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THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
THE, UM, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING THIS EVENING.
UM, THIS IS THE SECOND OF THREE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETINGS THIS WEEK.
MADAME CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL RULE COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
OH, MY GUESS SHE'LL BE HERE SHORTLY.
JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY'S WORKING ON GETTING COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN ONLINE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO BE BEGIN TODAY'S MEETING
[1. 20-3804 Invocation]
WITH AN INVOCATION FROM PASTOR CHARLES FLOWERS.PASTOR CHARLES E. FLOWERS HAS BEEN THE SENIOR PASTOR OF FAITH OUTREACH CENTER INTERNATIONAL SINCE MARCH 11TH, 2001, WHEN HIS FATHER IN THE MINISTRY, DR.
DEWEY BUD GARDNER, TRANSFERRED THE MANTLE OF LEADERSHIP OVER TO HIM.
HE'S ORIGINALLY FROM TROY, NORTH CAROLINA.
HE'S MARRIED TO THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE.
LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND THEY HAVE FOUR WONDERFUL CHILDREN.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU THAT YOU GIVE US A PRIVILEGE TO COME BEFORE YOU.
IN THE MATCHLESS AND MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, WE INVOKE YOU.
THE TERM INVOKE MEANS THAT WE MAKE EARNEST PLEA OUT OF OUR HEART IN RECOGNITION OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU HAVE DONE THROUGH THE REDEMPTIVE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST, AND WHAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO BY THE CONTINUING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR HEART AND LIVES TODAY, WE MEET TOGETHER HERE BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE CERTAIN THINGS.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE ABILITY OF OUR OWN SYSTEMS ARE INADEQUATE.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE, UH, CONDITIONS THAT WE FACE ARE NOT SOLVABLE BY OUR OWN HUMAN WISDOM.
AND THEREFORE, WE INVOKE YOUR WISDOM.
WE THANK YOU FOR COVERING THIS PLACE, THIS HOLLOWED PLACE, AND SACRED TIME BY THE WORKING OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT, THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BOTH LISTEN.
AND I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD HELP US BE PERFECTED IN THE ABILITY BOTH TO LISTEN HONORABLY, RESPECTFULLY, AND TO SPEAK IN THE SAME.
AND WE ASK YOU FOR YOUR HAND TO REST UPON US.
AND LET THE CITY BE GUIDED FORTH IN THE WISDOM THAT ONLY YOU PROVIDE.
BLESS, UH, THESE LEADERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY WHO ARE SEEKING ANSWERS BOTH ON THE DAAS AND IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE GIVE YOU PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING FOR DOING SUPERNATURALLY WHAT WE CANNOT DO OURSELVES.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE INSPIRING WORDS.
PASTOR FLOWERS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THE FIRST ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF
[Additional Item ]
MINUTES FROM OUR JUNE 15TH MEET MEETING.IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE JUNE 15TH MEETING? MINUTES SO MOVED.
A MOTION HAS BEEN MADE, UH, WITH A SECOND CHAIR.
[2. 20-3793 Briefing on the San Antonio Police Department’s efforts in recruitment, and retention, as well as cultural and gender diversity. [William McManus, Chief of Police]]
TODAY'S MEETING IS THE SECOND OF THREE THIS WEEK TO ADDRESS THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS REGARDING, REGARDING LAW ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES.TODAY'S MEETING, WE'LL START WITH A PRESENTATION FROM CHIEF MCMANUS ABOUT THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS IN RECRUIT, RECRUITING AND RETENTION, AS WELL AS CULTURAL AND GENDER DIVERSITY.
HIS PRESENTATION WILL THEN BE FOLLOWED BY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AFTER COMMITTEE MEMBERS QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, WE WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
CITIZENS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND WILL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES FOR REMARKS.
AFTER THIS, WE WILL THEN HEAR COMMENTS SUBMITTED ONLINE.
CHIEF MCMANUS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UH, I'D LIKE TO START OFF TALK, UH, INTRODUCING MY, UH, SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE WITH ME HERE TODAY.
UM, CAPTAIN BRIAN REYES IS HERE WITH ME.
HE IS HEAD OF THE ACADEMY THAT OVERSEES, UH, RECRUITING AND APPLICANT PROCESSING.
HE'S STANDING OVER THERE IN THE CORNER, UH, BEHIND THE WALL.
UH, CAPTAIN KAREN FOX IS ALSO HERE.
SHE WORKS IN MY OFFICE, AND SHE HAS TAKEN THE LEAD ON WOMEN IN POLICING INITIATIVE.
UH, CHAIS BENNETT, OFFICER CHAIS BENNETT, WHO WORKS IN RECRUITING IS HERE AS WELL.
AND LASTLY, UM, SERGEANT MICHELLE RAMOS, WHO IS THE DEPARTMENT'S P I O IS ALSO HERE TODAY.
SO LET ME START WITH, WITH QUALIFICATIONS TO
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GET ON THE DEPARTMENT.UM, FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO BE A UNITED STATES CITIZEN, AND, AND YOU CAN, YOU HAVE TO BE 21 YEARS OLD WHEN YOU, UH, IF YOU'VE ENTERED PRIOR TO THE AGE OF 21, YOU HAVE TO BE 21 BY THE TIME YOU GRADUATE FROM THE ACADEMY.
AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UM, BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE ACADEMY BEFORE YOU'RE 45 YEARS OLD.
SO, 20 TO 44 IS THE AGE RANGE TO, UM, TO ENTER THE ACADEMY.
AS FAR AS EDUCATION GOES, YOU HAVE TO BE A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE OR HAVE A G E D IF YOU WERE IN THE MILITARY.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE, NO CONVICTION FOR A CLASS B MISDEMEANOR OR A CRIME INVOLVING MORAL TURPITUDE, NO FAMILY VIOLENCE, CRIMES, UH, CONVICTIONS.
AND, UH, A COMPLETE AND THOROUGH BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO PASS THE FOLLOWING EXAMS, YOUR POLYGRAPH, MEDICAL AND A PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAM PRIOR TO, UH, POSSIBLY BEING ADMITTED TO THE ACADEMY.
LOOKING AT OUR DEPARTMENT VACANCIES BACK, UH, FROM 2005, YOU SEE THAT THAT, UH, RED LINE IS THE TOTAL SWORN FILLED, AND BLUE IS THE TOTAL AUTHORIZED STRENGTH.
NOW, THAT LINE PARALLELS ITSELF OR EACH OTHER, UH, UP UNTIL YOU HIT AROUND 2009, AND YOU SEE A DIP THERE.
AND THAT DIP IS BECAUSE WE ADDED 50 POSITIONS IN THAT YEAR.
UH, CREATING THAT GAP, UH, YOU SEE ANOTHER DIP IN 2014, STARTING IN 2014.
AND THAT, AND IT CONTINUED UNTIL, UH, UP UNTIL AROUND 20 18, 20 19, UM, THAT WAS DUE TO ACADEMY CLASSES BEING, UM, RESCHEDULED BECAUSE OF SOME BUDGETARY CONCERNS THAT THE COUNCIL HAD.
AND THEN, UH, BASED ON A, UH, UH, DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE POSITIONS ARE FILLED, THOSE VACANCIES ARE FILLED.
UM, STARTING IN 2019, UH, WE STARTED TO EVEN OFF.
AND IN 2020, WE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, A NUMBER OF POSITIONS OVER, UH, OUR AUTHORIZED STRENGTH.
THE RECRUITING ENHANCEMENTS THAT, THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE YEAR ARE WE, OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET WAS ABOUT $110,000 FOR RECRUITING.
UH, WE INCREASED THAT BUDGET BECAUSE WE, WE WERE FOLLOWING COUNCIL'S DIRECTION AND TRYING TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES.
WE WANTED TO INCREASE THAT BUDGET.
AND IT WENT TOWARD ADVERTISEMENT.
IT WENT TOWARD ENHANCING OUR, OUR WEBSITE, UH, OUR APPLICANT PROCESSING, UH, WE ADDED ADDITIONAL DETECTIVES, I BELIEVE IT WAS TWO.
AND THEN OUR TRAINING ACADEMY, WE ADDED ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL TO HANDLE THE, UH, THE, UH, INFLUX OF, UH, NEW RECRUITS THAT WE, UH, BROUGHT IN.
TRYING TO CLOSE THE GAP ON VACANCIES.
UH, I THINK, LET'S SKIPPED THE, HOLD ON.
I DO WORK AT THE, UH, RECRUITING UNIT.
AND SO A COUPLE OF THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO COVER ARE, UM, ONE IS JUST OUR RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES.
UH, FIRST ONE BEING COMMUNITY, UH, EVENTS THAT WE DO PARTICIPATE IN.
UM, WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL SWAT CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE THAT'S VERY, UH, PRETTY POPULAR, UH, YOU KNOW, EVENT THAT WE THROW.
UH, IT'S OF COURSE, UH, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SO THEY CAN COME IN AND WORK WITH OUR WORKOUT, WITH OUR SWAT, UH, UH, OUR SWAT UNIT.
IT'S A LITTLE WATERED DOWN, OF COURSE, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST A WATERED DOWN VERSION OF WHAT THEY DO.
UH, BUT IT'S A NICE WAY FOR THEM TO GET INVOLVED AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS, IS THAT THEY DO.
NOW WE ALSO HAVE AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THAT I'M IN CHARGE OF.
UM, IT'S, UH, AVAILABLE FOR OUR, UH, COLLEGE SENIORS, UH, USUALLY FROM U T S A.
UH, BUT WE DO HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR, UH, OUR LADY OF THE LAKE, UH, TRINITY UNIVERSITY, UH, AND ALSO INCARNATE WORD.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO BEEN GETTING OTHER, UH, STUDENTS FROM OUT OF TOWN, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT WE ALSO, OR ANOTHER EVENT THAT WE TRY TO PARTICIPATE IN ARE THE, UH, EXPLORER TYPE PROGRAMS, UH, AT HIGH SCHOOLS.
BRANDEIS IS ONE THAT WE HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH.
UH, SO WE'RE GOING, GOING TO CONTINUE THAT.
UH, OUR WOMEN IN POLICING, UH, EVENT IS ALSO ANNUAL.
UH, IT'S A WAY GOOD WAY TO ENCOURAGE WOMEN TO COME OUT, UH, AND JUST KIND OF, UH, JUST KIND OF CONNECT WITH SOMEONE WHO MAYBE LOOKS LIKE THEM OR MAYBE, UH, JUST COMES FROM THE SAME BACKGROUND.
THEY GET A CHANCE TO LISTEN TO TESTIMONIALS FROM OTHER FEMALE POLICE OFFICERS.
AND THEN LASTLY, OF COURSE, WE HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR HIRING
[00:10:01]
HEROES.UM, WE, WE GO TO FORT SAM AIR FORCE, UM, FORT SAM BASE, AND WORK WITH THEIR TRANSITION PROGRAM AS WELL AS LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE.
AND THEN WE DO, UH, TRAVEL ALL THE WAY TO CAMP PENDLETON IN SAN DIEGO.
UM, AND THEN SPEAK TO MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO ARE EXITING THE, UM, UH, THE MILITARY AND LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN.
HOPE YOU'RE SAFE AND FAMILIES ARE HEALTHY.
UM, DO YOU HAVE MY SLIDE? SO, WE RECOGNIZE HAVING DIVERSE PEOPLE WITHIN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, THOSE WHO REFLECT OUR COMMUNITY, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT'S CRUCIAL TO THE CREDIBILITY AND THE LEGITIMACY OF OUR AGENCY.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO WOMEN, THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHERE APPROXIMATELY HALF OF OUR POPULATION ARE WOMEN.
AND SO, I WANNA EXPOUND ON THE WOMEN IN POLICING EVENT THAT, UH, OFFICER BENNETT TOUCHED BRIEFLY ON, WHEN I WAS FIRST PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT, UM, CHIEF MCMANUS, UH, ASSIGNED ME AS A UNIT DIRECTOR, UH, IN APPLICANT PROCESSING AND RECRUITING.
AND I WAS GIVEN VERY CLEAR DIRECTION.
UH, WE NEEDED TO RECRUIT MORE WOMEN TO SS A P D.
AND SO WITH THAT, AND WITH THE HELP OF MY THEN COMMAND STAFF, WE DEVELOPED THIS WOMEN AND POLICING EVENT.
THE FIRST ONE WE HELD AT THE TRAINING ACADEMY.
AND, UH, BEING THAT IT WAS THE FIRST, WE DIDN'T GET A BIG TURNOUT, BUT AS THE YEARS PROGRESSED, UH, THEY GOT LARGER AND LARGER.
AND THEN WE BEGAN HOLDING THEM OR HOSTING THEM AT DIFFERENT VENUES, UH, THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO.
UH, WE HELD ONE AT U T S A DOWNTOWN.
WE HELD, UH, ONE OF THE EVENTS AT, UH, TEXAS AM, SAN ANTONIO.
AND THEN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE DECIDED TO MOVE THE EVENT BACK TO THE ACADEMY SO THAT WE COULD EXPOSE THE ATTENDEES, WE COULD EXPOSE THEM TO AN ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY WOULD BE IN IF THEY WERE ACCEPTED INTO THE ACADEMY.
THEY, IF THEY CHOSE, THEY COULD PARTICIPATE IN, UH, UH, PHYSICAL TRAINING, WORKOUT.
THEY WERE EXPOSED TO, UH, TACTICS, UH, SIMULATION.
UH, AND THEN TWO, WE HAD, UH, VARIOUS WOMEN IN THE DEPARTMENT SPEAK TO THEM, UM, GAVE THEM THEIR BACKGROUND, UH, WHY THEY CHOSE S S A P D, HOW THEY CAME TO BE ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
JUST A VERY INTERACTIVE AND ENGAGING DAY.
UM, AND, AND HOPEFULLY ENCOURAGED SEVERAL OF THEM.
AND I KNOW, UM, OFFICER BENNETT AND I WERE TALKING BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED, THAT MANY OF THOSE WOMEN WHO ATTENDED THOSE SESSIONS ARE EITHER ON THE DEPARTMENT NOW, OR THEY, UM, ARE IN THE ACADEMY.
SO, THOSE, THOSE EVENTS, THAT EVENT IS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
THE FIRST ONE WAS HELD IN 2010.
AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE.
AND IT'S REALLY A VERY GOOD RECRUITING TOOL.
UH, AND AS LONG AS I'M ON THE DEPARTMENT, I'M, I'M GONNA ATTEND EACH ONE.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY, UH, IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE, UH, AN OUTSTANDING RECRUITING EVENT.
SO, SO THE NEXT THING I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS SOME OF OUR, UH, MENTORINGSHIP PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.
UH, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, AND MANY OF YOU ATTEND, UH, A LOT OF THOSE, WE HAVE COMMUNITY EVENTS.
WE HAVE, UM, VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT OUR OFFICERS ACROSS THE CITY ATTEND ON A DAILY BASIS.
BUT THERE'S SOME, A FEW THAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT ARE, UH, VERY IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND ONE OF THOSE IS, UH, SUCCESS THROUGH RESPECT.
AND THIS IS A CONVERSATION, INTERACTIVE BASED PRESENTATION THAT WAS CREATED BY SS A P D IN AN EFFORT TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP AND ESTABLISH MUTUAL TRUST WITH TODAY'S YOUNGER GENERATION.
THIS PROGRAM IS GEARED TOWARD THE CITY'S YOUTH, SPECIFICALLY MIDDLE SCHOOL, THROUGH COLLEGE AGE.
STUDENTS SELECT SS A P D OFFICERS, AND IT'S A VERY SELECT GROUP.
PRESENT THESE LIVE SCENARIOS FROM AN OFFICER'S PERSPECTIVE, WHICH ALLOWS THE STUDENTS TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND AND EXPERIENCE AN ACTUAL ENCOUNTER WITH A POLICE OFFICER.
THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM ARE TO ENCOURAGE OPEN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE OFFICERS AND THE YOUTH, CREATE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE POLICE, BUILD A MUTUAL RESPECT AND TRUST BETWEEN THE OFFICERS AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE AND GROW
[00:15:01]
TOWARDS DISPELLING MISCONCEPTIONS PORTRAYED BY THE MEDIA AND THEIR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE.AND TO DATE, WE HAVE, UM, DONE 120 PRESENTATIONS, UH, THROUGH THIS SUCCESS THROUGH RESPECT PROGRAM.
ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF, IT'S, UH, CALLED BIGS IN BLUE.
AND THIS IS A ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING PROGRAM CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH BIG BROTHERS AND BIG SISTERS ORGANIZATION.
THIS PROGRAM, OF COURSE, CONNECTS YOUTH WITHIN OUR CITY WITH OFFICERS IN AN EFFORT AND AN EFFORT, I'M SORRY, TO BUILD STRONGER AND, UM, TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS.
AND THESE RELATIONSHIPS HOPEFULLY, WILL HELP OUR CHILDREN DEVELOP INTO CONFIDENT ADULTS AND BUILD THOSE STRONGER BONDS BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH WE SERVE.
AND WE JUST RECENTLY STARTED, AND WE KIND OF ARE NOW ON A LITTLE HOLD WITH THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC.
UH, BUT SS A P D AND THE SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVE DEVELOPED A FEMALE OFFICER MENTORING PROGRAM.
NOW, THIS, THIS CONSISTS OF FEMALE OFFICERS WITHIN S A P D AND WITHIN THE SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHERE WE ARE GOING TO MENTOR EIGHTH AND NINTH GRADE SS A I S D STUDENTS.
AND THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN DESIGNED THROUGH A COLLABORATION WITH REGION 20.
