[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:02]
HI EVERYBODY.WELCOME TO THE REGULAR CALL MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
UM, WE AS JUST A CAVEAT, HAVE A VERY PACKED SCHEDULE TODAY.
SO WE ARE GONNA MOVE THROUGH SOME BUSINESS ITEMS PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, AND I MAY TAKE SOME ITEMS OUT OF ORDER SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME OF THAT QUICK BUSINESS JUST KIND OF KNOCKED OUT.
UM, WE WILL GET STARTED WITH ROLL CALL.
UM, LET'S GO THROUGH, UM, COMMISSIONER RUTAN PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT PRESENT, COMMISSIONER HERM MEYER PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER HOLMES, COMMISSIONER N NEN, I BELIEVE IS ON HIS WAY, BUT WILL BE JOINING US LATE.
AND I'M ALSO PRESENT, SO WE'RE AT SIX.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UM, IF WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.YES, WE HAVE CARLOS LEON, UH, SIGNED UP FOR OKAY.
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND ALSO SIGNED UP FOR AN AGENDA ITEM.
I DO YOU TAKE THAT UP WHEN YOU DO THE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, I THINK TODAY, UM, SINCE WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THROUGH QUICKLY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOUR THREE, YOUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND YOUR AGENDA ITEM CONCURRENTLY, JUST SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE DONE.
SO THAT MEANS I'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES STRAIGHT, IS THAT CORRECT? YOU'LL HAVE HOW MANY MINUTES FOR THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? THREE FOR THAT.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
AND AS SOON AS YOU'RE DONE WITH THAT, WE'LL START YOUR CLOCK FOR YOUR NEXT OKAY.
AGENDA ITEM THAT WORKS FOR ME.
THANKS SOY CARLOS LEONE, FIRST AND FOREMOST,
THE ONLINE AUSTIN PUBLIC RECORDS CENTER IS FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS FOR A PD RECORDS, INCLUDING CAD CALL, HARD COPY, INCIDENT REPORTS, AND BODY CAM FOOTAGE.
THESE RECORD, THESE RECORDS MATTER BECAUSE YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT A PD IS OFFICIALLY RECORDING ABOUT YOU AND YOUR INTERACTION WITH A PD, ESPECIALLY WHEN OTHERS ARE INVOLVED IN FRONT OF YOU NOW IS AD'S COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH.
CALL HARD COPY FOR THE CRIMINAL TRESPASS NOTIFICATION UNLAWFULLY ISSUED AGAINST ME BY AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY ON MAY 13, PERMANENTLY BANNING ME FROM A PL PROPERTIES FOR LAWFULLY TRUTH TELLING PRESIDENT TRUMP ON THE 2020 ELECTION IN A LANDSLIDE COUNTING EACH AND EVERY LEGAL LEGITIMATE VOTE ONE TIME ONLY WITH EQUAL WAITING ONLY, WHICH I SPOKE TO YOU ABOUT LAST MONTH.
APDS NARRATIVE TEXT IS IN SHORTHAND WITH MANY ABBREVIATIONS AND NOT COMMON TO US MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAKING ITS FULL CORRECT DECODING NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE ON OUR OWN.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRST ENTRY SAYS S-U-B-J-R-E-F-L-T-S.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? DOES SUB J MEAN SUB PART J DOES REF MEAN REFERRED AND LTS? IT TURNS OUT THAT ENTRY MEANS THE SUBJECT REFUSED TO LEAVE THE PREMISES AND OFFICER TRANSLATED IT FOR ME BECAUSE THERE'S NO PUBLICLY TRANS, NO PUBLICLY AVAILABLE A PD DICTIONARY TO DECODE IT MYSELF.
THEREFORE, A PD SHOULD TRANSLATE SHORTHAND TO LONGHAND WHEN FILLING A PUBLIC INFOR A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST LIKE SHOWN BELOW.
IN FACT, BECAUSE I DID NOT REFUSE TO LEAVE HAZEN BRANCH LIBRARY ON MAY 13, I NOW KNOW A PL SECURITY GUY ERIC DENES, ALLEGEDLY LIED TO A PD TO COME OUT AND BACK HIS B******T TO TARGET ME VIOLATING TEXAS PENAL CODE 37.08 BECAUSE WITH INTENT TO DECEIVE, HE ALLEGEDLY MADE A FALSE STATEMENT THAT WAS MATERIAL TO A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, MEANING HE ALSO ALLEGEDLY ABUSED HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY VIOLATING TEXAS PENAL CODE 39.02.
MEANING ERIC ES IS THE ALLEGED CRIMINAL WHO SHOULD BE BANNED FROM A PL, NOT ME.
HE ALSO SAID SOMETHING ABOUT MY MENTAL HEALTH, WHICH A PD REDACTED.
I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT HE SAID, ESPECIALLY SINCE
[00:05:01]
IT MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN FALSE AND USED AGAINST ME.THEREFORE, A PD SHOULD MAKE THESE CHANGES MOVING FORWARD.
I'LL NOW GO AHEAD AND START MY NEXT ONE.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, GRA FOR LETTING ME EXPOSE A MISSING SECTION FROM AD'S QUARTERLY PRESENTATION FOR ITEM FOUR PER ONLINE BACKUP MATERIAL, THERE ARE EIGHT SECTIONS, INCLUDING CLEARANCE RATES AND RESPONSE TIMES FOR PRIORITIZED CALL VOLUMES.
WHAT'S NOT THERE BUT IS NEEDED IS A NINTH SECTION DETAILING CLEARANCE RATES AND RESPONSE TIMES FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION.
REQUESTS FOR A PD RECORDS ARE A P DPIS DONE IN ORDER RECEIVED OR PRIORITIZED IN SOME HIERARCHY LIKE INCOMING CALLS IF PRIORITIZED.
WHAT ARE THE DISCRIMINATING CRITERIA FOR EACH LEVEL THAT PIR PROCESSING DATA SHOULD BE PUBLIC AND SEPARATED BY TYPE? BECAUSE GETTING COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH CALL HARD COPY IS APPARENTLY EASIER AND FASTER THAN BODY CAM FOOTAGE.
CASE IN POINT A PD CENTRAL RECORDS TOOK 45 DAYS TO PROVIDE ME CAD CALL COPY SHOWN EARLIER, BUT THE INCIDENT REPORT AND OFFICER BODY CAM FOOTAGE FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARIES, ALLEGEDLY ILLEGAL MAY 13 CRIMINAL TRESPASS NOTIFICATION AGAINST ME HAS YET TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ME, THOUGH I PAID IN FULL SEPTEMBER 13.
TODAY IS DAY 66 SINCE MY ORIGINAL PIR.
THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, THOUGH SUCH BASIC NON-RESPONSIVE INFORMATION MUST BE MADE PUBLIC PER THE TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT AND HOUSTON CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
BACK IN 2017 AND THE FIRST HALF OF 2018, RENEE MOORE PASSED AND PRESENT HEAD OF A PD CENTRAL RECORDS, ILLEGALLY WITHHELD EXCULPATORY INCIDENT REPORT AND VIDEO EVIDENCE FROM ME.
I HAD REQUESTED, DESPITE THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL RULING, SHE HAD TO RELEASE THEM TO ME.
MOORE ALSO LIED IN WRITING, CLAIMING NO INCIDENT REPORT EXISTED, THOUGH IT DID THANKS TO FORMER POLICE CHIEF MANLEY, I FINALLY GOT BOTH.
HOWEVER, NEITHER I NOR ANYONE ELSE SHOULD HAVE TO WAIT THAT LONG OR GO TO SUCH LENGTHS TO GET BASIC INFORMATION.
KNOWING PIR PROCESSING MECHANICS AND METRICS AND OFFICIALLY GATHERING IN PUBLIC DI PUBLICLY DISSEMINATING SUCH DATA QUARTERLY WOULD GREATLY INCREASE A PD CENTRAL RECORDS TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS WOULD YOUR DATABASE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS ON PIR PROCEDURES AND PRODUCTS? THIS UNDERAPPRECIATED AREA MATTERS GREATLY BECAUSE THOSE PUBLIC RECORDS ARE PRIMARY EVIDENCE WITHIN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION.
WE, THE PEOPLE LAWFULLY USE TO DEFEND OURSELVES FROM PUNISH AND END GOVERNMENT OVERREACH AND CRIMINALITY, ME PRESENTING THE INCIDENT REPORT AND BODY CAM FOOTAGE TO THE LIBRARY COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL WOULD PRESS THEM TO DIRECT APLS, INTERIM DIRECTOR AND CITY MANAGER TO OVERTURN THAT CTN THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.UM, COMMISSIONERS, EVERYONE WILL NOTICE THAT THERE ARE SOME MINUTES FROM JANUARY 9TH, 2023 AND MARCH 6TH, 2023.
UM, THESE WERE JUST SOME THAT ADMINISTRATIVELY DID NOT GET ADDED INTO OUR BACKUP MATERIALS AND DID NOT GET APPROVED WAY BACK WHEN.
UM, AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON OUR AGENDA UNTIL WE APPROVE THEM AND GET THEM POSTED.
I I APPRECIATE THAT MOST OF YOU WEREN'T EVEN ON THE COMMISSION WHEN, UM, THESE HAPPENED.
UM, BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN GETTING THESE APPROVED.
I THINK IT'LL TAKE ALL OF US TO GET THEM APPROVED SO THAT WE CAN JUST CLEAR THIS OFF OF OUR DOCKET.
UM, IT'S A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THERE ARE MINUTES OF OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS POSTED.
SO WITH THAT, UM, WE'LL JUST START WITH, UM, THE MINUTES FOR THE JANUARY 9TH, 2023.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
AND CAN WE JUST SHOW HANDS TO VOTE PLEASE? 1, 2, 3, 4.
WHAT WAS THERE SOMEONE THAT WASN'T VOTING? YOU'RE IN AFFIRMATIVE.
[00:10:01]
THERE'S SEVEN.UM, COMMISSIONER N NEN HAS JOINED US AND HE DID SHOW UP BEFORE THE 30 MINUTE MARK.
SO, UM, NEXT WE WILL DO THE MINUTES FOR MARCH 6TH, 2023.
AND CAN I GET A SHOW OF HANDS PLEASE? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
SORRY, I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT IT BEFORE I
SO I'LL GO, I'LL UP APPROVE AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN NEXT WE DO HAVE, FOR OUR MOST RECENT MEETING, UM, ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2024, WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION CHANGES? MOVE TO APPROVE.
AND WITH THAT, CAN I GET A SHOW OF HANDS TO VOTE? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
AND APOLOGIES FOR WHIPPING THROUGH THESE SO QUICKLY.
UM, I HAVE THE REST OF THE AGENDA ON THE MIND, SO APOLOGIES.
DO WE HAVE VOTES FROM ANYONE ON, ON SCREEN? I'M ABSTAINING.
WE'VE GOT COMMISSIONER SIERRA AS A YES.
AND COMMISSIONER SMITH ABSTAINING.
[8. Approve the Public Safety Commission 2025 Regular Meeting Schedule.]
WE ARE ACTUALLY, UM, IF IT IS, OKAY, I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND JUST TAKE A FEW OF OUR, UM, SIMPLE, UM, ITEM LIKE OUR ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS TO APPROVE THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION 2025, UM, REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE.DO YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO TAKING THAT OUT OF ORDER? OKAY.
UM, JUST SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME OF THIS BUSINESS, THE SCHEDULE IS POSTED, UM, TO BACK UP.
UM, WE HAVE AS USUAL THE FIRST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LABOR DAY ON SEPTEMBER 1ST.
OUR MEETINGS WILL BE SCHEDULED FROM FOUR TO 6:00 PM AS USUAL.
UM, WE SOMETIMES ON SEPTEMBER 8TH THAT OFF WEEK SOMETIMES HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TIME.
SOMETIMES IT'S THREE TO 5, 3 30 TO FIVE 30, UM, BUT IT'LL BE ROUNDABOUTS AT THE SAME TIME.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS, SUGGESTIONS, CHANGES, COMMENTS, MOVE TO ACCEPT? OKAY, THANK YOU MR. COMMISSIONER.
HERMES MEYER, SECOND, SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER RUTAN.
CAN I GET A SHOW OF HANDS AS WELL TO VOTE ON THIS? 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
UM, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY IF ANY OF YOUR CALENDARS ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY OF THESE MEETINGS.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE REACH OUT TO CHRISTIE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE THAT WAY WE CAN GET A JUMPSTART ON ANY PLANNING, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR JANUARY, WHICH IS COMING UP SOONER THAN IT SEEMS. SO THANK YOU.
[4. Public Safety Quarterly Report by Austin Police Department, including an update on the license plate reader program.]
THAT, WE WILL GO BACK TO REGULAR ORDER AND WE HAVE A PD UP NEXT WITH THEIR QUARTERLY REPORT.ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
UH, CHIEF HENDERSON IS UNAVAILABLE THIS AFTERNOON, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND BE REPORTING THE, UH, REPORT FOR THIS AFTERNOON.
OKAY, SO, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
ALL RIGHT, JUST COMING TO THE, JUST AN AGENDA OF WHAT I'LL BE COVERING THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, A LOT OF IT IS WHAT YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PAST AND WE KIND OF NORMALIZE THE REPORTS OF WHAT, UH, THE COUNCIL OR THE COMMITTEE WANTS TO SEE.
UH, WE GOING OVER CRIME RATES.
UH, I'LL BE GOING AT A HIGH LEVEL THOSE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DATA ON THERE, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, AND YOU GUYS CAN TAKE IT HOME AND, UM, DO IT AS YOUR LEISURE TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AND EVERYTHING.
UH, BUT THEN WE ALSO GOT SOME COMMUNITY AND BUDGET AND STAFFING.
UH, AND THEN ALSO I KNOW YOU, YOU ALSO REQUESTED AN UPDATE ON OUR, UH, LICENSE PLATE REAR PROGRAM, WHICH I'LL HIT RIGHT AT THE END.
SO IF WE LOOK AT, UH, THIS IS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2024.
THIS IS OUR FOURTH QUARTER CLOSEOUT.
UM, IF WE LOOK AT THE CRIMES AGAINST PERSON, UH, YOU DO SEE A BIG, UH, ANOMALY OF THE 30% RIGHT THERE FOR THE KIDNAPPING INDUCTION.
UM, ALTHOUGH IT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE A HORRIBLE THING, IT'S, IT'S TECHNICALLY AS IT'S DESCRIBED UNDER THE DEFINITION.
SO IT'S USUALLY LIKE, UH, A FAMILY VIOLENCE TYPE OF SITUATION, AND THE KID GOES WITH ONE FAMILY MEMBER OR THE OTHER, NOT TECHNICALLY A, A, A KIDNAPPING OR ABDUCTION, BUT IT, IT, UNDER THE DEFINITION IT IS CALLED ONE, BUT THE CHILD WAS NEVER AT A, AT RISK.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT, THAT HIGH ANOMALY THERE.
SO, UM, BUT BASICALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT Q3 TO Q4, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, ABOUT A 5% DECREASE, UH, FROM 49 46 TO 47 0 9 OVERALL IN THE CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS.
[00:15:01]
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.UH, IF WE BREAK THIS DOWN, UH, AND THEN MY NEXT SLIDE, IT'LL ACTUALLY BE LOOKING AT BROKEN DOWN AS, AS YOU GUYS WILL BE MORE INTERESTED IN, AS, AS IT APPEARS TO, UH, INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT LEVEL DISTRICT, UH, NUMBERS FOR EACH COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, BUT WE LOOK AT IT AS, AS THIS IS THE WAY WE BREAK IT DOWN AMONGST THE CITY.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A 4% REDUCTION, UM, MORE OR LESS OVERALL THE SAME 43 83 TO 42 14.
SO A SLIGHT DECREASE, BUT OVERALL ABOUT, ABOUT THE SAME SO FAR.
UH, IF WE LOOK AT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, DISTRICTS, WHICH EACH ONE OF YOU WILL HAVE, UH, MORE INTEREST IN, IN YOUR OWN DISTRICT LEVEL, UM, YOU LOOK AT IT AND IT IS THE SAME MINUS 4% AS YOU LOOK AT IT.
UH, AND THEN YOU GUYS CAN LOOK AT THIS AT HOME IN OWN, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S EITHER FLAT OR DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
IF WE GO TO THE, THIS SLIDE, AND THIS IS OUR, OUR HOT SPOTS FOR CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS.
UM, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, FROM 23 TO 24, THE MAPS LOOK ABOUT THE SAME.
UH, MOST OF OUR HOTSPOTS ARE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA OR IN THE NORTHEAST AREA.
UM, AND THESE CONTINUE TO BE OUR FOCUS AREAS OF WHERE MOST OF THE CRIME IS OCCURRING.
