##VIDEO ID:WPpVarfDGRw##  AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. TODAY IS JANUARY 28, 2024. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAM POST AND DOT GOV SLASH.  CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCASTED ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FILES CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL.  SEXY TOPS BOSTON.COM AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS.  PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING.  INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED IN IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON SHANE PARK. SHANE DART PAC BOSS AND DOT GOV FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET NUMBER 0163 ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS ENHANCED PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURES DURING LARGE EVENTS IN BOSTON.  THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILORS ERIN MURPHY, ED FLYNN AND ENRIQUE PEPEN AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY EIGHT, 2025. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCILOR ERIN MURPHY, COUNCILOR AT FLYNN AND COUNCILOR AND RECAP. WE ALSO RECEIVED A LETTER OF ABSENCE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE COUNCILOR BRIAN MAURO OR VICE CHAIR I SHOULD SAY.  BEFORE WE GET BEGIN I'D LIKE TO JUST ASK FOLKS TO PLEASE SILENCE OUR PHONES AND DEVICES . AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PANEL AS THE COMMITTEE INVITED TO TESTIFY ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION.  WE INVITED ADRIAN JORDAN, CHIEF OF EMERGENCY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.  MICHAEL COX, COMMISSIONER OF THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. RYAN WALSH, DIRECTOR OF THE BOSTON REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER FOR THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. JAMES HOOLEY, CHIEF OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. PAUL BERG, FIRE COMMISSIONER AND CHIEF OF THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. JOSHUA FRANKLYN HODGE CHIEF OF STREETS.  AND TODAY BAKER. MANAGER OF SPECIAL EVENTS CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND LICENSING . BEFORE WE GET INTO THE PARENTS WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY, I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR OPENING REMARKS STARTING WITH THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCILOR MURPHY. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, CHAIR AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I FILED THIS HEARING ORDER BACK ON JANUARY 8TH, OUR FIRST MEETING BACK FOR THE TERM AND WAS JOINED THANK YOU BY COUNCILOR PEPEN AND FLYNN ON ENHANCED PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURES DURING LARGE EVENTS IN BOSTON AND WE ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE MANY LARGE EVENTS CELEBRATIONS ACROSS THE CITY SO IT'S IMPORTANT CONVERSATION THAT I BELIEVE DESPITE YOU KNOW WHEN TRAGEDIES HAPPEN OTHER PLACES IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE KIND OF CHECKING IN ON AND MAKING SURE WE'RE PREPARED. SO GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES, THE CITY OFFICIALS WHO ARE HERE AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HAVE THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. AND I FEEL THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS HOW WE CAN ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY DURING LARGE EVENTS IN BOSTON.  I ATTEND MANY GREW UP HERE AND AS EVERYONE KNOWS, YOU KNOW, I'M A STRONG SUPPORTER OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS ADVOCATE EATING AND MAKING SURE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES THEY NEED.  AND OUR CITY IS KNOWN FOR ITS VIBRANT PARADES FESTIVALS AND OPEN STREET EVENTS THAT BRING TOGETHER RESIDENTS AND VISITORS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. THESE GATHERINGS ARE A CELEBRATION OF OUR CULTURE AND COMMUNITY BUT THEY ALSO REQUIRE THOUGHTFUL PLANNING AND COORDINATION TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY. RECENT INCIDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF PROACTIVE SECURITY MEASURES.  AND TODAY'S DISCUSSION IS ABOUT MAKING SURE BOSTON IS DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PROTECT OUR PUBLIC SPACES AND THERE WERE SEVERAL FIRST RESPONDERS WHO HAD REACHED OUT TO ME AFTER THE EVENTS IN NEW ORLEANS AND JUST TALKING ABOUT WHAT SUPPORTS THEY WOULD FEEL WOULD BE YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT TO BE I GUESS THE WORDS THEY USE TO A WORLD LIKE CONSISTENT AND DELIBERATE NOT LIKE AFTER THE FACT OR MAYBE SOME DO IT BUT NOT ALWAYS. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THIS DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON STRATEGIES THAT MAY BE USED PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO MITIGATE THREATS, IMPROVED INTELLIGENCE SHARING AMONG AGENCIES AND STRENGTHEN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND PLANS AND THAT WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE LARGE EVENTS THAT WE DO HOST HERE IN THE CITY.  AND QUESTIONS YOU KNOW, AS GRANULAR AS I AM AT WHAT SIZE RATE OF AN EVENT DOES ANOTHER PROCEDURE OR EXPECTATION KIND OF KICK IN. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO MAKE SURE I LEAVE THIS MEETING, THIS HEARING WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. I DO JUST WANT TO EXPLAIN JUST KIND OF SOME HOUSEKEEPING THAT WE INVITED AND THANK YOU CHAIR FOR LISTING THE OTHER ADMINISTRATION PANEL THAT WE DID INVITE. BUT I DO JUST WANT TO EXPLAIN WHY I DID BELIEVE THAT THEIR PRESENCE HERE WOULD BE IMPORTANT. SO COMMISSIONER COX OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS THE LEADER OF THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT ,HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS ACROSS THE CITY AND HIS PRESENCE IS CRITICAL TO DISCUSS CURRENT SAFETY PROTOCOLS, COORDINATION DURING LARGE EVENTS AND ANY ADDITIONAL MEASURES NEEDED TO ENHANCE SECURITY. JAMES HOOLEY, WHO WAS THE CHIEF OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. HIS ROLE LEADS THE BOSTON EMS TO ENSURING RAPID EMERGENCY RESPONSE DURING PUBLIC EVENTS.  HIS TESTIMONY WILL PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RESPONSE TIMES AND MEDICAL SUPPORT STRATEGIES FOR LARGE GATHERINGS.  COMMISSIONER BURKE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO OVERSEES FIRE SAFETY OPERATIONS, INSPECTIONS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND HIS INPUT IS ESSENTIAL TODAY FOR DISCUSSING FIRE SAFETY MEASURES, EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLANS AND COORDINATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES DURING LARGE SCALE EVENTS. THANK YOU ADRIAN FOR ATTENDING. AS CHIEF OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING AND COORDINATING CITYWIDE RESPONSE TO EMERGENCIES AND YOU COULD HELP ADDRESS HOW BOSTON PREPARES FOR THESE LARGE SCALE EVENTS. SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT. RYAN WALSH OR SOME REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE BRIC WHICH IS THE BOSTON REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER AS WE KNOW IT PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN GATHERING AND ANALYZING INTELLIGENCE TO PREVENT SECURITY THREATS. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE INSIGHT ON THREAT ASSESSMENT, COORDINATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND HOW INTELLIGENCE IS USED TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY.  AND LASTLY WHICH IS SOMETHING MANY CONVERSATIONS CAME UP. SOME OF THESE TRAGIC EVENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ONE OF THE THINGS I REMEMBER LIKE GOING TO THE MACY'S DAY PARADE OR OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE LARGE CROWDS THAT THE CITY USES OTHER CITY TRUCKS LIKE TRASH TRUCKS AND OTHERS TO BLOCK STREETS.  WAS HOPING THAT YASHA FROM THE CHIEF OF STREETS WAS HERE TO DISCUSS THE MEASURES OFTEN REQUIRE COLLABORATION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES AND HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DISCUSS THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING PHYSICAL BARRIERS, STREET CLOSURES AND OTHER TRAFFIC RELATED SAFETY MEASURES TO PROTECT TO PROTECT LARGE CROWDS. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE. I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO THE CHAIR WILL TO MY OTHER LEAD SPONSORS BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION DID NOT SEND OUR PANELIST AND UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT PROTOCOL OR POLICY COUNCIL OFTEN YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR EIGHT YEARS NOW YOU WOULD KNOW THAT WHEN WE INVITE PANELISTS YOU DON'T HAVE TO ALWAYS THEN FOLLOW IT UP WITH AN EXPLANATION. BUT UNFORTUNATELY LATELY A LOT OF THE HEARINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN HOLDING WE ASKED FOR ADMINISTRATION TO COME IN TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION AND IF THEY DON'T ATTEND THEN WE'RE NOT ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, USE THIS TIME PRODUCTIVELY. SO THAT BEING SAID, I WILL END THERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WE CAN DISCUSS THIS DAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY.  COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR AND THANK YOU, MR CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE, FOR RESPECTING THIS BODY, FOR BEING HERE.  CAPTAIN CONNELLY BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB PROVIDING CRITICAL PUBLIC SAFETY SUPPORT TO RESIDENTS AND VISITORS AND WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY SO HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR HIM AND WANT TO THANK THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM AS WELL FOR BEING HERE.  I AM AM ALSO DISAPPOINTED THAT THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT IS NOT HERE. THE CHIEF OF STREETS IS NOT HERE. PART OF THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.  THE EMS CHIEF IS NOT HERE.  MR CHAIR, I DID SEE THE FIRE COMMISSIONER'S CAR AND THE IN THE EXECUTIVE GARAGE THIS MORNING.  DO WE KNOW IF HE MIGHT BE RUNNING LATE OR IS HE JUST NOT SHOWING UP OR IS THERE ANY REASON THAT HE HASN'T BEEN THAT HE'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW?  AND A GREAT QUESTION AND THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. I DID NOT GET CONFIRMATION THAT THE COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER BURKE WAS GOING TO BE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY SO I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT HE WILL BE JOINING US TODAY. SO COMMISSIONER BURKE, WHAT ABOUT COMMISSIONER COX? I THINK WITH WITH I THINK THE PANELIST THAT WE HAVE HERE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION WILL BE THE PANELISTS THAT WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH TODAY. BUT WE DID SET NO INVITATIONS TO THOSE OF INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU MENTIONED.  