* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:04]
          UM, 
          [CALL TO ORDER]
I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION FOR MONDAY, MAY 4TH, 2026. 
          UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, CALL, ORDER OR CALL ROLL. 
          SORRY. 
          CHAIR DURAN HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT. 
          COMMISSIONER GODWIN. 
          PRESENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER HOLMES HERE. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER CILO. 
          PRESENT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ. 
          HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER EGER. 
          HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER ROGO. 
          HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER ROUTAN AND COMMISSIONER SMITH PRESENT. 
          THANKS. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THANKS CHELSEA. 
          I BELIEVE YOU HAVE 
          [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
SOME COM, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FOR TODAY. 
          CALLING UP MR. LEON. 
          SO IN CARLOS LEON, FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR LETTING ME FOLLOW UP MY NOVEMBER, 2025. 
          DECEMBER, 2025, AND JANUARY, 2026. 
          TESTIMONY TO YOU REGARDING CAP METRO CRIMINALITY. 
          YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AND REVIEWED MY 265 PAGE PDF. 
          YOUR LIAISON TOLD ME SHE SENT YOU MAY 1ST, MY ALLEGATIONS AGAINST KAT METROS, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DARREL JAMEL EXPLICATE, HIS ALLEGED ABUSE OF POWER ALLEGEDLY VIOLATING TEXAS PENAL CODES 36 0 6 37, 10 39 0 2, 39 0 3, AND 18 US CODE 2 4 2 PER A PD SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT LIEUTENANT B REGAL'S, APRIL 21, EMAIL. 
          THOSE MATERIALS ARE STILL BEING REVIEWED. 
          A PREREQUISITE TO LAUNCHING AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION TOWARD CRIMINALLY PROSECUTING JAMAL FOR HIS ALLEGED CRIMES. 
          I GAVE YOUR LIAISON COPIES TO POST ON THE OFFICIAL RECORD ARCHIVE TO SEARCH AND DOWNLOAD FOR FREE ONLINE AT CITY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC EDEMS SEARCH. 
          I EMAILED COPIES TO POLICE CHIEF DAVIS AND CITY AUDITOR AVI BECAUSE OF CONNECTIONS TO MY PREVIOUS ALLEGATION. 
          1, 2 5, 1 AGAINST APLS HANNAH TERRELL REGARDING LIBRARY USE RULES TWO B THREE 15 D ONE AND 15 D TWO. 
          NEITHER COMPLYING WITH CITY SUPERSEDING RULES FOR PUBLIC USE OF CITY PROPERTIES NOR PARAMOUNT CONSTITUTIONAL LAW SINCE AUGUST, 2023. 
          INVOLVING ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, STEPHANIE, HAYDEN, HOWARD, AND CITY MANAGER. 
          BROAD NECKS, THOUGH JAMAL'S ALLEGED ILLEGAL RETALIATORY FRAUDULENT, UNWARRANTED SIX MONTH CAT METRO SERVICE SUSPENSION AGAINST ME ENDED IN MARCH. 
          BUS DRIVERS CONTINUE NOT BOARDING OR TRANSPORTING ME. 
          INCITING ONE LAWLESS PASSENGER TO ATTACK ME WITH ASSAULT BY THREAT AND ASSAULT BY CONTACT. 
          THREATENING TO SMASH HIS METAL THERMOS ON MY SKULL AND SHOVING ME OFF THE BUS FOR LAWFULLY STANDING MY GROUND. 
          SHOWING HOW QUICKLY CAP METRO CRIMINALITY CAN SPREAD THREATENING ALL OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          I OFFICIALLY REQUESTED THAT VIDEO EVIDENCE AND TOLD A PD TO DO THE SAME. 
          THUS, DURING LAST WEEK'S PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING, PUBLIC COMMENT, I CALLED FOR CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING A CITY ORDINANCE, ESTABLISHING FUNDING AND IMPLEMENTING THE OFFICE OF CAT METRO OVERSIGHT. 
          SIMILAR TO THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, USING CITY CODE TWO DASH 15 AS THE TEMPLATE BECAUSE CAT METRO'S BOARD APPEARS UNWILLING AND OR UNABLE TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. 
          INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT, EMPHASIZING TRANSPARENCY AND ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY TO ENACT REFORMS TOWARDS ZERO TOLERANCE OF CAT METRO, CRIMINALITY AND MISCONDUCT FROM THE TOP DOWN SHOULD BE THE MISSION. 
          MAKE IT HAPPEN. 
          PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION. 
          IN JESUS NAME I PRAY. 
          AMEN. 
          PRAISE GOD, OUR LORD. 
          THANK YOU MR. LEON. 
          MOVING 
          [APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ON TO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES. 
          IF I GET A SECOND FOR THAT, PLEASE. 
          SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, MOTION TO APPROVE. 
          [00:05:01]
MOTION TO APPROVE. 
          MOTION TO APPROVE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR. 
          1, 2, 3. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          LOOKS, SAYS UNANIMOUS. 
          MINUTES APPROVED. 
          ALL 
          [2. Austin Fire Quarterly Report. Presentation by Tom Vocke, Assistant Chief, Austin Fire.]
RIGHT, MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION ITEMS. AUSTIN FIRE PORTAL REPORT. 
          YOU'RE UP. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IF YOU BRING THAT PRESENTATION UP FOR ME, I'M TOM BOOKEY, CHIEF OF STAFF AUSTIN FIRE, AND I KNOW WE GOT A FULL AGENDA TODAY, SO WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS FAIRLY QUICKLY SO THAT WE CAN GET ONTO THE OTHER THINGS. 
          HIT THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          HIT THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          OR, OKAY, STUCK. 
          THERE WE GO. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRENDS FORCE RIGHT NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ON PACE TO RUN AROUND 20,000 FEWER CALLS THIS YEAR. 
          AS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, LAST YEAR IN JULY, THERE WERE SOME CHANGES MADE TO THE PRIORITY FOUR AND PRIORITY FIVE CALLS, AND AS WELL AS SOME OF THE PRIORITY THREE CALLS FOR EMS. UH, THINGS WERE READJUSTED BY THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S OFFICE IN CONJUNCTION WITH US IN EMS TO TRY TO RIGHTSIZE THE RESPONSE TO SOME CALLS. 
          AND SO WE THINK THAT'S GONNA, UH, REDUCE OUR TOTAL CALL VOLUME BY AROUND 20,000 FOR THE, FOR THE YEAR. 
          AS FAR AS RESPONSE TIMES GO, WE'RE STAYING PRETTY STEADY, UH, WITH 10 22 BEING THE, THE MEDIAN RIGHT NOW. 
          AND SO, UM, IT'S DOWN A LITTLE BIT FROM LAST YEAR. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME THINGS INTERNALLY WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, TURNOUT TIME AND DISPATCHING TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HITTING ALL OUR METRICS AND THAT WE'RE CONTINUED TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN AS FAR AS RESPONSE. 
          AS Y'ALL RECOGNIZE TRAFFIC IN THE AREA CONTINUED TO, UH, TO, TO BE A PROBLEM FOR US. 
          UH, THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL SENSORS THAT ARE BEING INSTALLED IN THE CITY THAT WILL HELP US WITH SOME OF OUR RESPONSE. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, HOPEFULLY SHOWING SOME, UH, SOME PROGRESS FOR US AS WELL. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, WE DID HAVE A FEW FACILITIES THAT WERE UPDATED RECENTLY. 
          FIRE STATION 17 ON SOUTH FIRST STREET AND FIRE STATION 33 AND, AND NORTHWEST AUSTIN WERE, UH, COMPLETELY REMODELED. 
          AND SO, UH, THOSE STATIONS BOTH NEEDED IT. 
          THEY WERE, UH, RIGHT, RIGHT AROUND 30 YEARS SINCE THEY HAD BEEN COMPLETELY SINCE THEY'D BEEN REALLY TOUCHED SIGNIFICANTLY OTHER THAN MINOR ADJUSTMENTS. 
          SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          WE HAVE, UH, THREE ADDITIONAL STATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA HOPEFULLY GET DONE THIS YEAR WITH A COUPLE THAT WE'RE GONNA START AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, INCLUDING, UH, STATION SIX ON SOUTH CONGRESS, WHICH IS, UH, IN NEED OF A, OF A REFRESH AS WELL. 
          SO, UH, LOOKING, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY WITH THE WAY THE REFRESHERS ARE GOING. 
          UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND GREAT FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS, SO REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING DONE THERE. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          AUTOMATIC AID. 
          SO WE'VE HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO BRING GOOD EXAMPLES THAT AUTOMATIC AID, AS Y'ALL ARE AWARE, WE CONTINUE TO DO AUTOMATIC AID WITH ALL OF THE, THE EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICTS THAT ARE IN TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          AND SO, UH, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A LARGE FIRE OUT NEAR, UH, DECKER LAKE, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO. 
          UM, WE HAVE ENDED UP, UH, GETTING UNITS FROM ESD 11 AND FROM THE MAINOR FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ASSIST WITH THAT. 
          SO WE ENDED UP WITH 31 UNITS ON SCENE TOGETHER. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT, UH, SOMETIMES THAT WE DON'T HAVE, LIKE TENDERS THAT BRING WATER, AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL HEAVY EQUIPMENT THEY CAN USE TO MOVE THINGS AROUND THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE. 
          AND SO THAT'S A, A, A POSITIVE EXAMPLE OF THE AUTOMATIC AID, AGAIN, THE AUTOMATIC GATE SINCE THE CLOSEST UNITS TO THE, TO THE SCENE, WHICH IS, IS VALUABLE FOR, FOR THE FOLKS IN THE COUNTY AND VALUABLE FOR THOSE IN THE CITY AS WELL. 
          UH, OVERDOSE RESPONSES. 
          YOU CAN SEE HERE THE OVERDOSE RESPONSE NUMBERS. 
          UM, THEY'RE DOWN SLIGHTLY, WHICH IS GOOD. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE YELLOW NUMBER, WHICH IS AFDS RESPONSE, UM, WERE LESS, UH, ALMOST LESS THAN HALF NOW, RIGHT AROUND HALF OF THE TOTAL RESPONSES WHERE WE'RE THE ONES PROVIDING THE NARCAN, WHICH MEANS THAT THE NARCAN GETTING OUTTA THE COMMUNITY IS WORKING. 
          UH, AND SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          UH, WE WERE ASKED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTION AND, AND WHERE IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS, AND YOU CAN SEE ON THIS MAP HERE, WE'VE KIND OF PLOTTED WHERE THE, WHERE THE NARCAN WAS ADMINISTRATED. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S PRETTY SPREAD OUT AROUND THE CITY. 
          AND I THINK ALL THOSE AREAS JUST POINT TO AREAS OF, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, DENSE POPULATION. 
          AND SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC PATTERN WHICH SHOWS IT'S WIDESPREAD. 
          AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THE NARCAN EVERYWHERE. 
          UH, OUR ARSON INVESTIGATIONS, UM, THIS PAST QUARTER WE'RE AT 44% ON OUR CLEARANCE RATE, WHICH IS DOUBLE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF CALLS WAS DOWN SLIGHTLY, WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING. 
          UH, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE GOING WELL WITH OUR ARSON FOLKS. 
          WE HAD SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS GO THROUGH, UH, ARSON TRAINING. 
          UH, IN ADDITION, YOU KNOW, THE ARSON FOLKS ARE, UH, FULLY TRAINED PEACE OFFICERS AS WELL, SO THEY HAVE TO DO A FULL POLICE ACADEMY ON TOP OF ALREADY HAVING THEIR FIRE CERTIFICATION. 
          SO IT'S A PRETTY HEAVY LIFT, AND WHEN WE HAVE TURNOVER IN THAT SECTION, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET THEM BACK INTO PLACE REALLY QUICKLY. 
          SO WE WIND UP, IT TAKES US ABOUT A YEAR TO GET 'EM FULLY TRAINED. 
          SO WE'RE EXCITED THAT WE'RE FULLY STAFFED OVER THERE RIGHT NOW, AND THINGS ARE GOING WELL. 
          [00:10:02]
OUR WILDFIRE DIVISION, Y'ALL WILL GET AN UPDATE FROM THE WILDFIRE DIVISION HERE IN A LITTLE WHILE. 
          SO I'LL LEAVE THE SLIDE HERE. 
          BUT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY WILD PROTECTION PLAN. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING WITH, ON A COUNTYWIDE PLAN CURRENTLY. 
          UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT AND GET QUITE A FEW OF THE SIZE, WHICH ARE THE STRUCTURAL IGNITION ZONE, UH, REVIEWS DONE 170 PAST QUARTER. 
          SO, UH, THAT CONTINUES TO BE A, A POPULAR ITEM. 
          WE'RE DOING A LOT OF COMMUNITY EVENTS RIGHT NOW, AND CHIEF SCOTT RUN WILL TELL YOU ABOUT ALL THE COMMUNITY EVENTS THEY'RE DOING AND, AND REALLY EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY. 
          IT GETS HARD SOMETIMES WHEN IT'S SUPER RAINY 'CAUSE PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT WILDFIRE. 
          UH, BUT WE ALL KNOW WE'RE JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AWAY FROM IT BEING REALLY DRY AGAIN. 
          SO WE CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK YEAR ROUND, BECAUSE ONCE IT'S DRY, UH, IF WE'RE NOT DOING THE WORK AHEAD OF TIME, IT'S TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING AT THAT POINT. 
          UH, SPECIAL EVENTS, OBVIOUSLY, THE SPRING IS A BUSY SEASON FOR THEM, SO YOU CAN SEE WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED OUTDOOR EVENTS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ALL, ALL THE NORMAL BIG EVENTS WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AS FAR AS EVENTS OUT AT CODA. 
          UM, VERY BUSY. 
          THINGS HAVE GONE WELL. 
          OUR SPECIAL EVENTS SECTION IS, IS DOING WELL AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO BE OUT THERE AND, AND PROVIDE THAT COVERAGE WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER BEING DOWN. 
          UH, THE TRADE SHOWS ARE UP AT ALL THE OTHER HOTELS. 
          SO YOU SEE THAT TRADE SHOW NUMBERS AT 86, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, BUT I THINK THAT'S A DIRECT RESULT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER BEING DOWN IN ALL THE OTHER SPACES IN TOWN BEING USED, UH, TO, TO FILL THAT VOID. 
          AND THE COMPLIANCE ENGINE, THIS IS HOW WE TRACK FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS. YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 78%, WHICH IS DOWN A LITTLE BIT FROM WHERE WE WERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO. 
          WE CONTINUE, IT'S A CONTINUING BATTLE WHERE WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, VERIFYING THAT EVERY SYSTEM IN THE CITY IS, IS WORKING THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO. 
          WE HAVE AROUND 45,000 FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS IN THE CITY NOW, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 38,000 OF 'EM THAT WE'VE VERIFIED, UH, THROUGH THIS METHOD. 
          DOESN'T MEAN THE OTHER ONES HAVEN'T BEEN INSPECTED, IT JUST MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE FULL VERIFICATION ON IT. 
          SO THAT'S A CONSTANT BATTLE FOR US, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING TOWARD THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, WOULD BE IDEAL. 
          BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE GLAD TO BE IN, IN THE, UH, AROUND 80%, WHICH WE CONSIDER GOOD. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH SECTION, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAVE SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH. 
          WE'VE, UH, SLOWED DOWN THE NUMBER OF FOLKS WE HAVE IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH RIGHT NOW, UH, BECAUSE OF BUDGET ISSUES. 
          SO WE'VE SLOWED THINGS DOWN, BUT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET ALARMS INSTALLED. 
          WE HAD A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RED CROSS TO HELP US WITH, WITH, UH, WITH, UH, SMOKE ALARM INSTALLATIONS. 
          AND WE'RE USING OPERATIONS UNITS TO WORK WITH THE RED CROSS THAT DO THE INSTALLATIONS WITH OUR OPERATIONS UNITS. 
          SO THEY'RE STAYING IN SERVICE AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR CALLS AND THEY'RE KIND OF DOING DOUBLE DUTY WHILE WE, UH, WE HAVE THEM GO OUT TO THESE LOCATIONS AND HELP US INSTALL, UH, SMOKE DETECTORS IN AREAS WHERE WE, WHERE WE NEED. 
          SO WE'RE STILL MEETING ALL THE NEEDS AND ALL THE REQUESTS THAT WE GET. 
          IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT MODEL. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THERE'S OUR, UH, REMINDER. 
          MAKE SURE YOU'RE CHECKING YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS. 
          UH, AS FAR AS SEPARATIONS GO, YOU CAN SEE WE HAD A, UH, 17 RETIREMENTS AND, AND, AND, AND THREE FOLKS STEPPED DOWN THE NUMBERS, UH, RIGHT THERE. 
          THE CURRENT VACANCIES FOR SWORN ARE 54, AND OUR CIVILIAN VACANCIES ARE DOWN TO THREE, WHICH IS THE LOWEST I'VE EVER SEEN IT. 
          UM, OUR, UH, HR GROUP, UH, HAVE DONE A GREAT, GREAT JOB ON GETTING THOSE ROLES FILLED. 
          WHAT THAT 50, WHICH REALLY 54 AS OF TODAY, DOESN'T COUNT FOR, IS THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO ADD FOR THE SCHEDULE REDUCTION NEXT YEAR. 
          SO WE'VE ADDED 22 POSITIONS THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE GONNA ADD 32 POSITIONS NEXT YEAR, WHICH GIVES, IT'S A TOTAL OF 54 POSITIONS THAT THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA ADD BECAUSE OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND THE WORK WEEK REDUCTION. 
          SO THOSE 54 FOLKS WILL FILL IN THOSE OTHER HOURS, UH, FOR THE WORK WEEK REDUCTION THAT WE HAVE AS A PART OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. 
          SO THOSE AREN'T REFLECTED IN HERE. 
          AND AS WE GET INTO THE RECRUITING THINGS LATER, YOU'LL SEE THE NUMBERS, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO FILL. 
          BUT OVERALL, WE'RE STILL IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE WITH ONLY 54 REAL VACANCIES RIGHT NOW. 
          OUR RECRUITING RIGHT NOW, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON, IN ADDITION TO OUR REGULAR RECRUITING AND OUR REGULAR GROUP, WE HAVE ONE GROUP, UH, THAT WE'RE PROCESSING RIGHT NOW FOR A START DATE OF JULY 10TH. 
          AND THAT'S A REGULAR TRADITIONAL A FD CLASS. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE DONE STATEWIDE AND, AND NATIONWIDE TO SOME DEGREE, MOSTLY FOCUSING ON TEXAS RECRUITING OF EXISTING INCUMBENT FIREFIGHTERS FOR LATERAL HIRING PROCESS. 
          AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW. 
          WE CLOSED THOSE APPLICATIONS LAST WEEK. 
          WE HAD 235 FOLKS APPLY FOR THOSE POSITIONS. 
          UH, WE HAD 130 THAT WE VERIFIED AS ELIGIBLE THAT WE CAN HIRE RIGHT NOW THAT MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND ALL THE CERTIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE. 
          AND SO WE'RE GONNA PROCESS THAT PROCESS THAT 130 OVER THE NEXT MONTH, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, START A CLASS OF, OF SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 35 AND 45, UH, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY QUALIFIED APPLICANTS WE GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS. 
          SO, UH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          THE, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THEY RUN A 14 WEEK ACADEMY INSTEAD OF A 28 WEEK ACADEMY. 
          AND SO WE'LL HAVE THOSE FOLKS STARTING IN, STARTING IN AUGUST, AND WE'LL HAVE 'EM OUT, UH, ON TRUCKS BEFORE THANKSGIVING. 
          SO THAT'S THE IDEA, 
          [00:15:01]
AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROCESS. 
          AND THIS IS, UH, UNIQUE AND WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS IN PROBABLY MORE THAN 10 YEARS. 
          SO AS A PART OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY GOT, AND WE'RE PUTTING IT TO USE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP OUR STAFFING UP. 
          UH, WE'RE STILL RUNNING OUR PAST THE TORCH. 
          AND THEN YOU SEE THERE, THEY HAVE THE EXPLORE OUR EXPLORER GROUP. 
          UH, WE ACTUALLY HOSTED THE EXPLORER GROUP THIS WEEKEND. 
          UH, WE HOSTED AN EVENT OUT AT SHAW LAND AT OUR TRAIN FACILITY WHERE, UH, HIGH SCHOOL EXPLORERS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE CAME AND, AND COMPETED IN DIFFERENT EVENTS, WHICH IS A, A REALLY COOL THING TO SEE A BUNCH OF YOUNG FOLKS THAT ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE JOB. 
          SO, UH, THAT WENT REALLY WELL. 
          IT'S OUR FIRST TIME HOSTING AN EXPLORER, UH, COMPETITION, AND IT WAS A, A GREAT EVENT AND WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO BRING KIDS INTO THE AUSTIN AREA, UH, SHOW THEM WHAT THE ALL, HOW THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WORKS, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE BE ABLE TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF THE EXPOSURE . 
          AND THERE'S OUR, OUR LAST CADET CLASS THAT WE GRADUATED, UH, AND THEN IT SHOWS 1 42, WHICH IS THE 50 CADETS THAT WE'RE GONNA START IN JULY. 
          AND THEN AS, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE IN, IN AUGUST, WE'RE GONNA START, UH, THAT LATERAL CLASS. 
          SO, UM, EVERYTHING GOES WELL. 
          WE'LL, UH, WE HOPE TO BE FULLY STAFFED BY, UH, OCTOBER OF 2027. 
          WE DO OUR, OUR SCHEDULE CHANGE TO OUR WORKER REDUCTION. 
          SO, UM, HAVING THOSE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AT THAT, AT THAT POINT SHOULD MAKE IT SEAMLESS FOR US FROM A, FROM, UH, A LOGISTICAL STANDPOINT TO BE ABLE TO FILL THE ADDITIONAL HOLES THAT WE'LL HAVE EVERY DAY. 
          AND THAT'S ALL I GOT. 
          TRY TO BE AS QUICK AS I COULD. 
