Public Safety Committee (PSC) meeting Transcript – 4/24/2023 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 4/24/2023 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 4/24/2023 Transcript Generated by SnapStream ================================== Please note that the following transcript is for reference purposes and does not constitute the official record of actions taken during the meeting. For the official record of actions of the meeting, please refer to the Approved Minutes. [1:59:13 PM] that's great. I'm excited. Good afternoon, everybody. I'm gonna call to order the public safety committee of the Austin city council. It's April 24th 2023. It's two o'clock in the afternoon. We're meeting in the city council chambers, which is located in city hall at 301, west second street, and we have a quorum of the committee here. Members the first item on the agenda is public communications . What I want to do is ask that the people because we have such short agenda, and people can tell us exactly which item there speaking on, and in many instances, we just have one person signed up for that item. I want to ask that this part of the public communication and the items we have everybody come up at that time for two minutes apiece, and I'll recognize the clerk's office to help us yes, sir. Currently we have several speakers to speak in public for Republican medications. We call it Josh gale in person. Yep. [2:00:22 PM] It's Mike doesn't like me and I've told you, I think I told you if you break it, you buy it so you're gonna need to make sure my company pays me more. Alright y'all. Well hello again . My name is Josh scale. I'm Jason John's friend and former roommate. Coming back to speak with you all again because since the last time we spoke once again, another body has been pulled out of lady bird lake. It's getting too often and too tragic. And I don't know how we can speed this up to put in the request to get these to start. Recently last week, chief Chacon gave an interview to fox seven. And in that interview, something he said, really stood out to me. Now I understand the media loves to misquote and maybe change statements around, so I would think he's here. But I would love to give him the benefit of the doubt to kind of clarify this a little bit. But yes. So [2:01:24 PM] it wasn't the article didn't quote him exactly. But the journalist said cheap Chacon Bob, I guess the better argue or defend. He was arguing that there is not something more nefarious or that there is not a steal your killer here in Austin and why I don't necessarily disagree with everything, he said. The article said that chief Chacon added the deaths and lady bird lake or nothing out of the ordinary. He said. Those deaths are tragic, but it happens every year in the city. And that line really stood out to me. Because I don't care if they're a bunch of tragic accidents. I don't care if it's something nefarious. It's exactly to what chief Chacon said. These things are happening every year. And they need to stop. And I'm feeling like that's people in the city are just too complacent. With what is happening, and I'm not gonna keep talking to you guys. You guys going to really get to know me? But I want these cameras up . I want these lights up. I want [2:02:25 PM] more engagement with the bars that try to figure out our people being drugged. Are they being harmed? I don't think anyone is sitting out in the night with the intent to murder these people, but I do think they want to. Drug them rob them, and it needs to stop. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. For the record, I'll note that council member of Vanessa Fuentes has also joined us from virtually. Next for public communication is Ruben Clemente. Well I'm basically going to repeat the same thing that I've been going through. Like a stated before. Chief Chacon knows who I am. Have been harassed actually recently yesterday and I'm trying to figure out why why the organized crime unit harassing me for over 18 years now. And why is it that [2:03:28 PM] the police oversight is powerless? Complaints against undercover police officers. You know, like I said, before I gave a letter to chief Chacon. You know? August 1921. And I want this to stop. And I filed two complaints to police chief yeah, I did that. Because he's aware who's who's harassing me, and it needs to stop. Period. And I filed a complaint against commander Jason Brian. Lieutenant Roser. I'm just repeating the same thing. I just want this to stop. This is not policing. There has to be a reason is it following complaint against the police against the law, is it because if it is then I'm guilty. Because I went straight to the top person chief, Joseph chico. And I still got a copy of the letter. If you guys want to read it. If you see I'm sending my complaints to the doj. Civil rights division, specially the gatien have been [2:04:29 PM] to the FBI twice over what I'm going through, and it needs to stop. Thank you. I don't I don't want to hear no more lies. These officers lie in life and life. I'm tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. Well. You know, you have to understand. They can't give out their identity. Not anybody can admit that the police don't you think that gives them more criminality? I just want to know why. I want to know why. And a piece charge me. Maybe that's put to put an end to all this corruption because they've done a lot of lot of man. I can't even explain to you. You've seen it. April 26 2018. I was in front of here and behind me with three assistant police chief two stars it needs to stop. Thank you, sir. Speaking on item one Emily Crowe. Minutes. [2:05:42 PM] Good afternoon, public safety committee members. I would like to make you aware of the of the lack of the affordable and safe transportation between Rainey street and east Riverside. For patrons and service industry workers trying to take an Uber from Rainey street to Riverside . During peak hours. Results normally 8 to $10 ride. But it cost 75 to $100 during these peak hours due to the surge pricing most choose to walk scooter or bike from Rainey street to east Riverside. The large crowds of people trying to get home via car alternatives increases the risk of accidents from midnight to three am as paths and roads are not well lit. Cameras are not present distracted, tired drivers plagued the streets. Judgment may be impaired and Opitz opportunistic criminals await. To mitigate the risk of additional accidents in violent crime in Austin, I am requesting the public safety committee in conjunction with the mobility committee and capital metro [2:06:43 PM] prioritize options for safe, affordable transportation from Rainey street to Riverside during peak entertainment district hours. There is currently a night owl Riverside shuttle that runs from sixth street to east Riverside. But that bus stop is a 21 minute walk from Rainey street, and that prevents it from being a resource to patrons and workers . I recommend a shuttle bus running from four pm until three am, the shuttle would start at the north end of Rainey street and run to east pleasant valley , where it will loop around and make its way back up to north. To the north side of Riverside drive back to rainy street. This will not only improve safety but also move Austin towards successfully recognizing the goals outlined in vision zero, which are to plan and build a safe multimodal transportation network. I humbly make these requests on behalf of the families of the young mid men who can no longer speak for themselves. My brother Joshua, Alvin crow, Jason John martin Gutierrez, John honey, cliff [2:07:44 PM] Axtell, Jake Waltrip, Randy lux . Fold Luiz Ramirez, Fernando Ortiz, Santiago Sierra and Julio Santos. The third I thank you for your time. I understand how difficult this is to implement. Change I am a not thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Speaking on item two Ahmed ransom. I'm Ed Ranson. Speaking on item three Noel Davis. Remembers my name is Noel Davis. I'm a member of the current academy curriculum review committee, and I'm just wanting to presence that I'm here. If you have questions about the process as item three is discussed and to also say that whatever path the city chooses [2:08:46 PM] going forward, I feel like there is a wealth of wisdom with our current committee members, and I'd really like to see if the professional. Curriculum review committee process goes forward where there's the smaller group of committee members who are professionals that like we really think about what does professional mean and to and what does expertise mean and that community members still have a lot to contribute their potentially as well. So I really want to just hear what everyone is thinking today and thank you for your time. Thank you. Speaking on item five. Sarah Rodriguez. Hi yeah, I'll try and be quick. I just want to express some concerns with that item coming up. An average that has been done first, especially the memo that chikane shared, which [2:09:49 PM] said there weren't any concerns . There were, I know people who didn't get their concerns addressed in the first meeting because it was zoom bombed. Which was really strange. I worked for the city. I know during the pandemic, a lot of departments put in measures and so I spoke to one person who volunteered for a J. C who said they weren't able to get their issue. Addressed in that meeting. I also. Have concerns about the lack of sort of floor for what can be covered by a L P. R S criminal access is extremely broad. And even though tickets are kind of cut out of that criminal nexus can be anything like graffiti. Any sort of low level other low level crime and there are a lot of them. I also have concerns sort of about the lack of measures for equity. And. Like the conversations that I had about how some of the resources are being used, research resources that are being used I know because I did that research. I saw verbatim how it was. The [2:10:51 PM] research that I did for opio was taken for these sessions. Which is concerning and so yeah, I would just be great if there could be community measures because right now it looks like it's just being measured. How many sort of stops are being made successfully and not how the tools actually performing which, with a lot of these algorithms, we don't have insight into that. It's very much a black box and our current legal per parameters. Don't give us the ability to dig into that, and I know some other cities. I think San Diego or maybe it was another city. In California. They did work with it was either city lab or sirica even found that 72% of the time. I think maybe 60% of the time these technologies weren't affective, so I just wanted to raise those concerns. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Perfect. Well done. For the record. Let me note that council member Leslie pool is on the diocese with the committee and council member Alison alter is also has also joined us virtually. So that is [2:11:55 PM] all for our in person speakers. We have several speakers trying to come in remotely, but we're having technical difficulties getting them online, sir. That was my understanding. I'll tell you what, let's do we're going to go ahead with the agenda. When you know that we can get people back on. If we're when we get to a good breaking point will stop so those that are watching and listening that have signed up to speak remotely. We're working to fix the technical difficulty we're having. Making it so that making it so that you can speak to us. We're gonna go ahead with the agenda. When we get to a breaking point, I will ask and if we've got if we got it, working with posit that point and take up of the communication from the public members of the first item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes of the special called public safety committee meeting of February 28th 2023 motion is made. Council member Kelly or my council member, Kelly second [2:12:56 PM] about council member qadri. Is there any objection you discussion on the motion? Any objection to the motion motion is adopted. Next item is item number two a briefing and discussion on current efforts and plans to address opioid use and opioid overdose. Hello my name is Wes Hopkins. I'm an assistant chief for Austin. Travis county M S. I'm joined by commander Blake hardy , who oversees our community health paramedic program here to give you the briefing on our opioid use disorder support program. Thank you. You get to the next slide. So the opioid [2:13:57 PM] use disorder support program and it's a program beeping orphan bridge program are both specific programs developed within Austin , Travis county E. M. S it is worth noting that programs of this scale and of this approach do not exist really anywhere else in