I MEAN MY MY QUESTIONS WOULD BE RELATED TO MIGHT BE FIRE MIGHT BE TRAFFIC AND SLASH WHAT IMPACT THE STREETS HAVE CLOSING DOWN STREETS ON PARTICULAR PARADES.  I KNOW PARADES AS WELL AS ANYONE IN THE CITY AND HOW IMPORTANT IS TO SHUT DOWN SIDE STREETS LEADING UP TO A PARADE OR A MAJOR EVENT. BUT I DO NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE APPROPRIATE PERSON FROM PUBLIC WORKS, FROM TRANSPORTATION,  FROM THE CHIEF OF STREETS THAT ORGANIZED THAT PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT OR DEPARTMENT. SO THAT'S WHERE MY FOCUS IS AND EMS ALSO PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE WHETHER IT'S AT THE BOSTON MARATHON, WHETHER IT'S AT A PARADE, PUBLIC SAFETY SUPPORT SLASH MEDICAL OUTREACH, ACCESS TO IN ROADS TO HOSPITALS ARE ALSO CRITICAL. THOSE THAT'S WHERE I FOCUS MY MY ATTENTION ON.  HAVE WE HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE CHIEF? AGAIN, WE YOU KNOW, WE SEND OUT THE INVITATIONS. AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT THE THREE PANELISTS THAT WE HAVE HERE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION WILL BE TESTIFYING.  AGAIN, THOSE OTHER INDIVIDUALS WERE INVITED.  BUT IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM SHOULD AND WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF THOSE OTHER QUESTIONS. AND YOU KNOW, TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY I'M ALSO HAPPY AS CHAIR TO FILE QUESTIONS ON YOUR BEHALF AND BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOUR OFFICE.  BUT FOR THE TIME BEING THE THREE PANELISTS THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH.  ARE WE ABLE TO TAKE A 30 MINUTE RECESS AND COME BACK AND DETERMINE IF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE COMING HERE? I DO EXPECT WHEN I INVITE A DEPARTMENT HEAD TO A HEARING I DO EXPECT THAT THEY ATTEND. I THINK PEOPLE KNOW THAT THAT THAT'S WHAT I REQUIRE WHEN I INVITE PEOPLE TO A MEETING AND I KNOW IT'S DIFFERENT FROM OTHER COLLEAGUES. THEY THEY'RE NOT STICKLERS ABOUT THAT. BUT WHEN I DO INVITE SOMEONE TO A MEETING I DO EXPECT THAT THEY ARE HERE AND I EXPECT THAT THEY COMMUNICATE WITH THE CHAIR, COMMUNICATE WITH THE TEAM ON HOW AND WHAT THE LOGISTICS ARE BUT JUST TO NOT SHOW UP.  I DO WANT TO GIVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO SAY ANY MORE BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE IF THEY WERE IN THE BUILDING AND TESTIFY HERE.  SO I WOULD REQUEST A 30 MINUTE RECESS TO FIND OUT IF IF THEY ARE COMING AND GIVE THEM GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. I THINK THEY ARE IN THE BUILDING AND I WOULD RATHER I WOULD RATHER WAIT AND RESPECT THEIR TIME AS WELL AND GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN, I REALLY RESPECT YOUR YOUR REMARKS. I THINK IN THE INTEREST OF TIME I DO WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE CONVERSATION. I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE INVITED ARE NOT ATTENDING THIS HEARING AND BECAUSE WE RECEIVED THAT COMES CONFIRMATION THAT THEY'RE NOT COMING. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT A 30 MINUTE RECESS WILL MAKE THEM COME. SO I DO WANT TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION.  WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL HAVE MY TEAM WHO WAS PRESIDENT HERE TODAY JUST REACH OUT TO AG AND I THINK I WAS HERE TODAY AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT YOU KNOW, IF THEY ARE IN THE BUILDING AND THEY'RE ABLE TO COME THAT THEY CAN COME AND I'D BE HAPPY TO SIT THEM AFTER THIS PANEL IF THEY DECIDE TO COME BACK FOR THE INTEREST OF TIME AND JUST RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY. I KNOW I UNDERSTAND AND I WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL TO THE PANEL THAT'S HERE BECAUSE I HAVE I HAVE RESPECT FOR ALL THREE OF THE GENTLEMEN SITTING HERE AND I'VE WORKED WITH THEM AND I AND I RESPECT WHAT THEY DO.  BUT AS AS AS A CITY COUNCIL THAT REPRESENTS A KEY PART OF THE CITY SOUTH BOSTON,  CHINATOWN, THE SOUTH AND I TAKE THESE ISSUES VERY SERIOUSLY.  PUBLIC SAFETY I WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. I HAVEN'T TAKEN A VACATION IN SEVEN YEARS AND I'M A STICKLER FOR DETAILS AND WHEN SOMEONE DOESN'T SHOW UP FOR ONE OF THE MEETINGS IT'S A REFLECTION AND IT'S A REFLECTION ON THE BODY. YOU KNOW, YOU JUST DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY TO SAY I'M GOING TO GO TO THE MEETING OR I'M NOT GOING TO THE MEETING. IF YOU'RE INVITED TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO TESTIFY, YOU ATTEND. YOU ATTEND THE MEETING?  NO, ABSOLUTELY. BUT I.  I DO THINK I DO THINK, MR CHAIR, THAT WE WE SHOULD GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE IN AND HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THEM THAT WHY THEY'RE NOT COMING?  OH, ABSOLUTELY. SO THIS IS WHAT I'LL DO. COUNCILOR FLYNN, I WILL ALLOW YOU TO FINISH YOUR OPENING REMARKS. I MY OTHER TWO COLLEAGUES WERE IN ATTENDANCE TO GET THEIR OPENING REMARKS. WE'LL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS BREAK. JUST TAKE IT ON THAT AND THEN RETURN TO THAT. I THOUGHT THAT I'M GOOD. I THINK THAT'S FAIR. YEAH. AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ED CASH AS WELL AS AN EXPERT IN IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY FIELD AS WELL FOR BEING HERE FOR THE FOR HIS IMPORTANT ROLE AND HIS HIS PROFESSIONALISM AS WELL.  BOSTON HOLDS MANY PUBLIC EVENTS EVERY YEAR INCLUDING A NUMBER OF PARADES THAT DRAW MANY PEOPLE INTO THE CITY LOCALLY AND ACROSS ACROSS THE WORLD.  THIS INCLUDES FIRST NIGHT, THE UPCOMING EVACUATION DAY PARADE, THE BOSTON MARATHON. MANY ETHNIC FESTIVALS. THIS YEAR'S TERROR ATTACK IN NEW ORLEANS ON NEW YEAR'S DAY HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SECURITY MEASURES MEASURES SUCH AS PHYSICAL BARRIERS STRATEGICALLY PLACED VEHICLES TO PROTECT RESIDENTS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THESE LARGE GATHERINGS AND INTELLIGENCE GATHERING AS WELL . IN 2013 WE EXPERIENCED THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING WHICH KILLED THREE PEOPLE, INJURED HUNDREDS.  AS WE PLAN AHEAD FOR THESE EVENTS, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT'S THAT'S CURRENTLY HERE INCLUDING HOW WE WORK WITH CITY STATE AND OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS AS WELL. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.  THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR PREPARED YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I RESPECT A LOT OF THE WORK YOU ALL DO. I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO SOME OF YOU ALREADY AND I SEE MATT KEARNEY OVER THERE WHO I'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH IN THE PAST. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I AM WANTING TO BE A CO-SPONSOR ON THIS HEARING BECAUSE I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT SAFETY IS TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF BOSTON AND WE HAVE A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL EVENTS THAT PARTAKE ACROSS THE ENTIRE YEAR AND FOR ME I WITNESS SOMETHING PERSONALLY. LAST YEAR IN AUGUST DURING THE DOMINICAN FESTIVAL WHERE IT WAS IT WAS AN INSIDE THE FESTIVAL BOOK RIGHT NEXT TO IT WHERE THERE WAS A SHOOTING AND I GENUINELY THINK THAT WITH BETTER PLANNING AHEAD OF TIME IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.  AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SOLUTIONS TO THESE SITUATIONS AND I BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF OUR GROUPS THAT DO ORGANIZE OUR PARADES OR FESTIVALS OR IN ANY EVENT THAT HAPPEN IN THE CITY OF BOSTON JUST DESERVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SAFE EVENT.  SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TO BE CREATIVE OF HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT BOSTON CONTINUES TO BE THAT SAFEST IN THE IN THE NATION. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. I'LL TURN BACK MY TIME TO THE CHAIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR PEP AND THIS TIME WE'VE ALSO BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR OPENING REMARKS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR CHAIR.  AND THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS. I WANT TO THANK MEMBERS OF ADMINISTRATION FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR CITY, TO OUR SAFETY, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE A SAFE CITY AS A LARGE CITY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE AS PREPARED AS WE CAN BE. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO ON BEHALF OF OUR RESIDENTS AND I KNOW ADVERSITY RESPONDING TO ALL SORTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY EMERGENCIES AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES FEEL THAT WE ARE RESPONDING APPROPRIATELY. SO WE JUST WANT TO BE HERE TO SAY THANK YOU AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN. SO THANK YOU.  THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. SO AS PROMISED, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK RECESS FOR 5 MINUTES AND WE WILL RETURN BACK WITH WITH OUR PANELISTS. PLEASE STAY TUNED.  THANK YOU. WHEN A BRIEF RECESS  AND  AN  WE ARE BACK IN SESSION. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATIENCE.  SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PANELS THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY. I'M GOING TO ALLOW ALL OF YOU TO GIVE OR WHOEVER HAS THE OPENING STATEMENTS AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. SO I KNOW WE HAVE WE'VE COMBINED BOTH PANELS IF WE CAN JUST FIRST INTRODUCE IF YOU CAN INTRODUCE YOURSELF YOUR TITLE, YOUR POSITION ON YOUR ROLE AND THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD WITH OPENING STATEMENTS AFTER THAT YOU CAN START. HOWEVER YOU MAY START ON THE LINE. GOOD MORNING. MATT CARNEY DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. MORNING, ADRIAN JORDAN CHIEF OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. GOOD MORNING CAPTAIN TIM CONNOLLY BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT HOMELAND SECURITY. MORNING ED KASH, PRESIDENT OF FRONTIER SECURITY.  GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND AGAIN FOR YOUR PATIENCE WHEN I WILL PROCEED WITH OPENING REMARKS AND YOU CAN GO IN THE ORDER THAT YOU ARE.  I JUST HAVE A BRIEF OPENING STATEMENT. SO GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND DISTINGUISHED GUESTS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY ABOUT THE VITAL ROLE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SAFEGUARDING OUR COMMUNITY TO A LARGE SCALE PUBLIC EVENTS MITIGATION. OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS TO REDUCE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF DISASTERS BEFORE THEY OCCUR . THIS INVOLVES COMPREHENSIVE RISK ASSESSMENT AND IMPLEMENTING MEASURES SUCH AS INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS.  