In its inaugural quarterly gun violence report, the Austin Police Department has recorded a slight increase in major violent offenses involving guns compared to the same time last year. In the summer of 2019, APD released its initial gun crime report – part of an Austin City Council resolution to address gun violence – that analyzed […]
Austin Police Department
the law enforcement entity for the City of Austin.
Posted inPublic Safety
Public Safety Committee to hear testimony on changes to police tactics
City Council’s newly revived Public Safety Committee convenes today at 2 p.m. to discuss the Austin Police Department’s General Orders and tactics. It’ll be a different kind of committee meeting: Rather than lead the discussion, committee members will listen to community members and gather feedback on a new vision for the department. The meeting comes […]
Posted inBudget
What $100M from the APD budget looks like
In response to pressure from activists to defund the Austin Police Department, City Council unanimously approved a series of reforms to APD operations, including a resolution that asks for deep cuts to the public safety budget. The Austin Justice Coalition has asked Council to reallocate $100 million from APD’s budget in Fiscal Year 2021 to […]
Posted inPolice
Austin police identify officers under investigation for injuring protesters during demonstrations
The Austin Police Department has named five officers it says may be responsible for seriously injuring people demonstrating during the first weekend of protests against systemic racism and police violence. The following officers have been put on paid administrative leave, as is APD policy, while the incidents are under investigation: Nicholas Gebhart, 7.5 years with […]
Posted inPolice
City to give group auditing APD training materials more time
The next Austin Police Department cadet class is on hold indefinitely, City Manager Spencer Cronk reiterated Thursday during the Public Safety Committee meeting. The department will not proceed with the new cadet class, which it had hoped to begin in July, until an audit of APD’s training procedures can be completed. “We are delaying the […]
Posted inPolice
College Student Commission recommends reallocating $30M from APD budget to fund minority scholarships
The College Student Commission passed a recommendation Monday asking City Council to reallocate at least $30 million from the Austin Police Department budget to college scholarships for low-income and racial minority students in Austin. The recommendation calls for APD Chief Brian Manley to resign from his position if he fails to fire and bring charges […]
Posted inPolice
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley will keep his job, city says, despite calls for his removal
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley will stay in his position, a city spokesperson confirmed in an email Thursday. “I have had very pointed conversations with Chief Manley over the last several weeks,” City Manager Spencer Cronk said in the email. “He has assured me he is sincerely committed to making the reforms necessary.” Local activists […]
Posted inPolice
Downtown Commission to keep closer watch on downtown policing
Whatever actions City Council takes to address the Austin Police Department’s response to racial justice protests, the Downtown Commission has voted to keep closer tabs on downtown policing efforts going forward. The commission approved two proposals from Commissioner Meghan Skornia. The first requests monthly race-specific reports from APD on use of force, police-involved shootings and […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin City Council votes to divest funds from APD, ban some potentially deadly police practices
Austin City Council members voted unanimously Thursday on four items related to the Austin Police Department’s policy and budget, including transferring some money from police to social services and banning police use of some potentially deadly weapons and practices. The decision comes after Council heard more than eight hours of public testimony over two days on police […]
Posted inCity Council
Council unveils resolutions aimed at dismantling systemic racism
On Monday morning, City Council members Natasha Harper-Madison, Delia Garza, Greg Casar and Jimmy Flannigan, along with Mayor Steve Adler, held a press conference to discuss a group of resolutions aimed at reforming the Austin Police Department and dismantling systemic racism in the community. The resolutions will appear at Council’s Thursday meeting. Harper-Madison opened the […]
Posted inCity Council
Council’s APD grant vote: What happened
After listening to nearly seven hours of heartbreaking testimony from Austinites traumatized by police violence during protests the last week of May, City Council took a vote approving more funds for the Austin Police Department. On its surface, the $430,685 grant was not connected to the protests; the money will go toward funding an auto […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin Council members say they’ve lost faith in the police chief: Next week they vote on changes
A fractured skull. A severe chest wound. A broken jaw from where a lead-pellet bag lodged inside a person’s mouth. The injuries to protesters over the weekend could have been fatal, the Austin-Travis County EMS chief told City Council members Friday morning. The physical and psychological recovery could take years. And all of these injuries […]