the country. So just a few acknowledgements before we start. To recognize these acknowledgments. These are the sort of foundation understandings that we built the program under. Beginning with the fact that opioid use disorder and opioid use in general are very significantly different than other drugs of recreational use or abuse and how they start how people begin with them, how they affect the body and how they are treated what it takes to manage them. Secondly, opioid withdrawal, unlike alcohol, withdrawal, and other drugs or alcohol may be illegal. Opioid used. Withdrawal is an absolutely wretched condition. Few people can manage to tolerate for more than a few hours at best. It's not just a [2:14:57 PM] craving. And that successful treatments for opioid use disorder do exist, but many patients who struggle with the disorder are poorly informed. Open navigation is very difficult between programs and programs very significantly. Next slide, please. So. In answering why emergency medical services we start with the fact that E. M S is as a pre hospital care provider. We are inherently , up to date and connected with people experiencing overdoses and more to the point knowledgeable about which overdoses are specifically likely to be opiate or opioid overdoses as the pre hospital provider. We have the trust of the patients in bringing their medical care to them already and then our community health paramedic team has seen continuous success throughout all of our programs and initiatives. Based on patient centric model of care. We bring care to the patient. We don't wait for them to come to us, and we bring a level of care that is [2:15:59 PM] designed around the patient's needs, not just what we have to offer what a specific program is designed for. Next slide, please. So we began the opiate use disorder program in 2018, and there were state and federal funding for the primary supply, which is narcan at the time. Travis county didn't have a recognizable level of fitness for use in the opiates that were out there, but we did know that that was coming, and we were expecting it to grow as we went. We started it because we recognize that there were new treatment and more widespread treatments in the form of what's called, 80, or medication assisted treatment. Your traditional rehab and detox has an extremely low rate of success in treating people with opioid use disorder. It may T has an extremely high use or high rates used me of success, but patients are often unaware of the difference what's out there and how to get connected to it. Travis county actually has a great system and network of available if people could just access it. Next slide, please. [2:17:01 PM] So we identified several gaps in the community that we decided to fill. E R. S aren't the solution and they really aren't nationwide. The average person who goes into the er, suffering from opioid use disorder or an opioid withdrawal receives minimal care because that's not the way in er is set up. It's not set to treat that kind of condition for this terrible withdrawal, patients often received tylenol and fluids and they're discharged home. And the vast majority of those patients never receive further treatment, and you can see some of the statistics there. We also recognize as we started the program in the 1st 12 months or so a few other gaps in how long people had to wait to get into treatment once they decided they were ready, which were still resulting in preventable overdoses and deaths. Those second two points there we actually addressed with the sub program later on. Next slide, please. So we started with a fairly simple goal. We wanted to reduce morbidity, mortality of people dealing with opioid use disorder and try to connect them to treatment. So community health paramedic team members [2:18:01 PM] reach out to people who have suffered an opiate overdose anywhere within our response area within 24 hours of their overdose seven days a week 365 days a year. We provide them with information about what really, truly is available to them in terms of treatment. The successes of that, we provide other community health paramedic team support programs, which include establishing funding for them, and providing mental health and medical support networks, and then we provide them with the opioid rescue kids as well. But again by going to people in their situation, meeting them, and they're leaving an open door policy. For them to connect with us and follow up when they're ready. We've seen significant successes with it that will look at next slide, please. So we do direct connections to Matty. That's one of the big connect successful pieces with our program as opposed to hospitals. We don't do referrals. We don't have somebody a list of programs. We walked them right through the program, making the connections and stay with them. It may T programs include a lot of [2:19:01 PM] support, not just a medication or not just a detox program, recovery coaches, mental health support, medical everything that's needed to help somebody stay successful. We help them navigate, and that's what usually one of the biggest things many patients have tried the first thing that came up on Google or the first program that somebody referred them to, and that program may not be the best or what meets their needs. It may not even be a more Progressive program that uses M 80. They give up on it thinking that's the only thing that's out there for them, and that's the last time they try again. Then we established funding not through the city, but through available funding out there for people to cover their maiti treatments. There honestly, is funding within this county for people in any level of financial situation. Next time. These are the opioid kids that we pass out on top. There. You see the naloxone that I'm sure you've heard so much about the internet is a medication that reverses opiate overdoses. It reverses pretty much only opiate overdoses, and it has really no other effects on the body. So [2:20:03 PM] exceptionally safe, exceptionally easy to use. We handed out a kid, so patients have it easily identifiable and has a phone number. They can call and leave a message if they use it in need more. Those are the kids we distribute. Now we're averaging about 50 to 60 a month on average. Next slide, please. So you can see from the graphic there. That takes us back from the beginning of our program and 2018. That step wise increase with soviet throughout the county. We see a surge about every spring, but it never returns to the previous baseline . The level just continues to increase and increase and increase. You see, starting in mid 2022 when we started seeing a significant increase, that's about when we started seeing significant levels of fentanyl. And they in the county. Now what we see is fentanyl is actually the predominant drug used not heroin for people who are using street drugs illicitly. So we're seeing about 30 opioid overdoses a month when we started now [2:21:03 PM] we're up to 100 120 a month on any given month. We've currently responded to or connected with 2794 patients who experienced overdoses distributed 400 or 1300 kits. We know that 441 kids have been used to resuscitate someone prior to you, master first responders arriving on scene. Next slide, please. So the opioid overdose kids themselves. Like I said they provide narcan. We do a targeted distribution for them instead of just passing them out throughout the community, we provide them to anyone who thinks they may be around someone when they over overdosed on an opiate. You don't have to be an opiate user , many or friends and family and often that's actually very empowering the family members to know that if this happens again to my loved one, I have something I can do. While I watched them. Opiates affect the body negatively by stopping you from breathing. That's it. They stop you from breathing. So within minutes, the heart will stop. Also in cardiac arrest [2:22:03 PM] occurs, so timeliness is of the essence. And we've seen as many as 27 of the kids in any given month used to resuscitate someone prior to first responders arriving, and that's significant because in those 27 that month and each month you don't know if their heart would continue to be long enough for us to arrive. Next slide, please. The north and bridge program came about a little bit later, it was created to address the second two gaps that we saw in the previous slide. We had patients who were waiting about seven days. 10 days, sometimes two weeks to get into an M 80 program once they decided I want off this roller coaster. I want to make my life better. We're seeing him overdose and in some cases, we're seeing them die while waiting on the list. In fact, we saw a significant number of people overdose the day that we're going into treatment because the intake processes were so long that they would shoot up a little extra to carry them simply for symptom free so they can make it mentally through the process. So we looked and we said, all we [2:23:05 PM] wanna do is carry somebody from the day they raise their hand and say I won't help symptom free until they get into a program so they can solidify their resolve to get clean. We meet with those patients daily. We evaluate them and then we start them on a on a treatment of an orphan. We don't write prescriptions, so we meet them daily. That helps us coach them to learning that deal with the medication, learning to adjust their life. And then we connect them to a program. Initially they had to be in withdrawal for them to start, but we've actually found a number of our patients returned to us when their medications were stolen, or they used a little bit extra, with their doctors acknowledgement and they run out early. And rather than them, taking heroin or taking something to get them by until they can refill their next prescription. We can actually carry them and dose them and keep them from relapsing, which has been a another huge part of the program. Next slide, please. So a lot of people aren't familiar with the Cuban orphan. Most people know of methadone. [2:24:06 PM] They are similar drugs, but yet very, very different at the same time with methadone patients can still get high. They can still abuse it, so it has to be strictly controlled and you can still overdose and even die on methadone. Buprenorphine is different than orphan eliminates withdrawal symptoms without letting somebody get high. If they take other opiates while they're in buprenorphine treatment. Those opiates won't do them any good. They can't get high while on an orphan, so it's actually it's own harm prevention. On top of that you can't overdose on an orphan. If you take too much, it will actually put you into precipitated withdrawal, which is the worst level of opiate withdrawal, so it encourages people to use it wisely and to stay on their program. Deep in orphan is sewn a key to the medication assisted treatments with it were able to eliminate people's withdrawal and keep them out of withdrawal. Until we start him into a program. We actually often dose them their last dose on the day before they go to their intake so they can think clearly and make it [2:25:07 PM] through their intake on time, and then we actually follow up up to a week later to ensure that they've gotten connected. They got their prescription. They're comfortable comfortable with the doctor, and they're on a path to success. Next slide, please. So there's our statistics. This is as of a February of this year we begin at the end of November. 