PREPAREDNESS PREPAREDNESS IS A YEAR LONG PROCESS THAT INVOLVES EXTENSIVE PLANNING, TRAINING AND COLLABORATION WITH VARIOUS CITY AGENCIES. A PRIME EXAMPLE IS THE EXTENSIVE PLANNING THAT GOES INTO AN EVENT LIKE THE BOSTON MARATHON. THIS ICONIC EVENT REQUIRES MONTHS OF COORDINATION AMONG MULTIPLE AGENCIES INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT, MEDICAL TEAMS, PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENTS. WE DEVELOPED DETAILED EMERGENCY PLANS, CONDUCT NUMEROUS DRILLS AND ENSURE THAT ALL STAKEHOLDERS ARE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO ANY SITUATION THAT MAY ARISE. THE THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER FOR A QUICK SCOPE AT THE HEART OF OUR EMERGENCY OPERATION EFFORTS IS THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. THE EEOC SERVES AS A CENTRALIZED HUB FOR COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION, DOING BOTH PLANNED EVENTS IN UNPLANNED INCIDENTS.  IT IS EQUIPPED WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY TO MONITOR REAL TIME CONDITIONS AND TRACK RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS AND FACILITATE RAPID DECISION MAKING DURING EVENTS LIKE THE BOSTON MARATHON. THE EOC BRINGS TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL PARTNER AGENCIES ENSURING SEAMLESS COMMUNICATION AND A UNIFIED RESPONSE TO ANY SITUATION. THIRD, OUR RESPONSE WHEN AN INCIDENT OCCURS.  OR COORDINATION RESPONSE EFFORTS ARE CRUCIAL. WE LEVERAGE THE EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES TO ENSURE SWIFT AND EFFECTIVE RESPONSE MINIMIZING HARM AND PROTECTING OUR RESIDENTS.  OUR RECOVERY PHASE WHICH IS OUR FINAL PHASE THE RECOVERY PHASE FOCUSED ON RESTORING OUR COMMUNITY TO NORMALCY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THIS INCLUDES SUPPORT TO THOSE AFFECTED AND REBUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE. ALWAYS WITH AN EYE TOWARDS BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR THE FUTURE. IN CONCLUSION COUNSELORS, THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT JUST ABOUT RESPONDING TO CRISES AS THEY ARISE. IT'S A CONTINUOUS YEAR LONG EFFORT THAT REQUIRES THE DEDICATION INCORPORATION OF ALL OUR CITY AGENCIES THE PLANNING THAT GOES INTO EVENTS LIKE THE BOSTON MARATHON EXEMPLAR PHASE . THE EXTENSIVE COORDINATION AND PREPARATION REQUIRED TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR COMMUNITY. WITH THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS CENTER SERVING AS THE CORNERSTONE OF THESE EFFORTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHIEF. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OPENING REMARKS?  OKAY. ALL TOGETHER THEN. AND IF YOU WANT TO GIVE YOUR OPENING REMARKS.  GOOD MORNING. CHAIRMAN SANTANA, MEMBERS OF BOSTON CITY COUNCIL THANK YOU FOR HAVING MEJIA TODAY. COUNCILOR MURPHY, THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT. MY NAME IS ED GAS, LIFELONG RESIDENT OF WINTHROP, MASS AND CURRENTLY THE PRESIDENT OF FRONTIER.  WE WORK ON SEVERAL SECURITY ISSUES AROUND THE COUNTRY INCLUDING SUPPORTING MANY SPECIAL EVENTS AROUND NEW ENGLAND INCLUDING THE CITY OF BOSTON.  I WAS PROUD TO BE APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT BUSH TO HELP BE PART OF THE TEAM THAT SET UP THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IN 2003 AND HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SECURITY ISSUES EVER SINCE AND THEY GET CAPTAIN CONNOLLY HERE ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO. BPD WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AGENCIES TO EMBED AGENTS POLICE AGENCIES WITHIN THE HOME WITHIN HOMELAND SECURITY ONE WHO STOOD UP IN THE SECURITY ROLE FOR SPECIAL EVENTS. A SECURITY ASSESSMENT IS USUALLY DONE TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF STAFFING AND OTHER SECURITY MEASURES LIKE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY AND BARRIERS NEEDED TO MAKE EVENTS SAFE AND SECURE FOR ATTENDEES. EACH EVENT IS ALWAYS DIFFERENT AND USUALLY DON'T HAVE EVERY POSSIBLE RESOURCE THAT YOU MAY WANT THAT YOU MAY WANT. SO YOU HAVE TO IMPROVISE. KEY PIECE OF THIS ASSESSMENT IS THE WORK DONE BY THE BOSTON REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER THE BREADTH WHO ASSESSED THE POTENTIAL THREAT LEVEL TO AN EVENT AND WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW MUCH STAFFING AND TECHNOLOGY TO HAVE AT AN EVENT.  CITY OF BOSTON IS A HOT DESTINATION FOR A VET FOR A BIG EVENTS AND WILL BE FOR MANY MANY MORE YEARS TO COME. CITY HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH EVENTS LIKE THE BOSTON MARATHON 4TH OF JULY AT THE HAT SHELL BOSTON CALLING MUSIC FESTIVAL THE ITALIAN FEAST IN THE NORTH END ANNUAL CARIBBEAN FESTIVAL AND BY VIRTUE OF THE SUCCESS OF OUR MANY MANY SPORTS TEAMS WE HAVE MANY CHAMPIONSHIP PARADES.  2026 WILL BE A CHALLENGING YEAR WITH SEAL BOSTON COMING BACK TO BOSTON WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THE FIFA WORLD CUP WILL BE HERE WITH THOUSANDS OF INTERNATIONAL EVENTS ATTENDING EVENTS AROUND THE CITY. I BELIEVE BOSTON HAS ONE OF THE BEST MULTIAGENCY COORDINATED PLANS IN THE COUNTRY FOR THESE MANY EVENTS. BUT YES, THERE ARE ALWAYS WAYS FOR IMPROVEMENT AND THAT CHANGES YEAR AFTER YEAR AS THESE THREATS BECOME MORE COMPLICATED.  WHY DO WE DO SUCH A GOOD JOB? BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE BOSTON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT THAT COORDINATES ACROSS MANY FEDERAL ,STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES AND PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS LIKE MYSELF ON A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR EACH EVENT. THIS IS NOT JUST BOSTON POLICE FIRE EMS OPERATIONS BUT NUMEROUS OTHERS THAT SUPPORT THE CITY IN THIS EFFORT. ALL OF THESE EXERCISE ALL OF THESE AGENCIES I MENTIONED ARE INCLUDED IN THE PLANNING MONTHS AND MONTHS BEFORE EVENTS AND OFTENTIMES THESE ARE INVOLVE WITH EXERCISE TOGETHER WITH POTENTIAL THREATS HERE NO SCENARIO IS PLAYED OUT IN THESE AGENCIES WORK TOGETHER SIDE BY SIDE RESPONDING TO AN ATTACK AND PLAY OUT HOW THEY WOULD RESPOND IF THE ATTACK WAS REAL . THERE IS ALWAYS AN AFTER ACTION REPORT AND ROLE PLAYERS ARE SHOWN AREAS WHERE THEY CAN IMPROVE IN THEIR RESPONSE. THREE LIVES WERE LOST DURING THE BOSTON MARATHON ATTACK. THAT NUMBER SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT HIGHER IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE QUICK COORDINATED RESPONSE BY NUMEROUS AGENCIES INVOLVED IN RESPONDING ESPECIALLY BOSTON EMS AND THEIR PARTNERS. THE CITY LED AN EXERCISE FOR A SIMILAR SCENARIO A FEW YEARS AGO BEFORE AND WERE READY FOR SOMETHING SIMILAR LIKE THIS TRAGIC DAY IN 2013. IN CLOSING YES, WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE. THERE IS NEVER A 100% SECURITY PLAN. THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME GAPS IN A PLAN. OUR ADVERSARIES AS OUR ADVERSARIES DEVELOP NEW METHODS AND PLANS OF ATTACK.  WE ALSO HAVE TO ADAPT ON OUR END TO BETTER PREPARE. OUR PLAN WHETHER IT IS NEW DRONE TECHNOLOGY DETECTION TOOLS TO DETECT THE SOMEWHAT NEW DRONE THREAT OR WAYS OF INVOLVING THE PUBLIC MORE WITH NEW TOOLS FOR THEM TO REPORT SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS. THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE WAYS FOR US TO IMPROVE OUR PLAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.  IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE AND DISCUSS WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN IMPROVE OUR SECURITY POSTURE FOR MANY FUTURE SO THAT SPECIAL EVENTS OUR GREAT CITY WILL HAVE. LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS . THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR DUNCAN FROM DISTRICT EIGHT AND ALSO COUNCILOR FERNANDEZ ANDERSON FROM DISTRICT SEVEN. I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL FOR FOUR QUESTIONS STARTING WITH THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCILOR MURPHY, DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR? THANK YOU. AND LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT WITH CERTAIN PANELISTS NOT HERE I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS BUT.  I DO JUST HAVE A STATEMENT AND THANK YOU ED AND THE OTHER COMMENTS TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN THAT IS THE BEST IT CAN BE. WE HAVE TO BE WORKING TOGETHER WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.  WE DO THAT BUT LIKE YOU TOUCHED UPON THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM TO DO BETTER AND A LOT OF THE THINGS YOU TALKED ABOUT ABOUT DOING PRACTICE RUNS AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE MOST UP TO DATE TECHNOLOGY AND ALL OF THAT AND WHAT TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION PROTOCOLS COULD WE PUT INTO PLACE FOR THE REASONS AND I ALREADY WENT THROUGH THE REASONS WHY THE OTHER PANELISTS, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS FROM THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WERE IMPORTANT HERE. SO I DO LOOK FORWARD TO A PRODUCTIVE HEARING WHEN WE HAVE ALL OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS IN FRONT OF US SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT COORDINATION AND HOW DO WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND MAKE SURE WE'RE ALSO GOING INTO BUDGET SEASON.  IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT THAT WE ON THE COUNCIL UNDERSTAND IF THERE ARE STAFFING NEEDS OR A NEW TECHNOLOGY OR OTHER SUPPORTS THAT EACH DEPARTMENT NEEDS THAT IT'S IT HAS TO COME FROM THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TELL US THAT. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. THANK YOU TO THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MURPHY JUST BEFORE I PASS IT OVER TO COUNCILOR FLYNN, I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT BOTH CHIEF JORDAN DEPUTY DIRECTOR KEARNEY AND CAPTAIN CONNOLLY ARE HERE REPRESENTING THE ADMINISTRATION AND I'M PRESIDENT ED CASH IS THE PRESIDENT OF FRONTIER SECURITY STRATEGIES WHO IS NOT PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION WAS AN EXPERT IN THIS FIELD. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION FOR MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE JOINING.  I WILL NOW PASS IT OVER TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.  THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ADRIAN, TO MATT, TO ED AND TO CAPTAIN CONNELLY FOR BEING HERE FOR THE IMPORTANT ROLE FOR YOUR PROFESSIONALISM IN KEEPING KEEPING RESIDENTS SAFE.  CAPTAIN CONNELLY, I REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A YOUTH BASKETBALL COACH BUT IT HAPPENED IN THE TIME IN SCHOOL HELPING HELPING KIDS AND MENTORING KIDS UP AND IN SOUTH BOSTON AND DORCHESTER. SO JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU CAPTAIN, FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK YOU HAVE PLAYED NOT JUST ON PUBLIC SAFETY BUT ALSO HELPING HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY AS WELL. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.  THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN I'M COUNSELOR PREPARED AND YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE.  I I GUESS I'LL TURN OFF WITH CAPTAIN AND MY QUESTION IS REGARDING THESE SPECIAL EVENTS PERMITTING PROCESS AND COLLABORATION THERE IS WITH THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT OBVIOUSLY A CULTURAL GROUP HAS TO APPLY FOR IT AND I KNOW THAT TODAY BAKER DOES AN AMAZING JOB WITH THE PROCESS OVER AT SPECIAL EVENTS AND I BELIEVE DPD IS PART OF THAT PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE FOR ANYONE WHO'S A DOMINICAN FESTIVAL AS THE EXAMPLE JUST BECAUSE WHEN I WAS THERE WAS PART OF TRYING TO HELP THEM WITH THE PROCESS WHEN DURING THE FESTIVAL I REALIZE THAT CIRCUIT DRIVE WASN'T CLOSED AROUND FRANKLIN PARK THE FESTIVAL HAPPENS IN FRANKLIN PARK, CORRECT. AND WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF CARS THAT WERE ABLE TO PARK THEMSELVES RIGHT NEXT TO THE PARK AND THEY WERE HANGING OUT NOT EVEN INSIDE OF THE FESTIVAL BUT MORE SO ON CIRCUIT DRIVE CREATING THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT AND THAT IS WHERE THE SHOOTING HAPPENED. SO I SPEAKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AFTER THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT WHY IS IT THAT WE DIDN'T SHUT DOWN CIRCUIT DRIVE WHEN THE FESTIVAL STARTED IN THE FIRST PLACE? SO I JUST WANTED TO GET A SENSE FROM YOU WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO EVEN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT SHUTTING DOWN SOMETHING LIKE CIRCUIT DRIVE OR ANYWHERE ELSE ACROSS THE CITY WHERE IT MIGHT GET TO LIKE IN ACTUALLY SHUT DOWN EITHER WAY BECAUSE THERE WERE PEOPLE LITERALLY ON THE STREET NO MATTER EVEN IF IT WAS AN OPEN OR NOT, SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE SHUT IT DOWN AND ONLY ALLOWED PERMITTED VEHICLES TO ACTUALLY GO UP IF THEY'RE A PART OF THE EVENT OR NOT. SO WHAT IS THE PROCESS A AN APPLICANT TO SAY ALL RIGHT, WE THINK THIS ROAD SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN OR IF YOU IF THE BPD HAS IT EXPERIENCE OR THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO SAY WE SHOULD SHUT THIS DOWN.  THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. IT'S MORE OF A FIRST RESPONSE RESPONDERS ANSWER TO WHETHER WE NEED AN AMBULANCE TO COME THROUGH. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DECIDES TO SHUT IT DOWN.  WE WILL PUT BARRIERS ON SOME OF THE BICYCLE RACKS WE CALL THEM ALONG THERE. I KNOW WE DID THAT IN CIRCUIT DRIVE. WE DIDN'T GO ALL THE WAY DOWN AND ONE OF THE AFTER ACTION THAT WE DID IN OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT WAS TO CONTINUE ALL THE WAY DOWN CIRCUIT DRIVE TILL THE END. SO WE DID WE DID TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. WE DIDN'T SEE THAT IN YEARS PAST.  THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS UNIQUE TO THIS YEAR. SO WE DID TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND PUT THAT INTO OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT. ALL WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN SIR.  AND THAT'S THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR AND I THINK I THINK THE REASON WHY IT HAPPENED THIS YEAR IS BECAUSE THE EVENT'S GROWING. IT IS GROWING AND THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT JUST WANT TO ATTEND THE EVENT AND NOT JUST THIS SPECIFIC FESTIVAL BUT I THINK EVERY FESTIVAL IN BOSTON IS GETTING MORE ATTENTION PEOPLE BOSTON IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO BE OUT THERE IN THE SUMMERTIME. SO I THINK THAT I'LL BE WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE SPECIAL EVENTS DEPARTMENT AND THE APD JUST TO HAVE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT TYPE OF MEASURES WE SHOULD TAKE PLACE MOVING FORWARD WITH ANY CULTURAL EVENT IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. SO IT'S ALL PART OF THAT TOO. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT WHEN THE PERSON WHO'S APPLYING FOR THE SPECIAL EVENT THEY'LL GIVE US A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE AND I THINK THAT MAY OF LIKE YOU SAID GROWN A LITTLE BIT THIS YEAR FROM THE NUMBER THAT THEY SAID THAT WAS GOING TO ATTEND TO THE NUMBER THAT ACTUALLY ATTENDED THAT WAS THAT WAS THAT WAS WAY OFF. RIGHT RIGHT. SO WE TOOK A LOOK AT THAT IN THE AFTER ACTION REPORT AND PUT IN THAT EXTRA BARRIER SYSTEM FOR THIS YEAR.  THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALSO WORK WITH THE APPLICANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A PROPER ESTIMATE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. I'LL RESERVE THE REST OF MY QUESTIONS FOR OTHERS.  SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IF I CAN.  YES I JUST HAD A SO SO THIS IS THIS IS INTERESTING. SO SAME AS YOU MAKE A FESTIVAL COMMITTEE GROOVY FESTIVAL SAME CHALLENGES AND WE'VE HAD EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS YEAR WE WERE TALKING TO BPD ABOUT HOW DO WE STRUCTURE THOSE THOSE FESTIVALS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THE PRESENTLY CONSTITUTED RIGHT THE BPD IS BECAUSE OF THE AREA IT ALWAYS PROVIDES CHALLENGES AND IN TERMS OF SHUTTING DOWN FREESIA, THE OTHER ISSUE FOR THEM IS IT'S LIKE ALL RIGHT IF DON'T CONGREGATE ON CIRCUIT DRIVE THEY PARK SOMEWHERE ELSE RIGHT? SO IS IT THAT IS IT THAT WE WE DESIGNATED OFFSITE PARKING SITE SHUTTLE PEOPLE TO THE THE FESTIVALS SO WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST YEAR SO I JUST WANT I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT WE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT STUFF LAST YEAR JUST YOU KNOW TO BE SO IT'S JUST THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING AND WE JUST WE JUST NEED TO GET IN A ROOM WITH THE FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS FOR THESE OUTDOOR FESTIVALS THE FESTIVALS THAT HAPPEN BEFORE GOOD PARK SO WE CAN COME UP WITH A STRATEGY THAT BEST WORKS FOR THE CITIZENS THAT ARE ATTENDING THE FESTIVALS, THE PROPERTY THEMSELVES SO WE CAN MITIGATE SOME OF THESE SOME OF THESE ISSUES. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DO WE DO THAT? THOSE FESTIVALS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT. MR CHAIRMAN, RESPOND.  YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S SUCH A VITAL PART OF THE CONVERSATION WHERE WE'RE NOT EVEN JUST WE'RE FRANKLIN PARK BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER EVENT ON THE JAMAICAN WAY I BELIEVE AS WELL THAT CARS WERE PARKING ON THE LAWN AND THAT'S OUR STATE PROPERTY. SO STATE TROOPERS START TO GET INVOLVED BECAME A WHOLE OTHER ISSUE. BUT I REMEMBER A LOT OF FOLKS PARKING AROUND FOUR CORNERS AND JUST WALKING OVER TO FRANKLIN PARK INSTEAD OF PARKING CLOSER TO THE PARK AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DECIDED TO DO THAT. SO I THINK THAT IF WE START GOING THAT ROUTE, GIVING OTHER PEOPLE GIVING PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST SPREAD THE SPREAD OF THE LITERATURE AND SAY WHERE THEY CAN PARK, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES THERE IS THAT'S A GREAT CONVERSATION. I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE HAVING THAT AND IF THERE'S ANY FUTURE CONVERSATION ABOUT I WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF IT. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU COUNCILOR CAPTAIN,  I'LL START TALKING. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR I SAW WHAT WAS ON OUR DOCKET TODAY AND I WAS REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE HAVING SOME OF THE BIGGEST INSTITUTIONS BUT ALSO SOME OF THE BIGGEST STADIUMS YOU KNOW TD GARDEN AND FENWAY PARK AND DISTRICT EIGHT I THINK ABOUT LARGE EVENTS A LOT AND I RECENTLY I THINK THIS WAS LAST FALL WAS AT THE FENWAY PARK TACTICAL SKILLS TRAINING WITH THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND GOT TO MEET A LOT OF THE EMS TEAM THERE THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ALL OF THE THERE WERE FIREFIGHTERS FROM AROUND THE STATE TRAINING AT FENWAY PARK CLIMBING UP, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO WATCH. BUT I ALSO HAVE BEEN REALLY INVOLVED WITH ACTIVATING KENMORE SQUARE FOR MARATHON MONDAY. WE HAD THE FIRST ACTIVATION LAST YEAR AND I KNOW ANYTHING WITH THE MARATHON WE ARE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT ANY CHANGES THAT WE MAKE BUT IT WAS AN HONOR TO PARTNER WITH CAPTAIN SWEENEY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AROUND THAT ACTIVATION ALONGSIDE CITGO AND YOU KNOW BECAUSE IT'S UNDERNEATH THE SECOND SIGN AND SO I'M EXCITED THAT I KNOW WE'RE STARTING TO PLAN FOR THAT THIS YEAR.  AND I JUST WANTED TO SHOUT OUT TO COLIN WHITE IN A FORMER BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT ALUMNI WHO NOW AT SECURITY AT FENWAY PARK. SO I KNOW A LOT OF THE YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO SERVE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT END UP GOING ON TO TO TO RUN SECURITY FOR OTHER GROUPS AND I APPRECIATE THE COORDINATION THAT THEY HAVE WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FUNDING OF THE GRANTS AND JUST HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO FUNDING SORT OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY BUT ALSO SAFETY EFFORTS ACROSS THE CITY. IT'S PART OF WHY I HAVE BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE IN MY RECENT VOTES AROUND ALL OF THESE GRANTS AND WHY I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE WORK IN GENERAL IS JUST THE ABILITY FOR US TO BE NIMBLE AS A CITY AND ALSO HAVE SORT OF A REGIONAL APPROACH TO SECURITY.  SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS, CAPTAIN, IF YOU HAD ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT . SURE. I'M ALSO THE JURISDICTIONAL POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE U.S. GRANT WHICH IS THE URBAN AREA SECURITY INITIATIVE AND EACH YEAR THE GRANT SETS ASIDE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY TO FUND THE WORK. IT ALSO FUNDS ANALYSTS WITHIN THE WORK AND PART OF THEIR ROUTINE TO CERTAIN ANALYSTS THEY HAVE THE ARDUOUS TASK OF DEFINING FOR SOMETHING LIKE AS YOU BROUGHT UP THE BOSTON MARATHON ATTACK TACTICS TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES THAT IS FIRST OF ALL IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT THEN WHAT IS DONE NATIONALLY AND DOMESTICALLY AND THEN THEY TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT THROUGH BOSTON SPECIFIC AND THEY'LL COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF INFORMATION SHARING PRODUCT THAT THEY GET OUT TO ALL FIRST RESPONDERS TO ENHANCE ENHANCE THE EVENT. AND THERE'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHEN MR CASH SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER THERE'S ALSO A DESIGNATION BY DHS, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY THAT'S CALLED A SERE AND IT'S A SPECIAL EVENT ASSESSMENT RESPONSE AND THAT DESIGNATES LIKE FOR THE CIA FOR IT'S KIND OF LOW BUT IF IT'S ACA1 THAT'LL DESIGNATE THE ABILITY TO BRING IN FEDERAL ASSETS AS WELL.  SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT FROM EARLIER THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE EVENT MATTERS HOW MUCH HELP WE GET FROM OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS RIGHT.  AND SOMETHING LIKE AS BIG AS THE MARATHON WE DEFINITELY GET A REGIONAL RESPONSE FROM YOU KNOW ESPECIALLY BOMB SQUADS THROUGHOUT THE REGION ALL THE WAY UP TO INCLUDING MAINE. WE'LL GET ENOUGH WE CALL THEM JOINT HAZARDOUS ASSESSMENT TEAMS THAT COME IN AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS AND PROTECT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT COORDINATION THAT GOES ON FEDERALLY STATE AND LOCALLY DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE EVENT. I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT THAT'S REALLY AND I DO REMEMBER THERE WAS A STREET TAKEOVER OF MARLBORO STREET YOU KNOW IN MY TIME AS A CITY COUNCILOR WHICH I WAS REALLY PROUD OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT NO ONE WAS INJURED, NO ONE WAS HURT AND IN SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS AND I REMEMBER GETTING THE REPORT AFTERWARDS AND SPEAKING WITH THE ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE WATCHING NATIONWIDE IN TERMS THESE THESE STREET TAKEOVERS. SO I THINK THROUGH THAT INSTANCE I REALLY SAW THE POWER OF THERE BEING FOLKS THAT ARE DOING RESEARCH ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT YOU KNOW, AND TALKING TO OTHER FUSION CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND KNOWING WHAT REPORTS ARE HAPPENING THERE. SO THEY THEY ALREADY SORT OF WERE WELL RESOURCED AND RESEARCH ON THAT SPECIFIC SUBJECT. SO I THEN I WANTED TO JUST TURN TO SOMETHING POSITIVE BUT I THINK WE DO HAVE I THINK YOU MENTIONED THIS AD THERE ARE A LOT OF EVENTS HAPPENING IN 2026. WE ALSO I'M PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON YOU KNOW, THOSE THAT ARE ON THE FREEDOM TRAIL AND THOSE THAT ARE COMING TO TALK ABOUT THE 250TH. I'M JUST CURIOUS SORT OF WHAT WE CAN EXPECT AND WHAT KIND OF COORDINATION IS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES TO TO PREPARE FOR THOSE EVENTS? YEAH, I'M NOT SPECIFICALLY INVOLVED YET WITH ANY FIFA PLANNING OR SALE BOSTON JUST YET BUT YEAH IT'LL IT'LL BE ALL HANDS ON DECK AND IN PRIVATE SECURITY PARTNERS BECAUSE YOUR YOUR STAFF IS LIMITED THESE DAYS BUT YOU BRING IN OUTSIDE YOU KNOW BE YOU POLICE BC POLICE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICE OTHER JURISDICTIONS MAINE NEW HAMPSHIRE YEAH 2026 IS GOING TO BE A VERY BUSY YEAR YOU KNOW FIFA IS THE BOSTON AND THE FIS HAPPEN THEN YOU KNOW WE'LL SEE WE'LL SEE WHAT OUR SPORTS TEAMS DO IN 2026 BUT YEAH IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK AND TECHNOLOGY IS HUGE TO YOU KNOW CAMERAS AND USING USING BP DRONES AND OTHER DRONES IF WE HAVE THEM TO JUST TO JUST JUST TRY TO MITIGATE THE LACK OF BODIES THAT YOU HAVE SO TECHNOLOGIES HUGE THE INTELLIGENCE IS IS BIG AND THEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE AND THEN PRESENT THE PLAN THEN YOU KNOW, JUST JUST GO WITH THAT.  YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO DRONES AND UAP IS I FEEL LIKE THAT'S NOT DO REMAINS IS A HARD THING BUT I DID I DID RUN INTO AMY YANDELL, OUR DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS IN THE ELEVATOR. SO IT FELT VERY SERENDIPITOUS. SHE SAID THIS IS A VERY BUSY TIME FOR THEM IN PREPARING FOR ALL THESE 20, 20, 26 EVENTS AND THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE OFFICE AND THEY DO SUCH A GREAT JOB WITH PREPARING AND WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WORKING WITH ALL THESE OTHER GROUPS. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S AHEAD AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. CHAIR THANK YOU, COUNSELOR DEREK AND COUNCILOR FOR THE ENTERTAINERS AND YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE LEAD SPONSOR. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR WORK AND DEDICATION. I DO THINK THAT THIS CONVERSATION WHILE THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ARE PARAMOUNT, WE DO HAVE TO FOCUS IT OR WE MUST AT LEAST ENSURE THAT THE MEASURES ARE PARTICULARLY SURROUNDING DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED COMMUNITIES IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT OVER WHAT WHEN WE LOOK AT INCREASING PUBLIC SAFETY, ARE WE DOING THAT IN A EQUITABLE SENSE? MEANING HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE TYPICALLY BY RESEARCH IF OR WHEN OVERPOLICED OR OVER CRIMINALIZED OR RATHER MORE ISSUES ARISE SOMEHOW FROM THESE RESEARCHERS? SO I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT WE ARE TRANSPARENTLY TALKING ABOUT LOOKING AT THE RESEARCH AND LOOKING AT HOW BREAK IS CAN BE HELPFUL AND DETERMINING HOW WE CAN USE THESE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY. BUT WHILE DOING IT IN A WAY THAT WE ARE ENSURING THAT WE ARE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE FOR THESE COMMUNITIES ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITIES WHERE OUR CELEBRATING DIVERSE SORT OF SOCIAL EVENTS FESTIVALS AND ALL THESE CULTURAL PARADES AND IN TERMS OF FIGURING OUT ALSO MEASURES AND HOW WE MEASURING IF WE ARE DOING THAT EFFICIENTLY IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE FEEL SAFE BUT ALSO PEOPLE ARE FEELING RESPECTED AND THAT GOES BOTH WAYS. I YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A NATURAL DISTRUST FOR SOME REASON IN BOSTON I THINK AND I WELCOME MY COLLEAGUES NOT TO MAKE THE COMMENTS AND LEAVE RIGHT AFTER BUT I THINK THAT I THINK THERE'S A NATURAL DISTRUST WITH BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND I THINK THERE IS A WAY I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT THERE IS A WAY THAT WE CAN BUILD THAT TRUST AND WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION AND IN BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE IS AS WELL AS POLICE OFFICERS FEEL RESPECTED, YOU HAVE A JOB TO DO. AND IN BOSTON PARTICULARLY I THINK THE THE NUMBERS ARE DIFFERENT. GROWING UP HERE I'VE ALWAYS HAD A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH POLICE OFFICERS PUBLIC SAFETY IN GENERAL. AND YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE SOLUTIONS ARE WHETHER IT BE THROUGH COMMUNITY POLICING OR ARE WE LOOKING AT FOLLOW UP MEETINGS WITH FESTIVAL ATTENDEES SLASH OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE FACILITATING THEM THESE PARADES AND LOOKING AT YOU KNOW, SERVING WHERE ARE WE, HOW DID WE DO AND HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THAT? AND IF YOU HAVE THAT ALREADY I'D LIKE JUST FOR YOU TO COMMENT ON YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU IMPLEMENT ANY OF THESE MEASURES OR ARE YOU LOOKING AT ANY TYPE OF CULTURAL COMPETENCY OR HAVE YOU ARE YOU ALREADY DOING THAT IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT AGAIN WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING RELATIONSHIP TO YOU ARE YOU'RE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU CAN BUILD TRUST AND TO ARE YOU FOLLOWING UP TO ENSURE SOME SORT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE THEREAFTER THE GREAT QUESTION THANK YOU I KNOW THAT THE SPECIAL EVENTS GROUP WHICH IS NOT JUST THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT BUT IT'S ALL FIRST RESPONDERS AND IT'S OUR CITY GOVERNMENT AS WELL.  I KNOW THEY MEET PRIOR TO ANY EVENT AND I KNOW THEY MEET AFTER TO ENSURE THAT THINGS THAT WENT WRONG ONE YEAR DON'T HAPPEN AGAIN THE NEXT YEAR.  BUT I WILL TAKE WHAT YOU SAID BACK TO THE SPECIAL EVENTS GROUP IN BOSTON AND HAVE THEM PUT TOGETHER SOME TYPE OF A A PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS AS YOU SAID EQUITY AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANTED IN THERE. I, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M THE RIGHT PERSON TO ANSWER IF THAT'S BEING DONE RIGHT NOW I'M MORE OF A TACTICAL PERSON I SEE PUTTING THE PLANS TOGETHER.  I SEE IT AND IT IS INTERESTING I'M SORRY MR. CHAIR, WHAT WAS OUR TIME? ALLOW ALLOW GIVING EVERY COUNCILOR 7 MINUTES YOU'RE UP TO FOUR. THANK YOU.  WHAT IT'S INTERESTING HOW YOU KNOW YOU LOOK AT THESE EVENTS AND WE NEED OFFICERS AND WE NEED A LOT OF THEM AND THIS IS TRUE FOR BOSTON AND PARTICULARLY WE CAN'T NECESSARILY USE OTHER CITIES OR STATES RESEARCH OR NUMBERS IN TERMS OF POLICE RELATIONSHIP OR POLICE NEED OR NOT NEEDED. I THINK HERE WE ARE AN EXCITING CITY THAT HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS, A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL. RIGHT. WE NEED ALL OF THAT AND THEN WE TEND TO TALK ABOUT POLICE REFORM IN TERMS OF IT IN A VERY SORT OF BLANKET WAY AND IN A GENERAL SENSE AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO SORT OF INDIVIDUALLY OR BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT BOSTON AND WHAT THAT CULTURE IS AND WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE AND I THINK WE ARE DIFFERENT HERE. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IN TERMS OF LIKE INCREASING NUMBERS I GUESS HOW DO WE HOW DO WE DO THAT TO MEET THE NEED WHILE BUILDING AGAIN THOSE RELATIONSHIPS SO THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT FEELING OVERPOLICED WHICH THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION THERE'S DEFINITELY WE DO USE OUTSIDE AGENCIES ESPECIALLY AND BICYCLE PATROLS DURING A SPECIAL EVENT YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'LL WORK WITH OUR STATE PARTNERS ESPECIALLY OUR STATE POLICE TO IN MASSACHUSETTS TO COME IN WITH SOME IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OFFICERS WE'LL ASK THEM TO, YOU KNOW, BRING IN MAYBE A SQUAD OF 100 OR SO DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE EVENT AND WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST. WE USE SOMETIMES WE'LL USE SOME OF OUR U.S. PARTNERS TO COME IN WITH SPECIAL EXPERTISE MAYBE I SAW, YOU KNOW, BOMB TECHS IN DIFFERENT THINGS OR K-9 SO THERE'S DIFFERENT REASONS WE BRING THEM IN FOR DIFFERENT EVENTS. A LOT OF IT'S BEHIND THE SCENE DOING THE STUFF THAT MAYBE THEY'LL COME IN AND SAY THERE'S AN EVENT AND THEY'LL COME IN. THEY'LL BRING IN, YOU KNOW, BOMB DOGS AND DIFFERENT DIFFERENT TACTICAL OFFICERS TO COME IN AND CLEAN AN AREA, MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR BEFORE THE EVENT AND THEN BRING BEFORE WE BRING THE PEOPLE IN. SO WE USE THEM A LOT OF TIMES WE USE THEM THAT WAY AS WELL. MY MY TAKE ON THIS AND I'LL WRAP UP MR CHAIR, MY TAKE ON THIS AND I WISH MY THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE HERE AND I APOLOGIZE THAT I WAS A BIT LATE. I WAS IN A MEETING BECAUSE IT'S THE INTERACTIONS THAT INTERACTIONS ON THINGS LIKE THIS THAT THEN PROPEL MORE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING FOR THE OTHER TOPICS. SO FOR EXAMPLE IF THEY'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN BREAK THEY'LL SHOW UP AND THEY'LL SAY GIVE TELL ME, TELL ME, TELL ME, TELL ME AND MY POINT YESTERDAY IN THE HEARING WAS THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE PART OF THE PANEL AND YOU COME TO THESE HEARINGS, YOU SHOULD ASK THE COUNCILORS YOU SHOULD ASK US HOW TO DO YOUR JOB. DO WE UNDERSTAND HOW TO DO YOUR JOB BEFORE WE ASK YOU QUESTIONS BECAUSE THEN IT'S THAT'S THE COMMON GROUND OF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK I DO AND I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT WHAT YOU DO. BUT LET'S TALK FROM A VERY MORE A MORE HUMBLE BEGINNING LIKE LET'S START FROM YOU DON'T KNOW I DON'T KNOW. LET'S PUT THAT ON THE TABLE AND LET'S FIGURE IT OUT TOGETHER AND THAT'S TRANSPARENT COLLABORATION I THINK BUILDS MORE TRUST THEN AS OPPOSED TO LIKE IF WE DON'T AGREE WITH THE COLLEAGUES FAILING THEN WE DON'T SHOW UP OR WE'RE BUSY OR WE'RE BUSY AND WHEN WE DO SHOW UP THEN IT'S LIKE YOU KNOW PEOPLE LEAVE AND THEN YOU ARE LEFT WITH THIS THIS IS YOUR JOB. YOU HAVE TO COME TO THE PANEL BUT IT'S I APOLOGIZE ON BEHALF OF FOLKS THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE TIME TO COME BECAUSE I THINK THAT AGAIN, THAT WE SHOULDN'T UNDERESTIMATE THESE INTERACTIONS BECAUSE THAT'S THE STUFF THAT YOU WALK AWAY SAYING I FEEL RESPECTED PEOPLE CAME AND THEY DIDN'T WASTE MY TIME AND THEN HOPEFULLY BUILDING A MORE RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIP. SO I'M EXTENDING THAT AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO TO BUILD THAT. I THINK ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE SAYING HERE IT EXTENDS OR IS IT'S PERPETUATED INTO COMMUNITY IF WE SET THE EXAMPLE THAT WE'RE PROFESSIONALS AND WE CARE AND THEN WE CAN SAY THEN WE CAN SAY TO YOU THESE ARE OUR EXPECTATIONS, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.  