[00:00:01]
LET'S START IF YOU WANT TO.[Environmental and Community Advisory Board on March 8, 2023.]
TAKE, UH, ROLL CALL.JIM DOBBINS, DISTRICT ONE, SAMUEL, DISTRICT FOUR.
PATRICIA HANSEN, DISTRICT SIX.
UM, WHAT DO WE HAVE, JIM, YOU LOOKED AT THE MINUTES.
I WAS NOT HERE, SO I LOOKED AT THE MINUTES.
ANYBODY WANNA APPROVE THE MINUTES THE WAY THEY ARE? UH, I APPROVE.
ANYBODY AGAINST THAT IN FAVOR? ROBERT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T LIKE IT.
UM, ALRIGHT, WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE? WE HAVE THE MINUTES APPROVED AS THEY ARE.
OH, IT'S, I THINK, OH, YOU NEED TO READ THE, UH, OH, MY NEXT ITEM, HUH? ON THE AGENDA ITEM ONE, THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
PEOPLE WHO DESIRE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MADE.
I'M SORRY, THERE'S AN, UM, THERE'S A CORRECTION.
I, I WAS NOT ABSENT LAST MEETING.
PEOPLE WHO DESIRE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA ARE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
WELL, I KNOW WHY THAT'S THERE.
TESTIMONY MAY BE HELD UNTIL THE ITEM IS CONSIDERED OR GIVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF ANY BOARD MEETING, PROVIDED TESTIMONY MUST ALSO OCCUR AT ANY TIME, SUBJECT TO A REQUEST OF THE MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
AND WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE BOARD CHAIRPERSON.
AND NOW, NOW WE'RE TO THAT READY FOR THE HOMELESS CAMPER MEDIATION PROGRAM OVERVIEW.
WELL, THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING US.
UM, AS YOU MAY NOTICE, WE'RE ONE SHORT AS OF TODAY, UH, WENDY'S SHERIFF HAS RETIRED AGAIN.
UM, SO SHE'S GONNA BE DEARLY MISSED.
BUT, UM, BELIEVE US, WE WILL TELL YOU THAT.
WE'RE YOU STILL INCAPABLE HANDS? WE'VE GOT, BETWEEN US, I'VE GOT 24 YEARS ON THE, ON THE PD, UH, DEIDRA'S GOT ANOTHER WITH THIS CITY.
I'VE GOT 14, BUT I'VE GOT 24 IN MUNICIPAL ALL TOGETHER.
SO WE'RE QUITE CAPABLE AND, YOU KNOW, PROUD TO REPRESENT THE, THE, THE CITY AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THE STUFF WE DO FOR THE, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AS FAR AS HOMELESS GOES.
BUT, UH, BUT WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE AND, YOU KNOW, EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS WE DO AND HOW WE DO IT AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, UM, YOU GUYS CAN UNDERSTAND MORE FULLY AS TO, UH, HOW THE CITY'S HANDLING THE, THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
I THINK IT'S, UH, THE, THE BIGGEST, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE DO IS THE EDUCATION PART.
YOU KNOW, WE GO TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, YOUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, THE, UM, UH, WHAT IS IT? THE, UM, ASSISTANTS POLICE ACADEMY.
OH, AND, UH, WAS IT THE CRIME PREVENTION GROUPS? CRIME PREVENTION.
SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TEACH AT THE, ALL OUR NEW RECRUITS THAT COME THROUGH THE POLICE ACADEMY, UH, AND SEVERAL DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
WE, WE TAUGHT, WHAT WAS THAT EIGHT HOUR CLASS AT THE, UH, WITHIN CODE ENFORCEMENT ITSELF, WE WENT IN, WE TAUGHT AN EIGHT HOUR CLASS, UH, THROUGH CODE ENFORCEMENT FOR OUR PROGRAM, HOW WE DID IT.
AND NOW WE'VE GOT VERY WELL, WE'VE GOT DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND WE'VE GOT OTHER CITIES THAT IS MIMICKING WHAT EXACTLY THAT WE'VE DONE, BECAUSE WHAT THEY'VE DONE HAS FAILED.
UM, ACTUALLY WE, I'VE GOT INVOLVED IN THIS BACK IN PROBABLY WHENEVER I FIRST STARTED IN CITY BACK IN 2009.
AND ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO, SIX OR SEVEN YEARS AGO, THE CITY ITSELF PUT THE POSITIONS FOR THE HOMELESS TASK FORCE.
AND SO AT THAT TIME, UH, IT WAS MYSELF AND WENDY, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO BRING IN EWS STORM WATER.
WE NOW HAVE KEITH AND KEITH'S BEEN DOING IT NOW FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS WITH US.
SO WE'VE, ALL THE CHANGES Y'ALL SEEN WITHIN OR HOPEFULLY DON'T SEE WITH THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY IS BECAUSE WE'RE DOING OUR JOB
SO, UH, WITH THAT SAID, WE'VE GOT SOME, UM, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE DIFFERENT VIDEOS.
WE GOT SOME, UM, SLIDES TO SHOW Y'ALL KIND OF WHAT IT IS.
[00:05:02]
WE CAN TURN DOWN THE SOUND, BUT IF WE DO, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THE IMPACT.AND WHAT HE SAYS IS, IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU'VE GOT, NOT TRYING TO OFFEND ANYONE, BUT THERE IS SOME CURSING IN IT.
YEAH, THERE IS SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE.
THERE'S SOME VERY, BUT WITH THIS PARTICULAR GENTLEMAN, UH, AND WHY THIS SHOWS SUCH AN IMPACT IS BECAUSE OF THE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM IN WHICH WE OCCUR AND THAT WE SEE, UM, ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND THIS GENTLEMAN HERE HAS PROBABLY FIVE, UM, I THINK HE HAS ABOUT FIVE PERSONALITIES, AND YOU WILL, YOU WILL CATCH THAT IN THIS VIDEO.
SO YOU WILL KIND OF GATHER ALL THAT.
SO I'M NOT TRYING TO OFFEND ANYONE, BUT THERE IS SOME, THERE IS SOME FOUL LANGUAGE IN IT.
SO IT'S LEFT UP TO Y'ALL IF YOU WANNA HEAR IT.
AND IF NOT, THEN WE CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT VIDEO.
AND THE REASON WE WANNA SHOW YOU ALL THESE IS JUST SHOW YOU HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT THEY ARE HAVING.
BECAUSE UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY GO TO THE CAMPS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MISSING THE, THE TRUE IMPACT THAT THEY'RE HAVING.
UM, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S SUBTLE IMPACTS THAT, THAT OCCUR THAT'S ACTUALLY CHANGED OUR WAY OF LIFE IN A LOT OF WAYS THAT YOU MAY NOT EVEN RECOGNIZE.
SEVERAL OF OUR, UM, CITY BUILDINGS DON'T HAVE OUTLETS ON THE OUTSIDE ANYMORE.
OR A LOT OF OUR PARK BENCHES HAVE CHANGED WHERE THEY'RE NOT FULL BENCHES ANYMORE.
THEY HAVE THE ARM RESTS IN THE MIDDLE WHERE THEY CAN'T SLEEP ON THEM.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S, UM, THEY TURN OFF THE WIFI IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS AT NIGHT TO, AND THAT'S ALL TO PREVENT THE, OR CHANGE THE, THE, THE WAY THAT THE, THE HOMELESS ARE COMING TO THE AREA, YOU KNOW, TO CHANGE THEIR HABITS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD TO CHANGE OUR WAY OF LIFE TO PREVENT THEM FROM COMING IN AND JUST BASICALLY TAKING, TAKING OVER OUR CITY.
SO WE'RE SEEING THESE VIDEOS, YOU'RE REALLY GONNA SEE THE IMPACT THAT THAT'S THERE, THAT THAT'S NOT SO VISIBLE.
I MEAN, YOU SEE THE PEOPLE PANHANDLING AND SOMETIMES YOU SEE THE PEOPLE SLEEPING ON THE, ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
WHEN YOU, IF YOU GO INTO A CAMP, YOU'RE GONNA SEE PILES OF TRASH THAT ARE AS BIG AS A CAR SIX FEET HIGH THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN BUILDING UP FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS.
AND IT'S THE, AND THAT'S NOT COUNTING THE NEEDLES AND THAT'S NOT COUNTING WHERE ALL THEIR, THEIR WASTE URINE AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS.
SO, I MEAN, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT.
SO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE HERE IS JUST ONE D 2D, BUT WHAT WE ACTUALLY GO IN, YOU GOTTA COUNT IN THE SMELLS, THE HAZARDS, UM, AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO ANYWAY, SO WE CAN SHOW YOU THE VIDEOS AND THEN WE CAN TAKE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON HOW WE'RE WE'RE DEALING WITH IT AND HOW WHAT WE'RE DOING THAT WORKS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT AREN'T WORKING.
AND, UH, ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU GUYS HAVE.
START OUT WITH, THIS IS A VIDEO THAT IS ATTACHED TO UNDERNEATH THE TUNNEL, RIGHT? THESE TWO THINGS RIGHT HERE.
EVERYTHING YOU SEE IS UP UNDERNEATH STREET UNDER PLEASANT VALLEY.
IT'S UP UNDERNEATH PLEASANT VALLEY.
THIS IS A DRAINAGE, UH, TUNNEL.
AND AS YOU SEE, THEY'RE TEARING UP THE, WHERE THE STREET AND ALL COMES TOGETHER.
SO THEY KNOW THAT THE RO THE RAINWATER COMES THROUGH THIS.
SO THEY HANG EVERYTHING THAT THEY MM-HMM.
AND YOU CAN'T SEE TWO FEET IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, YEAH, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE DOWN THERE, BOSS.
IT'S NOT TOO BAD, BUT NOT TOO GOOD EITHER.
SO YOU GUYS GOT A GENERATOR? YOU READY? YEAH.
SO AS YOU SEE WHERE IT SAYS, DO YOU HAVE A GENERATOR? BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE STORM WATER, WHICH WE WORK WITH.
AND STORM WATER HAS GENERATORS TO COME IN THERE TO BRING IN THE LIGHT.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE IN THERE WITHOUT THE FLASHLIGHTS, LIKE WHAT WE'VE GOT, YOU CAN STAND THERE AND YOU CAN PUT YOUR HAND RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE AND YOU WILL NOT SEE YOUR HAND, LET ALONE SEE ANYBODY ELSE IN FRONT OF YOU.
WELL THAT, THAT TUNNEL THERE IS, IS JUST, THERE'S TWO PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE AND THEY HAVE ALL THAT, THAT TRASH.
YOU SEE THERE NOW THEY, THERE'S LITERALLY FULL SHOPPING CART BUGGIES THAT ARE FULL AND STILL HANGING FROM THE CEILING.
AND ALL THAT WEIGHT IS IS CALLED, IT'S JUST TEARING DOWN THE, THE STREET ITSELF.
UH, AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE A PICTURE HERE IN A FEW MINUTES OF HOW, WHAT DAMAGE THAT IT'S ACTUALLY DONE.
NOW THIS NEXT VIDEO IS THE ONE THAT I'M TELLING Y'ALL THERE'S SOME FOUL LANGUAGE.
THIS, UH, THIS VIDEO IS AN ENCAMPMENT
[00:10:01]
THAT IS LOCATED BEHIND THE, THE DALLAS COLLEGE.UM, AND IT'S A WOODED AREA THAT RUNS BETWEEN, UM, GLENBROOK AND FIFTH STREET.
AND THIS, THIS CAMP HERE IS ONE THAT WE WILL BE CLEANING ON MONDAY.
THERE'S PROBABLY WHAT, 10, 12 CAMPS IN THERE? THERE? YEAH.
THERE'S ABOUT NINE TO 12 CAMPS IN THERE.
THAT M**********R GET OUTTA MY F*****G HOUSE.
THIS IS ONE PERSON I THINK THEY LIKE BACK REAL.
YOU JUST FEEL THAT OLD MY CORN OVER.
HEY, WHAT YOU GONNA DO WITH THIS RIGHT HERE? FOR A WHILE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS HIM AND OTHER PEOPLE IN THE TENT WITH HIM AND REALIZES THESE ARE ALL HIS VOICE.
DON'T YOU THROW UP ON MY OBJECT? I DON'T GIVE A S**T IF YOU RABBIT IT OR NOT.
YOU DON'T THROW UP ON MY OBJECT.
YOU SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH THAT.
AND WE SIT THERE AND THAT WAS A VERY SHORT VIDEO.
BUT WHAT WE STARTED OUT WITH, AND WE SIT THERE FOR A LONG TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO ALL HE WAS TALKING TO.
AND LIKE I SAID, THERE'S ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES THAT HE WAS SPEAKING TO IN DIFFERENT TONES, DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
WE THOUGHT HE HAD A DOG IN THERE WITH HIM.
UM, AND THAT'S TYPICAL OF WHAT WE SEE IN JUST ABOUT EVERY CAMP.
THERE'S, THERE'S MENTAL, A LOT OF MENTAL ILLNESS.
AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE IS THERE ARE PROGRAMS OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE THAT HAD DRUG ADDICTIONS, ALCOHOL ADDICTIONS, AND PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST FLAT OUT BROKEN OUT OF LUCK.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED A, A HAND ON GETTING STARTED BACK IN, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
BUT THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, IT, IT'S ALWAYS THE SAME THING, IS THEY, THEY TAKE 'EM TO THE, THE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL.
THE HOSPITAL WILL STABILIZE THEM FOR A FEW DAYS, GET 'EM STARTED BACK ON THEIR MEDS, AND THEN COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, RIGHT BACK OUT WHERE THEY STARTED FROM, WE REPEAT THE CYCLE AND THEY, SO THEY, THAT GROUP OF OUR HOMELESS JUST CONTINUES TO BUILD CUZ THERE'S NO EXIT FOR THEM.
SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER FOR THAT? UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IF THEY DON'T TAKE THEIR MEDICATION CONTINUES, RIGHT? YEAH.
THEY GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE GROUP THAT SAYS THAT ADVOCATES FOR THEM AND SAYS THEY HAVE RIGHTS.
WE DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO PUT THEM IN IN HOMES.
WE DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO MAKE THEM TAKE THEIR MEDICATION AND, YOU KNOW, HOUSE THEM AGAINST THEIR WILL.