2020 the only interruption despite all of the ice storms and disasters that we've dealt with in that time was the first, six month supply that we purchased. We went through in six weeks, so it grew much faster, and that was actually mostly by word of mouth from patients. People calling us up saying I want what you did for my friend. It worked, so we had a little bit of interruption in supply and it's running uninterrupted. Since then, we've treated 236 patients which makes us about 4 to 5 times larger than any program we're aware of in the country and starting off. We've administered 1290 buprenorphine doses. That's significant. If you remember that every time somebody takes a [2:26:09 PM] dose of eupen orphan they can't overdose that day. Even if they try. And unlike hospital programs that C 15 2030% success rates on getting people into treatment, we've maintained a 90 to 92% success rate in getting people into treatment. And an equal 92% success rate at them staying engaged through that intake and through receiving their their prescriptions and getting on it. Within some unique, unique benefits on top of it. The M 80 programs in this county have actually reported that the patients that come to them through us are more successful than staying with programs, then patients who come to them on their own. We attribute that to getting coaching for the first seven or so days that we're treating them, but in any case, they've actually started to prioritize intake. For patients coming to them through the chp program. We've also seen significant decreases in delays as these agencies have streamlined their intake process. Recognizing that [2:27:10 PM] we're having to carry patients for a long time, simply because their processor in inefficient and it doesn't help their patients. And then we actually had two of our local emergency hospital emergency departments that have felt empowered by by what we're able to do to begin treating patients in the er, not just with tylenol and fluids, but actually give that Beaubien orphan knowing that they can hand them over to us, and we will carry them in successfully connect them into a treatment program. That's something that you have never been able to do because they couldn't follow the patient and know what happened with those medications. Right now. We're actually seeing treatment of about 44% of those people, orphan patients who are experiencing homelessness, which also makes this one of the only places in the country where people who are experiencing homelessness can receive any actual treatment for their substance use. And street bed, which is a group from our community care clinics that we partner with has actually created their own on the street treatment that we connect them to. Just just have an outlet for [2:28:12 PM] those patients. And the success stories are truly truly amazing, and they stack up. Them are people we have. We have three chemical dependency counselor that work in the community. Now that came through our program, there were patients and now they refer patients to us. And on and on. And that's all I have. Thank you very much. Council member, Kelly. Thank you. And thank you so much for that presentation. I think it's very important for the community to know about the good work that tms is doing. One of the questions that I had was related to resolution that I passed about two council meetings ago, I believe related to the availability of the naltrexone. In the community. Could you maybe explain that a little bit more? I'm sorry. It's not ultrasound. I don't know why that popped into my head. Luxan , thank you so much. Yeah. Go ahead. Just talk about the. So [2:29:15 PM] the initial funding for the naloxone, which is the biggest expense of this other man hours was through federal grants. Not that we held but were donations from federal grants. As often happens, those funds have been drying up over the last two years to the point where they can't sustain our program at all their public. Publicly available grants so they can't prioritize for public safety or anything else. And so that was necessary to help us continue to provide narcan to families and people who may have someone experienced in overdose, as well as to expand the program to provide public access to narcan by virtue of targeting businesses and local areas where we know there are a higher number of overdoses. And can you kind of talk a little bit more about where some of those hot spots are in the community that you've identified where the overdoses are happening? They really shift . It's so opiate use disorder is very different than a lot of other drugs of recreation and abuse in that users, even using [2:30:16 PM] one or two places that use either within about a mile of where they buy it. Which means in any public place that they can be alone their car in a parking lot. The corner table at a fast food restaurant or the bathroom at a convenience store. Or they use in a public in a group setting where somebody is standing safety watch not using , and so it's not their house. It's not another. It's not a location that's associated with them. It's a it's a friend, house or or drop house, if you will, usually the drop houses are well known to harm reduction , but because we look at these every single day to since the where to send our paramedics to outreach, these folks we know where those hotspots are. So if there's a circle K that's had a number of overdoses in the last year were acutely aware of it, and we can directly target that business owner and their employees provide them with training and naloxone so they can do something. I think that's a wonderful program, and I thank you all for bringing it to the attention of counsel so that we [2:31:16 PM] can help support it and pass it. Thank you so much. Thank you, ma'am. Other questions or comments. We need discussion. Thank you all very much. We appreciate the briefing. Thanks. Very thorough. Thank you. Yeah. I'll ask if we got it fixed. Yes sir. With appears to be fixed. Good deal council. As a result of that, we're going to go back to the community public communication of the speakers, maybe speaking as part of the public communication, but they may also be speaking with regard to a specific item. Our first remote speaker will be speaking on public communications. Misha parker devil. You show up, you can go ahead and mute on your end. [2:32:30 PM] Speaking on public communication remote torre holder. Tara if you can and mute on your end. Oh there you are. Can you hear us? You hear me? Yes, we can. Okay, great. Hi everyone. My name is Tara. I'm the partner of Jason John, whose body was pulled out of lady bird like two months ago. Since I last spoke with you. All additional people have been pulled out of the lake without explanation as to how they ended up in the water. I feel bad that I have to stand here and asked the city of Austin to install cameras on the trail so that we can know how our loved ones keep ending up dead in the water and downtown Austin. I have accepted that I will live the rest of my life without knowing how Jason died, since there are no cameras on the trail. Regardless of how or [2:33:32 PM] why these deaths are occurring. Clearly something is going on in Austin is not currently a safe place for people to live or visit. It is the responsibility as elected officials to ensure the safety of your citizens. Without cameras, even law enforcement cannot know what truly happened to these people. The simple sticks that were begging you while we mourn the loss of Jason and others to implement immediately, please thank you. Thank you. Speaking on public communications, remote Miranda's Morelli. Miranda Buchanan mute on your end. Please go to the next year. Me now. Yes, we can. Okay sorry. I was hitting on mute, but it was [2:34:34 PM] star. Six thing that got me. This isn't really I'm also a friend of Jason John's, I'm calling to speak about the safety measures on the trail. I definitely appreciate that. There's been a focus on safety that promises are being made and measures are being passed, but it's really just taking too long as tournament and more bodies have been pulled from the river. And that's just unacceptable. There was a lot of excitement about the cameras and lighting and fencing that was installed. But when I went by the trail at night, right where Jason would have been last seen, it was still extremely dark, and that's right by that light, so it's not enough. I don't know if there's some kind of desire to get all the pieces in place in the plan , perfectly outlined before more action is taken. But if that's the case, I would really advocate for progress over perfection because the more time that spent figuring out what the right solution is an analyzing and getting everything in order is just more time for another life to be lost, there's rivers and bars that code this [2:35:34 PM] throughout the world without this huge life loss of life. So why is it happening here with consistency? So again? I appreciate that. You are aware of it, and you're trying to make changes, but I'm just asking that these changes happen quicker. Thank you. Speaking on public communications remote Rachelle Corcoran. Rochelle, can you and mute on your end? Hello. Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you go ahead. Hi my [2:36:34 PM] name is Rachel Wilson. And I'm a longtime friend of Jason John. Someone throw them others small children. I'm also getting married this year celebrating with my friend Jason. I have to stare at his name every single day on an R S V P list, knowing that I'm never going to speak them again, and I never going to know what happened to him. The need for safety lights and cameras along ladybird lake is of dire needs because people are dying. More lights are needed. Mothers are better their children friends are bearing from and more action needs to be taken and sooner. People are still dying, and bodies are still being pulled out of the lake, and that's unacceptable. Thank you. Speaking on public communications, remote Rebecca gross. Rebecca can you please [2:37:37 PM] send me it on your end? Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Sixth grade. Hi my name is Betty gross . And I'm here to speak on public safety around ladybird lake and rainy streets. On February 5th Jason John went missing in nine days later we backed him in the in ladybird lake. Grieving Jason over the last few months have been devastating, but the continual loss of people makes it worse. Every time we get to that someone else is missing and founded ceased in the lake. We already live one of the worst days of our lives. I love Austin, but it doesn't feel safe anymore. The fact is that not a new issue over the last several years, many people have gone missing in and around ladybird lake, and both are discovered later. It's unacceptable to have another person and I implore the city to implement additional safety measures to ensure we don't experience. Any more senseless death. This is my [2:38:41 PM] first publicly for the pause and I know some efforts have been made around south by southwest to increase safety. However Jonathan hunt still went missing and died on March 31st it's simple. We need to do more to prevent it from happening again, such as permanent lighting along ladybird lake emergency blue like some drug testing trips available at bars and cameras that actually work. This would be a great please can't both Rainey trail appreciate your text. I sincerely hope that changes are made before we lose someone else. Thank you. Speaking on public communications remote, Nisha perky devil. Misha, can you please mute your phone? [2:39:53 PM] Hello. Okay, we can hear you. Awesome, okay? That was difficult. My name is Michelle parker travel. A friend of Jason John and frequent speaker here since we found among labor like on February 13th I just want you to imagine, but it was your sibling, your child, your partner or your friend that you lost in ladybird lake. Just truly. Imagine it. Now imagine every few weeks, reliving that tragedy and constantly being reminded that you don't know why or how this is all happening. People have also like you do all this your officials to ensure that decisions that you make with keep them safe. You appointed the people for the city to build infrastructure to grow this beautiful city as a safe place to visit and to live. I continue to ask to please expedite the processes of cameras and emergency blue light . It is sad when Austin police department has to resort to [2:40:54 PM] victim blaming to provide answers to the public whether these tragedies are intentional or accidental cameras will give those answers. Please expedite these processes of cameras and blue lights. I know you're tired of hearing my voice, but I won't stop because I'll be if all these lives are lost in vain. How many of more deaths and how many more unanswered questions are we going to have to live through? Thank you. Speaking on public communications in person, Angela tenerelli. Hi my name is Angela Cantarella and I have been a resident of Austin for the last two years. I've been bartending on rainy streets since I moved here and my boyfriend was a native austinite and avid cyclist in the city. I'm speaking today in honor of him, as well as the many other lives that have been lost due to a lack of security [2:41:54 PM] and protection around the city. It is recorded that about 150. People are moving to Austin a day and this city has also become one of the top destinations for bachelor and bachelorette parties. Rainey street is among the top places that these travelers and new residents want to visit. However it is somehow the least protected and patrolled area in downtown. Recently we have started to see more police officers on rainy street, which originally I thought would help . But all I've seen is them sitting between Camden apartments and the bar little brother and just hang out there, not submerged on the street and at all and actually laughed at me and told me you'll be fine when I asked if they would walk with me to my car. After