WELL, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. I HAVE ONE QUESTION AND I'LL TURN IT OVER AGAIN TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT IF THEY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU KNOW EARLIER LAST FALL I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY ALONGSIDE COUNCILOR FLYNN WE BOTH HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO OEM AND VISIT THEIR FACILITIES AND GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE ALL DOING WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, LARGE EVENTS HERE IN BOSTON HAPPENING. HOW MUCH DOES YOUR FACILITY IS THE SOUTH RIGHT WHERE I AM I'M HIS YOU KNOW HOW MUCH COORDINATION HAPPENS THERE AND HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE A BUILDING THAT IS UP TO CODE WITH THE NEEDS THAT YOU ALL NEED? YOU KNOW, JUST WANT TO HAVE BOUNDARIES GETTING MORE.  THANK YOU.  YEAH. SO WE ALSO SIT ON THAT SPECIAL EVENT COMMITTEE PARTICULARLY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS OR CITY DEPARTMENTS WHEN THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY AREAS IN WHICH WE CAN HELP SUPPORT THEM AND THAT'S TYPICALLY A RESOURCE WE WILL PROVIDE IS IF AN EVENT IS LARGE ENOUGH IS THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER SHOULD THAT BE ACTIVATED TO HELP FACILITATE A LOT OF THAT CROSS DEPARTMENT CROSS AGENCY COORDINATION AT THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL? SO IT'S CRUCIAL TO OUR OUR LARGE EVENTS AND ALSO CRUCIAL THAT THE SPACE IS ADEQUATE TO SUPPORT YOU ARE NO NOTICE EVENTS IN THE EVENT THAT SOMETHING HAPPENS TODAY OR THAT WE DIDN'T PLAN FOR THAT WE HAVE THAT TECHNOLOGY AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO BRING IN ANY PARTNER THAT THAT MAY BE NEEDED TO HELP SUPPORT THAT INCIDENT RESPONSE AND KIND OF RESOURCE NEED. SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT WAYS IN WHICH TO KEEP IT UP AND FUNCTIONING.  IT IS THERE NOW IT'S AN OLDER BUILDING, IT'S GOT A LOT OF TECH NEEDS.  I KNOW THAT YOU'VE COME DOWN AND WE DEFINITELY WELCOME THE COUNCIL TO COME DOWN AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE BOSTON MARATHON WHEN WE SEE THE ROOM PREP FOR THE THE LARGEST PLANNED SPACE THAT WE TYPICALLY BRING IN THE MOST AMOUNT OF PARTNERS FOR. BUT IT'S IT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT WE'RE USING THESE PLANNED EVENTS, IF YOU WILL, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALMOST TESTING THE OPERATIONS THAT OUR BIGGEST TRAIN IS UP AND RUNNING. BUT IT'S REALLY THAT LARGER HURRICANE LARGE FLOODING DISASTER WHERE WE NEED TO OPERATE IN THIS SPACE FOR MULTIPLE DAYS, WEEKS ON END AND MAKE SURE THAT THE RESOURCES THERE ARE ARE ABLE TO SUPPORT STAFF. YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT BE ABLE TO GO HOME. THEY'RE SLEEPING AT THE OPERATIONS CENTER. IS THAT SPACE SUITABLE FOR THAT? DO WE HAVE A KITCHEN SHOWER THINGS THAT YOU KIND OF DON'T THINK ABOUT WHEN IT'S JUST A LARGE EVENT THAT WE'RE OPERATING FOR OUT OF FOR 6 TO 12 HOURS AND GOING HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY. SO IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BOTH PREPARED FOR THAT BUT ALSO THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SCALE UP AND BRING IN MORE PARTNERS AS NEEDED. AND THAT'S DEFINITELY AN AREA THAT WE ARE STRUGGLING IN AND LOOKING TO FIND SOLUTIONS ON. SO ABSOLUTELY I THINK YOU'RE BEING VERY KIND IN TERMS OF HOW YOU COULD I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND VISITED WITH WITH MY COLLEAGUE AND I THINK IT'S A BIG CONCERN FOR ME JUST A SPACE THAT YOU ALL HAVE. AND AGAIN YOU MENTIONED AN EMERGENCY OF OF FLOODING OR ANY OF THOSE TYPE OF BIG EVENTS.  I DON'T I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE THE ADEQUATE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO PROPERLY MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SO I KNOW AS WE'RE HEADING INTO BUDGET SEASON AND CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING YOU KNOW THAT'S UNDENIABLY ADVOCATING FOR FOR FOR THE OEM TEAM AND I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF YOUR STAFF IS ALSO NOT COVERED BY SOME OF THE GRANTS FEDERAL GRANTS THAT WE GET RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S ALSO A BIG CONCERN RIGHT NOW ESPECIALLY AS WE TRY TO GET INTO A NEW ADMINISTRATION AND FEDERAL DOLLARS MAYBE, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONED OR WE MAY LOSE SOME OF THAT. SO I THINK WE AS A CITY AND AS A COUNCIL AND TO THE ADMINISTRATION I THINK ALSO NEEDS TO AGAIN AHEAD OF BUDGET SEASON, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THE OEM TEAM, HOW CRUCIAL THAT YOU ARE TO TO OUR OPERATIONS HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND TO OUR SAFETY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN SUPPORT YOU? AND SO I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M GOING TO BE ADVOCATING FOR THIS YEAR AND I HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES CAN JOIN ME AND THAT FIRE AND I ALSO ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES I KNOW MANY OF THEM HAVE ALREADY GONE BUT YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE IN ROXBURY AND AND TOWARD THE FACILITY. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM OUT THERE. SO WITH THAT I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO TO THE LEAD SPONSOR AND THEN MY OTHER COLLEAGUES AS WELL FOR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE STARTING WITH COUNCILOR MURPHY.  THANK YOU. AND I DO JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ADRIAN MATTHEW, CAPTAIN CONNELLY AND ED FOR BEING HERE TAKING YOUR TIME OUT. I'M SORRY THAT THE OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE PANELISTS WEREN'T HERE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION THAT WE WERE HOPING FOR THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE COLLABORATIVE. I ALSO DO WANT TO SAY TODAY BAKER, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS I HAVE ON SPEED DIAL I KNOW MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES DO. SHE'S FULL OF KNOWLEDGE, ALWAYS RESPONSIVE AND IF SHE DOESN'T HAVE AN ANSWER YOU KNOW SHE CONNECTS US MYSELF WITH MY OFFICE TO DEPARTMENTS AND PEOPLE WHO DO AND I KNOW SHE WAS HOPING TO BE PART OF THIS CONVERSATION BUT WASN'T ABLE TO AND HOPEFULLY WHEN WE RESCHEDULE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHO CAN GIVE US DIRECT ANSWERS THAT WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, SHE COULD BE PART OF IT THEN BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I RESPECT YOUR TIME AND THE WORK YOU DO. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ONE ISSUE AND I KNOW IT WAS REFERENCED BEFORE ABOUT THE SITUATION IN THE BACK BAY WHEN THE STREETS WERE OVERRUN BY BICYCLES AND MOTORBIKES AND MOPEDS. IT HAPPENS IN MANY, MANY NEIGHBORHOODS.  I REPRESENT A SMALL PART OF THE BACK BAY IN THE SOUTH END HAD HALF OF THE SOUTH END AS WELL IN OTHER AREAS BUT I GUESS MY MY QUESTION IS MAYBE TO THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM WHEN A STREET IS PARTICULARLY OVERTAKEN BY MOTORCYCLES OR BIKES IN BLOCKING TRAFFIC AS WE HAVE SEEN SUCH AS ON MALBOROUGH STREET I THINK IT WAS OR YOU KNOW THE PUBLIC GOT AN AREA BUT THE IMPACT IT HAS ON OUR FIRST RESPONDERS GETTING TO A PLACE, GETTING TO A HOUSE IF THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES SUCH AS AN AMBULANCE OR A FIRE. AND MY MY CONCERN WITH THAT INCIDENT IT WASN'T IT WASN'T BROUGHT UP. MY CONCERN WAS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THERE WAS AN ELDERLY PERSON NEAR THAT AREA AND THE STREET WAS BLOCKED OFF FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. BUT WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THERE WAS AN ELDERLY PERSON THAT HAD GOD FORBID A HEART ATTACK?  EVERY SECOND COUNTS GETTING THAT PERSON TO A HOSPITAL.  HOW WAS BOSTON FIRE? USUALLY BOSTON FIRES THE FIRST ON ON SCENE BUT HOW WOULD BOSTON FIRE HAVE RESPONDED TO THAT PARTICULAR INCIDENT IN REAL TIME?  MAYBE I CAN SPEAK TO THIS IS A FORM OF I LIVE WE DON'T ADDRESS THE FIREFIGHTER ILLNESS SO IF IF I WERE A CHIEF WHERE YOU KNOW WHERE I JUST CAME FROM AND WE HAD AN INCIDENT WHERE WE THOUGHT THE STREET WAS BLOCKED OFF, THAT FIRST CALL WOULD COME TO WELL, LET ME TALK TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FIRST. SO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WE ALWAYS HAVE A PERSON ON DUTY. WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A DUTY OFFICER. SO THE DUTY OFFICER IS ACTIVE ON SLACK OR LIKE THE SLACK CHANNELS IF EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF THIS LECTURE. SO OUR DUTY OFFICER WOULD GET A PING PROBABLY FROM 311 THAT HEY OR THREE MORE WILL REACH OUT AND SAY WHAT THEY WOULD POST IN SLACK THAT WE HAVE RIGHT MAYBE BLOCK IT WE HAVE ROLLED OUT THE STREET BLOCK IS ON THE SCENE. OUR DUTY OFFICER WILL BE AWARE AND A DUTY OFFICER WOULD PROBABLY PICK MYSELF FOR THAT AND WE START HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND HEY, WHO WHO DO WE NEED TO NOTIFY AT THIS POINT? AND THEN THOSE CONVERSATIONS OBVIOUSLY 311 THAT NOTIFICATION ALSO GOES TO POLICE OBVIOUSLY IN FIRE. BUT IN TERMS OF FIRE WHEN THEY SHOW UP AND THEY HAVE ROAD BLOCKAGES, THEIR FIRST CALL IS TO FIRE A LAW WHICH IS THEIR DISPATCHER AGENCY.  THAT DISPATCHER AGENCY IS THEN THEY FROM THERE THEY NEED POLICE. SO AS YOU GET ON SCENE WE WERE TRAINED AS OFFICERS OR ORDERS IN CHARGE HEY LOOK, ASSESS THE SITUATION AND ACQUIESCE TO THE NEEDED HELP AT THAT POINT. SO FIRST PERSON ON SCENE INCIDENT COMMANDER DETERMINES COMMAND OF THAT INCIDENT.  