[00:00:03]
I WILL START WITH THE ROLE COUNCIL.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ANDREW SULLIVAN HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CLAYTON PERRY AND CHAIR VERDA HERE.
MADAM CHAIR, YOU DO HAVE A CALL.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR JOINING US TODAY.
I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND EVERYONE'S STAYING SAFE AND HEALTHY.
WHILE THIS IS OUR LAST PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING FOR 2020, I'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US IN THE UPCOMING YEAR, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO THAT.
I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN ENGAGED AND HELPED SHAPE OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS THIS YEAR AND THE YEARS TO COME.
SO ITEM ONE ON, ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF
[1. 20-6946]
THE MINUTES FOR OUR NOVEMBER 17TH MEETING.OKAY, THE MOTION AND A SECOND.
OPPOSED? UM, THE NOVEMBER 17TH MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
[Public Comment]
OUR AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENTS.FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE CALLED IN, WE WILL CALL YOU IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO PLEASE BE PREPARED WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UH, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS JENNIFER FALCON.
I WAS CALLING TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.
MY NAME IS JENNIFER FALCON AND MY FAMILY AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
YOU KNOW, I ALMOST DIDN'T SIGN UP TO SPEAK BECAUSE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, YOU ALL HAVE PROVEN TO US THAT YOU ARE NOT LISTENING AND THAT YOU CONTINUE TO IGNORE US WHEN WE DEMAND THAT YOU PROTECT BLACK LIVES.
AND YET AGAIN, I HAVE TO TAKE TIME OFF, AWAY FROM WORK TO ASK THAT YOU DO THE RIGHT THING AND RELEASE THE SAP D BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF DARRELL AL SR TO HIS FAMILY.
S A P D WAS CAUGHT LYING ABOUT THE EVENTS THAT LED UP TO HIS MURDER BY SAP P D AND YOU CONTINUE TO PROTECT SAPD AND DENY HIS FAMILY JUSTICE.
YOU ALL RAISED YOUR FIST AND SAID BLACK LIVES MATTER, BUT I GUESS NOT.
WHEN THEY DON'T FIT YOUR POLITICAL AGENDA SO YOU CAN MAINTAIN A POSITION OF POWER, THIS POLICY WILL BE WEAK, LIKE YOUR WORDS YOU'VE SHOWN OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT YOU WILL DO WHAT'S, WHAT'S NEEDED TO PROTECT SAPD AND NOT YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
MS. FALCON, ARE YOU STILL THERE? UH, MY COMMENTS ARE COMPLETE.
NEXT WE HAVE, UM, BEFORE WE, WE GO TO THE NEXT SPEAKER, UH, CAN WE HAVE THE, THE TIMER UP SO WE CAN SEE THE, THE THREE MINUTES AND WE'LL GO.
MS. BROWN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
UM, HELLO, MY NAME IS JOANNE BROWN.
I'M, UH, CURRENTLY A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO, BUT SOON MOVING TO DISTRICT THREE.
UM, I AM SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER THREE AS IT RELATES TO THE BODY CAMERA POLICY AND AM ASKING FIRST AND FOREMOST THAT IT BE APPLIED RETROACTIVELY SO THAT WAY THE CURRENT, UH, THE CURRENT ISSUES OF POLICE VIOLENCE THAT HAVE HAPPENED THIS YEAR ALSO HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE THE BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE.
IT'S RELEASED SPECIFICALLY FOR MY SECOND FATHER, DARRYL JAMAL SENIOR.
OUR FAMILY STILL HAS RECEIVED ZERO ANSWERS.
OUR FAMILY STILL HAS RECEIVED ZERO INFORMATION OR SUPPORT.
AND SO, UM, THIS WAS SAID TO BE A STEP TOWARDS PARENT, BUT IN AN EFFORT TO ACTUALLY BE TRANSPARENT, UM, THIS, THIS SHOULD BE RETROACTIVELY APPLIED OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, THE LANGUAGE AS WRITTEN CURRENTLY DOES NOT STAND UP TO THE BODY CAMERA POLICIES THAT LARGER CITIES HAVE, INCLUDING AUSTIN, DALLAS, AND ARLINGTON, WHERE BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE IS REQUIRED TO BE RELEASED AFTER 72 HOURS.
SO I'M ASKING THAT WE DO CORRECT THING.
IF WE CALL OURSELVES COMPASSIONATE CITY, PLEASE HELP OUR FAMILY GET THE CLOSURE THAT WE DESERVE AND HELP US GET TO THIS BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE.
LAST DO IS FERENCE ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
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I'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT, UH, A RESOLUTION FOR SITE IS NOT QUITE ENOUGH.GINA KRAMER, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
UM, I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO ITEM ONE AS IT PERTAINS TO, UH, THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE.
ACCORDING TO STATE RECORDS, BEAR COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE KILLED FOUR PEOPLE IN 2020.
THAT IS 2019, HAVE BEEN AGENCIES IN THEIR COUNTY.
OF THOSE 49 DIE, OF THE 11 FATAL SHOOTINGS IN 2029 INVOLVE SAP.
WE MAKE UP 7% OF THE POPULATION IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE MAKE UP ROUGHLY 36% OF THOSE KILLED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS CITY.
WE UNDERSTAND THE UPDATED DIRECTIVE ON THE BODY CAM POLICY WE ENACTED IN THE FUTURE, BUT IS IN THE LIFE DARRYL AL SENIOR AND THE LIVES OF THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE THIS POLICY DESERVE JUSTICE.
WE'RE NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU CAN MAKE BROKEN PROMISES TO.
WE ARE NOT PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN SIMPLY RAISE OR FIST WITH AND NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
RON BERG, YOU'LL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF SAN ANTONIO WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND WE'LL REMEMBER THESE ACTIONS WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THE CITY TO VOTE FOR THE IN APRIL AND MAY.
MR. SALAZAR, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? HELLO? ARE YOU TALKING TO ME? UH, I'M TALKING TO AMADOR SALAZAR.
OKAY, WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK TO HIM IF, IF WE CAN GET HIM BACK ON THE PHONE.
HI, UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
HI, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE, AND I'M HERE VOICE AND SPEAK TO, UH, AGENDA ITEM FOUR AND ALSO THREE.
UM, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ABSOLUTE FAILURE FOR THIS C COMMITTEE AND GREATER COUNSEL.
I'M ALSO HERE TO DISCOURAGE YOU FROM MOVING FORWARD A SITE AND RELEASE RESOLUTION, BUT INSTEAD AN ORDINANCE.
UM, AND ALSO FOR THE BODY CAM POLICY TO BE ENACTED RETROACTIVELY STARTING JANUARY 1ST, 2020.
THE VERY LEAST YOU CAN DO FOR THE FAMILY OF SENIOR.
UM, LET ALL THE PEOPLE SPEAKING OUT TODAY BE, UM, A REMINDER TO EACH OF YOU THAT YOU FAMILY, REAL PEOPLE EVERY DAY, AND WOMAN CHAIRWOMAN VARDA, YOU'VE SAID YOURSELF THAT EVERY DAY THAT YOU DON'T MOVE ON SITE AND RELEASE AS AN ORDINANCE IS A DAY THAT IT'S AFFECTING REAL PEOPLE THAT YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE WITH WHAT THE PEOPLE HAVE TOLD YOU OVER THE COURSE OF THREE YEARS IS ACTUALLY NEEDED.
A SITE RESOLUTION IS NOT GONNA CHANGE ANYTHING.
MAY WE SERVE AS ANOTHER SUGGESTION THAT S A P D DOES NOT ESCALATE CONFLICT AND NOT THREATEN LIES BY PUTTING PEOPLE
AND THE PEOPLE WHO THE TRUTH, UM, THE DATA IS NOT GOING TO LIE AND WILL KNOW THAT YOU'LL CHOOSE TO PUT MORE PEOPLE IN JAIL FOR NONVIOLENT CITABLE OFFENSES.
THERE IS AN ARREST DEPORTATION PIPELINE THAT YOU CAN START TO UNDO, BUT YOU CHOOSE NOT TO.
THERE'S A VIRUS THAT IS KILLING THOSE WHO HAVE TO LIVE IN THE JAIL AND YOU KEEP PEOPLE, AND YOU CAN KEEP PEOPLE FROM GOING THERE, BUT YOU CHOOSE NOT TO.
PASSING ORDINANCE WOULD PREVENT AN AVERAGE OF 11,000 ARRESTS PER YEAR IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
THAT MEANS 11,000 FAMILIES NOT BEING IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM.
Y'ALL WILL DO THIS ABOUT ANYTHING HORRIBLE AND PUNITIVE IF ALL THE CORRECT PAPERWORK IS FILED, FILED RIGHT.
AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEAK OUTSIDE OF THIS CONFINED VIEW OF YOUR ROLE.
YOU ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS, UM, TASKED WITH SERVING US.
UM, SO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY YOU HAVE LED ON AND HARMED WHAT YOUR NORMS OR YOUR POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS.
LASTLY, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE URGENCY OF A POLICY OF SITE AND RELEASE IS NOT IN ANY WAY COUNTER TO THE URGENCY FOR JUSTICE FOR NOEL DEMAL.
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S AS LONG AS POLICE EXIST, WE WILL WORK FOR JUSTICE FOR ALL OF THE THINGS, AND VIOLENCE WILL MURDERS THAT SS A P WILL COMMITS.SAP IS VIOLENT FORCE AND THEY WON'T TAKE SUGGESTIONS FROM COUNSEL WHENEVER WE ASK THEM NOT TO ARREST, ARREST.
AND SIMILARLY, SAP D WON'T TAKE PLEAS FROM BLACK MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHEN THEY BEG THEM NOT TO THE FAMILY.
THANK YOU FOR MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
MS. WICKER, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I OKAY.
WE'LL TRY TO COME BACK TO MS. WICKER, UH, ER GUTIERREZ, I GUTIERREZ.
WE'LL COME BACK TO MS. UH, WE'LL COME BACK TO MS. GUTIERREZ, UH, SOPHIA.
I'M A DISTRICT ONE RESIDENT AND I'VE TAKEN THE TIME OUT OF A PRETTY BUSY DAY TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH.
I READ THE POLICY THAT'S PROPOSED ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.
I READ THE VIDEO, UH, BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE POLICY.
AND MY ONLY COMMENT TO THIS COMMITTEE, TO YOUR JOB, I TOO SAW YOU PUT YOUR FIST UP AND I HEARD YOU SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER AND I SAW YOU DECLARE RACISM OF PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
BUT NOW'S THE TIME TO ACT ON WHAT IS OTHERWISE A BUNCH OF MEANINGLESS GESTURES.
THIS PROPOSAL IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
A POLICY THAT TELLS PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED TO WAIT 60 DAYS FOR A DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT S A P D WILL BE TRANSPARENT.
WHY EVEN BOTHER HAVING BODY CAMERAS IF YOU DON'T PLAN TO MAKE THE FOOTAGE THEY RECORD AVAILABLE? THIS YEAR HAS TAUGHT US SO MANY THINGS, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT FOR YOU AS A COMMITTEE, ONE OF 'EM IS THAT IT'S A SERIOUS MISTAKE TO TRUST THE NARRATIVE THAT YOU GET FROM A POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THE SHOOTING OF BLACK FOLKS OR ANYONE ELSE.
HOW MANY BLACK LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST THAT WE ONLY KNOW ABOUT BECAUSE THE FOOTAGE WAS MADE PUBLIC? YOU ALL HAVE THE POWER.
THE VERY MINIMUM YOU CAN DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES WHO LOSE A LOVED THE LOVED ONES.
SO POLICE VIOLENCE GET THE FOOTAGE THAT THEY DESERVE, THE FAMILY OF DARRELL'S.
AND MOST SENIORS DESERVE IT AT A MINIMUM.
AND TRAGICALLY SO DOES EVERYBODY ELSE THAT WE KNOW WILL COME AFTER.
HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM, GO AHEAD.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I BECOME INFORMED THAT DAR MAL SENIOR'S MURDER MARKED THE EIGHTH FATAL SHOOTING BY POLICE FORCE IN SAN ANTONIO JUSTICE THIS YEAR.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT MAKE ME LOSE IMMENSE AMOUNTS OF TRUST IN THE POLICE FORCE THAT IS MEANT TO SERVE AND PROTECT ALL INDIVIDUALS OF THE CITY AND CARRY OUT ACTS OF LAW IN INAPPROPRIATE AND ETHICAL WAYS WITHOUT UNJUSTIFIABLY KILLING SOMEONE.
I WOULD INSECURELY HATE TO CONTINUE TO QUESTION AND FEEL, FEEL FEARFUL OF THE POLICE FORCE IN A CITY I'VE CALLED HOME FOR 25 YEARS AND I ONLY ASK THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO OUR PART AND SEEK OUT COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY WITH THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRST AND FOREMOST, BY IMPLEMENTING POLICIES THAT REQUIRE ALL BODY CAM FOOTAGE TO BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC, RAW AND UNCUT, STARTING WITH THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE, SHOWING THE UNFORTUNATE FINAL MOMENTS OF MR. SALS SENIOR SO THAT TRUE JUSTICE MAY BE SERVED FOR HIS TRAGIC MURDER AND THAT HIS FAMILY CAN TRULY BEGIN TO HEAL FROM THIS TRAGIC INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE MONTHS AGO.
AND, UM, I'M ALSO FROM DISTRICT EIGHT.
WE WILL COME BACK IF WE CAN, IF SHE CAN GET ON THE LINE.
[00:15:04]
KATIE ZA.WELL, MY NAME IS STEVEN WARTA AND I'M AN ADVOCATE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND I REPRESENT A LOT OF, UH, FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SA STANDS AND HAVE MET WITH MANY OF THESE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OVER THE PAST YEARS.
AND WE'VE HAD SOME VERY STRONG DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE FELT, UH, ABOUT SITE AND RELEASE.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST, UH, UH, PRESSING THINGS THAT'S, UH, HELD BACK IS REALLY AROUND, UH, POLICE DISCRETION.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE, NOT A RESOLUTION.
UH, WE NEED SOMETHING WITH TEETH, NOT A PAPER TIGER, BECAUSE I THINK THE, UM, RESOLUTION DOESN'T REALLY SIGNIFICANTLY REPRESENT, UH, THE TRUE MECHANISM OF THE ENERGIES PUT BEHIND IT.
NOR DOES IT REALLY GIVE, UH, YOU THE ABILITY TO HOLD, UH, ACCOUNTABLE ANY DEPARTMENT WHO MIGHT BE IN FULL SEAT IN THE STATE AND RELEASE PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, IT'S JUST NOT STRONG ENOUGH.
UH, AS AN ORGANIZATION, ALL OF US NOT STRONGLY BELIEVES THAT PEOPLE WHO CAN BE TICKETED SHOULD BE TICKETED.
IT'S JUST COMING SMALL JUSTICE SENSE.
UM, OUR BEX COUNTY OFFICIALS THEMSELVES SEE THE HIT TO THIS.
AND 13 YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE MOST CONSERVATIVE LEGISLATORS IN THE COUNTRY REGARDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE HAS TO BILL, CALL, SITE AND RELEASE THAT WE ARE STILL 13 YEARS LATER TRYING TO GET A CITY TO PASS.
UM, SO I ASKED THE CITY COUNCIL TO STRONGLY CONSIDER THE FACT THAT WE NEED MORE THAN JUST WORDS OF YOUR CONCERN OR YOUR AGREEMENT ABOUT THE POLICIES THAT WE BRING TO YOU.
WE NEED TO PUT YOU, YOU TO PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN TO BE THE AUTHORITY OF, UH, THE ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT WE, UH, PUT YOU THERE TO BE AND IN ORDER TO GET POLICY DONE AND NOT BE SWAYED BY POLITICAL PRESSURE FROM POLICE UNIONS OR OUTSIDE FORCES WHO ARE REALLY GIVING YOU, UH, FALSE MESSAGING AND LANGUAGE, UM, THAT IS NOT THE MODERN DAY AIDS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO NEEDS TO CATCH UP WITH THAT WE CAN NO LONGER LIVE IN A JIM CROW AGE.
THANK YOU, MR. WE, UH, DEBORAH HERNANDEZ DEEZ.
I AM A, UM, I'M A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER FOR RAICES.
I HAVE MANY OF YOU AND I HAVE WORKED ON THIS PROGRAM ALONG WITH MANY, THE MANY OF THE 26 CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS THAT MAKE UP ESSAY STANDS.
WE HAVE WORKED HARD AND WE WORKED WITH MANY LAYERS OF THE GOVERNMENT TO BRING SITE RELEASE TO SAN ANTONIO SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2018.
FROM CHIEF MCMANUS, THE POLICE TO THE CITY COUNCIL, BODIES STAFFERS, JUDGE BULL, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE DA'S OFFICE, THE SHERIFF, EVERYBODY THAT WE CAN THINK OF, WE HAVE WORKED WITH.
WE HAVE HELD COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO, UM, INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO GIVE US THEIR OPINIONS.
WE HAVE DONE, WE'VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND.
UM, WE, WE HAVE MET WITH HAY FOR HOPE, THE ST.
MARY'S PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING ID FOR PEOPLE.
THE PROGRAM IS SUCCESSFULLY SAVING SECOND LEASES SUCCESSFULLY SAVING OVER 2 MILLION IN TAX DOLLARS REVENUES.
THE POLICE DO NOT NEED TO SPEND HOURS PROCESSING PEOPLE AT THE MAGS OFFICE RIGHT NOW, SHERIFF SALAZAR HAS SAID THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH GUARDS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE IN JAIL.
300 OF THOSE IN HIS JAIL RIGHT NOW ARE PRE LOW MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES LIKE MARIJUANA, CIGARETTES, SMALL THEFTS, AND THEY COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN A CITATION.
300 PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN A CITATION AND ALLOWED TO DO COMMUNITY SERVICE CLASSES OR OTHER ACTIONS.
INSTEAD OF SITTING IN A CAGE GETTING C OVID 19 AND SIMPLY OVERLOADING OUR COUNTY PRISON.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO NEEDS TO PULL ITS WEIGHT IN THIS PRESIDENT OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF THIS AND YOU SHOULD NOT BE TURNING YOUR BACK ON THIS PROBLEM.
PLUS, WE, THE TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING BIG MONEY EACH NIGHT THAT A PERSON IS KEPT IN THAT COUNTY.
WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THE DAILY RATE TAXPAYERS PAY
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BECAUSE PEOPLE SPEND MONTHS THERE.YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, A $20 THEFT COST OUR CITY MORE IN THE FIRST FIVE HOURS OF BOOKING TIME, WE COULD HAVE PURCHASED 50 ITEMS STOLEN AND MADE THE OWNER HOME POLICE OFFICERS GET PAID 33 PLUS AN HOUR.
SO IT MAKES NO COST SENSE AND WE CAN COME UP WITH A BETTER PLAN COLLECTIVELY.
A CAGE IS NOT THE ANSWER AND NEITHER IS THE CITY WASTING HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS.
NOW, SECOND RELEASE SHOULD BE AN ORDINANCE.
YOU ALL KNOW IT AND WE ALL KNOW IT IN THE CITY.
I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT IS DECIDING TO KEEP IT HIDDEN IN YOUR COMMITTEE AND DENYING ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
WE HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO REPRESENT US.
AND YOU'RE DENY KNOW VOTE ON AN ORDINANCE AND THAT'S NOT OKAY.
AND SO I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS REFERENDUM THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO REWRITE.
MY NAME IS SCOTT KSKY AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR.
UH, I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT AGENDA ITEM FOUR.
UH, AND TO REITERATE THE IMPORTANCE OF A SITE RELEASE ORDINANCE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SA STANDS HAS BEEN ADVOCATING FOR A STRONG SITE RELEASE ORDINANCE SINCE 2018.
AND BETTER YET, SITE RELEASE HAS ALREADY BEEN STATE LAW FOR 13 YEARS.
