[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:07]
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US IN GENERAL.
IT HAS BEEN A REALLY CRAZY AND HARD WEEKEND, IN PARTICULAR FOR OUR LOCAL FAMILIES, UM, AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHO HAVE BEEN BUSY ALL WEEKEND, UM, RESPONDING TO FLOOD, UM, NOT JUST UP NORTH OF US, BUT ALSO SOUTH AND WEST OF US IN THE HILL COUNTRY.
UM, I WANNA EXTEND A THANK YOU TO ALL OF THEM, OF COURSE, WHO HAVE BEEN AT IT ALL WEEKEND.
UM, A SPECIAL THANK YOU AS WELL, EN ESPANOL, UM, TO, UM, ION, UM, FOR JOINING US AND HELPING TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IT FILLS MY HEART, UM, TO SEE THAT IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, THAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS COMMUNITY HELP EACH OTHER.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, WE WILL BE SHORT.
SOME PEOPLE, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE MIGHT HAVE SOME OF OUR CHIEFS COMING IN AND OUT, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I WILL JUST GET STARTED WITH ROLL CALL.
UM, COMMISSIONER RUTAN PRESENT, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER HOLMES PRESENT, COMMISSIONER N NEN WILL NOT BE JOINING US.
HE IS AMONG OUR FIRST RESPONDERS TODAY THAT WON'T BE JOINING US COMMISSIONER, OR WILL NOT BE JOINING US TODAY AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER SIERRA
AND COMMISSIONER SMITH PRESENT.
AND WITH THAT, WE WILL GET STARTED WITH PUBLIC
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
COMMUNICATION.THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT NETWORK.
KEN IS A PARTNERSHIP OF GOVERNMENT, NONPROFIT, PRIVATE, AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT LEVERAGE MUTUAL RESOURCES TO COLLECTIVELY IMPROVE SOCIAL HEALTH, EDUCATIONAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE SOME FLYERS I'LL, I'M, WE'LL BE REFERENCING TWO DOCUMENTS AND I'M REFERENCING THE MOSTLY BLUE DOCUMENT RIGHT NOW.
UM, OUR PARTNERS, UH, INCLUDE OUR BOARD CHAIR, WHICH IS COMMISSIONER JEFF ILIAN, AND WE HAVE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM AUSTIN AND PFLUGERVILLE ON OUR BOARD.
WE ALSO HAVE A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS FROM, UH, HEALTH EDUCATION, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
TOGETHER, WE IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO COORDINATE AND ALIGN SERVICES AMONG HAND PARTNERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS.
WE CREATE CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE, CREATE TOOLS, UH, ENSURE THE RIGHT STAKEHOLDERS ARE THERE, UH, TO ADDRESS AND ASSESS THE CHALLENGES OUR COMMUNITY FACES.
AND, UH, ON THE OTHER SIDE, UH, THERE ARE SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT WE, UH, DEVELOP AND WE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE THAT WE CREATE.
I WANTED TO BRING CLOSER ATTENTION TO THE CAN COMMUNITY DASHBOARD, WHICH HAS 18 DIFFERENT INDICATORS IN FOUR DIFFERENT ISSUE AREAS, INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY.
I USED TO BE THE RESEARCH ANALYST.
I'M THE, UH, RESEARCH PLANNING AND EVALUATION COORDINATOR NOW.
AND, UH, I UPDATE THOSE INDICATORS.
UM, ONE OF THE INDICATORS IS DIS-PROPORTIONALITY, UH, OF JAIL, BOOKING JAIL BOOKINGS TO TRAVIS COUNTY JAIL.
AND THE DISPROPORTIONALITY DISPROPORTIONALITY RATIO IS CALCULATED BY DIVIDING THE PROPORTION OF EACH RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUP BOOKED INTO TRAVIS COUNTY JAIL BY THEIR REPRESENTATION IN THE COUNTY'S ADULT POPULATION.
AND SO WHEN WE CARRY OUT THAT, UH, RATIO, WE SEE THAT ALTHOUGH 8% OF THE POPULATION IN TRAVIS COUNTY IS BLACK, 28% OF THE PEOPLE BOOKED INTO TRAVIS COUNTY JAIL ARE BLACK.
SO THAT CREATES A DISPROPORTIONALITY RATIO OF 3.4, WHICH IS A HIGH DISPROPORTION.
ON THE OTHER SHEET THAT I HA THAT, UH, I CREATED FOR THIS COMMISSION, THERE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER INDICATORS THAT ARE IN OUR DISPROPORTIONALITY SECTION.
UH, IT INCLUDES, UH, DISCIPLINARY REMOVALS, AND THAT ALSO SHOWS A DISPROPORTIONALITY FOR THE BLACK POPULATION, THE DISPROPORTIONALITY RATIO FOR CONFIRMED VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.
THOSE ARE ALSO DISPROPORTIONATE FOR THE BLACK POPULATION, AS WELL AS THE DISPROPORTIONALITY RATIO FOR THE POPULATION THAT RECEIVE
[00:05:01]
HOMELESS SERVICES IN TRAVIS COUNTY.IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DASHBOARD OR ANY OF THE OTHER TOOLS OR EVENTS THAT WE, UH, SUPPORT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UH, I WILL HAND OVER SOME CARDS RIGHT NOW.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, IF YOU COULD MEET, PLEASE BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION WITH CHRISTIE.
AND NEXT, NEXT UP WE HAVE RUBEN RIVERA CLEMENTE.
MY NAME IS RUBEN RIVERA CLEMENTE SENIOR.
AND ACTUALLY, I'VE BEEN HERE TOO MANY TIMES ALREADY.
I'VE GOT A LETTER FOR CHIEF LISA DAVIS.
THIS IS MY SECOND ONE THAT I'M, UH, I'M GIVING TO HER.
PLUS I GOT A STATEMENT THAT I WANT TO READ.
I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO BE HERE AFTER THE HORRIFIC NEWS FROM KEVILLE, TEXAS.
BUT AFTER MORE THAN 20 YEARS, WITH NO INSIGHT OF BEING TERRORIZED BY THIS UNIT OF BOSTON POLICE AND INFORMING THE LEADERSHIP OF BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT OF WHAT I HAVE ENDURED FROM THIS, THE ORGANIZED CRIME UNIT OF A PD, I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO BE THE MOST WANTED SINCE I'M COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY OVER A DOZEN OF THESE POLICE OFFICERS.
AND THIS MY FIFTH LOCATION, THAT MEANS EACH ONE I HAVE DEALT WITH THEM.
I HAVE MOVED TO GET AWAY FROM THEM ONLY TO, TO ENDURE THIS.
ANYWAY, THE LETTER HAS MORE DETAILS TO CHIEF DAVIS OF WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH.
I'M BEING TERRORIZED BY AUSTIN POLICE ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, PLUS CRIMINAL ACTS.
AND THIS, I CAN ONLY GUESS, CAN ONLY BE STRICTLY RETALIATION FOR ME, KEEPING INFORMED THE NEWS LOCAL, NATIONWIDE AND AUSTIN AMERICAN STATEMENT NEWSPAPER AS WELL.
AND I, I'VE BEEN TO THE MAYOR'S CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.
I'VE DONE BASICALLY EVERYTHING I CAN, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I EVEN COMPLAINED ABOUT IT TO CHIEF HENDERSON WHEN SHE WAS THE INTERIM CHIEF AND NOTHING.
I'M STILL BEING, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN ASSAULTED, I'VE BEEN THREATENED.
YOU KNOW, AND I JUST WANT TO ADD THIS, IF I MAY, WHEN I WAS THREATENING, ASSAULTED, BUT A POLICE OFFICER, I DIDN'T JUST CALL THE POLICE.
I ACTUALLY WENT UP THERE AND FILED TO THE MUNICIPAL COURT.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THE MUNICIPAL COURT CALLED ME AND TOLD ME, GET WHO ELSE? THE POLICE TO IDENTIFY THE PERSON.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THE POLICE ALREADY REMOVED HIM AND REPLACED IT WITH SOMEBODY ELSE THAT WAS DOING THE SAME THING AS THE ONE BEFORE HIM AND THE ONE BEFORE HIM.
THIS IS NOT THE WAY THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SUPPOSED TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES.
AND I'VE BEEN COMPLAINING TO CHIEF MANLEY, CHACO, HENDERSON FITZGERALD, AND ALSO LISA DAVIS.
THIS 20 PLUS YEARS IS, THIS IS A LIFE SENTENCE.
IS THAT MY, UH, I JUST WANT THIS TO STOP.
IT HAS TO BE SMASHING MY WINDSHIELD IN MY CAR, THREATENING AND ASSAULTING ME.
REALLY? HOW IN THE WORLD CAN YOU ACTUALLY SAY YOU POLICE OFFICERS? AND WHEN I RECORD THEM, THE ONLY THING THEY TELL ME SAID I DON'T GIVE A BLANK.
AND YOU ALREADY CAN FILL IN WHAT BLANK MEANS.
IT'S ALSO INCLUDED THERE WITH, UH, THAT THE FOUR LETTER, UH, FOUR PAGE LETTER THAT I WROTE FOR THANK YOU.
ALL SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN CALLED.
MR. CLEMENTA, CAN YOU ALSO MAKE SURE THAT YOU LEAVE YOUR, YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL WITH CHRISTIE IF WE DON'T ALREADY HAVE IT IN THE FORM, BUT SHOULD
CAN YOU LEAVE IT WITH CHRISTIE AS WELL? THAT WILL BE HELPFUL.
NEXT UP, UM, WE HAVE APPROVAL OF
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MINUTES.WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT MINUTES.
WE HAVE THE ONES FROM LAST MEETING, MAY 5TH AND JUNE 2ND TO APPROVE.
UM, UNLESS WE HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS, I WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH A VOTE THERE.
I GET A MOTION MOVE TO APPROVE, MOVE TO APPROVE THE SECOND, THE MAY 5TH AND JUNE 2ND TOGETHER.
IF WE CAN DO A JOINT VOTE, THAT WOULD SAVE US SOME TIME.
I'D LIKE TO ABSTAIN FROM MAY AS I WAS NOT HERE, SO I'D LIKE TO TAKE THEM UP SEPARATELY.
UM, CHAIR, IF THERE'S GOING TO BE ABSTENTIONS AND THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE ITEMS, IT'S BEST THAT WE TAKE UP SEPARATE VOTES.
WE'LL TAKE SEPARATE VOTES IN THAT CASE.
[00:10:01]
UM, ON MAY 5TH, CAN I GET A SHOW OF HANDS? WE NEED SIX TO APPROVE.AND FOR JUNE 2ND, WE'LL BE OUR NEXT VOTE.
CAN I GET A SHOW OF HANDS? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
AND WHILE WE ARE IN A VOTING, UM, MOOD, I, UNLESS WE HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS, WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE UP.
[7. Approve the Public Safety Commission 2024-2025 Annual Internal Report.]
SEVEN ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION 2024 ANNUAL INTERNAL REPORT.UM, IT SHOULD BE IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIAL.
IT IS A PRETTY STANDARD REPORT THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR THAT JUST LISTS ITEMS AND TOPICS THAT WE DISCUSSED, UM, AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE PASSED, WORKING GROUPS THAT WE STARTED.
UM, IT IS VERY MUCH AN ITEMIZED LIST OF ALL OF OUR AGENDAS OVER THE PAST YEAR.
UM, LITERALLY COPIED AND PASTED, UM,
SO I'M HOPING THAT, UM, THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, BUT IF WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION COMMENTS, IF NOT, I WOULD APPRECIATE A MOTION FROM THE FLOOR MOVE TO APPROVE.
AND IF I CAN GET A SHOW OF HANDS IN SUPPORT, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
UM, AND WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE BACK TO REGULAR ORDER.
[3. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Police Department and update on the Automated License Plate Reader Program. Presentation by Robin Henderson, Chief of Staff, Austin Police Department.]
UP IS THE PUBLIC SAFETY QUARTERLY REPORT FROM A PD CHIEF HENDERSON.SO, JUST WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE.
UM, YOU REQUESTED THE A LPR, UH, QUESTIONS BE ANSWERED.
AND I DID SUBMIT THAT AS A BACKUP DOCUMENT FOR ALL THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO, GOING OVER OUR QUARTERLY REPORT, FIRST SLIDE, I WANNA SPEAK TO SOME OF THE TRAINING THAT WE'VE BEEN HOSTING.
UM, CHIEF DAVIS WAS, UH, INTENTIONAL WHEN SHE CAME INTO OUR DEPARTMENT THAT SHE WANTED TO HAVE DATA-DRIVEN APPROACHES WHEN IT COMES TO ALL OF, UM, OUR, OUR OPERATIONS, HOW WE UTILIZE OUR PERSONNEL IN ADDITION TO OUR CRIME, STATISTICS, CRIME DATA.
AND SO STICKING TO THAT, SHE HAS HOSTED SEVERAL TRAINING SESSIONS.
AND SO THEY'RE HIGHLIGHTED IN, IN OUR REPORT HERE.
AND SO WE HAD A CRIME REDUCTION COURSE, AND IT WAS HOSTED BY, UH, DR.
HE IS A WORLD RENOWNED, UH, SPECIALIST ON, ON CRIME REDUCTION STRATEGIES AND CRIME REDUCTION DATA.
AND IT WAS AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH, AND HE WOULD TAUGHT IT FOR THREE DAYS.
AND IT WAS FOR OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO ATTEND.
IN ADDITION TO, UH, SOME OF OUR CRIME ANALYSTS, IN ADDITION TO, UM, OUR ASSISTANT CHIEFS WERE THERE, CHIEF DAVIS WAS ABLE TO ATTEND, NOT NOT ALL THE SESSIONS, BUT UM, SHE WAS ABLE TO ATTEND IN ADDITION TO ALL OF OUR COMMANDERS ATTENDING THAT TRAINING.
AND SO IT'S A TRAINING THAT'S CENTERED ON CRIME REDUCTION WITH THE APPLICATION OF A STRUCTURED DECISION MAKING PROCESS THAT CLEARLY OUT OUTLINE, OUTLINES ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
IT'S ALSO FOCUSED ON EVIDENCE-BASED RESPONSE PLANS TO IDENTIFY CRIME PATTERNS, TRENDS, AND CHRONIC, UH, CRIME CONCERNS AND ATTACK CRIME FROM A REDUCTION USING CRIME DATA AND ANALYTICS.
AND THEN IT WAS ATTENDED BY APPROXIMATELY 34 SWORN AND 17 PRO PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
ANOTHER TRAINING SESSION THAT, UH, SHE HOSTED WAS, UH, WITH DR. ANDREW WHEELER, AND HE HAS A PHD IN A CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
AND HE WORKED WITH, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND DIFFERENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE US IN ORDER TO DEVELOP AUTOMATED PROCESSES RELATED TO, UH, DATA COLLECTION.
AND SO ONCE YOU IDENTIFY OR SET THE FOUNDATIONAL WAY OF MAKING SURE THAT WE ACCURATELY HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WILL COLLECT THE DATA, THEN ANY KIND OF SUBSEQUENT RESPONSE FOR DATA WILL BE ACCURATE BECAUSE THE ESSENTIAL INGEST POINT IS, IS ACCURATE.
AND SO DR. WHEELER CAME IN AND HE TRAINED OUR CRIME ANALYSTS ON HOW TO DO THAT.
AND HE WILL BE COMING IN ADDITIONAL SESSIONS TO HELP TRAIN OUR CRIME ANALYST WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT OUR DATA IS ACCURATE, BUT IT'S ALSO CLEAN.
AND APPROXIMATELY 35 OF OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF ATTENDED THAT TRAINING.
NEXT WE HAVE OUR ICAT TRAINING, AND IT STANDS FOR INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS ASSESSMENT AND TACTICAL TRAINING.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY EVIDENCE-BASED TRAINING IN ORDER TO DEESCALATE, UM, INCREASE BETTER COMMUNICATION, BETTER THREAT ASSESSMENT.
AND SO RIGHT NOW IT WAS MANDATORY FOR ALL OF, UH, THE DEPARTMENT TO ATTEND THE 16 HOUR TRAINING COURSE, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL ITERATIONS THAT WILL BE COMING OUT
[00:15:01]
PROVIDED BY ICAT AND BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING SURE ANY KIND OF SUPPLEMENTAL TRAINING IS ALSO ATTENDED BY ALL MEMBERS OF OUR TRAINING STAFF.SO RIGHT NOW, OUR CADETS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THAT TRAINING.
THE ONE 55TH WILL BE PARTICIPATING IT NEXT, NEXT MONTH.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A FOUR HOUR REFRESHER COURSE THAT'S GONNA BE COMING OUT.
AND WE'LL BE STARTING THAT TRAINING WITH THE DEPARTMENT AT THE END OF THE QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE OPERATIONS THAT WE'RE DOING AT THE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PACE TEAM IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE CRIME, UH, NEXUS THAT'S IN THE SIXTH STREET DISTRICT.
AND WANNA TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH.
SO CHIEF DAVIS HAS COMMISSIONED WORKING WITH OTHER SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER FOR US TO ACHIEVE IT, IN ADDITION TO, OF COURSE, WORKING WITH FIRE, UM, ALSO WORKING WITH CODE, ALSO LOOKING AT IT FROM A RIGHT WAY MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, ALSO WITH, UM, THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE AND T-A-B-B-C.
AND SO JUST NOT DOING IT FROM JUST THE, UH, A PD LENS, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAPTURE ALL THOSE OTHER TERTIARY TYPE ITEMS WHEN IT COMES TO ADDRESSING CRIME SAFETY IN THE SIXTH STREET DISTRICT.
NEXT SLIDE, HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.
UM, WE WERE HUSTLING THIS LAST, LAST QUARTER WITH ALL KINDS OF STUFF.
OF COURSE, THE GOOD WEATHER HELPS WITH THAT, BUT WE HAVE 37 YOUTH AND SCHOOL EVENTS, 23, UH, SAFETY FOCUS EVENTS, UH, THAT COULD BE SITE SECURITY ASSESSMENTS WHERE WE GO AND JUST DO, UH, SITE ASSESSMENTS FOR EITHER A APARTMENT COMPLEX OR INDIVIDUAL'S HOUSES RESIDENCE, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN TO KEEP THEIR ENVIRONMENT SAFE.
IN ADDITION, WE HAD COMMUNITY CONNECT AND TOWN HALL MEETINGS, 21, AND THEN COMMUNITY AFFAIR, UH, COMMUNITY FAIRS, AND, UM, PARTY OF THE PEOPLE HOUSE WHERE OUR, UH, WHICH WAS HOSTED AT CITY HALL.
AND WE HAD BOTH OF OUR CADETS CLASSES ATTEND THAT EVENT.
A BD SAFE PLACE ALSO CONDUCTED SEVERAL TRAINING SESSIONS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S AN INITIATIVE THAT'S DESIGNED TO ASSIST VICTIMS OF HATE CRIME TO ENCOURAGE THE REPORTING OF CRIME.
BUT IT ALSO HAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO WHERE IF SOMEBODY IS FEELING AS THOUGH THEY'RE IN AN UNSAFE POSITION, THEY CAN GO TO A BUSINESS THAT HAS THE PLACARD, THE SAFE PLACE PLACARD, AND THEY'LL KNOW THAT THAT'S A SAFE HAVEN FOR THEM TO SEEK SHELTER.
AND IT WAS FOCUSED ON, UM, SEVERAL BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT ALSO WITH, UH, SEVERAL OF OUR LIBRARIES.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH, UM, A NEW GRANT FOR FREE MULTI HOUSE PROGRAM.
AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT IS, IT'S A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE TO HELP WITH RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS AND MANAGERS TO HELP REDUCE CRIME, UM, ENHANCED PROPERTY SAFETY, IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE RESIDENTS, AND PROMOTE WELL-MANAGED HOUSING, AND ALSO BUILDS COLLABORATION WITH TRAINING PROPERTY INSPECTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
SO THAT'S A NEW INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
NEXT SLIDE, TRANSITIONING TO OUR CALL VOLUME.
SO OUR PAST SIX MONTHS REFERENCE, OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE ARE TRENDING WITH THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
TYPICALLY, AS THE SUMMER MONTHS COME ALONG, THE INCREASE IN CALLS FOR SERVICE GO UP.
AND SO IT IS TRENDING THE SAME.
IT'S OUR COMBINED P ZERO AND P ONE RESPONSE TIMES.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS, WE ARE JUST A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THE FIVE YEAR MEAN.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THAT IS.
UM, HOWEVER, FOR THE NEXT QUARTERLY REPORT, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME DATA TO SUPPORT AS TO WHY THAT TREND MIGHT BE HAPPENING.
JUST GOING OVER OUR STAFFING ALLOCATION.
SO FOR OUR SWORN STAFFING, WE HAVE 334 VACANCIES FOR OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF, WE HAVE 43 VACANCIES.
AND THEN IN ECOMMS, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE THAT NUMBER, THAT IS PRETTY AMAZING.
WE ARE ONLY AT 10 VACANCIES IN OUR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, SO FANTASTIC WORK HAS BEEN GOING ON THERE FOR, FOR CLOSE TO TWO YEARS NOW, AND IT'S SHOWING TO BE VERY FRUITFUL.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE GETTING NEW, UH, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IN THE DOOR, THEY'RE ACTUALLY STAYING.
THIS IS JUST A GRAPH CHART JUST HIGHLIGHTING OUR, OUR SWORN VACANCY RATE.
YOU'LL SEE SOME PEAKS AND VALLEYS IN THERE.
[00:20:01]
THAT OCCURS EACH TIME A CADET CLASS GRADUATES, YOU'LL SEE A PEAK IN THAT, AND THEN IT'LL START TO JUST SLOWLY TAPER OFF AS THE STANDARD ATTRITION PROCESS HAPPENS.WE HAVE TWO CURRENT CADET CLASSES.
WE HAVE THE ONE 54TH THAT IS IN CLASS RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO GRADUATE ON AUGUST 29TH.
WE STARTED THE ONE 55TH ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE 51 CADETS IN THAT CLASS.
AND THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO GRADUATE ON DECEMBER 12TH.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THE HIRING CYCLE FOR THE 1 56 CADET CLASS, AND RIGHT NOW WE STILL HAVE 83 THAT ARE IN THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN WE RECENTLY JUST OPENED THE ONE 57TH HIRING CYCLE.
THEIR FIRST TESTING IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE THIS WEEK ON WEDNESDAY, AND THEY WILL BE STARTING IN JANUARY.
WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS.
I KNOW, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS AT OUR LAST PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING THAT THE AUDITOR'S REPORT CAME OUT ON OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS.
AND SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE GRANTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH OUR YOUTH.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S VERY EXCITING.
UM, 'CAUSE WHEN YOU GO IN THE ROOM AND YOU GET TO MEET THE YOUTH, THEY'RE COMING UP WITH SOME FANTASTIC, SOME FANTASTIC IDEAS.
AND SO IT'S, UH, FOCUSED ON ENHANCING, UH, HIRING FOR OUR YOUTH IN THE FUTURE AND CREATING A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH OUR YOUTH AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
IT'S ACTUALLY BEING HOSTED AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH HARVEST FOUNDATION, IS WHERE WE'RE HOSTING THAT AT.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD, OF COURSE, A RECRUITING MODEL FOR CREATING A CAREER PIPELINE INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT ALSO OF COURSE, IMPROVING, UH, COMMUNITY TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY, AND ALSO BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
WE'RE USING SMART GOALS AS WE ALIGN OUR EFFORTS WITH MEASURABLE OUTCOMES AND DEPARTMENT PRIORITIES.
AND THEN ALSO, I ALREADY SPOKE TO THE, UH, LAST TIME THAT THEY PRESENTED OUR ROBUST SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN THAT WE HAVE WHERE WE'RE DOING SOCIAL MEDIA ACROSS ALL OF OUR PLATFORMS. IN ADDITION TO, WE ARE HAVING OUR PIO GO OUT TO THE TRAINING ACADEMY SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK, UM, FILMING DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAINING THAT CADETS ARE, ARE PARTICIPATING IN.
THEN THEY'LL PRODUCE, UM, VIDEO CONTENT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. AND IT'S GAINING QUITE A BIT OF ATTENTION ON THERE.
SO IT'S JUST SOME GREAT THINGS GOING ON.
AND THAT'S THE END OF MY REPORT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WE CAN GET THE COMMISSIONERS BACK UP ON SCREEN.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM EVERYONE ONLINE FIRST, JUST SO THAT I MAKE SURE NOT TO MISS ANYONE? QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY HERE? COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT, CHIEF, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRAININGS.
UM, I AM HOPING THAT, UH, FOR OUR NEXT QUARTERLY MEETING, UM, WHEN THE INFORMATION IS SHARED ABOUT THE CADET ACADEMIES, WE COULD ADD ATTRITION RATES, UM, FOR EACH OF THE ACADEMIES AND THE MOST RECENT GRADUATING ACADEMIES OVER THE, THE, UM, ACADEMY AND THEN ALSO PROGRESS, UH, IN ACHIEVING THE 30 BY 30 GOAL.
AND THEN I HAD ONE QUESTION, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT OFF TOPIC FROM SOME OF THE STUFF, BUT IT'S JUST A, A, SOMETHING WE'VE HAD GOING FOR A WHILE.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAD GIVEN US THE BARRY DONE REPORTS BEFORE, UM, THAT WAS COMPLETED TOWARDS THE END OF LAST YEAR.
I THINK THAT BARRY DUN REPORT, I KNOW THAT THEY WERE DOING SOME NEW WORK AS WELL, CORRECT? MM-HMM
UM, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT AND WHETHER OR NOT ANY OF THOSE REPORTS ARE BEING IMPLE? LIKE ARE THERE ANY CHANGES BEING IMPLEMENTED? UH, YES.
UM, SO THERE WAS ANOTHER REPORT, I BELIEVE THE PUBLISHED DATE ON THAT WAS JUNE 3RD OR JUNE 6TH.
AND THAT DID GO, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THAT ONE WENT, WENT OUT, BUT IF NOT, I CAN SEND THAT TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND AS FAR AS ANY IMPACTS ON STAFFING AND CHANGES, ARE YOU GUYS, ARE, ARE YOU GUYS, YOU, YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BARRY DUNN FOR A WHILE NOW.
AND SO THE, THE REPORT THAT JUST FINISHED IS THE ONE THAT CHIEF
AND SO ESSENTIALLY THAT BARRY DUNN DID A DEEP DIVE INTO OUR, OUR OPERATIONS.
THEY DID IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS OF OUR COMMAND STAFF, OF OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF, CRIME ANALYST, UM, EVEN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, STAFF.
AND SO THAT REPORT IS THE ONE THAT MOST RECENTLY FINISHED WITH THAT.
THERE HAS BEEN A ALIGN REALIGNMENT OF SOME OF OUR OFFICERS THAT ARE IN SPECIALIZED UNITS IN ADDITION TO SOME OF OUR, UH, DETECTIVES AND CORPORALS THAT WERE IN CERTAIN INVESTIGATIVE DETAILS.
[00:25:01]
SOME OF THOSE DETAILS ARE BEING COMBINED IN ORDER TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING, IN ADDITION TO SEVERAL OF THE OFFICERS THAT ARE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN SPECIALIZED UNITS ARE BEING REALLOCATED BACK TO BACK TO PATROL.AND SO THAT PLAN IS ESSENTIALLY IN A, WE'RE WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT ALL THE VARIOUS MOVES, WHETHER IT IS, UH, CALL INSIDE THE INVESTIGATIONS OR EITHER WITH THOSE PATROL OFFICERS WILL BE HAPPENING ON AUGUST 20, 24TH, IN THAT THERE IS ALSO A LEVELING THAT IS OCCURRING IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THE PATROL RESOURCES ARE A ADEQUATELY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT ALL SECTORS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO THAT LEVELING PROCESS IS ALSO OCCURRING AT THE SAME TIME.
SO NOT JUST REINTEGRATING ADDITIONAL OFFICERS ONTO PATROL, BUT THEN ALSO LEVELING OUT ACROSS SECTORS TO MAKE SURE THERE'S EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF OFFICERS.
IT'S, THAT'S A LOT OF CHANGES.
UM, SO I JUST, UM, I THINK MY FOLLOW UP TO THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE, UM, A FULL LIKE THE TIME TO DISCUSS IT ALL IN FULL TODAY, BUT OF COURSE, LIKE WE TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, UM, ON A REGULAR BASIS HERE, WE TALK ABOUT THE OPO AND INVESTIGATIONS IA.
UM, WE TALK ABOUT THE TRAINING ACADEMY A LOT.
WE SPEND, WE'RE GONNA SPEND MORE TIME TALKING TODAY ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE SEX CRIMES RESPONSE AND THE SEX CRIMES UNIT.
SO JUST UNDERSTANDING HOW IT IMPACT, HOW IT'S IMPACTING THOSE UNITS AS WE TALK ABOUT THEM WILL BE REALLY HELPFUL.
JUST A QUESTION ON, ON SOME OF THE BACKUP, UH, DATA, UM, JUST LOOKING THROUGH AS I, I WAS CURIOUS, THERE WERE A FEW CATEGORIES OVERALL, IT LOOKED LIKE MOST CATEGORIES WERE WERE DROPPING, BUT THERE ARE A FEW THAT HAD A PRETTY MARKED INCREASE OVER THE FIVE YEAR.
MEAN, UM, ON SLIDE THREE FOR CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS KIDNAPPING, ABDUCTION WAS UP 50% ONE YEAR, 65%, FIVE YEAR.
AND THEN I ALSO NOTICED UNDER THE CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY AND SOCIETY, THAT PRETTY MARKED INCREASE IN DRUG AND NARCOTIC OFFENSES AND PORNOGRAPHY MATERIAL.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY THOUGHTS IN TERMS OF THAT, ANY CHANGES IN ENFORCEMENT PATTERNS OR JUST THOUGHTS OF THAT BEING RANDOM VARIATION AT ALL? NO, GIMME JUST A SECOND.
YEAH, THAT WAS ON PAGE THREE, UM, OF THIS BACKUP SLIDE DECK.
AND THEN PAGE SIX, WHAT WAS THE OTHER ONE? YEAH, I REMEMBER NOTICING THE KIDNAPPING AND OBJECT.
THAT WAS THE OVERALL, MOST CATEGORIES ARE DOWN, WHICH IS WONDERFUL TO SEE BE THOSE STAND OUT.
WHAT WERE THE SLIDE NUMBERS AGAIN? UH, THREE FOR THE KIDNAPPING AND ABDUCTION UNDER CRIMES AGAINST PERSON'S.
SO OVER THE FIVE YEAR MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A 15% INCREASE IN THAT.
AND SO I WILL DEFINITELY GO, GO BACK AND GET THE, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE DATA ON THAT ONE.
OH, IN 65% INCREASE IN SLIDE THREE, KIDNAPPING, KIDNAPPING AND ABDUCTION.
FOR THE FIVE YEAR MEAN YEAH, I SEE THAT MM-HMM
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS ON SLIDE SIX, UM, THE DRUG AND NARCOTIC OFFENSES AS WELL AS THE PORNOGRAPHY AND OBSCENE MATERIALS.
AND I THINK COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT HAS A FOLLOW UP TO THE DRUG AND NARCOTIC OFFENSES QUESTION.
UM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT THE KIDNAPPING.
APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE THAT IN, IN ADVANCE.
UM, I, UM, THIS REMINDED ME OF A CONCERN ABOUT, UM, PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COMMIT KIDNAPPINGS OR RAPES OR OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES, UM, IMPERSONATING PEACE OFFICERS BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A PREVALENCE OF, UM, UH, PLAIN CLOTHES PEACE OFFICERS.
UM, AND I, I HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT THIS IN TEXAS, BUT I PRESUME IT'S COMING.
UM, MASKED PLAIN CLOTHES, POLICE OFFICERS OR WELL, PEACE OFFICERS.
THESE ARE MAINLY, I THINK, ICE AGENTS, UM, CONFUSING PEOPLE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO KNOW WHETHER THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN AN INTERACTION WITH A PEACE OFFICER.
UM, AND I MEAN, THE, THE KIND OF BIGGER QUESTION IS, UM, CONSIDERING THIS KIND OF OBVIOUS THREAT TO LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY, WHAT, UM, CAN WE DO LOCALLY TO, UM, PROTECT PEOPLE, UM, FROM, UH, FOLKS IMPERSONATING PEACE OFFICERS? NO.
UM, DEFINITELY ANYTIME THERE IS A INTERACTION WITH A COMMUNITY
[00:30:01]
MEMBER AND THEY ARE NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT WHO THEY ARE INTERACTING WITH, IF THEY'RE A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, THE BEST THING THEY CAN DO IS OF COURSE ASK FOR THEIR CREDENTIALS.IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF DELAY OR STILL SOME UNEASINESS, THEY CAN CALL 9 1 1 AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO VERIFY THE, THE LEGITIMACY OF THAT, OF THAT PERSON THAT THEY'RE INTERACTING WITH.
UM, ANYTIME OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES ARE WORKING WITHIN THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, OR THEY'RE DOING AN OPERATION, IT IS STANDARD PROTOCOL THAT THEY NOTIFY, THEY NOTIFY US IN IN ADVANCE.
AND SO IF, IF THERE IS A, A CONCERN THAT THEY, THEY AREN'T QUITE SURE THE IDENTITY OF WHO THE PERSON THEY'RE INTERACTING WITH, THEY CAN DEFINITELY, OF COURSE FIRST ASK FOR THEIR CREDENTIALS.
AND THEN ANYTHING BEYOND THAT, THEY CAN CALL 9 1 1 AND WE CAN HELP VERIFY.
I WONDER IF, UM, WE CAN FIGURE OUT IF THERE ARE WAYS TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT.
I CAN CHECK WITH OUR PIO, SEE IF WE CAN DO A PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, MESSAGING CAMPAIGN AROUND THAT.
UM, AND THEN WITH THAT, I THINK UNLESS WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ONLINE LINE, WE ARE JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT OUR, OUR MICS ARE KIND OF ECHOY BACK HERE.
WE'RE GETTING SOME FEEDBACK, SO, UM, OKAY.
CHIEF HENDERSON WILL LOOK FOR THOSE, UM, ANSWERS IN OUR BACKUP MATERIALS.
OH, AND JUST AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME NEW COMMISSIONERS ON BOARD, AND I, I HAVE NOT BEEN, UM, SUPER DILIGENT ABOUT ANNOUNCING THIS FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
WE DO HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE WHERE IF YOU ASK A QUESTION DURING A COMMISSION MEETING, UM, AND WE DON'T GET A DEFINITIVE ANSWER, WE DO DOCUMENT ALL THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, AND CHRISTIE HELPS, HELPS US FOLLOW UP WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING ANSWERS.
AND THEN THOSE ARE POSTED TO OUR BACKUP MATERIALS.
IF YOU COMPLETE A MEETING AND FEEL LIKE THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT WERE LEFT UNANSWERED, IF YOU COULD PLEASE HELP BY EITHER REACHING OUT TO CHRISTIE AND OR ME JUST TO, WITH A LITTLE REMINDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE TRACK OF ANYTHING.
WE DO OUR BEST, BUT SOMETIMES WE LOSE TRACK OF STUFF.
SO WITH THAT, UM, AND THEN I THINK WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE DISCUSSION OF OUR BYLAW
[4. Discussion of bylaw amendment process, current bylaws, and potential changes.]
AMENDMENT PROCESS, CURRENT BYLAWS AND POTENTIAL CHANGES.UM, IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIALS, THERE ARE, YOU HAVE A HAND UP? OH, YES.
WAS, UH, CHIEF HENDERSON GONNA GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM? IT'S RIGHT AFTER THE QUARTERLY REPORT.
SO DO, DO WE HAVE THE BACKUP MATERIALS? I, I SUBMITTED MM-HMM
I THINK IT'S JUST GONNA BE FOR US TO REVIEW IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE WERE GONNA DISCUSS IT, BUT IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, GO FOR IT.
COMMISSIONER LUAN, I, I HAVE, UH, TWO.
AND, AND THE FIRST ONE'S A, A TWO-PARTER OF, UM, IS A PD PLANNING ANY ADDITIONAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OR COMMUNICATIONS PRIOR TO COUNCIL CONSIDERATION TO ADDRESS TRUST ISSUE, TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED DURING THE PILOT PHASE.
AND IF SO, WILL THIS COMMISSION OR ANY OTHERS BE, UM, BRIEFED OR ASKED TO WEIGH IN, UH, AHEAD OF THAT? YES, SIR.
AND YES, SO WE WILL BE LOOKING TO EXPLORE TRYING TO REINSTITUTE A-A-L-P-R PROGRAM.
UM, CHIEF DAVIS WILL BE LEADING THAT.
OF COURSE, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF BUDGET RIGHT NOW IN ADDITION TO SUMMERTIME.
AND SO THAT WON'T BE FOR A FEW MONTHS TO WHERE WE START RE-ENGAGING IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS AGAIN.
BUT DEFINITELY AT THAT TIME, THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS COMMISSION IN ORDER TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
AND, UH, MY SECOND IS, UM, WHAT ALTERNATIVES IS, UH, A PD CONSIDERING TO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC SAFETY GAPS THAT, UH, THE PROGRAM WAS INTENDED TO FILL? UH, CONSIDERING WE'RE AT LIKE A 300 PLUS, UH, OFFICER SHORTAGE, THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO BE, BE A CHALLENGE.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE'RE LEARNING IS THAT NOW WE ARE ESSENTIALLY HAVING TO DO MORE INVESTIGATIVE WORK, WHICH IS OF COURSE, INCREASING THE, THE WORKLOAD CAPACITY THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON OUR, ON OUR INVESTIGATORS.
AND SO IT WAS A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE TOOL, FALSE MULTIPLIER.
AND SO NOW WE'RE JUST, OF COURSE, HAVING, BECAUSE IT WAS A PILOT PROGRAM, WE'RE HAVING TO REVERT BACK TO OTHER INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE SAME OUTCOMES.
AND JUST, I DIDN'T, I DON'T SEE THE A LPR BACKUP ANSWERS IN OUR, IN OUR BACKUP YET.
CHRISTIE? UM, IT'S IN THE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS.
OH, IT'S IN FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
SO IT'S POSTED UNDER JUNE, SO IT'S ACTUALLY WEDNESDAY, SO IT'S UNDER LAST MONTH.
[00:35:01]
ARE IN OUR JUNE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION BACKUP.UM, THAT'S WHERE YOU GUYS WILL FIND THAT INFORMATION.
I WAS LOOKING FOR IT THIS MONTH.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT THOSE, THAT'S WHAT THOSE ARE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? OKAY.
UM, WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS OUR BYLAW AMENDMENT PROCESS.
