[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER 4:00-4:05pm]
AND WELCOME TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING.WE ARE COMING TO YOU FROM A COUNCIL CHAMBERS TODAY INSTEAD OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION ROOM.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE, BOTH HERE AND ONLINE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY THE OTHER LOS MUERTOS TODAY AND TOMORROW TO ALL OF YOU.
THAT CELEBRATE ALSO AS A REMINDER THAT THIS MONTH, NOVEMBER 20TH MARKS THE TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, WHERE WE MEMORIALIZE OUR TRANS SISTERS AND BROTHERS WHO WERE MURDERED IN THE LAST YEAR.
THIS DAY ALSO SERVES AS A REMINDER OF THE VIOLENCE THAT CHAN GENDER PEOPLE ENDURE DAILY.
AND WE KEEP ALL OF YOU IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
AND FINALLY, TOMORROW IS ELECTION DAY HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND, UH, POLLS WILL BE OPEN UNTIL 7:00 PM TOMORROW.
ONE MORE BIT OF, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE.
WE HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER JOINING US TODAY FROM DISTRICT TWO.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER COREY HALL, MARTIN AND MS. HALL MARTIN, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WOULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF? SURE.
UM, SO YEAH, SHE SAID MY NAME IS COREY HALL MARTIN, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE JOINING THIS COMMISSION.
I HAVE MY MASTER'S OF SOCIAL WORK DEGREE AND I WAS PREVIOUSLY WORKING AT LIFEWORKS, A NONPROFIT HERE.
WE ARE ALSO HELPING SUPPORT HOMELESS YOUTH.
AND CURRENTLY I WORK AT CHIVE CHARITIES WHERE I SUPPORT FIRST RESPONDERS, VETERANS, AND FOLKS WITH RARE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS AND GETTING THEM LIFE-CHANGING MEDICAL GRANTS.
SO HOPING TO BRING SOME PERSPECTIVE AND I'M JUST REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HALL, MARTIN.
AND WITH THAT, WE ARE CALLED OFFICIALLY TO ORDER.
SO, UM, ON CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO COMMUNICATE WITH US TODAY? NOPE, WE'RE GOOD.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Sept. 7, 2021 4:20pm-4:25pm]
FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2021.ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS ON THE MINUTES.
I THINK WE ARE ALL GOOD BECAUSE THERE WAS NO COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS WE WILL, UH, COUNT THOSE MINUTES AS APPROVED.
[2.a. Public Safety Organizations Quarterly Report – Austin Police Department (sponsors: Commissioner Hausenfluck and Gonzales) 4:25pm-4:45pm]
TO OUR FIRST NEW BUSINESS ITEM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS, QUARTERLY REPORT FROM AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.I'D LIKE TO WELCOME CHIEF CHACAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME JOSEPH CHACO AND CHIEF OF POLICE.
I THINK THIS QUARTERLY REPORT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DELIVERED LAST MONTH, PERHAPS.
I'M NOT SURE, BUT REGARDLESS, WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT IT THIS MONTH AND THEN I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE A FEW THINGS IN HERE THAT WERE ADDED ON AS, UM, COMMISSIONER REQUESTS.
SO YOU'LL SEE THOSE IN HERE AND HOPEFULLY IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE MISSING, THEN WE CAN GET YOU THE INFORMATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO, UH, WHAT WE'LL BE GOING OVER IS OUR CITYWIDE, UM, NEIGHBORS, NUMBERS, CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, PROPERTY AND SOCIETY.
UM, AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT THE ITEMS THAT WERE REQUESTED BY COMMISSION, UH, THE CITY-WIDE CLEARANCES WILL BE ON HERE AS WELL, UH, AS WELL FOR ALL THREE OF THOSE AREAS.
UM, OUR RESPONSE TIMES AND CALL VOLUMES, UH, FOR FYI 21.
SO, UM, AND THEN OUR, UM, THOSE WILL BE BROKEN DOWN BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
JUST, I WON'T GO OVER THOSE, UH, TOO MUCH AS FAR AS THAT, BUT IT'LL CERTAINLY BE PART OF THE BACKUP FOR ANYBODY THAT MIGHT WANT TO REVIEW.
IT ARE URGENT AND P ZERO, UH, CALL VOLUMES, UH, JUST GIVING A BREAKDOWN FROM 2018 TO 2021, SO THAT YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW THAT HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME.
UM, AND THEN, UH, TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR BUDGET, UH, BUDGETED OVERTIME VERSUS OUR ACTUAL OVERTIME FOR
UM, AND THEN OUR STAFFING, I BELIEVE THAT COMMISSION ASKED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, THE CADETS AND COULD IN OUR CADET CLASS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
SO I'LL BE PRESENTING A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY OUR AUTHORIZATION, UH, STAFFING LEVELS, UH, AND HOW MANY PEOPLE WE'VE HAD SEPARATE, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SO I'VE HAD TO GET THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS FAR AS OUR CITY-WIDE CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, UM, OVERALL OUR VIOLENT CRIME OR, OR THE, UH, THE, THE CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, WHICH, UH,
[00:05:01]
MANY OF THESE ARE VIOLENT CRIMES, UH, OR DOWN 5%, UM, AND FOR THE YEAR AND 6%, UH, FROM THIS TIME LAST YEAR, UM, WHAT IS, UH, KIND OF SPIKING RIGHT NOW CERTAINLY IS OUR, OUR MURDERS AND THE HOMICIDE RATE.UH, WE HAD ANOTHER MURDER THAT JUST OCCURRED.
SO WE'RE UP TO 77 NOW FOR THE YEAR, UH, WHICH IS CERTAINLY VERY TROUBLING.
WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY, ANY TRENDS OR PATTERNS IN THAT NECESSARILY THAT WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN EFFECTING OTHER THAN WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT PRETTY CONSISTENTLY BEING THE GUN VIOLENCE AND GUN CRIME, UM, THAT'S OCCURRING IN THE CITY, WHICH IS ALSO AFFECTING OUR AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
UH, SO WE CONTINUE, UH, THE VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM THAT I STARTED, UM, BACK IN APRIL.
UH, WE WILL BE LOOKING TO PROBABLY WIND THAT DOWN AND, UH, DETERMINE WHAT OUR NEXT UH, INTERVENTION PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE.
AND I'LL, I'LL CERTAINLY BRIEF THAT OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND TO A COMMISSION IN THE FUTURE.
SO TALKING ABOUT OUR CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, AGAIN, WE'RE DOWN 9% FOR THE YEAR, UH, AND 17% FROM THIS TIME LAST YEAR, UH, ROBBERY IS, UM, ONE OF THE CRIMES THAT IS CONSIDERED A CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY NOW, WHICH, UM, THERE ACTUALLY IS A ELEMENT OF VIOLENCE RELATED TO ROBBERY AND, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, WE'RE UP 12, 12%, UH, FROM, FROM THIS MOMENT LAST YEAR.
UM, SO OUR, UH, VIOLENT CRIME UNITS CONTINUE TO, UH, WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO, UH, TRY TO AFFECT OUR, OUR VIOLENT CRIME.
UH, SO WORKING ACROSS THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, INCLUDING ROBBERY, HOMICIDE, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, UH, IN THE DIFFERENT UNITS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PUT A, A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TOWARDS LOWERING, UH, THIS AND OTHER TYPES OF VIOLENT CRIME, BUT OVERALL OUR CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, UH, REMAIN DOWN FOR THE YEAR.
AND THEN FINALLY OUR CRIMES AGAINST, UH, SOCIETY.
UH, WE, UH, AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE SEEN A DECREASE, UH, IN THIS AREA, UH, AS WELL AS THE OTHER AREAS.
UM, AND SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE NUMBERS GENERALLY ARE PRETTY SMALL WHERE YOU SEE WHERE YOU DO SEE SOME PERCENTAGE INCREASES.
UH, THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS GENERALLY ARE, ARE, ARE PRETTY SMALL TO BEGIN WITH, WHICH WOULD INCREASE, INDICATE THE BIGGER, THE BIGGER PERCENTAGE JUMPS.
UH, TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR, OUR CITYWIDE CLEARANCES FOR EACH ONE OF THESE AREAS.
UM, THESE WILL ALWAYS BE SNAPSHOTS IN TIME, UH, BASED UPON, UH, WHEN WE PULL THE NUMBERS, UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY TO, FOR CONSISTENCY ARE PULLING THESE NUMBERS FROM THE DPS DATABASES.
WE REPORT THEM INTO NEIGHBORS.
SO YOU CAN SEE FROM JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR THROUGH SEPTEMBER THE 30TH OF THIS YEAR, UH, THE NUMBER OF CASES IN EACH ONE OF THESE AREAS THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT WE'VE CLEARED EITHER BY ARREST, UH, BY THE DEATH OF THE OFFENDER, UM, IF IT WAS A JUVENILE AND THEIR, NO, THEY'RE NOT IN CUSTODY, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE CASES FOR THIS SECTION RIGHT HERE, UM, THAT PROSECUTION WAS DECLINED FOR WHATEVER REASON.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, SMALL NUMBERS, BUT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT A VICTIM REFUSED TO COOPERATE FURTHER IN THE PROSECUTION.
UH, SO, UH, THE GREATEST NUMBERS HERE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE CLEARED BY ARREST, UM, FOR A TOTAL OF 3,924 OF, UM, OF THE CASES THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO CLEAR A BUYER, YOU KNOW, AND 3,959, OVERALL THAT WE HAVE CLEARED IN SOME FASHION.
THIS IS OUR CITYWIDE CLEARANCES FOR CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY.
UH, AGAIN, UM, ROBBERY BEING INCLUDED IN THERE AS WELL AS CRIME, SUCH AS ARSON AND BURGLARY.
UM, YOU CAN SEE, UH, THIS IS THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT, UM, 2,278, UH, FOR THE YEAR THAT WE HAVE CLEARED BY ARREST.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER SMALLER NUMBERS, INCLUDING, UH, DEATH OF THE OFFENDER, PROSECUTION DECLINED, VICTIM REFUSED TO COOPERATE FOR TOTAL OF 2,314 TO DATE.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE ARE OUR CLEARANCE RATES FOR CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR DRUG AND PORNOGRAPHY TYPE OF, UM, PROSTITUTION, THOSE TYPES OF CRIMES, UH, 2,208 ARRESTS THIS YEAR, UH, AND THEN 2,254 TOTAL CASE CLEARANCES, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE YEAR TO DATE.
[00:10:01]
IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR, OUR, UH, CITYWIDE RESPONSE TIMES AND OUR CALL VOLUMES FOR, UM, FOR THIS YEAR.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THIS WHERE I ALWAYS WANT TO GO BACK TO THE SOURCE ON THIS, UH, WE'RE PULLING THIS OUT OF OUR COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCH SYSTEM THAT RUNS OUT OF CTECH.
UH, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR THE FULL FISCAL YEAR OF 2021, WHICH STARTED IN OCTOBER OF 2020 AND RAN THROUGH THE END OF SEPTEMBER IN 2021.
UM, OUR TARGET, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE THE FIRST COLUMN THERE BEING OUR CITYWIDE TARGET.
UH, WE DETERMINED THAT AT THE OUTSET OF THE YEAR AS WHAT WE, UH, OUR, OUR GOAL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO REACH, AND THEN, UH, GOING MONTH BY MONTH, YOU CAN SEE W WHAT OUR ACTUAL, UH, P ZERO IN THE, AND THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE HAS OUR
AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE WERE WITH REGARD TO OUR TARGET.
UM, OF COURSE WE NEVER DID, UH, HIT OUR TARGET.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT STAFFING ISSUES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FEWER OFFICERS THAT ARE OUT THERE ON PATROL.
SO THIS IS NOT, UH, TO ME IS NOT TERRIBLY SURPRISING.
UH, BUT, UM, BUT THIS GIVES YOU A SNAPSHOT FOR FY 20 20, 1 OF WHERE WE WERE, UM, FOR THE, UH, AND THEN RIGHT BELOW IT, OBVIOUSLY THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT WERE RECEIVED IN THOSE CATEGORIES EACH ONE OF THOSE MONTHS, UH, JUST FOR PERSPECTIVE, UM, CTECH RECEIVES ABOUT A MILLION CALLS FOR SERVICE PER YEAR.
SO THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF CALLS PER MONTH, THAT WE HAVE THAT THOSE, THERE ARE THESE, THIS HIGHEST NATURE.
UM, THIS IS OUR RESPONSE TIMES AND INCIDENT VOLUME, UH, BROKEN DOWN BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UM, I WON'T GO INTO ANY OF THESE IN TOO MUCH DETAIL ENLISTED OR QUESTIONS.
UH, AND I'LL PAUSE FOR A SECOND TO SEE IF, UH, COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, THE NEXT, I BELIEVE COUPLE OF SLIDES ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME VISUAL, JUST A VISUAL IDEA OF, UH, THE EMERGENCY, UH, CALL VOLUME.
UH, THE P THE P ONE CALLS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE IN BLUE, AND THEN THE P ZERO CALLS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THE
UM, AND, UH, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, IT'S, I APOLOGIZE ON THE BIG SCREEN AND I DON'T HAVE IT ON THE SCREEN, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WELL YOU CAN SEE THIS, BUT IT IS IN THE BACKUP.
AND I WOULD CERTAINLY, UH, YOU KNOW, TELL YOU TO GO BACK AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN REVIEW IT, UM, LATER ON, BUT THIS GIVES YOU THE CALL VOLUME FROM, UH, 2018 THROUGH 2021.
UM, AND WE DID SEE OBVIOUSLY SOME, SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME SLIGHT DIPS IN THERE BECAUSE OF COVID FROM TIME TO TIME, UH, WHERE OUR CALL VOLUME JUST OVERALL FALLS, BUT, UH, BUT HAS REMAINED PRETTY CONSISTENT AND CONTINUES TO GROW AS A CITY CONTINUES TO GROW.
UM, THE NEXT THREE SLIDES WE'LL BREAK DOWN THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME BY MONTH FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE YEARS.
SO THIS FIRST SLIDE IS, UM, 2018.
YOU SEE THE ORANGE LINE THAT GOES STRAIGHT ACROSS THAT IS OUR TARGET TIME THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HIT AND WHERE YOU CAN SEE MONTH BY MONTH, WHERE WE ACTUALLY FELL.
UM, WE ALWAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, WILL, UM, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON AND THE NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WE HAVE, YOU'LL SEE SPIKES, UH, IN RESPONSE TIMES, UH, YOU KNOW, MARCHES, UH, YOU KNOW, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS GOING ON.
UH, AND THEN IN OCTOBER WE HAVE ACL THAT'S GOING ON.
THOSE ARE BOTH RESOURCE INTENSIVE EVENTS THAT TAKE A LOT OF OUR OFFICERS OFF THE STREETS TO GO AND WORK THEM.
AND SO WE'LL ALWAYS SEE A LITTLE BIT SLIGHTLY HIGHER DURING THOSE TIMES.
UH, BUT OVERALL YOU CAN, THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF 2018.
IF I GET THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, UH, HERE WE ARE FOR 2019, UH, AGAIN, LOOKING AT OUR TARGET TIME, UH, WE ACTUALLY IMPROVED.
UM, AND AGAIN, UH, YOU SEE SOME SLIGHT, SOME SLIGHT, UM, IMPROVEMENTS IN, UH, IN THE TIME, BUT ALSO YOU'LL SEE WHERE THEY DO.
UH, THEY DO SPIKE A LITTLE BIT DURING THE, THE TIMES THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT AS WELL.
SORRY, CHIEF, UH, THE MICROPHONES ARE MUCH MORE COMPLICATED.
ON THE SLIDE THAT WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT FOR 29TH TEEN.
UM, IT LOOKED LIKE THE, THE TIME GOAL WAS NOT EIGHT MINUTES AND FOUR SECONDS ANYMORE.
IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS DIFFERENT.
UM, SO I'M NOT ACTUALLY SURE WE WERE DOING ANY BETTER.
