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[CALL TO ORDER]
I'M GONNA CALL TO ORDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.IT'S APRIL 24TH, 2023, AND IT'S TWO O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON.
WE'RE MEETING IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WHICH IS LOCATED IN CITY HALL AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, AND WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE COMMITTEE HERE, MEMBERS.
[Public Communication: General (Part 1 of 2)]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.WHAT I WANT TO DO IS ASK THAT THE PEOPLE, BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A SHORT AGENDA, AND PEOPLE CAN TELL US EXACTLY WHICH ITEM THEY'RE SPEAKING ON, AND IN MANY INSTANCES WE JUST HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP PER THAT ITEM.
I WANT TO ASK THAT AS PART OF THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND THE ITEMS WE HAVE, UH, EVERYBODY COME UP AT, AT THAT TIME FOR TWO MINUTES A PIECE.
AND I'LL RECOGNIZE THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO HELP US.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL SPEAKERS TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, WE CALL IT JOSH GAIL IN PERSON.
AND I'VE TOLD YOU, I THINK I'VE TOLD YOU, IF YOU BREAK IT, YOU BUY IT.
SO
UH, I'M JASON JOHN'S, FRIEND AND FORMER ROOMMATE COMING BACK TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL AGAIN, BECAUSE SINCE THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE, ONCE AGAIN, ANOTHER BODY HAS BEEN PULLED OUT OF LADY BIRD LAKE.
IT'S GETTING TOO OFTEN AND TOO TRAGIC.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN SPEED THIS UP TO PUT IN THE REQUESTS TO GET THESE TO STOP.
RECENTLY, UH, LAST WEEK, UM, CHIEF CHACON GAVE AN INTERVIEW TO FOX SEVEN.
UM, AND IN THAT INTERVIEW, SOMETHING HE SAID REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME.
UM, NOW I UNDERSTAND THE MEDIA LOVES TO MISQUOTE AND MAYBE CHANGE STATEMENTS AROUND, SO I, I WOULD, I DON'T THINK HE'S HERE, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE HIM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT TO KIND OF CLARIFY THIS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO IT WASN'T THE, THE ARTICLE DIDN'T QUOTE HIM EXACTLY, BUT THE JOURNALIST SAID CHIEF CHACON, WELL, I GUESS THE BETTER ARGU OR DEFENDANT, HE WAS ARGUING THAT THERE IS NOT SOMETHING, UH, MORE NEFARIOUS OR THAT THERE IS NOT A STEREO KILLER HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND WHY? I DON'T NECESSARILY DISAGREE WITH EVERYTHING HE SAID.
UM, THE ARTICLE SAID THAT CHIEF CHACON ADDED THE DEATHS IN LADYBIRD LAKE ARE NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
HE SAID, THOSE DEATHS ARE TRAGIC, BUT IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR IN THE CITY.
AND THAT LINE REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME BECAUSE I DON'T CARE IF THERE ARE A BUNCH OF TRAGIC ACCIDENTS, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S SOMETHING NEFARIOUS.
IT'S EXACTLY TO WHAT CHIEF SHAONE SAID.
THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING EVERY YEAR AND THEY NEED TO STOP.
AND I'M FEELING LIKE PEOPLE IN THE CITY ARE JUST TOO COMPLACENT WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING.
AND I'M NOT, I'M GONNA KEEP TALKING TO YOU GUYS.
YOU'RE GONNA GUYS GONNA REALLY GET TO KNOW ME.
UM, BUT I WANT THESE CAMERAS UP.
I WANT MORE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BARS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT ARE PEOPLE BEING DRUGGED? ARE THEY BEING HARMED? I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS SITTING OUT IN THE NIGHT WITH THE INTENT TO MURDER THESE PEOPLE, BUT I DO THINK THEY WANT TO DRUG THEM, ROB THEM, AND IT NEEDS TO STOP.
I'LL NOTE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, VANESSA FUENTES HAS ALSO JOINED US.
RE UH, VIRTUALLY NEXT FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IS RUBEN CLEMENTE.
WELL, I'M BASICALLY GONNA REPEAT THE SAME THING THAT I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH.
AND LIKE I STATED BEFORE, CHIEF CHUCK OWEN KNOWS WHO I AM.
I'VE BEEN HARASSED, UH, ACTUALLY RECENTLY YESTERDAY, AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY, WHY HAVE THE ORGANIZED CRIME UNIT HARASSED ME FOR OVER 18 YEARS NOW? AND WHY IS IT THAT THE POLICE OVERSIGHT IS POWERLESS? THE FILE COMPLAINTS AGAINST UNDERCOVER POLICE OFFICERS? YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I GAVE A LETTER TO CHIEF CHECKON, YOU KNOW, AUGUST, 1921, AND I WANT THIS TO STOP.
AND I FILED TWO COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE CHIEF THAT YEAR.
I DID THAT BECAUSE HE'S AWARE WHO'S, WHO'S HARASSING ME, AND IT NEEDS TO STOP, PERIOD.
AND I FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST COMMANDER JASON BRYANT, LIEUTENANT GROSSER.
I I'M JUST REPEATING THE SAME THING.
IF IT FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE POLICE, AGAINST THE LAW, IS IT BECAUSE IF IT IS, THEN I'M GUILTY.
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I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE TOP PERSON, CHIEF JOSEPH CHACO, AND I'VE STILL GOT A COPY OF THAT LETTER IF YOU GUYS WANT TO READ IT.AND IF YOU SEE, I'M SENDING MY COMPLAINTS TO THE DOJ CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION SPECIAL LITIGATION.
I'VE BEEN TO THE FBI TWICE OVER WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH.
DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR NO MORE LIES.
THESE, THESE OFFICERS LIE AND LIE AND LIE AND I'M TIRED OF HEARING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THEY CAN'T GIVE OUT THEIR IDENTITY, NOR ANYBODY CAN ADMIT THAT THE POLICE.
SO DON'T YOU THINK THAT GIVES THEM MORE CRIMINALITY? I JUST WANNA KNOW WHY.
AND IF IT IS CHARGED ME, MAYBE THAT'S PUT A PUT AN END TO ALL THIS CORRUPTION.
CAUSE THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF, LOT OF, MAN, I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN TO YOU.
APRIL 26TH, 2018, I WAS IN FRONT OF HIM AND BEHIND ME WAS THREE ASSISTED POLICE CHIEF.
SPEAKING ON ITEM ONE, EMILY CROW MINUTES.
GOOD AFTERNOON PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE AF OF THE LACK OF THE AFFORDABLE AND SAFE TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN RAINY STREET AND EAST RIVERSIDE FOR PATRONS AND SERVICE INDUSTRY WORKERS.
TRYING TO TAKE AN UBER FROM RAINY STREET TO RIVERSIDE DURING PEAK HOURS RESULTS IN A NORMALLY EIGHT TO $10 RIDE, BUT IT COSTS 75 TO A HUNDRED DOLLARS DURING THESE PEAK HOURS DUE TO THE SURGE PRICING.
MOST CHOOSE TO WALK, SCOOTER OR BIKE FROM RAINY STREET TO EAST RIVERSIDE.
THE LARGE CROWDS OF PEOPLE TRYING TO GET HOME VIA CAR ALTERNATIVES INCREASES THE RISK OF ACCIDENTS FROM MIDNIGHT TO 3:00 AM.
AS PATHS AND ROADS ARE NOT WELL LIT, CAMERAS ARE NOT PRESENT.
DISTRACTED TIRE DRIVERS PLAGUE THE STREETS JUDGMENT MAY BE IMPAIRED.
AND OPP OPPORTUNISTIC CRIMINALS AWAIT TO MITIGATE THE RISK OF ADDITIONAL ACCIDENTS IN VIOLENT CRIME IN AUSTIN.
I AM REQUESTING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND CAPITAL METRO PRIORITIZE OPTIONS FOR SAFE, AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION FROM RAINY STREET TO RIVERSIDE DURING PEAK ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT HOURS.
THERE IS CURRENTLY A NIGHT OWL RIVERSIDE SHUTTLE THAT RUNS FROM SIXTH STREET TO EAST RIVERSIDE.
BUT THAT BUS STOP IS A 21 MINUTE WALK FROM RAINY STREET, AND THAT PREVENTS IT FROM BEING A RESOURCE TO PATRONS AND WORKERS.
I RECOMMEND A SHUTTLE BUS RUNNING FROM 4:00 PM UNTIL 3:00 AM THE SHUTTLE WOULD START AT THE NORTH END OF RAINY STREET AND RUN TO EAST PLEASANT VALLEY, WHERE IT WILL LOOP AROUND AND MAKE ITS WAY BACK UP TO NORTH, TO THE NORTH SIDE OF RIVERSIDE, DRIVE BACK TO RAINY STREET.
THIS WILL NOT ONLY IMPROVE SAFETY, BUT ALSO MOVE AUSTIN TOWARDS SUCCESSFULLY RECOGNIZING THE GOALS OUTLINED IN VISION ZERO, WHICH ARE TO PLAN AND BUILD A SAFE, MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
I HUMBLY MAKE THESE REQUESTS ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILIES OF THE YOUNG MID MEN WHO CAN NO LONGER SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
MY BROTHER JOSHUA ALVIN CROWE, JASON JOHN MARTIN GUTIERREZ, JOHN HONEY, CLIFF AXL, JAKE WALTRIP, RANDY LAL, LUIS RAMIREZ, FERNANDO ORTIZ, SANTIAGO BAER, AND JULIO SANTOS II.
I UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT THIS IS TO IMPLEMENT CHANGE.
I AM A NOT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
SPEAKING ON ITEM TWO, AHMED RANSON.
AHMED RANSON SPEAKING ON ITEM THREE, NOEL DAVIS.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE CURRENT ACADEMY CURRICULUM REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND I'M JUST WANTING TO PRESENCE THAT I'M HERE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROCESS AS ITEM THREE IS DISCUSSED.
AND TO ALSO SAY THAT WHATEVER PATH THE CITY CHOOSE IS GOING FORWARD, I FEEL LIKE THERE IS A WEALTH OF WISDOM WITH OUR CURRENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE, UM, IF THE, THE PROFESSIONAL, UH, CURRICULUM REVIEW COMMITTEE PROCESS GOES FORWARD WHERE THERE'S THE SMALLER GROUP OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ARE PROFESSIONALS THAT, LIKE WE REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT DOES PROFESSIONAL MEAN AND TO, AND WHAT DOES EXPERTISE MEAN.
AND THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS STILL HAVE A LOT TO CONTRIBUTE THERE POTENTIALLY
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AS WELL.SO I REALLY WANNA JUST HEAR WHAT EVERYONE IS THINKING TODAY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
SPEAKING ON ITEM FIVE, SARAH RODRIGUEZ.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS SOME CONCERNS WITH THAT ITEM COMING UP AND THE OUTREACH THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
UM, FIRST ESPECIALLY THE MEMO THAT CHACAN, UM, SH SHARED, WHICH SAID THERE WEREN'T ANY CONCERNS.
THERE WERE, UM, I KNOW PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T GET THEIR CONCERNS ADDRESSED IN THE FIRST MEETING BECAUSE IT WAS ZOOM BOMBED, WHICH WAS REALLY STRANGE.
I KNOW DURING THE PANDEMIC A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS PUT IN MEASURES.
AND SO I SPOKE TO ONE PERSON WHO VOLUNTEERED FOR AJC WHO SAID THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THEIR ISSUE ADDRESSED IN THAT MEETING.
UM, I ALSO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE LACK OF SORT OF FLOOR, UM, FOR WHAT CAN BE COVERED BY ALPR CRIMINAL NEXUS IS EXTREMELY BROAD AND EVEN THOUGH TICKETS ARE KIND OF CUT OUT OF THAT CRIMINAL NEXUS CAN BE ANYTHING LIKE GRAFFITI, ANY SORT OF LOW LEVEL, OTHER LOW LEVEL CRIME.
UM, I ALSO HAVE CONCERNS SORT OF ABOUT THE LACK OF MEASURES, UH, FOR EQUITY.
UM, AND LIKE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD ABOUT HOW SOME OF THE RESOURCES ARE BEING USED, UM, RESEARCH RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING USED.
I KNOW BECAUSE I DID THAT RESEARCH, UM, I SAW VERBATIM HOW IT WAS, THE RESEARCH THAT I DID FOR OPO WAS TAKEN FOR THESE SESSIONS, UM, WHICH IS CONCERNING.
AND SO YEAH, IT WOULD JUST BE GREAT IF THERE COULD BE COMMUNITY MEASURES.
UM, CUZ RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THE, IT'S JUST BEING MEASURED HOW MANY SORT OF STOPS ARE BEING MADE SUCCESSFULLY AND NOT HOW THE TOOL IS ACTUALLY PERFORMING, WHICH WITH A LOT OF THESE ALGORITHMS, WE DON'T HAVE INSIGHT INTO THAT.
AND OUR CURRENT, UH, LEGAL PER PARAMETERS DON'T GIVE US THE ABILITY TO DIG INTO THAT.
AND I KNOW IN SOME OTHER CITIES, I THINK SAN DIEGO OR MAYBE IT WAS ANOTHER CITY, UM, IN CALIFORNIA THEY DID WORK WITH.
IT WAS EITHER CITY LAB OR CITY GOVAN FOUND THAT 72% OF THE TIME, I THINK MAYBE 60% OF THE TIME THESE TECHNOLOGIES WEREN'T EFFECTIVE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO RAISE THOSE CONCERNS.
FOR THE RECORD, LET ME NOTE THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER LESLIE POOLE IS ON THE DIAS WITH THE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER IS, AL HAS ALSO JOINED US VIRTUALLY.
SIR, THAT IS ALL FOR OUR IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS TRYING TO COME IN REMOTELY, BUT WE ARE HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES GETTING THEM ONLINE.
SIR, THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, LET'S DO, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD WITH THE AGENDA WHEN YOU KNOW THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE BACK ON IF WE'RE, WHEN WE GET TO A GOOD BREAKING POINT, WE'LL STOP.
SO THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING AND LISTENING THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK REMOTELY, WE'RE WORKING TO FIX THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY WE'RE HAVING MAKING IT SO THAT MAKING, UH, SO THAT YOU CAN SPEAK TO US, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD WITH THE AGENDA.
WHEN WE GET TO A BREAKING POINT, I WILL ASK AND, UH, IF WE'VE GOT IT, IF WE GOT IT WORKING, WE'LL PAUSE AT THAT POINT AND TAKE UP, UH, THE, THE COMMUNICATION FROM THE PUBLIC MEMBERS.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Special Called Public Safety Committee meeting of February 28, 2023.]
ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CALL PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING OF FEBRUARY 28TH, 2023.THE MOTION MOTION IS MADE, UM, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, OR YEAH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION? MOTION IS ADOPTED.
UH, NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER TWO, A
[2. Briefing and discussion on current efforts and plans to address opioid use and opioid overdose.]
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON CURRENT EFFORTS AND PLANS TO ADDRESS OPIOID USE AND OPIOID OVERDOSE.HELLO, MY NAME IS WES HOPKINS.
I'M AN ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. I'M JOINED BY COMMANDER BLAKE HARDY, WHO OVERSEES OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC PROGRAM HERE TO GIVE YOU THE BRIEFING ON OUR OPIOID USE DISORDER SUPPORT PROGRAM.
CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? SO THE OPIOID USE, UH, DISORDER SUPPORT PROGRAM AND ITS SUB-PROGRAM BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAM ARE BOTH, UH, SPECIFIC PROGRAMS DEVELOPED WITHIN AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. UM, IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT PROGRAMS OF THIS SCALE, UH, AND OF THIS APPROACH DO NOT EXIST REALLY ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE
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COUNTRY.UM, SO JUST A FEW ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BEFORE WE START, UM, TO RECOGNIZE THESE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
THESE ARE SORT OF FOUNDATION UNDERSTANDINGS THAT WE BUILT THE PROGRAM UNDER.
UH, BEGINNING WITH THE FACT THAT OPIOID USE DISORDER AND OPIOID USE IN GENERAL ARE VERY SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN OTHER DRUGS OF RECREATIONAL USE OR ABUSE.
BOTH IN HOW THEY START, HOW PEOPLE BEGIN WITH THEM, HOW THEY AFFECT THE BODY, UH, AND HOW THEY'RE TREATED, WHAT IT TAKES TO MANAGE THEM.
UM, SECONDLY, OPIOID WITHDRAWAL.
UH, UNLIKE ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL AND OTHER DRUGS WHERE ALCOHOL MAY BE ILLEGAL, OPIOID USE WITHDRAWAL IS AN ABSOLUTELY WRETCHED CONDITION.
FEW PEOPLE CAN MANAGE TO TOLERATE FOR MORE THAN, UM, A FEW HOURS AT BEST.
UM, AND THAT SUCCESSFUL TREATMENTS FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER DO EXIST, BUT MANY PATIENTS WHO STRUGGLE WITH THE DISORDER ARE POORLY INFORMED.