          SO, UH, I APPRECIATE IT AND GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          ASSISTANT CHIEF. 
          UM, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT OD RESPONSES ARE, ARE TRENDING DOWNWARD. 
          I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT SENSOR CONTROL SENSORS. 
          YES, SIR. 
          ARE THOSE LIKE KIND OF CONCENTRATED ONE PART OF THE CITY, ARE THEY LIKE SPREAD OUT? THEY, THEY WILL BE SPREAD OUT. 
          THEY'LL BE SPREAD OUT. 
          THEY'RE GONNA BE MOSTLY AT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS, AND I DON'T HAVE, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE STILL KIND OF IN THE PILOT PHASE OF RUNNING THINGS. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S UP, IT'S A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT, OBVIOUSLY. 
          UM, SO THEY'RE THE ONE HANDLING IT, BUT THEY WILL BE SPREAD OUT AND THEY WILL BE AT, AT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. 
          I DUNNO IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON IT. 
          UM, YEAH, E EXCEPT FOR THE AMBULANCES AND FIRE APPARATUS, IT WORKS ON THE MODEM THAT'S ALREADY ON THE TRUCK, AND IT SENSES THE DIRECTION THAT THE AMBULANCE OR FIRE TRUCK IS GOING, AND THEN CHANGES THE LIGHT. 
          IT DOES A COUPLE THINGS. 
          IT WON'T SHORT CIRCLE, IT WILL NOT SHORT, UH, CYCLE THE LIGHT. 
          SO IF THERE'S A PEDESTRIAN IN THE INTERSECTION, THEY WON'T GET TRAPPED. 
          BUT WE'RE IN THAT, YOU KNOW, PILOT PHASE AND WE'RE ACTIVELY BOTH TESTING IT RIGHT NOW. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. 
          COMMISSIONER SMITH? UH, THANK YOU. 
          I HAVE TWO, BUT I CAN TAKE THE MIDTERM CHAIR, WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE. 
          MY FIRST ONE IS RELATED TO THE NARCAN DISTRIBUTION. 
          UM, I'M SEEING WHERE, UM, THEY WERE PLACED BY THAT MAP. 
          CAN I GET SOME CLARITY ON HOW MUCH, HOW MANY WERE DISTRIBUTED, HOW MANY KIDS, AND, UH, SPECIFICALLY HOW MANY CONSTITUENTS UNDUPLICATED RECEIVED? UM, SOME, THE, UH, THE, THE NARCAN. 
          SO THE MAP, THE MAP ISN'T ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTION. 
          THE MAP IS, UH, CASES WHERE THEY WERE, WHERE NARCAN WAS ADMINISTERED. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          CAN WE, NEXT TIME WE SEE EACH OTHER, CAN WE HAVE SOME MORE CLARITY ON THAT? AND THAT'S JUST COMING FROM A PLACE OF SERVICE PROVISION I'M HEARING A LOT OF THE TIME, ESPECIALLY WITH THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY. 
          AND THAT RELATES TO MY SECOND QUESTION. 
          SO CHAIR, LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO GO TO MY SECOND ONE, BUT SPECIFICALLY FROM THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY, I'M HEARING A LOT OF COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE FACT THAT WHEN THERE IS AN OVERDOSE WITHIN THAT SPECIFIC CONSTITUENT DEMOGRAPHIC, UM, THAT THOSE AROUND THEM IMMEDIATELY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING AND ARE KIND OF LEFT THERE LIKE WAITING, SOMEONE GOES AND RUNS, BUT THEN WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE KIND OF JUST LIKE WAITING, UM, AND, AND, AND PROTECTING. 
          AND I THINK WE COULD, UH, SOLVE SOME ISSUES IN THAT, THAT DEMOGRAPHIC IF WE ENSURED, UH, THAT THEY WERE OUTREACHED TO AND, AND HAD NARCAN AS WELL AND TRAINING, THEREFORE, ABSOLUTELY. 
          THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          NOW. 
          I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BIGGER DISCUSSION FOR US TOO WITH, UH, E-M-S-P-D AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL. 
          SO PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR SECOND QUESTION. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN TALKING ABOUT OUTREACH SPECIFICALLY TO MY UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, UM, I SEE ALL THE AMAZING OUTREACH, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. 
          I'M WONDERING, AGAIN, LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF THE UNHOUSED, HOW MANY OF THOSE, HOW MANY CONNECTIONS ARE WE HAVING? HOW MANY OUTREACH TOUCHPOINTS ARE WE SPECIFICALLY HAVING WITH THE IN-HOUSE? AND THAT COMES FROM A SPACE, AND I, I BROUGHT IT UP YEAR AND YEAR AGAIN, BUT THAT COMES FROM A SPACE OF REALLY, UH, AGAIN, HEARING COMMUNICATION FROM THE GROUND OF THEM HAVING, UM, SOME FIRE CONCERNS, , ESPECIALLY, UH, DURING THE WINTER. 
          I KNOW IT'S HOT RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING SOMETHING NEW THIS YEAR. 
          MAYBE IF I DO IT WHILE IT'S HOT, BY THE TIME IT GETS COLD, WE CAN GET SOME CLARITY ON OUTREACH TO THAT CONSTITUENT BASE AND SPECIFICALLY MAYBE SOME FIRE, UH, SAFETY TRAINING. 
          AND IF I CAN GET REALLY LUCKY, UH, WHAT I'M HEARING IS SOME FIRE 
          [00:20:01]
EXTINGUISHERS AND TRAINING, THEREFORE. 
          SURE. 
          UM, AS FAR AS THE DISTRIBUTION OF EXTINGUISHERS, WE'VE, WE'VE NEVER DONE, UH, AS AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT'S NEVER DONE EX EXTINGUISHER DISTRIBUTION, WE'VE CONTINUALLY DONE TRAINING AND MADE SURE THAT WE'VE PROVIDED, UH, THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE WANT TO PROVIDE ARE, UH, THE, THE LIST OF ITEMS OR THE ITEMS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO STAY SAFE AS FAR AS KEEPING PROPER SPACE AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, GASOLINE IS BEING STORED AWAY FROM THINGS AND SMOKING IS, IS DIFFERENT, UH, YOU KNOW, IS IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION THAN YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE SLEEPING. 
          THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PRIMARY THINGS THAT WE SEE. 
          UM, AS FAR AS, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR CONSTANT OUTREACH WITH IT, WE'VE HAD FLYERS THAT WE'VE HANDED OUT AND WE'VE COMMUNICATED WITH THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, UH, PROVIDING THEM UPDATES ON SAFETY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO THAT, THAT'S OUR PRIMARY THINGS OTHER THAN OUR, YOU KNOW, DIRECT INTERACTIONS THAT WE'VE HAD AT, AT THE SITES. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I LO I USUALLY AM SUPER EXCITED TO HEAR WHATEVER COMES OUT OF FIRE'S MOUTH, AND THAT DIDN'T STIR JOY. 
           UNDERSTOOD. 
          SO, UM, POSSIBLE, UM, IF POSSIBLE, THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE ONE OF THESE DEBRIEFS, I WOULD LIKE SOME, YOU KNOW, PULL OVER AND SPECIFICATION INTO THAT, THAT THAT SPECIFIC DEMOGRA OR THAT THAT SPECIFIC CONSTITUENT BASE. 
          UM, AND THEN MAYBE IN THE BETWEEN TIME, IF YOU COULD RUN THE TRAPS TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY APPETITE ON Y'ALL SIDE TO TAKE MORE OF A, A LEAN IN APPROACH AS I'M DESCRIBING, THAT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER EDGAR. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT REPORT. 
          I, I, I JUST WOULD LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION, ASSISTANT CHIEF, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE RESPONSE TIMES, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THE INCIDENTS GOING DOWN AND IS IT, BUT THE, UM, IS THAT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE RECLASSIFICATION OR IS THAT SOME OTHER THING WE CAN ATTRIBUTE THAT TO? AND I MEAN, THE PRIMARY THING THAT WE WOULD ATTRIBUTE TO IS THE RECLASSIFICATION OF THE CALLS, BECAUSE THE CALL TYPE CHANGES THAT WE'RE SEEING, THAT'S THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THE REDUCTION IN, IN CALLS. 
          UM, IT, IT, TO ME, IT'S VERY OBVIOUS THAT THAT'S THE PRIMARY, UH, REASON FOR IT. 
          I WOULD THINK THAT THE RESPONSE TIMES IMPROVING SLIGHTLY MAY BE BECAUSE THE UNITS ARE AVAILABLE, UH, MORE OFTEN, AND THAT MM-HMM . 
          REQUIRES LESS DUPLICATION FROM OTHER AREAS. 
          AND SO THAT COULD HAVE A SMALL, UH, IMPACT ON THE RESPONSE TIMES. 
          BUT, UH, FROM OUR NUMBERS, THE, THE REDUCTION IN THE EMS CALLS AND THE RECLASSIFICATION IS THE REASON WHY THE CALL NUMBERS ARE DOWN. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. 
          , YOU HAD SOMETHING? OH, YEAH, I DID ACTUALLY. 
          UM, UH, I JUST WANTED TO PICK UP ON THE THREAD THAT COMMISSIONER SMITH STARTED. 
          UM, SHE'S BEEN ASKING ABOUT FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FOR, I WANNA SAY AT LEAST OVER A YEAR, MAYBE TWO. 
          UM, AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO GET SOME COORDINATION BETWEEN FIRE AND HSO. 
          MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT HSO IS, DOES HSO DISTRIBUTE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS? POTENTIALLY THEY HAVE IN THE PAST, YES. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IT, IT WOULD BE, UM, JUST SEEING SOME, SOME REPORT BACK ON, SOME COORDINATION ON THAT SO THAT WE CAN GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ARRANGED THAT WE CAN HAVE A MORE SORT OF POLICY IN PLACE FOR THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. 
          AND I KNOW THAT IT'S A LITTLE, UM, CONTROVERSIAL SOMETIMES, BUT, UM, THE DISTRIBUTION OF JUST MORE MEALS READY-MADE MEALS, UM, IN THE WINTER WOULD REALLY CUT BACK ON, YOU KNOW, THE NEED FOR BUYERS. 
          SO THAT'S ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM . 
          COMMISSIONER BURGHARDT, UM, I HAVEN'T ASKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE. 
          UM, AND MAYBE I'M HOPING THAT Y'ALL COULD PRESENT ON THIS AT A FUTURE QUARTERLY REPORT. 
          UM, I, WE TALK A LOT WITH A PD ABOUT, UM, GOALS FOR RECRUITING WOMEN. 
          UM, AND I AM CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES. 
          I KNOW THAT, THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN FIRE DEPARTMENTS, UM, NATIONWIDE IS IN, IN MY VIEW, INCREDIBLY LOW. 
          UM, AND THAT WE'RE NO EXCEPTION TO THAT RULE. 
          BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO RECRUIT FEMALE, MORE FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS AND RETAIN THEM. 
          SO, ABSOLUTELY. 
          SO OUR NUMBERS ARE PROBABLY, UH, DOUBLE WHAT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS. 
          'CAUSE HONESTLY, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS AROUND 4%, SO WE'RE AROUND 8%. 
          UH, WE ARE, UH, DOING WHAT WE CAN. 
          WE ARE HOSTING, UH, LATER THIS YEAR, WE'RE HOSTING THE WOMEN IN FIRE CONFERENCE, THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE HERE IN AUSTIN. 
          UH, WE'VE BROUGHT 'EM HERE, AND I, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IS, UH, TRYING TO TAKE THE LEAD AND, AND, UH, BEING A PLACE WHERE FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS WANT TO WORK AND SETTING AN EXAMPLE 
          [00:25:01]
FOR THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS WE HAVE GOING RIGHT NOW. 
          AND THERE'S A LOT OF RESOURCES GOING INTO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONFERENCE, UH, WHICH WILL BRING, UH, HUNDREDS OF, OF FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY HERE, UH, TO, TO BE ON DISPLAY IN AUSTIN AND TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY A, A KIND OF LOOK INTO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S POSSIBLE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND IF, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY EXPLICIT GOALS, I WOULD, THAT WOULD BE USEFUL TO KNOW. 
          IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TODAY, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? VICE CHAIR, AND, AND I JUST HAD A REQUEST FOR, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT LATER, A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM. 
          I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, UM, THE SCHEDULE REDUCTION PLAN FOR OCTOBER, 2027 AND HOW THAT'S BEING PREPARED FOR WHAT THAT ALL ENTAILS. 
          I KNOW THAT IT'S IN THE CONTRACT, BUT I, I IT'S CREATING MORE AWARENESS FOR THE GENERAL COMMUNITY AROUND WHAT THAT IS, WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          I THINK, I THINK MAYBE THAT WE COULD MAYBE DO THAT IN PLACE FOR A QUARTERLY REPORT, OR IN ADDITION TO A QUARTERLY REPORT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          THANK YOU, ASSISTANT CHIEF. 
          MOVING 
          [3. Discussion of Austin Firefighters Association budget and sworn staff priorities. Presented by David Girouard, President, Austin Firefighters Association.]
ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, DISCUSSION OF THE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION BUDGET AND SWORN STAFF PRIORITIES, PLEASE. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. 
          MY NAME IS DAVID GERARD, AND I'M A 31 YEAR BATTALION CHIEF WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND I'M HONORED TO BE BEFORE YOU TODAY AS PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION. 
          I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU DURING MY FIRST APPEARANCE BEFORE THIS COMMISSION. 
          I WANNA BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING AND COMMENDING THE EFFORTS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP TO BALANCE THE DEMANDS OF PUBLIC SAFETY WITH RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP OF TAXPAYER RESOURCES. 
          WE RECOGNIZE THAT FISCAL DISCIPLINE IS NOT OPTIONAL, IT IS ESSENTIAL. 
          WE ALSO SHARE THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT EVERY DOLLAR SPENT DELIVERS MEANINGFUL VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY MUST BE PAIRED WITH OPERATIONAL REALITY. 
          THE DEMANDS PLACED ON THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTINUE TO GROW, WHETHER IT IS INCREASED CALL VOLUME, POPULATION EXPANSION, OR THE COMPLEXITY OF EMERGENCIES OUR FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO EVERY DAY. 
          THESE ARE NOT THEORETICAL PRESSURES. 
          THEY'RE HAPPENING IN REAL TIME AFFECTING RESPONSE TIME, STAFFING, AND ULTIMATELY PUBLIC SAFETY OUTCOMES. 
          ADEQUATE FUNDING, FULLY FUNDING THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND BEYOND IS NOT SIMPLY A BUDGETARY DECISION. 
          IT IS A PUBLIC SAFETY IMPERATIVE. 
          ADEQUATE FUNDING ENSURES THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN APPROPRIATE STAFFING LEVELS, KEEP CRITICAL APPARATUS IN SERVICE, AND PROVIDE FIREFIGHTERS WITH THE TOOLS, TRAINING AND SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO PROTECT THIS CITY EFFECTIVELY. 
          I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THE CITY HAS ALREADY RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING THESE STAFFING LEVELS THROUGH OUR RECENTLY SIGNED LABOR AGREEMENT. 
          THAT AGREEMENT CODIFIES A CLEAR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAIN CURRENT STAFFING, REFLECTING A SHARED UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY AND ITS FIREFIGHTERS ABOUT WHAT IS REQUIRED TO MEET AUSTIN'S PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS. 
          HONORING THAT COMMITMENT IS NOT ONLY A MATTER OF FISCAL PLANNING, IT IS A MATTER OF BEHOLD UPHOLDING A LEGAL BINDING AGREEMENT MADE IN GOOD FAITH AND ENSURING CONTINUITY AND THE LEVEL OF SERVICE OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON. 
          RECENT EVENTS SERVE AS A SOBERING REMINDER THAT EMERGENCIES DO NOT WAIT FOR BUDGET CYCLES OR ECONOMIC CONVENIENCE. 
          THE MASS SHOOTING THAT OCCURRED IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ON MARCH 1ST DEMONSTRATED HOW QUICKLY A LARGE SCALE HIGH ACUITY INCIDENT CAN UNFOLD IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND THOSE MOMENTS, THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER IT IS FINANCIALLY CONVENIENT TO BE FULLY STAFFED, TRAINED, AND RESOURCED. 
          THE QUESTION IS WHETHER WE ARE PREPARED. 
          I WOULD ALSO EMPHASIZE THAT THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS UNDERGONE REPEATED BUDGET REDUCTION EXERCISES YEAR AFTER YEAR, UH, FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE PAST DECADE. 
          THROUGH THOSE EFFORTS, THE DEPARTMENT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY LEAN AND EFFICIENT. 
          AT THIS POINT, THERE ARE NO KNOWN SURPLUS FUNDS, EXCESS CAPACITY, OR NON-ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS LEFT TO ELIMINATE WITHOUT DIRECTLY IMPACTING SERVICE DELIVERY. 
          WHEN RESOURCES FALL SHORT, THE CONSEQUENCES ARE NOT ABSTRACT. 
          THEY'RE MEASURED IN DELAYED RESPONSE TIMES, INCREASED RISK TO FIREFIGHTERS, AND REDUCED CAPACITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR GROWING COMMUNITY. 
          INVESTING IN A FD IS AN INVESTMENT IN RESILIENCE READINESS IN THE SAFETY OF EVERY RESIDENT IN AUSTIN. 
          WE STAND READY TO WORK COLLABORATIVE COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE CITY AND THIS COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT OTHER, THAT OUR, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT REMAINS STRONG, RESPONSIVE, AND PREPARED, NOT JUST FOR TODAY'S CHALLENGES, BUT FOR THOSE AHEAD. 
          UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR SERVICE, AND YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. 
          UH, BUT I'LL ALSO WANT TO KIND OF COMMENT ON A COUPLE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HEARD, UM, ASKED BY THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, TO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF VOKEY, UM, THAT REALLY KIND OF ACKNOWLEDGES SOME OF THE WORK AND THE SACRIFICE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE, UH, WHEN IT CAME TO THE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING OR WHAT THE DEPARTMENT IS DOING TO ACTIVELY RECRUIT AND INCREASE OUR FEMALE REPRESENTATION WITHIN THE WORKFORCE. 
          [00:30:01]
UM, ONE OF THE THING THAT'S THAT'S RELEVANT TO THAT CONVERSATION IS THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS REDEPLOYED ITS UNIFORM TO MEMBERS FROM OUR RECRUITING DIVISION TO OPERATIONS IN AN EFFORT TO BE, UM, UH, SENSITIVE TO THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS. 
          AND WHILE ASSISTANT CHIEF VOKEY WON'T OFFER ANY EXCUSES FOR THE CHALLENGES OF RECRUITING, UM, IT'S, IT'S NO DOUBT THAT, THAT THE LIMITATIONS OF RESOURCES, UH, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IMPACTS THE ABILITY TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ALREADY IS. 
          I WOULD ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND, UH, COMMEND THE CITY LEADERSHIP FOR, UM, THE RECENT DECISION NOT TO APPEAL, UH, THE APPROVED, RECENTLY APPROVED WORKERS' COMPENSATION, UM, CANCER COVERAGE FOR OUR FEMALE FIREFIGHTER LIEUTENANT SUZANNE LAFA. 
          IF WE WANNA TALK ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO INCREASE OUR FEMALE REPRESENTATION WITHIN THE WORKFORCE, UH, I THINK EQUITABILITY IN THE PROTECTIONS TO THOSE FOLKS IS ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT CAN GO A LONG WAYS IN THAT DIRECTION. 
          AND THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO, UM, WORKING WITH THE ASSOCIATION TO INCREASE LEGISLATION AT THE STATE LEVEL, UH, IN THE 2020 SEVENTH LEGISLATION, AND, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. 
          ANOTHER THING THAT I'LL, UH, KIND OF JUMPED OUT AT ME IS THE COMMENTS IN THE ADVOCACY FOR THE UNHOUSED AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH. 
          UH, AGAIN, CHIEF OAKEY WON'T OFFER ANY EXCUSES FOR THE LIMITATIONS, BUT, UH, I'M AWARE THAT THEY HAVE, UH, REDEPLOYED ALL OF THEIR UNIFORMED MEMBERS FROM COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO OPERATIONS, AGAIN, AS A BUDGET REDUCTION. 
          AND SO WHEN I MAKE THE GLOBAL STATEMENTS ABOUT THE, UH, THE IMPACT OF, UH, UH, UH, CHALLENGES TO THE BUDGET, UM, THE PRESENTATION AND THE SLIDES SHOW THAT, UH, THAT OUR RESPONSE TIMES ARE STILL IMPROVING, IMPROVING PREDOMINANTLY PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE RECLASSIFICATIONS OF CALLS, BUT THERE ARE OTHER SERVICE IMPACTS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET CHALLENGES AND THE BUDGET LIMITS. 
          IF THE QUESTION, UH, TO THE ASSOCIATION TODAY IS, UH, LIKE, HEY, WHAT ARE MY BUDGETARY CONCERNS? IT'S THE FACT THAT, UM, OUR LABOR AGREEMENT HAS CODIFIED THE LEGAL OBLIGATION, UH, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO MAINTAIN OUR FOUR-PERSON STAFFING SO THAT WE CAN, CAN CONTINUE TO BE EXCELLENT, UH, AS THOSE SLIDES DEMONSTRATED. 
          AND THAT THE, UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE, THE CITY IS STILL LOOKING FOR THE FUNDS TO COVER THE SHORTAGE IN THE, IN THE BUDGET, UM, THAT WASN'T IN INCLUDED IN THE AMENDED BUDGET, UH, ADOPTED BY, BY COUNCIL. 
          NOW, I GOT CONFIRMATION FROM LABOR RELATIONS, UH, EVEN AS LATE AS A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO TO THE CITY'S RENEWED COMMITMENT TO THAT AND ACCEPTANCE OF THAT FUNDING OBLIGATION. 
          AND SO I'M THANKFUL, UH, THAT THAT IS BEING COMMUNICATED AND REITERATED, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT, UH, CURRENTLY REFLECTED IN THEIR, IN THEIR BUDGET ALLOCATION. 
