[00:00:08]
          POLICE CHIEF, I'M GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. HE IS THE FIRST THING ON OUR AGENDA. 
          AND THAT'S OUR MONTHLY CRIME STATS. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. I'M JUST. HERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL START JUST LIKE LAST MONTH. 
          [1. Presentation from the Grand Rapids Police Department on Monthly Crime Statistics]
SOME GOOD NEWS HERE IS THE TREND ON OUR AUTO THEFT TOTALS CONTINUES TO TO GO DOWN WELL AND IMPROVEMENT WELL BEYOND EVEN THE HISTORY PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. THESE ARE FANTASTIC NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING. 404 IS 404 TOO MANY. BUT THAT IS AN AWESOME IMPROVEMENT AND WE HOPE TO KEEP TRENDING IN THAT DIRECTION. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS CHART. HOPE TO SEE AS THE MONTHS GET COLDER. EVEN BETTER NUMBERS MOVING FORWARD. ROBBERY TOTALS AGAIN HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. HOPE TO SEE THAT TREND CONTINUE AS WELL AS WE SEE A SAFER GRAND RAPIDS OVERALL IN THE YEAR 2025 ASSAULTS. I TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT, SO I WON'T HARP ON IT TOO MUCH, BUT THESE NUMBERS DON'T REALLY TELL VERY MUCH OF A STORY. THERE'S NO TREND, NOTHING ALARMING WITH THESE NUMBERS. SOMETIMES WE'RE THE VICTIM OF OUR OWN SUCCESS AS WE PROMPTLY RESPOND TO IN RECORD EVERY INCIDENT, WHICH OFTENTIMES IN THE PAST WOULD GO OVERLOOKED FOR MUCH LOWER LEVEL CRIMES. SO I'M NOT CONCERNED THERE. PERSON SHOT. WE SEE A DECREASE FROM 2024, WHICH WAS, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, A SAFE YEAR COMPARATIVELY TO YEARS PAST. SO WE HOPE THAT THIS TREND CONTINUES AS WELL. AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE GEOGRAPHY HERE, SORT OF CENTERS ON OUR MOST DENSE URBAN CORRIDORS IN THE CITY. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS SPREAD PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY, INCLUDING, TRAGICALLY, THE RED INCIDENTS, WHICH ARE THE FATAL SHOOTINGS. WE HAVE HAD TEN INDIVIDUALS MURDERED, SEVERAL OF THEM IN DOMESTIC RELATED INCIDENTS. WE HAVE SIX OF THOSE TEN CLEARED BY ARREST AND PROSECUTION ALREADY. WE HAVE GOTTEN AN UPDATE FROM MY DETECTIVE TEAM THAT WE HAVE SOME GREAT WORK COMING TO FRUITION. HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME GREAT NEWS TO SHARE. AS FAR AS MORE ANSWERS FOR THE LOVED ONES OF THOSE THAT WERE TAKEN FROM US FAR TOO SOON THIS YEAR, 12 OVERDOSES I DON'T HAVE A SHARK. A CHART COMPARING IT TO LAST YEAR'S, BUT LAST YEAR WE WERE AVERAGING TWO FATAL OVERDOSES EVER EVERY MONTH. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT'S A BIT OF AN IMPROVEMENT. SOME OF THAT IS TO DO WITH THE UBIQUITY OF THE NARCAN, HOPEFULLY LESS FENTANYL POURING INTO OUR CITY AS WELL, OVER ONE GUN EVERY DAY, ILLEGALLY POSSESSED, TAKEN OFF THE STREET SAFELY BY OUR OFFICERS. AND I KNOW I SAY THAT A LOT. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE HEAR OF AN INCIDENT WHICH HAPPENS ON ON ONE DAY THAT MAKES THE NEWS, AND THEN WE'RE OFF THE NEWS AND SIX MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENS AGAIN. AND SO MUCH IS LOST WITH THE ABOUT 300 CALLS THAT WE RESPOND TO EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT YOU NEVER HEAR ABOUT. SO I JUST TOOK A SCREEN GRAB OF ONE OF THE RECENT CASES THERE. YOU SEE, THE OFFICER WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS WHO WAS RUNNING FROM WARRANTS TO TO EXIT THE DOOR OF THIS APARTMENT BUILDING WITH A GUN IN HIS HAND. BUT BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT THIS INCIDENT IN THE NEWS OR ANYWHERE ELSE, AS AS YOU CAN GUESS, THE TWO OFFICERS WERE ABLE TO APPREHEND THIS INDIVIDUAL WITHOUT ANY SHOTS BEING FIRED. AND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR ONE OF THE 387 ILLEGALLY POSSESSED GUNS. I WAS SPENDING A COUPLE HOURS YESTERDAY ACTUALLY APPROVING DOZENS OF AWARDS FOR OUR YEARLY BANQUET, WHICH WILL BE HELD IN EITHER MARCH OR APRIL OF NEXT YEAR, BUT JUST SOME PHENOMENAL POLICE WORK BEING DONE, WHICH IS CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERALL SAFETY IN THE CITY, ALONG WITH THE EFFORTS OF SO MANY OTHERS. AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. THANKS, CHIEF. YES, SIR. YOU KNOW, THESE NUMBERS ARE SORT OF SHOCKING IN A GOOD WAY. I MEAN, I JUST DID THE QUICK MATH AND ROBBERIES ROUGHLY DOWN YEAR OVER YEAR, 20% IN THAT TIME PERIOD, AUTO THEFTS ROUGHLY DOWN 30%. AND I GET THAT AUTO THEFTS AREN'T AS TRAUMATIZING AS SOME OF THE OTHER CRIMES. BUT, YOU KNOW, TO 
          [00:05:04]
SEE THOSE NUMBERS GO DOWN IS REALLY GREAT. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TRACKING SHOTS FIRED. IT'S KIND OF UNFORTUNATELY PRETTY CLOSELY. STATISTICALLY, A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THOSE JUST WIND UP BEING FATAL. AND IT'S ABOUT THAT SEEMS TO BE TRACKING CONSISTENTLY. BUT I APPRECIATE YOU INCLUDING THE SHOTS FIRED AS, AS, AS A MACRO THING BECAUSE THAT'S SORT OF A THOSE IN AND OF THEMSELVES ARE CRIMES EVEN IF NOBODY'S HIT. RIGHT. 
          EVERYONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD GETS SCARED BECAUSE THEY HEAR GUNFIRE. THE ONE THING THAT I JUST WANTED TO SAY IS, ON MY LAST RIDE ALONG, I SAW SOME GREAT POLICE WORK IN THE SENSE THAT NUMBER OF YOUR OFFICERS HAD A YOUNG BOY WHO WAS TEN YEARS OLD, ABOUT A MILE AWAY FROM HOME, RUNNING AROUND A MALL PARKING LOT, WHICH IS NOT A SAFE PLACE TO BE RUNNING AROUND WHEN YOUR TEN YEAR OLD BOY. BUT YOUR OFFICERS JUST DID A GREAT JOB OF CALMING HIM DOWN, GETTING HIM OUT OF DANGER. HE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN TELLING ANYBODY WHERE HE LIVED OR WHY HE WAS THERE, OR ANY OF THAT FOR A WHILE. BUT ONE OF YOUR OFFICERS IN PARTICULAR, WHO I SAW AT THE AT THE OLD CEREMONY THE OTHER DAY, LIKE JUST DID SUCH A GOOD JOB GETTING DOWN TO HIS LEVEL, OFFERED HIM A STICKER, JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT HUMAN CONTACT BRIDGE. SO IT WAS IT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE LIKE THERE WERE, I THINK MAYBE FOUR OFFICERS INVOLVED. AND I THINK THEY ALL FELT BAD THAT FOUR BIG GUYS WERE HAVING TO, LIKE, HELP THIS KID STOP RUNNING AROUND A PARKING LOT. BUT THEY DID A THEY DID A GREAT JOB OF LIKE MAKING THAT KID FEEL OKAY AND GETTING HIM HOME. SO THAT IS THAT THAT IS GREAT TO HEAR. IF I COULD JUST TELL A QUICK I KNOW I'VE TOLD THIS STORY BEFORE, MAYBE NOT THIS, BUT WHEN I WAS IN THE COMMANDER POLICY IN CHICAGO, THE QUESTION CAME UP OF WHO DO WE TRAIN IN CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING? AND THE STANDING POLICY HAD BEEN WE TRAIN THE VERY NICE OFFICERS WHO ARE RESPONDING THAT WE WANT TO RESPOND TO PEOPLE IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS OR WHATEVER. AND I SAID, TIME OUT. HOW ABOUT WE ONLY HIRE REALLY NICE PEOPLE AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THEN WE CAN JUST TRAIN EVERYONE. THAT'S THE POLICY THAT WE LANDED ON. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE FOCUSED ON HERE. WE REALLY DO HAVE A GREAT ROBUST HIRING SYSTEM WHERE WE HIRE FOR CHARACTER. WE KNOW NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO SHOW UP BEING, YOU KNOW, WITH MILITARY EXPERIENCE, ETC. WE CAN TRAIN ALL THAT SO LONG AS WE GET THE GOOD PEOPLE. AND IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT YOU MET SOME OF OUR GOOD OFFICERS OUT THERE. YEAH. 
