1 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: It's that time, time, time, time, luck and load. So 2 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Michael Verie Show is on the air. 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 2: You've heard Turn the Beat Around by Vicki Su Robinson, 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 2: Heaven on the Seventh Floor, The Freak by Chic Fly, 5 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 2: Robin Fly By, the Silver Connection, and now number five 6 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 2: on the station where the seventies survived, KB I L 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 2: L Y. 8 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 3: America is on the cosp of a new golden age. 9 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 3: But we will have the courage to seize it. We're 10 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,160 Speaker 3: going to take it. We're going to make it a current. 11 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 3: I mean, we're going to bring this into a golden 12 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 3: age like never seen before. 13 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 4: To win with every single facet. We're gonna win so much. 14 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 4: You may even get tired of winning, and you'll say, please, please, 15 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 4: it's too much winning. We can't take it anymore, mister President, 16 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 4: it's too much. And I'll say, no, it isn't. We 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 4: have to keep winning. We have to win more. We're 18 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 4: gonna win more. We're gonna win so much. 19 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 5: It's understated. 20 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 6: It's understated. 21 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 2: It's understaying. 22 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 3: And we will restore and renovate our nations once great cities, 23 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 3: making them safe, clean and beautiful again. 24 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 6: We are Americans. 25 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 3: Ambition is our heritage. Greatness is our birthright. But as 26 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 3: long as our energies are spent fighting each other, our 27 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 3: destiny will remain out of reach. 28 00:01:58,400 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 7: And that's not acceptable. 29 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 3: We must instead take that energy and use it to 30 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 3: realize our country's true potential and write our own thrilling 31 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 3: chapter of the American story. 32 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 4: We can do it together. 33 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 5: We will unite. We are going to come together. 34 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 6: And success will bring us together. It's understanding, it's understated. 35 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:35,399 Speaker 6: It's understanding. 36 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 5: It's not understaying. 37 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 6: Oh you haven't heard. 38 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 4: The years of war, weakness and chaos will be over. 39 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,959 Speaker 3: I don't have wars. I had no wars other than Isis, 40 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 3: which I defeated, but that was a war that was started. 41 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 5: We had no wars. 42 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 3: I could stop wars with a telephone call. Just a 43 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 3: few short days ago, my journey with you you nearly ended. 44 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 3: We know that, and yet here we are tonight, all 45 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 3: gathered together, talking about the future, promise, and a total 46 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 3: renewal of a thing we love very much. It's called America. 47 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 8: We live in a. 48 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 6: World of miracles. 49 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 3: None of us knows God's plan or where life's adventure 50 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 3: will take us. 51 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 6: The village people will be performing at President Trump's inauguration. 52 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 6: With less than a week before that inauguration a week 53 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 6: from yesterday, Confirmation hearings today begin for Trump cabinet picks 54 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 6: Doug Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Pete 55 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 6: Hegseth Department of Defense, and Doug Burgham the Department the 56 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 6: Interior Department. But let's start local, shall we. Amy Davis 57 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 6: continues her fantastic investigation into the rampant corruption at the 58 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 6: Houston House Authority. What she has uncovered, and she has 59 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 6: done some wonderful work on this investigative series begins here. 60 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 7: Joey Uptown in the Galleria was a favorite lunch spot 61 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 7: for Houston Housing Authority executive leadership. In December of twenty three, 62 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,559 Speaker 7: thirteen of them enjoyed lobster tail, ribbis and cheesecake, racking 63 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 7: up an eleven hundred and fifty three dollars tap. Two 64 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 7: days earlier another Christmas lunch and at the Warwick just 65 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 7: under four hundred dollars a two hour cocktail reception that 66 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 7: same month That King Ranch, Texas costs you more than 67 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 7: seven thousand, six hundred dollars. But if you miss those, 68 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 7: all HHA employees