Reporting to City Council Tuesday, Police Chief Joseph Chacon stressed the department’s commitment to returning the number of 911 call takers and police dispatcher staff to normal levels as soon as possible. The city has attempted to address the vacancies, primarily through increasing wages. But headlines about callers being placed on hold during an emergency […]
Public Safety
Posted inPublic Safety
Flash Flood Alley could see some action on flood relief
In the wake of 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, the Texas Legislature directed the creation of a plan that could guide state and local flood control policy. Now the regional plan concerning Central Texas is getting close to the finish line. Set for completion in January, the plan includes more than $400 million in estimated funding needs. The […]
Posted inPublic Health
Travis County secures nearly 10,000 doses of life-saving overdose drug naloxone
Travis County has secured a bulk order of the life-saving drug naloxone in an effort to prevent opioid deaths. The shipment comes after the county issued an emergency declaration triggered by a record-high number of overdoses related to fentanyl last year. At an announcement Monday, Austin Public Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said the county had secured […]
Posted inPolice
Ordinance would remove civilian oversight of police from labor contract
The city of Austin laid out its plan for removing the Office of Police Oversight from its labor contract with the Austin Police Association, the union that represents police officers, as well as its aim to reach a new agreement expeditiously during a negotiation session Wednesday. “(W)e don’t believe that the public should have to […]
Posted inPolice
Police oversight office advocates for community input in updating police body- and dash-cam policies
The Austin Police Department should incorporate public feedback when developing policies related to body-worn and dashboard cameras, direct officers to alert community members when their interaction is being recorded, investigate potential violations of body-worn and dashboard camera policies, and reconsider the role that private vendors play in the policymaking process. These are among the 17 […]
Posted inFire
City departments continue refining wildfire evacuation plan
Last week, City Council’s Mobility Committee learned about the regional response and evacuation plan that would go into effect in the event of a wildfire. “Wildfires know no boundaries and looking at what we’re doing in terms of coordination, we’re working across those jurisdictional boundaries,” said Jim Dale, assistant director of the Transportation Department. “The […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Crash deaths, injuries on the rise despite Vision Zero interventions
Traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries in the city of Austin have increased in 2022 compared with the five-year average, highlighting the barriers that stand in the way of the city’s Vision Zero goals. The Vision Zero program, which originated in Sweden in the 1990s, aims to end traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries. City Council adopted […]
Posted inFire
Travis County preps for centennial fire prevention week
According to a proclamation unanimously approved by the Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, the week of Oct. 9-15 is the 100th annual fire prevention week in Travis County. The theme of the centennial? “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.” “I’ve responded to way too many fatality fires in my career, and I have not […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin Public Health expands eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine
Austinites at risk of contracting monkeypox are now eligible for the vaccine, health officials said Monday. Previously, the vaccine was limited to people directly exposed to the virus or diagnosed with the disease. “We are really just classifying anyone at risk,” said Dr. Christina Madison with Wellness Equity Alliance, one of the health care organizations […]
Posted inPolice
City, police union seek a new contract before May election, when oversight is on the ballot
With Austin voters set to vote on whether to expand civilian oversight of the police department in May, the city of Austin and the Austin Police Association reaffirmed their commitment to finalizing a new labor contract before the spring election, despite persistent disagreements about what oversight should look like. “We are here to negotiate,” Rebecca […]
Posted inPublic Safety
APD officers continue to direct homeless to campsite closed for new residents
The Austin Police Department has for months continued to direct homeless individuals to a camping site that has been closed to new residents, leaving people with no legal place to find shelter while staying with their belongings. At Wednesday’s meeting of the Downtown Commission, APD Commander Eric Fitzgerald delivered a report about safety issues in […]
Posted inPolice
APD releases after-action report detailing response to 2020 protests
In the two years and four months since thousands of Austinites protested the police killing of George Floyd, 19 Austin police officers have been indicted for using so-called less-lethal ammunition, or beanbag rounds, on protesters, and the city of Austin has reportedly paid out $15 million in settlements to those injured. Now, the Austin Police […]