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[City-Community Reimagining Public Safety Task Force]
UH, THIS IS OUR FIRST PUBLIC FACING MEETING AND WANT TO THANK THE TASK FORCE FOR, UH, COMING AND JOINING TODAY'S MEETING.I AM THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, AND JUST WANTED TO, UH, PROVIDE A QUICK, WELCOME TO ALL AS WE ARE STARTING THIS JOURNEY.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS NEW FORMAT.
UH, WE ARE HAVING SOME FOLKS INTERPRET, UM, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IN SPANISH.
UH, AND SO THERE WILL BE SOME INSTRUCTIONS THERE AS WELL.
HOPEFULLY I'M TRYING TO MODEL THAT BY SPEAKING A LITTLE SLOWER THAN I MIGHT NORMALLY.
UM, BUT I AM GOING TO, UH, APART FROM JUST WELCOMING EVERYBODY, KICK IT OFF BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY PACKED AGENDA TODAY AND KICK IT OFF TO OUR TWO INTREPID CO-CHAIR FACILITATORS AT THE MOMENT ARE FACILITATORS.
THEY ARE GOING TO WALK US THROUGH, UM, A CONVERSATION ABOUT CO-CHAIRS AND THEN A REALLY ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TIMELINE ON HISTORY OF RACE AND POLICING, UH, BOTH NATIONALLY AND HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED BY A SUBGROUP OF THE TASK FORCE.
SO WITHOUT MORE, I WILL PASS IT ON TO, UH, KELLY AND MAYA.
I WORK IN THE EQUITY OFFICE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, UM, I'M THE CO-FACILITATORS OF SEE EVENING I'LL I'LL LET, UM, MY, UH, INTRODUCE HERSELF.
MY NAME IS MAYA, UM, AND I'M VERY HONORED TO BE JOINING Y'ALL AS A CO-FACILITATOR IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, SEEN AS THE
UM, SPANISH TAKES THE SAME AMOUNT OF CONTENT TAKES LONGER TO STAY IN SPANISH THAN IN ENGLISH.
SO, UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'LL BE LEAVING SOME PAUSES JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR INTERPRETERS CAN CATCH UP.
AND IF YOU CAN PLEASE, UM, DO YOUR BEST TO AVOID, UM, ANY ACRONYMS. UM, WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT POLICING.
UM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UM, PLEASE TRY TO, UM, NOT USE ACRONYMS SO THAT THE INTERPRETERS CAN SAY, UM, CAN CORRECTLY AND I WILL KICK IT BACK OVER TO KELLY.
SHE'S GOING TO START US OFF WITH OUR GROUP AGREEMENTS.
AND REAL QUICK, BEFORE I DO THAT, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND, UM, INTRODUCE, UM, OUR TWO LIAISONS FOR THIS.
AFTER WE GET OUR CO-CHAIRS, WE HAVE TWO STAFF WHO HAVE SO GRACIOUSLY, UM, BEEN ALLOWED, WE'RE BORROWING THEM TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE CO-CHAIRS AND THAT'S JESSICA CORNADO AND PATRICIA MORNAY, WHO THERE I'VE WORKED WITH BOTH OF THEM.
SO WE WANT TO TAKE KNOWLEDGE, UM, TO, UM, ABOUT TWO MEETINGS AGO, WE CAME UP WITH A SET OF GROUP AGREEMENTS AND I JUST WANTED TO REVISIT THEM VERY QUICKLY SO WE CAN TO IT.
UM, THE FIRST OF THE AGREEMENTS WAS RESPECT AND WE ASKED WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE FOR FOLKS AND IT BOILED DOWN TO LISTENING, RIGHT? SO WE WANT FOLKS TO REALLY LISTEN IN THIS PROCESS.
WE LIKE TO RESPECT PEOPLE'S TIME, TIME.
UM, WE ASK THAT PEOPLE MUTE WHEN YOU ARE NOT SPEAKING.
UM, WE ALSO ASK FOR TIME TO PROCESS AND TAKE THINGS BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES TO BRING THINGS BACK, WOULD COME BACK WITH DECISIONS.
UM, WE ASKED FOR CONSIDERATION, RIGHT, KNOWING THAT WE MAY HAVE A PRIORITIES OR PIECES THAT, UM, MIGHT TAKE LONGER, UM, IN, IN THIS PROCESS, UM, WE ASKED FOR UNDERSTANDING ABOUT SOME OF THE EXTERNAL PRESSURES AROUND THIS PROCESS.
WE ASKED FOR PATIENTS, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT BRAVE SPACE, RIGHT? THAT, UM, YOU HAVE TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE IN THIS SPACE.
WE TALKED ABOUT CHECKING OUR PAST DIFFERENCES AT THE DOOR OR AT THE VIRTUAL DOOR.
UM, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HAVING HEALTHY DISAGREEMENTS, LIKE IT'S OKAY TO
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DISAGREE, BUT WE WILL BE RESPECTFUL IN THIS SPACE.UM, WE ASKED THAT WE CAN CHALLENGE EACH OTHER IN HEALTHY WAY.
UM, THERE WAS AN ASK THAT WE NOT TAKE THIS PERSONAL, RIGHT.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE DISAGREE WITH, UM, WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO BRING OUR WHOLE SELVES INTO THIS SPACE AS WELL.
UM, WE ASKED FOLKS TO MAKE SPACE, TAKE SPACE.
SO IF YOU TALK A LOT, TRY TO STEP BACK A LITTLE, SO OTHERS CAN SPEAK AND, AND EVERYONE CAN HAVE A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE.
WE ALSO ASKED TO CENTER THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED IN THIS PROCESS.
WE ASKED ABOUT HAVING LANGUAGE, UM, AND, AND JUSTICE ORIENTED CONTENT ARE LINKED LANGUAGE, JUSTICE, UM, CONTENT.
AND WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, OUR INTERPRETERS RIGHT NOW, UM, WE ASKED FOLKS TO BE AUTHENTIC IN THEIR PERSPECTIVES.
AND, UM, WE ALSO ASKED, UM, OR THERE WAS A STATEMENT AT THE END THAT SAID THAT, UM, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING AND THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT ALL FOR NOT.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, I THINK I WILL, UM, UH, WE WE'D LIKE FOR FOLKS TO, UM, ALSO BEFORE YOU SPEAK IN THIS SPACE TO SAY YOUR NAME AND YOUR ORGANIZATION.
SO WHEN YOU UNMUTE SAY YOUR NAME ORGANIZATION, AND THEN MAKE YOUR COMMENT, UM, UNLESS WE'RE IN LIKE A FACILITATED DIALOGUE OR CONVERSATION, IF THAT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE, JUST SO THAT, UM, WE KNOW WHO'S TALKING AND, UM, THE AGENDA TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, TRY AND MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THE CO-CHAIRS AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE HISTORY POLICING HISTORY TIMELINE.
AND THEN, UM, HOPEFULLY IF THERE'S TIME, WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME, UH, SOME ITEMS FOR, UH, THE NEXT, UM, THE NEXT MEETING'S AGENDA.
WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO THAT OVER A, A SURVEY EMAIL, UM, IF WE, IF WE RUN TOO LONG.
AND, UM, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE THE, THE LIST OF FOLKS WHO ARE, UM, UP WHO FOLKS, UM, NOMINATED TO BE IN THE RUNNING FOR THE CO-CHAIRS REAL QUICK.
AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO, UM, TO SAY THAT THEY ACTUALLY, WHETHER THEY HAVE TIME TO DO IT, UM, OR THEY WANT THEIR NAME OFF.
AND, UM, GIVE FOLKS A QUICK CHANCE TO ADD A NAME IF IT'S NOT CURRENTLY ON THE LIST.
SO THE FIRST PERSON IS DAVID JOHNSON.
THE SECOND PERSON IS FARRAH MUSCATINE.
WE HAVE COINCI DUNLAP, PAULA ROJAS, ALICIA TORRES, CHRIS HARRIS, NOREEN RIVERA, VANDER, MINE, AND BRIAN BOOKS ARE THE CHOICES.
AND SO, UM, I'M GOING TO ASK NOW WHETHER WE HAVE, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS KELLY, WE HAVE SOME HANDS RAISED.
AND ELLA HAVE THEIR HANDS RAISED.
CAN THEY TYPE THEM IN THE CHAT? THERE IS NO, WE DON'T HAVE NO CHECKS, UM, BUT NOT NECESSARILY A NOMINATION AND A THING HE GOES, UH, CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME? OKAY.
I AM PART OF ICE FOR THE AUSTIN.
AND MY QUESTION, THERE'S A TWO PART QUESTION.
THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE, UH, UH, THE AGENDA.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A LONG PRESENTATION, UM, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME, UM, THINGS THAT I BROUGHT, UH, WANTED TO BRING UP SPECIFIC SPECIFICALLY NOW THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC FORUM.
