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Public Safety
Council adopts ordinance to preserve police benefits
City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve an ordinance that preserves the pay and benefits Austin police officers currently receive and directs interim City Manager Jesús Garza to come up with incentives for new recruits to the department. Council also directed Garza…
Police • By Jo Clifton • Feb 27, 2023
County pays tribute to joint vaccination efforts during pandemic
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court recognized the departments and organizations whose efforts were crucial in the county’s emergency response at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. “A dedicated group of public and private partners, including a cross section…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Feb 23, 2023
Mayor seeks to add sweeteners to ordinance for cops
At Tuesday’s City Council work session, Mayor Kirk Watson added some details to the police pay and benefits ordinance that will be on this Thursday’s agenda. Council Member Ryan Alter authored the proposal in line with ideas Watson outlined on…
Police • By Jo Clifton • Feb 22, 2023
Homeless Austinites report conditions improving at shelters
Results from a recent client survey indicate that the new operator of the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless is making progress in efforts to turn around the downtown men’s shelter. The December survey of ARCH and Southbridge shelter residents…
Public Health • By Nina Hernandez • Feb 22, 2023
Ordinance would extend officer benefits if police labor contract expires
City Council will consider an ordinance Thursday that would preserve the current police labor contract’s provisions for officer pay and benefits, even if the contract expires without a successor in place, after the Austin Police Association said it wouldn’t negotiate…
Police • By Emma Freer • Feb 21, 2023
Austin police investigate series of street racing incidents over the weekend
Lee esta historia en español. The Austin Police Department is investigating a series of incidents over the weekend in which cars were racing and blocking traffic. One officer was injured and multiple law enforcement vehicles were damaged, APD said. Between Saturday night…
Police • By Haya Panjwani, KUT • Feb 21, 2023
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Council directs negotiators to bring back one-year police contract
City Council voted 9-2 on Wednesday to instruct staff and outside counsel to negotiate a one-year extension of the current contract between the city and the Austin Police Association without taking an explicit position on a four-year deal announced last…
Police • By Jo Clifton • Feb 16, 2023
Pflugerville voters file suit seeking tax rollback election
Three voters who signed a petition to cut sales taxes collected by Emergency Services District No. 2 have filed suit against the district’s board, which refused to call an election on cutting those taxes for Pflugerville residents. Jennifer Pakenham, David…
Public Safety • By Jo Clifton • Feb 15, 2023
Council orders review of extreme weather shelter policy
In the wake of Austin’s ice storm and corresponding power outages, the city has decided to reconsider how it runs its extreme weather shelters in order to ensure more of the community, particularly people experiencing homelessness, are able to access…
Public Safety • By Nina Hernandez • Feb 14, 2023
Notley/Monitor Poll: Austinites want more police officers, more accountability
More than two years after Austin City Council endeavored to “reimagine” public safety, a slight majority of residents believe there are too few police officers while a strong majority believe there is too little accountability in police-involved shootings and in…
Public Safety • By Emma Freer • Feb 13, 2023
Council delays vote on one-year police contract extension, citing confusion
After nearly a year of negotiations, with just seven weeks to go until the current police labor contract expires, with city staff and the police union working to finalize a tentative four-year agreement and in the run-up to a local…
Police • By Emma Freer • Feb 10, 2023
Fire, EMS stations lost power during ice storm
The leaders of the unions representing Austin firefighters and EMS employees both said Wednesday that many of their members had worked through the recent ice storm in stations that had lost power, depriving them of basics like warmth and light.…