seeing this reaction towards a young summer sober female looking for safety, I couldn't help but wonder if any of the eight innocent men that have been found maybe tried to seek help or guidance and we're also laughed at or turned away. There have been eight bodies reported in the last 10 months and I've seen very little done to protect our citizens and visitors. There have been limited lights put up. No cameras, no efficient, patrolling limited fencing around the problematic areas around the lake and no new implement implementations for safe rides. How many people have to die before you do your job and protect us? Austin has [2:42:56 PM] ranked among the top 13. U S cities in terms of number of cycle commuters. With these rankings, the city should dedicate more resources to protecting our cyclist last July , my boyfriend, Joshua, Alvin crow, was in a fatal bike bicycle accident. He was riding home from work on a path with no lights, no signs and no cameras. Unfortunately we'll never know exactly what happened to him that night. But I do know the city that he loved wholeheartedly, let him down and cost him his life. How are you going to rank 13 for bicycle commuters and not at the very least, have lights to illuminate the bike path. The citizens of Austin deserve action. We have already identified numerous problems in the lack of security in our city, and now it is your turn to produce solutions. Thank you. Speaking on item two in person, Ahmad ransom. That concludes our speaker, sir. Thank you very much. Remembers we're gonna go to item three, which is a briefing and discussion on the implementation of preferred model outlined in [2:43:58 PM] crow's curriculum review process assessment. Good afternoon committee members committee chair. Mayor Joseph chuckle on chief of police with me is Dr Anne Karine Jean, who is the a P D training division manager. We're going to present today on the recent report and the recommendations that are being made by Kroll related to the curriculum review process before I start my comments, just a reminder. Kroll has actually issued a number of reports related to the academy and today's report is really just the most recently recap of the most recent report. Which is pretty narrow in scope. It has to do with the curriculum review process, the problems that we've had with it and the path [2:45:00 PM] forward. So if I get next slide, please. So just beginning with a little bit of background and I believe that Kroll is also online today and is available in case there any questions directly for Kroll. The review process actually began, sometime back, and, it was designed to be implemented before the start of the 144th police academy. Just disappointed reference right now . We're up to the 148. So we've this is going back to 2021. And and really was about. Fulfilling the part of the blueprint that had to do with reopening our training academy, creating a group that was going to be able to look at curriculum, specifically with a focus for diversity equity inclusion. Being trauma informed and having trump informed practices in our curriculum. That we were implementing de escalation. That [2:46:04 PM] we were implementing adult learning concepts. And that we were including community perspectives. So that group actually formed and met four times before the one 44th actually began back in 2021. We've included a slide here with with crawls perspective. Huh. And with them being online, I certainly don't want to take too much time speaking for them, they can certainly speak for themselves, but, it is to build a long term system of internal and external review of training methods and the academy's effectiveness to be able to, institutionalized the search for excellence. Training police officers should be done in a way that the community would like to see done and make sure that it's community oriented, empathetic, compassionate and that we're building resilient guardians of the public in this dynamic and [2:47:05 PM] diverse city while promoting officer health and wellness and resiliency. So. For this reason , police academies should be in a constancy of review and improvement, and that is what we're endeavoring to do here. So the academy yeah curriculum review committee has continued, is still working today on one of the courses with the Joyce James consulting group. And what we're looking now is what? You know, where did we have some failures in the end the implementation of the committee and what can we do to make it better moving forward? So the crow crawl team actually put together a process to assess how, the curriculum review committee was operating and this included reviewing the [2:48:06 PM] curriculum, going back and doing an audit of what had already been done sharing perspectives. That had been expressed by the community and by the community members that sat on that committee and documenting the changes. They collected information from other police agencies and communities who have established processes for community input on curriculum will note that there is a there's a small line in the report that indicates that that Austin has really leaned in to this process and is doing more than almost any other city that they have reviewed or have found is doing this type of process. In other words, they are really valuing the community input. The problem was, is that there? There was certainly some impediments to making sure that that community input was implemented. And then finally making recommendations about an improved process for community input into curriculum and how [2:49:06 PM] the curriculum is delivered through the instruction. Kroll actually put forward some different models that they thought would be, could be implemented. And put put what their recommendation was or their preferred model being this one that you would replace the current crc process with a review of revised process that included two separate advisory bodies community advisory council. And professional advisory committee, each one of those would have a distinct responsibility with the professional advisory committee working doing more of the hands on work that had to do with actual, curriculum updates and providing those and that being formed with a group of subject matter. Experts educational experts and so forth that would [2:50:06 PM] be able to help drive that process and then certainly keeping the community voice in there with that. Community advisory council to review the work that is done and to make sure that the communities voice is being implemented within that structure. They felt that it would increase transparency and accountability. If we would do regular website updates, describing the work of the C a. C and the P a. C to see how those efforts are impacting training. And then certainly, good. Communication and good, work coming from executive staff of the Austin police department to make sure that the work is carrying forward successfully. So in combination these two bodies would allow for more robust community input into how [2:51:06 PM] a P D trains and prepares cadets to serve the citizens of Austin , it would have a defined structure that would mean meaningful and substantive improvements to the training curriculum and would enable the academy to make more significant and meaningful improvements than what we have than what we have done to date. In my estimation, this is one of the reasons why we have we find ourselves here today that there was not as good as structure put in place, one that really gave the framework that the committee needed to be able to provide a just a good solid output that could be implemented by academy staff. And I think that that is there's reason for both sides to take responsibility for that, including academy personnel. And because of this a P D does agree with with cross preferred model [2:52:07 PM] moving forward. All right now go ahead, and, did I cover all of them? I'm sorry. Other slides are set. Christa. Mother. Okay. Well, I guess the my slides gotten a little bit different than the presentations. My apologies. So just talking about the community advisory council. And what their role is. They have a primary focus. Certainly and it is a broader focus on the overall effort as opposed to, you know, kind of getting in the weeds of each particular course that is being reviewed, which is really the professional, the professional advisory council or committee. So their primary focus is ensuring that cadet training includes that [2:53:08 PM] comprehensive understanding of this diverse community. The expectations of the officers went interacting, interacting with the community and the type of police department the community wants and expects, it would include a broad representation of community members. And would be provided a broad overview of a pd curriculum. It would follow a set agenda and the working group would include C a. C leaders, a third party facilitator, the division manager and the sworn academy supervisor to be able to, you know, jointly set that agenda. And then written recommendations arriving arising from the C a. C would be addressed by APD leadership and shared with the P a. C. Alright. Next slide, please. Alright the professional advisory committee. [2:54:11 PM] Functions to provide substantial content expertise on concerns that are raised by the C. A. C another curriculum issues based on. Topic expert evaluations. So again looking to bring in academic, experts subject matter experts into the professional advisory committee and have them really, like I said, within that framework that we're trying to establish provide solid recommendations on what should be changed and that coming back to the academy for implementation. All of this would be shared via the website that we're talking about what the recommendations are and then a report back from a P D to say which ones have been implemented. Which ones that we disagree with, and why and which ones we would be sending back for more work or more [2:55:13 PM] consideration. Alright so with regard to planning the next steps, we have begun the initial steps towards implementation. We are currently working with the Joyce James consulting group as a facilitator for the process, and we've already met several times with Ms James and her group. The as I mentioned, miss James and her group are doing interim work to make sure that we keep our community members engaged. We certainly value what they bring, to this effort, and we don't want them to drop off. And then moving forward. Forming the phc would be, defining, you know, we've got to define that scope. Create that framework that we're talking about selecting the classes and what order they would be reviewed in and and then developing the plan of action for that P a. C [2:56:14 PM] including what our timetables are going to look like, or the C a. C very similarly defining the scope. And developing the charter statement, again, selecting a facilitator, long term and developing committee processes and then defining those selection processes per the Kroll recommendations. And at this time myself and Dr coring in our glad to answer any questions that you might have, certainly appreciate, the committee and councils. You know , focus on this area. We are working very hard to get it right. Believe me, we're glad to answer any questions. Thank you, chief. Questions on the dais. Can't remember Alison ultra all recognize you. Thank you. Can you hear me? Okay. Yes. Great well, good afternoon, everyone, appreciate the way that you started. Chief gioconda [2:57:14 PM] recognize that this is just one of many reports that we've had from Kroll. As we try to, rethink the academy in the ways that were laid out. Also in that definition, which I also was going to say it, so I appreciate . You're laying that out, there was some sections in this report that were not covered in your presentation. I think are really key going back to those other reports, and I understand from the mayor's office and from the interim assistant city manager that we will be taking up the other. Praying creep crow report at the next public safety meeting, but I did want to ask if you can address however, you are going to be approaching the additional recommendations, that were laid out, starting to page 31 about enforcing the cadet training unit standard operating procedures. Demonstrating a B leadership support for community input, increasing transparency [2:58:15 PM] and accountability. And obviously there are also some budget requests in there as well . But I'm particularly interested in how do you make the changes that are necessary at the leadership level to bring this home? We've invested a lot in this process, but we still have more to do. Thank you. Council member. I appreciate the question and, you know, I agree . I think we've got a lot of work to