UM, AND, UM, MAYBE YES, IT CAN INFORM, OR THEY CAN BE PUT ON THE NEXT, UM, THE NEXT AGENDA, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A SPACE TO BRING THOSE UP.
I'M NOT SURE MAYBE IF IT MAKES SENSE TO DO THEM AFTER DENOMINATIONS.
AND, UH, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO ANSWER THAT NOW.
UM, BECAUSE THE OTHER ONE IT IS I WANTED TO BRING UP, UM, THE FACT THAT I
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THINK THAT WE SHOULD, UM, AFTER THINKING THROUGH SITTING WITH, UH, HOW MUCH, OR WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOLKS TO DO AN A, TO B AS COACH ADMINS, AS CO-CHAIRS, I WANTED TO BRING TO THE GROUP, UM, THE PROPOSAL FOR THE CULTURE NOMINATIONS FOR FOLKS, UM, ALSO TO HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE, WE, I KNOW WE ARE ONLY ASKING FOR TWO CO-CHAIRS.AND SO MY PROPOSAL, UM, TO THE REST OF THE TASK FORCE ARE GOING TO SAY, OH, GROUP MEMBERS ARE THAT WE ALSO, UM, VOTE IN AN ALTERNATE.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING WHERE WE DELAY IT.
I THINK THAT WE CAN, I AM HOPING THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE OPEN TO CHOOSING BOTH, UH, THE ACTUAL CO-CHAIR AND THE ALTERNATE, UM, FROM THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN NOMINATED.
UM, SO I WANTED TO SEE IF THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, UM, TODAY TO AGREE ON AS TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
I'VE, UH, YEAH, I'LL LEAVE IT AT.
SO MAYBE WE CAN, UM, WHENEVER, SO THE PROCESS FOR THIS IS GOING TO BE THAT I'M GOING TO ASK FOLKS, YOU KNOW, IF, UM, IF WE HAVE ANY MORE NOMINATIONS AND THEN I'M GONNA ASK FOLKS IF THERE'S PEOPLE WHO, UM, DON'T WANT TO BE ON THIS LIST.
AND THEN, UM, AMANDA HASSO IS GOING TO SEND A GOOGLE FORM SURVEY TO FOLKS WHERE PEOPLE CAN CHECK THEIR EMAIL WHILE WE'RE IN THIS MEETING.
AND THEY WANT VOTE ON WHO THEY WANT TO BE THE CO-CHAIRS AND WE CAN PICK THE TOP THREE PEOPLE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO YOU HAVE THE TWO CO-CHAIRS AND THEN YOU HAVE THE THIRD, UM, ALTERNATE.
IT DOES MAKE SENSE TO, TO ME, UM, I GUESS IT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
UM, I'M JUST, UH, AND I AM OKAY WITH THAT.
I JUST WASN'T AWARE THAT, THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO LIKE NAME THEM VOTE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT IT WILL BE RECORDED, UH, PUBLICLY.
BUT, UM, IF NOBODY ELSE HAS OBJECTION, OBJECTION TO THAT, THEN IT'S FINE TOO.
WELL, I DO HAVE AN OBJECTION TO A PUBLIC VOTE THE SAME WAY.
I HAVE AN OBJECTION TO A PUBLIC MEETING.
SO, UM, WE WERE TRYING TO DO THIS, I'M SORRY.
HERE'S A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE RAISING THEIR HANDS AND, UM, RAY AND NYDIA HAVE THEIR HAND RAISED.
LET'S HEAR FROM, UM, FROM RAY AND THEN WE CAN HEAR FROM MARIA GOOD EVENING, KELLY.
AND THIS IS REALLY JUST A QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION FROM ALICIA.
UM, WE ARE, UM, IDENTIFYING TWO CO-CHAIRS AND I WAS JUST WONDERING KIND OF WHAT, UM, SITUATION IS ALICIA INTERESTED IN THAT WE MIGHT HAVE AN ALTERNATE NOW, BECAUSE GENERALLY I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT WITH, UH, TWO CO-CHAIRS THAT IF ONE WAS ABSENT, THE OTHER COACH HERE COULD CERTAINLY TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A MEETING.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO SEE, UM, WHAT ALICIA'S THOUGHTS WERE AROUND THE NEED FOR AN ALTERNATE.
UM, BEFORE, UM, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD.
ALICIA, DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND REAL QUICK? YEAH, I CAN JUST LEAVE IT AT A, AT A SIMPLE ALICIA, YOUR VIDEO IS FROZEN.
WELL, UH, AN EMAIL EXCHANGES THAT HAPPEN BETWEEN THIS, BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE AND IF ONE, UM, CANNOT, UH, DO IT.
UM, I THINK THAT WE ARE ASKING A LOT, I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE CO-CHAIRS, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT IS NOT A PAID POSITION EITHER.
UM, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE UP FOR, UM, THAT ARE VOLUNTEERING OR HAVE BEEN UP FOR NOMINATIONS OR PEOPLE THAT HAVE FULL TIME JOBS OUTSIDE OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS.
AND SO I DO THINK THAT IT IS MORE MANAGEABLE WHEN WORK LIKE THIS IS DONE IN MORE DECENTRALIZED COMMUNITY WAY.
SO, UM, MORE THAN ANYTHING IT'S THAT, THAT BEING AWARE OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE NOMINATED, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS NOT A FULL-TIME JOB FOR THEM, THAT THEY HAVE A WHOLE OTHER, YOU KNOW, 40 PLUS HOUR JOB.
AND SO JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE ARE MAKING AN ASSET, THEY WILL HAVE ENOUGH SUPPORT, UM, FROM FEEL THAT THEY ARE ACCURATE AT IT, ADEQUATELY SUPPORTED THAT WAY.
IT'S NEVER ONE PERSON IS EVERYBODY CLEAR ON THAT?
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HAVING TWO CO-CHAIRS AND ONE ALTERNATE.KATE GRAZIANI WITH THE TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE.
AND, UM, TO ALICIA'S POINT, I WANTED TO ASK THE GROUP ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME SORT OF COMPENSATION FOR THE CO-CHAIRS UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS A BIG RESPONSIBILITY AND MAYBE ABOVE AND BEYOND A FULL-TIME JOB.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THIS PIECE OF THE CONVERSATION OR NO FACILITATOR? UH, I THINK SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, UH, SHOULD NOT BE HANDLED IN THE PUBLIC FORUM.
I THINK, UH, UH, THE ORIGINAL GROUP WHO USUALLY NEEDS, UH, I WOULD PREFER JUST FOR MY TASTE THAT WE NOT HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS PUBLICLY ABOUT COMPENSATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I WOULD SAY THAT WE TABLE THOSE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS UNTIL THE SMALLER GROUP THAT WORK GROUP MEETS.
AND THEN WE REPORT OUT ON WHAT'S DECIDED THEN, OKAY.
MARIA, DID YOU STILL HAVE A COMMENT THAT YOU, YOU WEREN'T THAT SORRY? UM, I JUST WANTED TO, I WANTED A CLARIFICATION AND I THINK RAY GOT THAT CLARIFICATION.
I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND IF WHAT ALICIA WAS SAYING IS THAT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A DESIRE FROM THE GROUP.
AND I THINK THE GROUP SHOULD VOTE AS A BODY TO ALLOW AN ALTERNATE UNDERSTANDING THE REASONINGS.
ALICIA BRINGS THAT IF THAT IS OKAY, THEN WE WOULD THEN BE MOVING INTO A VOGEL OF TWO CO-CHAIRS AND AN ALTERNATE, BUT WE SHOULD NOT ASSUME THAT WE SHOULD PUT THAT VOTE TO THE GROUP.
UM, IN THE PERSPECTIVE, I'M NOT HEARING A LOT OF DISSENT, BUT WE SHOULD, UH, PUT THAT TO THE GROUP.
I HEAR THE COMMENT ABOUT COMPENSATION.
AND, UH, I THINK BECAUSE, UH, THE CITY HAS, UM, MANY OF THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND OTHER TASKFORCE FOR NUMERATION IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE GENERALLY DO, BUT I HEAR IT AND I AM HAPPY TO, UH, TAKE THAT BACK FOR CONSIDERATION.
BUT, UM, I DO NOT NECESSARILY THINK OTHER THAN A RECOMMENDATION IF THE GROUP WANTS TO MOVE THAT FORWARD, THAT THAT WOULD BE, UM, THAT CERTAINLY COULD BE A RECOMMENDATION, BUT THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT IN FAIRNESS TO ALL OUR OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
WHEN WE SAY THE GROUP ABOUT THE VOTING IS NORIA, ALWAYS SPEAKING OF THE PANELISTS OR THE LARGER OF 133, I APOLOGIZE, QUINCY, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN SPEAK AND WHO CAN TAKE A VOTE OR TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
OTHER FOLKS IN HERE WHO ARE PARTICIPANTS ARE NOT QUEUED TO SPEAK TO THIS MEETING.
