[00:00:12]
WE'RE GONNA, UH, CALL TO ORDER
[CALL TO ORDER]
FOR THE JUNE 20TH 25, UH, COMMISSION ON POLICE OVERSIGHT.NOW WE HAVE A QUORUM WITH, UH, KATHY TERRY, LAURA DEREK, MR. GRAVES, AND CHRIS HARRIS HERE.
SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO RIGHT TO PUBLIC
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
COMMENTS, AND EACH SPEAKER, UH, WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES EACH TO SPEAK.UH, FIRST PERSON WHO SIGNED UP WAS MARINA ROBERTS.
HI, MY NAME IS MARINA ROBERTS, AND I'M A MOM WHO'S DEEPLY TROUBLED BY THE USE OF AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS OR ALPS BY OUR CITY'S POLICE DEPARTMENT.
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY ALLOWED AUSTIN'S ONE YEAR A LPR PILOT PROGRAM TO EXPIRE WITHOUT RENEWAL, BUT WE'VE BEEN ADVISED THE CITY MANAGER INTENDS TO BRING A NEW PROPOSAL FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY BACK TO THE DAIS IN A NUMBER OF MONTHS.
WHILE I'M SURE YOU WILL HEAR STORIES ABOUT INDIVIDUAL CRIMES THAT ALPS HELP SOLVE, A ROBUST BODY OF RESEARCH SHOWS THAT APRS DO NOT MEASURABLY REDUCE CRIME RATES DESPITE THE ASSERTIONS OF POLICE AND A LPR MARKETERS.
TO THE CONTRARY, IF YOU LOOK, YOU WILL NOT FIND EVIDENCE THAT ISN'T PHONY RESEARCH BACKED BY THE COMPANY'S PROFITING OFF THIS TECHNOLOGY.
THE COMPANIES SELLING ALPS LIKE OUR MOST RECENT CONTRACTORS, FLOCK AND AXON DON'T MAKE THE MAJORITY OF THEIR PROFITS FROM CONTRACTS WITH CITIES LIKE AUSTIN.
BUT BY ACTING AS DATA BROKERS, THEY COLLECT MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF DATA ABOUT THE APPEARANCE AND LOCATION OF OUR VEHICLES, AND THEY FEED THAT DATA INTO SEARCHABLE DATABASES THAT ANYONE CAN PAY TO ACCESS.
RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OF THE CITY'S RECKLESS DECISION TO PILOT ALPS IN 2024, A COMPLETE STRANGER MAY HAVE THE ABILITY TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU WORK, WHERE YOU LIVE, WHERE YOUR CHILDREN GO TO SCHOOL.
A LPR R IS OFTEN MISREAD PLATES.
WHEN RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL FROM BETA GOV FOUND 35 TO 37% OF SUPPOSED LICENSE PLATE HITS WERE MISREADS.
THESE MISREADS LEAD TO TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES IN 2020.
AN A LPR MISREAD IN AURORA, COLORADO LED TO THE ARREST OF AN ENTIRE FAMILY, INCLUDING A 6-YEAR-OLD GIRL BEING LAID DOWN ON CONCRETE, CUFFED, AND HELD AT GUNPOINT AS THEY WERE WRONGLY ARRESTED, THE CITY OF AURORA PAID $1.6 MILLION IN A SETTLEMENT OVER THAT CASE.
FINALLY, THERE ARE MULTIPLE DOCUMENTED INSTANCES OF POLICE ABUSING A LPR SYSTEMS. LAST YEAR, THE POLICE CHIEF OF SEDGWICK, KANSAS RESIGNED AFTER IT WAS REVEALED THAT HE HAD USED A LPR DATA TO STALK HIS EX-PARTNER AND HER BOYFRIEND HUNDREDS OF TIMES FOR MONTHS FACING NO CRIMINAL CONSEQUENCES FOR HIS ACTIONS.
A WICHITA POLICE LIEUTENANT ABUSED HIS A LPR ACCESS TO STALK HIS EX-WIFE.
IN 2023 NEW JERSEY'S USE OF APRS WAS AUDITED AND FOUND OFFICERS SHARED LOGIN CREDENTIALS TO HIDE THEIR IDENTITIES WHEN SEARCHING A LPR DATA SO THEY COULD NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR SEARCHING THE DATA WITHOUT PROPER JUSTIFICATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE SEE POLICE SEARCHING DATA WITHOUT A CLEAR INVESTIGATIVE PURPOSE IN OTHER PLACES LIKE VERMONT IN 2015, AND HERE IN AUSTIN, JUST LAST YEAR, WHERE CITY AUDITORS REVEALED THAT IN APPROXIMATELY 20% OF A PD SEARCHES OF A LPR DATA, THERE WAS NO PROPER JUSTIFICATION.
DO WE HAVE OFFICERS WHO ARE USING APRS TO STALK SOMEBODY? I URGE YOU ALL TO USE YOUR AUTHORITY TO INVESTIGATE AD'S A LPR SEARCHES AND FIND OUT AND IN YOUR CAPACITY AS COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSIONERS TO ADVOCATE AGAINST THE USE OF APRS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ACTUAL POWER CONTROL WE HAVE, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL, ONCE WE START RECEIVING COMPLAINTS AND WHATNOT FROM, UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS, THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY THING WE, WE REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO.
SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT AND WE'LL TALK TO MR. MASTERS ABOUT IT.
ALSO, UM, HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO, TO, UH, MAKE YOUR POINTS TO THE POLICE, UM, THE PUBLIC VIEW COMMISSION PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION? NO, I HAVE NOT.
I'VE, I'VE SPOKEN AT CITY COUNCIL ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
BUT NOT TO THE, I WOULD, UM, ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO, TO ADDRESS THEM BECAUSE I, I ATTENDED THEIR LAST MEETING TOO, AND THEY, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THE TOPICS THERE, SO.
I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER BRIEFS.
HEY, JOHN, JUST AWARE THAT ANYTHING THAT'S, WE CANNOT DISCUSS BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, SO WE CAN'T ENGAGE IN ANY CONVERSATION UNLESS IT'S ON THE AGENDA.
UH, SECOND, UH, PERSON ON THE PUBLIC, UH, IS, UH, MR. HUNT? UH, YEAH, PLEASE COME UP, YOUR HONOR.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHEN, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, WE'LL GET ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTS OUTTA THE WAY FIRST THEN AS WE COME UP.
[00:05:01]
WELL THEN, UH, LET'S GO BACK TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.AND MS. MOORE, IS IT CHAZ MOORE? MR. MOORE? WE'RE STILL FIGURING IT OUT TOO.
CHA FOR Y'ALL TO CUT MY TIME SHORT.
I'M THE FOUNDER AND ORGANIZING DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION.
UM, AND I COULD TAKE MY ENTIRE TIME AT THIS MIC AND TRY TO DESCRIBE ALL THE THINGS THAT AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION HAS DONE TO STOP EXCESSIVE FORCE BY AUSTIN POLICE, ESPECIALLY AGAINST BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.
UM, BUT THERE'S ONE PART THAT YOU ALL REALLY NEED TO KNOW.
WE TRIED TO GIVE AUSTIN A BETTER YOUTH POLICY BACK IN 2017, UM, AND WE GOT OUT OF A VERY LONG PROCESS.
ONE SENTENCE, UM, OFFICERS SHALL DEESCALATE.
WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A PD TO ENFORCE THAT POLICY OF DEESCALATION EVER SINCE, AND NOT VERY SUCCESSFULLY.
SOME OF THE MOST HIGH PROFILE AND HEINOUS CASES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE COURTS INVOLVE FAILURE, INVOLVE FAILURE TO DEESCALATE, AND A PD HAS DEFENDED THOSE OFFICERS RATHER THAN DISCIPLINED THEM.
THIS YEAR, AN OFFICER WILL FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES OVER THE SHOOTING DEATH OF RAJAN MOONING A LOCAL TECH AND RESTAURANT ENTREPRENEUR WHO WAS SHOT TO DEATH ON HIS OWN FRONT PORCH BY AN OFFICER WHO CAME IN DARK, NO LIGHTS OR SIRENS, JUMPED BEHIND A FENCE AND STARTED SHOOTING AT THE SAME TIME THAT HE HI, THAT HE HOLLERED COMMANDS.
A PD IN EVERY STATEMENT HAS DEFENDED THAT OFFICER.
OFFICER SANCHEZ, QUOTE, OFFICER SANCHEZ WAS CONFRONTED WITH THE SUBJECT WHO FIRED A RIFLE INDISCRIMINATELY IN A DENSELY POPULATED NEIGHBORHOOD.
OFFICER SANCHEZ RESPONDED TO THAT THREAT CONSISTENT WITH HIS TRAINING END QUOTE.
AND THAT WAS DECEMBER 20TH, 2023.
UM, THIS FAMILY RELEASED RING CAMERA FOOTAGE THAT COVERED THE ENTIRE EVENT, UM, FROM BEFORE THAT OFFICER ARRIVED UNTIL AFTER THE VICTIM DIED AT THE FEET OF OFFICERS WHO NEVER EVEN TRIED TO RENDER AID.
THERE WAS NO INDISCRIMINATE FIRING INTO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE ONLY INDISCRIMINATE FIRING WAS BY THE OFFICER, BASED ON CONTINUED MISSTATEMENTS OF FACT BY A PD AND THE DEFENSE OF THIS OFFICER.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE OFFICER WILL BE CLEARED OF ALL ADMINISTRATIVE VIOLATIONS IF A JURY CLEARS HIM OF CRIMINAL CHARGES, BUT HE SHOULD NOT BE.
HAD HE FOLLOWED THE A PD POLICY AND IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS POLICE AND TOLD THE HOMEOWNER TO PUT DOWN HIS GUN, HE WOULD'VE BEEN WELCOME TO ASSIST AND SEARCH FOR AN INTRUDER IN THE MOON SINGS HOME.
WE HAVE DEMANDED DEESCALATION FOR A REASON.
OFFICERS CAUSE HARM WHEN THEY FAIL TO COMMUNICATE AND JUST START SHOOTING, THAT MUST STOP.
BUT AT A PD, THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WILL TO CHANGE THE CULTURE ON MONDAY.
A CIVIL CASE GOES TO TRIAL ON EXACTLY THIS POINT.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, A FEDERAL JUDGE THIS YEAR AUTHORIZED A FAMILY OF ALEX GONZALEZ TO GO TO TRIAL, OVERCOMING GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER GONZALEZ WAS KILLED, IN PART DUE TO A CULTURE OF IMPUNITY AROUND EXCESSIVE REPORTS AT A PD.
UM, THIS IS A QUOTE FROM THAT, UM, UM, UM, FROM THE DOCUMENT OF, OF THE CASE, UM, UM, OPEN QUOTE, I GUESS PLAINTIFFS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THERE IS A GENUINE ISSUE OF MATERIAL FACT AS TO WHETHER THE CITY HAD AN OFFICIAL UNWRITTEN PRACTICE OF ALLOWING EXCESSIVE FORCE IN THE YEARS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT.
BY UNDER INVESTIGATING AND FAILING TO DISCIPLINE THE VAST MAJORITY OF EXCESSIVE FORCE CASES, PLAINTIFFS HAVE ALSO ADEQUATELY PRESENTED EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT A FINDING THAT THE CITY WAS DELIBERATELY INDIFFERENT IN MAINTAINING SUCH A PRACTICE.
UH, JESS, WE'RE, WE'RE RUNNING ALONG.
UM, NO, I, I, I, TRUST ME, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THESE CASES IN FRONT OF US.
BUT WHAT WE HAVE, I, I APPRECIATE THIS IMMENSELY.
UH, SO THE BEST WE CAN DO UNTIL I HAVE SOMETHING TO REVIEW IS GET WITH MR. MASTERS.
AND, UH, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING I CAN, I CAN REALLY SAY UNTIL SOMETHING COMES TO US FROM OH, YEAH, YEAH.
BUT THIS IS, I, THIS IS SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
UH, I LIKE TO TALK TO YOU AFTER THE, AFTER THE MEETING.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HERE OF ANY QUESTIONS JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING TOO, AND I WISH I COULD ATTENTION STAY WITH, UM, I DO A LOT.
I GOTTA GO DO A RADIO SHOW AT 88.7 FMK.
ANYBODY LISTEN? UM, BUT YEAH, ALSO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT, UM, WE FINALLY GOT THIS OFF THE GROUND, UM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE, SEEING WHERE THIS GOES.
SO, UM, KEEP UP THE, HOPEFULLY GOOD WORK.
UM, AND ALRIGHT, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO.
[00:10:02]
UH, MARY ELIZABETH IS NEXT.UH, YOU'RE HERE FROM I TO FIVE.
I AM VICE PRESIDENT OF JUSTICE AND ADVOCACY FOR THE AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAGUE.
UH, PROUD, BORN AND RAISED AUSTIN TONIGHT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO COME IN AND SAY, AUSTIN HAS BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT, UH, FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AUSTIN HAS BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
THIS COMMISSION IS NOT JUST A BODY, IT'S A PROMISE.
KEPT A PROMISE THAT PEOPLE MADE TO THEMSELVES WHEN THEY VOTED FOR THE REAL AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT.
A PROMISE THAT THE AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAGUE STOOD PROUDLY BEHIND TODAY.
THAT PROMISE BECOMES A PRACTICE AND YOUR WORK TRULY BEGINS.
YOU ARE CHARGED WITH REVIEWING INVESTIGATIONS OF WHAT THE LAW CALLS SERIOUS MISCONDUCT.
THE PHRASE CARRIES WEIGHT, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, IT COVERS TRAGIC OUTCOMES, DEATH AND SERIOUS INJURY, BUT ALSO MOMENTS THAT CAN ERODE TRUST EVEN IN SILENCE, LIKE ARREST BASED ON FALSE CHARGES, FALSIFIED REPORTS OR TESTIMONY.
OFFICIAL OPPRESSION, DISCRIMINATION.
WHY NAME THESE, WHY INCLUDE THEM? BECAUSE TRUST IS NOT ONLY BROKEN BY FORCE, IT IS ALSO BROKEN BY SILENCE, BY OMISSION, BY THE QUIET MISUSE OF POWER.
CORAL CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF BODY-WORN CAMERA FOOTAGE FROM FORCE INCIDENTS OVER SIX MONTHS OF DOWNTOWN ARRESTS, AND FOUND THAT ROUGHLY 8.5% OF CASES OF FORCE WERE NOT JUSTIFIED, AND OFFICERS WERE FILING UNJUSTIFIED CHARGES TO COVER UP THEIR UNJUSTIFIED FORCE.
THESE CASES, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, WERE NEVER INVESTIGATED AT ALL UNDER CURRENT LOCAL LAW.
THIS TYPE OF CONDUCT IS NOW DEEMED SERIOUS MISCONDUCT, AND THAT MEANS IT IS YOURS TO REVIEW.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT BLAMING, THIS IS ABOUT BUILDING A JUSTICE SYSTEM CANNOT STAND ON SHAKY GROUND AND TRUTHFULNESS IS IN ITS FOUNDATION.
WHEN AN OFFICER GIVES TESTIMONY, THEIR WORD CARRIES THE WEIGHT OF THE BADGE AND THE CITY THAT ENTRUSTED IT TO THEM.
WHEN IT'S NOT, IT BECOMES A LEGAL LIABILITY.
AND NOT JUST IN CASES, NOT JUST FOR THOSE CASES, BUT IN PUBLIC CONFIDENCE.
OFFICERS WHO HOLD THEIR OATHS DESERVE OUR SUPPORT AND OUR RESPECT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT ACCOUNTABILITY IS NOT OPPOSITION.
IT IS SOLIDARITY WITH THE OFFICERS WHO SERVE HONORABLY AND WANT TO WORK ALONGSIDE A SYSTEM THAT'S WORTHY OF THE PEOPLE THAT THEY PROTECT.
SO, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE STEPPING UP TO DO FOR INSISTING THAT INVESTIGATIONS ARE THOROUGH FOR ENSURING THAT OUR REPORT ISN'T THE END OF THE STORY, BUT THE BEGINNING OF A CLOSER LOOK.
BECAUSE WHETHER HARM COMES THROUGH THE FORCE, THROUGH FORCE, OR THROUGH FALSIFICATIONS, BOTH ARE SERIOUS, BOTH DESERVES SCRUTINY AND BOTH DESERVE TO BE ADDRESSED WITH FAIRNESS AND INTEGRITY.
RULES THAT ARE NOT ENFORCED ARE NOT RULES AT ALL.
YOUR OVERSIGHT ENSURES THAT GOOD OFFICERS WHO FOLLOW THE RULES ARE NOT OVERSHADOWED BY THOSE WHO DON'T LET THIS COMMISSION BE THE KEEPER OF THE PROMISE AUSTIN MADE TO BUILD A SYSTEM WHERE TRUST IS EARNED, KEPT, AND NEVER TAKEN FOR GRANTED.
WE LOOK VERY MUCH FORWARD TO THE WORK YOU WILL BE GETTING TO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU COMING AND SPEAKING WITH US.
MS. PISO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SERVING ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
COULD WE GET A COPY OF YOUR, UH, COMMENTS IF POSSIBLE? YES, SIR.
THE NEXT PUBLIC COMMENT IS, UH, KATHY MITCHELL, BUT I SEE THAT YOU ALSO WANNA COMMENT ON THREE FIVE AND OR FOUR AND FIVE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT PROCESS, BUT I DID HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT.
MY NAME IS KATHY MITCHELL AND I'M WITH EQUITY ACTION.
AND I'M HERE TODAY TO DO A PUBLIC COMMENT SEPARATE FROM THE AGENDA BECAUSE THERE IS A REALLY IMPORTANT NEW ISSUE THAT'S EMERGED OUT OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE THIS SESSION.
UM, THE LEGISLATURE CHANGED THE WAY THAT, UH, OFFICERS CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR FORCE INCIDENTS INVOLVING LESS THAN LETHAL WEAPONS.
THE NEW STATUTE, UM, EXCUSE YOU SAY, LESS THAN LEGAL OR LESS THAN LETHAL.
WHICH IS DEFINED IN STATUTE AS ESSENTIALLY EVERYTHING OTHER THAN HANDS ONLY, INCLUDING A BATON AND LESS THAN A GUN THAT SHOOTS BULLETS.
SO ANY HARM CAUSED BY DEATH OR OTHERWISE CAUSED BY A LESS THAN LETHAL WEAPON IS NOW GOING TO BE HELD BY LAW TO A DIFFERENT LEGAL STANDARD.
AND THAT STANDARD IS THAT OFFICERS ARE
[00:15:01]
JUSTIFIED IN USING FORCE IF THAT WEAPON IS USED FOR THEIR DUTIES AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH TRAINING.THE THING THAT CAME UP IN THE COURSE OF A LENGTHY SET OF MEETINGS ABOUT THIS BILL AT THE LEDGE WAS THAT MANY OFFICERS, IN FACT MOST ARE NOT TRAINED IN MOST OF THESE WEAPONS.
AND THAT IN FACT THESE WEAPONS ARE EMERGING FASTER THAN AGENCIES CAN KEEP UP.
THEY DON'T NECESSARILY EVEN READ THE MANUAL.
UH, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A USE OF LESS LETHAL WEAPONS THAT'S IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY GUIDELINES, WHICH ARE ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER, AND A USE THAT IS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE SAFETY GUIDELINES CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LESS THAN LETHAL AND ACTUALLY LETHAL.
MANY OF THE CASES THAT HAVE GONE TO TRIAL PREVIOUSLY INVOLVING LESS THAN LETHAL WEAPONS INVOLVE THEIR MISUSE.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, HERE IN AUSTIN, IT WOULD BEHOOVE US TO IMMEDIATELY DEVELOP TRAINING PROTOCOLS.
CERTAINLY WE NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHICH LESS THAN LETHAL WEAPONS ARE CURRENTLY IN USE AND BY WHICH OFFICERS AND WHAT THE TRAINING PROTOCOL IS GOING TO BE SO THAT THOSE OFFICERS DO KNOW HOW TO USE THOSE WEAPONS.
SO JUST LAST WEEK IT WAS REPORTED IN THE NEWS AND I HAVE NO SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, PEPPER GUNS WERE IN USE.
SO I WENT TO THE MANUAL AND LOOKED UP.
THERE'S A MAN, YOU KNOW, THE MAIN MANUFACTURER OF PEPPER GUNS, PROBABLY THE ONE THAT WE BUY THEM FROM, I WOULD GUESS, UM, RECOMMENDS THAT YOU DON'T SHOOT PEOPLE IN THE FACE WITH PEPPER GUNS.
UM, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING I'M TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICERS NEED TO KNOW THE TARGET ZONE.
KATHY, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND YOUR, YOUR, YOUR TIME AND YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, DANIELLA, IS IT SILVA? YES.
I'M THE AUSTIN POLICY COORDINATOR AT WORKERS DEFENSE ACTION FUND.
I JUST WANTED TO START OFF BY THANKING ALL OF YOU AS A FELLOW COMMISSIONER FOR TAKING TIME, UM, TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE AT LARGE.
I'M ON THE HISPANIC LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE, SEPARATE HAT.
UM, BUT I, I KNOW WHAT, WHAT Y'ALL ARE GIVING UP TO BE HERE TODAY IS BEING PART OF THE LARGER COMMUNITY, UM, AND BEING THE SOMEONE WHO'S REPRESENTING AUSTIN AT LARGE AUSTINITES ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT ICE RAID.
UM, JUST FOR PUBLIC RECORD AND FOR ANYONE WHO'S LISTENING, UH, JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT Y'ALL'S CHARGE INCLUDE REVIEWING ANY INVESTIGATION OF DEATH AND CUSTODY, SERIOUS BODILY INJURY AND OTHER SERIOUS MISCONDUCT AFTER THE COMPLETION OF ANY INVESTIGATION AND PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF DISCIPLINE AND OR IN RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST FOR REVIEW BY A COMPLAINT.
SO THE COMMUNITY HAS Y'ALL AS A BODY TO PROVIDE COMPLAINTS ABOUT POLICING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, Y'ALL ADVISE THE CITY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS AND APPROPRIATENESS OF THE DEPARTMENT'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO ANY OTHER ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.
SO, FOR YOUR DUTY, UM, TO ENSURE THAT SERIOUS MISCONDUCT IS APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSED IS ONLY POSSIBLE IF THE POLICIES OF THE DEPARTMENT REFLECT THE, UH, THE VALUES OF THE CITY AND THE DEPARTMENT'S PUBLIC STATEMENTS, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.
SO I'M HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY HARDWORKING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, PEOPLE WHO HAVE KIDS IN AUSTIN SCHOOLS, GRANDPARENTS THAT FOLKS ARE CARING FOR, UM, FOLKS HAVE JOBS AND RENT TO PAY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT A PD IS NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE ICE RAIDS AND THAT PEOPLE SHOULD FEEL SAFE TO CALL 9 1 1 OR SPEAK WITH A PD OFFICERS.
REGARDLESS, PEOPLE ARE AFRAID AND THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE.
THAT IS PARTLY BECAUSE NO ONE CAN TELL WHICH POLICE, UM, ARE DOING WHAT, WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE OF FACES BADGES, UNIT IDS BEING COVERED.
AND IN AUSTIN, POLICE OFFICERS APPEAR TO BE AUTHORIZED UNDER GENERAL ORDER, THREE 30.8 DASH 10 TO ASSIST ICE WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND SUPERVISOR APPROVAL WITH SUPERVISOR APPROVAL AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH ICE.
SO EVEN IF THEY SAY ICE CAN'T, UM, WORK WITH, UH, A PD CAN'T WORK WITH ICE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A RULE THAT CANNOT BE ENFORCED, IT'S NOT A RULE AT ALL, UM, WHICH THIS GENERAL ORDER SEEMS TO INSINUATE.
UM, SO WE'RE TOLD THAT THEY CAN'T WORK TOGETHER AND THE CHIEF APPEARS TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM FOR PUBLIC SAFETY CREATED BY SUCH ASSISTANCE.