IT JUST, SO W W LET ME CLARIFY,
[00:15:01]
WE'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT BETTER BASED ON, ON OUR GOAL, AND WE WILL ADJUST THE GOALS YEAR BY YEAR, DEPENDING ON HOW, IF, I MEAN, IF WE'RE JUST MISSING THE MARK COMPLETELY, THEN WE WILL READJUST TO MAKE IT AND WORK BACKWARDS TOWARDS THAT GOAL AND MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE REALISTIC.SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A DIFFERENT GOAL.
CAN YOU REMIND US WHERE THAT NUMBER COMES FROM? UM, SO ALL OF THIS IS, AND PARTICULARLY NOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, A REALLY STRONG LEAD IN OUR RESEARCH AND PLANNING UNIT WITH DR.
JONATHAN KRINGLE, WHO IS OUR DATA, OUR CHIEF DATA OFFICER, WE'RE DEVELOPING, UH, NOW THE MODELS TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE HOW MANY OFFICERS WE NEED IN A PARTICULAR PATROL SECTOR.
UH, WHAT IS OUR TARGET TIME THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HIT, UH, BASED ON PARTICULARLY HOW MANY OFFICERS I HAVE AVAILABLE TO ME ON PATROL? SO ALL OF THAT IS DONE IN OUR RESEARCH AND PLANNING UNIT.
UH, I THINK WE'RE JUST MOVING ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE 2020.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE WHERE THE PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN HAPPENED.
UM, OUR, OUR CALL VOLUME DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND OUR RESPONSE TIMES ACTUALLY IMPROVED.
AND SO, UM, BUT YOU COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE REST OF THE TIME, WE, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT QUITE HITTING THE MARK, UH, AND CONTINUE TO TRY TO DO THE BEST THAT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THAT WE CAN WITH THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, FINALLY HERE WE ARE FOR 2021.
UM, AND THIS IS JUST AGAIN, A CONTINUATION OF, UM, KIND OF WHAT I'VE BEEN EXPLAINING TO, TO, TO, UH, TO DATE.
SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE CALL VOLUME ACTUALLY SPIKES THERE IN FEBRUARY WAS DURING THE ICE STORM OFFICERS WERE CERTAINLY HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING AROUND BECAUSE OF THE ROADS.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE THAT THAT'S WHERE THAT, UM, OVERALL AVERAGE FOR THAT MONTH SPIKE SIGNIFICANTLY BECAUSE THOSE 10 DAYS, ALL RIGHT, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
CAN WE GO TO THE, I'M SORRY, THERE WE GO.
SO, UH, TALKING ABOUT OUR BUDGETED OVERTIME VERSUS OUR ACTUAL OVERTIME FOR FYI 21, UM, OUR, OUR BUDGETED OVER TIME WAS, UH, PRETTY CLOSE TO 3.5 MILLION, UH, WHILE OUR ACTUAL OVERTIME EXPENSES, UH, WERE CLOSE TO $11 MILLION.
UM, WE, UH, THAT IS NOT ENTIRELY IN SURPRISING FOR US, UH, JUST BASED ON, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DID HAVE A MUCH SMALLER OVERTIME BUDGET AND OUR REGULAR OVERTIME BUDGET WAS CLOSER TO THAT $11 MILLION.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT WE DID, UM, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY WE'RE ABLE TO COVER, UH, OUR OVERTIME EXPENDITURES WITH, UH, SALARY SAVINGS.
WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF VACANCIES ON THE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW.
UM, HERE, THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA, UH, AGAIN, WHILE WHY I SAY THAT IT WAS NOT UNSURPRISING TO US, UH, WHAT OUR OVERTIME BUDGETS WERE VERSUS WHAT OUR ACTUAL OVERTIME EXPENDITURES WERE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 18 TO FISCAL YEAR 21, UM, OUR OR OVERTIME EXPENSES AND EXPENDITURES ACTUALLY, UH, IN 21 WERE LOWER THAN THEY HAD BEEN IN THE PREVIOUS THREE YEARS.
SO WE WERE DOING OUR BEST TO MANAGE, UH, THE BUDGET THAT WE DID HAVE, UH, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE HAVE, UH, TRYING TO COVER SHIFTS AND CALLS AND SO FORTH.
SO, UM, AGAIN, THAT JUST GIVES YOU, GIVES YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE IF I GET THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS SLIDE JUST, UH, VERY QUICKLY GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF OUR SWORN STAFFING LEVELS AS OF THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER.
SO ABOUT A MONTH AGO, UM, OUR AUTHORIZED STRENGTH IS 1,809 SWORN OFFICERS AT THE TIME IN OCTOBER, ON OCTOBER 1ST, 1000 618 OF THOSE WERE FILLED GIVING US 191, TRUE VACANCIES.
I SAY TRUE VACANCIES BECAUSE WE DO CARRY SOFT VACANCIES, WHICH ARE, UM, OFFICERS WHO MIGHT BE GONE TO MILITARY LEAVE THEY'RE ON FMLA.
THEY MIGHT BE ON AN INJURY LEAVE, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS TO WHERE I DON'T HAVE SOMEONE, UH, ACTUALLY THERE.
AND THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER AS WELL, BUT THE 191 ARE THE TRUE VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE AS OF OCTOBER.
IN REGARDS TO THE STAFFING, UH, THE AUTHORIZED 1,809, IS THAT WHAT, WHEN WERE FULL STAFFED, IS THAT BASED ON YOU BEING FULL STAFFED? 1809, IF WE WERE FULLY STAFFED, CORRECT.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE.
AND IN THE FIELD, DOES THAT ALSO INCLUDE THE CADETS THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE? IT DOES NOT.
[00:20:01]
OKAY.LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CADETS.
NOW WE STARTED THE CHIEF, EXCUSE ME.
I CHAIR ROCKY LANE IS SUCH A, I DON'T THINK I'M IN THE RIGHT ROOM AND I DON'T THINK ROCKY IS IN THE RIGHT ROOM EITHER.
UM, REBECCA, SO I'M NOT A COMMISSIONER WEBER, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU'RE IN THE WRONG ROOM.
WELL, I CAN'T SEE THE CHIEF SLIDES.
I THINK I'M IN A ROOM WITH AD AND I THINK IT'S AN IT ISSUE.
I THINK THEY'RE JUST NOT SERVING YOU THE SLIDES ONLINE.
AND THEN ROCKY SAYS, UH, THAT HE CAN'T GET IN.
SO, I MEAN, LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO HERE.
SO IT IS ABOUT TO START SHARING THE SLIDES WITH YOU, SO THAT SHOULD BE FIXED.
AND SHE'S ALSO WORKING ON GETTING, UH, COMMISSIONER LANE INTO THE ROOM AS WELL.
SORRY FOR THE INTERRUPTION, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND JUST GET, OKAY.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IN THE PRESENTATION IS OUR CADET CLASS FOR 2021.
UM, IT STARTED ON JUNE 7TH WITH A HUNDRED CADETS.
THIS WAS OUR NEW, UH, RE-INVIGORATED ACADEMY THAT, UM, INCLUDED, UH, THE, OUR PROJECT COMMUNITY CONNECT AT THE OUTSET.
AND, UM, AND HOW'S BEEN GOING WE'RE ABOUT AT THE MID POINT, JUST A LITTLE BIT PAST THE MIDPOINT OF THIS ACADEMY AT WILL GRADUATE ON, UM, JANUARY THE 28TH OF 2022.
SO AS OF OCTOBER 27TH, UH, WE HAD 75 CADETS THAT WERE STILL IN THE ACADEMY, UM, FOR A CHURCH, UH, ATTRITION RATE OF 25%.
UH, WE'RE STILL WITHIN OUR NORMAL MARGIN OF ATTRITION WITH THAT TYPE OF ATTRITION.
I DON'T LIKE LOSING ANY OF OUR CADETS, BUT WE HAVE MANY THAT, UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE LOST SEVERAL, UH, TO COVID.
UH, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO FOR THOSE CADETS IS BE ABLE TO RETAIN THEM AS EMPLOYEES, UH, FIND OTHER WORK FOR THEM.
AND THEN THEY WILL RECYCLE INTO THE ONE 45TH CADET CLASS.
UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT AGAIN.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THEM EMPLOYED, KEEP THEM ON A CITY EMPLOYEES.
AND, UH, AND, AND WE'RE THAT MUCH FURTHER AHEAD FOR THE NEXT CLASS.
SO, YOU KNOW, OTHER OTHER REASONS THAT CADETS, UH, DON'T GO THROUGH THE FULL CLASS ACADEMIC REASONS.
UH, SOMETIMES THEY GET INJURED.
UH, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE THEY CAN'T DO ALL OF THE PHYSICAL FITNESS, UH, PERFORM TO THE LEVEL THAT THEY NEED TO.
AND, UH, AND, AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY JUST, UH, THEIR, THEIR FAMILY MATTERS OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT, TO WHERE THEY RESIGN.
SO, UM, SO ANYWAY, THAT IS, LIKE I SAID, WITHIN OUR NORMAL RATE OF ATTRITION AT THIS POINT WHERE IT'S 75, ALL RIGHT.
IF I CAN GET THE NEXT SLIDE, I'M JUST PROJECTING FOR 2000 AND, UH, 22, UH, DIFFERENT SCENARIOS THAT WE MIGHT SEE, UM, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, HOW MANY CLASSES IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, THAT WE GET THE CADET CLASSES GOING AS EFFICIENTLY, UH, AND REALLY AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN SO THAT WE ARE REFILLING THOSE 190 PLUS, UH, VACANCIES.
AND REALLY IT'S GREATER THAN THAT.
UM, UM, MY, MY ATTRITION RATE RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT TRIPLE ITS NORMAL RATE.
AND SO I HAVE OFFICERS LEAVING AND NOBODY THAT'S COMING BACK IN.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME TO NUMBER ONE, GET THE CADET CLASS, RIGHT.
UH, WE JUST PRESENTED, I GUESS, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO ON THE, UH, THE STATE OF, OF THE ACADEMY CROWELL CAME AND PRESENTED TO COUNCIL.
UM, AND, AND SO THERE'LL BE ANOTHER REPORT THAT WILL COME OUT IN FEBRUARY AND, UH, PRESUMING THAT THAT IS FAVORABLE.
THEN WE WILL REALLY KIND OF KICK IT INTO HIGH GEAR FOR, UH, FOR PUTTING CADET CLASSES THROUGH, UH, UM, PRESENT TWO DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OF WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO.
AND THIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE JUDGED BASED ON OUR RESOURCES, UH, FROM WHAT IT, WHAT IT TAKES FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PUT ON A CLASS, UH, FROM INSTRUCTORS CLASS SPACE.
UH, WE ARE ON A PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CAMPUS WITH OUR PARTNERS AT FIRE AND EMS AND HAVE TO SHARE THE SPACE.
SO, UH, WE ARE CONSTRAINED AND MAY HAVE TO GET VERY CREATIVE ABOUT EITHER TAKING CLASSES ONLINE, RUNNING THEM ON NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, AND POTENTIALLY TAKING THEM OFF CAMPUS SO THAT WE CAN GET AS MANY CADETS THROUGH AS WE NEED TO.
UM, THE ONE 45TH AND ONE 46TH, UM, RIGHT NOW ARE, ARE SLATED TO BE REGULAR WHAT WE CALL A REGULAR CLASS.
AND THAT MEANS IT'S A FULL EIGHT AND A HALF MONTH CADET CLASS, UM, FOR, UH, FOR ANYONE THAT QUALIFIES AND APPLIES TO BE A, AN AUSTIN POLICE OFFICER.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE STARTING DATES IN FEBRUARY AND, UH,
[00:25:01]
JUNE MIGHT BE MARCH AND JULY.WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW THAT GOES, BUT, BUT CERTAINLY THE SOONER, THE BETTER WE ARE CONSIDERING, UH, MOVING FORWARD OR PROPOSING THE COUNCIL, I POSSIBLE MODIFIED CLASS NEXT YEAR.
UH, THAT WOULD BE, UM, AND BY MODIFIED, I'LL JUST TELL YOU I'M A PRODUCT OF A MODIFIED CLASS AT THE VERY FIRST ONE THAT APD EVER HAD.
THOSE ARE PEACE OFFICERS FROM OTHER AGENCIES THAT WE ACTIVELY RECRUIT TO COME AND JOIN APD.
WE CUT THE TRAINING TIME AND ABOUT HALF, AND, UH, WE ALSO CUT THEIR, UM, WRITING TIME WITH AN FTO ABOUT IN HALF.
SO THEY BECOME, UH, OFFICERS THAT CAN GO OUT AND START TAKING CALLS.
WE CAN ADD THEM INTO THE, TO THE NUMBERS THAT YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT SOONER, UH, AND REALLY GET THOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT STARTS DRIVING MY, MY CALL, UH, RESPONSE TIMES DOWN BY HAVING MORE OFFICERS OUT THERE.
THIS IS SCENARIO B, UM, WHERE WE WOULD, UH, LOOK TO SEE ABOUT DOING, UH, THREE REGULAR CLASSES, UM, NEXT YEAR, UH, AND, AND THEN POSSIBLY A FOURTH, UH, BEING A MODIFIED, UM, I'LL JUST TELL YOU FROM A RESOURCE STANDPOINT, THIS IS, THIS IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO DO.
UM, I WOULD HAVE TO MOVE SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES AROUND TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IT.
AND WHAT I, WHAT CONCERNS ME DOING THAT IS WHERE AM I MOVING THEM FROM AND WHAT IS GOING TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF IT.
IF I HAVE OFFICERS THAT ARE ASSIGNED IN SPECIALIZED UNITS, AND THEY'RE DOING THINGS LIKE, UM, OUR, YOU KNOW, THE GUN INTERVENTION PROGRAMS, THEY'RE WORKING ON, UH, GANGS AND NARCOTICS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, AND I HAVE TO MOVE THEM TO SO THAT WE CAN DO THIS, UH, HOW LONG AM I GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE THEM FOR? AND IS IT, IS, IS THAT GOING TO BE A, UM, SOLUTION FOR US RIGHT NOW? SO I THINK THAT THIS SCENARIO QUITE HONESTLY, IS, IS A LITTLE BIT, UH, LESS LIKELY THAN SCENARIO A, I THINK A SCENARIO A MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, REALISTIC, EXCUSE ME, IN REGARDS TO, UH, THE CADETS THAT YOU'RE GETTING NOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMING IN FROM OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY CERTIFIED AS PIECE OFF? I THINK WE HAD A FEW THAT CAME INTO, BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THAT PREVENTS A CURRENT PEACE OFFICER FROM JOINING A REGULAR QUOTE UNQUOTE, REGULAR CADET CLASS.
AND WE ALWAYS HAVE A FEW THAT COME ON BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE READY TO MAKE THE MOVE.
AND THEY DON'T KNOW IF, AND WHEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MODIFIED CLASS AND THEY REALLY WANT TO COME OVER.
THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME PROGRAM AS THE REST OF THE, JUST A THOUGHT.
IF I CAN GET THE, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THIS JUST GIVES YOU, UH, FOR HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, WHAT APDS AUTHORIZED STAFFING.
I BELIEVE THIS WAS ASKED FOR, UH, APD STAFFING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UH, IN 2018, WE WERE AUTHORIZED AT 1,908 JUMPED TO 1,929 AND 19, AND THEN 1,959 IN 20.
AND THEN, UM, AND THEN IN FYI, TWENTY ONE, A HUNDRED AND FIFTY VACANT POSITIONS WERE REMOVED FROM OUR BUDGET, DROPPING US DOWN TO 1809.
UM, THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE OTHER THAN TAKING QUESTIONS.
AND THIS IS JUST TALKING ABOUT OUR SWORN SEPARATIONS.
I TOLD YOU THAT OUR ATTRITION RATE IS ABOUT TRIPLE ITS NORMAL RATE.
NORMALLY WE ATTRIT, UM, ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO SEVEN OFFICERS PER MONTH, UH, THAT IS DUE TO MOSTLY RETIREMENTS.
UH, BUT SOMETIMES WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE LEAVE JOBS, THEY, THEY HAVE TO LEAVE OUT OF STATE TO TAKE CARE OF A, OF A RELATIVE, OR THEY HAVE A SPOUSE WHO GETS A JOB OUT, YOU KNOW, IN A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY.
