[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6553936,"mediaKeyId","5033941-11fbb978be3967f06d5dd217035f10fe","parentId",5033941,"title","OPO and IAD outline case‑review process; commissioners press for data access, laptops and clear timelines","audioSeconds",7244,"startMs",2777000,"endMs",10021000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5033941-11fbb978be3967f06d5dd217035f10fe&start=2777&end=10021","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5033941-11fbb978be3967f06d5dd217035f10fe/thumbnail_2777000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6553936/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/OPO-and-IAD-outline-casereview-process-commissioners-press-for-data-access-laptops-and-clear-timelines","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553936-6f75137ad14c73850699504268ffdf89/orig.mp4?Expires=1770735314&Signature=KcI6UsO9EozQFKQqQBTgfXr0h~IH8YMGievOyL2zh4rDU59g~a5EZY0pnJUcy900RnkqBPRGHvwlLTbXREURehAbK4np-9J3j41UPGEK4h1Ii6kGSANZs49Nz2A2KUbqRRCnqNO9eUx~xsDsclodx8aMrvCP4BIxj~78CIKmcBZZ1G16AOps0mKlRIHDaiXIHltFjh~l-n0QsFCXsEZXlBrzm8POtVC-g3Vk-sHxYnsOD-mE6OZeVSvJFlLwr1K2H1puI8fPjOTj3Oygdl8Rg4mAfTp19Jf6D1Snm075w0k4VycYgtIVmCLnWkvsA7V8uV449FcwsqFMgqlgqXjA8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-06-20T00:00:00Z","article","Office of Police Oversight (OPO) complaint supervisor Kevin Masters and Lieutenant Eric Wilson of the Austin Police Department Internal Affairs Division briefed the Commission on Police Oversight on June 20 about the process for presenting completed investigations and for commissioners to access case materials.

Masters told commissioners that when an internal affairs investigation is completed and routed to APD’s chain of command, Internal Affairs will notify OPO. OPO then prepares a summary and will notify the commission that the case is ready for review. Masters said the OPO aims to complete its summary work within about a calendar week after notification so the commission will have sufficient time to request a briefing and prepare a recommendation to the chief before the chief’s final determination.

Lieutenant Eric Wilson described the planned digital case folder that will be made available to commissioners. The folder will include the investigative summary, photos, body‑worn‑camera footage and other materials the investigator collected, with redactions limited to information that would compromise safety (for example an officer’s home address). Wilson said investigators and a lieutenant can attend commission briefings to present factual findings and answer questions; he estimated a briefing could take 45–60 minutes.

Staff and commissioners discussed confidentiality and meeting format. Masters and Wilson said briefings will be scheduled on days the commission meets but that those briefings will not be open to the public (they characterized the briefings as occurring in closed session or outside the public portion of the meeting). OPO staff emphasized the commission would receive the same evidentiary materials the chief of police sees when making a decision; Masters said the goal is that “you’ll see what the chief of police sees.”

Data systems and access: OPO staff explained that historical complaints are stored in ICMS and that APD implemented a new case‑management system, Axon, in April 2025; moving forward new complaints will be in Axon. OPO staff said their analysts are CJIS‑cleared and that state rules and criminal‑justice information‑system requirements mean commissioners may need to complete background checks and CJIS training to receive unredacted criminal‑justice data. Commissioners asked OPO to request a list of completed investigations within the 365‑day window so commissioners can pick files for review rather than rely on a filter that would “spoon‑feed” cases to the commission.

Practical items and timeline: Staff said they will identify two previously adjudicated closed cases by July 5 and provide them for training and role‑play review in July. Commissioners requested government laptops to access the shared drive and OPO said five laptops were available at the meeting with additional devices expected in roughly two weeks. Masters and Wilson said they will notify the commission in writing within 24 hours of the next business day after a case goes to chain of command so the commission is aware of new cases as they arise.

Communication and process concerns: Several commissioners said email has not supported effective, compliant communication and asked staff to propose an internal communications protocol (limited‑recipient messages, tools for non‑deliberative information sharing, timelines). Commissioners also discussed how the commission will balance open‑meeting constraints with the need to communicate between meetings; the chair asked members to send agenda‑topic suggestions to staff so items can be scheduled. The commission also asked OPO to request from APD a list of investigations in the 365‑day window so commissioners can begin triaging which cases to request for briefing.

