Police
Austin City Council confirms Joseph Chacon as new police chief
Joseph Chacon is Austin’s new police chief, after City Council members confirmed his nomination Thursday night. Chacon has been serving as the city’s interim chief since Brian Manley’s departure from the top job in March. “Thank you for trusting me to do…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Oct 1, 2021
Report pushes police to improve training, communication with disabled Austinites
A new report based on feedback from residents with disabilities calls on the Austin Police Department to make improvements to its training and practices concerning interactions with residents experiencing mental health issues, hearing loss or other disabilities. The report comes…
Police • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 28, 2021
Austin taps interim Chief Joseph Chacon as its next police chief
Joseph Chacon, who has been serving as interim Austin police chief since April, has been nominated to take on the position permanently, City Manager Spencer Cronk confirmed Wednesday. The decision is still pending approval from City Council at its meeting…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Sep 23, 2021
APD needs more oversight, Public Safety Committee is told
Police transparency and accountability are still sorely lacking in Austin, according to statistical information presented to the City Council Public Safety Committee on Monday. Farah Muscadin, director of the Office of Police Oversight, or OPO, provided several grim findings in…
Police • By Amy Smith • Sep 21, 2021
Public Safety Commission questions police force's low vaccination rate
Only about half of Austin police officers have been vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus and mask-wearing is typically at the discretion of officers responding to calls, Public Safety Commission members learned Tuesday. The information did not sit well with commissioners,…
Police • By Amy Smith • Sep 9, 2021
How many cops do we want and at what cost?
Reporters and promoters of Proposition A have been using two officers per 1,000 Austin residents to describe the police staffing required if the proposition wins voter approval on Nov. 2. But that number may be insufficient, according to calculations done…
Bonds & Propositions • By Jo Clifton • Sep 9, 2021
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City pays $2.25 million to family of man killed by police in 2017
In the conclusion of a lawsuit against the Austin police officer who shot and killed a 20-year-old Hispanic man in 2017, Austin City Council Thursday approved $2.25 million to be paid as a settlement to the man’s family. “There’s no…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Sep 3, 2021
Austin narrows police chief search to three finalists
The city of Austin has narrowed its search for a new police chief down to three candidates: Joseph Chacon, Austin’s interim police chief; Avery Moore, an assistant chief with the Dallas Police Department; and Emada Tingirides, a deputy chief with…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Aug 16, 2021
APD Animal Cruelty Unit down to one detective
The Animal Advisory Commission may be philosophically divided on some issues, but commissioners were united Monday in calling for the restoration of recent staffing cuts made to the Austin Police Department’s Animal Cruelty Unit. Responding to queries from the Austin…
Police • By Amy Smith • Aug 12, 2021
Austin narrows down police chief candidates to seven finalists
The city of Austin has narrowed the pool of candidates for police chief down to seven. The finalists are: Joseph Chacon, interim Austin police chief since former Chief Brian Manley retired in March Anne Kirkpatrick, former police chief, Oakland, Calif. Avery…
Police • By Alejandro Martínez-Cabrera, KUT • Jul 27, 2021
Austin announces new policy to release video footage of police shootings within 10 business days
The Austin Police Department says it will try to release video footage of incidents where police seriously injure or kill someone more quickly than in the past. Previously, the department’s policy was to release this footage within 60 days; the…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jul 26, 2021
Council members seek better system to help troubled officers
In response to an audit that found Austin Police Department is using an outdated system to identify police officers in need of help, interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon told the City Council Audit & Finance Committee Wednesday that while his…
