[00:00:01]
[Austin Chief of Police Community Meet and Greet ]
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE, UH, WHO SHOWED UP ON THIS OVERCAST DAY, UH, FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT, UH, TO, I BELIEVE ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THIS YEAR FOR US.AND SO I'M VERY PLEASED TO SEE AS MANY OF YOU WHO CAME OUT THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT, AS WE WANT TO FIND A WAY TO MEET AND GREET AND HEAR FROM OUR TWO FINALISTS CANDIDATES FOR OUR CHIEF OF POLICE HERE.
AND SO, LET ME START BEFORE I SPEND TOO MUCH TIME, UH, GOING FORWARD AND RECOGNIZING, UH, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL HERE TONIGHT.
I, I DO BELIEVE I SEE ONE OF MY WONDERFUL BOSSES, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ALLISON ALTER.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
SO, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, AND OBVIOUSLY TONIGHT IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WHO DECIDED TO SHOW UP TO LISTEN TO OUR CANDIDATES, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR FEEDBACK, UH, IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS CONSIDERED AND APPRECIATED TONIGHT.
AS, UH, SIMILAR TO THE PROCESS TO HIRE THE CITY MANAGER, THE FOLK WHO CAME OUT OBVIOUSLY SPENT TIME RESPONDING, WHETHER ONLINE OR TO THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT THEIR PERSPECTIVES ON WHO WOULD LEAD THE CITY.
I WOULD THINK THAT THIS POSITION, AS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SELECTING A NEW POLICE CHIEF, AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, RATIFYING THAT SELECTION, THAT YOUR FEEDBACK WILL BE EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT.
AND TO THAT END, UH, AT THE TOP OF THE HANDOUTS, HOPEFULLY YOU ALL GOT THE HANDOUTS FOR TONIGHT.
UH, THERE'S A QR CODE, UH, THAT CAN BE SCANNED, UH, WHICH WILL ACTUALLY TAKE YOU TO A BRIEF SURVEY, UH, IF YOU KNOW HOW TO USE QR CODES.
AND IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ONE, YOU WILL MAKE SURE YOU GET ONE, UH, BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
AND SO, UH, AFTER YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE CANDIDATES TONIGHT, UH, I WOULD REALLY IMPLORE YOU AND REQUEST THAT YOU TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FILL OUT THAT SURVEY.
UH, AND THE SURVEY WILL CLOSE, UH, 9:00 AM UH, TOMORROW MORNING.
SO IF YOU NEED TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS TOGETHER AND WANT TO DO THAT LATER ON THIS EVENING, I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO BACK TO THAT.
SO TONIGHT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MODERATED Q AND A.
THERE WERE QUESTIONS THAT WERE SUBMITTED, UH, BY MANY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE GONNA HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO ASK A COUPLE OF THOSE QUESTIONS, PARTICULARLY OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU.
UH, AND I'M GOING TO FIND A WAY TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY TO ALLOW YOU TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I SET UP, UH, WHAT'S IN STORE FOR IT TONIGHT.
AND SO, UH, I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF INTRODUCING, UH, OUR MODERATOR FOR TONIGHT'S EVENT.
JUDY, UH, GIO JUDY IS AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST WHO, WHO ESTABLISHED HER BRAND BASED ON TRUST ACCURACY, UH, AND HOW SHE COVERED, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE.
HER WORK IN AUSTIN SPANS MORE THAN 40 YEARS, AND SHE'S EARNED THE RESPECT AND ADMIRATION OF HER COLLEAGUES AND THE COMMUNITY.
UH, SHE'S ALSO HOSTED, UH, A TX TOGETHER, UH, PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM, UH, ON TIMELY LOCAL ISSUES.
AND SO SHE IS WELL EQUIPPED, UH, TO HELP US MANAGE THROUGH THIS EVENING.
UH, AND SHE'S ALSO, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, A REPORTER AND ANCHOR FOR MANY YEARS HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND SO SHE NOW RUNS HER OWN MEDIA CONSULTING FIRM AND PARTICIPATES WIDELY IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNITY EVENTS SIMILAR TO THIS EVENING.
SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO JUDY TO TAKE YOU THROUGH THE REST OF YOUR EVENING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AGAIN.
I AM TC BROAD ACTS THE CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND JUST BLESSED TO BE HERE AND, AND GLAD TO BE AMONGST YOU TONIGHT, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING AGAIN FROM THE CANDIDATES, UH, AND GETTING YOUR FEEDBACK.
THE HANDOUT IN A SEPARATE QR CODE THAT I'M ASSUMING IS OUT IN THE LOBBY, SO PLEASE GET THOSE.
YOU HAVE UNTIL 9:00 AM TOMORROW TO FILL THAT OUT.
AND AS I SAID, MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.
WE ARE GOING TO INVITE CHIEF LISA DAVIS UP TO THE STAGE.
HI, HOW ARE YOU? WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE EXPERIENCED A LITTLE BIT OF AUSTIN SUMMER, BUT IT'S USUALLY NOT THIS COOL
SO WE WANT YOU TO BE PREPARED, RIGHT? FIRST QUESTION, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THIS POSITION, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY? AND EXPLAIN WHY THAT IS? UH, WELL, FIRST I WANNA THANK, UM, EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
[00:05:01]
HERE AND HUMBLED TO BE HERE.UM, AUSTIN IS A FANTASTIC CITY, AND, UM, I JUST FEEL VERY FORTUNATE TO BE HERE.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE FIRST THING I DO, WHAT THE FIRST PRIORITY IS WOULD BE TO START, UM, BUILDING TRUST.
UM, YOU NEED TRUST TO GET THINGS DONE.
I NEED TRUST TO GET THINGS DONE.
AND SO HOW DO, HOW DO I DO THAT? HOW DO I GET THE, UH, COMMUNITY TRUST, THE TRUST FROM THE OFFICERS AND THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF FROM A PD UH, CITY ADMINISTRATION? HOW DO I DO THAT? UM, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET JOB, TO GET THE, GET THE WORK DONE.
UM, SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHAT I HAVE TO DO, I HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA.
WHAT'S THE DATA SHOWING ME ABOUT A PD? WHAT'S IT SHOWING ME ABOUT THE CRIME? HOW DO WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY HERE? UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT IN MOVING FORWARD.
SO HOW DO I BUILD TRUST? I START BY GETTING WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS.
I'M NOT SOMEONE THAT LIKES TO SIT IN AN OFFICE.
I LIKE TO BE OUT WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS.
I LIKE BEING IN COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
I LIKE BEING WHERE THEY ARE, AND I LIKE BEING WHERE THE POLICE ARE.
I LIKE BEING, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE DISTRICTS AND SEEING WHERE THEY WORK AND HOW THEY'RE WORKING.
AND I THINK THAT DOES A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, IT LETS THEM KNOW THAT, UM, I'M PRESENT, THAT I CARE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION, AND I SEE THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, THE HARD WORK THEY'RE DOING EVERY DAY.
AND THEN THE COMMUNITY, THEY NEED TO SEE A CHIEF THAT CARES, A CHIEF THAT'S IN THE COMMUNITY, ON THE GROUND WITH THEM LISTENING TO THEIR CONCERNS AND THEN ENGAGING, UM, YOU KNOW, BUILDING THAT ENGAGEMENT.
AND THAT'S HOW TRUST IS BUILT.
AND SO THAT'S MY FIRST PRIORITY, IS BUILDING THAT TRUST AND THEN GOING FROM THERE, BUILDING THE TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY AND AND YOUR OFFICERS.
THIS IS A TWO PART QUESTION, THE NEXT ONE, AND IT'S ABOUT EQUITY.
