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2022 06 21 BPAC Minutes MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN June 21, 2022 The Baytown Police Advisory Committee (BPAC) met in a Meeting on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, at 6:02 P.M. in the Rundell Hall Conference Room of Lee College, located at 200 Lee Drive, Baytown, Texas with the following in attendance: Lt. Rodney Evans Committee Member Dr. Marissa Moreno Vice Chairperson Dr. June Stansky Committee Member Richard Hunsinger Committee Member Michael Springer Committee Member Eric Bolenbaucher Chairperson Angela Jackson Assistant Secretary John Stringer Police Chief Jerris Mapes Legal Counsel Chairperson Eric Bolenbaucher convened the June 21,2022,Baytown Police Advisory Committee (BPAC)Meeting with a quorum present at 6:02 P.M., all members were present with the exception of the absence of Committee Member Yulanda Braxton and Committee Member Cpl. Steve Ocanas. 1. MINUTES a. Consider approving the minutes of the Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting held on May 24, 2022. A motion was made by Committee Member Dr. June Stansky and seconded by Committee Member Richard Hunsinger to approve the meeting minutes of the Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting held on May 24, 2022, as submitted. The vote was as follows: Ayes: Chairperson Eric Bolenbaucher, Committee Member Lt. Rodney Evans, Vice Chairperson Dr. Marissa Moreno, Committee Member Dr. June Stansky, Committee Member Richard Hunsinger, and Committee Member Michael Springer Nays: None Other: Committee Member Yulanda Braxton (Absent) and Committee Member Cpl. Steve Ocanas (Absent) Approved Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes June 21,2022 Page 2 of 10 2. CITIZEN INPUT a. Receive citizen input concerning police outreach, community policing, officer training, as well as policies and procedures. Chairperson Bolenbaucher relayed the rules and procedures for the citizens that signed up to speak. Mr. Mark Sattibus brought to the Committee's attention the issues in his neighborhood, which consist of burglary and theft that are tied to the crack houses. A few of his neighbors were present at the meeting that have lived in the area for sixty-plus years and are plagued by the same issue. There was a known crack house in the neighborhood that residents had called the police on several times. In a recent burglary, residents believed arrests would be made,but only the stolen property was returned to the owner. Mr. Sattibus expressed residents felt as though nothing was being done with those individuals plaguing their neighborhood. Police Chief John Stringer inquired for Mr. Sattibus' address once more and requested to speak with him privately. Mr. Sattibus graciously accepted and stated he was there to address that they needed protection in the neighborhood. If the police could get that crack house out of their neighborhood and the individuals in it, the residents would appreciate that. Chairperson Bolenbaucher took a moment to echo Chief Stringer's statement.The BPAC did want there to be a formal collection of information,but the Committee wanted to make sure that certain confidential information did not get put on the record. Ms. Kim Kosteck spoke on an issue she experienced multiple times with the police. She relayed her stepson's living situation due to his very troubled behavior. She had admitted her stepson in various programs, which she had informed the police of every single time they had been to their home. Ms. Kosteck emphasized they were trying everything from social work programs to therapy. Nonetheless,every time the police came to their home,Ms. Kosteck testified that they were treated horribly as parents. One of the last incidents, her stepson tried to walk around the neighborhood but her husband tried to follow with his car and the stepson ran off. Ms. Kosteck explained he was twelve years old and bigger than she was. The officer had told her if she wanted to file him as a runaway, she could just go down to the Police Station and do that. The officer further stated that it was Ms. Kosteck's problem and that the police had more important things to deal with so she told the officer that she would go to the Police Station to file her stepson as a runaway and file a complaint on the officer as well. At that point, the officer demeanor changed and decided to help. Ms. Kosteck shared that was not their first time encountering such situation and she desired the police to be trained on how to deal with desperate parents struggling with their youth. In spite of Ms. Kosteck's proactiveness with her stepson,police treated them horribly and she knew of other parents that struggled with that same situation as well. By the time those families called the police, it was because they had no other option. Chairperson Bolenbaucher asked Ms. Kosteck a question regarding the last