Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo joins Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to talk about policing in Austin against the backdrop of current national concerns. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/281324250″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Public Safety
Posted inFire
City Council sounds alarm over locker rooms for female firefighters
A multiyear project to provide locker rooms for Austin’s female firefighters has stuttered past its deadline, causing frustration among both firefighters and City Council. At a budget work session on Aug. 10, Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr promised to redouble her efforts to finish construction of locker rooms at six fire stations where installation was […]
Posted inBudget
Austin police short-staffed and underprotected, advocates say
In the aftermath of two shootings in Austin last weekend, City Council should increase police numbers as well as invest in better body armor, advocates say. Those shootings, along with a fierce national debate over the role police should be playing in communities, gave added gravity to a discussion over Austin’s shortage of police officers and […]
Posted inPolice
The investigations that begin when APD officers discharge their weapons
While investigations into the police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota have begun, a writer for feminist publication Ravishly wonders how each local jurisdiction investigates cases like these. Writer Ijeoma Oluo poses these questions: “Who reviews civilian complaints? Is there any civilian oversight? How are people appointed to review panels? Is there regular […]
Posted inPolice
The day after Dallas police shootings, APD graduates 37 new officers
It’s been one week since Baton Rouge police officers shot and killed Alton Sterling, a black man selling CDs outside a convenience store. Just a day later, Philando Castile was shot and killed by police outside St. Paul, Minn. Then, on Thursday, a lone gunman killed five Dallas police officers as protestors objecting to the […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Fire Dept. on Barton Creek drownings: There’s only so much we can do
There is only so much the city can do to prevent people from putting themselves at risk in Barton Creek or other area waterways, an Austin Fire Department official told members of the Public Safety Commission on Tuesday. “Water is always dangerous,” said Assistant Fire Department Chief Brian Tanzola. Tanzola had been requested to brief […]
Posted inPolice
Commission wants ongoing scrutiny of police body camera policies
Activists and city leaders who pushed for the Austin Police Department to equip its officers with body cameras continue to voice concerns about the implementation of the program, including whether it will bring the intended transparency and protect the privacy of crime victims and witnesses. On Tuesday, the city Public Safety Commission approved a resolution […]
Posted inPolice
APD response times continue to increase
According to the city of Austin’s latest annual performance review released on June 22, the time it takes Austin police officers to respond to high-priority calls has been steadily increasing over the past five years. During Fiscal Year 2014-2015, the department missed its goal of responding to emergency and urgent calls within seven minutes and […]
Posted inPublic Safety
County, city shake hands on sobriety center agreement
Both Travis County and the city of Austin have ratified an agreement that will form the basis of a new venture aimed at both battling substance abuse and unclogging the county’s central booking facility. On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court voted 3-0-1 to approve the interlocal agreement with the city to create and fund a new […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Council approves $17M contract for police body cameras
Despite lingering questions about the technology involved, City Council passed two contracts adding up to over $17.2 million to purchase body cameras and iPhones for the Austin Police Department at its meeting on Thursday. The purchase of the cameras has been the subject of debate since March. Community activists have raised ongoing concerns over the […]
Posted inPolice
Council delays purchase of police body cameras
Expressing concern that they were moving too fast, City Council members voted 7-1 to delay the purchase of body cameras for the Austin Police Department for two weeks. At their meeting on June 9, Council members cited concerns with transparency when it came to who would be able to view footage from the cameras, as […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Commissioners OK support for more APD racial profiling data
After delaying a vote for several meetings, the Public Safety Commission on Monday supported a resolution asking for more racial profiling data from the Austin Police Department and a more rigorous analysis of it by the Office of the Police Monitor. Commissioner Mike Levy took a minute to congratulate fellow commissioners after a unanimous vote. […]