HOW DO YOU BELIEVE EQUITY INTEGRATES INTO POLICING? AND THEN COULD YOU PROVIDE SOME STRATEGIES OF HOW YOU HAVE UTILIZED EQUITY IN YOUR PREVIOUS JOB DUTIES WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION? SO ONCE AGAIN, EQUITY AND HOW IT INTEGRATES INTO POLICING AND, AND SITUATIONS WHERE YOU'VE CALLED UPON DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO MAKE SURE EQUITY IS FRONT AND CENTER IN YOUR DEPARTMENT.
WELL, LET ME FIRST TELL YOU WHAT EQUITY AND POLICING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU DO NOT HAVE A COHESIVE STRATEGY IN YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO IN THE LATE NINETIES, EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, WE WERE DOING ZERO TOLERANCE POLICING.
UM, IN CINCINNATI, THOSE ARE THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE TEAMS. THE CRT COME WORK THIS, GET SOME OVERTIME, GO INTO COMMUNITIES, UM, 30, 40 OF US AT A TIME.
YOU GO INTO THESE COMMUNITIES, UM, YOU'RE PATENT PEOPLE DOWN, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR GUNS, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR WEAPONS, UM, ARRESTING SOME JAYWALKING TICKETS.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT TALK ABOUT NOT BUILDING TRUST WITHIN A COMMUNITY THAT ERODES THAT TRUST.
AND THESE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT WERE VULNERABLE, UM, COMMUNITIES ANYWAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING.
AND WHERE DID THAT GET US HAVING THOSE UNSTRUCTURED, THAT THOSE, UM, UNCOHESIVE STRATEGIES, IT GOT US INTO A CONSENT DECREE.
UM, AND THAT WAS A RESULT OF A RIOT UNREST IN CINCINNATI IN APRIL OF 2001.
UM, YOU KNOW, SIX DAYS OF UNREST AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPENED.
WE HAD SOME, UM, 14 DEATHS, UH, OF UNARMED BLACK MEN IN THE CITY THAT LED TO THIS, UM, RIOT.
AND SO ALL OF THAT CULMINATED FROM JUST THAT LACK OF TRUST IN GOING INTO COMMUNITIES AND DOING THAT.
AND SO THAT IS HOW, UM, YOU CERTAINLY DO NOT BUILD EQUITY THAT WAY.
UM, WE CAME INTO A COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT WITHIN THE CITY OF CINCINNATI.
UM, THE COLLABORATIVE WAS ONE THAT WAS NEVER DONE BEFORE AND HAS NOT BEEN DONE SINCE.
IT WAS A VOLUNTARY COLLABORATIVE, AND IT INVOLVED THE, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, THE CITY ADMINISTRATION, THE BLACK UNITED FRONT.
WE ALL CAME TOGETHER AND WE AGREED ON HOW WE WERE MOVING THIS ORGANIZATION FORWARD.
WE WERE, WE AGREED ON STRATEGIES WE WERE GONNA USE PROBLEM SOLVING TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS WITHIN THE CITY, COMMUNITY POLICING ENGAGEMENT, LOOKING AT OUR USE OF FORCE POLICIES, THE WAY WE USE CANINE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND ALL THOSE CHANGES, UM, WERE MADE.
I WAS AT THE TABLE FOR THAT, AND WE MADE THOSE CHANGES.
SO WE WERE REFORMING OVER 20 YEARS AGO, UM, LOOKING AT CHOKE HOLDS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING, UM, JUST THE LAST FEW YEARS WE HAVE NOT BEEN DOING.
UM, SO THAT'S HOW YOU BUILD THAT, THAT EQUITY IS YOU CHANGE THE NARRATIVE AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO FROM THAT COLLABORATIVE AND THE WAY THAT WE POLICE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY, UM, WE STARTED BUILDING THAT EQUITY UP.
AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, THE GEORGE FLOYD AND WHAT HAPPENED IN GEORGE FLOYD, WHAT HAPPENED HERE, YOU KNOW, HERE YOU, WHAT HAPPENED HERE WITH THE, THE RIOTS, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT BECAUSE WE HAD BUILT THAT EQUITY UP WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND WE HAD THAT, THEY KNOW, THEY KNEW THAT WE DIDN'T POLICE THAT WAY.
AND THEY ONLY THING WE WERE DOING WAS FACILITATING A CROWD THAT, THAT HAD THE RIGHT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT EQUITY LOOKS LIKE.
SO HOW DO YOU GET THAT WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION? YOU DO IT BY HAVING COHESIVE POLICING STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS YOUR CRIME.
AND THAT'S WHERE EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING COMES IN.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE CRIME SCIENCE, HOW DO WE POLICE? AND SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING, AND THIS IS FOR YOUR MOST VIOLENT CRIME TO YOUR, YOUR LESS SERIOUS CRIME, BUT LOOKING AT THE PLACES, UM, THE LOCATION, THE PLACES, THE OFFENDERS, AND THE VICTIMIZATION, RIGHT? SO IT'S A TRIANGLE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE THREE THINGS
[00:10:01]
AND YOU'RE ATTACKING THOSE FROM THAT ANGLE, RIGHT? SO EVERYBODY IN HERE CAN THINK OF A LOCATION PROBABLY WITHIN AUSTIN THAT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY EITHER VIOLENT OR IT'S BEEN A CRIME THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.AND SO USING EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING ALLOWS YOU TO KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE LOCATIONS AND HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GO INTO THOSE LOCATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY ONE, PARTNERING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO SAY, THIS IS A PROBLEM HERE.
AND THEN THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING, WHO'S THE TENANTS THERE, WHO ARE THE GUARDIANS OF THAT BUILDING, LOOKING, GETTING, UM, CITY MANAGEMENT INVOLVED, WHETHER IT'S, UM, THE HOUSING AND ZONING, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
AND TRULY MOVING TOWARD A POINT WHERE YOU'RE ADDRESSING THOSE THINGS IN THAT HOLISTIC WAY.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU GET EQUITY, IS YOU, YOU BUILD FROM THAT AREA.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU POLICE THAT COLLABORATION THAT YOU MENTIONED.
WHEN DID THAT ALL START? SO, IT WAS 2001.
2001, UM, IS WHEN WE HAD THE RIOT.
SO IT WAS ABOUT A COUPLE YEARS, UM, AFTER THAT THAT WE STARTED, UM, SITTING AT THE TABLE AND, AND COMING TOGETHER AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR CONVERSATION.
YOU TALKED ABOUT BUILDING TRUST.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO RESTORE TRUST FOR A PD WITHIN THOSE HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES? DIFFERENT AUDIENCE THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, UM, THEY HAVE HISTORICALLY HAVE HAD HIGHER, UM, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH DISCRIMINATION, HIGHER VICTIMIZATION, AND LET'S BE HONEST, VICTIMIZATION THAT'S UNDER REPORTED, UM, FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, FOR SURE.
UM, IN CINCINNATI, I DEVELOPED A COMMUNITY LIAISON OFFICE FOR MARGINALIZED, UH, COMMUNITIES.
SO WE HAD A, AN OFFICER DEDICATED TO LGBT Q1 FOR HOMELESS IMMIGRATION, UM, FAITH-BASED, UM, ISSUES.
AND THAT WAS A, A TOUCH POINT FOR THEM.
UH, A PERSON WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OR IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO, UH, WHEN THEY HAD ISSUES OR HAD CONCERNS, UM, THAT DEALT WITH POLICING.
UM, BUT HOW DO YOU GET YOUR WHOLE ORGANIZATION TO DO THAT, RIGHT? AND SO IT, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT ONE OFFICER THAT THEY FEEL, UM, IT THEY'RE CONNECTING WITH, BUT HOW DO YOU GET THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION TO DO THAT, DO THAT.
UM, AND YOU DO THAT BY DOING A FEW THINGS.
