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TIME IS 2:03 PM ON THIS FIRST DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2023.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION.
I THINK WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY, UH, LOGGED IN.
SO, UH, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU GO AHEAD AND READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
ALRIGHT, AGAIN, WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL
[ ITEMS ]
B SESSION.UH, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON OUR BRIEFING TODAY.
UH, I THINK WE'VE GOT A FULL HOUSE.
SO IS EVERYBODY SETTLED, MARIA? UM, UH, YES.
MAYOR, I'M JUST LOOKING FOR THE CITY MANAGER.
HE WAS GONNA MAKE SOME OPENING REMARKS.
OKAY, WELL, WHY DON'T WE, BUT WE CAN, WHY DON'T WE START WITH THE, WITH THE CAPTION.
CAPTION AND WE CAN GIMME YOUR, THERE HE IS.
ITEM NUMBER ONE IS A PRES SOLICITATION BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE SECOND ROUND OF THE 2022 THROUGH 2127 HOUSING BOND.
AND, UM, MAYOR, IF YOU'RE OKAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THE I THE SECOND ITEM FIRST, WHICH IS A CRIME PLAN.
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS A BRIEFING BY THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION PLAN.
UM, YOU HEARD THE TWO ITEMS. WE'RE GOING TAKE ITEM TWO FIRST.
I'M DRAGGING IT OUT UNTIL THE CHIEF GETS IN HERE.
WE'RE, WE'RE MILITARY PRECISION TODAY IN TERMS OF, UH, START TIME.
SO, UM, TRYING TO SET A NEW PATTERN FOR THE NEW YEAR.
UH, THANKS, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO OUR FIRST ITEM IS A PRESENTATION BY, UH, S A P D AND U T S A.
UM, AND WE'LL WALK THROUGH, BUT THIS IS A NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR US, UM, IN THIS AREA, UM, SPECIFICALLY, AND THE PRESENTATION TODAY IS ON, UM, THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE JOINTLY WITH U T S A ON A VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION PLAN.
SMITH HERE IN A SECOND, BUT DR.
TE TEG TRILIA FROM U T S A, UM, WHO HAVE DONE SIMILAR WORK IN OTHER MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS IN THIS COUNTRY.
UM, IT'S A CONCEPT THAT HEAVILY RE RELIES UPON DATA TO DRIVE, UH, ACTION AND, AND VISIBILITY.
YOU'LL HEAR, HEAR ABOUT THAT PLAN, UM, AS YOU'LL HEAR WHAT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT FOR US, THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, IS TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRACKING IT AND ADHERING TO THAT DATA AS WE WALK THROUGH BOTH THE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM, UH, FRAMEWORK.
THAT HAS BEEN LAID OUT BY U T S A.
UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, UH, CERTAINLY, UM, SOUND ELEMENTS IN TERMS OF THE PLAN, AND I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT IN, IN MY OPINION, THERE ARE SOME RE SOME, SOME KEYS TO SUCCESS HERE.
AND, AND THEY RELY UPON HOW WE COMMUNICATE TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, HOW WE COMMUNICATE THIS EFFORT, UM, TO THE OFFICERS, UM, HOW WE MAINTAIN COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND WE REPORT AND TRACK AND ADJUST IF NECESSARY.
UM, AND I KNOW WE'LL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE REGULAR UPDATES.
UM, THE, THIS IS AS MUCH, AS MUCH AS WE LIKE TO THINK THAT WE ARE, UM, A DATA-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION, THIS IS A NEW LAUNCH INTO THAT EFFORT FOR US IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, MORE SO THAN THAN WE'VE EVER DONE BEFORE.
UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR, OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS AND THE VIOLENCE INTERRUPTERS AND THE WORK AT STANDUP, UM, UH, SA IS STILL CRITICAL.
UM, AND THOSE ELEMENTS ARE WRAPAROUND FEATURES, NOT NECESSARILY PART OF THE VIOLENT CRIME PLAN YOU'LL HEAR TODAY, BUT THEY'RE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS TO THE ECOSYSTEM OF THAT EFFORT.
UM, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY WE WILL, WE'LL NEED TO BE, UM, UH, CONTINUED.
AND I, AND I'LL TELL YOU, AND THE CHIEF AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS, UM, THE, UM, SUPERVISION OF OFFICERS IS CRITICAL IN ANYTHING WE DO, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THIS, IN THIS ELEMENT.
I MEAN, IT IS, YOU'LL HEAR IN THE PRESENTATION IT'S TARGETED NOT ON ALL CRIME, BUT ON VIOLENT CRIME.
AND IT WAS A VERY DATA INTENSIVE APPROACH THAT U T S A TOOK AND DR.
AND, UM, WITH THAT, CHIEF MCMANUS IS GONNA KICK OFF THE PRESENTATION AND GIVE SOME CONTEXT.
SOME OF THESE SLIDES WE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC
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SAFETY COMMITTEE, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND WE WANTED TO SHARE 'EM WITH THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, AND THEN HE'LL HAND IT OVER TO DR.SMITH TO GIVE THE PRESENTATION.
SO LET ME EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT HOW WE GOT, UM, PARTNERED UP WITH U T S A.
SO LAST YEAR, UH, I WAS READING ABOUT A VIOLENT CRIME PLAN THAT WAS CRAFTED BY A COUPLE OF PROFESSORS FROM U T S A, UH, FOR DALLAS.
AND I READ A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT AFTER THEY SHOWED SOME SUCCESS.
AND AT, AND AT THAT POINT, I CALLED THE, UH, THE CHIEF OF POLICE FROM DALLAS, UH, EDDIE GARCIA.
AND I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT THE PLAN AND HOW IT GOT STARTED AND HOW HE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH, WITH OUR PROFESSORS.
NOT ANYBODY FROM UP IN DALLAS, BUT HERE IN U T S A.
AND, UH, CHIEF GARCIA USED TO BE A CHIEF IN CALIFORNIA, AND HE WORKED WITH THE, UH, U T S A PROFESSORS, DR.
SMITH WHEN HE WAS IN CALIFORNIA.
AND THEN HE, HE, UH, I GUESS HE CALLED THEM FROM DALLAS AND GOT THEM INVOLVED IN THE, IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A VIOLENT CRIME PLAN.
SO, UM, AFTER TALKING WITH, WITH, UH, CHIEF GARCIA, WE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS WITH DR.
TILLER ABOUT THE SAME KIND OF PLAN FOR HERE.
AND AFTER A NUMBER OF MEETINGS, WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A CRIME PLAN FOR HERE.
SO, UM, THAT'S HOW WE GOT HOOKED UP WITH THE, UH, WITH THE CRIMINOLOGY TEAM FROM FROM U T S A AND GOT INVOLVED IN THIS CRIME PLAN.
WE'RE IN THE FIRST PHASE OF THE CRIME PR CRIME PLAN RIGHT NOW.
WE STARTED ON JANUARY 2ND, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
AND, UM, THE, UM, THE PLAN WAS TO PRESENT THAT PLAN TO THE CITY COUNCIL TODAY AT B SESSION.
SO THIS, THIS SLIDE CAN BE SUMMED UP WITH, WITH FOUR WORDS, REVERSE, REDUCE, INCREASE, AND IMPROVE.
SO WE WANNA REVERSE THE INCREASING TREND OF VIOLENT CRIME.
WE WANT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF VIOLENT, UH, I'M SORRY, WE, WE WANT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME, INCREASE COMMUNITY TRUST AND ENGAGEMENT WITH SS A P D, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE THAT ENGAGEMENT IN A LATER PHASE OF THIS PLAN.
AND THEN WE WANT TO IMPROVE PLACE-BASED CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO VIOLENCE.
SO IN THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS PROGRAM, WE WANNA WORK, UH, SPECIFIC HOTSPOTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THERE'S OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF THESE HOTSPOTS.
AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON VIOLENT CRIME ONLY, UH, ROBBERIES, ACT ASSAULTS AND HOMICIDES.
AND, UM, THE DATA FROM THESE, UH, HOTSPOT AREAS IS GONNA BE REVIEWED EVERY 60 DAYS.
AND THEN EVERY 60 DAYS, YOU'LL SEE SPOTS DROP OFF OF THE, OF THE MAP, AND YOU'LL SEE SPOTS ADDED ONTO THE MAP, UH, AS CRIME FLUCTUATES IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, HOTSPOTS ARE, AGAIN, WILL BE REMOVED BASED ON THE CRIME ANALYSIS IN THOSE AREAS.
AND THEN WE'LL REVIEW THE OVERALL STRATEGY EVERY 60 MONTHS.
IN 2022, LOOKING AT CALLS FOR SERVICE, WE HAD OVER 2 MILLION CALLS FOR SERVICE.
AND THOSE CALLS FOR SERVICE ARE ANSWERED BY ABOUT 1100, JUST OVER 1100 POLICE OFFICERS FOR THAT ENTIRE YEAR.
AND THEN LOOKING AT OUR, UH, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN OUR LAST PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING, LOOKING AT OUR NI NEIGHBOR'S CRIME STATS, WE SAW AN INCREASE IN CRIMES AGAINST PERSON, SLIGHT INCREASE CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY.
THOSE CRIMES ARE PROSTITUTION, DRUG USAGE, THINGS WHERE THERE'S NOT A A, AN IMMEDIATE VICTIM PER SE.
AND THEN CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, WHICH IS THE, THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF CRIME WE HAVE.
AND THE, AND THE HIGHEST NUMBER, UH, THE, THE HIGHEST, UH, OFFENSE, OR THE MOST FREQUENT OFFENSE IN PROPERTY CRIMES IS THEFT.
SO IF SOMEBODY REPORTS A SHOPLIFTING OR IF SOMEONE REPORTS, UH, THAT THEY GOT A CHAIR STOLEN OFF OF THEIR PORCH, THEN THAT COUNTS AGAINST OUR NUMBERS AS AS THEFT.
AND I, I'VE SAID THIS MANY, MANY TIMES, AND I'LL CONTINUE TO SAY IT, THAT ALTHOUGH THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN CRIME IN SAN ANTONIO, THAT IT REMAINS A SAFE CITY.
AND SOME MIGHT SAY, WELL, HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT CRIME'S INCREASED? THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THIS, BUT IF YOU ARE A VICTIM, UM, I'M SORRY.
IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF A GANG, YOU'RE SELLING DRUGS, USING DRUGS, YOU'RE ENGAGING IN HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR OR LIVING A HIGH RISK LIFESTYLE, THEN YOUR, YOUR CHANCES OF BECOMING THE VICTIM
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OF A VIOLENT CRIME ARE ASTRONOMICAL.IF YOU ARE LEADING A NORMAL EVERYDAY LIFE, PICKING UP YOUR KIDS AT SCHOOL, GOING TO WORK, GOING TO THE STORE, YOUR CHANCES OF BECOMING THE VICTIM OF A VIOLENT CRIME ARE SLIM.
UM, A LOT OF THE VIOLENT CRIME VICTIMS ARE, UM, FAMILIAR WITH THEIR ASSAILANTS.
UH, MOST OF THE VIOLENT CRIME ARE DRIVEN BY ALTERCATIONS, BY DISAGREEMENTS, BY PERCEIVED SLIGHT ROAD RAGE.
UH, IT'S NOT YOUR EVERYDAY PERSON GOING TO WORK, GOING HOME AND DOING THAT SORT OF THING THAT PEOPLE DO IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES.
IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT'S A, PEOPLE WHO ARE VICTIMS OF CRIME, WITH EXCEPTION, ARE LIVING HIGH RISK LIFESTYLES OR ENGAGED IN HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR.
AND, UM, I DON'T HAVE A SLIDE FOR THIS, OR, YES, I DO TOO.
SO WE ARE NOT ONLY FOCUSED, FOCUSED ON ENFORCEMENT, UH, WE'RE ALSO FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. THESE ARE THE CON THE NUMBER OF CONTACTS THAT ARE MADE, UM, WITH OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT, UH, OVER THE YEAR.
AND WE HAVE PROGRAMS SUCH AS SUCCESSFUL RES, UH, SUCCESS THROUGH RESPECT, WHICH IS DONE, UH, WHICH IS PRESENTED IN HIGH SCHOOLS AND, AND, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE CO UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, OUR HANDLE WITH CARE PROGRAM IS ANOTHER WHERE SOME, IF A, IF A CHILD IS A WITNESS TO A VIOLENT CRIME OR INVI INVOLVED IN A, A, UH, SOME TYPE OF CRIME, UH, OR ALTERCATION AT HOME, OR, UH, THAT INDIVIDUAL, WE, WE ALERT THE SCHOOL, SCHOOL THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS WITNESSED SOME TRAUMATIC EVENT AND THE SCHOOL'S AWARE OF IT AND TREAT THAT INDIVIDUAL ACCORDINGLY.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH METRO HEALTH RIGHT NOW TO DEVELOP ANOTHER COMPREHENSIVE, OTHER COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIES TO A DEAL WITH, UH, TO DEAL WITH CRIME.
UH, WE WILL BE COORDINATING WITH MULTIPLE AGENCIES ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, THE DATA FROM THE U T S L U T S A CRIME REDUCTION PLAN WILL HELP US SHAPE THOSE INITIATIVES.
AND, UM, VIOLENCE, UH, PREVENTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT WILL INCLUDE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION.
AND, UM, ALMOST LASTLY, WE WILL HOST A SERIES OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT WE'LL SHARE WHERE WE WILL SHARE THE PLAN WITH THE RESIDENTS THAT COME TO THOSE MEETINGS.
OUR FIRST MEETING IS ON FEBRUARY 13TH, AND IT WILL INVOLVE THE WEST, UH, THE WEST, WEST AREA, UH, WEST PATROL AREA AND PERU.
UH, THE SECOND MEETING IS ON FEBRUARY 16TH AT THE SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH.
THE FIRST ONE IS AT THE FOOD BANK.
UM, AND THAT WILL INVOLVE A NORTH SUB AND THE EAST SUB.
AND ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, WE'LL BE AT MCCREE LIST LIBRARY FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL PATROL.
AND THEN FOLLOWING THOSE MEETINGS, THERE'LL BE MEETINGS WEEKLY WITH OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND, UH, AND HOAS, UM, TO PRESENT THE PLAN.
AND THEN LASTLY, LOOKING AT CRIME FROM JANUARY THROUGH JANUARY, 2022 VERSUS 2023, WE'RE LOOKING AT A 15% REDUCTION IN CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A 1% REDUCTION IN CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A 5% REDUCTION IN CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENT PART OF THE PRESENTATION.
AND I WOULD LIKE, UH, TO INVITE DR.
TILLER TO THE PODIUM TO TALK ABOUT THE PLAN CHIEF, UH, BEFORE YOU BRING MICHAEL UP, UM, OR DR.
ROB, THOSE LAST SET OF STATISTICS THAT YOU JUST READ OUT.
WHAT IS THAT FROM AGAIN? COULD YOU JUST REPEAT THAT? THAT'S, THAT, THAT COMPARES JANUARY OF THIS YEAR TO JANUARY OF LAST YEAR, YEAR OVER YEAR.
I'M MIKE SMITH, UM, FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UM, GREAT TO BE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY AND WITH THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THIS, UM, THIS IMPORTANT EFFORT.
I'M HERE, UH, ON BEHALF OF OUR TEAM, UM, WHO YOU SEE REPRESENTED ON THE SLIDE THERE.
UM, WE HAVE A, A VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION TEAM, WE CALL IT, THAT OPERATES WITHIN THE CENTER FOR APPLIED COMMUNITY AND POLICY RESEARCH THAT I DIRECT AT U T S
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A.UM, AND WE ARE INVOLVED IN SIMILAR EFFORTS NOW, UM, SIMILAR TO, TO WHAT YOU'LL HEAR HERE IN A MINUTE.
UM, AND, UH, IN, IN DALLAS, SALT LAKE CITY AND TACOMA, WASHINGTON AS WELL.
SO, UM, THERE'S FIVE OF US NOW THAT SUPPORT THIS TEAM, AND, AND THEY'RE ALL, UH, MOST OF THEM ARE HERE TODAY.
SO, UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, UH, TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW, ACTUALLY, BEFORE I DO THAT, LET ME, LET ME, UM, LET ME JUST SAY, UH, UH, SPEAK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT, UM, 'CAUSE YOU, YOU'LL HEAR A LOT IN A MINUTE ABOUT WHAT THE CRIME PLAN IS DESIGNED, UH, WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT'S DESIGNED TO DO AND, AND HOW IT WAS DEVELOPED, AND WHY THE STRATEGIES THAT ARE PART OF IT ARE, ARE INCLUDED.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, GIVEN THE EVENTS, RECENT EVENTS IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, UM, AND THE RELEASE OF THE, UM, HORRIFIC VIDEO FROM FROM MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE TO, TO STAY VERY CLEARLY AND UPFRONT WHAT THE CRIME PLAN, UH, THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT IS NOT, UM, IT IS NOT ANYTHING DOES NOT RESEMBLE IN ANY WAY, ANY SHAPE, ANY FASHION, UM, THE EVENTS, UM, THAT WE ALL SAW AND WERE HORRIFIED BY, UM, IN MEMPHIS.
UM, THIS IS A DATA-DRIVEN, EVIDENCE-BASED PLAN THAT BRINGS TOGETHER THE BEST SCIENCE AVAILABLE, UH, TO US FOR, FOR HOW TO REDUCE VIOLENT CRIME IN URBAN AREAS, UM, IN A MODERN PROFESSIONAL WAY.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SAY THAT UP FRONT.
I KNOW THAT THE, UH, THOSE, THAT VIDEO AND, AND WHAT HAPPENED IN MEMPHIS, UM, HAS, HAS BEEN OF GREAT CONCERN ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S NO LINKAGE BETWEEN, UM, WHAT WE SAW IN MEMPHIS, UM, AND WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO, TO TALK ABOUT HERE TODAY.
UH, WE WE'RE HERE, I THINK, UM, BECAUSE OF THE INCREASING TREND IN VIOLENT CRIME THAT, UM, THAT'S NOT ONLY SAN ANTONIO, BUT, BUT MANY, MANY, MANY URBAN AREAS IN, IN THE NATION HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UM, VIOLENT STREET CRIME, AS WE DEFINE IT IN THE CRIME PLAN, UM, INCLUDES MURDERS, UH, ROBBERIES AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
UM, THAT VIOLENT STREET CRIME IN SAN ANTONIO BY INCIDENT, THAT IS AN INCIDENT COUNT ANALYSIS THAT YOU SEE ON THE, ON THE SLIDE THERE IS UP 47% OVER THREE YEARS.
THAT INCREASES, DRIVEN LARGELY BY AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
THAT'S TRUE ALSO IN MANY OTHER CITIES.
UM, AND PRIMARILY GUN RELATED, UH, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
UM, AND SO, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE, UH, WE ARE HERE TO, TO PARTNER WITH, WITH YOU ALL, WITH THE CITY AND WITH THE, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, TO BRING TOGETHER, UM, TO BRING TO BEAR ON THE PROBLEM HERE, UH, WHAT WE HOPE IS THE BEST SCIENCE, UM, THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US.
UM, SO WHAT WE, CHIEF MCMANUS MENTIONED THAT, UM, FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON GOING ABOUT HIS OR HER LIFE, UM, THE ODDS OF BEING A VICTIM OF VIOLENT CRIME ARE VERY SMALL.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S, UM, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT IT'S TRUE IS THAT VIOLENT CRIME, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO AND, AND IN ANY, UH, BIG CITY OCCURS IN A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF PLACES.
UM, AND IT'S ONE OF THAT, THAT FACT, UM, IS, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEVERAGE IN THE CRIME PLAN THAT, UM, WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY.
SO, AS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, WE'VE, UH, WORKING WITH, WITH S A P D CRIME ANALYSTS HAVE DIVIDED THE CITY UP INTO A HUNDRED METER GRIDS.
UM, AND THERE'S ABOUT 135,000 OF THOSE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF 2022.
UM, LESS THAN 1% OF THOSE ACCOUNTED FOR ALL REPORTED VIOLENT STREET CRIME IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO THAT'S 860 OUT OF 135,902, 100 BY 100 METER GRIDS ACCOUNTED FOR ALL OF YOUR VIOLENT CRIME IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
UM, BY THE SAME TOKEN, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS ACCOUNT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF VIOLENT CRIME, THAT'S ABOUT A 5% TO 50% RATIO.
UM, AGAIN, THAT'S A FACT THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE, UM, AS, AS THE PLAN ADDRESSES OR HAS A COMPONENT THAT ADDRESSES THAT SMALL SLICE OF OFFENDERS, UM, THAT, THAT CREATE MOST OF YOUR, OF YOUR VIOLENT CRIME.
SO THE, THE, THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE, UH, OUTLINED HERE IS MADE UP OF THREE, THREE PARTS, UH, A NEAR TERM MIDTERM AND LONG TERM, LONGER TERM STRATEGY.
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IS A HOTSPOTS POLICING STRATEGY, UM, THAT IS NOT A DIRTY WORD.WE PROBABLY HAVE MORE EVIDENCE, UH, ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HOTSPOTS POLICING THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE CRIMINOLOGY LITERATURE.
UM, AND, AND IT'S, THAT IS THE, THE NEAR TERM STRATEGY.
'CAUSE IT CAN BEGIN VERY QUICKLY, TYPICALLY TO KINDA LOWER THE TEMPERATURE IN SOME OF THESE CRIME PRONE PLACES, WHILE THE MORE COMPLICATED AND, AND LONGER TERM STRATEGIES ARE BROUGHT TO BEAR.
THE MIDTERM STRATEGY IS A PROBLEM ORIENTED, PLACE-BASED POLICING STRATEGY.
IT, AGAIN, IS FOCUSED ON PLACES ON PERSISTENTLY VIOLENT PLACES, BUT THIS STRATEGY IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT GIVE RISE TO THAT VIOLENCE.
UM, IT BRINGS TOGETHER A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE CITY AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, UM, TO TAKE A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH TO THOSE, THOSE PLACES, TO FIGURE OUT AND TO HELP DIAGNOSE WHAT THE, WHAT THOSE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS ARE THAT ARE, THAT ARE MAKING THIS PLACE VIOLENT VERSUS A PLACE THAT, THAT, THAT ISN'T, UM, AND THEN TO ADDRESS THOSE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS.
SO IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH AN INVESTMENT, A COMMUNITY-BASED INVESTMENT IN PLACES.
UM, SOMETIMES THESE STRATEGIES, UH, HAVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT, BUT OFTENTIMES THE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS ARE, ARE WELL BEYOND ANYTHING THAT THE POLICE WOULD, UH, WOULD NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO CONTROL OR, UM, OR ADDRESS ON, ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
THE LONG-TERM STRATEGY, UM, IS AN OFFENDER FOCUSED STRATEGY.