Vote: The commission approved a working group to review and propose bylaw amendments. Commissioner Floyd (moved) and a second were recorded; the motion passed with one abstention. The commission also approved, without full roll call recorded in the transcript, the May 16 meeting minutes (the transcript records affirmative “Aye” from at least two commissioners; full tally not specified).

Why it matters: The procedures described lay out how the new oversight commission will receive case materials, the timelines for summaries and recommendations, and the technical and legal constraints (data systems, CJIS access and potential redactions) that will shape the commission’s ability to review serious misconduct investigations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Community Police Review Commission - Jun 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Office of Police Oversight complaint supervisor Kevin Masters and Lt. Eric Wilson of APD Internal Affairs briefed the Commission on Police Oversight about how completed internal investigations will be routed to the commission, what materials commissioners will receive, and what access limitations will apply.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553941,"Community advocates urge enforcement of de-escalation policy, raise ICE and less‑lethal-weapons concerns",529,3181000,3710000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5033941-11fbb978be3967f06d5dd217035f10fe&start=3181&end=3710","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5033941-11fbb978be3967f06d5dd217035f10fe/thumbnail_3181000.jpg","/articles/6553941/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Community-advocates-urge-enforcement-of-de-escalation-policy-raise-ICE-and-lesslethal-weapons-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553941-0f327b2d1c8e65abd0b3bb715c88fc8a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770735314&Signature=CTREB6CkknBpfoKCpt03SbxHqePPqxB0v4LF4l-Knu16OzBA-BMRJ81jTo6n4JETVoqug01Yf22FouQkHS9Gpb90IhMaAjSiyg6W2sNXOJ4T2aLhQEQPQ7bAmbh2WsgRYy0ZN18W03Qo2lT3XkHxtPv2kIPeStvaob7iPzOoG49wg27yi7CXkiGT1Sdbcim11Z7648iRJ4pBQJxybLutx0~-O3ZvhKbr4JbFIt6r95vjfUUiYJrWBpfE8hoMjd6ArI~8-7lTdD4q~lyVyiJqI7zcQ3dOjVuX0kw2Gt0px16LCDo2OZ~xJW-ukWKPuVyBfgYidRZUAP8itd5sisVPVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Speakers from neighborhood and civil‑rights organizations told the Commission on Police Oversight on June 20 that enforcing APD’s de‑escalation policy and robust review of serious‑misconduct investigations should be top priorities.

Chaz Moore, founder and organizing director of the Austin Justice Coalition, said the city’s de‑escalation policy — a one‑sentence requirement that officers de‑escalate — has not been enforced. He urged the commission to scrutinize incidents in which officers allegedly failed to de‑escalate and to use the commission’s review power in cases of death or serious injury. Moore described high‑profile local cases under litigation, saying families and video evidence in several incidents raise questions about administrative investigations and discipline.

Yasmin Smith, vice president for justice and advocacy at the Austin Area Urban League, said the commission represents a “promise kept” under the Austin Police Oversight Act and urged thorough review of “serious misconduct,” a statutory phrase that she said includes death, serious injury, falsified reports, official oppression and discrimination. She stressed that accountability also protects officers who follow policy.

Kathy Mitchell of Equity Action spoke about recent changes at the Texas Legislature affecting legal standards for “less than lethal” weapons. She said state action altered the standard under which officers’ use of certain less‑lethal tools is judged and urged the commission and APD to identify which less‑lethal devices are in use, confirm officer training protocols, and ensure officers know target zones and manufacturer safety guidance.

Daniela Silva, Austin policy coordinator at Workers’ Defense Action Fund, raised immigrant‑community concerns about APD’s relationship with federal immigration enforcement. She said APD general order 330.8‑10 appears to allow APD assistance to ICE with supervisor approval, and asked the commission to review and recommend amendments so local policy reflects community expectations that visible officer identification be required and that APD not assist ICE in ways that undermine public trust.

