[CALL TO ORDER ]
[00:00:02]
WAITING FOR THE COMMISSION, THE COMMUNITY POLICE WILL REVIEW COMMISSIONED TODAY'S FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH.
IT IS 3:03 PM AND I'LL START WITH ROLL CALL.
AND MYSELF, VICE CHAIR, UH, ACTING CHAIR, COMMISSIONER FRANCO.
UH, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR EXECUTIVE MEETING, I BELIEVE, AND THEN MOVE FORWARD TO OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS, WHICHEVER ONE YOU WANNA DO.
FIRST, LET'S GO AHEAD WITH THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS THEN, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
UH, RYAN, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? OKAY, MR. PETER HUNT.
UH, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, UH, OPEN, UH, FLOOR.
NOW, COMMISSIONERS, I REMIND YOU WE'RE NOT TO, UM, PROVIDE COMMENTS THAT IS GONNA BE HELD UNTIL AFTER THE MEETING.
THAT IS HOW THIS MEETINGS ARE HELD.
SO PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, NOTE THEM DOWN, WE'LL ADDRESS TO THE NEXT AGENDA.
UH, SO THANK YOU MR. PETER, YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE FLOOR? YEAH, I HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION BEFOREHAND.
I WANNA SPEAK ON TWO ITEMS. I THINK I'LL BE ABLE TO CONDENSE ALL OF MY COMMENTS INTO THREE MINUTES, BUT IT IS THREE MINUTES TOTAL, NOT THREE MINUTES PER ITEM.
IS THAT CORRECT? IS ARE WE DOING SPEAKING ON ITEMS RIGHT NOW, OR DO YOU WANNA DO THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS? NOT ON THE AGENDA.
THE, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING, THE GENERAL COMMENT, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE ITEMS. OKAY.
WELL, I, I, BUT THERE ARE TWO SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON.
SO IN THAT CASE, WOULD IT BE BEST IF I THEN RETURN FOR THOSE ITEMS INSTEAD OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
NEXT WE HAVE MARY ELIZABETH, I BELIEVE SHE'S ALSO SPEAKING ON ITEMS. OKAY.
SPEAKING ON PARTICULAR ITEMS. OKAY.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION ]
AND I MOVE, MOVE ON TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSE SESSION TO TAKE UP ONE.
A COUPLE OF ITEMS NOW PURSUANT TO THE SECTION 5 51 0.07, ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE, WE WILL DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES.
UH, DO I CONTINUE ON WITH THE SCRIPT RELATED TO E ONE DISCUSSION OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION UNDER CHAPTER TWO, ONE CITY BOARDS AND CHAPTER TWO 15, POLICE OVERSIGHT OF THE CITY CODE.
THIS IS A PRIVATE CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL AS PER SECTION 5 51 0.07, ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO, TO GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEM ANNOUNCED? NO.
THE COMMISSION WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, CLOSED SESSION.
WE DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO ITEM E ONE.
WE WILL NOW PROCEED WITH THE REST OF THE AGENDA.
UH, SO I BELIEVE WE LEFT OFF WITH OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
SO MR. PETER HUNT? I'M SORRY, BOTH.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
YOU.SO NOW MOVING FORWARD TO OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES, UH, APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON AUGUST 15TH, 2025.
IF I COULD HAVE A FIRST MOTION ON THE FLOOR, I MOTION TO APPROVE THE MEETING.
I MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
[00:05:01]
A SHOW OF HANDS FOR APPROVAL.UH, NEXT ON OUR DISCUSSION OF ITEMS IS,
[2. Approval of recommendation related to the proactive release of redacted body-worn camera (BWC) footage from ICE-Related protests in June 2025. ]
I'M SORRY, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE ACTION ITEMS. NUMBER TWO, APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO THE PROACTIVE RELEASE OF REDACTED BODY-WORN CAMERA FOOTAGE FROM ICE RELATED PROTESTS IN JUNE, 2025.I BELIEVE THE ATTACHMENT IS INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA POSTING AS WELL AS EVERY COMMISSIONER.
THIS IS AN AGENDA ITEM THAT HAS BEEN CIRCULATING FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
NOW WE HAVE A CHANCE NOW TO FINALLY MAKE, UM, A VOTE.
SO IT IS, I NOW OPEN IT TO DISCUSSION.
UH, SO YEAH, THIS HAS BEEN, UH, HERE FOR A COUPLE MONTHS NOW.
BASICALLY, IT'S THE PROACTIVE RELEASE OF, UM, BODY WARM CAMERAS.
UH, THE DRAFT IS HERE, UH, WITHOUT GETTING INTO TOO MANY DETAILS, IT'S, IT'S ASKING A PD TO PROACTIVELY RELEASE, UM, BODY-WORN CAMERA FOOTAGE OF, UM, THE PROTEST THAT HAPPENED.
WHAT WAS IT IN JUNE? I CAN'T REMEMBER AT THIS POINT.
UM, WAS IT JUNE? DOES IT SAY, SORRY, THIS HAS BEEN, THIS HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR THREE MONTHS NOW.
SO, UM, IT WOULD BE THAT THE IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT ENFORCEMENT PROTESTS THAT OCCURRED, AND IT WOULD BE ASKING A PD TO PROACTIVELY RELEASE THAT FOOTAGE, UH, ONLINE WITH PROPER REDACTIONS ACCORDING TO THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.
THAT'S BASICALLY GIVE, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO INVENT OUR OWN FRAMEWORK, WE JUST SAY, HEY, FOLLOW THE TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.
IT'S, THINK OF IT KIND OF LIKE A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
UM, BUT IT ISN'T, IT'S A RECOMMENDATION COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION.
AND, UM, IT ALLOWED THE PUBLIC TO SEE FROM THEMSELVES IF, UH, OFFICERS, UM, MADE LAWFUL ARREST OR UNLAWFUL ARREST.
AND, UH, I, I SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS ALREADY, IT IS JUST FOR THE ARRESTS, NOT THE WHOLE PROTEST, JUST FOR THE ARRESTS MADE IN THOSE PROTESTS.
WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THIS RESOLUTION? THAT WAS ME.
HAS THE RESOLUTION BEEN REVIEWED BY A LEGAL? UH, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.
I DO REMEMBER SOME DISCUSSIONS LAST, UH, COMMISSION ABOUT MM-HMM
UM, DOES LEGAL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? AND AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, THERE WERE NO QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHT IS WE CAN PASS IT.
THEY DON'T, IT'S A RECOMMENDATION.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW IT, YOU KNOW, AND IF THEY DON'T WANNA FOLLOW IT, THEY DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW IT.
IT'S UP TO YOU GUYS AT THIS POINT.
DOES ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER HAVE ANY FEEDBACK OPINION ON THIS RECOMMENDATION? THIS WILL BE PUT TO A VOTE.
UH, HAVE WE HEARD ANY, ANY, UH, OPPOSING, ANY, ANY SIDE OPPOSING IT, THE, THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF RELEASING THIS? I GUESS THE ANSWER'S NO.
I'LL MOTION TO, UH, PASS IT, I GUESS SECOND UP TO YOU GUYS.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND A SHOW OF HANDS FOR APPROVAL OF THE PASSING OF ACTION NUMBER, BEAR WITH ME.
ACTION ITEM NUMBER ONE, APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATION OF THE RELATED TO THE PROACTIVE RELEASE OF REDACTED BODY-WORN CAMERA FOOTAGE FROM ICE RELATED PROTESTS IN JUNE, 2025.
THIS IS ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO.
SHOW OF HANDS FOR THOSE WHO APPROVE THE PASSING OF THIS ACTION ITEM.
OKAY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE SIX WITH, UM, ANY COMMISSIONERS ABSTAINING.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CARLOS.
A APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO ACCESS TO CASE FILES UNDER CITY CODE.
IT'S BEEN KNOWN TO THE COMMISSION THAT WE'VE HAD DIFFICULTY HAVING ACCESS TO THESE FILES, WHICH IS PART OF OUR FUNCTION.
UM, SO, AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN DEBATED AMONG INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS OF HOW CAN WE MOVE FORWARD? A LOT OF US WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS SPOUSE THAT IS PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO I OPEN THE FLOOR NOW, SO I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE SPEAKING TO ANYBODY HAVING ANY INPUTS REGARDING
[00:10:01]
THIS ACTION ITEM.IF I COULD JUST INTERRUPT, UH, WE HAVE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HERE WHO HAD SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON NUMBER TWO.
UM, SO MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT YOU ALLOW HIM TO SPEAK AND THEN, UM, RE-VOTE ON THAT ITEM.
AND THE SAME GOES FOR WHEN WE GET TO NUMBER NINE.
MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT YOU CALL THE SPEAKER BEFORE THEY, UH, BEFORE YOU VOTE, I THINK WHEN YOU, YOU NEIL.
SO NOW, UH, FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, MR. PETER HUNT, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO APPROACH REGARDING ITEM NUMBER TWO IN OUR AGENDA.
I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION.
UM, BASED ON THE CONVERSATION THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED, IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M SPEAKING TO A FAIRLY AMENABLE GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I WANTED TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS ACTION ITEM.
UH, I'VE BEEN GLAD TO SEE IT ON THE AGENDA SEVERAL TIMES, AND I'M GLAD THAT IT'S FINALLY COMING TO AN ACTION ITEM.