THIS IS REALLY A MEETING RIGHT NOW FOR TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
THERE WILL BE, I ASSUME, IN THE FUTURE, A PLACE WHERE THIS TASK FORCE WANTS TO TAKE IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
THIS HAS NOT BEEN SUCH A MEETING.
THIS IS REALLY A VOTE RIGHT NOW FOR THE TASK.
SO DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION OR TAKE A VOTE ON, UM, HAVING THE THIRD CO-CHAIR IS WHAT I HEARD FROM YOU? NARIA JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, MADAM CO-CHAIR IS THERE, UM, A POLLING FEATURE THAT WE CAN USE TO TAKE THE VOTE SO THAT IT IS ACCURATE? SO WE TRIED THAT QUINCY, UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
IT, THE ONLY WAY THAT THAT CAN WORK ON ZOOM IS IF WE PULL THE AUDIENCE, WE CAN'T JUST PULL, UM, THE PANELISTS OR THE PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
SO WE, THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO ORIGINALLY.
UM, AND SO NOW, NOW WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO THE EMAIL AND FOLKS CAN FILL IT OUT REAL QUICK.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRACE, MADAM FACILITATOR.
UM, I WAS ASKING THOUGH, NURIA, DO YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD TAKE A VOTE? AYE.
I, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THE GOVERNANCE DOCUMENT.
IF WE RECALL THE GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS SORT OF REFERRED TO ROBERT'S RULES, UNLESS THE WILL OF THE BODY CHANGED THAT AND WANTED TO MODIFY THAT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO HONOR THAT WE SHOULD HEAR FROM THE GROUP, IF THAT IS THE CASE, SINCE WE CAME IN, THINKING OF CO-CHAIRS HAPPY TO, UH, DEFER AS WE VOTE, BUT IF THERE IS A NEED OR A DESIRE TO HAVE A THIRD CULTURE, ALTERNATE, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST VOTE ON THAT.
AND THEN WE CAN TAKE THREE NAMES AS WE MOVE THAT FORWARD.
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I MAKE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE EVERYONE TO VOTE ON ONE ALTERNATIVE WHO CAN SUB IN AS CO-CHAIR AT ANY MEETING, IF A CO-CHAIR CAN'T ATTEND.DO WE HAVE, THIS IS HALEY EASILY.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY, AYE.
AND CAN YOU TURN ON YOUR VIDEOS AND RAISE YOUR HAND SO WE CAN ACTUALLY COUNT, I THINK BE RAISING HANDS DOWN AS I SAW SOME PEOPLE EITHER THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN.
SO ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 2021.
SO, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S 21.
UM, IT'S UNANIMOUS AND IT PASSES.
IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN UNANIMOUS BECAUSE I AT LEAST SAW ONE THUMBS DOWN, BUT CERTAINLY THE MAJORITY OF FOLKS WHOSE THUMB WAS DOWN QUINCY, QUINCY.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, KELLY, UM, I THINK EVERYONE CAN STILL, THEY ONLY HAVE TO CHOOSE TWO BECAUSE THE POLL WILL, UH, WHEN THEY, WHEN THE GOOGLE FORM TALLIES, EVERYTHING, WHAT WE CAN DO IS TAKE THE TOP THREE PEOPLE.
THAT WAS THE IDEA SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THE SAME PROCESS.
UM, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT, UH, DIFFICULT BECAUSE I LIKE MY TECH PEOPLE ON THE SAME PAGE AS I HAVE EVERYONE ELSE OFF TO SKIP AROUND TO COUNT, BUT THAT'S WHY WE HAVE JESSICA AND, UM, PATRICIA HERE TOO, TO HELP WITH THAT.
UM, HI, THIS IS THE TECH HOST.
AGAIN, IF IT'S HELPFUL, I WILL INDICATE ON EACH MEMBER OF THE TASK FORCE TEAM, UM, THE TWO INITIALS T F IN FRONT OF THEIR NAME.
AND SO THAT WILL BE INDICATED AS THOUGH THAT THEY ARE MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE.
SO, UM, IS THERE ANYONE THAT WE NEED TO ADD TO THE LIST OF POTENTIAL? CO-CHAIRS? NO, IT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE.
IS THERE ANYONE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE OFF, OFF THE LIST OR THAT DOESN'T WANT TO BE ON THE LIST? OKAY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO SEND THE CURRENT LIST OUT, UM, RIGHT NOW AND GIVE PEOPLE, UM, A MOMENT TO GO INTO THEIR EMAILS AND VOTE.
IS THAT, UH, IS THAT OKAY WITH EVERYONE? IF WE GIVE FOLKS ABOUT THREE MINUTES, THREE TO FIVE MINUTES TO GO VOTE.
AND PLEASE, UM, RAISE YOUR HAND OR INDICATE IF YOU DON'T GET THE EMAIL.
UM, I THINK I GOT, I JUST SENT IT OUT RIGHT NOW.
SO IT MIGHT TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES.
I WILL NOTE THAT IT DID GO TO OUR PROMOTIONS FOLDER.
SO IF THAT'S NOT SHIT, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK THAT.
AND FOR THE RECORD, UM, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THIS VOTE IS TAKING PLACE VIA EMAIL, IT IS TAKING PLACE DURING THE TASK FORCE MEETING.
AND THEREFORE IT HAS BEEN SENT TO A VOTING TUFTS FORCE MEMBERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY PRESENT AT THIS MEETING TODAY.
AND JUST TO REITERATE, IT SAYS IN THE SURVEY TO VOTE FOR TWO, BUT WE ARE VOTING FOR THREE.
WE'RE GOING TO CHOOSE THREE, BUT WE ONLY GET TWO VOTES.
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GOTCHA.AND THEN WE'LL CHOOSE THE TOP FOR YOU.
I MIGHT'VE VOTED FOR FREE, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE FINE.
WELL, JEFF COUNTER FIRST TWO ON THE LIST, AMANDA, I ACTUALLY THINK THEY CAN REMOVE YOUR RESPONSE IF YOU WANT TO DO IT.
UM, I'M SORRY, BUT I ALSO HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
SO AMANDA HOSPO, CAN YOU, UH, EMILY, UM, REMOVE HERS AND SEND HER ANOTHER ONE, PLEASE? YEAH, YOU CAN USE THIS SAME.
IS IT LIKE YOU ARE NOW? UH, THIS IS ALICIA FROM AUSTIN.
LIKE, UM, I JUST DID WHAT YOU RECOMMENDED, WHICH WAS JUST RESUBMIT ANOTHER, UM, ENTRY WITH JUST ONLY TWO PEOPLE AND IT SHOULD WORK.
LET ME KNOW IF I NEED TO REDO IT OR HAVE A NEW LINK SENT IN TO JUST CHOOSE TWO PEOPLE.
I CAN SEE WHEN YOU'VE RESPONDED WITH THREE AND I CAN JUST REMOVE THAT RESPONSE.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT ATTEMPTED TO VOTE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO VOTE? OKAY.
UM, UH, WHILE WE'RE, WE'RE WAITING ON, ON THAT, IS THERE ANYONE THAT WANTS TO, THAT WAS, THAT WAS ON THE NOMINATION LIST THAT HAS, UM, SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT TO SHARE, UM, THAT, THAT WANT TO SPEAK A MOMENT ABOUT WHY THEY SHOULD BE THE CO-CHAIR THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, DOC CUMIN AGENDA THAT WE VOTED ON.
SO I JUST WANT TO CHECK IN REAL QUICK BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
IT WAS, IT WAS ON THE ORIGINAL AGENDA.
SO I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD ASK IN CASE
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OLAY TO MAKE YOUR PITCH NOW.I THINK IT'S GOOD TO SAY THAT EVERYONE ON THIS TASK FORCE HAS A COMMITMENT TO REALLY THINK THROUGH RE-IMAGINING OR WE WOULDN'T BE HERE.
SO I DON'T SEE, WE MUST BE WORKING.
I THINK I'M MISSING KATHY MITCHELL.
I VOTED, I ACTUALLY THINK I FIGURED IT OUT.
KELLY OR MAYA? I THINK YOU HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
DO YOU WANT TO ANNOUNCED THE, SURE.
SO OUR TWO CO-CHAIRS FOR THE TASK FORCE ARE FALA ROJAS AND BRIAN OAKS AND THE ALTERNATE IS BARREN MUSKEGON.
AND SO CO-CHAIRS WILL TAKE OVER.