AND THEN THERE'S THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
RIGHT? SO WHERE, WHERE'S THEIR FAMILY? A LOT OF 'EM, UM, THE FAMILY HAS ABANDONED THEM BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE AND WHAT IT WOULD IT TAKE TO, TO HOUSE, YOU KNOW, PUT THEM IN A, IN A FACILITY.
AND A LOT OF TIMES, UM, THEY JUST, THEY JUST CAN'T PHYSICALLY CONTROL THEM.
BUT DOESN'T MEDICAID AND MEDICARE HELP WITH THAT? I HAVE A MENTALLY ILL SISTER.
THAT'S WHY I WAS OUT THE TWO TIMES, UM, IN MISSOURI AND WE HAD THE SAME SITUATION.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHETHER THAT PERSON'S WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT HELP OR NOT.
A LOT OF, A LOT OF OUR SCHIZOPHRENICS THAT ARE OUT THERE IS THEY JUST, ONCE THEY START DOWN THE PATH WITHOUT THEIR MEDICATION, THE LONGER THEY'RE OFF OF IT IS THE HARDER IT IS TO GET 'EM BACK.
AND THEN YOU SELF-MEDICATE, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND SO THEN YOU HAVE THE BIPOLAR SCHIZOPHRENIC.
YOU HAVE THE BIPOLAR SCHIZOPHRENIC EFFECTIVE, WHICH IS A WHOLE LOT MORE ADDED INTO YOUR BIPOLAR SCHIZOPHRENIC.
THE BIPOLAR AND SCHIZOPHRENIC.
SO, AND THEN THE FAMILY, A LOT OF 'EM, YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE HAVE, UH, THAT'S OUT HERE ON THE STREETS HAVE COME IN AND THEY, AS THEY SAID, THEY'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEM OR AS THEY HAVE SMALL CHILDREN THAT ARE THERE AT THE HOUSE OR OTHER KIDS THAT'S THERE AT THE HOUSE AND THEY'RE, THEY FEAR FOR THEIR OTHER CHILDREN.
AND SO THEY WILL NOT ALLOW THEM BACK INTO THE HOME.
CAN'T THEY BECOME WARDS OF THE STATE? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW TEXAS WORKS.
I KNOW HOW, I MEAN IF FAMILY WOULD PUSH FOR THAT, IF THERE WAS A FACILITY FOR THEM.
WE'VE ONLY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE LOOKED TEXAS ONLY HAS ONE STATE FACILITY IN, IN TERRELL AND HALF OF IT'S CLOSE.
DO ANY OF, ANY OF THE NURSING HOMES HAVE PSYCHIATRIC WARDS? THEY, THE ONES THAT IT'S ALL SEEMS TO BE TEMPORARY MEAN OAKS.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY DO IS
[00:15:01]
IF THEY GET SOMEBODY IN THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE THERE, UHHUH,THE, THE PERSON'S THE LEAST OF THEIR WORRIES IS THE ONE THAT GETS SHOWN THE DOOR.
WE HAVE ONE WOMAN AND I'M SURE THAT A LOT OF Y'ALL HAVE SEEN HER.
SHE WAS AT A JACK IN THE BOX FOR MONTHS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE COLD, COLD WINTERTIME.
AND THAT WAS AT, UH, BELTLINE AND GARLAND ROAD, I BELIEVE.
AND SHE LEPT OUT THERE IN FRONT.
SHE'S UP AT GARLAND ROAD AND ONE 90 AREA UP IN THERE.
BUT SHE WALKS EVERY PLACE THAT THERE IS THERE FOR A WHILE.
WELL, FOR A LONG, LONG TIME WE THOUGHT THAT SHE HAD CHILDREN.
SHE ALWAYS TOLD US ABOUT HER CHILDREN AND SO SHE HAD NAMES FOR 'EM.
COME TO FIND OUT THEY'RE NOT HER KIDS AND SHE WOULD ALWAYS TELL US THAT HER BROTHER IS THE ONE WHO TOOK HER KIDS AWAY FROM 'EM AND WAS RAISING OUR KIDS.
AND COME TO FIND OUT THEY'RE NOT HER KIDS.
THEY ARE HER NIECE AND NEPHEW.
THEY'RE NOT SEVEN AND SIX AND EIGHT AND WHATEVER IT WAS.
THEY ARE GROWN ADULTS AND HAVE KIDS OF THEIR OWN.
BUT WE'VE TALKED TO THE BROTHER.
WE LOCATED THE BROTHER SEVERAL TIMES.
FAMILY LIVES IN PLANO AND LIVES IN PLANO.
WE, WE REACH OUT TO THEM EVERY NOW AND THEN, JUST LET THEM KNOW, UM, WHERE SHE'S AT AND HOW SHE'S DOING.
AND THEY'RE ALWAYS WILLING TO COME HELP HER.
AND WE PUT PAULA ON THE PHONE AND IT USUALLY STARTS OFF OKAY FOR A MINUTE.
AND AS SOON AS SHE GOES INTO HER, WELL, YOU TOOK MY KIDS AWAY.
YOU KNOW, AND HER PARENTS AREN'T HER PARENTS AND YOU KNOW, SHE'S TRYING TO LOOK FOR A REAL FATHER BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO CLAIMS TO BE HER FATHER HAS DIED BECAUSE THEY ALL KILLED HIM.
I MEAN IT'S SO YOU HAVE TO WEED THROUGH A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH AND HOW BAD SOMEBODY ACTUALLY THAT'S TERRIBLE.
ALRIGHT, READY FOR THE NEXT ONE HERE.
OKAY, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY DOWN OFF OF EASY STREET AND THE DART DARK'S PROPERTY, WHAT YOU SEE, THIS IS PROBABLY ABOUT 40 FOOT LONG.
AND AS YOU SEE YEAH, IT'S ONE, ONE CAMP.
SEE THERE'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM IT, THEY, THEY HAVE WATERFRONT PROPERTY AS YOU SEE.
SO, UM, THIS PLACE, AS YOU SEE, THEY'LL USE ANY KIND OF MATERIALS THAT THERE IS IN ORDER TO MAKE A CAMP.
WE TOOK THIS ONE WEEK AND THE NEXT WEEK IT COMPLETELY BURNED.
THEY, THEY LIKED NOT HAVE GOT OUT OF IT.
AND ALL OF THE BUSINESSES AROUND THERE WAS ADVOCATING FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO STAY, BUT THEY DON'T SEE THE DANGERS BEHIND THAT.
AND WHAT YOU, YOU WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS ALL THE, ALL THE CRATES, UM, PALLETS AND STUFF.
IT'S, THAT'S ONE OF OUR, OUR PROBLEMS WE HAVE WITH A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES HERE.
UH, THEY'LL, THEY PUT THE PALLETS OUT.
THEY, THEY PUT STUFF OUT AND NOT JUST PALLETS.
I MEAN IT'S, YOU KNOW, A FURNITURE COMPANIES PUT THEIR, THEIR BIG BOXES OUT THERE, THEIR THEIR DAMAGED FURNITURE.
AND WE FIND ALL THAT STUFF IN OUR CAMPS AND THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TYPICALLY IN A CLEANUP, WE FILL UP TWO, SOMETIMES THREE 40 YARD ROLL OFFS AND YOU HAVE TO STORE THOSE.
AND WE HAVE TO KEEP THEM STORE WEEK BUREAU HAS TO STORE.
SO IN CASE PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO CLAIM THEIR PROPERTY.
THIS PAST JANUARY WE STARTED THE PROJECT BOX OUT IS WHAT WE CALL IT.
UM, CUZ BOXES WAS THE MAIN THING WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH.
BUT WHENEVER WE FIND A BUSINESS THAT'S STORING STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT SHOULD BE DISPOSED OF AND THEY'RE JUST KEEPING IT IN THE BACK TO WHERE IT'S ACCESSIBLE.
WE'VE BEEN CONTACTING THE PROPERTY OWNER, THE BUSINESS OWNER, AND LETTING 'EM KNOW, HEY, YOU'RE CONTRIBUTING TO A PROBLEM WITH THE HOMELESSNESS BY ALLOWING THEM ACCESS TO THIS STUFF.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN CONTACTING BUSINESS OWNERS TO LET THEM KNOW, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD PUT THIS AWAY, IT WOULD HELP US OUT A GREAT DEAL.
WE, WE, WE SELL PALLETS TO THE PALLET GUYS, BUT I THINK MAYBE FIVE TIMES A WEEK SOMEBODY WILL COME BY OFFERING TO BUY PALLETS.
YOU NEED TO GIVE THEIR BUSINESS CARDS AND GIVE 'EM TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PUTTING 'EM OUT ON THE CURB AND SAY, HEY, YOU CAN MAKE SOME MONEY ON THIS.
SOME OF THOSE I GET FIVE, $10 A PIECE FOR IT, DON'T THEY? YEAH.
SOME OF THESE YOU CAN ACTUALLY PUT A FULL SIZE MATTRESS ON AND THEY WILL, A LOT OF TIMES THEY WILL TRY TO ELEVATE 'EM TO GET 'EM OFF THE GROUND.
AND YOU KNOW, CUZ NOBODY WANTS TO SLEEP ON THE GROUND.
SO THEY WILL TAKE THOSE BIG PALLETS AND THEY'LL PUT THEIR, THEIR MATTRESSES AND ALL ON IT.
IN FACT THERE'S, THERE'S A PICTURE OF ONE OF THEM THAT WE'LL SEE HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
AND I THINK WE GOT ONE MORE VIDEO AND THEN JUST SOME SHORT PICTURES.
[00:20:01]
ACTUALLY AT WHAT WE CALL THE WALNUT CREEK.THIS IS BETWEEN JUPITER AND FOREST CREST.
AND, UH, WE, IN THE LAST MONTH, EACH WEEK, EACH MONDAY, WE HAVE GONE AND CLEANED THIS CREEK OUT.
AND EACH TIME WE HAVE, WHEN WE GO THERE, THE FIRST TIME THERE WAS ABOUT 12 CAMPS MM-HMM.
AND NOW THE LAST TIME THAT WE WENT, WHICH WAS LAST THIS PAST MONDAY, UH, WE END UP WITH SIX, BUT EACH FOR THE LAST MONTH, EVERY MONDAY.
BUT, AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO THINK IF YOU HAVE TO GO THAT MANY TIMES BACK TO ONE PIECE OF PROPERTY, THEN YOU'VE GOT 6 35 IN CENTERVILLE ROAD THAT'S NOT GETTING CLEANED OR YOU'VE GOT DOWN ON BROADWAY THAT'S NOT GETTING CLEANED.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S 57 SQUARE MILES IN THE CITY.
SO IF YOU HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY GO BACK AND YOU'RE GONNA UNDERSTAND WHY WE ALWAYS HAD TO GO BACK TO THIS ONE.
ONCE YOU SEE THIS VIDEO AND AS YOU SEE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S RIGHT BEHIND THESE PEOPLE'S HOME.
WE JUST, IT WAS ALMOST THREE TONS OF MATERIAL.
WE WERE REMOVED HERE FROM MONDAY AND THEN PRIOR TO COULD IT BE CLEANED LIKE THE WEEK BEFORE? UH, THE WEEK BEFORE THAT WE TOOK NEARLY 12 TONS, UH, OFF OF THIS, OFF OF THIS AREA RIGHT HERE.
AND THEY WILL PUT THEIR CAMPS ANYWHERE.
THEY'LL HANG 'EM OFF THE CLIFFS, THEY'LL DO WHATEVER IT IS THAT RIGHT THERE IS IN A CREEK.
AND MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE EVEN FURTHER OFF INTO THAT CREEK YELLOW SHOP.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ONE COMPANIES THAT WILL COME AND GET THAT RANCHI.
THEY'RE GOOD ABOUT, THEY'LL COME TO COME UP IF WE LEAVE THEM, BUT WALMART, KROGERS WILL, NONE OF NOBODY ELSE WILL COME.
BUT WALMART IS ONE OF THOSE THAT DOES THAT.
BUT THE STORE HAS TO, THEY HAVE TO PAY A MONTHLY FEE TO HAVE THAT DONE FOR EACH ONE OF THEIR CARTS AND THE EXPENSES TOO MUCH.
WHAT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE HERE IS SEE WHERE THIS FIRE IS AND WHERE, HOW CLOSE IT IS TO THAT PROPERTY THE NEXT DAY.
THIS WHOLE CAMP RIGHT HERE BURNT, DIDN'T DAMAGE THE PROPERTY OWNER'S FENCE.
SO THAT THE NEXT DAY IT BURNT.
NOTICE THIS LITTLE STRETCH HERE DOES NOT HAVE ANY REASON FOR THAT.
IS YOU'RE ABOUT TO, YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE ONE OF THE, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS HERE HAS FIGURED OUT HOW TO PREVENT HOMELESS FROM CAMPING UP HIS PROPERTY FROM CAMPING RIGHT BEHIND HIM, START TO SEE ALL THESE LITTLE CLUMPS ON THE GROUND.
OH, YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS FACE SMELL OF EVERY FEW INCHES.
WELL WOULDN'T YOU? YEAH, THANK YOU.
THAT'S THE ONE YOU NOTICE NOBODY'S CAMPING THERE.
HE'S ENGAGED IN BIOLOGICAL WARFARE.
THEY GOT HELLO EVERYBODY HOME THE BATHROOM.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU GET TO THE OTHER SIDE IS THROUGH THIS LITTLE PLACE RIGHT HERE.
SO DO THE HOMEOWNERS CALL YOU EVERY WEEK AND TELL YOU THEY'VE COME BACK IN THIS SPOT? THEY, THEY, THEY DIDN'T COME.
OH, WE HAD, WE, WE LITERALLY HAD TO GO BACK EACH WEEK BECAUSE THIS IS A HIGHLY HISPANIC AREA.
AND IS THAT BRANDON? HUH? BRANDON BARLAND POLICE.
OH YES, IT'S, I'M SORRY BRANDON, AS YOU SAY, WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
WE CAN TELL EXACTLY WHO THAT WAS.
SO SINCE THEN WE, TO HELP US WITH THAT AREA, WE'VE CONTACTED BUSINESS OWNERS ON ONE SIDE OF THE CREEK AND THE PROPERTY OWNER,
[00:25:01]
THE HOMEOWNERS ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THEM ORGANIZED SO THAT THEY FEEL MORE CONFIDENT IN GOING BACK THERE AND TELLING 'EM, HEY, I DON'T WANT YOU BUILDING ON MY, I'M LIKE, CAUSE ACTUALLY THAT'S THEIR PROPERTY.THEIR PROPERTY GOES OUT TO THE CREEK.