UM, THE PROACTIVE RELEASE OF BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE, UH, FOSTERS A CULTURE OF TRANSPARENCY AND HELPS BUILD TRUST WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS IS A GOOD PRACTICE AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE COMMISSION, UM, HAS TAKEN UP A RECOMMENDATION TO A PD ON THIS ACCOUNT.
UM, AND I WOULD THEREFORE ENCOURAGE, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM.
AND, UH, ALSO WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SIMILAR ITEMS, UH, WHEN IT'S RELEVANT IN THE FUTURE.
THAT WAS THE COMMENT THAT I WANTED TO MAKE ON THIS ITEM.
DO YOU YIELD THE REST OF YOUR TIME? I YIELD THE REMAINDER OF MY TIME, YES.
I THINK FOR NOW, MOVING ON TO AGAIN, ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO, THE APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO ACCESS TO CASE FILES UNDER CITY CODE.
UH, WE'VE HEARD A PUBLIC, UH, COMMENT, SO THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP AND BEING HERE.
NOW I OPEN THE FLOOR TO COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU WILL HAVE ANY INPUT, ANY THOUGHTS.
THIS IS THE TIME THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DISCUSS IT AS PART OF OUR OPEN MEETING.
SO WHEN YOU SAY, UH, SO WHEN YOU SAY APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO, TO ACCESS THE CASE FILES UNDER CITY CODE, ARE WE, UH, WE'RE APPROVING, UH, I APOLOGIZE.
UH, WE WE'RE APPROVING A SPECIFIC, ARE WE LOOKING AT A CASE THAT WE WANT TO, ARE WE CHOOSING A CASE AT THIS TIME, OR ARE WE JUST, I'M SORRY, I'M A LITTLE UNCLEAR ON, ON, COULD I GIVE YOU SOME CLARIFICATION ON THIS? UH, ACTION ITEM, COMMISSIONER.
CHRIS, DID YOU WANNA YEAH, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, I COULD BE WRONG.
WE'RE ON, UM, ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO.
UH, APPROVAL RECOMMENDATION RELATED.
IS IS THAT WHERE WE'RE AT? CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, I THINK, I BELIEVE WE MIGHT TOLD WE HAVE TO RE VOTE ON TWO VOTE ON NOW THAT WE HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO THEN, UH, IF WE'RE STILL IN DISCUSSION, THEN I STILL HAVE SOMETHING, THEN I STILL HAVE AN ITEM.
UM, WHEN WE SAY THAT RELEASE, WE WE'RE RELEASING THE, THE, THE REDACT THE FOOTAGE TO WHOM IT WOULD BE THE PUBLIC OKAY.
IT'S GONNA BE ON A WEBSITE, AND IT ALSO ASKS A PD TO, UM, I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT LANGUAGE.
I'D HAVE TO READ IT, BUT IF IT'S, I UNDERSTAND.
WELL, I'LL DO A MOTION TO, UM, WOW, WE NEED COFFEE.
UM, A MOTION TO, UM, PASS ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO.
I SECOND THE MOTION TO APPROVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO, A SHOW OF HANDS FOR APPROVAL.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CARLOS.
UH, WITH THAT WE HAVE PASSED THE APPROVAL OF ACTION.
I, ITEM NUMBER TWO, I APOLOGIZE.
[3. Approval of recommendation related to access to case files under City Code. ]
NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE, A APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO ACCESS TO CASE FILES UNDER CITY CODE.NOW, AS WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST, WE STILL DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO CASE FILES.
WE'VE UNDERGONE SOME TRAINING, WE'VE SEEN SOME FILES IN THE PAST.
UM, I THINK IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'VE RECEIVED NOW A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE CASES THAT WE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO.
UM, I THINK THIS IS, THIS GOES A LOT WITH OPIOID BEING ABLE TO, UM, GIVE US THESE FILES.
AND SO THE, THE REASON FOR AN ACTION ITEM, UH, IS TO ENSURE THAT AS A COMMISSION THAT WE DO WANT ACCESS TO CASE FILES.
IT'S, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SET IN STONE REGARDING WHICH PARTICULAR CASES.
WE JUST GOT A SUMMARY OF CASES TO REVIEW.
SO WITH THE WORKING GROUP, THAT WILL GO ALONG THEM, WE'LL PASS ALONG BASED ON, UM, OUR WORKFLOW THAT WE PASSED A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO.
SO THIS APPROVAL RECOMMENDATION IS JUST TO BE ABLE TO PASS IT ON TO, UM, IF IT'S OPO INTERNAL AFFAIRS, UH, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT HOW THOSE MOVEMENTS GO, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT WE ARE REQUESTING THESE CASE FILES TO, FOR US TO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE FILES RATHER THAN JUST, WE EXPECT TO HAVE CASES.
[00:15:01]
THAT'S THE REASON WHY THIS ACTION ITEM IS HERE.AND I'LL START BY ASKING, I, TO ME, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS ALREADY BY LAW A RIGHT OF THE COMMISSION, SO I'M JUST CONFUSED ABOUT THE RE THE, THE NEED FOR REQUESTING IT.
WHERE IS THE, UM, SUMMARY OF CASES PRESENT? WAS IT HANDED OUT RIGHT HERE IN YOUR HAND? YEAH, YOU WERE, WE JUST RECEIVED THEM TODAY.
THAT'S JUST A LIST OF THE PRESENT ONES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WE COULD, THERE'S BE A CONSTANT FLOW OF CASES MADE AVAILABLE TO US, AND WE WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO PICK AND DECIDE WHICH ONES WE WANT TO REVIEW AND, AND REQUEST THEM FROM OPO, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO AT THIS POINT, ALL WE'VE RECEIVED, AND THIS IS FOR PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY, WE'VE JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED A LIST OF CASE SUMMARIES, WHICH WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS FOR A WHILE.
SO WE'RE JUST NOW ABLE TO FORMALLY REQUEST CASE FILES.
SO BECAUSE THIS IS A NEW COMMISSION, WE'RE STILL LEARNING TO NAVIGATE ALL OF THESE REGULATIONS.
THE REASON FOR THIS IS SO THAT WE ENSURE THERE'S SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT SAYS, HEY, WE ARE REQUESTING THESE CASE FILES.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADMINISTRATIVE SETBACKS AS WE'RE TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR LIAISONS, UM, AND OPO AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS TO RECEIVE ACCESS TO THESE CASE FILES AS NEW LEGISLATIONS GO AROUND.
UM, THINGS ABOUT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT'S THE REASON FOR THIS ACTION ITEM.
WERE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, DISCUSSIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? YES.
I PERSONALLY LIKE THIS ACTION ITEM.
UM, I, I THINK THAT IN THE NAME OF, OF, OF PRODUCTIVITY, AND IF THIS ENCOURAGES OUR PRODUCTIVITY, I'M ALL FOR IT.
UM, THE RECOMMENDATION, IS IT A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION THAT HAS BEEN PRINTED OUT? UM, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
LIKE WHAT IS THE I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET.
SO THIS, UH, AS AN ACTION ITEM, UM, THERE IS NO RECOMMENDATION DRAFTED YET.
UH, BUT THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GATHER TOGETHER INDIVIDUALLY TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE GET ACCESS.
SO WHEN IT, AS WE'RE FINDING OUT A LOT OF THIS, AND WE, A NEW COMMISSION, NEW COMMISSIONERS, A LOT OF IT IS CROSS R TS DOT ARISE.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF DOCUMENT AS A COMMISSION AS WE STAND TOGETHER THAT SAYS, HEY, WE WANT ACCESS TO THESE CASE FILES TO SUPPLEMENT.
WE SHOULD HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN THESE CASE FILES AS PER CITY CODE.
NOW, HERE IS AN ACTUAL FORMAL RECOMMENDATION LETTER THAT SAYS, HEY, WE ARE REQUESTING THESE CASE FILES.
NOW THAT WE HAVE A CASE SUMMARY, WE ARE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHICH CASES ARE WE TACKLING FIRST.
NOW THAT THERE'S A HIERARCHY, I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, HOW WE'LL BE ABLE TO CATEGORIZE THE WORKING GROUP, THE TYPES OF CASES WE'LL BE ADDRESSING, BUT FOR US TO ACTUALLY GET STARTED ON SOME OF THESE CASES.
SO WHAT, WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION, I GUESS, IS THERE LANGUAGE? IS SOMEONE GOING TO, ARE WE GONNA PUT IT IN A FORM OF A MOTION? WHO IS IT DIRECTED TO? NO, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE REC, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE RECOMMENDATION HAS NOT BEEN DRAWN UP YET.
THIS WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION THAT, THAT MAYBE ONE OF US WOULD DRAW UP, AND THEN WE WOULD DECIDE ON IT.
WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DECIDE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE ON IT IN THIS MEETING.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS, UM, AND IT WOULD BE, UH, JUST, UH, IT WOULD JUST BE A WRITTEN REQUEST THAT WOULD BE DRAWN UP.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE APPROVING DRAFTING A RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO ACCESS TO CASE FILES UNDER THE CITY CODE? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
SO IN ONE OF OUR UPCOMING ACTION ITEMS, UH, SELECTIVE NEW COMMISSIONERS AND FILLING CURRENT VACANCIES, I'M THE VICE CHAIR ACTING AS CHAIR.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT OPEN POSITION.
UM, AND SO MOVING FORWARD, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CROSSING OUR T'S THAT IN OUR, IS INTO HOW ARE WE GOING TO FUNCTION AS A COMMISSION.