AND THEY'RE, THEY, THEY GO AHEAD AND RESIGN AND SO FORTH.
SO USUALLY ABOUT FIVE TO SEVEN A MONTH.
AND WHEN WE LOOK BACK TO 2018 AND 19, YOU CAN SEE THAT WAS, THAT WAS CARRYING AT THAT TIME.
UH, 2020 IS WHEN WE BEGAN TO SEE, UH, MAJOR, UH, RESIGNATIONS AND RETIREMENTS, UH, FROM THE DEPARTMENT, A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, IN 2000, UH, WELL, THIS YEAR IN 2021, I, I MENTIONED THAT I WAS A PART OF THE FIRST EVER MODIFIED CLASS THAT APD EVER HAD.
THAT WAS THE SAME YEAR THAT APD SIGNED THERE.
UH, BACK IN 1998 WAS THE SAME YEAR THAT APD SIGNED THEIR FIRST EVER MEET AND CONFER CONTRACT, WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY RAISED PAY FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE OFFICERS COMPARED TO WHAT THEY'D BEEN MAKING BEFORE.
AND, UM, AND IT WAS JUST THIS HUGE HIRING PUSH.
SO, UH, WE ALSO SEE NOW THAT THERE'S AN, THERE'S A HUGE NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RETIREMENT, AND MANY OF THEM ARE MAKING THE DECISION TO GO AHEAD AND RETIRE.
BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU GOING FROM 2020, THE 133, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE RETIREMENTS, THE 177 THAT YOU SEE IN 2021, THE MAJORITY OF RESIGNATIONS, UM, AND THEY ARE OFFICERS THAT ARE OPTING
[00:30:01]
TO EITHER MOVE TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT OR LEAD THE PROFESSIONAL TOGETHER FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.BUT, UH, THAT THIS JUST GIVES YOU A PERSPECTIVE AND WHY I HAVE OFTEN SAID, AND CONTINUE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A STAFFING ISSUE, UH, ON THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE PEOPLE WE DO NOW, UH, COMING TO FILL IN THESE, THESE FOLKS THAT HAVE LEFT, UM, AND WHY IT'S SO CRITICAL AND SUCH A HIGH PRIORITY FOR ME TO GET OUR CLASSES GOING THE RIGHT WAY AND THEN GET THEM GOING, UM, AS AGGRESSIVELY AND KIND OF, UH, EFFICIENTLY AS WE CAN IN THE FUTURE.
COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE RETIREMENT AND THE RESIGNATION.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT WITH THAT SAID, DO YOU HAVE A HANDLE ON THE PERCENTAGE OR RATIOS OF POLICE OFFICERS THAT ARE COMING UP ON RETIREMENT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? BECAUSE IT JUST SEEMS LIKE AN AGING POLICE FORCE IS A BIT OF AN ISSUE, AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT WILL HELP MAKE SENSE OF SOME STAFFING PRIORITIES, LOOKING AHEAD.
SO, UM, WE DO HAVE THE PERCENTAGES, CERTAINLY WE KNOW WHEN PEOPLE ARE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE, AS YOU TALK TO EACH INDIVIDUAL OFFICER, THEY HAVE A LIFE PLAN.
AND CERTAINLY FOR ME, I'M ELIGIBLE, BUT I HAVE MORE YEARS THAT I WANT TO DO HERE.
THERE'S MANY THAT ARE LIKE ME THAT WANT TO CONTINUE TO SERVE ON THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, SERVE THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
AND THEN YOU HAVE SOME THAT MANY YEARS AGO HAD DECIDED AS SOON AS I HIT 23, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND RETIRE.
AND IT, AND IT HAS LESS TO DO ABOUT IT BEING ANYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, UM, IN POLITICS OR ANY, ANYTHING ELSE THAN IT DOES WITH, UH, THE FACT THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE AND THEY HAD PLANS TO DO THAT ALREADY.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME THAT FALL SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE WITH, UM, VARIOUS REASONS THAT THAT FOLKS ARE LEAVING RIGHT NOW.
WE, UH, I WOULD'VE SAID THAT WE HAD, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE HAVE RETIRED AND, UM, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME THAT, UM, ARE GETTING CLOSE AND WE ARE AGING A LITTLE BIT, BUT WHEN YOU, WHEN I GO OUT ON MY PATROL SHIFTS, THESE ARE ONE TO THREE YEAR OFFICERS.
THEY ARE NOWHERE NEAR RETIREMENT.
SO, UM, THOSE OFFICERS ARE GOING TO BE HERE.
AND WHAT I'VE GOT TO DO IS CREATE A REALLY GOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM TO WORK IN.
SO THEY WANT TO STAY IN, AREN'T GOING TO WANT TO LEAVE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHEAR OUT OF ALL OF THESE, ACTUALLY, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.
ONE IS RELATIVELY QUICK WHEN YOU REPORT THE, UH, THE INCREASE IN WEAPONS, LAW VIOLATIONS, UM, IS THAT AN INCREASE IN STOPS THAT WE'RE JUST SEEING WITH A CONSTANT RATE OF RECOVERY, OR ARE WE SEEING A CONSTANT RATE OF STOPS WITH MORE GUNS BEING SEIZED OR MORE WEAPONS VIOLATIONS FOR A CONSTANT NUMBER OF STOPS? I APOLOGIZE.
I MISSED THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION IS CITYWIDE CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY WEAPONS, LAW VIOLATIONS FIVE 20.
SO THERE'S A REPORTED INCREASE THERE 30% FROM 2020.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, SO THERE'S SOME DATA IN CHICAGO, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF SEIZURE OF WEAPONS.
MY QUESTION IS, ARE STOPS PROACTIVE ACTIVITY AMONG THE PD.
IS THAT GOING UP? AND SO WE'RE JUST SEEING A HIGHER NUMBER BEING SEIZED WITH A CONSTANT RATE OF RECOVERY, OR ARE WE SEEING JUST MORE WEAPONS WITH A STATIC NUMBER OF STOPS ACTUALLY? UM, IT HAS LESS TO DO WITH THE STOPS AND THE GUNS BEING USED IN THE COMMISSION OF THE CRIME.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS BREAKING OUT THERE THAT, UM, THEY'VE COMMITTED SOME TYPE OF A WEAPON LAW VIOLATION, WHETHER WE'VE SEIZED THE GUN OR NOT, WE'RE JUST SEEING MORE WEAPON LAW VIOLATIONS THAT ARE BEING COMMITTED OVERALL.
UM, AND THEN, UH, I THINK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION ON THE, UM, EXCUSE ME, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT SOME OF THE EXPENDITURE FOR OVERTIME.
UM, AND SO IT'S ALWAYS, IT'S ALWAYS ABOVE THE, THE ALLOTTED NUMBER, BUT IT'S CONSISTENT FROM 2020 TO 2021.
UM, I'M CURIOUS AS TO HOW THAT'S SHIFTING CONSTANTLY BETWEEN YEARS, BUT CHANGING IN THE OVERALL NUMBER.
WHAT IS ACTUALLY DRIVING THAT INCREASE? I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
I'M GETTING, I'M WORKING MY WAY TO THAT SLIDE RIGHT NOW.
SO YOU CAN SEE IN 2020, IT'S APPROXIMATELY A $9 MILLION BUDGETED AND IT'S UP TO 21 MILLION IN EXPENDITURE.
AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, IT'S 3.5 BUDGET.
IT ONLY GOES UP TO 10, RIGHT? BUT THE, THE FACTOR OF INCREASE IS ABOUT THE SAME YEAR TO YEAR.
I'M CURIOUS TO HOW YOU CAN CUT THE OVERALL EXPENDITURE BY 50%, BUT THE RELATIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EXPENDITURE AND WHAT YOU'RE ALLOTTED IS, IS THE SAME.
SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S DRIVING THAT YEAR TO YEAR, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, PART OF IT IS GOING TO BE THE ACTUAL, UM, NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT I
[00:35:01]
HAVE THAT ARE AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE GENERALLY THE FOLKS THAT ARE ARE WORKING THE OVERTIME, UM, THIS GOES BACK TO A BIGGER ISSUE WITH, UM, THE ATTRITION THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.SO REGARDLESS OF WHEREVER IN AN ORGANIZATION IN OUR ORGANIZATION, THAT SOMEBODY RETIRES, I COULD HAVE A COMMANDER, A LIEUTENANT, YOU KNOW, A SERGEANT WHO RESIGNS IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT VACANCY IS GOING TO BE CARRIED AT THE OFFICER RANK ALWAYS.
AND THE REASON BEING IS THAT I ALWAYS HAVE PROMOTIONAL LISTS.
SO SOMEBODY I'M GOING TO PROMOTE A COMMANDER, WHICH WILL PROMOTE A LIEUTENANT, WHICH WILL PROMOTE A SERGEANT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WHERE I CARRY THE VACANCY AT THE OFFICER RANK.
NOW, THOSE OFFICERS, UM, ARE GENERALLY, UH, THE MAJORITY OF MY OFFICERS ARE WORKING ON PATROL.
SO THE SHORTAGES THAT I SEE GENERALLY ARE PATROL SHORTAGES.
UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS I'M ASKING MY OFFICERS TO COME AND WORK OVER TIME AND BACKFILL MY, MY PATROL SHIFTS THAT ARE SHORT, I HAVE A LIMITED AS THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS ACTUALLY DWINDLES.
I HAVE FEWER AND FEWER OFFICERS THAT ARE VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS OVERTIME.
SO I'M SEEING MY ACTUAL OVERTIME EXPENDITURES ARE SHRINKING, I THINK.
AND, AND CERTAINLY I CAN, I CAN LET MY, I HAVE MY BUDGET MANAGER HERE WHO, WHO, WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT WHY WE SEE, I DON'T SEE A DIRECTLY CORRELATED.
WHAT I SEE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE, WE'RE TRYING TO MANAGE OUR OVERTIME.
WE'RE DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN WITH MANAGING THAT PIECE.
THEN THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE FOR
YOU KNOW, THE, THE ONES THAT CAME OUT OF THE SPECIFIC LEGISLATION AND THE, AND THE FUNDING THAT THE CITY GOT SPECIFICALLY FOR COVID RELATED MATTERS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE FEWER OFFICERS EACH GO ROUND THAT ARE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HONESTLY OFFICERS ARE PRETTY OVERTIME WEARY AT THIS POINT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE ASKING THEM, THEY'RE WORKING 40 HOURS NORMALLY, AND THEN WE'RE ASKING THEM TO WORK AN EXTRA ONE OR TWO SHIFTS A WEEK, 50, 60 HOURS, YOU DO THAT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS IN A ROW, AND THAT WILL WEAR YOU OUT PRETTY QUICKLY.
AND SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE OVERTIME THAT IS BEING ADVERTISED THAT IS NOT BEING FILLED.
AND, UM, AND THAT GENERALLY, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE HAVING TO MOVE FOLKS AROUND FOR OVERTIME, THAT I, THAT I'VE PREVIOUSLY BEEN ABLE TO FILL ON OVER TIME AND I'M HAVING TO MOVE FOLKS TO WORK IT ON STRAIGHT TIME, BECAUSE NOBODY FILLED THE OVER TIME THAT IS ALSO GOING TO DRIVE THAT NUMBER DOWN.
THE, UM, I'M CURIOUS AS TO HOW THE APD DEALS WITH, UH, DECIDING ON THE PENSIONS FOR OFFICERS.
SO IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THERE WAS THE RECENT REPORTS OF OFFICERS BASICALLY CLOCKING OUT, UM, BECAUSE THEY MAXIMIZE THEIR PENSION WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF PROTESTS TIME OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UH, I'M JUST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT SET UP IS FOR DECIDING ON PENSION PAYOUT.
CAN YOU SHED SOME LIGHT ON WHAT THAT SURE.
SO I'M NOT SURE YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU SAW OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DID THAT THE NYP D FOR EXAMPLE, MAXIMIZES, UH, ASSUMPTION BASED OFF MAX HOURS WORKED, RIGHT.
SO EVERY DEPARTMENT WORKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
I MENTIONED I CAME FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, A PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ACTUALLY, YOU CAN, UH, YOU HAVE A PENSIONABLE BENEFIT WITH THE NUMBER OF OVERTIME HOURS THAT YOU WORK AND YOU'LL SEE ARE LIKE OFFICERS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE'LL JUST WORK A TON OF OVERTIME TO MAX THEIR BENEFIT.
THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT DO THAT.
UM, OVERTIME DOLLARS DO NOT INCREASE YOUR PENSION BENEFIT AT ALL.
SO IT IS BASED UPON YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE, YOUR RANK.
UM, AND, AND THAT GIVES YOU THE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE PAY SCALE, WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LEAVE, WE'LL TELL YOU, THIS IS YOUR PENSION BENEFIT.
UM, SO, SO THERE IS NO, THERE IS NO BENEFIT TO WORKING MORE, UH, TO TRY AND INCREASE THE PENSION BENEFIT.
WE HAVE TO, WE ARE OUT OF TIME ON THIS.
UM, WE ONLY HAVE TWO MORE MINUTES LEFT AND WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF TIME ON THIS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF CHICKEN.
WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING TO SEE US TODAY AND GIVING US THE REPORT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
[2.b. Update on Reimagining Public Safety and Budget Recommendations for FY 2021-2022 (sponsors: Commissioner Gonzales and Webber) 4:45pm -5:10pm]
OUR NEXT NEW BUSINESS, WHICH IS THE UPDATE ON RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY AND BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FYI 2021 AND 22.I BELIEVE WE HAVE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, OUR YANO.
AND MR. WILLIAM MIXON FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE.
CHAIR GONZALES AND COMMISSIONERS RAY ARIANO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
AND WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS TEE UP, UH, THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE UPDATE WITH REGARD TO REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY, KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT CURRENTLY, AS WELL AS THEN HAND IT OVER TO WILLIAM MIXON FROM THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE INVESTED, UH, DOLLARS COMING OUT OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CITY COMMUNITY TASKFORCE.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TAKE US BACK TO A POINT IN TIME WHERE THE CITY COMMUNITY,
[00:40:01]
A REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASKFORCE DELIVERS DELIVERED ITS RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO THE CITY MANAGER BACK IN APRIL, 2020.SO IN THAT TIME, WHAT WE WANTED TO TRY TO DO WITH THIS TASK FORCE, AND, AND BY THE WAY, LET ME BACK UP AND SAY HOW MUCH WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE TASK FORCE.
IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EFFORT.
I DON'T THINK EVER, CERTAINLY IN MY HISTORY HERE RELATIVELY SHORT, EIGHT YEARS WITH THE CITY THAT WE'VE EVER SEEN, SUCH A COMMITMENT AND A FOCUS OF A COMMUNITY TASK FORCE DEDICATED TO SEEING HOW WE MIGHT REIMAGINE HOW WE MIGHT DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
WE HEARD SIGNIFICANT INPUT FROM THE, FROM THE TASK FORCE THAT REALLY TAUGHT US, UM, TO LOOK AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO, AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT PLUG IN, CERTAINLY ON BEHALF OF THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR THAT EFFORT.
SO IN APRIL, 2020, THEY DELIVERED THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND RIGHT AWAY THE CITY MANAGER CREATED WITHIN THE CITY, UH, ORGANIZATION WORK GROUPS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SEE HOW THEY MIGHT BE INCORPORATED IN THE FYI 21, NOT 22 BUDGET.
I GET A LITTLE BIT MIXED UP OF WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE, IN THE FISCAL YEARS, UH, WITH THE CERTAINLY TRYING TO KEEP OUR COMMITMENT, TO SEE WHAT OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS CAN, COULD BE INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE BUDGET, UH, UPCOMING.
