[00:00:03]
GOOD[CALL TO ORDER]
EVENING, AND WELCOME TO THE SIXTH MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22ND, 2025.IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, PLEASE FILL OUT A SPEAKER CARD IN THE BACK OF THE CHAMBER AND BRING IT TO THE COMMITTEE CLERK.
UH, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CLERK TO TAKE ROLL.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO LEAD THE, UH, COMMITTEE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, UH, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
UH, THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND PSAC COUNCIL LIAISON DENNIS POKAY TO COME UP TO THE STAND.
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION TO FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER DENNIS POKAY FOR HIS DEDICATED SERVICE ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR COMMITMENT AND CONTRIBUTIONS, WE ARE HONORED TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION.
AND NOW I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND OUR NEW PS A C COUNCIL LIAISON.
KAREN, NOW WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER, KAREN, NOW TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU WITH US AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR INSIGHTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS AS OUR NEW COUNCIL, CITY COUNCIL LIAISON.
YOUR INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO OUR MISSION, AND WE EAGERLY ANTICIPATE WORKING TOGETHER TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY.
DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO MAKE COMMENTS ON ITEMS OF PUBLIC INTEREST THAT ARE WITHIN THE COMMITTEE'S SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, AND THAT ARE NOT LISTED ON THE CURRENT AGENDA.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED UP TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.
DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE.
TIME WILL BE ALLOCATED IN EQUAL SHARES TOTALING NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES.
UH, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CLERK IF WE'VE RECEIVED ANY COMMENTS PRIOR TO THE MEETING WE RECEIVED ZERO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AND THEN, UM, BUT IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP THEIR SPEAKER CARDS, THEY MAY.
UH, THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS AND NO ONE WITH SPEAKER CARDS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND CONTINUE WITH THE AGENDA.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WE'D LIKE TO MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024.I'D LIKE TO ASK IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES.
I MOVE, UH, THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE NOVEMBER 21ST MEETING.
NOW I'LL ABSTAIN SINCE I WASN'T THERE.
UH, THIS TIME WE'LL MOVE ON TO
[PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION]
THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION.I BELIEVE WE HAVE A SPECIALIZED ASSISTANCE FOR EVERYONE, OR SAFE MENTOR ME PRESENTATION.
I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE PRESENTATION ITEM AND ASK CHIEF MILLER AND STAFF TO INTRODUCE THE TOPIC.
UM, WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ELISE HEMPEL, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PETALUMA PEOPLE SERVICES TO THE PODIUM.
SHE CURRENTLY IS, UH, THE OPERATOR AND CONTRACTOR ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, OVERSEEING THE SAFE TEAM, AND WORKED HEAVILY WITH OUR DEPARTMENT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ALSO OVERSEES THROUGH THE PPSC UMBRELLA, THE MENTOR ME PROGRAM, WHICH WE UTILIZE FOR OUR RESTORATIVE
[00:05:01]
RESOURCES, JUVENILE JUSTICE, UH, REFERRAL PROGRAM.AND WE'RE GETTING THE SLIDES LOADED.
UM, I MEAN, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND I'M EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, UM, WITH OUR SAFE TEAM.
SO THE SAFE TEAM, OR SPECIALIZED ASSISTANCE FOR EVERYONE IS A PROGRAM.
UM, CAN YOU SET IT SO THAT YOU CAN'T SEE ALL THE EXTRA NOTES?
UM, SO, SO, UH, SPECIALIZED ASSISTANCE FOR EVERYONE.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HONOR HOW WE GOT HERE.
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT, UM, COMES TO MIND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE GOT TO THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM WAS, IT WAS 2020, UH, THE GEORGE FLOYD INCIDENT HAD JUST HAPPENED.
THINGS WERE UPSIDE DOWN BECAUSE OF COVID, AND THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY STARTED A KINDNESS WALL.
AND THAT KINDNESS WALL WAS THIS AMAZING WALL WHERE YOUTH WERE COMING TOGETHER, NOT FACE TO FACE, BUT TAKING TURNS, PUTTING UP POSTERS ABOUT BLACK LIFE, FLAT MATTER AND, AND KINDNESS, UM, WORKS, AND ALL THESE VERY POSITIVE MESSAGES.
UM, AND THAT WALL GOT TORN DOWN BY A NEIGHBOR.
AND WHEN THAT WALL WAS TORN DOWN, YOU KNOW, OUR KIDS ARE RESILIENT, RIGHT? THEY SHOWED UP WITH BIGGER, LOUDER SIGNS.
AND THEN, UM, THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WHERE THE, THE NASTY NEIGHBOR CAME AND TORE THE SIGNS DOWN IN FRONT OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
THE POLICE WERE CALLED, AND THERE WAS AN INTERACTION, THERE'S A PICTURE OF THE KINDNESS WALL.
IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING THAT THE KIDS DID THAT ON THEIR OWN.
THERE WERE, WERE NOT A LOT OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT, BUT THEY DID THAT ON OUR, THEIR OWN.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, KATE.
UM, THE, THE, UM, YOU NEED HELP PUTTING IT IN.
WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE INDIVIDUAL TEARING DOWN THE, THE SIGNS REALLY TRIGGERED A LOT OF THESE YOUTH INTO FINDING SOLUTIONS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
AND REMEMBER, WE WERE ALL DOING COVID, UM, PROTECTIONS.
AND SO CITY COUNCIL WAS ONLINE AND, AND THESE KIDS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW UP AND SPEAK, AND THEY KEPT SAYING, OVER AND OVER AND OVER, WE NEED THE CAHOOTS FOR PETALUMA MODEL, WE NEED THE CAHOOTS FOR PETALUMA MODEL.
AND THE CITY, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DID SOME RESEARCH NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEY REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A MODEL OUT THERE THAT REALLY WOULD ADD TO THE VALUE OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE COULD DO USING A CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM.
SO THEY HIRED A CONSULTANT IN THE, THE SPRING OF 2020, AND THE CONSULTANT CAME DOWN, HE HAD EXPERIENCE WORKING ON THE CAHOOTS TEAM AND HAD STARTED HIS OWN, UM, UH, RESEARCH COMPANY.
AND SO HE CAME DOWN AND DID AN EVALUATION.
AND IN THAT EVALUATION, HE HELPED US DEVELOP SOME PROGRAM GOALS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE DID WAS HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ON WHO WOULD BE THE BEST TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF PETALUMA, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND BE THAT CRISIS INTERVENTION, UM, UH, IMPLEMENTER, IF YOU WILL.
AND SO, UM, UH, PPSC WAS ASKED IF WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN MOVING FORWARD IN APPLYING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING, UH, A CRISIS TEAM TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED REALLY ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES AND WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CONSULTANT, THE, THE CHIEF AND THE DEPUTY CHIEF AT THE TIME, MILLER AND, AND, AND CHIEF AND NOW DEPUTY CHIEF MCGOWAN WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN BEING PART OF HOW WE WERE GONNA SET UP THE TEAM, WHAT OUR GOALS WOULD BE, HOW WE WERE GONNA MANAGE THE TEAM, AND HOW THE WHOLE WHOLE PROCESS WOULD WORK.
I AM TELLING YOU NOW, UM, AND YOU WILL HEAR ME SAY IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, OUR MODEL WORKS.
OUR MODEL HAS PROVEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT IT DOES ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT WE WANT.
SO, UM, THE STRUCTURE IS SET UP NOW, RUNS 24 HOURS A DAY.
INITIALLY, WE STARTED IN JULY OF SEPT, UH, JULY OF 2021, AND SEP THROUGH SEPTEMBER, 2021, WE RAN 12 HOURS A DAY AND THEN QUICKLY MOVED TO 24 HOUR A DAY MODEL.
THE TEAM IS SET UP TO RESPOND TO DISPATCH CALLS THAT COME IN THROUGH THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM, OR A NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITIES TO MEMBERS TO CALL.
THAT STILL GOES TO DISPATCH, BUT IT IS ALLOWS DISPATCH TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL IS MAKING A CALL THAT THEY WANT THIS CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM, OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF A CRISIS WORKER WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE AND AN EMT.
WE ARE, WE ARE, ARE SERVING AS FIRST RESPONDERS IN
[00:10:01]
A LOT OF THESE SITUATIONS WHERE IT'S MENTAL HEALTH IN, IN, IN NATURE.AND ONE OF THE GOALS WITH THE TEAM WAS TO TAKE AWAY CALLS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO RESPOND TO THAT TAKE A LOT OF TIME WHEN SOMEONE'S IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A QUICK CALL AND SAY, IS EVERYTHING OKAY? IT TAKES TWO, THREE, SOMETIMES FOUR HOURS TO GET THAT INDIVIDUAL TO AGREE TO MOVING TOWARDS ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND ACCESS TO PROGRAMMING.
ONE OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE TEAM THAT WE SET UP IS WHEN WE ARE NOT RESPONDING TO CALLS, WE ARE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF HOMELESS OUTREACH.
AND THAT HOMELESS OUTREACH IS OUT THERE TO GAIN THE TRUST SO THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE RESISTANT FROM GETTING SERVICES ARE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THE SAFE TEAM.
AND THEN WE ARE ABLE TO GET THEM CONNECTED INTO THE MARY ISAAC CENTER OR INTO COORDINATED ENTRY OR RECONNECTED WITH A FAMILY MEMBER, WHICH IS REALLY WHERE THE SUCCESS LIES, IS THAT ADDITIONAL CONNECTION SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO GET THOSE SERVICES.
SO, UM, AS I SAID EARLIER, THE TEAM SCALES.
THE MODEL SCALES, AND WE, I JUST DID A PRESENTATION LAST WEDNESDAY WITH CLEAN, WHICH IS A, UH, STATE RUN ORGANIZATION THAT IS LOOKING AT CRISIS INTERVENTION TYPE MODELS AND, AND DOING SOME EVALUATION AND RESEARCH.
THE, WHAT THEY SHARED AT THE CLEAN PRESENTATION WAS IDENTICAL TO WHAT MY PRESENTATION IS.
THE CRISIS WORKER, SOMEBODY WHO ALWAYS SPEAKS SPANISH, IS ON THE TEAM, RESPONDING 24 HOURS A DAY AT THE DIRECTION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN CONNECTION AND COMMUNICATION ALL THE TIME WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE WE WERE, UM, AT RONER PARK AND FROM ROANOKE PARK, WE EXPANDED TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH ROANOKE PARK AND KADI FOLLOWING THAT WAS, UM, SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY APPROACHING ROANOKE PARK AND KADI SAYING THEY WANNA BE PART OF THE, THE, THE TEAM UP IN ROANOKE PARK AND TATI, THAT TEAM, UM, CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AND EXPAND AND RESPOND TO NOT ONLY, UM, CALLS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE THOSE COMMUNITIES, BUT THEY'RE ALSO RESPONDING ON SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY.
AND SO IT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE.
UM, IT, LAST, LAST YEAR WE LAUNCHED IN SAN RAFAEL, AND NEXT MONTH WE WILL BE LAUNCHING IN NOVATO.
WE KNOW THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE AND MAKE THE CONNECTION WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND, AND THE, THE GIVE AND TAKE FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND, AND THE NEEDS OF WHAT THE CRISIS TEAM IS DEVELOPING HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING FOR THE SUCCESS.
I DO HAVE TO, I, ON THERE IS THE LAST, THE LAST ONE, THE LAPD.
IT WAS SUCH A CUTE CALL,
AND SO I CALLED BRIAN AND I SAID, UM, CAN, CAN YOU BE ON THIS CALL? AND, AND, AND THE THE CHIEF SAID, I NEED TO EXPLAIN TO YOU, CHIEF, THAT ONE OF YOUR PRECINCTS IS LARGER THAN MY WHOLE DEPARTMENT.
AND WHAT THE CHIEF REALLY WANTED FROM LA IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE MODEL WITH CIVILIANS AND SWORN INDIVIDUALS WORKED HAND IN HAND.
AND, UM, HE ASKED POINT BLANK, WHAT DO YOUR OFFICERS THINK? AND BRIAN WAS QUIET OR CHIEF WAS QUIET FOR A LITTLE BIT, AND I'M THINKING, OH NO, HERE IT COMES.
AND HE SAID, LOOK, WHEN THE SAFE TEAM WAS HIT WITH A ROUND OF COVID AND WAS NOT ABLE TO BE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, MY STAFF WAS COMING IN AND SAYING, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO IF WE DON'T HAVE THE SAFE TEAM? THAT TO ME, WARMED MY HEART.
I TELL THAT STORY ALL THE TIME AND, AND IT RESONATES WITH MY STAFF WHO ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY HAVE THAT LEVEL OF TRUST TO, WITH ANYBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT THAT'S SHOWING UP, TO CORRESPOND WITH THEM, SHOWING UP TO, TO BE BACKUP IF THEY NEED BACKUP OR THE DEPARTMENT WILL GO IN AND OUR TEAM WILL STAND BACK UP AND THEY WILL CLEAR THE SCENE AND WE'LL GO IN.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT MODELS AND MOVEMENT THAT HAPPENS AS WE DO IT.
SO SINCE 2021, JULY TO DECEMBER, 2024, IN PETALUMA ALONE, WE'VE, WE HAVE RESPONDED TO 14,861 CALLS.
THAT IS ABOUT 16% OF THE DISPATCHED CALLS THAT COME INTO 9 1 1.
UM, WE HAVE COMPLETED 1,473 TRANSPORTS.
ONE OF THE BEAUTIES IN THE PROGRAM DESIGN IS WE ARE ABLE TO TRANSPORT INDIVIDUALS, UH, WILLINGLY WANTING WHERE THEY WANNA GO.
[00:15:01]
THE LAST SIX MONTHS WITH THE CLOSURE OF SONOMA COUNTY'S CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT, BUT PRIOR TO THAT, WE WERE DIVERTING SO MANY MORE CALLS THAT WOULD'VE ENDED UP IN AN ER OR THE EMERGENCY ROOMS IN PETALUMA VALLEY.AND THOSE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS WOULD GO IN, UM, BE IN A VERY BUSY EMERGENCY ROOM AND NOT NECESSARILY GET THE RESOURCES THEY NEED WITH THE ABILITY FOR US TO TRANSPORT TO THE CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT.
WE WERE THEN ABLE TO TAKE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHEN THEY WERE READY TO BE RELEASED, AND OUR NAVIGATOR WOULD SURROUND THEM WITH ALL OF THE OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEM IN THE, WHEREVER THEY'RE LIVING IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO, TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
SOME OF THE OTHER STATS, UM, ARE, ARE, UH, KIND OF BREAKDOWN A PERCENTAGE OF THE NUMBERS OF CALLS, BUT WHAT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO US IS EMERGENCY ROOM DIVERSIONS.
WE'VE HAD 395 EMERGENCY ROOM DIVERSIONS.