          AND I APPRECIATE YOUR DRUMBEAT ON THAT. YOU SAY IT EVERY SINGLE TIME I HEAR YOU TALK TO THE TO THE OFFICERS. SO IT'S GREAT. YEAH. COMMISSIONER. YEAH, I WAS WONDERING, I HAVE A QUESTION TO. I BELIEVE THE CITY MANAGER MAY HAVE INFORMATION ON THIS. I WAS WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FIRST. CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. IT'S GOOD TO SEE THIS TREND CONTINUE, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR THE PUBLIC TO CHAT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PUBLIC TRUST FUND. I KNOW WE ARE TO HAVE A LARGER CONVERSATION. WE HAVE FIVE CONVERSATION ON ON YOUR SILLY. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS GOOD OR BAD Y'ALL. I'M LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE. NO, THIS IS THIS IS THIS IS PERFECT. I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THIS QUESTION. SO TO SET IT UP HERE, I THINK SO WE CAN HAVE MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS SO THE PUBLIC CAN LEARN WITH US. THIS IS A NEW FUNDING SOURCE FROM THE STATE, AND IT WILL HELP SUPPORT SOME OF THIS WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THESE TRENDS DECLINE. SO IF THE CITY MANAGER COULD LOOK INTO THAT AND AND SEE WHO THIS NEW FUNDING SOURCE FROM THE STATE. AND I KNOW I HAVE STAFF THAT'S WATCHING, I PROMISE YOU, I DID NOT ASK COMMISSIONER KILGORE TO ASK THAT QUESTION, BUT BUT DIRECTLY TO YOUR QUESTION, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. SO THE CHIEF AND I ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT TEEING UP THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME, AT LEAST, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S FUTURE INTENT FOR ITS PORTION OF THE TRUST FUND, THAT THE GRANT, RATHER, THAT HAS TO BE USED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES. BUT AS WAS DISCUSSED IN LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND EVEN IN COURT COMMITTEE, THE DETAILS OF BEING SORTED OUT. BUT AS WE UNDERSTAND IT NOW, 75% OF THE FUNDING OF THE GRANT WILL GO TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT 25% OF THE FUNDING COULD BE USED FOR NON DIRECT LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS ON CRIME PREVENTION. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, WORK AS WE DO WITH EVERY OTHER GRANT, LOOKING AT MAKING SURE WE'RE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH IT. AND THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WAYS TO ALLOCATE SOME OF THE FUNDING. I THINK THE COMMUNITY POLICING EFFORT THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, ADDING THE CHIEF IS CLOSE TO 300 OFFICERS NOW. AND, YOU KNOW, RESTORING THE COMMUNITY POLICING EFFORT, ADDING ANOTHER 8 TO 10 OFFICERS. 
          I THINK THAT GRANT WOULD WOULD SUPPORT THAT. AND THEN WE LOOKED AT OTHER VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DISCUSS THAT MORE IN THE 13TH OF OUR WORKSHOP. SO YES. AND AS SOON AS WE GET DETAILS, WE'LL OF COURSE, WE'LL WE'LL INFORM THIS 
          [00:10:03]
GROUP. BUT THAT IS EXCITING. I APPRECIATE THE STATE. AND I KNOW THE MAYOR WORKED REAL HARD ON THAT TOO. WE DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING WE THOUGHT WE WOULD GET, BUT SOME IS BETTER THAN NONE. SO I THINK IT'S A LITTLE, BUT WELL, IT'S PRELIMINARY. I DON'T EVEN WANT TO CALL OUT A NUMBER, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING RIGHT NOW. RIGHT? YEAH. 
          BUT BUT IT'S IT'S LESS THAN 2 MILLION. YEAH. LESS THAN 2 MILLION. AND I THINK I MEAN I MAY AS WELL SAY IF I CAN ADD I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID A LOT AND, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE CHIEF AND CITY MANAGER AND ALL THE COMMISSION GETS THIS, THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS MORE BROADLY DEFINED THAN THE THINGS THAT RISE UP TO THE LEVEL AND BECOME CRIMES. AND SO, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP. INSOURCE AND PRIORITIZE SOME OF THE BETTER INITIATIVES, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOT JUST TO, YOU KNOW, HIGHER, HIGHER OR OUTSOURCE TO TO IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT TO OWN SOME OF THAT TRADITIONAL POLICING ADJACENT WORK THAT'S STILL LEGITIMATELY. YOU KNOW, ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. AND THAT'S SO THAT THAT MONEY IS SORT OF BY DEFINITION, BIFURCATED. AND IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE THE POSSIBILITY TO DO THINGS AT THE CITY THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE IN THE PAST. SO IT'S EXCITING. 
          WELL, I WILL SAY REAL BRIEFLY ON THE STAFFING PORTION. SO WE'VE WE'RE I JUST WANT TO CLASS 2502 AND 25 OH FOR GRADUATION THIS PAST NO LAST WEEK. AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE AT THE STAFFING LEVELS THAT WE'VE HAD IN SOME TIME. AND I THINK SINCE THE GREAT RECESSION, I THINK IT'S INDICATIVE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF RESPONSE TIME ON SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS AND THE FACT THAT MANY OF THESE HIGH RISK INCIDENTS ARE NOT RESULTING IN WHAT COULD BE EVEN MORE UNDESIRED OUTCOMES OF INJURIES AND FATALITIES. SO I WANT TO COMMEND THE CHIEF FOR THAT. HOWEVER, MY MY OTHER COMMENT I HAD WAS ON THE THE VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE. AND JUST TO POINT OUT TO THE COMMISSIONER AND MAYBE CHIEF, YOU CAN HELP ME. NILES MURRAY, THE 17 YEAR OLD IS WAS THAT THE A YOUNG PERSON THAT DIED ON THE SAME STREET AS AMELIA PIN? THAT'S CORRECT. YES. 17 YEARS OLD, SAME STREET. AND SO I KNOW MR. PIN'S BEEN VERY GRIEVED ABOUT HIS SON'S TRAGIC LOSS OF LIFE. AND WE CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE A STATEMENT AS A CITY. TO COMMEMORATE THOSE THAT HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES TO GUN VIOLENCE. BUT THE LATEST VICTIM, UNFORTUNATELY, IS YET ANOTHER REMINDER OF THE WORK. OF COURSE, WE'RE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT GETTING BETTER AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE WE ALSO HAVE TO GET BETTER AS A AS A COMMUNITY AS WELL AND PREVENT SOME OF THE VIOLENCE THAT'S HAPPENING. THEN LASTLY, CHIEF ON THE. ON THE CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT STAFFING AND WHERE YOU ARE IN TERMS OF STAFFING LEVELS? AND I HAVE SAID THIS VERY PUBLICLY FOR THE PAST, EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, BOTH POLICE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE TO FLOAT STAFF. THEY CAN'T WAIT TILL POSITIONS ARE VACANT. IF THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR CRITICAL STAFFING, 24 OVER SEVEN. AND SO WE ANTICIPATE VACANCIES. AND SOMETIMES THAT ALLOWS US TO HIRE OVER THE NUMBER AS LONG AS WE CAN AFFORD IT WITHIN THE BUDGET, AND THEN ANTICIPATE ATTRITION AND TURNOVER TO GET DOWN TO THAT. 