UM, BUT THE POLICY THAT YOU ALL WOULD USE TO RECOMMEND DISCIPLINE FOR AN OFFICER WHO ASSIST
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ICE LOCALLY IS INADEQUATE.SO, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO REVIEW AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO AMEND THE GENERAL ORDERS RELATED TO ICE, UH, TO CORRESPOND WITH THE POLICIES THAT THE CHIEF HAS SAID ARE IN PLACE.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CLEAR, CLEAR RULES REQUIRING A PD OFFICERS NOT WEARING MASK COVER, COVERING THEIR FACES, AND ALWAYS HAVE VISIBLE, UM, BADGE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS AND MARKINGS THAT DISTINGUISH A PD OFFICERS FROM OFFICERS WORKING FOR DPS ICE OR ANY OTHER MILITARY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL.
OKAY, MS. S, SILVER, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR COMMENTS.
MIA, CAN WE GET A ONE MINUTE WARNING BEFORE THE THREE MINUTES EXPIRE? WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE? ALL RIGHT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
FOR, UH, THE MAY 16TH REGULAR MEETING.UH, YOU WANNA TAKE A VOTE? A SECOND? SECOND.
I THINK WE, WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD SINGING VOICE.
THE, UH, STAFF BRIEFINGS REGARDING
[2. Staff briefing regarding case file orientation and training for commissioners in preparation for case review.]
OUR CASE FILE ORIENTATION TRAINING FOR COMMISSIONERS IN PREPARATION FOR CASE REVIEW.UM, I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA GO RIGHT TO, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION ITEMS, UH, NUMBER THREE, AND, UH, CHECK.
YOU GONNA READ THE STOP ON THE TRAINING? THAT'S RIGHT.
WE'VE, UH, WE'VE GOT CCP CPRC, TRAINING, CASE FILE, ORIENTATION AND TRAINING.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THIS, THE PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE COMMISSIONERS WITH A STRUCTURED TRAINING OPPORTUNITY BY REVIEWING TWO CLOSED ADJUDICATED CASES THAT ILLUSTRATE THE CASE REVIEW PROCESS AND DISCIPLINARY OUTCOMES.
SO, WE WILL BE PROVIDED TWO CLOSED ADJUDICATED CASES, UH, AS I REQUESTED.
UH, THESE ARE FOR TRAINING PURPOSES SO WE CAN GET OUR, UH, FEET ON THE GROUND.
UH, SINCE WE'RE ALL NEW AT THIS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE, UH, CASES THAT, UH, HAVE ALREADY BEEN GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET EVERYTHING.
UH, THIS IS A ONE-TIME TRAINING FOCUS REVIEW, NOT FOR RECOMMENDATION OR ACTION.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA BE OPENING UP SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN CLOSED, UH, REGARDLESS OF, UH, WHAT, WHAT OUR FEELINGS ARE ABOUT IT.
SO, BUT THIS IS INTENDED TO FAMILIARIZE, UH, EACH COMMISSIONER WITH HOW REVIEWS ARE CONDUCTED AND THE TYPES OF OUTCOMES THAT RESULT.
SO, THE CASE, ONE OUTCOME WHERE THE POLICE CHIEF AGREED WITH OUR, WITH THE FINDINGS OF, UH, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND CASE TWO, UH, IS THE OUTCOME WHERE THE DIFFERENT LEVEL OF DISCIPLINE WAS ISSUED.
AND THEY'LL LIKELY REFLECT, UH, AGREEING BETWEEN THE POLICE CHIEF AND OPO RECOMMENDATION, NOT, NOT CPRC.
SO IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SEE IT, WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, HOPEFULLY HAVE BETTER HANDLE OF THE PROCESS AND EVERYTHING.
SO THE DISTRIBUTION PROCESS, EACH COMMISSIONER WILL REVIEW THE CASE FILES VIA INDIVIDUAL EMAIL TO AVOID QUORUM, AND THEN, UH, DIGITAL CASE FILES WILL, WILL BE, UH, INCLUDED SUMMARY OF THE CASE, ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS, VIDEO FOOTAGE, INVESTIGATION FINDINGS, AND FINAL DISCIPLINARY DECISION.
SO THIS IS, AGAIN, FOR TRAINING PURPOSES FOR EVERYBODY ONLY.
SO, UH, THERE WON'T BE ANY PUBLIC DISCUSSION VOTE OR FORMAL REVIEWED.
UH, SO IT IS, UH, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MOVING FORWARD HAVE THE PUBLIC'S BEST INTEREST AT ACTUALLY EVERYBODY'S BEST INTEREST.
NOT JUST THE PUBLIC, BUT THE POLICE OFFICERS.
BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S DOING WHAT THE BEST WE CAN TO, TO HELP, UH, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING RUNS SMOOTHLY IN OUR CITY.
SO, UH, ANY QUESTIONS CAN BE DIRECTED TO THE OPO.
DID THE, DID THE STAFF HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS? UH, NO.
SO WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA IDENTIFY TWO CASES.
WE'RE GONNA IDENTIFY THEM BY JULY 5TH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA PRESENT 'EM TO THE CPOC IN THE EMAILS THE FOLLOWING WEEK AFTER WHERE THERE IS ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, YOU COULD JUST,
[00:25:01]
UM, EMAIL THEM BACK TO, TO ME, AND THEN WE'LL GET WITH THE DIRECTOR OF OPO.ALRIGHT? SO THE STAFF WILL BE NOTIFIED AS RYAN JUST SAID, AND WE'LL BE, UH, ORIENT, UH, AN OR ORIENTATION OF DEBRIEFING AND, AND Q AND A WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR A FUTURE MEETING.
SO, UM, THOSE, ANY PUBLIC, UH, COMMENTS OR ANYTHING, YOU CERTAINLY SEND THEM IN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
HOW WE DO THIS, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL LEARNING THIS TOGETHER.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR, UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR DISCUSSION.
UH, MR I HAVE A COMMENT REGARDING THIS.
UM, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IN THE RECORD, UM, I BELIEVE THAT TWO 15 DASH FOUR D ONE STATING THAT, THAT WE HAVE THE COMMISSION SHOULD, CAN REVIEW ANY INVESTIGATION OF DEAD IN COSTA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, UH, SHOULD ALLOW FOR US TO PERIODICALLY ASK FOR EXISTING OLD PREVIOUSLY ANALYZE, ANALYZE CASES THAT WE CAN USE TO FOR TRAINING THE, THE REQUEST.
I'M VERY HAPPY WITH HAVING TWO TO START WITH, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF UNDERSTANDS THAT THE INTENTION IS THAT PERIODICALLY ANY ONE OF US COULD SAY, I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR MORE TO CONTINUE COMPLETING OUR TRAINING.
I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT LEARN BY SEEING HOW IT WAS DONE BEFORE, AND I INTEND TO, TO ASK FOR MORE OF THOSE.
SO DO I KNOW, UH, I, I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY, UM, WHAT IS, IS IT ON? YEAH.
IT, WHAT'S, HOW DID THE, HOW DOES THE PUBLIC REACH OUT TO THE, UH, CPRC AS FAR AS MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT? DO WE HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? YEAH, IT'S ON THE WEBSITE.
SO, UH, ANY ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC CAN MAKE A COMMENT, SEND IT IN.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR.
SO I HAD, UH, ITEM FOUR, UH, DISCUSSION WITH KEVIN MASTERS, UH, COMPLAINT SUPERVISOR ABOUT COMPLAINTS MADE AGAINST CAPD AND THE PROCESS AND HOW CASES ARE ASSIGNED TO CPRC.
SO, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MR. MASTERS.
CAN WE GET TO ITEM THREE FIRST?
[3. Discussion of procedures to work with Internal Affairs following changes in the use of GFile, including internal processes for forwarding cases to the CPRC for review and recommendations.]
IT, IT WILL LEAD INTO ITEM FOUR, SORRY.DISCUSSION AND PROCEDURES TO, TO WORK WITH, UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS, FOLLOWING CHANGES IN THE USE OF, UH, THE G FILE, UH, WHICH IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, UH, INCLUDING INTERNAL PROCESSES FOR FORWARDING CASES TO THE CPRC FOR REVIEW AND COMM AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE HAVE LIEUTENANT ERIC WILSON, WHO'S A LIEUTENANT WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION.
HE'S HERE TO GIVE YOU GUYS A BRIEF ON WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED AS IT RELATES TO PRESENTING CASES OR BRIEFINGS TO THE CPRC.
COMMISSIONER, GO AHEAD AND BE HERE.
UH, THIS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, SO WE'RE STILL WORKING ON A FEW KINKS, BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, ONCE A CASE THE CRITERIA HAS BEEN MET, IN OTHER WORDS, LIKE THE, UH, PREVIOUS SPEAKER SAID, THE SERIOUS INCIDENT OF CONDUCT THAT'S, UH, LET'S SAY A USE OF FORCE, THEY RESULTED IN SERIOUS VITAL INJURY, UH, IN CUSTODY OF DEATH, THINGS OF THAT EFFECT.
WHAT WE WILL DO THEN, ONCE THE CASE HAS BEEN COMPLETED, IN OTHER WORDS, THE ACTUAL INVESTIGATION IS DONE, THE CASE IS CLOSED, UH, IN A SENSE OF IT'S COMPLETED, NOT COMPLETELY CLOSED, BUT COMPLETED ON OUR BEHALF, WE WILL THEN NOTIFY THE OFFICE OR THE POLICE OVERSIGHT TO LET THEM KNOW, TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT THE CASE IS THEN READY TO BE REVIEWED, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UH, SO THAT'S GONNA BE HOW THIS PROCESS IS GONNA START.
SO THE OPO WILL NOT KNOW UNTIL WE NOTIFY THEM THAT THE CASE IS ALREADY DONE IN THE INVESTIGATION.
WE'VE, WE'VE INTERVIEWED ALL THE SUBJECTS INVOLVED, THE WITNESSES, EVERYTHING THAT WE NEEDED TO, FOR THIS CASE IS COMPLETE.
AND THEN IT MOVES OVER TO THE, UH, OFFICE OF THE POLICE OVERSIGHT, SO THEY KNOW THAT IT'S READY TO BE REVIEWED, AND THEN THEY CAN SET THAT PORTION UP FOR YOU ALL.
UH, THE IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO ALSO, AND WHAT WE WILL DO IS TO, UH, HAVE A, AN ACTUAL, UH, DIGITAL CASE FOLDER THAT, UH, YOU ALL WILL HAVE ACCESS TO.
SOMEONE JUST MENTIONED THAT A FEW MINUTES AGO ABOUT HAVING ACCESS TO, SO TO A DIG CASE, DIGITAL CASE FOLDER.
SO THE IDEA IS, SO YOU GUYS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
WHAT THAT'LL HAVE IN THERE IS THE SUMMARY REPORT.
UM, ANY TYPE OF PHOTOS, BODY-WORN CAMERA, ANYTHING THAT'S RELATED TO THE ACTUAL INCIDENT WILL BE COMPRISED IN THAT FOLDER.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD BE, UH, WOULDN'T BE, WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD, UH, LET'S SAY NOT BE RELATED TO THE INCIDENT, WHICH THAT WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAPPEN.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT RELATED TO IT, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE YOU GUYS LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT RELATED TO THE INCIDENT.
SO, OTHER THAN THAT, UH, YES, SIR.
WILL THESE, UH, BE UNREDACTED REPORTS, OR WILL THERE BE YES.
YEAH, IT, IT, IT, YOU'LL HAVE ACCESS TO THE, THE ONLY REDACTION IF THERE WERE TO BE, WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD COMPROMISE US AN OFFICER'S ADDRESS OR SOMETHING TO, TO THAT EFFECT OF WHERE IT'S GONNA COMPROMISE THEIR SAFETY ATTEMPT TO, SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
BUT OTHERWISE, YOU, YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
UH, MS. MITCHELL, YOU WANTED TO COME UP AND MAKE COMMENT ABOUT ITEM THREE.
I COME UP AND SIT NEXT TO MR. WILSON.
[00:30:10]
YEAH.THERE'S BASICALLY TWO PARTS TO THIS PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
THE FIRST PART IS YOUR ACCESS TO UNREDACTED INFORMATION RELATED TO THE EVIDENCE IN A PARTICULAR INCIDENT.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART IS WHAT YOU CAN SAY ABOUT IT.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IT'S SORT OF CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THAT, UM, YOUR DISCRETION TO SAY THINGS ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE IS BROADER THAN IT ONCE WAS, THAT WE HAVE LT AN ENORMOUS GAP IN PUBLIC TRUST AND IN TRANSPARENCY BY ELIMINATING THE GFI.
AND BY NOT HAVING ANY NEW LAW PASS TO CREATE SOME KIND OF EXCESS OF SECRECY AROUND THE ULTIMATE STATEMENTS THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY IS GOING TO RELY ON YOU NOT ONLY TO SEE THE EVIDENCE, BUT TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHO MAYBE HAVE SEEN A VARIETY OF PIECES OF EVIDENCE ALREADY.
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THIS STUFF IS OUT THERE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
SO THE MOONING CASE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU A MINUTE AGO.
THE MOONING HAVE RELEASED THE, THE RING CAMERA FOOTAGE IN THAT CASE PUBLICLY.
SO PEOPLE HAVE SEEN A GREAT DEAL ALREADY.
THEY WANT TO KNOW WHEN YOU ALL MAKE A DETERMINATION OR A RECOMMENDATION, THEY WANT TO HEAR THE WHY IT'S UP.
IT'S GOING TO BE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU FEEL CONFIDENT AND THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED.
NOW, I'M SURE THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME KIND OF BEHIND CLOSED DOORS MEETING WITH LEGAL, AND THEY WILL PROBABLY ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT THIS POINT.
AT SOME POINT, ME AND NEIL ARE GONNA HAVE A SIT DOWN ABOUT WHERE WE STAND IN THE CURRENT MOMENT.
'CAUSE THE LAWS HAVE BEEN IN FLUX.
UH, BUT WE HAVE ALSO, IN ADDITION TO THE LACK OF ANY, WE HAVE ONE MINUTE MEETING PROHIBITING LAW.
WE ALSO HAVE A POLICE CONTRACT THAT ESTABLISHES THAT THAT TRANSPARENCY THAT WE NOW HAVE IN AUSTIN CONTINUES FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, REGARDLESS OF ANYTHING ELSE.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT IN FRONT OF YOU, THAT THIS IS A TWO PART PUZZLE, AND IT'S GOING TO BE CRITICAL FOR DEVELOPING THE TRUST THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS IN THE DEPARTMENT AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF, UH, TRAGEDY FOR THIS BODY TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH CLARITY AND TO REBUILD THE TRUST THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO HAVE IN ITS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY COMMISSIONER? UH, THE GENTLE WITH ID COMPLETED HIS COMMENTS? UH, YEAH, I'M, I'M NOT DONE YET, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, SO JUST TO CATCH BACK UP WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE, UH, INFORMATION WILL BE FULL ACCESSIBLE.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT WOULD BE PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THAT CASE YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE.
UM, AND MOVING AFTER THAT, IF THERE'S A REASON WHY YOU, UH, THE, THE COMMITTEE WOULD, OR COMMISSION I SHOULD SAY, WOULD WANT SOME TYPE OF EXPLANATION OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT, IF YOU WANT IAD TO COME IN AND KIND OF GO OVER THAT, UH, WE'LL HAVE THE INVESTIGATOR THEMSELVES, WE'LL ACTUALLY COME THERE ALONG WITH A LIEUTENANT TO KIND OF GO OVER, ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AND KIND OF PRESENT THE CASE IF, IF YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN.
AND THAT WOULD BE COORDINATED THROUGH THE, UH, ALSO THE POLICE OVERSIGHT AND, AND, UH, THE, UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION AS WELL.
UH, TIMEFRAME WOULD BE PROBABLY ABOUT 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR.
THAT ABOUT HOW LONG IT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE FOR THAT TO BE KIND OF DIGESTED AS FAR AS THEM LETTING YOU GUYS KNOW HOW THE CASE TRANSPIRED AND THE THINGS THAT THEY LEARNED THROUGH THE CASE, ALL FACTUAL, OF COURSE.
AND, UH, AND THEN ANY QUESTIONS YOU WOULD HAVE, THAT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT THE CASE IN THE, IN THE SENSE OF HAVING OPINIONATED TYPE OF STATEMENTS FROM THE INVESTIGATOR WILL BE ANSWERED, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UH, AT THAT PARTICULAR STAGE, OBVIOUSLY THE DECISION HAS NOT BEEN MADE FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE BECAUSE IT'S STILL IN THAT PRELIMINARY PROCESS.
SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE CASE IS STILL OPEN, PER SE.
IT'S JUST THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETED, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW.
IF Y'ALL, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? I HAVE A QUESTION.
THIS COMMISSIONER FLOOD, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
UH, YOU, WHEN WILL THIS PROCESS BE CODIFIED AND GO INTO PLACE? YOU SAID IT'S STILL BEING DEVELOPED.
SO FOR EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT PURPOSES, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT A FULLY, UH, DEVELOPED PROGRAM
[00:35:01]
THAT WE CAN THEN INITIATE AND START ENGAGING WITH YOU ALL? AND THEN I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW OURSELVES IN OFFICE OF THE POLICE OVERSIGHT OR, OR, AND WHEN I SAY IN PROCESS, KIND LIKE YOU ALL ARE GONNA REVIEW IN JULY FOR SOME CASES, AND WE JUST KIND OF, KIND OF GOTTA WORK OUT THE KINK.
WE GOT A KIND OF A FOUNDATION THERE, BUT I CAN'T SIT HERE AND TELL YOU, HEY, THIS IS, THIS IS HOW IT'S GONNA BE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S FLUID.
SO WE DO KIND OF HAVE AN I IDEA.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GONNA GO WITH THE, UH, CITY ORDINANCE AND, AND BE, UH, ABIDE BY THAT AS IT'S WRITTEN.
UM, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE LOGISTICALLY THAT WE, THAT WE GET EVERYTHING CORRECT.
UH, I KNOW IN THE CITY ORDINANCE IT SAYS AROUND 90 DAYS.
I KNOW 90 DAYS HAS BEEN MENTIONED A LOT IN THE CITY ORDINANCE, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WITHIN THAT SCOPE.
CAN I, SOMETHING, CAN I INTERJECT AS WELL, PLEASE? ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE TRAINING IS THAT IN ASSIST AND, AND IT'S KIND OF THE FIRST STEPS OF CODIFYING THAT PROCESS.
IT'S KIND OF A, A ROLE PLAY TO MAKE SURE THE PROCESS WE PUT IN PLACE WILL BE AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE PROCESS FOR A COUPLE OF THINGS TO MAKE SURE IT'S EFFICIENT FOR YOUR PART.
IT CONTAINS ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED, AND EVERYONE'S COMFORTABLE WITH THE PROCESS.
SO FROM OUR EXPECTATIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, ABSENT OF EVERYTHING GOING WELL, DOING THE TRAINING AND ALL THE MATERIALS WORKING, AND WHEN I SAY MATERIALS, IT MAY BE A SITUATION WHERE YOU GUYS MAY HAVE TO BE ISSUED LAPTOPS IN ORDER TO BE, TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE SHARED DATA, UH, DRIVE OR DATA POINTS.
UH, WE'RE WAITING ON THIS THAT WE'RE GONNA SEND OUT.
SO THERE MAY BE SOME EQUIPMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, HURDLES TO CLEAR, BUT OUR GOAL AND OUR EFFORT IS TO GET IT UP AND GOING AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
THAT'S WHY WE MOVE SO QUICKLY WITH THE JULY TRAINING.
WE WANT TO DO A ROLE PLAY, AND HOPEFULLY THAT GOES WELL, AND THEN WE, WE WILL BE READY TO GO.
UH, ARE BOTH OF YOU, HAVE BOTH OF YOU BEEN INVOLVED WITH, UH, THE PAST, UH, CASES THAT HAVE BEEN ADJUDICATED? I, I THINK YOU TOLD ME YOU HAVE BEEN CORRECT WITH SOME OF THE CASES.
YOU MEAN THE CASES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT IN JULY? NO, NO.
JUST THE PAST THAT WENT FROM, UH, IA TO OPO.
WERE YOU BOTH INVOLVED IN IN THOSE AS WELL, OR ARE YOU NEW NEW TO THIS? YEAH, AS FOR, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, AS FAR AS LIKE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN CLOSED PER SE, OR? YEAH.
UH, ANY, I'M PRETTY SURE IF IT'S HAPPENED OVER, I'VE BEEN IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS SINCE DECEMBER OF 23.
SO IF IT'S BEEN ADJUDICATED IN THAT TIMEFRAME, YES.
IT'S JUST DIFFICULT FOR ME TO BE LIKE, YEAH, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WE HAVE THREE LI LIEUTENANTS AND, UH, I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, 'CAUSE YOU SAID YOU'RE, YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS, BECAUSE IT'S, IF YOU'RE DOING THIS, IF YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THIS, HOW IS IT JUST US AS A NEW COMMISSION? THAT IS, I GOT KIND OF THROWING THE QUESTION UP.
THIS IS OUR, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME DOING THIS.
WE HAD A LIEUTENANT PRIOR, HE'S SINCE RETIRED.
UH, THERE WAS A SYSTEM SET UP KIND OF SIMILAR TO THIS PRIOR TO THE CONTRACT THAT WE SIGNED.
UM, HE WAS VERY FLUID IN THAT.
SO I'M KIND OF LEARNING, UH, AS I'M GOING THROUGH THIS.
SO YES, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST OR, UH, TIME IN THIS PROCESS INTERFACING WITH US WITHOUT COMMISSION, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
UH, UH, TO MY FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS I APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWER, BUT IT STILL FELT LIKE A NON-ANSWER AS FAR AS THE TIMELINE.
UM, AND I'M ONLY ASKING BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO ASK IF WE DON'T ALSO KNOW HOW THE SYSTEM IS GOING TO WORK.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT I'M NOT ASKING FOR PERFECT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD LET THE PURSUIT OF THE PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD.
RIGHT? WE CAN ALWAYS GET BETTER AND IMPROVE AND MAKE CHANGES, BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO BEGIN WITH, WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA JUST KEEP KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
AND THAT'S GONNA ERODE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND TALKING ACTING INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY TAKING REAL STEPS.
SO IF WE PUT IT ON THE ROAD AND TEST IT AND WE NEED TO DO SOME FIXING, THEN I THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WE OWE IT TO THE PUBLIC TO GET THEM A CODIFIED AND REAL SYSTEM THAT WE CAN OPERATE ON AND START DOING THE WORK, BECAUSE THIS WAS VOTED ON OVER TWO YEARS AGO.
NOW, THIS COMMISSION, AND WE'RE JUST HERE NOW, STARTING TO MAKE ITERATIVE STEPS AND PROGRESS IS A SLOW PROCESS, BUT I DON'T WANT US TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING JUST RIGHT TO ADD TO THAT ALREADY ELONGATED TIMELINE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UH, ANY, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I HAVE QUESTION.
WILLIAMS? IS IT SIR? WILSON WILSON.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, MOST OF ALL.
UM, MY QUESTION IS ACTUALLY FOR NEIL.
UM, AT SOME POINT, WHERE DOES OUR AUTHORITY AS A COMMISSION IN, AT SOME POINT, THIS BECOMES A PERSONNEL MATTER, AND AS YOU KNOW, UNDER THE OPEN, UH, MEETINGS ACT, PERSONNEL MATTERS CAN BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION.
SO AT WHAT POINT DOES OUR AUTHORITY
[00:40:01]
END? AND THIS PICKS UP AS A PERSONNEL MATTER? UH, WE COMMISSIONER WE'VE BEEN HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE OPO STAFF, AND, UH, WE'LL BE HAVING, UH, COMMUNICATION WITH YOU ON THAT.SO I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER FLOOD.
UH, CAN WE TRY TO AIM TOWARDS OUR NEXT JULY MEETING TO HAVE, UH, KIND OF A WORKING, UH, ORDER PROCESSING? AND THEN, UH, I'D LIKE TO START, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN DO THAT.
'CAUSE I, WHAT DAY, WHAT DAY IS OUR NEXT MEETING? RYAN, DO YOU HAVE THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD? JULY 20TH.
SO IF WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING BY JULY 18TH, UH, WHERE YOU CAN DISTRIBUTE IT.