YEAH, CONGRATULATIONS AND CO-CHAIRS WILL, UM, START WITH THEIR DUTIES, UM, AFTER THIS MEETING.
UM, AND WE'LL BE LEADING, UM, WITH THEIR DUTIES, UM, AT THE NEXT TASK FORCE MEETING.
UM, NOW, UM, WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION INTO THE TIMELINE ACTIVITY AND, UM, BRIAN, I THINK YOU WERE GOING TO, UM, SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT BEFORE WE GOT STARTED AND I'M SORRY, BRIAN, I'M JUST GONNA JUMP IN VERY QUICKLY.
UM, SINCE WE ARE, UM, BILL MOVING WITH ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MEETING, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE IN ORDER TO JUST HAVE, UM, A FACILITATED OPEN DIALOGUE REGARDING THIS PRESENTATION.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION, UH, THE TASK FORCE IS INTERESTED IN, UM, WE CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
SHE ASKED I WAS JUST GONNA DO IT.
UM, ALL RIGHT, GO AHEAD, BRIAN.
UH, FOR THE PUBLIC I'M BRIAN OWES THE CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND I GET THE HONOR OF INTRODUCING OUR TEAM.
THAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTING TONIGHT ON THE HISTORY OF POLICING AND REALLY SORT OF THIS EXPLORATION OF HISTORY FROM BOTH THE NATIONAL LEVEL, BUT ALSO WHAT THAT MEANS, UH, FOR US AS, UM, LOCALLY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, I THINK LEADING UP TO TODAY, UH, I GOT A LOT OF SORT OF, UH, COMMENTS FROM FOLKS, YOU KNOW, ASKING A QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE Y'ALL TALKING ABOUT HISTORY AND WHY ARE YOU ALL SPENDING THIS AMOUNT OF TIME AS A TASK FORCE TO REALLY DO THIS EXPLORATION OF HISTORY? AND IT MAKES ME THINK OF A MAYA ANGELOU QUOTE, WHERE SHE SAYS, UM, I'M, UH, UH, I HAVE A GREAT RESPECT FOR THE PAST.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'VE COME FROM, THEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND THAT'S REALLY HOW TIMELY THIS IS FOR US.
AND SO AS WE START TO ON THIS JOURNEY TO REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT IN TIME.
AND THIS HISTORY OF POLICING TIMELINE THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHARE TONIGHT IS PREPARED BY OUR WORKING GROUP.
AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU, THE TIMELINE SEEKS TO TELL THE HISTORY OF POLICING THROUGH THE EYES OF THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN MOST NEGATIVELY IMPACTED AND HAVE EXPERIENCED HARM AT THE HANDS OF THIS HISTORY
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IS OUR HOPE THAT THIS TIMELINE CAN ALSO GROUND THE TASK FORCE, CITY STAFF, COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE CONTEXT OF SYSTEMIC RACISM WITHIN OUR NATION, INCLUDING THE CITY OF AUSTIN ITSELF, UH, TONIGHT WE'LL, UH, REVIEW FOUR SORT OF KEY AREAS, UH, OF HISTORY.AND AS WE GO ON THIS JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY, WE WILL PAUSE AT TIMES TO REFLECT ON WHAT YOU'VE HEARD AND READ, UH, AT THE END OF TONIGHT, I WANT EVERYONE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S THE NEXT VISION FOR US AS WE PUBLIC SAFETY, HOW DO WE TAKE THIS HISTORY TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S NEW? WHAT STORY WOULD BE ABLE TO TELL ABOUT HOW WE CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT VALUES WILL GUIDE US ALONG THE WAY? SO WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE FLOOR TO OUR FIRST, UH, WORKING GROUP MEMBER THAT IS GOING TO START US OFF ON THIS JOURNEY.
UH, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO EMILY GARRICK TO GET US STARTED ON THE FIRST ERA OF POLICING THAT WE'LL EXPLORE TONIGHT.
I'M EMILY, ERIC FROM TEXAS FOR DEFENSE PROJECT.
DO WE HAVE THE SCREEN-SHARE FOR THE TIMELINE SET UP? YES, I'M SO SORRY.
UM, WE HAVE ALICIA TORRES WITH HER HAND UP.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT IS, HAS BEEN UP OR IF IT'S NEWLY RAISED.
HE HAS A, UH, COMMENT WHILE WE GET THE TIMELINE UP ALICIA.
AND THAT ESSENCE OF TIME, I DEFINITELY WILL TRY TO BE FAST.
I THINK THAT THIS IS, UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, AS A MEMBER OF THE TASK FORCE THAT DIDN'T ACTIVELY, UM, DO WORK IN THIS, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT DID PUT A LOT OF WORK ON THIS, UM, UH, THIS, THIS AT LEAST FOR MY PART OF THE AUSTIN.
UM, I THINK THAT IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE GROUNDED.
UM, THERE IS A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY AND WE ARE HERE SHOWING UP AS THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO I REALLY AM APPRECIATIVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN DONE IN OTHER, UM, COMMISSIONS OR ANOTHER TASK FORCES.
UM, A LOT IN SOME REALLY, THIS IS REALLY EXCITING IN THE SENSE THAT IT DOES HAVE A FEELING THAT IT IS, WE ARE TRYING TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
UM, AND SO REALLY GROUNDING OURSELVES IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT AS TO, UM, WHERE WE'RE GOING.
I THINK IT'S, IT FEELS, UM, VERY GROUNDING.
UM, AND SO THE THINGS THAT I WANTED, UH, THERE WE'LL CALL THEM HOUSEKEEPING THINGS THAT I WANTED TO NAME.
UM, I AM NOT EXPECTING A FULL DISCUSSION ON THEM, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT IS NOW A PUBLIC FORUM.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, ALTHOUGH SUMIT REALLY, UM, EASY OR ASSUME IS READILY ACCESSIBLE FOR A LOT OF US, UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT SPECIFICALLY WITH FOLKS THAT ARE STILL, UM, WORK IN AUSTIN AND MIGHT BE LIVING IN THE MORE RURAL AREAS, UM, INTERNET IS NOT ACCESSIBLE THAT WAY FROM HOME.
AND SOMETIMES THE PHONES DON'T ALLOW FOR THE DOWNLOAD OF THIS APPLICATION.
SO, UH, FACEBOOK IS A WAY THAT I SPECIFICALLY WITH THE COMMUNITY VICE VERSA, THEY AUSTIN, UH, WE ENGAGE WITH.
AND SO I'M REALLY HOPING THAT BY NEXT 80 NOVEMBER 5TH, WE ARE ABLE TO LIVE STREAM, UM, THROUGH FACEBOOK.
UH, I KNOW IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY THAT THE CITY HAS DONE WITH OTHER THINGS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO URGE AGAIN, HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ARE, AS I SORTED AUSTIN, WE ARE HOPING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO LIVE STREAM THE NEXT, UH, MEETING VIA FACEBOOK.
UM, IT THERE'S THIS OF MAKING THIS ACCESSIBLE TO, UM, THE LARGER COMMUNITY.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT, UM, THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A, A, UH, REIMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY SURVEY, UM, THAT SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE USED IN THE DISTRICT, UM, TOWNHOUSE.
AND IT IS A CURRENTLY RESIDES UNDER THE, UH, RE-IMAGINING TASKFORCE, UM, WEBSITE, UH, HOWEVER, AS A MEMBER OF THE TASK FORCE, UH, MYSELF, I DIDN'T SEE, I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THAT SURVEY WAS BEING DEVELOPED, UM, OR WHO IT WAS DEVELOPED BY.
UM, AND AFTER READING IT, TAKING THEM MYSELF, AND REALLY SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE IS SOME ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES AROUND THE, THE LANGUAGE.
AND SOME OF THE TONE I THINK IS, UH, REALLY LIMITING, UM, IN THE RE-IMAGINING PARTS I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AND BRING UP, UM, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO FURTHER DISCUSS THAT.
UM, I THINK, UH, I WANT MORE INFORMATION AS TO, TO WHO DEVELOPED IT
[00:40:01]
IN, IN HOW IT IS BEING USED AND THE ACCESSIBILITY OF IT.UM, SO THE TASK FORCE, AND THEN ALSO, UH, WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY THAT, UM, THE NUMBERS THAT THE TASK FORCE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, AS FAR AS, UH, BEING AVAILABLE CURRENTLY UNDER THE RE-IMAGINING FUND AND THE DECOUPLING FUND, UH, AS TASK FORCE MEMBERS, WE HAVE UPDATED NUMBERS.
UM, AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AT LARGE, WE ARE AWARE THAT, UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY WILL BE WORKING AS A TASK FORCE, UH, WITH, UH, A COMBINED 7.1 MILLION DIFFERENCE, UH, FROM THE ORIGINAL NUMBERS THAT WERE GIVEN OUT.