          SO I'VE TOLD THE CHIEF, AS SOON AS HE'S ABLE TO GET TO HIS MAXIMUM STAFFING LEVEL, HE HAS MY SUPPORT IN MOVING FORWARD. AND OF COURSE, WITH THIS GRANT, FUNDING WILL COME BACK IN READJUST STAFFING LEVELS PERMANENTLY IF NEED BE. AND LET'S LET'S NOT CALL IT GRANT FUNDING. IT'S REVENUE SHARING, WHICH THE STATE OWES US. I HAVE HEARD SO MANY TIMES I COULD TRUST FUND GRANT REVENUE. THEY STARTED THEY'VE STARTED CALLING REVENUE SHARING AND THEY PULLED AWAY SOME OTHER REVENUE SHARING. SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE POINT IS LIKE THIS IS NOT THIS IS NOT A GRANT. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO REAPPLY FOR THIS. THIS IS THIS IS OUR MONEY COMING HOME TO OUR COMMUNITY. SORRY. THERE'S MY LITTLE POLITICAL STATEMENT, THE LATEST, THE LATEST CORRECTION THAT I HAVE FROM MY STAFF THIS MORNING WAS GRANT, YOU CAN CALL IT THAT. OUR NUMBER AS OF THIS MORNING STANDS AT 299 SWORN OFFICERS WITH A BUDGET OF 302. OBVIOUSLY THAT'S ONLY THREE SHORT, BUT THAT DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE EIGHT INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY IN TRAINING AT GVSU'S ACADEMY. SO THOSE EIGHT WOULD COUNT FOR NOT ONLY THE THE MISSING THREE BUDGET SPOTS THERE, BUT ALSO THE ATTRITION AND HOPEFULLY GROWTH IN THE 
          [00:15:02]
FUTURE WITH THE GRANT REVENUE SHARING, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, MONEY. GREAT. YEAH. 
          COMMISSIONER. YEAH. THANKS. MAYOR. COULD YOU SPEAK TO BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RETIREMENT WHO HAVE NOT DONE SO YET. RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULDN'T LOSE SIGHT OF. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SPECIFIC NUMBERS YOU CAN SPEAK TO OR JUST KIND OF PROJECTIONS. WELL, ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 20. AND WE HAVE THE KEY PROGRAM WHICH ALLOWS IT INCENTIVIZES OFFICERS TO STAY UP TO FIVE YEARS PAST THAT RETIREMENT DATE. MANY HAVE PARTAKEN, INCLUDING THE DEPUTY CHIEF. MAYCROFT IS ONE OF THEM. 
          SO WE HAVE HIM FOR ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, FOUR AND A HALF YEARS HOPEFULLY, AND OTHERS. BUT THERE'S PROBABLY RIGHT NOW IN THE DEPARTMENT ABOUT 20 THAT ARE IN THAT PROGRAM, AND THERE'S A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY GIVE 90 DAYS NOTICE. SO THEY COULD GIVE 90 DAYS AND THAT COULD COME UP. BUT HOPEFULLY WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE SO MUCH BETTER ON THAT RETAINING PORTION IN THE PAST THREE PLUS YEARS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT A HAPPY WORKFORCE. AND IT SEEMS THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE MORE PEOPLE ARE STAYING, WHICH IS GOOD. SURE. YEAH. NO THANKS FOR THAT. AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS A LOT TO THE MORALE AND DIRECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TAKING THINGS IN THAT PEOPLE WANT TO STICK AROUND EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO. I MEAN, THEY COULD BE RETIRED WITH THEIR FAMILY FULL TIME, BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST AN IMPORTANT NUMBER TO TO CONSIDER, TOO, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FUTURE STAFFING LEVELS, THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T WE DON'T LIKE, LIKE YOU SAID THEY COULD WITH 90 DAYS NOTICE. THEY COULD RETIRE AT ANY POINT. AND SO KEEPING THAT IN MIND WITH OUR TOTAL RECRUITING EFFORTS I THINK IS IMPORTANT TOO. SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. THANKS, COMMISSIONER. IF I MAY GO BACK TO THE YOUNG PERSON THAT WE LOST MOST RECENTLY ON UMATILLA AGAIN, COULD YOU JUST SPEAK TO WHAT EFFORTS CAN WE DO OR YOUR DEPARTMENT DO TO HELP SAFETY ON IN THIS SPECIFIC PART OF THE CITY AND IN THE THIRD WARD? IT'S A IT'S CERTAINLY MY INITIAL THOUGHT IS IT'S A FINE LINE, RIGHT? WE DON'T WANT OUR NEIGHBORS TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING OVER SURVEILLANCE IN AN AREA. BUT ALSO, I DEEPLY FEEL FOR EVERYONE EXPERIENCING VIOLENCE WITHIN OUR CITY. BUT THESE NEIGHBORS REALLY SEEM TO HAVE BEEN TAKING IT A LOT RECENTLY. SO IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK TO THAT AND WHAT EFFORTS WE'RE SEEING FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT, THIS WAS NILES MURDER WAS A TOUGH ONE, OBVIOUSLY, NUMBER ONE, BECAUSE 17 YEARS OLD. SO IT'S IT'S A KID THAT WAS LOST. HE WAS HE WAS KILLED JUST STEPS FROM WHERE MILLIE WAS KILLED OVER ON UMATILLA. THERE. ONE THING THAT I'VE. I'VE SAID BEFORE. SHOWCASE, WE HAD A BANK ROBBERY YESTERDAY, AND THAT INDIVIDUAL WAS IN CUSTODY IN ABOUT THREE HOURS. LIKE GRAND RAPIDS IS KNOWN FOR A PLACE YOU DON'T WANT TO COMMIT A BANK ROBBERY. WE'RE VERY GOOD AT THAT. IT'S KNOWN FOR A PLACE YOU SHOULDN'T COMMIT, COMMIT A MURDER BECAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A HIGH CLEARANCE RATE. THE THE SENTENCE, THE OVERALL, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? LIFE IN PRISON OR WHATEVER ISN'T AS MUCH AS A DETERRENCE AS IF YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET ARRESTED. THAT DETERRENCE LEVEL IS THERE NOW IS. THIS MURDER WAS DEVASTATING TO US FOR A FEW REASONS. WE THINK WE'VE MADE IT. 
          WE'VE BEEN MAKING PROGRESS IN THAT COMMUNITY. BUT SHORTLY AFTER I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH JD CHAPMAN FROM REALISM IS LOYALTY, AND HE HAD A CONNECTION WITH MILES, AND THEN A GROUP OF MY OFFICERS ABOUT TEN DAYS NOW, PLAYED A BASKETBALL GAME WITH YOUNG MEN IN THE GRACE PROGRAM. SO PASTOR GATTI'S GROUP FROM PILGRIM REST THAT ARE SENT TO AN ALTERNATIVE CORRECTIONS PROGRAM, HE HAD HAD A CONNECTION WITH. SO MANY PEOPLE WERE IN NILES LIVE AND I WITHOUT SAYING TOO MUCH ABOUT THE CASE, I THINK WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, WE'LL SEE THAT NILES WAS ON THE RIGHT TRACK. HE HAD SUPPORT, HE HAD MENTORSHIP. THIS WAS A CASE OF A LIKELY WAS NOT THE INTENDED TARGET. WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME. AND SO JUST JUST DEVASTATING BECAUSE HERE'S SOME HERE'S A 17 YEAR OLD THAT WE SAW HE WAS IN THIS GROUP OF MORE HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WERE REALLY WORKING OUT, DOING POSITIVE THINGS FOR HIM, AND HE WAS ON THE RIGHT TRACK. AND AND YET HE WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM US TOO SOON. SO I'D LIKE TO THANK THE EXCELLENT POLICE WORK, THE DETERRENCE EFFECT, THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY, EVERYBODY COMING TOGETHER. SO THIS ONE HIT HARD BECAUSE LIKE SO MANY POSITIVE THINGS WORKING AND WE STILL LOST NILES. SO YEAH. IS THERE ANY. SO YEAH, I AGREE THERE. IS THERE ANY PLAN OF ACTION I GUESS IS MY QUESTION TO FURTHER TO HOW CAN WE DETER VIOLENCE THAT WE'VE SEEN ON THIS SPECIFIC AREA WITHIN THE CITY? WELL, JUST BE BE VERY BLUNT. I HAD A CONVERSATION, MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. COREY SHORTLY AFTER THAT BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS, ACTUALLY, THAT TOOK PLACE HERE ABOUT RENAMING THE STREET. AND SOME OF THE RESIDENTS SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE THINK IT'S BRINGING A TENSION AND, AND YOUNG, YOUNG MEN WHO MIGHT BE MAKING THE BEST DECISIONS AND CARRYING 
