE YOU ONLINE DIRECTOR? THERE SHE IS.

I HAVE IT.

HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.

UM, I'M HERE WITH TWO HATS ON TODAY, UM, VERSUS CO-CHAIR OF THE RE-IMAGING PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE.

AND THEN ALSO AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION TO PRESENT, UM, WITH YOU TODAY.

I HAVE MY STAFF HERE WITH ME, HONEY, MICHELLE EVANS, WHO IS OUR POLICY COMPLIANCE CONSULTANT AND SARA PERALTA, WHO IS OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION, UM, PROGRAMMING MANAGER.

AND THEY WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR, WITH ANALYSIS.

UM, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, TRANSITIONING BACK TO REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY.

PART OF MY CO-CHAIR RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE BEEN, UM, SHEPHERDING THIS HUGE TEAM THAT WE HAVE.

UM, THANK YOU, ANI, THAT WE HAVE ASSEMBLED OVER 60 CITY STAFF.

UM, AND WE MIRRORED THE WORK GROUPS, UM, THAT WERE ESTABLISHED FROM THE TASK FORCE WITH WHAT WE CALL REVIEW TEAMS. UM, AND THERE ARE ABOUT SEVEN REVIEW TEAMS AND THEY'RE LED BY CITY STAFF.

I MEAN, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? THANK YOU.

SO THESE ARE THE LISTS OF THE REVIEW TEAMS THAT WE CREATED.

WE DID COMBINE TWO OF THE WORK GROUPS.

THERE WAS A SEPARATE WORK GROUP FOR PATROL AND SURVEILLANCE, AND THEN PATROL AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.

ESSENTIALLY THE SAME PARTIES WERE GOING TO BE A PART OF THAT REVIEW TEAM.

SO WE COMBINE THEM.

SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SEVEN REVIEW TEAMS, AND THEN WE SPLIT THEM UP.

UM, IN THE FIRST FOUR THAT YOU SEE ON THIS, ON THIS LIST WERE ONES THAT WE PRIORITIZED, UM, FOR ANALYSIS.

AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRIEF THE MANAGER ON THE ANALYSIS OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER WE STARTED THE REVIEW OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THOSE FOR THE SECOND HALF STARTED MEETING.

AND FOR THE MOST PART, THE MAJORITY OF THE REVIEW TEAMS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR ANALYSIS.

UM,

[01:30:01]

AND RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT.

I WAS PART OF THE TASK FORCE.

I ATTENDED EVERY SINGLE MEETING.

I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY PROVIDES SOME SORT OF RESPONSE.

UM, AND WE'VE BEEN VERY PUBLIC WITH REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND SO WE'RE FIGURING OUT HOW WE, UM, UM, KIND OF CLOSE THE, THE FEEDBACK LOOP WITH THE ANALYSIS, OUR STAFF CONDUCTED TO INFORM OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH, WHAT, UM, WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AND WHAT MAY NEED ADDITIONAL, UM, RESEARCH AND EVALUATION.

AND SO OUR GOAL, UM, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT IS TO LAUNCH SOMETHING MORE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF OUR ANALYSIS OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.

UM, YOU MAY KNOW THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS GIVING HIS, UM, BUDGET ADDRESS FOR FYE 22, THIS FRIDAY, JULY 9TH AT 2:00 PM.

UM, IN THE ADDRESS, IT WILL OBVIOUSLY, UM, FOCUS ON THE DIRECTION, THE FINANCIAL DIRECTION FOR THE CITY AND THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, BUT IT'LL ALSO ADDRESS THE, UM, MORE DIRECTLY THE, UM, RE-IMAGINED PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE FOR FUNDING FOR SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

UM, I THINK YOU ALSO KNOW THAT, UM, AND I'M JUST BEING VERY OPEN AND TRANSPARENT WITH YOU THAT WITH THE SIGNING OF HOUSE BILL 1900 AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION, UM, SEPTEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR, UM, IT DOES REQUIRE, UM, THE CITY TO PUT THE APD BUDGET BACK WHERE IT WAS, I BELIEVE FYI 18, 19 LEVELS, WHICH HAS APPROXIMATELY 434 MILLION.

SO BY COMPARISON, THE FYI 21 EPD BUDGET WAS TWO 92 MILLION.

SO AT THE VERY MINIMUM OR FYI 22, THIS FORTHCOMING FISCAL YEAR APDS BUDGET WILL NEED TO BE INCREASED, UM, TO, AND AT A MINIMUM 434 MILLION.

AND SO YOU WILL HEAR THAT IN THE MANAGER'S ADDRESS.

UM, HE WILL PROBABLY GO IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT, BUT AS THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UM, I BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION AND UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT, UM, OUR ABILITY TO REALLOCATE FUNDS BASED ON THAT NEW LAW IS LIMITED.

UM, AND IT IS THE FULL INTENTION OF THE CITY TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH IT.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO STOP RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY, RIGHT.

UM, PART OF WHAT WAS SO AMAZING WITH THE TASK FORCE WAS THE ABILITY TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, AND ALSO THINK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY MORE BROADLY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE EQUATE PUBLIC SAFETY WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND IT IS NOT RIGHT.

WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT BROADLY.

