[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
UM, WE HAVE QUORUM.SO I'M GONNA CALL, UM, TO ORDER THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
TODAY'S MAY 15TH, AND WE HAVE A SHORTER MEETING.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO KEEP THINGS NICE AND TIGHT AS A REMINDER TO EVERYBODY.
UM, WE WILL BE WAITING TO BE RECOGNIZED, UM, BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS.
UM, AND WE WILL BE, WE WILL HAVE EVERYONE AT THE TABLE STICKING TO AGENDA ITEMS ONLY AS WE'RE SPEAKING AND MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND WITH THAT, WE WILL JUST GO AHEAD AND I THINK WE DO HAVE SOME PUBLIC COM, SOME GENERAL COMMUNICATION, BUT I'M GONNA, ARE THEY SPECIFICALLY TO ITEM THREE? YEAH, ITEM TWO.
I WILL, IS IT OKAY IF YOU GUYS HOLD OFF YOUR COMMENT UNTIL WE START ITEM TWO? OKAY.
AND WITH THAT WE WILL JUST GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
[1. 911/311 Call Center Update (Kiracofe, Ramirez) 4:40pm-5:10pm -911/311 Staff]
WITH THE NINE ONE ONE THREE ONE ONE CALL CENTER UPDATE.UM, I CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY BY NAME WHO'S COMING UP, UM, TO BRIEF US, IF YOU GUYS CAN COME ON UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
MY NAME IS MARIA COAG AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'LL BE BRIEFING YOU THIS AFTERNOON ON 9 1 1.
DOES EVERYONE HAVE A COPY OF EVER, HAS EVERYONE SEEN THIS REPORT? NO.
ARE THERE MATERIALS THAT WE CAN PUT UP MS. JACKSON FOR EVERYONE TO SEE? ONE NOW.
ON THE SCREEN IS OUR VACANCY RATE, JUST SO THAT YOU CAN REFERENCE THAT.
SO I WENT AHEAD AND ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED IN ORDER.
SO I'M JUST GONNA READ THE, THE QUESTION ITSELF AND THEN PRESENT THE ANSWER TO YOU, IF THAT'S OKAY.
THE ANSWERING PROTOCOL FOR NINE ONE ONE, WHEN A CALL COMES IN, THEY'RE AUTOMATICALLY CALLED DISTRIBUTED TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE CALLER.
SO IT DOESN'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO SAY, I'M READY.
THE CALLER HAS IMMEDIATELY, THE CALLER THEN IS IMMEDIATELY PRESENTED WITH AUSTIN POLICE.
AUSTIN POLICE, DO YOU NEED FIRE, POLICE, EMS, OR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES? DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY SAY.
AND IF IT'S MULTIPLE THINGS, THEN WE WILL HANDLE IT THAT WAY.
IF THEY SAY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, WE HAVE A SERIES OF SAFETY QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE ASKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO WEAPONS INVOLVED OR THINGS LIKE THAT OF THAT NATURE.
AND THEN IF THEY DON'T, IF THEY, IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR NEED, THEN THEY GET TRANSFERRED TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS THAT ARE ON THE FLOOR WITH OUR CALL TAKERS.
IF THE POLICE, IF A POLICE RESPONSE IS NEEDED AFTER THAT, THEN THEY ANSWER, OR I'M SORRY, ASK QUESTIONS BASED ON STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
UM, IF THEY INDICATE THE NEED FOR FIRE EMS, THEN THE CALL GETS TRANSFERRED TO FIRE EMS. OUR CALL TAKERS CAN REMAIN ON THE LINE TO LISTEN IN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T NEED ANY FURTHER ACTION FROM POLICE.
SOMETIMES THE CALL NEEDS BOTH, AND IF NOT, THEN THEY CAN DISCONNECT AND TAKE ANOTHER CALL.
THERE WAS A QUESTION HERE ABOUT ANSWERING PROTOCOL FOR NOT EMERGENCY.
I BELIEVE THAT IS A 3 0 1 QUESTION.
HOWEVER, IF SOMEONE CALLS THREE 11, THEY, THEY HAVE A CERTAIN WAY THAT THEY WOULD ANSWER THE PHONE, GET THEIR INFORMATION FROM THE PERSON, UM, CREATE WHAT WE CALL A SERVICE REQUEST.
THAT REQUEST WOULD THEN GET SENT BACK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR US TO CALL BACK AND GET THEM, GET FURTHER INFORMATION.
BUT ANY MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT HOW THE CALL IS HANDLED, I WOULD LIKE TO REFER THROUGH AND WHAT FOR THAT.
WHAT AND HOW INFORMATION GATHERED AND COLLECTED.
DEPENDING ON WHAT THE PERSON SAYS, THE INFORMATION IS ENTERED INTO OUR CAD SYSTEM.
THAT SYSTEM IS SHARED WITH THE OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES IN THE CITY, SO THEY COULD ALL SEE THE INFORMATION.
SO IF IT IS ONE OF THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, WHAT I MENTIONED BEFORE, WHERE FIRE AND EMS ARE ALSO NEEDED, THEY CAN ALSO SEE WHAT THE CALL IS AND WHAT, WHAT OUR CALL TAKERS ARE PUTTING IN.
IF THEY'RE REPORTING A CRIME THAT IS NOT CONSIDERED AN EMERGENCY AT THE MOMENT, THE PERSON'S THEN EITHER REFERRED TO THREE 11 OR I REPORT AUSTIN, WHICH IS OUR
[00:05:01]
ONLINE REPORTING SYSTEM.UM, HOW, WHEN, HOW, WHEN AND WHY ARE EMERGENCY CALLS TRANSFERRED? CALLS ARE TRANSFERRED BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE CALLER.
TRANSFERS OCCUR BY USING A ONE-TOUCH DIAL DIALING SYSTEM KEYPAD.
THIS KEYPAD HAS PRE-PRO PROGRAM NUMBERS THAT ALLOW FOR ONE-TOUCH BUTTON TRANSFER.
SPECIAL CALL HANDLING, NINE ONE ONE CALL HANDLING EQUIPMENT ALLOWS FOR TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICES AT EVERY 9 1 1 POSITION.
THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR TEXT COMMUNICATION OVER A TELEPHONE LINE DESIGNED TO BE USED BY A PERSON WITH HEARING OR SPEECH DIFFICULTIES.
TEXT TO 9 1 1 IS ALSO AN AVAILABLE OPTION CURRENTLY, HOWEVER, RIGHT NOW ENGLISH IS THE ONLY OPTION BASED ON THE SOFTWARE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
WE DO HAVE A LANGUAGE LINE THOUGH THAT, THAT OUR CALL TAKERS CAN UTILIZE.
IF SOMEONE SPEAKS IT A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, THEY CAN GET THE LANGUAGE LINE AND THEN HELP WITH THE COMMUNICATION.
WITH THE CALL WITH THE CALLER, THERE IS A TEXAS RELAY SERVICE THAT WILL CALL INTO OUR NINE ONE ONE SYSTEM AND ASSIST WITH A S L INTERPRETATION CITIZENS.
CONTACT THAT SERVICE VIA VIDEO AND THEN COMMUNICATE WITH NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS.
THE NEXT ITEM IS RESPONSE TIMES.
I WAS ASKED HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ANSWER CALLS CURRENTLY? UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN EXACT NUMBER BECAUSE THAT CHANGES DAY TO DAY, AND IN REALITY, IT CAN CHANGE WITHIN 30 MINUTES TO THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.
A LOT OF THE CALL ANSWER RATE TIMES ARE BASED UPON HOW MANY PEOPLE I HAVE STAFFED AT THE TIME.
AND THEN OF COURSE, IF THERE'S A MAJOR EVENT, SOMETHING HAPPENS, THEN THE CALLS, THERE'LL BE MORE CALLS IN THE QUEUE, SO IT'S HARDER TO GET TO THEM.
THE NATIONAL STANDARD IS 90% OF CALLS ANSWERED IN THE FIRST 15 SECONDS.
SO THAT IS OUR GOAL EVERY DAY IS TO MEET THAT STANDARD.
WHEN DOES THE RESPONSE TIME CLOCK BEGIN? WE REPORT OFFICER RESPONSE TIME BASED ON A PHONE PICKUP TO THE FIRST ARRIVING UNIT.
WE ALSO TRACK THE TIME FROM WHEN THE OFFICER IS DISPATCHED TO ARRIVAL, BUT WE DO NOT TRACK OTHER AGENCIES THAT INFORMATION WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM THEM.
THE QUESTION ORIGINALLY WAS THREE ELEVEN'S AI TOOL.
WHAT IS IT? HOW DOES IT WORK? WHERE CAN IT BE ASSESSED AND HOW MUCH IS IT BEING USED? CASE SERVICE IS A NON-EMERGENCY CALL TAKING TOOL THAT ALLOWS A P D TO INGEST NON-EMERGENCY CALLS VIA SOFTWARE.
IT EXPEDITES THE TIME IT TAKES CUSTOMERS TO REPORT CRIMES TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND DECREASES THE TIME.
IT TAKES THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INGEST THOSE REPORTS INTO OUR RECORD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
CASE SERVICE CAN BE ACCESSED, EXCUSE ME, VIA I REPORT AUSTIN.
CURRENTLY ABOUT 202,500 REPORTS PER MONTH ARE ENTERED INTO THE REPORTING TOOL.
HOW, HOW WILL IT OR HAS IT IMPACTED 9 1 1 OR THREE 11 WAIT TIMES.
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT CASE SERVICE WILL DECREASE WAIT TIMES, BUT THAT IS YET TO BE MATERIALIZED.
CASE SERVICE REPLACED ANOTHER SOFTWARE THAT HAD REACHED ITS MA MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS CASE SERVICE HAS ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY THAT WILL BE EXPANDED UPON WHEN LEVERAGE.
THIS ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY WILL DECREASE WAIT TIMES FOR AT LEAST A NON-EMERGENCY AND POSSIBLY 9 1 1.
OUR CURRENT STAFFING UPDATE WITH THE SLIDE THERE, CALL TAKING STAFFING.
55 OUT OF 104 POSITIONS ARE FILLED FOR DISPATCH 59 OUTTA 75.
HOW IS OVERTIME BEING USED TO INCENTIVIZE SHIFT COVERAGE? OVERTIME IS USED TO FILL POSITIONS DURING THE HOURS OF 6:00 AM TO 5:00 PM AT TIME AND A HALF FROM 5:00 PM TO 6:00 AM IT IS TWO TIMES OVERTIME.
THAT SECOND PIECE HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN, IN HELPING US FILL OPPOSITIONS IN THE LATER HOURS OF THE NIGHT FROM FIVE TO SIX.
WHEN CALL VOLUME TENDS TO BE HIRED, WHEN DOES PRACTICE BEGIN AND HOW EFFECTIVE HAS HAS IT BEEN? WE ADDED THE DOUBLE OVERTIME ON MARCH 10TH.
HOW MUCH OF THE OVERTIME, OVERTIME BUDGET FIGURES THAT WERE PRESENTED AT LAST A P D QUARTERLY REPORT ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THAT INCENTIVIZING.
THE QUARTERLY REPORTS THAT ARE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ONLY REFLECT SWORN OVERTIME.
THE COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION OVERTIME AMOUNT THROUGH APRIL 22ND IS $965,560.
RECRUITING WHERE, HOW HAVE THE RECRUITING PRO PROCESSES CHANGED? RECRUITING AND HIRING REMAINS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TITLE 37
[00:10:01]
AND TEXAS OCCUPATIONS CODE CHAPTER 1701.BUT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN STREAMLINED.
PREVIOUSLY IT WAS 14 WEEKS FROM APPLICATION TO HIRE DATE.
IT'S NOW DOWN TO NINE TO 10 WEEKS.
