* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:01]
           SO, I BELIEVE WE HAVE QUORUM, UM, BETWEEN US AND ONLINE. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED HERE IN A MINUTE. 
          UM, I NOTICE THAT CHIEF HENDERSON ISN'T HERE YET, AND I'M HOPING SHE'S ON HER WAY. 
          HEY, THERE. 
          SO WE HAVE A PRETTY PACKED SCHEDULE TODAY, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. 
          I KNOW CHIEF HENDERSON IS ON HER WAY IN, I'M SURE SHE'LL, SHE'LL MISS ROLL CALL. 
          SHE'LL BE FINE. 
          . 
          UM, UH, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE. 
          WELCOME TO THE REGULAR CALL MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION. 
          UM, I WILL START BY CALLING ROLE, UM, VICE CHAIR RUTAN PRESENT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT. 
          COMMISSIONER UDAN PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER HOLMES PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER NEN PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER ORR. 
          COMMISSIONER SIERRA ELLO PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER SMITH PRESENT. 
          AND I'M ALSO HERE AS WELL. 
          I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER BERNHARD IS JOINING US. 
          SHE MIGHT JUST BE A LITTLE LATE, SO WE'LL JUST KEEP AN EYE ON HER GETTING HERE BEFORE THE 30 MINUTE MARK. 
          UM, WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? CHRISTIE? NO. 
          CHAIR. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          UM, 
          [APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE THROUGH THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES. 
          UM, FIRST WE HAVE THE MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER 2ND MEETING, UM, FROM 2024. 
          UM, DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION CHANGES, UPDATES, AND OR A MOTION TO APPROVE? I, I MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. 
          OKAY. 
          I'LL GIVE THAT A SECOND. 
          UM, AND CAN WE SHOW, SHOW OF HANDS TO APPROVE THOSE? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN WE WILL DO THE SAME WITH THE JANUARY 6TH MINUTES. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS, UPDATES, CHANGES, AND OR MOTION TO APPROVE? ALL. 
          MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. 
          OKAY. 
          SECOND. 
          FROM ANYONE? I SECOND. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND A QUICK VOTE WITH SHOW OF HANDS. 
          1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK SEVEN. 
          YEP. 
          UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          UM, WE, JUST A QUICK HEADS UP THAT WE HAVE A REALLY PACKED SCHEDULE. 
          UM, THIS IS ALWAYS THE, THE, THE CASE. 
          WE EITHER ARE PACKED OR WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH. 
          UM, WE ARE JUST GONNA MOVE THROUGH AS CONCISELY AS WE CAN THROUGH THE AGENDA. 
          UM, AND WE'LL START 
          [3. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Fire Department to include an update on the support of the Los Angeles County wildfire fighting and mental health support for firefighters.]
WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY QUARTERLY REPORT FROM FLYER. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          UH, THANKS FOR LETTING US PRESENT THIS. 
          UH, THE FIRST COUPLE SLIDES HERE ARE GONNA BE RESPONSIVE ITEMS BASED ON SOME QUESTIONS FROM THE, UH, COMMISSION. 
          IF WE COULD START WITH SLIDE NUMBER. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          NOPE. 
          BACK ONE. 
          THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE RESPONSE. 
          UH, WE DID SEND AS A PART OF A REGIONAL STRIKE TEAM, UH, A FIRE ENGINE, THE ONE YOU THINK OF ONLY ESCORTS WATER AND FOUR PERSONNEL. 
          THEY WERE THERE FOR THREE WEEKS. 
          UH, THEY WERE ABLE TO HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS THEY WERE ALLOWED TO START MOVING BACK INTO THEIR, THEIR HOMES. 
          UH, THEY DID A LOT OF CLEARING OF ROADWAYS AND SIDEWALKS FROM THE DEBRIS. 
          UH, PATROLLING ALSO, UH, DID SOME, UH, ACTUAL FIREFIGHTING WHILE THEY WERE THERE AS WELL. 
          SO, ALL AROUND, UH, UH, GOOD SUPPORT TO THE RESIDENTS THERE IN CALIFORNIA. 
          AND EACH OF THESE DEPLOYMENTS PROVIDES US A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BRING INFORMATION BACK. 
          AND IN THIS CASE, THEY ACTUALLY GOTTA TAKE SOME INFORMATION TO IT. 
          WE'VE DONE SOME TRAINING. 
          RESPONDING TO THE INTERFACE IS A DIFFERENT WAY OF DEALING WITH A FIRE. 
          UH, HOUSE FIRES, YOU SET UP EVERYTHING STATIC. 
          YOU GOT HOSE ON THE GROUND, YOU'RE IN ONE SPOT THROUGH THE WHOLE EVENT, WILDFIRES. 
          IT'S, IT'S, UH, ADDRESS THE FIRE THERE AND MOVE QUICKLY TO THE NEXT ONE OR TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF A, OF A MOVING FLAME FRONT. 
          SO THEY WERE ABLE TO TRAIN SOME TECHNIQUES ON HOW TO DO THAT WITH A MORE MOBILE HOSE LOADS, FIRE HOSE LOADS, UH, WITH THE GROUP THERE THAT WENT. 
          SO IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK TO, TO THE FIREFIGHTING COMMUNITY AND ALSO TO BRING SOME NEW INFORMATION BACK. 
          UH, 
          [00:05:01]
NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, MENTAL HEALTH UPDATE. 
          THIS ONE'S MORE OF A HEAVY HEART SLIDE. 
          OVER THE PAST, UH, FIVE YEARS, WE'VE HAD FOUR, UH, SWORN MEMBERS, UH, ACTIVE DUTY AND OR RETIRED TAKE THEIR LIVES BY SUICIDE. 
          WE'VE ALSO HAD ONE CIVILIAN AS WELL THAT'S NOT MARKED ON THIS MAP OR ON THIS, UH, SLIDE. 
          WE'VE DONE A VARIETY OF THINGS TO, TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND OUTREACH AND AWARENESS OF THOSE RESOURCES TO OUR WHOLE DEPARTMENT. 
          SWORN AND CIVILIAN, UH, WE'VE GOT POSTERS HANGING UP IN THE, THE FIRE STATIONS AND ALL OF OUR OTHER FACILITIES THAT SPEAK TO THE RESOURCES. 
          WE HAVE STAFF PSYCHOLOGISTS. 
          WE HAVE A PEER SUPPORT TEAM. 
          WE ALSO HAVE CHAPLAINS, WHICH ARE A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION THAT, UH, ARE FOLKS THAT COME ALONG AND HELP US OUT. 
          UH, WE'VE EVEN HAD, UH, THERAPY DOGS. 
          UH, IT'S A FREE WITH DIVINE CANINES. 
          THEY COME OUT AND, AND VISIT OUR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. 
          JUST A VARIETY OF THINGS TO TRY TO HELP OUR FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF AND ARE UTILIZING THE RESOURCES AS THEY SEE FIT IN A FASHION THAT PROVIDES DIGNITY AND PRIVACY ALONG THE WAY. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, SO FOR RESPONDING TO, UH, FIRES OR OTHER INCIDENCES THAT INVOLVE PEOP PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WE DID GET A COUPLE OF BUDGET CYCLES AGO, A FULL-TIME CAPTAIN THAT THEIR JOB IS TO HARVEST THE, THE CALL DATA, UH, THAT WE HAVE FOR THE VARIOUS CALLS WE HAVE THAT MIGHT INVOLVE A, A HOMELESS POPULATION, UH, OR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESS POPULATION, UH, WHETHER IT'S FIRES, MEDICAL CALLS OR OTHERWISE. 
          SO WE CAN START MAPPING WHERE, WHERE THOSE THINGS ARE IN COORDINATION WITH THE HOMELESS, UH, SERVICES OFFICE. 
          FIGURE OUT HOW BEST TO RESPOND TO, TO THAT, WHAT NEEDS WE CAN PROVIDE. 
          UH, IF THERE, IF THERE ARE ENCAMPMENTS IN HIGH WILDFIRE RISK AREAS, THAT THOSE ARE PRIORITIZED TO MOVE OUT, LIKE TO THE MARSHALING YARD OR OTHER, UH, HOUSING THAT IS PROVIDED TO, TO MAKE THINGS SAFE FOR EVERYBODY, TO INCLUDE THOSE THAT MIGHT BE IN THAT DANGEROUS AREA, NOT REALIZE THAT, THAT THEY COULD BE PUTTING THEMSELVES IN HARM'S WAY. 
          SO THOSE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE DOING THERE, UH, NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A, A PICTURE OF THE DASHBOARD. 
          WE CAN SEE WHERE THE, THE CAPTAIN GOES IN AND POPULATES THAT ALL ON A MAP AND THEY VISITS WEEKLY WITH, WITH, UH, DAVID GRAY, UH, OVER THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING COLLECTIVELY WITH THE OTHER CITY AGENCIES TO, TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR, FOR THOSE CITIZENS. 
          AND ALSO, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WILDFIRE SAFE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          STATION 54. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, HAPPY TO SAY COLLABORATIVELY WITH EMS THAT WE OPENED THE DOORS ON THAT, UH, HERE IN JANUARY. 
          UH, FOR US ON THE 12TH, THE, UH, THAT WAS A SOFT OPENING. 
          THAT'S A CHANCE TO START, UH, PROVIDING SERVICES IN THAT AREA, RESPONDING TO CALLS, AND ALSO TO EXERCISE THE FACILITY WHILE IT'S STILL UNDER, UH, A PUNCH LIST AND FIGURING OUT WHAT THINGS NEED TO BE, UH, UH, ADJUSTED, FIXED, OR REPAIRED, UH, WHILE WE'RE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IN US TO TAKE CARE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          YOU'VE GOT SEVERAL STATIONS HERE THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, REMODELED, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY TO, UH, MAKE THE LIVING CONDITIONS BETTER AND TO ADDRESS SOME OTHER REPAIR ITEMS. SO YOU'LL SEE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 STATIONS THAT ARE IN THAT PROCESS. 
          ALL EXPECTED IT TO BE COMPLETED HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR THREE. 
          UH, AND, AND, AND BACK OPERATIONAL WHERE THEY'RE NOT OPERATIONAL. 
          THERE'S EITHER THE, THE UNIT'S BEEN MOVED TO A NEARBY STATION TO KEEP 'EM OUT OF THE ELEMENTS, OR A TRAILER'S BEEN SET UP, MAYBE ON THAT PROPERTY, LIKE AT STATION EIGHT TO WHERE THEY COULD STILL RESPOND FROM THE SAME LOCATION, UH, UH, WHILE THE THE REPAIRS ARE DONE ON THE STATION. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          AUTO AID, WE'VE SHARED THIS WITH EVERY QUARTERLY REPORT, UH, IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING VERY RESPONSIVE TO EMERGENCIES IN OUR AREA. 
          AND THE ONES ESPECIALLY THAT ARE BORDER AND OTHER JURISDICTION, THAT IT'S, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHOSE EMBLEMS ON THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, THE CLOSEST APPARATUS FOR WHATEVER THAT NEED IS IS RESPONDING TO THAT INCIDENT. 
          AND TO DO THAT AND DO THAT WELL ALSO INVOLVES A LOT OF TRAINING. 
          RIGHT NOW THROUGH JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH, WE ARE, UH, EIGHT DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN OUR LOCAL AREA ARE GOING THROUGH, UM, UH, DRILLS, PRACTICING TRAINING, MULTI-COMPANY DRILLS, COMPANIES BEING NUMBER OF UNITS THAT ARE THERE FOR MID RISES. 
          SO NOT YET SIX STORIES HIGH, BUT MORE THAN TWO. 
          AND HOW TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THROUGH THE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN THOSE BUILDINGS AND TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EFFORTS ARE COORDINATED IN A FASHION THAT'S PRODUCTIVE AND NOT COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. 
          AND THEN YOU GOT AN EXAMPLE OF A, OF A FIRE BACK ON 
          [00:10:01]
JANUARY 12TH WHERE, UH, THERE WAS, UM, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAD TO BE RESCUED AND, AND INJURED, UH, FROM THE FIRE ITSELF. 
          AND, AND THE COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE, BUT FOR A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WORKING TOGETHER TO, IN A TIMELY FASHION TO ADDRESS THE THE EMERGENCY. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          OVERDOSE RESPONSE. 
          UH, THIS ONE I KNOW THE LAST, UH, THE LAST TIME AROUND WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHY THE BIG DROP IN THE, THE AMOUNT OF NARCAN GIVEN OUT. 
          AND I WOULD SAY THE, UH, STELLAR EFFORTS OF, UH, OUR OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE AND OTHER AGENCIES TO GET, UH, THOSE RESOURCES OUT INTO THE PUBLIC HAVE MADE IT TO WHERE THE, THE PUBLIC'S ABLE TO GIVE THOSE MUCH QUICKER AND HAS HAD A EFFECT ON US HAVING TO GIVE IT, UH, LESS FREQUENTLY BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY, UH, BEEN ADMINISTERED BEFORE OUR ARRIVAL. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          OUR INVESTIGATION SECTION. 
          I'VE HIGHLIGHTED THEM EVERY TIME AROUND. 
          THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF DETERMINING CAUSE AND WHEN ARSONS INVOLVED ACTUALLY, UH, IDENTIFYING THE SUSPECT AND THROUGH, UH, DATA COLLECTION AND THROUGH EVIDENCE, BEING ABLE TO HOLD THOSE PEOPLE APPROPRIATELY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE, THE, THE ARSON FIRE THEY CREATED. 
          AND THERE'S ONE EXAMPLE UP THERE FROM A FIRE BACK AND, AND, UH, WHERE IT WAS THE PERSON WAS ARRESTED IN DECEMBER AND A GRAND JURY AND DIED OF THEM ON FIRST DEGREE FELONY CHARGES. 
          SO IT'S GETTING THAT PERSON, UH, OUT THE STREET SO THEY DON'T CAUSE, UH, ANOTHER ARSON FIRE IN THE FUTURE. 
          SO THEY DO A GOOD JOB OF, OF THAT. 
          NEXT ONE IS OUR WILDFIRE UPDATES. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          WHAT I WANNA, RIGHT HERE. 
          YEAH. 
          WHAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT HERE IS FOR THE TRAGEDY THAT'S HAPPENING AND UNFOLDED OUT IN LOS ANGELES, THAT HERE LOCALLY, WHAT'S BEEN A, UH, OTHER THAN US BEING ABLE TO GO OUT AND HELP AND THEN BRING BACK SOME VALUABLE INFORMATION, EXPERIENCE LOCALLY, IS LOCALLY THE, THE CITIZENS HAVE RECOGNIZED THE, THE NEED TO, TO TAKE MORE OF AN INDIVIDUAL ACTION. 
          WE HAVE THROUGH OUR WILDFIRE DIVISION THE ABILITY TO GO OUT AND DO WHAT'S A STRUCTURE IGNITION ZONE EVALUATION. 
          AND ALL OF LAST YEAR WE HAD 80 SOME OF THOSE. 
          IN JANUARY, WE'VE HAD 120 REQUESTS. 
          SO A CALL TO ACTION, UH, BY INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE. 
          SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING POSITIVE TO BE GAINED OUT OF SUCH A TRAGEDY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN LA, HOPEFULLY THE, THE EFFORTS HERE LOCALLY TO TRY TO AVOID THAT WILL, WILL BE THE FRUIT OF THAT. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, AUSTIN IS MOST CERTAINLY A DESIRE PLACE TO COME VISIT WITH A VARIETY OF SPECIAL EVENTS. 
          AND THAT JUST KIND OF SHOWS YOU THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT OUR FIRE MARSHAL OFFICE IS A PART OF. 
          NOT ONLY BUILDING NEW STRUCTURES, UH, MAINTAINING EXISTING ONES, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THE, THE DIFFERENT FESTIVALS THAT GO ON ARE DONE IN A SAFE FASHION. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, HIGHLIGHTING THIS AS WELL. 
          SO ONCE A STRUCTURE IS BUILT AND THEY GET A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, THERE'S NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY, UH, AS YOU SEE BACK IN 2014, FOLLOW UP TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THOSE SAFETY FEATURES ARE MANAGING PROPERLY, BEING, BEING MAINTAINED AND MANAGED PROPERLY. 
          THEY MIGHT HAVE, BUT WEREN'T SURE IF THAT WAS THE CASE OR NOT. 
          AND WE WENT FROM VER VERIFICATION OF ONLY ABOUT 6% COMPLIANCE TO 85% COMPLIANCE IN THE PAST 10 YEARS WITH A THIRD PARTY AGENCY. 
          AND THAT JUST GOES TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT AS PEOPLE COME IN, EITHER THEY LIVE HERE ON A REGULAR BASIS OR COME IN OUT OF TOWN FOR ONE OF THE VARIOUS FESTIVALS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE IN A STRUCTURE THAT'S MAINTAINED IN A SAFE FASHION. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO, THE, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH. 
          WE DO A LOT OF EDUCATION AT SCHOOLS. 
          WE ALSO HAVE THE SMOKE ALARM INSTALLS HERE. 
          I'LL HIGHLIGHT THAT. 
          IF, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A WORKING SMOKE ALARM IN YOUR HOME, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COME INSTALL THEM FOR YOU. 
          CALL THAT NINE SEVEN FOUR OH TWO NINE NINE NUMBER AND WE'LL GET YOU ON THE SCHEDULE TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE INSTALLED. 
          IF NOT SEVERAL, YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE IN EVERY BEDROOM AND ONE IN THE HALLWAY THAT LEADS TO THOSE BEDROOMS. IF THEY'RE ALL DOWN ONE HALLWAY, JUST AS AN ASSURANCE THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, IF, IF THERE WERE TO BE AN EMERGENCY, THAT YOU WOULD BE ALERTED EARLY AND BE ABLE TO GET OUT IN A SAFE FASHION. 
          BEFORE WE ARRIVE. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO, UH, JUST A A A RECAP OF WHERE WE ARE FOR OUR VACANCIES. 
          WE'VE GOT ABOUT, UH, 70 VACANCIES AS WE SIT TODAY. 
          IT'S ABOUT A 6% VACANCY RATE ACROSS THE BOARD. 
          MOST FOLKS, AS YOU SEE HERE IN THE BLUE, UH, RETIRE WITH ABOUT JUST UNDER 29 YEARS OF SERVICE. 
          THE ONES THAT RESIGN, UH, ARE ROUGHLY ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF YEARS OF, OF TIME WITH THE DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, AS WE DO EXIT INTERVIEWS WITH THOSE FOLKS, THEY'RE THINGS WHERE THERE'S A FAMILY SITUATION THAT THEY, THEY'RE NEEDING TO MOVE BACK TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION. 
          THEY'RE PURSUING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. 
          SOME HAVE PURSUED REAL ESTATE, SOME IT JOBS, UH, JUST AS A, AS A, AN INTEREST FOR THEM. 
          NOT 
          [00:15:01]
A DISINTEREST IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT DECIDING TO GO TRY SOMETHING NEW OR, OR FAMILY ENVIRONMENT THAT REQUIRES THEM TO MOVE BACK TO WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS IN ANOTHER STATE, UH, TO TAKE CARE OF FAMILY AND OR FAMILY BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN THE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED THERE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO OUR RECRUITING PROCESS WILL BE STARTING ANOTHER HIRING PROCESS IN THE, THE FIRST PART OF 2026. 