AND SO ONCE WE GET UP AND RUNNING AND, AND, AND KIDS ARE BACK IN SCHOOL, UH, ONCE WE GET THE PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED AND SUCCESSFUL, UH, THEN WE PLAN TO, UM, OFFER THIS, UH, FOR ALL OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SO, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I CAN GO ON AND ON AND, AND WE HAVE A LAUNDRY LIST OF EVENTS AND PROGRAMS THAT, UM, THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN AND THAT WE ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THOSE ARE THREE THAT I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT 'CAUSE THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, WITH THAT, I THINK I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO OFFICER BENNETT.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE PROMOTING, UH, DIVERSITY.
UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO, OF COURSE, UM, PROMOTE AND GO, UH, TO OUR COLLEGES.
BUT ALSO IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, WE'RE GOING TO ADD IN OR PUSH MORE FOR THE HBCUS, WHICH ARE HISTORICAL BLACK COLLEGES.
UH, MAYBE DO A PUSH, UH, UH, THERE ALSO, WE'LL CONTINUE OF, OF COURSE, OUR RELATIONSHIP, UH, THAT WE DO HAVE WITH THE MILITARY BASES, UH, WOMEN IN POLICING WILL CONTINUE.
AND THEN ALSO OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL, UM, UH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, UH, JOB FAIR IN NEW YORK, WHICH IS, UH, OUR JOB, JAY, OUR JOHN JAY COLLEGE, UM, UH, JOB FAIR.
UH, WE DO HAVE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, WITH THE POLICE CORPS.
THOSE ARE OUR, UM, YOUNG OFFICERS WHO DO WORK AND DO, UH, ACTIVITIES WITH THE, WITH ALL THE SUBSTATIONS.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE THAT AS WELL AS OUR ADVERTISING, UH, WITH SPECTRUM COMMERCIALS, UM, OUR RADIO STATIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK WE'RE GONNA JUST MOVE IT ON, AND I'M GOING TO PASS IT ON TO OUR CHIEF.
SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT DEPARTMENT DEMOGRAPHICS.
UH, LET'S START WITH GENDER FIRST.
THE, THE INNER CIRCLE OF THE, UH, FIRST DONUT GRAPH IS 2005.
AND THE OUTER CIRCLE, IT BRINGS US UP TO 2020, UH, WHEN THE, THE, THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR WOMEN IN POLICING IS JUST UNDER 15% OR 14% IN SOME CHANGE.
WE STARTED IN, UH, 2006 WHEN I ARRIVED HERE AT 7%.
AND, UH, WE'VE MOVED UP FOUR POINTS, UH, NOT QUITE AT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, BUT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE PUSHING FOR IT.
AND AS FAR AS THE, UH, RACE AND ETHNICITY GOES, UM, IN 2005, WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, LET ME, UM, WE WERE LOOKING AT 48% HISPANIC.
UH, WE TOOK A ONE PERCENTAGE DROP IN AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, POSITIONS.
UH, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT WE MADE UP FOR, UH, THAT DROP, THAT 1% DROP BY JUMPING A PERCENT, UH, FROM 1% TO 2% IN THE OTHER CATEGORY.
LOOKING AT A CADET CLASSES FROM, UH, FROM 2018 TO TODAY, UH, ON AVERAGE, WE PROCESS A LOT OF APPLICANTS TO, UH, WHO APPLY FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE APPOINT ONLY 11% OF THOSE APPLICANTS EACH YEAR.
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HAD FOUR CLASSES.WE HAVE ABOUT A 69 70%, UH, GRADUATION RATE.
UH, WE GRADUATED 137, UH, CADETS, OR I'M SORRY, OFFICERS OF THAT YEAR, 2019.
UH, AGAIN, A 69% GRADUATION RATE, 284 APPOINTEES, 196 GRADUATES.
WE HAD FOUR CLASSES THAT YEAR.
AND THEN IN 2020, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO, UM, HAVE THREE CADET CLASSES, UH, WITH 132 APPOINTEES.
YEAR TO DATE, UM, 30% WASHOUT RATE.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, WE DO NOT HAVE AN EASY ACADEMY, AND IT IS NOT EASY TO GET INTO.
UH, IF YOU APPLY, UM, THAT ENDS THE, UH, PRESENTATION.
AND WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS, UH, THAT YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU, CHIEF, AND THANK YOU OFFICERS, UH, WHO PRESENTED HERE TODAY.
UH, CHIEF, WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS DO POTENTIAL OFFICERS UNDERGO? AND IS THERE, UM, DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S A, A COMPONENT OF STAFF OF ESTABLISHING RACIAL SENSITIVITY OR, OR EQUITY IN, IN, IN THOSE TESTS? THE FIRST QUESTION, WHAT, UH, WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS DO POTENTIAL, UH, OFFICERS UNDERGO TO BECOME S A P D OFFICERS? UH, UH, COUNCILOR, THEY, THEY DO UNDERGO A PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAM.
I DO NOT KNOW THE, THE SPECIFICS OF THAT EXAM.
UM, IT, IT'S, BRIAN, DO YOU, CAN YOU ANSWER THAT? YEAH, BRIAN, UH, CAPTAIN, UH, REYES WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, SHED A LITTLE MORE LIGHT ON THAT.
AND, UH, IT'S AN HONOR TO TALK BEFORE THE COUNCIL, UM, TO GO ON AND PIGGYBACK OFF WHAT CHIEF WAS SAYING ON THE, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMS. I WAS GONNA SAY THAT, UH, THEY GIVE THEM WHAT THEY CALL AN M M P I OR A PERSONALITY EXAM.
THEY SIT DOWN ON THE INTERVIEW WITH THE APPLICANT.
THOSE ARE KIND OF THE RELIABLE TESTS THAT THEY'RE USING RIGHT NOW TO, UH, UH, TALK TO THESE APPLICANTS.
IT'S A LONG, THOROUGH PROCESS, I WANT TO SAY ROUGHLY TAKES ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE HOURS WHEN THEY'RE WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE OF THE SCREEN THAT THEY TRY TO DO.
I THINK I NEED A LITTLE MORE CLARIFICATION ON THAT, IF WE CAN GET IT.
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU, UM, FROM WHAT I KNOW, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, 'CAUSE I'M NOT IN THERE WITH THE PSYCHOLOGIST WHEN THEY ARE ADMINISTERING THESE EXAMS, BUT, UH, FROM WHAT I SEE WHEN WE SEE THE, THE FILES COME TO US, BECAUSE I, IF THEY'RE DISQUALIFIED FOR A PSYCHOLOGICAL SITUATION OR ISSUE, OBVIOUSLY, UM, THEY CAN'T GIVE US TOO MUCH INFORMATION WITHOUT VIOLATING HIPAA.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE EXAMS THAT THEY ADMINISTER TO THEM ARE, ARE, UH, GONNA BE STANDARD, UH, PERSONALITY EXAMS SIMILAR TO WHAT AN M M P I IS.
BUT BEYOND THAT, UM, AS FAR AS WHAT THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED, UM, THE PSYCHOLOGIST WOULD HAVE TO COME BEFORE THE COUNSELOR TO, TO EXPLAIN WHAT, WHAT THESE QUESTIONS ARE.
I, I'D LIKE TO GET, I'LL GET MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
UM, CHIEF, ON SLIDE NINE, YOU HAD A, THE, A GRAPH OF THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN AND THE PERCENTAGE OF, UM, MINORITIES ON THE, ON THE, UH, FORCE.
CAN YOU SHOW THAT REAL, REAL QUICK? OKAY.
SO, ARE THESE NUMBERS COMMISERATE WITH THE, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION IN SAN ANTONIO? THE, UM, RACE ETHNICITY, I BELIEVE THERE'S A SIX TO 7% DEMOGRAPHIC FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS.
UM, AND THE, UH, HISPANIC, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS IN THE CITY.
UH, I, I BELIEVE IT'S HIGHER IN THE CITY, BUT I I, THEY DON'T MATCH EXACTLY THE, THE HISPANIC POPULATION.
THE, UH, UH, ETHNIC POPULATION FOR WHITE, UH, IS, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS.
UM, BUT THEY'RE, UH, AS CLOSE AS WE CAN GET 'EM RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO GET THE ACTUAL NUMBERS FOR THATAM.
UM, BEFORE I TAKE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, UM, FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION TODAY.
THESE LISTENING SESSIONS ARE, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE ASKED FOR YOUR VOICES TO BE HEARD, THE COUNCIL HEARD THAT LOUD AND CLEAR, AND IT'S OUR DUTY AS YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO HEAR YOU OUT.
TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK, UH, MAYOR NUREMBERG, WHO'S HERE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, WHO'S ALSO SITTING IN, AND BEXAR COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, JOE GAL JOE GONZALEZ, FOR JOINING US TODAY TO HEAR COMMENTS.
UM, COUNCILWOMAN VIA AFTER THIS, THE QUESTIONS? YEAH.
SO LET'S STAY ON SLIDE NUMBER NINE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE ACTUAL NUMBERS.
SO YOU GIVE US THE PERCENTAGE, BUT HOW MANY, WHAT, WHAT IS THE GENDER OF HOW MANY FEMALE DO WE HAVE ON THE FORCE RIGHT NOW? THE 11%? WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS? I, I WANT TO, I, I DON'T KNOW IF TOM HAD, I'M GONNA GUESS AND SAY IT'S ABOUT 165,
[00:25:02]
A HUNDRED AND SOME CHANGE.SO, MARIA, OR DO YOU WHAT? 2 22.
SHE SAID 2 22, BUT SHE'S COMING TO THE MICROPHONE.
DO COUNCIL WANT ME THE NUMBER? THE NUMBER IS ROUGHLY 2 22.
IS THAT ALL UNIFORM? THAT'S SWORN FEMALE OFFICERS ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SWORN FEMALE OFFICERS, CORRECT.
UM, I'M GOING TO ASK IF YOU CAN COME BACK ABOUT, UM, DAVID, WHO, MAYBE I GOT THEIR NAME WRONG.
THIS, UH, CAPTAIN REYES, CAPTAIN REYES.
UM, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMS, IS THIS ONLY A ONE-TIME PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAM THAT YOU GIVE? UM, BA BASICALLY, UH, WHAT THEY DO, MA'AM, IS IT'S, IT'S PART OF THE LAST PROCESS IN THE APPLICATION.
SO IF THEY PASS IT THE FIRST ONE, THEN THEY GO THROUGH AND GET TO THE NEXT PHASE OF THE APPLICATION.
BUT IF THEY DON'T PASS, THEN THEY GET DISQUALIFIED.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO BEFORE, UM, THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO AND THEY COULD GO BEFORE CIVIL SERVICE AND, UH, REQUEST TO, UH, UH, AN APPEAL.
THEY'D HAVE TO GET THREE PSYCHOLOGISTS TO SIDE WITH THEM AND OVER TO OVERRULE OUR PSYCHOLOGIST.
AND WHERE, UM, SO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN, YOU, WHEN YOU SAY YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PSYCHOLOGIST? YES, MA'AM.
THERE'S ABOUT FOUR OF 'EM, I BELIEVE.
AND THEY'RE FROM THE CITY, OR, YES, MA'AM.
THEY, THEY ARE, THEY ARE, THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO THE CITY.
AND YOU MENTIONED M M P I, WHAT IS THAT? IT'S A, IT'S A TERM FOR A PERSONALITY EXAM.
IT'S, IT'S LIKE, I, I DON'T KNOW THE, THE ACRONYM STANDS FOR, BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY BASICALLY JUST A, AN EXAMPLE OF A, A NAME FOR A PERSONALITY TEST THAT'S ADMINISTERED TO, TO THE APPLICANT.
SO TELL ME, WHAT ARE SOME, UM, ITEMS THAT SOMEBODY COULD BE DISQUALIFIED FOR IN THEIR A PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAM? YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, UM, UM, WITHOUT HAVING SEEN THAT, THE ACTUAL QUESTIONS THEY ASK, ONE WOULD THINK IF I WAS TALKING TO DR.
PRICE, WHO IS ONE OF THE, UH, PSYCHOL, ONE OF THE PSYCHOLOGISTS IN THIS, IN THIS UNIT, IF THEY HAVE A PERSON WHO'S EXPERIENCING A LOT OF AGGRESSION AND THEY'VE NEVER, THEY'VE NEVER BEEN IN COMBAT, OR THEY'VE NEVER BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY'VE HAD TO BE AT WAR, THEY MAY GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT OF A LATITUDE IF, BUT IF THEY HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN THAT BACKGROUND, THERE IS NO REASON WHY THEY SHOULD BE DISPLAYING ANY AGGRESSION.
THEY, THEY, SO RACIST TENDENCIES, WOULD THAT BE A MEASURE OF DISQUALIFICATION FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAM? YES, MA'AM.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, UM, I HAVE LOOKED AT OUR PRE POLYGRAPH QUESTIONNAIRE, AND WE ALREADY HAVE THAT QUESTION PUT IN PLACE TO ASK SOMEBODY IF THEY HAVE ANY RACIST OR ANY IDEAL IDEOLOGIES THAT ARE AGAINST THE, OBVIOUSLY THE, UH, THE GOVERNMENT OR AGAINST THE, SO WHAT DOES THAT QUESTION LOOK LIKE? ARE YOU RACIST, OR WHAT DOES THAT QUESTION LOOK LIKE? NO, I, I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO LOOK AT MY FILE TO SEE, BUT, BUT THE QUESTION IS SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, RACIST BELIEFS OR ANY IDEOLOGIES IF YOU ASSOCIATED WITH ANY CERTAIN TYPE OF, UH, MM-HMM.
AND THEN THEY'RE, THEN THEY'RE GIVEN A POLYGRAPH MM-HMM.
AND SO, UH, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAM IS ONLY ONCE.
WHEN DO YOU HAVE TO, UM, OR MAYBE CHIEF, YOU CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
WHEN DO OFFICERS CONTINUE WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMS OR, UM, ANY OTHER CARE, EVEN IF THEY HAVEN'T HAD BEEN A PART OF AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING, WHEN ELSE ARE THEY CHECKING IN ON THEMSELVES MENTALLY THAT, UH, NOT VOLUNTARILY, BUT HAVE TO, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MANDATORY CHECK-INS.
WE DO HAVE A TEAM OF PSYCHOLOGISTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE OFFICERS FOR ANY PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT THEY MAY BE EXPERIENCING.
AND WE DO HAVE PEER SUPPORT GROUPS THAT THEY CAN SPEAK TO WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO THE PSYCHOLOGIST.
IS, UM, THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T HAVE MANDATORY CHECK-IN FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UH, IS THAT COVERED BY OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, OR COULD WE MAKE THAT MANDATORY AS A POLICE, AS A DEPARTMENT, AS A COUNCIL? THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WITHIN THE CHIEF'S PREROGATIVE IN TERMS OF OPERATIONAL ISSUES THAT, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE OR THE CONTEXT THAT HE COULD IMPLEMENT.
BUT IT'S ONLY IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.
NOT ON A, ON A SIX MONTH OR A QUARTERLY CHECK-IN.
UM, NEXT I I'D LIKE TO ASK IF YOU HAVE THE DATA FOR, UM, THE PROMOTIONS, PROMOTIONS WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, WOMEN, UM, ON THE POLICE FORCE,
[00:30:01]
AND ALSO PROMOTIONS OF OFFICERS, UH, OF, UH, OF COLOR THROUGH THE POLICE FORCE.ONE, UM, KIND OF THE TIMING, HOW, UM, HOW MANY OF THE, UH, PROMOTIONS HAVE WE SEEN, HOW MANY, UH, HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN PASSED OVER, AND HOW MANY, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR PROMOTIONS? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THERE, THERE IS, UM, UM, NO ONE THAT HAS PASSED OVER.
UM, THE PROMOTIONAL PROCESS IS GOVERNED BY THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
UH, YOU TAKE A TEST, YOU GET ON A LIST, UH, AFTER, UH, UH, FROM, UH, THERE'S AN ASSESSMENT THAT HAS TO BE DONE, UM, AT THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT AND CAPTAIN.
UH, PRIOR TO THAT, THOUGH, THERE IS NO ASSESSMENT.
IT'S JUST A TEST, AND YOU'RE ON THE LIST AND YOU'RE PROMOTED IN ORDER.
UH, THE, THE LIST, I BELIEVE IS, UH, 18 MONTHS, TWO YEARS.
UM, AND THEN AS YOUR NAME COMES UP AS VACANCIES ARISE, THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROMOTED INTO THAT POSITION.
I THINK I WANT, UM, MARIA, IF I CAN GET A DEMO, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF, UM, THE, UM, RATE ES ETHNICITY WHEN IT COMES TO THE HIGHER RANKING WITHIN THE POLICE FORCE, AS WELL AS FEMALE IN THE POLICE FORCE.
AND THEN, UM, UH, I THINK THOSE ARE ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW.
COUNCILWOMAN GAN COUNCILWOMAN.
AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I HAVE LIMITED QUESTIONS BECAUSE I ALSO WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE TO SAY.
COUNCILWOMAN GAN, UH, COUNCILWOMAN.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, AND I FIRST WANNA START OFF BY, BY SILLY THINKIN, UM, STAND SA, UM, A COUPLE OF OUR EAST SIDE BUSINESS OWNERS WHO TOOK THE TIME TO SPEAK WITH OFFICER GREEN AND OFFICER BENNETT AND MYSELF AND A FEW MORE OFFICERS LAST NIGHT.