I, I AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER FLOYD.
I'D LIKE TO RE REVIEW THE PROCESSES, EVEN IF IT'S JUST AN OUTLINE.
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND THEN, UM, HOPEFULLY BY THEN WE'LL HAVE THE, UH, THE TWO PREVIOUSLY ADJUDICATED CASES, TERRY, TO GO THROUGH FOR TRAINING.
UH, AND THEN WE CAN START, UH, HOPEFULLY RECEIVING.
I'D LIKE TO START RECEIVING CASES AS, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UH, WHENEVER, UH, I GUESS WE'RE, WE'RE READY TO NEXT WEEK AND CONFIRM WHAT WE RECEIVED TODAY AND WHAT WAS PUBLISHED ON THE AGENDA.
THIS IS A OVERVIEW OF KIND OF AN OUTLINE OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
AND ERIC, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
OH, NO, I WAS SAYING THANK YOU COMMISSIONER GRES.
UM, YEAH, IF WE COULD JUST GET THE STRUCTURE AND INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT WE'LL KNOW THE RESOURCES AND THEN HOW TO ACCESS THAT MATERIAL.
THAT'LL REALLY GO A LONG WAY INTO US BEING ABLE TO DO THE WORK THAT WE'RE, UM, HERE TO DO.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE GET ASSISTANCE FROM OPO, BUT WE STILL MAINTAIN OUR LEGITIMACY AND INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENCE THROUGH THIS COLLABORATIVE COORDINATION AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BRING TO THE TABLE.
AND THIS ALL, A LOT OF THIS WILL BE, UH, BASICALLY ON THE TIMING OF WHEN WE GET LAPTOPS AS WELL, RYAN.
SO I KNOW YOU WERE, YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT, YOU, WE GOT AN EMAIL REGARDING THAT.
SO, UH, ONCE WE HAVE THAT, WE CAN START LOOKING AT CASES FAIRLY QUICKLY.
UH, YOU CAN STAY THERE IF YOU LIKE.
[4. Discussion with Kevin Masters, Complaint Supervisor, about complaints made against APD, the process, and how cases are assigned to the CPRC.]
WITH MR. KEVIN MASTERS, THE COMPLAINT SUPERVISOR ABOUT COMPLAINTS MADE AGAINST A PD AND THE, THE PROCESS AND HOW CASES ARE ASSIGNED TO THE CPRC.WE DO, UH, I WANTED TO HAVE HIM SPEAK FIRST, KIND OF HOW HE, THAT WAY IN, IN YOUR SOURCE DOCUMENT, THERE'S A TWO PAGE DOCUMENT.
IT'S A FLOW CHART THAT KIND OF DESCRIBES THE FLOW PROCESS FOR THE CPRC IN TERMS OF HOW YOU RECEIVE CASES FOR BOTH.
UH, IT'S REALLY IN LINE WITH WHAT LIEUTENANT WILSON JUST DESCRIBED WHEN IAD COMPLETES AN INVESTIGATION.
OUR POINT IS WHEN THEY SEND IT TO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, THAT'S KIND OF O P'S TRIGGER THAT THEY'VE COMPLETED THEIR INVESTIGATION.
UM, I BELIEVE THE COMMISSIONERS, HAVE YOU ALL RECEIVED THESE VIA EMAIL? KATHY? YES.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I'M LOOKING AT THE RIGHT DOCUMENTATION.
IS IT THE OPO COMPLAINT WORKFLOW? IT WAS DOCUMENT ONE IN OUR ATTACHMENTS.
IT SHOULD BE LABELED COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION.
CPRC, COMPLAINT REVIEW WORKFLOW.
THEY'RE BOTH ACTUALLY THAT'S THE OVERVIEW.
IT'S THE DOCUMENT THAT'S ON SCREEN.
SO YEAH, IF, UH, IF ANY, COMMISSIONER, SINCE YOU'RE NOT ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE SPEAK UP, UH, FOR THOSE, UH, DONE VIRTUALLY.
YEAH, IT KIND OF COVERS BOTH, BOTH FLOW PROCESSES, THE FLOW PROCESS, WHEREBY YOU WOULD BE NOTIFIED BY OPO WHEN AN INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETED AND WE NEED TO GET IT TO YOU SO THAT YOU CAN AGENDA IT UP FOR BRIEFING.
AND ALSO IT COVERS THE PROCESS THAT YOU WOULD EXERCISE WHENEVER YOU GET A COMPLAINT FROM A COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO HAS COMPLAINT AND WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO REVIEW THE COMPLAINT.
THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGES IS HOW IT'S INITIATED IN TERMS OF COMPLAINTS FROM THE OFFICE, POLICE OVERSIGHT UN COMPLETED INVESTIGATIONS.
IT'S JUST LIKE, UH, LIEUTENANT WILSON DESCRIBED WHEN THEY NOTIFY THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND, HEY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETED.
THEY ALSO NOTIFY US, HEY, WE'RE COMPLETED OPO AT THAT POINT, WE BEGIN DOING OUR OPO SUMMARY.
AND WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE'LL MAKE THAT NOTIFICATION TO THE CPRC.
THIS INVESTIGATION IS CONCLUDED FOR YOU TO MAKE THE DECISION.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SAY THIS.
[00:45:01]
WE'RE NOT GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA NOTIFY YOU WHEN ALL THE RELATIVE INVESTIGATIONS ARE COMPLETED, THAT BASED ON THE ORDINANCE, YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO REVIEW SO THAT YOU CAN TELL US WHAT CASES YOU'D LIKE TO BE BRIEFED ON.BECAUSE YOU MAY GET SOME THAT MAY, YOU MAY NOT HAVE INTEREST IN.
BUT THE GOAL IS ONCE WE NOTIFY YOU, HEY, THIS CRITICAL INCIDENT CASE HAS BEEN COMPLETE, INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED, IT'S TO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND FOR THEM TO REVIEW OPO IS IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING IT FOR OUR SUMMARY.
THAT'S WHEN YOU CAN GIVE US THE DIRECTION.
WE'D LIKE TO RECEIVE A BRIEFING.
AND AT THAT POINT, ONCE WE'RE INSTRUCTED BY YOU THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON THE CASE, WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY INTERNAL AFFAIRS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A PA, UH, CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE TO SATISFY IT AS WELL.
THEY WOULD NOTIFY US, WE WOULD NOTIFY YOU AFTER YOU NOTIFY US THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BRIEFING AND A A A TENTATIVE AGENDA DAY IN WHICH YOU'D LIKE TO BE BRIEFED.
WE WOULD NOTIFY INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS WOULD START GOING THROUGH THEIR PROCESS TO PUT TOGETHER ALL THE DOCUMENTS THAT NE THAT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED FOR THE SHARE DRIVE.
THEY WOULD GET THAT INFORMATION TO US AND WE WOULD IN TURN, GET IT TO YOU PRIOR TO THE REVIEW DATE OR THE BRIEFING DATE I SHOULD SAY.
SO THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT? GO AHEAD, MR. FLOOD.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, I KNOW A LOT OF THESE THINGS HAVE TIMELINES TO THEM.
UM, SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS? 'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GET THE INFORMATION AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA NOTIFY US AND THEN OUR WHEELS GO INTO MOTION.
BUT HOW FAR ALONG LONG TIMELINE WISE WILL WE BE TO THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TO SUBMIT A REPORT IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE REVIEWED BY THE CHIEF? AND THAT'S OPEN TO ANYBODY THAT MAY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
YEAH, I THINK THE QUESTION HE IS ASKING IS EVERY CASE IS GONNA BE DIFFERENT.
SO THE TIMELINE ISN'T GONNA BE THE SAME.
SO ONE COMPLAINT MIGHT HA MIGHT, MIGHT BE A, UH, UH, ABUSE OF FORCE WHERE ANOTHER ONE IS SWEARING AT SOMEBODY.
THEY'RE GONNA BE VASTLY DIFFERENT.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, IF THEY, IF OPO GETS THE CASE, I THINK THAT TIMELINE IS STANDARDIZED AS FAR AS THEIR TURNAROUND TIME AND, AND OURS.
AND SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO I DON'T WANT, BECAUSE WE HAVE A WHOLE NOTHER PROCESS TO GO THROUGH TO GET CASES ON THE AGENDA, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS.
SO BY THE TIME WE DO ALL OF THAT, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE THAT, OOPS, YOU'RE OUT OF TIME.
YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AREN'T CONSIDERED.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE CHIEF HAS 365 DAYS FROM THE TIME THAT THEY FIRST BECOME AWARE OF THE INCIDENTS.
AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE REALLY HAVEN'T BUMPED INTO THAT YEAR.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS, WITH OPO, WHEN THEY SEND A A, A A CASE FILE TO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, AND WE GET THE NOTIFICATION, HEY, THIS IS TO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, AND WE START DOING OUR SUMMARY, WE TRY TO GET OUR WORK DONE WITHIN A CALENDAR WEEK.
AND THE REASON WE TRY TO GET OUR WORK DONE WITHIN THE CALENDAR WEEK IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE DIRECTOR'S BRIEF, SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE, SIMILAR TO YOU ALL, THAT YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE BEFORE SHE MAKES HER RECOMMENDATION.
SO I CAN'T NECESSARILY ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS WE WILL MOVE AT A PACE SO THAT WE WILL ENSURE THAT YOU'VE GOT THE TIME TO GET THE BRIEFING AS WELL AS DO WHATEVER DELIBERATIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE BEFORE SHE MAKES THAT, THAT FINAL DETERMINATION.
THAT WAS MY, MY INSTATE AND OBJECTIVE IS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT IN A EFFICIENT WAY SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY BE VALUE ADDED TO THAT CONVERSATION.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE OUR GOAL TOO.
AND PART OF IT IS, LIKE I SAY, WE'RE BUILDING THIS PLANE.
LIKE SOMEBODY SAID THAT AS, AS AS WE GO.
UH, LIKE I SAY, I BELIEVE AS LONG AS THE SYSTEMS WORK IN TERMS OF THE SHARE DRIED SYSTEMS, UH, I DON'T SEE A REASON WHY.
LET'S SAY IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH, YOU GET A NOTIFICATION THAT, HEY, THIS IS READY FOR REVIEW.
IF YOU DECIDE, OKAY, WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO REVIEW THAT CASE THIS PARTICULAR MONTH, PUT IT ON OUR NEXT MONTH AGENDA, WE SHOULD STILL HAVE TIME TO GIVE YOU YOUR BRIEFING.
AND AS LONG AS YOU GUYS WORK EFFICIENTLY WITH YOUR DELIBERATIONS TO STILL BE ABLE TO DO WHAT THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES, WHICH IS GET YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE PRIOR TO HER, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, WILL YOU BE ABLE TO FACILITATE THOSE BRIEFINGS ONCE WE HAVE GOVERNMENT LAPTOPS? YES.
SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO MEET IN A CENTRALIZED LOCATION? YEAH.
THE GOAL IS THE, THE WAY THE BRIEFINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED IS, UH, LIKE I SAY, WE'LL, WE'LL GET THE INFORMATION TO YOU, YOU'LL DECIDE WHEN YOU WANT IT ON THE AGENDA.
UH, THEY WILL SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH US FOR SHARE DRIVE, FOR ON A SHARE DRIVE.
[00:50:01]
WE'LL GET IT TO YOU ALL.AND ON THE DAY OF THE MEETING, OPO WILL OPEN UP THE BRIEFING WITH JUST AN INTRODUCTION, HEY, HERE'S THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON THIS DATE AND TIME.
WE'LL TRANSITION IT OVER TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR THEM TO DO THEIR BRIEFING OF THE INVESTIGATIVE FILE.
THEY WILL CLOSE IT OUT OR THEY WILL SAY WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.
WE WILL CLOSE THE BRIEFING BASED ON OUR SUMMARY AND WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS OR WILL BE, SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW.
AND THEN IT JUST GOES WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO FROM THERE.
AND THAT'S DE AND DISTINCT FROM THE MEETING THAT WE'RE HAVING ON A MONTHLY BASIS HERE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA COMPLAIN.
IS THAT THE CASE THAT THE BRIEFINGS WILL BE OUTSIDE OF OUR, OUR, OUR, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS? YES, THEY WILL.
THE, THE BRIEFINGS WILL BE ON A DAY OF YOUR PUBLIC MEETING.
SO WHAT YOU'LL SAY, KINDA LIKE LET'S SAY IF WE HAD SOMETHING PRIOR, A PROCESS WAS IN PLACE, YOU WOULD SAY, PUT THAT BRIEFING ON THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR JUNE, FOR JUNE 20TH AND THE BRIEFING WOULD OCCUR TODAY.
THE BRIEFINGS WILL OCCUR IN THE CONTEXT OF A PUBLIC MEETING.
THE BRIEFINGS WILL OCCUR ON MEETING DATES, BUT NOT, THEY WILL OCCUR ON MEETING DATES, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
I'M TRYING TO THAT UNDERST I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UNDERSTAND.
THE BRIEFINGS WILL BE, UH, NOT IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSION ON ALL THOSE AND EVERYTHING.
I I UNDERSTAND THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAVE OCCURRED.
WELL, SO IN A NUTSHELL, THAT'S REALLY THE PROCESS WITH RESPECT TO THE CASES WE BRING TO YOU, TO YOU GUYS.
UH, AND I THINK WE'VE, WE'RE GONNA PUT IT IN OUR POLICY SO THAT ON THE DAY WE RECEIVE NOTIFICATION THAT THE CASE HAS GONE TO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY, WE WILL MAKE A WRITTEN NOTIFICATION TO THE CPRC.
SO THAT LETS YOU KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE ON THIS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY DESIRES OR ANY PLANS TO LET IT SIT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE YOU GUYS KNOW PRETTY MUCH JUST AS SOON AS WE KNOW WITH RESPECT TO BRIEFINGS ABOUT EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS, THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PROCESS WILL BE THE SAME.
THE TOP HALF IS YOU'LL GET NOTIFICATION FROM A COMMUNITY MEMBER, HEY, I, HOWEVER THEY SAY IT, I NEED YOU, OR I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO REVIEW THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO NOTIFY OPO THAT, HEY, WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT BY THIS.
WHATEVER PROCESS WE PUT IN PLACE, YOU HAVE TO NOTIFY US SO THAT WE CAN CONFIRM THAT IT IS A COMPLAINT.
BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT, IT'S GOTTA BE A COMPLAINT OF, UH, AN EXISTING COMPLAINT.
AND WE HAVE TO CONFIRM THAT BASICALLY IT MEETS THE CRITERIA.
UH, WE WOULD ASK THAT THERE BE AT LEAST A 30, 30 DAY NOTIFICATION TO US PRIOR TO PUTTING IT ON A, ON A BRIEFING DATE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'VE CHECKED ALL THE BOXES FOR COMPLIANCE PURPOSES.
SO, SO BASICALLY, UH, IF THE COMMISSIONER RECEIVES ANY COMPLAINT VIA THE WEBSITE EMAIL DIRECTLY TO, UH, OP OR TO CPRC STAFF, RYAN, ANY OF US, WE, WE NOTIFY YOU.
AND THEN WITHIN 30 DAYS, WE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE FILE.
GIVE US AT LEAST 30 DAYS NOTIFICATION.
AFTER YOU CORRECT THAT 30 DAYS LATER, WE CAN EXPECT THE FILES TO REVIEW.
BUT DID, DID I UNDERSTAND YOU TO SAY THAT IF WE GET A, WE GET INFORMATION FROM A COMMUNITY MEMBER, IT HAS TO BE ON AN EXISTING COMPLAINT THAT'S IN THE SYSTEM, OR THAT ISN'T MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE ORDINANCES.
UH, A COMMUN COMMUNITY MEMBER CAN REQUEST REVIEW OF THEIR COMPLAINT OF THEIR, OF THEIR COMPLAINT THAT'S BEEN PREVIOUSLY LODGED.
WHICH THE POLICE, THEY CAN'T TO US AND WE INITIATE THE COMPLAINT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, BUT I, I DON'T THINK WE WANT THAT PROCESS.
YEAH, THAT'S, I WOULD ENCOURAGE
THAT'S WHAT I WAS CONFUSED THE DISCUSS.
BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO REFER COMPLAINANTS TO US IF THEY WANNA MAKE A COMPLAINT.
BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT BROAD AUTHORITY THAT'S IN CONVERSATION OUTSIDE OF MY PURVIEW THAT'S ON THE WEBSITE.
SO ANYBODY LISTENING OR ANYBODY IN THE GALLERY, UH, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE ON THE, UH, CPRC WEBSITE.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT COMPLAINTS TO MAKE, YOU HAVE TO FILE 'EM THROUGH THERE.
UH, 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA KNOW IF, WHAT COMPLAINTS ARE THERE UNTIL AFTER THEY COME TO US.
THAT'S WHERE I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED.
I KNOW THERE'S A LITTLE STEP THERE AND THAT, THAT PRETTY MUCH DESCRIBES AT LEAST HOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MAKING SURE YOU GET YOUR BRIEFS AND THE PRESENTATIONS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET ONE DONE IN EARLY JULY.
I HOPE THAT DEMONSTRATES WE'RE READY TO ROLL.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BE A COG IN THE WHEEL OF PRODUCTIVITY.
WE'RE READY, READY TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN EFFICIENTLY SO THAT YOU CAN BEGIN DOING THE WORK THAT YOU'RE EXCITED AND READY TO DO.
KEVIN, ALSO, UH, I DON'T LIKE HYPOTHETICALS, BUT IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE CASES READY FOR OUR REVIEW?
[00:55:01]
LIKE YOU GIVE US A NOTIFICATION THAT WE GOT FIVE CASES THAT HAVE, UM, INTERNAL AFFAIRS THAT ARE DONE WITH, AND THAT FOLLOWING MEETING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE FIVE CASES PRESENTED TO US BEFORE WE HAVE OUR OPEN MEETING WITH THE PUBLIC.I THINK IT MIGHT, OR YOU JUST POSSIBLE.
UH, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHAT COMPLAINTS COME WHEN AND TIMING OF THEM.
SO THERE MIGHT BE FEAST OR FAMINE, MIGHT BE ONE AT A TIME, MIGHT BE FIVE OR SIX.
AND THAT, WHILE, WHILE I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE ALL OF THIS STUFF TAKES TIME AND PLANNING AND COORDINATION.
WELL, I THINK SO I THINK IT'S, I MEAN, IF THEY'RE BRINGING, IF THEY'RE BREAKING FIVE CASES VERSUS IF THEY'RE BRIEFING ONE CASE, THEN THE TIMING FOR EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S SEQUENTIAL TO THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE UNDERSTOOD.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS NOW.
WHEN THAT DOES HAPPEN TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS.
WELL, I THINK, AND, AND, UH, ERIC, MAYBE YOU CAN TELL ME OR OR, OR KEVIN, THE, WHEN WE, WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING SENT TO US, AND IT MIGHT BE FOUR OR FIVE CASES, WE, WE HAVE 30 DAYS TO RE RESPOND UNLESS, UH, SO IF WE GET A CHANCE TO REVIEW EVERYTHING WITH BOTH IA AND AND OPO AND ALL THE FILES, WE'RE STILL NOT GONNA, WE, WE MAY HAVE TO PUSH SOME TO THE NEXT, THE FOLLOWING MONTH AGENDA.
CORRECT? I WOULD AND THAT'S ACCEPTABLE FOR TIMELINE.
SO WE CAN KIND OF MANAGE OUR, OUR, OUR LOAD THAT WAY AND, AND KIND OF, UH, LIKE A, LIKE TRIAGE PULL THE DIFFERENT CASES OUT THAT MIGHT BE MORE TIME CONSUMING THAN OTHERS.
UH, MAYBE THAT'S WHERE WE, WE, UH, KIND OF HAVE TO REVIEW AND, UH, KIND OF MAKE COMMENTS, UH, VIA EMAIL TO RYAN SO WE CAN ADD, ADD, ADD THEM TO THE AGENDA TO, TO DISCUSS WELL ON THAT SUBJECT, EMAILS HAS NOT BEEN THE MOST EFFICIENT PROCESS, I GUESS.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BECAUSE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT OR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT WE ARE NOT COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY VIA EMAIL.
AND, UH, WHEN WE GET TO MOTIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A MOTION TO DEVELOP A BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE TO COMMUNICATE.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY TIME WE CAN HAVE THESE TYPE OF DISCUSSION IS HERE ONCE A MONTH.
AND THAT'S NOT VERY PRODUCTIVE AT ALL.
BUT THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT AND OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
WE CANNOT REALLY HAVE ANY DISCUSSIONS OUTSIDE OF OUR SERVICE AS, AS COMMISSION.
WE, BUT WE CAN COMMUNICATE, WE CAN DEFINITELY COMMUNICATE.
YOU SAID, YOU SAID DISCUSSION.
WELL, IF WE'RE GETTING CAUGHT UP ON SEMANTICS, I'M, I'M NOT DOING THAT.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS RIGHT NOW INFORMATION IS SILOED AND OUR COMMUNICATION APPARATUS IS NOT ALLOWING US TO FLOW EFFICIENTLY ENOUGH TO HAVE DELIBERATE CONVERSATIONS IN A MANNER TO LET US ADJUDICATE OR DO OUR WORK PROPERLY.
AND I WANT TO DEVELOP A MORE EFFICIENT SYSTEM.
WELL, AGAIN, I DON'T CARE WHAT TERMS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON, MY INSTINCT AND OBJECTIVE IS TO DO THE WORK FOR THE PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS TO DEVELOP A WAY THAT WE COMMUNICATE, BECAUSE THE WAY WE'RE COMMUNICATING RIGHT NOW IS NOT WORKING.
SO I'M IDENTIFYING A PROBLEM AND I'M IDENTIFYING A NEED FOR A SOLUTION, AND I'M ASKING THAT WE TAKE A VOTE ON IT.
TO HELP DEVELOP A BETTER SYSTEM.
I THINK THERE'S ITEM EIGHT ON THE AGENDA TODAY, WHICH IS A DIRECTED TO ADDRESS THAT.
YEAH, WE UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT.
I, I WAS ONLY SPEAKING IT BECAUSE THE CONDUCT OF WHAT WE'RE LEARNING FROM THE TWO GENTLEMEN SPEAKING AND HOW WE'RE GONNA MAKE THAT YEAH, WELL, UH, LIVING, BREATHING THING, SO, RIGHT.
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TO, TO BE HONEST, MR. FLOYD, WE, UH, THIS HELPS A LOT.
AND ONCE WE GET THROUGH, UH, TODAY'S MEETING, UH, WE CAN ACTUALLY, THE REASON WHY WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS THE, THE COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL IS FOR THAT EXACT REASON.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT, UH, YOU'RE NOT OUTTA LINE WHAT YOU SAID.
UM, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE EFFORT YOU GUYS PUT TOWARDS THE, UH, WORKFLOW CHARTS AND SO FORTH.
I, YOU KNOW, AS AN ENGINEER, I, I LOVE THESE.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF, UH, COMMENTS.
UM, ON THE EXTERNAL OPO COMPLAINT WORKFLOW, YOU HAVE A LEGEND, WHICH IS AMAZING.
THERE ARE A COUPLE ACRONYMS THOUGH THAT ARE AMAZING.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT CS IS AND WHAT C-M-S-C-I-C-M-S IS? THAT WILL HELP.
WHICH WORKFLOW ARE YOU SPEAKING
[01:00:01]
TO? PARDON ME? ARE YOU SPEAKING TO THE EXTERNAL OPO? ARE YOU TALKING I'M AN EXTERNAL OPO COMPLAINT FLOOR.YOU HAVE A LEGEND, WHICH IS OKAY.
ARE WE GONNA TRANSITION TO THAT? IF SO? I THINK WE'RE, ARE YOU DONE WITH THE CPRC WORKFLOW? OKAY.
WELL THEN
THE REST OF IT IS ALL OPO BUSINESS.
MR. GREAVES JUMPED AHEAD A LITTLE BIT.
UH, IF, UH, YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, MR. WILSON.
AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU AND, AND MOVING ALONG ON, UH, OUR BUSINESS.