IT WAS DEVELOPED IN BOSTON IN THE 1990S.
IT'S BEEN REPLICATED IN MORE THAN 20 CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE INTERIM, AND HAVE BEEN EVALUATED WITH MUCH SUCCESS IN, IN, IN ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THOSE CITIES.
UM, IT'S OUR LONGER TERM STRATEGY.
IT'S DESIGNED TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE AMONG THAT SMALL PERCENTAGE OF REPEAT AND HIGH RISK OFFENDERS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF THE VIOLENT CRIME IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, THE HOTSPOT STRATEGY, UM, MAKES USE OF THOSE 100 METER BY 100 METER GRIDS THAT I MENTIONED A MINUTE AGO.
UM, IT PLACES POLICE OFFICERS, UH, IN, IN THOSE SMALL NUMBER OF PLACES AT PEAK CRIME TIMES AND PEAK CRIME HOURS OF THE DAY AND PEAK CRIME DAYS OF THE WEEK, UM, THAT WE HELP THE CITY IDENTIFY BASED ON, ON ANALYZING CRIME PATTERNS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, PLACES OFFICERS IN, IN LIGHTED PATROL CARS STATIONARY FOR 15 MINUTES DURING A PEAK CRIME HOUR, AND THEN THE OFFICERS OFF OFF TO DO, UM, OTHER THINGS.
SO, UM, IT, IT'S A HIGH VISIBILITY STRATEGY.
UM, IT'S A VERY LIGHT FOOTPRINT STRATEGY.
UM, HENCE THE, THE, THE JUXTAPOSITION BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE WITH HOTSPOTS POLICING AND WHAT, UM, HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE, IN THE MEDIA ANYWAY, ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN MEMPHIS.
THE TWO ARE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED.
UM, THIS IS A HIGH VISIBILITY STRATEGY, UM, ALONE.
AND THE GOAL THEN IS TO, TO DETER, IT'S TO, TO DRIVE DOWN VIOLENT CRIME IN AND AROUND THESE HOTSPOTS, UH, BY THE PRESENCE, BY THE VERY VISIBLE PRESENCE OF POLICE OFFICERS AT THESE LOCATIONS.
AND THEN, AND THEN BY IMPACTING CRIME AT YOUR MOST CRIME PRONE PLACES, THEN HOPEFULLY LOWER THE TEMPERATURE ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY.
UM, OUR ROLE, UM, AT THE, FROM THIS POINT FORWARD IS TO HELP THE CITY ASSESS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ASSESS, UH, THE IMPACT OF THE, OF THE HOTSPOT STRATEGY.
SO WE ANALYZE DATA EVERY 60 TO 90 DAYS.
UH, WE, WE REDO THE HOTSPOTS, UM, BASED ON WHAT THE DATA ARE TELLING US.
UM, HOTSPOTS DROP OFF THE LIST OFTENTIMES, AND NEW ONES WILL COME UP, UM, AND, AND THE POLICE RESOURCES WILL BE ROTATED TO, TO NEW HOTSPOTS EVERY 60 TO 90 DAYS.
UH, WE, WE PROVIDE, UH, ONGOING REPORTS AT THOSE CHECKPOINTS, AT THOSE 60 TO 90 DAY PERIODS, AS WELL AS IT SORT OF MORE MAJOR CHECKPOINTS LIKE EVERY SIX MONTHS AND ANNUALLY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE PLAN ON, ON VIOLENT CRIME AT THOSE IN AND AROUND THOSE LOCATIONS.
WE CHECK VERY CAREFULLY FOR CRIME DISPLACEMENT.
UM, THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT A LOT OF FOLKS WORRY ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO HOTSPOTS.
POLICING THE LITERATURE IS, IS, IS VERY CLEAR THAT, UM, 25 YEARS OF LITERATURE IS VERY CLEAR THAT HOTSPOTS POLICING WHEN DONE, WHEN DONE RIGHT, DOESN'T TYPICALLY JUST CHASE CRIME AROUND THE CORNER.
SO WE BUILD OUT CATCHMENT AREAS AROUND EACH OF THESE HOTSPOTS, AND WE CHECK FOR CRIME DISPLACEMENT TO SEE WHETHER
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OR NOT CRIME IS IN FACT, MOVING ACROSS THE STREET.WE DON'T EXPECT THAT IT WILL, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT ANY RESEARCH EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT THAT'S TYPICAL, BUT WE CERTAINLY LOOK FOR IT.
WHAT WE TYPICALLY SEE MORE OFTEN IS WHAT WE CALL A DIFFUSION OF BENEFITS, WHERE THE AREAS AROUND THE HOTSPOT TYPICALLY HAVE, HAVE LOWER AMOUNTS OF CRIME, UH, AFTER TREATMENT, UH, AS A RESULT OF BEING IN PROXIMITY TO THE, TO THE GRID THAT'S BEING TREATED.
THE MIDTERM STRATEGY IS THAT PROBLEM ORIENTED, PLACE-BASED POLICING STRATEGY THAT I MENTIONED.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S CAREFULLY TAILORED TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO CRIME, RECURRING CRIME AT VIOLENT PLACES.
UM, IT IS, UH, IT IS A, UM, AN ALL IN HANDS ON DECK EFFORT THAT REQUIRES OFTENTIMES INPUT FROM MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO ADDRESS THOSE CONDITIONS.
AND, UM, AND IT, IT IS, IT IS BASED ON THIS, ON THIS THEORY, THIS THEORY OF PLACE OF CRIME IN PLACE, UM, THAT WE, IN, IN THE CRIMINOLOGY WORLD, WE CALL THIS ROUTINE ACTIVITIES THEORY, UM, THAT, THAT FOR, FOR A CRIME TO OCCUR, THREE THINGS HAVE TO OCCUR IN TIME AND SPACE AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VULNERABLE VIC VICTIM, UM, AN OFFENDER, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE LACK OF A CAPABLE GUARDIAN.
IF YOU CAN TARGET ANY ONE OF THE THREE PARTS OF THAT TRIANGLE, THEN, THEN YOU'VE, YOU'VE ELIMINATED, UM, THE LIKELIHOOD THAT A CRIME IS GOING TO OCCUR.
AND THAT'S WHAT PROBLEM-ORIENTED, PLACE-BASED POLICING IS DESIGNED TO DO.
UM, THE STRATEGIES, THE INTERVENTION STRATEGY IS DRIVEN.
UM, THEY'RE COMMUNITY DRIVEN AND, UH, AND AS IT, AS IT SHOULD BE, UM, UM, THERE, THE, THE STRATEGY IS ALSO MORE COMPLEX AND TAKES LONGER TO PUT INTO, INTO PLACE TYPICALLY THAN THE HOTSPOT STRATEGY.
HENCE WHY IT'S THE MIDTERM, UM, STRATEGY AND SEQUENCED IN THE WAY THAT IT IS.
UM, OUR ROLE IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR COMPONENT WILL BE TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO THE SS A P D AND TO OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF PROBLEM-ORIENTED, PLACE-BASED POLICING, UH, TO HELP THE CITY, UH, UH, ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS FOR THE INTERVENTIONS.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, TO CONDUCT CAREFUL PROCESS AND IMPACT EVALUATIONS.
UH, ON A, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE LIKE TO SAY THAT WE EVALUATE THIS STUFF RELENTLESSLY.
UM, WE ARE, WE'RE REPORTING OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS ON THE, NOT ONLY IS THE, IS THE PLAN BEING IMPLEMENTED AS DESIGNED, BUT IS IT HAVING THE IMPACT THAT, THAT WE HOPE? UM, AND WITH, WITH THE FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, UM, TO ANY OF THESE STRATEGIES AS NEEDED, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE DATA ARE TELLING US, FOCUS DETERRENCE IS THE FINAL STRATEGY, THE LONGER TERM STRATEGY.
UM, THE GOAL IS TO CHANGE THE BEHAVIOR OF HIGH RISK OFFENDERS.
UM, NOW THESE, UH, THE OFFENDERS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT 5% THAT CONTRIBUTE TO MOST OF YOUR VIOLENT CRIME, UM, HAVE BEEN VIOLENT OFFENDERS FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES.
IN MANY CASES, THEY HAVE LINKED, MOST OF THEM WILL HAVE LENGTHY CRIMINAL HISTORIES.
IF SAN ANTONIO IS LIKE ANY OTHER CITY WHERE THIS HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED, UM, MANY OF THEM WILL BE ON PROB ACTIVE PROBATION OR PAROLE.
UM, AND THEY WILL HAVE, THEY WILL HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN A VIOLENT LIFESTYLE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO TRY TO CHANGE THAT DYNAMIC BY OFFERING AN OFF RAMP, BY OFFERING, UM, A SUITE OF SERVICES THAT, UM, THAT THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IF THEY CHOOSE.
UH, SO THE, THE MESSAGE, THE DETERRENCE MESSAGE IS COMMUNICATED TO THIS, UH, GROUP OF HIGH RISK OFFENDERS THROUGH, THROUGH WHAT WE CALL CALL IN SESSIONS, UM, OUR NOTIFICATION, OFFENDER NOTIFICATION MEETINGS.
I SAID, MOST OF THEM ARE ON PROBATION OR PAROLE.
AND SO YOU, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO SORT OF MAKE THEM SHOW UP TO A MEETING, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, AND AT THOSE MEETINGS ARE TYPICALLY A, A, A HOST OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE OFFICIALS, POLICE CHIEF WILL BE THERE, YOUR PROSECUTOR, FEDERAL PARTNERS, OFTENTIMES, UH, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, US ATTORNEYS, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, BUT, BUT AS IMPORTANTLY, IN THE ROOM WILL BE, UH, WHAT WE CALL MORAL VOICES.
THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE POTENTIALLY INFLUENTIAL IN THE LIVES OF THESE OFFENDERS.
UM, THEY'RE COMMUNITY LEADERS, THEY'RE PASTORS.
UM, THEY ARE OFTENTIMES VICTIMS OF CRIME, UH, FAMILY MEMBERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO'VE LOST, UH, SONS AND DAUGHTERS, UH, TO GUN VIOLENCE.
AND THEN IMPORTANTLY, THOSE, THOSE SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT I MENTIONED.
UH, SO IF, IF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU NEED A G E D, THERE'S SOMEONE IN THE ROOM THAT WE CAN CONNECT YOU TO THAT CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THAT IF, IF YOU NEED JOB TRAINING, UM, IF YOU NEED SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING, UM, IF YOU NEED A JOB, UM, THERE ARE SERVICE PROVIDERS IN
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THE ROOM AVAILABLE DURING THESE CALL-INS.AND, UH, TO MAKE THE CONNECTIONS.
UM, AND FOLLOW-UP IS DONE BY CASE MANAGERS.
CAREFUL FOLLOW-UP IS DONE BY CASE MANAGERS, UM, TO FOLLOW, UH, THESE INDIVIDUALS OVER TIME.
UM, NOW SOME OF THEM WILL NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED, AND THEY WILL CONTINUE IN THE VIOLENT LIFESTYLE.
AND AT THAT POINT, EVERY AVAILABLE LEGAL LEVER IS PULLED, UM, AND THEY'RE PROSECUTED, AND THEY'RE, AND THAT, THAT MAY BE FEDERAL FEDERALLY, UM, IF, IF THE, IF THE, IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN, THEY CAN NO LONGER BE, BE ON THE STREET, UM, AND VICTIMIZING OTHER PEOPLE.
UM, OUR ROLE, AGAIN, WILL BE, UM, TO ADVISE ON THE PROCESS TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO, UH, THE SS A P D AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ON FOCUSED DETERRENCE AND HOW IT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN, IN, IN OTHER PLACES.
UM, AND TO, UH, TO, TO, TO HELP EVALUATE, AGAIN, HELP EVALUATE, UM, THE, THE, THE PROCESS, IS IT BEING IMPLEMENTED AS WE, AS WE DESIGNED IT.
UM, AND THEN WHAT THE OUTCOME HAS BEEN, UM, BEFORE AND AFTER MEASURES OF CRIME OF VIOLENCE, ARRESTS AND REARRESTS AMONG THE TARGETED OFFENDERS ARE SOME OF THE METRICS THAT WE'LL LOOK AT.
THE, UM, THE TIMELINE, UH, HOTSPOTS POLICING BEGAN IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, ON JANUARY 1ST.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, THEY WILL, THOSE HOTSPOTS WILL BE REVISITED AND ROTATE EVERY 60 TO 90 DAYS.
UM, QUARTERLY REPORTS WILL BE PROVIDED BY OUR TEAM, UM, TO THE S C P D AND TO OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING YOURSELVES.
UM, PROBLEM ORIENTED POLICING, UH, PLACE-BASED POLICING IS, IS, UM, SCHEDULED TO BEGIN USUALLY SIX TO 12 MONTHS AFTER HOTSPOTS POLICING BEGINS.
UM, AND THEN FOLKS DETERRENCE ABOUT SIX TO 12 MONTHS AFTER THAT.
A COUPLE OF KEYS TO SUCCESS THAT OUR ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH OTHER CITIES HAS, UM, HAS HIGH, HAVE, HAS HIGHLIGHTED FOR US.
UM, ENGAGEMENT, SORT OF, SORT OF WHAT'S NEEDED, UM, BEYOND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIES, WHAT'S NEEDED, UH, IN A LARGER SENSE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, WELL, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, IS GONNA NEED THE ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT FROM, FROM YOU ALL, FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY.
UM, THEY'RE GOING TO NEED, UH, COMMUNITY SUPPORT, UM, TO INCLUDE BUSINESSES AND FAITH-BASED LEADERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, UM, AND OTHERS.
UM, VIOLENT CRIME IS, IS A COMMUNITY PROBLEM.
IT'S, IT'S NOT, UM, IT'S NOT A POLICE PROBLEM.
IT CAN BE PARTIALLY, BUT ONLY PARTIALLY ADDRESSED BY THE SS A P D.
AND IT TAKES, IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
IT TAKES A, UM, A COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS LONG-TERM VIOLENCE IN, IN, IN PERSISTENTLY VIOLENT PLACES.
UM, AND THEN OUR ROLE IS TO PROVIDE THAT CONSISTENT, HONEST, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OR, OR EVALUATION RATHER, OF IMPLEMENT IMPLE IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT.
AND TO, AND TO SUGGEST, UH, SUGGEST, UM, ADJUSTMENTS TO THE STRATEGY IS IF NEEDED.
AND DEPENDING ON WHAT THE DATA, UH, INDICATE.
SO, UM, MARIA ASKED ME TO MENTION A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT OUR CENTER IS INVOLVED IN WITH THE CITY.
UM, WE ARE UNDERTAKING RIGHT NOW A COMPREHENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY ASSESSMENT.
SO THE CITY HAS AN INVENTORY OF ALL OF ITS PROGRAMMING THAT IT DOES THAT, UM, MAY HAVE SOME IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO, UM, I HAVE A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS WHO'S WORKING WITH ME TO, TO WORK THROUGH THAT LIST.
UM, WE'RE DOING A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AROUND ALL OF THOSE AREAS, UM, FROM THE ARTS TO PUBLIC HEALTH, TO PUBLIC SAFETY, DIRECT PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED MEASURES, UM, TO SEE WHAT THE LITERATURE TELLS US ABOUT OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE LIKE THIS IN OTHER PLACES, UM, WHETHER THEY'VE BEEN EVALUATED AND WHAT THE SUCCESS OR, OR LACK THEREOF MAY BE.
UH, AND THEN TO PROVIDE A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY ABOUT, UM, FUTURE PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED PROGRAM EVALUATIONS THAT WE MIGHT, UH, THAT THE CITY MIGHT UNDERTAKE, UM, TO, TO PROVIDE MORE, UH, TO MORE EVIDENCE ABOUT WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THE, UH, THE LAST PROJECT I'LL MENTION IS, UH, IS JU IT JUST HASN'T EVEN GOTTEN STARTED 'CAUSE IT, UH, THE, THE PAPERWORK JUST GOT SIGNED, BUT WE'RE CALLING IT THE, A CASE PROCESSING EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS.
UM, THE INTEREST HERE IS ON CRIMINAL CASE PROCESSING.
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A, A LARGE SAMPLE OF CRIMINAL CASES IN SAN ANTONIO, PROBABLY AROUND 10,000, AND WE'RE GONNA TRACK THEM FROM ARREST THROUGH FINAL DISPOSITION.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA SEE WHAT THE LIFE'S, WHAT THE LIFESTYLE LIFESPAN IS OF THESE CRIMINAL CASES WHERE THEY DROP OUT.
UM, WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE ONCE THEY'RE ARRESTED? WHAT KIND OF BAIL OR BOND DO THEY, DO THEY GET, DO THEY GET REARRESTED WHILE
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THEY'RE OUT ON BAIL OR BOND? UM, WHAT THE CASE DISPOSITIONS ARE AND THAT SORT OF THING AS, AS PART OF THIS SORT OF COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF, OF PUBLIC SAFETY HERE IN, IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.SO, UM, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, AND MY TEAM AND I ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BERDA, UH, I WANTED JUST TO GET YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS.
I THINK MAYBE MOST, UH, FIRSTLY FOR YOU, ERIC, ERIC, I THINK IS THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.
I MEAN, I WANT TO ZERO IN ON WHAT YOU SAID, MICHAEL, THAT, THAT THE JOB, WHICH IS REALLY JOB NUMBER ONE OF US, ENSURING THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE AND FEEL SAFE IN OUR COMMUNITY, IS NOT JUST UP TO THE POLICE.
IT'S, IT'S UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM.
UH, IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE, ITS SERVICES, IT'S, IT'S THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE SUPPORT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, ERIC, TALK, TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INTERSECTIONS OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, IN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PLAN, IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, AND ALSO WITH REGARD TO, UM, THE STAFFING STUDY THAT'S UNDERWAY WITH SS A P D, KIND OF HOW ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GONNA BE WORKING IN COORDINATION WITH THIS, UM, UH, THREE-PRONG PROPOSAL TO HELP REDUCE CRIME IN OUR COMMUNITY.
YEAH, I MEAN, THE, THE, UM, THE SECOND EFFORT THAT DR.
SMITH TALKED ABOUT, WHICH IS HELPING US WITH THE INVENTORY OF WHAT, WHAT, WHAT AFFECTS COMMUNITY SAFETY.
I MEAN, WE KNOW INHERENTLY, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THIS LAST YEAR AS PART OF THE BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, MUCH OF WHAT WE DO IS DESIGNED AROUND COMMUNITY SAFETY.
AND, UM, WE HAVE THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY HAVE PRIORITIZED VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND APPROACHING, UM, HOW WE DEAL WITH VICTIMS DIFFERENTLY, UM, AND THROUGH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT, BUT IT IS INGRAINED IN SO MANY OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PART OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST SUMMER INTERNALLY WAS, AS DR.
SMITH AND HIS TEAM, UM, WERE WORKING ON THIS PLAN, WAS ASKING THEM TO HELP US DEFINE THAT.
UM, PARTLY INDEPENDENTLY, BUT PARTLY FROM AN OUTSIDER'S STANDPOINT, FROM, FROM A, FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY AND A CRIMINOLOGIST STANDPOINT, HOW THOSE INTERSECTIONS.
UM, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT I, WHAT I ENVISION IS, UM, I'M NOT GONNA TRY, I'M NOT TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF YOU DR.
SMITH, BUT WHAT I ENVISION IS A BIT OF A ROADMAP THAT HELPS US EVALUATE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY SAFETY, WHERE CAN WE SPEND AND WE WANNA MAKE, AND WE WANNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WHERE, WHERE CAN WE SPEND OUR RESOURCES AND, UM, AND HOW DO WE LEVERAGE AND LINK THOSE THINGS WITH THAT WE DO BETTER INTERNALLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY? AND SO, UM, I'M, I'M, I'M, UH, THAT'S THAT NEXT PIECE OF WORK THAT U T S A IS GONNA BE DOING FOR US.
I, I THINK IS GONNA HELP US BETTER ALIGN THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT WE'VE STARTED TO DO ON OUR OWN INTERNALLY.
AND SOME OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE COUNCIL'S CONVERSATION BEGINNING BACK IN 2020, BUT IT HAS BEEN A, A PERENNIAL DISCUSSION FOR US.
SO WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF, OF THAT.
I, AND SO I'M HOPING THAT, THAT, THAT ACTS AS A MAP FOR US.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BALANCE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE TO, TO, TO DEAL WITH IS, UH, THAT CHART THAT THE CHIEF GAVE AT THE BEGINNING.
WE HAD 2 MILLION 9 1 1 CALLS LAST YEAR.
NOW YOU SAW THE CHART WAS BROKEN OUT.
THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE.
UH, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF NON-EMERGENCY CALLS AND NON-EMERGENCY AND HOW WE DEAL WITH THOSE TYPES OF CALLS, UM, HOW THAT FOLDS INTO HOW WE DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH CALLS.
AND THE EXPANSION OF THOSE WILL HELP MITIGATE THAT, I THINK AT SOME POINT.
BUT IT GIVES, IT ACTS AS A GUIDE FOR US.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW AS A COMMUNITY, UM, AND WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RESOURCES.
AND SO THAT STAFFING ANALYSIS IS NEARING COMPLETION.
IT'S COMING TO COUNCIL IN MARCH, MID MARCH, IN, IN, UH, MID-MARCH.
AND THAT'S JUST ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE CAN HELP TO INFORM.
BUT, BUT I THINK, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE WHERE WE HAVE ALL THE GAME PIECES ON THE TABLE AT ONCE, HOW THEY INTERSECT, UM, AND THE VALUE OF THAT.
BUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, WE PLAN APPROPRIATELY.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING AT ONCE.
BUT HOW WE FOLD THAT INTO OUR FIVE-YEAR PICTURE IS, IS CRITICAL.
THAT'S THE INFORMATION YOU GUYS NEED AS WE HAVE THOSE, THOSE LONGER TERM CONVERSATIONS IN LATE SPRINGS.
MAYOR, IF I MAY, UM, ADD TO WHAT THE CITY MANAGERS MENTIONED, AND YOU ALLUDED TO THIS, THROUGH THE WORK WITH METRO HEALTH, WE ARE
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STARTING THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON A STRATEGIC PLAN TO VIOLENCE PREVENTION.SO NOT ONLY THE WORK THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES, BUT THE WORK THAT METRO HEALTH IS DOING IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A, A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT THAT WE ARE GONNA BE DISCUSSING WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
AND IT HAS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORK THAT DR.
'CAUSE AS HE MENTIONED, IT'S NOT JUST THE ROLE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO THE REST OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND LET ME JUST ADD, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THE BEGINNING.