were invited to a holiday party at 69 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 7: the gallery a week later that costs more than eight 70 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 7: thousand dollars, and an end of year employee appreciation lunch 71 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 7: from Popados. We found a catered lunch from Papasitos for 72 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 7: Unity Day lass August that added up to more than 73 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 7: ten thousand bucks. These expenses are just a handful of 74 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 7: the t charges we noted reviewing HHA credit card statements 75 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 7: for five employees, like chair massages of the office in 76 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 7: September that costs twenty three hundred dollars. It's a small 77 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 7: fortune for senior Janet Hoffart who's facing eviction. What does 78 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 7: twenty three hundred dollars mean to you? 79 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 9: It means a lot. It means almost two rents, a 80 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 9: few months of rent pain. 81 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 6: It's a mindset, you see. It's a certain group of 82 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 6: people that are put in by a certain group of people, 83 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 6: and they recruit a certain group of people and they 84 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 6: all self deal. Houston Housing Authority, Midtown Tours. You saw 85 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 6: this story. There are more indictments at another ters' tax 86 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 6: Increment Reinvestment Zone. The idea was you would have blighted areas. 87 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 6: That was the term in the law and the legislation, 88 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 6: you would have blighted areas and it would create a 89 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 6: hotspot that the city would try to boost some growth 90 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 6: and development there. And as the growth and development occurred, 91 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 6: then the incremental marginal increase in value in the properties 92 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 6: in that area it was supposed to be primarily commercial, 93 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 6: they would be paying more in taxes because they would 94 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 6: be worth more, and that money would be reinvested into 95 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 6: only that area. They wouldn't have to pay for things 96 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 6: that the rest of the city shared in like police 97 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 6: and fire and roads and water in Houston Housing Authority. Well, 98 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 6: what happened was these tours is became their own powerful entity, 99 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 6: a city within a city, and so you had the 100 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 6: ters Is, the Midtown, Green's Point uptown, and they became 101 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 6: politically very powerful, and as a result, they kept the 102 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 6: money that came through that little region and the rest 103 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 6: of the city was left to suffer. I read yesterday 104 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 6: twelve point four million dollar area to be built in 105 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 6: downtown because we're having a big soccer tournament. Oh yip bie, 106 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 6: where does that money come from? Because if you want 107 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 6: twelve point four million dollars to upgrade your little area 108 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 6: wherever you are in the city of Houston, well, we 109 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 6: don't manage to find that money. But we're having a 110 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 6: soccer tournament, and so we're going to spend all this 111 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 6: money in downtown. But don't worry that twelve point four 112 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 6: has a multiplier of I don't know, eighty billion, trillion, 113 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 6: gazillion dollars. It doesn't matter because the numbers made up 114 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 6: in the first place. I was on a city council 115 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 6: when they told us how many hundred million dollars the 116 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 6: super Bowl was going to bring in. It doesn't a 117 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 6: few bars see an increase, but when you look at 118 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 6: what the city has to spend prior to that. But 119 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 6: you got these certain boosters who get varies. It's the 120 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 6: same crowd it's been trying to bring the Olympics here, 121 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 6: same crowd that tries to bring all the big games. 122 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 6: And they tell us all this is economic benefit. If 123 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 6: you knew how many salaries are spent, you know, they 124 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 6: have to go to the super Bowl. Before that, of 125 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 6: course they got to go out for these nice dinners. 126 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 6: Of course they're gonna traveled all these Vegas conventions, you know. 127 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 6: But that's just to get us ready because this is 128 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 6: gonna be good for Houston, world class. That way, that 129 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 6: everyone's Internet listener Bobby asked the question, I wonder if 130 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 6: those Houston Housing Authority grand pooh bahs who were who 131 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,319 Speaker 6: were spending so many thousands of dollars at Papado and 132 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:55,439 Speaker 6: Bob Asido's King Ranch Texas and other nice restaurants. 