          [00:20:01]
GUNS, WE THINK THEY'RE HANGING OUT THERE BECAUSE OF THE THE MEMORIAL. SO HE CALLED, HE SAID, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I WHAT'S WHAT'S RIGHT OR WRONG IN MY HAND? HE SAID, IF THAT'S WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS, I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE THE MEMORIAL DOWN. SO I BELIEVE HE'S HE I TALKED TO HIM WHILE HE WAS DOING IT. SO I THINK HE REMOVED THE MEMORIAL SO THAT, YOU KNOW, HE'S DEVASTATED THAT NOW NOW IS THIS MURDER HAS THAT CONNECTION. HE WANTS ONLY POSITIVE THOUGHTS OF MILLIE. I KNOW NILES IS A MOM WHO WHO I MET THE. I'M SURE SHE'D THINK THE SAME WAY. LIKE, I REMEMBER JUST STANDING OUT THERE BEING HOW MANY MORE MEMORIALS THIS I MEAN, IT WAS LITERALLY LIKE FROM HERE TO THIS CHAIR. SO, YEAH, AS FAR AS THAT, THAT STREET ITSELF, BECAUSE IT WAS MILLIE'S BIRTHDAY, BECAUSE IT HAPPENED RIGHT AT THE MEMORIAL. I THINK THAT WAS THE CONNECTION FOR THAT DAY. I DON'T THINK IT WAS ABOUT THE THE CONFLICT WITH MILLIE. I THINK IT JUST WAS ABOUT A COUPLE YOUNG MEN WHO MADE TERRIBLE DECISIONS. AND UNFORTUNATELY, NILES WAS WAS CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE OR I DON'T BELIEVE HE WAS THE INTENDED TARGET, BUT HE'S TAKEN AWAY FROM US AT 17 YEARS OLD, SO I WISH I HAD MORE ANSWERS. I WILL SAY FROM A POLICE POINT OF VIEW, CAMERAS IN AN AREA MAKE A PRETTY SIMPLE AND VERY EFFECTIVE DETERRENCE TOOL. SO WE'VE HAD CAMERAS IN THAT AREA. THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER AREAS THAT WE'VE WE'VE SEEN SPECIFIC POINTS, LIKE IN THE BAXTER NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE WHERE WE HAD MURDERS VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. WE THREW ONE OF OUR MOBILE CAMERA TRAILERS UP. AND THAT DOES SEEM TO CALM THINGS DOWN. SO TALKING TO THAT APARTMENT BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET TO GET ENHANCED CAMERAS, THAT COULD CERTAINLY HELP. THERE'S SOME VERY ENGAGED RESIDENTS THERE. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN I WHEN I WALKED THIS SCENE, I WAS TALKING TO THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT I, THAT I HAD DONE. SO ON JUNE 2ND OF 2024. AND SO, I MEAN, YOU GOT A LOT OF ENGAGED PEOPLE OVER THERE, JUST THAT WHAT WE WOULD CALL POSITIVE LOITERING. I MEAN, IF THERE'S SOMEBODY SITTING ON THE THEIR FRONT PORCH JUST KEEPING AN EYE ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. SO GETTING THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE ENGAGED, BUT THEY WERE PRETTY ENGAGED. THIS IS ONE THAT IS DEVASTATING. I JUST DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS. THANK YOU. YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. YEAH. THANKS, MAYOR. ONE OTHER QUICK QUESTION. I GUESS THAT CAME TO MIND. MAYBE THIS IS FOR CITY MANAGER. PROCEDURALLY, I GUESS IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S PRETTY BROAD SUPPORT OR CONSENSUS. I MYSELF PERSONALLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HIRING BEYOND THE 302 NUMBER IS, I GUESS, THINKING ABOUT IT FROM A FISCAL COMMITTEE MEMBER PERSPECTIVE, LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE TIMING WISE AND HOW DOES IT COME? I'M ASSUMING IT COMES BEFORE FISCAL AS AN AMENDMENT OR SUCH TO BE ABLE TO AUTHORIZE THAT OR WHAT IS THAT. SO SO THANK YOU. SO RIGHT NOW THE DEPARTMENT HAS 302 POSITIONS FOR FULL TIME OFFICERS. AND THEY HAVE SO MANY FOR THE POSITIONS FOR THEIR RECRUITS OUT OF THE ACADEMY. AND SO MY I ENVISION IF WE WOULD EVER STAFF OVER THE AUTHORIZED OFFICER STRENGTH THAT THE CHIEF AND I WOULD WORK ON RE APPROPRIATING THOSE RECRUIT POSITIONS TO ADD TO RECLASSIFY THE PERMANENT STAFFING. AND IF AT THE POINT WE WOULD COME BACK FOR A FORMAL, YOU KNOW, IF THE ATTRITION DOESN'T HAPPEN SOON ENOUGH TO TAKE THE STAFFING LEVELS BACK DOWN TO AUTHORIZATION AUTHORIZED STRENGTH, WE'D COME BACK AND EITHER ASK FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT OR MAKE OTHER ADJUSTMENTS. AND SO MY HOPE IS, AGAIN, ONCE WE HAVE THE FINAL DETAILS ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY TRUST FUND GRANT OR REVENUE SHARING, WHATEVER, THAT'S GOING TO BE THE DISCUSSION OF THE DAY TODAY, THAT WE WOULD COME BACK AND THEN BRING FORTH THE APPROPRIATE REQUEST. OKAY. 
          AWESOME. THANK YOU. CHIEF, IS I ANYBODY ELSE MR. FINE? CHIEF, I APPRECIATE YOUR REPORT. I WANT TO JUST DRAW ATTENTION TO THE DATA, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS AND TO MAKE OBSERVATIONS FROM IT. 
          WE CAN LEARN FOR OURSELVES, BUT WE CAN ALSO SEE THE CAUTIONS AT TIMES WHEN WHEN THINGS ARISE, OR AT LEAST TRY TO THINK BEHIND THE STATISTICS, WHAT'S DRIVING IT? SECONDLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY I ATTENDED THE FUNERAL OF NILES MURRAY AND THERE WAS A WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT'S HURTING. 
          YOU KNOW, THE CHURCH IS STANDING ROOM ONLY, AND HE WAS ON SUCH A GOOD TRACK. IT'S JUST POWERFULLY SAD BY WHATEVER REASON. AND THE COMMUNITY, I THINK, IS ALSO LOOKING FOR ANY HELP IT CAN GET IN AVOIDING THIS, BECAUSE OUR INVITATION CAME FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS LOST THREE NEPHEWS IN THE LAST 6 TO 8 WEEKS, INDIANAPOLIS AND TWO IN GRAND RAPIDS. SO IT'S VERY HURTFUL. WE CAN DO BETTER. THANK YOU. SO THREE THINGS REAL QUICK. WHAT WAS WHAT WAS THE STAFFING LEVEL? WHAT WERE THE STAFFING LEVELS WHEN YOU WHEN YOU STARTED HERE, CHIEF. WHAT 
          [00:25:01]
WERE THE STAFFING ABOUT TWO 6260 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES. AND THAT AND I, I HAD THE UNFORTUNATE TIMING. I CAME IN AT THE AT THE END OF THE 90S. THERE WAS A BIG HIRING PUSH HERE. SO NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY LOOK TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS, BUT WE HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT ATTAINED THAT ABILITY TO RETIRE IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS I WAS HERE. SO A SORT OF A MASS EXODUS, AND I BELIEVE LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE'VE HIRED A THIRD OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS. AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE ACTUAL INCUMBENCY WAS 260. YES. BUT WHEN YOU ARRIVED, THE STAFFING AUTHORIZATION WAS 304, RIGHT? YES, SIR. AND IT'S NOW 302. YES, SIR. RIGHT. OKAY. 
