Travis County Commssioners Court
December 30, 2003
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Item 20
[One moment please for change in captioners]
>>
>> ...Judge, I put this on the agenda because I knew there were citizens that needed more than three minutes and obviously the dare program has really surfaced since I think it's in today's paper and we've been talking about it for a while. So I really wanted ms. Turner to be able to come and have ample time to tell us what she wants to tell us with regards to the dare program. I know that I have spoken with ms. Tuer in my office. I think she has spoken with Commissioner Sonleitner.
>> e-mail.
>> or somebody has concerning the dare program. I just thought it necessitied more time to listen to peoe articulate their ideas and opinions about this. And obviously I'm here are the successor program. I'm not sure that I or anybody knows exactly what that program is. I know there have been things floated around with with regards to this could be a replacement, and I'm glad major pickering is here because I know he can enlighten us this morning, but that's what I was trying to accomplish this morning.
>> can I speak first?
>> go ahead.
>> first will all --
>> your name is?
>> my name is deborah turner. I would like to say this is not my speech so I don't want you to be worried, but I do have a purpose in bringing this paperwork up here with me. And I have some prepared thoughts for you today. Good morning. Commissioners and judge. My name is deborah turner and I am a parent of two elementary-aged children this the eanes school district. I'm here to talk about the dare program, drug abuse and resistance education program. Dare is being taught to fifth graders in Travis County by the deputies of the Travis County sheriff's department. These trained deputies spend 10 weeks at each school teaching the children about the dangers of drug, alcohol and tobacco use as well as responsible, safe and lawful behavior. They also accompany our students on a three-day camping adventure called live oak which students are taught team-building skills with an emphasis on dare and discuss real-life scenarios, peer pressure and consequences with their team teachers. Dare has a broader effect than just keepinour kids off of00 did you say substances. We use this program every day to reemphasize making good choices in every aspect of their lives. The dare program as we know it has been cut by the Travis County sheriff's dartment, which means that many schools in the spring will not have this opportunity nor will our fifth graders next year. This program was already cut in the middle schools last year and we have no high school or parent program. We are trying to hang on to the last possible piece of this critical experience for our students. Why is the program being cut? The sheriff's office I under great pressure to put more officers on the street on patrol. Therefore they will take our four dare officers off of dare. We understand that there is a great incentive to remove these dare officers based on matching funds programs which has been approved by the court. If the sheriff's office were to cut her budget and put more officers on patrol, that's four more officers on patrol, she would be given budge total match that and have eight officers on patrol. It difficult to compete with that kind of incentive. It is our belief that dare is crime prevention and that it is a proactive way of keeping the crime rate down due to drugs, alcohol and irresponsible behavior. This type of prevention leads to less money spent on corrections in the future. I have been briefed on the new fiscal demands being placed on the Travis County sheriff's budget. We understandhat many important programs are being cut. We would like to work with the court and the sheriff's office to maintain the dare program and be willing to devote great energy into funding it together. I will address this joint effort further in my presentation. What does dare mean to our schools? The dare program means so much to our parents and students that I have over 800 sned letters here with me from only three of our six elementary schools. Campuses. I also have a signed petition from our middle school which was entirely unshreusz solicited. More letters are coming in January by the hundred. Does dare work? There are available statistics on the effectiveness of dare. Our research indicates that in Texas the program is highly successful, and I have equally compelling statistics from four other states. The negative statistics I have been shown to down play the importance of dare are all linked to organizations looking to reform or legalize drug laws. Or they are from the innercity programs which do not dectly relate to this community issue. What is the cost of the program? We first heard in September of the dare program being canceled. Since then we have corresponded with commission Commissioners, margo frazier and our school district. In November margo fraser offered to contract these svices with our district, the eanes district, alone for a minimum of $75,000 per year. This would pay for one uniformedofficer, his car and bo share in the six elementary schools of our district. Currently the schools pay for all of the materials used in the classroom when teaching dare and the Travis County dare association uses donations to pay for the officer training and the dare awards that are presented to the students. Last week our speakers were told to get this funding from our school. Now I would like to directly address why our school district cannot just pay for these services on their own. Our