THEY'RE ON THEIR, ON THE HOMEOWNER'S PROPERTY EITHER FOR THEM TO CON YOU KNOW, AND LIKE WE TELL 'EM, WE WOULD MUCH RATHER YOU CONTACT US, LET US BE THE BAD GUY AND GO OUT THERE AND TELL 'EM THAT THEY CANNOT BE THERE FOR THEIR SAFETY THAT WAY THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
SO, AND THAT, THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE TRY TO EDUCATE A LOT OF THESE BUSINESS OWNERS, PROPERTY OWNERS AND THIS TYPE OF THING IS THAT LET US BE THE BAD GUY.
LET US GO IN THERE AND LET US TALK TO HIM.
LET US BE THE ONES TO TELL YOU IT'S AGAINST CITY ORDINANCE FOR YOU TO BE HERE.
AND SO, UH, IT'S JUST AN EDUCATION TYPE THING THAT WE GO THROUGH AND WE DO, I THINK YOU TOLD US TO PUT UP NO TRESSING SIDES AND THAT DOES HELP.
I JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE ONE SO I PUT IT THERE AT THE END OF DIVIDEND.
ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S THE VIDEOS.
UM, WE COULD JUST RUN THE, THE PICTURES AND IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WHATEVER THEN, SO WHAT KIND OF COMMUNICATION DO YOU GUYS HAVE WITH THE NEIGHBORING CITIES REGARDING RIGHT HERE? WE'VE, UM, AT, UNLESS YOU WANT, WE ACTUALLY TEACH OUR PROGRAM THAT WE USE, UH, ABOUT HOW, HOW WE FIRST GO OUT AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE, THE, THE HOMELESS.
CUZ REALLY THE ONLY FIX IS TO GET 'EM OFF THE STREET BECAUSE WE CAN, WE CAN GO PUSH 'EM OUT OF A A, AN AREA ALL DAY LONG.
BUT THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THEY JUST GO DOWN THE STREET AND THEN THERE'RE A PROBLEM TOMORROW FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO THE REALLY, THE ONLY WAY TO, TO HELP THE SITUATION IS TO GET THEM OFF THE STREET.
SO WE DO, WE GO OUT AND WE CONTACT THEM AND WE PROVIDE THEM WITH RESOURCES TO DO THAT.
WE CAN GET THEM THE, THEIR CRITICAL DOCUMENTS, LIKE THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE OR ID CARD, SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, BIRTH CERTIFICATES, THAT ENABLES THEM TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP TO AT LEAST GET TO A SHELTER.
AT LEAST GET STARTED INTO A PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, TO WHERE THEY CAN GET, UH, OFF THEIR ADDICTIONS OR YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, GET TO A SHELTER.
CUZ A LOT OF THE SHELTERS OF DALLAS WON'T EVEN TAKE YOU WITHOUT AN ID CARD.
THEY DON'T JUST LET ANYBODY WALK IN THE DOOR.
YOU CAN'T GET INTO A MOTEL OR A HOTEL WITH THAT ONE.
SO WE, WE, WE DO APPROACH IT FROM THAT SIDE OF THE FENCE THAT WE'RE HERE TO HELP THEM.
AND REALLY THAT'S THE ONLY FIX THERE IS OTHERWISE, LIKE I SAID, WE JUST PUSH 'EM DOWN THE STREET TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
BUT ALSO ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, WE TELL 'EM RIGHT OFF THE BAT, HEY, YOU'RE TRESPASSING ON EITHER PRIVATE PROPERTY OR CITY PROPERTY.
AND WE EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT WITH, IN THAT VIOLATION, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PACK UP AND MOVE.
BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF LIKE A FINE LINE.
YOU'RE TRYING TO HELP THEM TO BETTER THEMSELVES AND GET OUT OF THERE.
BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE POSITION THAT YOU HAVE BUSINESS OWNERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS, RESIDENTS, THIS TYPE THING THAT'S GOT A VESTED INTEREST INTO THIS COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO GOT THE BUSINESSES AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO PAY TAXES.
SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM, FROM THAT SIDE.
WE, WE HAVE TO PROTECT WHO IS HERE AND WHO'S VIABLE, BUT WE ALSO TRY TO HELP THEM TO GET WHAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE ON.
BUT THE REASON I'M ASKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION WITH THE OTHER CITIES IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN DALLAS DOES A MAJOR PUSH ON SOMETHING, THEN WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THE INCREASE IN THE POPUL MM-HMM.
SO THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCES REPORT IS DUE JUNE 15TH.
SO ARE WE ANTICIPATING THEM DOING SOME, I KNOW THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING IN A FACILITY, BUT WE ANY IDEA OF THEY'RE THEY'RE TAKING ANY OTHER KIND OF ACTIONS.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DALLAS PUTTING IN A FACILITY.
UM, I KNEW THEY WERE EXPANDING SOME OF THAT HAT KNOW THEY WERE GONNA PUT A NEW ONE IN, BUT, AND THAT MAY BE WHAT YOU END UP DOING.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
WE DO, WE WE DO HAVE CONTACT WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR CLEANUP CREWS.
THEY DO IT, THEY DO A CLEANUP.
THEY DO A CLEANUP ON TUESDAYS.
FUNNY ENOUGH, RIGHT AFTER WE DO OUR CLEANUP,
AND SO THERE IS, THERE IS A, THERE IS A PUSH AND SOMETIMES WE KNOW THEY'RE DOING A CLEANUP.
IF WE KNOW WHERE THEY'RE DOING IT, WE WILL GO AND SIT.
AND WHEN WE SEE SHOPPING CARTS COMING DOWN CENTERVILLE OR NORTHWEST HIGHWAY, WE'RE LIKE, HEY, UM, SORRY, BUT YOU KNOW, YOUR SHOPPING CART IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE THAT BACK OVER THERE.
WE, WE TRY TO DETER 'EM WHEN WE KNOW AND, UH, WHEN AND WHERE MCKINNEY OR SORRY, DALLAS IS GONNA DO THEIR CLEANUP AND THEN OF COURSE YOU GOT MESQUITE.
AND, UH, MESQUITE JUST RECENTLY WITH THE PRESSURE THAT GARLAND HAS PUT ON THEM, HAS STARTED CLEANING UP THE, THE GREEN BELT AREA, UH, WHICH IS DOWN AROUND, UM, WALMART AT 30.
OH, THAT'S, AND IN THAT AREA, YEAH.
I'VE LIVED IN THAT AREA FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS.
AND YOU, YOU CAN ALMOST SEE WHERE GARLAND
[00:30:01]
OH YEAH.STARTS AND MESQUITE STARTS BECAUSE YOU'LL SEE OUR SIGNS CLEAN AND YOU, IF YOU CAN SEE THE CAMPS, YOU WELL THAT'S THE LINE WHERE MESQUITE STARTS.
SO WE WE'RE, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
EVEN THAT ONE IN LARA NOW IS ALL FULL.
WE CLEANED UP, UH, CENTERVILLE AND LBJ A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND THERE WAS SIX OR EIGHT TENTS JUST IN ONE CORNER AND THEN MORE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND YOU WANNA JUST LET THAT RUN AND THEN YEAH, WHAT'S, THEY CAN JUST KIND OF LOOK AND WE'RE JUST GONNA LET THE, THE SLIDESHOW RUN.
I WILL SAY THIS, UH, IN THAT TUNNEL THAT WE WAS TALKING ABOUT, UP UNDERNEATH, UH, PLEASANT VALLEY, THIS IS WHAT IT'S DOING TO IT.
THIS IS UP UNDERNEATH THE STREET WHERE THEY'VE ATTACHED ALL THEIR STUFF TO IT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE REBAR, THE REBAR SHOW IN THERE, THEY, IT'S FIXING A BRAKE.
IT'S SO THIN IT'S FIXING A BRAKE AND THAT'S PROBABLY ABOUT A FIVE TO SIX INCH DROP RIGHT THERE.
AND SO WE HAVE CONTACTED THE STREETS DEPARTMENT AND UH, THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY ALL WE CAN DO.
GOTTA BE PRETTY SCARY IN THERE WHEN THE TRUCK GOES OVER THE TOP OF THAT.
IT'S PRETTY SCARY UP UNDERNEATH THERE, EVEN IF I HAD A TRUCK GOING OVER IT.
BUT I BARELY FIT GOING DOWN THROUGH THERE,
OH, AND UM, THEN WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS, IS CENTERVILLE AND 6 35 CONSTRUCTION THERE ON O BJ YEAH, I WAS ACTUALLY TALKING TO MY WIFE ABOUT THAT.
CAN YOU IMAGINE COMING TO WORK IN THE MORNING, YOUR CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE AND TRYING TO HAVE TO MOVE PEOPLE OUTTA YOUR WAY SO YOU CAN WELL, ODDLY ENOUGH WITH YOU SAYING THAT, UM, WE ACTUALLY, WE ACTUALLY GOT A COMPLAINT AT SENATOR BILL 6 35 AND WE'D ALREADY CLEANED IT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, WELL THERE'S NOT ANYTHING HERE, BUT WE FORGOT ON THE OTHER SIDE WHERE THE BERM THAT COME OFF OF THE FREEWAY ACTUALLY WENT STRAIGHT DOWN.
THEY HAVE CARVED ALL THAT OUT.
SO NOW THEY HAD ALL THEIR TENTS AND ALL UP UNDERNEATH THERE.
WELL ONE OF THOSE BOULDERS THAT WAS UP ON 6 35 CAME DOWN AND HIT PART OF THE, THE TENT WITH THE PEOPLE IN IT.
AND LUCKILY IT DIDN'T HIT ANYBODY AND LUCKILY IT DIDN'T KILL ANYONE, BUT THEY ACTUALLY, WITHOUT US EVEN SAYING ANYTHING, CUZ THEY KNEW US OVER THE YEARS.
THEY JUST STARTED PACKING UP THEIR STUFF AND WE SAID, DALLAS, GO ACROSS THE STREET RIGHT THERE AND GO STRAIGHT INTO DALLAS.
THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE, THE DIFFERENT CAMPS THAT WAS DOWN OFF THE GREEN BELT, UH, THAT WE, EACH TIME WE GO IN THERE, I THINK THE LAST TIME WE WENT IN THERE, THERE WAS LIKE 12 CAMPS THAT WE DID.
AND I THINK THAT TIME WE DID LIKE THREE AND A HALF 40 YARDS THAT WE TOOK OUT OF THERE.
THERE'S A GUY AT JUPITER AND 6 35 THAT PANHANDLES A RUSH HOUR WITH A DOG.
AND HE LETS THAT DOG STAND BETWEEN THE ON THE ROAD.
THAT'S TERRY PENN BETWEEN THE WALL AND UH, HE'S GOT A NINE FOR HIM.
I TOLD HIM I'D GIVE HIM 20 BUCKS IF HE WALK OFF RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS WHAT WAS, YOU KNOW, OTTER STORAGE, UH, DOWN THERE OFF OF LEON.
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING RIGHT HERE IS WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAD TO GO IN THERE AND CLEAN IT OUT SO BADLY.
BUT HAS ANYBODY GOT ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING OR, I GUESS THE QUESTION WOULD BE WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO? WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH DOING EVERYTHING THAT, THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ARSENAL RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE LIMITED PEDESTRIAN ZONES WHERE WE'RE CONTROLLING SOME OF THE INTER INTERSECTIONS, WHICH WE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WITH THAT, IF WE COULD INCREASE THAT, THAT WOULD HELP US OUT A LOT BECAUSE WE'RE ON THE OUTSKIRTS MM-HMM.
BUT THEY'RE MOVING IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE, SUCH AS WHAT YOU WAS TALKING ABOUT AT MILLER AND FIRST, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE PEDESTRIAN ZONES THERE.
AND IF WE COULD GET THOSE THERE, WE COULD BE ABLE TO CONTROL SOME OF THOSE AREAS TOO.
BUT RIGHT NOW, SO THE, THE PREVIOUS PICTURE WAS THE FACILITY OR IS THAT THE SHUTTER DOWN AND YES, THAT WAS OTTER STORAGE.
AND ALL OF THESE IS CAMPS THAT YOU WILL ACTUALLY SEE THAT WE SHUT DOWN.
BUT WHEN YOU SHUT THEM DOWN, WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE PEOPLE? WHERE DO THEY GO? UM, WE, THEY GO ACROSS THE STREET TO DALLAS BEFORE, BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE DO A CLEANUP.
WE'VE CONTACTED 'EM MULTIPLE TIMES AND WE'VE EDUCATED THEM ON WHERE THE SHELTERS ARE AT, GIVING 'EM CONTACT NUMBERS, DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO GET THERE WITH WHAT THEY NEED.
[00:35:01]
NINE OUT OF 10 OF 'EM WILL NOT GO.BUT WE DO, THEY GO, THEY JUST GO DOWN THE STREET.
THEY WILL GO DOWN THE STREET, THEY'LL GO DOWN THE STREET TO THE NEXT SPOT AND OH, LOOK AT THAT.
WE WORK WITH, UH, DIFFERENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE COME IN ONCE A WEEK, UM, THAT WILL TAKE AND, AND SIT BY GETTING 'EM THEIR VITAL DOCUMENTS.
UM, THEY WILL TRY AND PUT 'EM IN REHAB, WE'LL WORK WITH THEM ON REHAB.
WE WORKED WITH ONE GIRL THAT RIGHT NOW WE GOT HER AT, UH, A PLACE IN EAST TEXAS CALLED HIGHWAY 80.
UM, AND THERE'S A WHOLE BACKSTORY BEHIND HER THAT WOULD JUST BREAK YOUR HEART.
UM, BUT IT TOOK SOME TOUGH LOVE TO GET HER THERE AND IT TOOK SOME TOUGH LOVE TO KEEP HER THERE.
AND EVEN, EVEN AFTER WE'VE JUMPED THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS AND GOT THEM THEIR, THEIR ID CARDS AND EVERYTHING AND WE GET GET THEM INTO THE PROGRAM AND GOT 'EM ON THE WAITING LIST AND THERE'S A BED AVAILABLE NOW FOR 'EM WHEN WE GET 'EM THERE, A LOT OF TIMES THEY DON'T STAY AND FINISH THE PROGRAM.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THE POPULATION OF THE HOMELESS IS IN GONE? IT, IT FLUCTUATES AND, AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE TO DO A, A PIT COUNT EVERY YEAR.
