After nearly nine months of negotiation sessions, the city of Austin halted bargaining with the Austin Police Association Thursday, citing disagreement about civilian oversight of police and raising questions about whether the two sides will agree to a new labor contract before the current one expires at the end of March. Sarah Griffin, the city’s […]
Austin Police Department
the law enforcement entity for the City of Austin.
Posted inAustin
Animal services programs missing from city strategic planning
The Animal Advisory Commission is asking the city manager’s office to include animal services programming in its upcoming strategic plan. At its regular meeting Nov. 14, the commission voted to approve a letter asking City Manager Spencer Cronk and Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo to include animal services and wildlife protection in the upcoming […]
Posted inEMS
City still faces gap in first responder pay, benefits
After a presentation comparing first responder salaries and benefits, and a direct plea from an Austin-Travis County EMS medic, the city’s Public Safety Commission is recommending the city take another look at closing the compensation gap between paramedics and the city’s other first responders. At its regular meeting on Nov. 7, the commission passed a […]
Posted inPolice
APD has improved response to sexual assault cases but there’s more work to do, report finds
While the Austin Police Department has improved its handling of sexual assault cases in some areas – like sending sexual assault kits for DNA analysis faster and correctly classifying more cases – there’s still room for improvement, a new report finds. Researchers with the Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit research and policy group, looked at police […]
Posted inPolice
Police union revisits city’s proposal to expand civilian oversight as clock ticks down
The Austin Police Association will respond later this month to the city’s repeated demands to remove civilian oversight of the police department from the labor contract. In exchange, the union has asked the city to reconsider some of its earlier requests, including those related to promotions, vacation time and sick pay. APA President Thomas Villarreal […]
Posted inPolice
Community advocates seek to expand police oversight – but not at the bargaining table
After months of negotiation over a new police labor contract, the city and the police union have reached an impasse over the most contentious issues: civilian oversight and pay. As the bargaining teams attempt to forge a path forward, balancing the city’s finite budget and desire for increased oversight with the union’s demand for higher […]
Posted inPolice
Police union rejects city’s proposals to expand civilian oversight, raise pay
With the city of Austin eager to reach an expedited agreement for a new police labor contract that expands civilian oversight, the police union is demanding higher wages for officers – or no deal. Lowell Denton, an outside attorney and labor negotiator for the city, proposed a 10 percent raise over four years during the […]
Posted inPolice
Austin approves $1.75 million settlement in lawsuit over police conduct during 2020 protests
City Council has approved a nearly $2 million settlement in a lawsuit related to police use of force during racial justice protests in 2020. In his complaint, José “Joe” Herrera said Austin police shot him in the leg with a “less-lethal” round, causing lasting nerve damage and triggering PTSD related to his military service in […]
Posted inPolice
Chief says city working hard to get more 911 employees
Reporting to City Council Tuesday, Police Chief Joseph Chacon stressed the department’s commitment to returning the number of 911 call takers and police dispatcher staff to normal levels as soon as possible. The city has attempted to address the vacancies, primarily through increasing wages. But headlines about callers being placed on hold during an emergency […]
Posted inPolice
Ordinance would remove civilian oversight of police from labor contract
The city of Austin laid out its plan for removing the Office of Police Oversight from its labor contract with the Austin Police Association, the union that represents police officers, as well as its aim to reach a new agreement expeditiously during a negotiation session Wednesday. “(W)e don’t believe that the public should have to […]
Posted inPolice
Police oversight office advocates for community input in updating police body- and dash-cam policies
The Austin Police Department should incorporate public feedback when developing policies related to body-worn and dashboard cameras, direct officers to alert community members when their interaction is being recorded, investigate potential violations of body-worn and dashboard camera policies, and reconsider the role that private vendors play in the policymaking process. These are among the 17 […]
Posted inFire
City departments continue refining wildfire evacuation plan
Last week, City Council’s Mobility Committee learned about the regional response and evacuation plan that would go into effect in the event of a wildfire. “Wildfires know no boundaries and looking at what we’re doing in terms of coordination, we’re working across those jurisdictional boundaries,” said Jim Dale, assistant director of the Transportation Department. “The […]