district had a $9 million deficit last year, 2003 to 2004. And already they know their 2004-2005 deficit to be an additional $5 million. Last year we had a reduction in 70 personnel positions, and this year we will lose an additional 50 positions. Robin hood has impacted our district by forcing us to send over 60% of our tax base to other districts. We are fighting to keep basic academics in place. We will not see dare fding coming from our school district. Our booster club or p.t.a., As we call it, was forced to create a direct underwriting campaign this year asking every family to donate $150 or more to a fund which would ultimately replace lost academic needs in our school. This $150 does not include the multiple fundraisers we are all expected to attend and contribute to. This money is not being used for any purpose otherhan to replace basic academic supplies and programs which have been cu down to the bone or off t list. Parents are paying for books, physical education equipment, music and art supplies, field trips, classroom supplies, teacher staff development, tenology, basic maintenance and enhancement of facilities, a p.a. System, furniture and landscape upkeep. We do not have $75,000 in the district funds to hire a dare officer. Our school district is now at the point of closing down one of our six elementary schools, most probably eanes elementary, a landmark in our community, order to save facilities dollars to maintain student academic needs. What is the new and improved dare replacement program? Recently margo fraser announce add new program, currently nameless, whic will replace dare. The press release was vague and said it will no longer be a drain on our county and mentioned teacher and apparent involvement instead of currently employed deputies. We do not believe this new program can possibly meet our needs. Why do we need the program as it stands today? Here is the single key to the success of the dare program. The use of active deputies who are on the streets and here is why. Ask yourself if as a parent or teacher you would be able to provide all of these critical elements to the program. First of all, officers know the current drug names and what is on the street and what these drugs look like. They even show our students samples of what these drugs look like and how to avoid them and how they are ingested. I was not even familiar with some of the drug names my daughter recited to me when she came home from dare training. Officers know which drugs, alcohol and tobacco are addicting and how they are addictive and how soon you get addicted to these substances. It only takes once to get addicted to crack. Officers know how kids get tricked into taking these drugs. For example, lick this tatoo and put it on your arm. Using sponge bob tatoos right now laced with l.s.d. Are getting kids addicted. Next year a different cartoon or trick will be used. Do you as parents and teachers know these things? Officers know which responses work for every scenario. The cold shoulder method, strength in numbers, what to say and what not to say to pushers that works. Officers know how to posture yourself to appear confident and not easily manipulated. They know what bad kids say and bad kids do. Officers know all current drug crime punishments and even how being associated with others can put you in jail and how these offenses affect the rest of your life. Officers know how kids get jailed, killed, and permanently damaged because they see it every day. My world is protected from these experience and I don't have these stories to share they do. Officers hear all scenarios on the street and can report to kids on responses to every situation. If you are at a sleepover, if you are at a party, if you are at the movies, if your best friend does drugs, if you've been given a dare, if you are at home alone. And the live oak adventure activities all relate back to defending yourself, sticking together in real-life situations and bonding with these male role models is very critical. Parents and teachers are not on the streets and do not know the lingo and where the dealers hide and how the drugs are spread onto the kids. Officers know how the media influences the kids and how to combat this. Kids don't open up to teachers for fear of being penalized or looking stupid. The officers have specific activities for students to bring home and work out with their parents to open the lines of communications at home. Kids also don't open up to parents for fear of consequences. Students form relationships with these uniformed dare officers which create respect for authority, police and government. It becomes cool to say no. And cool to be with the caring, obedient crowd, and cool to act responsibly. Deputies become real people to these students and they can be trusted as a friend when you are in trouble. Students see these officers often in the community, and students are aware that they are there for them. Now, what can we do together? I believe that each school booster club could contribute some dollars that an active Travis County dare association might raise more dollars and that other fundraising can be done. I also would like to see the sheriff's office match those funds that we raise. In order to keep this program going. The burden cannot be on the school district at this time so we must work together to share the burden. I would like to say that the dare program works. Our fifth grade program is the last piece of the four-part program left which we are desperately trying to hang on to before abandoning our kids. Please help us keep this program in Travis County. And I would