IF WE LOOK AT CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, UM, YOU WILL SEE, UM, FROM Q3 13 1 0 5 TO RIGHT NOW WE'RE 11 8 4 1, WHICH IS DOWN ABOUT 10%.
UH, YOU DO SEE A BIG UPTICK IN THE ANIMAL CRUELTY PART.
AND BASICALLY THAT'S BECAUSE WE, WE DID, WE WERE ABLE AND LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO ADD A, ONE OF OUR, A PROFESSIONAL STAFF PERSON THERE.
UH, INSTEAD OF THE OFFICERS OR THE DETECTIVES HAVING TO ENTER ALL THE REPORTS THEMSELVES, THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF ACTUALLY IS ABLE TO ENTER IT.
SO THE DETECTIVES ARE ABLE TO NOT HAVE TO PULL DOUBLE DUTY AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY INVESTIGATE THE CRIMES AS WELL.
SO, UH, IT'S WORKING OUT REAL WELL.
SO THAT, THAT SHOULD NORMALIZE AS AS WE GO ALONG.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S HUGE INTAKE BECAUSE, UH, THAT PERSON'S BEING ABLE TO ENTER A LOT MORE THAN THE DETECTIVES ARE GETTING IN THE SYSTEM.
CHIEF, MAY I JUST ASKED A QUICK QUESTION.
SO THE, THE DIFFERENT, ACTUALLY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HOLD QUESTIONS TILL THE END 'CAUSE WE GOTTA GET THROUGH THINGS PRETTY QUICKLY.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK THE TINT COLORS WHAT THOSE REPRESENT SO I COULD FOLLOW UP.
SO THE, THE COLORS, I, I NOTICED THERE ARE VARYING SHADES.
UM, IS THERE A REPRESENTATION FOR THAT, UH, AS WE'RE GOING ALONG IN THIS? YEAH, SO AS YOU INCREASE, UH, I CAN'T, I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF BLAND ON MINE, BUT, UH, AS YOU INCREASE IN THE NEGATIVITY OR THE, OR THE POSITIVITY, IT JUST BECOMES A DIFFERENT SHADE OF THE DIFFERENT RANGES.
SO IT'S NOTHING IN PARTICULAR, IT'S JUST THE WAY THAT THE, THE, THE COMPUTER, THE SYSTEM'S SET UP.
UH, IF WE GO TO, UH, CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, UM, UH, BASICALLY WE'RE DOWN 1% FROM 23 11 0 8 7 TO, UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE 10, UH, 9 59, ROUGHLY ABOUT THE SAME.
NOT MUCH CHANGE THERE, UH, OVER CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE HOTSPOTS, UM, MORE OR LESS FROM 23 TO 24, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE MORE INCREASES UP, MORE IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF AUSTIN, BUT IN GENERAL, THE DOWNTOWN AREA IS OUR GREATEST IMPACT AND GREATEST AREA CONCERN.
UM, AND THEN WE LOOK, IF WE TURN TO OUR CLEARANCE RATES, CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, UH, WE'LL NOTICE THAT FROM, UH, REPORTED IN, UH, 24 SO FAR IS, OR IN Q FOR Q4 IS, UH, 12 4 75, AND LAST YEAR WAS 12 500.
SO WE'RE DOWN ABOUT 2%, UM, IN CLEARANCE RATES, BUT OVERALL, ROUGHLY FLAT ABOUT THE SAME.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT CLEARANCE RATES AGAINST PROPERTY, UH, HERE AGAIN IN 2023 IS 30,554, AND THEN WE'RE AT, UH, 29 7 84.
SO, UM, A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN CHANGE, WE GOT ABOUT A MINUS 5.2% OVERALL.
SO, AND LIKE I SAID, THESE NUMBERS ARE AVAILABLE.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IN THE FUTURE, JUST LET US KNOW.
SO, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT CLEARANCE RATES, UH, CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY, WHICH IS YOUR DRUGS, GAMBLING, PROSTITUTION, WEAPONS, ET CETERA, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT REPORTED IN 2023, WE WE'RE AT 4,008, AND RIGHT NOW WE REPORTED AT 46 52.
UM, THE PERCENT CHANGES IS ABOUT 16%.
AND YOU NOTICE THAT, UH, IT LOOKS, IT APPEARS THAT OUR OCD TEAM HAS DONE A, UM, SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF OPERATIONS AROUND THE CITY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S ABOUT A 500 CASE INCREASE THERE, IF THAT'S OUR LARGEST INCREASE.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR AVERAGE, UM, RESPONSE TIMES FOR P ONES AND P ZEROS, WHICH ARE OUR EMERGENCY AND OUR URGENT CALLS, OUR TARGET RATE IS 10 44, 10 MINUTES AND 44 SECONDS FOR RESPONSE TIME.
AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL NOTICE, UH, OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS WE WERE AT 13, 16, 12, 20,
[00:20:03]
EXCUSE ME, AND THEN 1206.AND OF COURSE, STAFFING HAS A HASS, A LARGE PLAY IN THAT.
BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY WE GET, WHAT ABOUT 150 NEW PEOPLE INTO AUSTIN.
UH, NOT AN EXCUSE, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY GOTTA WORK ON IT AND GET BETTER FOR SURE.
BUT AS WE INCREASE THE NUMBER OF, OF THE CADETS THAT COME OUT OF THE ACADEMY, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS GO DOWN.
AND SO, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT STAFFING HERE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
UM, THIS SLIDE WILL BE A PARTICULAR INTEREST TO ALL OF YOU.
SO YOU CAN LOOK UP YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT.
UH, NOT GONNA GO INTO INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS, BUT YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE FROM WHERE DISTRICT ONE, UH, P ZERO RESPONSE TIMES OR ABOUT 1156, UH, TO, UH, UH, DISTRICT NINE, WHICH IS AROUND ABOUT THE EIGHT MINUTE MARK.
SO YOU CAN LOOK UP YOUR, EACH INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT, UM, AT, AT, AT YOUR LEISURE.
IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE NUMBER OF CALLS, UH, EACH MONTH FOR THE LAST QUARTER, FOR THE P ZEROS AND P ONES, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT AROUND 8,000 CALLS.
UH, EIGHT, YEAH, 8,000 CALLS PER MONTH.
SO, UH, IS ABOUT WHAT WE AVERAGE.
UH, THEY GOING THROUGH 9 1 1 COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE DISPATCHED OUT TO THE OFFICERS.
AND THEN TURNING TO OUR, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, THE LAST QUARTER WE'VE DONE OVER, UH, A HUNDRED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS.
UH, AND THAT HAS A VARIETY OF INVOLVEMENT, UH, WITH US BEING THE LEAD, SOME BEING THE ORGANIZER, UH, AND WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING FROM JUST BEING IN PARTICIPATION, SETTING UP TABLES, DEMONSTRATIONS AND SUCH LIKE THAT.
UH, AND WE'RE LUCKY THAT OUR DISTRICT REP REPRESENTATIVES ARE GLAD TO GO OUT AND, AND BE ABLE TO MEET PEOPLE AND, AND GET, GIVE THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE'RE, WE BRING OUT OUR SWAT TEAM AS WELL AS THE CANINES, UM, OUR HIGHWAY ENFORCEMENT AND, UH, OUR OFFICE OF COMMUNITY LIAISON IS, DOES AN AMAZING JOB WITH SWAG AND, AND, AND COMING OUT.
AND OF COURSE, WE'RE ABOUT TO GO INTO BLUE SANES, WHICH WILL BE A, A BIG CAMPAIGN FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HELP OUT FAMILIES THAT ARE IN NEED FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON THAT'S COMING UP.
SO, AND JUST EXPANDING A LITTLE MORE ON THE, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PART.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE INVOLVED IN IS WITH YOUTH IN SCHOOLS.
UH, LAST TUESDAY WAS NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
I KNOW WE ATTENDED A LOT OF GOOD PARTIES WITH A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE AND MET A LOT OF, UH, UH, NICE PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED, UH, IN MAKING OFFICE COMMUNITY SAFER, UH, FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, WE ALSO ATTENDED SAFETY FAIRS.
I KNOW I SPOKE AT THE SALT FAIRS, UH, SENIORS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, AND, UM, THEY SERVE BREAKFAST.
OUR OFFICE COMMUNITY LIAISON DID A GREAT JOB OF THAT.
AND THEN ALSO WITH THE COMMUNITY CONNECT AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS, OUR, UH, OUR COMMANDERS THAT ARE OVER OUR PATROL AREAS, THEY GO OUT AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE, UM, COMMANDER GRIFFIN IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER.
YOU KNOW, SHE GOES OUT AND TALKS ABOUT CRIME AND STATISTICS, ET CETERA, AND, AND IN FRONT OF HER, HER PEERS OR STAKEHOLDERS IN HER COMMUNITY TO LET THEM KNOW.
AND THEN THEY WORK TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO, UM, BUILD A SAFER PLACE IN A NICER PLACE TO LIVE.
SO, SWITCHING TO BUDGET, UH, AND DON'T GET TOO CARRIED AWAY BY THE TWO, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, SIZE OF THE BLOCKS.
UH, OF COURSE THE BIGGER BLOCK ON THE, ON THE RIGHT IS OFFSET BY OUR VACANCY SAVINGS.
UH, SO THAT WE'LL GO DOWN AND MORE EXPLAIN.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF IMPORTANCE THAT WE'RE NOT OVER BUDGET, WE'RE NOT UNDER BUDGET, WE'RE AT BUDGET.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE ARE, WHICH IS THE MORE IMPORTANT SLIDE OF THE TWO.
UH, SWITCHING TO CADET CLASS, OF COURSE, THE LAST THREE CLASSES, UM, 49, UH, 50 WAS ACTUALLY A MODIFIED, WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN THAT, SO WE PUT, MOVED THEM ALL INTO THE 1 51.
UH, SO THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE ONE 50 THERE.
AND THEN THE ONE 52ND, OF COURSE, WE JUST GRADUATED ON THE 20TH, NOT TO A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UH, THERE'S 54 BRAND NEW OFFICERS THAT ARE ON THE STREET RIDING WITH THEIR FIELD TRAINING OFFICERS.
UH, CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, UH, WE HAVE, UH, 39 CADETS THAT ARE IN THE ACADEMY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DID LOSE SOME, BUT THEY WERE FOR A WIDE VARI VARIETY OF REASONS, UH, FROM, UH, PERSONAL REASONS TO, THEY DECIDED TO GO DO SOMETHING ELSE IN LIFE TO, THEY WEREN'T READY, UH, TO ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE LOST THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
BUT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING TO KEEP ALL THOSE 39 PEOPLE THAT, AND THEY MAKE IT THROUGH, 'CAUSE WE DEFINITELY NEED 'EM ALL ON THE STREET.
UM, THE ONE 54TH CLASS IS ON, ON THE WAY AND IN THE PROCESS AND THE 6TH OF JANUARY, THAT CLASS WILL START.
AND THEN THE ONE 55TH, UH, THE CIVIL SERVICE TESTS, UH, SINCE WE'RE NOT IN CONTRACT, WILL BE ON THE 18TH OF JANUARY, IS, IS WHAT WE'RE TARGETING RIGHT NOW.
IF WE LOOK AT THE STAFFING LEVELS, OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW THE VERY LEFT HAND SIDE IS OUR VACANCY RATE FOR OUR OFFICERS.
UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THAT.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A CONCERN AND AN ISSUE FOR ALL OF US.
UM, BUT I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT OUR CIVILIAN OR PROFESSIONAL STAFF IS 8%, UM, THAT WE'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB ON THAT.
UM, AND THE CIVILIAN STAFF HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB, BE ABLE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN PEOPLE.
AND THEN AN, AN AMAZING PART, I KNOW OVER THE LAST
[00:25:01]
18 MONTHS, UM, COMMUNICATIONS AS WE WERE 60 PLUS PEOPLE THAT WERE, UH, VACANCY RATE.I KNOW THAT WAS ALL OF CONCERN TO ALL OF US WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO ANSWER THE PHONE, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST UNDER 7%, UH, VACANCY RATE.
AND SOON WITH THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN TRAINING RIGHT NOW, WE'LL BE CLOSE TO ALMOST BEING FULL.
SO, UM, OUR HR AND OUR TRAINING TEAM, UH, HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB O OVER IN CTEC OR COMMUNICATIONS.
AND, UM, I HAVE TO GIVE THEM PROPS FOR EVERYTHING THEY'VE DONE OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, PATROL, PATROL SECTOR BY AREA COMMAND OF WHERE, WHERE OUR VACANCIES ARE, UH, DTEC WILL, WILL ALWAYS KEEP MORE PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF DOWNTOWN AND HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE PARTIES AND, AND FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY NIGHTS NOW.
UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK OVERALL, THE, WE TRY TO KEEP THE, THE VACANCY RATES BALANCED BETWEEN MOST OF THE CITY.
AND FOR THE MOST PART, MOST PART IT IS.
UH, AND THEN THE LAST THING I'LL TALK ABOUT IS OUR, UH, LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM.
SO WE DID GO LIVE ON MARCH 28TH OF THIS YEAR, AND WE HAVE 40 FIXED LOCA CAMERA LOCATIONS AROUND THE CITY.
THEY'RE GEOGRAPHICALLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH, THROUGH AMONGST OUR CITY.
UM, ALL OF OUR, UH, A PD PERSONNEL, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO BE TRAINED UP BY THE END OF, BY OCTOBER THIS MONTH.
AND THAT WILL GIVE US, BE ABLE TO RUN THE, UH, PER THE RESOLUTION TO BE ABLE TO RUN THE SOFTWARE IN THE CAR.
SO AS YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE CAMERAS OFFICER DOESN'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING.
THE, UH, AXON SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY READS THE LICENSE PLATE AND THEN PUTS IT IN INTO THE DATABASE.
SO WE DO HAVE A, UH, SHORT RETENTION PERIOD, AS WE ALL KNOW, THAT WAS SET BY COUNCIL SEVEN DAYS, MOST DEPARTMENTS OF 30 DAYS.
UH, BUT IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT, UH, THIS HAS RESULTED IN, UH, TO DATE JUST BY HAVING THE FIXED CAMERAS AND NOT THE CARS YET, BUT JUST HAVING THE FIXED CAMERAS WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE 40 ARRESTS FOR STOLEN VEHICLES.
UH, 20 OF THOSE VEHICLES WERE MADE WITH NO, NO ARRESTS WERE MADE.
UM, AN AGGRAVATED ROBBERY, SU SUSPECT HAS BEEN ARRESTED, KIDNAPPERS BEEN IDENTIFIED, UH, TWO MURDER SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND ARRESTED.
UM, AS WELL AS, UH, MORE LEADS HAVE BEEN GENERATED IN FELONY CASES THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST BEEN AN AMAZING TOOL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HELP SOLVE CRIMES IN AUSTIN.
SO WE, UH, WE CONTINUE TO, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THE SOFTWARE AT GETTING EVERYBODY TRAINED IN, IN THE CAR, UH, SO WE CAN HAVE IT IN THE CARS TO BE ABLE TO RUN THE SOFTWARE.
SO I JUST, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A SECOND TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CHIEF DAVIS IS HERE WITH US AND WANTED TO GIVE HER AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE HERSELF TO THE COMMISSION AND EVERYONE WATCHING AT HOME
I'M THE NEW POLICE CHIEF HERE IN AUSTIN.
JUST GOT, UH, SWORN IN TODAY, FIRST DAY IN UNIFORM, SO I'M VERY EXCITED.
UM, YOU'LL BE SEEING ME FROM NOW ON HERE.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.
UM, I WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT THE WAY THAT WE PRESENT, UM, OUR DATA AND KIND OF UNDERSTAND IT MORE AND KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING FOR.
SO I'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH, WITH THAT AND HOW THAT CAN LOOK, UM, DIFFERENT AND, AND KIND OF, UH, UM, MORE FOR MY PURPOSES TOO AND, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION'S GETTING OUT.
UM, BUT JAMES IS A FANTASTIC, UH, VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE JAMES AND THE REST OF THE TEAM HERE.
SO, UM, THANK YOU AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.
WELL, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR YOU'LL BE JOINING US.
UM, WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR TO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER CILO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT CHIEF AND, AND WELCOME, UH, CHIEF TO YOUR FIRST PSC MEETING.
UH, IT'S LOVELY TO SEE YOU, UH, SOME FIRST, MY THANKS TO THE A PD AND THE ANALYST THAT YOU ALL HAVE ON BOARD.
