Residents with unwanted firearms and ammunition can turn them over to the Austin Police Department on Tuesday at the first of a series of no-questions-asked gun surrender programs. The point of the program is to prevent weapons from ending up in the wrong hands, Police Chief Brian Manley said – not to identify people turning […]
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Austin will not pay to test for marijuana, effectively decriminalizing small amounts of pot
As law enforcement agencies in Texas figure out how to test suspected marijuana following the legalization of hemp in the state, the Austin City Council responded Thursday with its fix: a measure that effectively decriminalizes small amounts of pot. “It’s the right thing for criminal justice reform, from a common-sense perspective, and it’s the right […]
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Activists say officers allege retaliation for speaking to investigators in racism probe of APD
Activists and a City Council member say they’ve heard claims of possible obstruction in the investigation into alleged racism and homophobia among the highest ranks of the Austin Police Department. “It seems that people are not able to wholeheartedly and openly and honestly talk about some of the issues regarding racism within the police department,” […]
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APD survey shows police officers are proud but frustrated
As the Public Safety Commission came back to a new year on Jan. 6, members began with a lengthy discussion about the state of the Austin police force. After receiving a presentation from the department highlighting the personal, professional and emotional barriers officers face, the commissioners began by asking how APD is addressing the concerns […]
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Austin orders sweeping probe of alleged racism, bigotry among police, including social media audit
The city of Austin will conduct a department-wide investigation of discrimination in the Austin Police Department, following accusations of racism and homophobia among the highest ranks. “There comes a time in everybody’s existence to have to do something really hard because it’s worth it,” Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison said before Council voted on the measure […]
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Public Safety Commission pushes for an independent investigation into ‘endemic’ racism and homophobia in APD
Last month, City Manager Spencer Cronk announced that attorney Lisa Tatum would investigate allegations of racism among the executive staff of the Austin Police Department. The investigation follows complaints that APD Assistant Chief Justin Newsom used the N-word to refer to African Americans, including former City Council Member Ora Houston and former APD Chief Frank […]
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Austin’s review of how police handle sexual assaults won’t be finished until 2022
An independent review of how Austin police investigate sexual assault cases won’t be completed until February 2022, the Austin Public Safety Commission said. Austin City Council agreed last month to pay up to $800,000 to the Washington, D.C.-based Police Executive Research Forum to do the audit, with help from the Philadelphia-based Women’s Law Project and […]
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Public Safety Commission talks homelessness with APD
Last week brought a new level of scrutiny to the way the city polices individuals experiencing homelessness. The governor declared he would “unleash” state resources if Austin doesn’t address its homelessness issues by Nov. 1. Police Chief Brian Manley suggested reinstating the old ordinances while the department worked on its enforcement strategy. Finally, the police […]
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Report faults APD’s handling of information
The Austin Police Department has failed to comply with the federal policy relating to access to criminal justice information maintained by the FBI, according to a special report from the Office of the City Auditor. Assistant City Auditor Andrew Keegan briefly described his findings to the Council Audit and Finance Committee on Thursday. The Texas […]
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Austin police pension fund facing trouble
The Austin Police Department’s retirement system is in considerable trouble, with actuaries predicting that the fund will run out of money within 50 years unless the city and the officers who are members of the system reach an agreement to change current contribution levels, benefits and/or try a more novel approach. Like other retirement funds, […]
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Public Safety Commission recommends increased funding for mental health first responder program
The Austin Police Department is working to revamp its tactics when handling calls related to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Fulfilling that goal starts with training officers so they are equipped to help in these tense situations. Public Safety Commissioner Chris Harris pointed out at the Aug. 5 meeting of the commission that even […]
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City audit says Austin police could be better about keeping track of body camera footage
The Austin Police Department is still working out the kinks in its body camera program, according to a new city audit. The report released today by the city auditor’s office looked at footage from 151 body cam videos from Aug. 1, 2018, to Jan. 31, 2019 – a small sampling of all the videos recorded […]