OPEN NAVIGATION IS VERY DIFFICULT BETWEEN PROGRAMS AND PROGRAMS VERY SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO IN ANSWERING WHY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, WE START WITH THE FACT THAT EMS IS AS THE PRE-HOSPITAL CARE PROVIDER, WE ARE INHERENTLY, UM, UP TO DATE AND CONNECTED WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING OVERDOSES AND MORE TO THE POINT KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHICH OVERDOSES ARE SPECIFICALLY LIKELY TO BE OPIOID OR OPIOID, UH, OVERDOSES.
AS THE PRE-HOSPITAL PROVIDER, WE HAVE THE TRUST OF THE PATIENTS IN BRINGING THEIR MEDICAL CARE TO THEM ALREADY.
AND THEN OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC TEAM HAS SEEN CONTINUOUS SUCCESS THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES BASED ON PATIENT-CENTRIC MODEL OF CARE.
WE BRING CARE TO THE PATIENT, WE DON'T WAIT FOR THEM TO COME TO US, AND WE BRING A LEVEL OF CARE THAT IS DESIGNED AROUND THE PATIENT'S NEEDS, NOT JUST WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER, WHAT A SPECIFIC PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR.
SO WE BEGAN THE OPIATE USE DISORDER PROGRAM IN 2018, AND THERE WAS STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE PRIMARY SUPPLY, WHICH IS NARCAN.
AT THE TIME, TRAVIS COUNTY DIDN'T HAVE A RECOGNIZABLE LEVEL OF FENTANYL USE IN THE OPIATES THAT WERE OUT THERE, BUT WE DID KNOW THAT THAT WAS COMING AND WE WERE EXPECTING IT TO GROW AS WE WENT.
WE STARTED IT BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WERE NEW TREATMENTS AND MORE WIDESPREAD TREATMENTS IN THE FORM OF WHAT'S CALLED M A T OR MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT.
YOUR TRADITIONAL REHAB AND DETOX HAS AN EXTREMELY LOW RATE OF SUCCESS IN TREATING PEOPLE WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER.
M A T HAS AN EXTREMELY HIGH USE OR HIGH RATE, EXCUSE ME, OF SUCCESS, BUT PATIENTS ARE OFTEN UNAWARE OF THE DIFFERENCE WHAT'S OUT THERE AND HOW TO GET CONNECTED TO IT.
TRAVIS COUNTY ACTUALLY HAS A GREAT SYSTEM AND NETWORK OF M A T AVAILABLE IF PEOPLE COULD JUST ACCESS IT.
SO WE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL GAPS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE DECIDED TO FILL.
ERS AREN'T THE SOLUTION AND THEY REALLY AREN'T NATIONWIDE.
THE AVERAGE PERSON WHO GOES INTO THE ER SUFFERING FROM OPIOID USE DISORDER OR AN OPIOID, UH, WITHDRAWAL, RECEIVES MINIMAL CARE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE WAY AN ER IS SET UP.
IT'S NOT SET TO TREAT THAT KIND OF CONDITION FOR THIS TERRIBLE WITHDRAWAL.
PATIENTS OFTEN RECEIVE TYLENOL AND FLUIDS AND THEIR DISCHARGED HOME, AND VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE PATIENTS NEVER RECEIVE FURTHER TREATMENT.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE STATISTICS THERE.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE AS WE STARTED THE PROGRAM IN THE FIRST 12 MONTHS OR SO, A FEW OTHER GAPS IN HOW LONG PEOPLE HAD TO WAIT TO GET INTO TREATMENT ONCE THEY DECIDED THEY WERE READY, WHICH WERE STILL RESULTING IN PREVENTABLE, UH, OVERDOSES AND DEATHS.
THOSE SECOND TWO POINTS THERE, WE ACTUALLY ADDRESSED WITH THE SUB-PROGRAM LATER ON.
SO WE STARTED WITH A FAIRLY SIMPLE GOAL.
WE WANTED TO REDUCE MORBIDITY, MORTALITY OF PEOPLE DEALING WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER AND TRY TO CONNECT THEM TO TREATMENT.
SO COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC TEAM MEMBERS REACH OUT TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED AN OPIATE OVERDOSE ANYWHERE WITHIN OUR RESPONSE AREA, WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THEIR OVERDOSE, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR.
WE PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT REALLY TRULY IS AVAILABLE TO THEM IN TERMS OF TREATMENT, THE SUCCESSES OF THAT.
UM, WE PROVIDE OTHER COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC TEAM SUPPORT PROGRAMS, WHICH INCLUDE ESTABLISHING FUNDING FOR THEM, UM, AND PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL SUPPORT NETWORKS.
UM, AND THEN WE PROVIDE 'EM WITH THE OPIOID RESCUE KITS AS WELL.
BUT AGAIN, BY GOING TWO PEOPLE IN THEIR SITUATION, MEETING THEM AND THEN LEAVING AN OPEN DOOR POLICY FOR THEM TO CONNECT WITH US AND FOLLOW UP WHEN THEY'RE READY, WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT SUCCESSES WITH IT.
THAT WILL LOOK AT NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO WE DO DIRECT CONNECTIONS TO M A T, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG CONNECT, UH, SUCCESS PIECES WITH OUR PROGRAM AS OPPOSED TO HOSPITALS.
WE DON'T HAND SOMEBODY A LIST OF PROGRAMS. WE WALK THEM RIGHT THROUGH THE PROGRAM MAKING THE CONNECTIONS AND STAY WITH THEM.
M A T PROGRAMS INCLUDE A LOT OF SUPPORT, NOT JUST A MEDICATION OR NOT JUST A DETOX PROGRAM, PEER RECOVERY COACHES, MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, MEDICAL, EVERYTHING THAT'S NEEDED TO HELP SOMEBODY STAY SUCCESSFUL.
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BIGGEST THINGS MANY PATIENTS HAVE TRIED THE FIRST THING THAT CAME UP ON GOOGLE OR THE FIRST PROGRAM THAT SOMEBODY REFERRED THEM TO.AND THAT PROGRAM MAY NOT BE THE BEST OR WHAT MEETS THEIR NEEDS.
IT MAY NOT EVEN BE A, UH, A MORE PROGRESSIVE PROGRAM THAT USES M A T.
THEY GIVE UP ON IT THINKING THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT'S OUT THERE FOR THEM, AND THAT'S THE LAST TIME THEY TRY AGAIN.
NOW WE E ESTABLISHED FUNDING, UH, NOT THROUGH THE CITY, BUT THROUGH AVAILABLE FUNDING OUT THERE, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO COVER THEIR M A T UH, TREATMENTS.
THERE HONESTLY IS FUNDING WITHIN THIS COUNTY FOR PEOPLE IN ANY LEVEL OF FINANCIAL SITUATION.
THESE ARE THE OPIOID KITS THAT WE PASS OUT ON TOP THERE YOU SEE THE NALOXONE THAT I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT.
THE INTRANASAL MEDICATION THAT REVERSES OPIATE OVERDOSES.
IT REVERSES PRETTY MUCH ONLY OPIATE OVERDOSES AND IT HAS REALLY NO OTHER EFFECTS ON THE BODY.
SO EXCEPTIONALLY SAFE, EXCEPTIONALLY EASY TO USE.
WE HAND IT OUT IN A KIT SO PATIENTS HAVE IT EASILY IDENTIFIABLE AND IT HAS A PHONE NUMBER THAT THEY CAN CALL AND LEAVE A MESSAGE IF THEY USE IT AND NEED MORE.
THOSE ARE THE KITS WE DISTRIBUTE.
NOW, WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 50 TO 60 A MONTH ON AVERAGE.
SO YOU CAN SEE FROM THE GRAPHIC THERE, THAT TAKES US BACK FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR PROGRAM IN, UH, 2018, A STEPWISE INCREASE WITH O OPIATES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
WE SEE A SURGE ABOUT EVERY SPRING, BUT IT NEVER RETURNS TO THE PREVIOUS BASELINE.
IT THE LEVEL JUST CONTINUES TO INCREASE AND INCREASE AND INCREASE.
UM, YOU SEE STARTING IN MID 2022 WHEN WE STARTED SEEING A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, THAT'S ABOUT WHEN WE STARTED SEEING SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF FENTANYL IN THE, IN THE COUNTY.
NOW WHAT WE SEE IS FENTANYL IS ACTUALLY THE PREDOMINANT DRUG USED, NOT HEROIN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE USING STREET DRUGS ILLICITLY.
SO WE ARE SEEING ABOUT 30 OPIOID OVERDOSES A MONTH WHEN WE STARTED.
NOW WE'RE UP TO A HUNDRED, 120 A MONTH ON ANY GIVEN MONTH.
UM, WE'VE CURRENTLY RESPONDED TO OR CONNECTED WITH 2,794 PATIENTS WHO EXPERIENCED OVERDOSES DISTRIBUTED 400 OR UH, 1300 KITS.
WE KNOW THAT 441 KITS HAVE BEEN USED TO RESUSCITATE SOMEONE PRIOR TO EMS OR FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVING ON SCENE.
SO THE, UH, THE OPIOID OVERDOSE KITS THEMSELVES, LIKE I SAY, THEY PROVIDE NARCAN.
WE DO A TARGETED DISTRIBUTION FOR THEM INSTEAD OF JUST PASSING 'EM OUT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
WE PROVIDE THEM TO ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY MAY BE AROUND SOMEONE WHEN THEY OVER OVERDOSE ON AN OPIATE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN OPIATE USER.
MANY ARE FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND OFTEN THAT'S ACTUALLY VERY EMPOWERING TO FAMILY MEMBERS TO KNOW THAT IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN TO MY LOVED ONE, I HAVE SOMETHING I CAN DO WHILE I WATCH THEM.
OPIATES AFFECT THE BODY NEGATIVELY BY STOPPING YOU FROM BREATHING.
SO WITHIN MINUTES, THE HEART WILL STOP ALSO IN CARDIAC ARREST OCCURS.
SO TIMELINESS IS OF THE ESSENCE.
UM, AND IN, WE'VE SEEN AS MANY AS 27 OF THE KIDS IN ANY GIVEN MONTH USED TO RESUSCITATE SOMEONE PRIOR TO FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVING.
AND THAT'S SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IN THOSE 27 THAT MONTH AND EACH MONTH, YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEIR HEART WOULD CONTINUE TO BE LONG ENOUGH FOR EMS TO ARRIVE.
SO THE BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAM CAME ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
IT WAS CREATED TO ADDRESS THE SECOND TWO GAPS THAT WE SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
WE HAD PATIENTS WHO WERE WAITING ABOUT SEVEN DAYS, 10 DAYS, SOMETIMES TWO WEEKS, TO GET INTO AN M A T PROGRAM.
ONCE THEY DECIDED, I WANT OFF THIS ROLLER COASTER, I WANNA MAKE MY LIFE BETTER, WE ARE SEEING 'EM OVERDOSE.
AND IN SOME CASES WE ARE SEEING THEM DIE WHILE WAITING ON THE LIST.
IN FACT, WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE OVERDOSE THE DAY THEY WERE GOING INTO TREATMENT BECAUSE THE INTAKE PROCESSES WERE SO LONG THAT THEY WOULD SHOOT UP A LITTLE EXTRA TO CARRY THEM SIMP SYMPTOM FREE SO THEY CAN MAKE IT MENTALLY THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO WE LOOKED AND WE SAID, ALL WE WANNA DO IS CARRY SOMEBODY FROM THE DAY THEY RAISE THEIR HAND AND SAY, I WON'T HELP SYMPTOM FREE UNTIL THEY GET INTO A PROGRAM SO THEY CAN SOLIDIFY THEIR RESOLVE TO GET CLEAN.
WE MEET WITH THOSE PATIENTS DAILY, WE, UH, EVALUATE THEM, AND THEN WE START THEM ON A, ON A TREATMENT OF BUPRENORPHINE.
THAT HELPS US COACH THEM TO LEARNING TO DEAL WITH THE MEDICATION, LEARNING TO ADJUST THEIR LIFE.
UM, AND THEN WE CONNECT THEM TO A PROGRAM.
INITIALLY THEY HAD TO BE IN WITHDRAWAL FOR THEM TO START, BUT WE'VE ACTUALLY FOUND A NUMBER OF OUR PATIENTS RETURNED TO US WHEN THEIR MEDICATIONS WERE STOLEN.
UM, OR, OR THEY USED A LITTLE BIT EXTRA WITH THEIR DOCTOR'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THEY RUN OUT EARLY.
AND RATHER THAN THEM TAKING HEROIN OR TAKING SOMETHING TO GET THEM BY UNTIL THEY CAN REFILL THEIR NEXT PRESCRIPTION, WE CAN ACTUALLY CARRY THEM AND DOSE THEM, UH, AND KEEP THEM FROM RELAPSING, WHICH HAS BEEN A ANOTHER HUGE PART OF THE THE PROGRAM.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH BUPRENORPHINE.
UH, MOST PEOPLE KNOW OF METHADONE.
THEY ARE SIMILAR DRUGS, BUT YET VERY, VERY DIFFERENT AT THE SAME TIME WITH METHADONE, PATIENTS CAN STILL GET HIGH, THEY CAN STILL ABUSE IT.
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TO BE STRICTLY CONTROLLED AND YOU CAN STILL OVERDOSE AND EVEN DIE ON METHADONE.BUPRENORPHINE ELIMINATES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS WITHOUT LETTING SOMEBODY GET HIGH.
IF THEY TAKE OTHER OPIATES WHILE THEY'RE IN BUPRENORPHINE TREATMENT, THOSE OPIATES WON'T DO THEM ANY GOOD.
THEY CAN'T GET HIGH WHILE ON BUPRENORPHINE.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY ITS OWN HARM PREVENTION.
ON TOP OF THAT, YOU CAN'T OVERDOSE ON BUPRENORPHINE.
IF YOU TAKE TOO MUCH, IT WILL ACTUALLY PUT YOU INTO PRECIPITATED WITHDRAWAL, WHICH IS THE WORST LEVEL OF OPIATE WITHDRAWAL.
SO IT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO USE IT WISELY AND TO STAY ON THEIR PROGRAM.
BUPRENORPHINE IS SO A KEY TO THE M A T IN MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENTS.
WITH IT, WE'RE ABLE TO ELIMINATE PEOPLE'S WITHDRAWAL AND KEEP THEM OUT OF WITHDRAWAL UNTIL WE START 'EM INTO A PROGRAM.
WE ACTUALLY OFTEN DOSE THEM THEIR LAST DOSE ON THE DAY BEFORE THEY GO TO THEIR INTAKE SO THEY CAN THINK CLEARLY AND MAKE IT THROUGH THEIR INTAKE ON TIME.
AND THEN WE ACTUALLY FOLLOW UP, UH, UP TO A WEEK LATER TO ENSURE THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN CONNECTED AND THEY GOT THEIR PRESCRIPTION.
THEY'RE COMF COMFORTABLE WITH THEIR DOCTOR AND THEY'RE ON A PATH TO SUCCESS.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S OUR, OUR STATISTICS.
THIS IS AS OF A, UH, FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
WE BEGAN AT THE END OF NOVEMBER, 2020.
THE ONLY INTERRUPTION DESPITE ALL OF THE, UM, ICE STORMS AND DISASTERS THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH IN THAT TIME WAS THE FIRST, UM, SIX MONTH SUPPLY THAT WE PURCHASED.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY MOSTLY BY WORD OF MOUTH FROM PATIENTS, PEOPLE CALLING US UP SAYING, I WANT WHAT YOU DID FOR MY FRIEND.
SO WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF INTERRUPTION AND SUPPLY AND IT'S RUN UNINTERRUPTED SINCE THEN.
WE'VE TREATED 236 PATIENTS, WHICH MAKES US ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE TIMES LARGER THAN ANY PROGRAM WE'RE AWARE OF IN THE COUNTRY.
UH, AND STARTING OFF, WE'VE ADMINISTERED 1,290 BUPRENORPHINE DOSES.
IF YOU REMEMBER THAT EVERY TIME SOMEBODY TAKES A DOSE OF BUPRENORPHINE, THEY CAN'T OVERDOSE THAT DAY, EVEN IF THEY TRY.
AND UNLIKE HOSPITAL PROGRAMS THAT SEE 15, 20, 30% SUCCESS RATES AT GETTING PEOPLE INTO TREATMENT, WE'VE MAINTAINED A 90 TO 92% SUCCESS RATE AT GETTING PEOPLE INTO TREATMENT AND AN EQUAL 92% SUCCESS RATE AT THEM STAYING ENGAGED THROUGH THAT INTAKE AND THROUGH RECEIVING THEIR, UH, THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS AND GETTING ON IT.
WE'VE SEEN SOME UNIQUE, UH, UNIQUE BENEFITS ON TOP OF IT.
THE M A T PROGRAMS IN THIS COUNTY HAVE ACTUALLY REPORTED THAT THE PATIENTS THAT COME TO THEM THROUGH US ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL AT STAYING WITH PROGRAMS THAN PATIENTS WHO COME TO THEM ON THEIR OWN.
