Stories by Audrey McGlinchy
Monday, March 29, 2021 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
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…
Friday, March 26, 2021 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Assistant Chief Joseph Chacon confirmed as Austin’s new interim police chief
Assistant Chief Joseph Chacon will be Austin’s interim police chief starting April 11. City Council approved his appointment Thursday night. “This is not an easy city, probably, to be police chief,” Mayor Steve Adler told Chacon before the vote. “It’s…
Tuesday, March 23, 2021 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Austin nominates interim police chief, permanent chief to be named by August
Joseph Chacon, an assistant chief of the Austin Police Department, has been nominated to serve as interim police chief as Brian Manley readies to leave the department this week. City Manager Spencer Cronk announced Chacon’s nomination in a memo Monday morning.…
Wednesday, February 17, 2021 by Audrey McGlinchy
Energy
Power could get cut to circuits that include hospitals as a ‘last resort,’ Austin Energy warns
Austin Energy could decide to shut off electricity to circuits that include critical infrastructure – such as fire stations, hospitals and 911 operations – to prevent the state’s power grid from collapsing, the municipal utility warned Tuesday. “Only as an…
Friday, February 5, 2021 by Audrey McGlinchy
City Council
Austin officially moves forensics lab out from under police department
In a move long advocated for by survivors of sexual assault, the Austin City Council voted Thursday to officially transfer its forensics bureau out from under the police department. It will now function as an independent entity. “This move is…
Friday, January 29, 2021 by Audrey McGlinchy
Housing
Austin and Travis County extend eviction bans (again), say more rent help is coming
Citing a continuing public health crisis that could only worsen if people have to leave their homes, Austin-area officials have extended protections against most evictions through April 1. “Keeping people inside and housed curbs the spread of the virus,” Travis…
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 by Audrey McGlinchy
Elections
Voters to decide on changes to how Austin’s government works
Austin voters will be asked to decide on a slew of changes to the way local politicians are elected and what power they have in governing after the city clerk validated a petition Tuesday. Earlier this month, Austinites for Progressive…
Thursday, January 21, 2021 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Videos used to train Austin police perpetuate ‘racism, sexist gender norms and classism,’ panel finds
A panel of community members has recommended the Austin Police Department remove 60 videos from its training curriculum after concluding they bolster racist and sexist ideas and do little to help officers constructively interact with the public. “The vast majority…
Friday, January 15, 2021 by Audrey McGlinchy
Health & Human Services
Hundreds line up for Covid vaccines from Austin Public Health. But the wait was ‘worth it.’
Frank Kucharski and his wife, Jill Jones, were near the back of the line that wove around an Austin Public Health vaccination center at least twice in Northeast Austin on Thursday. They estimated they had a three-hour wait ahead of…
Monday, January 11, 2021 by Audrey McGlinchy
Roads
Despite fewer drivers, more people died on Austin roads in 2020 than in the past five years
The first traffic death on Aug. 26 happened just before 7 a.m. A man was making a left-hand turn out of an apartment complex in West Austin; he was killed after his car collided with a Jeep Cherokee. Later that…
Wednesday, December 16, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Health & Human Services
‘I’m so excited, I’m like shaking’: Austin health care workers receive first Covid-19 vaccines
Esmeralda Torres’ eyes lit up above her mask as she talked about the Covid-19 vaccine she’d gotten in her right arm Tuesday morning. “I’m so excited, I’m like shaking,” she said. “I’m so happy.” Torres, a medical assistant at UT…
Monday, December 7, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Housing
Austin created a program to pay struggling tenants’ rent. Some say it added to stress.
Petra Antonio and her husband, Domingo Quiroz, got Covid-19 in September. Antonio said she felt OK, but Quiroz had a fever and a cough that kept him awake at night. He wanted to avoid going to the hospital, because he…
Thursday, December 3, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
City Council
Adler backtracks after initially saying he did ‘not do anything wrong’ by flying to Mexico during the pandemic
After initially saying he didn’t do anything wrong, Austin Mayor Steve Adler now says he realizes he “set a bad example” by traveling to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for vacation last month. An Austin American-Statesman story revealed Wednesday that Adler…
Monday, November 30, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Health & Human Services
Austin Public Health urges people who gathered for Thanksgiving to get tested and stay home
Austin Public Health officials are asking people who traveled for the holiday or celebrated Thanksgiving indoors with people from outside their household to stay home for a week and get tested for Covid-19 within the next few days. “It is…
Monday, November 16, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Austin
City revives a New Deal program to put people back to work
Lee esta historia en español. The city of Austin is putting up to $2 million toward a new employment program that helps organizations hire people financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Austin Civilian Conservation Corps is modeled after a…
Friday, November 13, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
City Council
Austin OKs million-dollar contract to audit police department
The city of Austin has agreed to pay a New York City-based consultant up to $1.3 million to investigate racism and bigotry in the Austin Police Department, including looking into materials used to train new officers and reviewing instances where…
Monday, November 2, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Housing
Concerned that money will go unspent, Austin makes changes to its rent help program
Renters affected financially by the Covid-19 pandemic can now apply for up to six months of rent from the city’s rent assistance program, where previously they could apply for only up to three. The change comes as the city worries…
Friday, October 30, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Anticipating election protests, Council members ask Austin police how they plan to avoid injuries
Four City Council members sent a letter Thursday to the chief of police asking him to explain how he plans to keep protesters safe during anticipated demonstrations following the results of the presidential election next week. “As we’re sure you…
Friday, October 23, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Housing
Austin’s got millions to help with rent, but giving it away is harder than expected
The city of Austin says fewer people have applied for rental assistance than expected. It’s given out just $1.3 million so far of roughly $13 million available for tenants hit financially by the Covid-19 pandemic. “The need that was anticipated…
Thursday, October 8, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Austin’s DNA lab has had issues for years. A new report outlines how it could be run in the future.
Poor supervision and untrained staff have long plagued the Austin Police Department’s DNA crime lab, forcing it to close briefly in 2016 and then be overseen by the state. So, what will a future lab look like? Consultants hired by…