AND SO, UH, IT HAS BEEN MY PLEASURE AND MY HONOR TO WORK THROUGH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

I READ THAT REPORT QUITE OFTEN, AND IT WAS AMAZING WORK ON BEHALF OF THE TASK FORCE AND THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW WE CAN NOT ONLY IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE NEW IDEAS, BUT ALSO, UM, INCORPORATE SOME OF THOSE IDEAS IN THE CURRENT, UM, PROGRAMMING AND OFFERINGS THE CITY ALREADY HAS.

THERE WERE A LOT OF SYNERGIES THAT WERE ALREADY IDENTIFIED.

UM, AND SO IT'S JUST REALLY A WORK IN PROGRESS.

UM, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S REALLY THE LATEST UPDATE.

UM, THE MANAGER WILL BE GOING INTO MUCH MORE DETAIL IN HIS BUDGET ADDRESS AND OUT OF RESPECT FOR HIM, I DON'T WANT TO, UM, PREEMPT WHAT HE MAY BE TALKING ABOUT ON FRIDAY, BUT, UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL AND I'M HAPPY TO SEND JANET THE, THE LINK, IF YOU ARE UNAVAILABLE TO LISTEN TO THIS SPEECH, BUT, OR A COPY OF THE SPEECH, I'M HAPPY TO SEND IT TO JANET, TO SEND TO YOU ALL, UM, AFTER HIS PRESENTATION ON FRIDAY.

WE'RE GOING TO, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO, UM, STAYING, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THE LAW.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? HELLO.

UM, THANK YOU, FARAH.

IT'S JUST SO GREAT TO SEE YOU.

UM, I AM VERY INTERESTING, INTERESTED TO ALSO SEE, UM, IF THERE'S A NEXT STEP FOR THE, THE GROUP THAT CAME TOGETHER FOR THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO CONTINUE THE WORK WITH THIS CITY.

WHAT, WHAT I HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH ABOUT, UM, THAT CONVERSATION, BECAUSE I THINK AS I'VE MENTIONED TO YOU, I THINK THAT THERE IS, UM, A LARGE LONG-TERM CONVERSATION ABOUT RE-IMAGINE SAFETY THAT IS REALLY ONGOING, AND THAT DOES NOT STOP, YOU KNOW, AFTER NINE MONTHS, BUT IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, A PART OF JUST A LENS OF, UH, THINKING ABOUT, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UM, I'M HOPING TO JUST HEAR FROM YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO STEAL ANY THUNDER FROM FRIDAY, BUT, UM, MY CONCERN IS IF WE'RE, UM, OF COURSE

[01:35:01]

UM, BUT I WONDER IF THERE WAS ANY, UM, KIND OF WAY THAT WE LOOKED INTO, UM, IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THESE THINGS, UM, EVEN WITHIN THE POLICE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, UM, GIVEN, USING, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP OR USING CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP.

SO I GUESS THAT'S A BIGGER QUESTION THAT I MEANT THAN I MEANT IT TO BE.

I'M KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT I GUESS I'LL SAY WHEN, HOW ARE WE CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY AND THEN TWO, DO WE SEE ANY ROOM TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THESE, UM, TRANSFORMATIONS RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY EVEN, UM, WHILE FOLLOWING, UM, THE, THE LEDGE, UH, THE LUNCH CHANGES.

THIS CONVERSATION WILL CONTINUE.

SO THERE'S THREE WAYS I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

UM, ONE IS, AS WE'RE DEVELOPING A LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ALREADY ALIGNED WITH WORK THAT, UM, THE CITY IS DOING.

AND SO ONCE I GET THAT LIST, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE IT.

AND THEN THAT WILL BE WHERE, UM, THE CONTINUAL COLLABORATION, PARTICULARLY WITH THE WORK GROUPS WILL HAPPEN, UM, BECAUSE THE REVIEW TEAMS CON OUR INTERNAL REVIEW TEAMS WILL CONTINUE.

UM, AND SO I KNOW THAT THERE'VE BEEN SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF THEIR WORK GROUP MEMBERS, BUT ONCE WE KIND OF SOLIDIFY THOSE SYNERGIES, THOSE CONVERSATIONS WILL CONTINUE.

UM, SECONDLY IS THAT THERE WERE INVESTMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS MADE IN TERMS OF THE BROADER RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY THAT WILL CONTINUE.

SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A HINT IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU MAY HEAR ON FRIDAY.

THIRD IS, UM, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PATROL AND SURVEILLANCE AND PATROL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS, THOSE WERE BIG PICTURE ITEMS. THOSE WERE, UM, FIGURING OUT A DIFFERENT WAY OR POTENTIALLY DOING A WAY WITH THE USE OF CANINE LAKE PATROL HORSES.

AND SO WHAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH RIGHT NOW IS THAT DO WE COMBINE THE WORK GROUPS AND SOME INTERNAL CITY STAFF TO REALLY THINK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE LONG-TERM, UM, POTENTIAL CHANGES IN TERMS OF HOW WE UTILIZE THOSE POLICING TACTICS.

UM, IT IS A RECOMMENDATION THAT I'M HOPING TO MAKE TO THE MANAGER, UM, BECAUSE THOSE DECISIONS REALLY CAN'T BE MADE THAT QUICKLY.