ONE, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE POLICING, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPARTIALLY THAT YOU'RE DOING, UM, EQUITABLE POLICING, RIGHT? AND SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE PILLARS, PILLARS ARE WE POLICING, UM, FAIRLY WITH FAIRNESS, WITH TRANSPARENCY, WITH, UM, GIVING THEM A VOICE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
ARE WE POLICING THAT WAY? AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN OUR TRAINING, HOW IS OUR TRAINING AND, AND HOW ARE WE TRAINING OFFICERS? UM, AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THAT'S A BIG PIECE OF THAT.
UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT OFFICERS UNDERSTAND THOSE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THE DIFFERENCES, THE WAY POLICING TOUCH THOSE COMMUNITIES.
IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT IN THE ROLE OF POLICING.
HOW DID POLICE, UM, ACT IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, BUT THEN GIVE THEM INSPIRATION FOR THE FUTURE.
YOU HAVE TO GIVE OFFICERS INSPIRATION.
YOU CAN'T JUST, UM, SHOW THEM TRAINING.
THIS IS THE WAY IT USED TO BE, BUT IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD AND OFFER THEM INSPIRATION FOR HOW THE FUTURE CAN LOOK.
AND THEN SOCIAL MEDIA KIND OF START HIGHLIGHTING THOSE GOOD THINGS IN THE, IN THE FIELD THAT ARE GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING, POLICE DO A PHENOMENAL JOB AND THEY, THEY WORK VERY HARD, BUT WE HAVE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
IT'S NOT ABOUT GETTING GUNS AND MAKING BIG ARRESTS, BUT THOSE INTERACTIONS EVERY SINGLE DAY, WE NEED TO START HIGHLIGHTING THOSE ENGAGEMENTS, UM, THAT THE OFFICERS ARE DOING AND HIGHLIGHTING THAT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT RECRUITMENT.
UH, LIKE SO MANY POLICE DEPARTMENTS, A PD HAS REALLY STRUGGLED TO KEEP POSITIONS STILL PEOPLE RETIRING, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.
WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON RECRUITING, ESPECIALLY FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT SOLVING THIS RECRUITING ISSUE? GOSH, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'D BE HERE IF I COULD, UH, SOLVE ALL THE RECRUITING ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, IT'S A HUGE ISSUE.
IT IS A WHOLE, IT'S AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT, AT, AT THE WHY, AND YOU LOOK AT MORALE WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION, MORALE, UM, RECRUITING AND RETENTION ARE VERY TIED TOGETHER.
ALL THOSE THREE THINGS ARE TIED WHEN YOU START INCREASING MORALE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
AND, AND YOU DO THAT BY, UM, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO THE OFFICERS AND YOU'RE LISTENING TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY, YOU'RE WHERE THEY ARE, THEY'RE PRESENT.
UM, YOU'RE OFFERING THEM YOUR INSPIRATION AND YOUR VISION, UH, FOR THE DEPARTMENT, AND YOU'RE GIVING THEM THE GOALS.
AND WHEN THEY FEEL THAT FROM YOU, MORALE STARTS RISING.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN YOUR OFFICERS START RECRUITING FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO RETENTION, WE DON'T LEAVE.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE THING IS PEOPLE ARE LEAVING BOSSES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FEELING SUPPORTED OR VALIDATED IN THEIR WORK.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO, AND THAT, THAT WILL STOP WHEN MORALE STARTS RISING.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO START AND LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO HAS POTENTIALLY SEVERAL MORE YEARS THAT THEY COULD DEDICATE TO THE DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY'RE DECIDING TO LEAVE AND THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON THERE.
SO WHAT'S GOING ON? UM, THAT'S MAKING PEOPLE LEAVE.
SO AGAIN, PEOPLE LEAVE BOSSES, THEY DON'T LEAVE THE JOB USUALLY.
BUT RECRUITING IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TOUGH TOPIC THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I FEEL HOPEFUL IN A LOT OF THINGS.
I LOOK AT, UM, MADISON WISCONSIN'S DOING SOME REALLY GREAT THINGS.
UM, I'M A BIG LEARNER OF, OF LOOKING AT OTHER PLACES, LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
UM, THE 30 BY 30 INITIATIVE, UH, FOR WOMEN, THAT, THAT GIVES ME HOPE.
SO THAT'S AN INITIATIVE THAT AUSTIN, UM, PD SIGNED ON TO.
[00:15:01]
ABOUT, UM, AGENCIES SIGNED ON TO, UM, TALK ABOUT ADDING WOMEN TO THE RANKS OF POLICING.WE KNOW THAT WOMEN DO ADD, UM, REALLY GREAT ELEMENTS TO POLICING.
AND BY 2030, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU'LL HAVE, UM, 30% OF YOUR ORGANIZATION WILL BE WOMEN.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, A PD IS BELOW 12% RIGHT NOW, SO THERE'S ABSOLUTELY WORK TO DO TO CATCH UP THERE.
UM, VERY HIGH IN THE, IN THE PROFESSIONAL RANKS, BUT IN THE SWORN IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY LOW.
SO WE NEED TO DO SOME WORK THERE.
BUT RECRUITING IS TOUGH, BUT IT'S ABOUT SELLING THAT VISION.
AUSTIN IS A, AUSTIN IS A FANTASTIC CITY, AND IT'S ABOUT SELLING THE CITY.
IT'S ABOUT SELLING WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER.
THERE'S SO MUCH GREAT THINGS HERE.
AND SO IT'S ABOUT GETTING OUT AND, AND TALKING ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
BUT IT, YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO START LOOKING AT MORALE AND RETENTION AND ALL OF THAT RECRUITMENT THAT WILL START COMING UP.
THIS IS, THIS TIES IN WELL TO THE IDEA OF WHY PEOPLE LEAVE.
HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR OFFICERS FEEL VALUED AND SUPPORTED? MM-HMM.
I THINK IT DOES GO WITH MORALE.
UM, POLICING IS A VERY TOUGH JOB.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, I CAN TELL YOU THIS WITHOUT HESITATION, GOOD COPS DO NOT WANT TO WORK WITH BAD COPS.
UM, AND WE HAVE 'EM, OF COURSE, WE HAVE BAD COPS.
UM, BUT GOOD COPS DON'T WANNA WORK WITH THEM.
UM, AND YOU START BY, UM, ADDRESSING THAT, AND YOU START BY LISTENING TO THEM, AND AGAIN, GIVING THEM A VISION, GIVING THEM INSPIRATION.
THEY NEED TO FEEL INSPIRED TOWARDS SOMETHING.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT GIVING THEM EVERYTHING THEY ASK FOR.
AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOT ABOUT HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
I AM, WE ARE RISK MITIGATORS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
UM, I WILL HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE WHEN THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
AND I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THAT'S A TRANSPARENCY ISSUE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE OFFICERS BE INSPIRED ABOUT THE WORK.
YOU KNOW, THAT THE FABRIC OF DEMOCRACY IS, IS ALLOWING THIS FEELING THAT WE HAVE A RIGHT TO BE SAFE FROM CRIME, AND THERE'S NO GREATER PLAYER THAN THAT IN THAT ROLE THAN OUR POLICE.
AND SO THEY HAVE TO FEEL KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE THAT, AND THEY NEED TO BE HUMBLED BY IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG JOB TO BE A POLICE OFFICER.
AND, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS WERE OFTEN ASKED, WELL, WHY DOES IT MATTER WHAT, YOU KNOW, A COP DOES IN NEW YORK OR, OR CHICAGO WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE, WE DON'T DO THAT.
UM, WELL, IT MATTERS BECAUSE THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT THE JOB IS.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO OTHER JOB THAT THAT HAPPENS, BUT POLICING IS A VERY POWERFUL POSITION TO THINK OF THE RIGHTS THAT POLICE HAVE.