BUT YET HERE WE ARE STILL FINDING OURSELVES, PLEADING WITH YOU TO UTILIZE THIS CRUCIAL ORDINANCE.
THE CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION OF SITE AND RELEASE AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY IN THE CITY IS NOT ONLY INEFFECTIVE, BUT DANGEROUS TO OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.
BECAUSE SITE, BECAUSE ENFORCEMENT OF SITE RELEASE HAS BEEN LEFT SOLELY FOR DEPRESSION, THE OVERWHELMING RESULT IS THE CONTINUED ENDANGERMENT OF THOSE MOST VULNER.
THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM WITH OTHER NON-CAR ALTERNATIVES ARE AVAILABLE.
IF YOU'RE ALL ABLE TO LOOK AT THE FROM NEGLECTING TO ENFORCE A STRONG SITE RELEASE ORDINANCE, PERHAPS MIGHT BE SWAYED BY THE FINANCIAL PRUDENCE OF IT TODAY.
RELEASE HAS ALREADY SAVED TAXPAYERS OVER $1.2 MILLION, BUT THE ORDER SAVINGS COULD ONLY INCREASE LEAVING MORE RESOURCES TO INVEST IN THE COMMUNITY, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IMAGINE HOW MANY SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS COULD HAVE THE FUNDING BE DESPERATELY NEEDED INSTEAD OF BLOCKING LOW LEVEL OFFENDERS BEHIND BARS.
EVEN AS ONE STATE, AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY, CYBER SINGLE HANDEDLY REDUCED ILLNESS INCARCERATIONS AND PEOPLE ARE NO LONGER FORCED TO WAIT IN JAIL FOR THEIR TRIAL WITH A JUDGE.
A POINT IS ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT AS WE FIND THEMSELVES, AGAIN, IN THE MIDST OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT CLAIMS MORE OF OUR COMMUNITY LIVES.
EVERY DAY THAT YOU NEGLECT TO SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE, THERE WILL
WE REALLY STAND WITH THE COMMUNITY, SHOW IT AND PASS THIS ORDINANCE.
MR. KENKEY CAROLINA AL RAMIREZ.
CAN YOU HEAR US OKAY? UM, NEXT IS JADA FERMAN.
I'M AN AND I'M ALSO WITH
FIRST ON ITEM NUMBER THREE IN SOLIDARITY WITH ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE ME ABOUT THE VERY, UH, USELESS BODY CAMERA POLICY THAT WAS JUST, UH, RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC.
60 DAYS IS NOT TRANSPARENCY, AND 60 DAYS IS TOO LONG FOR JUSTICE.
SO AT A MINIMUM, WE DEMAND THAT THIS, UH, POLICY BE APPLIED RETRO ATTRACTIVELY AFTER THE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, SO THAT THE FAMILY OF
THIS IS THE MINIMUM THAT YOU CAN DO FOR THIS FAMILY AND ALL OF THE OTHERS IMPACTED BY POLICE VIOLENCE
[00:25:01]
THAT HAVE TAKEN A LOVED ONE FROM THEIR FAMILY.BLACK LIVES MATTER EVERY DAY, AND WE'LL REMEMBER THIS WEEK IN USELESS POLICIES IN MAY WHEN WE GET TO VOTE FOR WHO WE WANT TO KEEP US REPRESENTING WHEN IT COMES TO JUSTICE FOR BLACK LIVES IN THIS CITY.
ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THE PEOPLE DESERVE AN ORDINANCE ARE NOT A RESOLUTION FOR SITE AND RELEASE.
WE NEED AN ORDINANCE TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE OFFICER DISCRETION AND HOLD THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABLE.
WE DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO NEED DATA TRANSPARENCY TO BE CONSISTENT AND WIDELY ACCESSIBLE, AND WE NEED MORE OF OFFENSES TO BE CITATION ELIGIBLE LIKE GRAFFITI AND MISCHIEF ALONG OTHER CLASS DEAN SEMINAR, COUNCILWOMAN KEDA.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO LEGAL TENEMENT FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO INTRODUCE AN ORDINANCE, AND THAT IS CLEAR BECAUSE WE DID OUR RESEARCH.
WE SUBMITTED SOME LEGAL ARGUMENTS SO THAT YOU COULD MOVE WITH THIS, THEN WE WOULD'VE SUPPORTED YOU.
UH, WE ALSO SAW THAT THERE WASN'T ANY LEGAL MEMO FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY THAT WAS PRODUCED OR EVER MADE AVAILABLE.
AND WE CANNOT HELP BUT TO CONCLUDE THAT THIS WAS JUST USE OF THE TACTIC TO SELL OUR EFFORTS TO MOVE FORWARD THE ORDINANCE THAT THE, THAT PEOPLE DESERVE.
SO I ASKED TODAY AGAIN, DO Y'ALL HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL TO START MAKING POLICY THAT'S ABOUT PEOPLE AND JUSTICE AND THAT TRULY MEET THE COMMUNITY NEEDS OUR THREE YEAR FIGHT ABOUT PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO SHOULDN'T BE CRIMINALIZED FOR THIS TYPES OF OFFENSE, PEOPLE WHO DESERVE TO KEEP THEIR JOBS, ACCESS TO PUBLIC BENEFITS, AND TO STAY WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND NOT BE DEPORTED.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE AND SENDING TO JAIL UNDER EPIDEMIC FOR THESE TYPES OF OFFENSE IS JUST FRANKLY IRRESPONSIBLE AND SHOWS NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE.
I URGE YOU TO RECONSIDER THIS REFERENDUM AND INTRODUCE A STRONG ORDINANCE FOR STATE RELEASE SO THAT WE CAN EFFECTIVELY REDUCE ARREST IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, JADA FERMAN, JADA FERMAN, UH, YEZ FLORES.
HI, THIS IS Y CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
I LIVE AT ONE AND I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THOSE ITEMS THREE AND FOUR.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I REALLY
IT, THESE LACK LESTER ACTIONS THAT CONTINUE TO SHOW US YOUR LACK OF LEADERSHIP OVER AND OVER, NOT A SINGLE ONE OF YOU.
AND I'M ABSOLUTELY TIRED OF YOUR LIST SERVICE.
NINE MONTHS INTO AN ACTUAL GLOBAL PANDEMIC, YOU REALIZE HOW USELESS YOU ARE.
ABSOLUTELY TIRED OF YOUR PHONY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT SCAM.
FOLKS HAVE SHARED THESE NUMBERS WITH YOU TODAY AND MANY, MANY TYPES OF BEFORE.
AND THERE ARE LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT MAKE IT INCREDIBLY CLEAR THAT THE BODY CAM POLICY
THE ACTIVE DATE NEEDS TO BEGIN ON JANUARY 1ST, 2020 OR EARLIER.
THIS IS THE LEASE THAT YOU CAN DO THE HARM THAT YOU'VE CAUSED THE CITY.
Y'ALL, YOU FACILITATE THESE BY YOUR LACK OF ACTION AND YOU CARRY BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS.
AND I'M NEVER GONNA LET YOU FORGET THAT.
ON ITEM FOUR, WE NEED A STRONG SITE AND RELEASE ORDINANCE.
WE NEEDED THAT FIVE YEARS AGO.
YOU CONTINUE TO FAIL THE VIDEO SAN ANTONIO, YOU CONTINUE TO FAIL PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING, WHO ARE SUFFERING AT THE HANDS OF SAP D AND YOUR LACK OF ACTION IS INCREDIBLE.
[00:30:01]
OKAY.UNION SHOP STEWARD AT THE GRAND HYATT MEMBER OF, OF ABOUT PAID VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR.
A MEMBER OF PARTY FOR SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION.
THE UNITED STATES HAS THE HIGHEST INCARCERATION RATE IN THE WORLD.
UNSURPRISINGLY, TEXAS HAS THE HIGHEST INCARCERATED POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES.
MASS INCARCERATION IS NOTHING SHORT OF MASS OPPRESSION IN OPPRESSION OF THE PEOPLE.
AND THAT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS BY NOW, THE US AND TEXAS TRAIN.
WHITE SUPREMACY AND PROFIT SEEKING ENSURE THAT THE MOST SUPPRESSED BLACK, INDIGENOUS BROWN, L G, BT Q THE POOR OTHERS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY OVERREPRESENTED IN THIS MASS INCARCERATION SYSTEM.
THIS YEAR HAS WILL ROBUSTLY DEMONSTRATED MORE THAN EVER WHAT MANY OF US HAVE SAID FOR YEARS, THE NARRATIVE THAT EVER INCREASING FUNDING OF THE MEANS OF VIOLENCE.
THAT IS MILITARY LAW ENFORCEMENT, BORDER PATROL, ICE, N H SS AND SO ON.
THAT NARRATIVE THAT PLENTY OF MEANS OF VIOLENCE TO KEEP US SAFE AND SECURE IS AN ABSOLUTELY FALSE ONE.
THE CITIZENS ARE WAKING UP TO THE FACT THESE SYSTEMS OF VIOLENCE CANNOT PROTECT US FROM PANDEMIC HUNGER, JAVA, AND THE MANY OTHER CRISES WE ARE FACING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, QUITE THE TIME THE MEANS OF VIOLENCE STAND IN THE WAY IN PEOPLE AND SAVE SECURE, MEANINGFUL LIVES.
THEY CAN OUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS, JAIL, PRISON, DEPORTATION, ABUSE, FAMILY SEPARATION INJURY AND DEATH.
REAL SECURITY MEANS HOUSING, SECURITY, FOOD SECURITY, JOB AND INCOME SECURITY, FREE QUALITY HEALTHCARE AND RELEASE FROM DEBT.
SERVITUDE UNDERSTANDING OF MUCH OF WHAT IS LISTED ABOVE IS CONNECTED TO, BUT OUTSIDE OF THE SPECIFIC TOPIC.
AND YOU ACT UPON A SMALL BUT MEANINGFUL WAY TO REJECT THE FALSE STANDARD OF SECURITY BY MOVE TOWARDS SECURITY.
BY, WE NEED TO FIGHT RELEASE ORDINANCE TO SUPERSEDE ANY RESOLUTION WHICH HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL WHEN IMPLEMENTED, BUT IS UTILIZED TO INFREQUENTLY AND AT THE DISCRETION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THUS, IT'S SUBJECT TOPO, THE RESPONDING OFFICER'S PREDISPOSITION OF RACISM, CLASS BIAS, HOMOPHOBIA, OR OTHER SUBJECTIVE BIASES.
A SECOND RELEASE ORDINANCE CAN THAT FAMILY MEMBERS GO HOME TO LOVED ONES AFTER MINOR INCORRECTIONS RATHER THAN GET CAUGHT UP IN THE BLOATED, OPPRESSIVE, IT'S
HOWEVER, IF YOUR OFFICERS NEED SOMETHING TO DO, THE AMOUNT OF PARTIES STOLEN FROM EMPLOYEES BY THEIR EMPLOYERS IN THE FORM OF WAGE THEFT OWES MORE MONEY THAN ALL PROPERTY THEFT COMBINED.
UNSURPRISINGLY, EMPLOYERS RARELY FACE THE SCRUTINY INVESTIGATION IS TO IN WORKING FOLKS, WHEN YOU GO AFTER OUR BOSSES, SHOW THEM MERCY THEM SO THEY KNOW SO THEY AND THEIR FAMILIES CAN REST EASY KNOWING THEIR LOVED ONES ARE SECURE.
AND ALSO MY COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF ALL THE PREVIOUS COMMENTERS ON, ON, UH, THE AGENDA ITEM REGARDING BODY CAMERAS.
UM, LAUREN, JUST MAKING SURE THAT ANYONE ELSE, UM, THAT WAS ON OUR LIST OF SPEAKERS, BUT WAS ANYBODY ELSE ABLE TO, TO GET TO GET ON THE CALL, ANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE MISSED? YEAH, THIS IS KATIE MEZA.
I'VE BEEN ON THE CALL THE WHOLE TIME.
UM, MY NAME IS KATIE MEZA AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO ASK THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TWO THINGS.
FIRST, TO BRING A SITE IN THIS ORDINANCE, NOT JUST A RESOLUTION TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND SECOND, TO APPLY THE UPDATED S A P D BODY CAM DIRECTIVES RETROACTIVELY TO ANY CASES SINCE JANUARY 1ST, 2020.
AT A MINIMUM IN BOTH CASES, SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS ARE HAVING UNNECESSARY HARMFUL INTERACTIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IN ONE CASE, THE RESULT IS AN UNNECESSARY ARREST, WHICH HARMS THEIR FAMILY, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH, AND EVEN SOMETIMES THEIR ABILITY TO STAY IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND THE OTHER, THE RESULT IS THE LOSS OF LIFE OF ONE OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, OR NEIGHBORS.
A FULLY FUNCTIONING SITE AND RELEASE POLICY IS A NO-BRAINER FOR SAN ANTONIO.
WE SHOULD BE TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF STATE LAW THAT ALLOWS US TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE NEED AN ORDINANCE TO GET IT UNDER THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY.
POLICE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO APPLY SITE AND RELEASE IN AN UNBIASED MANNER TO ALL OF US.
IT'S NOT AN INDIVIDUAL DECISION.
THAT'S JUST WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS TYPE OF DISCRETION EXISTS WITHIN STRUCTURAL RACISM, WHICH CITY COUNCIL ITSELF HAS CATEGORIZED AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
ARRESTS MAY HAVE SEEN LIKE THE CORRECT REACTION TO THESE NONVIOLENT CRIMES IN THE PAST, BUT WE NOW KNOW THAT THEY ONLY CAUSE MORE HARM TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE NEED TO INVEST IN THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE OUR POTENTIAL CITATIONS IN THE PLACE OF ARREST.
GIVE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH A DIVERSION PROGRAM, PREVENTING COVID 19 DEATHS IN JAIL, SAVING TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO REMAIN PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
RIGHT NOW, S A P D IS MISSING FAR TOO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO USE THE PROGRAM AND ONLY AN ORDINANCE WILL CHANGE THAT.
AN ORDINANCE SHOULD END RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, INCREASE ELIGIBLE OFFENSES AND TYPES OF
[00:35:01]
ID AND MANDATE PROPER DATA REPORTING TO THE PUBLIC DIVERSION PROGRAMS ALSO NEED TO BE MADE MORE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE.SECOND, THE NEW BODY CAM DIRECTIVES SHOULD BE APPLIED RETROACTIVELY.
I MOVED TO SAN ANTONIO A FEW YEARS AGO AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS CITY QUICKLY DECIDING THAT I WANTED TO MAKE IT MY LONG TERM HOME.
I FREQUENTLY BEGGED TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT THE MANY THINGS I LOVE ABOUT OUR CITY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE ALSO HAVE TOO MANY DRINKS TO BE ASHAMED ABOUT.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO THE NEWS FOR HAVING HIGH RATES OF POLICE SHOOTINGS WITH BLACK SAN KILLED FIVE TIMES MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THEIR SHARE OF THE CITY'S POPULATION.
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE ENTIRE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, BUT THIS BODY CAM POLICY, UM, BEING RETROACTIVE IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL AGREE ON REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU STAND ON THAT.
IF POLICE OFFICERS HAVE BEHAVED PROPERLY, THEN SHOW EVIDENCE OF THAT.
AND IF NOT, THEY SHOULD BE HELD PROBABLE.
IN BOTH CASES, RELEASING THE FOOTAGE WILL MAINTAIN PUBLIC TRUST IN LEADERSHIP AND THE TERM APPROPRIATE CONTEXT IN SECTION OH ONEC SHOULD ALSO BE CLEARLY DEFINED AS THE LACK OF CLARITY ON THE DECIDING AUTHORITY IN THESE SITUATIONS CAN PREVENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
THE FOOTAGE SHOULD ALSO BE MADE AVAILABLE MUCH MORE QUICKLY THAN 60 DAYS.
THE FAMILIES WHOSE LOVED ONES WERE KILLED IN 2020, LIKE DARRYL ZAMAL SR.
DESERVED THE SAME CLOSURE AS THOSE WHO TRAGICALLY ARE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME LOSS IN THE FUTURE.
THESE FAMILIES HAVE THE RIGHT TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THEIR LOVED.
OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, UH, ON OUR AGENDA.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY.
[2. 20-7372]
ITEM TWO ON OUR AGENDA IS AN UPDATE ON POLICE SERVICES.UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN UPDATE OF THE CITY MANAGER'S PLAN TO REVIEW POLICE SERVICES.
UM, SO AS A WAY OF, UH, BACKGROUND, UM, AND LAUREN, IF YOU CAN PUT THE PRESENTATION, UH, THE CITY MANAGER SENT, UH, THE UPDATE THAT I'M ABOUT TO BRIEF YOU ON TODAY TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OVER THE WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTING, UH, RECENT ACTIONS TAKEN TO ENHANCE POLICE RESPONSE TO CALLS FOR SERVICE AND THE WORK AHEAD OF US TO REVIEW AND ANALYZE POLICE SERVICE RESPONSE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
OVER OVER THE YEARS, THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN PROGRESSIVE IN ITS THINKING AND HAS DONE COMMENDABLE WORK TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY AND MEET ITS PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS.
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF, OF OUR POLICE CHIEF, CHIEF MCMANUS, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS IMPLEMENTED BEST PRACTICES ACROSS KEY AREAS SUCH AS TRAINING, RECRUITMENT, AND OPERATING PROCEDURES.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IN 2016, SS A P D WAS ONE OF 15 POLICE AGENCIES SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL 21ST CENTURY POLICING INITIATIVE.
DURING THIS INITIATIVE, THERE WERE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE MADE BY A TA, A TASK FORCE, AND S A P D MET ALMOST ALL OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS IN AREAS INCLUDING, FOR EXAMPLE, BUILDING TRUST, COMMUNITY POLICING, AND CRIME REDUCTION OFFICER TRAINING, OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS.
ON AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, OUR CITY MANAGER INTRODUCED A FRAMEWORK TO REVIEW AND ANALYZE POLICE SERVICE RESPONSE.
THIS FRAMEWORK CENTER AROUND ADDRESSING FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES, COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY INPUT AND SERVICE ALTERNATIVES.
SINCE THE SUMMER, THE CITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO ENHANCE POLICE RESPONSE TO CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT FALL UNDER THIS FRAMEWORK THAT WAS PRESENTED BY THE CITY MANAGER.
SO LET ME HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ON THIS NEXT SLIDE.
SOME OF THIS IMPROVEMENTS, UM, HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED.
SO I'M GONNA PRESENT THAT FIRST, AND THEN I WILL TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE PLAN TO DO OVER THE CO COURSE OF THE BALANCE OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT UPDATED ITS USE OF FORCE POLICY IN JUNE OF 2020 TO IMPROVE CURRENT PROCESSES AND REQUIRING ALL USE OF FORCE TO BE REPORTED.
BANNING SHOOTING AT ALL VEHICLES REQUIRE WARNING BEFORE SHOOTING AND EXHAUSTING ALL ALTERNATIVES BEFORE SHOOTING.
ALSO IN SEPTEMBER, THE CHIEF PROHIBITED LATERAL VASCULAR NECK RESTRAINT SOMETIMES COMMONLY REFER AS CHOKE HOLES IN OUR, IN OUR POLICY.
WITH THIS REVISIONS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS MET SEVEN OF
[00:40:01]
THE EIGHT CAMPAIGN ZERO EIGHT CAN WAIT MODEL POLICIES THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE SUMMER WITH THE COUNCIL.FURTHERMORE, THE CHIEF HAS SUSPENDED THE USE OF NO-KNOCK WARRANTS FOR BOTH SEARCH AND ARREST, AND HE HAS IMPLEMENTED AN ESCALATED MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CALLED PROTOCOL.
THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS THIS PRO OF THIS PROTOCOL IS TO LIMIT THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY ENCOUNTER THE POLICE HAS WITH AN INDIVIDUAL WITH, UH, MENTAL HEALTH WOULD ESCALATE AND TO PROVIDE A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THE CALL.
SO, AGAIN, THIS PROTOCOL MINIMIZES THE ESCALATION IN A SITUATION WITH AN INDIVIDUAL, HAS A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION AND THE AREA OF TRAINING.
WE'VE ALSO MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
THE CHIEF HAS INCREASED THE TRAINING FREQUENCY OF IMPORTANT TOPICS BEGINNING IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR.
THIS ADDITIONAL TRAINING IS IN ADDITION TO THE, UH, ANNUAL 40 HOUR TRAINING REQUIREMENT FOR ALL OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
WHAT THE TEAM HAS DONE IS CREATED SHORT VIDEOS, AND THERE'S TWO OR THREE VIDEO, UM, MODULES THAT ARE DONE EVERY MONTH.
AND SOME OF THE TOPICS, UM, INCLUDE DE ESCALATION ESCALATED MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, AND DUTY TO INTERVENE AMONG OTHER IMPORTANT TOPICS.
DISEN ENHANCEMENT, AS DESCRIBED BY THE CHIEF, WILL INCREASE MUSCLE MEMORY OF THIS IMPORTANT TOPICS.
MOVING TO THE AREA OF, UM, LAST WEEK, UH, THE CHIEF UPDATED THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT BODY-WORN CAMERA POLICY BY SETTING A PROCESS TO RELEASE CRITICAL INCIDENT VIDEO AND 9 1 1 RECORDINGS WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT.
AFTER MY PRESENTATION TODAY, THE CHIEF WILL GO OVER THE DETAILS OF THIS POLICY.
FURTHER ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE HAVE MADE IN THE AREA OF TRANSPARENCY INCLUDE THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE.
UH, THIS IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE MADE IN AUGUST PROVIDE EASIER ACCESS TO IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN REQUESTING, SUCH AS OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING REPORTS, UH, DISCIPLINE REPORTS, INCLUDING ARBITRATIONS AND SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS.
SO, WITH THIS WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR, THAT, UH, CONCLUDES SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE COMMITTEE OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED SINCE THE MONTH OF JUNE.
THIS FOLLOWING GRAPHIC, UH, SUMMARIZES THE WORK TO BE DONE IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS.
THE WAY THAT THIS IS PRESENTED, IT SUMMARIZES THE FRAMEWORK THE CITY MANAGER PRESENTED BACK IN AUGUST INTO TWO MAIN DELIVERABLES, ONE FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES, AND TWO SERVICE EXPECTATIONS AND RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES.
LET ME GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THE FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES.
THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC WILL ENCOMPASS DISCIPLINE, TRANSPARENCY, AND DATA AND REVIEW OF RECRUITMENT PRACTICES IN THE AREA OF DISCIPLINE.
IT IS THE GOAL OF THE CITY TO CREATE AN ACCOUNTABLE AND FAIR DISCIPLINARY PROCESS FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
AS THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY KNOWS, THERE ARE ASPECTS OF OUR CURRENT DISCIPLINARY PROCESS THAT ARE MOSTLY CONTROLLED BY OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATIONS, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THAT SHOULD BE REBALANCED.
WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE CHIEF AND THE CITY MANAGERS SHOULD HAVE MORE OF A ROLE IN THE FINAL DISCIPLINE FOR POLICE OFFICERS.
SO DISCIPLINE IS A PRIORITY ALSO OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HEARD THIS SINCE JUNE OF THIS YEAR THROUGH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE SESSIONS THAT WE HELD WITH THIS COMMITTEE, AND ALSO THROUGH OTHER, UH, PUBLIC INPUT VENUES WHERE THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGES IN OUR DISCIPLINE PROCESS.
WE SEE THE STAFF WILL BE DISCUSSING, UH, PRIORITIES FOR THE UPCOMING NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL IN JANUARY.
AS WE PREPARE FOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE POLICE ASSOCIATION THAT ARE SET TO BEGIN AT THE END OF JANUARY, WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO ENHANCE THE INFORMATION THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE PUBLIC.
TO THAT EFFECT, UH, WE WILL ENGAGE, UH, COMMUNITY INPUT TO INFORM CHANGES TO OUR WEBSITE.
WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT MORE USER FRIENDLY, UH, USE DIFFERENT TOOLS LIKE G I S G I S TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, UM, SOME OF THE DATA POINTS THAT S A P D ALREADY PROVIDES TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, DO SOME FOCUS GROUPS, AND MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE MEETING THEIR NEEDS.
UH, THIRDLY, WE WILL ALSO, UM, ENGAGE A THIRD PARTY TO REVIEW OUR RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES, AIM TO INCREASE RACIAL AND GENDER DIVERSITY.
[00:45:01]
HEARD CLEARLY DURING THE JUNE, UH, PUBLIC, UM, SAFETY LISTENING SESSIONS THAT THIS COMMITTEE HELD THAT IT WAS A PRIORITY OF THE COMMUNITY.SO WE WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE A THIRD PARTY AGAIN TO REVIEW THOSE RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES.
THE NEXT, UM, ASPECT, UH, OF, OF THE DELIVERABLES THAT WE'LL PROVIDE WITH THE COUNCIL WITH THIS REVIEW ARE SERVICE EXPECTATIONS AND RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN CALLS THAT REQUIRE A TRADITIONAL POLICE RESPONSE FROM THOSE CALLS THAT MAY BE BETTER HANDLED BY ANOTHER CITY DEPARTMENT OR A COMBINATION OF POLICE AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDER.
THIS PARTICULAR EFFORT WILL TAKE EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY INPUT TO DETERMINE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY IN REGARDS TO POLICE ENCOUNTERS.
WE WOULD ALSO, UH, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE RAC, UH, THE COUNTY CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND OTHERS TO REVIEW AND STRENGTHEN THE WAY THAT WE RESPOND TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS AND HOMELESS CALLS, AND ALSO TO STRENGTHEN OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS, NOT ONLY IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT AS A CITY ORGANIZATION.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS SLIDE, OUR PLAN TODAY IS TO WORK WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOU ON PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING IN THIS WORK PLAN BEGINNING IN JANUARY ALL THE WAY THROUGH AUGUST.
SO, WE WILL BE COMING TO YOU EVERY MONTH AND REPORT UPDATES OF THIS PROGRAM OR THIS REVIEW.
WE ALSO, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM, FROM THE SLIDE, WE HAVE AS SEVERAL TOUCH POINTS WITH THE FULL CITY COUNCIL TO GIVE THEM ABREAST OF THE PROGRESS IN JANUARY, APRIL, MAY, JUNE.
AS WE, UH, PREPARE A BUDGET PROCESS, WE WOULD LIKE TO ALIGN ANY RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUNDING SOURCES OR FUNDING REQUESTS THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS REVIEW WITH THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET.
SO THOSE, UH, FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, COULD BE INCLUDED WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 AND DISCUSS WITH THE FULL COUNCIL AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU MAY RECALL THAT BACK IN, IN JUNE, THE MAYOR CHARGED THE COMMUNITY HEALTH INEQUITY AND THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEES WITH CERTAIN POLICE RELATED TOPICS, TOPICS.
THE WORK PRODUCT THAT THIS COMMITTEES, UH, WILL PRODUCE AS IT RELATES TO POLICE, UH, POLICIES AND PRACTICES WILL BE FUNNELED THROUGH THIS PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE FOR FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I WILL BE COORDINATED WITH THE, UH, COORDINATING WITH THE CHAIRS OF THIS COMMITTEES TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE ENGAGED IN THAT PROCESS AND BRING THEIR WORK TO THIS COMMITTEE TO ACHIEVE THIS, UH, REVIEW.
UH, THE CITY MANAGER HAS ASSEMBLED A CROSS-FUNCTIONAL CITY EXECUTIVE TEAM THAT INCLUDES ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, DR.
KALEEN BRIDGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, DAVID MCCAREY, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, ANDY GOVIA, OUR HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR, MELODY WESLEY, OUR GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, JEFF COYLE, AND OUR CHIEF OF POLICE, WILLIAM MCMANUS.
THIS TEAM WILL BE LED BY ME, UH, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, AND WE WILL BE SUPPORTED ALSO BY OTHER CITY STAFF AS WE GO THROUGH OUR PROCESS.
UM, YOU WILL ALSO KNOW THAT AS PART OF OUR, UM, COMMUNITY INPUT AND ENGAGEMENT, WE WILL ALSO HAVE SOME FOCUS GROUPS WITH GROUPS WITH OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
WE WANT TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THEM.
AND, AND AS WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND ULTIMATELY THE COUNCIL, IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES TO THE WAY THAT, UH, WE RESPOND TO CERTAIN CALLS, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO GET THEIR INPUT AS THEY ARE THE EXPERTS DEALING WITH THIS CALLS ON A, ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO THIS FOLLOWING SLIDE, UH, PROVIDES THE SPECIFIC NEXT STEPS, UH, FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY.
SO, AS I MENTIONED IN JANUARY, WE'LL BRING, UH, TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL, UM, OR HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT PRIORITIES FOR THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS.
WE WOULD ALSO, UH, WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO THE FULL COUNCIL A CONTRACT WITH THE MEADOW MENTAL HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE FOR A POTENTIAL ASSESSMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE AND OTHER ALTERNATIVE MODELS SPECIFICALLY TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UH, WHAT WE'LL BRING TO YOU THE DRAFT COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO TO GAUGE FROM THE COMMUNITY WHAT ARE THEIR EXPECTATIONS OF THOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH, UH, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND ALSO A DETAIL, UH, SCHEDULE OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND STAKEHOLDER GROUP MEETINGS.
UM, THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UH, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, ERIC WALSH IS ON THIS CALL AS WELL, AND WE ARE PREPARED TO ADDRESS ANY OF YOUR
[00:50:01]
QUESTIONS.I, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, THE FIRST ONE I WOULD, CAN YOU EXPAND ON THE THIRD PARTY REVIEWING, UH, THE THIRD PARTY, UH, REVIEWING THE, THE, THE STRATEGIES? WILL YOU EXPAND ON THAT? UH, SURE.
COUNCILWOMAN, UM, OUR INTENT IS TO ENGAGE A, UM, AN EXPERT WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, RECRUITMENT AND, UH, PRACTICES IN A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND GET TO LOOK AT OUR DIFFERENT, UM, PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE TODAY AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO ATTRACTING, UH, WOMEN TO THE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO MINORITIES WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING, UH, GENDER EQUITY AND, UM, UH, AND RACIAL, UH, DIVERSITY AS WELL.
THIS, UH, PARTICULAR CONTRACT, ONCE WE START LOOKING AT, UM, UH, DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS OR FIRMS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY DO THIS WORK, UH, WE MAY BRING, BRING THIS BACK TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL, DEPENDING ON THE COST.
SO, UM, AND AS WE CONTINUE THE PROGRESS, THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE ALSO BRING TO THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE, UH, WHETHER THEY WE'LL BE REVIEWING IN A TIMELINE AS WELL.
AND WOULD THAT BE FOR BOTH, UH, UH, PDD AND SD? UM, THIS PARTICULAR PLAN IS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, I, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE LAST, UH, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
A COUPLE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS REQUESTED, UM, THAT WE COME BACK WITH SOME WORK SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT'LL BE HANDLED SEPARATELY, COUNCILWOMAN.
I MAY HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GO TO OUR, UM, UH, MY COLLEAGUES.
UH, WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE TO THIS ARE IN RELATION TO HOW ARE WE GONNA TRULY GET THE PUBLIC'S ENGAGEMENT? UM, I HAVEN'T HEARD SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE, UH, CAMPAIGN OR THE, THE CRITICAL OR STRUCTURE OF HOW WE'RE GONNA BRING IN ALL THIS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
WE KNOW WHEN WE HAD THE LISTENING SESSIONS THAT WE HAD VERY GOOD ATTENDANCE, UM, WITH THOSE LISTENING SESSIONS, AND NOT EVERYBODY WAS FULLY ABLE TO GET ACROSS EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED TO SAY.
UM, AND SO HOW ARE WE GONNA TRULY SPEAK TO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, NOT ONLY TO THIS FORM OF PLATFORM, BUT TO US AS A CITY? UM, I KNOW JEFF IS WORKING ON A STRATEGIC, UM, OUTLINE OF COMMUNICATION, BUT I NEED TO HEAR SPECIFICALLY, ARE WE GONNA START HAVING A PLATFORM TO WHERE PEOPLE CANNOT ONLY JUST CALL IN? BECAUSE TODAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD WAS A HARD TIME HEARING WHAT THE PEOPLE WERE SAYING.
AND THAT IS A PROBLEM WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY IF WE CAN'T EVEN MAKE OUT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS THE, THE PLAN FOR COMMUNICATION AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD? AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION THAT I'LL ASK IS, THE CONTRACT WITH MEADOW MENTAL HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE.
HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? WAS IT AN R F P OR WAS IT A RESEARCH, UM, MISSION THAT LED US TO PROCURING THIS CONTRACT? SO THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS, UM, THAT I HAVE AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR THOSE TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, LET ME START WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ASPECT, AND I WILL SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THIS PROJECT.
I WILL GET YOU A, A MORE, UM, I WILL GET YOUR RESPONSE IN TERMS OF YOUR QUESTION ABOUT COMMUNITY INPUT CITYWIDE AND, AND ORGANIZATIONALLY FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENTS WE HAVE SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PROJECT.
WE ARE PLANNING TO DO A COMBINATION OF, UM, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, POTENTIALLY PROBABLY VIA WEBEX TO ENGAGE THE PRESIDENTS OF THE, UM, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS TO HEAR THEIR INPUT AS IT RELATES TO THIS PROJECT.
WE ALSO GOING TO ENGAGE WITH GRASSROOT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, CAPS, METRO ESSAY STANDS, MOVE TOP, UM, ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN VERY VOCAL AND WANT TO BE PART OF THIS, UH, UM, EN ENGAGEMENT, UH, INTERFAITH, UH, COMMUNITY AS WELL.
WE PLAN TO GO TO THEM AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT, UM, BUSINESS, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, UH, AS WELL.
AND SOME OF OUR PARTNERS SUCH AS I MENTIONED, CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, UH, THE COUNTY, ET CETERA.
SO OUR PLAN IS TO BRING YOU IN JANUARY, A DETAILED PLAN WITH DATES, AND I PLAN TO, UM, COORDINATE WITH ALL OF YOUR OFFICES AND THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO SCHEDULE THOSE, UH, MEETINGS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS, UM, THAT REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT.
IN TERMS OF THE, UM, MEADOW FOUNDATION CONTRACT, UH, WE'VE, UM, HAD CONVERSATIONS
[00:55:01]
WITH THEM.THE MEADOW, UH, FOUNDATION RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE PEW, UM, INSTITUTE PURE, UH, RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
AND THIS PARTICULAR GRANT IS TO, UM, ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH IN CITIES AND TEXAS.
SO THE MEADOW FOUNDATION IS ALREADY WORKING WITH AUSTIN, DALLAS, AND EL PASO AS THREE CITIES WHERE THEY CAN IMPLEMENT, UM, SOME CHANGES TO THE WAY THAT THEY ADDRESS, UH, MENTAL HEALTH CALLS.
UH, WE REACH OUT TO THEM, UM, AND, AND HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT SAN ANTONIO PARTICIPATING.
SO THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, THERE WAS NOT AN R F P, BUT IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A PRETTY DEEP UNDERSTANDING AND IS ALSO WORKING WITH OTHER TEXAS CITIES TO DO AN ASSESSMENT OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND NOT JUST THE CITY, BUT ALSO, UM, OTHER PARTNERS, UH, WITHIN THE, WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN POTENTIALLY BE ABLE TO, UM, GET SOME OF THOSE, UH, GRANTS, UH, OR SOME OF THAT GRANT THAT THEY RECEIVED FROM THE P UH, RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
BUT THE FIRST STEP IS TO DO AN ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS A CONTRACT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO COUNCIL IN JANUARY.
I'LL TRY AND BACK IN WITH THE REST OF MY QUESTIONS.
COUNCILMAN ANDREWS SULLIVAN, COUNCILWOMAN
UM, MARIA, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I, I GUESS, UM, I NEED MORE CLARITY ON, ON THIS 'CAUSE IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE OR THE DIFFERENCE FROM IN THIS PRESENTATION THAN WE'VE DONE THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TO US IN IN THE PAST.
UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS YOU MENTIONED, UM, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AS YOU'RE DOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN FOCUS GROUPS.
I WOULD LIKE TO JUST, UM, ASK THAT WE ARE NOT HAVING SEPARATE GROUPS, THAT WE, WE MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE, UH, WITH PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS AND BRING THEM TOGETHER, UM, TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION OF WHAT THIS POLICE SERVICES ENHANCEMENT ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO BRING UP TOGETHER.
UH, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION TOGETHER, UM, OF COURSE, IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, BUT THAT EVERYONE IS RESPECTED AND HEARD, BECAUSE I THINK WE HEAR TWO OPPOSING SIDES ALL THE TIME, BUT I, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S MORE COMMON GROUND THAT EVERYBODY WOULD BE, UM, ALIGNED TO.
SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS NOT SEPARATED.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES ON THIS, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT ONE OF OUR PUBLIC OR POLICE SERVICES, AND THIS IS A LOT TO ACCOMPLISH, AND, BUT I THINK WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IS, WELL, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IS SEEING WHERE CAN WE TRANSITION SOME OF THE VERY POLICE, POLICE, UM, OVERSIGHT OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE WANNA SHIP THEM AND TRANSITION THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
MORE PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC SAFETY WOULD BE JUST DEFINED LARGER, UM, IN A BROADER ASPECT, FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES.
AND WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES JUST TO, FOR POLICE, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION OF, UM, I SEE ACCOUNTABILITY, DISCIPLINE, PROCESS, HIRING AND TRAINING.
I THINK ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, WE ALSO HAVE TO INCLUDE, UM, LOOKING AT, UH, FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES OF IS THERE A, UH, WHAT IS THE, UH, PATRIARCHAL MENTALITY AND WITHIN THESE SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE AND HOW CAN WE, UM, HELP SHIFT THAT? UM, AND THEN I WAS CONFUSED ABOUT YOUR, YOUR PRESENT ON SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT, NO NINE ABOUT THESE FOUNDATIONALS AND THE SERVICE EXPECTATIONS AND RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES.
AND I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IS THIS THE GROUP THAT YOU'RE LEADING WITH BRIDGER? AND I HAVE A QUESTION, IF BRIDGER'S GOING TO BE LEAVING
[01:00:01]
IN JUNE, JANUARY, IS SHE STILL GONNA STAY ON THIS AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER? AND THEN IF YOU CAN HELP ME FIGURE OUT WHERE, WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.THIS GROUP IS ON THIS SLIDE, SLIDE NUMBER NINE.
AND THEN ALSO, IF YOU CAN HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY Z IN OUR EQUITY OFFICE OR SOMEBODY FROM OUR EQUITY OFFICE IS NOT A PART OF IT.
UM, I'LL START WITH THAT LAST QUESTION.
UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, DAVID MCCAREY, UH, OVERSEES THE EQUITY, UM, DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT IS, UH, THE PRIMARY ROLE WAS WHAT HE IS INCLUDED IN THE EXECUTIVE TEAM.
WE ARE GONNA BE GETTING SUPPORT FROM OUR, OUR DEPARTMENTS.
SO, UM, YOU DON'T SEE HIM LISTED HERE, BUT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, UM, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, THOSE ARE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE COORDINATING WITH AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND PART OF OUR PLAN.
SO OUR OFFICE OF EQUITY WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PARTICULAR, UM, NAMES THAT I HIGHLIGHTED, I INCLUDED THE EXECUTIVE TEAMS THAT OVERSEE THOSE DEPARTMENTS IN THIS CASE IS DAVID MCCAREY.