AND SO, UM, I'LL BE INTRODUCED TO RECORD, UH, TINA, UH, SOME OF THE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY HAVE, UM, PUT IN PLACE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS WELL.
WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE HEARING YOU.
UM, I'M JUST WANNA MAKE SURE,
UM, SO I WAS JUST SAYING ESSAY STAND, UM, IS THE EAST SIDE BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MET WITH OFFICER DOUG GREEN, OFFICER BENNETT, MYSELF, AND A COUPLE OF OTHER OFFICERS LAST NIGHT.
SO I'LL BE ENTERING INTO RECORD, UM, THROUGH TINA SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE, UM, BROUGHT UP AS WE HAVE OUR LISTENING SESSION.
WHEN IT COMES TO PRIOR MILITARY, WE KNOW THAT SOME PRIOR MILITARY CAN GET OUT ON AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE, BUT THEY HAVE A MEDICAL, UH, CODE WITHIN THEIR DD TWO 14.
UM, SOME OF THOSE CODES COULD BE MEDICAL, MENTAL.
HOW DO YOU DECIPHER THOSE CODES WHEN YOU GO FORWARD? COUNCIL, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, CAPTAIN REYES TO, TO RESPOND TO THAT.
UM, I WAS GONNA SAY THAT ON, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AGAIN, UM, WE GET THE FILE, WE GET THE PAPERWORK FROM THE MILITARY, AND IT USUALLY TELLS US, IT'S CALLED THEIR DD TWO 14 FORM.
AND IT HAS ALL THIS INFORMATION ON THERE, UM, INVOLVING ANYTHING MEDICAL LIKE THAT.
AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH THE PSYCHOLOGIST WHEN THEY'RE HAVING THEIR, THEIR, UH, THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAM.
THEY DON'T JUST TAKE THE EXAM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY INTERACTING WITH THE PSYCHOLOGIST.
THE PSYCHOLOGIST HAS THESE CERTAIN STANDARDS AND CRITERIA THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE SIMPLE FACT THAT, UM, UH, WE'RE NOT PRIVILEGED TO A LOT OF SOME OF THIS MEDICAL PRIVACY ISSUES.
IT'S BETWEEN THE DOCTOR AND THE, UH, THE APP APPLICANT.
UH, I'M NOT AWARE OF WHAT THEY'RE ASKING PARTICULARLY, OR, OR, UH, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH CLARITY.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE PSYCHOLOGIST WOULD PROBABLY WOULD HAVE A MUCH MORE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY'RE ASKING AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
BUT WE DO GET A FILE AND WE DO GET THEIR PAPERWORK FROM THE MILITARY THAT CONFIRMS THAT THEY DID, UM, OBVIOUSLY, UH, UH, WORK IN THE MILITARY.
AND IF IT WAS AN HONORABLE OR DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE, AND IF IT WAS A DISHONORABLE, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN, EVEN, UH, QUALIFY TO, TO BE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO, BUT, UH, I, I HOPE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION SOMEWHAT, BUT, UM, I'LL FOLLOW UP.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO OFFICERS THAT LIVE WITHIN THE CITY, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE ACTUALLY CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS COUNCIL
[00:35:01]
COUNCILWOMAN? THE GREATER PERCENTAGE OF THEM ARE NOT, I DON'T KNOW THE PERCENTAGE OFFHAND, BUT THE GREATER PERCENTAGE ARE NOT.SO SINCE WE KNOW THAT MOST OF THEM ARE NOT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS, WE KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITIES AND THE DISTRICTS THAT THEY SERVE, HOW WELL ARE THEY TRAINED ON THOSE COMMUNITIES AND THOSE DISTRICTS PRIOR TO PATROLLING? UH, WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE FIRST, UH, COMING OUT ON YOUR, UH, FIELD TRAINING OFFICER RIDES, YOU RIDE IN, UH, UH, A A NUMBER OF THOSE, UH, PATROL, PATROL AREAS IN THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE, THE DISTRICT.
AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE ASSIGNED, YOU'RE, UH, ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC AREA OF THE CITY.
AND, UH, MOST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA THAT YOU WORK IN COMES FROM THAT POINT.
BUT MOST OF THE TIME, THOSE, UH, UH, THOSE ANSWERS WHO OFFICERS WHO ANSWER CALLS ARE GOING FROM CALL TO CALL, AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DISCRETIONARY TIME THAT THEY HAVE TO STOP AND WORK ON, UH, COMMUNITY TYPE ISSUES, IT'S AS THE SAFE OFFICERS DO.
AND THEN ON SAFE OFFICERS, HOW MANY HAVE WE ADDED WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS? WE HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBER.
CURRENTLY, THERE'S, I WANNA SAY THERE'S ABOUT 114 SAFE OFFICERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE BREAKDOWN BY YEAR, BUT WE, WE HAVE ADDED, UH, RECENTLY IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, I ALSO LIKE TO, UM, THANK COUNCILWOMAN VERA GR BECAUSE YOU HAVE ASKED THE QUESTIONS AND ASKED FOR THE INFORMATION THAT I WAS WONDERING AS FAR AS WHEN IT COMES TO ETHNICITY, GENDER, AND THE MAKEUP OF THE SS A P D EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP.
I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION, BUT MOST OF ALL, I LOOK FORWARD TO LISTENING TO EACH AND EVERY LAST PERSON THAT IS HERE TO SPEAK.
ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCILWOMAN SANDAL.
UM, GOOD INFORMATION HERE, CHIEF, BUT I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, THE ACTUAL ITEM ON HERE TALKS ABOUT BRIEFING ON THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS IN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, AS WELL AS CULTURAL AND GENERAL, UH, GENDER DIVERSITY.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ON THESE BRIEFING SLIDES ABOUT RETENTION.
WHAT, WHAT ARE YOUR RETENTION RATES AND, UM, UM, HOW ARE WE, HOW ARE WE FARING ON RETENTION RATES? YEAH, MO MOST OFFICERS ARE, UH, SHOOTING FOR A SPECIFIC NUMBER, UH, OF YEARS BASED ON THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF STAYING, UH, A PARTICULAR, UH, THAT LONG.
WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF OFFICERS THAT LEAVE PRIOR TO, UH, UH, THEIR, UM, THEIR MOST BENEFICIAL, UH, ECONOMIC YEAR.
UH, THAT AT YOUR 27TH YEAR IS WHEN YOU CAN BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT RETIRING FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE.
UM, BUT MANY, MANY OFFICERS STAY, UH, WELL BEYOND THAT 30, 31, 32 YEARS.
UM, IF, IF WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION ALSO SURE.
TO SHOW WHAT THOSE RETENTION RATES ARE AND HOW MANY GET OUT AT, LET'S SAY THE 5, 10, 15 YEARS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT SOME OF THE REASONS WHY, UM, POLICE OFFICERS ARE GETTING OUT BEFORE THAT 27 YEAR BREAKOUT, OR EVEN 30 OR 32 YEARS, UH, WOULD LIKE TO REALLY SEE THAT.
UM, I THINK IT'S ON, UH, SLIDE NUMBER THREE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT SHOWS A GRADUAL INCREASE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, BUT THERE'S A, IT SEEMS TO BE A, A BIG, BIG JUMP BETWEEN 2018 AND 2019.
UM, DIDN'T YOU MAKE SOME CHANGES IN THE QUALIFICATIONS ON GETTING INTO THE, THE ACADEMY? DIDN'T WE, UH, CHANGE
[00:40:01]
SOME STANDARDS? I DID.AND WHAT WERE THOSE STANDARDS THAT WERE CHANGED? THEY HAD TO DO WITH CERTAIN, UH, OFFENSES THAT WERE COMMITTED, THEY HAD TO DO WITH, UH, UM, DRUG USAGE.
AND THE, THE, THE PRIMARY CHANGES WAS IT GAVE ME THE FINAL OPTION ON, UM, ALLOWING THEM INTO THE ACADEMY OR NOT.
BUT SOME OF THE, YOU SAID DRUG DRUG CHARGES, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE OTHER, YEAH, BRIAN, CAN YOU, CAN YOU RUN THEM DOWN FOR ME? YES, SIR.
UH, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, UM, CHIEF IS RIGHT.
SOME OF THE CHANGES WERE MADE TO DRUG USAGE.
A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH THE AGE.
UM, WE HAD THIS, WHEN THEY HAD THAT MEETING A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, UH, TRANSGRESSIONS WHEN THEY, THEY COMMITTED WHEN THEY WERE AT A YOUNG AGE, GIVING CHIEF MORE DISCRETION.
ANOTHER ONE WAS, UH, UH, THE, UM, UH, THE POLYGRAPH TESTING AS WELL.
UH, WE, WHAT WE KNOW IS THERE'S PEOPLE THAT, UH, THAT ARE TAKING A POLYGRAPH EXAM THAT, UH, MAY BE NERVOUS AND MAY NOT DO WELL THE FIRST TIME.
SO THEY MAY GIVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THAT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO, UH, UH, LOOKED AT THE, UH, ADMISSIONS TO CERTAIN TYPES OF, OF, UH, FAMILY DISTURBANCE OR VIOLENCE ISSUES, WHERE IN THE PAST, IF SOMEBODY HAD COMMITTED OR ADMITTED TO, AND THESE ARE NOT CONVICTIONS, BECAUSE IF THEY WERE CONVICTIONS, WE WOULDN'T EVEN ALLOW THEM IN.
BUT IF THEY ADMITTED TO, LET'S SAY, WHEN THEY WERE 15 OR 16, HAVING A DISTURBANCE OR GETTING INTO A SITUATION WITH A PARENT OR A SIBLING, IF THERE WAS NO POLICE CALLED, NOBODY WAS INJURED, UM, AND IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, IT ALLOWED THE CHIEF DISCRETION TO DECIDE WHETHER THIS PERSON HAD, I MEAN, AFTER THAT, IF THEY'VE TURNED THEIR LIFE AROUND, THEY HAVE NO ISSUES IN THEIR BACKGROUND.
IT ALLOWED THE CHIEF THE DISCRETION TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.
SO NINE, IF YOU COULD GO TO SLIDE NUMBER NINE, IT ACTUALLY SHOWS, UH, THE BIG, THE BIG JUMP IN BETWEEN 18 AND 19.
UM, DO YOU THINK THAT WAS, UH, THE MAIN REASON THAT WE HAD SUCH A BIG INCREASE IN THE CLASS SIZES AND THE, THE GRADUATION RATES? UH, THAT, THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT, RIGHT.
I WROTE DOWN THE WRONG NUMBER HERE, BUT THE, IT SHOWS THE, THE NUMBERS IN F Y 18.
AND AGAIN, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT, UH, WE WERE, WE, WE ALREADY HAVE VERY, VERY, VERY STRINGENT, UH, REGULATIONS TO GET INTO THE DEPARTMENT.
ALL WE WERE SIMPLY DOING WAS ADAPTING TO SOCIETALS CHANGES.
SO I THINK THAT IT HAD A, I THINK IT HELPED A LOT, ONLY BECAUSE WE WERE LESS, WE WERE, WE WERE GIVING PEOPLE THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO RIGHT THE WRONGS.
IF THEY DID SOMETHING IN THEIR BACKGROUND, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG, WE DIDN'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE 'EM PERMANENTLY DISQUALIFIED.
UM, SO I THINK, I THINK IT HAD, IT HAD SOME HELP, UH, WITH THOSE CHANGES.
UM, DON'T THINK IT WAS ALL THAT, BUT I THINK IT HAD TO DO SOME, SOME OF IT.
SO, ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN? YES, SIR.
THOSE, UH, THOSE CHANGES DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY PUT YOU IN THE ACADEMY.
THEY SIMPLY ALLOWED YOU TO CONTINUE IN THE PROCESS THERE.
THAT'S NOT AN AUTOMATIC ADMITTANCE, UH, INTO THE ACADEMY OR GRADUATION.
IT SIMPLY ALLOWED YOU TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO GET INTO THE ACADEMY.
AND, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE THE FINAL SAY, IF SOMEBODY HAS SOMETHING ON THE RECORD THAT YOU COULD SAY, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND LET 'EM IN THE ACADEMY.
WELL, IT, IT ACTUALLY, I, IF ANYONE WHO, WHO, UM, WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE, OR ALMOST ACCEPTED INTO THE ACADEMY, UH, BASED ON ANY OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE, THERE'S A COMMITTEE THAT LOOKS AT THAT, AND THEN THEY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO ME WHETHER OR NOT THEY BELIEVE THAT THAT PERSON SHOULD BE ALLOWED INTO THE ACADEMY OR NOT.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SIMPLY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PASS GO WHEN YOU'RE IN, IT'S, YOU'VE GOTTA GO THROUGH THAT COMMITTEE BEFORE, UM, YOU ARE POSSIBLY ADMITTED TO THE ACADEMY.
AND WHO'S ON THAT COMMITTEE? UH, BRIAN.
WE, UH, THERE ARE, UH, A MIXTURE OF OFFICERS THAT ARE ON PATROL AS WELL AS OFFICERS AT WORK, UM, IN, UH, CERTAIN, UH, SPECIAL UNITS, I WANNA SAY THE, THE, THIS PANEL IS COMPRISED OF AROUND APPROXIMATELY EIGHT INDIVIDUALS, AND THEY, UH, ENCOMPASS DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S NOT JUST ONE SIDE THAT'S HEAVILY REPRESENTATIVE, IT'S THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRAINING HERE FOR, UH, FOR THE OFFICERS.
UH, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE LITTLE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAKEUP OF THAT PANEL AND, UM, HELP TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT, OR NO, THAT, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE THE BOUNDS FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL.
SO WE'D LIKE, YOU KNOW, CHIEF, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOMEBODY ELSE INVOLVED IN THAT PARTICULAR PANEL.
[00:45:01]
THAT SETS THE WHOLE STAGE FOR, UH, WHO'S ACCEPTED INTO THE ACADEMY, IF THEY HAVE ANY PAST TRANSGRESSIONS OR WHATEVER.UM, SO HOW MANY HOURS OR DAYS ARE ACTUALLY SPENT IN THE ACADEMY? THE, UH, THERE'S 1200.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A, WE DO WHAT DOUBLE, WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES.
THE STATE REQUIRES AROUND 680 HOURS.
WE DO ABOUT 1300 HOURS OF A, OF A, A PEACE OFFICER LICENSE COURSES.
UM, SO THE OFFICERS, THEY'RE ROUGHLY THERE ABOUT, THEY'RE 40 HOURS A WEEK, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
THE, I'M SORRY, THE CADETS THAT ARE GETTING THE TRAINING, THEY'RE THERE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
AND HOW MANY WEEKS IS THAT AGAIN? THAT IS 32 WEEKS, SIR.
SO 1300 HOURS ON INITIAL TRAINING THROUGH THE ACADEMY? YES.
AGAIN, THAT'S DOUBLE WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES.
UH, HOW MANY, HOW LONG DO THEY DO THESE RIDE ALONGS FOR AFTER GRADUATION? AFTER GRADUATION? WELL, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ASSIGNED TO THE F T O PROGRAM ONCE THEY GRADUATE.
SO WHAT WE USUALLY TELL 'EM IS, IS WHEN THEY GRADUATE FROM THE ACADEMY, WE'RE NOT, UH, WE, WERE NOT CUTTING THE CORD WE'RE, THEY'RE STILL UNDER US.
WE'RE STILL MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE LEARNING WHAT THEY, UH, TO APPLY WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED AT THE ACADEMY.
SO THEY'RE IN THIS F T O PROGRAM FOR 14 WEEKS.
AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO, UH, LET'S ADD UP THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WEEKS OR DAYS OR HOURS IN THIS TRAINING, BECAUSE THAT'S STILL, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT'S STILL PART OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM, THE RIDE-ALONGS, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
AND THEN, UM, THE ANNUAL TRAINING THAT THE CADETS AND OFFICERS HAVE TO DO EVERY YEAR, UH, WHAT'S THE REQUIREMENT? TCO ONLY REQUIRES US TO DO 40 HOURS EVERY TWO YEARS.
WE DO 80 HOURS EVERY, EVERY, WE DO 80 HOURS EVERY TWO YEARS, OR TO BREAK IT DOWN, WE DO 40 HOURS EVERY YEAR, 40 HOURS.
SO WE DOUBLE WHAT THE STATE IS ASKING US TO DO.
SO WE DOUBLE THE TRAINING GOING THROUGH THE ACADEMY.
WE KEEP 'EM ON LONGER FOR THE RIDE ALONGS AFTERWARDS.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF REQUIRED TRAINING EVERY YEAR.
AND, UH, ACTUALLY GO ON TO MORE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE WHAT THEY CALL A PROBATIONARY POLICE OFFICER REVIEW BOARD.
UH, CHIEF WAS, UH, THE, THE ONE THAT CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA.
WE BASICALLY, ONCE THEY'RE DONE WITH THE 14 WEEKS, UM, THEY ARE ON PROBATION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR 52 WEEKS BEFORE THEY GET, CAN GET OFF PROBATION.
THEY'RE, THEY ALL COME TO THE, THIS, UH, PANEL WHO MAKES A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHIEF BASED ON THEIR WORK PRODUCTIVITY, DISCIPLINARY FILES, AND, AND THERE ANY, ANY BEHAVIORAL ISSUES THAT THEY'RE HAVING, THEY COME TOGETHER AND THEY MAKE A, A, A, A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHIEF, WHETHER THIS, THESE CADETS THAT NOT OFFICERS PROBATIONARY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GET OFF PROBATION.
AND, UM, MA'AM, MAY I, I JUST HAD A QUICK FOLLOW UP.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IN HERE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST FOLLOWING THE QUALIFICATIONS OR THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE.
