Tag Archives: Austin Police Department
Wednesday, September 20, 2017 by Cate Malek
Police
Despite Austin’s crime lab meltdown, Texas is working to clear its DNA backlog
When Wendy Davis decided to find out how many untested rape kits there were in the state of Texas, she readily admits she had no idea what she was getting into.Davis, a former state senator, was first told that there…
Tuesday, September 19, 2017 by Cate Malek
Police
Austin’s crime lab failure points to national crisis
The latest audit of the Austin Police Department’s crime lab would read as a comedy of errors, if the stakes weren’t so high.Some concerns in the report released last fall are simpler to fix – equipment failures or cross-contaminating evidence.…
Monday, September 18, 2017 by Austin Monitor
Police
The implosion of Austin’s crime lab: A timeline
Click on the circles or rectangles to display information about events. By Cate Malek and Luis PedrazaIt has blindsided Austin’s criminal justice community.What started a year ago as a few concerns over an audit has spiraled into the permanent closure…
Wednesday, September 6, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Public Safety
Public Safety Commission recommends lights-out for late-night curfew
The Public Safety Commission unanimously supported a recommendation on Tuesday night to end the late-night curfew currently enforced against Austin’s youngsters.The proposal, brought forward by Commissioner Daniela Nuñez, drew support from Austin’s interim police chief, Brian Manley, who explained that…
Wednesday, September 6, 2017 by Jo Clifton
Austin
Austin helping cities hit by Hurricane Harvey
City Council unanimously approved mutual aid agreements with the cities of Houston and Victoria at a special called meeting on Tuesday in the wake of devastation from Hurricane Harvey. Mayor Steve Adler and Council members Leslie Pool and Greg Casar…
Thursday, July 20, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Travis County
DNA lab concerns test Travillion’s patience
Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion put his passion on display Tuesday when he stormed off the dais during a discussion of the Austin Police Department’s shuttered DNA lab.Travillion had attempted to ask a question early on in the briefing but…
Friday, July 7, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Police
District attorney isn’t making a mountain out of some mold here
Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore is downplaying concerns over the hundreds of Austin Police Department rape kits stored inside boxes that were recently found to be covered in apparent mold. Along with representatives from the Austin city manager’s office,…
Wednesday, June 14, 2017 by Jo Clifton
Public Safety
Casar: End curfew law that targets minorities
Seventy-six percent of teenagers accused of juvenile curfew violations from 2014 through 2016 were minorities, with Hispanics making up the majority of those cited by the Austin Police Department, according to the department’s own records.The law prohibits persons under the…
Tuesday, June 6, 2017 by Jack Craver
Public Safety
Public safety agencies envision big staff increases
In presentations to the Public Safety Commission Monday, leaders of the Police Department, Fire Department and Emergency Management Services called for significantly boosting staff in the coming years, both to make up for existing shortages and to keep up with…
Thursday, May 18, 2017 by Jo Clifton
Budget
Mayor suggests changes to public safety pay
Paying for Austin’s public safety needs could add more than $75.9 million to the city’s General Fund budget over the next five years – with more than two-thirds of that funding going to the Austin Police Department, according to the…
Friday, April 7, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Downtown drug crisis pushes Adler, Council to pledge increased support
Austin’s police and public health departments will have extra budget and other resources available soon to help them focus on ending an increase in the use of the synthetic drug K2 downtown.At a press conference Thursday, Mayor Steve Adler was…
Monday, March 13, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Reporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Same as it ever was
The cycle continues… South by Southwest has brought another rogue set of transportation providers to Austin. Just as Uber bullied its way into town during a trial run during the 2013 iteration of the festival, several bikesharing companies have deployed…
Wednesday, March 8, 2017 by Kara Nuzback
Police
Safety commission discusses staffing for APD sexual assault unit
The Austin Police Department’s struggle to indict perpetrators of sexual assault crimes could be due in part to a lack of staffing, according to data examined by its Sex Crimes Unit.For nearly a year, the APD’s battle to clear the…
Tuesday, February 7, 2017 by Cate Malek
Public Safety
APD still years away from clearing DNA backlog
Austin’s Public Safety Commission gave mixed reviews to the Austin Police Department’s attempts to recover from the shutdown of its DNA lab and its backlog of thousands of untested rape kits.At its meeting on Monday, the commission responded favorably to…
Wednesday, December 14, 2016 by Audrey McGlinchy
Public Safety
Travis County Commissioners consider spending up to $14 million on legal review of DNA cases
The Travis County Commissioners Court considered options for how to handle a review of criminal cases potentially compromised by the local DNA lab. Run by the Austin Police Department, the lab shuttered its doors in June following an audit from…
Wednesday, December 7, 2016 by Caleb Pritchard
Public Safety
Commissioners Court considers next steps in DNA lab catastrophe
The Travis County Commissioners Court is moving forward with its version of damage control in the wake of revelations about the Austin Police Department’s DNA testing lab.On Tuesday, County Judge Sarah Eckhardt explained to the court how her plans to…
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 by Jack Craver
Police
APD updates commission on DNA backlog
The Austin Police Department hopes to have the backlog of sexual assault kits eliminated within the next year, Assistant Chief Troy Gay told the Public Safety Commission on Monday.APD will soon begin sending 100 batches of evidence every two weeks…
Friday, December 2, 2016 by Jack Craver
Police
Council approves Manley to head police department
City Council voted unanimously Thursday to hire Brian Manley, the chief of staff to outgoing Police Chief Art Acevedo, to be the Austin Police Department’s interim chief. Manley said he was “honored, proud and humbled” by both Council’s support and…
