[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6683816,"mediaKeyId","5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82","parentId",5322195,"title","Office of Police Oversight presents 2023 annual report, staffing updates and complaint process questions","audioSeconds",244,"startMs",7253000,"endMs",7497000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82&start=7253&end=7497","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82/thumbnail_7253000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6683816/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Office-of-Police-Oversight-presents-2023-annual-report-staffing-updates-and-complaint-process-questions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6683816-49ca8ddb53efbc45fdfe6460a716f73f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442994&Signature=D9HCTaEwBkTNjidEZ4iOvFmrwNu4cNAomy8~AYGEYKD1HSvTC93m-tF1SD-j6DCJzQY2okma-0zy5mJpvyDIv~1OElJ-LvVFk2w-5uG5H2~QlTgY0717kQNCvxaQBFP5n20zzuIcbJPMa5kIVfWGmmwAhcTuR1Bf~fC3xGynqEeS7IIIDM-k4glkdiVvbi7gJSr73o2Q3yfKBgshv94QGq7xO~uhiLsvVP8mVO6XeVFgsYBa8xEO56FoE3IoUzON828BGITyX6CFT6XKLkMBTspQexkMl4HT3r6VpwdcjIrcQuVtqUlqJwMMxgZrnXOSxakgrzyomT9--f4FsQKfdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-07-07T00:00:00Z","article","Gail McCant, director of the City of Austin Office of Police Oversight (OPO), presented highlights from the OPO’s 2023 annual report, staffing changes and follow‑up responses requested by the commission.

McCant said the OPO filled four roles that had been vacant in March and is creating a deputy director position to expand leadership capacity. The office is actively recruiting for a complaint specialist and a policy analyst; McCant said there are three current vacancies at OPO. She said demographic data on complaints is optional on the OPO intake form and therefore incomplete; sector data (police sector geography) is not fully captured but may be possible in the office’s new shared case‑management system. McCant said all 2024 complaints are published online and that the office is working to publish 2023 and 2025 complaints and will release its 2024 annual report in September.

Kevin Masters, OPO complaint supervisor, described complaint intake pathways (phone, in person, online and mail), the preliminary review and affidavit process and how anonymous complaints are handled. He said anonymous complaints may be submitted but require an affidavit with the OPO as affiant in order to prompt an Internal Affairs investigation; OPO will submit an affidavit and route the complaint to Internal Affairs when appropriate. Masters said the OPO will honor complainants’ requests for supervisor referrals, supervisor review or a formal IA investigation; he said the OPO follows up after supervisor referrals and may escalate a case to an internal investigation if the office concludes the supervisor’s review was insufficient.

Commissioners asked whether complainants understand the difference between a supervisor referral and a formal investigation; OPO staff said the office explains options to complainants and documents their preference. Commissioners also asked whether complainants receive evidence such as body‑worn camera footage; OPO said such material is subject to public‑information request rules and the OPO provides complainants with a summary of the disposition and the steps taken during the review.

A commissioner raised concern that the complaint supervisor, Kevin Masters, is a former long‑service police officer. Masters confirmed his public‑safety background and the commission members signaled they would request an expanded review of the office’s processes at a future, dedicated session. McCant said OPO will host a community forum on complaints and the complaint process at the Central Library the following Saturday and encouraged commissioners and community members to attend.

Ending: The commission asked for a fuller briefing on OPO operations; McCant and staff agreed to return with more detail and to publish outstanding complaint materials and the 2024 report on the OPO website.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Public Safety Commission - Jul 07, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Office of Police Oversight told the commission it has filled several vacancies, is creating a deputy director role and is preparing to publish complaint data and a 2024 annual report; commissioners raised questions about supervisor referrals, evidence access and the office’s handling of anonymous complaints.","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},6683820,"APD, SAFE Alliance and Travis County DA present sexual‑assault data; APD cites coding changes and survivor readiness suspensions",612,3165000,3777000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82&start=3165&end=3777","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82/thumbnail_3165000.jpg","/articles/6683820/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/APD-SAFE-Alliance-and-Travis-County-DA-present-sexualassault-data-APD-cites-coding-changes-and-survivor-readiness-suspensions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6683820-01c6f849eadb1f47440a5ba81bac59f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442994&Signature=ESeY9~oLGpqP6EwroAKDr2w4boNGYKT~U-xmMO-3Z4dmKw6mKwCnk5J5avDKEntMoQmvzxTm~f5CZCySlhMZB4j2QdIziAvaIsRkjLTf~M77gOE14I3eZlDIPUkfI8glplZ4jMQ0PYKg0yXkG5oS40SyH-vFjyFKAeMbnCX3ONZDfLJ7~e56v4ie2elIAbipUGR3-RQPehfXo97~RAPsZxpMWCVo0PeANOpcqAQVnBYtmbAIXziTdEWRbfbvgRPKVRyvgJVlMn6w8I8FbJsFJQc5dKfCa09Gdu05PmjqdMyDCX64ZfxZf-xYlPgDN15S~ZqR6fIMZpkjWf-WXbumFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from the Austin Police Department’s special crimes unit (SCU), the SAFE Alliance (forensic nursing and advocacy) and the Travis County District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit briefed the Public Safety Commission on sexual‑assault response data for quarter one of 2025.