do to kind of bring it home and make it successful. There are obviously a number a number of recommendations in the report that, you know that we're gonna have to work work through, including, you know, how do we? How do we remove any remaining institutional barriers that there might be to making sure that this is successfully implemented that there is better executive oversight and I commit to you that there will be moving forward. And then, you know any any other any, you know [2:59:17 PM] remaining items that need to that need to occur. What I can tell you is that you have a strong commitment from me and from my staff. We while we have a number of challenges right now is a police department. This has remained a focus. And I regularly get updates on the things that are going on at the academy, where we continue to see barriers. And and how we're going to overcome. Those barriers have have appreciated Kroll's input into it, and the critical eye that they have put to it and what I would like to offer is a that, you know, step by step with those recommendations, as we've done with other reports, providing updates to the committee and a council on on how we were progressing and what our what our timelines are for implementation. Thank you, chief . Can you tell me structurally, you know who's ultimately [3:00:17 PM] responsible responsible. Besides you like below you in the hierarchy for making sure this implementation happens. So the assistant chief overtraining is Jason stanislavski, and he's here this afternoon as well. And then the commander over the academy is weighed lions. He is , you know, he's largely responsible for the sworn personnel that are there. And managing those personnel. Doctor Creegan is the training division manager and has a staff of folks that work for her and are at the academy as well that both fall those those two positions commander lions and Dr crane and both fall under chief stanislavsky. And, first. Do you have any idea how often they're meeting about the academy and the implementation of Kroll? I spoke to assistant chief earlier this year and I and I wasn't sure that he had read the report [3:01:19 PM] at that point in time, the prior report. So I am really concerned. About whether we are leaning into this in the in the with the level of priority, that the council has assigned to, investing in the academy. Chief , I'm going to answer that on. Since commander lions and I meet weekly related to academy. But I think also the other thing to highlight is crawl is coming back for the one 48th academy. And so one of the things that was written into the scope of work is that commander lions and I will be meeting with them twice a month. To demonstrate at our progress, and they'll be taking notes on you know where we, where are we able to make movement? What are some of our challenges and that we're going to be utilizing their expertise on things that we can't move forward as quickly or some of the resources that they might give us? The assistant chief meeting with you for those meetings. Currently in the scope [3:02:22 PM] of work. We don't have assistant chief standard meeting with us, and I don't want to speak for him, but he's pretty available whenever we need so I'm sure that I will volunteer volunteer or Alaska chief about it. Sorry chief. So I guess I'm asking these questions. Because this is, I think maybe the third or the fourth report from Kroll that we've had that has said that we need to have executive leadership. Leaning in everything seems to come back, to the extent that they're not allowing the delegation of power to happen down to the academy, it is imperative, not somebody at a higher level, own this process and make sure that doctor Creegan and commander lions can actually implement the changes. This has been there, over and over again. So when you come back in may, I would really like to understand. Where that accountability mechanism is and how we are taking care of these sections of the report. I think [3:03:25 PM] it's really important and with that, I would just like to invite Kroll to speak a little bit to those findings and why it is so important. That if we want to make the changes to do those additional recommendations that are not as much about the community review panel but the broader academy process. Thank you, councilor. Killers here with my colleague, Rick brown from Kroll. With respect to and we have been concerned about the , failure of a P D to enforce the revised standard operating procedures. Which were approved and I believe signed by chief Chacon back in February of 2022 , which was the division manager. The authority, to be able to request changes and have her requests. Followed by whether it's academy supervisors or instructors to implement curriculum changes, and this was really a broad part of what I, [3:04:28 PM] think larger a has been about which is to produce some meaningful and substantive cultural change within a P. D. And to have a little bit more of a co civilians, sworn leadership , at the training academy, and, by bringing in the division manager that has expertise and curriculum, development and training and adult learning concepts and so forth. Ah it was really important for our observations. Much of the work is being done substantively by the division manager, public out the whole. Buying from, you know, staff and supervisor. There's still some resistance to change makes it much more difficult for some of these, or measures and recommendations to truly be implemented. In a way, [3:05:30 PM] I think that that, all of this day chords would like to see and if I can add one thing to, to Mr Ehlers comments, I want to be clear. The staff has my full backing. And delegation of authority to make the changes that are necessary. I've been very clear with that. And with staff to make sure that they understand that concept there. Has been a longstanding practice at the academy. I think with regard to approval of those types of changes over really decades that has led to a reticence of staff to make those changes and move forward without a sworn individual, you know, authorizing it and somebody in a very high level, which I would argue that the commander over the academy is a very high level. It does not need to come from executive staff. But executive staff needs to be briefed on it. If every single [3:06:32 PM] decision that needs to be made on this on this department had to come to executive staff, we'd never get anything done. So I've empowered my folks to make those kind of changes to keep executive staff briefed on it. And when there are issues to come back to executive staff to help clear there any roadblocks that there might be so that is the that is the direction moving forward and will be reinforced. As we move forward with this effort thank you. I appreciate those comments, chief Chacon because I agree with you that it doesn't need to be the executive staff. And if I read decision was that I am just trying to understand how we how we fix things moving forward when we have had clear statements by you to the effect of what you just said, as well as reports from Kroll, that things are not getting implemented and so. That's where my questions are coming from. They're not necessarily just say that the assistant chief has to be making the decisions. I would much rather they were delegating and [3:07:32 PM] allowing the folks to have the expertise in training to do the work. But absent in that I'm trying to understand where this disconnect is happening and what we are doing to change that. And I hope that at the main meeting, you'll be able to speak. And how those changes are being moved forward so that we can finally really bring this home and get this work done that Kroll has recognized. You know, it's really very, very important for the future. Of our academy and is very important to our community. Mayor. I have other questions. But I'll let's see if other people have questions and come back to them. Different rubella. Thank you. Chief. Thank you, chief. I appreciate your frankness and, in discussing, yeah. In my conversations with [3:08:34 PM] the curriculum review committee members and kind of others involved in trying to establish a new curriculum, which I agree . I think it's central to the transformation of the police department, right. I mean, that's where it starts. Why the reticence? Why the communications that we get from the members of the is that there's just really you know, they're listen. But no action is taken the listen but no action is taking. You know, there's an unwillingness to really kind of changing a adopt the curriculum in standards. I mean any thoughts as to just why what's going on? I know you might have presented this to chief chicana. But because I'm out of the academy, I might be better suited. One. I want to mention that this isn't a hajis group of instructors. Right so we have units that, I've never had to ever talk to you about any of the instruction. It goes beautifully. Or you could just made moderate changes at best, [3:09:36 PM] right? So I just want us to remember that that, like all of our instructors are Derek various stages and where they are an instruction. And that historically, we don't provide other than T. Cole. A very basic , that the basic T call instructor, right? So I know commander alliance and I've spoken a lot about unstructured development. And what are the resources that they're given to really feel confident about what this new path is moving forward? Because we've moved so quickly on this initiative. I don't think we've necessarily always set them up for success by sort of saying, okay, now you have eight million other voices that are telling you what should be the curriculum changes, and so we're really hopeful in the model moving forward that will be able to, have them work with the pack. And have people be involved to see what the changes are to understand the research because that's the other thing. I often never speak on anything that I don't actually early, empirically understand? And so I find that within structures that's also a challenge that if [3:10:37 PM] they haven't done the work, and implemented the changes themselves and understand it, it's hard for them to sort of appreciate the changes for what they are. And council member. I just wanted to add on to that just a little bit, which, as we're, you know, I mentioned that for a long time. The method of instruction was was done in a certain way at the academy, and now we're we're kind of taking a hard right and we're saying, hey, it's going to be something very, very new. We did not set out and set them up for success. A clear framework a clear structure on on how they were going to document. The recommendations on how those would be provided to the instructors and how they would be implemented. And I say that that that was a failing on our part by not doing that it's correctly, I think pointed out by Kroll to say you all did not do that and how we will be fixing that moving forward. I think that has been part of that [3:11:38 PM] reticence because there was there was certainly opinions good opinions that were offered in the curriculum review process , but how those came back to the instructors. How they were implemented was where we fell down. And then I know one of the other topics that has been mentioned and again. I don't know how you all feel about this, but is the basically have someone audit classes like not a cadet, but like, you know, a community member. Someone like that, you know, being able to audit the class is what are your thoughts on that so that's actually built into the new process. It will have people from the professional advisory committee sitting in the classes. You know, I don't think they have time to sit in every single one. But but certainly sitting in many of and especially the most critical classes that are, you know that are kind of directed and advised by that community panel to make sure that we are not only [3:12:38 PM] changing the curriculum, but that the changes that they want to see on how that curriculum is. Is put forward is instructed have that that part has been done. So that has already happened to some extent, but it's going to really happen even more with the new process. Thank you both for answering the questions again. I know that that change especially kind of cultural change is hard, and that's the you know, sometimes the slowest work. But it is, I think, critically important, you know, moving forward. I was not here for the when the cadet councils classes were canceled. But again, I know this has been a theme, probably through most of council member alters time on the city council, and I know she's been on it and I definitely want to stay on it. So we get where we need to be with the cadet classes and the and the curriculum and the