UM, UH, WE'VE HAD A TOTAL OF 239 JAIL DIVERSIONS.
SO THAT'S KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF JAIL, GETTING THEM THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE SERVICES TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND THE BIG ONE IS 202, UH, AMBULANCE DIVERSIONS.
EARLY ON, WE WEREN'T DOING THOSE AMBULANCE DIVERSIONS, BUT NOW WE ARE DOING THAT.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS. HEMPEL.
WHY WAS THE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE REASONING BEHIND THE CLOSURE OF THE CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT? SAY THAT AGAIN? I KNOW THE CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT FOR THE COUNTY, WHY WAS THAT CLOSED? IT WAS, I KNOW IT'S NOT YOUR PROGRAM, BUT I, YEAH, IT'S NOT MY PROGRAM.
BUT, BUT, BUT, SO THE CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT, THEY HAD MOVED IT, UM, PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AGO TO A NEWER FACILITY.
UM, AND THEY DISCOVERED BY STAFF GETTING SICK AND ILL, THAT THERE WAS MOLD THAT WAS, HAD NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE INITIAL MOVE, MOVE INTO THAT BUILDING.
SO THEY MOVED EVERYBODY OUT, THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD MITIGATED THE MOLD, THEN WE HAD A BIG RAINSTORM, THERE WAS MORE DAMAGE DONE.
UM, SO THE HOPE IS THAT THE CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT WILL BE OPEN HOPEFULLY, UH, MID-FEBRUARY, BUT I'M ASSUMING MID-MARCH IS PROBABLY A GOOD ESTIMATE.
UM, WE HAVE JUST TO THAT, UM, BECAUSE ALL OF A SUDDEN WE WERE SEEING THIS BIG NEED FOR EMERGENCY ROOM, UM, KIND OF OF, UH, DROP OFF FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS.
WE NOW HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH KAISER.
UM, AND THIS INCLUDES ALL OF THE CRISIS TEAMS THROUGHOUT SONOMA COUNTY.
BUT THE WAY IT WORKS WITH KAISER, AND, AND AS WE KNOW, 63% OF OUR RESIDENTS IN PETALUMA ARE INSURED BY KAISER, WE ARE ABLE TO CALL AHEAD TO A SPECIFIC NUMBER THAT'S MANNED 24 HOURS A DAY BY KAISER IN, IN SANTA ROSA.
UM, AND SOON WE'LL BE IN, IN, UM, TARA, LINDA, WE CAN CALL THAT NUMBER AND SAY THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN A MENTAL HEALTH CLIENT, WE BYPASS THE ER, AND WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO TAKE THEM TO A BED THAT'S BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THEM AT THE HOSPITAL SO THEY CAN IMMEDIATELY GET THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET A QUICKER RECOVERY.
AND THAT IS THE, UH, TESTAMENT OF WHY THE HOSPITALS ARE REALLY, REALLY ENGAGED IN LEARNING MORE AND WANTING TO BE PART OF THIS CRISIS INTERVENTION.
IF YOU LOOK AT, OH, THAT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, KATE.
IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF OUR OUTCOMES, IT, IT'S PRETTY AMAZING.
UM, UH, I I, I HAVE BEEN WORKING AT PETALUMA PEOPLE SERVICES CENTER.
IT'LL BE 21 YEARS, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS, IN FACT, 95 OF THEM THAT HAVE REALLY MET THE MARK ON WHAT WE ACHIEVE TO DO.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WHEREVER I GO IN THIS COMMUNITY, I SAY, I'M WITH PETALUMA PEOPLE SERVICES CENTER, AND SOME WILL SAY, OH, WE LOVE MEALS ON WHEELS.
BUT MOST SAY WE LOVE THE SAFE TEAM BECAUSE THEY'RE SEEN IN REAL TIME THE VALUE OF WHAT WE PUT TOGETHER WHEN WE WERE CREATING IT.
AND, AND SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WHY AREN'T YOU WEARING A UNIFORM? WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL.
WE'RE WEARING T-SHIRTS AND JEANS OR, OR CARGO PANTS BECAUSE WE WANT THE TEAM TO LOOK LIKE OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE SERVING.
WE DON'T, WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH THE CRISIS TEAM WHEN THEY SHOW UP AT THEIR DOOR.
WE WANNA REDUCE THE STIGMA OF ASKING FOR HELP, WHICH IS WHY THE VANS ARE BRANDED WITH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WHITE VANS AND THEY'RE BRANDED WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF LOGO AND THEN OUR SAFE TEAM LOGO.
SO IT'S NOT A STIGMATIZING FOR A COMMUNITY MEMBER TO SEE A COUPLE POLICE CARS IN THE, IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WONDERING WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT HOUSE.
THEY SEE THE SAFETY BAN AND THEY JUST KNOW THAT SOMETHING GOOD IS HAPPENING FOR THE FAMILY OR THAT INDIVIDUAL WHO'S IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
UM, WE HAVE, HAVE PERFECTED HOW WE DO A LOT OF OUR INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION WORK WITH OUR,
[00:20:01]
OUR WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT WE HAVE AT PETALUMA PEOPLE SERVICES CENTER.INITIALLY THE NAVIGATOR WASN'T GOING TO BE A WHOLE KEY PART OF IT, BUT THAT NAVIGATOR IS DOING THAT, THAT ONGOING CONNECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THEIR SAFETY PLAN AND THEY'RE MAKING THROUGH SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL SERVICES.
I ALSO KNOW IT'S WORKING BECAUSE WE RUN ONE OF THE LARGEST COUNSELING CLINICS IN SONOMA COUNTY, AND THERE'S A WAIT LIST ON THAT COUNSELING CLINIC.
SO THAT IS ANOTHER SIGN THAT CRISIS INTERVENTION IS WORKING.
ANOTHER THING THAT IS, IS TRULY VALUABLE IS WHEN THE SAFE TEAM ENTERS A SCHOOL CAMPUS NOW.
SO WHEN SOMEBODY IN A, IN A UNIFORM SHOWS UP AT A SCHOOL CAMPUS, EVERYBODY DOESN'T MATTER.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY'RE IN THE CLASSROOM, IF THEY SEE AN OFFICER WALK BY, THEY START TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THAT'S HAPPENING.
WHEN THE SAFE TEAM WALKS BY, THEY DON'T EVEN EVEN BAT AN EYE.
THEY JUST KNOW THAT IT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE DO IT.
SO, UM, HOW WE FUNDED IT, IT ALWAYS COMES UP THE FIRST YEAR, UM, WE HAD GRANT FUNDING.
UM, THAT, THAT WAS THE COPS GRANT, WHICH WAS A CRISIS INTERVENTION GRANT OF 250,000.
AND THEN WE ALSO WERE BLESSED, UM, BECAUSE OUR TIMING WAS JUST RIGHT, WE WERE ABLE TO GET ON THE CRISIS CARE MOBILE UNIT, THE CCMU MOBILE MOBILE PROGRAM.
POKAY WAS ASKING ME ABOUT THE MEDI-CAL PIECE.
SO AS PART OF THE CCMU, THAT WAS A STATE INITIATIVE THAT SAID, WE'RE GOING TO STAND UP ALL THESE DIFFERENT MODELS OF CRISIS INTERVENTION.
WE'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE WHAT REALLY WORKS AND WHAT THE OUTCOMES ARE, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA OVERLAY THE ABILITY TO BILL MEDI-CAL IF THE CLIENT QUALIFIES TO A ACTUALLY RECOVER SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS, WE WILL START BILLING MEDI-CAL.
UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SONOMA COUNTY IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, UM, WE, WE WERE AHEAD OF THE CURB WITH THE COUNTY GETTING READY TO, TO GO THERE.
UM, WE'VE HAD TO SUBMIT SO MANY DOCUMENTS TWICE AND THREE TIMES BECAUSE THINGS EXPIRE AND THEN THEY NEED IT AGAIN.
AND THEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE, THE, THE LUXURY OF THE MERO FUNDING, WHICH MOST COMMUNITIES DON'T HAVE.
SO IN 2020, OUR COMMUNITY VOTED TO INVEST SOME TAX DOLLARS INTO MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND, AND, UM, HOMELESS SERVICES.
AND SO THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM, THE SAFE TEAM IS A, A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW THOSE DOLLARS SHOULD BE USED.
AND SO THE CITY OF PETALUMA IS ABLE TO GET ABOUT, I THINK IT'S NOW A MILLION DOLLARS THIS NEXT YEAR.
AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEED TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE WHENEVER WE SEE ANY OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS OR ANY OF OUR STAFF AT THE COUNTY LEVEL IS SAY, THE CITY'S NEED MULTI-YEAR FUNDING.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO WAIT UNTIL THIS, THIS, THIS MONTH TO BE ABLE TO START GETTING REIMBURSED FOR WORK THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN DOING WITH THE MEASURE O DOLLARS SINCE JULY.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
AGAIN, ALWAYS PUTTING TOGETHER DIFFERENT KIND OF GRANT FUNDING.
THE CITY OF PETALUMA WAS ABLE TO GET HEAP FUNDING, WHICH ACTUALLY IS HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION DOLLARS FROM THE CDC OR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
AND THAT WAS ABLE TO HELP US EXPAND THAT.
SO NEXT, SO, UM, WE, WE KIND OF TOUCHED ON THAT.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE, BUT THERE'S SOME GREAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
SO WHAT'S IT COST? WHAT'S IT COST? THE CITY A FIRST YEAR, IT COST A MILLION.
ONE ESTIMATED COST ABOUT 1,000,003.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT HAVING THE ABILITY TO EXPAND A PROGRAM IS WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO SPREAD MY, WHAT THE, THE LITTLE BIT THAT I BUILT TO THE PROGRAM.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE DIRECTOR WHO'S HOME ON FAMILY LEAVE BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW BABY.
UM, WE, HE, HE, HE, HE'S SPREAD ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM IS SPREAD ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, AND SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND, IT COSTS A CITY ABOUT $125 AN HOUR TO RUN THE CRISIS TEAM.
THAT IN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY IS, IS UNHEARD OF.
AND YES, WE'RE RUNNING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR.
BUT THAT IS TIME THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE ABLE TO DO REAL POLICING WORK AND NOT CRISIS INTERVENTION, WHICH THEY'RE NOT REALLY TRAINED TO DO.
THEY DO A GREAT JOB AND THEY ALWAYS, THEY ALWAYS FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY, BUT THEY CAN FOCUS ON WHAT THEY'RE CHARGED TO DO, WHICH IS FIGHTING CRIME AND POLICING OUR COMMUNITY IN THE WAY IT NEEDS TO BE POLICED, WHETHER IT'S IT'S IT'S TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS OR OTHER KINDS OF, OF WORK.
AND THEY'RE NOT DISTRACTED BY DRIVING
[00:25:01]
UP TO THE CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT, SPENDING THREE AND A HALF HOURS WITH SOMEBODY WHO'S THREATENING SUICIDE, WHEN, WHEN THEY SHOULD BE DOING THE POLICING WORK THAT GOES WITH THAT.SO OFFSETS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST OFFSET IS THE EMERGENCY ROOM DIVERSION.
I MEAN, WE FIGURE THAT IT COSTS, UM, EMERGENCY ROOMS ABOUT, WHAT IS IT, $1,567,000 FOR A MENTAL HEALTH CLIENT TO COME INTO AN EMERGENCY ROOM A YEAR.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO IS LOOK FOR OTHER PARTNERS AND THOSE OTHER PARTNERS WHO ARE BENEFITING FROM CRISIS INTERVENTION ARE OUR, OUR HOSPITALS AND OUR, OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE DOING HEALTHCARE.
SO, UM, AND CA KATE WILL SHARE THIS WITH ALL OF YOU SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT DATA.
I TOLD, I WAS TOLD TO KEEP IT BRIEF, AND THAT'S AS BRIEF AS I CAN GO, BRIAN.
UM, UM, IT'S, IT, I DO WANNA OPEN IT UP.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, WE CAN'T DO RIDE ALONGS IN PETALUMA, BUT YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME SEE THE VAN, TALK TO THE TEAM, UM, AND, AND SEE WHAT THEY EXPERIENCE AS, AS THEY ARE GETTING CALLS AND RESPONDING TO CALLS AND CONNECTED WITH, WITH OUR, UH, POLICE.
UH, UH, AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE TO THE SAFE TEAM THAT DOESN'T SHOW UP IN A LOT OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES IS WE NOW, THE SAFE TEAM IS DOING MOST OF THE WELL CHECKS FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO SPEND THAT EXTRA TIME, WE'RE ABLE TO CONNECT, UH, A FRAIL SENIOR WHOSE, WHOSE DAUGHTER IS CALLING FROM NEW JERSEY TO ALL OF PPCS SENIOR CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS AND ALL OF THE RESOURCES THEY NEED.
SO ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITE STORIES WAS LIKE THE THIRD WEEKEND TO THE SAFE TEAM.
AND, UM, WE WERE SENT OUT TO DO A WELL CHECK, AND THIS LITTLE OLD LADY CALLED ME AND SHE WAS HOPPING MAD.
SHE WAS P****D OFF THAT THE SAFE TEAM HAD SHOWED UP.
AND I SAID, OKAY, LET'S START AT THE BEGINNING.
WHY, WHY DID YOU CALL FOR, FOR THE, UH, WELL CHECK? AND SHE SAID, WELL, BECAUSE I HAD GOTTEN MYSELF STUCK BETWEEN MY BED AND THE WALL, AND SO I HAD TO CALL FOR A WELL CHECK.
AND USUALLY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COMES.
AND I SAID, SO YOU'RE MAD AT US? WHY? AND SHE SAID, WELL, THE SAFE TEAM CAME AND THEY HELPED ME GET UP.
AND THEN THEY SAID, LET'S MOVE YOUR BED OVER A LITTLE.
AND SO THEY DID THAT, AND NOW I CAN'T CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ANYMORE TO HAVE THEM COME, COME CHECK ON ME.
SO THERE ARE THOSE KINDS OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT WE ALL TAKE FOR GRANTED.
SO ELISE, I DIDN'T SEE ON THE SLIDE, BUT THE COST FOR THE AMBULANCE DIVERSIONS IS ROUGHLY $170,000 IF YOU DO THE MATH.
UM, SO THAT'S AN ADDED BONUS TO THE CITY BECAUSE THAT COST DOESN'T GET REIMBURSED TO THE CITY.
UH, BECAUSE MOST OF THE FOLKS DON'T HAVE INSURANCE.
UM, MEDI-CAL REIMBURSES, AT WHAT RATE NOW? IS IT 60 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR? ABOUT 60 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR.
AND, AND WHILE WE ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT FOCUSED ON MAKING THE MANAGED MEDI-CAL OR MEDI-CAL WORK FOR, FOR CRISIS TEAMS, WE ARE, AND I SPEND A LOT OF TIME ADVOCATING AT THE, THE STATE LEVEL TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN SOMEBODY IS IN CRISIS, YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS.