WE ATTRIBUTE THAT TO GETTING COACHING FOR THE FIRST SEVEN OR SO DAYS THAT WE'RE TREATING THEM.
UH, BUT IN ANY CASE, THEY'VE ACTUALLY STARTED TO PRIORITIZE INTAKE FOR PATIENTS COMING TO THEM THROUGH THE CHP PROGRAM.
UM, WE'VE ALSO SEEN SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DELAYS AS THESE IN, UM, AGENCIES HAVE STREAMLINED THEIR INTAKE PROCESS, RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE HAVING TO CARRY PATIENTS FOR A LONG TIME SIMPLY BECAUSE THEIR PROCESSOR IN INEFFICIENT AND IT DOESN'T HELP THEIR PATIENTS.
AND THEN WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TWO OF OUR LOCAL EMERGENCY, UH, HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE FELT EMPOWERED BY, BY WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO TO BEGIN TREATING PATIENTS IN THE ER, NOT JUST WITH TYLENOL AND FLUIDS, BUT ACTUALLY GIVE THEM BUPRENORPHINE KNOWING THAT THEY CAN HAND THEM OVER TO US AND WE WILL CARRY THEM AND SUCCESSFULLY CONNECT THEM, UH, INTO A TREATMENT PROGRAM.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ER HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO CAUSE THEY COULDN'T FOLLOW THE PATIENT AND KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THOSE MEDICATIONS.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING TREATMENT OF ABOUT 44% OF THOSE BUPRENORPHINE PATIENTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHICH ALSO MAKES US ONE OF THE ONLY PLACES IN THE COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS CAN RECEIVE ANY ACTUAL TREATMENT FOR THEIR SUBSTANCE USE.
AND STREETED, UH, WHICH IS A GROUP FROM OUR COMMUNITY CARE CLINICS THAT WE PARTNER WITH, HAS ACTUALLY CREATED THEIR OWN, UM, ON THE STREET TREATMENT THAT WE CONNECT THEM TO, JUST TO JUST HAVE AN OUTLET FOR THOSE PATIENTS.
AND, UM, THE, THE SUCCESS STORIES ARE TRULY, TRULY AMAZING.
AND THEY STACK UP NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE THREE CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY COUNSELORS THAT WORK IN THE COMMUNITY NOW THAT CAME THROUGH OUR PROGRAM.
THEY WERE PATIENTS, UH, AND NOW THEY REFER PATIENTS TO US.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOOD WORK THAT EMS IS DOING.
UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD WAS RELATED TO RESOLUTION THAT I PASSED ABOUT TWO COUNCIL MEETINGS AGO, I BELIEVE, RELATED TO THE, UM, AVAILABILITY OF THE NALTREXONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
COULD YOU MAYBE EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? I'M SORRY.
IT'S NOT NALTREXONE I THAT I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT POPPED INTO MY HEAD.
[00:30:01]
SO THE, UH, THE INITIAL FUNDING FOR THE NALOXONE, WHICH IS THE BIGGEST EXPENSE OF THIS OTHER THAN MAN HOURS, WAS THROUGH FEDERAL GRANTS.NOT THAT WE HELD, BUT WERE DONATIONS FROM FEDERAL GRANTS.
UM, AS OFTEN HAPPENS, THOSE FUNDS HAVE BEEN DRYING UP OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CAN'T SUSTAIN OUR, OUR PROGRAM AT ALL.
UH, THEY'RE PUBLIC PUBLICLY AVAILABLE GRANT, SO THEY CAN'T PRIORITIZE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OR ANYTHING ELSE.
UH, AND SO THAT WAS NECESSARY TO HELP US CONTINUE TO PROVIDE NARCAN TO FAMILIES AND PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE SOMEONE EXPERIENCE AN OVERDOSE, AS WELL AS TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM TO, UH, PROVIDE PUBLIC ACCESS TO NARCAN BY VIRTUE OF TARGETING BUSINESSES IN LOCAL AREAS WHERE WE KNOW THERE ARE A HIGHER NUMBER OF OVERDOSES.
AND CAN YOU KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHERE SOME OF THOSE HOTSPOTS ARE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED? WHERE THE OVERDOSES ARE HAPPENING, THEY REALLY SHIFT.
UM, IT, SO OPIATE USE DISORDER IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN A LOT OF OTHER DRUGS OF, OF, UH, RECREATION AND ABUSE IN THAT USERS USE USE IN ONE OR TWO PLACES.
THEY USE EITHER WITHIN ABOUT A MILE OF WHERE THEY BUY IT, WHICH MEANS IN ANY PUBLIC PLACE THAT THEY CAN BE ALONE, THEIR CAR IN A PARKING LOT, THE, UM, CORNER TABLE AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT OR THE BATHROOM AT A CONVENIENCE STORE.
UM, OR THEY USE IN A PUBLIC IN A GROUP SETTING OR SOMEBODY IS STANDING SAFETY WATCH NOT USING.
UH, AND SO IT'S NOT THEIR HOUSE, IT'S NOT ANOTHER, IT'S NOT A LOCATION THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
IT'S A, IT'S A FRIEND HOUSE OR, OR A DROP HOUSE IF YOU WILL.
UM, USUALLY THE DROP HOUSES ARE WELL KNOWN TO HARM REDUCTION, BUT BECAUSE WE LOOK AT THESE EVERY SINGLE DAY TO SEND SEE WHERE TO SEND OUR PARAMEDICS TO OUTREACH THESE FOLKS, WE KNOW WHERE THOSE HOTSPOTS ARE.
SO IF THERE'S A, A CIRCLE K THAT'S HAD A NUMBER OF OVERDOSES IN THE LAST YEAR, WE'RE ACUTELY AWARE OF IT AND WE CAN DIRECTLY TARGET THAT, UH, BUSINESS OWNER AND THEIR EMPLOYEES, PROVIDE THEM WITH TRAINING AND NALOXONE SO THEY CAN DO SOMETHING.
I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR BRINGING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF COUNCIL SO THAT WE COULD HELP SUPPORT IT AND PASS IT.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ANY DISCUSSION? THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
I'LL, UM, ASK IF WE GOT IT FIXED.
UH, AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO,
[Public Communication: General (Part 2 of 2)]
UH, COMMUNI PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.UH, THE SPEAKERS MAY BE SPEAKING AS PART OF THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, BUT THEY MAY ALSO BE SPEAKING WITH REGARD TO A SPECIFIC ITEM.
OUR FIRST REMOTE SPEAKER WILL BE SPEAKING ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
NISHA PARKER, DEVE NISHA, IF YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE ON YOUR END, SPEAKING ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATION OR REMOTE.
TARA, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE ON YOUR END.
I'M THE PARTNER OF JASON JOHN WHOSE BODY WAS PULLED OUT OF LADY BIRD LAKE TWO MONTHS AGO.
SINCE I LAST SPOKE WITH YOU ALL UH, ADDITIONAL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PULLED OUT OF THE LAKE WITHOUT EXPLANATION AS TO HOW THEY ENDED UP IN THE WATER.
UM, I FEEL SAD THAT I HAVE TO STAND HERE AND ASK THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO INSTALL CAMERAS ON THE TRAIL SO THAT WE CAN KNOW HOW OUR LOVED ONES KEEP ENDING UP DEAD IN THE WATER IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
I HAVE ACCEPTED THAT I WILL LIVE THE REST OF MY LIFE WITHOUT KNOWING HOW JASON DIED.
SINCE THERE ARE NO CAMERAS ON THE TRAIL, REGARDLESS OF HOW OR WHY THESE DEATHS ARE OCCURRING, CLEARLY SOMETHING IS GOING ON AND AUSTIN IS NOT CURRENTLY A SAFE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE OR VISIT.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF YOUR CITIZENS WITHOUT CAMERAS, EVEN LAW ENFORCEMENT CANNOT KNOW WHAT TRULY HAPPENED TO THESE PEOPLE.
IT'S A SIMPLE FIX THAT WE'RE BEGGING YOU WHILE WE MOURN THE LOSS OF JASON AND OTHERS TO IMPLEMENT IMMEDIATELY.
SPEAKING ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS REMOTE, MIRANDA ZI.
[00:35:03]
MIRANDA, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE ON YOUR END, PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT.CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN.
I WAS HITTING UNMUTE, BUT IT WAS THE STAR SIX THING THAT GOT ME.
I'M ALSO A FRIEND OF JASON JOHN'S.
UM, I'M CALLING TO SPEAK ABOUT THE SAFETY MEASURES ON THE TRAIL.
UM, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT THERE'S BEEN A FOCUS ON SAFETY, THAT PROMISES ARE BEING MADE AND MEASURES ARE BEING PASSED.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST TAKING TOO LONG.
AS TARA MENTIONED, MORE BODIES HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM THE RIVER AND THAT'S JUST UNACCEPTABLE.
UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE CAMERAS AND LIGHTING AND FENCING THAT WAS INSTALLED, BUT WHEN I WENT BY THE TRAIL AT NIGHT, RIGHT WHERE JASON WOULD'VE BEEN LAST SEEN, IT WAS STILL EXTREMELY DARK AND THAT'S RIGHT BY THAT LIGHT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOME KIND OF DESIRE TO GET ALL THE PIECES IN PLACE AND THE PLAN PERFECTLY OUTLINED BEFORE MORE ACTION IS TAKEN.
BUT IF THAT'S THE CASE, I WOULD REALLY ADVOCATE FOR PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION BECAUSE THE MORE TIME THAT'S SPENT FIGURING OUT WHAT THE RIGHT SOLUTION IS AND ANALYZING AND GETTING EVERYTHING IN ORDER IS JUST MORE TIME FOR ANOTHER LIFE TO BE LOST.
UM, THERE'S RIVERS AND BARS THAT CODE THIS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WITHOUT THIS HUGE LIFE LOSS OF LIFE.
SO WHY IS IT HAPPENING HERE WITH SUCH CONSISTENCY? SO, UM, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF IT AND YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE CHANGES, BUT I'M JUST ASKING THAT THESE CHANGES HAPPEN QUICKER.
SPEAKING ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS REMOTE, ROCHELLE CORCORAN.
ROCHELLE, CAN YOU UNMUTE ON YOUR END? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
HI, MY NAME IS RACHEL CORMAN AND I'M A LONGTIME FRIEND OF JASON JOHN, AND I'M ALSO A MOTHER OF TWO SMALL CHILDREN.
I'M ALSO GETTING MARRIED THIS YEAR AND I'M CEL CELEBRATING WITH MY FRIEND JASON.
I HAVE TO STARE AT HIS NAME EVERY SINGLE DAY ON AN RSVP LIST KNOWING THAT I'M NEVER GONNA SEE HIM AGAIN, AND I'M NEVER GONNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.
THE NEED FOR SAFETY LIGHTS AND CAMERAS ALONG LADY BIRD LAKE IS OF DIRE NEED BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE DYING MORE LIGHTS ARE NEEDED, MOTHERS ARE BEARING THEIR CHILDREN, FRIENDS ARE BEARING FRIENDS, AND MORE ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN.
AND SOONER PEOPLE ARE STILL DYING AND BODIES ARE STILL BEING PULLED OUT OF THE LAKE.
SPEAKING ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS REMOTE, REBECCA GROSS.
REBECCA, CAN YOU PLEASE UNMUTE ON YOUR END? HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
HI, MY NAME IS BECKY GROSS AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON PUBLIC SAFETY AROUND LADYBIRD LAKE AND RAINY STREET.
ON FEBRUARY 5TH WHEN JASON JOHN WENT MISSING.
AND NINE DAYS LATER, WE BACK HIM IN THE IN LADYBIRD LAKE.
GRIEVING JASON OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAS BEEN DEVASTATING, BUT THE CONTINUAL LOSS OF PEOPLE MAKES IT WORSE.
EVERY TIME WE GET THE NEWS THAT SOMEONE ELSE IS MISSING AND FOUND DECEASED IN THE LAKE, WE ALL RELIVE ONE OF THE WORST DAYS OF OUR LIVES.
I LOVE AUSTIN, BUT IT DOESN'T FEEL SAFE ANYMORE.
THE FACT IS, THIS IS NOT A NEW ISSUE.
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, MANY PEOPLE HAVE GONE MISSING IN AND AROUND LADYBIRD LAKE AND MOST ARE DISCOVERED DAYS LATER, IT'S UNACCEPTABLE TO LOSE ANOTHER PERSON.
AND I IMPLORE THE CITY TO IMPLEMENT ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES TO ENSURE WE DON'T EXPERIENCE ANY MORE SENSELESS DEATH.
THIS IS MY FIRST PUBLICLY FOR THE PAUSE, AND I KNOW SOME EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE AROUND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TO INCREASE SAFETY.
HOWEVER, JONATHAN HONEY STILL WENT MISSING AND DIED ON MARCH 31ST.
WE NEED TO DO MORE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, SUCH AS PERMANENT LIGHTING ALONG LADY BIRD LAKE, EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHT BONES DRUG TESTING TRIPS AVAILABLE AT BARS AND STUDIO CAMERAS THAT ACTUALLY WORK.
THIS WOULD BE A GREAT SUBJECT SAFETY ON BOTH
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND SINCERELY HOPE THAT CHANGES ARE MADE
[00:40:01]
BEFORE WE LOSE SOMEONE ELSE.SPEAKING ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS REMOTE NAISHA PK NISHA, CAN YOU PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR PHONE? HELLO? HEY, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UM, MY NAME IS NI PA, A FRIEND OF JASON JOHN, AND A FREQUENT SPEAKER HERE SINCE WE FOUND MON LADYBIRD LAKE ON DEBORAH FEBRUARY 13TH.
I JUST WANT YOU TO IMAGINE THAT IT WAS YOUR SIBLING, YOUR CHILD, YOUR PARTNER, OR YOUR FRIEND THAT YOU LOST IN LADY BIRD LAKE.
NOW IMAGINE EVERY FEW WEEKS RELIVING THAT TRAGEDY AND CONSTANTLY BEING REMINDED THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHY OR HOW THIS IS ALL HAPPENING.
THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN ELECTED YOU ALL AS YOUR OFFICIALS TO ENSURE THE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE WILL KEEP THEM SAFE.
YOU APPOINTED THE PEOPLE FOR THE CITY TO BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE TO GROW THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY AS A SAFE PLACE TO VISIT AND TO LIVE.
I CONTINUE, CONTINUE TO ASK TO PLEASE EXPEDITE THE PROCESSES OF CAMERAS AND EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHTS.
IT IS SAD WHEN AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS TO RESORT TO VICTIM BLAMING TO PROVIDE ANSWERS TO THE PUBLIC.
WHETHER THESE TRAGEDIES ARE INTENTIONAL OR ACCIDENTAL, CAMERAS WILL GIVE THOSE ANSWERS.
PLEASE EXPEDITE THESE PROCESSES OF CAMERAS AND BLUE LIGHTS.
I KNOW YOU'RE TIRED OF HEARING MY VOICE, BUT I WON'T STOP CUZ I'LL BE DAMNED IF ALL OF THESE LIVES ARE LOST IN VAIN.
HOW MANY OF MORE DEATHS AND HOW MANY MORE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH? THANK YOU.
SPEAKING ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS IN PERSON.
HI, MY NAME IS ANGELA CANELLA AND I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
I HAVE BEEN BARTENDING ON RAINY STREET SINCE I MOVED HERE, AND MY BOYFRIEND WAS A NATIVE AUSTINITE, AN AVID CYCLIST IN THIS CITY.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN HONOR OF HIM AS WELL AS THE MANY OTHER LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN LOST DUE TO A LACK OF SECURITY AND PROTECTION AROUND THIS CITY.
IT IS RECORDED THAT ABOUT 150 PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO AUSTIN A. DAY.
AND THIS CITY HAS ALSO BECOME ONE OF THE TOP DESTINATIONS FOR BACHELOR AND BACHELORETTE PARTIES.
RAINEY STREET IS AMONG THE TOP PLACES THAT THESE TRAVELERS AND NEW RESIDENTS WANNA VISIT.
HOWEVER, IT IS SOMEHOW THE LEAST PROTECTED AND PATROLLED AREA IN DOWNTOWN.
RECENTLY, WE HAVE STARTED TO SEE MORE POLICE OFFICERS ON RAINY STREET, WHICH ORIGINALLY I THOUGHT WOULD HELP, BUT ALL I'VE SEEN IS THEM SIT IN BETWEEN CAMDEN APARTMENTS AND THE BAR LITTLE BROTHER AND JUST HANG OUT.
THEY'RE NOT SUBMERGED ON THE STREET AND AT ALL.
AND ACTUALLY LAUGHED AT ME AND TOLD ME, YOU'LL BE FINE.
WHEN I ASKED IF THEY WOULD WALK WITH ME TO MY CAR AFTER SEEING THIS REACTION TOWARDS A YOUNG, SOBER, SOBER FEMALE LOOKING FOR SAFETY, I COULDN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF ANY OF THE EIGHT INNOCENT MEN THAT HAVE BEEN FOUND MAYBE TRIED TO SEEK HELP OR GUIDANCE AND WERE ALSO LAUGHED AT OR TURNED AWAY.