THE HIRING UNIT FOR EMERGENCY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS HAS ADDED TWO FULL-TIME RECRUIT RECRUITMENT COORDINATOR POSITIONS, A BACKGROUND INVESTIGATOR POSITION, AND TWO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL WHO ASSISTS PART-TIME WITH BOTH RECRUITING EVENTS AND HIRING END PROCESS.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN CITYWIDE HIRING COM CAMPAIGN HAS HELPED TO INCREASE THE IN THE APPLICANT POOL AND THE RECRUIT RECRUITMENT COORDINATORS CONTINUE TO ATTEND MANY RECRUITING EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IS NOW RECEIVING THREE TO FOUR TIMES THE APPLICANTS COMPARED TO THIS TIME OF 2022.
SOME NEW INCENTIVES BEING PROVIDED.
EMPLOYEES RECEIVE TWO COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENTS IN 2022, AND THE STARTING PAY WAS INCREASED IN AN AVERAGE OF 28% FROM JANUARY, 2022 TO JANUARY, 2023.
STARTING PAY FOR NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS IS $23 AND 85 CENTS, AND STARTING PAY FOR DISPATCHERS IS $25 AND 42 CENTS.
EMPLOYEES WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THEIR TCO LICENSING WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF EMPLOYMENT RECEIVE A MONTHLY FIRST RESPONDER STIPEND, STIPEND, EXCUSE ME, OF $1,800 A YEAR.
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS HAS SEEN A 170% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES HIRED FROM 26 EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEES HIRED FOR ALL OF CALENDAR YEAR 2022 VERSUS 27 EMPLOYEES ALREADY HIRED DURING THE FIRST OF 2023.
CURRENT APPLICANT AND SUCCESSFUL HIRE NUMBERS ARE PROJECTED TO CONTINUE AT THIS CURRENT RATE BASED ON THE ACTIVE POSTINGS ON CITYWIDE JOBS UPDATE ON TRANSITION, THIS WAS EXPLORED, BUT FEDERAL AND STATE REGULATIONS WOULD REQUIRE AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF WORK TO ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY.
THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGET FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IS $16,359,722 OR 3.7% OF APDS TOTAL BUDGET.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? COMMISSION? YES.
UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, UH, I DO APPRECIATE YOUR REPORT.
I AM THE ONE THAT ASKED THAT THIS BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA.
AND WHAT PROMPTED THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE MADE NOT ONLY LOCAL, BUT NATIONAL NEWS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CALLS BEING, UH, NOT ANSWERED IN OUR 9 1 1 SYSTEM.
AND I CAN CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES THAT I SEE IN YOUR REPORT, AND I KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS THE FIRST PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST PERSON OUR CITIZENS TALK TO WHEN THEY HAVE AN EMERGENCY OR PERCEIVED EMERGENCY.
AND I KNOW THAT THE 9 1 9 1 1 SYSTEM IS ABUSED.
SO I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE JOB THAT THEY DO, AND I KNOW IT'S A STRESSFUL SITUATION.
NOW, MY QUESTION IS, WHEN SOMEBODY DOESN'T GET THEIR CALL ANSWERED AND THEY HANG UP, DO YOU CALL BACK? WE DO, WE DO.
IT GOES INTO AN ABANDONED QUEUE, UM, OR ABANDONED CALL.
IT'S AN, IT REPRESENTS AN ABANDONED CALL, ESSENTIALLY IS WHAT IT'S CALLED.
UM, THE MINUTE THAT SOMEBODY IS FREE FROM AN A CURRENT CALL, THEY WILL THEN ATTEMPT TO CALL THOSE NUMBERS BACK IN HOPES THAT THEY CAN ANSWER SOMEONE'S, UM, CALL.
USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS THOUGH IS THAT THE PERSON HAS HUNG UP AND THEN THEY JUST TRY TO CALL BACK AND THE PROCESS JUST CONTINUES FROM THERE.
SO THAT DELAYS THAT PERSON GETTING BACK ON AND IT CAN'T ACTUALLY ANSWERING, UH, ANOTHER 9 1 1 CALL.
UM, YOU STATED THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL IS TO ANSWER IN 15 SECONDS THE NATIONAL STANDARD.
AND I DID SEE YOUR REPORT ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR STATISTICS ARE ON THAT.
UM, HOW LONG DID TILL THEY TRANSFERRED OVER TO POLICE, FIRE, EMS? YOU MEAN THE, UH, UH, THE AMOUNT OF TIME SINCE THERE WAS? YEAH, THEY GET THE BASIC INFORMATION, LIKE YOU SAID, AND THEN THEY DE YOU KNOW, DETERMINE THAT THIS PERSON WANTS POLICE.
WHAT IS THE TIME THAT THEY TRANSFER THAT CALL? THE CALL DOESN'T GET TRANSFERRED.
IF IT'S POLICE, THEY WOULD CONTINUE SPEAKING TO THE PERSON, THE CALL TAKER, IF, AND, AND KEEP IN MIND THEY'RE ALSO IMMEDIATELY ENTERING THE INFORMATION INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO THEY'RE NOT WAITING TO DO THAT AFTER THE TRANSFER, THEY'RE TAKING THE INITIAL STATEMENT AND IT'S AUTOMATICALLY GOING INTO OUR CAT SYSTEM.
SO THE INITIAL CALL TAKER IS STAYING ON AND ENTERING THAT CORRECT INFORMATION? CORRECT.
AS WELL AS THE A P D DISPATCHER? IT GO, IT, IT CAN BE ALSO THE DISPATCHER.
SO ONCE IT'S, ONCE THE ADDRESS IS VERIFIED AND WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT'S GOING, THEN THE DISPATCHER WILL SEE
[00:15:01]
THE CALL.SO IT'S A FIRE CALL, THEY TRANSFER IT TO A F D, WHAT HAPPENS THEN? THEN WE STAY ON THE LINE TO MAKE SURE IT'S THAT NOTHING ELSE IS NEEDED FROM THE POLICE SIDE AND THEN DISCONNECT AND THEN FIRE TAKES OVER THE CALL FROM THERE.
UM, COMMISSIONER KOFF, ONE SECOND.
I JUST WANNA DO A QUICK CHECK TO SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS SOME QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THAT JUST BEFORE WE KEEP GOING, JUST LET COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE GETS A CHANCE.
ONE OTHER THEN, AND THEN I'LL, IF I HAVE MORE.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT, UM, CELL TOWERS AROUND.
FOR INSTANCE, I'M ACTUALLY IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
I DIAL NINE ONE ONE ON MY CELL PHONE AND IS PICKED UP BY A CELL TOWER.
HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT? IF I NEED A WILLIAMSON COUNTY UNIT? IF, IF YOU'RE CALLING FOR WILLIAMSON COUNTY, WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT TRANSFERS THE CALLS TO THE APPROPRIATE AGENCIES THAT, UM, AND SURROUNDING AGENCIES AS WELL.
BUT DOES THE ACTUAL CALL TAKER STAY ON THE LINE TILL A NO.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY? NO CALL TAKER.
AND COMMISSIONER KOFF, WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU YEAH.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE EVERYBODY ELSE A CHANCE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IN TERMS OF CALL VOLUME, UM, IF YOU KNOW ROUGHLY WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CALLS ARE PRIMARILY POLICE, PRIMARILY FIRE, PRIMARILY EMS OR MENTAL HEALTH? I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD TRY TO FOLLOW UP ON? THANK YOU.
UM, FOR THE CALLS THAT ARE NOT ANSWERED AND SOMEBODY HANGS UP, UM, WHEN THEY CALL BACK, IF THEY'RE NOT ANSWERED, WHAT'S THE PROTOCOL THEN? IT REMAINS THE SAME.
SO THEY WOULD JUST KEEP, THEY WOULD, A CALL TAKER WOULD CALL BACK THAT, THAT HECK UP AND TRY TO GET IN CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY.
AND SO IF NOBODY ANSWERS AT THAT POINT, WHAT HAPPENS IF, IF THE CALLER DOESN'T ANSWER YES, THE PERSON WE'RE CALLING BACK, YES, MA'AM.
NOTHING, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY, WE DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
WE DON'T HAVE AN ADDRESS TO GO OFF OF.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION AT THAT POINT.
COMMISSIONER HOLMES, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK, I I CAN SEE SOME OF THE RECRUIT, THE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS THAT ARE GOING ON.
HOW IS RETENTION? I CAN IMAGINE THIS IS A REALLY STRESSFUL JOB AND I I'M NOT COMPLETELY CLEAR ON WHAT SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE TO HELP RETAIN PEOPLE.
AND WITH THE NEW RAISES THAT CAME, UM, HAS THERE BEEN A COMPRESSION ISSUE WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME? UM, NOT QUITE GOING UP AT THE SAME LEVEL? UH, YES, THERE HAS BEEN.
AND SO ARE, CAN YOU SPEAK ANY MORE TO THE EFFORTS ON RETENTION AND THAT, THAT I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE GREAT DETAILS, I JUST, IS THAT A BIG PART OF THIS AS WELL? UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE FEWER VACANCIES? IT IS, YES.
UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS HOW DOES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE 9 88 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LINE, UH, TRANSLATE OVER TO YOUR LINE AND HOW DO Y'ALL WORK TOGETHER? UM, WHEN, WHEN THERE'S A REFERRAL OVER TO YOUR SYSTEM OR DOES THAT BYPASS? UM, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
CAN YOU, SO FOR IF SOMEONE WAS GONNA DIAL 9 88, UH, THE SUICIDE AND CRISIS LINE, UH, THE NATIONAL CRISIS AND, AND SUICIDE LINE, UM, AND THEY HAD A REFERRAL BECAUSE IT IS A, IT, IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT THEY NEEDED RESPONDERS TO COME TO THAT LOCATION.
HOW IS THAT, HOW DOES THAT RELATIONSHIP WORK WITH THEY WOULD CALL US.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN POTENTIALLY, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF.
AND THEN POTENTIALLY, DEPENDING ON WHAT INFORMATION IS GATHERED, IT COULD BE TRIAGED OR, UM, DEESCALATION ATTEMPTS COULD BE MANAGED INSIDE WITH OUR CLINICIANS ON ONSITE.
SO IF IT, IF IT RISES TO THE LEVEL THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE INVOLVED, BUT NOT NECESSARILY POLICE, WE CAN ALSO DO THAT AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A POLICE RESPONSE IF NECESSARY.
UM, SO IN THOSE SITUATIONS, WOULD YOU HAVE A REGULAR UNIT RESPOND OUT TO THAT OR WOULD YOU HAVE A CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM COME OUT TO THAT? OR IS THAT ALL IN THE, THE TRIAGE PORTION THAT THAT'S DETERMINED? CORRECT.
UM, IT, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT, WHAT IS SAID.
[00:20:01]
KNOW, IF THERE IS A IMMEDIATE RESPONSE NEEDED BECAUSE OF A THREAT TO SOMEONE, THEN WE SEND AN OFFICER, WE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS AVAILABLE.IDEALLY ONE OF THEM WOULD ALSO RESPOND.
AND THEN DEPENDING ON WHEN THE SITUATION IS CALMED DOWN OR OR ABILITY FOR US TO, TO BRING IN CLINICIANS, WE CAN CALL 'EM AND THEY WILL COME OUT AS WELL.
UM, COMMISSIONER KOFF, DID YOU HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS? WELL, I, I'M JUST CURIOUS NOW ABOUT STAFFING IN, UH, A D DISPATCH AND EMS DISPATCH.
ARE THERE VACANCIES THERE? UH, YES.
WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT VACANCY RATE IN OUR, UM, DISPATCH CENTER.
UM, CURRENTLY IT'S MOSTLY AT OUR ENTRY LEVEL.
UM, WE HAVE 14 AUTHORIZED PHYSICIANS, AND OF THOSE 12 ARE VACANT.
UM, THE REST ARE IN OUR HIGHER LEVELS BECAUSE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE PROCESS.
UM, PEOPLE MOVE UP WITHIN A CERTAIN TIMELINE, SO WE DON'T HAVE MANY VACANCIES AT OUR CAPTAIN OR CLINICAL SPECIALIST OR COMMANDER RANK.
SO THAT IS HOW WE ARE ABLE TO OPERATE.
UM, THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WITHIN OUR CALL CENTER.
