[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
SO I'M GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, UH, TO ORDER.UM, AND I GUESS I WILL TAKE, TAKE THE ROLE.
UM, UH, I'M RECO REBECCA BERNHARDT.
I AM PRESENT, UM, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ HERE.
UM, COMMISSIONER LANE, UH, COMMISSIONER HOUSE AND FLIP HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONER SIERRA AREVALO, UH, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, UH, COMMISSIONER CURA, COFF COMMISSIONER WEBER HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONER HALL MARTIN HERE.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A QUORUM, UM, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO START
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 4:05–4:15 (from speakers signed up to speak)]
WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.UM, WE HAVE, UH, ONE PERSON SIGNED UP SO FAR.
UM, SHOULD WE START WITH MR. LEON? THANKS CHAIR.
SO HE, CARLOS LEONE FIRST AND FOREMOST,
THAT MUST BE IMMEDIATELY OVERTURNED AND PERMANENTLY STOPPED FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
THE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE IS ONLINE AS BACKUP MATERIAL FOR THIS MEETING, JULY 19, A CRIMINAL TRESPASS NOTICE WAS WRONGLY ISSUED TO ME, BANNING ME FROM ALL AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY PROPERTIES FOR ONE YEAR TO UNLAWFULLY PUNISHED ME FOR LAWFULLY, DEFENDING MYSELF AGAINST REPEATED HARASSMENT BY ATTACKING APL, STAFF SECURITY AND CUSTOMERS ACROSS MULTIPLE BRANCHES.
MY ATTACKERS SHOULD BE BANNED FOR VIOLATING LIBRARY.
USE RULES, NOT ME FOR USING THE LIBRARY FOR WHAT IT'S INTENDED APL DIRECTOR ROOSEVELT WEEKS HAS NOT RESCINDED THE CTN, MAKING HIM PART OF THE PROBLEM FROM THE TOP DOWN.
THE WHY TOLD THE AUSTIN LIBRARY COMMISSION ABOUT THIS INJUSTICE.
THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING PUBLICLY TO STOP OR OVERTURN IT WORSE THOUGH.
THE LAW PROTECTS MY ATTENDANCE AT THEIR LIMITED PUBLIC FORUM MEETINGS, THEIR WHITE FEMALE LIAISON, SHARON HERFORD SAID QUOTE, MR. LEONE WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND IMPLYING.
I HAD TO BE GIVEN PERMISSION BY SOMEONE ACTING ABOVE THE LAW ALIEN TO OUR REPUBLIC.
SO I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH HER AGAINST HER, WITH THE CITY AUDITOR.
IF APD WERE CALLED TO UNLAWFULLY UNREST ME FOR LAWFULLY BEING AT THAT MEETING ON APL GROUNDS WITH THE OFFICER LISTENED TO LOOK AT AND FOLLOW THE LEGAL TRUTH.
I'D BE TELLING AND SHOWING PROVING I WAS NOT CRIMINALLY TRESPASSING ON JULY 18, BLACK MALE APD OFFICER BRINSON, BADGE 7 6, 9, 4 WRONGLY.
REFUSE TO FORCE A BLACK MALE CAT METRO BUS DRIVER TO BOARD AND TRANSPORT ME THOUGH.
THE DRIVER WAS ILLEGALLY DISCRIMINATING AGAINST ME BY VIOLATING MY CIVIL RIGHTS BY NOT STOPPING FOR ME.
GRENSON JUSTIFIED HIS INACTION BY FALSELY TELLING ME KAT METRO WAS PRIVATE.
WHEN I TRIED TELLING AND SHOWING HIM CAT METRO WAS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
BRUNSON'S GASLIGHTING UPSIDE DOWN BEHAVIOR MUST NOT EXIST BECAUSE IT DOES NOT PROTECT OR SERVE US VIOLATING APDS LAW ENFORCEMENT CODE OF ETHICS BECAUSE AN OFFICER'S FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES INCLUDE RESPECTING THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF ALL TO LIBERTY EQUALITY AND JUSTICE.
MEANING NO CHERRY PICKING NO TWO TIERED SYSTEM OF INJUSTICE, NO SECULAR SHARIA LAW PER ARTICLE.
ONE OF APDS, CANONS OF POLICE ETHICS AND OFFICERS' PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROTECT US BY UPHOLDING OUR LAWS, WHICH BRINSON FAILED TO DO WITH ALLEGED CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE ENDANGERING ALL OF US BECAUSE AN OFFICER CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO KNOW ALL OUR LAWS OR HOW THEY INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER.
HE MUST LOOK AT AND LISTEN TO PRESENTED EVIDENCE ON SCENE AND SEEK REAL-TIME LEGAL ASSISTANCE.
IF UNSURE ABOUT THE CORRECT IDENTIFICATION AND INNER ACT INTERPRETATION OF CONTROLLING LAW IN JESUS' NAME, I PRAY AMEN.
SEE ATTACHED BACKUP MATERIAL FOR SUPPORTING EVIDENCE.
UM, IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, UM, WE
[00:05:01]
WILL MOVE TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.UM, I DON'T HAVE MR. LEE MATERIALS MATERIALS.
JUST, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
SO IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE CIRCULATED AFTER IT'S IT'S ON IT'S WAY.
AND IT'S POSTED ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL.
IT'S ON OUR, IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE ALSO.
DOES THAT MEAN IT'S ON THE IT'S ON THE PUBLIC SITE? YES.
I GUESS WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A NOT PUBLIC SITE ANYMORE.
UM, AND DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER WEBER OR YOU JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU COULD GET THE MATERIALS? NO, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS CLEAR THAT NO, I DIDN'T HAVE THEM.
IF YOU'VE HAD OUR MATERIALS SUBMITTED DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, DO THEY BECOME BACKUP TO YES.
SO THEY, YEAH, THEY SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE LIKE THE PUBLIC INCLUDED ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, SO, UM, APPARENTLY BECAUSE WE'RE USING A NEW FORMAT FOR OUR AGENDAS, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF CHANGES.
WE NOW NEED TO VOTE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, BUT WE NO LONGER HAVE TO VOTE TO ADJOURN.
WE ONLY HAVE TO VOTE TO ADJOURN IF SOMEONE OBJECTS, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM FOR US.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES 4:15 pm–4:20pm]
SO, UH, ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS, UM, OR CHANGES TO THE JUNE 6TH, 20, 22 MINUTES.UM, THEN I THINK, UM, DO WE NEED TO, DO WE NEED TO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? OKAY.
UM, SO IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? OKAY.
UM, SO, UH, WE'RE VOTING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JUNE 6TH, 2022.
UM, COMMISSIONER HOUSE AND FLIP.
UH, COMMISSIONER SIERRA AREVALO YES.
UH, THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
UM, SO I THINK, UM, UH, IF HE IS AVAILABLE, WE'RE READY TO HEAR FROM MR. MATTSON.
WE'LL CHECK IN TO SEE IF HE'S NOT LOGGED ON YET.
OH, I WAS JUST WONDERING, ARE WE GOING TO DO THE JULY MINUTES? OH, I'M SORRY TO SKIP THAT WITHOUT EXPLAINING, UM, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THE JULY MINUTES FINISHED YET, SO WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW THOSE AND THE AUGUST MINUTES AT OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING, WHICH I ALSO WANT TO MENTION IS I THINK THE DAY AFTER LABOR DAY ON A TUESDAY.
SO, UM, I KNOW WE'RE ALWAYS KIND OF NAGGING EVERYBODY ABOUT LETTING US KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND, BUT I'M GUESSING THAT'S GOING TO BE A SUPER CHALLENGING ONE, UH, FROM AN ATTENDANCE PERSPECTIVE.
SO PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IT OR IF YOU ARE BECAUSE IT'S UM, SO, UM, SHOULD WE, SHOULD WE SKIP AHEAD IF WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, THEN DO WE HAVE COMMANDER GREENWALT HE IS.
UM, SO, UM, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD.
I'M A LITTLE WORRIED THAT TWO OF THE SPEAKERS ON ITEM ACTION ITEM FOUR HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE LOGGING ON ALSO, UM, MS. EVELYN HAS.
SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S TWO OF THEM.
[4. Discussion and possible action regarding implementation of the settlement agreement in Smith et al v. City of Austin et al, Cause No. D-1-GN-21-003081 in the 201st District Court, Travis County, Texas; Senko et al v. City of Austin et al, Cause No. 1:20-cv-01047, in the United States District Court Western Division, Austin, Texas and the pending Police Executive Research Forum report regarding Austin Police Department’s handling of sexual assault investigations. 4:40pm—5:20pm]
STARTED.UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO START THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT IN SMITH VS.
UM, AND SENCO VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN, AND I'M GOING TO SKIP ALL THE NUMBERS AND STUFF, NOT A PROBLEM.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, I DID SPEAK WITH JASON MADSEN.
[00:10:01]
HE'S HAVING THE SAME TROUBLE WITH THE LINK, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET INTO THE MEETING AT DIFFERENT WAY AND HE'S WORKING ON THAT.UM, WHY DON'T WE START, UM, COMMANDER GREENWALT, UM, WITH, UH, WITH YOU, UM, IF YOU CAN TELL US WHAT'S, UH, I GUESS WHAT HAS THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, UM, DONE IN TERMS OF CHANGING PRACTICES AT APD? SO THE, THE PRACTICES AND POLICIES, THEN THE TRAINING THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED SINCE APPROXIMATELY 2019, WHEN THIS CONVERSATION STARTED, OR, UH, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE IN THE SETTLEMENT AND THERE ARE SOME THAT WE IMPLEMENTED IN HOUSE AS WELL.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT IS IN ITS FINAL STAGES, BUT IT'S NOT COMPLETELY EYES.
THERE'S ALSO SOME BUDGETARY REQUESTS THAT WE PUT INTO THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 22, 23 THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
WE FEEL LIKE IT WILL BE APPROVED, BUT WE WON'T HAVE THAT, THAT FUNDED YET.
SO A LOT OF PD TRAININGS AND A LOT OF THE IMPLEMENTATIONS THAT WE TALK ABOUT, UM, GOING TO BE, I MEAN, AS SOON AS THE NEW BUDGET COMES, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, ALMOST ALL OF THE INITIAL PHASES OF, UM, STAFFING, UH, THERE WAS A DO DETECTIVE REQUEST IN
THERE WAS ANOTHER DETECTIVE IN 21 ADDITIONAL SERGEANT IN 2023 VICTIM SERVICE COUNSELORS TO THE SEX CRIMES UNIT IN 21 TO VICTIM SERVICE COUNSELORS, TO THE CRISIS UNIT AND, UM, THE CREATION OF A COLD CASE UNIT AND ADDITIONAL VICTIM SERVICES TO THE ACADEMY STAFF THAT WAS ALL TAKEN CARE OF IN THE 2019 AND 2020, UM, BUDGETS.
AND WE ALSO ARE COMPLETELY 100% CAUGHT UP AND, UM, UP TO DATE WITH ALL OF OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS AND GETTING THEM TO FORENSIC TESTING WITHIN 30 DAYS AND GETTING THE RESULTS BACK WITHIN 90 DAYS, WE ALSO CREATED A, UM, SOFT INTERVIEW ROOMS WHERE THE SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND WE HAVE CREATED A POLICY WHERE THEY ARE ALLOWED A THIRD PARTY TO SIT IN.
IN ADDITION WITH THE VICTIM SERVICES COUNSELOR, THEY SO CHOOSE TO DO SO.
EVERY DETECTIVE IN THE UNIT HAS THEIR OWN LAPTOP AND RECEIVES THE, UM, WE CALL IT BOOT CAMP TYPE OF TRAINING ON INITIAL ASSIGNMENT TO THE SEX CRIMES UNIT.
UH, WE HAVE AN INITIAL, UH, EXCUSE ME, AN ADDITIONAL, UM, TRAINING PROGRAM THAT IS BEING CRAFTED AS WE SPEAK MORE FREQUENT AND FLEXIBLE TRAINING BY SOME IN-HOUSE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE.
UM, ONE OF OUR SENIOR SERGEANTS IS ACTUALLY A, UH, CERTIFIED TRAINER ON THE TOPIC OF NEURO BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF TRAUMA ON THE BRAIN AND TRAUMA INFORMED INTERVIEWING VICTIM CENTERED INTERVIEWING HE AND LISA GERARD, WHO IS THE VICTIM SERVICES COUNSELOR ASSIGNED TO OUR ACADEMY ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A PRETTY ROBUST TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE CADETS, BUT ALSO FOR PATROL AND ALSO THE DETECTIVES, SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE INITIAL TRAINING.
WE CAN PROVIDE ONGOING TRAINING, OR WE CAN JUST GRAB THEM AND HAVE THEM TALK TO SOMEBODY ONE-ON-ONE IF WE SEE A NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT, UM, PATROLLER OR WHATEVER ELSE HE MAY NEED.
UM, THERE IS A REQUEST FOR A SURVIVOR NOTIFICATION PROTOCOL, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN DEVELOPED IN HIS, IN THE FINAL STAGES OF GETTING SIGNATURES THROUGH OUR CERT TEAM.
WE STILL FOLLOW THE PROTOCOL, EVEN THOUGH THE SIGNATURES ARE STILL BEING FINALIZED, BUT WE GO THROUGH THAT ENTIRE PROCESS ALSO WITH THE NEXT CRIMES UNIT, THE IN VICTIM SERVICES, UM, WE FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, HOUSE BILL 2 81, UM, AND, UM, ANTICIPATE THAT WILL BE A PROBLEM MOVING FORWARD AND ARE FULLY EMBRACING THE EXPERIENCE PARTICIPATION IN THE STAR PROGRAM HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
I'M GOING TO JUST PAUSE FOR A MINUTE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY TO FEEL LIKE I KINDA WENT THROUGH THOSE A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, VICE-CHAIR RAMIREZ.
YEAH, JUST SOME QUICK CLARIFICATION.
CAUSE THERE WAS A LOT IN THAT LIST.
IF YOU COULD JUST CLARIFY FOR EVERYBODY WITH HOSPITAL 2 81 IS, AND ALSO IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN WHAT THE SURVIVOR NOTIFICATION PROTOCOL ENTAILS OR WHAT THAT IS EXACTLY.
THE HOUSE BILL 2 81 IS THE SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE TRACKING PROGRAM.
UM, THEY, THEY DEVELOPED A PROGRAM TO DIGITALLY TRACK THE PROGRESS OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT FROM THE INITIAL PRACTICUM WHERE THE FORENSIC EXAM IS DONE ALL THE WAY THROUGH WHEN IT'S COLLECTED AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR SENT OFF FOR TESTING AND THEN SENT BACK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE CAN KNOW WHERE THAT KID IS AT ALL STAGES OF THE PROCESS.
[00:15:01]
I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THE SECOND HALF OF THE QUESTION? YES.IT WAS ABOUT THE SURVIVOR NOTIFICATION PROTOCOL.
SO THAT'S ABOUT A 20 OR 30 PAGE DOCUMENT.
SO IT WOULD BE, IT'D BE DIFFICULT TO GO OVER IN DETAIL AND IT'S NOT FINALIZED BECAUSE WE'RE STILL AWAITING SOME SIGNATURES THROUGH THE SAR TEAM.
AS SOON AS WE GET THE FINAL SIGNATURES, WE CAN PUT THAT OUT FOR REVIEW, BUT IT BASICALLY SUMMARIZE WE'LL GO OVER WHEN AND HOW THE SEX CRIMES UNIT AND OR VICTIM SERVICES UNIT ASSIGNED SEX CRIMES WILL NOTIFY VICTIMS WHEN THEIR CASE IS BEING SENT OFF FOR TESTING, OR WE GET A CODIS, HIT A DNA HIT ON THE CASE.
THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT UPDATE IN THE CASE, ANY SORT OF, UM, POINT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE NOTIFIED.
THE SURVIVOR NOTIFICATION PROTOCOL WILL WALK US THROUGH EXACTLY WHEN WE STOOD AND HOW WE WILL NOTIFY OUR VICTIMS. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY BECAUSE, UM, I THINK SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION MAY BE UNCLEAR ABOUT WHAT THIS ITEM IS ABOUT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, WERE SUED REGARDING, UM, THEIR HANDLING OF SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES.