THIS IS A NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR US.
AND U T SS A CERTAINLY HAS HELPED US IN OTHER AREAS OF OUR BUSINESS, BUT, BUT THIS IS A, THIS IS A DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIP.
SMITH DESCRIBED IT, IT'S DATA-DRIVEN, IT'S EVIDENCE-BASED.
UM, AND, AND, AND, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS A NEW RELATIONSHIP THAT, THAT, UH, WHEN, WHEN THE COUNCIL APPROVED THAT MASTER AGREEMENT WITH U T SS A, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED, UM, UH, GENERALLY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE OUR BUSINESS AREAS ALIGNED WITH RESEARCH, RESEARCH, UM, UH, BEST PRACTICE RESEARCH.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I SEE THIS RELATIONSHIP CONTINUING TO GROW.
IT'S NOT JUST A STUDY THAT, I MEAN, YOU HEARD DR.
SMITH, THEY'RE GONNA HELP US MONITOR IT.
UM, AND, UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S A RELATIONSHIP THAT, THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO US, TO THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG CHANGE FOR US.
UM, AND IT'S PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME IS ALTHOUGH WE REUSED U T S A IN A NUMBER OF OTHER BUSINESS AREAS, THIS IS, THIS IS KIND OF A SUSTAINED EFFORT IN RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO CONTINUE TO, TO HOLD.
AND, AND I GUESS JUST A FOLLOW ON QUESTION, MAYBE THIS ONE IS FOR YOU, DR.
SMITH, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF SORT OF THE PLACE-BASED PROBLEM ORIENTED POLICING MODEL, ARE YOU UTILIZING AND LOOKING AT DATA IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UM, THAT CAN HELP INFORM YES.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE OKAY.
THE, THE, THE INNER WORKINGS OF THAT STRATEGY, UM, BRING TOGETHER A, A WORKING GROUP, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKING GROUP ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT MAY, THAT MAY TOUCH UPON A PROBLEM.
UM, AND SO, AND IT'S THAT GROUP THAT BRINGS TOGETHER, UM, INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND DATA THAT THEY MAY HAVE HOUSED WITHIN THEIR INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES TO BEAR ON THE PROBLEM.
UH, AND WE'LL HELP THEM WITH THAT ANALYSIS.
UM, AND THEN HOPEFULLY THAT WILL GENERATE SOME CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO IT, RIGHT? I MEAN, I, I, EVERY YEAR WE HEAR THE SAME REFRAIN FROM CHIEF MCMANUS ABOUT, UM, UH, PEOPLE IN, UM, DANGEROUS SITUATIONS, DANGEROUS BEHAVIORS.
AND SO HOW DO WE FIX THAT? HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT? WE PROVIDE, HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT TO PLACES THAT HAVE OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES MM-HMM.
UM, LET ME GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION CHIEF AND DR.
JUST MAKING SURE EVERYBODY CAN HEAR ME OKAY.
UM, I, I'M REALLY HOPEFUL ABOUT THIS NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH U T S A.
I THINK IT'S, UH, OPENING UP SOME DOORS, HOPEFULLY THAT WILL LEAD US DOWN BETTER PATH THAN WE'VE, UH, HAD IN THE PAST.
UH, I DO HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
SMITH, YOU NOTED THE INCREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME.
I THINK IT, IT, IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE 47%.
IF I'M, IF I, IF I REMEMBER THAT STATISTIC CORRECTLY.
ARE Y'ALL STUDYING THE FACTORS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCREASE? UH, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MUCH OF THAT INCREASE IN CRIME DO YOU ATTRIBUTE TO SAY OUR POPULATION GROWTH OR, UM, LOST JOBS, THINGS LIKE THAT? I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN COLLECT THAT DATA AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, OUR JOB IS TO HELP YOU ALL THINK THROUGH STRATEGICALLY HOW TO ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, THE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE IT, UM, ARE OFTENTIMES PLACE DRIVEN.
HENCE, WE HAVE A, A, A A PORTION OF THE STRATEGY THAT'S, THAT'S DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THAT.
BUT THERE'S, THERE'S ALSO A NUMBER OF MACRO, MACRO FACTORS LIKE YOU'VE JUST MENTIONED, SOME OF THEM, THEM, UM, THAT, THAT, UM, THAT MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE, TO THE INCREASE IN CRIME.
BUT AGAIN, I, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST REMIND EVERYONE THAT SOME OF, YOU KNOW, THE INCREASES THAT WE SEE HERE ARE NOT UNIQUE.
THERE ARE MANY CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME KINDS OF INCREASES.
UH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SEE IF WE CAN EXPAND THIS TO INCLUDE THAT, THE COLLECTION OF THAT DATA, UM, TO, TO NOT JUST KIND OF BE REACTIVE TOWARDS THE CRIME, BUT,
[00:45:01]
UH, BE A LITTLE MORE PREVENTATIVE, UH, MAYBE HIGHER UP ON THE PIPELINE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.NOT SO CLOSE TO WHEN IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE HAPPENING.
UM, WELL, I, I, I WON'T ARGUE THAT GEOGRAPHIC CENTERS, THERE ARE SOME HOTSPOTS, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO, AND WE NEED TO DEFINITELY FOCUS ON THOSE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DON'T WANNA FORGET WHAT PUT PEOPLE IN, IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT WHERE THEY, THEY'RE COMMITTING THESE VIOLENT CRIMES, UM, EVEN IF IT'S THEIR OWN CHOICES, WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.
AND I'M, I'M CURIOUS, MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR CHIEF, BUT CAN YOU TELL ME, UH, HOW MANY OFFICERS AT A, AT A TIME ARE ASSIGNED TO A HOTSPOT LOCATION? OR ARE, ARE OFFICERS IN AND OUT OF HOTSPOT DUTY AS THEY'RE, THEY'RE ROTATING IN AND OUT? YES.
UM, THERE'S, UH, I THINK THERE'S 28 OF THEM RIGHT NOW.
AND THERE ARE, UH, CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAYS OF THE WEEK CER CERTAIN DAYS OF THE WEEK, CERTAIN TIMES, AND THE OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO, TO, TO BE IN THOSE LOCATIONS FOR AROUND 15 MINUTES WITH THEIR LIGHTS ON, AND THEN THEY GO BACK TO DOING WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
SO THIS ISN'T LIKE A, I MEAN, I, I WANNA BE CLEAR, IT'S, IT'S NOT A SPECIALIZED UNIT.
UM, ANY, ANY POLICE OFFICER, CURRENT POLICE OFFICER, UH, CAN BE PART OF THE HOTSPOT ROTATION, IS THAT CORRECT? SAFE? UH, STREET CRIMES AND PATROL ARE INVOLVED IN THIS.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME, CAN YOU KIND OF WALK THROUGH THE DAILY STEPS OF AN OFFICER WORKING IN A HOTSPOT? YOU MENTIONED THE LIGHTS, UM, BEING MORE VISIBLE.
WHAT ELSE ARE THEY DOING IN A TYPICAL SHIFT THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY THE EASIEST QUESTION I'LL GET TODAY.
SO THEY GO TO THE HOTSPOT, THEY TURN THEIR LIGHTS ON OVERHEAD, THEY SIT THERE FOR THE, THE REQUIRED TIME, AND THEY GO BACK IN SERVICE.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO GET OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES, OBVIOUSLY, UNLESS THEY SEE, UH, AN EMERGENCY, THEY'RE CONSULTED OR ROBBED, THEY'LL TAKE ACTION.
BUT OTHERWISE, THEY ARE TO SIT IN THEIR VEHICLES AND PROVIDE HIGH VISIBILITY.
SMITH MENTIONED A, UM, A SMALL SLICE OF OFFENDERS.
ARE, ARE THOSE FOLKS SPECIFICALLY BEING MONITORED? THE, THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THAT THIRD PHASE, UM, ARE ALL UNDER SOME TYPE OF, UH, SUPERVISION, PROBATION, PAROLE.
NOT NECESSARILY BY A POLICE OFFICER THAT'S WORKING A HOTSPOT.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE UPDATES AT PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, BUT WHO DO THE OFFICERS, WHO DO THE, THE OFFICERS THAT ARE WORKING IN THE HOTSPOTS, WHO ARE THEY REPORTING BACK TO DAILY? I'M, I'M INQUIRING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT LIKE KIND OF DAY TO DAY OVERSIGHT OF THE, OF THE PROGRAM.
THE PROGRAM O OVERALL IS BEING HEADED UP BY, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF ACTING, ASSISTANT CHIEF BOBBY BLANTON.
I HAVE TWO CAPTAINS SITTING RIGHT OVER HERE WHO ARE ALSO, UM, OVERSEEING THE PROGRAM.
AND WE'LL GET, UH, IS IT QUARTERLY UPDATES AT PUBLIC SAFETY? YES, MA'AM.
SMITH ALSO MENTIONED REPORTS WILL BE GIVEN TO S A P D EVERY 60 TO 90 DAYS.
THAT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY LARGE GAP TO ME.
I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD, UM, UH, I MEAN, I WOULD APPRECIATE MORE FREQUENT DATA.
SMITH, YOU MENTIONED CONSTANT AND RELENTLESS DATA REVIEW.
UM, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD DO THE SAME, UM, FOR THE BE BE JUST AS RELENTLESS, UH, UM, TOWARDS ANY ADJUSTMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO 90 DAYS.
SEEMS LIKE, UM, KIND OF A LARGE GAP TO ME.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE MORE FREQUENT REPORTING? DOCTOR, YOU WANNA TAKE THAT? 60 TO 90 DAYS IS A LOT OF REPORTS,
UM, AND, AND THEY'RE PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE.
UM, YOU, YOU, YOU NEED TO STAY AT A PLACE FOR A WHILE TO, TO, TO, TO, IN FACT, YOU KNOW WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN US, UH, IMPLEMENTING SIMILAR STRATEGIES IN OTHER CITIES IS THAT IN FACT, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE SORT OF SHORTENED THE WINDOW.
WE, WE, IN DALLAS, WE STARTED AT 90 TO 120 DAYS, AND WE'VE BROUGHT IT BACK DOWN DOWN TO 60 DAYS, BECAUSE WE FIND THAT MOST OF THE BENEFIT ACCRUES IN THE FIRST 60 DAYS.
UM, SO IT'S ACTUALLY NOT A VERY LONG TIME IN HOTSPOT'S POLICING, UH, WORLD.
UM, THAT'S ABOUT THE OPTIMAL TIME.
AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EFFECTS ARE UNTIL THE, UNTIL YOU LET THE FULL PERIOD RUN, UM, IN ORDER TO MEASURE WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE STRATEGY HAS BEEN DURING THAT 60 DAY PERIOD.
SO WE GET DATA ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF ANALYZING IMPACT, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN EVERY 60 DAY AFFAIR.
MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE TALK A LOT.
ANYWAY, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT DASHBOARDS.
I WONDER IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE MIGHT, Y'ALL CAN, UM,
[00:50:01]
TASK FOR US SO THAT WE CAN COME IN AND OUT OF THE DATA, MAYBE NOT THE RESULTS AND, AND THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE EVALUATION OF THE DATA, BUT JUST LOOKING AT THAT DATA IN REAL TIME, I THINK WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TOO.UM, I DO WANNA TALK MORE ABOUT YES, SIR.
YEAH, WE'RE, I WOULD LIKE, GO AHEAD.
NO, I WAS GONNA SAY, WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON SOME DASHBOARDS AS, AS WE SPEAK.
SO APPRECIATE THE, I APPRECIATE THE ENCOURAGEMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO TALK MORE ABOUT EVALUATION CRITERIA, BUT I THINK I'M RUNNING LOW ON TIME.
UM, I JUST WANNA, UH, TALK ABOUT, LIKE, WE, I LOVE, AGAIN, HEARING DATA-DRIVEN EVIDENCE-BASED, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO INCLUDE SOME SUB SUBJECTIVE SUBJECTIVITY, EXCUSE ME, IN THE RESPONSE AND INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, ONE OF OUR, MY, ONE OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, COMMUNITY WORKERS COUNCIL BROUGHT UP SOME CONCERNS ABOUT HOW OVERALL POLICING IS AFFECTING THE HOTSPOT INITIATIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR CONCERNS ARE, I THINK, VALID IF POLICE ARE BEING PULLED TO THE HOTSPOTS.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER AREAS THAT THEY WOULD NORMALLY PATROL? UM, WHAT HAPPENS TO A HOTSPOT ONCE IT'S, UH, IT'S MOVED, SO IT'S COOLED DOWN.
HOW LONG IS IT GONNA TAKE FOR THAT CRIME, UM, TO COME BACK? SO I THINK ALL OF THAT IS GONNA BE PART OF YOUR, IN PART OF YOUR REPORTING BACK, AND, WHICH I DO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU NEED A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO SEE, UM, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
I, I DO WANNA FOLLOW UP SPECIFICALLY ON THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, I, I, I, I WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN, UTSA'S CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN PUTTING THIS PLAN TOGETHER WITH OUR, UH, OUR SS A P D.
I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE, COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT BRINGS POLICING AND PREVENTION TOGETHER IN ONE, UH, BLUEPRINT FOR ACTION.
AND, AND IT IS JUST THAT, IT'S A BLUEPRINT.
I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE HOW IT, HOW THAT, UH, BLUEPRINT ACTUALLY GETS BUILT AND WHAT EFFECT IT REALLY IS GONNA HAVE.
BUT I THINK TODAY'S CONVERSATION IS ABOUT ENFORCEMENT.
I'M SURE EVERYONE AT THIS DAY HAS TALKED TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THE NEED THEY FEEL FOR MORE ENFORCEMENT.
AND THAT PLAN ADDRESSES THAT CONCERN IN THE COMING MONTHS TO FOCUS IT.
PUBLIC SAFETY WILL BE MORE ON PREVENTION.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A DEEPER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PLAN AND HOW IT ADDRESSES SPECIFICALLY CRIME PREVENTION.
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WILL BE GIVEN UPDATES, AS I MENTIONED TODAY, ON, ON VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION PLAN.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE CLEAR FOR THE COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT MAINLY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
EVERYTHING, AS THE MAYOR, UH, MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED.
WE, WE CAN'T SOLVE OUR CRIME ISSUES WITH ONE SINGLE SOLUTION OR ANOTHER.
WE HAVE, IT HAS TO BE A COORDINATED EFFORT ACROSS DEPARTMENTS.
AND, UM, HEARING OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, NOT TO STEAL YOUR THUNDER, COUNCILMAN PERRY, BUT WE NEED TO SEE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO SEE OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT, UM, ON THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
AND I, I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE PROGRESS REPORTS AT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEO, HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
UM, UH, CHIEF AND, AND EVERYONE HERE SUPPORTING THIS AND, AND DR.
SMITH, UM, UH, CAN YOU GIVE ME A QUICK, UH, YOUR TEAM, THEIR BACKGROUND? JUST HELP ME, UM, WHAT KIND OF A BACKGROUND, UH, DO, DO THEY HAVE? UM, JUST GENERAL, I MEAN, JUST SURE.
UH, THEY'RE ALL CRIMINOLOGISTS DOC.
TILLER, UM, IS OUR ASSOCIATE DEAN, UM, FOR GRADUATE STUDIES IN THE COLLEGE FOR HEALTH COMMUNITY AND POLICY.
BUT HE'S A CRIMINOLOGIST AND A LONG TIME POLICE RESEARCHER LIKE ME.
UH, BRANDON RAGLE IS ALSO A, UH, A CRIMINOLOGIST AND, AND A, A FORMER POLICE OFFICER, UH, AS WELL.
AND, AND, UH, AND A POLICE RESEARCHER.
FAMI IS, IS A CRIMINOLOGIST AS WELL.
SO, WOULD IT BE FAIR, UM, TO SAY THAT THE, UH, A MAJORITY OF THE LITERATURE THAT WAS REVIEWED WAS A CRIMINOLOGY BASED, OR, UH, A MAJORITY OF LITERATURE? SURE.
I, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH YOUR REFERENCES, AND I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE BACKGROUND OF, OF EVERYONE.
I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH THEIR BIOS.
UM, SO, AND LAST YEAR I HAD READ, UM, THAT DALLAS HAD CONTRACTED WITH U T S A.
SO I WAS EXCITED TO SEE THAT WE WERE ALSO GOING TO BE DOING THE SAME.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
UM, AND, AND FOR THE BODY, UH, THE, THE REVIEW THAT YOU DID AND, AND THE RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS, UM, I THINK AT THE HEART OF THE REPORT, AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK I WANNA FOCUS ON TODAY, UH, THAT THE ONE WE'VE DONE FOR DALLAS, IT'S THE NECESSARY, UM, SUPPLEMENT, IF YOU WILL, OF SOCIAL SERVICES, RIGHT.
FOR THESE AREAS THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM CRIME.
AND SO, SOCIAL SERVICES THAT ARE LISTED AS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN ADDRESSING THAT IN SOME OF THE OTHER COMMITTEES AS WELL.
UM, SO THE FACT THAT YOU REFERENCED CODE ENFORCEMENT AND HOMELESSNESS, UH, SERVICES AND NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, SERVICES, DEPARTMENT PARKS AND REC, PUBLIC WORKS, SOLID WASTE, EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER, UM, IN KEY SERVICES THAT MY RESIDENTS CONSIDER BASIC, YET ARE STILL LACKING, RIGHT? AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
ONE ASPECT OF THE REPORT TALKS ABOUT OVERGROWN AND VACANT, UH, BUILDINGS, RIGHT? OVERGROWN LOTS AND VACANT BUILDINGS.
AND SO, COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND I SUBMITTED A C C R A WHILE BACK TO EXPAND THE VACANT BUILDING PROGRAM
[00:55:01]
TO A CITYWIDE PROGRAM AND ADD VACANT LOTS AND IDENTIFY REALLY.AND SO AT P C D C, AT OUR, SORRY, PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, WE'VE ALREADY, UM, HAD SOME DISCUSSION ON CODE COMPLIANCE, HOW, HOW WE CAN REEVALUATE OUR GOALS AND THE PROCEDURES AND HOW THEY OPERATE WITHIN THAT, THAT, UM, UH, THAT REALM.
UM, WE HAVE ALSO MADE POLICY CHANGES TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING FOR OUR LOWEST INCOME LEVELS.
AND SOME OF US ARE ALSO EVEN WORKING ON A RESOLUTION TO REAFFIRM THE RIGHTS OF TENANTS, THE RIGHTS THAT THEY HAVE THAT THEY JUST ARE NOT AWARE ABOUT.
AND THE PAST FEW YEARS AT SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, WE'VE INCREASED OUR AMENITIES, UH, FOR MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS.
AND THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED HERE.
UM, THESE ACTIONS ALL HELP CREATE A BETTER LIVING EXPERIENCE AT MULTIFAMILY COMPLEXES.
AND WHERE THE REPORT SAYS THAT MANY VIOLENT INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED.
SO I'M, I'M REFERENCING PAGE TWO, N H SS D HAS ALREADY INCREASED THE NUMBER AND DEPTH OF PROGRAMS FOR STABLE HOUSING WITH THE SUPPORT OF THIS COUNCIL.
AND IN OUR LAST PRESENTATION, UM, WE, UH, EVEN MENTIONED THE AVAILABILITY OF SET ASIDE HOUSING BOND FUNDS, UM, WHICH MIGHT BE CRITICAL, RIGHT? FOR THE MOBILIZATION OF SOME OF THESE RESOURCES.
UM, AND SO I'M, I'M, I'M SAYING THIS, I'M TRYING TO KIND OF BUILD SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE.
WE PASSED A BUDGET WITH NEW ILLEGAL DUMPING CREW AT SOLID WASTE.
UM, METRO HEALTH HAS, GRANTED IT HAS A GRANT FUNDED PROGRAM, WHICH I, I'M SURE YOU, YOU REVIEWED WHERE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE CONNECTING WITH RECENTLY RELEASED INDIVIDUALS AND CONNECTING THEM TO THOSE VITAL RESOURCES.
BUT MY POINT IN MENTIONING IN ALL THIS IS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE A LOT OF WORK TO ADDRESS BROADER ISSUES, UM, AND NOT JUST FOR ONE DISTRICT, IT'S FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
UM, AND WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO FULFILL THIS PLAN TODAY, AND WE HAVE, UH, AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT MAYBE WE HAVEN'T, WE PROBABLY WILL NEVER SEE THROUGH ARPA.
UM, AND IT SHOULD ONLY TAKE A FEW MONTHS, RIGHT? IF, IF NOT SOME WEEKS.
UM, I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE I, I, I, AND I APPRECIATE TIMELINES.
UM, UH, I'M OPTIMISTIC ON THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT YOU ARE PRESENTING, BUT IN 2016, AND I MENTIONED THIS PROBABLY MY FIRST YEAR ON COUNCIL MAYOR TAYLOR HAD CONVENED THE MAYOR'S COUNCIL ON POLICE AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
BY 2017, THERE WAS ENTIRE LIST OF INITIATIVES THAT WERE RECOMMENDED.
UM, WHILE THE CITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO CHECK SOME OF THOSE OFF, UM, THERE WAS NO SUSTAINING OF THOSE INITIATIVES, RIGHT? SO THEY WERE RECOMMENDED AT THE TIME AS BEING, UM, GOOD INITIATIVES.
AND SO I WOULD BE AFRAID, RIGHT, THAT THAT'S THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENS NOW.
WE HAVE THIS WONDERFUL LIST OF THINGS TO DO.
SO I ALWAYS CAUTION OURSELVES ABOUT PUTTING THINGS ON A SHELF AND, AND NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH.
SO I'D LOVE TO SEE WHO'S FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THIS, LIKE WHO IS GOING TO BE THE POINT.
SO I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT CHIEF HAS, HAS, HAS ALREADY EXPRESSED THAT.
SMITH, CAN YOU ANSWER ME A QUESTION? AS I UNDERSTAND THE REPORT THEN HAS THESE THREE PHASES RIGHT? NEAR TERM, UM, WHICH IS INCREASED POLICE VISIBILITY.
UM, DOES THE EVIDENCE THAT YOU CITE SUGGEST THAT THE BEST COURSE IS TO LEAD WITH THAT INCREASED POLICE PRESENCE? IS THAT THE, IS THAT THE, THE SHORT TERM STRATEGY BECAUSE OF, OF THE MULTIPLE STUDIES THAT YOU'VE, UH, CITED? THAT'S THE SHORT TERM STRATEGY BECAUSE OFTENTIMES, UM, IT, IT'S, IT TAKES LONGER AND, AND IT'S MORE COMPLICATED TO, TO BRING TOGETHER THE MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE OTHER TWO.
