The Travis County Correctional Complex intends to implement a number of sustainability initiatives to reduce waste, save money and shrink the facility’s net energy use to zero by 2040, according to a presentation to the Travis County Commissioners Court last Tuesday. Shaun Auckland, a sustainability coordinator with Transportation and Natural Resources, told the commissioners about the […]
Travis County Sheriff
Sally Hernandez
Posted inBudget
Travis County confronts tricky process in reforming pay for law enforcement
Travis County leaders are determined to reform the pay scale for the county’s 1,450 public safety employees, but they’re not quite sure how to do it. The county has long had separate pay scales for civilian employees and law enforcement workers, including sheriff’s deputies, park rangers, corrections officers and constable officers. Those on the Travis […]
Posted inBudget
Commissioners Court dismisses pay pleas from disgruntled employees
On Tuesday, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court responded to claims from two groups of public safety workers who feel unappreciated due to the amount of pay they receive. In both cases, commissioners made it clear that they didn’t believe the claims were justified. First, there is the issue of pay for law enforcement […]
Posted inBudget
Commissioners Court OKs small pay hikes for law enforcement
After approving raises for the county’s civilian workforce, the Travis County Commissioners Court wants to boost pay for the region’s 1,300 sheriff’s deputies, park rangers, jail guards and constable officers. However, members of the court are opting for a more modest pay raise than that sought by unions representing sheriff’s deputies. At a Thursday budget […]
Posted inCourts
After court ruling, Travis County will comply with all ICE detention requests
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office will honor all federal immigration detainer requests following a federal court ruling that held parts of Texas’ “sanctuary cities” law can go into effect. A three-judge panel for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that a provision in Senate Bill 4 requiring jurisdictions to comply with federal […]
Posted inPublic Safety
African-Americans spend more time in Travis County jail for same offenses as whites
Travis County has a long way to go before its criminal justice system matches its progressive reputation, according to a report released Thursday by a local advocacy group. African-Americans booked into the county jail spend more time behind bars than whites charged with the same crime, said the analysis by Grassroots Leadership, a community organizing […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Sanctuary cities debate revolves around ICE detainers. But what are they?
Members of the Texas House of Representatives today will consider Senate Bill 4, popularly coined the “sanctuary cities” bill. The practices of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office have been heralded as a reason to pass this bill – one that would create criminal and civil penalties for law enforcement heads who do not honor all […]
Posted inTravis County
New sheriff defiantly reverses course on ICE cooperation
Travis County’s brand new Sheriff Sally Hernandez has thrown down the gauntlet at the feet of President Donald Trump. Late Friday afternoon, Hernandez officially announced, effective Feb. 1, the end of her office’s cooperation with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities when it comes to detaining suspected undocumented immigrants. “This office will not increase our […]
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: Travis County Sheriff-elect Sally Hernandez
Incoming Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez joins Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to chat about her goals for the office, including those that cover its immigration policy. Show is embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/296161971″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inPublic Safety
Sheriff’s Office works to recruit more women
This month, voters elected the second woman in history to serve as Travis County sheriff. Now, the department is working to recruit more female deputies and corrections officers to its ranks. Tracy Westbrook never saw herself working as a police officer. She was in her late 40s teaching Krav Maga classes when one of her […]
Posted inAustin
Is Austin a sanctuary city? Good question.
Attempts to eliminate so-called sanctuary cities has begun anew with another Texas legislative session and new national leadership that has singled out these municipalities. And while Austin is often labeled a sanctuary city, it’s not clear that the city indeed is one. Elissa Steglich, law professor with the University of Texas Immigration Clinic, said there […]
Posted inTravis County
Commissioners Court sides with defense attorneys in courthouse screening case
The Travis County Commissioners Court has come to the aid of defense attorneys in their battle to ward off tighter security measures at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center. On Tuesday, the court voted to ask the Travis County Sheriff’s Office to reconsider changes in procedure that would force the attorneys to endure metal detector screenings […]