training. Thank you. Thank you. Council member. Any other questions before I go back to council member alter? Counseling Ralls all recognize you. Thank [3:13:41 PM] you very much. I wanted to ask Kroll. There was a recommendation towards the end about quarterly neighborhood planning meetings. This was in addition to the two committees that you recommended, did you speak a little bit more to what's recommended? They're both the part that's connected to the training academy and the broader utility and shape of something like that, and we may be doing some of those in some areas. I don't believe we're doing those in my district. But I think that I think that's correct. I it's our understanding that there are some of the meetings are currently taking goodies, at least in some sectors or neighborhoods, but not necessarily throughout the throughout the city are feeling on. This was really this was a supplemental recommendation, just further enhanced, you know? And to make sure that the community input that a P D receives is as broad based as [3:14:42 PM] possible. Neighborhood strategic planning committee concept tower was that's going to be really dependent on they. You madam burgers, citizens that would show up to those meetings. On a global basis or, however frequently they're held in the sectors and to make sure that the commanders of those sectors and report back chief Chacon executive leadership to ensure that they they have a full understanding of what the concerns about crime and public safety are in those sectors may or may not have anything to do with things that get back to the training, curriculum or training program. That's really going to be more the focus of the or would be the focus of the community advisory council. And professional advisory committee professional advisory committee is the working groups. Subject matter, experts and experts in particular areas that are going to work most collaboratively, I believe with the instructors and academy staff to make really [3:15:44 PM] implement curriculum cleaners and reforms consistent with evidence based best practices. And so. And I think you'll get more buying. Trump academy staff and instructors under that approach, which is one reason why we were advocating that councils. Be a little bit more broad based, representation of the community but also you know , selected numbers that, you know, have a structure and our meeting quarterly and can make specific recommendations also affecting training, but they can address ah! Broader issues of this culture. Police, issues that are, you know, kind of the broader community and society. And may take some thinking and some ah some working the advisory committees to implement in a way. You know, make a difference. In curriculum that a P D can buy into and again after [3:16:44 PM] the proper thought, and, process neighborhood. The neighborhood's planning committees again really was just a way to the supplement the community input to make sure that you're not missing. Ah! Community voices. TV important. For a P D in general when it was just really a away to supplement the process and to make sure that he has has really intense community. But and unable police community trust building going forward. Thank you very much. I also wanted to invite Mr brown or Mr Ehlers. If you had anything that you wanted to add as we as we move forward, with respect to this piece, I don't know if you'll be able to join us in may for the other piece, about how this fits into the [3:17:45 PM] broader picture. I think those of us who who observed this process you know? I've seen. How the curriculum review committee process had played out, and I think this is a pretty fair assessment of the issues and as chief said that there there there were challenges on both sides, stemming from the lack of clear mission and the lack of clarity over what that was for, but I didn't want to invite you if there were other things that you think we as council need to know. At this point. I think you understand very clearly. The journey that we're trying to be on. You know it is. In particular. I'd also like to know if there are, you know. Additional thoughts you have on why it is that we're still trying to get buy in from the academy staff when we have all of the guidelines of what we need to do. We have achieved that, saying that they're leaning in MM. We have great [3:18:47 PM] leadership of the academy. But yet there's this foreign civilian tension and it's just any other thoughts you have on why we still need to be in this position of pushing on this. Oh I don't know. Mr. Brown wants to say something here. But the only thing I would I would know is we are going to be as I think, any crank in managing doctor Creegan mentioned we will be, working with the academy and department over the next summer months. Not only taking a look at the 148 for that class. And with further you know, help us monitoring kind of evaluate, working to implement all of the past recommendations and the many things that I know you can't remember. Alter and other members of the council have been concerned about the past couple of years. Ah but also we're gonna be working with, the [3:19:49 PM] department on twice monthly meetings to work on actually long term process. Occupation development being long term processes that will Walkes hopefully allow the department to really build in a structure that will make and put at the forefront. The issue of you know the community oriented policing and de escalation and all of the things that right move to emphasize institutional way and make it more sustainable. And so that will be, you know, hopefully we'll have an opportunity to speak to you, you know? Full time over the next many months. And continuing to address these issues. But huh. Yeah. That's it. Hopefully I'm not breaking up. But what? I'm excited about moving forward if [3:20:50 PM] the adoption of the recommendations in our report by the department because keep in mind when we're talking about police departments. One thing's broke down. Other things break down. There's linkages to everything. So not only do you have this reform effort going on at the academy for curriculum, you know the ongoing classes and all that. But then you have this. This process that didn't have the structure didn't have the proper feedback, so those sort of things contribute to the breakdown in communications and effectiveness. So I'm anxiously waiting and looking forward to being on the ground there to evaluate moving forward. As things start to change and get implemented. I think you're going to see in a improvement in the overall reform African academy. Thank you. I'm hopeful that we will see those changes as well. Appreciate the work that you guys have done bringing your expertise to help us have this roadmap. Clearly there were challenges with the curriculum review program, and I'm hopeful as you said that if we fix them, [3:21:51 PM] we will be able to address the other pieces. I really wanted to underscore the with my remarks that if we don't fix those additional recommendations that are not about the pieces. Of the review board. We still won't get to where we need to go. We need to have that by in all the way down to the individual officers doing the instruction. And we don't need to have every, every action okayed by by the chief of police, but we need to have a process that's allowing us to keep moving forward to implement. You know the changes that are very reasonable that we're trying to accomplish. So thank you very much. Appreciate it. Thank you, councilor manager. I recognize you from the gentleman from crow. The next time you guys are in town or when they're when you're doing a visit. I really need to better understand why that structure that was lacking wasn't part of the recommendations that need to get fixed. I don't understand what the work program it is that you put out with whatever milestones needed to be done. Because I really do think that some of [3:22:52 PM] this confusion is the lack of clarity in terms of the way this issue was approached, and I'd really like to visit with. You don't really understand that because I think some of this may the issue may lie in terms of the structure of a P D. I think some of it may be the way the report was delivered, and I really would like to visit with you guys about how we can do better. Thank you, manager. Yes I just wonder if I could speak a little better than I could last week. One of the things that we took on probably three or four weeks ago. Dr corinthian chief Chacon over the crow report, particularly the curriculum rewrite piece. That's a big chunk. Big chunk out of work. The significance of that is that we don't have a curriculum that is understood, received and accepted not only by the community but by the police department. All the stuff. We talked about cultural change in the academy is not going to happen, so it's kind of first thing. This is first things first to me, and I think we have a lot of emphasis put on that. I [3:23:53 PM] can't remember the timeline that we set out with doctor Creegan, but it's but it's soon and to have the P a. C and C a C in place to take those forward. I agree with city manager there was lack of clarity. I think we all agree that we got off to a bad start. First time I think we can blame. Blame covid on someone we got. There was there was a start was stopped, but I think we restore did and we were going to right direction. But the curriculum pieces critical. Thanks. Thank you, sir. All right. Thank you all very much. Appreciate you being here. This will not be the last time we addressed this topic. Members the next item on our agenda is Adam number four, and that is a briefing and possible action on amending one of our ordinances in order to revise the compensation package for municipal court judges, as you know. Appointees. Of the council . Items like this which we're [3:24:53 PM] late to how people are designated and how they are paid or what they are paid. Does not go through our age or it comes through the council. And as you know, many items come from our committees as recommendations. To the full council dealing with our municipal court judges and their salaries and designations or one of those, and so that's why this is on the agenda, and I'll recognize you. Judge sherry Steadman Austin municipal court. Good afternoon, everyone and thank you, Mr mayor for making that explanation about why I am bringing this to you instead of hr. We're just a little different if we were a normal department. We would go to hr. But judges, apparently in the city charter. We are not normal. There's also been a slight mix up as to which was the final draft of the ordinance. I am sure this mix up was my fault. [3:25:54 PM] But the first item part 10 we have had to remove. There was an unforeseen and very large budgetary impact to this. We're going to try to find a workaround. But we are removing that the good news is that items 11 and 12 are within our budget. Item. 11 is a request to raise the part time judges hourly rate to be that the same as the full time judges. Historically this has been the case and we're not quite sure where it got off track, but this is a fair and again historic rate, so the second part 12 is a request to have a 5% differential for the judges who work at the Travis county booking facility. So over the last several years between the Texas legislature and certain Travis county programs, [3:26:56 PM] the workload and responsibility of our judges that work at central booking has more than doubled, and, we would like to reward the judges who have consistently been willing to work over there. And also encourage more judges to work over there. I am respectfully requesting that the public safety committee bring this to the full council. That's all I've got. Really are there any questions or any information? I can give you before I recognize your council member. I want to make sure we're clear. So there were three requests that you were making. One was the part time judges received. The same hourly rate is full time judges. Maybe using the. Part time judges second that that there would be a 5% pay differential, which would be embodied if they were paid a stipend equal to 10. Is that right? Of their hourly rate of pay. It would be 5% of their hourly rate of pay. The [3:27:58 PM] ordinance that was put in front of us is 10% of their hourly. Okay that should be a 5% I do have a clean copy of the ordinance. If that would be helpful, you may approach. Okay pleasing. I've always wanted to say that to a judge. Yeah. Thank you. Okay? Yeah that's helpful. So what, so what it boils down to is now you're asking because you you this change in classification apparently has a fiscal aspect it does. It seemed like a very small semantic issue, but it turned into about