like to close, if you will indulge me, with a letter from a dare graduate who expresses our need very precisely. My name is nicole pely. My younger sisters sara and and lexie attend school. I graduated from the dare program in california and can see what a difference it can make. Without blinking an eye, I can tell you the eight ways to say no, the name of my dare officer and the opening line of my dare paper. I would hate to see my younger sisters not experience such a powerful program and not have that confince that my fellow peers have had in their back pocket as they chose their life paths. I realize not every ild makes the right decisions growing up, but would you not like to give them the tools to make the decisions instead of leading them blindly into a world full of pressure. I am one dare graduate that has followed the dare contract that I signed 11 years ago to this very day. I am a 23-year-old college graduate and I have used my eight ways to say no in plenty of life experiences. I have used it enough to make every pen kwhrao ey spent on the dare program seem reasonable and worth it. I don't know that I could handle it if my wonderful sisters weren't given the tools to say no or make good choices because of a budget cut. Dare is a program that not only discusses drugs, but peer pressures, sexual harassment, and many other things that I promise you will come up in their young lives. The things in this world that cause problems, crime, drugs, rape, et cetera, are not going anywhere, and I suppo we can be naive and think that they are getting better or that there are laws that are cracking down on this or that, but reality check people are always going to be curious. People are always going to find a way to rebel. Take the time and money to keep a program that a child can carry throughout their lis. There are so many things in school that we think when in life am I honestly going to use this. I am one dare graduate that can say they will use it, it will come in handy, and honestly it does make a difference. Please make the right choice and find something else to make a budget cut n don't make such a big risk in the future of your children or in the future o my sisters. There has to be something else. Thank you for your time. And I uld like to thank the court for letting me speak today, and please consider sharing this financial burden with our schools. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> let me make sure I understand what you are asking the Commissioners court to do, though. We budgeted full pwupbdg for dare during the budget process. Unfortunately up until the moment that I read the press release, I was telling everybody, Commissioners court is not actively considering betting dare at this time. If we were to do so, it would be during the budget process, which starts in the sprg and ends September 30th. But you are asking the court to do what?
>> well, the dare program as we know it has been cut.
>> by the sheriff.
>> by the sheriff.
>> this court provided 100% funding this year same as last year.
>> well, I can just say that what happened to that line item in the budget was, and I will certainly let you have you time to speak, but that line item in the budget became the new dare program, a program which would not -- which would no longer be a fiscal drain on our county, a program which would use teachers and parents. A new dare program that was improved.
>> what are you asking the Commissioners court to do? Are you asking to us work with the sheriff and trying to restore part of the fund stph-g.
>> I would like to restore the funding of the current dare program for those schools that have not even had their dare program this year and those schools in the future because the new program doesn't suit our needs.
>> now, I have not seen the new program s that in writing? Is that described somewhere?
>> yeah, I have our proposal as far as the restructuring of all that, and I guess to start off, let me say first of all the sheriff's office has been doing dare --
>> and this is?
>> major terry pickering with the sheriff's office. E sheriff's office has been doing dare since probably the late 1980s. I don't remember the specific date. But as ms. Turner related, there are several components of dare, and dare america itself and teaching dare requires a very structured curriculum. Because of the growth in population, our stent population within the schools, even though we've tried to implement the junior high program, the high school program, there's even like parenting classes that dare has developed curriculum for, and even the kindergarten through fourth grade, the officers are supposed to be doing visitation, and so we're starting with them when they first start school. Getting them to see the officers and developing that relationship that ms. Turner talked about. Our problem is because of the growing population, growing classrooms and such is that we've never been able to fully implement the dare program. In fact, we had a junior high program in some schools, we even tried the high school program in another school district, but because of limited resources, we've had to scale back dramatically to where right now the only part of the dare program that we're doing is the fifth grade program. And we've even gone to dare america and got a waiver to do a reduced curriculum in order to even keep pace. Our position is this. The eriff is insist thaepbt the sheriff's office -- insistent that the sheriff's office be involved and be active with the schools. And I think the real question is is whether or not dare is actually the program that needs to