I'M HAPPY TO SEE CLEARANCE RATES, UH, IN THE PRESENTATIONS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THOSE IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID BEHIND THE SCENES, UH, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
IT'S APPRECIATED, UH, RELATED TO CLEARANCE RATES AND SOME OF THE STATISTICS ON DECREASES, SPECIFICALLY ON CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT VIOLENT CRIME.
MY BRIEF READ, WE MOVED A LITTLE BIT QUICKLY, BUT MY, MY 10,000 FOOT READ IS PROPERTY CRIME IS GOING DOWN AT A GOOD CLIP, PARTICULARLY YEAR TO DATE.
WE SEE SIMILAR INCREASES IN CLEARANCE RATES ON CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY.
VIOLENT CRIME APPEARS TO ALSO BE GOING DOWN, NOT, NOT FLAT AS WAS DESCRIBED.
I THINK IT IS GOING DOWN, NOT AT AS FAST A RATE, BUT CLEARANCE RATES DO IN FACT SEEM TO BE QUITE STATIC.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THE A PD THINK ABOUT CRIME GOING DOWN CLEARANCE RATES, STAYING ESSENTIALLY THE SAME, UH, WHILE ALSO AS THE A PD HAS CONTINUALLY REPORTED NOT HAVING STAFF TO ADDRESS THE CALLS FOR SERVICE IN THE CITY.
CAN YOU HELP ME MAKE SENSE OF THOSE THREE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING? YEAH, I THINK, UM, AND JAMES MAY HAVE MORE ON THIS, I THINK THE CLEARANCE RATE, THEY WERE LOOKING AT THOSE, I KNOW OUR HOMICIDE RATES ARE UP TO, I BELIEVE 85%, WHICH IS WELL ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF, OF 60%.
UM, AND THEN WE WANTED TO LOOK THAT, THAT'S WHEN I TALK ABOUT WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THE DATA MORE OF HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR CLEARANCE RATES.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT ADDRESSING VIOLENT CRIME, THAT'S GONNA COME FROM THE STRATEGY, RIGHT? SO I WANNA LOOK AT WHERE ARE THE VIOLENT CRIMES OCCURRING, WHAT LOCATIONS IT OCCURRING, AND THEN HOW DO WE MOVE STRATEGICALLY TO ADDRESS IT? AND THEN ONCE YOU
[00:30:01]
START SEEING THE CRIME GO DOWN, UM, THEN YOU'RE GONNA START SEEING THOSE CLOSURE RATES, UM, ARE GONNA START CLOSING IN THEMSELVES.SO IT'S ABOUT GAINING A STRATEGY, LOOKING AT THE CLEAR CLEARANCE RATES, AGAIN, PROPERTY CRIMES VERSUS VIOLENT CRIME, UM, AND HOW THAT LOOKS.
SO AGAIN, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A MONTH.
I'M STILL TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, UM, FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE.
UM, JAMES, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER ON THAT? IS THAT GOOD? YEAH.
AND IS, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION AT ALL, OR DOES THAT JUST LEAVE YOU WITH MORE QUESTIONS? UH, I DON'T THINK IT DIRECTLY SPEAKS TO MY QUESTION, CHIEF.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS, ONE LINE IS GOING DOWN WHILE ONE IS STAYING FLAT, PRESUMABLY THOSE LINES ARE GOING OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS CLEARLY DOWN.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT PROPERTY CRIME, RIGHT? IT IS VERY RARE TO SOLVE A BURGLARY IN THIS COUNTRY.
VIOLENT CRIME CHIEF, I'M LOOKING, I'M TALKING, OH, YOU JUST, VIOLENT CRIME, THOSE LINES GO THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING THOSE GO EXPECTED DIRECTIONS.
SO, UM, VIOLENT CRIME, THE CLOSURE RATES, AGAIN, I I KNOW HOMICIDE IS A, A VERY HIGH CLOSURE RATE.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SHOOTINGS, UM, THOSE CLOSURE RATES, I DO, I NEED TO LOOK BACK AT THOSE AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, BUT IT'S ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE THAT THE CRIMES GOING DOWN, THE CLOSURE RATES AREN'T, AREN'T KEEPING PACE.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S POSSIBLE.
UM, IT COULD BE OTHER STRATEGIES.
IT COULD BE MORE POLICE IN THE AREA DOING DIRECT TO PATROLS IN THE AREAS THAT ARE KEEPING THE CRIME DOWN, BUT THE CLOSURE RATES AREN'T COMING DOWN.
THAT'S TOTALLY POSSIBLE, I THINK.
YOU THINK, I THINK, MICHAEL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT A PIN IN THAT AS A FOLLOW UP QUESTION JUST TO MAKE SURE WE TRACK IT, UM, SO THAT IF THERE'S ANY TRAINING ANSWERS YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER BERNHARD, AND THEN COMMISSIONER RUAN.
UM, UH, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
UM, AND I SECOND THE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE CLEARANCE RATES.
UM, AND, UH, UM, I HAD A QUESTION ACTUALLY ABOUT, UM, THE, UM, RETENTION, UH, IN ACADEMY CLASSES.
UM, I JUST KIND OF DID ROUGH MATH AND NOT ALL OF IT NECESSARILY IS PERFECT, BUT IT LOOKED TO ME LIKE OUR, LIKE RATE OF LOSING FOLKS, UM, WHO'VE SIGNED UP FOR AN ACADEMY AND AT LEAST I'M ASSUMING SHOWN UP ON THE FIRST DAY IS BETWEEN 20% AND 36%.
UM, SO THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, A THIRD TO A FIFTH OF EACH CLASS.
AND, UM, I, THAT FEELS WAY TOO HIGH FOR ME.
AND I'M, I GUESS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, LIKE THE REASONS THAT'S STILL REALLY HIGH AND, UM, AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
UM, YEAH, WHEN YOU GET INTO THE ACADEMY, I THINK THAT'S ONE THING IS KIND OF MAKING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT WHOLE ACADEMY EXPERIENCE LOOKS LIKE.
I MEAN, I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ENTER THAT ACADEMY AND WE ARE A PARAMILITARY ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE A RANK STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE TO, AND, AND YES, THERE'S MORE COMMUNITY POLICING.
THERE'S ALL OF THAT WITHIN THIS WHOLE ENVELOPE OF, OF WHAT THE ACADEMY LOOKS LIKE, AND IT'S AN EIGHT MONTH EXPERIENCE.
UM, SO I THINK PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY GETTING IN THERE AND ONE, THEY'RE EITHER, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, REALIZING THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANT, THIS ISN'T WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
UM, AND THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO, TO STICK THE COURSE AND STAY THE COURSE UNTIL, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT MORE TIME PASSES OR THEY'RE FAILING.
UM, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, PT STANDARDS, THERE'S DIFFERENT STANDARDS.
THEY MAY NOT BE MEETING THOSE STANDARDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WHEN YOU LOOK, UM, AT THE ACADEMY AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT THE ACADEMY AND WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S GOOD WORK, YOU KNOW, FINISHING UP FROM THE KROLL REPORT.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA START LOOKING AT, UM, OUR USE OF FORCE TRAINING AND THE WAY WE TRAIN.
SO, UM, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY A PRIORITY FOR ME IS TO LOOK AT THE ACADEMY.
WE NEED TO GET MORE WOMEN INVOLVED HERE.
WE DID A 30 BY 30 PLEDGE, UM, AND CERTAINLY AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN, WE HAVE A VERY LOW PERCENTAGE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF, OF, OF TRYING TO GET WOMEN INTO THE ROLE HERE.
SO HOW DOES THAT LOOK? AND THAT'S GONNA BE LOOKING AT, UM, BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND OUR RECRUITERS, OUR RECRUITERS DO A GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO GET PEOPLE PREPARED BEFORE THEY GO IN THE ACADEMY.
I MEAN, THEY LET 'EM KNOW, HEY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO STUDY.
I MEAN, MAKE SURE YOU BRUSH UP ON THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE YOU'RE, KEEP YOURSELF PHYSICALLY FIT.
IF, IF IF YOU'RE NOT FIT, YOU KNOW, AND YOU PASS A PT TEST WHERE YOU'RE JUST GETTING BY, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU, YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY, UH, RESIGN FOR PERSONAL REASONS.
UH, THEY FAIL A TEST LIKE CHIEF SAID, OR THEY, THEY GET IN THERE AND THEY REALIZE, OH MY GOD, I GOTTA RUN, I GOTTA BE ABLE TO DO CROSSFIT.
AND, AND THEY JUST, IT'S JUST NOT FOR THEM.
UM, BUT WE HAVE THEM WRITE OUT BEFORE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY ACTUALLY GET IN THE ACADEMY TO MAKE SURE, HEY, THIS IS WHAT THIS LIFE IS GONNA BE LIKE IF YOU'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT IT.
SO WE TRY TO DO EVERYTHING, UH, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN FOR IDEAS IF WE CAN BETTER PREPARE PEOPLE, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY FOR THAT, FOR SURE.
I MEAN, I, I GUESS MY PARTICULAR CONCERNS AND THE REASON I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP, AND I'M GONNA LOOK UP THE, LIKE THE NATIONAL RATES AND SORT OF HOW IT COMPARES.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS SUED BY A BUNCH OF FOLKS WHO DROPPED OUT OF THE ACADEMY.
UM, AND MORE RECENTLY THERE'S A PENDING LAWSUIT FROM SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, WAS AT A PD, UM, WHO, YOU KNOW, ALSO TELLS STORIES ABOUT REALLY, UM, DIFFERENT TREATMENT AT THE ACADEMY BASED ON GENDER AND RACE.
[00:35:01]
ON ONE LEVEL DOESN'T SURPRISE ME 'CAUSE I'M AN EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION LAWYER HISTORICALLY, BUT THESE ARE STORIES.THE, THE REASON THEY RESONATE IS THEY'RE THE SAME STORIES I HEARD ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT FROM THE SEVENTIES WHEN THEY INTEGRATED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LEVEL OF HAZING, THE LEVEL OF SORT OF HOW DIFFERENT THE TREATMENT IS, WHETHER OR NOT YOU FIT THE, SORT OF THE NORM, UM, OF THE LIKE, YOU KNOW, BIG BURLY WHITE GUY.
UM, AND I'M, I JUST, I FEEL LIKE THAT NEEDS TO BE A FOCUS TO GET PAST THAT CULTURE.
YEAH, I THINK THAT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, FROM BEING A FEMALE THAT'S BEEN IN POLICING SINCE 1992, I CAN TELL YOU I'VE, I'VE SEEN, I'VE SEEN THE, THE RUN OF OF THINGS FOR SURE.
BUT, UM, AGAIN, THAT IS A PRIORITY TO ME.
UM, I MADE THAT A PRIORITY WHEN I TALK, TALKED ABOUT, UM, WHEN I APPLIED FOR THIS JOB AND IT WAS MADE KNOWN TO ME THAT THAT WAS A PRIORITY TO MANY HERE IN THE CITY.
SO, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING.
YOU HAVE MY WORD ON THAT AND I CAN REPORT TO THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THANKS, COMMISSIONER RUAN, I, A QUESTION FOLLOWING UP ON THE LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM.
UM, SO EXCITED TO SEE SOME SUCCESSES THAT ARE COMING FROM THAT, ESPECIALLY AS SOMEBODY WHO WAS SOMEWHAT SKEPTICAL OF THE PROCESS.
I AM CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE DATA OR WOULD BE ABLE TO PRESENT NEXT TIME, SORT OF SOME BALANCING MEASURES, SPECIFICALLY HOW MANY FOLKS WERE STOPPED BUT DID NOT RESULT IN ANY KIND OF ARREST, UM, OR, OR RECOVERED VEHICLE.
AND THEN SECOND, I KNOW THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT INFORMATION SHARING, ALSO DATA IN TERMS OF WHAT WENT BEYOND A PD TO ANY OTHER STATE AGENCIES, UM, OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
IF THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE, WE COULD JUST MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT FOR THE NEXT TIME.
YEAH, I THINK AS FAR AS THE STOPS, LPR IS ONLY PICKING UP THOSE CARS THAT HAVE WARRANTS ON THEM.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE INFORMATION OF WHEN THE PER, SO IF A CAR IS ATTACHED TO A BODY, RIGHT? SO IF A CAR IS ASSIGNED TO SOMEONE AND THEY'RE STOPPED, IS THAT WHAT THE INFORMATION YOU WANT? IT WASN'T THIS PERSON OR YEAH, ESSENTIALLY A FALSE POSITIVE STOP.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE GOT 40 ARRESTS FOR STOLEN VEHICLES, WERE THERE A HUNDRED VEHICLES THAT WERE STOPPED THAT IT WAS A FALSE POSITIVE? WAS THERE ONLY ONE WHERE THERE WAS SOME KIND OF A STOP? 'CAUSE NO SYSTEM'S PER PERFECT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND THEN I ACTUALLY HAD, UM, JUST, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, LOOKING AT THESE, UH, HOTSPOT MAPS FOR A WHILE.
UM, AND THE HOTSPOTS DON'T MOVE.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SORT OF TAKE A BIG STEP BACK ON IN THESE AREAS.
UM, AND ONE, LOOK AT, AND THIS IS PROBABLY A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ANSWERS TO RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, ONE, LOOK AT DRILL DOWN IN THOSE AREAS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT RESPONSE TIMES ARE LIKE IN THOSE VERY SPECIFIC HOTSPOT AREAS, DAYTIME VERSUS EVENING SHIFT.
UM, BECAUSE OUR OVERALL RESPONSE TIME MIGHT BE REALLY HIGH, BUT MAYBE IT'S REALLY LOW IN THE DAYTIME.
MAYBE WE HAVE A REALLY QUICK RESPONSE TIME DURING THE DAY AND IT'S JUST EVENINGS JUST KIND OF DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THOSE HOTSPOT AREAS AND UNDERSTAND, I MEAN, HONESTLY, EVEN THINGS LIKE, ARE THESE AREAS OF TOWN WHERE THERE JUST AREN'T VERY MANY LIGHTS?
UM, SO JUST KIND OF SAYING THAT OUT LOUD, UM, AND WANTING TO GO AT THIS HOTSPOT THING A LITTLE BIT.
SO I CAN TELL YOU THOSE HOTSPOTS HAVE PROBABLY BEEN HOTSPOTS FOR 20 OR 30 YEARS.
UM, AND THAT COMES TO LOOKING AT STRATEGIES THAT ADDRESS PLACE.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT PLACE-BASED INITIATIVES, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS.
WHY IS THIS PROPERTY A PROBLEM PROPERTY? WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, UM, ELEMENTS AROUND THIS PROPERTY? AND HOW CAN WE MAKE THAT BETTER? SO, UM, ABSOLUTELY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANNA LOOK TO LOOK AT TOO, IS KINDA LOOK AT, BECAUSE WHAT YOU'LL FIND IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE HOTSPOT LOCATIONS, THAT'S WHERE YOUR USES OF FORCE ARE.
THAT'S WHERE YOUR, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ISSUES ARE WITHIN THOSE PLACE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO START LOOKING AT PLACE WITHIN A STRATEGY.
WELL, YEAH, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
SO, UM, DO WE HAVE ANY MORE, COMMISSIONER SMITH? AND I THINK THAT WILL BE OUR LAST QUESTION.
JUST HOPPING BACK TO THE DATA RELATED TO THE LPRS AND THE FALSE POSITIVES, IT'D BE NICE IF WE COULD ALSO GET AN OVERLAY OF DEMOGRAPHICS RELATED TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS AS WELL.
AND THAT WILL GO IN OUR FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS AS WELL, SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME OF THAT INFORMATION.
AND, AND ONE THING I JUST IS NOT A QUESTION, BUT I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO NOT UNDERSELL THINGS.
YOU KNOW THAT AS, AS, UH, COMMISSIONER
I THINK WE CAN CERTAINLY DELVE INTO WAYS WE CAN DO IT BETTER, BUT I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T UNDERSELL SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
UM, AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU HERE MORE IN THE FUTURE.
[5. Update on Wildfire Readiness by Austin Fire Department, including an update on the PANO AI system by Austin Energy.]
UM, NEXT UP IS OUR UPDATE ON WILDFIRE READINESS BY AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S ALSO GONNA INCLUDE AN UPDATE ON THE PANO AI SYSTEM.[00:40:01]
I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM AUSTIN ENERGY HERE AS WELL.SO IF YOU GUYS WANNA COME ON UP, UM, WHILE THEY'RE GETTING IN PLACE, I'LL INTRODUCE 'EM.
ROB FIRES THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, DOING THE PRESENTATION TODAY WILL BE ASSISTANT CHIEF JEFF KENNEDY, UH, CHIEF MITIGATION OFFICER JUSTICE JONES, AND THEN WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, CHRIS RA MILL, WHO ALSO PREVIOUSLY HAD WORKED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOING GREAT WORK.
