For 16 years, the Office of the Police Monitor has been available for citizens and city staff to issue complaints against law enforcement. However, it appears not many Austinites take advantage of its services. Police Monitor Farah Muscadin found that of the 250 formal complaints investigated each year, 50 came directly from the community while […]
Austin Police Department
the law enforcement entity for the City of Austin.
Posted inPolice
Council approves labor contract with police after a year without one
Officers with the Austin Police Department are getting a new labor contract. After nearly a year of negotiations, City Council members unanimously approved a four-year and $44.6 million contract between the city and the local police union. Police reform activists celebrated the contract as a step toward more transparency – including the ability to file […]
Posted inAustin
Austin reconsiders homelessness ordinances as Houston laws are challenged in court
It’s a new fiscal year for the city of Austin, and one of the myriad items on City Council agendas over the next year will be an overhaul of ordinances relating to homelessness. That won’t be easy, as federal courts could inform – and complicate – that effort. In the last three years, Austin police […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Low morale in Austin’s public safety departments requires attention
The Public Safety Commission heard a variety of concerns at its Oct. 1 meeting in regards to the chronic low morale that public safety officers are experiencing within their respective departments. “It is pretty unanimous the officers are really getting tired of it,” said Commissioner Preston Tyree, who co-sponsored the discussion topic on the commission’s […]
Posted inPolice
APD to make changes in mental health cases
As a result of Austin Police Department policies, “people experiencing a mental health crisis in Austin may be at higher risk of having a negative police interaction than people in a city that more closely aligns with best practices,” according to an audit report from the Office of the City Auditor, which was discussed at […]
Posted inPolice
Office of the Police Monitor looks to revamp complaint process
According to a recent study by the Office of the Police Monitor, for many in Austin, being seen is being heard. At the Sept. 4 special called meeting of the Public Safety Commission, Police Monitor Farah Muscadin explained that many people first come into contact with the Office of the Police Monitor when filing a […]
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APD to soon use drones to map fatal car crashes
Drones are multipurpose: They can deliver pizzas and tally seals. Drones can fight wildfires and make aerial videos that garner pretty impressive watch counts on YouTube. Drones can also map fatal car crashes, which is why the Austin Police Department recently doled out $10,468 to buy two of them. “A fatal crash scene is unique […]
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Police union contract includes surprises
The union representing police officers has presented the city with a proposed contract, as well as a study by Angelou Economics challenging the city’s well-worn assertion that Austin officers are paid more than their cohorts in other Texas cities. In addition, the union has agreed with activists that except for the police monitor, that contract […]
Posted inAustin
City budget boosts spending for homelessness services
The new city manager and City Council agree: The city needs more money to address the homelessness situation. The proposed Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget submitted by City Manager Spencer Cronk includes $3.1 million in new spending on homelessness-related services. That’s on top of the roughly $25 million of spending on such services that will continue […]
Posted inPolice
Traffic law enforcement still a hot topic
Even though traffic law enforcement and street safety is a top priority for the Austin Police Department, the majority of officers have little time to devote to such enforcement, given their other priorities, such as responding to citizens’ calls and engaging in community policing efforts. That is the major conclusion of an audit report produced […]
Posted inPolice
Citizen Review Panel audit brings up questions of document security
After 17 years of evaluation of the Austin Police Department by the Citizen Review Panel, not much happened. That is the conclusion that the Office of the City Auditor presented at the Aug. 6 meeting of the Public Safety Commission: After reviewing 54 of the panel’s recommendations as well as 10 written responses from APD, […]
Posted inPolice
APD continues to push toward community-focused policing
Since the Austin Police Department made its switch to a more community-oriented focus last year, it has continued to plow forward in its efforts to reorient its policies and position APD more as a force for the people. In a presentation to the Public Safety Commission on July 2, Police Chief Brian Manley updated commissioners on the […]