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Tag Archives: Austin Police Department

Austin nominates interim police chief, permanent chief to be named by August

Joseph Chacon, an assistant chief of the Austin Police Department, has been nominated to serve as interim police chief as Brian Manley readies to leave the department this week. City Manager Spencer Cronk announced Chacon’s nomination in a memo Monday morning.…

Downtown Commission hears plans for APD headquarters relocation

Alex Gale from the city’s Office of Real Estate Services and Darrell Alexander from the Building Services Department spoke to the Downtown Commission Wednesday on the relocation of the Austin Police Department headquarters. Gale explained that Council had given direction…

Review commission works through reforms of police procedures

Last summer, amid widespread calls for police reform, Austin City Council adopted Resolution 95, which is aimed at reworking many of the Austin Police Department’s most controversial policies. The resolution ordered APD to implement restrictions on chokeholds, purchases of military…

PARD begins to reimagine public safety

Last summer, in the wake of protests against the police killings of Mike Ramos and George Floyd, Austin City Council announced its Reimagining Public Safety initiative. A timeline was released with the goal of reforming “public safety over the years, including conducting…

APD details cadet academy reforms

The Austin Police Department presented reforms to its cadet academy at Tuesday’s City Council work session, moving Council closer to a vote on restarting the academy after halting it last summer. The changes respond to a preliminary report by consulting…

Austin officially moves forensics lab out from under police department

In a move long advocated for by survivors of sexual assault, the Austin City Council voted Thursday to officially transfer its forensics bureau out from under the police department. It will now function as an independent entity. “This move is…

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Council to move forensics department from APD

City Council is set to create a new Forensic Science Department this week as part of its plan to move some civilian operations out of police control. Council members say the reshuffling will make the department more accountable and allow…

Racial inequity at APD front and center at Public Safety Commission

Public Safety commissioners took a closer look at racial issues in the Austin Police Department, diving into a recent report on the subject at their Monday meeting. A survey of over 1,000 APD officers and staff about their attitudes toward…

Reimagining Public Safety task force asks for hold on cadet classes

A public meeting of the task force for Reimagining Public Safety reviewed a report Wednesday about the presence of racial and gender bias and the use of unnecessary force in training cadets at the Austin Police Academy. The task force…

Videos used to train Austin police perpetuate 'racism, sexist gender norms and classism,' panel finds

A panel of community members has recommended the Austin Police Department remove 60 videos from its training curriculum after concluding they bolster racist and sexist ideas and do little to help officers constructively interact with the public. “The vast majority…

2020: Highlights (and lowlights) of an unforgettable year

It’s not likely that anyone who lived through it will soon forget the year 2020. It’s possible, however, that one might forget the details of local news stories from the year. For that, we offer this review of the year…

Abbott plots DPS takeover of APD

Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Twitter Monday that he had received draft language to seize Austin’s Police Department and put it under the control of the Texas Department of Public Safety “just in time for Christmas.” The Austin Police Association,…

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