SO THEY'LL BE PROVIDING INFORMATION IN A CONDENSED, UH, COMBINED SLIDE SLIDE DECK.
UH, JEFF KENNEDY, UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT JUSTICE JONES WILL BE DOING THE MAJORITY OF OUR PRESENTATION.
UH, THERE'LL BE A SLIDE OR TWO THAT I WILL PRESENT ON.
BUT, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, MR. JONES, THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE ALL YOUR TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS IMPORTANT UPDATE.
UM, WE WILL, UH, RECOGNIZE THAT OUR LAST PRESENTATION, YOU ASKED SPECIFICALLY TO ADD A SLIDE FOR, UM, OUR VULNERABLE POPULATION STRATEGY, WHICH WE'LL SHARE AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
SO IF YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND, UH, MOVE TO THE FIRST SLIDE.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND IMPLEMENTED LOCALLY.
UH, THE NUMBER OF C WPPS THAT HAVE STARTED BUT HAVE NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED.
UM, THE PERCENTAGE OF HIGH RISK, UH, WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE AREAS, WHICH IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL LOCAL CWPP PLANNING AREAS IS ONGOING, AND THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC PRESENTATION HOME ASSESSMENTS PROVIDED.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA SPEAK TO THE NUMBER, SIZE AND TYPE OF, UH, LOCATION OF FUELS MITIGATION ACTIVITIES HAPPENING ON THE GROUND AND THE NUMBER OF TRAINING HOURS RECEIVED AND CONDUCTED BY THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT NUMBER.
AUSTIN CONTINUES TO LEAD THE STATE AND THE NUMBER OF NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FIREWISE COMMUNITIES, USA AND EACH OF THOSE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED COMMUNITIES HAS A COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.
UH, THE CAVEAT WITH COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLANS, THEY'RE NEVER DONE.
ONCE YOU DEVELOP A PLAN, UM, AND YOU'VE IMPLEMENTED IT'S TIME TO UPDATE THAT PLAN AND CONTINUE THAT PROCESS.
SO THESE ARE ONGOING LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE BUILT WITH COMMUNITIES.
WE DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR FIREWISE ALLIANCE.
THESE ARE THE COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM THESE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE REALLY DOING THE WORK ON THE GROUND, HELPING, UM, THEIR COMMUNITIES BECOME RESILIENT TO WILDFIRE.
WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR EFFORTS.
NEXT SLIDE ON THE NUMBER OF LOCAL CW PPP STARTED, BUT NOT COMPLETED.
WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 23 COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ENGAGED ON TOP OF OUR FIREWISE COMMUNITIES.
AND AS YOU NOTICE FROM THE GRAPHIC ON THE RIGHT, UM, SOME OF THOSE ENGAGEMENTS ARE STARTING TO CREEP OVER INTO OUR MORE VULNERABLE, UM, EASTERN CRESCENT.
NEXT SLIDE, THE PERCENTAGE OF HIGH RISK WE AREAS IN WHICH, UM, THE IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL LOCAL CWPP, UM, IN THE PLANNING AREA IS STILL ONGOING.
'CAUSE AS AUSTIN GROWS, THIS PERCENTAGE CHANGED.
THE GOOD NEWS IS ALL NEW DEVELOPMENTS, UM, UP TO A CERTAIN SIZE ARE, UM, HAPPENING IN WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE AREAS ARE COMPLIANT WITH OUR WILD LAND URBAN INTERFACE CODE.
SO OUR GOAL WITH NEWLY DEVELOPED COMMUNITIES IS NOT TO LOSE GR LOSE GROUND, STAY ENGAGED WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES.
UH, SO THEY CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT BEST PRACTICES, UH, ACROSS THE TIME.
UM, BECAUSE THIS IS A LONG-TERM EFFORT, MANY OF THOSE NEWLY DEVELOPED COMMUNITIES ARE HAPPENING IN EAST AUSTIN.
SO WE'RE SEEING INCREASE IN OUR RESILIENCY FOOTPRINT AS A PRODUCT OF OUR WWE CODE AND OUR VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE WITH STRUCTURAL HARDENING.
UH, THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS IS, UH, INCREASED DRAMATICALLY.
UH, WE'RE ABLE TO ONBOARD ALL OF OUR EDUCATION AND OUTREACH STAFF.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN AGGRESSIVELY WORKING WITH, UH, OUR EXISTING COMMUNITIES AT RISK AND IDENTIFYING, UM, OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE VULNERABLE IN THE, UM, EASTERN CRESCENT.
AND WE ARE, WE'LL CALL THAT OUR VULNERABLE, UH, COMMUNITIES POPULATION.
WE'LL SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE BROADLY.
UM, WE'RE SEEING MORE, UM, REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION, BUT WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT UPTICK IN HOME ASSESSMENT REQUESTS.
AND SO WE'RE SHIFTING, UM, GEARS.
WE'RE TRAINING OUR WILDFIRE BATTALION FIVE TO, UH, HAVE THAT ABILITY TO CONDUCT THESE ASSESSMENTS.
IT ALSO TRANSLATES TO THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN FIGHTING FIRE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS IN THE FIELD THAT CAN PROVIDE THIS SERVICE.
AND THE SERVICE WE'RE REFERRING TO IS OUR STRUCTURE IGNITION ZONE EVALUATIONS.
THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE GET FIRSTHAND INFORMATION ON REDUCING THEIR WILDFIRE RISK AND CAN TAKE ACTION, UH, TO MITIGATE THOSE IMPACTS.
THE NUMBER OF FUELS MITIGATION ACTIVITIES ARE PARTNERS BECAUSE WE HAVE WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'VE BEEN HEAVILY FOCUSED ON CONDUCTING PRESCRIBED BURNING WHERE WE CAN.
UM, WE'VE HAD THREE PRESCRIBED BURNS IN THE LAST QUARTER FOR OVER 665 ACRES.
UH, THOSE ARE RESTORATION BURNS TO HELP ENSURE THAT WHEN WE DO EXPERIENCE A FIRE, THE IMPACTS ARE AS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE.
THOSE ALSO SERVE AS TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, BOTH FOR OUR LAND MANAGEMENT PARTNERS AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
SO, UH, WE GET A LOT OF VALUE OUT OF OUR ONGOING, UM, UH, FUELS MITIGATION EFFORTS THROUGH PRESCRIBED BURNING.
YOU KNOW, ON THIS SLIDE, WE'RE PROUD,
[00:45:01]
UH, FOR FIRST THE RECOGNITION THAT WE RECEIVED FOR A TWO YEAR EFFORT FOR RESPONDING TO THE INCIDENT TRAINING THAT WE PROVIDED TO OUR DEPARTMENT.AND, UM, WITH THAT, WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED 84 HOURS WORTH OF TRAINING.
AND IN THAT 84, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THAT WAS FOR, UH, WILDFIRE URBAN INTERFACE EVACUATION TRAINING THAT WE RECEIVED FROM FEMA.
SO WE HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ATTENDED THAT.
AND THE 4,400, UH, OR AGAIN, THOSE HOURS THAT WE HAD IN THE RESPONDING TO THE INTERFACE TRAINING, AS WELL AS, UM, TRAINING THAT WE PROVIDED TO A NUMBER OF OUR OWN STAFF AS IT RELATED TO OUR CADETS AS RELATED TO ADVANCED TRAINING FOR SAWYERS AND, UH, ENGINE OPERATIONS.
AND THE NEXT SIX MONTHS IS GONNA BE JUST AS BUSY, UH, AS WE ARE HAVING, UH, DIFFERENT CLASSES LIKE THE BASTROP WILDFIRE ACADEMY.
AND, UM, UH, WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND OUR, UH, PRESCRIBED FIRE, UH, CERTIFICATION WITH, WITH OUR, UH, OUR BATTALION TO MAKE 'EM A LITTLE BIT MORE STOUT IN PART OF THAT, UH, PREVENTION AND PREP PREPARATION.
AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED, UH, TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO REINFORCING OUR EFFORTS TO REACH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
UH, WE DEVELOPED A STRATEGY TO IDENTIFY AND REACH THESE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT'S BEING INCORPORATED INTO OUR DIVISION STRATEGY.
UM, WE'VE ASSIGNED DIVISION STAFF SPECIFICALLY TO COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UM, WITH FOCUS ON OUR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND POPULATIONS AT RISK FROM WILDFIRE.
UM, WE'VE ACTIVELY ENGAGED THROUGH THE UPDATE OF OUR CITY COUNTY COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN TO DEVELOP A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL THAT CLEARLY, UH, REQUESTS ACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.
UM, THOSE ARE BUILT INTO THE PROPOSAL, AND SO, UH, WE HAVE A STRONG DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE THOSE ARE GONNA EMERGE AS HIGH PRIORITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN UPDATE THAT WILL COME BACK TO THIS GROUP.
UM, TO GET BETTER INSIGHT, WE COLLABORATED WITH UT GRADUATE STUDENTS TO DO RESEARCH ON HOW TO EFFECTIVELY REACH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND WHAT WILDFIRE PROGRAMS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE.
AND WE GAINED INSIGHT THAT, UM, THERE'S NO COOKIE CUTTER APPROACH AND WE HAVE TO TAKE A, A, A DIFFERENT APPROACH WHEN WE REACH, REACH DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.
AND SO WE'RE TAILORING THAT APPROACH TO THE COMMUNITIES, UM, BASED ON HOW THEY WANT TO RECEIVE INFORMATION.
UM, WE'VE ESTABLISHED A PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS TO DISTRIBUTE WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS LITERATURE, SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
GROUPS LIKE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICE OF RESILIENCY, A DRN AND GAVA ARE ALL, UH, KEY PARTNERS IN THAT EFFORT TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, THE OUTREACH MATERIALS WE USE HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED INTO MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SO WE CAN REACH AS MANY OF OUR, UH, AT RISK POPULATION AS POSSIBLE.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND COMMUNITIES THAT DO NOT HAVE AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE LIKE AN HOA THAT CATERS WELL TO PROGRAMS LIKE FIREWISE, UH, TO UNDERSTAND THEIR WILDFIRE RISK, TO PROVIDE 'EM COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENTS AS A PLATFORM FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT WILDFIRE RISK.
UH, WE HOSTED OUR, UM, ANNUAL WILDFIRE SYMPOSIUM AT THE ROSEWOOD SARAGOSSA NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY CENTER.
UH, WE'RE EXCITED TO SAY IT WAS A FULL HOUSE.
UM, IT WAS WELL ATTENDED AND WELL RECEIVED, BUT WE ALSO REALIZED THAT MAY NOT BE THE BEST MECHANISM TO REACH COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON A SATURDAY WHEN THEY'RE, UM, ENJOYING THE LITTLE TIME OFF THAT THEY HAVE OR WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
AND SO WE PIVOTED, UM, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS NEXT YEAR ON A COOPERATIVE BASE SYMPOSIUM AND HELPING OUR COOPERATORS UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN BEST REACH OUR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, UH, WHILE REINFORCING OUR OUTREACH THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT THROUGH TOWN HALL MEETINGS, WHICH HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE IN REACHING, UH, THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND FINDING, UM, CHAMPIONS IN THESE COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE PR WE PARTICIPATED IN A DISASTER PREPAREDNESS TOWN HALL MEETINGS, AS I MENTIONED, THAT ARE MAPPED ACROSS THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THAT PARTNERSHIP MOVING FORWARD, INCLUDING THE MOST RECENT, UM, HE SOME DISASTER PREPAREDNESS.
UM, ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT ONE OF OUR STRATEGIES FOR MOVING INTO THESE VULNERABLE AREAS IS TO REENGAGE WITH OUR VULNERABLE SCHOOLS.
IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT, WE HAVE A LOT OF SCHOOLS IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY THAT ARE IN PRECARIOUS AREAS, UM, WHAT'S MORE WORTHY OF, UM, WILDFIRE MITIGATION PREPAREDNESS.
AND THEY'RE VERY OFTEN THE EPICENTER OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REACH.
AND SO WE'VE INITIATED OUR FIREWISE SCHOOL PROGRAM, WE'RE STARTING WITH, UM, A ISD, AND WE'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED GRANTS TO HAVE TWO PILOT ON CAMPUS PROGRAMS MOVING FORWARD.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE MOVED INTO ESD FOUR.
AS YOU KNOW, AUSTIN HAS FIRE PROTECTION RESPONSIBILITY TO ESD FOUR, AND THAT INCLUDES MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE ESD FOUR TO, UM, REALLY IDENTIFY AND TARGET THOSE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ON THE EASTERN CRESCENT OF ESD FOUR, AS WE'VE EFFECTIVELY DONE SO IN THE PAST, IN THE WESTERN FRINGE.
AND WITH THAT, UM, THAT'S THE, UM, CLOSE OF OUR PRESENTATION ON YOUR LAST SLIDE.
WE JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, UM, AUSTIN HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS THE BAR FOR IDENTIFYING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
OUR RISK MAP HAS BEEN BUILT INTO WILDFIRE RISK.ORG, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL, UM,
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ACKNOWLEDGED RISK MAP FOR THE COUNTRY.AND SO, UH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, UM, BEING A PILOT COMMUNITY FOR ADVANCING WILDFIRE EQUITY ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
DO, DO WE HAVE ANY BURNING QUESTIONS? IS EVERYBODY OKAY IF WE PUT A PIN IN QUESTIONS UNTIL THE AF AFTER THE AI PANEL? O YEAH, YOU, YOU CAN THAT OKAY.
THAT WAY WE CAN GET THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
PARDON? SO EVERYBODY JUST SCRIBBLE THEIR QUESTIONS DOWN, DON'T LOSE THEM.
UM, AND NEXT, UM, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE, THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR THE PANO, UM, AI PANO.
SO GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I'M CHRIS CHEREL WITH, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY.
I'M THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION MANAGER THERE.
UM, I WILL GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHAT THE PANEL THREE SIX OR PANEL AI 360, UH, CAMERAS ARE ALL ABOUT.
SO QUICKLY WE'LL GO OVER WHAT PANO AI IS AN OVERVIEW ON THAT.
WE'LL GO OVER WHY AUSTIN ENERGY IS TACKLING IT.
THEN WE'LL GO INTO WHAT, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY MEANS WITH PANO AI, WHAT WE'RE UTILIZING IT FOR, AND THEN SHOWING YOU WHAT THE ALERTS ARE THAT WE'RE PICKING UP.
AND THEN WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
SO BASICALLY, PANO AI IS A TURNKEY, UH, OPERATION.
WE BASICALLY WENT OUT TO THEM AND THEY CAME IN AND WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT OUR VIEW.
SHED SEE WHERE THE BEST LOCATIONS WOULD BE TO HAVE CAMERAS THAT LOOK OUT TO EARLY DETECT, UM, SMOKE THAT IT ARISES IN OUR AREA.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT THEY PUT UP THEIR OWN HARDWARE.
UH, THEY, IT'S A ULTRA HIGH DEFINITION CAMERAS, AND WE HAVE 13 STATIONS THAT HAVE TWO CAMERAS EACH.
WHAT IT DOES IS IT CONTINUALLY SCANS THE ENVIRONMENT AND WHEN IT DOES SEE ANY KIND OF SMOKE, IT PICKS UP ON THAT AND GOES THROUGH THE AI ALGORITHMS FOR THAT.
ONCE IT GOES THROUGH THAT AI ALGORITHM AND THEY DO SAY THAT IT IS A WILDFIRE OR SOME KIND OF FIRE SMOKE, IT WILL THEN ALERT A HUMAN CALL CENTER THAT PANO AI HAS, AND THAT HUMAN CALL CENTER THEN WILL BASICALLY PUSH THE BUTTON AND THEN THERE'S A PREDISPOSED, UH, LIST FOR DISPATCH ON WHO GETS THAT.
AND THE BIGGEST ONE IS IT COMES BACK TO AUSTIN ENERGY FOR OUR SATIONAL AWARENESS.
BUT EVEN BIGGER THAN THAT, IT GOES TO THE, UH, A PD, THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
AND SO THAT THE A PD AND THEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND, AND UTILIZE WHERE THAT SMOKE IS COMING FROM.
UM, AND SO IT'S AN EASY TO USE INTERFACE ON THE BACK END.
SO ONCE WE GET THAT ALERT THAT THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT, ZOOM IN ON IT, LOOK AT THE CAMERAS, AND ACTUALLY UTILIZE IT WITH OPTICAL ZOOM AS WELL TO ZOOM IN TO THE, THE SEAT OF THE FIRE.
SO LIKE I ALREADY KIND OF MENTIONED, IT HAS BASICALLY THAT DETECTION SYSTEM.