UM, THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND WE'RE DISCUSSING THE SETTLEMENT OF THAT LAWSUIT, UM, AND CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, UM, IN, UH, APDS SEXUAL ASSAULT UNIT.
AND ALSO, UM, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE REGARDING THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER WEBER.
DO YOU STILL HAVE A QUESTION COMMISSIONER WEBBER? YES.
SO THAT, I'M JUST, I'M NOT CLEAR, I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE SETTLEMENT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED, BUT MAYBE WE SHOULD HEAR FROM THE PLAINTIFF'S ATTORNEY TO EXPLAIN.
SO, UM, IT SOUNDED LIKE WHAT WE WERE GETTING WAS A LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE CHANGED OR REFORMS THAT WERE AGREED TO AS PART OF A SETTLEMENT, BUT THEN THERE WAS ALSO A DISCUSSION OF A HOUSE BILL AND OTHER THINGS I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, LIKE, IS THERE A BACKUP WHERE I CAN READ WHAT ALL, WHAT ALL WAS LISTED OR CAN I READ A DRAFT OF THE SETTLEMENT THAT LISTS ALL OF THIS? IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY MATERIALS THAT WE COULD GET TO CLARIFY WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD HERE? AND IS THAT GLEN, ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE SETTLEMENT? YES, I AM.
UM, ESSENTIALLY WE HAD A SNAG NOT DUE TO ANY FAULT OF ANY OF THE PARTIES AND FINALIZING THE SETTLEMENT BECAUSE OF LEGAL ISSUE THAT HAD TO BE RESOLVED WITH REGARD TO ONE OF OUR PLAINTIFFS AND MAKING SURE THAT THE MONEY WAS HELD IN THE APPROPRIATE TRUST VEHICLE SO THAT THE SETTLEMENT IS NEARLY COMPLETE.
UM, AT THIS POINT I EXPECT PROBABLY IN THE NEXT 30 TO 45 DAYS, IT WILL BE FULLY DONE.
THERE'S BEEN NO CHANGES TO THE TERMS THAT WERE AGREED UPON IN JANUARY.
UM, WHEN THE CITY APPROVED THE SETTLEMENT FIRMS, I THINK ARE OF WHAT, UM, COMMANDER GREENWALT WAS REFERENCING IS THAT PART OF THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WAS CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS SINCE THE LAWSUIT WAS BROUGHT.
AND THAT THERE ARE OTHER TERMS TO THE SETTLEMENT THAT ARE PROPOSED CHANGES FOR AN ONGOING, UM, ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
SO A LOT OF WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE HAS BEEN REFERENCED, UH, JUST NOW, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME OTHER TERMS THAT WILL ALSO BE IMPLEMENTED MOVING FORWARD.
SOME OF THOSE PROPOSED TERMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REFERENCED FOR INSTANCE, THE LAPTOP COMPUTERS, ALL THE DETECTIVES, UM, AND THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND, UM, STAFFING CHANGES THAT ARE IN THE GOING FORWARD PIECE AS WELL.
UM, THE OTHER THING I THINK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED ALONG THE WAY, AND WHAT HAPPENS GOING FORWARD IS THAT ONE OF THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT RELATES TO THE ONGOING AUDIT THAT, UH, THE POLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM HAS BEEN DOING.
AND THEN THERE IS ALSO A PROPOSED PIECE WHEREBY UM, PERF OR THE WOMEN'S LAW PROJECT, UM, WILL ESSENTIALLY COMPLETE AN IMPLEMENTATION AUDIT OF THE TERMS OF THIS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT GOING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
SO THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL BUDGETARY IMPACT OF THAT PIECE AS WELL.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE LAWSUIT ITSELF.
IT'S I MEAN, THE LAWSUIT ITSELF IS PRETTY WELL COMPLETE.
WE'RE WAITING JUST A FEW FINAL, UM, SORT OF CROSSING T'S AND DOTTING I'S TO GET THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT FINALIZED AND EXECUTED.
AND THEN, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IN 30 DAYS, FROM THAT POINT,
[00:20:01]
IT WILL BE COMPLETED IN TERMS OF WHAT THE PLAINTIFFS ARE OBLIGATED TO DO THE ONGOING AUDITING WON'T BE DONE BY THE PLAINTIFFS THEMSELVES, BUT WILL BE DONE BY, UM, PERF OR A THIRD PARTY EVALUATOR, LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER WEBER.SO I'M PARTICULARLY, I'M JUST INTERESTED IN THE DETAILS AROUND THE BUDGET LINE ITEM THAT WE, THIS COMMISSION RECOMMENDED BE PART OF THE BUDGET AND NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO WAS THAT LIKE WE WERE TOLD THAT THAT HAD, THAT WE HAD TO VOTE FOR THAT MORE OR LESS, OR THAT, THAT HAD TO BE IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF A SETTLEMENT LIKE, OR CHAIR MAYBE CAN CORRECT ME ABOUT WHAT WE WERE TOLD, BUT I FEEL CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THOSE TWO POSITIONS THAT, UH, WAS ONE OF THE FEW, I THINK, LINE ITEMS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS UNMET NEEDS THAT WE APPROVED OR THAT WE RECOMMENDED BE APPROVED.
UM, AND HOW ALL OF THAT IS FITTING INTO THIS.
UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, MS. JACKSON, COULD YOU READ BACK TO US EXACTLY WHAT, UM, WE VOTED ON? I KNOW IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE GOT IT.
I DON'T HAVE MY HARD COPY AND UNFORTUNATELY I'M HAVING A CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW, LOGGING IN REMOTELY.
SO WHAT'S IN THE MINUTES IS SIMPLY RECORDING, UH, WHAT, NOT THE ENTIRE RECOMMENDATION, BUT WHAT THE VOTE WAS ON THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO, UM, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR EVERYTHING.
COMMISSIONER WEBER SAID, I WAS TRYING TO LOG IN HERE.
CAN YOU, I DO HAVE IT HERE, OUR RECOMMENDATION IF WE WANT TO LOOK OVER IT.
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT WHAT WE VOTED ON AND REGARDS TO THIS WAS THE FOUR SWORN DETECTIVES, UH, F FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT FOR THE SEX CRIMES UNIT.
IS THAT THE ITEM THAT YOU'RE ASKED THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING COMMISSIONER WEBBER? YES.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE IT ALL IS, AND MAYBE IT'S NOT IMPORTANT, BUT WHAT I REMEMBER BEING TOLD WAS THAT THOSE FOUR POSITIONS NEEDED TO BE FUNDED BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF A SETTLEMENT.
AND IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY THE CASE, IT'S PART OF A PROPOSED SETTLEMENT.
I MEAN, DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT, JENNY? WELL, I MEAN, TH THE SETTLEMENT HAS BEEN FULLY AGREED UPON, IT'S JUST NOT COMPLETELY EXECUTED YET.
I MEAN, THAT THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT HAVE NOT CHANGED SINCE JANUARY ONE WAS VOTED ON.
UM, IT'S JUST BEEN A MATTER OF MAKING SURE THAT SOME OF THE FUNDING THROUGH ONE OF THE PLAINTIFFS IS HELD IN THE APPROPRIATE TRUST.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY ITEM OUTSTANDING RELATED TO BE DONE WITH IT.
AND WE WERE VERY CLOSE ON THAT FRONT AS WELL.
UM, SO THIS, THE SETTLEMENT TERMS THAT WERE ANNOUNCED IN JANUARY, THAT I IMAGINE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU ALL VOTED IN TERMS OF THE LINE ITEMS THAT NEEDED TO BE IN THE BUDGET.
UM, THOSE ARE THE SAME, UM, THAT'S HELPFUL.
UM, I THINK THERE WAS ANOTHER THING THAT WAS CONFUSING ABOUT THAT VOTE, UM, WHICH IS THE, THE DESCRIPTION OF PATROL OFFICERS AS BEING NON FUNGIBLE WITH DETECTIVES.
I THINK THAT CHARACTERIZATION WAS NOT ENTIRELY ACCURATE.
THE CITY COUNCIL CAN VOTE AT ANY TIME TO CHANGE THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT ARE DEDICATED TO PATROL OR DETECTIVES.
SO IN THAT WAY, UH, I THINK WE DID NOT TOTALLY GET THE WHOLE STORY JUST TO CLARIFY COMMISSIONER WEBER.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY APROPOS OF THIS DISCUSSION.
UM, SO, UH, COMMANDER GREENWALT, UH, IF, IF YOU, UM, WE'RE FINISHED, I THINK WE CAN LET MS. ECKLAND SORT OF DESCRIBE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW, TAKE IT FROM HERE.
HOW'S THAT, UH, THE ONLY LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT THE PERFER PORT IS SUPPOSED TO BE FINALIZED AND PUBLICLY RELEASED THIS WEEK OR POSSIBLY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.
SO THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE LISTED IN THE PERF REPORT ARE JUST NOT KNOWN YET, AND WE WILL HAVE TO ANALYZE WHAT THAT REPORT SAYS AND ADDRESS IT AS THEY COME SOON.
UM, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA JUST, I'M SORRY.
UM, COMMANDER, UH, WHAT DELAYED THE PERF REPORT SO MUCH BECAUSE IT'S VERY DELAYED, IS THAT RIGHT? I KNOW THEY HAD TO ASK FOR AN EXTENSION OR TO THE SPECIFIC REASON I WOULD DEFER TO PERF I KNOW IT'S A VERY THOROUGH AND LINKEDIN REPORT IS WHAT I'M HEARING.
SO I THINK THAT IN THEIR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GIVING ALL THEIR RELEVANT DATA TO THE STAKEHOLDERS, THEY'RE NEEDING A LITTLE TIME TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
[00:25:03]
I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION AND IT'S JUST IN TERMS OF THE ONGOING SORT OF IMPLEMENTATION AND AUDITING, UM, UH, IS THE SETTLEMENT TIED TO THE PERF REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO DATE, OR WILL THERE BE ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE ACCORDING? SO LIKE THIS NEW PERF REPORT THAT'S COMING IN THIS WEEK, IF THERE ARE NEW THINGS IN THERE, ARE THOSE ALSO TIED TO THE SETTLEMENT OR ARE THOSE GOING TO GET BUCKETED INTO A DIFFERENT SORT OF PRIORITIZATION LIST? MA'AM I BELIEVE THOSE TWO ITEMS ARE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT, BUT I IMAGINE THAT EACH ARE GOING TO HAVE FOLLOW ON ITEMS THAT WE'LL NEED TO EVALUATE AND IMPLEMENT.AND SO I WOULD, I BELIEVE THAT'S HOW THOSE ARE LAID OUT.
MAYBE OUR LEGAL TEAM THAT'S ON COULD ADVISE ON THAT, BUT I'M PRETTY CERTAIN THEY'RE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT.
AND I'M ASKING SPECIFICALLY, JUST IN TERMS OF, UH, THE ONGOING AUDITING THAT'S GOING ON, WHETHER OR NOT THESE NEW ITEMS IN THIS NEW PERF REPORT THAT MAY ARISE, UM, LIKE IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED INTO THE AUDITING PROCESS MOVING FORWARD OR BUCKET IT OUT.
AND I'M ASSUMING, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE SEPARATE.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, MAN, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE SEPARATE.
SO WE'LL HAVE ITEMS THAT WE'LL NEED TO IMPLEMENT BASED ON THE OUTCOMES OF THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, AND THEN ALSO ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT BASED ON THE OUTCOME OF THE PERF RECOMMENDATIONS AND REVIEW.
IT'LL BE REALLY GREAT MOVING FORWARD TO FIGURE OUT A SYSTEM WHERE WE CAN TRACK THAT.
UM, AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME REGULAR REPORTING ON THAT, WHETHER IT BE BIANNUALLY OR QUARTERLY, JUST THERE, UM, JUST CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT TRACKS.
AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TRACKING PROGRESS AND MONITORING THAT PROGRESS.
AND I, AND I DO SUSPECT THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME INTERSECTING IN BETWEEN SOME OF THOSE, UM, BUT WE'LL, WE CAN DEFINITELY KEEP TRACK OF THOSE FOR YOU.
UM, AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE COMMISSION THAT, UH, COMMANDER GREENWALT HAS BEEN PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT CHIEF GREENWALT.
I HAD NOTHING FURTHER ON MY PRESENTATION UNLESS THERE ARE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, MS. EKLUND, UM, EXCUSE ME.
THE, THE PIECE THAT I WILL ADD AND I THINK IS RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION THAT CELLO BEGUN HERE TODAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF THE CHANGES THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS COMMITTED TO MAKE THAT SORT OF GOT WRAPPED UP INTO THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.
I MEAN, IT SORT OF LED TO THE GOODWILL THAT THE DEPARTMENT CREATED FOR THE PLAINTIFFS, BEING ABLE TO NEGOTIATE TO WHERE THEY CAME.
PART OF THAT WAS, UM, CITY COUNCIL AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE ONGOING PERF AUDIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOT WHILE THAT AUDIT IS NOT WRAPPED UP INTO THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT SPECIFICALLY, THERE IS A PIECE WRAPPED UP INTO THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WHEREBY THERE WILL BE IMPLEMENTATION AUDITS BY THE SAME OR, OR RELATED THIRD PARTY EVALUATORS.
SO I THINK YOU'VE CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THAT THERE'LL BE TWO, PROBABLY ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION AUDIT PROCESSES.
ONE TO ENSURE THE TERMS OF OUR SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ARE MET.
AND ONE TO ENSURE THAT THE PERF, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED APPROPRIATELY OR AS, AS AGREED UPON, UM, AND ONE DOESN'T NECESSARILY IMPACT THE OTHER, BUT THE SETTLEMENT WAS PREMISED ON IN PART THAT PIECE MOVING FORWARD.
SO I'M NOT AS ADEPT, I THINK PROBABLY AS ANY OF YOU ALL ARE AT READING BUDGET, UH, CITY BUDGETS OR, OR UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY WHERE ALL, EVERYTHING FITS IN.
BUT, UM, THE THEMES THAT THE COMMANDER HAS IDENTIFIED AS BEING DONE TODAY ARE ALL CONSISTENT WITH THE AGREEMENT THAT WE MADE IN JANUARY.
UM, AND SOME OF THOSE ACTUALLY PREDATED, UM, THE FINAL AGREEMENT, BUT, UM, AT THIS POINT, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT STEP OF THE
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL TO ADD OR WOULD YOU LIKE US TO MOVE ON TO, UM, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY MARTINSON? THE ONLY THING THAT I WILL ADD ADDITIONALLY, IS THAT THERE ARE IN ADDITION TO SORT OF THE BUDGETARY, UM, ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY ANALYSIS
[00:30:01]
TO CHIEF, UH, GREENVILLE, THERE'S ALSO SOME OTHER PIECES TO THE SETTLEMENT THAT WERE AGREED UPON THAT HAVE NOT YET COME TO PASS, BUT WE EXPECT WILL, UM, INCLUDING A PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN, UM, CREATING THE SURVIVOR SURVEY AT CASE CLOSURE, UM, HAVING A SIT DOWN MEETING WITH THE CHIEF FOR ALL OF THE SURVIVOR, UM, NAMED PLAINTIFFS AND AN APOLOGY PROCESS.SO THOSE PIECES WE EXPECT TO COME AFTER, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE OTHER PIECES THAT ARE IN PROGRESS AND AFTER THE FINAL SIGNATURES AND ALL HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, BUT THOSE ARE STILL, UM, SITTING OUT THERE IN TERMS OF THINGS TO BE DONE.
THEY AREN'T NECESSARILY AS DEMANDING IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET THAT YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING AS SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES LIKE STAFFING AND TRAINING.
UM, BUT FOR, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE AUDIT PROCESS TAKE PLACE WITH REGARD TO THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, AS WELL AS WITH WHATEVER PER RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PUT INTO PLACE, BECAUSE THAT IS THE MECHANISM BY WHICH THE PLAINTIFFS AGREED THAT, UM, THEY COULD BE CONFIDENT THAT THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT WERE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS COMMISSIONERS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. ECKLAND? UM, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT.