THERE HAVE BEEN EIGHT BODIES REPORTED IN THE LAST 10 MONTHS, AND I'VE SEEN VERY LITTLE DONE TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS AND VISITORS.
THERE HAVE BEEN LIMITED LIGHTS PUT UP, NO CAMERAS, NO EFFICIENT PATROLLING, LIMITED FENCING AROUND THE PROBLEMATIC AREAS AROUND THE LAKE, AND NO NEW IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTATIONS FOR SAFE RIDES.
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE YOU DO YOUR JOB AND PROTECT US? AUSTIN IS RANKED AMONG THE TOP 13 US CITIES IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF CYCLE COMMUTERS.
WITH THESE RANKINGS, THE CITY SHOULD DEDICATE MORE RESOURCES TO PROTECTING OUR CYCLISTS.
LAST JULY, MY BOYFRIEND JOSHUA ALVIN CROWE, WAS IN A FATAL BIKE, BICYCLE ACCIDENT.
HE WAS RIDING HOME FROM WORK ON A PATH WITH NO LIGHTS, NO SIGNS, AND NO CAMERAS.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE'LL NEVER KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM THAT NIGHT, BUT I DO KNOW THE CITY THAT HE LOVED WHOLEHEARTEDLY LET HIM DOWN AND COST HIM HIS LIFE.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO RANK 13 FOR BICYCLE COMMUTERS AND NOT AT THE VERY LEAST HAVE LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE THE BIKE? PATHS THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN DESERVE.
WE HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED NUMEROUS PROBLEMS IN THE LACK OF SECURITY IN OUR CITY, AND NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO PRODUCE SOLUTIONS.
SPEAKING ON ITEM TWO IN PERSON, AHMAD RANSOM.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKER, SIR.
[3. Briefing and discussion on implementation of preferred model outlined in Kroll's Curriculum Review Process Assessment.]
GONNA GO TO ITEM THREE, WHICH IS A BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PREFERRED MODEL OUTLINED IN ROLLS CURRICULUM REVIEW PROCESS ASSESSMENT.[00:45:05]
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COMMITTEE CHAIR, UH, MAYOR JOSEPH.ANN CORGAN, WHO IS THE A APD TRAINING DIVISION MANAGER.
UH, WE'RE GONNA PRESENT TODAY ON, UH, THE RECENT REPORT AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE BY KROLL RELATED TO THE CURRICULUM REVIEW PROCESS.
UM, BEFORE I START MY COMMENTS, JUST A REMINDER, UH, KROLL HAS ACTUALLY ISSUED A NUMBER OF REPORTS RELATED TO THE ACADEMY AND, UH, TODAY'S REPORT IS REALLY JUST THE MOST RECENT, A RECAP OF THE MOST RECENT REPORT, WHICH IS PRETTY NARROW IN SCOPE.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE CURRICULUM REVIEW PROCESS, UH, THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH IT AND THE PATH FORWARD.
SO IF I GET NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO JUST BEGINNING, UH, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, AND I BELIEVE THAT KROLL IS ALSO, UH, ONLINE TODAY AND, UH, IS AVAILABLE IN CASE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS DIRECTLY FOR KROLL.
UM, THE, THE REVIEW PROCESS ACTUALLY BEGAN, UM, SOMETIME BACK.
AND, UH, IT, IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE IMPLEMENTED BEFORE THE START OF THE 144TH, UH, POLICE ACADEMY.
JUST AS A POINT OF REFERENCE RIGHT NOW AT, WE'RE UP TO THE 148, SO WE'VE, UH, THIS IS GOING BACK TO 2021 AND, UM, AND REALLY WAS ABOUT FULFILLING THE PART OF THE BLUEPRINT THAT HAD TO DO WITH REOPENING OUR TRAINING ACADEMY, CREATING A GROUP THAT WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT CURRICULUM SPECIFICALLY WITH A FOCUS FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY INCLUSION, UH, BEING TRAUMA INFORMED AND HAVING TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICES IN OUR CURRICULUM THAT WE WERE, UH, IMPLEMENTING DEESCALATION, THAT WE WERE IMPLEMENTING, UM, ADULT LEARNING CONCEPTS AND THAT WE WERE INCLUDING COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES.
SO, UM, THAT GROUP ACTUALLY FORMED AND MET FOUR TIMES BEFORE THE ONE 44TH ACTUALLY BEGAN BACK IN 2021.
WE'VE INCLUDED A SLIDE HERE WITH, UH, WITH KROS PERSPECTIVE, UH, AND, AND WITH THEM BEING ONLINE, I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO MUCH TIME, UH, SPEAKING FOR THEM.
THEY CAN CERTAINLY SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
BUT, UM, IT IS TO BUILD A LONG-TERM SYSTEM OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL REVIEW OF TRAINING METHODS AND THE ACADEMY'S EFFECTIVENESS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, INSTITUTIONALIZE, UH, THE SEARCH FOR EXCELLENCE TRAINING, UH, POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD BE DONE IN A WAY THAT, UH, THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S COMMUNITY ORIENTED, UH, EMPATHETIC, COMPASSIONATE, AND THAT WE'RE BUILDING RESILIENT GUARDIANS OF THE PUBLIC IN THIS DYNAMIC AND DIVERSE CITY WHILE PROMOTING OFFICER HEALTH AND WELLNESS, UH, AND RESILIENCY.
UM, SO FOR THIS REASON, POLICE ACADEMIES SHOULD BE IN A CONSTANT STATE OF REVIEW AND IMPROVEMENT, AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE ENDEAVORING TO DO HERE.
SO THE, UM, THE ACADEMY OR, UH, UH, CURRICULUM REVIEW COMMITTEE HAS CONTINUED, IS STILL WORKING TODAY ON ONE OF THE COURSES, UH, WITH THE JOYCE JAMES CONSULTING GROUP.
UM, AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING NOW IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE DID WE HAVE SOME FAILURES IN THE, IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMITTEE AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE IT BETTER MOVING FORWARD? SO, UM, THE KRO THE KRO TEAM ACTUALLY, UH, PUT TOGETHER A PROCESS TO ASSESS HOW, UH, THE, THE CURRICULUM REVIEW COMMITTEE WAS OPERATING.
AND THIS INCLUDED, UH, REVIEWING THE CURRICULUM, UH, GOING BACK AND DOING AN AUDIT OF WHAT HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE, UH, SHARING PERSPECTIVES, UH, THAT HAD BEEN EXPRESSED BY THE COMMUNITY AND BY, BY THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT SAT ON THAT COMMITTEE, UH, AND DOCUMENTING, UH, THE CHANGES.
UH, THEY COLLECTED INFORMATION FROM OTHER POLICE AGENCIES AND COMMUNITIES WHO'VE ESTABLISHED PROCESSES FOR COMMUNITY INPUT ON CURRICULUM.
I'LL NOTE THAT THERE IS A, UM, THERE'S A, A SMALL LINE IN THE REPORT THAT INDICATES THAT, THAT AUSTIN HAS REALLY LEANED IN TO THIS PROCESS AND IS DOING MORE THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER CITY THAT THEY HAVE REVIEWED OR HAVE, UH, FOUND IS DOING THIS TYPE OF PROCESS.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY ARE REALLY, UH, VALUING THE COMMUNITY INPUT.
THE PROBLEM WAS, IS THAT, UM, THERE, THERE WAS CERTAINLY SOME IMPEDIMENTS TO MAKING SURE THAT THAT COMMUNITY INPUT WAS IMPLEMENTED.
AND THEN FINALLY MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR COMMUNITY INPUT INTO CURRICULUM AND HOW THE CURRICULUM IS DELIVERED.
THROUGH THE INSTRUCTION, KRO ACTUALLY, UH,
[00:50:01]
PUT FORWARD, UM, SOME DIFFERENT MODELS THAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE, UH, COULD BE IMPLEMENTED AND PUT, PUT WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS OR THEIR PREFERRED MODEL BEING THIS ONE THAT YOU WOULD REPLACE THE CURRENT, UH, CRC PROCESS WITH, UH, A REVIEW, A, A REVISED PROCESS THAT INCLUDED TWO SEPARATE ADVISORY BODIES, A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL AND A PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.EACH ONE OF THOSE WOULD HAVE A DISTINCT RESPONSIBILITY, UH, WITH THE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE WORKING, DOING MORE OF THE, THE HANDS-ON WORK THAT HAD TO DO WITH ACTUAL, UH, CURRICULUM, UH, UPDATES AND PROVIDING THOSE AND THAT BEING FORMED WITH A GROUP OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, UH, EDUCATIONAL EXPERTS AND SO FORTH THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP DRIVE THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN CERTAINLY KEEPING THE COMMUNITY VOICE IN THERE WITH THAT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL TO REVIEW THE WORK THAT IS DONE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY'S VOICE IS BEING IMPLEMENTED, UH, WITHIN THAT STRUCTURE.
UH, THEY FELT THAT IT WOULD INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, IF WE WOULD DO REGULAR WEBSITE UPDATES, UH, DESCRIBING THE WORK OF THE CAC AND THE P C, UH, TO SEE HOW THOSE EFFORTS ARE IMPACTING TRAINING.
UM, AND THEN, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, GOOD COMMUNICATION AND GOOD, UM, WORK COMING FROM EXECUTIVE STAFF OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK IS CARRYING FORWARD, UH, SUCCESSFULLY.
SO IN COMBINATION, THESE TWO BODIES WOULD ALLOW FOR, UH, MORE ROBUST COMMUNITY INPUT INTO HOW APD TRAINS AND PREPARES CADETS, UH, TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN.
UM, IT WOULD HAVE A DEFINED STRUCTURE THAT WOULD MEAN MEANINGFUL AND SUBSTANTIVE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TRAINING CURRICULUM AND WOULD ENABLE THE ACADEMY TO MAKE MORE SIGNIFICANT AND MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS THAN WHAT WE HAVE, UH, THAN WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO DATE.
UM, IN MY ESTIMATION, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE, UM, WE FIND OURSELVES HERE TODAY THAT, UH, THERE WAS NOT AS GOOD A STRUCTURE PUT IN PLACE.
ONE THAT REALLY GAVE THE FRAMEWORK THAT THE COMMITTEE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE A JUST A GOOD SOLID OUTPUT, UH, THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED BY ACADEMY STAFF.
UH, AND I THINK THAT THAT IS THERE, THERE'S, UM, REASON FOR, UH, BOTH SIDES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT, UH, INCLUDING ACADEMY PERSONNEL, UH, AND, AND BECAUSE OF THIS, A P D DOES AGREE WITH, UH, WITH CARL'S PREFERRED MODEL, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
NOW GO AHEAD AND, UH, DID I COVER ALL OF THEM? I'M SORRY.
SOME HOVER SLIDES ARE SLIPPED, SO, OKAY.
UH, I GUESS THE, UH, MY SLIDES GOT ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE PRESENTATIONS.
SO JUST TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY, UH, COUNCIL, UM, AND WHAT THEIR ROLE IS, UH, THEY HAVE A, A PRIMARY FOCUS, CERTAINLY, UM, AND IT IS A BROADER FOCUS ON THE OVERALL EFFORT AS OPPOSED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GETTING IN THE WEEDS OF EACH PARTICULAR, UH, COURSE THAT IS BEING REVIEWED, WHICH IS REALLY THE, THE PROFESSIONAL, UH, THE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL OR COMMITTEE.
SO THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS IS ENSURING THAT CADET TRAINING INCLUDES THAT COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS DIVERSE COMMUNITY, THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE OFFICERS WHEN INTERACTING, INTERACTING WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND THE TYPE OF POLICE DEPARTMENT THE COMMUNITY WANTS AND EXPECTS.
UM, IT WOULD INCLUDE A BROAD REPRESENTATION OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, AND WOULD BE PROVIDED A BROAD OVERVIEW OF APD CURRICULUM.
UH, AND THE WORKING GROUP, UH, WOULD INCLUDE A C A C, UH, LEADERS, A THIRD PARTY FACILITATOR, UH, THE, A APD DIVISION MANAGER AND THE SWORN ACADEMY SUPERVISOR TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, UM, JOINTLY, UH, SET THAT AGENDA.
AND THEN WRITTEN RECOMMENDATIONS ARRIVING, UH, ARISING FROM THE CAC, UH, WOULD BE ADDRESSED BY A P D LEADERSHIP AND SHARED WITH THE P C.
THE, UH, THE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, FUNCTIONS TO, UM, PROVIDE
[00:55:01]
SUBSTANTIAL CONTENT EXPERTISE ON CONCERNS THAT ARE RAISED BY THE CAC AND OTHER CURRICULUM ISSUES, UH, BASED ON, UH, TOPIC EXPERT EVALUATIONS.SO, UM, AGAIN, LOOKING TO BRING IN ACADEMIC, UM, EXPERTS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS INTO THE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, AND HAVE THEM, UM, REALLY, LIKE I SAID, WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH, PROVIDE SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT SHOULD BE CHANGED.
AND, AND THAT CAN BE BACK TO THE ACADEMY FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
ALL OF THIS WOULD BE SHARED, UH, VIA THE WEBSITE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, AND THEN A REPORT BACK FROM A P D TO SAY WHICH ONES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED, WHICH ONES THAT, UH, WE DISAGREE WITH AND WHY, AND WHICH ONES WE WOULD BE SENDING BACK FOR MORE WORK OR MORE CONSIDERATION.
SO WITH REGARD TO, UH, PLANNING AND NEXT STEPS, UM, WE HAVE BEGUN THE INITIAL STEPS TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE JOYCE JAMES CONSULTING GROUP, UH, AS A FACILITATOR FOR THE PROCESS.
AND, UH, WE'VE ALREADY MET SEVERAL TIMES WITH MS. JAMES AND HER GROUP.
UM, THE, AS I MENTIONED, UH, MS. JAMES AND HER GROUP ARE DOING INTERIM WORK, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENGAGED.
UH, WE CERTAINLY VALUE WHAT THEY BRING, UM, TO THIS EFFORT, AND WE DON'T WANT THEM TO DROP OFF.
UM, AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, UH, FORMING THE P A C WOULD BE, UM, DEFINING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO DEFINE THAT SCOPE, CREATE THAT FRAMEWORK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, SELECTING THE CLASSES AND WHAT ORDER THEY WOULD BE REVIEWED IN.
AND, UM, AND THEN DEVELOPING THE PLAN OF ACTION, UH, FOR THAT P AAC, UH, IN INCLUDING, UH, WHAT OUR TIMETABLES ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE WITH THE CAC.
VERY SIMILARLY DEFINING THE SCOPE AND DEVELOPING, UH, THE CHARTER STATEMENT.
UM, AGAIN, SELECTING A FACILITATOR LONG TERM AND DEVELOPING COMMITTEE PROCESSES, UH, AND THEN DEFINING THOSE, UH, SELECTION PROCESSES PER THE ACCRUAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND AT THIS TIME, MYSELF AND DR.
KRING AND, UM, ARE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE COMMITTEE AND COUNSEL'S, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON THIS AREA.
WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO GET IT RIGHT, BELIEVE ME.
UM, WE'RE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, CHIEF, UM, QUESTIONS ON THE DI COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
UM, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
UM, APPRECIATE THE WAY THAT YOU STARTED CHIEF DEONE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS JUST ONE OF MANY REPORTS THAT WE'VE HAD FROM KRO AS WE TRY TO, UM, RETHINK THE ACADEMY IN THE WAYS THAT WERE LAID OUT.
ALSO IN THAT DEFINITION, WHICH I ALSO WAS GOING TO CITE, SO I APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR, YOUR, UH, LAYING THAT OUT.
UM, THERE WAS SOME SECTIONS IN THIS REPORT THAT WERE NOT COVERED IN YOUR PRESENTATION, UM, THAT I THINK ARE REALLY KEY.
GOING BACK TO THOSE OTHER REPORTS, AND I UNDERSTAND FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND FROM THE INTERIM ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, THAT WE WILL BE TAKING UP THE OTHER PRIOR CO REPORT AT THE NEXT PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING.
UM, BUT I DID WANNA ASK IF YOU CAN ADDRESS HOW YOU ARE GOING TO BE APPROACHING THE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT WERE LAID OUT, STARTING ON PAGE 31 ABOUT ENFORCING THE CADET TRAINING UNIT, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, DEMONSTRATING A P D LEADERSHIP SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY INPUT, INCREASING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE ALSO SOME BUDGET REQUESTS IN THERE AS WELL, BUT I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN HOW WE MAKE THE CHANGES THAT ARE, ARE, ARE NECESSARY AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL TO, TO, TO BRING THIS HOME.
UM, WE'VE INVESTED A LOT IN THIS PROCESS, BUT WE STILL HAVE MORE TO DO.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND YOU KNOW, I AGREE, I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO, TO KIND OF BRING IT HOME AND MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL.