SO THE, UM, OTHER ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE ROLE OF THIS EX OF THIS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING TOGETHER ON THE FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES AND THE SERVICE EXPECTATIONS AND ALTERNATIVES.
WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE VET THOSE THROUGH OUR OFFICE OF EQUITY, SO THEY'LL BE ENGAGED IN THAT PROCESS.
BRIDGER, UM, UH, SHE CONTINUES WORKING WITH US IN HER CURRENT CAPACITY OR IN OTHER CAPACITIES AFTER HER DEPARTURE.
UM, SHE'LL BE PROVIDING SUPPORT WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH, UM, HOMELESSNESS AND, UH, AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS.
UM, THE POLICE CHIEF, OF COURSE, WILL BE ENGAGED IN ALL THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS THAT WE HAVE.
JEFF COYLE WILL BE HELPING WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THAT PROCESS.
SO, SO THAT THERE'LL BE PIECES OF THIS PLAN WHERE WE WILL NEED THE EXECUTIVE SUPPORT AND THE ASSISTANCE OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE WORK AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
I, I'M JUST KIND OF FRUSTRATED RIGHT NOW, SO I'LL CHIME BACK IN.
COUNCILWOMAN AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, MA'AM.
UH, MARIA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, UH, THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
AS USUAL, UH, CHAIR, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ALL OF TODAY'S AGENDA ITEMS, UH, TO THE FORUM FOR DISCUSSION.
EACH OF THEM IS A VERY SERIOUS AND A VERY WEIGHTY TOPIC, UH, AND THEY DESERVE EACH DESERVES ITS TIME IN THE LIMELIGHT.
AND I, I'M WONDERING, IS THERE A PLAN TO PICK UP THE DISCUSSION AT A FU UH, FUTURE MEETING SINCE I, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO ALL THE TOPICS, UH, JUSTICE TO TODAY.
SO I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND LET YOU, UH, THINK ABOUT THAT, OR IF YOU HAVE AN ANSWER, PLEASE, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
WELL, A LOT OF THESE I THINK ARE GONNA BE, UM, I THINK IT IS GONNA REQUIRE SOME, SOME MORE, UH, THOUGHTS.
AND SO THEY MAY, I MEAN, LOOK, I KNOW SITE AND RELEASE WILL, WILL CONTINUE TO GET BRIEFINGS ON SITE AND RELEASE.
I IMAGINE THE, THE, THE TWO OTHER PRESENTATIONS ARE GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF BACK AND FORTH BEFORE MOVING ON.
THAT MAKES ME FEEL A LOT BETTER
UM, I'LL, UH, I'M, I'M GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY INVOLVEMENT.
UH, COUNCIL
UM, I'LL SAY A COUPLE WORDS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
UH, WE DO KNOW THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE THOROUGH.
UM, I HAVE ASKED FOR THINGS LIKE THIS IN THE PAST, AND I, MARIA, I HOPE YOU'RE ABLE TO GIVE US, UH, IN A TIMELINE AND TELL US AT WHAT POINTS IN THE PROCESS THE PUBLICS GET TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO BE EMPOWERED, NOT JUST BY SPEAKING, BUT BY KNOWING WHAT THEIR ROLE IS GOING TO BE IN THE PROCESS AND AT WHICH POINT THEY, UH, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO, TO COME TO US.
I ALSO WANT TO JUST MAKE A POINT THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A REALLY BROAD OUTREACH, NOT JUST BY TYPES OF GROUPS, BUT BY THE TOTAL NUMBERS BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A TOPIC WHERE THERE IS, UM, HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED TO UNDERREPRESENTED STAKEHOLDERS.
[01:05:01]
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER RESULTS WE GET IN FROM, WHETHER IT'S A SURVEY OR DIALOGUE, WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO ANALYZE IT BY STAKEHOLDER TYPE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE WHO, FOR INSTANCE, HAVE UNDERGONE THE ARREST PROCESS OR HAVE HAD THEIR HOUSE BROKEN INTO, OR HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY A POLICE OFFICER.I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA GET A, A REALLY GOOD REPRESENTATION WHAT THOSE PERSPECTIVES ARE.
SO YES, I'M JUST SAYING PLEASE DO MORE WORK
UH, THE, UH, I WANTED TO KNOW IN, IN THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT FORWARD THUS FAR, THE, THE CHIEF HAS A, A SORT OF COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP, AND I BELIEVE HE SELECTS THE MEMBERS.
IT'S A, IT'S AN INFORMAL GROUP.
IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT COUNCIL DOESN'T HAVE ANY ROLE IN, IN SELECTING THE MEMBERS.
UH, HAVE THEY BEEN PART OF THIS DIALOGUE SO FAR? COUNCILWOMAN, I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CHIEF'S ADVISORY, UM, GROUP THAT HE HAS AND HE MEETS WITH THEM ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
I'M GONNA LET THE CHIEF ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I, UM, I'M NOT AWARE OF, UM, DIALOGUE WITH THEM DIRECTLY WITH ME, BUT I'M GONNA ASK THE CHIEF TO, TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE, WE'VE HAD VERY HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSIONS ON THEM, ON, ON IT.
UH, I HAVE NOT BEEN MEETING WITH THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS SINCE COVID, BUT, UH, I WILL, UM, I WILL TALK WITH THEM IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT THIS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE LAST COUPLE OF THINGS, AND, AND I WILL CHIME BACK IN.
UH, ULTIMATELY, I, I REMEMBER IN OUR, OUR LAST PRESENTATION, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHIEF TALKED ABOUT HOW SOME OF THE OFFICERS HAD BEEN TRAINED UNDER A WARRIOR MENTALITY.
UH, BUT NOW THAT THINGS ARE, ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAINING.
SO I THINK WE JUST NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE'RE ULTIMATELY TALKING ABOUT A TYPE OF, OF CULTURE CHANGE, UH, IN, IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT IS NOT MEANT TO, UH, BE DEROGATORY TOWARD ANY SINGLE OFFICER OUT THERE.
I THINK THE PUBLIC IS EXPECTING SOMETHING SLIGHTLY, UM, DIFFERENT FROM OUR OFFICERS AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, WE PUT SO MUCH ON THEM GOING, UH, RESPONDING TO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES CALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, OR, UH, NOISE COMPLAINTS, THINGS THAT ARE REALLY BEYOND THE SCOPE OF, OF, UM, OF, UH, SOMEONE WITH A GUN, RIGHT? THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO, TO BE BURDENED WITH THAT.
BUT I WANNA TALK AT SOME POINT ABOUT HOW DO WE MEASURE AND MAKE PROGRESS IN SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT CALL A, A CULTURE SHIFT.
THANK YOU CHAIR CA, COUNCIL MEMBER.
MAY I COMMENT ON THAT? PLEASE, PLEASE? MM-HMM.
SO I, I, I WOULD SAY, AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES.
I WOULD SAY THAT THE, THE CULTURE CHANGE THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF HAS, HAS ROOTED AND, AND THE ROOTS ARE GOING DEEPER EVERY DAY.
UH, JUST RECENTLY, UH, AND I'LL SHARE THIS WITH, UH, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, WITHIN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, UH, WE HAVE, UM, SOME REMARKABLE EXAMPLES OF DEESCALATION WHERE, UH, WELL, IN THE PAST THAT THE PERSON MAY HAVE BEEN SHOT, UM, AND, AND THEY'LL BE FORCED YOU USE AGAINST THEM.
BUT WE, I MEAN, THE, THE OFFICERS HAVE DONE A REMARKABLE JOB.
WE, WE HAD A STANDOFF ON SAT, I THINK IT WAS SATURDAY OR SUNDAY FOR ABOUT SIX HOURS WITH A GUY WHO WALKED INTO HIS GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE WITH A MACHETE, HIS OLD, HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE WITH A MACHETE.
SHE WAS ABLE TO RUN OUT AND HE WAS RUNNING AFTER THE POLICE WHO WERE, WHO HAD COME WITH A BASEBALL BAT IN ONE HAND, AND THE MACHETE IN THE OTHER YELLING, SHOOT ME, SHOOT ME, SHOOT ME.
AND THE OFFICERS NOT ONLY RETREATED, DID A TACTICAL RETREAT ONCE, BUT THEY DID IT TWICE TO BACK UP OUTTA HIS RANGE.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN HOURS BEFORE THEY FINALLY WERE ABLE TO GET HIM TO GIVE UP.
THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE, AND WE'VE GOT A FOLDER OF THEM, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, UH, AS SOON AS I GATHER THAT INFORMATION.
UM, MARIA, YOU, YOU MADE, UH, SOME COMMENTS THAT, UH, JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WORKING WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS THEMSELVES.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, UH, GETTING MEMBERS OR, UM, HAVING, UH, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR VOLUNTEERS FROM THE, UH, I DON'T KNOW, POLICE UNION OR SOMEONE
[01:10:01]
TO HELP OUT WITH THIS PROCESS? ARE WE GONNA HAVE THEIR, THEIR, THEIR INPUT AS WELL? UM, SO COUNCILMAN, WE HAVE, UM, A LABOR RELATIONS COMMITTEE, WHICH HAS REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE UNION.SO WE, UH, PLAN TO WORK WITH THEM LIKE WE DO IN OTHER PROJECTS.
AND ALSO WITH, UH, WORKING WITH THE CHIEF, WE WILL HAVE SOME FOCUS GROUPS TO ASK QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC AND SOME OF THE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC TO ALSO GET THE PERSPECTIVE FROM THE, FROM THE POLICE OFFICERS, UH, HAVE THE CHIEF, UM, ADDRESS MORE HOW HE WILL BE SELECTING THOSE FOCUS GROUPS.
UM, BUT THAT IS A PLAN TO ENGAGE THE, UM, THE L R C OR THE LABOR RELATIONS COMMITTEE FROM THE UNION, AND THEN, UM, SOME OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS AS WELL.
CRIMINAL RANKS, UM, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
CHIEF, WAS THE CHIEF GONNA PUT SOMETHING ELSE, SOME ADDITIONAL INFO ON THAT? I CAN, IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO.
YEAH, WE WILL, WE WILL LOOK FOR A DIVERSE, UH, CROSS SECTION OF OFFICERS FROM, UH, ALL OVER THE DEPARTMENT, UH, TO INCLUDE OFFICERS AND SUPERVISORS FROM EVERY RANK, UH, WHICH WE TYPICALLY DO IN, IN, UH, MATTERS OF SUCH BIG CHANGE.
SO WE WILL, WE WILL DO THAT, UH, AS WE GET MOVING ON DOWN, WE'LL DISCUSS THAT WITH, WITH MARIA, UH, ON HOW WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND, UH, AND WHEN WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND, UH, JUST ON THIS COMMUNITY SURVEY, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA BE SHARING THAT WITH COUNCIL OR THIS COMMITTEE? YES.
AND, UM, ARE WE LOOKING AT LIKE A LENGTHY SURVEY OR SOMETHING SHORT AND SWEET, OR WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR VISION FOR THIS SURVEY? IT'LL BE A FEW QUESTIONS.
OUR GOAL IS TO BE A SCIENTIFIC SURVEY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO WHEN WE DO THE COMMUNITY, UM, SURVEY EVERY OTHER YEAR, NOT AS LENGTHY.
'CAUSE THAT SURVEY HAS, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, MOST OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH JEFF COYLE.
UH, WE WANNA MAKE IT EASY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO, TO ADDRESS.
I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE PREPARED WHEN WE COME BACK TO YOU IN JANUARY.
SO THIS, THAT WILL BE COMING BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, BE IN JANUARY THEN? RIGHT, RIGHT BEFORE WE, UM, ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE, UH, WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE, UH, THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS AND HOW THEY'RE BEING, UH, ASKED, THAT KIND OF THING, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT.
I, I'VE NOTICED IN PAST QUESTIONNAIRES, PARTICULARLY ON THE BUDGET, WHERE THERE'S KIND OF, KIND OF LEAD IN QUESTIONS AND, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE A LITTLE BIT SIDEWAYS SAYING, WELL, OF COURSE I WANNA HAVE A SAFE COMMUNITY, OR OF COURSE I WANNA CONSERVE ENERGY.
UH, THOSE KIND OF QUESTIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, NOBODY'S GONNA ANSWER, NO, I DON'T WANT A SAFE COMMUNITY, OR, NO, I DON'T WANNA SAVE ENERGY.
THOSE KIND OF, THOSE KIND OF LEAD IN QUESTIONS.
SO I'D BE, I'D BE INTERESTED TO VIEW THOSE ACTUALLY BEFORE IT COMES TO THE COMMITTEE.
UH, JUST A DRAFT OR WHATEVER THAT YOU HAVE, SO THAT CAN START GETTING INPUT.
UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO THE COMMITTEE ALSO.
WE'LL, WE'LL GO AROUND ANOTHER ROUND, UM, AN ADDITIONAL THREE MINUTES.
I KNOW THAT PEOPLE HAD MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, BUT I JUST WANNA ASK REAL QUICK, UM, MARIA, CAN YOU GO OVER THE MEMO NOTES, UH, UH, UH, THREE COMMITTEES.
CAN YOU GO OVER THE STRUCTURE OF HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK? THE THREE COUNCIL COMMITTEES? UM, COUNCILMAN, IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, YOU MAY BE REFERRING TO THE MEMO FROM THE MAYOR.
THE, THE, THE MAYOR'S MEMO, UM, DATED, UH, DECEMBER 11TH.
SO THE, THE MEMO THAT I'M REFERRING IS THE MEMO THAT THE MAYOR PUT OUT BACK IN JUNE WHERE HE IS, IS THAT THE ONE YOU'RE REFERRING TO? UH, I WAS REFERRING TO THE DECEMBER 11TH MEMO, BUT HE, BUT IT'S A, AN EXPANSION, I BELIEVE, ON THE JUNE MEMO.
SO, SO, UM, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY WAS GIVEN THE CHARGE TO EVALUATE THIS, UH, POLICING PRACTICES TO HELP PROMOTE RACE AND GENDER EQUITY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND REVIEW MENTAL HEALTH DEESCALATION MEASURES.
THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, UH, COMMITTEE WAS GIVEN THE, THE CHARGE TO DEVELOP A ROBUST LED LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
[01:15:01]
THAT ADDRESSES PUBLIC SAFETY, UNIONS QUALIFIED IMMUNITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN OFFICE AND OFFICER PERSONNEL RECORDS.AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WAS, UH, GIVEN THE CHARGE TO REVIEW AND FINALIZE THE EIGHT AND WAIT POLICIES, REVIEW COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAMS, AND USE OF FORCE POLICY AND CROWD DISPERSAL TACTICS.
THOSE WERE THE, THE CHARGES AND THAT MEMO FROM THE MAYOR BACK IN JUNE AND THE EXPANSION ON THAT FOR THE, THE DECEMBER 11TH.
UM, THEN THE, THE MAYOR NOTED THOSE, UH, THE ROLE THAT THE COMMITTEES ARE GONNA PLAY, IS THERE A, A STAFF IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT? HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THAT? SO THE COMMITTEES WILL DO THEIR WORK, AND THEN I WILL COORDINATE WITH THOSE CHAIRS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE.
I KNOW COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL HAS ALREADY SOME PRE PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS AND IDEAS HOW SHE'S GONNA, UM, EXECUTE THAT CHARGE.
AND THEN I'LL BE SUPPORTING HER AND WORKING WITH HER TO BRING WHATEVER IS THE OUTCOME OF THAT COMMITTEE TO THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE WE MAKE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
AND, UH, I G R AS WELL? YES, MA'AM.
UM, OKAY, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE ANOTHER ROUND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN, DID YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
SO, UM, MARIA, ON PAGE NINE, UNDER THE THIRD PARTY REVIEW, UM, DO WE HAVE, OR HAVE WE LOOKED AT A COMPANY THAT WILL BE HANDLING THAT, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE SENDING OUT AS AN R F P? HOW WOULD THAT PROCESS FOR THE THIRD PARTY REVIEW OF RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES, UM, HOW WILL THAT BE STRUCTURED? UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY FIRMS IN MIND.
UM, WE'LL BE REACHING OUT TO, THROUGH THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT THE POLICE CHIEF IS, IS A MEMBER OF OR DO, UH, WORK FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND, UM, AND WE COULD FORMULATE A, A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DEPENDING ON THE SCOPE AND, AND THE AMOUNT OF THE CONTRACT.
UM, I'LL BE HAPPY TO REPORT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH THE, THE EXECUTION OF THAT AGREEMENT, UH, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE LAID OUT IN TERMS OF HOW AND WHO WILL DO IT.
UM, AND THEN WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE ENHANCEMENTS FOR THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE? DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT ENHANCEMENT LOOKS LIKE OR WHAT PORTIONS WILL BE MADE MORE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC? UM, OR, OR DO WE, ARE WE STILL LOOKING AT THE LAYOUT OF WHAT WILL BE ENHANCING? UM, SO SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY IDEAS WE HAVE, AND THIS WILL BE OF COURSE, WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, THE FEEL AND LOOK OF OUR WEBSITE COULD BE ENHANCED TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE COMMUNITY TO FIND, UH, INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED.
OUR INFORMATION IS VERY STATIC.
IT'S NOT INTERACTIVE AS, UM, P D F DOCUMENTS, EXCEL SPREADSHEETS.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER PRODUCTS LIKE DASHBOARDS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT CAN MAKE THE DATA EASIER TO NAVIGATE.
UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT WE HAVE INTERNALLY WORKING WITH OUR IT DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT WE CAN ENGAGE THEM TO HELP US WITH THAT.
BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHAT ARE THOSE, UM, DATA POINTS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE US TO ENHANCE WITHIN OUR CURRENT WEBSITE.
UM, I ALSO ENVISION THAT THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL DATA POINTS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO, TO SEE, AND WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE AND TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE IF WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
UM, SO, SO THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S OUR PLAN FOR, FOR THE WEBSITE AND INFORMATION THAT WE CURRENTLY PROVIDE.
AND THEN WILL WE ALSO BE DOING AN EVALUATION OF 9 1 1 CALLS AS IT RELATES TO THOSE CALLS THAT MAY NOT, UM, PRIORITIZE UNIFORM OFFICERS? UM, SOMETHING LIKE WHAT, WHAT SHE COULD, MIGHT HAVE PRESENTED.
UM, THEY, THEY PRESENTED THE THIS SAM APP LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT COULD ENHANCE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, CUT DOWN ON CALL TIMES OR SENDING OUT UNIFORM OFFICERS THAT, UH, OUR COMMUNITY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE, REALLY SPEAK DISPATCHER.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE THAT ON THE CURRENT SCOPE OF THE, OF THE PROJECT COUNCILMAN.
OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN, UM, TO REVIEW THE TYPE OF CALLS THAT WE RESPOND TO AND TO IDENTIFY THAT A POLICE OFFICER SHOULD BE RESPONDING TO THOSE CALLS.
SO WE HAVE ENGAGED U T SS A, UH, TO PROFESSORS AND, AND THE U T S A, UM, UNIVERSITY TO HELP US WITH THAT PROCESS OF DON'T WORK FOR OTHER CITIES, UH, ACROSS
[01:20:01]
THE COUNTRY.UH, BUT THAT IS THE GOAL OF THIS, UM, PARTICULAR REVIEW.
I WILL TAKE, I WILL TAKE NOTE OF YOUR QUESTION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE SOME TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT IS NOT IN, IN THIS SCOPE OF THIS REVIEW.
BUT I WILL MAKE NOTE OF THAT, COUNCILMAN.
THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
COUNCILMAN VRAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, THANK YOU CHAIR, UM, FOR THIS CROSS-FUNCTIONAL CITY EXECUTIVES TEAM, UM, TELL ME WHO IS, WELL, LET ME JUST SAY, I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM INNOVATION THERE, UH, BECAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW IF BRIDGER'S PART OF INNOVATION OR IF MCCAREY OVERSEES INNOVATION, BUT I THINK MY POINT IS WE NEED, I, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE LOOKING AT FUNCTIONALITY AND HOW IT WORKS IN OUR CITY, UH, GOVERNMENT, BUT I THINK WE NEED JUST A NEW SET OF EYES AND OTHER THINKING AS WELL.
YOU ALL DO WONDERFUL WORK, BUT I THINK WE NEED OTHER EYES AND A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
UM, UM, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, DID YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? YES, THANK YOU.
UH, MARIA, I, I LOVE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT HEARING FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY REGARDING WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE ON, ON THE WEBSITE.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S CRITICAL.
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF ON THERE.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO NAVIGATE.
UH, SO I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT WE, UH, THAT WE TEST IT WITH THEM ONCE WE PUT SOMETHING UP, WE SEND THEM AND SAY, GO FIND THIS AND LET'S SEE IF THEY CAN FIND IT.
UM, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I'M NOT SURE THAT'S HAPPENING.
I'D LIKE TO SAY HI TO, UH, OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY, WHO I SEE HAS JOINED US.
UH, JOE, VERY NICE TO TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, THE REVIEW BY U T S A.
UH, ERIC'S VERY GLAD TO SEE YOU SELECT, UH, AN OUTSIDE ENTITY, UH, TO DO THAT REVIEW.
UM, SINCE, UH, I NOTICED IN THE CONTRACT WITH THEM THAT THEY WILL OBTAIN PROJECT APPROVAL FROM THE I R B.
SO, UH, I, THIS SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GOING TO POSSIBLY BE PUBLISHED IN SOME SORT OF JOURNAL AS WELL.
SO IT WOULD BE, UH, PEER REVIEWED BY, BY OTHER ENTITIES IN THE SAME FIELD.
AM I, IS THAT RIGHT? UM, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
U T SS A MENTIONED THAT THEY MAY USE THE, UM, PRODUCT OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING FOR THE CITY AND, AND POTENTIALLY DO A PUBLICATION.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PEER REVIEW THAT YOU MENTIONED, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, DR.
TYLER, WHO ARE THE TWO PROFESSORS THAT ARE ASSISTING US WITH, WITH THIS, UM, REVIEW.
FOR, FOR GETTING IT PUBLISHED, IF THEY WERE TO GET IT PUBLISHED IN A JOURNAL, THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
UM, SO ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE SCIENCE, UH, IS THAT YOU, UH, YOUR RESULTS STAND IF SOMEONE ELSE CAN REPRODUCE THEM.
SO IF THE, IF THE DATA THAT THEY HAVE IS AVAILABLE FOR OTHER RESEARCHERS TO USE TOO, FOR ADDITIONAL ANALYSES, I THINK THAT COULD HELP US IN, IN THE LONG RUN.
UM, IT SAYS IN THE CONTRACT THAT THE CITY MANAGER WAS TO RE UH, RECEIVE A PRELIMINARY REPORT BY MID-NOVEMBER.
HAS THAT HAPPENED? I HAVE RECEIVED A PRELIMINARY, UM, ANALYSIS OF THE CALLS.
UH, CHIEF MCNESS AND I HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH, UH, DR.
SMITH TO REVIEW, UM, THE RESULTS OF THEIR, THEIR INITIAL ANALYSIS SO WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE GONNA BRING TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN FEBRUARY REPRESENTS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR CALL CENTER.
SO, YOU KNOW, FROM THE LINGO THAT WE'RE USING, THE, WHAT DATA WE GONNA PRESENT.
SO IT'S, IT'S A POWERFUL PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED.
THERE'S NOT A FINAL REPORT YET, BUT THOSE ARE THE, THE DRAFTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN REVIEWING WITH, WITH THE PROFESSORS.
I, UH,
UH, AND I'M CURIOUS THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DELEGATION TO, UH, DELEGATING SOME OF THE CALLS THAT THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES RIGHT NOW, WOULD THEY BE DELEGATED TO OTHER EXISTING DEPARTMENTS? OR IS THE IDEA OF THIS REVIEW TO ALSO THINK ABOUT NEW ALTERNATIVES AND, AND NEW WAYS TO, UM, ADDRESS THOSE CALLS? IT IS BOTH COUNCIL IMAN, OUR GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS OR PERHAPS OTHER ENTITIES OR OTHER, UH, MODELS ALTOGETHER.
[01:25:02]
THANK YOU.COUNCILMAN PERRY, DID YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UM, I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO, ACTUALLY, I'M GOING TO TAKE, UM, AGENDA ITEMS OUT OF ORDER.
WE HAVE OUR DA JOE GONZALEZ, UH, HERE, AND I WANTED TO ASK HIM TO GIVE US A, AN UPDATE, UM, FROM THE COUNTY ON SITE AND RELEASE.
SO IF, IF THAT'S OKAY, WE'LL, I'LL YIELD THE FLOOR TO HIM AND, UH, WE'LL TAKE
[4. 20-7353]
ITEM FOUR AND THEN ITEM THREE, NEXT.GOOD AFTERNOON, DIEGO GONZALEZ.
GOOD, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILWOMAN.
UH, UH, HELLO EVERYONE AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYBODY.
UH, I DID WANNA GIVE, UH, A BRIEF UPDATE ON, UH, WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A HUGE SUCCESS OF OUR SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAMS. I SAY ALL THE TIME, THE REASON IT HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL IS BECAUSE OF THE CITY COUNTY COLLABORATION THAT WE ARE ENJOYING, UH, BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND, AND YOU ALL, UH, PARTICULARLY THE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, CHIEF MCMANUS AND ALL THE OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN SITE AND RELEASE.
I'M HAPPY TO, TO ANNOUNCE THAT, UH, JUST IN THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE WERE IN OPERATION THERE WERE CLOSE TO 2,500, UH, I THINK IT WAS 20 2490 OR SO, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE CITED TO THE REENTRY CENTER AND AVOIDED, UM, BEING ARRESTED.
UH, AND THAT, THAT RESULTED IN A HUGE SAVINGS TO THE COUNTY, UH, BY $1,000,001.8 MILLION IN BOOKING COSTS.
UH, AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE COURT APPOINTED FEES, UH, WHICH ARE PROBABLY ANOTHER THREE OR 400,000.
SO WELL OVER $2 MILLION JUST IN, IN, UH, IN THE AVOIDANCE OF PROCESSING THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UH, NEVERMIND ALLOWING THE OFFICERS TO BE BACK ON THE STREET.
SO, UH, AGAIN, UM, IT'S BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS.
I, I WOULD SAY, IN LARGE PART IS BECAUSE OF THE OFFICER'S ABILITY TO EXERCISE THEIR DISCRETION IN, IN MAKING DECISIONS, UH, ABOUT WHICH INDIVIDUALS TO CITE.
UM, AND, UH, ADDITIONALLY, I JUST HAD SOME OTHER NUMBERS FORWARDED TO ME.
WE NOW HAVE AN ADDITIONAL CLOSE TO 1000 PEOPLE THAT HAD BEEN CITED.
SO JUST IN A YEAR AND A HALF, WE'VE HAD, UH, ABOUT 3,400 PEOPLE, UH, AGAIN, PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO, UH, UM, BECAUSE OF, OF THE, THE, THE WORK EVERYONE, UH, THAT IS EVERYONE'S BEEN DOING, UH, I CONSIDER IT A HUGE SUCCESS.
I THINK YOU'RE MUTED, COUNCILMAN.
UH, I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF OTHER, UH, MEETINGS, JOE, BUT IS IT, DO YOU MIND IF WE JUST TAKE A ROUND OF QUESTIONS? NOT AT ALL.
UM, I'LL START WITH, UH, COUNCIL VANDER SULLIVAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU.
DA, WE, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS, UH, A HEAVY TOPIC FOR YOU AS WELL, UM, AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD, BUT MY QUESTION THAT I HAVE FOR YOU IS, DURING THIS PANDEMIC, WHAT HAVE OUR SITE AND RELEASE NUMBERS LOOKED LIKE COMPARED TO, UH, THE FIRST QUARTER THAT WE DID OUTSIDE OF THE PANDEMIC? AND THEN HAVE WE SEEN AN ESCALATION, A DECLINE? AND THEN HOW CAN WE SPEAK TO TRULY GOING FORWARD? I, I THINK WE'VE SEEN A, A, A SLIGHT REDUCTION, BUT I THINK THAT COUNCILWOMAN THAT'S REFLECTIVE OF THE FACT THAT I THINK YOU'RE SEEING PEOPLE, LESS PEOPLE ON THE STREET, LESS PEOPLE, UH, PERHAPS DRIVING ON A ROAD.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, I THINK YOU'RE SEEING LESS CONTACT, UH, THAT YOU WOULD SEE OUTSIDE THE PANDEMIC.
SO WHILE WE HAVE SEEN, UH, A SLIGHT REDUCTION, UH, WE HAVE HAD SOME REFERRALS, UH, TO THE REENTRY CENTER.
UH, KEEP IN MIND, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF MONTHS, I THINK, UH, WHERE THE RECENT ENTRY CENTER WAS, WAS CLOSED BECAUSE THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, AND WE WEREN'T SURE EXACTLY THE LEVELS, UM, UH, OF CONTACT THAT WOULD, WOULD CAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, AN INCREASE IN, UH, IN THE VIRUS.
BUT, UH, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT WE'RE, UM, WE'RE OPERATING, UM, UH, AS EXPECTED AND, AND GOING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET BACK TO NORMAL, WHENEVER THAT IS, WE EXPECT THE NUMBERS TO CONTINUE, UH, TO, UH, TO INCREASE.
UH, AND SO, UH, I'M VERY HOPEFUL.
UH, AND ADDITIONALLY, UH, UH, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT, THAT, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, TO, UH, TO SPONSOR A, UH, SOME LEGISLATION TO EXPAND, UH, THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL OFFENSES THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLY, UM, UH,
[01:30:01]
EXPANDED UNDER THE SITE AND RELEASE STATUTE.UH, PRIMARILY WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, STATE JAIL FELONY DRUG OFFENSES.
UH, BUT, UH, AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT WE'LL HAVE TO, UH, ENGAGE IN SOME DISCUSSION.
UM, AND SO, SO AGAIN, I'M VERY, I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT, UM, THAT THE, UH, THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO THRIVE.
AND SO, UM, UNDER, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AN ORDINANCE AND, AND PUTTING FORTH AN ORDINANCE, UM, WHAT IS YOUR LEGAL, UM, OPINION ON HOW DOES AN ORDINANCE WORK WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, YOUR POSITION AS THE DA AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE USING THIS PLATFORM TO REALLY SPEAK TO THE LOWER OFFENSES THAT A LOT OF OUR YOUNGER, UH, COMMUNITY IS LOOKING AT, WHETHER IT'S MARIJUANA, ME, UH, PETTY THEFT, OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, HOW ARE WE USING YOUR, YOUR DA AND, AND SITE AND RELEASE TO LEVERAGE HOW WE EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY? OKAY.
WELL, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OF ISSUES, UM, THAT YOU'VE, THAT YOU'VE ARTICULATED.
BUT FIRST, LEMME START WITH THE ORDINANCE.
I HAVEN'T SEEN, UH, ANY COMPOSED LANGUAGE THAT, THAT THE ORDINANCE WOULD, WOULD COVER.
BUT, BUT I WOULD TELL YOU AT THIS POINT, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANY NEED FOR AN ORDINANCE BECAUSE, UH, I THINK THE REASON WE'VE HAD SUCH SUCCESS IS BECAUSE OF THE OFFICER'S ABILITY TO MAKE THAT CALL OUT ON THE FIELD.
UH, AND IF AN ORDINANCE IS GOING TO IMPACT THAT, IF, IF AN ORDINANCE IS GONNA REQUIRE AN OFFICER, UH, TO, TO MAKE AN ARREST, UH, AND TAKE AWAY THE OFFICER'S DISCRETION, I REALLY THINK THAT'S GONNA HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE HARMFUL.
UM, WE REALLY DO NEED TO, TO, TO, TO HAVE FAITH THAT THE OFFICERS ARE, ARE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION WITH, WITH, UH, WITH THEIR DISCRETION, WITH MAKING THE DECISIONS ABOUT WHO, UM, TO, UH, TO CITE, BECAUSE THIS ISN'T A ONE SIZE FITS ALL SITUATION.
THE OFFICERS HAVE TO MAKE, UH, THE, THE CALL OUT THERE ON THE SCENE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS, THIS, THIS INDIVIDUAL IS THE APPROPRIATE CANDIDATE.
AND YOU'VE GOTTA REMEMBER, THAT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS.
ONCE THE OFFICER CITES THAT INDIVIDUAL, THAT PERSON IS REQUIRED THEN TO GO TO OUR RE-ENTRY CENTER, OR ONE OF OUR PROSECUTORS WILL SCREEN THAT INDIVIDUAL.
SO IT COULD BE THAT THE OFFICER'S ASSESSMENT THAT THAT PERSON WAS A, A GOOD CANDIDATE, ENDS UP BEING TO, UH, NOT TO BE THE CASE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
MAYBE THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS, UH, AN EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL HISTORY.
MAYBE THERE'S SOME AGGRAVATED ELEMENT THAT THE OFFICER ON THE STREET WASN'T AWARE OF.
AND SO I THINK THAT AN ORDINANCE WOULD, WOULD NOT HAVE THE KIND OF, UM, EFFECT THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THIS PROGRAM.
UM, I, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO ULTIMATELY CONSIDER THAT WHOEVER GETS REFERRED TO OUR REENTRY CENTER, THE PROSECUTING AGENCY THAT IS US, UH, WE HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO ACCEPT THAT PERSON OR, UH, DIVERT THEM TO A DIFFERENT TRACK OR TO FILE THE CASE IN COURT.
UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLASS B AND A MISDEMEANORS RIGHT NOW.
THOSE ARE WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, NOT, FOR EXAMPLE, MUNICIPAL COURT.
UH, AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT CALL.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF IMPACT OR EFFECT AN ORDINANCE IS GONNA HAVE.
UH, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA HAVE ANY EFFECT ON US.
WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION BASED ON, UH, THE TOTALITY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT WE BELIEVE THIS PERSON IS A GOOD CANDIDATE AND, AND BASED ON THE, THE, UM, THE ELEMENTS OF THE OFFENSE.
AND THEN, UM, ONE FINAL QUESTION.
I KNOW THAT DURING, UM, WELL, EARLIER, ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO, YOU IMPLEMENTED A NEW, UH, PROCESS DEALING WITH EQUITY AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE WITHIN THE DA'S OFFICE.
COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE TO WHAT THAT, UM, DEPARTMENT WILL BE DOING OR WHAT, HOW THEY'LL BE OVERSEEING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY AND HOW WE'RE MAKING THIS REALLY TRANSPARENT TO OUR COMMUNITY? COUNCILWOMAN, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE CREATION OF THE THE NEW CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION.
SO, UM, BECAUSE OF, OF GEORGE FLOYD AND THE AFTERMATH, WE, I THINK, UM, NOT ONLY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, BUT PROSECUTORS, UH, HAVE, UH, HAD TO RELOOK, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTRY AT HOW THEY HANDLE THESE KINDS OF CASES.
UH, I'M TALKING ABOUT OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS AND, AND THE ONE AND THE ONE, UH, CRITICISM, UM, OR ARGUMENT THAT I'VE HEARD CONSISTENTLY IS ONE OF, OF, OF LACK OF INDEPENDENCE.
THAT WE RELY ON OFFICERS TO COME TO COURT AND MAKE OUR CASES THAT, UH, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE OFFICERS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO THAT, UH, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR US TO, TO BE IMPARTIAL WHEN REVIEWING, UM, THOSE KINDS OF CASES.
WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S A, A, A CREDIBLE ARGUMENT, WHETHER OR OR NOT THAT'S, UH, THAT HAS ANY BASIS IN REALITY.
[01:35:01]
THAT, THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND.UH, AND SO WHAT I'VE DONE IS, UH, REQUESTED FUNDING AND RECEIVED TO CREATE AN INDEPENDENT STANDALONE DIVISION THAT'S GOING TO REVIEW THESE CASES TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT, UH, A SITUATION WHEN OR AN OFFICER HAS TO FIRE HIS WEAPON, WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THE DECISION HE MADE RISES TO A LEVEL OF A CRIME.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS A, A DIVISION THAT THE, THIS, THESE PROSECUTORS, WHO BY THE WAY, HAVE NOT BEEN HIRED YET, WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF, OF INTERVIEWS, WILL BE REVIEWING THESE KINDS OF CASES TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE OFFICERS DID ANYTHING WRONG, WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THEY WERE IN, IN FEAR OF THEIR LIFE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF, IF, IF THEY WERE IN FEAR OF THEIR LIFE, THEN THEY'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, A JUSTIFICATION, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A DEFENSE, UH, UNDER THE LAW.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS DIVISION IS GOING TO BE DOING.
UH, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE THAT WILL, WILL, UM, RUN THAT DIVISION THAT WILL BE ANSWERING TO ME DIRECTLY.
UH, AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO DO THINGS LIKE, UH, PREPARE A, UH, A REPORT, UH, IN THE EVENT THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE PRESENT A CASE TO THE GRAND JURY AND A GRAND JURY NO BUILDS THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, CASE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE PREPARED TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE FACTS OF THE CASE.
UH, AND SO THOSE ARE, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE, UH, DECIDED TO DO WITH THIS NEW DIVISION.
WHAT I'VE DONE SINCE THE BEGINNING IS, UH, REVIEW THESE CASES AND PRESENTED EVERY ONE OF THE CASES TO THE GRAND JURY, UH, TO, TO, UM, ALLOW THEM TO MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT A CRIME, UM, UH, HAS BEEN COMMITTED.
AND SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER, UH, IN A LONG STEP OF TRYING TO BE AS TRANSPARENT, UH, AS POSSIBLE WITH THESE KINDS OF CASES.
AND THEN AS WE SPEAK TO THAT, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THE, THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION BEING ABOUT POLICE SHOOTINGS.
UM, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD EARLIER ABOUT
AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE LOOK AT, EVEN AT THE EAST SERVICE AREA, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, 164 ARRESTS, CUSTODIAL ARRESTS VERSUS 72.
UM, AND, AND SO WE'RE SEEING THAT THERE ARE STILL, UM, MORE ARRESTS THAN THERE ARE SITE AND RELEASE, UM, WITHIN THIS EAST SERVICE AREA.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, EVEN WITH THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN, UH, POPULATION, THERE'S LIKE A QUADRUPLE, UM, IN THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS WHEN IT COMES TO SITE AND RELEASE.
IF A COMMUNITY OR IF A, A PERSON HAS A CONCERN THAT THIS HAS BEEN DONE, UM, AGAINST THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS, OR THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN TARGETED OR THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN, UM, VIOLATED UNDER THE SITE AND RELEASE, WOULD THIS CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO, UM, HANDLING THOSE THAT FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING, UM, OVER, UH, POLICED, EVEN THOUGH WE DO HAVE SITE AND RELEASE? UH, WELL, A QUICK ANSWER, INTERRUPT FOR JUST A SECOND, JOE, I'M SORRY.
UM, UH, COUNCIL MANAGER SULLIVAN, WE, WE ONLY HAVE LIMITED TIME WITH HIM, SO IT'LL BE THE LAST, I'LL LET THIS BE MY LAST QUESTION.
UH, WELL, THE QUICK ANSWER IS NO.
THE, THE, THE, UM, CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION IS OWING GOING TO LOOK AT OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS AND CLAIMS OF EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE.
THEY WILL NOT BE REVIEWING ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH SITE AND RELEASE.
UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE DIRECT, UH, OVERVIEW UP HERE IN THE, UH, ADMINISTRATION OF OUR OFFICE.
UH, I'M IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT KEEP TRACK OF THE NUMBERS, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, UH, WE HAVE REVIEWED, UH, THE, UM, THE APPLICATION OF SITE AND RELEASE ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT MY OPINION IS THAT IT HAS BEEN, UH, THEIR APPLICATION HAS BEEN RACE NEUTRAL.
IN OTHER WORDS, I BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE CITING INDIVIDUALS AT THE SAME RATE, UH, WHETHER IT'S ON NORTH SIDE, THE SOUTH SIDE, THE WEST SIDE, OR THE EAST SIDE.
UH, AND THAT'S TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT THEY MAKE A DEC UH, A DECISION TO CITE.
UH, THEY'RE DOING IT EQUALLY, UH, WHETHER YOU'RE HISPANIC, WHITE, OR AFRICAN AMERICAN.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS I'D LIKE TO MAKE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT, THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IS, UM, ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
AND I'M GLAD WE'RE SEEING THIS, THIS, UH, COLLABORATION TAKING PLACE.
'CAUSE, UH, IT WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T BRING THEM UP ON BEHALF OF MY COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN SEEING AN INCREASE IN, WELL, NOT AN INCREASE, JUST ALWAYS, UH, DRAG RACING HAPPENING
[01:40:01]
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE, UM, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY.WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE'S LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST BECAUSE OF DRAG RACING.
UM, AND WE EVEN SAW SOME DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEKEND, UM, IN OCTOBER, OUR CITY, UM, OFFICERS, OUR POLICE OFFICERS WENT OUT THERE.
UM, AND OF THOSE 25 ARRESTS, 17 WERE REJECTED CASES.
AND SO, ALTHOUGH, SO I BELIEVE THAT THIS JUST CONTINUES TO EMBOLDEN INDIVIDUALS.
AND I UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, FILE SOMETHING ON SOMEBODY, OR YOU CAN'T CONVICT SOMEBODY ON SOMETHING THAT DOES, DIDN'T REALLY, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN, OR THE CASE WASN'T THERE.
BUT I JUST NEED YOU TO KNOW THAT STREET RACING HAS, IS CONTINUING TO BE A DANGEROUS SUBJECT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, ESPECIALLY IN THESE AREAS.
WE EVEN WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE WAS A CRIMINAL TRESPASSING ON THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY.
WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH SO MUCH, BUT WHEN THEY ARE, UM, WHEN THEY ARE JUST RELEASED AND OUT ON THE STREET AGAIN LATER THAT NIGHT, IT REALLY EMBOLDENS THEM.
SO I WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
SECOND, UM, WE KNOW THAT SOME OF OUR, UH, COMMUNITY, WE'VE BEEN HAVING A, A LOT OF CRIME HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY, NOT A LOT.
WE'VE HAD AN INCREASE OF CRIME HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SCARY, VERY VIOLENT CRIMES.
AND WHAT WE'RE ALSO FINDING IS THAT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT COMMITTING THESE CRIMES ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS AND WHO WERE LET OUT ON BOND OR A, A LOW A BOND, ET CETERA, BUT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OUT ON BOND FOR MURDER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS COLLABORATION AND WORKING TOGETHER, BECAUSE WE NEED TO JUST ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE WHEN THIS IS THIS HAPPENING AND TAKING PLACE.
SO THOSE WERE MY COMMENTS THAT I WANTED, UM, TO SHARE WITH YOU, MR. DA.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AGAIN, AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
DO, UH, DO I HAVE A CHANCE TO BRIEFLY RESPOND, UH, TO BOTH OF THOSE? OF COURSE.
OF COURSE, BECAUSE I SEE A TIME, UH, LIMIT THERE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S FOR ME OR SOMEBODY ELSE.
UH, BUT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU FIRST OF ALL, ON THE RACING, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH YOU.
THAT'S A REAL MENACE, UH, AND TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT'S A REAL DANGER TO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE, UH, SOME OF THESE IN INDIVIDUALS ARE BLOCKING TRAFFIC.
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE, ARE, UM, BARRELING DOWN THE ROAD AT HIGHER RATES OF SPEED THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS BODILY INJURY OR DEATH.
SO WE TAKE THOSE CASES VERY SERIOUSLY.
UH, I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT.
NOW, THE REALITY IS, UH, UH, THE EVENTS OF THAT SITUATION WHERE THAT THE, THE MAGISTRATE JUDGE ON DUTY, UH, MADE THE DECISION TO REJECT THOSE CASES, UM, UH, AND, UH, EVERYONE'S GOT A JOB TO DO.
AND SO THAT JUDGE ON DUTY MADE THE DECISION, UH, UH, NOT TO ALLOW THEM TO GO FORWARD.
UH, THERE ARE CASES, UH, I, I BELIEVE THAT ARE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.
UH, AND SO THAT SITUATION IS STILL PENDING.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, I CAN'T REALLY COMMENT ANY FURTHER, UH, OTHER THAN TO SAY WE ARE READY TO, UH, TO PROSECUTE A RIGHTEOUS CASE THAT IS BROUGHT TO US.
UH, BECAUSE I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT, THAT, UH, WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING TO, TO, UH, TO PUT A STOP TO THAT, UH, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT THESE, UH, THESE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE ENDANGERING NOT ONLY THEMSELVES, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE THAT'S ON THE ROAD.
SO I AM FULLY COMMITTED, UH, TO, TO DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROSECUTE THOSE CASES.
UH, AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAGISTRATE, YOU MENTIONED AN ISSUE THAT, THAT, UM, SOMETIMES PEOPLE, UH, DON'T REALIZE THAT WHEN, UH, WHEN SOMEONE IS ARRESTED AND BROUGHT TO THE MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE, AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I DID THAT JOB FOR SEVEN YEARS, UM, THE MASTER JUDGE MAKES THE ULTIMATE CALL ON, ON BUDDY AND SETTING THE BOND.
ALL WE DO IS, UH, IS R RECOMMEND, UH, A, A BOND OR AGAINST A BOND, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S UP TO THE JUDGE TO SEND, UH, UH, WHATEVER HE OR SHE BELIEVES TO BE, UH, AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT.
AND, AND SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE, THE BIG FRUSTRATION WITH A, WITH A, WITH THE BAIL SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY, IS THAT I'VE SAID FOR A LONG TIME, IT, IT SHOULD BE BASED ON RISK, NOT WHETHER OR NOT SOMEBODY'S GOT MONEY IN THEIR BANK.
SO SOMEONE, AS YOU MENTIONED, IF, IF, IF THEY'RE OUT ON BOND ON A MURDER CASE, MAYBE THEY HAD $10,000 SITTING IN THEIR BOND IN THEIR BANK ACCOUNT, SO THAT IF A JUDGE SET A BOND AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND, GUESS WHAT? THEY COULD TAKE THE $10,000 AND GET AND WALK OUT THE DOOR, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE FACING A MURDER CHARGE.
THE, THE, THE, WHETHER OR NOT SOMEBODY GETS OUT ON BOND OUGHT TO BE BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT HE'S A DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER OR NOT HE'S GONNA GO BACK OUT THERE AND COMMIT ANOTHER MURDER.
[01:45:01]
FOR MANY YEARS.I, AND UNTIL THE SYSTEM'S CHANGED, THIS, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.
BUT, UM, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEAL WITH ON A CONSTANT BASIS, AND, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO, TO KEEP THIS COMMUNITY SAFE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN PERRY? YES, MA'AM.
AND MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP HERE.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU BACK MORE OFTEN ACTUALLY, WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAVE MORE TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, JUST REAL QUICKLY, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, YOU USE, YOU USE THE, UH, NUMBER OF 3000, WAS THAT THE NUMBER OF, UH, EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THAT 3000 IS? UM, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE SITE AND RELEASE? YES.
SO WE HAD TWO TWENTY FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE PEOPLE THAT WERE CITED TO THE REENTRY CENTER.
THAT MEANS 20, UH, ALMOST, UH, 2,500 TIMES A POLICE OFFICER GIVES SOMEONE A, A CITATION INSTEAD OF ARRESTING THEM.
THAT WAS FROM JULY, 2019 TO JULY, 2020.
FROM JULY, 2020 TO NOW IS AN ADDITIONAL $1,000.
ALRIGHT, WELL, OUT OF THAT, I'VE GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, OUT OF THAT 3,400, LIKE HOW MANY OF 'EM WENT TO THIS, UH, DIVERSION PROGRAM, HOW MANY SHOWED UP, HOW MANY DIDN'T, DIDN'T FINISH IT? HOW MANY REPEAT OFFENDERS HAVE WE HAD, UH, OUT OF THAT 3,400? UM, I, I, I'VE GOT A LOT OF DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AND HOW WE KEEP TRACK OF 'EM AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
I, I, I GOT A WHOLE LAUNDRY LIST AND I, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST SEND YOU A LETTER OR A NOTE OR SOMETHING WITH ALL THOSE QUESTIONS ON IT, WOULD, WOULD APPRECIATE AN ANSWER TO THOSE.
BUT I KIND OF LOOK, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE $1.8 MILLION SAVINGS ALSO, UM, I KIND OF LOOK AT IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
DO Y'ALL GET ESTIMATES ON THESE PARTICULAR PRIMES OF HOW MUCH DAMAGE THAT THEY DID, THAT THEY DID, UH, TO A, TO A BUSINESS OR TO A RESIDENCE ACROSS THE CITY? WHEN, WHEN, UM, WHEN THEY GET ARRESTED OR A SITE AND RELEASED? DO Y'ALL GET ANY OF THAT INFORMATION? WELL, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE ONLY TIME THAT THERE'S DAMAGE WOULD BE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A CRIMINAL, UH, MISCHIEF CASE, RIGHT? FOR EXAMPLE, GRAFFITI, THE LARGE MAJORITY OF THE CASES ARE POSSESSION CA POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA CASES.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DRUG OFFENSES.
SO THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY DAMAGE PER SE, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A DRUG OFFENSE.
BUT, BUT, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THESE QUESTIONS CAN BE ANSWERED, WHAT YOU'LL TYPICALLY CALL A B SESSION.
BUT WHAT I WOULD INVITE YOU TO DO IS TO GO ONTO OUR DASHBOARD, BECAUSE YOU'LL FIND THAT THERE'S A PLETHORA OF INFORMATION THAT WOULD ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
BUT, BUT THE $1.8 MILLION IS, IS ATTRIBUTED BY, UH, CALCULATING THE, EACH PERSON TO BE BOOKED IS ABOUT $800.
SO THAT YOU MULTIPLY THAT BY THE NUMBER OF CASES WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL IS CITED, AND AGAIN, THE LARGE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE FOR, UH, POSSESSION A MISDEMEANOR AMOUNT OF POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA.
NOW, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, IF A CASE GETS THROUGH TO THE COURT SYSTEM ON A CRIMINAL, UH, UH, MISCHIEF CASE, LET'S SAY A BROKEN WINDOW, UH, THAT'S PART OF, OF OUR CASE WHERE WE REACH OUT TO THE CRIME VICTIM AND TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO TRY AND GET RESTITUTION TO THAT VICTIM.
WELL, YEAH, I'M INTERESTED IN THAT, THAT DATA ALSO.
IF THE GRANT ME THAT INDULGENCE, IT'S OUT OF THOSE, HOW MANY OF THOSE CASES OF SITE AND RELEASE THAT AN OFFICER CAME DOWN AND SAID, YES, THEY, ON MY DISCRETION, WE'RE WE SHOULD BE, UH, UM, NOT DOING THE SITE AND RELEASE, BUT ARRESTING HIM.
UH, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE THEY, HAS IT BEEN KICKED BACK TO 'EM SAYING, NOPE, WE DON'T AGREE WITH YOU.
WE'VE, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA LET 'EM GO? I'M NOT SURE UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION, WELL, HOW MANY CASES, BECAUSE I, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM OFFICERS SAYING, WE JUST TAKE 'EM DOWN THERE AND THEY GET RELEASED RIGHT AWAY.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT DATA POINT ALSO AS HOW MANY ARE ACTUALLY BEING RELEASED WITHOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY CONSEQUENCES OR ANYTHING.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER DATA POINT THAT, AND, AND AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL COUCH THIS ALL TOGETHER AND, AND MEET WITH YOU OFFLINE.
I KNOW EVERYBODY'S BUSY NEEDS TO GET OFF TO OTHER THINGS HERE.
BUT, UM, I, I JUST WANNA SEE A LOT OF DATA AND I WILL VISIT THAT WEBSITE AND SEE IF THAT ANSWERS ALL MY QUESTIONS.
I'D BE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THAT.
BUT THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING ON DOWN AND, AND PARTICIPATING IN THIS.
UH, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE COLLABORATION OF THE CITY AND COUNTY ON THIS ISSUE.
GLAD TO HEAR SITE RELEASE PROGRAM IS WORKING.
[01:50:01]
TO THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL OFFENSES BEING, UM, INCREASED WITH THE STATE.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE.
UM, MARIA, WITH ITEM FOUR WITH THE CITY PRESENTATION.
UH, YES, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A SITE AND RELEASE, UH, REPORT FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF YEAR TWO OF THE PROGRAM.
UH, THE REPORTING PERIOD IS JULY 1ST, 2020 TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2020.
UM, CHIEF MCMANUS IS GONNA GO OVER THAT PRESENTATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT TO THE COMMITTEE THAT WE ARE ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS IN TERMS OF HOW WE REPORT THIS DATA.
SO THE CHIEF IS GONNA COVER THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF, OF THE PRESENTATION TO BETTER, UH, PRESENT AND EMPHASIZE THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM.
SO WITH THAT, UM, CHIEF, THANK YOU, MARIA, UH, MADAM CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, GOOD AFTERNOON.
UM, LEMME START OFF WITH NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, OR FIRST SLIDE.
LEMME START OFF WITH THE, WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
SO THERE'S FOUR STEPS TO IT, AND S A P D, THE POLICE OFFICER IS INVOLVED IN THE FIRST STEP ONLY.
SO THE OFFICER WILL, UH, EITHER WRITE A CITATION OR, UH, MAKE AN ARREST.
IF THE CITATION IS WRITTEN, THEN THE INDIVIDUAL HAS 30 DAYS TO GO TO THE REENTRY CENTER AT THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, HE'S INTERVIEWED BY A, UH, BY AN ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
SO THE SECOND STEP, OR I'M SORRY, THE THIRD STEP IS IF, UH, IF THE A D A, UH, APPROVES AND THE INDIVIDUAL IS CITED AND IS ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM, AND THEN THE COUNTY MONITORS HIM OR HER, UH, THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN IN THE END, IF A, IF A, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS IN THE PROGRAM FINISHES THE PROGRAM, THEN, UH, THERE'S NOTHING APPEARS ON THEIR CRIMINAL RECORD.
BUT ONCE, ONCE THE INITIAL CITATION IS, IS ISSUED, UH, THE POLICE OFFICER IS FINISHED WITH THE PROCESS.
SO, IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF YEAR TWO, AND THAT'S, UH, MARIA JUST MENTIONED THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT JULY, UH, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, THERE WERE 1,434 TOTAL POLICE ENCOUNTERS.
SO OF THOSE ENCOUNTERS, 834 OR 58% HAD OUTSTANDING WARRANTS OR MULTIPLE CHARGES, AND THEY WERE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CITATION BECAUSE OF THAT, THE REMAINING 600 OR 42%, THAT'S THE, THE PURPLE COLOR THERE.
UM, THEY WERE, UH, CITED, THEY WERE SITE AND RELEASED ELIGIBLE.
AND THEN GOING OVER TO THE, TO THE GREEN PIE CHART, OF THAT 600, 500, 5 OR 84% WERE CITED, AND 95 OR 16% WERE ARRESTED BECAUSE THEY, THEY, THEY, UH, DIDN'T QUALIFY, UH, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER FOR A CITATION.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE SAME NUMERICAL INFORMATION AS THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, BUT IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY RACE AND ETHNICITY.
BUT YOU SEE THE NUMBERS, THE NUMBERS ARE THE SAME, UH, 14 34, 8 34, 505, AND THEN 95.
AND IT SHOWS THE PERCENTAGES, UH, AT THE VERY BOTTOM COLUMN, I'M SORRY, THE VERY BOTTOM ROW.
UH, OF THE 600 ENCOUNTERS ELIGIBLE FOR RELEASE, 66% WERE HISPANIC, 18% WERE WHITE, AND 15% WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN.
AND THOSE PO, THOSE PERCENTAGES, UH, THAT YOU SEE ON THE, ON THE SLIDE ARE, ARE MOSTLY CONSISTENT, UH, FOR THOSE CITED AND ARRESTED RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO, THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN OF ARRESTS VERSUS CITATIONS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR VERSUS THE FIRST QUARTER OF LAST YEAR.
AND THE DA MENTIONED IT THAT THERE'S ABOUT A, A 5% DECREASE IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ENCOUNTERS, UH, THIS YEAR.
AND, AND I, AND I'M GONNA THINK THAT THAT'S MOSTLY BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF COVID.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE NUMBER OF TOTAL ENCOUNTERS BY RACE AND ETHNICITY FOR THE FIRST QUARTER, UH, VERSUS THE FIRST QUARTER, UH, FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR VERSUS THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2019.
AND THE PERCENTAGES ARE FAIRLY CONSISTENT FOR BOTH
[01:55:01]
QUARTERS.YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, THE BREAKDOWN BY AGE, UH, HALF OF, UH, HALF OF THE, UH, HALF OR ABOUT 30 OR YOUNGER, WITH THE NUMBER OF ENCOUNTERS DECREASING WITH AGE.
UM, THREE QUARTERS OF THE, OF THE, UM, OF THE INDIVIDUAL CITED ARE, UH, ARE MALES AND ONE QUARTER ARE FEMALES.
AND THAT GOES FOR TOTAL NUMBER OF OFFENSES, TOTAL NUMBER OF ARRESTS, AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CITATIONS, UH, THAT WERE ISSUED.
SO IT, IT, IT SHOWS THAT 70% OF THE 1,434 WERE COMMITTED BY MALES, UH, MALES MADE UP, UH, APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE ARRESTED WITH 27% FEMALES.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE SAME FOR THE NUMBER OF OFFENSES, THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS, AND THE NUMBER OF CITATIONS ISSUED.
HERE WE SEE THE, THE, UH, UH, GEOGRAPHICAL BREAKDOWN OF, UH, SERVICE AREAS, POLICE SERVICE AREAS.
UH, THE, UH, THE SERVICE AREA SHOWS THAT 505 CITATIONS ISSUED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THIS SHOWS TOTAL NUMBER.
AND WEST PATROL ISSUED 111 FOR THE HIGHEST RATE AT 41%.
THESE ARE THE ELIGIBLE OFFENSES LISTED IN THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.
UH, GRAFFITI AND THEFT, UM, ARE THE GRAFFITI WAS, WAS, UM, ELIMINATED FROM THIS LIST.
AND THEFT FROM A PERSON WAS ALSO ELIMINATED FROM THIS LIST, FROM THIS LIST.
AND AS, AS THE DA SAID AGAIN, UH, THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE OFFENSES WERE FOR MARIJUANA, BOTH CLASS A AND CLASS B.
THE PRIMARY REASONS FOR ARREST VERSUS RECEIVING A CITATION WERE BECAUSE OF OUTSTANDING WARRANTS OR MULTIPLE CHARGES.
AND 89% OF, OF THESE ARRESTS ARE OUTSTANDING WARRANTS.
AND AS I MENTIONED, MULTIPLE CHARGES.
AND, UM, THEFT AND MARIJUANA OFFENSES, UH, ARE WHERE WE SEE THE MOST TIME SAVED BY OFFICERS, UM, ON THE STREET.