ONCE THE AI PICKS IT UP, IT'LL ACTUALLY ALSO GO ONTO THE INTERNET AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY CHATTER ON IT.
IT'LL LOOK AT THE HEAT MAPS AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S IN THEIR MORE REMOTE AREA THAT SATELLITE IMAGERY PICKED UP.
ON THAT FIRST IT'LL TALK ABOUT, IS ANYBODY TALKING ON NEXTDOOR OR ANY OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM AND SAYING IS, IS THERE A FIRE OUT THERE? AND THAT'LL, IT'LL SCRUB ALL THAT AND BRING THAT INTO ITS, ITS ALGORITHMS AS WELL.
LIKE I SAID, IT, ONCE IT DOES CONFIRM IT, IT'LL GO TO THAT CONFIRMATION STAGE AND THEN IT'LL DISSEMINATE IT OUT TO THE PREDETERMINED ALERT SYSTEM.
AND THE BIGGEST REASON, AND THE WHOLE REASON WHY WE HAVE THIS, UH, SYSTEM IS TO GET THAT EARLY RESPONSE.
THE FASTER WE CAN GET TO A FIRE, THE FIRE FASTER, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GET TO THE FIRE, THE QUICKER WE CAN GET IT OUT.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S KIND OF INTUITIVE, BUT SMALL FIRE, EASIER TO PUT OUT THAN LARGE FIRE.
SO IF THEY CAN GET THERE FASTER, THEN THEY CAN GET IT OUT.
AND THE OTHER PART TO IT IS WE CAN ANALYZE THAT, WE CAN THEN LOOK AT THIS DATA AND WE CAN SEE WHERE THAT FIRE WAS ORIGINATED FROM AND FOR OUR PERSPECTIVE, WAS THE UTILITY AT FAULT FOR THAT? WE CAN LOOK AT A MATRIX WITH THAT AND SEE IF THAT IT WAS BAR FIRE OR WHERE DID IT COME INTO A ENCROACH INTO OUR AREA.
AND WE CAN ALSO LOOK AT IT AGAINST THE NINE ONE ONE CALL TIMES TOO, AND WE CAN SEE WHICH IS, IS IS BETTER AND WHICH IS BEATING THE THAT SYSTEM.
SO IF PANO AI IS PICKING UP ON THESE FIRES AND GETTING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE X AMOUNT FASTER THAN IT'S OBVIOUSLY A WIN AND A GOOD AND A GOOD SYSTEM.
SO THIS'S, JUST A REAL QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHO HAS AND WHO'S UTILIZING PANO.
WE ARE THE FIRST ONES IN, UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS TO UTILIZE IT AND USE IT.
THERE'S 10 STATES IN THE, IN THE US THAT HAVE IT, FIVE STATES IN AUSTRALIA ALSO HAVE IT.
THE ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS IS FROM AUSTRALIA, AND THEN ONE, UH, PROVINCE IN CANADA IS NOW STARTING IT.
YOU CAN SEE ALL THE UTILITIES THAT ARE USING IT.
UM, THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND PRIVATE INDUSTRIES ARE ALSO USING IT.
AND THIS JUST KIND OF GOES DOWN A LITTLE DEEPER ONTO WHO'S USING IT IN THE UNITED STATES AND ALL THE OTHER UTILITIES THAT ARE BRINGING ON THE SYSTEM.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, WE CAN GO BACK IN THE END.
UH, SO WHY DID AUSTIN ENERGY PICK THIS UP? SO IN 2020, THERE WAS A COMMITTEE STARTED THE TEXAS PUBLIC POWER COMMITTEE, AND THAT WAS WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, CPS ENERGY, NEW BRAUNFELS UTILITIES, AND THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY.
THEY CAME TOGETHER TO CREATE SUBGROUPS TO LOOK AT THE WORKFORCE, UH, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, MUTUAL AID ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
AND AUSTIN ENERGY WAS THE CHAIR OF THE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES SUBGROUP.
AND WITH THAT, THEY LOOKED AT OVER 12 DIFFERENT, UM, NEW AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO SEE IF
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WE CAN BETTER OFF THE, THE RELIABILITY OF VERTICAL POWER THROUGHOUT CENTRAL TEXAS.AND FOR NO REAL REASON AT ALL WITH THE PANO WAS THE ONE THAT WAS PICKED UP ON AND WE INVESTIGATED TO SEE IF THAT WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR US.
AND SO WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, BROUGHT IT TO COUNCIL, AND IT WAS APPROVED, AND WE STARTED TO IMPLEMENT THAT PROGRAM.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE IT IS A LITTLE SMALL HERE, BUT THE, THE BIGGEST PART TO THIS THAT SHOWS THAT LATE 2022 IS WHEN, UH, WE STARTED A CHAMPION PANO, AND IT WAS NOVEMBER OF 2023 IS WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED IT.
AND THEN MARCH OF THIS YEAR IS WHEN OUR FIRST CAMERA WENT LIVE.
AND THEN AUGUST IS WHEN THE LA THE 13TH CAMERA, THIS 13TH STATION WENT LIVE.
AND SO IT WAS BASICALLY ABOUT A YEAR FROM, UH, WHEN WE WENT TO THE COUNCIL TO WHEN WE GOT EVERYTHING, UH, IMPROVED UP AND RUNNING, AND NOW THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RUNNING.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS FOR AUSTIN, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S 13 STATIONS AND EACH HAS TWO CAMERAS.
THEY HAVE A 360 DEGREE, ULTRA HIGH DEFINITION, SIX MEGAPIXEL CAMERAS AT THOSE STATIONS, TWO EACH.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THAT PICTURE THERE, THAT SHOWS THE TWO CAMERAS ON THE, THE, THE CELL TOWERS, THEY HAVE AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW, SO THAT DOES 180 DEGREES EACH.
SO WHEN YOU GO INTO THERE, YOU CAN CLICK AND ROTATE THROUGH AND CAN SEE A 360 DEGREE VIEW UNOBSTRUCTED.
UH, SO IT GOES OUT, THEY SAY ABOUT 10 MILES IS THE RADIUS TO BEAT ONE OF THESE CAMERAS TO PICK UP THAT SMOKE, BUT WE'VE BEEN SEEING THAT IT GOES WAY FURTHER THAN THAT AND IT'S GOING OUT MUCH FURTHER THAN THE 10 MILE RADIUS.
SO WITH THAT, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE AUSTIN AREA, UM, THE AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, AREA WAS COMPLETELY COVERED AND COVERED BY TRIANGULATION.
SO THAT MEANS ONE OR MORE CAMERAS PICKING UP ON THE SAME SMOKE AND WE CAN GET THE EXACT GPS LOCATION.
UH, SO WITH THAT THOUGH, IN PUTTING SO MANY CAMERAS IN SUCH A SMALL DENSE AREA TO MAKE SURE WE DID THAT, WE BASICALLY DOUBLE COVERED ALL OF TRAVIS COUNTY AS WELL.
AND THEN IT BLEEDS OUT INTO THE SOUNDING SURROUNDING SIX COUNTIES.
SO I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH NEIGHBORING AGENCIES AND PARTNERS AND OTHER UTILITIES TO GIVING THEM THIS FEED SO THAT THEY CAN UTILIZE THIS TECHNOLOGY AS WELL.
SO THE WHOLE, THE SYSTEM IS ABOUT $3.2 MILLION FOR A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT.
AND LIKE YOU SAID THERE, THE IN COMPLETE INSTALLATION IS, IS COMPLETE, INSTALLATION IS COMPLETE.
SO THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THAT SERVICE TERRITORY.
THE RED LINE IS AUSTIN ENERGY SERVICE TERRITORY.
UH, EVERY GREEN RING IS ONE OF THE CAMERA STATIONS.
AND THEN THAT'S WHERE IT GETS AT, UH, THE OVERLAP TO GET THE, UH, EXACT TRIANGULATION AND GPS LOCATION.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IT BLEEDS OUT INTO THE OTHER COUNTIES.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID LOOK AT PRIVACY.
SO THIS IS AN UNDESTRUCTIVE VIEW FROM ONE OF THE CAMERAS, UH, WITH NO ZOOM CAPABILITY ON IT IN THIS SHOT.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE HOW THERE ARE HOUSES IN PUBLIC, UM, OR PRIVATE AREAS INSIDE THAT VIEW SHED.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING DOES GET PIXELATED.
SO ON THE CAMERA LEVEL, UH, WE WENT THROUGH EACH CAMERA AND MADE SURE THAT WE PIXELATED EVERYTHING THAT, UM, NEEDED TO BE PIXELATED, AND THEN WE DIDN'T OVERP PIXELATE TILL WE WERE STILL ABLE TO PICK UP ALL THOSE FIRES.
AND WE'LL HAVE AN ANNUAL PROCESS OF GOING BACK THROUGH AND LOOK AND RE-LOOKING AT THESE AND REVISITING IT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE GROWTH AND EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE AREA.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND SHOW YOU THAT, THAT WE HAVE THAT CONSIDERATION.
SO NEW FEATURES ARE COMING UP.
THE GREAT THING IS WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH PANO, UM, MYSELF BEING AN, UH, EX FIREFIGHTER, AND THEN ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH ON THE PANO TEAM IS THE EX FIREFIGHTER.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BE ABLE TO TALK A LOT OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND STYLE AND BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH MUCH BETTER THINGS AND THEN THINGS THAT YOU WOULD NEED.
AND THEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REALLY CAN LOOK AT WHEN THEY GO TO RESPOND WITH THESE CALLS FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IS MAP LAYERS WITH THE WIND SPEED, HUMIDITY, TEMPERATURE, UH, AND, AND LOOKING AT DIFFERENT ASPECTS TO WHAT COULD ALSO BE ON THIS MAP.
AND IT'S NOT JUST THE MAP AND THEN THE CAMERA LOCATION.
SO PANEL'S BEEN GREAT WITH THAT.
SAMARA THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WE'VE GAVE OPTICAL ZOOM CAPABILITIES TO VERY FEW PEOPLE.
WE HAVE IT INTERNALLY AT AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY TO UTILIZE THAT IN OTHER WAYS TOO.
AND ZOOM TOO CLOSE INTO, LIKE WE SAID, SOME OF THOSE PLACES THAT WEREN'T PIXELATED, UH, BUT THERE IS A REQUEST.
SO IF THEY DO GET OUT ON SCENE AND THEN THE INSTANT COMMANDER IS LOOKING AT THE CAMERAS, THEY CAN REQUEST, UH, OPTICAL ZOOM AND THEN THEN PANO AI THEMSELVES WILL ZOOM INTO TO SEE THAT FIRE AND, AND GIVE THEM THAT, THAT THAT LOOK AND THAT VIEW OF THE OPTICAL ZOOM.
AND I'LL SHOW YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT OPTICAL ZOOM LOOKS LIKE HERE IN A MINUTE.
SO WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, THERE WERE THREE WAYS TO GET THE, THE ALERTS.
UH, ANYBODY INSIDE THE UTILITY ITSELF, WE GOT FULL ACCESS BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME THINGS IN OUR TRANSMISSION LINES, UH, WHICH ARE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, BUT OUR DISTRIBUTION LINES ARE AND OUR, UM, SUBSTATIONS, WE DIDN'T WANT THAT TO BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
SO, BUT WE CAN SEE THOSE ON THE MAP AND WE KNOW HOW CLOSE TO ANY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE A FIRE IS STARTED.
UH, SO THAT'S ONE GOOD THING THAT WE CAN ANALYZE AND LOOK BACK AT AFTER THE FIRE.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, WE GAVE THE ABILITY OF FIVE DIFFERENT, UH, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TO HAVE IT, BUT WORKING WITH PANO AND DECIDING THAT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, BECAUSE THE WHOLE REASON TO HAVE THIS IS TO GIVE IT OUT TO THOSE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES IN THE FIRE SERVICES.
SO NOW WE'VE OPENED UP THAT MIDDLE SECTION YOU SEE THERE TO ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY THAT'S IN THE FIRE SERVICE CAN ACTUALLY GET ACCESS TO THE BACKEND AND NOT ONLY GET THE COMMUNITY ALERTS, WHICH ANYBODY ELSE HAD WAS JUST AN ALERT TO THAT ONE FIRE, AND THEN THEY COULD LOOK AT IT ON THEIR APP OR ON A PHONE FROM AN EMAIL OR, UH, OR A TEXT MESSAGE.
AND ONCE IT WENT AWAY, IT WENT AWAY.
BUT NOW THEY ALL, ALL THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND ALL THE FIRE SERVICES CAN GO IN AND ACTUALLY UTILIZE THE CAMERAS AT ANY
[01:00:01]
TIME AND LOOK AT 'EM AND LOOK AROUND AND THEN U AND SEE BASICALLY THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AT ALL TIMES.AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COULD HAVE THAT AND SO DID PANOS, WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM TO GAIN THAT ACCESS.
UH, JUST A REAL QUICK NOTE ON FIRES ITSELF.
SO THIS WHOLE SYSTEM WAS THERE TO PICK UP ON WILDFIRES AND PICK UP THAT SMOKE OUT IN THOSE, UM, BIG OPEN AREAS LIKE CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST COAST HAS.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN, AND THAT WE TAKE IT INTO A REALLY DENSE URBAN AREA LIKE WE HAVE HERE, WE'VE BEEN PICKING UP ON ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT FIRES AS WELL.
SO WE PICKED UP ON STRUCTURE FIRES AND OBVIOUSLY THE PRESCRIBED FIRES AS WELL.
SO THIS SHOWS HERE THAT WE PICKED UP ON QUITE A FEW STRUCTURE FIRES, CAR FIRES, HOUSE FIRES, UM, RV FIRES, A A LOAD OF DIFFERENT STYLES OF THESE STRUCTURE FIRES.
BUT ONE BIG ONE HERE, THIS WAS THAT, UH, RECYCLE PLANT THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE.
AND I'LL SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES IN A MINUTE.
BUT THE NEAT THING ABOUT THIS PICTURE IS AT THE TIME WE HAD 11 OUTTA 13 CAMERAS UP AND ALL 11 OF THEM PICKED UP ON THIS FIRE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT THEY TRIANGULATED WITH THE TWO RED CROSSES.
AND THEN EACH ONE OF THE OTHER GR UH, BLUE ONES IS ALSO PICKING UP ON THAT, THAT SAME FIRE.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE TOO THAT PANO AI PICKED IT ON UP ONE MINUTE BEFORE IT ACTUALLY WAS, UH, 9 1 1 DISPATCHED CALLED IT, CALLED IT OUT.
SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM FROM THE BUS SHED AT NO OPTICAL ZOOM.
AND AS WE OPT ZOOM IN, THAT'S 30 TIMES OPTICAL ZOOM.
SO YOU COULD REALLY GET IN AND SEE A SEAT OF A FIRE AND SEE WHERE IT IS AND SEE IF IT'S ENCROACHING.
AND ON A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD'VE TO CALL AN EVACUATION ON, THEY CAN KIND OF SEE THIS FROM THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
ANY INCOMING UNIT MAY BE EVEN THE INCIDENT COMMANDER CAN LOOK AT THIS BEFORE HAND AND KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO.
SO THIS WAS THAT FIRE AND HOW LARGE IT WAS.
YOU CAN SEE THE FIRETRUCK THERE.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT FIRE GOT PICKED UP BY ALL 11 CAMERAS.
SO THAT ONE IS PRESCRIBED FIRES.
UH, SO THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THE PRESCRIBED FIRES THAT HAD A DECKER TALL GRASS PRAIRIE THAT PARD, UH, PARTICIPATES IN.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE HOW THEY DID, UH, TRIANGULATE AND CROSS AND GIVE US THAT EXACT LOCATION.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER CAMERAS PICK IT UP.
AND THIS IS A ZOOMED IN LOCATION OF SHOWING EXACTLY WHERE THAT THAT FIRE WAS OR THE PRESCRIBED FIRE.
AND THE BEST PART ABOUT IT AGAIN, IS WE CAN USE IT FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND WE CAN KEEP TABS ON THE FIRE.
AND THERE'S THAT OPTICAL ZOOM AGAIN.
AND THE BIG ONE OBVIOUSLY IS WILDFIRES AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S HERE FOR.
AND LUCKILY WE HAD A VERY BENIGN FIRE SEASON, I WOULD SAY, IN THE AREA.
UH, BUT WE DIDN'T OBVIOUSLY THEN PICK UP ANYTHING, UH, REALLY SUBSTANTIAL FOR THIS AND TO SHOW YOU, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS A GOOD THING AGAIN.
UH, BUT WE DID GET A COUPLE FIRES AND HERE'S ONE THAT WAS UP, UM, THERE, DISPATCH TIME WASN'T, UH, DIDN'T BEAT THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S IN A VERY SUBURB AREA.
