Sections

About Us

 
Make a Donation
Local • Independent • Essential News
 

Tag Archives: Austin Police Department

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…

Austin to argue city’s immunity from suit at Supreme Court

Attorneys for the city of Austin will attempt to convince the Texas Supreme Court this morning that two Austin police officers chasing a suspect did not act with “reckless disregard” during an emergency so that the city is still immune…

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…

State court rules Austin must release files on police complaints. Here's what that means.

Austin police must release records of officer complaints previously kept in house to the police oversight office, a state district judge has ruled. The personnel files – known colloquially as “g-files” – were a cornerstone of the Austin Police Oversight Act,…

front of City Hall

City Council condemns anti-immigrant Senate Bill 4

Last year, the Texas Legislature passed one of its most extreme anti-immigrant laws yet: Senate Bill 4, which gives law enforcement the ability to arrest and hold people suspected of having entered Texas illegally. As the law’s enforcement still hangs…

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…

Subscribe to our newsletter

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…

Staff lays out public safety budget choices for City Council

Looking ahead to a tough budget year, City Council will have to choose between spending on firefighters, emergency medical services, parks maintenance, homeless outreach and improving animal services, among others. Wednesday’s budget presentation did nothing to alleviate budget concerns, with…

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…

Travis County grand jury decides against charging Christopher Taylor with murder again

Austin police officer Christopher Taylor will no longer face prosecution for the fatal shooting of Mike Ramos in 2020. The shooting was a month before the murder of George Floyd, and Ramos’ name was invoked in racial justice protests in…

Back to Top