WE ACTUALLY TAKE A CENSUS EVERY YEAR.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE ACTUALLY HAD A WHOLE WEEK TO COUNT.
THEN THIS PAST YEAR WE DID IT IN JANUARY AND WE HAD 148.
AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS AN, THAT WAS JUST A ONE DAY COUNT THAT WE, WE TRIED TO COVER THE ENTIRE 57 SQUARE MILES WITH THREE DIFFERENT CREWS OF PEOPLE GOING OUT AND WE HITTING EVERY SPOT THAT WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS A CAMP AND HITTING PLACES WHERE WE KNEW THEY CONGREGATED.
AND, AND WE KNOW THAT'S NOT ALL OF THEM.
SO WHERE DO THEY GET THE TENTS AND THE, SOME THESE ORGANIZATIONS WILL, WILL, THEY'RE GIVING THEIR HAND IN TENTS OUT, OUT.
WE'VE GOT SOME ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN GARLAND AND THEY'RE, THAT WILL ACTUALLY GIVE THEM THE TENTS.
WELL IT IS DOING THEY'RE THINK.
THINKING THEY'RE ACTUALLY, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ENABLING.
AND WE WILL HAUNT THAT STORAGES.
I'M SORRY, WHO HAUNT THE STORAGES THAT THE, THE, THE STORAGE STORAGE UNIT.
WHO IT IS? WHO OWNS THAT? IT'S A COMPANY THAT'S UP IN MICHIGAN.
YEAH, IT'S NOW THE CITY'S BEEN TRYING TO PURCHASE A PROPERTY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT OR NOT, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE IS STILL PRIVATELY OWNED.
THEY, THEY'VE BEEN CONTACTED, UM, BY THE CITY AND THEY ACTUALLY WERE, WERE WILLING TO WORK WITH US.
THEY ACTUALLY GAVE US THE, THE POWER TO GO IN AND CRIMINALLY TRESPASS PEOPLE WITHOUT THEIR PRESENCE.
AND THAT WAS SOMETHING WE'VE HAD HARDLY ANY LUCK AT DOING EXCEPT DALLAS COUNTY, UM, TIME.
I MEANT DALLAS COUNTY ACTUALLY ALLOWED US TO DO THAT.
THEY, THEY PUT IT ON THEIR LETTERHEAD SAYING WE AUTHORIZED THE CITY TO, BECAUSE IT WAS, WAS SUCH A PROBLEM.
AND IT WAS OUT OF, IT WAS OUTTA CONTROL.
AND WE, WE COULDN'T TELL WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE AND WHO WASN'T.
AND THEY, THEY FINALLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE COUNTY ALLOWED US TO USE THAT, THAT PROCESS.
CUZ NORMALLY TO CRIMINALLY TRUST SOMEBODY, THE PROPERTY OWNER OR AN AGENT OF THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY HAS TO BE THERE IN PERSON TO TELL THEM THAT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T BE HERE ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO USE THAT TACTIC AND IT'S, IT'S HELPED.
BUT WE'VE NOTICED HERE LATELY THAT SOME OF THEM HAVE SAW THAT THERE WAS VACANCIES AND THEY'RE COMING, STARTING TO COME BACK.
THE SIGNAGE THAT YOU'VE SEEN THAT YOU, THE SIGNS WE GO OUT EVERY THURSDAY.
UM, THE ATTORNEY BACK IN, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED ALL OF THIS SAID THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THEM AT LEAST 48 HOUR NOTICE AS A COURTESY SO THAT THEY HAVE A TIME IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER.
SO WE'VE GONE BEYOND THAT AND WE GIVE THEM A 72, SEE THIS IS TWO-STORY, A TWO-STORY STILTS.
THE WATER, WHEN IT FLOODS, IT WENT UP UNDERNEATH THERE.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, WE, WE GO AND GIVE HIM A 72 HOUR NOTICE.
WE ACTUALLY PUT THE DATE TIME THAT WE HAVE BEEN THERE, WHEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND AT WHAT TIME, AND IT'S WHATEVER THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY IS.
SO ON THURSDAYS WE GO OUT TO EACH ONE OF THESE PROPERTIES.
WE ACTUALLY PUT A SIGN THERE, IT SAYS, WE WERE HERE ON THIS DATE, THIS TIME, AND WE WILL RETURN BACK ON MONDAY AT THIS TIME.
AND SO WE GIVE 'EM THAT 72 HOUR NOTICE.
THEY WILL WALK PAST, THEY WILL TAKE OUR SON, THEY'LL THROW IT AWAY.
UM, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE IT IS.
AND EVERY MONDAY THEY'RE THERE BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON THEY DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'RE GONNA COME, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE CLEANED THEM UP OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
WE, BESIDES THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM AND THE FIRE PROBLEM AND TRESPASSING PROBLEM, ARE THE PEOPLE DANGEROUS?
[00:40:01]
IF YOU COULD SEE THE SCRATCH ALL THE WAY ACROSS MY ARM,UM, AND TYPICALLY SPEAKING, WE HAVE A GOOD RAPPORT WITH, WITH 99% OF THE PEOPLE WE COME ACROSS, THEY KNOW, THEY SEE US AND THEY KNOW WE'RE GONNA TELL 'EM TO CLEAN UP, BUT THEY ALSO KNOW THAT WE'RE THE PEOPLE THAT CAN HELP 'EM.
AND IF THEY WANT HELP, WE'RE THE ONES THEY NEED TO STAY IN GOOD GRACES WITH.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A FIRE, I'M SORRY, THIS IS ACTUALLY A FIRE MM-HMM.
AND SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS OUT THERE CLEANING UP.
SO YEAH, MOST, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WOULD COME IN CONTACT WITH ARE OKAY.
BECAUSE WE'VE DEVELOPED A RAPPORT WITH 'EM.
BUT JUST SAY, IF YOU SAY YOU WERE A A, A GOODHEARTED PERSON AND YOU WANTED TO WALK UP AND, AND HELP SOMEBODY, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF PERSONALITY YOU'RE GONNA GET.
EVEN THOUGH YOU HAD GOOD INTENTIONS, IF YOU WALK UP TO THEM, YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY'RE HAVING A GOOD DAY.
YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE ON DRUGS.
YOU DON'T KNOW IF, IF WHAT WHAT HAS JUST HAPPENED TO THEM, WHAT KIND OF STATE OF MIND THEY'RE IN.
SO THEY ALL ALL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE DANGEROUS.
AND SHE HAD JUST HAD ENOUGH AND SHE WAS TAKEN OUT HER FRUSTRATION ON MY PARTNER AND ASSAULTED HER BY THROWING SOME STUFF AT HER.
AND THAT WAS, WE JUST CAN'T, WE JUST CAN'T ALLOW THAT.
AND SO WHEN I TOLD HER SHE WAS UNDER ARREST, SHE OBJECTED AND TRIED TO RUN WITH MEAT ATTACHED AND SHE PULLED US RIGHT INTO, UH, SOME THICKETS AND BRIARS AND
WE BOTH GOT SCRATCHED UP, BUT SHE ENDED UP GOING TO JAIL.
BUT, SO, AND THAT'S VERY, VERY, VERY SELDOM BECAUSE YEAH, IT'S, WE, WHAT WE DO IS NO ENFORCEMENT OR TRY TO DO NO ENFORCEMENT PERIOD.
UM, WE PUT 'EM IN, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WE COME UP WITH HAS WARRANTS AND UNLESS IT'S LIKE A BAD WARRANT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT WHAT, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S BASICALLY IS THAT A CITY TRUCK? YES.
SO WHAT IS THE REASON THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HOMELESS, I KNOW FEW ARE HOMELESS.
WHAT IS THE REASON? BECAUSE I HAD ENCOUNTERED RECENTLY FEW YOUNG HOMELESS, UH, ON THE, I THINK FOREST LANE MM-HMM.
AND WHEN THEY COME OUT STILL THEY HAVE FELON IN THEIR NAME SO THEY DON'T GET ANY JOB.
ONCE, ONCE THEY GO TO JAIL OR ONCE THEY GO TO PR.
WHENEVER THEY COME OUT, SOCIETY DOESN'T TAKE 'EM BACK, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE GONE IN AND DONE THEIR TIME.
SO WHEN THEY COME BACK OUT, YOU CAN'T RENT AN APARTMENT, THEN NOBODY'S GONNA RENT A HOUSE TO 'EM.
DEPEND ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT THEY WENT IN FOR OR WHATEVER ELSE.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN DRUG ADDICTION, IT COULD BE PORNOGRAPHY, IT COULD BE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.
A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, ALCOHOL HAS TO DO WITH DRUGS.
UM, AND, AND THAT IS, IT'S, IT'S, THE STORY VARIES AS MANY PEOPLE AS THERE ARE, EVERY ONE OF 'EM HAS THEIR OWN STORY ABOUT HOW THEY ENDED UP.
AND IT'S USUALLY A COMBINATION OF MANY THINGS, YOU KNOW? AND A LOT OF TIMES IT IS MENTAL HEALTH AND DRUG ADDICTION.
AND SOMETIMES THAT COMES LATER.
SOMETIMES THEY JUST HAD BAD LUCK AND THEY ENDED UP ON THE STREET AND SELF-MEDICATED WITH WHATEVER THEY COULD FIND.
AND THEN THEY WERE ON THAT FOR SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME THAT NOW THE MENTAL HEALTH IS A, IS AN ISSUE FOR 'EM.
AND SO IT, IT, THE LONGER THEY'RE OUT HERE, THE WORSE THEY PROGRESS.
IF WE CAN CATCH SOMEBODY THE FIRST YEAR, WE HAVE A CHANCE OF GETTING 'EM OFF THE STREET ONCE THEY REACH THAT ONE YEAR, BECAUSE THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THAT WHOLE FULL CYCLE.
THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THE, YOU KNOW, SUMMER, SPRING, EVERYTHING.
ONCE THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THAT CYCLE AND THEY FIGURED THAT THEY'VE MADE IT SURVIVE.
SO THE MOST TIME WHENEVER WE GET 'EM IS WHENEVER IT'S 110 DEGREES OUTSIDE.
BECAUSE LAST YEAR, IN ONE WEEK FROM STROKES ALONE, WE HAD SIX PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREETS THAT DIED.
AND THAT WAS JUST FROM STROKES.
UH, PROBABLY HAD TO DO A LOT WITH ALL THE OTHER STUFF.
OVERDOSE AND OVERDOSE AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, DURING THIS, UH, WINTERTIME WHEN IT GOT SO COLD, WE HAD SEVERAL OF THEM WHO END UP GETTING, UM, FROST FITTING MM-HMM.
AND SO THEY LOST LIMBS, UH, YOU KNOW, LOST FINGERS, LOST THEIR FEET, LEGS, THIS TYPE THING.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, WE GO THROUGH
[00:45:01]
THERE AND TELL 'EM, IT IS GONNA COME REALLY BAD WEATHER.YOU NEED TO GET TO A SHELTER SOMEWHERE.
YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THIS COLD.
BUT ALL OF 'EM WILL SIT THERE UNTIL THE CITY PUTS UP THE GLOWS SHELTERS.
THE CITY'S WE WANNA MAKE SURE.
IT'S, THAT IS ALL PRIVATELY RUN.
THE CITY, CITY DOES NOT INVOLVED IN, IN GLOWS.
WE, IT'S, IT'S NOT ANY, IT HAS NO PART AT ALL WITH THE CITY WHATSOEVER.
AND WHAT WE FOUND, ESPECIALLY THIS LAST YEAR, IS THAT WITH GLOVES AND WITH THE SHELTERS NOT BEING THE WAY IT IS, WE HAD THE HUGE INFLUX THAT CAME OUT OF DALLAS INTO GARLAND.
AND SO MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT WAS, WAS ENLO WAS EVERYBODY FROM DEEP ELHAM WEST END.
AND THEN THEY GET HERE AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, THIS IS SUCH A NICER AND HAPPIER PLACE TO BE.
PEOPLE FEED YOU HERE AND THERE AND EVERYWHERE AND THEY DON'T LEAVE.
THAT'S, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO WAIT FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ADDRESS THAT WITH GLOVES AND LET 'EM KNOW, HEY, WE KNOW YOU GUYS, THIS IS A NECESSITY.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT IF THESE PEOPLE DID NOT HAVE A PLACE TO GO, A LOT OF 'EM WOULDN'T DIE.
AND SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A NECESSITY, BUT WE NEED FOR THEM TO TAKE A LITTLE MORE OWNERSHIP OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO OUR COMMUNITY ONCE YOU PACK UP AND LEAVE.
WHEN THAT COLD WEATHER GOES, A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT WANTING TO GET BACK ON THE BUS.
THEY STAY AND THEY, THEY GO AND HARASS OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.
THE CLOSE PEOPLE TAKE A A, A ROLE.
THEY DO TAKE 'EM, MADE THEM EQUIPMENT TO STORE THOSE NAMES.
I, YOU KNOW, DEBBIE REMA, WHAT THEY DO IS GREAT.
THAT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT HELPFUL.
WHAT THEY DO IS, UH, IS A VERY GOOD SERVICE.
PLEASE DON'T GET US WRONG ON THAT.
IT REALLY IS BECAUSE EVERYBODY APPRECIATE DEBBIE AND WHAT SHE'S DONE.
I MEAN, CUZ OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WOULD, WOULD PROBABLY DIE IF THEY DIDN'T, IF THEY DIDN'T.
WHAT IS, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PUT 'EM BACK ON THOSE TRAINS OR, OR HOW THEY CAME IN AND MAKE SURE THEY GO BACK.
THEY'RE MOVING INTO ROULETTE LIKE THAT TOO.
WHAT IS BLOWS? SO THAT'S THE GARLAND, UH, WARMING SHELTER.
AND SO THAT WARMING SHELTER YEP.
WHENEVER THE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW 32 DEGREES OR IF THE WINDSHIELD DROPS TO 32 DEGREES AND THERE'S PRECIPITATION EXPECTED, THEY'LL OPEN UP.
UH, IT'S TYPICALLY THE, THE BOYS AND GIRLS, YOU KNOW, AT THE SALVATION THERE ARMY AT UH, FIFTH AND AVENUE ONE.
