[00:00:21]
AND I CALLED THE ORDER OF THE MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR JULY 27TH, 2021, AND ANNOUNCED THAT WE HAVE A QUORUM.
[a. Consider approving the minutes of the Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting held on May 25, 2021.]
TO TODAY IS CONSIDERING, UH, CONSIDER APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE BAYTOWN BAYTOWN POLICE ACADEMY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON MAY 25TH, 2021.MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE IN THE MINUTES AS SUBMITTED, I MAKE A MOTION.
I'LL SECOND I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
[a. Conduct a public hearing concerning police outreach, community policing, officer training, as well as policies and procedures. ]
IS TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING POLICE OUTREACH, COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER TRAINING, AS WELL AS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.THE PUBLIC HEARING TODAY IS BEING HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING ALL FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING ALL INTERESTED PERSONS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS REGARDING POLICE OUTREACH, COMMUNITY POLICING, OFFICER TRAINING, AS WELL AS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
AT THIS HEARING, THE COMMITTEE WILL BE RECEIVING YOUR INPUT BUT NOT RESPONDING TODAY.
AS SUCH, PLEASE DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS OR TRY TO ENGAGE IN A DIALOGUE WITH THE COMMITTEE OR CITY STAFF.
THE COMMITTEE WILL BE HOLDING A SPECIAL MEETING NEXT MONTH IN ORDER TO DISCUSS WHAT IS COMMUNICATED TO US TODAY AND TO MAKE APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS IT IS THE GOAL AND MISSION OF THIS COMMITTEE, TO ENHANCE AND ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY AND TO PROVIDE VALUABLE COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
EVERYONE DESIRING TO BE A PART OF TODAY'S HEARING SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGNED THE LIST IN THE FOYER OR EMAILED THE CITY CLERK PRIOR TO THE POSTED TIME OF THIS MEETING.
EACH PARTICIPANT SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS AND ORDER TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF THESE HEARINGS.
THE RULES ALLOW EACH PERSON THREE MINUTES TO PRESENT INFORMATION.
HOWEVER, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.
ADDITIONALLY, PURSUANT TO OUR RULES, A PERSON REQUESTING TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE MAY NOT PASS HIS OR HER TIME TO ANOTHER AS WE WANT TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL TODAY.
IT IS NOW 6:04 PM AND I WOULD LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IF ANYONE WISHES TO SPEAK, WE ASK THAT YOU COME TO THE PODIUM.
I'M BEING TIMED, SO I'M GONNA GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY.
I WANT TO THANK THE POLICE FIRST FOR BEING A PART OF THE GREAT EXPERIMENT THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED THIS WHOLE YEAR AS A COMMUNITY.
UH, I THINK THAT WE'VE UNDERLOOKED SOME OF THE INNOVATIONS THAT HAD TO TAKE PLACE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH, WHEN IT COMES TO POLICING THE DISPATCHING, AND WE'VE LEARNED SOME THINGS.
I THINK THAT THE POLICE ALSO HAS LEARNED SOME THINGS.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED AS A COMMUNITY AND BETWEEN THE POLICE AND BE ABLE TO HAVE A SAFE VEHICLE.
THANK MY TIME, OR NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
SO, UH, WE'VE EXPERIENCED SOME NEW THINGS.
WE'VE LEARNED SOME NEW THINGS.
AND SO BY, UH, EXPRESSING MY GRATITUDE, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT THE NEW, WHAT, WHAT THE PRECEDENCE IS OF THIS, UH, TIMES THAT WE'RE LIVING IN, COVID HAS PLAYED A ROLE IN POLICING AND HAS PLAYED A ROLE IN REDEFINING THE ROLE OF THE POLICE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMITTEE UNDERLINES THAT FACT.
WE HAVE TO REINNOVATE THE WOR THE MEANING OF PUBLIC SERVICE IN OUR SCHOOLS.
WE'VE SENT THE DARE PROGRAMS OUT THERE.
I'VE SP SPOKEN TO POLICE ABOUT THIS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO PRESENT OUR POLICE OFFICERS AS PART OF THE FRONTLINE WORKERS THAT WERE PART OF THIS COVID EXPERIMENT.
THERE WERE NURSES, THERE WERE, THERE WERE POLICE, THERE WERE TEACHERS ALL ON THE FRONTLINE.
PERHAPS WHEN WE PRESENT THE POLICE TO OUR STUDENTS, WE CAN PRESENT THEM AS OFFICERS OF THE FRONTLINE PUBLIC ANTS OF THE LINE NEXT TO THE NURSES AND NEXT TO THE TEACHERS THAT WERE HERE WHEN THEY HAD TO BE.
