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Public Safety
County applies for police body camera grant
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to approve an application submitted by the Sheriff’s Office for a new statewide police body camera grant for a county body camera pilot program. The measure passed on a 4-0 vote, with Commissioner…
Public Safety • By Tyler Whitson • Dec 2, 2015
APD outlines body camera policy in forum
Amid calls for increased scrutiny of law enforcement across the nation, City Council has decided that the city should purchase body cameras for the Austin Police Department in the coming months. What that rollout and the policies that govern it…
Public Safety • By Tyler Whitson • Dec 1, 2015
Police monitor talks body cameras on task force
As the Austin Police Department prepares to roll out a body camera pilot program in the coming months, city Police Monitor Margo Frasier and law enforcement experts from across the nation are tackling the ethical and legal questions that come…
Public Safety • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 30, 2015
City may hire temp officers for SXSW season
As South by Southwest and the whirlwind of events that surround it loom large on the horizon, the city and the Austin Police Association are discussing ways to cover the festival season without pulling many officers away from their duties.…
Music & Entertainment • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 24, 2015
Questions pile up as Travis County tackles flood relief
Travis County has more questions than answers more than two weeks after heavy floods caused widespread damage in Central Texas. At its regular Tuesday voting session, the Commissioners Court charged staff with investigating several issues raised by affected residents who…
Public Safety • By Caleb Pritchard • Nov 18, 2015
Health committee discusses new spending plans
Before adopting the city’s proposed budget in September, City Council added more than $6.5 million in spending for health, human services, social services and quality of life programs. With the new fiscal year in full swing, Shannon Jones, director of…
Public Health • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 3, 2015
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Police association proposes SXSW funding fix
Although it is an economic driver for the city, South by Southwest imposes significant demands on the Austin Police Department, which pulls many of its personnel away from normal duties to cover the event every year. The Austin Police Association…
Music & Entertainment • By Tyler Whitson • Oct 27, 2015
Sobriety center plans advance through the county
Travis County Commissioners have taken another big step toward the creation of a sobriety center that would serve as an alternative to jail for the region’s most temerarious tipplers. During their regular voting session on Tuesday, the commissioners directed the…
Public Safety • By Caleb Pritchard • Oct 14, 2015
AISD to begin video ticketing
During a quick approval of Monday’s consent agenda, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees unanimously OK’d the use of camera-based ticketing to help curb drivers’ illegal passing of stopped school buses. AISD entered into a one-year renewable contract…
AISD • By Courtney Griffin • Oct 5, 2015
Body camera policies to be scrutinized
After the City Council Public Safety Committee heard from five people well versed on issues surrounding police body cameras, committee Chair Don Zimmerman asked Kim Rossmo, chair of the citizens group charged with vetting public safety issues, to get more…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Sep 29, 2015
City may shorten ambulance provider workweeks
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services ambulance providers are under a lot of strain as they try to keep up with population growth and an increasing number of special events, but a new proposal could reduce some of that pressure. On…
EMS • By Tyler Whitson • Aug 20, 2015
Committee restarts discussion of fire and EMS merger
Members of the Public Safety Committee heard testimony Monday on the idea of merging the Austin Fire Department with Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services, but city staff and organization heads reiterated time and again that anything official is a long way…