AND YOU'RE NOT SAYING, I'M SORRY, WHAT INSURANCE PRODUCT DO YOU HAVE? AND SO, SO THE REIMBURSEMENT RATE IS REALLY, REALLY HIGH.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE PUSHED THE COUNTY TO DO, AND THEY SAY THEY'RE GONNA DO IT IN JUNE, IS COVER THE FIRST YEAR OF BILLING.
SO YOU'RE GETTING 60%, 60 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR FOR MEDI-CAL.
HOWEVER, THE TEAM COST IS, IS ONE THING.
THE BILLER COST IS, IS A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN EVEN OUR CRISIS INTERVENTION WORKERS AND OUR EMTS WOULD EARN.
AND SO ADDING SOMEBODY WHO'S GOING TO DO THIS SPECIFIC BILLING, IT BETTER PENCIL OUT.
AND SO THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IN MARIN COUNTY.
THE WAY THAT WORKS IS WHEN WE RESPOND TO A CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM, OUR TEAM RESPONDS AND WE REALIZE THAT THIS REQUI REQUIRES ADDITIONAL FOLLOW ON.
WE CALL MARIN COUNTY, AND MARIN COUNTY ASSIGNS AN MFT, WHO THEN WILL TAKE OVER THAT PROCESS AND BILL FOR THAT INTER INTERACTION.
THEY'RE NOT REIMBURSING SAN RAFAEL RIGHT NOW FOR THAT, BUT WE'RE SEEING THAT THAT'S A MUCH SMOOTHER MODEL.
THEN THERE'S A HOME FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL WITH THAT, THAT MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS WORKER OR NOT MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER.
[00:30:01]
THEN THE COUNTY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 60 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR, AND I'M NOT.AND THEN ELISE, JUST A FOLLOW UP, WHAT'S THE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BIGGEST GAP THAT WE HAVE IN THE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW? I, I THINK, WELL, UM, I THINK IF, IF WE COULD, WE WOULD ADD A, A COUPLE, UH, DURING HEAVY TIMES, A LITTLE ANOTHER SHIFT, ANOTHER, ANOTHER RESPONSE TEAM.
I THINK THE OTHER BIGGEST GAP THAT WE HAVE, TO BE HONEST, UM, COMMISSIONER KEARNEY, IS THAT THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES OUTSIDE OF PETALUMA PEOPLE SERVICES CENTER HAVEN'T CAUGHT UP TO THE RAPID NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES.
SO IF IT'S SOMEBODY WHO'S UNSHELTERED AND WE FINALLY GET THEM CONVINCED THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO GO TO THE MARY ISAAC CENTER AND GO THROUGH COORDINATED ENTRY, WE DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY THE, THE PLACE TO PUT THAT INDIVIDUAL.
AND SO WE'VE CONVINCED THEM THAT SERVICES ARE WHAT THEY NEED, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ALL OF THE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THEM AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD IT OUT.
CAN I ALSO ADD TO THAT POTENTIALLY, UM, SO WE, WE ALSO, UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ELISE'S COMMENT ABOUT WE ARE RUNNING INTO, AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVE FROM OUR POLICE AUDITOR WHO MAY, MAY ALSO HAVE A COMMENT IS SOMETIMES THERE'S QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY OR EVEN THE AUDITOR THEMSELVES ON WHY WAS THE SAFE TEAM NOT AT A PARTICULAR CALL? AND SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
THERE'S SAFETY CONCERNS, THERE'S WEAPONS CONCERNS, THERE'S JUST SITUATIONS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY APPROPRIATE FOR THE SAFE TEAM TO BE THE FIRST RESPONDER THERE, BUT THEY'RE STILL ENGAGED OR CORRESPONDING WITH US OFTEN.
THE OTHER THING, LIKE ELISE SAID, IS WE'RE RUNNING INTO, IS THEY'RE AT, YOU KNOW, AT ANOTHER SERVICE PROVIDER OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA, AND WE HAVE TO HANDLE TO THAT RES THAT RESPONSE BECAUSE IT CAN'T JUST PEN.
UM, WE ARE MEETING, AND ONE OF THE GAPS, UM, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON CURRENTLY, WE HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE MOBILE CRISIS TEAM WITH SAFE.
WE HAVE HOME FIRST WITH THE, WHICH IS MORE OF OUR SYSTEMS NAVIGATOR AND OUTREACH, UM, COORDINATORS FOR HOUSING.
AND THEN WE WORK WITH COTS AND OUR OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTY.
BUT ONE OF THE STRUGGLES IS, IS THERE'S CONSISTENTLY A RUB ON PATIENT INFORMATION, RIGHT? WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH OR, OR, UM, SUBSTANCE ABUSE HISTORY.
AND SO THIS, THIS CHALLENGE OF WE'RE, WE'RE PART OR OF THE RESPONSE MODEL, THE CRISIS TEAM'S PART OF THE RESPONSE MODEL, BUT THERE'S, UH, AN ABUNDANCE OF CONCERN ABOUT, UM, WHAT SERVICES HAVE THEY ACCEPTED, WHERE ARE THEY IN THOSE SERVICES? AND A STRUGGLE IS, UM, OUR STAFF WILL SOMETIMES RESPOND, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY, AND NOT HAVE AWARENESS ON WHERE THEY ARE IN THOSE, THOSE SERVICE REFERRALS.
AND THE COMMUNITY'S CONSISTENTLY CALLING US OR CALLING OUR ELECTED SAYING, WHAT'S GOING ON? WE CALLED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEY'RE HERE, OR THE SAFE TEAM WAS THERE, NOW THE PERSON'S STILL HERE AND NOTHING'S CHANGED.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON THOSE PERCEPTIONS WHERE THEY'RE VERY MUCH, MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S RAPPORT BUILDING, MAYBE THEY'RE, UM, RESISTANT TO SERVICE AT THAT TIME, NOT IN A PLACE TO BE ACCEPTANCE OF IT, OR THEY'RE WAITING FOR COORDINATED ENTRY, OR THEY'RE WAITING FOR ANOTHER SERVICE TO, TO INITIATE.
UM, OR THERE'S THE TIMES WHERE THE TEAM'S GONE OUT OR HOME FIRST HAS GONE OUT, AND UNFORTUNATELY IT'S COMING BACK INTO AN AREA WHERE, UM, WE MAY HAVE TO DO ENFORCEMENT.
UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE THE COORDINATION, THE COMMUNICATION ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND, AND CLEAR THE HURDLES ON, UM, WE'RE ALL APPROACHING THIS FROM THE PLACE OF TRYING TO HELP THESE, THESE INDIVIDUALS AND THE CLIENTS.
AND, AND FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, I HAVE ZERO INTEREST AND MY STAFF HAS ZERO INTEREST ON ANY HIPAA INFORMATION OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
WE JUST WANNA KNOW THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THE SERVICE MODEL AND THEY'RE GETTING OUR SERVICES FIRST, UM, AND WE'RE BEING EFFECTIVE IN OUR APPLICATION OF THOSE.
UH, AS A FOLLOW UP, IS, IS THAT PART OF THE REASON WHY THERE'S A, A FOCUS ON THAT DATABASE THAT WOULD BE SHARED AMONG DIFFERENT GROUPS SO THAT YOU COULD HAVE ACCESS TO SORT OF WHO'S RESPONDED TO THIS INDIVIDUAL? WHAT SORT OF TREATMENT ARE THEY RECEIVING? WHERE ARE THEY IN THAT TREATMENT? I THINK IT'S TWOFOLD.
SO ONE, WE, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE LEASE TO BUILD, AND MAYBE I CAN TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU SINCE IT'S YOUR PRESENTATION.
BUT IN THE CO RESPONSE MODEL, HER TEAM HAS, WE GIVE THEM OUR POLICE RADIOS THAT ARE PROGRAMMED.
THEY HEAR THAT THEY HAVE A POLICE COMPUTER THAT SEES ALL OF OUR CALLS THAT, THAT THEY'RE, UM, SENT TO, AND THEY HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION AS THE OFFICERS AND THEY HEAR THE SAME CALLS.
SO THE, THE CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT WORK REALLY NICELY IS IF THEY GO TO A CALL AND, AND WE HEAR SOMETHING OR KNOW SOME, SOME INFORMATION, LIKE THERE'S A SAFETY ISSUE OR THERE'S A CONCERN, OR THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THERE,
[00:35:01]
WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH THEM.WE CAN GO TO THE CALL WITH THEM, BUT THEY ALSO CONVERSELY CAN GO, HEY, THE CALL, YOU JUST ARE GOING TO, WE, WE'VE BEEN OUT WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL, OR WE HAVE RAPPORT THERE, OR, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE GONNA HANDLE THAT FIRST AND THEN WE'LL LET YOU KNOW IF WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE.
AND SO IT'S REALLY SYMBIOTIC AND WORKING WELL TOGETHER.
UM, AND, AND WE CAN, BY THE CO-SHARING THE, THE RESPONSE INFORMATION, THEN WE CAN LEAVE THE DATABASE INFORMATION ON THE SERVICE REFERRALS AND THE SO SOCIAL SERVICE ASPECT MORE IN ELISE'S COURT AS OUR CONTRACTOR AND NOT IN MY LAW ENFORCEMENT DATABASE KIND OF SYSTEMS. ONE MORE QUESTION.
CAN YOU, CAN A PERSON REQUEST SAFE TEAM PRIORITIZATION FOR ANOTHER PERSON? FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY THAT I HAVE A SIBLING OR A RELATIVE THAT IS DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO CONTACT THE SAFE TEAM AND THEN SAY, HEY, IF YOU GET A CALL FOR THIS PERSON, OR IF YOU GET A CALL AT THIS ADDRESS, I WOULD LIKE A SAFE TEAM TO RESPOND FIRST WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE OR INFORMATION.
SO DO YOU WANNA TAKE THAT ON THE DISPATCH SIDE? YEAH, I THINK, I THINK IT KIND OF DEPENDS.
ONE OF THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD A FEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS CALL AND SAY, HEY, UH, A A FRIEND IS SUICIDAL, THEY HAVE A FIREARM, OR THEY MENTIONED A FIREARM, AND WE'D LIKE THE SAFE TEAM TO GO EVALUATE THEM.
THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS WE HAVE PRETTY, PRETTY STRICT GUIDELINES ON IF THERE'S WEAPONS OR THREATS OF HARM THAT SEEM POTENTIAL, WE'RE AT MINIMUM GONNA GO TOGETHER.
AND SOMETIMES WE'LL GO FIRST, BUT TO BE CLEAR, OUR ROLE IS SCENE SECURITY AND SAFETY.
WE'LL GO, WE WILL ADDRESS, IF THERE'S A WEAPON, TRY TO SECURE THAT.
AND VERY GLADLY, ONCE THAT SAFE CONDITIONS WILL HAVE THE UNARMED SAFE TEAM COME IN AND, AND BASICALLY ASK FOR THEIR, THEIR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO RELEASE US FROM THE CALL IF THEY'RE COMFORTABLE.
THE CHALLENGE WITH IT IS SOMETIMES THERE'S INFORMATION ON THAT FRONT END THAT, THAT GUIDES IT TO A PLACE WHERE THERE'S A CO RESPONSE, AND THE CALLER HAS AN EXPECTATION THAT JUST THE SAFE TEAM WILL BE SENT.
AND SO FOR SAFETY REASONS, WHICH WE, WE BOTH, UM, AGREE ARE IMPORTANT, UH, THAT'S THE REASON WHY THEY, THEY MAY NOT GO IN THAT CASE.
THE ONE THING I WILL OFFER IS, IS THE LAW ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT, IT JUST IS.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, THERE'S CERTAIN INFORMATION ONCE WE HAVE IT AND WE KNOW IT, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW AND, AND RESPOND A CERTAIN WAY.
SAFE DOESN'T OPERATE THAT WAY.
SO SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE, HAVE A DESIRE TO SPEAK SOLELY TO A SAFE CLINICIAN, AND WE TRUST THEIR ABILITY TO TRIAGE AND MAKE ASSESSMENTS AND ELEVATE THINGS.
SO IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD OFFER IN THOSE CASES, AND I WOULD NEVER HOPE THAT ANYONE WOULD TRY TO CIRCUMVENT SOMETHING FOR THE SAKE OF THE SAFETY OF ANOTHER.
BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL IN AND THE DISPATCHER JUST REQUEST TO HAVE A CONTACT WITH THE SAFE TEAM AND THEN SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH THEM.
AND THEY, LIKE I SAID, THEY WILL TRIAGE IT.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S QUALIFYING THAT, THAT NECESSITATES A POLICE OFFICER TO CORRESPOND WITH THEM, THEY CAN MAKE THAT EVALUATION.
UM, AND WE HAVE HAD, I THINK TWO OR THREE CALLS IN THE THREE YEARS WE'VE OPERATED WHERE THEY'VE HAD TO CALL FOR EMERGENCY AID FROM ONE OF OUR OFFICERS.
SO WE'VE SEEN VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WHERE THEY'RE PROPERLY EVALUATING AND THEY'RE COMPETENT AND CAPABLE IN THE FIELD AND VICE VERSA.
AND WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY ON A NUMBER OF NEGOTIATIONS OUT IN THE FIELD COLLECTIVELY, BUT WE CAN'T NECESSARILY ALSO JUST SAY, HEY, IF YOU GET A CALL AT THIS ADDRESS AUTOMATICALLY, WE'LL ONLY SEND THE SAFE TEAM WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION FURTHER.
BUT YOU CAN ALSO AT ANY TIME, CALL CALL ELISE AND HER TEAM AND SAY, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS INDIVIDUAL.
YOU, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR SOMETHING THAT COMES UP? OR HERE'S SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THEM, MAYBE MAYBE SOME PATIENT INFORMATION SO THEY'RE NOT GOING OUT COLD TO THE CALL AND HAVE SOME CONTEXT.
AND THEY CAN ALSO, AGAIN, DO WELFARE CHECKS AND PRE PREEMPTIVELY TRY TO MAKE INTERACTIONS.
BECAUSE THE WHOLE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM, AGAIN, IS TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM GOING INTO FULL BLOWN CRISIS.
AND ANY WAY WE CAN ALLEVIATE IT FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE, SHELTERLESS, OR, OR MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ARE THE THREE REAL QUALIFYING CATEGORIES WE'RE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY.
I THINK ANO ANOTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT, AND, AND IT WAS A CITY STAFF, UM, WHO SHARED THIS, I DON'T KNOW, A, A YEAR AGO, BECAUSE THE TEAM DOES DO A LOT OF WORK WITH OUR YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, OUTREACH DURING, UM, EVENTS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY GO TO THE HOMECOMING GAME OR THE,
[00:40:01]
THE BUTTER AND EGGS DAY PARADE SO THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY GETS TO KNOW THEM.YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE, IS SO RECEPTIVE TO, TO HEARING ONE OF THEIR PEERS SAY SOME THINGS THAT COULD BE TRIGGERING.