          UH, THIS LAST ONE WE HAD 667 PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR THE WRITTEN EXAM, WHICH IS A LITTLE LEAN BY OUR PREVIOUS STANDARDS. 
          AND WE ARE PROBABLY GONNA EXHAUST THE, THE, UH, HIREABLE PART OF THAT LIST BEFORE THE FULL TWO YEARS IS OUT. 
          TRYING TO AVOID A, A LAPSE IN, IN, IN HIRING CYCLES. 
          'CAUSE THERE'S A REFLEX TIME FROM THE ACTUAL WRITTEN TEST TO ACTUALLY PUTTING THEM IN A CADET CLASS WILL PROBABLY START EARLY IN 2026 TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ENDING UP IN A GAP WHERE WE END UP WITH VACANCY INCREASE, UH, FOR A LACK OF BEING ABLE TO, TO PUT SOMEONE IN A CADET CLASS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          WE'VE GOT A CLASS IN SESSION NOW. 
          UH, THE, UH, NEXT CLASS WILL START HERE IN BETTER PART OF A MONTH. 
          UH, BOTH WILL START WITH 48. 
          THE CURRENT ONE HAS GONE FROM 48 DOWN TO 44 AT THIS POINT BY CADE, UH, CADETS CHOOSING TO THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S NOT, THAT THEY WEREN'T PREPARED FOR OR NOT READY OR NOT, NOT WHAT THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. 
          AND SO THEY'VE CHOSEN TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THE ACADEMY. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          TO HELP US WITH RECRUITING EFFORTS. 
          WE HAVE A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS. THE FIRE EXPLORER, WHICH I GUESS WOULD BE SIMILAR TO THE SCOUTS IN, IN NATURE FOR, FOR YOUNGER POPULATION. 
          UH, THEY'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB. 
          THEY'VE EVEN GONE AND COMPETED IN IN GAMES AND, AND, AND THEY'VE WON AWARDS. 
          SO, UH, IT'S A LOT OF PASSION IN THAT, NOT ONLY BY OUR MEMBERS, BUT THE FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, THE, THE ACTUAL EXPLORERS THEMSELVES. 
          AND THEN PASS THE TORCH IS MEANT MORE FOR A, A HIREABLE AGE GROUP. 
          IT'S A CHANCE TO, TO ACTUALLY GO TO OUR ACADEMY ON WEEKENDS AND, UH, DO FIREFIGHTING THINGS. 
          SO THEY GET TO SEE WHAT THE JOB REALLY IS LIKE. 
          IT IS A BIT OF RECRUITING TOOL. 
          AND, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE ENDED UP GETTING HIRED AND JOINED THE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OF THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM. 
          AND LAST SLIDE. 
          WE ARE ALWAYS HIRING, I'M ALWAYS GONNA PUT THIS ON HERE. 
          IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, PLEASE UH, HAVE 'EM CONTACT US AND THEY GET A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION TO JOIN AFD.COM. 
          TRYING TO MAKE SURE I WAS PRECISE WITH TIME. 
          I HOPE THAT HELPED YOU OUT A LITTLE BIT. 
          IT DOES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR THINGS THAT I CAN ASSIST Y'ALL WITH? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, COMMISSIONER SMITH? YES. 
          UH, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT NOW UNLESS YOU HAVE IT ON THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, BUT I'D LIKE A REPORT OUT ON STATION 25 ON DEVAL. 
          UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IT'S DOWN AND THOSE FIREFIGHTERS ARE HOUSED AT 44 RIGHT NOW MM-HMM . 
          SO I JUST WANTED SOME ADVISEMENT ON THAT. 
          I THINK THAT MIGHT BE ON THE SLIDE. 
          GIMME ONE SECOND. 
          I MAY HAVE THE ANSWER FOR YOU NOW. 
          STATION 25 EXPECTED COMPLETION IS FEBRUARY 17TH. 
          OKAY. 
          2025. 
          SO, AND I KNOW THERE, I KNOW THE COMMUNITY AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE ALL EXCITED ABOUT REPOPULATING THAT STATION. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER NEN? UM, SO I HAVE THREE SEGMENTS. 
          I, I KNOW WE'RE SHORT ON TIME, SO I'LL TRY AND MAKE IT AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE FOR THE CALIFORNIA RESPONSE. 
          THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, BEING PART OF COLLABORATING THAT I KNOW THAT'S, THAT WAS A BIG TRAGEDY. 
          UM, ARE, ARE WE CURRENTLY ON A BLUE CARD OR A RED CARD SYSTEM? AND I, I, I'M WONDERING HOW THAT INTEGRATED WITH CAL FIRE AND IF YOU'RE PLANNING ON DOING SOME TYPE OF AFTER ACTION REPORT TO SEE BEST PRACTICES IN THE FUTURE, UM, OF THOSE REVIEWS. 
          I KNOW YOU SAID THEY BROUGHT SOME STUFF BACK, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING OFFICIAL THAT'S GOING TO BE, UM, PREPARED, UH, FOR BEST PRACTICES FOR POLICIES AND TRAINING? SO I CAN MAKE SURE TO, TO, TO GET YOU GOOD INFORMATION. 
          LET ME RESPOND BACK TO YOU. 
          THAT WAY I CAN MAKE SURE IT'S MORE COMPLETE THAN MAYBE WHAT WE HAVE TIME FOR TODAY, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT. 
          GREAT. 
          OF COURSE. 
          UM, AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK WAS, WHEN IT COMES TO FIRES, UH, PARTICULARLY IN, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, IN MY AREA, WE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED A FEW AND A A FD RESPONDED AND, AND DID THE BEST THEY COULD. 
          UM, BUT I, I DO NOTICE THERE, THERE WAS A, A, A GAP IN A CHALLENGE IN US WHEN, UH, WHEN THERE WERE DISPLACEMENT OF PETS AND PEOPLE. 
          UM, I'M WONDERING HOW THAT IS, UM, HOW THAT, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO VICTIM SERVICES WITH A PD THAT SUPPORTS ANY, ANYBODY LIKE THAT. 
          AND I, I'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION LATER ON IF THAT'S A LONG COMPANY. 
          SO 
          [00:20:01]
A SNAPSHOT ON THAT ONE, COLLABORATION OF ALL THREE OF OUR AGENCIES, WE DO WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO ARE DISPLACED HAVE SOME PLACE TO GO. 
          WE WORK WITH THE RED CROSS VICTIM SERVICES WITH A PD, PHENOMENAL, AND HELPING OUT WITH THAT BUILDING MANAGEMENT, IF IT'S AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, UH, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THOSE PEOPLE TO, TO, TO SOMEPLACE ELSE. 
          NOT ONLY THE, THE, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE, BUT THEIR PETS AS WELL. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          MM-HMM . 
          DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. 
          I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A SECOND TO SAY, I AM REALLY HAPPY THAT THERE ARE SO MANY MORE OF THOSE, UM, IGNITION EVALUATIONS HAPPENING. 
          I'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE THEY'RE AN UNDERUTILIZED RESOURCE. 
          UM, AND I TELL ALL MY NEIGHBORS, PLEASE CALL. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY EVER DOES. 
          BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT. 
          IT'S LOW, LOW HANGING FRUIT IS THINGS YOU CAN DO AT MINIMAL EFFORT AND COSTS THAT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE AS, AS FAR AS, UH, UH, PROTECTING YOUR HOME. 
          YEP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WITH THAT, I, UM, 
          [4. Update from the Downtown Commission representative on the recent presentation by Austin Police Department’s Downtown Area Command on East 6th Street security measures and pedestrian safety]
I'M JUST GONNA GIVE A QUICK UPDATE, UM, FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION. 
          UM, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETINGS ARE ONCE A MONTH. 
          I THINK THEY'RE THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. 
          AND AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, APDS DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND PRESENTED ON E SIXTH STREET, CHIEF DAVIS WAS THERE AS WELL, JUST TO GIVE AN UPDATE. 
          IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE DAY THAT THEY WERE, HAD THEIR PRESS CONFERENCE AND THAT THEY WERE ANNOUNCING THAT SIXTH STREET IS OPEN TO CAR TRAFFIC AGAIN. 
          UM, I, UH, I HAD CHRISTIE HELP ME GET THE, UM, THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION UPLOADED INTO OUR BACKUP INFORMATION SO THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THAT. 
          I ALSO ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE DISCUSSION, UM, THERE, YOU KNOW, JUST TO GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW, UM, AS MANY I'M SURE OF YOU ALREADY KNOW, IF YOU'VE MADE YOUR WAY AROUND DOWNTOWN, THERE'S WESTBOUND TRAFFIC ONLY WHEN SIXTH STREET IS OPEN. 
          SO THERE'S NO NORTH SOUTH TRAFFIC, SO THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO MITIGATE PEDESTRIANS QUITE AS MUCH. 
          UM, AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, THAT A PD AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES WILL BE DOING SOME DATA CAPTURE, UM, AND TRACKING SOME DATA SETS, UM, TO GAUGE SUCCESS. 
          I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT ALL, WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY THAT IS AT THIS POINT. 
          UM, BUT WE CAN HAVE A FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION ON SIXTH STREET ONCE IT'S BEEN UP AND RUNNING FOR A FEW MONTHS IF WE'RE INTERESTED IN THAT. 
          SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. 
          UM, AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO MAKE SURE TO BRING BACK INFORMATION WHENEVER THEY PRESENT IT, WHENEVER ANY OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES PRESENT AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION. 
          SO, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE MANY ANSWERS, BUT WE CAN TAKE NOTE OF QUESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY ADD THEM TO AN AGENDA ITEM LATER. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, WITH THAT, THANK YOU. 
          AND WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. 
          [5. Discussion of the Homeless Strategy Office (HSO) coordination with public safety departments with David Gray, Homeless Strategy Officer.]
UM, PERFECT TIMING, I THINK WITH THE DISCUSSION OF THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE. 
          UM, DAVID GRAY IS HERE, UM, TO TALK TO US A BIT. 
          HI THERE. 
          FANTASTIC. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. 
          DAVID GRAY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE. 
          HAPPY TO BE HERE BEFORE YOU, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION. 
          UH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ABOUT OUR OFFICE AND THE WORK THAT WE DO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS. 
          JUST A QUICK BACKGROUND ON OUR OFFICE, EXCUSE ME. 
          OUR OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED IN DECEMBER OF 2023 WITH THE EXPRESS INTENT TO COLLABORATE WITH ALL PUBLIC AGENCIES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE HOMELESSNESS RARE, BRIEF AND NON-REOCCURRING HERE IN AUSTIN. 
          AND, AND I WON'T RUN THROUGH THE LAUNDRY LIST OF OBJECTIVES BEFORE YOU, BUT I'LL TOUCH ON A FEW. 
          UH, THE PRIMARY ONE MAKE IS ENSURING THAT WE'RE PROVIDING PROPER STEWARDSHIP OF ALL OF OUR SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS. 
          UH, WE ADMINISTER ABOUT $30 MILLION WORTH OF SERVICE CONTRACTS EVERY YEAR FOR FOLKS TO DO EVERYTHING FROM ENGAGE WITH FOLKS ON OUR STREETS THROUGH STREET OUTREACH, ALL THE WAY TO PROVIDING CASE MANAGEMENT, UM, AT OUR NEW PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FACILITIES. 
          UH, BUT I DO WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR COLLABORATIONS WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES. 
          AND I JUST WANNA FRAME THE DISCUSSION WITH THREE SPECIFIC SERVICE AREAS WHERE WE WORK WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES. 
          AND THEN I'LL TALK ABOUT EACH ONE SPECIFICALLY. 
          SO GET READY GUYS, 'CAUSE I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT YOU. 
          UM, THE FIRST PRIMARY WAY IN WHICH WE WORK TOGETHER IS THROUGH STREET OUTREACH. 
          UH, AND WE DEFINE THAT AS ANY ACTIVITY WHERE WE ARE 
          [00:25:01]
OUT IN PUBLIC SPACES, ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE UNSHELTERED AND UNHOUSED, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE SAFE, UH, THAT THEY CAN TAP INTO SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CITY OR ANY ONE OF OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS. 
          THE SECOND IS PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT. 
          I'M SURE, AS ALL OF YOU ARE AWARE, THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN BOTH HAVE CAMPING BANS. 
          AND SO WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC TO ENSURE THAT OUR PUBLIC SPACES ARE SAFE, THAT THEY ARE ACCESSIBLE, AND THAT THEY ARE WELCOMING FOR ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE EXPERIENCING, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. 
          AND JUST TO, TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE ON THAT, THIS PAST YEAR, UH, WE CONDUCTED 12 HEAL INITIATIVES. 
          UH, A HEAL INITIATIVE IS ESSENTIALLY WHERE WE GO INTO AN ENCAMPMENT. 
          WE CREATE A LIST OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RESIDING AT THAT ENCAMPMENT. 
          AND OVER THE COURSE OF TWO TO THREE DAYS, WE MOVE EVERYBODY FROM THE ENCAMPMENT INTO SHELTER AS ONE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, AND SO THROUGH THOSE 14 HILL SITES ALONE, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE OVER 400 PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS AND INTO SHELTER AND HOUSING HERE IN AUSTIN. 
          WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF SUPPLEMENTAL SITES THAT WE WORK. 
          UM, A SUPPLEMENTAL SITE IS WHERE WE MIGHT BE WORKING ONE LARGE ENCAMPMENT. 
          AND RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET THERE'S A SMALLER ENCAMPMENT. 
          AND WELL, WE MIGHT AS WELL GRAB THEM TOO. 
          AND SO, IN ADDITION TO THE 12 HEEL SITES, WE ALSO HAD FOUR SUPPLEMENTAL SITES THAT WE WORKED LAST YEAR. 
          UH, I'LL GIVE YOU A PREVIEW. 
          TOMORROW WE'LL BE PUTTING OUT, UH, A PRESS RELEASE ABOUT A HEEL SITE THAT WE JUST WRAPPED UP LAST WEEK. 
          UH, AND I WON'T GIVE ALL THE DETAILS AWAY, JUST HAVE TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT PRESS RELEASE. 
          UM, WE ALSO DO WORK, AS I MENTIONED, TO MAINTAIN THESE SPACES. 
          AND WE DO THAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS LIKE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, WHICH, UH, HELPED US CLEAN OR CLEAR 283 SITES LAST YEAR, AND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH HELPED US CLEAN AND CLEAR 1,240 SITES LAST YEAR. 
          AND SO THERE, THERE'S, IT'S A MASSIVE EFFORT TO ENGAGE IN THE PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE ARE TREATED WITH COURTESY AND RESPECT. 
          AND ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PUBLIC SPACES ARE CLEAN AND SAFE FOR EVERYBODY TO ENJOY. 
          AND THEN THE LAST ONE THAT I'LL TOUCH ON HERE IS OUR EMERGENCY SHELTERS. 
          THESE ARE CITY FACILITIES THAT PROVIDE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOME EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WITH IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO THEIR BASIC NEEDS. 
          UH, FOOD, A SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP, MEDICAL CARE. 
          UH, WE TAKE PETS. 
          AND SO WE PROVIDE DOG FOOD AS WELL. 
          UH, AND JUST SAFETY, A SAFE PLACE WHERE THEY CAN REST, CONNECT WITH SERVICES AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR NEXT MOODS ARE GONNA BE TO GET OFF THE STREET. 
          WE ALSO DO A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS. 
          UH, WE'RE FOCUSED A LOT MORE NOW ON HOMELESS PREVENTION. 
          FRANKLY, WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS IN THE FIRST PLACE. 
          SO WE'RE GETTING UPSTREAM OF OUR CONTINUUM OF CARE. 
          UH, TRYING TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO ARE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, ENGAGE WITH THEM EARLY IN THAT EXPERIENCE SO THEY DON'T EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS. 
          AND FRANKLY, IT SAVES THE TAXPAYERS A LOT OF MONEY TO KEEP SOMEBODY FROM HITTING THE STREETS, UH, RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THEM TO HIT THE STREETS AND BE HOMELESS FOR 12 MONTHS BEFORE THEY GET ACCESS TO SERVICE. 
          WE DO A LOT OF DIVERSION AND RAPID EXIT THAT BASICALLY JUST MEANS THAT ONCE SOMEBODY DOES BECOME HOMELESS, WE TRY TO WORK TO GET THEM REHOUSED WITHIN 45 TO 90 DAYS. 
          RAPID REHOUSING IS A, UH, RENTAL AND CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT PROGRAM WHERE A CLIENT CAN RECEIVE 12 TO 24 MONTHS OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE, COUPLED WITH CASE MANAGEMENT, WITH THE GOAL BEING THAT AFTER THAT 12 TO 24 MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE, UH, THE PERSON HAS ALL THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES AND LIFE SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES. 
          AND THEN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS OUR INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS. 
          UH, THIS CAN RUN AS LONG AS PEOPLE NEED IT TO RUN. 
          SOMETIMES IT COULD TAKE FIVE, 10 YEARS FOR SOMEBODY TO RECEIVE THE LEVEL OF TREATMENT THAT THEY NEED IN ONE OF THESE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS BEFORE THEY'RE ABLE TO, UH, MOVE ON FROM THAT UNIT AND LIVE INDEPENDENTLY, UH, AND, AND STABLY. 
          SO JUST WANNA TAKE A QUICK DEEP DIVE INTO HOW WE WORK WITH EACH OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES. 
          AND I'LL RUN THROUGH THIS FURTHER RATHER QUICKLY, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR COLLABORATIONS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, AND OF COURSE WE LOVE WORKING WITH CHIEF DAVIS, BUT CHIEF HENDERSON STILL MY CHIEF, UH,  LITTLE INSIDE JOKE. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO WHEN IT COMES TO STREET OUTREACH, UH, I MENTIONED BEFORE THAT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS A HUGE PARTNER WITH US WHEN IT COMES TO STREET OUTREACH. 
          UH, HELPING US ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS AT OVER 1200 SITES LAST YEAR. 
          UH, THEY HAVE AN OFFICER THAT'S ASSIGNED TO THE HOMELESS OUTREACH STREET TEAM, WHICH IS A CROSS COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND INTEGRAL CARE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT. 
          THE GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ONLY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT ALSO AT RISK OF POTENTIALLY BEING JAILED OR HAVING TO BE BROUGHT TO A HOSPITAL OR A PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY. 
          AND SO WE TRY TO ENGAGE WITH THOSE PEOPLE WHILE THEY'RE IN THE STREET, PROVIDE THEM WITH CARE SO THAT WE CAN DIVERT PEOPLE FROM JAIL OR FROM THOSE PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING SUPPORT TO TRANSITION INTO SHELTER AND ULTIMATELY INTO HOUSING. 
          UH, WE ALSO WORK WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON OUR PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, 
          [00:30:01]
IN ADDITION TO GOING OUT AND, AND WORKING WITH US EVERY DAY TO HELP MAKE SURE ENCAMPMENTS ARE CLEAN. 
          UH, THEY ALSO HELP ENFORCE OUR KEEP CLEAR SITES. 
          SO I MENTIONED THAT THROUGH HEAL THE HOUSING FOCUSED ENCAMPMENT ASSISTANCE LINK. 
          UH, WE WILL WORK WITH EVERYBODY AT AN ENCAMPMENT TO GET THEM ALL INTO SHELTER OR HOUSING. 
