ADJOURN. IT IS 7:30 P.M. AND WE WILL CALL OUR MAYOR'S QUARTERLY 360 MEETING TO A CLOSE, AND I'M
[Police Town Hall on April 10, 2025.]
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GOING TO TURN IT OVER. IT IS 730 ON THE DOT, SO I'M GOING TO JUST HAND THAT OVER TO CHIEF AT THIS TIME FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TOWN HALL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU MAYOR.RIGHT ON TIME. GOOD JOB. KEEP US GOING ON TRACK. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I'M CHIEF JOE ACOSTA, CHIEF OF POLICE IN DESOTO. AND TONIGHT, YOU GET THE SECOND HALF OF OUR CITY OF DESOTO EXTRAVAGANZA. FOR ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE WE'RE IMPARTING ON YOU. THIS IS MY ANNUAL TOWN HALL MEETING TO GO OVER CRIME STATS AND SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION WITH ME IS OFFICER JESSICA RYAN. COME ON UP. WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST THING I WANT TO GO OVER IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM OFFICER JESSICA RYAN IS OVER THAT AND MANY OTHER THINGS. SHE'S OUR COMMUNITY LIAISON. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO OUR CRIME STATS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE LAST YEAR AND WHAT THE CRIME TRENDS LOOK LIKE SO FAR THIS YEAR, THE FIRST QUARTER. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT'S WATCHING. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HEAR AND YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, WE HAVE THOSE SHEETS THAT ARE UP THERE. ONE OF THESE, IF YOU JUST FILL THAT OUT, ASSISTANT CHIEF JESSICA WILL HELP YOU GET THAT FILLED OUT AND GET IT UP TO US. SO AT THE END, WE CAN ANSWER THOSE. AND WE ALSO HAVE A MIC AT THE END. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT AS WE AS WE GO, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND AND WE'LL GET THE MIC TO YOU. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OFFICER RYAN AND IT'S ALL YOURS. THANK YOU SIR, CAN I GET THE. HE REALLY WANTS TO DO IT FOR ME. THAT'S WHAT IT IS. HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING THIS EVENING? OKAY, SO DO WE HAVE ANY PRESIDENTS OF HOA'S ACTUALLY HERE IN THE ROOM TONIGHT? YES.
OKAY. HAVE YOU GUYS GOT MY EMAILS ABOUT STARTING A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM? OKAY, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY CONTACTED ME, PLEASE SHOOT ME AN EMAIL OR GIVE ME A CALL. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HOST A MEETING. WE CAN DO IT HERE AT THE TOWN CENTER, ONE OF THE VENUES HERE.
IF YOU GUYS FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE MEETING AT THE STATION, WE CAN UTILIZE OUR TRAINING ROOM. AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET YOU GUYS STARTED ON THIS. OKAY. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SEVERAL HOA'S THAT HAVE ALREADY MET WITH ME. WE HAVE HAD A CHAPEL HILL ONE AND TWO, HAMPTON PLACE ESTATES AND SILVER CREEK. BRIARWOOD PARK ACTUALLY HAS JUST MET WITH ME AS OF TUESDAY. HIGH MEADOWS, THEY HAD TO RESCHEDULE, BUT IF YOU STAY IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX OR SENIOR ASSISTED LIVING, WE WILL ALSO HELP YOU START A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH. BECAUSE TO ME, APARTMENT COMPLEXES ARE COMMUNITIES. YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE THINK, OH, THIS ISN'T REALLY MY HOME BECAUSE I'M JUST LEASING THIS FOR SIX MONTHS TO 12 MONTHS. BUT THAT'S STILL YOUR HOME FOR THE TIME BEING. AND THERE'S A LOT OF LONG TERM RESIDENTS AT THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES. SO IF YOU QUALIFY IN THAT CATEGORY, I WANT TO GET ALL THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES STARTED ON NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM. AND PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME SO WE CAN GET THAT DONE. AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT'S ABOUT BUILDING A TEAM. YOU KNOW, ENGAGE WITH THE RESIDENTS, FIND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT KEEPING KEEPING YOUR AREA CLEAN, THE PERSON THAT'S CALLING THINGS IN WHEN THEY SEE SOMETHING, IF YOU SEE IT HAPPEN, CALL IT IN. THAT'S THE FIRST STEP TO FORMING A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM. AND THEN DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES. WE JUST HAD AN INDIVIDUAL HERE TALKING ABOUT MAKING SURE THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS INVOLVED. LET'S MAKE SURE WE HAVE RESIDENTS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE REPRESENTED. OKAY. LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION APPOINT A BLACK CAPTAIN. TO ME, THE BLACK CAPTAIN IS THE PERSON THAT'S ALWAYS SAYING SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE FIXED. THOSE ARE GOING TO BE YOUR MOST PASSIONATE PEOPLE. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK, OH MY GOD, THIS JUST SOUNDS LIKE WORK. THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM CAN BE AS SIMPLE OR AS EXTRAVAGANT AS YOU WANT TO MAKE IT. IF YOU WANT TO JUST HAVE ONE PERSON AS A BLOCK CAPTAIN AND JUST AS YOU'RE DRIVING HOME, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, CALL IT IN.
HEY, GUESS WHAT? YOU JUST STARTED YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM. BUT I ALSO HAVE SOME HOAS WHERE THEY HAVE A FEW BLOCK CAPTAINS ALREADY ASSIGNED AND THEY'RE DOING PATROLS. HEY, THAT'S GREAT. IF YOU DECIDE TO DO THE PATROLS, PLEASE UTILIZE THE BUDDY SYSTEM. YOU KNOW, IF
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YOU'RE GOING TO GO FOR A WALK, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOMEONE WITH YOU. IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE DRIVING AROUND IN YOUR CAR, JUST HAVE SOMEONE WITH YOU. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE VIGILANTES, YOU KNOW, DRESSING UP IN A BATMAN COSTUME OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, AT NO POINT IN TIME DO I WANT YOU GUYS TO APPROACH ANYBODY. WE JUST WANT YOU TO BE OUR EYES WHERE WE CAN'T BE. SO IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, CALL IT IN. IF YOU'RE NOT SURE, BUT, OH, THIS ISN'T AN EMERGENCY, JUST CALL OUR NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT I'LL, I'LL SAY IT REALLY QUICK. AND THEN IT'S ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE. BUT OUR NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER IS (972) 223-6111. OPTION FOUR. SO IF YOU'RE NOT SURE IT'S AN EMERGENCY, CALL THAT NUMBER.WE'LL DECIDE FOR YOU GUYS. YES MA'AM. (972) 223-6111. AND TO GET THE POLICE DISPATCH IT'S OPTION FOUR. THAT NUMBER WILL ALSO GET YOU AN ANIMAL CONTROL AND CODE ENFORCEMENT. AND IF YOU'RE UNFORTUNATE TO HAVE SOMEONE IN THE JAIL, YOU CAN ALSO UTILIZE THAT NUMBER. AND THEY WILL THEY WILL TRANSFER YOU DOWN THERE. IF YOU DO, IF YOU DO DECIDE TO DO PATROL SCHEDULES, IF YOU DO DECIDE TO DO PATROL, MAKE SURE YOU SCHEDULE WITH EACH OTHER SO YOU'RE NOT OVER. YOU'RE NOT OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER. SO DURING THE DAY, THAT'S WHEN BURGLARIES AT HOMES WILL MORE THAN LIKELY OCCUR BECAUSE THEY EXPECT EVERYBODY TO BE AT WORK DURING THE EVENING. THAT'S WHEN THE CARS ARE BEING BROKEN INTO. SO IF YOU GUYS SEE PEOPLE JUST WALKING AROUND CHECKING THE DOOR HANDLES, THEY'RE THEY'RE HOPING THAT SOMEONE LEFT AN UNLOCKED SO THEY CAN GO THROUGH YOUR STUFF, TAKE YOUR CHANGE, TAKE YOUR CAR CHARGERS. BUT IF YOU SEE THAT, I WANT YOU TO CALL 911 FOR THAT SO WE CAN HURRY UP AND GET THERE BEFORE THEY TAKE OFF. BUT IF YOU'RE NOT SURE, SOME KIDS LOITERING AROUND, GOOFING AROUND IN THE STREET AND IT'S WAY AFTER HOURS, THAT'S NOT REALLY AN EMERGENCY, CALL THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER. WE STILL NEED TO CHECK ON THEM BEFORE THEY GET HURT, OR IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOME TYPE OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. COMMUNITY PROJECTS. NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH IS NOT JUST ABOUT CALLING AND CRIME, IT'S ALSO ABOUT BEAUTIFICATION. I'M I KNOW ALL OF OUR OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE THAT ONE HOUSE. THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN EYESORE. HOW ABOUT WE MAKE THAT A CLEANUP PROJECT? CHECK WITH THAT NEIGHBOR. YOU NEVER KNOW. THEY MIGHT BE DOWN ON THEIR LUCK. IT MIGHT BE A SENIOR CITIZEN WHO'S HANDICAPPED. THEY CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THEIR YARD. LET'S MAKE THAT A NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT. WE ALSO HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD GARDENS WHERE, HEY, MAYBE THERE'S A PLOT IN YOUR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE COULD PUT SOME BENCHES OUT THERE. WE CAN WE CAN GROW A GARDEN TOGETHER. EITHER WAY, BEAUTIFICATION IS PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM. IF YOU GUYS DO HAVE A CERTAIN HOUSE THAT NEEDS HELP, YOU DECIDE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HELP THIS PERSON. PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL BECAUSE I'M GONNA COME AND HELP. I'M I'M NOT GOING TO BE IN THIS UNIFORM, BUT I'LL THROW ON SOME SWEATS AND A T SHIRT AND SNEAKERS, AND I'LL BE OUT THERE WITH YOU GUYS. JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU DECIDE TO DO IT. PARTNERING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO ONCE YOU ONCE YOU START YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM, NORMALLY YOU GUYS GET YOUR CRIME STATS FROM US WHENEVER YOU HOLD YOUR HOA MEETINGS AND IT'S USUALLY QUARTERLY OR BI YEARLY OR YEARLY. ONCE YOU START YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM, YOU'RE GOING TO BE GETTING THESE STATS FROM ME ONCE A MONTH. SO YOU'RE GOING TO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON. AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THAT IS SO YOU CAN SEE IF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH IS MAKING IMPROVEMENTS. I DON'T SEE HOW WE COULD TELL IF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS MAKING IT BETTER UNLESS WE LOOK AT OUR STATS ONCE A MONTH. SO ONCE YOU FORM YOUR ONCE YOU FOR YOUR PROGRAM, YOU'LL BE GETTING YOUR STATS MORE OFTEN. AND ORGANIZING MEETINGS. YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS ONCE A MONTH. WHAT I SUGGEST AND IS GOING TO COME TO THE NEXT TWO SLIDES IS START A FACEBOOK PAGE FOR YOUR HOA. IF YOU IF YOU HAVE CERTAIN NEIGHBORS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY EXCHANGED CELL PHONE NUMBERS WITH, I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO GO GIVE YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER TO ALL YOUR NEIGHBORS, BUT IF YOU CAN HAVE LIKE A GOOD TEXT THREAD BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR BLOCK CAPTAINS, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. I SAW THIS YESTERDAY. I WASN'T SURE IF I SHOULD CALL IT IN. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? CAN YOU GUYS GO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF YOU'RE SEEING THE SAME THING I AM? COMMUNICATION IS KEY. AND THEN IF YOU DO IDENTIFY A PROBLEM, DEVELOP A SOLUTION WITH EACH OTHER. IF YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT THE SOLUTION WOULD BE, CALL MYSELF TALK TO THE CHIEF OR THE ASSISTANT CHIEF. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. WE CAN BOUNCE IDEAS OFF OF YOU SOMETIMES. THERE'S GRANTS AND PROGRAMS THAT MAYBE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UTILIZE
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THAT TO ASSIST. WE ALSO HAVE A CRIME PREVENTION FUND. SO I'M LOOKING FOR MORE REASONS TO INVEST IN YOU GUYS. SO IF YOU GUYS COME UP WITH AN IDEA PLEASE LET ME KNOW. SO WE DID JUST TALK ABOUT THE SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS THE EMAIL LISTS. SO WHEN I DO SEND YOU GUYS THE STATS, PLEASE SHARE IT WITH THE WHOLE COMMUNITY SO THEY CAN SEE IT TOO. AND IF THEY GIVE YOU FEEDBACK, BE OPEN TO IT. AND WHEN YOU GUYS DO GET THE STATS, IT WILL NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC PERSON'S ADDRESS ON IT. SO EVERYONE'S ANONYMOUS. IT JUST GIVES THE STREET AND THE BLOCK NUMBER. IT WILL NEVER GIVE THAT PERSON'S EXACT ADDRESS. WE TALKED ABOUT THE REGULAR MEETINGS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, TEXAS NIGHT OUT WHEN YOU IF YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE A BLOCK PARTY, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO COME. THE POLICE ARE GOING TO COME. SOMETIMES ANIMAL CONTROL CAN COME. LET US KNOW ABOUT IT SO WE CAN BE THERE. WE'LL HAVE GOODIES FOR THE KIDS. WE'LL HAVE YOUR CRIME STATS. IF YOU GUYS HAVE GREAT BARBECUE, JUST KNOW I'M GOING TO TAKE A PLATE OR TWO HOME. I HAVE FOUR KIDS, SO YEAH, JUST MAKE SURE YOU SEND ME THE INVITE SO I CAN MAKE SURE I HAVE YOU GUYS ON THE SCHEDULE SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT BOTH FIRE AND POLICE ARE COMING OUT TO SEE YOU GUYS. THERE'S ALL MY CONTACT INFORMATION. IF YOU GUYS WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOUR PHONE REALLY QUICK. AND AGAIN, I REALLY HOPE THAT. AND EVEN IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN HOA, WE CAN STILL DO A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM. YOU'RE STILL YOU'RE STILL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL HOA TO GET YOUR PROGRAM STARTED.DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AFTER TODAY, JUST FEEL FREE TO SHOOT ME AN EMAIL OR GIVE ME A CALL. I'LL BE GLAD TO WALK YOU THROUGH IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THAT PHONE NUMBER. ONE MORE TIME. THE NON-EMERGENCY. YEAH. YES, SIR. 972223. 6111.