AND IT MEANS SOMETHING, IT MEANS SOMETHING TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN OFFICERS CAN START THINKING IN THOSE TERMS LIKE THAT, AND TRULY ENGAGING WITH THE, WITH THE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHEN THAT VALUE AND WHAT THEY DO MATTERS, BECAUSE IT DOES MATTER.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, THAT WE GOT FROM FOLKS WHO SHOWED UP EARLY TONIGHT AND, AND WANTED TO ASK PARTICULAR THINGS OF YOU AND CHIEF NORMAN.
UM, AND THEN I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO GIVE US YOUR, KIND OF, YOUR CV A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR CAREER.
AT THE BEGINNING, THE QUESTION FROM ONE OF OUR FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE IS, WHAT'S YOUR VISION IN PROTECTING AND ADVOCATING FOR IMMIGRANTS IN THE CITY? YEAH.
I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT'S A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY.
UM, SO I'M GONNA ADVOCATE FOR ANYBODY.
I MEAN, IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, I'M GONNA BE ADVOCATING FOR THEM.
AND SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PROCESSES IN PLACE.
AND AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT BUILDING TRUST.
AND I THINK IT ALL STARTS THERE.
AND SO IT'S ME LEARNING WHAT THE PROCESSES ARE HERE, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? AND THEN AT THAT POINT, MOVING FORWARD, HOW DO WE CHANGE THINGS? WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED AND, AND GETTING THE RIGHT PARTNERS AROUND YOU TO DO IT.
SO I'M HERE FOR ANY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY, UM, IMMIGRATION.
AGAIN, THAT WAS ONE OF THE OFFICERS I HAD THERE IS, IS RECOGNIZING HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS, UM, AND IMPORTANT WORK TO DO.
AND SO THE PARTNERS THAT AUSTIN HAS, I KNOW AUSTIN, UM, HAS SOME RESOURCES IN PLACE AND CERTAINLY WORK WITH THEM.
AND, AND HOW DO WE GET BETTER? AND THE LAST QUESTION FROM AN AUDIENCE MEMBER IS, WHAT IS A POLICE DEPARTMENT'S GREATEST ASSET, AND HOW DO YOU MANAGE THIS ASSET? YEAH.
SO THEN I GUESS THEY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
THE GREATEST ASSET IS ITS PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, A MILITARY, UH, SAYING, UM, MISSION FIRST.
PEOPLE ALWAYS, AND THAT'S THE THING.
UM, WE HAVE TO BE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WITHIN.
AND WHEN WE START LOOKING AT WHO ARE OUR OFFICERS AND WHAT DO WE VALUE AS AN ORGANIZATION? AND THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TALK ABOUT BUILDING TRUST, BUT WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE ORGANIZATION, WHAT IS IT THAT WE, AS AN ORGANIZATION, AS A COMMUNITY, WHAT DO WE VALUE? AND THEN WHEN YOU CAN LOOK AT YOUR VALUES AND WHAT YOU ALL AGREE ON ARE YOUR CORE VALUES, YOU START POLICING THOSE VALUES.
AND THAT MATTERS TO, TO, TO POLICE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT THEIR WORK MATTERS.
JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT RECRUITING, AND I'M SORRY TO GO BACK TO RECRUITING, BUT YOUNGER GENERATIONS, THEY WANT WORK.
THEY WANNA WORK IN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE WHAT THEY DO TRULY MATTERS, AND THEY WANT THAT INSPIRATION AND THEY WANNA BE INSPIRED.
SO WE, WERE GOING TO DO THIS BEGINNING.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, YOUR CAREER, HOW YOU GOT INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHY YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BECAUSE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE CITY OF CINCINNATI, ARE VERY DIFFERENT PLACES.
[00:20:01]
WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.I, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW, AND THAT'S BEEN BEEN SOMETHING THAT THE MEDIA HAS TALKED ABOUT, IS, IS THIS DIFFERENCE.
AND I UNDERSTAND CINCINNATI IS A SMALLER CITY.
WE'RE 305,000 RESIDENTS AND O DAILY, OVER A MILLION IN POPULATION THAT WORK THERE.
BUT WE HAVE THREE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAMS. WE DO ALL THE DEMONSTRATIONS.
WE HAVE A UNIVERSITY AND, AND MAJOR CORPORATIONS THERE.
SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO, TO BE DEDICATED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF POLICING WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH PEOPLE AND YOU'RE DEALING WITH CROWDS.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND KIND OF DIGGING IN THERE, UM, IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S A BIG JOB, RIGHT? IT'S A BIG JOB IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I'M UP FOR IT.
AND I THINK, UM, LITTLE BY LITTLE COMMUNITY BY COMMUNITY, I'M GONNA GET TO KNOW PEOPLE AND, UM, THAT, THAT BUILDS THOSE STRONG RELATIONSHIPS.
BUT ARE YOU READY FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT MY MYSELF? YES.
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.
UM, WHY, SO MY, WHY, WHY DID I GET INTO POLICING? AND, AND, AND WHY DID I END HERE? UM, I'VE TOLD THIS STORY BECAUSE, UM, IT'S ABOUT HOW I CAME TO POLICING AND HOW I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE, THERE'S A FEW OF US THAT ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND AND TO, TO, UM, KNOW WHAT WE WANTED TO BE FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE.
UM, WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD, I LIVED IN, GREW UP IN A INNER CITY OF CINCINNATI, A A VERY POOR NEIGHBORHOOD IN, UM, LOWER PRICE HILL, ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF OUTSIDE OF CINCINNATI.
UM, BUT WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD, THE POLICE KNOCKED ON MY DOOR.
MY GRANDMOTHER LIVED ON THE, THE BOTTOM FLOOR, AND WE LIVED UP TOP AND, UM, OPENED THE DOOR.
AND THE COPS ARE, IS BRAD WELLS HERE? THAT WAS MY UNCLE.
HE IS UPSTAIRS, YOU KNOW, GAVE HIM WRITE UP.
AND, UM, SO THEY GO UP THE STEPS AND THE OFFICER THAT'S GOING, HE'S CLIMBING THE STEPS, AND HE SLIPS AND HE FALLS LIKE THREE STEPS.
AND HE SAYS, HE GETS EMBARRASSED 'CAUSE HE IS AROUND HIS, HIS COP, YOU KNOW, OTHER, OTHER COPS.
AND HE SAYS, OH, BRAD WELLS IS GONNA PAY FOR THAT.
AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, MY UNCLE IS BEING THROWN OFF OF THE SECOND STORY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BALCONY THERE FROM OUR, UM, UH, HOUSE.
AND SO SEEING THAT AND SEEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED FROM THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I RAN TO MY, MY GRANDMOTHER'S APARTMENT AND, AND JUST SEEING THAT, BUT I KNEW IMMEDIATELY THAT THAT WAS NOT THE WAY THAT POLICING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE.
AND I KNEW THAT BECAUSE OF A RELATIONSHIP I HAD WITH A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, OFFICER SCHWARTZ.
AND SO, JUST KNOWING THE WAY HE CARED FOR US AND HOW HE ACTED TOWARD US, I KNEW THAT IT WAS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS.
AND SO, IN MY MIND, IN MY HEAD, I THOUGHT, I'M GONNA DO THIS ONE DAY, AND THIS IS NOT THE WAY THAT I'M GONNA DO IT.
AND SO, AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, I WENT INTO THE US NAVY.
UM, AND THEN FROM THERE I TOOK A, THE POLICE TEST WHEN I GOT OUT, AND MY DAUGHTER WAS TWO WEEKS OLD WHEN I TOOK THE WRITTEN PART, AND ABOUT SIX WEEKS OLD WHEN I TOOK THE PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST.
AND SO IT WAS PURE DETERMINATION.
HOW, HOW OLD WAS YOUR DAUGHTER WHEN YOU TOOK THE PHYSICAL AGILITY? SIX WEEKS OLD.
