Tag Archives: Austin City Council Public Safety Committee
Public Safety Commission dives into building material safety
Fire unquestionably presents a risk to public safety. However, a less visible risk associated with a burning building are the toxic chemicals used in building materials that can damage the health of first responders and homeowners who inhale the fumes…
Development • By Jessi Devenyns • Jan 9, 2020
Should hotel taxes and festival fees contribute to public safety coffers?
Austin’s festivals are most certainly a tourist attraction. But does that mean the public safety costs associated with those events should be financed through money earmarked for arts and tourism? With Council’s vote to raise the Hotel Occupancy Tax by…
Public Safety • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 12, 2019
Public Safety Commission endorses police union contract
Rejecting the pleas of police accountability activists, the Public Safety Commission voted Monday night to recommend the approval of the proposed new union contract between the city of Austin and the Austin Police Association. Both Police Chief Brian Manley and…
Police • By Jack Craver • Dec 5, 2017
Safety commissioners voice concerns about forensic officer's firing
Slowly but surely, reported Austin Police Department officials at a recent meeting of the Public Safety Commission, the city of Austin is reducing its backlog of DNA evidence. The total backlog has dropped from roughly 4,500 batches in June to…
Police • By Jack Craver • Apr 4, 2017
Police body cam footage remains touchy subject as court case awaits
While the implementation of a planned deployment of body cameras on Austin Police Department officers is on hold until at least late November, city leaders and public accountability advocates are still working out the issue of how the city will…
Police • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 27, 2016
City considers providing fire service to Travis County ESD4
After years of city annexations, Travis County Emergency Services District 4 (ESD4) should no longer have its own fire department, ESD4 Fire Chief David Bailey told the City Council Public Safety Committee on Monday. When it was founded as Travis County…
Fire • By Jack Craver • May 26, 2016
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Committee wants more specifics from police on body cameras
Activists and members of the City Council Public Safety Committee made clear Monday that they want greater assurances from the Austin Police Department that the body cameras the department plans to implement will bring about transparency and accountability. In particular,…
Police • By Jack Craver • May 25, 2016
500 body cameras soon to be within APD's reach
The Austin Police Department is inching closer to acquiring at least 500 body-worn cameras, but some close to the process told the Public Safety Committee on Monday that more public input should be sought. This month, APD announced a “pilot confirmation process”…
Police • By Eva Ruth Moravec • Mar 29, 2016
As May 7 election nears, voting efforts ramp up
Early voting on the future of fingerprinting drivers for hire in Austin begins in five weeks, and interested parties are hard at work educating the public on which button to press at the polls. On Monday, the Supreme Court of…
Elections • By Eva Ruth Moravec • Mar 18, 2016
Stakeholders to consider digital billboards
Billboard owners are asking City Council for permission to modernize their billboards by making them digital. On Thursday, Council approved a resolution setting up a stakeholder process to try to reach some agreement about whether the city should allow digital…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Jan 29, 2016
Immigrant rights activists confront mayor over deportations
Mayor Steve Adler engaged in a courteous but tense public conversation over the city’s immigration policies with a group of immigrant rights activists outside of his City Hall office Monday afternoon. ICE Out of Austin – a group pushing for…
Austin • By Jack Craver • Jan 26, 2016
Are digital billboards coming to Austin?
To date, Austin’s billboards have remained as static as the code that regulates them. But some are calling for changes that could allow digital billboards in the city. On Monday, members of the City Council Public Safety Committee voted to…