UM, WE DO HAVE COPIES OF SOME DRAFT BYLAWS, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER RUTAN TO JUST KIND OF WALK US THROUGH AND SEE IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT.
SO HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY, I KNOW THEY'RE IN THE BACKUP ONLINE, SO HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO PULL UP THE, UM, AMENDED PROPOSED BYLAWS.
UH, WE DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO MEET IN PERSON, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO MEET, UM, ASYNCHRONOUSLY AND MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS AND EDITS.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE VOTING ON ANYTHING TODAY.
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER, UM, JUST HAVE SOMETHING IN FRONT OF US TO DISCUSS.
UM, AND WE, IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, DEPENDING, CAN TAKE A VOTE ON THE, ON THE BYLAWS.
UM, I JUST HIGHLIGHTED EVERYBODY'S LOOKING THROUGH.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE, THIS IS AN OPEN DISCUSSION, SO IF ANYBODY HAS ADDITIONAL BYLAW CHANGES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY GO AND DO THAT.
UM, EVERYTHING IS IN, AT TELEX FOR WHAT WAS ADDED.
SO ON PAGE ONE, UM, JUST NOTE THAT WE'RE ADDING ADDITION TO AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, AND AUSTIN POLICE WE'RE ADDING IN, UM, THAT MATTERS WILL BE RELATED TO HOMELAND SECURITY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, AND THEN THERE'S A PHRASE THERE AMONG OTHERS AS RELEVANT TO PUBLIC SAFETY POLICIES TO NOT PIGEONHOLE US NECESSARILY, BUT TO BE EXPLICIT ABOUT SOME OTHER GROUPS.
SO, UM, WE CAN PAUSE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO DISCUSS IF THERE'S ANY OF THOSE THAT THEY THINK SHOULDN'T BE THERE.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO ADD IN ADDITION TO THERE.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, CHRISTIE WAS GONNA JOIN US AND SHE, CHRISTIE'S GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BYLAW AMENDMENTS BEFORE, SO SHE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROCESS.
UM, MY QUESTION WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE, AMONG OTHERS AS RELEVANT TO PUBLIC SAFETY POLICIES AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS GOING TO BE SPECIFIC ENOUGH IF WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMEBODY JOIN US EVERY MONTH AS A REGULAR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A QUESTION THAT I'M ASKING OUT LOUD THAT I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED AN ANSWER TO.
UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME OTHER, THERE ARE SOME OTHER BODIES THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING.
UM, I THINK THIS WAS JUST AN AMONG OTHERS BECAUSE WE DON'T NECESSARILY, WE HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, DISCUSSING WHAT OTHER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, UM, FROM THE CITY WE WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING SUGGESTIONS? I MEAN, WE, DISCUSSION IS OPEN FOR WHATEVER, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY THOUGHTS IN PARTICULAR, ANYTHING THAT FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR, OR TAKE AWAY FOR THAT MATTER WITH THE OPEN QUESTION? UM, UM, AS CHAIR RAMIREZ MENTIONED ABOUT THE, WHAT, WHAT'S ALLOWED TO HAVE IN TERMS OF HOW OPEN WE CAN BE, BUT OKAY.
UM, THE NEXT ONE UNDER ARTICLE THREE IS ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, SO THIS IS A LONG LIST THAT WE JUST TOOK FROM SOME OTHER, UM, COMMISSIONS.
SO THIS LIST CAN, WE CAN SHRINK IT AS DESIRED OR, OR EXPAND TO IT, BUT THE PHRASING, AND AGAIN, IN ITALICS FOR WHAT'S ADDED, WE HAVEN'T DELETED ANYTHING OUTTA THE BYLAWS.
THERE'S, THERE'S STRIKE THROUGH LANGUAGE FOR ANYTHING THAT GETS DELETED.
THAT WAS ONLY LATER ON THAT WE'LL GO OVER.
BUT, UM, JUST THE FOLLOWING BOARDS AND COMMISSION SHALL NOMINATE ONE OF ITS MEMBERS FOR APPOINTMENT BY THE COUNCIL TO SERVE AS A NON-VOTING PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEMBER.
SO, AS FOLKS RECALL, THIS IS KIND OF MODELING AFTER SOME OTHER COMMISSIONS, I'VE TRIED TO GET A DIVERSE SET OF, UM, INPUTS SUCH AS A DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UM, AMONG OTHERS.
AND SO, UH, A IS JUST A PLACEHOLDER IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THEY WANT HAVE THAT WON'T BE IN THE FINAL LANGUAGE.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, UM, B THROUGH N KIND OF READING THERE.
SO WE CAN CERTAINLY, UH, IF WE THINK THAT'S TOO MANY, WHICH IS CERTAINLY A CONCERN THAT WAS RAISED, IS HOW MANY IS TOO MANY.
DO WE WANNA TAKE SOME OF THESE OFF? DO WE WANT TO ADD SOMETHING ELSE IN THERE? SO OPEN FOR DISCUSSION ON, ON ONES THAT WHAT FOLKS THINK.
I SEE JIR IS CROSSING SOME THINGS OFF.
UM, OH YEAH, JUST, UH, I'M, I'M JUST GOING THROUGH AND MAKING THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS.
LINE B IS BASICALLY ONE LINE ITEMS THAT ACCOUNTS FOR ITEMS D THROUGH N.
UM, THE ITEMS D THROUGH N ARE THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED B UM,
[00:40:01]
A QUESTION AGAIN, AND THIS IS SOMETHING FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS POTENTIALLY, OR WE CAN HAVE SOME MORE DISCUSSION HERE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE, UM, IS AN OPTION THAT WE CAN TURN TO IF, UM, ITEMS D THROUGH N FEEL TO CUMBERSOME.THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE JUST FOR EVERYBODY, UM, IS BASICALLY, UM, MEMBERS FROM ALL OF THE QUALITY OF, FROM VARIOUS COMMISSIONS, BUT SPECIFICALLY FROM THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION, THEY FORMED THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE.
THEY WERE PUT TOGETHER SPECIFICALLY FOR THE, TO, TO HAVE A, A MORE REPRESENTATIVE BODY, UM, KIND OF MEETING TOGETHER.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IS, UM, WHETHER WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE OR ITEMS D THROUGH N OR WHETHER WE WANT TO LIST THEM BOTH.
UM, I THINK, UM, THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE WOULD BE, I, IN MY OPINION IT WOULD BE AN EITHER OR.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT ALTHOUGH ASPIRATIONALLY I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ALL OF THE COMMISSIONS LISTED D THROUGH N HERE, UM, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THESE ARE COMMISSIONS THAT ARE VERY MUCH IN DEMAND, UM, AND THAT, UM, UH, GETTING REPRESENTATIVES, UM, GETTING APPOINTMENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES, UM, FROM ALL, UM, AS FANTASTIC AS THAT WOULD BE, WOULD ALSO LOGISTICALLY REQUIRE POTENTIALLY MOVING TO A NEW LOCATION, UM, BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T ALL FIT IN HERE ANYMORE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY REVISITING WHETHER OR NOT OUR MEETING TIMES ARE ADEQUATE, UM, TWO HOURS, UM, ESPECIALLY IF WE ACTUALLY WANNA HAVE TIME FOR EVERYBODY TO CHIME IN.
SO JUST KIND OF SAYING SOME OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS OUT LOUD FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, JUST SOMETHING THAT, I DUNNO IF FOLKS WANNA COMMENT BECAUSE THAT WAS KINDA THE TENSION BETWEEN THE IMPETUS FOR REVISING WAS TO TRY TO HAVE MORE VOICES RECORD COMING, BUT WITH THAT COMES THE TENSION OF THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND CUMBERSOME.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT FOLKS ONLINE THINK IN TERMS OF INCLUDING HAVING LARGER NUMBERS VERSUS EFFICIENCY OF HAVING FEWER, AND THEN JUST FOLKS COME WHENEVER THEY WANT TO.
THOUGHTS FROM THE COMMISSIONER SMITH? I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE BOARD.
UM, SO I WOULD BE MORE INCLINED TO SIDE WITH, THEY MAY COME IN AND OUT AS THEY PLEASE, DEPENDING ON THE SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM THAT MAY, UH, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO HAVE THEIR SPECIFIC EXPERTISE OR LIVED EXPERIENCE.
I THINK LOGISTICALLY, UM, SINCE THEY'RE NON-VOTING MEMBERS, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS.
SO THAT WOULD IS THAT, IS THAT TRUE? SO I THINK THAT COULD, UH, THEY DO HAVE ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS.
THEY WOULD HAVE ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS, CORRECT.
SO IF THEY'RE LISTED AS PARTICIPATING MEMBERS, THEY WOULD HAVE ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS THE WAY WE DO FOR OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NON-VOTING.
SO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO MISS, IS THAT THREE MEETINGS? IT'S THREE MEETINGS IN A ROW OR A THIRD OF A ROLLING 12 MONTHS WOULD MEET AN ATTENDANCE VIOLATION BY BYLAWS.
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, ANYBODY ELSE? I, I GUESS ONE QUESTION WOULD BE, IF WE LEAN TOWARDS EFFICIENCY AND MAYBE SAY JUST INCLUDE THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE, IS THERE ANYBODY, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONS WHO WOULD NOT BE INCLUDED THAT, THAT FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE ON THE LIST? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, SO AS FAR AS HAVING THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE BE THE REPRESENTATIVE BODY AS OPPOSED TO COMMISSIONS D THROUGH N, THEY WOULD STILL, CHRISTIE, AND THIS IS A QUESTION FOR YOU, THEY WOULD STILL NEED TO APPOINT A SINGULAR MEMBER FROM THEIR, OR ONE OR TWO MEMBERS FROM THEIR COMMISSION, AND THOSE WOULD BE OUR STANDING REPRESENTATIVES.
IT WOULDN'T BE, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ROTATE THOSE DEPENDING ON THE AGENDA ITEM.
IF WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU'RE WANTING ONE NON-VOTING MEMBER FROM THE JIC TO JOIN THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
IS THAT RIGHT? I MEAN, I THINK POTENTIALLY.
SO, UM, THE JIC WOULD NOMINATE THAT PERSON AND THEN
[00:45:01]
IF COUNSEL APPROVED THEM, ASSUMING THAT THESE BY LUCK CHANGES OF COURSE ARE APPROVED BY A FC AND OF COURSE COUNSEL, UM, THEN YES, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN, BUT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT MEMBER FROM JIC ROTATE DEPENDING ON AGENDA ITEM.I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY MECHANISM TO DO SO.
I'M JUST CONFIRMING THAT OUT LOUD.
TO, TO ADDRESS WHAT COMMISSIONER SMITH SAID.
'CAUSE I THINK WE WOULD LIKE A FULL SLATE AND TO GIVE PEOPLE THE FLEXIBILITY TO COME AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE BODIES AND CHAIRS WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEMS. BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE ALONE WOULD GIVE US THAT FLEXIBILITY.
IS THERE ANY, UM, COMMISSION THAT IS NOT LISTED ON HERE THAT FOLKS THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO TRY TO HEAR FROM OR ASK FOR A REGULAR REPRESENTATIVE? UH, I MEAN THERE, I MEAN THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S PUBLIC HEALTH SORT OF, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH BOTH FOR THE COMMISSION AND FOR ARTICLE TWO THAT ARE COMPONENTS THAT ARE MISSING.
UM, FROM, FROM OUR NEW ADDITIONS, UM, THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, AGAIN, TURNING TO ARTICLE TWO
ANYTHING ELSE? SHOULD WE MOVE TO THE FINAL AS WE DEADLINE? YEAH, JUST GOING THROUGH THERE'S, WE DID NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES, BUT CERTAINLY IF ANYBODY, AS THEY FLIP THROUGH, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THEY FEEL NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, BUT IT'S FAIRLY STANDARD, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSION IN TERMS OF ATTENDANCE AGENDAS AND MEETINGS, THAT, UH, ONLY OTHER ASPECT THAT WAS CHANGED WAS, UM, ON PAGE FOUR, UH, ITEM L UH, MY UNDERSTANDING, AND SOMEBODY CORRECT ME IF THIS IS INCORRECT, BUT THE HISTORY BECAUSE, UM, OF WHERE THE STAFF LIAISON WAS WITHIN, UM, A PD, SO THERE WAS LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT THE A PD WOULD RETAIN ALL THE BOARD DOCUMENTS.
SO WE'RE STRIKING THROUGH THAT LANGUAGE SINCE OUR STAFF LIAISON IS NO LONGER, UH, PRIMARILY WITH A PD AND IT'LL JUST, UH, STATE THAT THE CITY CLERK WILL THEN, UM, UH, RETAIN ALL OF THE OTHER BOARD DOCUMENTS.
HAPPY TO DISCUSS THAT IF ANYBODY, IT'S MORE OF A HOUSEKEEPING CHANGE, BUT THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT LOGISTICALLY THAT MEANS, BUT, UM,
BUT YES, SO I GUESS NEXT STEPS, IF ANYBODY ELSE DOESN'T HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS AS A WORKING GROUP, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THE EXPERTISE ON LEGAL SIDE, WE'LL TRY TO COME BACK IN THE NEXT, UM, MONTH OR TWO WITH THE FINAL DOCUMENT THAT WE CAN PRODUCE.
AND I MIGHT BE MISTAKEN, BUT I'M LOOKING ON THE ACT OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S CALLED GOING BACK TO THE LIST OF INPUT, I THINK IT'S CALLED COMMISSION ON AGING, UM, RATHER THAN SENIORS.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY I ALSO SEE THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO HEAR FROM AS WELL.
I WILL LIKELY LOOK OVER THIS AGAIN TOO, AND I WILL FOLLOW UP AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
UM, UH, BUT I, I CONCUR WITH THE CPRC EDITION.
THAT'S, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
ALRIGHT, WELL IF THAT IS ALL WE HAVE FOR NOW, UM, UH, WE WILL, NEXT STEP WILL BE TO, I THINK THE FINAL SUGGESTION THAT I WILL HAVE, UM, FOR THE WORKING GROUP IS THAT, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW VIABLE, UM, OR PROFITABLE OUR, OUR MEMBERSHIP WISHLIST IS GOING TO BE.
I IT IS VERY MUCH ASPIRATIONAL AND I, AND I WANT THIS, I FEEL LIKE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMISSION TO HAVE THIS KIND OF REPRESENTATION, UM, PRESENT.
UM, BUT IT MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE TO HAVE OUR, UM, BYLAW RECOMMENDATION SPLIT UP SO THAT WE HAVE AN ARTICLE TWO CHANGE DOCUMENT AND AN ARTICLE THREE CHANGE DOCUMENT.
UM, OR I DON'T KNOW, JUST SO THAT ONE
[00:50:01]
DOESN'T HOLD UP THE OTHER IF IT GOES TO AUDIT AND FINANCE.KRISTI, DO YOU KNOW THE WORKFLOW ON THAT? DO WE NEED TO PROPOSE EVERYTHING AS ONE SET OF CHANGES OR CAN WE, I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
OKAY, WELL THEN WITH THAT, THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
UM, I HAVE NOT LOOKED AT A CLOCK, SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO MOSEY NOW.
[5. Discussion of sexual assault data with Austin Police Department Sex Crimes Unit, Austin- Travis County Sexual Assault Response & Resource Team (SARRT), The SAFE Alliance, and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.]
ITEM FIVE, OUR DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT DATA WITH A PD SEX CRIMES UNIT, A TC, UM, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE AND RESOURCE TEAM, THE SAFE ALLIANCE AND TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.IF EVERYBODY WANTS TO START MAKING THEIR WAY UP AN AGENCY AT THE TIME, I BELIEVE A PD WILL GO FIRST.
UM, BUT WE'RE WELCOME TO TAKE UP AS MANY CHAIRS AS WE WANT THAT ARE FREE AT THE TABLE.
UM, IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO JUST GO AHEAD AND COME ON UP, UM, AND JOIN US AT A FREE MIC.
THAT WAY WE CAN JUST KIND OF KEEP EVERYTHING MOVING.
I APPRECIATE THE, UH, PATIENCE THAT YOU'VE HAD WITH US, UH, IN OUR EFFORT TO PROVIDE CONSISTENT DATA TO YOU.
AND, AND I I WANNA THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
UM, I'M GONNA START OFF WITH OUR UPDATES FOR QUARTER ONE OF 2025 FOR THE SIX CRIMES DATA, UH, DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WORKING.
SO THE FIRST SLIDE IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE, THIS SLIDE DECK AND THE INFORMATION THAT'S GONNA BE PROVIDED FOR BREVITY.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH, THROUGH EACH BULLET POINT AND JUST GO AHEAD AND DIVE INTO THE PRESENTATION.
THE FIRST SLIDE THAT WE ARE GONNA DISCUSS IS THE SEX CRIMES RELATED OR REPORTED CASES FOR ADULTS ONLY.
THIS LINE GRAPH DISPLAYS MONTHLY TOTALS OF ADULT SEX CRIME CASES REPORTED AND OPENED IN THE SEX CRIMES UNIT FROM 2022 THROUGH QUARTER 1 20 25.
THESE CASES REPRESENT ALL TYPES OF SEX CRIMES, NOT ONLY THE FELONY LEVEL CASES ASSOCIATED WITH RAPE SODOMY, AND SO SEXUAL ASSAULT WITH AN OBJECT, A TOTAL OF 374 CASES WERE REPORTED IN QUARTER ONE, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THE THIS SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
LOOKING AT THE YEAR OVER COMPARISON, WE SEE A CONSISTENT PATTERN OF NEWLY REPORTED ADULT SEX CRIMES OVER TIME AND APPEAR TO BE IN PAR WITH THE PREVIOUS YEARS.
THIS SLIDE'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE NEXT FEW SLIDES BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE WELL WITHIN THE NORMS OF REPORTED SEX CRIMES RELATED CASES.
ALRIGHT, FELONY REPORTED CASES, ADULTS ONLY RAPE SODOMY, SEXUAL ASSAULT WITH AN OBJECT.
WHEN WE NARROW OUR FOCUS SPECIFICALLY AT THE ADULT FELONY LEVEL CASES, RAPE, SODOMY, AND SEX ASSAULT WITH AN OBJECT, WE SEE A DISTINCT CHANGE IN OUR DATA.
WHILE IT APPEARS THERE'S AN INCREASE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES REPORTED, REPORTED TO A PD, IN ACTUALITY, THE NUMBER OF NEW SEX CRIMES CASES OVERALL HAS REMAINED CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUS YEARS.
AS I NOTED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, WHEN WE SEE WHAT WE SEE HERE IS ACTUALLY A REFLECTION OF IMPROVED DATA QUALITY AND MANAGEMENT.
WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING TO ENSURE ALL CASES RECEIVE AN ACCURATE OFFENSE CODE.
THE DATA FOR QUARTER 1 20 25 REFLECTS A CON A CONSCIOUS CHANGE TO ENSURE CASES RECEIVED THE THE APPROPRIATE TITLE CODE.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE QUARTER ONE, UM, DATA, WE SEE THAT IT'S PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH THE DIPS THAT WE SEE HAVE SEEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
WHEN WE LOOK AS WE, IF WE, IF WE COULD JUST KIND OF PROJECT THIS, THIS LINE GRAPH AS IT MOVES FORWARD, YOU SEE THAT WE STARTED AN UPWARD TREND OF IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024, AND THE LINE GRAPH TOOK A, A SHARP INCREASE AND THAT'S WHEN WE REALLY STARTED FOCUSING ON OUR DATA AND CLEANING UP OUR DATA.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT AS WE PROJECT INTO THE FUTURE, THAT THOSE LINES WERE MARRY UP AND WE WILL ACTUALLY SEE
[00:55:01]
A MORE CONSISTENT LINE AND A NEW, A NEW STANDARD BY WHICH TO LOOK AT THAT, THAT DATA.SO THE DATA INTEGRITY CHALLENGES AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN, UH, ARE OR HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH IS WE HAVE CHANGED FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT INFORMATION.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE ELIMINATED THAT TITLE CODE.