APD SCU described a multi‑agency effort to audit records and improve offense coding after detecting inconsistent use of an informational title code. The unit reported 374 new adult sexual‑crime cases in Q1 and explained that a marked increase in felony assault classifications beginning in September 2024 reflects a deliberate retitling and data‑cleaning effort rather than a sudden spike in incidents. APD said it retired the ambiguous “sexual‑assault information” title code and replaced it with “sex‑crimes information” to reduce confusion with Texas Penal Code offense titles; commanders and detectives were directed to retitle cases when the facts support a reportable offense.

APD also reported calls for service related to sexual crimes are about 14% higher than the same period last year and that the department will not downgrade sex‑crime calls below Priority 2. The department flagged “suspended pending victim readiness” as the largest internal closure category in Q1 — 81 felony cases were suspended this way, and detectives found that 46% of those were closed because the victim told investigators they did not want to pursue the case at that time. APD said detectives document outreach attempts and that the department is developing a survivor survey to learn more about reasons for suspension.

SAFE Alliance presented service data and capacity constraints. SAFE said about 80% of its community clinic clients are served at Eloise House, which relocated to a new community clinic in March and expanded exam capacity (the new clinic has five exam rooms). SAFE reported unduplicated service requests in January totaled 53 individuals (32 evidence collection exams, six medical‑only visits and 19 consults). SAFE said in March it completed 41 evidence‑collection exams, four medical care visits and 33 consults; the organization stressed language access and credentialing at hospitals as ongoing challenges and said it is coordinating with other community providers to improve coverage and Spanish‑language services.

Travis County’s Special Victims Unit reported an increase in trials and convictions in recent years. Andrea Austin, director of the DA’s Special Victims Unit, said prosecutors are taking more difficult cases to trial, and praised APD’s embedded prosecutor model (a DA housed in the APD unit twice weekly) for improving case readiness and outcomes. Austin said the unit tried nine jury trials in 2024 and eight trials in the first six months of 2025, with five guilty verdicts and three acquittals so far in 2025.

Commissioners asked about the bar/nightlife nexus and alcohol‑facilitated assaults. APD said a grant‑funded SART (Sexual Assault Reduction Program) looking at bars and nightclubs has found preliminary patterns — venues with multiple floors, without food service, or with fewer female staff showed more police calls — and that the initiative asks establishments to act as “guardians” of patrons. The city’s SIP Safely program supplies test strips and education focused on individuals; APD described SART as a location‑based prevention effort.

SAFE and the DA discussed warm handoffs and follow‑up. Commissioners asked whether SAFE’s referrals to other programs could be tracked to confirm a warm handoff resulted in services; SAFE said it documents outreach and attempts but that cross‑agency follow‑up can require survivor consent or data‑sharing agreements. SAFE and the SCU emphasized the need to improve contact with vulnerable populations such as people experiencing homelessness, who may not engage with outreach.

Ending: The three agencies agreed to continue collaborative audits of data classification and survivor outreach practices. APD said it is increasing staffing touchpoints with the DA and will continue to provide case‑level staffing and training; SAFE said it will pursue additional grants, work on credentialing and expand language access through partnerships.","APD’s special crimes unit, SAFE Alliance and the Travis County District Attorney’s office briefed the commission on Q1 sexual‑assault response data, explaining a title‑code change that affected felony counts, an increase in calls for service and a high share of cases suspended for ‘victim readiness.’",{"_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},6683824,"Public Safety Commission debates expanding nonvoting membership in bylaw revision",387,2139000,2526000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82&start=2139&end=2526","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82/thumbnail_2139000.jpg","/articles/6683824/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Public-Safety-Commission-debates-expanding-nonvoting-membership-in-bylaw-revision","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6683824-3321c2c5206264fc2e2a55d98672696e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442994&Signature=gqp5jgKl6BPiT2xurgllJOjDqiLIFfLHsmdppn1vQVFrsqjmg4eaH4B0ZZUeCBiz1JbtN6vRzyB21AZ2WJkl1Uu6QZeg37wf0rF7gc8hGzdREpj1mrmlMeE6qBO0QqErVF3zTaRcX1qQs73d8orOVQ8snb7Un8nnlloCON9TQL51mPfZXXwKYbLAWPSO7D4~fRnHlaAitUdNHAVRPT7FHudcyYJaOO6k6yXOZHJAFHY39UmWD8Fyb3XyBpRiUeX85~qQIq-USzyuOqXrs~iBhh3hVCl0MWU9jYi5OtFSnCY0iQgk5L0i2fzCTppZIlly7CVbloebQsjnArkRCfqcuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Public Safety Commission began a multi‑month discussion of proposed bylaw amendments that would add regular nonvoting representatives from other city commissions and certain public‑safety offices.