SO LIKE I THINK THE FIRE GOT STARTED AND THE PERSON WHO STARTED IT CALLED, CALLED 9 1 1, SO THEY, THEY BEAT THE DISPATCH.
BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT WE CAN LOOK IN THAT 30 TIME ZOOM AND KNOW THAT IT'S IN A SUBDIVISION AREA.
AND IF IT WAS COMING AT THE CAMERAS THERE, YOU COULD SEE THAT WE NEED, MIGHT NEED TO EVACUATE THAT SUBDIVISION.
SO IT'S, IT'S GREAT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
THEN PANA, WHAT'S NEXT IS, SO THEY'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WHILE WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH 'EM.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING 'EM FOR CERTAIN DIFFERENT THINGS AND WE'RE GONNA START PUTTING MORE MAP LAYERS ON RED FLAG LAYERS, ACTIVE FIRE PERIMETERS.
IF WE DO GET A FIRE THAT IS MULTIPLE DAYS, UH, IF THERE IS ONLY A BEARING AND A NOT A TRIANGULATION, YOU DON'T GET WHERE THAT FIRE IS OR HOW FAR THAT FIRE IS.
SO NOW THEY'RE COMING UP WITH THEIR AI TECHNOLOGY TO GIVE YOU THAT SINGLE LOCATION AND SHOW YOU THAT THE FIRE IS PROBABLY IN THIS RANGE.
AND I CAN CAN THEN HAVE 9 1 1 TRIANGULATE THEMSELVES ON WHERE THAT FIRE'S GONNA BE IN THE BEST ROUTE IN WHICH, WHICH, UH, FIRE STATION TWO ALERT FIRST DIFFERENT VIEWS.
THEN, UM, SO I HAVE IT UP ON MY SCREEN AND SO DOES OUR ECCR ENERGY CONTROL CENTER AND WATCHING IT ALL THE TIME.
WE'RE GETTING THAT SET UP IN THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER, BUT WE NEED A BETTER INTERACTION OF AND LOOKING AT IT.
SO THEY'RE WORKING ON DIFFERENT WAYS TO DISPLAY THAT INFORMATION FOR US.
SO IF WE GIVE IT TO ENCORE ENERGY, THEY DON'T NEED TO SEE ALL THE CAMERAS ON THE SOUTH SIDE, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO GEOFENCING AND TAGGING THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND SO ONLY CERTAIN PEOPLE CAN SEE CERTAIN DIFFERENT ALERTS.
SO IN A NUTSHELL, AND I KNOW I SPEAK VERY FAST, BUT WE'RE, AS YOU SAID, WE'RE SHORT ON TIME.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, UH, I CAN HANDLE THOSE.
UM, IF WE COULD GET THE COMMISSIONERS BACK ON SCREEN, UH, THAT ARE ONLINE.
UM, AND IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER NGUYEN, I JUST TURN THIS ON REAL QUICK.
UH, HEY, MR. JONES, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, SIR.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE YOU, UM, UH, REALLY SHARING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, APPROACHING OUTREACH FROM THE EQUITABLE LENS.
UM, AND I WAS INTERESTED IN LEARNING THE LANGUAGE ACCESS COMPONENT BECAUSE, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE, THE DISTRICT 10 AREA, THAT'S A HIGHLY VULNERABLE AREA AND THAT ACTUALLY HAS A PRETTY BIG CHINESE POPULATION AND SOUTH ASIAN POPULATION FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
ARE THOSE THE LANGUAGES THAT ARE BEING TRANSLATED OVER OR DO YOU HAVE A LIST OF THOSE LANGUAGES? I CAN PROVIDE A LIST.
WE FOCUSED ON THE TOP SEVEN, UM, LANGUAGE SPOKEN AUSTIN.
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I SECOND, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INCLUDING THE VULNERABLE POPULATION.I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND IMPORTANT THAT'S GETTING SHARED.
ONE QUESTION I HAVE ON FOLLOW UP IS JUST MORE BROADLY, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS YOU GUYS HAVE IDENTIFIED FOR EVERYBODY IN TERMS OF WHETHER THAT'S FUNDING OR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, AND THEN SPECIFICALLY FOR THE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, AS YOU'RE FINDING SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WITH FOLKS IMPLEMENTING THESE PLANS, IS THERE ANYTHING FINANCIAL OR OTHERWISE THAT YOU GUYS ARE NOT GETTING THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL? SO WHAT I CAN SPEAK TO IS THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, THE, UM, COMMUNICATION WE'RE GIVING BACK FROM OUR RESIDENTS IS, CAN YOU HELP US MAKE THESE CHANGES? AND SO WE'VE CONTACTED, UM, OUR, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND THEY HAVE A REBATE PROGRAM FOR SMALL CHANGES.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO CONTACTED BOULDER WILDFIRE PARTNERS WHO HAS A, UM, A REBATE PROGRAM FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT REPLACE SOME OF THE KEY ELEMENTS OF THE STRUCTURE, BUT DON'T TRIGGER A PERMIT REVIEW AND THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT INSTALLATION OF A ZERO TO FIVE NON-COMBUSTIBLE AREA AROUND HOMES, UM, PROVIDING GUTTER GUARDS, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S EXTREME VULNERABILITY AND, UH, SCREENING ON VENTS.
'CAUSE VENT ENTRIES CHEAP TO FIX.
BUT, UM, UH, ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS HOMES ARE LOST.
AND THEN EXPLORING THAT SECTION OF THE WOODEN FENCES THAT CONNECT TO HOMES 'CAUSE FENCES ARE FUSES.
UM, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN, UM, OFFSET THE COST OF THESE ACTIONS, UM, FROM A NON BUDGETARY REQUEST STANDPOINT, LOOKING AT GRANTS AND OTHER, UH, RESOURCES.
AND CERTAINLY IF YOU GUYS DETERMINE NEEDS THAT BE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR THAT AT THE NEXT UPDATE SO WE CAN SUPPORT Y'ALL.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU IDENTIFIED ANY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ARE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY MEMBERS? YEAH, THAT'S A REAL CHALLENGE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY HOMELESS OFFICER, DAVID GRAY AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A INDIVIDUAL, UM, WHO'S BEEN DESIGNATED TO BE THAT LIAISON.
UM, AND WE SHARE INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT FIRE DANGER, WHAT'S GOING ON THAT COULD, UH, IMPACT THOSE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THEMSELVES.
STRATEGIES FOR FIRE, UM, IGNITION REDUCTION AND THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES, UM, ARE WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE WITH OUR FOLKS EXPERIENCING, UM, HOMELESSNESS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO RAISE UP, I BELIEVE I'VE ALREADY SAID IT IN A COUPLE MEETINGS, BUT THERE HAS BEEN REQUESTS FROM THAT POPULATION AND THE SERVICE GROUPS THAT WORK WITH THAT POPULATION FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, NOT JUST IN THE EXTREMELY HOT WEATHER, BUT ALSO IN THE COLD WEATHER BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE SEE THEM MAKING THEIR OWN FIRES IN ORDER TO STAY WARM.
I'LL MAKE A NOTE OF THAT IN OUR FOLLOW-UP ITEMS AS WELL.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION, UM, ON THE SAME SORT OF THE, THE LINE OF QUESTIONING THAT COMMISSIONER SMITH OPENED.
UM, HAS, UM, AUSTIN FIRE IN CONNECTION WITH ANY OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LOOKED INTO, UM, PROVIDING MORE PREPARED MEALS FOR OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY WILL TO REDUCE COOKING FIRES? UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN LOOKED AT OR HAS BEEN CONSIDERED? I DON'T HAVE INFORMATION ON AT THIS AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BUT I'LL MAKE SURE TO GET SOMETHING RESPONSIVE BACK TO THE COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE I, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT A LOT OF THE FIRES ARE COOKING FIRES.
CERTAINLY THE CASE OF THE PINNACLE FIRE THAT WAS A COOKING FIRE, RIGHT? MM-HMM,
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT?
UM, I AM CURIOUS IF AUSTIN ENERGY OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND I'M MAKING AN ASSUMPTION HERE, THAT RIGHT NOW ELECTRICITY DURING THE SUMMER WHEN IT'S SCORCHING REALLY HOT IS NOT A RIGHT.
IN THE SAME WAY THAT STAYING WARM IN THE WINTER IS THEY THE, IN THE NORTHEAST, THEY DON'T TURN OFF YOUR, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, NATURAL GAS, UH, IN THE WINTER, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT PAYING SO THAT YOU DON'T FREEZE TO DEATH.
UM, HAVE THERE BEEN DISCUSSIONS IN AUSTIN ABOUT, UM, HAVING A DIFFERENT POLICY IN THE SUMMERTIME? SO FOLKS WHO CAN'T AFFORD THEIR REALLY MUCH BIGGER ELECTRICITY BILLS IN THE SUMMER HAVE THE CAPACITY TO KEEP THEIR WINDOW UNITS ON.
SO I'M GONNA SAY THAT'S A LITTLE OFF TOPIC.
I TAKE THAT THAT'S A LITTLE OFF TOPIC, AND SO I'M GONNA, WE'RE WE'RE JUST GONNA THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA MOVE PAST THAT I'VE TO FUTURE AGENDA.
I'LL NOTED THE QUESTION
WANNA ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? YEP.
SO, I, I KNOW YOU SHARED THE 84 HOURS OF OUI, UM, EVACUATION TRAINING, UM, THAT THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, HAS, HAS BEEN A PART OF, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THE OTHER AGENCIES ARE ALSO SUPPORTING THAT IN THAT
[01:10:01]
PROCESS.ARE Y'ALL DOING ANY SORT OF TRAINING EXERCISES OR, OR FULL SCALE EXERCISES TO ENSURE IMPLEMENTATION OF, YOU KNOW, INTER-AGENCY SUPPORT WHEN THOSE HAPPEN? 'CAUSE I, I WOULD IMAGINE DURING A EVACUATION SITUATION IT WOULD KIND OF BE A ALL HANDS ON DECK TYPE OF SITUATION.
SO WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE AGENCIES WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT THAT TRAINING AND THAT PREPARATION.
SO WE HAVE PROVIDED, UM, THE INFORMATION OF WHAT OUR FOLKS AT THE WILDFIRE DIVISION ARE WORKING ON, AND WE HAVE COLLABORATED WITH, UH, E-M-S-A-P-D AND ALSO OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS AS WELL.
SO, UH, TABLETOPS AND ALL THAT WILL PROBABLY BE A PART OF THE FUTURE, STILL WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THE NUANCES OF HOW TO DO ALL THIS RESPONSIBLY IN SUCH A LARGE, UH, VOLUME OF AGENCIES THAT ARE INVOLVED.
UM, AND WITH THAT WE'LL MOVE ON TO WHAT'S NEXT.
[6. Discussion and overview of the Community Police Review Commission with the Office of Police Oversight and consideration of a Recommendation to Council.]
UP WE HAVE A DISCUSSION AND OVERVIEW OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT'S PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT, UM, AND CONSIDERATION OF A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL THAT EVERYBODY CAN COME ON UP.SO, GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, TODAY OPO IS PREPARED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION, INCLUDING CPCS AUTHORITY AND OBLIGATIONS, UM, THE REESTABLISHING OF THE COMMISSION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT C PRCS TRAINING EXPECTATIONS AS WELL.
WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT.
AND FINALLY, AN UPDATE ON THE IMPACT THE RULING RELATED TO THE G FILE HAS ON THE WORKFLOW OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
UM, BUT FIRST, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT MAY BE UNFAMILIAR, UH, WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, WE ARE SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT, UM, FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE PROVIDE IMPARTIAL OVERSIGHT OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S CONDUCT PRACTICES AND POLICIES.
OPO CONDUCTS ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATIONS OF ALLEGED MISCONDUCT INVOLVING AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, SWORN EMPLOYEES.
WE MAKE RECOMMENDATION AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL AS DISCIPLINARY RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WE ALSO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH PRESENTATION AND OUTREACH.
OPO IS COMPRISED OF THREE DIVISIONS.
THE COMPLAINTS DIVISION ACCEPT COMPLAINTS AND COMPLIMENTS REGARDING THE CONDUCT OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE POLICY AND THE RESEARCH DIVISION CONDUCTS RESEARCH AND REPORTS ON THOSE ISSUES THAT MOST IMPACT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTERACTIONS WITH A PD.
AND FINALLY, OUR COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION INCREASES AWARENESS OF OPOS WORK IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH NEWSLETTERS AND, UM, AS SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UM, SARAH PERALTA, WHO IS OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MARKETING PROGRAM MANAGER, AND MIA DEMERS, WHO IS THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLIANCE PROGRAM MANAGER, AND THEY'LL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE CPRC.
HI, MY NAME IS SARAH PERALTO WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, AND I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CPRC TODAY.
SO, UM, AS A REMINDER, THE OFF THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT OUTLINES THE CPRC SCOPE AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
YOU CAN FIND THIS LANGUAGE WITHIN THE LANGUAGE OF THE ACT, BUT, UM, IT'S ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE.
YOU CAN SEE WELL THE COMMISSION'S WEBSITE, ATX POLICE COMMISSION.ORG.
SO I'M JUST GONNA BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE THE SCOPE AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR US.
SO, UM, THE COMMISSION MAY REVIEW ANY INVESTIGATION OF DEATH IN CUSTODY, UH, SERIOUS BODILY INJURY OR OTHER SERIOUS MISCONDUCT AFTER THE COMPLETION OF ANY INVESTIGATION PRIOR BE PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF DISCIPLINE, OR IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM A COMPLAINANT.
FOR THE CASES THAT IT REVIEWS, THE COMMISSION MAY, UH, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE, UH, POLICE CHIEF FOR REQUESTS.
UM, UH, THE COMMISSION CAN REQUEST A BRIEFING FROM THE OPO DIRECTOR OR THE, UM, A PD INTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
THE COMMISSION CAN ADVISE POLICE CHIEF, THE OPO DIRECTOR, THE
[01:15:01]
CITY MANAGER, OR CITY COUNCIL ON, UM, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO A PD.THE COMMISSION WILL ALSO, UM, ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OPO AND THE, UH, ORDINANCE, THE, THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT ORDINANCE AND SUGGEST IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THE COMMISSION, UH, MAY, UH, REPORT AT LEAST ANNUALLY TO THE PUBLIC ON THE RESULTS OF THIS ITS ACTIVITIES.
SO WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, AS A REMINDER, THE POLICE, UH, THE COMMUNITY POLICE REV, UM, REVIEW COMMISSION IS, UH, CONSISTS 11 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS SELECTED BY THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, THIS COMMISSION IS SEPARATE, INDEPENDENT FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND SINCE, UM, LAST MAY, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO REESTABLISH THE COMMISSION SINCE THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT HAS BEEN, UM, WAS APPROVED BY VOTERS AND THEN, UM, RATIFIED BY CITY COUNCIL.
SO I'M GONNA GO OVER A LITTLE OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO IMPLEMENT, UH, UH, REESTABLISH THE, UH, CPRC.
SO IN OCTOBER, 2023, THE OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR CERTIFIED SEVEN NINE OF 82 APPLICANTS, UM, TO BE ELIGIBLE TO SERVE IN THE COMMISSION AS DEFINED BY THE REQUIREMENTS BY THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT.
IN APRIL, 2024, OPO SENT A MEMO TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, EXPLAINED THE COMMISSION SELECTION PROCESS.
IN JUNE, 2024, OPO EMAILED ALL OF THE ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS TO CONFIRM THEIR INTEREST IN SURVEY ON THE COMMISSION IN JULY, 2024, OPO CONFIRMED THAT 31 OF THE APPLICANTS ARE STILL INTERESTED IN SURVEY ON THE COMMISSION.
IN THIS PAST AUGUST, UH, THE CITY MANAGER RECEIVED A LIST OF INTERESTED APPLICANTS FOR SELECTION.
SO NOW YOU'RE PROBABLY ASKING WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? WHEN ARE WE SELECTING THESE COMMISSIONERS? GREAT QUESTION.
SO, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT IS WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO CONFIRM A DATE, A TIME AND LOCATION FOR THE ACTUAL SELECTION.
ONCE CONFIRMED, WE'LL ISSUE A PRESS RELEASE.
WE'LL LAUNCH A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN AND, UH, TO ANNOUNCE THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE WILL NOTIFY THE 31 APPLICANTS WHO ARE STILL INTERESTED IN SERVING SO THAT THEY CAN BE THERE IN PERSON FOR THE SELECTION.
UM, WE WILL ALSO WORK WITH THE CITY'S, UM, A TXN, THE, UM, THE FOLKS WHO ARE TELEVISING THIS NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN WATCH IT ONLINE.