AND FOR POLICE, THIS OPTION FOR. PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO USE THAT IF YOU'RE NOT SURE IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY OR NOT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU JESSICA. APPRECIATE IT. GOOD INFORMATION THERE TO START NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAMS. THAT HELPS US BE BETTER AT WHAT WE DO. AND WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY AND DISCUSSING WHAT'S GOING ON IN NEIGHBORHOODS, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY, AND HELP YOU GET TO KNOW WHAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. ALSO, WHILE WE'RE ON IT, I HAVE A SLIDE AT THE END, BUT I'LL TELL YOU NOW, YOU CAN ALSO YOU CAN ALSO TEXT THE TIP TO DISPATCH. AND IF YOU TEXT IT, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE NUMBER IN A MINUTE. THAT TEXT WILL ALSO GO TO ME AND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE IN THE DEPARTMENT. SO WE'LL GET IT IMMEDIATELY. AND THEN WE CAN DIRECT THE PATROL, OR WE CAN DIRECT AN OFFICER OUT TO ANYTHING. THAT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY. NOT AN EMERGENCY. IT'S CALLED TEXT-A-TIP. AND IT'S 847411. SO IF YOU IF YOU PULL UP YOUR TEXT AND YOU WANT TO SEND A TEXT IN THE NUMBER LINE, PUT 847411847411. AND THEN IN THE BODY OF THE MESSAGE DOWN BELOW, YOU JUST HAVE TO PUT THE WORD DESOTO SO THAT IT GETS ROUTED THROUGH THE DATABASE THAT IT GOES THROUGH AND COMES TO US, BUT THAT GOES RIGHT TO DISPATCH.
847411. THAT'S TIP 411. IF YOU SPELL THAT OUT WITH THOSE NUMBERS OKAY, 847411. AND THAT'S NON-EMERGENCY. IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY YOU KNOW THE THREE NUMBERS RIGHT 911. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. SO THE CRIME STATISTICS FOR 2024 I ALWAYS DO A FIVE YEAR COMPARISON. IT'S ACTUALLY COMPARING LAST YEAR WITH THE PREVIOUS FOUR FOUR YEARS. AND SO CRIME WENT DOWN LAST YEAR 8.4%. AND OVER THE FIVE YEARS IT WENT DOWN 3.6%. SO THAT'S GOOD. WE'RE TRENDING DOWN. YOU KNOW WE GO UP AND DOWN AS THE YEARS GO. BUT WE'RE TRENDING DOWN FROM LAST YEAR, WHICH IS FROM THE YEAR BEFORE WHICH IS TREMENDOUS. A LITTLE A LITTLE A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THIS. BUT THIS IS WHAT THE CRIMES ARE BROKEN DOWN. AND ANYTHING IN THE YELLOW IS GOOD MEANS THAT WE WENT DOWN IN THOSE CRIMES IN THOSE AREAS. THIS IS THE DISTRICT DISTRICTS OF THE CITY ON A CITY MAP. SO ONE IS IN THIS LOWER LEFT CORNER HERE, WHICH IS THE SOUTHEAST CORNER.
AND THEN THE NORTHEAST CORNER IS TWO. THREE IS IN THE NORTHWEST AND SOUTHWEST IS FOUR. AND WE'RE
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GOING TO HAVE A HEAT MAP AND THINGS LATER THAT YOU'LL SEE WHERE THESE CRIMES HAVE HAVE GENERATED IMPORTANT THINGS ARE THAT THAT WENT DOWN. ROBBERIES ARE DOWN. SEX OFFENSES ARE DOWN, BURGLARIES BREAKING, ENTERINGS ARE DOWN. DRUG OFFENSES ARE DOWN. LARCENY IS A MOTOR VEHICLE ARE DOWN. LARCENY IS A MOTOR VEHICLE. PARTS. I'M SORRY. LARCENY. SHOPLIFTING IS DOWN.MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT IS DOWN. AND IN ALL, THREE OUT OF THE FOUR DISTRICTS, CRIME IS DOWN. AND TOTAL WAS 1650 FOR LAST YEAR, IT WAS 1823. USED TO TRACK DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AND I'M GETTING THERE.
YOU'RE JUMPING AHEAD OF ME, ALMA. OKAY, SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. WE TRENDED DOWN FROM 1800 TOTAL CRIMES TO 1650. THIS IS A HEAT MAP OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN 2025. NOW IT'S OUT OF PLACE.
BUT THE FIRST THREE MONTHS, YOU CAN SEE WHERE WHERE WE HAVE OUR INFLUX OF CRIMES IN THESE AREAS AND, AND THE RED MEANS THAT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE MOST INFLUX. BUT THAT'S JUST FROM JANUARY TO MARCH OF THIS YEAR. AND I HAVE WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE LATER ON IN THE PRESENTATION. ANOTHER COMPARISON OF VIOLENT CRIMES. SO LAST YEAR VIOLENT CRIMES THAT WE TRACK ARE AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, HOMICIDE ROBBERY AND SEX OFFENSES. SO WE WENT DOWN IN TWO OF THOSE 300% IN HOMICIDES, ROBBERY, 17.5%. AND THIS NUMBER SAYS 15%. BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY IT WENT UP FROM WHAT THE AVERAGE IS TO WHAT IT WAS LAST YEAR, 46, 52. I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT THAT GOT IN THERE, BUT IT DIDN'T GET CHANGED. WE WENT UP AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS AS WELL. AND THIS IS OUR PROPERTY CRIMES. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE COMPARE BURGLARIES AND MOTOR VEHICLE BURGLARIES OF A BUILDING, BURGLARY OF A HABITATION, A HOME, CRIMINAL MISCHIEF AND LARCENY. WE ADD ALL THOSE UP IN THE CITY AND THEN WE COMPARE THEM TO THE PREVIOUS THREE, THREE YEARS AND THE YEAR BEFORE. SO IN 23 TO 24, WE WENT DOWN 14% AND WE WENT UP 0.003 FROM 20 TO 24. CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS. SO THIS IS AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, HOMICIDE, SEX OFFENSES AND ROBBERIES. ADD ALL THOSE UP.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE TRENDED THROUGHOUT THE LAST FIVE YEARS. AND IN 23 TO 24 WE WENT UP 2.6%.
AND WE'RE DOWN 4.5% FROM 20 TO 24. SO WE'RE TRENDING DOWN OVER THE FOUR YEARS. WE WENT UP LAST YEAR ON THOSE PROPERTY CRIMES. I'M SORRY ON THOSE CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS. BMV'S, BURGLARIES AND MOTOR VEHICLES. SO THAT'S THE HEAT MAP. AND THANKS TO JERRY HICKLIN, HE'S HERE IN THE BACK. JERRY, RAISE YOUR HAND FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE YOU. HE DOES OUR GIS, ALL OUR GIS MAPPING SYSTEMS IN THE CITY. AND COURTESY OF HIM, WE'VE GOT THESE HERE. THIS IS FOR 2024.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE AREAS WHERE MOST OF OUR BURGLARIES HAPPEN. OUR BIG INFLUX OF THEM HAPPEN.
AND THIS IS OUR 35 CORRIDOR. THAT'S WHERE THE HOTELS ARE. AND. SHOPPING CENTERS, SHOPPING, SHOPPING. NO SHOPPING. CAN YOU KIND OF GIVE US AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THAT IS? SO WE OBVIOUSLY WE SEE THAT THERE IN ONE PLACE MORE THAN THE OTHER. COULD YOU GIVE US KIND OF THE RATIONALE FOR WHY THAT HAPPENS TO BE OFF OF 35, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE TYPES OF CRIMES? SURE. SO WE HAVE THE HOTELS AND WE HAVE ALSO ON WINTERGREEN UP IN THAT AREA, WE HAVE THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
SO PLACES WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VEHICLES ARE LEFT UNATTENDED FOR A LONG TIME, OVERNIGHT DURING THE DAY. AND AT THE HOTELS, THEY'RE THEY'RE PERFECT TARGETS FOR CRIMINALS TO COME IN AGAIN, PULL DOOR HANDLES, AS JESSICA SAID. THEY'LL SEE IF THEY CAN OPEN THE CAR WITHOUT BREAKING ANY GLASS OR ANYTHING, OR CAUSING ANY KIND OF COMMOTION, AND THEY'LL GET IN AND THEY'LL STEAL WHATEVER THEY CAN, WHATEVER'S LOOSE. IF YOU LEAVE ANY VALUABLES IN THERE, THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THEM. IF YOU LOCK IT AND YOU LEAVE A VALUABLE THAT'S THAT'S OUT THERE IN THE OPEN, THEN THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BREAK A WINDOW TO GET IN. IF THEY WANT TO GET THAT THAT ITEM. BUT BIG INFLUX IS THE HOTELS AND THE RETAIL THAT'S THAT'S LOCATED IN THOSE AREAS ALONG 35 PLUS IT'S EASY ACCESS TO GET THERE OFF OF 35 AND EASY EXIT JUST TO GET OUT.
