Stories by Nadia Hamdan

Austin's review of how police handle sexual assaults won't be finished until 2022

An independent review of how Austin police investigate sexual assault cases won’t be completed until February 2022, the Austin Public Safety Commission said. Austin City Council agreed last month to pay up to $800,000 to the Washington, D.C.-based Police Executive…

Police • By Nadia Hamdan • Oct 9, 2019

The Provability Gap: Why sexual assault cases are so hard to prosecute in Austin

Austin had the highest number of rapes reported in large Texas cities in 2017. The rate of reported rapes that year was also nearly 40 percent higher than U.S. cities of similar size. The Travis County district attorney says law…

Public Safety • By Nadia Hamdan • Aug 26, 2019

Demolition of Brackenridge starts this month, paving the way for 17-story office building

After more than 130 years in Austin, a portion of the University Medical Center Brackenridge downtown will come down this month and be replaced by a 17-story office building. The demolition is part of UT Austin’s plan to expand its…

Development • By Nadia Hamdan • Aug 9, 2019

Amid criticism, Travis County DA resigns from state sexual assault task force

Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore resigned from the state’s Sexual Assault Survivors’ Task Force on Friday. Her appointment was cut short after critics, including survivors suing over Moore’s record of handling sexual assaults, expressed concern. The task force was…

Austin • By Nadia Hamdan • Jul 30, 2019

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Sexual assault survivor accuses Travis County prosecutor of lying about her case

Lawyers for a woman who says she was sexually assaulted in Austin are asking a court to force Travis County prosecutors to answer questions and provide evidence after learning of a prosecutor’s phone call they say defames the woman. Emily…

Courts • By Nadia Hamdan • Mar 5, 2019

Rising insurance costs reignite push for new fire stations in Austin

Homeowners in a Del Valle suburb learned last month that their insurance rates could go up as much as $1,000 this year because they’re too far from the nearest fire station. Concerns about the rising rates have jump-started a push…

Fire • By Nadia Hamdan • May 23, 2018

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What's the story behind the different tags on trees around Austin?

You can’t not notice the trees that line the paths on Austin’s many hike and bike trails. But have you ever noticed a fair amount of them are numbered? They’re on small metal tags nailed to the trunks. Writer Will…

Environment • By Nadia Hamdan • Apr 20, 2018

With labor dispute focused on police, Austin's EMS union feels overlooked

Austin police officers aren’t the only public safety personnel without an employment contract with the city. For the first time in nearly 10 years, emergency medical service employees are without a contract, too. Tony Marquardt, president of the Austin-Travis County…