I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY AND
[00:05:01]
OUR POLICE DEPARTMENTS, THOSE THAT ARE FIXED INGRAINED IN LEADERSHIP, ESPECIALLY FOR OVER 20, 30 YEARS, NEED TO TAKE STEPS TO HUMANIZE EACH OTHER.SOME OF US DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE'RE TOO AFRAID OF THE POLICE, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM WITHIN ITSELF BECAUSE IT, IT, IT TAKES AWAY A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN US AND OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS.
I FIND IT IMPORTANT NOT ONLY THAT VOTERS VOTE, BUT ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE PAY TAXES, AND THEREFORE, UH, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPEN DIALOGUE.
IT'S GONNA TAKE WHAT, UH, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME FAITH AND COURAGE WITHIN OURSELVES TO BRING OURSELVES FORWARD TODAY.
UM, AND, AND I HOPE THAT'S AN EXAMPLE.
THERE ARE SOME STRUCTURAL ISSUES ON THE STREETS.
THERE ARE SOME, UH, EDUCATIONAL, STRUCTURAL ISSUES THAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THE ACADEMIA, UH, UH, PLACES, BUT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES WITHIN POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
THERE ARE CHANGES TAKING PLACE, AND I DO HAVE TO THANK BAYTOWN, THE CITY OF BAYTOWN FOR COMING OUT THERE, HAVING FOCUS GROUPS, GETTING OPINIONS FROM THE PEOPLE ON THE STREETS.
A LOT OF US, SOME OF US DON'T KNOW ABOUT THOSE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE, BUT AS THEY DO, WE DO NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL ISSUES WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
SOME OF THEM, UH, THAT I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME, BUT SOME OF THOSE EXAMPLES ARE LIKE HIRING WOMEN AND, AND, AND SOME OF THOSE, UH, DETAILS.
COULD I HAVE A 15 MINUTE, UH, SECOND EXTENSION, PLEASE.
AND SO, GOING FORWARD, WE NEED TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER'S CULTURE, UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE OF THE POLICE, UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE OF OUR PEOPLE HERE IN BAYTOWN.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GREATER GOOD IS BETWEEN THE POLICING AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND HERE ON THE COMMITTEE.
I HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY, BUT I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE IT OUT IN THREE MINUTES.
BUT I DO WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING THIS OPEN, UH, FORUM FOR US TO DISCUSS OUR ISSUES TODAY.
I WANNA THANK THE COMMITTEE, UH, FOR THEIR PUBLIC SERVICE AS WELL.
I'M NOT AS TALL AS DAVID, SO TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO JUST TO SAVE TIME, I'LL REITERATE MY THANKFULNESS AS, UH, UH, DAVID, SO ELOQUENTLY STATED, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.
I WAS ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE MAYOR, THE FIRST MAYOR'S APPOINTED GROUP, AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND HOW HARD THE WORK IS.
UH, I ALSO WAS A JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICER, SO I UNDERSTAND.
I WAS ON GANG CASELOAD, I WAS ON REGULAR, I WORKED WITH SEX OFFENDERS.
I APPREHENDED THEM MY OWN VEHICLE WITH NO WEAPON.
UM, SO I UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT THE JOB OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PREFACE BY SAYING THOSE THINGS.
IT'S NOT OUT OF NOT UNDERSTANDING OR NOT BEING, UH, IN A JAIL OR NOT HANDLING A WEAPON.
UM, BUT I, I DO HAVE QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ANSWERED, BUT A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE WITH THE FIRST GROUP, LIKE THE MENTAL HEALTH STICKER, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S TAKING SO LONG FOR IT TO BE, TO COME TO FRUITION, TO BE A TANGIBLE, SOMETHING THAT I CAN PUT IN MY HAND.
UH, THE OTHER THING I JUST WANNA ADVOCATE FOR AND REALLY HOPE THAT JUST AS MUCH AS OFFICERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE PHYSICALLY FIT, THAT WE ARE GIVING THEM THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED FOR MENTAL FITNESS, MENTAL HEALTH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
RECENTLY THERE WAS A SHOOTING IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT WAS A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUE, BUT THE REALITY OF IT IS BEFORE COVID MENTAL HEALTH WAS AN ISSUE.
AND SO THEY NEED THE SUPPORT, THEY NEED THE TRAINING JUST AS MUCH AS THEY'RE EXPECTED TO BE PHYSICALLY FIT.
AND AS FAR AS COMMUNITY POLICING AND OFFICER TRAINING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING ALL YOU CAN.