UH, OH, COMMISSIONER WEBER VERY QUICKLY.
UM, SO THIS COMMISSION DOESN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF OVERSIGHT ROLE WHO, UH, WHOSE JOB IS IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SETTLEMENT DOES COME TO FRUITION? UM, MY, MY UNDERSTANDING AND THIS MAYBE, UM, UH, LIMITED MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WILL BE THAT THERE WILL BE AN IMPLEMENTATION AUDIT BY THE THIRD PARTY EVALUATOR, AND THEN FUTURE AUDITING WILL BE DONE BY THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, UM, WHICH MY UNDERSTANDING IS REPORTS TO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT WAS THE AGREED UPON TERM OF THE SETTLEMENT.
UM, MS. EKLUND, IF YOU WOULD BE OKAY WITH STICKING AROUND UNTIL WE'RE DONE WITH THIS TOPIC, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, UH, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY MARTINSON, ARE YOU AVAILABLE? OH, UM, I JUST DON'T SEE HER WELL, SHE'S ON CAMERA CHAIR, BUT I'M HERE.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO UNMUTE, LIKE FOR YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, YES.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT AT THE DA'S OFFICE.
UM, AND PART OF OUR UNIT IS, UM, THE SEXUAL ASSAULT PROSECUTORS WHO ARE IN OUR OFFICE.
UM, I'LL JUST TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE DONE PRIOR TO, AND SUBSEQUENT TO THE COUNTY, SETTLING THE LAWSUIT WITH THE PLAINTIFFS.
UM, WE, WHEN DA GARSA TOOK OFFICE, WE VERY QUICKLY MADE SOME CHANGES, UM, AS A RESULT OF SEVERAL MEETINGS AND WORK WE'D DONE WITH, UH, SURVIVORS AND SOME OF THE PLAINTIFFS, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY AND EXPERTS, ADVOCATES IN THE COMMUNITY TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE ENTERED OFFICE, WE DID THINGS THAT WERE RESPONSIVE TO WHAT WE WERE HEARING FROM THE SURVIVOR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THE FIRST THING THAT WE DID AS WE REJOINED THE START, WHICH HAS BEEN SORT OF A, UM, A RIFT IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT EVERYBODY'S BACK AT THE TABLE NOW, UH, APD FOLLOWED VERY QUICKLY BEHIND US AND REACHED MINE IN THE START.
AND IT'S BEEN REALLY NICE TO HAVE EVERYBODY AT THE TABLE COLLABORATING.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, WE ALSO, BECAUSE OF SOME MEETINGS WE TOOK WITH VICTIMS, WE STARTED WRITING POLICIES, UM, REALLY BEFORE DA GARS.
I TOOK OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR POLICIES AND BODY BY ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD FROM SURVIVORS THAT REALLY KIND OF LED TO THE BREAKDOWN IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND, UM, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE, UM, INCLUDED IN THE LAWSUIT.
AND SO ALL OF OUR VICTIM POLICIES AND THE POLICIES THAT GOVERN SORT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO IN THE SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT REALLY REFLECT WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM SURVIVORS, WHAT THEY NEED FROM THE SYSTEM, UM, WHERE THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED THEM WITH REGARD TO WORKING WITH THE DA'S OFFICE.
A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WE, UM, CONVENED A COMMUNITY
[00:35:01]
ADVISORY BOARD, MADE UP OF SURVIVORS, INCLUDING ONE PLAINTIFF NOW FROM THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AND SOME EXPERTS AND ADVOCATES IN THE COMMUNITY.SO THAT SURVIVORS HAVE A SEAT AT OUR TABLES THAT WE HAVE ONGOING FEEDBACK AND COMMUNICATIONS.
WE HAVE A DIRECT LINE OF COMMUNICATION TO SURVIVORS AND ADVOCATES, AND THAT WE WERE ACCOUNTABLE, RIGHT, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH AND IMPLEMENTING ALL OF THE POLICIES AND THE SETTLEMENT, UM, COMMITMENTS THAT WE MADE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO BE ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, PART OF WHAT THAT COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD IS WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS A DATA TRANSPARENCY AND CREATING A PUBLICLY A MORE USER-FRIENDLY AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE PLATFORM FOR FOLKS TO ACCESS DATA ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT UNIT, THE NUMBER OF CASES FOR STAFFING WE'RE ACCEPTING, BUT THE RESOLUTION OF THOSE CASES ARE.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS FROM THE SETTLEMENT, UH, WHICH INCLUDED A, SORT OF A PUBLIC MEMORIAL TO SURVIVORS DEDICATED TO THE, SPECIFICALLY TO THE PLAINTIFFS IN THE LAWSUIT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CURRENT ACTIVITIES THAT THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD IS UNDERTAKING.
UM, WE'VE ALSO WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH APD.
UM, I WORK REALLY, REALLY CLOSELY WITH NOW ASSISTANT CHIEF GREENWALL, AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE OUR OFFICE IS ABLE TO STAFF CASES WHEN DETECTIVES HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED GUIDANCE, OR JUST, YOU KNOW, WANT TO BRAINSTORM INVESTIGATIONS AS THEY'RE HAPPENING.
UM, WE'VE ALSO WORKED PRETTY CLOSELY DESIGNING A TRAINING FOR DETECTIVES, FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT DETECTIVES IN A UNIT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IMPLEMENTING.
I THINK IN SEPTEMBER, WE'LL BE DOING THAT IN OUR, SOME OF OUR ADA'S WE'LL BE PUTTING ON THOSE TRAININGS AND AS LONG WITH ADVOCATES IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THAT'S BEEN REALLY, I THINK, HELPFUL, AND I THINK IT WILL BE REALLY INFORMATIVE TO DETECTIVES AND, AND HELPFUL AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
ANOTHER THING WE DID IS WE APPLIED FOR A JOINT GRANT WHERE WE WOULD SEE AN ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND A VICTIM COUNSELOR WHO COULD BE REALLY MORE, NOT NECESSARILY PERMANENTLY EMBEDDED WITHIN APD, BUT REALLY ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO DETECTIVES AS THEY NEED US AND AVAILABLE TO SURVIVORS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THE PROCESS.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE THE OFFICE BEFORE WE CAME IN, HAD A PRACTICE OF OFFERING DECLINATION MEETINGS TO VICTIMS. AND THAT'S SIMPLY WHEN OUR OFFICE, UH, COULD NOT ACCEPT A CASE BECAUSE IT DIDN'T MEET THE STATUTORY ELEMENTS.
WE OFFERED MEETINGS WITH VICTIMS TO BE ABLE TO HEAR, ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS AND EXPLAIN WHY WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE THE CASE.
UM, I, I SAT IN ON A COUPLE OF THOSE MEETINGS AND RELEASED AWESOME WEAKNESSES AND THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING, HAVING THOSE MEETINGS.
AND SO PART OF THIS GRANT APPLICATION WAS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN START ESTABLISHING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE VICTIM EARLIER ON, UM, RATHER THAN AFTER WE'VE ALREADY SAID, WE'RE NOT TAKING THE CASE, UH, BECAUSE IT REALLY HAS NOT WORKED AS WELL AS WE HOPED IT WOULD, OR AS WELL AS IT SHOULD BE.
AND IT HASN'T THAT PARTICULAR SYSTEM THAT WAS IN PLACE WHEN WE CAME INTO OFFICE REALLY WASN'T RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF SURVIVORS.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL FIND OUT SOON ABOUT THAT GRANT.
UM, BUT DA GARZA HAS ALSO COMMITTED MORE RESOURCES TO THE UNIT THAN WERE PREVIOUSLY THERE.
UM, HE, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY POSITIONS THAT WE'LL MAKE FOR IN THE UNIT HISTORICALLY, THE UNIT WILL, YOU KNOW, IT HASN'T BEEN ALONG AROUND FOR THAT LONG, BUT AS A SPECIALIZED UNIT, IT STARTED AS TWO ATTORNEYS.
AND, UM, I THINK MOVED UP TO THREE.
SO WE, WE NOW HAVE FOUR, UH, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEYS SPOTS, WHICH IS REALLY GONNA BE HELPFUL IN OUR AVAILABILITY TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT ALSO IN THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE SEEN INCREASING AND THE NUMBER OF ACCEPTED CASES THAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, SINCE DA CARDS, I TOOK OFFICE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
UM, LET'S SAY TRIALS ARE STARTING UP AGAIN, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, SURVIVORS WE HEAR FROM VICTIMS ALL THE TIME, LIKE WAITING THIS WAITING THIS TWO YEARS OF GOING TO TRIAL HAS REALLY BEEN, UM, AN ADDITIONAL TRAUMA FOR SURVIVORS WAITING FOR JUSTICE, AND REALLY THEY'RE GETTING FATIGUED OR REALLY, REALLY TIRED OF WAITING FOR THEIR DAY IN COURT.
SO REALLY ENCOURAGED BY THE FACT THAT CHILDS ARE UP AND RUNNING.
WE HAD TWO SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIALS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD WITH SURVIVORS AS WELL IN WITH OUR ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I THINK, I THINK THAT'S REALLY SORT OF IN A NUTSHELL, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN OUR OFFICE AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE'VE DEDICATED.
OBVIOUSLY WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH APD.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP, AND WHILE I'M REALLY SAD TO SEE COMMANDER GREENWALT GO, IT'S A WELL-DESERVED PROMOTION FOR HIM.
AND I'M CERTAIN THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
[00:40:01]
THAT AS THE CITY GOES THROUGH THEIR SETTLEMENT PROCESS, THAT RESOURCES ARE DEDICATED TO CARRYING OUT THE COMMITMENTS MADE IN THE SETTLEMENT AND TO THIS PERF REPORT WHEN, WHEN WE FINALLY GET IT, I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF REALLY VALUABLE INFORMATION IN THERE.AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY CONTINUE TO DEDICATE ALL THE RESOURCES WE CAN TO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF SURVIVORS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT WE'RE INVESTIGATING MORE CASES, THAT WE'RE PROSECUTING MORE CASES AND THAT WE'RE JUST ACCOUNTABLE TO THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I WILL SAY THAT SHELLY EDGAR, WHO'S HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SART.
LET ME KNOW THAT THE MEETING SWITCHED HER FROM AN INTENDED TO A PARTICIPANT.
AND SO I THINK SHE'S NOT CERTAIN SHE'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND MIGHT NEED SOME HELP WITH THAT.
UM, I THINK WE CAN FIX THAT HERE IN THE ROOM.
UM, IF, UM, IF YOU CAN STICK AROUND, UM, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY MARTINSON, WE WILL, UM, MOVE TO, UM, MS. EGGER.
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK WE FIXED THAT.
UM, SO MS. ECKER IS A CO-CHAIR OF THE, AND UM, THE LAST PERSON, UH, WE WERE GOING TO HEAR FROM, UM, ABOUT THE, UH, SETTLEMENT AND THE PERF REPORT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? UM, WE SURE CAN.
I HAD TO LOG IN ON MY PHONE BECAUSE IN A FEW MINUTES I HAVE TO GO PICK UP MY CHILDREN FROM THE CAMPUS, SO I DIDN'T WANT TO BE LATE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
UM, I AM THE NEWLY ELECTED CO-CHAIR OF THE START.
I WAS ELECTED TO THAT POSITION IN MAY.
UM, I AM A, AN ATTORNEY AT TEXAS LEGAL, CIVIL, UH, TEXAS LEGAL SERVICES CENTER, WHERE I MANAGED THE LOSS OF PROJECT.
THEY FEEL A FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT PROJECT.
UM, AND I I'M NEW TO THAT ROLE, UM, AS OF MARCH OF THIS YEAR, BUT I'M NOT NEW TO THE WORK HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, I'VE BEEN DOING LEGAL AID WORK, UM, IN AUSTIN FOR 12 YEARS BEFORE MOVING OVER TO TEXAS LEGAL SERVICES CENTER, UM, TO TAKE THIS POSITION AND I'VE BEEN DOING IT, UM, AT THE INTERSECTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, STALKING AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
SO I'VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, UM, WITH THE TYPE OF WORK AND WITH A LOT OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE SART, INCLUDING AARON, UM, AND, AND A WHOLE LOT OF THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THIS ARCH.
SO I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE, UM, YOU ALL HAVING ME HERE TODAY, AND I THINK THAT IN TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS GOING WELL.
I'M HAPPY THAT APD HAS COME UP TO THE TABLE.
UM, AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR THE, SORRY.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S, UM, AARON MENTIONED THAT THAT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE AND IT'S ESPECIALLY HARD FOR SURVIVORS THAT I REPRESENT WHO ARE OFTEN NOT INVOLVED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AND THEIR ONLY AVENUE TO JUSTICE IS THROUGH THE CIVIL PROCESS AND ME BEING ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS.
UM, THE, JUST THE SAME WAY THAT CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM PARTNERS HAVE, UM, REALLY CRITICAL.
AND SO I, I AM EXCITED TO HEAR THAT THEY'RE COMING BACK TO THE TABLE WITH SR AND I HOPE THAT, UM, THAT WE WILL ALSO HAVE FULL PARTICIPATION FROM, UM, APD ON THE, UM, FIREARMS WORK THAT WE'LL BE DOING ON THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TASK FORCE.
I'M ALSO, UM, THE POLICY CHAIR FOR THE FAMILY VIOLENCE TASK FORCE.
SO, UM, OVERALL I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE.
I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED TO HEAR THAT, UM, THE TRAINING IS BEING CONDUCTED IN HOUSE.
I THINK THAT SO MUCH OF THE WORK THAT GOES INTO WORKING WITH SURVIVORS OF ANY, ANY TYPE OF, UM, VIOLENCE IS, UM, BASED ON EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GET THAT WITH ONLY BEING TRAINED BY SOMEONE WHO'S, UM, POSITION IN THAT RELATIONSHIP IS ON THE TRIGGER END OF, OF A WEAPON.
UM, EVEN WHEN AN OFFICER IS THERE DOING EVERYTHING AS THEY SHOULD, UM, WITH CARE AND TO THE VERY BEST OF THEIR ABILITY, IT IS STILL A VERY STRESSFUL RELATIONSHIP, UM, FOR A SURVIVOR OF VIOLENCE.
AND TO PUT THEM IN THAT SITUATION, WITHOUT HAVING MEN TRAINED BY SOMEONE WHO CAN PROVIDE THAT PERSPECTIVE, I THINK IS A MISTAKE.
UM, SO I DO HOPE THAT THE START WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE TRAINING PROCESS GOING FORWARD.
UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO KNOW THE COMMUNITY AND KNOW THE SURVIVORS, KNOW THOSE SURVIVORS WHO ARE NOT GETTING REACHED BY OUR CURRENT SYSTEM.
AND THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE LEADING THE WORK ON TRAINING, UM, AND REALLY ON EVERYTHING ON SETTING
[00:45:01]
PRIORITIES, UM, AND SPENDING ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UM, SHOULD BE COMING FROM COMMUNITY AND FROM THE SURVIVORS WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE.AND I CAN, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT REACHING THEM YET.
UM, JUST TO REMIND, I KNOW, I THINK THE COMMISSION IS PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF, UM, SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS, UH, DO NOT REPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT? IT VARIED DEPENDING ON YOUR SOURCE.
YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN SOME SAY THAT 20% OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS ARE REPORTED, BUT, BUT OTHER DATA SAYS THAT IT'S MUCH LOWER THAN THAT, PERHAPS 9%.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT EVEN THAT IS PROBABLY AN OVERESTIMATE, ESPECIALLY IN MY WORK, UM, WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, I THOUGHT HOW OFTEN THAT INTERSECTION IS COMPLETELY OVERLOOKED BECAUSE A SURVIVOR COULD SIT ACROSS THE TABLE FROM ME FOR TWO HOURS AND SAY THAT SHE HAD NEVER BEEN A VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, BUT THEN LATER IN DESCRIBING AN INCIDENT OF VIOLENCE, TALK ABOUT A FIGHT THAT ENDED WITH HAVING SEX WITH A GUN TO HER HEAD AND NOT EVEN SEEING THAT AS A VICTIMIZATION.
