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APD touts early successes of license plate reader program

The Public Safety Commission was briefed Monday on some early results of the license plate reader program that rolled out in March with cameras at undisclosed sites across the city. The Austin Police Department credits the cameras for the 40…

Council weighs financial impact of proposed police contract

As City Council weighs approval of a proposed police contract expected to cost $218 million over five years, city budget staff on Tuesday presented a brighter financial outlook compared to the dire projections given earlier this year. At Tuesday’s work…

TCSO officers stationed at Central Library

To alleviate pressure on library staff to respond to incidents at the Central Library, 10 officers from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office have been onboarded and cleared for stationing at the West César Chávez Street branch downtown. Officers serve in…

Austin's police union, city agree to a $218 million, five-year labor contract

Austin’s police union and the city agreed in principle Monday to a five-year labor contract. The $218 million deal, which comes after years of occasionally contentious negotiations, would give police officers a 28 percent raise over the next five years.…

Police, state ready to intervene on after-hours bars operating downtown

The Austin Police Department may soon take steps to punish downtown bars and nightclubs identified recently as potentially violating state liquor laws by operating and selling drinks after hours. At the latest meeting of the Downtown Commission, talk turned to…

Why doesn't the Austin Police Department publish yearly reports on the crimes it solves?

People have opinions on policing, but there’s one unifying constant in discussions around the practice: Crimes are bad, and they should be solved. To measure that efficacy, departments across the country use clearance rates, an imperfect metric but one that…

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Former officer proposes settlement that includes changes at APD

City Council last week approved a payment of up to $293,000 to a law firm to defend the city against claims of discrimination and harassment at the Austin Police Department. The total contract amount for Schmoyer Reinhard LLP could be…

Lisa Davis confirmed as the next head of the Austin Police Department

Lisa Davis is the new head of the Austin Police Department. City Council approved the nomination of the nearly 32-year law enforcement veteran, who comes to Austin from Cincinnati, to take the helm at APD. Davis’ approval comes after a…

Lisa Davis named sole finalist for Austin police chief

Lisa Davis, an assistant chief with Cincinnati’s police force, has been chosen to take over the Austin Police Department, City Manager T.C. Broadnax announced Friday morning. “I have elected to move Chief Davis forward for confirmation by the City Council…

Downtown Austin safety team increases patrol in response to APD staffing shortage

Austin has been grappling with a serious police understaffing problem, making patrolling the downtown area harder. In an effort to fill that gap, the Downtown Austin Alliance created a new safety team to hit the streets. The DAA, a nonprofit…

The two finalists in Austin's police chief search are from Cincinnati and Milwaukee

Lisa Davis, an assistant police chief for the Cincinnati Police Department, and Jeffrey B. Norman, police chief at the Milwaukee Police Department, are the two finalists in Austin’s search for its next police chief. Tuesday’s announcement comes after weeks of…

Electric vehicles for APD will arrive by the end of the year

City fleet officials updated the Public Safety Commission on Monday about their plan to add a fleet of electric vehicles for the Austin Police Department as part of an effort to meet the city’s net-zero emission target by 2040. The…

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