AND WE THINK THAT SINCE COMMUNITY BROUGHT THOSE FORWARD COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS OF ANALYSIS AND REVIEW TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE PUSH THE NEEDLE, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF HOW WE USE CANINE, HOW WE USE, UM, UM, HORSES IN PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, THE NEED AND THE USES OF, UM, LAKE PATROL.

AND THAT ALSO INVOLVES, YOU KNOW, A CONVERSATION WITH OUR, WITH OUR PARTNER ON THAT AS PART ON THE REVIEW TEAM WITH EMS. UM, AND SO TH THAT'S HOW I WENT INTO THOSE.

I DON'T, I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION, CAUSE THIS IS NOT MY IMPRESSION, BECAUSE I AM VERY, VERY MUCH PASSIONATE ABOUT REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT THIS CONVERSATION IS ENDING.

UM, I THINK NOW IT JUST CONTINUES IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS NEW LAW, WHICH WHEN WE WERE ON THE TASK FORCE TOGETHER, WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THAT THEN.

AND SO OUR, OUR, OUR SPHERE IS DIFFERENT, BUT I STILL THINK IT DOESN'T CHANGE OUR ABILITY TO REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY.

SO AT THE, AT THIS POINT, JUST TO CIRCLE OR PUT A FINER POINT ON IT, DO YOU, IS THE TASK FORCE NO LONGER OPERATING OR IS IT ON PAUSE OR WHAT, WHAT DO YOU IMAGINE AS THE FUTURE OF THE GROUP OF FOLKS THAT GOT TO GET THERE TO PLAN SOME OF THESE CHANGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS? YEAH, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE TASK FORCE, AS WE PARTICIPATED ON FOR SIX MONTHS WILL CONTINUE.

I DO THINK THAT THE WORKER, UM, THE, THOSE CONNECTIONS AND CONVERSATIONS AND MEETINGS WITH THE WORK GROUP AND OUR REVIEW TEAMS, I DO BELIEVE THOSE WILL CONTINUE BECAUSE FUNDAMENTALLY WHY WE CONNECTED OUR REVIEW TEAMS WITH THE WORK GROUP IS BECAUSE THE WORK GROUPS WERE REALLY THE ONES THAT CREATED THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND REALLY KIND OF WHERE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO I BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS NEED TO CONTINUE, BUT OUR KIND OF FORMAL TASK FORCE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD, I DON'T ANTICIPATE BACK CONTINUING, BUT AGAIN, I'M KIND OF A LITTLE BIT SPEAKING OUT OF TURN, BECAUSE THIS IS A TASKFORCE THAT WAS CREATED BY THE MANAGER.

SO I WOULD HAVE TO RUN THAT BY HIM, BUT THIS IS JUST THE SENSE THAT I'M GETTING AS WE'RE KIND OF WORKING THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, EIGHT Q ANYONE ELSE.

UM, I HAVE, UH, I, I THINK IS REALLY MAYBE A QUESTION FOR SOMEONE ELSE.

I DON'T KNOW.

YOU CAN LET ME KNOW FARRAH.

UM, I HAVE READ, UM, HOUSE BILL 1900.

AND SO I UNDERSTAND HOW THE MECHANISMS WORK.

UM, I THINK,

[01:40:01]

UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, IMPACTING, IF, IF WE DIDN'T CHANGE OUR BUDGET IMPACTING, UM, THE CITY'S ABILITY, UH, TO, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD, UM, UH, BRING OTHER, YOU KNOW, UNINCORPORATED AREAS INTO THE SAME ANNEXATION NEXT STATION IN D ANNEXATION.

UM, AND ALSO IT WOULD AFFECT OUR TAX RATE, UM, AND, AND MAYBE GRANTS FROM THE STATE ALSO LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANTS.

ANYWAY.

UM, BUT I I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE WE COULD PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR A FUTURE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING.

I WOULD REALLY LOVE FOR SOMEONE MAYBE IN CITY LEGAL TO SHOW THEIR WORK ON HOW THEY DECIDED THE CITY COULDN'T POSSIBLY LIKE, NOT GIVE UP, LIKE, HAD TO GIVE UP ON THIS.

I JUST TO SEE THE ANALYSIS ON THAT, UM, BECAUSE I I'VE HEARD IT FROM MANY OTHER SOURCES THAT THE CITY HAS JUST SAID, WE HAVE TO COMPLY.

THERE'S NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT WE COULD, UM, KEEP OUR BUDGET WHERE IT IS WITH APD.

UM, BUT I I'D LOVE TO ACTUALLY SEE THE MATH ON THAT.

UM, YEAH.

UM, IT IS AN INAPPROPRIATE QUESTION FOR LEGAL AND I DO HIGHLY RECOMMEND, UM, THAT BEING A NEXT, UM, ON AN AGENDA ITEM, I WILL SAY THAT THE CONSEQUENCES TO THE CITY IN THAT BILL AND THAT NEW LAW ARE VERY SEVERE AND IT DOESN'T, I MEAN, IT IMPACTS THE WHOLE CITY.

SO IT IS, UH, IT WOULD BE A CALCULATED RISK, UM, PARTICULARLY FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL, UM, TO REALLOCATE FUNDS FROM PD, BECAUSE THE WHAT, WHEN, WHEN A MUNICIPALITY IS CATEGORIZED AS A DEFUNDING MUNICIPALITY AND IT'S DEFINED IN THE LAW, UM, IT TRIGGERS BASIC, I MEAN, PUNITIVE MEASURES, RIGHT? AND THE PUNITIVE MEASURES ARE QUITE SEVERE THAT HAVE IMPACT ON THE WHOLE CITY.