          AND THEN THE CITY SPENDS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY, UH, CLEANING THOSE SITES, REMOVING DEBRIS, RESTORING NATURAL HABITAT. 
          AND BECAUSE OF THAT LEVEL OF INVESTMENT, WE DO KEEP THOSE SITES CLEAR AND WE RELY ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HELP US KEEP THOSE SITES CLEAR. 
          AND THEN LAST IS EMERGENCY SHELTERS. 
          YOU KNOW, LOOK, OUR OFFICERS HAVE TOLD US LOUD AND CLEAR, THEY DON'T WANT TO ARREST PEOPLE AND TAKE 'EM TO JAIL. 
          THAT THAT'S NOT THE GOAL HERE. 
          THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE GET ACCESS TO THE CARE THAT THEY NEED. 
          AND SO WE'VE CARVED OUT SPACE AT OUR MARSHALING YARD EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR AUSTIN POLICE. 
          THERE'S A CERTAIN NUMBER OF BEDS THAT'S SPECIFICALLY ALLOCATED FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY CAN ACCESS THOSE BEDS 24 7. 
          SO WHEN THEY GET A CALL AND SOMEBODY SAYS, I HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO, WHERE CAN YOU TAKE ME? NOW THAT OFFICER HAS A RESOURCE, UH, THAT OFFICER HAS A WAY TO CONNECT THAT PERSON WITH OUR SHELTER SYSTEM. 
          UH, WE WILL DO THE INTAKE, GET THEM CONNECTED TO SERVICES, UH, AND HOPEFULLY HELP THEM ON THEIR JOURNEY OUT OF HOMELESSNESS. 
          I DO WANNA CIRCLE BACK TO STREET OUTREACH REALLY QUICKLY 'CAUSE I NEGLECTED TO SAY THAT WE JUST LAUNCHED A NEW PROGRAM, UH, CALLED, CALLED THE HEART INITIATIVE. 
          THIS IS ANOTHER STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN. 
          IT'S A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND URBAN ALCHEMY. 
          DAA ACTUALLY PILOTED LAST YEAR, AND THE CITY HAS BROUGHT IT ON AS ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS, ESSENTIALLY. 
          NOW, WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS, UH, 9 1 1 FOR A PERSON EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UH, IF THE OFFICER OR A PD DETERMINES THAT THAT PERSON IS NOT PRESENTING A, A, AN IMMINENT PUBLIC SAFETY RISK TO THEMSELVES OR SOMEBODY ELSE, UH, THE POLICE CAN ACTUALLY CALL URBAN ALCHEMY. 
          AND URBAN ALCHEMY WILL SEND A STREET OUTREACH WORKER TO ENGAGE WITH THAT PERSON FIRST. 
          UH, AND ONLY IF THE URBAN ALCHEMY WORKER FEELS LIKE THEY NEED SUPPORT, THEN THE POLICE OFFICER WILL ARRIVE. 
          THIS IS TRAUMA INFORMED. 
          UH, IT HELPS US TO DEESCALATE SITUATIONS. 
          OFTENTIMES, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE UNFORTUNATELY HAD A BAD ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND SO THAT CONTACT WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER CAN BE TRIGGERING. 
          AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE OUR POLICE OFFICERS FOR WORKING WITH US TO PUT THE CLIENTS FIRST AND ALSO TO PUT OFFICERS FIRST. 
          IT ALLOWS OFFICERS TO FOCUS ON THOSE HIGHER PRIORITY CALLS, UH, NOT HAVING TO PULL FROM OUR, OUR POOL OF OFFICERS THAT ARE PATROLLING DOWNTOWN TO DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS, UH, ALLOWING THEM TO, TO FOCUS ON OTHER, OTHER CALLS THAT THEY RECEIVE. 
          WHEN IT COMES TO WORKING WITH OUR GOOD FRIENDS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, WE, WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THESE RECENT FIRES THAT WE'VE HAD. 
          BUT WHEN IT COMES TO STREET OUTREACH, UH, WE REALLY DO OUR BEST TO SUPPORT AD'S, FIRE PREVENTION EFFORTS. 
          AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY CRITICAL DURING SEASONS OF DROUGHT, WHICH IT FEELS LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF HERE IN AUSTIN. 
          UH, LAST YEAR, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICERS AND OUR PARTNERS DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 300 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS TO PEOPLE IN ENCAMPMENTS TO HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF FIRES. 
          EVERY WEEK WE MEET WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFF WHO GIVE US ESSENTIALLY A HEAT MAP, UH, THAT ALLOWS US TO TARGET OUR FIRE PREVENTION EFFORTS. 
          AND SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT SUPPORT AND THAT COORDINATION. 
          UH, WE ALSO PRIORITIZE SOME OF OUR SHELTER BEDS FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE RESIDING IN AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT DESIGNATED HIGH WILDFIRE RISK AREAS. 
          SO IF WE KNOW IT, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE WINDY DAYS AND WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF AN ENCAMPMENT, AND WE ONLY HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF BEDS, WE'LL TURN TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO POINT US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND MAKE SURE WE GET THOSE PEOPLE INTO SHELTER. 
          WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT, AGAIN, WE WILL FOCUS, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A FD ON UPDATES ON WHERE THERE WERE FIRE RELATED CALLS, WHETHER IT WAS ARSON OR, UH, A CAMPFIRE THAT GOT OUTTA CONTROL. 
          UH, AND WE USE THAT INFORMATION TO PRIORITIZE OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, TO TALK ABOUT FIRE SAFETY, TO GET PEOPLE OUTTA THOSE AREAS. 
          AND THEN THE COORDINATE CLEANUP TO RESTORE THAT HABITAT TO ITS INTENDED USE. 
          AND THEN JUST SOME LANAP, YOU KNOW, I'M FROM LOUISIANA, SO WE'D LIKE, WE LIKE TO THROW IN OUR LITTLE CAJUN CREOLE WORDS. 
          UH, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO LANAP, WE ALSO PARTICIPATE ON THE TASK FORCE WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK AT VACANT STRUCTURES. 
          YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, HAVING TO SQUAT IN VACANT STRUCTURES. 
          IT'S NOT SAFE FOR THEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN BUILDINGS ARE UNSTABLE. 
          UH, BUT ALSO FROM A FIRE PREVENTION PERSPECTIVE, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE ARE LIGHTING FIRES IN VACANT BUILDINGS, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL OF NOT ONLY IGNITING THAT BUILDING, BUT ALSO NEARBY STRUCTURES. 
          IT PUTS OUR CLIENTS' LIVES AT RISK, PLUS THE FIREFIGHTERS LIVES AT RISK. 
          UH, AND SO ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AGO, WE LAUNCHED THIS VACANT STRUCTURE TASK FORCE TO PROACTIVELY IDENTIFY VACANT STRUCTURES, UH, CASES WHERE PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THOSE VACANT STRUCTURES, AND THEN WORK WITH THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS TO GET PERMISSION TO GO IN, UH, AND HELP GET PEOPLE OUT OF THOSE VACANT STRUCTURES AND INTO SHELTERS OR INTO HOUSING. 
          AND ALSO WHEN WE HAVE TO DEMOLISH A VACANT STRUCTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT ON THE DEMOLITION DAYS WE HAVE CASE MANAGERS ON SITE, 
          [00:35:01]
UH, SO THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL LIVING IN THE STRUCTURE ON DEMOLITION DAY. 
          UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THOSE PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT, THAT THE VERY FIRST FACE THEY SEE IS A CASE WORKER, A SOCIAL WORKER, SOMEBODY WHO CAN CONNECT THEM WITH A RESOURCE SO THEY'RE NOT JUST MOVING FROM ONE VACANT BUILDING TO A PARK, OR ONE VACANT BUILDING TO ANOTHER VACANT BUILDING. 
          AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR GOOD OLD FRIENDS AT EMS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO STREET OUTREACH, YOU KNOW, EMS IS ALSO PART OF THAT CROSS AGENCY COLLABORATION, THE HOST TEAM. 
          UH, WE ACTUALLY SHARE, UH, A FLOOR, UH, AT OUR BUILDING IN ONE TEXAS CENTER WITH SOME EMS FOLKS THAT ARE PART OF, OF THE HOST TEAM. 
          AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE AN A PD OFFICER WHO'S OVER THERE WITH US NOW, SO THAT THAT'S GREAT. 
          OUR OWN LITTLE DOWNTOWN, I GUESS, RIGHT ACROSS DOWNTOWN COMMAND, UH, EMS ALSO COLLABORATES WITH US TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO LIFESAVING RESOURCES. 
          UH, Y'ALL MIGHT RECALL LAST YEAR WITH THE OPIOID OUTBREAK, UH, THAT STARTED RIGHT HERE DOWNTOWN, UH, IT WAS A COMBINATION OF EMS LEADING THE WAY, A FD AND A PD RESPONDING TO THAT, BUT ALSO MY STAFF HAVING NARCAN ON SITE TO BE ABLE TO HELP SUPPLEMENT WHAT THEY HAD. 
          UH, ALSO WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WHO WE CAME ACROSS THAT THEY HAD ACCESS TO NARCAN. 
          AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT INCIDENT, MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR SHELTERS HAD ENOUGH NARCAN, NOT ONLY FOR OUR CLIENTS AND FOR OUR RESIDENTS, BUT FOR ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WHO NEEDS IT. 
          UH, AND SO IT, IT'S JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP. 
          I KNOW OUR SHELTER OPERATORS HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THAT ON HAND, AND IT HAS HELPED SAVE LIVES, AND, AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT PARTNERSHIP. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO WORK WITH EMS TO PROVIDE SHELTER TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN NEED OF SAFE, UH, ACCOMMODATIONS. 
          I THINK A CASE IN POINT IS THE RECENT COLD WEATHER SPELL THAT WE HAD. 
          UH, THE WAY THAT IT WORKS IS WE HAVE A CENTRALIZED REGISTRATION LOCATION. 
          IT'S CALLED THE EMBARKATION POINT. 
          IT'S AT ONE TEXAS CENTER. 
          UH, AND WE REQUIRE PEOPLE TO COME TO ONE TEXAS CENTER TO GET REGISTERED FOR AN OVERNIGHT COLD WEATHER SHELTER ACCOMMODATION. 
          BUT FOR FOLKS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT ON THEIR OWN, UH, EVERY NIGHT THAT WE HAD ACTIVATIONS, WE HAD PARAMEDICS THAT WOULD DROP PEOPLE OFF, UH, AT EMBARKATION, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAD A WARM HANDOFF TO ME AND MY TEAM, UH, WOULD MAKESHIFT THE PERSON GOT REGISTERED BEFORE THE PARAMEDIC LEFT THE SCENE. 
          UH, AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK THEY COULD TOUGH IT OUT, AND AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING THEY REALIZE IT'S NOT COLD, IT'S COLD, COLD, AND I REALLY GOTTA GET INSIDE AND THEY'LL CALL. 
          AND EVERY NIGHT THAT WE'VE HAD COLD WEATHER SHELTERS, WE'VE HAD, UH, AT LEAST TWO DIRECT DROP OFFS FROM EMS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GET TO WARMTH AND, AND, AND TO SAFETY. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF THIS, THERE, THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER WAYS THAT OUR OFFICE PARTNERS WITH ALL THREE OF THESE AMAZING AGENCIES. 
          I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE SAMPLING OF THE WORK THAT WE DO TOGETHER. 
          UH, AND WE ALWAYS HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO ENHANCE OUR EFFORT. 
          OUR OFFICE IS STILL NEW IN A LOT OF WAYS. 
          WE'RE A YEAR OLD. 
          IF WE WERE A BABY, WE'D JUST BE LEARNING HOW TO WALK, RIGHT? UH, AND SO THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LEADING INTO THIS YEAR. 
          UH, WORKING WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS ON EVERYTHING FROM STREET OUTREACH, BEST PRACTICES TO PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT. 
          HOW DO YOU NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, CLEAN DEBRIS, BUT MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE'S STUFF. 
          'CAUSE FOR SOME OF THESE FOLKS, THIS IS REALLY ALL THAT THEY HAVE. 
          AND SO HOW DO WE DO THAT IN A, IN A TRAUMA-INFORMED WAY? UH, WE'RE WORKING ON LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE REVAMPING A TOOL THAT'S CALLED THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT TOOL. 
          IT'S AN INTERNAL TOOL THAT, UH, IS DESIGNED FOR ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS TO USE. 
          SO IF, LET'S SAY A FD GETS A CALL TO AN ENCAMPMENT, THEY COULD LOOK AT THE TOOL AND THEY COULD SEE NOTES FROM HSO ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE. 
          WHEN'S THE LAST TIME THAT ENCAMPMENT HASS BEEN VISITED BY OUTREACH? IS THAT ENCAMPMENT SLATED, UH, TO BE CLOSED? AND HAVE THOSE PEOPLE MOVED INTO SHELTER? HAVE THERE BEEN ANY 9 1 1 CALLS THERE? HAS EMS BEEN DISPATCHED THERE? AND SO THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE A GREAT TECHNOLOGY THAT, UH, WILL ALLOW US TO MORE RAPIDLY SHARE INFORMATION INTERNALLY ON THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE ALL CARE FOR. 
          AND THEN I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T POINT OUT THAT WE DO NEED MORE SHELTER RESPITE AND MENTAL HEALTH BEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          YOU KNOW, ALL OF US HAVE THE HEART TO SERVE. 
          THAT'S WHY WE DO THE WORK THAT WE DO. 
          AND THE HARDEST THING TO DO IN THIS WORK IS ENGAGE WITH SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO COME INSIDE AND WE HAVE NO SPACE FOR THEM. 
          OR ENGAGE WITH SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T KNOW THAT THEY WANT TO COME INSIDE OR EVEN NEED TO COME INSIDE BECAUSE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH ACUITY IS SO BAD. 
          BUT WE HAVE NO RESOURCES TO BRING THEM IN AND GET THEM ACCESS TO THE TREATMENT THAT THEY NEED. 
          THOSE PEOPLE WILL DIE ON OUR STREET, UNFORTUNATELY. 
          AND SO, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PRESSING HARD FOR, NOT JUST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THESE AGENCIES, BUT WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE COUNTY, UH, AND WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH SHELTER BEDS, MEDICAL RESPITE BEDS, AND MENTAL HEALTH BEDS TO SERVE EVERYBODY WHO WE ALL COME IN CONTACT WITH. 
          SO I FEEL LIKE I HIT YOU WITH, WITH THE WORD TSUNAMI, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR WRITING THROUGH THAT PRESENTATION QUICKLY. 
          UH, BUT MADAM CHAIR, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FROM HUGH OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. 
          WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          [00:40:01]
I'LL GO AHEAD AND DEFER TO COMMISSIONERS FORNELL WITH QUESTIONS. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OFF THE TOP OF OUR HEAD TO GET US KICK STARTED? COMMISSIONER RUAN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE A LOT OF THE COLLABORATION AND THE WORK AND THE EFFORTS GOING FORWARD. 
          I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT ONE THING IN TERMS OF DATA AND METRICS. 
          DO YOU ALL CURRENTLY DO OR HAVE ANY PLANS TO TRY TO CREATE SOME KIND OF A REPOSITORY WHEN YOU DO, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE CAMP CLEARING AND CONNECTING WITH SERVICES TO SEE WHO NOT ONLY MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH SERVICES, BUT ALSO IF THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL, AND THEN IF THERE'S SUBSEQUENTLY ANOTHER ENCAMPMENT THAT'S CLEARED, TRYING TO DO SOME TRACKING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS, WHAT DIDN'T WORK, AND WHAT TO DO, UM, AT THE NEXT POINT OF CONTACT? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. 
          SO WE, WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE DATA AND, AND METRICS THAT WE TRACK, AND NOT JUST FOR THE CITY AGENCIES, BUT FOR ALL OF THE PARTNERS WHO ARE PART OF OUR CONTINUUM OF CARE. 
          UH, AND SO WE ALL USE THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM AS OUR WAY TO TRACK ENGAGEMENT WITH CLIENTS. 
          AND SO THROUGH THAT DATABASE, I'M ABLE TO SEE, UH, HOW MANY FOLKS AT A PARTICULAR CAMPSITE WERE WILLING TO COME INTO SHELTER WITH US VERSUS HOW MANY WEREN'T AND MAYBE WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE. 
          UH, OR MAYBE WE COME INTO CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN. 
          UH, IF WE GET THEIR NAME AND THEIR INFORMATION, WE CAN USE THAT DATABASE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE ELSE THEY MIGHT'VE BEEN. 
          DID WE COME IN CONTACT WITH THEM ON THE SOUTH SIDE? IS THIS OUR FIRST TIME OR IS THIS OUR SEVENTH TIME TOUCHING BASE WITH YOU? UH, THE, THE TOOL THAT I THINK WILL ALLOW US TO TAKE THAT DATA TO THE NEXT LEVEL WILL BE THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT TOOL. 
          UH, BECAUSE HMIS IS A SYSTEM THAT HSO IS ABLE TO USE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY PROVIDERS, THE HIM TOOL WILL BE MUCH MORE POWERFUL FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS, SO THAT IF THEY'RE GETTING CALLED OUT TO STUFF, THEN THEY'LL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT SAME LEVEL OF INFORMATION THAT I HAVE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S FANTASTIC. 
          I'M GLAD TO SEE IT TAKING THE NEXT LEVEL. 
          UM, IT'D BE NICE TO SEE SOME FORM OF PUBLIC REPORTING OR SOME KIND OF METRICS BUILD ABLE TO, TO SEE LESSONS LEARNED AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE LEVERAGING THAT. 
          I THINK THAT SHOULD BE REALLY POWERFUL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AS WELL AS MORE BROADLY WITHIN A BIGGER POPULATION. 
          SO GLAD TO SEE YOU ALL ARE WORKING ON THAT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND I'LL JUST SAY AT A HIGH LEVEL, TYPICAL, WHAT WE FIND IS 80% OF THE PEOPLE WHO WE COME IN CONTACT WITH DURING ONE OF THOSE HEALED INITIATIVES, WE'LL ACCEPT OUR INVITATION TO SHELTER. 
          THE OTHER 20% WILL REJECT IT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. 
          UH, AND IF WE'RE RUNNING INTO AN INDIVIDUAL AND THAT INDIVIDUAL DOESN'T SAY YES, THE FIRST TIME WE CONTACT THEM, USUALLY AROUND CONTACT NUMBER SIX OR SEVEN, THEY, THEY START TO REALIZE THAT WE'RE HERE TO STAY. 
          WE CARE ABOUT THEM, WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT OUR OFFER, AND THEN THEY'LL COME IN. 
          BUT, UH, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC DATA QUESTIONS, UH, OUR TEAM WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, UH, AND PROVIDE YOU WITH THE, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER SMITH, DID I SEE YOUR HAND UP? YES. 
          I HAVE TWO. 
          NUMBER ONE FOR THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. 
          WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WELL DONE IN THE POSITION YOU HOLD FOR THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, IF WE HAVE SOME WAY FOR ENCAMPMENTS TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT REGARDING WANTING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, HOW DOES, HOW DOES THAT PROCESS WORK? THAT, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
          AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CURRENTLY, UM, HAVE RECEIVED REQUESTS FROM FOLKS WHO PRACTICALLY SAID LIKE, WE WANT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. 