HOW ARE WE DOING IN AFD? GOOD AFTERNOON.
CURRENTLY, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY DISPATCHING, UH, VACANCIES.
WE'RE DOING WELL AT THIS TIME.
COMMISSIONER ROTEN, WHY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIRE VERSUS EMS? IS IT PRIMARILY A PAY ISSUE OR WHAT'S THE THOUGHT THERE? I CAN'T SPEAK WITH ANY CERTAINTY TO THE DIFFERENCE IN, IN THE TWO.
UM, BUT WE, UM, WE HIRE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY CERTIFIED AT A CERTAIN LEVEL, WHICH IS AN AN EMT BASIC.
UM, AND THERE ARE TWO PATHWAYS THAT YOU CAN ENTER INTO THE EMS DEPARTMENT.
ONE SIDE IS A COMMUNICATION SIDE, THE OTHER SIDE IS OUR FIELD SIDE.
WE TYPICALLY ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE WITH AN EMT CERTIFICATION INTO THE FIELD SIDE.
UM, SO THAT IS WHY WE, WE SEE, UM, FEWER APPLICANTS INTO THAT AREA.
MR. MILLS, YOU THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
JUST TO ADD TO THE, FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, I KNOW THE FIRE CHIEF SAID THEY'RE, THEY'RE FULLY STAFFED.
THAT'S A A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THERE.
FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IN THE FIRE SERVICE, FIRE SWORN FIREFIGHTERS OR THE DISPATCHERS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IN THE, IN THE POLICE SYSTEM.
UM, KIND OF ANSWERS THE, THE, UH, PROBABLY THE WILLINGNESS OR IT'S, IT'S A CAREER PATH ACTUALLY IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BE A DISPATCHER.
UM, EMS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT BUT ALSO SWORN, I THINK IT'S THE EMT, ISN'T THAT RIGHT? CHIEF? UH, EMT LEVEL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH LABOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH OUR EMS, UH, FORCE TO LOOK AT STAFFING AND ALL THINGS, UH, RELATED.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE LOOKING AT IT WITH, WITH THE POLICE AND WITH THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF BALLS IN THE AIR WITH THIS.
WE REALIZE IT IS A, IT IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE.
UH, THE, THE CASE YOU MENTIONED, I THINK IT WAS 28 MINUTES TO GET A CALL, TO GET A CALL ANSWERED WAS KIND OF CATALYST FOR A LOT OF, UH, THE DISCUSSIONS WE'RE HAVING.
UM, WE'RE, UH, I COMMENT REGULARLY ABOUT WHEN WE JUST, I THINK WE JUST MET LIKE FRIDAY AND WE SAY WE HIRE THREE AND TWO LEAVE AND WE HIRE TWO AND THREE LEAVE.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, UM, TO FIGURE OUT RECRUITING, UH, AND RETENTION.
AND I THINK I'LL FOLLOW UP ON, UM, COMMISSIONER HOLMES'S QUESTION, JUST IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING RETENTION AND HOW, WHO'S STAYING, WHO'S LEAVING, UM, AND JUST HAVING MORE INFORMATION AROUND THAT WOULD BE, I THINK, JUST HELPFUL IN GENERAL AS WE MOVE, I'M, I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE GATHERING ALL THAT INFORMATION ALREADY AS YOU'RE HAVING YOUR DISCUSSIONS AND STUFF.
AND IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL AND INSIGHTFUL TO HAVE AS A COMMISSION A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT RETENTION LOOKS LIKE, REASONS FOR LEAVE, LIKE WE DO WITH OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS.
WHY ARE PEOPLE LEAVING? AT WHAT POINT IN THEIR CAREER ARE THEY LEAVING? UM, ARE THEY LEAVING FOR, I MEAN, AND I KNOW THAT EXIT INTERVIEWS DON'T ALWAYS NECESSARILY ADDRESS ALL OF THIS, BUT LIKE, WHERE ARE THEY LEAVING TO, LIKE, THAT KIND OF STUFF IS IMPORTANT.
I'LL TELL YOU, SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
LIKE EVEN WE'VE HAD IT IN MANY DISCUSSIONS ANECDOTALLY AT LEAST LOOK THAT A A PEOPLE LIKE TO WORK FROM HOME.
UH, WE FOUND THAT IN THIS CITY, UH, PEOPLE IN 9 1 1 CAN'T WORK FROM HOME.
PEOPLE CAN WORK IN, IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS JOBS ALL OVER THIS CITY AND THEY CAN WORK FROM HOME.
UH, THREE 11 OPERATORS DO WORK FROM HOME.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO IT.
UH, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS, IS THE, IS THE PAY, UH, AND THE, THE STRESS OF THE JOB AND THE DEMAND.
SO I'M SURE WE'LL FIND THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT THE, THE
[00:25:01]
DATA'S GONNA SUPPORT FOR WHY PEOPLE ARE LEAVING OR WHY THEY WON'T TAKE THE JOB.THERE'S ALSO A VERY, UH, THERE'S A, IT'S A DIFFICULT, UH, PROCESS TO GET INTO.
THERE'S A, THERE'S BACKGROUND REQUIRED, THERE'S TRAINING REQUIRED.
UH, THERE'S MANY CLEARANCES THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE TRY TO GET INTO THE SYSTEM WILL GET THE APPLICATION AND FIND OUT THAT THEY DON'T QUALIFY AND THEY, AND THEY FALL OUT BEFORE THEY EVER EVEN GET INTO THE SYSTEM.
THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU THAT.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME INTERRUPT.
AND I THINK I JUST, UM, I HAVE ONE AND IT, I THINK IT'S A QUESTION FOR FUTURE PRESENTATIONS, CUZ WE'D LOVE TO HAVE HAVE YOU GUYS BACK.
I KNOW WE HAVE THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT'S, UM, QUESTION AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP IN WRITING TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT ANSWER.
UM, BUT I THINK THE, I FORGET WHAT IT'S CALLED, THE, THE AI BASED 9 1 1.
UM, IT'LL, IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT TO HEAR IN, I'M SURE WE'LL DO ANOTHER CHECK-IN IN SIX MONTHS, A YEAR OR SO, UM, TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT SORT OF IMPACT THAT'S HAVING ON VOLUME AND LIKE WORKLOAD FOR THE CALL TAKERS AS WELL.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, THEN I THINK THANK YOU FOR COMING.
UM, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.
[2. Austin License Plate Reader Program (Hall-Martin, Ramirez) 5:10pm-5:40pm -Jeff Greenwalt, Assistant Chief, Austin Police Department -Office of Police Oversight]
US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FOR THIS ADMITTEDLY MORE TECHNICALLY COMPLEX ISSUE.UM, SO IF WE CAN GET EVERYBODY THAT'S COMING TO SPEAK ON THE AUSTIN LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM, I THINK WE'LL TAKE, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST IF YOU GUYS WILL COME ON UP.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE SARAH RODRIGUEZ AND CHRIS HARRIS JOINING US, AND WHICHEVER OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST.
YEAH, I'M JUST HERE TO SORT OF SPEAK ON SOME OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE CURRENT POLICY.
UM, WE'VE DONE A RECENT ANALYSIS OF THE POLICY, THE DRAFT THAT WAS JUST RELEASED THIS FRIDAY.
UM, AND SO I'M JUST GONNA GO OVER A COUPLE OF SUMMARY OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE POLICY AS IT IS.
UM, FIRST ONE, SORT OF THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AROUND THAT THERE'S BEEN SORT OF NO, UM, AT LEAST THAT I'VE SEEN PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DISCUSSION OF THE METHODOLOGY THAT'S USED, UM, FOR THE CHANGES.
REALLY THANKFUL THAT APD HAS, UM, HEALTHY SESSIONS AND DO SEE SOME OF THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND UPDATED POLICIES.
BUT THERE'S BEEN SORT OF NO DISCUSSION OF WHAT GETS CHOSEN TO BE PUT IN THOSE POLICIES AND WHAT DOESN'T.
UM, ALSO WHEN REVIEWING OPOS RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FOR A L A L P R POLICY WITH UPDATED, UPDATED APD POLICY, HAVE FOUND THAT NONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FULLY HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.
ONLY ONE HAS BEEN PARTIALLY ADOPTED INTO THE CURRENT POLICY.
UM, SO THE DRAFT DOES NOT ADHERE TO RESOLUTION 56, WHICH IS A CONCERN.
UM, UM, SOME OF THE MAIN THINGS BEING THAT, UH, A L P R DATA IS NOT, UM, UH, LIMITED TO CRIMES AND EMERGENCY AS STATED AND RESOLUTION 56.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A QUESTION AROUND THE PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS, UM, THAT AREN'T ADDRESSED.
UM, A QUESTION OF IF THERE IS A 30 DAY LIMIT, UM, BUT THERE IS AN INTENTION TO DO AUDIT, UM, TO HAVE AUDIT BY OUTSIDE ACTORS LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN AUDITOR OR SOMEONE ON THEIR BEHALF, WHAT DATA NEEDS TO BE KEPT THAT'S NOT MENTIONED IN THE POLICY, WHICH IS A CONCERN.
UM, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, THE CURRENT POLICY LACKS CLARITY AND SPECIFICITY SPECIFICITY, WHICH FURTHER WEAKENS THE REQUIRED SAFEGUARDS.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE USE OF THE WORD SHOULD IN PLACE OF SHALL WEAKENS THINGS.
UM, AND SEVERAL PLACES WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROHIBITED USE, THERE'S A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THE A P R SYSTEM SHALL NOT BE USED, BUT THERE'S NO DISCUSSION OF HOW DATA WHICH CAN BE USED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE A L PR SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE USED.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THE ANALYSIS WITH FOLKS.
ALSO HAPPY TO SHARE OPOS, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, WHICH IS, I WOULD SAY IT HAS ALSO BEEN ANOTHER CONCERN BECAUSE, UM, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS HAD TO BE P I RD.
UM, AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I'VE TRADITIONALLY SEEN SEEN FROM THAT OFFICE.
UM, THEY'RE GENERALLY VERY TRANSPARENT AND SO TRANSPARENT AROUND, UM, THEIR RESEARCH.
UH, HI, MY NAME IS CHRIS HARRIS.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF POLICY AT THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION.
[00:30:01]
FOR, UM, UH, HAVING THIS SPECIAL CALL MEETING TO, TO ADDRESS THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC BEFORE THIS IMPORTANT DECISION, UH, BY THE COUNCIL, UH, POTENTIALLY ON THURSDAY.UM, SO I THINK FOR ME, I WANT TO, UM, I THINK REITERATE SOME AREAS WHERE IT APPEARS THAT THE CURRENT POLICY DOES NOT ADHERE TO THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL PA LAST SEPTEMBER, UH, WHICH REAUTHORIZED THIS PROGRAM, UH, REAUTHORIZED THE BUDGET DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING U UTILIZED TO, TO BUY THESE CAMERAS AND RE RESTART THIS PROGRAM.
UM, SPECIFICALLY THE DRAFTED POLICY DOES NOT LIMIT THE A L P R DATA TO THE QUOTE UNQUOTE CRIMES AND EMERGENCIES SPECIFIED IN THE RESOLUTION.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING THAT, AGAIN, IT SHOULD DO IN ORDER TO ADHERE TO COUNCIL, UH, UH, DESIRES, UH, REGARDING THE RE-IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM.
SECONDARILY, THE DOCUMENTATION AND PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS FROM THE RESOLUTION ARE NOT INCLUDED, UM, UH, IN, IN THE POLICY.
AND FINALLY, THE POLICY DOES NOT STATE THAT A P D WILL NOT HONOR A REQUEST FOR DATA FROM OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE QUOTE, BROADER THAN A SPECIFIC CASE OR INVESTIGATION.
AND I THINK THIS REALLY SPEAKS TO THE, THE FEAR THAT WAS EXPRESSED BY SOME FOLKS HERE, UH, AS WELL AS BY MANY ADVOCATES IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT, UH, ULTIMATELY WHAT TYPES OF OFFENSES WILL THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY MASS SURVEILLANCE TOOLS BE USED TO, UH, TO, TO TRY TO ENFORCE.