encounter she had of that nature and she answered their last encounter was on April 29,2022. Chairperson Bolenbaucher wondered if any of the officers since September 2021 ever introduced the new mental health initiative that the Baytown Police Department(BPD)had in place. Ms. Kosteck was familiar with Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes June 21,2022 Page 3 of 10 it and had requested it as she had told the police about her stepson's mental health diagnosis; however, she answered no. The mental health officers were never deployed when she requested them in those particular situations. One officer had even told her, "All they are, are a different cop with an iPad."Ms. Kosteck had conversations with the Chief about that and knew that was not the case. After further discussing her frustrations, Chairperson Bolenbaucher thanked and reassured Ms. Kosteck that the Committee would look in to the issue.Ms. Kosteck appreciated the sentiment but reiterated that she was not an anomaly. Chairperson Bolenbaucher encouraged those other parents as that was what the Citizen Input portion of their meetings were for. Ms. Kosteck suggested BPD offer some type of community service for kids, where she did not have to pay the associated fines. If there was some type of bridge there, Ms. Kosteck expressed that would be amazing. In regards to the comment about the cops with iPads, Committee Member Dr. Stansky informed Ms. Kosteck that there were health professionals on the other end of those iPads. Ms. Kosteck was familiar with that,but it was very downplayed to her. Chairperson Bolenbaucher promised that the Police Chief and himself would personally have a conversation with that officer. Furthermore,Ms. Kosteck mentioned that she was friends with a certain officer who she contacted every single time she had an issue with the police. Police Chief Stringer added that the Crisis Intervention Team ("CIT")was fairly new and that there were new mental health programs that were being developed in coalitions. Mr.Cordy Jackson noted he was from LaPorte and was present to complain about a couple officers from Baytown. He shared that he hated the fact that he had to complain; however, when he went to the Police Department, he did not receive any help. Instead, officers tried to figure out who Mr. Jackson was complaining against and tried to make him look like a criminal. With that being said, Mr. Jackson stated he was there to complain against a Baytown police officer that lived in his neighborhood in LaPorte. The officer liked to drive through the 35-speed-limit neighborhood at sixty or seventy miles an hour in his patrol unit. Mr. Jackson insisted that needed to stop as there were a lot of kids in the neighborhood. Furthermore, he relayed another incident with a Baytown officer speeding at 105 miles an hour with no lights nor sirens on. Mr.Jackson gave the Committee his unit number, a description of the vehicle, and stated the incident was on April 13th between 15:00 P.M. and 15:30 P.M. Mr. Jackson further discussed the issue of officers speeding and how it was not only a Baytown issue. He expected police officers to be the pillars of the community and demanded they stop whipping through traffic. Officers were putting themselves and citizens in danger because of their speeding. Mr. Samuel Woodard wished to make a compliment on a certain officer. He described an incident when he was pulled over three months ago after his mother suffered a massive heart attack. He was headed home after being at the hospital for forty-nine hours and was going twenty miles over the speed limit. However, the officer that pulled him over saw that Mr. Woodard was in distress and did not give him a ticket. Mr. Woodard wished to note there were good officers and that there needed to be more like them. Also, Mr. Woodard wanted to talk on diversity as he, a black man, was in a bicycle accident due to being cut off by a white person that was inebriated. The officer that responded to the white man's call asked if Mr. Woodard was okay and when he replied that he was not, the officer dispatched an Emergency Medical Service ("EMS") Vehicle. He told the officer that the white man was inebriated, but by the time the officer had arrived the man had Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes June 21,2022 Page 4 of 10 changed his clothing. After they both gave their story, the officer did not know who was at fault. A sergeant showed up and forced the officer to write a ticket to the inebriated man. With that, Mr. Woodard asked for more diversity and, for officers to treat families as though they were their own family. Mr. Woodard had mentioned that he was a police officer in Baytown in the 1990s and stated that, as the department kept moving,he saw great things. Whatever diverse training officers went through, Mr. Woodard wished officers would treat others the way they would want to be treated. Chairperson