WE'RE DOUBLING THE REQUIREMENTS AND PUTTING THESE CADETS THROUGH EXTRA TRAINING AS WELL AS ON THE, ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AND YEARLY TRAINING EVERY YEAR, WHICH INCLUDES ALL KIND OF DIFFERENT, EXCUSE ME, MAY I PLEASE FINISH, WHICH INCLUDES TRAINING EVERY YEAR, UH, TO KEEP THEM PROFICIENT AND IN NEW REQUIREMENTS EACH YEAR.
SO, UM, THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF EXTRA TRAINING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE MA'AM FOR RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE GONNA, EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK TODAY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M, I'M GONNA FOCUS MY QUESTIONS ON THREE AREAS.
ONE OF THEM IS THE QUALIFICATIONS OF OUR OFFICERS.
THE OTHER ONE IS, UH, PAY PARITY, UH, AMONG FEMALE AND, UH, MALE OFFICERS.
AND THEN THE, THE LAST ONE IS GOING TO BE ABOUT, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, RELATIONS.
SO IN TERMS OF THE, OF THE QUALIFICATIONS, UM, WE, SOMEONE HAS TO BE 21 YEARS OLD BEFORE THEY, UH, OH, THERE YOU'RE, SORRY.
UH, BEFORE THEY GRADUATE, CAN BECOME, UH, A GRADUATED CADET AND A POLICE OFFICER.
IS THAT BY STATE LAW? I BELIEVE IT IS, YES, MA'AM.
SO, UM, I WAS HAVING THIS DISCUSSION WITH, UH, WITH SOME COLLEAGUES AND, UH, WE THOUGHT IT WAS ODD, 21 YEARS OLD, BECAUSE IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE AGE AT WHICH YOU GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
IT'S ALSO MAY NOT BE THE AGE AT WHICH YOU GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE.
SO, UH, RECRUITMENT MIGHT BE A LITTLE, THAT'S JUST AN ODD, UH, AGE TO, TO DO RECRUITMENT.
SO I'M WONDERING HOW SUCCESSFUL IS THE RECRUITMENT OF, OF FEMALES IF, UM, WITH THAT AGE? THE, WELL, I, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT EXACTLY, MAAM.
I DON'T KNOW THE, THE DROPOUT RATE OF, YES.
WE'RE GONNA GET THAT IN A SECOND.
[00:50:01]
SO I KIND OF DISAGREE WITH, UM, IT BEING A DIFFICULT AGE.I THINK IT'S A, A, A PERFECT AGE.
UH, I KNOW, UH, MOST, MOST OF THE FEMALES THAT DO COME IN, UH, THEY'RE JUST FINISHING COLLEGE.
'CAUSE I KNOW I GRADUATED WHEN I WAS 22.
AND SO WITH THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, WE USUALLY AVERAGE ABOUT TWO OR THREE, UH, INTERNS EACH, UH, WITH EACH CLASS.
AND USUALLY, UH, OF THOSE WOULD BE MAYBE ONE OR TWO FEMALES IN THERE ALSO.
UM, MILITARY PEOPLE JOIN THE MILITARY RIGHT AFTER, RIGHT AFTER, UH, HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, UH, WHEN WE GO TO THESE MILITARY BASES, UH, WE GET A TON OF, UH, FEMALES THAT, THAT ARE INTERESTED AND THAT WE DO SPEAK TO.
SO I, I THINK IT'S QUITE, YOU KNOW, QUITE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE, UM, THE SORT OF THE AGES OF THE, THE AGE BREAKDOWN OF THE CADET CLASSES AS WE'RE RECRUITING THEM.
AND ALSO, UH, WE DO KNOW THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, WHICH YOU SHARED WITH US IN, IN THE PRESENTATION, UH, ABOUT THE G E D.
UM, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT ARE, WHAT QUALIFICATIONS OUR OFFICERS DO HAVE WHEN THEY COME IN, YOU KNOW, DO SOME OF WHAT PERCENTAGE HAVE GEDS VERSUS, UH, OTHER DEGREES.
UM, SOMEONE WAS, UH, REMINDING ME THAT, UH, SOCIAL WORKERS, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO HAVE A FOUR YEAR DEGREE AND IN SOME CASES HAVE TO BE LICENSED OR HAVE A MASTER'S.
AND WE DO KNOW THAT OUR, UH, POLICE OFFICERS, UH, THEY, WHILE THEY DO GET A LOT OF TRAINING, UH, OFTEN HAVE TO SERVE, UH, IN A SOCIAL WORKER CAPACITY, UH, SOMETIMES OR EXPECTED TO BY THE COMMUNITY WHEN, WHEN THEY SERVE.
UM, I WANTED TO KNOW HOW OUR QUALIFICATIONS, SORRY, HOW OUR REQUIREMENTS, UH, THE 1200 HOURS OF TRAINING COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES IN THE U IN THE STATE, WE ARE, UH, I BELIEVE WE'RE ABOUT TIED WITH HOUSTON FOR THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THE, UH, UH, LONGEST ACADEMIES.
AND THEN IT GOES DOWN FROM THERE.
BUT WE HAVE PROBABLY NOT, PROBABLY, WE HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST, IF NOT THE HIGHEST, UH, ACADEMY HOURS IN THE STATE.
AND, AND, AND I'LL JUST AS A NOTE, EVEN WITH THE, UH, THE CHANGES TO THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE DID, UH, I GUESS IT WAS MAYBE THREE YEARS AGO, OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE STILL THE MOST STRINGENT IN THE STATE.
UM, AND IN TERMS OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION, I DO WANT TO CONCUR WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRANT.
I THINK, UM, IT MAY BE WORTH CONSIDERING WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING THAT TYPE A SIMILAR EVALUATION MAY HAPPEN FURTHER, UH, IN THE OFFICER'S CAREER, NOT JUST WHEN THEY'RE COMING ON BOARD.
YOU KNOW, YOU AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION AFTER, UH, THE VERY TRAGIC DEATH OF, OF MR. FLOYD ABOUT HOW WHEN OFFICERS HAVE WORKED TOO LONG ON THE STREET, THEY, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY BECOME CYNICAL.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE WANT TO GUARD AGAINST.
SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO EXPLORE THAT OPTION.
UM, MOVING ON TO, UM, TO THE PAY.
UH, HOW DOES OUR STARTING SALARY FOR CADETS COMPARE TO, UH, TO THAT IN OTHER CITIES? WE ARE THE HIGHEST PAID IN THE STATE, UH, RIGHT NOW.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING, AND MARIA, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS THAT, UH, SOME OF THE HIGHEST PAID EMPLOYEES, IF NOT THE HIGHEST, ARE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE ACROSS THE CITY? YES, MA'AM.
UM, SO I, I, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE SEEING A LOT OF SCRUTINY IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE WE USE THAT VERY EXPENSIVE RESOURCE, VERY VALUABLE RESOURCE AS, AS EFFICIENTLY, UM, AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT WHEN WE SEE THAT ONLY 4% OF THE, SORRY, 7% OF THE WORKFORCE IS WOMEN, UM, YOU CAN VERY CLEARLY SEE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN, UM, A LACK IN PAY PARITY BETWEEN, UH, MEN AND WOMEN.
IF, IF OUR BEST JOBS, RIGHT, THE ONES THAT OFFER THE HIGHEST WAGES AREN'T RECRUITING WOMEN EFFECTIVELY, WE'RE NOT SHARING THAT WEALTH WITH THEM.
WE ARE GOING TO SEE THAT IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, OUR WOMEN, THE WOMEN WHO WORK HERE WILL ON AVERAGE, EARN LESS THAN THAN A MAN.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNCIL COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING WITH OUR WOMEN'S EQUITY RESOLUTION A FEW YEARS AGO.
COUNCIL MEMBER, THE, UH, THE 7% WAS BACK IN 2005.
IT'S NOW 11, RIGHT? WITH AN INCREASE OF 4%.
I WOULD, I WOULD STILL SAY 11% IS, IS FAR FROM
UM, IN ADDITION TO REQUESTING THE ETHNICITY BREAKDOWN THAT THE COUNCILWOMAN REQUESTED, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE BREAKDOWN BY RANKS, UH, AS WELL, UH, AND GENDER, BECAUSE OF COURSE THAT ALSO DRIVES, UH, INCOME.
AND IF YOU COULD, UH, GIVE US THE INCOME BREAK, UH, THE SALARIES AT DIFFERENT RANKS.
AND I, I IMAGINE IT'S DIFFERENT BETWEEN BASE AND THEN SOME PEOPLE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OVERTIME, UH, AS WELL.
[00:55:01]
AND I'M, I'M SORRY, I, YOU KNOW, I HAD THAT INFORMATION, I JUST COULDN'T PULL IT UP WHEN, UH, WHEN I WAS ASKED.I'M LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'LL GET IT TO YOU.
AND I, I WANNA GO BACK, UH, TO THE QUALIFICATIONS.
IS THAT ALL WITHIN YOUR PURVIEW IN TERMS OF THE REQUIREMENTS AND THE TRAINING? IS THAT, THAT'S A DECISION YOU MAKE OR THAT'S C B A? NO, MA'AM.
THAT, THAT IS, UH, T COLE REQUIREMENTS.
BUT YOU, THOSE ARE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO, YOU COULD GO BEYOND THOSE.
BUT IF YOU WANTED TO GO EVEN BEYOND THAT, THAT WOULD BE UP TO YOU? OR WOULD THAT NEED TO BE BARGAINED? NO, WE, IT WOULD, IT WOULD, UH, BE UP TO ME, UH, TO GO BEYOND THAT.
UH, I'D LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, OH, THREE MINUTES, UH, ABOUT THE, THE PRESENCE OF OUR OFFICERS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND PROBABLY WHY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR BEING HERE, UH, AND FOR WEARING YOUR FACE COVERINGS.
UM, DO WE HAVE A WAY TO GAUGE, UH, COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES WITH THE POLICE OR PERCEPTIONS OF THE POLICE? WELL, MINUS A SURVEY, UH, NO.
AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY, WE WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONDUCT A VERY WIDE SURVEY, UM, AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE CALL INTO THE, UH, TO THE SPIDER TECH SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT Y'ALL WERE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO APPROVE FOR US.
UH, IT GIVES US THE ABILITY NOT ONLY TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH COMPLAINANTS AND UPDATE THEM ON THEIR CASES, UM, AND, UH, WHO'S WORKING THEIR CASES, BUT IT ALSO GIVES THAT US THE ABILITY TO DO SURVEYS OF THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S, THAT HAS DEALT WITH US DIRECTLY.
AND WHEN WILL THAT BE OPERATIONAL? WELL, IT'S OPERATIONAL NOW, UM, BUT IT'S NOT, UH, IT'S NOT FULLY OPERATIONAL.
RIGHT? IT, IT'S, IT IS, UM, THEY, THEY PROVIDED US WITH A, UH, A PARTIAL, UM, SERVICE BECAUSE IT WASN'T DUE TO START YET, BUT WHEN COVID STARTED, THEY PROVIDED US WITH A PARTIAL SERVICE TO, UH, HELP US THROUGH THAT TIME PERIOD, GETTING BACK WITH COMPLAINANTS, UH, AND PEOPLE WHO WOULD CALL INTO THE POLICE.
UM, I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT, I THINK IT STARTS IN, UH, NOVEMBER.
COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN, IF I MAY.
UM, THE SPIDER TECH WILL GO LIVE FULL WITH, UH, THE R M SS, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO GO IN NOVEMBER.
SO WE ARE USING IT NOW, BUT IT'S NOT AT ITS FULL CAPACITY UNTIL NOVEMBER OF 2020.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT, UM, THAT WE UTILIZE THAT TOOL TO, UM, CONDUCT COMMUNITY SURVEYS OF POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICIES, PRACTICES, UM, THANK YOU.
AND, UM, I'D ALSO, UH, LIKE TO ASK, DOES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CONDUCT, UH, SOMETHING LIKE A CLIMATE SURVEY AMONG, UH, UNIFORMED EMPLOYEES OR THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, SENSING WHAT, UH, WHAT'S THE MORALE IN THE DEPARTMENT? ARE THERE OBSERVATIONS OF HARASSMENT OR, YOU KNOW, SATISFAC BASICALLY A SATISFACTION SURVEY FOR EMPLOYEES.
I, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE OF THE LAST, UH, SURVEY, BUT YES, WE HAVE DONE THAT.
AND COUNCILWOMAN, I JUST WANTED TO ADD A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, THE CITY AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE CONDUCT A, UM, COMMUNITY SURVEY EVERY OTHER YEAR, AND WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS RELATED TO POLICE THAT WE CAN SHARE THE, THE LATEST RESULTS THAT WE GOT, NOT SPECIFICALLY TO THE POLICIES, BUT MORE TO THE SERVICES.
SO YOUR POINT WELL TAKEN IN TERMS OF THE EMPLOYEES.
UH, WE ALSO DO AN EMPLOYEE SURVEY EVERY OTHER, UH, YEAR, AND THAT INCLUDES ALL OF, ALL OF OUR 12,000 EMPLOYEES.
SO WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THE, THE LATEST RESULTS OF THAT EMPLOYEE SURVEY AS WELL FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MARIA AND, UM, APOLOGIZE.
UM, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF OFFICERS THAT LIVE WITHIN THE CITY.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THE STATE PROHIBITS US FROM REQUIRING OFFICERS TO LIVE WITHIN THE CITY, BUT, UM, AND I, I'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT THE INCENTIVES FOR OFFICERS TO LIVE WITHIN THE CITY.
I WILL TELL YOU THE BEST SAFE OFFICER IN DISTRICT SEVEN IS THE ONE WHO PATROLS OR WHO WHO WORKS IN THE AREA WHERE HE GREW UP.
HE, UH, WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL THERE.
HE WAS ON THE SWIM TEAM THERE.
HE HAS VERY DEEP TIES TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IN FACT, SOME OF MY TEAM AND I WERE JOKING THAT BEFORE THE CADETS GRADUATE, WE SHOULD ASK THEM WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PUT ON YOUR FENDER WHEN YOU CROSS THE TRACKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T, THEY, THEY CAN'T BECOME A CADET UNLESS THEY KNOW SOME OF THIS VERY, UH, CULTURAL STUFF, UH, ABOUT US.
SO I, I'D JUST LIKE TO HEAR YOU SPEAK TO WHAT THOSE INCENTIVES ARE.
[01:00:01]
THAT A LITTLE BIT.YOU, YOU HAVE A COMMENT ABOUT PROMOTIONS AND LIVING IN THE CITY.
I THINK WE HAVE THE PERCENTAGE, UM, OF OFFICERS THAT LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY FIRST, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU, IN TERMS OF FOLLOW UP.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN, JUST WANTED TO DO A COUPLE OF FOLLOW UPS ON QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED.
UM, CURRENTLY 46% OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS, UH, LEAVE IN SIZE, UH, CITY LIMITS.
UH, ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE AS AN INCENTIVE FOR, UM, UNIFORM OFFICERS IS A DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WITHIN OUR HOUSING PROGRAM TO, UM, UH, ENCOURAGE THEM TO MOVE INSIDE CITY LIMITS.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE INCENTIVES WE HAVE.
AND THEN THE OTHER POINT OF CLARIFICATION I WANTED TO MAKE IN TOTAL IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE 253, UM, FEMALE OFFICERS, UH, TODAY.
AND COUNCIL CHAIRWOMAN, I'M SORRY, VERY QUICKLY TO FOLLOW UP ON THE QUESTIONS.
UM, THAT COUNCILWOMAN, UM, SULLIVAN, UH, ANDREW SULLIVAN HAD AND COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRAND.
THE PROMOTIONAL, UH, PROCESS IS FIRST ESTABLISHED BY CHAPTER 1 43 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
SO BY 1 43 YOU HAVE TO TEST IN ORDER TO PROMOTE.
AND SO IT LAYS OUT VERY SPECIFICALLY WHEN WE HAVE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING TESTING MATERIALS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
AND THEN BY C, B, A, DEPENDING ON THE RANK, THEN WE'VE ADDED BY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT ENHANCEMENTS TO THE TESTING PROCESS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST PURELY A HUNDRED POINT TEST THAT YOU WOULD TAKE, UM, BY SCANTRON.
SO IT IS A, A SET OUT PROCESS IN STATE LAW.
AND BY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED WHAT POTENTIAL ELIGIBILITY, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE STATE LAW FOR PROMOTIONS.
THE CAN CANDIDATE OR POTENTIAL CANDIDATE THEN HAS TO STUDY, TAKE THE TEST, UM, AND THEN GET RANKED.
SO JUST WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE THAT THOSE ARE THE TWO COMPONENTS OF THE PROMOTIONAL PROCESS IN TERMS OF THE LEGAL PARAMETERS THAT LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR WHAT WE DO.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN COUNCILWOMAN
ONE MORE QUESTION, UH, ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT OR ABOUT THE, UM, BENEFITS TO, UH, I THINK FIRE HEAD POLICE.
I KNOW THEY HAD TUITION REIMBURSEMENT FUND.
IS THAT STILL PART OF IT? YES, MA'AM.
IT'S AVAILABLE TO BOTH POLICE AND FIRE.
DID WE MAKE CHANGES TO THAT OR NO? WE DID.
AND THE POLICE, UH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, WE MADE CHANGES AS TO WHERE WE REIMBURSED BASED ON, UM, U T S A RATES.
AND THAT IS A MAXIMUM REIMBURSEMENT AMOUNT.