Commissioner Rutan led the discussion and described draft changes posted in the commission’s backup materials. The proposed language would explicitly name several city entities — including the Austin Fire Department, Austin‑Travis County Emergency Medical Services, the Office of Violence Prevention and the Homeless Strategy Office — as relevant consultees whose representatives could be nominated as nonvoting members. Rutan said additions are shown in italics in the draft and that the working group proposed the changes after asynchronous review.

Members debated how many outside commissions should have standing nonvoting seats. Rutan and other commissioners expressed support for broader representation but raised concerns about meeting length, attendance requirements and logistical constraints if many nonvoting members met regularly. Commissioner Smith noted a preference for efficiency; others suggested using the Joint Inclusion Committee as a single representative for multiple “quality‑of‑life” commissions to reduce numbers while preserving representation.

Commission staff said nominees for any nonvoting seat would be appointed by City Council, and Christy (commission staff) noted that nonvoting members would still be subject to the commission’s attendance rules. Commissioners also discussed a housekeeping change to remove language saying APD would store commission documents; the draft replaces that language with the City Clerk retaining board records because the staff liaison role sits outside APD.

Rutan said the working group will return a final draft in the next month or two for a possible vote, and recommended splitting some bylaw amendments (for example changes to membership versus administrative housekeeping) so that one set of changes does not hold up another in Council review.

Ending: The commission did not vote on bylaw changes; the working group will refine the draft and return it for a future vote. Commissioners suggested the working group consider whether to include the Community Police Review Commission and the commission on aging in the membership list.","Commissioners began reviewing proposed bylaw amendments that would add nonvoting representatives from multiple city commissions and other city public‑safety offices; members discussed trade‑offs between broader inclusion and meeting logistics.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6683827,"Community Advancement Network highlights jail‑booking disproportionality to Public Safety Commission",179,134000,313000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82&start=134&end=313","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82/thumbnail_134000.jpg","/articles/6683827/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Community-Advancement-Network-highlights-jailbooking-disproportionality-to-Public-Safety-Commission","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6683827-dc5b396b4d723217f16ce16225d988a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442994&Signature=Xyj1UrhUd36rHhZXHATdWe0rQvlIafhfOvUkroT5pYc8FH99g69LxBgYOeEjiKzhaF3vLCKu5dc4qKBUK6yquuh10MKMqnsgvh1PNrSOXVeK2nLXUzzJPvbPv9xmXq85ZPICjcQZwrpPvbpm8o-P7g3So4NznjDkR-0fcr7yq1RrNLD2o0vPcJbcpAOxEoPSy9f7Qu4cViUUQuO8ZCsYbKP~I2MYsW74Lf-aF0Ln-DQjuPxkicQa2W0T8kK4SB01-No55a1lvwgE~80Kevvi2adx3eXQd9rptJZ0~uX9EhCI6l5jph7kdFj7PwSB07EkE8pYEZCBnxOgBsTfCVSwiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of public communication, a representative for Community Advancement Network (CAN) briefed the Public Safety Commission on the organization’s community dashboard and its racial disproportionality indicators.

Carlos Soto (transcribed as Carlos So to) told commissioners CAN is a collaboration of government, nonprofits, private and faith‑based groups that maintains a community dashboard with 18 indicators across four issue areas, including public safety. Soto said one CAN indicator calculates the disproportionality ratio for jail bookings by dividing each racial or ethnic group’s share of bookings by that group’s share of the adult population.

Soto reported the dashboard’s most recent calculation shows Black people make up about 8% of Travis County’s adult population but about 28% of people booked into the Travis County Jail, yielding a disproportionality ratio of 3.4. He said other CAN indicators measure disproportionality in school disciplinary removals, confirmed child‑abuse victims and recipients of homeless services, and invited commissioners to request the dashboard and related materials.