Bolenbaucher informed Mr. Woodard that the BPAC was working towards bringing in ideas on diversity and noted Vice Chairperson Dr. Moreno was the tip of the spear, so to speak, of that with Police Chief Stringer. Chairperson Bolenbaucher appreciated Mr. Woodard for bringing those concerns and compliments, and further requested if Mr. Woodard could give the Committee those officers' badge number, unit number, etc., which he agreed. In continuation of the note on diversity training, Chairperson Bolenbaucher reiterated Vice Chairperson Dr. Moreno was working with the Police Chief on that. Vice Chairperson Dr. Moreno shared that Chief Stringer,herself, and the Chief Equity Officer at Lee College had started having conversations on cultural diversity training. They were looking at diving deeper into what BPD already had and how to enhance that training. Vice Chairperson Dr. Moreno noted that was not just for officers, but across all institutions. She wished Mr. Woodard to know that they were moving in the right direction. Police Chief Stringer added the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement ("TCOLE") sets the minimum standards, and while 70% was considered passing, BPD required 90%. The Police Department was looking into how they could partner with Lee College to get good instruction and instructors from their community to develop and expand their program to make it a little more specific to the citizens of Baytown. Mrs. Tammy Guidry's biggest concern was in lieu of the mass shootings that have been seen around the county. Her question was how prepared was BPD for something like that to happen? Did BPD have trainings as far as being prepared for mass shootings? Was BPD working with Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District ("GCCISD") Police Department, as well, so that everybody was in one accord and to make sure something like Uvalde did not happen in their community? Also, Mrs. Guidry stated she wanted to address the situation of mental health and mental illness. She was the Director of Homeless Services with Marcelous Williams Resource Center, so she saw a lot of the homeless people and dealt with people going through mental episodes. Did the Mental Health Unit of BPD go to a person's home that was having a mental episode? Could she call the police on a client in the midst of an episode or could officers only do a wellness check on that person? Chairperson Bolenbaucher answered Mrs.Guidry's last question with if that person was in the city limits of Baytown,BPD did have Mental Health Officers that would respond to a call. Mrs. Guidry responded that was great to know as she did have a client that day in the midst of a mental episode. If they came across other clients like that,could they call the police to check on them? Police Chief Stringer replied yes, she could call for a welfare, or courtesy check on someone that may be in a mental health crisis. Currently, BPD had sixteen officers that were on Crisis Intervention Team ("CIT") with two more scheduled for training. BPD also had twenty officers that were a part of the Clinician and Officer Remote Evaluation ("CORE") Program that allowed them to speak to a Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes June 21,2022 Page 5 of 10 clinician in real-time to deescalate a situation and, if needed, reserve a bed for the individual instead of taking them to their facility. Chief Stringer believed it was a good program that they were looking to expand as well. Moreover, BPD had realized that there was an element of mental illness to a lot of the homeless situations. Thus, BPD was trying to incorporate that into a new Mental Health Coalition. In regards to mass shootings, Chief Stringer stated they were prepared. From the moment he took office, Chief Stringer and GCCISD Police Chief Davis Smith had been talking about what they needed to do. Two weeks prior to the incident at Uvalde, they had put two groups through active shooter training, including BPD as well as Barbers Hill Independent School District. The idea was that BPD, GCCISD, and the Mont Belvieu Police Department would all be trained on the same type of basic tactics and could link up to form a Contact Team. In addition, BPD was starting a program with GCCISD to do tabletop drills one year and then full-scale drills the following year. Lastly, Committee Member Dr. Stansky informed Mrs. Guidry of the decals the BPD provided so that officers could identify and know how to approach a person with a specified mental illness. Ms. Brandi Guidry asked how the BPD engage with the social service providers, such as: Hearts in Hand, Love Network, and the Marcelous Williams Resource Center. How did the BPAC plan to engage with social service providers? If not engaged, would the Committee be open to joining a network with them and do certain events to better help serve the community. Ms. Guidry stated they had been getting a lot