[APD Police Contract Ceremony ]
[00:00:07]
IT IS A TRULY SIGNIFICANT MOMENT IN AUSTIN'S HISTORY.
UH, WE ARE HERE TODAY FOR THE SIGNING OF THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION.
AND SO IT'S A GREAT, IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE TOGETHER.
UH, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WANT TO INTRODUCE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE, UH, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL THAT ARE HERE WITH US.
WE HAVE MAYOR PRO, TIM LESLIE POOLE IS WITH US.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER PAIGE ELLIS AND COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
UH, WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY OUR CHIEF OF POLICE CHIEF DAVIS, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE, AND I'LL INTRODUCE SOME OTHER PEOPLE HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.
TODAY'S SIGNIFICANT, BECAUSE WE'RE TURNING THE PAGE ON REALLY TOO MANY YEARS OF TENSION, FRICTION, AND NEGATIVITY BETWEEN CITY HALL AND OUR POLICE.
WE'RE STARTING A NEW CHAPTER, A NEW CHAPTER THAT'S ALL ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE, CHANGE THAT RECOGNIZES THE DESIRE OF OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE BOTH ACCOUNTABILITY AND HIGH POLICE MORALE.
A NEW CHAPTER THAT VALUES THE ROLE THAT POLICE OFFICERS PLAY IN KEEPING US SAFE AND FEELING SAFE.
A NEW CHAPTER THAT RECOGNIZES THE NEED TO PAY OUR OFFICERS COMPETITIVELY TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE VERY BEST PUBLIC SERVICE SERVANTS IN SUFFICIENT NUMBERS AND COMPENSATES THEM SO THAT THEY CAN AFFORD TO ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE CITY.
WE WANT THEM TO SERVE A NEW CHAPTER WHERE WE ALL SHARE GOALS OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, EMPATHY, AND AN OPENNESS TO NEW WAYS TO AFFECT AND PROTECT VULNERABLE LIVES.
AND A NEW CHAPTER WITH A CITY COUNCIL WILLING TO COME TOGETHER TO GOVERN AND GET BIG THINGS DONE.
I BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THAT THIS CONTRACT MAKES AUSTIN BETTER.
COMBINED WITH OTHER CHANGES, INCLUDING OUR NEW CHIEF OF POLICE, I SEE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO NOW MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY THAT REJECTS OLD DIVISIONS AND WAYS OF THINKING.
WE HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE PUBLIC SAFETY THROUGH NEW EYES.
WE ALL KNOW THAT POLICING IS CHANGING, AND THIS IS A MOMENT IF WE WILL MEET IT, WHERE WE CAN ALL SEE POLICING AS IT CAN BE AND AS IT MUST BE, SO THAT WE CAN TRULY EARN THE FAITH AND TRUST OF THIS COMMUNITY.
FINALLY, LET ME SAY THIS, TO TRY TO PUT THIS MOMENT IN THE BROADEST POSSIBLE PERSPECTIVE.
ONE OF THE GREAT STRENGTHS OF AUSTIN IS THAT WE EMBRACE DIVERSITY OF ALL KINDS, INCLUDING OF OPINION.
WE MAY DISAGREE WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT SPECIFIC POLICIES OR ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO MAKE PROGRESS ON ANY GIVEN ISSUE, BUT ONE THING I THINK WE HAVE TO AGREE ON AND DO FOR THE MOST PART, IS THAT THE MOST BASIC RESPONSIBILITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
AND THAT PART OF OUR QUALITY OF LIFE INCLUDES FEELING SAFE.
WE GENERALLY, IF NOT UNIVERSALLY FEEL THAT A PERSON'S SAFETY IS A PRINCIPLE WE DEFEND.
SO WHEN WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF PROTECTING PEOPLE, MAKING THEM FEEL SECURE, SAVING LIVES, WHICH WE ARE EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY, WE SIMPLY CANNOT FAIL TO TAKE ACTION, EVEN IF THERE ARE DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO TAKE ACTION.
FOLKS, WE LIVE IN A VERY SPECIAL PLACE, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT NOTHING WOULD MAKE ME PROUDER, AND NOT JUST AS MAYOR, BUT AS A CITIZEN THEN FOR AUSTIN, TEXAS TO GUIDE THE NATION ON POLICING IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
I THINK THIS AGREEMENT GIVES THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CITY MANAGER, BROAD ACTS.
I WANNA ALSO THANK DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, FORTUNE AND FORMER INTERIM A CM BRUCE MILLS FOR YOUR IMPORTANT WORK THAT BROUGHT US TO THIS MOMENT.
AND I'M, I GIVE YOU THAT THANKS.
ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO OUR NEGOTIATING TEAM FOR ALL OF THEIR EFFORTS.
AND I WANNA SAY THANKS TO THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION AND THE SENIOR OFFICER MICHAEL BULLOCK,
[00:05:01]
THE PRESIDENT OF THE A PA OFFICER BULLOCK.UH, YOU AND I HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE WE FIRST STARTED TALKING IN LATE 2023, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU.
WE'VE DEVELOPED A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP THAT I'M PROUD OF, PLUS, I THINK YOU STILL OWE ME A DINNER.
SO, UM, LASTLY, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO OUR CITY COUNCIL, ALL OF THEM, EVERY ONE OF THEM FOR THEIR THOUGHTFULNESS, OPENNESS, AND COURAGE TO TAKE ON BIG IMPORTANT CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL.
LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO CELEBRATE IT, AND THEN LET'S GET TO WORK TO BUILD ON IT.
AND I'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER, TC BROAD.
I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
LET ME ALSO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL WHO HAVE JOINED US HERE TODAY, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND.
FOR ME, THIS IS TRULY A PLEASURE TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON FOR THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION.
THIS FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION MARKS A MAJOR MILESTONE IN FINALLY MOVING FORWARD AFTER BEING WITHOUT A LONG-TERM CONTRACT FOR OVER A YEAR AND A HALF.
I KNOW I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, BUT IT BEARS REPEATING.
SINCE JOINING THE CITY IN MAY, I MADE IT CLEAR THAT ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES WAS TO FINALIZE A NEW CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION.
TO BE AT THIS JUNCTURE TODAY IS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT AS THE AGREEMENT NOT ONLY INCLUDES GROUNDBREAKING MEASURES TO ENHANCE POLICE OVERSIGHT, BUT ALSO PROVISIONS FOR IMPROVING THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S HIRING AND PROMOTION PROCESS.
FURTHER, IT PROVIDES FOR MEANINGFUL INVESTMENT IN OFFICER PAY AND BENEFITS, HELPING TO BRING MUCH NEEDED STABILITY TO THE DEPARTMENT.
I DO WANT TO ONCE AGAIN, COMMEND BOTH THE CITIES AND THE APAS NEGOTIATING TEAMS FOR WORKING TO FINALIZE THIS HISTORIC AGREEMENT THAT TRULY ALIGNS WITH MY PHILOSOPHY OF VALUING AND PRIORITIZING PUBLIC SAFETY WHILE COMMITTING TO TRANSPARENCY WITH OUR SIGNATURES TODAY, BOTH MINE AND A PA PRESIDENT MICHAEL BULLOCKS.
WE NOW HAVE A NEW FIVE YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE AUSTIN POLICE CHIEF LISA DAVIS UP TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
AND MAYOR, YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST CONTAGIOUS.
I WANNA THANK YOU AND, UH, CITY MANAGER, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW MUCH I HIGHLY VALUE YOU AND, AND, AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO HERE AND, AND CITY MANAGER FORTUNE, UM, AND TO COUNCIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PASSING THIS.
I KNOW THOSE WERE SOME SERIOUS QUESTIONS, UM, THAT, THAT WE HAD WITH THIS, BUT TRULY THE MAYOR'S CORRECT.
THIS IS A NEW DAY AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND MAYOR, I'M GONNA HOLD YOU TO IT.
THERE'S GONNA BE A NEW DAY OF POLICING IN HERE.
WE'RE GONNA PUT AUSTIN ON THE MAP FOR POLICING.
DONE, RIGHT? AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE THINGS LIKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND WE LOOK AT MORALE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS CONTRACT IS GOING TO HELP WITH THOSE THINGS.
RECRUITING TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND BRING TO PEOPLE, THIS IS WHAT THIS CONTRACT LOOKS LIKE.
THIS IS WHAT YOUR FUTURE CAN LOOK LIKE.
UM, MIKE, YOU WANNA COME ON UP? I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO HIM AND WE'LL GET THIS THING UNDERWAY.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING.
WE'LL JUST BUILD ON THE CHORUS THEN OF THANKS.
UH, MAYOR WATSON, IT HAS BEEN A LONG ROAD TO GET HERE, UH, BUT I ALSO APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATIONS YOU'VE BEEN WILLING TO HAVE.
UH, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE'VE ENTERED A NEW ERA, THAT WE HAVE ENTERED A TIME WHERE WE WANT TO WORK TOWARDS COMMON GOALS, COMMON SOLUTIONS, BECAUSE WE ALL CARE ABOUT THE CITY THAT WE SERVE BECAUSE THE OFFICERS OF A PD SERVE THIS CITY AS WELL AND ARE ENGAGED WITH OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE VERY BEST THAT WE CAN.
THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TIMES, BUT I GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT THIS AGREEMENT DOES MOVE US FORWARD AND ENTERS A NEW CHAPTER HERE IN AUSTIN, AND WE DID IT RESOUNDINGLY, BOTH WITH 90% PASSAGE BY COUNCIL.
AND A PA MEMBERS VOTED TODAY TO FINALIZE EVERYTHING, AND THEY ALSO APPROVED IT BY 90%.
SO I THINK WE HAVE DEFINITIVELY SAID WE ARE GOING TO
[00:10:01]
MOVE FORWARD.I DO ALSO WANT TO THANK MY TEAM, UH, TYLER LATHAM, WHO'S THE CHAIR OF OUR BARGAINING TEAM.
UH, I THREW HIM INTO THIS KIND OF LAST MINUTE.
I SAID, CONGRATULATIONS, I'VE GOT A JOB FOR YOU.
UH, AND HE NOT ONCE HESITATED.
SO TYLER, I GENUINELY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE, UH, NOT JUST FOR OUR OFFICERS, BUT ALSO FOR THIS CITY AND GETTING US TO THIS POINT.
CHRISTOPHER IRWIN IS ALSO HERE AND WAS PART OF THE BARGAINING TEAM ALONG WITH, UH, MARIS HAYWARD AND, UH, THE REST OF OUR BARGAINING TEAM, SCOTT ASKEW, LEAH RATLIFF, WERE ALSO PART OF THAT TEAM.
UH, AND THEN SOME OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, CHRIS OLA, WHO IS HERE AS WELL.
SO IT HAS GENUINELY BEEN A TEAM EFFORT TO GET US TO THIS POINT, AND IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY, UH, DIFFICULT AT TIMES, BUT ENCOURAGING OVERALL.
SO THROUGHOUT THESE CHALLENGES, I THINK WE HAVE BECOME BETTER, AND I THINK WE ARE GOING TO PUT OUR CITY INTO A BETTER PLACE.
AND I TOO SHARE THE ENTHUSIASM AND THE OPTIMISM BECAUSE I GENUINELY FEEL LIKE WE ARE ENTERING A BETTER TIME.
WE HAVE A CHIEF WHO IS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND IS VERY MOTIVATED ABOUT FINDING NEW WAYS OF MOVING US FORWARD.
WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT TEAM AT THE A PA.
WE HAVE, UH, NEW, NEW MOVEMENT COMING WITH THE RESOUNDING ANSWER FROM COUNCIL AND FROM THEIR SUPPORT.
LIKE I AM EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC THROUGH MANAGER BROAD ACTS AND JOHN FORTUNE'S LEADERSHIP AS WELL.
UH, AND AGAIN, MAYOR WATSON THROUGH YOU ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT WE ARE HEADED.
AND I DO WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT AT THE A PA, WE ARE HERE TO BE COMMITTED IN BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP OUR CITY FIND WAYS OF ADDRESSING OUR ISSUES.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP OUR CITY CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
THAT'S WHY IN THIS AGREEMENT, WE DO HAVE PROVISIONS THAT PROVIDE THE FLEXIBILITY IN RECRUITING SO THAT WE, WE CAN BRING THE VERY BEST AND BRIGHTEST TO OUR CITY TO PROVIDE THE MOST PROFESSIONAL POLICING PRODUCT WE POSSIBLY CAN TO A CITY THAT DESERVES IT, AS WELL AS FIND WAYS OF RETAINING THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE NOW.
SO THAT WAY OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR OFFICERS, FEEL GENUINELY APPRECIATED AND VALUED FOR THE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT JOB THAT THEY DO.
IT HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY TIME OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS IN PARTICULAR, BUT OVERALL, IT'S A DIFFICULT PROFESSION AND PEOPLE STILL WANT TO COME HERE, AND THE PEOPLE THAT STAY HERE SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED FOR THAT SERVICE.
SO AGAIN, MY THANKS GO OUT TO EVERYONE.
I AM VERY ENCOURAGED ABOUT THE FUTURE.
THIS IS A MOMENTOUS OCCASION, AND I AM HONORED TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS PROCESS AND TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT, LET'S GET TO IT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO KNOCK ANYBODY OVER.
RIGHT? EVERYBODY BACK HERE, JUST DON'T LOSE THE DOCUMENT, RIGHT? DON'T THAT'LL BE ALL RIGHT.
YEAH, THAT ONE THOUGH, YOU'RE OUTTA LUCK ON THAT.
AT LEAST YOU HAVE TO ALL GO GET, GO GET.