WE ARE NO LONGER USING THAT TITLE CODE AND MOVED TOWARDS SEX CRIMES INFORM THE SEX CRIMES INFORMATION TITLE CODE.
UM, WE'RE THIS THROUGH THIS EFFORT THROUGH WHICH STARTED WITH C-S-A-R-M.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME CHALLENGES WITH THE TITLE CODES AND ARE ACTIVELY AUDITING CHA CASES AND RETAINING THE, THAT THE UNIT RE AND RETRAINING THE UNIT TO ENSURE ALL INCIDENCES ARE CODED PROPERLY.
INFORMATION CODES ARE TYPICALLY USED BY PATROL OFFICERS ON THEIR INITIAL RESPONSE AT A SCENE.
THE INFORMATION CODE ENSURES CASES ARE ROUTED TO THE CORRECT INVESTIGATIVE UNIT AND THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUED BY TRAINED DETECTIVES IN THAT AREA.
SOME CASES MAY RETAIN THIS INFORMATION CODE AND AS THE HIGHEST OFFENSE, WHILE MOST WILL BE TITLED UPON REVIEW AT THE UNIT IN FALL OF 2024 U DETERMINED THERE WERE A NUMBER OF INCIDENCES WHERE A CASE WERE FULLY INVESTIGATED BY THE INFORMATION TITLE CODE, BUT WAS NOT CHANGED TO REFLECT THE ACTUAL CRIME THAT OCCURRED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
WE CHANGED THE INFORMATION TITLE CODE FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT INFORMATION TO SEX CRIMES INFORMATION TO REDUCE CONFUSION.
IT APPEARS THAT THE PHRASE SEXUAL ASSAULT AND THE ORIGINAL INFORMATIONAL TITLE CODE WAS GETTING MIXED UP WITH THE LANGUAGE FROM THE TEXAS PENAL CODE THAT REFERENCES THE CRIME OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND THEREFORE NOT BEING CHANGED IN SOME OF THE CASE CASES.
THIS CHANGE TO SEX CRIMES INFORMATION DRAWS MORE ATTENTION FROM THE READER AND IS LESS LIKELY TO BE CONFUSED WITH AN ACTUAL OFFENSE REVIEW OF OF CLOSE SEU CASES.
INFORMATION CASES WAS CONDUCTED IN AN EFFORT TO CHANGE THEM FROM AN INFORMATION TITLE CODE TO A REPORTABLE OFFENSE TITLE CODE.
IF AN OUTCRY OR COMPLAINT OF AN ASSAULT WAS CAPTURED IN THE INFO REPORT, WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATELY DOCUMENTED AND REPORTED OUT.
THIS RESULTED IN A CHANGE IN OUR REPORTABLE NUMBERS EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY SHARED WITH THE COMMISSION AND REPORTED BY THE MEDIA.
TRAINING IS CRUCIAL IN THIS EFFORT.
SU SERGEANTS AND DETECTIVES HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO CHANGE THE INFO TITLE CODE UPON RECEIPT OF THE CASE IF A COMPLAINT OR ALLEGATION WAS CAPTURED IN THE INFO, INFO IN THE INFO REPORT AND THE ELEMENTS OF AN OFFENSE WERE PRESENT.
THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE NEXT, UH, NEXT SLIDE.
WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT A THREE YEAR TREND IN OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE AND, UH, BEST PRACTICES BASED ON, ON OUR CA CALL TRENDS.
SO WE HAVE OUR, OUR CALLS FOR SERVICES ARE THOSE INSTANCES, INSTANCES IN WHICH POLICE RESPONDED EITHER FROM A NINE ONE ONE CALL OR THROUGH AN OFFICER INITIATION.
THE NUMBERS ON THIS SLIDE ARE PRIMARILY FOR ADULT VICTIMS, BUT COULD NOT EXCLUDE SOME SEX CRIME CALLS FOR SERVICE FOR CHILDREN AS WELL.
SEX CRIMES RELATED CALLS FOR SERVICE ARE ABOUT 14% HIGHER THIS YEAR COMPARED TO THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.
AND JUST, JUST KIND OF TAKING A PEAK INTO QUARTER TWO, WE SEE THAT THIS TREND IS, IS REMAINING CONSISTENT AND WE, WE, WE DON'T SEE IT, UH, DIPPING.
WHILE MANY OF THESE CALLS MAY RESULT IN A SEX CRIMES CASE BEING OPEN, NOT ALL WILL.
WHEN A PATROL OFFICER ARRIVES ON SCENE, THEY MAY DETERMINE THAT ANOTHER OFFENSE, TITLE CODE NOT RELATED TO A SEX CRIME IS MORE APPROPRIATE, SUCH AS ASSAULT.
WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE'S AN ACTUAL INCREASE IN SEX CRIMES THROUGHOUT THE CITY AT THIS TIME, BUT WE BUT COULD NOT, IT COULD INDICATE MORE PEOPLE ARE CONTACTING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR ASSISTANCE DUE TO THE KNOWN UNDER-REPORTING NATIONWIDE OF SEX CRIMES.
WE BELIEVE THAT AN INCREASE IN CALL VOLUME ACTUALLY REFLECTS AN IMPROVEMENT IN SERVICES FROM A PD.
MORE PEOPLE ARE FEELING COMFORTABLE TO REPORT THESE CASES TO THE POLICE.
THIS IS A STRONG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO BE MORE FULLY ADDRESS SEX CRIMES COMMUNITY WIDE.
SO AGAIN, WE, GOING BACK TO THAT INITIAL SLIDE THAT I SAID WAS GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
WE ARE NOT SEEING AN INCREASE IN ACTUAL CASES THAT THE UNIT IS SEEING, BUT WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
SO IN RESPONSE TO THIS, FOR BEST PRACTICES, WE, UH, THE SEX CRIMES UNIT HA HAS, UH, DONE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
WE HAVE REVIEWED, UH, THE PATROL RESPONSE PROTOCOL.
WE ENSURE OUR ENSURING THAT SEX CRIMES CASES ALWAYS ARE, ARE REMAIN AT A PRIORITY ZERO, ONE OR TWO, UH, THAT THE SEX CRIMES CALLS WILL NOT BE DOWNGRADED
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BELOW A PRIORITY TWO BY, UM, PATROL SUPERVISORS.A PD WILL NO LONGER HOLD PRIORITY TWO AND PRIORITY THREE K CALLS.
THEY'RE BEING DISPATCHED BY THE DISPATCHERS ACTIVELY DISPATCHED.
OKAY? ADDITIONALLY, WE, UH, OUR SEX CRIMES UNITS, UM, MET WITH OUR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, UH, DIVISION AND REVIEWED THEIR PROTOCOLS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE MEETING THE STANDARDS BY WHICH WE EXPECT CALLS TO BE DISPATCHED.
OKAY, THOSE ARE ENCOURAGING CHANGES.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE CLEARANCE STATUS OVERVIEW OF OUR CASES.
AND I WANNA, I WANNA REMIND EVERYONE THAT A PD HAS AN INTERNAL CLEARANCE STATUS BY WHICH WE CLEAR CASES AND THEN WE HAVE AN EXTERNAL CLEARANCE STATUS.
THE EXTERNAL IS THE FBI STANDARD.
DO WE HAVE, WE, ARE WE CLEARING IT BY ARREST? ARE WE CLEARING IT BY, UH, EXCEPTIONAL MEANS OR IS IT NOT APPLICABLE? THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE EXTERNAL CLEARANCE STATUS.
INTERNAL CLEARANCE STATUS IS HOW WE HOLD THE CASE TO REVIEW, UH, FOR DATA INTEGRITY AND FOR, UM, TRENDS ON HOW WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT CASES.
AND SO THE, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT OUR INTERNAL STATUS, UH, CASES.
SO A PD CASES ARE ASSIGNED AN INTERNAL CLEARANCE STATUS WHEN THE CASE HITS A PARTICULAR POINT IN THE INVESTIGATION, UH, FOR THOSE CASES THAT ARE NOT CLOSED OR SUSPENDED DURING, FOR, THESE ARE FOR CASES THAT WERE CLOSED OR SUSPENDED DURING QUARTER ONE OF 2025.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE MOVED MORE CASES TO A CLOSED OR SUSPENDED STATUS VERSUS THIS TIME, THE SAME TIME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT THE BIG ONE THAT POINTS JUST REALLY STICKS OUT TO YOU IS THE SUSPENDED PENDING VICTIM READINESS.
SO WE TOOK A DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT AND, AND WE HAD, IT WAS BROUGHT UP LAST, UH, LAST TIME WE PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION SLIDE.
UH, THIS SLIDE SAYS SUSPENDED PENDING VICTIM READINESS.
THERE'S MULTIPLE SUBCATEGORIES BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH OF THIS YEAR.
WE HAD 81 FELONY LEVEL CASES THAT WERE SUSPENDED PENDING VICTIM READINESS.
WE ARE WORKING BETTER TO UNDERSTAND THOSE CASES THAT RESULT IN THIS TYPE OF CLEARANCE.
OF THE 81 CASES IN QUARTER ONE THAT WERE CLOSED THIS WAY, WE DETERMINED THAT THE MAJORITY FIXED 46% WERE BECAUSE THE VICTIM STATED, THEY ACTUALLY TOLD EIGHT OUR INVESTIGATOR THAT THEY DID NOT WANNA PURSUE THE CASE AT THIS TIME.
SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS MAY COME BACK AT A LATER TIME ONCE THEY'RE READY.
WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT TO PROVIDE SURVIVORS WITH GUIDANCE ON REOPENING CASES AND THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
THERE'S ALSO FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT CATEGORY OF THOSE WHO WE ATTEMPT TO CONTACT BUT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RESPONSE.
DETECTIVES DOCUMENT EACH CONTACT OUTREACH ATTEMPT THROUGH PHONE CALLS, TEXT MESSAGES, EMAILS, PHYSICAL CONTACT CARDS, BOLOS AND ONSITE SEARCHES.
AS A UNIT, WE ALWAYS MAKE AT LEAST THREE DISTINCT AND DILIGENT OUTREACH ATTEMPTS BEFORE WE CLOSE OR SUSPEND A CASE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A SURVEY FOR SURVIVORS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH A CD AND THEIR CASES.
AND WE HOPE THAT THIS IS AVAILABLE FOR THE SURVIVORS STARTING THIS FALL.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS DATA THAT, THAT 37, THE VICTIM OUTRIGHT TOLD US THAT WE, THEY, THEY DO NOT WANT TO PURSUE THE CASE.
AND THAT'S, UM, THAT'S SUBSTANTIAL.
WE, WE, WE'D LIKE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
DATA INTEGRITY CHALLENGES, IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS ONGOING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE ACCURACY AND INTEGRITY OF CASE DATA IN OUR RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
TWO KEY FOCUS AREAS INCLUDE INTERNAL CLEARANCE STATUS AND SUSPENDED PENDING VICTIM READINESS.
THE INTERNAL STATUS CLEARANCE STATUS, WE'RE CONDUCTING A THOROUGH AUDIT OF CASE CLEARANCES TO ENSURE THEY REFLECT ACCURATE INVESTIGATIVE OUTCOMES.
NOTABLY, WE DISCOVERED OVER 25 CASES FROM 2022 THROUGH 2024, MARKED AS WARRANT ISSUED SUSPENDED WHEN THE A ARREST ACTUALLY IN FACT OCCURRED FOR THAT WARRANT.
THESE ARRESTS WERE NOT RECORDED PROPERLY IN THE RMS LEADING TO MISLA MISCLASSIFICATION OF CASE STATUS.
THIS IS DIRECT IMPLICATIONS ON OUR CLEARANCE STATUS REPORT RATING AND, AND REPUBLIC TRANSPARENCY SUSPENDED PENDING VICTIM READINESS.
THIS IS A BROAD SUSPENSION CATEGORY WHEN USED, WHEN USED, WHEN CASES ARE PAUSED DUE TO SURVIVOR RELATED FACTORS.
WE RECOGNIZE THIS CATEGORY ENCOMPASSES A WIDE RANGE OF SITUATIONS AND WE WANT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TO SUPPORT SURVIVORS AND EFFECTIVELY MOVE THEIR CASES FORWARD.
OUR CURRENT FOCUS IS TO BE BETTER, UNDERSTAND THE VOLUME AND NATURE OF THESE SUSPENSIONS, AND TO IDENTIFY
[01:05:01]
OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS.I'D LIKE TO THANK THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
WE ARE, UM, EVER IN A CONSTANT EVOLUTION OF IMPROVING OUR, OUR COMMUNICATION.
AND THEY HAVE THE DA'S OFFICE, UH, WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR HOUSING A DA WITHIN THE SEX CRIMES UNIT TWICE A WEEK.
WE'RE HAVING SPECTACULAR RESULTS.
UH, JUST LAST WEEK WE HAD A CONVICTION, UH, EXCITING, EXCITING TIMES FOR US.
SO, UM, APPRECIATE THEIR EFFORTS.
AND AS YOU SEE AS, UH, FROM QUARTER FOUR OF 2024 TO QUARTER ONE, WE'VE HAD INCREASED NUMBERS OF STAFFINGS OF OUR CASES.
AND, UM, AGAIN, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS, UM, BY BOTH AGENCIES TO TO, TO, UH, WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR, OUR SURVIVORS.
UM, WHEN WE LAST PRESENTED A QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT, UH, ALCOHOL FACILITATED SEXUAL ASSAULTS, UM, AND WE BROUGHT UP THAT A PD DID HAVE A GRANT, AND IT'S CALLED THE SARP GRANT SEXUAL ASSAULT REDUCTION PROGRAM.
THIS SLIDE IS TO, UM, GIVE FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
WE FIND THAT BETWEEN 10 AND 14% OF REPORTED CASES HAVE A NEXUS TO A BAR OR NIGHTCLUB.
AND, UM, OUR EARLY SURVEY RESULTS ARE FINDING SOME INTERESTING DATA WHERE THIS GRANT IS VERY MUCH FOCUSED IN THIS CRIME PREVENTION TRIANGLE ON THE LOCATION.
WE ARE VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON ASKING THOSE BARS TO BE GUARDIANS FOR THEIR PATRONS AND FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT VISIT AUSTIN SOME EARLY IN, REALLY IN, UM, INTRIGUING DATA, UH, RESULTS THAT WE HAVE FOUND IS THAT, UH, BARS THAT HAVE MULTIPLE FLOORS TEND TO HAVE MORE CALLS, UH, RELATED IF THEY HAVE NO FOOD SERVICE, UM, RELATED, THERE'S MULTIPLE MORE CALLS.
AND INTERESTING ENOUGH, IF THEY HAVE FEWER FEMALE STAFF ON DO ON, UM, THEN WE SEE MORE CALLS.
SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING OUR, UM, AS PART OF THE SAR PROGRAM, UH, IS THAT WE ARE ASKING THOSE BARS TO TRULY BE GUARDIANS OF THEIR PATRONS TO LOOK OUT FOR, FOR PARTICULARLY FEMALES THAT, UM, ARE OVERDRINKING.
SO THEY, SO TO WATCH HOW MUCH THEY OVERSERVE TO ASK THEIR BOUNCERS TO IDENTIFY IF WOMEN ARE BEING SEPARATED FROM THEIR GROUP, UM, THAT MAY BE INTOXICATED.
SO REALLY TO FOCUS AND LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN THEIR ENVIRONMENT, NOT JUST THE RAPID TURNOVER OF DRINKS, BUT TO, TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TAKING THESE DRINKS.
UM, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE CITY'S, UH, THE CITY IS ALSO DOING THE SIP SAFELY PROGRAM, WHICH IS TO EDUCATE THE INDIVIDUAL.
SO WE, OUR PROGRAM IS REALLY LOOKING TO TARGET THE LOCATION AND ASK THAT THEY, THEY PARTICIPATE WITH US AND BE, UM, GUARDIANS OF, OF, OF OUR PATRONS.
UM, THIS, THE, THE, THE, UH, WE'RE HOPED TO HAVE, UH, BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THE FULL RESULTS OF, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR EFFORTS.
AND, UH, THAT IS THE LAST SLIDE.
SO IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'M WILLING TO TAKE THEM.
UM, COMMISSIONER BERNHARD, I BELIEVE YOU HAD A QUESTION.
UM, IT WAS SPECIFICALLY OVER SLIDE THE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
IS THAT WHAT IT WAS? UM, YEAH, I I I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE ANSWERED IT, BUT IT WAS A, IT WAS A QUESTION ABOUT SORT OF WHY THE, UM, THE DATA WAS CONSISTENT WHEN IT CAME TO ALL SEX CRIMES AND THEN STARTED TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE LAST SEPTEMBER IN TERMS OF, UH, FELONY SEX OFFENSES.
UM, AND I THINK I UNDERSTOOD THAT BECAUSE OF THE USE OF THAT TITLE, UM, THAT WAS CONFUSING.
UM, CASES WERE NOT BEING ACCURATELY CATEGORIZED AS FELONY SEXUAL ASSAULTS OR SEXUAL, UM, VIOLENCE CASES.
BECAUSE THEY, THEY WERE BEING SEEN AS JUST GENERIC SEXUAL ASSAULTS.
WELL, SO I, WHAT WE BELIEVE WAS HAPPENING, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE ARE SEEING BETTER DATA RESULTS IS THAT, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COMPUTER PROGRAM TO ENTER THE INFORMATION, IT SAID SEXUAL SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND THEN SOME PEOPLE WERE MISSING THE INFORMATION PART.
AND SO THEY WERE TITLING IT THAT, AND THEN SAME THING, BY THE TIME IT GOT TO THE DETECTIVE, THEY WEREN'T KEYING IN THAT IT WAS A SEXUAL ASSAULT INFORMATION.
SO WE, WE, WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, NO LONGER USING THAT TITLE CODE AND MOVED TOWARDS SEX CRIMES INFORMATION.
[01:10:01]
SO IT FORCES THE USER TO SAY, OH, WAIT, THAT'S NOT THE ONE I WANT.I WANT THIS ONE, UH, TO TITLE, CORRECT THE REPORT CORRECTLY.
AH, LIMITED CHARACTERS IN CATS
COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER SMITH.
I WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE ALCOHOL FACILITATED SEXUAL ASSAULT.
I BELIEVE IT WAS MY INQUIRY, UM, LAST TIME YOU ALL SPOKE IN REGARDS TO THIS.
AND THOUGH THIS DATA, I, I, I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AS FAR AS HOW IT COMPARES TO NATIONAL AVERAGES.
UM, HOWEVER, I DID WANNA CLARIFY THAT MY INQUIRY CAME FROM A PLACE OF A STATEMENT EFFECTS OF WOMEN NOT NECESSARILY OVER CONSUMING, BUT RATHER WERE DRUGGED AND RAPED.
