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Public Safety
'Demand has just gone up and up': Food banks struggle to keep up post-pandemic
Drivers line up down the street to grab groceries from a small, white house in the Dunbar neighborhood of San Marcos. For some time, the renovated house worked fine for the Hays County Food Bank, but as more and more…
Public Health • By Maya Fawaz, KUT • Jul 8, 2024
Central Health talks new facilities, services in advance of 2025 budget
Travis County’s public hospital district that funds medical care for low-income residents plans to accelerate its introduction of new clinical services in its next budget year. Care for psychiatry, endocrinology and rheumatology are among the new offerings on tap in…
Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 3, 2024
Electric vehicles for APD will arrive by the end of the year
City fleet officials updated the Public Safety Commission on Monday about their plan to add a fleet of electric vehicles for the Austin Police Department as part of an effort to meet the city’s net-zero emission target by 2040. The…
Police • By Dylan Ebs • Jul 3, 2024
Travis County grand jury decides against charging Christopher Taylor with murder again
Austin police officer Christopher Taylor will no longer face prosecution for the fatal shooting of Mike Ramos in 2020. The shooting was a month before the murder of George Floyd, and Ramos’ name was invoked in racial justice protests in…
Police • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Jun 27, 2024
Stakeholders urge county to hurry up on implementing legal defense at bail hearings
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Travis County Commissioners Court, a coalition of people impacted by the justice system, community organizers and county staff gathered to urge commissioners to develop a permanent program allowing people who have just been arrested to…
Public Safety • By Lina Fisher • Jun 20, 2024
New climate report shows last summer's record-high temps might not be a fluke
The results are in from researchers at the University of Texas’ Climate CoLab, and those who hoped last summer’s record-breaking temperatures to be a deviation from the norm might want to adjust their expectations. The new Climate Projections report, which…
Environment • By Kali Bramble • Jun 12, 2024
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City could revive idled homelessness prevention programs with its next budget
The city will likely look at restarting funding for homelessness prevention programs that were largely shelved in recent years in response to receiving federal funding that prioritized rapid rehousing efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last week, City Council’s Public Health…
Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 11, 2024
Staff shortages are still a problem at APD
Before a scheduled briefing on the Austin Police Department’s community policing program, members of the City Council Public Safety Committee heard a pitch from Ethan Cheramie of On Scene Services proposing that his company take over the duties of officers…
Police • By Jo Clifton • Jun 11, 2024
Travis County approves comprehensive study of emergency services
At its meeting Tuesday, June 4, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to earmark up to $400,000 toward providing better emergency medical services to areas of the county outside of Austin. In a presentation to commissioners, Travis County’s executive…
EMS • By Lina Fisher • Jun 6, 2024
Austin police knew 'less-lethal' rounds could seriously injure people. They used them anyway.
Austin police officers shot scores of racial justice protesters in May 2020 with lead-pellet bags used to control crowds. Dozens of people were seriously injured by the so-called “less lethal” ammunition. The city has paid out more than $20 million…
Police • By Andrew Weber, KUT • May 31, 2024
Travis County has seen a surge of fentanyl overdoses. A new report shows it's not slowing down.
Fentanyl-related overdoses continue to be the leading cause of accidental overdose deaths in Travis County, according to a new report from the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office. In 2023, 279 people died from a fentanyl-related overdose – up from 245…
Public Health • By Andrew Weber, KUT • May 24, 2024
Auditor’s report points out difficulties with 911 call taking
As a result of complaints citizens made about problems they had connecting with the city’s 911 service during emergencies, City Council members Alison Alter and Vanessa Fuentes requested that the Office of the City Auditor look into how the Austin…
