The Public Safety Commission approved a draft recommendation Monday urging city staff to proceed carefully before equipping Austin police officers with body cameras. The commission’s recommendations were fourfold: consider any research analyzing the effects of body cameras on police work; devise a privacy policy to protect more sensitive cases such as sexual assault or child […]
Public Safety
Posted inCity Council, Police, Public Safety
Body cameras roll through Public Safety Committee
The long march to add body cameras to Austin Police Department’s official toolkit took a symbolic step forward Monday night when members of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee heard unanimous support from a diverse group of stakeholders. It was a rare moment of harmonic accord for APD, the Office of the Police Monitor, the […]
Posted inEMS, Hays County
Hays to ask voters to OK new funds for ESD2 growth
Is it time for northeastern Hays County residents to start paying the full price for emergency medical services? Buda Fire Chief Clay Huckaby hopes voters will think so come May 9 when they have a chance to make a difference in the lean budget on which the Emergency Services District, or ESD2, operates. The district […]
Posted inPublic Safety, Roads
Safety chair questions commitment to Vision Zero
A city planner Monday gave the Public Safety Commission an update on the Vision Zero Task Force work toward devising a traffic safety plan for the city. The task force’s name reflects the blueprint it’s tasked with drafting: a Vision Zero plan aimed at reducing the number of traffic deaths to zero. However, at least one […]
Posted inPolice, Travis County
Hamilton upset over county’s handling of report
Tuesday’s Travis County Commissioners Court voting session turned from sanguine to nearly sour when a stern Sheriff Greg Hamilton showed up to speak on the day’s final item, a report that would steer more money into an ongoing re-examination of the county’s adult correctional system. The first phase of the two-part analysis cost $461,310 and […]
Posted inPolice, Public Safety
Public Safety urges APD to wait on body cameras
The Public Safety Commission is urging the Austin Police Department to avoid making a hurried decision about when and how officers will wear body cameras. Commissioners said Monday they would consider adding a resolution on body cameras to next month’s agenda. Police Chief Art Acevedo announced in November department plans to outfit its officers with […]
Posted inCity Council, Fire, Public Safety
Council delays fire department reclassification plan
A proposal to modify the Austin Fire Department’s leadership hierarchy has encountered headwinds at City Hall. City Council Member Don Zimmerman moved Thursday to prevent a vote on the resolution that proposes tweaking the department’s classification system, including removing several lower-level positions and adding two new division chiefs to Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr’s executive team. […]
Posted inAustin, Music & Entertainment, Police
Police to enforce noise ordinance during RoundUp
The Austin Police Department says it will enforce the city’s noise ordinance in the West Campus area during the University of Texas RoundUp festivities, scheduled for this weekend. RoundUp is a nationally known weekend of parties and live performances put on annually by the UT Greek community. In recent years, the city has not rigidly […]
Posted inPublic Safety, Travis County
County postpones Correctional System master plan
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt has temporarily halted preliminary steps toward a new County Correctional System master plan. At Tuesday’s Commissioners Court voting session, Eckhardt agreed to delay a vote on whether to proceed to the second part of a two-phase process after Commissioner Gerald Daugherty insisted on hearing from one critically important stakeholder: the […]
Posted inPolice, Public Safety
ANC calls for body cameras for local police
The Austin Neighborhoods Council is calling for the use of body cameras by active-duty police officers. In a resolution approved last week, the ANC proposed the cameras, citing mistrust between neighbors and police; higher rates of incarceration, use of force and targeting toward communities of color; and a desire to “begin a larger process of dialogue […]
Posted inFire, Monitor News & Media, Public Safety, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: AFA President Bob Nicks
Austin Firefighters Association President Bob Nicks joins Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to talk about recent developments that put the union, looking for its first contract since 2012, back at the bargaining table with Austin City Management. Sponsored by Kerby Lane Cafe. Track embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/190661939″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inEMS, Public Safety
Decredentialing process gets public safety spotlight
Last week, the Public Safety Commission examined the continued tension between the city’s medical director and the Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services Association over decredentialing. Medical Director for Austin/Travis County EMS Dr. Paul Hinchey spoke to commissioners about the de-accreditation process, and why it was employed despite the fact that it does not offer a […]