          OKAY. THIS PUBLIC TRUST FUND, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT IT WAS ANNOUNCED AS. THAT'S WHAT IS THAT ANNUAL FUNDING OR IS THAT ONE TIME FUNDING? WELL, IT'S IT'S A NEW SOURCE OF REVENUE IN THE STATE BUDGET. SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE RECURRING. I MEAN, YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T TIE FUTURE LEGISLATORS HANDS NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU PUT LANGUAGE IN THAT SAYS THAT. AND JUST SO EVERYONE HERE KNOWS, THERE'S TWO TRADITIONAL SOURCES OF REVENUE SHARING. ONE IS CONSTITUTIONALLY OTHER STATUTORY CONSTITUTIONAL. YOU CAN'T CHANGE WITHOUT CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION, EXCEPT IF YOU GET RID OF THE VERY UNDERLYING SOURCE OF THE MONEY. AND SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ROAD FUNDING DISCUSSION WAS THAT HISTORICALLY, SALES TAX AT ON GASOLINE WAS PART OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL REVENUE SHARING MODEL THAT WENT AWAY. AND BECAUSE IT WENT AWAY, WE LOST ABOUT. AND CITY MANAGER DOESN'T WANT TO GET QUOTED ON IT, BUT WE LOST ABOUT A MILLION IN CONSTITUTIONAL REVENUE SHARING, WHICH PREVIOUSLY YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE BEDROCK, LIKE IT WASN'T GOING TO GO AWAY. AND THAT SEEMS TO BE GONE, GONE, GONE. NOW, NEXT YEAR, THE LEGISLATURE COULD BE LIKE, WE'RE GOING TO JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO TRIPLE TAX GAS IT THAT THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT NEXT SESSION. BUT THAT MEANS THAT IN THE AS FAR AS THE BEST MINDS GO, NOBODY REALLY EXPECTS THAT MONEY TO COME BACK OR THAT ROAD DEAL TO GET UNDONE, AT LEAST IN THE NEXT, SAY, FIVE YEARS. THEN THERE WAS A CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT STARTED GETTING CALLED THE PUBLIC SAFETY TRUST FUND, AND ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED WERE LIKE, WE SHOULD MAKE THIS PERMANENT. WELL, THAT'S RHETORIC LIKE, YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T BIND FUTURE LEGISLATORS HANDS. WHAT I FOUND HOPEFUL ABOUT WHY I WANT TO KEEP CALLING THIS REVENUE SHARING IS BECAUSE THEY PICKED OUR POCKET FOR $1 MILLION. THEY PICKED ONE POCKET FOR $1 MILLION. WELL, THEY GAVE US MONEY, WHICH THEY'RE FOCUSING ON PUBLIC SAFETY. BUT THEY DID START CALLING THAT REVENUE SHARING LIKE THERE WERE INSTEAD OF TWO BASKETS OF REVENUE SHARING, CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY. NOW THERE'S THREE CONSTITUTIONAL, STATUTORY AND PUBLIC SAFETY. SO THAT'S WHY I WANT US TO ALL LIKE AT LEAST BE ON THE PAGE OF LIKE, THIS IS PERMANENT, RIGHT? BUT THE REALITY IS THEY COULD COME IN NEXT YEAR AND BE LIKE, OH, WE'RE SORRY WE DIDN'T GET AS MUCH REVENUE FROM MARIJUANA AS WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO GET. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO STOP FUNDING POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN MICHIGAN LIKE WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. WOULDN'T BE VERY POLITICALLY POPULAR. BUT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, NOTHING'S FOREVER. THANK YOU. AND MY LAST THING IS REGARDING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT STAFFING UP OR WHATNOT AND INCREASING STAFF, IS IT JUST A CONVERSATION OF ALLOCATING NUMBERS OR WHAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT? WHAT'S INVOLVED IN SAYING GOING FROM 302 TO 304? OR IF WE GET MORE MONEY TO 350, WELL, I GET YEAH. SO, SO POLICE STAFFING LEVELS. I THINK HISTORIC HIGH CHIEF MAY HAVE IT WAS AT 496, 396 AUTHORIZED FOR 400. SO THAT WAS THEIR OPTIMAL STAFFING LEVELS. 
          AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS NEVER RESTORED STAFFING TO THAT LEVEL. WHEN WAS THAT ABOUT DO WE I LATE 90S, 97, 98, MAYBE 1997. RIGHT. SO SEVERAL RECESSIONS HAVE RESULTED IN THE DEPLETION, WHICH I THINK THE CONVERSATION IS MORE NOT JUST ABOUT THE NUMBER BUT ABOUT THE SERVICE. 
          AND WE'VE LONG BEEN ASKED, WE WANT MORE COMMUNITY POLICING. WE WANT OFFICERS TO GET OUT OF THE CAR, NOT JUST DRIVE BY, BE OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ENGAGE NOT JUST ON CRITICAL INCIDENTS, BUT GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER. AND THAT'S A MATTER OF RESOURCING THE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE PEOPLE DO MORE THAN JUST TO RESPOND TO 911 CALLS. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT IS THE INTENT TO RESTORE THE COMMUNITY POLICING EFFORT FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE. ON THE OTHER ASPECT, WE KNOW CRIME PREVENTION IS NOT JUST A LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORT. THE MAYOR SET THAT UP. THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT ADJACENT KIND OF THINGS WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY, AND THIS FUNDING WILL ALLOW US TO DO MORE OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED IN THAT EFFORT. WE JUST HAVEN'T DEFINED THAT YET. THANK YOU. YEAH. SO I HAVE MORE OF A 
          [00:30:03]
GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT BARS AND ESTABLISHMENTS THAT SERVE ALCOHOL BASED OFF OF NEWS EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, OR COMMENTS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM NEIGHBORS. I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW YOU AS A DEPARTMENT PARTNER AND COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE BARS AND ESTABLISHMENTS THAT SERVE ALCOHOL TO CURB ANY NUISANCE BEHAVIOR, TRASH, NOISE VIOLATIONS, AND AT WORST, GUN VIOLENCE? HOW ARE YOU BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT INCIDENTS EITHER SMALL OR ESPECIALLY TRAGIC? ALCOHOL LICENSED ESTABLISHMENTS ARE SOMETHING THAT OBVIOUSLY POLICE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THAT'S A THAT'S A BIG DEAL FOR US. I KNOW MY PREVIOUS JURISDICTION, WE HAD A TEAM. I WAS A LIEUTENANT IN THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT OF CHICAGO, WHERE WE HAD AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. WE HAD POLICE OFFICERS THAT LITERALLY THEIR JOB WAS TO STAND OUTSIDE OF OF BARS AND CLUBS BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH A CONNECTION WITH INTOXICATED BEHAVIOR AND DISORDERLY BEHAVIOR OR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. SO BUT AS FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, I'D SAY LIKE A LOT OF THINGS, IT'S A HOLISTIC APPROACH. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ENFORCE MOST CODES RELATED TO TO LICENSING. THAT WOULD BE CODE ENFORCEMENT. WE CERTAINLY RESPOND IN A RESPONSIVE WAY WHEN AN EMERGENCY HAPPENS. AND I'VE IT'S IT'S RUN THE GAMUT HERE FOR WHEN I FIRST STARTED AS POLICE CHIEF AND I HAD COMMUNITY MEETINGS, I WAS TOLD BY SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE DON'T LIKE IT WHEN POLICE OFFICERS PARK BEHIND PARK PARK OUTSIDE OF CERTAIN BARS, YOU KNOW, AROUND EXIT TIME, WE FIND THAT OFFENSIVE. AND THEN THERE WERE OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS WHO SAID, CAN YOU PLEASE PARK MULTIPLE POLICE CARS OUTSIDE OF OUR ESTABLISHMENT OR ON THE END TIME? SO IT'S A BALANCE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE THAT IN A IF IN A WORLD THAT CHIEF WINSTROM CONTROLLED THE WORLD, I WOULD HAVE MORE AUTHORITY TO TO SAY CLOSE PROBLEM LOCATIONS WHICH EXIST IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS. 
          BUT IT'S YEAH, FORTUNATELY, WE DO NOT SEE THE PROBLEMS IN GRAND RAPIDS, AS WE SEE IN A LOT OF CITIES OUR SIZE WHERE THE VIOLENCE IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THAT. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE HOMICIDES WE'VE HAD SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE, WE HAVE HAD A FEW ON DIVISION STREET, ESPECIALLY IN THE ON THE SOUTH END THERE, WHICH WERE TIED TO ALCOHOL ESTABLISHMENTS. HOWEVER, ALSO THAT IS, IF YOU LOOK AT LOOK AT A WEEKEND WHERE THE MOST YOUNG PEOPLE ARE IN THE CITY CONGREGATE. I MEAN, LOOK, NOT TO CALL IT, CALL THEM OUT BECAUSE I'M NOT COMPLAINING. 
          I'M JUST COMPLAINING ABOUT TRAFFIC. THE METRO ON A HOT FRIDAY OR SATURDAY NIGHT. THEIR TRAFFIC IS INSANE. FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL BACK ME UP ON THIS. IS THERE A FIREHOUSE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET THERE? SO WHEN YOU HAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND MIXED ALCOHOL WITH THEM, IT'S DANGEROUS. SO BUT TO SPECIFICALLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WHAT WE DO WE MEET I'VE MET WITH OWNERS OF MY POLICE, MET WITH OWNERS OF THE METRO BARS ON THE WEST SIDE HERE. AND THEN CERTAINLY EVERY MONTH WE HAVE OUR DOWNTOWN CAPTAIN MEET WITH THE A GROUP THAT REPRESENTS NOT ONLY THE BARS BUT THE HOTELS DOWNTOWN. 
