Becoming an Emperor Starting from the World of The Wandering Earth

Upon hearing this, Roy's eyes lit up, and he turned to look at Vera Davis, the head of the Harris County Office of Emergency Management, who was sitting in the corner.

"Ms. Vera, what do you think? Is it possible for the emergency response office to coordinate some funding?"

Vera Davis sighed as Roy cast a glance at her.

"Mayor Roy, Commissioner Philip, I understand your concerns. But the emergency response budget was cut by forty percent last year."

"We only have enough money to maintain basic operations and emergency reserves right now. We can't even afford to update a batch of outdated emergency communication equipment. What's the use of recruiting volunteers if we don't have enough equipment?"

Silence fell over the conference room once again.

Spencer's gaze slowly swept across the faces, finally settling on a spot at the end of the long table.

Sitting there was a burly man with gray hair, Thomas O'Connor.

The decision to reduce local police presence in Houston and prioritize security in key areas came from his side.

Edward looked at him and slowly asked, "Thomas, what about you? Do you have anything to say?"

Immediately, everyone's eyes in the conference room turned to Thomas.

Seeing everyone's gaze, Thomas finally raised his head and then cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen, I have an idea regarding the current situation: why should we handle it? Why should it be left to us to handle?"

Thomas then picked up a document and gestured to the staff member next to him.

The staff immediately stood up and distributed the copies to everyone.

"Under the provisions of the Private Security Act, Section 1702 of the Texas Occupation Code, licensed security service contractors may be authorized to assist the government in performing certain public safety functions within the scope of their legal services during special periods."

"Specifically, it means authorizing compliant private security forces to participate in patrolling public areas, protecting key facilities, preventing riots, maintaining public order, and initially stopping illegal incidents, under government supervision and coordination."

"Is this okay?"

Thomas had barely finished speaking when someone immediately raised a question.

"sure."

Thomas readily agreed, then opened the document in his hand and pointed to a certain line.

"Section 433.002 of the Texas Code of Governmental Code, the Emergency Act, clearly states that local governments have the authority to declare a limited state of emergency when there is a serious crisis of local order and existing law enforcement resources are insufficient to respond effectively."

"Under this status, local law enforcement agencies have the right to enter into law enforcement service contracts with local governments and other compliant private entities to supplement public safety forces."

"Therefore, this practice is not illegal and complies with the law."

At this point, Thomas suddenly smirked, "More importantly, we don't have to spend any money, and we can even generate revenue for the state government."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood.

Leaving aside whether the National Guard can be mobilized now, even if it can, it would mean a complete escalation of the situation, and could even trigger unnecessary political associations and chain reactions.

However, if the security issues are "contracted out," the flexibility is much greater.

The state government doesn't need to intervene directly; it only needs to set rules and regulations to leverage the efficiency and force of private companies to quickly quell the chaos.

What's even more ingenious is that, according to Thomas's proposal, these private companies don't provide services for free; they need to pay a "franchise fee" and a "regulatory deposit," which can actually help them recoup funds and alleviate financial pressure to some extent.

For the bureaucrats present, who were already overwhelmed with problems but didn't want to escalate the situation to the point of public chaos, this was almost an option they couldn't refuse.

After all, they weren't without experience in this kind of thing before, such as in medical and fire services.

If it doesn't work, then it's because you don't understand the law; it's clearly permitted by law.

Since it's allowed, what's the problem?

A brief silence fell over the meeting room.

"Director Thomas," Spencer finally broke the silence, "is your proposal adequate? The regulatory measures, the division of responsibilities, and do you have a suitable contractor in mind?"

Thomas knew that the most crucial moment had arrived.

He closed the folder and leaned forward slightly.

"Mr. Governor, the detailed draft is already in my team's hands and can be submitted within 24 hours. Oversight will be led by the Department of Public Safety, in conjunction with the State Attorney's Office, to form a special oversight team to ensure all actions are within the legal framework."

After a pause, Thomas's gaze suddenly became meaningful.

"As for the selection of contractors... I believe they must be companies with deep roots in the local area, a good reputation, and sufficient military and managerial capabilities. They need to understand the complexities of the local market and have a good relationship with us."

"Of course, the final choice requires everyone's joint consideration. But personally, I think that 'Mex Energy' and its security company, which have recently performed outstandingly in the Houston area, may be an option worth considering. Moreover, as far as I know, their leaders have an extraordinary passion and sense of responsibility for maintaining community stability."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was another moment of silence.

Mo's Energy has become extremely well-known on the internet and in Houston recently.

Their leader, Murphy, was a well-known good man who not only opened relief stations but also recruited a large number of workers, which greatly alleviated the local pressure.

It's not a bad idea to hand it over to them now.

As for whether there will be a situation where the company becomes too big to handle, there's no need to worry. What trouble can a mere company cause?

After a moment of silence, Spencer looked around and finally nodded slowly.

"In that case... Director Thomas, submit your complete plan and evaluation report as soon as possible. We need to vote quickly. Meeting adjourned."

Thomas bowed slightly, his face showing no smugness, and calmly put away the documents.

As soon as he stepped out of the conference room and into a secluded spot, Thomas picked up his phone and quickly sent out a text message using special encryption software.

Three days later, in his office on the third floor of the Houston factory, Murphy was listening to Skynet's report.

"Master, Thomas has sent a message: the Department of Public Safety's proposal to authorize private security forces to participate in policing has passed the review of the special oversight team and has officially entered the pilot phase. The southeast industrial area of ​​Houston has been designated as the first pilot area, and Mo's Energy Security Company has been authorized to carry out policing tasks within the authorized scope in this area."

"Very good, Skynet, notify Cheng Hongtu and the others to prepare. It's time to restore order to my city."