Data collection issues threaten initiative to prevent gun violence

A disconnect between the Austin Police Department and a criminal justice reform organization could delay a new violence reduction initiative, Travis County officials said Tuesday. 

The glitch came to light Tuesday during a progress report to the Travis County Commissioners Court. Last November, commissioners dedicated federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to create two new programs – the Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP) and the Prosecutor-Led Gun Violence Intervention Program.

The HVIP, which brings medical staff and community partners together, will be a critical part of violence reduction in Travis County, said Ana Almaguel, county Health and Human Services (HHS) planning project manager. 

“It’s a golden opportunity, when people come into the hospital, to intervene and say through a trusted individual, ‘How can this go down differently?’” she said. “It’s a proven model that works to prevent retaliation and connect the community member to services.” 

HHS spent the last year building a “foundation for the pilot,” said HHS Planning Manager Korey Darling. A contract for the pilot HVIP should be ready by the spring of 2024, she said. 

The prosecutor-led program, which focuses on people most inclined to commit gun violence, might not be ready by that time, said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. 

He noted the importance of data collection to understand “why and where gun violence is happening in our community” and said delays in data collection are delaying the project.

“My understanding is that the work is not complete and remains stalled,” he said. “In order for us to be able to achieve the goals we’ve set forward, it’s imperative that the work move forward.” 

As the presentation concluded, Precinct 3 Commissioner Ann Howard asked, “District Attorney Garza, what do we need to do?”

“Let me quickly give a brief overview of what the process is and then maybe we can brainstorm together,” Garza said.

Austin was one of several cities selected by the Biden administration a few years ago to receive assistance in addressing gun violence, he said. This included assistance from the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR), which specializes in problem analysis. 

To develop its analysis of gun violence for the prosecutor-led program, NICJR needs to interview law enforcement officers, in this case officers from APD, “to have that granular understanding of two years’ worth of shooting data,” Garza said.

“I’ve had conversations with the Austin Police Department and with NICJR to understand where the delay is. For our purposes today, those two explanations don’t match up,” he said.

Garza said he doesn’t have any recommendations to solve the impasse and move the project forward. 

“We’d be happy to brainstorm with the court about that,” he said.

Howard volunteered to help. The rest of the court is available if needed, County Judge Andy Brown said. 

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