AND, AND I ALSO WANT TO VERY, UH, FINALLY SORT OF CLOSE WITH, UM, UM, THE LAST POINT THAT SARAH MADE, WHICH IS, UM, THE OPO RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, WHICH WERE ASKED FOR AS PART OF THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
UH, WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA BACKUP, UH, THEY'RE NOT ON THE AGENDA BACKUP FOR THIS MEETING.
THEY WEREN'T ON THE AGENDA BACKUP FOR THE LAST MEETING.
THEY WEREN'T ON, THEY'RE NOT ON THE AGENDA BACKUP FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON THURSDAY.
THEY HAVE NOT ON THE CITY MEMOS LIST.
WHY IS THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF HIDING THE MEMOS FROM HIS OWN STAFF RELATED TO, UH, THIS PROGRAM? UH, WHY IS THE WORK OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT VITAL TO ENSURING THAT CIVILIAN INPUT IS INCLUDED IN POLICE POLICY NOT BEING, UH, NOT, NOT BEING MADE TRANSPARENT, NOT BEING RE REVEALED TO THE COMMUNITY? UH, WHY ARE WE JUST NOW SEEING THIS POLICY, SEEING, UH, THIS INFORMATION WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT PAID FOR BY THE TAXPAYERS, THE EXPERTS ON THIS ISSUE IN OUR CITY, UH, WHO ARE NOT SWORN OFFICERS, UM, IS A REAL CONCERN TO ME AND THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, DESPITE WHAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK IN THE CITY STILL EXISTS AND IS STILL PRODUCING GOOD WORK.
AND THAT WORK DESERVES TO SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY, AND IT DESERVES TO INFORM THE DECISIONS THAT BOTH THIS AND OUR CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE MAKE ABOUT HOW POLICING FUNCTIONS.
AND WITH THAT LIEUTENANT K GREENWALT, AND THEN WERE WE HAVING ANYONE ELSE JOIN US UP FOR THE DISCUSSION? UM, I, DOBEL IS, AND IS, IS THERE ANYONE FROM THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT JOINING US TODAY? I KNOW WE HAD A PLACEHOLDER ON THE AGENDA FOR THEM, BUT I BELIEVE NOT THAT I'M AWARE.
AND THEN JUST, UM, I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT I DID TO THE COMMISSIONERS DISTRIBUTE THE, THE, THE OPO RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, SO THAT EVERYBODY COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.
IT WAS ADMITTEDLY NOT TOO FAR IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT GETTING MATERIALS OUT TO YOU GUYS SOONER.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I DO HAVE PHYSICAL COPIES.
IF SOMEBODY NEEDS ONE, I CAN PASS 'EM OUT.
YEAH, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC IF YOU DO.
SO TODAY I BROUGHT, UH, CHIEF GREENWALL, UM, ASSISTANT CHIEF GREENWALT WITH ME AND LIEUTENANT, UH, ASK YOU FROM POLICE TECHNOLOGY UNIT TO TALK ABOUT A THANK YOU FOR BRINGING COPIES FOR EVERYONE.
AND WHAT WE'RE DISTRIBUTING ARE THE, THE, THE DRAFT GENERAL ORDERS, NOT THE, THE O P O RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT YEAH, SO EVERYONE, AND YOU GUYS CAN GO AHEAD WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
I'M JUST GONNA GIVE A A KIND OF AN OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY IN THIS PROCESS.
UH, IF IT'S REPETITIVE TO SOME, I APOLOGIZE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF THE POLICY, UH, BASED ON THE INPUT THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO, AND THERE'S A CONTINUOUS
[00:35:01]
UPDATE TO THE POLICY.SO I WANNA START OUT BY SAYING SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE EARLIER AND SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE MENTIONED THAT THE OPO MADE ON MARCH 31ST WERE ON THE PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF THE POLICY.
I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE ANY OPO RECOMMENDATIONS ON THIS POLICY.
UM, THERE WERE SOME LAST MINUTE UPDATES THAT WERE PUT INTO THIS POLICY BASED ON A COMMUNITY INPUT SESSION THAT WE DID JUST MAY 11TH ON THURSDAY EVENING.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS THE MOST RECENT ONE.
UM, I WANNA START OUT BY JUST SAYING, UH, THIS, THIS JOURNEY THAT, THAT BROUGHT US HERE TODAY STARTED LAST SUMMER WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BROUGHT UP A RESOLUTION TO BRING, UH, LICENSE PLATE READERS BACK TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT RAISED A GREAT DEAL OF DISCUSSION.
I REMEMBER TESTIFYING, UH, BEFORE THE COUNCIL WORK SESSION AND SEEING JUST A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT AT THE TIME, UH, BOTH FROM RANDOM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY IF YOU WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT OR PROVIDE THEIR INPUT, AS WELL AS ADVOCACY GROUPS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND, UH, BASED ON A LOT OF INPUT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL RECEIVED AT THE TIME, THEY PASSED THE RESOLUTION IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THAT RESOLUTION HAD A LOT OF THE SAFEGUARDS AND A LOT OF THE CONCERNS TAKEN CARE OF ON THE FRONT END.
IT ALSO REQUIRED THAT WE DO TWO ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS AND WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD THIS POLICY, UH, FOR THE COUNCIL.
SO, UM, ON FEBRUARY 7TH AND FEBRUARY 22ND, AND AGAIN ON MAY 11TH, WE HELD COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS AND INVITED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO COME.
AND WE SHARED WITH THEM AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT LICENSE PLATE READERS ARE, HOW THEY WORK.
WE ASKED FOR INPUT, WE ANSWERED ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE.
UM, IT, IT WAS ADVERTISED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH, UH, THE, THE CITY PIO, UH, SOURCES THROUGH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES, AND ALSO THROUGH THE OPO.
AND NONE OF THE SESSIONS GARNERED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ATTENDANCE, AND WE SAW A LOT OF THE SAME FACES OVER AND OVER, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS LOW ATTENDANCE, THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND A LOT OF REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK.
I'M GONNA JUST KIND OF, I'M NOT GONNA READ THE POLICY WORD FOR WORD, EVERYBODY HAS IT IN FRONT OF THEM, BUT I WANTED TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE SECTIONS THAT I THINK ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS AND HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT POLICY THAT WE HAVE.
AND OF COURSE, I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO TODAY, WE'RE GONNA GET THOSE ANSWERS BACK TO YOU AS SOON AS WE CAN.
UM, THE FIRST PART OF THE POLICY IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, PURPOSE AND SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS.
UM, THE MANAGEMENT OF THE A L P R SYSTEM IS GONNA BE DONE THROUGH OUR AUTO THEFT UNIT.
THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE, UH, WE RECOVER A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF STOLEN VEHICLES THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE USE OF A L P SYSTEMS. IT'S SOLVES VIOLENT CRIME, IT PRE IT PREVENTS CRIME FROM HAPPENING.
BUT OVERWHELMINGLY, UH, PROBABLY THE MOST COMMON OFFENSE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SOLVE AND RESOLVE AND PROVIDE JUSTICE TO THE VICTIM IS RETURNING STOLEN VEHICLES.
SO THE SERGEANT OF THE AUTO THEFT UNIT IS CONSIDERED THE CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER.
THAT PERSON IS GONNA BE THE PERSON WHO MANAGES ACCESS ASSIGNS ROLES, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU A DETECTIVE USING IT FOR INVESTIGATIVE PURPOSES? ARE YOU A SUPERVISOR USING IT FOR AUDIT PURPOSES? THOSE SORT OF QUESTIONS WILL GO THROUGH THE CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER.
THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION, UM, SEVERAL VERSIONS AGO FROM THE OPO ABOUT, UH, LANGUAGE IN REGARDS TO ANY OPERATOR WHO ENCOUNTERS PROBLEMS WITH THE A L P R EQUIPMENT INSTEAD OF JUST SUBMITTING A HELP TICKET THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS VAGUE TO NOTIFY THE CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER DIRECTLY.
SO THAT OPO RECOMMENDATION, UH, IS INCLUDED IN 3 44 0.3 B.
MOVING DOWN TO ASSIGNMENT USE AND LOCATIONS OF A A L P R SYSTEMS, ONE OF THE OVERWHELMING THEMES THAT WE HEAR, UH, WHEN WE, WE TALK ABOUT MISUSE OF THE SYSTEM OR ACCIDENTS THAT CAN HAPPEN WITH THE SYSTEM OR CONCERNS FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT MAYBE, UH, US PULLING OVER THE WRONG VEHICLE STEM FROM THE OFFICER, NOT LOOKING AT THE LICENSE PLATE AND MAKING SURE IT'S THE SAME LICENSE PLATE THAT THE AI SYSTEM THINKS IT'S SEEING, RIGHT? UH, YOU MIGHT HAVE A NEW MEXICO LICENSE PLATE THAT HAS THE SAME DIGITS AS A TEXAS LICENSE PLATE, AND THE OFFICER HAS TO BE AWARE OF THAT, COGNIZANT OF THAT, AND DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT'S THE SAME LICENSE PLATE.
AND I MIGHT BE STICKING FOR A L A Q FOR AN O, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
UH, INCLUDED IN THE TRAINING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IS A FULL EXPLANATION OF THIS.
AND THERE'S A REQUIREMENT, NOT A SHOULD, BUT A, A WILL THAT THE OFFICER MUST, UM, VISUALLY CONFIRM THAT THAT LICENSE PLATE IS THE SAME LICENSE PLATE THAT THEY'RE SEEING FROM THE CORRESPONDING ALERT.
AND THEY HAVE TO RUN THAT LICENSE PLATE THROUGH THE T C I C SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE PLATE IS STILL WANTED FOR SOME REASON THROUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IT CAN'T JUST BE, OH, I HEAR AN ALERT, I'M GONNA PULL THE CAR OVER.
IT HAS TO BE A VISUAL CONFIRMATION, AND THEN IT HAS TO BE A, A SECONDARY, UM, DATABASE CONFIRMATION.
THAT, UH, RECOMMENDATION WAS ACTUALLY EXISTING IN THE PREVIOUS POLICY FROM 2021.
IT WAS ALSO A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS AND THE OPO.
ONE OF THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE OPO HAD WAS TO HAVE A SECOND OFFICER SET OF EYES ON THAT LICENSE PLATE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO MISTAKE FROM THE FIRST OFFICER.
SO, UH, I I, IT WAS GREAT INPUT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA.
IF THERE'S, UM, A SAFE AND REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO, THERE WILL BE A SECOND OFFICER WHO PUTS EYES ON THAT LICENSE PLATE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S THE RIGHT LICENSE PLATE BEFORE ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION IS TAKEN ON THAT VEHICLE.
[00:40:01]
WHO ARE DOING ANY SORT OF FOLLOW UP WORK AND THE OFFICE HAVE TO DO THAT EVERY TIME FOR PATROL OFFICERS WHO MAY BE DRIVING A CAR AND MAKING SURE THAT THEIR, UH, SAFETY IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.WE DID PUT A, UH, CAVEAT IN THERE THAT AS LONG AS IT'S SAFE AND REASONABLE TO DO SO, WHICH MOST OF THE TIME IT WOULD BE, UH, WE WANT A SECOND SET OF EYES ON THAT VEHICLE.
MOST OF THE TIME IN THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS, THERE'S GONNA BE A SECOND OFFICER ON SCENE BEFORE ANY SORT OF STOP IS MADE.
SO WE CAN GET ANOTHER OFFICER TO VISUALLY CONFIRM THAT THE LICENSE PLATE IS THE RIGHT ONE.
HOWEVER, SOMETIMES PEOPLE PULL OVER BEFORE YOU LIGHT 'EM UP, BEFORE YOU TURN ON THE, THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE STOP INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE AN ACTION RIGHT AWAY.
YOU DON'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO THERE'S A CAVEAT, UM, AS LONG AS IT'S SAFE AND REASONABLE.