SO I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE A DEEPER DIVE ON ANY DATA POINTS RELATED TO THE POTENTIAL OF OUTSIDE FACTORS IN ADDITION TO ALCOHOL WHEN IT COMES TO BARS WHERE ASSAULTS, UH, MANIFEST.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? Y YES, MA'AM.
YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE, UH, DATA REGARDING THE, UH, INTRUSION OF NARCOTICS INTO THE, INTO THE DRINKS.
AND THEN I WOULD LOVE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON EVALUATING INTERVENTIONS.
LOVE THE GUARDIAN MINDSET, BUT I, I BELIEVE I ALSO BOUGHT UP LIKE, UM, UH, PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS, THE STRAWS THAT TURN DIFFERENT COLORS, THE THINGS WHERE PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY PROTECT IF THE DATA SHOULD PROVIDE, THAT THE ACCOUNTS I'M HEARING ARE ACTUALLY A TREND WITHIN OUR BARS AND CLUBS.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO DO MAINLY BECAUSE, UH, LIKE I SAID, ONLY 10 TO 14% OF THE, UH, RAPES REPORTED ARE, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH A, THERE'S A BAR, SO IT'S GONNA BE A SMALL NUMBER AND, UM, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO, TO DISTINGUISH, BUT WE WILL TRY, DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO FIND THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
AS FAR AS INTERVENTIONS, THE SIP SAFELY PROGRAM THAT THE CITY IS UNDERTAKING WITH MOST OF THE BARS IN THE SIXTH STREET AREA, AND, UM, A FEW OUTLIER BARS ARE INVOLVED WITH IT, BUT, UH, THEY DO PROVIDE THOSE BARS WITH, UM, TEST STRIPS SO THAT YOU CAN TEST YOUR DRINK.
UM, SO IF THEY'RE PART, IF THE BAR HAS SIGNED UP TO BE A PART OF THAT PROGRAM, THEY, THEY, THE CITY IS PROVIDING THEM WITH TEST TEST STRIPS.
I THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION 'CAUSE WE HAVE TWO MORE AGENCIES AND OPO TO SQUEEZE INTO 45 MINUTES.
UM, FIRST I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THIS DETAIL.
IT IS REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL, AND I DON'T WANNA OVERLOAD THIS PROCESS, BUT IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO TRACK UNHOUSED VICTIMS, UM, WITHIN THIS DATA, I'M CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF THEM, AND I'M CONCERNED THAT THEY DON'T REPORT.
Y YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THERE ARE A VULNERABLE POPULATION AND, UM, SOME OF THE DIFFICULTY WE HAVE WITH THAT POPULATION IS ACTUALLY THE RECONTACT AFTER THE FACT.
SO IT, IT IS, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALREADY ARE AWARE OF, BUT WE WILL, AND I, I BELIEVE THERE MIGHT BE SYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES TO UNHOUSED FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THAT.
UM, AND WE ARE GOING TO PLAY MUSICAL CHAIRS UNLESS WE'RE READY.
UM, FOR SAFE, IF WE CAN GET A MIC TO ALLISON, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA DOUBLE CHECK.
I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES AT THE SAFE ALLIANCE.
I'M HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, PAULA MARKS, WHO IS ONLINE.
SHE IS OUR DIRECTOR OF FORENSIC NURSING AND ALSO WITH HOLLY BOWLES.
SHE IS OUR DIRECTOR OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM ADVOCACY.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WE CAN PROBABLY GET THIS DONE PRETTY QUICKLY SINCE WE HAVE SOME TIME CONCERNS.
SO I WILL LET THEM DIVE STRAIGHT INTO OUR DATA FOR OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE FOR Q1 OF 2025.
I WAS NOT HERE AT THE LAST ONE, BUT THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING ME.
UM, I AM THE DIRECTOR OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM ADVOCACY AT SAFE.
I WANNA GIVE JUST A LITTLE CONTEXT TO THE DATA THAT WE ARE GONNA REPORT.
UM, SO TALKING ABOUT WHAT LOCATIONS AND WHERE WE ARE RESPONDING, UH, WE SEE AROUND 80% OF OUR CLIENTS AT ELOISE HOUSE, WHICH IS OUR COMMUNITY BASED CLINIC.
WE JUST RECENTLY CHANGED LOCATIONS IN MARCH.
WE HAD BEEN AT SAFES MONTOPOLIS, UH, CAMPUS
[01:15:02]
FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS AND ARE NOW LOCATED AT THE ROTH GABRIEL VILLAGE CAMPUS IN MAINOR.AND THEN I BELIEVE PAULA WILL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER LOCATIONS WE SEE FOLKS AT.
PAULA, ARE YOU ABLE TO SPEAK? DO WE HAVE SOMEONE ONLINE? THERE SHE IS.
NOPE, THOSE ARE OUR COMMISSIONERS.
I THINK IT MAY BE AN AUDIO ISSUE.
I CAN GO AHEAD AND SPEAK TO SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS WHILE WE TRY YEAH.
BUT, UM, IN ADDITION TO OUR COMMUNITY-BASED CLINIC, WE RESPOND TO, UM, HOSPITALS AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
THIS IS ONE PLACE WHERE OUR FORENSIC NURSING AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMS DIFFER.
SO FORENSIC NURSES CAN RESPOND TO 17 HOSPITALS IN FIVE COUNTIES, UM, SETON AND ST.
UM, AND THEN OUR ADVOCATES ARE ABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY MEDICAL FACILITY WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, SO OUR NURSES ARE GOING OUTSIDE OF TRAVIS COUNTY TO MEET FOLKS.
UM, WE ALSO SEE PEOPLE FROM NEIGHBORING COUNTIES WHO COME TO OISE HOUSE WHO WANNA BE SEEN IN OUR FREE CLINIC AS WELL.
AND THEN WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE'VE, IS ANYBODY ABLE TO HEAR ME NOW? YES.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR DEALING WITH THAT AND FOR LETTING ME, UH, PRESENT VIRTUALLY.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF FORENSIC NURSING AT THE SAFE ALLIANCE.
AND I'M GONNA TALK JUST VERY BRIEFLY ABOUT SOME OF OUR OPTIONS FOR CARE, JUST FOR THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WE DO.
UM, OUR NURSE AND ADVOCACY TEAM ALWAYS KIND OF THINK OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR PATIENTS, FIRST AND FOREMOST.
SO ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE DISCUSS WHENEVER ANYBODY WE ENCOUNTER A PATIENT IS MEDICAL CARE.
THAT CAN INCLUDE PRE PREVENTATIVE, UM, MEDICATIONS, UM, ASSESSMENTS ON THEIR BODY AND FOLLOW UPS.
UH, WE ALSO TALK ABOUT WHAT REPORTING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT MAY OR MAY NOT MEAN TO A PATIENT.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES WE SEE PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOT REPORTED YET, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT COULD MEAN.
UH, ANOTHER OPTION IS EVIDENCE COLLECTION.
THAT CAN MEAN, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKING A DETAILED REPORT FROM, UH, THEIR STATEMENT OF WHAT HAPPENED.
THAT ALSO, UH, THAT ALSO INCLUDES THE SWABS ON THEIR BODY.
THAT COULD BE SWABS OF THE BODY AREA, THE, IN A GENITAL AREA THAT MIGHT, THERE, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN CONTACT DURING THIS ASSAULT.
UM, THAT EVIDENCE COLLECTION ALSO INCLUDES BLOOD, URINE, AND CLOTHING COLLECTION.
SO AGAIN, WE, WE LOOK AT THESE AS AS OPTIONS AND THEN RESOURCES AND SUPPORT.
WE'RE VERY LUCKY AT THE SAFE ALLIANCE TO HAVE, UM, SUCH A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNITY-BASED ADVOCATES THAT HOLLY DIRECTS.
AND SO WHEN, WHEN WE RESPOND TO PATIENTS, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE TALK ABOUT THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT THAT WE CAN CONNECT THEM TO.
AND LASTLY, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
NONE OF THESE OPTIONS, UM, MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD IDEA FOR THE PATIENTS.
AND WE ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT WE, UM, PROVIDE INFORMED DECLINATION.
SO IF A PATIENT IS DECLINING ANY OF THESE SERVICES, THEY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
THEY KNOW THE RAMIFICATIONS, THEY KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT.
UM, AGAIN, AND WE TRY AND MAKE EVERY POSSIBLE ARRANGEMENT TO, IF IT'S NOT A GOOD TIME FOR THEM TO DO THIS EXAM RIGHT NOW, MAYBE REACHING OUT AT A LATER TIME.
HOLLY, DID YOU HAVE MORE TO SAY ON THAT ONE? YEAH.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE ACUTE, UH, OPTIONS, WE HAVE SOME NON-ACUTE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS AS WELL ON THE ADVOCACY SIDE.
THAT IS, UM, ACCOMPANIMENT TO INTERVIEWS OR MEETINGS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE DISTRICT OR COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICES WILL ACCOMPANY FOLKS TO THOSE.
WE ALSO ASSIST IN NON-ACUTE REPORTS, SO PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING AN OUTCRY AFTER SEVEN DAYS, IF THEY WOULD LIKE SUPPORT OR INFORMATION BEFORE DOING THAT REPORT.
UM, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH A PD TO HELP FACILITATE, UM, AN EASIER WAY FOR FOLKS TO MAKE THOSE REPORTS.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SURVIVOR LED ONGOING ADVOCACY, SO FOLKS CAN ENGAGE WITH US FOR AS LONG AS THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE ACCESSING SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT.
AND SO THOSE SERVICES ARE ALSO REFLECTED IN THE DATA THAT I HAVE FOR THE FIRST QUARTER, AND WE CAN GO TO THAT ONE.
SO, AND IF I COULD JUST ADD, OH YEAH.
THE ADVOCATE'S INITIAL CONSULT WITH THE CLIENT IS SO INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING THE SURVIVOR TO REALIZE AND KNOW ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THEY HAVE AND MAKE THEIR INFORMED DECISION AS TO WHICH ONES ARE RIGHT FOR THEM.
UM, SO I HAVE JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH DATA.
SO LOOKING AT JANUARY, THE FIRST ONE, THE MEDICAL ACCOMPANIMENTS.
THAT IS WHEN ADVOCATES ARE ACCOMPANYING PEOPLE FOR THEIR FORENSIC MEDICAL EXAM.
THE EVIDENCE COLLECTION, UM, LIKE PAULA WAS DISCUSSING,
[01:20:01]
UM, ALSO FOR RELATED ACUTE MEDICAL CARE, STRANGULATION ASSESSMENTS, ACCESSING HIV POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS OR OTHER IMPORTANT MEDICATIONS WILL ACCOMPANY SURVIVORS TO THOSE TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE INFORMED AND RECEIVING APPROPRIATE CARE.MEDICAL ACCOMPANIMENTS WITHOUT A FORENSIC NURSE.
THAT INCLUDES SOME OF THOSE CONSULTS.
SO IF SOMEONE HAS, UH, PRESENTED TO AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, HAS NOT DECIDED IF THEY WANNA REPORT, HAS NOT DECIDED WHAT KIND OF CARE THEY WOULD LIKE, ADVOCATES WILL RESPOND TO HAVE THAT CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION WITH THEM, UH, HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, AND THEN FACILITATE ACCESSING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OR MAKING THAT REPORT IF THEY WOULD LIKE.
NON-MEDICAL ACCOMPANIMENTS THAT INCLUDE THE NON-ACUTE REPORTS I MENTIONED, AS WELL AS THE ACCOMPANIMENT TO INTERVIEW.
UM, WHEN SOMEONE IS WORKING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT ONGOING UNFULFILLED INTERVIEW ACCOMPANIMENTS, THAT IS WHEN WE GET REQUESTS FROM, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FOR A CONFIDENTIAL ADVOCATE.
AND WE ARE UNABLE TO, UM, FULFILL THOSE.
AND I CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE NUMBER OF FOLKS WE CONTACTED IN FOLLOW UP, THE NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO WERE ACTUALLY ENROLLED IN RECEIVING SOME SORT OF, UH, SUPPORT OR ASSISTANCE.
AND THEN OUR PERCENTAGE OF FOLKS WHO WE SUCCESSFULLY CONTACT, WHICH IS PRETTY HIGH, I THINK FOR A LOT OF PLACES.
MEDICAL FOLLOW UP IS AROUND LIKE 10 TO 15%.
SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONTACT PEOPLE WITH LIKE A, A 60 ON AVERAGE, 60%, UM, SUCCESS RATE.
SO THE TWO, UM, IN JANUARY, THE TWO UNFULFILLED INTERVIEW ACCOMPANIMENT REQUESTS, ONE OF THOSE WAS BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE ANY, WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE ANY FULL-TIME SPANISH SPEAKING ADVOCATES ON OUR TEAM.
IT IS NOT TRAUMA INFORMED FOR US TO HAVE A, UH, INTERPRETER PRESENT TO ONLY INTERPRET FOR THE ADVOCATE.
UM, WHEN BOTH THE DETECTIVE AND VICTIM SERVICES COUNSELOR ARE ABLE TO SPEAK THE SURVIVOR'S TARGET LANGUAGE, WE WILL PROVIDE REMOTE SERVICES, UM, WITH AN INTERPRETER IN THOSE INSTANCES.
BUT AT THIS TIME, WE, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO, UM, TO HAVE ADVOCATES RESPOND AND PROVIDE SERVICES IN SPANISH RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE SECOND ONE FOR THAT WAS THAT WE DID NOT HAVE AN ADVOCATE AVAILABLE, UM, AT THE TIME THAT THE REQUEST CAME IN.
AND THEN IN FEBRUARY, SAME THING.
THAT WAS FOR A SURVIVOR WHO SPEAKS SPANISH, AND WE DID NOT HAVE AN ADVOCATE, UH, WHO COULD ACCOMPANY THEM.
AND THEN, YES, NONE OF THOSE IN, UH, NO MISSED, UH, REQUESTS IN MARCH.
OKAY, WE CAN GO TO THE NURSING DATA.
UH, THE UNDUPLICATED SERVICE REQUEST MEANS THOSE ARE 53 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, CAME THROUGH OUR NURSING PROGRAM THAT WERE REQUESTING SOME SORT OF SERVICE.
UM, OUT OF THOSE 53, WE ENDED UP DOING 32 EVIDENCE COLLECTION EXAMS, MEANING THOSE 32 HUMANS DECIDED TO DO BOTH MEDICAL CARE AND THE EVIDENCE COLLECTION.
UM, AND WE CONSIDER THAT THE FULL MEDICAL FORENSIC EXAM.
UM, OUT OF THAT 53, 6 OF THEM, UM, JUST OPTS OPTED TO DO MEDICAL CARE ONLY.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO RE RECOGNIZE THAT IF YOU ARE AN ADULT IN, UM, THE STATE OF TEXAS, YOU CAN RECEIVE MEDICAL CARE WITHOUT INVOLVING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO DO, AND THEY JUST WANNA, UM, TAKE CARE OF THEIR BODY AND THEY JUST WANT A NURSE TO ASSESS THEM AND PROVIDE THE MEDICATIONS.
AND THEN THE 19 OF THOSE, UH, 53 WERE CONSULTS, AND THOSE CONSULTS CAN TURN INTO EXAMS LATER.
THOSE CONSULTS CAN TURN INTO, THIS ISN'T THE SERVICES FOR ME, OR THOSE CONSULTS CAN ALSO TURN INTO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ADVOCACY AND OTHER SERVICES THAT'S SAFE FOR WHAT WE NEEDED.
AND THEN ALONG WITH, UH, THAT DATA, UH, THE THINGS THAT WE PRESENT TO THE SART IS, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE COMMUNICATE WITH EVERY POSSIBLE, UM, DISPATCH OR HUMAN THAT WANTS OUR SERVICES.
SO WE KEEP DATA ON EVERY SINGLE, UM, EVERY SINGLE PERSON.
AND IN JANUARY, WE DIDN'T LOSE ANYBODY TO FOLLOW UP, WHETHER, UH, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A NURSE AVAILABLE OR AN ADVOCATE AVAILABLE, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE, SOMETIMES WE DO HAVE TO RESCHEDULE BECAUSE MAYBE WE'RE SEEING, UM, UH, ANOTHER PATIENT.
BUT WE HAD NOBODY DECLINE ONCE DECLINE SERVICES ONCE A FORENSIC NURSE DID, BECAME AVAILABLE.
AND SOMETIMES THAT'S JUST A MATTER OF LIKE, MAYBE A COUPLE OF HOURS.
UM, WE DID HAVE ONE, UH, SURVIVOR THAT WE NEEDED TO REFER TO ANOTHER PROGRAM WHERE, LUCKY THAT WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS, UM, TO THE NORTH OF US AND TO THE SOUTH OF US.
AND THAT WAS REASONED BECAUSE, UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE A SEXUAL ASSAULT ADVOCATE AVAILABLE FOR THAT ONE.
AND THEN THREE OF THOSE HUMANS DECIDED TO DECLINE, UH, SERVICES AT THAT INITIAL DISPATCH.
AND SO FEBRUARY DATA, UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT, UH, LOWER.
I WON'T EXPLAIN ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, DEFINITIONS ANYMORE,
[01:25:01]
BUT THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS FOR FEBRUARY.WE CAN GO INTO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN IN FEBRUARY, AGAIN, WE DIDN'T LOSE, LOSE ANY PATIENTS TO FOLLOW UP OR, UH, LOSE ANY, UH, PATIENTS RELATED TO NO NURSE AVAILABLE OR NO ADVOCATE AVAILABLE.
UM, ALL PATIENTS DECIDED TO GET COME IN SERVICES IF THEY NEEDED TO BE SCHEDULED FOR LATER.
WE DID HAVE TO REFER OUT TO TWO, WE, I'M SORRY, WE REFERRED TWO, UH, SURVIVORS TO OTHER PROGRAMS. ONE, THE, THERE WAS ONLY ONE SEXUAL ASSAULT, UH, ADVOCATE AVAILABLE, AND THERE WAS TWO EXAMS GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME.
IN FEBRUARY, WE ONLY, WE WERE STILL UTILIZING THE CLINIC AT THE GROVE BOULEVARD CAMPUS.
AND AT THAT POINT, WE ONLY HAD ONE EXAM ROOM AT THAT TIME.
NOW WE HAVE OUR NEW CLINIC AND WHERE WE HAVE, UM, FIVE EXAM ROOMS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE.
SO THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT WE SAW AND WE'VE MET.
UM, THE OTHER TIME THERE WAS NO FORENSIC NURSE AVAILABLE, AND THE PATIENT REQUESTED TO BE TRANSPORTED BACK TO THEIR HOMETOWN.
UH, IN MARCH, THE UNDUPLICATED SERVICE REQUESTS KIND OF INCREASED.
WE OFTEN SEE THAT SOMETIMES, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, A LITTLE BIT OF A LULL SOMETIMES IN THE, UH, WINTER MONTHS.
AND THEN IN SPRING AND SUMMER, UH, A LOT OF TIMES THE DATA DOES INCREASE.
BUT OUT OF THAT, WE DID 41 EVIDENCE, UH, EVIDENCE COLLECTION EXAMS FOR MEDICAL CARES AND 33 CONSULTS.
AND AGAIN, IN MARCH, WE DIDN'T LOSE ANYBODY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ALL OF THE, THE SURVIVORS THAT WERE REQUESTING SERVICES.
UH, WE DID REFER OUT TO SURVIVORS.
UM, ONE OF THE TIMES US OF FORENSIC NURSE AND AN ADVOCATE WERE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE TWO HOURS OF THE HOSPITAL CONTRACT, MEANING THIS SURVIVOR WENT TO A HOSPITAL.