SO, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, UH, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, COMMISSIONERS I HAVE REGARDING THIS.
UM, IF I, UM, TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, THEN, UM, MY EXPECTATION, AND SOMETIMES, I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE STILL BUSY, SO AT LEAST YOU KNOW, THE EXPECTATION, AT LEAST ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS IS THE FOLLOWING.
AS I AM EXPECTED TO REVIEW ANY INVESTIGATION OF THAT CUSTODY, SERIOUS BODILY INJURIES AND OTHER SERIOUS MISCONDUCT.
I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT SOMEHOW I HAVE A WAY OF SEEING, UH, VIEWING EVERY, IN OUR, TO, TO BE ABLE TO, TO VIEW ANY, YOU HAVE TO BE, BE ABLE TO VIEW EVERY, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME RIGHT NOW WHAT PROCESS IS THERE FOR US TO SEE.
WHAT ARE ALL THE, UM, COMPLAINTS THAT COME OUT.
'CAUSE I, I APPRECIATE WE TWO, THE TWO THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, IF A CITIZEN COMPLAINT, I SEE THE PROCESS AND I FOLLOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE INTERNALLY WANTED TO, TO ASK FOR, UH, TO, TO VIEW SOMETHING GREAT.
I SEE ALSO THAT IT'S, IF OPIOID DECIDES YOU GUYS NEED, NEED TO SEE SOMETHING, SEND IT BACK.
WHAT I REALLY THINK THE EXPECTATION OF THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN ARE THAT WE GET TO SEE VIEW ALL, ALL, EVERYONE, AND THEN WE GET TO PICK ANYONE.
AND SO THAT'S FOR, JUST FOR, FOR THE RECORD, I WANNA MAKE SURE, AND I DON'T QUITE SEE HOW THAT'S DONE OR WHAT TOOL THERE IS TO DO THAT AND SO FORTH.
I GUESS, AND I AGREE WITH HIM, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE IT FILTERED.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE, WE DO SEE ALL RECOMMENDATIONS, OBJECTION, MEMOS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE CAN, IF THERE IS ANY INTERNAL, UH, QUESTIONS OR, OR, UH, CONCERNS WE, WE'D LIKE TO KNOW MOVING FORWARD.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME IDEA, OKAY, IF THERE'S A INTERNAL AFFAIRS THINKS THIS, ARE WE GONNA SEE THAT? ARE WE GONNA HAVE THE COMMENTS AND, AND HAVE EVERYTHING AVAILABLE TO US INSTEAD OF JUST YOU PICKING YEAH.
AND, AND, AND SPOONFEEDING US THAT INFORMATION.
AND ARE YOU SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO THE ACTUAL CASE IN AND OF ITSELF, OR JUST THE GLOBAL, THE ENTIRE FILE? YEAH.
THAT YOU WOULD SEE THE ENTIRE FILE.
THERE, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANYTHING.
UH, SO IT'S JUST THE TERM HERE AT, AT LEAST FROM MY, I MEAN, IT LEGAL WISE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE MAY COUNTER THIS, BUT THERE'S, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANYTHING THAT I WOULD SEE THAT WOULD A AVOID YOU GUYS BEING ABLE TO SEE THE ENTIRE OKAY.
YOU KNOW, FILE PER SE MAY, MAYBE THIS WILL HELP.
YOU'LL SEE WHAT THE CHIEF OF POLICE SEES.
SO EVERY CASE AND ALL THE OKAY.
SO ANY AND ALL REALLY IS WHAT, WHAT THIS SHOULD SAY.
THANK YOU MR. APPLICATION FOR THAT POINT, PLEASE.
SO WHAT IS THE APPARATUS THAT WE CAN ACCESS? BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LOOK FOR IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE CASES ARE.
SO WHAT'S THE MECHANISM APPARATUS THAT WE CAN LOOK FOR THE ACCESS AND PICK OUT THE CASES THAT WE WANT, AS MR. GREES SAYS.
SO HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT EXISTS? IS THERE A DATABASE THAT WE'LL HAVE ACCESS TO? WHAT IS IT THAT WILL TELL US THAT THESE CASES ARE THE CASES? NOT JUST, UH, THIS, I KNOW WE GET NOTIFIED BY OPO, UM, BUT THAT'S NOT, THAT'S, THAT'S GOING FORWARD.
BUT THERE'S STILL CASES WITHIN THE WINDOW OF THE 365 DAYS THAT WE MAY WANT TO REVIEW AND HAVE ACCESS TO.
'CAUSE THINGS ARE ONGOING EVERY DAY.
AND IF THIS PROCESS DOESN'T START UP TO, LET'S SAY, SAY JULY OR AUGUST, THERE MAY BE CASES THAT HAVE HAPPENED A MONTH, TWO MONTHS AGO LAST WEEK.
HOW, WHERE ARE THOSE, WHERE'S THE REPOSITORY FOR US TO SELECT WHICH CASES WE WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WHERE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THIS PROCESS PUTS IN PLACE A, A, A PROCESS WHEREBY THEY NOTIFY US.
OPOI SHOULD SAY IAPD NOTIFIES OPO OF EVERY CASE THEY GET.
THAT'S THE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION THAT GOES TO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
NOT SOME OF THEM, BUT ALL OF THEM.
SO THAT'S AS IT RELATES TO THIS CASE.
LOOKING BACKWARDS, WE, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ANSWER THAT OUTSIDE OF OP YOU GUYS MAKING A REQUEST FROM A PD OR OPO MAKING REQUEST REQUEST ON YOUR BEHALF TO A PD ASKING THEM TO IDENTIFY THE CASES THAT ARE IN THAT 365 DAY WINDOW.
WHO WOULD BE THE PROPER AUTHORITY TO ADDRESS THAT TO, WOULD
[01:05:01]
IT BE OPO OR WOULD IT BE A PD OR WOULD IT BE BOTH? IT WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD RECOMMEND IT BOPO BECAUSE WE KIND OF SERVE AS YOUR STAFF LIAISON IN A WAY.JUST REQUEST WITH RYAN, HEY, WE'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT CASES ARE, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATIONS THAT'S IN THAT 365 WINDOW.
AND WE CAN MAKE THE REQUEST OF O OF, OF APD.
SO WOULD THAT BE A REQUEST TO SEE ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN CONCLUDED BY, UH, IAD THERE, THEIR INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN CONCLUDED, BUT IT'S NOT BEEN DECIDED BY THE POLICE TEAM.
IT, IT MIGHT BE WORTH PUTTING TOGETHER AT SOME POINT, A WORKING GROUP TO, UH, WORK OUT THE DETAILS OF HOW TO MAKE THIS FUNCTION AS, AS BEST WE CAN.
MY THOUGHTS, I I DON'T THINK ANYTHING YOU GUYS HAVE ASKED FOR IS OVER COMPLICATED.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE COMING UP BECAUSE IT, IT IS, UH, WE'LL HAVE THAT ON NUMBER EIGHT, CHRIS.
AND MS, SORRY, MS. RUSSELL, I SHOULD JUST HAVE YOU STAY UP HERE.
I, I SIGNED UP FOR A FEW ITEMS. UM, Y'ALL ARE ASKING THE, THE KEY QUESTION.
UH, IN THE KIND OF CONCEIVING OF HOW WE WERE GONNA DO THIS BETTER, AND WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE, UH, NOT HAVING THE DEPARTMENT ULTIMATELY BY INTERNAL AFFAIRS, IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT KIND OF CHERRY PICKING WHAT COMES TO YOU WAS PART OF THAT CONVERSATION AS THE ORDINANCE THAT AUTHORIZED YOUR WORK WAS BEING CRAFTED AND THEN DEBATED CITYWIDE? UM, IT ACTUALLY IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KIND OF DIG INTO THIS QUESTION BECAUSE, UM, THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMISSION IS BROADER THAN CRITICAL INCIDENTS.
SO IN THE PAST, THE PREVIOUS COMMISSION HAD A MORE LIMITED PURVIEW, AND A CRITICAL INCIDENT IS A MUCH MORE LIMITED CONCEPT.
AND FOR THE MOST PART, ALL CRITICAL INCIDENTS ARE GOING TO BE INVESTIGATED BY INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
AND SO, STARTING WITH INTERNAL AFFAIRS AS THE BASELINE MAKES SENSE.
IF YOUR PURVIEW IS CRITICAL INCIDENTS, BUT YOUR PURVIEW IS SIGNIFICANTLY BROADER, YOU ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT THE CHARGES AGAINST THEM THAT WERE BROUGHT WERE FALSE.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT INCIDENTS OF OFFICIAL OPPRESSION, AND THAT TAKES A VARIETY OF FORMS. YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT INCIDENTS THAT MAY NEVER HAVE GONE TO IA IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE, THE QUESTION.
THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK OUT THE PROTOCOLS.
AND WE REALLY NEED THE, THE PUBLIC, IF THERE ARE COMPLAINTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GO TO THE CPRC WEBSITE AND, AND SEND THOSE IN.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES, I'D RATHER, I'D RATHER HAVE TOO MANY COMPLAINTS THAN, THAN NOT ENOUGH.
I'M SORRY, SHE HAS TO FINISH WITH HER THREE MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL,
YOU CAN ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT I DON'T, WELL, YOU, YOU HAVE TO SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES AND THEN WE COULD ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS.
SO ANYWAY, UM, SO ALL, ALL I WAS GOING TO ADD TO THAT IS THAT, UM, YES, PEOPLE NEED TO FILE A COMPLAINT, BUT IF THE PROCESS IS GROUNDED IN STEP ONE, INTERNAL AFFAIRS, GIVE THE FILE TO THE OPO, THEN WE HAVE MISSED THE VOTE.
OKAY? BECAUSE WE HAVE MISSED THOSE COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE GONE TO OPO.
AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT OPO DID WITH THEM, THAT COMPLAINT INVOLVES SOMETHING IN YOUR FOOTPRINT.
SO THERE MAY BE A NEED FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE AN SORT OF A DETERMINATION UPFRONT AS TO WHAT COMPLAINTS COME IN, MEET THESE CRITERIA SO THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THEM IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
SO I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
THESE ARE THE NEW THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE FIGURED OUT THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM.
UH, AND, AND ALSO, IN ADDITION TO, TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THE, OUR WHOLE PURPOSE AS WE ARE TRYING TO GET OUR FOOTING HERE IS TO GET THROUGH THE, GET TO THE BOTTOM OF EVERYTHING.
NONE OF US, NOBODY IN THIS ROOM IS GONNA GET EVERYTHING A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT.
BUT OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE IT SO THAT VOICES ARE HEARD, AND
[01:10:01]
REGARDLESS OF IF WE COME TO WHAT THE PUBLIC ALWAYS AGREES WITH, MOST LIKELY NOT, BUT THERE ARE ARE LAWS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW AND RULES THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.SO IS THERE ANY COMMISSIONER, ANY, ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN AND SAYING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I, I MAY GET IN TROUBLE FOR SAYING THIS, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT.
THE, THE BIG PICTURE I HAVE, AND I JUST, THAT BASICALLY, UM, WHEN WE SIGNED, WHEN THE MAJOR MAYOR SIGNED THIS CONTRACT, IT WAS A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, TRUST BUT VERIFY, WELL, THIS IS VERIFY NOW.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T SET UP A SYSTEM THAT WHERE THE FOX IS TELLING THE FARMER WHAT HOURS YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT TO COOL TAKING, OR WHICH PARTS OF IT TO, AND SO I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK HAVING SOMEONE LIKE YOU COME IN AND, AND VER VERIFY THAT THAT'S EXPECTATION OF CITIZENS IS HELPFUL.
AND I, I JUST WANNA SECOND WHAT OUR CHAIR SAID.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA DO THE BEST WE CAN, GIVEN WHAT WE HAVE.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE GO OUTSIDE OF OUR DAILY LIVES TO DO THIS.
AND WE'RE, WE WILL DO THE BEST WE CAN.
UH, THANKS AGAIN, MR. RUSSELL.
SO, LIKE TO SECOND THE CHAIR, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE I I A, THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE OFFICERS RE WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITIZENS AND WHAT, WHAT THEY WERE GOING THROUGH AND WHAT THEY WERE THINKING.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION WHERE EVERYBODY'S NOT ALWAYS THE HERO, AND EVERYBODY'S NOT ALWAYS THE VILLAIN.
WE'RE JUST ON THE SIDE OF THE TRUTH AND GETTING OUR CITIZENS AND OUR POLICE TO BOTH DO WHAT IS RIGHT, AND WHEN ONE PARTY IS WRONG AND ACCOUNTABILITY TAKES PLACE, AND SO THAT EVERYONE FEELS LIKE JUSTICE IS SERVED.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY? ANYBODY ELSE? LAURA, ANY COMMENTS? YEAH, THIS IS MY CHAIR.
CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
I JUST WANTED TO ENSURE THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE HERE AS A COMMISSION READY TO SERVE.
AND IF YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS MEETING, THERE'S A LOT OF HOOPS, A LOT OF PROCESSES THAT WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING, THAT WE'VE GIVEN DIFFERENT TIMELINES, WE'RE GIVEN DIFFERENT PROCESSES.
WE'RE STILL FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET THROUGH ALL THIS.
BUT I WANNA REASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE HERE TO FULFILL THEIR DUTIES.
WE ARE ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
WE, WE ARE VOLUNTEERING HERE TO GET THIS DONE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO PLEASE BELIEVE IN US, WE WILL GET THIS WORK DONE.
AND I JUST WANNA ASK FOR YOUR PATIENCE WHILE WE ARE ESTABLISH A PROCESS OF THE PROCESS, UH, AS QUICKLY AND RESPECTIVELY AS, AS WE CAN.
WE, UH, WE ARE DRINKING THROUGH A FIRE HOSE RIGHT NOW,
I JUST WANT ALSO, UH, SAY, UM, JUST TO COMMENT, UH, THANK YOU, UM, TO LIEUTENANT, TO, UH, MR. UH, MASTERS, UH, OPO AND, UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS, AND OUR, UH, INFORMATIVE, UH, UH, SPEAKER THERE.
UH, THANK YOU ALL BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN WAITING FOR.
THIS IS WHAT OUR, UH, COMMUNITY HAS BEEN WAITING FOR.
UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
UH, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, ANYTHING TO DO.
BUT WE, I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS, UH, FROM A, UH, NEWSPAPER ARTICLE AND, UH, IT'S DISCUSSION OF THE POLICE USE OF FORCE REPORT PRESENTED TO THE CITY, UH, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IN MAY OF 2025.
AND IT INCLUDES FINDINGS SHARED BY DR.
ROBERT ROBIN INGLE, UH, FROM OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, I THINK.
AND, UH, SO I SENT THIS TO RYAN ASKING HIM TO, UH, SHARE THIS WITH US SO WE COULD REVIEW IT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TIME DURING THIS MEETING TO REVIEW EVERYTHING, BUT I WANTED TO BRING THIS TO ALL THE COMMISSIONER'S ATTENTION.
AND, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL HAVE TO, UH, GO THROUGH AND GO OVER.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION, SO, SURE.
I'M SORRY TO DO THIS, BUT I, I WAS UNDER IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE, WE'RE GONNA COMPLETE THE EXTERNAL OPO COMPLAINT WORK FOR FLOW.
[01:15:01]
THAT WAS, IS THAT NOT THE CASE? YEAH, I CAN GO OVER THE PLEASE.SO I THINK WE'RE, THAT'S THE ITEM FOUR, EXTERNAL OPO COMPLAINT WORKFLOW.
I THOUGHT I'D PUT LEGEND FOR ALL THE ACRONYMS THAT ARE ON THAT DOCUMENT, BUT AS YOU WALK THROUGH IT, THAT'S REALLY THE COMPLAINT PROCESS.
SO WE GET AN EXTERNAL COMPLAINT, IT GOES THROUGH OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST.
I SEE EVERY COMPLAINT THAT COMES IN FROM THE COMMUNITY.
I LOOK AT IT, I COMMUNICATE BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST, WHAT COMPLAINT SPECIALIST TO SIGN IT TO.
ALL OF OUR EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS WITH A RARE FEW GETS A PRELIMINARY, UH, REVIEW, WHICH MEANS, UH, THEY'LL OPEN IT UP.
THEY'LL LOOK AT THE BODY-WORN CAMERA, IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S A BWC, WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE CAD SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN SEE REPORTS.
IF THERE'S ANY DOCUMENTS OR ANY MEDIA THAT THE COMPLAINANT HAS SENT, WE REVIEW ALL THAT STUFF.
WE ACTUALLY TOUCH EXTERNAL COMPLAINANTS WHO DON'T WANT TO BE ANONYMOUS AT LEAST THREE TO FOUR TIMES.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST WILL TALK TO 'EM.
IF THEY SEND IT ONLINE, THEY ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY CALLS THEM, CALL THEM TO SAY, HEY, I RECEIVED YOUR COMPLAINT.
IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? THAT'S THE FIRST TOUCH.
THE SECOND TOUCH IS WHEN THEY'RE TOUCHED BY A COMPLAINT SPECIALIST WHO WILL CALL THEM TO SAY, HEY, I RECEIVED YOUR COMPLAINT.
THEY FULLY E DESCRIBED TO THEM WHAT THE COMPLAINT PROCESS LOOKED LIKE, AND THE MANNER IN WHICH WE PROCESS COMPLAINTS, COMMUNITY CONCERNS, FORMAL SUPERVISORY REFERRALS.
WE ASK PEOPLE HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH THEIR COMPLAINTS, BECAUSE WE TRY TO BE IN THE BUSINESS OF NOT TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE, BUT ASKING THEM, HOW DO YOU WANT US TO, TO TREAT YOUR PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE? THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN SOMEONE MAY SAY, I JUST WANNA LET THEM KNOW IT'S A COMMUNITY CONCERN.
BUT IF IT'S AN EGREGIOUS VIOLATION THAT WE BELIEVE SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO MORE FORMALLY, WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND THE ABILITY TO REQUEST INTERNAL AFFAIRS, DO A MORE THOROUGH INVESTIGATION.
SO, IN A NUTSHELL, THAT'S OUR COMPLAINT PROCESS.
IT'LL COME IN, IT GOES TO A COMPLAINT SPECIALIST.
IF THE COMPLAINANT SAID THEY WANT A FORMAL COMPLAINT, A FULL, FULL INVESTIGATION BY INTERNAL AFFAIRS, THAT THEN GOES TO A COMPLAINT INVESTIGATOR.
THE INVESTIGATOR WILL REACH OUT AND TOUCH THE COMPLAINANT AGAIN TO GET MORE DETAILED INFORMATION AND TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF THE AFFIDAVIT.
WE, WE DEVELOP THE AFFIDAVIT FOR THEM.
AND BY LAW, THERE HAS TO BE AN AFFIDAVIT IN ORDER TO, FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS TO INTERVIEW AN OFFICER.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT PROCESS WILL BE PLAYED.
IT'S, IT'S REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
UH, ONCE WE RECEIVE AN AFFIDAVIT AND THEY COME IN AND SIGN IT, WE SEND IT OFF TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
THE INVESTIGATOR THAT'S ASSIGNED THAT CASE GOES TO ALL THE INTERVIEWS THAT ARE CONDUCTED.
IF THE COMPLAINANT IS IN, IN INTERVIEWED, IF A WITNESS, IF THE OFFICER'S INTERVIEWED, WE PARTICIPATE IN ALL THOSE INTERVIEWS.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS, NOT DURING THE INTERVIEW OF AN OFFICER, BUT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GIVEN FEEDBACK AND OPINIONS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE BLANK SPOTS OR GAPS THAT NEED TO BE INQUIRED INTO.
UH, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THAT, THAT'S WHEN IT KIND OF GOES INTO THAT.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS WILL DO THEIR SUMMARY FOR THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
THAT SHOULD JUST BE, HERE ARE THE FACTS.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS ROLE IS TO DO THE INVESTIGATION TO SEE WHAT ARE THE FACTS.
OUR OPOS INVOLVEMENT IS TO DO THE SAME, TO, TO, TO TRY TO DETERMINE OR HELP DETERMINE AS BEST WE CAN, WHAT ARE THE FACTS? AND ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BEING ASKED, ARE THEY BEING ASKED IN A TRUE INVESTIGATORY UNBIASED WAY? AFTER THE OP, AFTER IAD HAS COMPLETED THEIR SUMMARY AND SENDS IT TO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, THAT'S WHEN THEY NOTIFY US, OUR INVESTIGATION'S COMPLETE.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE KICK CAN KICK INTO THAT PHASE THAT I DESCRIBED THERE EARLIER.
THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED DOING OUR SUMMARIES TO SEE IF WE'RE GONNA AGREE WITH WHAT THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND, UH, COMES AT OR CONCLUDES IN TERMS OF SUSTAINED OR NOT.
AND IF THERE'S GONNA BE DISCIPLINE, WE HAVE THE, THE DIRECTOR HAS THE ABILITY TO GIVE HER RECOMMENDATION IN TERMS OF WHETHER IT SHOULD BE SUSTAINED OR NOT, AND IF THERE'S GONNA BE DISCIPLINE RECOMMENDED, SHE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO RECOMMEND DISCIPLINE.
SO, I KNOW I HAVE TENDENCIES TO TALK REALLY FAST, BUT IN A NUTSHELL, I WANTED TO KIND OF REALLY WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE FRONT END.
THE BACK END IS JUST, ONCE AGAIN, IT'S THE FLOW CHART THAT JUST SAYS, AFTER THE, UH, THE, THE INVESTIGATION GOES TO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
IT ALSO COMES TO US, WE REVIEW IT, WE DO A SUMMARY.
REALLY NOT ALLOWED TO SAY IF WE CONCUR.
IF WE DON'T CONCUR, THEN WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND THE ABILITY TO WRITE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHIEF IN TERMS OF WHAT WE BELIEVE THE OUTCOMES SHOULD BE.
SO, UM, CS IS COMPLAINT SPECIALIST.
AND WHAT IS ICMS? ICMS IS THE DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, OR THE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN IT, WHICH ALL, ALL THE COMPLAINTS, ALL THE OLD COMPLAINTS USED TO GO INTO.
THEY'VE SINCE TRANSITIONED TO A COM, A DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CALLED AXON THAT STARTED
[01:20:01]
IN, I WANNA SAY APRIL OF THIS YEAR.SO MOVING FORWARD, YOU WERE HERE, THE AC YOU WERE HERE, AXON, BECAUSE IT'S THE NEW DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
HOW DO YOU SPELL THAT? OR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
IS THAT AN ACRONYM FOR SOMETHING AXON? NO, IT'S CALLED AXON X.
IT'S NAME OF THE COMPANY, I BELIEVE.
SO WHEN, WHEN COMMISSIONER FLOODS TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PROCESS AND CY AND TOOLS, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING I KNOW, WELL, YOU, YOU CAN SPEAK FOR YOURSELF, BUT I KNOW IT'S THE KIND OF THING WE'RE TRYING TO FIND.
WHERE IS THE DATABASE, WHAT'S WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE, HAVE ACCESS TO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN, THAT, THAT WE KNOW WHERE THAT DATA IS AND STUFF.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S IN THE DISCUSSION, OBVIOUSLY WITH A PD BECAUSE THEY OWN AND MANAGE THE DATABASE SYSTEM, BUT IT AXON IS THE NEW DATABASE SYSTEM EFFECTIVE APRIL 1ST THAT ALL THE NEW CASES ARE GOING TO, EVERYTHING PRIOR TO THAT IS IN ICMS. OKAY.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANYONE ELSE? MR. FLOODS? OH, MR. FLOOD, PLEASE.
AND, UM, THANKS FOR THAT INFORMATION.
SO BASED ON THAT INFORMATION, YOU REVIEW, I I'S RECOMMENDATIONS, AND YOU DO YOUR SUMMATIVE REPORT.