YEAH, NO, BELIEVE ME, I, YOU KNOW, AND I OFTEN THINK THE GUY THAT WAS HOLDING THAT TIMER, HE JUST, HE KNEW HOW MUCH I WANTED IT, AND I WAS JUST, I WASN'T GONNA STOP.
AND I OFTEN THINK IT'S AMAZING THAT I MADE IT RIGHT AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT I NEEDED.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S THE, THAT I WANTED IT SO BAD AND I KNEW THAT THIS WAS THE LIFE THAT I WANTED.
SO I JOINED THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAME ON AT 21 AND STARTED A CAREER WALKING A BEAT IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI AND OVER THE RHINE, WHICH IS OUR, KIND OF OUR, YEAH, OUR MOST VIOLENT TYPE OF AREA THERE.
CHANGED A LOT, GENTRIFIED A LITTLE.
UM, SO STARTED THERE, AND THEN ABOUT YEAR 10, I, UM, YOU KNOW, DECIDED TO GET PROMOTED.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THERE'S OFTENTIMES, WHEN YOU START THINKING OF CHANGES THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE, AND YOU CAN DO ONE OF TWO THINGS, YOU CAN LOOK AT ISSUES AND YOU CAN THINK, I NEED TO CHANGE THIS.
UM, AND YOU WORK TO HAVE IT CHANGED, OR YOU JUST BE QUIET, RIGHT? AND SO TO, TO GET THINGS CHANGED WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION, I NEEDED TO GET PROMOTED TO HAVE THAT AUTHORITY TO DO IT.
AND SO, UM, ABOUT NINE, 10 YEARS IN, I GOT PROMOTED TO SERGEANT, UM, WENT TO MAJOR OFFENDERS UNIT, LOOKED FOR, UH, THE WORST OF THE WORST BAD GUYS.
WE DID BANK ROBBERIES, WE DID CRIME STOPPERS, WE DID OUTREACH, THAT TYPE OF THING.
UM, AND FROM THERE GOT PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT.
AND FROM LIEUTENANT I DID A LOT OF, UM, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND IN POLICING, YOU ALWAYS FIND YOUR NICHE OF WHAT YOU LIKE AND WHAT, AND WHAT CALLS YOU.
AND COMMUNITY POLICING WAS ALWAYS MINE ABOUT THAT ENGAGEMENT, SEEING THE POWER OF, OF WORKING TOGETHER.
AND I'VE SAID THIS IN SOME OTHER GROUPS, YOU CAN HAVE COFFEE WITH A COP ALL DAY LONG, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT WORKING TOGETHER ON HARD PROBLEMS, YOU ARE NOT ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE, UM, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN A COMMUNITY.
AND YOU HAVE TO START WORKING TOGETHER TOWARD GOALS.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU SHARE THE WINS AND YOU SHARE THE LOSSES WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY'VE BEEN PART OF THE PROCESS OF, OF COMING UP WITH STRATEGIES, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO COME IN AND SAY, OH, WE FAILED.
I MEAN, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S GO BACK AND LET'S, LET'S, LET'S TRY IT AGAIN.
AND THERE'S NO BLAME THERE BECAUSE YOU'VE ALL BEEN IN THIS TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S VERY POWERFUL, AND I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN.
UM, SO FROM THERE, I GOT, UH, PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN, UM, WHICH IS MY FAVORITE RANK.
UM, DID SOME GREAT WORK IN, IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI AND OVER THE RHINE.
AND FROM THERE WAS ABLE TO BUILD A, UM, A GREAT TEAM AROUND ME.
[00:25:01]
THAT'S ONE OF MY STRENGTHS.I'M, I'M REALLY GOOD AT BUILDING TEAMS AROUND ME.
WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UM, GOOD, STRONG TEAMS AROUND YOU TO GET THINGS DONE.
UM, BUILT THAT TEAM AND TRULY STARTED REALLY INVESTING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, GOT SOME GREAT PARTNERS THAT STILL CALL ME TODAY WITH ISSUES THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE.
I'M THREE CAPTAINS REMOVED, AND THEY'RE STILL CALLING ME BECAUSE THEY KNOW I'M RESPONSIVE.
AND I, AND I TRY TO WORK TO GET THINGS DONE FOR 'EM.
UM, FROM THERE I GOT PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT CHIEF AND BEEN IN HOMICIDE, UH, NARCOTICS AND WORKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE ARE SAD, SAD AREAS TO WORK IN, BUT TRYING TO DO SOME GOOD WORK WITH VICTIMS AND, AND HOW WE LOOK AT VICTIMS AND, UM, COLD CASE HOMICIDES, UM, STARTED A PODCAST THERE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET OFF THE GROUND TO LOOK AT COLD CASES.
I, I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
UM, BUT I'M AT A POINT IN MY CAREER WHERE, UM, I'M READY TO MOVE ON FROM CINCINNATI, BUT I STILL FEEL LIKE I HAVE SOMETHING TO GIVE.
I HAVE SOME GOOD IDEAS, AND I HAVE, UM, PASSION FOR COMMUNITY.
I HAVE PASSION FOR POLICE, AND I THINK I WOULD JUST BE A GREAT FIT IN AUSTIN.
AUSTIN'S A GOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT NEEDS A STRONG LEADER RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK I'M THAT PERSON TO DO IT.
THANK, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA BRING UP, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A QUICK BREAK AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
I FEEL LIKE I'M BACK ON TV ANCHORING THE NEWS.
WELL, YOU'VE BEEN KIND OF BUSY.
MILWAUKEE
I THINK CAUGHT R AND C OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THERE WERE NO MAJOR ISSUES.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CAREFUL 18 TO ALMOST TWO YEARS OF PLANNING REALLY HELPED IN REGARDS TO ENSURING THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THAT, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, LEANING INTO THE WORK OF PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT ALSO COLLABORATION WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT PARTNERS.
SO IT'S A TESTAMENT TO COLLABORATION.
WELL, WE WANNA BEGIN BY HAVING YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR CAREER.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO AUSTIN? WHY YOU THINK YOU'D BE A GOOD FIT? SO, UH, FIRST I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE TO PRESENT MYSELF TO YOU ALL.
UH, I KNOW THAT THIS IS, UH, AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS.
UM, I LOOK AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF WHAT THE, UH, PARTICULAR REQUIREMENT OR THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN REGARDS TO ANOTHER, UH, NEXT LEADER FOR THE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO ME.
IT'S MY CORE UNDERSTANDING THAT GETTING OUT AND MEETING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IT THEY WANT, WHAT IS THEY LOOKING FOR, WHAT IS IT THEY EXPECT? UM, THAT'S MY WHEELHOUSE.
AND THAT THERE IS A PART OF MY CAREER NOW THAT I'M AVAILABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES I CAN BRING TO THIS RESPECTIVE CHALLENGE OF BEING MORE ENGAGING IN REGARDS TO THE PUBLIC WITH OUR DEPARTMENT, ENSURING THAT WE ARE LEANING INTO THAT PARTICULAR TYPE OF WORK.
I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME WHEN IT COMES TO ENGAGEMENT, EIGHT TO FOUR, BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER, AND DESSERT TOO.
AND SO, KNOWING THAT THERE IS THAT TYPE OF ROLE MODELING FOR OUR OFFICERS TO SEE IN REGARDS TO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, TO BE, AGAIN, AT THE TIP OF THE ARROW, UH, REALLY SPEAKS TO ME.
AND I BELIEVE THAT ENGAGEMENT IS MORE THAN JUST RESIDENT TO OUR OFFICERS, BUT IT'S WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY, WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, BRINGING THAT LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT IN ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS SO THAT WE CAN BRING THE BEST TYPE OF SERVICES WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IN REGARDS TO WHAT DOES LAW ENFORCEMENT LOOK LIKE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR BACKGROUND.