THAT'S OUR MISTAKE ABOUT THE MESSAGE OF WHAT A SEXUAL ASSAULT LOOKS LIKE.
SO I THINK THAT THAT REALLY GREATLY IMPACTS THE NUMBER OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS THAT GO UNREPORTED, ESPECIALLY FROM SURVIVORS WHO ARE ALREADY MARGINALIZED, THEY ARE NOT ENCOURAGED WHEN WE SEE A SYSTEM THAT IS FAILING EVEN SURVIVORS, WHO'VE LOOKED LIKE THAT MYTH OF A PERFECT VICTIM SURVIVORS WHO ARE ALREADY MARGINALIZED HAVE ZERO INCENTIVE TO COME FORWARD.
IT HARMS THEIR FAMILIES, IT HARMS OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT ALLOWS PEOPLE WHO ARE CAUSING THAT HARM TO KEEP GOING, AND IT ONLY ENCOURAGES THEM.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO CHORE THE, THE PROBLEM UNTIL WE ADDRESS THE FACT THAT WE'RE TREATING IT WITH A SYSTEM THAT REPLICATES SO OFTEN THE VIOLENCE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO TREAT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR MISS EDGAR COMMISSIONER WEBBER? SO, UH, UM, COMMISSIONER AMANDA LEWIS, WHO HAS ALSO BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN, UM, HAS ALSO WAS PART OF THE RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE AND, UM, ON THE, ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR, UM, EXCUSE ME FOR SURVIVORS AND I'M AND THEY WERE JUST, GOSH, THEY JUST DID SUCH AMAZING WORK.
UM, I WAS ON THAT COMMITTEE WITH HER.
WILL YOU TELL US, PLEASE, SHELLY, HOW IS, HOW, HOW HAS THAT INTENSE, AMAZING WORK, UM, AND THE REPORT THAT CAME OUT OF THAT? HOW IS THAT INCORPORATED INTO WHAT WE'RE HEARING ABOUT TODAY? I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WAS INCORPORATED INTO THE SETTLEMENT.
I KNOW THAT THE SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS WORKING GROUP WAS NEVER CONSULTED, UM, YOU KNOW, BYE BYE ABOUT THIS, BUT THE SETTLEMENT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT THOSE THINGS WERE, WERE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
I WOULD SAY THAT IN GENERAL, THAT LACK OF COMMUNICATION IS IT'S KILLING US.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY BECAUSE WE KEEP HAVING TO FIGHT THESE SAME ISSUES OVER AND OVER AGAIN, ISSUE BY ISSUE ONE AT A TIME.
AND WE THINK GET IT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, DOING ALL OF THE RESEARCH, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE FIRSTHAND ON THE GROUND EXPERIENCE, WE WERE ASKED TO JOIN THESE TASK FORCES AND DO THINGS AND GIVE THIS FEEDBACK.
BUT THEN WHEN THE DECISIONS ARE MADE, THE SAME, PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS IN THE ROOM AND THEY'RE ALWAYS THE PEOPLE WHO HAD THE POWER IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THERE WHEN THOSE KINDS OF SERIOUS DECISIONS ARE MADE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT THE, THE, UH, IT ALL HAS TO TIE TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, THAT I WAS A HUGE PROPONENT OF THE OFFICER VIOLENCE PREVENTION WHEN I WAS ON THE GUN VIOLENCE TASK FORCE, UM, WITH AFRICAN WOMEN, BECAUSE I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT HAS THE POWER TO REALLY CHANGE OUR CITY SO MUCH FOR THE BETTER, I MEAN, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE OFFICE, IT'S NOT JUST ANOTHER CITY OFFICE, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY MORE ABOUT GIVING THAT POWER BACK TO COMMUNITY BY IMPLEMENTING A PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE AND, YOU KNOW, DESEGREGATED DATA, UM, BUT BACKED UP BY THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY BEING VICTIMIZED IN.
[00:50:01]
UM, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UM, ARE WE, UM, READY TO WRAP UP THIS TOPIC AND MOVE ON? UM, OR ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANY ADDITIONAL, ANY OTHER WITNESSES, ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I WOULD, UH, WE CAN THE RECOMMENDATION NEXT, UM, NEXT MEETING, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO PUT A RECOMMENDATION ON THE FLOOR TO GET REGULAR UPDATES ON, UM, THE SETTLEMENT, UM, JUST SO THAT WE CAN BE ANOTHER SORT OF PLACE WHERE THIS IS BEING SORT OF DAYLIGHTED ON A REGULAR BASIS SO THAT WE CAN SEE PROGRESS OR LACK THEREOF.UM, SO I THINK NEXT MONTH I WOULD LOVE TO PUT A RECOMMENDATION FORTH ON THAT.
WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, MAYBE WE CAN TRACK DOWN THAT RAMP RE-IMAGINED PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT AND SEE WHAT IT SAYS ALSO.
UM, UH, THANK YOU TO ALL THE SPEAKERS, UM, ON THAT TOPIC.
[3. Discussion and possible action on Austin Police Department Quarterly Report 4:20pm4:40pm]
I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY READY TO GO BACK TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, QUARTERLY REPORT.UM, IF, UH, MR. MASTON, MATT MADSON IS AVAILABLE.
DAN, UH, IS MY CAMERA ON? YEAH.
I APOLOGIZE FOR MY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES EARLIER, SO I'M NEVERTHELESS, READY TO GO.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING.
UH, JASON MATTSON, AUSTIN, PLEASE, UH, WITH THE RESEARCH AND PLANNING DIVISION PROGRAM MANAGER.
AND, UH, THIS IS THE, UH, QUARTER THREE REPORT AND I WILL, UH, PREFERENCE, UH, THAT I, UM, THAT, UH, DURING THE LAST DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COMMISSION, WE HAVE, UH, WORKED, UH, UH, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT A WORK GROUP.
AND SO I KNOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT.
SO UNTIL THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION IN THAT WORK GROUP HAVE BEEN DONE AS WELL AS SUBMITTED TO THE CHIEF, UH, AND, UH, CITY MANAGEMENT FOR FINAL APPROVALS.
SO WE WENT AHEAD AND JUST MAINTAIN THE CURRENT, UH, FORMAT OF THE EXISTING, UM, SLIDES AND THE EXISTING DATA.
AND SO I, UH, WELL NEW DATA, BUT EXISTING FORMAT.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, TODAY WE WILL DISCUSS, UH, THE Q3 CRIMES BEING THE QUARTER THREE CRIMES AGAINST PEOPLE, PROPERTY IN SOCIETY, AS WELL AS AGGREGATE CLEARANCE RATES FOR THE SAME, WE WILL DISCUSS RESPONSE TIMES, UH, AS WELL AS OVERTIME EXPENDITURES AND STAFFING.
AND, UM, AS, AS WITH THE PREVIOUS FORMAT, UH, IT WAS JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS AND THEN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMISSION MAY HAVE ON ANY OTHER SPECIFIC AS THERE'S A LOT OF NUMBERS AND DATA ON HERE.
UH, BUT THAT BEING SAID, THE OVERALL REDUCTION IN CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS IS ABOUT A 2% REDUCTION.
NOW THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANCE IN THE SENSE OF A PERCENTAGE WISE, UM, THERE AGAIN, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME DIFFERENT FORMATTING, SUCH AS THE SCORES THAT MAY GIVE HIM A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT, BUT THAT WILL BE SOME DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE WITH THE COMMISSION.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID AS SOME, UH, PARTICULAR CRIMES OF NOTE, UH, WHERE THERE WERE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, UH, THERE WAS A, DID 29% DECREASE IN MURDER RATES BETWEEN LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR WITH A REDUCTION OF 45, UH, OF LAST YEAR DOWN TO 32 DURING THE SAME TIMELINE.
BUT, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THERE WERE SOME SIGNIFICANT INCREASES AS WELL IN CRIME, UH, TO NOTE IS THAT OF THE RAPE CATEGORY WHERE THEY'RE WORRIED 39% INCREASE FROM 127 CRIMES LAST YEAR REPORTED TO 176 CRIMES THIS YEAR REPORTED AND A 17% INCREASE IN AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
UM, BEING THAT OF 1,648 LAST YEAR OR TWO, 1,934 DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD THIS YEAR, UH, DOING A LITTLE OF A DEEP DIVE INTO THE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT.
UH, THE DRIVING FORCE CAUSE AGGRAVATE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IS KIND OF A COMBINATION OF DOMESTIC, UH, ASSAULT, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, AS WELL AS NON-FAMILY, UM, OR NON DOMESTIC.
AND THERE WAS A 9% INCREASE IN THE OVERALL, UM, DRIVING
[00:55:01]
FORCE, UH, DRIVING, UH, NUMBERS OF THE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT FAMILY.UH, AND THEN THERE WAS A, SO THAT IN ITSELF IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
UM, BUT THERE ARE GETTING NOT THE ENTIRE NUMBER OF THE OTHER 8% WOULD HAVE BEEN AN AGGREGATOR OF ALL OTHER TYPES OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT TO NON-FAMILY.
AND THE CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, UH, THERE WAS OVERALL 6% REDUCTION FROM THE CURRENT TIMEFRAME, UH, TO THE, UH, CASES OF NOTE, UH, REALLY REVOLVE IN THIS CASE, AROUND THE THEFT AREA, UH, THEFT OF COIN MACHINE SAW A 30, 130% INCREASE, WHICH HERE AGAIN, HERE'S WHERE STATISTICS KIND OF SOUND VERY SIGNIFICANT.
THAT WAS ONLY A CASE, A CHANGE OF 10 REPORTS REPORTED LAST YEAR TO 43 REPORTS REPORTED THIS YEAR.
SO THE STATISTIC IN ITSELF MAY, UH, SOUND SIGNIFICANT WITH 330%, BUT IN THE OVERALL CONTEXT, UM, IT IS 30 CRIMES.
UM, THE OTHER, UH, CASE NOTE WAS THAT EFFECTIVE FROM BUILDINGS, WHICH WAS A 154% INCREASE AND LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS THERE AGAIN, UM, THAT WAS 67 REPORTED LAST YEAR TO 170 REPORTED THIS YEAR.
UM, OVERALL WE SAW THE BIGGEST DECREASE IN CRIME BEING THAT OF THE ACTUAL REPORT IS SHOPLIFTING CRIMES, WHERE THERE WAS A 32% REDUCTION IN THERE.
AGAIN, THE TOTAL REPORTS IS A FOR CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY AS A 6% DECREASE AS REPORTED AS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
UM, CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY, UH, OVERALL THERE WAS A 21% INCREASE, UM, FOR THIS YEAR AS COMPARED TO LAST, UH, CRIMES OF NOTE.
UH, THERE WAS A 40% SORRY, 46% INCREASE IN WEAPONS VIOLATIONS, UH, BEING OUT OF 393 ARRESTS, UH, XR CASES TO 574 WEAPONS LAW VIOLATIONS AND DRUG VIOLATIONS.
A 27% INCREASE, UH, WITH 1,254 REPORTED LAST YEAR TO 1,590 REPORTED THIS YEAR.
UH, JUST AS NOTE, UH, THE COMMISSION HAD ASKED US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE RESEARCH INTO OVERALL DRUG CRIMES.
UH, WE ARE JUST ABOUT FINALIZED WITH THAT REPORT, UM, AND IT'LL BE GOING TO EXECUTIVE STAFF FOR FINAL REVIEWS.
AND SO WE SHOULD HAVE, UH, THAT, UH, COMING, UM, PRETTY, UH, IN, IN, IN SHORT TIME FOR THE COMMISSION, UH, BASED ON THE PREVIOUS ASK THAT THEY, UH, THAT HAS BEEN ASKED OF THEM NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, THE NEXT THREE SLIDES, UH, DEAL WITH THE CLEARANCE RATE.
THIS IS A MOVING SCALE YOU MIGHT SAY AS IT, IT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION CLOSE YEARS OF CASES AND CLEARANCES OF CASES, BUT IT COULD BE ENCOMPASSING ONE OR MORE YEARS.
SO IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVELY DEFINED OR LIMITED TO 20, 22 RELATED CASES ONLY.
AND SO THIS IS AN AREA I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN A DISCUSSION THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE COMMISSION AND THE WORK GROUP, UH, TO TRY TO FIND AN AMENABLE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WAY TO, TO DESCRIBE THE WORK ON THE CLEARANCE SIDE, BUT OVERALL, UH, FOR CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, THERE WAS A KEY PLACE I'M SORRY, CASE CLOSURE REPORTED SO FAR, A 1,356 CASES.
SO I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND JUST GET TO THE TOLL NUMBER, UH, FOR CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY.
THERE WERE 672 CASES REPORTED FOR Q3.
AND LASTLY, FOR THE CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY AND THE TOTAL VIOLATIONS OR SIMONS DESTROYED WHOLE PLACE CLEARANCES AS 913 CASES.
SO THE NEXT A FEW SLIDES WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT OF RESPONSE TIMES.
UM, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT HERE FOR OUR Q3 RESPONSE TIMES.
THIS IS FOR OUR EMERGENCY CALLS P ZERO CALLS AS WELL AS URGENT P ONES.
SO THESE ARE GENERALLY CRIMES ARE REPORTED A CRIMES IN PROGRESS, CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, CRIMES OF LIKELIHOOD APPREHENSION WITH THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AND THE RESPONSE OF THE TARGETED TIME FOR THE CITY-WIDE TARGET WAS EIGHT MINUTES AND 24 SECONDS AS A STATE OF GOAL.
UM, HOWEVER OVERALL, YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE AVERAGED AROUND, UH, 10 50 AT A LOW TO ABOUT 11 MINUTES.
SO, UH, WE'RE AVERAGING RIGHT AROUND 11 MINUTES FOR OUR P ZERO P ONE RESPONSE TIMES FOR QUARTER THREE.
THE SAME IS BROKEN DOWN BY COUNCIL
[01:00:01]
DISTRICT.UH, WE DID GO INTO A FEW OTHER CRIME, I'M SORRY, PRIORITIES, UH, PRIORITY TWO PRIORITY THREE.
SO YOU CAN GET AN OVERALL SENSE OF MOST OF THE RESPONSE TYPE PRIORITIES WHERE AN OFFICER WILL BE RESPONDING.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THE OVERALL AVERAGES AS WELL AS COMPARISON TO SPECIFIC DISTRICTS WHERE OUR RESPONSE TIMES ARE EXCELLENT, PLEASE.
AND THIS IS JUST A BREAKDOWN OF THE CALL VOLUME.
UH, SO YOU COULD SEE A RELATIVELY CONSISTENT AMOUNT, UH, THROUGH THE THREE MONTHS FOR Q3.
UM, SO THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF DEVIATION, UH, BETWEEN ANY TYPE OF PS, ZERO CALLS PEOPLE ON CALLS FOR THE, UH, FOR THE QUARTER AS COMPARED MONTH A MONTH.
ALL OF THIS IS, UM, WHICH THE NEXT FEW SLIDES WE'LL GO INTO OUR STAFFING NUMBERS.
OUR STAFFING CONTINUES TO BE A CHALLENGE, UH, WHICH IS NOT UNIQUE TO APD, BUT YOU'VE SEEN IT ACROSS THE NATION.
UH, WE ARE MAKING STRIDES TO TRY TO SUPPLEMENT THOSE STORES, THOSE STAFFING SHORTAGES BY OVERTIME EXPENDITURES, UM, AND HAVING OFFICERS RESPOND IN OVERTIME TYPE ASSIGNMENTS.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE ARE EXPENDED, UH, 11, A LITTLE OVER 11 MILLION, ALMOST SEVEN, I'M SORRY, APOLOGIZE.
16 MILLION, UM, IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPENDED SO FAR TO DATE WITH AN OVERTIME BUDGET AUTHORIZED OF ROUGHLY 6 MILLION.
SO WE'RE ABOUT 285% OVER EXPENDITURE TO DATE.