UH, YOU CONCUR OR DISAGREE, WHAT DO YOU TRACK AND DO YOU POST, BECAUSE I'M NOT AWARE, I HOW MANY TIMES THE CHIEF AGREES WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS VERSUS HER AGREEING WITH I I A AND ALSO, WHAT IS YOUR ACCESS LEVEL TO THE CHIEF, AND IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO GET A LEVEL OF ACCESS TO THE CHIEF? WELL, I, I, I, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
FIRST, THE DIRECTOR HAS DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
THEY HAVE REGULAR RECURRING MEETINGS WHERE THEY PROACTIVELY MEET TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY TALK ABOUT.
BUT THE DIRECTOR HAS PRETTY MUCH DIRECT ACCESS TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
WHILE WE DO NOT, UH, TRACK EVERYTHING WE AGREE ON, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CASES WE AGREE ON.
WE DO TRACK THOSE CASES WHERE WE ARE IN DISAGREEMENT AND WE DO POST ANY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SEND TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION FOR DISCIPLINE.
THAT IS A, UH, A NON CONCURRENCE.
WHAT'S THE OBJECTION? OBJECTION.
ANY OBJECTION, RECOMMENDATION WE WRITE TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT INFORMATION IS TRACKED AND IT IS PUBLICLY POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE.
I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, JUST TO UNDERSTAND HER.
UH, BUT THEN THAT GOES BACK TO MY LAST QUESTION.
SINCE OPO HAS ACCESS AND WE ARE A DELIVER OF REPRESENTATIVE BODY, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT OBTAINING, UH, EQUAL LEVEL OF ACCESS? IF SHE'S HAVING WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH THE DIRECTOR? I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SOME FEEDBACK AND SOME FACETIME WITH HER AT SOME LEVEL ALSO.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION OUTSIDE OF MY PURVIEW.
YOU, THAT'S A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE COMMISSION AND THE CHIEF, I BELIEVE.
MR. FLOOD, I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE HEARING A SECOND.
I JUST, I JUST HEARD THAT HE HAD ACCESS, AND I'M LIKE, WELL, THEN I WANT ACCESS TOO.
I DON'T WANT EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE.
LIKE, WE'RE GONNA GIVE, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING FOR A LIST FROM, UH, FROM RYAN, UH, EVERY COUPLE WEEKS OF, UH, CASES.
UH, SO WE CAN KIND OF KEEP, UH, TABS ON THAT.
SO, UH, LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON THOUGH.
SO, FOR THE, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OR THE NEW CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WILL WE AS COMMISSIONERS HAVE ACCESS TO THAT OR THAT UNDER DISCUSSION, OR, I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION BETWEEN PROBABLY THE COMMISSION AND A PD BECAUSE IT'S, LIKE I SAY, IT'S NOT OUR DATA DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
THEY ACTUALLY GIVE US THE PERMISSIONS TO USE IT.
WE, MY WHOLE STAFF HAS GONE THROUGH BACKGROUND CHECKS AND CGE CERTIFICATION, WHICH IS A STATE REQUIREMENT TO ACCESS POLICE DATA.
SO BECAUSE OUR FULL STAFF HAS GONE THROUGH THAT, WE'VE BEEN AUTHORIZED ACCESS.
SO I THINK IT'S A CONVERSATION PROBABLY BETWEEN THE COMMISSION AND A D.
YEAH, I THINK, AGAIN, I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP ON HOW BEST TO APPROACH THAT.
THAT'S JUST MY, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHTS ON THAT.
AND WE, SOME INFORMATION WAS SHARED TO US THAT BECAUSE WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE BACKGROUND CHECKS, THERE WILL BE SOME LIMITATION ON THE INFORMATION WE COULD, WE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN SENT OUT IN AN EMAIL.
I BELIEVE I, ONCE AGAIN, THAT'S OUTSIDE OF MY PURVIEW.
WHAT I, I DO KNOW IS THAT MY STAFF, BECAUSE OF WHAT WE SEE, I MEAN, IT'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE BASED INFORMATION.
SO STATE LAW REQUIRES CERTAIN THINGS TO ACCESS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS. AND SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S
[01:25:01]
PUT IN THE SYSTEM IS PUT IN BY DPS, AT LEAST SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE ACCESS.SO THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, BUT I CAN'T ANSWER SPECIFICALLY WHAT WHAT'S GONNA BE REQUIRED OF YOU GUYS.
WELL, WE, AND THANK YOU, MR. MATT.
WE ACTUALLY NEED TO HAVE THAT SEPARATION BETWEEN A PD AND US, THOUGH, FOR THAT REASON.
SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE PROTOCOLS.
OKAY? WHAT, WHAT I CAN, WHAT I CAN ASSURE YOU IS MY GOAL, AND I'VE TALKED TO COMMANDER COMPTON, WHO IS THE COMMANDER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SEE TO MAKE A FULL AND THOROUGH DECISION ON ANY CASE YOU'RE BRIEFED ON.
THERE WILL BE NO REDACTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE YOU SEE WHAT THE CHIEF OF POLICE SEES WHEN SHE'S MAKING HER DETERMINATION.
AND, AND AT THE SAME TIME, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA BE CARELESS WITH THIS INFORMATION EITHER.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AT LEAST I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF ANYWAYS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA GET ACCESS TO WHAT WE NEED TO DO OUR ROLE.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO WANNA BE CAREFUL WITH THAT.
SO I, IT'S DEFINITELY A DISCUSSION WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I THINK I, I, I HEAR YOU AND I UNDERSTAND, AND I APPRECIATE, AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. MASTERS.
LET'S, CAN WE MOVE ON TO NUMBER FIVE, COMM COMMITTEE COMMISSIONERS? CAN I, CAN I SPEAK A LITTLE FOR A QUICK SECOND? I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING HE JUST SAID, BUT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND HAVING ACCESS TO PERSONNEL AND SYSTEMS. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION SOONER RATHER THAN LATER ON.
NOT JUST GETTING DATA AND BEING TOLD THAT YES, YOU'RE SEEING EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE SEEING, BUT ALSO YOU'RE TALKING TO THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TALK TO, ESPECIALLY THE CHIEF.
AND, UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE ALMOST MIRROR OPO IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
AND IF THAT REQUIRES THAT CERTAIN PEOPLE HAVE TO GET BACKGROUND CHECK, I MEAN, IT'S A VOLUNTARY THING, THEN WE'LL HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
BUT I THINK WE NEED AS MUCH AVAILABILITY TO INFORMATION, BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE SECONDHAND INFORMATION.
I DON'T LIKE, WELL, I TOLD YOU THIS IS THE TRUTH.
I WANNA KNOW THAT IT'S THE TRUTH BASED ON MY OWN READING AND UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPRETATION, NOT WHAT SOMEONE ELSE WAS ABLE TO GLEAN.
I JUST WANNA PUT THAT ON RECORD.
SO ANYBODY WANT TO, UH, MAKE A MOTION ON THAT? YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION ON THAT TO ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH? YEAH.
HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO WORD IT? UM, JOHN, WE CAN PUT THAT UNDER THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, BUT IT'S NOT AN ACTION ITEM.
WE GOT A LAWYER IN THE ROOM, MR. LAWYER.
HOW SHOULD I WORD THAT? ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA ADD THAT TO THE FRIEND, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THEN.
SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THAT, UH, JU YOU SAID SEND AN EMAIL TO ME AND RYAN AND, UH, WE'LL ADD THAT TO, TO THE AGENDA FOR NEXT, NEXT MONTH.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. MASTERS.
UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
[5. Discussion of the Police Use of Force report presented to the Austin City Council in May 2025, including findings shared by Dr. Robin Engel, and potential next steps for commission consideration.]
AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I SAW IN A ARTICLE, UM, ONLINE, UH, WHEN I WAS SEARCHING FOR A POLICE USE OF FORCE.AND I FOUND THIS WAS, UH, UH, PRESENTED TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IN MAY OF THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, WE WERE NOT PRIVY TO IT 'CAUSE WE WERE NEWLY FORMED.
UH, BUT THERE'S A REPORT, I THINK IT'S 60 SOME PAGES, UH, DR.
ROBIN ENGEL, UH, PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, AND I WANTED US TO REVIEW IT.
UH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REALLY GATHER, UH, ANY THOUGHTS ON, BUT I WANTED TO BRING THAT UP.
AND WE HAVE A COUPLE PEOPLE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THOSE.
SO WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY WAY TO, WE DISCUSSED THIS IN DETAIL YET, AS FAR AS THE, THE PEOPLE YOU PROBABLY MIGHT KNOW OF THIS MORE, MORE THAN WE DO.
SO, UH, MR. HUNT, YOU WANNA COME UP AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
MY NAME'S PETER HUNT WITH THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION.
UM, THE, UH, REPORT THAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING HERE IDENTIFIES VARIOUS KINDS OF ISSUES WITH DATA REPORTING BY A PD AND MAKES SOME RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THOSE FINDINGS.
WE AGREE THAT A PD HAS ISSUES HANDLING DATA.
[01:30:01]
YEARS.UH, IN 2020 WITH SOME FANFARE.
THEY HIRED A CHIEF DATA OFFICER AND PROMISED TO START MORE PROMPTLY, UH, ISSUING DATA AND REPORTS THAT PERSON WAS FIRED IN 2023.
UM, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, A PD REPORTING HAS GOTTEN FURTHER BEHIND UNTIL COUNCILMAN VELA STEPPED IN AND REQUIRED A PD TO CREATE A DATA PORTAL, WHICH SURFACED SOME ISSUES.
AND, UH, SOME OTHERS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED.
UM, WHILE WE AGREE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH DATA REPORTING, WE DISAGREE WITH SEVERAL OF THE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS BROUGHT FORWARD IN THIS REPORT, PARTICULARLY ANY MOVES THAT WOULD LIMIT TRANSPARENCY OR PLACE EVEN MORE OF APDS OPERATIONS AWAY FROM PUBLIC SCRUTINY.
UM, THE REPORT WAS PRODUCED MOSTLY BY AN INTERNAL A PD USE OF FORCE TASK FORCE.
AND THEIR RESULTING RECOMMENDATION WAS ESSENTIALLY THAT ALL REPORTING SHOULD STOP UNTIL THE DATA MEETS SOME PERFECT MARK.
UM, SO THE, UH, TASK FORCE DID ASSIGN ITSELF SOME VERY IMPORTANT WORK, LIKE REVIEWING USE OF FORCE POLICIES AND TRAINING, ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT, AND THE FORCE REVIEW PROCESS.
THIS SORT OF IMPORTANT WORK SHOULD BE CONDUCTED WITH ACTIVE PARTICIPATION BY PUBLIC MEMBERS, AND THIS COMMISSION CAN MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
WE WOULD'VE LOVED TO SEE IF, UH, A PD COULD HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, HIRED A DATA SYSTEMS TEAM TO GIVE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO CONNECT DATA SYSTEMS, UH, OR USE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR A DEEP DIVE TO ACTUALLY MAKE SOME CHANGES TO, UH, TRAINING OR POLICY AND REDUCE, UH, USE OF FORCE.
UM, BUT THE PREDOMINANT UPSHOT OF THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE CURRENT ISSUES WITH HOW THIS, UH, DATA IS HANDLED OR REPORTED CERTAIN INCONSISTENCIES, ESPECIALLY AROUND WHAT THEY CALL LEVEL FOUR USE OF FORCE INCIDENTS, THAT THEREFORE THIS REPORTING, UH, ONE MINUTE THANK YOU, SHOULD STOP UNTIL THAT CAN BE CLARIFIED.
NOW, THAT'S AN INDETERMINATE AMOUNT OF TIME.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE FOR THAT TO SORT OF MEET THIS PERFECT LEVEL.
AND AS COMMISSIONER FLOOD HAS SAID, PERFECT, SHOULDN'T BE THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD.
SO WE THINK THAT BECAUSE IT COULD BE A WHILE.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE ASK THAT THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION OF NO CESSATION, UH, IN NORMAL REPORTING.
AND INSTEAD THAT THIS REPORTING CONTINUES WITH THE DATA IN POTENTIALLY A SORT OF IFFY FORM, BUT WITH NOTIFICATIONS AND COMMENTS, CLARIFYING WITH THOSE CONCERNS ARE SO THAT OUTSIDE OBSERVERS AND RESEARCHERS CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DATA AND MAKE INFORMED, UH, DECISIONS AND JUDGMENTS BASED ON THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANYBODY, ANY COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? CAN YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN? NO CESSATION.
YEAH, I RECOMMEND NO CESSATION IN NORMAL REPORTING.
SO THERE IS A REPORTING PROCESS IN PLACE RIGHT NOW FOR THESE USE OF FORCE INCIDENTS.
UM, AND THE CONCLUSION OF THIS, UH, SORT OF TASK FORCE INVESTIGATION WAS THAT BECAUSE THAT THERE ARE INCONSISTENCIES IN HOW SOME OF THAT DATA IS HANDLED OR REPORTED, UM, THAT THEREFORE IT SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED THAT THIS REPORTING SHOULD STOP.
AND OUR REQUEST WOULD BE THAT Y'ALL'S RECOMMENDATION IS ESSENTIALLY NO NORMAL REPORTING AS HAS BEEN DONE SHOULD CONTINUE.
AND THERE SHOULD JUST BE AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT THAT CLARIFIES WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE REGARDING THE STATUS CENTER.
AND YOU SAID NORMAL REPORTING.
IS THERE ANOTHER, UH, IS THERE LIKE A ABOR? SORRY, I'M, I'M NOT, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HEARING ABOUT THIS.
UH, IS THERE LIKE ABNORMAL REPORTING LIKE, UH, CATEGORY OR, 'CAUSE YOU SAID I SHOULD CLARIFY.
SO WHEN I SAY NORMAL REPORTING, I JUST MEAN THE REGULAR PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE.
SO I'M NOT SAYING NORMAL AS OPPOSED TO ABNORMAL, I'M JUST SAYING NORMAL AS IN REGULAR.
THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED THE WAY THAT THESE USE OF FORCE REPORTS HAVE BEEN DONE UP TO NOW.
FIRST, WE HAVE NOT SEEN THIS REPORT YET.
UH, I MEAN, I'VE READ IT MM-HMM
UH, I'VE SEEN THE PRESENTATION, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY ON THE COMMISSION HAS, SO YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF US, BUT I ADDED THIS FOR THIS REASON TO THE AGENDA.
'CAUSE I WANTED US TO, TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS, THE DATA IS OUT THERE.
DATA IS NEVER GOING TO BE 100, A HUNDRED PERCENT PERFECT, AS WE KNOW IT'S NEVER GONNA BE BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT'S CLASSIFIED.
UH, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT MIGHT BE, UH, DETERMINED, EXCESSIVE THAT PROBABLY WEREN'T.
THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME THAT WEREN'T, THAT PROBABLY ARE.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REALLY SIT DOWN AND KIND OF GO THROUGH WITH THIS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT PROCESS, WHAT CURRENT PROCESS THERE ARE PROCESSES THERE ARE, AND THEN TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE WE, WE'RE ALL NEW TO, TO ALL OF THIS.
SO, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE DRINKING OUT OF A FIREHOUSE
SO IF WE CAN GET RYAN, IF WE CAN GET A COPY OF WHAT THAT, THE, THOSE PROCESSES ARE, UM, KIND OF, SO WE CAN KICK THAT AROUND IN, IN OUR MAYBE HAVE A, UH, A WORK GROUP TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THAT.
IT, IT WOULDN'T HURT TO EMAIL US, YOU KNOW, A CLIFF NOTES VERSION, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN GET UP TO SPEED.
I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE SURE THAT A JC CAN SEND SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, THAT TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
SHARE THAT WITH RYAN, IF YOU COULD SHARE THAT WITH RYAN.
[01:35:01]
RIGHT.AND THEN, UM, WHAT PROCESSES ARE YOU FOR A PD FOR HOW THEY DETERMINE, UH, LENGTH OF TIME FOR, WHAT WAS IT FOR? THIS IS A USE OF FORCE REPORTING.
SO THAT'S, I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT.
UM, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER FRANCO, WE ARE, WE'RE BIG ON DATA AND RESEARCH SCIENCE, RIGHT? SO I'M ALWAYS DATA LED, BUT DATA IS JUST NUMBERS, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO TRANSLATE DATA INTO INFORMATION SO THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND IT, RIGHT? AND THAT'S A SYNTHESIS PROCESS WHERE DATA HAS TO BE SYNTHESIZED AND WORDS MEAN THINGS, RIGHT? AND SO YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, I BELIEVE YOU CALLED IT, UH, CATEGORY FOUR.
SO WE WANT TO LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE SAME THING BY LOOKING AT THE DATA.
AND, AND WE CAN TELL THAT STORY SO THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND IT.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THERE SHOULD NOT NOT BE A CITATION BECAUSE 10% OF SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN A HUNDRED PERCENT OF NOTHING.
SO EVEN IF IT'S BAD DATA COMING OUT, WE KNOW HOW TO CLEAN AND FILTER AND, UH, DEAL WITH WHAT'S LEFT, RIGHT? THE AGGREGATE, AND THEN WE CAN IMPROVE THAT PROCESS.
BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER, UM, IN UPCOMING MEETING SO THAT WE DON'T ALLOW THAT DATA FLOW TO STOP.
JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT PERFECT DATA, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA FIND PERFECT DATA.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY ANY TYPE OF RESEARCH IS ALWAYS VERIFIED BY PEERS, RIGHT? IT'S PEER REVIEWED AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO I, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE DATA SHOULD KEEP FLOWING.
YEAH, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER FLOOD, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING ON THE NEXT MEETING AS AN AGENDA ACTION ITEM TO DEAL WITH THIS MATTER.
UH, IF, UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY COMMISSIONER, I'D LIKE TO START A, UH, A WORK GROUP AND, UH, ANYBODY WANT TO PUT A MOTION TO SET UP A WORK GROUP TO DETERMINE, UH, LOOK AT THE FILTERS, HOW, HOW THE, THE PROCESSOR? MR. FLOYD? ANY SECOND? WE CAN'T, I'LL, I'LL SECOND FLOOD.
WE CAN'T TAKE, WE CAN'T DO, OH, WE CAN'T DO IT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'LL PUT THAT ON THE FUTURE AGENDA.
WE GOTTA PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO HAVE THE VOTE BOARD.
I'M A, I'M PRE NOMINATING MYSELF.
UH, DISCUSSION REGARDING ATTENDANCE AND AVAILABILITY FOR, THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON, OH, SORRY.
EVERYBODY'S SPOKEN SO MANY TIMES.
UH, MARY ELIZABETH, YOU'RE NEXT.
SORRY, YOU'RE HIDING BACK THERE.
MARY ELIZABETH, WHAT YOU CALL, CALL.
FIRST NAME MARY, LAST NAME ELIZABETH.
I'M WITH THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION AND, UM, NO, NOT ALL DATA IS PERFECT, BUT, UM, THIS REPORT RECOMMENDS THAT AUSTIN SUSPEND ALL PUBLIC REPORTING OF USE OF FORCE PATTERN TRENDS AND DATA.
WELL, TO SUSPEND, TO SUSPEND THAT, YOU'LL END UP WITH VERY IMPERFECT DATA.
UM, THIS DATA IS ESSENTIAL FOR VALID ANALYSIS.
WITHOUT IT, YOU'VE GOT AN INCOMPLETE DATA SET, WHICH IS VERY LIKELY TO LEAD TO MISLEADING CONCLUSIONS.
UM, YOU'VE GOT THE, UH, POLICE OFFICER'S ACCOUNT OF, OF WHAT HAPPENED.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET THE PUBLIC'S ACCOUNT IF THERE ARE PEOPLE COMING FORWARD TO, UH, GIVE TESTIMONY ABOUT WHAT THEY OBSERVED.
UM, THE PUBLIC INPUT CAN EITHER SUPPORT WHAT THE OFFICER SAID OR INDICATE THAT THERE MIGHT BE PROBLEMS OR GIVE ANOTHER IMPORTANT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
UM, WITHOUT THIS DATA, UM, YOU CAN'T REACH A VALID CONCLUSION FROM IT, AND YOU CAN'T MAKE RESPONSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON IT, AND YOU WANNA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF EVERYTHING.
SO THIS DATE IS NECESSARY FOR THAT.
TO REGARDING CORRECTING AND REISSUING HISTORICAL
[01:40:01]
A PD, UH, RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE REPORTS FROM 2019 TO 2022? YES.ONLY IF THE DATA CORRECTION PROCESS IS CONDUCTED WITH FULL TRANSPARENCY, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, AND THAT THE OLD DATA SETS ARE RETAINED FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES SO THAT ANYBODY CAN GO IN AND SEE THE EFFECT OF CHANGES IN DEFINITIONS.
ONE MINUTE LEFT, OR REPORTING PROCESSES ON THE DATA OUTCOME TO GET THE FULL PICTURE FROM, UH, 2019 FORWARD.
UM, CHANGES, IMPROVEMENTS, DELETIONS, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE, THAT ENTIRE DATA SET, UM, AND TO PARTNER WITH THE EXTERNAL TEAM FOR ANNUAL USE OF FORCE REPORTS, THE DATA PORTAL SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AND THE RAW DATA MUST CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE FOR EXTERNAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC SECURITY PURPOSES.
WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED LOOKS A LOT LIKE A PROCESS TO CONTROL THE MESSAGE RATHER THAN A PROCESS TO LET THE, TO LET THE DATA SPEAK FOR ITSELF.
UM, A PD IS FREE TO REPORT WHATEVER IT WANTS ON THE DATA, AND OTHERS, UM, CAN USE THAT DATA TO CHECK ON WHAT A PD IS REPORTING, UM, THE REVIEW OF ICA AND THAT'S TIME.
OTHER A PD USE OF FORCE TRAINING.
CAN YOU, ARE THOSE YOUR NOTES THAT YOU'RE READING OFF OF? CAN YOU, UH, SHARE THAT WITH RYAN? SURE.
SO, UH, WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE I'M SURE THERE'S PROBABLY MORE THAT YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO.
UM, THERE'S BEEN MANY RECOMMENDATIONS ALREADY MADE.
A PD PROBABLY HAS A LIST OF THEM, AND YOU CAN CERTAINLY ASK THEM FOR THAT.
WHY DON'T YOU SHARE THAT WITH RYAN AND THEN, UH, WE'LL REVIEW THOSE AS WELL.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL SHARE AROUND.
DID I PRONOUNCE THAT RIGHT? YES.
YOU GIVE SOME, AND, UH, ACTUALLY WE'VE GOT, UH, TRISTAN AS WELL COMING UP.
WHY DON'T YOU COME UP THAT WAY? YOU, AND WE'LL START WITH LAKSHMI AHEAD.
HI, MY NAME IS LAKSHMI FOX AND I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH THE OFFICE JUSTICE COALITION, THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION, WHICH HAS BEEN ADDRESSING ISSUES WITH THE USE OF FORCE BY A PD FOR A DECADE NOW.
DOES AGREE WITH SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, PULL THE MICROPHONE CLOSER TO YOU SO WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UH, THE RECOMMENDATION SPECIFICALLY IS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN FOR CONSISTENT CULTURE OF DEESCALATION ACROSS SECTORS.
BUT WE KNOW THAT A PD HAS HAD YEARS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING AND NO IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE.
CHANGE STARTS WITH ENFORCING DE EXISTING DEESCALATION REQUIREMENT.
RULES THAT ARE NOT ENFORCED WILL BE BROKEN.
INSTEAD OF DOING THAT, IT LOOKS TO US LIKE THE CHIEF IS WILLING TO SIMPLY EXPAND THE DEFINITION OF WHAT SHE WILL CALL DEESCALATION IN ORDER TO CLEAR OFFICERS WHO HAVE NOT, IN FACT TRIED TO DEESCALATE.
AFTER GETTING 16 SEPARATE COMPLAINTS, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT CORRECTLY ASSESSED THAT OFFICERS FAILED TO DEESCALATE AN INCIDENT INVOLVING A DRUNK WOMAN ON SIXTH STREET.
CHIEF DAVIS ADDRESSED THAT AS FOLLOWS, OFFICERS BLEW THEIR WHISTLES, A FORCE OF DEESCALATION TO GET THE CROWD TO DISPERSE AND MADE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE CROWD THAT IS CREATIVE BUT HARMFUL.