AND THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN CALL THE SAVE TEAM AND SAY, I'M WORRIED ABOUT A FRIEND AND MAYBE THEIR PARENTS DON'T KNOW.
AND SO WE ARE ABLE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW BEST TO ADDRESS THE NEED OF THAT FRIEND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SAFE AND THEY HAVE THE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT THAT WE NEED.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE TEAM DOES DO A LOT OF CPS REPORTS.
THE TEAM DOES DO A LOT OF ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES REPORTS, IN PART BECAUSE WE ARE, ESPECIALLY ON OUR WELFARE CHECKS AND, AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AN AGING SENIOR.
WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CA, OUR CASE MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR SENIOR SERVICES.
WE CALL IT COMMUNITY CONNECTORS.
BUT, UM, OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTORS, OFTENTIMES A FAMILY MEMBER WILL CALL IN AND SAY, WE NEED THE SAFE TEAM.
AND WE'LL SAY, HOW OLD IS THIS PERSON? DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'RE GETTING ANY OTHER SERVICES? AND OFTENTIMES OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTOR WILL MAKE THAT INITIAL CALL AND WE AS COMMUNITY CONNECTORS OR CASE MANAGERS CAN ACTUALLY VISIT THAT HOME AND CHECK ON THAT SENIOR.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE THEN, IF WE NEED TO ENGAGE THE SAFE TEAM, BECAUSE THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT ARE BEYOND WHAT WE'RE CAN DO WITH OUR WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND, AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND MENTAL HEALTH COACHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE.
SO, I MEAN, WE'RE BLESSED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I'M GONNA SAY IT, 95 PROGRAMS OUT OF PETALUMA PEOPLE SERVICES CENTER, AND ALL OF THEM ARE QUALITY PROGRAMS. BUT WE ARE BLESSED IN THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE 51 YEARS AGO, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER AND SAID, WE NEED TO HAVE OUR OWN KIND OF SOCIAL SERVICES HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM HERE IN PETALUMA, BECAUSE MOST, IN, IN 1974, YOU COULDN'T GO TO SANTA ROSA.
IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CAR, IT WAS HARD TO RIDE THE BUS.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO, THAT THOSE, THOSE COMMUNITY LEADERS CAME TOGETHER AND SAID, WE WANT THIS HUB.
NOW I GET A CALL ALMOST EVERY DAY.
WE OPENED UP ROANOKE PARK PEOPLE SERVICES CENTER, A PROGRAM, A PETALUMA PEOPLE SERVICES CENTER.
YOU'LL BE SEEING SOMETHING IN SONOMA VALLEY SOON WHERE PPSC IS LEADING ANOTHER KIND OF HUB MODEL IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS AND WHERE THEY NEED IT.
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM IL? GO AHEAD.
UM, ELISE, I NEVER KNOW IF YOU HAVE TIME TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, BECAUSE THESE PROGRAMS JUST ARE 24 7 AND I'M SO PROUD OF IT AND YOU AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I DO WANT TO, UM, ADDRESS THE COMMUNITY IS NOT ALL ENGLISH SPEAKERS.
SO ARE THE SAFE TEAM, UM, STAFF MEMBERS, ARE THEY ALL BILINGUAL? SO THERE'S ALWAYS A BILINGUAL MEMBER ON THE TEAM.
IT MAY BE THE EMT WHO'S BILINGUAL, OR IT MAY BE THE CRISIS WORKER, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS, ON ALL OF OUR TEAMS WHEREVER WE ARE, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY WHO, UM, SPANISH IS, IS USUALLY THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE.
AND, AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS THE CRISIS TEAM.
OUR MODEL, UM, WITH THE TRIBES IS ANOTHER MODEL THAT, THAT THE, THE RANCHERIAS ARE REACHING OUT AND SAYING WE HAVE TO STAND UP CRISIS INTERVENTION.
AND SO OUR GOAL THERE IS TO BUILD A WORKFORCE AMONG, UM, NATIVE AMERICANS, TRAINING THEM TO BECOME EMTS AND GETTING THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND THEN TRAINING THEM TO BE CRISIS WORKERS SO THEY'RE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THEIR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALSO.
UM, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PRESENTATION ITEM AND ASK SPEAKERS TO BRING THEIR CARDS TO THE CLERK'S DESK IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY.
UH, CLERK, HAVE WE RECEIVED ANY COMMENTS PRIOR TO THE MEETING? PRIOR TO THE MEETING? WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS, BUT WE DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER CARD THAT WAS PRESENTED, AND THAT IS DENNIS PO K.
UM, FIRST, YOU KNOW, I, I I WANT TO SPEAK TO, UH, WHAT WE'VE JUST HEARD ABOUT.
AND THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL ADMIT TO BEING BIASED IN THAT I JUST LOVE THE NAME SAFE.
IT JUST, IT JUST MAKES MY BRAIN, YOU KNOW, UH, CARBONATE OR SOMETHING, UM, SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE FOR EVERYONE.
SO, SO I AM COMING FROM A BIAS POINT OF VIEW.
UM, ALSO, UH, I I JUST WANT TO, UH, THANK, I MEAN PRIMARILY ACTUALLY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR, FOR, UM, EMBRACING THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS NEW THING.
UH, AND ACTUALLY EVEN, EVEN AFTER, I THINK WHEN THE TWO YOUNG LADIES BROUGHT IT UP, YOU KNOW, I SAID I WAS ON BOARD WITH THAT, AND THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK THAT WAY.
UH, THE PE THE, UH, I'M SURE OUR LEGAL TEAM,
[00:45:01]
UH, DID A LOT OF WORK ON THIS.UH, AND I'M SURE, AND ELISE HAS DESCRIBED ALL THE WORK SHE'S DONE, AND, AND PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, ELISE, UH, EVERY TIME I TALK TO HER, SHE'S IMPROVED SOMETHING IN SOME WAY AND IN A GOOD WAY.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE BAD WAYS TO EXPAND STUFF.
AND, AND, UH, TO MY BRAIN, ELISE IS ALWAYS, UH, EXPANDING IN A, IN A GOOD WAY.
AND PARTICULARLY, I LIKE THIS IDEA OF AMBULANCE RIDES, AND I KNOW THERE, THERE ARE COMPLICATIONS WITH MAKING THAT REGULAR, BUT WHEN MY, WHEN MY OWN MOTHER WAS IN MEMORY CARE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND, AND SHE WOULD FALL, FALL OCCASIONALLY EVERY YEAR OR TWO, I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THERE'RE BEING MORE AS CAREFUL AS ANYONE IS IN THIS REGARD, BUT SHE WOULD FALL.
AND, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT FELT A LITTLE BIT LIKE THEY HAD A DEAL WITH THE AMBULANCE FOLKS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THEY HAD TO FIND A REASON TO CALL THEM IF SHE HAD ANY, ANY SLIGHT THING ON HER HEAD, OR IF SHE SAID SHE HAD ANY HEADACHE.
AND IT WAS A $5,000 ROUND TRIP BY THE AMBULANCE WITH NO IV, NO OXYGEN.
AND, AND AS A RETIRED PHYSICIAN, AND AFTER I GOT MAD ENOUGH ABOUT THIS, THE LAST TWO TIMES THIS HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, I'D GET CALLED AND I'D SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M FIRING HER DOCTOR NOW.
I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF THAT AS SOON AS I GET OFF THE PHONE.
I'M GONNA BECOME HER PHYSICIAN AND, UH, I'M GONNA TALK TO HER BEFORE WE DECIDE ON AN AMBULANCE.
AND THEY LET ME DO THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES.
AND AFTER I TALKED TO HER AND DETERMINED THAT SHE WASN'T, UH, IN, IN ANY BAD WAY, UH, I, I SAID, OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND, AND, AND NOW I'M RETURNING HER CARE TO THE, THE CARE OF HER REGULAR DOCTOR.
UM, HE WASN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO GET OUT THERE THAT TIME.
THESE ARE ALWAYS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
IN ANY CASE, I THANK ELISE FOR ALL SHE DOES.
I THANK THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR ALL YOU GUYS HAVE DONE ON THIS AND IN ON THIS COMMISSION AND, UH, IN, IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE.
AND, UH, UH, ONE OF THE PROUDEST THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, I HAVE ABOUT MY TIME ON CITY COUNCIL.
UM, IF THAT'S IT FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM, AGAIN, THANK YOU, ELISE, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, EVERYONE'S TIME IN, UH, IN BRINGING THAT TO THE COMMITTEE'S ATTENTION.
UH, NEXT UP, UH, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON FIRST AMENDMENT SPEECH.
UM, OUR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, JORDAN GREEN, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THEM TO INTRODUCE THE TOPIC.
SO, SO THIS, THIS IS GONNA BE A BRIEF PRESENTATION ABOUT FREE SPEECH AND OUR PUBLIC AREAS.
AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS IN BETWEEN, JUST LET ME KNOW.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION RATHER THAN ME JUST TALKING.
SO, FIRST TOPIC WE WANTED TO COVER, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, IS WHETHER PEOPLE MAY SOLICIT AND PROTEST ON PRIVATE PROPERTY SUCH AS SHOPPING CENTERS.
AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, IT DEPENDS.
AND WE GET CALLS, I DON'T WANNA SAY A LOT, BUT CALLS COME INTO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR PEOPLE TO HELP SHOPPING CENTERS SUCH AS TARGET OR TRADER JOE'S OR OTHER MARKETS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE SOLICITING OR SOME OTHER FREE SPEECH, AND THEY SAY, NO, I'M ALLOWED TO BE HERE.
AND IT BECOMES A LITTLE COMPLICATED.
AND THE REASON IT BECOMES COMPLICATED IS 'CAUSE THE LAW IS COMPLICATED.
'CAUSE IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHETHER THE LOCATION IS DESIGNED AND FURNISHED TO PERMIT AND ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO CONGREGATE AND SOCIALIZE AT LEISURE.
SO ENTRANCES TO AND FROM STORES WHEN SOMEONE'S JUST TRYING TO COME AND GO, TYPICALLY ARE NOT THE BEST PLACE TO SIT BACK, RELAX, AND HAVE A CONVERSATION.
BUT THEN IT BECOMES, WELL THEN WHERE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO IT? WHERE WE COULD REALLY ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND GET PEOPLE WHO ARE OTHERWISE TOO BUSY? SO COURTS LOOK AT A NUMBER OF FACTORS SUCH AS THE PHYSICAL SITES IN FRONT OF THE SHOPPING CENTERS.
ARE THERE CHAIRS, TABLES OR BENCHES MAYBE WHERE PEOPLE ARE SITTING OUTSIDE AND EATING OR HAVING A CUP OF COFFEE? THE LOOK AT THE PAST PRACTICE OF THE PROPERTY, SUCH AS DOES IT ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO CONGREGATE THERE? ARE THERE TABLES SET UP? IS THERE ROOM FOR SOMEONE TO BRING A TABLE AND SAY, HEY, COULD WE GET YOUR SIGNATURE ON THIS? AND DO THE LOCAL STORES THEMSELVES HAVE POLICIES OR RULES PROHIBITING IT OR AGAINST SOLICITING? AND SO AN EXAMPLE WE'LL USE, AND I'M NOT GIVING LEGAL ADVICE, I'M JUST GIVING AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT HAS COME UP HERE IS LIKE THE WASHINGTON SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER WHERE THERE'S TARGET.
AND IN THAT AREA RIGHT IN FRONT OF TARGET, THERE'S REALLY NO GOOD PLACE TO HAVE A TABLE AND PEOPLE OUT THERE ASKING FAMILIES WHO COME AND GO AND OUT OF THE STORE TO PLEASE SIGN THIS OR, HEY, VOTE AGAINST OR VOTE FOR SOMEONE.
[00:50:01]
IN THE SHOPPING CENTER IN GENERAL, NEXT TO, I THINK IT WAS A DENTAL STORE, BUT THERE'S AN AREA ACROSS FROM TARGET, THERE IS A LARGE AREA WHICH IS BETTER SUITED FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ASKING FOR SIGNATURES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.SO RIGHT IN FRONT OF A STORE WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING IN AND OUT AND LIKE THERE THEY HAVE THE BIG RED BALLS, NOT A GOOD, NOT A GREAT PLACE, BUT OTHER AREAS IN THE SHOPPING CENTER THAT ARE NOT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF STORES AND PROHIBITING PEOPLE FROM WALKING FREELY IS A BETTER PLACE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE SHOPPING CENTER'S ROLES AND THE STORES THEMSELVES.
SO THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE WITH, I'VE NEVER REVIEWED ANY OF THEIR ROLES, SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE WITHOUT KNOWING THE SPECIFIC ROLES.
UH, NEXT THING WE WANNA SAY, WELL, WHAT ABOUT PUBLIC PROPERTY? LIKE WHAT ABOUT THAT PARK RIGHT OUT THERE IN FRONT OF CITY HALL? AND THE US SUPREME COURT HAS ESTABLISHED THAT PUBLIC PARKS AND SIDEWALKS ARE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC FORUMS WHERE INDIVIDUALS DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS, BUT THEY CAN'T BE DOING, YOU KNOW, LIKE BLOW HORNS AT 2:00 AM RIGHT? IT'S SUBJECT TO REASONABLE TIME PLACES AND MANNER RESTRICTIONS TO BALANCE FREE EXPRESSION WITH PUBLIC ORDER, SAFETY AND PEACE.
SO BETWEEN 12 AND 5:00 PM PEOPLE ARE HOLDING UP SIGNS, NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOULD BE OKAY, PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION, AND THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DISRUPT OTHER PEOPLE FROM DOING THEIR WORK OR THEIR FREEDOM.
BUT THAT WOULD BE A TRADITIONAL PLACE WHERE SOMEONE COULD, THEN THERE IS LIMITED PUBLIC FORUMS SUCH AS OUR CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS HERE, SAY THERE'S A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WELL, SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC COULD GO AHEAD AND COME HERE AND SIT THERE WITH THEIR SIGN THEIR SIGN, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULDN'T SIT IN THE FRONT ROW WITH THEIR SIGN BLOCKING SOMEONE IN THE LA IN THE SECOND ROW, BUT MAYBE THEY WANNA SIT IN THE BACK ROW WITH THEIR SIGN THAT'S NOT PRO BLOCKING OTHER PEOPLE AND NOT BLOCKING, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE'S ABILITY TO WALK TO AND FROM EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWPOINT.
WE DON'T MA, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SAY YES, VOTE FOR ONE PERSON OR ANOTHER.
THAT WOULD BE THEIR OWN VIEWPOINT, BUT IT ALSO SHOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, INCITE VIOLENCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S STILL REASONABLE RESTRICTIONS.