133 00:08:55,760 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: I wonder if they tipped because they're crazy with your money. 134 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:07,079 Speaker 1: But let's don't go too far. You're not gonna tip, 135 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 1: just on principle. 136 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,839 Speaker 6: Part two of Amy Davis's report about how your tax 137 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 6: dollars are spent at the Houston Housing Authority and beyond. 138 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 7: Seems Houston Housing Authority executives didn't really believe in those 139 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 7: basic budgeting principles in the months leading up to the 140 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,199 Speaker 7: big revelation that they're broke. Have you ever been to 141 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 7: Stake forty eight The cheapest entree on the menu is 142 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 7: forty eight bucks. Kind of a special occasion kind of 143 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,839 Speaker 7: place unless you're the senior policy advisor and assistant to 144 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 7: the HHA President. Nashawn Edwards only had a Housing Authority 145 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,079 Speaker 7: credit card for nine months in twenty twenty four. In 146 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 7: that time, he racked up more than nine thousand dollars 147 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 7: eating out he ate at Stake forty eight six times. 148 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 7: Dinner for two in March costs you five hundred and 149 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 7: eighty two dollars. This receipt is a little hard to read, 150 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 7: but we can see Edwards and guest had the butcher's 151 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 7: cut with Alaskan king krab legs, scallops and sea bass. 152 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 7: Another meal here in June cost twelve hundred and fifty 153 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 7: four dollars. That would have paid Janet Hoffert's rent and 154 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 7: then some. Instead, she's facing eviction. 155 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 9: I made like sixteen hundred a month on total Disability 156 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 9: Social Security, and that's just not enough for the rent 157 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 9: and the bills that had to pay to let Christy 158 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 9: Bill is like two hundred dollars. 159 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 7: Janet, like thousands of other Houston senior citizens, is. 160 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 10: Struggling to make ends meet. 161 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 7: More than eighteen thousand people are waiting for an HHA 162 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 7: housing voucher that would help defray the cost of their rent, 163 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,839 Speaker 7: but HHA President and CEO David Northern said in February 164 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 7: there is no more money for vouchers. Norther resigned in 165 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:54,719 Speaker 7: November and his assistant Nashwan Edwards did too. Both got 166 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:58,599 Speaker 7: generous settlements to just go, but before they left, we 167 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 7: had asked to see all of the HHA credit card 168 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,719 Speaker 7: statements assigned to employees going back to the beginning of 169 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 7: twenty twenty three. What we found in these records wild 170 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 7: spending by just five employees who had credit cards. Between them, 171 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 7: they charged up more than half a million dollars from 172 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 7: January of twenty three to September of twenty twenty four, 173 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 7: twenty one months. About one hundred thousand dollars of that 174 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 7: paid for travel, dozens of airline tickets and expensive hotels. 175 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 7: David Northern was jet setting across the country sometimes three 176 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 7: times a month. 177 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,839 Speaker 9: I mean, what is he traveling for? I mean, you know, 178 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 9: what are they doing that far when they're not taking 179 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 9: the priority of helping their people, you know, helping them 180 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 9: one to sign up for them. 181 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 7: Where exactly did they go? We saw a lot of 182 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 7: travel for housing, conferences and meetings, but in November of 183 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 7: twenty three, Northern made a trip to Chicago to attend 184 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,719 Speaker 7: the Obama Foundation Democracy Forum. This wasn't about housing, but 185 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 7: with Northern's airline ticket, hotel, and rental car, this trip 186 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 7: costs taxpayers nearly three thousand dollars, and all that travel 187 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 7: can be stressful. That maybe why Northern ordered more than 188 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 7: two thousand dollars of workout equipment delivered to AHHA offices 189 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 7: on Fountain View. We asked HJA Chairman Jody Prohler if 190 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 7: taxpayers will ever get that money back. He told us 191 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,319 Speaker 7: the board deducted more than sixty five hundred dollars from 192 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,959 Speaker 7: Edward's final paycheck when he left in November. Northern had 193 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 7: no