Gov. Greg Abbott says he’s using state police to clear homeless encampments across Austin – including on parks and trails maintained and owned by the city. That was news to Austin Mayor Kirk Watson. Watson said Tuesday that the order from the governor came, partly, as a shock – and it came as Austin was rolling out […]
Andrew Weber, KUT
Posted inLocal Politics
Austin faces a 30-day deadline to remove its Pride crosswalk, ‘Black Artists Matter’ roadway art
Austin’s roadway art, including the rainbow crosswalk at Fourth and Colorado streets and the “Black Artists Matter” painted on 11th Street could soon be gone. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered cities and counties Wednesday to remove displays like these or risk losing state and federal money for road projects. He said this order will comply with a federal […]
Posted inFire
After heated talks, Austin, firefighters reach a deal on a four-year labor contract
The Austin firefighters union has agreed to an 11th-hour deal on a new labor contract with the city. The agreement late Friday ends a weekslong stalemate after the Austin Firefighters Association rejected of a proposal that it said wouldn’t substantially increase wages for its personnel. The AFA agreed to a deal that would raise wages by at […]
Posted inPolice
Austin police canceled a shelter-in-place order while a shooter was on the loose
People in parts of Austin were told Wednesday morning just after 6:30 that a man who shot a police officer and another person near Zilker Park was no longer a threat. But, he was. The man was still at-large just outside an elementary school – armed and on the run from police. The Austin Police […]
Posted inBudget
Austin spends millions on overtime pay for police officers. The city is scaling that back.
For Austin’s fire, police and emergency medical professionals, overtime is just a fact of life. In the last budget year, overtime spending on those three departments was $84 million, according to city payroll data. But after years of ballooning overtime payouts, Austin is throttling back some of that spending, asking its fire and police departments […]
Posted inPolice
Study finds Austin police response times continue to lag
Austin police officers took on average just over 45 minutes to respond to 911 calls last year, a new study found. The analysis from national crime data expert Jeff Asher found the department’s average response times consistently increased over five years, going from 29 minutes in 2019 to nearly 47 minutes last year. Austin’s worsening response […]
Posted inPublic Safety
After years of dysfunction, Austin Police and the Travis County DA say they’re trying to mend fences
The relationship between the Travis County District Attorney’s office and the Austin Police Department is fraught. It has been since José Garza was elected DA in 2020. Indictments, bungled prosecutions and miscommunication have all played a hand in the less-than-functional relationship between the two parties. But since Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis took over last year, the two sides […]
Posted inPolice
Austin has paid out $27 million to people injured by police during 2020 racial justice protests
Austin has paid out nearly $30 million to settle lawsuits over police conduct during protests following George Floyd’s murder five years ago. Most of the settlements were related to injuries caused by police using shotguns to fire lead-pellet bags at demonstrators outside the department’s headquarters in May 2020. A wave of lawsuits followed over police […]
Posted inEnergy
Burying Austin’s power lines would cost $50 billion (and is pretty much impossible)
Two years ago, after Austin’s lush urban tree canopy froze and downed power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands without power, the city resolved to look into a simple solution: burying the power lines. Now, a new city-commissioned study shows that would be damn near impossible. The draft study from consulting firm 1898 & Co. found […]
Posted inAustin
Following Trump’s lead, Abbott orders state workers to return to offices
Gov. Greg Abbott’s office has quietly directed heads of state agencies to phase out hybrid-work schedules and require all employees to return to the office five days a week “as soon as practicable” under state law, according to multiple accounts from state employees. Abbott’s mandate comes as President Donald Trump doubled down during his Tuesday […]
Posted inPolice
Austin opened up police misconduct files. Now, state lawmakers want to lock them back up.
A bill that’s making its way through the Texas Legislature could target Austin’s management of its police department. Now, Senate Bill 781, authored by Republican state Sen. Phil King, could undo years of litigation, a citywide referendum and countless hours of public back-and-forth related to the Austin Police Oversight Act. Those behind the 2023 measure, which passed […]
Posted inPublic Health
After shutting off mental health care for Austin musicians, SIMS Foundation restarts services
The SIMS Foundation, which has provided low-cost and free mental health care to Austin musicians for decades, is connecting clients to services again after a three-month pause. SIMS Foundation CEO Derrick Lesnau said the organization reached its fundraising goal of a half-million dollars after a late push last year. “We just couldn’t be more thankful for […]