AND IF IT MEANS GETTING A LETTER DRAFTED AND SENT OUT FIRST AS WE'RE FIRST DISCUSSING IT HERE AS A GROUP, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I HOPE THAT THIS ACTION BRINGS FOR US TO DRAFT THE RECOMMENDATION SO THAT NEXT MEETING WE CAN PRESENT, SAY, HEY, WHATEVER THE CASE, THE PROCESS IS, WE ALSO HAVE A LETTER RIGHT NOW SAYING, WE ARE REQUESTING THIS.
AND IT'S SHARED WITH THE, WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC.
I WOULD SAY, DUE TO NEW INFORMATION THAT WE LEARNED IN CLOSED SESSION, THAT WE MAY NEED TO GO BACK INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION NEXT MEETING AND DELIBERATE FURTHER ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
BECAUSE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE HOW ARE WE GONNA TRIAGE THESE CASES WITHOUT THE NEW INFORMATION THAT WE WERE GIVEN? AND THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY SUBSTANTIAL.
AS IN, ARE WE GONNA ASK FOR ALL CASES OR SELECT CASES? AND HOW DO WE GO ABOUT THAT SELECTION NOW THAT WE HAVE NEW REQUIREMENTS?
[00:20:01]
AND THAT'S WHY I SAID WE NEED TO HAVE A CLOSED SESSION DISCUSSION.I GUESS THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT THE RECOMMENDATION PRESENTLY IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO DRAFT SOMETHING OFFICIALLY AND THEY WANT, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S ANONYMITY OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS POSSIBLE THAT WE AS A GROUP BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE DRAFT, WE SHOULD BE MAKING THE PROCESS AND PUT THE PROCESS.
WE'RE NOT VOTING ON HOW IT IS RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'RE VOTING ON WE GONNA DO THAT.
I, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S BASICALLY IT.
SO YEAH, I'M NOT SURE THERE'S A NEED TO GO.
WELL, I, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW OF HOW HOPE THAT THERE'S A, A, A MAJORITY OF VARIETY OF US THAT BELIEVES THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT OBLIGATION AND WE WANNA DO THIS, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LATER VOTE ON THE DETAILS ON HOW THAT'S DONE WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY'RE DRAFTED.
AND THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT, JUST LOOKING FORWARD THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY PLAN FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO GET THE, THE FIDELITY, UM, AT THE NEXT SESSION.
I'M NOT SAYING TABLE THIS, OKAY.
I'M JUST SAYING GOING FORWARD THAT WE JUST NEED TO BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND.
SO WITH THAT, UM, CHAIR, I'M WILLING TO, UH, MOTION THAT, UM, I'LL FIRST, I'LL FIRST IT, THIS ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UH, NOW IF I CAN GET A SHOW OF HANDS FOR APPROVAL OF ACTION.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO ACCESS TO CASE FILES UNDER CITY CODE.
NOW WE'RE, I, I AM MEANT TO LEAVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER FOUR, CONDUCT OFFICER ELECTIONS AS WE'RE GONNA BE ELECTING, NOMINATING, ELECTING A CHAIR, UH, TO THE END OF THE MEETING.
SO IT ALLOWS ME TO FINISH THROUGH THIS MEETING AND ALLOW THE NEW CHAIR TO TAKE ON OVER FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
[5. Selection of new commissioners appointed by the City Manager to fill current vacancies. ]
ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER FIVE, SELECTION OF NEW COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED BY THE CITY MANAGER TO FIELD CURRENT VACANCIES.UM, DO I NEED A FIRST MOTION? NO.
I BELIEVE, I THINK OPO IS GONNA HANDLE THIS ONE.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
UH, WE WILL BEGIN THE SELECTION PROCESS TO FILL THREE VACANT, UM, POSITIONS ON THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION.
WE HAVE SEVEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN SERVING ON THE BOARD.
THE FIRST THREE NAMES THAT ARE SELECTED WILL FILL THE VACANT POSITIONS.
UM, THE REMAINING FOUR APPLICANTS WILL SERVE AS ALTERNATES.
ALL SEVEN APPLICANTS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY THE CITY AUDITOR FOR APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY IN A ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 2 15 4 E.
IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION, IT IS A VOLUNTEER BOARD OF 11 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE SELECTED BY THE CITY MANAGER.
THE BOARD IS INDEPENDENT AND SEPARATE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I WILL NOW ROLL THE ROLLER RANDOMLY SELECTING ONE NAME.
I WILL HAND THE SELECTED NAME TO RYAN ALVAREZ, AND HE WILL ANNOUNCE THE NAME OF THE SELECTED COMMISSIONERS.
AFTER THE THREE VACANT SEATS ARE FILLED, WE WILL ANNOUNCE THE NAME OF THE FOUR ALTERNATES.
OUR FIRST IS GONNA BE HAROLD POWELL.
COMMISSIONERS DO NOT HAVE TO BE PRESENT.
AND OUR THIRD IS LEE PETERMAN.
[00:25:02]
OKAY.I'LL HAND THE OTHER FOUR BALLS TO RYAN AND THE, THE ADDITIONAL FOUR WILL BE NAMED.
AND THOSE WILL BE THE ALTERNATES? YES.
AND ALTERNATE NUMBER ONE, IT'S GONNA BE BOB FELTON.
ALTERNATE NUMBER TWO IS CELESTA WILLIAMS. ALTERNATE NUMBER THREE IS MARISSA JOHNSON.
AND ALTERNATE NUMBER FOUR IS THEREA BROWN.
SO THIS CONCLUDES THE CPRC SELECTION PROCESS.
SELECTED COMMISSIONERS AND ALTERNATES.
UM, WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL FROM THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, PROVIDING FOR THEM THE NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION? WILL ANY OF THESE ALTERNATES, LIKE IF WE ARE SHORT OF QUORUM, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO APPEAR FOR QUORUM? OR IS THAT THEY'RE SELECTED AFTER THE THREE PRIMARY? UM, THEY ARE SELECTED TO FILL ANY VACANT POSITIONS.
DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF HOW LONG THE ONBOARDING PROCESS IS? I AM, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE ONLINE TRAININGS THAT THE COMMISSION HAVE DONE WERE RECORDED.
SO IT, HOW LONG A TIMEFRAME DO WE EXPECT THE COMMISSIONERS TO BE, OR, YOU KNOW, ABLE TO SHOW UP AS COMMISSIONERS? I THINK THINK, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO COMPLETE THE TRAINING FOR THEM, SIR.
THEY CAN START THEIR ROLES IMMEDIATELY AND THEY DO NOT HAVE TO COMPLETE THE TRAINING IN ORDER TO START THEIR ROLES AS COMMISSIONERS.
IS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS ACTION ITEM? OKAY,
[6. Discussion of City Code provisions related to commission attendance requirements and vacancies, access to Office of Police Oversight case files and compliance, staff support and commission independence from the Office of Police Oversight, and staff liaisons and their responsibilities. ]
NOW I'LL BE MOVING OVER TO DISCUSSION ITEMS. THESE ARE THE LENGTHY ONES.DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION OF THE CITY CODE PROVISIONS RELATED TO COMMISSION, ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND VACANCIES, ACCESS TO OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT CASE FILES AND COMPLIANCE STAFF SUPPORT AND COMMISSION INDEPENDENCE FROM THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND STAFF LIAISONS AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.
UH, THIS IS A VERY LENGTHY ONE.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN TODAY'S MEETING.
THERE IS, I AM NOW THE ACTING CHAIR.
SO WE HAVE DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP.
WE ARE WORKING, UH, ALONGSIDE OPO AND LIAISONS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE GETTING STARTED.
THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS, I REQUESTED A LOT OF INFORMATION.
THEY HAVE NOW SINCE BEEN GIVEN ME MORE INFORMATION, MORE DETAILS AS WE SEE IN A COUPLE OF OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. BUT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONCERNS, UH, REGARDING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING ACCESS TO CASE FILES THAT WE'VE, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY WE HAVE AN ACTION ITEM, COMPLIANCE OF CITY CODE AS TO THE CITY CODE AS WE SHOULD HAVE HAD ACCESS TO THIS CASE.
UM, IN PARTICULAR, THE NUMBER, THE FIRST ONE, THE COMMISSION ATTEND THIS REQUIREMENTS IN VACANCIES WE'VE ADDRESSED IN SELECTION OF NEW COMMISSIONERS.
SO I APPRECIATE, UH, THE SPEEDY PROCESS OF GETTING THOSE NEW COMMISSIONER ROLES, UM, IN PLACE.
I REMIND THE COMMISSIONERS THAT IF, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EXECUTIVE SESSIONS, IF YOU ARE GOING TO SHOW UP AT AN ONLINE MEETING, IF YOUR VIDEO IS OFF, IF WE DO NOT HEAR YOUR, YOUR VOTE, UH, YOUR COUNTED ABSENT.
SO IF YOU HAVE THREE OR MORE ABSENCES BACK TO BACK, YOU'LL DISMISS FROM YOUR POSITION.
SO, UH, WHEN I CLARIFY THAT IS SOME OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE THESE OPENINGS THAT NOW HAVE BEEN FULFILLED.
SO I APPRECIATE OPO AND FOLLOWING UP WITH THAT.
UM, I NOW OPEN THE FLOOR TO ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS REGARDING THIS VERY LENGTHY ACTION ITEM.
