Austin Police Department has made progress in filling vacancies and improving retention in its Emergency Communications Center over the past 12 months, with more new hires expected by the end of the year. A memo released last week from Robin Henderson, interim chief for Austin Police Department, informed City Council that since last October, ECOMMS […]
Austin Police Department
the law enforcement entity for the City of Austin.
Posted inPolice
Austin slowly expands police oversight powers voters passed in the spring
Months after Austinites overwhelmingly passed a sweeping measure calling for stronger police oversight, the City Council voted Thursday to set hard deadlines for staff to expand the Office of Police Oversight’s power. The resolution was approved 10 to 1, with Council Member Mackenzie Kelly voting against. Proposition A, which was backed by the criminal justice nonprofit Equity Action, […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Working group aims for systemic overhaul of Austin’s handling of sexual assault cases
City Council will consider today three agenda items related to the Austin Police Department’s handling of sexual assault cases. If approved, they would direct more than $443,000 in city and grant funds toward an outside review of such cases opened between 2021 and 2022, an audit of the department’s Sex Crimes Unit, and the hiring […]
Posted inPolice
Vela’s call for transparency would require police to release detailed data monthly
Austin Police Department may soon be required to regularly publish comprehensive data on the city’s digital portal in a move to add transparency and address a backlog of thousands of public information requests. City Council is set to consider a resolution from Council Member Chito Vela that directs city staff to develop a plan for […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Vacancies at public safety agencies drive overtime costs
Staffing shortages in the city’s police, fire and emergency medical services departments are driving record-high reliance on overtime. Following a request from the city’s Public Safety Commission, public safety officials provided data on overtime use, as well as some possible solutions, at the commission’s meeting on Monday. In response, commissioners voted unanimously to recommend that […]
Posted inPolice
Austin police chief turnover follows national trends
Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon’s recent announcement that he will retire ushers in the city’s third search for a top cop in just over five years. Experts say police chief turnover is an enduring challenge catalyzed in recent years by social change, including mass protests against police violence and racism in the summer of 2020 […]
Posted inCity Council
Council delays transfer of 37 civilian position to APD, citing transparency concerns
Before City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget, which includes record-high police funding, District 4 Council Member Chito Vela proposed an amendment delaying the transfer of 37 full-time civilian staff positions to the Austin Police Department, citing a need for more clarity. Although city staff attempted to answer Vela’s questions and to dissuade such […]
Posted inPolice
Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon announces retirement
Chief Joseph Chacon will leave the Austin Police Department next month. Chacon told interim City Manager Jesús Garza of his plans to retire last week, city leaders said, and he officially gave his notice Monday morning. He has served in law enforcement for 31 years. Chacon said he had been considering retirement for the last […]
Posted inBudget
Council-approved budget contains record-high police funding, sparking dissent from both sides
Three years after mass protests against police violence and racial injustice spurred the now-defunct Reimagining Public Safety initiative, City Council on Wednesday voted 10-1 to approve the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget, which includes record-high police funding and sets a new minimum for future city spending. Council’s decision has provoked both the police union and police […]
Posted inPolice
Austin Police Department Training Academy attrition remains high amid reforms
An Austin Police Department audit revealed high attrition rates among recent cadet classes amid ongoing reforms and persistent staffing shortages. Police leadership reported the inaugural audit’s findings – based on the 147th cadet class, which graduated in May – to the city’s Public Safety Committee on Monday. Under internal audit protocols developed by Kroll Associates […]
Posted inBudget
Proposed police budget increase sparks community pushback
Interim City Manager Jesús Garza’s Fiscal Year 2023-24 city budget proposal would increase the Austin Police Department’s operating budget by $31.7 million, or slightly more than 7 percent, prompting pushback from police reform advocates. Some of the major cost drivers include: A 4 percent base wage increase and a $2,500 incentive payment for all sworn […]
Posted inCity Council
Council OKs lawsuit settlements related to injuries, land
City Council agreed Thursday to settle five lawsuits, including paying $1.2 million to a protester who was injured during the protests outside the Austin Police Department in May 2020. Bomani Barton, who was shot by a police officer with three beanbag rounds, agreed to drop his suit against the city in return for compensation. Barton […]