UM, IN THE MEANTIME, PEOPLE ARE BEING VICTIMIZED AND, UM, AND, AND VIOLENT CRIME IS HAPPENING.
AND THE SHORT TERM STRATEGY IS DESIGNED, UH, TO, TO BE THE TOURNIQUET, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO STOP THE, YOU KNOW, TO STOP THE BLEEDING OR TO SLOW THE BLEEDING, UH, WHILE THE OTHER STRATEGIES CAN BE BROUGHT TO BEAR.
AND HOW QUICKLY DO YOU THINK THE SOCIAL PROGRAM ASPECT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THOSE HOTSPOTS? SO AFTER THE, THE IMMEDIATE? YEAH.
SO I THINK THE TIMELINE SUGGESTS THAT IN, UM, ABOUT SIX TO 12 MONTHS AFTER HOTSPOTS BEGIN, UM, IS, IS TYPICALLY, UH, WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK ABOUT WHEN THE NEXT MIDTERM PHASE.
UM, THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S NOT SET IN STONE THAT, THAT'S JUST, UH, SORT OF, YOU KNOW, BASED ON, ON OUR EXPERIENCE IN OTHER CITIES, UM, AND HOW LONG IT TAKES TO, TO GET, TO GET IT GOING.
AND I, I SAW YOU REFERENCE THAT, UM, SOME IN THE REPORT THAT SOME OF THE, THE, THE MOST CRIME HAPPENS AT SOME APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
AND I THINK YOU, YOU SAID THERE WAS 10 AREAS.
I'D LOVE TO SEE THOSE 10 AREAS, BY THE WAY, THAT ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS.
UM, AND SO, UM, BUT ALSO WORKING WITH THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION FOR INSTANCE, I THINK IS, IS ANOTHER ONE OF THESE, UM, THINGS THAT I, THAT I WOULD PROBABLY, UH, RECOMMEND.
RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT THE SUMMER MONTHS, AND YOU, YOU SHARED IT ON PAGE ONE OF THE REPORT, HAVE AN INCREASE A GENERAL TREND OF INCREASING INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENS IN MY DISTRICT.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S, UM, KIDS THAT ARE OUT OF SCHOOL AND COULD GET CAUGHT IN SOME TRICKY SITUATIONS.
AND SO, UM, I, I REALLY WANT TO, TO SEE WHAT, WHAT,
[01:00:01]
WHAT THOSE AREAS ARE, AND SEE IF MY DISTRICT FALLS WITHIN ANY ONE OF THEM.BUT THEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW WE PLAN TO CONVENE OR HOW FAST WE PLAN TO CONVENE THAT PROBLEM ORIENTED, PLACE-BASED POLICING BOARD AND WHAT THE REPRESENTATION IS GOING TO BE.
RIGHT? SO IS IT GONNA BE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE REPRESENTING THAT ARE ON THERE? UM, ANOTHER POINT TO THAT AS WELL, UM, KIND OF AS AN ASIDE BUT NEXT DOOR, LIKE THAT'S WHERE I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
LIKE I ALWAYS CALL JOE FRANK AND SAY, HEY, I SAW THIS ON NEXT DOOR, WHAT'S GOING ON? SO EVEN BEFORE CASE AT OR ANYBODY BREAKS THIS DOOR, LIKE I SEE IT ON NEXT DOOR AND PEOPLE ARE ASKING, SO DID YOU ALL TALK ABOUT HOW YOU INCORPORATE THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF IT, UM, UH, INTO, INTO SOME OF YOUR DISCUSSIONS? YEAH, I, I GET INTO NEXTDOOR UPDATES TOO,
UH, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF, OR THE IDENTIFICATION OF HOTSPOTS, UM, IS BASED, IS BASED ENTIRELY ON REPORTED OFFENSES TO THE POLICE.
SO I TELL EVERYBODY, I ACTUALLY, I WAS ON, ON FOX 29 YESTERDAY SAYING, DON'T POST IT ON NEXT DOOR.
RIGHT? SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THEN CHIEF ALWAYS STRESSES THAT.
UM, ANOTHER POINT THAT YOU HAD ON HERE, AND I'LL BE FULLY TRANSPARENT.
AT THE DECEMBER 13TH GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, WE DISCUSSED COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ'S, UM, C C R ON AN OFFICE OF CRIME AND RECIDIVISM PREVENTION.
AND WE HAD SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS THERE.
I BROUGHT UP AN IDEA OF A JOINT EFFORT TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY ON CRIMINAL ISSUES.
AND IT WAS MENTIONED THAT IT MIGHT BE TOO BROAD TO DO THAT, BUT I WONDER HOW WE CAN WORK WITH THEM GIVEN THIS, UH, REPORT SUGGESTION THAT THEY'RE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE PROCESS.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE HIM FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
I WAS TOLD THAT THAT REGULARLY HAPPENS ALREADY.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS AS FAR AS WORKING WITH, WITH, FOR INSTANCE, THE COUNTY.
OUR JUDGES, OUR DA, WANT ME TO TAKE THAT? OKAY.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE ENTIRE, UM, UH, SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WRIT LARGE TO INCLUDE PROSECUTION IS A HUGE PART OBVIOUSLY OF CONTROLLING VIOLENT CRIME.
AND, UM, IN THE LATTER, UH, THE LATTER, UM, PORTIONS OF THE CRIME PLAN, UM, THE MIDTERM AND PARTICULARLY THE LONGER TERM.
UM, THEY ARE, THEY ARE BE, BECOME ABSOLUTELY KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THOSE, OF THOSE STRATEGIES.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I GUESS THAT'S MY, MY ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THAT THE PROSECUTION AND DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND, AND IN THE US ATTORNEY AS WELL ARE, ARE KEY PLAYERS IN ALL OF THIS.
SMITH AND COUNCILMAN ALSO TO, UH, ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION.
SMITH, UH, SMITH ALLUDED TO THIS IN HIS PRESENTATION THAT HE IS, UM, WHEN WE ARE IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES OF A CASE PROCESSING, UH, ANALYSIS AND CITY MANAGER AND MYSELF, AND I SEE, UH, DA GONZALEZ HERE PRESENT.
WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DA AND, UM, AND, AND HE HAS AGREED TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN THIS ANALYSIS OF DATA, UH, THE DR.
SO WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS YOUR, QUE YOUR QUESTION, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AND, UH, IN, IN SOME AREAS THAT, THAT WE CAN BOTH IMPROVE.
WELL, I, I, I'M JUST TWO, TWO THINGS.
ONE, UM, AND, AND I'M NOT THE DA CAN SPEAK FOR HIMSELF, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT THE, THE REASON WHY HE'S PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND, AND AS MUCH OF A CASELOAD AS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS, HE IS PART OF THAT PROCESS.
AND SO I THINK, I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S CERTAINLY, HE CERTAINLY SEES THAT THE SHARED BENEFIT TO THAT REVIEW.
UM, UM, SECONDLY, I, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SUSTAINED EFFORT THAT WAS DONE IN 2016, UM, WAS, UM, UM, WAS, DID, DID NOT HAVE A VERY LONG LIFESPAN.
AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW IN DEVELOPING A PARTNERSHIP WHERE WE'VE GOT U T S A HELPING US MAP THESE THINGS OUT AND, AND WALK WITH US DOWN THAT PATH.
THE THINGS THAT WERE UNDONE FROM THAT PROCESS, UM, WHERE THINGS THAT WERE UNDONE BASED ON THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, WHICH, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, OF THIS COUNCIL ADDRESSED IN THE LAST COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS A SIX MONTH EFFORT THAT DID NOT RESULT IN, IN, UH, A MAP FOR, UM, FOR EVERYBODY, NOT JUST THE CITY.
UM, THE COUNTY AT THE TIME WAS PART OF THAT EFFORT.
UM, BUT IT, IT DID NOT, IT DID NOT RESULT AND WAS NOT DESIGNED TO BE A SUSTAINED EFFORT INTEGRATED WITHIN OUR OPERATIONS, INTEGRATED WITHIN A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
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AND, AND CERTAINLY NOT, UH, DATA-DRIVEN OR EVIDENCE-BASED BASED.IF I RECALL THAT THAT EFFORT WAS REALLY TO FILL IN GAPS THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO FILL IN BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AT THAT TIME.
SO IT WAS NOT REALLY DESIGNED TO SUCCEED IN THAT WAY.
WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, CHIEF, I WANTED TO ASK YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SLIDES SIX AND SEVEN IN YOUR PRESENTATION REALLY CATCH MY ATTENTION.
UH, AND, AND THEY REALLY SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES EXCEPT, COULD YOU GIMME A BRIEF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ARE CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY? SO A CRIME AGAINST SOCIETY WOULD BE AN ARREST FOR PROSTITUTION.
IT'S ALL BASED ON ARREST, ARREST FOR PROSTITUTION, UH, ARREST FOR CRUELTY TO ANIMAL, UM, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS WHERE THERE'S NO DIRECT VICTIM.
UM, WE CERTAINLY HAD SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS, UH, IN THOSE CRIME STATISTICS THERE, BUT ALSO, UM, I'M WONDERING, IS THERE AN AGREEMENT OR UNDERSTANDING THAT ANY VICTIMS OF A VIOLENT CRIME THAT PRESENT THEMSELVES AT HOSPITALS ARE REPORTED TO SS A P D? YES.
SO THEN WE USUALLY KNOW IF SOMEBODY'S INJURED AND REPORTS TO A HOSPITAL, UH, BECAUSE OF A CRIME, IF THERE'S A CALL FROM THE HOSPITAL, WE'LL GO AND TAKE THE REPORT.
BUT IS IT MANDATORY FOR THEM TO DO THAT, FOR THEM TO MAKE A REPORT? NO.
SO THERE COULD BE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED BECAUSE OF A CRIME, AND WE MAY NOT NECESSARILY GET THAT INFORMATION IF THE HOSPITAL DECIDES NOT TO CALL US.
UM, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VIOLENT CRIME AND, UH, CRIMES CRIME AGAINST A PERSON AND CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY? DO YOU SEE A RELATIONSHIP IN THERE? NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
BECAUSE I NOTICE WE TALK ABOUT IN SLIDE SIX, 36,000 CRIMES AGAINST A PERSON, BUT 104,000 CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY.
NOW I UNDERSTAND THIS EFFORT IS LOOKING TOWARDS CRIME AGAINST A PERSON, PARTICULARLY VIOLENT CRIME.
UH, ARE WE EXPECTING TO HEAR MORE SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE ABOUT ADDRESSING THE 104,000 IN 2022 CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY? NOT IN THIS CRIME PLAN? NO.
I'M WELL, WHAT ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE ANYONE ELSE IS WORKING ON? NO, SIR.
'CAUSE I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT IN, IN MY COMMUNITY THAN I DO AGAINST CRIMES AGAINST PEOPLE.
UH, PEOPLE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE, AND THOSE STATISTICS ARE GETTING HIGHER ALSO.
THANKS CHIEF, LET ME TALK TO DR.
THE, THE SAME QUESTION YOU ASKED ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THIS PLAN TO PROPERTY CRIME BEING THE, THE AREA WHERE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST INCREASE IN THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INCIDENTS.
WE'RE REVIEWING THE PLAN, SO I'M GONNA ASK HIM TO, TO ADDRESS IT.
THE, THE PLAN IS, EVERYONE'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
UM, THAT SAID, UM, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE OUTLINED, UM, WE HAVE EVERY EXPECTATION WOULD, WOULD HELP REDUCE PROPERTY CRIME IN AND AROUND THE PLACES THAT ARE BEING, UM, THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED THROUGH THE PLAN.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH THERE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, SPILLOVER EFFECTS, BENEFICIAL EFFECTS FOR PROPERTY CRIME.
THE PLAN'S NOT DESIGNED TO DO THAT.
BUT, UM, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY, UM, NOT, UM, WOULD NOT BE UNANTICIPATED PARTICULARLY AT, AT LOCAL, IN LOCALIZED AREAS.
AND, AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT 1% OF THE CITY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THOSE HOTSPOTS AND MAYBE, UH, IT HELPS 5% OF THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE AREAS AROUND THERE, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE OTHER 95% OF THE CITY TOO.
UM, LET ME ASK YOU THIS, UH, WHAT'S YOUR ESTIMATE OF UNREPORTED CRIMES IN GENERAL? I MEAN, AS A CRIMINOLOGIST? YEAH, SO IT VARIES BY CRIME TYPE.
UM, SO PROPERTY CRIMES ARE GENERALLY THE, THE, THE, THE PERCENTAGE OF PROPERTY CRIMES THAT, THAT GO UNREPORTED IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE PERCENTAGE OF VIOLENT CRIMES.
DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE FROM YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ON WHAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE? SURE.
WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF CRIME? SO, THEFT, I MEAN THE, WHAT WE CALL THE DARK FIGURE OF CRIME, THE UNREPORTED CRIME CAN BE AS HIGH AS 90%, UH, FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, VIOLENT CRIMES LIKE, LIKE MURDER
[01:10:01]
FOR EXAMPLE.AND YOU JUST KINDA, YOU MOVE DOWN THE LIST OF SERIOUSNESS, YOU TYPICALLY SEE HIGHER LEVELS OF NON-REPORTING.
AND, AND THAT'S, IT'S PART OF MY CONCERN IF WE'VE GOT 104,000 CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY REPORTED, BUT EVEN 40 OR 50% OF THE CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY DON'T GET REPORTED, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE 150, 60, 70,000 CRIMES THAT WE'RE NOT RIGHT NOW TRYING TO ADDRESS IN ANY WAY.
LET ME ASK YOU THIS, UM, WAS, UH, OR HOW IS THE SIZE OF THE POLICE FORCE OR POLICE RESOURCES INCORPORATED INTO YOUR CRIME PLAN? WELL, THE, THE CRIME PLAN OBVIOUSLY REQUIRES POLICE, UH, RESOURCES AND, AND, AND ATTENTION IN, IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
UM, AND WE, WE GOT A QUESTION EARLIER, UH, ABOUT THE NUMBER OF HOTSPOTS THAT WE'RE TREATING, FOR EXAMPLE, AS AN, AS A POTENTIALLY A WAY TO AN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY TREATING 28, UM, HOTSPOTS.
COULD WE TREAT MORE IF THE, IF POLICE RESOURCES WERE AVAILABLE TO TREAT THEM? ABSOLUTELY.
AND WOULD THAT BE BENEFICIAL? YES, IT WOULD.
UH, YOU'VE MENTIONED OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE WORKED ON THIS TYPE OF A PROJECT IN THE PAST.
REMEMBER TACOMA IS ONE THAT COMES TO MIND.
SO THIS PARTICULAR CRIME PLAN, UM, IS IN EFFECT IN, IN, IN ESSENCE, IN EFFECT, IN A VERY SIMILAR FASHION IN, IN DALLAS, SALT LAKE CITY AND TACOMA.
CAN, CAN YOU SHOW US A HISTORY OF HOW IT WORKED? AND I, AND I, I PUT IT THIS WAY, I THINK ALL OF US KNOW THAT IT TAKES TIME FOR, FOR INDIVIDUALS' BEHAVIORS TO CHANGE.
CRIMINALS ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
YOUR BEHAVIOR ISN'T GONNA CHANGE RIGHT AWAY.
SO I SEE WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT SIX MONTHS DOWN THE LINE, REVIEWING MAYBE A YEAR DOWN THE LINE.
HAVE, HAS THIS BEEN IN PLACE IN A FEW PLACES WHERE YOU CAN LOOK AT AND EVALUATE, WHAT WAS IT, DAY ONE AND A YEAR OR TWO LATER, WHAT WAS IT? AND, AND CAN WE SEE SOME OF THAT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE VISION OF WHAT TO EXPECT IN RETURN FOR THIS? SURE.
UM, WE PRODUCED A YEAR-END VIOLENT, UH, UH, YEAREND EVALUATION REPORT IN DALLAS, UH, OVER THE SUMMER.
AND I'VE GOT IT ON MY COMPUTER.
IT'S PROBABLY ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AS WELL, BUT I CAN HA HAPPY TO SEND IT TO, UH, TO, TO YOU, UH, OR TO THE COUNSELOR.
OR TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
BUT, BUT WE, AGAIN, WE REPORT OUT, UM, EVERY 60 TO 90 DAYS AND ALL OF THOSE REPORTS, UH, THAT WE'VE DONE SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE CRIME PLAN IN DALLAS, WHICH IS NOW COMING UP ON TWO YEARS, ARE, ARE ALL PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
AND SO THEY'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL FOR THOSE TWO YEAR PERIODS.
YOU AND, AND I HOPE THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL THREE OR FOUR, FIVE YEARS DOWN THE LINE TOO.
UM, SO YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANY KIND OF A STAFFING STUDY ON SS A P D RESOURCES? NO.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL ARE GONNA BE INCLUDING IN ANY OF YOUR OTHER WORK? WE DON'T DO THAT.
I THOUGHT WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THAT WORKING.
IS THAT COMING FROM ANOTHER SOURCE? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
WE HAVE THAT STAFFING ANALYSIS COMING TO COUNCIL IN B SESSION MID-MARCH.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE ASKED DR.
THAT'S REALLY FOR US TO DECIDE BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM, FROM, FROM HIM AND HIS GROUP, HOW WE STAFF.
AND SO, UH, WE WILL, WE'LL BE SHOWING THAT, UH, TO YOU, UM, IN MID-MARCH.
THE LAST THING THAT KIND OF STUCK IN MY MIND WAS, WE WERE SAYING VIOLENT CRIME WAS BEING COMMITTED BY ABOUT 5% OF THE OFFENDERS.
IS THAT, IS THAT ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING? WHAT I THINK I SAID IS THAT ABOUT 5% OF YOUR OFFENDERS COMMIT ABOUT 50% OF YOUR VIOLENT CRIME.
50% OF, AND WHAT DID THE OTHER 95% OF THE OFFENDERS DO? WELL, SOME OF THEM ARE, ARE CONTRIBUTING TO, TO YOUR CRIME PROBLEM IN GENERAL.
THE POINT OF THAT SLIDE IS THAT A RELATIVELY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF YOUR VIOLENT CRIME.
AND YOU CAN USE THAT FACT, UM, AS, AS PART OF YOUR STRATEGY.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO POLICE EVERY PERSON.
YOU REALLY ONLY HAVE TO TARGET FOR, FOR INTERVENTION A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
AND YOU CAN DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT VIOLENT CRIME IN YOUR CITY.
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AND I HOPE NOBODY GETS ME WRONG WHEN I TRY TO PUT OFF THE FACT THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT PROPERTY CRIME.'CAUSE VIOLENT CRIME IS THE WORST, AND THAT AFFECTS PEOPLE AND FAMILIES.
AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A TOP PRIORITY.
BUT I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT THE 95% OF THOSE OFFENDERS WHO MAY BE CREATING 150,000, YOU KNOW, OTHER CRIMES IN OUR COMMUNITIES EVERY YEAR.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT HOW WE ADDRESS AND CHANGE SOME OF THAT AS WELL.
THAT'S ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
UH, CHIEF, DID YOU WANNA RESPOND TO ANY OF THE COMMENTS? YES, SIR.
COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST TO TOUCH BACK ON THE, ON THE PROPERTY CRIME ISSUE, THIS, THIS VIOLENT CRIME PLAN DOES NOT, UM, PUT PROPERTY CRIMES IN IN THE BACKSEAT.
WE HAVE UNITS THAT FOCUS JUST ON PROPERTY CRIMES.
WE HAVE PROPERTY CRIMES DETECTIVES IN EVERY SUBSTATION.
SO PROPERTY CRIMES IS, IS, IS A CONCERN AS MUCH AS A CONCERN AS ANY OTHER CRIME.
AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE IGNORING IT, UH, TO WORK ON THIS VIOLENT CRIME PLAN.
UH, GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE A LOT THAT I WAS TYPING WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON.
UM, SO THERE'S TWO WAYS THAT I, THAT I FEEL LIKE THIS ENDS, THIS CONVERSATION ENDS REALISTICALLY, UM, IN THE SHORT TERM.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE SEE CRIME AS HAPPENING HERE IN THIS HOTSPOT.
AND HERE'S SOME OFFICERS TO STOMP OUT CRIME.
AND WE MAYBE BUMP UP A COUPLE OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENT'S FUNDING AND, BUT NOWHERE NEAR THE LEVEL OF ADDRESSING THE ISSUE.
OR WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, CRIME IS HAPPENING HERE.
HERE'S THE REASON WHY WE'LL HAVE SS A P D BE, BE MINDFUL OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR, IN THEIR EFFORTS, AND THEY SHOULD BE AWARE OF THESE FACTORS.
AND THIS IS HOW WE SHOULD FOCUS RESOURCES TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS IN THIS PARTICULAR ZIP CODE WITH SOME AMOUNT OF MONEY ALLOCATED THERE.
AND I WANT TO BE SURE THAT WHAT I'M INTERPRETING, UM, IS NOT NECESSARILY WHAT, UH, WHAT I'M INTERPRETING VERSUS WHAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND SO I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY CRIME IS HAPPENING, WHERE IT'S AT, AND HOW WE PREVENT IT.
IT'S ROOT AND IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE GETTING THERE.
IT FEELS LIKE THAT'S WHAT THIS PLAN IS AIMING TO DO.
I'M HEARING THAT WE KNOW WHERE, AND WE'RE SENDING MORE OFFICERS, OR WE'RE INCREASING PATROL OF CERTAIN AREAS, AND IT LEADS TO A DECREASE OF CRIME FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.
OF COURSE, WE, WE'VE ALL ACKNOWLEDGED THAT'S NOT THE ONLY SOLUTION.
UM, BUT I'M NOT HEARING MUCH OUTSIDE OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT IT'LL TAKE MORE.
AND SO I'M WONDERING, AND THIS WILL BE A COUNCIL DISCUSSION, I I WAS GONNA POINT THE QUESTION TO ERIC, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT.
IT'S JUST YOU THINK IT'S HOW MUCH FUNDING CAN WE EXPECT TO SET ASIDE TO REVIEW HOTSPOTS? 'CAUSE WE'RE ONLY GONNA DO A FEW HOTSPOTS A YEAR, I IMAGINE.
HOW MUCH FUNDING CAN WE EXPECT TO SET ASIDE TO STRATEGICALLY MAKE EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE ROOTS, TO CREATE ACCESS TO JOBS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND RESOURCES OR OTHERWISE ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES MEANINGFULLY? AND IS THAT A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE COULD EXPECT FROM, UH, THE CRIMINOLOGISTS? THE, I'M SORRY.