          UH, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE TO, UH, NOT JUST NOW, BUT AS WE MOVED INTO THE, UH, 2027, UH, BUDGET YEAR. 
          SO, UH, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I'D LOVE TO ANSWER 'EM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, MR. UH, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, GOOD FAITH EFFORTS THAT YOU'RE DOING FEMALE RECRUITMENT IN THE YEAR SO THAT I'VE BEEN HERE. 
          I KNOW A, UM, A PD HAS, HAS KIND OF FACED THOSE CHALLENGES, SO I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO. 
          UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO ANYONE ELSE. 
          NO. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WELL, Y'ALL WILL MAKE IT EASY ON ME. 
          I I WILL ADD ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT. 
          WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS ON OUR, OUR RADAR IS THAT, UM, AS THE OATS INITIATIVE OR THE REDEPLOYMENT OF, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES TO A CENTRALIZED REPORTING AND LOCATION. 
          AND, AND THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS 12 INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, COULD BE IMPACTED BY THAT. 
          AND SOME OF THEM THAT WERE, UH, MOST SENSITIVE TO ARE OUR GIS FOLKS THAT WORK WITH OUR WILDFIRE. 
          AND I KNOW THERE'S A WILDFIRE PRESENTATION LATER TODAY. 
          AND, UH, THERE IS CONCERN, UH, WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION THAT, UH, CENTRALIZING THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL, UH, COULD IMPACT, UH, OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WILDFIRE, UH, THE IMPROVEMENT IN OUR WILDFIRE PROTECTIONS, AS WELL AS, UH, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT FALL WITHIN THAT CRITERIA THAT WORK IN OUR, UH, PREVENTION DIVISION, UM, AND NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS OUR, OUR, UH, IT FOLKS THAT ARE IN-HOUSE. 
          AND SO I KNOW THAT'S A GLOBAL INITIATIVE BY THE CITY. 
          UH, IT'S, IT'S BORN OUT OF A, A DESIRE TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. 
          UM, BUT THERE IS SOME CONCERN WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION THAT, THAT THERE COULD BE AN IMPACT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, BY, UH, SHOULD THOSE INDIVIDUALS BE, UH, RELOCATED FROM THEIR, THEIR CURRENT POSITIONS AND ROLES AND, AND A, A LAYER OF BUREAU BUREAUCRACY ADDED. 
          UM, AND SO I'LL PUT THAT OUT THERE INTO ANY, UM, TO ANY INFLUENCE THIS COMMISSION HAS IN ENSURING THAT THERE'S A THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS MADE ON THE IMPACT OF THAT INITIATIVE TO PUBLIC SAFETY, PROBABLY BEYOND, UH, FIRE, BUT, UH, POLICE AND EMS, UH, THAT WOULD BE, UH, GREATLY APPRECIATED. 
          SO, THANK Y'ALL. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          OKAY, 
          [4. Discussion of Austin Police Oversight Mediation Program and responses to questions from Recommendation 20250908-006. Presented by Gail McCant, Director, Austin Police Oversight.]
NEXT ITEM DISCUSSION OF THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT MEDIATION PROGRAM. 
          Y'ALL CAN COME UP, PLEASE. 
          [00:35:23]
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, COMMISSIONERS. 
          I'M GAIL MCCANN, DIRECTOR AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT. 
          UH, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, KEVIN MASTERS, WILL PROVIDE THE, UM, BRIEFING FOR THE MEDIATION, AND I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE BRIEFING ON THE RECOMMENDATION WHO'S DRIVING THE SLIDE? THANK YOU. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR COMMISSIONER. 
          MY NAME IS KEVIN MASTERS, AND AS DIRECTOR SAID, I'M THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT. 
          I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF THE MEDIATION PROGRAM. 
          BASICALLY, THE OVERVIEW WILL TALK ABOUT THE POLICE OVERSIGHT PROGRAM, OUR AUTHORITY ABOUT THE MEDIATION PROCESS, AS WELL AS BENEFITS. 
          A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, UH, FORMER COMMANDER COMPTON OF THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION REACHED OUT TO OUR OFFICE AND SAID THAT A PD HAD A MEDIATION PROGRAM MANY, MANY YEARS AGO THAT NEVER REALLY GOT OFF THE GROUND, AND IT WAS CODIFIED IN THE EXISTING A PA AGREEMENT AS WELL AS POLICY. 
          AND HE ASKED IF WE COULD WORK WITH A PD TO ONCE AGAIN STAND UP A MEDIATION PROGRAM. 
          SO THIS WAS THE OUTCOME OF THAT PARTICULAR DIRECT CONTACT FROM A PD. 
          AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE MISSION OF AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT IS PROVIDED IMPARTIAL OVERSIGHT OF AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S CONDUCT PRACTICES AND POLICIES TO, TO ENHANCE ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND PARTNERSHIPS. 
          SOME THINGS THAT WE DO, AUSTIN POLICE OFF OVERSIGHT IS A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT FROM A PD. 
          WE ARE NOT OFFICERS. 
          WE DO NOT WORK OR REPORT TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          WE'RE A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE CITY. 
          WE REVIEW ALL COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS. 
          WE HAVE FULL ACCESS TO A PD DATABASES, AS WELL AS THEIR REPORTING SYSTEMS, BODY-WORN CAMERAS, ET CETERA. 
          WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND CITY MANAGER RELATED TO DISCIPLINE AND ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND TRAINING. 
          AND WE ALSO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT COMPLAINT PROCESS AND DIFFERENT REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MAY MAKE TO A PD AS WELL AS THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. 
          WE DO NOT OVERSEE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OUTSIDE OF A PD. 
          SO IF IT'S AUSTIN U UT POLICE OR TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY THERE. 
          WE DO NOT OVERSEE CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS. 
          WE O ONLY OVERSEE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINTS. 
          THOSE DEALING WITH POLICIES WE DO NOT ADMINISTER DISCIPLINE, ONLY THE CHIEF OF POLICE CAN OFFER, CAN ADMINISTER DISCIPLINE. 
          WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE AS IT RELATES TO ISSUES OF DISCIPLINE. 
          OUR AUTHORITY IS CODIFIED IN THE 2024 MEETING CON CONFIRM AGREEMENT, ARTICLE 17, DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS DEMO AND APPEAL. 
          SECTION 16 STATES THAT THE CITY SHALL IMPLEMENT A VOLUNTARY MEDIATION PROCESS. 
          THIS IS OUR EFFORT TO COMPLY WITH THAT SPECIFIC COMPONENT OF THE AGREEMENT. 
          IT'S ALSO AUTHORIZED IN POLICE GENERAL ORDERS 9 0 2 6 5, INVESTIGATIVE HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS THROUGH MEDIATION PROCESS. 
          IT IS ALSO CODIFIED IN OUR OWN INTERNAL AFFAIR OR OUR OWN COMPLAINT DIVISION. 
          OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES. 
          IN CHAPTER 10 OF THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT GENERAL POLICIES OUTLINED THE MEDIATION PROGRAM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MEDIATION PROCESS. 
          MEDIATION OBVIOUSLY IS A VOLUNTARY AND CONFIDENTIAL PROCESS IN WHICH A NEUTRAL THIRD PARTY MEDIATOR FACILITATES DIALOGUE BETWEEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND A POLICE OFFICER TO RESOLVE CONCERNS, IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING, AND REBUILD TRUST OUTSIDE OF THE DISCIPLINARY FRAMEWORK. 
          AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT HAS ENTERED A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER, IN WHICH THEY PROVIDE A COLLABORATIVE FRAMEWORK TO CONDUCT MEDIATIONS BETWEEN OUR OFFICE AS WELL AS WITH A PD. 
          SOME OF THE PURPOSES WE WANT TO IDENTIFY FOR THE MEDIATION PROCESS 
          [00:40:01]
IS TO ESTABLISH A COLLABORATIVE FRAMEWORK BETWEEN AGENCIES AND ENTITIES FOR INTERACTIONS AROUND DISCORD. 
          WE WANNA PROVIDE A SAFE AND CONFIDENTIAL VOLUNTARY SPACE WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND POLICE OFFICERS CAN TALK OPENLY ABOUT THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER. 
          WE ALSO WANT TO CREATE A FORUM WHERE PEOPLE IN DISCORD CAN WORK TOGETHER MUTUALLY TO A RESOLUTION OF THEIR DISAGREEMENT. 
          WE WANNA ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE BETWEEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND POLICE OFFICERS SO THAT THEY CAN EDUCATE ONE ANOTHER ON THE VARIOUS NORMS, CUSTOMS, AND BEHAVIORS, AS WELL AS WE WANNA BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE A PA CONTRACT AS WELL AS A-P-O-A-P-D, GENERAL ORDERS AND OUR OPERATING PROCEDURES ABOUT THE PROCESS. 
          A PO IDENTIFIES CASES SUITABLE FOR MEDIATION BASED ON FORMAL PUBLIC COMPLAINTS AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS. 
          AND WE FOCUS ON FORMAL PUBLIC COMPLAINTS BECAUSE IN THE SUPERVISOR REFERRAL, WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY WE PROCESS COMPLAINTS, THE THE INTERACTION IS BUILT IN, THE SUPERVISOR IS REQUIRED TO CON CONTACT THE COMPLAINTANT, THEREFORE, THERE WILL BE AN INTERACTION. 
          THE OTHER WAY WE PROCESS COMPLAINTS IS A COMMUNITY CONCERN. 
          AND WHEN THEY'RE PROCESSED AS A COMMUNITY CONCERN, A COMPLAINANT WILL TELL US THEY DON'T WANT TO BE CONTACTED. 
          SO WE WANT TO, UH, MAKE SURE WE WORK WITH THEM IN A WAY THAT THEY WANT TO INTERACT WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          ONCE WE'VE IDENTIFIED A COMPLAINT THAT'S, WE BELIEVE ELIGIBLE FOR FORMAL MEDIATION, NOTIFY THE OFFICER'S CHAIN OF COMMAND, WHO WILL MEET WITH THE OFFICER TO GET THEIR AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE OPEN TO MEDIATION. 
          ONCE THE COMPLAINT, ONCE THE OFFICER AND THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AGREES TO MEDIATION, OUR OFFICE WILL REACH BACK OUT TO THE COMPLAINANT AND OFFER IT UP TO MEDIATION FOR THE COMPLAINANT. 
          WHAT WE DO NOT WANT TO DO IS WE DON'T WANT TO RECOMMEND MEDIATION TO, TO THE COMPLAINANT BEFORE WE RECOMMEND IT TO THE OFFICER, BECAUSE IF THE OFFICER AND OR THE OFFICER'S CHAIN OF COMMAND DECIDE, WAIT A MINUTE, THIS MAY BE SOMETHING THAT'S MORE SERIOUS THAN WE WANNA MEDIATE, WE WANT OTHER ACTIONS. 
          WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN CANCEL SOMETHING THAT THAT HASN'T BEEN APPROVED ALREADY THROUGH THE PROCESS. 
          A NEUTRAL THIRD PARTY MEDIATOR, MEDIATOR FROM THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER WILL CONTACT THE COMPLAINANT AS WELL AS THE OFFICER TO TAKE THEIR INTAKE AND THEIR ASSESSMENTS. 
          THEY HAVE DOCUMENTS AND FORMS THAT THEY'LL HAVE BOTH PARTIES FILL OUT, AND THEN THEY WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFIC TO THE MEDIATION PROCESS. 
          THEY'RE IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE THAT THE DATE AND TIMES ARE SCHEDULED AND THROUGH OUR CONTRACT, WE HAVE TRIED TO WORK THROUGH A 45 DAY CALENDAR AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER. 
          PART OF THE PROCESS IS TO ENSURE THAT RESPECT, THAT WE RESPECT AND PROTECT THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE MEDIATION PROCESS AS REQUIRED BY LAW, AS WELL AS MEDIATION BEST PRACTICES. 
          ALL MEDIATIONS BY AGREEMENT WILL BE CONDUCTED VIRTUALLY. 
          AND AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEDIATION SESSION, THE DRC WILL SEND A REPORT OR DOCUMENT TO THE A PO THAT KIND OF OUTLINES WHAT THE CONCLUSION OR THE DISPOSITION OF THE MEDIATION WAS, WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS SUCCESSFUL MEDIATION OR NOT. 
          IF AN OFFICER FAILS TO ATTEND OR IS NOT COMPLIANT WITH THE PROCESS, BASICALLY THE COMPLAINT WILL GO TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND IT'LL BE INVESTIGATED AS A NORMAL FORMAL COMPLAINT WOULD BE INVESTIGATED. 
          IF A COMPLAINANT FAILS TO ATTEND, THE COMPLAINT WILL BE CLOSED AND IT'LL BE TREATED AS A CONTACT. 
          SOME OF THE CORE GOALS WE WANT TO ACHIEVE IS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING, TO RESOLVE COMPLAINT, COLLABORATE COLLABORATIVELY, AND TO STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY POLICE RELATIONSHIPS. 
          WE THINK WE, BY CREATING A SAFE SPACE FOR BOTH SIDES TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED, IT WILL IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING. 
          WE ALSO WANT TO HELP EACH PARTY UNDERSTAND THE OTHER'S PERSPECTIVE AND THEIR EXPERIENCES. 
          AND THIS IS BEST DONE THROUGH DIALOGUE. 
          WE'LL ONLY USE LOW LEVEL INTERPERSONAL COMPLAINTS THAT WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDIATION. 
          THOSE WILL BE COMPLAINTS SUCH AS DISCOURTESY, UH, FAILURE TO TAKE A REPORT, UH, FAILURE TO FOLLOW UP ON AN INVESTIGATION OF THOSE LOW LAYING CASES THAT DON'T INVOLVE, UH, BIAS, THAT DO NOT INVOLVE USE OF FORCE, AND DO NOT INVOLVE SOME OF THE MORE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS THAT COME TO OUR OFFICE. 
          THE CORE, CORE GOALS IS WE WANNA PROVIDE A SAFE AND CONFIDENTIAL NEUTRAL ENVIR ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL AS REDUCE, REDUCE REPEAT CONFLICTS AND RESOURCE STRAIN AND PROMOTE HEALING AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          WE THINK MEDIATION PROCESS WILL HELP THE DEPARTMENT FOCUS ON THE MORE HIGHER LEVEL COMPLAINTS AND SPEND MORE OF THEIR TIME INVESTIGATING THOSE COMPLAINTS. 
          WE KNOW SOME OF THE FORMAL COMPLAINTS, THE LOWER LEVEL COMPLAINTS CAN TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS, AND WE BELIEVE THE MEDIATION PROCESS, THE GOAL IS TO 
          [00:45:01]
GET THOSE DONE WITHIN 45 DAYS TO 60 DAYS. 
          IT ALSO GIVES A COMMUNITY MEMBER A VOICE IN THE PROCESS, WHICH WE DON'T NECESSARILY SEE IN SOME OF THE OTHER FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS. 
          SOME OF THE BENEFITS WE BELIEVE WILL BE ACHIEVED BY POLICE OFFICERS. 
          IT'LL GIVE OFFICERS TO HEAR THEIR ACTIONS, HEAR ABOUT THEIR ACTIONS, AND HOW IT REALLY CAME ACROSS TO THE OTHER PERSON. 
          UH, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE ENGAGED IN THE POLICE INTERACTION, UH, YOU ARE STUCK IN THE BUSINESS AND YOU'RE NOT FOCUSING ON YOUR INTERPERSONAL RELATION, YOUR INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AND HOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING AFFECTS THAT PERSON. 
          WE THINK THIS WILL HELP IN THAT. 
          IN THAT REGARDS, WE THINK IT WILL REDUCE CONFLICT AND STRESS AND SHIFT FOCUS TO PROBLEM SOLVING AS OPPOSED TO THE CONFLICT. 
          CLARIFY INTENTIONS, UH, TIMELY RESOLVE LOW LEVEL COMPLAINTS. 
          ONCE AGAIN, HOPE. 
          THE GOAL IS TO TURN AROUND THE MEDIATION COMPLAINTS WITHIN 45 TO 60 DAYS AND IMPROVE OFFICER'S COMMUNICATION SKILLS. 
          HOPEFULLY, THEY'LL GAIN TWOS FOR LISTENING WITH EMPATHY AND DEVELOP A MORE CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE. 
          WE BELIEVE SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS MAY ACHIEVE. 
          IT'LL GIVE THEM VOICE AND VALIDATION. 
          PEOPLE CAN DIRECTLY EXPRESS HOW WHAT HAPPENED, IMPACTED THEM, WHICH THEY DON'T OFTEN GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO. 
          THE WAY THE FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE, ARE, ARE CONDUCTED AT THIS TIME. 
          ONCE AGAIN, TIMELY RESOLUTION OF COMPLAINTS, JUST A QUICKER TURNAROUND. 
          TRANSPARENCY AND UNDERSTANDING. 
          COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND THE CONSTRAINTS THAT OFFICERS HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT THEY MAY NOT BE AWARE OF. 
          HEALING AND CLOSURE. 
          SOMETIMES, UH, WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE, UH, PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, MY BAD, OR, I'M SORRY, AN APOLOGY SOMETIMES IS, IS WHAT A COMPLAINANT WANNA SEE OR HEAR, MORE SO THAN FORMAL DISCIPLINE. 
          AND IT ALSO PROVIDES A SAFE SPACE. 
          'CAUSE MEDIATION WILL BE A VOLUNTARY PROCESS. 
          THAT CONCLUDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM. 
          I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. 
          BUT BEFORE WE GO THERE, I DO WANT TO REMIND YOU GUYS WE HAVE QUARTERLY MEETINGS, AND OUR NEXT QUARTERLY MEETING WILL BE JUNE 6TH, 2026, FROM 10 TO 12:00 AM AT THE CONLEY GUERRERO SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER AT 8 8 0 8. 
          NOWS, WE WELCOME YOU GUYS AS WELL AS OUR BROADER, UH, COMMUNITY TO JOIN US FOR OUR PUBLIC QUARTERLY MEETINGS. 
          OH, I, I, I THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO COME BACK TO PRESENT TO US. 
          UM, SPEAKING AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN, I'M ALL ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY WITH ALL OUR CITY, UM, DEPARTMENTS. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          I HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GONNA OPEN IT TO THE FLOOR. 
          UH, FIRST OR OTHER COMMISSIONERS CHIME IN. 
          COMMISSIONER SMITH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          I HAVE A COUPLE CHAIR, I'LL JUST PAUSE AFTER EACH ONE. 
          YOU CAN TELL ME IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO CONTINUE OR NOT. 
          UM, MY FIRST ONE IS RELATED TO THE POLLS OF THE PROGRAM. 
          I'M LOVING THE MEDIATION COMPONENT, HAVING PEOPLE, VOICES HEARD ALL THAT GOOD STUFF. 
          IN MY HEAD, WHEN I THINK ABOUT A SITUATION THAT MIGHT COME TO FRUITION THAT WILL CAUSE MEDIATION, THERE ARE THREE REALITIES OR OUTCOMES I SEE OUTTA THAT CONVERSATION. 
          EITHER WE WERE BOTH WRONG AND NOW WE GET SOME UNDERSTANDING AND, AND HOW WE BOTH WORK. 
          UM, P UH, THE CONSTITUENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRONG AND NOW WE GET TO RESET EXPECTATIONS OR THIRD PD, NOT SUPER IN THE RIGHT. 
          UM, AND WE NEED CHANGED BEHAVIOR. 
          THOSE FIRST TWO, WHERE WE'RE BOTH WRONG AND WE SEE EACH OTHER OR THE CONSTITUENTS WRONG AND WE RESET EXPECTATIONS. 
          I SEE CLEARLY IN THESE GOALS WHERE PD HAS SOME OPPORTUNITIES OF GROWTH, AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES OF GROWTH ARE SEIZED. 
          IE CHANGED BEHAVIOR. 
          I'M NOT SEEING THAT REFLECTED IN THESE GOALS. 
          AND SO I WANT SOME CLARITY ON THAT. 
          MAYBE I'M MISREADING. 
          AND THEN FURTHERMORE, WHEN IT COMES TO THESE GOALS, UM, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR, YOUR YOUR EIGHT STEP PLAN, I'M NOT SEEING WHERE MY DATA IS. 
          I'M NOT SEEING WHAT THE METHODOLOGY OF SUCCESS FOR ALL THESE GOALS ARE AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO CAPTURE THAT, AND THEN IN TURN, MAKE IT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. 
          UM, SO THOSE ARE MY, MY MAIN KIND OF PAUSES WITH THE STRUCTURE AS IS. 
          BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A PRESENTATION THAT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, BE IN THE CURRICULUM OR, OR, OR PROCEDURES OR WHATNOT. 
          CAN I GET ANY CLARITY ON, ON THOSE TWO MATTERS OR THOSE TWO POINTS SHOULD I SAY? SURE. 
          UH, AS STATED, THE DRC WILL PRESENT A DOCUMENT OR DEVELOP A DOCUMENT FOR A PO THAT KIND OF GIVES AN OUTLINE OF THE RESULTS OF THE MEDIATION. 
          BASED ON THOSE OUTLINES, WE'RE GONNA, WE ARE GONNA TRACK EVERY MEDIATION AS WELL AS TRACK ALL THE CONCLUSIONS. 
          UH, AND, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHAT THOSE CONCLUSIONS ARE, WE'LL DEVELOP A STRATEGY IN TERMS OF HOW WE WILL RE REACT TO THEM ONCE THEY START COMING 
          [00:50:01]
IN. 
          I MEAN, IF, OBVIOUSLY IF THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE POLICY NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED, WE DO THAT NOW. 
          WE LOOK AT INCIDENTS THAT, UH, THAT WE BELIEVE WHERE POLICY NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED, UPDATED, MODIFIED. 
          WE MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO A PD. 
          NOW WE'LL DO THE SAME AS IT RELATES TO THE MEDIATION PROGRAM WITH THE DOCUMENTS WE RECEIVE FROM DRC. 
          AND WILL THAT DATA AND THE DOCUMENTS RELATED THERE TO BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE? YES. 