IT SENDS A MESSAGE TO OFFICERS THAT THE DEESCALATION REQUIREMENT IS NOT REAL AND WILL NOT BE ENFORCED, AND THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO CONFORM THEIR FORCE TO THE LEVEL OF THE THREAD POST.
IT REQUIRES MANAGERIAL WILLPOWER, THE COMMITMENT OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO A STRONG DEFENSE OF DISCIPLINARY DECISIONS WHEN THE UNION PUSHES BACK AND INCREASED TRANSPARENCY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
SO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HARMED BY THE FORCE CAN SEE THAT THIS REMAIN CHANGING.
HIS ACTIONS CHANGE THE TERMINOLOGY FROM R TWO R TO UOF.
A JC RECOMMENDED THIS MANY YEARS AGO.
A PD WANTS TO CLAIM THAT OFFICERS ONLY EVER USE FORCE IN RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE.
[01:45:01]
AND IN ORDER TO BACK THAT UP, UH, THAT PUBLIC GASLIGHTING, THEY THEN HAVE TO MAKE UP CATEGORIES OF RESISTANCE, LIKE PREPARATORY RESISTANCE TO COVER ALL THE CASES IN WHICH THERE WAS CLEARLY NO RESISTANCE.THIS THEN FLOWS INTO THE SUBSTANCE OF THE DATA PROBLEMS WITH CATEGORY FOUR, WHERE OFFICERS ARE GOING ON UNNECESSARILY.
CALLING FORCE FORCE WILL HELP CLARIFY THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF FORCE.
UH, ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FOR MS. LAMI AND IT'S FOX, CORRECT? YES.
I COULDN'T READ YOUR WRITING, SORRY.
UM, SHE BROUGHT UP ENFORCEMENT OF THE CURRENT LAWS.
SO DO YOU HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THE, THE CURRENT RULES ARE NOT BEING ENFORCED? AND DO YOU VIEW THAT AS A TRAINING ISSUE OR A COMPLIANCE ISSUE? THANK YOU.
AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, GIVEN THE EXAMPLE THAT I JUST GAVE YOU GUYS HERE MM-HMM
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY BOTH ISSUES.
LIKE SAYING THAT YOU DEESCALATED BY BLOWING A WHISTLE DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A VALID FORM OF TRAINING TO DEESCALATE A SITUATION.
AND IF PEOPLE CAN GET AWAY WITH SAYING, OH, I BLEW MY WHISTLE, I DEESCALATED, LIKE, THERE'S GONNA BE NO COMPLIANCE.
YOU, YOU WERE REFERRING TO A, A, A CASE MM-HMM
I, THERE WAS A CASE RECENTLY, I THINK IT WAS LIKE MAY 20, 25 OF A DRUNK WOMAN THAT WAS ARRESTED ON, DO YOU HAVE A CASE NUMBER OR A NAME? I DON'T, BUT I CAN FIND THAT FOR YOU GUYS IF YOU COULD.
A LOT OF US SAW IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA FIRST.
IT WOULD BE ONE OF THE CASES THAT YOU GET IN YOUR TRAINING.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND JUST SEE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING THEORY AND THEN APPLYING, APPLYING THAT TO PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE.
YOU KNOW, POLICE OFFICERS HAVE TO APPLY THEORY VERY QUICKLY.
I'M, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE HAD TO MAKE DECISIONS ON SNAP ON A FLY WITH THINGS.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND JUST SEE.
SO, UH, WE'LL ADD THAT TO OUR FUTURE AGENDA.
AND THEN MY, MY OTHER COMMENT IS BECAUSE IF YOU THINK THAT THEM BLOWING A WHISTLE WASN'T PROPER, HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO WHAT THE ACTUAL LAW SAYS? I WANT TO SEE WHAT CASE LAW SAYS AS FAR AS WHAT THEY ARE PERMITTED TO DO AND WHAT THEY, BECAUSE JUST 'CAUSE WE HAVE A FEELING ABOUT SOMETHING OR WE PERCEIVE THAT IT'S NOT RIGHT, DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT PERMITTED.
AND IF IT IS WRONG OR YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S WRONG, THAT IT IS PERMITTED, THEN THAT IS ADDRESSING A NEED FOR CHANGE OF THE LAW AS IT'S WRITTEN.
BUT IF THEY'RE ENFORCING WHAT THEY WERE TRAINED TO DO BECAUSE IT'S WRITTEN, THEN I DON'T THINK THERE'S MUCH ACCOUNTABILITY THAT COULD BE HAD UNTIL WE CHANGE THAT LAW.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT IF, LIKE I SAID, IF THEY WERE DOING IT BY COMPLIANCE WITH WHAT THEY WERE TRAINED TO DO BECAUSE OF THE WORDING THAT'S IN THOSE DOCUMENTS, OR WAS IT NOT JUSTIFIED.
SO I DEFINITELY AGREE, COMMISSIONER, THAT WE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS.
I THINK ANY COMPLAINT IS, IS WORTH THE SECOND LOOK, IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU SAID 16 TIMES WHERE YEAH, I THINK THERE WERE WITNESSES THAT HAD TO SUBMIT COMPLAINTS FOR THIS CASE TO ACTUALLY GET REVIEWED.
WE'LL GO WITH, UH, KEVIN AND, UH, RYAN, SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND OUT.
YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST WANNA ADD, YOU KNOW, LIKE AS A COMMISSION, I THINK, AGAIN, I SPEAK FOR MYSELF, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT WE CAN, UH, UNDER OUR PURVIEW.
YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE STATE LAW AND YOU KNOW, I, AS MUCH AS WE'D LIKE TO CHANGE IT, UM, IT'S NOT REALLY IN OUR PURVIEW, BUT I MEAN, WE WILL DO WHAT WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, FOR A PDI JUST WANNA SAY THAT I THINK THE WHOLE POINT OF US BEING HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS IS THAT WE THINK THAT THERE ARE DEESCALATION METHODS.
WE THINK THAT POLICE SHOULD BE PROPERLY TRAINED IN THEM, AND IT SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED.
THEY ARE TRAINED IN THEM, THEY KNOW HOW TO USE IT, AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ACTUALLY USING THEM AND USING THEM APPROPRIATELY AND ONLY ESCALATING WHEN VERY, VERY OBVIOUS DANGER IS VERY, VERY CLEAR.
BUT ANYWAYS, THAT'S, THAT'S MY POINT.
BUT LIKE I, I WAS STATING THAT IF IT'S TOO MUCH GRAY AREA
[01:50:01]
AND THEY'RE OPERATE IN THAT GRAY AND THEY'RE STILL ON THE SIDE OF BEING LEGAL, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP THAT GRAY AREA.AND IF WE CAN DO THAT ON A LOCAL LEVEL, THEN WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO DO TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT.
BUT IF IT'S A BIGGER STATEWIDE THING THAT WE CANNOT CHANGE, THEN WE WOULD, UH, HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
BUT WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO IT.
UH, TRISTAN DID, YOUR HONOR, YOU GOT THREE MINUTES.
UM, LIKE A LOT OF THE GREAT PEOPLE HERE, I'M ALSO, UH, WITH AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION.
UM, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE CONTEXT THAT Y'ALL HAVEN'T SEEN THAT REPORT.
UM, I THINK A MESSAGE I WANT TO GET ACROSS, UM, FOR WHEN YOU DO GO THROUGH IT, UM, IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND OUR GENERAL POINT HERE IS THAT, UH, WE OPPOSE A LOT OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, ONE THAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS, UH, THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION IN THE REPORT TO, UH, CREATE AN A PD USE OF FORCE TASK FORCE.
UM, BEFORE I GET INTO THAT, I THINK IT'S, UH, IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, THERE'S A SUGGESTED TASK FORCE IN THAT RECOMMENDATION.
ALMOST ALL OF THE PEOPLE ON THAT RECOMMENDED TASK FORCE ARE PART OF A PD.
AND THE PERSON THAT, UH, CREATED THE REPORT, UM, UH, HAS ALSO PUT THEMSELVES AS ONE OF THE PRIMARY, UH, MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE.
UM, AND, UH, I THINK A, A THING THAT I, UH, I I FEEL IS THAT, UH, THIS DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A NEW WAY OF DOING THINGS.
THIS TASK FORCE, IT SEEMS LIKE AN A TASK FORCE COMPLETELY COMPRISED OF A PD MEMBERS.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THE OLD WAY OF DOING THINGS.
UM, AUSTIN HAS ALREADY STUDIED THIS PROBLEM USE OF FORCE EXTENSIVELY.
CONSULTANTS HAVE BEEN HIRED AND TASK FORCES HAVE BEEN CONVENED.
THE EVIDENCE THAT A PD SIMPLY DOES NOT FORCE ITS OWN DEESCALATION POLICIES OR SET ANY CLEAR LIMITS ON FORCE AS WELL ESTABLISHED.
AND THE EVIDENCE THAT, UM, A PD FAILS TO INVESTIGATE OR UNDER INVESTIGATE SIGNIFICANT FORCE INCIDENTS IS SO OVERWHELMING AT THIS POINT THAT IT IS INSULTING TO THE PUBLIC THAT ANOTHER TASK FORCE WOULD BE CREATED.
THIS WILL SIMPLY ADD ANOTHER DELAY THAT WE AS A CITY HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED.
ITS A PD CHECKS EVERY BOX ON A PROCESS OF REFORM WITHOUT ACTUALLY REFORMING ANYTHING AGAIN.
SO ESSENTIALLY JUST CHECKING BOXES THAT HAVE BEEN CHECKED OVER AND OVER AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS WITHOUT ANY ACTION TO IMPLEMENT.
UM, ONE MINUTE REMAINING PROPER DEESCALATION POLICIES.
IT'S ALSO VERY LIKELY THAT THE CIVIL TRIAL STARTING ON MONDAY IN THE ALEX GONZALEZ CASE, UM, IS A BIG CASE.
UM, WILL PROVIDE CONSIDERABLE DETAIL ON THE FINDINGS OF YEARS OF CONSULTANTS AND TASK FORCES, AND SHINE A LIGHT ON THE CITY'S FAILURE TO ACTUALLY CHANGE ANYTHING OR HOLD ANYONE ACCOUNTABLE.
SO IF YOU WANT THE INFORMATION THAT A TASK FORCE MIGHT UNEARTH, SIMPLY COME TO THE COURT NEXT WEEK AND WATCH THE CITY ON TRIAL.
UH, CAN I GET A, YOU SAID YOU, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WAS YOU OPPOSED MOST OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT.
UM, SO BOTH MINE AND, UH, I THINK THAT WAS THE MESSAGE OF SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS MEMBERS FROM AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION, A JC, UM, WAS THAT, UH, THESE RECOMMEND, THERE'S SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU'LL SEE THEM ONCE YOU GUYS GO THROUGH THE REPORT.
UM, CAN WE GET A COPY OF WHAT YOU, WHAT THE, YOUR GROUP, SIR, OF COURSE, DOESN'T AGREE WITH, SO WE CAN KIND OF RE HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW BOTH? YES, OF COURSE.
UM, AND I MEAN, ANYBODY WHO'S GOT KIDS, AND ESPECIALLY MORE THAN ONE YOU DEES DEESCALATING IS NOT THE EASIEST THING.
AND IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH DRUNK PEOPLE ON TOP OF IT, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, I DON'T ENVY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT THERE ALSO IS A, A, THERE'S ANY SUBSET OF MENTAL ILLNESS, YOU KNOW, DRUGS, ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
SO I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT THE APDS ALL WRONG WITH ANYTHING BECAUSE NOBODY IS.
BUT WE DO HAVE TO LOOK AT, UH, EVERYTHING.
AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE EASIEST TASK.
AND, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO, UH, IDENTIFY AND, AND GET INFORMATION AND, AND THEN APPLY A FILTER TO IT, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST HERE IN THE LAST 20 MINUTES, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW A, UH, IT'S DETERMINED WHAT, WHAT, UH, CATEGORY IT'S IN.
THOSE ARE GONNA BE THE, THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ALL ARE ON OUR COMMISSION ARE GONNA HAVE TO REVIEW AND DETERMINE, BECAUSE TRAINING IS ONLY GONNA BE PART OF IT.
UH, WE, WE'RE NOT GONNA KNOW ALL THE, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND THE SITUATION.
SO, UH, WHY DON'T YOU, IF YOU CAN GET OR INFORMATION TO RYAN, UH, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT Y'ALL DIDN'T AGREE WITH OR HAVE QUESTIONS OR CON CONCERNS ABOUT.
[01:55:01]
THAT, THAT REPORT UNTIL, UM, AND TRY TO GET SOME COMMENTS BACK TO YOU BY, I'D LIKE TO SAY, UH, AUGUST AT, AT THE EARLIEST PROBABLY IN, IN ALL OF THEM.'CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE, UNFORTUNATELY.
WE, WE ARE, WE DO LISTEN AND WE ARE HEARING, BUT WE, WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET ALL THIS, THE FACTS, BUT I ASKED, I ASKED TO ADD THIS TO THE AGENDA EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVEN'T SEEN IT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING, SINCE WE HAVEN'T SEEN IT FROM MAY AND WE'RE ALREADY IN JULY OR JUNE AND GONNA BE IN JULY FAIRLY QUICKLY, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO REVIEW ALL AT ONCE INSTEAD OF HAVING A PIECEMEAL YEAH.
AND WE CAN, WE WILL CERTAINLY GET, UM, OUR FULL, UM, UH, OPPOSITION TO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU.
UM, AND WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER FLOOD SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT Y'ALL DO GET THE RAW DATA.
UM, AGAIN, THIS REPORT IS JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, A SENTENCE INNOVATION OF, OF THAT DATA, WHICH IS, UM, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, TO BE BIASED AS WELL.
UM, BUT, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF TIME REMAINING.
I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY ON A PERSONAL NOTE THAT, UM, I THINK, UH, AND THIS IS JUST ME, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, UH, I DON'T THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, I WANT THE BEST FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PEOPLE OF AUSTIN, AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE WANTS TO MALIGN POLICE OFFICERS AS WELL.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS, I HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR THIS COMMISSION, AND I THINK IT COULD DO A LOT OF GREAT THINGS.
UM, BUT I THINK WHEN WE'RE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE OUTCOMES.
AND HISTORICALLY, I DON'T THINK THE OUTCOMES, UM, HAVE EVER, THE, THE OUTCOMES HAVE NEVER NOT TOTALLY BENEFITED, UM, POLICE IN A LOT OF THESE CASES.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD, UM, PLACE TO WORK.
THANK YOU, MR. ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT WE, WE ARE VOLUNTEERS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WE, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF THINGS.
WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT A LOT OF THINGS.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY WE'RE BEGINNING ACCESS TO A LOT OF STUFF, YOU KNOW, UH, I JUST WANNA PUT THE EXPECTATIONS SOMEWHERE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WE, WE ARE GONNA DO THE BEST WE CAN.
WE MAY NOT GET TO EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY.
IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME TO GET TO SOME OF THESE CASES.
UH, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
WE'LL, WE WILL, UH, TRY TO GET RESPONSES BACK AS SOON AS WE GET A CHANCE TO REVIEW EVERYTHING.
PARDON ME? YEAH, I HAVE A COMMENT.
UM, I AGREE WITH ALL THE COMMISSIONERS THAT EVERYTHING'S IMPORTANT.
NOTHING IS IMPORTANT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO NEED TO BE DELIBERATIVE.
AND IF SOMEONE IS SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THE SAME THING, THING'S HAPPENING 16 TIMES IN A ROW, WE CAN'T JUST SAY, OH, MAYBE THEY WERE DRUNK, OR, OH, WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT AND SEE IF THIS IS A PATTERN IN PRACTICE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND REFORMED BECAUSE THERE'S THE LAW, BUT THERE'S ALSO PUBLIC PERCEPTION.
AND IF RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE POLICE ARE TO GET BETTER, WE NEED TO APPLY THE LAW, BUT ALSO DO IT IN A WAY WHERE THE PUBLIC DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING OR NOT HEARD JUST BECAUSE THE LAW IS SO BLACK AND WHITE, THAT, THAT IT ALLOWS ABUSE TO KEEP TAKING PLACE.
IT DOESN'T TAKE A WHOLE DAY TO RECOGNIZE SUNSHINE, RIGHT? A WHOLE DAY TO RECOGNIZE SUNSHINE.
I DON'T NEED YOU TO KEEP PUNCHING ME IN THE FACE TO KNOW THAT I'M BEING ABUSED.
BUT IF YOU SAY, OH, WELL, I DIDN'T HIT YOU AT THE VELOCITY OF 200 FEET PER SECOND, SO THEREFORE IT'S NOT, NO, IT'S STILL ABUSE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO WE CAN'T LIKE, LET THE PUBLIC FEEL LIKE PEOPLE ARE SPINNING ON THEIR HEAD AND TELLING 'EM IT'S RAINING.
WE NEED TO HEAR WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
TAKE EVERYTHING INTO TOTALITY.
AND EVEN THOUGH IT MAY NOT BE A ILLEGAL ACT, IT MAY BE UNJUST OR IMMORAL.
AND WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT TOO, AND HELP IMPROVE RELATIONS FOR EVERYONE.
BECAUSE I ALWAYS HEAR THAT THE OFFICER WANTS TO MAKE IT HOME SAFELY.
THE CITIZENS WANNA MAKE IT HOME SAFELY TOO, EVEN IF THEY'RE DRUNK.
BUT, UM, THE THING IS, SOMETIMES THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
AND WHEN IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, WE NEED TO, LIKE I SAID, HAVE AN APPARATUS THAT PEOPLE CAN TRUST IN TO SAY THAT THEY AT LEAST WERE TREATED FAIRLY.
THEY MIGHT NOT GOT A, THE OUTCOME THAT THEY WANTED, BUT THEY WERE HEARD, THEY WERE UNDERSTOOD, AND THEY WERE TREATED FAIRLY.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE DUE DUE DILIGENCE THAT WE OWE THE COMMUNITY.
[02:00:01]
THANK YOU, MR. STEAD.UH, ON THAT NOTE ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, THAT'S WHY I ACTUALLY WANTED TO REVIEW THIS REPORT BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WANTED TO SEE, UH, IF THERE ARE PATTERNS, UH, OF COMPLAINTS.
I WANTED TO SEE WHERE THE SECTORS, WHERE A LOT OF THE COMPLAINTS WERE COMING FROM, AND I WANTED TO DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A PATTERN OF, UM, SO WE CAN TRY TO DETERMINE IF IT'S TRAINING ISSUE, IF IT'S A, UH, MIGHT BE A PARTICULAR OFFICER.
I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, THESE, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO REVIEW THE REPORT AND THEN TALK TO THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO COMPILED THE DATA AND THEN DETERMINE HOW THEY ARRIVED AT A LOT OF THESE COMPLAINTS, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS WHERE THEY PUT IT AT A LESSER OR HIGHER LEVEL.
SO, YOU KNOW, DATA IS ONLY AS AS GOOD AS, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE ARE PUTTING IT IN.
SO, UH, ON THAT NOTE, UM, SIGNED UP ON THIS ONE.
SO I JUST WANT TO CLEAR UP A FEW THINGS.
UM, THE INCIDENT THAT, UH, ANOTHER, UH, WITNESS OR PERSON TESTIFIED ABOUT RELATED TO THE, UH, DRUNK LADY ON SIXTH STREET WAS A CASE THAT WENT THROUGH THE OPO PROCESS.
THE OPO RECOMMENDED DISCIPLINE, THE CHIEF DID NOT DISCIPLINE.
AND THEN THERE WAS A BACK AND FORTH EXCHANGE OF MEMO MEMOS SUMMARIZING THE, THE DETAILS.
UM, THAT WAS THE SYS THE NEW SYSTEM WORKING AS IT SHOULD ACTUALLY, I MEAN, I DON'T AGREE WITH THE OUTCOME, BUT TO YOUR POINT, WE HAVE INFORMATION TO SAY, THERE IS A DEBATE HERE ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO DEESCALATE.
AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE CHIEF MADE HER STATEMENT, UH, SPEAKING TO THE WHISTLE.
UH, HER STATEMENT WAS THAT OFFICERS USED THEIR REG, YOU KNOW, THEIR WHISTLE WHEN THEY WERE OUTSIDE OF THE CROWD, THEY BLEW THEIR WHISTLE.
THE CROWD BEGAN TO DISPERSE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT CROWDS DO WHEN POLICE START BLOWING A WHISTLE NEARBY, AND THEN THEY STEPPED UP TO THE PERSON.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE RUBBER DOES HIT THE ROAD.
THERE IS NO STATUTE THAT SAYS OFFICERS MUST DEESCALATE.
THIS IS OUR LOCAL POLICY, AND THAT'S THE ROLE OF POLICY.
WE CAN HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF LIMITATIONS ON HOW OUR POLICE ARE GONNA ACT THAN THE STATE LAW MAXIMALLY ALLOW.
STATE LAW ALLOWS POLICE TO DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE MIGHT TO, UH, MEMBER FLOOD'S, COMMENT, WE MIGHT FIND UNJUSTIFIED AND NOT THAT GREAT.
SO THIS DEBATE THAT WE'RE HAVING, THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT HERE, THE REPORT THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU IS NOT ABOUT COMPLAINTS.
IT'S ABOUT THE DATA THAT IS COLLECTED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CALLED THE RESPONSE USED TO BE CALLED RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE DATA, AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA START CALLING IT USE FORCE DATA.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THAT FOR YEARS.
UH, THIS DATA IS COLLECTED AFTER EVERY FORCE INCIDENT FORCE INCIDENTS ARE DEFINED.
SO THIS REPORT IS ABOUT THAT DATA SET.
UH, I'M ONE OF THE HANDFUL OF PEOPLE IN TOWN THAT ROUTINELY GETS THAT DATA SET AND DOES DATA ANALYTIC WORK ON THAT DATA SET? I WOULD ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT IT IS IMPERFECT, BUT IT HAS ALSO BEEN EXTREMELY USEFUL.
IT HAS BEEN USED BY THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC, UH, I'M SORRY, THE OPO BLAH, OFFICE OF POLICE, OFFICE OF PUBLIC OVERSIGHT,
UH, IT HAS BEEN USED BY INDEPENDENT RESEARCHERS.
IT HAS BEEN, UH, CROSS USED WITH RESPECT TO INCIDENTS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MORE DETAIL AVAILABLE.
IT'S BEEN USED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS, AND THAT IS WHAT IT'S FOR.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I, AND I'M WITH EQUITY ACTION, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT ANY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE, WE CEASE USING IT.
UH, AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF MAJOR CHANGES TO THE, THE DEFINITIONS OF WHAT OFFICERS REPORT.
SO THIS IS A PROCESS BY WHICH AN OFFICER WHO HAS HAD AN INCIDENT, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANYONE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT, FILES A REPORT AND IT GOES INTO A PROCESS.
[02:05:01]
Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE ONTO A REALLY IMPORTANT TOPIC.THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME SO MANY TIMES TODAY.
MAY I ASK, UH, I, I, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
YEAH, SO I'M BREAKING MY OWN RULE, BUT A QUESTION FOR YOU.
WHAT WOULD BE AN ALTERNATE OR BETTER RESPONSE IN THAT SITUATION THAT WE REFER TO REGARDING THE POLICE? AND THEN I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FOR THE STAFF.
SO IN THIS CASE, UM, A DEES AN ACTUAL DEESCALATION.
SO I HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN DOING POLICY AND POLICING FOR A LONG TIME, AND I'VE NEVER HEARD BLOWING YOUR WHISTLE DESCRIBED AS AN ACT OF DEESCALATION EVER.
SO IN THE ICAP TRAINING, UH, SO AFTER HAVING BLOWN THEIR WHISTLE AND STEPPED INTO THAT SITUATION, UH, DEESCALATION TRAINING WOULD GENERALLY ASK THAT YOU STEP BACK, YOU GIVE THE FLAILING DRUNK LADY A LITTLE SPACE, AND YOU MAKE AN EFFORT TO COMMUNICATE, AND SHE'S FLAILING AT SOMEBODY ELSE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE LITERALLY TALKING ABOUT A DRUNK LADY ON SIXTH STREET.
THIS IS NOT A HIGH THREAT SITUATION.