of calls in regards to housing and other things that they believed BPD could help answer. Additionally, Ms. Guidry asked if BPD had considered creating a Homeless Outreach Team ("HOT"). Their network did have help from the Harris County Team, but they came all the way from Houston. Ms. Guidry believed that a HOT would be a great look for BPD. Chief Stringer responded yes,the HOT idea would be a future thing because BPD was at a critical staffing level at the moment. However, there were two officers who were doing that in their spare time. A sergeant and another officer went out to some of the pop-up camps of the homeless and helped them get services and to places where they may find shelter. The outreach to the homeless was beginning to be addressed with the Mental Health Coalition, which Chief Stringer stated he would send the Guidry's an invite for their next meeting. Currently, BPD was working with Bay Area Council on Drugs and Alcohol ("BACODA") to keep their the homeless and citizens from falling through the cracks and connect them with resources. Chairperson Bolenbaucher shared that he had the privilege of riding along with one police officer post-COVID, and relayed BPD officers were running into the challenge when calling local resources, nobody would answer, so police officers—especially at night—were having to reach outside of Baytown. Chairperson Bolenbaucher hoped that would change in the near future. With there being no more citizens that had signed up to speak, Chairperson Bolenbaucher thanked everyone for their comments and assured that the BPAC would thoughtfully consider each matter and formulate recommendations for Council to consider. In regards to complaints, Chairperson Bolenbaucher relayed BPD did have an Internal Investigation Team for police officers. However,if that did not fit a citizen's expectations,citizens had the opportunity to contact TCOLE to begin an investigation process. The reason Chairperson Bolenbaucher brought up such matters was because the BPAC wanted the citizens to realize that Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes June 21,2022 Page 6 of 10 they did want police officers to be held accountable in the proper way. If there was something that was not properly taken care of within the City, then there was a proper procedure that citizens could initiate by reaching TCOLE. Chief Stringer added there was an online complaint and compliment form on the City of Baytown website under the Police Department's page, which are delivered to the Assistant Chief, Internal Affairs, and to the office of the Chief of Police to be addressed. 3. COMMUNITY INPUT a. Receive and discuss community input obtained by the Baytown Police Advisory Committee Members. The Committee had not received any material to discuss on the item; however, a few comments were made. Committee Member Dr. Stansky commented that the Juneteenth Festival was wonderful and peaceful. Police officers were both riding on bicycles and on foot. She relayed she felt very safe and that there was a nice police presence. Committee Member Dr. Stansky was looking forward to a nice and peaceful July 3rd and 4th celebration as well. Then, Legal Counsel Jerris Mapes took a moment to introduce a special guest in the audience, Mr. Scott Lemond. Mr. Lemond was the new City Attorney who Ms. Mapes introduced to the Committee. On another note, Vice Chairperson Dr. Moreno informed the public that the BPAC met monthly and encouraged everyone to come to their meetings. She noted that night was the biggest turnout the Committee ever had. The BPAC had discussed going in to the community and asked that their meetings be put on Facebook and other social media so they could hear from citizens. Again, Vice Chairperson Dr. Moreno encouraged citizens to attend their monthly meetings that would be on the City's website. The Community Input was a new item added to the agenda, which was for people that did not feel comfortable addressing the Committee formally through the Citizen's Input; thus, the Committee Members would represent their constituents. Chairperson Bolenbaucher echoed Vice Chairperson Dr. Moreno's point. , 4. BUSINESS ITEMS a. Receive a report and discuss the status of police outreach,community policing,officer training and policies and procedures. Police Chief John Stringer presented the item to the BPAC Board. Regarding police outreach, the BPD continued to do that in a variety of areas. Officers continued to patrol parks and trails on all types of vehicles, including bicycle and on-foot patrols. At the Juneteenth Celebration, Chief Stringer had multiple people comment their appreciation of officers that were more approachable and had good conversations with said citizens. As simple as that type of patrol seemed to be to officers, it had made a big impact in the community. Chief Stringer relayed BPD would continue that program and expand their Bike Patrol. BPD had just completed bike training which was a week-long training course. Chief Stringer described how intense that training was and announced that Baytown would see more Bike Patrols out in the summer. Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes June 21,2022 Page 7 of 10 BPD's Crime Prevention Officers had begun to partner with Meals on Wheels to deliver meals to the elderly that were shut indoors. Chief Stringer explained that gave BPD a chance to check on such individuals' welfare, especially during the summer heat. Likewise, officers recently participated in Lee College's Summer Bash to increase awareness of substance abuse prevention and promote positive mental health. Officers were also organizing a program to collect and distribute supplies for a back-to-school event. Chief Stringer informed the public that there would be collection points throughout the City in conjunction with various departments. Furthermore, BPD was continuing to structure and formalize a new Eastern Harris County Mental Health Coalition with various partners. As previously mentioned, it would include the Bay Area Council on Drugs and Alcohol (BACODA). The goal was to identify resources for persons with mental health needs that officers could not give them off the street. In the future, Chief Stringer hoped to create a follow-up system to make sure those persons continued to get the healthcare they needed and to make sure they stayed on their medications they may need. On community outreach, BPD was developing a new program in cooperation with Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District (GCCISD) and their Police Department to open a dialogue and mentorship with high school students and police officers. The plan was to begin the next year with Sterling High School. The pilot program would give BPD an opportunity to sit down, get to know the students, and have an open and honest conversation. BPD recognized Baytown students as stakeholders in the community and wanted to give them a voice. As it relates to officer training, Chief Stringer relayed BPD had hosted two classes for their personnel and outside agencies. One was the Bicycle Patrol Certification,as previously mentioned, and the other was the Advanced Hostage Negotiator, both were week-long courses and very intense.Also,as previously mentioned,BPD had conducted two sessions of active shooter training. Chief Stringer highlighted that BPD had recorded over 9,088 training hours across all sworn personnel.At that time,BPD only had 157 of 175 officer positions filled. Chief Stringer stated that 392.5 of those 9,088 hours were online training hours; therefore, most were in-class trainings and education. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement ("TCOLE") required 40 hours of in- service training every two years.BPD's training cycle of the Training Unit did not end until August of 2023, so BPD would continue to add to that training. To date, 95 of BPD's 157 sworn personnel had exceeded their training requirements with an average of 46.74 hours of additional training. Chief Stringer hoped to roll out their cultural diversity expanded training as quickly as they could, but first wanted to make sure that it was a good quality training program. The members of their Police Academy staff along with the Assistant Police Chief, Chief Stringer, and Vice Chairperson Dr. Moreno were discussing that matter. Chief Stringer further explained the different levels TCOLE provided of licensures for police officers. BPD currently had 25 Intermediate Peace Officers,25 Advanced,and 93 Master Peace Officers.A majority of Baytown officers were Master Peace Officers which required hundreds of hours of extra training. He noted the license required an additional 1,200 hours in addition to their time and service. As far as education went, BPD personnel had 11 Associate Degrees,39 Bachelor Degrees,and 8 Master Degrees with many others completing their degrees. In regards to policies and procedures, BPD was in the process of completing the review and showing proof of compliance of all polices by the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes June 21,2022 Page 8 of 10 ("TPCAF") Accreditation Program. In November, BPD would have an on-site inspection and policy review by that independent third-party agency for BPD's re-accreditation. Chief Stringer noted BPD was recognized for meeting best practices in November of 2022. Every four years there was an on-site inspection with a yearly showing of compliance and review of their policies. The TPCAF Accreditation Program was a voluntary process where police agencies in Texas proved their compliance with over 170 Texas Law Enforcement Best Practices. Chief Stringer explained those best practices were carefully developed by Texas Law Enforcement professionals that assisted agencies in the following areas: efficient and effective delivery of service,reduction of risk, and the protection of