Cub Scouts bring improvement initiatives to the Planning Commission… Webelos Scout Pack 81 Den 4 arrived at the Oct. 8 convocation of the Planning Commission to speak solemnly to the commissioners about their concerns for the city and what they appreciate. The appearance was part of the pack’s Building a Better World requirement, in which […]
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 inPolice
Public Safety Commission talks homelessness with APD
Last week brought a new level of scrutiny to the way the city polices individuals experiencing homelessness. The governor declared he would “unleash” state resources if Austin doesn’t address its homelessness issues by Nov. 1. Police Chief Brian Manley suggested reinstating the old ordinances while the department worked on its enforcement strategy. Finally, the police […]
Posted inEMS
Public Safety Commission questions path forward for EMS providers being assaulted
After reports from EMS personnel raised questions about the frequency of field officer assault by patients, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services conducted an internal survey. The results showed that the majority of Austin EMS personnel say they’ve been assaulted on the job in the last two years. “We certainly are being assaulted,” Selena Xie, the president […]
Posted inPublic Safety
City continues to work toward Vision Zero goals
As of this past weekend, there have been 48 traffic fatalities in Austin since the beginning of the year. The city, according to an ambitious plan passed three years ago, would like to bring the number of annual traffic deaths down to zero by 2025. One of the primary solutions the city is looking at […]
Posted inFire
AFD under fire for handling of sexual harassment claim despite policy updates
After Austin Fire Department Lieutenant James Baker pleaded guilty to hiding a camera and filming firefighter Kelly Gall in the fire station restroom, AFD revised its harassment policies and implemented the Electronic and Anonymous Reporting System. EARS is intended to bypass the firehouse hierarchy and get complaints directly onto the desk of the fire chief, […]
Posted inPolice
Public Safety Commission recommends increased funding for mental health first responder program
The Austin Police Department is working to revamp its tactics when handling calls related to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Fulfilling that goal starts with training officers so they are equipped to help in these tense situations. Public Safety Commissioner Chris Harris pointed out at the Aug. 5 meeting of the commission that even […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Public Safety Commission backs adoption of international wildfire code
The Public Safety Commission is again recommending tighter wildfire protection standards for structures built between the city’s wildlands and urban center. On Monday the commission endorsed adoption of a Wildland-Urban Interface Code that would expand ember protection and structure hardening regulations for new homes and remodels built near wildlands. City Council has previously discussed adopting […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Fire and police response times lagging due to low staffing
In an effort to serve citizens as quickly, efficiently and proficiently as possible, Austin public safety departments have response time goals. For the Fire Department, this means response times of eight minutes 90 percent of the time, while police should arrive at the scene within 6 minutes and 44 seconds for the highest-priority calls. However, […]
Posted inTransportation
Commission zeros in on scooter safety
A landmark study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Austin Public Health Department documented that 192 dockless scooter riders were injured between Sept. 5 and Nov. 30 last year. During that time, “There were about two injuries per day on average,” said David Zane, an epidemiologist with Austin Public Health, at […]
Posted inBudget
Public safety departments cite $3.5M in unmet needs
At Monday’s Public Safety Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously voted to send a memo to City Council recommending an additional $3.5 million in funding for the 2020 fiscal year. The money would fund initiatives including a $10,000 raise for future police cadets, re-approved funding for the interdepartmental mental health outreach team, a new records management system […]
Posted inPublic Safety
APD investigates causes of traffic fatalities
As busy and congested as Austin streets have become, drivers have managed to keep the number of traffic fatalities from rising over the last few years. “We’re on a four-year downward trend,” Ron MacKay, Austin Police Department’s crime analysis division manager, said at the March 4 meeting of the Public Safety Commission. According to the […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Council-mandated sexual assault process review comes before Public Safety Commission
After City Council ordered an independent review of the Austin Police Department’s handling of sexual assault cases, the city manager’s office went straight to work. Staffers requested proposals from non-governmental entities with expertise in the prosecution of the crime to review at least 200 APD cases (or 50 percent of cases) and determine the degree […]