AND SO THOSE GROUPS WORKED THROUGH EACH OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, WE, WE MADE AN EFFORT TO REACH OUT TO THE CHAIRS OF EACH OF THE DIFFERENT TASKFORCE, UM, MEMBERS WHO LED THE DIFFERENT, I THINK THERE WERE SEVEN OR EIGHT OF THESE, UM, AREAS FOR CONSIDERATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE AND FOR ANY CLARIFICATIONS THAT THE WORK GROUP MIGHT NEED IN ORDER TO PARSE THROUGH EACH OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND COME UP WITH SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THEN TO THE CITY MANAGER FOR WHAT MIGHT BE INCORPORATED IN THE
BUT I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT NOW THAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE YOU'LL KNOW THAT, UM, THERE'S A DASHBOARD THAT PROVIDES, UH, UH, STATUS OF EACH OF THOSE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE.
UH, AS WELL AS, UM, THERE WAS A PAUSE ESSENTIALLY AFTER THE BUDGET PROCESS WAS COMPLETED FOR TWO REASONS, ONE TO SEE WHAT MIGHT GO FORWARD, UM, IN THAT BUDGET PROCESS.
AND TWO, WE REALLY NEEDED TO HAVE, UM, THE PERMANENT POLICE CHIEF IN PLACE SO THAT WE COULD, THAT PERSON COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH ITS SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THAT WERE APPLICABLE TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, OBVIOUSLY THAT, UH, THAT CONFIRMATION HAS BEEN MADE.
AND, UH, CERTAINLY VERY PLEASED AND HONORED TO HAVE, UH, CHIEF JOSEPH, JACK COHEN AS OUR PERMANENT POLICE CHIEF TO TAKE US FORWARD IN THAT REGARD.
NOW WITH THAT IN PLACE, UH, WE HAVE RESTARTED OUR REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY, CORE LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETINGS TO INCLUDE, UM, POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT MIGHT HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN HOW WE MIGHT DELIVER PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, SERVICES DIFFERENTLY TO INCLUDE OSTIA CODE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH, EMS, UH, PARKS, AND SO FORTH.
AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE CORE TEAM MEMBERS THAT ALSO INCLUDING POLICE OVERSIGHT AS WELL AS THE EQUITY OFFICE.
AND SO WE'VE RESTARTED THOSE MEETINGS FROM A LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE AND ARE NOW, UH, PRIORITIZING PARTICULARLY SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON THE POLICE SIDE AND THE LEADERSHIP OF CHIEF JEFF COHEN, THOSE ITEMS, AS WELL AS, UH, MYSELF AND, UM, THE DIRECTOR OF FARRAH MUSCADET ON THE NON-POLICE RELATED ITEMS TO SEE HOW WE MIGHT PRIORITIZE AND DRIVE, UH, PROGRESS IN
SO THAT'S THE UPDATE, UH, IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'RE AT FROM A RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY PERSPECTIVE.
AND PERHAPS WHAT I COULD DO IS I'LL TURN IT OVER TO WIL NIXON FOR AN UPDATE ON THE BUDGET, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK FOR QUESTIONS AND LIKE, UNLESS YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE QUESTIONS NOW, CHAIR, SO WELL, IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, TAKE IT AWAY.
AND, UH, THANK YOU, CHAIRING COMMISSION FOR HAVING ME I'M WILL.
AND I, UH, WORK IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, AND I'VE BEEN THE, UH, THE FINANCE AND BUDGET LEAD ON REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, SO YEAH, SO, UM, UH, STARTING, UH, STARTING WITH THE FY 21 BUDGET, UM, THE, UH, UH, THE CITY, UH, COMMITTED, UH, A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT TO REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UH, AND IN F Y 22 BUDGET, AND THE BITE OF THAT WAS JUST PASSED AND JUST WENT IN, UH, WENT INTO PLACE OCTOBER 1ST, UH, IT MAINTAIN 27.2 MILLION OF THE FUNDING APPROVED IN THE
UH, THAT IS ABOUT, UH, NEARLY 90% OF WHAT WAS APPROVED IN F Y 21 THAT IS CONTINUING THE REMAINDER OF THAT, UH, WAS,
[00:45:01]
UH, FUNDED ONE TIME ITEMS LIKE VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT OR, UH, OR FROM ONE TIME FUNDING SOURCES.UM, SO 27.2 MILLION CONTINUED ON INTO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND IN ADDITION, THE, UH, THE FYI 22 BUDGET INCLUDES 9.3 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
THAT FUND IS FUNDING NUMEROUS PUBLIC SAFETY REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD BY THE, UH, RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGH THE WORK THAT THE, UH, THAT THE EIGHT BUDGET WORK GROUPS, UH, WORKED, UH, OF THE, UH, TASK FORCE WORTH THAT ACM MARIANO WAS JUST MENTIONING.
THEY WORKED AT, UH, ON THE SEPARATE AND THEY'RE SEPARATE GROUPS AND, AND, AND SUBMITTED A FULL REPORT.
AND, UH, AND THEN WE, AND THEN, UH, THE CITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL WORKED THROUGH THAT AND, AND FUNDED 9.3 MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL INVESTMENT IN FYI 22 TO 36 AND A HALF MILLION.
AND, UH, AND SO, AND I WILL NOW WALK THROUGH WHAT THAT 9.3 MILLION THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING LED THOSE, UH, THAT LINE ITEMS WERE.
SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, JUST ONE MORE, SORRY.
UM, SO, UH, AND THIS IS JUST KIND OF IN THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF DOLLARS.
UM, SO FIRSTLY, UH, THERE'S A $2.8 MILLION INCREASE TO THE HOUSING TRUST FUND.
THIS, UH, THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS BROUGHT FORWARD BY, UH, I THINK, UH, A MAJORITY OF THE EIGHT WORKING GROUPS WITHIN THE TASK FORCE, UM, THAT, UH, HAVE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE FOCUSED AROUND ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INITIATIVES.
AND SO THIS 2.8 MILLION INCREASE INCLUDES EMERGENCY RELOCATION ASSISTANCE, UH, THE TENANT STABILIZATION PROGRAM AND FOR PROJECTS PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, THE SECOND BULLET THERE, UH, THE ONE AND A HALF, ONE AND A HALF MILLION, UH, TO EXPAND THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER CAREER LADDER INITIATIVE, UH, ADD NINE NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND INCREASED CONTRACTS TO COMMUNITY FOCUSED PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS.
THIS CAME FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH REINVESTMENT WORKING GROUP AND, UH, AND OF NOTE THE NINE NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, UH, THEIR FOCUS IN
UM, THE THIRD BULLET 0.1 0.1 MILLION, UH, TO MATCH FUNDING FOR AN ONGOING GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROJECT.
UH, THIS, THIS CAME FROM THE EQUITY RE-INVESTMENT WORKING GROUP, UH, AS WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE EQUITY REINVESTMENT WORKING GROUP.
AND, UH, SO THERE'S A PILOT PROJECT THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING IMPLEMENTED THROUGH, UH, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS.
AND THIS WOULD MATCH, UH, THERE'S 1.1 MILLION FUNDING FROM THEM.
THIS WILL MATCH AN ADDITIONAL 1.1 MILLION TO, UH, TO ASSIST THE CURRENT.
THE CURRENT EFFORTS AT THAT ARE ASSISTING 115 AUSTIN FAMILIES.
AND THIS WOULD DOUBLE THOSE EFFORTS.
UH, IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, UH, SO A 1 MILLION IS INCREASED IN FUNDING TO THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION WAS CREATED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET IN THE FYI 21 BUDGET THROUGH THE INITIAL REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY AND INVESTMENT.
AND THIS WILL INCREASE THAT, UH, FUNDING BY 1 MILLION FOR VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS. I DEVELOP A COMMUNITY SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM THAT WILL, UH, UH, THAT WILL PROVIDE, UH, SOMETHING LIKE MANY, MANY GRANTS TOWARD COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY GROUPS.
AND I ENDED UP PROCURE TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO ASSESS VIOLENCE RELATED DATA, TO MAKE INFORMED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION POLICIES, UH, THAT, UH, RECOMMENDATION WAS BROUGHT FORWARD FROM THE SERVICES TO VIOLENCE SURVIVORS AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION WORKING GROUP AS WERE THE FOLLOWING TWO, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL, CAME FROM THAT SAME WORKING GROUP.
THE SECOND BULLET POINT, BEING THAT THE 900,000 TO EXPAND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND THIS WILL PROVIDE CHILDCARE CARE ACROSS SIX RECREATION CENTERS IN THE CITIES, EASTERN CRESCENT.
AND THEN THIRDLY, AT A $769,000 INCREASE TO VICTIM SERVICES THAT WILL FUND TWO NEW VICTIM SERVICE COUNSELORS, EXPAND FUNDING FOR THE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND CONTRACT PROVIDERS FOR SPECIALIZED TRAUMA HEALING, AS WELL AS PROVIDING TRAINING TO, UH, TO THE VICTIM SERVICES COUNSELORS ON SOME OF THESE, UH, SOME OF THESE, UH, SERVICES.
AND IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, AND THIS IS THE FINAL SLIDE, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO THE QUESTIONS.
THESE ARE THE FINAL FEW, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE FUNDED, UM, AT 615,000 THAT WILL EXPAND THE PARK RANGER PROGRAM.
SO IT'S GOING TO ADD, ADD SIX POSITIONS, UM, SIX PARK RANGER POSITIONS.
AND, UH, AND, AND, AND THIS WILL, THIS CAME
[00:50:01]
FROM THE PATROL AND SURVEILLANCE WORKING GROUP WITHIN THE, UH, REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE, UH, IN A WAY OF, OF RE-IMAGINING, UH, RE-IMAGINE HOW, UH, HOW, UH, THIS, THIS, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICE CAN BE DONE IN THE, IN THE PARKS, UH, AND THEN A 520,000 TO FIND, UH, RESILIENT COMMUNITIES, RESILIENT SCHOOLS TO YOUR PILOT.THIS CAME, UH, FROM THE, UH, UH, EQUITY COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT GROUP AS, AS, AS WELL AS A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THAT GROUP.
AND SO THIS WILL FUND FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATORS THAT WILL LEAD COMMUNITY PARTNERS, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, ET CETERA, WITH FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS ACROSS THE CITY, UH, IT'S TARGETED TOWARD FOUR COMMUNITIES AND THE NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN, NORTHEAST AUSTIN, CENTRAL EAST, AND THE DOVE SPRINGS AREA, UH, AND THEN FINALLY, A HUNDRED, 5,000 TO FUND A MULTI-LINGUAL PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS REGARDING APPROPRIATE EMERGENCY SERVICE USE.
THIS IS FUNDED WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, AND THEY WILL BE, UH, UH, IMPLEMENTING THIS CAMPAIGN IN FY 22.
AND THAT IS, UH, A FINAL, FINAL RECOMMENDATION.
AND I THINK, UH, WE CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MIXON, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE PANEL? GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER LEWIS, PLEASE.
HI, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEONE THAT DOMAIN DONATED A LOT OF TIME TO THAT TASK FORCE, UM, I DO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE ONGOING WORK OF CITY LEADERS IS INCORPORATING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
UM, I KNOW FOR THE SURVIVORS, THE SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE OF VIOLENCE, PERENCHIO WORKING GROUP, WE, WE CONTINUE TO MEET BECAUSE THERE'S STILL IMPLEMENTATION WORK.
I THINK THAT, UM, IN THE BEGINNING WE DID ESTABLISH THE LONG-TERM WORK OF RE-IMAGINING, UM, AND THE ITERATE OF WORK OF BRINGING CHANGES, SEEING IF THEY ARE EFFECTIVE COMING BACK TO THIS CITY, COMING BACK, UM, TO FIX THOSE ITEMS. SO, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A WEBSITE WHERE, UM, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE UPGRADED, BUT HOW, HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ITERATION TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THOSE THINGS, CONTINUING TO UNDERSTAND IMPACT, UM, AND INCREASE, YOU KNOW, KEEP, KEEP COMMUNITY MEMBERS INVOLVED, RIGHT? THANK YOU.
AND AGAIN, TO RECOGNIZE YOUR PARTICIPATION ON THE CITY COMMUNITY TASK FORCE.
UM, SO IN RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTION IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS FROM A LEADERSHIP TEAM PERSPECTIVE, IT IS OUR EXPECTATION THAT AS THESE INDIVIDUAL WORK GROUPS LOOK THROUGH AND, AND DETERMINE WHAT NEXT STEPS ARE, THERE ARE, I MEAN, AGAIN, SOME WERE RELATIVELY SHORT-TERM AND OTHERS ARE MORE LONGTERM.
IT'S OUR EXPECTATION THAT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN, IN THESE PARTICULAR, UH, EFFORTS WILL REACH OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE INVOLVED TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK AND TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE'RE PROGRESSING.
AND I JUST WANT TO REAFFIRM AND RE STATE, I THINK THE VALUE OF CONTINUOUS COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP, WHETHER IT TAKES THE FORM OF A CITY, UM, COMMUNITY TASKFORCE, OR THERE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE THROUGH THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, BUT THERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE FOLKS THAT ARE AT THE TABLE, UM, THAT ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED, UM, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET CENTRALIZED INFORMATION, UM, WITHOUT THAT KIND OF A STRUCTURE AND IT IN A WAY TO CONTINUE FEEDBACK.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST A THOUGHT, UM, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS I KNOW THE THREE, UM, BUCKETS THAT THE, THE WORKING GROUP I WORKED ON HAS IN HERE.
I KNOW THESE ARE LIMITED, RIGHT.
UM, TO ONE YEAR, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I THINK MAKES ME WONDER HOW MANY OF THESE ITEMS ARE JUST FUNDED FOR IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND WON'T BE CARRIED OVER.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, WE, WE CAN HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, HOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE INVESTMENT IN SOME OF THESE AREAS.
SO I'LL, I'LL TAKE A SWING AT RESPONDING TO THAT WITHOUT SEEING WHAT THE ACTUAL ITEMS ARE.
I MEAN, SOME OF THEM ARE, MIGHT BE LOGICALLY ONE YEAR TIME FUNDING AND PERHAPS WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL EVALUATION DOING THE NORMAL FISCAL YEAR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
AND OTHERS ARE PROBABLY MORE, MIGHT BE LONGER TERM WHERE THERE'S CERTAINLY A COMMITMENT THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE HEADING DOWN A PATH THAT WILL REQUIRE ONGOING FUNDING THAT WOULD NATURALLY
[00:55:01]
END UP IN THE MANAGERS PROPOSED BUDGET ONGOING.BUT PERHAPS THAT IF ANY NEW MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION, I KNOW THAT HE'S ON, UH, BEYOND WHAT I'VE SAID, GENERALLY.
CERTAINLY GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
AND I CAN, I CAN TELL YOU WHICH ONES I KNOW FOR SURE ARE JUST FOR THIS BUDGET YEAR.
UM, AND JUST, I THINK SO I KNOW THE VICTIM SERVICE INCREASE AT LEAST FOR THE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND AND THE, UM, CULTURALLY SPECIFIC HEALING FUND OR HEALERS FUND.
I KNOW THAT'S JUST FOR THIS YEAR, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S OTHER ITEMS THAT WERE LISTED THAT ARE JUST FOR THIS YEAR.
AND DID YOU WANT TO TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE? I MEAN, IT JUST, IT WOULD JUST BE KIND OF REITERATING WHAT YOU SAID, RAY, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE ONE TIME FUNDING ITEMS. THERE ARE STUDIES OR THINGS THAT JUST MAKE SENSE TO BE ONE TIME, UM, EXPENDITURES AND THERE'S OTHER INVESTMENTS, UM, IN RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY THAT ARE ONGOING INVESTMENTS, AND IT'S NOT JUST THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE TASK FORCE, BUT IN ADOPTING THE FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET, THERE WERE SUBSTANTIAL NEW INVESTMENTS MADE TO THE EQUITY OFFICE, TO THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT TO, TO THE VICTIM SERVICES OFFICE.
UM, AND, AND A LOT OF AREAS AND, UM, ARE, ARE, YOU'LL SEE THOSE, UM, FYI 21 AMOUNT.
SO THEY ALL CONTINUED, UM, TO THE EXTENT THEY WERE RECURRING EXPENDITURES, THEY CONTINUE TO IN FYI 22 AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO CONTINUE INTO FYI 23, THAT THE COMMITMENT WAS MADE TO FUND THE PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
AND THAT IS CERTAINLY THE INTENSIVE STAFF TO CONTINUE TO DO SO.