I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, DON'T GET US WRONG, IT'S A GREAT THING.
IT'S JUST THAT THIS LAST YEAR WE, THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF OUR INFLUX CAME FROM AND IT, AND, AND THERE'S A FEW OTHERS THAT TOO.
SOME OF OUR CHURCHES, UM, ESPECIALLY ONE IN PARTICULAR, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A ROUTE THAT GOES INTO DALLAS AND TO PICK PEOPLE UP TO BRING THEM HERE TO FEED THEM.
AND PART OF THEIR ROUTE INCLUDES TWO STOPS IN DALLAS AND THEY BRING THEM HERE AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET BACK ON THE BUS.
BUT IT'S THE SAME THING ONCE YOU BRING THEM HERE AND THEY LOOK AROUND AND THEY SAY, HEY, IT'S NICER HERE.
AND THEN IT'S LIKE, HEY, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO GET BACK ON THE BUS.
I, I'VE GOT A, SOMEBODY'S COMING TO PICK ME UP.
I DON'T NEED TO GET ON THE BUS.
AND THEN THEY'RE WALKING AROUND LOOKING, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY CAN STAY AND AN OPPORTUNITY MM-HMM.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES A DAY OUR CAMERA GOES OFF OVERNIGHT.
PEOPLE LOOKING IN THE WINDOWS OF THE WAREHOUSES CUZ WE'RE ON A DEAD END STREET.
YOU SIT DOWN THERE ON CAVALIER.
YEAH, WE ARE ON WE YEAH, BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT THERE ON BETWEEN, I MEAN, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE AT THE GARLAND DALLAS.
SO, AND BEHIND US IS AN OLD DART EASEMENT.
AND SO TWO BUILDINGS DOWN, PEOPLE LIVE IN THAT BUILDING.
I THINK FROM TWO BUILDINGS DOWN TO THE CORNER, THOSE ARE ALL RESIDENCES.
AND THEY ALLOW PEOPLE TO CAMP IN THE BACK OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IF BUSINESS OWNERS OR PROPERTY OWNERS DON'T SAY ANYTHING TO US, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE INDUSTRIAL AREAS, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT WHERE ACTUALLY WE GOT RESIDENTS AND THIS TYPE THING.
AND SO WE DON'T GO INTO THOSE AREAS AS MUCH.
AND SO UNLESS THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS TELLS US, I MEAN, BECAUSE Y'ALL ARE OUR EYES AND EARS, THERE'S TWO OF US.
THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD, THAT'S IT.
THERE'S TWO OF US, EVERY CAMP WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CALLING IN AND LETTING US KNOW, HEY, THERE'S A CAMP BACK HERE IN THIS WOODED AREA AND I MIGHT HAVE AN ADDITIONAL RESOURCE FOR S FOR YOU TOO.
I'M JUST WAITING FOR THESE PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO ME TO MAKE SURE IT'S OKAY.
ANY RESOURCE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GIVE OUT THERE OFF THE SCENE, WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
WE, WE'VE INVESTIGATED TONS OF
[00:50:01]
ORGANIZATIONS AND SOME OF THEM LIKE TO BRAG ABOUT WHAT THEY DO AND WELL THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE.WE, WE, WE, WE, WE FIND OUT REAL QUICK WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE MADE OUT OF
UH, I'M 35, 36 YEARS SOBER MYSELF.
AND SO I, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE SPEAK AT ONE OF THOSE PLACES.
AND UH, I KNOW THESE PEOPLE PRETTY WELL.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR GOOD RESOURCES, BELIEVE ME.
THAT WE CAN ALWAYS UTILIZE ALSO ONE OF THE IDIOTS THAT HAS HIRED PEOPLE ON PAROLE AND UH, WELL, I MEAN SOME OF THEM, I MEAN, THEY DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE.
A A RIGHT TO, TO PROVE THEMSELVES.
THEY DESERVE, BUT IT TAKES US WORK FOR DON'T ALLOW IF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DO THE BACKGROUND CHECK AND IF YOU HAVE THEIR FELLOW, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S UP TO US TO HIRE SOMEBODY ON, ON OUR OWN.
BRINGING THAT UP, UP UNDERNEATH ONE OF THESE BRIDGES THAT WE SH UH, THERE'S A PICTURE OF, I HAVE BEEN GOING UP UNDERNEATH THIS BRIDGE FOR QUITE A WHILE AND I'VE TALKED TO THE SAME GUY OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND FINALLY ONE DAY WE WAS UP UNDERNEATH THERE AND HE SAYS, I THINK I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOU MY, MY REAL NAME.
AND SO I THINK IT WAS, HE GAVE ME HIS NAME, PAUL.
AND YOU KNOW, WE WENT BY PAUL ALL THESE YEARS AND HE SAYS, YEAH, IT'S STEVE.
HE SAYS, I FINALLY GOT EVERYTHING TAKEN CARE OF, SO NOW I FEEL COMFORTABLE GIVING YOU MY REAL NAME.
I SAID, WELL THEN IN THAT CASE THEN WHY DON'T WE SEE ABOUT GI? AND HE SAYS, NO, HE SPENT 38 YEARS IN THE PENITENTIARY IN A LIFE SENTENCE FOR HE SAYS, BECAUSE, UM, KILL, I KILL MY DAD.
AND I SAID, YOU ALLEGEDLY KILLED YOUR DAD.
AND HE GOES, AND NOW MIND YOU, ALL THESE YEARS, HE ALWAYS TOLD ME ABOUT HOW I REMINDED HIM OF HIS MOTHER.
SO THEN HE TELLS ME THAT HE KILLED HIS DAD AND, AND HIS BROTHER.
YOU KNOW, I'M NO JUDGMENT AND ALL HERE, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS GOT ALONG.
I, YOU KNOW, I'M, WE'RE WE'RE COOL, YOU KNOW.
AND HE SAYS, YEAH, HE SAYS, NO.
HE SAYS, BUT I GOT OUT ON TECHNICALITY.
AND I'M LIKE, OH, I LOOKED OVER AT KEITH.
I SAID, OKAY, WELL YOU KNOW WHAT? MAYBE WE NEED TO EXIT LEFT
AND, AND HE LEFT RIGHT AFTER THAT.
SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU FIND ALL KINDS OF STORIES OUT THERE.
THE PEOPLE ON THE STORM DRAIN TUNNEL HAVEN'T GOTTEN FLOODED OUT YET CUZ I'M THINKING A PRETTY GOOD RAINFALL.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA BE LUCKY TO GET OUT WITH THEIR LIVES IF THERE'S THEY DO.
UM, IN FACT, THE LAST TIME WE WENT OUT, WENT DOWN THERE, WE TOOK THE, UH, FOUR RECRUITS.
AND, UH, SHE WAS DOWN IN THE TENT BY HERSELF.
SHE'S BEEN DOWN THERE NOW FOR I THINK AROUND SIX OR SEVEN YEARS.
UM, SHE HAS NO PROBLEM BEING IN THAT DRAIN STORAGE WITH NO LIGHTING WITH NO NOTHING BY HERSELF.
IN FACT, WHEN WE CAME IN THERE, SHE WAS SCREAMING, WANTED TO KNOW WHO WAS COMING IN.
THE GUY WHO, HER BOYFRIEND WHO STAYS WITH HER, HE ACTUALLY HAS A JOB AT 7-ELEVEN RIGHT THERE AT PLEASANT VALLEY IN THAT'S UH, WHAT IS THAT? UM, IT USED TO BE NORTHWEST.
NOW IT'S PART OF THE, WHAT IS THAT UP THERE ROW? IT'S NOT ROW RO FARWELL FARWELL AND, AND PLEASANT VALLEY.
THAT, AND SO SOMETIMES HE GOES AND SLEEPS IN THEIR STORAGE PLACE IN THERE AND HE'LL LEAVE HER DOWN THERE BY HERSELF.
BUT YOU KNOW, ONE THING YOU HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT HER, SHE CAN STEAL A CADILLAC CONVERTER OFF OF A CAR QUICKER THAN YOU CAN BLINK AN EYE
SO, I MEAN, YOU MAY LOOK AT HER AND GO, OH, HOW SWEET AND ALL SHE IS.
BUT SHE'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST THIEVES IN THAT AREA.
SHE'S ALREADY GOT BACK OUTTA JAIL.
SO I ANSWERED, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? QUESTIONS OR THEY MAKE A GOOD LIVING, DON'T HAVE TO PAY RENT.
THE, THE BREAKINS, I JUST MOVED MY BUSINESS FROM THE DALLAS SIDE AT PET STREET, WHICH IS STILL REALLY KIND OF IN GARLAND.
BUT WE GOT BROKE INTO, I WANT TO SAY TWO TIMES A MONTH.
THEY CUT THE FENCE AND UH, IF THE DALLAS OFFICERS WOULD EVER COME OVER THERE, SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE SEVEN DAYS LATER, THEY WOULD SAY, OH YEAH, IT'S THE HOMELESS GUY.
THEY'D GIVE YOU THE GUY'S NAME.
HE GOES, HE'S SHOPPING FOR BUILDING MATERIALS.
WE'D SEE HIM ON THE CAMERAS PICKING SCREWS OUT OF THE ROLL OFFS AND STUFF
[00:55:01]
CUZ HE IS BOLTING STUFF TOGETHER.HE'D COME, HE'D CUT THE FENCE STRAIGHT UP, PUSH A SHOPPING CART IN THERE AND GO TO TOWN.
AND SO WE, WE CALCULATED IT BEFORE WE MOVED.
WE SPENT $26,000 ON FENCE REPAIRS IN THE EIGHT YEARS WE WERE THERE.
IT WELL FENCES, IT'S JUST NEVER GONNA CHANGE BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, ALL THAT EASEMENT BETWEEN 6 35 AND THE BACK MM-HMM.
THE GUY THAT RUNS THE NURSERY OVER THERE SAYS, YOU KNOW, HIS, HIS PLACE IS ALIVE AT NIGHT.
HE SAID IT'S LIKE AN ANT COLONY OUT HERE,
YOU KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE FIND THEM, LIKE I SAID, WE FIND CAMPS THERE ANYWHERE.
WE FIND 'EM IN THE CREEKS, WE FIND 'EM IN THE WOODS.
WE SPEND ALL OF OUR TIME IN THE CREEKS AND IN THE WOODS.
UM, DURING THE SUMMERTIME WE WEAR SNAKE BOOTS,
WELL, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, OR NOT FOR ME.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WE, I KNOW AS A CITIZEN I ALTERNATE BETWEEN WHAT CAN I DO AND OH NO.
I MEAN, IS WE, BUT IS THERE, I MEAN, YOU SAID Y'ALL ARE DOING AS IN PEOPLE WHO ARE ENFORCING THE LAW AND ALL THAT, YOU'RE DOING ALL YOU CAN, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON CAN DO? NOT, YOU KNOW, I ENABLE THEM PROBABLY IS IS THE BIGGEST, THE BIGGEST THING IS, AND WE KNOW EVERYBODY HAS A BIG HEART, BUT THEY, THEY KNOW WHERE TO GO GET FOOD THREE TIMES A DAY.
THEY KNOW WHERE TO GET CLOTHES, THEY KNOW WHERE TO GET A SHOWER, THEY KNOW WHERE TO GO GET, YOU KNOW, A TENT.
NOW IT'S PANHANDLE AND PANHANDLE.
WHEN THEY NEED CASH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE ONE THING THAT THEY'RE MISSING IS ONCE THEY DO GET SOME KIND OF RESOURCES, UM, OR LET'S SAY WITH THE HOUSING PROGRAM, THEY FINALLY GET INTO AN APARTMENT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT 'EM IN AN APARTMENT.
WE'VE SAID, HERE YOU ARE, WE'VE GONE IN WITH THEM AND THIS TYPE OF THING.
AND THEY WILL WALK RIGHT OUT THAT DOOR WITH US AND NEVER STEP FOOT IN THAT APARTMENT AGAIN.
OR WHENEVER THEY DO GET AN APARTMENT, THEN THEY WOULD TREAT THE APARTMENT JUST SAME WAY AS WHAT THEY TREATED THEIR CAMPS, THEY, WHAT IS THE REASON, WHAT IS THE REASON THEY DON'T WANT TO STAY THERE? BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'VE BEEN OKAY.
WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS YOU'RE TAKING A SINGLE PERSON OUT OF WHAT HAS BECOME A COMMUNITY, WHICH IS NOW THEIR, THEIR FAMILY, NO MATTER HOW BAD THAT FAMILY IS, THEY'VE GOT SOMEBODY THAT IS THERE.
THEY'VE GOT SOMEBODY THAT THEY CAN RELATE TO, REGARDLESS IF IT'S DRUG, UM, DRUG, UH, ALCOHOL OR WHATEVER THE PHYSICIAN IS, THEY HAVE SOMEBODY THAT DOES THE EXACT SAME AND LIVE IN THE EXACT SAME WAY THEY ARE.
YOU TAKE THAT ONE PERSON OUT OF THAT ENVIRONMENT AND NOW YOU'RE GONNA PLACE 'EM BACK INTO AN APARTMENT, AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE ALONE.
THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO MIGRATE BACK INTO THERE.
SO WHEN, AS SOON AS YOU PUT 'EM IN THERE, THEY'RE GONNA TREAT IT, NUMBER ONE, THE EXACT SAME WAY THAT THEY DID THAT CAMP.
YOU CAN PUT A TRASH CAN EVERY FIVE FEET.
THEY ARE NOT GONNA THROW THAT TRASH IN THE TRASH CAN.
CHANCES ARE THEY'RE NOT GONNA GO AND UTILIZE THAT BATHROOM.
WHEREVER THEY GET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GO.
THEY'VE BEEN, COME ACCUSTOMED TO THE WAY OF LIFE OR THEY, WHERE THEY'VE BEEN.
IF THEY'VE DONE THAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, THEY REALLY NEED TO BE REEDUCATED ON HOW TO, HOW TO GO GROCERY SHOP, HOW TO TAKE CARE OF LAUNDRY, HOW TO, HOW TO, HOW TO BATHE THEMSELVES, HOW TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BUY THE APPROPRIATE FOOD.
HOW, WHAT NEEDS TO BE STORED IN A REFRIGERATOR.
YOU KNOW? CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S ALL, APPLIANCES ARE A WHOLE NEW THING TO THEM.