be presented. Many of the things that we have proposed and still being able to be actively involved with the schools are very much the same components of dare, it just wodn't be necessarily presented in such a manner that it takes, you know, full-time resources every day five days a week to be present in the schools. That it could be where the officers go in and do a presentation maybe not to just one fifth grade class but to maybe several fifth grade classes at one time. On things such as stranger danger, bullying, knowing how to say no, the dangers of alcohol and tobacco and drug use. And I mean it's all -- like I say, it's all pretty much a lot of the same components as dare. You know, I think, you know, the county just like every other governmental entity is facing tough financial times. And just like the schools have had to make cutting to focus -- make cuts to foc on the core curriculum within the schools, you know, the sheriff's office has had to take a look and see what is the core or basic responsibilities of a sheriff's office. And because of the increased demands in our rkload and our limited resources, you know, we've talked with the sheriff and this is the direction that we've headed. There's no doubt that dare is a valuable program. Whether or not it truly works to reduce drug use is, you know, dependent on whose study you look at. It could be somewhat debatable, but I do think it's effective in the area. Probably the most positive thing we get from dare and the officers being in the schools is the relationship and the interaction that the students have with the officers. My daughter had dare instructor when she was in fifth grade, and just like the girl that wrote in the letter, she still remembers her dare officer and she remembers exactly what she wrote in her dare essay. So it does have an impact on the kids. All we're saying is we think we can do essentlly the same thing with fewer resources at less -- less taxpayer dollars being paid in that particular area. We have -- currently we have some of the school districts who pay the county to have school resource officers in their schools. Some of those school resource officers that the school district is paying for teach dare. And my position is if, you know, if the school district wants their school resource officer to be in a classroom teaching dare or whatever types of classes, that's fine with us. We don't have any problem at all with that. And so we're also kind of facing the equality fairness issue where some school districts are paying for the officer to be there as a school resource officer and teach dare and the other school districts weren't paying anything. And I guess that's about it.
>> so is that like a written description of the new program?
>> not a full description. I mean we do have items or topics that we feel that we can discuss, and what we really want to do is work with the school district and find out what their needs are. And how much time they feel that they can devote to some of this stuff. One of the things that we had heard from not necessarily the scol administrators, but from the teaers is that so much pressure has been placed on them to, you know, teach the kids the core curculum and work on the -- on t.a.x. And t.a.s.s. And we're hearing frustration from the teachers that, you know, dare was taken away from some of their class time. And that's not to say all of the teachers, but just a handful. So our idea is to really -- we want to go work with the schools. Went to continue to be involved in -- we want to continue to be involved with the schools. We worked out a schedule with the remaining community service officers to ensure that they will be 'at each school a certain amount of time every. Eek to maintain that presence. And we're going to work with the school districts to try and figure out what works best for them with the resources that we have.
>> ms. Turn her a recommendation a few minutes ago. That in order for her to get that recommendation to the right person in the Travis County sheriff's office, she should communicate with whom?
>> probably myself or the sheriff.
>> have we done that yet, ms. Turner?
>> i've communicated with margo fraser and we've discussed the cost of the program. I've not communicated with her a matching funds idea.
>> give officer pickering a copy of your presentation today?
>> I would be glad to give him th very one.
>> we have a copy machine available. I guess you would like to get a response back?
>> I would really like that. We will do every effort to raise every penny we can in order to get those matching funds if it's possible.
>> okay. A couple of quick questions, then I'm done. Travis County has seven or eight school districts, all a part of which are in Travis County. Dare is in how many of them?
>> all of them except the Austin independent school district.
>> and about how many schools was dare in? About?
>> about 14. Finishes.
>> and fifth grades in all of them?
>> uh-huh.
>> okay.
>> ms. Turner, you and I have gone back and forth with some e-mails and I do appreciate that. We did get to a point in our budget process, and I have to tell you it was an interesting process because we too like the state, like the stood, like the cities were under fiscal pressures and the sheriff's office took a couple million dollars worth of cuts largely because their inmate population went down. We got t a point with the sheriff's office that basically said listen, we're stopping at this point in terms of the cutting. Bu if you find internal cuts that may be difficult, you may not want to go there, we would match you one to one.
>> right.