UH, IN THE MEANTIME, UH, OPO WILL CONTINUE TO PREPARE TRAINING MATERIALS FOR THE COMMISSION, AND MIA'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT HERE IN A SECOND.
UM, AND OF COURSE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO REPORT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ON THE PROGRESS.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MIA WITH TRAINING.
I'M THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR OPO.
UH, I'M GONNA BRIEFLY TOUCH ON IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
ON ELIGIBILITY, THIS LANGUAGE IS COMING STRAIGHT FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT.
ELIGIBILITY IS COMPRISED OF APPLICANTS WHO CANNOT HAVE ANY PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS TO ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT OR ANY POLICE ASSOCIATION.
THIS IS HOW WE HAVE PROCEEDED AND SELECTION.
AS SARAH HAD EARLIER MENTIONED, THIS IS HANDLED AND APPOINTED BY THE CITY MANAGER.
WE HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN THE CITY AUDITOR TO REVIEW APPLICANTS, AND THAT WAS THE 31 APPLICANTS THAT SARAH MENTIONED EARLIER.
THE CITY MANAGER WILL CHOOSE FROM TO MAKE FINAL SELECTIONS AND APPOINT THE 11 FINAL MEMBERS OF THE CPRC.
HERE, WHAT WE HAVE FOR TRAINING IS WE ARE PROPOSING, UH, MORE THAN 20 HOURS.
A POA SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO DO A MINIMUM OF 20 HOURS OF TRAINING THAT IS CREATED BY THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT WITHIN 90 DAYS OF APPOINTMENT.
UM, A POA ALSO STATES THAT MEMBERS CAN STILL SERVE IN THEIR CAPACITY IF THEY HAVEN'T COMPLETED THEIR TRAINING.
IT IS STILL OUR GOAL, AMBITIOUS AS IT MAY BE TO GET ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS DONE WITH ALL OF THEIR TRAINING.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE ARE PROPOSING 25 HOURS.
YOU CAN SEE WE'VE BROKEN THIS UP FOR YOU.
THERE WILL BE TRAINING CONDUCTED BY CITY ENTITIES.
THAT WOULD BE OUR OFFICE, THE CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND WE'RE PROJECTING THAT AT NINE HOURS, IN ADDITION TO EIGHT HOURS, THAT A PD WILL CONDUCT TRAINING TO FAMILIARIZE THE COMMISSIONERS WITH APDS PRACTICES.
AND THEN LAST TRAINING CONDUCTED BY NAL, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A POA STIPULATED NALE NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN ANY OF THE TRAINING CURRICULUM THAT IS CREATED.
UH, WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH NACO.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO TRAINING ALL OF THESE COMMISSIONERS.
IT IS AMBITIOUS, BUT WE TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND WE HEAR THE COMMUNITY'S DESIRE TO KEEP THIS COMMISSION GOING AND WE WILL RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.
ALRIGHT, NOW ON TO, UM, THE A, A SUMMARY OF A POA IMPLEMENTATION OVERALL.
UM, SO TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT, I WANNA PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND ON HOW WE GOT HERE ON MAY 6TH, 2023, VOTERS
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APPROVED PROPOSITION A, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT.UM, AND ON MAY 16TH, PROPOSITION A WENT TO EFFECT AMENDING CITY CODE CHAPTER TWO 15.
UH, JUST A NOTE FOR THE FOLKS LISTENING AT HOME, WE MAY USE THESE TERMS INTERCHANGEABLY.
PROP A IS APO A SLASH O PLEASE, OVERSIGHT ACT, WHICH IS ALSO TWO 15.
UM, SINCE THEN, OPOS WORK DILIGENTLY WITH THE CROSS DEPARTMENTAL TEAM TO EXECUTE THE PROVISIONS.
THIS TEAM INCLUDED THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY'S IT DEPARTMENT, CITY LEGAL, AND OF COURSE THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
NOW, GAIL, WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRESS SO FAR.
SO, I'D LIKE TO SHARE THE PROGRESS RELATED TO OPOS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS IN PROPOSITION A.
UM, YOU WILL SEE THE GREEN LIGHT THERE.
THE GREEN LIGHT WILL INDICATE THAT WE ARE FULLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS IN THE A POA AND THE YELLOW LIGHT IS AN INDICATION THAT THE PROVISION IS IN PROGRESS.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, I'M SORRY, ONE SLIDE BACK PLEASE.
TWO OF THE PROVISIONS ARE CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS.
UM, THE FIRST PROVISION, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THE FIRST PROVISION, UH, PERTAINS TO TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AS YOU'LL SEE THERE.
AND THEN THE SECOND PROVISION, UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THE FIRST, THE FIRST PROVISION IS RELATED TO THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, AND THEN THE SECOND PROVISION IS RELATED TO BRIEFING TO THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION.
UM, BOTH OF THESE PROVISIONS WILL BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED ONCE THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION IS REESTABLISHED.
AND, UM, SARAH HAS PROVIDED AN UPDATE OF, OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF THAT.
UM, WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH, UH, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND VARIOUS, UH, OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO FINALIZE THE LOGISTICS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE, UM, FINAL, UM, PROVISIONS.
UH, I, I WANTED TO DRAW SOME ATTENTION TO THIS PROVISION ON, OKAY.
UH, I WANTED TO DRAW SOME ATTENTION TO THIS PROVISION CONCERNING, UH, INVESTIGATIONS.
UH, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING, UM, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHTS INDEPENDENT ACCESS TO MATERIALS, UH, AND OUR ABILITY TO CONDUCT INDEPENDENT PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS OF EVERY COMPLAINT THAT IS FILED WITH OUR OFFICE.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ASSURE THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMISSION THAT OPO HAS UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO ALL THE INFORMATION UNNECESSARY TO CONDUCT, UH, EFFECTIVE CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
UH, WE ARE FULLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PROVISION, UH, OF THE A POA NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO NEXT I WANNA MOVE, UM, TO AN UPDATE REGARDING THE G FILE.
UM, THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AS NOTED HERE, IS NO LONGER MAINTAINING A CONFIDENTIAL POLICE OFFICE PERSONNEL FILE.
AND WE ARE NO LONGER RAISING GFI CONFIDENTIALITY.
IN RESPONSE TO SUBPOENAS ARE, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION, UH, REQUESTS.
UM, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS IN COMPLIANCE, UM, RELATED TO THE POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT AND ALSO THE RECENT, UH, RULING, UM, THAT COURT RULING OF AUGUST 30TH.
UH, OPO WILL RESUME PUBLISHING, UH, DOCUMENTS RELATED TO ALLEGATIONS OF OFFICER MISCONDUCT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DISCIPLINE ON OUR WEBSITE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, UH, WE ARE PROMPTLY RESPONDING TO PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, AND WE ARE ACTIVELY CO COLLABORATING WITH, UH, VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO ADDRESS ANY STAFFING NEEDS, UH, ANY TECHNOLOGY NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN TIMELY, UH, PUBLIC DOC PUBLISH DOCUMENTS AND REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
UM, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SARAH AND SHE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
[01:25:01]
OUR NEXT COMMUNITY, UH, MEETING.SO TO WRAP IT UP, UH, AND WE'LL DO ONE MORE SLIDE.
SO, UM, THE POLICE OVERSIGHT IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP MEETING IS A QUARTERLY SERIES AS MANDATED AS PART OF RESOLUTION 99, WHICH WAS PASSED BY, UM, CITY COUNCIL LAST SEPTEMBER.
THIS MEETING INCLUDES A REVIEW OF MONTHLY COMPLAINTS AND COMPLIMENTS DATA RELATED TO AWESOME POLICE OFFICER CONDUCT.
UH, WE ALSO TAKE QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR COMPLAINTS PROCESS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT ALSO PRESENTS, UM, THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, LIKE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, ANY UPCOMING REPORTS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECTS.
AND WE ALSO TAKE FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF FUTURE TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, WE, UH, WE HAVE THESE MEETINGS.
WE ARE DOING SOME ONLINE AND SOME IN PERSON.
IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT IN, IN PERSON OR ONLINE, WE'RE RECORDING THEM AND PUTTING THEM ON OUR WEBSITE SO YOU CAN REVIEW THEM AND CATCH UP.
AND OUR WEBSITE IS ATX POLICE OVERSIGHT.ORG.
OUR NEXT COMPETING MEETING, LAST SLIDE PLEASE.
WE'LL BE, UM, ON NOVEMBER 14TH FROM SIX OF SEVEN 30 IS BRANCH LIBRARY.
WE WILL BE SENDING OUT, UM, REGISTRATION INFORMATION VERY SOON.
UM, UH, THE BEST WAY TO KEEP IN TOUCH IS TO FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER.
AND THAT CONCLUDES REPRESENTATION AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER SIERRA ELLO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND UPDATE AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
UM, JUST TO, TO GIVE, UH, AN EXAMPLE SO THAT I CAN CLARIFY WHAT OPO DOES AND DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO.
UM, THERE'S CURRENTLY DISCUSSION AROUND THE APDS OF CONTRACT AND WHEN THOSE G FILES WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE AND WHAT WOULD BE RECORDED AFTER THE DATE OF THE CONTRACT SIGNATURE, AND ANYTHING THAT OCCURRED BEFORE THE DATE OF THAT CONTRACT SIGNATURE.
SO IF I WERE TO BE ON THE OPO THEORETICALLY AND A COMPLAINT IS RECEIVED FOR AN OFFICER AFTER THE SIGNING OF THAT CONTRACT, WOULD I HAVE ACCESS AS A MEMBER OF THE OPO TO ANY FILE CONTENTS THAT WERE CREATED PRIOR TO THE SIGNING OF THE CONTRACT? YEAH.
SO PER THE, UM, THE INTERIM, UH, CITY MANAGER'S MEMO A WEEK AGO, UM, THE ACCESS TO THE DOCUMENTS, UH, WILL OCCUR BEFORE OR AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE RATIFICATION OF THE, UH, THE CONTRACT.
SO TO CLARIFY, YOU'RE SAYING I WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO ANYTHING THAT EXISTS WHERE REGARDLESS OF WHEN IT WAS PRODUCED, THE OPO WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE FILES PER THE CITY MANAGERS.
UM, THE CITY, UH, ATTORNEY'S, UH, MEMO, UH, ACCESS WILL PROVIDED BE PROVIDED TWO DOCUMENTS BEFORE OR AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE, THE CONTRACT.
NO, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT, UM, UH, I'M, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE G FILE.
IF SOMEONE MAKES AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST RIGHT NOW ON THE CITY'S PORTAL, WILL THEY RECEIVE THE GFI OF AN OFFICER GOING BACK IN TIME AS FAR BACK AS THERE ARE RECORDS? YES.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING FROM ANYONE ELSE? NOT MINE.
WAS THAT COMMISSIONER SMITH OR COMMISSIONER SIERRA
UM, ALSO SECOND, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND THE WORK GOING FORWARD.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE, UH, CPRC ONCE THAT GETS IMPLEMENTED.
I, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ON THE DATA PORTAL, JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
SO YOU MENTIONED THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING WHAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE DATA PORTAL.
I KNOW CURRENTLY THERE IS ONLY, THERE'S HASN'T BEEN ANYTHING POSTED SINCE 2023 WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO TEMPORARY SUSPENSIONS THAT ARE POSTED THERE.
WHEN DO WE ANTICIPATE GETTING EVERYTHING BACK UP ON THAT ONLINE PORTAL? YEAH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LARGE VOLUME OF DOCUMENTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IN TERMS OF STAFFING, LOOKING AT BRINGING ON POSSIBLY TEMPORARY STAFF TO ASSIST WITH THAT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS BACK TO 2018, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF HAVING THE ABILITY TO GATHER ALL THE DOCUMENTS, DO ALL THE REDACTIONS RELATED TO THAT, AND THEN POSTING THEM.
THE OTHER, UH, ISSUE THAT WE ARE, ARE WORKING WITH, WITH SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS IS RELATED TO OUR ABILITY TO POST THOSE
[01:30:01]
DOCUMENTS, UPLOAD THOSE DOCUMENTS TO OUR WEBSITE, UH, TO HOST THOSE DOCUMENTS.SO WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, CTM, UH, RELATED TO OUR ABILITY TO, TO, TO POST THAT THE, THE VOLUME OF DOCUMENTS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AGAIN, WE HAVE TWO REQUESTS THAT MIGHT HELP IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC TRUST THERE.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A HUGE BACKLOG.
IF WE COULD SAY, FROM THIS POINT GOING FORWARD, WE CAN POST EVERYTHING THAT IS A NEW COMPLAINT OR COMPLIMENT ONLINE, SO THAT'S AVAILABLE AND THEN POTENTIALLY WORK THROUGH THE BACKLOG.
UM, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING TO POST SOME DOCUMENTS AS SOON AS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF REDACTIONS AND LOOKING AT THOSE DOCUMENTS.
AND, UM, WE DO PLAN TO START TO POST NOT A LARGE VOLUME OF VOLUME, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, 10 OR 15 DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE REVIEWED BY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND ENSURE THAT, UM, REDACTIONS ARE DONE.
SO YOU'LL START TO SEE THOSE DOCUMENTS, UH, SLOWLY BEGIN TO, UH, BE, UH, POSTED TO OUR WEBSITE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
IT'S JUST FANTASTIC AND LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
UM, I ALSO, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BUT THERE'S A, A LINK ON Y'ALL'S WEBSITE TO REVIEW THE COMPLAINTS WHICH EVENTUALLY BE UPDATED.
UM, IS THERE GONNA BE A SEPARATE LINK TO LOOK AT THE COMPLIMENTS OR IS THAT GONNA BE HOUSED WITHIN THE SAME SORT OF COMPLAINTS SECTION? SO I THINK IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE A PUBLIC ACCESS TO BOTH OF THOSE.
THAT'S KIND OF EXEMPLIFIES SOME OF THE, THE CHALLENGES WE'RE HAVING.
WE PREVIOUSLY DIDN'T PUBLISH COMPLIMENTS THAT WAY.
THEY WERE SENT DIRECTLY TO A PD SO THAT THEY COULD, UM, BE A PART OF THE RECORD, UM, WITH CHAIN OF COMMAND.
UM, SO THIS IS A NEW THING THAT WE'RE PUBLISHING, AND THIS IS THE CASE ACTUALLY WITH SOME OF THE G FILE DOCUMENTS.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE NEVER PUBLISHED BEFORE, SO WE'RE HAVING TO FIND WAYS TO, IT.
IT'S BASICALLY INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE.
HOW DO WE MAKE THIS, UH, UH, EASY TO FIND, HOW DO WE MAKE, MAKE THIS UNDERSTANDABLE? WHAT IS APPROPRIATE TO PUBLISH WHAT IS NOT? UM, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UM, CITY LEGAL AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO FIGURE ALL THAT OUT.
BUT, UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
THANK, THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE,
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
UM, I CAME IN, I WILL, I WILL FULLY ADMIT THAT I CAME INTO THIS MEETING, UM, NOT OPT LIKE, UM, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE OPO STAFF IS EMBRACING, UM, NOT JUST THE, THE, THE REQUESTS FOR G GFI RECORDS, UM, AND THE, THE WORKLOAD THAT GOES WITH THAT, BUT LOOKING INWARD AT PROCESSES THAT CAN BE REVISED, UM, TO MAKE EVERYTHING MORE OPEN IN GENERAL.
UM, I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF MY BIGGEST QUESTIONS COMING IN HERE, IS HOW ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING AND REVISITING YOUR INTERNAL PROCESSES IN LIGHT OF THIS GFI ACCESS CHANGE, UM, TO BE MORE OPEN, MORE TRANSPARENT, TO GIVE US ACCESS TO MORE INFORMATION? UM, I THINK IT, I THINK IT, IT HELPS A PD QUITE A BIT LIKE TO, TO, TO BUILD ON, TO BUILD TRUST.
THE, THE MORE INFORMATION WE HAVE ACCESS TO, THE LESS QUESTIONS WE HAVE.
UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED, UM, TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS ARE EMBRACING THAT AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT AND THAT YOU HAVE THE, THE SPACE TO DO THAT.
UM, MY QUESTION WITH REGARDS TO THE AUSTIN, THE, THE, THE NEW CRIME COMMISSION THAT WILL BE FORMING, IT WILL FALL ON THE CRIME COMMISSION TO SORT OF REVIEW PROCESSES THAT YOU, IS THAT, DID I, DID I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY? WITH REGARDS TO THE PURVIEW THAT THEY'LL HAVE, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU ALL WITH REGARDS TO PROCESSES AND THINGS? THE CPRC ABSOLUTELY WILL BE ABLE TO EVALUATE BOTH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE SUPPORT.