RIGHT.

UM, AND SO I THINK THAT IS WHY YOU'RE, YOU MAY BE SENSING A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF CAUTION BECAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU COME BACK THAT BECAUSE IT IMPACTS OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE.

THE ANNEXATION IS A HUGE MONETARY ISSUE FOR THE CITY.

UM, AND JUST TO BE VERY FRANK, I THINK THE CITY IS ERRING ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION, UM, AND REALLY LOOKING AT THIS NEW LAW BY THE LETTER OF THE LAW, THE POOR CORNERS OF IT, UM, AND REALLY, UM, BEING CAUTIOUS BECAUSE OF ITS PUNITIVE NATURE AND ITS IMPACT ON THE FINANCIAL CAUSE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO IMPACT THE CITY ONE FINANCIAL YEAR THERE'S COULD BE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS.

AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE CAUTION I DO.

YEAH, NO, I UNDERSTAND.

I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S LIKE YOU DO IT FOR ONE YEAR AND THEY PUNISH YOU FOR 10 YEARS.

IT'S AWFUL.

I MEAN, OF COURSE IT'S AWFUL.

THEY'RE AWFUL.

I WORK AT THE LEGISLATURE.

THEY'RE AWFUL PEOPLE.

UM, BUT, UH, I'M JUST, I'M, I'M, I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE, UM, I JUST I'D LIKE TO HEAR THE ANALYSIS SO WE CAN MAKE SURE COMMISSIONER BERNARD THAT WE HAVE THAT ON OUR LIST OF AGENDA ITEMS TO BE COVERING IN THE NEXT CAUSE THIS REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOW THAT ALIGNS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KEEP ON BOARD.

SO THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE CAN JUST CLARIFICATION REAL QUICK.

SO THAT WOULD BE AT APPROXIMATELY FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR THIRTY 4 MILLION.

I DIDN'T HEAR THE, UH, THE BUDGET, THE POLICE BUDGET AMOUNTS AGAIN, COULD YOU OVER THOSE WHAT WE ARE AT AND WHAT IS SO, UM, THIS IS, I TALKED ABOUT THIS IN RELATION TO THE NEW BILL HOUSE BILL 1900 THAT GOES INTO FOR SEPTEMBER 1ST.

SO FOR OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS FYI 21 APDS BUDGET WAS APPROXIMATELY 292 MILLION.

WHAT THE NEW LAW STATES IS THAT APD HAS TO GO BACK, I BELIEVE THE PAST TWO FISCAL YEARS.

SO WHEN YOU HEAR THE SPEECH ON FRIDAY AT A MINIMUM PD WILL BE BACK TO 434 MILLION BASICALLY.

UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO BELONG TO THE INITIATIVE? YES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR.

I'M GOING TO PASS IT ON TO MY STAFF.

ANI IS GOING, UM, START US OFF AND THEN SARAH IS GOING TO FINISH OUT THE PRESENTATION.

YOU CAN STAY WITHIN THAT SAME PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US AND THANK YOU TO WHOEVER'S GUIDING OUR, OUR, OUR POINT DECK NOW.

UM, CAN WE MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? YES,

[01:45:18]

IT'S IT'S THE, YES.

THE THIRD SLIDE.

THIS IS DAVID TEXAS, RIGHT? OKAY.

AND NEXT SLIDE.

THERE YOU GO.

UM, SO GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS ANI MICHELLE EVANS, AND I AM THE POLICY COMPLIANCE CONSULTANT FOR THE OFFICE OF THINGS OVERSIGHT.

AND AS FAIR SAID, I'M JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE, SARA PERALTA, WHO IS OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MARKETING PROGRAM MANAGER.

UM, SO WE'RE HERE TODAY TO SHARE SOME BACKGROUND ON THE REPORT THAT OUR OFFICE PUBLISHED IN JANUARY ASSESSING HOW APDS CURRENT POLICIES COMPARED TO BEST PRACTICES AND THE MODEL POLICIES AT THE CENTER OF THE E KELLY INITIATIVE BY CAMPAIGN ZERO.

SO WHAT I'D FIRST LIKE TO DO IS GIVE SOME BACKGROUND ON HOW WE GOT HERE AND THEN, UH, WALK US THROUGH WHAT WE CALL IT A THREE PHASE PROCESS FOR BOTH THIS PROJECT AND THE PROCESS THAT WE'LL BE USING FOR THE REST OF A GENERAL ORDERS REWRITE AS A WHOLE.

UM, I'LL WALK US THROUGH PHASE ONE, WHICH IS OUR POLICY REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS PHASE.

AND THEN SARAH WILL WALK US THROUGH PHASES TWO AND THREE, WHICH INVOLVED COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.

AND THEN OUR FINAL ANALYSIS.

OKAY, GO BACK ONE OTHER ACTUALLY WE'RE ON THE RIGHT ONE.

IF WE COULD GO FORWARD ONE SLIDE.

I'M SORRY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO DO IS AGAIN, TALK ABOUT THE WHY AND HOW WE GOT HERE.