UM, THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY A NUMBER, A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK, WORK THROUGH, UH, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE REMOVE ANY REMAINING INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS THAT THERE MIGHT BE TO MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED, UM, THAT THERE IS BETTER EXECUTIVE, UH, OVERSIGHT.
UH, AND I COMMIT TO YOU THAT THERE WILL BE, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
[01:00:01]
KNOW, ANY, ANY OTHER, ANY I, YOU KNOW, REMAINING ITEMS THAT NEED TO, THAT NEED TO OCCUR.UM, I, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT, UH, YOU HAVE A STRONG COMMITMENT FROM ME AND FROM MY STAFF.
UH, WE, WHILE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT, THIS HAS REMAINED A FOCUS.
UH, AND I, UH, REGULARLY GET UPDATES ON, UH, THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AT THE ACADEMY, UH, WHERE WE CONTINUE TO SEE BARRIERS AND, UM, AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO OVERCOME THOSE BARRIERS, UH, HAVE, HAVE APPRECIATED KROS INPUT INTO IT AND THE CRITICAL EYE THAT THEY HAVE PUT TO IT.
AND WHAT I WOULD, UH, LIKE TO, TO OFFER IS A, THAT, YOU KNOW, STEP BY STEP WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE'VE DONE WITH OTHER REPORTS, UH, PROVIDING UPDATES TO, TO THE COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL ON, ON HOW WE WERE PROGRESSING AND WHAT OUR, UH, WHAT OUR TIMELINES ARE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
CHIEF, CAN YOU TELL ME STRUCTURALLY, YOU KNOW, WHO'S ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE? WHO'S RESPONSIBLE BESIDES YOU, LIKE BELOW YOU IN THE HIERARCHY FOR MAKING SURE THIS IMPLEMENTATION HAPPENS? SO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OVER TRAINING IS JASON STANSKI, AND HE'S HERE, UH, THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL.
AND THEN THE COMMANDER OVER THE ACADEMY IS WADE LYONS.
UH, HE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, HE'S LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SWORN PERSONNEL THAT ARE THERE AND MANAGING THOSE PERSONNEL.
KREGAN IS THE TRAINING DIVISION MANAGER AND HAS A STAFF AS OF, UH, FOLKS THAT WORK FOR HER AND ARE AT THE ACADEMY AS WELL.
UH, THAT BOTH FALL, THOSE, THOSE TWO POSITIONS, COMMANDER LYONS AND DR.
KRING, AND BOTH FALL UNDER CHIEF STANSKI.
AND, UM, FIRST, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW OFTEN THEY'RE MEETING ABOUT THE ACADEMY AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF KROLL? UM, I SPOKE TO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF EARLIER THIS YEAR AND, AND I, AND I WASN'T SURE THAT HE HAD READ THE REPORT AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE PRIOR REPORT.
UM, SO I, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER WE ARE LEANING INTO THIS IN THE, IN THE, WITH THE LEVEL OF PRIORITY, UM, THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ASSIGNED TO, UM, INVESTING IN THE ACADEMY.
UM, CHIEF, I'M GONNA ANSWER THAT ONE, UM, SINCE, UH, COMMANDER ALLIANCE AND I MEET WE WEEKLY, UM, RELATED TO ACADEMY.
UM, BUT I THINK ALSO THE OTHER THING TO HIGHLIGHT IS KROLL, UM, IS COMING BACK, UM, FOR THE ONE 48TH ACADEMY.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS WRITTEN INTO THE SCOPE OF WORK IS THAT COMMANDER LYONS AND I WILL BE MEETING WITH THEM TWICE A MONTH, UM, TO DEMONSTRATE OUT OUR PROGRESS.
AND THEY'LL BE TAKING NOTES, UM, ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE, UM, WHERE ARE WE ABLE TO MAKE MOVEMENT, WHAT ARE SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES AND THAT WE'RE GONNA BE UTILIZING THEIR EXPERTISE ON THINGS THAT WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD, UM, AS QUICKLY OR, UM, SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT THEY MIGHT GIVE US.
IS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF MEETING WITH YOU FOR THOSE MEETINGS? CURRENTLY IN THE SCOPE OF WORK, WE DON'T HAVE, UM, ASSISTANT CHIEF, UM, STAN MEETING WITH US.
UM, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR HIM, BUT HE'S PRETTY AVAILABLE, UM, WHENEVER WE NEED.
SO I'M SURE THAT I WILL VOLUNTEER OR I'LL ASK THE CHIEF ABOUT IT.
SO, SO I GUESS I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE THIS IS, I THINK MAYBE THE THIRD OR THE FOURTH REPORT FROM KROLL THAT WE'VE HAD THAT HAS SAID THAT WE NEED TO HAVE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP LEANING IN.
EVERYTHING SEEMS TO COME BACK, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY'RE NOT ALLOWING THE DELEGATION OF POWER TO HAPPEN DOWN TO THE ACADEMY.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT SOMEBODY AT A HIGHER LEVEL OWN THIS PROCESS AND MAKE SURE THAT DR.
KINGIAN AND COMMANDER LYONS CAN ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN THERE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
UM, SO WHEN YOU COME BACK IN MAY, UM, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM IS AND HOW WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THESE SECTIONS OF THE REPORT.
UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO INVITE KRO TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THOSE FINDINGS AND WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT, UM, THAT IF WE WANT TO MAKE THE CHANGES TO DO THOSE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE NOT AS MUCH ABOUT THE COMMUNITY REVIEW PANEL, BUT THE BROADER ACADEMY PROCESS.
UH, COUNCIL, UM, TAYLORS HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUE RICK BROWN FROM KROLL.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO, AND WE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UM, FAILURE OF A P D TO ENFORCE THE REVISED STANDING OPERATING PROCEDURES, WHICH WERE APPROVED, UH, AND I BELIEVE SIGNED BY CHIEF DEONE BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 2022, WHICH WE GIVE THE DIVISION MANAGER THE AUTHORITY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO REQUEST
[01:05:01]
CHANGES AND HAVE HER REQUESTS, UH, FOLLOWED BY, UH, WHETHER IT'S ACADEMY SUPERVISORS OR INSTRUCTORS TO IMPLEMENT CURRICULUM CHANGES.AND THIS WAS REALLY A BROAD PART OF WHAT I THINK, UM, THE LARGER MANDATE, UH, HAS BEEN ABOUT, WHICH IS TO, UH, PRODUCE SOME, UH, MEANINGFUL AND SUBSTANTIVE CULTURAL CHANGE WITHIN A P D AND TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CO CIVILIAN SWORN LEADERSHIP, UM, AT THE TRAINING ACADEMY.
AND, UM, BY BRINGING INTO THE VISION MANAGER THAT HAS EXPERTISE IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING AND ADULT LEARNING CONCEPTS AND SO FORTH.
UM, IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR, IN OUR OBSERVATIONS, UM, MUCH OF THE WORK IS BEING DONE SUBSTANTIVELY BY THE DIVISION MANAGER, UM, BUT WITHOUT THE FULL, UM, BUY-IN FROM, YOU KNOW, STAFF AND SWORN SUPERVISORS THAT THERE'S STILL SOME RESISTANCE TO CHANGE AND MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR SOME OF THESE, UM, FORM MEASURES AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO TRULY BE IMPLEMENTED IN A WAY I THINK THAT, THAT, UH, ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND IF I CAN ADD ONE THING TO, UH, TO MR. ER'S, UH, COMMENTS, I WANNA BE CLEAR, THE STAFF HAS MY FULL BACKING AND, UM, DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO MAKE THE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY.
I'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR WITH THAT, UM, WITH STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND, UH, THAT CONCEPT.
UH, THERE HAS BEEN A LONG STANDING PRACTICE AT THE ACADEMY.
I THINK, UH, WITH REGARD TO APPROVAL OF THOSE TYPE OF CHANGES OVER REALLY DECADES, THAT HAS LED TO A RETICENCE OF STAFF TO, TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT A SWORN INDIVIDUAL, UM, YOU KNOW, AUTHORIZING IT.
AND SOMEBODY AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, UH, WHICH I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE COMMANDER OVER THE ACADEMY IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL.
UM, IT DOES NOT, UH, NEED TO COME FROM EXECUTIVE STAFF, BUT EXECUTIVE STAFF NEEDS TO BE BRIEFED ON IT.
IF EVERY SINGLE DECISION THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE ON THIS, ON THIS DEPARTMENT HAD TO COME TO EXECUTIVE STAFF, WE'D NEVER GET ANYTHING DONE.
SO I'VE EMPOWERED MY FOLKS TO MAKE THOSE KIND OF CHANGES, TO KEEP EXECUTIVE STAFF BRIEFED ON IT, AND WHEN THERE ARE ISSUES TO COME BACK TO EXECUTIVE STAFF TO HELP CLEAR THE, ANY ROADBLOCKS THAT THERE MIGHT BE.
SO THAT IS THE, THAT IS THE DIRECTION MOVING FORWARD AND, UH, WILL BE REINFORCED, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS EFFORT.
I, I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS, CHIEF JAKO, CUZ I AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THE EXECUTIVE STAFF AND IF EVERY DECISION WAS THAT, UM, I AM JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE, HOW WE FIXED THINGS MOVING FORWARD WHEN WE HAVE HAD CLEAR STATEMENTS BY YOU TO THE EFFECT OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID, AS WELL AS REPORTS FROM CROW THAT THINGS ARE NOT, UM, GETTING IMPLEMENTED.
AND, AND SO THAT'S WHERE MY QUESTIONS WERE COMING FROM.
THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY TO SAY THAT THE ASSISTANT CHIEF HAS TO BE MAKING THE DECISIONS.
I WOULD MUCH RATHER THEY WERE DELEGATING AND ALLOWING THE FOLKS TO HAVE THE EXPERTISE IN TRAINING TO DO THE WORK.
UM, BUT ABSENT IN THAT, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE, WHERE THIS DISCONNECT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT WE ARE DOING, UM, TO CHANGE THAT.
AND I HOPE THAT AT THE, THE MAY MEETING, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK, UM, TO HOW THOSE CHANGES ARE BEING MOVED FORWARD, UM, SO THAT WE CAN FINALLY REALLY BRING THIS HOME AND, AND GET THIS WORK DONE THAT KROLL HAS RECOGNIZED, UM, YOU KNOW, IS REALLY VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR ACADEMY AND IS VERY IMPORTANT TO, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, MAYOR, I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL, I'LL LET SEE IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS AND COME BACK TO THEM.
THANK YOU, CHIEF, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR FRANKNESS IN, UH, IN DISCUSSING, IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE, THE CURRICULUM REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND KIND OF OTHERS INVOLVED IN TRYING TO, UH, ESTABLISH A, A NEW, UH, CURRICULUM, WHICH I AGREE.
I THINK IT'S CENTRAL TO THE, KIND OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS.
UM, WHY THE RETICENCE, WHY THE, THE COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE GET FROM THE, THE MEMBERS OF THE IS THAT THERE'S JUST REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE LISTEN, BUT NO ACTION IS TAKEN, THE LISTEN, BUT NO ACTION IS TAKEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN UNWILLINGNESS TO TO, TO REALLY KIND OF CHANGE AND, UH, AND ADOPT THE, UM, THE, UH, THE, THE CURRICULUM AND, AND STANDARDS.
I MEAN, ANY THOUGHTS AS TO JUST WHY, WHAT'S GOING ON?
[01:10:03]
I KNOW YOU MIGHT HAVE PRESENTED THIS TO CHIEF CHACON, BUT BECAUSE I'M OUT AT THE ACADEMY, UM, I MIGHT BE BETTER SUITED.UM, ONE, I WANNA MENTION THAT THIS IS AN A HO GROUP OF INSTRUCTORS, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE UNITS THAT, UM, I'VE NEVER HAD TO EVER TALK TO ABOUT ANY OF THE INSTRUCTION.
UM, OR YOU'VE JUST MADE MODERATE CHANGES AT BEST, RIGHT? UM, SO I JUST WANT US TO REMEMBER THAT, THAT LIKE ALL OF OUR INSTRUCTORS ARE VARIOUS STAGES IN WHERE THEY ARE IN INSTRUCTION.
UM, AND THAT, UH, HISTORICALLY WE DON'T PROVIDE, OTHER THAN TCO L A VERY BASIC, UM, THE THE BASIC TCO INSTRUCTOR, RIGHT? UM, SO I KNOW COMMANDER ALLIANCE AND I'VE SPOKEN A LOT ABOUT INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES THAT THEY'RE GIVEN, UM, TO REALLY FEEL COMPETENT ABOUT WHAT THIS NEW PATH IS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, BECAUSE WE'VE MOVED SO QUICKLY ON THIS INITIATIVE, UM, I DON'T THINK WE'VE NECESSARILY ALWAYS SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS, UM, BY SORT OF SAYING, OKAY, NOW YOU HAVE 8 MILLION OTHER VOICES THAT ARE TELLING YOU WHAT SHOULD BE THE CURRICULUM, UM, CHANGES.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL IN THE MODEL MOVING FORWARD THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE THEM WORK WITH, UM, THE PACK, UM, AND HAVE PEOPLE BE INVOLVED TO SEE WHAT THE CHANGES ARE, ARE TO UNDERSTAND THE RESEARCH.
UM, I OFTEN NEVER SPEAK ON ANYTHING THAT I DON'T ACTUALLY EMPIRICALLY UNDERSTAND.
UM, AND SO I FIND THAT WITH THE INSTRUCTORS, THAT'S ALSO A CHALLENGE THAT IF THEY HAVEN'T DONE THE WORK, UM, AND IMPLEMENTED THE CHANGES THEMSELVES AND, AND UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO SORT OF APPRECIATE THE CHANGES FOR WHAT THEY ARE.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I JUST WANTED TO ADD ON TO THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT, WHICH, UM, AS WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THAT FOR A LONG TIME, UM, THE METHOD OF INSTRUCTION WAS, WAS DONE IN A CERTAIN WAY AT THE ACADEMY, AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF TAKING A HARD RIGHT, AND WE'RE SAYING, HEY, IT IS GONNA BE SOMETHING VERY, VERY NEW.
WE DID NOT SET OUT AND SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS, A CLEAR FRAMEWORK, A CLEAR STRUCTURE ON, ON HOW THEY WERE GOING TO, UH, DOCUMENT, UM, THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW THOSE WOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE INSTRUCTORS AND HOW THEY WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
UM, AND, AND I SAY THAT, THAT THAT WAS A FAILING ON OUR PART BY NOT DOING THAT IS CORRECTLY, I THINK, UH, POINTED OUT BY KRO, UH, TO SAY Y'ALL DID NOT DO THAT, AND HOW WE WILL BE FIXING THAT MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK THAT HAS BEEN PART OF THAT RETICENCE, UH, BECAUSE THERE WAS, UM, THERE WAS CERTAINLY, UH, OPINIONS, GOOD OPINIONS THAT WERE OFFERED, UH, IN THE CURRICULUM REVIEW PROCESS, BUT HOW THOSE CAME BACK TO THE INSTRUCTORS, HOW THEY WERE IMPLEMENTED, UH, WAS WHERE WE FELL DOWN.
AND THEN I KNOW ONE OF THE OTHER TOPICS THAT HAS BEEN, UH, UH, MENTIONED, AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL, UH, UH, FEEL ABOUT THIS, BUT IS THE, UH, BASICALLY HAVE SOMEONE AUDIT THE CLASSES, LIKE, NOT A CADET, BUT LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, A A COMMUNITY MEMBER, SOMEONE LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO AUDIT, UH, THE CLASSES.
WHAT ARE YOUR YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? SO THAT'S ACTUALLY BUILT INTO THE NEW PROCESS.
UH, IT WILL HAVE, UH, PEOPLE FROM THE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE SITTING IN THE CLASSES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE TIME TO SIT IN EVERY SINGLE ONE.
BUT, UM, BUT CERTAINLY SITTING IN MANY OF, UH, AND ESPECIALLY THE MOST CRITICAL CLASSES, UH, THAT ARE IN, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE KIND OF DIRECTED AND ADVISED BY THAT COMMUNITY PANEL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT ONLY CHANGING THE CURRICULUM, BUT THAT THE CHANGES THAT THEY WANT TO SEE ON HOW THAT CURRICULUM IS, UM, IS PUT FORWARD, IS INSTRUCTED HA HAVE THAT THAT PART HAS BEEN DONE.
SO, UM, THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TO SOME EXTENT, BUT IT'S GONNA REALLY HAPPEN EVEN MORE WITH THE NEW PROCESS.
UM, UH, UH, THANK YOU, UH, BOTH FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, I KNOW THAT THAT CHANGE, ESPECIALLY KIND OF CULTURAL CHANGE IS, IS, IS HARD AND THAT THE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, UH, THE SLOWEST, UH, OR WORK, UH, BUT IT IS I THINK, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD.