          UM, MM. 
          BUT TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME ANYBODY REQUESTS ANYTHING, WHETHER IT'S I NEED A BLANKET OR A WHEELCHAIR OR SOME OTHER SERVICE, UH, NOT ONLY DO WE INTERNALLY THROUGH THE CITY HAVE, UH, COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS THAT THAT WE ACCESS TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED. 
          UM, BUT THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY, THERE'S LISTSERVS THAT WE'RE A PART OF WHERE WE MONITOR BOTH FROM REQUESTS COMING IN FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING STREET OUTREACH IN, IN PUBLIC SPACE KIND OF WORK. 
          UH, AND ALSO WHERE WE CAN SUBMIT REQUESTS THAT WE'RE RECEIVING FROM FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED. 
          UH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A, A FORMAL WAY, AT LEAST NOT THROUGH HSO FOR PEOPLE TO CALL US AND SAY, HEY, I, YOU KNOW, I I I WANT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW THAT, THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THAT AS A NEED FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK AND I'M GONNA TAKE THAT BACK TO MY TEAM. 
          YES, PLEASE. 
          'CAUSE I'VE, I'VE ASKED FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS ABOUT FIRE EXTINGUISHERS SPECIFICALLY TO ENCAMPMENTS BECAUSE I HAVE HAD THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE IN THOSE ENCAMPMENTS WANTING THAT AND NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW I WOULD EFFECTIVELY MAKE THAT REQUEST. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          I'LL SAY THAT THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT RIGHT NOW IS TO CALL 3 1 1. 
          UH, WE HAVE KIND OF RECONFIGURED THE 3 1 1 SYSTEMS WHERE IF YOU OR ANYBODY CALLS AND YOU SAYS, I HAVE A, A REQUEST REGARDING HOMELESSNESS OR A CONCERN REGARDING HOMELESSNESS, ALL OF THOSE REQUESTS NOW GET ROUTED TO OUR OFFICE. 
          AND SO OUR STAFF WILL SEE THAT. 
          UH, AND SO IF THAT REQUEST COMES THROUGH THE 3 1 1 
          [00:45:01]
SYSTEM, WE'LL CATCH IT AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW UP ACCORDINGLY. 
          OKAY, PERFECT. 
          AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION RELATES TO DATA, UH, SPECIFICALLY IN REGARDS TO COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS BEFORE SHELTER OPERATIONS. 
          I HAD EXPERIENCES BOTH ON RIVERSIDE AND DOWNTOWN WHERE I WAS EXPLAINING, YES, SHELTERS ARE OPEN, THESE ARE THE BUSES ROUTES, THIS IS THE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE PROCESS. 
          CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ANY DATA CAPTURING ON THE BACK END OF YOUR DEVICE, UM, YOUR TEXT MESSAGES AND THE THINGS THAT GO OUT, IF PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY RECEIVING THOSE, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT POPULATION, THEY MAY HAVE A PHONE ONE DAY OR SERVICE ONE DAY AND NOT THE OTHER. 
          SO, UM, CAN YOU JUST SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO HOW WE ARE COMMUNICATING WIDESPREAD THE INFORMATION OF SHELTER OPERATIONS WHEN THAT TIME IS, UM, PRESENT? YES, MA'AM. 
          AND MY TEAM JUST BRIEFED ME ON THIS, AND SO THEY'RE GONNA, UM, CRITIQUE ME IF I GET THIS WRONG. 
          UH, I KNOW I'M GONNA HEAR IT TOMORROW AT THE STAFF MEETING. 
          UH, SO OUR TEXT MESSAGE SYSTEM BELIEVE CURRENTLY HAS RIGHT AROUND 4,500 NUMBERS LOADED INTO IT. 
          THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH ARE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UH, WHO ARE ACTIVELY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. 
          OF THOSE, UH, ABOUT 80% WE KNOW ARE SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED, THE OTHER 20% MIGHT NOT BE SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED. 
          UM, IT, IT COULD BE THAT THE, THE DELIVERY IS DELAYED FOR WHATEVER THE REASON, OR IT'S JUST OUTRIGHT REJECTED. 
          AND THEN OF THE 80% WE'VE SEEN OUR CLICK THROUGH RATE GROW FROM UNDER 5% TO OVER 26% WITH THIS LAST COLD WEATHER SHELTER, UH, ACTIVATION. 
          AND SO CLICK THROUGH, MEANING THAT IN, IN ALL OF OUR TEXT ALERTS THAT GO OUT, AND MOST OF 'EM THAT GO OUT THERE IS USUALLY A, A HYPERLINK OR AN IMAGE OR SOMETHING THAT WE WANT FOLKS TO ACTUALLY CLICK ON, NOT JUST OPEN THE MESSAGE. 
          AND SO ABOUT ONE IN FOUR PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY CLICKING THE LINKS. 
          THEY'RE CLICKING THE IMAGES TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION. 
          I COULD ALSO SHARE ANECDOTALLY, UH, I'VE, I'VE PARTICIPATED IN MOST OF OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTER EMBARKATIONS. 
          IF I WASN'T THERE, IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY AT THE SHELTER SITE. 
          UH, AT ANY TIME GUESTS COME IN, WE ALWAYS ASK THEM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT SHELTER? HOW ARE YOU DOING? WHAT ARE YOUR NEEDS? UH, AND I, I WAS FRANKLY SURPRISED, YOU KNOW, AT AT LEAST HALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO WE SPOKE TO TOLD US THAT THEY EITHER HEARD ABOUT THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER ACTIVATION THROUGH THE TEXT ALERT SYSTEM, OR THEY HAD A BUDDY AT THEIR ENCAMPMENT WHO WAS ON OUR TEXT ALERT SYSTEM WHO GOT THE INFORMATION AND THEY SPREAD IT WORD OF MOUTH. 
          I WILL SAY, COMMISSIONER, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE, FRANKLY, LARGER STREET OUTREACH TEAMS TO HELP US SPREAD THE WORD. 
          UH, THE TEXT ALERT SYSTEM REALLY IS OUR MOST EFFECTIVE WAY AT REACHING A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTIVELY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE PHYSICAL BODIES TO GET TO EVERY ENCAMPMENT. 
          UH, AND SO WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR THAT TEXT ALERT SYSTEM. 
          THERE'S, THERE'S A QR CODE THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT FOLKS CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, USE TO, TO REGISTER. 
          UH, AND OUTSIDE OF THAT, IT'S A LOT OF WORD OF MOUTH WHENEVER WE HAVE THESE COLD WEATHER SHELTER ACTIVATIONS, TEN FOUR. 
          BUT WHAT I'M HEARING IS ALSO A OPPORTUNITY OF GROWTH IN REGARDS TO STREET OUTREACH AND WANTING SUPPORT IN THUS. 
          OH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICE HAS TWO, UH, STREET OUTREACH STAFF WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COVERING THE ENTIRE 300 SQUARE MILE AREA OF AUSTIN. 
          AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THIS AS AN AREA THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING INTO FOR OURSELVES. 
          THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE A LOT OF CONTRACTS WITH A LOT OF GREAT ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO STREET OUTREACH, UH, AND WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH GREAT ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO STREET OUTREACH, AND THEY ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE IN ENCAMPMENTS. 
          AND SO CURRENTLY WE LEAN A LOT ON OUR PARTNERS TO HELP US SPREAD THE WORD, UH, OR WE'RE LEANING A LOT ON OUR CONTRACTED AGENCIES TO HELP US SPREAD THE WORD. 
          UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE ALSO NEED TO KIND OF GROW FROM WITHIN A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY REACH PEOPLE IN ENCAMPMENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE, UH, THESE COLD NIGHTS. 
          AND ON THE FLIP SIDE, WHEN WE HAVE HEAT, HOT, HOT DAYS AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE INTO COOLING CENTERS. 
          SO WE, WE DEFINITELY RECOGNIZE THAT AS A AREA FOR US TO IMPROVE. 
          I HEAR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATION FROM US LATER ON. 
          I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU, COMMISSIONER SMITH ABOUT FOLLOWING UP ON THAT. 
          UM, UM, AND IT ALSO HELPS ME, I THINK, PIGGYBACK INTO A QUESTION THAT I HAD, BUT BEFORE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER? NO, GO AHEAD. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          UM, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR GRAY, FOR YOUR COMPREHENSIVE REPORT, UM, ON A LOT OF THE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES. 
          UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD, AND I THINK WE DISCUSSED THIS DURING OUR LAST, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING, WAS SOME OF THE BARRIERS TO CARE. 
          I, I SEE THE IMPROVEMENTS. 
          ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I HEARD TIME AND TIME AGAIN THOUGH, ESPECIALLY IN A DISTRICT THAT'S FURTHER 
          [00:50:01]
UP NORTH, WAS A CHALLENGE OF GETTING DOWN TO ONE TEXAS CENTER. 
          IS, IS IT THE GOAL OF, UM, OF THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE TO MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE? UH, BECAUSE I, I, I HEARD FROM SOME OF THE UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE HOUSING AT A, A, A SECONDARY LOCATION, NOT RUN BY THE CITY, UM, THAT IT WAS VERY INDIGNANT FOR THEM TO TRY TO GATHER ALL THEIR THINGS, GET ONTO PUBLIC TRANSIT, WHICH MIGHT NOT BE CLOSE BY AND GET DOWN THERE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SHELTER AND, AND, AND BE WARM. 
          IS IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS IN DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW? A A THOUSAND PERCENT, SIR? YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR THAT, THAT I'VE AT LEAST BEEN HERE, I'M REALLY PROUD OF MY TEAM AND ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY'VE MADE TO MAKE COLD WEATHER SHELTER A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR FOLKS. 
          UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE FOOD QUALITY. 
          THIS LAST ROUND, WE HAD VACCINES AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE. 
          UH, THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE WERE ABLE TO BRING IN INTEGRAL CARE AT OUR SHELTER SITES TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR FOLKS WHO ARE JUST EXPERIENCING TRAUMATIC SITUATIONS IN THE SHELTERS. 
          AND SO EVERY YEAR WE GOT BETTER. 
          BUT THE ONE AREA WHERE WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO WHERE I WANT US TO GET TO IS THE ACCESSIBILITY. 
          WE, WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT HAVING ONE, UH, EMBARKATION LOCATION IS NOT GONNA CUT IT FOR A CITY OF OUR SIZE. 
          UH, THERE ARE SOME LOGISTIC CONSTRAINTS THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO CONTEND WITH. 
          YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR, OUR PARTNERS AT CAP METRO ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF BUSES THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO FREE UP IN THEIR SYSTEM AND ALLOCATE TO SUPPORT THE CITY'S OPERATIONS. 
          AND SO IF THEY WERE NOW SPLITTING THOSE BUSES ACROSS MULTIPLE TYPES IN THE CITY, IT MAKES IT, IT MAKES IT HARDER FOR US TO ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE FROM THE REGISTRATION POINTS TO THE ACTUAL SHELTERS. 
          AND SO THIS IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR US, YOU KNOW, AS I'M HOPING THAT WE'RE OUT OF COLD WEATHER SEASON, I FEEL LIKE NOW THAT I SAID IT, UH, SOMEBODY ON K U'S GONNA COME ON THE NEWS TOMORROW AND SAY, THERE'S A COLD FRONT COMING NEXT WEEK, AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AT IT. 
          BUT THIS IS A TOP PRIORITY AS WE LOOK TO NEXT WINTER, IS HOW DO WE MAKE ACCESS ACCESSIBLE, RIGHT? HOW DO WE MAKE IT EASIER FOR FOLKS TO ACTUALLY GET INTO THE PLACES WHERE WE WANT THEM TO GET INTO INSTEAD OF REQUIRING EVERYBODY TO HAVE TO COME DOWNTOWN, UH, TO, TO GET ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM. 
          YEAH. 
          WELL, WELL, TALKING ABOUT COLD WEATHER, THERE'S ALSO GONNA BE EXTREME HEAT THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE INVOLVED IN AS WELL. 
          UM, HAVE THERE ANY, UH, BEEN ANY PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, FOR INSTANCE, I KNOW WHEN I WAS WORKING AND PROVIDING HEALTHCARE IN NEW YORK CITY DURING COVID, UM, THEY HAD UBER HEALTH PROVIDING, UM, UH, TRANSPORTATION FOR PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO MAKE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS OR, OR THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          AUNT BERTHA WAS A, A, A SYSTEM THAT WE USED. 
          I KNOW IT WAS NOT AS COMPREHENSIVE, BUT IT PROVIDED SOME SERVICES, LOOKUP OF SOCIAL SERVICES IS, ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH PRIVATE PARTNERS MAYBE OF BRIDGING THAT GAP? THERE? THERE ARE. 
          AND, AND I'M GLAD YOU YOU POINTED THAT OUT AS WELL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WHEN, WHEN I STARTED IN THIS WORK, A OUR PRIMARY WAY TO HELP PEOPLE DURING THE WARM MONTHS WAS BY TELLING THEM, GO TO A LIBRARY, GO TO A REC CENTER, UH, AND THAT SORT AS YOUR COOLING STATION. 
          AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND I STILL WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO TO THOSE PLACES TO GET OUT THE HEAT IF YOU NEED TO. 
          BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LIBRARY IS NOT WHERE YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE ABLE TO FIND A CASE MANAGER. 
          NEITHER IS THE REC CENTER. 
          UH, IT ALSO, FRANKLY, PUTS A BURDEN ON THE CITY STAFF WHO ARE NOT TRAINED TO HAVE TO WORK WITH THIS POPULATION ALL THE TIME, AND IT TAKES 'EM AWAY FROM THEIR NORMAL JOB DUTIES. 
          UH, LAST YEAR WE DID A PILOT PROGRAM WITH THE TRINITY CENTER RIGHT HERE IN DOWNTOWN. 
          UH, THEY ALREADY OPERATED A, A COOLING CENTER, UM, FROM LIKE 9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. 
          WE PROVIDED THEM WITH SOME EXTRA FUNDING AND CAPACITY TO KEEP THAT COOLING CENTER OPEN UNTIL AT LEAST 6:00 PM AND ON THOSE EXTREMELY HOT DAYS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE JUST DOESN'T FALL, YOU KNOW, CAN WE KEEP IT OPEN MAYBE TILL 8:00 PM AND WE SAW EXTREME SUCCESS WITH THAT MODEL, RIGHT? OF NOT ONLY HAVING AN ALTERNATIVE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO THAT WASN'T A LIBRARY OR A REC CENTER, BUT ALSO A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GO TO, TO GET ACCESS TO CASE MANAGEMENT, FOOD, SHOWER, CLEAN CLOTHES, RIGHT? KIND OF ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO NOT ONLY STAY COOL, BUT ALSO TO BEGIN TO STABILIZE AND BEGIN TO HEAL. 
          AND SO AS WE LOOK TO THIS SUMMER, WE'RE LOOKING, WE ARE INTERESTED IN REPLICATING THAT. 
          UM, WE'RE OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS WITH PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS, PHILANTHROPIC DONORS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANNA, YOU KNOW, EMBRACE THIS MODEL. 
          UH, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE KEY TO NOT ONLY KEEPING PEOPLE COOL, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ACCESS THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED TO END THEIR HOMELESSNESS. 
          THANK YOU, JEREMY. 
          NO PROBLEM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, AND I, I ACTUALLY WILL CLOSE WITH JUST A SINGLE, WITH A QUESTION. 
          IT'S A BIT OF A BIGGER PICTURE QUESTION, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, IT'S GREAT TO HEAR HOW THE, HOW HSO IS PARTNERING WITH ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY 
          [00:55:01]
AGENCIES. 
          I THINK MY QUESTION IS, HOW MANY OF THOSE PRACTICES ARE COMMITTED TO POLICY? LIKE, ARE THEY, ARE THEY SOMETHING THAT IS LIKE INGRAINED IN POLICY AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED VERSUS, YOU KNOW, I, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SITUATION IS NIMBLE AND THAT THINGS CHANGE AND THAT PRACTICES CHANGE. 
          AND, UM, BUT, BUT I GUESS I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S A HUGE QUESTION IN AND OF ITSELF, BUT JUST I WOULD LIKE TO AT SOME POINT GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH THIS IS COMMITTED TO POLICY. 
          SURE. 
          AND I'LL MAYBE SHARE, AND OF COURSE, IF Y'ALL WANT TO ADD YOU, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. 
          AGAIN, OUR OFFICE IS 1-YEAR-OLD. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING DEPARTMENTS, NOT JUST THESE DEPARTMENTS, BUT EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT TO, IN A LOT OF WAYS, CHANGE THEIR CULTURE, CHANGE THEIR OPERATIONS, BEGIN TO, TO DO THINGS A, A NEW AND A DIFFERENT WAY. 
          UH, WE DO HAVE, WHEN IT COMES TO THE PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A, A POLICY. 
          NOW WE DO HAVE A FINALIZED, CITY ADOPTED POLICY THAT SPELLS OUT HOW WE DO, UH, PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT, HOW WE DO ENCAMPMENT, CLEANUPS AND CLOSURES. 
          UH, HOW POSTING AT THOSE SITES HAPPEN, HOW WE TAKE CARE OF, OF OUR CLIENTS, WHO ARE THERE, HOW WE COORDINATE WITH EACH OTHER TO DO THAT. 
          SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THOUGH, UH, IS STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE FOLKS SAW A PROBLEM. 
          THEY CONTACTED MY STAFF AND I, AND THEY SAID, HEY, HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE IT? UH, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT BECAUSE I HAVE PEERS IN OTHER CITIES WHERE THE PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS, FRANKLY, DON'T DO THAT. 
          AND SO I, I THINK WE'RE AT THAT POINT NOW, RIGHT? WHERE WE PUT THINGS IN THE PRACTICE, WE'VE MADE SOME MISTAKES. 
          WE'VE ALSO MADE SOME GANGS THAT WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE. 
          AND SO THIS NEW YEAR, THIS NEXT YEAR, IS GONNA BE FOCUSED ON HOW DO WE TAKE THE PRACTICES, PUT THEM AS POLICY, AND HOW WE TAKE THE POLICY AND WRAP IT AROUND, WRAP SOME TRAINING AROUND IT SO THAT, UH, SHOULD ANY OF THESE AMAZING FOLKS DECIDE TO RETIRE OR GO EXPLORE AN OPPORTUNITY SOMEWHERE ELSE, DON'T DO THAT. 
          BUT SHOULD THEY DECIDE TO DO THAT, UH, WHOEVER COMES IN NEXT IS ABLE TO PICK UP RIGHT WHERE THEY LEFT, WHERE THEY LEFT OFF. 
          AND WE DON'T HAVE TO TRY TO REESTABLISH THOSE PRACTICES ALL OVER AGAIN. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT MAGIC WORD TRAINING, WHICH IS WHY I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT POLICY, BECAUSE, UM, OUR POLICIES DICTATE HOW OUR TRAININGS ARE, ARE, ARE PUT TOGETHER, WHAT, WHAT OUR, OUR SWORN PERSONNEL GOES THROUGH. 
          AND WITHOUT THE POLICY, I, YOU KNOW, THE TRAINING DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAPPEN, AND IT DOES BECOME A SUBJECT TO LEADERSHIP CHANGES AND, YOU KNOW, SO THE POLICY PART IS IMPORTANT. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING TOWARDS SOME OF THAT STUFF. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          OH, I SEE. 
