Members of Austin’s Public Safety Commission approved a resolution on Monday calling for a full audit of the progress made on police training academy reforms. In November, 2020, the city hired Kroll Associates to review and evaluate the Austin Police Department (APD) on the extent to which discrimination, racism and bigotry are present in […]
Public Safety Commission
The Public Safety Commission is a City Council advisory body charged with oversight of budgetary and policy matters concerning public safety These include matters related to the Austin Police Department, the Austin Fire Department, and the Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services Department.”
Posted inPublic Safety
Public Safety Commission hears about legislation impacting Austin
Last week, members of the Public Safety Commission heard from Intergovernmental Relations Deputy Officer Rick Ramirez about bills the city helped pass and those the city opposed during the regular session of the state Legislature. Among those important to Austin and its public safety employees was one making changes to the firefighters’ pension fund. Under […]
Posted inPolice
Public Safety Commission clashes with Office of Police Oversight
“It deeply concerns me that we’ve put a retired police officer in charge of taking complaints from the community about police,” Commissioner Rebecca Bernhardt told staff from Austin’s Office of Police Oversight (OPO) during a heated Public Safety Commission meeting this month. The OPO was scheduled to present an overdue annual report for 2023 (which […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Austin’s sexual assault response: Small steps forward despite federal challenges
Austin and Travis County are facing new federal roadblocks to their work to respond to sexual assault. However, local progress continues. On Monday, the Public Safety Commission convened their second discussion of local data related to sex crimes. The commission heard presentations from Austin Police Department (APD), the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, and The […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Public Safety Commission discusses firefighter cancer prevention, quarterly Fire Department update, and bylaws
On Monday, the Public Safety Commission (PSC) heard a quarterly report from the Austin Fire Department and discussed initiatives related to firefighter cancer prevention. The commission also conducted business related to their internal Austin Police Department (APD) Training Academy Working Group and Public Safety Wellness Center Working Group, and launched a new internal group to […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Public Safety Commission hears updates on APD staffing, wildfire readiness and EMS simulation lab
On Monday, the Public Safety Commission heard a quarterly report from the Austin Police Department, an update on wildfire readiness from the Austin Fire Department, a briefing on the Austin-Travis County EMS Simulation Lab, plus an update on the 2026 bond package. APD Chief of Staff Robin Henderson kicked off the presentations. After serving as […]
Posted inPolice
Public Safety Commission ‘concerned and excited’ about progress from Office of Police Oversight
On Monday, the Public Safety Commission heard an update on the Office of Police Oversight’s implementation of the Police Oversight Act, as well as its vacancies and hiring processes. The OPO operates separately from the Austin Police Department, and its mission is to enhance public transparency and accountability through impartial oversight of APD. As part […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Office of Violence Prevention applies public health tenets to help reduce violent crime
Two years ago, following a spate of violent incidents at Givens District Park, the city’s Office of Violence Prevention took action to better understand what was driving crime at the historically significant East Austin park. The OVP partnered with the Parks and Recreation Department, Watershed Protection, Austin Police Department and community groups to conduct outreach, […]
Posted inPolice
Public safety departments show progress in recruitment efforts
White males continue to make up the majority of Austin sworn public safety personnel, but police, fire and emergency medical services appear to be making strides in recruitment and diversification efforts. That was the assessment of some Public Safety Commission members after hearing brief updates from the three departments on Monday. It was the first […]
Posted inPolice
APD touts early successes of license plate reader program
The Public Safety Commission was briefed Monday on some early results of the license plate reader program that rolled out in March with cameras at undisclosed sites across the city. The Austin Police Department credits the cameras for the 40 arrests patrol officers made for stolen vehicles and the 20 stolen vehicles recovered with no […]
Posted inEMS
EMS station renovations improve conditions for an industry with a high attrition rate
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services has been seeing staffing shortages since the pandemic, due to a combination of low pay, difficult working conditions and recruitment from other health care sectors. The vacancy rate has been improving – in July 2022 it was around 25 percent, and in 2023 it dropped to 17 percent. Still, at […]
Posted inDevelopment
City emergency and development staff still opposed to single-stairwell apartment buildings
First responders and development services staff remain opposed to the single-staircase resolution that City Council approved in May, Assistant Fire Chief Tom Vocke told the Public Safety Commission at its meeting Monday afternoon. Council members supported the change to make construction costs of mid-sized multifamily units more affordable for both developers and tenants. Vocke said […]