          YEAH, WE, WE WOULD REPORT OUT ON OUR MEDIATION EFFORTS TWICE OUR QUARTERLY AS WELL AS IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT. 
          TEN FOUR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU CONTINUE WITH YOUR OTHER QUESTIONS. 
          MY ONLY OTHER ONE WAS ALSO AROUND CLARITY WITH THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS ONLY BEING TRIGGERED IF PD DOESN'T SHOW UP OR ISN'T QUOTE UNQUOTE COMPLIANT WITH THE PROCEDURE. 
          AM I UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY THAT THAT'S NOT ALREADY AUTOMATIC? WHAT WOULD BE THE CASE WHERE IA WOULDN'T BE, UM, SPOKEN TO OR COMMUNICATED WITH IN THE CASE OF A COMPLAINT BY A CONSTITUENT? I'M SORRY, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION. 
          SO YOU SAID, UM, ON SLIDE, LET'S PULL THIS UP. 
          YOU SAID THAT THE IN, UH, PART OF THE PROCESS, UM, WAS ON, UM, SLIDE 16.8, FAILURE TO ATTEND A REGULAR SCHEDULED MEDIATION SESSION WILL RESULT IN THE FOLLOWING ACTION. 
          BASICALLY, WE GET, UH, THE PD GETS TATTLED ON TO, UH, UM, UM, IN, IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS. 
          YES. 
          AND THAT BEGS THE QUESTION IS, WHEN, WHY IS AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS ALWAYS COMMUNICATED WITH WHY IS THERE A TRIGGER IN THIS NOW? YEAH, THAT'S WHY WOULDN'T, GO AHEAD. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          THAT TRIGGERS SPECIFIC TO THE MEDIATION PROCESS? YEAH. 
          ALL COMPLAINTS WE RECEIVE THAT INVOLVED AN A PD OFFICER IS FORWARDED TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS. 
          THAT SPECIFIC TRIGGER IS FOR IF AN OFFICER SAYS HE OR SHE WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN MEDIATION AND THEY DON'T SHOW UP, THAT'S THE TRIGGER THAT IT GOES TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS. 
          AND IT'S TREATED LIKE A NORMAL FORMAL COMPLAINT WHERE IT'S INVESTIGATED THOROUGHLY AS APP AS OPPOSED TO GOING THROUGH THE MEDIATION PROCESS. 
          BUT ALL COMPLAINTS ARE, ARE FORWARDED TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS. 
          SO IN THE REALITY WHERE WE HAVE AN, UH, OH, UM, IA WAS ALREADY COMMUNICATED WITH OFFICER AGREES TO GO TO MEDIATION, DOESN'T SHOW UP. 
          IA IS AGAIN COMMUNICATED WITH. 
          THIS ISN'T THE ONLY TIME IA IS COMMUNICATED WITH, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          HEARD AND RECEIVED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          THANK YOU MR. SMITH. 
          MY QUESTION, UH, RE IS REVOLVES AROUND, UM, THE LANGUAGE OF A SUITABLE CASE OR ELIGIBILITY. 
          IT SEEMS KIND OF LIKE VAGUE LANGUAGE. 
          CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT? YEAH. 
          YES. 
          IT'S, AND IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE VAGUE BECAUSE IT'S SUBJECTED TO SOMETHING. 
          IT'S SUBJECTED TO THE COMPLAINT BEING A LOW LEVEL COMPLAINT. 
          UH, THE OFFICER WAS RUDE TO ME. 
          THE OFFICER MAY HAVE USED PROFANITY. 
          UH, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ITEMIZE OR INDEX EVERY COMPLAINT THAT WILL BE MEDIATED BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE THOUSANDS OF SCENARIOS, BUT THEY WILL ALL BE LOW LAYING, LOW LYING, I SHOULD SAY, UH, LEVELS OF COMPLAINT. 
          SO IT WILL GENERALLY FALL UNDER DISCOURTESY, UH, SOME IMPROPER PROCEDURES THAT MAY BE RELATED AROUND REPORT WRITING, FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATION. 
          YEAH, THE DETECTIVE SAID THEY'D CONTACT ME. 
          IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS. 
          I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD FROM SOMEONE. 
          THEY CLOSE MY CASE. 
          WE GET A LOT OF THOSE. 
          THEY CLOSE MY CASE. 
          I DON'T BELIEVE THEY TOOK ANY ACTIONS. 
          THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF COMPLAINTS THAT WE, WE, WE CONSIDER TO BE MEDIATION ELIGIBLE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          VICE CHAIR. 
          YEAH, MY QUESTION AGAIN, PICKING UP ON COMMISSIONER SMITH, WHO IS STARTING SOME REALLY GREAT THREADS HERE, UM, WITH REGARDS TO PUBLISHING OF INFORMATION AROUND MEDIATIONS. 
          THE MEMO, MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE THAT YOU POSTED AS PART OF THIS PRESENTATION SAYS THAT THE GOAL OF THE MEDIATION IS TO PROVIDE A CONFIDENTIAL SPACE. 
          AND SO YOU ALSO JUST SAID THAT ALL OF THE MEDIATION MATERIALS WOULD BE PUBLISHED. 
          WILL THEY BE PUBLISHED IN THE SAME WAY THAT ALL OTHER COMPLAINTS ARE PUBLISHED? IF I SAID ALL THE MATERIAL WOULD BE PUBLISHED, I, I THINK I SAID MATERIALS WOULD BE PUBLISHED. 
          THERE IS PII AND INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO THE COMPLAINANT AS WELL AS THE OFFICER THAT WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. 
          THE TYPE OF MEDIATION, THE TYPE OF COMPLAINT, THE, THE DISPOSITION OF IT. 
          THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF INFORMATION THAT WILL BE MADE, MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I THINK MY CONCERN WITH THE MEDIATION PROGRAM IS THE POTENTIAL FOR IT TO BE A WAY TO SIDELINE 
          [00:55:01]
TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED WITHIN THE A POA. 
          UM, I CAN UNDERSTAND, UM, WHY A PD WAS INTERESTED IN PURSUING THIS MEDIATION PROGRAM. 
          UM, GIVEN THAT IT TAKES AWAY TRANSPARENCY, THAT THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT I FIND TROUBLING ABOUT THE ROLLOUT OF THIS AT THIS POINT. 
          UM, AND I FIND IT PROBLEMATIC AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT OUR WAY AROUND. 
          UM, AND I WILL RE-UP MY CALL FOR, UM, UH, A FULL AUDIT OF THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT AND HOW THIS IS DIFFERENT, LIKE THE, HOW THIS, HOW THIS TRACK SURFACES AS IN, IN, AS YOU'RE BALANCING OUR, OUR OTHER COMPLAINTS PROCESS AND FIGURE OUT HOW, WHERE THESE CHOICES, UM, ARE PROVIDED, UM, AND HOW THEY'RE DISCLOSED, UM, AND HOW THAT LACK OF TRANSPARENCY FOR THIS AVENUE IS COMMUNICATED TO COMPLAINANTS. 
          AND I HAD A QUESTION REGARDING NUMBERS, AND MAYBE YOU GUYS ARE GONNA COME BACK IN THE FUTURE WITH A, A REPORT THAT ACTUALLY PROVIDES NUMBERS, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, HOW MANY MEDIATIONS HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN PLACE SINCE THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE? AND THEN ALSO OUT OF THE CASES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED AS SUITABLE, HOW MANY OF THOSE, OR WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ACTUALLY LEAD TO MEDIATIONS IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, BOTH PARTIES ARE AGREEING TO TAKE PART? SO I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. 
          AS OF THIS PRESENTATION, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CASES THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED FOR MEDIATION. 
          UH, WE HAVE SOME THAT'S IN THE PIPELINE TO BE PRESENTED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED AS OF TODAY. 
          COMMISSIONER SIERRA . 
          UH, YES. 
          A A CLARIFICATION ON PART OF THE PROCESS. 
          SO THERE IS A COMPLAINT THAT REACHES IA AND THERE IS DOCUMENTATION THAT THERE WILL BE SOME LIST OF QUOTE UNQUOTE LOW LEVEL COMPLAINTS THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDIATION, WHO ULTIMATELY WIELDS THE DISCRETION TO SUGGEST THAT A COMPLAINT BE CONSIDERED FOR MEDIATION. 
          IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WILL BE HANDLED BY IA WITHIN THE A PD? THEY WILL DECIDE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THIS BE MEDIATED. 
          AND IF THAT IS THE CASE, DOES THE OVERSIGHT BODY HAVE THE ABILITY TO REJECT THAT RECOMMENDATION OR WHATEVER THEY GET RECOMMENDED TO THEM BY IA WILL THEN BE PRESENTED TO THE COMPLAINANT, UH, FOR MEDIATION? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. 
          IT WILL BE BOTH. 
          WE WILL BE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE. 
          SO WE WILL TRY TO IDENTIFY CASES THAT WE BELIEVE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDIATION. 
          HOWEVER, IF WE SEND A CASE TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS THAT'S A FORMAL, A REQUEST FOR FORMAL INVESTIGATION, AND THEY BELIEVE IT'S ELIGIBLE FOR RE FOR MEDIATION, THEY CAN MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO US. 
          WE WILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SAY, WE DO NOT BELIEVE THIS CASE IS ELIGIBLE FOR MEDIATION. 
          AND WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT CASE WHERE IA RECOMMENDS A CASE MEDIATION AND THE OPINION OF THE OVERSIGHT BODY, IT CONTRAVENES THAT RECOMMENDATION. 
          THERE WILL BE A FULL FORMAL INVESTIGATION. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU ARE WELCOME. 
          COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT, I APOLOGIZE FOR PROLONGING THIS, BUT IN THAT LAST EXPLANATION, I STARTED TO GET CONFUSED. 
          WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT REFERRAL TO THE MEDIATION PROGRAM, IS THAT BEING DONE BY THE, THE OVERSIGHT BOARD, THE, THE VOLUNTEER CITIZENS ON THE OVERSIGHT BOARD? OR IS THAT A, A STAFF DETERMINATION? THAT'S AN A PO STAFF DETERMINATION. 
          OKAY, THEN I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, BECAUSE AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, UM, YOU, Y'ALL ARE HEAVILY STAFFED WITH FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT. 
          UM, AND I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN, UM, NOT HAVING THE FOX WATCH THE HENHOUSE. 
          UM, I REALLY, I DON'T REALLY SEE HOW, UM, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT MAKING A RECOMMENDATION, UH, THAT SOMETHING GO TO MEDIATION IS REALLY THAT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN A PD MAKING A RECOMMENDATION THAT A CASE GO TO OVERSIGHT OR GO TO MEDIATION. 
          UM, THAT'S A BIG CONCERN. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER SMITH? UM, I'LL MAKE IT QUICK. 
          UH, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO GET OUTTA HERE. 
          I'M, UH, I AM CONCERNED AS WELL. 
          UH, I WANNA ECHO MY OTHER COMMISSIONER'S CONCERN, BUT I ALSO, WITH MY ATTORNEY HAT ON, I LOVE A GOOD MEDIATION. 
          YOU CAN GET SOME REAL, YOU COULD, YOU COULD GET SOME REAL GREAT ALIGNMENT IN A MEDIATION SPACE 
          [01:00:01]
THAT ISN'T AS HOSTILE, UM, AS A CONFLICT SPACE. 
          SO I DO THINK IT'S WORTH TRYING OUT. 
          UM, I'M EXTREMELY, THAT SAID, I'M EXTREMELY EXCITED THOUGH TO SEE THE KPIS AND THE DATA THAT REFLECTS THAT THIS MEDIATION HAD THE OUTCOME OF CHANGE, BEHAVIOR, LESS CALLS AND ACTUAL TRUE TRUST BETWEEN THE, THE COMMUNITY A PD I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR HARD DATA. 
          AND AGAIN, DOESN'T SUPER LOOK LIKE MY METHODOLOGY AS IT'S STATED NOW, EVEN CONSIDERS CAPTURING, COLLECTING, AND, UH, CONTINUING TO, UH, CIRCLE BACK AROUND TO A POLICE OFFICER WHOM IN MEDIATION IT WAS DETERMINED NEEDS TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR. 
          I, I, I, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT REFLECTED IN THE METHODOLOGY AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT POLICE OFFICER IS FOLLOWING THE, THE MEDIATION, THAT THIS WASN'T JUST A SECRET MEETING WHERE WE GOT TO QUI PRO QUO, SHAKE HANDS, MAKE SOMEONE FEEL HEARD, AND THEN CONTINUE THAT BEHAVIOR THAT WAS REPORTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          COMMISSIONER SMITH. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT IF WE ARE SEEING OFFICERS GO THROUGH MEDIATION, AND THEN SEVERAL TIMES THEY ARE SAYING, I WANNA MEDIATE THAT WE ARE SAYING WE'RE NOT GONNA GO THROUGH A MEDIATION BECAUSE IT'S APPARENT THAT BEHAVIOR IS NOT BEING CHANGED. 
          SO WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING SEEING AN OFFICER GO THROUGH A MEDIATION PROGRAM FOR SIMILAR BEHAVIOR THREE OR FOUR TIMES AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. 
          SO WE ARE GONNA BE SAYING AS WE GO THROUGH THE MEDIATION PROCESS AND IDENTIFY OFFICERS WHO ARE AGREEING TO MEDIATION SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE SAME OR SIMILAR BEHAVIOR, THAT IS PROBABLY NOT A GOOD OPTION AND THAT AN INVESTIGATION IS WARRANTED. 
          I OKAY. 
          IF THERE'S NOTHING FURTHER, UH, THANK YOU FOR AGREEING AGAIN TO COME BACK OUT AND, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO JUST SEEING MORE OF YOU THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT ITEM IS THE DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT DATA WITH AUSTIN POLICE SAFE ALLIANCE CHAIR. 
          WOULD YOU LIKE THE SECOND PRESENTATION RECOMMENDATION, UM, FOR, SORRY. 
          OH, YES. 
          SORRY. 
          SORRY. 
          AGAIN. 
          IT'S, IT'S OKAY. 
          IT'S OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          UM, AGAIN, GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS. 
          GET THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION GOING. 
          SO, UM, THIS BRIEFING WILL PROVIDE APOS RESPONSES TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONS SEPTEMBER, 2025 RECOMMENDATION. 
          THAT WAS RECOMMENDATION 2 0 2 5 0 9 0 8 DASH ZERO SIX. 
          THIS EVENING'S BRIEFING WILL INCLUDE ANY, UH, UPDATES SINCE THE RECOMMENDATION WAS PASSED. 
          SO ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2025, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, I SLIDE THAT PLEASE, AND I'LL JUST , UH, ON SEPTEMBER, 2020, ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2025, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION APPROVED THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL AND THE CITY REQUESTING FOUR KEY ACTIONS FROM A PO, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION SCOPE INCLUDED, AND REPORTING COMPLIANCE PROCESS AND OUTCOMES, COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION. 
          AND THERE WERE SOME, UM, MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS AS WELL. 
          THIS, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOLLOWED AN EARLIER COMMISSIONED DISCUSSION WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT IN JULY OF 2025 REGARDING APOS REPORTING AND TRANSPARENCY OBLIGATION. 
          AND THERE WAS A VERY, THERE WAS A LOT OF COMPLEXITY, COMPLEXITY RELATED TO THAT, UH, ISSUE AT THAT MEETING. 
          SO WE DETERMINED THAT RESPONDING IN WRITING WOULD BEST SUPPORT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION'S DELIBERATIVE PROCESS AND ALLOW OUR OFFICE TO ENGAGE FROM A MORE INFORMED, UH, POSITION. 
          I ALSO WANTED TO ENSURE POSITIONED IN OUR RESPONSES AND TO ALLOW A PO THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPLETE AND THOUGHTFUL AND THOROUGH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE TO THE COMMISSION. 
          UH, HOWEVER THE COMMISSION SUBSEQUENTLY ADVANCE, UH, IS QUESTIONED THROUGH A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL. 
          AND SO WE ARE HERE TO RESPOND TO THOSE QUESTIONS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO, THE CO THE COMMISSION'S REQUEST HERE WAS TO PRESENT THE MOST RECENT AND REPORT AT A PUBLICLY POSTED COUNCIL MEETING. 
          THE ORDINANCE DOES REQUIRE THAT A PO PROVIDE BOTH A WRITTEN AND ORAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL AT LEAST ONCE PER YEAR IN AN OPEN SESSION. 
          AS NOTED IN THE 
          [01:05:01]
RESPONSE FROM A PO, AND I THINK ALL THE COMMISSIONERS RECEIVED A COPY OF THAT, OF THE 2023 WRITTEN REPORT WAS RELEASED IN APRIL OF 2025. 
          THE TIMING OF THAT REPORT WAS IMPACTED BY SEVERAL FACTORS, INCLUDING, UM, WE HAD A COMPLETELY NEW COMPLAINTS TEAM REVIEWING THE DATA FOR THE FIRST TIME. 
          WE HAD NEW CITY PROCESSES IN PLACE IN TERMS OF WHEN WE COULD RELEASE A REPORT. 
          UH, WE ALSO HAD SOME INTERNAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO ALIGN THE 2023 REPORT WITH THE 2024 REPORT, BECAUSE THE 2023 REPORT WAS SO DELAYED. 
          IF YOU RECALL, IN MARCH OF 2025, A PO WORKED WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO PROVIDE FOR THIS COMMISSION A HIGH LEVEL PREVIEW OF THE 2023 AND THE 2024 DATA IN RESPONSE TO THIS COMMISSION'S REQUEST RELATED TO THE 2023 REPORT, AND ALSO THE REQUEST OF SOME BROADER INTEREST FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS FOLLOWING THE APRIL RELEASE, APOS AND REPORT WAS PLACED ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE'S AGENDA FOR REVIEW WITHOUT DISCUSSION. 
          AND THEN GIVEN THEN THE ANTICIPATED RELEASE OF THE 2024 END REPORT LATER IN THE YEAR, UM, WE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD INCLUDE BOTH 2023 DATA, 2024 DATA, AND ALSO WE COORDINATED THAT COUNCIL PRESENTATION WITH, UM, WHICH OCCURRED IN DECEMBER. 
          SO THE, THE, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION WAS THAT THE, THE, THE PRESENTATION WAS PRESENTED TO MAYOR TOOK MAYOR COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 9TH, 2025. 
          AT THE TIME, THIS PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATION WAS ADVANCED ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, A PO WAS IN ITS FINAL STAGES OF DRAFTING THE 2024 END REPORT, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN PUBLISHED AT THE TIME OF THIS RECOMMENDATION BEING ADVANCED. 
          THE 2024 WAS REPORT WAS PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER OF 2025. 
          AND THEN I WILL COVER THAT WITH SOME QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE TIMELINE. 
          SO I WILL COVER THE TIMELINE IN DETAIL LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION. 
          THIS WAS RELATED TO, UM, COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDED, UM, COMPLIANCE WITH DATABASES RATHER. 
          AND SO THIS RECOMMENDATION, CAN YOU GO BACK ONE SLIDE, PLEASE? I THINK IT'S ON DATABASES. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          RIGHT CLICK ONE TIME. 
          SORRY, IT'S GOT A DELAY IN IT. 
          YES, DELAYED. 
          OH, THERE WE GO. 
          UH, COMPLIANCE A PO. 
          THERE WE GO. 
          SO THIS WAS RELATED TO A PUBLISHED COMPLIANCE PLAN. 
          A PO UH, OPERATES IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT, WHICH SERVES AS OUR, UH, GOVERNING FRAMEWORK. 
          WE ALSO, UM, DON'T MAINTAIN A SEPARATE STANDALONE COMPLIANCE PLAN. 
          UH, COMPLIANCE IS EMBEDDED IN OUR POLICIES AND OUR PROCEDURES AND OUR REPORTING PRACTICES. 
          AND THIS ALLOWS US TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT COMPLAINT DATABASE. 
          UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDED A SEARCHABLE DATABASE IN AN ACCESSIBLE FORMAT, WAS THE RECOMMENDATION HERE. 
          AT THE TIME, THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS ADVANCED. 
          A P'S WEBSITE WAS ALREADY SEARCHABLE AND PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE. 
          THAT SAID, WE WERE AWARE OF COMMUNITY CONCERNS REGARDING LIMITATIONS IN SEARCH FUNCTIONALITY AND OCCASIONAL MISTRANSLATIONS OF POSTED CONTENT. 
          WE ALSO WERE AWARE THAT THE CITY WAS IN THE PROCESS OF REBUILDING ITS WEBSITE ON A NEW PLATFORM DESIGNED TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY IN THE OVERALL USER EXPERIENCE. 
          ON MARCH 19TH, UH, THE, THE NEW SITE WAS LAUNCHED, THE CITY LAUNCHED THIS NEW WEBSITE. 
          UM, THIS WEBSITE HAS A CLEANER PAGE STRUCTURE. 
          OUR WEBSITE HAS A CLEANER PAGE STRUCTURE. 
          IT'S MORE INTUITIVE NAVIGATION, IT HAS ENHANCED SEARCH FUNCTIONALITY, AND THEN IT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THE USER'S OVERALL EXPERIENCE AS WE ARE, THEY ARE GOING TO OUR WEBSITE. 
          AND SO WE ARE SEEING THOSE IMPROVEMENTS SINCE THE WEBSITE HAS LAUNCHED. 
          UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE MADE US AWARE OF SOME TECHNICAL THINGS THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING UP WAS WE ARE TESTING THE WEBSITE AS WELL. 
          AND AS WE IDENTIFY ISSUES AND CONCERNS, 
          [01:10:01]
WE ARE FOLLOWING BACK UP, UM, WITH THE WEB TEAM TO MAKE, UM, TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. 
          CPRC, SUPPORT AND STAFF LIAISON, THE PUBLIC, UH, SAFETY COMMISSION ALSO RECOMMENDED ASSIGNING A CITY CLERK STAFF MEMBER AS LIAISON TO THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION. 
