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 […]
Reimaging Public Safety
Posted inCity Hall
Council questions need for Municipal Court marshal program
During Tuesday’s work session, City Council had numerous questions about a plan to establish a city marshal office as a division of the Austin Municipal Court and seemed ready to postpone taking action on the item on today’s agenda. The mayor and several Council members seemed surprised to learn that they had authorized creation of […]
Posted inBudget
Park rangers get funding for six additional staff members
For months, the Parks and Recreation Department has been pleading for additional park ranger staffing resources. Finally, the city has answered its prayers with $615,000 in increased funding for the department’s Park Ranger program. In a memo sent to Mayor Steve Adler and City Council last Friday, Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano detailed a number of budget items and […]
Posted inBudget
Last year Austin cut its police budget by millions. A new state law means it’ll likely reverse that move this week.
The same day Austin City Council members voted to reduce the police budget by roughly $150 million, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pledged to make it so cities could never do it again. “Austin’s decision puts the brave men and women of the Austin Police Department and their families at greater risk, and paves the way for lawlessness. […]
Posted inBudget
Police spending proves top concern in first budget comment session
Community members weighed on the city manager’s preliminary budget proposal Thursday before a mostly in-person City Council – the first in-person meeting since the beginning of the pandemic. A vast majority of speakers criticized the proposed police spending, arguing that an increase in the Austin Police Department’s allocation goes against the city’s commitment to reimagine […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Bill penalizing Texas cities that cut funding for police heads to governor’s desk
Texas lawmakers on Friday gave final approval to a bill that would financially punish large cities that cut their police budgets, including prohibiting them from raising new property tax revenue. The legislation now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has said he would sign such a bill. If so, the law would go into effect Sept. 1. […]
Posted inPolice
It’s been more than a year since Austin started training new police. It could restart this summer.
City Council members voted Thursday to make changes to how Austin police are trained, with the eventual goal of restarting cadet classes by June 7 at the latest. The police academy has not welcomed a group of new trainees since February 2020. The vote was split 8-1-2, with Council Member Greg Casar voting against, and […]
Posted inParks
PARD begins to reimagine public safety
Last summer, in the wake of protests against the police killings of Mike Ramos and George Floyd, Austin City Council announced its Reimagining Public Safety initiative. A timeline was released with the goal of reforming “public safety over the years, including conducting an investigation of systemic discrimination and bias within APD and establishing the Office of Police […]
Posted inPolice
APD details cadet academy reforms
The Austin Police Department presented reforms to its cadet academy at Tuesday’s City Council work session, moving Council closer to a vote on restarting the academy after halting it last summer. The changes respond to a preliminary report by consulting group Kroll Associates. More broadly, they answer longtime calls for change that crescendoed last summer […]
Posted inCity Council
Council to move forensics department from APD
City Council is set to create a new Forensic Science Department this week as part of its plan to move some civilian operations out of police control. Council members say the reshuffling will make the department more accountable and allow scientists to do their work better. “This is an important change for public safety and […]