>> and once we get to October 1st, the funny thing about county government, the Commissioners court gets to have a very full diussion with the departments about how they run their operations up until the point is budget is adopted and we hit October 1st. After October 1st it's called deployment of resources. While we may have a very good discussion with the sheriff about so what are you planning, we don't have the right to tell the sheriff how to deploy her resources once we have set the budget. And it's not just that's the way it is. That is the law. It went to a court case. The court case involving Travis County with that point was-where that point was specifically made that the Commissioners court does not have the right to go in and talk about deployment of resources to an independent elected official be it the sheriff or me or Commissioner Davis or any of us. You can't do it onc the budget is set. Now, we can have a vigorous discussion next budget year about what's going on, but there's a separation of power. So I don't want to make it sound like somehow we can force the sheriff to do that.
>> I understand that. My question is, as judge Biscoe brought up, if it s a line item approved, if there was a line item approved --
>> no, we approved --
>> and the dare itself the definition has been completely changed --
>> it doesn't make any difference. We put together funding for the sheriff's office. It's a lump sum and we don't force -- really have a line item budget. They have a line item budget in terms of what's in their personnel and operating, but they've got flexibility in terms of if they want to turn a law enforcement officer into corrections, they have the flexibility to do this. As sad as I am to have this come, if this had come in the budget process, I would have been voting to say as painful as this is turn those dare officers into law enforcement officers. Because in flusher times, it would have been lovely to do this and we've had to kind of change a lot of our programs we've had with the school district because we have the same financial pressures as they do and we have a lot of pressure from folks saying get down to the core business. And the core business of an executive director is education. Well, the core business of Travis County, any county, this is not one of those mandated programs, but patrolling our streets, having folks in the jail, that's unfortunately our core business. And so if it had come to me saying, Karen, which would you choose, care officers or -- dare officers or four or eight or how many officers on the streets, I wouldn't have blinked in terms of saying I'm sorry, I have to put it with the law enforcement officers. Now, with that, I think it's too easy to say, well, the school district has problems, you need to bail us out here. I am a taxpayer in an executive director with an even bigger problem than eanes, it's called aisd. We sent $180 million out of this community and I think we're all getting upset with the wrong people. More than 60% of your property tax bill is to the schools. And what's messed up is the school funding. I would hope that you could take all of this wonderful energy and March I a couple blocks away from here and go talk to the state legislators because there are a lot of folks over there that take great pleasure and pride saying we didn't raise your taxes. Well, we didecause this stuff is being shoved on school districts and cities and counties. And we're getting [indiscernible] that we're having to make cuts because we're all having to make cuts to accommodate what is happening at the state capitol. I hope during the spring time when they have a special session on the legislature, that you get that energy martialed and go over there and tell them about the kinds of things that are happening in your school district. These horrible cuts. And in aisd it's a all about music classes being cut, art and physical education. That's the real problem. It isn't we don't have money for dare. The problem is you are not getting enough money to run your school district and you are having to go to the cities and having to go to the counties to kind of fill in all those gaps.
>> I --
>> so I would hope that you --
>> [indiscernible], ms. Turner?
>> never. And I agree the bigger picture is so much bigger. And what I fear though is if we do not address this last piece that we are trying to hang on to right now, once these officers are back on the street and no longer trained and no longer being sent o and getting their national dare training, we will never get it back in. If we lose this last critical piece. I know that I need to fight robin hood and go to the legislature and to the world, which will take me about three to five years, but I need something to say that these kids in this spring will get a piece of what they need. And it's gone.
>> there is something that happened in schools long before dare ever got here. I never had dare when I was in elementary school or middle school or high school, but somehow they got the same message across to kid dose in the 60s and 70s before dare got here, don't do drugs. And to make people aware. Dare is not the only way that you can get that kind of education. And I think it's just as positive to have a resource officer daily being in the schools. There are a lot of school districts, Pflugerville being one of them, paying for those resource officers to be there because they see the value of having somebody that's approachable, that can be your friend that is correct can be a con if I tkapbtd to have a positive -- confidant that can be a positive image of the police. There's something that went on before dare got here, we to rethink things, but dare is not the only way to get drug education in the schools and there are still going to be ways to have positive influences. The mentoring programs here in the county had getting professionals to go into the schools with their positive images, be it a county Commissioner or firefighter or deputy, there are other ways to get to the kids without a curriculum. I'm afraid if hi to vote on this during the Commissioners court, setting the budget, I would have voted for the law enforcement officers and would not have hesitated and said please put your pressure on your school district to pay for an education program, and if that's a problem, then get over to the state capitol and talk to your state representative and talk to your state senator and get those folks that really are creating these issues for everyone else to do their jobs and gut it up and pay for education.
