Tag Archives: Austin Police Department
Tuesday, February 5, 2019 by Jessi Devenyns
Police
APD Chief Manley addresses sexual assault audit
At the beginning of 2019, Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley called for a third-party audit of the department’s sexual assault cases. State auditors subsequently found that detectives had wrongly “exceptionally cleared” nearly a third of rape cases over a three-month…
Tuesday, February 5, 2019 by Andrew Weber
Transportation
Austin records first traffic death involving rented scooter
A 21-year-old scooter rider was killed in a crash last week, says the Austin Police Department. According to the department, it’s the first death related to a rented scooter in Austin.Police say Mark Sands was riding a Lime scooter on the…
Friday, February 1, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
City Council
City of Austin orders outside review of police handling of sexual assault cases
The city has ordered an independent review of the Austin Police Department’s handling of sexual assault cases, asking investigators to track incidents from when they’re first reported to police to when they’re closed or handed off to the district attorney’s…
Monday, January 28, 2019 by Austin Monitor
Reporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: At long last, an end
Casar wins!… Friday’s news that the Texas Supreme Court has ended the long-running legal battle over the 2014 District 4 City Council race between since-re-elected Greg Casar and former opponent Laura Pressley broke quickly on Twitter, and came with a…
Thursday, January 17, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Austin Police Department orders outside audit after state finds it misclassified cleared rape cases
The Austin Police Department has ordered a third-party audit of rape investigations after state auditors found it misclassified certain rape cases.“This review will look from the beginning to the end,” Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said. “From the moment we…
Wednesday, January 9, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Advocates say APD should focus less on how rape cases are coded and more on solving them
When Austin Police Chief Brian Manley announced last week that state auditors had found problems with the way police classify rape cases, some people were not shocked by the news.“It wasn’t a huge surprise to us,” said Kristen Lenau, who…
Tuesday, January 8, 2019 by Jessi Devenyns
Police
Police department still waiting for explanation of DPS audit of sexual assault clearance rates
On New Year’s Eve, Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley gave a press conference in which he noted that nearly two-thirds of the sexual assault cases reviewed by Texas Department of Public Safety from January, November and December of 2017…
Thursday, December 20, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Police
2018: Manley takes the helm at APD
From a public safety standpoint, Austin police officers went through the wringer in 2018. Most of the year was spent without a contract with the city, in March a serial bomber created terror, and in July the entire fleet of…
Thursday, November 29, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Police
Office of the Police Monitor building a police oversight agency
For 16 years, the Office of the Police Monitor has been available for citizens and city staff to issue complaints against law enforcement. However, it appears not many Austinites take advantage of its services.Police Monitor Farah Muscadin found that of…
Friday, November 16, 2018 by Andrew Weber
Police
Council approves labor contract with police after a year without one
Officers with the Austin Police Department are getting a new labor contract.After nearly a year of negotiations, City Council members unanimously approved a four-year and $44.6 million contract between the city and the local police union. Police reform activists celebrated…
Wednesday, October 3, 2018 by Andrew Weber
Austin
Austin reconsiders homelessness ordinances as Houston laws are challenged in court
It’s a new fiscal year for the city of Austin, and one of the myriad items on City Council agendas over the next year will be an overhaul of ordinances relating to homelessness. That won’t be easy, as federal courts…
Tuesday, October 2, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Public Safety
Low morale in Austin’s public safety departments requires attention
The Public Safety Commission heard a variety of concerns at its Oct. 1 meeting in regards to the chronic low morale that public safety officers are experiencing within their respective departments.“It is pretty unanimous the officers are really getting tired…
Thursday, September 27, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Police
APD to make changes in mental health cases
As a result of Austin Police Department policies, “people experiencing a mental health crisis in Austin may be at higher risk of having a negative police interaction than people in a city that more closely aligns with best practices,” according…
Wednesday, September 5, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Police
Office of the Police Monitor looks to revamp complaint process
According to a recent study by the Office of the Police Monitor, for many in Austin, being seen is being heard.At the Sept. 4 special called meeting of the Public Safety Commission, Police Monitor Farah Muscadin explained that many people…
Wednesday, August 29, 2018 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
APD to soon use drones to map fatal car crashes
Drones are multipurpose: They can deliver pizzas and tally seals. Drones can fight wildfires and make aerial videos that garner pretty impressive watch counts on YouTube.Drones can also map fatal car crashes, which is why the Austin Police Department recently…
Wednesday, August 22, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Police
Police union contract includes surprises
The union representing police officers has presented the city with a proposed contract, as well as a study by Angelou Economics challenging the city’s well-worn assertion that Austin officers are paid more than their cohorts in other Texas cities.In addition,…
Friday, August 17, 2018 by Jack Craver
Austin
City budget boosts spending for homelessness services
The new city manager and City Council agree: The city needs more money to address the homelessness situation.The proposed Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget submitted by City Manager Spencer Cronk includes $3.1 million in new spending on homelessness-related services. That’s on…
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Police
Traffic law enforcement still a not topic
Even though traffic law enforcement and street safety is a top priority for the Austin Police Department, the majority of officers have little time to devote to such enforcement, given their other priorities, such as responding to citizens’ calls and…
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Police
Citizen Review Panel audit brings up questions of document security
After 17 years of evaluation of the Austin Police Department by the Citizen Review Panel, not much happened. That is the conclusion that the Office of the City Auditor presented at the Aug. 6 meeting of the Public Safety Commission:…
Monday, July 9, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Police
APD continues to push toward community-focused policing
Since the Austin Police Department made its switch to a more community-oriented focus last year, it has continued to plow forward in its efforts to reorient its policies and position APD more as a force for the people.In a presentation to…