          UM, THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS NOTED TO HELP TO ALLEVIATE THE STRAIN ON THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT STAFF RESOURCES, AND ALSO PROVIDE SOME CONSISTENCY AND EXPERTISE REGARDING OPEN MEETINGS. 
          UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CPRC, THIS COMMISSION IS ESTABLISHED AS A BOARD OF THE CITY THAT IS INDEPENDENT OF AND SEPARATE FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          THE COMMISSION CONSISTS OF 11 COMMISSIONERS, CHAPTER 2.54 D OF THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ESTABLISHED THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVISION COMMISSIONS AUTHORITY. 
          UH, AND SO THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO REVIEW SERIOUS MISCONDUCT, UH, RELATED TO INVESTIGATIONS, MAKE DISCIPLINARY RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE, ADVISE CITY LEADERSHIP ON A PD POLICIES, PRACTICES, ASSESS APOS EFFECTIVENESS, REPORT REPUB PUBLICLY, AND THEN CONDUCT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 
          SO THAT IS THE COMMISSION, UH, THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION. 
          UM, OUR OFFICE HAS NOT EXPERIENCED ANY STRAIN IN SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY POLICE, UH, REVIEW COMMISSION. 
          WE HAVE DONE SO CONSISTENCY CONSISTENTLY SINCE WE STOOD THE COMMISSION UP. 
          UM, THE OFFICE HAS A ATTORNEY THAT'S ASSIGNED, UH, TO OUR OFFICE AND PROVIDES THE SUPPORT TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND ANY CITY PROCESS WE, UM, HAVE. 
          AND WHILE WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY CAPACITY CHALLENGES, WE WILL COORDINATE WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO MITIGATE ANY IMPACT SHOULD THAT BECOME AN ISSUE IF THOSE ISSUES ARISE. 
          ANNUAL REPORT TIMELINE, OUR ANNUAL REPORT. 
          UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION RELATED TO THE ANNUAL REPORT, UH, SCHEDULE AND WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY IN TERMS OF EDITS. 
          AND SO OUR ANNUAL REPORT IS BASED ON ALL COMPLAINTS FILED WITHIN THE CALENDAR YEAR. 
          WE ALWAYS WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING COMPLETE AND ACCURATE DATA WHEN WE'RE PUTTING OUT OUR ANNUAL REPORT. 
          APDS INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION HAS UP TO 180 DAYS TO COMPLETE AN INVESTIGATION. 
          THIS MEANS THAT COMPLAINTS FILED LATE IN THE YEAR, MOST NOTABLY IN DECEMBER, MAY NOT GET FINALIZED UNTIL JULY OR JUNE OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR. 
          SO, ONCE INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMPLETES THIS INVESTIGATION, APOS COMPLAINT TEAMS COMPILES AND VALIDATES THE DATA THAT INFORMATION IS DID PROVIDED TO. 
          WE ASSIGN A ANNUAL REPORT PROJECT LEAD, AND THAT PERSON BEGINS TO DRAFT THE REPORT, WHICH IS SUBSEQUENTLY REVIEWED AND FINALIZED IN COORDINATION WITH THE AUSTIN COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY, UH, PIO, AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE REVIEW AND EDIT AUTHORITY OVER THE, UM, ANNUAL REPORT FROM JULY. 
          THROUGH THE PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT, WE DO HAVE A STRUCTURED PROCESS THAT INCLUDES DATA COLLECTION, VALIDATION, DRAFT DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPORT, AN INTERNAL REVIEW AND EDITS, AND THEN THAT FINAL DESIGN OF THE ANNUAL REPORT. 
          THIS END TO END PROCESS TYP TYPICALLY SPANS ABOUT, UH, THREE MONTHS OR SO TO ENSURE, AGAIN, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OF THE REPORT AND THE QUALITY OF THE REPORT. 
          AND THEN AT A LATER DATE, WE DETERMINE TIMING AND COORDINATION TO BE PLACED ON COUNCIL AGENDA FOR ORAL PRESENTATION, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE WILL HAPPEN, UM, AT THE END OF THE YEAR AROUND DECEMBER. 
          COMPLIANCE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY QUESTION WAS RELATED TO, UM, POSTING REQUIREMENTS, UH, REPORTING GAPS IN DATA INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          AT THE TIME OF THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS, UH, ADVANCED. 
          A PEO WAS ALREADY FINALIZING AND POSTING THE REMAINING TWO QUARTERS OF THE 2025 COMPLAINT DATA, I THINK WHEN WE WERE HERE IN JULY. 
          THAT WAS A QUESTION RELATED TO WHEN WERE, WHEN WOULD, WHEN WOULD WE GET THE ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS POSTED TO OUR WEBSITE? AND WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING THAT AT THE TIME. 
          UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION RELATED 
          [01:15:01]
TO, UM, COMPLAINT TYPES. 
          WHETHER OR NOT ALL OUR ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS WERE POSTED TO OUR WEBSITES, WE DO NOT, UH, SEPARATE COMPLAINTS BY COMPLAINT TYPES. 
          SO THE RESPONSE TO THAT IS, YES, ALL THE ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS TO DATE HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED ON OUR WEBSITE. 
          THERE WAS A BACKLOG OF COMPLAINTS THAT HAD NOT BEEN PUBLISHED JUST DUE TO STAFFING VACANCIES AND NOT HAVING A MEETING CONFER AGREEMENT IN PLACE, WHICH HINDERED OUR ABILITY TO PUBLISH CERTAIN DOCUMENTS 'CAUSE THOSE DOCUMENTS WERE CONSIDERED CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS UNDER STATE LAW OR G FILE DOCUMENTS. 
          BUT FOLLOWING THE RATIFICATION OF THE NEW AGREEMENT IN OCTOBER, 2024, A PO ESTABLISHED A NECESSARY PROCESS AND REDACTION SAFEGUARDS TO RESUME PUBLICATION IN THE COMPLIANCE WITH, UM, ALL THE LEGAL AND PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS. 
          AND SINCE THEN, WE HAVE PUBLISHED ALL OF THE 2025 COMPLAINTS TO OUR A PO WEBSITE. 
          JANUARY 20, 26. 
          COMPLAINTS HAVE NOW ALSO BEEN PUBLISHED TO OUR WEBSITE, AND WE CONTINUE TO PUBLISH DOCUMENTS. 
          WE PUBLISH THOSE DOCUMENTS IN BATCHES. 
          UM, SO WE ARE WORKING TO PUBLIX, FEBRUARY, MARCH, AND APRIL DOCUMENTS, UM, TO OUR WEBSITE. 
          AS OF APRIL, 2026. 
          DOCUMENTS UNDERGO WHAT'S CALLED A, UH, REVIEW TO ENSURE THAT WE MEET THE FEDERAL ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS. 
          THEY ARE NOW REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RULING FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND THEREFORE, WE'RE SEEING ABOUT A 45 DAY DELAY IN POSTING WITH THIS ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT. 
          WE WERE INFORMED LAST WEEK THAT THE DLJ IS GIVEN ADDITIONAL TIME. 
          THE DEADLINE FOR ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY DOCUMENTS WAS APRIL OF, OF 2026. 
          IT IS NOW APRIL OF 2027 TO ALLOW, UH, AGENCIES TO COMPLY WITH, UM, THOSE ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES, UH, COMPLIMENTS. 
          THERE WAS A QUESTION RELATED TO COMPLIMENTS. 
          COMPLIMENTS ARE NOT POSTED TO OUR WEBSITE'S COMPLIMENTS FOR OFFICERS. 
          UH, WE DO FORWARD THOSE TO THE OFFICER'S CHAIN OF COMMAND. 
          AND A PO REPORTS THE NUMBER OF COMPLIMENTS RECEIVED BY OFFICERS AT OUR QUARTERLY WORK GROUP MEETINGS. 
          UH, AND WE ALSO PUBLISH THAT INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, JUST THE NUMBER OF, BUT THE ACTUAL, UM, COMPLIMENT IS NOT PUBLISHED ON OUR WEBSITE. 
          UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION ASKED ABOUT, UM, ORAL AND WRITTEN REPRIMANDS. 
          UM, WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY PUBLISHING THEM ON OUR WEBSITE, OUR CURRENT DOCUMENT COLLECTION. 
          IF YOU'VE BEEN TO OUR WEBSITE, YOU WILL SEE SOME WRITTEN AND ORAL REPRIMANDS POSTED DATING BACK FROM 2019 TO 2021. 
          UM, AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE, I MADE THE DECISION TO FOCUS ON APOS PUBLIC POSTING PRACTICES ON THE MOST SERIOUS DISCIPLINARY OUTCOMES. 
          THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE WANNA PUBLISH, UM, WHERE WE THINK THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY INTEREST IS GREATEST. 
          SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THOSE SERIOUS MISCONDUCT, UH, DOCUMENTS POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, THE LOW LEVEL, UM, DISCIPLINE SUCH AS THOSE OR AND WRITTEN REPRIMANDS, THEY TYPICALLY, TYPICALLY INVOLVE LESS SERIOUS POLICY VIOLATIONS. 
          WHERE THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS REALLY, THE INTENT THERE IS TO IMPROVE, UM, PERFORMANCE AND REINFORCE COMPLIANCE AS OPPOSED TO BEING MORE PUNITIVE. 
          AND SO WE ARE SAVING OUR REPOSITORY FOR THOSE MORE SERIOUS, UH, UH, DISCIPLINARY, UH, ACTIONS. 
          A PO REQUIRES THAT WE PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY, UH, IN OUTCOMES AND DISCIPLINE REPORTING, BUT IT ALSO AFFORDS US SOME DISCRETION ON HOW WE, UM, PRESENT THAT INFORMATION. 
          SO IN TERMS OF THE WRITTEN AND ORAL, UH, REPRIMANDS, WE DO THAT, PUT THOSE AGGREGATE NUMBERS. 
          THEY ARE PUBLISHED IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE THAT. 
          AND AGAIN, DETAILING THOSE MORE SERIOUS CASES, UH, ON OUR WEBSITE AS IT RELATES TO REPORTING GAPS, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT REPORTING GAPS IN DATA INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO IDENTIFY A CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT COULD, UH, SUPPORT REPORTING OBLIGATIONS ON THE REV RESOLUTION 99 AND CLOSE SOME OF THE DATING GAPS. 
          WE'VE, THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT DATA RELATED TO, UM, RACE AND AGE AND WHAT SECTOR SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE OCCURRING IN. 
          AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS A CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT COULD ASSIST US IN CLOSING SOME OF THOSE DATA GA GAPS WE HAD PLANNED, 
          [01:20:01]
WE HAD A POSITION IN THE OFFICE THAT WE WERE GOING TO, UH, RECLASSIFY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS WE WERE SEEING IN TERMS OF DATA GAPS, WANTING TO RECLASSIFY THAT POSITION AND HIRE SOMEBODY TO HELP US ADDRESS THAT. 
          HOWEVER, THAT POSITION WAS ELIMINATED, UH, FOLLOWING THE FAILURE OF, UH, PROP PROPOSITION Q UM, CURRENTLY WE HAVE A DATA SCIENTIST, UH, ON STAFF, AND THE TEAM AND I ARE DISCUSSING HOW THAT POSITION MAY ALLOW US TO SUPPORT, UH, SOME SUPPORT IN BRIDGING THOSE GAPS WITH THAT PO PARTICULAR POSITION. 
          THIS POSITION HAS SOME OF THE, THE LARGER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON, BUT WE'RE HOPING THAT AS WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS, THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR DISPOSITION TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE DATA GAPS AS THIS PERSON IS A DATA SCIENTIST IN OUR OFFICE COMPLAINT PROCESS AND OUTCOMES WE'VE NOTED, UH, HERE, THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT TRAINING AND, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT. 
          UH, IN THE DOCUMENT, THE RESPONSE DOCUMENT, WE NOTED SEVERAL OF THE SESSIONS, TRAINING SESSIONS THAT THE STAFF HAVE COMPLETED. 
          WE ALSO HOLD A MEMBERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATION. 
          THEY OFFER VIRTUAL TRAINING, WHICH OUR COMPLAINTS TEAM ENGAGE IN AND OUR INVESTIGATORS, UM, OFTEN. 
          AND ALSO THERE IS A CONFERENCE, AN ANNUAL CO CONFERENCE THAT, UH, OUR TEAM ALSO ATTEND EACH YEAR, UM, TO, UM, HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO JUST TALK TO AND GET TRAINING ON WHAT'S BEST PRACTICES IN CIVILIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, OVERSIGHT. 
          UH, REGARDING OPTIONS FOR COMPLAINT FILINGS, WE PROVIDE COMPLAINANTS WITH CLEAR INFORMATION. 
          THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW OUR, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS PROVIDED THEIR OPTIONS WHEN FILING THAT WAS RELATED TO WHETHER YOU WANNA FILE A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL OR COMMUNITY CONCERN OR FORMAL COMPLAINT. 
          SO WE PROVIDE CLEAR INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR FILING OPTIONS. 
          THIS IS A COMPLAINT DRIVEN PROCESS, AND THEREFORE, COMPLAINANTS ARE EMPOWERED TO DETERMINE HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH THE COMPLAINT. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE A COMPLAINTS TEAM. 
          THEY HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO KNOW IF WE ARE IDENTIFYING A BEHAVIOR THAT IS SEVERE OR EGREGIOUS, AND THE COMPLAINANT IS SAYING, NO, I JUST WANNA DO A SUPERVISOR REFER. 
          AND WE BELIEVE THIS IS MORE SERIOUS AND MORE EGREGIOUS. 
          WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT ALLOWS US TO, UM, SPEAK WITH INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND FILE AND REQUEST A FORM OF INVESTIGATION OF THOSE ALLEGATIONS THAT WE IDENTIFY AS MORE SERIOUS OR MORE EGREGIOUS. 
          HOWEVER, THE COMPLAINANT DID NOT IDENTIFY IT AS MORE SERIOUS OR EGREGIOUS. 
          UH, AND SO WE REVIEW ALL THE SUPERVISOR REFERRAL OUTCOMES, AND WE ALSO MONITOR TRENDS AND COMPLAINTS. 
          AND SO THIS INCLUDE IF WE ARE SEEING REPEATED INCIDENTS, AND ALSO IF WE ARE SEEING, UM, REPEATED INCIDENTS IN A CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC AREA. 
          THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION OF PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR CASE REVIEW, THEIR VACANCIES, AND CASE BRIEFINGS, AND, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          UH, CPRC HAS ESTABLISHED WHAT THEY CALL WORKING GROUPS AND ARE RECEIVING CASE FILES FOR REVIEW. 
          IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING THIS COMMISSION, THEY ARE CONTINUING PUBLICLY TO DISCUSS THEIR, UH, IN THEIR OPEN MEETINGS, WHAT THIS CASE PROCESSING, UM, METHODS LOOK LIKE. 
          SO THEY ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT. 
          CPRC CAN REVIEW ANY ALLEGED SERIOUS MISCONDUCT CASE BEFORE THE ISSUING OF DISCIPLINE, AS WELL AS A REQUEST FOR A REVIEW BY A COMPLAINANT CASE BRIEFINGS. 
          THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW CASE CASE BRIEFINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED AND CASE BRIEFINGS WILL OCCUR IN A CLOSED SESSION AS GOVERNED BY STATE LAW. 
          UM, VACANCIES, UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT VACANCIES ON THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION. 
          VACAN VACANCIES HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH ALTERNATES AS VACANCIES OCCURRED. 
          WHEN WE INITIALLY STOOD UP THE COMMISSION IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WE HAD SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS WHO HAD TO RESIGN FOR VARIOUS REASONS. 
          WE HAD ALTERNATES IN PLACE WHO COULD FILL THOSE POSITIONS, UH, IMMEDIATELY AS THOSE VACANCIES, UM, BECAME AVAILABLE. 
          AND SO AS VACANCIES ARE, AS, UH, COMMISSIONERS HAVE TO LEAVE THE COMMISSION FOR RE DIFFERENT REASONS, WE DO HAVE ALTERNATES AVAILABLE FOR THAT. 
          CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO VACANCIES ON THE COMMISSION. 
          THE COMMUNITY 
          [01:25:01]
POLICE COMMISSION IS, UM, ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS NOW TO BUILD A POOL. 
          THE PO POTENTIAL CANDIDATES TO BACKFILL OPEN POSITIONS TO ENSURE THE COMMISSION IS FULLY OPERATIONAL. 
          AND SO WE VERY QUICKLY WENT THROUGH THE ALTERNATES. 
          WE HAVE ONE ALTERNATE ON STANDBY. 
          WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMISSION IS FULLY OPERATIONAL. 
          AND SO WE HAVE OPENED UP THE APPLICATION PROCESS TO ENSURE IF THERE ARE FUTURE VACANCIES, THAT WE CAN FILL THOSE VACANCIES QUICKLY. 
          UM, THE DEADLINE TO APPLY, IF THERE'S ANYONE INTERESTED, UH, IN, IN THESE POSITIONS, THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS MAY 22ND. 
          ANYONE INTERESTED IN SERVING IN THIS ROLE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE CURRENT CPRC COMMISSIONERS ON MAY 15TH. 
          UM, THEY WILL HAVE A RECEPTION BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR 3:00 PM COMMISSION MEETING RIGHT HERE IN THIS ROOM AT CITY HALL. 
          SO, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC, IF ANYONE IS, IF INTERESTED IN SERVING IN THOSE ROLES, UH, THAT APPLICATION PROCESS IS OPEN AND WILL CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT ON MAY 22ND. 
          THERE WAS ALSO A, THAT'S FINE. 
          SECOND, THERE WAS ALSO A RECOMMENDATION, UM, REGARDING A QUESTION RELATED TO WHERE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CPRC WILL RESIDE AND THEY WILL RESIDE ON THEIR WEBSITE. 
          SO THERE WAS SOME MIS MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC, UM, SAFETY COMMISSION REGARDING OUR, OUR PARTICIPATION IN PRESS CONFERENCES, DOING CRITICAL INCIDENTS OF FUNDING, WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY AND HIRING. 
          I THINK WE ADDRESSED THE WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES. 
          BUT IN TERMS OF OUR PRESENCE, DOING A, UH, CONFERENCE FOR A CRITICAL INCIDENT, UH, APOS PRESENCE AT CRITICAL INCIDENTS BRIEFINGS, IT'S VERY INTENTIONAL. 
          IT ALIGNS WITH NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES. 
          MANY CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          THEY PRIORIT PRIORITIZE EARLY VISIBILITY DURING THESE CRITICAL INCIDENTS, MAINLY OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS. 
          SO OUR PRESENCE SIGNALS TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE THERE. 
          WE ARE MONITORING THE ISSUES IN REAL TIME. 
          WE'RE NOT WAITING TO, AFTER THE, THE INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES OR ALMOST ALL THE TIME. 
          WHEN KEVIN AND I ARE ON THE SCENE, THE CHIEF HAS IDENTIFIED AN INDIVIDUAL TO PROVIDE FOR US A BRIEFING. 
          UM, ONCE WE ARRIVE ON SCENE, IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DETERMINE RIGHT THEN ON SITE WHAT HAPPENS, AND THEN ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT WE MAY SEE RIGHT THERE. 
          UM, NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, WAS PROVIDED DURING BUDGET ADOPTIONS. 
          THERE WAS A QUESTION WHETHER, UH, REGARDING WHETHER OR NOT THE, UH, A AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING, FUNDING DURING A BUDGET ADOPTION, WE DID NOT. 
          UM, AND LASTLY, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD ANY UNMET NEEDS. 
          AGAIN, WE ARE ACTIVELY EVALUATING SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS DATA GAPS. 
          THIS IS WHERE, UH, WE DEFINITELY HAVE AN UNMET NEED IN TERMS OF DATA GAPS. 
          AS I NOTED EARLIER, UH, WE DID NOT GET, WE HAD A POSITION THAT WAS ELIMINATED THAT WE WERE HOPING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE DATA CONCERNS. 
          UM, AGAIN, WE ARE WORKING WITH A PD ON POTENTIALLY A, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT WILL ALLOW FOR US TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE DATA GAPS, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT A POSITION WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE OFFICE THAT MAY BE ABLE TO HELP US ADDRESS SOME OF THE REMAINING DATA GAPS WE ARE SEEING. 
          UH, RELATED TO THE HIRING THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT. 
          AGAIN, WE FOLLOW THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES REGARDING THE HIRING PROCESS. 
          AND SO, AS INDIVIDUALS ARE HIRED AT OUR OFFICE, THEY HAVE TO MEET MERIT AND FITNESS REQUIREMENTS, UM, THAT, UH, ARE CODIFIED IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, POLICIES. 
          THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE, ARE, AGAIN, THEY HAVE TO MEET MERIT AND FITNESS, AND THEY HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THE CERTAIN EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE AND PERFORMANCE AND KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES. 
          AND SO, UH, AND RELATIONS TO THE HIRING PROCESS AND QUALIFICATIONS, UH, WE FOLLOW THE RULES. 
          RULE NUMBER FOUR, UH, OUTLINE IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES. 
          I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. 
          UH, THANK YOU, MS. MCCAIN. 
          SORRY, I HAD NO DELIBERATE INTENTION TO SKIP OVER YOU, SO NO, APOLOGIZE FOR THAT HICCUP ON MY END. 
          UM, I DO APPRECIATE 
          [01:30:01]
THE, THE COMPLIMENTS PORTION OF, OF THE WEBSITE. 
          I FEEL WHILE REPRIMANDS ARE IMPORTANT, I, UM, I THINK KUDOS OR WHEN THEY'RE DUE, SHOULD BE GIVEN IN TRACK. 
          I KNOW THE LAST, UH, INTERACTION I HAD SOME WITH A PD, I WAS LIKE, WOW, FIVE STARS. 
          UM, SO I THAT THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT. 
          UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I WILL, UH, TURN MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS FOR ANYTHING. 
          COMMISSIONER EDGAR, STILL ON MUTE. 
          HI. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT REALLY COMPREHENSIVE ANSWER TO ALL A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE HERE. 