AND COULD PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, BE OUTSIDE OF RIGHT HERE A LIMITED NUMBER, BUT CAN THEY KEEP DOORS OPEN OR CLOSED SO PEOPLE CAN'T COME IN AND OUT? NO, BECAUSE THEN THAT ENDANGERS THE PUBLIC IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE HAVE PUBLIC SHOPPING CENTERS WHERE THERE'S CERTAIN AREAS PEOPLE MAY CONGREGATE AND SOLICIT.
WE HAVE PUBLIC PRO LIKE PARKS AND PROPERTIES SUCH AS OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL, WHICH IS A MORE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC FORUM AND LIMITED FORUM CENSUS COUNCIL CHAMBERS WHERE WE HAVE MORE RESTRICTIONS, BUT IT'S STILL SOMEWHERE WHERE SOMEONE MAY COME AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEW.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO JUST BE A BRIEF PRESENTATION, AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE 'EM, UH, OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE? I, I HAVE ONE ONLY BECAUSE IT CAME OUT FROM LAST MS. HOSLER, CAN YOU TURN YOUR MICROPHONE ON? SORRY,
IT'S BEEN A COUPLE MONTHS, UH, BECAUSE THIS CAME FROM LAST, THE LAST MEETING IN NOVEMBER A MILLION YEARS AGO, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WITH AFTER THE ELECTION THAT THERE MIGHT BE ACTIVITIES AND THERE ALREADY HAS BEEN.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, THE CITY'S MUNICIPAL CODE HAS LIKE, LIKE DEFINITELY RESTRICTIONS REGARDING EVEN IF IT'S PUBLIC FORUM ABOUT, UH, ABOUT GETTING, UM, PERMITS, ABOUT GETTING U USE OF, UH, USE OF, UH, AMPLIFICATION.
LIKE THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF RULES ON THAT.
LIKE, UH, DOES THE CITY WANT, DOES THE CITY WANT TO KIND OF MAKE KNOWN, UH, IT'S IT'S GENERAL, LIKE HOW, HOW TO DO A PROTEST OR NOT REALLY? WELL, AS AN ATTORNEY, I COULD PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE TO CITY OFFICIALS, BUT I ACTUALLY CAN'T SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OFFICIALS OF WHAT ITS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ELECTED TO WANT THE CITY TO HAVE.
ANYONE ELSE? I I CAN TRY TO DO THAT.
YEAH,
I THINK WHAT WE ENVISIONED WHEN WE WERE PREPARING THIS PRESENTATION IS ONE, TO TALK ABOUT GENERALLY LAWFUL, UM, DIFFERENT SITUATIONS OF PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION AND FREE SPEECH.
AND SO WE SEE THAT WITH SOLICITORS, WE SEE PEOPLE IN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, YOU SEE PEOPLE IN PLAZAS.
WE ALSO, TO YOUR POINT, AND I THINK WHAT LIEUTENANT PARNES PREPARED TO PRESENT ABOUT IS WE RESPOND TO A NUMBER OF LARGER SCALE DEMONSTRATIONS SOMETIMES WITH, WITH, UH, PARTIES ON TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF A TOPIC.
[00:55:01]
KNOW, IF LIEUTENANT AU IF YOU'RE PREPARED, MAYBE WE CAN SEGUE INTO TO THAT PRESENTATION.BUT, UH, WHAT, WHAT THIS NEXT PART IS, IS REALLY WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SOME OF THOSE PRESENTA OR DEMONSTRATIONS? WHAT IS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSE TO THOSE? WE ALSO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN SITUATIONS WHERE DEMONSTRATIONS ESCALATE TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIORS.
HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THOSE? UM, AND THAT WILL BE THAT PRESENTATION.
I WILL ALSO JUST SAY TO YOUR, TO YOUR QUESTION, UM, WE DO HAVE A SPECIAL EVENT PERMITTING PROCESS, WHICH IS GENERALLY ANYTIME, UH, INDIVIDUALS ARE GOING TO GO INTO A PUBLIC ROADWAY FOR PARADES, FOR ROAD CLOSURES, THEIR CITY RESPONSIBILITY ON MAINTAINING, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC SAFETY.
THE CITY ALWAYS, UH, ESPECIALLY OUR CITY ATTORNEYS, ENCOURAGE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO UTILIZE A PUBLIC SPACE FOR THEIR PERSONAL USE TO HAVE INSURANCE.
UM, AND SO THE, THOSE ARE ALL CONSIDERATIONS.
FREE SPEECH AND, UH, DEMONSTRATIONS OFTEN DON'T FIND THEMSELVES GOING THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES BECAUSE THEY GENERALLY ARE OCCURRING ORGANICALLY.
UM, AND THERE'S NOT A REPRESENTATIVE THAT'S FILING FOR A PERMIT.
BUT WE OFTEN, AS CITY STAFF TRY TO ENGAGE WITH ANY EVENT ORGANIZERS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE AS PEACEFUL, COMPLIANT WITH TRAFFIC RULES THAT OUR PEOPLE ARE OUT OF ROADWAYS IF THERE'S NOT ROAD CLOSURES OR TO WORK WITH WITH US SO THAT WE CAN BEST DO SOME OF THE SAFETY PIECE.
AND I SEE, I SEE MY STAFF GIVING ME SOME SMILES BECAUSE I THINK I'M DRIFTING INTO THE PRESENTATION.
UM, SO IF, IF WE CAN MAYBE, UM, PEN THAT AND THEN GET BACK TO IT AND TRY I'M SO SORRY.
I THOUGHT THAT WHAT JORDAN SAID WAS IT, SO THAT'S WHY I WAS LIKE, OH, BY NO MEANS.
THAT WAS JUST THE, THE, THE PREAMBLE TO THE, TO THE, THE MORE THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPONENT.
LIEUTENANT AU THANK YOU, CHIEF.
I THINK YOU COVERED IT, BUT I'LL GO, I GO, I'LL GO ON
MY NAME IS, UH, MATTHEW PARNOT.
I'M A LIEUTENANT WITH THE PETALUMA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'M CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO THE FIELD SERVICE DIVISION AS A PATROL WATCH COMMANDER.
FIRST WANNA THANK COMMITTEE CHAIR MIKE MILLER, COUNCIL MEMBER KAREN NOW AND ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE PETAL POLICE DEPARTMENT ON FIRST AMENDMENT ASSEMBLIES.
AND THEY'RE COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES OR DEMONSTRATIONS AT THE PETALUMA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
OUR RESPONSE TO PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS IS GUIDED BY POLICY 4 68.
IT'S TITLED FIRST AMENDMENT ASSEMBLIES.
IN ADDITION TO OUR GUIDING POLICY, WE ADHERE TO BEST PRACTICES, WHICH ARE GENERALLY OUTLINED IN PEACE OFFICER STANDARD AND TRAINING GUIDELINES UNDER CROWD CONTROL, CROWD MANAGEMENT, AND CROWD INTERVENTION.
AS WE KNOW, BOTH THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION IN THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION PROTECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS' RIGHTS TO FREE EXPRESSION.
THE PETALUMA POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPECTS THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE TO PEACEFULLY ASSEMBLE.
IT IS THE POLICY OF THIS DEPARTMENT NOT TO UNREASONABLY INTERFERE WITH HARASS, INTIMIDATE, OR DISCRIMINATE AGAINST PERSONS ENGAGED IN LAWFUL EXERCISE OF THEIR RIGHTS, WHILE ALSO PRESERVING THE PEACE, PROTECTING LIFE, AND PREVENTING THE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.
THE GOAL OF THE PENAL ALONE POLICE DEPARTMENT DURING ASSEMBLIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS IS TO MONITOR ACTIVITIES AND TAKE APPROPRIATE POLICE ACTION WHEN NECESSARY TO ADDRESS UNLAWFUL ACTIVITY OR TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF PERSONS AND OR PROPERTY, INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS PRESENT ON A PUBLIC WAY, SUCH AS A PUBLIC FACILITIES, STREETS, OR WALKWAYS GENERALLY HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE, RALLY, DEMONSTRATE, PROTEST, OR OTHERWISE EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS AND OPINIONS THROUGH VARYING FORMS OF COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRINTED MATTER.
THESE RIGHTS MAY BE LIMITED BY LAWS OR ORDINANCES REGULATING SUCH MATTERS THESE MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE OBSTRUCTION OF INDIVIDUALS AND VEHICLES, TRESPASSING, NOISE, PICKETING AND LOITERING.
HOWEVER, OFFICERS SHALL NOT TAKE ACTION OR FAIL TO TAKE ACTION BASED ON THE OPINIONS BEING EXPRESSED.
PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOR DURING A DEMONSTRATION OR OTHER PUBLIC ASSEMBLY CAN VARY.
THIS MAY BE INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO LAWFUL CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED ACTIONS AND SPEECH.
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE TYPICALLY INVOLVING MINOR CRIMINAL ACTS AND RIOTING.
THE PURPOSE OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE AT THE SCENE OF A PUBLIC ASSEMBLY AND DEMONSTRATION SHOULD BE TO PRESERVE THE PEACE,
[01:00:01]
PROTECT LIFE AND PREVENT THE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.OFFICERS SHOULD NOT ENGAGE DEMONSTRATION RELATED DISCUSSIONS WITH PARTICIPANTS.
OFFICERS SHOULD NOT HARASS, CONFRONT, OR INTIMIDATE PARTICIPANTS.
OFFICERS SHOULD NOT SEIZE THE CAMERAS, CELL PHONES, OR MATERIALS OF PARTICIPANTS UNLESS AN OFFICER IS PLACING A PERSON UNDER LAWFUL ARREST.
SUPERVISORS SHOULD CONTINUALLY OBSERVE DEPARTMENT MEMBERS UNDER THEIR COMMANDS TO ENSURE THAT MEMBERS INTERACTION WITH PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR RESPONSE CROWD DYNAMICS IS APPROPRIATE.
SUPERVISORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO MEET WITH ORGANIZERS AND LEADERS OF A DEMONSTRATION TO ENCOURAGE LAWFUL FACILITATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS WITH ENCOURAGEMENT OF LAWFUL BEHAVIOR.
THROUGH SUCH COMMUNICATION WITH ORGANIZERS AND LEADERS, THE SUPERVISORS SHOULD OFFER AN UNDERSTANDING THAT UNLAWFUL CONDUCT OF A FEW COULD LEAD TO A DECLARATION OF AN UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY AND DISPERSAL OF THE CROWD.
IF A PUBLIC GATHERING OR DEMONSTRATION REMAINS PEACEFUL AND NONVIOLENT, THERE IS NO REASONABLY EMINENT THREAT TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY.
THE INCIDENT COMMANDER OR SUPERVISOR SHOULD AUTHORIZE CONTINUED MONITORING OF SUCH AN EVENT.
PUBLIC GATHERINGS MAY CONCLUDE WITHOUT ANY NEED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVENTION.
THE DECISION TO DECLARE A CROWD UNLAWFUL MUST BE BASED UPON REASONABLE ARTICULABLE FACTS.
CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE SECTION 4 0 7 DEFINES AN UNLAWFULLY UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY AS WHENEVER TWO OR MORE PERSONS ASSEMBLED TOGETHER TO KNOW AN UNLAWFUL ACT OR DO A, A LAWFUL ACT IN A VIOLENT, BOISTEROUS, OR TUMULTUOUS MANNER.
THE TERMS BOISTEROUS OR TUMULTUOUS HAVE BEEN INTERPRETED BY THE COURTS AS CONDUCT THAT POSES A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER OF EMINENT VIOLENCE.
SHOULD THE INCIDENT COMMANDER MAKE A DETERMINATION THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS PRESENTLY OR IS ABOUT TO BE JEOPARDIZED, HE OR SHE OR THE AUTHORIZED DESIGNEE SHOULD ATTEMPT TO VERBALLY PERSUADE EVENT ORGANIZERS OR PARTICIPANTS TO DISPERSE OF THEIR OWN ACCORD? WHEN INITIAL ATTEMPTS AT COMMUNICATING OR DEESCALATION TACTICS ARE UNSUCCESSFUL, THE INCIDENT COMMANDER OR THE AUTHORIZED DESIGNEE SHOULD MAKE A CLEAR STANDARDIZED ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE GATHERING THAT THE EVENT IS AN UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY.
SHOULD THE ORDER THE DISPERSAL OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN A MANNER TO ENSURE THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS HEAR THE ORDER GIVEN? IF AN INDIVIDUAL REFUSES TO COMPLY WITH LAWFUL ORDERS, THE INCIDENT COMMANDER SHALL EVALUATE THE TYPE OF RESISTANCE AND ADOPT A REASONABLE RESPONSE IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THE LAWFUL MISSION.
THIS COULD INCLUDE, SUCH AS A DISPERSAL OR ARREST OF THOSE ACTING IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW.
IN CLOSING, THE DEPARTMENT'S PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY WHILE SAFEGUARDING CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT ACTION IS THE LAST RESORT IN RESPONSE TO ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND OR FELONY VANDALISM.
UH, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE.
UH, A BIT OF A HYPOTHETICAL, BUT I'M CURIOUS ON THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO BEAR ARMS AND SORT OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS FOR FREE SPEECH, UM, HOW DOES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEAL WITH, AGAIN, HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS? THERE'S A LAWFUL GATHERING AND THERE ARE ARMED INDIVIDUALS MAYBE WITH ASSAULT RIFLES AND TACTICAL GEAR.
LIKE, DOES THAT CONS, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE REALLY INTIMIDATING, UM, TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
LIKE WHERE DOES THAT FALL IN TERMS OF, IS THAT LAWFUL OR DOES THAT BECOME UNLAWFUL AS SOON AS THERE STARTS TO BECOME, UH, WEAPONRY AND FIREARMS DISPLAYED? I MEAN, AN OP OPEN CARRY OF A, A FIREARM IS, IS UNLAWFUL.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE TAKE VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND I COULD SEE US DEALING WITH THAT AS, AS IT PRESENTS ITSELF.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF TO BIFURCATE THE FIRST AMENDMENT VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THE CRIME AT, AT HAND.
AND THAT COULD PRESENT, UH, SOME PROBLEMS FOR US.
SO THIS ACTUALLY CAME UP, IN FACT, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ALL SIT HERE RIGHT NOW.
THERE WAS A, UM, A PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY, BLACK LIVES MATTER ASSEMBLY AT A LOCAL CHURCH HERE IN PETALUMA.
[01:05:01]
AND A, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT HAD PLANNED IT, AND AT THE TIME, IT, LIKE TENSIONS WERE SUPER HIGH, UH, AROUND A MILLION THINGS.AND, UH, A A A GROUP OF COUNTER, I GUESS I, I'M GONNA JUST SAY THE, THE BLACK LIVES MATTER PEOPLE, AND THEN A GROUP THAT WAS LIKE ANTI THE BLACK BLACK LIVES MATTER GROUP CAME AND, AND THEY, THEY HEIGHTENED TENSIONS QUITE A BIT, QUITE A BIT.