DRUNK LADY IS FLAILING AND LIKELY TO FALL DOWN SOON.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT TIMES FACE AND, UH, COMMUNICATION IS WHAT DEESCALATION IS ABOUT.
IT'S NOT ABOUT BLOWING YOUR WHISTLE IN SOMEONE'S FACE.
THAT'S JUST GONNA ESCALATE THINGS.
SO, AND MY, MY FOLLOW UP IS, WHO WITHIN A PD WOULD I ASK THAT QUESTION OF? WHAT WOULD BE THE RESOURCE THAT WOULD RESPOND TO THAT? WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE IN THAT SITUATION? I BELIEVE LPO WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU SPEAK WITH SOMEONE WITH AP D'S FORCE REVIEW UNIT FORCE REVIEW UNIT.
UM, I KNOW KEVIN AND HIS TEAM ALSO REVIEWED THE INCIDENT, BUT AGAIN, UH, YOU SHOULD BE USING BOTH RESOURCES, IN MY OPINION.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION, CHRIS? YEAH, I WAS, YOU KNOW, I, FORGIVE ME, I'M NOT UP TO SPEED ON ALL OF THIS, UM, RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE TO USE OF FORCE.
I, TO ME, IT'S JUST A MUNDANE CHANGE IN TERMS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I, I DON'T KNOW.
YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THAT THE, UM, MM-HMM.
THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT WHETHER OR NOT FORCE WAS USED IS DETERMINED, FRANKLY, BETWEEN WHAT THE OFFICER THOUGHT AND WHAT THE PERSON WHO WAS THE SUBJECT OF THAT FORCED STOP.
SO IT ISN'T A MATTER THAT DEPENDS OR SHOULD DEPEND ON WHETHER OR NOT THE OFFICER PERCEIVE RESISTANCE.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE GET INTO A REALLY, A LAYER OF COMPLICATION THAT THE RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE CONCEPT BRINGS IN.
UH, THE, THE WITNESS WHO JUST TESTIFIED AS TO, UM, PREPARATORY RESISTANCE, I DON'T PERSONALLY KNOW IF THIS IS STILL IN THE GENERAL ORDERS, BUT PREPARATORY RESISTANCE FOR A LONG TIME WITH LITERALLY THE CASE IN WHICH A PERSON IS NOT RESISTING, BUT THE OFFICER USED FORCE, AND THEREFORE THE OFFICER'S EXPLANATION IS, WELL, THEY, I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO USE BE, I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA BE RESISTING AT SOME FUTURE MOMENT.
AND THIS GETS INTO LIKE A CONVERSATION WE DON'T EVEN NEED TO HAVE.
WELL, THIS COMES DOWN TO TRAINING THOUGH TOO.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE GAMUT.
AND I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO GO OVERBOARD.
I'M SAYING THAT, UM, THAT THE RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE DATASET IS IMPORTANT.
CHANGING IT TO BE THE USE OF FORCE DATASET IS YES, KIND OF WHAT'S IN A NAME, BUT IT ALSO INDICATES A LIEN INTO IF FORCE WAS USED, IT GOES INTO THE DATA SET, UM, AND MAKES IT A CLEANER DISTINCTION AND ALLOWS US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT FRONT DETERMINATION THAT AN OFFICER MAKES WHEN THEY TURN IN THAT REPORT.
THAT FORCE WILL BE, AND THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF THIS REPORT IS ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE, THE, UM, THE LEVEL OF SUBJECTIVITY THAT'S IN THAT DECISION TO DECIDE TO REPORT FOR THOSE LEVEL FOUR INSTANCES
[02:10:01]
WHERE SOMEBODY ISN'T CLEARLY INJURED.AND THAT'S A GOOD CONVERSATION TO HAVE.
UH, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE THROW OUT THE DATA THAT WE HAVE OR STOP REPORTING WHILE WE DECIDE WHAT CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE.
YOU MENTIONED GENERAL ORDINANCE MM-HMM
CAN YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE GENERAL ORDINANCE.
THE GENERAL ORDERS OR GENERAL ORDERS.
WHAT ARE THOSE? THEY ARE ONLINE.
AND I BET YOU ALL ARE SUDDENLY GOING TO START READING 'EM BECAUSE MEMORIZE THAT IS, THAT IS THE POLICY WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT AN OFFICER, YOU KNOW, IS BROUGHT FORWARD BECAUSE THE FACTS ARE TRUE AND POLICY WAS VIOLATED.
THE GENERAL ORDERS ARE THAT POLICY.
IF IT AIN'T IN THE GENERAL ORDERS, THEY DIDN'T DO SOMETHING WRONG.
NEIL'S, EVEN IF IT SEEMS WRONG, NEIL'S OR THE PUBLIC DOESN'T LIKE IT.
NEIL'S MEMORIZED ALL OF IT, SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER.
I ONLY KNOW LIKE 733, BUT, UM, THERE YOU GO.
NO, I, UH, I THINK THERE IS SUBJECTIVITY TO THIS THOUGH, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S WHEN I SPOKE OF MS. RE, RIGHT? THE OFFICER'S STATE OF MIND AT THE TIME OF THE ACTION, WE CAN'T GET INTO HIS HEAD.
SO ALL THEY, ALL WE HAVE TO GO OFF OF IS WHAT HE REPORTS BACK AND WHAT THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE SHOWS.
AND SO IF HE FELT THAT HE WAS THREATENED, THEN THE DEFINITION OF PROPORTIONAL FORCE, IT, IT SLIDES ON THE SCALE, RIGHT? DEPENDING ON WHAT HE HAS TO DO TO PROTECT HIMSELF.
AND SO WE CAN LOOK OBJECTIVELY AND SAY, OH, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DID THAT.
BUT IF HE HAD A REASON FOR DOING THAT, AND THAT'S WHY A LOT OF OFFICERS, I DON'T LIKE IT, BUT THEY GO TO COURT AND THEY'RE FOUND NOT GUILTY BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR VERSION OF THE STORY.
I'M ALL FOR IT REPORTING, YES, FORCE WAS USED.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS FOR SOME MORE ESCALATORY STEPS IN BETWEEN USING THAT FORCE.
BUT IF PEOPLE CAN JUSTIFY THAT, HEY, I BLEW MY WHISTLE AND, UH, SHE DIDN'T ACT THE WAY I WANTED HER TO, AND SO I THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO DO X, Y, AND Z.
AND SO I THINK A BETTER WAY WOULD BE TO DEVELOP MORE.
AND MAYBE THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK INTO, IS, IS IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO TRAIN TO RESPOND BETTER? BECAUSE TWO THINGS ARE TRUE.
EVERYTHING GETS RECORDED, EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, AND THAT PEOPLE'S FEELING OF SAFETY IN THE HEAT OF A MOMENT IS SUBJECTIVE TO THAT INDIVIDUAL.
SO WHAT MAY SCARE ME OR MAKE ME A BRAIN MAY NOT SCARE OFFICER B, RIGHT? AND SO I BRING IN MY BACKGROUND, UM, I HAVE A MASTER'S IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC POLICY.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE TWO THINGS ALMOST MEET IN THE MIDDLE WHERE WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION HOW THE OFFICER FEELS.
WE ALSO HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE PERSON BEING ARRESTED AND THE OTHER ELEMENTS LIKE THE ALCOHOL THAT'S INVOLVED AND WHAT ALLOWED THEM TO COME TO THE DECISION THAT THEY DID.
AND SOMETIMES, LIKE YOU SAID, WE MAY NOT LIKE THE ANSWERS, BUT IF THAT'S WHAT IT IS, THEN WE, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE THAT AND ALSO ACCEPT IT, BUT ALSO LEARN AND FORWARD.
UH, THANK YOU, MS. RUSSELL, OR MS. MITCHELL.
[6. Discussion regarding attendance and availability for the July 18, 2025, commission meeting.]
TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER SIX, ATTENDANCE, AVAILABILITY FOR THE 18TH FOR THE COMMISSION MEETING.UH, DO WE KNOW IF, UH, WHO'S GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT MEETING? UH, I SHOW OUR HANDS.
LAURA, YOU, DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, LAURA? UH, I'M UNSURE.
WE'LL BE OUT OF TOWN, SO I'M NOT SURE OUT OF THE COUNTRY EVEN, SO I'M NOT TOO SURE IF I'LL HAVE, UH, A LAPTOP OR SOMETHING THAT I CAN LOG INTO.
I WILL DO MY BEST AND I'LL COMMUNICATE THAT WITH YOU IF I'M ABLE TO SHOW UP ONLINE.
AND THAT SHOULD BE THE LAST MEETING, UH, THAT I'LL BE ONLINE AND THE REST I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IN PERSON.
[7. Discussion regarding extending an invitation to the Police Chief to meet with the CPRC.]
UH, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE EXTENDED AN INVITATION TO POLICE CHIEF TO MEET WITH US.AND, UH, WE, I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOT A RESPONSE YET BASED ON HER SCHEDULE, IS THAT CORRECT, RYAN? YEAH.
[02:15:01]
WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED A RESPONSE.UM, BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO DISCUSS ABOUT WHAT MEETING YOU WOULD ACTUALLY WANT, UH, CHIEF DAVIS TO TRY TO COME IN HERE OR MAYBE JUST SEND A REPRESENTATIVE.
UH, WE HAVE THE JULY 18TH, AUGUST 15TH, SEPTEMBER 19TH.
SO IF YOU JUST GIVE US LIKE A DATE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO LET HER KNOW LIKE, WHICH ONE OF THESE MEETINGS, UH, I WOULD THINK THE AUGUST MEETING MIGHT BE BEST, AUGUST MEETING.
UM, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY START REVIEWING CASES AND THE, ALL THE PROCEDURES AND THEN HAVE SOME FACE TIME WITH, UH, THE CHIEF AT THAT POINT.
WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? I THINK, I GUESS I, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT.
I AM, I WANNA VALUE PEOPLE'S TIME, AND THIS PERSON IS A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON.
I MEAN, THAT SHE HAS, WE, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITIES ASSIGNED TO HER.
AND I MEAN, IT'S FUN TO BE ABLE TO SUMMON SOMEBODY LIKE THAT TO COME TO HERE, BUT I DON'T THINK, I THINK TO ME, IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE HAD OUR ACT TOGETHER.
WE UNDERSTAND AS A COMMISSION WHAT WE'RE DOING BEFORE WE INVITE ANYBODY, UH, HERE.
I JUST, I MEAN, I THINK, YEAH.
AND THAT'S AT, AT, AT THE, THE CORE OF IT IS THAT WE ARE STILL DYSFUNCTIONAL.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT TO DO IS IT THE RIGHT TIME TO INVITE SOMEBODY ESPECIALLY LIKE THAT TO, TO THIS MEETING? IS IT, IS IT, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE IS TO PUR FOR HER TO, TO SAY, YEAH, YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU GUYS ARE UP AND GOING.
YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING BUT CONGRATULATIONS OR THAT, YOU KNOW, TO FIND OUT IF SHE'S AGREES, YOU KNOW, IF SHE, SHE'S AGREE AGREES WITH THE PROCESS TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS INVOLVES, YOU KNOW, TREAT, TREAT PEOPLE SOME WITH RESPECT.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T, CAN'T JUSTIFY IT PERSONALLY.
I I I THINK IT'S A, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE HER SOME DISCRETION AS FAR AS WHAT WORKS BEST FOR HER AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, I IMAGINE THINGS CAN POP UP, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF AT ANY TIME SHE WANTS, UH, WOULD IT GO AGAINST RULES IF SHE CAME IN AND JUST SAID, HEY, UH, OKAY.
I MEAN, ANYTIME SHE WANTS TO COME IN, IF SHE'S GOT AN OPEN INVITATION, YES.
BUT I AGREE, UH, WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER GRES, I THINK WE NEED TO KINDA LET, UH, LET US GET OUR DUCKS IN A ROW AND START MOVING FORWARD WITH PROCEDURES AND GATHERING.
I AGREE WITH, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER GRES AS WELL, BUT I, I'D LIKE TO ADD TO IT WHERE ONCE WE DO GET OUR DUCKS IN A ROW, WE, WE SHOULD MEET WITH HER ON A REOCCURRING BASIS, ON A QUARTERLY SCHEDULE.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T EVEN REVIEWED A SINGLE CASE OURSELF.
AND SO IT SHOULD BE DELIBERATE AND INTENTIONAL, BUT ALSO SHE'LL KNOW THREE MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME THAT EVERY QUARTER I NEED TO MEET WITH THE CPRC, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THAT'S WHERE I ASSESS THAT WE NEED, UM, WE SHOULD HAVE THINGS IN ORDER TO DELIBERATE TO HER.
AND, UH, I THINK WE MAKE THAT DETERMINATION ON A AS NEEDED BASIS.
NOW, SOMETHING POPS UP WHERE, LIKE, CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD JUST TAKES OVER AUSTIN OR SOMETHING LIKE IN LOS ANGELES, THEN WE MIGHT NEED TO TALK TO HER A LITTLE SOONER AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE THOSE PIVOTS.
BUT FOR NOW, UNTIL WE HAVE EVERYTHING GOING FORWARD, LIKE MR. GRIEF SAID, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD ASK HER.
IT'S NOT THAT SHE JUST LIKE HAS A LOT OF THINGS TO DO, BUT IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY NOT PRODUCTIVE.
I JUST WANNA ADD, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT HAPPENING.
SO, UM, HAVE WE EXTENDED AN INVITATION TO HER TO, AT THIS POINT, THAT'S THE NEXT TOPIC.
WE HAVE NOT EXTENDED AN INVITATION TO THE CHIEF DAVIS TO ATTEND ONE OF THESE MEETINGS.
THE ONLY REASON WHY WE HAVEN'T IS BECAUSE I'M NOT, WE NEED TO IDENTIFY WHICH DATE YOU WOULD LIKE FOR HER TO IDENTIFY SO THAT WE COULD WORK ON THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE COMMENTS THAT TERRY FLOOD IS MAKING, I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE IT UP TO THE CPRC AND THEN YOU COULD EMAIL ME, UH, A DATE AND THEN I CAN PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK THAT I NEED TO.
YEAH, MY, MY WHOLE POINT IS RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO DATE BECAUSE THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT.
I MEAN, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA TELL HER? NICE UNIFORM,
ALL RIGHT, WELL, IT TAKES US TO THE NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH
[8. Discussion of commission communication protocol.]
IS, UH, WHY NUMBER SEVEN'S ACTUALLY ON HERE, UH, RECEIVED AN EMAIL, UH, THAT ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS SENT DIRECTLY TO THE POLICE CHIEF.AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL, UH, INSTEAD OF REACHING OUT TO, UH, ANYBODY, MAYORS, SENATORS, POLICE CHIEFS,
[02:20:01]
THAT WE, IT GOES THROUGH THE, THE COMMISSION FIRST, JUST SO WE HAVE A PROTOCOL IN PLACE.UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE, WE DON'T HAVE ALL OUR PROCESSES IN PLACE.
SO GOING TO, UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA GO OUTSIDE THE GROUP, IT'S GOTTA BE WITH APPROVAL, THE COMMISSION.
SO, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU CAN, IF YOU HAVE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR ISSUES, SEND IT TO RYAN AND HE'LL FORWARD IT TO, UH, TO ME AND, UH, UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, LAURA.
SO IF, IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THEM AND DISSEMINATE IT.
'CAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH, UH, THE FOIA AND ALL THAT, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T OPEN UP A CAN OF WORMS ON SOMETHING WE DON'T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YET.
SO IF WE CAN, UH, FOLLOW THAT COMMON PROTOCOL JUST TO, UH, GO THROUGH RYAN, UH, HE'LL BE OUR, OUR CONDUIT FOR INFORMATION TO THE ALL COMMISSIONERS.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, OPO, UH, GAIL AND, AND, AND MIA, AND IF WE NEED NEIL, UH, OR MR. MASTERS, WE, WE HAVE THEM TO KIND OF HELP US, UH, DETERMINE WHERE TO GO FROM THERE.
I, I GUESS I, I WILL COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST OF A CHAIR.
I JUST WANNA MAKE A STATEMENT THAT, UH, IN MY VIEW, UM, JOINING THE COMMISSION DOES NOT MEAN I, I, AS A PERSON OR ANY ONE OF US ADVOCATE, UM, UH, UM, STOPS BEING A CITIZEN OF AUSTIN.
AND SO, AS AN INDIVIDUAL, EACH ONE OF US HAS THE, THE RIGHT OBLIGATION TO CONTINUE USING THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR CITIZEN'S RIGHT.
TO COMMUNICATE TO ANYBODY IN THE CITY.
AND SO, I, I I, I, I THINK IF THAT PERSON DOES IT AS A MEMBER OF A COMMISSION, IT'S PROBLEMATIC, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE, JUST FOR THE RECORD, THAT AS INDIVIDUALS, WE ALL, 'CAUSE IT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE ARE FREE TO CONTINUE ACTING AS CITIZENS OF AUSTIN AND EX AND EVERY SINGLE PRIVILEGE WE HAVE IS OURS STILL.
SO I'M GONNA, WELL, I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S, IF YOU'RE GONNA REPRESENT YOURSELF AS A CITIZEN, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT COMING, COMING ACROSS SAYING I'M A COMMISSIONER AND WE, WE, WE, YOU CAN'T USE THE WE IF IT'S NOT EVEN BROUGHT UP TO US YET.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE ESTABLISH THOSE PROTOCOLS SO WE'RE NOT SPEAKING OUT OF TURN OR SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT YET.
UM, AND I THOUGHT THOSE PROTOCOLS WERE ESTABLISHED.
OH, I KNOW THEY WERE FOR COMMUNICATION WITH THE, THE MEDIA, BUT I, I CONCUR THAT THOSE PROTOCOLS SHOULD GO ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ANYTHING.
I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION AS I'M ONLY ONE 11 OF THAT COMMISSION.
UNLESS I GET APPROVAL FROM THE COMMISSION AND, UH, THAT'S FROM MEDIA TO COMMUNICATION WITH THE MAYOR OR CHIEF OR ANYONE ELSE.
AND I THINK THAT JUST, THAT JUST MAKES GOOD SENSE.
BUT LIKE MR. GREEN SAID, IF I WANT TO DO IT AS AN INDIVIDUAL, I WON'T USE MY GOVERNMENT EMAIL TO DO SO.
I WILL CONTACT THAT POLICE CHIEF THROUGH MY OWN PERSONAL MEANS AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT UNLESS WE THE COMMISSION AGREED TO THAT CORRESPONDENCE, UM, OR WE FACILITATE IT IN A VOTE OR WHATEVER WAY WE DO IT, I THINK WE DO NEED TO HAVE A CONSENSUS BEFORE CORRESPONDENCE ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION IS SENT OUT.
SO, UH, CAN WE MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT ITEM? I'M SORRY.
I GUESS, UM, I THOUGHT WHEN MS. UH, COMMISSIONER CLARK TALKED ABOUT COMMUNICATION MM-HMM
THIS IS WHERE WE, THIS IS ACTION ITEM MADE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
WANT TO CLARIFY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING.
IT'S LIKE I, UM, ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS I, I NOTICED IN OUR, WHEN WE, UH, SET UP OUR TRAINING OR WHATEVER, AND I MADE A COMMENT, IS THAT WE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES.
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO INDIVIDUALLY TELL, GIVE OUR STORIES OR HISTORIES WHY WE WERE HEARING ANYTHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, IN LIEU OF THAT, I THINK IT'S BEEN LEFT TO US TO TRY TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, LIKE I KNOW I'VE REACHED OUT TO ONE OR TWO OF THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS THAT MAY HAVE COFFEE AND WHATEVER, AND WE ARE, YOU KNOW, TAKING IN MIND THE RULES OF MAKING SURE IT'S NEVER A QUORUM.
BUT I THINK, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST DON'T BE SURPRISED IF I ASK YOU TO GO OUT HAVE, UH, COFFEE OR WHATEVER, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW YOUR STORIES.
I MEAN, I THINK I, I SEE YOUR PASSION AND I AM, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO BE IN A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHERE YOU CAN SEE HOW OTHER PEOPLE ARE, ARE MORE PASSIONATE THAN YOU ARE.
BUT I THINK IT WAS A MISTAKE THAT WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN A CHANCE TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND, AND GOING FORWARD, AND IT'S UP SEEMS IN THE LEFT US TO, TO DO SOME OF THAT.
I FEEL LIKE WE MISSED A KEY POINT OF A TEAM, TEAM BUILDING THAT ASPECT RIGHT THERE OF JUST GETTING TO KNOW THAT PERSON AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
SO I, I CONCUR WITH MR. GRIEF, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN FACILITATE THAT, BECAUSE I, I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT ANY OF YOU GUYS
[02:25:01]
DO OR WHAT YOUR PASSION OR ANYTHING.I JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL HERE.
WELL, I KNOW THAT WE GOT A PROFESSOR IN THE ROOM, BUT, UM, THAT, THAT'S ABOUT IT.
SO, YEAH, I, I WISH WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB BUILDING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER AS HUMAN BEINGS, AS OPPOSED TO JUST COMMISSIONERS THAT SHOW UP ONCE A MONTH.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA SCHEDULE OUTWARD BOUND AND RYAN'S GONNA SEND US HIS CALENDAR.
[9. Discussion of the Community Police Review Commission bylaw amendments.]
NUMBER NINE.UH, I THOUGHT WE'D ACTUALLY ALREADY, UH, WE DISCUSSED THE BYLAW AMENDMENTS.
DIDN'T WE HAVE A, A, A UNANIMOUS VOTE ON THAT? I THINK ALL BUT MR. JACKSON WERE HERE LAST TIME WE VOTED ON THE BYLAWS.
DIDN'T WE APPROVE, APPROVE EVERYTHING UNANIMOUSLY THE BYLAWS APPROVED, AS BRIAN, BRIAN SAID, WE LEFT SOMETHING OUT HEADED.
THAT'S WHY I'M NOT SURE CAN SPEAK IT.
SO THERE WAS, YOU DID VOTE ON THE BYLAWS.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE WAS MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MAYBE CHANGING ANYTHING TO THE PURPOSE OF THE ARTICLE TWO PURPOSE AND DUTIES.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION.
IF THERE'S NOT, UM, AND YOU'RE OKAY WITH THE RED LINE DRAFT, THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE ACTION ITEM, AND THEN YOU COULD VOTE ON THE WORKING GROUP TO MAKE ANY AMENDMENTS TO ANY OF THE ARTICLES THAT WE HAVE ON HERE.
LET'S, DO Y'ALL HAVE THE COPY OF THE, UH, REDLINING? REDLINING? THATS, I'M ASKING THEM ONLINE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DO OR NOT.
YOU HAVE THIS ONE? YES, WE DO HAVE A COPY OF THEM.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I DON'T THINK SO.
I DIDN'T, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING, I THINK EVERYTHING THAT IS IN RED IS WHAT WE AGREED ON.
I DON'T THINK THERE WERE ANY OUTSTANDING ITEMS ON THAT.
ANYBODY SEE ANYTHING ELSE THEY WANT TO ADD OR, OR FOR OUR TABLE FOR THE NEXT, UH, WELL, I THINK WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS WE MADE SOME AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD NOT REQUIRE THIS TO GO BACK TO THE CITY MANAGER, RIGHT.
AND THEN WE, WE DISCUSSED SETTING UP A, UM, WORKING GROUP TO CONSIDER ANY FUTURE OR OTHER AMENDMENTS.
RIGHT? SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO WHEN WE GET TO THIS POINT AT THE ACTION ITEM IS DISCUSS THE WORKING GROUP, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE, THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE WANT TO MASSAGE, BUT, UM, WE, I, I RECOMMEND WE DO THAT THROUGH THE WORKING GROUP.
RIGHT? BUT WE'RE, I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT NINE MM-HMM
RIGHT? WE, THE RED, THE RED LINE.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT? EVERYBODY'S IN AGREEMENT ON THAT, ON THAT.
SO ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION? THERE'S NO MOTION THAT'S, THERE'S NOT DISCUSS MOTION.
SO LET'S GO TO ACTION ITEM THEN.
[10. Approval of establishing a working group to review bylaws and propose updates for commission consideration.]