          I I I, I AM I'M STILL CURIOUS, THOUGH, ABOUT THE DECISION THAT, IS IT SIMPLY A DECISION ABOUT A SHORTAGE AND TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING UP ON THIS NEW WEBSITE THAT YOU ARE CHOOSING NOT TO POST, UH, ABOUT, UM, LOWER LEVEL OFFENSES? UM, OR, AND, AND IF IT IS, WAS SIMPLY A MATTER OF TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING ORGANIZED AND APPRECIATE WHAT A BIG JOB THAT WAS. 
          IS THERE SOME PLAN TO BE, UH, TO, UM, POST PUBLICLY ABOUT OTHER KINDS OF LOWER LEVEL OFFENSES, UM, FOR TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES? YEAH, AND AGAIN, IT, IT'S RELATED TO JUST THE ABILITY AND THE CAPACITY OF THE STAFF TO DO THAT. 
          UM, WE CAN HAVE MANY, MANY, UH, COMPLAINTS ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE LAW LEVEL THINGS LIKE COURTESY, PROFANITY. 
          WE HAVE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS WHERE OFFICERS ARE RECEIVING WRITTEN OR, OR REP REPRIMANDS FOR JUST THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH EACH OTHER ARE FOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. 
          IT'S THOSE KIND OF THINGS. 
          WE HAVE, THERE ARE MANY ORAL AND WRITTEN REPRIMANDS JUST FOR, FOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. 
          AND AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO NARROW THIS DOWN TO A POINT WHERE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE, ARE GREATEST PUBLIC INTEREST. 
          I'M NOT SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS AS, UM, CONCERNED ABOUT AN OFFICER WHO WAS WRITTEN UP FOR EITHER, UM, YOU KNOW, AN, A MINOR FENDER BENDER WHERE SOMEONE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WATCHING WHERE THEY WERE GOING OR FOR SOME OF THE INTERACTIONS THEY'RE HAVING WITH EACH OTHER. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, WE WANT, WE REALLY WANTED TO RESERVE OUR, THE, THE ABILITY FOR COMPLAINTS TO BE, TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS WHERE STAFF IS HAVING TO LOOK AT EVERY COMPLAINT, REDACT EVERYTHING, UH, IN TERMS OF WRITTEN AND ORAL REPRIMAND. 
          SO WE, WE WANNA FOCUS IN THAT AREA THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS' COMPLAINTS ARE BEING PUBLISHED TO OUR WEBSITE, AND THAT SOME OF THOSE, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, THOSE DISCIPLINARY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE MORE SEVERE AND EGREGIOUS ARE BEING PUBLISHED TO OUR WEBSITE AS OPPOSED TO SOME OF THOSE THINGS LIKE PROFANITY AND CAR ACCIDENTS AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. 
          MAY I ASK A FOLLOW UP CHAIR? ABSOLUTELY. 
          I, I, I JUST, I, I'M CURIOUS THOUGH, BECAUSE I, I, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE, LIKE PART OF THIS, EVEN IF THEY'RE LOWER LEVEL, I WONDER ABOUT LEVELS OF PROFESSIONALISM THAT COME TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES WHEN PERHAPS AN OFFICER IS HAVING SOME ISSUE THEMSELVES THAT THEN INTERFERES WITH THEIR, FROM THEIR OWN MENTAL HEALTH OR THEIR PERSONAL SITUATION. 
          AND IT EXPRESSES ITSELF IN, IN A WAY, TOWARDS THE PUBLIC OR TOWARDS OTHER OFFICERS, THAT, THAT REALLY START TO BELIE A LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM. 
          AND THAT, THAT, THAT REFLECTS ON THE WHOLE FORCE, AND IT REFLECTS IN INTERACTIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS SOME WAY TO BE, TO THINK ABOUT, ABOUT SOME OF THESE LOWER LEVEL, RIGHT, REPRIMANDS OR CS THAT DON'T RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A FULL INVESTIGATION, LIKE A PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, UH, AGAINST A COMMUNITY MEMBER. 
          BUT THEY MAY, IN MY EXPERIENCE, UH, UH, UH, IN THE WORLD HAS SOMETIMES INDICATES THAT THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES THAT AT PLAY AND TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT AND HOW THEY PLAY THEMSELVES OUT WITH, PARTICULARLY WITH THE PUBLIC. 
          UNDERSTOOD. 
          YES. 
          AND, AND SO WHAT WE ARE DOING IN TERMS OF TRANSPARENCY RELATED TO THOSE ARE WE ARE PUBLISHING JUST THE AGGREGATE NUMBERS OF THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, 20 OR REPRIMANDS OR A HUNDRED, YOU KNOW, WRITTEN REPRIMANDS DURING THE, THE YEAR. 
          SO WE PUBLISHED THAT INFORMATION, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY VIA OUR ANNUAL REPORT. 
          WE DEFINITELY CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE 
          [01:35:01]
IN TERMS OF PUBLISHING EVERY AURA AND WRITTEN REPRIMAND, UM, MOVING FORWARD. 
          SO DEFINITELY CAN LOOK AT THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT THAT, SURE. 
          I JUST HAD A QUICK, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER AGER IS SAYING, BECAUSE I DO THINK, GIVEN HOW MANY COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND THE HUGE QUANTITY OF COMMUNITY CONCERNS THAT ARE REALLY ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE, INTERACT LIKE A, A CUSTOMER SERVICE LEVEL, LIKE PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS THAT WE HAVE OF POLICE, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. 
          AND I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE A POA IN GENERAL, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER IT, THIS IS MORE OF A BIG QUESTION TO LEGAL AND TO EVERYBODY THAT IS LOOKING AT OUR A POA, DOES THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT OFFICE ACTUALLY HAVE DISCRETION IN DECIDING WHAT TO PUBLISH AND WHAT NOT TO PUBLISH? AND SO IT'S NOT, IS, IS, DOES, DOES, DOES THE A POA NOT SAY THAT THEY HAVE TO PUBLISH ALL IT? IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT PRESCRIPTIVE IN THAT WAY. 
          AND SO IT DOESN'T SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO PUBLISH EVERY ORAL AND WRITTEN REPRIMAND. 
          SO THERE IS SOME DISCRETION, DISCRETION THERE. 
          AND THERE HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT RELATED TO THAT DISCRETION AND JUST HAVING THE ABILITY TO, UH, IN TERMS OF STAFF CAPACITY TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTS AND GET THEM PUBLISHED. 
          AND SO, YES, THERE IS SOME DISCRETION THERE RELATED TO, UM, WHAT IS, WHAT DOCUMENTS WE, IT'S NOT, AGAIN, IT'S NOT SO, UH, PRESCRIPTIVE THAT IT NOTES THAT WE HAVE TO PUBLISH EVERY SINGLE, WE'RE PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION, THOSE AGGREGATE NUMBERS, EVERY, IN EVERY ANNUAL REPORT THAT WE DO, SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE AWARE OF THE NUMBER OF ORAL REPRIMANDS THAT ARE HAPPENING PER YEAR AND THE NUMBER OF WRITTEN REPRIMANDS THAT ARE HAPPENING EACH YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT IS NOT PUBLISHED AND DEFINITELY OPEN TO SEEING WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD IN TERMS OF STAFF CAPACITY TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION ONLINE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANYTHING FURTHER FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NOW , THE DISCUSSION MOVING ON OF THE 
          [5. Discussion of sexual assault data with Austin Police, SAFE Alliance, BRAVE Alliance, Travis County District Attorney’s Office, and Sexual Assault Response and Resource Team (SARRT). Presented by Deanna Lichter, Commander, Austin Police, Marcy Alonzo, Community Engagement Specialist, Austin Police, Andrea Austin, Director, Travis County District Attorney’s Office, Alison Kolb, Vice President, SAFE Alliance, Noor Wehbe, Nurse Educator, BRAVE Alliance.]
SEXUAL ASSAULT DATA WITH ALSO POLICE SAFE ALLIANCE, BRAVE ALLIANCE, TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND SAR, EXCUSE ME, AND CHAIR. 
          CHAIR DURAN IS JUST STEPPING AWAY BRIEFLY. 
          AND, UM, UH, JUST SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THINGS GOING, UM, I THINK WE USUALLY GO A PD, UM, SAFE TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          UM, AND JUST A REMINDER THAT WE ARE VERY, VERY TIGHT ON TIME. 
          AND SO IF EVERYBODY COULD PLEASE BE BRIEF, I APOLOGIZE. 
          BRIEF. 
          GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS. 
          FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED INTEREST IN THE SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE, UM, THAT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY DEALS WITH. 
          AND, UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, RAMIREZ FOR HER TIME AS CHAIR, AND, UM, WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, FOR IN ADVANCE, UH, COMMISSIONER DURAN FOR THE, UH, TAKING ON THE CHAIR OF THE, OF THE COMMISSION. 
          SO THIS IS A, OUR PRESENTATION ON Q4 AND Q1 OF Q4 OF 2025, Q1 OF 2020, UH, SIX. 
          THE THIS FIRST SLIDE PROVIDES A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF TRENDS IN ADULT SEX CRIMES ACROSS, UH, CALLS, CASES, AND SEXUAL ASSAULT SPEC. 
          SPECIFICALLY STARTING WITH CALLS FOR SERVICE. 
          THESE HAVE CONTINUED TO INCREASE. 
          WE SAW 672 CALLS IN Q4 2025 INCREASED TO 689 IN Q1 OF 2026. 
          THIS CONTINUES AN UPWARD TREND WE'VE SEEN IN RECENT SINCE 2023, AND REFLECTS GROWING DEMAND FOR POLICE RESPONSE, NOT NECESSARILY AN INCREASE IN CONFIRMED CRIMES. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT REPORTED CASES ACROSS ALL SEX CRIMES, THE NUMBERS ARE ALSO SLIGHTLY ELEVATED. 
          CASES INCREASED FROM 391 IN Q4 2025 TO 405 IN Q1 2026. 
          OVERALL, THIS SUGGESTS CONSISTENT REPORTING LEVELS WITH A MODEST UPWARD SHIFT COMPARED TO PRIOR YEARS 
          [01:40:01]
FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT SPECIFICALLY, THE TREND IS A BIT DIFFERENT. 
          CASES DECREASE SLIGHTLY FROM 1 44 TO ONE 30 QUARTER OVER QUARTER, INDICATING RELATIVE STA STABILITY IN THE SHORT TERM. 
          HOWEVER, THESE LEVELS ARE STILL HIGHER THAN WHAT WE SAW IN 2023 AND 2024, EVEN AFTER OUR DATA INTEGRITY INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS CODING OF PAST CASES TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE TRENDS CAN TELL A STORY. 
          CONSISTENT STORY, DEMAND FOR SERVICES, INCREASING REPORTED CASES REMAIN ELEVATED, AND SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES WHILE STABLE RECENTLY ARE STILL ABOVE HISTORICAL LEVELS. 
          THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS KEY SUCCESSES AND PROGRESS ACROSS MULTIPLE AREAS OF THE WORK. 
          STARTING WITH THE SART AWARDS, THIS IS AN EXTERNAL RECOGNITION OF THE WORK BEING DONE. 
          OUR KACHINA CLARK RECEIVED THE IMPACT AWARD. 
          KACHINA IS OUR VICTIM SERVICES AND WELLNESS, UH, DIRECTOR HANNAH SANKO, WHO IS OUR C-S-C-R-M PROJECT MANAGER, AND, UH, RECEIVED THE INSPIRATIONAL AWARD. 
          THESE AWARDS REFLECT THE STRENGTH OF OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY PARTNERSHIPS AND THE WORK OF THE QUALITY OF WORK HAPPENING ON THE GROUND. 
          OUR ANNUAL CASE REVIEW IS ANOTHER MAJOR MILESTONE. 
          WE'VE RECEIVED STRONG POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON THE PRO PROCESS AND FINDINGS IN OUR SECOND ANNUAL CASE REVIEW. 
          THE REPORT IS EXPECTED TO BE PUBLICLY RELEASED IN THE COMING WEEKS. 
          WE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AT THE VALLEY CON ANNUAL CONFERENCE LAST MONTH ON THE CASE REVIEW SPARKLING SOME GREAT DISCUSSIONS ON THE BENEFIT AND THE PROCESS OF, AND TOOLS SUCH AS THIS. 
          WE'VE ALSO SEEN MEANINGFUL PROGRESS IN PATROL RESPONSE TIMES. 
          UPDATED GUIDANCE WAS IMPLEMENTED IN SEPTEMBER, 2025 TO BETTER ALIGN RESPONSE EXPECTATIONS FOR SEX CRIMES CALLS. 
          SINCE THEN, WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN RESPONSE PERFORMANCE. 
          THE DATA REFLECTS THAT, THAT IMPROVEMENT. 
          CLEARLY, THE PERCENTAGE OF CALLS RESPONDED TO WITHIN 30 MINUTES INCREASE FROM 57 TO 73% AT THE SAME TIME RESPONSE TAKE TAKING LONGER THAN TWO HOURS DROPPED FROM 25% TO 11%. 
          THAT'S A SUBSTANTIAL SHIFT IN BOTH TIMELINESS AND CONSISTENCY OF RESPONSE. 
          IT SHOWS THAT OPERATIONAL CHANGES ARE TRANSLATING INTO REAL MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN SERVICE DELIVERY. 
          WE'VE ALSO INITIATED A SURVIVOR SURVEY AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR. 
          WE DEVELOPED AND LAUNCHED A SURVIVOR SURVEY TO HELP US LEARN WHAT IS GOING ON, WHAT IS GOING WELL, AND WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE LIFE OF AN INVESTIGATION. 
          THIS IS AN OPTIONAL SURVEY OFFERED TO ALL SURVIVORS WHO CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE WHEN THEIR CASES REACH A CLOSED STATUS. 
          WE'RE BEING VERY THOUGHTFUL IN OUR USE OF THE SURVEY. 
          ALL RESPONSES ARE ANONYMOUS AND CONFIDENTIAL. 
          DATA WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE AGGREGATE. 
          WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ANY DATA TO SHARE, BUT HOPE TO LEARN MORE FROM THESE SURVEYS THIS SUMMER. 
          WE'VE SEEN SUCCESSES IN OUR DATA INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY. 
          A MAJOR FOCUS FOR US HAS BEEN IMPROVING OUR DATA INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY. 
          IN FEBRUARY, WE COMPLETED OUR COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF SEX CRIMES CASES BACK TO 2019, FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING THE ACCURACY AND CONSISTENCY OF OUR RECORDS. 
          WE LOOKED AT ALL CASES PREVIOUSLY, TITLES IN AN INFORMATION CASE OR A SU SUSPECTED SEXUAL ASSAULT TO ENSURE THE PROPER TITLE CODE IS APPLIED. 
          IF THERE WAS AN OUTCRY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, NONE OF THESE WERE NEW INVESTIGATIONS. 
          ALL OF THE CASES HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY INVESTIGATED. 
          THIS EFFORT WAS REALLY ABOUT ENSURING DATA IS AN ACCURATE REFLECTION OF WHAT OCCURRED OVERALL. 
          WE MADE TITLE CODE CHANGES TO APPROXIMATELY 16% OF THE CASES AND, AND OTHER KEY CHANGES SUCH AS OCCURRED DATE OR VICTIM LINKAGE TO 16% OF THOSE CASES. 
          IN FEBRUARY, WE ALSO MOVED FORWARD WITH THE CONSOLIDATION OF SEVERAL TITLE CODES. 
          WE SIMPLIFIED MULTIPLE OFFENSE CATEGORIES INTO A SINGLE SEXUAL ASSAULT CLASSIFICATION. 
          THIS REDUCES CONFUSION AND ENSURES EVERY OUTCRY IS CAPTURED APPROPRIATELY. 
          WE ARE ALSO THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THE PUBLIC S FACING INTERACTIVE DATA DASHBOARD ON THE A PD WEBSITE, LAUNCHED APRIL 21ST. 
          I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANT, ALISON ROPER, FOR THE WORK THAT SHE DID ON THAT, UH, DASHBOARD. 
          IT IS AN AMAZING ITEM TO SEE, AND I, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE ON THE COMMISSION TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. 
          THE TRANSPARENCY ONLY WORKS IF UNDERLYING DATA IS ACCURATE, AND THAT'S THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING FIRST. 
          SO THIS IS A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE SEX CRIMES DATA INTERACTIVE DASHBOARD. 
          THE DASHBOARD GIVES A CLEAR SHARED VIEW OF THE ADULT SEX CRIMES DATA. 
          IT IS INTERACTIVE AND USER-FRIENDLY. 
          IT HELPS TRACK TRENDS AND CASE OUTCOMES IN ONE PLACE. 
          MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT REFLECTS OUR COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY. 
          WE'RE ASKED TO TALK ABOUT CHALLENGES AND RISKS. 
          UH, 
          [01:45:01]
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE FOR THE FORENSIC EXAM CAPACITY, CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING FOR THE PAST TWO PL, 2, 2, 2, JUST OVER TWO YEARS. 
          SAFE ALLIANCE, OUR PRIMARY PROVIDER IS FACING SOME BUDGET CRISIS AND SERVICES MAY CEASE. 
          UH, WE, WE EXPECT SOME NOTICE FROM, FROM SAFE ALLIANCE THIS COMING WEEK. 
          AND, UH, HOPEFULLY, UM, WE WILL KNOW WHEN, WHEN THE WHEN SERVICES WILL BE, WILL CEASE IN THE PROCESS OF SERVING A CON, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS. 
          WE'RE SECURING A CONTRACT WITH BRAVE ALLIANCE AS WELL. 
          CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNITY ADVOCACY SURVIVORS RELY ON ADVOCACY SERVICES FOR SUPPORT, SAFETY PLANNING, AND NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM. 
          SO CON, CONSISTENCY AND ACCESS ARE ESSENTIAL. 
          RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE LIMITED NUMBERS OF PROVIDERS, ONLY TWO AGENCIES IN TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH CREATES UNCERTAINTY AROUND SERVICE STABILITY. 
          ANY DISRUPTION IN CAPACITY, STAFFING OR FUNDING COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT AVAILABILITY. 
          THERE ARE ALSO GAPS IN CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE SERVICES. 
          WE HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF MULTICULTURAL AND MULTILINGUAL ADVOCATES, WHICH CAN CREATE BARRIER BARRIERS FOR SERVICES OR FOR SURVIVORS FROM DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND ACCESSING SUPPORT THAT MEET THEIR NEEDS. 
          THE IMPACT IS BOTH ACCESS AND EQUITY. 
          WHEN ADVOCACY SERVICES ARE LIMITED OR NOT CULTURALLY ALIGNED, IT CAN AFFECT SURVIVOR ENGAGEMENT, TRUST, AND ULTIMATELY CASE OUTCOMES. 
          THERE ARE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS. 
          BUDGET CONSTRAINTS IMPACT BOTH INTERNAL CAPACITY AND EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS. 
          THIS IS ISN'T, THIS ISN'T ISOLATED TO ONE PART OF THE SYSTEM. 
          IT AFFECTS THE FULL ECOSYSTEM SUPPORTING THIS WORK. 
          LAW ENFORCEMENT AND NONPROFIT AGENCIES ALIKE. 
          RECENT CUTS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET HAVE IMPACTED US ALL INTERNALLY. 
          FUNDING LIMITATIONS AFFECT STAFFING AND INFRASTRUCTURE EXTERNALLY. 
          MANY OF OUR KEY PARTNERS RELY ON GRANT AND CONTRACT FUNDING THAT CAN BE UNCERTAIN. 
          BUDGET CHALLENGES DON'T JUST LIMIT GROWTH. 
          THEY CREATE SYSTEM-WIDE RISK FOR AFFECTING BOTH OUR INTERNAL OPERATIONS AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS. 
          WE RELY ON. 
          THERE'S ALSO SHIFTING PRIORITIES THAT CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          PRIORITY SHIFTS IN PUBLIC OPINION, POLICE LEADERS, LEADERSHIP, CITY, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEADERSHIP CAN BE RISK POINTS TO LONG-TERM STABILITY AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE. 
          CHANGING A SYSTEM REQUIRES CONSISTENCY OVER TIME TO BE EFFECTIVE, PARTICULARLY IN INVESTIGATIONS, VICTIM SERVICES AND DATA-DRIVEN STRATEGIES. 
          MUNICIPAL LAW ENFORCEMENT UPHOLDS CONSTITUTIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS, ENFORCE STATE LAWS AND LOCAL ORDINANCES. 
          THE MANNER OF ENFORCEMENT IS INFLUENCED OFTEN AT A DIRECTION OF LOCAL LEADERSHIP AND STATE MANDATES, WHICH AT TIMES MAKE CONFLICT. 
          THIS ERODES PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. 
          INABILITY IN STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING IMPACTS STAFFING PROGRAMS AND LONG-TERM PLANNING. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, WE RECENTLY SAW THREATS OF WITHHOLDING FUNDING TIED TO LOCAL POLICY REVISIONS. 
          OPERATIONAL DEMANDS CAN RE DIRECT AND ALREADY STRESS DEPARTMENT CRITICAL INCIDENTS, STAFFING SHORTAGES AND EMERGING CITYWIDE INITIATIVES CAN REQUIRE IMMEDIATE REALLOCATION OF RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL. 
          WHEN PRIORITY SHIFTS, IT DISRUPTS CONTINUITY. 
          CONTINUITY SLOWS MOMENTUM AND MAKES IT HARDER FOR FULLY IMPLEMENT AND INSTITUTIONALIZED SYSTEM CHANGE. 
          MAINTAINING CONSISTENT STAFFING, PROTECTING PROTECTED RESOURCES AND LEADERSHIP FOCUSED AT ALL LEVELS IS WHAT ALLOWS THESE INITIATIVES TO MOVE FROM SHORT-TERM PROGRESS TO LONG-TERM IMPACT. 
          WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND POLICE LEADERSHIP FOR RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT AND INVESTING TIME, MONEY, AND RESOURCES. 
          OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE ARE FOCUSED ON CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TO ENSURE THE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ARE SERVED WITH DIGNITY, RESPECT, AND PROVIDED SERVICES FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AND VICTIM SERVICES THAT HELP THEM MOVE FORWARD IN GETTING JUSTICE AND HEALING. 