AND THEN I ALSO WANNA BE EXTREMELY MINDFUL THAT AS WE DISCUSS THIS REPORT TODAY, WE DO SO WHILE OUR NATION M MOURNS, THE BRUTAL BEATING AND MURDER OF TYREE NICHOLS AT THE HANDS OF MEMPHIS POLICE OFFICERS, TYREE NICHOLS WAS A BELOVED SON, SKATEBOARDER ARTISTS AND STORYTELLER WHO USED PHOTOGRAPHY AS A MEDIUM AND A FATHER TO A FOUR YEAR OLD SON.
AND WE ALWAYS HOLD OUT HOPE THAT THE POLICIES THAT WE IMPLEMENT WILL LEAD TO INCREASE SAFETY FOR OUR FAMILIES, THAT WILL PROTECT THE LIVES OF VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME.
WHILE WE'RE ALSO CAREFUL, UM, NOT TO ADD FURTHER HARM TO FAMILIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED DECADES OF DISINVESTMENT DISRUPTIVE AND OFTEN FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE TRAUMA OF MASS INCARCERATION, THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE AND OVER POLICING.
I FEEL LIKE WE ALL GENERALLY HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING, AND I HEAR IT REFLECTED IN OUR CONVERSATION.
SO I WANT US TO, UH, I WANT IT TO BE CLEAR.
UM, AND AS I SAID BEFORE, I'M GONNA HOLD OUT THAT HOPE.
UM, BUT TODAY'S FOCUS IS ON OUR RESPONSE TO VIOLENT CRIME.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO ADDRESS CRIME PREVENTION, THAT WE'LL BRING THIS SAME EFFORT AND ENERGY TO THE PROCESS.
SO WHILE I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THE TEAM PUT INTO THIS DOCUMENT, I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE HAD THE IMPACT TO COMMUNITY AT THE TABLE FROM THE VERY, VERY BEGINNING OF THE PLANNING PROCESS, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE TAKING A PLACE-BASED APPROACH.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE CAN RECTIFY AS THE PROCESS GOES ON.
I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE GONNA BE SHORT, MID-RANGE AND LONG-TERM STRATEGIES, AND THAT THE FIRST FOCUS WILL BE MAINLY LAW ENFORCEMENT STRATEGIES AND THEN OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING CITY DEPARTMENTS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERS, WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE LAST TWO STAGES.
HOWEVER, I DO HAVE SOME THOUGHTS AND SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE PLAN.
AND I'M GOING TO, YOU KNOW, NAME THAT THE SCORPIO UNION AND SCORPIO SCORPION UNIT IN MEMPHIS WAS A SPECIALIZED UNIT WORKING ON
[01:20:01]
A PLACE-BASED HOTSPOTTING SPOTTING INITIATIVE.MUCH LIKE WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE TODAY.
AND SO YOU CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION LATER, BUT HOW CAN WE BE SURE THAT WHAT TOOK PLACE IN MEMPHIS WITH A VERY SPECIFIC FOCUS TO ELIMINATE VIOLENT CRIME DOESN'T ALSO HAPPEN, UH, HERE? AND I WANT TO ADD A STORY FOR CONTEXT, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND AS WELL THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING A UNIT, BUT WE'RE STILL CREATING THIS PROGRAM.
UM, THE CON THE STORY IS, I, I'VE HAD A FEW CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS, INCLUDING TWO MOTHERS, AND I BELIEVE YOU GOT THESE CALLS AS WELL, WHOSE YOUNG SONS WERE STOPPED BY OFFICERS FOR SWITCHING LANES TOO SLOWLY.
AND THEIR ENCOUNTER WITH POLICE AND THEIR CONTINUED, UH, COMMUNICATION WITH OUR OFFICE HAS LEFT THEM EXPRESSING A SENSE OF BEING RATTLED AND WORRIED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY.
AND SO, AGAIN, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING ANOTHER SCORPION UNIT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDER OF ANOTHER TYREE NICHOLS? WE ALSO HEAR? SO THAT'S GONNA BE MY SECOND QUESTION, AND IF YOU NEED ME LATER, I CAN GO BACK TO 'EM.
WE HEAR FROM, UH, THE CHIEF AND FROM SAFE OFFICERS IN VARIOUS SETTINGS, INCLUDING IMPLICATIONS AT CAPTAIN'S MEETINGS, THAT THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THOSE WHO COMMIT VIOLENT CRIMES BEING RELEASED DUE TO DECISIONS MADE BY THE DA.
IT, AND IT'S USUALLY SAID IN THE, IN THE WAY OF, THERE'S POLITICAL FIGURE.
I WON'T GET POLITICAL, BUT THERE'S CERTAIN FIGURES AND PEOPLE MAKING POLITICAL DECISIONS AND IT'S PROGRESSIVE REFORMS TO BE BLAMED.
AND THAT'S NAMED IN THE REPORT, UM, THAT THEY HAVE CONCERNS, UM, THAT THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THOSE WHO COMMIT VIOLENT CRIMES BEING RELEASED DUE DECISIONS MADE BY THE DA.
HOWEVER, UM, WE'VE WORKED CASES WHERE THE RESPONDING OFFICERS POLICE REPORTS OMITTED CRITICAL INFORMATION THAT WOULD'VE LED TO ADDITIONAL CHARGES.
AND SO CONSTITUENTS HAVE HAD TO WORK WITH OFFICERS TO AMEND REPORTS.
AND THEN AFTER EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY IN DOING THAT, UM, THEY'VE CALLED MY OFFICE.
AND SO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IS THAT THIS MISALIGNMENT COULD BE WHY PROSECUTORS OR THE DA'S OFFICE CANNOT FULLY CHARGE AND SEEK JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
AND SO, SEC, MORE TO THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR ENSURING THE ACCURACY OF POLICE REPORTS AND THAT THERE'S COORDINATION WITH THE DA'S OFFICE ON THIS PORTION OF THE PROCESS? AND WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT DOING TO HELP THE DA BE A PART OF THIS SOLUTION? AND I THINK I HEARD THAT THE DA'S OFFICE WAS CONSULTED IN THE WRITING OF THIS REPORT.
IT SEEMS ODD TO ME THAT THEY WOULD'VE BEEN INCLUDED, AND IT STILL INCLUDES THAT ALMOST INDIRECT, UH, SLUGS AT THE DA'S OFFICE, THAT PROGRESSIVE REFORMS LEAD IMPACT CRIME.
JUST MY FEELING OF, UH, INCONSISTENCY THERE.
AND LASTLY, THIS IS GONNA BE MY MOST IMPORTANT POINT, I THINK, IS THAT, UM, MY OFFICE AND I WERE RE RECENTLY LISTENING TO A STORY ON NPR FROM POLICE CHIEF RASH BRACKNEY, WHO SPOKE ABOUT THE CULTURE WITHIN POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND HOW IT CREATES A SENSE OF US VERSUS THEM.
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON CREATING NOW, BUT IT'S BEEN EMBEDDED INTO THE CULTURE OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS EVERYWHERE.
UM, AND I SEE THIS REFLECTED IN POLICE VERSUS ACTIVISTS, THOSE WHO BACK THE BLUE VERSUS THOSE WHO DON'T.
AND THAT'S EXPRESSED BY OFFICERS THEMSELVES DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY.
AND SHE STATED THAT ALTHOUGH WE CREATE TRAINING PROGRAMS TO OVERCOME BIASES, UH, OR WE ADOPT POLICIES WITHOUT OFFICER DISCRETION AT THE AIMS OF ADDRESSING OVER POLICING, THAT THE CULTURE NEEDS TO BE OVERCOME SO THAT THE OFFERS DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO DELIVER JUSTICE AT THE CURBSIDE, UM, AND ARE INSTEAD INVESTED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, RATHER THAN A FORCE THAT'S, UH, ASSEMBLED TO ROOT OUT BAD APPLES AND TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.
AND SO MY QUESTION THERE IS HOW ARE WE SETTING THE CULTURE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PREVENT THIS FEAR AND DIVISION BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE FAMILIES, UM, IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE AIM TO PROTECT? IT'S ALL.
UM, LASTLY, ON THE TOPIC OF POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS, IT'S NOT THE COMMUNITY'S JOB TO MEND THOSE RELATIONS.
AND SO ANY EFFORTS OR INITIATIVES THAT WE PUT FORWARD, WE NEED TO EVALUATE WHO'S PUTTING IN THE EFFORT, WHO'S EXPERIENCING EMOTIONAL STRESS, AND WHO'S IN A POSITION OF TRUE POWER IN ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND THERE'S PROGRAMS THAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT, AND THERE'S PROGRAMS THAT NEED TO BE EVALUATED ON WHO'S PUTTING IN THAT EFFORT.
MY FAVORITE PART OF THE PRESENTATION IS THE EXPLICIT STATEMENT THAT SS A P D CANNOT RESOLVE OUR SOCIETAL FLAWS THAT PERPETUATE CRIME.
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF POVERTY AND ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITY.
AND THAT'S THE KEY FOUNDATION OF A, UH, CRIME PREVENTION PLAN.
AND I NEED TO SEE INVESTMENT THERE IN A SUBSTANTIAL WAY.
I GUESS I'LL ASK MY QUE, YOU KNOW WHAT, NOW I'M GONNA END WITH, NO ONE HERE SHOULD FEEL REAFFIRMED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING BASED ON THE PRESENTATION WE HEARD HERE.
WE'RE NOT AT THE POINT YET OF PATTING OUR BACKS.
THIS PRESENTATION TO ME READS AS A, WE ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH.
WE'RE LEARNING, WE ARE IN AN IMPORTANT STAGE OF GROWTH, BUT THAT WE ARE NOT AT THAT POINT WHERE WE'RE PUTTING OUR MONEY, WHERE IT'S WHERE IT SHOULD BE TO MAKE MEANINGFUL, UH, MEANINGFUL.
IT'S NOT MAKING MEANINGFUL ADDRESS OF OUR SOCIETAL FLAWS.
THAT'S THE POINT I'D LIKE TO MAKE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ HERE.
YEAH, LET ME, LET ME ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE POINTS.
UM, COUNCILMAN, I, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THE RE THE ISSUE OF RESOURCES AND WANTING MORE, THAT'S A, THAT'S A CONVERSATION FOR THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SIT HERE TO CITY MANAGER
[01:25:01]
AND TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE OF THIS PLAN, WE'RE GONNA MOVE OR ADD A BUNCH OF MONEY INTO THE 28 AREAS.YOU KNOW, DOES IT MAKE SENSE THAT, UM, THAT WE TAKE OUR STREET MAINTENANCE MONEY AND OUR I I M P MONEY AND REDIRECT IT AND FOCUS IT IN PLACE-BASED? DOES IT MEAN THAT WE TAKE AND MOVE EXISTING DOLLARS TO BUILD THAT SYNERGY? POTENTIALLY.
BUT, BUT, BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT, THAT THIS PLAN OR THIS EFFORT IS GONNA NECESSITATE AND JUSTIFY, UM, A WHOLE BUNCH OF SPENDING IN A LOT OF AREAS BECAUSE OF THIS.
WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON PRIORITIES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, CRITERIA FOR, FOR, FOR, UM, UM, TAX CREDIT HOUSING PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GET ANY CREDIT UNLESS THEY'RE IN YOUR ONE OF THESE AREAS.
THOSE ARE THE POLICY LEVEL CONVERSATIONS THAT THE COUNCIL'S GONNA HAVE.
BUT I, BUT I DO THINK IT PUTS US IN A, IN A, IN A FRAMEWORK TO, TO PROVIDE NOT ONLY ME AND THE STAFF A MAP, BUT, BUT YOU AS POLICY MAKERS, UM, A MAP TO ABLE TO START TO LEVERAGE DOLLARS.
BECAUSE WE SPEND, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS DURING THE BUDGET, WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY IN A LARGE CITY AND, AND SHOULD WE BE, AND I THINK THE PUBLIC EXPECTS THAT WE TALK ABOUT, UM, PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS AT IN THOSE AREAS OF TOWN THAT NEED IT.
BUT, BUT THAT HAS TO BE KIND OF A COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
AND, AND CERTAINLY WE'LL HAVE THAT.
UM, SECONDLY, NO, I'M NOT AWARE OF TWO CALLS, UM, TO ABOUT, UM, UH, FROM TWO MOTHERS.
UM, AND I'D LIKE THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE THAT'S NOT, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CERTAINLY WE HAVE TO FOLLOW UP ON.
I'LL LET THE CHIEF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SCORPION UNIT, UM, AND, AND MEMPHIS, UM, I THINK DR.
SMITH HIT IT RIGHT OUTTA THE GATE, THAT, THAT THIS, IF ANYTHING, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, MEMPHIS, THOSE OFFICERS WERE DIRECTED TO PULL EVERYBODY OVER WITH, WITH IMPUNITY.
AND, AND THIS IS A VISIBILITY IN 15 MINUTE INCREMENTS.
AND SO, BUT I'LL LET THE CHIEF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIS VIEW ON THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE PROGRESSIVE POLICIES AND THE DA'S OFFICE, THE DA'S OFFICE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THIS STUDY.
THE DA'S OFFICE, WE ARE ASKING TO BE PART OF THAT THIRD STUDY THAT, THAT DR.
AND, AND MARIA AND THE CHIEF AND MYSELF AND, AND, UH, THE DA AND HIS FIRST ASSISTANT MEET MONTHLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONNECTED FROM A LEADERSHIP STANDPOINT AND A MESSAGING STANDPOINT.
YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, REGARDLESS OF POLICIES, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THE POLITICAL NATURE OF THAT, REGARDLESS OF POLICIES, THE, THE AVERAGE CITIZEN, THEY'RE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IN TERMS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
UM, WE HAPPEN TO BE THE FRONT END OF THAT, AND THE COUNTY HAPPENS TO BE THE BACK END OF THAT.
SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO BETTER ALIGN, UM, AND THE DA HAS TALKED TO US ABOUT THOSE, THOSE CONCERNS THAT HE'S GOT OR THAT HE'S HAD AND, AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESSING THAT WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION.
UM, I WANT THE CHIEF TO TALK ABOUT POLICING CULTURE, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE, THIS, THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US.
IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, UH, FOR US BECAUSE IT'S OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND, UM, AS MANY TIMES AS WE HAVE HAD OUR OWN ISSUES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, IT, IT, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THAT RELATIONSHIP.
IT'S NOT THE NEIGHBORHOODS OR THE COMMUNITY'S RESPONSIBILITY.
HE IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND WE HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY CLEARLY.
AND, AND WE HAVE TO, AND WE HAVE TO CODDLE THAT AND NURTURE THAT.
UM, AND, AND THE ARROGANCE OF AUTHORITY THAT YOU SEE DEMONSTRATED IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, UH, IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THE POLICE DEPART ACCEPTABLE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
NOW, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CASES OF OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCIPLINED OR TERMINATED BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF THAT ARROGANCE OF AUTHORITY, AND THAT'S THE ACTION THAT WE TAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE CONTINUES TO PROTECT AND SERVE THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY SAFETY, WE WANT THEM, WE NEED THEM JUST LIKE WE NEED THE STANDUP SA FOLKS TO BE TRUSTED AGENTS FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND, AND, AND I KNOW THE CHIEF FEELS VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT ARROGANCE OF AUTHORITY AND, AND HOW CAREFUL WE HAVE TO BE, HOW CAREFUL THE POLICE OFFICER HAS TO BE, UM, WHETHER HE'S A HE OR SHE'S A 20 YEAR VET, OR THEY'RE OUT OF THE ACADEMY FOR EIGHT MONTHS.
UM, AND SO CHIEF, WHY DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE TWO ISSUES.
SO ONE THING I CAN SAY THAT I TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME IS ARROGANCE OF AUTHORITY.
AND IT'S THE, ON THE FIRST DAY OF A CADET CLASS, UH,
[01:30:01]
ONE OF THE ISSUES I TALK ABOUT IS ARROGANCE OF AUTHORITY.ON THE SECOND, ON THE, ON THE LAST DAY OF THE ACADEMY, WHEN THEY'RE GRADUATING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT IS ARROGANCE OF AUTHORITY AND THE WAY WE TREAT PEOPLE.
AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES I GIVE IS, HOW MANY, HOW MANY OF Y'ALL IN HERE HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY AN, BY AN ARROGANT POLICE OFFICER? AND, AND THE FIRST DAY, YOU KNOW, VERY FEW PEOPLE PUT THEIR HAND UP ON THE LAST DAY, EVERYBODY PUTS THEIR HAND UP.
I SAID, DO YOU WANT YOUR PARENTS TREATED LIKE THAT? DO YOU WANT YOUR BROTHER, YOUR SISTER, YOUR WIFE, YOUR KIDS TREATED LIKE THAT? SO WE, WE TALK ABOUT THAT ALL THE TIME.
OUR TRAINING AND OUR SUPERVISION IS SECOND TO NONE.
WHEN WE DO HAVE THINGS THAT HAPPEN, THEY ARE HANDLED MOST APPROPRIATELY.
CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TAKEN SOMETIMES TO THE POINT OF TERMINATION.
UM, WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY, UH, IN THE POLICING WORLD, CHANGING OUR CULTURE TO, TO INCLUDE, UM, DEESCALATION, TO INCLUDE TALKING ABOUT THINGS ABOUT BEING ARROGANT AND HOW WE TREAT PEOPLE.
WE'VE COME A LONG, LONG WAY, UH, AND WE'VE MADE SOME VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.
UH, AND I THINK THOSE RESULTS ARE SEEN IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT CASE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE THOSE TWO YOUNG MEN WERE STOPPED BY THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT WAS INVESTIGATED BY INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
IT WAS A LEGITIMATE TRAFFIC STOP.
UH, WE SPOKE WITH THE MOM, WE OFFERED TO SHOW THE MOM THE BODY CAM VIDEO, BELIEVE SHE DECLINED, BUT THAT WAS NOT IGNORED.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HANDLED JUST LIKE WE DO ANY OTHER COMPLAINT.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, CHIEF MCMANUS, YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAVE SOME FANTASTIC POLICE OFFICERS ON THE FORCE.
I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO DRAFT EMAILS THAT I'VE BEEN MEANING TO SEND YOU, UM, JUST TO, TO COMPLIMENT SOME POLICE OFFICERS THAT I'VE HAD.
UH, AND, AND I GUESS THAT I'VE ENGAGED WITH OR ENCOUNTERED, ENCOUNTERED.
I ALSO RUN INTO SOME THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE SAID SOME QUESTIONABLE THINGS.
UM, SO I THINK WE, WE RUN THE FULL GAMUT THERE.
UM, BUT, UH, I, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS LIKE ONE, I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN SOME CRIME STATS THAT ARE GOING UP.
YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE STILL A SAFE CITY, SAFE, SAFE CITY, BUT, UM, I WON'T, I'M WONDERING HOW DOES, HOW DO OUR LOCAL CRIME STATISTICS COMPARE TO NATIONAL TRENDS IN OUR PEER CITIES RIGHT NOW? WELL, THE, THE TREND NATIONALLY IS UP, BUT YOU CAN'T COMPARE CITY TO CITY BASED ON CRIME STATS, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IN DIFFERENT CITIES, CRIMES ARE REPORTED DIFFERENTLY.
AND I, AND I THINK I'VE GIVEN THIS EXAMPLE IN PUBLIC SAFETY, I DON'T REMEMBER.
BUT IF I POINT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I POINT A GUN AT SOMEONE, IT'S AN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT.
IF I POINT A GUN AND SHOOT SOMEBODY, IT'S AN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT.
IF THEY DON'T DIE, SOME CITIES MAY REPORT AN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AS A SIMPLE ASSAULT, A SIMPLE ASSAULT.
I MEAN, IT, IT, THERE'S BEEN NEWS STORIES ABOUT IT FOREVER, ABOUT CRIME, UH, ABOUT CRIME STATISTICS THAT ARE, THAT ARE DEFLATED BECAUSE CRIMES ARE NOT BEING REPORTED PROPERLY.
UM, SO, UM, YOU CAN'T COMPARE, SAY, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT DALLAS IS SAFER THAN SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE THEIR CRIME NUMBERS ARE LESS, OR MM-HMM.
SO, I, I, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I'VE LEARNED ABOUT IS, UH, PATROL BUYS AND HOW CITIZENS CAN REQUEST PATROL BUYS IF, IF, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY, UM, AT THEIR, WHERE THEY LIVE OR WHERE THEY WORK.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU CAN CALL THE POLICE SUBSTATION AND REQUEST THAT, AND THEN WHEN AN OFFICER IS NOT, UH, ON A CALL, THEY CAN GO AND MAKE REGULAR PASSES BY.
IS THAT, IS THAT HOW YOU, OR HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE A PATROL BY THAT? THAT'S, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF SOMEONE HAS AN ISSUE, UH, WHATEVER IT MAY BE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, SOME KIND OF AN INCIDENT OCCURRED AND THEY CAN REQUEST PATROL BUYS, THEN WE WILL DO PATROL BUYS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, THE, THE LAND BRIDGE AT, UH, HARDBERGER PARK WAS JUST TAGGED TERRIBLY, AND WE'VE GOT PARK POLICE PATROLLING THERE DOING PATROL BYS AT NIGHT.
SO, UM, ONE THING THAT I SAW IN THIS IS, I FORGOT THE TERM, BUT, UM, THERE WAS, THERE WAS MORE OF A, HAVING MORE OF A PRESENCE AND, UH, OR INCREASING VISIBILITY.
SO ARE PATROL BUYS A WAY OF INCREASING VISIBILITY? YES.
AND THEN WHAT I HEARD ABOUT JUST SHOWING UP AND THEN THROWING THE LIGHTS ON FOR A WHILE.
SO, SO THAT'S, MAYBE THIS REPORT'S RECOMMENDING THE, THE SHOWING UP AND THROWING THE LIGHTS ON FOR A WHILE AS A MORE ENHANCED VERSION OF A PATROL BY, MAYBE YOU COULD SAY THAT.
I MEAN, THE, THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IS A PATROL BY IS A SLOW DRAG THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR THE, THE BLOCK, UH, THE, UM,
[01:35:01]
TREATMENT REQUIRED BY THE PLAN, BY THE U T S A PLAN IS THAT A CAR STOP, UH, AT A PARTICULAR LOCATION, TURN THE LIGHTS ON OVERHEAD, STAY THERE FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME AND LEAVE.UM, THEN I'M LOOKING AT FOCUS DETERRENCE, AND I SAW, UM, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, UH, BEING LISTED THERE.
AND I'M WONDERING, LIKE, WHO IS THAT COMMUNITY? THAT COMMUNITY COULD BE AS, UH, DR.
SMITH SAID THAT COMMUNITY COULD INVOLVE, UH, FAITH-BASED FOLKS.
