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Police
Austin police short-staffed and underprotected, advocates say
In the aftermath of two shootings in Austin last weekend, City Council should increase police numbers as well as invest in better body armor, advocates say. Those shootings, along with a fierce national debate over the role police should be playing…
Budget • By Cate Malek • Aug 2, 2016
The investigations that begin when APD officers discharge their weapons
While investigations into the police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota have begun, a writer for feminist publication Ravishly wonders how each local jurisdiction investigates cases like these. Writer Ijeoma Oluo poses these questions: “Who reviews civilian complaints?…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jul 14, 2016
The day after Dallas police shootings, APD graduates 37 new officers
It’s been one week since Baton Rouge police officers shot and killed Alton Sterling, a black man selling CDs outside a convenience store. Just a day later, Philando Castile was shot and killed by police outside St. Paul, Minn. Then,…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jul 12, 2016
Commission wants ongoing scrutiny of police body camera policies
Activists and city leaders who pushed for the Austin Police Department to equip its officers with body cameras continue to voice concerns about the implementation of the program, including whether it will bring the intended transparency and protect the privacy…
Police • By Jack Craver • Jul 6, 2016
APD response times continue to increase
According to the city of Austin’s latest annual performance review released on June 22, the time it takes Austin police officers to respond to high-priority calls has been steadily increasing over the past five years. During Fiscal Year 2014-2015, the…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jul 1, 2016
Council delays purchase of police body cameras
Expressing concern that they were moving too fast, City Council members voted 7-1 to delay the purchase of body cameras for the Austin Police Department for two weeks. At their meeting on June 9, Council members cited concerns with transparency…
Police • By Cate Malek • Jun 10, 2016
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Committee wants more specifics from police on body cameras
Activists and members of the City Council Public Safety Committee made clear Monday that they want greater assurances from the Austin Police Department that the body cameras the department plans to implement will bring about transparency and accountability. In particular,…
Police • By Jack Craver • May 25, 2016
Council to take up APD gender identity proposal
The Public Safety Commission unanimously recommended a resolution Monday that it hopes will prompt the police department to reform its policies on how gender is reported in criminal complaints and other official reports. The resolution directs the city manager to…
Police • By Jack Craver • May 3, 2016
Commission debates racial disparities in policing
The Austin Police Department “deserves at least a B+,” according to Austin Police Monitor Margo Frasier. The good news is that not only did the total number of complaints about APD decline in 2014, but the most common complaint was…
Police • By Jack Craver • Apr 6, 2016
One way to protect pedestrians? APD says more ticketing power
More power over more highways. That’s part of what the Austin Police Department hopes to attain in its effort to reverse last year’s record number of fatal car accidents, which resulted in 102 deaths, and limit the number of pedestrian…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Apr 5, 2016
Officials reflect on safety at SXSW 2016
This year’s South by Southwest festival was one of the safest yet, say SXSW and public safety officials, thanks to overtime funding that allowed Austin Police Department officers to fill festival staffing spots internally. Overall, the number of festival-related arrests…
Police • By Eva Ruth Moravec • Apr 1, 2016
500 body cameras soon to be within APD's reach
The Austin Police Department is inching closer to acquiring at least 500 body-worn cameras, but some close to the process told the Public Safety Committee on Monday that more public input should be sought. This month, APD announced a “pilot confirmation process”…