AT THAT POINT RECOGNITION IS THE KEY AND IF THE FIRE COMMISSIONER WERE HERE HE WOULD TELL YOU THAT THEY ARE WELL-TRAINED IN RECOGNITION SO RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU NEED FOR RESOURCES AT THAT POINT. SO ONCE THEY START THE CALL HE CALLS THE DISPATCHER HE NEEDS HELP. WE'VE GOT WE NEED POLICE.  WE'VE GOT TO SCENE. THAT'S WHERE THE MITIGATION START EARLY RECOGNITION AND AND I CAN'T STRESS IT ENOUGH THAT IF WE IF WE RECOGNIZE THE NEED EARLY ENOUGH THEN THAT ELDERLY LADY THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO GET TO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL EVENT IT'S THE EARLY RECOGNITION YEAH EVERY EVERY SECOND COUNTS NO THANK YOU CHIEF FOR THE RESPONSE. LET ME ASK YOU ONE ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION AND IT'S IT'S MORE GEARED TOWARDS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUT I KNOW I KNOW YOU CAN ANSWER IT ALSO AND IT'S AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT QUESTION AS WELL.  I MENTIONED THAT I REPRESENT PART OF THE SELF AND I LOVE THE SELF AND WHAT SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES TO THE STREETS IN THE SOUTH AND PARTICULARLY MAYBE MAYBE FROM ON STREAM WHERE THEY WERE THE SIDEWALK WAS PUMPED OUT. WHAT WERE THE BIKE LANE WAS BIKE BUMPED OUT AND AND THEN THE SIDEWALK OR THE LITTLE AREA . BUT ANYWAY MY POINT IS ONE FIREFIGHTER HAS SAID TO ME AND HE'S VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS THAT THERE ARE PARTICULAR PLACES IN THE SOUTH AND WHERE A FIRE TRUCK IF IT PULLS UP THE LADDER CANNOT REACH THE TOP OF THE BUILDING AND THAT'S A MAJOR CONCERN A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN. OBVIOUSLY IT'S A IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN AS WELL AND ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT CHIEF AND I DO KNOW IT EXISTS IN KNOWING THAT IT EXISTS NOW IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO NOW TO ADDRESS IT TO HOPEFULLY ENSURE THAT THAT TYPE OF SCENARIO DOESN'T TAKE PLACE WHERE WE HAVE WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO FIND OUT IF THE LADDER CAN REACH THE BUILDING DURING A FIRE. LET'S KNOW NOW BUT CAN YOU GIVE ME ANY GUIDANCE BECAUSE I'M CONVINCED THAT THAT IS THE SCENARIO RIGHT NOW IN IF IT IS THE SCENARIO RIGHT NOW, LET'S LET'S ADDRESS IT AND MAKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES SO SO THAT DEADLY SCENARIO DOESN'T TAKE PLACE. I HAVE TO BE HONEST COUNSELOR, TO SPEAK ON THE CAPABILITIES OF THE FIRE APPARATUS AT THIS JUNCTURE MY CAREER THAT'S PROBABLY A QUESTION FOR THE FIRE COMMISSIONER OR SO MYSELF. NO, THAT'S THAT'S FAIR. THAT'S FAIR. THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS I I'VE WANTED TO HAVE THE FIRE COMMISSIONER YEAH BUT BUT I DO RESPECT THE WORK YOU HAVE THAT YOU ARE DOING. THANK YOU AGAIN.  WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS FOR SHOWING UP FOR SHOWING RESPECT TO THIS CITY COUNCIL AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING.  I AM ALSO DISAPPOINTED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENT HEADS HERE THAT COULD HAVE HELPED US ANSWER THOSE PARTICULAR QUESTIONS.  I ALSO I ALSO WISH MY MORE OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE ENGAGED IN THIS ISSUE. IT'S AN ISSUE THAT IMPACTS EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS THE CITY IN NOT SHOWING UP WHEN WE HAVE EXPERTS HERE IT DOESN'T REALLY SET A POSITIVE EXAMPLE THAT WE TAKE. WE TAKE THESE ISSUES ALL THAT SERIOUSLY. JUST JUST MY OPINION.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN HOUSE PREPARED YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. I THINK THAT WE ON ON THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC AND ONE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT EVERY DAY AS IT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE IN OUR CITY. I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING IN SPANISH BECAUSE I DO HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE WATCHING THE HEARING SO CAN THEY HELP US? I WORK THROUGH THEM WITH WHERE THEY CAN LOOK I MEAN RATIONAL CAN THEY SUPPORT A GATHERING PROCESS OF LOUIS FARRAKHAN? NO. TO THE EVENT TO THE FESTIVAL OF AN OPERA THAT THIS IS DONE SIGURO UK TEPPANYAKI DIDN'T WANT A REPRESENTATION FOR THE PADDOCK MUTILATING ONE EVENT OR MOVIE PROPERTY OR THE RENTALS I USE.  I WAS JUST TELLING THEM THAT WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ALL HAVE A SUCCESSFUL THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATIONS ARE THAT THEY FEEL SUPPORTED BY US BUT THAT'S IT. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER THEN IN GREAT SPANISH BY THE WAY COUNCILOR FOR AN ANNOTATED YOU HAVE THE FLOOR IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. I WAS I WAS IMPRESSED I GUESS. MR CHAIR, IS IT OKAY IF I JUST CLARIFY THE PANELISTS AND SO THAT I CAN GEARED MY QUESTIONS ONLY TO WHO'S HERE, CORRECT? YEP. SO THE PRESS FREEDOM WAS HERE.  YEAH. AND FROM WHERE YEAH SO WE HAVE STARTING OVER HERE IN THIS CORNER RIGHT HERE WE HAVE MATTHEW CARNEY WHO'S THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. NEXT TO HIM WE HAVE CHIEF ADRIAN JORDAN WHO WAS THE CHIEF OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND WE HAVE COMPTON CALI WHICH REPRESENTS I DON'T KNOW THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND ALSO THE JURISDICTIONAL POINT OF CONTACT ON THE UIC. GREAT. THANK YOU.  AND THEN WE HAVE NOT PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION WE HAVE AT A CASH WHO'S THE PRESIDENT AND EXPERT BUT THE PRESIDENT FRONTIER SECURITY STRATEGIES AND AN EXPERT IN IN THIS FIELD SO THANK YOU YEAH I'M SORRY I'M NOT THE EXPERT IN THIS BUT IF I ASK A QUESTION AND IT JUST TO PASS IT'S OKAY TO HOW HOW IS ANYONE HERE THAT ACTUALLY WORKS ON THIS STRATEGIC PLANNING BEFORE EVENTS OR SECURITY OR ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY?  I WORK ON PLANNING EVENTS BUT NOT SO MUCH COMMUNICATING THE COMMUNITY. OKAY. THANK YOU.  AND I'M JUST GOING TO PUT ON RECORD AND HOPEFULLY WILL SUBMIT EMAILS TO THE RIGHT PERSON AND SPECIFICALLY I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ORGANIZERS FROM THESE COMMUNITIES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN PLANNING PROCESS FOR SECURITY PROTOCOLS AND I AM AWARE THAT THEY ARE ENGAGED BUT TO WHAT EXTENT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AND THEN HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT OUR ENFORCEMENT APPROACH IS CULTURALLY COMPETENT AND SENSITIVE TO THE DIVERSE POPULATIONS ATTENDING?  I ALLUDED TO CULTURAL COMMITTEE EARLIER AND THEN IF THIS IS FOR ANOTHER TEAM THAT'S OKAY TO DO WE DO WE DO ANY KIND OF CULTURAL COMPETENCY IN TERMS OF THE EVENT ITSELF BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S LIKE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF THERE'S JUST SO MANY I'M NOT THAT PERSON MA'AM, I'M SORRY. NO WORRIES.  THANK YOU. AND THEN WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT INCREASED LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE AT THESE EVENTS DOESN'T FURTHER ERODE TRUST? SO LIKE THE MORE POLICING AND THE APPEARANCE OF MORE POLICING CAN BE A BIT INTIMIDATING. AND HOW ARE WE IS THERE IS THERE ANY TYPE OF LIKE EFFORT TO OUTREACH OR ENGAGEMENT OR COMMUNICATION THAT PEOPLE CAN FEEL YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT IT IS AND YOU CAN FEEL SAFE AND YEAH, IT'S USUALLY IT'S USUALLY THE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES THAT DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF POLICE OFFICERS.  SO IT'S THE SIZE OF THE EVENT THAT USUALLY DETERMINES YOUR SIZE AND LENGTH OF THE EVENT TO SECURE IT AND POLICE IT. YEAH AND WITH THIS HEARING I MEAN I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE THERE'S A PRIORITY. WE ALL KNOW WE'LL BE UNDERSTAFFED OVER HERE BUT THIS IS A PRIORITY AND THEN YOU GET ENOUGH OFFICERS BUT THIS HEARING AND PARTICULARLY I'VE IF I HAVE IT CORRECT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY TO DISCUSS INCREASING LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO IF SO THAT SO THAT WE'RE NOT SHORT STAFFED OR SO THAT WE'RE NOT SO WE'RE PREPARED FOR LARGE EVENTS SO IF THERE IS A LARGE EVENT IN THE CITY WE WILL PULL PEOPLE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS GO HIRE. IN ADDITION TO. MM RIGHT YOU KNOW SO IT'S LIKE SECURITY OR OTHER SO THERE'S A MINIMUM MANNING THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE IN EACH ONE OF OUR 11 DISTRICTS. SO IF THERE WAS AN EVENT IN EAST BOSTON IF WE DID PULL PEOPLE FROM SAY SOUTH BOSTON TO ATTEND WE WOULD BACKFILL WITH OTHER OFFICERS IN SOUTH BOSTON IF WE SEND OFFICERS OVER SO WE DON'T PULL FROM ONE SECTION OF THE CITY TO PATROL OR HAVE A SPECIAL EVENT WITHOUT ENSURING THAT THE MINIMUM MANNING IS MET THROUGHOUT THE CITY NOW OKAY SO THEN THE QUESTION IS DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE ENOUGH OFFICERS TO TO ALWAYS DO THAT WITH THE INCREASE OF EVENTS OR ARE WE GOOD LIKE DO WE HAVE SO ABSOLVED AS HEARING? SO YEAH, THAT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION AND I'LL ANSWER IT THIS WAY THAT NO I DON'T THINK WE ARE I THINK WE'RE UNDERSTAFFED AND I THINK PEOPLE HAVE PULLED IN ON THEIR DAYS OFF TO FILL IN THOSE THOSE OTHER SPOTS. IT'S SO LET'S SAY HOW TO SATURDAY OFF AND THEN THERE WAS A SPECIAL LUNCH SOMEWHERE I MAY BE ORDERED IN TO WORK OVER IN A DISTRICT TO REPLACE THAT PERSON THAT'S WORKING SOMEONE SOMEWHERE ELSE. SO I JUST LOST MY DAY OFF SO SO I DON'T THINK IT'S AN ADEQUATE STAFFING LEVEL. I THINK WE'RE BELOW I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHEN I THINK ABOUT YOUR JOB I AM OF THE OPINION THAT YOU DON'T GET PAID ENOUGH AND IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND LIKE IT'S NOT THAT YOU I THINK I THINK OFFICERS SHOULD GET LESS OVERTIME AND MORE PAY SO THAT YOU JUST WORK A JOB AND YOU LIVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND YOU GO HOME AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY. I THINK WHEN YOU'RE INUNDATED OR YOU KNOW ADDED ON STRESS OF OVERTIME THEN THERE'S LIKE I DON'T KNOW IS THERE SLEEP DEPRIVATION? IS THERE OTHER TYPES OF ISSUES THAT A NORMAL HUMAN BEING WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON TOP OF EVERYTHING? AND SO OF COURSE YOU MAY GET AND YOU DO PEOPLE THAT ARE STRESSED OUT AND OVERWORKED AND SO DO YOU FEEL IT IS BETTER TO INCREASE HIRING MORE OFFICERS OR OKAY TO JUST CONTINUE TO OVERWORK PEOPLE IN OVERTIME PERSONALLY I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE MORE OFFICERS WITH LESS OVERTIME, RIGHT? BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID ABOUT THAT BALANCE AND I KNOW FROM READING STUDIES THAT THE LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR POLICE OFFICER IS LESS THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON. YEAH.  