* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Swearing In Ceremony of APD Police Chief Joseph Chacon on October 29, 2021] [00:00:07] GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. YES. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING ME TODAY FOR THE OATH OF OFFICE CEREMONY FOR AUSTIN'S 10TH CHIEF OF POLICE, JOSEPH CHECON AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO PLEASE STAND AS THE APD HONOR GUARD PIPE AND DRUM CORPS PROVIDES THE PRESENTATION OF THE COLORS FOLLOWED BY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM SUNG BY APD OFFICER JELANI JOHNSON, AND PLEASE REMAIN STANDING UNTIL AFTER APD CHAPLAIN. RICK RANDALL SPEAKS. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. OH, SAY, CAN YOU SEE BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT? WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HAILED AT THE TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING WHOSE BROAD STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS THROUGH THE OR THE LEE STREET. ME AND AND, UH, [00:05:06] GOOD AFTERNOON. CAN WE JOIN TOGETHER IN PRAYER, HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ARE GATHERED HERE THIS AFTERNOON TO THE LEADERSHIP OF YOUR SERVANT, JOSEPH CHACAN AS CHIEF OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT HUMAN BEINGS MAKE OUR PLANS, BUT YOU, GOD DIRECT OUR STEPS. YOU'VE TOLD US IN YOUR WORD THAT ALL AUTHORITY COMES FROM THE LORD. SO FROM THESE WORDS, WE REALIZE IT IS YOU WHO RAISES UP LEADERS TO GUIDE AND INSTRUCT US TO REVEAL TO US THE PATH YOU WOULD HAVE US TO FOLLOW. WE THANK YOU FOR THE STRENGTH OF CHARACTER AND THE DEVOTION TO DUTY THAT YOU BUILT INTO JOSEPH , THAT HE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE EXAMPLE OF INTEGRITY AND KINDNESS. THAT HAS BEEN, THAT HE HAS BEEN FOR ALL OF US. WE'RE AWARE LORD, AS IS HE THAT HE CANNOT CARRY OUT THIS MISSION APART FROM YOU. SO I ASKED TODAY THAT YOU WOULD GIVE HIM THREE GIFTS TO CHARACTERIZE HIS TENURE AS CHIEF OVER THIS DEPARTMENT. FIRST LORD, GIVE HIM COMPASSION, GIVE HIM A HEART THAT SEES NOT JUST THE PROBLEMS, BUT THE NEEDS OF BOTH THOSE. HE LEADS AND THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY. WHEN TUFTS STANDS MUST BE TAKEN, GOD HELP HIM TO TAKE THEM IN A CONTEXT OF EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING. SECOND, GIVE HIM CONFIDENCE. REMIND HIM EVERY DAY THAT YOU HAVE RAISED HIM UP TO THIS POSITION, STRENGTHEN HIM LORD, WHEN HE HAS, HE HAS DOUBTS. AND WHEN ADVERSITY IS THREATENED, REMIND HIM THAT IT IS NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER, BUT BY YOUR SPIRIT THAT HE LEADS. AND MAY HE KNOW THAT HE STANDS IN THIS POSITION AS YOUR CHOSEN INSTRUMENT AND THIRD GOD GIVE HIM COURAGE. AT TIMES WHEN TAKING THE STANDS YOU CALL THEM TO TAKE. WHEN THAT MEANS THAT THERE SEEM TO BE FEW WHO STAND WITH HIM, REMIND HIM. HE IS SURROUNDED BY MEN AND WOMEN OF EQUAL COURAGE AND CONVICTION WHO ARE READY TO SUPPORT HIM IN DOING THE THINGS YOU HAVE CALLED HIM TO DO GOD. I ASKED THESE GIFTS OF COMPASSION, CONFIDENCE, AND COURAGE BE RENEWED AND CHIEF CHACAN EACH DAY. I ALSO ASK YOU TO BLESS AND PROTECT HIS FAMILY FOR THEY TOO, HAVE BEEN CALLED TO A UNIQUE PLACE OF SERVICE AND SACRIFICE, PROTECT THEM AGAINST THE WOUNDS OF CRITICISM AND COMPLAINT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, BLESSED THEM WITH YOUR GRACE AND MAINTAIN YOUR LOVING PRESENCE SO THAT THEIR HOME IS A REFUGE AND A SHELTER AND A PLACE OF REFRESHMENT FOR THE JOURNEY AHEAD, CHIEF TECHONE TODAY, YOU'RE TAKING ON NOT JUST THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OVER 2000 EMPLOYEES OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. YOU'RE ALSO PICKING UP THE LEGACY OF 158 YEARS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS CITY. AS I PRAY THIS PRAYER, I AM MINDFUL THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO FORGED THIS LEGACY ARE SILENT, BUT UNSEEN WITNESSES TO THIS MOMENT ON THEIR BEHALF. I SPEAK OVER YOU. THE WORDS OF THE PROPHET, MICAH FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES, WHO SAID HE HAS SHOWED YOU, OH MAN, WHAT IS GOOD? AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU TO