SO IN JUNE, 2020, AS YOU ALL MAY KNOW, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PASSED THREE HD RESOLUTIONS, WHICH WE REFER TO AS RESOLUTION 50 RESOLUTION 95 AND RESOLUTION 96.

SO RESOLUTION ID, SIX TALKED ABOUT FUNDING AND BUDGET AND DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO PROPOSE A BUDGET THAT INCLUDED FUNDING FOR A PROCESS TO REWRITE APS POLICY MANUAL, WHICH WE CALL THE GENERAL ORDERS.

UM, AND ALSO IN RESOLUTION 96 COUNCIL STATED THAT THIS REWRITE OF THE GENERAL ORDERS SHOULD BE FACILITATED BY OFFICES LIKE THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.

AND IT SHOULD MAKE CHANGES THAT REFLECT NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES AND COMMUNITY INPUT.

THEN THE RESOLUTION 15, WHICH WE HAVE IN THE CENTER TALKED ABOUT THE CITY'S STRATEGIC DIRECTION AND SAID THAT REMEDIAL STRATEGIES TO BRING THE CITY OF BOSTON CLOSER TO ACHIEVING GOALS.

LIKE NO RACIAL DISPARITY SHOULD DRAW FROM BEST PRACTICES AND CAMPAIGNS AIMED AT REDUCING OR ELIMINATING USE OF FORCE INCIDENTS LIKE CAMPING ZEROS EIGHT CAN'T WAIT.

AND THEN FINALLY WE HAD RESOLUTION 95, WHICH YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT HIGHLIGHTED IN RED AND RESOLUTION 95, LAID OUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WITH OFFICIAL POSITION ON SEVERAL POLICIES RELATED TO THE USE OF FORCE BY POLICE.

AND IN THIS RESOLUTION COUNCIL SPOKE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY TO EACH OF THE EIGHT POLICIES AT THE CENTER OF EIGHT CAMP WEEK.

MUST BE PROPORTIONATE TO THE SITUATION AND THREAT PRESENTED.

SO DIRECTIONS FROM COUNCIL OPO WORKED WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO DEVELOP A THREE-PHASE PLAN, AS I WAS SAYING TO EXECUTE THE REWRITING PIECE GENERAL ORDERS.

SO IN PHASE ONE, OPO CONDUCTS A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC APD POLICIES AND ISSUES RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW THE POLICIES CAN BE IMPROVED.

AND FOR THE ANALYSIS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, OPO ANALYZED APDS POLICIES AGAINST THE BEST PRACTICES, INCLUDING EIGHT CANT WAITS MODEL POLICIES, UM, AND THROUGH THE LENS OF RESOLUTION 95, WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE IN FRONT OF YOU NOW.

SO, UM, AS WE SAW IN THE LAST SLIDE, UH, RESOLUTION 95 STATED THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S POSITION ON POLICY TOPICS, EPICENTER OF EIGHT CAN'T WAIT.

AND THIS SLIDE SHOWS QUOTED TEXTS FROM RESOLUTION 95 AND UNDERNEATH SHOWS THE CORRESPONDING POLICIES FROM EIGHT CAN'T.

WAIT.

SO THE FIRST GROUP HERE, WE SEE, UM, THAT THE CITY OF BOSTON DIRECTED THAT DEADLY FORCE AGAINST INDIVIDUALS FLEEING AND VEHICLE, OR ON FOOT MUST BE LIMITED TO SITUATIONS WHERE NECESSARY FOR SELF-DEFENSE OR DEFENSE OF OTHERS OR WHERE THERE ARE NO REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES.

AND THE TWO AKA POLICIES THAT ALIGN WITH THIS POSITION ARE THE RESTRICTION OF SHOOTING AT MOVING VEHICLES AND EXHAUSTING ALTERNATIVES BEFORE USING DEADLY FORCE.

NEXT, WE SEE THAT CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED APE TO APPROPRIATELY ENFORCE ANY POLICIES REQUIRING OFFICERS TO INTERVENE, TO STOP IMPROPER OR EXCESSIVE USES OF FORCE BY FELLOW OFFICERS.

AND THE CAN'T WAIT POLICY THAT WITH THIS POSITION IS AGAIN, THE DUTY TO INTERVENE UNDERNEATH THAT.

THE THIRD GROUP, WE SEE THAT CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED THAT ANY USE OF FORCE ALSO INCORPORATE DEESCALATION TACTICS AND THAT THE USE OF FORCE RESPONSE

[01:50:01]

AND THE CAN WEIGHT POLICIES THAT ALIGN WITH THIS POSITION ARE WARNING BEFORE SHOOTING DEESCALATION AND REQUIRING A USE OF FORCE.

NO, WE SEE THAT CITY COUNCIL CALLED FOR A STRICT PROHIBITION AGAINST THE USE OF CHOKEHOLD AND STRANGLEHOLD AS A POLICING TACTIC AND EIGHT CAN'T WAIT HAS, UM, A PARALLEL POLICY TO BANJO CALLS AND STRANGLE HOLDS.

AND THEN FINALLY CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO ENSURE THAT REVISIONS TO THE GENERAL ORDERS INCORPORATE COMPREHENSIVE REPORTING FOR USES OF FORCE AND USE OF FORCE THREATS.