          AND I'LL IN THERE AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. 
          I DON'T HAVE ANY. 
          DO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY? CAN WE GO UP ONLINE? NO, WE'RE GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SURE. 
          OH, UH, NOW I JUST WANTED TO, SINCE I INTRODUCED EVERYBODY, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO MENTION THAT BRAVE ALLIANCE IS WITH US AS WELL. 
          THEY'RE ONLINE, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, OH, AND HERE IF YOU GUYS WANNA COME ON UP TO THE TABLE AS WELL, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. 
          UM, I JUST WANTED TO APOLOGIZE FOR, UM, WHEN I SAID WHAT ORDER WE WOULD GO IN. 
          BRAVE ALLIANCE IS HERE AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, WE HAVE SAFE NEXT. 
          [01:50:05]
GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I'M HERE WITH SAFE ALLIANCE. 
          UM, YOU MAY NOTICE THAT TWO OF OUR NORMAL PRESENTERS ARE BETTER HALVES. 
          PAULA MARKS OUR DIRECTOR OF FORENSIC NURSING, AND HOLLY BOWLES, OUR DIRECTOR OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, VICTIM ADVOCACY, ARE NOT HERE TODAY. 
          CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, AND SO I'M SORRY. 
          I WILL BE A POOR SUBSTITUTE, UM, FOR THEIR EXPERTISE. 
          AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR CEO, DR. 
          PIERRE BARAIN HERE, UM, TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP. 
          BUT WE'RE SAFE ALLIANCE. 
          WE SERVE SURVIVORS OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE WITH A PLETHORA OF DIFFERENT SERVICES. 
          AND OF COURSE, TODAY WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON SEXUAL ASSAULT, VICTIM ADVOCACY AND FORENSIC EXAMS. IS THERE, OH, I HAVE A CLICKER. 
          SORRY. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE WITH THE OTHER ONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THIS IS JUST, UM, A PICTURE OF OUR CLINIC, ELOISE HOUSE, WHERE WE PROVIDE ADVOCACY AND FORENSIC EXAMS ON SITE AT OUR BECKER VILLAGE CAMPUS, UM, IN THE MUELLER NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          UM, AND OUR NURSES AND ADVOCATES ALSO GO OUT TO DO EXAMS AND ADVOCACY IN HOSPITAL SETTINGS. 
          IT'S REALLY DRIVEN BY WHAT THE SURVIVOR'S PREFERENCE IS. 
          UM, AND WE DO OFFER, AT THE MOMENT, THE MAJORITY OF FORENSIC EXAMS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, 85 TO 95%, DEPENDING ON THE MOMENT. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S JUST PART OF WHAT WE DO FOR SURVIVORS. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S SURVIVOR LED. 
          WE PRESENT THE SURVIVOR WITH THEIR OPTIONS AND LET THEM DECIDE. 
          THAT MAY BE MEDICAL CARE ONLY. 
          IT MAY BE REPORTING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. 
          IT MAY BE TAKING SOME TIME TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT TO REPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT EVIDENCE COLLECTION WITH OR WITHOUT A REPORT. 
          UM, PROVIDING RESOURCES AND SUPPORT, PROVIDING SUPPORT THROUGH, UM, INTERVIEWS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OR OTHER NON-MEDICAL SITUATIONS. 
          ALL OF THE ABOVE, OR NONE OF THE ABOVE. 
          AND SO WE HAVE, UM, PARDON MY EYES, THEY ARE A LITTLE FUZZY HERE. 
          SORRY. 
          WE HAVE OUR DATA SO BUNCHED UP. 
          UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY HAPPY ABOUT THE WAY THAT, UM, OUR NUMBERS FOR THE PAST COUPLE QUARTERS. 
          SO WE'LL START WITH ADVOCACY. 
          UM, 114 UNIQUE CLIENTS SERVED IN OCTOBER 85 IN NOVEMBER, AND 87 IN DECEMBER. 
          I PROMISE I WON'T READ EVERY SINGLE NUMBER OUT LOUD, BUT THIS IS, I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT A TREND, WHICH IS THAT, UM, THROUGH THE FALL, OUR NUMBERS REMAIN HIGH. 
          WE GET A BIT OF A DIP TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, AND IT PICKS UP, UM, AROUND FEBRUARY. 
          AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE A THEME FOR THIS. 
          UM, YOU MAY NOTICE MEDICAL ACCOMPANY NOTES FOR ADVOCACY, AGAIN, FOLLOWING THAT TREND. 
          UM, YOU'LL SEE AT MEDICAL ACCOMPANIMENTS WITHOUT A FORENSIC NURSE. 
          I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE A NURSE AVAILABLE. 
          THOSE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE A NURSE IS NOT WANTED OR NEEDED, PERHAPS IN AN ACCOMPANIMENT FOR A SURVIVOR WHO KNOWS THAT THEY DON'T WANT AN EXAM OR AN ACCOMPANIMENT TO SOME OTHER SITUATION BESIDES AN EXAM. 
          UM, WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS FORENSIC NURSE EXAMS WITHOUT AN ADVOCATE, THAT'S WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ADVOCATE AVAILABLE. 
          WE WEREN'T ABLE TO STAFF 1 0 0 0, AND IT'S THE SAME NUMBER FOR THE NEXT QUARTER. 
          SO THAT IS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR US. 
          WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, AND THEN ALSO NON-MEDICAL ACCOMPANIMENTS. 
          THOSE ARE FOR, UM, A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          PERHAPS IT'S FOR A CONSULTATION ABOUT CONVERTING A NON-REPORT TO A REPORT, OR PERHAPS IT IS FOR, UM, A LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVIEW. 
          AND SO THOSE NOT AS YOU KNOW, HIGH AS THE OTHER SERVICES OFFERED. 
          HOWEVER, YOU'LL NOTE THAT IT FOLLOWS THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WILL SHOW THAT IT FOLLOWS THE SAME TREND, UM, UNFULFILLED INTERVIEW ACCOMPANIMENT REQUESTS. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE ONE IN THE FINAL QUARTER OF 2025, AND YOU'LL SEE A NUMBER IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2026. 
          SO THAT IS WHEN WE WERE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE AN ADVOCATE FOR A LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVIEW. 
          UM, OUR COLLEAGUES AT A DPD AND TCSO ARE WONDERFUL ABOUT PROVIDING US WITH NOTICE. 
          THE COUPLE TIMES THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE AN ADVOCATE, IT WAS LESS THAN 24 HOURS OF NOTICE, JUST BECAUSE SOMETIMES BETWEEN THE SURVIVOR'S AVAILABILITY AND THE DETECTIVE'S AVAILABILITY, WE JUST, UM, TIMING JUST DOESN'T WORK OUT. 
          AND SO OUR ADVOCATES DO REACH OUT TO THOSE SURVIVORS BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVIEW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE IN A GOOD PLACE. 
          UM, AND SO FOR Q1 OF 2026, YOU'LL SEE A SIMILAR TREND. 
          YOU'LL SEE JANUARY IS LOWER, AND THEN WE JUMP RIGHT UP IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, ONE MORE INSTANCE WHERE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO STAFF AN ADVOCATE FOR A LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVIEW. 
          UM, BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, I'M, I'M REALLY PROUD OF HOW WE WERE REALLY CATCHING ALL OF THE SURVIVORS WHO WANT TO HAVE OUR ADVOCACY SUPPORT MOVING ON TO NURSING. 
          SO, UM, WE HAVE THE SAME TREND AS YOU CAN SEE HIGH THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE YEAR, BUT A DIP TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IT CLIMBS RIGHT BACK UP PUTTING US ON TREND FOR ABOUT BETWEEN FIVE 50 AND SIX 50 EXAMS FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. 
          UM, AND SO IF YOU NOTICE THAT EVIDENCE COLLECTION, MEDICAL CARE AND CONSULTS 
          [01:55:01]
ARE NOT FULLY ADDING UP, THAT IS BECAUSE TO THE NUMBER FOR UNDUPLICATED SERVICE REQUESTS. 
          THAT IS BECAUSE SOMETIMES SOMEONE WILL COME IN FOR ONE SERVICE AND THEN VERY SOON COME IN FOR ANOTHER SERVICE. 
          SO YOU MIGHT SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE WHO COMES IN, UM, THEY OPT NOT TO GET THEIR FORENSIC EXAM, BUT THEY GET A MEDICAL CONSULT OR THEY GET MEDICAL CARE, AND MAYBE THE NEXT DAY THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO COME IN FOR THEIR FORENSIC EXAM. 
          SO THAT PERSON WOULD BE DOUBLE COUNTED. 
          UM, THAT ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR A COUPLE EXTRA NUMBERS IN THAT TOP ROW THERE. 
          OH, MY GOODNESS, MY EYES. 
          SORRY GUYS. 
          WE PUT THE DATA SO TINY. 
          UM, SO WHAT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT HERE IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A SINGLE SURVIVOR LOSS TO FOLLOW UP. 
          THAT MEANS THERE'S NOT A SINGLE SURVIVOR WHO DIDN'T GET THEIR EXAM BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A NURSE AVAILABLE. 
          A CAVEAT ON THAT IS THAT THERE WERE THREE TIMES IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS WHERE WE DID NEED TO LEAN ON PARTNERS. 
          SO THANK YOU, BRAVE, UM, AND ARRANGE FOR A WARM REFERRAL BECAUSE OF CAPACITY ISSUES. 
          BECAUSE WE HAD MORE EXAMS, A, A NUMBER AT A TIME, AND IT OUT, IT WAS MORE THAN WHAT OUR STAFF WAS AVAILABLE AT THAT MOMENT. 
          SO WE'RE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO RELY ON OUR, UM, OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR COLLEAGUES TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE FALLS THROUGH THE CRACKS. 
          Q1 OF THIS YEAR FOLLOWING, UM, SIMILAR TRENDS WHERE YOU SEE THE DIP AROUND, UM, END OF THE YEAR AND THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, AND THEN WE JUMP RIGHT BACK TOWARDS THE END, UH, AS THE YEAR TAKES OFF. 
          AND THE NUMBERS ARE REALLY QUITE SIMILAR AS, UM, THE, THE FINAL QUARTER OF 2025. 
          AND HERE WE HAVE, AGAIN, SIMILAR TRENDS. 
          I MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE, UM, A COUPLE MORE THAT WE DID NEED TO RELY ON OUR, UH, COLLEAGUES AT BRAVE FOUR. 
          I BELIEVE IT WAS BRAVE BOTH TIMES. 
          AND OTHER THAN THAT, UM, WE'RE REALLY QUITE HAPPY WITH HOW WE CAUGHT EVERYONE WHO WAS INTERESTED IN GETTING A FORENSIC EXAM OR MEDICAL TREATMENT, OR EVEN JUST A CONSULTATION WITH A NURSE. 
          UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON AT SAFE RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, COMMANDER LICHTER REALLY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WHEN SHE MENTIONED THAT THIS IS NOT JUST CITIZEN SUPER SAFE, BUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE IN A, A REAL FUNDING PINCH. 
          AND WE, THE RISK OF OUR PROGRAM, UM, HAVING TO SHUT DOWN SPECIFICALLY FORENSIC NURSING PROGRAM IS TURNING INTO A LIKELIHOOD, I'LL, I'LL GO OVER THE OTHER RISK QUICKLY, AVAILABILITY OF BILINGUAL ADVOCACY. 
          UM, WHILE WE DO HAVE AT LEAST ONE B ONE BILINGUAL NURSE RIGHT NOW, WE CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO HIRE BILINGUAL ADVOCATES. 
          BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS AN EVEN GREATER PART PROBLEM AND GREATER CHALLENGE IS THAT WE HAVE REALLY BEEN TRYING SO HARD TO SECURE SUFFICIENT FUNDING TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM. 
          AND WE HAVE, UM, YET TO DO THAT. 
          AND DR. STEIN, I'LL LET YOU PICK UP FROM THERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IT IS OF COURSE, MY DISPLEASURE TO, TO TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SECURE APPROPRIATE FUNDING LEVELS FOR, UH, THE CONTINUATION OF FORENSIC EXAMINATIONS OF THE SAFE ALLIANCE. 
          AND AS COMMANDER LECTOR MENTIONED, WE WILL PROBABLY BE SENDING TERMINATION NOTICES TO HOSPITALS, A PD AND OTHER PARTNERS AT THE END OF THIS WEEK, WHICH WOULD PUT THE TERMINATION OF SERVICES AT JUNE 8TH. 
          UM, UH, UH, AROUND JUNE 8TH. 
          WE WERE GOING TO SEND THOSE LETTERS LAST WEEK. 
          HOWEVER, WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH MAYOR WATSON IN HIS OFFICE. 
          UM, AND I KNOW THAT HE'S BEEN HAVING ROBUST CONVERSATIONS WITH HOSPITAL PARTNERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO, UH, OBTAIN THE FUNDING NECESSARY TO CONTINUE THE SERVICES. 
          UH, AND, AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO DERAIL THOSE, THOSE EFFORTS. 
          AND SO WE SAID WE'LL PULL FROM OUR RESERVES AND CONTINUE TO, TO, TO FUND THE PROGRAM. 
          UM, FOR, FOR THAT KIND OF LAST, LAST DITCH EFFORT, IF YOU WILL. 
          UM, PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAS BEEN THAT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, BOTH FORENSIC EXAMINATIONS AND, UM, SABA OR SEXUAL ASSAULT, UH, VICTIM ADVOCACY, UH, THE TOTAL BUDGET IS AROUND 3 MILLION FOR, UH, FOR ALL OF L LOUISE HOUSE SAFE ALLIANCE, UH, HAS INDICATED THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MORE THAN WILLING TO BOTH SECURE AND FUNDRAISE ABOUT HALF OF THAT $1.45 MILLION, LEAVING ABOUT A DEFICIT OF ABOUT 1.6. 
          AND WHAT DO WE HAVE ASKED SPECIFICALLY? UH, IS THAT THIS IS, AS MAYOR WATSON HAS INDICATED A COMMUNITY PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES A COMMUNITY SOLUTION. 
          UH, AND, AND THAT MEANS THAT IT REQUIRES A COMMUNITY INVESTMENT. 
          AND LAMENTABLY, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SECURE THAT COMMUNITY INTEREST AND INVESTMENT IN SUSTAINING SERVICES. 
          UH, THE GAP FOR FORENSIC SEMINATION ALONE IS AROUND $1.3 MILLION. 
          UH, AND THAT IS, UH, THAT IS PART OF, OF, OF THE LARGER ECOSYSTEM, UH, FINANCIAL PRESSURES THAT I THINK OUR FIELD, UM, NOT JUST HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS IS EXPERIENCING, BUT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, I TEND TO SAY THAT, THAT WE ARE A COUNTRY IN CRISIS. 
          IT SOCIAL SERVICES, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES ARE, ARE TRULY IN CRISIS WHEN THE OFFICE AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS SITTING ON $200 MILLION. 
          [02:00:02]
AND SAFE ALLIANCE WAS SUPPOSED TO GET 1.5% OF THAT. 
          UM, IT, IT, IT HAS RIPPLE EFFECTS THAT ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTING SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE, VICTIMS OF, OF RAPE AND INCEST AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILDHOOD ABUSE. 
          UM, AND SO WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING HERE IN AUSTIN IS ONLY A MICROCOSM OF A FIELD AND A NATION IN CRISIS IN AROUND SOCIAL AND PUBLIC SERVICES. 
          UH, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, SHALL THERE BE ANY WAIT. 
          SURE. 
          UM, YEAH. 
          UM, SO, UM, I WASN'T EXPECTING TO HEAR THE JUNE 8TH DATE TODAY. 
          UM, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING TO GIVE US THAT NEWS. 
          UM, I'M VERY SAD TO HEAR THAT NEWS. 
          UM, MY QUESTIONS ARE TWOFOLD. 
          ONE, UM, NOT TO BE CRASS, BUT DO WE HAVE CONTRACTS THAT ARE BEING WORKED THROUGH TO DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH BRAVE ALLIANCE, WHO HAS YET TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES? UM, SO THAT COME JUNE 8TH, WE HAVE A PLAN. 
          WE ARE CURRENTLY IN PROCESS IF WE'RE IN A CONTRACT WITH THEM. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, NOT TO BE CRA UM, JUST IN TERMS OF FUNDING, YOU MENTIONED A $3 MILLION PRICE TAG TO KEEP SERVICES GOING, THAT'S REQUIRED. 
          UM, AND I COULD BE WRONG, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE FUNDING THAT COMES FROM THE CITY IS ON A PER EXAM BASIS. 
          IS THAT, IS THAT HOW THAT WORKS FOR, FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR FORENSIC EXAMS AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DO A FORENSIC EXAM, NOT INCLUDING ALL THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES? DO YOU WANNA ANSWER THAT? SO OUR, I'LL LET YOU SPEAK TO THE TOTAL COST OF A FORENSIC EXAM. 
          SURE. 
          UM, WITHOUT THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES, 'CAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A MORE COMPLICATED QUESTION THAN IT SEEMS. UM, BUT FOR OUR CONTRACT WITH, UM, A PD SPECIFICALLY, IT IS FEE PER SERVICE. 
          UM, SO IT DEPENDS ON WHICH SERVICES THE SURVIVOR OPTS FOR, RIGHT. 
          BUT IT DOES NOT COVER THE FULL COST, AND IT'S NOT, I, I MEAN, IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO COVER THE FULL COST. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS SUCH AS REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. 
          UM, HOWEVER, THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS, THE RATES FOR THOSE HAVEN'T GONE UP IN A DECADE. 
          AND IT JUST CERTAINLY HASN'T KEPT PACE WITH THE COST OF PROVIDING THE SERVICE OR THE COST OF EMPLOYEE NURSES, UM, OR THE COST OF EMPLOYING PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS WHERE THE COST OF LIVING HAS GONE UP SO EXPONENTIALLY AND IT'S JUST NOT, UM, WE'RE GETTING SQUEEZED ON SO MANY ENDS. 
          SURE. 
          SO OUR CONTRACT WITH APD IS ABOUT $71,000 A YEAR. 
          WE PROVIDE ABOUT SIX, 600 FOR INSEMINATION AS, UM, MS CALLED MENTIONED, BUT NOT, NOT ALL THROUGH A PD, BUT, BUT NOT ALL THROUGH A PD OF COURSE. 
          UH, BUT TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER, RIGHT? ALL ALL EXAMS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN AUSTIN ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF, UH, I MEAN, STATUTORILY SPEAKING REALLY THE HOSPITALS AND, AND SO THERE IS A STATUTORY MANDATE TO PROVIDE THE EXAMINATIONS, RIGHT? AND SAFE ALLIANCE HAS ABSORBED THAT STATUTORY MANDATE, OR, OR RATHER, WE HAVE SUBSIDIZED THAT STATUTORY MANDATE, AND WE ARE NO LONGER IN A POSITION TO DO SO. 
          SO THE FORENSIC EXAMINATION COMPONENT OF THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT $1.8 MILLION AT ABOUT 600 EXAMS, FIVE 50 TO SIX 50. 
          UM, THAT ENDS UP BEING, UH, AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 2,500 TO $3,000 AN EXAM, TRUTHFULLY, UH, THAT WOULD COST HERE. 
          NOW THE CATCH HERE IS THAT IT COSTS HOSPITAL SYSTEMS ABOUT BUYER ESTIMATES, ABOUT 10,000 PLUS DOLLARS AN EXAM WHEN YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ATTENDING PHYSICIANS, UM, STAFF, UH, AUXILIARY SERVICES, ER, UH, VISITS, ET CETERA. 
          SO, OR, OR, OR ER, UM, UH, ROOMS, UH, USAGE, ET CETERA. 
          SO IT, THIS IS NOT ONLY THE MOST TRAUMA-INFORMED SURVIVOR-CENTERED, UM, APPROACH, BLESS YOU, UH, APPROACH THAT, THAT THERE IS REALLY IN THE COUNTRY, IN MY OPINION. 
          UM, BUT IT IS THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE, RIGHT? AND THAT IS THE, THAT IS THE PARADOX HERE, THAT WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY, PERHAPS LOSING THE MOST TRAUMA INFORMED SERVICE THAT IS ALSO THE CHEAPEST, IF YOU WILL. 
          UM, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE NATION AND THAT, THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY STUDIES THAT INDICATE THAT THE COST TO PERFORM THESE EXAMS AND THE REIMBURSEMENT RATES, UM, DO NOT COME CLOSE TO, UH, TO A MATCH. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, BRAVE ALLIANCE COMMISSIONER CHAIR. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          HI, I AM NORA. 
          I'M ONE OF THE FORENSIC NURSES AT, UH, BRAVE ALLIANCE. 
          I'M ACTUALLY THE FORENSIC EDUCATOR AS WELL. 
          UM, WE WERE ASKED TO COME HERE TO SEEK KIND OF AN OVERVIEW AS TO WHAT WE DO. 
          UM, WE DO KIND OF A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT SAFE ALLIANCE DOES, MINUS ADVOCACY. 
          WE DON'T HAVE OUR OWN ADVOCATES, SO WE RELY ON, UM, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO KINDA HELP US WITH THAT. 
          [02:05:01]
WE COVER, UM, A LOT OF COUNTIES. 
          WE'RE BASED IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY IN CEDAR PARK, UM, BUT WE DO SERVICE TRAVIS COUNTY IF WE NEED TO. 
          WE GO OUT TO BURN IT. 
          UM, BASICALLY ANYWHERE WE GET A CALL, WE USUALLY RESPOND. 
          UM, WE SEE EVERYTHING FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TO STRANGULATION, CHILD ABUSE. 
          WE ARE CERTIFIED BOTH FOR ADULTS AND PEDIATRICS, THE MAJORITY OF OUR STAFF. 
          UM, SO IF THERE'S LIKE A EVEN INFANTS, WE CAN EVEN SEE THEM. 
          UM, WE GO, IT'S NOT ONLY BASED IN OUR LOCATION, WE GO OUT TO HOSPITALS AS WELL. 
