Since the July flood disaster, Travis County has been coordinating relief efforts at Round Mountain Baptist Church. But as the summer nears its end, relief may be running out for flood survivors seeking financial assistance. The county may soon consider raising property taxes one time to assist with that relief, which some residents impacted by […]
Public Safety
Posted inPublic Safety
Public Safety Commission hears about legislation impacting Austin
Last week, members of the Public Safety Commission heard from Intergovernmental Relations Deputy Officer Rick Ramirez about bills the city helped pass and those the city opposed during the regular session of the state Legislature. Among those important to Austin and its public safety employees was one making changes to the firefighters’ pension fund. Under […]
Posted inPolice
Public Safety Commission clashes with Office of Police Oversight
“It deeply concerns me that we’ve put a retired police officer in charge of taking complaints from the community about police,” Commissioner Rebecca Bernhardt told staff from Austin’s Office of Police Oversight (OPO) during a heated Public Safety Commission meeting this month. The OPO was scheduled to present an overdue annual report for 2023 (which […]
Posted inFire
To slash costs, Austin will decide whether to cut firefighter staffing below national standards
The city of Austin is looking to cut overtime for Austin firefighters as a way to save money in the new budget. The change would mean adjusting staffing levels on many fire trucks, which some officials said puts people and fire crews at risk. When a fire team responds to a fire there are a […]
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
Austin’s sexual assault response: Small steps forward despite federal challenges
Austin and Travis County are facing new federal roadblocks to their work to respond to sexual assault. However, local progress continues. On Monday, the Public Safety Commission convened their second discussion of local data related to sex crimes. The commission heard presentations from Austin Police Department (APD), the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, and The […]
Posted inFire
Firefighters to seek firing of Chief Baker
Austin Firefighters Association President Bob Nicks will hold a press conference today to discuss the removal of Fire Chief Joel Baker from his position. Nicks told the Austin Monitor that Baker issued a standing order on June 6 that prevented Austin firefighters from deploying to assist those working to rescue people during the catastrophic 4th […]
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
Still-nascent police oversight commission pushes for transparent review of all complaints
Since the passage of the voter-approved Austin Police Oversight Act two years ago, the mission of the Community Police Review Commission has been continually thwarted and delayed. It wasn’t until in August 2024 a judge ruled that APD must make public its secret “G file” of police misconduct that the Oversight Act outlawed and the […]
Posted inPublic Health
Travis County’s Mental Health Diversion Center takes another step
Last week, Travis County kicked off the design portion of its long-awaited mental health diversion center and central intake project. The lead architectural firms, Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects, Kirksey Architecture, and Pulitzer Bogard, will work with county staff and UT’s Dell Medical School to conceptualize the physical diversion center, which will take approximately 18 months […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Travis County calls for ‘constitutional and humane’ treatment of immigrants
Last week, amid nationwide protests against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Hays County passed a resolution affirming its support for the “constitutional and humane treatment of migrants.” Travis County followed suit in its meeting this week, passing a resolution that reaffirms what the U.S. Supreme Court has already affirmed in cases such as Plyler v. […]
Posted inPolice
City delays decision on license plate reader program
After a prolonged discussion during Tuesday’s City Council work session, a proposed extension of the city’s Automated License Plate Reader program is no longer under consideration. “Given concerns expressed today, I have decided to withdraw this item from the agenda at this time to provide more opportunities to address council members’ questions and do our […]