AND AGAIN, IT CAN'T WAIT HAS A POLICY THAT ALIGNS WITH THIS POSITION, UM, BEING IN THE REQUIREMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE REPORTING.

SO AS WE CAN SEE RESOLUTION 95 SPOKE TO ALL OF THE POLICIES AT THE CENTER OF EIGHT, CAN'T WAIT EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, THERE'S A GREEN CHECK MARK NEXT TO THE LEFT OF MOST OF THE EIGHT CAN WE POLICIES.

AND THERE'S SIX CHECK MARKS IN TOTAL.

AND THIS GROUP OF SIX REPRESENTS THE POLICIES THAT OPO ADDRESSED IN OUR REPORT.

YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE TWO POLICIES WITH A YELLOW PUSHPIN NEXT TO THEM, WHICH INCLUDES COMPREHENSIVE REPORTING AND THE USE OF FORCE CONTINUUM.

AND THOSE ARE TWO POLICIES THAT WE DID NOT ADDRESS IN THIS REPORT.

WE WILL BE ADDRESSING THESE POLICIES IN THE FUTURE, BUT THE REASON THEY'RE NOT PART OF THIS REPORT IS BECAUSE THE CITY OF BOSTON HIRED CRUEL ASSOCIATES AS CONSULTANTS TO REVIEW AND ASSESS APDS USE OF FORCE POLICIES AND A NUMBER OF USE OF FORCE REPORTS.

AND SO THIS ASSESSMENT RELATES DIRECTLY TO THESE TWO POLICY AREAS, COMPREHENSIVE REPORTING AND USE OF FORCE CONTINUUM.

AND SO OUR OFFICE WILL BE REVIEWING THE FINDINGS THAT COME OUT OF THAT ASSESSMENT BEFORE OFFERING RECOMMENDATIONS ON THESE TWO.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHY WE DID THIS ANALYSIS AND NOW I'D LIKE TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT HOW SO OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL MONTHS, UH, OPO CONDUCTED VARIOUS FORMS OF RESEARCH, WHICH WE USE AS A BASIS FOR OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND ONE OF THE MAJOR PARTS OF OUR RESEARCH WAS A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.

AND IN THAT ANALYSIS, WE COMPARED APD POLICIES TO THE MODEL POLICIES, EPICENTER OF EAT.

CAN'T WAIT, AND TO THE POLICIES USED BY POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND THE 100 LARGEST US CITIES THAT WERE A PART OF THAT STUDY.

WE ALSO COMPARED APS CURRENT POLICIES TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S OFFICIAL POSITION ON THESE TOPICS, WHICH WE SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.

AND IN ADDITION TO THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, WE ALSO DID FURTHER RESEARCH, INCLUDING LOOKING AT CASE LAW STATUTES, SCHOLARLY ARTICLES, REPORTS FROM OVERSIGHT AGENCIES, PRESENTATIONS FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT BEST PRACTICES IDENTIFIED BY POLICING BODIES, LIKE THE POLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM AND THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS WE'LL USE X Y PLEASE.

SO NOW WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS QUICKLY TALK ABOUT KEY FINDINGS FROM OUR RESEARCH, AND THERE'S TWO SLIDES FOR THIS, UM, FOR THIS FIRST SLIDE, THE FIRST KEY FINDING IS WE FOUND IN GENERAL THAT MANY IMPORTANT TERMS WITHIN THE GENERAL ORDERS ARE NOT DEFINED.

SO TERMS OF ART, UM, WORDS THAT WE KNOW HAVE PARTICULAR MEANING IN THIS CONTEXT OR WORDS THAT COULD BE INTERPRETED TO MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS NEED TO BE DEFINED TO HELP READERS UNDERSTAND THE INTENT OF THE POLICIES AND ELIMINATE CONFUSION TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.

WE ALSO FOUND THAT THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF UNCLEAR POLICY LANGUAGE.

SO AN EXAMPLE MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, TELLING OFFICERS TO DO SOMETHING BUT NOT PROVIDING GUIDELINES OR EXAMPLES OF HOW THEY SHOULD DO IT.

UM, WE ALSO FOUND THAT SOME OF, UH, MANY OF THE APS POLICIES WERE UNALIGNED WITH BEST PRACTICES, UM, AND OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S OFFICIAL POSITION.

SO AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS, UH, THE FACT THAT CURRENT POLICY ALLOWS FOR SHOOTING AT MOVING VEHICLES WHEN THE VEHICLE ITSELF IS A WEAPON COMPARED TO, UM, BEST PRACTICE, UM, BEING TO SHOOT, UH, ALLOW FOR SHOOTING AT MOVING VEHICLES WHEN SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE VEHICLE ITSELF IS PRESENTING A THREAT.

UH, WE ALSO FOUND THAT POLICIES THAT TALK ABOUT NON-COMPLIANCE ONLY DID SO IN TERMS OF DELIBERATE NONCOMPLIANCE.

SO THEY DIDN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THINGS LIKE EXTERNAL NOISE, LANGUAGE BARRIERS, VISION, OR HEARING CAPABILITIES, UM, REAL-WORLD REAL-WORLD ISSUES, UM, THAT CAN PLAY INTO SOMEONE'S ABILITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.