>> one of the things that I think you and I really agree on and that is we believe in crime prevention. And that's one of the things that I have concentrated on doing here at the county. I would rather spend the money on efforts to prevent crime than to build the facilities to immaterial prison people and have to deal with all of those expenditures that Commissioner Daugherty mentioned this morning. And so -- but even then I think it's a challenge. And we have some very good conversations with the sheriff's department here during budget time. And I think we're all on that same pag of tryg to spend the tax dollars in the most effective way that we can. And I would much rather spend it on the front end than the back end. But -- but it's a challenge that is continuing, and when the economy goes down, it affects all of us regardless had where we are, and we ve to deal wit. The buck stops here. So we real have to wrestle with it and come up with an intelligent decision, a common-sense approach and certainly not to pit us against each oefrplt I think we're all trying to deal with children especially so that they don't wind up in any of our institutions certainly and move on to the rest of their lives. So -- but I empathize with you. It's just, you know, we have to deal with this economy that affects us all. So thanks, though.
>> thank you.
>> Commissioner Daugherty.
>> deb, thanks for coming down and bringing some of your friends. I know how much time it takes to do these things. Unfortunately this is really the way you get this stuff really moving. And I'm not goin to take a lot of time. I could echo a lot of things that Commissioner Sonleitner mentioned. Because it just is -- it's just money. That's what it is unfortunately. Am I hearing you right, I mean is $75,000 what your thinking that -- you are thinking that yowould like to see us work towards find stph-g.
>> that's only my district. For one year.
>> because we effectively what the sheriff's office has told us is we've got about a $400,000 program.
>> there are other districts.
>> wh the dare program and the other districts. You know, I told you when you came to see me, and I feel this in my heart, an that is that we have got to find a way to instruct a dare program without a certifed law enforcement officer. Now, maybe those law enforcement officers we take them for a while to train some people that we can in turn put into a dare program. But I think that we've got to rethink. I'm going to tell you, deborah, it doesn't make any difference how much time you spend two blocks away. Those guys have got the same issues that we have. I mean they are -- there are so many needs, I mean versus the amount of dollars that we have. And it's -- you know, it's everything from the school districts just like Commissioner Sonleitner said. So wt we --hat I really want to try to do with you most is I don't think that you are going to get very far with the sheriff's department because their Marching orders are pretty much -- I mean from the sheriff is that we are a law enforcement agency. And we don't have enough people on the street. I will tell you that there are not enough law officers in Travis County where you liv and that is -- and the sheriff knows that. Everybody over there knows that. And so we are trying to find a way to keep those people or put as many on the streets as we can. What does that do to the dare program? I think it smacks of us having to come up creatively -- and I don't want you to be frightened by the fact that, well, if we can't have that program, then we can't have an effective program because I think that we can find a way to teach dare just as effectively, I mean if we really, you know, set our minds to doing. This I think we're going to have to go to the sheriff's department and ask for help because they are the ones that really know how to teach the classes. And I don't know if it works, I mean if you put five people in an assembly or five classes in an asepl pwhraoeu and say our dare -- I see you shaking your head and I don't know, deborah, does that work better than not having somebody at all? I mean if what we know is we can't have what we presently have, then I think we better start trying to find ways to effectively say, okay, what can we do with this thing. Because I don't want to see you spend so much of your time and effort at a place where all you are going to do is get beat down.
>> well, I already realize that we are not going to get full funding from the county. And so what I was proposing today was to share the burden with the county. And maybe do it district by district based on what that district needs.
>> I think that's a good approach.
>> I'm trying to be constructive.
>> but this county does not have the dare program and they are the largest taxpayers for the county.
>> that's not eanes' fault. It seems to me your recommendation makes all the sense in the world. You have to work with the sheriff. And rather than giving you another lecture on government, my advice would be if we can work with the sheriff, we ought to. If it takes a certified peace officer to deliver the message, then why not structure it in such a way that we deal with eanes. What I heard officer pickering saying is other school districts who want a piece of dare in their district need to contact the sheriff's office. An sit down with the powers that be and try to tailor a program. At some point the sheriff will come to us either to match the money that's been saved by reduction or dare or something else and although the law says we cannot mandate how the sheriff deploys deputies, we certainly can partner and collaborate with the sheriff. And what I'm saying is you came here for help, and it seems to me that based on what you've said and what officer pickering has said, your proposal needs to be delivered to the Travis County sheriff, and s needs to give you a response. And you can tell her that the county judge says anything I can do to help, I would be happy to do it.