AND ARE WE STILL REIMBURSING DOCTORATES AND LAW DEGREES? THERE'S A, UM, A PORTION OF THE AGREEMENT THAT INDICATES THAT IT HAS TO BE RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO AS LONG AS IT'S RELATED, IT WILL, IT'S REIMBURSABLE UP TO THAT CAP AMOUNT.
ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD? UH, LIST? NO.
WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO THE PUBLIC
[3. 20-3805 Public Comments]
COMMENT PORTION OF OUR MEETING.THE REASON A LOT OF US ARE HERE, AS A REMINDER, EVERYONE WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK, AFTER, WHICH I WILL CALL THE NEXT SPEAKER.
PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF THE NEXT SPEAKER BY KEEPING YOUR COMMENTS TO TWO MINUTES.
WE'LL HAVE A MICROPHONE SET UP FOR YOU HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AISLE.
YOU DON'T NEED TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM.
UM, AND IT'LL BE SANITIZED, UH, OUR FIRST, SO I'M GONNA CALL YOUR NAME AND THEN I'M GONNA CALL THE NEXT ONE.
SO THE NEXT PERSON WILL QUEUE UP BEHIND, UM, THE PERSON SPEAKING.
AND WE'LL START WITH JAMES DYKEMAN.
CAN I PROVIDE MY STATEMENT TO THE COUNCIL? SURE.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND ITS CHIEF OF POLICE, WILLIE MCMANUS FACE AN EMBARRASSING STATISTIC.
OVER THE LAST 14 YEARS, 70% OF SS A P D OFFICER TERMINATIONS ENDED IN REINSTATEMENTS WITH BACK PAYS AND LEGAL FEES PAID BY TAXPAYERS.
THIS LEVEL OF REINSTATEMENT IS THREE TIMES GREATER THAN THE LARGEST MUNICIPALITIES IN TEXAS.
IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY THIS PHENOMENON IS HAPPENING, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS FROM OCTOBER, 2006 TO THE PRESENT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ON SAP'S OPEN DATA INITIATIVE PAGE.
DISCIPLINARY SUSPENSION RECORDS, CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION AGENDAS, ARBITRATION AWARDS IS DEFINED IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
ARTICLE 28, SECTION NINE, CHIEF ADVISORIES ACTION BOARD INDEPENDENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOTH THE CHIEFS AND THE CIVILIAN BOARD TO FIND IN ARTICLE 29, SECTION THREE G OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND COST OF INVESTIGATIONS AND APPEALS OF INDEFINITE SUSPENSIONS, INCLUDING REPRESENTATION
[01:05:01]
OF THE CHIEF, THE FIRED OFFICER, AND BACK PAY TO THE OFFICER.USING THESE RECORDS, A DATABASE SHOULD BE CREATED FOR CITIZENS TO EASILY ACCESS INFORMATION ON POLICE DISCIPLINE.
TO HELP WITH THIS PROCESS, I HAVE CREATED A SPREADSHEET THAT IDENTIFIES OFFICERS NAMES, DATE OF SUSPENSION, AND AMOUNT OF TIME OF SUSPENSION, BADGE NUMBERS AND RULES, BROKEN RULES BROKEN THAT LED TO THE SUSPENSION COULD BE ADDED AS WELL.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE COMMITTEE THAT STARTING THIS MONTH, 23 YEAR DEPARTMENT VETERAN EMMANUEL KEITH JR.
WILL BE RETURNING TO THE FORCE AFTER HIS FIRING.
A YEAR AGO THIS WEEK, CHIEF MCMANUS INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED KEITH AFTER HIS MIS MISTRESS FILED A POLICE REPORT PROVIDING THE FOLLOWING TEXT AND VOICEMAILS.
I'M GONNA END YOU DEAD B***H SOON DIE, B***H DIE.
YOUR WHOLE WORLD IS GOING TO BLOW APART.
I COULD JUST STRING YOU UP AND SHAKE THE LIFE OUTTA YOU.
I COULD REALLY JUST CHOKE THE LIFE OUT OF YOU.
IF THESE ARE THE KIND OF OFFICERS THAT THE S A P O A WISHES TO DEFEND, THEY SHOULD HAVE THE DECENCY OF LETTING THE PUBLIC KNOW WHY AN ARBITRATION WOULD SIDE WITH THEM.
WE NEED TRANSPARENCY TO FIX THE SYSTEM.
SHOULD THAT FINISH YOUR THOUGHT? AND THEN IT'S JUST LAST SENTENCE.
WE NEED TRANSPARENCY TO FIX A SYSTEM THAT'S SO CONSISTENTLY SIDES WITH OFFICERS LIKE E EMMANUEL.
KEITH, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I HOPE I CAN HELP.
JOHN DEBUS, AND AFTER MR. DBIS WILL BE EDWARD RIVAS.
IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO BE HERE.
I DON'T HAVE A COMPLAINT
UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE HOMELESS.
UH, ONE IS THAT THEY'RE CLOSING A LOT OF RESTROOMS IN LOBBIES.
UH, THEY SAY THEY'RE OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE OF A, UH, DECLARATION THAT HAS SUSPENDED RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE TIME BEING IN SAN ANTONIO HAS JUST BEEN EXTENDED SINCE JUNE 11TH.
AND THE OTHER IS, UH, A PLEA FOR THE SAFETY ALSO OF THE HOMELESS.
UH, FORGOT TO GIVE MY NAME, BUT THEY ALREADY DID.
UH, I AM, UH, HOMELESS, BUT I'M NOT STREET PERSON.
BUT WHEN I HAVE GOTTEN TO EXPERIENCE SOME OF THE SUFFERING THAT, UH, SOME OF THESE PEOPLE GO THROUGH, THEN IT MOTIVATED ME TO COME AND SPEAK TO YOU, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET DONE.
AND, UM, SO THE DECLARATION SAYS THAT THE RULES ARE SUSPENDED, BUT THE SAFETY HAS TO DO WITH, UH, WHEN WE GO INTO A SHELTER AND WE COME OUT, WE HAVE GIVEN UP ANY, ANY KIND OF WEAPONS OR ANYTHING NAIL CLIPPER OR ANYTHING THAT WE COULD USE TO DEFEND OURSELVES.
AND THAT'S INHERENT IN THE SYSTEM.
NOW, GOVERNOR ABBOTT HAS TO DO A PROCLAMATION EVERY 30 DAYS TO CONTINUE THE CORONAVIRUS, UH, DISASTER, UH, EMERGENCY.
AND, UM, SO AT ONE POINT, UM, THE MONEY IS NOT GONNA BE COMING IN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND I HAVE A PLAN TO GO FORWARD THAT ELIMINATES ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THAT HOMELESS PEOPLE HAVE.
SO IF YOU WANT TO ASK ME SOMETIME ABOUT IT, I'D BE WILLING TO, TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.
UH, EDWARD RIVAS, AFTER MR. RIVAS ROSE HILL, EDWARD RIVAS.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS ROSE HILL, PRESIDENT GOVERNMENT HILL, UH, ALLIANCES NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
FIRST OF ALL, F THE UNION, UH, PRESIDENT FROM, UH, SS A P IS LOOKING AT US.
I AM A LEADER IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I REQUEST THAT HE COME TO THE TABLE WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND MAKE SOME AMENDMENTS IF HE WANTS TO SEE CHANGE TO HELP THE POLICE OFFICERS IN SAN ANTONIO, AS WELL AS THE RESIDENT OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO, IF HE'S LOOKING AT ME AS THE LEADER OF SAN ANTONIO, COME TO THE TABLE, WORK WITH US SO WE CAN MAKE SOME CHANGE.
SECOND OF ALL, AS A LEADER, AS MANY OF YOU HAD SAID BEFORE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYBODY IN HERE IS THAT THE ONES THAT WORK CLOSELY WITH ANYBODY IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, WE MEET ONCE A MONTH.
WE HAVE OUR CAP, WE ATTEND CAPTAINS MEETINGS.
I BELIEVE CHIEF, WE HAD STARTED A CONVERSATION, A DIALOGUE WITH YOU BACK ALL 31 PRESIDENTS IN DISTRICT TWO ON TRYING TO CREATE CHANGE.
ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAD SEEN IS THAT, UH, BEFORE THE COM CADETS COME OUT, UH, START OUT IN THE STREET THAT THEY MEET
[01:10:01]
WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, THEY COME TO OUR MEETINGS, THEY KNOW WHAT OUR ISSUES ARE, THEY KNOW WHAT WE DEAL WITH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, JUST AS ANYBODY ELSE DOES WHEN IT COMES TO CRIME, WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING, WHEN IT COMES TO ALL THESE ISSUES, THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF IT THAT THEY'D NOT BE PUT OUT ONTO THE STREETS WITH BLINDFOLDS.BUT WHERE COULD YOU LEARN MORE THAN ANYTHING IS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, BECAUSE WE DO IT ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, AND WE, AND WE DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR COUNCILWOMAN, AND I WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN SULLIVAN FOR WORKING WITH US AND BEING BEHIND US.
AND, UH, I'D ALSO WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND, IF WE DO CHANGE ANY MONEY IN THE BUDGET THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT MONEY GO TO HOUSING.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT TO GO IN FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ARE CONTINUE TO STRIVE AND FIGHT FOR CRIME AGAINST CRIME IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANNA SEE BETTER STREETS, SIDEWALKS, WE WANNA SEE BETTER THINGS.
UH, WE DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO BE DIVERTED INTO, INTO D DIFFERENT AREAS.
WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SURVEYS.
WHO BETTER THAN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TO BE ABLE TO, TO BE THE IMPLEMENTATION, THE, THE, THE KEY PERSON IN HELPING WITH THOSE SURVEYS? BECAUSE AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY, THE PRESIDENTS ARE ONES THAT KNOW THE COMMUNITY AND THE, AND THE POLICE OFFICERS ALSO NEED TO LEARN HOW TO LEARN, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
I WANNA COMMEND A, UH, UM, COUNCILWOMAN FOR, UH, MAKING A COMMU, BUT COMMUNICATION AND THE COMMUNITY AND THE POLICE OFFICER HAVE GOTTA COME TOGETHER IF YOU WANNA BE SUCCESSFUL.
STELLA, ASHLEY, STELLA, ASHLEY, AFTER MS. ASHLEY, EVA RECONDO, UH, I, WHAT IS YOUR, ARE YOU ON THE, DID YOU SIGN UP? I TRIED.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME? OH, YOU, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? JUST TELL ME YOUR NAME.
I CAN'T ALLOW YOU TO SPEAK, BUT, UM, BUT IF WE HAVE SOME TIME AT THE END.
LET ME GO TO THE NEXT PERSON THAT, SO WE HAVE TO GO IN ORDER OF PEOPLE THAT SIGNED UP ORDER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT THE END BECAUSE I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
TELL ME AGAIN, YOUR LAST NAME.
EVA RECONDO, ANANDA THOMAS AFTER MS. THOMAS.
UM, SO I WANTED TO ADDRESS, UH, THE FIRST THING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE TRAINING HOURS, RIGHT? UM, HOURS DON'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE BETTER COPS.
FROM 2005 TO 2015, THERE WERE 126 DEATHS IN CUSTODY.
THAT MEANS THAT THE QUALITY OF TRAINING MATTERS MORE THAN THE HOURS AS A DIRECT RESPONSE TO YOU.
BESIDES THAT, I ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT CHAPTER 1 43.
THIS TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE IS WHAT IS ALLOWING CORRUPT KILLER COPS TO BE HIRED BACK.
WE HAVE OFFICERS WITH MULTIPLE CIVIL LAWSUITS AGAINST THEM BEING HIRED BACK, EVEN IF THE CHIEF OF POLICE DOESN'T APPROVE IT.
WE HAVE OFFICERS FEEDING FECES SANDWICHES TO HOMELESS MEN GETTING HIRED BACK.
WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH TAMPERING, WITH EVIDENCE, GETTING HIRED BACK.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY NONE OF YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN ABOUT CHAPTER 1 43 AND THE NEED TO REPEAL THIS CORRUPT LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
AND WE NEED YOU, WE NEED YOU TO TAKE THE CHARGE WITH US.
WE NEED YOU TO HELP US PUSH OUT THESE PETITIONS, TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT, TO TELL PEOPLE TO REPEAL THESE CORRUPT LAWS THAT ARE ALLOWING CORRUPT COPS TO STAY ON OUR STREETS.
YOU GUYS HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE.
PUSHING SA CONNECT, PUSHING WHAT? UM, TO VOTE, VOTE NO.
SO, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE THE POWER TO DO THIS, AND WE NEED YOU WITH US BECAUSE IF YOU CONTINUE TO BE SILENT, TO BE INACTIVE, YOU ARE JUST AS RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR BROKEN DEAD BODIES ON THE STREETS AS THESE COPS THAT ARE KILLING US.
AFTER MR. MARTINEZ, TAMARA SMITH.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS THREE MINUTES.
I WAS TRYING TO FOLLOW THE RULES ON THE WEBSITE, BUT I GUESS IT'S TWO.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A EITHER A DECISION OR SOME FORWARD MOVEMENT WITH THE EIGHT CAN'T WAIT INITIATIVE.
AND I APPLAUD SUCH A QUICK, QUICK RESPONSE.
IN SHORT, IN A SHORT TERM GOAL, I EMPHASIZE SHORT TERM AS SOME FOCUS POINTS IN THE EIGHT CAN'T WAIT.
INITIATIVES DO NOT FOCUS ON THE ROOT OF THE ISSUES THAT THEY TARGET.
BANNING CHOKE HOLDS, REQUIRING WARNING BEFORE SHOOTING OR REQUIRING THE USE
[01:15:01]
OF THE FORCE CONTINUUM OR SOME OF THE FOCUS POINTS.BUT ASKING AN OFFICER IN A HIGH CRISIS SITUATION TO NOT DO SUCH THINGS OR REMEMBER SUCH A CONTINUUM AS IS, IS THIS AF ASKING OUR CHILDREN TO PINKY PROMISE NOT TO ACT OUT IN UNWANTED BEHAVIORS.
INSTEAD, WE SHOULD BE AIMING FOR HIGHER STANDARDS AS LONG AS LONG-TERM GOALS AND FIND SOLUTIONS AS TO WHY AN OFFICER MAY HAVE USED A CHOKE HOLD, WHY AN OFFICER MAY NOT HAVE GIVEN WARNING PRIOR TO SHOOTING, OR WHY AN OFFICER DID NOT FOLLOW THE CONTINUUM.
SUCH A LACK OF QUESTIONING WILL ONLY BRING SHORT-TERM GOALS.
I BEG THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ASK AND CONSULT WITH THE PROPER PROFESSIONALS TO FIND LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS AND NOT FOLLOW SUBSTANDARD RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE DO NOT WANNA BECOME A MOCKERY AND FOLLOW OLD THEORIES SUCH AS BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY THAT JULIAN CASTRO HAS REC RECENTLY MENTIONED, BUT HAS BEEN DISCREDITED BY SOCIAL STRAIN.
WE HAVE SEEN OUR PRESIDENT SIGN AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT FOCUSES ON DATABASES AND HAVING A NATIONAL CREDENTIALING SYSTEM THAT GIVES POLICE DEPARTMENTS FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO ADOPT BEST PRACTICES.
I KNOW THAT THE BEAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS EXPLORING THE EPIC PROGRAM SUCH, HOWEVER, SHOULDN'T WE ALREADY BE FOLLOWING BEST PRACTICES? DO WE NECESSARILY NEED TO GIVE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO SUCH HIGH REGARDED POSITIONS TO FOLLOW BASIC ETHICAL GUIDELINES? I CHALLENGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO DESIGN SUCH STATISTICAL DATABASES TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SERVE, WHO YOU HAVE CALLED TO THIS MEETING, ANYONE WHO HAS GONE THROUGH A STATS COURSE IN GRAD SCHOOL, IN OR IN COLLEGE, KNOW THAT
DO NOT FORGET ABOUT THE 25% THAT ARE ILLITERATE HERE IN THIS STATE.
AND DO NOT FORGET THAT ESSAY CITIZENS CAN ONLY READ AT A SIXTH GRADE LEVEL BECAUSE OF OUR POOR EDUCATION.
TAMARA SMITH AFTER MS. SMITH, UH, NIKA CLEAVER, UM, I HAVE AN ORGANIZATION CALLED CHILDREN CORE CONNECTION INC.
AND UM, BASICALLY MY ORGANIZATION IS KIND OF ON THE OPPOSITE END.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HERE, UM, WANTING REFORM FROM THE POLICE, BUT I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE GHETTO.
OKAY? IN THE GHETTO AROUND THUGS.
SO I MADE IT OUTTA THE GHETTO THANKS TO MY MOTHER AND I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE.
I PLAYED PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL IN THE STATES AND OVERSEAS.
BUT I'VE DEDICATED MY ENTIRE LIFE TO GO BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY AND FIX THE PROBLEM.
AND THE REAL PROBLEM IS, IS WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES IS GHETTO.
AS AN ACTIVIST, MAKE SURE YOU BE AN ADVOCATOR TOO.
MAKE SURE YOU GO BACK INTO YOUR COMMUNITIES AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO SCHOOL.
I DEAL WITH KIDS IN SCHOOL AND THEY, SO HALF OF THESE KIDS, THEY'RE BAD AS HELL.
BECAUSE THEY GOT BAD PARENTING.
AND THEY, THEIR ASSES IS GOING TO END UP RIGHT OVER HERE WITH THESE PEOPLE OVER HERE.
IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE ISSUE IS.