UM, I KNOW THAT THAT MIGHT SOUND A LITTLE BIT HEAVY ON TECHNICALITIES FOR MAYBE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE JOINING US.
UM, I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED THOSE CONVERSATIONS, THE BUDGET ONES, BUT, UM, DEFINITELY, I JUST WANT TO PUT IT OUT IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE THAT WE DO RECEIVE UPDATES AND AS TASKFORCE, UM, AS A MEMBER OF THE TASK FORCE, I DO FEEL THERE TO PROVIDE FULL TRANSPARENCY AND NO ALERT FOLKS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH DIFFERENT NUMBERS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY PRESENTED.
UM, SO REAL QUICK, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WILL HAVE THE FACEBOOK LIVE TEXTS SET UP BY THE NEXT MEETING, UM, OR A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO JOIN.
UM, THAT WAY WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD RESPOND TO THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE AND SO THAT WE WOULDN'T LEAVE THINGS HANGING, UM, OR LINGERING.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO JUST TO SAY REAL QUICK, THAT EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID, UM, UM, WE'LL, UH, HOPEFULLY THE CO-CHAIRS WERE LISTENING AND WE'LL PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THEM TO HELP CRAFT THAT INTO THE, THE NEXT AGENDA.
MY, UH, DO YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR SCREEN AND TRY TO MAKE IT, UM, BE AS BIG AS YOU CAN SO PEOPLE CAN SEE IT AND FOLKS, UH, IF IT'S EASIER, UM, YOU CAN MOVE THAT LITTLE WHITE LINE AND BE BETWEEN THE, UM, WHERE YOU SEE US IN THE ZOOM AND WHERE YOU SEE THE TIMELINE TO MAKE TIMELINE PIECE BIGGER AND EASIER TO READ, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE, DON'T NORMALLY USE ZOOM A LOT, IS THAT READABLE FOR YOU? OKAY, THANK YOU.
AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE TIMELINE ON THE RE-IMAGINING WEBSITE AND IT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AS SOON AS IT'S TRANSLATED AS WELL.
SO I'M LIKE, ARE THE TEXAS CREDIT FUNDS PRIVATE AND THEN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UM, WE HAVE FOUR SECTIONS OF THIS TIMELINE.
I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COVER EVERY ITEM ON THE TIMELINE.
SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE SELECTING KEY DATES FROM THIS, UH, SELECTION OF KEY DATES.
UM, I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE FIRST ERA, UM, AND ABOUT HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKED AND WHAT LAWS THEY WERE ENFORCING, UH, BEFORE THE FORMATION OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS, BOTH PROCEEDING THE FOUNDING OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND, UH, UP UNTIL THE 18 HUNDREDS.
AND DURING THIS ERA, THERE WERE FOUR PRIMARY POLICING ENTITIES, UH, FIRST SHERIFFS AND CONSTABLES, UM, THEN CIVILIAN WATCHES, UH, SLAVE PATROLS AND RANGERS.
UM, THE SHERIFF IS LARGELY CONSIDERED TO BE THE FIRST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED IN ENGLAND IN THE 11 HUNDREDS TO ACT AS TAX COLLECTORS AND TO REPLACE PRIVATE SECURITY GUARDS, TO PROTECT PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UM, DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD, UH, THEY WERE CIVILIAN NIGHT WATCHES, WHICH WERE USED IN EUROPE AND THE COLONIES AND THE COLONIZATION OF AMERICA BEGAN, AS WE ALL KNOW, IN 1492.
AND DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, THERE WERE BRUTAL MILITARY FOURTHS.
SO IT WAS USED TO DISPOSSESS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF THEIR LAND AND FORCED THEM INTO SLAVERY.
WORKING IN MINES IN AGRICULTURE, THERE WERE ALSO ENSLAVING RATES BY BRITISH COLONISTS ACROSS WHAT ARE NOW MANY SOUTHERN STATES DURING TIME PERIOD.
BUT THE WHITE SETTLERS FELT THAT THEY NEEDED MORE FORCED LABOR THAN THIS COULD PROVIDE.
UM, AND THIS BRINGS US TO THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE, WHICH LASTED FROM 1526 TO 1867 AND APPROXIMATELY 12.5 MILLION PEOPLE WERE SHIPPED FROM AFRICA AND OF THOSE 10.7 MILLION WERE FORCED TO BROUGHT TO THE AMERICAS.
THIS FORCED MIGRATION WAS EXTREMELY BADLY WITH APPROXIMATELY 2 MILLION PEOPLE DYING DURING THE VOYAGE AND MILLIONS MORE DYING IN WHAT WE'RE KNOWN
[00:45:01]
AS SHE'S AN ENCAMPMENT UPON ARRIVAL.UM, BUT DEATH RATES AT THE SEASONING CAMPS WERE AS HIGH AS 50%.
THERE WERE, THERE WAS ALSO INDENTURED SERVITUDE DURING THIS TIME PERIOD IN 16 HUNDREDS AND BOTH BLACK AND WHITE PEOPLE COULD BE INDENTURED SERVANTS, THOUGH.
UM, AND THE 16 HUNDREDS, IT WAS ACCUSTOMED TO MEET AFRICANS WHO HAD BEEN BAPTIZED IN THE EARLY 16 HUNDREDS.
IT WAS A COST DOWN TO MAKE AFRICANS WHO HAD BEEN BAPTIZED BEFORE THE ARRIVAL TO THE COLONIES AND VENTURED SERVICE INSTEAD OF SLAVES.
BUT THE INSTITUTIONAL INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF SLAVERY WAS SEEMED TO FOLLOW.
UM, THE FIRST COURT RULING UPHOLDING SLAVERY WAS IN 1640 BY A VIRGINIA COURT.
AND THE FIRST LAW PASSED REGARDING SLAVERY.
WASN'T MASSACHUSETTS COLONY IN 1641.
AND CHATTEL SLAVERY WAS REALLY FORMALIZED BY THE VIRGINIA COLONY, WHICH PASSED A LAW IN 1662, STATING THAT ANY CHILD WHOSE MOTHER WAS ENSLAVED WAS ALSO A SLAVE AND THEN PASS A LAW IN 1705 DECLARING THAT SLAVES WERE REAL ESTATE AND LEGALLY PROTECTING FORCED BREEDING RACE WAS A REALLY EXPLICIT FACTOR IN LAW ENFORCEMENT THROUGHOUT THE COLONIES, REGARDLESS OF STATUS AS A FREE OR ENSLAVED PERSON IN 1703, BOSTON PASSED A CURFEW LAW FOR ALL BLACK AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, INCLUDING FREE BLACK PEOPLE.
AND DURING THE EARLY YEARS OF THE UNITED STATES, AS A NATION STATE, SOUTHERN CITIES FORMED PARAMILITARY GROUPS THAT WERE CAST WITH CONTROL OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE WITH THE GOAL OF PREVENTING AND REPRESSING SLAVE REBELLIONS, AND THESE SLAVE PATROLS OFTEN WORKED WITH WHITE SIBLINGS AND MILITIAS SERVING AS EARLY LAW ENFORCEMENT IN 1790, THEN ACTUALIZATION ACT WAS PASSED, WHICH RESTRICTED CITIZENSHIP.
CAN YOU WAIT, EMILY REAL QUICK? I'M SO SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
CAN YOU SLOW DOWN JUST A TAD? I'M SORRY, OUR INTERPRETERS.
UM, SO I WAS JUST SAYING THAT IN 1790, THE NATURALIZATION ACT WAS PASSED, WHICH RESTRICTED CITIZENSHIP TO WHITE MEN IN THE EARLY 18 HUNDREDS WAS IN SEVERAL SOUTHERN STATES WERE PASSED, REQUIRING ALL BLACK PEOPLE TO CARRY PASSES AND ALLOWING FOR THE ARREST OF ANY BLACK PERSON WITHOUT A PASS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR STATUS.
IN 1823, THE TEXAS RANGERS WERE FORMED.
UM, AND THEY ARE WIDELY CONSIDERED TO BE THE FIRST STATE POLICE AGENCY THEY WERE CREATED FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF PROTECTING THE WHITE, THE LAND THAT WHITE SETTLERS HAD TAKEN FROM THE MUNCHIES IN 1830 CONGRESS PASSED THE INDIAN REMOVAL ACT, WHICH LEGALIZED THE REMOVAL OF ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI POLAND'S WEST OF THE RIVER.
IN TOTAL, MORE THAN 46,000 NATIVE AMERICANS WERE FORCIBLY REMOVED FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES IN ORDER TO CREATE SPACE FOR WHITE SETTLEMENT IN 1840 AUSTIN ELECTED ITS FIRST CITY MARSHALL, AND IT PASSED ORDINANCES FOR THAT CITY MARSHALL TO ENFORCE THAT ESTABLISHED A 10:00 PM CURFEW FOR SLAVES AND FORBIDDING ANY WHITE MAN OR ANY MEXICANS WHEN QUOTE MAKING ASSOCIATES OF NEED OF NEGROES IN 1850, CONGRESS CROSSED A FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW.