          SO WE HAVE THAT CONSTANT COMMUNICATION AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE ADVISE THEM IF THEY IF IF THEY'RE OPEN TO IT. LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE ABOUT SURVEILLANCE, IT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS. NUMBER ONE, PUT UP LOTS OF SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS. NUMBER TWO, COOPERATE WITH THE POLICE. EARLY ON IN MY TIME HERE, WE HAD A SHOOTING AT ONE ESTABLISHMENT THAT THE POLICE SHOWED UP TO INVESTIGATE THE SHOOTING AND AND THE PLACE LOCKED THE DOORS. SO THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. AND THEN WE HAD TO GET LICENSING INVOLVED, AND THEY'VE THEY GOT WITH THE PROGRAM. SO. YEAH, BUT FOR AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN DOING THIS, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A BEEN A CONNECTION TO ALCOHOL AND BAD CHOICES I GUESS. SO MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE AS POSSIBLE IS A IS A PRIORITY OF OURS. AND YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWER THE QUESTION OR NOT, BUT I CAN GO INTO MORE DETAILS OF WHAT WE DO SPECIFICALLY WITH THE BARS WE DO HAVE VERY INTENTIONALLY ON THE WEEKEND. SOMETIMES IT'S HARD IF OUR NUMBERS ARE LOW AND THE CALL VOLUME IS HIGH, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY WE DO. WE LOVE OUR DATA AND WE KNOW THAT THERE IS THAT CONNECTION THERE. SO SPENDING MORE TIMES IN THOSE AREAS IS CERTAINLY HELPFUL. 
          YEAH, THAT'S JUST WHAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT. AND I APPRECIATE HOW YOU'RE BEING VERY PROACTIVE IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS. AND I THINK THAT'S GREAT. I KNOW QUITE A FEW UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. QUITE A FEW OF THEM HAVE MY CELL PHONE AND MY DEPUTY CHIEFS CELL PHONES, AND WHEN THEY HAVE A COMPLAINT, SLOW RESPONSE TIME, THEY'RE CERTAINLY QUICK TO CALL. AND WHEN I HAVE A COMPLAINT THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, THEY GET A CALL FROM ME AND STEP IT UP. WE STILL I MEAN, WE'LL DO UNDERAGE DRINKING CHECKS WITH SOME OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, AND IT'S INDIVIDUALS THAT I WOULD CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, ACQUAINTANCES, EVEN FRIENDS. 
          [00:35:03]
I'M NOT GOING TO TELL THEM WE MIGHT SEND A 20 YEAR OLD TO TRY AND BUY A DRINK. AND IF THEY DO, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THAT FINE. AND THAT'S ON YOU. WE, YOU KNOW, HOLD MY OFFICERS TO TO HIGH STANDARDS AND NOT AFRAID TO HOLD EVERYBODY ELSE TO HIGH STANDARDS AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FINAL QUESTION ABOUT NUMBERS REAL QUICKLY, IF THAT'S OKAY. THANK YOU, CHIEF, FOR THE REPORT. AS ALWAYS. DOES THE 299 REFLECT THE REINSTATEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAM? HAS THAT STARTED? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS OCTOBER, WHICH WAS LISTED BEFORE. AND THEN SECONDLY, I KNOW THE QUESTION IS FOR YOURSELF, THE SECOND PORTION FOR YOURSELF OR FOR CITY MANAGER, AS IT PERTAINS TO WITH THE INFLUX OF THE CHANGING, EVER EVOLVING AND CHANGING CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS DOWNTOWN, WITH WITH ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL AMPHITHEATER AND STADIUM AND ALL THOSE OTHER CAPACITIES, HOW ARE WE GOING TO TRY TO HOPEFULLY GET MORE OFFICERS IN THAT? IF I COULD PREEMPT THE SECOND QUESTION, THEY'RE NOT UP YET. BUT I DID ACTUALLY JUST ASK THE CITY MANAGER IF MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A BRIEFING ON PLANS FOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT LATER. MAYBE WE COULD HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THAT. BUT GO AHEAD AND ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION. THANK YOU. FIRST QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER OCTOBER. SO SO WE'VE GOT RIGHT NOW COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICERS. LIKE I GUESS WE HAVE FIVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE THAT ARE DESIGNATED TRAINED UP. I ACTUALLY JUST RODE THE ELEVATOR WITH LEON WHITE, WHO'S THE WEST SERVICE AREA COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICERS. AND WE ARE SLOWLY AS THE CALL VOLUMES AS OUR STAFFING ALLOWS US TO START MORE LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, LIAM WAS OUT TODAY, THE FIRST PROBABLY THREE HOURS JUST DOING REGULAR PATROL BECAUSE WE NEEDED HIM TO DO THAT, AND NOW HE'S GOT THAT BREAK AND HE'S GOING TO GO OUT AND DO SOME MORE PROACTIVE, POSITIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT HIM TO DO ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET. BUT WE DO HAVE THE FIRST FIVE IDENTIFIED AND THEY'RE WARMING UP INTO THEIR POSITIONS. THANK YOU. WELL, ONE LAST QUESTION CAME TO MY MIND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ALCOHOL ESTABLISHMENTS, AND YOU NAMED A COUPLE OF THINGS COOPERATING WITH THE POLICE, ADDING MORE SURVEILLANCE. WHAT ABOUT AND I DON'T KNOW THIS COULD BE THAT I JUST DON'T KNOW. BUT WHAT ABOUT REQUIREMENTS FOR OWN PRIVATE SECURITY? AND EVEN AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN DOWNTOWN WITH THE AMPHITHEATER AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, WHAT'S THE REQUIREMENT ON THESE ESTABLISHMENTS TO HAVE PRIVATE SECURITY INSTEAD OF JUST CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT RESOURCES? AND I WISH CODE ENFORCEMENT WAS HERE BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IT IS WRITTEN INTO MUNICIPAL CODES OF JURISDICTIONS. YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE COUNTRY OF CERTAIN LEVEL, YOU HAVE X AMOUNT OF SEATS, YOU'RE YOU'RE 51% PLUS OF YOUR REVENUE IS IS DRIVEN BY ALCOHOL SALES. YOU CAN HAVE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING X AMOUNT OF SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS OR SECURITY DOORS OR CERTAINLY PHYSICAL SECURITY AS WELL. SO POSSIBILITIES THERE. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE IT CURRENTLY IN OUR IN OUR MUNICIPAL CODE, BUT I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T OBJECT TO TO HOLDING ALCOHOL ESTABLISHMENTS TO A HIGHER STANDARD AS WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR THE FUTURE ON ALL THESE THINGS, JUST AS WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT AS WELL. OKAY. 