SO THE, A LOT OF TIMES IF THEY'VE BEEN OUT ON THE STREET FOR YEARS, THEY NEED REALLY, UH, TO BE SUPERVISED TO YOU OR, OR A MENTORSHIP OF, OF MENTORSHIP LIFE, LIFE COACH TO RETEACH THEM HOW TO READ, TO TEACH THEM HOW TO BE HUMAN.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE CLOSE THINGS ARE MISSING, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'RE NOT GIVING THEM, UM, UM, THE ABILITY TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES MAKES EVERYBODY FEEL GOOD.
BUT YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE DROP OFF THEIR OLD JACKETS AND STUFF AND FEEL LIKE THEY'VE DONE SOMETHING, BUT THEY'RE NOT TRULY HELPING.
IF THERE WAS PROGRAMS OUT THERE, LIKE I SAID, FOR MENTORSHIP OF JUST TAKING IT AND LIKE I SAID, SHOW 'EM HOW TO SHOP MM-HMM.
THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN YEARS, SO THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
I HAVE TO ASK YOU, WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING BACK TO YOUR JOB EVERY DAY? WE HAVE SUCCESS STORIES.
WE WE'RE ACTUALLY UPDATING OUR, OUR LIST OF SUCCESS STORIES THIS MORNING.
[01:00:01]
WE HAVE SOME WINS EVERY NOW AND THEN.AND WE, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE TRYING, AND THEY WOULD STOP IF IT WOULD, IF, IF THEY KNEW WE WEREN'T COMING BACK, THEY WOULD STOP TRYING.
SO THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE HOPED FOR, AND THERE'S THOSE OUT THERE THAT WE KNOW ARE NOT GONNA CHANGE, BUT THEY DO KEEP US COMING BACK.
YOU, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A RIGHT MINDSET.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE PASSION, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HEART, YOU HAVE TO SYMPATHIZE, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO SHOW TOUGH LOVE.
AND EACH DAY YOU GET UP AND THERE'S DAYS, BU BELIEVE ME, AND IT JUST OCCURRED THIS PAST WEEK.
I WAS SO DRAINED AFTER DEALING WITH THIS ONE, THIS ONE PERSON, UH, WHICH I WAS PLANNING ON, I ALREADY HAD A COUPLE HOURS IN OVERTIME THAT LAST WEEK ANYWAY, SO I WAS ALREADY PLANNING ON LEAVING.
THANK GOD I HAD THE TIME BECAUSE COME AROUND 1230 THAT AFTERNOON, I WAS MENTALLY DONE.
THEY CAN, THEY CAN WEAR YOU DOWN.
THEY CAN COMPLETELY WEAR YOU DOWN, WEAR YOU OUT MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY.
BUT THEN YOU GO BACK KNOWING THAT THERE'S GONNA BE THAT ONE PERSON THAT YOU'RE GONNA CHANGE, THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA OVERDOSE THAT DAY, THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET OR DECIDE TO LAY ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS BECAUSE THEY DON'T, WHERE, YOU KNOW, ALL THEY SEE IS A PLACE TO LAY DOWN AND THEY'LL LITERALLY LAY DOWN ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
SO YOU HAVE TO GO AND GET 'EM UP.
UM, THERE'S THAT ONE PERSON THAT YOU'RE GONNA SAVE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT KEEPS US GOING, IS TO BE ABLE TO SAVE THAT ONE PERSON.
UH, EARLIER YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT GYPSIES.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN GYPSIES AND HOMELESS? THERE YOU GO.
AND, AND, AND I, AND I HATE USING THE WORD, THE WORD GYPSY, IT'S JUST THAT THOSE PEOPLE IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS GYPSIES.
AND BECAUSE I'M, I IMAGINE THERE IS, THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS GYPSIES, AND THEY, THEY WORK AND HAVE CAREERS AND, YOU KNOW, SO DON'T WANNA USE THAT AS A DEROGATORY TERM, BUT THEY, THAT'S HOW THEY IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES.
AND THEY'RE WELL KNOWN TO US NOW BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE FOUND THEM AND THEY WERE SQUATTING IN A HOUSE THAT WAS FOR SALE.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SHOWING THE HOUSE THAT DAY CAME AND REALIZED, HEY, WE HAVE PEOPLE LIVING HERE, AND WE SEE THEM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, YOU KNOW, SELLING THINGS AND THEY'RE PANHANDLING AND THEN NOW THEY'RE HOLDING A SIGN.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO GET, YOU KNOW, MONEY FOR A FUNERAL FOR THE SAME KID NOW FOR MONTHS.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO THEY CHANGED IT TO CANCER FOR A WHILE.
THERE AT ONE TIME WAS ON 78 AND, UM, NAMING FOREST STANDING RIGHT THERE IN THAT BUSY, BUSY STREET.
IT'S, UM, IF, IF YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU SURVEY THE HOMELESS POPULATION, YOU SEE EVERY CULTURE, EVERY RACE, EVERY UM, UH, AGE GROUP.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE IS, THERE IS NO, AND THE, THE, THE CLASS THAT WE ACTUALLY PRESENT TO SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS, IT, IT'S CALLED THE FACES, MANY FACES AND FACETS OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE, SOME OF THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE THESE DAYS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ECONOMY, ARE JUST ONE PAYCHECK AWAY FROM BEING HOMELESS.
I MEAN, I'M FORTUNATE TO HAVE A, A, A GOOD JOB AND, YOU KNOW, BUT I KNOW IF, IF THAT MONEY STOPPED COMING IN, I WOULD HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, SCRAMBLE AND TRY TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, NOT TO BE HOMELESS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE GOT FAMILIES THAT'S OUT THERE.
UM, WE DON'T SEE A LOT OF CHILDREN BECAUSE THERE ARE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES THAT DO HAVE KIDS.
IT'S BECA IT'S CALLED, UH, MCKINNEY VETO.
AND THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THEY HAVE FUNDING SET ASIDE THAT WILL ACTUALLY PLACE A FAMILY WHO HAS A, A KID WHO'S, UM, SCHOOL AGE.
AS LONG AS THEY'RE, THERE'S ATTENDING SCHOOL, THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT FAMILY AND GET THEM SET UP.
UH, AND IT TAKE, IT TAKES A WHILE.
UM, BUT THEY WILL ACTUALLY GET THEM SET UP IN A HOTEL UNTIL THEY HAVE HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR 'EM.
AND IT'S USUALLY AN APARTMENT, AND THEY TRY TO WORK AROUND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHEREVER THE, THE KIDS ARE GOING TO SCHOOL, BUT SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO TELL AT 30TH BROADWAY, RIGHT? YEAH.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY USE SEVERAL OTHERS, BUT, UH, AND, AND SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE CAN'T STOP PANHANDLING, SO THEY RIGHT.
AND THEY'RE STILL OUT THERE, PANING.
I HAD, UH, THIS, IT'S NOT GARLAND, BUT IT'S DALLAS.
ABOUT A MONTH AGO I HAD JURY DUTY, SO THEY WENT, TOOK THE TRAIN DOWN AND WALKED OVER THE CRIMINAL COURTS BUILDING FROM WEST END.
WALKING BACK, I NOTICED AT THAT MARTYRS PARK, WHICH IS ON THE WEST
[01:05:01]
SIDE OF DELEY PLAZA, THERE WAS A HOMELESS CAMP IN THE PARK.IS DALLAS NOT ENFORCING IT? I MEAN, THINK, I, IT WASN'T LIKE IT WAS, IT WASN'T A PARK ITSELF.
IT WASN'T JUST SOME EMPTY FIELD OR ANYTHING.
I'M THINKING THIS IS REALLY STRANGE AS US WALKING PAST, BUT, AND TO BE FAIR TO DALLAS, I'M SURE THEY HAVE ORDINANCES JUST LIKE WE DO.
BUT WE, UH, IF YOU CATCH ONE JUST RIGHT, WE JUST REMOVED A GUY FROM A, UH, THE BALL FIELDS DOWN OFF LINBROOK IN CENTRAL PARK.
HE HAD A TENT OUT THERE ON THE BALL FIELD, OR HE WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST BROAD DAYLIGHT, YOU KNOW.
AND WE CONTACTED HIM NUMEROUS TIMES UNTIL THE POINT WHERE HE SAID, OKAY, YOU'RE GETTING A TICKET TODAY.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T LIKE WRITING TICKETS BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN A BAD, AND I KNOW YOU CAN'T PAY THIS TICKET, BUT I SHOULD HAVE TO TELL YOU THREE TIMES TO, YOU CAN'T HAVE A TENT HERE IN OUR BULK FIELD.
THIS IS DEDICATED FOR CITIZENS WHO PAY TAXES HERE.
KIDS ARE GONNA BE COMING, PLAYING HERE, AND, SORRY, BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE A TENT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD.
AND THEN, SO HE, HE'S PACKED UP A LITTLE, BUT IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU WALK PAST.
IF YOU HAD WALKED BY THAT DAY, YOU WOULD'VE SEEN A TENT OUT HERE IN GARLAND.
THIS WAS A BUNCH OF THE PALLETS THAT WERE OH, HE HAD THE STRUCTURE AND YEAH.
AND IT WAS PROBABLY AT LEAST 30 FEET LONG.
BUT IN ALL FAIRNESS, WE HAD CLEANED UP A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND TWO DAYS LATER, GONE BACK AND IT LOOKS LIKE THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THERE FOR WEEKS.
AND THEY, THAT WAS JUST A FEW DAYS LATER.
AND THAT'S, THEY HAD FULL BLOWN STRUCTURES.
YOU SEE ALL THE TIME, THESE PEOPLE, AND THEY DON'T ONLY HAVE ONE BASKET, THEY'LL HAVE THREE BASKETS, AND THEY GOT 'EM ALL TIED TOGETHER LIKE A TRAIN, AND THEY'RE GOING FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.
EVERYTHING IN THOSE BASKETS IS WHAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT INSIDE THAT.
AND THEY'VE ALREADY SCRATCHED UP EVERYTHING AROUND THEM.
SO A LOT OF THESE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WITHIN A TWO DAY PERIOD, THAT CAMP CAN LOOK LIKE SOMEBODY'S BEEN LIVING THERE FOR MONTHS.
YOU KNOW, SO IT, IT, EVERY CITY HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS. THAT'S JUST A MATTER OF HAVING THE PERSONNEL TO ENFORCE THE LAWS THAT THEY DO HAVE.
JUST ABOUT EVERY CITY IS AT THE SAME PROBLEM.
IT'S HARD TO FIND PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE WILLING TO COME TO WORK.
IS THERE ANY SOLUTION TO SEE, TO AVOID THESE SITUATIONS? YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T SEE, UM, A SOLUTION BROAD SPECTRUM.
IT, IT, IT ACTUALLY COMES DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL.
WHAT DOES THAT PERSON NEED TO GET OFF THE STREET? AND THE, I MEAN, THE, THAT, THAT SOLUTION IS VARIED PER PER PERSON.
EVERY, EVERY PERSON'S GONNA HAVE THEIR OWN WAY OF, TO GETTING OFF THE STREET AND, AND THEN OPENING UP MORE OF THESE MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES THAT WILL ACTUALLY TAKE THESE PEOPLE AND HELP 'EM.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY GET THAT, THEN WE MIGHT HAVE, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, THERE'S ONLY ONE FACILITY THAT'S OPEN ANYWHERE AROUND THE METROPLEX, AND THAT'S IN TERRELL.
AND MORE THAN HALF OF THAT HOSPITAL HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALREADY FILLED TO CAPACITY.
SO THERE'S NO ROOM AT THE END FOR ANYBODY ELSE.
SO EVERYBODY THAT YOU SEE OUT HERE, BECAUSE NINE OUT OF 10 HAS A MENTAL ISSUE ALONG WITH THEIR ADDICTION, ALONG WITH THEIR ALCOHOL.
SO THE, THE BEST SOLUTION WE HAVE IS TO, WE WORK EACH, EACH PERSON AS A, A SEPARATE PROBLEM.
AND THAT'S WHY WE GO OUT THERE EVERY DAY.
WE CONTACT THEM PEOPLE REPEATEDLY, AND WE TRY TO FOCUS ON WHAT IT, WHAT THEY NEED.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM GET OFF THE STREET, THEY, WE WILL, WE'LL DO IT.
YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO TO EVERY LENGTH THAT WE CAN TO HELP THEM GET OFF THE STREETS, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU MOVE 'EM DOWN THE STREET TO THE NEXT, TO THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, NEXT LOT.
AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, I, WE, WE WORK FOUR 10 HOUR DAYS.
OUR 10 HOUR DAYS IS BASICALLY 12 HOUR DAYS IS BASICALLY WHAT IT COMES IN.
WE COME IN AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, WE GO AROUND THE CITY, WE WAKE EVERYBODY UP BECAUSE THERE IS A CITY ORDINANCE FROM 2:00 AM TO 6:00 AM YOU CANNOT SLEEP DOWNTOWN.
SO WE LITERALLY GO WAKE EVERYBODY UP, GET EVERYBODY OFF OF, YOU KNOW, THE, AROUND THE CHURCHES, THE BUILDING CITY PROPERTIES, WHEREVER WE DO THIS EVERY MORNING SO THAT WHENEVER THE CITIZENS AND WHENEVER THE BUSINESS OWNERS AND ALL COMES TO WORK, THEY DON'T SEE IT.
SO WE'VE ALREADY REMOVED THEM.
UM, AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS THAT WE'RE TELLING PERSON EITHER.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE DART STATION RIGHT THERE AT FIFTH STREET AND FOUR OR FIVE BLOCKS AWAY, WE HAVE GOOD SAM'S, WHICH IS A, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR FOOD PANTRY PLACES.
[01:10:01]
AND THAT'S WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE.AND THAT'S WHY WE, WE MEET EVERY MORNING AT THE LIBRARY,
AND THERE'S SOMETIMES THERE'S NOBODY THERE, BUT A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A NEW FACE OR TWO NEW FACES AND PEOPLE WE'VE NEVER MET BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY SEE THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT PLACE.
THEY'VE GOT THE OVERHANG, YOU KNOW, IF THEY PULL OUT THEIR PHONE, THEY'LL FIND OUT THAT THERE'S WIFI THERE AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO GET OUTTA THE RAIN AND STAY.
