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Public Safety Commissioners ask city to go slow on body cameras

The Public Safety Commission approved a draft recommendation Monday urging city staff to proceed carefully before equipping Austin police officers with body cameras. The commission’s recommendations were fourfold: consider any research analyzing the effects of body cameras on police work;…

Body cameras roll through Public Safety Committee

The long march to add body cameras to Austin Police Department’s official toolkit took a symbolic step forward Monday night when members of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee heard unanimous support from a diverse group of stakeholders. It was…

Hays to ask voters to OK new funds for ESD2 growth

Is it time for northeastern Hays County residents to start paying the full price for emergency medical services? Buda Fire Chief Clay Huckaby hopes voters will think so come May 9 when they have a chance to make a difference…

Safety chair questions commitment to Vision Zero

A city planner Monday gave the Public Safety Commission an update on the Vision Zero Task Force work toward devising a traffic safety plan for the city. The task force’s name reflects the blueprint it’s tasked with drafting: a Vision Zero…

Hamilton upset over county's handling of report

Tuesday’s Travis County Commissioners Court voting session turned from sanguine to nearly sour when a stern Sheriff Greg Hamilton showed up to speak on the day’s final item, a report that would steer more money into an ongoing re-examination of…

Public Safety urges APD to wait on body cameras

The Public Safety Commission is urging the Austin Police Department to avoid making a hurried decision about when and how officers will wear body cameras. Commissioners said Monday they would consider adding a resolution on body cameras to next month’s…

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Council delays fire department reclassification plan

A proposal to modify the Austin Fire Department’s leadership hierarchy has encountered headwinds at City Hall. City Council Member Don Zimmerman moved Thursday to prevent a vote on the resolution that proposes tweaking the department’s classification system, including removing several…

Police to enforce noise ordinance during RoundUp

The Austin Police Department says it will enforce the city’s noise ordinance in the West Campus area during the University of Texas RoundUp festivities, scheduled for this weekend. RoundUp is a nationally known weekend of parties and live performances put…

County postpones Correctional System master plan

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt has temporarily halted preliminary steps toward a new County Correctional System master plan. At Tuesday’s Commissioners Court voting session, Eckhardt agreed to delay a vote on whether to proceed to the second part of a…

ANC calls for body cameras for local police

The Austin Neighborhoods Council is calling for the use of body cameras by active-duty police officers. In a resolution approved last week, the ANC proposed the cameras, citing mistrust between neighbors and police; higher rates of incarceration, use of force and…

Austin Monitor Radio: AFA President Bob Nicks

Austin Firefighters Association President Bob Nicks joins Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to talk about recent developments that put the union, looking for its first contract since 2012, back at the bargaining table with Austin City Management. Sponsored by Kerby Lane…

Decredentialing process gets public safety spotlight

Last week, the Public Safety Commission examined the continued tension between the city’s medical director and the Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services Association over decredentialing. Medical Director for Austin/Travis County EMS Dr. Paul Hinchey spoke to commissioners about the de-accreditation…

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