deductions. And when I asked who should have been 194 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,559 Speaker 7: reviewing the card purchases to make sure the expenses were authorized, 195 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 7: and HHA spokesperson said that would have been the direct 196 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 7: supervisor of the employee using the credit card. Edwards direct 197 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 7: supervisor was Northern, and Northern was the president. So how 198 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 7: does the new HHA board appointed by Mayor Whitmeyer make 199 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 7: sure this doesn't happen again. They say they do regular 200 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 7: audits and reviews of expenditures, and that the board will 201 00:12:57,200 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 7: vote on a new credit card use policy at its 202 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 7: Febuary Wary Board meeting. 203 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 5: Hmm. 204 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:09,959 Speaker 6: I proposed eighty two tax cuts to the City of 205 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:15,319 Speaker 6: Houston individual budget amendments, and boy did the department's screech. 206 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 6: And they would all tell you we were already down 207 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:26,319 Speaker 6: to the bone. There's no meat on the bone. The 208 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 6: citizens are gonna suffer, Well, they're not. The people who 209 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 6: are gonna suffer are David Northern and Nashon Edwards. I 210 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 6: didn't have any Nashons at my school, Ramon, did you? 211 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 6: I looked how in a apostrophe capital sho n Nashon 212 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:53,599 Speaker 6: and I looked up. I don't know any famous Nashons 213 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 6: through history. I don't know if it's Nashon. Sometimes that'll 214 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 6: be a long a for no good reason, Nashon or 215 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 6: Nashwan Edwards. But he's been living large. I mean they're 216 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 6: going to conferences and they had to spend over ten 217 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 6: thousand dollars on a catered lunch for Unity Day because 218 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 6: one thing we want to make sure for the Houston 219 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 6: Housing Authority is that we have sufficient unity the end 220 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 6: of a year employee appreciation because we want to thank 221 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 6: them for all the money they've been spending a two 222 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 6: hour cocktail reception for over seventy six hundred dollars. Wow, 223 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 6: I hope y'all had some talent there for that kind 224 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 6: of money and they just rolled it into the bill. 225 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 6: How does that look? Hey, honey, think we could go 226 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 6: to a nice hotel when we're done here? Sure, how 227 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 6: much you got? How much you need? I got the 228 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 6: HJ card. I just have to pay you by credit card. 229 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 6: How do you spend seventy six hundred dollars on a 230 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 6: two cocktail party? One popular spot was Joey Uptown in 231 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 6: the Galleria, where in December of twenty twenty three, thirteen 232 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 6: HHA leaders enjoyed a lavish meal including lobster tail and 233 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 6: ribbis for a total of eleven fifty three Do you 234 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 6: eat lobster tail and rabbis? These people are at the 235 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 6: Houston Housing Authority. That's where you provide vouchers for supposedly 236 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 6: poor or politically connected people to have free rent. And 237 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 6: you're out. This is every level of government, folks. Do 238 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 6: you see this Michael Berry show in Now you're just 239 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 6: going gay artists? Okay, he was gay, or so goes 240 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 6: the rumor. The State House will begin proceedings to elect 241 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 6: a speaker today at noon. We'll get to that in 242 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 6: just a moment, but we start with the story we 243 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 6: brought you yesterday. Actually it's ABC thirteen's version, and that 244 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 6: is that in the Houston Forensic Science Center property room 245 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 6: for the Houston Police Department, they have left the dope 246 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 6: out and the rats have broken in and they're getting 247 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 6: off on the dope. They're eat up with the dope. 248 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 6: The rats are laying around, eat up with the dope. 249 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 6: I'm not kidding. There's not a punchline here, it's a fact. 250 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 6: ABC thirteen had the story. 251 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 10: A short tour of the HPD property room shows a 252 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 10: cramped space bursting at the seams, with one point two 253 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 10: million pieces of evidence, thousands of bikes, rows of old tires, 254 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:13,360 Speaker 10: case files, old safes and luggage, and thousands of pounds 255 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 10: of drugs. 256 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 6: We got four hundred thousand. 