AND IT'LL BE FURTHER EXPLAINED WHEN THESE NEXT FEW SLIDES NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND YOU COULDN'T KIND OF SEE THE CONSISTENT TREND THERE, AGAIN, NOT UNIQUE TO APD, BUT IT'S SOMETHING YOU WILL PROBABLY SEE ACROSS MOST AGENCIES RIGHT NOW IS THE CONTINUED, UM, STAFFING WITH OVERTIME AND TRYING TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE CALLS FOR SERVICE ACROSS ANY JURISDICTION.
AND, UH, WE HAVE SEEN A CONSISTENT INCREASE OR I'M SORRY, CONSISTENT OVERTIME USAGE WELL OVER OUR AUTHORIZED BUDGET FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
AND THIS IS JUST A FIVE-YEAR, SIX-YEAR LOOKING AT X SLIDE PLEASE.
UM, THIS IS DRIVEN BY, AS YOU COULD SEE THE OPERATIONAL VACANCIES, WHICH 259, UH, WE HAVE AN AUTHORIZED COMPLEMENT OF 1809, UH, POSITIONS FILLED 1550, AND THAT DOES LEAVE US AN OPERATIONAL VACANCY OF 259 POSITIONS, UH, WITH SEVERAL MORE, UM, UH, POTENTIALS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT TREND, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, CIVILIAN STOPPING LEVELS.
AND I CONTINUE TO SEE THE SAME TREND.
UM, I KNOW WE DID A LITTLE PRESENTATION AS IT RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO OUR, UH, TO THE RESEARCH AND PLANNING DIVISION LAST, UH, LAST MEETING.
HOWEVER, THIS GIVES AN OVERALL PICTURE WHERE YOU COULD SEE, WE HAVE AN AUTHORIZED COMPLIMENT OF 734 POSITIONS ACROSS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION WITH 605 OF THOSE FILLED THAT DOES INCLUDE A CURRENT ACADEMIES AND INTERNS AND TEMPS.
AND WE HAVE A VACANCY OF 129 POSITIONS, WHICH DOES INCLUDE FOUR INTERNSHIPS THAT WE'RE AUTHORIZED TO HAVE.
AND THEN LASTLY, THESE ARE THE CADET CLASSES.
WE HAVE 145TH, UH, WHICH STARTED IN MARCH 28TH, WITH 84 CADETS.
UH, CURRENTLY OF THOSE 84, WE HAVE 66 WITH AN ANTICIPATED GRADUATION OF 2022.
HOWEVER, JUST TO NOTE, THAT DOES NOT MEAN A FULLY INDEPENDENT OFFICER BECAUSE THEY WILL BE GOING THROUGH AN FTO PERIOD FOR A TIME AFTER THAT, UH, BEFORE YOU WILL ACTUALLY SEE THEM GO INTO A SOLO OPERATING OFFICER.
UH, WE ARE WORKING ON STARTING IN FACT TODAY, OUR TRANSITIONAL OFFICER PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE 146 CADET CLASS, WHICH STARTED TODAY AGAIN, UH, WITH EIGHT OFFICERS.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR NEXT TO CADET CLASS, WHICH WILL BE STARTING, UH, IN AUGUST 10TH WHERE WE'RE LOOKING, WE DON'T HAVE A FINALIZED NUMBER, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO FILL BETWEEN 70 AND 80 POSITIONS IN THAT CADET CLASS.
AND THIS JUST GIVES AN OVERALL PICTURE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS OF THE AUTHORIZED SWORN STAFFING LEVELS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, AS WELL AS WHAT I WAS, UH, KIND OF TALKING ABOUT EARLIER ARE SEPARATIONS.
SO YOU COULD SEE THE YEAR TO YEAR SEPARATIONS, UH, BEING THE LOW FROM 2019 OF 79 TO A HIGH IN 2021 OF 177.
AND AS IT CURRENTLY SITS WITH JUST A LITTLE OVER HALF OF THE YEAR, UM, PAST, UH, WE'RE ABOUT 106 BETWEEN Q1 AND Q3.
[01:05:01]
THAT, UH, THIS WAS A BRIEF PRESENTATION, I'M SORRY.UM, BECAUSE I DO APOLOGIZE THERE AGAIN FOR THE PREVIOUS, UH, TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
UM, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THE COMMISSION MAY HAVE, UM, COMMISSIONER SIERRA, ALLIE AREVALO.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MR. MADSON, YOU, UH, YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS AROUND HOW TO CALCULATE CLEARANCES BEYOND A SIMPLE FREQUENCY.
UM, YOU SYMPATHETIC TO THE PROBLEMS OF, UH, CASES THAT ARE OPENED IN ONE FISCAL YEAR THAT THEN CARRY ON TO ANOTHER.
IT'S A, IT'S A CONSISTENT PROBLEM ACROSS JURISDICTIONS.
AS I MENTIONED DURING A PRIOR MEETING, HOWEVER, WE CAN'T LET THE PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD, I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN SOME SORT OF RELATIVE METRIC IMPLEMENTED, WHETHER THAT BE CLEARANCES PER YEAR CLEARED IN THAT SAME YEAR.
UM, WHY ARE WE STILL WORKING WITH FREQUENCIES THAT DO NOT ALLOW US ANY SENSE OF HOW MANY CASES ARE CLEARED WITHIN THE GIVEN YEAR BY PROPERTY CRIME, BY VIOLENT CRIME? MAYBE YOU CAN SHED SOME LIGHT FOR US.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UH, THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PARTS TO THAT ONE.
AS I DID IN MY PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, WE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED WITH STAFFING.
AND SO THAT IS, IT WAS REFLECTED ALSO IN THE SLIDE WHERE YOU SAW THE 129 CIVILIAN VACANCIES.
UH, DURING MY PREVIOUS PRESENTATION TO THE COMMISSION, WE WERE SITTING AT THE TIME ROUGHLY WITH ABOUT A 60% VACANCY RATE WITHIN THE RESEARCH AND PLANNING DIVISION.
UM, WE HAVE SINCE WORKED TO FILL MANY OF THOSE POSITIONS, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF TRAINING AND STUFF THAT IS GOING ON, UH, CURRENTLY WE'RE RECRUITING SOME TEMPORARY POSITIONS ALSO TO BE ABLE TO HELP IN THIS AREA.
AND SO EVEN MYSELF BEING A NEW ADDITION TO THE TEAM, I, AND NON ROUGHLY SIX MONTHS NOW, UM, IN FACT, UH, JUST PASSED PROBATION AS OF THIS WEEK.
SO I'M A LITTLE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
UH, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, IS THAT WE HAVE A RELATIVELY, UH, A LOT OF FEELING, A LOT OF VACANCIES, A LOT OF TRAINING AND STUFF THAT WE HAD TO DO WITHIN THE DIVISION.
AND SO WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THOSE PROTOCOLS AND GETTING OUR STAFFING LEVELS UP TO SPEED.
UM, SIMULTANEOUSLY WE REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
I KNOW THIS HAD BEEN THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF DISCUSSIONS, THE IDEA OF HAVING A MEETING TO REALLY TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO HOW THE COMMISSION WANTED TO VERY MUCH LOOK AT THESE VARIOUS STATISTICS WHILE IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, AN ULTIMATE PROCESS.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROCESS AT THE END OF THE DAY WAS GOING TO BE ONE THAT MET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMISSION.
SO THAT WAY, WHEN WE DID PRESENT TO EXECUTIVE STAFF, UM, IT WAS ALREADY SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE COLLABORATED WITH AND WE HAVE COME TO AN AGREEMENT AS TO WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
SO THAT WAY WE'RE NOT TAKING MULTIPLE TURNS OF TRYING TO CHANGE PROCESSES.
UM, IF WE OPINE WHAT THEY, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE, UH, COME OUT OF THE WORK GROUP AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING BACK THROUGH AND GOING BACK TO EXECUTIVE STAFFER APPROVALS AGAIN.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S BETTER TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME ON THE BACK END, UH, TO GET THE PROPER FOUNDATIONS WORKING IN THE FRONT END.
UH, BUT MY CONFIDENCE IS, IS AS WE WORK WITH THE COMMISSION OVER THE NEXT, UH, YOU KNOW, EXTENDED TIME, UM, THAT WE WILL GET TO A, UH, AN AMENABLE SOLUTION THAT WILL INCLUDE OBVIOUSLY THE INPUT ON THE PARENT'S RATES AND HOW TO BEST MEET THE COMMISSION'S DESIRES IN THAT AREA.
AND TAKE A, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, A WELL-THOUGHT-OUT PLAN TO EXECUTIVE STAFF OR FINAL PRESENTATION MOVING FORWARD.
SO I SIMPLY WANT TO, I WANT TO FLAG THIS FOR THE REST OF THE COMMISSION THAT A PERFORMANCE INDICATOR FOR A POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT IS RELATIVELY STANDARD, UH, HIS CLEARANCE RATES.
UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS TO BE, UH, AN ACTION ITEM, NOT ONLY FOR THE ANALYTICS DIVISION OF THE APD, BUT ALSO FOR THE, FOR THE COMMISSION TO KIND OF KEEP TABS ON CLEARANCE RATES ARE IMPORTANT AND WE SHOULD HAVE A GOOD METRIC OF CLEARANCE RATES.
NOT ONLY FOR THINGS LIKE VIOLENT CRIME HOMICIDE, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, BUT PROPERTY CRIME, AND OTHER TYPES OF OFFENSES RECORDED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION, MR. MATTSON, UM, IS, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE PRIVY TO THIS, BUT IF YOU KNOW, UM, UH, WHY IS THE OVERTIME BUDGET GETTING SMALLER? UM, WHEN THE CITY KNOWS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE SPENDING MORE AND MORE MONEY ON OVERTIME FOR APD? YES, MA'AM.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF BARRIERS COMING FROM A BUDGETARY PROCESSES IN MY PREVIOUS AGENCY.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT GO INTO AN OVERALL BUDGET OF WHICH YES, THE APDS OVERTIME BUDGET IS PART OF THAT DISCUSSION.
BUT WHEN THE CITY LOOKS AT THINGS AT LARGE, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT STAKES AT PLAY.
AND SO, UM, IT IS A MULTI-TIERED MULTITASK, A LOT
[01:10:01]
OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE A PERSONAL PRIVY TO HERE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER.BUT I COULD JUST SAY IS THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLEXITIES EVEN KNOWING THAT THIS HAS MAY BE A NEED.
UM, BUT I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE SPECIFICS, UM, CHIEF HENDERSON, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT? UM, WHY THE, UH, I MEAN, WE HAD A CHART THAT SHOWED THAT THE OVERTIME NEEDS ARE GROWING YEAR AFTER YEAR, PRETTY CONSISTENTLY, BUT THE OVERTIME BUDGET WAS ACTUALLY SHRINKING, PARTICULARLY 20, 20, 20, 21 AND 2022.
CAN WE BRING THAT SLIDE UP AGAIN IF YOU DON'T MIND, BECAUSE IF I'M LOOKING AT THIS QUARTERLY, I'M LOOKING AT THE ACTUAL OVERTIME BUDGET THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED AND THEN THE ACTUAL USAGE USAGE.
AND I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY THE OVERTIME BUDGET WOULDN'T BE INCREASED, YOU KNOW, REALLY KIND OF MASSIVELY RECOGNIZING THAT.
I MEAN, THERE'S NOT A YEAR SINCE 2016 THAT WE HAVEN'T USED OVER $10 MILLION IN OVERTIME.
WHY, WHY THE OVERTIME BUDGET WOULDN'T BE AT LEAST $10 MILLION IN 20, 20 AND 2021.
YES, MA'AM, I'LL HAVE TO GET WITH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND I'LL HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU AT THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING.
I HAVE A FOLLOWUP QUESTION TO THE OVERTIME AS WELL, AND JUST, IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE LOGISTICS OF WHERE MONEY COMES FROM WHEN WE GO OVER THE ALLOTTED OVERTIME BUDGET.
UM, SO WE ARE AT 5.8 MILLION APPROVED FOR THIS YEAR, BUT ALREADY AT 16.
WHERE DOES THAT 11 MILLION COME FROM? WHAT'S THE PROCESS THAT'S ENTAILED TO GET THE ADDITIONAL 11 MILLION APPROVED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUDGET LIKE CYCLE.
UM, IS THAT, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN INTERNALLY? DO YOU HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL? I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU HAVE, UM, LIKE SAY SWORN POSITIONS THAT AREN'T FILLED, THAT, THAT EXCESS MONEY GOES TO THE EMERGENCY STABILIZATION FUND, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ON THE OVERTIME SIDE, HOW THAT MONEY GETS MOVED AROUND.
MA'AM THAT THAT MONEY IS COOPED FROM THE VACANCY SAVINGS THAT WE A LOT JUST BASED ON THE SHEER NUMBER OF VACANT POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE, WE STILL HAVE DEDICATED SALARIES TO FUND THOSE POSITIONS, BUT WITHOUT THEM BEING ACTUALLY FILLED, THEN IT CREATES THIS.
THEY COULD SEE SAVINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DRAW OUR OVERTIME BUDGET FROM.
WELL, THAT MAY HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SUGGEST MAYBE, UM, IF WE COULD LOOK AT OVERALL EXPENDITURE TO DATE ON SALARY PLUS OVERTIME AND SEE THE WHOLE THING, RATHER THAN ONLY SEEING THE OVERTIME, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
I THINK COMMISSIONER HASN'T FLIPPED.
I THINK YOU'RE ONTO SOMETHING.
AND THEN I HAD ONE MORE REQUEST.
WHEN I ASKED IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT TO SEE ON THE SWORN SEPARATIONS.
UM, JUST TO CREATE A LITTLE BIT MORE GRANULARITY WITH REGARDS TO WHERE IN PEOPLE'S CAREERS, UM, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING, UM, WHETHER THESE ARE PEOPLE CLOSER TO RETIREMENT, WHETHER THIS IS PEOPLE ON THE, ON THE FRONT END OF THEIR CAREERS.
UM, IT JUST MIGHT CREATE SOME MORE INSIGHT FOR US AS TO WHETHER WE HAVE AN AGING POLICE FORCE OR NOT, YOU KNOW, LIKE JUST ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT IT KIDS SORT OF DAYLIGHT.
SO THAT'D BE GREAT TO SEE THAT SORT OF GRANULARITY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM FROM COMMISSIONERS? UM, OKAY.
[5. Discussion and possible action regarding the Austin Police Department’s current policies and tactics in responding to protest organizing and protest activity. 5:20pm—5:50pm]
I THINK WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR LAST ITEM, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S POLICIES AND TACTICS, AND RESPONDING TO PROTEST ORGANIZING AND PROTEST ACTIVITY.SHOULD WE START WITH PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY.
SO WE, ONE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FROM MR. JIM ELLENBERGER, UM, FROM AUSTIN AIRWAVES, UM, YOU CAN COME UP RIGHT TO THESE MICROPHONES ACROSS FROM ME, UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M A DISGRUNTLED 40 YEAR RESIDENT OF AUSTIN.
UM, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY BASED NON-COMMERCIAL NONPROFIT, UH, MEDIA, UH, FOR ALMOST ALL THOSE YEARS, AC TV, RADIO COLUMNIST AT THE CHRONICLE, UH, PUT COOPERATIVE SHOW ON THE AIR, UH, AND IN RECENT YEARS HAVE BEEN DOING, UH, UH, COVERAGE SORT OF STREET COVERAGE OF DEMONSTRATIONS AND THE LIKE, UH, HERE IN AUSTIN, MAINLY POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I CALL YOUR ATTENTION
[01:15:01]
THE COMMISSION'S ATTENTION TO, UH, PAGE 16 OF THE CURRENT ISSUE OF THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A COPY TO BE ENTERED INTO THE MINUTES OF MR. BINGAMAN BRANG.BINGAMAN, UH, WROTE A FINE STORY ABOUT THE L RAD.
I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM NOW, THE LOW, LONG RANGE ACOUSTIC DEVICE.
UH, AND, UH, SHOULD I, SHOULD, I AM LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
I CAN BE BRIEF, BUT AM I LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES? THREE MINUTES.