I I WAS NOT HERE FOR THE, UH, WHEN THE, THE CADET COUNCIL'S CLASSES WERE CANCELED, BUT AGAIN, I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A THEME PROBABLY THROUGH MOST OF COUNCIL MEMBER ALT ALTER'S, UH, TIME
AND, AND, UH, I, I DEFINITELY WANT TO, UH, STAY ON IT SO WE GET WHERE WE NEED TO BE WITH THE, UH, THE CADET CLASSES AND THE, AND THE CURRICULUM AND THE TRAINING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE I GO BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK KROLL, UM, THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION TOWARDS THE END ABOUT QUARTERLY NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING MEETINGS.
UM, THIS WAS IN ADDITION TO THE TWO COMMITTEES THAT YOU RECOMMENDED.
UM, COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO WHAT'S RECOMMENDED THERE? BOTH THE PART THAT'S CONNECTED TO THE TRAINING ACADEMY AND THE BROADER UTILITY AND SHAPE OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT? AND, AND WE MAY BE DOING SOME OF THOSE IN SOME AREAS.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE DOING THOSE IN MY DISTRICT, BUT I THINK THAT,
[01:15:01]
I THINK THAT'S CORRECT.I, I IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE, UH, SOME OF THESE MEETINGS ARE, ARE CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE AT LEAST IN SOME SECTORS, UH, OR NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, OUR FEELING ON THIS WAS REALLY, THIS WAS A SUPPLEMENTAL, UH, RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO JUST FURTHER ENHANCE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY INPUT THAT A P D RECEIVES IS AS BROAD BASED AS POSSIBLE.
UM, NEIGHBORHOOD STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE CONCEPT, HOWEVER, WAS, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY DEPENDENT ON THE, UH, MEMBERS, CITIZENS THAT WOULD SHOW UP TO THOSE MEETINGS ON A EARLY BASIS OR HOWEVER FREQUENTLY THEY'RE HELD, UH, IN THE SECTORS.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMANDERS OF THOSE SECTORS AND REPORT BACK TO, UH, CHIEF JACON AND EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE, THEY HAVE A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE CONCERNS ABOUT CRIME AND PUBLIC SAFETY ARE IN THOSE SECTORS, MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THINGS THAT CAN GET BACK TO THE TRAINING CURRICULUM OR TRAINING PROGRAM.
THAT'S REALLY GONNA BE MORE THE FOCUS OF THE, OR WOULD BE THE FOCUS OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL, UH, AND THE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS THE WORKING GROUPS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND EXPERTS IN PARTICULAR AREAS THAT ARE GONNA WORK CO MOST COLLABORATIVELY, I BELIEVE, WITH THE INSTRUCTORS AND ACADEMY STAFF TO MAKE, UH, TO REALLY IMPLEMENT CURRICULUM CHANGES AND REFORMS CONSISTENT WITH EVIDENCE-BASED BEST PRACTICES AND SO FORTH.
AND I THINK YOU'LL GET MORE BUY-IN FROM ACADEMY STAFF AND INSTRUCTORS, UH, UNDER THAT APPROACH, WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY WE WERE ADVOCATING THAT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCILS WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE BROAD-BASED, UM, REPRESENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, SELECTED NUMBERS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE A STRUCTURE AND ARE MEETING QUARTERLY AND CAN MAKE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ALSO AFFECTING TRAINING, BUT THEY CAN ADDRESS, UM, BROADER ISSUES OF POLICE CULTURE, POLICE, UM, ISSUES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE BROADER COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY THAT, UH, AGAIN, MAY TAKE SOME THINKING AND SOME, UH, SOME WORKING THE PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR COMMITTEES TO IMPLEMENT IN A WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT, IN CURRICULUM THAT A P D CAN BUY INTO.
AND AGAIN, AFTER THE PROPER THOUGHT AND, UM, UH, PROCESS NEIGHBORHOOD, THE NEIGHBORHOOD STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEES, AGAIN, REALLY WAS JUST A WAY TO, TO SUPPLEMENT THE COMMUNITY INPUT AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT MISSING, UM, UM, UM, COMMUNITY VOICES, UM, THAT MAY BE IMPORTANT FOR A P D IN GENERAL.
AND IT WAS JUST REALLY A, A, A WAY TO SUPPLEMENT THE PROCESS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, HAS, HAS REALLY ENHANCED ITS COMMUNITY, UM, AND, UH, ENABLE POLICE COMMUNITY TRUST, UH, BUILDING GOING FORWARD.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO INVITE, UM, MR. BROWN OR MR. ALORS, IF YOU HAD ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THIS PIECE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL BE ABLE TO JOIN US, UM, IN MAY FOR THE OTHER PIECE, UM, ABOUT HOW THIS FITS INTO THE BROADER PICTURE.
UM, I THINK THOSE OF US WHO, WHO OBSERVED THIS PROCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE SEEN HOW THE CURRICULUM REVIEW COMMITTEE PROCESS HAD PLAYED OUT.
AND I THINK THIS IS A PRETTY FAIR ASSESSMENT OF THE ISSUES.
AND AS CHIEF SAID THAT THERE, THERE, THERE WERE CHALLENGES ON BOTH SIDES, UM, STEMMING FROM THE LACK OF CLEAR MISSION AND, AND, AND THE LACK OF, UM, CLARITY OVER WHAT THAT WAS FOR.
UM, BUT I DID WANNA INVITE YOU, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WERE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU THINK WE AS COUNSEL NEED TO KNOW AT THIS POINT.
I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND VERY CLEARLY THE JOURNEY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO BE ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS, AND IN PARTICULAR, I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS YOU HAVE ON WHY IT IS THAT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET BUY-IN FROM THE ACADEMY STAFF WHEN WE HAVE ALL OF THE GUIDELINES OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE HAVE A CHIEF THAT'S SAYING THAT THEY'RE LEANING IN.
UM, WE HAVE GREAT LEADERSHIP OF THE ACADEMY, BUT YET THERE'S THIS FLORENCE FILLING INTENTION AND, AND IT'S JUST ANY OTHER THOUGHTS YOU HAVE ON, ON WHY WE STILL NEED TO BE IN THIS POSITION OF, OF PUSHING ON THIS? I I DON'T KNOW IF MR. BROWN WANTS TO, UH, UH, SAY SOMETHING HERE, BUT THE ONLY THING I WOULD, I WOULD NOTE IS WE ARE GOING TO BE, AS I THINK, UM,
[01:20:01]
KREGAN MENTIONED, WE WE WILL BE, UM, WORKING WITH ACADEMY AND THE DEPARTMENT OVER THE NEXT, UH, SEVEN MONTHS.UM, NOT ONLY TAKING A LOOK AT THE HUNDRED 48TH CADET CLASS AND WHICH WILL FURTHER, YOU KNOW, HELP US, UH, MONITOR AND KIND OF EVALUATE, UM, WORKING TO IMPLEMENT ALL OF THE PAST RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THE MANY THINGS THAT, THAT I KNOW YOU CAN'T REMEMBER, AL ALTER AND OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE PAST, UH, COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, BUT ALSO WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH, UM, THE DEPARTMENT ON TWICE MONTHLY MEETINGS TO, TO WORK ON ACTUALLY LONG-TERM PROCESS IMPLEMENTATION, UH, UH, DEVELOPING LONG-TERM PROCESSES THAT WILL, WILL HOPEFULLY ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT TO REALLY BUILD IN A STRUCTURE THAT WILL MAKE THESE TYPES OF CHANGES AND PUT AT THE FOREFRONT THE ISSUE OF, YOU KNOW, EMPATHY AND COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING AND DEESCALATION AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT TRYING TO MOVE TO AN EMPHASIZE IS AN INSTITUTIONAL WAY AND, AND MAKE IT MORE, UH, SUSTAINABLE.
AND SO THAT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE NEXT, UH, MANY MONTHS, UM, IN CONTINUING TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
UM, BUT I WOULD, UH, YES, HOPEFULLY I'M NOT BREAKING UP, BUT, UH, WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT MOVING FORWARD, IF THE ADOPTION, UH, OF, OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN OUR REPORT BY THE DEPARTMENT, CUZ KEEP IN MIND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POLICE DEPARTMENTS, IF ONE THING'S BROKE DOWN, OTHER THINGS BREAK DOWN, THERE'S LINKAGES TO EVERYTHING.
SO NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE THIS REFORM EFFORT GOING ON AT THE ACADEMY FOR CURRICULUM, YOU KNOW, THE ONGOING CLASSES AND ALL THAT, BUT THEN YOU HAVE THIS, THIS PROCESS THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE STRUCTURE, DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER FEEDBACK.
SO THOSE SORT OF THINGS CONTRIBUTE TO THE BREAKDOWN AND COMMUNICATIONS AND EFFECTIVENESS.
SO I'M ANXIOUSLY WAITING AND LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ON THE GROUND THERE TO EVALUATE MOVING FORWARD, AS THINGS START TO CHANGE AND GET IMPLEMENTED, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE OVERALL, UH, REFORM EFFORT.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL SEE, UM, THOSE CHANGES AS WELL.
APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE, BRINGING YOUR EXPERTISE TO HELP US HAVE THIS ROADMAP.
UM, CLEARLY THERE WERE CHALLENGES WITH THE CURRICULUM REVIEW PROGRAM AND, AND I'M HOPEFUL, AS YOU SAID, THAT IF WE FIX THEM, WE WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE OTHER PIECES.
UM, I REALLY WANTED TO UNDERSCORE THOUGH WITH MY REMARKS THAT IF WE DON'T FIX THOSE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE NOT ABOUT THE PIECES OF THE REVIEW BOARD, WE STILL WON'T GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
WE NEED TO HAVE THAT BUY-IN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS DOING THE INSTRUCTION.
UM, AND WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE EVERY, UM, EVERY ACTION OKAYED BY, BY THE CHIEF OF POLICE, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A, A PROCESS THAT'S ALLOWING US TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD, UM, TO IMPLEMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CHANGES THAT ARE, ARE VERY REASONABLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO ACCOMPLISH.
COUNCIL MEMBER MANAGER, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU.
FOR THE GENTLEMAN FROM CROWELL, UH, THE NEXT TIME YOU GUYS ARE IN TOWN OR WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN YOU'RE DOING A VISIT, I REALLY NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY THAT STRUCTURE THAT WAS LACKING WASN'T PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT NEED TO GET FIXED.
I WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE WORK PROGRAM IT IS THAT YOU PUT OUT WITH WHATEVER MILESTONES NEEDED TO BE DONE.
CUZ I REALLY DO THINK THAT SOME OF THIS CONFUSION IS THE LACK OF CLARITY IN TERMS OF THE WAY THIS ISSUE WAS APPROACHED.
AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO VISIT WITH YOU TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
CUZ I THINK WHILE SOME OF THIS MAY, UH, THE ISSUE MAY LIE IN TERMS OF THE STRUCTURE AT A P D, I THINK SOME OF IT MAY BE THE WAY THE REPORT WAS DELIVERED.
AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO VISIT WITH YOU GUYS ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO BETTER.
IF I, I JUST WANTED TO, IF I COULD, I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BETTER THAN I COULD LAST WEEK.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TOOK ON PROBABLY THREE, FOUR WEEKS AGO, DR.
CORIAN, CHIEF CHACON OVER THE CROW REPORT, PARTICULARLY THE CURRICULUM REWRITE PIECE, THAT'S A BIG CHUNK.
UM, THE, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT IS IF WE DON'T HAVE A, A CURRICULUM THAT IS UNDERSTOOD, RECEIVED AND ACCEPTED, NOT ONLY BY THE COMMUNITY, BUT BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ALL THE STUFF WE TALKED ABOUT, CULTURAL CHANGE IN THE ACADEMY IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
SO IT'S KIND OF FIRST THING, THIS IS FIRST THINGS FIRST TO ME, AND I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF EMPHASIS PUT ON THAT.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE TIMELINE THAT WE SET OUT WITH DR.
CRINGING, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S SOON.
AND TO HAVE THE P C AND THE CAC IN PLACE TO TAKE THOSE FORWARD, UH, I AGREE WITH CITY MANAGER, THERE WAS LACK OF CLARITY.
UH, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT WE GOT OFF TO A BAD START FIRST TIME.
I THINK WE CAN BLAME, WE CAN BLAME COVID ON SOME OF IT.
WE GOT, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A START
[01:25:01]
AND A STOP, BUT I THINK WE RESTARTED AND WE WANT, WE'RE GOING THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT, BUT THE CURRICULUM PIECE IS CRITICAL.THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST TIME WE'VE ADDRESSED THIS TOPIC MEMBERS.
[4. Briefing and possible action on amending Ordinance No. 20211209-067 in order to revise the compensation package for municipal court judges.]
AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR, AND THAT IS A BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON AMENDING ONE OF OUR ORDINANCES IN ORDER TO REVISE THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE FROM MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES, UH, AS YOU KNOW, UH, APPOINTEES OF THE COUNCIL, UH, ITEMS LIKE THIS, UH, WHICH RELATE TO, UH, HOW PEOPLE ARE DESIGNATED AND HOW THEY ARE PAID OR WHAT THEY ARE PAID, UH, DOES NOT GO THROUGH OUR HR.IT COMES THROUGH, UH, THE COUNCIL.
AND AS YOU KNOW, UH, MANY ITEMS COME FROM OUR COMMITTEES AS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE FULL COUNCIL, UH, DEALING WITH OUR MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES AND THEIR SALARIES AND, AND DESIGNATIONS ARE, ARE ONE OF THOSE.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S WHY THIS IS ON THE, UH, AGENDA.
AND I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU, JUDGE.
HI, IT'S SHERRY STATMAN AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT.
AND THANK YOU MR. MAYOR FOR MAKING THAT EXPLANATION ABOUT WHY, UM, I AM BRINGING THIS TO YOU INSTEAD OF HR.
UM, WE ARE JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
IF WE WERE A NORMAL DEPARTMENT, UH, WE WOULD GO TO HR, BUT JUDGES, APPARENTLY IN THE CITY CHARTER, WE ARE NOT NORMAL.
UM, THERE'S ALSO BEEN A SLIGHT MIX UP AS TO WHICH WAS THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE ORDINANCE.
I AM SURE THIS MIX UP WAS MY FAULT, BUT THE FIRST ITEM, UM, PART 10, WE HAVE HAD TO REMOVE.
UM, THERE WAS AN UNFORESEEN AND VERY LARGE BUDGETARY IMPACT TO THIS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO FIND A WORKAROUND, BUT WE ARE REMOVING THAT.
UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT ITEMS, UH, 11 AND 12 ARE WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
UM, ITEM 11 IS A REQUEST TO RAISE THE PART-TIME JUDGE'S HOURLY RATE TO BE THAT THE SAME AS THE FULL-TIME JUDGES.
HISTORICALLY, THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE AND WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE WHERE IT GOT OFF TRACK, BUT, UM, THIS IS A, UH, FAIR AND AGAIN, HISTORIC, UH, RATE.
SO THE SECOND PART 12 IS, UM, A REQUEST TO HAVE A 5% DIFFERENTIAL FOR THE JUDGES WHO WORK AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY BOOKING FACILITY.
SO OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS BETWEEN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE AND CERTAIN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, PROGRAMS, THE WORKLOAD AND RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR JUDGES THAT WORK AT CENTRAL BOOKING HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED.
AND, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO REWARD THE JUDGES WHO HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN WILLING TO WORK OVER THERE AND ALSO ENCOURAGE MORE JUDGES TO WORK OVER THERE.
UM, I AM RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE BRING THIS TO THE FULL COUNSEL.
UM, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT, REALLY.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY INFORMATION THAT I CAN GIVE YOU, UH, BEFORE I RECOGNIZE YOU COUNCIL MEMBER? I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR.
SO THERE WERE THREE REQUESTS THAT YOU WERE MAKING.
ONE WAS THAT PART-TIME JUDGES RECEIVED THE SAME HOURLY RATE AS FULL-TIME JUDGES.
AND I MAY BE USING THE, UH, PART-TIME JUDGES SECOND THAT, THAT THERE'D BE A 5% PAY DIFFERENTIAL, WHICH WOULD BE EMBODIED IF THEY WERE PAID A STIPEND EQUAL TO 10%.
IS THAT RIGHT? OF THEIR HOURLY RATE OF PAY? IT WOULD BE 5% OF THEIR HOURLY RATE OF PAY.
THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS PUT IN FRONT OF US SAYS 10% OF THEIR HOURLY.
I DO HAVE A CLEAN COPY OF THE ORDINANCE IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SAY THAT TO A JUDGE.
SO WHAT, SO WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS, IS NOW YOU'RE ASKING, BECAUSE YOU, YOU THE, THIS CHANGE IN CLASSIFICATION APPARENTLY HAS A FISCAL ASPECT.
IT DOES, IT SEEMED LIKE A VERY SMALL SEMANTIC ISSUE, BUT IT TURNED INTO ABOUT A MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET IMPACT, WHICH WE'RE NOT GONNA REQUEST.
WELL, THAT, THAT'S SMART CUZ UH, I CAN SEE THAT BEING OVERRULED.
