Tag Archives: Austin Police Department
Friday, July 10, 2020 by Savana Dunning
Public Safety
Police department inaugural gun violence report shows slight increase in violent offenses
In its inaugural quarterly gun violence report, the Austin Police Department has recorded a slight increase in major violent offenses involving guns compared to the same time last year.In the summer of 2019, APD released its initial gun crime report…
Thursday, July 2, 2020 by Nina Hernandez
Public Safety
Public Safety Committee to hear testimony on changes to police tactics
City Council’s newly revived Public Safety Committee convenes today at 2 p.m. to discuss the Austin Police Department’s General Orders and tactics. It’ll be a different kind of committee meeting: Rather than lead the discussion, committee members will listen to…
Monday, June 29, 2020 by Savana Dunning
Budget
What $100M from the APD budget looks like
In response to pressure from activists to defund the Austin Police Department, City Council unanimously approved a series of reforms to APD operations, including a resolution that asks for deep cuts to the public safety budget.The Austin Justice Coalition has…
Monday, June 29, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Austin police identify officers under investigation for injuring protesters during demonstrations
The Austin Police Department has named five officers it says may be responsible for seriously injuring people demonstrating during the first weekend of protests against systemic racism and police violence.The following officers have been put on paid administrative leave, as…
Wednesday, June 24, 2020 by Nina Hernandez
Police
City to give group auditing APD training materials more time
The next Austin Police Department cadet class is on hold indefinitely, City Manager Spencer Cronk reiterated Thursday during the Public Safety Committee meeting. The department will not proceed with the new cadet class, which it had hoped to begin in…
Monday, June 22, 2020 by Savana Dunning
Police
College Student Commission recommends reallocating $30M from APD budget to fund minority scholarships
The College Student Commission passed a recommendation Monday asking City Council to reallocate at least $30 million from the Austin Police Department budget to college scholarships for low-income and racial minority students in Austin.The recommendation calls for APD Chief Brian…
Friday, June 19, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley will keep his job, city says, despite calls for his removal
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley will stay in his position, a city spokesperson confirmed in an email Thursday.“I have had very pointed conversations with Chief Manley over the last several weeks,” City Manager Spencer Cronk said in the email. “He…
Thursday, June 18, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Police
Downtown Commission to keep closer watch on downtown policing
Whatever actions City Council takes to address the Austin Police Department’s response to racial justice protests, the Downtown Commission has voted to keep closer tabs on downtown policing efforts going forward.The commission approved two proposals from Commissioner Meghan Skornia. The…
Friday, June 12, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
City Council
Austin City Council votes to divest funds from APD, ban some potentially deadly police practices
Austin City Council members voted unanimously Thursday on four items related to the Austin Police Department’s policy and budget, including transferring some money from police to social services and banning police use of some potentially deadly weapons and practices.The decision…
Tuesday, June 9, 2020 by Nina Hernandez
City Council
Council unveils resolutions aimed at dismantling systemic racism
On Monday morning, City Council members Natasha Harper-Madison, Delia Garza, Greg Casar and Jimmy Flannigan, along with Mayor Steve Adler, held a press conference to discuss a group of resolutions aimed at reforming the Austin Police Department and dismantling systemic…
Monday, June 8, 2020 by Elizabeth Pagano
City Council
Council’s APD grant vote: What happened
After listening to nearly seven hours of heartbreaking testimony from Austinites traumatized by police violence during protests the last week of May, City Council took a vote approving more funds for the Austin Police Department. On its surface, the $430,685…
Monday, June 8, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
City Council
Austin Council members say they’ve lost faith in the police chief: Next week they vote on changes
A fractured skull. A severe chest wound. A broken jaw from where a lead-pellet bag lodged inside a person’s mouth. The injuries to protesters over the weekend could have been fatal, the Austin-Travis County EMS chief told City Council members…
Friday, June 5, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
City Council
Austinites get chance to express pain, anger over police violence at emergency City Council hearing
More than 300 people have signed up to talk about what transpired during weekend protests against systemic racism and police killings, at an emergency Austin City Council session Thursday.Council members will reconvene the following morning to hear from Austin Police…
Thursday, June 4, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Austinites recount police violence during weekend protests, demand cuts to APD budget
The Austin City Council heard from hundreds of people during an emergency meeting Thursday that addressed police violence at weekend protests against the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Mike Ramos in Austin.Council has been holding its meetings remotely,…
Wednesday, June 3, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Public Safety
Texas governor warns of out-of-state agitators, but protesters arrested in Austin were from here
Gov. Greg Abbott warned during a press conference Tuesday that people are coming to Texas from outside of the state to protest violently.“Some of the violence that we’re seeing is not being done by people who reside in Dallas or…
Wednesday, June 3, 2020 by Nina Hernandez
Public Safety
Public safety departments run modified cadet classes during pandemic
At the Public Safety Commission’s Monday meeting, Austin Police Department, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services and Austin Fire Department representatives discussed how cadet classes that were delayed due to Covid-19 (and other issues) will move forward.ATCEMS Chief of Staff Jasper…
Tuesday, June 2, 2020 by Nina Hernandez
Public Safety
Public Safety Commission addresses George Floyd killing
The Public Safety Commission convened Monday afternoon with a lengthy statement by Chair Meghan Hollis, who said she would be “remiss” if she didn’t address the national furor over the police killing of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis.She…
Monday, June 1, 2020 by Elizabeth Pagano
City Hall
City leaders respond to protests
Over the weekend, protesters across the country left their homes in a call for justice for George Floyd and other black victims of police brutality. In Austin, people turned out in an expression of solidarity and to demand accountability for…
Thursday, May 28, 2020 by Jo Clifton
Police
APD community engagement audit finds some improvement but data lacking
Although the Austin Police Department has put considerable effort into improving its community policing efforts over the past four years and there have been some positive impacts, an audit by the Office of the City Auditor concluded there was insufficient…
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 by Jo Clifton
Public Safety
Public Safety Commission gives EMS a boost, criticizes APD
On Monday the city’s Public Safety Commission unanimously recommended an additional $2.3 million for Austin-Travis County EMS to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, while rejecting almost every request from the police department for additional funding.The commission also voted to recommend…