>> thank you very much.
>> along with that, I think that we need to also look I guess maybe at a comprehensive approach to some of the concerns that you brought up. [indiscernible] I don't know why aids does not have dare programs within its district according to what mr. Pickering has said. I do know we have other agreements with aisd, truancy programs and things of that nature. I'm kind of concerned about some things this that regard with the Austin jisdiction, city of Austin, of course, we don't have too much say on a lot of things as far as the Commissioners court, but I do know that a.p.d. Is a guardian in the watch persons for the residents within the city limits. And it's really a big concern for a lot of our community, and I know you spoke about drug education and things like that, but some situations over in precinct 1, I can specifically name some locations that we're having some dramatic drug deals and every else right in your faces type things, prostitution, and [indiscernible] over tre. On off of manor road, those over there where the business community is just in an uproar because of the fac that our young persons are getting involved in drugs and doing a lot of things that are not welcome in the community but within Austin's jurisdiction, a.p.d. I have been working with the city manager on that, but I think we need to, in my opinion, work from a comprehensive stapbt of looking at not -- standpoint of looking not only at the cities having to deal with these kind of problems, but also the county in its overall approach. And I think collectively working together with the sheriff's department and also aisd and the independent school district -- along with a.p.d., The city of Austin or any other law enforcement outlet we have within the cities within Travis County. I think we can do something to bring some curves or reduction in this kind of activity. And it's sad that we have to be overwhelmed with our children being directed in the wrong way and taking part in these type of activities where they are even skipping school. Doing things on the bus stop. Right in your face. I mean right in your face. It doesn't matter where it is, they are going to do it, you do something bit. We end up having children brought here to gardner betts and things like that where is a cost to taxpayers to have to have persons and later on we have to incarcerate persons right here in the jail. But what can we do to prevent things like that from happening. I think we have to knuckle down and work on a comprehensive plan. Instead of piecemealing, instead of doing something about it, I think we have to do it from a comprehensive approach. I've already started dialogue with the city manager and I don't have too much to say as far as what the a.p.d. Does within the city of Austin, but I can definitely recommend and i've been working on that. Anything I can do to help you all, let me know. I expect we're all available for that and I would like to see aisd participate in this because being the largest city in Travis County, it appears to me that somewhere along the line we should be doing some things, more of it, but currently the in your face attitudes with prostitution, drug deals and neighborhoods that claim are unprotecd, I think we can do more even without the combined law enforcement to help stop reduce that type of activity. Thank you.
>> anything further on this item?
>> judge, I just want real qck to clarify and make sure everybody understands is that the reduction of dare or the cutting of dare is not the only program cuts or proposals that are going to be submitted to the court right after the first of the year in with regards to being able to put additional patrol officers on the streets. I just didn't want everybody to think that dare was the only program that was being picked on. There are other areas in the sheriff's office that we have come together and decided we can make further cuts. So thank you.
>> anybody else like to comment on this item? If so, please come forward eye just have one quick question. Have you all made a presentation to the eanes school district? To the board?
>> yes.
>> did they take a specific vote about funding th-r this or not?
>> I don't think they took a specific vote, but I ve been briefed about their financial stress.
>> I would really press them to do a heads up yes or no vote because it's real easy to palm it off. But that would be something I would try hard to get something on the record that --
>> we have met and we've discussed having our p.t.a.'s help and they are very much in favor of the dare program, but no, I don't think there's been a formal vote on the subject.
>> I would really push them because they think it's that valuable, it's amazing how people can find moneys for big box studies, things that are budgeted if they really want to get something done. I would really push them to challenge them to see if they can find those dollars. $75,000 is not a lot of money in comparison to what the entire eanes school district budget is. I would really challenge them.
>> okay. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you, ms. Turner.
>> thank you.
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 31, 2003 6:52 AM