THERE WASN'T A NURSE AND AVAIL A, A, SORRY, A NURSE AND AN ADVOCATE AVAILABLE RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT, BUT THEY WERE AVAILABLE WITHIN THAT TWO HOURS.
UM, BUT THIS, IN THAT TIME, THE SURVIVOR OPTED TO GO TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
AND THEN ONE OF THE EXAMS, THE FORENSIC NURSE WAS NOT CREDENTIALED AT AN EXAM HOSPITAL LOCATION.
THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE AND ONE THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT IN A COUPLE OF OTHER SLIDES, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE, UM, ACTIVELY TRYING TO WORK WITH.
AND YEAH, HERE'S THE CHALLENGE.
SO SOME THINGS THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT IN OUR QUARTERLY OVERVIEW IS WE'RE OBVIOUSLY MONITORING GRANT FUNDING.
UM, RIGHT NOW IT'S A TIME, I THINK WE'RE ALL NONPROFITS AND VARIOUS AGENCIES ARE LOOKING INTO THE AVAILABLE GRANT FUNDING.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ME AND ALLISON AND HOLLY AND OUR, UH, SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR, POSSIBILITIES FOR FINDING NEW GRANTS AND, UM, APPLYING FOR THOSE.
AND AGAIN, THE CREDENTIALING IN HOSPITALS HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT KIND OF THING.
WE HAVE CONTRACTS WITH ASCENSION HOSPITALS AND HCA HOSPITALS, AND WE HAVE A, UH, A PRETTY STRINGENT CREDENTIALING COMPONENT WHERE WE WANT ALL THE NURSES TO BACKGROUND CHECKS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE OKAY TO, UH, GO INTO THOSE FACILITIES.
AND SOMETIMES THERE CAN BE CHALLENGES RELATED TO THAT.
AND ME AS THE SUPERVISOR AND THE OTHER MANAGERS ARE WORKING WITH THAT.
IN ADDITION TO THE TWO RISKS THAT PAULA MENTIONED, I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER AS WELL, BUT AVAILABILITY OF BILINGUAL SERVICES.
THIS IS AN, UH, A CHALLENGE THAT I THINK IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTY, BUT WE'RE FEELING IT, ESPECIALLY ON OUR TEAM, IT'S SAFE.
UM, SOME OF OUR SUCCESSES, LIKE WE MENTIONED, THE CLINIC OPENING IN MARCH, WE WENT FROM WHAT WAS FUNCTIONALLY TWO EXAM SPACES TO FIVE MULTIPLE TIMES ALREADY SINCE, UM, THE, THE NEW CLINIC HAS OPENED, WE'VE HAD FOUR EXAMS HAPPENING SIMULTANEOUSLY.
AND SO THAT'S FOLKS WHO DID NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER SPACE TO BE AVAILABLE, DID NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR SERVICES AT A HOSPITAL, UM, OR HAVE TO DO ANY ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURE TO HOSPITAL STAFF.
UM, AND THEN COMMUNITY COLLABORATION.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH AAFSA, ASIAN FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES OF AUSTIN, UM, AND THEIR ADVOCACY TEAM TO SEE WHERE WE CAN SUPPLEMENT, UM, WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR ADVOCACY RESPONSE.
SO THEY ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE LANGUAGE ACCESS.
THEY HAVE STAFF WHO ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES IN SURVIVOR'S TARGET LANGUAGES WHEN SAFE ADVOCATES ARE NOT.
AND SO WORKING ON A COLLABORATIVE RESPONSE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SURVIVOR IS GETTING SEEN BY SOME ADVOCATE, UM, HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH THEM, AS WELL AS WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH, UH, A PD VICTIM SERVICES.
SO SOME OF THE, UH, THE DISCUSSION POINTS FROM, UH, COMMANDER ELECTOR'S PRESENTATION ABOUT, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE, ARE NOT CONTACT OR NOT ABLE TO GET IN CONTACT WITH THEM, WE HAVE BEEN REALLY, UH, ABLE TO WORK WITH VICTIM SERVICES TO FACILITATE CONTACT IN SOME CASES.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WORKING CLOSELY WITH COMMUNITY CARE AND, UM, AUSTIN OAKS TO SEEK ADDITIONAL MEDICAL SUPPORT, UH, FOR SURVIVORS AS WELL.
[01:30:02]
SO IN ADDITION TO, UM, COLLECTING DATA, I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO SHOW OUR PATIENT SURVEY, UM, FEEDBACK.SO THERE WAS 45 PATIENTS OUT OF 107 THAT WE SAW IN Q1 2025 THAT HAD, UM, NURSING FEEDBACK TO GIVE US.
AND AGAIN, I'LL LET YOU KIND OF READ THROUGH IT, BUT I THINK THE ONE THING THAT I WILL POINT OUT THAT IS, UM, WHAT OUR NURSING STAFF ALWAYS TRIES TO DO IS GAVE ME ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT MY CARE, AND THAT WAS AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UM, I THINK I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SWITCH MODES TO QUESTIONS ABSOLUTELY.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, I JUST WANNA BETTER UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT SERVICES YOU AREN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE SPANISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATION FOR.
IS IT NURSES? IS IT ADVOCATES? IS IT ALL OF THOSE? LIKE IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
WHEN FOLKS COME IN FOR THAT ACUTE CARE, SO THE MEDICAL ACCOMPANIMENTS MEDICAL CARE AT THE CLINIC, WE PROVIDE IN-PERSON INTERPRETATION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO WE ARE NOT ABLE TO, WE DON'T HAVE STAFF CURRENTLY, UM, SUFFICIENT STAFFING TO ENSURE THAT FOR EVERY SURVIVOR WHO COMES IN WHO DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH, WE HAVE A NURSE OR ADVOCATE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THEM WHO SPEAKS THAT TARGET LANGUAGE.
UM, OUR PREFERENCE IS ALWAYS TO HAVE IN-PERSON INTERPRETATION WHEN THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE CAPABILITY FOR VIDEO INTERPRETATION.
UM, AND WHEN THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE, WE HAVE PHONE INTERPRETATION AVAILABLE AS WELL.
SO THERE'S NO, THERE'S ZERO SPANISH LANGUAGE STAFF AVAILABLE AT SAFE.
WE DO HAVE SPANISH SPEAKING STAFF, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH WHERE AT ANY TIME WHEN A SURVIVOR COMES IN, WE CAN GUARANTEE THAT THERE WILL BE SOMEONE AVAILABLE TO SPEAK THEIR TARGET LANGUAGE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, MY CONCERN WITH THAT IS JUST OVER TIME WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST NOT GETTING CALLS, UM, FROM PEOPLE THAT KNOW THAT YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE SPANISH SPEAKING STAFF.
UM, AND, UM, WHERE CAN THOSE PEOPLE BE REFERRED TO THAT THERE ARE SPANISH SPEAKING STAFF? ABSOLUTELY.
I SHARE THAT CONCERN WITH YOU, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH ABSA, UM, AND HELPING TO BUILD UP THEIR, UM, ADVOCACY AND ACCOMPANIMENT SERVICES AS WELL.
UH, THEY RESPOND TO WORK WITH OUR FORENSIC NURSES, SO THERE IS A SPANISH SPEAKING ADVOCATE ON THEIR STAFF, UM, WHO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CLOSELY AND TRYING TO REFER FOLKS TO THEIR SERVICES TOO.
UM, AND THEN JUST ANOTHER, ANOTHER QUICK THING, JUST NOTICING THAT YOU GUYS ARE REFERRING PEOPLE OUT, BUT THEN ALSO NOTING NOT LOSING ANYONE, UM, IN YOUR NUMBER.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT FEELS A LITTLE INCONGRUENT, THAT YOU GUYS AREN'T BEING ABLE TO SERVE SOMEONE AND SEND THEM OUT, BUT THAT YOUR NUMBERS ARE SHOWING THAT YOU'RE NOT LOSING ANYONE.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST A I CAN, YEAH, THAT'S JUST SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT CONGRUENT FOR ME.
ARE Y'ALL, ARE Y'ALL ABLE TO HEAR ME SO I CAN, UH, ADDRESS THAT QUESTION? YES.
I THINK THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT THAT DISTINCTION, DISTINCTION IS THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT EVERY, UH, HUMAN THAT WE GET IN CONTACT WITH, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SEE THEM, WE AT LEAST GET THEM CONNECTED TO ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT CAN, IN TIMES PAST WE HAVE COMPLETELY LOST PEOPLE.
UM, MEANING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH THEM OR WE DIDN'T GET A PHONE NUMBER.
AND THAT WAS A CHALLENGE THAT WE EXPERIENCED A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WE REALLY TRIED TO ADDRESS AND REALLY TRIED TO TIGHTEN UP.
SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THE DISTINCTIONS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVEN IF WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SEE THEM AT THAT TIME, WE CONNECTED THEM, WE DID A WARM HANDOFF TO ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WAS ABLE TO SEE THEM.
DOES THAT KIND OF ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
COMMISSIONER RUTAN, JUST A QUICK LANGUAGE FOLLOW UP.
I, I UNDERSTAND THE, UM, CONCERNS IN TERMS OF AN ADVOCATE, UM, BEING ABLE TO SPEAK THE PRIMARY TARGET LANGUAGE, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT NO MEDICAL EXAMS ARE NOT BEING DONE FOR LACK OF THAT 'CAUSE IT'S FAIRLY STANDARD USE INTERPRETER FOR MEDICAL.
WE UTILIZE, UH, CERTIFIED MEDICAL INTERPRETERS AND HAVE, UM, A CONTRACT WITH AN INTERPRETATION SERVICE THAT IS ABLE TO RESPOND.
BUT YEAH, NO ONE GETS TURNED AWAY FOR, UM, FOR THAT AT ALL.
DO WE, COMMISSIONER SMITH, THANK YOU.
JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP ON THE WARM HANDOFF.
IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE BACK END FOR US TO BE ABLE TO VERIFY THAT THAT WARM HANDOFF, UM, EFFECTUATED SERVICE PROVISION FOR THAT CLIENT? THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT THE NURSES ON OUR STAFF MAKE SURE TO CONTACT ANOTHER PROGRAM.
WE HAVE CON UH, WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS, WE DOCUMENT IT IN OUR MEDICAL RECORD, BUT ONCE WE PROVIDE THAT
[01:35:01]
TO ANOTHER PROGRAM, WE DON'T HAVE RELEASES OF INFORMATION TO CALL AND ASK AND SAY, HEY, DID YOU GET THAT FORENSIC EXAM DONE? BECAUSE THAT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CONFIDENTIALITY ISSUE THAT WE WILL WANNA MAKE SURE.I WOULD SAY THAT THAT KIND OF ACCOUNTABILITY CAN HAPPEN POSSIBLY WITHIN THE SART LEVEL OR POSSIBLY WITHIN LAW ENFORCEMENT TO KIND OF DETERMINE THAT.
BUT WE DO EVERYTHING THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN TO ENSURE THAT THAT PATIENT, WE MIGHT EVEN PROVIDE A RIDE FOR THEM, PROVIDE, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE, WITH LYFT SERVICES AND SO, OR CONTACT VICTIM SERVICES.
SO WE DO A LOT OF COORDINATION, WHICH IS ALL DOCUMENTED ON OUR END.
I WOULD LIKE TO PULL THAT THREAD A LITTLE BIT MORE THE NEXT TIME YOU ALL COME BACK, IF THERE'S ANY, UM, INFORMATION ON THE AVAILABILITY OF POTENTIALLY A DATA SHARING AGREEMENT OR THE SIGNING OF WAIVER OF THAT CONFLICT TO EVEN SHARE THAT INFORMATION TO THE REFERRAL AGENCY TO THEN THEREFORE GET THE RECIPROCAL INFORMATION THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY SERVED.
THAT ONE STEP IN THE PROCESS MIGHT BE THE ONE STEP THAT IS TOO MUCH FOR THAT VICTIM.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE SOME CLARITY ON HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU ENSURING THAT WARM HANDOFF IS ACTUALLY CAUGHT, UM, AND ADDRESSED.
WE CAN ABSOLUTELY LOOK INTO INFORMATION SHARING.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY ALL CONSENT BASED ON THE SURVIVOR'S SIDE, BUT, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THAT IN THE INTERIM BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT QUARTER WHEN WE PRESENT.
WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
I'VE NEVER SPOKEN BEFORE, SO I REALLY THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OUR SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT AT THE DA'S OFFICE, AND THAT UNIT IS COMPRISED OF BOTH FAMILY VIOLENCE AND THE SEX ASSAULT UNIT.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A VERY BRIEF BACKGROUND ON ME, I'VE BEEN A CAREER PROSECUTOR SINCE 1998.
I STARTED OUT IN LOS ANGELES WHERE MY PASSION HAS BEEN WITH SEX ASSAULTS.
I WAS IN THE SEX CRIMES UNIT THERE, CAME HERE IN 2011.
UM, AND IT'S STILL A PASSION OF MINE.
AND SO CURRENTLY BEING THE DIRECTOR OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT HAS BECOME QUITE A PRIORITY FOR US TO DO OUR BEST TO ENSURE JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS AS BEST WE CAN AND TO PRIORITIZE TAKING CASES TO TRIAL.
SO WITH SOME OF THE DATA FROM Q1 FROM JANUARY THROUGH MARCH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR OFFICE HAS BEEN SUPPLYING THAT DATA TO THIS COMMISSION.
AND SOME OF THAT DATA IS A MONTHLY REPORT THAT WE PUT ON OUR WEBSITE.
IT TALKS ABOUT HOW MANY CASES, UM, OUR OFFICE STAFFS, OUR UNIT STAFFS WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, NOT JUST A PD, HOW MANY CASES ARE ACCEPTED, HOW MANY ARE DECLINED, HOW MANY CASES WE TRY, ET CETERA, OR NO BUILD.
UM, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WE TRY, UH, WE STAFF 65 CASES WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, IN THAT, IN THAT THREE MONTH PERIOD.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT WE SUPPLIED THAT DATA.
I'M HAPPY TO GO OVER THAT IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
UM, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT BY PROVIDING THAT DATA, IT WILL ONE, HOPEFULLY SHOW PROGRESS, HOPEFULLY, UM, THAT OUR, OUR AGENCY IS DOING, BUT ALSO HOPEFULLY IDENTIFYING WAYS FOR US TO ALSO IMPROVE IN ANY WAY THAT, IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.
UM, I WILL SAY, I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR LAST MEETING, I THINK WE REPORTED ON THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS HAD INCREASED IN OUR DIVISION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU WITH RESPECT TO SOME OF THIS DATA ABOUT THE NUMBER OF TRIALS THAT OUR UNIT HAS DONE BECAUSE THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED, NOT ONLY JUST IN NUMBER, BUT ALSO IN LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY.
UM, AND, AND SOME OF THAT IS BASED ON OUR PRIORITY AND TRYING TO GET SURVIVORS THAT ARE DAY IN COURT AND DOING OUR BEST TO GET THE BEST RESULTS FOR THEM THAT WE CAN.
UH, WE ARE TAKING MORE CASES TO TRIAL THAN EVER BEFORE.
I KNOW YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE HAD A PANDEMIC COURTROOMS WERE CLOSED FROM 2020 TILL 2022.
AND, UM, ONCE THE TRIAL COURTROOMS OPENED, WE STARTED HAVING TRIALS AGAIN IN 2022.
UM, MOST CASES DON'T RESULT IN A JURY TRIAL.
I THINK THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS SOMETHING OVER 90%.
TEXAS AND TRAVIS COUNTY ARE NO DIFFERENT.
AND IN PARTICULAR, A SEX ASSAULT IS DIFFICULT TO GET A GUILTY PLEA ON BECAUSE THE OFFENDER TYPICALLY DOES NOT WANT TO WANNA ADMIT GUILT OR TWO FACE SUCH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES AS SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
SO WE ARE SEEING, UM, SOME MORE TRIALS WITH THAT.
UM, WE ARE DEALING WITH CASES THAT ARE, ARE MORE DIFFICULT.
WE'RE TAKING MORE OF THOSE DIFFICULT CASES TO TRIAL ISSUES THAT, UM, ARE PRESENTED IN A NUMBER OF SEX ASSAULT CASES.
BUT JUST IN THIS LAST SIX MONTHS, SOME OF THOSE CASES THAT WE TRIED INVOLVE THINGS, UM, DIFFICULT ISSUES LIKE WITHDRAWAL OF CONSENT, UM, ALCOHOL FACILITATED SEXUAL ASSAULTS.
UM, HE EVEN HAD A CASE OF FIRST IMPRESSION IN OUR OFFICE OF WHETHER AN OFFENDER WAS A MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDER.
WE BELIEVED HE WAS THE SURVIVOR, THOUGHT HE WAS THE JURY, ULTIMATELY DIDN'T AGREE WITH IT.
BUT IT, IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF CASES THAT WE ARE TRYING, WE ARE TRYING TO TRY MORE, MORE DIFFICULT CASES.
WE'RE ALSO TRYING, UH, MORE CASES THAT RELY ON A SINGLE WITNESS THAN THAN WE EVER HAD BEFORE.
AND I'LL SAY THAT I THINK A LOT OF THOSE REASONS ARE, WE DO HAVE PROSECUTORS THAT CARE, BUT OUR COLLABORATION WITH A PD AS COMMANDER LICHTER SAID, HAS IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY, DRAMATICALLY.
[01:40:01]
AT A PD IS THERE TWICE A WEEK.SHE STAFFS NEARLY 100% OF THE CASES THAT A PD INVESTIGATES.
AND THAT MIGHT BE BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE A ONE-OFF WHERE A PD HAS TO ARREST SOMEONE ON THE SCENE DUE TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND HER RELATIONSHIP, HER NAME IS JAMIE LU, DOES SUCH A GOOD JOB.
AND THOSE DETECTIVES ARE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB THAT IT'S IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THE INVESTIGATIONS, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPROVING THAT ONCE THOSE CASES COME OVER TO US, THOSE PROSECUTIONS ARE STRONGER.
SO THAT RELATIONSHIP HAS PROVEN TO BE VERY, VERY POSITIVE.
I'LL ALSO, I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE KUDOS TO A PD BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING MONTHLY WITH THEM ON, WITH THE C-S-C-R-M, WE MEET MONTHLY WITH THE LEADERSHIP TO TALK ABOUT COLLABORATION AND THE WAYS OUR OFFICE CAN DO THAT.
BUT QUARTERLY WE MEET TO TALK ABOUT CASES, CASES THAT HAVE BEEN RESOLVED, AND THESE ARE RESOLVED CASES THAT BOTH SIDES ARE LOOKING AT.
AND I KNOW FROM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S LOOKING AT IT LIKE, WHAT, WHAT COULD WE HAVE DONE BETTER? AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS IN, AND YES, IT'S WITH THE HINDSIGHT, IT'S WITH THAT LENS, BUT IT IS HELPING INFORM US NOW AND IN A VERY ILLUMINATING WAY, LIKE, WHAT ARE WE DOING GOING FORWARD? WHAT CAN WE DO TO NOT MAKE SOME OF THOSE MISTAKES GOING FORWARD? SO I REALLY DO THINK A PD BECAUSE OUR RELATIONSHIP HAS JUST BEEN SO WONDERFUL, THESE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN SO POSITIVE, PRODUCTIVE, AND EFFECTIVE.
AND I WE'RE NOTICING THESE CHANGES.