a million dollar budget impact, which we're not going to request . Well, that's smart, because I can see that being overruled. That's it. I'm on a roll here. So you know you might want to all right that I just wanted to make sure we have that clarified [3:28:59 PM] because the five and 10% were unclear to me. Recognize your council member. Kelly, I'm sorry. Thank you very much mayor for your recognition and thank you, judge and to all the other municipal court judges that work on behalf of the city of Boston . It's a very important role that they play and recognizing that I think is part of why we're here today. So you did explain what the previous budget impact was. That was one of my questions. But my second one is, could you explain with the revised ordinance with that budgetary impact? Looks like okay, I'm gonna have to ask miss Grubb to come up. I am not a numbers person. And I will get it wrong so bring him up while they're coming up as I understand it, council member. Thank you. This is all within their budget making this change and that increase does not have a budgetary and overall budgetary impact because it's within the budget of the municipal court. But we'll let somebody else answer that. Hi Mary Jane grub court clerk. I do want to say that the analysis [3:30:00 PM] that's in your backup judge coffee prepared that, so I'm not going to go over those numbers, but for clarification. This this increase to get the substitute judges up to the same rate as a full time judge. Plus the 5% differential equates to about $40,000 increase per year. So we do have that in this year's current budget through September . We can cover that. But on a go forward basis, we would be asking for a budget amendment of 40,000. Thank you. Cosmo reveillon. And real quick before you imagine excuse. Is that $40,000 is that total. Or would that be her, per magistrate. It is total and one thing I do want to mention Travis county is looking at instituting the council at first appearance program. Coffer. If that program [3:31:01 PM] proceeds that would be an additional about 30,000. So you're looking at total with the cough a program a little under 70,000 around 67 again, just to clarify that is a budgetary impact of the pay parity between the part time and full time judges. It's between the substitute judges in the full time judges so trying to make them part time a lot has many other considerations that we haven't fully. Vetted yet, but it is much higher vegetarian pat and right now are the part time judges also paid less than the full time judges. Yes okay, and that would be more than a million dollar impact that I'm not sure this is the first time I've heard of the million dollar impact. Currently substitute judges, which you and I would think of as temporary. Or part time. Apparently that's a word [3:32:03 PM] of art in this building, so I hope lightning does strike me. But if they're if they're not working as a full time judge, they are paid a lower hourly raped. What this would do is it would say if you're not working as a full time judge, but you are working as a judge, you would be paid the same hourly rate as a full time judge, and that has a $40,000 fiscal note to it. And I said anything wrong so far? No okay. I'll get there. I promise you I'll say something wrong. If, however, the county puts in this additional program . What will happen is the municipal court will need to staff at least two additional judges who don't work full time and clerk staff and that would be an additional $30,000. For a total of $70,000. We know it's going to be 40. If we do this, it will be a total of 70. If the county does that, and we have to [3:33:03 PM] staff based upon that, and in both instances that is within the budget. Municipal court currently has. That's anything wrong. It was perfect. Just one other point of view. Talk we have it this year, so if this were to pass, we would need the increase for additional years. Sure, sure. And how many I mean thinking about the work hours. How much goes to the full time judges? How much gold to the substitute judges, you know, kind of the balance there. It is. It's about half and half. Half being full time and half being at yes, part time or substitute. Essentially yes, and I'm thinking at central booking where this has the most impact. Hmm. Strange I hadn't thought of that question. So I don't have. I can get you that information, but I don't know it off the top of my head behind you have it just coffee. He's also an [3:34:03 PM] accountant, so I trust him with the numbers more than myself. Michael coffee. I'm one of the associate judges, municipal court judges and orchid community court. The full time rate from municipal judges now is $71.29 an hour the substitutes are now being paid $65.68 and 35 cents an hour $2.94 an hour difference. And I guess what I would add to. That is when I started here as a substitute. Those were the same that municipal substitute judges and full time we're making the same hourly rate. And it seems like about nine or 10 years ago. Somehow the council raised the full time did and left off the substitutes. And it's just been going like that ever since, because we just getting steady jumps, just like employees typically do and it's just gotten farther and farther apart, and they just aren't getting what it's we believe they should be. It seems to me [3:35:03 PM] it was just really an oversight. You know? One year that just happened to carry over from from year to year and then again, and I take a lot of interest in this because I would use the magistrates quite frequently. I've been down at the basement of the, of the criminal justice center many times to you don't have to admit anything. And I will say it's a tough job, especially if you're talking about the stipend and extra stipend for overnight. Again, I would wholeheartedly support that. It's one thing to do kind of a day job and it's another thing to be, you know, down at the criminal justice center at you know for a am and there's a lot of work going through there. I mean, there's arrest warrants and search warrants. There's personal bonds that are being signed off on honestly, that might be a busier job than than than than day job busier and tougher job than than the day job, so I very much appreciate that I can see the struggle to get folks to, you know, go to [3:36:05 PM] the overnight shift. And if we can put a little sweetener on there to get him down there in the in the dungeon? Then, then I'm I'm completely supportive of that. So thank you very much. Judge Chapman for bringing this before us. Thank you. Councilor of council member Kelly. Thank you. So just real quick judge coffee. You had mentioned that somehow, over time, the council had some kind of disparity between the two pays. Do you know anything more about that history that you might be able to explain to us just my memory is what happened is there was a point where one in order for us to get any kind of compensation council has to pass an ordinance to do that when they drafted the ordinance one year they put full time in and they just left substitute off that year, and ever since then we get the annual kind of grades that other city council other employees get. And it's just as a result of that one year continued to [3:37:06 PM] get farther and farther apart, because the municipal full time judges or have a higher rate of pay. And the substitutes. And so we kept getting a little bit more each time when you get 2% or 3, or whatever it was type of raise. Well, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Sure. Judge I want to make sure that the ordinance is the right way before we take it to the council. You indicated to me that the reason you took out what was originally part 10? Yes original version is because the term part time associate judge conjures up additional fiscal matters and the correct and that was what that was going to change is gonna change. Substitute judge to part time associate judge however, in this version that you gave me both part 10 and part 11 also say part time associate judges that should be replaced with substitute judge right. That should, the terms are used [3:38:07 PM] interchangeably around court, which is fine. But for hr. There's a difference between a temporary employee, which is what the part time judges are classified as and a part time employee. And apparently, if they are part time you have to fully fund the positions and that is a lot of funds. But okay . Technically they should be substitute judges. I'll follow up member of the committee, I'll I've got the language here all follow up if we vote to send it to the council. Which I anticipate that we will all make sure that what we have in the back up before it comes up is has the right language. So, do you have emotion? Motion to approve the. Motions made by councilor reveal a second by council member Kelly that we approve of recommendation to the entire city council that the increase for substitute judges, [3:39:08 PM] there'll be an increase in pay for the substitute judges so that it is equal with full time judges and that we recommend the payment of a stipend equal to 5% of their hourly rate. If they are working at the Travis county central booking facility. Is there any discussion on that motion? Any objection to the motion hearing? No objection. The motion is granted and we'll bring this to the council. So thank you all for being here. Thank you. And thank you for what you do. Hmm. Thanks I remember five is a discussion of possible action on automatic license plate reader policy and discussion of the procurement of flocks safety automatic license plate readers and services. H S. [3:40:08 PM] Before we go on. Somebody is on virtually that it says H S on our screen. And I apologize if it's somebody I ought to recognize, but I don't that is Hector and he is with flocks safety if there's any questions that need to be directed directly to the vendor he's available for perfect. I just wanted to make sure I know who it was. But come visited us. Jeff Greenwalt assistant chief and lieutenant, ask you who's over police technology. We're here to answer any questions you have, as you discuss. Members of their discussion on the item. Where you were going to I'd like to hear the prison. I don't think they have a presentation. Do you have a presentation? No sir. I can give an overview of where we are today. That's what you ought to do. You never asked to bring like a presentation. Anything like that. Just tell. Tell us where we are on the on the item. Absolutely. So last summer, there was a lot of community input and feedback on the topic of whether or not we [3:41:09 PM] should be able to use license plate readers in the city of Austin, there was a lot of public input through the public safety commission and at city council meetings. That community input was introduced into a resolution which was passed in September. The license plate readers resolution, which was passed in September, was used by the Austin police department to guide the current policy for what we're wanting to have approved on may the may 18th vote with flocks, safety in addition to the community input that was received last year, we conducted two additional community input sessions in coordination with the office of police oversight. Additionally we engaged Joyce James consulting to see if they had any feedback as well. We've got good input from everybody that we talked to added some things to the policy and have a draft policy ready to go if we're able to get permission to move forward with the contract. On may 18th with flock thank you. We had a we have had a council member that had asked that this [3:42:10 PM] be put on the agenda for discussion who was not able to continue to be with us because the length of the meeting, I think, is what happened. So Castillo qadri, you have anything you want to add? Just have a quick question. I appreciate both of you being here today. This might have been a question that was asked previously. I don't know it was asked by myself or someone else, but how would this plan to the a P. D D P S partnership with dps have guess access to, the automatic license plate reader system. They would not so the resolution specifically provision prevents us data sharing unless there's a specific criminal nexus on a specific case. So if another agency asked sisters wholesale have access to a lot of data, we would tell them no, but if they're investigating a specific criminal incident, they would have to request it on a one off basis. And then we give them exactly what it is. They were looking for that specific incident. Great. Thank you. I can't remember Kelly. Thank you . Earlier we heard from a speaker who wanted more information. I think related to what a criminal nexus is. I know [3:43:11 PM] I specifically all through