AND LAST ON THIS SLIDE, WE FOUND A LACK OF GUIDANCE FOR OFFICERS AND DECISION-MAKERS.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, FOR THE DUTY TO INTERCEDE POLICY, UM, IT MIGHT INSTRUCT OFFICERS TO PROMPTLY REPORT, BUT IT DOESN'T OFTEN OFFER A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME OR WHAT DETAILS THE REPORT SHOULD INCLUDE.

I'M EXCITED, PLEASE.

SO, UH, ANOTHER KEY FINDING WAS THAT CURRENT POLICY DOES NOT, UM, BAN SHIELD COLTON STRANGLEHOLD.

IT DOES RESTRICT THEM, BUT IT DOES NOT CATEGORICALLY ABANDON, UM, WHICH IS IN CONTRAST TO BOTH THE CITY'S

[01:55:01]

POSITION AT YONDER.

HE CAN'T WAIT AND, UH, SOME BEST PRACTICES.

WE ALSO FOUND THAT MANY OF THE POLICIES, UM, THE SCOPE WAS TOO NARROW.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE DUTY TO INTERVENE MIGHT ONLY APPLY TO EXCESSIVE FORCE SITUATIONS WHEN IT COULD AND SHOULD BE A STANDALONE POLICY THAT APPLIES TO OTHER, UM, MISCONDUCT AS WELL.

WE ALSO FOUND, UM, SOME ISSUES RELATED TO INCONSISTENT DIRECTIVES, AND WE ALSO, AGAIN, FOUND THAT SOME REAL WORLD ISSUES WERE LEFT UNADDRESSED.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, NOT ADDRESSING ISSUES THAT, UM, MIGHT COME AS A RESULT OF THE CULTURE OF POLICING AND POLICE HIERARCHY AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT, UH, COULD IMPACT SOMEONE'S ABILITY TO INTERVENE.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE PERSON WHO WAS ENGAGING IN MISCONDUCT WAS A SUPERIOR.

AND THEN LASTLY, WE FOUND, UM, A LACK OF SPECIFIC REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR MANY POLICIES.

SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO JUST QUICKLY, IF I HAVE TIME, UM, WALK THROUGH ONE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE USING APDS CURRENT DUTY TO INTERCEDE POLICY, AND THEN OPIODS PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO WE FOUND FIVE MINUTES SHE'S WITH THIS POLICY, UH, FIRST THAT THE TERMS USED WERE UNCLEAR OR UNDEFINED SECOND, BUT THE POLICY OFFERED NO GUIDANCE ON HOW OFFICERS WERE SUPPOSED TO INTERVENE A THIRD, BUT THE SCOPE OF THE POLICY IS TOO NARROW.

AND THEN IT ONLY TALKS ABOUT INTERVENING IN EXCESSIVE FORCE SITUATIONS AND NOT OTHER SITUATIONS IN WHICH OFFICERS OBSERVE OTHER OFFICERS ENGAGING IN INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT.

AND FOURTH, THE POLICY DOES NOT ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO RANK AND POLICE HIERARCHY.

AND THEN FINALLY THE POLICY DOES NOT OUTLINE SPECIFIC REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

SO THIS IS APS CURRENT POLICY, UM, HERE, HIGHLIGHTED IN THE BOX.

AND THEN IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SIDE, OKAY, IN QUEUE, THESE ARE OPS PROPOSED REVISIONS, AND I'VE DONE SOME HIGHLIGHTING TO KIND OF HELP WALK US THROUGH.

UM, SO TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, WE FIRST DEFINE THE TERM INTERVENE, AND THAT'S NOT PART OF THE SLIDE FOR SPACING REASONS.

UM, BUT IT IS PART OF OUR REPORT, WHICH WE, UM, WE COULD MAKE AVAILABLE TO YOU.

SO IN OUR REPORT, WE DEFINE THE TERM AS, UM, VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY INTERACTING WITH ANOTHER OFFICER IN ORDER TO PREVENT, STOP OR MODIFY A RESULT OR SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND BEYOND THE DEFINITIONS GOING TO THAT, THE MEAT OF THE POLICY.

UM, WE ALSO RECOMMEND THAT THE POLICY SPEAK TO DISCIPLINE AND PROPOSED THAT IF OFFICERS FAILED TO INTERVENE, WHEN A SITUATION CALLS FOR IT, THAT THEY BE SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINE OF THE SAME SEVERITY AS A BABY THEMSELVES ENGAGED IN THE CONDUCT IN QUESTION, AND THAT COMES FROM, UM, LANGUAGE THAT OTHER CITIES USE.

AND SO THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW OUR COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS MIGHT HAVE WEIGHED IN.

AND THAT COULD COVER A BROADER RANGE OF CONDUCT.

SO INCLUDING DISHONESTY BIAS BASED, PROFILING, HARASSMENT, ET CETERA, UH, IN SUBSECTION B, WE ALSO PROPOSED LANGUAGE TO MAKE IT CLEAR HOW OFFICERS ARE EXPECTED TO INTERVENE, AND THAT IT'D BE PROGRESSIVE.

SO VERBAL AT FIRST, BUT A PHYSICAL IS REQUIRED THEN PHYSICAL AND IT'D BE DONE SAFELY.