HOW DID YOU GET TO BE THE POLICE CHIEF IN MILWAUKEE? DID YOU WORK YOUR WAY UP THE LADDER? DID YOU, HAVE YOU LIVED THERE YOUR WHOLE LIFE? TELL US ABOUT WELL, I WALKED INTO THE ROOM AND SAID, TAG RED
NO, ACTUALLY, UH, I, I CAME UP THROUGH THE RANKS.
I LIKE TO ALWAYS SAY I CAME FROM A MAIL ROOM TO THE BOARDROOM.
UH, A LIFELONG WALKIN, BORN AND RAISED.
I LOVE MY CITY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT OFFERINGS.
UH, THERE WAS, UH, AGAIN, UM, OPPORTUNITIES THAT GROW UP IN THE RANKS.
UH, I'VE BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT 28 YEARS, UH, WORKED IN MANY DIFFERENT ROLES.
UH, THE MOST RECENT CHIEF, UH, WAS BEEN CHIEF IN THE INTERIM CAPACITY FROM 2020, BECAME THE PERMANENT CHIEF IN 2021.
UH, WALKED INTO THAT ROLE IN CHALLENGING TIMES.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON.
UM, AND THAT AT THE TIME, UH, LED TO LEARN A LOT ON THE FLY.
BUT FOR THOSE LIFE LESSONS, I LEARNED, UH, REALLY HOW TO, YOU KNOW, BE RESPONSIVE.
HOW TO LEAN INTO CRISIS, HOW TO WORK WITH OUR MULTIPLE PARTNERS, WHETHER IT'S OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, OUR COMMUNITY BUSINESS, OUR RESIDENTS, LISTENING, UM, LEADING THAT TONE TO ALL THE OTHER, UH, PARTICULAR, UH, UM, UH, LEADERSHIP
[00:30:01]
TEAM TO MAKE SURE IT'S REFLECTED.'CAUSE IT'S JUST MORE THAN JUST ME.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOWING THAT, UH, AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY DOESN'T SAY THEY DON'T WANT POLICE, THEY WANT THE RIGHT POLICE, THEY WANT GOOD ENGAGED POLICE, THEY WANT POLICE THAT WANTS TO BE THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M A PART OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BOARDS.
I DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, GREATER MILWAUKEE.
UH, I'M ON THE BOARD WITH THE, UH, WISCONSIN COMMUNITY, UH, UH, SERVICES, WHICH IS ABOUT REENTRY WORK, DOING THAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S MORE THAN JUST DOING THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASPECT, BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT BRINGS, AGAIN, INVESTMENT AND TRYING TO BUILD SUPPORT.
UH, BUT, UH, I DO HAVE A LAW DEGREE.
UH, I WENT TO MARKET UNIVERSITY.
I HAVE A MASTER'S IN, IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THAT'S LIKE THE BUSINESS DEGREE FOR GOVERNMENT.
I HAVE A UNDERGRAD DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
UH, YOU KNOW, UM, HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UM, UH, CHIEF TRAINING, UH, WENT TO THE PRESTIGIOUS, UH, S-N-P-S-M-I-P SENIOR MANAGEMENT POLICING AT CLASS NUMBER 68, UH, F-B-I-N-E-I, UH, COURSE, WHICH IS THE, UH, NATIONAL EXECUTIVE INSTITUTE CLASS NUMBER 45, UH, FBI LEADER FOR COMMAND STAFF AND EXECUTIVE COMMAND STAFF.
SO I COME IN WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TRAININGS.
UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD DEMAND THE BEST IN REGARDS TO YOUR LEADERSHIP.
BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT THOSE PARTICULAR TYPE OF TRAININGS EXPERIENCE, YOU GOTTA BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.
YOU GOTTA BE OUT THERE AND TALK TO ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU.
FOR SOME WHO DON'T WANT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU, THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A PROFESSIONAL WITHIN POLICING EVERY DAY, ALL THE TIME.
AND SO, I ENJOY HAVING THESE TYPE OF CONVERSATIONS AND SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT HAVE TO TELL ME, OKAY, BE QUIET.
YOU KNOW, CHIEF CAN GET TO THE NEXT QUESTION BECAUSE WELL, I TALK TO YOU OFF MAYBE SHOULD DO THAT.
OR ACTUALLY SEVEN, COUNTING THOSE.
UM, WELL, I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SAY HERE BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND BUILDING TRUST AND ALSO, UM, BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
BUT IF YOU DO TAKE THIS POSITION, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AS POLICE CHIEF AND WHY? SO, COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY, I GOTTA GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY ON A BETTER AND DEEPER LEVEL.
UM, UNDERSTANDING, AGAIN, NOT ONLY FROM OUR ELECTED LEADERS, BUT ALSO FROM OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS UNDERSTAND WHAT IS OUT THERE AS OPPORTUNITIES.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CONNECT AND MAKE SURE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS A TEAM ACTIVITY.
AND SO LEARNING THOSE FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS IS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, BEING ABLE TO MEET PEOPLE BEFORE THERE'S A CRISIS.
UNDERSTAND THAT THAT FEEDBACK GIVES YOU A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
IS IT THE STAFFING ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO BE, CONTINUE TO WORK ON, FOCUS ON? IS IT THE RETENTION? IS IT, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH THE TRAINING? IS IT DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, SENSE OF CRIMES UNIT? THERE IS SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS AND CAN HELP PRIORITIZE WHAT NEEDS TO BE WORKED ON WHEN YOU HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE WHO HAVE A HAND IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO THAT IS THE BIGGEST PRIORITY IS TO, AGAIN, BUILD TRUST AND LEGITIMACY BY HAVING CONVERSATIONS TO UNDERSTAND HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE THESE PARTICULAR TYPE OF IMPACT OR CHANGES.
THERE IS A TIME WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE PATIENCE ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE CHANGING.
BUT I DO SAY THIS MUCH, HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS GIVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING HOW TO APPROACH THESE CHALLENGES IN WHAT WAY? AND UTILIZING THESE DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT YOU'RE TALKING TO, TO HELP MOVE THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, UM, ARROW OR THE PENDULUM.
HOW DO YOU BELIEVE EQUITY INTEGRATES INTO POLICING? AND TELL US ABOUT SOME STRATEGIES THAT YOU'VE UTILIZED IN YOUR WORK WITH YOUR OWN DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE EQUITY IS FRONT AND CENTER.
WELL, EQUITY GOES TO HEART OF FAIRNESS.
EQUITY GOES TO THE HEART OF ENSURING THAT WE ARE BEING AS, UM, UM, IMPACTFUL IN REGARDS TO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
ARE YOU COMING FROM A GOOD PLACE? UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, WE TALK ABOUT FAIR IMPARTIAL POLICING.
YOU TALK ABOUT PROCEDURAL JUSTICE.
UH, YOU TALK ABOUT UNDERSTANDING YOUR BIASES, UNDERSTANDING IN REGARDS TO HOW DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE BIASES AND WORK THROUGH THOSE.
AND SO FOR US, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LEAN INTO THOSE TRAININGS, UM, SUPPORT THE EFFORTS IN REGARDS TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, UM, HAVING CHAMPIONS FOR THAT.
UH, EMBRACING DIVERSITY, DIVERSITY HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND THOSE LENS THAT MAY COME FROM A DIFFERENT BACKGROUND PERSPECTIVE.
UH, MY TEAMS, THE LEADERSHIP TEAMS I'VE LED HAVE BEEN DIVERSE.
THEY GIVE YOU THAT FAIRNESS OF LOOKING AT THINGS FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO HAVE THE BEST OUTCOMES.
THE SUCCESS THAT I HAVE ENJOYED WITHIN MY LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF UNDERSTANDING WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER THAN SEPARATE.
THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE A PULPIT OR A HIGHER PLATFORM DOESN'T MEAN YOUR VOICE IS THE ONLY VOICE.
I BELIEVE IN UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE BETTER WHEN WE HAVE DIVERSE VOICES.
[00:35:01]
AND UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU GET THE BEST OUTCOMES WHEN YOU HEAR EVERYONE'S PERSPECTIVE.WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TRUST, UM, BUT HOW DO YOU PLAN TO RESTORE TRUST FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WHERE THAT TRUST CAN BE BROKEN SO EASILY AND HAS BEEN IN THE PAST? IT PAINS IN REGARDS TO HEARING SOME OF THOSE TYPE OF CHALLENGES.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU NEED TO LEAN IN, MEET THEM OR MEET INDIVIDUALS WHERE THEY'RE AT.
DON'T EXPECT PEOPLE TO COME TO YOU, BE OUT THERE, ENGAGE AS A LEADER.
YOU HAVE TO SHOW BY EXAMPLE IN REGARDS TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UNDERSTAND THOSE PERSPECTIVES, UNDERSTAND THOSE CHALLENGES.
AS I, UNFORTUNATELY WHEN I HEARD THE BELL RING TALK TOO MUCH.
YOU NEED TO LISTEN MORE THAN TALKING.
MAKING SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE AND HOW DO YOU COME TOGETHER TO WORK THROUGH THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, UM, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGES IN REGARDS OF WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LED UP TO BE WHO WE ARE IN REGARDS TO SOME OF THESE, UM, UNFORTUNATE, UH, TITLES OR, UH, ISSUES.
WE'RE NOT GONNA GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE OVERNIGHT, BUT ARE WE MOVING THAT SHIP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? WE'RE NOT TURNING IT ON A DIME THAT'S NOT SPEED BOAT.
BUT WE DO UNDERSTAND THERE IS URGENCY BEHIND IT.
AND THE FIRST WAY TO GET THEM HEARD OR GET THOSE, UH, UH, DISCUSSIONS HEARD IS HAVING DISCUSSIONS AND NOT BEING COMMUNICATED AS A ONE HIT WONDER.
CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION, NURTURING THOSE GARDENS IN REGARDS TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT BEING GENUINE ABOUT IT.
DON'T MAKE IT LIKE A CHECK OFF THE BOX AND JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTION, DO YOU TRULY CARE TO SERVE? DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE PUBLIC SERVANT? DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE THAT, UM, SERVANT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP? I DO.
AND SO TO EXPECT IT OUTTA THE DEPARTMENT, YOUR DEEDS GUIDELINE WITH YOUR WORDS, AND AS YOU ROLE MODEL THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE LEADERS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION ALL THE WAY TO YOUR FRONTLINE OFFICERS TO BASICALLY WALK IN STEP WITH THAT PARTICULAR TYPE OF BEHAVIOR.
CULTURE HELPS THAT MEANING THAT IF YOU HAVE A CULTURE OF SERVICE AND YOU ARE REALLY EMBODYING THAT, IT DRAWS PEOPLE WHO ARE AND WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT, BUT ALSO RETAINS THOSE WHO WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT.
BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE, IT ALSO PUSHES OUT THOSE WHO SAYS, THIS IS NOT MY TYPE OF CULTURE, AND I CAN TAKE THAT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, DO WHAT IT SPEAKS TO YOU.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE HERE IN THIS PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT IN REGARDS TO CULTURAL SERVICE, UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE THAT ENGAGING.
YOU WANNA BE RECEPTIVE TO THOSE WHO WANNA TALK TO YOU.
THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE ABOUT IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE'S VOICES ARE HEARD, PEOPLE ARE SEEN.
BY THE WAY, THE BELL WASN'T A TIMER.
OH, THAT WAS, THAT'S THAT WAS SOMEBODY FAULT.
I THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE A SANDMAN AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE OR SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA BE TAKEN OFF THE STAGE HERE WITH A, WITH A CANE OR HOOK.
YOU DO A LITTLE DANCE IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, YOU'VE TOUCHED ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES, BUT UM, I WANNA ELABORATE ON RECRUITMENT.
LIKE SO MANY POLICE DEPARTMENTS, A PD HAS STRUGGLED WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE RETIRING, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.
UM, THE IMPORTANT ASPECT OF RECRUITING IS, EXCUSE ME.
WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO RECRUIT THOSE THAT YOU WANT TO BE REFLECTIVE ON YOUR DEPARTMENT.
I BELIEVE THAT IS, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR ACHIEVE TO BE OPEN TO ALL DIFFERENT TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
WHETHER IT'S WITH YOUR FAITH-BASED LEADERS, WHETHER IT'S WITH YOUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, WHETHER IT'S YOUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, WHETHER IT'S WITH YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE'RE ALL BEING A PART OF THAT RECRUITMENT, YOU SEE BETTER OUTCOMES.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE AT THE TIP OF THE SPEAR SHOWCASE IN REGARDS TO WHAT TYPE OF CULTURE YOU HAVE FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT, WHAT TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES YOU HAVE FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THAT DRAWS PEOPLE INTO, BUT BEING ABLE TO TAP INTO YOUR COMMUNITY TO SAY, HEY, HELP US OUT HERE.
IF YOU KNOW INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL MAKE GREAT OFFICERS, THE TYPE OF OFFICERS YOU WANNA SEE, THE BEST RECRUITERS ARE US IN REGARDS TO KNOWING THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN A PROACTIVE WAY AND ENGAGING WAY.
AND THAT WITH THAT CULTURE THAT YOU BRINGING OUT ABOUT CULTURE OF SERVICE, YOU HOPE IS LIKE A MOTH TO THE FLAME DRAWN TO IT IN REGARDS TO SAYING THIS PARTICULAR WORK SPEAKS TO ME WITHIN LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION.
WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HAVE A JOB.
THIS IS NOT A MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY CLOCK IN, CLOCK OUT.
AT THE VERY LEAST, I WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS AS A CAREER, OR IN MY CASE, I WANT THIS TO BE A CALLING THAT IS NOT WORK TO YOU, THAT YOU HAVE THE TYPE OF SERVICE AND THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING DAY IN, DAY OUT.
'CAUSE THE WORK WE DO IN REGARDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY IS 365 DAYS A YEAR, SEVEN DAYS
[00:40:01]
A WEEK, 24 HOURS A DAY, HOLIDAYS INCLUDED.AND WHEN YOU HAVE THAT PARTICULAR TYPE OF UNDERSTANDING, WHAT THIS TYPE OF WORK SPEAKS TO YOU IS NOT WORK AT ALL.
IT'S BEING PART OF THE EFFORT TO MAKE YOUR COMMUNITY SAFE, REFLECTIVE TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS IN THE WAY THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE IT DELIVERED.
ARE YOU, YOU COULD PROBABLY, NO, NO, I'M JUST, I WAS TRYING TO SEGUE INTO THE NEXT QUESTION BECAUSE I THINK THAT THIS WOULD HELP WITH RECRUITMENT AND THAT IS HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR OFFICERS FEEL VALUED AND RESPECTED? EVERYBODY WANTS TO FEEL THAT WAY IN THEIR JOB, BUT BEING A POLICE OFFICERS TOUGH STUFF AS YOU KNOW, SPEAKING FROM THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, FROM THE TALLEST ROOFTOP, AND YOU CAN NEVER SAY IT ENOUGH.
I THANK ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ACROSS THE NATION, INCLUDING THIS COMMUNITY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO, IN SPITE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH FROM A STACKING ASPECT, THEY'RE STILL HERE THAT THERE IS A HALF GLASS FULL RATHER HALF GLASS EMPTY IN REGARDS TO THAT.