AND THAT, THAT, UH, IS THE LAST SLIDE, AND I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT OTHER CURRENT OFFENSES DO YOU FEEL COULD SUPPORT ADDING TO THE RELEASE LIST? ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE, UM, DIEGO GONZALEZ NOTED THE ESTIMATED SAVINGS OF $1.8 MILLION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER OFFENSES THAT YOU COULD SEE WE COULD ADD TO THIS LIST? YOU KNOW, I, I, I'M NOT NECESSARILY IN FAVOR OF, MATTER OF FACT, I'M, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF ADDING, UH, OFFENSES WHERE THERE ARE VICTIMS INVOLVED.
IF THERE ARE OFFENSES, UM, STATE JAIL OFFENSES WHERE, UH, YOU DO NOT HAVE A VICTIM, THEN I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
BUT I'M NOT OKAY WITH ADDING CHARGES, UH, WHERE THERE ARE VICTIMS INVOLVED.
UH, AND, AND, AND I, I, UM, WELL, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU TO SEE HOW WE CAN EXPAND THE LIST, UM, TO, TO OFFENSES, YOU KNOW, VICTIMLESS, UH, OFFENSES, UH, JUST, JUST TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND ON THIS, THE WHOLE PROGRAM.
AND I, AND I'VE GOT A MEETING WITH THE DA COMING UP, UM, EITHER THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK, AND, UH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, THIS TIME I'M GONNA START WITH COUNCILMAN PERRY.
UH, THANKS CHIEF, APPRECIATE THE NUMBERS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS TRYING TO, UH, EXPLORE A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH THE DA WAS, UH, OUTTA YOUR LIST OF THE ARRESTS THAT WENT TO MAGISTRATE THAT LEFT OUR MAGISTRATION THAT WENT TO THE COUNTY MAGISTRATE.
HOW MANY WERE KICKED OUT OF THAT, OF THAT TOTAL
[02:00:01]
COUNCILMAN? UH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER.UM, I, I JUST SUBMITTED A, UH, A, A LETTER TO, UH, UH, MIKE LITO ASKING FOR A WHOLE SLEW OF INFORMATION.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT INFORMATION WILL BE, WILL BE GATHERED IN, IN, IN, IN WHAT I'VE ASKED HIM.
UM, IT, IT, IT MIGHT BE, BUT I DON'T THINK SO.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND, AND, UH, AND ASK THE DA, UH, FOR THAT, FOR THOSE NUMBERS.
WELL, YEAH, I, AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED, UH, UH, IN THAT NUMBER.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY REPEAT OFFENDERS ARE BEING REARRESTED AGAIN.
WELL, I'VE GOT THAT, I GOT THAT, GOT THAT RIGHT HERE.
I WANNA KNOW HOW MANY, UM, HOW MANY WARRANTS ARE HAVING TO BE SERVED BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T SHOWING UP TO THE, TO THE SYSTEM.
UH, THAT'S ALL DATA THAT I THINK IS INTERESTING TO SEE IF THIS PROGRAM WORKS TO ME, IT'S NOT JUST SAVING MONEY, YOU KNOW, AND WE, I'VE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT, WELL, HOW MANY POLICE OFFICERS A YEAR ARE WE SAVING? IT'S ONLY TWO FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS.
AND TO ME, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING TO STAND, STAND ON SAYING THAT WE'RE SAVING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WHEN WE'RE NOT.
IT'S ONLY TWO FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS, AND THERE'S STILL A VICTIM INVOLVED WITH A LOT OF THESE CRIMES.
AND THAT'S WHERE I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, WELL, WE NEED TO TRACK THAT COST ALSO.
HOW MUCH IS IT COSTING PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING THEIR TAXES, THAT ARE EXPECTING SAFETY AND SECURITY? HOW MUCH IS IT COSTING THEM TO PUT BACK IN A PLATE GLASS WINDOW OR REPLACE, UH, GOODS THAT HAVE BEEN STOLEN FROM THEM? UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE KIND OF DATA THAT I THINK WE NEED TO ADD TO THIS EQUATION IS THEN WHEN YOU TAKE THAT $1.8 MILLION, IT'S BEING QUOTED, YOU SUBTRACT THAT, THEN TO ME, THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GONNA BE SEEING SOME COST SAVINGS.
AND I LOOK AT THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
WHAT, WHAT, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SAVING, WHAT DOES IT COSTING TO THE VICTIM OUT OUT THERE? SO I KNOW THE VAST MAJORITY IS WITH MARIJUANA CHARGES.
OKAY? BUT WHAT IS THAT DATA POINT FOR THOSE OTHERS THAT IS COSTING PEOPLE MONEY? SO THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN.
BE HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE THERE, CHIEF AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ADD, IF MY QUESTIONS AREN'T ANSWERED, I CAN SEND SOMETHING STRAIGHT TO THE DA OR HAVE YOU ADD IT TO YOUR LIST THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE AT, SINCE WE MEET WHAT MONTHLY WE MEET MONTHLY WITH THE SAFETY COMMITTEE, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A WRAP UP SLIDE EVERY MONTH THAT SHOWS WHAT OUR CRIME STATISTICS ARE.
I'VE HEARD THAT CRIME IS GOING UP.
I HAVEN'T SEEN WHAT THE STATISTICS ARE.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT THE, THOSE ARE.
AND AS A MEMBER OF THE SAFETY COMMITTEE, I WANNA KNOW, I WANNA KNOW WHERE WE ARE ON THAT GRAPH OR ON THAT METRIC SHOWING, YOU KNOW, PRIME, IS IT GOING UP, IS IT GOING DOWN? IS IT STAYING CONSTANT? WHAT, WHAT IS IT DOING? SO I, MA'AM, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT AS A SLIDE.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT HAVING THAT AVAILABLE AT EACH ONE OF OUR MEETINGS TO HAND THAT OUT SO THAT WE'RE KEPT ABREAST OF WHAT OUR PRIME STATISTICS ARE.
AND SAME THING WITH FIRE INCIDENTS ALSO.
SO, UH, I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW THAT CHIEF.
I, I JUST, LIKE I SAID, I'VE GOT A TON OF QUESTIONS FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND, UH, WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF I COULD WORK TOGETHER WITH YOU TO GET THOSE, GET THOSE ANSWERED.
WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE TO REPEAT, UH, NUMBERS COUNCIL MEMBER? I'M SORRY? WOULD YOU LIKE TO REPEAT, UH, NUMBERS, UH, THAT I HAVE? OH, YES.
SIX OF THOSE 74 HAD THREE, AND THE REMAINDER HAD TWO.
TO ME, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER, 74 MM-HMM.
SO, UM, THAT, AND ALONG WITH ALL MY OTHER DATA REQUESTS, WE'LL GET TOGETHER WITH YOU CHIEF, AND IF YOU HAVE IT, IF YOU DON'T, THEN WE WILL, WE'LL, UH, GET IT WITH THE DA TO GET THAT.
UM, I'M ALSO GLAD TO SEE THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF, UM, IF WHEN WE GET THE REPORT, OR
[02:05:01]
MAYBE AT A FUTURE DATE, MARIA, WE CAN SEE HOW EACH OF THESE CASES WHERE SOMEONE GETS A AN ARREST ACTUALLY TURNS OUT WHEN IT GOES TO MAGISTRATE AND THE DA, YOU KNOW, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE DRAG RACING, HOW THEY WEREN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MAG LET THEM GO BECAUSE OF, OF THE PAPERWORK THAT THAT WASN'T DONE.SO I, I THINK REALLY WHAT, WHAT WE WANNA SEE IS HOW IS IT REALLY WORKING? IT'S, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE FUNCTIONALLY ONLY HAVE SOME LEVEL OF CONTROL OVER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, I, I THINK WE WANNA KNOW WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IN, IN THESE SITUATIONS.
SO MAYBE WE COULD THINK ABOUT A WAY TO BRING THAT STORY BACK TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
I KNOW THAT WE APPROVED, UH, AT, I BELIEVE IT WAS TWO DATA ANALYST POSITIONS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR.
UH, DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'VE BEEN HIRED YET OR IF THEY'RE ALREADY GOTTEN TO WORK? UH, COUNCILMAN, THERE WERE THREE ACTUALLY.
AND, UM, WE ARE CONDUCTING FINAL INTERVIEWS IN THE, IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
SO I THINK ALL OF US HAVE GREAT IDEAS FOR WHAT THEY CAN BE
UM, AND THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO, UH, STEP IN AND JUST MAKE MY, UH, MY COMMENT ON, ON WHAT I THINK THE PURPOSE OF SITE AND AND RELEASE IS.
UH, NUMBER ONE, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, I DON'T THINK THE IDEA IS JUST TO PUNISH PEOPLE.
I THINK THE IDEA IS FOR THESE CRIMES TO STOP, NOT TO HAPPEN AGAIN, AND SENDING THEM TO JAIL MAY BE ONE WAY OF, OF DOING THAT.
BUT, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, ASK MY COLLEAGUE IN, IN D 10 TO CONSIDER THAT THERE MAY BE OTHER WAYS OF REDUCING CRIME WITHOUT SENDING PEOPLE TO JAIL.
UM, AND IN FACT, WE, WE KNOW THAT ON MANY OCCASIONS, SENDING PEOPLE TO JAIL AND EVENTUALLY PRISON BACKFIRES, AND IT DOES NOT REDUCE CRIME, BUT IT MAY, IT, IT CREATES A POSSIBILITY OF IT HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE IN THAT, WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL, UH, PERSON WHO, WHO GOES THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, I'D SAY THE, ONE OF THE OTHER GOALS IS TO, UM, NOT RUIN PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR, FOR A MISTAKE THAT THEY'VE, UH, THAT THEY'VE MADE.
UM, WE'VE, UM, WE'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN A LOT.
AND, AND ULTIMATELY, YES, I THINK WE CAN SAVE MONEY.
IF YOU WERE TO TAKE, UH, LIKE COUNCIL AND ANDREW SULLIVAN WAS SAYING, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE EAST SIDE WHEN SHE SAW THE, THE ARREST OR, OR THE CASES THAT HAPPENED ON, IN THE EAST SIDE AREA, LOOK AT HOW MUCH RESOURCE, HOW MANY RESOURCES WERE SPENDING THERE IN TERMS OF POLICING, IN TERMS OF ARRESTING, AND PROBABLY IN TERMS OF PEOPLE FINALLY ENDING UP IN, UM, IN A FACILITY, UH, DETAINED OR, OR IN JAIL.
THAT'S MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT.
AND IS THAT PART OF TOWN BENEFITING FROM THAT? IF WE CONTINUE TO SEE THAT THERE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO CLEARLY WE NEED TO BREAK IN THIS CYCLE, AND THAT'S WHAT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I BELIEVE SITE RELIEF PRESENTS, UH, TO US.
UH, I, I DO WANNA ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT, UH, WHAT SOME OF OUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WERE, WERE MAKING COMMENTS ABOUT REGARDING ORDINANCE VERSUS RESOLUTION.
AND IN MY BRIEF TIME AS CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE, UH, I DID MEET WITH, UH, WITH PEOPLE LIKE CAROLINA ZALES JAIS AND, AND STEVE HUERTA.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AS I TOLD THEM, WAS THAT THERE WERE SOME TYPE OF CHARTER PROHIBITION IN, IN PASSING, UH, AN ORDINANCE.
UH, SO I, UH, OFFERED TO BEGIN WITH A, WITH A RESOLUTION, BUT WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS, UH, ON THE, IN THE MEETING TO CLARIFY THAT FOR US, WHAT, WHAT ARE OUR LIMITATIONS IN PASSING, UM, AN ORDINANCE? AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THE, THE FRUSTRATION OR EVEN THE CONFUSION IN THE, IN THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT WE AS ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO DIRECT THAT TYPE OF OF POLICY.
UH, SO COULD I, COULD I GET A RESPONSE? THANK YOU.
COUNCILWOMAN, UM, LIZ PROVENCIO, FIRST ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, UM, WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND YES, WE HAVE HAD THESE HISTORIC DISCUSSIONS.
UM, BACK WHEN YOU WERE CHAIR, UM, WE HAD THEM WITH COUNCILMAN SALANA AS WELL.
AND THE, THE TWOFOLD, THE LEGAL BASIS IS
[02:10:01]
TWOFOLD.ONE, WE HAVE, UM, SITE RELEASE THAT IS OFF, THAT IS, UH, SPECIFIC TO STATUTORY PROVISIONS THAT PROVIDE FOR, UM, THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO, UM, SITE OR RELEASE FOR CERTAIN OF THESE PORTIONS, RIGHT? SO THAT IS AFFORDED BY STATE LAW AND IS GOVERNED BY STATE LAW SEPARATE.
AND APART FROM THAT, WE HAVE OUR CHARTER PROVISION, WHICH PUTS THE, UH, OPERATION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE CITY MANAGER.
AND THERE'S PROHIBITIONS ON THE COUNCIL GIVING DIRECTION TO PERSONNEL THAT ARE UNDER THE CITY MANAGER.
AND SO AS A RESULT, YOU HAVE FOR TWO DIFFERENT BASES THAT MAKE IT, UM, IMPOSSIBLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE ORDINANCE IN THIS AREA.
AND SO, AS WE HAD DISCUSSED WITH YOU WHEN YOU WERE CHAIR, THAT IF YOU WANTED TO ENUNCIATE POLICY DIRECTION, THAT THAT SHOULD GO THROUGH A RESOLUTION FORMAT I'LL, I'LL TURN BACK IN CHAIR.
I HAVE SOME, SOME FOLLOW UP TO THAT.
SO IS ANYONE FROM THE MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE ON THE CALL? NO.
I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A, JUST AN UPDATE FROM, UM, JUDGE, UM, OUR, OUR PRESIDING JUDGE HERE, HOPEFULLY IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
AND, UM, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SEEING THESE 74 REPEAT OFFENDERS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND THE MAGNITUDE THAT IS THERE, UM, TOO.
UM, CHIEF, UH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE UPTICK IN, IN VIOLENCE THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, ARRESTED HAD A SITE AND RELEASE PRIOR? OR DO WE KNOW IF, UM, THE ESCALATION IN THE VIOLENCE WERE SEEN CAME FROM, UM, PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T COMPLETE THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM? NO.
COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, I HAVE ASKED, UH, IN THE LETTER I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, I HAVE ASKED A WHOLE SLEW OF QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THAT, BUT NONE OF IT IS RELATED TO SITE AND RELEASE.
SO UNDER THE 74 REPEAT, I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW THAT CORRESPONDS WITH THE UPTICK IN VIOLENCE AND WITH THE SITE AND RELEASE, AND IF ANY OF THOSE, UM, KIND OF OVERLAP EACH OTHER.
AND THEN AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SECOND RELEASE, WE KNOW HOW MANY HAVE BEEN, UM, CITED.
WE KNOW HOW MANY, MANY HAVE BEEN RELEASED.
WE KNOW HOW MANY HAVE BEEN, WERE, UH, ARRESTED, BUT HOW MANY SUCCESS STORIES HAVE WE HAD COME OUT OF THE ENTRY PROGRAM BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT WE SEE WITH SITE AND RELEASE COUNCIL MEMBER? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'LL HAVE TO, UH, DIG IN WITH THE, UH, DISTRICT ATTORNEY ON.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING, CHIEF, AS IT RELATES TO COST, UM, AND COST SAVINGS, IF WE COULD GET A, UH, COST ANALYSIS ON TIME AND SAVINGS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, OUR POLICE AND HOW THEY'RE BEING USED UNDER SITE AND RELEASE VERSUS THE TIME AND COST SPENT FOR AN ARREST.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT I HAVE.
UH, IN, IN THE INTEREST OF, I'M SORRY.
UM, NO, THAT'S EVERYTHING IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE ANOTHER ROUND 'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER ITEM THAT WE WANNA GET THROUGH TODAY.
UM, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE A.
[3. 20-7369]
IS A, UH, PRESENTATION BY CHIEF MCMANUS ON UPDATES MADE TO THE BODY WARM CAMERA POLICY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.[02:15:01]
SO, UH, SS A P D, UH, WE JUST COMPLETED RECENTLY A REVIEW OF OUR BODY-WORN CAMERA POLICIES, AND WE LOOKED AT THE, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE LOOKED AT THE POLICY OF OTHER MAJOR CITIES AND WE LOOKED AT A STATE LAW.AND AS A RESULT OF THAT REVIEW, UH, WE REVISED OUR POLICY AND ESTABLISHED A PROCEDURE FOR RELEASING, UH, AUDIO VIDEO RECCO AND VIDEO RECORDING, UH, OF, UH, FUTURE CRITICAL INCIDENTS.
SO WE LOOKED AT OTHER MAJOR CITIES, UH, TEXAS, AND A COUPLE OF CITIES OUTSIDE OF TEXAS.
AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT AUSTIN HAS A RELEASE POLICY WITHIN 60 DAYS.
DALLAS HAS A RELEASE POLICY WITHIN 72 HOURS, PHOENIX, ARIZONA.
UH, THEY, UH, UH, THEIR POLICY IS, UH, BETWEEN 45 AND 60 DAYS.
AND SACRAMENTO, UH, IS NO LONGER THAN 45 DAYS.
NOW, HOUSTON FORT WORTH, EL PASO, THEY DON'T HAVE WRITTEN POLICIES AT THIS TIME.
SO, IN THE PAST WE HAVE, AND NOW WE HAVE ALWAYS FOLLOWED STATE LAW, WHICH IS FOUND IN THE OCCUPATIONS CODE, AND THAT PROHIBITS RELEASE WHILE THERE IS AN, IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATION OR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
AND, AND EACH TIME THERE'S AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING EACH ONE OF THOSE TYPES OF INVESTIGATION TAKES PLACE.
UM, HOWEVER, UH, WE, WE, WE ALWAYS HAVE OPERATED UNDER THE, UNDER THE, UH, THE, THE OCCUPATIONS CODE LAW, WHICH GOVERNS THIS, THIS, UH, UH, BODY CAMERA, UH, MATERIAL.
SO, UM, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE AUTHORITY TO RELEASE BODY-WORN CAMERA VIDEO.
UM, SO THIS SIMPLY ESTABLISHES THAT POLICY AND HOW IT WILL GOVERN THE PROCESS.
SO, WE DEFINE CRIMINAL, UH, CRITICAL INCIDENTS AS NUMBER ONE, OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS, WHICH CAUSE SERIOUS BODILY INJURY OR DEATH.
TWO USE OF FORCE BY AN OFFICER, WHICH CAUSES SERIOUS BODILY INJURY OR RESULTS IN DEATH.
AND THEN I'M GONNA JUMP DOWN TO THE LAST BULLET POINT.
UH, ANY OTHER POLICE ENCOUNTER WHERE, WHERE I WOULD DEEM, UH, NECESSARY THAT WHERE WE WERE RELEASE WOULD SERVE AS, UH, A LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSE.
AND THEN THIS EXCLUDES INCIDENTS WHERE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS INVOLVED, WAS SUSPECTED, AND IT EXCLUDES INCIDENTS WITH JUVENILE SUBJECTS.
UM, THOSE, THOSE, UM, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES THAT WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT COULD BE, UH, TO QUAIL CIVIL UNREST TO PREVENT VIOLENCE, UH, IF SOMEONE IS FALSELY ACCUSED OR TO CORRECT, CORRECT.
SO, OUR POLICY INCLUDES A TIMELINE FOR RELEASE AND IT ASSUMES COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW.
IT PRESUMES RELEASE ON S A ON THE SS A P D WEBSITE WITHIN THE 60 DAYS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFTER A CRITICAL INCIDENT TO PROVIDE CONTEXT.
WE COULD INCLUDE WITNESS STATEMENTS, UH, UH, OR NARRATIVES, UH, AND NOT JUST THE RAW FOOTAGE.
THE POLICY ALSO ALLOWS ME TO HOLD BEYOND THE 60 DAYS, BUT IT MU I MUST STATE A REASON WHY.