UH, IT CAN INVOLVE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS.
UH, IT CAN INVOLVE FOLKS WHO ARE FROM ANY KIND OF, ANY VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN OFFER ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REQUIRED TO SHOW UP AT THAT MEETING.
AND SO WHEN I THINK OF THAT, THEN I START THINKING ABOUT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.
AND I'M, I'M SORRY THAT WE DON'T HAVE CLAUDE JACOB HERE FROM METRO HEALTH.
I, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HOPING THAT WE COULD GET, MAKE SOME PROGRESS ON RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PILOT PROGRAMS. WHEN I FIRST GOT INTO, WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED AT OUR FIRST GOAL SETTING MEETING, WE HEARD FROM, UH, DR.
COLLEEN BRIDGER AT THAT TIME, UM, ABOUT A, A PLAN FOR, FOR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE MADE ANY PROGRESS.
AND IT'S BEEN ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW.
AND THAT'S, I MEAN, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM U T S A MAYBE ON WHETHER THEY SEE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PLAYING A ROLE HERE.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE DOESN'T HAVE A DIRECT ROLE IN THE PLAN.
UM, BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVE FOLKS AT U T S A WHO, WHO SPECIALIZE, WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THAT, UM, AND THAT I KNOW ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY ON, IN VARIOUS SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.
SO I, I MEAN, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN APPROACH TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, HAS SHOWN SOME SUCCESS IN, IN CER WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF OFFENDING POPULATIONS IN PARTICULAR, BUT IT'S NOT DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO OUR VIOLENT CRIME PLAN.
UM, CHIEF, I, I HEAR FROM MY CONSTITUENTS ABOUT PROBLEM HOUSES, AND THEY'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SELLING DRUGS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SHOOTING GUNS, THE PEOPLE WHO YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE TRAFFICKING INDIVIDUALS, WHATEVER IT IS, THEY ARE LIVING AT THIS HOUSE.
THEY ARE FREQUENTING THIS HOUSE.
IS THAT A PART OF THE HOTSPOT STRATEGY? LIKE HOW, HOW DO THESE PROB WHAT, WHAT MY CONSTITUENTS TELL ME OUR PROBLEM HOUSE IS? HOW DO THOSE FIT INTO THIS? THE HOT PROBLEM HOUSES, WHEN THEY'RE REPORTED TO US, WE, WE WILL INVESTIGATE, IT'LL BE INVESTIGATED BY THE APPROPRIATE UNIT.
SO IF, UM, IF A, A HOUSE IS, LET'S SAY IT'S THE BACK OF THE HOUSE IS BEING USED AS A CHOP SHOT, WE'LL SEND SOME FOLKS OUT THERE TO OBSERVE IT, UH, FOR HOWEVER LONG IT MAY TAKE FOR THEM TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT.
AND THEN WE'LL TAKE, WE'LL RESPOND TO IT ACCORDINGLY.
IF WE FIND NOTHING, WE'LL REPORT BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO'S REPORTING IT.
IF WE FIND SOMETHING, WE'LL REPORT BACK TO THE INDI INDIVIDUAL WHO'S REPORTING IT.
UM, BUT THE HOTSPOTS, UH, AS WE'VE, AS WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT, ARE, ARE FOCUSED ON VIOLENT CRIME.
AND I, AND I, AND I WANT TO, I JUST TO, WELL, GO AHEAD.
NO, I, I, I WANTED TO, I WANTED TO, TO GO BACK AND REEMPHASIZE THAT THE, THE VIOLENT CRIME PLAN THAT'S BEEN CRAFTED BY THE U T S A TEAM IS NOT SCORPION.
IT DOESN'T MIRROR THAT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
WHAT HAPPENED IN, IN, IN MEMPHIS WAS BARBARIC WHAT HAPPENED IN MEMPHIS.
I, I, I, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW I WAS SHOCKED TO LOOK AT THE VIDEO.
I, I, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN TODAY, ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S WORLD.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE FOR IN CASE THERE'S ANY DOUBT THAT THAT, MATTER OF FACT, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THEY COULD NAME THEIR, THEIR THEY'RE UNITS SCORPION.
UM, I MEAN, IT'S, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, I, I JUST WANNA REEMPHASIZE THAT.
NAMING THAT MIGHT SCORPION MIGHT BE A RED FLAG.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, SO SEVERAL OF US ON THIS COUNCIL HAVE TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO SEE MORE HOLISTIC, A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND, AND I WAS CONCERNED THAT WE, THIS MAY NOT INCLUDE THAT.
AND WHEN WE GOT TO FOCUS DE DETERRENTS, I SEE SERVICE PROVISIONS MAY INCLUDE COUNSELING, JOB TRAINING, EDUCATION, HOUSING, JOB PLACEMENT, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT AND OTHERS.
AND, AND SO THAT GIVES ME SOME REASSURANCE.
BUT I'M WONDERING TO WHAT EXTENT ARE, ARE WE CONNECTING TO
[01:40:01]
OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE ALREADY EXISTING, RIGHT? LIKE, UM, LIKE, UH, READY TO WORK SA AND, AND JOB PLACEMENT AND JOB TRAINING.IS THERE, HAVE THERE BEEN CONVERSATIONS? MAYBE THAT'S A QUESTION FOR YOU, ERIC, UM, ABOUT HOW WE CAN CONNECT THESE PROGRAMS WELL, UM, MAYBE NOT CONNECT THESE PROGRAMS, BUT, BUT IN THOSE AREAS, REMEMBER, THE COUNCIL'S PRIORITIZED THOSE EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, UH, PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO THERE ARE TARGETED EFFORTS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE BIG MAP SCENARIO, UM, THE MIDTERM AND THE LONG TERM STRATEGY THAT DR.
SMITH DESCRIBED IS REALLY AN INGRAIN IN, I MEAN, THAT THOSE, THOSE SESSIONS WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE LONG TERM, UM, IS WHERE YOU START TO, WHERE YOU START TO, TO, TO, UM, NARROW THE, THE, THE AISLE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE OFFERING IS THERE WHILE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IT.
BUT, BUT WE HAVE, WE'VE GOT THESE, THESE TARGETED EFFORTS LIKE AT READY TO WORK THAT ARE SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC, WE HAVE AGENCIES WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH THAT ARE DOING NOTHING, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE BRINGING IN PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED THAT ARE LOOKING TO BE RETRAINED OR RETOOLED OR, OR GET A CERTIFICATION OR EDUCATION FOR THAT IN INAND JOB.
UM, AND I, I THINK, I THINK WHAT DR.
SMITH IS RECOMMENDING ON THE MIDTERM AND LONG TERM KIND OF GIVES US THAT ABILITY TO, TO INTERCONNECT THOSE, THOSE PIECES AND GOT IT.
AND I, I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT ANY RESOURCE THAT THE CITY HAS AVAILABLE FOR, UH, OFFENDERS TRYING TO GET BACK INTO THE MAINSTREAM WOULD BE AVAILABLE AT THE FOCUS DETERRENCE PART OF THIS PLAN.
SO CHIEF, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU EMPHASIZED THAT THIS IS, THIS IS ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, I HEAR A LOT FROM MY CONSTITUENTS ABOUT GUNSHOTS.
AND SO IF SOMEBODY HEARS GUNSHOTS, IF SOMEBODY'S JUST DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, FIRING OFF, UH, OR SHOOTING RANDOMLY, DOES, DO YOU INCLUDE THAT IN THIS? THAT'S, UNLESS THERE'S A, DO YOU CONSIDER THAT VIOLENT CRIME? UNLESS THERE'S A REPORT MADE, AND MOST OF THE TIME THERE'S NOT A REPORT MADE ON SHOTS, SHOTS HEARD, SHOTS FIRED.
UM, BUT THIS IS ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME.
I SHOOTING A GUN INTO THE AIR BECAUSE YOU WANNA TRY OUT YOUR NEW PISTOL, IS NOT CONSIDERED A VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, WE DO A LOT OF CELEBRATIONS, UH, CELEBRATORY GUNFIRE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WHEN, UH, UH, IT, IT DOES PUT OTHER PEOPLE AT RISK, BUT IT'S NOT CONSIDERED A VIOLENT CRIME.
NOW THE COUNCIL MEMBER, PERRY.
I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS HERE.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW, CHIEF, IF YOU HAD THIS OR ERIC, UH, WHAT, WHAT'S THE COST OF THIS CONTRACT? WHAT, WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR THIS CONTRACT? TOTAL COST, COUNCILMAN? I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I'LL ASK AND I'LL CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU AS YOU ASK YOUR OTHER QUESTIONS.
UH, THAT'S ALWAYS ONE OF MY FIRST QUESTIONS, HOW MUCH IS THIS COSTING US? BUT ANYWAY, UM, I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN.
IS THAT FOR THE, IS THIS LIKE FOR ONE YEAR OR IS THIS A THREE YEAR CONTRACT OR FOR A YEAR.
SO IS THIS A ONE YEAR CONTRACT, A TWO YEAR OR THREE YEAR, OR CAN WE CONTINUE TO EXTEND THE CONTRACT? SO, SO THE CONTRACT IS UNDER THE UMBRELLA U T S A CONTRACT THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED THAT IS MULTI-YEAR.
AND IT WAS MUCH, MUCH HIGHER THAN, I THINK IT WAS $7 MILLION IN TOTAL.
SO WE'RE DOING IT UNDER THAT UMBRELLA.
BUT THIS IS LIKE A DELIVERY ORDER WITHIN THAT CORRECT.
AND IT'S, HOW LONG IS THIS DELIVERY ORDER FOR? ABOUT 110,000 PER YEAR.
SO IS THIS A THREE YEAR OR FOUR YEAR, OR WHAT DO WE, SO U T S A, AND I'M GONNA ADD DR.
SMITH TO HELP ME HERE, BUT U T S A WILL REMAIN WITH US EXCEPT FOR THREE YEARS AS WE DO THE EVALUATION.
SO ABOUT THREE YEARS, 300,000, 330,000, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE'RE HERE FOR AS LONG AS YOU'LL HAVE US.
BUT THE INITIAL CONTRACT WAS ONE YEAR, AND IT WAS FOR JUST OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND, AND IT, IT RENEWS I BELIEVE IN, IN APRIL, OR IT'S UP FOR RENEWAL POTENTIALLY IN APRIL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED WAS THAT THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN DALLAS AND OTHER CITIES, AND, UM, I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN BENCHMARKING, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE MEETING THOSE BENCHMARKS COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES? AND THE CHIEF WAS SAYING, WELL, WE CAN'T COMPARE BETWEEN DIFFERENT CITIES ON, ON, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS STUFF, BUT I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SEE SOME KIND OF METRICS OR BENCHMARKING TO SHOW HOW WE COMPARE WITH THESE OTHER CITIES.
SO, UM, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY PROPOSED
[01:45:01]
METRICS ON HOW WE'RE GONNA MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM? ABSOLUTELY, AND IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.WE'RE NOT GONNA MEASURE IT AGAINST WHAT HAPPENS IN DALLAS.
WHAT I, WHAT WE'LL DO, WHAT WE WILL DO IS MEASURE AGAINST WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR AND IN THE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INTERVENTION.
SO WE HAVE VERY, VERY REFINED METHODOLOGIES NOW FOR HOW WE MEASURE IMPACT.
UM, AND WE COMPARE, UH, WE PREPARE TREATMENT PERIODS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO PREVIOUS 12 MONTH AVERAGES AS WELL AS TO THE SAME PERIOD THE PREVIOUS YEAR AT, AT MAJOR CHECKPOINTS LIKE SIX AND 12 MONTH, UH, CHECKPOINTS LIKE YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE A YEAR FROM NOW AND WE'RE PROVIDING YOU THE, THE, THE ONE YEAR, UH, EVALUATION RESULTS.
UM, WE WILL DO SOME MORE SOPHISTICATED ECONOMETRIC MODELING, UH, TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF THE CRIME PLAN AT, AT TREATED AREAS COMPARED TO, UH, WHAT THE STATUS WAS, UH, IN THOSE AREAS BEFORE THE PLAN WENT INTO EFFECT.
UM, AND, AND TRY TO GIVE YOU A SENSE FOR WHAT THE IMPACT HAS BEEN.
HAVE WE REDUCED CRIME BY 1%, 2%, 10%, UH, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, UH, CHIEF, I'VE GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU HERE.
UM, IN EXECUTING THIS PLAN, I DON'T THINK WE'RE ADDING AUTHORIZATIONS, TOTAL AUTHORIZATIONS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THIS POINT OTHER THAN WHAT WE DID DURING THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
BUT ARE YOU GONNA BE ADDING TO THOSE LIKE SUBSTATIONS PULLING MANPOWER FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY TO SUPPORT THIS DURING THOSE TIMES? OR, OR WHERE ARE YOU GONNA COME UP WITH THE MANPOWER TO COVER THIS? THE, THE, UM, HOTSPOTS THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON WILL COME FROM THE RESOURCES WITHIN THAT SUBSTATION AND OKAY.
AND, AND, UH, STREET CRIMES UNIT, WHICH IS A CITYWIDE UNIT AS WELL.
UM, I, I, I COULD SEE CONCERN OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, HEY, WE'RE DOING THIS NEW PROGRAM AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA BE PULLING OUR RESOURCES AWAY TO, UH, EXECUTE THIS.
AND I, I, I HOPE THAT GETS COMMUNICATED VERY WELL WITH THE COMMUNITIES OUT THERE THAT NO, IT'S CONTAINED WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR SUBSTATION AREA, IF YOU WILL.
UM, I, I DON'T EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN, BUT IF WE DO SEE IT HAPPENING, UM, THEN WE'LL CERTAINLY, UH, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, AND, AND THAT WAS PART OF, UH, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
HOW ARE WE GONNA COMMUNICATE THIS PLAN TO THE PUBLIC OUT THERE? HOW ARE WE GONNA EDUCATE THE PUBLIC? WELL, WE START HERE ON THE, I BELIEVE IT'S THE 13TH.
WE HAVE THE FIRST THREE MEETINGS THAT WILL INCLUDE ALL SIX SUBSTATIONS, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA START HITTING THE NAS AND THE HOAS.
ANYTIME, AS YOU KNOW, UP IN, UH, DISTRICT 10 AT OUR MEETINGS THERE, UH, AND I, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
UM, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS THE VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, THAT SHOULD BE OUR FOCUS, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS STUDY IS FOR.
BUT WE REALLY, UH, I'M CONCERNED ALSO WITH THE PROPERTY CRIMES, WHETHER IT'S A VIOLENT CRIME OR SOMEBODY GETS THEIR BICYCLE STOLEN OR, UH, A WINDOW BROKEN OR THEIR, THEIR CAR BROKEN INTO OR EVEN STOLEN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A CRIME AGAINST THEM THAT MAKES THEM FEEL UNSAFE.
AND I'M CONTINUING TO GET, UM, CALLS IN THE OFFICE AND ME AT THE MEETINGS ABOUT THE CRIME HERE IN TOWN AND HOW IT'S SEEMS TO BE CREEPING MORE AND MORE ACROSS, ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST IN DISTRICT 10, BUT ACROSS THE CITY HERE, UH, PARTICULARLY IN THE, IN THE PROPERTY CRIME SIDE.
UM, AGAIN, I KNOW THAT THE VIOLENT CRIME IS THE, IS A PRIORITY HERE, BUT I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
WE, WE NEED A PLAN FOR THE PROPERTY CRIMES ALSO.
I MEAN, UH, UP TO, I DON'T KNOW, IT WAS MENTIONED 150,000 PROPERTY CRIMES HERE IN TOWN.
AND, UH, UH, THAT'S WHAT DRIVES PEOPLE TO NOT FEEL SAFE OR TO BE ABLE TO WALK DOWN THE SIDEWALK OR GO SHOPPING OR WHATEVER.
UM, THEY, THERE'S THAT FEELING.
I KNOW IN MY DISTRICT, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF THE DISTRICTS THAT I DON'T FEEL SAFE.
SO I I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN ON, ON, ON THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF CRIME HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
ALSO, I, I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU.
I, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, PROPERTY CRIME IS ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT AS A LESS SERIOUS CRIME, BUT IT'S NOT LESS SERIOUS IF IT HAPPENS TO YOU.
AND, AND, AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, AND I WANT TO ASSURE YOU AGAIN, THAT, THAT PROPERTY CRIME DOES NOT TAKE A BACK
[01:50:01]
SEAT BECAUSE OF THIS VIOLENT CRIME PLAN.THEY DON'T, IT DOESN'T OVERLAP ON IT, IT BE AND, AND, AND PULL RESOURCES FROM IT.
WE ARE HANDLING PROPERTY CRIMES AS, UH, UH, DILIGENTLY AS WE ALWAYS HAVE AND, AND, AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO.
BUT I WANNA, I WANT TO AGAIN REMIND YOU THAT, THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTY CRIMES ARE THEFTS.
AND THAT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM A SHOPLIFTING REPORT, WHICH HAPPENS ALL OVER THE CITY.
IT CAN BE ANYTHING FROM SOMEBODY STEALING A LAWNMOWER LEFT OUT OVERNIGHT IN YOUR FRONT YARD.
SO IT'S NOT, I MEAN, AND THEY'RE DIFFICULT TO, TO PREVENT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
PROPERTY CRIMES ARE CRIMES OF OPPORTUNITY, AND WE NEED HELP FROM THE PUBLIC TO SLOW THEM DOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT I GET A LOT IS WE NEED MORE PATROLS.
WE NEED MORE VISIBLE POLICEMEN OUT ON THE STREETS TO HELP US OUT IN THESE COMMUNITIES.
SO THAT, THAT'S JUST THE FEEDBACK THAT I'M GETTING.
AND I'M, I'M GLAD TO HEAR, ERIC, THAT WE'RE, THAT THIS STUDY IS BEING COMPLETED IN MARCH ON OUR TOTAL AUTHORIZATIONS HERE FOR THE CITY.
UM, WHEN DID THAT GET AWARDED? THAT GOT AWARDED LATE LAST YEAR.
AND THEY, AND THEY ARE, WE WERE IN COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, DR.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT GOT DELAYED A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE HE CAME DOWN, HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A REAL SERIOUS CASE OF CANCER.
UH, SO IT SLOWED HIM DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THAT, BUT, BUT WE'LL SEE THE REPORT, UH, PRIOR TO THE END OF THE MONTH.
WHEN WILL THAT BE? I'M SORRY? THE END OF MARCH.
WILL WE GET A CHANCE TO SEE IT BEFORE? I'M SE I'M ASSUMING THAT WILL BE A B SESSION ITEM, ERIC, OR IS THAT JUST YES, SIR.
UM, IN THIS REPORTING, N I B, OUR SS REPORTING, I KNOW WE'VE HAD AN ISSUE ABOUT WE CAN'T COMPARE PRIOR YEARS BECAUSE WE'RE REPORTING DIFFERENTLY.
WHEN DID WE START THAT SYSTEM OF REPORTING? UH, JANUARY 21, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE CRIMES ARE REPORTED DIFFERENTLY.
THERE'S A WHOLE SLEW OF REASONS ON THE, THE FBI'S U C R WEBSITE AS TO WHY THESE NUMBERS SHOULDN'T BE USED TO COMPARE THE SAFETY OF ONE CITY AGAINST ANOTHER.
WELL, I'M, I'M JUST SAYING, BUT FOR OUR TREND ANALYSIS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WE SHOULD START BEING ABLE TO SEE THOSE TRENDS AND THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES THAT WE'RE NOW REPORTING UNDER THAT PARTICULAR SYSTEM.
AND, AND, AND WE WILL, AND WE'LL REPORT, WE'LL REPORT THOSE TRENDS JUST AS WE REPORTED U C R TRENDS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS ALWAYS EVIDENT TO ME WHENEVER I WALK OUT OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WHETHER THEY BE SMALL INDIVIDUAL H O A MEETINGS OR BIG TOWN HALL MEETINGS, UM, IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR CHIEF, UH, THAT, UH, YOU AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK FOR YOU ARE TRUSTED BY MANY ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE MORE THAN ANY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL OR, OR ANYBODY ELSE IN THAT ROOM.
UH, YOU GUYS ARE, UH, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE A, UM, UH, I, I, I THINK WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE AREN'T ON THE FRONT PAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE WAY OTHER CITIES ARE BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE GOT YOU AND I THINK WE'VE GOT A VERY CONSCIENTIOUS CITY, UH, CITY MANAGER, AND WE DO HAVE A CULTURE IN SAN ANTONIO OF, UH, TRYING TO BE BETTER THAN, THAN SOME OF THE UGLINESS THAT WE SEE PLAY OUT ON TV.
UM, THAT SAID, I I ALSO THINK THAT YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF BALANCING, UM, THIS COMMUNITY VALUE FOR COMPASSION, UM, BALANCING IT AGAINST, UH, NEEDING TO BE TOUGH, RIGHT? UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE AND THEY WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND SAY, I'M GONNA GO HURT SOMEBODY.
UM, AND THOSE SOMEBODIES I HEAR YOU ARE USUALLY OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE ENGAGED IN RISKY ACTIVITY JUST LIKE THEY ARE.
BUT OFTENTIMES THOSE SOMEBODIES ARE THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK FOR, UH, AND THE PEOPLE WHO COUNCILMAN HOBART WORKS FOR, AND THE PEOPLE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES WORK FOR, RIGHT? THE GOOD PEOPLE WHO SEND US UP HERE, THOSE ARE THE BUSINESS OWNERS.
UH, THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT CONVENIENCE STORES, THOSE ARE THE FOLKS WHOSE HOUSES ARE GETTING BROKEN INTO.
THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHOSE CARS ARE BEING STOLEN.
UM, THOSE ARE THE MEN AND WOMEN WHOSE DAUGHTER HAS DIED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS MURDERED BY, UM, HER BOYFRIEND, RIGHT? AND, UM, I DON'T WORK FOR CRIMINALS WHO DON'T LIKE THE WAY THEY'RE SPOKEN TO WHEN THEY'RE CAUGHT STEALING OR WHEN THEY'RE CAUGHT, YOU KNOW, HURTING FOLKS.
UM, AND, UM, DESPITE THAT, I, I, I KNOW THAT, UM, YOUR, UH, POLICE OFFICERS AS I SEE, YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN I RIDE ALONG WITH 'EM AND WHEN I, UH, SAW BEFORE I WAS EVEN A CITY COUNCILMAN, UM, TRY TO BE AS PROFESSIONAL AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN WHEN THE CAMERA IS ON AND WHEN THE CAMERA'S OFF.
I'VE SEEN THAT, I'VE WITNESSED THAT, AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IMPRESSED.