AND THE KID, THE PEOPLE THAT, THE KIDS THAT ARE GETTING IN TROUBLE, THEY HAVE HORRIBLE PARENTS AND THEY KEEP GETTING IN TROUBLE.
THEY GETTING, THEY START IN SECOND, THEN THEY GO TO SIXTH, THEN THEY GO TO 10TH, THEY DROP OUT IN THE 10TH GRADE, AND THEN THEY GO RIGHT OVER THERE TO THEM PEOPLE OVER THERE.
RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO FIX OUR ED, WE HAVE TO FIX OUR CHILDREN, WE HAVE TO FIX OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE, WE HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS THAT DEAL WITH THEM.
THESE PE DEAL WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS.
IF WE DIG INTO OUR COMMUNITIES, WE CAN DIS DECREASE THAT VERSUS COMING HERE ASKING FOR REFORM.
MS. MS. SMITH, PLEASE, PLEASE HAVE A SEAT.
AND MS. MISS, SO MS. CLEAVER CAN SPEAK, REMIND THEM THAT THEY NEED TO ADDRESS US.
REMINDER, UH, TO, TO ADDRESS US THAT'S DON'T WANNA, I WANNA BE ABLE TO HEAR ALL OF IT.
WE WANT YOU'RE HERE TO, SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU.
SO, UM, PLEASE ADDRESS US WHEN YOU COME UP.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, MY NAME IS NIKA CLEAVER.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT TWO, AND I WANT TO OFFER MY SERVICES TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU BECAUSE I KNOW TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AND WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET TO A BETTER COMMUNITY.
THE SECOND THING I WANNA SAY IS, IS THAT I HEARD
[01:20:01]
MCMANUS SAY LAST WEEK THAT HEY, WE ARE ALMOST AT EIGHT.WE HAVE THAT IN OUR, IN OUR SITUATION.
I CAN TELL YOU FOR AN ABSOLUTE FACT THAT I HAVE RELATIONSHIPS.
I AM A COMMUNITY LEADER, SO I HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERYBODY.
I CAN TELL YOU FOR A FACT THAT THE DA DA APARTMENT IS OVER HERE.
I KNOW THAT THEY DON'T WANNA DO HARM TO FOLKS.
I WATCH YOU GUYS EACH AND EVERY WEEK.
I KNOW Y'ALL ARE GREAT PEOPLE.
I KNOW YOU DON'T WANNA DO HARM TO, TO FOLKS.
I KNOW THAT THE POLICE OVER THERE ARE SOME GREAT PEOPLE.
THERE'S SOME GREAT PEOPLE IN OUR POLICE FORCE THAT DO GREAT THINGS.
OUR FIRE CHIEF JUST GOT AN AWARD THIS MORNING THAT DOES GREAT THINGS.
I KNOW THAT WE CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE, BUT MY FRIENDS, I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH TRAINING YOU HAVE, I DON'T CARE WHAT'S GOING ON WITHOUT DISCIPLINE, PEOPLE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO WHAT THEY DO.
IF COPS CAN KILL PEOPLE AND COME BACK TO WORK, THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO WHAT THEY DO.
IF THEY GET A SLAP ON THE WRIST, IF ALL YOU'RE GONNA SAY IS THIS, THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO WHAT THEY DO.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, NOBODY REALLY HAS TO DEAL WITH THIS.
BUT THE BLACK COMMUNITY, 'CAUSE IT'S THE BLACK PEOPLE THAT DIE AND NO ONE GOES TO JAIL.
IT'S THE BELL PEOPLE THAT DIE AND NO ONE GOES TO JAIL.
IT'S THE BLACK PEOPLE THAT GET THE POLICE CALLED ON 'EM.
I STARTED A PETITION THAT HAS OVER 5,000 SIGNATURES BECAUSE I'M SICK OF PEOPLE, THE COMMUNITY THAT CALLS THE POLICE AND SAYS THERE'S A BLACK PERSON THROWING TRASH OUT HERE AND THEY DON'T BELONG.
FIRST OF ALL, SINCE WHEN IS THROWING TRASH A, A, A CRIME? WHY ARE WE USING POLICE FORCE? WHY ARE WE USING TAX DOLLARS? WHY ARE WE USING ALL THESE THINGS? BECAUSE SOMEONE WANTS TO TELL YOU, Y'ALL KNOW THE WORDS THAT THEY USE.
THEY USE THOSE TRIGGER WORDS TO PUT OUR LIVES IN DANGER.
AND Y'ALL DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO STOP IT.
YOU CAN DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW.
CHECK FINGER AFTER MR. FINGER.
OH, MADAM CHAIR, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER.
YOUR BIG PROBLEM TODAY IS THE DISPARITY BETWEEN NOT ENOUGH, UH, FEMALE OFFICERS VERSUS THE MALE OFFICERS ON, ON THE POLICE FORCE.
I THINK I HAVE ANOTHER BRILLIANT SOLUTION FOR, FOR YOU GUYS.
AND IT'S A HOMEGROWN SOLUTION.
SEE, BUT WHAT YOU DO, UH, MS VIA GRAND MS VIA GRAND, WHAT YOU DO, YOU AND THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE, WHAT YOU DO IS YOU TELL POLICE CHIEF MCMANUS HERE, CHIEF TELL ENOUGH MEN ON THE, ON THE FORCE THAT YOU, THAT YOU NEED THEM TO IDENTIFY AS WOMEN FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PERIOD.
I MEAN, IN CASE YOU THINK I'M BEING A LITTLE FACETIOUS HERE.
WELL, BEAR IN MIND MS. RIO GRANDE, UH, IT'S WITH YOU AND MAYOR NURENBERG AND MS. GONZALEZ WANTED IT SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN YOU PASSED THAT DISCRIMINATORY NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE, SIR? YES.
UH, SAME, SAME ROUTINE, UH, WITH RACE, NOT ENOUGH.
UH, BLACK OFFICERS ON THE FORCE TELL ENOUGH WHITE OFFICERS TO THAT YOU WANT THEM TO IDENTIFY AS BLACK.
OH, AND THE, UH, SITUATION WITH THE, UH, UH, UH, DEFUNDING THE POLICE REPORT.
AS I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, CHUCK, SO MANY STORE OWNERS, SO MANY BUSINESS OWNERS WILL BE SO BUSY FIRING ROUNDS AT THE LOOTERS INVADING THEIR STORES.
THEY WON'T HAVE TON TO WORRY ABOUT ANY PIDDLING CHINA VIRUS THERE.
YES, BUT THEY BETTER, BUT THEY BETTER BE WEARING THEIR MASK OR ELSE THEY'RE GOING TO JAIL.
COME ON AFTER, UH, MARLON DAVIS.
HELLO, CAN WE HEAR THIS? HELLO? UH, MY NAME IS MARLON AND I'M A RESIDENT AND ORGANIZER IN DISTRICT TWO THAT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITY'S DECISION TO ADOPT EIGHT CAN'T WAIT PROPOSALS FOR REFORM.
THESE POLICIES WERE DEVELOPED FROM FLAWED DATA AND THE ORIGINAL REGRESSION ANALYSIS, BOTH RACE AND TOTAL ARREST NUMBERS WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY OF THESE POLICIES TO DETERMINE EFFECTIVENESS AND NOT THE RACE OF OFFICERS, THE RACES OF THEIR VICTIMS. UM, SO RIGHT FROM THE START, WE'RE USING AN INCOMPLETE ANALYSIS TO FORM SOLUTIONS.
AND AS WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE NATION, THESE PROPOSALS OUTLINED IN EIGHT, CAN'T WAIT.
[01:25:01]
I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM, BUT WE CAN GIVE A BRIEF RUN.UH, THE BAN ON CHOKE HOLDS AND STRANGLE HOLDS, N Y P D BAN CHOKE HOLDS IN 1993.
IT DIDN'T STOP THEM FROM KILLING ERIC GARNER.
MOREOVER, SAN ANTONIO ALREADY HAS THIS.
SO PUBLIC FANFARE ABOUT EMBRACING IT IN EIGHT CAN'T WAIT IS A DISHONEST AND DISTRACTING.
IN THE SPIRIT OF GOVERNMENT, WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE CHECKS AND BALANCES.
AND THE BIG CHECK TO THIS CLAUSE COMES FROM THE SUPREME COURT AS A RESULT OF THEIR RULING IN GRAHAM V CONNOR.
THE LEGAL THRESHOLD FOR DEADLY FORCES, WHETHER AN OFFICER FEUD FOR THEIR LIFE AND A FEAR CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY BE A LEGAL DEFENSE AND A MOTIVATION.
AND THE VERY KILLINGS WE ARE TRYING TO PREVENT.
IT MEANS THIS CLAUSE IS USELESS AND NOT JUST THIS ONE.
UH, FOR THREE OTHER CAUSES REQUIRING A WARNING BEFORE SHOOTING, EXHAUSTING ALL ALTERNATIVES BEFORE SHOOTING AND THE USE OF FORCE CONTINUUM, THERE ALREADY EXISTS LEGAL LOOPHOLES, INCLUDING GRAHAM V CONNOR THAT CIRCUMVENT THEIR APPLICATIONS.
THIS POLICY WAS ALREADY ADAPTED IN MINNEAPOLIS, WHERE THREE OFFICERS STOOD BY AND WATCHED GEORGE FLOYD DIE.
IT WAS ALSO ALREADY ADOPTED IN SAN ANTONIO, WHERE A TEAM OF OFFICERS STOOD BY AND WATCHED AS ANOTHER OFFICER UNRIGHTFULLY SEARCHED THE VAGINAL CAVI OF A WOMAN AND PULLED OUT HER TAMPON.
IF THEY DIDN'T INTERVENE IN A NONVIOLENT SITUATION, WHY WOULD THEY INTERVENE IN A MORE VIOLENT ONE? THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR THE SITUATIONS OF SEVEN AND EIGHT, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO COVER THAT FULLY.
THE REALITY IS THAT SAN ANTONIO IS ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITIES IN THE NATION, AND THESE INEQUALITIES ARE ONLY EXACERBATED BY A PANDEMIC.
JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE HAD RECORD LENGTH FOOD BANK LINES, OUR P P UH, OUR FRONTLINE, UH, FRONTLINE FOLKS THAT WE CALL HEROES STRUGGLE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES WITH P P E.
MAYOR NURNBERGER HAS PUBLICLY STATED THAT HE WANTS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS, AND IN FACT IS WORKING DAILY WITH ONE ACTIVIST AND SPECIFICALLY TO SEE IT.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM GREATER THAN JUST ONE ACTIVIST CAN ACCOUNTABLY ANSWER FOR.
AND I HAVE A FULL COALITION OF FOLKS THAT WANT TO BE, THAT WANT TO BE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, CRAFTING PUBLIC INPUT.
THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OUR CURRENT PLAN DOES NOT WORK.
MY CRAFT IS AS A CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY.
I'VE STOOD HERE AT THE CITY COUNCIL SINCE I WAS 15 YEARS OLD.
THE FIRST DAY I ADDRESSED CITY COUNCIL.
I WANT TO GIVE RESPECT WHERE IT'S DUE.
YOU'RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB ON THIS ISSUE.
I TAUGHT GOVERNMENT R AND R, E AND E OF GOVERNMENT RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE, EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT.
AND THERE ARE TWO MEN IN HERE TODAY THAT HAVE BEEN EXACTLY THAT ON THIS ISSUE.
MAYOR RON NURNBERG AND CHIEF MCMANUS.
YOU HAVEN'T HEARD ONE NATIONAL STORY ABOUT THE PROTEST IN SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE THEY'VE HANDLED IT WELL.
THE RELIABLE RESOURCES, THE RELIABLE REVOLUTIONARIES IS A NEW ORGANIZATION HERE, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE HEADING THESE PROTESTS.
MR. MAYOR, THE ONE THING THAT RON NURNBERG HAS SAID CONSISTENTLY THROUGHOUT THIS THING, I'M TIRED OF TALKING.
I WANT TO DO SOME DOING, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAVE WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THAT AT THE TOP LEVELS, THERE'S NOBODY THAT LOOKS LIKE US.
THERE ARE EIGHT TOP POLICE OFFICERS IN SAN ANTONIO.
FINALLY, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS, MA'AM, CREATE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT A DIRECTORATE OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
HALF OF YOUR PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED THE VERY DAY YOU DO IT.
AMBER GARZA, AFTER MS. GARZA, SANTOS CORTEZ.
[01:30:07]
SO, HI, MY NAME IS AMBER GARZA.I COME FROM DISTRICT FIVE AND, UM, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME, SO I'M GONNA TRY TO BE QUICK.
UM, FIRST OFF, I WANNA START BY SAYING I WILL BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED IF ANY REAL SUBSTANTIVE SUBSTANCE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES COME FROM THIS COMMITTEE.
CONSIDERING HOW MANY OF YOU ARE BACKED BY THE POLICE UNION AND HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE UNION? SO PROVE ME WRONG.
I HOPE THINGS CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.
I HOPE YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO DO BEYOND LISTENING.
OKAY, SO I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME.
SO ONE THING I DID WANNA DISCUSS WAS, UM, IN THE POLICE CONTRACT, THE CHIEF'S HANDS AND THE CITY ARE LIKE PRECLUDED FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF EVIDENCE OR OTHERWISE COMPLAINING OF ANY ACTS OR OCCURRENCES EARLIER THAN 180, EARLIER THAN THE 180TH CALENDAR DATE IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDING THE DATE ON WHICH THE CHIEF SUSPENDS OR DEMOTES AN OFFICER.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOU CAN'T BRING UP AN OFFICER'S PREVIOUS WRONGDOINGS IF THEY'VE OCCURRED SIX MONTHS OUTSIDE OF THE DATE OF THE PREV, OF THE CURRENT WRONGDOING, LIKE SIX MONTHS IN A WEEK.
I MEAN, THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE.
WHAT OTHER JOB CAN YOU NOT BRING BACK? BRING UP SOMEBODY'S PREVIOUS WRONGDOINGS WHEN CONSIDERING THEIR CURRENT WRONGDOINGS.
UM, THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO DISCUSS WITH WAS THE CITY'S BUDGET.
HOW CAN YOU SPEND HALF A BILLION DOLLARS AND YOUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO FOCUS ON THE REDUCTION OF VIOLENT CRIMES AND PROPERTY CRIMES THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ENFORCEMENT? THAT'S A GOOD OBJECTIVE.
HOWEVER, HOW DOES AN EVER EXPANDING POLICE BUDGET REDUCE CRIME? THE CITY SPENT, THE CITY SPENDS HALF A BILLION DOLLARS ON POLICE AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER PROGRAMS. SO ONE THING I WANTED TO BRING UP IS, UM, A COUPLE OF AGENCIES THAT THE OH, I DON'T HAVE TIME.
SANTOS CORTEZ, AFTER MR. CORTEZ, OG MARTIN.
CORTEZ AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO BE HERE IN CITY HALL.
UM, I'M FROM DISTRICT ONE, GREW UP IN EDISON HIGH SCHOOL AREA, CAME BACK AFTER THE ARMY.
UM, BY THE BLESSING IS GOD, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO MOVE MY LIFE FORWARD.
UNFORTUNATELY, MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS MORE CONTROLLED BY THE CARTEL NOW, AND THERE'S MORE VIOLENCE.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POLICE OFFICERS AND THE ONES THAT ARE ABLE TO GO IN, THEY'RE HEAVILY RESTRICTED.
AND SO NOW WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY JUDGE, HAVING RELEASED ALL THE INMATES, THE VIOLENT OFFENDERS THAT HAVE COME BACK INTO MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THINGS ARE NOW WORSE.
THERE'S OPEN CRIME NOW, AND IT'S JUST GOTTEN DIFFICULT.
NOW, THE REASON I'M HERE, AND I SEE THAT I ONLY HAVE A FEW, UH, ABOUT A FEW SECONDS HERE, IS I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OUR POLICE.
I GREW UP WITH MANY OF THEM FROM EDISON HIGH SCHOOL TO JEFFERSON.
AND THEY ARE HONORABLE MEN AND WOMEN THAT HAVE THE COURAGE TO ACTUALLY GO OUT AND PUT IN THEIR UNIFORM AND GO INTO ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
DESPITE THAT THEY'RE BEING YELLED AT AND CRITICIZED AND ATTACKED LIKE A 61, UH, YEAR OLD POLICE OFFICER THAT WAS ATTACKED BY IT WITH A BROKEN BOTTLE IN ONE OF THE PROTESTS BY A RIOTER WHO PUT IT ON FACEBOOK.
AND THAT RIOTER HASN'T BEEN CAUGHT YET.
IT WASN'T A POLICE OFFICER FROM SS A P D THAT MURDERED A MIN, AN INNOCENT MAN, MR. GEORGE FLOYD IN MINNEAPOLIS.
IT WAS A KILLER IN MINNEAPOLIS WHO TOOK ON A POLICE UNIFORM THAT DID THAT.
IT WASN'T AN S A P D OFFICER THAT SHOT MR. BROOKS.
OKAY, THAT WAS ATLANTA, UH, PD WE ARE, I AM HERE ON MY TIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE SILENT MINORITY THAT'S SPEAKING RIGHT NOW DOESN'T SPEAK FOR THE REST OF THE CITY.
WHEN ELECTIONS COME, I WANT YOU TO KNOW FROM MY HEART, FROM THE MAJORITY OF US, THAT WE HAVE YOUR BACK.
WE HAVE YOUR BACK NOW WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR BACK IN YOUR ELECTION.
AND IF THIS MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL CAN GET BEHIND YOU, WE'LL FIND YOU A NEW MAYOR AND A NEW CITY COUNCIL.