AND I THINK YOU'RE LIKE SORRY THIRD ON THE SUICIDE LIST FOR CORY THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS INTO POLICING RIGHT. SO ANY WAY YOU CAN INCREASE THE BALANCE OF LIFE OFF DUTY I WOULD ALWAYS BE FOR THAT PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY AND THEN AT A TRAUMA IS THAT YOU MAY EXPERIENCE VISCERAL OR JUST DIRECT THAT YOU HAVE TO MAYBE UNDER UNTREATED OR UNDIAGNOSED SORT OF TRAUMAS THAT YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THROUGHOUT THIS VERY HIGH STRESS JOB WHERE YOU VISCERALLY EXPERIENCE PEOPLE HAVING THIS BAD OPINION, NEGATIVE OPINION OF OFFICERS WHERE YOU JUST TRYING TO DO YOUR JOB YOU YOURSELF COULD BE A GOOD PERSON AND THE GENERAL SENSE OF COPS ARE BAD AND THEN HOW YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE WE HAVE LIKE SO MUCH WORK TO DO TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE BUILD THIS RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE SOMEHOW WE'RE ALL IMPACTED.  WHAT AFFECTS YOU AFFECTS ME. YOU HAVE TO GO HOME TO YOUR LIFE AND YET YOU'RE BEING GENERALIZED TO THE BAD PLAYERS AND NOW WE'RE SAYING NO, WE DON'T NEED NO MORE COPS. SO I SAY AGAIN OR OFFICERS ARE I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S DEROGATORY OR NOT. IT'S FINE. OKAY.  FIVE OH NO. AND SO SO FOR ME, YOU KNOW AND I KNOW ALL THE ADVOCATES THEY WILL COME AT ME BUT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN OF THIS OPINION. I'VE ALWAYS SAID MORE OFFICERS, MORE PAY NO OVERTIME, JUST RESPECT THEM AS INDIVIDUALS. GIVE THEM A JOB, RESPECT THAT THIS IS A VERY HARD JOB AND IF YOU ARE GETTING PAID I THINK IT'S LIKE 70 OR SOMETHING OR IN THE SEVENTIES OR EARLY SEVENTIES AND THEN YOU COMPARE THAT WITH OTHER CITY JOBS AND WHAT OTHER CITY JOBS HAVE TO DO FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF PAY I REALLY DON'T THINK IT'S EQUITABLE. I THINK IT'S KIND OF RIDICULOUS ACTUALLY. AND THEN WE HAVE THESE EXPECTATIONS OF YOU AND THEN SAY WELL COPS JUST SIT IN A CAR . NO, NO YOU DON'T. NO YOU DON'T. AND SO I AGAIN LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING MORE AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN BE OF SUPPORT AND THE OTHER QUESTIONS. I THINK THEY ALL SURROUND THE SORT OF LIKE COORDINATION AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY AND SHARING METRICS TO FOLLOW UP AND ENSURING EFFICACY. SO THROUGH THE CHAIR I WILL SUBMIT SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS FOR THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AGAIN MADAM COUNCILOR, THANK YOU FOR FILING AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING TAKEN IN. YEP, THANK YOU COUNCILOR AND YEAH I'LL SEND THOSE QUESTIONS ON THEIR ON THEIR BEHALF ALONGSIDE OF ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUES MAY HAVE.  SO WHEN I MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL GOOD ON QUESTIONS ALL RIGHT GREAT.  SO WITH THAT I DO WANT TO THANK OUR PANELISTS.  YEP. WE'RE GOING TO YEAH SO I'M JUST TAKING OUR PANELISTS NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PUBLIC TESTIMONY. I'VE BEEN INFORMED BY CENTRAL STAFF THAT WE HAVE ONE LONELY PERSON WHO WANTS TO TESTIFY IF YOU CAN JUST PLEASE JOHN IF YOU CAN JUST COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND THEN PLEASE SAY YOUR STATE YOUR NAME AND YOU'LL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO GIVE YOUR TESTIMONY . THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.  THANK YOU. COUNSELOR SANTANA AND MURPHY PEPEN, FLYNN, ANDERSON AND DURKIN.  FORTUNATELY I MISSED YESTERDAY'S MEETING WHICH WAS ALMOST AS IMPORTANT AS THIS MEETING.  I WATCHED THE WHOLE THING ON TV . I WAS IMPRESSED BY SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE SAFETY TO ME. WELL, I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE.  I SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER BUT THIS CHAMBER SHOULD BE FULL RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED I SPENT 30 YEARS IN THE BOSTON EDISON AS AN ELECTED UNION OFFICER AND MY PRIORITY BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENS IN THE POWER PLANTS AND THE UNDERGROUND AND THE OVERHEAD IS WHAT'S PRIORITY E TO ME SO SAFETY ME THANK YOU GENTLEMEN.  JORDAN KEARNEY IN CASH AND A MISSION A MISSION ONE OFFICER CURRENTLY THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE I ONLY WISH AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO IT TOO MUCH BUT THIS THE PRIORITY AND SAFETY RIGHT TO ME IN THIS IN THIS CITY IS THE STREETS, THE AUTOMOBILES AND THE TRAGEDIES THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH. AND I COULD GIVE YOU A LIST I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OFF FROM WHAT THIS BUT I WANT TO SNEAK IT IN THERE BECAUSE I'M HOPING TO BE AT A MEETING SOME DAY WHERE WE HAVE ALL THE FAMILIES THAT I KNOW THAT HAVE LOST LOVED ONES AND FORTUNATELY I'VE BEEN LUCKY BUT THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT I'VE GONE THROUGH AFTER THE TRAGEDIES ON THE STREETS AND I'LL JUST SAY THE LAST ONE I JUST GOT A CALL IF YOU DON'T MIND SOMETIMES I WISH THAT WE HAD 5 MINUTES AND THE COUNSELORS ONLY HAD THREE BUT BUT I JUST VISITED A GENTLEMAN WHO'S A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE AND HE LOST HIS NEPHEW. HE'S DEVASTATED IN THE ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED AT ANDREWS SQUARE AND SINCE THAT ACCIDENT AND KNOW THERE WERE PEOPLE HERE, THE COUNSELORS THAT WERE THERE AT THE THE TRAGEDY AND ALL AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT I COULDN'T GET THERE BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT GETS TOO EMOTIONAL AND I'M NOT I'M NOT A CITY COUNCILOR AND I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A GOOD WAY OF SPEAKING AND I'M NOT THAT GREAT OF A SPEAKER BUT I THIS FAMILY IS DEVASTATED AND I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING THE FIRST FEW DAYS AND THEN NOTHING ABOUT WHO THE PEOPLE WERE THAT CAME DOWN, THE WITNESSES SAID THERE WERE 70, 80, 90 MILES AN HOUR COMING DOWN KILLED THIS YOUNG MAN WHO HAD EVERYTHING TO LIVE FOR. HE PLAYED WITH MY FRIEND'S SONS. HE WENT OFF TO COLLEGE.  HE WAS INTO SCIENCE. I MEAN HIS WHOLE LIFE WAS AHEAD OF AND WE'RE HAVING PEOPLE NOW I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT MY TOWN SOUTH BOSTON. I COULD GIVE YOU A LIST AND I WISH THAT WE COULD GET THAT LIST IN THE FUTURE AND PRESENTED HERE AS TO THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIED JUST ON ELM STREET JUST ELM STREET ALONE FROM DAY BOULEVARD DOWN TO THE EDISON.  AND THEN IF YOU GO A LITTLE FURTHER YOU'RE AT PEBBLE PREBLE STREET WHERE YOUNG LADY GOT KILLED THERE.  I NEED TO SEE A MEETING ON THAT AND I NEED TO SEE A LOT MORE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE SEEN WELL MY GOOD FRIENDS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MY SON BY THE WAY MY NEPHEW WAS RETIRING TODAY AFTER HE'S 65 YEARS OLD IN HIS RETIREMENT OUT OF HE'S A CHIEF OF DISTRICT NOW I'M GOING DOWN THERE RIGHT FROM HERE WITH A LITTLE CUPCAKE AND A CANDLE AND JUST TO CONGRATULATE HIM HE WAS MY FIRST NEPHEW 65 YEARS AGO I WAS 15. I RAN DOWN THE STREET YELLING TO EVERYBODY I'M AN UNCLE SO I LOVED THIS MAN AND HE DID ALL THESE YEARS AND THE FIREMEN, THE POLICE, THE EMS, THE TRANSPORTATION, THE DEPARTMENT THEY WERE ALL MY HEROES IN MY DAY THE HEART BEAT OF THE CITY AND I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THIS. BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU GENTLEMEN FOR BEING HERE.  I WISH THAT THERE WAS ALL THE COUNSELORS THAT HAD THINGS TO ASK AND SAY UNFORTUNATELY THIS CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE MORE PRIORITY BUT TO ME THIS CITY IF IT ISN'T SAFE SOMEBODY TURN OUT THE LIGHTS AND SEE YOU LATER. SO THAT'S I GUESS THAT'S ALL I WOULD I WOULD SAY YOU FOR LETTING ME GO ON FOR A COUPLE OF EXTRA MINUTES BUT HENRY YOU'RE ONE OF MY FAVORITES SO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CAPTAIN, COULD YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID ON THE SPANISH GUYS I MISSED A LITTLE BIT OF I'M ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THIS LONG AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY. YEAH. THANK JOHN. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOUR NEPHEW AND THANK YOU FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE CITY OF BOSTON. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US. ALL RIGHT. I WANT TO GIVE THE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT THE PANELIST WANT TO SAY I THINK IN CLOSING I THINK IN THE IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WHERE WE CAN BE A VICTIM OF OUR OWN SUCCESS, WE SPEND MONTHS WRITING A LOT OF PLANS THAT WE HOPE THAT WE WE DON'T EVER HAVE TO UTILIZE. WE IN THE LEAD UP TO THE BOSTON MARATHON THERE'S FAMILY REUNIFICATION PLANNING OF COURSE EVACUATION PLANNING AND EXERCISES THAT GO ON THAT WE HOPE JUST THE DAY OF NEVER GET TOUCHED AND THAT WE'RE NOT TALKED ABOUT DURING THOSE EVENTS AND WE SEE RECENTLY THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION PUTTING A PAUSE ON ON FEDERAL GRANTS. THIS IS KIND OF A REMINDER OF OUR RELIANCE ON THESE GRANTS TO FUND A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO AND PARTICULARLY THE STAFF THAT OPERATE WITHIN OUR OFFICE AND WHAT THAT COULD MEAN POTENTIALLY FOR THEM EITHER WITH EXISTING GRANTS OR FUTURE GRANTS AVAILABILITY.  I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE DO HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP AND PARTNERSHIPS. WE HAVE CROSSED DEPARTMENTS IN OUR WORK AT THE LOCAL STATE FEDERAL LEVEL. I APPRECIATE THAT THIS HEARING WAS BROUGHT ABOUT DUE TO RECENT EVENTS AND I THINK THAT THESE NEW EMERGING THREATS ARE ONES THAT WE CONTINUALLY NEED TO BE LOOKING AT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BETTER PREPARED FOR. THERE'S JUST AN OVERALL NEED AND I THINK I'LL DO IT EVERY TIME WE GET THE CHANCE TO BE INVITED SOMEWHERE TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND JUST ENSURING THAT OUR STAFF ARE FUNDED OUT OF THE CITY'S OPERATING BUDGET AND NOT RELY ON OR BEHOLDEN TO SOME OF THESE GRANTS THAT HAVE THESE DEADLINES AND END DATES. I APPRECIATE THE CONTINUED CONVERSATION AND BEING INVITED TO SPEAK. WE KNOW REALLY THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE FOR THIS INFORMATIVE CONVERSATION.  I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW MY COLLEAGUES AT THESE PLANTS FOREVER REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS TOPIC AND I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING FURTHER CONVERSATIONS ON THIS ISSUE. I WANT TO THANK THE PANELISTS MEMBERS, THE PUBLIC AT MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN TODAY'S HEARING AND SPECIAL THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR FOR PLANNING, COUNCILOR PREPARED AND FOR SPONSORING THIS HEARING AND I WANT TO THANK THE PANELISTS CHIEF STEWARD AND DEPUTY CHIEF CARTY HAPPY COLONY AND THEN PRESIDENT CASH FOR JOINING US WITH FRONTIER SECURITY STRATEGIES. REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR TIME WITH THAT. THIS HEARING ON DOCKET NUMBER 0163 IS ADJOURNED.  THANK YOU FOR