UM, WE ARE ABLE TO TRY THESE HARD CASES BECAUSE OF APDS HARD WORK AND, AND IN COMBINATION WITH THE PROSECUTORS' DEDICATION AND HARD WORK.
SO I JUST REALLY, AGAIN, COMMANDER LIFTER WANNA THANK YOU GUYS 'CAUSE YOU GUYS REALLY HAVE DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB.
UM, I BECAME DIRECTOR OF THAT UNIT IN 2024.
UH, WHEN, WHEN THE COURTROOMS REOPENED IN 2022, OUR UNIT TRIED THREE TRIALS.
THEN IN 2023 WHEN THE ME THE DATA HAS SOME MORE MEANING WHEN THE COURTROOMS WERE OPEN FOR A FULL YEAR, THAT UNIT TRIED TWO JURY TRIALS.
AND LAST YEAR, UH, THAT UNIT TRIED NINE JURY TRIALS.
SO IT ALMOST HAD DOUBLED WHAT HAD HAPPENED THE TWO YEARS BEFORE THAT.
THIS YEAR ALREADY AT SIX MONTHS IN WITH THE DATA, THIS UNIT HAS TRIED EIGHT TRIALS.
SO WE ARE HOPING THAT BY YEARS END WE WILL HAVE SURPASSED THE DATA, UM, AND TRIALS FOR 2024.
EVEN JUST LOOKING AT OUR OVERALL OFFICE FOR TRAVIS COUNTY, THOSE JURY TRIALS REPRESENT 40% OF THE ENTIRE OFFICE THAT WE HAVE TRIED MORE CASES AS A CATEGORY IN THAT SMALL UNIT THAN THE REST OF THE OFFICE.
SO THAT UNIT HAS REALLY BEEN, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST.
AND I'M NOT SAYING WE'RE GETTING PERFECT RESULTS 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT.
UM, OUT OF THOSE EIGHT TRIALS, UM, FIVE WERE GUILTIES, WHICH WAS GREAT, AND THOSE WERE PROMISING RESULTS, BUT THREE WERE NOT GUILTY.
AND OF COURSE WE'VE TAKEN SOME, SOME LEARNING LESSONS FROM THOSE.
UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO TALKED TO THOSE COMMUNITIES, THOSE JURIES, TO FIND OUT IF THOSE ARE CASES WE SHOULD EVEN BE TRYING.
AND WE'VE BEEN MET WITH A RESOUNDING YES.
WE WANT YOU TO BE TRYING THOSE CASES.
WE WANT, I'M GLAD THAT YOU GUYS ARE TRYING THOSE HARD CASES.
SO WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT TREND TO CONTINUE HARD AND TRY, UM, HARD CASES, BUT WE ARE HOPEFUL.
BUT BY DOING SO, WE CAN TRY TO GET AS BEST SENSE OF JUSTICE THAT WE CAN FOR THE SURVIVORS THAT, THAT COME BEFORE US.
AND I KNOW THAT Y'ALL, UM, WANTED TO ALSO KNOW ABOUT SOME RISKS AND MM-HMM
OUTLOOK GOING FORWARD, FORWARD AND SOME OF THE, THE RISKS THAT WE'VE, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE SEEN SOME PROGRESS, WE'RE ALSO VERY MINDFUL THAT THERE ARE RISKS THAT LIE BEFORE US.
AND I, I KNOW THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THIS FEDERAL LEVEL REALLY DO IMPACT SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THAT DOES TO VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES ABOUT WANTING TO REPORT CRIME AT ALL, WANTING TO, EVEN IF THEY DO REPORT, GO FORWARD AND BE COOPERATIVE WITH TRIALS.
SO WE HAVEN'T YET SEEN THAT, BUT THOSE ARE SOME GREAT RISKS AND CHALLENGES THAT ARE, ARE I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE FACING VERY, VERY SHORTLY.
OUR OFFICE, I KNOW KNOW WITH OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN REGARDLESS OF ANYBODY'S IMMIGRATION STATUS.
BUT OVER THE LAST YEAR, UM, I, I RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I, I KNOW THAT WE CAN ALL BE DOING A BETTER JOB.
I KNOW THAT I CAN BE DOING A BETTER JOB, BUT I AM VERY THANKFUL TO OUR UNIT, TO THE FOUR HARDWORKING PROSECUTORS THAT, THAT GO AND THEY TRY THESE CASES.
UM, AND JAMIE, THE, UM, THE TEAM LEAD.
SO JUST OVERALL, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THAT, THAT'S MY PRESENTATION.
UM, UM, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY TIGHT ON TIME, SO, UM, AND CHRISTIE, I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND NOD AND SAY WE CAN RUN OVER LIKE 10, 15 MINUTES.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN, I, THERE IS A MEETING SCHEDULED AND HERE AT SIX 30 AND THEY'LL NEED SOME TIME TO SET UP, SO, OKAY.
SO, OKAY, SO WE'LL HAVE MAYBE FIVE 10, WE'LL PUSH FIVE, 10 MINUTES AFTER.
UM, UM, MY ONLY FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS ACTUALLY TO A PD BECAUSE AS I, WHEN WAS TALKING TO CHIEF HENDERSON, I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THESE STAFFING
[01:45:01]
CHANGES ARE IMPACTING SEX CRIMES UNIT, DV UNIT, UM, AND IF THAT'S ONE OF THE RISKS THAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT.OH, I, I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THE STAFFING WITH THE DA'S OFFICE HAS IMPACTED THE QUALITY OF, OF THE PRODUCT AND, AND THE COMMUNICATION ALSO ESTABLISHES A BASELINE FOR WHICH THE PROSECUTIONS CAN BASICALLY, WHEN WE TURN OVER THE CASE, THEY ALREADY HAVE A, A, A FIRM KNOWLEDGE OF IT AND, UM, ARE ABLE TO BUILD THEIR CASE AND, AND, AND, AND WORK OFF OF WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT WE TURNED OVER TO THEM.
UM, SO I THINK THE STAFFING IS, IS BENEFICIAL IN MANY WAYS.
AND SO I, I DON'T NECESSARILY TERM IT A RISK, BUT A BENEFIT OF, OF THE CCR M'S, UM, WORK I WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE A PD REORG AND ANY, OH, THE REORG STAFFING CHANGES.
I'M SORRY, THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTING A PD OH, SO I APOLOGIZE MA'AM.
SO, UH, SO THE REORG, WE WERE NOT IMPACTED BY THE REORGANIZATION.
THE, THE DETECTIVE UNIT WAS RE REMAINS INTACT WITH 20 DETECTIVES, UH, THREE SERGEANTS.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE IN THAT MATTER.
WE ARE GONNA BE DOING THIS AGAIN SOON.
UM, I DO WANNA JUST TAKE A QUICK MIN NOTE TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THE SART IS HERE, UM, AT OUR REQUEST, UM, THAT THIS IS AN IMPERFECT AND TEMPORARY SOLUTION FOR CUMULATIVELY SHARING ALL OF THIS DATA AND THAT WHAT WE NEED IS A LONG-TERM SOLUTION WHERE ALL OF THIS IS HOUSED, UM, SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN SEE ALL OF THIS DATA TRANSPARENTLY MONTH TO MONTH.
SO JUST GONNA CLOSE WITH THAT AND I WISH WE HAD MORE TIME, EVERYBODY, I'M SORRY, I SECOND.
[6. Presentation regarding the Office of Police Oversight’s 2023 Annual Report and the Austin Police Oversight Act and Resolution 20230921-099. Presentation by Gail McCant, Director, Office of Police Oversight, Kevin Masters, OPO Complaint Supervisor, and Sara Peralta, OPO Public Information and Marketing Program Manager.]
UM, AND I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR PACKING THE AGENDA SO MUCH.WE ARE GONNA RUN A LITTLE BIT OVER EVERYBODY ONLINE.
UM, AND WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT WITH ITEM SIX IS THE ANNUAL REPORT, AND WE HAD SOME FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD SENT OVER TO THE OPO.
THANK YOU ALL AGAIN AND AGAIN, MY APOLOGIES FOR RUNNING LATE.
SO GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
UH, I AM THE DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
UM, BEFORE I BEGAN, I WANT TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE RECENT FLOODING, UM, THAT HAS IMPACTED FAMILIES ACROSS OUR CITY AND OUR REGION, OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR CONDOLENCES.
UM, TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED AS WE REFLECT ON PUBLIC SAFETY TODAY, I BELIEVE IT IS ESPECIALLY FITTING TO PUBLICLY THANK OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL FROM AUSTIN AND ACROSS NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS WHO HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL TO SERVE, TO PROTECT AND TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES DURING THIS TIME OF NEED.
UM, YOUR STEADFAST COMMITMENT IN THE FACE OF CRISIS AND TRAGEDY DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED.
AND WE WANNA SAY THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.
WE ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHTS 2023 ANNUAL REPORT.
THIS REPORT IS NOT SIMPLY A COLLECTION OF DATA POINTS, IT IS A REFLECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS, THEIR EXPECTATIONS, AND THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES.
IT ALSO REAFFIRMS OUR OFFICE'S COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TRUST BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE PUBLIC.
AT THE HEART OF OUR WORK IS A COMMITMENT TO OUR MISSION TO PROVIDE IMPARTIAL OVERSIGHT OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
OVERSIGHT IS NOT ROOTED IN OPPOSITION.
IT IS ABOUT PARTNERSHIP INTEGRITY AND MAKING SYSTEMS BETTER IN THAT SPIRIT.
WE PRESENT THIS REPORT TO OFFER A TRANSPARENT VIEW OF OUR FINDINGS, OUR PROGRESS IN THE AREAS WHERE MEANINGFUL REFORM IS STILL NEEDED.
WHILE 2023 WAS A YEAR OF TRANSITION, UH, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO MOVING FORWARD NOT BY DWELLING ON SETBACKS, BUT BY ENGAGING IN THE FUTURE WITH CLARITY, RENEWED PURPOSE, AND A DEDICATION TO COLLABORATIVE
[01:50:01]
PROBLEM SOLVING.OUR MANDATE IS TO SERVE THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST WITHIN THE SCOPE OF OUR AUTHORITY, AND WE APPROACH THAT RESPONSIBILITY WITH DILIGENCE AND DETERMINATION.
THE 2023 REPORT INCLUDES COMPLAINTS, OUTCOMES, UPDATES FROM OUR POLICY TEAM, AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS.
WE HAVE WORKED TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION CLEARLY AND RESPONSIBLY RECOGNIZING ITS VALUE IN INFORMING, INFORM, REFORM, AND STRENGTHENING PUBLIC TRUST.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT OVERSIGHT DOESN'T OPERATE IN THE VAL, UM, THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL, UH, DISCOURSE AROUND POLICING.
CIVIL RIGHTS AND COMMUNITY SAFETY CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AND OUR WORK MUST EVOLVE WITH IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXCEPTIONAL WORK OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT STAFF, THEIR DEDICATION, PROFESSIONALISM, AND COMMITMENT TO SERVICE OR THE ENGINE BEHIND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AND THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE ENGAGED OUR OFFICE.
WHETHER YOU WERE FILING A COMPLAINT, PARTICIPATING IN A LISTENING SESSION, OR ATTENDING AN OUTREACH EVENT, THANK YOU.
YOUR VOICE IS NOT ONLY HEARD, BUT DEEPLY VALUED.
IT SHAPES OUR PRIORITIES AND GUIDES OUR ACTIONS.
BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE CORE OF THE REPORT, I WANNA ADDRESS SEVERAL FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY THE COMMISSION.
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TEAM WILL ALSO ADDRESS, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL INQUIRIES THAT I DO NOT COVER.
I'D LIKE TO START BY SHARING A STAFFING UPDATE.
AS OF LAST MARCH, UH, WE REPORTED THAT WE HAD FOUR VACANCIES.
THE COMPLAINT SUPERVISOR POSITION, THE BUSINESS INTELLIGENT CONSULTANT POSITION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST POSITION IN THE POLICE OVERSIGHT POLICY ANALYST POSITION.
I AM PLEASED TO SHARE THAT ALL FOUR OF THOSE POSITIONS HAVE NOW BEEN FILLED.
LAST MONTH, UH, ONE OF OUR PROGRAM MANAGERS ACCEPTED A NEW OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, THE POSITION THEY HELD ALSO TRANSFERRED.
THEREFORE, THIS COORDINATE COORDINATED TRANSITION DID NOT CREATE A VAA VACANCY WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
IN PARALLEL WITH THAT, UH, TRANSITION, WE ARE TAKING A STRATEGIC STEP FORWARD BY ENHANCING OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE WITH THE CREATION OF A DEPUTY DIRECTOR POSITION.
UM, AS OUR RESPONSIBILITIES CONTINUE TO GROW IN SCOPE AND IN COMPLEXITY, THIS ROLE IS DESIGNED TO EXPAND OUR OFFICE'S LEADERSHIP CAPACITY, IMPROVE INTERNAL OPERATIONS, AND FURTHER OUR MISSION TO DELIVER ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE WAYS THIS ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP SUPPORT WILL HELP US DEEPEN OUR IMPACT IN THE YEARS AHEAD, AND STRENGTHENING OUR CAPACITY TO MANAGE COMPLEXITIES, ENSURE CONTINUITY, AND MEET PERFORMANCE GOALS MORE EFFICIENTLY.
ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE CURRENTLY RECRUITING FOR A COMPLAINT SPECIALIST POSITION.
THIS POSITION BECAME VACANT, UH, DUE TO AN INTERNAL PROMOTION, WHICH CREATED THIS VACANCY, AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO RECRUIT FOR AN ADDITIONAL POLICY ANALYST POSITION.
THIS BRINGS US TO A TOTAL OF THREE VACANCIES AT THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
THERE WAS ALSO A QUESTION REGARDING PUBLICATION OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND SECTOR DATA.
UH, DEMOGRAPHIC DATA HAS ALWAYS BEEN OPTIONAL ON OUR COMPLAINT FORM BECAUSE REQUIRING IT COULD CREATE A BARRIER TO ACCESS.
SO INDIVIDUALS MAY CHOOSE TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION OR CHOOSE NOT TO.
UM, WE RESPECT THEIR DECISIONS.
SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE DO NOT HAVE COMPLETE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA FOR ALL THE COMPLAINTS.
UM, WITH REGARD TO SECTOR DATA, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A REPORTING GAP AND WE ARE WORKING TO ADDRESS IT.
OUR NEW SHARED CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM MAY OFFER THIS EXPANDED CAPACITY, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPLORING THIS OPTION, BUT CURRENTLY THIS DATA IS NOT BEING, UH, CAPTURED REGARDING THE PUBLISHING OF COMPLAINTS, WHICH WAS ANOTHER FOLLOW-UP QUESTION FROM THE COMMISSION.
ALL 2024 COMPLAINT COMPLAINTS ARE PUBLISHED ON THE OPOS PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE, AND THE TEAM IS WORKING EXPEDITIOUSLY TO PUBLISH THE 2023 AND 2025 COMPLAINTS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE CURRENTLY FINALIZING THE 2024 END REPORT, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE WE WILL RELEASE IN SEPTEMBER.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE TEAM WHO WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEFING ON THE 2023, UH,
[01:55:01]
ANNUAL REPORT, AND THEN THEY'LL ADDRESS SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT WERE POSED BY THE COMMISSION.UM, THERE WAS, UH, ONE OF THE REQUESTS FROM THE COMMISSION WAS TO GIVE A LITTLE UPDATE ON THE COMMITTEE POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION.
SO WE'RE GONNA START THERE AND THEN WE'LL GET TO THE ANNUAL REPORT.
WE PROMISE NOT TO LEAVE YOU HANGING.
SO IN CASE YOU AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMITTEE POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION, IT IS A BOARD OF VOLUNTEERS SELECTED BY THE CITY MANAGER.
THEY ARE SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE, UH, OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE ONE VACANCY.
SO, UM, IN, UH, MARCH 22, NO, SORRY, MAY, 2023, UH, WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT, ALSO KNOWN AS CHAPTER TWO 15, UH, IT RESET A LOT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COMMISSIONERS FOR BOTH SERVICE AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO IT KIND OF RESET THE COMMISSION.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE, CITY LEGAL, AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO REESTABLISH THE COMMISSION.
I'M VERY EXCITED TO SHARE THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY MEETING, UH, YOU CAN COME OUT TO THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION NEXT FRIDAY IN THIS VERY ROOM.
UH, THEY MEET FROM, UH, THREE TO SIX FRIDAY AFTERNOONS, THE THIRD FRIDAYS.
ALL OF OUR MEETING AGENDAS ARE PUBLISHED ONLINE, AND, UH, YOU CAN SIGN UP TO SPEAK IF YOU'RE INTERESTED BY JUST EMAILING US AT CPRC@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV.
AND PARKING IS FREE IF YOU WANNA SHOW UP IN PERSON.
IF YOU HAPPEN TO MISS THE MEETING, YOU CAN'T MAKE IT IN PERSON.
ALL COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION MEETINGS ARE RECORDED LIKE THIS ONE.
AND THEY'LL BE POSTED ONLINE ON A TXN.
UM, I HAVE ON THE SLIDES AND DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO FIND IT.
IT'S A LITTLE HIDDEN BEHIND THE TAB, BUT IT'S ON THE WEBSITE.
AND ACTUALLY, IF YOU WANNA SEE EVEN OLDER RECORDINGS OF THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION INCLUDING PRESENTATIONS, UM, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THAT IN THE SAME TAB ON THE, UM, A TXN ARCHIVE.
SO NOW, UH, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED WITH THE, IN YOUR REPORT, A LITTLE ONE MORE LITTLE PRELUDE.
WE'RE GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO KEVIN MASTERS, OUR, UH, COMPLAINT SUPERVISOR TO TALK ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS SO THAT WE HAVE SOME CONTEXT FOR THE, IN YOUR REPORT, KEVIN.
MY NAME'S KEVIN MASTERS AND LIKE SARAH SAID, I'M THE COMPLAINT SUPERVISOR FOR THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
AND I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU SOME DATA FROM THE 2023 ANNUAL REPORT.
I'LL HAVE SEVERAL SLIDES TO PRESENT AND THEN I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRESENTATION.
HERE'S A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE COMPLAINT PROCESS.
UH, AS YOU MAY KNOW, UH, THE OFFICE TAKES COMPLAINTS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN SEVERAL WAYS.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE IN SEVERAL WAYS VERBALLY BY TELEPHONE THROUGH THE COMPLAINT.
OUR COMPLIMENT LINE AT 5 1 2 9 7 2 2 6 7 6, WE TAKE IN PERSON COMPLAINTS BETWEEN NINE AND FOUR AT OUR OFFICE AT 1520 IN RUTHERFORD RUTHERFORD LANE.
ELECTRONICALLY, WE TAKE COMPLAINTS ONLINE AT POLICE OVERSIGHT@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV, OR WE TAKE COMPLAINTS THROUGH THE US MAIL AT OUR POST OFFICE BOX.
IT'S BOX 0 1 0 8 8, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 6 7.
IN A NUTSHELL, WHEN, UH, THE PROCESS CONSISTS OF WHEN PEOPLE CONTACT THE OFFICE, UH, WE DO A PRELIMINARY INTAKE.