THEY CAN GET BACK ON 35. THEY CAN COME DOWN, TURN AROUND, MAKE A U TURN AND GO BACK UP NORTH IN 35. SO IT'S JUST IT'S JUST EASY TARGETS AND CRIMES OF OPPORTUNITY. THIS IS OUR MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT MAP. SO MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT IN THE CITY WENT DOWN LAST YEAR. BUT YOU CAN SEE
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WE STILL GET A LOT OF THAT. AND AGAIN ALL THESE HEAT MAPS ALONG 35 CORRIDOR BIG INFLUX THERE.AND THEN WE GET SOME DOWN HERE AND SOME UP HERE BY THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND THINGS UP IN NORTHERN DESOTO, JUST OUTSIDE OF DALLAS. IN THAT AREA THERE. THAT'S OFF OF WHERE IT WELL, IT SAYS WHEATLAND ROAD. THEY'RE KIND OF AT THAT, THAT TOP CORNER, THAT AREA ALSO MANY SOME DON'T KNOW THAT DESOTO ACTUALLY DOES HAVE A PORTION OF OUR CITY BORDERS THAT TOUCHES HIGHWAY 67. SO THERE ARE SOME, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, WITH 35, THERE ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GET ON 67 RIGHT THERE AS WELL. AND IF YOU IF YOU LOOK REALLY CLOSELY, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT I BELIEVE IS 67 THERE. THAT'S KIND OF UP TOWARDS THE AREA AS WELL. YEAH. YOU WOULDN'T THINK THAT WE TOUCHED 67, BUT WE DO IN THAT AREA AND DALLAS, DESOTO AND DUNCANVILLE ALL KIND OF COME TOGETHER THERE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF TRAVEL, A LOT OF A LOT OF AREA UP THERE WITH CRIMES OF OPPORTUNITY. AGAIN, APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND RETAIL UP THERE. YES, MA'AM. CAN YOU TELL US EXACTLY WHERE THAT IS IN DISTRICT FOUR? WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT THERE IN DISTRICT FOUR? THAT WOULD BE WALMART AREA. OKAY. WALMART AREA THAT THAT WHOLE COMPLEX THERE WHERE WALMART IS OKAY. EASY. BURGLARIES OF MOTOR VEHICLES, MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS. OKAY.
GREAT. THANK YOU. YES, CHIEF. DO YOU ALL TRACK THE TIMING OF THESE DIFFERENT OFFENSES LIKE THE TIMES OF DAY IT HAPPENED? AND HOW DOES YOUR PATROLLING? IS YOUR PATROLLING DIFFERENT BASED ON WHEN THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE CRIMES ARE TO OCCUR? SO WE DO TRACK THAT. THAT'S ANOTHER SLIDE I HAVE COMING UP. I'LL TELL YOU WHAT TIMES OF DAYS ARE. BUT YEAH, WE LOOK AT WHAT CRIMES ARE GOING ON IN THE CITY, WHAT DAYS OF THE WEEK, WHAT TIMES. AND WE TRY TO DEPLOY OUR, OUR SQUADS OUT THERE, OUR PATROL OFFICERS. AND IF WE HAVE A ROVER WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE WHERE WE HAVE A ROVER AND EXTRA PATROL, IF YOU WILL, AND WE'LL DEPLOY THEM IN THOSE HOT SPOTS IF WE AS MUCH AS WE CAN. WE ALSO DO BAIT ASSIGNMENTS IN THOSE AREAS. WE'LL WE'LL PUT OUT A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND THEY'LL PUT OUT A BAIT VEHICLE TO TRY AND HAVE SOMEONE STEAL IT OR BREAK INTO IT AND OPEN IT UP AND STEAL SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S VALUABLE THAT'S IN THERE. AND THEN WE'LL WE'LL SWOOP IN AND ARREST THEM. AND SO THOSE HAVE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL. BUT WE CAN'T BE OUT THERE ALL THE TIME. IF A SQUAD CAR DRIVES THROUGH ON THE HOTEL PARKING LOT AND STAYS THERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, THEN, THEN THE THIEF IS GOING TO JUST WATCH WATCH THAT CAR. WHEN IT LEAVES, THEY FIGURE THEY'RE NOT COMING BACK. AND SO THEN AGAIN, CRIME OF OPPORTUNITY. THEY FIGURE THEY'VE GOT SOME TIME TO DO SOMETHING. SO THEY WATCH US JUST LIKE WE WATCH THEM. AND BUT WE TRY TO DEPLOY OUR OFFICERS OUT THERE WHERE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S HIGH CRIME AREAS. OR DO THE BUSINESS CAMERAS HELPFUL, LIKE IN WALMART PARKING LOT. CAN WE GET THE MICROPHONE? CAN SOMEONE CAN WE GET SOMEBODY TO WALK WITH THE MICROPHONE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE HEARING THEIR QUESTIONS? ARE THE ESTABLISHMENT CAMERAS HELPFUL IN RESOLVING ANY OF THESE ISSUES.
AND I'M SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE MAP RIGHT THERE WHERE WALMART IS ARE THE CAMERAS. DO THEY HAVE CAMERAS? ARE THEY HELPFUL IN HELPING YOU SOLVE THE CRIME? ABSOLUTELY. ALL CAMERAS, ALL SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, ANYTHING THAT'S RECORDING HELPS US SOLVE OUR CRIMES, IDENTIFY PEOPLE THAT ARE COMMITTING CRIMES. AND SO WE USE THOSE. WE WILL GO INTO THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS AND WE'LL ASK THEM TO LOOK AT THE VIDEO. AND IF WE CAN GET A COPY OF THE VIDEO, WE WILL GET IT THEN IF NOT, THEY CAN SEND IT TO US OR OUR OFFICERS WILL RECORD THAT WITH THEIR BODY CAMERAS. THEY'LL RECORD THAT VIDEO SO WE CAN KEEP IT FOR EVIDENCE THERE. AND WE CAN USE TO GO AND TRACK DOWN INDIVIDUALS, TRACK DOWN VEHICLES BY THEIR PLATES OR THEIR DESCRIPTION. SO YEAH, THEY'RE INVALUABLE. VIDEO NOW IS INVALUABLE THROUGHOUT ALL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. FAMILY VIOLENCE. FAMILY VIOLENCE WENT UP LAST YEAR. ALWAYS A CHALLENGE FOR US.
I THINK WHEN WE BRING MORE AWARENESS TO FAMILY VIOLENCE, THAT'S A GREAT THING BECAUSE WE HELP SOME PEOPLE OUT. BUT OBVIOUSLY THE STATS, IT INCREASES THE STATS. SO I'M HOPING THAT'S A REASON WHY IT WENT UP. WE BRING MORE AWARENESS TO IT. WE'VE GOT OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT DOES THINGS IN THE CITY AND, AND HELPS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND BRING AWARENESS TO SOCIAL SERVICES AND SERVICES THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR VICTIMS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE. AND SO IT DID GO UP LAST YEAR, AS YOU CAN SEE, 603 WHEN WE COMPARE THAT OUT, IT WENT UP 15.8 LAST YEAR AS COMPARED TO 23. AND OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, 10.3%. IT'S UP.
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SO AGAIN NOT A GOOD THING. BUT MAYBE BECAUSE WE'RE BRINGING MORE AWARENESS TO IT, WE'RE GETTING MORE MORE REPORTS OF IT AND WE ARE RESPONDING TO IT AND HOPEFULLY SAVING SOME PEOPLE FROM STAYING IN THE SITUATION THAT THAT IS BAD FOR THEM. CHIEF, CAN YOU DEFINE FAMILY VIOLENCE FOR THE IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT STAT MEANS? FAMILY VIOLENCE IS ANY ANY CRIME THAT HAPPENS IN IN A HOUSEHOLD WITH A FAMILY MEMBER OR SOMEONE THAT'S LIVING IN A HOUSEHOLD OR A BOYFRIEND GIRLFRIEND TYPE RELATIONSHIP. SO ANY, ANY, ANY TYPE OF CRIME, ASSAULT, SIMPLE ASSAULT OR GETS WORSE THAN THAT IS CALLED FAMILY VIOLENCE. DO WE RESPOND TO THESE STATS, THESE PARTICULAR STATS AGAINST THE SURROUNDING CITIES? HOW ARE THEY DOING WITH FAMILY VIOLENCE? HOW DO I COMPARE? HOW DO OUR NUMBERS COMPARE TO THE SURROUNDING CITIES? IS THERE A QUESTION OUR CARE TEAM TRIES TO KEEP TRACK OF SOME OF THAT? SERGEANT SOMERS, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THE CARE TEAM, IS ALSO THE LIAISON TO THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AND SO THEY LOOK AT THOSE THINGS. BUT WE ARE HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE OTHER CITIES. I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVERY WEEK I HAVE A MEETING WITH MY COMMAND STAFF, AND WE DISCUSS WHAT CRIMES HAPPEN OVER THE PAST WEEK AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THAT GO ON. WE HAVE MORE, MORE FAMILY VIOLENCE ASSAULTS THAN, THAN THE OTHER CITIES. I DON'T KNOW WHY I CAN'T ANSWER THAT, BUT WE DO. MAYBE IT'S THE REPORTING. MAYBE THEIR OFFICERS DON'T DON'T DON'T WORK AS WELL AS WE DO IN A FAMILY VIOLENCE SITUATION. SO THEY DON'T CATALOG THOSE AND GET THOSE LISTED. BUT WE DO LOOK AT THAT EVERY WEEK.AND ALSO YEARLY, ANY PARTICULAR AREA OF TOWN WHERE THOSE ARE OCCURRING, YOU NAME IT, ANYWHERE. YEAH. THAT DOESN'T DOESN'T RESTRICT ITSELF TO ANY PARTICULAR TOWN OR ANY PARTICULAR PLACE IN TOWN, IN THE TOWN, IN THE CITY OR TIME OR ANY PERSON. YES, CHIEF. JUST KIND OF WAITING. MY TURN. OKAY. NEEDED TO BACK UP A LITTLE BIT. WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING OF. SHE ASKED ABOUT THE CAMERAS IN THE COMMERCIAL AREAS. DO WE HAVE CAMERAS ON OUR STREET, LIGHTS IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS? SINCE WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE PULLING ON CAR HANDLES, A LOT OF PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR CARS ON THE STREET. I KIND OF PARK IN THE GARAGE, BUT FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT BE OPEN OR SUSCEPTIBLE TO ROBBERY, SO WE DO NOT HAVE CAMERAS ANYWHERE ON ANY LIGHT POLES OR ANYWHERE IN THE CITY. WE DO HAVE FLOCK CAMERAS, WHICH ARE LICENSE PLATE READERS, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL OF THOSE IN THE CITY AT VARIOUS SPOTS, AND THEY WILL PICK UP STOLEN VEHICLES, VEHICLES THAT ARE LISTED WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE WARRANTS ON THEM, WANTED PEOPLE THAT WERE LOOKING FOR. IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT WE PUT OUT AS BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR, THOSE WOULD BE LISTED IN THERE ALONG WITH OTHER CITIES. SO WE TAP INTO A NATIONAL DATABASE AND ALSO TEXAS DATABASE TO WITH THOSE FLOCK CAMERAS. WE ALSO HAVE A LICENSE PLATE READER, OUR OWN MOBILE CAMERAS THAT WE DEPLOY THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND THOSE DON'T TAKE A PICTURE OF ANYBODY, BUT THEY DO TAKE LICENSE PLATES. SO THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT TOOL. WE CAN GO BACK INTO THOSE. IF A CRIME WAS COMMITTED AND WE DON'T GET NOTIFIED OF IT UNTIL LATER, WE CAN GO AND SEE WHAT CARS PASS THROUGH A CERTAIN AREA. IF WE HAVE A DESCRIPTION OF A VEHICLE, MAYBE NOT A PLATE, WE CAN GO AND LOOK AT ALL RED TOYOTAS FROM FROM 2023 TO 2024. ANY INFORMATION WE CAN GET, WE CAN MINE THAT INFORMATION. WE CAN MINE THAT DATABASE AND GET MAYBE SOME SUSPECT VEHICLES AND GIVE US A POINT OF START FOR AN INVESTIGATION. CHIEF. ALSO IN IN IN TERMS OF IN TERMS OF CRIME, WE ALSO DEPEND ON THE RESIDENTS. RIGHT. IF THERE'S ANY CAMERAS THAT ARE THAT RESIDENTS HAVE HAVE HAVE UTILIZED. RIGHT. THAT WE CAN USE THAT AS EVIDENCE AS WELL TO TRACK THAT. ABSOLUTELY.
