At the first City Council meeting following the end of the recent bombings, Council members spent nearly two hours debating a largely symbolic resolution about police staffing. Originally, explained Council Member Ellen Troxclair, the resolution was meant to simply convey Council’s commitment to filling a number of vacant police positions in the upcoming budget. “I’m […]
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Posted inPolice
Council members call for Manley to be made permanent police chief after Austin bombings
Members of City Council want to formally appoint Interim Police Chief Brian Manley as the city’s permanent chief. If a resolution is approved, City Manager Spencer Cronk would need to make the final hiring decision. Shortly after the announcement yesterday of the death of Austin’s serial bomber, Council Member Delia Garza issued a call to […]
Posted inPolice
Adding more cops part of APD planning
The Austin Police Department currently has 69 vacancies, Assistant Chief Troy Gay told City Council Tuesday, but with so many officers retiring each month it is nearly impossible to catch up. In addition, the Matrix Consulting Group recommended in 2016 that APD hire 144 new patrol officers, and in 2017 APD proposed adding 329 new […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
From ‘Starbucks’ lines to ‘full-scale riot’: How cops and clubs control crowds during SXSW
The influx of 300,000 to 400,000 people to downtown Austin during South by Southwest requires an extraordinary amount of crowd control, both for event organizers and first responders. Austin’s Police Department uses a Special Response Team to patrol downtown. “It’s just a group of 120 officers who are trained and responsible for crowd management,” APD […]
Posted inPublic Safety
What happens when top public safety officials are accused of harassment?
Members of the Public Safety Commission expressed concern and befuddlement over policies that the Police, Fire and EMS departments rely on to hold their top officials accountable for harassment. “It doesn’t make sense to me that the policies are so different (between departments),” said Commissioner Rebecca Gonzales. In all of the departments, said Chair Rebecca […]
Posted inPolice
Council reinstates some extra police pay
With only City Council Member Greg Casar dissenting, Council voted Thursday to reinstate some incentive pay for Austin police officers to the level that they received under their old contract. That contract expired at the end of December, after Council rejected a new contract worked out by its negotiating team and negotiators for the Austin […]
Posted inAustin
Is it really legal to walk down the street with a beer in Austin neighborhoods?
Colter Sonneville had a hunch that it might be legal to walk down the street with an open beer in most of Austin’s residential neighborhoods. It started when he noticed some big signs around Chicon and East Cesar Chavez streets. “The sign says, ‘No alcohol consumption on public streets/sidewalks and pedestrian way designated area,’” he […]
Posted inPolice
Police reform activists call for city-funded nonprofit for police complaints
Representatives of Austin’s police union said Monday that they’re eager to begin negotiations with the new city manager on a contract that can hopefully win approval from City Council. Ron DeLord, an attorney for the Austin Police Association, told members of the Public Safety Commission that the union had put together a new negotiation team, […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
2012 APD bond projects appear to be stalled on many sides
Generally, if a bond is issued with a specific project in mind, when the money is awarded, the city gives a project team five years to complete whatever project the taxpayers are funding. That is, of course, unless the costs of the project were arbitrarily estimated and the team runs out of funds before the […]
Posted inCity Council
New negotiations for police, EMS contracts
Several City Council members, particularly Jimmy Flannigan and Alison Alter, sharply criticized city staff during Tuesday’s work session discussion of the Austin Police Association contract, with Flannigan and Alter claiming staff failed to communicate as the contract was being crafted. As a result, they said, by the time they knew what was in the contract […]
Posted inParks
Nash Hernandez joint-use facility will remain indefinitely unopened
For seven years, East Austin’s Nash Hernandez Building has remained empty as the Austin Parks and Recreation Department and the Austin Police Department have worked to create a 9,600-square-foot joint-use facility for Austin’s park rangers and park patrol units. As of last week, it looks like the project is still years away from completion. Board […]
Posted inPolice
APD makes final push to get body cameras on all patrol officers
By March, all Austin patrol officers will be wearing body cameras, according to estimates by the Austin Police Department. Currently, 658 body cameras are in use; another 200 will be added. “After that, we’ll be looking to (give them to other) units throughout the department,” said Cmdr. Brent Dupre, who heads the department’s technology unit. […]