UM, IN REGARDS TO USING THE WORD SHOULD, UH, WE TOOK OUT THE WORD SHOULD AND ADDED THE WORD WILL UNDER B FOUR OFFICERS CONDUCTING A TRAFFIC STOP BASED ON A CONFIRMED A L P R HIT WILL CONSIDER THE LEVEL OF RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE NATURE OF THE OFFENSE.
BASICALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS YOU MIGHT RECEIVE A HIT ON SOMEBODY WHO IS A VERY VIOLENT, UH, PERSON WHO'S MAYBE HURT OR SHOT SOMEBODY IN THE PAST, AND THAT'S GONNA WARRANT A CERTAIN TYPE OF RESPONSE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SAFE.
BUT YOU MIGHT ALSO GET A HIT ON SOMEBODY WHO'S JUST A SHOPLIFTING SUSPECT OR MAYBE HAD SOME SORT OF DRUG WARRANT.
AND THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT APPROACH FROM US.
WE'RE NOT GONNA TREAT IT AS HIGH LEVEL AND RISKY AS AS IT WOULDN'T BE.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE OFFICERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR RESPONSE MIRRORS THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY'RE IN FRONT OF THEM.
ON THE BOTTOM OF PAGE ONE C, UM, WE BROADENED THIS LANGUAGE INSTEAD OF JUST THE CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR POLICE TECHNOLOGY UNIT UNIT THAT WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE OUR RESEARCH AND PLANNING UNIT SO THAT THERE'S A TEAM OF PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LICENSE PLATES ARE DEPLOYED IN AROUND THE CITY AND, UH, IN A MANNER THAT IS EQUITABLE AND DOES NOT, UM, DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT ANY SEGMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE BROADENING THAT TEAM OF PEOPLE TO DO MORE OF AN EMPIRICAL TYPE OF APPROACH.
OUR RESEARCH AND PLANNING UNIT, UM, THEY'RE THE DATA PEOPLE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE ONES WITH DOCTORATES MUCH SMARTER THAN THE COPS ARE, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE DATA TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE CAMERAS ARE DEPLOYED AROUND THE CITY WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
ON PAGE TWO, THE SAFEGUARDS ARE LARGELY A COPY AND PASTE FROM THE RESOLUTION.
I WILL GO DOWN TO, UM, A FOUR.
THE OPO RECOMMENDED THAT WE INCLUDED PAST FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT ACTIVITIES AS WELL.
SO IN THE SECOND SENTENCE IT SAYS TO INVESTIGATE PERSONS WHO ARE OR WERE EXERCISING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT, THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION BY THE OPO THAT WE ADDED TO THAT LANGUAGE.
AND IN LETTER F, IT SAYS, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL RETAIN ALL A L P R DATA RELATED TO AN ENDANGERED MISSING PERSON OR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION FOR A PERIOD CONSISTENT WITH THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT, UM, ORDINANCES, THEY WANTED US TO INCLUDE THE LANGUAGE OF ENDANGERED AND MISSING PERSONS AS OPPOSED TO JUST CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
UH, G UH, THE LAST ONE ON THAT PAGE IS ACTUALLY A COMPLETE NEW ADDITION TO THE RESOLUTION.
UM, IT WAS GIVEN TO US, UH, MOSTLY AT THE SECOND COMMUNITY INPUT SESSION THAT IF THERE'S A OFFICER THAT TAKES ANY SORT OF ACTION AGAINST A, A VEHICLE BASED ON THE A L P R SYSTEM AND IS DISCOVERED LATER THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF MISTAKE, EITHER THE OFFICER MADE A MISTAKE OR SOMEBODY IN DATA ENTRY MADE A MISTAKE THAT THAT WAS NOT THE RIGHT VEHICLE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER, WE WANT THAT INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE AUDIT EVERY SINGLE TIME.
SO THERE'S A MANDATE THAT THE OFFICER EMAIL HIS OR HER SUPERVISOR AND THE, UM, RISK MANAGEMENT WHO CONDUCTS THE AUDITS, UH, BEFORE THE END OF THEIR SHIFTS.
AND THEN IN THE THIRD COMMUNITY INPUT SESSION, WE BROADENED AND EXPANDED THE LANGUAGE TO INCLUDE FICTITIOUS OR SWAPPED LICENSE PLATES.
SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM IS CORRECT AND THE OFFICER MADE THE APPROPRIATE VISUAL CONFIRMATION, BUT THE SUSPECT TOOK THAT LICENSE PLATE FROM A CAR OF SOMEBODY UNBEKNOWNST TO THEM NOW IS ON THIS CAR.
UM, SO IF THERE'S ANY SORT OF, UM, UM, FICTITIOUS LICENSE PLATE OR SWAP LICENSE PLATES THAT'S HAPPENING AND WE PULL OVER THE CAR BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE AUDIT AS WELL.
ON, UH, PAGE THREE RELEASE OF DATA.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE O P O AND THE COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS, WE ENGAGE THE JOYCE JAMES CONSULTING GROUP TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE.
AND THEY ADDED A, UH, WHICH WAS INCLUDED IN THE PREVIOUS, UH, VERSION OF THE POLICY, BUT THEY CAUGHT THE FACT THAT IT SLIPPED THROUGH AND DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THIS ONE.
SO A L P R DATA SHALL NOT BE DISTRIBUTED, SOLD, OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY NON-LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN THERE, AND IT IS.
NOW, UM, ONE THING I WILL MENTION, UM, ON RELEASE OF DATA B I'VE HEARD THIS FROM TIME TO TIME, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW, THIS IS THE POLICY THAT PROHIBITS US FROM SHARING THIS DATA WITH ANOTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
IF THERE'S NOT A CRIME, A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, A SPECIFIC CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
IT SAYS DATA SHARING WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WILL ONLY OCCUR FOR VEHICLES ON THE HOT LIST DUE TO LOCATING MISSING OR ENDANGERED PERSONS, OR DUE TO A DOCUMENTED ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
WE ARE NOT SHARING OUR DATA WITH ALL THE OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES UNLESS THERE IS AN ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
[00:45:01]
D IN THE RELEASE OF DATA THAT IS A COPY AND PASTE FROM THE RESOLUTION.UM, QUITE FRANKLY, THERE IS NO SITUATION WHERE WE ARE GOING TO SHARE IN A MORE BROADER SENSE, ANY DATA WITH ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
IF THEY ASK US, WE'RE GONNA TELL THEM, NO, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DOCUMENTED SPECIFIC CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AND GIVE US THE CASE NUMBER BEFORE WE SHARE ANY DATA WITH YOU.
MOVING ON TO, UH, THE AUDIT CAPABILITIES, UH, I WILL SAY IN THE COURSE OF TALKING WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS, TALKING WITH THE OPO AND TALKING WITH JOYCE JAMES, THE OVERWHELMING, UM, THEME OF INPUT THAT WE GOT WAS, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING EVERYTHING WE NEED TO CAPTURE IN THE AUDIT.
SO THIS IS PROBABLY THE SECTION THAT EXPANDED THE MOST THROUGH THE COURSE OF THESE INPUT SESSIONS, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE NOT ONLY CAPTURING ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE, UM, CONCERNING OR A CAUSE OF MISUSE OR SHOWING THAT WE'RE NEGATIVELY IMPACTING ANY SEGMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP, HEY, WE WANT YOU TO SHOW THE SUCCESSES TOO.
IF YOU'RE SOLVING SPECIFIC TYPES OF CASES, UH, HELPING, UM, VICTIMS, WE WANT TO SH WE WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO THE AUDIT IS MOSTLY A COPY AND PASTE FROM THE RESOLUTION.
HOWEVER, I'LL GO THROUGH A FEW THINGS THAT WE ADDED AS TIME WENT ON IN, UH, NUMBER FIVE, THERE IS A REQUEST TO BREAK DOWN THE NUMBER OF DATA SHARING REQUEST BY SPECIFIC AGENCIES.
SO DEPENDING ON WHAT OTHER AGENCIES, WHETHER THAT'S ICE, WHETHER THAT IS ANOTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN THE CENTRAL TEXAS COMMUNITY ASKING US FOR INFORMATION, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT IN THE AUDIT.
SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHO'S ASKING AND HOW MANY TIMES THEY'RE ASKING AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY GOT THE DATA THEY ASKED FOR
UM, IN THE COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS, THEY ASKED FOR US TO BREAK DOWN A LOT OF THE DATA BY USER ACCESS ROLE SO THAT WE KNOW IF IT'S THE DETECTIVES WHO ARE DOING THIS INFORMATION OR IF IT'S THE SUPERVISORS, WE ADDED THAT AS WELL.
JOYCE JAMES CONSULTING RECOMMENDED THAT IN THE, UM, THE AUDIT, WE BROKE DOWN BY ZIP CODE.
WE CAN'T PUT THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE CAMERA IN THE AUDIT BECAUSE IT'S RE IT'S, UM, PROHIBITED BY THE RESOLUTION, BUT WE CAN DO ZIP CODE.
SO EVERYBODY HAS A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT PARKS OF THE CITY.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITHOUT REVEALING THE ACTUAL SPECIFIC LOCATIONS OF THE CAMERAS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PUT THE ZIP CODE OF WHERE THAT PARTICULAR CAMERA CAPTURED THAT VEHICLE THAT LED TO SOME SORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION.
UM, IN THE THIRD COMMUNITY INPUT SESSION, WE ADDED INFORMATION REGARDING THE, THE RACE AND GENDER OF THE DRIVER OF ANY VEHICLE THAT'S DETAINED AS A RESULT OF A L P R ACTION AND THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE RACE AND GENDER OF THE VICTIM OF THE CRIME REPORTED RESULTING IN THE A L P R ACTION.
ANOTHER, UH, IMPORTANT PART OF THE POLICY THAT WAS EXPANDED UPON BASED ON OUR COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS WAS THE TRAINING.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE MANDATED THAT IN ADDITION TO HOW YOU'RE GONNA BE USING THE SYSTEM AND THE TYPICAL TYPES OF SAFEGUARDS, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF THIS POLICY, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, GIVE SPECIFIC AND CLEAR EXAMPLES OF NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES RESULTING FROM MISUSE, SPECIFICALLY THE IMPACT THAT IT COULD HAVE ON SOMEBODY WHO'S DRIVING A CAR NOT BREAKING IN THE LAW, AND SOMEBODY MAKES A MISTAKE AND PULLS OVER THE WRONG VEHICLE, HOW THAT COULD IMPACT THEIR LIVES AND HOW THAT COULD IMPACT THE, THE, THE PROGRAM.
AND THE FOURTH ITEM THERE, A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF WARNING THAT THE CURRENT DRIVER OF ANY VEHICLE MAY NOT BE THE PERSON WHO IS WANTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE LICENSE PLATE BEING INCLUDED IN THE HOT LIST.
IN OTHER WORDS, THAT VEHICLE MIGHT BE THE RIGHT VEHICLE, BUT THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE THE ACTUAL PERSON WHO'S WANTED.
SO POLICE OFFICERS NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN THEY ENTER INTO THAT SITUATION AND TAKE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION.
THAT WAS, UH, INCLUDED IN THE THIRD COMMUNITY INPUT SESSION AND IS NOW INCLUDED IN THE POLICY.
I AM GONNA STOP THERE AND OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS, BUT I WANNA LET EVERYONE ELSE GO FIRST, SO ANYONE.
UM, I ACTUALLY THANK YOU FOR GOING OVER THE, THE UPDATED, UM, OPERATING PROCEDURES.
UM, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT ACTUALLY THE, THE TRIAL NATURE THAT THIS HAS BEEN APPROVED UNDER AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE, LIKE WHAT METRIC, WHAT METRICS ARE BEING USED, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE TESTING FOR TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS TRIAL IS SUCCESSFUL? WHAT, WHAT, AND SO COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT? LIKE WHAT AND HOW ARE, HOW IS THAT INFORMATION BEING TRACKED IN THE DATA THAT'S BEING AUDITED? SO IS OUR, IT'S OUR GOAL TO SHOW THAT A, THE LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY SOLVING CRIMES AND HELPING VICTIMS. AND SO THAT INFORMATION'S GONNA BE CAPTURED IN THE AUDIT.