257 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 3: Pounds of marijuana in storage that the rats are the 258 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 3: only ones that join it. 259 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 8: So let's go to work. 260 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 10: The mayor seemingly cracking a joke but really revealing a problem. 261 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 5: They've had professional exterminators involved, but this is difficult getting 262 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 5: these rodents out of there. I mean, think about it. 263 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 5: They're drug addicted rats. They're tough to deal with. 264 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 10: The Houston Forensic Science Centers doctor Peter Stout saying it's 265 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:49,880 Speaker 10: an issue. Many property rooms face. 266 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 5: Rodents, bugs and fungus, all kinds of things. Love drugs. 267 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:57,119 Speaker 10: Houston Police Chief no ideas it says they first discovered 268 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:01,160 Speaker 10: rodents among drug evidence in October, but says the problem 269 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 10: is confined. 270 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 11: We don't have an issue with current evidence. It is 271 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 11: the old evidence that's being stored near the current evidence 272 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 11: that's still pending. 273 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 5: The legal process. 274 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 12: How do the rats know what is a new case 275 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 12: and an old case? 276 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:23,159 Speaker 10: Joe Venus is the president of the Harris County Criminal 277 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:24,400 Speaker 10: Lawyers Association. 278 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:25,159 Speaker 5: They know. 279 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:28,199 Speaker 12: Can they read the labels on the boxes and say, oh, 280 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 12: you know, they don't need these drugs anymore, Let's go 281 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 12: have a party. 282 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 10: Venus has seen numerous crime lab and property room issues 283 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 10: over the years. This, he says, is just one more. 284 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 10: Could cases be compromised. 285 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 12: Sure, anytime evidence is compromised, than the case is potentially compromised. 286 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 10: The District Attorney's office going through old cases to see 287 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 10: what can be purged and providing funds to destroy old drugs. 288 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,239 Speaker 5: We will be destroying any narcotics evidence that has been 289 00:18:57,320 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 5: obtained prior to twenty fifteen. 290 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:02,200 Speaker 6: Venus, if this is just the tip of the ice park, 291 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 6: I mean you. 292 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 12: Find a rat hole, you know where they chewed a 293 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 12: hole in the wall. They could be anywhere in the 294 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 12: interior of that building. 295 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 8: Who do these things? 296 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 6: Who do these rats think they are. They're partying like 297 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 6: they work for the Houston Housing Authority. 298 00:19:25,680 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 12: The rats eating are marijuana. They're all high. I am like, 299 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 12: I was gonna go. 300 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 9: It's like it's like Anna yet, but I gotta. 301 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 6: Taking it makes the listed and. 302 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 3: Can I go? 303 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 12: They can I go? 304 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 4: I was gonna go, let's go, you like gonna. 305 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 12: I was gonna name my. 306 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 9: Chi support, but then I gotta he went thread patna 307 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 9: the like. 308 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 7: Was they gonna. 309 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 12: Was? 310 00:20:57,720 --> 00:20:59,919 Speaker 5: I was gonna like over a stock. 311 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 6: Houston Chronicle reports in addition to the story, they are 312 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:31,640 Speaker 6: also getting high on eating mushrooms. Rats nearly compromise Houston 313 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 6: police case after eating mushroom evidence. More cases at risk. 314 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 6: Houston Police officers Unions Doug Griffith has been sounding the 315 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 6: alarm about the rat problem since twenty twenty three. The 316 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 6: Houston Chronicle reports a purported rat colony in a downtown 317 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 6: Houston police property room ate some mushrooms intended as evidence 318 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 6: against two defendants. Prosecutors on Monday said warning at least 319 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:06,880 Speaker 6: thirty six hundred additional cases may be at risk of contamination. 