WE WILL BE COMMUNICATIVE WITH THEM AND RESPONSIVE WITH ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAD HISTORICALLY, THEY'VE ALWAYS PROVIDED VALUABLE INPUT, UM, TO THE OFFICE IN WHATEVER ITERATION THIS COMMISSION EXISTED IN.
SO WE WILL TAKE ALL OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS HAPPILY AND IMPLEMENT WHATEVER WE CAN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
YES, I'M ALSO REALLY HAPPY, ALSO HAPPY ABOUT THE, THE CRIME COMMISSION GETTING BACK UP AND RUNNING.
I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY AT THIS TABLE HAS, AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER EXPERIENCED A FAMILY MEMBER, UM, WHO IS AT WIT'S END WITH REGARDS TO, UM, COMPLAINTS, UM, AND GETTING ANSWERS.
AND WE, THEY, THEY'VE SAT AT, AND THE CHAIRS THAT YOU GUYS ARE SITTING IN NOW, 'CAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.
AND WE AS A COMMISSION HAVE A VERY LIMITED SORT OF ABILITY TO ADDRESS THEM.
WE, WE CAN TAKE THEIR COMPLAINTS AND LISTEN AND SEE IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF BIGGER POLICY DISCUSSION THAT WE CAN HAVE AROUND IT.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT
[01:35:01]
OF DIRECT, SO I'M ABILITY TO GIVE DIRECT ACTION FOR THEM.ESPECIALLY, IT'S WHAT THEY WANT, RIGHT? THEY WANT SOME DIRECT ANSWERS AND WE DON'T USUALLY HAVE THAT FOR THEM.
SO I'M VERY, VERY EAGER, UM, TO GET THIS COMMISSION UP AND RUNNING QUICKLY,
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER FOR HAVING US.
[7. Approve a Public Safety Commissioner to serve on the Downtown Commission as a nonvoting member.]
UM, NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE IS I, UM, WE, UM, NEED TO APPROVE A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER TO SERVE ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AS A NON-VOTING MEMBER.UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NEWER OR THAT DON'T REALIZE OR AREN'T AWARE, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UM, ALSO MEETS ONCE A MONTH AND THEY HAVE SEVERAL, UM, NOT THEY HAVE, UM, REQUESTED.
AND THIS HAS BEEN A LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP, UM, THAT THEY HAVE, UM, SOMEONE FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION PRESENT AT THEIR MEETINGS.
UM, THEY ARE A NON-VOTING MEMBER.
UM, BUT THEY DO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS THERE.
UM, AS YOU WOULD IMAGINE, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TALKS ABOUT SAFETY QUITE A BIT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY THEY'VE REQUESTED THAT THIS MEMBER, UM, PARTICIPATE.
AND, UM, OUR PREVIOUS COMMISSIONER, DAVID HOLMES, IS, UM, HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND MEETINGS.
AND SO WE'RE TAKING UP A VOTE FOR A NEW ONE.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY, ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE SEAT? CAN I ASK A QUESTION? OF COURSE.
DID YOU ALREADY SAY WHEN THEY MEET? I DO NOT KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHEN THEY MEET.
CURRENTLY THEY MEET THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 5:30 PM HERE AT CITY HALL.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE INTERESTED AT THIS TIME TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION? OKAY.
UM, I THINK WE WILL RESERVE THIS ITEM, UM, FOR WHEN WE HAVE A FULLER SLATE OF COMMISSIONERS AT A FUTURE MEETING.
UM, 'CAUSE I'M HOPEFUL THAT WITH MORE PEOPLE HERE, THERE MIGHT BE MORE PEOPLE POTENTIALLY INTERESTED.
UM, AND, UM, WE WILL ALSO, HOPEFULLY I'LL, I'LL REACH OUT TO CHRISTIE AND SEE IF WE CAN REACH OUT TO COMMISSIONERS BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, TO SEE IF ANYBODY NEEDS INFORMATION OR WOULD LIKE TO TALK.
I'VE SERVED ON THE COMMISSION PREVIOUSLY AS WELL, IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS.
[9. Update from the Training Academy Working Group on recent meetings with APD Training Academy Staff and next steps.]
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR WORKING GROUP UPDATES.WE MIGHT ACTUALLY FINISH ON TIME, EVERYBODY.
UM, FIRST UP IS AN UPDATE FROM THE TRAINING ACADEMY WORKING GROUP ON RECENT MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH A PD TRAINING ACADEMY STAFF, AND ANY SORT OF NEXT STEPS WE MAY HAVE PLANNED.
DO YOU GUYS, WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE TO TAKE THIS ONE? JUST GIVE US A BRIEF UPDATE? IF NOT, I CAN
UM, AS FAR WE, UH, UH, THAT IS PRETTY MUCH THE UPDATE.
WE, UM, I THINK LAST WEEK, UM, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH A LARGE SLATE OF PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED, UM, IN THE TRAINING ACADEMY STAFF FROM A PD.
WE ASKED A HANDFUL OF QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT, UM, CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLICE OFFICERS.
HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT FIELD TRAINING, UM, PROGRAM, UM, AND LOTS OF OTHER THINGS.
UM, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL TO HAVE ANOTHER FOLLOW UP MEETING IN THE COMING MONTH, UM, AS WE NARROW DOWN POTENTIALLY SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, WE ALSO HAD A MEETING WITH, UM, UM, HANNAH CINCO OF THE C-S-C-R-M.
UM, JUST, THEY HAVE A LARGE PROJECT, UM, THAT THEY ARE HAVING TO EXECUTE ON.
SO WE TALKED TO THEM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR PROCESSES AND JUST PROJECT MANAGEMENT SORT OF PROCESSES.
UM, YES, COMMISSIONER
UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE BEEN HAVING AS WE SORT OF WRAP OUR HEADS AROUND WHAT A RECOMMENDATION ON, UM, TRAINING ACADEMY LOOKS LIKE.
UH, SO JUST TO ADD A COUPLE OF THINGS, I WAS PRESENT FOR THE MEETING AND SOME WORKING GROUP SESSIONS WITH COMMISSIONER SMITH, UH,
[01:40:01]
AND, UM, WITH THE COMMISSIONER, THE PSC.SO SOME OF THE, THE MAIN FINDINGS OF OUR, OF OUR WORK WITH A PD AND SOME OF THE, THE STAKEHOLDERS AT THE ACADEMY WAS THAT, UH, PROGRESS IS ONGOING ON THE, UH, ON MEETING THE DEMANDS, UH, FOR CHANGES TO THE ACADEMY OUTLINED BY KROLL AND ITS REPORTS.
UH, WHAT IS LESS CLEAR IS THE STAGE OF PARTICULAR, UH, CHANGES TO A PD ACADEMY CURRICULUM, WHICH I, UH, BASED ON MY PARTICIPATION IN THE MEETING POINTS TO A NEED TO SOLIDIFY A MECHANISM FOR TRACKING AND DEFINING WHAT THE END GOALS OF THOSE REFORMS ARE.
THAT WORK IS STILL ONGOING AT A PD, UH, IN THE ACADEMY, UH, AND WILL LIKELY BE A CONTINUED FOCUS OF THE WORK GROUP'S TIME.
UH, THERE HAS BEEN CONTINUED TURNOVER AT THE ACADEMY AS REPORTED BY THE A PD.
UM, THOSE ARE CONTINUED ISSUES THAT A PD IS WORKING THROUGH.
UM, BUT TO JUST NOTE FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC THAT THE TURNOVER IS A CONTINUED ISSUE AT THE ACADEMY FOR ANY SORT OF CONTINUATION OF WORK THAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, FINALLY, JUST TO NOTE, FOR A PD REPRESENTATIVES, ONCE AGAIN, UM, THERE IS A REPORT THAT IS DUE TO COUNCIL EVERY 30 DAYS ON CHANGES MADE TO A PARTICULAR ACADEMY, UH, FOR EACH GRADUATING ACADEMY CLASS.
UH, A PD HAS SAID THAT THAT HAS BEEN SHARED WITH COUNCIL, BUT I AM REQUESTING, AGAIN, THAT, THAT BE MADE PUBLIC AND THAT IF BE SHARED WITH THE PSC SOONER THAN LATER.
AND TO CLARIFY THE, THERE IS, UM, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME FROM KROLL WAS THAT A PD PROVIDE A REPORT ON EACH ACADEMY'S PROGRESS WITH REGARDS TO TRAINING CHANGES WITHIN 30 DAYS OF CLOSING THOSE ACADEMIES.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN, THE LAST ACADEMY THAT I BELIEVE KROLL REPORTED ON WAS THE ONE 48TH.
I MIGHT BE MAKING UP THAT NUMBER IN MY HEAD, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN THREE CLASSES SINCE.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE REPORTS OUTSTANDING FOR THOSE THREE CLASSES THAT WE'D LIKE ACCESS TO.
UM, IS THERE ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHY THOSE REPORTS WOULDN'T BE MADE PUBLIC? AS A MATTER OF COURSE, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T EVEN KNOW.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE QUESTION WE'RE ASKING, UM, IS, UM, WHERE THOSE REPORTS ARE.
UM, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM KROLL WAS THAT THOSE REPORTS BE MADE AVAILABLE TO CITY COUNCIL AND ALSO REPORTED OUT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION DIRECTLY.
I'M NOT OVER THE ACADEMY, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY GET THAT FOR YOU FOR SURE.
[10. Update from the Public Safety Wellness Center Working Group on meetings with Wellness Center staff to date and next steps.]
AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE'LL JUST WRAP UP THAT UPDATE.UM, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO AN UPDATE FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER WORKING GROUP, UM, ON MEETINGS WITH WELLNESS CENTER STAFF AND WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PLANNING NEXT.
SO, UM, UH, MANAGER, UH, HEATHER, UH, RE I, I'M SORRY, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO SAY HER LAST NAME, BUT THE MANAGER AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS, UM, AT CENTER, UM, DID A PRICE COMPARISON, UM, OR A, A SALARY COMPARISON.
UM, AND HAD, UH, SPOKEN WITH, UM, SOME INDIVIDUALS AT ST.
UM, AND, UH, WE, WE ARE COMPARABLE IN TERMS OF SALARY, BUT WE'RE ON THE LOWEST END OF PAY FOR OCCUPATIONAL PHYSICIANS.
AND, UH, THEY HAD, AT THE TIME, GONE THROUGH THREE HIRING CYCLES.
UM, AND, UH, WE HAD SOME CANDIDATES THAT SEEMED PROMISING BUT HAD DECLINED DUE TO THE LOW PAY RATE.
UM, SO THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT, WHERE THAT SWEET SPOT IS OF, OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING ELIGIBLE, UH, PHYSICIANS, UM, AT, AT A, A PAY RATE THAT IS REASONABLE, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN SECURE ONE.
UM, AND THEN THERE, THERE AREN'T ANY VACANT, UH, PSYCHOLOGIST POSITIONS, HOWEVER, FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS AS WELL, UH, THE PAY RATE IS, IS LOWER, UM, THAN LOWER THAN, THAN THE AVERAGE AS WELL.
UM, THEY, THEY'VE BEEN DISCUSSING AND TALKING ABOUT, UH, RENOVATIONS RIGHT NOW.
I, I WAS JUST AT, AT THE PUBLIC, UH, SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER, UH, AND THEY HAD ONE OF THOSE MACHINES, UH, BECAUSE THEIR AC WAS OUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE MACHINES, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S CALLED, BUT, UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE HAVING SOME, UH, RENOVATION OR LONG-TERM, UH, WISHLIST THAT THEY WANNA PUT TOGETHER, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THEIR FACILITIES IS, IS, YOU KNOW, UP TO STANDARDS.
UM, AND, UH, THEY'RE PLANNING TO PRESENT, UH, ON THE PHYSICIAN AND, AND PSYCHOLOGISTS PAY RATE, UH, ISSUE IN OCTOBER.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR PIERRE? THE WELLNESS GROUP? OKAY.
[01:45:01]
ADD ANYTHING AS WELL, COMMISSIONER? NO, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT PRETTY MUCH COVERS IT.[11. Update from the Collective Sex Crimes Response Model (CSCRM) Working Group for the 2024 third quarter (Q3) with discussion of project scope item referencing sexual assault data.]
THEN, UM, THAT TAKES US TO OUR LAST ITEM, OR NEXT TO LAST, UM, JUST AN UPDATE FROM THE COLLECTIVE SEX CRIMES RESPONSE MODEL WORKING GROUP.UM, WE DO IN OUR DO IN OUR MEETING, UM, HAVE THE LATEST QUARTERLY UPDATE, UM, THAT WE GOT FROM THE COLLECTIVE SEX CRIMES RESPONSE GROUP.
UM, IT SORT OF JUST GOES, GIVES, IF YOU GUYS WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AT, AT WHENEVER YOU GUYS ARE READY.
WE, IT GOES THROUGH JUST GENERAL PROJECT UPDATES, UM, JUST WHERE SOME, SOME SORT OF THINGS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED AT THIS POINT.
UM, THERE'S A STATUS, UM, WITH REGARDS TO COMPLETION RATES.
UM, THERE IS FOR THE FIRST TIME NOTABLY, UM, WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS A BURN DOWN TIMELINE, WHICH STARTS TO SORT OF PUT SOME DATES AROUND SOME OF THESE PROJECT SCOPE ITEMS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET A HANDLE ON WHEN THEY MIGHT BE DONE.
UM, THIS IS OF COURSE A MOVING TIMELINE, UM, AND A LIVING AND BREATHING TIMELINE, BUT THEY DO ANTICIPATE RIGHT NOW, UM, THEY'RE SHOOTING FOR, UM, Q4 2025, UM, WHICH IS A LOT SOONER THAN I ACTUALLY ANTICIPATED THEM BEING ANYWHERE NEAR DONE.
UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO IDENTIFIED SOME PROJECT, UM, CHALLENGES AND RISKS THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH AS WELL.
UM, WHAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT BRIEFLY WITH YOU GUYS, AND IT IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE BACKUP, IS, UM, TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE ANTICIPATING AN AGENDA ITEM REQUEST.
UM, ONE OF THE PROJECT SCOPE ITEMS THAT THE CRM HAS TO ADDRESS IS, UM, UTILIZING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION TO REVIEW AGGREGATED SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE DATA, UM, ON A SEMI-REGULAR BASIS.
UM, THE C-S-C-R-M WORKING GROUP HAS REQUESTED THAT WE FIND A MECHANISM FOR HAVING SOME OF THIS DATA PRESENTED TO US QUARTERLY, PERHAPS, UM, IN THE, IN THE BACKUP INFORMATION AS A LIST OF THE INFORMATION THAT THEY THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US, UM, TO GET.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF INFORMATION, UM, AND DATA FROM SAFE ALLIANCE, UM, FROM A PD, UM, AND ALSO FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, WE WILL BE PUTTING TOGETHER AN AGENDA ITEM REQUEST FOR AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WHERE WE CAN HAVE EVERYBODY COME OUT AND TALK TO US, UM, SHARE SOME OF THIS DATA WITH US AND TALK THROUGH HOPEFULLY WHAT IS MOST USEFUL, UM, HOW THIS CAN GET POSTED PUBLICLY, UM, AND JUST KIND OF WHERE TO GO FROM THERE WITH REGARDS TO GETTING THIS REGULARLY.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE BIG ASK THAT THE C-S-C-R-M HAS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION AT THIS POINT.
IT'S NICE TO HAVE A CONCRETE ASK, UM, WITH REGARDS TO HOW WE CAN HELP.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT IS THAT, SO THERE'LL BE AN AGENDA ITEM FORTHCOMING ON THAT.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
A GOOD SEGUE TO ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE MAY HAVE.UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON THE RECORD? I JUST KINDA ON, ON THE DATA I, THE SECOND THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE'LL DO.
IT'S THE CHALLENGE AND IF ANYBODY HAS IDEAS OR COMING FROM ED THAT WE DISCUSSED, IS THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES.
LIKE SOME WILL BE COMING FROM SAFE SOME'S FROM TRAVIS COUNTY, SOME'S FROM A PD.
SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO WOULD BE THE PERSON OR INSTITUTION PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT AND WHAT THE BEST FORMAT IS, I THINK IS GONNA, IS GONNA BE THE CHALLENGE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, REPORTERS.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN TALK, WE, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT DATA THAT FIRST TIME.
SO YES, THAT WOULD, THAT'S GREAT.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY.
WELL THEN WITH THAT, WOW, I AM STUNNED.
WE ARE ACTUALLY DONE A FEW MINUTES AHEAD OF TIME.
IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, UM, I JOIN.
I HOPE, I HOPE, I HOPE, I HOPE, I HOPE.
[01:50:05]
I HOPE.