UH, AND, UM, I WAS A WITNESS AND VERY NEARLY A VICTIM OF THE RIOTING, UH, FOLLOWING GEORGE FLOYD, MIKE RAMOS, UH, MURDERS.
UM, I WITNESSED, UH, UNIFORMED OFFICERS OUT OF CONTROL, DISREGARDING THEIR TRAINING, UM, WITNESSED A THOUSAND FIRINGS OF, UH, UH, SO-CALLED, UH, NONLETHAL, UH, PROJECTILES TEAR GAS, UH, VERY BAD SITUATION, UM, AND WOULD USE THAT AS A BACKGROUND, IN MY OPINION, THAT THE COMMISSION, UH, THE OFFICE OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, THE CITY MANAGER, THE MAYOR, AND THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL FOR MISUSE OF THE L READ, UM, UH, MR. UH, MR. CASSIDY, MR. KEN CASSIDY, WHO I WOULD DESCRIBE AS APDS CHIEF APOLOGISTS SAID, THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE WOULD EVER USE IT FOR, TO HURT PEOPLE'S EARS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
IN FACT, WE ALL KNOW THAT HE MISUSED BEANBAG ROUNDS.
WE MISUSED HERE, GAS, THEY MISUSED, UH, OTHER, UH, TOOLS AND, AND THE CITY CAME DOWN ON APD TO SOME DEGREE IN LIMITING THEIR USE.
AND, AND, AND SO I WOULD SAY WITH THAT AS A BACKGROUND, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY WITHIN, UH, MY WIFE'S A FIRST RESPONDER OR A PARAMEDIC AND MANY FRIENDS, I WOULD NOTE THAT WE WOULD ASK THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT NOT TO SHOOT MEDICS.
AND THERE WAS A BUTTONS AND BANNERS HAD GONE AROUND AND STOPPED SHOOTING MEDICS.
UH, ANY NUMBER OF MEDICS WERE INJURED WHILE HAULING OFF OTHER VICTIMS OF UNTRAINED, UH, ONTO CONTROL APD OFFICERS, NOTABLY MEREDITH THREE CAR FRIEND MAYOR WHO HAD HER FINGER SHOT CLEAR OFF BY A UNIFORMED OFFICER ON THE UPPER DECK, AS SHE WAS TRANSPORTING AS A VOLUNTEER MEDIC, UH, INTO THE APD HEADQUARTERS.
UM, UH, THE GENTLEMAN, THE YOUNG KID THAT WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD THAT ITSELF SHOULD BE A SERIOUS VIOLATION.
AND AS THEY WERE TRANSPORTING THIS YOUNG MAN INTO THE APD HEADQUARTERS TO PASS HIM OFF TO, UH, TO THE PARAMEDICS, UH, WHO DID NOT ENTER THE RIOT AREA, UH, THEY WERE FIRED UPON.
AND MY FRIEND MEREDITH NOW, UH, CAN ONLY COUNT TO NINE AS THEY SAY, THAT'S INEXCUSABLE THERE, OFFICERS THAT DID THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, DISCIPLINE REMOVED.
UM, PEOPLE WERE STILL VERY UPSET WITH THAT.
UM, SO WE ASKED THAT THE COMMISSION AND THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC OVERSIGHT CITY MANAGER, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FURTHER CONSTRAIN AND IDENTIFY THE USE OF THESE WEAPONS AND THEY ARE WEAPONS, UH, FOLLOWING THE SHOOTING OF MEREDITH DRAKE'S FINGER CLEAR OFF.
UM, SO I THINK NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM, UM, COMMANDER AND I'M GOING TO HAVE TROUBLE WITH THIS ONE RAW ROB BLUE-SKY
SORRY ABOUT THAT COMMANDER WROBLEWSKI BUT, UH, THANK YOU.
SO THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
AND I WANTED TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK HERE TONIGHT.
FIRST OFF, A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION WAS SENT TO THE COMMISSION.
DOES EVERYBODY HAVE A COPY OF THAT POWERPOINT? I'M SEEING NOS.
I THINK IT'S BEING PULLED UP RIGHT NOW, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO WATCH IT WHILE YOU SPEAK.
UH, CAUSE UNLIKE, UH, THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, I HAD HAVE NO CAPABILITIES TO PULL THAT UP ON A COMPUTER, BUT ALSO WE GOT AN EMAIL THAT, UH, MR. KEVIN WELCH WAS HAVING ISSUES LOGGING ON AND HIS CAMERA'S NOT WORKING.
SO LET'S SEE, HE WAS SUPPOSED TO SPEAK AFTER ME AND HE DOESN'T HAVE THAT CAPABILITY RIGHT NOW OR EMAILING HIM RIGHT NOW, LOG OUT AND LOG BACK IN.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE THE POWERPOINT, UM, COMMISSIONER WEBER.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF WE COULD HEAR WHO, UH, WHOSE AGENDA THIS ITEM.
THIS IS, I'M CURIOUS IF IT WAS MINE.
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S MY AGENDA AND, UM, AND YOURS.
I THINK IT'S THE CHAIR ON THE DEVICE TO ME, IT'S THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIRS.
SO MY AGENDA ITEM REGARDING WHAT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS SPENT TO PURCHASE AND MAINTAIN L RODS IS STILL PENDING.
OH, THAT'S AN INTERESTING THING.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE KNEW WE HAD THAT ON THE LIST.
I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION THAT WE COULD MAYBE ASK TODAY THOUGH.
[01:20:02]
I, I PROPOSED AN AGENDA ITEM, UM, REQUESTING BOTH BUDGET INFORMATION AND THE POLICY INFORMATION REGARDING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S USE OF EL RADS.AND I ATTACHED AS BACKUP INFORMATION, A LIST OF THE WORKER'S COMP CLAIMS FROM AUSTIN POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE INJURED DURING THE PROTEST THAT THE CITIZEN IS TALKING ABOUT.
UM, HALF OF THEM ARE BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE NOISE.
AND SO, UH, MY AGENDA ITEM WAS REALLY, I DON'T THINK TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS GOING TO CUT IT BECAUSE MINE WAS REALLY GEARED TOWARD HOW ARE WE KEEPING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL SAFE, RIGHT.
WHEN WE'RE USING THESE ITEMS. AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, YOU KNOW, THE PREVIOUS, THE SPEAKER, THE CITIZEN WHO CAME OUT MR. ELLENDER TO SPEAK TO US, UM, IT'S NOT JUST MEDICS, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THAT ARE WORKING DOWNTOWN.
IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE OFFICERS AND EVERYONE ELSE, HOW ARE WE KEEPING THEM SAFE WHEN WE'RE USING THESE EL RAD DEVICES? AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET, I DON'T LIKE, I DON'T WANT TODAY PRESENTATION TO PUT MY REQUEST OFF.
LIKE, I THINK WE STILL NEED THAT MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SPENDING ON THESE DEVICES.
AND THEN HOW ARE WE KEEPING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL SAFE WHEN WE'RE USING THEM? AGREED.
AND I WANT TO, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE.
CAUSE I DO SEE THAT YOU HAVE THE WORKER'S COMP CLAIMS THAT YOU SENT OVER AND EVERYTHING AND I DO.
SO WE SHOULD DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP AND DO A FOLLOW UP ITEM AS WELL.
BUT CAN WE PLEASE HAVE THOSE POSTED AS BACKUP TO THIS ITEM AS WELL? MS. JANET, I THINK IT'S VERY RELEVANT.
Y'ALL IT'S ABOUT 60 INJURY CLAIMS. 30 OF THEM ARE BECAUSE OF NOISE OR EXCESSIVE NOISE OR, YOU KNOW, EAR DAMAGE.
AND SO WE HAD 60 POLICE OFFICERS INJURED, HALF OF THEM FOR ISSUES WITH THEIR HEARING AND WE'RE USING EL RADS.
LIKE, AND THAT WAS FROM THE MOST RECENT PROTEST THAT WAS FROM 2020.
THAT'S A LIST OF THE INJURY CLAIMS FROM AUSTIN POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE WORKING THE WEEKEND OF THE GEORGIA.
WE'LL ADD THAT TO OUR LIST FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND ADD THE MATERIAL TO THIS ITEM.
UM, SO, UH, COMMANDER BACK TO YOU, UM, HAVE WE GOT THE, UM, PRESENTATION? SO THEN YOU HAVE A RIGHT NOW AND MR. JUST TRYING TO LOG BACK AND HE PREGNANT, TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY GETTING OFF.
UM, WILL WE BE ABLE TO RUN THE PRESENTATION FROM HERE THOUGH? UM, SO THAT WE CAN ALL SEE IT ON THE SCREENS.
I MADE A MR.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO IT FROM HERE.
THAT'S SIMPLE IN THAT CASE,
WHAT I DID, I MADE HIM UP WITH DINNER, SO HE'S A PRESENTER HE CAN PRESENT RIGHT NOW YOU CAN PULL UP IS WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE, UM, COMMANDER.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PRESENT YOUR POWERPOINT FROM YOUR SCREEN.
AND MS. JACKSON, I JUST PUT THAT AT THE TOP OF YOUR EMAIL INBOX, THE PRESENTATION.
OH, I HAD TO PULLED UP ON MY COMPUTER.
IS IT SHOWING ON EVERYBODY ELSE'S OR NOT? I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE ON NOT THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY INDIVIDUAL.
I'M GOING TO SEND IT OVER TO, WE'RE GOING TO TRY IT FROM THIS DAY.
I THINK THAT MS. JACKSON IS GOING TO HAVE IT WORK FROM THIS END.
UM, DO YOU WANT TO START WITH AN INTRODUCTION? YEAH.
SO THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S DISCUSSION IS GOING TO GO OVER APDS POLICIES REGARDING THE PROTESTS ARE TACTICS THAT HAVE BEEN USED AT THE PROTEST, AND THEN FINALLY OUR ARREST PROCEDURES.
[01:25:01]
POLICY, FARLEY MOBILE FIELD FORCE ACTIVATION OF ALL THE FIELD FORCE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN DEALING WITH ONE A LARGE-SCALE DISTURBANCE IN TO A DISTURBANCE WHERE THERE WAS POTENTIAL FOR ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE.IF A LARGE-SCALE SHOW OF FORCE IS NOT PRESENT.
SO WHO HAS THE ABILITY TO ACTIVATE THIS MOBILE FIELD FORCE? WELL, IT STARTS WITH THE CHIEF FOLLOWED BY THE ASSISTANT CHIEFS, ANY ONE OF THE COMMANDERS LIKE MYSELF, WASHED LIEUTENANTS OR ANY OF THE PATROL OR SUPPORT IN TENSE.
SO WHAT IS THE MOBILE FIELD FORCE? IT'S AN ORGANIZED GROUP, ESPECIALLY TRAINED IN DISCIPLINE OFFICERS THAT CAN VARY IN SIZE, DEPENDING ON THE SCALE OF THE SITUATION.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE MOBILE FIELD FORCE ARE ALWAYS ONE LIFE SAFETY FOLLOWED BY INCIDENT, UH, STABILIZATION FOLLOWED BY PROPERTY PROTECTION, AND THEN FINALLY SOCIETAL RESTORATION.
WHAT IS OUR MOBILE FIELD FORCE EQUIPPED WITH? UH, WE ARE STANDARDIZED WITH BHUTAN'S OR THE
ASCE ARE BASICALLY THOSE EXPANDABLE BATONS AND THOSE ARE NOT USED.
PERSONNEL ALSO HAS, UH, THE ABILITY THEY HAVE ACCESS TO OH, SEA SPRAY, THE NONLETHAL PEPPER BALL, LAUNCHERS AND HELMETS WITH FACE SHIELDS.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE ON THIS NEXT SLIDE HERE, LESS LETHAL AND NON-LETHAL WEAPONS.
UM, WE NO LONGER UTILIZE THE 12 GAUGE BEANBAG SHOTGUNS THAT WERE USED PREVIOUSLY DURING THE 2020 RIOTS.
SO IN ITS PLACE, WE HAVE THE 40 MILLIMETER FOAM BATON LAUNCHER, WHICH IS MUCH MORE ACCURATE AS FAR AS NONLETHAL WEAPONS.
UM, WE HAVE THE PEPPER BALL, LAUNCHER AND PEPPER SPRAY, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED IN THE LAST LOT.
SO WITH PATROL, HOW DOES MOBILE FIELD FORCE GET ACTIVATED? THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT WAYS, TWO DIFFERENT RESPONSE PLANS WITH TIER ONE RESPONSE.
THERE'S TWO DESIGNATED OFFICERS FROM EACH ON-DUTY PATROL SHIFT THAT RESPOND TO THEM.
VOLVO FIELD FORCE CALL AND TWO, UH, OFFICERS FROM HIGHWAY ENFORCEMENT COMMAND.
OUR MOTORS ARE LICENSED IN WAY HIGHER RESPONSE AND RESPOND TO MOBILE FIELD FORCE CALL UP AND THEY CAN BE SUPPLEMENTED BY ADDITIONAL OFFICERS FROM PATROL.
NOW, SINCE WE'VE HAD A MOVEMENT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, UM, WITH THOSE SPECIALIZED UNITS NOT BEING IN EXISTENCE, WE JUST UTILIZED THE TIER ONE RESPONSE PLANS.
OUR TACTICS, OUR CONTROL STRATEGIES THAT ARE EMPLOYED BY THE MOBILE FIELD FORCE INCLUDE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, CONTAINMENT, ARREST, AND LOCAL EMERGENCY ORDERS.
WITH EMERGENCY RESPONSE, A MAJOR CIVIL DISORDER WILL REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO DEVOTE A LARGE PORTION OF ITS RESOURCES TO RESTORE ORDER.
WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES INDICATE THAT SUCH A RESPONSE IS REQUIRED, THE INCIDENT COMMANDER WILL ANNOUNCE THE MOBILIZATION OF THE MOBILE FIELD FORCE.
AND WE'LL GIVE THE LOCATION OF THE ASSEMBLY AREA.
ALL SPECIFIED PERSONNEL WILL RESPOND TO THAT DESIGNATED LOCATION WITH CONTAINMENT.
THERE'S THREE BASIC CONCEPTS OF PERIMETER CONTROL.
DURING THIS WE DEPLOY PLACE HAS A BLOCKING FORCE ALONG A ROADWAY OR GEOGRAPHIC BARRIER, PERPENDICULAR TO ACCESS ROUTES INTO THE AREA.
THIS SURROUNDS A PARTICULAR PROBLEM AREA BY USING THE LINEAR STRATEGY, TO SEE A LOSS OF ACCESS ON ALL SIDES.
THESE TWO MANEUVERS PREVENT OUTSIDERS FROM BEING DRAWN INTO THE UNREST HAS VICTIMS OR PARTICIPANTS IN AT THE SAME TIME LIMIT THE SPREAD OF VIOLENCE.
AND FINALLY, WE HAVE SECTOR IN WHICH DIVIDES THE COURT ON AREA INTO SMALLER SIZE UNITS, OR CAN BE RESTORED ONE SECTOR AT A TIME AS SUFFICIENT POLICE RESOURCES ARE ASSEMBLED LOCAL EMERGENCY ORDERS, ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF THE DEPARTMENT STRATEGY FOR RESPONDING TO A CIVIL DISORDER IS THE ISSUANCE OF EMERGENCY ORDERS.
THE MAYOR HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE AND ENFORCE RULES, REGULATIONS, ORDERS, AND DIRECTIONS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN LIFE SAFETY, INCIDENT STABILIZATION, PROPERTY CONSERVATION, AND SOCIETAL RESTORATION WITH THE EXAMPLE OF THE AMERICAN ESTABLISHMENT CURFEW.
SO WITH OUR LOCAL EMERGENCY ORDERS AND OUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC, UH, THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED THAT, UM, NECESSITATES THE USE OF THE OUTLET IS THAT OUR TRADITIONAL PA DEVICE IN THE PATROL CARS IS INADEQUATE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH A LARGE GATHERING OF PROTESTORS.
SO, AND THE SECOND BULLET POINT HERE, IT SAYS THE MOBILE SPEAKER DEVICE.