[01:55:01]
THOSE PEOPLE THAT I WORK FOR, WHEN, UM, WE DO TALK TO 'EM AND WE SAY, LOOK, SAN ANTONIO IS A SAFE CITY.SAN ANTONIO HAS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A BIG PRO.
IT'S A BIG CITY WITH BIG CITY PROBLEMS, AND THE PROBLEMS ARE SOPHISTICATED.
UM, THEY STILL, DESPITE YOU TELLING THEM, CHIEF, AND I'VE SEEN YOU TELL THEM, RIGHT? LIKE, LOOK, UNLESS YOU'RE IN A GANG, OR UNLESS YOU'RE BUYING DRUGS, OR UNLESS YOU'RE STAYING OUT PAST TWO IN THE MORNING, CHANCES ARE NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN TO YOU.
THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, DON'T DO RISKY THINGS, AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO YOU THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO CONVINCE THEM THAT THEY'RE NOT LIVING IN A CITY THAT IS INCREASINGLY MORE DANGEROUS FOR THEM.
RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE BATTLING AGAINST, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SINCERELY HELD BELIEFS THAT NO AMOUNT OF DATA, UH, WILL, UH, DISSUADE THEM FROM, FROM CONTINUING TO HOLD THOSE BELIEFS.
YOU COULDN'T PAY ME, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY TO DO WHAT YOU DO, KEITH, UH, BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE TO OPERATE WITH THE DATA.
AND, UH, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE, UM, THIS IS A PRETTY SOUND PLAN.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO GO BACK TO MY COMMUNITY, UM, LEADERS AND, UH, AND HOMEOWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, IS THE MESSAGE THAT CHIEF MCMANUS ISN'T BEING FORCED TO ADOPT A PLAN THAT CITY COUNCIL IN ITS INFINITE WISDOM IS MAKING HIM DO.
I, I, I NEED TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT, CHIEF, YOU'RE BEING, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STANDING, UH, AND, AND YOU'RE BUYING INTO THIS AS WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER.
I, I, I AM HAPPY TO SEE THIS PLAN, UH, COME TO FRUITION.
UH, I'M EXCITED TO SEE ITS PROGRESS AS WE CONTINUE FORWARD.
UH, I'VE SAID IN THE PAST, AND YOU MAY OR MAY NOT REMEMBER ME SAYING THIS, I SAID IT A NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WE CAN'T ARREST PROBLEMS AWAY.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, AND WE'RE STILL IN THE SAME POSITION WE ARE.
BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT AN ARREST ISN'T NECESSARY TO KEEP THINGS, TO KEEP THE, UH, UH, THINGS CALM ON THE STREET.
UM, BUT I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT BEHIND THE PLAN.
I, I, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE OTHER ENTITIES OR WILL HAVE OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE INVOLVED, UH, IN HELPING US, UH, FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, MATTER OF FACT, I'M THRILLED TO SEE OTHER ENTITIES THAT WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE, IN THE SECOND PHASE AND IN THE THIRD PHASE.
UH, THE FIRST PHASE IS UP TO US.
THAT'S KIND OF THE EASY PHASE.
UH, THE NEXT TWO WILL BE, UM, ICING ON THE CAKE.
AND THEN THE, THE, AS FAR AS THIS HOTSPOT THING, I, I, I GET IT RIGHT.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE TAKING OFFICERS WHO JUST HAPPEN TO BE ON DUTY, RIGHT? AND WE'RE ASSIGNING THEM TO A CERTAIN AREA OF TOWN OR AREAS WHERE WE'RE SEEING FLARE UPS IN, IN VIOLENT CRIME.
THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE, RIGHT? AND WE'VE KNOWN SINCE ANY OF US WERE BORN CRIMINOLOGISTS HAVE KNOWN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ONE WAY TO DETER CRIME FOR SURE IS TO CREATE THE BELIEF IN PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAD SET ON COMMITTING THOSE CRIMES, THAT THERE'S A VERY HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET CAUGHT.
AND ONE GUARANTEED WAY OF GETTING CAUGHT IS TO COMMIT THE CRIME IN FRONT OF A POLICE OFFICER.
UM, AND SO USING THESE OFFICERS AS SENTINELS IN, IN CERTAIN ZONES HAS ALWAYS BEEN EFFECTIVE.
BUT I THINK ALSO EVERYBODY KNOWS RIGHT, THAT THAT EFFECTIVENESS CEASES TO EXIST WHEN THE POLICE OFFICERS CEASE TO BE THERE, RIGHT? AND SO THIS IS NOT GONNA BE THE SOLUTION TO VIOLENT CRIME IN SAN ANTONIO.
THIS IS A TEMPORARY STEP THAT WE'RE TAKING RIGHT NOW, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT OUT SOME HOTSPOTS WHILE WE DEVELOP OUT A MORE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
DID I SAY THAT CORRECTLY, CHIEF? YES, SIR.
SMITH MENTIONED THAT, UM, UM, IN ORDER TO PREVENT GO, UH, A A, A CRIME FROM HAPPENING HAPPENING, THERE HAS TO BE A CAPABLE GUARDIAN.
THAT CAPABLE GUARDIAN IS A POLICE OFFICER, AND THE PRESENCE OF THAT POLICE OFFICER WILL DETER A CRIME.
OKAY? LASTLY, UM, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD ONLY HAPPEN.
AND, AND BY THIS I MEAN THE PLAN AND THE STUDY AND THE CONTRACT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD ONLY HAPPEN IN 2023.
THIS COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED FIVE YEARS AGO, 10 YEARS AGO, 20 YEARS AGO.
WE DID NOT HAVE A TIER ONE UNIVERSITY STAFFED WITH THE KINDS OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, WORLD CLASS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT WE'VE GOT TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN, IN THIS CITY'S HISTORY.
WE HAVE IN U T S A, THE KIND OF, UM, DEPTH OF INTELLECTUAL TALENT, UM, THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO REALIZE THAT WE ARE PULLING FROM EVERY LEVER, INCLUDING AN IMPORTANT LEVER THAT WE'VE NEVER PULLED FROM BEFORE, WHICH IS RECRUITING OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR, THE EXPERTS IN THESE FIELDS FROM AN ACADEMIC, UH, UNIVERSE, BRINGING THEM IN TO HELP US SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY, REALLY BIG IMPORTANT THING THAT, THAT I DON'T WANT US TO LOSE SIGHT OF.
AND THAT IS THAT SAN ANTONIO DOESN'T JUST, UM,
[02:00:01]
YOU KNOW, ELECT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE UP HERE, UH, WITH REALLY NO SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE AT ALL, UM, WHO ARE UP HERE JUST SORT OF HOPING FOR THE BEST AND THROWING SPAGHETTI AND AGAINST THE WALL AND HOPING THAT IT STICKS, RIGHT, THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY BRINGING IN REAL EXPERTS, UH, WHO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.AND FOR THAT, I'M REALLY THANKFUL.
THANKS, UH, CHIEF, AND THANKS MARIA, AND THANKS ERIC FOR BEING OPEN ENOUGH TO, TO PARTNER UP WITH, UM, WITH FOLKS WHO ARE GOING TO ISSUE A REPORT.
UM, THE WAY THAT IF I THINK THEY WERE TO DO IN ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE GONNA ISSUE A REPORT SAYING, ONE, WE'RE NOT PERFECT.
TWO, THERE'S PLENTY OF ERRORS FOR OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND THREE, HERE'S HOW TO EXECUTE ON THAT IMPROVEMENT.
IF ANY DEPARTMENT WERE TO COME TO US AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE PERFECT, WE JUST DID A META ANALYSIS ON OURSELVES, AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO BETTER, I, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT'S BSS, RIGHT? BUT INSTEAD, WE'RE STARTING WITH, UM, SS A P D, AND IT TAKES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HUMILITY, S A P D, UM, TO ADMIT THAT, UH, YOU'VE GOT AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT.
UM, AND TO PARTNER UP WITH AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION TO TRY TO FIX THAT.
UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I WANNA START OFF WITH A QUESTION THAT ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS, UM, REQUESTED THAT I ASK, AND YOU TOUCHED ON IT BRIEFLY, RIGHT? THAT OUR SAFE OFFICERS AND OTHER CRIME UNITS ARE, UM, WORKING THESE HOTSPOTS.
UM, BUT SHE'S ASKING WHY NOT HAVE MORE SAFE OFFICERS IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE SHE BELIEVES THAT THEY HAVE THOSE COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE UNITS LIKE THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, THE SAFE UNIT, UH, THAT I'M HEARING FROM COMMUNITY, UM, ARE BENEFICIAL AND ARE, UM, WORKING.
RIGHT? SO WHY NOT, UM, STRENGTHEN THOSE UNITS? AND, UH, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE QUESTION THAT THE CONSTITUENTS OKAY.
FIRST I'LL GIVE YOU MY PERSONAL ANSWER, OKAY.
AND THEN I'LL GIVE YOU THE, UH, THE PROFESSIONAL ANSWER.
SO IN ORDER TO INCREASE SAFE UNITS OR ANY OTHER UNIT MM-HMM.
SO WE'D HAVE TO ROB FROM TO MM-HMM.
THAT'S MY OFF THE CUFF ANSWER.
WEISS, HE MAY VERY WELL SAY, Y'ALL NEED TO, UH, UH, INCREASE YOUR SAFE UNITS.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN AS WE GET, UH, INCREASED NUMBER OF PERSONNEL, THEN WE WOULD DO THAT.
AND, AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES TOUCHED ON SOME OF MY QUESTIONS, RIGHT? WHAT I HEAR FROM COMMUNITY AND MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ARE PRIMARILY CONCERNS AROUND VACANT LOTS AND UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS, RIGHT.
AND RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS ADDRESSING VIOLENT CRIME.
AND NOT NECESSARILY WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS ALL AT ONCE, RIGHT? BUT WE HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY.
UM, BUT I ALSO WANNA BE CLEAR THAT WHEN WE'RE DOING THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UM, ENGAGEMENT RIGHT, THAT WE'RE BEING EXPLICIT WITH THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT.
THAT THOSE GUNSHOT CONCERNS, UM, ISN'T A CRIME, RIGHT.
AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING UNHOUSED ISN'T NECESSARILY A VIOLENT CRIME.
RIGHT? I, I WANT US TO SET EXPECTATIONS, UM, WHAT THIS INITIATIVE IS GOING TO HELP US ADDRESS.
UM, WITH THE, THE DATA THAT WAS USED, THE STUDY DOESN'T EXPLICITLY SAY WHERE THE DATA SET COMES FROM.
IS THAT FROM SS A P D? THE DATA COMES FROM OUR CAD, YES.
AND IS IT POSSIBLE FOR CITY COUNCIL TO RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON WHERE THOSE HOTSPOTS ARE AND WHERE THOSE, UH, HIGH CONCENTRATED AREAS ARE? 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN BRIEFED? YEAH, I, YEAH.
I DON'T SEE WHY WE WOULDN'T DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING THAT THAT IS, IS NOT MENTIONED, I DON'T THINK DR.
SMITH MENTIONED IT, AND IT'S NOT IN THE REPORT, BUT I THINK AS A BYPRODUCT OF THE VIOLENCE REDUCTION PLAN, WE WILL ALSO SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS MM-HMM.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN READING THE RESEARCH, RIGHT, I HAD SOME, SOME CONCERN AND PAUSE, RIGHT? UH, GIVEN, UH, ACADEMIC RESEARCH AND POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE HAVE A ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT, UH, ANALYZE THE SAME DATA AND PRODUCE RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? I DON'T WANNA JUST SAY YES TO THE FIRST, UM, STUDY THAT'S BEEN PRODUCED AND LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT BODY OF LITERATURE BY DIFFERENT ACADEMIC FIELDS AND WHAT THEY RECOMMEND, AND THEN GET TOGETHER WITH THOSE ACADEMICS ON WHAT THOSE SOLUTIONS ARE AND MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
UM, BUT I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT, UM, THE STUDY HAS PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE, I'VE CITED DURING STUDY COUNCIL MEETINGS WITH UPENN, UH, INVESTING IN VACANT LOTS IN HOMEOWNER REHAB PROGRAMS DRASTICALLY REDUCES, UH, CRIME AND THE FEELING OF FEELING SAFE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, LET ME PULL UP SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS.
UM, AND THIS IS FROM, AGAIN, UPENN UNIVERSITY.
THEY FOUND THAT, UH, ACTIVATING VACANT LOTS, UM, IN, IN SPECIFIC CLUSTERS, RIGHT? UM, REDUCED PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME BY NEGATIVE POINT 36%.
[02:05:02]
UH, THE GROUP ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANT, UM, SAFETY CONCERNS RELATING TO GOING OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOMES AT NEGATIVE 57.8%.RIGHT? THESE ARE DRASTIC NUMBERS, AND THERE'S A VAST MAJORITY IN BODY OF LITERATURE OF THESE SOLUTIONS THAT I THINK WE SHOULDN'T WAIT TILL THE BACKEND TO IMPLEMENT THAT WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND EXECUTE TODAY.
UM, BECAUSE I KNOW FOR MY CONSTITUENTS, UM, HEARING THAT THE GUNSHOTS AREN'T GOING TO BE ADDRESSED, HEARING THAT, UM, THE ENCAMPMENTS AND VACANT LOTS AREN'T GOING TO BE ADDRESSED, ISN'T GOING TO SIT WELL, RIGHT.
BECAUSE THEY WANT MATERIAL SOLUTIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES.
SO DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT ERIC, NO, NO.
SO, UM, JUST MAKING SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S MULTIPLE PIECES, MULTIPLE PRONGS, UH, BUT I WANNA BE SURE THAT WE'RE SETTING EXPECTATIONS WITH COMMUNITY, UM, THAT THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
AND I KNOW YOU ALL RECOGNIZE THAT, RIGHT? BUT I WANNA BE SURE THAT COMMUNITY HAS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS ISN'T GOING TO, UM, ALLEVIATE ALL CONCERNS.
UM, ERIC, DID YOU, YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND CHIME IN.
CAN I, CAN I, GO AHEAD, CHIEF.
SO I, I, I JUST WANT TO, I JUMP IN ON SOME OF THE SEMANTICS, THAT WORDING THAT YOU USED, THAT THAT GUN, UH, PEOPLE FIRING GUNS IN THE AIR WILL NOT BE ADDRESSED.
I MEAN, IT IS ADDRESSED IF WE'RE ABLE TO SEE SOMEONE FIRE, WE'VE MADE ARRESTS MM-HMM.
BUT IT'S NOT THAT IT'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, GO UNADDRESSED OR IGNORED.
UM, IT'S, SO, UM, AND THE SAME WITH, WITH VACANT LOTS.
SMITH MIGHT ONE TO JUMP IN HERE.
I WAS GONNA TRY TO HELP YOU OUT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU CITING THE PUBLIC HEALTH LITERATURE FROM, FROM, FROM UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA ON, ON VACANT LOTS AND VACANT HOUSES.
AND, AND WE, WE CITE TO SOME OF THAT IN, IN, IN, IN OUR CRIME PLAN.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE IS A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL DISORDER AND VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, AND THAT LITERATURE IS JUST THE LATEST, UH, STRAND THAT, THAT MAKES THAT CONNECTION VERY CLEAR.
SO TO THE EXTENT THAT PLACE-BASED SOLUTIONS, UM, OR THE PLACE-BASED, THE DIAGNOSIS OF PLACE-BASED PROBLEMS INVOLVE POTENTIALLY VACANT LOSS IN VACANT HOUSES, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE IS STRONG CRIMINOLOGICAL EVIDENCE THAT AMELIORATING THOSE CONDITIONS WILL HELP REDUCE, UM, NOT ONLY FEELINGS OF SAFETY, BUT ACTUAL VIOLENT CRIME IN AND AROUND THOSE LOCATIONS.
AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE MEDICAL FIELD THAT CONDUCTED THAT STUDY, RIGHT? SO A MULTI UH, DISCIPLINARY APPROACH, I BELIEVE IS IMPORTANT WHEN MOVING FORWARD WITH THE SOLUTION.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO HONE ON ONE PIECE THAT GAVE ME SOME CONCERN, BUT THE PRESENTATION HAS KIND OF EASED SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS, RIGHT? A A WORRY THAT I HAD WAS POTENTIAL, UM, DISTRUST WITH POLICE RELATIONSHIPS, RIGHT? AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT, UM, IF THERE'S GOING TO BE CONCENTRATED HOTSPOTS AND HEARING RIGHT, THAT JUST 15 MINUTE SEGMENTS WITH THE LIGHTS ON.
UM, BUT MY, THE CONCERN I HAD PRIOR TO, TO LEARNING THAT, 'CAUSE THAT WASN'T STATED EXPLICITLY IN THE STUDY, WAS THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE TARGETED EFFORTS TO STOP INDIVIDUALS.
RIGHT? ESPECIALLY WITH THE PIECE WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD.
MY CONCERN WAS WHAT DOES THAT, UH, OVERSIGHT LOOK LIKE? IS IT, UM, THROUGH THE PROBATION OFFICER? IS IT THROUGH WE'RE WATCHING YOUR HOUSE TO SEE YOUR EVERY MOVE, AND IF YOU MESS UP, WE'RE GONNA GET YOU.
WHAT DOES THAT, UH, LOOK LIKE FROM PDS PERSPECTIVE? I KNOW THE STUDY SAYS ONE THING, BUT WHAT'S, SO THE FOCUS, THE FOCUS DETERRENCE COMPONENT OF THE, OF THE PLAN, UM, IS A, IS A VERY WELL UNDERSTOOD MODEL NOW FOR DEALING WITH, UM, OFFENDER POPULATIONS.
UM, I SAID IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN REPLICATED IN MORE THAN 20 CITIES.
UH, SO THE, THE, THE MODEL, UM, LEVERAGES THE FACT THAT A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF OFFENDERS COMMIT MOST OF YOUR VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, KNOWING WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE, UM, MANY OF THEM ARE, UM, ARE UNDER SUPERVISION, ACTIVE SUPERVISION.
THEY'RE ON PROBATION OR PAROLE MM-HMM.
AND THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THEM SERVICES.
I ONLY HAVE TWO MINUTES, SO I DON'T MEAN TO BE HEARD
WOULD WE AMEND THIS? WOULD YOU AMEND THIS TO INCLUDE THE DA? OR WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? OR WOULD THAT BE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY? 'CAUSE MY CONCERN IS, RIGHT, WE GO BY THE BOOK, BY THE STUDY AND PIECES DON'T WORK,
[02:10:01]
OR PIECES ARE MISSING.ARE YOU DONE? NO, I'M NOT DONE.
SO, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, RIGHT? AGAIN, LIKE MY OVERALL CONCERN IS THE HUMAN COLLATERAL DAMAGE WITH, UH, HYPER CONCENTRATING POLICE IN LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
RIGHT? I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IF WE GET THE HEXAGONS OF WHERE THOSE HOTSPOTS ARE AND OVERLAP IT WITH A RED LINING MAP OR A MAP WITH HOUSING DEMOLITIONS OR A MAP WITH CHILDHOOD ASTHMA, IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAME SPOTS.
RIGHT? SO MY CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH THE VERY VULNERABLE ECOSYSTEM WHERE WE'VE FAILED TO INVEST IN BASIC SERVICES LIKE HOUSING, HEALTHCARE, SOCIAL SERVICES, UH, YOUTH SERVICES, AND, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DEFICIENCIES THAT ARE THERE BECAUSE THE, THE BUDGET DOESN'T REFLECT MEETING THAT NEED.
UM, AND THAT'S MY CONCERN, RIGHT? BUT AGAIN, GETTING CLARIFICATION.
'CAUSE THE STUDY DIDN'T SAY 15 MINUTES WITH THE LIGHTS ON, RIGHT? UM, IT LEAVES A LOT OPEN TO THE IMAGINATION THAT CAN BE VERY HARMFUL TO MY CONSTITUENTS.
AND, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, UH, MISIDENTIFICATION, RIGHT? I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A CRIMINAL, BUT WHAT IF IT'S NOT THAT? AND WE'VE SEEN IT IN MY DISTRICT WHERE MISTAKEN IDENTITY AND THE PERSON ENDS UP DEAD.
SO THAT'S A, A, A CONCERN THAT I HAVE, AND I KNOW YOU SHARE THAT AS WELL.
UM, BUT YOU COULD GO AHEAD IF IT LOOKS LIKE YOU WANNA CHIME THAT.
I, I, I THINK YOUR, I THINK YOUR CONCERN IS, UM, BASED ON MAYBE A MISUNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE FIRST PART OF THIS WORKS.
WE ARE NOT GETTING OUT, BEING PROACTIVE AND GOING AFTER PEOPLE IN THESE PLACES WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE SITTING WITH THE LIGHTS ON.
UM, AND, AND, AND I, AND I CRINGE WHEN I HEAR A COMPARISON TO, UM, WHAT MAY HAVE HAP WHAT HAPPENED IN MEMPHIS.
I CRINGE WHEN I HEAR, UM, THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT AND, AND, AND SCARE PEOPLE BY SITTING THERE WITH OUR LIGHTS ON.
UH, I SEE YOU'RE LOOKING AT DR.
WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE, RIGHT? UH, MY CONSTITUENTS DON'T ALL GO TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, SO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU ON DOOR-TO-DOOR OUTREACH TO SPEAK TO MY CONSTITUENTS, TO, TO LEARN ON THE GROUND AND WHAT FOLKS ARE FEELING.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A MISUNDERSTANDING MAYBE ON YOUR, YOUR END RIGHT.
ABOUT COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, POLICING IN SAN ANTONIO.
WELL, IF, IF I MAY REPLY RESPECTFULLY, I DON'T HAVE A MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO.
I DON'T HAVE A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE STUDY CHIEF, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
SO LET, LET ME, LET ME JUMP IN HERE, MAYOR.
UM, I, I THINK YOUR, YOUR FIRST POINT COUNCILWOMAN IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ALIGNING TO COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS.
IS IT A VERY IMPORTANT, AND BECAUSE, BECAUSE JUST AS THE CONVERSATIONS EVOLVING HERE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE VERY CLEAR.
UM, AND, AND SO THIS FEEDBACK IS VALUABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIT THE MARK THERE.
UM, THE, THE OTHER PART THAT I WANTED TO, TO MENTION IS THAT THE, AS DR.
SMITH DESCRIBED, THE FOCUS DETERRENT, THE FOCUS DETERRENCE PHASE, AND HE'S TALK, HE MEANT, HE SAID A CALL IN, I GUESS IMAGINE IT'S A, UM, IT'S A MEETING AT THE GARZA COMMUNITY CENTER, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO THE POLICE SUBSTATION, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CITY HALL.
