City fleet officials updated the Public Safety Commission on Monday about their plan to add a fleet of electric vehicles for the Austin Police Department as part of an effort to meet the city’s net-zero emission target by 2040. The city is adding two electric Chevrolet Blazers specifically designed for police departments as part of […]
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 inBudget
Commissioners urge Council to increase public safety budgets
Members of the city’s Public Safety Commission voted unanimously on Monday to recommend that City Council adopt a budget this summer that will support needs outlined by representatives of the Austin Fire Department, Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Police Department. Representatives of each of the departments talked about their unfunded needs, stressing the importance […]
Posted inFire
AFD narrows its wildfire preparedness focus on Eastern Crescent
Ahead of national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on May 4, the Public Safety Commission this week heard an update on how Austin is faring with its own community readiness efforts. The good news is that Austin leads the state in its number of “Firewise” communities – a designation given by the National Fire Protection Association’s […]
Posted inCity Hall
Austin public safety agencies roll out electronic payroll system
Austin’s public safety agencies – the Austin Fire Department, the Austin Police Department and Austin-Travis County EMS – are in various stages of rolling out an electronic payroll system in an effort to streamline scheduling and other logistical tasks. The city’s Public Safety Commission expressed hope that the new system would improve transparency on how […]
Posted inPolice
Public Safety Commission begins discussion of how people with disabilities relate to policing
The Public Safety Commission recently considered a pair of reports issued by the Office of Police Oversight regarding policing and people with disabilities. At the commission meeting last week, Austin police leadership also responded to the reports, emphasizing ongoing training on building empathy for people with disabilities and also emphasizing obstacles to implementing some of […]
Posted inPolice
Virtual magistration pilot now just a ‘trial’
The Austin Public Safety Commission on Monday tabled a resolution aimed at stopping or postponing a proposed pilot program that would eliminate Travis County from the process of magistration for people arrested by Austin officers, including pretrial services. Commissioners learned from APD Chief of Staff Jeff Greenwalt that the department is now planning to do […]
Posted inPolice
Report: APD investigated 47 out of 689 complaints against its officers
Austinites voted overwhelmingly last year to expand the Office of Police Oversight’s authority. Implementing the Austin Police Oversight Act, however, has proven challenging. The office recently faced criticism from the Public Safety Commission over its lack of progress on this front. Equity Action, which spearheaded the act, sued the city on Dec. 5 for its […]
Posted inPolice
Police union leadership says oversight lawsuit further stalls labor contract negotiations
After nearly a year without a police labor contract, city leadership has signaled its hope for – and taken steps toward – a new agreement in early 2024. But incoming Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock says recent developments, including a recently filed lawsuit, have raised questions that need answering before the union will return […]
Posted inPolice
Public Safety Commission pushes for full implementation of police oversight measures
The Public Safety Commission chided the Office of Police Oversight for its lack of communication and progress regarding the implementation of the Austin Police Oversight Act and a related ordinance enacting some of the act’s provisions. “It’s now December, and we are now finally starting to see some of the details of how this implementation […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Public Safety Commission encourages language accessibility across public safety agencies
The Public Safety Commission encouraged the city’s public safety agencies to continue efforts to improve language accessibility at its meeting on Monday. “It seems … hugely important that we grow our fluency across all the departments,” said Chair Nelly Ramírez. “So any little steps that we can take to sort of make public safety in […]
Posted inFire
City continues to work on wildfire mitigation strategies
The public may not have noticed, but Austin-Travis County had 963 different brush and grass fire alarms in September, Assistant Fire Chief Andre de la Reza told members of the city’s Public Safety Commission on Monday. The department was able to handle those without requiring anyone to evacuate their homes, but the number demonstrates that […]
Posted inPublic Safety
APD’s 911 center seeing progress in filling dispatcher, call taker vacancies
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 […]