RING CAMERAS AND ANY KIND OF HOME SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS. AGAIN, THOSE ARE INVALUABLE. ANY KIND OF CAMERA THAT'S RECORDING VIDEO IS INVALUABLE FOR US. WHAT WE'LL DO IF A CRIME IS COMMITTED IN A CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD, WILL ONE OF THE OFFICERS WILL GO AROUND AND LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S RING CAMERAS OR ANY TYPE OF SURVEILLANCE CAMERA ON, ON HOMES, AND THEN WE'LL TRY TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE OWNER OF THE HOME AT THAT TIME TO SEE IF WE CAN LOOK AT THAT VIDEO, AS WE SAID EARLIER WITH THE BUSINESSES. AND WE'LL TRY TO RECORD THAT, GET WHAT OTHER INFORMATION WE CAN, AND IF WE CAN'T, THEN WE'LL REACH BACK OUT TO THOSE HOMEOWNERS LATER AND WE'LL TRY TO GET THEM THE RECORDING THROUGH OUR BODY CAMERA DATABASE THAT WHERE WE
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CAN SAVE IT FOR EVIDENCE ON OUR EVIDENCE.COM DATABASE. AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT THAT AND WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE THAT FOR, FOR OUR INVESTIGATION AND FOR EVIDENCE. IF WE CAN GET AN ARREST. OKAY.UNDER UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE THAT DRUG ADDICTION, MENTAL HEALTH AND HOMELESSNESS PLAYS TOWARDS CRIME, ARE THERE ANY PARTNERSHIPS WITH ANY FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN THE CITY THAT ARE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF? SO WE CERTAINLY DO. WE HAVE DESOTO POLICE, CLERGY AND COMMUNITY. WE'VE HAD THAT THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CLERGY IN DESOTO FOR AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE. 13 YEARS. MATTER OF FACT, DENISE VALENTINE IS HERE. SHE STARTED THAT WITH THE FORMER CHIEF. I'VE BEEN HERE 13 YEARS, SO IT'S BEEN IN EFFECT FOR ABOUT 14 OR 15 YEARS. AND IT'S A GREAT ASSET TO US. THEY HAVE MINISTERS ON CALL AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES FOR US TO CALL ON TO HELP VICTIMS OF CRIMES, AND ALSO TO HELP WITNESSES AND HELP OUR OFFICERS INVESTIGATE A CRIME AND HELP THOSE VICTIMS AND WITNESSES. AND WE ALSO HAVE A CARE TEAM, MENTAL HEALTH UNIT TEAM. THAT SERGEANT SUMMERS IS OVER, AND THAT CARE TEAM HELPS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN THE CITY THAT WE DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS THAT OUR OFFICERS COME UPON, AND ALSO THE HOMELESSNESS AND THE ELDERLY. THEY'RE VERY BUSY AND THEY MAKE GOOD PARTNERSHIPS WITH WITH EVERYONE IN THE CITY. THERE WAS A QUESTION. MISS WILLIAMS, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES, AND I KNOW I CAN BECOME A NUISANCE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S WHAT NUISANCE DO IS LOOK AT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT JUST SIT AROUND. AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, I THINK I SAW SOMETHING. I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF I SAW IT OR NOT. WELL, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. AND THAT'S WHAT I ALWAYS DO. THE OTHER IS I'M GETTING A NEW CAMERA SYSTEM. OKAY. AND DO WE HAVE TO REGISTER BECAUSE I, I'D LIKE TO. WHAT DO YOU DO ON THE REGISTRATION. SO THERE IS, THERE IS A REGISTRATION PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE ON OUR WEBSITE. AND NOT MANY PEOPLE UTILIZE THAT. I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE AFRAID THAT WE'RE GOING TO MINE THEIR, THEIR DATA AND THEIR THEIR VIDEO. WE CAN'T GO IN THERE. WE JUST WANT ALL THAT REGISTRATION PROGRAM FOR US SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT ADDRESSES HAVE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS. THAT WAY IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN YOUR AREA, WE CAN GO. WE ALREADY KNOW ALREADY. WE CAN GO TO YOUR HOME AND WE CAN ASK YOU FOR THAT VIDEO, TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED. AND THEN IF YOU CAN GET THAT VIDEO FOR US AND THAT WILL HELP US SOLVE A CRIME AND SAVE SOMEBODY AND TRACK SOMEBODY DOWN. SO YES, YOU CAN REGISTER THEM. BUT WE LOOK VISUALLY WHEN WE'RE OUT AT A SCENE, IF IT'S AT NIGHT, WE'LL SEND PEOPLE OUT DURING THE DAY TO CHECK HOMES TO SEE IF THERE'S SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE AND TRY TO GET ACCESS TO. SO WE WILL NOT MINE YOUR DATA. ALL IT IS, IS A REGISTRATION PROGRAM JUST TO REGISTER YOUR CAMERAS WITH US. I KNOW YOU DON'T. OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT. HERE'S A FAMILY VIOLENCE COMPARISON TO 23 AND 24. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE YELLOW ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS GONE DOWN. I'M SORRY. GONE UP. AND WE TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT, WHAT TYPES OF CRIMES ARE COMMITTED AND MAYBE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THE PROGRAMS THAT WE GOT WITH DVAC DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ALSO OUR DEEPAK, OUR POLICE AND CLERGY. SO WE DO UTILIZE THESE NUMBERS AND WE TRY TO DEPLOY WHATEVER RESOURCES WE CAN TOWARD THE THINGS THAT WE CAN, BUT ALSO OUR OFFICERS TO MAYBE STOP SOME OF THAT, THAT CRIME IN THE CITY AND ALSO BRING AWARENESS ON THAT FAMILY VIOLENCE RESPONSE TIME. SO IF YOU CALL US FOR CALL FOR SERVICE, IF IT'S IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY, WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE WITHIN 2.39 MINUTES TO 2.5 MINUTES. WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE. AND THAT'S AN AVERAGE. WE MAY GET THERE IN LESS TIME BECAUSE WE'RE CLOSE BY. WE MAY GET THERE A LITTLE LONGER BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TIME OF DAY. IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT THAT IS. OUR OVERALL DISPATCH TIME IS 648. SO FROM THE TIME THAT A CALL IS CREATED UNTIL IT'S DISPATCHED AVERAGE OF 648, THEY TAKE A LOT LESS TIME. WHEN THEY'RE IN EMERGENCY, THEY TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER. IF PEOPLE DON'T GIVE PROVIDE THE RIGHT INFORMATION. SO THAT
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DISPATCH TIME, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT INFORMATION THE CALLER CAN GIVE AND PROVIDE. AND SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE. BUT WHATEVER TIME IT TAKES, THEY THEY PUT THAT INFORMATION OUT TO OUR PATROL. AND THEN WE WILL DISPATCH THAT OUR OVERALL TIME AT THE SCENE IS 27, ALMOST 30, ALMOST 28 MINUTES. SO IF YOU SEE OUR OFFICERS OUT AT A SCENE, MAYBE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HAD TO DO, CALL FOR SERVICE AT A AT A HOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU SEE THEM OUT THERE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ABOUT THE AVERAGE.THEY'RE THEY'RE GATHERING INFORMATION, THEY'RE GATHERING EVIDENCE. THEY'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH WHAT THE SITUATION IS AT HAND, AND THEN THEY WILL DEPART FROM THAT AND, AND LEAVE THE AREA. BUT THAT'S WHY THEY'RE OUT THERE FOR A LONG TIME. IF YOU CALL US, WE MAY NOT BE OUT THERE FOR TWO MINUTES. WE MAY BE OUT THERE FOR A WHILE, DEALING WITH THE SITUATION IN HAND AND GETTING AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN SO THAT WE CAN EITHER CAPTURE SOMEONE OR TAKE CARE OF WHATEVER. THE ISSUE IS THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE DISPATCHED TO. HERE'S OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2024 150 LESS CRIMES. AS WE TALKED ABOUT 1800 TO 1650, IT'S DOWN 8.4%. ONE HOMICIDE LAST YEAR. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF, EXCEPT THAT THE AVERAGE WAS FOUR. IF YOU SAW THAT ON THAT SLIDE. SO WE'RE DOWN TO ONE. AND THAT UNFORTUNATELY INVOLVED FAMILY VIOLENCE. IT WASN'T A RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE. IT WAS IT WAS A FAMILY VIOLENCE DEATH THAT TOOK PLACE. ROBBERIES ARE DOWN 17% TO LESS THAN 24 THAN IN 23. BUT THAT EQUATES TO 17% BECAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE LOW, WHICH IS TREMENDOUS. SEX OFFENSES WERE LOWERED BY 15%, BURGLARY OFFENSES DECREASED 45%, 58 LESS IN 24 THAN IN 23. A MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT, I SAID, HAS GONE DOWN. THAT'S BEEN TRENDING UP THE LAST FEW YEARS, NOT ONLY IN DESOTO BUT BUT REGION WIDE. AND UNITED STATES WIDE. IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT CARS ARE EASIER TO STEAL. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WITH ALL THE ANTI-THEFT THINGS THAT THEY PUT ON THEM, THEY'RE SOME OF THEM ARE EASIER TO STEAL. AND THE THIEVES KNOW HOW TO BYPASS ALARMS AND THINGS, AND THEY CAN GET INTO YOUR CAR QUICKER THAN YOU CAN TURN AROUND AND SEE THEM. 119,642 CALLS FOR SERVICE LAST YEAR. THAT'S NOT JUST CALLS FOR SERVICE WHERE YOU CALL US. THAT'S ALSO ALL THE CALLS THAT WE CREATE AND THAT I SAY WE CREATE. IF WE MAKE A TRAFFIC STOP, IF WE INTERACT WITH SOMEBODY, IT INVOLVES A INVOLVES AN ARREST OR SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT WE DISPATCH OURSELVES TO, THEN THOSE THOSE ARE CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT WE LOG IN WITH ALL THE CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT WE GET FROM CITIZENS AND REPORTING PEOPLE, EXTRA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SO WE ALWAYS TRY TO GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY MORE AND DO MORE THINGS WITH THE CITIZENS. SO WE STARTED SOME NEW THINGS. ONE IS CHICKEN WITH THE CHIEF AT CHICK FIL A. I WAS THERE AND HANDING OUT CHICKEN SANDWICHES AND ORDERS AND GREETING PEOPLE. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN AND WE WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN DOING SOME MORE OF THAT. THEY'VE ASKED US TO COME BACK. WE'VE ALSO DONE COFFEE WITH THE CHIEF AT STARBUCKS, AND CITY MANAGER CAME OUT. HE WAS THERE. WE HAD SOME OTHER CITY STAFF THERE AND DIRECTORS. AND SO IT GOT TO BE A LOT OF FUN. AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKED IT. THEY LIKE TO SEE US OUT THERE AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T SEE US, BUT AT TIMES LIKE THAT. AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD THING. AND WE DID TRUNK OR TREAT AT HALLOWEEN. THAT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. SERGEANT SUMMERS PUT THAT ON AND THAT WAS THAT WAS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO EVERY YEAR. AND OUR PARKING LOT AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DURING HALLOWEEN. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO DO SOME MORE.