ACT JUSTLY, TO LOVE MERCY AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD, MAY THE LORD BLESS THE WORDS OF THIS PRAYER. AND MAY YOU FEEL HIS ANOINTING ON YOU AS YOU ASSUME, THE PLACE OF HIS CALLING? AMEN. YOU MAY BE SEATED. MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUDGE CHIEF, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS. IT IS AN HONOR TO BE WITH YOU HERE THIS AFTERNOON. AND AS YOU ALL WELL KNOW THE DECISION TO SELECT THE NEXT CHIEF OF POLICE TO LEAD. THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT DECISION. WE NEEDED SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO LEAD OUR CITY'S POLICE FORCE WITH INNOVATIVE IDEAS, FOCUS ON COMMUNITY, RELATIONAL, POLICING, BUILD TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE COMMUNITY, INSTILL TRUST IN THE WORKFORCE, ACHIEVE RESULTS AND SOMEONE WHO IS WILLING AND ABLE TO LEAD THE DEPARTMENT IN WAYS THAT RESULT IN EQUITABLE OUTCOMES FOR ALL AUSTINITES [00:10:01] AND VISITORS. AND AFTER LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND WORKING DIRECTLY WITH CHIEF TACAN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, IT WAS CLEAR THAT HE WAS THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB WITH YES, WITH MORE THAN 28 YEARS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE, HE HAS SERVED IN MANY ROLES MOST RECENTLY AS INTERIM CHIEF OF POLICE. BEFORE THAT HE SERVED AS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OR THE DEPARTMENT CENTRAL PATROL BUREAU, WHICH INCLUDES THE DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, SPECIALIZED PATROL FUNCTIONS, SUCH AS MOUNTED PARKS AND LAKES, WALKING BEATS AND APD SPECIAL EVENTS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT UNITS. HE ALSO MANAGED THE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION, INCLUDING SWOT BOMB SQUAD K NINE UNITS, AIRPORT OPERATIONS, AND SUPERVISED APD SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM. CHIEF CHECON HAS WORKED MOST OF HIS 28 CAREER IN INVESTIGATIONS, EITHER AS A DETECTIVE OR SUPERVISING IN THE HOMICIDE ROBBERY, SEX CRIMES, CHILD ABUSE, AND SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNITS, AS WELL AS THE ORGANIZED CRIME DIVISION. HE HAS SERVED AS PATROL COMMANDER IN NORTH AUSTIN. AND AS THE DEPARTMENT'S INTELLIGENCE COMMANDER BEFORE BE PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT CHIEF IN 2016, HE HAS BUILT STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENTS ACROSS OUR REGION AS WITNESSED HERE TODAY, AS WE HAVE SO MANY OF OUR PARTNERS IN THE AUDIENCE, INCLUDING DURING HIS TIME AS DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER, A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY FUSION CENTER LOCATED IN CENTRAL AUSTIN, WHOSE AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY ENCOMPASSES 10 COUNTIES IN THE CENTRAL TEXAS AREA. CHIEF DAKOTA HAS ALSO DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS NATIONALLY SERVING ON THE MAJOR CITIES CHIEFS ASSOCIATION, INTELLIGENCE COMMANDERS GROUP, AS WELL AS THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF NATIONAL FUSION CENTER ASSOCIATION. HE'S A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS OF ARLINGTON SCHOOL OF URBAN AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, WHERE HERE AND A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, HE RECEIVED, HE RECEIVED HIS BACHELOR'S OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES FROM MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY IN WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS. NOW ALL OF THAT DESCRIBES HIS PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT HE CARES DEEPLY ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING EVERYONE NO MATTER WHAT THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE IS IN THAT REGARD, CHIEF TACONY IS COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. AND ONE OF HIS PASSIONS LIES IN THE DEVELOPMENTS AND CARE OF SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN. HE SPENT TIME AS A COACH AND MENTOR IN THE MIRACLE LEAGUE OF AUSTIN AND ADAPTIVE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL ORGANIZATION AND CONTINUES TO VOLUNTEER