THANK YOU MR. CORTEZ OG MARTIN, AFTER OG MARTIN MEREDITH SCHUMANN.
I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT GETTING RID OF COPS.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT.
YOU HAVE CALLED ALL OF US HERE TODAY AWAY FROM OUR JOBS, AWAY FROM OUR CHILDREN, AWAY FROM OUR OBLIGATIONS, AWAY FROM OUR BUSINESSES TO COME TO YOU TO ON YOUR OWN TIME, TO GIVE YOU IDEAS, KNOWING GOOD AND WELL.
YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO FULFILL THEM.
YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO FULFILL THESE INITIATIVES.
YOU'RE SITTING THERE NODDING YOUR HEADS, TAKING THESE NOTES LIKE YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEM.
KNOWING YOU ARE SCARED OF THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE ASSOCIATION, YOU ARE DEATHLY
[01:35:01]
AFRAID OF THEM.TELL THEM ABOUT CHAPTER 1 43 AND 1 74 OF THE STATE LOCAL CODE.
TELL THEM THAT THESE ARE THE LAWS THAT TIE YOUR HANDS THAT HAVE TIED COUNCIL'S HANDS FOR DECADES.
TELL THEM THAT THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE ASSOCIATION, A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, HAS YOU ON A LEASH, TELL THEM THAT THIS CLUB KNOWN AS THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE ASSO ASSOCIATION HAS NO, HAS SO MUCH POWER OVER THE LEADERS OF, OF OVER CHIEF MCMANUS, THAT HE HAS NO WAY OF, OF DETERMINING WHAT TO DO WITH HIS OWN DEPARTMENT.
TELL THEM THAT 70% OF ALL POLICE OFFICERS FIRED BY SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE REINSTATED BY A CLUB CALLED A POLICE ASSOCIATION.
TELL THEM THAT POLICE OFFICERS FROM THE ASSOCIATION IS ABOUT TO REINSTATE THE FOR THE SEVENTH TIME.
AN OFFICER WHO HAS BEEN FIRED FOR SIX TIMES PREVIOUSLY BY CHIEF MCMANUS TELL THEM THAT CHIEF MCMANUS HAS FIRED OFFICERS FOR FEEDING FECES TO A, TO A HOMELESS MAN.
AND THAT MAN IS BACK WITHIN HIS UNIFORM.
TELL THEM THE ONLY WAY THIS CITY CAN MAKE ANY LASTING REFORM IS TO REPEAL 1 43 AND 1 74.
TELL THEM THAT TO REPEAL THIS, IT MUST BE PUT ON A BALLOT.
TELL THEM THAT YOU'LL SIGN THE PETITIONS.
TELL THEM THAT YOU'LL STAND FOR THEM.
HELP THEM FREE YOU FROM THESE CHAINS, PUT ON YOU BY THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE ASSOCIATION.
WE WANT GOOD COPS ONLY HELP US TAKE OUR CITY BACK.
IF YOU DO NOT SIGN THIS, YOU'LL BE VOTED OUT.
EVERY ONE OF YOU WILL BE VOTED OUT.
IF YOU DO NOT VOTE FOR US, YOU STAND THERE EVERY YEAR.
FOR OUR VOTE NOW WE'RE ASKING MEREDITH SCHUMANN TO VOTE FOR US.
MEREDITH SCHUMANN AFTER MS. SCHUMANN, PHARAOH CLARK.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA READ DIRECTLY FROM MY LAPTOP IF THAT'S OKAY.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND WILLIAM MCMANUS.
I'M NOT TRYING TO SPEAK FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN MYSELF.
I'M NOT TRYING TO PRETEND THAT THERE IS A MAJORITY OR A MINORITY OF PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT ONE ACTION OVER THE OTHER BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IT'S THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO COLLECT SOLID ACTUAL DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVE AND NOT RELY ON THESE SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATIONS OF PEOPLE'S OPINIONS.
YOU NEED TO PUT OUT ACTUAL RESOURCES INTO LIKE DATA GATHERING ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN GIVE YOU THE OBJECTIVE REALITY OF WHAT PEOPLE'S OPINIONS ARE.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, YOU CAN'T ACCURATELY TAKE PEOPLE'S OPINIONS INTO ACCOUNT.
AND SO YOU'RE LEAVING YOURSELF LIKE FREE FROM THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING BY FAILING TO ACTUALLY TAKE OUR OBJECTIVE, LIKE OUR OBJECTIVE OPINION INTO ACCOUNT.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANNA SAY IS THAT IF YOU ARE GIVEN 100 HOURS, I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE ACTUAL NUMBER, BUT FOR DEMONSTRATIVE PURPOSES, WE'LL SAY THAT IT IS ON HOW TO USE A GUN IN 10 HOURS ON HOW TO GENTLY APPROACH A PERSON EXPERIENCING PSYCHOSIS OR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON WOULD BELIEVE THAT THERE WOULD BE FAR MORE INSTANCES WHERE USE OF FORCE OR VIOLENCE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
THEN THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE.
UM, ON A SIMILAR NOTE, IF IT'S TRUE THAT THERE IS A SINGLE YES OR NO QUESTION REGARDING THE RACIST TEND REGARDING A PERSON'S RACIST TENDENCIES ON A ONE TIME PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION FOR OFF FOR OFFICER APPLICANTS, I FIND THAT REPUGNANT AND APPALLING AND IT SHOWS JUST A LIKE RIDICULOUS LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
LIKE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW YOU CAN PRETEND TO HAVE A SHRED OF ACCOUNTABILITY IN A POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE THERE'S ONE YES OR NO QUESTION THAT EVALUATES A PERSON'S RACIST TENDENCIES.
UM, AND IF MCMANUS HAS THE ABILITY TO REFER OFFICERS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS, IF HE BELIEVES THAT THEY HAVE RACIST TENDENCIES, I WONDER HOW OFTEN HE ACTUALLY EXERCISES THAT AUTHORITY AND WHAT THE SUBSTANCE OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS ARE.
IS IT ANOTHER YES OR NO QUESTION? YOU KNOW, THAT OKAY.
ANYWAY, IT'S REALLY HARD TO PRETEND TO NOT BE ANGRY ABOUT THIS AND TO NOT, ACTUALLY, IT'S AN EMERGENCY BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE BEING MURDERED IN THE STREETS.
THANK YOU POLICE OFFICERS, PHARAOH, CLARK, PHARAOH CLARK AFTER PHARAOH, CLARK, LUCA Y REZOS.
FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF BY SAYING THAT I WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO PUT AN END TO NO-KNOCK WARRANTS.
THEY'RE DANGEROUS AND THEY HAVE COST FAR TOO MANY LIVES.
ANOTHER THING IS, I WANNA KNOW, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN HERE AND TALKED TO YOU GUYS ABOUT BEFORE, IS WHY DO
[01:40:01]
WE HAVE SO MANY PARKS AND STREETS THAT ARE NAMED AFTER RACIST PEOPLE? IS THIS CITY HELL BENT ON GLORIFYING RACISM? HAVE WE NOT LEARNED FROM THE BIBLE TO STOP WORSHIPING FALSE IDOLS? I WANNA PROPOSE TO THE CITY THAT YOU TAKE DOWN THOSE FALSE IDOLS AND THAT YOU RENAME SOME OF THOSE RACIST PARKS AND STREETS FOR THINGS THAT ARE MORE NOBLE.MAYBE A FREEDOM PARK, MAYBE A ROUNDTREE PARK, SOMETHING MAYBE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT COULD BE USED VERSUS A COLUMBUS PARK, WHICH WE ALL KNOW HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RAPE AND THE TORTURE AND THE DESTRUCTION AND THE GENOCIDE OF AN ENTIRE POPULATION OF PEOPLE.
ANOTHER THING THAT I WANNA SPEAK ABOUT IS I WANNA SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE THE POLYGRAPH TEST THAT THE POLICE OFFICERS TAKE.
THEY NEED TO BE A LOT MORE DETAILED WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES OF RACE AND DISCRIMINATION, BECAUSE TO ANSWER ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS BASED ON THE ISSUE, AND THEN TO BE GIVEN A PASS ON IF YOU FAIL THE ISSUE, THAT IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
1 74 AND 1 43 ON THE POLICE UNION CONTRACT NEED TO BE REPELLED COMPLETELY OUT OF THE CONTRACT.
THEY'VE ALLOWED BAD OFFICERS TO STAY ON THE FORCE, AND THEY STAIN NOT ONLY TO SUPPOSE A GOOD OFFICERS, BUT THEY'RE A STAIN TO THE WHOLE CITY THAT PRETENDS TO WORK FOR THE PEOPLE.
ANOTHER THING THAT I WANNA SAY IS THAT POLICE PENSION PAYS ARE THE ONES THAT SHOULD GO TO PAYING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE MURDERED INNOCENTLY BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THE CITIZENS ARE TIRED OF PAYING TAXPAYER DOLLARS FOR THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL DEPARTMENT TO CONTINUE TO MURDER THEIR CITIZENS, UH, AND GET AWAY WITH IT.
ANOTHER THING THAT I WANT US LEAVE AND SAY IS I WANNA SAY SHAME ON ANY OF YOU WHO ARE SITTING UP THERE TAKING MONEY FROM THE POLICE ASSOCIATION AND REFUSE TO ACT AND DO YOUR JOB THAT YOU WERE ELECTED TO DO.
OKAY, MY NAME'S LUCA ZOSS FOR THE RECORD.
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CITY COUNCIL, OR SORRY, CITY COUNCIL, HAS VOWED TO DISBAND ITS POLICE FORCE FOLLOWING THE LYNCHING OF GEORGE FLOYD.
THE ALL TOO FAMILIAR TROPE OF OFFICER GONE ROGUE ON AN UNARMED BLACK MAN.
BUT I HAVE SOME FRIGHTENING NEWS FOR ANYBODY WHO THINKS THAT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SS A P D OFFICER JOHN LEE OPENED FIRE ON AN UNARMED MAN HOLDING HIS CELL PHONE REST IN PEACE.
ANTHONY SCOTT, OFFICER STEVE CASANOVA APPROACHED THREE TEENS WITHOUT ANNOUNCING.
HE WAS AN OFFICER THEN OPENED FIRE ON AN UNARMED TEEN CLAIMING HE WAS IN A LINE OF FIRE, REST IN PEACE.
CHARLES ROUNDTREE, OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER ROBERT ENCINA SHOT AND KILLED MARQUIS JONES IN A DRIVE-THRU, INITIALLY CLAIMING HE SAW REVOLVER AND MARQUIS'S HAND AND SAW HIM TURN IT TOWARD HIM.
HOWEVER, IN CROSS EXAMINATION, THE OFFICER ADMITTED MARQUIS DID NOT FIRE NOR POINT HIS GUN AT HIM.
NO JUSTICE WAS SERVED FOR THESE MEN DESPITE THEIR LIVES AND RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS BEING STRIPPED AWAY BY THOSE SWORN TO UPHOLD THE LAW.
THESE KILLINGS ARE NOT THE ONLY MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE BY SS A P D OFFICER MATTHEW VE HAS BEEN FIRED MULTIPLE TIMES DUE TO THE TWO YEAR LOOPHOLE, WHICH O OFFERS A CLEAN SLATE ON THEIR RECORD AFTER TWO YEARS SECEDING THE MISCONDUCT.
ANOTHER LOOPHOLE IS THE 180 DAY STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
SINCE THE DEPARTMENT DID NOT FIND OUT, OFFICER MATTHEW LUCKHURST FETA HOMELESS MAN OF SANDWICH WITH FECES UNTIL AFTER THIS WINDOW, NO ACTION COULD BE TAKEN.
THE CITIZEN ADVISORY ACTION BOARD IS SUPPOSED TO OVERSEE COMPLAINTS AGAINST POLICE, YET THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ADVISORY ONLY AND NON-BINDING.
FURTHERMORE, THE CITIZEN BOARD CANNOT CONDUCT INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION.
CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH AGREES THAT THE CURRENT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT LIMITS THE CHIEF'S ABILITY TO DISCIPLINE OFFICERS.
AND MCMANUS HIMSELF HAS SAID THAT THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND STATE LAWS PROTECT BAD OFFICERS.
SO I ASK THAT WE ABOLISH THESE LOOPHOLES AND CONNECTIVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING USE MORE THAN THE CURRENT 0.00 25% OF SAP'S GENERAL BUDGET ON POLICE TRAINING CREATE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR DISCRIMINATION AT EVERY LEVEL.
AND NO KNOCK WARRANTS EXCEPT FOR WHEN LIVES ARE AT RISK.
DE DEDICATE A WEBSITE DOCUMENTING POLICE BRUTALITY AND COMPLAINTS AND FUND SOCIAL WORKERS TO BE FIRST RESPONDERS TO HOMELESS TRANSFERS, MENTAL HEALTH CRISES, CIVIL DOMESTIC DISPUTES IN ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE IN WHICH POLICE DO NOT POSSESS THE PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY DEGREES TO HANDLE AND DEESCALATE PROPERLY.
ALSO, MAY I ASK, I DO NOT ASK THAT WE DEFUND THE POLICE BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT'S DAUNTING.
I, I INSTEAD ASK THAT WE REFUND OUR COMMUNITIES, LET US SPEND OUR RESOURCES EXPANDING EDUCATION RATHER THAN REBRANDING SEGREGATION.
SEAN VINA, AFTER SH AFTER SEAN VINA AFTER, UH, SEAN VINA, GENEVIEVE DONALDSON.
[01:45:12]
I HOPE YOU CAN ALL SEE THAT.SO, UH, POLICE REFORM IS NOT ENOUGH.
WE CANNOT FIX THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE UNDERLYING FOUNDATION THAT PERMITS HEINOUS BEHAVIOR.
INCIDENTALLY, THAT ROOT CAUSE IS ALSO THE NATION'S ORIGINAL SIN.
SLAVERY IS STILL LEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE 13TH AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION READS NEITHER SLAVERY NOR INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE, EXCEPT AS A PUNISHMENT FOR CRIME.
WHERE HAVE THE PARTY SHALL HAVE BEEN DULY CONVICTED, SHALL EXIST WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.
PRISONS ARE RUN BY INMATES WHO ARE PAID PENNIES BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT HAS RULED THEY ARE SLAVES OF THE STATE'S.
RIGHT? $180 BILLION WAS SPENT ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM LAST YEAR.
THE 13TH AMENDMENT INCENTIVIZES CREATING PRISONER, UH, PRISONERS, WHICH MEANS MORE PRISONS, MORE POLICE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND MORE DEADLY INTERACTIONS.
THE 13TH IS THE ROOT OF ALL THE PAIN VOICE IN THIS ROOM, WHICH IS GOING TO REQUIRE A LOT OF HARD WORK TO AMEND AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
HOWEVER, THIS CITY CAN TAKE STEPS TODAY TO MOVE THE NATION IN THE ONLY DIRECTION TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU ALL HAVE AFFIRMS, UH, STATES THAT SAN ANTONIO AFFIRMS SLAVERY IS A UNIVERSAL EVIL AND THAT IT WILL NOT PROFIT OR WORK WITH ANYONE INCLUDING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAT BENEFIT OFF OF SLAVERY.
IF YOU SMOKE A JOINT, IF YOU GET A D U I, IF YOU LOITER THE JUSTICE SYSTEM TODAY, RIGHT NOW CAN LEGALLY ENSLAVE YOU.
DO WE WANNA LIVE IN A NATION THAT PERMITS SLAVERY IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE? CHIEF MCMANUS, I ASK YOU NOW, DO YOU SUPPORT THAT CLAUSE? THAT CLAUSE THAT SAYS THE JUSTICE SYSTEM CAN LEGALLY ENSLAVE YOU? PEOPLE WAITING.
OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T, I DON'T THINK YOU DO.
I'M SURE YOU'RE, YOU'RE A GOOD DECENT MAN.
UM, BUT THAT CLAUSE ENSURED THAT BLACK PEOPLE, SLAVES AND THEIR DESCENDANTS WILL NEVER BE FULL HUMANS IN THE EYES OF THE LAW.
WE CANNOT SAY THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER UNLESS WE DENOUNCE THAT LINE IN THE 13TH AMENDMENT PASSED THAT RESOLUTION.
GENEVIEVE DONALDSON AFTER GENEVIEVE DONALDSON, WALLACE SHERIDAN.
MOST OF MY STATEMENTS ECHO WHAT A LOT OF OTHER CITIZENS HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU, BUT I WANTED TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER AS YOU MAKE YOUR POLICIES.
WHAT INTENTIONS DO YOU HAVE TO DEFUND SS A P D AND REPEAL LAWS 1 43 AND ONE 40 SEVENS? IF YOU DO HAVE THE INTENTIONS, WHAT ARE YOUR BARRIERS? NO PROGRESS CAN BE MADE WITHOUT THESE.
AND POLICE FORCE HAS BEEN SHOWN THROUGH NATIONAL STATISTICS TO NOT IMPROVE LEVELS OF REDUCING CRIME.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INTENTIONS TO DECRIMINALIZE SMALL CRIMES WHICH MAKE UP 95% OF CRIMES COMMITTED BY THOSE IN PRISON POPULATIONS? I YIELD MY TIME.
MS. DONALDSON WALLACE SHERIDAN.
MR. SHERIDAN, LIZ FRANKLIN, COUNCILMAN, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING THIS FORUM.
UH, ONE THING I'D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS, UH, THIS FORUM IS, THIS IS HELPFUL IF WE COULD ACTUALLY HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS AND HEAR, HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE.