NIKKI GILES IS IN THE BACK. SHE'S OUR COMMUNITY LIAISON. THAT DOES A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND SHE'S ALWAYS THINKING OF THINGS FOR US TO DO GET US OUT THERE. AND SHE'S SHE'S BUSY AS ANYTHING AND SHE LOVES IT. RACIAL PROFILE REPORT. EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO DO A RACIAL PROFILE OF ALL OUR TRAFFIC CONTACTS. THAT'S EVERY TRAFFIC CONTACT THAT WE MAKE, OUR OFFICERS MAKE. THEY HAVE TO RECORD IT. AND IT'S THE IT'S ALL PUT INTO A DATABASE FOR THE STATE. AND I HAVE TO DO A REPORT. THIS REPORT, IT'S IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT, BUT IT'S THIS REPORT THAT GOES OUT EVERY YEAR. I ALSO HAVE TO MAKE A AN ANALYSIS OF ALL THAT AND GIVE THAT COPY TO THE CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, THE MAYOR AND ALSO THE STATE. SO THEY WATCH WHAT WE DO. AND AGAIN, IT'S ALL IT'S ALL LISTED AS HOW MANY FEMALES, HOW MANY MALES WERE STOPPED OR THE RACE ETHNICITY WAS RACE OR ETHNICITY ETHNICITY KNOWN BEFORE A STOP, REASON FOR THE STOP, SO
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ON AND SO FORTH. AND ALL THE TRAFFIC CITATIONS WE GAVE OUT ARE THE STOPS. I'M SORRY IF THERE WAS A SEARCH, WHY WAS THE SEARCH CONDUCTED? WHAT WAS FOUND, DESCRIPTION OF ANYTHING THAT WAS FOUND, THE RESULT OF THE STOP, WHETHER IT WAS A VERBAL WARNING, 816. WRITTEN WARNING, 7732. CITATION 4810. SO IF YOU'RE ONE PERSON THAT GOT ONE, A WRITTEN CITATION THAT SAID YOU HAD TO PAY A FINE, YOU ARE ON THE LOW END BECAUSE WE GAVE OUT 7732 WRITTEN WARNINGS ALONG WITH THOSE VERBAL WARNINGS. THAT'S OVER 8000 WRITTEN WARNINGS. AND WHERE THERE WAS AN ARREST WITH 24 CITATION ARREST 220. AND THAT EQUATES TO 13,866 TOTAL TRAFFIC CONTACTS LAST YEAR. THIS POWERPOINT WILL BE OUT ON OUR WEBSITE, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT AND GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON ON ANYTHING TONIGHT CAN EMAIL ME. YOU CAN CALL ME. I THINK MOST PEOPLE KNOW MY NUMBER. IF THEY DON'T, THEY JUST CALL THE MAIN NUMBER AT THE PD AND THEY WILL. THEY CAN GET ME OR ASSISTANT CHIEF JESSICA AND WE CAN HELP THEM OUT WITH ANY INFORMATION THEY WANT. DIVERSITY IN THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT.HOW MANY OFFICERS DO WE HAVE? WELL, WE HAVE 88 BUDGETED POSITIONS. OUT OF THOSE 88, WE HAVE 81. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE MORE. NOW. THIS WAS AT THE END OF DECEMBER. WE HIRED A COUPLE MORE THAT ARE GOING TO BE GOING INTO AN ACADEMY OUT OF THOSE 81. AT THAT TIME, WE HAD SOME PEOPLE IN IN AN ACADEMY AND ALSO IN FIELD TRAINING, SO THEY'RE REALLY NOT ON THE STREET. WE HAD ABOUT 75 PEOPLE THAT WERE OUT ON THE STREET AT ANY TIME. BUT THEN YOU TAKE AWAY VACATIONS AND YOU TAKE THEM AWAY FOR BABY LEAVE OR OTHER OTHER TYPES OF LEAVE. THAT EQUATES US DOWN TO EVEN MORE, WHICH WE WERE DOWN AROUND 70. BUT OUT OF THOSE 81 THAT WE HAD, I ALWAYS TRY TO BREAK DOWN WHAT'S THE DIVERSITY? AND THIS IS THE DIVERSITY HERE IN THE DEPARTMENT WE HAVE 35.8% WHITE, 33.3% BLACK, 27.2 HISPANIC, 2.5 ASIAN. MULTIRACIAL, 1.2. WE HAVE 70 MALES AND 11 FEMALES. AND THERE'S THE PERCENTAGE OF THE DEPARTMENT. THE ONE THING THAT WE ARE ALL PROUD OF IS 64.2% TOTAL MINORITIES, MALE AND FEMALE IN THE DEPARTMENT. THAT'S TREMENDOUS. AND IN 2015, WE WERE AT 38.8. SO IN SEVEN YEARS WE'VE EIGHT YEARS I'M SORRY. WE'VE GONE UP TREMENDOUSLY. ALMOST DOUBLE. STILL NOT WHAT THE PERCENTAGES ARE IN THE CITY, BUT WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND WE KEEP MAKING STRIDES WITH OUR DIVERSITY. YEAH, I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, CHIEF, THAT'S THAT'S ACTUALLY VERY CLOSE. KNOWING WHAT OUR GOALS WERE FOR YOU ALL IN 2015 TO SEE THIS SHIFT AS IT HAS IS THAT'S VERY GOOD. GOOD WORK. SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK AND THE INTENTIONALITY YOU ALL HAVE DONE OVER THE YEARS TO GET THIS NUMBER HERE. IT'S AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S STILL SOME WORK TO DO. HOWEVER, IT'S THIS IS A GREAT GREAT TO SEE THESE NUMBERS. THANK YOU. YES. HOPE. MICROPHONE'S COMING. SO CONSIDERING THAT OUR CITY IS GROWING, COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW MANY OFFICERS THERE SHOULD BE PER. I THINK IT'S PER 10,000 PEOPLE. AND BASED ON WHERE THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT YOU HAVE TODAY AND OUR POPULATION TODAY, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH OFFICERS OR DO WE NEED MORE OFFICERS? LOADED QUESTION.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU WE ALWAYS NEED MORE OFFICERS. YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS GROWING AND IT'S GROWN A LOT SINCE JUST SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE IN 13 YEARS AND WE HAVEN'T GROWN THAT MUCH IN THE DEPARTMENT. SO YES, WE NEED TO WE NEED TO GROW OUR DEPARTMENT MORE SO THAT WE CAN DO THOSE SPECIALIZED THINGS THAT WE CAN WE CAN BE MORE VISIBLE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE CAN DO SOME SOME MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WE CAN DO OTHER THINGS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL DETER CRIME, AND THAT WILL HELP US SOLVE MORE CRIMES AS IF THEY'RE COMMITTED. AND SO WE CAN WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE. IF I HAD TO PUT A NUMBER, I'D SAY WE SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE AROUND 115, 120 FOR THE CITY OF OUR SIZE, FOR THE SIZE OF THE POPULATION AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, CRIME IS NOT RAMPANT IN THE CITY AS MUCH AS SOME PEOPLE THINK. IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF A CRIME, YOU THINK THAT THERE'S A CRIME WAVE GOING ON IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S NOT. BUT WE TRY TO KEEP A LID ON AS MUCH AS WE CAN. CAN WE DO BETTER? ABSOLUTELY. MORE PEOPLE DO. IT WILL DO BETTER, BUT WE WOULD DEPLOY THEM IN DIFFERENT AREAS. WE COULD PUT MORE K-9, MORE TRAFFIC OFFICERS, MORE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO DETER CRIME AND DEPLOY THEM IN THOSE THOSE HOTBED HIGH CRIME AREAS. SO THERE IS THERE IS A MEASUREMENT THAT THEY USE SOMETIMES. I KNOW YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT IT. HOW MANY PER 1000 DID I SAY NATIONWIDE. YEAH, IT'S
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SUPPOSED TO 2.12.4 OFFICERS PER 1000IN THE CITY. AND THAT'S THAT'S JUST A GAUGE THAT THAT THEY USE. SO YOU MULTIPLY THAT TIMES 59,000. SO WHAT WE'VE GOT THAT'S ABOUT WHERE WE WOULD BE A COMFORTABLE NUMBER 115 120. BUT WE CAN'T SAY HEY WE'RE GOING TO PUT 20 MORE PEOPLE ON. WE COULDN'T DO THAT. NUMBER ONE. WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO DO IT. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT SLOWLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. WE NEED TO CONTINUE DOING THAT AND CONTINUE WITH THOSE WITH THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO HIRE EVERY YEAR. SO, CHIEF, COULD YOU SPEAK? AND I DO SEE YOU, MISS. MISS GOODWIN, COULD YOU, WHILE WE'RE ON THAT TOPIC, THOUGH, BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND THE CURRENT VACANCIES, RIGHT, THAT'S ALWAYS A CONCERN FOR INDIVIDUALS. BUT COULD YOU SPEAK TO CIVIL SERVICE AND SOMEWHAT WHY? IT'S NOT JUST AS WE JUST NEED TO PUT SOME MORE PEOPLE IN THESE POSITIONS. IT DOES TAKE TIME. TIME AND THEIR PROCEDURES.SINCE WE ARE A CIVIL SERVICE CITY. SURE. SO WE'RE CIVIL SERVICE CITY, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE TO TAKE AN EXAM. WE HAVE TO GIVE AN EXAM TO PEOPLE. WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO PUT THAT OUT FOR 30 DAYS AT LEAST. AND WE HAVE ANOTHER EXAM COMING UP JUNE 2ND, JUNE 7TH, WE HAVE ANOTHER EXAM COMING. AND SO THAT'S ADVERTISED RIGHT NOW. AND SO PEOPLE CAN SIGN UP. AND WITH THAT WE HAVE AN EXAM WRITTEN EXAM. AND THEN IF YOU PASS THAT THEN YOU HAVE TO DO A PHYSICAL FITNESS ASSESSMENT. AND THAT'S WE USE A ROWER. AND BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH BODIES OF WATER HERE WE WANT TO SEE HOW YOU GROW. NO I'M JUST KIDDING. THAT'S A STANDARD THAT DPS USES. AND A LOT OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES ARE GOING TO THAT TO THE ROWING MACHINE. AND SO WE USE THAT THAT STANDARD.