I WOULD LIKE TO FIRST APPLAUD YOU FOR STEPPING INTO THIS ROLE, EVEN IF IT'S ONLY FOR THIS MEETING AND, UM, HANDLING THINGS AND GETTING ORGANIZED.
I THINK WE HAVE, UM, YOU'VE RUN A VERY EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT MEETING, AND I HOPE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE IN THAT ROLE.
I'D LIKE TO SECOND THAT I APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR ROLE AS CHAIR.
AND I WOULD, UH, HOPE THAT WHOEVER IS SELECTED AS COMMISSIONER, UM, LEANS ON YOU QUITE HEAVILY.
AND, UH, I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO RUN EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY GOING FORWARD.
'CAUSE THE CITIZENS DESERVE IT.
WHAT I SAY, I APPRECIATE THE NICE COMMENTS.
UM, IN REGARDS TO STAFF LIAISON RESPONSIBILITIES AND OTHER OF THE TOPICS IN THIS DISCUSSION ITEM, SOME OF 'EM WERE ADDRESSING EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY TOGETHER
[00:30:01]
IN, I THINK, UM, EARLY ON WE HAD A HARD TIME WORKING AS A COMMISSION.WE WERE IN NEW ROLES, UH, WORKING WITH OPO, WE, WORKING WITH OUR LIAISONS AND GETTING QUESTIONS FROM LEGAL.
I THINK NOW AS WE, AS WE'RE GETTING MORE SITUATED, UM, I THINK THINGS ARE GONNA MOVE FORWARD ALONG NICELY AS WE ARE GETTING SOME OF THIS INFORMATION AS WE CAN SEE IN OUR ITEMS. UM, AND WE'LL TACKLE ON SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
ARE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON DISCUSSION? ITEM NUMBER SIX? UH, YEAH, I, I'LL JUST SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY TRYING, UM, AND WORKING TOWARDS FULFILLING OUR ROLES.
IT'S JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF NUANCE AND DIFFERENT WALLS AS FAR AS HOW TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, IT'S NO SECRET THAT THE POLITICAL ALIGNMENTS BETWEEN STATE LEVEL THINGS AND LOCAL LEVEL THINGS CAN MAKE THIS A LITTLE DIFFICULT SOMETIMES WHEN ALL WE WANNA DO IS FULFILL OUR ROLES.
UM, BUT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY WORKING TOWARDS THAT.
OH, I DO WANNA COMMENT THAT THE ONE ITEM ABOUT INDEPENDENCE.
UM, EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN ADULT UNTIL THEY BECOME AN ADULT, AND THEN YOU WANT TO RUN BACK HOME TO MOM.
SO LET'S BE CAREFUL WHAT WE ASK FOR AT THE MOMENT.
BUT THAT SHOULD BE OUR GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH THAT INDEPENDENCE.
BUT I WOULD ASK THE PUBLIC TO ALLOW US TO GROW, LEARN, AND ADAPT UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT UNTIL THE RIGHT TIME COMES AND WE CAN GET THAT SEPARATION.
BUT INDEPENDENCE FROM OPO IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL, BUT WE HAVE TO CRAWL, WALK, AND THEN RUN.
SO WE HAVE TO BE ITERATIVE AND WE HAVE TO BE DELIBERATE.
AND I THINK THESE FUTURE MEETINGS AND THESE DISCUSSIONS ARE GETTING US THERE, BUT WE ARE NOT THERE YET.
AND SO I JUST ASK FOR GRACE FROM THE PUBLIC BECAUSE WE'RE STILL NEW.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS.
[7. Discussion of commission budget and resource allocation documents. ]
DISCUSSION.ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, DISCUSSION OF COMMISSION BUDGET AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION DOCUMENTS.
UM, I REQUESTED THESE BUDGET DOCUMENTS.
UH, MANY OF US MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT AS A COMMISSION.
WE'VE BEEN SPENDING SOME OF THESE THINGS IN THE PAST, SO WE HAVE NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THESE FILES.
UH, THE PRIMARY REASON FOR HAVING BROUGHT THIS UP FOR DISCUSSION IS, IS SOMETHING THAT I ADDED TO THE AGENDA IS FOR PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY.
SO THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE KNOWS WHERE WE STAND.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE MET WITH ME, UH, AS I'M ATTEMPT TO LEAD THIS COMMISSION AS VICE ACTING CHAIR, I HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY.
SO WHAT I KNOW I HAVE SHARED WITH THE COMMISSION, I WILL SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC.
UH, TRUST US WHEN WE TELL YOU THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING HARD AND TRYING TO GET THIS COMMISSION STARTED AND ASKING FOR THESE THINGS, WHICH IS WHY I'M ENSURING THAT WE'RE CROSSING OUR T'S DOTTING, UH, DOTTING OUR IS AS WE NEED TO.
SO THESE ARE THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 24, 20 25.
UM, I KNOW THESE, THERE'S A LOT OF LITTLE DETAILS IN THESE DOCUMENTS NOW.
IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT WE HAVE AN INCREASE IN OUR BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF, UH, DIRECTOR MAG WOULD LIKE COM COMMENT REGARDING THAT.
UM, THAT WILL BE IN THE FY 2026 BUDGET.
AND SO THERE WAS AN INCREASE TO ALLOW, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
I, I THINK THAT WAS SOME CONVERSATION RELATED TO TRAINING AND YOUR ABILITY TO, TO HAVE TRAINING.
AND BASED ON THAT CONVERSATION, AND THE BUDGET FOR THE CPRC WAS INCREASED FOR FFY 26 TO ALLOW FUNDING FOR TRAINING IF THE COMMISSIONER SO DESIRED.
I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, REGARDING CITY BUDGETS.
DO THE FUNDS ROLL OVER OR AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, UH, THE NEW BUDGET JUST GOES INTO EFFECT.
THE NEW BUDGET GOES INTO EFFECT.
AND WHEN DOES THE FYN? SEPTEMBER 30TH AND THEN A NEW FY STARTS OCTOBER ONE.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA SPEND THAT BUDGET.
REGARDING OUR BUDGET AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION DOCUMENTS, WE HAVE THE FUNDS FOR COMPUTER SUPPLIES FOR SOFTWARE TO HELP FACILITATE THE ACCESS OF CASE FILES.
UM, CAN OUR LIAISON SPEAK ON HOW WE CAN SPEND THESE FUNDS FOR THESE PROGRAMS? WHAT MEAN THAT WE MIGHT NEED REQUIRED? HOW DOES THAT FUNCTION WORK ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE OF OUR LIAISONS?
[00:35:03]
I'M, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.SO, UM, THE FUNDS THAT WERE ALLOCATED FOR COMPUTERS, UM, WE PROVIDED LAPTOPS, BRAND NEW LAPTOPS FOR ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, THAT'S WHERE THAT FUNDING WAS ALLOCATED FOR THOSE LAPTOPS.
YEAH, SO FOR SOFTWARE IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN THE PAST WE USED DROPBOX TO FACILITATE SOME OF THESE CASE FILES ACCESS, THAT NOW DROPBOX IS BEING PHASED OUT.
I KNOW THERE'S STOCKS OF DIFFERENT DRIVES OF THIS, OF THAT.
SO HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT IF IT'S A SOFTWARE RELATED ISSUE THAT WE'RE LACKING, DO WE NEED TO HAVE A, A RECOMMENDATION, A REQUEST? HOW THAT IS, HOW IS THAT BEING HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY, IT WOULD JUST BE A MATTER OF A REQUEST.
UH, AS YOU NOTED THAT, UH, THE INITIAL FILES WERE, UM, PROVIDED THROUGH DROPBOX, UH, WE ARE NOT GONNA BE USING THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THE, THE SUBSCRIPTION FOR THAT WAS TAKEN FROM THE, UM, CPRC BUDGET.
AND SO IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE REQUESTS, THAT WOULD JUST COME THROUGH ME AS THE DIRECTOR.
TYING THIS IN WITH OUR DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER SIX.
IS THIS A DECISION THAT THE COMMISSION MAKES ON HOW WE SPEND THE BUDGET? OR IS THIS AN ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUE THAT OUR LIAISONS WILL FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THIS FUNCTIONING AND WHAT SOFTWARE NEEDS TO BE PURCHASED? OR DOES IT NEED TO COME FROM US AS A COMMISSION
UH, IN TERMS OF, OF THE ASK, UH, JUST, JUST WANT THE COMMISSION TO, TO BE MINDFUL THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TAXPAYER FUNDING.
AND SO, UM, AS YOU MAKE THOSE REQUESTS, UH, ENSURING THAT, UH, THE REQUESTS ARE SOME, ARE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO DO THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION FOR THE PUBLIC, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS HOW DO WE OBTAIN THE THINGS WE DON'T KNOW WE NEED? IF THERE ARE, THERE ARE THOSE THINGS.
DO YOU HAVE, I ASSUME YOU, YOU HAVE SOME DISCRETION AND AUTHORITY TO MAKE CERTAIN PURCHASES.
IF WE IDENTIFY AND WE'LL BE COMMUNICATING THAT WITH YOU, IF WE IDENTIFY THAT THERE ARE SOME SOFTWARE NEEDED FOR YOU TO GET, WHATEVER THAT IS, I DRIVE THAT.
RIGHT? WE WOULD MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT AND MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE AMOUNT THAT WOULD BE TAKEN FROM THE CPRC BUDGET TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
ON THAT NOTE, HOW I'M LOOKING AT THE LINE ITEMS ON THE BUDGET, AND I DON'T SEE ANY DISCRETIONARY FUNDS.