          THANKS. I WOULD LIKE TO TAG ON TO THAT. I'M CURIOUS IF IT COULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO PERHAPS TIE SUCH REQUIREMENTS TO THE VOLUME OF CALLS THAT ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO SPECIFIC ESTABLISHMENTS. SO I'M SURE THAT HAS A VARIETY OF POLICY IMPACTS THAT COULD BE RELEVANT THERE. YEAH. MAYOR. GOOD. THESE ARE ALL GOOD SUGGESTIONS. I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THE FIRST PART OF PASTOR GOLDSTEIN'S COMMENT ABOUT ANTICIPATING THE GROWTH OF THE CITY AND MAJOR EVENTS. AND OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT JUST RESTORING A PRACTICE THAT WE HAD BEFORE WITH COMMUNITY POLICING. AND FIVE IS ONLY, WHAT, HALF OF WHAT IT WAS, I THINK PREVIOUSLY 17 EVEN. RIGHT. SO SO THE ADDITIONAL OFFICERS, NUMBER ONE, WE WANT AS CLOSE TO FULL RESTORATION OF THAT AS POSSIBLE. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT BOTH ON PUBLIC SAFETY POLICE FIRE WITH THE YOU KNOW, THE ACTIVITY IN THE RIVER WHICH ALSO CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN AND MAJOR EVENTS HAPPENING IN OUR CITY. WE COULD YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE TIMES WHERE WE WILL HAVE THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE ARENA, THE AMPHITHEATER, SOCCER STADIUM ALL FULLY PROGRAMED, WHICH ALSO WOULD CREATE ADDITIONAL DEMAND FOR RESOURCES. AND SO THE STAFFING BOTH FOR POLICE AND FIRE, WE'RE ANTICIPATING, WE'RE EVALUATING RATHER WHAT THOSE FUTURE NEEDS ARE. BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE TOO PREMATURE IN IDENTIFYING WHAT RESOURCES ARE NEEDED WITHOUT BEING CLEAR ON THE EVENT OPERATIONS PLAN. SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AND AND CERTAINLY LOOKING AT THAT. BUT YEAH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO FACTOR INTO THE GROWTH OF THE CITY. THANKS. THANKS, CHIEF. AND SPEAKING OF RIVER 
          [2. ​​Water Rescue Presentation from the Grand Rapids Fire Department]
ACTIVATION, LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. WATER RESCUE. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD 
          [00:40:19]
AFTERNOON EVERYONE. ASSISTANT CHIEF, IS IT IS IT ON GREEN? OH, CHIEF, SET ME UP. GOOD AFTERNOON, ASSISTANT CHIEF. I'M FILLING IN TODAY FOR CHIEF JOHNSON. THEY'RE DOING INTERVIEWS FOR FIREFIGHTER RECRUIT THIS AFTERNOON, SO WORKING ON THAT. BUT JUST TODAY, A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR DEPARTMENT WATER RESCUE TEAM. IT'S BEEN TAKEN ON SOME NEW CHALLENGES OF LATE. REAL QUICK WE HAVE BY CONTRACT WE HAVE 36 MEMBERS THAT ARE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE WATER RESCUE TEAM AS OF LAST WEEK OR THE WEEK BEFORE. WE NOW HAVE 30 PUBLIC SAFETY CERTIFIED DIVERS OPERATING IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I'M TOLD THAT THAT'S MORE THAN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND OR MSP. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH, SUPERVISED BY ONE CHIEF OFFICER. TODAY WE HAVE THREE RESCUE BOATS OF VARYING SIZE, SHAPE AND VARIETY. ONE RESCUE AIRBOAT, WHICH YOU'LL SEE HERE IN A SECOND. AND THEN BRIDGE STREET IS OUR DEDICATED WATER RESCUE STATION. SO ANY PERSONNEL THERE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE PERSON, ARE WATER RESCUE TEAM MEMBERS. AS THEY MOVE AROUND THE CITY, WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S THAT LEVEL OF COVERAGE IS MAINTAINED. WE GOT A BUNCH OF DISCIPLINES THAT WE COVER. YOU CAN SEE HERE JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW. AGAIN, SWIFT WATER RESCUE TECHNICIANS ABOUT 40 HOURS. SO WE TRY AND DO THAT IN A SOLID WEEK WITH PEOPLE IN THE RIVER AND LEARNING HOW TO SWIM AND RESCUE PEOPLE. ANOTHER 50 HOURS FOR THE TECHNICIAN ICE RESCUE, WHICH FELT LIKE TODAY MAYBE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE SOME, I DON'T KNOW, FOR A SECOND THERE. AND THEN IT WAS 70, BUT JUST MICHIGAN IN THE FALL. THAT'S ANOTHER 16 HOURS. AND THEN DIVE HAS BEEN OUR BIG UNDERTAKING OF LATE. THAT'S A 60 HOUR PORTION. OPEN WATER IS JUST YOUR GENERAL LEARNING HOW TO SCUBA DIVE. AND THEN PUBLIC SAFETY DIVER IS WHERE WE START DOING GRID SEARCHES AND BODY RECOVERY. AND TO LIKES OF THAT AND LEARNING HOW TO NAVIGATE IN BASICALLY ZERO VISIBILITY. BECAUSE MOST OF OUR STUFF IS NOT THE CARIBBEAN UNFORTUNATELY HERE. SO. HERE'S JUST A FEW PICTURES OF OUR APPARATUS. YOU SEE, THE DIVE THREE IS OUR DIVE RESCUE TRUCK OUT OF BRIDGE STREET. AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S GOT A DOOR ON THE SIDE SO WE CAN GET DRESSED AND ALL ENVIRONMENTS AND NOT HAVE TO SHOW OUR SKIVVIES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHEN WE'RE CHANGING OUT REAL QUICK ON A SCENE. THEN WE'VE GOT OUR RIGID HULL INFLATABLE AND THEN, AS PEOPLE CALL IT, THE BANANA BOAT. 
          THIS IS WHAT WE USE TO GET UP INTO THE COFFERDAMS. MORE SPECIFICALLY SIXTH STREET DAM. 
          THIS, AS YOU'LL SEE, IS OPEN ON BOTH ENDS. SO ONCE WE GET IT IN THERE, IT'S ACTUALLY RUNNING WATER THROUGH IT, ALMOST LIKE A. GOLD RETRIEVING DEVICE WHERE IT'S JUST GOING TO SHOOT OUT THE OTHER END. THIS WAY WE DON'T GET FLIPPED UP INTO IT OR START BARREL ROLLING. IF ANYBODY'S EVER SEEN THE VIDEOS OF THE BOATS THAT BARREL ROLL FISHERMAN, WE TRY NOT TO DO THAT. IT'S NOT CONDUCIVE FOR BUSINESS FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING. PROBABLY THE LOUDEST PIECE OF APPARATUS THAT WE HAVE IN THE RAPIDS FIRE DEPARTMENT'S ARSENAL IS OUR AIRBOAT THAT'S OUT OF THE MONROE STATION. WE FOUND A GREAT VALUE WITH THIS, ESPECIALLY IN THE ICE CONDITIONS IN THE RIVER. YOU'LL SEE HERE IN JUST A SECOND. THIS IS A PICTURE OF AN ACTUAL RESCUE WE PERFORMED COINCIDED WITH OUR TECH RESCUE PERSONNEL AND WATER RESCUE PERSONNEL UP ON MONROE. WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL THAT TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE THERE, LANDED ON THE ICE, AND SWIMMING WASN'T AN OPTION. RAPPELLING DOWN. WE SENT PEOPLE OVER THE EDGE. THEY SECURED THE VICTIM, AND THEN WE USED THE BOAT TO GET HIM OUT OF THERE. INSTEAD OF DOING A FULL HAUL EVOLUTION. SO AS YOU SEE HERE, FROM JANUARY 23RD TO DECEMBER 24TH, WE HAD 41 WATER RESCUES, ALARMS. THIS IS OUR MOST ACTIVE AND OLDEST SPECIAL OPERATION IN GRAND RAPIDS FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR DIVE RESCUE RESPONSES. MOBILIZED FOR ONE DIVE RESCUE IN PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, WHERE WE ARE BASICALLY THE ONLY RESCUE SERVICE IN KENT COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WOULD BE CONSIDERED RECOVERY. IT TAKES THEM A LITTLE BIT TOO LONG TO TURN OUT, BUT WE'RE OUT AT THE DOOR IN SIX MINUTES, AND THEN WE'VE BEEN STAGING WATER RESCUE RESOURCES FOR FIREWORKS AND ANY EVENTS GOING ON IN THE CITY. FROM THE OLD CARDBOARD DRAGON RACES AND DUCK RACES WAY BACK WHEN TO NOW, IT'S WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE WITH THE WHITEWATER. ALIGNS WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE SAFE COMMUNITY AS WE'RE DOING SPECIALIZED RESOURCES, 
          [00:45:03]
PROTECTING LIVES AND PROPERTY DURING SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE AND OVERALL COMMUNITY SAFETY. 
          WE DON'T FEEL THAT WE CAN WE FEEL NOW WE CAN RESPOND TO ANY EVENT IN THE CITY THAT MOTHER NATURE OR HUMAN CAN THROW AT US. DIVE WAS OUR LAST COMPONENT, THAT WE WERE KIND OF COMING UP SHORT, THAT WE FELT WE'VE PUT A LOT OF RESOURCES AND TIME AND EFFORT AND MONEY INTO IT, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY AND OTHER ENTITIES TO TRY AND GET TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE GOING FORWARD. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE OUR TECHNICAL TRAINING. IT'S AS WITH ANYTHING, WE'VE GOT TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE TO HELP US AND ASSIST US, BUT THE ENVIRONMENT CONTINUES TO CHANGE. 
          WE'RE ALWAYS EVALUATING NEW EQUIPMENT, WORKING WITH CITY LEADERS AND OUR GRAND RAPIDS WHITEWATER PROJECT PARTNERS TO TRY AND EVALUATE AS WE GO FORWARD, HOW WE CAN BETTER DEPLOY AND OR PREPLAN RESPONSES OR RESOURCES THAT WE'LL NEED, AND THEN DEVELOP AND ENHANCE OUR TEAM. WORKING WITH MSP AND KENT COUNTY ON A REGULAR BASIS. THEY HELP US, WE HELP THEM. AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT WE ARE STARTING TO LOOK AT THAT WOULD FALL IN LINE WITH OUR OTHER SPECIAL OPERATIONS, WOULD BE BECOMING MAVIS VALIDATED TEAM. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND TECHNICAL RESCUE WHERE THE STATE CAN CALL ON US, THAT WE GO THROUGH CREDENTIALING AND MAKE SURE WE'RE UP TO SPEED, AND THEY CAN ASK FOR US ANYWHERE IN THE STATE AND PAY FOR OUR SERVICES ALSO WHEN WE GO OUT LIKE THAT. BUT THAT IS THE THE BENCHMARK THAT WE ARE SETTING GOING FORWARD. ANY QUESTIONS? THANKS. YES, MISTER. 