individuals' rights. Law enforcement in Texas and best practices were specifically designed to aid agencies in meeting those demands and providing the best quality of services to the state and citizens. Chief Stringer explained that was quite an achievement because, since 2006, only 180 agencies of over 2,723 Texas Law Enforcement Agencies had been accredited. Chief Stringer compared TPCAF to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and suggested that TPCAF was more rigorous. BPD was on track to be accredited and was looking forward to the inspections and bringing the community in to get involved in the accreditation process. Lastly, Chief Stringer noted BPD's K-9 Unit would host a three-day seminar for thirty K-9 teams across the country in September. Baytown's K-9 Unit had been the number one team in the country for the past five years. In fact, Chief Stringer's old agency had contacted Baytown for their certification prowess and impressive inputs. b. Consider the adoption of an election policy for the Baytown Police Advisory Committee. A motion was made by Vice Chairperson Dr. Marissa Moreno and seconded by Committee Member Michael Springer to table Agenda Item 4.b. at the recommendation of the Baytown Police Advisory Committee's Legal Counsel until another meeting. The vote was as follows: Ayes: Chairperson Eric Bolenbaucher, Committee Member Lt. Rodney Evans, Vice Chairperson Dr. Marissa Moreno, Committee Member Dr. June Stansky, Committee Member Richard Hunsinger, and Committee Member Michael Springer Nays: None Other: Committee Member Yulanda Braxton (Absent) and Committee Member Cpl. Steve Ocanas (Absent) Approved c. Consider setting any tasks and processes for future meetings to include, but not limited to: a. Community Engagement Initiatives; Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes June 21,2022 Page 9 of 10 b. Discuss Council feedback from quarterly report presented at the May 26th Council Meeting; and c. Discuss ideas for the BPAC's public service announcement to be advertised on Channel 16 and social media. Committee Member Hunsinger requested clarification regarding the process of how citizens could find out about the health and wellness checks that the Baytown Police Department ("BPD") did regarding mental health. Committee Member Hunsinger believed the BPAC Board needed to explore other avenues to get out in to the community and discuss such matters with the citizens. Committee Member Dr. Stansky inquired about the report given to the City Council. Chairperson Bolenbaucher relayed that on May 26th, the BPAC gave a presentation to Council. He stated Council was excited to receive the information despite the setbacks with some of their meetings. Council was also excited about the type of meetings the BPAC were having in the public outside of the Council Chambers. Chairperson Bolenbaucher shared that Council was excited to receive that input and was looking for more to come through. Even though the BPAC was unable to demand changes, Chairperson Bolenbaucher stated that the Committee could advise on changes. Overall, Council was very receptive and the BPAC's next Quarterly Report would be in August. Concluding the item,Vice Chairperson Dr. Moreno requested a follow-up of the concerns brought forth through the Citizen Input at their next meeting. Chairperson Bolenbaucher reiterated Vice Chairperson Dr. Moreno's request for clarification. As those were the only requests made by the Committee Members, Chairperson Bolenbaucher continued on to the next item. 5. NEXT MEETING a. Consider setting date, time and location for the next Baytown Police Advisory Committee meeting, along with any related tasks and processes. Chairperson Bolenbaucher announced their next meeting was tentatively set for Tuesday, July 26, 2022 in the Council Chambers. The Committee Members did not have an objection to that date and were open to holding the committee meeting at other venues. Chairperson Bolenbaucher had already reached out to several pastors in the area regarding that note. As the meeting was reaching the end, Legal Counsel Jerris Mapes wished to thank Lee College for allowing the Committee to meet at their facility. 6. ADJOURN With there being no further business to discuss, Chairperson Eric Bolenbaucher made motion with no second to adjourn the June 21, 2022, Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting at 6:56 P.M. The vote was as follows: Ayes: Chairperson Eric Bolenbaucher, Committee Member Lt. Rodney Evans, Vice Chairperson Dr. Marissa Moreno, Committee Member Dr. June Stansky, Committee Member Richard Hunsinger, and Committee Member Michael Springer Baytown Police Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes June 21,2022 Page 10 of 10 Nays: None Other: Committee Member Yulanda Braxton (Absent) and Committee Member Cpl. Steve Ocanas (Absent) Approved Angela J k n, Assist t S�ect rJ' City of Ba own � .., CO!IV OA'3 �p