I JUST HOPE THAT YOU HAVE THE SUPPORT FROM THOSE ABOVE THAT ARE MAKING THE DECISIONS TO ACTUALLY MAKE THESE THINGS COME TO FRUITION.
I THINK I'M A LITTLE BIT SHORTER YET, SO, OKAY.
SO THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALLOWING EVERYONE TO SPEAK.
AND, UH, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS LOTS OF RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE DIFFERENTLY.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO BRING TO ATTENTION THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES HAVE AN AVENUE WHERE PEOPLE CAN BECOME EDUCATED ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO MAKING SUGGESTIONS AND, AND COMPLAINTS OR WHATEVER THEY WANT TO ADDRESS.
AND I FEEL LIKE THE, UH, BAYTOWN CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY IS AN UNDERLOOKED ASSET AND THAT IF WE HAD MORE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN SEEING WHAT THE OFFICERS FACE EVERY DAY, THAT WE WOULD HAVE MORE UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE, THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES AND HOW THEY ARE DEALING WITH, UH, ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY.
[00:10:19]
ANYONE ELSE DESIRING TO SPEAK? OKAY, THERE'LL BE NO MORE, NO ONE ELSE DESIRING TO SPEAK.I NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING POLICE OUTREACH, COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER TRAINING, AS WELL AS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
I WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
PLEASE BE ASSURED THAT THIS COMMITTEE HAS HEARD YOU WE'LL THOUGHTFULLY CONSIDER EACH MA MANNER RAISED AND WILL FORMULATE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CON TO CONSIDER.
[a. Consider setting the time, date, and place for a special meeting to discuss and formulate recommendations to the City Council concerning the input received at the public hearing. ]
BUSINESS, UH, AGENDA IS TO CONSIDER SETTING THE TIME, DATE, AND PLACE FOR A SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS AND FORMULATE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL CONCERNING THE INPUT RECEIVED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.I ASK THAT THIS ITEM BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA IN ORDER TO GIVE US TIME TO PROCESS WHAT WE HAVE HEARD TODAY AND TO MOVE QUICKLY.
TO MOVE QUICKLY TO MORE QUICKLY PRESENT RECOMMENDATION TO MORE QUICKLY PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AS NOTED IN THE PREFACES PREFERENCE, WE CAN CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING DATES TUESDAY, OCTOBER THE THIRD, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO SUBMIT A, A REPORT TO COUNCIL ON AUGUST THE EIGHTH, R TUESDAY, AUGUST THE 10TH, OR MONDAY AUGUST THE 16TH, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO SUBMIT A REPORT TO COUNCIL ON AUGUST 22ND.
WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE COMMITTEE? TUESDAY, AUGUST THE THIRD, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO SUBMIT A REPORT TO COUNCIL ON AUGUST THE EIGHTH, OR TUESDAY, AUGUST THE 10TH, OR MONDAY, AUGUST THE 16TH, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO SUBMIT A REPORT TO COUNSEL ON AUGUST THE 22ND.
THERE HAVEN'T BEEN A LOT TO DISCUSS.
SO THE THIRD IT IS, HOW ABOUT AUGUST THE THIRD, TUESDAY, AUGUST THE THIRD CENSUS.
ANGELA, CAN YOU CONFIRM THOSE DATES, ANGIE? AUGUST 2ND AND THIRD? DON'T WE HAVE STUFF GOING ON? WHAT ABOUT THE THIRD? I THINK THE THIRD.
SO WHAT DATES WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT, UH, WOULD THAT LEAVE US? THE 10TH AND THE 16TH? AND THEN WHAT IS THE SECOND COUNCIL? UH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE MONTH OF AUGUST? IS THAT GOING TO BE AUGUST THE 2020 SEVENTH? SIXTH.
SO WE CAN CONSIDER TUESDAY, AUGUST THE 10TH, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO SUBMIT A REPORT TO COUNSEL ON AUGUST THE 26TH.
THINK AUGUST 10TH WOULD BE AUGUST 10TH.
I HAVE A, UM, SO THE SOUNDS LIKE THE PLEASURE OF THE COMMITTEE IS TUESDAY, AUGUST THE 10TH WITH US SUBMITTING A REPORT TO THE COUNCIL ON AUGUST THE 26TH.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION OF APPRO? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
BEING THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS ADDRESSED ALL POSTED AGENDA ITEMS, I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
WE DON'T WANNA DISCUSS OTHER THINGS LIKE PROGRESS ON THIS.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? I CAN SECOND A MOTION.
WE ARE OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED AT 6:16 PM.