Ending: CAN offered to share the dashboard and follow‑up materials with commission staff; commissioners encouraged leaving contact information with commission staff to obtain the resources.","A Community Advancement Network representative told the commission a dashboard indicator shows Black residents compose 28% of Travis County jail bookings but 8% of the county's adult population, producing a 3.4 disproportionality ratio.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6683831,"APD reports training expansion, staffing gaps and data follow-up in quarterly update",528,715000,1243000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82&start=715&end=1243","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5322195-0ccf26b4231cb5dbd9286e8b17145d82/thumbnail_715000.jpg","/articles/6683831/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/APD-reports-training-expansion-staffing-gaps-and-data-follow-up-in-quarterly-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6683831-c990a724c8ce54f9cfa8734ddd33e1c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442994&Signature=kAB9qooFlYqJkBLeGJrabqvaiR-Aj4frAh3pIzdSVTMzgT2r2HH64G5vsN7JGIYCe1C3HDGHH91ofp4VPM8~gklTDe89fyhOMcGK7BymvuXItBXmeopzrufGWWnVh81BbG6YFOJnKuofr69l4uuaCCA4xqfeHVwIeM-D3NfecPiHUQrmudsuBl0pHRFFBKjpWbaA4qxm~1a1dj9BXprP7NoZPuhuZcRdkhgPi6o1rgOD4lMZHeXWaRGn60JLwSeC8WMbWvJNFbwLQi4Nd~Jm57FN13yX1LnM6b8XjhFFaZzhnzG1pYWU-Jmqq2Xytzuc2zJtne7EKg~pdQZLenFlOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Austin Police Department updated the City of Austin Public Safety Commission on its quarterly operations, describing new training programs, ongoing staffing shortages and work to improve data quality.

Chief Henderson presented the department’s quarterly slide deck and emphasized a push for “data‑driven approaches” across staffing and operations, including training for commanders, crime analysts and cadets. Henderson said APD hosted a three‑day crime reduction course by Dr. Jerry Radcliffe and a data‑management session with Dr. Andrew Wheeler; the department also implemented the Integrated Communications, Assessment and Tactical (ICAT) 16‑hour de‑escalation training for sworn members and cadets.

The report described community engagement activity this quarter — dozens of youth and school events, safety assessments for sites and community fairs — and a new landlord engagement program aimed at reducing crime at rental properties. Henderson said calls for service are tracking with the five‑year summer mean and noted the combined Priority 0 and Priority 1 response times were slightly above the five‑year mean; she said APD will provide follow‑up data in the next quarterly packet to explain that trend.

On staffing the department reported vacancies: 34 sworn vacancies, 43 professional‑staff vacancies and 10 vacancies in emergency communications. Henderson said two cadet classes are currently active: the “150‑fourth” class is scheduled to graduate Aug. 29; the “150‑fifth” class has 51 cadets and is slated to graduate Dec. 12. APD said it has started hiring cycles for future classes and continues a social‑media and youth recruitment push.

Commissioners asked for more detail in future reports. Commissioner Bernhardt requested academy attrition rates and progress toward APD’s 30‑by‑30 recruitment goal, and asked for the BerryDunn audit follow‑up and implementation status; Henderson said the latest BerryDunn study (published in early June) found operational realignments and that a reallocation of some specialized officers back to patrol will occur on Aug. 24.

Questions about the automated license plate reader (ALPR) pilot surfaced during the discussion. Henderson said APD plans to reengage on ALPR conversations later this year and that when the department begins public outreach there will be opportunities for this commission to participate. Commissioners also pressed for more granular cadet‑academy data and for reports showing how the reorganization will affect investigative units.

The commission voted on routine matters at the meeting (see “Votes at a glance”).

APD said it will provide requested follow‑up materials and the department’s ALPR answers are already posted in the commission’s follow‑up backup packet.

Ending: The commission asked for more detailed follow‑up in the next quarterly report including attrition rates per academy, additional data on response‑time trends and the status of reorganization implementation.","Austin Police Department officials told the Public Safety Commission their quarter‑one report highlights evidence‑based trainings, a cadet recruiting pipeline and data audits; the department reported dozens of vacancies in sworn and professional ranks and said it will provide follow‑up on response‑time trends.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Office of Police Oversight presents 2023 annual report, staffing updates and complaint process questions

APD, SAFE Alliance and Travis County DA present sexual‑assault data; APD cites coding changes and survivor readiness suspensions

Public Safety Commission debates expanding nonvoting membership in bylaw revision

Community Advancement Network highlights jail‑booking disproportionality to Public Safety Commission

APD reports training expansion, staffing gaps and data follow-up in quarterly update