UM, WE SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF HOUR AND 15 HOUR AND 20 MINUTES TALKING ABOUT MATTERS THAT I REALLY EXPECT YOU GUYS TO TALK ABOUT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS VERSUS IN IN THIS THIS FORUM HERE.
BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE CULTURAL DIVERSITY, WHICH ARE GOOD.
AND I'M GLAD THAT SAN ANTONIO IS AHEAD OF THE CURVE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE DOING DOUBLE WHAT A LOT OF THE COUNTRY IS DOING WITH OUR POLICE FORCE.
I THINK OVERALL, MOST OF OUR POLICEMEN DO A GREAT JOB, BUT WE HAVE DEFINITELY SHOWN THAT THERE ARE POCKETS OF OUR, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PROFESSION THAT'S OUT THERE, THERE ARE PEOPLE AND POCKETS WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT, UM, THAT THERE, THERE'S SOME ATTENTION THAT'S NEEDED.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THAT WOULD HELP WITH THAT IS CITIZEN REVIEW BOARDS AND CITIZEN REVIEW BOARDS THAT HAVE REAL POWER AND HAVE REAL AUTHORITY TO ACTUALLY, UM, SPEAK UP ON, ON ON, ON MATTERS THAT COME BEFORE THEM.
IT IS A PROBLEM FOR ME, AND I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT, THAT BROUGHT ME HERE TODAY IS LISTENING TO NEWS REPORTS AND THINGS THAT DIRECTLY CONTRADICT PEOPLE WHO ARE EYEWITNESS TESTIMONIES TO THINGS WHO ARE EYEWITNESSES.
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FOR THE INTERNET AND FOR SOCIAL MEDIA STUFF, A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, POSTINGS AND STUFF LIKE THIS, A LOT OF THIS STUFF WOULD NOT COME TO LIGHT.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE LEGISLATION THAT HOLDS POLICE, LAWYERS AND POLITICIANS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE QUICKLY AND, AND NOT WAIT UNTIL THE ELECTION UNTIL THE NEXT TIME THAT THEY'RE, THEY HAVE TO BE ELECTED.
BUT THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SEE HERE THAT I'M, I'M RECOMMENDING IS I'M NOT SURE WHY IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE ON OFF SWITCHES ON THE, UH, VIDEO CAMERAS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO, UM, BASICALLY PROTECT OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
BUT IF YOU PUT A ON, ON OFF SWITCH ON IT FOR SOMEONE WHO'S A BAD ACTOR, WHO IS, WHO'S WITHIN THAT DEPARTMENT, THAT'S JUST NOT A GOOD, GOOD, GOOD SETUP.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO TAKE THE ON OFF SWITCHES OFF OF, OFF OF THE, THE BODY CAMS. OKAY.
ANOTHER THING I THINK THAT WOULD BE A SOLUTION, LET'S UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WOULD BE, UH, GOOD WOULD BE A GUN MONITORED CAMERA SYSTEM.
IF YOU'RE GONNA USE A, A, A, A DEADLY WEAPON, UH, WITH THE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE, WE COULD PUT CAMERAS ON THE END OF THOSE GUNS SO THAT WE COULD SEE WHAT THE POLICE OFFICER SEES AT THE TIME THAT THAT OFFICER HAS TO PULL THAT WEAPON FROM HIS HIS THING.
I'D LIKE TO SEE FORMS ON THAT KIND OF STUFF BECAUSE, UM, SO MUCH OF WHAT HAS BEEN SAID TODAY AND OVER AN HOUR HAS BEEN SPENT TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU GUYS SHOULD AND COULD DISCUSS IN CHAMBERS WHERE WE COULD SPEND A LOT MORE TIME HEARING FROM THE, FROM THE PEOPLE AND GETTING IDEAS FROM THE PEOPLE AND THEN ACTUALLY HAVING AN EXCHANGE BACK AND FORTH.
AND AFTER MS. FRANKLIN, UM, HALEY, IS IT BLOOMER? I'M SORRY.
I THINK SO MADAM CHAIR, UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING PUTTING ME IN THE OTHER GUY ON THE LIST AND I KNOW YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT, SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT.
LIZ FRANKLIN, DISTRICT TWO MAN.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THINK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE THAT CAN BE DONE IMMEDIATELY.
CHIEF MCMANUS CAN DO SOMETHING IMMEDIATELY.
I LISTEN TO AD NAUSEUM EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION.
WE'RE NOT ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
AND IF YOU ARE DOING IT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, MAYBE THAT WOULD GIVE US A LITTLE CONFIDENCE TO INS AND INSPIRE US TO BELIEVE THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
HE KNOWS THE THINGS HE CAN DO RIGHT NOW THAT WOULD SHOW A LITTLE MORE THAN A SYMBOLIC GOOD FAITH GESTURE OF, YEAH, WE'RE LISTENING.
YOU CAN ATTEND ANY VIRTUAL MEETING YOU WANT.
INPUT IS DIALOGUE THAT GOES ON BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE.
SO I'M STUCK BEATING HIM UP 'CAUSE HIS PEOPLE, WERE THE ONLY ONES TALKING.
WE RECRUIT IN THE IMAGE THAT WE ARE, WE RECRUIT WHERE WE GO.
56% OF US OR 54% DON'T EVEN LIVE IN OUR OWN CITY.
THEY DON'T LIVE IN OUR OWN CITY.
WHERE ARE YOU GUYS RECRUITING? I WANNA KNOW THAT.
I DIDN'T HEAR ANYBODY SAY THEY WENT OVER TO ST.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOWN IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I GO AND YOU'VE STOPPED ME, I GET NERVOUS BECAUSE I DON'T SEE ANYBODY THAT LOOKS LIKE ME.
IT TOOK US A WHILE TO GET THERE, BUT YOU, YOU RECRUITING IS DOWN.
OKAY, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK, UM, COUNCILWOMAN SULLIVAN SANDOVAL AND UM, REBECCA, I'M SORRY I DON'T, I CAN'T REMEMBER YOUR LAST NAME, BUT I JUST WANTED, AND THE MAYOR TOO.
UM, IF HE'S STILL HERE, I APPRECIATE LIKE THE DIRECTION THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING.
UM, THE SECOND THING I WANNA SAY IS LIKE, I REALLY THINK THAT, UM, OH WAIT, NO, WHEN I WATCHED YOUR VIRTUAL MEETING THE OTHER DAY, I WAS DEEPLY DISTURBED BY THE LACK OF EMPATHY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE POLICIES BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS LIKE THE LEGAL SIDE AND ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU, STEPS YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
BUT LIKE RELATING THOSE TOPICS AND POLICIES TO LIKE
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REAL SITUATIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS DEEPLY DISTURBING FOR ME TO WATCH THAT AND SEE SUCH A LACK OF EMPATHY FROM NOT EVERYBODY.BUT, UM, THE THIRD THING THAT I WANNA SAY IS I THINK THAT THESE MEETINGS WE NEED TO ADAPT AND CHANGE WITH THE GIVEN TIMES.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU'RE HAVING S A P D HERE AND YOU GUYS ARE TALKING AND ALL OF THIS AND SOMEONE HAS A QUESTION, SOMEONE ELSE COMES UP AND ANSWERS IT, BLAH, BLAH BLAH.
BUT IT'S LIKE WHEN I COME UP HERE, I SAY WHAT I HAVE TO SAY FOR TWO MINUTES AND THEN I DON'T GET ANY FEEDBACK FROM YOU GUYS.
YOU KNOW? AND I CAN'T SAY, OH, I HAVE A QUESTION THAT MY FRIEND KNOWS THE ANSWER TO.
CAN I HAVE THEM COME AND ANSWER THIS QUESTION? YOU KNOW? UM, SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S KIND OF AN ETHICAL ISSUE BECAUSE LIKE YOU GUYS ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS FOR ALL OF US, YOU KNOW? UM, AND ALSO TWO MINUTES ALSO I FEEL LIKE COULD BE AN ACCESSIBILITY ISSUE BECAUSE LIKE FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME, I HAVE A LOT OF ANXIETY.
SO FOR ME TO EVEN COME UP ON A MIC, LIKE I'M LITERALLY SHAKING RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, SO TWO MINUTES, LIKE I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S NOT REALLY ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO GET ACROSS WHAT I'M SAYING.
SO I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF I COULD GET THROUGH THE REST OF THESE POINTS THAT I HAVE.
UM, SO MS. BLUMER, IF YOU GO AHEAD AND FINISH YOUR THOUGHTS.
UM, ALSO I WANNA EMPHASIZE THE REQUESTS ALSO FROM OTHER PEOPLE TO HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRISIS RESPONDERS.
LIKE IF YOU REALLY WANNA LOWER THE CRIME RATE, I THINK THAT WILL BE A REALLY, REALLY GOOD FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND ALSO ADDRESSING THE ROOT OF THESE ISSUES WITHIN THE SS A P D WITH COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS PAST TRAUMAS.
SO I THINK SS A P D AND OUR COMMUNITIES NEED MORE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH, SPECIFICALLY TRAUMA THERAPY, SO THAT WE CAN GET RID OF THESE LIKE, STIGMATIZED IDEAS AND CULTURAL IDEAS OF WHAT EACH SIDE IS.
YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE ONCE WE CAN LEARN TO UNDERSTAND AND LOVE OURSELVES AND UNDERSTAND THE SITUATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, THEN WE CAN ALL SIT DOWN TOGETHER AND NOT BE EMOTIONAL AND ANGRY AND GOING BACK AND FORTH, YOU KNOW, IN A WAY THAT'S NOT CONSTRUCTIVE.
SO, UM, ALSO LIKE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, LIKE IF ANY OF YOU GUYS ARE BEING PRE FEELING PRESSURED IN, IN SOME WAY TO NOT BE EMPATHETIC AND NOT EXPRESS YOUR TRUE FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS ON WHAT'S GOING ON, I WOULD REALLY SUGGEST YOU TO VOCALIZE THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD THAT WILL SUPPORT YOU IF YOU ARE FEELING PRESSURED TO NOT SPEAK YOUR TRUE FEELINGS ON THIS MATTER.
CAN WE ACTUALLY GIVE MS. BLOOMER, I'M SORRY, WE HAVE TO PROCEED.
THAT LAST TIME SLOT THAT WAS EMPTY, COULD WE GIVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE? THE, THE, I'M SORRY THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY ELSE THAT SIGNED UP.
NO, THERE WAS A TIME SLOT THAT SOMEONE DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR.
CAN WE USE THAT TIME SLOT FOR ONE MORE PERSON? OKAY.
THERE'S ONE MORE WOMAN THAT COULD BE HEARD RIGHT HERE.
SHE'S A CITIZEN OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
I'M JUST GONNA GIVE HER TWO MINUTES.
WHAT IS YOUR, MA'AM WILL YOU SAY YOUR NAME PLEASE? I ABSOLUTELY WILL.
MY NAME IS JORDAN PARKS OF THE RELIABLE REVOLUTIONARIES.
MS. PARKS, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
UM, THE POINTS THAT I WANTED TO TOUCH ON, OF COURSE, WE'LL ALSO ECHO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SAID.
ONE OF MY QUESTIONS THAT I'M SURE YOU GUYS CANNOT ANSWER IS, AS PUBLIC SERVANTS, WHY ARE THERE RECORDS NOT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE? UH, TRANSPARENCY WITHIN SS A P D ON EACH OFFICER, AN ACCESSIBLE WEBSITE WITH FULL PERF REPORTS ON THE POLICE OFFICERS IS A DEMAND OF THE COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME.
I, UM, AT MY JOB, IF I DO ANYTHING, IT CAN BE BROUGHT UP AT ANY TIME AND I CAN BE TERMINATED.
HOWEVER, IF THESE OFFICERS COMMIT A CRIME AND IT IS NOT BROUGHT UP WITHIN 180 DAYS, THEY, IT, IT, IT'S WIPED FROM THEIR RECORD, WHICH IS NOT FAIR FOR US TO, TO BE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT US.
ALSO, UM, THERE SHOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE NO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR RACISM IN THE WORKPLACE WITH STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF PUNISHMENT.
WE ARE TOLD THAT THERE IS A NO TOLERANCE FOR RACISM, BUT THERE, THERE IS NOT A STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF PUNISHMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, CAPTAIN WISE, UM, WHO WROTE UP SERGEANT MIKE BURNS ON HIS RACIST COMMENT THAT BLACK AND MEXICAN PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE AN INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS BECAUSE THEIR CHILDREN WOULD BE TOO LAZY TO STEAL THE COMMENTS LIKE THAT ARE
[02:00:01]
NOT, AND TO BE WRITTEN UP FOR IT.COMMENTS LIKE THAT ARE NOT JUST A SLAP IN THE FACE TO THE COMMUNITIES HE'S SUPPOSED TO PROTECT, BUT IT IS A CONFIRMATION THAT HIS LEADERSHIP DOES NOT CARE ENOUGH ABOUT US, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE TYPE OF THINGS ARE NOT TOLERATED AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TIRED OF THAT.
UM, ALSO, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOURS OF TRAINING, I KNOW THAT THAT GENTLEMAN IS GONE NOW, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOURS OF TRAINING, AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH TRAINING YOU TAKE, YOU CANNOT TEACH SOMEONE TO NOT BE RACIST.
YOU CAN EXPLAIN AWAY WHY SOMEONE DOES NOT LIKE ME BECAUSE OF MY COLOR, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, I CANNOT TAKE OFF BLACK SKIN.
BUT YOU CAN TAKE OFF YOUR UNIFORM.
SO IF YOU ARE THAT AFRAID OF MY BLACK SKIN, IF YOU ARE THAT THREATENED BY MY BLACK SKIN, THEN YOU SHOULD NOT BE AN OFFICER.
YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE SIGNED UP TO PROTECT A COMMUNITY THAT YOU ARE AFRAID OF.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA LET YOU GO, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE THE LAST ONE.
UM, EVERY TIME WE START THESE, THESE SESSIONS, THE CHIEF AND REPRESENTATIVES OF POLICE FORCE TALK ABOUT WHAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE.
AND WE APPRECIATE THAT WE ARE NOT THE WORST, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTRY, BUT THAT MAY BE ENOUGH FOR COUNCILMAN PERRY, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR THE REST OF US.
WE NEED TO KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS OF HOW WE CAN GET BETTER.
AND SO, UH, UH, OFFICER BENNETT, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, WHEN THE WOMEN IN POLICING, THEY COME IN TO DO, UH, OUTREACH EVENTS THAT IS FOCUSED ON AN ANNUAL SWAT CHALLENGE, PHYSICAL TRAINING AND TACTICS.
WHY ARE WE NOT HAVING THOSE WOMEN WHO WANT TO JOIN THE POLICE FORCE GO THROUGH SOME OF THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRAINING THAT OFFICERS GO THROUGH? WHY ARE WE GETTING SOMEONE IN HERE WHO WANTS TO, WANTS TO JOIN THE FORCE TO HOLD A GUN? THAT IS NOT WHAT BEING A POLICE OFFICER SHOULD BE ABOUT.
AND IF THOSE ARE THE KIND OF ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR RECRUITING EVENTS THAT IS GONNA DIRECTLY RELATE TO WHAT RECRUITS WE GET.
IF WE ARE GOING ON TO MILITARY BASES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY FOR RECRUITING THE OFFICE, THE, THE SKILLSET THAT IT REQUIRES TO BE A SOLDIER IS NOT THE SKILLSET THAT IT REQUIRES TO BE A GOOD POLICE OFFICER.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE SUCH A HIGH PERCENTAGE THAT DETERMINES WHY OUR OFFICERS ARE ACTING HOW THEY ARE.
YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE S T R PROGRAM.
THE S T R PROGRAM IS A GREAT PROGRAM TO REACH OUT TO CHILDREN.
WHY ARE WE NOT DOING THAT SAME REACHING OUT TO ADULTS? I'M A 32 YEAR OLD MAN, AND BEFORE THIS WEEK I HAD NEVER HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE POLICE OFFICER THAT WAS NOT ABOUT A CRIME, THAT IS A PROBLEM IN OUR CITY.
AND, AND COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL WAS TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING.
I WANNA KNOW THAT THEY'RE FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT THEY KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I WANT YOU TO HIRE OFFICERS OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IF WE WORK ON THINGS LIKE INCENTIVE BONUS, LIKE A SIGNING BONUS, IF YOU ARE FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, YOU APPLY FOR THE SS A P D, YOU GET A SIGNING BONUS IF YOU LIVE IN THE S IN SAN ANTONIO, AFTER YOU ALSO GET THOSE INCENTIVES TO INCENTIVIZE OFFICERS TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
I KEEP HEARING ALL ABOUT THESE SAFE OFFICERS.
114 SAFE OFFICERS OUT OF A FORCE OF 2,400.
I'VE SEEN AS MANY SAFE OFFICERS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AS I'VE SEEN UNICORNS.
SO THEY, WE MAY HAVE THESE PROGRAMS, BUT IF WE ARE NOT EXPANDING THEM AND WE ARE NOT UTILIZING THEM, THEN THAT MAY BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR COUNCILMAN PERRY, BUT IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR US.
THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO STEPPED UP TO SPEAK TODAY.
THE NEXT PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING ON SATURDAY, JUNE 20 AT 1130.
THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT WROTE IN WITH PUBLIC COMMENT, AND WE'RE GONNA PUBLISH THOSE ON, UH, THE CITY WEBSITE, UH, WITH NO OTHER ISSUES, WITH NO OTHER BUSINESS.
THIS TIME, THIS, UH, TIME IS NOW FIVE 19.