          COMMISSIONER SMITH HAS ONE MORE QUESTION. 
          I THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE. 
          YEAH, YEAH. 
          JUST A NOTE, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL, OPERATIONALIZING THE POLICIES OF YOUR INTERNAL ASSETS, IT WOULD BE NICE IF, WITH THE SAME VIGOR, WE DID THAT WITH THE OPERATIONALIZING OF YOUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS, SO THAT NO MATTER WHO'S IN THAT SEAT, THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF REACHING INTO THE COMMUNITY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES, COMMISSIONER A A THOUSAND PERCENT, AND I, I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME TOUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNERS WHO LIKE TO DO THINGS THEIR WAY, AND NOW WE'RE BEGINNING TO BRING THEM INTO DOING THINGS THE, THE MORE APPROPRIATE WAY. 
          AND SO YOU, YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. 
          YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR MANTRA IS THAT A A CLIENT IN THE STREET SHOULD NOT GET A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF SERVICE IF THEY'RE GETTING IT FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, MY OFFICE OR OUR PARTNER. 
          IT'S THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE, IT'S THE SAME LEVEL OF CARE, IT'S THE SAME LEVEL OF ACCESS. 
          UH, AND SO WE ARE, WE'RE LEVERAGING ON, FROM OUR PARTNERSHIP SIDE, WE'RE LEVERAGING OUR CONTRACTS TO DO THAT. 
          UH, SO THERE, THERE'S A FINANCIAL INCENTIVE TO FOLKS GETTING DOWN WITH THE PROGRAM, FRANKLY. 
          BUT WE'VE BEEN REALLY BLESSED TO HAVE JUST REALLY GREAT PARTNERS, THESE PARTNERS AS WELL AS OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO WILLING TO COME TO THE TABLE, MEET US IN THE MIDDLE, IDENTIFY GOOD PRACTICE, AND NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT WE'RE TAKING THAT PRACTICE AND PUTTING INTO POLICY. 
          BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU CALLING THAT OUT BECAUSE IT TAKES OUR WHOLE CONTINUUM WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE FOR US TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS IT INTO THE BEST PARTS OF THEIR LIVES. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. 
          YEP. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU EVERYBODY. 
          UM, AND WE WILL NOW MOVE ON 
          [Items 6 & 7]
TO OUR NEXT, UM, AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS OUR DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT DATA WITH A PD. 
          WE HAVE FOUR CHAIRS, BUT WE HAVE MORE THAN FOUR PEOPLE. 
          SO, UM, I WAS THINKING THAT WE COULD, UM, TAKE THE DATA DEPARTMENT AT A TIME, UM, AND I WAS THINKING WE WOULD START WITH A PD THEN MOVE ON TO SAFE AND CLOSE WITH TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. 
          UM, AND THEN WE WILL GET TO ALL THE QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION. 
          UM, WE HAVE ROOM FOR MORE PEOPLE, SO IF THERE ARE MORE CHAIRS COME JOIN. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          [01:00:06]
THOSE CHAIRS AREN'T MADE FOR THAT BELT. 
          . 
          HELLO COMMISSIONERS. 
          UH, MY, I'M DEANNA LICHTER. 
          I'M THE COMMANDER OF THE SEX CRIMES UNIT FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR TAKING AN INTEREST IN THE SYSTEMS THAT OUR SURVIVORS MOVE THROUGH TO GAIN SERVICES AND, UH, JUSTICE THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS. 
          UM, TODAY I'LL BE PRESENTING THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE REQUESTED FROM A PD. 
          UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE DATA IS EVOLVING AS A RESULT OF THE EFFORTS OF THE C-S-C-R-M PROJECT, BUT THIS IS STRICTLY THE DATA FOR A PD, AND IT WILL NOT BE AN UPDATE ON THE CSRM PROJECT. 
          UM, BUT YOU, I THINK YOU'LL SEE IN REAL TIME SOME REAL MOVES, UM, WITH THE EFFORTS OF THAT, OF THAT PROJECT. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO, TODAY I'LL BE PRESENTING TO YOU THE, UH, CALLS FOR SERVICE, THE REPORTED CASES, THE INTERNAL CASE STATUS, CASE, STAFFINGS, AND KEY MESSAGES. 
          YOU ALSO HAD RE REQUESTED, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC DATA. 
          AND THAT'S ON THE BACKUP SLIDES, UH, FOR YOUR TI FOR YOUR REVIEW. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO, CALLS FOR SERVICE. 
          THESE ARE, UH, A COMPARISON OF 2023 AND 2024, THE LAST SIX MONTHS FROM JULY TO DECEMBER, CALLS FOR SERVICE. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE CALLS FOR SERVICE IN THE QUARTER THREE AND QUARTER FOUR. 
          AND THIS IS A GOOD THING. 
          WE WANT PEOPLE TO MAKE THOSE CALLS ABOUT SEX RELATED CRIMES. 
          TRADITIONALLY, HISTORICALLY, SEX RELATED CRIMES HAVE BEEN UNDER-REPORTED, AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THE REPORTING. 
          I DO WANNA POINT OUT THOUGH THAT, UM, BECAUSE OF CALLS MADE TO 9 1 1 AND A REPORT IS NOT NECESSARILY MADE AND MAKES IT TO THE SEX CRIMES UNIT, UM, I'LL JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF LIKE A PERSON DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND SEES SOMEBODY, UH, WITH COMMITTING INDECENT EXPOSURE. 
          AND WHEN AN OFFICER ARRIVES, THERE'S NEITHER THE CALLER NOR THE PERSON THERE. 
          AND SO THAT, THAT WOULD NOT RESULT IN A REPORT. 
          SO, UH, WE WANT PEOPLE CALLING IN ON THOSE AND WE'RE GLAD TO AND HAPPY THAT THEY'RE DOING SO. 
          BUT IT, THE CALLS TO THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM MAY NOT, DOES NOT NECESSARILY EQUATE TO THE REPORTS THAT ARE, UM, INVESTIGATED. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THESE ARE THE, UH, NUMBERS FOR, AND AGAIN, COMPARISON FROM 2023 TO 2024 FOR THE HIGHER, UH, SEX CRIMES CASES. 
          THIS WOULD BE, WOULD BE THE RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT WITH AN OBJECT AND SODOMY. 
          UM, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE IS AN, AN APPARENT INCREASE IN, UH, REPORTING. 
          UH, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN, THERE'S NOT A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF REPORTS. 
          WHAT WE'LL SEE, GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          IS THAT WE ARE GETTING BETTER AT OUR DATA, UM, THROUGH THE CSM PROJECT. 
          IN, IN THE FALL, WE FOUND THAT, UM, TITLE CODES WERE NOT BEING UPGRADED APPROPRIATELY. 
          AND, AND THROUGH THAT WORK THAT WE ARE DOING, WE HAVE, UM, MADE SURE THAT THROUGH CIVILIANS THAT WE HAVE HIRED THROUGH THE CSM PROJECT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR DATA AND, AND ENSURING THAT OUR DATA IS MORE CLEAN. 
          AND IT'S AN EVOLUTION. 
          WE ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. 
          UM, IT IS, WE ARE, BUT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT OF, OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED WITH OUR, WITH OUR DATA. 
          SO THERE WAS NOT A NECESSARILY INCREASE IN REPORTING IN 2023. 
          WE HAD 710, UH, CASES IN JULY THROUGH DECEMBER OF 20 24, 655. 
          SO I WANT TO ASSURE ALL THAT THOUGH, WE, UH, MADE OR HAD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN OUR TITLE CODES AND UPGRADE OUR TITLE CODES TO APPROPRIATELY, UM, EVERY CASE THAT HITS THE SEX CRIMES UNIT IS INVESTIGATED. 
          SO NO CASE WAS NOT INVESTIGATED, JUST BASED OFF OFF THE TITLE CODES. 
          EVERY CASE THAT COMES TO US IS INVESTIGATED. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE CASELOAD AND THE WORKLOAD OF WHAT THE SEX CRIMES UNIT DOES, UH, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THOSE THREE HIGHER LEVEL CASES. 
          WE WORK EVERYTHING FROM CLASS C MISDEMEANORS ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THOSE FELONY LEVEL CASES. 
          SO WE WORK, UH, THE IN EXPOSURES, THE LEWDNESS CALLS, 
          [01:05:01]
THE INVASIVE VISUAL, UH, INVASIVE PHO PHOTOGRAPHY. 
          ALL, ALL OF THESE CASES ARE, ARE INVESTIGATED WITH AS MUCH ZEAL AND VIGOR AS WE INVESTIGATE THE, UH, UM, HIGHER LEVEL OFFENSES. 
          'CAUSE WE, WE BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STARTING POINT FOR THESE PERPETRATORS. 
          AND IF WE CAN GET, GET IN AND IDENTIFY THEM EARLY AND, UH, SEEK JUSTICE AS APPROPRIATELY, THEN, THEN WE'RE GOING TO, UH, HOPEFULLY MAKE SOME IMPACTS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          INTERNAL CASE STATUS. 
          SO BASICALLY WE, WHEN WE WORK A CASE, IT IS AN OPEN CASE AND AT TIMES WE HAVE TO, WHAT I'M, I'M WE CALL IT SUSPENDED OR WE PUT IT IN, WHAT, WHAT, ANOTHER WAY WE COULD LOOK AT IT IS WE PAUSE THE CASE. 
          SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE, WE MAY PAUSE THE CASE, UM, AND IT'S NOT UNDER ACTIVE INVESTIGATION, BUT THE CASE MAY BE PAUSED BECAUSE WE'RE WAITING FOR DNA RESULTS TO COME BACK, OR WE MAY HAVE CAUSED THE CASE 'CAUSE WE'RE WAITING FOR MORE INFORMATION TO COME BACK FROM THE VICTIM. 
          SO, UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT REASONS WHY WE WILL PUT A CASE INTO A SUSPENDED, UM, UH, CATEGORY. 
          WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN, UH, VICTIM READINESS, UH, AS A REASON FOR PAUSING THE CASE. 
          UM, PREVIOUSLY AND HISTORICALLY, THERE WAS NATIONWIDE AN ISSUE WITH CLEARING CASES EXCEPTIONALLY. 
          AND WE NOW SEE THAT WE ARE MORE APPROPRIATELY STOPPING CASES WHEN WE ARE NOT GETTING, UM, THE VICTIMS TO ENGAGE WITH US ANY, ANY FURTHER. 
          SO, UM, THERE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT REASONS FOR THAT, UM, THAT THE VICTIMS MAY, UH, DECIDE NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR CASES. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          THIS NEXT SLIDE IS FOR THE ALL THE OTHER SEX BASED CRIMES, UH, THE PUBLIC NESS, THE INVASIVE VI VISUAL PHOTOGRAPHY. 
          I WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, THE CLEARED BY ARREST LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THERE. 
          UM, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT, DID A DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT, WE FOUND THAT IN 2023, WE HAD A MUCH HIGHER NUMBER OF REPORTED INDECENT EXPOSURES THAT WERE CLEARED BY ARREST. 
          AND THEN WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE SAME TIME PERIOD IN 2024, FAR FEWER REPORTS. 
          AND SO VERY FEW, UM, PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED FOR. 
          SO IT, IT WAS, IT WAS AMAZING. 
          AND I WOULD LIKE TO THINK, AND WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T JUSTIFY CAUSE AND CORRELATION. 
          BUT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THE HARD CHARGING AND, AND ARRESTS THAT WERE DONE IN 2023 HAD SOME, SOME, SOME IMPACT THAT, HEY, YOU CAN'T DO THIS IN PUBLIC. 
          YOU CANNOT VICTIMIZE PEOPLE IN PUBLIC IN THIS MANNER. 
          AND SO I, I'M, I'M, AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SAY CAUSE AND CORRELATION THERE, BUT, UM, THERE WAS A DRAMATIC DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REPORTINGS ON, UH, THE INDECENT EXPOSURES. 
          NEXT MEETING, PLEASE. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          I'D LIKE TO THANK THE TRAVIS COUNTY DA'S OFFICE. 
          UM, THEY, UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING COLLABORATIVELY AND HAD, HAVE HAD WONDERFUL SUCCESS IN OUR MEETINGS AND OUR DISCUSSIONS. 
          AND, UM, THEY HAVE, UH, STAFFED A DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN OUR OFFICE. 
          AND, UH, SO YOU SEE A BIG JUMP FROM QUARTER THREE TO QUARTER FOUR IN OUR STAFFING OF CASES. 
          AND WHAT, WHAT, WHEN I SAY STAFFING OF CASES, THAT'S WHEN WE MEET WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND, UH, THE DA THAT'S IN, IN HOUSE AND, UM, JUST GO OVER THE DETAILS OF THE CASE AND DISCUSS THE CASE. 
          AND EITHER WE ARE PROVIDING THEM WITH, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE GOT. 
          WE THINK WE'VE GOT SOME MERIT TO THIS CASE. 
          OR THEY PROVIDE GUIDANCE BACK TO US SAYING, OKAY, WELL LET, I, WE NEED YOU TO GET SOME MORE WORK IN THIS AREA. 
          OR IF WE WERE KIND OF NEEDING SOME INFORMATION ON, HEY, HOW, HOW SHOULD WE GO ABOUT GETTING THE SEARCH WARRANT AND EXECUTING IT? UM, IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL COLLABORATION AND I CAN'T THANK, UH, THE DA'S OFFICE EN ENOUGH TO, FOR HAVING, UH, A DA LOU IN, IN HOUSE WITH US ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS WHEN SHE'S NOT IN COURT. 
          UM, SHE'S BEEN A FANTASTIC RESOURCE AND I CAN ONLY SEE THAT THIS COLLABORATION WITH THE DA'S OFFICE IMPROVING AS TIME GOES ON. 
          IT'S JUST, UM, BEEN WONDERFUL TO HAVE HER IN OFFICE WITH US. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO THE KEY TAKEAWAYS, UM, I WANT TO IMPRESS UPON Y'ALL IS THAT WE ARE EVOLVING AND GETTING BETTER. 
          IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME. 
          UM, IT, IT, IT TAKES TIME ONE, TO INVESTIGATE WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW AND, AND TRYING TO IMPROVE, BUT WE ARE GETTING OUR DATA, UM, TO A BETTER STATE, I BELIEVE, UH, THAT WE ARE, WE, WE, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE LOOKING AT WHAT YOU'RE 
          [01:10:01]
DOING AND TRY TO STRIVE TO IMPROVE. 
          AND WE ARE, WE ARE AT, WE ARE AT THAT AND THE CSM PROJECT AND YOUR SUPPORT OF THAT HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. 
          AND, UM, AND IT, IT, IT IS MAKING STRIDES. 
          WE WOULD, WE WOULD ALL LOVE TO SEE US JUMPING TO THE END, BUT IT, IT TAKE, IT'S A PROCESS AND WE ARE STILL IN PROCESS. 
          UM, WE ARE, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, WE ARE DOING, UH, TRAININGS WITH, FROM PATROL THROUGH THE DETECTIVES TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO THE BEST JOB THAT WE CAN WITH OUR DATA. 
          BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE, WE, WE REALLY KIND OF JUDGE THE UNIT BY IS LIKE, HOW, HOW ARE WE DOING? AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE THOSE METRICS TO, TO REVIEW BY. 
          SO, UM, WE APPRECIATE ALL PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE, UH, DEVELOPED THROUGH THE PROCESS AND, UM, ARE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING TO COME IN, UM, THE FUTURE. 
          AND I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYONE MAY HAVE. 
          UM, SO EVERYBODY, I THINK, JUST SO THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH PRESENTATIONS AND HAVE A ROBUST DISCUSSION AFTER, I THINK WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH ALL THE PRESENTATIONS IF YOU CAN STICK AROUND SO WE CAN DO QUESTIONS AFTER. 
          UM, AND JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, THE WAY WE SET THIS UP IS WE ARE DOING SOME BRIEF PRESENTATIONS FROM EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND THERE IS BACKUP DATA IN, UM, FOR EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT WAS REQUESTED. 
          SO THERE'S MORE DETAILED INFORMATION IN OUR BACKUP, UM, THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT AS WELL. 
          SO IF WE COULD HAVE SAFE COME BACK, COME UP, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. 
          AND WE ARE, WE ARE, OUR HOPE IS TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS QUARTERLY. 
          WE'LL TALK ABOUT A RECOMMENDATION TO THAT END, UM, IN A LITTLE BIT. 
          BUT WE WILL WORK ON REFINING A PROCESS AND FIGURING OUT WHAT THE BEST WAY TO MOVE THROUGH THESE PRESENTATIONS IS GONNA BE. 
          SO, THANK YOU. 
          YOU PUSH IT. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          PERFECT. 
          OH, DID Y'ALL HEAR THAT? DO I NEED TO REPEAT THAT? IF YOU DON'T MIND REPEATING IT. 
          OKAY, SURE. 
          UM, HELLO, MY NAME IS CONNIE STAGNER. 
          I'M THE CO-CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER, THE SAFE ALLIANCE. 
          UM, SAFE AT SAFE. 
          OUR NAME IS OUR MISSION. 
          IT'S STANDS FOR STOP ABUSE FOR EVERYONE. 
          UM, AND IN ADDITION TO, UM, OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE SERVICES THAT WE'RE GONNA DIVE INTO TONIGHT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ALL OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT'S SAFE. 
          SO FOLKS, UH, GET A SENSE OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO. 
          WE'RE LARGE NONPROFIT. 
          UM, WE SERVE SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, CHILD ABUSE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING. 
          UM, WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY SHELTER. 
          WE HAVE, UM, COUNSELING SERVICES. 
          WE HAVE, UM, FOSTER AND ADOPT PROGRAM, UH, A NUMBER OF WONDERFUL PREVENTION PROGRAMS. I ACTUALLY BROUGHT SOME FLYERS THAT HAVE, UM, ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN, IN LEARNING ABOUT ALL THE, ALL THE THINGS WE DO AT SAFE. 
          'CAUSE THERE'S, UM, QUITE A FEW THINGS. 
          UM, WE ALSO, UH, SO WE HAVE THE EMERGENCY SHELTER, BUT WE HAVE LONGER TERM SHELTERS. 
          AND, UM, IT'S INTERESTING THAT, UH, DIRECTOR GRAY WAS HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE SAFE IS ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING TWO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAMS THAT WILL COME ONLINE IN, UM, MIDDLE OF 2026 AND THEN MAYBE EARLY 2027. 
          SO IT'S NICE TO HEAR HIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT TOO. 
          UM, WE HAVE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, TURNOVER IN OUR LEADERSHIP, UH, AT SAFE, AND WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT, UM, UM, SOME OF THE NEW FOLKS THAT WE HAVE LEADING THE TEAM, UM, ON VIRTUALLY WE HAVE JOINING, UM, ALLISON KLP, WHO IS THE NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES IN THE FUTURE. 
          WHEN THE PRESENTATIONS ARE HAPPENING HERE, IT'LL PROBABLY BE ALLISON AND PAULA MARKS, WHO'S RIGHT HERE TO MY LEFT. 
          AND PAULA IS THE NEW DIRECTOR OF FORENSIC NURSING. 
          JUST BEEN IN THE ROLE ABOUT TWO WEEKS. 