AND IN THAT, IN INTAKE, UH, THE INTER THE, THE INFORMATION OR THE COMPLAINT INFORMATION IS ENTERED INTO OUR INTAKE SYSTEM, WHICH IS, UH, ADMINISTERED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, FROM THERE I SEE ALL THE COMPLAINTS AND I'LL ASSIGN IT TO A COMPLAINT SPECIALIST AND OR A COMPLAINT INVESTIGATOR TO DO A PRELIMINARY REVIEW.
AND THAT PRELIMINARY REVIEW CONSISTS OF LOOKING AT BODY-WORN CAMERAS.
WE'VE GOT UNFETTERED ACCESS TO MOST OF THE POLICE DATABASE SYSTEMS. WE LOOK AT THEIR REPORTS, WE LOOK AT THEIR CAD, WE TRY TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION WE CAN AS IT RELATES TO THE COMPLAINT.
WE ALSO REACH OUT TO THE COMPLAINANT TO, TO INQUIRE FROM THEM HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO US TO PROCESS THEIR COMPLAINT.
THE SPECIALISTS DO A GOOD JOB OF, OF ADVISING PEOPLE OF WHAT THE COMPLAINT PROCESS CONSISTS OF AND THE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN PROCESS COMPLAINTS BASED ON OUR AUTHORITY WITHIN THE STAFF.
WE LET THE COMPLAINANT DECIDE HOW THEY WANNA PROCEED AND WE PROCEED AS THEY ASK US TO PROCEED.
THE NEXT STAGE IS THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION.
IF A COMPLAINANT DETERMINES THEY WOULD LIKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT THAT'S FORWARDED TO THE INVESTIGATOR FOR PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION WHO REVIEWS THE PRELIMINARY REVIEW, ONCE AGAIN, THEY REACH OUT TO THE COMPLAINANT TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT MAY CONSIST OF, UH, ADDITIONAL BODY-WORN CAMERA, ANY MEDIA OR ANY INFORMATION THAT THE COMPLAINANT MAY HAVE, AS WELL AS THEY REACH OUT TO ANY WITNESSES TO GET ANY ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
DURING THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION PHASE, UH, THE COMPLAINANT ARE REQUIRED TO TO, TO COMPLETE AN AFFIDAVIT, AND OUR STAFF HELPS THEM THROUGH THAT AFFIDAVIT PROCESS.
THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS IS THE
[02:00:03]
KIND OF THE, UH, WE OVERSEE AND MONITOR THE INVESTIGATION.OUR STAFF'S INVOLVED IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE INVESTIGATION BY THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION.
WE PARTICIPATE IN ALL THE INTERVIEWS WITH THE WITNESSES, WITH THE COMPLAINANT.
IF AN OFFICER IS INVI INTERVIEWED REGARDING A CASE, WE PARTICIPATE IN THOSE INTERVIEWS AS WELL.
THE LAST STEP IN THE PROCESS IS THE RECOMMENDATION STAGE.
SO AT THE COMPLETION OF THE INVESTIGATION, SOMEONE FROM OUR OFFICE WILL REACH OUT TO THE COMPLAINANT AND INFORM THEM OF THE DISPOSITION AND ONLY THE CHIEF OF POLICE CAN MAKE A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION IN TERMS OF A DISPOSITION.
UH, WHAT WE DO IN THE CLOSING PROCESS IS WE ADVISE THEM OF HOW THE INVESTIGATION WENT IN TERMS OF THE DISPOSITION WAS IT'S SUSTAINED UNSUSTAINED, UNFOUNDED.
UH, WE DO THAT WITH A PERSONAL PHONE CALL AND WE FOLLOWED UP WITH AN EMAIL.
AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN I CALL SOMEONE TO MAKE A CLOSEOUT, WHAT I WOULD DO IS I'D SAY, HEY, YOUR INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
WE PARTICIPATED IN WHATEVER INTERVIEWS WE PARTICIPATED IN.
AND LET'S SAY IF IT WAS A SUSTAINED COMPLAINT WHERE THERE WAS, UH, A FINDING OF WRONGDOING, WE LET THEM KNOW WE HAVE THE DISPOSITION OF THE CASE HAS BEEN SUSTAINED WITH THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE OFFICER.
AND WE ALSO ADVISED THEM IN TERMS OF HOW THEY CAN GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE COMPLAINT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMMISSION ASKED ABOUT IS HOW WE PROCESS ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS.
AND WE PROCESS ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS REALLY IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE PROCESS THE NON-ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS.
WE GIVE THEM THE SAME DILIGENCE IN TERMS OF WHEN IT COMES, COMES IN AS AN ANONYMOUS, I SEE THOSE AS WELL.
IT GOES THROUGH A PRELIMINARY REVIEW.
IF WE SEE THAT A POLICY VIOLATION HAS OCCURRED, WE'LL PUT IT THROUGH A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION WHERE WE'LL LOOK AT ANY BODY-WORN VIDEO OR ANY REPORTS THAT, UH, ARE, ARE IN THE POLICE SYSTEM RELATIVE TO THAT PARTICULAR CASE.
UH, MANY OF THE, OR IF THERE IS A VIOLATION, UH, RECOGNIZED BY OUR OFFICE, WE WILL DO AN AFFIDAVIT, UH, BY CONTRACT IN ORDER FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INVESTIGATE AN ANONYMOUS COMPLAINT.
IT HAS TO HAVE A SWORN AFFIDAVIT.
THE ANONYMOUS HAVE TO HAVE A SWORN AFFIDAVIT WHERE THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT IS THE AFF ON THAT AFFIDAVIT.
SO WE SERVE AS THE AFFIANT, UH, SOMEONE FROM OUR, FROM OUR STAFF, AND THEN WE'LL SEND IT OVER TO THE, OFF TO THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION SO THEY CAN CONDUCT THEIR INVESTIGATION.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE TREAT THE, THE ANONYMOUS COMPLAINT WITH THE SAME DILIGENCE THAT WE TREAT THE NON-ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS.
ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES THE, UH, PROCESS SECTION OF OUR, UH, PRESENTATION.
NOW WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE MEAT OF OUR PRESENTATION, WHICH IS OUR ANNUAL REPORT, AND I AM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST WAY FOR US TO PROCEED IS.
YEAH, BECAUSE WE ARE AT 6 0 5 MM-HMM
UM, AND I KNOW WE ASKED FOR THIS ANNUAL REPORT.
I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TIME TO REVIEW IT
UM, AND I FEEL REALLY, REALLY BAD QUESTION.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS ANSWERING ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WE SET FORTH.
UM, I THINK WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GONNA GIVE COMMISSIONERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS ON WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE PRESENTED TO DATE, UM, SO FAR.
UM, AND I'M GONNA ASK EVERYBODY TO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE ANNUAL REPORT.
WE WILL, I'M MEETING WITH GAIL LATER THIS WEEK.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW TO DO THIS.
UM, UH, YEAH, SO I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO QUESTIONS TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT.
UM, I'LL START WITH A QUICK ONE, WHICH IS JUST, UM, I'VE NOTICED SOME NUANCE BOTH IN THE ANNUAL REPORT AND IN THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU JUST USED.
UM, THAT IMPLIES THAT THE COMPLAINANTS DECIDE HAVE THE ULTIMATE DECISION WITH REGARDS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY GET AN INVESTIGATION.
UM, THERE WAS LANGUAGE HERE THAT SAID, UM, UH, IN THE, THERE WAS LANGUAGE HERE, OPO WILL ATTEMPT TO COM.
UH, THERE WAS LANGUAGE HERE THAT IN THAT, SO THAT BASICALLY THE COMPLAINANT IS THE ONE THAT DECIDES WHETHER OR NOT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE INVESTIGATION.
IS THAT CORRECT? WITH A FORMAL INVESTIGATION? WITH A FORMAL INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION, WE DO A PRELIMINARY REVIEW AND A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT COME INTO OUR OFFICE.
AND IF I MAY ADD, THE REASON WE DO THAT IS BECAUSE SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS WE HAVE, COMPLAINANTS DON'T WANT A FORMAL INVESTIGATION.
THEY JUST WANT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE AWARE THAT THE INCIDENT HAPPENED.
THEY NEVER WANT ANYONE TO CALL 'EM, THEY JUST WANT IT TO BE ON RECORD AND WE HONOR THEIR REQUEST BY DOING THAT.
SOME COMPLAINANTS WANT A SUPERVISE A REFERRAL, AND THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM A FORMAL
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INVESTIGATION WITH AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION.IF THEY ASK FOR A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL, IT'S JUST THAT THE OFFICER OR THE MEMBER IN WHICH THEY CAME IN CONTACT WITH, WE NOTIFY THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION THAT THE COMPLAINANT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT SPECIFIC OFFICER'S SUPERVISOR SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THEIR COMPLAINT TO GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND TO VET WHATEVER THEIR ISSUE IS WITH THE SUPERVISOR.
SO WE HONOR THEIR REQUEST FOR SUPERVISOR REFERRAL, AND THOSE ARE BOTH DIFFERENT FROM A FORMAL INVESTIGATION.
UM, I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, UM, I, SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH MY PHONE AND I'LL, I CALL AT AND T AND I WANNA COMPLAIN ABOUT MY PHONE AND I WANNA SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR, RIGHT? THAT IS A VERY NATURAL SORT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTED WISH.
UM, DO THE COMPLAINANTS UNDERSTAND THAT A SUPERVISORY, AND IS IT EXPLAINED TO THEM EXPLICITLY THAT A REQUEST FOR A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL MEANS THERE WILL BE NO INVESTIGATION? YES.
WE, WE, WE, WE EXPLAIN TO THEM IN GREAT DETAIL THAT A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL, IT WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE SUPERVISOR TO CONTACT THEM.
AND WE EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT THE SUPERVISOR, INSTEAD OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, WILL INVESTIGATE OR REVIEW ANY MISCONDUCT ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICER.
SO WHILE, WHILE THEY DO UNDERSTAND, OR WE DO ARTICULATE TO THEM THAT THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT WILL NOT BE INVESTIGATING THEIR SPECIFIC COMPLAINT, THE SUPERVISOR SHOULD HAVE THE AUTHORITY, THE ROLE, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK INTO THEIR ALLEGATIONS TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THEY HAVE.
THEY'VE GOT THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT THE BODY WORN CAMERA, UH, AND, AND, AND COMMUNICATE WITH THEM ACTUALLY IN MORE DETAIL IN A WAY IN WHICH WE CANNOT.
AND THEN WE ALSO ADVISE THEM, THE SUPERVISOR REFERRAL PROCESS HAS A TOUCHBACK WITH US.
SO AT THE END OF THE SUPERVISOR REFERRAL, THE WAY APDS POLICIES WORK, AFTER THE SUPERVISOR HAS CONTACTED A COMPLAINANT, THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT A DOCUMENT TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS TO LET INTERNAL AFFAIRS KNOW WE'VE COMPLETED THIS SUPERVISOR REFERRAL TO CLOSE OUT THE CASE.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS NOTIFIES OUR OFFICE.
THE SUPERVISOR HAS CONTACTED THEM.
SO WE WRAP AROUND AND WE RECONTACT THE COMPLAINANT TO AFFIRM THAT THAT COMMUNICATION HAS HAD, WAS HAD.
AND THEY'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO VET OR TO HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH THE SUPERVISOR AND JUST FOR EVERYBODY WATCHING ALONG AT HOME AND FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS AS WELL THAT HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE ANNUAL REPORT.
THE REASON I ASK THIS QUESTION ABOUT SUPERVISOR REFERRALS IS BECAUSE BY AND LARGE, THE MAJORITY OF RESULTS THAT COME OUT OF OPO COMPLAINTS ARE SUPERVISOR REFERRALS.
UM, AND MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS THAT BECAUSE I WANNA TALK TO A SUPERVISOR, END UP NOT GETTING INVESTIGATED AND TALLIED AND GET THE SAME KIND OF RIGOR, UM, THAT A, UH, A COMPLAINTS INVESTIGATION WOULD GET.
AND SO I, I, I GUESS I WANNA KNOW THAT THERE, THERE, THERE ARE RED FLAGS THAT THE, THAT THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT HAS.
WHERE ARE, ARE THERE INSTANCES WHERE LIKE THAT, THAT IS INVESTIGATED LIKE THAT, IS THERE A RED FLAG THAT BUMPS SOME SUPERVISOR REFERRALS TO A DIFFERENT CATEGORY SO THAT IT CAN GET PRIORITIZED? I MEAN, LY THEN WHEN THOSE CLOSEOUT, WHEN THOSE CLOSEOUT MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING, WHAT IN, LIKE, ARE THEY GETTING TO SEE THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE? LIKE ARE THEY GETTING TO SEE ALL OF THE SAME THINGS THAT PEOPLE THAT SUBMIT A COMPLAINT, UM, LIKE ARE THEY GETTING TO SEE ALL THE SAME DATA? LIKE ARE THEY GETTING THE SAME KIND OF RESOLUTION FROM THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT? SO WHAT I WILL SAY, TO ANSWER YOUR, YOUR FIRST QUESTION, IF WE ARE IDENTIFYING A ALLEGATION THAT IS CONSIDERED VERY SEVERE, UH, UH, EGREGIOUS, UH, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO BACK TO A PD AND ALLOW FOR THAT INTERNAL COMPLAINT TO BE FILED, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION BY IA.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE DO ACTUALLY WANNA RESPECT THE, UH, COMPLAINANT'S REQUEST TO HAVE A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL.
BUT AGAIN, IF WE ARE IDENTIFYING BEHAVIOR THAT WE BELIEVE TO BE EGREGIOUS, UH, AND THAT RE THAT WE BELIEVE REQUIRES A INTERNAL INVESTIGATION BY INTERNAL AFFAIRS, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, MAKE THAT REQUEST THROUGH A PD AND THEN THEY CAN, UM, DO AN, UH, INVESTIGATION FROM THERE.
UH, IN TERMS OF, UM, COMPLAINANTS HAVING THE ABILITY TO, TO LOOK AT BODY-WORN CAM AND SEE THE SAME THINGS THAT
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WE ARE SEEING AS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PUBLIC INFORMATION RE REQUEST TO HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, THAT, THAT LEVEL OF DOCUMENT, AS KEVIN HAS NOTED THAT WHEN WE ARE FOLLOWING BACK UP WITH THE COMPLAINANT, WE ARE PROVIDING THEM A SUMMARY OF WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THE DISPOSITION OF THAT PROCESS IS.WE ARE NOT HANDING OVER ANY, UH, INVESTIGATIVE EVIDENCE OR DOCUMENTS TO THE COMPLAINANT.
IF THAT'S YOUR, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY.
YEAH, YOU'RE UNDERSTANDING MY QUE YEAH, I DON'T LIKE THE ANSWER.
UM, I FEEL LIKE SEEING EVIDENCE AS A COMPLAINANT IS PART OF MY RESOLUTION PROCESS, UM, MORE SO THAN I WANNA TALK TO A SUPERVISOR.
UM, SEEING LIKE THAT, THAT, THAT SEEMS LIKE A HUGE PART OF CLOSING, CLOSING A LOOP.
SO, UM, I DON'T THINK I LIKE THAT ANSWER.
I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE YOU WITH THAT
IF I, YOU HAD A COMPONENT OF YOUR STATEMENT WHERE YOU INQUIRED ABOUT, WELL, WHAT IF THERE'S NOT DILIGENCE ON THAT SUPERVISOR LEVEL? WE DO HAVE, AND WE HAVE HAD OCCASIONS WHERE WHEN WE, LIKE I SAY AFTER THE SUP, AFTER WE'VE NOTIFIED THAT A SUPERVISOR IS CONTACTED, WE RECONTACT A COMPLAINANT AND WE'VE HAD CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE WE'VE CONTACTED THE COMPLAINANT AND WE DIDN'T FEEL THAT THE SUPERVISOR DID THEIR DILIGENCE.
SO WE ACTUALLY ESCALATED IT UP TO A LIEUTENANT TO, TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER.
AND WE'VE HAD INSTANCES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE REQUESTED, UH, AN SR AND TO THE DIRECTOR'S POINT, WE RECOGNIZE THIS IS PRETTY EGREGIOUS AND WE'VE BUMPED IT UP TO THE, TO A FORMAL, AND WE'VE HAD OCCASIONS WHERE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED AN SR AND THEY SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, THIS IS TOO EGREGIOUS.
AND SO THEY IT, AND THEY INCREASED IT TO AN ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATION.
SO I THINK WE TRY TO HONOR THE REQUEST OF THE COMPLAINANT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN THERE'S SOMETHING THAT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT EGREGIOUS TO US, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO, AND WE DO BUMP IT UP TO A FORMAL INVESTIGATION.
I'M GONNA LET COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION, AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ADJOURN BECAUSE I, EVERYBODY'S CLOSING UP BECAUSE THERE IS A COMMISSION MEETING THAT HAPPENS AFTER US.
SO I APOLOGIZE, COMMISSIONER, UM, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR MR. MASTERS, UM, WHO I UNDERSTAND IS RELATIVELY NEW TO THE OFFICE, OR IS THAT NOT TRUE? I'VE BEEN THERE A LITTLE OVER A YEAR.
UM, I, UM, THINK I LOOKED YOU UP ON LINKEDIN.
I JUST WANNA CONFIRM, UM, UH, ARE, ARE YOU THE KEVIN MASTERS WHO WAS A POLICE OFFICER WITH THE KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR 27 YEARS? I DO HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY BACKGROUND, YES, MA'AM.
UM, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT IT DEEPLY CONCERNS ME THAT WE'VE PUT A RETIRED POLICE OFFICER IN CHARGE OF TAKING COMPLAINTS FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT POLICE.
AND WITH THAT, UM, AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE, HAVE THEM, CAN WE HAVE THEM COME BACK? I'M FEELING A LOT OF TENSION THROUGH THIS.
WE HAVE, WE, WE, WE ARE DEFINITELY GONNA HAVE MORE.
I FEEL LIKE THIS HAPPENS WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
THERE'S, I THINK WE COULD HAVE AN ENTIRE MEETING DEDICATED, UM, TO JUST TALKING ABOUT YOU GUYS.
SO WE'RE GONNA DEFINITELY HAVE YOU BACK.
I'M HAVING A FOLLOW UP MEETING WITH, UM, DIRECTOR MCGANT LATER THIS WEEK SO WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A BETTER OUTLINE SO THAT WE CAN TALK THROUGH ALL THIS STUFF.
UM, IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS, PLEASE FORWARD THEM OVER SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE TO ACCOUNT FOR THEM IN OUR NEXT PRESENTATION AND WHEN I MEET WITH HER.
CAN I SEE JUST ONE THING REAL QUICK.
WE'RE HAVING AN EVENT NEXT SATURDAY.
TO SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT OUR COMPLAINTS PROCESS AND ADDRESS QUESTIONS.
WE'VE HEARD COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT THEY HAVE QUESTIONS.
WE WANT TO ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS DIRECTLY.
WE WANNA BE TRANSPARENT AND THERE'S SO MUCH MISUNDERSTANDING.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY, WE HAVE AN EFFORT TO DO THAT NEXT SATURDAY AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, 10:00 AM PLEASE JOIN US.
I ACTUALLY HOPE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WILL JOIN US.
UM, I SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU GUYS VIA EMAIL, BUT I REALLY HOPE YOU, EVERYONE WHO'S LISTENING TO THIS MEETING WILL COME OUT AND LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
ALL OF OUR STAFF WILL BE THERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR WORK.
AND WITH THAT, EVERYBODY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UM, APOLOGIES ONCE AGAIN, EVERYBODY BE SAFE OUT THERE.
AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.