DID YOU USE TO COMMUNICATE TO LARGE CROWDS? UM,
[01:30:01]
THE MOBILE SPEAKER LINE.I DON'T SEE WHATEVER THE BULLET POINT IS.
DOES ANYONE ELSE SEE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE POWERPOINT UP AT THIS POINT? OKAY.
COMMANDER, WE CAN'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO A LITTLE CONFUSING, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THOSE TACTICAL DIFFICULTIES.
SO ALL THE PATROL CARS, WE HAVE A PA SYSTEM THAT, UH, THE OFFICER WITHIN A VEHICLE CAN COMMUNICATE TO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE PATROL CORNER.
HOWEVER, THAT PA DEVICE THAT'S WITHIN THE PATROL VEHICLE IS INADEQUATE FOR THE NEEDS TO COMMUNICATE TO A LARGE CROWD.
SO TRADITIONALLY WE TRANSITIONED TO THE L READ DEVICE, WHICH IS USED ONLY AS A COMMUNICATION DEVICE.
IT IS NOT UTILIZED AS A WEAPON.
UM, IT'S ONLY USED FOR GIVING VERBAL ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE CROWDS AND THE MOBILE SPEAKER, OUR AD.
WE ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IS ABLE TO HEAR THE CLEAR AND CONCISE COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE OFFICERS THAT ARE UTILIZING THAT RAMPED DEVICE.
SO I CAN'T SPECIFY HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS DEVICE IS NOT USED AS A WEAPON.
IT IS JUST MEANT TO BE USED TO COMMUNICATE, UH, DIRECTIONS TO THE CROWD AT HAND.
DOES THE COMMISSION UNDERSTAND THAT POINT? CAUSE I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH.
GOING ON WITH, UH, CARESS DURING ACTS OF CIVIL DISORDER PLACEMENTS ACT QUICKLY TO ARREST VIOLATORS OF THE LAW.
THESE ARRESTS WILL HELP DEFUSE THE UNREST WHILE ALSO PROVIDING A BREAK IN THE VIOLENCE OR MUST COMMENCE FROM THE OUTSET AND BE MADE EARLY QUICKLY, CONSTITUTIONALLY FAIRLY AND REASONABLY.
THIS PATTERN MUST BE SUSTAINED FOR THE DURATION OF THE UNREST.
IF MASS ARRESTS OCCURRED, THE INCIDENT COMMANDER WILL REQUEST PRISONER TRANSPORT VEHICLES TO THE SCENE DURING PROTEST ARREST OCCURRED THE SAME AS THEY WOULD IN A REGULAR PATROL SETTING DURING PROTEST PRISONERS ARE USUALLY TRANSPORTED IN A PRISONER TRANSPORT VAN.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE A PATROL CAR, BE UTILIZED.
IN SOME INSTANCES, ALL THE HAVE THEIR OWN CASE NUMBERS, MALE AND FEMALES ARE SEPARATED FOR TRANSPORT AND JUVENILE RUSTY'S.
IF THEY ARE ARRESTED ARE KEPT SEPARATE FROM ADULTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW SUSPECTS BEING ARRESTED IN TRANSPORT AND POLICE VEHICLES SHALL BE HANDCUFFED OR OTHERWISE RESTRAINED AS DESCRIBED BELOW PRISONERS WILL BE GENERALLY RESTRAINED WITH HANDS BEHIND THE BACK.
IF HANDCUFFS ARE USED, THEY SHALL BE DOUBLE LOCKED COMMANDER.
UM, WE FINALLY GOT THE POWERPOINT UP.
SO GIVE US A SECOND TO CATCH UP TO WHERE YOU ARE.
JUST A SECOND TILL WE FIND IT.
SO IN CASE OF ADVANCED AGE INJURY, PHYSICAL DISABILITY, ARE THERE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE ARRESTED PERSONS ARE INCAPABLE OF PLACING THEIR HANDS BEHIND THEIR BACK? THE OFFICER MAY USE FLEX CLOTHS.
THEY CAN'T APPLY HANDCUFFS TO THE FRONT OR CHOOSE TO USE A RESTRAINING DEVICE.
IF THE PRISONERS NOT RESTRAINED TO OFFICERS SHOULD USE TO TRANSPORT THE PRISONER AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE.
AS FAR AS INTELLIGENCE GOES, UM, MONITOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL MEDIA FOR ANY ISSUES THAT COULD INITIATE PROTESTS IN THE AUSTIN AREA, MONITOR PERMITS, FILED WITH THE CITY FOR GROUPS, LOOKING TO CONDUCT DEMONSTRATIONS, MAKING CONTACT WITH PROTEST ORGANIZERS, DISCUSS HOW THEY NAPD CAN WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE A SAFE EVENT FOR ALL ATTENDEES AND COORDINATE WITH OTHER AGENCIES FOR ANY INFORMATION THEY HAVE REGARDING POTENTIAL PROTESTS IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
NOW, I WILL SAY THAT IN REGARDS TO INTELLIGENCE, OUR SRT TEAM, UH, DOES NOT GATHER INTELLIGENCE.
THIS IS REALLY WHERE THE AUSTIN REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER COMES INTO PLAY.
UM, BUT THROUGH THEIR RULES AND REGULATIONS WITH A POLICY THEY NEED TO FOLLOW.
THEY'RE JUST LOOKING AT OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE.
AND THE ONLY INFORMATION WE GET FROM THEM IS THAT A PROTEST WILL BE HAPPENING ON A PARTICULAR DAY AND THAT THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE THIS AMOUNT OF INDIVIDUALS GATHERING FOR THEM, WHICH DIRECTLY AFFECTS HOW MUCH PERSONNEL WE NEED TO DEPLOY.
THERE'S NO UNDERCOVER OFFICERS BEING DEPLOYED, UM, FROM APD AND, UH, ALL THE INTELLIGENCE GATHERING, WHICH HAS JUST OPEN SOURCE, UH, MEDIUMS IS DONE THROUGH OUR, UH, ERIK CENTER.
SO OUR, UH, SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT NEXT SLIDE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THAT IS THIS
[01:35:02]
SO QUESTIONS, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION.UM, YEAH, I THINK THERE ARE GOING TO BE QUESTIONS.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU ALL HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMANDER? I, I CAN GET STARTED IF OH, COMMISSIONER SIERRA.
AND WELCOME TO YOUR FIRST PSC MEETING.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT SORT OF TRAINING IS CURRENTLY REQUIRED BY APD, WHO IS ALLOWED TO INITIATE THE USE OF THE LRM.
IS IT ONLY COMMANDERS OR INDIVIDUALS IN A COMMAND CAPACITY OR PATROL OFFICERS ALLOWED TO BEGIN USING THAT L RAD? SO I'M NOT, UH, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK ON SOMETHING.
UM, I'M NOT CLEAR OF HOW OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN OUR PLACE AGENCY OR IF THERE'S, UH, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A GENERAL OR AS IN REGARDS TO OUR RAD OPERATION, BUT I WILL SAY AS FAR AS OUR SRT USE OF IT ANY TIME THAT WE ASK FOR THE DYES, CAUSE IT IS NOT UNDER OUR CONTROL.
IT IS ASSIGNED TO OTHER UNITS.
UH, IF WE DO GET IT FOR PROTEST, I'M VERY ADAMANT THAT IF WE DO USE THAT, THAT SOMEONE HAS TO BE TRAINED, IT'S USED PRIOR TO YOU JUST CAN'T JUST PUT ANY OLD RANDOM OFFICER BEHIND IN CHARGE OF THAT DEVICE.
THERE NEEDS TO BE TRAINING WITH THE EQUIPMENT AND THE EQUIPMENT IS TESTED BEFORE IT'S USE.
AND THE EQUIPMENT IS ONLY USED FOR COMMUNICATION TO THE CROWD.
UH, SO THAT, UH, THE CROWD WITH BEING LARGE IN SCOPE CAN HEAR, UM, WHAT OUR ORDERS AND EXPECTATIONS ARE IN REGARD, UM, TO THE, UH, PROTEST IN GENERAL.
SO THERE IS NO LIKE FIELD MANUAL, LIKE FOLLOW THIS, THIS AND THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SIR, OR GIVE YOU AS MUCH INFORMATION THAT I HAVE? I THINK IT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.
IS IT FAIR TO SAY THEN THAT THERE IS NO GENERAL ORDER THAT CURRENTLY GOVERNS THE USE OF THE EL RAD BY PATROL OFFICERS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PART OF A MOBILE FIELD FORCE? THAT IS CORRECT, SIR.
IF I COULD JUST CLARIFY THAT WE DO HAVE A GENERAL ORDER THAT DETAILS THE USE OF THE EL RAD SYSTEM, AND I CAN PROVIDE THAT TO THE COMMISSION AND ALSO AS YOU'RE WELCOME.
AND THEN ALSO AS IT RELATES TO THE OFFICERS WHO SUSTAINED AUDITORY INJURIES, ANECDOTALLY SPEAKING, THOSE INJURIES WERE AS A RESULT OF FIREWORKS BEING THROWN AT OFFICERS IN ADDITION TO THE USE OF MEGAPHONES OR BULLHORNS ON THE PART OF PROTESTERS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OFFICERS EARS.
BUT I CAN THAT'S ANECDOTALLY SPEAKING, BUT I CAN MAKE SURE THAT I CAN REVIEW THOSE AND PRESENT NEXT TIME THAT COMMISSION, UM, CHIEF HENDERSON OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, PLEASE.
OH, GO, WHAT IS THE GENERAL ORDER NUMBER FOR THE ELROD POLICY? LET ME SEE IF I CAN PULL THAT UP FOR YOU.
MA'AM AND WOULD THAT BE IN THE 7, 12 22 VERSION? CORRECT.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I DID.
IT, IT WAS IN REGARDS TO THE L RAT.
I'M JUST NOT REALLY FAMILIAR WITH IT.
AND I THINK, UH, SOME OF MY QUESTION WAS ANSWERED, BUT I'M GONNA HEAR MORE WOMEN, UH, COMMISSIONER WEBER'S TOPIC IS DISCUSSED.
I'LL I HAVE NOTHING ELSE ON THAT.
UM, IF I, I JUST, BECAUSE MY GLASS ABOUT IT, I HAVE LOCATED IN HERE AND IT'S ACTUALLY, IT SAYS THE L ROD SHALL NOT BE USED AS A SONIC WEAPON OR A METHOD OF PAIN COMPLIANCE.
I MEAN, IT IS REDUCED TO WRITING.
SO I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOOD.
MA'AM AND THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH MY MESSAGE.
AND IT IS NEVER USED AS A WEAPON.
IT IS ONLY USED AS A COMMUNICATION DEVICE.
BUT WE'RE REALLY NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF JUST TAKING PEOPLE'S WORD FOR IT.
WE LIKE TO SEE THAT IT'S A WRITTEN POLICY.
WELL, AND TO, TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST MY RECOLLECTION.
UM, IN 2020, THE L RAD WAS USED FROM THE ROOF OF THE, UM, MAIN POLICE BUILDING TO COMMUNICATE WITH PROTESTERS.
BUT MOST RECENTLY THIS SUMMER, THERE WAS A PICTURE OF IT ON THE FRONT OF A POLICE VEHICLE, UM, IN A CROWD.
UM, IS THAT AN ACCURATE CHARACTERIZATION OF HOW IT WAS BEING USED? UM, IN THE MOST RECENT PROTESTS THAT IT WAS LIKE MOBILE ON A VEHICLE COMMANDER BOLESKI CAN YOU SPEAK TO
[01:40:01]
THAT, SIR? YES.SO I WILL SAY THAT, UH, AS FAR AS SRT GOES, UH, THIS IS, UH, A CONDITIONAL ASSIGNMENT THAT I'M IN CHARGE OF ON CO COMMANDER WITH, UH, COMMANDER DISHER.
WE'LL SAY THAT DURING THE RECENT, UH, ROE V WADE PROTEST, THERE WAS THREE DAYS THAT WE WERE DEPLOYED.
UH, COMMANDER DISHA WAS IN CHARGE ON FRIDAY AND SUNDAY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU ON THAT SATURDAY THAT I WAS THERE, WE DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE AL RAD DEVICE, NOT THE AL AL RAD IS ASSIGNED TO OTHER UNITS, AND IT IS USED, UM, UH, FOR COMMUNICATING LIKE, UH, PER SE FOR A SEARCH WARRANT, UM, OR IN SWAT SITUATIONS.
BUT, UH, THAT DAY THAT I WAS IN CHARGE, WE DID NOT HAVE IT, UM, ON HAND TO BE USED.
YEAH, JUST A FOLLOW-UP TO THAT, JUST SO I GUESS WE JUST WANT CLARIFIED WHETHER OR NOT TH THIS, THIS L RED DEVICE IS MOBILE.
IS IT, IS IT MOBILE? IS IT MOUNTED TO VEHICLES? IS IT IT, I AND WHAT, AND, AND I'M ASKING BECAUSE, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S AN L RED DECIBEL LEVEL D DISTANCE FROM, UM, THE SUBJECTS THAT IT'S BEING USED AGAINST ARE RELEVANT.
LIKE, IT MAY NOT BE INTENDED, INTENDED TO BE USED AS A WEAPON, BUT IF IT'S USED WITHIN 10 FEET OF SOMEONE, UM, IS THERE HARM HAPPENING ANYWAY? SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S BEING USED IN A MOBILE FIELD.
AND IF SO, UM, WHAT DISTANCES AND WHETHER OR NOT THOSE SORTS OF DISTANCES ARE MANDATED BY OPERATING PROCEDURES AND BY TRAINING, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, AND, AND BETTER CONTROL OF WHETHER OR NOT, UM, ITS INTENDED USE IS CREATING HARM.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT I WOULD LIKE MORE CLARITY ON THAT.
YES MA'AM UM, MR. WELCH'S NOW KNEW THAT, OH, I'M COMING IN HERE.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM AND WHETHER IT IS, UM, ROUGHLY THE SAME THING AS A MOBILE FIELD FORCE OR HOW THE TWO CONCEPTS RELATE.
MA'AM I COULDN'T HEAR THE START OF YOUR QUESTION.
SO APD USED TO HAVE SOMETHING CALLED A MOBILE FIELD FORCE.
UM, AND NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAMS. UM, AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.
SO ALL OFFICERS WITHIN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE PART OF THE MOBILE FIELD FORCE THAT SL UH, THE SRT TEAM, WHICH IS OUR SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM IS A GROUP OF VOLUNTEER OFFICERS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY TRAINED ON CROWD MANAGEMENT TACTICS.
AND THOSE OFFICERS, UM, ARE ALSO MOBILE FIELD FORCE.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IT WAS JUST THE OFFICERS THAT ARE VOLUNTEERING FOR THAT SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT, UM, THAT IF WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A PROTEST, UM, IF WE GET THAT INFORMATION THAT WE WOULD CALL UPON OUR SRT TEAM FIRST, UM, TO RESPOND TO THE SCENE, HOWEVER, IF SOMETHING CAME ABOUT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE PRIOR INFORMATION, THE WHOLE FIELD FORCE COULD BE ACTIVATED IMMEDIATELY TO RESPOND TO THE SCENE SINCE THOSE OFFICERS ALREADY LOGGED ON WORKING IN THE CITY.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THE SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM IS DIFFERENT FROM THE MOBILE FIELD FORCE IN TWO WAYS, THEY'RE VOLUNTEERS AND THEY HAVE SOME TRAINING IN CROWD CONTROL.
SO THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY, UH, UNDERGOING UPDATED TRADING, UH, WITH MOBILE FIELD FORCE TACTICS WITH A GREAT DELINEATION BETWEEN THE TWO IS THAT EVERYBODY IS PART OF MOBILE FIELD FORCE.
NOT EVERYBODY IS, UH, REQUIRED TO BE PART OF THE SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM.
THE SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM IS A VOLUNTARY ASSIGNMENT THAT OFFICERS WORK THAT EXPLICITLY DEAL WITH CROWD MANAGEMENT TACTICS.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? MA'AM UH, NOT REALLY.
UM, YEAH, STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED.