SO IF WE WANTED TO HAVE LIKE A MEETING WITH THE PUBLIC OR ANY TYPE OF EVENT LIKE THAT, AND SOMETIMES I KNOW YOU ALL DO, HOW WOULD THAT GO ABOUT? AND MY OTHER QUESTION, WITH THE ADVERTISING PUBLICATION BUDGET, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO, UH, HIRE SOMEONE TO LIKE DO A FACEBOOK, UM, TYPE PAGE AND MAINTAIN THAT AND THINGS LIKE THAT UNDER THAT BUDGET? YEAH, SO WITHIN OUR OFFICE, WE HAVE A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.
AND SO IF YOU WERE HAVING SOME EVENT, OUR STAFF WOULD ENSURE THAT ALL THE PUBLICATION RELATED TO THAT WAS SENT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, IF THERE ARE EVENTS THAT YOU ARE WANTING TO HAVE, WE WOULD BE SCHEDULING THE VENUE AND, AND WORKING WITH THE COMMISSION TO DETERMINE WHERE THE VENUE WOULD BE LOCATED, UH, HOW WE WOULD, UH, PUBLICIZE THAT THROUGH OUR, OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.
AND THAT WOULD ALL COME OUT THE BUDGET, THAT WOULD ALL COME OUT AS CP C'S BUDGET.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS REGARDING OUR BUDGETS? IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING NOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY OF THESE REQUESTS.
WE WILL BE, HAVE TO BE SENT A REQUEST.
UH, THAT'S THE REASON FOR THIS MEETINGS, FOR THIS TRANSPARENCY, SO THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MOVE FORWARD.
WITHOUT ANY FURTHER COMMENTS, I'LL MOVE OVER TO
[8. Discussion of the May 31, 2025, officer-involved shooting. ]
DISCUSSION.ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, DISCUSSION OF THE MAY 31ST, 2025 OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION UNDER INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
AND WITH THAT, THAT SPEAKS TO OUR PROCESS OF HOW WE GET CASE FILES.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS IS STILL DOING THEIR FUNCTION, THEIR WORK.
IT THEN GOES ON TO OPO, IT THEN COMES TO US.
SO I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PRESSURE ABOUT ACCESSING CASE FILES.
UH, NOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, AN ACTUAL SUMMARY AND WORKFLOW OF CASE FILES, WE ARE ABLE TO ACCESS, UH, WE WILL, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REQUEST OTHER CASES.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS ONE, BECAUSE IT'S STILL UNDER INTERNAL AFFAIRS, WE'RE NOT REALLY ABLE TO DISCUSS IT.
WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THESE FILES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP AS AN ACTION ITEM.
I'M SORRY, A DISCUSSION ITEM TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
[00:40:01]
FILES.WE WILL GET TO THERE, UH, SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? NOW I OPEN THE FLOOR ON DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
I THINK IT, IT'S PROBABLY VERY OBVIOUS TO EVERYBODY THAT WE ARE NOT DOING ANY INVESTIGATION.
WE ARE JUST REVIEWING INVESTIGATION SO THAT UN UH, UNTIL THE PROPER IN, UH, INVESTIGATIONS ARE DONE, YOU CAN'T EXPECT THE CPC TO LOOK AT ANYTHING.
SO THAT'S JUST THE, THE NATURAL PROCESS.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, TO ENSURE HERE IS THAT AS SOON AS THOSE THINGS ARE AVAILABLE, WE ARE MADE, UH, KNOWN TO IT.
SO WE CAN ACTUALLY, UH, REVIEW THEM.
AND IF I MIGHT ADD, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK, OKAY, THIS HAPPENED IN MAY, WHY ISN'T THE INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED? A PORTION OF THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS IN IS INVESTIGATION IS ALSO WAITING ON THE SIU, THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT INVESTIGATION.
ALL OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS OR DEATH AND CUSTODIES ARE REFERRED TO THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
AND PROSECUTOR OFFICE REVIEW IS ALSO A COMPONENT OF THE INVESTIGATION.
SO GENERALLY THAT ALL CONTRIBUTES TO THE LAY.
IT'S NOT A, NOT A SIMPLE MATTER THAT INTERNAL AFFAIRS HAS TO TALK TO FOUR OR FIVE PEOPLE AND THEN INVESTIGATIONS COMPLETE IT.
IT GOES, THERE'S MULTIPLE STEPS IN THE PROCESS.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THOSE INVESTIGATIONS ARE DONE THOROUGHLY AND EVERY EYE IS DOTED BEFORE YOU EVEN TAKE A LOOK AT THEM.
SO, AND ALSO IN THE NAME OF TRANSPARENCY, NOT ONLY DO WE NOT HAVE THE CASE FILE, BUT OPO DOESN'T HAVE IT EITHER.
SO THE WE ARE NOT KEEPING ANYTHING FROM THE PUBLIC ON ANY SIDE.
IT'S STILL INTERNAL TO AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS, I WILL
[9. Discussion of 2025 Texas Legislative Session bills related to police oversight. ]
BE MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER NINE, DISCUSSION OF 2025 TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION BILLS RELATED TO POLICE OVERSIGHT.UM, I BELIEVE THIS IS IN DISCUSSION TO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS IT SENATE BILL? SENATE BILL EIGHT, UH, REGARDING SHERIFF'S, UH, AUTHORITY FOR IMMIGRATION AND TASK FORCE OF IMMIGRANT RELATED IMMIGRATION RELATED OVERSIGHT.
WE HAVE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SPEAK ON THAT.
UM, SO FOR ITEM NUMBER NINE, MR. PETER HUNTS, YOU SIGNED UP TO, UH, SPEAK ON THE COMMENTS, PLEASE? YES.
UM, I SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS PARTLY BECAUSE AS A MEMBER OF A JC, WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG WITH VARIOUS THINGS IN THE RECENT LEGISLATIVE AND SPECIAL SESSIONS.
UM, WE WERE PARTICULARLY FOLLOWING OF WHAT WAS EVENTUALLY HB 15, WHICH DID NOT PASS.
AND IT WAS A LITTLE UNCLEAR TO ME WHAT THIS DISCUSSION ITEM WAS COVERING, WHICH PIECES OF LEGISLATION WERE GOING TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, I CAN SPEAK QUITE EXTENSIVELY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT HB 15 AND WHAT WOULD THE IMPLICATIONS WOULD'VE BEEN, THAT MAY COME UP IN ANOTHER YEAR AND A HALF OR SO.
UM, AND CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
BUT, UH, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SPEAK ON.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS, UH, ITEM FOR DISCUSSION WAS BEING BROUGHT FORWARD REGARDING A DIFFERENT PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
PERHAPS, UM, IN REGARDS TO HB 15, IT WOULD'VE AFFECTED THE ABILITY FOR THE PUBLIC AND POTENTIALLY OTHER INSTITUTIONS OF OVERSIGHT TO ACCESS CLAIMS OR COMPLAINTS AGAINST OFFICERS FOR WHICH, UH, THERE WAS INTERNALLY FOUND INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SUSTAIN THE CLAIM OF MISCONDUCT, ESSENTIALLY UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIMS AND OWING TO CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD'VE AFFECTED DOCUMENT DISCLOSURES IN THE UVALDE CASE, PARTICULARLY REGARDING DPS OFFICERS THAT BILL ULTIMATELY FAILED TO PASS, UM, UH, BOTH CHAMBERS IN, UH, SHARED FORM.
UM, SO I, I WANTED TO BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, AND ALSO TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOME OTHER, ALSO TO, TO SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG WITH THESE ISSUES AND ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MOST RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WHO ARE YOU WITH AGAIN? UH, AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION.
UH, SO THE VALADE CASE, I, I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED IT VERY MUCH.
WAS IT THE G FILES THAT THEY USED OR WAS IT GOVERNMENT CODE 5 5 2 1 0 8, WHICH IS THE LAW ENFORCEMENT EXCEPTION? UH, THE, IT WAS NOT A GFI UH, IT WAS NOT THE USE OF A GFI FOR THE UVALDE INCIDENT.
UM, THE PARTICULAR FILES IN QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH DPS OFFICERS.
SO I BELIEVE IT WAS THE OTHER, UM, UH, STATUTE THAT YOU REFERENCED.
UM, THE, THERE HAS BEEN LITIGATION ONGOING FOR SEVERAL YEARS FOR FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THAT SHOOTING TO GAIN ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS REGARDING THE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE DPS OFFICER'S CONDUCT.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN, THERE'S AN ONGOING NEGOTIATION REGARDING ACCESS TO THOSE FILES.
UM, AND THE BILL IN QUESTION, UH, WOULD HAVE, ACCORDING TO THE INTERPRETATIONS OF A, OF A LOT OF PEOPLE MADE THOSE FILES POTENTIALLY INDEFINITELY, INACCESSIBLE TO THEM OR TO ANYONE ELSE.
[00:45:01]
PARTLY IN MY MIND RELEVANT TO THE CPRC BECAUSE OF THE KIND OF CASES THAT WOULD BE DESCRIBED BY THIS NEW FILE THAT THE BILL WOULD'VE CREATED.UM, THIS NEW FILE WOULD'VE CONTAINED MOST MATERIAL RELATED TO AN OFFICER, BUT IN PARTICULAR, UH, ANY COMPLAINT FOR WHICH THE DEPARTMENT FOUND THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SUSTAIN THE CLAIM OF MISCONDUCT.