I'M ON A ROLL HERE, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ALRIGHT, THAT, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT CLARIFIED BECAUSE THE FIVE AND THE 10% WERE UNCLEAR TO ME.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I'M SORRY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MAYOR FOR YOUR RECOGNITION AND THANK YOU JUDGE AND TO ALL THE OTHER MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES THAT WORK ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE THAT THEY PLAY IN
[01:30:01]
RECOGNIZING THAT, UM, I THINK IS PART OF WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.SO YOU DID EXPLAIN WHAT THE PREVIOUS BUDGET IMPACT WAS.
THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS, BUT MY SECOND ONE IS, UM, COULD YOU EXPLAIN WITH THE REVISED ORDINANCE WHAT THAT BUDGETARY IMPACT LOOKS LIKE? OKAY.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK MS. GRUB TO COME UP.
I AM NOT A NUMBERS PERSON AND I WILL GET IT WRONG.
SO WELL BRING 'EM UP WHILE THEY'RE COMING UP AS I UNDERSTAND IT, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU.
THIS IS ALL WITHIN THEIR BUDGET MAKING THIS CHANGE.
AND THAT INCREASE DOES NOT HAVE A BUDGETARY, AN OVERALL BUDGETARY IMPACT BECAUSE IT'S WITHIN THE BUDGET OF THE MUNICIPAL COURT.
BUT WE'LL LET SOMEBODY ELSE ANSWER THAT.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY THAT THE ANALYSIS THAT'S IN YOUR BACKUP JUDGE COFFEE PREPARED THAT.
SO I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER THOSE NUMBERS.
BUT FOR CLARIFICATION, THIS, THIS INCREASE TO GET THE SUBSTITUTE JUDGES UP TO THE SAME RATE AS A FULL-TIME JUDGE, PLUS THE 5% DIFFERENTIAL EQUATES TO ABOUT $40,000 INCREASE PER YEAR.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT IN THIS YEAR'S CURRENT BUDGET THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
WE CAN COVER THAT, BUT ON A GO FORWARD BASIS, WE WOULD BE ASKING FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT OF 40,000.
AND REAL QUICK BEFORE YOU MENTION, EXCUSE ME, IS THAT $40,000, IS THAT TOTAL OR WOULD THAT BE PER UH, UH, PER MAGISTRATE? IT IS TOTAL.
THEN ONE THING I DO WANNA MENTION, TRAVIS COUNTY IS LOOKING AT INSTITUTING THE COUNCIL AT FIRST APPEARANCE PROGRAM.
UM, IF THAT PROGRAM PROCEEDS, THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL ABOUT 30,000.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT TOTAL WITH THE KAFA PROGRAM.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO CLARIFY, THAT IS THE BUDGETARY IMPACT OF THE PAY PARODY BETWEEN, UH, THE PART-TIME AND THE FULL-TIME JUDGES? IT'S BETWEEN THE SUBSTITUTE JUDGES AND THE FULL-TIME JUDGES.
SO TRYING TO MAKE THEM PART-TIME YES.
HAS A LOT, HAS MANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE HAVEN'T FULLY, UM, VETTED YET.
AND RIGHT NOW, ARE THE PART-TIME JUDGES ALSO PAID LESS THAN THE FULL-TIME JUDGES? YES.
AND THAT WOULD BE MORE THE MILLION DOLLAR IMPACT THAT, I'M NOT SURE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD OF THE MILLION DOLLAR IMPACT, BUT CURRENTLY SUBSTITUTE JUDGES, WHICH YOU AND I WOULD THINK OF AS TEMPORARY OR PART-TIME.
APPARENTLY THAT'S A WORD OF ART IN THIS BUILDING.
UH, SO I HOPE LIGHTNING DOES STRIKE ME, BUT IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE NOT WORKING AS A FULL-TIME JUDGE, THEY ARE PAID A LOWER HOURLY RATE.
WHAT THIS WOULD DO IS IT WOULD SAY IF YOU'RE NOT WORKING AS A FULL-TIME JUDGE, BUT YOU ARE WORKING AS A JUDGE, YOU WOULD BE PAID THE SAME HOURLY RATE AS A FULL-TIME JUDGE.
AND THAT HAS A $40,000 FISCAL NOTE TO IT.
HAVE I SAID ANYTHING WRONG SO FAR? NO.
I'LL, I PROMISE YOU, I'LL SAY SOMETHING WRONG.
UM, IF, HOWEVER THE COUNTY PUTS IN THIS ADDITIONAL PROGRAM, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THE MUNICIPAL COURT WILL NEED TO STAFF AT LEAST TWO ADDITIONAL JUDGES WHO DON'T WORK FULL-TIME AND CLERK STAFF.
AND THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL $30,000 FOR A TOTAL OF $70,000.
WE KNOW IT'S GONNA BE 40 IF WE DO THIS.
IT'LL BE A TOTAL OF 70 IF, IF THE COUNTY DOES THAT.
AND WE HAVE TO STAFF, UH, BASED UPON THAT.
AND IN BOTH INSTANCES, THAT IS WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT THE MUNICIPAL COURT CURRENTLY HAS.
CAN I SAY ANYTHING WRONG? I KNOW IT WAS PERFECT.
JUST ONE OTHER POINT OF QUESTION.
WE HAVE IT THIS YEAR, SO IF THIS WERE TO PASS, WE WOULD NEED THE INCREASE FOR ADDITIONAL YEARS.
AND HOW MANY, UH, I MEAN, THINKING ABOUT THE WORK HOURS, HOW MUCH GOES TO THE FULL-TIME JUDGES? HOW MUCH GOES TO THE SUBSTITUTE JUDGES? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S KIND OF THE, THE BALANCE THERE? IT IS, IT'S ABOUT HALF AND HALF.
HALF BEING FULL-TIME AND HALF BEING HALF BEING AT AT YES, YES.
PART-TIME OR SUBSTITUTE ESSENTIALLY.
AND I'M THINKING AT CENTRAL BOOKING WHERE THIS HAS THE MOST IMPACT.
I HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT QUESTION, SO I DON'T HAVE, I CAN GET YOU THAT, THAT INFORMATION, BUT I DON KNOW IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
DOES JUDGE BEHIND YOU HAVE IT? JUDGE COFFEY, HE'S ALSO AN ACCOUNTANT, SO I TRUST HIM WITH THE NUMBERS MORE THAN MYSELF.
I'M, UH, ONE OF THE ASSOCIATE JUDGES MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES AND WORK AT COMMUNITY COURT.
[01:35:01]
MUNICIPAL JUDGES NOW IS $71 AND 29 CENTS AN HOUR.THE SUBSTITUTES ARE NOW BEING PAID $65 AND $68 AND 35 CENTS AN HOUR.
IT'S A $2 94 CENTS AN HOUR DIFFERENCE.
AND I, I GUESS WHAT I WOULD ADD TO THAT IS WHEN I STARTED HERE AS A SUBSTITUTE, THOSE WERE THE SAME.
THE, THE MUNICIPAL SUBSTITUTE JUDGES AND FULL-TIME WERE MAKING THE SAME HOURLY RATE.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE ABOUT NINE OR 10 YEARS AGO, SOMEHOW THE COUNCIL RAISED THE FULL-TIME AND DID AND LEFT OFF THE SUBSTITUTES.
AND IT JUST BEEN GOING LIKE THAT EVER SINCE.
CUZ WE'RE JUST GETTING STEADY JUMPS, JUST LIKE EMPLOYEES TYPICALLY DO.
AND IT'S JUST GOTTEN FARTHER AND FARTHER APART AND THEY JUST AREN'T GETTING WHAT WE BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE.
IT SEEMS TO ME IT WAS JUST REALLY AN OVERSIGHT, YOU KNOW, A ONE YEAR THAT JUST HAPPENED TO CARRY OVER FROM, UH, FROM UH, UH, YEAR TO YEAR.
AND THEN AGAIN, I, AND I'M TAKING A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS CUZ UH, I WOULD USE THE MAGISTRATES, UH, QUITE FREQUENTLY.
I'VE BEEN, UH, DOWN, UH, AT THE BASEMENT OF THE, UH, OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER MANY TIMES.
UH, YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ADMIT ANYTHING,
UH, AGAIN, I WOULD WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THAT.
IT'S ONE THING TO DO KIND OF A DAY JOB.
UH, AND IT'S ANOTHER THING TO BE, YOU KNOW, DOWN AT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER, UH, AT, YOU KNOW, 4:00 AM UH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING THROUGH THERE.
I MEAN, THERE'S ARREST WARRANTS, THERE'S SEARCH WARRANTS, THERE'S, UH, PERSONAL BONDS THAT ARE BEING SIGNED OFF ON.
UH, HONESTLY, THAT MIGHT BE A BUSIER JOB THAN, THAN, THAN THAN DAY JOB.
A BUSIER AND TOUGHER JOB THAN, UH, THAN THE DAY JOB.
UH, SO I I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT.
I CAN SEE THE STRUGGLE TO GET FOLKS TO, YOU KNOW, GO TO THE, THE OVERNIGHT SHIFTS AND IF WE CAN PUT A LITTLE SWEETENER ON THERE TO, UH, TO GET 'EM, UH, DOWN THERE IN THE, IN THE DUNGEON, UH, THEN, UH, THEN I'M, I'M, UH, I'M COMPLETELY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
SO, UH, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, JUDGE STAMAN, UH, FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS BEFORE US.
UM, SO JUST REAL QUICK, JUDGE COFFEY, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT SOMEHOW OVER TIME THE COUNSEL HAD SOME KIND OF DISPARITY BETWEEN THE TWO PAGES.
DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THAT HISTORY THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO US? SO JUST MY MEMORY IS WHAT HAPPENED IS THERE WAS A POINT WHERE ONE, IN ORDER FOR US TO GET ANY KIND OF COMPENSATION COUNCIL HAS TO PASS AN ORDINANCE TO DO THAT, RIGHT? THERE WAS A POINT WHERE WHEN THEY DRAFTED THE ORDINANCE ONE YEAR, THEY PUT FULL-TIME IN AND THEY JUST LEFT SUBSTITUTE OFF THAT YEAR.
AND EVER SINCE THEN, WE, WE GET THE ANNUAL KIND OF UPGRADES THAT OTHER CITY COUNTS OTHER EMPLOYEES GET.
AND IT'S JUST AS A RESULT OF THAT ONE YEAR CONTINUED TO GET FARTHER AND FARTHER APART BECAUSE THE MUNICIPAL FULL-TIME JUDGES ARE, HAD A HIGHER RATE OF PAY THAN THE SUBSTITUTES.
AND SO WE KEPT GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE EACH TIME WHEN YOU GET A 2% OR A 3% OR WHATEVER IT WAS, TYPE OF RAISE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
JUDGE, I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ORDINANCE IS THE RIGHT WAY.
UH, BEFORE WE TAKE IT TO THE COUNCIL, YOU INDICATED TO ME THAT THE REASON YOU TOOK OUT WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PART 10 YES.
IN THE ORIGINAL VERSION IS BECAUSE THE TERM PART-TIME ASSOCIATE JUDGE CONJURES UP ADDITIONAL FISCAL MATTERS AND THE CORRECT, AND THAT WAS WHAT THAT WAS GONNA CHANGE.
IT WAS GONNA CHANGE SUBSTITUTE JUDGE TO PART-TIME ASSOCIATE JUDGE.
HOWEVER, IN THIS VERSION THAT YOU GAVE ME BOTH PART 10 AND PART 11, ALSO SAY PART-TIME ASSOCIATE JUDGES THAT SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH SUBSTITUTE JUDGE.
THAT SHOULD, UM, THE TERMS ARE USED INTERCHANGEABLY AROUND COURT, WHICH IS FINE, BUT FOR HR THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE, WHICH IS WHAT THE PART-TIME JUDGES ARE CLASSIFIED AS AND A PART-TIME EMPLOYEE.
AND APPARENTLY IF THEY ARE PART-TIME, YOU HAVE TO FULLY FUND THE POSITIONS AND THAT IS A LOT OF FUNDS.
UM, BUT TECHNICALLY THEY SHOULD BE SUBSTITUTE JUDGES.
I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'LL, I'LL, I'VE GOT THE LANGUAGE HERE.
I'LL FOLLOW UP IF, IF, IF WE VOTE TO SEND IT TO THE COUNCIL, WHICH I ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE HAVE IN THE BACKUP BEFORE IT COMES UP IS, IS HAS THE RIGHT LANGUAGE.
SO, UM, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE? THE MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER VAL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, THAT WE APPROVE, UH, A RECOMMENDATION TO THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL THAT THE INCREASE FOR SUBSTITUTE JUDGES THERE BE AN INCREASE IN PAY FOR THE SUBSTITUTE JUDGES SO THAT IT IS EQUAL WITH, UH, FULL-TIME JUDGES
[01:40:01]
AND THAT WE, UH, RECOMMEND THE PAYMENT OF A STIPEND EQUAL TO 5% OF THEIR HOURLY RATE, UH, IF THEY'RE WORKING AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY CENTRAL BOOKING FACILITY.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION? ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION HEARING? NO OBJECTION.
THE MOTION IS GRANTED AND WE'LL BRING THIS TO THE COUNCIL.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO,
[5. Discussion and possible action on Automatic License Plate Reader policy and discussion of the procurement of Flock Safety Automatic License Plate Readers and services.]
A DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION ON AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READER PALSY AND DISCUSSION OF THE PRO PROCUREMENT OF FLOCK SAFETY, AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READERS AND SERVICES.SOMEBODY FROM BEFORE WE GO ON, SOMEBODY IS ON VIRTUALLY THAT IT SAYS HS ON OUR SCREEN AND I APOLOGIZE IF IT'S SOMEBODY I OUGHT TO RECOGNIZE, BUT I DON'T.
THAT IS, UH, HECTOR AND HE IS WITH FLOCK SAFETY.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE DIRECTED DIRECTLY TO THE VENDOR, HE'S AVAILABLE FOR US.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I KNEW WHO IT WAS THAT COME VISITED US.
UH, JEFF GREENWALT, ASSISTANT CHIEF AND LIEUTENANT ASKEW, WHO'S OVER POLICE TECHNOLOGY.
WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE AS YOU DISCUSS MEMBERS.
IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM? WERE YOU, WERE WE GOING TO, I'D LIKE TO HEAR THE PRESENT.
I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE A PRESENTATION.
DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION? NO, SIR.
I CAN GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU OUGHT TO DO.
WE DON'T, WE WERE NEVER ASKED TO BRING LIKE A, A PRESENTATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WELL JUST TELL, TELL US WHERE WE ARE ON THE, ON THE ITEM.
SO, UH, LAST SUMMER THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT AND FEEDBACK ON THE TOPIC OF WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE LICENSE PLATE READERS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, PUBLIC INPUT THROUGH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION AND AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS THAT COMMUNITY INPUT WAS INTRODUCED INTO A RESOLUTION, WHICH WAS PASSED IN SEPTEMBER.
THE LICENSE PLATE READERS, UH, RESOLUTION, WHICH WAS PASSED IN SEPTEMBER, WAS USED BY THE OFFICE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT TO GUIDE THE CURRENT POLICY FOR WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO, UM, HAVE APPROVED ON MAY THE MAY 18TH VOTE WITH FLOCK SAFETY.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE COMMUNITY INPUT THAT WAS RECEIVED LAST YEAR, WE CONDUCTED TWO ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS IN COORDINATION WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
ADDITIONALLY, WE ENGAGED JOYCE JAMES CONSULTING TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANY FEEDBACK AS WELL.
WE GOT GOOD INPUT FROM EVERYBODY THAT WE TALKED TO, ADDED SOME THINGS TO THE POLICY AND HAVE A, A DRAFT POLICY READY TO GO IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET PERMISSION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONTRACT ON MAY 18TH WITH FLOCK.
UM, WE HAD A, WE HAD HAD A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT HAD ASKED THAT THIS BE PUT ON THE AGENDA, UH, FOR DISCUSSION WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO, UH, CONTINUE TO BE WITH US CUZ OF THE LENGTH OF THE MEETING, I THINK IS WHAT HAPPENED.
SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? YEAH, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
I APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED PREVIOUSLY.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS ASKED BY MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE, BUT HOW WOULD THIS PLAY INTO THE A APD DPS PARTNERSHIP? WOULD, WOULD DPS HAVE, UH, I I GUESS ACCESS TO, UH, THE, THE AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM? THEY WOULD NOT.
SO THE RESOLUTION SPECIFICALLY PREVENT, PREVENTS US DATA SHARING UNLESS THERE'S A SPECIFIC CRIMINAL NEXUS ON A SPECIFIC CASE.
SO IF ANOTHER AGENCY ASKS US TO JUST WHOLESALE, HAVE ACCESS TO A LOT OF DATA, WE WOULD TELL THEM NO.
BUT IF THEY'RE INVESTIGATING A SPECIFIC CRIMINAL INCIDENT, THEY WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST IT ON A ONE-OFF BASIS AND THEN WE GIVE THEM EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THEY WERE LOOKING FOR FOR THAT SPECIFIC INCIDENT.
YOU, UM, EARLIER WE HEARD FROM A SPEAKER WHO WANTED MORE INFORMATION, I THINK, RELATED TO WHAT A CRIMINAL NEXUS IS.