          YEP. 
          AND, AND ALLISON HAS JUST BEEN WITH US ABOUT A WEEK OR SO. 
          UM, SO, AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN OVER TO, TO PAULA TO DO THE DEEP DIVE INTO THE SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE SERVICES. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, THANKS FOR HAVING ME, EVERYONE, AND THANKS FOR BEING PATIENT WITH ME, LIKE WITH THIS BEGINNING ROLE OF ONLY BEING TWO WEEKS. 
          SO THE DATA THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, THAT I'LL GET TO IS KIND OF FROM THE, UM, THE SAME INFORMATION THAT WAS DELIVERED IN THE SAR IN DECEMBER OF, I'M SORRY, IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. 
          UM, BUT I FIRST WANTED TO BEGIN WITH JUST TALKING ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES. 
          UM, WE'RE A PROGRAM THAT IS, THAT SERVES THE ADULT AND ADOLESCENT COMMUNITY THAT'S RECENTLY EXPERIENCED SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          AND SO IT'S A GROUP OF FORENSIC NURSES AND ADVOCATES. 
          UM, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          OH YEAH. 
          HOW FUN IS THIS? UH, YEAH. 
          UM, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DO. 
          WE, UM, WE GO TO DIFFERENT SITES. 
          UM, I, I WOULD SAY THE MAIN MAJORITY OF PLACES THAT WE DO THESE EXAMS IS AT ELOISE HOUSE. 
          IT'S A COMMUNITY-BASED CLINIC. 
          IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL. 
          [01:15:01]
UM, WE WILL HAVE A NEW LOCATION IN 2025. 
          IT'S GONNA BE AT 4,800 RAF GABER, I'M SORRY, 4,800 MAINOR ROAD, UH, AT RAF GABER VILLAGE. 
          UH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT NEW SPACE. 
          IT'S GONNA HAVE MORE EXAM ROOMS, A LOT MORE SPACE, HOPEFULLY SOME ADMIN AREAS WHERE WE CAN DO SOME TRAINING AND, UM, COLLABORATION WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. 
          AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          IN ADDITION, OUR NURSES GO AND ADVOCATES GO TO 14 OTHER HOSPITALS IN FIVE COUNTIES, UM, IN CENTRAL TEXAS. 
          THAT'S WILLIAMSON COUNTY TO THE NORTH OF US. 
          UM, BASTROP COUNTY, UM, UH, BURNETT COUNTY AND HAYES COUNTY, AND INCLUDING TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF KNOW WHERE WE GO. 
          WE ALSO DO, UM, EXAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY HEALTH, UH, SERVICES, UM, KIND OF MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, EIGHT TO FIVE. 
          AND THIS IS THE STAFF AS OF DECEMBER OF 2024. 
          'CAUSE AGAIN, I WAS TRYING TO STAY CONSISTENT WITH THE DATA RELATED TO END OF YEAR. 
          UM, IT'S LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT NOW, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE 10 FULL-TIME FORENSIC NURSES. 
          UM, THAT INCLUDES ONE DIRECTOR, WHICH IS ME, TWO MANAGERS, UM, ONE WE ARE NEEDING TO HIRE AT, AT CURRENT, AND SEVEN FULL-TIME NURSES IN DECEMBER. 
          THERE WAS ONE OF THOSE, UH, FULL-TIME NURSES THAT WAS IN TRAINING. 
          UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE NINE PRN OR RELIEF STAFF. 
          AND AS OF DECEMBER 20, 24, 2 WERE IN TRAINING AT THAT TIME. 
          UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE DO THESE EXAMS WITH, UM, FORENSIC NURSES AND ADVOCACY. 
          I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES IF WE DIDN'T MENTION ADVOCACY. 
          SO I PUT ON THERE THE ADVOCATE STAFFING, WHICH IS, THERE'S SEVEN FULL-TIME ADVOCATES, INCLUDING ONE DIRECTOR, ONE MANAGER, ONE TRAINING CLINIC COORDINATOR, AND FULL FOUR FULL-TIME ADVOCATES. 
          AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE 13 PRN OR RELIEF STAFF ADVOCATES WITH FOREIGN TRAINING. 
          AGAIN, WHEN WE DO THESE EXAMS WITH PEOPLE, WE ARE RESPONDING WITH BOTH A FORENSIC NURSE AND AN ADVOCATE FOR THAT HOLISTIC, UM, HOLISTIC CARE. 
          'CAUSE WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING WHAT OUR, UM, PATIENTS ARE IN, ARE WANTING IN FRONT OF US. 
          SO KIND OF GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF THE OPTIONS RELATED TO THAT. 
          AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN, UM, SURVIVORS COME TO OUR SERVICES, THIS IS A MENU OF THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO. 
          THEY DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO DO THE WHOLE MEDICAL FORENSIC EXAM TO SAY, GET MEDICAL CARE. 
          SO MEDICAL CARE, I'M A NURSE, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I TALK ABOUT FIRST. 
          AND MEDICAL CARE CAN INCLUDE ASSESSMENTS, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOLLOW UP, UH, YOU KNOW, MEDICATIONS, UH, THAT PATIENTS MIGHT NEED, CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR BODY. 
          UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, LIKE I SAID, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THE FULL EVIDENCE COLLECTION AND REPORTING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT TO GET THAT. 
          UM, WHEN WE SEE PATIENTS, WE ALSO DISCUSS, A LOT OF TIMES THE ADVOCATES HAVE DISCUSSIONS ON REPORTING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OR NOT. 
          IF THIS IS A GOOD IDEA, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT IF YOU'RE AN INDIVIDUAL OVER 18 AND OVER AND YOU'RE NOT IN A PROTECTED POPULATION, WE CAN DO SOMETHING CALLED A NON-REPORT OR AN ANONYMOUS REPORT. 
          SOMETIMES THAT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR, UM, PEOPLE THAT JUST KIND OF NEED THE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN REPORTING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COLLECTING THAT EVIDENCE THAT IS TIME, UH, TIME SENSITIVE. 
          SO AGAIN, WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT. 
          THE EVIDENCE COLLECTION IS ITS OWN, UM, YOU KNOW, OPTION AS WELL. 
          WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR PATIENTS IN FRONT OF US MAKE DECISIONS ON WHERE THEY WANT THAT EVIDENCE COLLECTED, UH, WHERE ON THEIR BODY IF THEY CONSENT TO PHOTOS, UM, BLOOD, URINE. 
          SO THESE ARE ALL VERY LENGTHY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE WANNA ENSURE THAT OUR PATIENTS REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE. 
          AND AS CONNIE MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT AND RESOURCES RELATED TO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AT THE SAFE ALLIANCE. 
          SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE JUST COMING IN BECAUSE THEY WANT HELP GETTING INTO COUNSELING OR GETTING INTO THE, THE COMMUNITY SHELTER OR, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH LEGAL ISSUES. 
          OR REALLY THEY JUST WANNA TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN? SO THE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES IS A REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, THING THAT WE CAN OFFER, AND IT'S REALLY GREAT THAT WE WORK SO CLOSELY WITH THE ADVOCATES TO PROVIDE THAT HOLISTIC CARE. 
          AND THEN SOMETIMES AFTER WE TALK TO OUR PATIENTS IN FRONT OF US, UM, NONE OF THE ABOVE SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA. 
          AND I WANNA MENTION TO ALL OF Y'ALL THAT WHEN PEOPLE DECIDE NOT TO ENGAGE WITH SERVICES WITH US, WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND. 
          UM, WE DO SOMETHING CALLED INFORMED DECLINATION. 
          SO IF SOMEBODY'S DECLINING SOMETHING, THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS, WHAT THIS COULD MEAN, AND WE, UM, CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE LIKE, NOPE, I GOTTA GO PICK UP MY KIDS RIGHT NOW. 
          I CAN'T DO THIS. 
          AND SO WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW, HEY, IF YOU WANNA REACH BACK OUT TO US, WE CAN KIND OF WORK THROUGH ALL THAT. 
          OKAY, SO MOVING ON TO THE DATA. 
          IN DECEMBER OF 2024, WE HAD 70, I'M SORRY, 64 UNDUPLICATED SERVICE REQUESTS, MEANING THAT IS 64 INDIVIDUALS, UM, WANTING TO SEEK SERVICES. 
          UM, WE HAVE A DISPATCH SYSTEM WHERE WE HAVE A, UM, A CALL LINE FOR ALL COMMUNITY RESPONDERS TO USE WHERE THEY CAN DISPATCH A FORENSIC NURSE AND OR, AND, OR AN ADVOCATE 24 7. 
          SO WITHIN THAT DISPATCH SYSTEM, 
          [01:20:01]
WE ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO RECORD THOSE CONVERSATIONS, AGAIN, ONLY BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY PROVIDERS AND THE, AND THE, AND THE STAFF. 
          IT'S SAFE, UM, AGAIN, TO ASSURE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, MAKING SURE THAT WE JUST DON'T MISS ANYBODY. 
          UM, SO AGAIN, IN THAT DATA, UM, WE ENDED UP DOING 41 EVIDENCE COLLECTION AND EXAMS, MEANING THOSE 41 WAS A FULL MEDICAL FORENSIC EXAM WITH EVIDENCE. 
          AND, UM, MEDICAL CARE, WE HAD FIVE MEDICAL CARE ONLY EXAMS, MEANING THOSE, UM, PEOPLE JUST OPTED TO WANNA GET MEDICAL ASSESSMENTS, MEDICATIONS AND POTENTIALLY FOLLOW UP. 
          AND WE DID 18 CONSULTS, THOSE CONSULTS WE WOULD LIKE TO RECORD FOR DATA BECAUSE WE THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SHOW JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE ENGAGE WITH, UM, OUR NURSES OR ADVOCATES GET THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED, AND THEN THEY CAN MAKE THE DECISION THAT'S RIGHT FOR THEM. 
          MOVE ON. 
          SO THIS IS SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE COLLECT. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, THIS WAS THE SAME DATA THAT WAS REPORTED TO THE SART IN JANUARY, JUST LIKE A GUESSSO A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. 
          SO WE DID, SO TALKING ABOUT CHALLENGES, WE TRY TO KEEP A 24 7, UM, FORENSIC NURSE AND ADVOCATE ON AT ALL TIME. 
          SO THIS FIRST DATA POINT IS, UM, A PATIENT THAT WE LOST TO FOLLOW UP, MEANING WE LOST THEM BECAUSE THERE WAS NO FORENSIC NURSE AVAILABLE. 
          WE DID DO, UM, WE DO OUR LEVEL BEST TO TRY AND REACH OUT, BUT SOMETIMES WE DO LOSE PEOPLE. 
          AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS WE LOST A FOLLOW UP BECAUSE NO ADVOCATE WAS AVAILABLE. 
          THERE'S AN ASTERISK IN THAT BECAUSE I DID A LITTLE DEEP DIVE BECAUSE I'M NEW TO THIS DATA AND NEW TO THIS DATA COLLECTION, UM, TO ENSURE SUPER, LIKE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCURACY. 
          THE, THE ONE OF THE CASES WAS THERE WAS NO ADVOCATE OR FORENSIC NURSE AVAILABLE. 
          SO THERE WAS REALLY JUST TWO THAT WAS LOST. 
          BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE TRANSPARENT BECAUSE AT THAT DAY WE DIDN'T, WE HAD, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ADVOCATE OR A FORENSIC NURSE AVAILABLE. 
          UM, THAT THIRD LINE IS PATIENT DECLINE SERVICES ONCE A FORENSIC NURSE DID BECOME AVAILABLE. 
          SO IF WE, UH, IF THERE WAS A NURSE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME, WE DID OUR LEVEL BEST TO REACH OUT. 
          AND FOR ALL OF THAT, NOBODY, UH, EVERYBODY ENDED UP COMING IN FOR FORENSIC EXAM THAT, UM, WHEN THERE WAS A NURSE AVAILABLE IN THE, IN THE MONTH OF, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          I CAN TAKE QUESTIONS ON THAT IF THAT'S, SOME OF THIS IS KIND OF CONFUSING. 
          UM, ANOTHER, UM, DATA POINT IS WHEN WE REFER TO ANOTHER PROGRAM, 'CAUSE NO FORENSIC NURSES ARE AVAILABLE, WE DIDN'T DO THAT AT ALL IN DECEMBER. 
          AND THEN PATIENTS DECLINING SERVICES AT INITIAL DISPATCH, WE HAD FIVE FOR THAT. 
          UM, SO IN AN, AGAIN, AN EFFORT TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT OUR HIGHLIGHTS, WE ALSO COLLECT QUALITATIVE DATA FROM OUR PATIENTS. 
          SO WE OFFER ANONYMOUS FEEDBACK SURVEYS TO, UM, THE, THE PATIENTS THAT COME IN AND GET EXAMS WITH US. 
          AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY REMARKABLE THAT OUT OF THE 46 PATIENT EXAMS THAT WE DID, 18 PEOPLE DECIDED TO LEAVE FEEDBACK FOR OUR NURSES AND ADVOCATES. 
          AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF ATTENTION ABOUT JUST HOW REALLY, UM, TO MEASURE WHAT, IF WE'RE DOING THINGS RIGHT, WHO BETTER TO SAY THAT THAN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE, THE PATIENTS THAT WE SERVE. 
          AND SO I JUST HAVE A LITTLE BOLD ON THERE. 
          I WON'T READ THEM ALL, BUT GAVE ME ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT MY CARE. 
          THIS IS A NURSING QUESTION. 
          WE ARE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT FOR ALL OF THESE NURSING QUESTIONS. 
          AGAIN, OUT OF THE 18 THAT, UM, GAVE THIS, THIS IS RELATED TO ADVOCACY. 
          AND AGAIN, WE WERE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER FOR THE 18, UM, PEOPLE THAT GAVE PATIENT FEEDBACK SURVEYS. 
          AND I THOUGHT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS EXPLAINED MEDICAL AND LEGAL OPTIONS TO ME. 
          AND I FELT A SENSE OF REGAINED CONTROL OVER THIS PROCESS. 
          THAT'S PRETTY POWERFUL IN MY OPINION, TO HAVE THAT KIND OF, UM, FEEDBACK FROM OUR SURVIVORS. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST KIND OF ALL OVERALL SERVICES. 
          DO YOU FEEL BETTER THAT NOW WHEN YOU GOT HERE, WHEN I CONDUCT TRAININGS, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I TALK TO ALL OF MY NURSES THAT ARE GONNA BE WORKING, UH, AT SAFE, IS THAT THE NUMBER ONE GOAL IS THAT OUR PATIENTS THAT WE TAKE CARE OF FEEL BETTER THAN WHEN THEY GOT OUT. 
          WHEN, WHEN THEY LEAVE. 
          NOW, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE EVERY, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME, BUT IN THIS FEEDBACK, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ASK. 
          AND THEN, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO BEGIN TO RECOVER? I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT. 
          AND AGAIN, UM, WHEN WE'RE MEASURING SUCCESS, THIS IS WHAT SAFE IS REALLY TRYING TO DO. 
          WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO TELL US AND WE UTILIZE THIS INFORMATION FOR IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL. 
          OOH, I TALKED REALLY FAST. 
          SO THIS IS THE 24 HOUR SAFE LINE. 
          THIS IS A NUMBER AND A CHAT LINE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO REACH OUT TO. 
          IF THEY WANTED TO, UM, REACH OUT TO A FORENSIC NURSE OR AN ADVOCATE. 
          THAT QR CODE IS ACTUALLY, YOU CAN SCAN IT AND SCAN TO THE OE HOUSE WEBSITE. 
          AND IT HAS, UM, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON THERE, A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF, UM, OUR SERVICES. 
          AND I ENCOURAGE MEL TO PASS THAT AROUND 
          [01:25:01]
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT REALLY IS A VERY, UM, EASY WAY FOR, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SEE IF THIS IS THE KIND OF SERVICES THAT THEY WANNA DO. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          IF YOU GUYS CAN ALSO STICK AROUND FOR QUESTIONS AFTER THAT WOULD BE GREAT. 
          AND IF YOU COULD HAVE THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE COME ON UP. 
          I FEEL LIKE THE PRICE IS RIGHT HERE. 
          GOOD EVENING, CHAIR RAMIREZ AND MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION. 
          I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS MADE OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE BACKUP MATERIALS, WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SEXUAL ASSAULT CONVICTIONS SECURED BY OUR OFFICE. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, IN, UM, 2023 AND 2024, AFTER CRIMINAL COURTS REOPENED AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE DA'S OFFICE HAS DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS AND SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES FROM ANY YEAR IN THE SIX PROCEEDING YEARS. 
          OUTCOMES FOR SURVIVORS HAVE IMPROVED IN LARGE PART FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE DURING THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE ALSO WORKED CLOSELY WITH A PD AND WITH COMMUNITY TO BUILD A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN WHICH SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT CAN BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT. 
          AND WHEN MEANINGFUL JUSTICE, WE MUST NEVER FORGET THAT WE HAVE MADE THIS PROGRESS BECAUSE FOR TOO LONG SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT WERE DENIED JUSTICE. 
          AS A RESULT, THEY ORGANIZED, THEY DEMANDED, AND EVENTUALLY THEY SUED BOTH A PD AND THE DA'S OFFICE IN ORDER TO WIN THESE CHANGES. 
          WE SHOULD FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR THOSE SACRIFICES. 
          I'M ALSO GRATEFUL TO CHIEF DAVIS AND TO CHIEFS HENDERSON AND CHACON BEFORE HER. 
          ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN CLEAR THAT DIGNITY, RESPECT, AND JUSTICE FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT MUST BE AMONGST THE TOP PRIORITIES OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          AND FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK, UM, THE AMAZING TEAMS OF PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT HAVE TOILED SO THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO REPORT THIS PROGRESS TO YOU TODAY. 
          I'M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR COMMANDER LICHTER, UM, LIEUTENANT LULU AND THEIR TEAM FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THIS WORK. 
          I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UM, THE AMAZING TEAM FROM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. 
          TRUDY STRASSBERGER, OUR FIRST ASSISTANT, EVA FERNANDEZ, OUR DIRECTOR OF VICTIM SERVICES, AND ANDREA AUSTIN, THE DIRECTOR OF OUR SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, HAVE POURED THEMSELVES INTO THIS WORK IN COUNTLESS MEETINGS, CONVERSATIONS WITH VICTIMS, AND IN THE COURTROOM BECAUSE OF THE COMMITMENT OF THESE DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. 
          I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE KEY, UM, TRENDS AND TAKEAWAYS AS YOU REQUESTED. 
          UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, FIRST, UM, COMMUNICATION HAS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY BETWEEN THE DA'S OFFICE AND A PD AND BETWEEN COMMUNITY EXPERTS AND ADVOCATES, UM, AS ALL OF YOU KNOW. 
          BUT I THINK THIS HISTORY IS IMPORTANT TO, TO WALK THROUGH. 
          IN 2021, BOTH A PD AND THE DA'S OFFICE RETURNED TO THE SART. 
          AS A RESULT, ONCE AGAIN, THE SART IS PLAYING A CRITICAL ROLE HOLDING THE ECOSYSTEM THAT SERVES SURVIVORS ACCOUNTABLE. 
          IN 2022, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EMBEDDED A PROSECUTOR WITH A PD TO WORK ON SEX ASSAULT CASES. 
