Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo told the Monitor on Thursday that he believes the focus of the federal Secure Communities Program could change by the end of 2014. Speaking after he briefed the Council on a proposed new city booking facility, Acevedo added to comments he made to Council members. “What’s happening right now is that the […]
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Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety
Council gets update on Rundberg Project
The work of restoring the Rundberg neighborhood is well underway. A briefing on the Restore Rundberg Project’s progress at City Council’s Tuesday work session prompted at least one Council member to ask: Could it be better? The Restore Rundberg Project is a result of a $1 million, three-year grant to fund innovative solutions for areas […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Audit finds problems with how APD stores, destroys old evidence
A city audit found that drugs and firearms confiscated by the Austin Police Department are in some cases not adequately protected, with drugs sometimes stored in cardboard boxes outdoors. In response, APD officials say they are re-evaluating the department’s evidence control policies. The City Auditor’s Office presented its audit of the APD’s Evidence […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety
Morrison wary of adding private institutions to Intelligence Center
A proposal to include a handful of new police organizations as members of the Austin Regional Intelligence Center, called the ARIC, raised a red flag for Council Member Laura Morrison Tuesday. Morrison didn’t appear to have an objection to the inclusion of the Austin Community College, Texas State University, the City of Cedar Park, […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Police Monitor’s report suggests profiling, illegal searches
New data released last week by the Office of the Police Monitor show that, based on statistics, some Austin Police officers may be illegally profiling minorities and performing questionable searches of detained individuals. Austin Police Monitor Margo Frasier also said that her recently released reports – covering all of 2012 and the first six […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety
Fleet Services says it needs more staff, bays to service vehicles
The head of the city’s Fleet Services Department told members on the Council Audit and Finance Committee last week that his department has numerous unmet needs, noting that department is short 60-80 repair bays for the city’s vehicles, including nearly 2,000 public safety vehicles. “We have about 87 bays right now,” Gerry Calk told […]