Report finds mixed progress in APD’s work to implement police academy reforms

In assessing the latest analysis of the Austin Police Department’s Training Academy, members of City Council stressed the importance of a comprehensive audit system to ensure that years and money spent to improve the academy aren’t wasted.

Concerns over the audits for the training process of each academy class, as well as the need for long-term leadership stability in academy management, were among the areas of focus at Monday’s meeting of Council’s Public Safety Committee. The discussion was prompted by the recent completion of the Kroll consulting company’s report, “Assessment of APD Training Academy’s Long-Term Processes to Sustain Reform Measures.” That report assessed how much progress has been made on the 22 actions recommended in the firm’s initial review of the academy in 2021.

Contained in the 30-page findings document are 22 steps to continue progress in areas such as bringing the community into the academy instruction process, better structuring the roles of civilian staff, improving the academy’s culture and developing the skills of cognitive decision-making and emotional intelligence. It also includes four final recommendations: requiring all academy staff to read the new Academy Operations Manual, further refining and updating that manual in line with Kroll’s findings, completing and implementing an audit process “as soon as practicable” and having the Office of Police Oversight renew its oversight of the academy.

Council Member Alison Alter stressed to APD and academy leaders at the meeting that the lack of an audit of academy processes prevents the city from knowing which procedures are working effectively and where further improvements are needed.

“We have, to this date, had Kroll in there helping us to understand where we’re at and helping to identify the path forward. With the delivery of this report … we won’t be having that, and that makes the manual (and) the audit protocol that much more important,” she said. “This is how we are gonna be able to hold the academy accountable. This is how we’re gonna make sure that we have a learning organization.”

Rob McGrath, program manager at the academy, said hiring additional Council-approved academy staff, including a data analyst to create the audit process, is one of the most important components of the five steps he and other academy leaders will carry out through September. Other near-term priorities include reviewing the cadet curriculum, establishing a professional advisory committee and community advisory committee, and monitoring the state of the Kroll recommendations that have already been implemented.

Alter said she expects McGrath and other academy leadership to make periodic presentations to the Public Safety Committee to give progress updates on the Kroll recommendations, plus notes on additional resources that may be needed.

Mark Ehlers, managing director with Kroll, said APD’s eventual permanent police chief and other leaders need to commit to keeping a close eye on the performance and culture within the academy for many years to come for the city to see the changes that Council and the community have called for.

“The only way to really evaluate that at this point is gonna be for the critical reflection and analysis that APD needs to conduct itself through how they’re doing each cadet class,” he said. “The written operations manual is essential because it can incorporate that practical guidance for staff, and that goes a long way to making these practices a regular part of day-to-day practices. Given how frequently personnel changes occur at the academy, it’s essential that these written processes and guidance help minimize disruption and reinforce the importance of the values and priorities described.”

The Austin Monitor’s work is made possible by donations from the community. Though our reporting covers donors from time to time, we are careful to keep business and editorial efforts separate while maintaining transparency. A complete list of donors is available here, and our code of ethics is explained here.