I WAS A PART OF THE, UM, DEESCALATION TEAM.
WE KEPT PEOPLE APART AS WELL AS WE COULD, BUT, UM, WE HEARD AT THAT DAY THAT OFFICERS WERE LIKE ON THE OUTSKIRTS.
BUT EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS DEFINITELY LIKE HUGE SIGNS AND, AND DEFINITELY LIKE PEOPLE SCREAMING OUT, A KID WAS PUSHED DOWN.
UH, THERE WAS, THERE WAS NEVER, THERE WAS NEVER A POLICE THAT ACTUALLY STEPPED IN AND SAID, OH, OKAY, LET'S, LET'S TRY TO CALM THIS DOWN.
THERE WAS, THERE WAS NEVER THAT FIRST STEP OF TRYING TO GET VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.
AND LIKE, I MEAN, I HOPE THAT, GOSH, I HOPE THAT WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, GROUPS CLASH.
WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO? GREAT QUESTION.
SO, A FEW THINGS THAT, UM, ARE WHAT WE DO IN TERMS OF OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE, UM, COUNTER PROTEST OR SOMETHING THAT ARE, ARE VERY REAL AND THEY DO OCCUR, UM, IN THE CITY OF PETALUMA, UM, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO PROTECT ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY'S FIRST AMENDMENT, RIGHT? UM, AND THAT INCLUDES BOTH SIDES.
SO THE, USUALLY THE BEST CASE SCENARIO WOULD BE COMMUNICATING WITH THE ORGANIZERS OF BOTH SIDES OF THE PROTEST, AND THEN PROVIDING SAFE SPACES FOR BOTH OF THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT.
UM, USUALLY IT'S ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE ROADWAY, MAYBE DIFFERENT SIDES OF AN INTERSECTION, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, CREATING SOME SPACE AND DISTANCE TO WHERE THEY'RE NOT IN EACH OTHER'S FACES.
UM, WITH THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED AT THE CHURCH THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING.
UM, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD TACTIC TO USE IN THAT SITUATION IS YES, THERE WERE OFFICERS IN THE AREA, BUT THEY WEREN'T CONSTANTLY MONITORING THE SITUATION.
UM, AND WE LEARN THROUGH SOME OF THESE INCIDENTS AS WELL IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE A BETTER RESPONSE.
AND IF THE EVENT ORGANIZER WOULD HAVE MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION WITH OUR STAFF, THEN WE CAN HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, SEAMLESS RESPONSE.
UM, WE'RE IN THE AREA, WE CAN GET THERE QUICKLY, WE CAN DEESCALATE, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SAFEGUARD THOSE RIGHTS WHILE MAINTAINING PUBLIC ORDER.
I THINK, I THINK TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION, THE OTHER THING THAT IS VALUABLE, AND, AND AGAIN, CITY STAFF ALWAYS ENCOURAGES ANY INDIVIDUAL AND MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY THAT'S PLANNING ANY TYPE OF EVENT, ESPECIALLY A LARGE SCALE EVENT, TO SEEK THAT SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT.
SO OFTEN DEMONSTRATIONS ARE IN PUBLIC ROADWAYS OR IN PUBLIC SPACES.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE A PERMIT, IT, IT BASICALLY IDENTIFIES THAT AREA AS YOU'RE THE PERMITEE ON A SET PERIOD OF TIME.
AND ANOTHER GROUP THAT THEY W WISHED TO COUNTER DEMONSTRATE THEY WOULDN'T BE A PARTICIPANT IN THAT VENT.
AND SO WE CAN KEEP PEOPLE FROM THOSE AREAS WHEN THEY'RE PERMITTED.
WHERE IT'S CHALLENGING AND COMPLICATED IS WHERE THERE'S AN UN UNEXPECTED, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES THERE'S LIMITED INFORMATION SHARED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND WE LEARN BE OF JUST SEEING PEOPLE CONGREGATING IN AN AREA OR, OR SIGNAGE THAT, THAT WE BECOME AWARE OF, OF A DEMONSTRATION.
AND IF THERE'S A COUNTER DEMONSTRATION AND THERE'S NOT A PERMIT ON EITHER SIDE, THEN EVERYBODY'S EQUALLY AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS AND BE IN THAT AREA.
AND WE, WE THEN ARE IN A RESPONSE MODEL WHERE WE HAVE TO TRY OUR BEST TO BE IN A, IN A PEACEKEEPING ROLE TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT.
AND SOMETIMES THAT'S CHALLENGING.
UM, WITH OUR STAFFING MODELS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX OFFICERS SOMETIMES ON DUTY, AND WE'VE EXPERIENCED CROWDS IN THE HUNDREDS.
AND SO IT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO, TO MANAGE THOSE, OR WE'RE WAITING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
UM, OR, YOU KNOW, IN, IN SOME OF THOSE EXPERIENCES, WE'VE ALSO FOUND THAT THE PRESENCE OF POLICE OFFICERS CAN BE INFLAMMATORY AND ONLY ESCALATE THE SITUATION UNNECESSARILY.
SO THERE'S A TON OF CONSIDERATIONS.
I WILL, UH, ECHO DEPUTY CHIEFS MCGOWAN'S COMMENTS THAT, UM, WE AS AN ORGANIZATION HAVE LEARNED AND BENEFITED IMMENSELY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS FROM RESPONDING TO A NUMBER OF DEMONSTRATIONS AND ALSO GREATLY APPRECIATIVE.
EVEN THIS PAST SATURDAY, THERE WAS THE PEOPLE'S MARCH IN TOWN, UM, NO PERMIT THERE, UM, BUT HAD A RELATIVELY PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION IMPACTED TRAFFIC ON A FEW OCCASIONS, UM, UH, TO TO, TO THE FRUSTRATION OF SOME MOTORISTS, WHICH CAN PRESENT OTHER CHALLENGES.
BUT OUTWARDLY, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS,
[01:10:01]
UM, DEMONSTRATE APPROPRIATELY AND LAWFULLY AND DON'T, DON'T, UM, PUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN A POSITION THAT THINGS ARE ESCALATED, WE CAN MONITOR AND WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO, TO EXERCISE THOSE RIGHTS.AND, UH, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE THINGS WE APPRECIATE MOST ABOUT PETALUMA IS THAT PEOPLE CAN EXPRESS THEMSELVES, UM, AS LONG AS THEY DO LAWFULLY APPROPRIATELY, REASONABLY, AND WITHOUT HARMING OTHERS.
THOSE, THOSE ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED.
UM, A YEAR AGO IN THE, THESE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WE HAD, UM, A CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND THE MAYOR, YOU KNOW, HE EXPLAINS THE DECORUM AND HOW LONG PEOPLE CAN SPEAK, BUT IT WAS THE, UM, TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF AN ISSUE.
AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, AND IT STARTED TO ESCALATE.
WE WERE, YOU KNOW, ESCORTED OUT.
THE COUNCIL WAS, BUT WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING INSIDE THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK TO, UM, YOUR FOURTH BULLET POINT ABOUT HOW TO DEESCALATE THE CROWD IN COMMUNICATION AND, AND GET TOKO BACK, UM, BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE WE, I WAS IN THERE FOR HOURS BECAUSE IT WAS, IT WAS QUITE A SURREAL, UM, JUST LISTENING TO WHAT WAS GOING ON IN HERE, BUT NOT SEEING ANYTHING.
AND WE CAME BACK IN AND THERE WERE A FEW, UM, PEOPLE WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR SIGNS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING HOW YOU AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, PREPARE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, THERE WAS A WRITTEN PROTOCOL FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR TO FOLLOW, AND WE DID OUR JOB, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR JOB, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DID IT.
UM, BECAUSE I SURE IT ONLY TOOK A FEW, MAYBE 10 MINUTES AND ALL, EVERYTHING WAS CALM AGAIN.
AND I MEAN, I THINK THERE WAS ONLY A HANDFUL OF OFFICERS, SO IT WAS AMAZING.
WELL, I WASN'T THERE, SO I, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT
NO, I MEAN, WE, I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE LUCKY AND WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE THE OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE AND THE CALIBER OF OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO KINDA ESTABLISH THOSE, THOSE, UH, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES OF IF AND WHEN THAT DOES HAPPEN.
LUCKILY, IT DOES NOT HAPPEN A LOT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROCEDURES IN PLACE.
WE ALWAYS HAVE AN OFFICER HERE AT THE, AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, UM, AND WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH WE CAN HAVE OFFICERS COME TO, UH, THEY CAN USE A RADIO OR OFFICERS SHOW UP.
AND AGAIN, IT JUST COMES BACK TO, I THINK WHAT YOU MENTIONED WAS THE, THE DEESCALATION AND JUST HAVING OFFICERS THAT ARE CALM, COOL, AND COLLECTED THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT, YEAH, IT, IT'S, IT'S NOVEL TO YOU, BUT IT'S NOT NOVEL TO, YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR OFFICERS THAT WE WORK WITH, UM, THEY'RE USED TO DEALING THESE HIGH STRESS SITUATIONS AND THEY'RE ABLE TO BRING, BRING A CALM TO THE STORM.
UH, AND LUCKILY IN THAT SITUATION, THEY WERE ABLE TO DO SO IN, IN 10 MINUTES.
SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO, UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE LUCKY THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT, UH, AS OTHER, YOU KNOW, CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES DO.
SO YEAH, WE, WE KNEW IN ADVANCE THAT THEY, THEY HAD GOTTEN OUT OF HAND AT OTHER CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, AND IT WAS WALL TO WALL PEOPLE FROM WHERE WE'RE SITTING TO THE FRONT DOORS AND PEOPLE OUTSIDE, AND THEY CALMED THE, THE GROUPS DOWN.
THERE WERE TWO, TWO DIFFERENT OPINIONS, AND WE JUST LEFT SO THAT WE DIDN'T ACCELERATE THE, UM, THE CROWD'S OPINIONS.
AND YOU GUYS DID A FABULOUS JOB.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ON THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART THAT THERE WAS NO INJURIES.
EVERYBODY WAS CALM WHEN WE CAME BACK IN OUR, OUR ADRENALINE WAS PUMPING.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING YOUR JOBS AND YOU WEREN'T THERE, BUT I, I, I KNEW THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE THERE, BUT THANK YOU.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THE ONE OTHER POINT THAT, THAT WE'RE, WHILE WE'RE FORTUNATE RIGHT, ABOUT A NUMBER OF THESE INCIDENTS, AND THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR STAFF AND PROPER TRAINING AND THE INVESTMENTS WE MAKE IN THEM.
AND, AND SO THAT WE HAVE SOUND RESPONSE, BUT WE HAVE HAD OTHER SITUATIONS THAT HAVE ESCALATED, AND WE'VE SEEN REGIONAL RESPONSES WHERE, UM, THE EVENTS HAVE BECOME VIOLENT OR DESTRUCTIVE, UM, SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE, SIGNIFICANT VIOLENCE.
AND SO WE ALSO, CONVERSELY, WE DO HAVE TRAINING IN CROWD CONTROL.
WE DO HAVE SPECIFIC POLICIES BEYOND FIRST AMENDMENT ASSEMBLIES ON OUR RESPONSE TO THOSE IN WHEN THEY DO ARISE TO A CRIMINAL NATURE AS LIEUTENANT PARNOSS SPOKE TO.
[01:15:01]
UM, PROPERTY AND PEOPLE PROTECTION AT THAT POINT OF A FELONY NATURE.UM, AND WE HAVE SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT THAT IS APPROVED ANNUALLY THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL REVIEW IN ANY OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHEN WE RESPOND.
AND IF WE HAVE TO USE FORCE OR USE ANY OF THAT SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT THAT'S ADDITIONALLY REVIEWED BY OUR POLICE AUDITOR AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY TEAM TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE REGULATIONS AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR USE OF FORCE POLICY, AND ALSO CONSISTENT WITH THE UTILIZATION OF THOSE TOOLS, IF, IF THEY NEED TO BE USED.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE FORTUNATE, I THINK, UH, IT'S ALSO A COMPLIMENT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY, THEY KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THE MESSAGE CAN BE LOST, UM, WHEN IT ESCALATES TO THOSE DEGREES.
SO I APPRECIATE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE RESPECTFUL OF THE COMMUNITY AND, AND STILL WISH TO EXERCISE THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS REAL QUICK.
CHIEF OR, OR LIEUTENANT IF, UH, WE HAVE MUTUAL AID THAT COMES IN TO ASSIST WITH AN INCIDENT, DO THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, OR DO THEY FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES OF THE AGENCY THAT THEY WORK FOR? YEAH, I CAN ANSWER THAT.
UM, I'VE RESPONDED WITH MANY OF THE OFFICERS AND MY STAFF IN THE ROOM TO SOME OF THE DEMONSTRATIONS IN SANTA ROSA.
AND SO THROUGH THE OPERATIONAL PLANNING, THERE'S AGREEMENTS ON WHAT THE POLICIES ARE.
WE ALWAYS UTILIZE AND MAINTAIN OUR DEPARTMENTAL POLICY.
WHAT I'M ALSO FORTUNATE FOR IS REGIONALLY LEASED IN OUR COUNTY.
THOSE ARE RELATIVELY CONSISTENT.
UM, ANY MEMBERS COMING AND PROVIDING MUTUAL AID, WE HAVE THAT COMMAND AND CONTROL, AND WE WOULD RETAIN COMMAND AND CONTROL OF THOSE OPERATIONS, WHICH I BELIEVE YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY BEFORE, BEING A FULL SERVICE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE OPERATE OUR OWN SWAT AND CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM, SO WE'RE NOT CALLING MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES IN, UM, AND HANDING OVER THAT, THAT OPERATIONAL CONTROL, WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE MAINTAIN OUR DEPARTMENT MENTAL POLICIES, OUR USES, AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF WHAT'S OUR APPROVED MILITARY EQUIPMENT IN OUR JURISDICTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE? UH, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION SLASH STATEMENT FOR A CA GREEN, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT ANY SOLICITATION OR ASSEMBLY IN FRONT OF ENTRYWAYS TO BUSINESSES ARE UNLAWFUL BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO GET IN, INTO AND OUT OF THOSE SPACES.
WELL, SO IT ALL, I, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A SHOPPING CENTER, FOR EXAMPLE, IT, YOU'D CONSIDER SEVERAL FACTORS OR A COURT WOULD CONSIDER SEVERAL FACTORS WHEN DETERMINING WHETHER IT IS AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO SOLICIT OR PETITION THE GOVERNMENT.