SO AS NOT TO FURTHER HARM THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF THE INITIAL CONDUCT IN QUESTION, AND THEN IN SUBSECTION C, B AND E, WE ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT WHO WITNESSED INCIDENTS, CREATING A DUTY TO INTERVENE IMMEDIATELY ACTIVATE THEIR BODY-WORN CAMERAS IF THEY ARE NOT ALREADY ACTIVATED AND THE OFFICERS IMMEDIATELY RADIO TO DISPATCH, AND THAT CREATES A RECORD.

UM, AND FURTHER ONCE THE SITUATION IS STABLE, WE RECOMMEND THE OFFICERS IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY A SUPERVISOR AND DOCUMENT THEIR OBSERVATIONS AND INVOLVEMENT IN AN INCIDENT REPORT.

SO WITH THAT, UM, I WILL PASS IT TO SARA PERALTA TO DISCUSS PHASE TWO AND THREE.

NOW WE'RE PROCESSING THAT DATA.

HI, MS. PERALTA.

I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY, BUT I ONLY HAVE ONE MINUTE FOR YOU.

SO IF YOU COULD GIVE US A HIGH LEVEL, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

I GOT US A COUPLE MORE MINUTES, BUT WE'RE ON A TIGHT TIME SCHEDULE.

SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE, NO PROBLEM.

I'LL KEEP IT SUPER SIMPLE.

MY NAME IS SARAH I'M WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.

UM, WHAT WE DID IN PHASE TWO WAS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORT.

IT HAD TWO COMPONENTS.

ONE WAS A SERIES OF COMMUNITY EVENTS.

THE DETAILS ARE ON THE SLIDES.

YOU GUYS GOT THOSE EARLIER.

WE DID FOUR EVENTS.

WE'VE REACHED ABOUT 60 INDIVIDUALS.

WE OFFERED INTERPRETATIONS ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND AN ESL ENGAGEMENT WAS A SURVEY THAT WAS HOSTED IN SPEAK UP AUSTIN.

WE GOT ABOUT 1400 RESPONSES AND, UM, THAT WAS OFFERED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AS WELL, SO THAT WE HAVE CONCLUDED PHASE TWO.

AND NOW WE'VE MOVED ON TO PHASE THREE.

SO BASICALLY WAS COMMUNITY.

[02:00:01]

WE ARE STILL VERY EARLY IN THE PHASE OF PHASE TWO.

SO WE HAVE IT DON'T HAVE ANY INITIAL FINDINGS FOR YOU QUITE YET, BUT, UM, WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN GET YOU THE FINDINGS AND THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN A REPORT, UM, THIS FALL.

HOW DOES THAT DO FOR YOU COMMISSIONER? AMAZING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

AND WE DO HAVE THE SLIDES IN THE BACKUP.

SO I APOLOGIZE.

WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS, BUT I KNOW WE WILL HAVE YOU BACK ON OUR AGENDA AND WE WILL MAKE SURE WE HAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS LEFT NEXT TIME.

UM, AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE FOUR MINUTES TO GET EVERYTHING DONE.

WE ARE MOVING TO A TOPIC OF, UH, ADDITIONAL ITEMS

[4. Future Agenda Items (4:55-5:00pm)]

FOR OUR AGENDAS.

DO I HAVE ANYONE THAT HAS ADDITIONAL ITEMS THEY WANT ON RJ? YEAH.

YES.

HI.

UM, I WOULD LOVE IF WE CAN PUT, UM, ON THE AGENDA, UM, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE INITIAL FINDINGS FROM THE SEX CRIMES INVESTIGATIONS, UM, EVALUATION BY PERTH AND THE WOMEN'S LAW PROJECT.

I BELIEVE THEY PUT OUT SOME INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS.

GREAT.

COMMISSIONER LEWIS, MR. KICKOFF, GO AHEAD.

UH, YEAH, WE'LL THIS, UH, UH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE AND I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LAST, UH, TOPIC WILL THAT BE PUT ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA? UM, IF YOU CAN DOCUMENT THOSE QUESTIONS, WE CAN SEND THEM OUT TO YOU.

IF WE CAN PUT IT ON THE NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA, WE WILL, BUT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO WAIT FOR THEM TO HAVE THEIR NEXT, THEIR NEXT UPDATE OF REPORT BEFORE WE GIVE THEM A FULL SELECTION.

BUT IF YOU CAN PUT THOSE QUESTIONS IN AN EMAIL, WE CAN GET THOSE ANSWERED FOR YOU.

COMMISSIONER SIERRA AREBALO YES.

ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, COMMISSIONER, LOTS OF LUCK.

UH, I JUST THINK THAT ALL THREE TOPICS WE DISCUSSED TODAY, MAYBE FOR FOLLOWUP IN THE FALL, WHAT THE OPO AND, UM, THE BUDGET AND THE VENUE HOUSE BILL.

VERY GOOD.

ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT.

UH, WITH THAT, THAT WRAPS UP OUR MEETING.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO, UM, I JUST LOST TWO.

I HAVE A SECOND ORIGINAL AREAS AND NOW WE HAVE TO DO A POINT BY POINT, UM, ROLL CALL.

I SAY YES TO ADJOURNMENT COMMISSIONER HODSON BLOCK.

YES.

COMMISSIONER YES.

COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT.

AND WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS VOTE FOR A DRINK BY BELFRY GERMAN.