          AS A RESULT, CASE LEVEL COMMUNICATION HAS IMPROVED SO THAT CASES ARE STRONGER FOR PROSECUTION. 
          AND THEN, AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, IN 2023, A PD LAUNCHED THE COLLECTIVE SEX CRIMES RESPONSE MODEL PROJECT. 
          UM, THAT PROJECT WAS CREATED TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY PERF AND AGREEMENTS THE CITY OF AUSTIN MADE IN ITS SETTLEMENT WITH SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          BUT AGAIN, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE DA'S OFFICE, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS OF THE C-S-C-R-M PROJECT IS THAT IT HAS LED TO CONSTANT AND CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A PD AND THE DA'S OFFICE. 
          IT HAS ALSO LED TO INCREASED TRANSPARENCY AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT EACH OTHER'S POLICIES, PERSPECTIVES, AND NEEDS. 
          IT'S LED TO IMPROVED CASE STAFFINGS BOTH BEFORE CASES ARE FILED AND AFTER CASES ARE RESOLVED IN TURN. 
          AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THAT HAS LED TO MEANINGFUL JUSTICE FOR MORE SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          UM, AND JUST AS A HISTORICAL NOTE, AGAIN, I WANNA REMIND YOU THAT, UM, DURING COVID-19 CRIMINAL COURTS WERE CLOSED IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, FOR JURY TRIALS FROM, UH, APPROXIMATELY MARCH, 2020 THROUGH MARCH OF 2022. 
          AND AS I SAID, UM, SINCE THE COURT'S REOPENED, 
          [01:30:01]
OUR OFFICE HAS, UM, IN, HAS HAD INCREASED SUCCESS, PROSECUTING CASES INVESTIGATED BY A PD AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS. 
          UM, THE IN AND I WANTED TO, I, UH, PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THE INCREASE IN CONVICTIONS, UM, FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES. 
          AND I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT THAT INCREASE IN CONVICTIONS HAS INCLUDED AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS FOR THE OFFENSE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          UM, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE FOLLOWED THE DISCUSSIONS AND DEBATE AROUND THE PO AROUND THIS POLICY, UM, KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CONCERNS PREVIOUSLY, UM, THAT PROSECUTORS HAVE TOO OFTEN PLED SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES, UM, TO OTHER KINDS OF OFFENSES. 
          AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT NOT ONLY HAVE THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS, UM, THAT FLOW FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATIONS INCREASED, BUT THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS FOR THE OFFENSE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          I WANT TO, UM, WALK THROUGH, UM, SOME OF THE, UM, UNMET NEEDS AND CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE QUICKLY. 
          UM, AND BEFORE I DO JUST JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, WE STILL HAVE MUCH IMPROVEMENT TO MAKE, BUT THE EARLY, UM, TRENDS SHOW THAT AS OUR COMMUNICATION IMPROVES, SO DO THE RESULTS. 
          UH, WHO WOULD'VE, WHO WOULD'VE GUESSED? UM, THE, THE MOST RECENT FOCUS OF OUR DIALOGUE AND PROGRESS HAS BEEN IMPROVING THE FLOW OF EVIDENCE FROM A PD TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, ENSURING THAT ALL EVIDENCE IS SHARED WITH THE DA'S OFFICE EARLY IN THE PROCESS HELPS THE DA'S OFFICE TO BE READY TO PROSECUTE CASES SOONER. 
          THAT'S OBVIOUSLY BETTER FOR VICTIMS AND HELPS US TO AVOID DUE PROCESS VIOLATIONS THAT CAN DAMAGE A CRIMINAL CASE. 
          UM, HANNAH SANKO NOT ONLY HAS LED THE CITY'S C-S-C-R-M PROCESS, BUT HAS FACILITATED IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN OUR OFFICE, UM, AND A PD ABOUT THE DISCOVERY PROCESS. 
          SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO HER, BUT ALSO GRATEFUL TO A PD LEADERSHIP FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THIS PROCESS. 
          AND FOR THE CONCRETE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY MADE, WE HAVE, UM, ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. 
          BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE IS STILL FRAGILE, AND THERE ARE EMERGING THREATS TO THE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE MADE. 
          UH, FIRST, BOTH A PD AND THE DA'S OFFICE RELY HEAVILY ON FEDERAL SUPPORT TO SERVE VICTIMS OF CRIME AND TO INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE THEIR CASES. 
          THE RECENT THREATS TO FEDERAL GRANTS BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION POSE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE DA'S OFFICE ALONE, FIVE VICTIM COUNSELOR POSITIONS, OUR EMBEDDED ATTORNEY AND AN INVESTIGATOR IN OUR SPECIAL VICTIM'S UNIT, WHICH PROSECUTES SEX ASSAULT CRIMES RELY ON FEDERAL SUPPORT. 
          WE REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT THE FEDERAL COURTS AND THE ADMINISTRATION ITSELF WILL RECOGNIZE THE FOLLY OF PLAYING POLITICS WITH RESOURCES THAT SERVE SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS. 
          SECOND, I HAVE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT RECENTLY THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL PROPOSED AN ADMINISTRATIVE RULE THAT WOULD REQUIRE PROSECUTORS TO TURN OVER CASE FILES, INCLUDING CONFIDENTIAL VICTIM INFORMATION TO THE G TO THE AGS OFFICE. 
          UM, GIVEN THAT THE AGS OFFICE HAS NO PROSECUTORIAL AUTHORITY IN THESE CASES, THIS INTRUSION IS NOT ONLY IN UNCONSTITUTIONAL, BUT IT THREATENS TO UNDO THE TRUST THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TO BUILD WITH SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          INTRUDING INTO VICTIM PRIVACY TO PLAY POLITICS IS BAD FOR IS BAD POLICY FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          UH, AGAIN, WE HOPE THAT THE AGS OFFICE WILL RECONSIDER THIS PROPOSED RULE OR THAT THE COURTS WILL INTERVENE. 
          FINALLY, UM, IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT MEANINGFUL JUSTICE FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, WE REMAIN CONVINCED THAT THE LEGISLATURE MUST ACT TO UPDATE THE LAW SO THAT IT IS UP TO DATE WITH OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF AND EXPERIENCES WITH CONSENT. 
          WE'RE GRATEFUL TO, UM, TASSA FOR BEING AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS FIGHT TO REPRESENTATIVE HOWARD AND SENATOR ECKHART FOR THEIR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO SEE THE SEE THE LAW CHANGED AND TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS TASK FORCE FOR CONSISTENTLY MAKING THESE NEEDED CHANGES A PRIORITY. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS EVENING. 
          I HOPE THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO YOU TODAY AND LAST WEEK IN THE BACKUP BY THE DA'S OFFICE AIDS YOUR WORK AND UNDERSTANDING OF THIS CRITICAL ISSUE. 
          I AM PROUD OF OUR PROGRESS, UM, RESOLUTE IN OUR COMMITMENT TO SEE IT THROUGH AND GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF OUR AMAZING PARTNERS IN THIS WORK. 
          AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE MAY HAVE. 
          THANK YOU EVERYONE. 
          I THINK, UM, IF YOU GUYS 
          [01:35:01]
CAN START THINKING ABOUT YOUR QUESTIONS AS WE GET EVERYBODY TO COME ON UP, IF WE CAN GET ALL THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE AGENCIES, WHOEVER, WE HAVE A FEW MORE CHAIRS. 
          THESE THESE DON'T, AREN'T NECESSARILY RESERVED FOR COMMISSIONERS, YOU GUYS CAN COME ON UP TO IF YOU WANT, GRAB A MIC. 
          UM, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BEING HERE. 
          UM, I'M GLAD WE HAVE SOME TIME FOR QUESTIONS. 
          UM, WHILE EVERYBODY'S GETTING SITUATED, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THAT IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH HANNAH SANKO, WE, WE'VE BEEN WANTING TO START THIS PROCESS OF HAVING THIS DATA PRESENTED AT THE COMMISSION FOR PROBABLY OVER SIX MONTHS AT THIS POINT. 
          AND IN AN IN AND THROUGHOUT IT, IT GOT DELAYED SO MUCH BECAUSE I THINK WE WERE TRYING TO FIND THE PERFECT WAY TO PRESENT ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AND SEE IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TIE ALL OF THIS TOGETHER AND MAKE IT A BEAUTIFUL STORY FROM BEGINNING TO END. 
          RIGHT? UM, AND IT WAS HANNAH WHO REMINDED ME THAT, UM, STARTING WAS IMPORTANT. 
          UM, HAVING THIS DATA, UM, PUBLIC FACING ALTOGETHER IN ONE PLACE IS IMPORTANT. 
          UM, IT IS NOT A PERFECT SOLUTION AT THIS POINT. 
          AND SO, UM, BUT IT, IT IS A PLACE TO START. 
          UM, IT'S AN EXCITING PLACE TO START. 
          UM, SO I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO START THERE. 
          UM, SO IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR EVERYBODY, BE IT FOR THE DATA, OR CHRISTIE, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION JUST ABOUT PROCESS? OUR NEXT ITEM, ITEM SEVEN, UM, IS AROUND THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S RELATED TO THIS ITEM. 
          CAN WE KIND OF FLOW IN AND OUT OF THE RECOMMENDATION DISCUSSION? CAN I, CAN I JUST MOVE US INTO THE RECOMMENDATION? LIKE, I JUST WANNA FIGURE OUT WHAT THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO DO THIS IS? YES, CHAIR. 
          THANKS FOR ASKING. 
          YOU CAN TAKE BOTH ITEMS UP IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION. 
          YEAH. 
          SO OUR NEXT ITEM IS, UM, BASICALLY A RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE, UM, THIS DATA PRESENTED QUARTERLY TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION. 
          UM, AND THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN THE RECOMMENDATION AS WELL. 
          UM, IF IT IS OKAY, I WOULD LIKE US TO KIND OF DISCUSS THIS FREELY TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN ARRIVE AT A RECOMMENDATION AT THE END, HOPEFULLY. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS? NOPE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE TO DO LIKE A, JUST OUR DISCUSSION? NOPE, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD TO START, WE'LL START WITH QUESTIONS. 
          IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I DO JUST HAVE ONE. 
          YEP, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER. 
          I JUST HAVE ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION FOR, UH, COMMANDER. 
          THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR ALL THIS IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. 
          UM, I JUST, UH, WANTED TO CLARIFY. 
          SO BASED ON WHAT I WAS HEARING, AND, AND MAYBE I MISSED THIS, BUT YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN, IN REPORTS, BUT THAT YOUR SPECULATION IS IT'S BECAUSE OF UNDERREPORTING. 
          IS THERE ANY UNDER OTHER INDICATIONS TO YOU AS TO WHY YOU THINK IT IS UNDER, UH, REPORTING RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, MORE CASES HAPPENING? SO I, I BELIEVE BECAUSE BY FAR SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES ARE KNOWN PERPETRATORS. 
          AND SO OFTENTIMES, UM, VICTIMS ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HA WHAT JUST HAPPENED. 
          AND THEN THEY, THEY, IT, IT'S, THERE'S THE WHOLE TRAUMA RESPONSE, THERE'S THE WHOLE WONDERING IF THEY WERE THE CAUSE OF IT, ARE THEY THE RESPONSIBLE PERSON? AND, AND SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT TRYING TO CHANGE THE CULTURE IN WHICH WE LIVE TO FOR, FOR THE VICTIMS TO UNDERSTAND THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM, THAT IT IS THE PERPETRATOR'S INTENTION TO COMMIT THE ACT AND NOT THEM BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACT BEING COMMITTED TO THEM. 
          AND SO THAT IS WHERE THE CHALLENGE LIES TRULY. 
          UM, I'VE BEEN BEEN QUESTIONING AND PUSHING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS. 
          I'M NOT SO WORRIED ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE REPORTING TO US. 
          WE NEED TO DO BETTER AND DO BETTER WORK FOR THEM, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT REPORTING TO US BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THEY DESERVE AS MUCH, MUCH FOCUS AS, AS, AS THE OTH AS THE OTHERS ARE GETTING. 
          WE, WE WANT THEM TO SEEK SERVICES. 
          THEY DO NOT HAVE TO REPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT TO GET SERVICES, AND WE REALLY NEED TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT. 
          AND SO, I HOPE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, SIR. 
          I I MEAN, I I GUESS THERE'S NO CLEAR CUT, UH, INDICATOR AND IT'S HARD TO CORRELATE. 
          I I JUST WANTED TO TO TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE PROCESS IS AND, AND I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY HOW, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGING IT CAN BE TO HAVE THOSE REPORTS AND THE WHOLE TRAUMA RESPONSE PROCESS. 
          UH, I'M SURE IT'S, IT'S PRETTY DIFFICULT TO NOT ONLY WORK ON THAT PROCESS, BUT, 
          [01:40:01]
BUT JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE UNDER REPORTING AND, AND IT MIGHT NOT BE CLEAR. 
          SO, AND, AND IT IS NOT CLEAR. 
          IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CYCLE OF, OF WHERE THE PERSON SITS AND WHO THE, HOW THE PERPETRATOR, UM, IS IMPACTING THEIR LIVES. 
          IF, IF IT'S AN INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE SITUATION, THAT PERSON COULD BE PROVIDING THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT. 
          YOU KNOW, AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT REASONS THAT I, I HAVE, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO PINPOINT ONE. 
          IF, IF I MAY ALSO JUST, UM, JUMP INTO ADD THAT I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT THERE IS A LOCAL STUDY THAT ESTIMATES UNDER UNDERREPORTING IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN 2018 OR 2019. 
          AND IT IS THE, UM, UNDERREPORTING IS CONSIDERABLE. 
          SO THERE IS SOME DATA TO SUPPORT THAT. 
          COMMISSIONER SMITH, JUST ADD THAT, OH, I'M SORRY. 
          OH, NO, GO AHEAD. 
          YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THAT, THAT WE DID WORK ON A PUBLIC MESSAGING CAMPAIGN, SOME PSAS WITH THE COLLECTIVE SEX CRIMES RESPONSE MODEL THAT JUST WENT OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. 
          AND I BELIEVE THAT'S AN INDICATOR OF THE UPTICK IN, IN THE REPORTING IN THAT PEOPLE FEEL SAFE TO REPORT, THEY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, UM, AND THEY, THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS THE PATH THAT THEY CAN TAKE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER THEY BRING FORWARD IS GONNA BE HANDLED APPROPRIATELY AND THAT THEY KNOW WHERE TO START. 
          THANK YOU, CHIEF. 
          MM-HMM . 
          COMMISSIONER SMITH. 
          AND THEN DID I SEE COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT'S? UH, IT WAS COMMISSIONER RUTAN AND THEN COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT. 
          SO JUST, I'M SEEING EVERYONE. 
          UM, MY QUESTION RELATED TO THE UNDERREPORTING AND SPECIFICALLY A SUBSECTION OF CLIENTELE THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY UNDERREPORT, AND THAT IS THOSE WHOM HAVE, UM, DIFFICULT IMMIGRATION, UH, STATUSES. 
          UM, I WAS WONDERING IF ANY OR ALL OF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THE INTEGRATION OF, UM, THAT NUANCE IN RELATION TO THE WORK THAT YOU DO? SO I'LL START. 
          WE, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT CARE ABOUT IMMIGRATION STATUS. 
          WE CARE ABOUT THE CRIME AND THE PERSON AND WANTING TO DO THE BEST JOB THAT WE CAN FOR THAT PERSON. 
          THERE'S THE, THE STATUS OF, UH, CITIZENSHIP IS NOT IN QUESTION FOR US. 
          I, I THINK I'LL JUST SAY FROM MY PART THAT, UM, I THINK WE ARE JUST BEGINNING TO SEE, UM, THE IMPLICATIONS OF HEIGHTENED ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AND RHETORIC. 
          UM, I, I THINK IT IS, UM, INEVITABLE THAT IT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR ABILITY, UM, TO ENFORCE THE LAWS AND TO, UM, WIN JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS. BUT I THINK WE ARE JUST AT THE BEGINNINGS, UM, OF SEEING THE IMPLICATIONS OF, OF THOSE ACTIONS. 
          TO THAT END COMM, UH, CHIEF HENDERSON ARE THE, ARE THE PSA MATERIALS THAT ARE GOING OUT, GOING OUT IN SPANISH AS WELL AND SPEAKING TO UNDOCUMENTED STATUSES AND THEIR ABILITY TO REPORT? YES, MA'AM. 
          CORRECT. 
          THEY ARE IN BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH CHAIR. 
          CAN I JUST ASK, I'M GONNA LET WAIT, WAIT, BECAUSE COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER SMITH, I HEARD YES, THAT IT'S IN SPANISH, BUT THERE WAS A SECOND QUESTION TO THE CHAIR, WHICH WAS, AND DOES IT SPEAK TO IMMIGRATION STATUS NOT BEING A HINDRANCE TO SEEKING JUSTICE ON THEIR BEHALF? I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT'S PART OF THE COMPONENT OF ANY OF THE PSAS THAT I'VE ACTUALLY REVIEWED. 
          IT IS OKAY. 
          YES IT IS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THE WEBSITE'S ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THE WEBSITE IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH, SO WE JUST, WE JUST GOT CONFIRMATION FROM MARCY  THAT'S IN THE BACK THAT YES, IT DOES ADDRESS IMMIGRATION STATUS AND THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON A PD WEBSITE. 
          UM, AND THEN I'M GONNA GO TO, UM, COMMISSIONER RUTAN. 
          UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          I JUST WANNA FOCUS ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER WE'RE SEEING A POSITIVE THING, WHICH IS ADDITIONAL REPORTING, WHICH WE ALL WANT AS WE BUILD TRUST VERSUS CHANGE TRENDS OVER TIME. 
          UM, I THINK AS WE MOVE TOWARDS HAVING QUARTERLY REPORTING DATA, THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN TRY TO GET SOME ANSWERS TO THAT, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY HELPFUL AS THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE THESE REPORTING GOING TO A PD, WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY EFFORTS. 
          I THINK IT'S A LOT EASIER IF WE LOOK AT LIKE THE TRAVIS COUNTY DA TO SEE, OKAY, WE HAD THIS MANY WERE PROSECUTED AND LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS FROM, FROM MONTH TO MONTH VERSUS HOW MANY WERE DISMISSED. 
          THAT'S A MUCH MORE CONCRETE AMOUNT TO LOOK OVER. 
          SO JUST LIKE THINKING OF HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS DATA BETTER AS WE ITERATE OVER TIME, UM, WHATEVER THAT ENDS UP LOOKING LIKE, ALTHOUGH I KNOW IT'LL BE A CHALLENGE, I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WAYS TO DO THAT. 
          SO I'LL ADDRESS THAT REAL QUICK. 
          SO WE, WE ARE HAVING THOSE EXACT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET THE FEEDBACK LOOP, UM, KIND OF CLOSED ON HOW OUR CASES PROGRESSED THROUGH A PD TO THE DA'S OFFICE, AND THEN GETTING THAT INFORMATION OF HOW, WHAT THE RESULT OF THE PROSECUTION WAS. 
          SO, UM, THOSE, THOSE, WE ARE WORKING 
          [01:45:01]
ON A, THAT VERY TOPIC. 
          COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT, I BELIEVE YOU HAD A QUESTION. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR PRESENTING TODAY. 