THIS REQUIRED THAT SLAVES BE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS, EVEN IF THEY WERE IN A FREE STATE THAT ALSO MADE IT MADE, UH, THE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, THE FEDERAL MARSHALS RESPONSIBLE FOR FINDING, RETURNING AND TRYING ANY ESCAPED SLAVES.
AND THEY KEPT ALSO ENLIST THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHER WHITE PEOPLE.
IT ALSO MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ANY BLACK PERSON TO BE CAPTURED AS A SLAVE AND SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF A SWORN STATEMENT, MORE WHITE PERSON, NO, NOT WITH A NEW RIGHT TO CHALLENGE THAT STATEMENT IN COURT TO PROVE THAT THEY WERE IN FACT FREE.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO CHRIS FOR THE POLITICAL ERA.
SO THIS ERA, UM, WE SEE COMBINATING THE COALESCENCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, FROM GUARDS AND WATCHMENS AND MILITIAS AND SLAVE PATROLS INTO SOMETHING MORE SIMILAR TO THAT WE HAVE TODAY WITH THE ERA ITSELF SEES, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS, WHICH ALMOST TO BE FOCUSING ON THE ESTABLISHMENT AND EXPANSION OF LOCAL POLICE.
AND WITH THAT, UM, THE EXPANSION OF LAWS DESIGNED TO CONTROL, UH, MOSTLY THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE ENSLAVED, BUT INCREASINGLY THOSE, UH, ALSO THAT ARE OTHER, UH, INCLUDING MEXICANS AND IMMIGRANTS.
SO IN 1846, TEXAS STATEHOOD, WE HAVE THE FIRST STATE FUNDED LOCAL POLICING APPARATUS, WHICH ARE SLAVE
[00:50:01]
PATROLS.UM, THESE ARE AGAIN THE EARLIEST INSTANCE OF SECURITY PERSONNEL USING QUOTE PATROL TACTICS THROUGH THEIR SCOPE.
THOSE SCOPE OF AUTHORITY WAS LIMITED TO CAPTURING SLAVES IN 1848.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN MADE IT ILLEGAL FOR A SLAVE OWNER TO ALLOW AN IT'S AN ENSLAVED PERSON TO HIRE THEIR OWN TIME OR QUOTE ACT OR DEAL AS A FREE PERSON.
IN 1854, YOU HAVE SOMETHING CALLED VIGILANCE COMMITTEES, THE MAYOR, A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER, STATE SENATOR, AND FORMER TEXAS RANGER, UH, JOHN'S SALMON RIP FORD.
UM, HE WAS ALL THOSE THINGS ESTABLISHED A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE TO DRIVE LATINOS OUT OF AUSTIN, FEARING SOLIDARITY WITH ENSLAVED PEOPLE WOULD SPARK REBELLION AGAINST WHITE SUPREMACY.
WE SEE AN AUSTIN CITY ORDINANCE WAS PASSED THAT PREVENTED ENSLAVED PEOPLES FROM LIVING SEPARATELY FROM THEIR OWNERS IN 1860 FEAR OF A SLAVE REVOLT SPREAD ACROSS THE CITY OF AUSTIN SAYS THAT THE MAYOR, UH, RESPONDED BY ORDERING THE EXAMINATION OF ALL SLAVE QUARTERS IN 1861, YOU SEE TEXAS SECEDE FROM THE UNION, JOIN THE REBELLION AS PART OF THEIR DECLARATION.
THEY SAID, AND I QUOTE, SHE WAS RECEIVED AS A COMMONWEALTH HOLDING, MAINTAINING, AND PROTECTING THE INSTITUTION KNOWN AS NEGRO SLAVERY, THE SERVITUDE OF THE AFRICAN TO THE WHITE RACE WITHIN HER LIMITS, A RELATION THAT HAD EXISTED FROM THE FIRST SETTLEMENT OF HER WILDERNESS BY THE WHITE RACE AND WHICH HER PEOPLE INTENDED SHOULD EXIST IN ALL FUTURE TIME.
THERE'S A SESSION WAS ABOUT SLAVERY 100% IN 1865, FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR, WE START SEEING THE EMANCIPATION OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE THAT EMANCIPATION WAS FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE PASSAGE OF LAWS, CONTROLLING BLACK PEOPLE'S PUBLIC MOVEMENT AND WORK EMANCIPATION.
ALSO STIPULATED THAT SLAVE LABOR COULD CONTINUE FOR THOSE CONVICTED OF A CRIME, CREATING AN INCENTIVE FOR WHITES TO, UH, EMPOWER, TO ARREST BLACK PEOPLE IN ORDER TO EXPLOIT THEIR LABEL AND PUT THEM RIGHT BACK INTO AN INSULATED STATUS.
ONE FORM OF THIS WAS NOT ABOLISHED UNTIL 1941 AND OBVIOUSLY PRISON LABOR CONTINUES TO EXIST TO THIS DAY IN JUNE, 1865, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MET REGARD THE FACT THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF NEGROES TURNED LOOSE BY THEIR OWNERS ARE CONGREGATING IN AND ABOUT AUSTIN AS ALSO PERHAPS DESPERATE WHITE MEN, MAKING IT NECESSARY TO ORGANIZE A POLICE FORCE TO DEAL WITH THEM.
UM, THAT MEETING TURNED INTO THE CREATION OF WHAT LATER BECAME THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, IN ORDER TO QUOTE DEAL WITH ALL ABLE-BODIED NEGROES WHO HAVE ABANDONED THE SERVICE OF THEIR EMPLOYERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF IDLENESS AND WHO ARE FOUND LOITERING OR RAMBLING ABOUT OR IDLY WANDERING ABOUT THE STREETS OR OTHER PUBLIC THOROUGHFARES WE HAVE ACROSS THE SOUTH.
SOMETHING CALLED BLACK CODES, UH, PASSED AFTER EMANCIPATION AND THE END OF SLAVERY.
UM, IN PART THEY GRANTED SLAVES AND FREED PEOPLE OF COLOR, THE RIGHT TO ENFORCE CONTRACTS AS WELL AS OTHER RIGHTS, BUT THEY STILL MAINTAINED PROHIBITIONS FOR BLACK PEOPLE TO MARRY WHITES SERVE ON JURIES HOLD OFFICE OR VOTE.
WE ALSO HAD WAYS OF GETTING PEOPLE AGAIN, BACK INTO THE LABOR FORCE, UH, INCLUDING THROUGH THE APPRENTICE LAW, WHICH ESTABLISHED IN TEXAS ALLOWED FOR THE UNPAID LABOR OF MINORS FOUND TO BE ORPHANED OR WITH ILL-SUITED PARENTS.
UH, SO THOSE CHILDREN COULD BE TAKEN, UH, AND CALLED VIBRANT MINORS AND PLACED UNDER THE APPRENTICESHIP OF WHITE LANDOWNERS THAT A LOT TO COVER HERE.
SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF THE TIME.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UH, THE EXTENSIVE NUMBER OF LYNCHINGS THAT OCCURRED THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH, INCLUDING IN TEXAS, UM, WHICH WAS OFTEN DONE, UH, WITH THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES, ESPECIALLY THE TEXAS RANGERS.
UM, YOU SEE HERE 4,084 LYNCHINGS AND 12 SOUTHERN STATES, 493 PEOPLE WERE LYNCHED IN TEXAS DURING THIS PERIOD.
I MEAN, 71% OF THOSE WERE, AFRICAN-AMERICAN ALSO WANT TO NOTE THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT OF 1882 AND HOW LAWS DESIGNED TO CONTROL PEOPLE AND LABOR EXTENDED BEYOND THOSE WITH SLAVE PEOPLE, UH, TO IMMIGRANTS AS WELL.
[00:55:01]
CHINESE LABORERS WERE BANNED FROM ENTERING THE UNITED STATES, UH, AND IT PREVENTED CURRENT RESIDENTS FROM NATURALIZING IN 1882.THE STATE CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION, UH, OCCURRED, AND THE STATE ACTUALLY PROVIDED CONFLICT CON CON CONVICT LABOR, OR CONVICT LEASING, OR QUOTE SLAVERY BY ANOTHER NAME AS HISTORIANS REFERRED TO IT.
AND LASTLY, IN 1885, WE SEE IN NEW ORLEANS FOLLOWING THE LEVY WORKERS STRIKE THE MAYOR SUGGESTED TO POLICE TO ARREST ANY BLACK MAN QUOTE AND DID NOT WANT TO WORK.