this resolution and wrote that in could you please explain from a police perspective? What you consider to be a criminal nexus ? Absolutely so they would have to have an ongoing criminal investigation. And if it's a vehicle that's on our hot list, it gives us an automatic return that would have to be in the form of a class a misdemeanor or above. Or some sort of a hate crime that was associated with that investigation. So what that means is if a police officer is looking to go and write traffic tickets or find some sort of new offense, they would not be able to utilize the lpr system. The lpr system is only used for offenses that are already reported to us that there's a stolen vehicle. Or violent crime or some sort of a hate crime that's reported to us. We could use the lpr system to find that vehicle or refined that suspect quicker and solve that crime. Thank you very much for explaining that to us. Could you also remind us what opportunities that community has had prior to today to review the policy that you presented to us as counsel? Absolutely so we [3:44:12 PM] conducted two community input sessions. One was virtual in nature where we went over the overview of what lp rsr gave information on how they're helpful. How they've been helpful in the past and just open it up for questions and recommendations and then in the second input session, which was in person, we presented them the actual draft that we had up to that point where they were able to pick it apart. Kind of go blind by them by line item and see if there's any recommendations that they had. And in both sessions we got I think useful input that we're able to include in the policy that we have today. Thank you. And then finally, it's a policy available online for the community to review and provide feedback for before we take a vote on council my understanding the only place that's available online right now is in the agenda for the council and the public safety committee as an attachment to the memo that went out. Once this is approved, there's going to be a public facing dashboard where the privacy policy and the policy is all going to be placed. Thank you, so I would just further encourage the community that if they do have continued feedback related to the policy. The that [3:45:13 PM] they do look online on our council agenda so that they can review it and then contact their council member if they have any questions or concerns. Thank you very much for your time here today. Thank you. Thank you. Council member. Anyone second, who is the letter J. It's like something out of a James bond movie that is now joined us virtually who's joined us virtually and just shows the letter J. That's Jesse. He's also with flock safety, okay? All right. Go here and I'll go here is anything but but I appreciate the council Mary Kelly and whatever questions you had mentioned the public engagement period. What did that outreach look like? You know, where did the I guess? The in person event take place and word of the demographics of folks coming where they older, younger so the way that we set those up, we've talked to Sarah the office of police oversight and asked how we wanted to do that, and their joint decision was made between our public information office in the opio to put out on [3:46:14 PM] both of our social media that we would put out on social media that they would re tweet or read forward those types of invitations. The first one was online. It was available to whoever wanted to join. I don't know the demographics because we didn't take attendance or see anybody in person. The second one was at the permitting and development center on Wilhelmina delko, and there was four people in addition to media, so we had representatives from Joyce James , the opio. We had a lot of media that were there and then we had four people from the community that were there. Thank you, Taylor. Just real quick with the contract that is pending right now, with flock that's a different vendor than the prior, bender, that a P D had that's correct, sir. Alright and my understanding the prior vendor, was it. The scope of the lpr cameras was more limited. Or my let me tell you my understanding and kind of the background of my question. Seems [3:47:15 PM] like with the switch in the dash mounted cameras that now the dash mounted cameras are not just video, but they will also be picking up license plate information as well. And so in other words, now we're going from a limited scope lpr program again. I don't know how many vehicles were, you know had or I don't know how many fixed site readers there were but 21 where essentially all of the a P D vehicles will become, you know, help prs. So let me start with the initial question, sir. The previous vendor, we had approximately 60 cameras throughout the city of Austin, that were stationary and somewhere we're moving cameras fixed the vehicles. This new system is two part as well. Essentially there will be fixed cameras, but there also will be vehicle based or moving cameras . There will be more obviously, with the second round, than the [3:48:18 PM] previous vendor. The technology is the same in the sense that it takes the photo of the license plate of the vehicle. But with this particular I guess solution yes, you are correct. The cameras themselves in the vehicles will in fact be a video camera as well. That will capture interactions between the police officers and the public when they're used in that fashion, and previously the lpr camera was separate from the dash cam. Camera. That's correct, sir. Okay, so long term , we are looking again with this contract and moving forward as we swap out all the old dash camps for you know, the new dash cams long term than ah, would it be correct to say that all a P D vehicles will eventually become a lpr readers as well? That is a correct statement, sir. It will happen over a period of time is you're aware that the fleet contract that was just recently passed and approved is not a all [3:49:21 PM] in one solution in the sense that it won't take place. All it wants it will take a number of years. I believe it's five years to phase out those old cameras and get the new cameras in place. Alright. Just want to clarify that. Thank you very much. Council member, Kelly. Thank you go back to you, and then I'll go back to you. And then I'll go back. This is not the this technology wouldn't be unique to Austin. It is used in other police departments across the region as well as nationally. Is that correct? That's correct. Thank you, would any further delay in approval of this contract potentially have consequences for the city that we may have not discussed before? I think there's a tremendous amount of success stories that come out of license plate readers. Some of them are as simple as solving, you know, property crime. Some of them are returning vehicles back to families who depend on their vehicle, and some of them are solving violent crimes and preventing violent crime. So my [3:50:21 PM] answer to your question is every day that we delay impacts the victims of these crimes. I understand. Thank you very much for explaining that I've spoken to police officers across the state who actually have had much success and utilization of this program and they've looked at our policy and let me know as feedback that it is one of the most robust and secure policies that they've seen in regards to ensuring the safety and privacy of members of the community who are not involved in the crimes that we have outlined. Do you know when this is back before council? May my understanding is may 18th is the next time that is before council. Thank you. Remember qadri. I blame my colleagues for asking such a good questions that make me think about the questions. So from what I understand there's going to be cameras. That will be, more stationary on underground. Is that correct? Will be permanently fixed fixed . Do you all have an idea where they're where they're gonna go? Like what is the rubric of knowing to put it in this part [3:51:21 PM] of town or in this area and not in some other area? Yes so we have to work alongside flock once we get a contract approved so we can see exactly where they can go. They have parameters, technological and logistical obstacles, so we can't give a precise location right now, but we do utilize the major thoroughfares so I 35 mopac 1 83 along those those corridors. They will not be placed in neighborhoods and they'll be placed alongside where the highest vehicle traffic is in the city equally disbursed around the city, so there's no desperate impact among any any specific group. Yeah let me ask you a quick quite like neighborhoods. I'm thinking about district nine, and I'm sure my colleagues can think about places in their area in their district. But you know, neighborhoods, parts of parts of district nine, you know? Rainey street, sixth street. I mean, even the west campus area. I mean, that's that's a high traffic area. Was that somewhere where you guys might potentially put cameras, though. Potentially if as long as it's a major thoroughfare or parallel to those major thoroughfares were to stop putting him in like a residential is what I meant [3:52:22 PM] neighborhood. Thank you a lot. I knew it. I knew you, with regard to the data because there was that question before, in terms of who holds the data and who has access to the data does flock have access to the data or is that being held internally with a P D that the 30 day retention data for the license plate numbers that we capture? Yes sir. So the data will actually be stored with flocks. Er the I guess. In the cloud. It's through Amazon web services . It's fully encrypted from the time of inception to at rest under a S to 56 encryption, which is a very high level of encryption. So yes, they will maintain the data. We of course, will will grant access to the data. Wants our officers complete the required training and things of that nature. And obviously there will be a robust audit trail in order to ensure that those that do access to data access to for legitimate [3:53:24 PM] law enforcement purpose and does flock. I know they're storing the data or, you know, be a third party. Do they have access to the data as well? Or is it encrypted even to toward them? So they would have data or they would have access to the data in an effort to do a number of things to share our data. So in other words, if they have our data and say I log into the system with legitimate law enforcement purposes, they would be able to then give me the data that I'm asking for. So they do have access to the data in the sense that they have to in order to give it access to me, yes, or they would and I don't know if any of the flock folks would answer, so basically, y'all have universal access flock, y'all meaning flag has universal access to the to the license plate information data that's stored in the cloud. Good afternoon. This is Hector from from block safety. We do not have access to the data directly . I think with a pd was mentioning is that we are holding the data for you all as [3:54:25 PM] as custodians, and it's within our system. But no flock employees have access to Austin pd data that because of internal rules, or is that because of encryption that only a pd has and can unlock. Those are for our contract with you. All the data is owned by the department. So we don't have a that's so both of the contract itself. We do have you know, very tight or small group of people that have access to the system in general for you know, I T purposes security purposes, but we are thought to comply, organizations , so that's just a couple of standard procedure. What do you have this type of data, but no generally know, flock employee has access. Okay so in other words, the access that you do have is restricted to certain members of the corporation for kind of contract facilitation purposes. But but it is not encrypted as to flock. In other words. It is encrypted as the [3:55:25 PM] fox so they have to go to the to the procedures of accessing that data. It's encrypted at rest in Amazon web servers, which we contract with that. Okay and again, just to clarify so even the flock employees who have access to the data have to request access from a P D before they can look at the individual license plate information. Correct it would have to be a request to them, to assistance on some kind of manner. All right. Thank you. Council member Kelly. Oh, sorry. No, no, thank you could talk forever about this. Well, I thought we were going to is there any anybody else? Alright any other business to come for us there being no other business come before us, without objection, we adjourned the public safety committee of the Austin city council. It is 3 56 on Monday, April 24th thank everybody is here and thank you all council members.