          UM, I HAVE A QUESTION, UH, FOR THE SAFE FOLKS. 
          UM, FIRST I, I WANTED TO CLARIFY, I NOTICED, UM, THE STATISTICS ABOUT HAVING TWO LOST PATIENTS IN DECEMBER. 
          UM, WERE THERE ANY OTHER SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS WHO WERE REFERRED OUT TO ANOTHER SERVICE PROVIDER, UM, OR OTHERWISE WANTED TO RECEIVE A SANE EXAM AND WEREN'T ABLE TO RECEIVE IT FROM SAFE? NOT, NOT, NOT IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER. 
          SO THERE WAS, THERE WAS A LINE ITEM AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE THAT, THERE WAS A LINE ITEM WHERE WE DO COLLECT DATA ON WHEN WE REFER OUT TO OTHER PROGRAMS BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER FORENSIC PROGRAMS TO THE NORTH OF US, TO THE SOUTH OF US, UM, SAN ANTONIO, SAN MARCO. 
          AND IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER WE DID NOT REFER ANY OUT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THANKS. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, UM, REGARDING CAPACITY. 
          SO, UM, IS IT OKAY, I HAVE A, A QUESTION FOR THE, UH, DISTRICT ATTORNEY ALSO? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          CAN I SPEAK TO THE CAPACITY, UM, REAL QUICKLY, I'M SO SORRY. 
          BUT WE HAVE, UM, IN THE LAST LESS THAN SIX MONTHS, WE'VE, UM, INCREASED OUR STAFFING LEVEL. 
          SO WE'VE GONE UP AN ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME NURSE. 
          UM, SO WE'RE WE ABSOLUTELY RECOGNIZING THE ISSUE, WE WANT EVERY SINGLE SURVIVOR TO GET WHAT THEY NEED WHEN THEY NEED IT. 
          UM, SO WE'VE INCREASED OUR STAFFING LEVELS AND WE'RE ALSO IN OUR NEW STRUCTURE. 
          UM, UH, THE DIRECTOR WILL ALSO BE DOING FORENSIC EXAMS, AND THAT WASN'T THE CASE WITH OUR PREVIOUS DIRECTOR, SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO GET EVERY SURVIVOR WHAT THEY NEED WHEN THEY NEED IT. 
          I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL, THANK YOU. 
          UM, YEAH, NO, FOR THE, UM, THE DATA REGARDING PROSECUTIONS, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE NUMBERS OF PROSECUTIONS DOUBLING IN BOTH 2023 AND 2024. 
          AND, UM, I JUST WANTED CLARITY ABOUT WHETHER THOSE WERE ALL PROSECUTIONS RELATED TO SEX CRIMES OR PARTICULARLY, UM, THE, UH, LIKE THE MOST SERIOUS CHARGES THAT IS, UM, TOTAL, OH, I'M SORRY, LEMME TURN THIS BACK ON. 
          THAT IS TOTAL CONVICTIONS. 
          UM, AND YOU CAN SEE A BREAKDOWN IN THE PIECE OF BACKUP THAT YOU HAVE THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS. 
          IT'S A, A TABLE, UM, AND IT BREAKS DOWN TOTAL CONVICTIONS BY YEAR. 
          AND SO MY REFERENCE TO, TO DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS, UM, FOR SEX ASSAULT OFFENSES WAS FOR ALL OFFENSES. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, 84 AND 20, 24, 82 AND 23, UM, AND THEN NUMBERS THAT ARE HALF THAT IN ALL OF THE PROCEEDING SIX YEARS. 
          UM, BUT THIS CHART ALSO BREAKS DOWN BY OFFENSE. 
          AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN, UM, 24 AND 23 THERE WERE, UM, JUST OVER 20 CONVICTIONS FOR THE OFFENSE SEXUAL ASSAULT, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON, ON THE YEAR PRIOR, UM, IS ALMOST DOUBLE THE AMOUNT. 
          UM, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL, THANK YOU. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, I'M GONNA GO TO COMMISSIONER NEN 'CAUSE I BELIEVE HE HAD ANOTHER QUESTION. 
          AND THEN YOU COMMISSIONER SMITH. 
          I JUST WANTED TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF, UH, YOUR QUESTION ON LANGUAGE ACCESS. 
          UM, I, I KNOW THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR SPANISH, BUT I WAS WONDERING FOR ANY OF THE OTHER, UH, MAJORITY IMMIGRANT LANGUAGES IF THEY WERE TRANSLATED INTO THAT BECAUSE AS, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, UH, UH, ASIAN AMERICAN, UM, UH, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND DOMESTIC, UH, VIOLENCE IS ALSO VERY MUCH UNDER REPORTED. 
          SO IF, IF IT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT IS, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN HAVE THAT PROVIDED. 
          YES SIR. 
          MARCY'S GONNA SPEAK TO THAT 'CAUSE WE DO, WE ARE IN PROCESS. 
          SO JUST FOR A SECOND. 
          SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HI COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS MARCIA ALONZO. 
          I'M THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE AND RESOURCE TEAM COORDINATOR. 
          I'VE ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK ON THE PSA CAMPAIGN, UM, AND CREATE, YOU KNOW, THAT RESOURCE FOR OUR SURVIVORS. 
          SO JUST TO GO BACK A LITTLE BIT TO CHIEF, UM, HENDERSON, WHAT SHE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE PSA IS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. 
          AND SO AS A WEBSITE IT'S AT TX BELIEFS.ORG AND 
          [01:50:01]
IT IS AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AT ATX RE PUNTO. 
          SO IT IS AVAILABLE IN THOSE LANGUAGES BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED OR MAY NOT HAVE HAD ACCESS TO, UM, ASSISTANCE. 
          THOSE ARE IN PROCESS AND WE ARE WORKING ON THEM. 
          SO WITH OUR PIO, WE ARE WORKING ON BUYING THE DOMAINS AND SIMPLE CHINESE IN, UM, UH, VIETNAMESE AND I CANNOT BELIEVE, I CANNOT REMEMBER THE OTHER LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. 
          AND PART OF THE PSA WAS ALSO USING CAPITAL METRO AND THE BUSES, THE PSA EXTERNALLY THAT WRAPPED THE BUS WAS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH ALONG WITH THE QR CODE THAT LINKED BOTH TO THE ENGLISH AND SPANISH SITES. 
          AND INSIDE THEY HAVE SOME, UM, INSERT CARDS. 
          THOSE WERE ALSO AVAILABLE, ENGLISH, SPANISH, SIMPLE CHINESE, UH, AND VIETNAMESE. 
          AND I CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT OTHER LANGUAGE WE INCLUDED. 
          BUT YES, WE'VE DONE OUR EFFORTS TO TRY TO GET THAT DONE AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF, WHAT IS IT, LANGUAGE SERVICES OR LANGUAGE ACCESS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO HELP US ALSO TRANSLATE THEM INTO OTHER LANGUAGES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          COMMISSIONER SMITH, I BELIEVE YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION. 
          YES. 
          I'VE GOTTEN TOO MUCH COMMUNICATION TO FEEL COMFORTABLE REGARDING, UM, CONSTITUENTS HAVING EXPERIENCED RAPE OR DATE RAPE IN CONNECTION WITH PATRONIZING BARS AND CLUBS IN DOWNTOWN AND OR RAINY STREET. 
          AND SO I WAS WONDERING IF WE'RE CONNECTING OR IF WE'RE COLLECTING DATA IN REGARDS SPECIFICALLY TO THAT NUANCE, UM, OF PREDATOR BEHAVIOR AND SPECIFICALLY AN A PD, IF THERE ARE ANY PROGRAMS AND BUDGET LINES RELATED THERE TO, TO PROGRAMS TO MITIGATE, UM, OCCURRENCES IN THAT SETTING TO INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, YOU KNOW, THE STRAWS YOU PUT IN DRINKS WHERE THEY CHANGE COLORS IF THERE'S AN OUTSIDE SOURCE IN THE DRINK OR, OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. 
          DID THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, MA'AM. 
          UH, SO THE, UM, A FEW THINGS, UM, ONE, WE DO TRY TO COLLECT THAT DATA THAT WE TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT LAST BAR THEY, UH, WERE AT. 
          AND SO WE, WE ARE TRYING TO ESTABLISH WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A PATTERN AMONGST THE BARS THEMSELVES. 
          UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO A COUPLE OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY. 
          THE FIRST ONE IS SIP SAFELY, UM, WHERE THAT IS A CITY OF AUSTIN PROGRAM, UM, WHERE, UH, TEST STRIPS ARE GIVEN OUT, UH, IF YOU REQUEST ONE AT VARIOUS BARS AND THAT YOU CAN TEST YOUR DRINK. 
          UM, THAT AGAIN, IS NOT AN A PD PROGRAM, BUT IT IS AN A CITY OF AUSTIN PROGRAM. 
          UM, AND THE BARS HAVE TO SIGN UP TO BE A PART OF THAT PROGRAM. 
          UM, WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          WE DO HAVE CURRENTLY, AND IT'S GETTING READY TO COME TO AN ENDS HERE SOON. 
          UM, IT'S CALLED THE SARP, UM, SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          UH, INTER WE'RE TRYING TO INTERCEDE ON POTENTIAL SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          SO WHEN WE HAVE A GRANT THAT WE HAVE A TREATMENT AREA WHERE WE ARE DOING EDUCATION AND INTERVENTION, IF WE SEE, UM, A PERSON THAT IS HIGHLY INTOXICATED, AND THIS IS A VERY SMALL GRANT, SO, UM, IT'S ONLY A COUPLE OF DAYS OUT OF THE MONTH THAT WE GO OUT AND DO ENFORCEMENT WHERE WE INTERVENE WITH THAT PERSON AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING HOME SAFELY OR KNOW THE PERSON THAT THEY ARE GOING HOME WITH. 
          UM, AND ALSO TRAINING THE BARS THEMSELVES ABOUT WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND, AND NOT OVERSERVING THEIR POPULATIONS. 
          THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE'RE JUST DOING TRAINING WITH THE BARS, AND THEN WE HAVE A, UH, AN AREA WHERE, WHERE THAT'S OUR CONTROL. 
          AND SO WHEN THE GRANT, WHEN THE GRANT'S OVER, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THOSE, THAT DATA AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT THOSE INTERVENTIONS WERE, UM, WHERE OUR BEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK IS, IF, IS IT THROUGH THE TRAINING? IS IT THROUGH INTERVENTION AND, AND TRYING TO LOOK AT THOSE SYSTEMS. UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          UM, WE ARE, DO WE HAVE MAYBE 10 EXTRA MINUTES OR SO? CHRISTIE, DO WE NEED TO BE OUT OF HERE RIGHT AT SIX? DO WE HAVE JUST LIKE 10, 15? GIMME ONE SECOND TO CHECK. 
          OKAY. 
          IN THE MEANTIME, UM, COMMISSIONERS, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF TURN OUR ATTENTION A LITTLE BIT TO OUR, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US. 
          UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME DOING THIS DATA SHARING. 
          UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN IMPROVE ON IT. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING THAT, UM, IN FUTURE MEETINGS, THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DATA CORRELATION ABOUT APPLES TO THE INSTANCES WHERE THERE ARE APPLES TO ORANGES IN THE VARIOUS DATA 
          [01:55:01]
SETS SO THAT WE CAN CREATE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A COHESIVE STORY, UM, WITH ALL OF THIS DATA. 
          UM, BUT I WAS HOPING THAT I COULD GET A MOTION FROM THE FLOOR TO CONSIDER OUR RECOMMENDATION. 
          UM, THE RECOMMENDATION IS FOR A PD SAFE AND TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO SUBMIT SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE DATA ON A QUARTERLY BASIS FOR REVIEW, UM, AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION. 
          AND THAT, UM, WE'LL HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS ONGOING. 
          AND, UM, THE SECOND PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION IS ASKING THE C-S-C-R-M TO WORK WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND OR CITY COUNCIL, THE SART, ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS, UM, TO BEGIN ASSESSING A BEST PERMANENT HOME, UM, FOR THIS DATA, UM, WHERE IT CAN LIVE AND BE CROSS-REFERENCED. 
          BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, A PD HAS THEIR DATA. 
          TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS THEIR DATA SAFE, HAS THEIR DATA THAT THEY PRESENT AT SART. 
          AND OUR, OUR BACKUP INFORMATION IS A GREAT PLACE TO START. 
          UM, BUT IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN JUST KIND OF LOOK UP REAL QUICK AND FIND IT'S, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S AN IDEAL PLACE LONG TERM. 
          SO I WOULD LIKE, UM, SOME MORE RESEARCH DONE ON HOW, HOW BEST TO HOUSE THIS INFORMATION, WHAT KIND OF FUNDS ARE REQUIRED TO DO THAT. 
          UM, SO MOVED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER SMITH, CHAIR RAMIREZ. 
          MAY I BE HEARD ON THIS POINT BRIEFLY? SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I JUST WANTED TO, FIRST OF ALL, I APPRECIATE, UM, THE COMMITTEE STEPPING INTO THIS ROLE AND, UM, PUTTING ITSELF IN THE POSITION TO BE A CLEARING HOUSE FOR DATA FROM MULTIPLE ENTITIES. 
          I DO JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PUBLISHES THE DATA THAT WE HAVE SHARED WITH YOU, UH, AS OF LAST WEEK ON A MONTHLY BASIS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, AND POSTS, UM, THE, UM, AN ANNUAL REPORT AS WELL. 
          UM, AND THEN I ALSO JUST HAD, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT POINT OUT THAT THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS A SUBDIVISION OF TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH IS A SEPARATE POLITICAL SUBDIVISION YES. 
          UM, OF THE THAN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          YES. 
          DO I HAVE, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A FIRST. 
          WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THE SECOND. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          UM, DO WE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, CHANGES, UPDATES? COMMISSIONER SMITH? I WOULD, I WOULD JUST VERY MUCH LIKE FOR US TO PULL THE, CONTINUE TO PULL THE THREAD ON THE PATRONIZING BARS AND CLUBS THAT SUBSECTION OF THE CLIENTELE I'D ALSO LIKED, OR THE VICTIMS SURVIVORS. 
          I'D ALSO LIKE TO PULL THE THREAD ON, UM, THE VICTIMS WHO HAVE THE NUANCED IMMIGRATION STATUS. 
          UM, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD LIKE, WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED THIS, BUT OUR SURVIVORS THAT ARE UNHOUSED, UM, I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY DATA, AGAIN, NOT IN THIS SECTION, BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, THOSE ARE POPULATIONS THAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO SPECIFICALLY DISCUSS. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT SOUNDS GREAT. 
          UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE RECOMMENDATION, DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES? UM, 'CAUSE THE, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION LANGUAGE IS PURPOSELY BROAD AT THIS POINT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH REGARDS TO LIKE WHAT COMMISSIONER SMITH JUST SAID SO THAT WE CAN PULL DIFFERENT STRENGTHS. 
          I, I HEARD, I, I READ THE BROADNESS IN THIS TOO. 
          AND, AND I DO WANNA ALSO JUST PIGGYBACK AND, AND HIGHLIGHT, UM, WHAT COMMISSIONER SMITH WAS TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PARTNERS I KNOW SAFE WORKS WITH IS ASO AS WELL. 
          UM, AND I, I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING THAT IN THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT THE COMMANDER WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE UNDERREPORTING IS PROBABLY HAPPENING MOSTLY FROM THOSE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? FROM THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, FROM THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY. 
          SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING THAT FRONT OF MIND TOO, OF THE CONCERN, AS YOU HAD MENTIONED, ARE THE PEOPLE NOT REPORTING. 
          UM, SO YEAH. 
          UH, THAT, THAT'S ALL I WANT TO ADD. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          SO WITH THAT, I BELIEVE THAT I, WE HAVE A FIRST, DO WE, DID WE GET A SECOND YES. 
          FROM COMMISSIONER NGUYEN? AND WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATION. 
          UM, DO I NEED TO DO A VOICE VOTE, CHRISTIE? UM, NO, YOU DON'T. 
          IF IF WANT, IF THEY WANNA RAISE THEIR HANDS, THAT WORKS AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I THINK, WE'LL JUST FOR THE, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME EXPEDIENCY, IF EVERYBODY IN SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATION CAN PLEASE SHOW A HAND. 
          1, 2, 3, 4, 5, I BELIEVE. 
          CHRISTIE, DO YOU HAVE THAT? I BELIEVE THAT IS, YEP. 
          I BELIEVE THAT'S UNANIMOUS. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          UM, I DON'T, I THINK THAT WAS EVERYBODY, CORRECT? 
          [02:00:02]
YES. 
          I HADN'T CAUGHT COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT, BUT YES, THAT'S UNANIMOUS. 
          OKAY. 
          IT'S 8 8 2. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          UM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATION. 
          I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MORE OF THESE CONVERSATIONS. 
          WE WILL GET BETTER AT FIGURING OUT HOW TO TALK THROUGH ALL THIS DATA AND FIND MORE OF THE THREADS THAT COMMISSIONER SMITH AND COMMISSIONER N NEN SORT OF, UM, ADDRESSED. 
          UM, WE DIDN'T GET AROUND TO THE ONE THING, BUT LIKE, UH, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS JUST ABOUT THE VICTIM READINESS. 
          YOU KNOW, IT WAS, AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS POINTS OF DATA, JUST THE STUFF THAT WE, THAT WE SPOKE OF REALLY, REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENTLY, THE VICTIM READINESS WAS JUST, UM, A HUGE FACTOR WITH REGARDS TO REPORTING AND BEING ABLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH. 
          IT WAS THE ONE DATA SET THAT WAS CONSISTENTLY LIKE, ALMOST OFF THE CHART. 
          UM, AND, UH, AND YEAH, LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, E EVEN EVEN THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE CATCHING, UM, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY GETTING TO FOLLOW THROUGH. 
          AND SO, UM, I'M HOPING THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS CAN HELP US JUST BRING, YOU KNOW, SURFACE A LOT MORE OF THAT. 
          SO THANK YOU EVERYONE. 
          UM, WE WILL SEE YOU AGAIN SOON, IT SOUNDS LIKE. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. 
          UM, BEFORE WE HEAD OUT, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK, UM, UPDATE. 
          UM, ITEM EIGHT 
          [8. Collective Sex Crimes Response Model (CSCRM) Working Group Q4 2024 progress update, including overview of project management dashboard and burndown timelines, project scope changes, challenges, and risks.]
IS OUR WORKING GROUP UPDATE. 
          UM, I'M NOT GONNA KEEP ANYBODY ANY LONGER. 
          I KNOW IT'S ALREADY SIX O'CLOCK. 
          JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE, UM, THE PROGRESS REPORT FROM THE COLLECTIVE SEX CRIMES RESPONSE MODEL, UM, WORKING GROUP UP IN OUR BACKUP DATA. 
          UM, AND WE CAN HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT NEXT MONTH. 
          UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, WE'RE OVER TIME, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL. 
          CHRISTIE HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT ABOUT GETTING US SECONDS WHEN WE NEED THEM, UM, VIA EMAIL. 
          IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE REACH OUT. 
          UM, EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT FEBRUARY. 
          UM, I HOPE IT'S NOT TOO HOT WHERE YOU ARE. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          AND WITH THAT, I'LL ADJOURN THE MEETING. 
          GOOD NIGHT.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.