UM, MEANING THEREFORE THAT IF, UH, THE, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF, UH, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD FOUND THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO DISCIPLINE AN OFFICER, THAT THEN ANY DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THAT COMPLAINT COULD NOT BE ACCESSED BY A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, UM, OR POTENTIALLY BY OUTSIDE, UM, OR OVERSIGHT AGENCIES.
UM, THE EXACT EXTENT TO WHICH THIS WOULD'VE BEEN THE CASE WAS MUCH DEBATED, BUT THAT WAS OUR LEGITIMATE INTERPRETATION OF WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED.
UM, AND IT, I WOULD'VE NOT HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THIS HAD BEEN PUT ON THE AGENDA PRIOR TO THAT BILL FAILING TO PASS.
'CAUSE THAT HAPPENED ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.
UM, SO THAT'S TO SPEAK TO THAT PARTICULAR BILL.
THAT WAS THE, WHAT HAPPENED THERE.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
AND SO THE REASON FOR THIS KIND OF, KIND OF VAGUE, UM, DISCUSSION ITEM IS BECAUSE AS WE'VE EXPERIENCED, THESE NEW LEGISLATIONS CAN PASS OVERNIGHT, CAN PASS BEFORE WE PUT ON THE AGENDA.
SO IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO BE ABLE TO PROACTIVELY TALK ABOUT ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT THE PUBLIC IS BRINGING FORWARD.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UH, MR. PETER HUNTS, THANK YOU.
NOW I OPEN THE FLOOR TO COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING ON TO ITEM NUMBER NINE.
ANY OTHER TEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION BILLS RELATED TO POLICE OVERSIGHT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP FOR CONVERSATION OR DISCUSSION? YES, I HAVE SOMETHING.
UM, I THINK WE, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT AND I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, IF WE HAD CONSIDERED REACHING OUT TO OTHER OVERSIGHT GROUPS OF WAYS THAT WE CAN, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? PRESERVE OURSELVES, PRESERVE OUR COMMISSION, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT STRATEGIES THAT, THAT OTHER OVERSIGHT COMMISSIONS HAVE DONE, UM, IN, UH, I GUESS A LITTLE BIT OF PUSHBACK ON THIS, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE, IN THE NAME OF PRESERVING OUR COMMISSION.
TO YOUR POINT, MY QUESTION, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE ARE AWARE OF OTHER COMMISSIONS IN OUR AREA AND THAT COULD GO TO THE PUBLIC AND ADVERTISING BUDGET THAT MAYBE WE, ONCE WE GET ESTABLISHED, CAN REPLICATE THIS.
AND THERE'S STRENGTH IN NUMBERS.
WELL, I'LL JUST SAY THAT, UM, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, THERE ARE A COUPLE, UM, SIMILAR BODIES COMPARED TO US AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THE CPRC, UH, SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT.
I KNOW THAT SAN MARCOS HAS SOMETHING SIMILAR OR SOMETHING IN DALLAS THAT DETAILS OF THAT ARE, ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO NETWORK WITH THEM AND UNDERSTAND HOW THEY'RE DOING THINGS AND THE STRUGGLES THEY'RE HAVING.
AND BECAUSE THIS IS FOR VOLUNTEERS DOING A BIG TASK.
SO I THINK NETWORKING WITH THEM IS NOT A BAD IDEA.
UH, ONE COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE IS HOW GRATEFUL I I AM FOR HAVING GROUPS LIKE AUSTIN JESSE COALITION THAT BRING THESE THINGS TO OUR ATTENTION.
BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, I REMEMBER THAT, THAT WHEN I WAS DONE, AND SOME OF US DID NOT UNDER, DID NOT REALIZE THAT THOSE THINGS WERE BEING DISCUSSED IN A SESSION THAT, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL SESSION.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY AGAIN, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REACHING OUT TO OTHERS, UM, WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY DON'T ALL HAVE LIKE SOME OF THE ACCESS THAT WE'LL HAVE, IF I'M CORRECT.
AM I CORRECT ON THAT? A LOT OF THEM MIGHT NOT HAVE THE ACCESS AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE, SO WHEN WE REACH OUT, WE CAN JUST BE, BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
AS FAR AS COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER, UH, BODIES.
BUT I THINK THE OUTREACH AND JUST THE NETWORKING, IT JUST, IT'LL CREATE A MORE UNIFIED EFFORT TO EITHER GENERATE MORE INTEREST OR JUST DO OUR JOBS A LOT BETTER.
'CAUSE WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.
SO WE ALL HAVE STRENGTHS, CAPABILITIES, AND LIMITATIONS INDIVIDUALLY AND PROBABLY JURISDICTION BY JURISDICTION, BUT I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS STRONGER TOGETHER.
[00:50:01]
I REMIND THE COMMISSIONERS PART OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS CAN BE TO INVITE, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS, WE CAN REACH OUT TO DEPARTMENTS.UH, ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU LOOP ME IN AS VICE CHAIR, UH, LATER ON WE'LL NOMINATE A CHAIR, UH, SO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO FORMALLY INVITE THESE GROUPS, THESE REPRESENTATIVES, SO THAT WE CAN FORMALLY HAVE THEM HERE.
WE'RE ALSO WELCOME TO CONTINUOUSLY MEET INDIVIDUALLY, FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET INFORMATION.
ALL I ASK IS THAT WE KEEP THE COMMISSIONER ON THE SAME PAGE.
I THINK AS I'VE SPOKEN TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, I APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE OPEN DOOR POLICY WITH COMMUNICATION.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THE POINT OF THIS DISCUSSION ITEM WAS JUST SO THAT WE STAY ON TOP OF IT, FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, I'M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY HERE IS A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON THESE TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS, BUT WE, WE REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY.
ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY BRINGS FORTH, YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO EMAIL THEM TO MY CPRC EMAIL FOUND ON THE WEBSITE SO THAT WHEN WE ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ITEMS ON OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, IF THERE ARE NO COMMENTS, I WILL MOVE ON FORWARD TO
[10. Discussion of public speaker comments from the Community Police Review Commission meeting on August 15, 2025. ]
ACTION.ITEM NUMBER, DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER 10, DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC SPEAKER COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING ON AUGUST 15TH, 2025.
THIS IS, AS THE COMMISSION KNOWS, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AS THEY'RE BEING PRESENTED TO US.
HOWEVER, WE WILL MAKE AN EFFORT TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS IN THE UPCOMING MEETINGS.
SO THIS IS IN REGARDS TO OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS.
YOU HAVE THE NOTES IN FRONT OF YOU, COMMISSIONERS IF YOU WANT TO REVISIT.
UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT, UH, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER HARRIS WAS GONNA BE ABLE TO HELP ME OUT ON THIS.
AS, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND THIS WAS CONCERNING G FILES AND, UM, IT WAS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE JUST TALKED TO.
I TALKED ABOUT, UH, AT, AT THE LEGIS TEXAS LEGISLATURE.
UH, NEIL CAN, UM, TELL ME IF I'M CORRECT ON THIS.
I'M SURE HE KEEPS UP ON LEGISLATIVE MATTERS A LOT MORE THAN I DO, UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALL THE LEGAL STUFF LIKE HE DOES.
UM, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, IT WAS A BILL THAT WAS ABOUT TO GET PASSED THAT WOULD CLOSE OFF THE G FILES.
AND AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND THAT BILL DID NOT PASS.
DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? NEIL? UH, COMMISSIONER, YOU'RE CORRECT.
THERE WAS A BILL THAT WOULD'VE, UM, THAT ATTEMPTED TO I THINK AFFECT, UH, G FILES, UH, THAT DID NOT PASS.
SO, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, UM, NOTHING IN THAT REGARD HAS CHANGED SINCE, UM, A RECENT COURT RULING, CORRECT? CORRECT.
UH, THERE'S BEEN NO STATUS, UH, CHANGE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN CONTINUING TO RELEASE, UH, G FILE INFORMATION.
SO, YEAH, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UH, WE WERE, IT LOOKED, I REMEMBER LAST MEETING IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF IT PASSING.
AND WE WERE, I, I REMEMBER SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THINKING ABOUT WHAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT THAT, IF ANYTHING, UH, AS, AS WE ARE A COMMI A COMMISSION OVERLOOKING THESE THINGS AND TRYING TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND IT, I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR AND A HALF.
SO, AND, AND CHAIR, IF I MAY, UM, JUST SO THAT THE COMMISSION IS AWARE, EXCUSE ME, I SPENT THE PAST TWO HOURS TALKING, SO I'M LOSING MY VOICE NOW.
UM, THE, UM, THE LAW DEPARTMENT WORKS CLOSELY WITH OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFFICE AND ALSO THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, UM, TO REVIEW AND ANALYZE, UH, ANY BILLS AT THE LEGISLATURE THAT WOULD AFFECT OVERSIGHT IN THE CITY.
UM, THIS PAST SESSION, UH, THE LAW DEPARTMENT WAS INVOLVED IN REVIEWING ABOUT 900 BILLS AT THE LEGISLATURE.
UH, NOT JUST RELATED TO POLICE OVERSIGHT, BUT ALL, UH, MUNICIPAL MATTERS.