          I'M JUST CURIOUS. YOU SPOKE A LITTLE BIT TO THE WHITEWATER PROJECT. WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIFIC CONCERNS AS A DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY ELEMENT OF THAT PROJECT? I, I'M SURE THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAMMERED OUT OVER THE YEARS AS THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN IN CONSIDERATION, BUT MAYBE YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT FOR THIS GROUP. IT'S THE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING ENVIRONMENT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, MOST OF OUR PROBLEMS ARE IN THE LOW HEAD DAMS. IF PROJECT WHITEWATER IS GOING TO REMOVE THOSE, WE'VE ELIMINATED ONE OF OUR MAJOR CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS. WE'RE NOW GOING TO CREATE A NEW, DIFFERENT ONE. SO IT'S TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THAT, EVEN TO THE POINT OF IF THEY'RE GOING TO INSTALL BOULDERS OR PUT IN NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, HOW WE COULD PLACE ANCHORS FOR ROPE RESCUE SYSTEMS. AND AS THEY'RE BUILDING THEM, MAYBE WE JUST ASK FOR THEM TO PUT US AN ANCHOR POINT, THAT WE CAN JUST LOCK A CARABINER IN. ONE OF OUR BIGGEST THINGS IS GOOD LOCATIONS IN IN THE RIVER. 
          WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EVEN BETTER SIGNAGE TO WHERE IF YOU'RE BETWEEN SIXTH STREET AND PEARL STREET, IDENTIFYING A BETTER LOCATION OF WHERE WE RESPOND TO BECAUSE ONE BRIDGE TO THE NEXT IS TIME, AND WE DON'T GET MORE TIME WHEN WE'RE RESPONDING TO THESE. SO THINGS SUCH AS THAT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU BET. ONE QUICK QUESTION. THE LAST YOU TALKED ABOUT THE MAYBES, I'M JUST CURIOUS. AND YOU SAID WE HAVE MORE ASSETS THAN KENT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THAT'S WHAT I'M TOLD, SIR. YEAH, IT'S NOT MY PROGRAM. AND I JUST HEARD THAT YESTERDAY. 
          BUT SO WHAT WE'RE TOLD IS NOW THAT WE'RE AT 30, WE HAVE MORE ACTIVE RESCUE DIVERS THAN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT MAINTAINS. AND I'M JUST THINKING ON THAT WHOLE THING AND HOW THAT CAN BE COULD BE AN ASSET, BECAUSE WE THINK OF ALL THE BODIES OF WATER THAT ARE WITHIN KENT COUNTY. YES, SOMETHING. SOMETHING AGAIN, JUST TO CONSIDER. YEAH. WE WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF WE GET SPUN UP FOR THAT MORE OFTEN. AND MAYOR, CAN I MAYBE CHIEF CAN CLARIFY. WHEN I ARRIVED HERE AND WE WERE TRYING TO INCREASE OUR TECHNICAL RESCUE WATER RESCUE EFFORTS, WHAT I WAS I REMEMBER CHIEF LAYMAN TELLING ME, OFTENTIMES THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS DEPLOYED FOR SEARCH. BY THE TIME THEY GET HERE, IT'S TOO LATE. IT'S NOT A RESCUE, IT'S A SEARCH FOR VICTIMS. AND BY US HAVING THAT ABILITY WITHIN THE CITY AND NOT DEPENDING ON THE COUNTY, WE STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY RESCUE PEOPLE IN THE MIDST OF AN EMERGENCY AND NOT WAIT FOR SHERIFF RESOURCES TO COME AND HELP US WITH THE SEARCH OPERATION. YES, SIR. WE MAINTAIN TWO DIVERS ON DUTY 24 OVER SEVEN, AS IS THE STANDARD THAT WE'VE ADOPTED WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. THEY HAVE DEPUTIES THAT ARE ON ROAD PATROL. THEY MAY BE AT HOME OR SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND THEY THEY THEN RESPOND INTO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, GRAB THEIR EQUIPMENT AND GO OUT OR COORDINATE THEIR EFFORTS, WHEREAS WE'RE RIPPING OUT A BRIDGE STREET AS SOON AS WE HEAR THE ALARM. I'M SORRY, I SHOULD A CLOCK RECOVERY. IT WAS. YEAH. NOT YOUR SEARCH, BUT BY THE TIME THEY GET HERE, IT'S A RECOVERY EFFORT. SEARCHING FOR FOR DEAD BODIES. YES, SIR. YEAH, COMMISSIONER. THANKS, MAYOR. 
          JUST SUPER QUICK. IN THE SAME VEIN, I GUESS. ARE THERE? EXCUSE ME. LIKE THINKING AHEAD WITH MORE PEOPLE BEING IN AND AROUND THE RIVER, ARE THERE ANY EQUIPMENT DEFICITS THAT YOU SEE OR LIKE NEW SPECIALIZED THINGS WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT TO ACQUIRE AT SOME POINT, JUST 
          [00:50:02]
WITH, WITH THE NEW ENVIRONMENT, WITH HOW THE RIVER IS GOING TO LOOK AND THE TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN IT SPECIFICALLY, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE REEVALUATING OUR WATERCRAFT, OKAY. WE HAVE MANY MEMBERS THAT ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF MICHIGAN TASK FORCE ONE. THEY'VE BEEN THE HURRICANES RESPONSES, FLOOD RESPONSES DOWN IN THE CAROLINAS IS THEIR MOST RECENT ONE, WHERE THEY SAW FLOOD DAMAGE AND DECIMATION. SO WE'RE STARTING TO MODEL OUR RESOURCES MORE AFTER THAT TO WHERE WE CAN THEN ALSO INTEGRATE WITH THEM MORE SEAMLESSLY GOING FORWARD. I WOULD SAY THAT'S PROBABLY OUR BIGGEST THING RIGHT NOW, WOULD BE UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T NEED BIG V-BOTTOM BOATS SURE TO GO IN THE RIVER. THAT RIGHT NOW IS AS LOW AS I'VE EVER SEEN. 
          NOW IN THE SPRING IT COULD BE FISH GOING INTO THE MUSEUM TOO, BUT IT'S TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE VERSATILE AND CAN RESPOND APPROPRIATELY WITH THAT. OKAY, THANKS. APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANKS. MR. FINE, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? JUST WONDERED ABOUT SIMULATIONS. AND DO YOU EVER HAVE PLANS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'LL GET TO THE HEART OF IT HERE. DO YOU DO SIMULATIONS THAT WOULD INCLUDE, LIKE OVERHEAD DRONES? I'M THINKING OF THE RIVER. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF FLOW AT TIMES. AND JUST TO COVER A LOT OF GROUND QUICKLY. YEAH, WE'VE GOT OUR DRONE TEAM THAT. KUDOS TO THEM, THE DRONES THAT WE'VE PROBABLY BEEN USING THE MOST, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEM ON THE ROAD WITH THEM RIGHT AWAY, IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S. THAT'S WORKED OUT WELL IN SOME OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS. AND THEN AS FAR AS UNDERSTANDING THE RIVER, ONE OF OUR OLD AGE OLD ASSISTANCE COMES FROM THE THE FISHERMEN, MICHIGAN STEELHEADERS AND SUCH BECAUSE THEY'RE DOWN BELOW THE DAM SO MUCH THAT THEY WILL START MARKING POTHOLES WHERE IT'S DUG OUT AND SUCH. SO WE'VE TRIED TO USE AS MANY RESOURCES AS WE CAN TO GET MAKE RESCUES AS FAST AS WE CAN. THANKS. YEAH. I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT AS A COMMUNITY IS. PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATING OR UNDER APPRECIATING THE DANGER AS YOU GET, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE IS ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE. PEOPLE WHO THINK IT LOOKS LIKE FUN IS ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SAME THING WITH LAKE MICHIGAN, RIGHT? IT'S AN INCREDIBLY DEADLY LAKE. AND IF YOU FORGET THAT LAKE MICHIGAN CAN KILL YOU, IT WILL BE PERFECTLY WILLING TO REMIND YOU. AND, YOU KNOW, RIVERS ARE OUR RIVER IS FRANKLY, DANGEROUS. I MEAN, IT'S IT'S A RESOURCE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING YOU GOT TO RESPECT. SO, YEAH, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANKS FOR YOUR WORK. GLAD WE GOT YOU GUYS ON THE JOB. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AND NOTHING ELSE ON THE AGENDA, I'M ADJOURNING THE MEETING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.