320 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 6: Prosecutors told a host of criminal defense lawyers that the 321 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 6: thousands of pending criminal cases have evidence in the vermin 322 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 6: infested room at the Houston Police Department twenty eight story 323 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,200 Speaker 6: high rise. The warning came in a Monday notice required 324 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 6: under the Michael Morton Act, days after city and county 325 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 6: leaders addressed a growing issue of rats in a property 326 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:35,720 Speaker 6: room teeming with evidence in old and new cases. The 327 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 6: rats managed to eat their way into a drug cash 328 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 6: at twelve hundred Travis linked to two arrests, but these 329 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 6: prosecutions are expected to continue, said Joshua Rice's General Council 330 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 6: for the Harris County District Attorney's Office. The mushrooms are 331 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 6: still there. Rice said it got into the packaging and 332 00:22:55,680 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 6: ate some of the organic material. Impacted case stems of 333 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:06,359 Speaker 6: mushrooms and other drugs. According to court documents. Oh, sorry, 334 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 6: the impacted case stems from an October twenty twenty eight. 335 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 6: I thought that was the stem of the mushroom. Does 336 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 6: a mushroom have a stem? 337 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 8: Oh? 338 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 5: I don't know. 339 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 6: Okay, Well, now I'll have to hear about it. Yeah, don't. 340 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 6: I'm not really sure on how the mushrooms work and 341 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 6: how the dope works. I'm not opposed to it. I 342 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 6: don't want you to get the idea I'm trying to 343 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:35,679 Speaker 6: be prudish, just not my thing. Rice didn't know how 344 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 6: much the past eight but the package will be weighed 345 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,159 Speaker 6: at some point to determine the difference, he said. Doug Griffith, 346 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 6: Houston Police Officers Union president, complained as early as twenty 347 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 6: twenty three about the trove of evidence filling the twenty 348 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:52,400 Speaker 6: fifth floor property room where he said the rats live. 349 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 6: He distributed photos of trash bags stuffed with drugs and 350 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 6: other seized items filling shelves and being stacked on the floor. 351 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 6: He thinks the drugs should be stored elsewhere. We're bulging 352 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:06,640 Speaker 6: at the seams now. 353 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:10,679 Speaker 5: Griff of set bunch of redesigner items including men suits, 354 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 5: sports codes, dress shirts, slacks, shoes and belts, Herald's in 355 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:16,640 Speaker 5: the Heights and Michael Verry Show. 356 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 6: This is about Ben the rat well that went over 357 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:26,160 Speaker 6: my head, that's probably going over half the audience's head. 358 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 6: Doug Griffith is president of the Houston Police Officer Doug, 359 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 6: did you know this was about Ben the rat? 360 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:33,680 Speaker 1: Judge advocates General. 361 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 6: While I don't know what it was, but it was horrible. 362 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 8: Come over, moan, you could do better, Doug. 363 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 6: I couldn't hear you? 364 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:45,120 Speaker 5: Hello? 365 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 6: Yeah? Did you know that song was about a rat? 366 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 8: Had no clue. 367 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 6: Doug Griffith is the president of the Houston Police Officers Union. 368 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 6: On this question of the property room, you're getting credit 369 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 6: for having brought this up as far back as twenty 370 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 6: twenty three that there's a bunch of dope in the 371 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 6: property room and rats are gonna or already were getting 372 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:09,640 Speaker 6: in there and getting high. So who did you tell 373 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 6: about this and why don't they do anything about it? 374 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 8: Well, we had taken it to the mayor at the 375 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:19,920 Speaker 8: time we took it to the media. That's actually the 376 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 8: time I was calling for doctor Stout to resign because 377 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 8: all of that is supposed to be a control of 378 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 8: the Forensic Science Center, and it is not. It is 379 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 8: on the twenty fifth floor of twelve hundred Travis, which 380 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:37,119 Speaker 8: is not suited for that kind of activity. It's just not. 381 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 8: It was a commercial building. Now they've built it out 382 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:44,920 Speaker 8: for to hold all these narcotics, and it is unbelievable 383 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:47,400 Speaker 8: when you walk through there. There are places you can't 384 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 8: even walk in that floor because there's just piles and 385 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 8: piles and piles of narcotics. And not only that, but 386 00:25:55,760 --> 00:26:00,119 Speaker 8: you've got to think there's narcotics like powder, cocaine and 387 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 8: all all these other items that are in the building 388 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 8: with our top brass. It should not be there at. 389 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 6: All, if for no other reasons, you're asking for a 390 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:16,160 Speaker 6: problem to be accused, for somebody in the top brass 391 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 6: to be accused of some of it coming up missing, hit. 392 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 9: It on the rats. 393 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 6: We just we could have got away for it, whether 394 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,720 Speaker 6: if it wasn't for you pesky kids. This is a 395 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 6: bad Scooby Doo episode. 