SO WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW THE AUDITS TO COUNSEL AFTER THE 12 MONTH PILOT PERIOD, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SHOW A LIST OF THE, THE SUCCESS STORIES.
WE HAVE SEVERAL DOZEN ANECDOTAL SUCCESS STORIES FROM WHEN WE USED TO USE THE LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM, BUT THEY WERE NEVER
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CONSOLIDATED IN ONE COMMON DATABASE, AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA BE CONSOLIDATED IN ONE COMMON DATABASE.SO WE CAN SHARE ALL OF OUR SUCCESS STORIES AND WHAT THE, THE TYPES OF CRIMES THAT WE'RE, UM, WE'RE SOLVING.
THE SECOND PART OF IT IS, WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, ARE WE USING IT IN APPROPRIATE WAY? ARE OUR DETECTIVES AND OUR OFFICERS FOLLOWING POLICY? AND THAT'S GONNA BE SHOWN IN THE, UM, IN THE AUDITS AS WELL.
AND THE THIRD PART OF IT IS, IS, IS WHAT WE ARE DOING NEGATIVELY IMPACTING ANY SEGMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY? SO BY BREAKING IT DOWN BY WHAT PARTS OF THE CITY BECAUSE OF, OF THE ZIP CODE, THE RACE, AND THE SEX OF THE, UM, DRIVER AND THE VICTIM, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF SHOW A COMPLETE A TO Z OF WHAT THE SYSTEM IS, HOW IT'S HELPING, AND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S NEGATIVELY IMPACTING SOMEBODY.
ANYBODY ELSE? COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT.
UM, SO WE HEARD, UM, SOME FEEDBACK TODAY FROM THE COMMUNITY REGARDING, UM, THE LATEST VERSION OF, UM, THE L P R POLICY NOT BEING CONSISTENT WITH, UM, RESOLUTION 56.
UM, DO YOU, UH, AGREE WITH THAT OR DO YOU DISAGREE WITH THAT? I, I DISAGREE WITH IT.
I THINK THERE'S SOME LANGUAGE THAT MIGHT BE CONFUSING TO SOME, AND I THINK THAT IN, IN SOME REGARDS, THERE MIGHT BE SOME ASPECTS OF THE SYSTEM THAT, UM, PEOPLE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS.
UM, PEOPLE ARE SAYING, HOW CAN YOU PURGE THE DATA IN 30 DAYS TO STILL HAVE AN ACTUAL AUDIT AVAILABLE TO YOU AFTER 30 DAYS BECAUSE THE AUDITS ARE QUARTERLY? WELL, THE INFORMATION THAT'S PURGED IS THE LICENSE PLATE DATA ITSELF.
WHAT WE'RE AUDITING IS THE DETECTIVE'S USE OF THE SYSTEM.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME NUANCES THAT ARE MAYBE CONFUSING PEOPLE.
UM, THE RESOLUTION I HAVE ALSO, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SEE A, A PHYSICAL COPY OF THAT AND WE HAVE THE POLICY, IT'S IT'S OPEN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THERE FOR ANYBODY TO SEE.
UM, COULD, COULD YOU STATE OR HELP ME OUT? ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WAS, UM, THE DEFINITION OF WHAT, UM, CRIMES WERE COVERED IN RESOLUTION 56 AND THEN, UM, WHAT THE AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS CAN BE USED FOR, UM, WHEN THEY'RE DEPLOYED.
UM, CAN YOU SHOW ME IN THE, THE LATEST VERSION OF THE POLICY WHERE IT LIMITS THE CRIMES TO THE SAME CRIMES THAT ARE IN RESOLUTION 56 ON THE HOT LIST? THE HOT LIST SPECIFICALLY REQUIRES THAT WE ONLY HAVE CRIMES THAT ARE CLASS A GREATER CLASS A MISDEMEANOR OR GREATER, OR A HATE CRIME.
AND THAT IS GOING TO BE IN THE DEFINITION OF HOT LIST AT THE VERY, VERY TOP, WHICH IS RIGHT AT THE TOP.
SO, SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE NO OFFENSES THAT THE A L P R WILL BE USED ON THAT ARE NOT HOT LIST OFFENSES? YES.
SO THE A L P R SYSTEM WILL GIVE YOU AN ALERT THROUGH A HOT LIST IF A VEHICLE'S AROUND ONE OF THE LICENSE PLATE READERS, LIKE, HEY, RIGHT NOW THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU IS WANTED FOR WHATEVER REASON.
THAT'S WHERE THE HOT LIST COMES FROM.
BUT THE INFORMATION WHERE THAT THE LICENSE PLATE CAMERAS IS SCANNED, GOES INTO A DATABASE THAT THE DETECTIVES CAN USE FOR ANY OFFENSE.
BUT EXCEPT FOR, UH, PARKING TICKETS IN CLASS C, IT SAYS THAT IN ANOTHER PLACE THAT WE WON'T, THEY WON'T USE 'EM FOR ONE, UH, PARKING TICKETS OR CLASS C MISDEMEANORS.
SO THAT'S A REFERENCE TO THE T C I C DATABASE.
THAT, THAT ONCE YOU SCAN A LICENSE PLATE, THAT'S WHERE IT GOES.
THE T C I C DATABASE IS WHERE THE HOT LIST PULLS FROM.
I MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD YOUR QUESTION.
OKAY, LET'S, WHY DON'T YOU JUST TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU READ A LICENSE? SO IF, UM, THERE'S A LICENSE PLATE CAMERA AT FIRST IN MAINE, SO TO SPEAK, AND A CAR GOES BY, IT'LL TAKE A PICTURE OF THAT LICENSE PLATE, IT IMMEDIATELY CROSS REFERENCES IT WITH THE HOT LIST THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE TC, THAT THEY PULL THAT INFORMATION FROM T C I C.
AND THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE ON THAT HOT LIST IS CLASS A MISDEMEANOR OR GREATER, UNLESS IT'S A HATE CRIME.
UM, IF THERE IS NO MATCH, THEN NO POLICE OFFICER IS NOTIFIED BECAUSE IT'S JUST A NORMAL CAR DRIVING THROUGH.
IF IT MATCHES AND IT ALERTS AN OFFICER, THAT OFFICER HAS TO MAKE THE VISUAL CONFIRMATION BEFORE THEY TAKE ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION.
IF THERE'S NOT A MATCH, THAT INFORMATION STILL GOES INTO A DATABASE, A BACKEND DATABASE, SO TO SPEAK, THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR 30 DAYS ONLY AFTER 30 DAYS THAT INFORMATION GOES IF WE WANT IT TO OR NOT.
UM, AND THEN IF THERE'S A CRIME THAT OCCURRED IN THAT SPECIFIC AREA, THEN WE CAN GO BACK AND SEE WHAT, UM, WHAT LICENSE PLATES WE'RE IN THAT AREA.
MY BRAIN IS NOT WORKING VERY WELL.
UM, SO HOW, HOW DOES THE SYSTEM, UM, CHECK THE T I C DATABASE AND ONLY, UM, LOOK FOR HOT LIST OFFENSES BECAUSE T I C IS BROADER THAN THAT? GOOD QUESTION.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ONLY PULL CERTAIN DATA.
AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PULL ANYTHING FROM THE HOT LIST AT ALL UNTIL WE GET THAT PART FIGURED OUT.
UM, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE RESOLUTION AND POLICIES.
SO UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THAT HOT LIST EMBEDDED TO WHAT OUR OFFICERS WILL SEE OR WHAT THEY WILL ACT ON, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A HOT LIST.
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A QUESTION? UM, SO I ACTUALLY WANTED TO SWITCH GEARS A LITTLE BIT AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MANUALLY ENTERED LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS.AND IS THERE TECHNOLOGY IN PLACE THAT WILL AUTOMATICALLY CAPTURE WHEN THAT HAPPENS AND, AND GRAB DATA AROUND THAT? LIKE WHEN IT HAPPENS, WHO'S ENTERING IT AT WHAT TIME? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE COLLECTED THROUGH SELF-REPORTING? IT IS AUTOMATICALLY CAPTURED EVERY, WHEN YOU LOG IN AND EVERY KEY, EVERY KEYSTROKE YOU MAKE IS AUTOMATICALLY LOGGED.
SO WE CAN GO BACK AS LONG AS WE NEED IT TO GO AND SEE WHAT THE DETECTIVES OR SUPERVISORS ARE DOING, WHAT THEY'RE QUERYING AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A MATCH.
AND, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, CAUSE I THINK YOU SAID THIS EARLIER, WHEN THE 30 DAY PURGES DATA PURGES HAPPENING, THAT SORT OF USER DATA IS NOT GONNA GO AWAY.
IT IS THE IDENTIFYING LICENSE PLATE DATA THAT IS GONNA BE GETTING PURGED, BUT ALL OF THAT USER DATA IS GONNA STAY INTACT.
COMMISSIONER ROTEN, THANK YOU.
UM, I JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION CONNECTED WITH THE PROCESS OF WHEN THE LICENSE PLATE IS TRIGGERED.
SO GOES TO T I C FLAGS THAT AS BEING A CLASSY MISDEMEANOR ARE HIGHER.
WHAT AGENCIES IS THAT FLAGGED WITH? IS IT ONLY IF IT'S A CITY OF AUSTIN CONNECTED ONE OR IS THAT ANY AGENCY? T C I C PULLS FROM, UH, UH, NATIONWIDE AND STATEWIDE.
SO LET'S JUST SAY HYPOTHETICALLY THERE'S UH, SOMEBODY WHO'S WANTED FOR MURDER IN NEW YORK STATE AND THEY THINK HE MIGHT BE FLEEING TO MEXICO, THEY WILL ENTER IT NATIONWIDE.
AND IF THAT VEHICLE HAPPENS TO PASS BY ONE OF OUR LICENSE PLATE READERS, IT'LL STILL FLAG.
SO HOW DOES THAT CONNECT WITH, UM, SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS? FOR EXAMPLE, IN HERE WITH, I WAS JUST HAVING TO REFRESH MY, I THINK IT'S A CLASS TWO FELONY, UM, RELATED TO ANY ABORTION RIGHTS.
HOW DOES THAT CONNECT WITH THAT POLICY? SO THERE'S A SECTION IN HERE, I CAN FIND IT FOR YOU JUST A SECOND.
THAT SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITS US FROM USING THE L LPR SYSTEM FOR IMMIGRATION STATUS AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PRICE, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY NEEDED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW.
AND I GUESS THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND WHAT SAYS NEEDED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW.
DOES THAT, IS THERE GONNA BE AN AUTOMATIC STOP THAT, THAT THOSE JUST DON'T GET FLAGGED OR, YOU KNOW, SO IF IT'D BE KIND OF A TWOFOLD QUESTION, SO I'LL ANSWER IT BOTH WAYS.
IF IT'S ON THE HOT LIST, WE'RE JUST NOT GONNA TAKE ACTION AGAINST A VEHICLE BECAUSE OF IMMIGRATION STATUS OR BECAUSE OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE.
APD IS NOT GONNA BE INVOLVED IN THOSE SORT OF INVESTIGATIONS.
BUT IF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SPECIFICALLY ASKS US FOR A LICENSE PLATE DUE TO ANY ONGOING DOCUMENTED CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, WE HAVE A LEGAL, UM, RESPONSIBILITY OBLIGATORY TO GIVE THEM WHATEVER INFORMATION WE HAVE TO HELP 'EM WITH THEIR INVESTIGATION.
SO IF AN IMMIGRATION CRIME POPS UP, A P D WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
BUT IF THERE HAD BEEN A REQUEST SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT TO A P D, THEN THERE WOULD BE AN OBLIGATION, EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS ON A PROHIBITED, IF IT WAS A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, MOST OF WHAT ICE DOES WITH IT AS RELATES TO IMMIGRATION STATUS IS CIVIL IN NATURE, WHICH WE WON'T TOUCH.
