Tag Archives: Public Safety Commission
Tuesday, December 4, 2018 by Jack Craver
Public Safety
Report: West Campus needs more lights
Two and a half years after the murder of a UT student spurred calls to improve safety in the West Campus neighborhood, campus safety advocates and city transportation officials say it’s time for the city to improve lighting in the…
Wednesday, November 14, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Fire
‘Mega-fires’ are real, but their size is anyone’s guess
When representatives from the Austin Fire Department spoke at the last meeting of the Public Safety Commission, they alluded to a “mega-fire” they said was imminent in West Austin.Although the term may sound alarming, Justice Jones, wildfire mitigation program manager…
Thursday, September 6, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Public Safety
For juveniles, no more curfew tickets does not mean more crime
Last September, City Council unanimously voted to end the late-night curfew for minors that had been on the books for 27 years. Those who made the case to nix the ordinance argued with data that showed that curfews do not…
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…
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:…
Wednesday, August 8, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Public Safety
SAFE wants to help make Austin safer by reducing violence early
Relationship violence is a significant driver of violence in any city. However, it can be difficult for the police to do anything more than respond to incident calls; they cannot be caseworkers for those who are involved in violent relationships.In…
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…
Tuesday, June 5, 2018 by Jack Craver
Austin
The debate over decriminalizing homelessness
A campaign to decriminalize behaviors associated with homelessness got a boost Monday from the Public Safety Commission, which voted to approve a resolution that instructs the city manager to review ordinances that may “create barriers for people who are trying…
Tuesday, May 8, 2018 by Sommer Brugal
Public Safety
Commission votes to expand Injury Prevention Program
In an effort to support the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Service’s efforts to reduce preventable injuries, the Public Safety Commission passed a motion to fund and expand the county’s Injury Prevention Program at its May 7 meeting.Lisa Sepulveda, Austin-Travis County…
Friday, April 6, 2018 by Jack Craver
Public Safety
Public Safety Commission: Who polices the police?
Last month, members of the Public Safety Commission voiced concerns about the lack of consistent rules or guidelines on investigating senior members of the police, fire and emergency medical services departments for harassment or discrimination.On Monday, a representative of the…
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 by Jack Craver
Police
Will Manley be made police chief? City manager remains mum
In spite of the praise he has received from city leaders for his response to the Austin bombings, Interim Police Chief Brian Manley is not necessarily a shoo-in to be the next permanent police chief.City Manager Spencer Cronk is still…
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 by Jack Craver
Public Safety
What happens when top public safety officials are accused of harassment?
Members of the Public Safety Commission expressed concern and befuddlement over policies that the Police, Fire and EMS departments rely on to hold their top officials accountable for harassment.“It doesn’t make sense to me that the policies are so different…
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 by Jack Craver
Roads
Transportation Department defends ‘speed cushions’
Transportation Director Robert Spillar showed up at a meeting of the Public Safety Commission on Monday to defend “speed cushions,” the traffic-calming devices that have infuriated motorists across the city, most notably in a Northwest Austin neighborhood that successfully campaigned…
Monday, February 12, 2018 by Elizabeth Pagano
Reporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: We’ve made haranguements
Save Our Strings… Could the city be moving toward declaring musicians as an endangered species? Not yet, but at last week’s meeting of the Austin Music Commission there was a good deal of talk about declaring the city’s music culture…
Tuesday, February 6, 2018 by Jack Craver
Police
Police reform activists call for city-funded nonprofit for police complaints
Representatives of Austin’s police union said Monday that they’re eager to begin negotiations with the new city manager on a contract that can hopefully win approval from City Council.Ron DeLord, an attorney for the Austin Police Association, told members of…
Tuesday, January 9, 2018 by Jack Craver
Police
Most Austin police officers will soon have body cameras
It may not be long before every Austin police officer is wearing a body camera.Since October, the Austin Police Department has equipped officers at three of its four substations with body cameras, Assistant Police Chief Ely Reyes told the Public…
Tuesday, December 19, 2017 by Jack Craver
Police
Advocates urge more assistance for sexual assault victims
A backlog of evidence going back to the 1990s is not the only major challenge the Austin Police Department has faced in prosecuting sex crimes and helping survivors of sexual assault heal. Advocates for survivors have also said the sex…
Tuesday, December 12, 2017 by Jack Craver
Police
By outsourcing, APD has made major progress on sex assault kit backlog
The Austin Police Department’s embarrassing backlog of sexual assault kits will hopefully soon be a thing of the past.APD told members of the Public Safety Commission Monday that there are 856 kits from the backlog left to be analyzed, down…