396 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:35,640 Speaker 8: I could not believe you just reference Scooby doos. 397 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 6: That's all Jug Griffith, President of the Houston Police Officers 398 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 6: udon tell me this. So is this dope even bagged 399 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:44,680 Speaker 6: and tagged? And if it is, it's just sitting in 400 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,639 Speaker 6: the hallway. What would you look on there is a 401 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:53,640 Speaker 6: scan code? I mean, honestly, this sounds really, really, really sloppy. 402 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 8: It's not that it's sloppy. We're just overrun with narcotics 403 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 8: that we can't get rid of. There's stuff there from 404 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 8: nineteen ninety two and ninety three when I first come 405 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 8: on a department. 406 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 6: So you know what we do at my house when 407 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 6: we have the probably we have a garage sale. Aren't 408 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:17,160 Speaker 6: y'all up for a contract anyway? Have a garage sale? 409 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 6: Pay the officers. Have y'all started your contract negotiations, by 410 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 6: the way, we have not. When does that happen? 411 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 9: We hope to. 412 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 8: We hope to very soon. The Mayor's been in contact 413 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 8: and we need to start working on something. You know, 414 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 8: there's budgetary concerns coming up for we have to have 415 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:36,920 Speaker 8: the budget set by may I believe it is, so 416 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 8: we would need something in place before that. So I'm 417 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 8: sure we're going to ramp up here pretty quickly. But 418 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,880 Speaker 8: I'm confident, you know, Will and Nelson may be interested 419 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 8: in a four hundred thousand towns of marijuana we have 420 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:48,879 Speaker 8: up there. 421 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 6: Well. Ray Hunt and I have argued over this for 422 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 6: quite a long time. I'm gonna go after the violent 423 00:27:55,880 --> 00:28:00,639 Speaker 6: criminals and the pedophiles, the really bad guy instead of 424 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 6: the guy with. 425 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 5: A little dope. 426 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 6: But we can disagree on that. But sloppy police work, 427 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 6: there's no. 428 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 8: Excuse for that. 429 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 6: There's just no excuse. My understanding officers down there have 430 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 6: told me, y'all don't want to be in this business, 431 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 6: and that this goes all the way back to Pat 432 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 6: Lekos's DA refusing to let it go. I mean, what 433 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 6: would you do? What would be your ideal plan? 434 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 8: Well, first of all, I'm a firm believer that we 435 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 8: might as well just legalize it and tax the fire 436 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,199 Speaker 8: out of it like we dose cigarettes. I've never had 437 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 8: to fight a guy smoking marijuana. Whiskey, absolutely, but marijuana, no. 438 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 8: I bangled, you know, throw some chips in the back 439 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:39,760 Speaker 8: seat there right in there. 440 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 6: My brother I used to tell me the exact same thing, 441 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 6: and he was a narcotics office. She's telling me exact 442 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 6: same absolutely. Well, now don't get in Barchos. 443 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 8: No, absolutely not. But let me tell you this. The 444 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 8: reason this all came about is we were having cases 445 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 8: come through the airport sixty and seventy pounds at a 446 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 8: time that we would take down tag wait for the 447 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 8: case to go through. The DA's office would dismiss the 448 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 8: case because they wouldn't get the testing back in time. 449 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 8: So after a year they would fileow motion and they 450 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 8: would released the individual from the charges, and then we 451 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 8: still have this seventy eighty pounds. And this was happening. 452 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:26,120 Speaker 8: I had a case file over one hundred cases in 453 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 8: a six month period and all were dismissed. With sixty 454 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 8: to eighty pounds of marijuana. So that was where the 455 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:35,479 Speaker 8: problem was coming in, and it just kept piling up 456 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:35,960 Speaker 8: in our ear. 457 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 6: Because we're not talking about recreational use anymore. We're talking 458 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:40,440 Speaker 6: about distribution, and it's. 459 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 8: Correct, we're talking about a large qualities. 460 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 6: And then we've got absolutely then we've got a case 461 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 6: of mushrooms as well. I guess the same thing. The 462 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:48,479 Speaker 6: mushrooms are in the hallway. 463 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 8: Well, like I said, they're on shelves stacked around. There's 464 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 8: some that are in the aisles, Like when you have 465 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 8: garbage backs full of it, you've got no where you 466 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 8: can put it. Don't fit on a shelf, it's just 467 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 8: stuck in there. Now it's bar coded, it goes to 468 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 8: a case. We know what case it goes to. All 469 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 8: that's legitimate. Everything that they've done to tag it is legitimate. 470 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:14,960 Speaker 8: Everything we've done to hold it is legitimate. The problem 471 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 8: is we've got so much we can't control it, so 472 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 8: they have to find another location for it. We spend 473 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 8: an exorbitant amount of money every year on the forensic 474 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 8: Science Center. That's their job. Why is it not with them? 475 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 5: Doug? 476 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 6: I don't know how long you've been on the department. 477 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 6: But I go back to Houston City Council as early 478 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:37,959 Speaker 6: at two thousand and one, and we had a leaky 479 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 6: roof in the building that was storing rape and murder evidence. 480 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:47,959 Speaker 6: And when I found that out, I mean, and here 481 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 6: was Lee Brown, the mayor at the time, who'd been 482 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:53,479 Speaker 6: the former police chief, and I think, just horrible at 483 00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 6: everything he does, an absolute imbecile. He checks one box 484 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,040 Speaker 6: and that's why he fell upward into every position. And 485 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 6: so they bring in this guy, Michael Bramowitz, and he's 486 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,480 Speaker 6: going to be the expert. He's a nationally famous guide. 487 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 6: We're gonna throw money at this problem and make it 488 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 6: go away. And here we are over twenty years later, 489 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 6: and the same problem again. It drives me nuts. It 490 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 6: drives me nuts. My understanding is HPD wants out of 491 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:22,240 Speaker 6: this business and give it to Houston Forensic Science Center. 492 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 6: So Peter Stout could actually be responsible for. 493 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 8: Something absolutely, because it's still the backlog still there for 494 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 8: every type of evidence we have. You're still waiting a 495 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 8: year on DNA. Why why are we still waiting almost 496 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 8: a year and a half on to trace a gun 497 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 8: that was using a homicide. It's ridiculous. 498 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 6: Well, maybe they're out partying with the Houston Housing Authority 499 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 6: at Stake forty eight, spending seventy six hundred dollars on 500 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:53,959 Speaker 6: a two hour cocktail party. We'll leave that for another day. 501 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:58,640 Speaker 6: Chief noe Ds came in from Katie. My background check 502 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,400 Speaker 6: on him revealed people really like him, y'all haven't y'all 503 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 6: haven't gutted him yet. Are we still in the honeymoon 504 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 6: or what do you think about his leadership so far? 505 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 9: Oh? 506 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,160 Speaker 8: No, I think his leadership has been spot on. He's 507 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 8: surrounded himself with people that actually know what they're doing, 508 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 8: and it's been a breath of fresh air around here. 509 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 6: Officers tell me, and these are patrol officers that are 510 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 6: that are not you know, not not that don't work 511 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 6: at Travis Downtown, that he's a cops cop. That he says, 512 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 6: I'm here because you guys do their job, and unlike 513 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 6: some of the top brass before him, he doesn't need 514 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:35,720 Speaker 6: to be treated like a king. And we've had some 515 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 6: former police chiefs, as you know, with multiple take home 516 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 6: vehicles and a whole detail. And my understanding is he's 517 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:45,760 Speaker 6: a cops cop and that makes me happy. Doug Griffith, 518 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 6: thank you