IF THERE IS OUTSIDE OF A BUSINESS, THERE'S A ROOM WITH TABLE OR AREA WITH TABLES AND CHAIRS AND PEOPLE TO HANG OUT AND EAT AND TALK, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE CONSIDERED AN APPROPRIATE PLACE.
DEPENDING ON OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS THE STORE'S POLICIES AND PAST PRACTICES.
IF THERE'S NO REAL, IF THERE'S THE STORE IN A SHOPPING CENTER, THE SHOPPING CENTER HAS OTHER AREAS FOR PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE.
AND WHEN YOU ENTER AND EXIT THE STORE, THERE'S NO REAL SPACE TO SAFELY PLACE A TABLE AND PETITION PEOPLE SO THAT THEY COULD ENTER AND EXIT FREELY WITHOUT BEING BOTHERED.
SAY SOME PEOPLE DON'T APPRECIATE THAT, THEN THAT MAY BE, THAT IS A FACTOR THAT WOULD LEAN AGAINST THAT BEING AN APPROPRIATE PLACE.
SO IT'S MORE OF A TOTALITY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR GIRL SCOUTS BECAUSE I REALLY LOVE THOSE COOKIES.
I WOULD HATE THE POLICE TO BE TAKEN AWAY.
WAIT, THEY, THEY ALWAYS CONFISCATE THE COOKIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY FANTASTIC.
UM, AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PRESENTATION ITEM AND ASK SPEAKERS TO BRING THEIR SPEAKER CARDS TO THE CLERK'S DESK IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY.
WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT PRIOR TO THE MEETING, AND, UH, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYBODY IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AS PART OF THE PUBLIC.
BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT WE ARE 10 MINUTES OUT FROM SEVEN 30, SO WE NEED TO VOTE TO AN EXTEND 'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE COMMITTEE COMMENT AS WELL AS STAFF COMMENT.
I'D LIKE FORWARD A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING.
VOTE PASSES UNANIMOUSLY IN ADDITIONAL 15 MINUTES.
AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO MOVE ON TO
[COMMITTEE COMMENT]
THE NEXT, UH, COMMITTEE COMMENT SECTION,[01:20:01]
UH, FOR THE PS A C LONG RANGE CALENDAR, UM, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE LONG RANGE CALENDAR REGARDING UPCOMING MEETING DATES AND OR POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS. I'D LIKE TO CALL ON THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO PROVIDE COMMENTS, REPORT OUT ANY EVENTS ATTENDED OR BRING FORWARD FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS.UH, MR. CHAIR, I THOUGHT WE HAD DISCUSSED HAVING OUR OUTREACH DISCUSSION CONTINUED ONTO THIS, UH, TO TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
AND IT'S NOT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
SO CAN WE HAVE IT ON THE FEBRUARY AGENDA SO WE CAN REPORT OUT AND DISCUSS, UM, OUTREACH EFFORTS AND WHAT WE COLLECTIVELY ARE GONNA BE DOING? MM-HMM
AND, AND IT, IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY BREAK THAT THE STAFF MISSED.
IT NOT, I KNOW I DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION AHEAD OF TIME TO SEE THAT IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA MM-HMM
BUT IF WE CAN HAVE IT FOR FEBRUARY, IT'D BE APPRECIATED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, AGENDA ITEMS THAT ANYONE ON THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO PULL FORWARD? GO AHEAD.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN EXPAND A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SINCE WE'RE MOVING TO PETALUMA, IT'S BEEN DECREASING SUBSTANTIALLY, WHICH IS NICE TO SEE.
UH, THERE'S A COMPANY I LEARNED THAT THEY ARE FROM SAN RAFAEL.
THEY COME TO MANY PLACES, ONE OF THEM PETALUMA TO SELL FRUIT, AND THEY HAVE, UM, I WOULD CONSIDER AS DRAMATIC AS SOME TRAFFICKING OF INDIVIDUALS.
I SPOKEN TO SOME OF THEM IN SPANISH AND THEY HAVE NO BATHROOM FACILITIES IN THE CORNER USUALLY OF PAY AND MEDICINE.
AND, UH, THEY'RE JUST SITTING THERE.
UH, I FILM THEM SOMETIMES AND I ASK FOR THEIR PERMISSION EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ON PUBLIC PLACE, THEY HAVE NO FOOD LICENSE FOR SELLING OR PERMITS OR ANYTHING TO THAT.
NO BATHROOM FOR THE WOMAN AND KIDS.
AND I'M TALKING ONE, TWO YEAR KIDS.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO TO CALL.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS A POLICE JOB, BUT OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF ILLEGAL THINGS, NOT JUST ONE.
AND THE PERSON THERE IS BEING TREATED PRETTY BAD.
PROBABLY INTIMIDATED AND AFRAID.
UM, WHAT CAN WE DO AS SOCIETY TO BE ABLE TO PURSUE SOMETHING AGAINST THAT BEHAVIOR FROM THE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WAIT FOR THE GUYS THAT PICK THEM UP, IF WE MISS WHEN THEY DROP THEM OFF AND GET THOSE OUTTA THE GUILTY PEOPLE, NOT THE POOR BASTARD SELLING THE ORANGES.
SO, MR. CHAIR, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, YOU'RE ASKING FOR MAYBE A DISCUSSION ON, UH, STREET VENDORS AND POSSIBLE LINK TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTOOD? YEAH.
UH, AND ARE YOU ASKED, JUST TO FURTHER THE CLARIFY, I'M TAKING NOTES TOO, SO WE COULD BE PREPARED WHEN THAT'S ON THE AGENDA, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS BY THIS, WHAT TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS THE CITY COULD TAKE IF IT'S WITHIN CITY PROPERTY AND YEAH.
AS A CITIZEN, WHAT CAN I DO? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY I GO THERE AND I, I BRING THEM WATER AND WHATEVER IT IS.
BUT WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THIS IS STOPPED AT A REGIONAL LEVEL, OBVIOUSLY, BUT STARTING HOME? SURE.
AND MAY, MAYBE I, I'M NOT TRYING TO EXCLUDE YOU FROM ADDING SOMETHING FOR THE CALENDAR, BUT BRIEFLY, WE HAVE A MUNICIPAL CODE THAT REQUIRES PERMITS AND SOLICITORS LICENSES.
UH, IT ALSO, IF YOU'RE SELLING FOOD, IT HAS A, A HEALTH DEPARTMENT ORDER OR, OR, OR LICENSE THAT'S REQUIRED AS WELL.
OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE CITY'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, FORMERLY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, MANAGES THE CODE ENFORCEMENT AND WOULD DO THOSE, THOSE RESPONSES OUT.
THEY ALSO, UM, SIMILARLY ON THE TOPIC OF, OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ARE THE REG REGULATORY BODY THAT INSPECTS AND PERMITS OUR MASSAGE PARLORS WHERE WE SEE A NUMBER OF, OF, UM, SENSITIVE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE AT RISK OF TRAFFICKING.
AND WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND SOMETIMES WE CAN, UH, ACCOMPANY THEM ON AN INSPECTION WHERE WE HAVE FURTHER EXPERTISE IN, IN THOSE COMPONENTS WHILE THEY'RE THERE FOR THEIR CIVIL ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.
UH, WE DEFINITELY ARE SENSITIVE IN PUBLIC SAFETY ON BEING ASKED, AND WE EXPERIENCED THIS DURING THE PANDEMIC ON SOME OF THE MASKING REQUIREMENTS AND ENFORCING CIVIL HEALTH ORDERS AND CIVIL CODE REGULATIONS THAT IS GENERALLY OUTSIDE OF OUR PURVIEW, UM, AS WE TRY TO STAY IN, IN THE, THE LAW VIOLATIONS OF THE PENAL CODE RATHER THAN THE CIVIL CODE.
UM, AND WE, WE RELY ON OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, BUT HAPPY TO, HAPPY TO PUT THAT ON THE LIST OF, OF FUTURE TOPICS AS WELL.
I HAVE, UM, JUST ONE THING, UM, I SEE THAT NEXT WEEK, I MEAN NEXT MONTH IS THE, UM, INDEPENDENT POLICE OFFICERS AUDITORS REPORT, BUT IS THAT REPORT ALREADY WRITTEN? I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE ABOUT TRYING TO GET KIND OF A UPDATE BEFORE THEY'RE WRITING THEIR REPORT.
[01:25:01]
I'M, YEAH.SORRY IF I'M NOT ING THE TIME.
SO THE POLICE AUDITOR IS ON THE CALL TONIGHT IN STAFF COMMENT.
WE HAVE A SECTION WHERE THE IPA WILL PROVIDE IPA MONTHLY COMMENTARY.
THIS, UH, UH, ITEM ON THAT FUTURE AGENDA IS FOR THEIR REPORT FOR THE 2024 YEAR OF THIS CURRENT YEAR THAT JUST ENDED.
THIS WILL BE IN A DRAFT PUBLIC PRESENTATION, UM, WHERE WE ARE BRINGING IT TO THIS COMMITTEE FOR FURTHER REVIEW, DISCUSSION AND INPUT.
AND THEN IT WILL GO TO CITY COUNCIL IN MARCH WHEN THEY ARE FORMALLY PRESENTED IT.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IF THERE'S AREAS OR QUESTIONS OR COMMUNITY COMMENTS THAT THIS BODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THAT.
AND THEN WE WILL INCLUDE THE RESPONSES AND SOME OF THAT DISCUSSION IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT GOES TO COUNCIL.
UH, THERE IS ONE AGENDA ITEM THAT I'D LIKE TO PULL FORWARD OR, OR GET ON A FUTURE, UM, GET ON A FUTURE MEETING AGENDA.
AND THAT'S THE BODY-WORN CAMERA, UH, REVIEW AND POLICY.
UH, I GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM THAT IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT IS OUR POLICY ON BODY-WORN CAMERAS, WHAT IS OUR POLICY ON WHEN THEY WOULD BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC, WHO GETS TO SEE THEM, WHO GETS TO DECIDE IF THEY EVER GET RELEASED.
I THINK IT'D BE REALLY GREAT FOR THIS, UH, COMMITTEE TO SORT OF BETTER UNDERSTAND, UH, THE BODY-WORN CAMERA POLICY, UM, AND HOW THAT, UM, RELATES WITH THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC.
UH, ANY OTHER, WELL, SOMETHING NEW, UM, LET'S SAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY OR NEW GOVERNMENT.
UH, ICE HAPPENS TO COME TO PETALUMA.
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT OUR POLICE AND OUR COMMUNITY? OKAY.
UM, AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO CALL ON THE IPA TO PROVIDE ANY COMMENTS.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY ARE ON THE CALL OR IN A PLACE WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO.
WE ARE ON THE CALL AND I THANK YOU AND WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND WELCOME BACK.
UM, BEFORE I START MY REPORT, I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE COMMENT ABOUT THE SAFE TEAM, UM, AND ALL THAT IT IS DOING.
UH, WE OPERATE IN A NUMBER OF JURISDICTIONS AND THIS IS REALLY A UNIQUE PROGRAM AND A NATIONAL MODEL.
AND, UH, AS THE CHIEF INDICATED, WE TRY TO ENSURE THAT THE, THE MAXIMUM USE IS BEING MADE OF, UH, THAT VALUABLE RESOURCE.
SO WANTED TO JUST START THAT WAY.
UM, NEXT I WANTED TO JUST, UH, GO OVER HOW WE WILL BE REPORTING, UH, IN THE COMING YEAR.
AND, UH, ALL OF OUR REPORTS WILL ULTIMATELY BUILD INTO THE ANNUAL REPORT.
AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON A MONTHLY BASIS IS THAT EITHER MYSELF OR DENISE WILL ORALLY PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL REPORT OF THE IPA'S ACTIVITIES DURING THE PRIOR MONTH.
SO THIS BEING JANUARY, THE DETAILS WHICH I WILL PROVIDE, UH, IN A FEW MOMENTS, UH, WILL BE DERIVED FROM DECEMBER OF 2024.
UM, AS I THINK I HAVE MENTIONED.
AND, UH, WE HAVE DISCUSSED, WE MEET WITH THE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMAND STAFF ALMOST EVERY WEEK TO GO OVER CASES THAT WE HAVE, UH, ASSESSED AND TO SPEAK ABOUT OTHER ISSUES, UH, THAT WE ARE WORKING ON.
THE INCIDENTS THAT WE ASSESS ARE ALL USES OR DISPLAYS OF FORCE, ALL COMPLAINTS, UH, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AND ALL PURSUITS.
UH, WE ASSESS EACH ONE OF THESE, UH, ITEMS PURSUANT TO A RUBRIC, WHICH WE CALL A 360 DEGREE REVIEW.
WE, UH, ASSESS AND NOTE AND IN OUR CONVERSATION WITH COMMAND STAFF AGREE UPON POTENTIAL AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT AND ALSO NOTE ANY EXCEPTIONAL CONDUCT THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THOSE CASES THAT WE ASSESS.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE AREAS OF POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENT, WE, UH, DISCUSS SPECIFIC TRAINING, COACHING, AND MENTORING.
AND ON, UH, VERY, VERY RARE OCCASIONS, ANY DISCIPLINE, UH, THAT MAY BE DELIVERED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS IS ALL KEEPING IN, UH, AND WITH OUR PHILOSOPHY OF ENGENDERING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN THE DEPARTMENT, UH, GOING FORWARD IN MY REPORT,
[01:30:01]
I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW MANY NEW CASES IN EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PRIOR MONTH.UH, SO FOR THIS REPORT, IT WILL BE DECEMBER.
UM, AND THOSE INCIDENTS FIRST GET REVIEWED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN AFTER THAT REVIEW IS FINISHED, UH, THEY GET TURNED OVER TO THE IPA TO OURSELVES, UH, FOR OUR ASSESSMENT OF BOTH THE INCIDENT ITSELF AND THE DEPARTMENTAL, UH, REVIEW.
UM, I WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE NUMBER OF CASES IN EACH CATEGORY THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED.
UH, THAT ASSESSMENT OF THESE NUMBERS, OF COURSE WON'T MATCH.
THAT IS WE ARE TYPICALLY ASSESSING MATTERS WHICH HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND HAVE OCCURRED IN PRIOR MONTHS.
SO IN TERMS OF DECEMBER, WE HAD THREE MEETINGS.
UM, THAT WAS UNUSUAL, UH, BECAUSE WE DID NOT MEET THE WEEK OF, UH, CHRISTMAS, UH, IN TERMS OF USES OR DISPLAYS OF FORCE.
IN DECEMBER, THE DEPARTMENT HAD FIVE INCIDENTS WHERE FORCE WAS USED OR DISPLAYED.
AND AGAIN, THESE CASES WILL BE REVIEWED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND THEN TURNED OVER, UH, TO US FOR OUR ASSESSMENT.
UM, IN DECEMBER, HOWEVER, WE ASSESSED FROM PRIOR MONTHS A TOTAL OF 12 USE OR DISPLAY OF FORCED CASES.