UM, YOU'RE NOT GETTING PULLED OVER, BUT IT'S A, UM, UM, IT'S AT A COMMUNITY CENTER OR A PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS, YOU HAVE, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND, AND READY TO WORK AND THOSE FOLKS THERE IN THAT TYPE OF SETTING.
I THINK THAT'S THE CONCEPT BEHIND THE FOCUS DETERRENCE PIECE.
AND I WANTED TO JUST, JUST ADD THAT PIECE TO WHAT DR.
SMITH SAID, AND, AND LOOK, WHEN I SAID IT AT THE VERY BEGINNING, THE, UM, BEFORE WE DID THE PRESENTATION, PART OF, IN MY OPINION, PART OF WHAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE BALANCE IS, IS, IS THE, THE PROPER COMMUNICATION TO THE, THE COMMUNITY, REGARDLESS OF THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? REGARDLESS OF, OF, OF WHO.
BUT, BUT WE'VE GOTTA, WE'VE GOTTA WORK HARD AT MAKING SURE THAT WE COMMUNICATE, UM, AND THOSE EXPECTATIONS.
UM, AND, AND NO OFFENSE TO DR.
SMITH AND, AND HIS TEAM, BUT THE, THE SOBERING STAT THAT HE SHARED WITH, WITH YOU THAT, UM, NINE OR 10 OF THOSE GRIDS ACCOUNTED FOR THE MAJORITY OF OUR VIOLENT CRIME IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
I, I DON'T REALLY, DO WE REALLY NEED U T SS A TO TELL US TO HAVE POLICE OFFICERS THERE? I MEAN, SO THIS IS A, A BASIC APPROACH, BUT IT IS DATA DRIVEN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SUSTAINED.
BECAUSE I'VE SPOKEN TO THE CITY MANAGER OF DALLAS, UM, WHO OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS HAS SEEN THAT THE DATA HAS HELPED INFORMED OPERATIONAL AND, AND, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW WE COMMUNICATE TO THE, TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS OR THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S THE FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM THE CITY MANAGER OF DALLAS, WHO'S, WHO'S TWO YEARS FURTHER INTO THIS THAN US.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO THAT.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, THANK YOU.
UH, I WANNA REMIND US, AND WE ALL SAW THE STATS, BUT FOR THOSE WATCHING ON TV
[02:15:01]
S A WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY, UH, WE ENDED THE YEAR WITH 231 HOMICIDES, OVER 33,000 ASSAULTS AND 2000 SEX OFFENSES.AND WHILE I GOT THE BREAKDOWN BY ETHNICITY, I STILL NEED IT BY MALE, FEMALE, NON-BINARY.
SO THIS STUDY IS TIMELY, AND I BELIEVE IT'S A RESULT BECAUSE BACK IN 2017, THE THEN MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN FOR DISTRICT THREE, WHO WAS SITTING AS THE CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY STARTED THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION, POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
I THINK WE DO NEED TO GO BACK AND REVIEW WHAT THEY PUT FORWARD.
UM, MENTIONED ITEM NUMBER 18 IN, UH, SAFE PROGRAM, MORE OFFICERS.
ITEM NUMBER 21, A SAFE PLACE FOR RESIDENTS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES ON THE RELATIONSHIP.
ITEM 23 MORE PUBLICITY FOR THE FAMILY ASSISTANCE CRISIS TEAM, WHICH I'M NOT EVEN SURE EXISTS ANYMORE.
UH, AND THEN A NUMBER OF OTHERS THAT WE'VE, UM, DISCUSSED.
SO I AM GLAD FOR THE DATA BECAUSE THIS, THIS HAS BECOME MORE DATA DRIVEN, UH, COUNSEL WHERE THE DATA WERE THE FACTS.
AND, UM, THE FACT IS WE, WE NEED TO MAKE A PRIORITY OF KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
THE ONE THING I DID SEE IN TERMS OF THIS STUDY IS THEY WANTED MORE VISIBILITY.
AND THAT'S DEFINITELY WHAT WE GET FROM OUR, UM, COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENTS TEAM WHEN THEY PUT OUT THE SURVEY.
UM, SO I THINK WE DO NEED THAT POLICE VISIBILITY.
I THINK WE NEED THE, UM, SAN ANTONIO ANSWER.
SO SOME OF THESE PLA SOME OF THE HOTSPOTS DON'T FEEL THREATENED OR DON'T FEEL TARGETED, BUT WE WE'RE REALLY COMMUNICATING TO THEM, THIS IS BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THIS UP UPTICK IN VIOLENT CRIMES.
UM, I THINK THE OTHER THING WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE MICRO HOTSPOTS IS THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO.
BECAUSE WHAT I DON'T WANNA COMMUNICATE TO MY NEIGHBORS IS THAT, OH, THERE'S AN APARTMENT GOING IN, OR IT'S THAT APARTMENT.
THEY'RE ALL TROUBLE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE TRUTH.
SO HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, OUR NEW APARTMENT TASK FORCE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR, WHICH IS WHAT I APPRECIATED IN THE STUDY, THAT SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS THAT LIVE WITHIN THOSE, UM, WITH, THAT MAY LIVE WITHIN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS OR IN THOSE APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
UM, SO WHILE I LOOK AT THIS AND, AND WE COULD HAVE MORE STUDIES AND WE COULD DO MORE THIS, THESE ARE ANSWERS THAT I THINK EVENTUALLY WE WOULD'VE GOTTEN HERE.
I THINK THEY WERE THERE IN 2017.
WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE DATA OR THE, OR THE, UM, THE BUDGET.
BUT I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE LOOK AT THAT, UH, COMMUNITY EFFORT IN BRINGING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
AND WE STOPPED TRYING TO SAY, THIS IS THE PDS FAULT BECAUSE OF THIS, THIS IS THE DA'S FAULT.
THESE ARE MY MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE'S FAULT.
BUT WE ALL TODAY LOOK AND SAY, OKAY, WE, WE NEED TO TAKE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE NEED TO STEP UP SO THAT WE ARE NOT AT 231 HOMICIDES AT THE END OF 2023.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WHAT, OTHER THAN THE, UH, THE PHASE ONE WHICH WE STARTED, UH, OF THE HOTSPOTS, WHEN CAN WE LOOK AT THAT AT THAT SECOND? UM, AND I, I DON'T WANNA GET IT WRONG 'CAUSE I, I, I'D CALL IT POP SOMETHING, BUT THE, THE P O P BP, UM, WHEN CAN WE START IMPLEMENTING THAT PORTION OF, OF THE, THE STUDY? I'M WATCHING DR.
SMITH TO SEE IF HE'S GONNA JUMP UP HERE.
BUT NO, I THINK THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN, UH, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE U T S A TEAM, UH, BASED ON THE DATA.
AND SO, AND, AND, AND I, AND I THINK THIS YEAR OR MID-YEAR OR OCTOBER, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE THE PLAN GOES SIX, SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR.
UH, THE, THE OTHER, UH, AND, AND DR.
SMITH, YOU MAY NEED TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
I, I UNDERSTAND ACADEMIC AND THE TERMINOLOGY YOU USED, BUT ONE THING I DIDN'T HEAR MENTIONED IN THIS, AND THE CHIEF'S PROBABLY GONNA SAY GET AFTER ME, BUT IN TERMS OF ORGANIZED CRIME AND THE ORGANIZED CRIME THAT WE ALL KNOW GOES ON HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THAT I AM CONCERNED IS HAPPENING AMONGST THE MANY PROPERTY CRIMES,
[02:20:01]
UH, THAT, THAT ARE HAPPENING.SO WERE WE ABLE TO, WHEN, WHEN YOU DID THIS STUDY, DID ANY OF THE CRIMINOLOGISTS IDENTIFY SOME OF THESE VIOLENT CRIMES OR HOMICIDES TO ORGANIZED CRIME, WHETHER IT'S GANG RELATED, DRUG RELATED, THINGS LIKE THAT? NO.
SO IT'S A MACRO LEVEL ANALYSIS THAT WE DO TO IN, TO INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE, OF THE VIOLENT CRIME PLAN THAT YOU SEE.
UM, WE DON'T, AND DIDN'T DELVE INTO INDIVIDUAL CASES OR OFFENDERS OR PATTERNS WITHIN INDIVIDUAL CASES.
UM, THEY MANIFEST SOME OF THESE ORGANIZED, UM, CRIME RELATED, UH, YOU KNOW, INSTANCE OF VIOLENCE WILL MANIFEST THEMSELVES IN A CRIME THAT GETS REPORTED AND THAT THEY WILL BE CAPTURED IN THE, THE OVERALL CRIME NUMBERS THAT WE ANALYZE, SORT OF AT THE MACRO LEVEL.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S A, IT'S A VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION PLAN SPECIFICALLY FOR, FOR THAT TO, TO ADDRESS A VIOLENT STREET CRIME REGARDLESS OF ITS SOURCE.
WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO COMMITS ONE VIOLENT CRIME ONE TIME OR, OR AN ORGANIZED GANG, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT COMMITS VIOLENT CRIME REGULARLY.
AND, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE CHIEF, I KNOW YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN, AND THAT WAS ANOTHER PART OF THE THING YOU HAVE BEEN INTO MY DISTRICT ON A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND THEY WILL, THEY WILL ATTRIBUTE ORGANIZED CRIME TO A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? SURE.
UH, JUST QUICKLY, SO, SO THE TAG UNIT, THE TEXAS ANTI GANG UNIT, UH, WHICH WE ARE PART OF, WORKS ON ORGANIZED CRIME, UM, DRUGS, UH, CARTEL ISSUES, OUR FOLLOW-UP UNITS, UH, BE IT PROPERTY CRIMES OR BE IT ANY OF THE COVERT UNITS.
THEY ALSO WORK ON ORGANIZED CRIME.
AND I, AND I THINK THAT IS WHEN WE GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE, WE'RE TELLING THE COMMUNITY, UH, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE, THIS IS WHAT THIS STUDY HAS FOCUSED ON, IS THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE TYPES OF CRIMES THAT WE HAVE IN, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND HOW WE WANT TO PREVENT THEM.
SO I, I THINK, UM, THERE, THIS IS, UM, THERE'S JUST A LOT THAT I THINK WAS DONE HERE THAT WE CAN GO FURTHER IN, UH, THE FINDING ABOUT THE PEAKS BETWEEN APRIL TO AUGUST, VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW WE AS A COMMUNITY AND HOW THE DEPARTMENT CAN COME TOGETHER AND TRY AND IDENTIFY WHY IT'S PEAKING DURING THAT TIME.
UM, THE OTHER IS THE, UM, THE, THE, THE CRIME TRENDS.
IS IT BASED ON THE POPULATION LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT MANPOWER STUDY? UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN SEE THIS, BUT WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, WE ARE ALL TAKING, WE'RE ALL JUST CLEARLY LOOKING AT THIS AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT NATIONAL TRENDS OR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES, BUT IF I CAME AND SAID, WELL, WE'RE, WHAT ARE WE DOING IN OTHER CITIES? I'M LIKE, OH, WE'RE GREAT COMPARED TO CHICAGO, BUT THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR MY RESIDENTS.
SO, UH, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS AND, UH, THE PROBLEM ORIENTED, PLACE-BASED POLICING.
I THINK WE NEED A NICE TERM FOR THAT.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY HARD, BUT, UH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT MODEL ESPECIALLY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THIS AGAIN IN A B SESSION AND IF NECESSARY IN OUR COMMITTEES.
I HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS ON THE PRESENTATION.
AND IN THIS STUDY ON SLIDE 15, AGAIN, A COUPLE OF FOLKS HAVE ASKED THE QUESTION, UM, BUT IT CITES THAT UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO REOCCURRING PROBLEMS IN CRIME PRONE LOCATIONS, UH, MANY OF WHICH ARE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING COMPLEXES IN SAN ANTONIO.
IS THAT FACT, OR IS THAT FACT MM-HMM.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US THE DATA, THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND, UH, RESIDENTIAL VERSUS MULTIFAMILY CRIMES, VIOLENT CRIMES THAT ARE OCCURRING? OR CHIEF, CAN YOU SHARE THAT WITH US? YEP.
THE, THE NUMBERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE PULLED OUT OF CAD POINT TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE ALL THE DATA COMES FROM, OUR CAD AND IT, AND IT'S ALL BASED ON OFFENSE REPORTS THAT GO INTO THE CAD SYSTEM.
THAT'S WHERE IT ALL POINTS TO.
AND I SHARE THE SIMILAR CONCERN, RIGHT, THAT IT MAY BE USED AS AN OP NOT BY PD, BUT UM, BY FOLKS TO NOT WANT MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE KNOW WE NEED MORE HOUSING.
UH, MANY OF THE CALLS, UH, AND CONCERNS THAT I HEAR FROM NEIGHBORHOODS ARE, UM, CONCERNS ABOUT UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS, RIGHT? BUT WE KNOW THE SOLUTION'S HOUSING, BUT YOU CAN'T SEE NO HOUSING 'CAUSE IT'S MULTI-FAMILY.
'CAUSE FOLKS ARE GOING TO ASSUME THAT IT'S A CRIME WRITTEN.
SO JUST, UH, THAT GIVES ME THAT, THAT'S ALARMING.
UM, SO THANK YOU CHIEF, UM, WITH THAT, I KNOW THE TAG
[02:25:01]
UNIT, UM, THAT YOU MENTIONED, WHAT DOES COMMUNICATION LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME TAG, UH, STINGS WITHIN OUR DISTRICT AND WE REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE AND THERE'S NOT AN UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON.SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT RELATIONSHIP IS? UH, SO THAT WAY THERE'S A CLEAR LINE OF COMMUNICATION OF WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, IN OUR DISTRICTS WITH THE TAG TEAM? WELL, WE HAVE, UH, I WANNA SAY 14, 14, 14, 14, UH, DETECTIVES THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO TAG.
AND, UM, A LOT OF THEIR CASES ARE, ARE GENERATED INTERNALLY.
UH, SOME OF THEIR CASES ARE SENT TO THEM FROM ISSUES THAT WE HAVE GOING ON THAT MAY, THEY MAY, MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON CASES THAT COMES FROM TWO SOURCES, THE WAY THEY GET WORKING ON THOSE CASES, EITHER INTERNALLY DEVELOPED BY THEMSELVES MM-HMM.
SO TAG IS THE TEXAS ANTI GANG UNIT, UH, FUNDED BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
UH, WE'VE HAD IT FOR SEVEN YEARS, MAYBE 16.
AND I HAVE A QUESTION FOR, UH, MICHAEL.
ACCORDING TO THE VIOLENT REDUCTION PLAN FOR THE PROBLEM ORIENTED, PLACE-BASED, UH, POLICING, UM, YOU RELY ON A LARGE BODY OF LITERATURE GROUNDED IN, UH, BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY.
UM, AND WE KNOW THAT THAT THEORY'S BEEN SHOWN TO NEGLECT, UM, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
SO, UM, CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD BE, UH, DIFFERENT AND WE SHOULDN'T BE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IF IT'S ROOTED IN BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY? I, I DUNNO ABOUT THE NEXUS TO BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY.
I, I, I, WHAT I CAN SAY ABOUT IT IS THAT IT'S, IT'S DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT GIVE RISE TO VIOLENT CRIME.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A STRATEGY THAT'S, THAT'S OFTENTIMES NOT PRIMARILY POLICE DRIVEN, BUT RATHER, BUT RATHER, UM, COMMUNITY DRIVEN.
UH, AND INVOLVES THE APPLICATION OF RESOURCES TO THE, TO THE ARRA, TO THE RANGE OF, OF SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL PROBLEMS THAT GIVE RISE TO VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, AND, AND THERE IT'S, IT'S DESIGNED TO, TO BE FOCUSED ON THOSE PLACES THAT ARE THE MOST PROBLEMATIC WITH RESPECT WHEN IT COMES TO VIOLENT CRIME.
'CAUSE A, A CONCERN, RIGHT? UH, THROUGHOUT THE, IT'S NOT A CONCERN, BUT THROUGHOUT THE LITERATURE IT MENTIONS, UM, COMMUNITIES, UH, IN POVERTY, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? AND, AND WHAT, UH, IT, IT SURFACES TO THE TOP RIGHT IS POOR PEOPLE COMMIT CRIME.
UM, AND I I I, I TAKE ISSUE WITH THAT, RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT CRIME OCCURS EVERYWHERE, BUT IT IS STATED MORE THAN 30 TIMES IN THIS STUDY.
BUT VIOLENT CRIME DOESN'T OCCUR EVERYWHERE.
IT OCCURS IN A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PLACES.
SO, SO ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT POOR PEOPLE COMMIT CRIME? NO.
I'M JUST SUGGESTING THAT VIOLENT CRIME OCCURS IN A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PLACES.
AND IN YOUR, WHAT'S THE INCOME OF THOSE SMALL AREA OF PLACES? I'M SORRY? WHAT'S THE INCOME OF THOSE SMALL AREA PLACES? WELL, IT DEPENDS ON THE PLACE.
WE'RE, WE'RE FOCUSED ON WHERE VIOLENT CRIME HAPPENS AND WHAT ARE THE CENSUS TRACKS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
AGAIN, MA'AM, WE DIDN'T, THAT'S NOT PART OF THE ANALYSIS.
YOU'RE ANALYZING, YOU'RE ANALYZING SPACE AND HOTSPOTS, BUT DON'T HAVE CENSUS TRACKS OR ZIP CODES, CENSUS TRACK DATA, IS IT? THE, THE HOTSPOTS WE FOCUS ON ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN HOT, THAN CENSUS TRACKS MUCH SMALLER.
SO THERE'S NO DATA ON THE LOCATIONS OF THE HOTSPOTS.
OH, WELL, YEAH, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE.
I THINK THAT'S THE QUESTION WHERE IS WE HAVE TO OVERLAY THE, THE CAD DATA AND THE GRID DATA THAT UT S A OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO OVERLAY THAT ON CENSUS TRACKS AND ZIP CODES AND YEAH, THAT'S NOT, THAT WASN'T PART OF DR.
YEAH, THERE'S LOTS OF GAPS WITHIN THIS RESEARCH.
UM, SO I'D BE UNCOMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD FULLY WITH IT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT'S UP TO THE BODY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, RIGHT, WITH ANY RESEARCH, YOU GO TO PEER REVIEW BOARD RESEARCH IT, GIVE FEEDBACK.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY, AND I CAN, I CAN UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION AND JUST ON THIS ISSUE ALTOGETHER, UM, AND US TRYING TO FIND IF THERE'S A, A SINGLE LEVER THAT WE HAVEN'T YET PULLED.
BUT THIS IS TRULY AN ALL OF GOVERNMENT WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT APPROACH.
UM, THAT'S WHAT I TAKE AWAY FROM, FROM THE REPORT AND THE DIFFERENCE MAKING HERE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING BEFORE, IS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY USING DATA TO INFORM THE APPROACH.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A, I THINK A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT POVERTY, UH, AT THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THAT.
UM, AND, AND SOLVING THAT ISSUE, UH, IS NOT A, UH, SINGLE LEVER POLL.
[02:30:01]
IT'S A WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT APPROACH.SO I MEAN, I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO REEVALUATE HOW ALL OF OUR SYSTEMS, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES AND RESOURCES ARE ALIGNED TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF ENDING THESE CYCLES OF VIOLENCE, ENDING THESE CYCLES OF CRIME, AND PROVIDING PEOPLE ECONOMIC, UH, OPPORTUNITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND IT'S GONNA BE FRUSTRATING.
AND, AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, WE CAN TAKE A SNAPSHOT NEXT WEEK, WE MIGHT SEE, OR NEXT YEAR, AND, AND WE MIGHT SEE IMPROVED METRICS ON SOME OF THESE THINGS, BUT IF ANYBODY'S LOOKING TO SEE A GREAT REVERSAL ON A GENERATIONAL ISSUE WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, YOU'RE GONNA BE DISAPPOINTED.
I MEAN, THESE ARE CHALLENGING ISSUES, UM, UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, ANY CHANGING, ANY FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGE, UH, AT A SCALE OF A CITY LIKE OURS IS A GENERATIONAL PROPOSITION.
AND HOPEFULLY WE HAVE ENOUGH COMMITMENT TO THIS ISSUE OVER THE LONG TERM THAT AS WE BEGIN TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER NOW, PEOPLE WHO FILL OUR SEATS IN THE YEARS TO COME WILL REMAIN COMMITTED TO THAT PURPOSE, INTO THAT CAUSE.
AND, AND I MEAN, IT'S A SIMILAR CONCERN FOR, FOR ALMOST EVERY ISSUE THAT WE'VE CHOSEN TO DEAL WITH, UH, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
BUT, UH, I CAN UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION.
I THINK, UM, THE, THE, THE BENEFIT NOW OF, UM, TAKING A BROADER PERSPECTIVE AND UTILIZING DATA WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I'M, I'M CONFIDENT IN THAT, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME, UH, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF EFFORT FROM EVERYBODY, UH, TO BE CLEARHEADED ABOUT IT.
WE DO HAVE A BRIEF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, WE HAVE A SECOND ITEM, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO KICK IT TO TOMORROW AT ONE O'CLOCK, ERIC, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.
AND, UM, TO DO THIS PROPERLY, I'M GONNA HAVE TO RECESS THIS MEETING SO THAT WE CAN RECONVENE IT AT ONE O'CLOCK TOMORROW, UH, UNDER TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR EXEC SESSION, WE'LL HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT AT, AT ROUGHLY FIVE, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL BE OKAY WITH A SESSION.
PUBLIC COMMENT IS A PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL.
SO WE WILL NEED QUORUM ACROSS THE STREET AT, AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
SO, UH, LIZ, DID YOU ALREADY GET THAT TO ME? OKAY.
WE'LL GO ACROSS TO THE PROCEEDING ROOM.
MAYOR, IF YOU COULD JUST ANNOUNCE THAT YOU'RE RECESSING OKAY.
THE PUBLIC PORTION OF TODAY'S MEETING TO A TIME CERTAIN TOMORROW OF ONE O'CLOCK, AND THEN READ THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS POSTINGS.
UH, THE TIME IS NOW 4:36 PM ON THE FIRST DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2023.
WE ARE RECESSING OUR B SESSION TO TIME CERTAIN, ONE O'CLOCK TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 2ND, 2022 IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION At any time during the meeting, the City Council may recess into executive session in the Presidio Conference Room to consult with the City Attorney's Office (Texas Government Code Section 551.071) and deliberate or discuss any of the following: ]
TIME, I, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND DELIBERATE OR DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.087, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.072.AND CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ISSUES OR ADVICE RELATED TO LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY AND CVID 19 PREPAREDNESS UNDER SECTION 5, 5, 7.