SO IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO, IS IT A, UM, IS IT BY, IN NATURE, LIKE A STUDY THAT REALLY IS JUST ONE TIME OR IS IT, UH, IS IT A RECURRING EXPENSE, LIKE, UM, THE VICTIM SERVICES COUNSELORS IN THE EQUITY OFFICE INVESTMENTS, ET CETERA.
UM, AND OUR INTENT IS TO KEEP THOSE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET IN THE FUTURE.
NOW THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT NOTHING WILL EVER BE CUT.
YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET NEEDS TO BE IN BALANCE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT THERE ARE NO PLANS TO REDUCE, UM, THE INVESTMENTS AND THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED IN RECENT YEARS.
WELL, I THINK MY QUESTION WAS MAINLY FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THE RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE.
I KNOW THAT THERE WERE OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY AND, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON THINGS, AND THEN WE CALLED THEM THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASKS, BUT, OR RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY UMBRELLA, BUT I'M MOST, I'M JUST REFERRING TO THE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, BECAUSE, BECAUSE I KNOW PERSONALLY, EVEN, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD BE GREAT TO CONTINUE ON TRAUMA HEALING THERAPY SUPPORT YEAR AFTER YEAR, BUT WE ONLY GOT IT FOR THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHERE MY QUESTION COMES FROM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S THE SITUATION FOR, FOR THAT ONE RECOMMENDATION AND REALLY THE RECOMMENDATION WAS A CONTINUATION OF FUNDING.
UM, SO I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S STILL A QUESTION FOR ME AND FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, HOW MUCH OF AN ONGOING INVESTMENT IS THIS RE-IMAGINING PIECE, KEEPING IN MIND THE CORE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO REALLY EXPAND OUR IDEA OF SAFETY, UM, AND PUTS MORE INTO THE HANDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND DIRECTLY IMPACTED PEOPLE.
SO HOW ARE WE DOING THAT? UM, WITHOUT SUSTAINED FUNDING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF COMMISSIONER WEBER, PLEASE? GO AHEAD.
SO JUST BUILDING ON COMMISSIONER, LUCAS'S SOME THEMES THAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
UM, MY QUESTION IS FOR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, ARIANO, I, UH, JUST THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY LEADERSHIP WHO BELIEVES IN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
UM, AND THE WORK THAT DID ON THE IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, TASK FORCE.
AND SO YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE ADDED EMS TO THE RE-IMAGINED LEADERSHIP TEAM.
AND SO JUST BUILDING OFF OF THAT, WILL YOU PLEASE UPDATE US ON THE SEARCH FOR OUR NEXT EMS CHIEF, WHO WILL BE, YOU KNOW, A VERY IMPORTANT VOICE ON THIS TEAM? UM, AND WILL YOU LET US, AND WILL YOU LET US KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE APPLIED WHEN THE LIST OF APPLICANTS WILL BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC AND WHEN WE CAN EXPECT THE FINALIST TO BE ANNOUNCED, AND THEN WHAT COMMUNITY INPUT THERE WILL BE, UM, REGARDING THE FINALIST.
UH, SO BY WAY OF UPDATE ON THE EMS, UH, CHIEF RECRUITMENT, UM, WE'VE ENGAGED, UH, AT THE, ON A PUBLIC IS A NAME OF THE CONSULTANT.
THAT'S HELPING US WITH THAT RECRUITMENT.
UH, THE STATUS IS, UH, THERE WAS AN INITIAL CUTOFF, UH, FOR APPLICATIONS, I THINK IT WAS, UH, LAST MONTH.
AND SO THE RECRUITER IS, IS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE INFORMATION, DOING SOME PRELIMINARY,
[01:00:01]
UM, OUTREACH TO EACH OF THE APPLICANTS IN ORDER TO BRING BACK, UH, TO MYSELF, UM, THE APP, THE LIST OF APPLICANTS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHERE THEY'RE, WHERE THEY ALL MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.AND THEN THOSE THAT MIGHT, UM, EXCEED THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND SO FORTH.
AND SO THAT PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES IS SCHEDULED FOR LATER ON THIS MONTH, AFTER WHICH WE WILL DETERMINE, OR I WILL DETERMINE, UM, WHO MIGHT BE BEST QUALIFIED TO MOVE TO THE NEXT STAGE, WHICH WOULD BE, UM, UH, UH, INTERVIEWS DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO, WE HAVEN'T DECIDED YET, UH, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS AND I, AND TO YOUR QUESTION, I DID, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WE'VE RECEIVED SO FAR.
UM, BUT WE MAY CLOSE LAST MONTH THOUGH, CORRECT? YES, LAST MONTH.
SO, UM, WE'LL LIKELY HOW MANY PEOPLE APPLIED? I DO NOT KNOW PERSONALLY.
I MEAN, BALLPARK, WAS IT, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN HEARING, I'LL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S RUMORS FLYING THAT THERE WAS NOT A VERY ROBUST, UM, APPLICANT POOL.
SO, I MEAN, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME IDEA, WAS IT FIVE PEOPLE, 30 PEOPLE, LIKE, IT'S MORE THAN IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY A MORE THAN 10 AND I'M THINKING, IT'S THINKING IT'S 20 OR SO, BUT I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.
AND SO W SO DO YOU PLAN TO RELEASE THAT LIST OF BETWEEN 10 AND 20 APPLICANTS TO THE PUBLIC? OR DO YOU PLAN TO NARROW IT DOWN BEFORE YOU, UH, RELEASED? SO GENERALLY WE'LL WAIT UNTIL WE ACTUALLY, UM, NARROW THE LIST OF WHO MIGHT BE MOVING FORWARD TO THE NEXT, UH, PHASE OF THE RECRUITMENT.
AND SO AGAIN, I'LL PROBABLY MAKE THAT DECISION HERE LATER THIS LATER THIS MONTH, OR IF NOT EARLY IN DECEMBER, GIVEN, UH, HOLIDAYS THAT ARE COMING UP HERE AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT PHASE.
I JUST DIDN'T QUITE, I MEAN, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
SO, UM, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A DECISION LATER THIS MONTH ABOUT WHETHER TO RELEASE THE LIST OF APPLICANTS, LIKE HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, FOR INSTANCE, WITH POLICE CHIEF APPLICANTS, OR YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THE, YOU'VE MADE THE DECISION NOT TO RELEASE IT, AND YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT WHO WILL BE FINE PLUS, SO, SO LATER THIS MONTH I WILL REVIEW THE CANDIDATES, UH, THAT ARE, THAT HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATIONS.
AND WE'LL MAKE A DETERMINATION WHO MOVES FORWARD TO THE NEXT PHASE OF THE RECRUITMENT.
I THINK THOSE, THAT LIST OF NAMES THE SEVEN OR SO IF YOU WILL, THAT WILL COME FORWARD FOR INTERVIEWS, UH, THE FIRST PHASE OF INTERVIEWS, OR MAYBE SEVERAL PHASES OF INTERVIEWS AND S AND SO FORTH, THAT WILL INCLUDE INPUT.
UH, AND AS WE GET CLOSER, WE'LL THEN INCLUDE INPUT FROM COMMISSIONERS, AS WELL AS, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THIS PARTICULAR RECRUITMENT, WHETHER OR NOT I RELEASED THE ENTIRE LIST.
UM, WE GENERALLY DON'T DO THAT.
I KNOW THAT WE DID FOR THE POLICE CHIEF, UH, RECRUITMENT MOSTLY BECAUSE THERE WAS A PIR THAT WAS OUT THERE THAT ASKED FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND SO CERTAINLY WILL RESPOND TO ANY PIR IS APPROPRIATELY.
I MEAN, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE IS A PR OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHY I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS.
UH, IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR REASON WHY YOU'RE TREATING THIS SEARCH DIFFERENT THAN YOU TREATED THE POLICE CHIEF SEARCH? SO WE'RE TREATING, I'M TREATING THIS RECRUITMENT JUST LIKE I TREAT ANY DIRECTOR'S RECRUITMENT, UH, UNLESS THERE'S A PIR THAT'S OUT THERE, THERE'S NO REAL NEED FOR ME TO ADVERTISE ALL OF THE APPLICANTS THAT MIGHT BE, UM, UH, APPLYING.
I DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY THAT THAT'S, THAT'S CERTAINLY COULD BE OF INTEREST TO SOME PEOPLE, BUT THAT'S TYPICALLY NOT WHAT WE DO.
SO, UM, I MEAN, IS THAT A DECISION OR, I MEAN, IS THAT FINAL? THE PUBLIC WILL NOT GET TO KNOW ALL THE IDENTITIES OF THE PEOPLE WHO APPLIED.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, I WILL CERTAINLY RELEASE THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHO MIGHT BE GOING FORWARD FOR INTERVIEWS AFTER I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SCREEN THE CANDIDATES OF ALL THE APPLICANTS.
SO THAT'S NOT MY INTENT AT THIS MOMENT.
UM, I MEAN, MY UNDERSTANDING THERE, THERE ARE PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS, SO IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE, I GUESS, IF YOU, UM, CHANGE YOUR MIND.
I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH LIKE TO KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, WHO FROM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT WAS INTERESTED IN THROWING THEIR NAME, UM, AND THE HAT AND, UH, WHO IS COMING TO US FROM, YOU KNOW, THE NATIONAL SEARCH AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK, I MEAN, I TH I WOULD HAVE GREAT INTEREST IN KNOWING WHO HAD APPLIED, UM, IN ADDITION TO WHOEVER IT IS THAT YOU CHOOSE TO GO ON TO THE INTERVIEWS.
SO I HOPE THAT YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THAT INFORMATION PUBLIC.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WEBER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
[2.c. Budget update: Impact of Moving Crime Lab and 911-call center back into APD and Cost of Prop. A (sponsors: Commissioner Webber and Bernhardt) 5:10pm -5:30pm]
AND WE WILL MOVE TO THE[01:05:01]
NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.UM, THIS IS ANOTHER BUDGET UPDATE, THE IMPACT OF MOVING THE CRIME LAB AND THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER BACK INTO APD AND THE COST OF PROP A, UM, I KNOW THIS WAS INTRODUCED BY BOTH COMMISSIONERS BERNHARDT AND DO EITHER ONE OF YOU WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT OR DO WE WANT TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE PRESENTATIONS? I THINK WE CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THE PRESENTATIONS, MR. WEBER.
YOU OKAY WITH THAT? OKAY, WONDERFUL.
SO WE HAVE, UH,
IS THERE, UM, ONE OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU WOULD PREFER TO START WITH? I THINK I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS SOME SLIDES.
I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE PROPERTY COSTS AND HAVE SOME SLIDES.
UM, AND THEN MICHELLE SCHMIDT WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER TWO, UH, THE OTHER TOPIC.
AND I DON'T THINK SHE HAS ANY SLIDES.
I'VE ONLY GOT FIVE OR SIX SLIDES.
I'LL TRY TO BE STORED WITH MY PRESENTATION, UM, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU GET IT TO ADVANCE ONE.
UM, SO THERE'S FOUR MAIN AREAS WHERE PROPOSITION A WOULD IMPACT THE CITY'S BUDGET.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, IT WOULD REQUIRE A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE SWORN STAFFING STRENGTH.
THERE'S TWO COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSITION THAT WOULD INFLUENCE THAT.
ONE IS A REQUIREMENT TO EMPLOY AT LEAST TWO OFFICERS PER EVERY THOUSAND RESIDENTS.
AND THE SECOND, UM, THAT WE ACTUALLY BELIEVE IS A HIGHER HURDLE IS A REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN NOT LESS THAN 35% COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME.
UM, SO, AND THAT'S BY FAR THE LARGEST COST ITEM, AS YOU'LL SEE ON, ON SOME OF THE TABLES I HAVE COMING UP, UM, THEIR PROPOSITION WOULD ALSO REQUIRE US TO RUN ADDITIONAL CADET CLASSES FOR A TIME UNTIL WE REACH, UH, 2020 STAFFING LEVELS WOULD ALSO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND ADDITIONAL STIPENDS THAT ARE INTENDED TO ENHANCE RECRUITING AND RETENTION OF OFFICERS.
SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR MAIN AREAS THAT I'LL BE SPEAKING TO THAT HAVE COST IMPLICATIONS.
UM, WE LOOKED AT A FIVE-YEAR TIME PERIOD FOR THE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF THIS, AND WE RAN TWO SCENARIOS, A, UM, A LOW SCENARIO AND A HIGH SCENARIO.
SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE KEY ASSUMPTIONS THAT GO INTO THE COSTING ANALYSIS.
FIRST ON THE LOW SCENARIO, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, THIS IS NOW GOING TO BE A PER THOUSAND POPULATION BASED FORMULA FOR POLICE STAFFING.
SO IN THE LOW SCENARIO, WE'RE ASSUMING JUST 1% POPULATION GROWTH.
UM, THE WAGES ALSO IMPACT THE COST ESTIMATE.
SO ON THE LOW END, WE ASSUME A 1% ANNUAL GROWTH IN WAGES FOR POLICE OFFICERS.
ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT IS THE VACANCY RATE.
SO OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, UM, WE HAVE AVERAGE A 6.3% VACANCY RATE.
SO THAT MEANS IF WE HAD A HUNDRED POLICE OFFICERS, UM, ROUGHLY SIX OF THOSE POSITIONS WOULD BE VACANT ON AVERAGE OVER TIME.
AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO GET TO 100% STAFFING, BUT THAT'S IMPORTANT IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE SECOND BULLET FROM THE BOTTOM, UM, THE PROPOSITION WOULD CALL FOR US TO EMPLOY, UM, UH, A MINIMUM OF TWO OFFICERS PER THOUSAND.
BUT GIVEN THAT 6.3% AVERAGE VACANCY RATE, WE ACTUALLY WOULD HAVE TO AUTHORIZE MORE THAN TWO OFFICERS PER THOUSAND TO ENSURE THAT AT ANY GIVEN TIME, WE'RE ALWAYS EMPLOYING AT LEAST TWO OFFICERS PER THOUSAND.
AND SO THAT MATH CAME OUT TO 2.1, THREE OFFICERS PER THOUSAND AS WHAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO AUTHORIZE WHEN A CADET CLASS RECENTLY, WHEN A CADET CLASS GRADUATES, WE WOULD, THEN OUR STAFFING WOULD ELEVATE UP CLOSE TO THAT 2.13.
AND THEN DURING THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN CADET CLASSES AND THROUGH ATTRITION, THAT OFFICERS PER THOUSAND WOULD START TO COME DOWN, BUT THEN IT WOULD NEVER COME BELOW TWO OFFICERS PER THOUSAND.
THEN WHEN THE NEXT CADET CLASS GRADUATES, WE'D GO BACK UP CLOSE TO 2.13, AND THEN IT WOULD START COMING DOWN.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO OVER A HIGHER, A LITTLE BIT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE EMPLOYING, UM, TWO OFFICERS PER THOUSAND AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
UM, ANOTHER ASSUMPTION IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO CONSTRUCT AN ADDITIONAL POLICE SUBSTATION.
SO YOU'LL SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE PROJECTING THAT TO COMPLY WITH PROPOSITION A UNDER THESE LOW END SCENARIO, WE WOULD HAVE TO ADD, UM, SEVERAL HUNDRED OFFICERS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, AND THAT WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL FACILITIES, SPLIT PACED SPACE TO HOUSE THOSE OFFICERS.
AND THEN FINALLY, A REAL IMPORTANT ASSUMPTION ON THIS LOW SCENARIO IS THAT ACHIEVING THAT 35%
[01:10:01]
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME WITH NECESSITATE, THE DEPARTMENT REALLOCATING, UM, UM, THEIR SPECIALIZED UNITS TO THE PATROL FUNCTION IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN APPROPRIATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIMES THAT JUST STAFFING AT TWO OFFICERS PER THOUSAND, WE DON'T BELIEVE, UM, WOULD ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT TO MEET THE 35% COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME WITHOUT REALLOCATING, UM, STAFF FROM THEIR SPECIALIZED AREAS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.YOU'LL SEE HOW THESE ASSUMPTIONS CONVERT INTO DOLLARS.
AS I MENTIONED IN MY FIRST SLIDE, THE BULK OF THE COST COMES FROM HAVING TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE STAFFING LEVELS.
UM, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE ADDING 403 OFFICERS OVER FIVE YEARS AT A COMMUNITY CUMULATIVE COST OF $248.8 MILLION.
UM, YOU CAN SEE SMALLER YET STILL SUBSTANTIAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADDITIONAL CADET CLASSES, THE ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND THE ADDITIONAL STIPENDS, UM, TOTAL COST OF 271.5 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS.
AND IT COMES OUT TO AN AVERAGE OVER THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF $54.3 MILLION PER YEAR.
SO ABOUT 90% OF COST ESTIMATES ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ADDITIONAL STAFFING REQUIREMENTS MOVING ONTO THE NEXT ONE.
WE THEN, UM, RAN THE MODEL WITH A DIFFERENT SET OF ASSUMPTIONS.
AND THIS TIME ASSUMED 2% POPULATION GROWTH, A 2% ANNUAL WAGE GROWTH, THE SAME VACANCY SAVINGS DYNAMIC, BUT IN THIS SCENARIO WITH THOSE HIGHER, UH, POPULATION GROWTH ASSUMPTIONS AND WITH A DIFFERENT TREATMENT OF HOW WE WOULD ACHIEVE THE 35% COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME, WE ACTUALLY NEED TO ADD SUBSTANTIALLY MORE OFFICERS AND WOULD PROJECT NEEDING TO ADD THREE POLICE STUFFS SUBSTATIONS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE ADDITIONAL OFFICERS.
UM, IN REGARDS TO THE 35% COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RESEARCH STAFF, UM, ESTIMATE THAT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THRESHOLD WITHOUT HAVING TO REASSIGN, UM, OFFICERS FROM SPECIALIZED UNITS TO PATROL, WE WOULD ACTUALLY NEED TO EMPLOY 2.35 OFFICERS PER THOUSAND.
NOW YOU GET INTO THAT SAME DYNAMIC IN ORDER FOR US TO EMPLOY 2.35 OFFICERS PER 1000 POPULATION.
WE ACTUALLY NEED TO HIRE MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE OF OUR HISTORIC, UM, ATTRITION RATE.
AND SO WE WOULD ACTUALLY SEEK TO AUTHORIZE TWO AND A HALF OFFICERS PER THOUSAND.
IF WE WERE TO MEET THE 35% COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THRESHOLD WITHOUT IMPACTING OTHER POLICING FUNCTIONS ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT TRANSLATES INTO COSTS.
AND IT'S LIKE I SAID, IT WOULD REQUIRE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE OFFICERS.
SO 885, UM, OFFICERS ADDED OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, A TOTAL OF $571.8 MILLION IS THE PROJECTED CUMULATIVE COST OF THOSE STAFFING ADDITIONS.
UM, AGAIN, THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH THE, UM, ADDITIONAL CADET CLASSES, THE ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND THE ADDITIONAL STIPENDS TOTAL OF JUST SHORT OF 600 MILLION, UM, COMES OUT TO AN AVERAGE ANNUAL COST OF 119.8 MILLION.
UM, UM, AND AGAIN, 885 OFFICERS ADDED OVER THOSE OVER THE FIVE YEARS.
AND THEN FINALLY ON THE LAST SLIDE IS JUST A SLIDE OF WHAT OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR 22 BUDGET LOOKS LIKE.
UM, QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FUND THE, THESE ADDITIONAL COSTS.
OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS $1.2 BILLION.
SO WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT A COST RANGE OF SAY, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN, UH, UM, 54 MILLION AND 119 MILLION, UM, IT'S A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL PART OF OUR CURRENT GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
UM, ONE OPTION THAT WE WOULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT IS, UM, IS, IS GOING TO THE, WITH A TAX RATE ELECTION TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL TAX DOLLARS TO FUND THESE COSTS.
IF THAT WASN'T, UH, APPROVED, UM, THERE WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH REVENUE IN OUR FINANCIAL FORECAST TO FUND THE ADDITIONAL COSTS WITHIN THE STATE LIMITATIONS ON OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUES.
IT WOULD REQUIRE A TAX RATE ELECTION OR REQUIRE, UM, REDUCING OTHER AREAS OF OUR BUDGET.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE INTENT OF THIS SLIDE IS JUST TO SHOW HOW OUR CURRENT $1.2 BILLION GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS ALLOCATED BETWEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES THAT THE THREE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU GUYS OFTEN TALK ABOUT IS ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET CURRENTLY.
AND THE REMAINING ONE THIRD OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS ALLOCATED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND PARKS AND LIBRARIES, UM, AND OTHER
[01:15:01]
SERVICES.AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, UM, A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT I NEED TO BE RESPECTFUL THAT WE ONLY HAVE 15 MINUTES TO COVER THE REST OF THE, UH, CRIME LAB AND NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER CRR INVOLVED, PLEASE.
UH, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION, THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME, WHICH IS SET AT 35%, CAN YOU, CAN YOU DEFINE WHAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME MEANS AND WHY IT IS CURRENTLY SET FOR THESE MODELS AT 35%? WELL, THE, UH, THE PROPOSITION USES THE LANGUAGE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME AND DOESN'T FIND DEFINE IT.
IT SIMPLY SAYS THAT, UM, WE SHOULD MEET AND WE SHALL MAINTAIN 35% COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME.
AND THE MODELS WE'VE RUN, WE'VE USED THE MOST NARROW DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME, WHICH WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE NON-COMMITTED TIME.
THE TIME THAT AN OFFICER IS NOT COMMITTED TO RESPONDING TO A CALL, UM, AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN THAT NON COMMITTED TIME TO, UM, 35%.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT HOW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME WOULD BE INTERPRETED AND WHAT THE INTENT OF THE PROPOSITION LANGUAGES, BUT WE ARE TAKING WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST NARROW INTERPRETATION OF IT.
UM, JUST BEING, NOT IN COMMITTED TIME, IF IT WAS INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY THAN THESE COST ESTIMATES COULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER.
I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT WHEN THINGS WOULD GO INTO EFFECT, UM, WOULD PROP A PAST, UM, AFFECT OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, OR WOULD IT START WITH THE NEXT, UH, PROP A, THE WAY THE PROPOSITION IS WORDED WOULD GO INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY? OF COURSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PRACTICALITY OF IT GOING INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY WOULD BE DEPENDENT UPON OUR ABILITY TO ACTUALLY RECRUIT AND TO GET, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS OR GET CADETS THROUGH THE TRAINING PROGRAM.
BUT THERE IS NO, UM, THERE'S NO DELAY IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROPOSITION IN THE, AS IT'S CURRENTLY WORDED AS IT IS WORDED.
UM, MS. SCHMIDT, DO YOU MIND, UM, DISCUSSING THE LAST TWO PIECES? THANK YOU.
I'M THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR POLICE FINANCIAL SERVICES, UM, FOR THE BUDGET UPDATE ON THE IMPACT OF MOVING FORENSICS AND THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER BACK UNDER APD, UM, TO COMPLY WITH HAUSFELD 1900, THE FYI 22 BUDGET REALIGNED, BOTH EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, I'M FORENSIC SERVICE, US FORENSIC SCIENCE UNIT BACK UNDER APD.
THE FYI 22 APPROVED BUDGET FOR FORENSICS IS $12.6 MILLION AND INCLUDES 86 FTES.
AND THE FY TO APPROVE BUDGET FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IS $16.3 MILLION AND INCLUDES 222 FTES.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, MR. WEBER COMMISSIONER BERNARD.
I GUESS WE DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
A LOT OF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR MR. NINO AS WELL ON PROPERTY.
WE STILL HAVE 10 MORE MINUTES IF YOU WANT TO USE THAT COMMISSIONER, SARAH
UH, YES, THIS IS FOR MR. VAN ENOU.
UH, UM, IF, IF WE ARE ASSUMING THAT THESE MODELS ARE BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT OFFICERS WILL HAVE MORE THAN A THIRD OF THEIR TIME, NOT DEDICATED TO CALLS FOR SERVICE IN YOUR OPINION, IS THAT A REASONABLE ASSUMPTION? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE POLICE CHIEF, I THINK HE'D BE BETTER SUITED TO RESPOND TO THAT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OUR CURRENT NON-COMMITTED TIME IS SOMEWHERE IN THE 20 PERCENTILE RANGE.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY THE STATISTIC, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 20, 25% CURRENTLY IS WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE ON A UNCOMMITTED TIME.
AND SO GETTING IT UP TO 35%, UM, UM, REQUIRES SUBSTANTIALLY MORE STAFF TO ALLOW FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A REASONABLE ASSUMPTION OR A GOOD ASSUMPTION.
I REALLY CAN'T SPEAK TO NOT BEING A, A POLICING EXPERT MYSELF TO HAVE TO THINK HE COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US BACK AT THE PODIUM WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE ON THE QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING IF THAT'S A REASONABLE ASSUMPTION.
[01:20:01]
SO IF, IF WHAT, UM, THE CFO HAS CURRENTLY SAID THE CURRENT LEVELS OF, UH, EITHER, UH, WITH BEING BROADLY DEFINED, I GUESS AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME IS SITTING AROUND 20% THAT IT'S REASONABLE TO EXPECT BASED ON CURRENT POPULATION GROWTH, THE SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS THAT WE ARE GOING TO MANAGE TO GET TO 35% COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME AS IT'S CURRENTLY DEFINED.UM, I GUESS THAT QUESTION CAN BEST BE ANSWERED BY JUST DETERMINING WHAT YOU THINK IS, IS REASONABLE.
CERTAINLY IF WE ADDED ENOUGH OFFICERS, WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE AND MORE UNCOMMITTED TIME BECAUSE THE MORE OFFICERS WE HAVE, THE FEW OFFICERS, THE FEWER CALLS AT EACH INDIVIDUAL OFFICER WOULD BE TAKING BASED ON OUR CALL VOLUME.
AND SO THAT, THAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT ARE IN COMMITTED TIME OR QUOTE UNQUOTE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME WOULD INCREASE WHAT THAT EXACT NUMBER IS.
THAT'S WHAT IS, UH, I THINK AT ISSUE HERE.
AND, UM, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE USING OUR BEST ESTIMATES BASED ON, AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, MR. VAN DINO AND THE OTHERS ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE IS OUR BEST ESTIMATE TO SAY, HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET TO THAT 35%? UM, BUT WE REALLY WON'T KNOW UNTIL WE HAVE THOSE, THOSE OFFICERS IN PLACE.
AND ONE BRIEF FOLLOWUP, IF WE DO SAY HAVE THAT 35% NON CALL TAKING TIME, IS THERE ANYTHING CURRENTLY SET UP WITHIN THE APD THAT REQUIRES OFFICERS TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH CITIZENS DURING THAT, ON, UH, THAT UNSPECIFIED? SO IT IS PART OF OUR, OUR, OUR PRACTICE, UM, WITH THE OFFICERS WHEN THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THEY HAVE THE DOWNTIME THEY'RE PUTTING THEMSELVES ON DIRECTED PATROLS, UH, WHETHER THEY'RE DIRECTED PATROLS THAT THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN GIVEN BY STAFF OR A DIRECTED PATROLS, THEY INITIATE ON THEIR OWN IN ORDER TO CREATE THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME.
UM, SO THAT HAS BEEN THE EXPECTATION FOR THE OFFICERS.
WE HAVEN'T WRITTEN ANYTHING IN A POLICY THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, EVERY MOMENT OF YOUR, OF YOUR UNCOMMITTED TIME WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THIS.
UH, BECAUSE I DO THINK THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT AS WELL, INCLUDING THEIR ABILITY TO BE PROACTIVE, FOR INSTANCE, AND RUN, UM, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, UM, OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE.
AND WE HAVE SEEN, FOR INSTANCE, ON THAT, ON THAT NOTE, WE'VE SEEN A NUMBER, A MUCH HIGHER NUMBER OF TRAFFIC FATALITIES THIS YEAR.
AND I'LL HAVE AS MANY OFFICERS THAT ARE PROACTIVELY WORKING, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR HIGH SPEED ROADWAYS AND, AND OTHER ROADWAYS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS IN THE END IT WOULD, IT WOULD, WE'D HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT EXACTLY DOES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TIME MEAN.
THAT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY LAID OUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE IN THE PROPOSITION AND SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DEFINE.
AND I, THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE THAT, THAT BROADLY AND VERY ILL-DEFINED CATEGORY, UH, IT LEAVES A LOT OF ROOM FOR A WHOLE LOT OF WHO KNOWS WHAT TO BE GOING ON DURING THAT TIME WITH, UH, WITH, WITH LARGE INCREASES IN STAFFING AND EXPENDITURE.
AND IF WHAT THE CFO HAS TOLD US THE EXPENDITURE COULD BE MUCH GREATER THAN WHAT IS CURRENTLY QUOTED, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR ANSWER.
THANK YOU, CHIEF CON, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE CFO PLEASE.
SO, UH, I KNOW IT'S VERY LATE IN THE DISCUSSION OF PROP A TO BE ASKING THIS QUESTION, BUT I'M ON NEXT DOOR QUITE A BIT.
AND PEOPLE SEEM TO BE EXTREMELY CONFUSED ABOUT, UM, WHY WE CAN'T USE ANYTHING OTHER THAN OUR, UM, OUR GENERAL BUDGET, WHY WE CAN'T USE OUR BONDS FOR EXAMPLE, MONEY, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE USING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PAY DOWN BONDS OR MONEY THAT'S COMING FROM BONDS.
THAT'S DEDICATED TO OTHER THINGS TO PAY FOR OUR POLICE.
UM, WHY WE HAVE A $4.5 BILLION BUDGET, BUT NOT ALL OF IT IS, IS ACCESSIBLE, UM, FOR POLICE SERVICES.
AND I'D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, DUMB IT DOWN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT BUDGET PEOPLE AND EXPLAIN WHY ONLY PART OF OUR BUDGET IS ACTUALLY, UH, ACCESSIBLE, LIKE AVAILABLE GENERAL FUNDS THAT CAN JUST BE SPENT ON WHATEVER THE CITY WANTS.
UM, AND PUBLIC FINANCING DOES GET COMPLICATED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU SAW ON MY ONE SLIDE, I SPECIFICALLY HONED IN ON A PORTION OF OUR BUDGET CALLED OUR GENERAL REVENUE BUDGET.
OUR TOTAL CITY BUDGET IS FOUR AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS.
AND THAT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, THOSE ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS, UM, ARE THOSE FUNDS ARE DICTATED BY A VARIETY OF STATE LAWS.
AND SO THERE HAS TO BE A CLEAR NEXUS BETWEEN THE SERVICE BEING PROVIDED AND THE RATES BEING CHARGED.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A DRAINAGE UTILITY AND THERE'S A DRAINAGE UTILITY FEE.
THAT'S CHARGED THAT FEE HAS TO BE USED FOR DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
IT CAN'T BE A, WE CAN'T SET THE FEE
[01:25:01]
ARBITRARILY HIGHER THAN WHAT IT COSTS US TO PROVIDE THOSE DRAINAGE PROGRAMS AND REDIRECT DIRECT THE EXCESS REVENUE TO, UM, GENERAL FUND SERVICES, WHETHER THEY BE PARK SERVICES OR LIBRARY SERVICES OR POLICING SERVICES, AND THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR OUR RESOURCE RECOVERY DEPARTMENT FOR OUR ELECTRIC UTILITY AND WATER UTILITY, THE AIRPORT, ALL THESE ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS ARE FUNDED BY DIFFERENT MECHANISMS AND THOSE FUNDING SOURCES CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THOSE PURPOSES.UM, GENERAL REVENUE BUDGET IS FUNDED THROUGH TAX DOLLARS, PREDOMINANTLY NOT SOLELY, BUT PREDOMINANTLY, UH, PROPERTY TAXES AND SALES TAXES.