UM, WELL, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THIS WILL HELP CLARIFY SOME OTHER THINGS.
SO YOU TALKED ABOUT WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DEPLOY OFFICERS, UM, IN RESPONSE TO AN EVENT, UM, AND TALKED ABOUT, UH, RESPONDING TO, UM, VIOLENCE.
UM, BUT THEN YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT INTELLIGENCE ABOUT JUST A PROTEST OCCURRING AND ITS SIZE AND LOCATION.
[01:45:01]
UM, WHAT EXACTLY DOES APD RESPOND TO, UM, DOES IT RESPOND TO PEACEFUL PROTESTS IN ANTICIPATION THAT THERE MIGHT BE VIOLENCE? UM, JUST BASED ON THE SIZE, CAN YOU, CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT YOUR STRATEGY IS? YES, MA'AM.SO CURRENTLY WITHIN OUR CHAIN OF COMMAND, UH, CHIEF GREENWALT HAS JUST BEEN, UH, RECENTLY ASSIGNED, HAS THE CHIEF OVER OUR SRP TEAM, UNDERNEATH HIM IS BOTH MYSELF AND COMMANDER DISHER.
SO WHEN OUR ERIK TEAM PROVIDES US OPEN SOURCE INFORMATION, UH, SAYING, HEY, THERE MIGHT BE A PROTEST.
ONE COULD BE, HEY, IT'S MAYBE JUST A HUNDRED PEOPLE OR A SECOND ONE COULD BE LIKE, HEY, THERE MIGHT BE 10,000 PEOPLE AT THIS PROTEST ON TOWN.
SO US HAS SRT TRY TO DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION AND DETERMINE COLLABORATIVELY.
DO WE NEED TO DEPLOY OUR SRT RESOURCES? BECAUSE IF WE LEAVE IT JUST TO PATROL AND THE ACTIVATION OF MOBILE FIELD FORCE, THAT WOULD LOWER THE AMOUNT OF OFFICERS THAT ARE ON THE STREETS AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO NINE 11 CALLS.
SO BASED ON THE SEVERITY OF THE SIZE OF THE CROWD, DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT WE DEPLOY, AND IT'S NOT ONLY SINCE, UH, THESE OFFICERS ARE TRAINED, UM, HAVE MORE TRAINING TO DEAL WITH A CROWD OF THAT SIZE, BUT IT'S ALSO TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC AT LARGE AND PREVENT MOBILE FIELD FORCE FROM BEING ACTIVATED SO THAT THOSE OFFICERS, UM, CAN STAY TO THEIR CORE CRITERIA, RESPONDING TO NINE 11 CALLS FOR SERVICE.
UM, SO THE SIZE, IT'S THE SIZE.
YEAH, IT'S, UH, IT'S ABOUT SIZE.
DO YOU ALL KNOW THE REST ARE VIOLENT? IT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CRAFT.
SO WHEN THOSE THINGS ARE POSTED ON THE OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE, SOMETIMES WITH THAT STUFF, SOMETIMES PEOPLE POST THINGS THAT COULD BE VIOLENT IN NATURE, SO THAT GETS DETERMINED IN IT.
BUT ALSO IF THERE'S A PROTEST OF 50 PEOPLE IS DIFFERENT THAN HOW YOU WOULD HAVE A PROTEST OF 5,000, 10,000 PEOPLE, BECAUSE THE MAIN GOAL OF SRT IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND DO IT IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
SO IF WE DON'T PLAN FOR THESE EVENTS AND WE JUST ALLOW PATROL TO RESPOND WITH THE MOBILE FIELD FORCE, UM, IT COULD CAUSE ISSUES OF HAVING NOT HAVING ENOUGH RESOURCES THERE, UH, TO DEAL WITH IT, UH, INCIDENT HESITANT, UH, TRANSPIRES AS IT GOES ON, BUT ALSO LESSENS THE OFFICERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO NINE 11 EMERGENCIES ON THE SCREEN.
SO THERE'S NO HARD AND FAST PROTOCOL AS FAR AS METRICS SAYING, IF THIS HAPPENS AND THIS HAPPENS, WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, DEPLOY EVERY SINGLE TIME.
UM, AND IT'S ALSO DETERMINED, UH, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM THE AUSTIN REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
UM, DO YOU ALSO GET INTELLIGENCE FROM THE REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER ABOUT THINGS LIKE, WHETHER IT'S PART OF THE PLAN OF THE PROTEST, UM, TO HAVE AN UNAUTHORIZED MARCH? SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IF THERE'S LIKE NOT AN OPEN SOURCE, UM, LIKE SAY THERE'S NOT SOMETHING POSTED ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER SAYING, HEY, MEET HERE ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY IN TIME, WE'RE GOING TO MARCH TO THE CAPITOL.
YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT JUST SOMEBODY JUST RANDOMLY JUST SHOWING UP AND STARTING A RANDOM MARCH, LIKE DOWNTOWN.
WAS THAT, THAT, WELL, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE SAY ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER AND, AND THEY MIGHT ACTUALLY SAY ON FACEBOOK, WE DON'T HAVE A PERMIT, BUT WE'RE JUST GONNA MARCH ON THE HIGHWAY.
UM, DO YOU, DO YOU ALL GET INTELLIGENCE? UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE NOT, BUT DO YOU COLLECT INTELLIGENCE, UM, OPEN SOURCE OR OTHERWISE ON, UM, PLANS? LIKE WHAT THE PROTEST PLANS ARE? EVERYTHING WE GET FROM THE CURRENT, UH, THE FUSION BY AUSTIN FUSION CENTER, ERIC IS VERY BASIC.
IT JUST TELLS YOU THE NAME OF THE EVENT.
IT TELLS YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN GOING, AND THEN THERE'S JUST A GENERALIZED, LIKE ONE LINER STATEMENT OF WHAT THE MISSION IS OF THAT MARCH, WHETHER IT BE HEY, LET'S MARCH TO THE CAPITOL OR, HEY, LET'S MARCH TO CITY HALL.
THAT'S NOT VERY IN-DEPTH AND EXPANSIVE ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE OBTAINED FROM THAT OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE.
[01:50:02]
COULD YOU EXPLAIN, UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE 40 MILLIGRAM MILLIMETER GRENADE LAUNCHER FOR FOAM BATON ROUNDS, UM, IS, UH, MORE ACCURATE THAN THE, THE OLD BEANBAG GROUNDS, THE SHOTGUN FOR THE BEANBAG ROUNDS WAS, UM, HOW DO YOU MEASURE THAT AND HOW, WHAT HA HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S MORE ACCURATE? UH, AND THE ROOM WITH ME HERE, I HAVE A LIEUTENANT DRESS FALL.UM, HE IS ALSO A PART OF OUR SRT TEAM AND LIEUTENANT DRISCOLL HAS A VAST EXPERIENCE BEING A MEMBER OF OUR AUSTIN POLICE SWAT TEAM.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT QUESTION WOULD BE BETTER ANSWERED, UH, ON HIS PART.
SO I'D LIKE TO, UH, UH, SCRIPT OVER TO HERE AND LET LIEUTENANT DRISCOLL THAT TALK ABOUT, UH, THE PHONE, BUT THE BATON CAPABILITIES AND A GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS LIEUTENANT ROBERT BRISCOE.
UM, I WORKED WITH, UH, CAMARO ROBLA BLESSED SKIN AS HE SPED OUT.
I WAS PART OF THE, UH, THE AUSTIN POLICE SWAT UNIT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND, UH, PAT HAVE A GOOD FAMILIARITY WITH THE 40 MILLIMETER, UH, SPONGE ROUTE.
THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO, UH, ASSISTANCE, UH, WITH THE LESS LETHAL SHOTGUN AND THE, UH, THE 40 MILLIMETER IS THE 40 MILLIMETER HAS A RIFLE BARREL AND THE 40 MILLIMETER LAUNCHERS THAT WE CARRY, UH, OR DEPLOY WITH HAVE A, UH, ELECTRONIC OPTICAL ON IT.
SO THOSE TWO COMBINED MAKE IT A MUCH MORE ACCURATE SYSTEM.
UM, WHEN, WHEN TARGETING, IF THE NEED ARISES IS THAT AS YOUR QUESTION MA'AM, UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT AN ELECTRONIC OPTIC IS? SO, UH, AND BASIC TERMS THAT THEY CALL IT A RED DOT AND, UH, IT IS AN ELECTRONIC, UH, RED, UM, USUALLY IT'S RED, BUT IT COMES IN DIFFERENT COLORS.
IT'S A FIXED, UH, TO, UH, THE, UH, THE TOP OF THE, UH, OF THE SYSTEM.
AND IT REPLACES THE TRADITIONAL, WHAT THEY CALL IRON SIGHTS, WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU WOULD SEE ON, ON OLDER, OLDER RIFLES AND STUFF WITH THE, THE TWO IRONS, UH, POSTS IN THE BACK AND THE ONE IN FRONT OF YOU LINE THEM UP.
AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU TARGET, UM, WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU'RE EDITING AT, UM, WITH THE RED DOT, UH, IS, UH, LIKE I SAID, UH, ELECTRONICALLY BASED.
AND, UM, IT, IT, IT ENABLES A FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE, UM, UH, DISPLAY OF, UH, FOR WHOEVER IS USING THE DEVICE THAT IS FAMILIAR WITH IT AND HAS TRAINING.
SO IT IS, IT IS A MORE ACCURATE SYSTEM TO USE AS OPPOSED TO THE TRADITIONAL, WHAT THEY CALL IT.
WHAT DO THEY, FOR TWO IT'S CALLED PARASITES? WAS THAT A TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU ALL HAD AVAILABLE DURING THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS? I'M NOT AWARE OF, OF WHAT EXACTLY I WAS WITH THE SWAT UNIT DURING, DURING THE 2020 EVENTS? UH, I DO KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS PART OF LIKE, UH, THE SWAT, THE SWAT UNIT, THEN, UH, AS THE, THE EVENTS WERE MOVING ON, WE WERE ASKED TO COME AND EVALUATE SOME OF THEIR EQUIPMENT AND, UH, SEE IF WE CAN HELP THEM OUT.
AND WE DID LOCATE SOME, UH, 40 MILLIMETER LAUNCHERS, UM, UH, SYSTEMS THAT THEY HAD THAT WE HELPED THEM FIX WITH, UH, THOSE, THOSE RED DOT, UM, THOSE RED DOT ELECTRONIC OPTICS.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY WERE DEPLOYED WITHOUT THOSE OPTICS BEFORE, BUT, UH, AT SOME POINT DURING, DURING THAT, UH, DURING 2020, AS THOSE EVENTS WERE UNFOLDING AND, AND ONGOING, WE DID ASSIST THEM WITH, UH, PUTTING THOSE, THOSE ELECTRONIC OPTICS ON THOSE DEVICES AS YOUR QUESTION.
UM, I ACTUALLY, IT SORT OF CIRCLING BACK TO THE AUSTIN REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER AND THE UPDATES THAT YOU GUYS GET TO THEM DOES EMS AND FIRE ALSO GET THOSE, LIKE IN RESPONSE TO LARGE EVENTS.
AND DO YOU GUYS DO ANY STAGING, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH APD WHEN THOSE SORTS OF EVENTS HAPPEN SO THAT YOU HAVE EMS AND, AND CAUSE I KNOW THAT FIRE ALSO USE IT.
IT'S USED FOR CROWD CONTROL SITUATIONS AS WELL FOR LARGE EVENTS.
I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS DO SOME PERMITTING AND THINGS.
SO JUST WONDERING, WE DO GET INFORMATION, WE COLLABORATE WITH, UH, APD AND AFP WHEN NEWS LARGE EVENTS HAPPEN.
AND WE DO, UM, YOU KNOW, TH THE, THE EVENTS VARY.
IT'S NOT JUST THE SIZE OF THE CROWD.
SOMETIMES IT'S, IT'S ENVIRONMENTAL TOO.
IF IT'S A PROTEST THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY, UM, AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON ON THIS, ON A SATURDAY, THAT IMPACTS THE EVENT AS WELL IN TERMS OF WHAT TYPES OF RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE DEPLOYED OUT THERE AS WELL.
SO WE DO A LOT OF COLLABORATION ON WHAT TYPES OF RESOURCES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AVAILABLE AT THAT TYPE OF THAT.
WE DO A COLLABORATIVE RESCUE TASK FORCE, WHICH IS A JOINT, UH, TEAM THAT IS MADE UP OF A FIREFIGHTER
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EMS AND, UH, APD OFFICERS TO GO IN TO BE ABLE TO RAPIDLY GO INTO, UH, A SITUATION AND HELP REMOVE VICTIMS OR ANYONE WHO'S INJURED.AND WE HAVE PRE-STAGED LOCATIONS EACH TIME.
AND AS THE EVENT EVOLVES, THEN WE THEN ADJUST OUR RESOURCES BASED ON THE SIZE AND THEN POTENTIAL THREAT OF VIOLENCE, UH, RELATED TO A POTENTIAL PROTEST.
UM, SO WE HAVE LIKE TWO MINUTES LEFT AND WE HAVEN'T LET OUR LAST SPEAKER SPEAK.
SO I'M GOING TO VERY QUICKLY CHANGE GEARS TO MR. WELCH, UM, UH, FROM THE ELECTRONIC FREEDOM FOUNDATION.
UM, AND LET HIM SPEAK, UH, QUICKLY, I THINK MAINLY ABOUT THE L RAD.
UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
UM, I'M WITH, UH, EFF AUSTIN, WHO'S ASSOCIATED WITH ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION.
WE DO DIGITAL CIVIL LIBERTIES ADVOCACY WORK.
UM, I WOULD GO INTO MORE DETAIL, BUT TIME IS LIMITED.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, UM, ONE OF OUR FORMER BOARD MEMBERS WAS ON THE OREGON ADVISORY COMMITTEE A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
WE'D LOVE TO BE A RESOURCE FOR THIS COMMITTEE GOING FORWARD ON ANY TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT THE EL RAD, UM, LISTENING TO THE PRESENTATION, A FEW QUESTIONS I HAD WERE I'D FIRST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND.
OKAY, SO THE, THE UNITS IN THE CARS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO COMMUNICATE WITH CROWDS.
WHY COULDN'T HALF MILER MEGAPHONES BE USED INSTEAD OF L RADS, WHICH HAVE FAR LESS RISK OF HEARING DAMAGE.
AND THEN AFTER YOU'RE FAR CHEAPER THAN L RADS AS WELL.
AND WHEN I HEAR ABOUT PORTIONING AND POTENTIALLY CONTROLLING THE CROWDS COMBINED WITH THE TIGHT BEAM OF FOCUS OF THE L RAD I'M CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE L RAT, THEY'D BE TRAPPED AND PINNED IN THE BEAM.
SO I, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PREVENT THIS.
UM, AND ALSO WHEN THE OUTRIGHT IS USED, IS IT BEING TIMESTAMPED ALONG WITH DECIBEL LEVELS, SUCH THAT WE COULD AUDIT IT'S BEING USED RESPONSIBLY? UM, THOSE ARE VERY HELPFUL QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M STILL TRYING TO WRITE THEM DOWN.
I CAN REPEAT ANYTHING YOU DIDN'T GET.
UM, NO, I MEAN, WELL, WE MAY BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE BY EMAIL AFTER THIS.
UM, I THINK WE ARE RIGHT ON THE NOSE AT SIX O'CLOCK.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S ANOTHER COMMISSION THAT'S GOING TO TRY TO BUST THROUGH THE DOOR.
UM, SO IF FOLKS HAVE ADDITIONAL, UM, FOR FUTURE MEETINGS, IF YOU CAN EMAIL THEM TO THE VICE CHAIR AND I, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, AND I THINK IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, WE ARE ABLE TO ADJOURN WITHOUT A VOTE.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO HANDLE BEFORE WE DO THAT? I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A, UH, A CONTINUED CONVERSATION ON L RED SO WE CAN WRAP IN COMMISSIONER WEBER'S QUESTION.
SO THAT WE'LL BE BACK ON THE AGENDA NEXT MONTH.