UH, AND WITH THAT, I'LL HAND IT OFF, UH, TO HAILEY.
HI, UM, MY NAME IS HALEY EASILY.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE, I'M SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREATH AND COME BACK TOGETHER FOR A MOMENT AND, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE JUST EXPERIENCED.
UM, AND THEN HALEY, AFTER THAT CONVERSATION, YOU'LL COME BACK IN AND DO THE NEXT PIECE AND THEN PAULA, OKAY.
UM, WELL, UH, MAYA'S GONNA, UM, UNSHARE, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FACILITATED CONVERSATION.
WHERE ARE YOU ASKING IF THE TIMELINE WILL BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC? YEAH.
YES, IT SHOULD BE, UM, ON THE RE-IMAGINED, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE, THE WEBSITE THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY.
SO IT SHOULD BE THERE, UM, PUBLICLY, BUT WE CAN ALSO JUST EMAIL IT TO YOU FOR QUINCY.
OH, UM, WE, WE SENT IT OUT TO THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS EARLIER.
IT MIGHT BE BURIED IN YOUR INBOX.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, EMILY AND CHRIS, UM, AND ALL OF THE WORKING GROUP FOR, UM, COMPILING THIS INFORMATION FOR US.
UM, WE JUST WENT THROUGH, UM, MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS OF HISTORY, UM, IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
AND, UM, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, ALL THAT CAN COME UP WHEN WE DO THAT.
AND JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEARING WITH US AND FOR LISTENING.
UM, AND FOR ABSORBING THAT, UM, LIKE KELLY SAID, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT HERE, UM, TO BREATHE, TO KIND OF PROCESS A LITTLE BIT COLLECTIVELY WHAT IT IS THAT WE JUST HEARD AND ALSO HOW, WHAT WE JUST HEARD APPLIES TO AND INFORMS, UM, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING NOW AND THE WORK THAT THIS TASK FORCE IS DOING, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO I WANT TO HEAR, UM, FIRST OF ALL, JUST, UM, I WANT TO HEAR FROM A COUPLE OF FOLKS AS TO, UM, WHAT CAME UP FOR YOU WHEN, UM, HEARING THIS PRESENTATION WHEN SEEING THESE DATES, UM, ANY THEMES THAT YOU NOTICE, OR, UM, JUST ANYTHING THAT COMES TO MIND FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS WHERE I JUST WANT TO START ANYTHING THAT ANYONE WANTS TO SHARE, UM, REGARDING WHAT WE JUST HEARD.
SO, SO MAYA, UM, FOR ME, I REALLY START TO REFLECT ON THIS AND I THOUGHT ABOUT FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY STANDPOINT, WHO WAS SAFE AND WHO WAS NOT SAFE AND THROUGH ALL THESE TWO AREAS OF HISTORY, I THINK ABOUT THE QUESTION OF WHO AND WHAT WAS BEING PROTECTED AT THE EXPENSE OF, OF WHOM THROUGH ALL OF THAT HISTORY.
AND IT MAKES ME THINK ABOUT, AS WE LOOK AT THE WORK WE HAVE TO DO, I STILL SEE SOME OF THE THINGS FROM THE 18 HUNDREDS STILL PLAY OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY TODAY, LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT I THINK HOW WE REFLECT AND DO THE DEEPER DIVE ON WHO GETS TO BE SAFE AND WHO DOES IT AND, AND HOW, UM, THAT PLAYS OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S, UM, A REALLY IMPORTANT THEME AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START AND SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DIVE INTO.
UM, I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR FROM THE REST OF THE TASK FORCE AS, UM, AN ANSWER TO BRIAN'S QUESTION THAT IN THESE TWO AREAS THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED, UM, WHO WAS
[01:00:01]
NEEDED TO BE SAFE OR UNSAFE, UM, WHAT DID THOSE THINGS RESONATE WITH? Y'ALL AS WELL? YEAH.I'LL START OUT BY SAYING THANKS TO THOSE WHO WORKED ON THE PRESENTATION.
UH, SOME OF THE INFORMATION IS, IS, IS A BIT OFF, UH, I SAY 12.5 MILLION.
THAT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN COUNT ON THE BOOKS.
UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S VASTLY UNDERESTIMATED IN THE INTEREST OF WHITE FOLKS, UH, TO NOT TELL THE FULL STORY ABOUT SLAVERY.
SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OTHERS ABOUT LYNCHINGS, SOME OF THOSE MENTIONS THAT HAPPENED WHERE, WHAT WAS CAPTURED, UH, ON THE BOOKS AS WELL.
UM, THERE ARE SOME OTHER ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS AND, UH, NATIONAL BLACK ARCHIVES AROUND THE COUNTRY, UH, THAT GIVES A VASTLY, UM, GRIM MORE GRIM PICTURE OF THE NUMBERS OF BLACK BODIES THAT WERE DESTROYED, UM, BY WHITES IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO I JUST WANT TO GO ON RECORD AS SAYING, THAT'S A GOOD FIRST STEP, BUT, UH, WE, WE MAY WANT TO DIG MORE INTO THOSE NUMBERS IF WE EVER HAVE A CHANCE TO, BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS EXERCISE, IT MAY NOT BE NECESSARY.
SO LET'S KEEP OUR MINDS FOCUSED ON, UH, STOPPING THE DESTRUCTION OF BLACK BODIES REAL QUICK, QUINCY, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN ITERATIVE, UM, PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, WE'LL BE WELCOMING FOLKS, UM, TO CONTRIBUTE TO IN THE FUTURE.
UM, WE HAD, UH, WE HAD A WHOLE THING PLANNED OUT FOR Y'ALL, UM, TO ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE TIMELINE.
UM, BUT WE WANTED TO, TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH IT.
SO, UH, BUT YOU'RE, I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I TAKE MY HEAD OUT TO THEM FOR EVEN TAKING THAT FIRST INITIAL STEP, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE, THEY WALKED IN FEAR FOR DOING THIS PRESENTATION AND THE PEOPLE WHO'VE PUT IT TOGETHER.
BECAUSE THEY FEAR THIS, THEY FEAR THIS INFORMATION.
ARE THERE OTHER THEMES THAT RESONATED WITH FOLKS EITHER, UM, AROUND WHAT BRIAN SAID AROUND SAFETY OR SOMETHING ELSE IN THERE? YES.
I, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT NEW, RIGHT? LIKE, AS WE THINK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SLAVERY AND THE UNITED STATES AND FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, I COME FROM THE CARIBBEAN AND THINK OF IT THERE AS WELL.
UM, YOU SEE THE THEME TO SEE IT HERE.
AND I ACTUALLY REALLY ECHO QUINCY'S NOTIONS OF THIS IS REALLY, I THINK COURAGEOUS OF, AS WE LOOK AT THIS AND REALLY LEAN INTO IT.
AND EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT ITERABLY BE ADD TO IT OR TWEAK FROM IT, BUT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO HISTORY, I THINK IS, IS REALLY, UM, COURAGEOUS AND GROUNDS US.
BUT TO SEE IT ALSO IS STRIKING BECAUSE IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S NOT, IF YOU'VE BEEN WORKING IN THIS SPACE, IT'S NOT THAT YOU DON'T KNOW IT IS SYSTEMIC.
IT SPEAKS TO, UM, A NOTION OF PEOPLE, NOT JUST AS OTHER, BUT FRANKLY OF PROPERTY AND HOW THAT ROUTES FORWARD.
UM, AND SO IT, IT HAD THAT THEME HAS STRUCK ME THUS FAR, UM, AS WE SEE THAT MOVE THROUGH, UM, THROUGH TIME.
I THINK THAT THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT AROUND, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY ON THIS CALL IS, UM, SURPRISED OR THAT THIS IS A NEW INFORMATION, RIGHT.
AND SO THEN THE QUESTION IS THIS IS NOT NEW INFORMATION.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR US TO GROUND OURSELVES IN THIS HISTORY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT NEW INFORMATION.
AND I HAVE MY IDEAS AROUND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, BUT I REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL AROUND WHAT Y'ALL THINK.
SO HER QUESTIONS WERE, UM, TO, TO CONTEXT, RIGHT.
TO CONTEXTUALIZE WHO WAS MADE TO BE SAFE AND WHO WAS MADE TO BE UNSAFE DURING THESE ERAS.
THAT'S THAT WAS BRIAN'S QUESTIONS.
AND THEN WHAT VALUE WAS PLACED ON WHO AND WHAT NEEDED TO BE PROTECTED.
AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER QUESTION AROUND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO REVISIT THIS HISTORY AND ROOT OURSELVES IN THIS INFORMATION? AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO GO AROUND AND, AND SEE IF WE CAN GET EVERYONE.
UM, I'M JUST GOING TO GO A WEEK.