AND THOSE DOLLARS CAN BE USED FOR ANY MUNICIPAL, UM, SERVICE.
AND SO IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, LIKE ALMOST EVERY CITY, YOU, YOU, YOU WOULD VISIT, UM, THE BULK OF YOUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET GOES TO FUND PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, POLICE, FIRE, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, BUT ALSO PARKS AND LIBRARY.
AND THAT IS THE FUNDING SOURCE THAT WE HAVE FOR THOSE SERVICES.
UM, IN REGARDS TO BOND DOLLARS, BOND DOLLARS ARE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS.
SO THERE IS A COMPONENT OF THE COST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH BUILDING EITHER ONE TO MAYBE AS MANY AS THREE POLICE SUBSTATIONS, FEASIBLY COULD BE FUNDED, UM, THROUGH A, UM, THROUGH A BOND PROGRAM.
BUT, UM, THEN THOSE BOND, UH, THOSE BONDS HAVE TO BE REPAID.
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF THE COST OF THE FACILITY, BUT IT'S THE COST OF THE FACILITY.
PLUS THE INTEREST ON THAT, ON THAT HAS TO BE REPAID OVER TIME.
UM, AND, AND SO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, UM, THERE IS A COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT, EVEN IF IT'S FUNDED THROUGH THE CAPITAL PROGRAM AND THROUGH BOND DOLLARS, THERE'S A COST TO OUR TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
THANK YOU, ACTUALLY, WE ARE OFFICIALLY OUT OF TIME FOR THIS ONE, IF YOU HAVE A QUICK ONE.
HI, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO ADD JUST, JUST A COMMENT.
I'M ACTUALLY, I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE, UM, ORIGINAL APD PRESENTATION, BUT JUST A LANGUAGE CHANGE, I THINK JUST TO BE TRAUMA INFORMED AND VICTIM CENTERED INSTEAD OF USING, UM, VICTIM REFUSES TO COOPERATE, YOU GO WITH, UM, UH, VICTIM ENGAGEMENT VICTIM AND ABLE TO ENGAGE.
IT'S JUST MORE TRAUMA-INFORMED.
WAS THAT THE POLICE PRESENTATION? I'M CONFUSED.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME, MR. VENU APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US.
[2.d. Presentation of The Marshal Office Program (sponsors: Commissioners Webber and Lewis) 5:30pm-5:50pm]
MOVING ON TO ITEM D PRESENTATION OF THE MARSHALL OFFICE PROGRAM BY COMMISSIONERS WEBER AND LEWIS.UM, DO YOU EITHER ONE OF YOU, UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS BEFORE WE START MR. LEWIS OR COMMISSIONER WEBER? I'LL JUST SAY, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE PRESENTATION.
WE DO HAVE, UM, SOMEONE FROM TEXAS FAIR DEFENSE PROJECT THAT I HOPE WILL ALSO PROVIDE SOME COMMUNITY INSIGHT TO THIS ITEM.
UM, SO I HOPE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US.
CAN WE CONFIRM THAT BEFORE WE START, THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO JOIN THE LINE? DO YOU KNOW WHO IT WAS? I BELIEVE, UM, THERE'S NO ONE ON THE LINES AND WE WANT TO MAKE, UH, CARLY, CARLY, JOE DICKSON.
SO WE WILL, UM, GO AHEAD AND START WITH THE PRESENTATION AND THEN WE WILL, UH, ALLOW EVERYONE, UH, THAT IS LISTED TO SPEAK.
AND AGAIN, GOOD AFTERNOON, RAY ARIANNA ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER TO PROVIDE SOME OPENING COMMENTS FOR THIS TOPIC.
UH, AS COMMISSIONERS ARE AWARE OF THE EVENTS OF LAST YEAR LED TO A SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY CALL TO RE-EXAMINE, HOW WE MIGHT DELIVER PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED SEVERAL RESOLUTIONS IN JUNE, 2020 THAT FORMED THE BASIS FOR THE CITY'S RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE RESOLUTION NUMBER AT 20 26 0 6 11 DASH 0 9 6 DIRECTS THE CITY MANAGER IN PART TO EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR REALLOCATING POSITIONS AND ROLES CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT COULD BE MANAGED BY OTHER DEPARTMENTS IT'S IN THIS LIGHT, THAT WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE A BRIEFING OF A REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION AT ITS NOVEMBER 18TH MEETING TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL ALLOW MUNICIPAL COURT TO FORM A MARSHAL OFFICE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE SECURITY FOR MUNICIPAL COURT AND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT MARSHALL PROGRAM MANAGED BY THE MUNICIPAL COURT
[01:30:01]
WOULD REPRESENT A MORE EFFICIENT AND SMALLER INVESTMENT IN FULLY LICENSED PIECED OFFICERS WITH SPECIALIZED TRAINING TO OPERATE IN A COURT ENVIRONMENT AS COMPARED WITH THE BREADTH OF TRAINING REQUIRED OF APD LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.WITH THAT I'D LIKE TO PASS THE BRIEFING TO MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK, MARY JANE GRUB FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PRESENTATION.
I'M THE COURT CLERK FOR AWESOME MUNICIPAL COURT.
SO I JUST WANT TO PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND, UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT RAY SAID, UM, THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF CREATING THE MARSHALL'S OFFICE IS TO PROVIDE FOR COURTHOUSE SECURITY IN 2017, SB 42 WAS PASSED.
IT'S KNOWN AS THE JEW JUDGE, JULIE
UM, YOU'RE PROBABLY VERY WELL AWARE OF THIS.
SHE WAS SHE'S A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE HERE IN AUSTIN WHO WAS SHOT AT HER HOME FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF REASON, UM, OF HER BEING A JUDGE.
AND SO, UH, THAT LEGISLATION WAS, UH, CREATED TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF COURTHOUSE SECURITY AND MANDATES CHANGE PERSONNEL REPORTING AND THE CREATION OF A COURT SECURITY COMMITTEE, UM, SOLELY BASED TO DISCUSS SECURITY RELATED ISSUES, TO PROTECT ALL INDIVIDUALS WITH BUSINESS BEFORE THE COURT.
SO, UM, UNFORTUNATELY COURT SECURITY INCIDENTS ARE NOT INFREQUENT.
WE HAVE THEM BOTH AT AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT AND DACC.
SOME OF THE MOST FREQUENT THINGS THAT WE EXPERIENCE ARE ATTEMPTED WEAPONS, ENTRY FEE.
THERE'S BEEN PHYSICAL INJURIES, FREQUENT ALTERCATIONS IN THE LOBBY AND IN THE COURTROOMS AND THREATS MADE TO JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS STATEWIDE TRENDS FROM 2009 TO 2019, INDICATE A 270% INCREASE IN SECURITY AND SOME EVENTS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS AND A 426% INCREASE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND MUNICIPAL COURTS DO MAKE UP 15%, 15 TO 25% OF ALL OF THOSE INCIDENTS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE STATE DIRECTOR OF COURT SECURITY RECOMMENDS THAT WHILE LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, RESOURCES CAN BE REDUCED AND SUPPLEMENTED WITH PRIVATE SECURITY, THE BEST SECURITY PLANS INCLUDE A HYBRID OF BOTH PRIVATE SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND IT IS INCUMBENT, UH, FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO OVERSEE THE SECURITY ACTIONS OF THE COURT.
UH, WE STARTED THESE DISCUSSIONS MAYBE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND HAVE CONDUCTED MARKET RESEARCH, NOT ONLY ACROSS THE STATE, BUT NATIONALLY AND LOOKED AT COURTS, UH, OF ALL SIZES AND ALL TYPES.
AND THAT RESEARCH INDICATED THAT THERE'S MANY COURTS THAT MOST OF THEM DO HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE, SOME ONLY HAVE PRIVATE SECURITY, UM, AND THEN THE BEST LAID PLANS HAVE A HYBRID OF BOTH.
AGAIN, IT'S THE GOAL OF PROTECTING ALL STAKEHOLDERS THAT COME INTO THE COURT.
IT'S NOT JUST CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS.
WE HAVE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, JURORS, FAMILIES OF DEFENDANTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT COME INTO CONTACT IN ADDITION TO THE STAFF AND AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT IS A LARGE VOLUME COURT.
SO WE HAVE, UH, PROBABLY TWO TO 300 PEOPLE A DAY COMING INTO CONTACT CAN WE CHANGE THE SLIDE? THANK YOU.
AS MENTIONED, UH, THE BEST SECURITY PLANS HAVE A HYBRID OF RESOURCES, UH, BUT SOME DUTIES CAN ONLY BEEN, BE PERFORMED BY PEACE OFFICERS.
AND THOSE INCLUDE PROCESS SERVICE, UH, PROCESS SIMPLY MEANS ANY MEANS THAT IT IS USED BY A COURT TO ANY MEANS USED BY A COURT TO EXERCISE JURISDICTION OVER A DEFENDANT.
AND ONLY A PEACE OFFICER MAY, UM, PROVIDE ONSITE ONSITE ENFORCEMENT OF PENAL CODE AND OTHER LAWFUL JU JUDICIAL ORDERS.
THE INTENT OF THIS PROGRAM IS FOR PEACE OFFICERS TO HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER COURTHOUSE SECURITY.
THAT IS THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY, UH, THERE, IN TERMS OF SECURITY, THEY WILL BE PLACED AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE.
UH, THE PURPOSE THERE IS TO REMOVE ANY WEAPONS OR OTHER CONTRABAND AND SUPERVISION OF THE, UH, PRIVATE SECURITY RESOURCES IN THAT FRONT END AREA.
UM, ALSO TO ADDRESS ANY ESCALATIONS THAT PRIVATE SECURITY CANNOT HANDLE.
IN ADDITION, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PLACE BAILIFFS IN THE COURTROOMS AND THE BAILIFF WOULD THE MARSHALS.
WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE BAILIFFS IN OUR COURTROOMS. WE HAVE
[01:35:01]
ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND OUR COURTROOM CORRIDOR, UM, AND HAS NOT PROVEN TO PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF SECURITY FOR THE COURT.AND THERE IS A LOT OF RISK THERE, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO IMPROVE.
UM, IN ADDITION, I THINK I MIGHT'VE MENTIONED THIS, BUT THE PEACE OFFICERS WOULD HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER THE PRIVATE SECURITY RESOURCES.
THEY WOULD ALSO HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENFORCEMENT OF COURT ORDERS, UM, THAT IS SUBJECT TO INTERNAL POLICIES.
SO I KNOW THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT SERVING WARRANTS, WHY PEACE OFFICERS DO HAVE THE POWERS OF ARREST AND SERVING WARRANTS.
WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT ACTIVITY FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS DUE TO RESOURCE SHORTAGES.
WE DO NOT INTEND TO RE-ENACT THAT ACTIVITY FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
AGAIN, THE PURPOSE, THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS IS SECURITY, AND THAT'S WHERE WE WILL ALLOCATE THE RESOURCES.
UM, PEACE OFFICERS ALSO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF INMATE TRANSFERS AND THAT'S PRIMARILY DACC INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ARRESTED AT THE JAIL.
THEY ARE TAKEN STRAIGHT TO DAC R D TO DACC EACH MORNING.
UM, THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHERE THERE MIGHT BE AN IEP IEP OFFICER IN THE COMMUNITY WHO SERVES A WARRANT IN THE COURSE OF THE REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS.
AND FREQUENTLY THOSE ARE BROUGHT TO COURT RATHER THAN TAKING THEM TO TRAVIS COUNTY JAIL TO BE BOOKED IN.
SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER DUTY THAT CANNOT BE PERFORMED BY PRIVATE SECURITY OF AN OFFICE OR DROPS OFF AN INDIVIDUAL THAT THEY'VE HAD HAVE BROUGHT IN FROM THE COMMUNITY.
IT WOULD BE THE MARSHALL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE THAT INDIVIDUAL BEFORE A JUDGE.
SO I KNOW THAT WAS PRETTY SHORT AND SWEET, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
MY, MY, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I I'LL, I'LL DEFINITELY HEAR FROM, UM, UH, THE CDFP, UM, PERSON, UM, TOO, BEFORE I HAVE SOME OF THOSE, BUT MY FIRST THOUGHT IS I'M WONDERING WHY THE RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY UMBRELLA, UM, WAS FOCUSED ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, CAUSE I'M NOT HEARING HOW IT'S, RE-IMAGINING HOW WE THINK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UM, BRI ARIANA, IT DOES MAKE SENSE.
UH, AND AGAIN, I THINK IN TERMS OF HOW WE AS A CITY ORGANIZATION HAVE LOOKED AT REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY, IT WAS AGAIN, HOW MIGHT WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY TO INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THE CITY ORGANIZATION, ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT COULD CARRY OUT THESE FUNCTIONS SO THAT WE COULD JUST DEDICATE LAW ENFORCEMENT, APD OFFICERS TO THE TASKS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY SUITED FOR THEIR DEPLOYMENT.
AND SO, UM, WE DO CONSIDER THIS AS PART OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AS WELL AS WHAT WE MIGHT, WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN, WHAT MIGHT TRANSPIRE WITH ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT WITHIN APD THAT HASN'T YET BEEN CONSIDERED, WHETHER IT'S BY THE TASK FORCE OR BY THE CITY ORGANIZATION, COMMISSIONER BARNHART.
I JUST, I JUST HAVE A STATEMENT.
I ACTUALLY ALSO OBJECT TO CHARACTERIZING THIS AS REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY, AND I KNOW IT, IT MAY BE, UH, A CITY PROGRAM, BUT I THINK THE IDEA BEHIND RE-IMAGINED PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOT USING PEACE OFFICERS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. SO JUST CHANGING THE TITLE OF THE PEACE OFFICER WHO SOLVING THE PROBLEM IS NOT RE-IMAGINING ANYTHING.
UM, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, GO AHEAD.
AND THEN I REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM THE, UM, TASKFORCE AND JUST A QUICK CLARIFICATION.
SO WOULD THE, THE CITY MARSHALS BE ANOTHER TYPE OF SWORN PEACE OFFICER THAT WE WOULD HAVE? UM, I GUESS I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AP AN APD OFFICER AND A CITY MARSHALL WOULD BE.
YOU, YOU, YOU CALLED THEM LICENSED PEACE OFFICERS WHEN YOU SPOKE ABOUT THEM FIRST.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST EXPLAIN THE DISTINCTION, SO THERE REALLY IS NO DISTINCTION AND I JUST MAKE THE GENERAL STATEMENT AND I THINK IT'S, BUT THEN THE STATE STATUTE THEY'RE CALLED PEACE OFFICERS.
CERTAINLY WE CALL THEM POLICE OFFICERS, UH, HERE LOCALLY AND IN MANY CITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE THE SAME CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, WHETHER FOR THE MARSHALL PROGRAM, AS THEY WOULD FOR, UH, BECOMING AN OFFICER WITHIN APD, THEIR TRAINING WOULD BE MUCH MORE FOCUSED IN TERMS OF OPERATING CERTAINLY IN ACCORD ENVIRONMENT.
IT WOULD NOT REQUIRE ALL OF THE TRAINING THAT WE WOULD REQUIRE OF APD LAW ENFORCEMENT, OFFICER, APD, PEACE OFFICER, UH, TO, UM, OPERATE WITH THEM, THE D APD.
AND IS THERE A NUMBER OF FTES THAT'S BEEN AT THAT THAT'S BEING REQUESTED? I DIDN'T SEE HOW MANY OF THESE WERE, UM, INCLUDED WITH REGARDS
[01:40:01]
TO THE PROGRAM.THERE WERE 14 FTES THAT WERE APPROVED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 22 BUDGET.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND GO TO CARLY JEB DIXON.
CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF PLEASE? OF COURSE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT.
UH, MY NAME IS CARLY JO DICKSON.
I'M THE MANAGING ATTORNEY AT CLIENT SERVICES AT THE TEXAS FAIR, THE BEST PROJECT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I PERSONALLY AM NOT A MEMBER OF THE REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE.