Several Austin Justice Coalition speakers, including Peter Hunt, Mary Elizabeth, Lakshmi Fox and Tristan Stitt, urged that use‑of‑force reporting continue while data improvements are made, rather than pause reporting; they opposed recommendations in a recent internal APD report that would suspend public use‑of‑force reporting until data were “perfected.” They recommended continued raw‑data access for outside researchers and public transparency about any corrections to historical data.

Why it matters: The commission has statutory authority to review completed investigations of serious misconduct. Speakers tied their requests to ongoing court cases and to recent local audit and reporting disputes, asking the commission to use its review authority to ensure thorough investigations and transparent policy change.","Multiple public commenters told the Commission on Police Oversight to prioritize enforcement of de-escalation policy, review use-of-force investigations, and strengthen rules on less‑lethal weapons and APD cooperation with immigration enforcement.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553945,"Austin resident urges police oversight commission to probe police use of license-plate readers",160,62000,222000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5033941-11fbb978be3967f06d5dd217035f10fe&start=62&end=222","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5033941-11fbb978be3967f06d5dd217035f10fe/thumbnail_62000.jpg","/articles/6553945/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-resident-urges-police-oversight-commission-to-probe-police-use-of-license-plate-readers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553945-3193081a7e0a636a37095c07e9b3c293/orig.mp4?Expires=1770735314&Signature=XDbCAvmUXOf~3Fcz1ta7IDdCu8jw-lNmWzL5sKft9CqbWjVeEf5CPVwNJ~rWYGSfqJG468dd2RmcNDqVk~Tqg4FP7MUZQndxpIMz-gbI60jNosdwsNt3AL73lVI5wxRdnMTKSIJIUkSKnQkgz2DQ3Pm3x07MhzYO1w9vr5vSpmWZpEWI80CkzWVLPPS1s~X9qz3W6v6NOpjgGfXMXxzX2AiyvfYCiBUCNm02sxa1R55FwfTQyPRXqr39NlymSNtOyf6GDhNXMjIQ2WFCucW6-N1vdPhmNttTnC6b1v3wLRv0zlV7V-7bG81eLmvLWVQY-XdmUO0IbY7N4pStMyWvrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Marina Roberts told the Commission on Police Oversight on June 20 that she is “deeply troubled” by the Austin Police Department’s use of automated license-plate readers (ALPRs) and asked the commission to investigate APD’s searches of ALPR data.

Roberts noted that a one-year city pilot of ALPRs allowed by City Council in early 2024 expired and that the city manager intends to bring a new ALPR proposal back to the council in coming months. She said ALPR vendors such as Flock and Axon largely profit from selling access to aggregated vehicle-location data and that the databases they compile can let a stranger search a person’s movements.

“The companies selling ALPRs … act as data brokers,” Roberts said. She told commissioners that research does not show a measurable crime-reduction effect from ALPRs and warned about routine plate misreads. She cited a randomized controlled trial she said found roughly 35–37% of supposed license-plate hits were misreads and pointed to high-profile misuse or misread incidents nationwide, including an Aurora, Colorado, arrest that led to a $1.6 million settlement after an ALPR misread and disclosures that officers had abused ALPR access in other jurisdictions.

Roberts also referenced local audit findings. She said city auditors found that roughly 20% of APD ALPR searches lacked a documented investigative justification and asked the commission to use its community-review authority to investigate whether officers have used ALPRs to stalk or otherwise abuse access to location data.

Commissioners acknowledged Roberts’ remarks and said they would review how complaints and audits related to ALPR searches are handled by APD and OPO, and would raise the issue with staff responsible for complaints and investigations. The commission did not take formal action at the meeting.

Why it matters: ALPR systems collect location and timestamped vehicle sightings that can be aggregated to reveal patterns of travel. Community members argued to the commission that oversight is needed to ensure searches have lawful justifications, that vendors are not acting as broad data brokers without appropriate safeguards, and that known misreads do not lead to misidentification and harm.","A community member urged the newly formed Commission on Police Oversight to investigate Austin Police Department searches of automated license-plate reader (ALPR) data and raised national examples of misuse and misreads.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

OPO and IAD outline case‑review process; commissioners press for data access, laptops and clear timelines

Community advocates urge enforcement of de-escalation policy, raise ICE and less‑lethal-weapons concerns

Austin resident urges police oversight commission to probe police use of license-plate readers