AND ONCE YOU PASS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PASS. PASS. THERE'S NO NUMBER YOU HAVE TO REACH. BUT IF IT GAUGES BY YOUR HEIGHT, WEIGHT, YOUR AGE AND YOUR MALE OR FEMALE, AND THEN ONCE YOU PASS THAT, YOU'LL BE ON A LIST NUMERICALLY. AND WE HAVE TO GO IN ORDER. AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO BACKGROUNDS OR WE EITHER ELIMINATE PEOPLE OR WE TAKE THEM ON AND OFFER THEM A JOB UNTIL WE CAN GO INTO THE NEXT, NEXT PERSON ON THE LIST. AND WE'LL GO DOWN THE LIST AND EXHAUST THAT LIST. ONCE WE DO THAT, IF YOU'RE NOT CERTIFIED, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO IN AN ACADEMY. IT'S GOING TO TAKE ABOUT FIVE MONTHS. THEN YOU'RE GOING TO GO INTO FIELD TRAINING. IT'S GOING TO TAKE YOU ANOTHER THREE MONTHS MAYBE, AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON YOUR OWN AFTER THAT. SO 8 OR 9 MONTHS AFTER YOU TAKE AN EXAM AND THAT'S THAT'S CUTTING IT. RIGHT.
IF YOU'RE NUMBER ONE, YOU GO THROUGH DOWN THE LINE. WE GOT AN ACADEMY STARTING. AND THE BEST CASE SCENARIO THAT WOULD THAT WOULD BE 8 OR 9 MONTHS. ACTUALLY IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR TO A LITTLE OVER A YEAR THAT'S GOING TO TAKE US TO GET SOMEONE WHO IS NOT TRAINED ON THE STREET ON THEIR OWN. SO DURING THAT TIME, WE COULD LOSE MORE PEOPLE, WE COULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE OFF, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO OTHER THINGS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO HIRE, THEN WE'LL HAVE THOSE PEOPLE IN IN THE HARBOR TO COME ON. ALSO, IF THEY'RE CERTIFIED, WE CAN BRING THEM ON RIGHT AWAY. IF THEY'RE TCOLE CERTIFIED, THEY'RE A POLICE OFFICER SOMEWHERE ELSE, AND THEY'RE IN GOOD STANDING AND WE DO A WHOLE BACKGROUND ON THEM. WE CAN'T JUST TAKE PEOPLE ON AND JUST SAY, HEY, YOU'VE BEEN A POLICE OFFICER FOR FIVE YEARS, AND WHATEVER CITY WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU ON, HERE'S A BADGE, HERE'S A GUN, GO OUT AND DO YOUR JOB. THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. THEY STILL HAVE TO GO AND GET TRAINING WITH US. DEVELOP WHAT THE CITY OF DESOTO'S ORDINANCES ARE, WHAT OUR RULES ARE WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, AND ALSO WHAT WHAT WE HOLD PEOPLE TO AND WHAT OUR MISSION STATEMENT, OUR VISION, AND OUR VALUES ARE. AND SO THAT TAKES SOME TRAINING TO DO ALL THAT. AND THEN WITHIN THREE MONTHS OR SO THEY WOULD BE ON THE STREET. SO IT TAKES TIME TO GET SOMEONE ON THE STREET THAT'S THAT'S TAKING OUR EXAMS. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. BUT CIVIL SERVICE, WE HAVE A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW. AND, CHIEF, IF I MAY, IF YOU CAN CLARIFY AS WELL, FOR PROMOTIONS, WE HAVE TO PROMOTE FROM WITHIN HOUSE, CORRECT? YES. CIVIL SERVICE SAYS WE HAVE TO PROMOTE FROM WITHIN. YOU HAVE TO HAVE TWO YEARS IN THE PRIOR RANK BEFORE YOU'RE ELIGIBLE TO TAKE AN EXAM TO PROMOTE. WE HAVE TO GO DOWN IN ORDER. IF I SKIP OVER ANYBODY, I HAVE TO HAVE A VALID REASON WHY THEY CAN APPEAL IT.
WE CAN GO TO A COMMITTEE, A CIVIL SERVICE COMMITTEE, WHERE THEY WOULD BE GRANTED A GRIEVANCE HEARING. AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE THAT HEARING, WHICH WOULD TAKE A FEW MONTHS TO, TO PUT ON AND DO. BUT THERE IS A PROCESS AND WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT PROCESS THROUGH CIVIL SERVICE EDUCATION. YOU DID MENTION HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. ALL YOU NEED IS A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. BE IN GOOD STANDING, HAVE A GOOD BACKGROUND AND PASS THAT TEST AND WE'LL WE'LL BRING YOU ON BOARD. THANK YOU. OKAY. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION. YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION I DO OKAY. WE'LL WAIT. SOMEONE BACK THERE TALKED ABOUT THE RATIO OF OFFICERS TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY. AND I ALWAYS GO BACK TO WHAT I SAID EARLIER. HOW DOES THAT COMPARE WITH THE WORLD? DOES ANYBODY GET TO THAT CRITERIA THAT IS HAVING THAT EXACT. BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK
[00:50:06]
ABOUT THE NUMBER OF WHATEVER WE NEED, I ALWAYS SAY, HOW'S WHAT'S OUR COMPARATIVE? HOW ARE THEY DOING? AND IF EVERYBODY'S KIND OF IN THE SAME BOAT, I THINK AT LEAST I FEEL WE ARE DOING GOOD.MAYBE NOT THE BEST, BUT WE'RE AT LEAST DOING AS WELL AS EVERYBODY ELSE. AND THERE'S A REASON THAT WE'RE NOT AT THE PREMIUM AT THE TOP REQUIREMENT. SO IT'S MORE OF A STATEMENT THAN A QUESTION THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S BAD UNLESS EVERYBODY ELSE IS MEETING THAT CRITERIA OF HAVING TWO POINT SOMETHING TO EVERY THOUSAND PEOPLE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SURE. WE DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, OKAY. YOU DON'T. BUT IT'S NOT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE TERRIBLE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT. I DIDN'T SAY WE WERE TERRIBLE EITHER. I SAY IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CRIME STATS, WE'RE DOING OKAY WITH WHAT WE HAVE. ABSOLUTELY I CAN WE CAN WE DO BETTER? YES. IF WE HAD MORE PEOPLE, AS I SAID, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE MORE CRIMES, HOPEFULLY THAT WE DETER PEOPLE AND WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY CRIMES THAT ARE COMMITTED. BUT YOU HAVE TO PUT A NUMBER ON IT AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A SYSTEM OF WHAT YOU NEED. AND SO THAT, AS I SAID, THAT 2.4 PER 1000 IS THE BEST RATIO THAT THEY'VE COME UP WITH OVER THE YEARS. AND SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S SET IN STONE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE 2.5. SOME CITIES HAVE MORE THAN THAT.
THEY HAVE A LOT MORE BECAUSE THEY HAVE ARLINGTON HAS PROBABLY MORE THAN THAT. THEIR BUDGET POSITIONS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT AND EVENTS THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR CITY. SO THEY NEED EXTRA OFFICERS TO HANDLE THAT AND TO KEEP THE CRIME DOWN IN THE CITY. IT DEPENDS ON THE CITY. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE CITY. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT CITY AT THE TIME. YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE SOME OF THOSE BIGGER CITIES. DALLAS, FOR INSTANCE, THEY'RE DOWN SEVERAL HUNDRED AND THEY'RE TRYING TO PUT ON AS MANY, AND THEY'VE GOT PIE IN THE SKY THAT THEY WANT TO PUT ON 3 OR 400 AT A TIME. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY CAN REACH THAT, BUT THEY'RE TRYING. THEY SET A GOAL SO THEY KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO DO THOSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ALSO TO DETER CRIME AND KEEP CRIME DOWN. YES. AND THEN COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW THE CITY OF DESOTO PD IS CALEA ACCREDITED, UNLIKE OUR CONTIGUOUS CITIES, AND WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW THAT AT ALL WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT OUR TRAINING. SO THE CITY OF DESOTO HAS BEEN CALEA. THAT'S A NATIONAL STANDARD, NATIONAL ACCREDITATION. WE'VE BEEN ACCREDITED THROUGH CALEA SINCE 95, I BELIEVE, AND WE'VE CARRIED THAT ON. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE HAVE AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S FEDERAL THAT LOOKS AT ALL OUR POLICIES, OUR PROCEDURES, AND THEY THEY GAUGE THEM AND THEY THEY RATE OUR, OUR DEPARTMENT AS FAR AS HOW WE'RE DOING BUSINESS. AND IF WE SAY WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SAY WE'RE DOING. AND SO WITH THAT, WE GET ACCREDITATION, WHICH TELLS US THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS. AND THERE'S NOT THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE CALEA CERTIFIED OR ACCREDITED. THERE ARE A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS IN THE IN TEXAS THAT ARE STATE CERTIFIED THROUGH ANOTHER PROGRAM. THAT'S WITHIN TEXAS. SOME SAY THAT'S BETTER THAN CALEA BECAUSE IT'S WITHIN TEXAS, BUT WE'RE NATIONALLY ACCREDITED, AND I THINK THAT LOOKS BETTER BECAUSE WE'RE COMPARED TO OTHER AGENCIES IN THE UNITED STATES. SO WE HAVE CREDITORS COME DOWN AND THEY LOOK AT OUR POLICIES. THEY THEY WILL RANDOMLY LOOK AT THINGS AND SEE HOW WE'RE DOING. AND THEN THEY'LL FIND THEY'LL FIND DEFICIENCIES, THEY'LL FIND FLAWS, THEY'LL BRING THEM UP TO US AND WE'LL HAVE TO CORRECT THOSE. AND THEN WE GET A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH AT THE END OF THEIR PROCESS. AND EVERY YEAR THEY DO A REVIEW. EVERY THREE YEARS WE GET ANOTHER ACCREDITATION PLAQUE FOR OUR, OUR CERTIFICATION. SO IT'S A GOOD PROCESS AND IT HOLDS US ACCOUNTABLE. WHAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD KNOW IS THAT WE'RE HELD TO ANOTHER STANDARD AND NOT ONLY OUR OWN STANDARD OR POLICE STANDARD. IT'S A NATIONAL STANDARD THAT WE'RE HELD TO. AND SO WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB AT KEEPING THOSE POLICIES IN SHAPE AND UPDATED AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
AND IT'S GOOD TO HAVE ANOTHER SET OF EYES COME IN AND LOOK AT OUR DEPARTMENT, LOOK AT OUR POLICIES, OUR PROCEDURES, AND TELL US WHAT WE'RE DOING GOOD AND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOT SO GOOD. AND WE MAKE IT BETTER. AND THEN WE GET ACCREDITED AND WE MOVE ON. SO WE'RE PROUD OF THAT.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO STAY NATIONALLY ACCREDITED. OKAY. WE HAVE SOME VOLUNTEERS IN THE DEPARTMENT THAT WE COULDN'T DO THE THINGS THAT WE DO WITHOUT THEM. ONE GROUP IS CALLED CITIZENS ON PATROL. LIEUTENANT CHRIS HUERTA IS THE LIAISON TO THAT. HE DIRECTS THEM AND THE COORDINATORS, MYRA RAND, SHE'S ACTIVE IN THE CITY AND A LOT OF THINGS, BUT SHE REALLY HELPS OUT AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE 23 VOLUNTEERS THERE. THAT'S WHAT ONE OF THEIR TWO CARS LOOKS
[00:55:05]
LIKE. THESE ARE SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT THEY THAT THEY DO WHEN THEY DONATE THEIR HOURS TO US. TOTAL OF 8888. TOTAL HOURS FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER AND 24. AND THAT'S THOSE ARE ALL THE CATEGORIES THAT THEY HELP US OUT. THEY HELP US OUT AT THE FOOTBALL GAMES, AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. THEY HELP US OUT WITH ALL DIFFERENT KIND OF COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WE DO, AND WE'RE REAL PROUD OF THEM. THEY DO A LOT OF GOOD WORK FOR FREE, AND I TRY TO TAKE CARE OF THEM AS MUCH AS I CAN, GIVE THEM SOME NICE UNIFORMS, GIVE THEM SOME NICE VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT SO THAT THEY CAN DO THEIR JOB. THEY DON'T RESPOND TO AS FIRST RESPONDERS. THEY'RE OUR EYES AND EARS THAT ARE OUT THERE. IT'S ABOUT THEM BEING VISIBLE. IT'S ABOUT THEM GOING INTO SOME OF THOSE AREAS WHERE WE WANT SOME HIGHER VISIBILITY, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT THEM JUST LETTING US KNOW WHAT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, OR CALLING A PATROL TO COME OUT AND LOOK AT SOMETHING AS THEY AS THEY SEE THE DESOTO POLICE, CLERGY AND COMMUNITY, THIS IS ALL THE HOURS THAT THEY DON'T, THEY DONATE TO US. AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT THEY DO. A LIST OF THINGS. AS I SAID, THEY HELP OUT ATHLETIC EVENTS. THEY HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS.OBVIOUSLY THEY DO JAIL MINISTRY. THEY DO MINISTERS ON CALL, THEY DO SOME OUTREACH, AND WE CALL ON THEM WHEN WE NEED THEM TO HELP WITH VICTIMS, WITH WITNESSES, AND ALSO WITH OUR OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES TOO. SO THEY THEY HELP US OUT QUITE A BIT, AND THEY'RE A GOOD RESOURCE FOR US.