SO IF ANY OF THEM'S ANYWHERE IN THE AREA, CUZ A LOT OF 'EM WILL COME UP TO US AND THEY WILL ASK FOR HELP OR, YOU KNOW, SOME SUCH AND SUCH COMING IN TODAY, YOU KNOW, CUZ WE GOT THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE'LL SIT THERE AND WE'LL PAN OUT OUR DAY RIGHT THERE IN THE PARKING LOT WAS ALL OF 'EM CAN SEE THAT WE'RE SITTING THERE.
AND PLUS IT ALSO HELPS KEEP 'EM AWAY FROM THE WOMEN'S CENTER AND ALSO AWAY FROM THE LIBRARY.
AND THEN FROM THERE, THEN THE, WE GO AND DO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR DAY IS OR WE GO AND ANSWER ANY OF THE CITY COMPLAINTS, CITY COUNCIL COMPLAINTS, AND JUST WHAT WE SEE IN GENERAL WHENEVER IDLE.
WE DON'T WAIT FOR JUST COMPLAINTS.
WE'RE OUT THERE AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR THESE CAMPS ON A DAILY BASIS.
ANYBODY ELSE? WE'D ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS IF, IF Y'ALL EVER WANNA RIDE OUT WITH US, UM, THE CITY'S OKAY IS OKAY THAT WE PASS FIVE IN THE MORNING.
WELL YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO START THAT EARLY WITH US.
START AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
NO, WE, WE CAME BY AND PICKED UP REX ABOUT EIGHT, EIGHT O'CLOCK ONE MORNING.
SO ANYBODY WANTS TO COME AND RIDE WITH US MORE THAN WELCOME TO, WE'LL TAKE Y'ALL TO SOME GREAT PLACES.
I DID THAT WITH, WITH UH, YEAH.
WELL, OFFICER WIND, NO, PAM IS, SHE'S A GREAT EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, SHE RUNS THE GOOD SAMARITANS MM-HMM.
SHE RODE WITH US ONE DAY AND SHE WENT TO, SO SEE ALL THE, THE STUFF THAT THESE PEOPLE COLLECT, THE FOOD NURSE, SHE'S LIKE, WE DON'T NEED TO GIVE 'EM THAT MUCH FOOD BECAUSE LOOK HOW MUCH IS GOING TO WASTE.
IT'S LIKE, WE DON'T NEED TO BE GIVING 'EM COATS.
THEY, THERE'S TRASH BAGS OF CLOTHES LAYING FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR 50 YARDS
AND SO IT, IT OPENED HER EYES AND SHE DID IT OPENED UP HER EYES.
MAINLY WHO PAM AND GOOD SAMARITANS TAKES CARE OF NOW IS ACTUAL HOMELESS FAMILIES OR FAMILIES WHO ARE IN NEED.
YOU KNOW THAT SOMETHING'S HAPPENED AND MAYBE THEY'RE HAVING TO LIVE WITH A RELATIVE RIGHT NOW.
BUT THOSE ARE THE FAMILIES THAT PAM'S ACTUALLY HELPING.
MOST EVERYBODY STILL THINKS IT'S MOSTLY Y'ALL ALL HOMELESS CUZ THEY SEE HOMELESS AROUND THERE.
HER MAIN PERCENTAGE NOW IS HELPING THE FAMILIES THEMSELVES AND GIVING THEM FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS.
SO SHE, IT, LIKE I SAID, IT REALLY OPENED UP HER EYES.
SO, I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD.
WELL I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD BE DOING A PRESENTATION FOR THE DOWNTOWN GARLAND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.
HEY, WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO.
WE'VE MET WITH THEM A COUPLE TIMES.
LET'S GET YOU IN THERE WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN DO CERTAIN THINGS OUTSIDE THEIR BUSINESSES AT NIGHT.
JUST A, A MOTION DETECTOR LIGHT OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE IT AN UNATTRACTIVE.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE DO FOR THE BUSINESSES IS THAT A LOT OF TIMES WE WILL GO AROUND THE PROPERTIES AND TELL 'EM, OKAY, YOU NEED TO DO THIS.
CUT THESE BUSHES BACK, PUT IN MORE LIGHTING.
IF YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A REALLY BAD SECURITY PROBLEM, MAYBE GET SECURITY IN HERE FOR, YOU KNOW, MONTHS.
SEE HOW THAT'S GONNA TAKE CARE OF IT.
YOUR DUMPSTERS NEED TO BE LOCKED UP, REMOVING THE OUTSIDE PLUGS.
WE WILL GIVE THEM ALL THOSE HINTS OF BEING ABLE TO HELP THEM TO DETER THEM FROM COMING.
AND I ALSO HAVE THAT CONTACT FOR YOU.
UM, THEY'LL TAKE JUST ABOUT ANYBODY.
THEY HOUSE 'EM, FEED 'EM, GIVE 'EM THE WORD, GIVE 'EM A WAY TO DO IT.
I MET AND HIRED SEVERAL GRADUATES.
THEY DO ALL THE DIGGING AND TRENCHING FOR MILESTONE TO HELP THE BOYS OUT.
I WOULD LOVE TO CARE CENTERS MINISTRIES WOULD'VE LOVED TO PARTNER WITH THEM.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU ONE OF THE PASTOR'S CELL PHONE NUMBERS.
AND, UH, HIS NAME'S JEREMY CRANE, ALSO AN ADDICT.
THE METRO RELIEF CREW THAT COMES OUT WITH ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THOSE ARE RECOVERED ADDICTS.
THEY'RE THE BEST ADVOCATES THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THEY'VE BEEN NORMAL.
THERE'S A SUCCESS STORY RIGHT HERE, HERE, SO YOU CAN DO IT.
[01:15:01]
HERE'S A SUCCESS STORY RIGHT HERE.THESE GUYS WILL COME OUT, THEY'LL BRING A MEN'S GROUP OUT AND PRAY WITH THEM AND MAYBE GET SOMEBODY TO JOIN IN THAT WAY TOO.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED BECAUSE WE, WE DO HAVE SOME COME OUT HERE THAT ALL THEY WANNA DO IS PING WHERE A HOMELESS PERSON IS.
AND THEY GET THOSE NUMBERS AND THEY TAKE THOSE NUMBERS BACK AND THAT'S HOW THEY GET ALL OF THEIR MONEY.
AND IT'S ALL ABOUT A NUMBERS COUNT THERE.
THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE HOTELS DOWN IN DALLAS THAT WAS DOING THAT.
THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD HOUSE 'EM IN ROOMS MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE DEEP AND THEY WOULD COLLECT THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS.
WHERE DID YOU SAY THEY WERE LOCATED AT? THEY'RE IN PLEASANT GROVE.
THAT'S WHERE I GREW UP WHEN IT WAS PLEASANT.
WELL,
THEY MINISTER TO THOSE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND STUFF OUT THERE.
THEY GO OUT AND HAVE PRAYER MEETINGS.
THEY DO FOOD DRIVES ONCE A WEEK.
SO I THEY DO TRACTOR TRAILER LOADS OF TURKEYS AROUND THANKSGIVING TIME.
IF THERE'S ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THAT, THAT WE CAN PARTNER UP WITH.
AND BECAUSE WE'RE ALL ABOUT TRYING TO, TO GET AS MANY RESOURCES THAT WE'LL ACTUALLY TRY TO HELP PEOPLE AND GET 'EM OFF THE STREETS AND NOT JUST ENABLE 'EM.
SO IT'S, IT'S A BIG HELP WHEN YOU CAN RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN STUFF IN SOMEBODY ELSE.
BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF AWE-INSPIRING THAT SOMEBODY CAN DO IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW, IS THAT IT CAN BE DONE.
UM, I BELIEVE IF WE HAVE NO MORE QUESTIONS, IT'S TIME FOR KEEP GIRLING.
CAUSE I DID TWO OR THREE TIMES WITH OFFICER WENDY AND UHHUH OTHER OFFICERS.
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SIT WITH AND SEE HOW WE CAN DO THE RESOURCES AND BRING THEM AND CREATE SOME WORK FOR THEM IF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF I CAN HELP IN THAT AREA, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.
THERE, THERE'S, THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM THAT DO WANNA WORK.
THERE'S A LOT OF CAPABLE BODIES OUT THERE THAT THEY WILL TELL YOU STRAIGHT UP, I DON'T WANNA WORK.
ALL I I ALL I WANNA DO IS FOR YOU TO GIMME SOME MONEY SO I CAN SIT OUT HERE AND PARTY.
AND THEY ARE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH THAT.
AND, BUT NO, THERE ARE SOME THAT DOES WANNA WORK.
THEY'RE JUST, THEY'VE NEVER, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN THOSE CHANCES.
AND IF THEY HAVE SOMEBODY TO GIVE 'EM THOSE CHANCES, THEN THAT'S GONNA GIVE 'EM SELF WORTH AND HOPEFULLY GET 'EM OFF THE, THE STREETS.
THAT'S OUR MAIN THING IS TO GET 'EM OFF THE STREETS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S TWOFOLD.
WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP THEM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS, BUSINESS OWNERS OF THE CITY OF GARLAND.
YEAH, WELL HAVE BAD DREAMS.
SEND US AN EMAIL AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET YOU FIXED UP.
AND YOU GUYS GIVE HIM A CALL AND IF YOU GET DOWN BY, WE NEED SOME, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING THIS LONG TIME.
IF ALL THE BUSINESSMEN COME TOGETHER, I WILL AND CREATE SOMETHING FOR THEM.
IS HE COMING BACK?
WELL HE LEFT HIS, HE'S DONE TOO.
DO YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOUR KEEP GARLAND BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATION OR SURE.
WELL, WE HAVE ALL OF A SUDDEN GOT VERY BUSY.
UM, ON MARCH THE 24TH AND 25TH, WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP GROUP ON FRIDAY THEY HAVE THEIR SERVICE DAY AND WE, LET'S KEEP GOING.
[01:20:01]
GLOVES, AND SOME OF THE, WE CAN CALL 'EM PICKER WRAPPERS OR GRABBERS OR WHATEVER.PICKERS IS THE TECHNICAL TERM.
YEAH, THAT'S THE TECHNICAL TERM.
AND UM, WE'LL BE SUPPLYING ABOUT A HUNDRED OF THOSE.
AND OH, TINS TO PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS ABOUT A HUNDRED THAT THEY'RE GONNA CHIP IN.
SO THERE ARE 600 HUNDRED STUDENTS.
AND THE WAY THEY HAVE IT, THEY HAVE IT DIVIDED UP THAT 120 STUDENTS WILL BE IN EACH GROUP AND THEY HAVE 'EM WELL ORGANIZED SO THAT THE FIRST GROUP GOES OUT LIKE AT 10 TO 1130, AND THEN A GROUP FROM 1130 TO ONE AND SO ON UNTIL THEY GET 'EM ALL DOING THIS.
SO WE WILL BE OUT THERE ON THE SERVICE DAY, UH, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY LAUNCH THEIR CLEANUP, WE'LL BE DOING THAT.
AND THEN ON THE 25TH IS, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CALL IT A CARNIVAL, BUT AN EVENT,
THEN THE A A GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM LAKEVIEW ARE GOING TO DO A CLEANUP ON THE 28TH, WHICH IS A TUESDAY.
AND UH, THEY DID, UH, ALMOST LAST YEAR, RIGHT AT THE END OF UH, 21, THEY DID A CLEANUP AND THEY'RE WANTING TO DO ANOTHER ONE.
YOU KNOW, THEY GET HOURS FOR THIS VOLUNTEER HOURS AND STUFF.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE PROBABLY 16 OR SO STUDENTS, 12 TO 16 STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THAT ON THE 28TH.
AND THEY WILL GET GLOVES AND TRASH BAGS AND A THANK YOU ITEM.
NOW WE CAN'T PROVIDE THANK YOU ITEMS FOR 600 STUDENTS, BUT WE CAN FOR 12
AND SO, AND THEY, UM, THEY'LL BE WORKING THAT DAY.
THEN ON MAY THE 13TH IS THE CLEAN DUCK CREEK DAY.
AND WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO, UH, AND THIS IS A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN PARKS AND, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY AND STORM WATER.
ARE Y'ALL IN ON THIS TWO YEAR? THIS UP AT DUCK CREEK? UH, IF YOU INVITED US, THEN I WOULD SAY YEAH, I'LL INVITE YOU.
EVERYBODY IS INVITED TO COME AND GET A TRASH BAG AND GLOVES AND SO WE WILL BE PROVIDE, LAST YEAR WERE 125 PEOPLE CAME TO WORK AND, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE, THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER.
UH, WHEN THEY GET BIGGER THAN THAT, THEY'RE KIND OF HARD TO RUN 'EM THROUGH, RE YOU KNOW, GET 'EM ALL BY THE TIME THE LAST ONES GET OUT, THE FIRST ONES ARE COMING BACK IN.
SO, UH, THAT'S A 125 IS A GOOD NUMBER, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THAT.
LAST YEAR WE HAD LUNCH AND AS OF THIS MOMENT, THEY'RE STILL PLANNING ON DOING THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
THEY'RE CLEANING UP AT THE GREEN BELT AREA, UH, STARTING, UH, UM, I THINK ALBO PARK IS WHERE THEY'RE GONNA START.
UH, BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE STARTED AT, UH, LAWN WYN ON THE CORNER OF CENTERVILLE AND GLENBROOK, BUT THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
AND UH, I'M, UH, BUT IT'LL BE SOUTH OF, UM, CENTERVILLE DOWN AS YOU'RE CALLING IT, THE GREENVILLE AREA CENTRAL PRODUCT, UH, DOWN THAT WAY.
BUT IF PEOPLE WANNA GO UP THAT CREEK, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN, WE'RE NOT, WE WE'RE NOT PUTTING UP A BARRIER OR ANYTHING, BUT, UH, THAT'S ON THE 13TH.
SO YOU CAN MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THAT DAY.
AND, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE DETAILS HERE.
THIS IS WAY AHEAD FOR, FOR, UH, CLEANUPS.
UM, AND WE'LL GET MORE DETAILS OUT.
IT'LL APPEAR IN THE, UH, MAY ISSUE OF, UH, THE GARLAND PRESS.
IT'LL BE IN THE, UH, CITY BRIEFS.
AND UH, DO THEY PUT A SPOT IN THERE FOR VOLUNTEERS? THERE WILL BE, BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS JUST COME VOLUNTEER ON SPOT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T EVER TURN ANYBODY AWAY.
WELL, PEOPLE OWN THE PROPERTY UP AGAINST THE CREEK.