WITH THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS, TEXAS. HE IS ON THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEF OF POLICE TORCH RUN COMMITTEE AND ANCHOR ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO SPECIAL OLYMPICS. BUT IT'S IN MY TIME WORKING WITH THE CHIEF, IT IS EVAN. IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT HE TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN SERVING OUR COMMUNITY AND WORKING ALONGSIDE ALL OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. BEING A PUBLIC SERVANT IS A NOBLE PROFESSION. AND TO ALL THE FIRST RESPONDERS HERE TODAY, THOSE THAT RUN TOWARDS DANGER AND NOT AWAY FROM IT. THANK YOU. I'M INCREDIBLY EXCITED ABOUT, ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE OF CHIEF CHACONE AND WHAT HE BRINGS TO THIS ROLE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM AS OUR CHIEF OF POLICE CHIEF. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND CONGRATULATIONS. I NOW LIKE TO BRING TO THE STAGE MAYOR ADLER TO SAY A FEW WORDS NOW, THANK YOU AT YOUR CROCK. ALWAYS HAVE TO FIX THE MICROPHONE. WHEN I WALK UP AFTER HIM, IT'S A, AN ABSOLUTE HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY TO HELP CELEBRATE, UH, THE SWEARING IN OF CHIEF JOSEPH, UH, CHICAGO, UH, YOU KNOW, CHIEF, I WOULD FIRST OFF BY OFFERING YOU THE ADVICE THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDREN, THE DECISION TO TRY TO WAKE SURF WITH THEM IS A BAD IDEA. SORRY, I'M A LITTLE SLOW THIS MORNING. AND CLEARLY FROM THE DESCRIPTION THAT THE MANAGER READ, YOU HAVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON THIS COMMUNITY, BUT I'M HERE TODAY. JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES ARE THE COUNCIL KITZHABER TOVO COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN COUNCIL MEMBER FOR ME MAKING THIS CHOICE AND CASTING HIS VOTE WAS ONE OF THE EASIER VOTES THAT, THAT I'VE BEEN ASKED TO MAKE ON THE COUNCIL. NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE LIST OF EXPERIENCES THAT THE BATTER JUST THROUGH, BUT BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO DEFTLY NEGOTIATED YOUR TIME AS INTERIM CHIEF HAD THIS CITY BEING [00:15:01] A POLICE OFFICER IS A HARD JOB. IT'S ESPECIALLY HARD IN THIS DAY AND TIME IN OUR COUNTRY BEING POLICE CHIEF IS A HARD JOB. AND SOME SAY, ESPECIALLY TRUE IN THIS CITY, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS CITY COUNCIL AND THIS COMMUNITY RESPECT AND APPRECIATE OUR POLICE OFFICERS, AND WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND THE FORCE IN ANY WAY THAT WE'RE ABLE, AND YOU HAVE DONE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE JOB SO FAR OF NEGOTIATING THE WATERS IN THIS CITY. WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS AGREED ON EVERYTHING, BUT YOU ARE THE POLICE CHIEF, AND IT IS IN YOU THAT WE TRUST OUR COMMUNITY'S SAFETY. AND IT IS WITH CONFIDENCE THAT WE PUT YOU IN THIS POSITION. PLEASE ASK US FOR WHATEVER SUPPORT YOU NEED KNOW BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT THIS COUNCIL IS HERE TO SUPPORT YOU AT OUR FORCE. CONGRATULATIONS, CHIEF TO CON THANK YOU MAYOR. NOW IT'S TIME TO BE BEGIN. THE PINNING OF THE BADGE ON CHIEF TACONY, HIS WIFE, YVETTE WILL PIN THE BADGE ON HIM TODAY, JUST AS SHE DID WHEN HE WAS COMMISSIONED WITH APD ALMOST TO THE DAY 23 YEARS AGO, YOU HAVE ED AND JOE HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 25 YEARS AND TOGETHER THEY HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS, KRISTA KAYLIN AND ELENA, YOU BET I'M GONNA COME OVER HERE, COME OVER HERE. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE HONORABLE DANA BLAZAY THE A HUNDRED SIX SIXTY SEVEN, THE CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT OF THE COUNTRY AND 67TH CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT TO ADMINISTER THE OATH OF OFFICE. JUDGE BLASI HAS SERVED AS THE PRESIDING JUDGE OF THAT COURT SINCE JANUARY, 2021. SHE'S A LIFELONG TEXAN AND RESIDENTS OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY FOR 35 YEARS. JUDGE, THESE RIGHTS WHERE I CAN REPEAT AFTER ME, I STATE YOUR NAME. I JOSEPH CHUCK ON. DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY AND IMPARTIALLY DISCHARGE THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY AND IMPARTIALLY DISCHARGE AND PERFORM ALL DUTIES AND PERFORM ALL DUTIES INCUMBENT UPON ME, INCUMBENT UPON ME AS A POLICE OFFICER OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A POLICE OFFICER OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ACCORDING TO THE BEST OF MY SKILL, ACCORDING TO THE BEST OF MY SKILL AND ABILITY AND ABILITY AGREEABLE TO THE CONSTITUTION, AGREEABLE [00:20:01] TO THE CONSTITUTION, THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE STATE OF TEXAS. I FURTHER SOLEMNLY SWEAR. I FURTHER SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL BE FAITHFUL, THAT I WILL BE FAITHFUL TO THE DEMANDS FOR TRUTH AND HONESTY TO THE DEMANDS FOR TRUTH AND HONESTY AS ESTABLISHED BY MY PROFESSION AS ESTABLISHED BY MY PROFESSION AND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, I WILL DEVOTE MY EFFORTS. I WILL DEVOTE MY EFFORTS AND SKILLS AND SKILLS TO THE HONORABLE PROFESSION, TO THE HONORABLE PROFESSION OF POLICING OF POLICING AND TO THE SERVICE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND TO THE SERVICE OF THE AND INDIVIDUALS AT THIS COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUALS OF THIS COMMUNITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN. SO HELP ME GOD. SO HELP ME, GOD, MAYER. IF YOU THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD TO LOWER THE MICROPHONE AFTER SPENCER TALKS, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK JELANI JOHNSON WHO SANG OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM. THANK YOU, JELANI. AND IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHO THE WONDERFUL YOUNG LADY THAT WAS ACCOMPANYING HIM FROM THE AUDIENCE, HOW WAS MY DAUGHTER ALAINA? WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON WHEN I STARTED THIS AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I AM SO HONORED TO BE STANDING HERE AS YOUR POLICE CHIEF. I WANT TO THANK CITY MANAGER, SPENCER CRONK, MAYOR STEVE ADLER, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU WERE SITTING IN THE BACK ROW THERE, COUNSELOR UMBRELLAS, COUNSELOR ALTAR. I SEE YOU. UH, OH, AND, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM HARPER, MADISON. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. UM, TO OUR POLICE, UH, FIRE AND EMS EMPLOYEES THAT ALL SHOWED UP. MY EXECUTIVE STAFF AND COMMAND STAFF IS HERE AS WELL AS MANY MEMBERS OF OUR DEPARTMENT. AND THERE'S SO MANY OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE IN MY BID TO BECOME THE NEXT POLICE. CHIEF ALSO WANT TO THANK JUDGE DANA BLAZEY, UH, FOR SWEARING ME IN I'VE KNOWN DANA FOR MANY YEARS. I HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESPECT FOR HER, AND I'M HONORED THAT SHE WOULD TAKE TIME TO BE HERE WITH ME TODAY. I WANT TO OFFER MY GREATEST GRATITUDE TO MY WIFE, YVETTE WITHOUT HER. I WOULD NOT BE STANDING HERE TODAY. YVETTE, YOUR AMAZING LOVE AND SUPPORT HAS CARRIED ME, NOT JUST DURING THIS TIME AS THE INTERIM AND NOW PERMANENT POLICE CHIEF, BUT FAR AN ENTIRE MARRIAGE. AND THIS CAREER, YOU INSPIRE ME EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTERS, KRISTA, KAITLIN, AND ALAINA. I LOVE YOU GIRLS. THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS SUPPORTING ME. MY SON, CLAYTON AND IAN. THANK YOU. AND MY MOM, BROTHERS, SISTERS, AUNTS, COUSINS, NIECES, AND NEPHEWS. I OWE YOU A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR BEING PATIENT FORGIVING KIND AND LOVING AS YVETTE AND I HAVE TAKEN THIS JOURNEY TODAY, REPRESENTS THE CULMINATION, A CAPSTONE OF A CAREER, PUBLIC SERVICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. FOR ME, I FEEL LIKE THE TIME HAS TRULY FLOWN BY ALMOST 30 YEARS WITH TWO LARGE POLICE DEPARTMENTS. I WAS A YOUNG KID IN EL PASO, TEXAS IN 1992. AS YOU'VE SEEN FROM THE PHOTOS TODAY, I HAD AN INCREDIBLE HEAD OF HAIR AND THIS TRULY BEWILDERED EAGER LOOK IN MY EYES. WHEN I JOINED THE EL PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT, I MOVED TO AUSTIN IN 1998, UH, JOINING THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND IT WAS A MOVE THAT DEFINED MY CAREER. AND IN MANY RESPECTS, MY LIFE I'VE WORKED IN A VARIETY