UM, SO WE HAVE A VERY THOROUGH PROCESS IN PLACE TO, TO ANALYZE THOSE BILLS, BOTH FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE AND A POLICY PERSPECTIVE.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO REQUEST A BRIEFING ON THOSE BILLS THAT DID PASS, THAT BECAME LAW, THAT AFFECT POLICE OVERSIGHT? I CAN LOOK TO SEE, UM, IF ANYTHING DID PASS, I I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT DID PASS.
UM, LIKE I SAID, UH, MY DIVISION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THOSE BILLS, SO 900 I HAVE, I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK TO MAKE SURE.
AND I THINK OUR, ANOTHER COMMENT BY MS. MARY ELIZABETH WAS REGARDING THOSE CONCERNS ABOUT VARIABLE ABUSE.
AND AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE JUST NOW GOTTEN A LIST OF CASE FILES THAT WILL WORK WITH OUR WORKING GROUP TO FIGURE OUT.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT THIS TYPE
[00:55:01]
OF CASE IS FIRST.UH, WE'RE GONNA BASE IT ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT WE'VE JUST NOT GOTTEN THE CASE FILE.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA WORK AS A COMMISSION WITH THIS WORKING GROUPS.
WE JUST NOW HAVE AN ACCESS FILE, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO NOW FINALLY FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WHAT ARE THESE CASES ABOUT? HOW CAN WE START ORGANIZING THEM? UM, MY BACKGROUND IS IN MENTAL HEALTH, SO I I APPRECIATE THAT YOU BRING THE, UM, THE CONCERN OF VERBAL ABUSE IS ALSO A TYPE OF ABUSE.
SO WE WILL TAKE THAT CONSIDERATION.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE PREVIOUS, UH, AS, AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER.
WERE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS AND MS. MARY ELIZABETH, IS THIS A NATIONAL ITEM THAT YOU WANTED TO SPEAK ON? OH, UH, PLEASE.
I DIDN'T NOTE HERE THAT IT WAS ON ITEM, UH, 10, BUT GO AHEAD.
MARY ELIZABETH, I HAVE A MASTER'S IN SOCIAL WORK AND, UH, BACKGROUND IN TRAUMA ASSESSMENT.
UM, I NEED SOME CLARIFICATION.
I'M NEW TO THIS AS YOU ARE, UM, IN YOUR REVIEW, YOUR REVIEWING CASE FILES, DOES YOUR REVIEW REVIEW PROCESS INCLUDE ANY INTERVIEWING OF COMPLAINANTS? NO.
UM, SO YOU'LL BE REVIEWING RECORDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTERVIEWED COMPLAINANTS, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, COMMISSIONERS AND OUR PUBLIC SPEAKER, I APOLOGIZE, BUT I REMIND EVERYONE HERE THAT THE PUBLIC SPEAKER COMMENTS, WE HAVE THREE MINUTES TO LET US KNOW WE ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
YOU'RE ALWAYS FREE TO EMAIL US.
WE CAN COMMUNICATE REGARDING SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS, BUT FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING, WE'RE UNABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND INTERACT AND DIALOGUE WITH YOU.
AS A GUEST, AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER.
UM, WELL, UM, AS I SAID BEFORE, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT VERBAL ABUSE BEING CONSIDERED LESS HARMFUL OR, UM, LESS SIGNIFICANT THAN PHYSICAL ABUSE.
BUT, UM, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE TO WHOM IT WOULD BE, UH, WHO ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO VERBAL ABUSE.
I'M NOT SAYING MORE VULNERABLE THAN TO PHYSICAL ABUSE, BUT, UM, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DISABLED PEOPLE, WHETHER IT'S PHYSICAL DISABILITY OR, UM, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, PEOPLE WHO ARE NEURODIVERGENT, SUCH AS WITH AUTISM OR A DHD OR UM, PEOPLE WITH A HISTORY OF TRAUMA, POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, THOSE PEOPLE, UM, WHO, WHO MAY BE ANY OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WE WORRY ABOUT BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, UM, CAN BE MORE VULNERABLE TO VERBAL ABUSE.
UM, I'VE HEARD OF INCIDENTS OF WHERE AN OFFICER, UM, VINCE, A ROAD RAGE, ROAD RAGE LEVEL OF HOSTILITY TO A CITIZEN.
AND, UM, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE SOMEONE WITH ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS FINDING THAT EXTREMELY, UM, ABUSIVE, SCARY, THREATENING, TO THE POINT THAT THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE, THEY MAY NOT EVEN REPORT IT OR THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO IT.
SO I'M ASKING FOR, UM, YOU TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THESE ISSUES TO BE AWARE.
UM, AND IF YOU NEED ANY MORE INFORMATION ON THIS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO TALK TO ME MORE, I'M, I'M AVAILABLE.
UH, I'LL JUST SAY, WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND, AND SPEAKING ON THIS.
I KNOW THAT THIS FORMAT CAN BE A LITTLE SUPER FORMAL AND IT'S HARD TO KIND OF COMMUNICATE WITH US.
UM, WE'RE FIGURING IT OUT TOO,
AND I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO EVERYTHING AND WHAT I, AND I WAS, I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME, UM, INTERVIEWING GUIDELINES, NOT GUIDELINES, SUGGESTIONS, AND, AND YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT, BUT, UM, I AM WORRIED ABOUT PEOPLE GIVING YOU INFORMATION AND THEN FEELING THAT THEY WEREN'T HEARD.
[01:00:01]
I'M A SOCIAL SCIENTIST WITH THE CRISIS LINE, SO MM-HMMI WOULD TELL YOU AS, UH, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER SAID, UM, COMMISSIONER, THE MEETING IS OUT OF ORDER.
UH, WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE FEEDBACKS AND CONCERNS.
WE HAVE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN THAT FIELD.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TELLING HER TO REACH OUT TO YOU FOR THE SAKE OF THE MEETING.
UM, DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR YOUR TIME? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
DID WE GET TO DISCUSS THIS NOW? YES.
NOW, NOW ITEM NUMBER 10, DISCUSSION OF THOSE PUBLIC SPEAKER COMMENTS FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING IS OPEN FOR DISCUSSIONS.
THAT DID INCLUDE, UH, MS. MARY ELIZABETH'S COMMENTS ON VERBAL ABUSE.
UM, AND I GUESS MAYBE, UH, TO TEST OUR UNDERSTANDING, I BELIEVE THAT ANY PER MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT SEES, OR HERE SOME, UH, OFFICER ABUSE IS THE PROCESS IS THEY'LL GO AND, AND MAKE A COMPLAINT TO OPO.
AND THEY, THAT'S HOW IT STARTED.
AND OUR JOB WILL BE EVENTUALLY WE EXPECT TO SEE SOME OF THOSE ABUSE OF FORCE MADE VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY, WHATEVER.
AND THAT THIS LIST OF, OF, OF ITEMS, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL TRIAGE THOSE AND GO THROUGH AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND THOSE.
UH, I THINK SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT VERBAL ABUSE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT CAN HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND ESPECIALLY PEOPLE OF, OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED, UH, GROUPS PROBABLY ARE SENSITIVE TO THAT TOO.
SO I EXPECT THAT, UM, ANYBODY WHO, ANY POP MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAS A CONCERN THAT THIS BODY WOULD NOT BE LOOKING AT VERBAL ABUSE OF CONSIDERED ISSUES THAT THE POLICE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, THEY CAN REST ASSURE THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
COULD I ASK, UM, OPO, DO YOU ALL GET A HIGH VOLUME OF THOSE CASES OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT MAY BE UNDER REPORTED? I CAN'T NECESSARILY SPEAK TO THE RATIO OF AVERAGES OF REPORTING, BUT WE DO GET A FAIR NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS UNDER THE CATEGORY OF, UH, IMPROPER CONDUCT.
AND SOME OF IT IS BASED ON, UH, CO THE COMMUNICATION STYLE OF THE OFFICER.
PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN OUR, UM, CITY CODE 2 15 4 IS THAT WE SHALL HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO ALL THOSE NECESSARY RECORDS FOR THE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING RECORDING RECORDS CONCERNING INVESTIGATIONS, DATABASE OF FORCED INCIDENT REPORTS ARE RETAINED, VIDEO INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, POLICE, BODY-WORN CAMERAS, POLICE VEHICLE DASH CAMERAS, AND HALO CAMERAS AS NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES IN PART B OF THIS SECTION OF CITY CODE.
THAT MEANS WE, WE DON'T INTERACT WITH THE INTERVIEWEES, THE INTERVIEWERS, WE ARE JUST REVIEWING THEIR INVESTIGATION.
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO INTERACT WITH ANY OFFICERS INTERNAL AFFAIRS OR SUCH.
WE'RE ABLE TO REQUEST A BRIEFING BY THEM TO FURTHER EXPLAIN THINGS.
BUT WE ARE JUST LOOKING, WE'RE NOT INVESTIGATING.
SO I WANNA LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT IF THERE IS NO PROCESS OF COMPLAINT, WE WON'T GET THE CASE BECAUSE THE CASE WAS NEVER REVIEWED.
SO I URGE THE PUBLIC IF THERE IS AN ISSUE TO MAKE THOSE REPORTS.
THAT IS HOW IT GETS TO US AS A COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO INTERACT AS A SERVING BODY OF A COMMISSION.
JUST TO ADD TO THAT, UM, IT, IT HAS, IT, IT WILL HAPPEN AS WE ARE, UH, VIEWING THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED.