UM, AND IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT NOTED SOME AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT AS WELL AS SOME EXCEPTIONAL CONDUCT.
THE AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT WENT BACK, UH, TO THE COMMAND STAFF TO SPEAK TO, UH, INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS AND OR SUPERVISORS FOR COACHING, MENTORING, AND TRAINING RELATIVE TO COMPLAINTS.
IN DECEMBER, THE DEPARTMENT HAD SIX NEW, UH, COMMAND REVIEWS OPENED AND NO INTERNAL AFFAIRS MATTERS OPENED.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, WE REVIEWED FIVE COMPLETED COMMAND REVIEWS FROM PRIOR MONTHS.
UM, AND, UH, WE CAME UP WITH, UH, NO SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS NOTED THAT SUPERVISORS WERE DOING THOROUGH AND APPROPRIATE REVIEWS IN EACH OF THOSE CASES.
UH, WITH REGARD TO PURSUITS, THE DEPARTMENTS HAD ONE PURSUIT OCCUR DURING, UH, DECEMBER.
UM, BUT NO COMPLETED PURSUIT REVIEWS WERE SENT TO THE IPA FOR REVIEW, SO OF COURSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THERE.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO OTHER ACTIVITIES, UH, IN DECEMBER WE DEVELOPED THE STANDARD MONTHLY REPORTING PROTOCOL FOR, UH, THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, WE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED THE POTENTIAL OF CHANGE TO THE PURSUIT POLICY FOR PPD, AND WE CONDUCTED AND CONCLUDED OUR, UH, WHAT WE CALL OUR DATA AUDIT, DATA, WHICH IS A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF TOUR ACTIVITY.
WE'RE NOW FINALIZING THAT AND THIS IS A REVIEW OF ACTIVITY OF A SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME, UH, IN THIS CASE OVER TWOFOLD DAYS IN WHICH WE LOOK AT ALL OF THE ACTIVITY OF THE DEPARTMENT CHECKING FOR COMPLIANCE IN A NUMBER OF AREAS AND REVIEWING INCIDENTS THAT WE NORMALLY DO NOT REGULARLY REVIEW.
THAT IS INCIDENTS WHICH ARE NOT, UH, USES OR DISPLAYS OF FORCE OR PURSUITS OR ENDING IN A COMPLAINT.
SO WE REVIEW TRAFFIC CITATION INCIDENTS, FOR INSTANCE, AND OTHER CALLS FOR SERVICE.
SO THAT'S AN OVERVIEW OF, UH, DECEMBER.
AND, UH, I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS AND, UH, THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THIS REPORT AS WELL.
I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO COMMITTEE FOR ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
I THINK THAT IT IS A LITTLE HARD TO TRACK FOR US WHEN I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OF YOU RECEIVE, OKAY.
FIVE, UM, THINGS YOU'RE IN IN DECEMBER, RIGHT? YOU RECEIVE FIVE, UM, INCIDENTS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK AT, AND THEN YOU COME TO US IN JANUARY AND SAY, WELL, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THEM.
SO WE HAVE SOME THINGS FROM NOVEMBER THAT WE NOW ARE READY TO PRESENT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THE TIME TO LOOK IT OVER.
AND I DO WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY TO KIND OF TRACK TO SEE THINGS FROM SEPTEMBER OCTOBER THAT FINALLY BY DECEMBER, JANUARY ARE, HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AND ALREADY HOW WE WOULD BE TRACKING THAT AND KNOW THE LIFE CYCLE OF THAT WHOLE REVIEW PROCESS AND MAKE SURE THINGS THAT
[01:35:01]
ARE FROM A FEW MONTHS PRIOR AREN'T LOST.I KNOW THAT YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOME SORT OF INTERNAL TRACKING, BUT FOR US, I THINK HEARING, I HAVE FIVE, BUT I ONLY HAVE THREE TO REPORT AND NOT KNOWING WHERE THEY COME FROM IS, UM, A LITTLE BIT, UM, HARD TO TO TRACK FROM JUST MYSELF.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IS KIND OF AN AGING REPORT OF, UH, OF ITEMS AND THE, THE PROCESS THROUGH, UM, THROUGH ITS LIFECYCLE.
AND, UH, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS CERTAINLY IT'S POSSIBLE WE CAN DISCUSS IT, UH, WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE DEPARTMENT AND, UH, SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH AS A REPORT FOR THAT, THAT, UH, REQUEST.
UM, AND MR. KRY AND I WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT MAYBE A DASHBOARD OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T WANNA CREATE A BUNCH OF EXTRA WORK, BUT I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THINGS ARE, WE ARE ACTUALLY AWARE OF HOW THINGS ARE HAPPENING AND WE TOTALLY RESPECT THAT THERE'S A, A PROCESS AND THINGS TAKE TIME, BUT JUST WATCHING THAT THEY ARE HAPPENING AND, AND HOW FAST THEY'RE HAPPENING AND, AND WHAT TYPES OF INCIDENTS TAKE LONGER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
DO YOU WANNA GO? UH, NO, I'LL DEFER TO YOU FIRST.
UM, I, I JUST WANNA THAT YES, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL AND ALSO GOT ALSO, 'CAUSE THIS WAS KIND OF THE FIRST TIME THAT THERE WAS LIKE AN OFFICIAL REPORT.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE ONLY MEETING OUR SIXTH TIME, SO THIS IS ALL NEW TO ALL OF US.
BUT, UM, MAYBE THE DASHBOARD WOULD BE GREAT AND, AND IF IT'S A RUNNING KIND OF THING FOR, I, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, FOR A PUBLIC RECORDS, OR I'M SORRY, BROWN ACT, WE HAVE TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW WHAT WE ARE SEEING.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S A WAY, UH, TO HAVE THAT KIND OF, TO HAVE A, A RUNNING DOCUMENT THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR MEETING MINUTES, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, BUT JUST WHATEVER IS GONNA BE PUBLIC TO MAKE IT PUBLIC AS IT GOES ALONG, IF THAT'S DOABLE.
UM, AND ALSO LIKE, UH, WHEN YOU ARE DOING YOUR DRAFTING YOUR 2024 REPORT, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE DOING THAT AS WE SPEAK, UH, THAT IF WE'RE GONNA SEE THE DRAFT ONE, UM, FOR OUR NEXT MEETING, CAN IT COME EARLY ENOUGH SO THAT WE ACTUALLY CAN HAVE A CHANCE TO KIND OF LOOK AT IT AND KIND OF GO OVER IT AND ASSUME THE PUBLIC WILL WANNA DO SO TOO BEFORE WE'RE ACTUALLY MEETING? SO I, AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA PUT PUTTING MORE WORK ON YOU, BUT IT JUST, JUST SO WE HAVE MORE OF A, A MORE, MORE THAT WE'RE WORKING IN CONCERT.
AND I CAN, UH, ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THAT FOR JEFF.
SO WE, WE'VE HEARD THE, THE COMMITTEE'S COMMENTS.
UM, WE, WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ANY DASHBOARDS OR DISPLAYS OF THAT NATURE FOR A VARIETY OF OUR CRIME REPORTING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.
WE HAVE A, A CONTRACT CRIME ANALYST, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BRING SOME OF THAT FUNCTIONALITY, UM, AND ADVANCEMENT AS WE, WE PROVIDE SOME TRANSPARENCY TO ALL OF OUR POLICING ACTIVITIES.
UM, AND AS FAR AS THE, UH, STAFF REPORT FOR THE PRESENTATION FOR THE FEBRUARY ON THE, UH, DRAFT REPORT FROM JEFF'S TEAM, IT WILL BE, UM, PART OF THE AGENDA PACKET THAT DRAFT PUBLIC REPORT AS AN ATTACHMENT, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE AGENDA THAT GOES OUT THE WEEK PRIOR.
SO, UM, WE, WE CAN'T PROVIDE IT IN ADVANCE EARLIER, BUT IT'S GONNA FOLLOW THE SAME PUBLIC NOTICING AS WHEN THE AGENDA'S PUBLISHED THAT THAT DOCUMENT WILL BE PUBLISHED.
BUT OUR, OUR HOPE IS THAT, UM, THE COMMITTEE CAN DEDICATE SOME TIME TO IT IN ADVANCE SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE A ROBUST CONVERSATION ON THOSE TOPICS.
UH, ONE QUICK QUESTION FOR JEFF.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN'T DISCUSS, BUT YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION RECOMMENDED CHANGE TO PETAL AND POLICE DEPARTMENT PURSUIT POLICY.
CAN YOU GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SUMMARY OF WHAT THAT RECOMMENDED CHANGE WAS? THERE IS NO RECOMMENDED CHANGE YET.
WE HAVE, UH, DISCUSSED POTENTIAL CHANGES, UH, WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THERE WAS A, A CHANGE ABOUT, AND THE CHIEF CAN CORRECT ME, BUT ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO OR SO, UH, AND, UH, THE CHIEF HAS ASKED US TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK AT THE PURSUIT POLICY TO SEE IF IN FACT IT IS MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND WHETHER OR NOT ADDITIONAL TWEAKS, UH, TO THE, THE POLICY ARE, ARE BEST PRACTICE AND, UH, POTENTIALLY DOABLE.
AND MAYBE THE CHIEF CAN PROVIDE A FEW MORE DETAILS.
YEAH, SO WE, WE DID MAKE SOME MODIFICATIONS.
SO THE POLICY UNDER REVIEW FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND WITH THE IPA, UM, WHERE WE FOUND LIMITATIONS TO OUR POLICY
[01:40:01]
THAT WERE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS, UM, AND, AND REGIONAL WITHIN, UH, THE BROADER BAY AREA.UM, WE WERE SEEING CHALLENGES WHERE OFFICERS WERE UNABLE TO CONTINUE PURSUING POTENTIALLY DUI DRIVERS, RECKLESS DRIVERS, OTHER EGREGIOUS, UM, KIND OF VIOLATIONS THAT THAT STILL MET A PUBLIC SAFETY NEED WHERE WE FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE AND REASONABLE AND, UM, WITH A VARIETY OF CONSIDERATIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF A CONSTANT EVALUATION DURING THE PURSUIT UNDER SUPERVISOR, UM, MONITORING THAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY WORK TO CONTINUE TO, TO SEEK TO APPREHEND THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE FLEEING OTHERWISE.
UM, SO WE'VE MADE SOME CHANGES THERE.
UM, WE STILL HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST POLICY ON ALL THOSE CONSIDERATIONS SUCH AS SPEED, TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, AND AGAIN, AS MENTIONED, ALL THE POLICIES ARE REVIEWED THROUGH OUR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS DIVISION.
AND WITH THE IPA, UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMITTEE COMMENTS? UH, AT THIS POINT I'D
[STAFF COMMENT]
LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR ANY STAFF COMMENTS.I'LL BE, I'LL BE BRIEF AND SENSITIVE TO THE TIME.
I DO WANNA WELCOME VICE MAYOR, KAREN, NOW TO THE COMMITTEE.
UM, WE WELCOME YOU TO, TO THE GROUP AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CATCHING YOU UP.
I ALSO DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POST.
BUT HE, AS AN INAUGURAL MEMBER AND AS AN INAUGURAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ASSISTING TO START THIS AND MAKING THAT CALL AND REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS POST A STEWARDSHIP OF GETTING NOT ONLY THE COMMITTEE IN FORMATION FROM HIS TIME ON ON THE COUNCIL, BUT ALSO BEING, BEING A FOUNDING MEMBER, UM, AS THE STAFF LIAISON THERE.
UM, WE DID, AND I, I FOLLOWED UP AND I WANNA REPORT OUT ON THE REQUEST FOR PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE HANDOUT MATERIALS.
I SHARED THAT WITH CITY MANAGER FLYNN.
THERE'S A BROADER CITY, UH, CONVERSATION GOING ON WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
SHE'S SENSITIVE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR COMMITTEES HAVE EQUAL REPRESENTATION, UM, AND MATERIALS.
SO SHE'S WORKING WITH OUR CLERK'S OFFICE AND OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM TO UPGRADE OUR CITY WEBSITE, WHICH IF YOU, WHEN YOU SUBMITTED YOUR APPLICATIONS, YOU KNOW, IS PRETTY LEAN AS WELL AS, UM, SOME, SOME MATERIALS ABOUT ALL OF OUR, OUR DIFFERENT, UH, CCBS OR COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT THAT ARE GOING ON IN ALL THESE, UH, UH, COMMITTEES.
AND WE WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT AND SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES.
UM, BRIEFLY, AND, AND I MAY, YOU MAY BE SPEAKING TO IT IN STAFF COMMENT AS WELL, BUT WE DID JUST COMPLETE LEADERSHIP PETALUMA, WHICH IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO INVITE MEMBERS TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN AND LEARN ABOUT OUR, OUR OPERATIONS AND, AND PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSE, WHICH WAS WONDERFUL.
AND THEN AS THE POLICE CHIEF, AND I KNOW I SPOKE TO IT IN NOVEMBER, UM, JAVIER MADE COMMENT TO IT, UH, VERY DYNAMICALLY EVOLVING WEEK.
A LOT HAS CHANGED ACROSS THE NATION.
UM, NOTHING HAS CHANGED AS FAR AS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSE WHEN IT COMES TO MATTERS OF IMMIGRATION.
WE'RE STILL BOUND BY STATE LAW UNDER SB 54.
WE ARE PROHIBITED STATUTORILY UNDER THAT LAW AND DEPARTMENT POLICY FROM ENGAGING, ASSISTING, OR INQUIRING ON MATTERS OF IMMIGRATION.
UM, YOU'VE SAW, SAW MY PUBLIC STATEMENT THEN AND THE JOINT STATEMENT WE ISSUED WITH SONOMA COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT CHIEFS ASSOCIATION.
UM, THAT IS A REGIONAL STANCE AND PERSPECTIVE.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT I HOPE IS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS OR DOCUMENTATION STATUS, UM, STILL FEEL COMFORTABLE AND, AND SAFE TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND IF THEY NEED ASSISTANCE FOR A CRIME OR CONCERNS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THEY'RE NOT FEARFUL TO REPORT TO US, THAT IS NOT ANYTHING IN OUR CONCERN OR PURVIEW AND NEVER HAS BEEN IN MY CAREER.
SO I JUST WANT TO, TO REINFORCE THAT.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY A BRANCH OF THAT COMMUNICATIONS TEAM THAT ENGAGES WITH OUR LATINX COMMUNITY ON PROVIDING THAT, THAT, UM, THAT INFORMATION, THAT STATEMENT, AS WELL AS SOME SERVICES THAT ARE NONPROFITS LIKE PPSC AND ELISE ARE WORKING ON, ON THE, UM, RESPONSE MODEL, SHOULD THERE BE ANY ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF MILLER.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM STAFF OR THE COMMITTEE, UH, WITH THAT, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 7:46 PM THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYONE FOR STAYING LATE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.