BUT IF THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, SOMETHING ON THE MORE SERIOUS SIDE OF WHAT THEY DO, THEN WE WOULD HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO COMPLY.
IF IT WAS A REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, THEN IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT ANOTHER AGENCY REQUESTED, THEN THERE WOULD BE AN OBLIGATION TO COMPLY.
UM, JUST TO CAR CLARIFY ON THE, THE IMMIGRATION POINT THERE, UM, A LOT OF ICE INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVE TWO FEDERAL OFFENSES, UH, UNDER FEDERAL LAW, ILLEGAL ENTRY AND ILLEGAL RE-ENTRY.
UM, BECAUSE THOSE ARE BOTH CRIMINAL OFFENSES, UM, THOSE ARE BOTH OFFENSES THAT Y'ALL WOULD, UM, RESPOND TO THEM ON.
IF YOU IDENTIFIED ANYONE WHO HAD BEEN EITHER CONVICTED OR BEEN CONVICTED OF EITHER ILLEGAL ENTRY OR ILLEGAL RE-ENTRY, THERE WOULD'VE TO BE A CURRENT WARRANT FOR THAT PERSON FOR A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
AND THAT PERSON'S LICENSE PLATE WOULD'VE TO BE ENTERED INTO THE SYSTEM FOR, FOR, FOR THE ANSWER TO BE YES.
SO, UM, JUST TO FOLLOW, SO JUST AS SOMEONE WHO'S DOING THEIR BEST TO SORT OF KEEP, KEEP UP WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT CAVEATS, QUITE FRANKLY YES.
UM, THAT APPLY ACROSS THE BOARD, THAT LANGUAGE THAT YOU JUST SAID, WHERE THERE, IF THERE, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE AN ACTIVE WARRANT.
I DID NOT SEE THAT HERE WITH REGARDS TO IMMIGRATION SORT OF RELATED OFFENSES OR FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OFFENSES.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, UH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE, IF THAT IS GOING TO BE THE CASE, HAVING THAT ACTUALLY LAID OUT IN THE LANGUAGE WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE IF, AGAIN, IF THERE ARE CAVEATS THEY NEED TO BE SPELLED OUT.
I THINK, UM, IT'S NOT A CAVEAT FOR THOSE TWO OFFENSES.
IT'S ALL ENCOMPASSING FOR ALL THE CRIMINAL, UM, CHARGES THAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE.
SO THE DEFINITION OF HOT LIST, IN ORDER TO BE ON THE HOT LIST, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WARRANT OUT FOR
[01:00:01]
SOMEBODY FOR ONE OF THOSE CRIMES.AND THAT PERSON WOULD HAVE TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A VEHICLE STRONGLY ENOUGH THAT WHOEVER THE DETECTIVE IS THAT ENTERED IT, ENTERED IN THE LICENSE PLATE ALSO, HEY, HERE'S THE PERSON WHO HAS THE WARRANT FOR WHATEVER, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY DRIVING THIS VEHICLE, SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND ENTER THAT VEHICLE INTO T C I C WITH IT.
JUST, I MEAN, I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS BECAUSE I THINK I KNOW, AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW.
UM, SO I, I, I THOUGHT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH SORT OF WHAT'S IN T C I C, THAT, THAT WHEN YOU'RE PAYING T C I C, UM, AND SOMEONE GETS A HIT, THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTED FOR A WARRANT.
UM, ON, ON THE AUDIT, CAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT LOT OF US HAVE ABOUT VERY HYPOTHETICAL THINGS.
I KNOW WE WE'RE DOING THIS A YEAR PILOT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THOUGHT IS TRYING TO TARGET BOTH SUCCESSES AS WELL AS SORT OF LOOK AT SORT OF THE COST BENEFIT SIDE.
CAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE GOING FORWARD.
IS THERE, IS THIS JUST ASKING FOR THE NUMBER OF DATA SHARING REQUESTS? OR DOES IT TALK ABOUT WHAT ACTUALLY IS SHARED AND LIKE WHICH CRIMES ARE CONVICTED? SO IS IT GONNA SAY JUST THERE'S A HUNDRED CONVICTIONS OR WILL IT SAY THERE'S 80 AUTO THEFT, THERE'S ONE KIDNAPPING? IS IT GONNA BE, WHAT LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY WILL WE GET TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT IS SUCCESSES AND THEN WHAT ARE POTENTIAL CHALLENGES? DO YOU MEAN BY SHARING WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OR BY WHAT APD DOES? IT'S ALL OF IT.
CAUSE I, SO FIVE AND SIX TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF DATA SHARING REQUESTS.
IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY WHAT WE GOT, WHAT WE GRANTED OR DENIED, AND THEN WHICH AGENCY.
BUT IT DOESN'T GO ANY FURTHER THAN THAT.
WE COULD CERTAINLY BROADEN THAT TO BE BY OFFENSE.
IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO GO BACK AND TRACK, YOU KNOW, CONVICTIONS AND HOW FAR THAT GOT DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, BUT WE COULD DEFINITELY INCLUDE OFFENSE.
THAT'D BE PRETTY EASY FIX AND IMPORTANT TO HAVE.
UM, IN THE SAME, BUT FOR US IT'S JUST A LOT EASIER TO DO THAT.
LIKE I THINK THAT'D BE HELPFUL TO KNOW IF WE'RE EVALUATING LIKE WHAT THE, WHAT THE HITS ARE FOR.
COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT, OH, UM, IS IT ANTICIPATED THAT, UM, THE USE OF ALPS, PARTICULARLY IF THEY BECOME STANDARD IN UM, A P D VEHICLES, UM, WILL INCREASE THE RATE OF HIGH SPEED CHASES IN AUSTIN? UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HARD QUESTION TO ANSWER.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH KIND OF A SPECULATION IN A HY HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO DO.
UM, ASSUMING WE'RE FINDING MORE CRIMINALS THAT ARE WANTED FOR EGREGIOUS CRIMES, WE ONLY CHASE, UM, PEOPLE FOR EGREGIOUS CRIMES, VIOLENT CRIMES OR, OR MORE SERIOUS ONES, WE'RE GOING TO BE FINDING MORE OF THOSE PEOPLE AND HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE OF THIS SYSTEM.
SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
I MEAN, JUST, JUST SO THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT, SO IF, IF SOMEBODY PINGED FOR A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR GRAFFITI OR THEFT, UM, THAT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY, THAT WOULDN'T JUSTIFY A HIGH SPEED CHASE? PROBABLY NOT.
IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF LANGUAGE IN OUR CHASE POLICY.
OUR PURSUIT POLICY TALKED ABOUT WEIGHING THE BENEFIT OF CATCHING SOMEBODY VERSUS THE RISK THAT YOU'RE TAKING.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THE RISK THAT YOU TAKE IN A PURSUIT CAN BE, UM, PRETTY RISKY.
RIGHT? SO IF IT'S A NON-VIOLENT CRIME, UM, IT'S NOT SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU CATCH 'EM.
AND I, I'LL DIRECT PEOPLE BACK TO, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THE PERSON DRIVING THE CAR IS EVEN THE ONE THAT HAS THE WARRANT.
SO WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'S REALLY THE RIGHT PERSON.
AND I THINK, UH, AN IMPORTANT THING TO TALK ABOUT, WHICH WE TALK ABOUT OFTEN WITH OUR OFFICERS IS WITH PURSUIT POLICY, IF YOU KNOW THE PERSON WHO'S DRIVING THE CAR, IF YOU KNOW WHO THAT PERSON IS, WHY ARE YOU CHASING THEM? YOU CAN JUST ISSUE A WARRANT FOR THE EVADING AT A LATER TIME.
NOW THERE MAY BE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE RIGHT NOW, THERE MIGHT BE EVIDENCE OF A CRIME OR THEY MIGHT BE DESTROYING EVIDENCE.
SO THERE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE YOU MIGHT DO THAT.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IS IF YOU KNOW THE PERSON AND IF YOU GOT A HIT ON A WANTED VEHICLE, A KNOWN VEHICLE, AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE PERSON MAY NOT BE, BUT IT'S PROBABLY THE PERSON DRIVING, UM, IT KIND OF REDUCES THE NEED TO DO THAT.
THIS IS ON MY MIND BECAUSE OF THE RECENT ACCIDENT, UH, WITH THE, UH, ALLEGED DRUNK DRIVER AND THE TRAIN MM-HMM.
UM, AND ALSO I, I THINK IT'S, WELL IT'S A LONG TIME AGO.
IT'S GONNA SHOW HOW OLD I AM AND HOW LONG I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN.
THE, UM, THE RATHER INFAMOUS, UM, INCIDENT AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IN LIKE MAYBE 20 14, 20 15.
UM, I MEAN BOTH OF THOSE WERE SUSPECTED DRUNK DRIVERS.
DRUNK DRIVERS ARE MORE DANGEROUS ON THEIR OWN THAN THEY ARE WHEN WE'RE CHASING THEM.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, WE FIND A WAY TO STOP THEM BEFORE THEY HURT OR KILL SOMEBODY.
[01:05:03]
OKAY.AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA GIVE ONE MORE WORLD AROUND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, I JUST ONE CLARIFICATION ON, I GUESS IT'S ON PAGE ONE, SECTION C ON THE BOTTOM.
UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE TECHNOLOGY UNIT AND RESEARCH AND PLANNING TO TRY TO LOOK AT THE PLACEMENT OF THE CAMERAS.
UM, IS THERE ANY SENSE FOR HOW COMMUNITY BEING IMPACTED DISPROPORTIONATELY IS DEFINED? UM, CAUSE I KNOW FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE RECENT PARTNERSHIP, UM, WITH DPS AND THERE'S SOME CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE IMPACT OF CALL VOLUME UPON WHETHER THAT MEANT SOMETHING DISPROPORTIONATE VERSUS GEOGRAPHY AND POPULATION.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION OR IS THAT SOMETHING YET TO BE DETERMINED? WE HAVE, UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY, I, IF I DIDN'T EARLIER, I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T THINK I DID WHERE WE PUT THE LICENSE PLATE READERS ON THE FRONT END.
ALTHOUGH WE CAN'T RELEASE THE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS DUE TO THE RESOLUTION RESTRICTION, WE STILL WANNA FIND A WAY TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE.
SO OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE A MAP OF AUSTIN WITH CIRCLES OR STARS THAT KIND OF GIVE YOU A REALLY GOOD IDEA OF WHERE IN AUSTIN THEY ARE, BUT MAYBE NOT STREET LEVEL SPECIFIC AND SHOW THAT INFORMATION TO THE OPPO AND JOYCE JAMES CONSULTING SO THAT THEY CAN GET EYES ON IT AND KIND OF BE AN EXTRA LAYER OF PROTECTION ON THE FRONT END.
AND ON THE BACK END, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK PEOPLE SOMETIMES MISS OR MISUNDERSTAND WITH LICENSE PLATE READER USE IN TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THEY MAY HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS THAT WE ARE QUOTE UNQUOTE TRACKING PEOPLE OR, UM, FINDING NEW CRIMES AGAINST PEOPLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT WE USE A L P R TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE A CRIME WAS REPORTED TO US.
SO WE ACTUALLY REACT TO WHERE THE CRIMES ARE REPORTED.
THAT COULD BE ANYWHERE IN THE CITY.
AND IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC AREA OF THE CITY THAT SHOWS THAT WE'RE USING THE A LPRS MORE THAN OTHERS, THAT TELLS US THAT A, THERE'S CRIME BEING REPORTED HERE MORE OR THIS IS WHERE THE CRIME, UM, SUSPECTS ARE GOING TO.
SO THAT'S JUST A COMPLICATING FACTOR IN, IN THIS WHOLE, UM, AUDIT PROCESS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE WHERE IN THE CITY WE'RE, WE'RE PULLING PEOPLE OVER, WHERE ARE WE GETTING THE HITS? BUT, UM, LET'S SAY FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE GET A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF ROBBERY ROBBERY HITS IN A PARTICULAR ZIP CODE, WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO EXTRAPOLATE IS THAT NEGATIVELY AFFECTING THAT ZIP CODE OR ARE WE HELPING THAT ZIP CODE BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING THE ROBBERY SUSPECTS OFF THE STREETS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE INCORPORATED THE VICTIM INFORMATION INTO THE AUDIT PROCESS IN ADDITION TO THE SUSPECT INFORMATION.