WE HAD A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT OF THOSE, BUT WE HAD PEOPLE FROM FAR NORTH GARLAND COME LAST YEAR.
SO THAT'S OUR, THOSE ARE THE CLEANUP EVENTS IN THE NEXT, UH, WELL TWO MONTHS I GUESS IS WHAT I WOULD SAY.
AND WE'RE START, AND WE'LL HAVE MORE BECAUSE THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UH,
[01:25:01]
WANT TO GET THOSE OUT OF THE WAY.THAT'S MY REPORT FROM, DID YOU GUYS, BETTY, WE'LL HAVE, UH, MICHELLE REACH OUT TO YOU SO THAT WE CAN BE PART OF THAT EVENT AS WELL.
WE'LL HELP OUT WITH AND WITH, UH, UH, TALK TO, UH, NANCY TENNELL WITH PARKS.
IS SHE THE ONE ORGANIZING THIS? SHE'S THE NEW VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR.
AND TALKED TO HER AND I GOT THE MESSAGE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF EXCHANGING MESSAGES RIGHT NOW.
DID YOU GUYS, AND THIS IS A JOINT EFFORT.
I MEAN, IT TAKES EVERYBODY, I GUESS WE'D SAY IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO CLEAN UP THE PLACE, YOU KNOW, UH, SO PUT THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR.
I WAS GONNA ASK, DID YOU FIND WHAT, FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR ADOPT A HIGHWAY SON? NO, I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, HE, DID YOU FIND OUT YOU GIVE HIM I GAVE HIM THE, I GAVE HIM THE NUMBER.
I, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
SO DANIEL WILL PROBABLY, I THOUGHT IT WAS KEY GIRL AND BEAUTIFUL THING, SO I WAS LIKE, I FIGURED I'D FOLLOW UP AND JUST SEE WHAT YOU GUYS FOUND OUT.
BUT HE HASN'T TOLD ME YET THAT YET.
YEAH, YOU'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT.
OKAY, WELL, WE HAVE A TWO MORE ADOPT A HIGHWAY DATES, AND I DON'T HAVE THOSE WITH ME, BUT IF YOU GO ON THE, UH, KEEP GARLAND, UH, WEBSITE, IT'LL HAVE A CALENDAR OF, AND, BUT WE HAVE TWO MORE.
AND, AND THE REASON HE'S DOING TWO IN THE SPRING IS CAUSE IT'S SO BLOOMING HOT IN THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, UH, GET PEOPLE OUT AND THE PLACE THEY CLEAN IS FROM MILLER ROAD ON GARLAND AVENUE TO 60.
THIS IS CALLED 78, YOU KNOW, AND IT IS FROM THERE TO ALMOST TO 6 35.
BUT WITH ALL THAT CONSTRUCTION GOING ON RIGHT AT 6 35.
SO WE CAUGHT, WE CUT IT OFF AT LEON, I THINK IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW.
BUT, UH, UH, DANIEL DOES THESE ON, I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE DATES FOR THAT.
SHOULDN'T I? DOES THESE ON, UH, SUNDAY MORNINGS AT NINE O'CLOCK? I THINK IT IS.
BUT ANYWAY, THERE WILL BE TWO.
AND IF YOU'LL LOOK AT THE WEBSITE FOR THE, UH, KEEP GARLAND BEAUTIFUL.
OR IF YOU'RE ON FACEBOOK, GO TO KEEP GARLAND BEAUTIFUL.
FACEBOOK AND IT'LL BE ON THERE.
UH, I I REALLY SHOULD BE ABLE TO PULL UP THE CALENDAR, BUT I'M NOT REALLY GOOD AT THAT.
YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT FOR ME, AREN'T YOU? MY TRY.
SO WE HAVE TWO THAT'S FIVE CLEANUP EVENTS BETWEEN NOW AND THE, YOU KNOW, MIDDLE OF MAY.
ARE YOU READY FOR ME TO FINISH AND GO TO MY NEXT ONE? GO FOR IT.
UM, THE RECOGNITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND YES, I HAVE A GROUP, UM, IF YOU GO DOWN 78 FROM HERE TOWARD ONE 90, YOU PASS A, A CHURCH.
IT'S CALLED LEVON DRIVE BAPTIST CHURCH.
HAVE ANYBODY, EVERYBODY BEEN BY THERE? MM-HMM.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED.
IT IS LIKE AN OASIS THERE ON 78.
I MEAN IT'S, IT'S REMARKABLY BEAUTIFUL.
IT'S A, ACROSS FROM MANUFACTURING, IT'S DOWN THERE WITH USED CAR, USED CARS, UH, UH, GAS STATIONS, TIRE SHOPS, I MEAN CAR REPAIR.
IT'S JUST KINDA LIKE IN A DESERT.
THEY HAVE DONE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL JOB.
AND I CALLED AND ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING FOR ME TO COME LOOK.
SO I HAD A TOUR OF THEIR GROUNDS TODAY.
PLUS THEN I WENT IN THE AUDITORIUM, I WENT IN THE COFFEE SHOP,
HUNDREDS OF TREES AND SHRUBS AND, UM, OF ALL KINDS.
AND THEY HAVE SPENT A SMALL FORTUNE.
OH, IT'S GOTTA BE A BIG FORTUNE.
AND I THINK THAT IT LOOKS NICER THAN THE, THAN THE DUG ON ARBORETUM.
ONCE YOU'RE DRIVING BY IT, IT IS GORGEOUS.
RIGHT NOW, IF YOU, YOU NEED TO DRIVE BY RIGHT NOW WHILE THE PANSIES ARE ALL OUT.
DON'T YOU THINK IT'S BEAUTIFUL? I DO.
THEY JUST REDID THAT CHURCH IN THE LAST TWO, TWO YEARS.
THEY, UH, THEY REDID THE WHOLE THING.
THEY HAD THE GRAND OPENING ON CHRISTMAS 2021, I BELIEVE.
UM, SO I, UH, IT WAS VERY, VERY NICE WALKING AROUND AND LOOKING AT THINGS.
AND THIS GUY WHO TOOK ME AROUND WAS, BUT THE BAD PART WAS, I SAID, NOW WHAT'S THIS? AND HE SAID, I DON'T KNOW.
AND THEN I SAID, WELL, THIS IS SUCH AND SUCH, ISN'T IT? AND HE'D SAY, I DON'T KNOW.
HE SAID, YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
I SAID, I'LL TAKE PICTURES AND
[01:30:01]
IDENTIFY 'EM IF I NEED TO.BUT, UM, THAT'S WHO I AM RECOMMENDING THAT WE, THAT'S THE CHOICE THAT WE, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE A, THEY'RE JUST A BRIGHT GREEN SPOT IN A REALLY DULL AREA.
SO THE, THE NEXT CLEANUP IS MARCH 19TH AT 8:00 AM EIGHT TO NINE 30.
AND THEN THERE'LL BE ONE IN APRIL.
MARCH 19TH, THAT'S THE NEXT ONE.
BUT IN, UH, AND I TALKED TO HIM, UH, THE ASSOCIATE MINISTER, HIS NAME IS KIRBY, AND TOLD HIM WHAT WE DID AND HOW IT WORKED.
AND I SAID, AND I'LL CONTACT THE CITY COUNCIL AND WE'LL SET UP A TIME, UH, TO HAVE THIS PROCLAMATION.
AND THEN HE TOLD ME THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON MAY THE SECOND BECAUSE THEY ARE HOSTING THE, UM, DAY OF PRAYER, THE, WHATEVER IT'S CALLED, DAY OF PRAYER ON.
AND SO THEY'RE GETTING A PROCLAMATION FOR DOING THAT ON MAY 2ND.
AND I SAID, WELL, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD TIME TO BE THERE,
SO I'M GONNA CALL THE CITY COUNCIL, LET'S CALL SOMEBODY, SEE IF WE CAN SET IT UP FOR THEM.
AND SO RIGHT NOW YOU CAN PUT DOWN THAT, THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE AT THE MAY 2ND CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR RECOGNIZING LAVON BAPTIST CHURCH.
AND THE APRIL CLEANUP IS APRIL 16TH, EIGHT THIR 8:00 AM TO NINE 30.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE HIT THE BUSY TIME.
KEN SENT AN EMAIL ASKING THAT OZ IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR A CLEANUP FOR, UH, YEAH, I'LL GET RECYCLING.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR, UH, OUR YEARLY PAPER, PAPER SHREDDING AND ELECTRONICS RECYCLE EVENT, UM, SOMETIME IN JUNE.
WE WANT TO SEE WHEN YOU GUYS WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
SO, UM, I'LL SEND YOU GUYS THOSE DATES AND IF YOU GUYS CAN VOLUNTEER FOR THE DAY, UM, LET US KNOW.
AND THEN WE'LL TRY TO SCHEDULE IT ON THE DAY THAT WE GET THE MOST VOLUNTEERS.
BUT IT'LL PROBABLY BE AN ALL DAY EVENT.
UM, WE'LL DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.
LAST YEAR, UH, WE RAN OUT OF, UH, PAPER TRADING CAPACITY PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, SO THIS YEAR WE'RE GONNA BRING IN TWO TRUCKS, SO DOUBLE OUR CAPACITY AND, UM, AND HOPEFULLY THAT'LL MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY.
BUT, UM, I'LL SEND YOU GUYS AN EMAIL AND IF YOU GUYS CAN VOLUNTEER, UM, THAT'D BE MUCH APPRECIATED.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT AT THE, UH, AT, AT OUR FACILITY ON COMMERCE.
UM, SO, UH, WE COULD USE ALL THE HELP WE, WE CAN GET, I SAW THE DATES.
THAT'S ALL LIKE HOT WEATHER DAYS, POTENTIALLY
IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE, UH, MIGHT BE A LITTLE JUNE.
I JUST LOOK THINKING FEBRUARY.
YEAH, WE, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME COVERED AREAS THAT WE'LL PROBABLY STATION FOLKS UNDERNEATH.
SO I THINK THE EARLIER IN JUNE YOU DO IT, THE BED WERE, THAT'S WHATEVER YOU GUYS WANNA DO.
WE, THAT'S UP TO YOU GUYS WHEN WE DO IT.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU NOW THAT, UH, WE MAY NOT ACCOMPLISH A LOT, BUT THE CARE CENTER MINISTRIES, PEOPLE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THE GARDEN HOMELESS, UH, PEOPLE'S, UM, CARD AND MM-HMM.
SO WE MADE A REALLY GOOD CONNECTION.
I DID AND I HAVE ALL KINDS OF NOTES.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PAST THAT.
SO I THINK, UM, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND OR OH, WE DO HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
UH, RETIRED FROM THE BOARD SO HE COULD RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL.
AND UH, SO WE HAVE AN OPENING IF ANYBODY KNOWS ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEND A WEDNESDAY A MONTH WITH THIS ILLUSTRIOUS CROWD, EAT YOURS.
UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ANYBODY GOT ANYTHING? LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE, WELL WE GOT THE PLANT DEPARTMENT, HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE METAL RECYCLING PRESENTATION.
ARE YOU GONNA DO IT OR IS YOUR DOG NO, I'M GONNA BRING SOMEBODY ELSE IN TO DO THE METAL.
SO I WOULD BRING IN, UH, GEOME, UM, ONE IDEA AND IT'S ONLY BECAUSE WE'VE HAD AN ISSUE UP BY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THERE'S A BIG ZONING STINK GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
THE DPS IS PROPOSING GETTING THE ZONING CHANGED TO PUT A FACILITY UP THERE ON THE BUSH HALLWAY.
[01:35:01]
AND IT'S LIKE, IT'S GOT EVERYBODY UP IN, UP IN ARMS, UH, THERE BECAUSE IT, IT'S, HUH.WHERE DO THEY WANNA PUT IT ON THE BUSH HALLWAY BETWEEN BRAND AND, UH, GARLAND, NORTH GARLAND ROAD AND WHY THEY WANT TO PUT ON A TOLLWAY TO BEGIN WITH.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND, BUT IT'S A HUGE FACILITY WITH A 400 CAR PARKING LOT AND EVERYTHING THERE.
BUT IT SEEM LIKE A VERY ECONOMIC CHOICE AND CONSIDERED IT'S ZONED FOR LIKE RESTAURANTS AND THERE'S A DENTIST OFFICE OVER THERE STUFF TOO.
BUT YEAH, IT'S, THERE'S WHAT IS THAT WHAT THEY'RE BREAKING GROUND ON FOR OVER THERE NEXT TO THE CREDIT? NO, THEY'VE GOTTA GET THE ZONING CHANGED FIRST AND THERE'S A HEARING HERE MONDAY.
SO MY ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD'S GONNA BE OVER HERE ON MONDAY SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER.
AND UH, THAT'S, SO ANYWAY, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA FLY.
I THINK THEY'LL JUST LEAVE THE ZONING AS IT IS.
BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE ECONOMIC, EVERYBODY'S DRIVER'S LICENSE WHO SHOWS UP TO REDUCE.
YEAH, I DON'T, YEAH, I DIDN'T SAY THAT IT WAS U I AT BUT TIME ARE WE STILL PLANNING FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER VISITATION? WE DID THAT ALREADY.
OH, YOU DID? WELL THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IS MAYBE I'D BE, WOULD NEVER THOUGHT, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
I DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT IT, BUT MAYBE PERHAPS A, UH, UH, A UH, AT LEAST AN UPDATE ON IT.
A UH, A PRESENTATION ON ZONING IN GARLAND, CUZ THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS I'VE NEVER THOUGHT THAT MUCH ABOUT.
AND THAT'S AN INTERESTING, THAT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING, THAT'S WHAT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
I WASN'T SURE IF THAT'S THE ZONING OR ANYTHING.
ANYTHING THAT'S GOT TO DO WITH ZONING IS GONNA BE COVERED.
THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT PICKED MY INTEREST THERE.
SO WE HAVE HIM NEXT MAYBE, UH, YEAH, I, I BELIEVE I GOT HIM SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH.
IT TAKES THREE BOXES RIGHT HERE, SO MM-HMM.
SO IF YOU GUYS WANT HIM NEXT MONTH, UH, WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
WELL, I WILL CONFIRM WITH ALL OF YOU BEFORE, UH, ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES THE DESIRE TO GO HOME? WELL, I THINK WE'RE ADJOURNED.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S HERE TO SPEAK.