UM, ALTHOUGH THERE IS ANOTHER ATTORNEY IN MY OFFICE WHO IS, UM, I WANT TO JUST ECHO WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE SAID THAT THIS DOESN'T FEEL LIKE RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE USUALLY USING ADDITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, AND CREATING NEW ROLES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, IT SEEMS A LITTLE DISINGENUOUS TO FRAME IT THAT WAY.
UM, I KNOW THAT SOME MEMBERS OF THE RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE, UM, SENT LETTER TO COUNCIL ABOUT THIS ITEM, NO ONE HAS REACHED OUT.
THERE'S BEEN NO RECOMMENDATION FROM THEM ON THIS.
UM, AND SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, LIKE I SAID, NOT AS A MEMBER, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THIS IS NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED OR LOOKED AT IN THAT PROCESS.
UM, I DO WANT TO TALK, I KNOW MARY JANE GRUBS SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THE INTENT IS NOT TO MAKE THIS LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT SERVE AND EXECUTE WARRANTS, BUT THEY ARE REAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH CITY MARSHALS AND OTHER CITIES IS THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEIR JOB ENTAILS.
UH, THEY DO COURTROOM SECURITY AND WHEN THEY'RE NOT DOING THAT, THEY'RE SERVING WARRANTS, THEY'RE BRINGING PEOPLE INTO COURT.
AND I REALLY THINK RIGHT NOW IN THE CONTEXT OF PROP B IN 1925 AND SOME OF THE OTHER UPHEAVALS AROUND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES, UM, THAT THE COURT NEEDS TO BE BUILDING TRUST.
WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE THROUGH THE DOOR, NO DOUBT, BUT WE NEED TO DO THAT IN A WAY, UM, THAT REALLY SHOWS THAT THERE ARE OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY TICKETS.
PEOPLE STILL DON'T KNOW THAT, UM, I KNOW WE'RE SEVERAL YEARS INTO LAW CHANGES, UM, BUT PEOPLE STILL SEE THE COURT AS A PLACE THEY GO THAT THEY END UP IN JAIL.
UM, AND I THINK CREATING A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WHOSE JOB INCLUDES THAT VERY THING, UM, IS A STEP BACKWARDS WITH AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT.
THANK YOU, MS. DIXON, UH, COMMISSIONER WEBER, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHERE THIS IS IN THE PROCESS AND WHAT IS OUR TIMELINE FOR WEIGHING IN TO, UH, CHANGE WHAT HAS BEEN PLANNED IF THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
SO THE, UM, PROPOSED REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION, UH IT'S TO CREATE THE ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS FOR THE CREATION OF A MARSHAL OFFICE PROGRAM GOES BEFORE COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 18TH.
I THINK IT IS 18TH FROM THAT POINT.
THEN TWO WEEKS LATER, WHEN, WHEN THE ORDINANCE BECOMES EFFECTIVE, THE, UM, MUNICIPAL COURT WILL THEN BE ABLE TO START THE HIRING PROCESS TO, UH, TO RECRUIT FOR A MARSHALL CHIEF OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT, UH, LEAD POSITION IS GOING TO BE CALLED, WHICH WILL THEN ROLL INTO, UH, THAT INDIVIDUAL OVERSEEING A PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH THE OFFICE, INCLUDING WHATEVER RESOURCES THAT WILL BE REQUIRED IN HIRING THE ONGOING OF THE, ON THE FOLLOW-UP, UH, POSITIONS OF THE 13 ADDITIONAL POSITIONS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET.
UM, GO COMMISSIONER LEWIS FIRST.
UM, I DO JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO, UM, THINKING THIS, UM, POTENTIAL CHANGE AS RE-IMAGINING.
I REALLY, UM, AM CONCERNED THAT THE CITY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND AT LEAST I THINK THE CORE PURPOSE OF WHAT, I MEAN, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE WANTED AROUND, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT GEORGE FLOYD, I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE DEATHS OF, OF FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WANTING TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, EXPANDING OUTSIDE OF POLICING.
UM, AND SO I'M A LITTLE BIT WORRIED.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS JUST KIND OF PUT UNDER THE UMBRELLA, UM, FOR OTHER REASONS, I CAN'T REALLY, YOU KNOW, SAY WHAT THAT IS, BUT, UM, I THINK THIS IS SHOWING ME THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME, A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING WITH THE CITY ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO REIMAGINE, UM, AND RECONSIDER USING POLICE TO SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM.
[01:45:01]
SEPARATE, IT FEELS LIKE A SEPARATE CONVERSATION, BUT USING THE IDEA OF RE-IMAGINING, WHICH IS REALLY CONFUSING.UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT AND I, I DO, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO WHAT FOLKS ARE EXPERIENCING THAT WORK AT THE CITY.
UM, BUT I THINK THE FRAMING OF RE-IMAGINING AND, UM, NOT HAVING COMMUNITY MEMBERS, A PART OF THAT LARGER CONVERSATION, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE FOLKS WITH DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH CITY MARSHALS THAT HAVEN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE COMING INTO THE CONVERSATION.
UM, UNAWARE OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, A, I'M KIND OF WORRIED ABOUT THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, AND BE, YOU KNOW, UM, THIS IS NOT RE-IMAGINING, BUT IT IS NOT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT RELEVANT IN SOME WAY.
IT JUST, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S BEHIND THIS, MR. BURKHART, PLEASE.
SO, UM, I WANTED TO BACK UP A LITTLE BIT, UM, AND GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION AND ASK IF DOES THE MUNICIPAL COURT KEEP ANY DATA ON, ON, UH, SECURITY INCIDENTS? WE WERE REQUIRED TO REPORT THAT TO THE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION.
I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA WITH ME, BUT I CAN GET IT.
CAUSE I'M, I'M, I'M REALLY CONFUSED ABOUT WHY YOU PROVIDED STATE.
IF YOU, IF Y'ALL HAVE DATA ABOUT THE AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURTS, WHY YOU PROVIDED STATE TRENDS DATA, INSTEAD OF TELLING US WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN THE AUSTIN COURTS, I PROVIDED THE STATE TRENDS AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE INCREASE ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, BUT I ALSO JUDGE STATMAN, WHO'S THE PRESIDING JUDGE OF AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT, JUDGE COFFEE.
WHO'S THE PRESIDING JUDGE FOR THE COMMUNITY COURT AND PETE VALDEZ, A COURT ADMINISTRATOR, WE'RE HERE TO OFFER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN TERMS OF SECURITY AND ITS INCIDENCE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM WELL, BUT I'M ACTUALLY NOT LOOKING FOR ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE.
I'M SURE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SECURITY INCIDENTS.
WHAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IS WHETHER OR NOT THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN SECURITY INCIDENTS IN THE AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURTS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, THAT'S THERE HAS, BUT, BUT YOU DIDN'T BRING THE DATA.
UM, I, I, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO CLARIFY.
UM, YEAH, I, I THINK IT'S AN AMAZING IDEA OF HOW MANY, HOW MANY POLICE ARE CURRENTLY DEDICATED TO THE MUNICH OF COURSE, PRE PANDEMIC.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT EIGHT BECAUSE WE'RE REDUCED SERVICES AND HOURS AND THAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE OVER BOTH MUNICIPAL COURT AND DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY COURT.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I, I, I THINK THIS IS LARGELY, I MEAN, IT'S A NAME CHANGE, SO THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS LARGELY SYMBOLIC, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE MUNICIPAL COURTS NEED MORE PEACE OFFICERS.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A CASE MADE FOR THAT.
UM, AND, AND I AM REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT ANY INCREASE IN CRIMINALIZING THE MUNICIPAL COURTS.
I MEAN, JUDGE KUCHAREK WAS SHOT BECAUSE THE MAN, A MAN CONNECTED TO A MAN WHO SHE PUT IN PRISON WANTED TO STOP HER FROM PUTTING A GUY ON, IN PRISON FOR LIFE, THE MUNICIPAL COURTS ISSUE TICKETS TO PEOPLE, TRAFFIC TICKETS.
IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME THING UNDER UNDERSTOOD.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A FEW POINTS OF CLARIFICATION.
SO WE'RE NOT ASKING TO INCREASE THE OFFICER'S.
WE'RE JUST ASKING TO REPLACE THE OFFICERS OF ABD, REMOVES THEIR RESOURCES, UM, AND REALLOCATE THOSE OARS OFFICERS TO COURTROOM DUTIES RATHER THAN WHAT THEY USED TO BE ALEC OR SOME OF THEM USED TO BE ALLOCATED FOR, WHICH WAS THE SERVICE OF WARRANTS.
TRADITIONALLY MARSHALS HAVE BEEN USED TO SERVE WARRANTS.
THAT'S NOT UNCOMMON IN TEXAS OR REALLY ACROSS THE NATION.
HOWEVER, AGAIN, THAT IS SUBJECT TO INTERNAL POLICY.
SO JUDGE STATMAN AND MYSELF WILL MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
AND WE HAVE COMMITTED TO NOT USING THESE RESOURCES FOR THAT.
IF THAT WAS SOMETHING TO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD CHANGE IN THE FUTURE, WE WOULD ALSO COMMIT TO MAYBE HAVING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND GETTING INPUT ON THOSE DECISIONS.
UM, AND I AGREE THAT CLASS C MISDEMEANORS ARE CERTAINLY LOW LEVEL OFFENSES.
HOWEVER, THEY ARE THE SAME INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SEEN IN HIGHER COURTS.
THEY ARE ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE VERY EMOTIONAL AND VOLATILE AND THAT BEHAVIOR CAN NOT ALWAYS BE DETERMINED OR PREDETERMINED BY THE CHARGE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS THERE.
THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, CONSEQUENCES OF EVEN CLASS CS HAVE FAR REACHING EFFECTS THAT CAN IMPACT PEOPLE'S DAILY LIVES.
[01:50:01]
THEIR BEHAVIOR IN WAYS THAT, THAT YOU MIGHT NOT IMAGINE.WELL, I AGREE THAT THEY DEFINITELY IMPACT PEOPLE'S LIVES IN VERY BIG WAYS.
WE ARE OUT OF TIME FOR THIS AND WE HAVE TWO MORE THINGS TO GET TO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS AND YOUR COMMENTS.
[2.e. Approve 2022 Public Safety Commission Meeting Calendar (sponsors: Commissioner Gonzales and Commissioner Ramirez) 5:50pm -5:55pm]
NEXT ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE 2022 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING CALENDAR.YOU HAVE A LIST OF THESE MEETINGS, UH, IN YOUR PACKET.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO VOTE ON BEFORE, THIS IS THE FACT THAT, UM, PREVIOUS TO THESE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THERE HAS NOT BEEN MEETINGS IN JANUARY.
UM, MEETINGS IN JANUARY HAVE MADE THEIR WAY BACK ONTO OUR CALENDAR, BUT CONSIDERING, UM, IT'S JANUARY 3RD, THE FIRST MONDAY OF, UH, THE YEAR, I KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME ISSUES WITH TRAVEL CALENDARS, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE DO HAVE THAT MEETING ON JANUARY 3RD, WE HAVE A QUORUM WE OF COURSE CAN VOTE TO NOT HAVE THAT JANUARY 3RD MEETING.
THAT IS PRECEDENT THAT HAS BEEN SET IN PRIOR YEARS.
SO I'LL OPEN IT UP TO DISCUSSION ON THE MEETING CALENDAR.
HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT JANUARY 3RD, WILL REMOTE ATTENDANCE BE ACCEPTABLE, UH, TO ACHIEVE QUORUM ON THAT? OR WILL WE HAVE TO BE IN PERSON? SO I BELIEVE THERE'S A VOTE COMING UP FROM CITY COUNCIL, UH, WHETHER WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO HOLD MEETINGS, UH, VIRTUALLY AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE WOULD NEED, UH, AS THE RULING, AS IT STANDS.
NOW WE WOULD NEED AN IN-PERSON QUORUM FOR JANUARY 3RD.
AND WHEN DOES THAT VOTE? SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING THURSDAY? I BELIEVE THIS THURSDAY, THIS THURSDAY.
SO I WOULD MOVE JUST TO ADOPT IT AS IS.
WE WILL, UM, OH, DO I HAVE TO DO A LINE BY LINE OR CAN I JUST DO HANDS UP? OKAY, GREAT.
UM, SO ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE CALENDAR AS IS RAISE OF HANDS WOULD BE GREAT.
IT PASSES WITH, UH, ONE DISSENTING VOTE.
WE WILL, OF COURSE LET YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON THE VOTE TO HOLD MEETINGS, UH, IN PERSON ONCE A WEEK GET, UM, UH, NOTIFIED OF THAT.
[3. Future Agenda Items 5:55-6:00pm]
IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I'M LIKE AN UPDATE ON 9 1, 1 AND 3, 1, 1.AND WITH ANY PARTICULAR TOPIC, WELL, I, I'M HEARING MORE AND MORE COMPLAINTS OF PEOPLE TRYING TO CALL NINE OR THREE, ONE, ONE, AND NOT GETTING AN ANSWER.
SO THE CITY IS ABOUT TO START BARGAINING WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY UNIONS.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'RE GOING TO START WITH POLICE AND EMS. AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THE POLICE AND EMS UNIONS ABOUT WHAT THEIR, UM, GOALS ARE GOING TO BE FOR BARGAINING.
AND, UM, IF DEVIN DECIDES IS AVAILABLE JUST TO GIVE US, UH, YOU KNOW, A BIT OF AN UPDATE ABOUT HIS, YOU KNOW, WHAT HE CAN TELL US, THEN THAT WOULD BE GREAT TOO.
UH, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SUBMITTING BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT FEELS REALLY EARLY, BUT IT'S HAPPENING.
AND I DON'T KNOW, UM, IF WE WANT TO START THAT PROCESS, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU COULD DO THAT AS WE JUST FINISHED THE BUDGETS FOR NEXT YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, BUT I JUST WAS MEETING WITH COMMISSION FOR WOMEN FOLKS, AND THEY'RE SUBMITTING, UM, SOME ITEMS. DO YOU KNOW WHAT BUDGET YEAR THAT IS? ARE THEY 2023? BECAUSE 2022 IS PRETTY MUCH DONE.
I I'M, THAT'S JUST WHAT I'M GUESSING.
WE'LL ASK AND SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME CLARITY ON THAT.
UM, JUST TO PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON OUR IMPACT OF MOVING THE CRIME LAB AND NINE 11 CALL CENTER.
I THINK WE GOT BUD LIGHT, JUST A KIND OF BUDGET LINE ITEMS, BUT I THINK WE WERE PERHAPS LOOKING FOR MORE SORT OF OPERATIONAL IMPACT.
UM, AND SO WE, UH, A FOLLOW-UP
[01:55:01]
ITEM ON THAT SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE FLESHED OUT JUST TO SEE IF WE CAN GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ANY IMPACT ON OPERATIONS.AND I THINK JUST PENDING THE ELECTION RESULTS, THERE MIGHT BE, UM, A NEED FOR JUST MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT IMPACT OF THAT, UM, ELECTION.
UM, IF YOU COULD MAYBE BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEAR ON WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AND JUST THE PROCESS OF COMPLIANCE OR NOT, OR, I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE'S AN ONGOING CONVERSATION OF STAFFING ISSUES WITH APD.
ONE MORE QUICK ONE, JUST IF WE CAN OFFICIALLY GET THE EMS EMS CHIEF HIGHER ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH SO THAT WE CAN GET AN UPDATE AND, OR, UM, A STATUS ON, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER'S INPUT.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMISSIONER, CHERYL VELA, AN UPDATE FOR THE, THE NEW, UH, SORRY FOR THE NEW APD ACADEMY CURRICULUM THERE'S SLATED HOURS.
JUST A SENSE OF WHAT THAT NEW CURRICULUM, UH, THOSE ADDITIONAL HOURS, WHAT THEY WERE SLATED FOR WOULD BE USEFUL.
ANYONE ELSE ONLINE? WE ALL GOOD.
UM, WELL, SINCE WE ARE ALL IN A PERSON NOW, NOT ON THE PHONE, UM, I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN A SECOND, SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR.
ANYONE OPPOSED UNANIMOUS ON THAT NOTE? WE WILL CLOSE THE NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021 MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.