SO THE RESERVE OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES, WE HAVE SOME RESERVES IN OUR DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE A TOTAL OF EIGHT, AND THEY DO VARIOUS DUTIES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE ONE OFFICER ASSIGNED TO PATROL AND SHE ALSO HELPS OUT IN JAIL TRANSPORTS. ONE OF THEM DOES FINGERPRINTS AND DOES LEADS ONLINE. THAT'S A THAT'S A DATABASE WHERE THEY TRACK STOLEN PROPERTY THROUGH PAWNSHOPS. AND WE RECOVER A LOT OF PROPERTY AND ALSO MAKE ARRESTS BECAUSE WE FIND OUT WHO PAWNED PROPERTY THAT WAS STOLEN FROM OUR CITY AND OTHER CITIES AS WELL. TWO OFFICERS DO OUR SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATIONS FOR EVERY SEX OFFENDER THAT'S IN THE CITY. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE LIVING WHERE THEY'RE LIVING. WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT VIOLATING ANY, ANY LAWS OR THEIR PROBATION OR PAROLE, WHATEVER THEY'RE ON, AND ALSO THAT THEY ARE WORKING WHERE THEY SAY THEY'RE WORKING. SO WE HAVE TO DO RANDOM CHECKS ON THEM, AND WE HAVE THEM COME IN. AND SO THAT THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO DO THAT. WE HAVE THESE TWO RESERVES THAT THAT DO THAT. AND SO THAT HELPS US OUT QUITE A BIT. THEY ALSO WILL MAKE ARRESTS FROM TIME TO TIME FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN VIOLATION OF THEIR CONDITIONS ON THEIR THEIR PAROLE OR PROBATION. WE HAVE ONE OFFICER ASSIGNED TO SPECIAL PROJECTS AND EVENTS AND HELPS US OUT PLANNING ANY KIND OF SPECIAL EVENTS THAT WE DO IN THE CITY OR THAT WE DO AT THE DEPARTMENT. THEY'LL HELP US OUT WITH THAT, PLANNING THEM AND PUTTING THEM ON. ONE OFFICER IS ASSIGNED TO ASSIST OUR SERGEANT LYONS, WHO'S OVER OUR FACILITY IN OUR VEHICLES, AND THEY'RE PRETTY BUSY BECAUSE OUR VEHICLES ARE EITHER GETTING DAMAGED AND THEY'VE GOT TO BE FIXED. AND SO THEY'RE BEING TRANSPORTED TO AND FROM DIFFERENT PLACES. WE GET NEW RADIO SYSTEMS. THEY GOT TO BE INSTALLED. THEY HELP MAKE SURE THAT ALL THAT IS SMOOTH AND THE TRANSITION IS GOOD. SO THEY'RE PRETTY BUSY. ONE OFFICER IS A GRANT WRITER AND A HISPANIC LIAISON, AND SHE'S GOTTEN US A BUNCH OF MONEY, WHICH WE'LL SHOW YOU IN A MINUTE THROUGH THROUGH GRANTS. AND SHE SHE'S VERY BUSY, TOO. AND ONE OFFICER IS ASSIGNED STRICTLY TO JAIL TRANSPORTS.
THEY COME IN A COUPLE OF DAYS A WEEK. THEY'RE NOT THERE EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. AND SO THEY COME IN WHEN THEY HAVE TIME AVAILABLE. THEY ARE ON SET SCHEDULES, BUT THEY'RE NOT THERE EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. SO THEY'RE LIMITED TIME THAT THEY HELP US WITH. IT HELPS US OUT A LOT. YES. HEY, CHIEF, I WAS WONDERING WHAT YOUR CAN YOU EXPAND ON WHAT YOUR HISPANIC LIAISON DOES? FOR EXAMPLE, I WOULD LOVE THIS POWERPOINT IN SPANISH. SO OUR HISPANIC LIAISON IS ACTUALLY LUPE VALDEZ, WHO USED TO BE THE SHERIFF IN DALLAS COUNTY. AND SO SHE'S TASKED WITH GOING OUT INTO HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND MAKING INROADS AND MAKING CONTACT WITH THE CHURCHES AND WITH THE COMMUNITY GROUPS. SHE'S WORKING NOW WITH NICKI GILES. I SAID IN THE BACK, OUR COMMUNITY LIAISON. SO SHE'S SOMEONE THAT YOU CAN PROBABLY TALK TO, TO GET TO KNOW AND TELL HER WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AND THEY'LL HELP YOU OUT. I CAN MAKE THAT THAT, THAT CONTACT. HAPPEN.
ONE OF THOSE PRIORITIES BE TRANSLATING SOME OF THIS INFORMATION YOU DO IN SPANISH.
ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. GOOD. GOOD IDEA. WE CAN DO THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR RESERVES I SAID THEY WE ONLY HAVE EIGHT OF THEM. BUT THEY THEY MAKE ARRESTS. THEY THEY WRITE CITATIONS RECOVERIES AT THE PAWNSHOPS I SAID SEX OFFENDER CHECKS, ARRESTS, COMPLIANCE. THEY'VE DONE 150 PLUS OF THOSE IN 24. THEY HELP WITH JAIL TRANSPORTS. SO 963 ARE WHAT WE DID FOR JAIL TRANSPORTS. AND THE COUNTY IS SUPPOSED TO TRANSPORT
[01:00:05]
THREE DAYS A WEEK. WE TRANSPORT FOUR DAYS A WEEK, AND THE COUNTY DID 844. WE DID 1807 TRANSPORTS TO DALLAS COUNTY. AND THAT'S PEOPLE THAT ARE UNDER ARREST IN DESOTO, IN CEDAR HILL, IN DUNCANVILLE, IN LANCASTER, IN GLENN HEIGHTS AND OTHER AREAS WHERE WE TAKE IN SOME OF THOSE, THOSE ARRESTEES THAT COME TO OUR DEPARTMENT. IF THEY DON'T GET BAIL OR BONDED OUT, THEN THEY WILL GO TO THE COUNTY IN THE NEXT, NEXT MORNING OR THAT NIGHT, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE SITUATION IS. GRANTS IS WHERE SHE HELPED US OUT WITH GRANTS. I TOLD YOU OUR RESERVE AND WE RECEIVED OVER 500,000 FOR K9 AS A HORSE RANCH OFFICER, WELLNESS, A TEEN MENTOR, TRUANCY PREVENTION PROGRAM, NARCAN. WE JUST GOT $10,000 FROM THE DA'S OFFICE TO PURCHASE NARCAN AND GIVE IT TO OUR OFFICERS, AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE SOME OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO WE'RE WE'RE DOING SOME GOOD THINGS WITH THAT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE NEED NARCAN TO SAVE LIVES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO SAVE LIVES. AND, AND THAT MEANS WE GET NARCAN AND ISSUE THAT OUT. BRASS TRACKS IS A TRACKING SYSTEM FOR GUNSHOTS AND THEIR SHELL CASINGS. SPECIAL EVENTS.WE DID THE POLICE GAMES LAST YEAR. WE HOSTED FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS. THE TEXAS POLICE GAMES DREW A FEW THOUSAND PEOPLE HERE FOR A WEEK WITH ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPORTS. SENIOR SYMPOSIUM A HEALTH FAIR RACC IS A CONFERENCE THAT WE PUT ON EVERY NOW AND THEN FOR POLICE OFFICERS. 14 STATES WIDE POLICE ANNUAL BANQUET, CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY, LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL SERVICE, WHICH WILL BE MAY 14TH IN FRONT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND TEXAS NIGHT OUT AND NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, WHICH OCCUR IN AUGUST AND OCTOBER. OKAY, JANUARY THROUGH MARCH.
