The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Public Safety
County seeks to expand mental health care for those facing incarceration
Nearly 20 percent of inmates booked into Travis County jails in September 2021 needed mental health treatment, but a month after their incarceration, only a third of them were receiving the needed treatment. That was the conclusion reached by Dr. Steve Strakowski,…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Jan 11, 2022
Chacon highlights priorities for Safer Sixth Street plan
Austin’s police chief has highlighted a handful of action steps as the most important things the police department can do to improve safety in the Sixth Street entertainment district, in the wake of a summer mass shooting that killed an…
Public Safety • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 10, 2022
City urges high-risk people to avoid gatherings as Austin moves to Stage 5 Covid precautions
Lee esta historia en español. Austin and Travis County are back at the highest stage of Austin Public Health’s Covid-19 community risk guidance as the omicron variant of the coronavirus has caused a surge of new infections and hospitalizations. The…
Public Health • By Andy Jechow, KUT • Jan 7, 2022
Five finalists named for EMS chief post
City Manager Spencer Cronk has named five finalists to advance to a second round of interviews for the position of chief of Austin-Travis County Emergency Services. The national search produced 37 applications from candidates vying to fill the vacancy created…
EMS • By Amy Smith • Jan 6, 2022
County looks to Sobering Center to house jail-diversion program
On Thursday, the Travis County Commissioners Court convened a working group meeting to receive the findings of a feasibility study regarding the potential combination of a criminal justice/mental health diversion program with the Austin-Travis County Sobering Center. The county commissioned…
Public Safety • By Seth Smalley • Dec 17, 2021
Researchers at Dell Med are studying psychedelics as treatment for severe depression, anxiety and PTSD
The Dell Medical School at UT Austin is launching a research center focused on studying the therapeutic effects of psychedelics, which are drugs that affect an individual’s state of consciousness, including psilocybin, MDMA, ibogaine and ayahuasca. Researchers say the center’s…
Public Health • By Ashley Lopez, KUT • Dec 16, 2021
Subscribe to our newsletter
County renews agreement for substance use treatment services
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved and ratified an amendment to the substance use disorder managed services agreement for the 2022 fiscal year. The interlocal agreement between the city, the county and Integral Care is aimed at contracting…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Dec 16, 2021
Council extends masking rules to June
After hearing from Dr. Desmar Walkes, health authority for Austin-Travis County, at a joint meeting with the Travis County Commissioners Court Tuesday, City Council voted to extend the current health authority rules until June 10, 2022. Commissioners also acted to…
Public Health • By Jo Clifton • Dec 15, 2021
Council debates path forward on paid family leave for emergency services employees
City Council weighed the implications of significantly expanding benefits for emergency services employees this past Thursday in a resolution that calls for a new family leave policy for the city’s EMS, police, and fire departments. The resolution, sponsored by Council…
Public Safety • By Kali Bramble • Dec 14, 2021
Moving encampments off public streets has made it more difficult to provide medical support to Austin’s unhoused
The camping ban set back years of progress local emergency services made in serving people experiencing homelessness, making it harder and more expensive to respond to an increase in emergency calls, according to a top emergency services official. The ban…
EMS • By Samuel Stark • Dec 14, 2021
Public Safety Commission hears update on police academy after reset
This week the Public Safety Commission heard an update on the Austin Police Department’s first cadet class since pausing cadet training to restructure the curriculum to align with the city’s reimagining public safety process. Dr. Anne Kringen, who joined APD…
Police • By Amy Smith • Dec 10, 2021
'Corporal' added to law enforcement roster in Travis County
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved the addition of a new “corporal” position, and its related funding, to the existing lineup of titles in law enforcement in the county. In terms of rank, the position will be situated…