AND SOME OF THOSE EVIDENCE ARE INTERVIEWS OF VICTIMS AND INTERVIEWS OF THE POLICE AND SO FORTH.
AS WE LOOK AT THOSE, WE ARE CAPABLE OF MAKING MR. SIMPSON SAYING THAT WAS AN INCOMPLETE, OR MAYBE IT SHOULD BE DONE, DONE.
I USE AN EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE, UH, UH, TRAINING WE HAVE, IN WHICH CASE WE WERE ALLOWED TO LOOK AT SOME PARTICULAR CASE.
ONE OF THE FEEDBACKS WE GAVE BACK WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ISSUE OF HOW THE POLICE WERE INTERVIEWING THE, THE OTHER POLICE AND THE VICTIMS. AND SO I THINK, I HOPE THAT THAT WOULD BE TO SERVE POLICE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THAT I DO SEE AS PART OF OUR MISSION TO HELP FIGURE HOW THAT REVIEW IS GOING.
UH, HOW A REVIEW, HOW AN INTERVIEW IS CONDUCTED.
BUT WE ARE NOT DOING THOSE INTERVIEWS.
I WOULD ALSO SAY TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE ABLE TO REVIEW AND MAKE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THEY ARE JUST THAT.
AND SO THE MORE EMPHASIS THAT THE PUBLIC PUTS ON THESE TYPE OF ISSUES, THE MORE THAT IT CAN HELP US MAKE THAT CASE AND ADVOCATE ON YOUR BEHALF.
BUT IF PEOPLE DON'T COMPLAIN, THEN IT DOESN'T GET INVESTIGATED.
IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT HAPPENING, IT JUST MEANS THAT IT HASN'T COME UP AS AN ISSUE.
SO I ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO USE THOSE RESOURCES, UM, AND REACH OUT AND
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FILE COMPLAINTS IF NECESSARY, IF THEY WANT TO SEE CHANGE.AND IF I CAN MAKE A COMMENT, I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO, IT'S, THIS IS THE FRAMEWORK WE HAVE, AND YOU KNOW, THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF INTERPLAY OF, OF LAWS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITHIN.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHY WE ARE A REVIEW, A REVIEW MODEL OF, OF LEASE OVERSIGHT.
AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND,
AND IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS, WE'LL BE MOVING ON TO
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I OPEN THE FLOOR IF ANYBODY HAS RIGHT NOW.ANY PENDING FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? THIS IS THE TIME TO PUT IT ON RECORD.
WE WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS.
I OPEN THE FLOOR FOR ANYBODY, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER BRINGING SOMETHING UP? UH, YES, I, I PLAN NEXT TIME TO PRESENT, UH, RULES AND AND PROCEDURES.
WE'RE TRYING TO MODEL IT AFTER ONE OF THE EXISTING COMMITTEE, UH, UH, COMMISSIONS AND WE'LL TRY TO HAVE IT DRAFTED SO THAT, UH, THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
MOST OF IT WOULD BE TRYING TO, TO FIGURE OUT ORDERLY WAY IN WHICH WE CAN FOLLOW ROBERT RUSO ORDER.
THERE IS, UH, AN ITEM I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION DID APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL REGARDING THE REVIEW OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHTS COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT.
THIS WAS RECENT, AND AS YOU CAN TELL BY THE TIME, IT'S BEEN A VERY LENGTHY MEETING.
UM, SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ADD THIS TO OUR CURRENT AGENDA, BUT THIS IS AN ITEM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT MEETING TO FIGURE OUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY'S RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S A VERY LENGTHY LETTER REGARDING THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
UH, AND YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THEIR, THEIR MEETING HELD, I THINK ON THE 8TH OF SEPTEMBER.
ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS WE WOULD LIKE INCORPORATED? I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS FURTHER THE AGENDA ITEM WE VOTED ON THAT HAVE ACCESS TO THE RECORDS AND WHAT THAT PROCESS IS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
LIKE I SAID, WITH THE ADDED INFORMATION THAT WE DO HAVE NOW, BECAUSE WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA LOOK LIKE IS OBVIOUSLY GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE, AND THEREFORE OUR PROCESS IS GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE.
I I, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UM, SOME TYPE OF A ITEM WHERE WE DISCUSS UNDERSTANDING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND, UM, NON, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC FACING INFORMATION, HOW TO BE CAREFUL OF THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT BOTH CONFIDENTIAL AND PUBLIC INFORMATION.
AND WHEN WE SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT DISTINCTION AND TO BE CAREFUL NOT INADVERTENTLY, UM, RELEASING SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CONFIDENTIAL.
[4. Conduct officer elections. ]
I, AND I APOLOGIZE.IT IS LATE IN THE EVENING TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
I WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK NOW THAT WE ARE NEAR THE CONCLUSION OF OUR MEETING TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER FOUR, CONDUCT OFFICER ELECTIONS.
IF, UM, I OPEN NOW THE FLOOR UP TO DISCUSSION.
SO WHAT'S THE PROCESS? DO YOU MAKE NOMINATION? WHAT'S THE PROCESS? WILL WE MAKE NOMINATIONS, UM, AND THEN VOTE? AND WHAT OFFICE OFF? WHAT OFFICES ARE WE CONSIDERING? SO YOU'RE, SIR, YOU'RE SELECTING A, A CHAIR AND SO YOU WOULD OPEN IT UP FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE, THE CHAIR OF VACANCY.
CAN I HAVE A FIRST ON THE FLOOR TO CONDUCT OFFICER ELECTIONS FOR FILLING THE CHAIR POSITION AT FIRST TO FILL THE CHAIR POSITION? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? I GUESS THAT WE'RE DOING A MOTION.
ARE, ARE WE NOMINATING OR ARE WE VOTE? ARE WE NOMINATING YET? I'M SORRY.
ARE WE, UH, WE'RE DOING THE WHAT NOW? WE'RE JUST, UH, MOTIONING TO GO AHEAD AND CONDUCT THAT, CORRECT? YES, YES.
THEN YES, THEN I ABSOLUTELY SECOND TO, I'M SORRY, LIAISON LIGO.
DO, DO I HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE FOR THIS OR DO I JUST CALL FOR NOMINATIONS? I, I THINK YOU COULD DO IT A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS.
IF, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE NOMINATIONS FOR MULTIPLE PEOPLE, THEN
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YOU WOULD OPEN IT UP FOR NOMINATIONS, AND THEN ONCE NOMINATIONS ARE DONE, YOU COULD VOTE ON THAT.UM, IF YOU JUST WANT TO DO ONE PERSON AND VOTE ON THAT ONE PERSON AT A TIME, THEN YOU COULD DO A MOTION FOR THAT PERSON.
AND THEN IF, IF THAT PERSON RECEIVES A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES, THEY'RE THE CHAIR.
IF NOT, THEN YOU'D GO ON TO ANOTHER PERSON.
I, I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT IF, LET'S SAY, SO YOU'RE ACTING CHAIR, BUT YOU ARE, YOUR POSITION IS VICE CHAIR.
IF YOU ARE ELECTED AS THE CHAIR, YOUR VICE CHAIR POSITION IS NOW VACANT AND WE WOULD HAVE TO THEN FILL THE VICE CHAIR.
AND SO FOR ANY OFFICER POSITIONS THAT ARE VACANT AFTER A VOTE, THEN WE HAVE TO FILL THAT POSITION.
THAT'S WHY IT'S POSTED AS OFFICER ELECTIONS AND NOT JUST CHAIR ELECTION.
SO THE ACTING CHAIR MADE IT CLEAR THAT SHE IS NOT GOING TO GIVE UP HER ACTING CHAIR POSITION, UM, THE VICE CHAIR POSITION.
SO, SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT AT THIS POINT.
I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIR POSITION.
I DECLINE
I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT IF THE, UM, I'M SORRY.
ACTING CHAIR, IF THE PERMANENT CHAIR POSITION IS NOT FILLED, YOU'LL CONTINUE TO SERVE AS ACTING CHAIR UNTIL SUCH TIME AS A PERMANENT CHAIR, AS ELECTED.
ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? WE HAVE TWO NOMINATIONS.
DO WE GO TO VOTE ON INDIVIDUAL? OKAY, SO NOW WE'LL VOTE FOR, UH, COMMISSIONER GRIEVES FOR CHAIR POSITION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
NOW CALL FOR NOMINATION OF COMMISSIONER FLOOD FOR CHAIR.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND, MATT.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO WAS ELECTED.
OH YEAH, THE MAJORITY AND, YEAH.
WELL THANK, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING
DOES HE CONCLUDE THE MEETING? UM, ARE YOU SENATOR GRAVES? ARE YOU AN OFFICER? HE'S OFFICER.
YOU'RE NOT AN OFFICER RIGHT NOW.
OKAY, SO YOU WILL NOW BE CHAIR, UM, ACTING CHAIR.
YOU ARE NOW VICE CHAIR AND WHO OR OUR SECRETARY WE HAD.
OKAY, SO JUST CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
CONGRATULATIONS FOR WHAT YOU WISH FOR.
SO I GUESS, UH, ANY OTHER FURTHER ITEMS FOR THIS QUESTION? IF NOT, I WILL CLOSE OUR MEETING.
IT'S, UH, 10 MINUTES TILL SIX.
WE JUST NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
AND SO WE'LL LIKE THE MOTION TO ADJOURN, I MOTION TO ADJOURN OR SECOND THAT MOTION IT THAT NEED TO BE VOTE.