SO, APPROVAL OF ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW BYLAWS AND PROPOSE UPDATES FOR COMMISSION CONSIDERATION.AND, UM, I COULD COMMENT ON THAT.
UM, BASED ON OUR, I WENT BACK AND REVIEWED THE, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR MEETING.
AND I WAS UNDER, FALSELY UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE HAD ALREADY HAD VOTED TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP.
WE HAD ASSIGNED VOLUNTEERS AND SO FORTH, BUT IT TURNS OUT, AND I WAS CORRECTED THAT WE HAD NOT ASSIGNED OUT A WORKING GROUP.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THIS IS.
LIKE, IF WE DECIDE THAT THERE'S THINGS WE WANT TO ADD, THEN THERE'S, THERE'S ROOM.
UH, WE SHOULD, WE CAN GO IN AND DECIDE TO, UH, TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP TO DO THAT.
I WAS ACTUALLY UNDER THAT IMPRESSION THAT WE, THAT TERRY, YOU NO, I WAS WRONG.
AND APPARENTLY WE DIDN'T VOTE ON THAT, SO YES.
SO IS THERE ANY MOTION TO SET UP THAT WORKING GROUP NOW? I PROPOSE A MOTION TO SET UP THAT WORKING GROUP.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR? WAIT, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MOTION? UH, I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE MOTION.
DO WE WANT TO HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA SERVE ON THE WORKING GROUP? YES.
IN THE MOTION? WELL, I GUESS I, THE ONLY COMMENT I HAVE IS THAT I WAS ON A WORKING GROUP AND I AM PER, UM, UH, PRESENTLY SATISFIED WITH THE, THE, UM, THE ARTICLE AS, AS IS.
AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO GO, I MEAN, I'LL SAY FEE FOR FREE TO, TO DO THE WORKING GROUP.
BUT DO WE WANT TO INCLUDE THE NAMES OF, DO WE WANNA KNOW WHO WANTS TO SERVE ON THE WORKING GROUP AND THEN INCLUDE THAT IN THE MOTION? YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SERVE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. FLOYD? I WOULD LIKE TO
[02:30:01]
SERVE.I'LL SERVE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
MR. HARRIS, KATHY, LAURA, I JUST MAKE A COMMENT THAT, UM, MR. LA PASS WAS HAD, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
MATTER IF YOU WANNA BE ON IT, IF YOU WANNA BE ON IT.
WELL, THIS ONE COMMENT THAT THE MR, HE'S NOT HERE, SO HE CAN'T BE, BUT RUBEN LA HAD BEEN ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT VOLUNTEERED LAST TIME FOR THAT.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, RIGHT.
WE CAN ALWAYS DO A, I'M SURE WE CAN ALWAYS DO A VOTE TO ADD HIM TO THE WORKING ROOM.
UM, NEXT MEETING IF HE SHOWS UP.
AS LONG AS YOU'RE FIVE MAX, RIGHT? UH, YEAH.
ALRIGHT,
AND YOU, WHO'S GONNA MAKE THE MOTION? UH, MR. FLOYD DID.
ALL BUT ONE UNANIM UNANIM HAVE TO BE DIFFICULT.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GET THE COMMENTS FROM THE, UH, FROM THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WERE HERE.
UM, SO WE CAN KIND OF DISCUSS, SORRY.
WE ARE NOT GONNA HAVE 11 I I ITEM 11 APPROVAL FOR, OH, YEAH, SORRY.
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A, BETWEEN MY OWN, RIGHT? YEAH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT TO START WITH THAT.
[11. Approval of CPRC members to attend future Public Safety Committee meetings.]
CPRC MEMBERS TO ATTEND FUTURE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETINGS.I DON'T SEE WHY WE COULDN'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD NEED APPROVAL.
THAT'S, THAT WAS MY EXACT COMMENT.
I THINK CITIZENS OF AUSTIN CAN GENERALLY ATTEND ANY OPEN MEETING OF CITY COMMISSIONS AND CITY COUNCIL, AND AS THESE MEETINGS ARE REQUIRED TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND, UH, THE, THE TOMA, THE, UH, GOVERNMENT CODE 5 51 MANDATES THAT.
SO I DON'T SEE WHY WE NEED A TOTAL, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, WHEN WE GO THERE, WE ARE NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION, CORRECT? CORRECT.
YEAH, I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO GO, IT'S, IT'S UP TO YOU.
BUT IF YOU, IF IF YOU ARE COMMENTING ON, I'D LIKE YOU TO HOLD OFF, UM, YOU CAN TELL 'EM OFF MIC OR OFF CAMERA THAT YOU'RE PART OF, UH, PART OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, KINDA LIKE WHEN I MET, UH, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS HERE LAST WEEK OR LAST MONTH.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, LET'S DO THAT.
AND THEN IF YOU'VE GOT ISSUES YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH THEM, MAYBE YOU CAN INVITE THEM TO YEAH.
OUR NEXT MEETING AND, UH, OR ANY, ANY OF THE REPRESENTATIVES SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THINGS NOW.
I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TIME TO VIEW IT.
I, YOU KNOW, I, I CONSTANTLY DO THAT, AND I, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A GOOD EXPERIENCE.
I'VE SEEN HOW THE CHAIR RUNS IT, IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR US THAT ARE LEARNING HOW TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, AND ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT POINTS OUT VERY CLEARLY THE, THE IMPORTANCE OF AN AGENDA, BECAUSE I, AS I MENTIONED LAST TIME, THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING THEIR BYLAWS, AND THEY JUST SET UP A WORK GROUP TO DO THAT.
AND I JOINED LAST MEETING, LAST WEEK'S MEETING, OR LAST MEETING TO, TO, TO, THAT WAS ITEM THREE.
AND IT GOT PUSHED BACK, PUSHED BACK, AND NEVER, NEVER DID GET LOOKED AT.
SO A LESSON FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, AS WE DO THIS AGENDA THERE, PEOPLE COME TO THESE MEETINGS FOR THESE THINGS, WE NEED TO TRY HARD TO SET TO THAT.
BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT ONE TO GO AND VIEW.
IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW TO RUN ONE.
AND SO, UH, UM, BUT YOU DON'T NEED APPROVAL TO DO IT.
UH, MR. GREEN DID, DID WE COVER THE ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UM, ABOUT OUR COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL AS FAR AS CREATING BETTER SYSTEMS AND SO THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE BETTER? YES.
AND IF THERE'S ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE AGENDA OR WHATEVER, UH, HE'LL FORWARD THAT TO LAURA AND I.
AND SO HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE TO YOU AND LAURA? THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I SAID THIS FEELS REALLY STOVEPIPE AND YOU CAN EITHER, IT REALLY DOESN'T ALLOW US TO HAVE THAT, THAT FLOW OF COMMUNICATION, RIGHT? YOU CAN EMAIL UP TO THREE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITHOUT ANY ISSUE.
SO IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, YOU SEND IT.
IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANNA ADD TO THE AGENDA, OR IF YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION, COMMENT, CONCERN ABOUT ANY OF THOSE THINGS, SEND IT TO RYAN.
BUT IF YOU WANNA DISCUSS, IF YOU'VE GOT AN ISSUE, JUST SEND IT TO UP TO THREE, THREE MEMBERS.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE, UH, HAVING A, A QUORUM UNNECESSARILY OR LEGALLY I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YEAH.
IT NEEDS TO, BUT IT NEEDS TO FLOW BIDIRECTIONAL, RIGHT? CORRECT.
BECAUSE I SEND OUT EMAILS, BUT THEN IF NOBODY REPLIES TO THEM, IT, IT REALLY IS NOT HELPING ME EITHER.
SO I WOULD LIKE COMMUNICATION TO WORK.
[02:35:01]
SHOUTING IN THE DARK EITHER.NO, IT'S, IT'S, UH, WE'RE STILL GATHERING, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING MOVING FORWARD.
AND, AND YOU NEED HIGH SPEED INTERNET.
I'LL COME OUT THERE AND INSTALL.
AND I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU LAST TIME, SOME OF THE, WHEN I, WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO DO THE, THE WORKING GROUP, TURNS OUT WE WEREN'T A WORKING GROUP, SO IT WAS APPROPRIATE THAT NO PEOPLE WEREN'T RESPONDING.
SO AS FAR AS THE, UH, SO WE'RE DONE WITH NUMBER 11.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AS I WAS SAYING, I'D LIKE TO GET ALL THE, THE NOTES AND COMMENTS FROM, UH, THE, UH, THE ATTENDEES FROM THE PUBLIC DISSEMINATED.IF, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE GETTING, IF THINGS IN WRITING FROM THEM OR IF WE CAN GET A COPY OF THE NOTES, UH, THE, FROM THE VIDEO MM-HMM
AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF, UH, GO THROUGH AND ADD THINGS TO THE AGENDA BASED ON THAT.
AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS, UH, NOW'S THE TIME TO MAKE 'EM FOR AGENDA ITEMS. I LIKE, UH, I APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC'S COMMENTS AND WE SHOULD DEFINITELY, UH, TAKE SOME, UH, REAL TIME AND DELVE INTO 'EM AND SEE IF WE CAN GET 'EM ON THE AGENDA TO DO MORE DELIBERATE WORK.
AND IF THAT MEANS THAT SOME THINGS NEED MORE STUDYING AND WE NEED TO VOTE ON CREATING MORE WORKING GROUPS.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GONNA BE A, A BUNCH OF WORKING GROUPS.
UM, BUT I THINK THESE ARE REALLY RELEVANT ISSUES THAT THEY BROUGHT UP AND, UM, I APPRECIATE PEOPLE TURNING OUT TO DO SO.
SO, UM, YEAH, AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY INVITE LULAC NAACP URBAN LEAGUE EQUITY ACTION, AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION, AND THE AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO BE ON OUR AGENDA, SO THAT WAY WE CAN ENGAGE THEM APPROPRIATELY WITH QUESTIONS AND NOT ALL AT THE NEXT MEETING.
BUT JUST PUT, I'M PUTTING THIS OUT FOR FUTURE MEETINGS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE SOMEBODY TO EXPLAIN HOW TO UNDERSTAND AND READ THE GENERAL ORDERS.
I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE THAT FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
AND THEN, UH, INVITE SOMEONE FROM THE A PD FORCE REVIEW UNIT, UH, TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE A PD.
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO'S ON THAT FORCE REVIEW UNIT.
YEAH, CAN, I'LL ADD, YOU KNOW, ANYONE ON THE POLICE SIDE OF THINGS, THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION, IF APPROPRIATE, IF THEY WANT TO ATTEND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY SHOULD BE INVITED TO.
I MEAN, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH IN EACH MEETING, BUT, UH, MAYBE IF WE STAGGER, UH, THE DIFFERENT ASSOCIATIONS, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UH, THINKING I, I, I THINK I WROTE AN EMAIL BACK REGARDING YOUR QUESTIONS.
WE WANT TO HAVE THEM GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, BUT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE A, AN IDEA OF WHAT WE WANT THEM TO PRESENT.
SO IF WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR, THEIR, THEIR BASE CONCERNS ARE, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'LL KNOW SOME BACKGROUND AS FAR AS WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR, BUT WE, WE, WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIRECTION GIVEN TO THEM.
SO WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY CAN ATTEND, IF THEY'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING, THAT'S ONE THING THEY'RE JUST ATTENDING, UH, AND PART OF THE, THE GALLERY.
AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE GONNA ADD THEM TO THE AGENDA.
YEAH, WELL I THINK WHAT THE TESTIMONY WAS TODAY WAS JUST WHAT THEIR PERSPECTIVE WAS ON THIS BODY.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, THEY MAY PERCEIVE OUR ROLE TO BE RIGHT ON THIS BODY AND GETTING THEIR FEEDBACK ON, UM, THIS PROCESS.
SO WHAT DO WE WANT TO ADD TO THE AGENDA ITEMS IN ADDITION TO THOSE, THOSE ARE GONNA BE PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR MONTHS WORTH OF IN, UH, AGENDA ITEMS, I WOULD THINK.
DOES YOU HAVE ANYTHING MR. JACKSON? NO.
ANYONE ELSE? I, I RESERVE RIGHT TO SEND SOMETHING LATER TO YOU.
'CAUSE THE, THE WAY I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS WORKS IS THAT WE CAN PUT PRO PROPOSALS, BUT THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR TOGETHER WAY TO SIT DOWN AND DECIDE IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S, I AM SATISFIED HOW THAT WORKED TO THIS FIRST TIME.
YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T SEE EVERYTHING I WANTED, BUT, YOU KNOW, PATIENTLY.
SO WE WOULD, I WOULD JUST RESEND SOME OF THE ONES THAT I MY OWNS THAT I DIDN'T SEE.
AND, UH, TRUST THAT YOU, AND YEAH, I'VE GOT YOUR EMAIL FROM US, SO I'LL, I'LL IN ADDED, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU SET THE AGENDA.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH, CHRIS, I WOULD SAY, UM, FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEM IS TO REVISIT THE, UH, I APPRECIATE THE GENTLEMAN FROM THE, UH, OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT STAND ON.
BUT THE, I, THE IA ALSO, UM, RETURNING TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHERE THEY ARE AS FAR AS HOW
[02:40:01]
OUR PROGRAM AND OUR COMMUNICATION AND EVERYTHING GOING TO GOING TO FLOW.'CAUSE HE SAID HE'S STILL DEVELOPING IT.
AND SO GETTING AN UPDATE AT THE NEXT MEETING, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING PROGRESS.
WELL WE HAVE THAT ON, ON THE TIMELINE FOR THE CPRC TRAINING.
SO BY OUR NEXT MEETING WE SHOULD HAVE THAT.
BUT YEAH, I THINK WE'LL ADD THAT TO OUR, THE AGENDA FOR JULY.
UM, YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S, UH, IDENTIFIED ON THE, ON THE TIMELINE ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS.
WE'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH, WITH MR. MASTERS AND, UH, AND I'M SURE GAIL AND, AND NEIL WILL KIND OF BE, UH, GUIDING THAT.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANTED TO ADD.
I WANTED TO JUST ADD A COUPLE OF, UH, POSSIBLE DISCUSSION ITEMS. UM, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE, OUR COMPLAINT SUPERVISOR, KEVIN MASTERS, FOLLOWING UP ON THE PROCESS.
BUT I DO WANTED TO ADD, UM, AND WHEN IT COMES TO THESE MEETINGS, IF IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, WE CANNOT DISCUSS IT.
SO IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A CHANCE WE REDUNDANT AT ALL.
WE GOTTA DISCUSS THIS, WE GOTTA DISCUSS THAT.
UM, SO JUST, JUST A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I THINK MIGHT WARRANT BEING ADDED TO THE AGENDA, UH, DISCUSSION ON OUR EXPERIENCE ON PAST CASE REVIEWS.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING THOSE TWO CASES TO REVIEW AND IN FULL DISCLOSURE, THAT TRANSPARENCY TO THE PUBLIC.
LET THEM KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE, WHAT WE THOUGHT, DO WE AGREE WE DISAGREE FOR THAT TRANSPARENCY DISCUSSION TO ESTABLISHING WORKING GROUPS AND DESIGNATED TASKS.
SO THAT GIVES A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY ON ARE WE GONNA NEED DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS.
AS WE UNFORTUNATELY EXPERIENCED THAT FIRST MEETING, WE DIDN'T REALLY VOTE ON IT.
SO IF ANYBODY CONSIDERS, WE MIGHT NEED DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS.
NOW THAT WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE ESTABLISHED, I WANNA HAVE THAT OPEN DISCUSSION IN, IN THE MEETING, UH, DISCUSSION REGARDING THE A PD ROLE WITH IMMIGRATION POLICIES AND ICE AGENTS.
UM, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA DISCUSS REGARDING APDS ROLES IN THAT THE DISCUSSION TO REQUEST PAST OPIOID CASES FROM THOSE PREVIOUS 365 DAYS.
UM, AS, UH, THE COMPLAINT SUPERVISOR KEVIN MASTERS STATED, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO REQUEST.
SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA TAKE ON, DISCUSS TO REQUEST, UH, EVENTUALLY MOVE TO THAT ACTIONABLE ITEM.
AND ONE LAST THING, DISCUSSION REGARDING MAINTAINING TRANSPARENCY AND UPDATING THE PUBLIC ON OUR PROGRESS.
UH, IT MIGHT SEEM REDUNDANT, BUT UNLESS WE HAVE THAT ACTIONABLE, THAT DISCUSSION ITEM, IT'S KIND OF HARD.
SO I, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE THESE ITEMS SO THAT WE HAVE THE DISCONNECT SPACE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THOSE ACTION ITEMS, THE APPROVAL OF WORKING GROUPS AND TASKS BASED ON OUR DISCUSSIONS AND THE APPROVAL OF THE OPO CASE REQUEST.
IF SO, THE DISCUSSION LEADS TO THAT.
AND I HAVE IT ALL WRITTEN DOWN SO I CAN JUST, JOHN, I CAN SEND IT BACK TO YOU.
'CAUSE MY NOTES ARE EVERYWHERE.
PARDON? I THINK YOU WERE GETTING WRITER'S CRAMP OVER THERE.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO SWITCH MY LEFT HAND IN A SECOND.
THANKS DR. FRANCO, DID YOU MENTION THE, UM, POLICE USE OF FORCE OVERVIEW AND REVISITING THAT? YES.
SO, UH, I KNOW COMMISSIONER FLOOD MENTIONED IT.
THAT WAS MY FIRST ITEM DISCUSSION WITH KEVIN MASTERS COMPLAINT SUPERVISOR FOLLOWING UP THE PROCESS IN PLACE.
UH, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT'S PART OF THE TIMELINE, SO I'M NOT SURE IF WE NEED TO ADD THAT OR JUST IT, IT'S ALREADY IN THE TIMELINE NOW.
SO CHAIR MENTIONED, I'M, I'M REFERRING TO, UM, DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER FIVE ON THE USE OF FORCE FOR USE OF FORCE REPORT.
I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE US BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE FROM THE USE OF FORCE REPORT AND US WHETHER WE, UH, AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THESE ARE JUST THE COUPLE OF DISCUSSION ITEMS I WAS ABLE TO TRANSCRIBE FROM HAVING DEFENSE.
YEAH, I I JUST, I DIDN'T KNOW IF I HEARD YOU SAY THAT.
SO YEAH, ACTION ITEM TO CONSIDER RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE, UH, POLICE USE OF FORCE OVERVIEW.
SO WE'LL WORK ON THE AGENDA AND UH, WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL SEND IT OUT TO RYAN, UH, AFTER I WRITE, WRITE UP FOR NEXT MONTH.
PROBABLY HAVE THAT TO YOU IN A COUPLE WEEKS AT MOST.
AND UH, KEVIN, IF YOU CAN GIVE ME SOME, I HAVE A QUESTION.
I WANTED TO ASK, UH, THE GENTLEMAN FROM, OH, OFFICE OF POLICE OFFICER, I'M BAD WITH NAMES, BUT THE CASE THAT HAPPENED, I BELIEVE IT WAS MAY, IF THAT WAS MAY, 2025 AND IT WAS ALREADY REVIEWED AND ADJUDICATED AND WE ARE IN JUNE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S LESS THAN 30 DAYS.
[02:45:04]
HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN, COMMISSIONER FLOOD? HE CANNOT COMMENT ON THERE 'CAUSE IT'S NOT ON AN AGENDA.'CAUSE IF CASES ARE GETTING CLOSED IN 20 DAYS, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN DO OUR WORK.
I I, I JUST KNOW THAT, SO THAT'S THE AGENDA PROPOSAL BECAUSE THAT WAS, THAT WAS SHOCKING TO ME IF IT JUST HAPPENED LAST MONTH AND IT WAS ALREADY CLOSED OUT.
THAT'S, UH, THAT WAS MY QUESTION TOO.
THERE'S SOMETHING, THERE'S SOMETHING TO THAT.
YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY PUT IT OUT THE BOTTLE UP.
AND WE WILL ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA.
UH, MR. MASTER, IF YOU CAN, UH, UH, LET ME KNOW, UH, ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR TIMELINE, I, I GUESS WE'LL FIND OUT FROM, UH, FROM RYAN AND, UH, GAIL, UH, WHERE YOU'RE AT WITH THIS, UH, YOUR TIMELINE.
UM, YOU SAY YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE BY JULY 5TH DYING PROBLEM.
AND THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE CASES.
SO WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT ONE.
AND IF YOU CAN, IF WE CAN GET A LIST OF THE CURRENT CASES, RYAN, SO WE CAN START LOOKING THROUGH THOSE.
UH, ONCE WE, SINCE WE KNOW THE PROCESSES HERE, I'VE BEEN KIND OF SPELLED OUT, I'D LIKE TO START GETTING, UH, THE LIST TO LOOK THROUGH AND, UH, AND WE CAN START REQUESTING FILES, UH, BASED ON THAT.
SORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT CAN WE GET A TIMELINE, PUT IT ON THE AGENDA OF WHEN WE'RE GONNA GET THE EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO DO THE ACTUAL, TO DO OUR WORK TO REVIEW THE CASES, LIKE THE COMPUTERS AND ALSO, UH, WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS THAT? BUT YEAH, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO, TO KNOW WHEN THE COMPUTERS ARE COMING.
'CAUSE WE KEEP HEARING THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THEM.
BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO GET A DATE ON WHEN THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND ALSO, CAN WE PUT ON THE AGENDA TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO VOLUNTEER FOR A BACKGROUND CHECK.
I'VE, I'LL, I WILL DO BACKGROUND CHECKS.
I, I THINK I GET ONE, UH, ONCE A YEAR WHETHER I WANT IT OR NOT.
NO, UH, 'CAUSE I'M A LICENSED INVESTIGATOR TOO, SO.
UH, ALL RIGHT, SO WE'VE GOT OUR MARCHING ORDERS.
UH, WE'LL HAVE THE, UH, AGENDA ITEMS, UH, WRITTEN UP AND SENT OUT TO RYAN.
AND RYAN BASED ON, JUST BASED ON THE TIMELINE THAT KEVIN SENT US, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO HAVE THE LAPTOPS BEFORE WE CAN START, UH, GETTING ANY DIGITAL FILES, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO YOU, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET 'EM BEFORE JULY.
I HAVE ACTUALLY FIVE LAPTOPS WITH ME TODAY.
SO WHATEVER NEEDS A LAPTOP AND I DIDN'T BRING ALL YEAH.
THE OTHER ONES SHOULD BE COMING IN.
SO WE'RE WHATEVER COMMISSIONERS REPORT, SORRY.
WHATEVER COMMISSIONERS REPORT, WE COULD WORK WITH THEM TO HAVE THEM COME TO THE OFFICE AND GET THEIR LAPTOP.
SO WE'LL TAKE THE, THOSE FIVE.
SORRY GUYS, YOU DIDN'T SHOW UP.
AND THEN, UM, THEN WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL ADD, UH, SO IF YOU, UH, WANT TO COME PICK YOURS UP, MR. FLOOD, OR, OR IF SOMEBODY'S GONNA BE IN THE AREA, LET US KNOW IF YOU CAN'T GET IT.
SO MY, MY QUESTION IS, YOU HAVE FIVE LAPTOPS NOW, BUT DO YOU, HAVE YOU HAVE AVAILABILITY OR LINE OF SIGHT ON THE OTHERS? THEY'RE COMING.
YEAH, THEY SHOULD BE HERE BY TWO WEEKS.
RYAN, IF YOU CAN JUST SHOOT US AN EMAIL WHEN THEY'RE READY.
YOU GUYS GET TO BE AT THAT MEETING, BUT I GOTTA GO TO PUERTO RICO AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
UH, SO I GUESS WE'RE ADJOURNED.
DO I NEED TO READ THIS? RYAN? UH, IF YOU, THERE'S NO OBJECTION FOR THE ADJOURNMENT.
JUST ADJOURN THE MEETING AND JUST STATE THE TIME.
I WILL SAY OUR CHAIR HAVE BEEN FREAKING AWESOME.
AND WE'RE ADJOURNED AT, UH OH 6 44 9 6 9.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO GET YOU A NEW WATCH.