Lee esta historia en español. The Austin Police Department is investigating a series of incidents over the weekend in which cars were racing and blocking traffic. One officer was injured and multiple law enforcement vehicles were damaged, APD said. Between Saturday night and early Sunday morning, officers responded to four separate incidents, starting at the intersection of Barton […]
Austin Police Department
the law enforcement entity for the City of Austin.
Posted inPolice
Council directs negotiators to bring back one-year police contract
City Council voted 9-2 on Wednesday to instruct staff and outside counsel to negotiate a one-year extension of the current contract between the city and the Austin Police Association without taking an explicit position on a four-year deal announced last week by outgoing City Manager Spencer Cronk. Council members Alison Alter and Mackenzie Kelly voted […]
Posted inElections
Equity Action announces long list of supporters
Equity Action, the group that gathered signatures to put the original Austin Police Oversight Act on the May ballot, unveiled a list Tuesday of more than 100 community organizations and local leaders who endorse the APOA. The list includes Mayor Kirk Watson, former Mayor Steve Adler, and seven current City Council members including Mayor Pro […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Notley/Monitor Poll: Austinites want more police officers, more accountability
More than two years after Austin City Council endeavored to “reimagine” public safety, a slight majority of residents believe there are too few police officers while a strong majority believe there is too little accountability in police-involved shootings and in cases of alleged misconduct. These results stem from a January-February survey of 429 Austin voters […]
Posted inPolice
Council delays vote on one-year police contract extension, citing confusion
After nearly a year of negotiations, with just seven weeks to go until the current police labor contract expires, with city staff and the police union working to finalize a tentative four-year agreement and in the run-up to a local election with two competing ballot measures related to police oversight, Austin City Council is weighing […]
Posted inPolice
CM Vela proposes one-year police labor contract extension
As the city of Austin and the Austin Police Association continue to negotiate a new, four-year labor contract, several Council members have endorsed a short-term extension of the current agreement that would allow voters a chance to weigh in. District 4 Council Member Chito Vela proposed a resolution directing the city manager to negotiate the […]
Posted inPolice
Public Safety Commission calls out APD’s resistance to training academy reform
The city’s Public Safety Commission criticized the Austin Police Department for stonewalling a committee formed by City Council in 2021 to review the police training academy curriculum as part of a broader push to “reimagine” public safety. “Just to summarize, two years ago, maybe longer, the City Council, which is supposed to run this city, […]
Posted inPolice
City, police union move toward removing OPO from labor contract
With less than three months until the current police labor contract expires, the city of Austin and the Austin Police Association recently returned to the bargaining table and moved closer toward consensus regarding civilian oversight of the Austin Police Department. Lowell Denton, an outside attorney for the city, acknowledged the union’s movement toward meeting the […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Austin 911 is still strained by understaffing. Call takers brace for SXSW.
Austin’s 911 call center had about 200 calls on hold for hours on end New Year’s Eve and into the next morning. People waiting for emergency assistance were unable to get help. Those who hung up were bumped to the back of the line. “Nobody has ever seen that happen at our call center,” said […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Public Safety Commission raises questions about proposed tow fee increases
The city’s Public Safety Commission wants more information before recommending an updated non-consent towing fee schedule for the Austin Police Department. Commissioners voted to recommend City Council reject the study and send it back for additional work. The item went before the commission at its Jan. 9 regular meeting. A non-consent tow includes police impound, […]
Posted inPolice
Judge denies motions to dismiss in Mike Ramos civil suit
In a Sunday ruling denying qualified immunity to the Austin police officer who fatally shot Mike Ramos, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman sharply criticized the city’s handling of excessive force incidents. The ruling stems from the civil suit filed against APD officer Christopher Taylor and the city of Austin by Brenda Ramos, whose son was […]
Posted inPolice
Community advocates urge city, police union to return to negotiating table
Community advocates on both sides of the police contract negotiations say the city of Austin and the police union should return to the bargaining table. But their motivations and their priorities for a new contract are diametrically opposed. Last week, the city halted bargaining with the Austin Police Association, citing the union’s refusal to consider removing […]