MAYBE WE CAN JUST GO BY WHAT'S THE ASK.
[01:05:01]
SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT A COMMENT, A QUESTION, UM, THAT THEY HAVE ON THE TIMELINE, THE FIRST PERSON I SEE IS PAULA, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE ABOUT THESE TWO SECTIONS? SURE.UM, I GUESS MY, MY FEW THOUGHTS ARE, YES.
I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORKED ON IT.
WE WERE JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE.
THERE'S SO MUCH THERE THAT, UH, ONE WEEK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE SPACE FOR, BUT ALSO HISTORY IS DOCUMENTED BY THOSE WHO ARE IN POWER, WHO WIN.
SO GETTING, UM, THE FULL NUMBERS, THE FULL STORY IS MORE WORK THAT'S WORTHWHILE, UM, TO CONTINUE TO DO.
AND THEN THE OTHER THOUGHT I HAD WAS JUST, IF WE IMAGINE HOW THIS WENT ON FOR SO LONG, HOW IT'S KIND OF EMBEDDED INTO ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST THE SYSTEMS AND THE FORMAL STRUCTURES, BUT ALSO INTO OUR COLLECTIVE KIND OF CONSCIOUSNESS OF WHO WE ARE IN RELATION TO ALL OF THIS.
UM, UH, NOT, NOT MAYBE LIKE WE'RE NOT AWARE OF THAT, OF IT.
MAYBE IT'S SUBCONSCIOUSLY WE'VE ALL INTEGRATED THIS AS, AS NORMAL AND ACCEPTABLE, UM, SOMEWHERE WITHIN US.
AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AS A MOTHER, I IT'S JUST DISTURBING FOR ME EVERY TIME THAT, THAT I, THAT I DO THIS PROCESS OF REFLECTION.
THE NEXT PERSON THAT I HAVE ON MY SCREEN IS KATHY.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JUST PARTICULARLY KEEPS COMING BACK FOR ME IS THE EXPLANATION, THE POWER.
THIS HAS TO EXPLAIN SOMETHING THAT, UM, I THINK I'M IN THE DARK THAT, UM, DOES, HASN'T ALWAYS MADE SENSE TO ME, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHY WE ARE, HOW PATROL BECAME THE CORE MODEL OF POLICING.
UH, THE IDEA THAT DRIVING AROUND IN CARS, I GUESS KIND OF HOPING THAT YOU'LL SEE CRIMES BEING DONE HAS NEVER MADE ANY SENSE TO ME FROM A, FROM AN EFFICIENCY STANDPOINT, IF YOUR GOAL IS TO SOLVE CRIMES AND REDUCE CRIME DRIVING AROUND IN CARS IS ONE OF THOSE KIND OF NOT OBVIOUS CHOICES.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT THIS HISTORY DOES FOR ME IS SAY PATROL WAS THE THING.
WHEN, WHAT YOU WERE TRYING, THE PROBLEM YOU WERE TRYING TO SOLVE BLACK PEOPLE WALKING AROUND BEFORE OR AFTER CURFEW OR WHATEVER OTHER BLACK CONTROL ORDINANCES YOU WERE WITH.
UM, MAYBE THAT PROBLEM COULD IN FACT BE SOLVED BY PATROL IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF US TODAY, WE'RE LIVING WITH AN IDEA THAT'S ROOTED IN A HISTORY THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IN ORDER TO GET PAST AND MAYBE DETERMINE A DIFFERENT ROLE FOR HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD WORK.
I GUESS THAT'S WHAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT.
KATHY, IF ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO JUMP IN, PLEASE FEEL FREE.
IF NOT, I'M GOING TO KEEP CALLING ON A COUPLE MORE PEOPLE.
AND THE NEXT PERSON THAT I HAVE ON MY SCREEN IS MONICA.
I'M MONICA GUZMAN WITH GO AUSTIN, VAMOS AUSTIN.
UM, AS THEY'RE GOING THROUGH IT, I'VE SEEN THE TIMELINES BEFORE AND OTHER EVENTS I'VE DONE WORKSHOPS.
UM, BUT THE ONE THAT REALLY RINGS LOUD IS, IS THAT QUOTE FROM JUNE, 1865, WHICH LED TO THE CREATION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE FIRST TIME I HEARD THAT QUOTE WAS A COUNCIL MEETING A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
AND IT JUST LIKE, WOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, I WANT TO KNOW WHO SAID THAT.
I WANT TO KNOW WHERE THEY GOT IT.
SO I'M GLAD IT'S IN THE TIMELINE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A VERY SAD HISTORY.
I MEAN, AUSTIN IS MY HOMETOWN, UM, BORN AND RAISED HERE, BUT I ALSO WANT TO, IT'S NOT SAFE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
[01:10:01]
MEMBERS, UM, WHO I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW JUST HOW MUCH THEY, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT LIVE IN FEAR.I HAVE SOME THAT MAY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON, UM, THAT THEY, THEY IDOLIZE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN GENERAL OR ABD IN PARTICULAR.
I KNOW SOME POLICE OFFICERS, THE HIGHER RANKED ONES FROM WORK I'VE DONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I HAVE FAMILY THAT'S IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, NOT HERE IN AUSTIN, BUT, BUT OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.
AND I, ME PERSONALLY, I'M VERY FORTUNATE.
I HAVEN'T HAD ANY BAD DEALINGS, UM, NOTHING, NOTHING TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, BUT IT'S STILL VERY FRUSTRATING.
UM, I WAS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING, I JUST LOST TRACK OF WHAT IT WAS, UM, BECOMES BACK TO ME.
I'LL CHIME IN AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT MONEY GUN.
UM, AND, AND THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL KNOW, BUT IT BEARS REPEATING THAT IT'S ALSO NOT ABSTRACT.
AND THEN IN THE WAYS THAT THAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS BROUGHT OUT, UM, THE WAYS THAT IT'S STILL IMPACTING, UM, US IN OUR COMMUNITIES HERE IN AUSTIN AND AROUND THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD TODAY.
UM, AND THAT THAT'S ALSO PERSONAL TO US.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT INTO THE SPACE, MONICA.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO DO A FEW MORE, UM, THE NEXT PERSON THAT I HAVE, UM, IS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, RAY ARIANO.
AND AGAIN, IT'S, UM, RAY ON WITH THE CITY.
I DIDN'T ANNOUNCE MYSELF THE LAST TIME I MADE MY HAND.
SO, UM, YEAH, I, I THINK FOR ME THE, THIS INFORMATION, IS IT REALLY ADDING MORE CONTEXT? UH, FOR MY, FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY, I CERTAINLY HAVE HEARD OF THE CONTEXT.
I THINK WE'LL SEE IT HERE LATER ON IN A TIMELINE ABOUT WHEN, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD THE CHARTER REPLACED THAT THAT IDENTIFY WHERE PEOPLE OF COLOR WOULD LIVE IN COULD ONLY BE AND SO FORTH.
SO THIS ADDITIONAL CONTEXT CERTAINLY WAS SOMETHING THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF, UH, AND HELPS TO ADD, AGAIN, THE CONTEXT AS KATHY MITCHELL WAS SAY, YOU KNOW, HELPS, HELPS PROVIDE THE EMPHASIS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW MIGHT WE DO THINGS BETTER? HOW MIGHT WE BE DOING THINGS MORE DIFFERENTLY? THAT CAN BE A BENEFIT TO THOSE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED, UM, A DIFFERENT OUTCOME, UH, FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE TEAM HAS DONE ON THIS AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, MOVING THE CONVERSATION FORWARD.
AND I THINK FARRAH, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? YEAH.
UM, GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY FARRAH IN I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
I WANT TO ECHO THE COMMENTS OF THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF THAT WORKED ON THIS.
I, UM, SPENT A LOT OF TIME READING IT TODAY AND, UM, MY COMMENTS ARE REALLY MORE FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT AS A BLACK WOMAN, UM, AND REALLY SEEING KIND OF WHAT MY ANCESTORS HAVE GONE THROUGH AND SEEING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WERE TREATED LESS THAN, AND ESSENTIALLY HATED AND TREATED LIKE ANIMALS SOLELY BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THEIR COLOR OF SKIN.
UM, AND TO KIND OF DO STILL BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ANTI-RACISM AND DIVERSITY AND EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN THE 21ST CENTURY IS, IS, IS A DIFFICULT PILL TO SWALLOW.
UM, AND SO I, I PERSONALLY WANTED TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS MUCH AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS AS OUT THERE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THIS HISTORY, WHICH IS WHAT SHOULD BE SHOCKING.
UM, BUT THIS HISTORY IS ALSO VERY TRIGGERING AND DIFFICULT FOR PROBABLY MANY BLACK PEOPLE TO HEAR AND LISTEN TO.