HERE'S A COMPARISON THAT WE'RE UP TO DATE NOW. SO THESE JUST CAME IN. WE'RE TRENDING DOWN 8.2 OR 3% FROM LAST YEAR. WE WERE AT 422 CRIMES THAT WERE THAT WERE REPORTED 392 THIS YEAR. SO WE'RE TRENDING DOWN AGAIN. EVERYTHING IN THE YELLOW HAS GONE DOWN AND EVERYTHING IN THE YELLOW DOWN HERE IN THE DISTRICT HAS GONE DOWN. DISTRICT FOUR IS THE ONLY ONE THAT TRENDED UP BY ABOUT 1414 CRIMES. SO AGAIN TRENDING DOWN IS GOOD. WE'RE WE'RE DOING GOOD SO FAR THIS THIS YEAR. AND THERE'S THAT HEAT MAP THAT WAS PLACED EARLIER IN HERE. JUST TO KEEP YOU GUESSING ON WHAT IT WAS THAT WAS THIS THE SAME ONE AND JUST SHOWS WHERE THE CRIMES ARE BEING COMMITTED, THE INFLUX OF CRIMES FOR THIS YEAR SO FAR JANUARY THROUGH MARCH. IMMIGRATION. SO THERE'S BEEN SOME CONCERNS AND SOME QUESTIONS OF OUR DEPARTMENT ABOUT WHAT WE DO WITH IMMIGRATION. AND, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE NATION NOW, PEOPLE ARE NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND SO I WANTED TO PUT THIS SLIDE UP THERE. AND IF YOU BEAR WITH ME, I WANT TO READ IT SO THAT YOU YOU KNOW WHAT WE DO. DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT HAVE A FORMAL AGREEMENT WITH THE US IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT. ICE UNDER 287 G. THIS MEANS THAT OUR OFFICERS DON'T ENFORCE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS, NOR DO THEY DETAIN INDIVIDUALS BASED SOLELY ON THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS. HOWEVER, AS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE COMMITTED TO PUBLIC SAFETY, WE WILL ALWAYS ASSIST ANY AGENCY, INCLUDING ICE, WHEN THEY REQUEST HELP WITH ARREST, SEARCHES OR OTHER LAWFUL OPERATIONS THEY CONDUCT WITHIN THE CITY OF DESOTO, OUR PRIORITY IS ENSURING THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF ALL RESIDENTS AND SUPPORTING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES. NO CITIZENS SHOULD BE AFRAID TO CALL THE DESOTO POLICE IF THEY ARE A VICTIM OR A WITNESS OF A CRIME, NO MATTER THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS, WE REMAIN DEDICATED TO SERVING AND PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY WITH FAIRNESS, PROFESSIONALISM AND INTEGRITY. IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US.
THAT'S THE FLOCK CAMERAS. THIS IS WHAT THEY DO. THEY TAKE PICTURES OF LICENSE PLATES.
THEY'LL TAKE THAT AND THEY'LL TRACK IT AND THEY'LL TELL US IF IT'S STOLEN AND IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR A CERTAIN CAR, AS I SAID, WE CAN GO MINE THAT DATA. WE HAVE SEVERAL OF THEM IN THE CITY NOW HAVE GOTTEN THEM. THEY'RE ABOUT $3,000 APIECE A YEAR. AND THAT'S ALL IT WILL COST YOU. AND YOU'VE GOT THAT WHOLE DATABASE. SO WE'VE ENCOURAGED COMMUNITY GROUPS AND HOAS TO PURCHASE THEM. AND THEY HAVE THEY PUT THEM UP AND THEY'VE HELPED US WITH THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE'S OUR TIP FOR ONE ONE, AS I SAID, 847411. REMEMBER THAT IF YOU WANT TO JUST TEXT US, YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK TO ANYBODY, BUT YOU WANT TO GET THE INFORMATION TO US. THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT. IF YOU TEXT US, THEN YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE TIP 411 AND THAT IS THE END. AND I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. CHIEF, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE ARE
[01:05:05]
AT OUR TIME THAT WE HAD ALLOTTED FOR TONIGHT. HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS I'M GOING TO ASK IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, IF YOU COULD COME TO THE CENTER AISLE. SO WE'LL SEE HOW MANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE REMAINING IN THE AUDIENCE, IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO STAND, IF YOU COULD COME TO THE CENTER AISLE SO THAT YOU CAN ASK YOUR QUESTION. CHIEF. IT'S ON. YES.OKAY. CHIEF, I WAS ALLOWING YOU TO GO THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION BEFORE I ASK THE QUESTION, WHICH IS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND THE RESPONSE. 911 RESPONSES TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS. ARE WE MOVING TOWARD HAVING A SPECIALIZED TEAM THAT DOES THAT TYPE OF RESPONSE? JUST I WANTED YOU TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO HERE IN THIS CITY. OKAY. GREAT QUESTION DENISE. SO WE WILL BE DOING A PRESENTATION, A SHORT PRESENTATION ON HOW WE HOW THE STATUS OF THAT'S GOING ON MONDAY AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. BUT YES, WE'RE MOVING TOWARD A CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM, WHICH IS A AN EMERGENT TEAM, A 911, AS YOU SAY, JUST AN EMERGENT TEAM. IF WE AND WE'RE WORKING ALL THE PARTICULARS OUT AND THE TEAM OUT AND EVERYTHING AGAIN, SERGEANT SUMMERS IS HERE WITH US AND HE'S GOING TO BE OVER THAT AS HE IS WITH THE CARE TEAM AS IT EXISTS NOW. SO WE ARE MOVING TO A CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM THAT WE CAN GO WE CAN DEPLOY ANYTIME OF THE DAY IF WE GET ENOUGH PEOPLE AND WE CAN DEPLOY THEM TO THOSE THOSE CALLS THAT ARE MENTAL HEALTH, BUT THEY WILL INVOLVE AN OFFICER THAT'S GOING TO BE IN PLAINCLOTHES, NOT IN A UNIFORM, BUT CONSPICUOUSLY DISPLAYING A BADGE SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEIR POLICE OFFICER, JUST SO THAT WE KEEP THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED THERE. SO YES, WE ARE MOVING TOWARD THAT. AND IT WILL BE A CITY OF DESOTO TEAM THAT'S GOING TO BE OUT THERE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE A REGIONAL TEAM RIGHT NOW. WE'RE GOING TO PILOT IT IN THE CITY OF DESOTO. ANYTHING ELSE? YES, SIR.
THIS GOES THIS GOES PRETTY FAR BACK INTO YOUR PRESENTATION. I DIDN'T WANT TO STOP YOU. IF YOU REMEMBER THE CATEGORY, I THINK IT WAS CALLED. LET ME LOOK REAL QUICK. COLLEAGUES WITH CONTACT OR OFFENSES WITH CONTACT. IT WAS AN OFFENSE WITH CONTACT. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS UNDER FAMILY. I WAS UNDER FAMILY VIOLENCE. SO OFFENSIVE CONTACT MEANS THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF CONTACT.
SO THERE'S A YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FAMILY VIOLENCE WITH THREATS AND INTIMIDATION. AND THERE'S ALSO FAMILY VIOLENCE WITH WITH OFFENSIVE CONTACT. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT A, A BIG INJURY. THERE'S A CONTACT, THERE'S A PUSH, THERE'S A SHOVE. SO THAT'S AN OFFENSE WITH CONTACT. THE ONLY REASON I WAS ASKING ABOUT IT, IT WENT UP PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY, ALMOST ABOUT 30%. AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE TRACKING IT DIFFERENTLY OR IT JUST WAS JUST HAPPENED. NO. AND AGAIN, THE GOOD THING WITH THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THEY WENT UP. BUT DID WE BRING AWARENESS TO THE FACT THAT, HEY, IF YOU'RE IN A SITUATION, A PUSH, A SHOVE, A CONTACT THAT DOESN'T ARISE TO AN INJURY OF ANY, ANY TYPE IS STILL SOMETHING YOU SHOULDN'T BE INVOLVED IN IN A RELATIONSHIP. LET'S GET YOU HELP. LET'S GET THAT PERSON HELP. LET'S DO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU OUT, BUT REPORT IT SO THAT IT CAN STOP. IT DOESN'T ESCALATE TO SOMETHING ELSE. SO OFFENSIVE CONTACT.
OBVIOUSLY WE TRACK THOSE AND THEY WENT UP AND MAYBE IT'S DUE TO AWARENESS I'M NOT SURE WE DO TRY TO TRACK WHAT THAT IS. SO I'M HOPING THAT IT'S THROUGH AWARENESS AND THAT WE GET MORE OF THOSE THAT ARE REPORTED THAN MORE SERIOUS CRIMES. ANTON. THANK YOU. I JUST ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE FLOCK CAMERAS. YOU MENTIONED THAT THE GROUPS CAN HELP FUND THE $3,000 TO PUT THEM IN. IS THAT FUNDING KIND OF TO HELP SUBSIDIZE THE POLICE'S COST? IS IT THE POLICE'S FLOCK CAMERA, OR IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACTUALLY DOING ANY MONITORING THEMSELVES WITH THAT DATA? HOW DOES THAT RELATIONSHIP WORK WHEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BUYS THE FLOCK CAMERA? SO NEIGHBORHOOD BUYS THE CAMERA ON THEIR OWN AND THEY INSTALL IT WHEREVER THAT THEY WANT, AND THEY HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER THAT DATABASE. IF THEY WANT TO GIVE US ACCESS TO IT, THEY CAN GIVE US ACCESS TO THAT DATABASE. SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT A CERTAIN TIME, WE CAN GET INTO THAT FLOCK CAMERA, WE CAN LOOK AT IT, OR THEY CAN JUST GIVE US THE INFORMATION FROM THE FLOCK CAMERA AND SEND THE SEND THE INFORMATION TO US. SO IF THEY PICK UP A SOMEBODY WHO'S ON THE MOST WANTED LIST, IT'S UP TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU ALL. IN THAT SITUATION, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. WE WOULD APPRECIATE IF THEY GET IF THEY GET A HIT ON THAT FLOCK CAMERA THAT THEY SEND IT TO US. BUT IT'S ALSO GOOD IF THEY GIVE US THE AVAILABILITY TO ACCESS THAT, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE THAT INFORMATION FIRSTHAND AND THEN WE CAN DEAL WITH THAT RIGHT AWAY. CHIEF, I GOT A QUESTION ABOUT REGARDING THE COOPERATION OF THE DEPARTMENT. DOES YOUR OFFICERS DO THEY ALLOW OR DO
[01:10:01]
THEY ACCEPT ANY KIND OF FOREIGN ID FORMS VERSUS THE TEXAS ID FORMS? IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT IT IS. FOR EXAMPLE, EL SALVADORANS HAVE THE DUIS, MEXICANS HAVE THE MATRICULA. AND I BELIEVE THE VENEZUELANS RIGHT NOW, THEY THEY THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF OTHER IDS. IS THAT VALID HERE? BECAUSE IN IRVINE THERE WERE SOME TIMES THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A PART OF TIME THAT IRVINE WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY FOREIGN ID AS A MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION. WE ALL WE ALWAYS LIKE PEOPLE TO HAVE AN ID THAT'S, THAT'S IN THIS NATION. BUT INTERNATIONAL DRIVER'S LICENSES, WE RESPECT THOSE. AND COMING FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, IF WE DON'T IDENTIFY IT THEN WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT. IF WE DON'T HAVE IT IN OUR DATABASE, HOW TO HOW TO IDENTIFY WHAT IT IS. SO IT GETS A LITTLE SKETCHY WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS THAT COME ACROSS. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? HEY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE IT. ANY QUESTIONS YOU CAN GO ON OUR ON OUR WEBSITE. OR YOU CAN GO TO OUR FACEBOOK, ASK A QUESTION ON THE FACEBOOK, AND WE'LL ANSWER YOU AS SOON AS WE CAN. OR YOU CAN SEND AN EMAIL TO ME, TEXT ME, CALL ME WHATEVER YOU WANT, AND WE'LL WE'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. SO MY EMAIL IS JAY ACOSTA AT DESOTO TEXAS.GOV. MY FIRST INITIAL, MY LAST NAME AT THE SOTO TEXAS ALL SPELLED OUT.GOV GOV. AND I APPRECIATE IT. AND EVERYBODY BE SAFE AND WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN WHEN WE DO OUR NEXT TOWN HALL. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. IT IS 8:41 P.M. AND WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. YES.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.