SO, BLESS YOU, THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF ANALYZATION THAT GOES INTO THIS.
COMMISSIONER HOLMES AND THEN COMMISSION AND THEN COMMISSIONER PENA, THE SECURITY OF THE DATA THAT IT'S COLLECTING.
SO I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY THAT EVERY LICENSE PLATE THAT PASSES THAT A, A CAMERA IS PUT INTO THE SYSTEM AND IT'S KEPT FOR 30 DAYS.
SO IF THAT WERE TO BE HACKED, IS, IS WHAT'S BEING FOUND, JUST THE LICENSE PLATES OR IS THERE OTHER DATA ABOUT THE OWNER OF THAT CAR OR IN, IS THERE OTHER DATA ATTACHED TO THAT LICENSE PLATE THAT WOULD BE FOUND IF THAT SYSTEM WAS COMPROMISED? IT'S JUST A PICTURE OF THE LICENSE PLATE AND THE LOCATION WHERE IT WAS SCANNED.
COMMISSIONER PENA, UM, IF SOMEONE, SO BASICALLY IT SAYS NON-LAW ENFORCEMENT IN ENTITIES CANNOT REQUEST IT.
SO WE CAN'T DO PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS.
YOU CAN DO A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST ON THE AUDITS AND YOU CAN DO A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST ON ANY CRIME THAT OCCURRED AFTER THE CLOSING, EXCUSE ME.
AFTER THE CLOSING OF THAT CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, WE CAN SOMETIMES RELEASE PORTIONS OR ALL OF IT, BUT YOU, YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST ON, HEY, GIMME ALL THE PICTURES OF THE LICENSE PLATE THAT WERE ON MY STREET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, SAY LIKE IF YOU'RE A LAWYER AND YOU'RE DOING LIKE A CIVIL SUIT, SO THEN YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GET THAT, UM, INFORMATION THEN YOU WOULD IF A CAR RAN INTO YOU OR SOMETHING.
SO IF THERE'S A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, THEN A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST IT.
IF THERE WAS A LAWSUIT AND A JUDGE ORDERED THAT WE COMPLY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COMPLY WITH A JUDGE'S ORDER.
BUT YOU CAN'T JUST DO A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST TO GET ANY INFORMATION THAT'S NOT SUBJECT TO PIS.
SO THEN NON-LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT'S STRICTLY LIKE, LIKE, UH, POLICE OFFICERS ONLY THEN NOT ANYBODY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ONLY? CORRECT.
THERE IS A CAVEAT IN THE, UM, IN THE AUDIT, THE VERY, VERY LAST LINE OF POLICY TALKS ABOUT, UM, EXCUSE ME, THE VERY LAST LINE OF THE AUDITS.
[01:10:03]
WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA HELP THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE WITH THEIR OWN AUDIT.OR IF THEY WANTED AN EXTERNAL PERSON TO COME IN AND DO AN AUDIT, WE HAD TO PUT A CAVEAT IN THERE TO MAKE THAT EXCEPTION.
HEY, IF, UM, CUZ THEY'RE NOT A LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY, BUT WE'RE STILL GONNA SHARE THAT INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE AUDIT.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION AND THEN I INSERT FOR ME
UM, I APPLIED YOU GUYS ON REPLACING ALL OF THE MAZE AND SHOULDS WITH SHELLS AND WILLS.
UM, BUT THIS IS ONE AREA WHERE IT DOES SAY THAT WHICH THE, THE MAY MAY BE PUBLIC INFORMATION AS AS ALLOWED BY LAW.
AND SO JUST A CLARIFICATION ON WHAT THE INTENTIONS ARE WITH REGARDS TO SHARING THESE, THESE QUARTERLY AUDITS, WHERE THEY'LL GO, UM, WHETHER OR NOT WE'LL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION.
I IF IT'S REQUESTED BY THE CITY MANAGER OR THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION AND WE CAN SHARE IT BY LAW, IT WILL BE TURNED OVER.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, WE DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME THROUGH.
UM, AND I'M GONNA ACTUALLY, UM, WE, FOR CONSIDERATION, I THINK WE NEED A SECOND IN ORDER FOR, OR I'M JUST GONNA READ IT AND THEN WE CAN TAKE A, I'M JUST GONNA READ IT AND SEE IF THERE'S A SECOND TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
UM, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE IS A PROPOSAL THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS.
UM, WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PLANNING TO APPROVE AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS FOR USE BY THE A P D, WHEREAS IN AN EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THE PRIVACY AND CIVIL RIGHTS OF THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN ARE PROTECTED.
IN SEPTEMBER OF 2022, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PASSED RESOLUTION 56 PROVIDING A P D WITH DIRECTION IN HOW TO USE THE A L P R TECHNOLOGY AND WHAT PROTECTIONS NEEDED TO BE PUT IN PLACE.
WHEREAS ON MARCH 31ST, 2023, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROVIDED A THOROUGH MEMO OUTLINING CHANGES NECESSARY TO THE APD TOD'S PROPOSED POLICY REGARDING THE USE OF A L P R TECHNOLOGY IN ORDER FOR THE POLICY TO BE CONSISTENT WITH RESOLUTION 56 AND ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF THE O P O.
WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S VALUES INCLUDE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND ETHICS AND INTEGRITY.
WE ASPIRE TO MAKE AUSTIN THE MOST LIVABLE CITY IN THE NATION IN ORDER TO BE TRUE TO OUR VISION AND OUR VALUES.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN SHOULD NOW THEREFORE BE IT RECOMMENDED BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT IF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THE PROPOSED A L P R PROGRAM, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL REQUIRE THE A A P D TO REVISE AND IMPLEMENT A POLICY REGARDING THE USE OF A L P R TECHNOLOGY THAT IS PERFECTLY CONSISTENT WITH BOTH AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 56 AND ADDRESSES ALL OF THE CONCERNS RAISED BY THE O P O MEMO FOR MARCH 31ST, 2023.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE ON THE FLOOR FOR CONSIDERATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION AMENDMENTS? SECOND.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER NGUYEN.
AND IF ANOTHER SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER KOFF.
I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER, UM, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT REQUESTS THAT THE QUARTERLY AUDIT, UM, MATERIAL BE BROUGHT FORTH TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION AS, AS, AS MATTER OF FACT, UM, SO THAT WE GET THOSE REPORTS REGULARLY.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN PUBLISH THEM AS PART OF OUR, EITHER THEY CAN COME WITH OUR APD QUARTERLY REPORTS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY PROBABLY BE THE MOST CONSTRUCTIVE PLACE TO PLACE TO PUT THEM.
UM, SO IF, CAN I GET A, IS THERE A SEC A POTENTIAL SECOND FOR THAT SECOND.
SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER RUTAN TO ADD THE REQUEST FOR THE QUARTERLY AUDIT DATA BE INCLUDED IN OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS.
CAN I QUESTION SUPPORT INFORMATION? OF COURSE.
SO I KNOW WE HAD A, A NIGHT, A GOOD DISCUSSION AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE RESPONSIVENESS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED ABOUT POTENTIALLY ADDING, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE TYPES OF CASES.
UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT OUR APPROVING, THIS WOULD NOT BE EXCLUSIVE OF SOME ADDITIONAL MODIFICATIONS FROM THE DISCUSSION TODAY.
WHAT, UM, THE, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION WE HAVE IS, HON HONESTLY VERY BROAD.
IT IS, UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST REQUESTING THAT IT, IT ADHERED TO THE RESOLUTION 56 AND THAT IT REFUTE ADHERE IN ITS ENTIRETY TO OPO RECOMMENDATIONS ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, AND THEN I'M, I'M OPEN TO ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS IF ANYONE HAS ANY ADDITIONAL CAVEATS.
IT'S THE WORD OF THE DAY
SO WITH THAT, I GUESS I'LL TAKE VOTES
[01:15:01]
ON THE RECOMMENDATION AND I'LL JUST MAKE MY WAY AROUND THE TABLE.WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT.
UM, ADDING THE REQUEST FOR THE QUARTERLY DATA BE INCLUDED IN OUR QUARTERLY REPORT.
SO I'LL TAKE A VOTE FROM THE TABLE.
COMMISSIONER HALL MARTIN? YES.
SO WITH THAT AMENDMENT, WE WILL NOW GO FORWARD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATION AS A WHOLE.
OH, WE NEED A, WE NEED A MOTION TO, TO TAKE A VOTE.
UM, SINCE I AM SO NEW, I WOULD LIKE TO ABSTAIN IF THAT'S OKAY.
COMMISSIONER HALL MARTIN? YES.
AND I WILL ALSO REGISTER, RECORD MY VOTE AS A YES WITH THAT.
THANK YOU EVERYONE AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE'S PATIENCE AS WE LEARN THE COURT, THE, THE LEARN OUR WAY AROUND ROBERT'S RULES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR COMING AND FOR HELPING US HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
[3. Vote for Public Safety Commissioner as Downtown Commission Appointment 5:40- 5:50pm]
ONE MORE, UM, ITEM OF BUSINESS TODAY.UM, AND THAT IS TO VOTE FOR, I, I SHARED I TO VOTE FOR A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER APPOINTMENT TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST, I DON'T KNOW, YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS.
UM, I DISTRIBUTED INFORMATION TO EVERYBODY JUST SO THAT YOU WOULD KIND OF KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT EVERYONE DOES.
UM, COMMISSIONER HOLMES HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT'S LIKE CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO OKAY.
COMMISSIONER PENYA IS ALSO INTERESTED.
UM, SO I THINK WE JUST TAKE A VOTE, RIGHT? NOMINATE? YEAH, WE TAKE NOMINATIONS.
SO I WILL NOMINATE COMMISSIONER HOLMES.
DO WE HAVE A AND WE CAN SELF NOMINATE AS WELL.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH ROOM THERE IS FOR, FOR THE COMMISSION.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I MEAN QUESTION IF WE HAVE TWO FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED, SH WOULD IT BE BETTER? I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO BE POSTPONED, BUT WOULD IT BE BETTER TO HAVE THIS ON THE NEXT ITEM AND FOLKS CAN WRITE A STATEMENT OF THEIR INTEREST OR SOMETHING? CAUSE I, I, I FEEL LIKE I CAN'T NECESSARILY VOTE CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DISTINCTION OF THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE, BUT RIGHT.
I THINK THAT IS MORE QUALIFIED TO, I THINK COMMISSIONER PENA HAS WITHDRAWN HER, HER, HER INTEREST FOR THE TIME BEING.
LIKE I SAID, I HAVE, I HAVE, I CAN, I HAVE NO OBJECTION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE BEING FAIR THROUGH THE PROCESS.
NO, LIKE WE CAN REVISIT THESE NOMINATIONS ANNUALLY IF WE LIKE, IF THERE'S MORE INTEREST THEN LIKE IN, IN A YEAR YOU FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE UP TO, UP TO THE TASK, YOU CAN TRY IT AS WELL.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ON TWO SECOND NOMINATION, OR I NEED A SECOND FOR MR. HOLMES.
COMMISSIONER KOFF WILL TAKE A SECOND FOR OUR NOMINATION AND THEN WE NEED A VOTE.
WE'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER PENA.
COMMISSIONER HALL MARTIN? YES.
AND I SUPPORT COMMISSIONER HOLMES AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER LUHAN? DID YOU VOTE? YES.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS - 5:50pm-6:00pm]
IS THIS COMING WEDNESDAY AT FIVE 30.UM,
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE, THE AGENDA IS GONNA BE PUBLIC SAFETY HEAVY.
UM, SO THAT'LL BE A GREAT, UM, BREAKING IN.
AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE'RE DONE.