I KNOW I SPECIFICALLY AUTHORED THIS RESOLUTION AND WROTE THAT IN.
COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN FROM A POLICE PERSPECTIVE WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE A CRIMINAL NEXUS? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
AND IF IT'S A VEHICLE THAT'S ON OUR HOT LIST, IT GIVES US AN AUTOMATIC RETURN THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE IN THE FORM OF A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR OR ABOVE, OR SOME SORT OF A HATE CRIME THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT INVESTIGATION.
SO, UM, WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF A POLICE OFFICER IS LOOKING TO GO AND, UM, WRITE TRAFFIC TICKETS OR FIND SOME SORT OF NEW OFFENSE, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THE LPR SYSTEM.
THE LPR SYSTEM IS ONLY USED FOR OFFENSES THAT ARE ALREADY REPORTED TO US.
SO IF THERE'S A STOLEN VEHICLE OR A VIOLENT CRIME OR SOME SORT OF A, UH, HATE CRIME THAT'S REPORTED TO US, WE COULD USE THE LPR SYSTEM TO FIND THAT VEHICLE OR FIND, UH, THAT SUSPECT QUICKER AND SOLVE THAT CRIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EXPLAINING THAT TO US.
COULD YOU ALSO REMIND US WHAT OPPORTUNITIES THE COMMUNITY HAS HAD PRIOR TO TODAY TO REVIEW THE POLICY THAT YOU PRESENTED TO US AS COUNSEL? ABSOLUTELY.
SO WE CONDUCTED TWO COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS.
[01:45:01]
VIRTUAL IN NATURE, UH, WHERE WE WENT OVER THE OVERVIEW OF WHAT LPRS ARE, UH, GAVE INFORMATION ON, UM, HOW THEY'RE HELPFUL, HOW THEY'VE BEEN HELPFUL IN THE PAST, AND JUST OPENED IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.AND THEN IN THE SECOND, UH, INPUT SESSION, WHICH WAS IN PERSON, WE PRESENTED THEM THE ACTUAL DRAFT THAT WE HAD UP TO THAT POINT WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, PICK IT APART, KIND OF GO BLIND BY ITEM BY LINE ITEM AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY HAD.
AND IN BOTH SESSIONS WE GOT, UH, I THINK, USEFUL INPUT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO INCLUDE IN THE POLICY THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND THEN FINALLY, IS THE POLICY AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO REVIEW AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE ON COUNSEL? MY UNDERSTANDING, THE ONLY PLACE THAT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE RIGHT NOW IS IN THE AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AS AN ATTACHMENT TO, UM, THE MEMO THAT WENT OUT.
UM, ONCE THIS IS APPROVED, THERE'S GONNA BE A PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARD WHERE THE PRIVACY POLICY AND THE POLICY IS ALL GONNA BE PLACED.
SO I WOULD JUST FURTHER ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY THAT IF THEY DO HAVE CONTINUED FEEDBACK RELATED TO THE POLICY, THAT THEY DO LOOK ONLINE ON OUR COUNCIL AGENDA SO THAT THEY CAN REVIEW IT AND THEN CONTACT THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME HERE TODAY.
WHO, WHO IS THE LETTER J IT'S LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A JAMES BOND MOVIE THAT HAS NOW JOINED US VIRTUALLY WHO'S JOINED US VIRTUALLY AND JUST SHOWS THE LETTER J THAT'S JESSE.
I, I'LL GO HERE AND THEN I'LL GO HERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA GO, UH, BUT, BUT I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MURRAY KELLY, AND ONE OF OUR QUESTIONS, UH, YOU, YOU GUYS HAD MENTIONED THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PERIOD.
WHAT, WHAT DID THAT OUTREACH LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, WHERE DID THE, UH, I GUESS THE IN-PERSON EVENT TAKE PLACE AND, UH, WHAT WERE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF FOLKS COMING? WERE THEY OLDER, YOUNGER, ET CETERA, ET CETERA? SO THE WAY THAT WE SET THOSE UP, WE TALKED TO, UM, SARAH AT THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND ASKED HOW WE WANTED TO DO THAT.
AND THEIR JOINT DECISION WAS MADE BETWEEN OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE AND THE O P O TO, UM, PUT OUT ON BOTH OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA THAT WE WOULD PUT OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THEN THEY WOULD RETWEET OR REFORWARD THOSE TYPES OF INVITATIONS.
UM, THE FIRST ONE WAS ONLINE AND WAS AVAILABLE TO WHOEVER WANTED TO, TO JOIN.
I DON'T KNOW THE DEMOGRAPHICS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T, UM, TAKE ATTENDANCE OR SEE ANYBODY IN PERSON.
UH, THE SECOND ONE WAS AT THE, UM, PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER ON WILHELM DELCO, AND THERE WAS FOUR PEOPLE IN ADDITION TO MEDIA.
SO WE HAD REPRESENTATIVES FROM JOYCE, JAMES, THE OPO, WE HAD A LOT OF MEDIA THAT WERE THERE, AND THEN WE HAD FOUR PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE THERE.
COUNCIL AVELA, JUST REAL QUICK, WITH THE, THE CONTRACT THAT IS PENDING RIGHT NOW WITH FLOCK, THAT'S A DIFFERENT VENDOR THAN THE PRIOR, UH, UH, VENDOR THAT A P D HAD.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING, THE PRIOR VENDOR, WAS IT THE SCOPE OF THE L P R CAMERAS WAS MORE LIMITED OR, CAUSE MY, MY, LET ME TELL YOU MY UNDERSTANDING IN KIND OF THE, THE BACKGROUND OF MY QUESTION SEEMS LIKE WITH THE SWITCH IN THE DASH MOUNTED CAMERAS THAT NOW THE DASH MOUNTED CAMERAS ARE NOT JUST VIDEO, BUT THEY WILL ALSO BE PICKING UP, UH, UH, LICENSE PLATE, UH, INFORMATION AS WELL.
UH, AND SO IN OTHER WORDS, NOW WE'RE GOING FROM A LIMITED SCOPE, A L P R PROGRAM.
AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY VEHICLES WERE, YOU KNOW, UH, HAD THE, OR I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY FIXED SITE, UH, UH, READERS THERE WERE, BUT TO ONE WHERE ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE A P D VEHICLES WILL BECOME, UH, UH, UH, AL.
SO LET ME START WITH THE INITIAL QUESTION, SIR.
THE PREVIOUS VENDOR, UH, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 60 CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, THAT WERE STATIONARY AND SOME WERE, WERE MOVING CAMERAS FIXED.
THE VEHICLES, UM, THIS NEW SYSTEM IS, IS TWO PART AS WELL.
ESSENTIALLY THERE WILL BE FIXED CAMERAS, BUT THERE ALSO WILL BE VEHICLE, UH, BASED OR MOVING CAMERAS.
UH, THERE WILL BE MORE, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE SECOND ROUND, UH, THAN THE PREVIOUS VENDOR.
UH, THE TECHNOLOGY IS THE SAME, UH, IN THE SENSE THAT IT TAKES THE PHOTO OF THE LICENSE PLATE OF THE VEHICLE.
UM, BUT WITH THIS PARTICULAR, I GUESS, SOLUTION, YES, YOU ARE CORRECT.
THE, THE CAMERAS THEMSELVES AND THE VEHICLES WILL IN FACT BE A VIDEO CAMERA AS WELL THAT WILL CAPTURE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE, THE POLICE OFFICERS AND THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY'RE USED IN THAT FASHION.
SO LONG TERM, WE ARE LOOKING AGAIN WITH THIS CONTRACT AND MOVING FORWARD AS WE SWAP OUT ALL THE OLD DASH CAMS FOR, YOU KNOW, THE NEW DASH CAMS LONG TERM, THEN, UH, WOULD IT BE CORRECT TO SAY THAT ALL, UH, A P D VEHICLES WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME, UH, YOU KNOW, A L P R READERS AS WELL? THAT IS A CORRECT STATEMENT, SIR.
IT WILL HAPPEN OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
[01:50:01]
YOU'RE AWARE THAT THE FLEET CONTRACT THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY PASSED AND APPROVED, UH, IS NOT A, UH, AN ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTION IN THE SENSE THAT IT WON'T TAKE PLACE ALL AT ONCE.IT'LL TAKE A NUMBER OF YEARS, I BELIEVE IT'S FIVE YEARS TO, TO PHASE OUT THOSE OLD CAMERAS, UM, AND GET THE NEW CAMERAS IN PLACE.
AND WE'LL GO BACK TO YOU AND THEN I'LL GO BACK TO YOU AND THEN I'LL COME ON.
UM, THIS IS NOT THIS, THIS TECHNOLOGY WOULDN'T BE UNIQUE TO AUSTIN.
IT IS USED AT OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE REGION AS WELL AS NATIONALLY.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, WOULD ANY FURTHER DELAY IN APPROVAL OF THIS CONTRACT POTENTIALLY HAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CITY THAT WE MAY HAVE NOT DISCUSSED BEFORE? I THINK, UM, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SUCCESS STORIES THAT COME OUT OF LICENSE PLATE READERS.
SOME OF THEM ARE AS SIMPLE AS SOLVING, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY CRIMES.
SOME OF THEM ARE RETURNING VEHICLES BACK TO FAMILIES WHO DEPEND ON THEIR VEHICLE.
AND SOME OF THEM ARE SOLVING VIOLENT CRIMES AND PREVENTING VIOLENT CRIME.
SO MY ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS, EVERY DAY THAT WE DELAY IMPACTS THE VICTIMS OF THESE CRIMES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EXPLAINING THAT.
I'VE SPOKEN TO POLICE OFFICERS ACROSS THE STATE WHO ACTUALLY HAVE HAD MUCH SUCCESS IN UTILIZATION OF THIS PROGRAM, AND THEY'VE LOOKED AT OUR POLICY AND LET ME KNOW AS FEEDBACK THAT IT IS ONE OF THE MOMENTS ROBUST AND SECURE POLICIES THAT THEY'VE SEEN IN REGARDS TO ENSURING, UM, THE SAFETY AND PRIVACY OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE CRIMES THAT WE HAVE OUTLINED.
UM, DO YOU KNOW WHEN, THIS IS BACK BEFORE COUNSEL MAY.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS MAY 18TH IS THE NEXT TIME.
YEAH, I, I BLAME MY COLLEAGUES FOR ASKING SUCH GOOD QUESTIONS THAT MAKE ME THINK OF OTHER QUESTIONS.
UH, SO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE'S GONNA BE CAMERAS THAT WILL BE, UM, MORE STATIONARY ON, ON THE GROUND, IS THAT CORRECT? THEY'LL BE PERMANENTLY FIXED.
DO Y'ALL HAVE AN IDEA WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GO? LIKE WHAT IS THE RUBRIC OF KNOWING TO PUT IT IN THIS PART OF TOWN OR, OR IN THIS AREA AND NOT IN SOME OTHER AREA? YEAH, SO WE HAVE TO WORK ALONGSIDE FLOCK ONCE WE GET A CONTRACT APPROVED SO WE CAN SEE EXACTLY WHERE THEY CAN GO.
THEY HAVE PARAMETERS, UH, TECHNOLOGICAL AND LOGISTICAL OBSTACLES.
SO WE CAN'T GIVE A PRECISE LOCATION RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DO UTILIZE THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE, SO I 35 MOPAC 180 3.
UM, AND ALONG THOSE, THOSE UH, CORRIDORS, THEY WILL NOT BE PLACED IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, THEY'LL BE PLACED ALONGSIDE WHERE THE HIGHEST VEHICLE TRAFFIC IS IN THE CITY, UM, EQUALLY DISPERSED AROUND THE CITY SO THAT THERE'S NO DESPERATE IMPACT UPON ANY, ANY SPECIFIC GROUP.
LIKE NEIGHBORHOODS, I'M THINKING ABOUT DISTRICT NINE AND I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES CAN THINK ABOUT PLACES IN THEIR AREA IN, IN THEIR DISTRICT, BUT, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOODS, PARTS OF PARTS OF DISTRICT NINE, YOU KNOW, RAINY STREET, SIXTH STREET, I MEAN EVEN THE WEST CAMPUS AREA.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA.
WAS THAT SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU GUYS MIGHT POTENTIALLY PUT CAMERAS THOUGH? POTENTIALLY IF AS LONG AS THERE'S A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE OR A PARALLEL TO THOSE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE, UH, WE'RE JUST NOT PUTTING 'EM IN LIKE A RESIDENTIAL IS WHAT I MEANT.
COUNCIL MEMBER VILA, I KNEW IT
SO THE DATA WILL ACTUALLY BE STORED WITH FLOCK, SIR.
UH, THE, I GUESS IN THE CLOUD, UH, IT'S THROUGH AMAZON WEB SERVICES.
UH, IT'S, IT'S FULLY ENCRYPTED, UH, FROM THE TIME OF INCEPTION TO AT REST, UH, UNDER AES 2 56 ENCRYPTION, WHICH IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF ENCRYPTION.
SO YES, THEY WILL MAINTAIN THE DATA.
UH, WE, WE OF COURSE WILL, WILL GRANT ACCESS TO THE DATA, UH, ONCE OUR OFFICERS COMPLETE REQUIRE TRAINING, UM, AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND OBVIOUSLY THERE WILL BE A ROBUST AUDIT TRAIL IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THOSE THAT DO ACCESS THE DATA, UH, ACCESS DEFER LEGITIMATE LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSE.
AND DOES FLOCK, I KNOW THEY'RE STORING THE DATA OR, YOU KNOW, VIA THIRD PARTY, UH, DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA AS WELL, OR IS IT ENCRYPTED EVEN TO WARD THEM? SO THEY WOULD HAVE DATA OR THEY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA AND AN EFFORT TO DO A NUMBER OF THINGS TO, TO SHARE OUR DATA.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF, IF THEY HAVE OUR DATA AND SAY I LOG INTO THE SYSTEM WITH A LEGITIMATE LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO THEN GIVE ME THE DATA THAT I'M ASKING FOR.
SO THEY DO HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA IN THE SENSE THAT THEY HAVE TO IN ORDER TO GIVE IT ACCESS TO ME.
SO YES, OR THEY WOULD, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF ANY OF THE FLOCK FOLKS WOULD ANSWER.
SO BASICALLY Y'ALL HAVE UNIVERSAL ACCESS FLOCK, Y'ALL, MEANING FLOCK, UH, HAS UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO THE, TO THE, UH, UH, UH, LICENSE PLATE INFORMATION DATA THAT'S STORED IN THE CLOUD.
THIS IS HECTOR FROM, FROM FLOCK
[01:55:01]
SAFETY.UH, WE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA DIRECTLY.
UH, I THINK, UH, WHAT, UH, APD WAS MENTIONING IS THAT WE ARE HOLDING THE DATA, UH, FOR YOU ALL AS, AS CUSTODIANS.
UM, AND IT'S WITHIN OUR SYSTEM, BUT NO FLOCK EMPLOYEES HAVE ACCESS TO AUSTIN PD DATA.
AND IS THAT BECAUSE OF INTERNAL RULES OR IS THAT BECAUSE OF ENCRYPTION THAT ONLY A P D HAS AND CAN UNLOCK? UH, THOSE ARE PER OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU ALL THE DATA IS OWNED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
SO BOTH THE, THE CONTRACT ITSELF, UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY TIED OR SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM IN GENERAL FOR, YOU KNOW, IT PURPOSES, SECURITY PURPOSES.
UM, BUT WE ARE TOP TWO COMPLIANT, UM, ORGANIZATION.
SO THAT'S JUST A STANDARD PROCEDURE, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE THIS TYPE OF DATA, BUT NO, GENERALLY NO FLOCK EMPLOYEE HAS ACCESS.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE, THE ACCESS THAT YOU DO HAVE IS RESTRICTED TO CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE CORPORATION FOR KIND OF CONTRACT FACILITATION PURPOSES, BUT, BUT IT IS NOT ENCRYPTED AS TO FLOCK? IN OTHER WORDS, IT, IT IS ENCRYPTED AS, AS TO FLOCK.
SO THEY, THEY HAVE TO GO TO, THROUGH THE PROCEDURES OF ACCESSING THAT DATA.
UM, IT'S ENCRYPTED AT REST IN AMAZON WEB SERVERS, UM, WHICH WE CONTRACT WITH FOR THAT.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO CLARIFY, SO EVEN THE FLOCK EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA HAVE TO REQUEST ACCESS FROM A P D BEFORE THEY CAN LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL LICENSE PLATE INFORMATION? CORRECT.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A REQUEST TO THEM, UH, TO, TO ASSISTANCE IN SOME KIND OF MANNER.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
I COULD TALK FOREVER ABOUT THIS.
UM, WELL I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO, UM, IS THERE ANY, ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE US? THERE BEING NO OTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE US, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION.
WE ADJOURN THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
IT IS 3 56 ON MONDAY, APRIL 24TH.
THANK EVERYBODY THAT IS HERE, AND THANK YOU ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS.