Public Safety

Office of Violence Prevention applies public health tenets to help reduce violent crime

Two years ago, following a spate of violent incidents at Givens District Park, the city’s Office of Violence Prevention took action to better understand what was driving crime at the historically significant East Austin park. The OVP partnered with the…

Public Safety • By Amy Smith • Jan 10, 2025

Public safety departments show progress in recruitment efforts

White males continue to make up the majority of Austin sworn public safety personnel, but police, fire and emergency medical services appear to be making strides in recruitment and diversification efforts. That was the assessment of some Public Safety Commission…

Police • By Amy Smith • Dec 6, 2024

Travis County awarded $1.6 million federal grant to combat overdose crisis

On Monday, Travis County Judge Andy Brown announced a new resource for combating the opioid overdose crisis in the county – and reported new numbers that suggest current public health strategies are working. The county was awarded a $1.6 million…

Public Health • By Lina Fisher • Dec 4, 2024

County renews opioid overdose crisis declaration, funds more harm reduction

On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to extend its opioid overdose crisis declaration to October 2026 and to authorize $100,000 worth of naloxone, a lifesaving overdose reversal drug, as well as $100,000 – and possibly another $300,000…

Public Health • By Lina Fisher • Nov 15, 2024

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Doggett urges Texans to get health coverage before Jan. 15 and to watch out for flex cards

Two things remain true every November: the unfortunate fact that Texas is the most uninsured state in the nation – almost 20 percent – and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s long-running campaign to change that. On Wednesday, at Foundation Communities’ Prosper…

Public Health • By Lina Fisher • Nov 1, 2024

Austin and Travis County fund diversion program for indigent youth facing low-level DWIs

Travis County continued its commitment to diverting people charged with low-level offenses from the criminal justice system at its meeting Tuesday, extending its DWI court diversion programs to September 2025. Those programs, which include treatment and pre-trial diversion for minor…

Public Safety • By Lina Fisher • Oct 31, 2024

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Austin City Council passes new police contract

Austin City Council approved a five-year, $218 million contract with the city’s police union Thursday. The deal passed on a 10-1 vote. The approval came after hours of impassioned testimony from scores of Austinites. Supporters argued the contract is necessary…

Police • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Oct 25, 2024

With backing from a Parkland survivor, Travis County begins hospital-based gun violence prevention program

Back in 2022, the Travis County Commissioners Court passed the Safer Travis County resolution, aimed at reducing gun violence, at the time – and still – the leading cause of non-accidental death in the county. The resolution included two pilot…

Public Health • By Lina Fisher • Oct 24, 2024

Public lines up to oppose police contract

The Austin City Council sat through hours of speeches from the public on Tuesday, mostly from citizens who oppose the proposed five-year contract with the city’s police union. A few spoke in support, but the vast majority of the 236…

Police • By Jo Clifton • Oct 23, 2024

Austin's previously secret 'G-files' on police misconduct are now public. Here's what that means.

More than a year after Austin voters OK’d a measure to make them public, the so-called “G-files” of police officers accused of misconduct are now available to the public. Disclosure of these disciplinary files was a sticking point in discussions…

Police • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Oct 21, 2024

City considers acquiring new combined HQ for police, fire and EMS

Next week, City Council will consider approving a $107.8 million allocation to acquire an office campus along South MoPac Expressway that would serve as a consolidated headquarters for the city’s public safety agencies, which are located in outdated and cramped…

Public Safety • By Chad Swiatecki • Oct 16, 2024

APD touts early successes of license plate reader program

The Public Safety Commission was briefed Monday on some early results of the license plate reader program that rolled out in March with cameras at undisclosed sites across the city. The Austin Police Department credits the cameras for the 40…

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Office of Violence Prevention applies public health tenets to help reduce violent crime

Public Safety • By Amy Smith • Jan 10, 2025