OF ASSIGNMENTS OVER THOSE YEARS AND HAVE HAD THE MOST AMAZING CAREER. A WISE PERSON ONCE SAID, FIND SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE TO DO, AND YOU'LL NEVER WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE. THAT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE IN POLICE WORK AND WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO RECENTLY MY NIECE MADISON AND HER BOYFRIEND, MICHAEL CAME OVER TO THE HOUSE AND MICHAEL SAID, HEY CHIEF, YOU HAVE ANY GOOD COP STORIES. MY INITIAL REACTION TO THAT WAS NOTHING TOO INTERESTING. [00:25:01] YOU KNOW, JUST BORING ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF. AND MY WIFE YVETTE WAS SITTING THERE AND SHE SAID, JOE, TELL THEM ABOUT THE TIME THAT, OH, AND THEN REMEMBER THE STORY. OH, AND YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM ABOUT THIS OTHER TIME TOO. AND I PROCEEDED TO RATTLE OFF COP STORIES FOR THE NEXT TWO HOURS. IT'S FUNNY HOW MUCH STUFF YOU FORGET UNTIL YOU REMINDED. AND I, AND I HAD SOME GOOD STORIES. MICHAEL'S EYES WIDENED AS THE STORIES WENT ON. I WON'T REPEAT THEM HERE. THAT'S FOR ANOTHER TIME WHEN ADULT BEVERAGES, BUT IT MADE ME REFLECT ON THE AMAZING CAREER THAT I HAD BEEN PRIVILEGED TO HAVE HAD. AND I THINK THAT MICHAEL WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT THE QUOTE UNQUOTE COOL STUFF LIKE CAR CHASES AND FOOT CHASES AND SUSPECT INTERROGATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND ALL OF THOSE STORIES ARE FUN TO REFLECT ON AND BRING SOME GOOD LAUGHS AS WELL. BUT THE ONES THAT REALLY AFFECT YOU DEEPLY ARE NOT THE COOL STUFF. RATHER IT'S THE CALLS THAT OFFICERS HANDLE ALL THE TIME, LIKE HELPING A VICTIM OF FAMILY VIOLENCE OUT OF A HELPLESS SITUATION LIKE PERFORMING LIFE-SAVING MEASURES ON SOMEONE WHO'S JUST COLLAPSED AND SAVING A LIFE LIKE GETTING KIDS OUT OF AN ABUSIVE HOUSEHOLD. IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN YOU HELP SOMEONE IN NEED SOMETIMES WHEN THEY ARE IN THE DARKEST TIME OF THEIR LIFE AND THE OFFICER CAN BE THAT BEACON OF LIGHT AND HOPE AS I BEGAN MY TENURE AS THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S CHIEF OF POLICE, THAT IS GOING TO BE PART OF MY VISION TO ENSURE THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE THE BEACON OF HOPE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, THAT I HELPED TO BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY, THE WAY THAT THE COMMUNITY INTERACTS WITH AND FEELS ABOUT THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT. I WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW I AM LISTENING. I WANT TO BE RESPONSIVE TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND SEGMENTS OF OUR AMAZING CITY AND ENSURE THAT NO ONE FEELS MISTREATED OR MARGINALIZED IN THEIR ACTIONS WITH THE POLICE. I WANT THEM TO FEEL SECURE AND SAFE FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS THAT LAST, THAT ARE MEANINGFUL AND THAT ARE TRANSACTIONAL POLICE OFFICERS LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION AND MARK ON ALL THOSE THAT THEY INTERACT WITH. AND MY GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT IS AS POSITIVE AS IT CAN BE. I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE HAD MANY WONDERFUL MENTORS IN MY CAREER, AND I WANT TO BUILD A LEGACY OF MENTORSHIP THAT WILL TRANSFORM INTO LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION. IN CLOSING, I SAY MY FINAL WORD OF GRATITUDE AND THANKS FOR THE HARDWORKING MEN AND WOMEN OF APD, BOTH SWORN AND CIVILIAN, I AM INCREDIBLY PROUD OF YOU AND I'M PROUD TO BE YOUR CHIEF. I WILL WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY TO SUPPORT AND EMPOWER YOU. AND I KNOW THAT YOU IN TURN WILL PROVIDE AMAZING SERVICE TO THIS INCREDIBLE CITY. LATINA FE CONFIANZA THE YOU GRASS. YES. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. AND THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS, CHIEF DAKOTA. THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US ON THIS SPECIAL DAY AND YOU CAN STAY UP CAUSE WE'RE GOING TO MINGLE AND HAVE SOME TREATS IN THE, IN THE AUDITORIUM AREA RIGHT OUTSIDE THE DOOR. UH, SO REALLY ENJOY AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.