          WE GO OUT TO MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES. 
          WE GO OUT TO THE PRISONS AND JAILS, UM, BASICALLY WHERE WE NEED, WHEREVER THEY NEED US, WE JUST GO, WE ARE ON CALL 24 7. 
          UM, AND WE DO HAVE BACKUP SYSTEMS A LOT OF TIMES IF WE GET LIKE, MULTIPLE EXAMS AT THE SAME TIME, JUST TO KINDA HELP GET SURVIVORS, GET THE, UM, CARE THAT THEY NEED. 
          UM, OR THAT WE, WE HAVE ONE FULL-TIME STAFFER AND WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR AND THE MAJORITY OF US ARE EITHER PART-TIME OR CONTRACTORS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          YES. 
          HI, MY NAME'S ANDREA AUSTIN. 
          I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OUR SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, WHICH IS BOTH THE SEX ASSAULT DIVISION AS WELL AS THE FAMILY VIOLENCE DIVISION. 
          UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, FIRST ADDRESS JUST REAL QUICKLY, THE CHANGES TO OUR MONTHLY SEX ASSAULT REPORT. 
          UH, WE PUBLISHED THIS ONLINE ON OUR WEBSITE. 
          WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE 2024. 
          I BELIEVE WE SHARE THAT WITH THIS COMMISSION AS WELL. 
          UH, WE'VE STARTED MAKING A SECOND REPORT, WHICH I MIGHT SOUND A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING, BUT I WANTED TO EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS BECAUSE GOING FORWARD WITH 2026 DATA, THAT WILL BE THE DATA THAT THIS COMMISSION WILL RE BE RECEIVING. 
          UM, THIS WAS LAUNCHED IN MARCH OF 2026. 
          UH, WE'VE STARTED TO ADD A SECOND REPORT TO, UH, DEAL WITH JUST THE INCIDENTS THEMSELVES SO THAT THAT CAN BE TRACKED TO FIND OUT WHETHER THOSE CASES ARE REALLY PROCEEDING TO PROSECUTION. 
          UM, IN THE PAST, UH, WE'VE BEEN KIND OF MORE DEALING AND HAD BEEN TRACKING CAUSE NUMBERS, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL CASE NUMBERS THAT ARE FILED. 
          SO IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING. 
          THE REASON WE MADE THIS CHANGE WAS TO ACCURATELY REFLECT SORT OF WHAT THE WORK WAS BEING DONE IN OUR OFFICE. 
          AND JUST TO GIVE YOU JUST A QUICK EXAMPLE, UM, WHEN AN ARREST IS MADE, LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN FILE MULTIPLE CAUSE NUMBERS THAT GET ASSIGNED BY THE CLERK'S OFFICE, ONE INCIDENT CAN GENERATE THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT CAUSE NUMBERS. 
          UM, A SEX ASSAULT, A KIDNAPPING, AN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, UM, AN UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A FELON. 
          THERE, THERE COULD BE MULTIPLE ONES. 
          THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN CAUSE NUMBER. 
          WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING WITH OUR DATA IS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN, UM, A PRETTY HIGH NUMBER OF REJECTIONS OR DISMISSALS. 
          AND THAT TERM IS USED DEPENDING ON WHETHER A CASE IS PRE INDICTMENT OR POST INDICTMENT. 
          REJECTION IS PRE INDICTMENT, DISMISSAL IS POST INDICTMENT. 
          UM, A PROSECUTOR MAY WANT TO CLEAN UP AN INDICTMENT. 
          'CAUSE AN INDICTMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SORT OF MARRIED TO, THAT WE HAVE TO PROVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE ELEMENTS BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. 
          SO SOMETIMES A PROSECUTOR WILL CLEAN UP AN INDICTMENT AND TAKE ALL FOUR OF THOSE CASES AND PUT 'EM INTO ONE INDICTMENT, BUT THAT MEANS THEY HAVE TO DISMISS OR REJECT THOSE OTHER THREE. 
          SO IF SOMEBODY WERE TRACKING THOSE OTHER THREE CAUSE NUMBERS, THEY MAY THINK THOSE CASES AREN'T PROCEEDING TO PROSECUTION WHEN THEY VERY WELL MAY BE. 
          SO THAT IS WHY THE SECOND REPORT IS ACTUALLY CHARGING AND, AND, UH, REFLECTING THE INCIDENTS THEMSELVES AND THE ACT, THE OFFENSE REPORT NUMBER. 
          UM, SO SOME OF THAT IS DEALING WITH, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE CLEANUP. 
          IF A PROSECUTOR'S GOING TO TRIAL AND WANTS TO STRATEGICALLY CHANGE AN INDICTMENT, UH, MAYBE GO BACK TO GRAND JURY AND RE INDICT. 
          NOW, ANY PREVIOUS ITERATIONS OF THAT, UM, INDICTMENT HAVE TO BE DISMISSED. 
          SO THIS IS JUST TO EXPLAIN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M EXPLAINING IT WELL, UH, THE REASON WHY WE'RE PROVIDING THIS DATA GOING FORWARD, UH, BUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE REPORT AND THE REASON WE'RE DOING THAT CAN BE FILE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE. 
          UM, JUST REAL QUICK, UM, GENERAL WINS OR SUCCESSES FOR THE UNIT? UM, I, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE STILL TRYING SOME HARD CASES. 
          I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF THOSE TRIAL UPDATES. 
          THEY HAVEN'T BEEN VERY GOOD. 
          THEY, THEY'RE NOT QUITE WHAT WE HOPE. 
          UM, CERTAINLY NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING. 
          UM, THERE WERE NO TRIALS IN, IN QUARTER ONE THROUGH THREE. 
          WE JUST HAD TWO TRIALS BACK TO BACK. 
          UM, THE FIRST ONE WAS A NOT GUILTY. 
          I BELIEVE IT'S FACING AN EXPUNCTION. 
          SO I'M, I'M LEGALLY PROHIBITED FROM TALKING ABOUT THOSE FACTS. 
          BUT THE SECOND ONE WAS A HUNG JURY. 
          UM, THAT WAS A, A PRETTY EVEN SPLIT THAT WE INTEND ON RETRYING IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. 
          UM, SO WE'RE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH JURIES AND, AND STRUGGLING, STRUGGLING WITH THAT. 
          UM, BUT I, OVERALL, I DO SEE THAT AS I'M VERY PROUD OF MY TEAM FOR TRYING HARD CASES AND WORKING REALLY HARD TO TRY THE, TRY THOSE CASES. 
          UM, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE C-S-C-R-M WITH A PD HAS ALSO BEEN REALLY QUITE SUCCESSFUL. 
          IT'S SOMETHING I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF, UM, WORKING WITH A PD AND HOW GREAT A PD THE JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING, THIS MODEL THAT HAS STARTED 
          [02:10:01]
WITH SEX ASSAULT HAS NOW BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL THAT IT HAS BEEN REPLICATED AND, AND, AND THINGS, UH, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN OTHER DIVISIONS LIKE HOMICIDE AND CHILD ABUSE. 
          SO THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE, ARE ABSOLUTELY IMPROVING. 
          THE INVESTIGATIONS ARE IMPROVING, THE PROSECUTIONS ARE IMPROVING. 
          SO IT HAS BEEN A VERY MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP AND HAS BEEN WORKING OUT REALLY, REALLY WELL. 
          I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF, OF THAT. 
          UM, AND THEN I, SO JUST, I THINK SOME OF THOSE, THOSE CHALLENGES AND RISKS, UM, JUST REAL QUICKLY ARE, ARE JUST, I, I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN SOME OF THE, THE JURY, UM, RESPONSES. 
          SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          I DON'T HAVE ANY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS. 
          OH, MR. I'M SORRY. 
          I, UM, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE, UH, DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, BUT I, I WASN'T SURE IF WE WERE WRAPPING UP OR IF THERE WERE ANY MORE PRESENTATIONS. 
          AND I'M, I'M CONCERNED THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE CLARITY ON WHAT THE PLAN IS AS OF JUNE 8TH. 
          IS THERE ANYBODY WHO COULD SPEAK TO THAT? I CANNOT. 
          UM, I CANNOT JUST SURMISE A PLAN, BUT I WOULD ASK THE HOSPITALS, AS I MENTIONED, THE HOSPITALS HAVE THE STATUTORY OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE FORENSIC EXAMINATIONS, AND WE HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, UM, SINCE JANUARY, FEBRUARY. 
          UM, AND SO, UH, MAYOR WATSON DID ASK THEM, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THE DAY THAT EXAMS CEASES. 
          I MEAN, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU DO NOW? AND THEY ALL SAID, WE'VE SENT FOLKS TO SAVE ALLIANCE. 
          HE SAID, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN EXAMS CEASE? AND THEY ALL SAID, WE, WE DON'T KNOW. 
          WE NEED ABOUT SIX TO 12 MONTHS TO, UM, TO RAMP UP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          SO THEY HAVE HAD SOME, SOME, SOME OF THAT TIME, ONE, UH, BUT TWO, WE'VE ALSO INDICATED THAT WE ARE MORE THAN OPEN TO SHORT TERM FUNDING SO THAT THEY CAN, UH, RAMP UP THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE FORENSIC EXAMINATIONS THAT THEY ARE STATUTORILY REQUIRED TO DO SO. 
          SO, UH, I I, I DO NOT HAVE, UH, AN ANSWER TO THAT, AND I HAVE NOT HEARD A, A GOOD ANSWER FROM, UH, THE, THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS AS TO HOW THEY INTEND TO, UH, FULFILL THEIR STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY. 
          AND I BELIEVE, UH, MARCY FROM START CAN PROBABLY ANSWER. 
          GREAT. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER GERHARD'S QUESTION. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS. 
          I DO NOT HAVE A HOSPITAL ANSWER, BUT I DO KNOW THAT AS A SART, WE DID PUT OUT A LETTER ON APRIL 3RD GIVING THE STANCE OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE. 
          AND THAT IS THAT OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF SURVIVORS HAVE MEANINGFUL, A MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO CARE WHEN THEY'RE READY TO COME FORWARD. 
          AND WE DO SUPPORT A MULTI PROVIDER MODEL THAT INCLUDES ALL THE PARTNERS THAT WANNA BE IN THIS SPACE. 
          THIS WILL INCREASE CAPACITY AND OFFER SURVIVORS CHOICE IN THEIR CARE. 
          UM, WE ENCOURAGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS, COUNTY, CITY, HEALTHCARE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND OTHER PARTNERS TO SUPPORT FUNDING THAT REFLECTS THE TRUE COST OF THIS WORK AND KEEP THE PROGRAMS VIABLE SO THAT SURVIVORS HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO WHEN THEY'RE READY. 
          I AGREE. 
          SO JUST TO SUM UP, UH, WE'VE ASKED THE HOSPITALS TO FULFILL THEIR STATUTORY DUTY, WHICH I'M ASSUMING HAS NO ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM OR SOMEBODY WOULD'VE SUED THEM. 
          THEY'RE NOT GONNA PONY UP MONEY. 
          THE HOSPITALS NEED MORE TIME TO CREATE SPACE IF THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE OVER THE SERVICES, AND WE'RE STILL HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND HOPING SOMETHING MAGICALLY FALLS FROM THE SKY. 
          RIGHT. 
          I AM NOT A LAWYER. 
          UH, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE IS AN ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM FOR THE HOSPITALS TO FULFILL THAT RESPONSIBILITY. 
          UM, IT, IT'S, AND, AND I BELIEVE THERE'S BEEN, UH, LAWSUITS IN THE PAST, UH, TO, AND TO FORCE HOSPITALS IN DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, UH, TO COMPLY WITH A RESPONSIBILITY. 
          I'M GONNA ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO WHAT COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT, UM, SAID. 
          THIS IS COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ. 
          UM, WILL A PD BE ABLE TO GET NEW CONTRACTS EXECUTED BY THE END OF THE MONTH? WE'RE WORKING HARD ON IT, AND SO I WANT TO, I WANNA JUST SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, BRAVE ALLIANCE AND, UH, CRYSTAL LOVE, AND SHE HAS ASSURED US THAT SHE HAS THE CAPACITY TO ABSORB, UM, THE FORENSIC NEEDS OF A PD. 
          OKAY. 
          MOVING INTO THE FUTURE, EVEN WITHOUT THE CONTRACT EXECUTION, SHE HAS BEEN WILLING TO ALWAYS HELP US, UM, IN THE PAST. 
          AND I BELIEVE THAT THE CONTRACT WILL HELP HER REMAIN VIABLE AND EN ENSURE THAT WE, THAT SHE'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE 
          [02:15:01]
TO, UH, SERVICE OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR SURVIVORS. 
          UM, WE ARE ALSO MEETING INTERNALLY, UH, TO ON NEXT STEPS IN THE EVENT THAT ELOISE HOUSE CLOSES, WHAT DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE IN TRAINING TO OUR OFFICERS? WHAT DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO OUR VICTIM SERVICES AND, UM, ALL OF THOSE EVENTS. 
          AND WE ARE ALSO MEETING WITH SAFE RELIANCE TO ENSURE THAT THE ADVOCACY COMPONENT IS REMAINS INTACT. 
          SO WE ARE, WE ARE ACTIVELY, UM, ESTABLISHING NEXT STEPS IN, IN THE EVENT THAT ELOISE HOUSE CLOSES, UM, I'M KIND OF AT A LOSS OF WORDS. 
          UM, UH, IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE ENOUGH, UM, TO, UM, ENSURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS IN THE CITY. 
          UM, I, I, I, IT'S NOT BECAUSE EVERYBODY AT THE TABLE DOESN'T KNOW THAT THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. 
          I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY AT THIS TABLE KNOWS THAT THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. 
          UM, I AM, UM, I'M AT A LOSS OF WORDS. 
          UM, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I EXPECTED. 
          UM, I WOULD'VE HOPED THAT IF WE WERE IN THIS SITUATION, THAT WE WOULD'VE HAD A LONGER ON-RAMP TIME, UM, TO COME UP WITH, UM, ALTERNATE PLANS, UM, AND TO COME UP WITH, UH, A PLAN THAT'S NOT GOING TO, UM, LEAVE OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS STRANDED. 
          UM, I AM TERRIFIED THAT ALL OF THE GOOD WORK AND THE PROGRESS THAT THE C-S-C-R-M HAS BEEN DOING, UM, CAN REALLY COME TO A SCREECHING HALT IF WE ARE NOT DOING, UM, AND SERVING FORENSIC EXAMS. UM, THIS IS A RISK THAT WE IDENTIFIED YEARS AGO. 
          UM, THIS COMMISSION EVEN ATTEMPTED TO PASS A RECOMMENDATION IN HOPES OF GETTING MORE SUPPORT FOR MORE MONEY FOR SAFE. 
          UM, AND THAT DIDN'T COME THROUGH. 
          UM, AND SO AGAIN, JUST, UM, AT A LOSS, AT, AT A LOSS OF WORDS, AND I'M, I'M REALLY SADDENED THAT WE ARE IN THIS POSITION, UM, AS A CITY, AND I WILL YIELD THE FLOOR  COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT. 
          UM, I, I, I MAY BE MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT BRAVE ALLIANCE HAS, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH CAPACITY, BUT A, A SIGNIFICANT FORENSIC NURSING CAPACITY, UM, BUT THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE, UH, SPACE IN TRAVIS COUNTY IS, IF THAT'S ACCURATE. 
          UM, WOULD THERE BE A WAY FOR BRAVE ALLIANCE AND SAFE TWO PARTNER AND FOR BRAVE ALLIANCE TO USE ELOISE HOUSE AS ITS LOCATION? YES. 
          WE'VE SET THIS MULTIPLE TIME IN DIFFERENT, FOR, UH, THAT WE ARE MORE THAN OPEN TO DO THAT, OF COURSE, UH, THE SPACE COSTS FOR US TO MAINTAIN, FOR US TO MAINTAIN OPEN, RIGHT? SO, UH, IT'S A QUESTION OF, AGAIN, OF FINANCES, RIGHT? AND IT GOES BACK TO, TO, TO THAT, UH, BUT WE ARE OPEN TO, TO ALL KINDS OF SOLUTIONS. 
          AND WE HAVE SAID MULTIPLE TIMES, WE'RE NOT TERRITORIAL. 
          WE, WE AGREE, UH, WITH A SAR RECOMMENDATION THAT THERE BE MULTIPLE PROVIDERS, SO THAT THERE IS NO SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE, 100%. 
          UH, RIGHT NOW, THE SYSTEM IS, UH, UH, AT A, A TREMENDOUS FRAGILITY BECAUSE WE PROVIDE THE MAJORITY OF THE EXAMINATIONS. 
          AND WHEN FUNDING, UH, GETS CUT OR IT'S COMPLETELY LOST, THEN, THEN THIS IS, THIS IS THE RESULT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, MY FIRST DAY OFFICIALLY AS CEO OF THE SAFE ALLIANCE WAS JANUARY 5TH. 
          AND IN JANUARY 5TH, I SENT A LETTER TO THE CITY OUTLINING SOME OF THE PRECARIOUS PROGRAMS. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM OUR POSTURE, WE HAVE TRIED TO RAISE THIS ISSUE, UH, AS SOON AS, AS WE POSSIBLY COULD BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING LOSS. 
          UM, THAT WAS SO IMPENDING. 
          BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, WE ARE OPEN TO ALL KINDS OF POSSIBILITIES TO ENSURE THAT SURVIVORS DON'T FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. 
          THAT IS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN, AND IT IS OUR BOARD'S PRIMARY CONCERN AS WELL. 
          BUT SOMEBODY NEEDS TO PAY FOR ELOISE HOUSE. 
          AND THAT'S JUST ABOUT MAINTAINING IT, OR IS IT ABOUT RENT? NO, IT'S ABOUT RENT. 
          BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE, UH, NECESSITY FOR THE SPACE. 
          I'M, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT CONVERSATION OFFLINE AND, AND TALK THROUGH THOSE NUMBERS AND, BUT ABSOLUTELY, I MEAN, IF THAT IS WHAT MEANS THAT SURVIVORS WON'T FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS, PLEASE, BY ALL MEANS. 
          YES, MS. LOVE. 
          HI. 
          UM, I JUST WANTED TO ALSO INTRODUCE MYSELF. 
          I'M CRYSTAL LOVE. 
          I'M THE DIRECTOR, UM, FOR BRAVE ALLIANCE, AND I'M ALSO THE FORENSIC NURSING DIRECTOR. 
          AND I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, ALSO CHIME IN AND 
          [02:20:01]
JUST LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING ON CONTRACTS WITH THE HOSPITALS, SO WE WILL HAVE THAT IN PLACE. 
          UM, THEY HAVE BEEN WILLING TO LET US COME IN THE PAST WITH ADMINISTRATIVE PRIVILEGES, SO WE'VE NEVER HAD AN ISSUE, USUALLY GOING TO HOSPITALS. 
          UM, SO WE ARE THERE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. 
          WE ALSO HAVE, UM, CAPACITY WITH, UH, ALMOST, UH, WELL, WE HAVE A ONE NURSE STILL TRAINING, BUT WE HAVE, UH, 14 NURSES, AND WE'RE WORKING TO INCREASE THAT CAPACITY AS WELL. 
          SO, UM, WE DO FEEL THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HELP WITH THAT. 
          UM, WE'RE WORKING ON ALSO POTENTIAL FOR UTILIZING CLINIC SPACE THAT'S WITHIN AUSTIN AREA AS WELL. 
          SO, AND, UM, IF WE WERE TO RECEIVE FUNDING OR BE ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE IT, WE WOULD ALSO WANT TO HAVE A COMMUNITY SPACE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE IN CEDAR PARK AND WHAT SAFE HAS. 
          UM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE THERE. 
          AND WE REALLY LIKE THE COMMUNITY BASED FACILITY. 
          IT WORKS GREAT, AND IT'S MUCH MORE COMFORTING FOR SURVIVORS. 
          BUT THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT. 
          UM, I HAVE TO ECHO VICE CHAIR SENTIMENTS THAT WE'RE ALL SADDENED BY THIS, AND HOPEFUL THAT A SOLUTION COMES AS SUCH AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE. 
          THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE UP AGAINST THE CLOCK, SO WE NEED TO MOVE THE WILDFIRE, WILDFIRE REDNESS UPDATE TO ANOTHER MEETING. 
          UM, MOVING ON TO THE APPROVE, 
          [7. Approve a recommendation from the Collective Sex Crime Response Model working group regarding SARRT.]
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO APPROVE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE COLLECTIVE SEX CRIME RESPONSE MODEL WORKING GROUP REGARDING SART. 
          WE ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED IT IN OUR EMAIL INBOXES. 
          SO I'M GONNA TRY TO, UH, GET A MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE, UNLESS SOMEONE HAS, UH, UH, LIKE A RECOMMENDATION ON CHANGE, STILL LANGUAGE, UM, MOTION, MOTION TO, UM, CONSIDER AND APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION. 
          UM, AND IF I COULD GET PERMISSION TO JUST CREATE SOME BRIEF CONTEXT FOR THE, SO, UM, THIS IS THE LETTER THAT, UM, MARCY, MARCY ALONZO FROM SART JUST, UM, BRIEFLY READ SOME PORTIONS OF, TO US, IT IS JUST EXPRESSING AS A COMMISSION SUPPORT FOR, UM, A MULTI-AGENCY MODEL MOVING FORWARD SO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN ENDORSE AND SUPPORT THE WORK THAT A PD AND THE CITY ARE GOING TO NEED TO DO TO SCALE AND PIVOT, UM, MOVING FORWARD. 
          OKAY. 
          I SECOND, I MOVE TO SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. 
          LOOKS LIKE IT'S UNANIMOUS THAT IT'S PASSED PAST. 
          [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UM, AGAIN, ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I BELIEVE THERE'S A GOOGLE DOC OUT THERE THAT'S, UH, EVERYONE CAN, CAN, UH, ADD TO. 
          AGAIN, WE'RE UP AGAINST THE CLOCK, SO IT'S 6 23. 
          I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS MEETING FOR MAY THE FOURTH. 
          THANK YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.