IN A CIVILIZED COMMUNITY, YOU NEED PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU NEED OUR OFFICERS.
THE THING THAT WE NEED TO AGREE ON IS WHAT KIND AND WHAT IS IT THAT WE LOOK FOR? BECAUSE EVERYONE CAN AGREE WE WANT GOOD OFFICERS.
NO ONE EVEN WITHIN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY WANT BAD OFFICERS.
BUT YOU'D NEED SWORN OFFICERS TO DO SWORN THINGS.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT AS A LEADER TO THANK THEM, TO SHOW APPRECIATION, TO INVEST IN THEIR WELLBEING, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT THE PHYSICAL ASPECT, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE MENTAL ASPECT THAT WE ARE LEANING INTO THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED.
AND TO BE THE RESOURCE RESOURCE PROVIDERS IN REGARDS TO THE WORK THAT THEY'RE ALL DOING.
I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IS DOING.
UM, JUST AS I'LL SAY, UH, AKIN TO OUR MILITARY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, FREEDOM, NOT FREE.
AND THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE TO ENSURE THAT COST IS PAID IN REGARDS TO WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY, MEANING THAT THEY SACRIFICED THEIR LIFE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THANK THEM DAY IN, DAY OUT FOR THAT.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, ESPECIALLY IN LEADERSHIP, TO BE ABLE TO SAY FROM THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN AND TALLEST BUILDING, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND I MEAN THAT I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AUDIENCE MEMBERS GAVE US PRIOR TO THIS EVENT.
AND THE FIRST ONE IS, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT'S GREATEST ASSET AND HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT ASSET? SO THE GREATEST ASSET FOR, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MAJOR CITIES, UH, TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND MOST POLICE DEPARTMENTS IS THE PERSONNEL.
UM, THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, WHETHER IT'S UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY, WHETHER IT'S UTILIZING DIFFERENT RESOURCES, IS PERSONNEL DRIVEN.
WE TALK ABOUT SWORN OFFICERS, BUT WE TALK ABOUT OUR NON-SWORN, THOSE WHO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORK THAT WE DO AS A TEAM.
AND THAT TEAM EFFORT IS, UM, IMPORTANT FOR US TO INVEST IN FROM A TRAINING, FROM, YOU KNOW, ENSURING THAT THE WELLNESS IS, UH, CORRECT, BUT TO BE APPRECIATIVE OF EVERYONE WHO'S ON THAT TEAM, FROM THOSE WHO ARE THE PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF TO THOSE WHO ARE BEING PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, FORENSIC WORK, WHATNOT.
THEY'RE ALL PART OF THE TEAM OF WORKING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THAT, WHEN YOU HAVE NOT ONLY THE, UM, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE, THAT HUMAN CAPITAL, THAT THERE IS THAT IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING THAT EFFORT TO BE THERE, TO THANK THEM, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY'RE BEING PROVIDED WITH THE RIGHT RESOURCES AND THE RIGHT SUPPORT TO GIVE THEM THE BEST WORK.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR LEADERSHIP TO TREAT OUR PEOPLE HUMANELY.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU TREAT INDIVIDUALS INHUMANE, THEY TREAT OTHERS INHUMANE.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SET THE TONE FOR THAT AND BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT THEM, BUT ALSO, AND THAT SUPPORT ACCOUNTABILITY PLAYS INTO THAT MEANING THAT WHEN YOU DON'T FOLLOW THE WAYS THAT WE EXPECT YOU TO OPERATE, ESPECIALLY BEING RESPONSIVE TO OUR COMMUNITY, THERE ARE BUMPER RAILS OR WHAT WE CONSIDER ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE GOING TO KEEP AND REMAIN THOSE WHO ARE UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT LIFT LOOKS LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THAT BEST SERVICE, TO BRING THEIR BEST VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES TO WORK EACH AND EVERY DAY.
BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES IT.
THEY DEMAND IT AND IT SHALL BE DONE.
ONE OF THE GROUPS THAT IS SOMETIMES TREATED INHUMANELY ARE IMMIGRANTS.
AND THE QUESTION THAT CAME FROM OUR AUDIENCE IS, WHAT IS YOUR VISION IN PROTECTING AND ADVOCATING FOR IMMIGRANTS IN OUR CITY? EVERYONE IS DESERVING OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
AGAIN, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE NOT BEING INHUMANE TO ANYONE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO ALL WE ARE, TO BE THE TYPE OF SERVICE, THE TYPE OF RESPONSE AND TYPE OF PROACTIVITY TO ALL.
AND THAT IS IMPORTANT TO SHOW THAT FROM
[00:45:01]
THE HIGHEST LEVEL TO THE LOWEST LEVEL, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT TYPE OF POLICIES IN PLACE, THE RIGHT TYPE OF TRAINING TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE APPROACHING IT IN THE RIGHT WAY, IN THE RIGHT MANNER.BECAUSE THIS IS THE DIRECTIVE AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF A POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE CIVILIZED SOCIETY.
WE RESPOND IN THE RESPONSIVE AND HELP ALL CHIEF JEFFREY NORMAN OF THE MILWAUKEE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE CHAIR HERE.
AND WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET AND GREET IN JUST A MINUTE, BUT FIRST I WANNA CALL BACK UP CITY MANAGER BROAD.
I'LL JUST STAND HERE FOR A SECOND.
YOU WANT ME TO GET OUT THIS CJ? NO, YOU CAN, YOU CAN.
YOU WANT MINE? NO, WE'RE GOOD.
UH, IT IS, WELL FIRST OF ALL, JOIN ME IN THANKING, UH, OUR MODERATOR, JUDY MAGGIO FOR JOB.
SO AS I SAID A LITTLE EARLIER, I APPRECIATE FOLK GIVING UP THEIR EVENING TO COME AND HEAR AND LISTEN TO THESE CANDIDATES.
AND SO CAN WE HAVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR BOTH OF THE CANDIDATES? THANK YOU, JEFF AND, AND LISA.
AND SO, AS I SAID BEFORE, BEFORE YOU LEAVE TONIGHT, UH, PLEASE FIND A WAY TO FIND THAT QR CODE AND FULFILL WHAT I WOULD HOPE WOULD BE YOUR OBLIGATION FOR SHOWING UP TONIGHT.
AND THAT IS GIVE US THE FEEDBACK THAT WE WANTED AND NEED SO MUCH, UH, FOR TONIGHT.
BUT AGAIN, I'M SO IMPRESSED, UH, WITH BOTH CANDIDATES AND LOOK FORWARD.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH DECISION, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO REVIEWING THE FEEDBACK, UH, THAT I RECEIVED.
AND SO I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK OVER, UH, TO JUDY, UH, AND LET HER WALK YOU THROUGH KIND OF WHAT THE MEET AND GREET WILL BE LIKE, AND ALLOW YOU TO GET A CHANCE TO MEET AND TALK WITH, UH, BOTH OF THE CANDIDATES.
AND I GUESS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING NOW IS CHIEF NORMAN WILL BE ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROOM, AND CHIEF DAVIS WILL BE ON ANOTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM.
AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO GO MEET AND GREET, YOU KNOW, ASK THEM YOUR PERSONAL QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT JOB IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND AS CITY MANAGER, BROAD NEXT SAYS, WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL GIVING US YOUR TIME AND CARING ENOUGH ABOUT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THIS IS A VITAL JOB IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO SPEND SOME TIME GETTING TO KNOW THESE TWO PEOPLE.
THEY BOTH HAVE GREAT QUALIFICATIONS AND YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GLEAN FROM THOSE CONVERSATIONS, PERSONAL ONES WITH THEM, WAYS YOU WANNA WEIGH IN ON YOUR SURVEY.
SO THANKS AGAIN FOR COMING TONIGHT AND ENJOY THE MEET AND GREET.