AND ANY OF THOSE REASONS COULD BE ANY OF ANYTHING, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, TO NOT ANYTHING, BUT, UH, TO PROTECT, UH, THE SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION.
AND THAT IS IN, UH, LISTED IN STATE LAW TO PROVIDE CONFIDENT TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES AND TO PROTECT, PROTECT THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, UH, OF THE ACCUSED.
AND, UM, IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S, IF WE WERE GOING TO DELAY RELEASE BEYOND THE 60 DAYS, THE REASONS FOR THAT DELAY WOULD HAVE TO BE POSTED, WOULD HAVE TO BE POSTED ON AN S A S A P D WEBSITE.
SO WITHIN 72 HOURS PRIOR TO RELEASE, WE WOULD NOTIFY, UH, OFFICERS WHO ARE DEPICTED IN THE RECORDING THE SUBJECT ON WHOM THE FORCE WAS USED, OR THE SUSPECT'S OR THE PERSON'S LEGAL COUNSEL, IF APPLICABLE.
UH, IF THE SUBJECT IS DECEASED, THE NEXT OF KIN, THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY MANAGER WOULD NOTIFY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
[02:20:01]
ALSO WE WOULD DO THAT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT HIS OFFICE HAS NO PROBLEM WITH, UM, UM, INTEGRITY ISSUES OF THE INVESTIGATION.AND THEN LASTLY, UH, THIS POLICY REVISION WILL TAKE PLACE ON MONDAY COMING, THAT'S DECEMBER 21, AND WILL APPLY TO ALL FUTURE INCIDENTS.
AND THAT'S THE LAST SLIDE, AND I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY OR IF THIS CAN BE APPLIED RETROACTIVELY? COUNCIL MEMBER? WE, WE, WE HAD TO DRAW A LINE SOMEWHERE AND, UM, IT TAKES STAFFING RESOURCES, IT TAKES, UM, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK PUTTING THAT, PUTTING THOSE VIDEOS TOGETHER.
IT'S NOT JUST TAKING THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE AND PUTTING IT OUT THERE.
UM, BUT IT IT BE BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO DRAW A LINE SOMEWHERE.
WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD DO IT ON THE, ON, UM, ON MONDAY THE 21ST.
I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT RETROACTIVE.
I KNOW THAT IT, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TO DRAW A LINE SOMEWHERE, BUT, UM, IT'S, UM, WE DON'T HAVE TO DRAW THE LINE WHERE WE DID.
SO I HAD LIKE TO CONTINUE THOSE DISCUSSIONS, UM, AND, AND SEE HOW WE CAN WORK ON MAYBE MAKING IT AT LEAST SOMEWHAT RETROACTIVE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA CONTINUE THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
AND I'LL MOVE ON TO AGAIN, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
UH, CHIEF, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MM-HMM.
UM, WAS THIS TOPIC DISCUSSED WITH YOUR, UH, COMMITTEE CHIEF, YOUR COMMUNITY COMMITTEE? NO, MA'AM, IT WAS NOT.
WAS THERE ANY FORM OF PUBLIC INPUT INTO THIS POLICY REVISION? NO, THERE WAS NOT.
I FEEL LIKE AN ATTORNEY SOMETIMES WHEN I ASK THESE QUESTIONS AND YOU, AND YOU GIMME A YES NO ANSWER.
UH, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING, UH, VERY CLEAR AND, AND TO THE POINT.
UM, I WOULD, I WOULD ECHO THE, THE CHAIR'S, UM, INTEREST IN LOOKING AT ANOTHER POSSIBLE COUNSEL.
IN ACHIEVEMENT, YOU MAY RECALL THIS, BUT YOU CONSULTED WITH, UM, UM, ONE OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT HANDLED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES AS WE WERE BEING SENSITIVE AS THE EXCEPTIONS, UM, TO THE RELEASE OF CRITICAL INCIDENTS, UH, TO PROTECT THE VICTIM, UH, AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T, THAT THEY FEEL CONFIDENT COMING TO SS A P D, THAT WE WON'T BE RELEASING CERTAIN PRIVATE INFORMATION.
SO, UM, THE CHIEF DID CONSULT IT WITH, UM, UM, SOME OF OUR PARTNERS AS IT COMES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UH, SO OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PARTNERS, WHAT IF, UH, A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY, OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING IS, UH, HAS A CONCERN ABOUT THE RELIEF, MAYBE BECAUSE, UH, THEY THINK IT'S TOO GRAPHIC, IT'S PAINFUL, OR IT MAKES THE FAMILY MEMBER NOT, YOU KNOW, APPEAR IN BED LIGHT.
HOW WILL WE TAKE THOSE CONSIDERATIONS IF, YOU KNOW, IF IF THE FAMILY WANTED TO SEE IT? WE WOULD, WE WOULD CERTAINLY ALLOW THE FAMILY TO SEE IT.
BUT IF THE FAMILY, IF THE FAMILY DID NOT WANT US TO RELEASE IT, WE WOULDN'T RELEASE IT.
SO THE, THE, AND THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE REASONS YOU MIGHT GIVE AT THE 60 DAY TIME, TIME POINT, THAT THE FAMILY DOES NOT WANT THIS VIDEO, UH, RELEASED.
AND FOR, UH, PRIOR TO THE 60 DAYS, UH, TO THE 60 DAY POINT, UH, WOULD A FAMILY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE VIDEO? YES.
AND WHAT WOULD THEY NEED TO DO? AND, AND ALSO CAN THAT HAPPEN NOW FOR, UM, EVEN FROM BEFORE FOR, FOR VIDEOS FROM BEFORE? UM, I WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOK INTO THAT.
UM, I HAVEN'T GIVEN THAT MUCH THOUGHT COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT, UH, WE, WE WOULD CONSIDER THAT MM-HMM.
AND WHAT WOULD THEY NEED TO DO? WOULD THEY NEED TO ADDRESS YOU,
[02:25:01]
UM, REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE OR TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IN ORDER TO REVIEW THAT? THEY WOULD NOTIFY, THEY WOULD, UH, GO THROUGH A HOMICIDE, UH, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER.AND THEN, UM, THERE'S BEEN A, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I GUESS I'M A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED AT THE TIMELINE THAT WE'RE TAKING THAT, UM, THE MEMO CAME OUT JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE IS REALLY JUST AROUND THE, THE CORNER.
UM, BUT THIS DOESN'T PRECLUDE US, OR SORRY, YOU FROM MAKING ANY FUTURE CHANGES TO THIS POLICY, RIGHT.
EVEN THOUGH IT BEGINS ON DECEMBER 21, IF YOU HEAR SOMETHING THAT'S MAYBE AN IDEA THAT YOU HADN'T CONSIDERED YOU, THERE'S STILL A POSSIBILITY TO MODIFY THAT POLICY.
AND THEN, UH, I THINK THAT THE OUTSTANDING QUESTION IS 60 DAYS.
HOW, HOW IS THAT TIME PERIOD SELECTED AND AND HOW CAN IT BE SO VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE 72 HOURS THAT WE SEE IN, IN ANOTHER CITIES? WELL, THERE, THERE, THERE ARE, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE ONLY ONE IN THE COUNTRY THAT I COULD FIND THAT'S THAT SHORT A TIME PERIOD.
UM, THE, THE, THERE HAS TO BE, UH, SOME SORT OF, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY RESOLUTION, BUT, BUT WE HAVE TO GET FAR, FAR INTO THE INVESTIGATION BEFORE WE CAN DECIDE THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA RELEASE THAT VIDEO TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE INTEGRITY OF THE INVESTIGATION IS NOT LOST, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO PUT, PUT THE, UH, PUT THE VIDEO TOGETHER SO THAT EVERYONE CAN UNDERSTAND IT AND SEE IT.
SO, I MEAN, SIX 60 DAYS PROVIDES, UH, AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR US TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO RELEASE THAT VIDEO.
IT'S PRIMARILY CENTERED AROUND THE INVESTIGATION AND SO THAT PEOPLE'S RIGHTS ARE NOT JEOPARDIZED, UH, BY PUTTING THIS VIDEO OUT.
UH, CHIEF, UH, YOU SAID THAT WE HAD TO DRAW THE LINE SOMEWHERE WHEN IT CAME TO THE, TO THE START DATE.
SO, AND THE CHAIR MENTIONED ABOUT DRAWING LINES.
SO WHAT IS IT A MATTER OF WHY, WHY COULDN'T WE START IN JANUARY, 2020 IF IT'S RETROACTIVE? WE, WELL, I'M SORRY.
SAY WHY WOULDN'T, WHY WOULDN'T WE START WITH THIS NEW POLICY OF RELEASING YES, THE VIDEO BODY-WORN CAM.
WHY COULDN'T WE START AND HAVE A START DATE OF GOING BACK TO JANUARY 1ST, 2020? COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'VE, WE'VE ALWAYS FOLLOWED THE LAW IN, IN THESE INVESTIGATIONS.
THE, THE, THE TIMELINE SIMPLY ESTABLISHES THE POLICY.
UM, THIS, THIS ISN'T SOMETHING NEW OTHER THAN THE 60 DAYS.
AND, AND AGAIN, THE, THE, THE, THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THE, FOR THE TIME IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INVESTIGATION IS NOT JEOPARDIZED AND INDIVIDUAL'S RIGHTS ARE NOT JEOPARDIZED BECAUSE WE'RE JUMPING, UH, WE'RE JUMPING TOO SOON TO RELEASE THIS, TO RELEASE A VIDEO.
NO, I, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT GOING, YOU'RE SAYING NOT RETROACTIVELY, I'M SAYING WHY CAN'T YOU DO IT RETROACTIVELY STARTING ON JANUARY, 2020? WELL, AS I MENTIONED, COUNCIL MEMBER, IT, IT, IT'S TIME CONSUMING.
WE WOULD NEED SOME, I, IF WE, WE STARTED TO GET A FLOOD OF, OF REQUESTS FOR VIDEOS.
WE'D HAVE TO, WE'D HAVE TO GET NEW STAFF, BUT ADDITIONAL STAFF TO DO THAT.
UM, IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF GRABBING THE BODY, BODY CAM VIDEO AND, AND PUTTING IT UP ONLINE.
THERE'S WORK THAT GOES BEHIND, UH, GETTING THAT, UH, OKAY.
I HEARD THAT AND I, I HEARD THAT, AND I, AND I TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHEN WE'RE SAYING WITHIN 60 DAYS THAT, AND WHY WITHIN 60 DAYS IT DOESN'T NEED, IT DOESN'T MEAN, AS SOME PEOPLE WERE STATING, WAITING 60 DAYS AND THEN RELEASING IT.
IT COULD BE SOONER THAN 60 DAYS, IT COULD BE 30 DAYS, IT COULD BE 45 DAYS.
UM, AND I CAN SEE IF WE TRIED TO DO A TURNAROUND OF 72 HOURS, THAT WOULD, I CAN SEE THAT NEEDING TO HAVE A LOT OF STAFF BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A, A, A TURNAROUND.
AND THIS WOULD BE BODY WORN CAMERA VIDEO ON ANY SORT OF INCIDENT.
IS THIS CORRECT? NO, THE POLICY, THE POLICY STATES THAT IT'S
[02:30:01]
FOR CRITICAL INCIDENTS.SO HOPEFULLY IT WOULDN'T BE A LOT OF INCIDENTS.
UM, AND SO IF YOU ARE, MY OPINION IS, I THINK WE COULD, AND WE SHOULD GO BACK RETROACTIVELY AT LEAST THIS YEAR, IN 2020.
UM, NUMBER TWO, IT, OF COURSE, THIS IS A LARGER COUNCIL OF CONVERSATION, BUT IF WE, IF THE COUNCIL VOTES NOT TO OR CHOOSES NOT TO MAKE THAT CHANGE, OUR, I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OUTLET FOR FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO REQUEST YES.
TO SEE IF THEY CAN SEE THIS, THIS VIDEO, UM, AND WORK WITH THE FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A CRITICAL INCIDENT.
UM, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT IF THE FAMILY MEMBER CHOOSES NOT TO THAT WE WOULD WITH RESPECT THAT REQUEST AS WELL.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO, TO THINK THROUGH, UM, CHAIR.
AND, UM, I THINK THIS IS A, A GOOD DIRECTION.
LET ME JUST CLARIFY THAT, THAT I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM SHOWING IT TO THE FAMILY MEMBERS RETROACTIVELY, BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BRING THOSE FAMILY MEMBERS IN AND JUST AS WE SHOWED IT TO YOU AND SOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE WOULD DO THE SAME FOR THE FAMILY MEMBERS.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO ANY WORK AS FAR AS, UH, PUTTING THAT, PUTTING THAT VIDEO TOGETHER IN A FORMAT WHERE EVERYBODY WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I HAVE.
WHY, UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT CONTEXT.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? BECAUSE THAT'S A CONCERNING THING, BECAUSE WHO IS TELLING THE STORY? THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT IS BEING RELEASED? SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED MORE AND TALKED THROUGH AND MAYBE EVEN DISCUSSED IN, IN, UH, WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF WHAT THAT MEANS.
CHAIR, MAY I MAKE A COMMENT, PLEASE? UM, IF THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, UM, COME BACK AND FURTHER EXPLAIN HOW THE, THE, THIS PROCEDURE WOULD WORK, UM, THIS PARTICULAR PROCEDURE IS UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE CHIEF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO THERE'S NOT, UM, A VOTE, UH, IS, IS FOR A BRIEFING ONLY.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND EXPLAIN, UH, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER CITIES, AND MAYBE SHARE WITH THE COMMITTEE SOME OF THOSE VIDEOS.
THE CONTEXT IS TO PROVIDE BACKGROUND TO THE, UM, COMMUNITY OR THE PUBLIC WHO MAY SEE THE INCIDENT.
UM, AND IT'S NOT ADDING OR SUBTRACTING, BUT IT'S JUST KINDA EXPLAINING THE, THE FACTS OF THE CASE.
BUT WE'LL BE HAPPY TO EXPLORE THAT OR, OR EXPLAIN THAT BETTER, UH, WITH MORE TIME.
UM, SO THERE'S A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE WHEN THEY HAVE RELEASED THIS VIDEOS.
I THINK THAT, UM, BARR, ANY MAJOR ISSUES, I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I'D LIKE TO SEE ANOTHER, UH, I, I'D LIKE MORE CLARIFICATION ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN, ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN VERON, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST CONCERNING THINGS, UM, IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT THE CONTEXT AND HOW IT'S GONNA BE BROUGHT TO THEM, UM, MANY ARE ASKING WHY IS IT THAT, UM, THE FULL VIDEO WITHOUT ANY EDITING OR TAKEAWAYS IS NOT WHAT IS BEING RELEASED.
UM, SO THAT IS A MAJOR CONCERN OF, OF THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S A MAJOR CONCERN OF MANY FAMILIES.
AND, AND THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS BECAUSE MAKING THIS RETROACTIVE WILL WILL REALLY HELP, UM, TO SPEAK TO HOW WE, UM, BRING THAT TRANSPARENCY, UM, AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN ASKING AND ARE STILL ASKING.
UM, MY QUESTION ALONG THE LINES WITH, WITH COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL IS WHAT ARE THE PROPER STEPS FOR A FAMILY TO TAKE IF THEY WANNA SEE THIS, UH, VIDEO FOOTAGE AND THEY WANNA SEE THE VIDEO FOOTAGE AND, AND FULL CLEAR, NO EDITING, DON'T BREAK IT AND, AND CUT IT DOWN, BUT GIVE ME EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS FOR THAT CHIEF? REMEMBER, THE
[02:35:01]
FAMILY WOULD, WOULD NOTIFY HOMI OR CALL HOMICIDE, MAKE THE REQUEST THROUGH HOMICIDE.IT WOULD BE APPROVED THROUGH MY OFFICE, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND COME IN TO SEE THE VIDEO.
BUT I, I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS, THAT IF, IF MOST OF THESE VIDEOS, IF, IF THE FOOTAGE WERE RELEASED JUST RAW, FIRST OF ALL, IT HAS TO BE REDACTED, UM, BY LAW IN, IN, UH, MOST INSTANCES.
AND NUMBER TWO, IF, IF ONE WERE TO WATCH THIS VIDEO WITHOUT SOME SORT OF EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IT PERSON WATCHING, IT WOULD COMPLETELY MS. KEY PARTS OF THE VIDEO.
AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SEEN THAT VIDEO, UH, THE LAST VIDEO, UM, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR YOU, BUT I'M, I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT, UM, A A LOT OF WHAT WAS IN THAT VIDEO MIGHT HAVE BEEN MISSED IF THE HOMICIDE SERGEANT WASN'T SITTING THERE POINTING THINGS OUT.
UM, THANK YOU, CHIEF, BUT THAT'S WHAT MAKES, UM, THIS CLEAR BECAUSE I THINK THAT FAMILIES WANT TO SEE IT.
PEOPLE WANNA SEE IT, BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REDACTED.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT HAS BEEN, UM, TALKED ABOUT.
AND SO THAT, THAT DOES BRING A LOT OF HESITANCY WHEN IT COMES TO, ARE WE GETTING THE FULL PICTURE? IS THIS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED? HAS SOMETHING BEEN TAKEN OUT? UM, AND WAS THIS AT A TIME WHERE THE CAMERA TURNED OFF? OR, OR THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT, THAT COME UP WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT.
AND I THINK THAT MORE EDUCATION DOES NEED TO GO BEHIND, UM, THE LEGALITY OF THE BODY-WORN CAMERAS AND HOW WE CAN PRESENT THIS INFORMATION AND TRUE TRANSPARENCY TO COMMUNITIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WE, WE WOULD, IF WE WERE TO GET A REQUEST FROM A FAMILY MEMBER TO SEE THE VIDEO, WE, WE WOULD SHOW THEM THE RAW FOOTAGE AND WE WOULDN'T REDACT ANYTHING.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
IT'S, IT'S FOR THE, THE, WHEN THE, UM, PUBLIC AT LARGE, WE WOULD HAVE TO REDACT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE, UM, TALKED ABOUT MORE AS WELL.
SO, UH, MADAM CHAIR, IF WE COULD JUST HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL BREAKDOWN OF HOW BODY-WORN CAMERAS ARE PRESENTED, WHO IS REDACTED FOR WHEN IT'S REDACTED, HOW, UM, WE PRESENT IT TO FAMILIES.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS FOR FAMILIES TO ACTUALLY SEE THIS FOOTAGE IF THEY'D LIKE TO SEE THIS FOOTAGE, I THINK THEN WE START TO SPEAK TO, UM, THE CARES AND THE CONCERNS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT THOSE ARE ALL THE COMMENTS, UM, THAT I HAVE.
MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU CHIEF, AND THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
UH, MARIA, IF, IF YOU COULD ADD THAT TO THE CLARIFICATION, WE GET ANOTHER UPDATE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ONE, ONE OTHER POINT FOR CLARITY THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHOWING IT TO THE FAMILY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LEGAL NEXT OF KIN AS IS DESCRIBED IN THE, UH, UH, UH, IN THE TEXAS CODE OF, UH, OF, UH, CORNER PROCEDURE.
I THINK IT'S UNDER THE, UH, UH, OCCUPATION.
I FORGET WHAT CODE IT'S UNDER, BUT IT'S IN THE, UH, IN THE CODE.
COUNCILWOMAN, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? TELL CHIEF THANK YOU BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPLAINED AS WELL.
UM, WELL THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
WE RAN A LITTLE LONG TODAY, BUT I THINK IT WAS, UH, I REALLY DIDN'T WANNA PUSH ANY OF THESE ITEMS. THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT AND, UM, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO GET A COUPLE OF BRIEFINGS ON THESE.
BUT THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION TODAY.
I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US NEXT YEAR.
I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN 2021 WITH NO OTHER ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA.