[{"_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",6475242,"mediaKeyId","5736137-9ee8aec9fe265b92780aa4c3051c376c","parentId",5736137,"title","Public Safety Commission forwards recommendation on Office of Police Oversight compliance, reads 25 questions into record","audioSeconds",1477,"startMs",3592000,"endMs",5069000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5736137-9ee8aec9fe265b92780aa4c3051c376c&start=3592&end=5069","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5736137-9ee8aec9fe265b92780aa4c3051c376c/thumbnail_3592000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6475242/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Public-Safety-Commission-forwards-recommendation-on-Office-of-Police-Oversight-compliance-reads-25-questions-into-record","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475242-5db6988ae910d36c1fdb6a9159392e97/orig.mp4?Expires=1770705724&Signature=AZ5thhv0Yl9eqQa5VXlWX4AHkiXneqAI~W71ehzw9Qqr9Adm3WNCqoWFUd9lopStYIFIDSsU1FJkVcJtxkas7PUAL6EzKR1j1Xr8S2aOtjrqe3UT-gVOcFheOUrH4ChyA3DBBI7aJE72PCWmFCjuxNNwTcLftsUYT7Ol2Q6szWZ9CNi6F7~~aF11DX7pZ4cOsHzDQFBCvFB-N~cU9D1KAJm11bgclAidqmmaw-QdaeBuZsOrXt9Jic5a07Jx1TAoORb1V8rVKOnvy48QOLJdZJfeaCP69zehpVCa91zLlJ~Brw6~SHemdn66Rj8lDfEgHWzpZkcBB0qh9xmQ0pLB9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-09-08T00:00:00Z","article","The Public Safety Commission discussed the Office of Police Oversight’s (OPO) compliance with the Austin Police Oversight Agreement (APOA) and related obligations during its Sept. 8 meeting and approved a recommendation calling for greater transparency and accountability.

The chair opened the item by saying OPO had previously appeared before the commission but has since refused to present in person; OPO agreed only to answer questions via email. The commission’s chair and members read a set of questions into the public record and discussed next steps for council and the commission. Commissioner Bernhardt moved the recommendation and Commissioner Carroll seconded; the commission approved the recommendation unanimously by show of hands.

Scope of the recommendation. The recommendation asks that the Public Safety Commission request several actions or disclosures from OPO and City Council, including:
- That OPO present its annual report at a publicly held City Council meeting as directed in the city ordinance;
- That OPO document and publish a plan for compliance with the APOA and Resolution 99;
- That OPO create a searchable, accessible complaints database (including anonymous complaints and compliments) with formats usable by translation and accessibility tools;
- That the city clerk’s office assign a staff liaison to the Community Police Review Commission (CPRC) in place of OPO staff to ensure meeting consistency and relieve OPO staff burden; and
- That OPO perform a review of internal processes for effectiveness and timeliness.

Reading questions into the record. Commissioners read a list of 25 questions into the public record to ensure they were part of the meeting transcript. Topics covered by the questions included the timing and publication schedule for annual reports; which departments have edit/approval access to OPO reports; whether anonymous complaints and compliments are published; the transparency and searchability of complaints data; training for complaints officers to ensure impartiality; the supervisory referral disposition and its tracking and effectiveness; whether OPO tracks repeat complainants or repeated supervisory referrals; outstanding obstacles to the CPRC’s ability to review cases and the process for filling vacant CPRC seats; OPO participation in officer‑involved‑shooting press conferences; recent OPO funding changes; and what resources OPO believes are required to meet its goals.

An item of particular attention was supervisory referrals. Commissioners noted that supervisory referral is the largest complaint disposition in OPO’s annual report and asked for specifics about training, follow‑up, metrics and automatic triggers to flag cases for full investigation.

Votes and motions. Commissioner Bernhardt moved the recommendation, Commissioner Carroll seconded, and the commission approved the recommendation by unanimous vote. Commissioners later moved and approved an amendment to append the 25 questions read into the record and to request that OPO’s responses be made publicly available; that amendment also passed unanimously.

Commission direction and next steps. Commissioners asked staff to explore procedural options to forward the recommendation and appended questions to Council and to clarify whether the clerk’s office will accept the questions as backup material. The chair encouraged commissioners to share the approved recommendation with council members while staff confirm procedural steps for forwarding it to the council public safety committee.

Why it matters. The recommendation seeks to increase transparency and operational accountability for OPO by requesting documented timelines, public reports, searchable complaint data and an independent staff liaison for the CPRC. Those items relate directly to public expectations about oversight, timely disclosure and the ability of the public and city officials to review complaint outcomes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Public Safety Commission","oneSentenceSummary","The Public Safety Commission on Sept. 8 approved a recommendation asking the Office of Police Oversight to present to City Council, publish a compliance plan and make complaints data searchable and accessible.","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},6475245,"Director Dana Cataby outlines Austin Forensic Science Group: staffing, accreditations and caseload",1034,2166000,3200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5736137-9ee8aec9fe265b92780aa4c3051c376c&start=2166&end=3200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5736137-9ee8aec9fe265b92780aa4c3051c376c/thumbnail_2166000.jpg","/articles/6475245/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Director-Dana-Cataby-outlines-Austin-Forensic-Science-Group-staffing-accreditations-and-caseload","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475245-9643723fe7192acf843f922a6602a850/orig.mp4?Expires=1770705724&Signature=LACizRPNqXt2VSxxyATn-w~yv7SvANqmIGuKu2ySHlqn8uJa8zZK3QJvpZpnJszq7g4zTQZnzWucgEEAJ~KlzwNK6Eq~eaOHXCz~r12CXoCYBLpnez01hF1UdRGmXdwwqItNNIOl991EkMIUgZwpDzNCVgwV~dNBNwjZ-cPQbTM8ru2pu-v~KMSfU9dhP8o1DdtT3Nn0PDAf0ZeUgakNfMrJUv9v2EXNZsGs7J6G09bFK~KEkY37aJwA8zDKzK~hdu5FB0GbotSTuAQwhAW7AlbW7pYdFok2Uf0p-5oFfU24kDANWfwNe1RPFi744HZMVehSvdPwabMs8oHNR4EvFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Dana Cataby, director of the Austin Forensic Science Group, presented an overview of the department’s mission, organization, accredited sections and 2024 workload to the Public Safety Commission on Sept. 8.

Cataby said the laboratory’s mission is “to provide accurate and impartial scientific analysis and support services to the legal system while maintaining the highest level of quality and professionalism,” and summarized the department’s unofficial tagline as “truth through science.” She described the unit as a department within the city’s public safety group and said she reports to Assistant City Manager of Public Safety Eddie Garcia.

Organization and staff. Cataby said the laboratory employs 89 full‑time equivalents across operations and support functions. She described four managers who oversee operations, evidence control and the quality management system: Kim Frierson and Emily Esquivel (operations managers), James Gibbons (Evidence Control Manager) and Catherine Sanchez (Quality Management System and Information/Document Management).

Accredited laboratory sections. Cataby outlined key accredited and support sections: the 24/7 crime scene response team; firearms and tool‑marks (ballistics); latent prints; seized drugs (analytical chemistry); toxicology; DNA and case management; evidence control and warehouse operations; and quality assurance. She explained how crime scene technicians collect and preprocess items for analysis, how seized drugs are confirmed with orthogonal testing and how toxicology focuses on blood alcohol analysis with a plan to validate additional drug testing methods.

Evidence and volume. Cataby said the evidence control unit manages roughly 1,400,000 items and handles daily evidence transports from substations to the central warehouse. She provided a 2024 snapshot: an average turnaround time of 51 days for assault kits received that year; an assertion that the department prevented an assault‑kit backlog for the sixth consecutive year; more than 2,000 major crime scene responses; roughly 25,000 items processed; and about 7,500 forensic reports issued. Cataby said each report has primary analyst work and a second analyst review.

Disposal and safety. The evidence unit, Cataby said, disposed of approximately 140,000 eligible items in 2024, including more than 9,000 seized drugs and about 1,000 firearms. She said disposals occur by court order and under retention policies to prevent long‑term accumulation.

Quality and accreditation. Cataby described accreditation by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and noted oversight by the Texas Forensic Science Commission, which includes licensing requirements for some disciplines. She said the lab pursues voluntary licensing where available (for example, latent prints and crime scene) and is an early implementer of OSAC (Organization of Scientific Area Committees) registry standards.

Case management, discovery and disclosure. Cataby explained that a case management unit coordinates outsourced DNA testing under an interlocal agreement with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and supports discovery processes for the courts. In response to a question about Brady disclosures and timeliness, she said the lab has policies and preliminary notice mechanisms to alert partners about quality incidents and that Texas DPS’s forthcoming TLR Connect portal is intended to simplify statewide discovery exchange.

Commissioner questions and next steps. Commissioners asked about seasonal trends in caseload; Cataby said volume can ebb and flow and that recent years show more complex requests, not necessarily predictable seasonality. Commissioner Carroll asked whether the assault‑kit backlog is resolved; Cataby said the backlog work concluded years earlier. Commissioners also discussed integrating forensic science more consistently into public safety conversations; the commission chair said the department had not appeared before the commission since the panel previously recommended establishing an independent forensic science department around 2020–2021 and urged regular updates going forward.

Why it matters. Forensic laboratory capacity, turnaround times and evidence management affect prosecutions, victim services and public safety transparency. Cataby’s presentation emphasized accreditation, quality management and efforts to manage evidence and backlog risk while supporting disclosure obligations to prosecutors and courts.","Director Dana Cataby told the Public Safety Commission the Austin Forensic Science Group has 89 full‑time staff, multiple accredited laboratory sections, a 2024 average turnaround of 51 days for assault kits and a 2024 output that included more than 7,500 forensic reports and disposal of about 140,000 eligible evidence items.",{"_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},6475250,"Austin-Travis County EMS reports lower vacancies, wider use of advanced life‑support squads and fewer lights‑and‑sirens responses",1465,165000,1630000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5736137-9ee8aec9fe265b92780aa4c3051c376c&start=165&end=1630","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5736137-9ee8aec9fe265b92780aa4c3051c376c/thumbnail_165000.jpg","/articles/6475250/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-Travis-County-EMS-reports-lower-vacancies-wider-use-of-advanced-lifesupport-squads-and-fewer-lightsandsirens-responses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475250-64ef2f9e30bea8d5324841ebc78e691b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770705724&Signature=efQVdUOyJol~NoT0LJiJdP3OsfCB2TsODSLZzX~DDaG2T17IDa5CHEXstbWXUb9Dn-NJqZyJL7dKfiAqE17EYEU1GDSEAno~Ayi2BTYB8crIqO7jhafzIiMcU54WsGJqUJVmBLzbDq1xGTZWA12NUvaHycyt81pyNKKftdh3-BXPwJKP8dWvXgydDqchfFHjHII9lTEoDrKQDZej6ISZiDhspaGPQIpG~c7u6vr6mNgCPXUhSDlEjZM1vL6fP9fvQWcYUcIli0wxCJNMyc1AlqgbDlf~fVOW~ecKbIL184ldkhzv0-7fINFDrgd26pFbtwnlQZ-bDwEmQg2VfZxpbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wes Hopkins, chief of staff for Austin‑Travis County Emergency Medical Services, presented the department’s fiscal‑year 2025 third‑quarter report to the Public Safety Commission on Sept. 8, outlining staffing changes, operational updates and an evidence‑based overhaul of dispatch priorities.

Hopkins said the department’s authorized sworn strength remains 714 with 609 in the field and about 105 total vacancies. He called out 27 open field medic positions and one communications vacancy, putting the sworn vacancy rate at roughly 13.8 percent. Civilian vacancies, he reported, are at an all‑time low of about 8 percent.

The department is running multiple training pipelines. Hopkins said the July academy (7/25) had 19 cadets — 18 field medics and one communications medic — graduating Sept. 12, and an October academy (10/25) will enroll 22 cadets, including 21 field medics and one direct‑hire clinical specialist. He described the internal paramedic program as a key tool to address a national paramedic shortage: the current paramedic class has 14 candidates and another 12 begin in April 2026, with a cohort of internal candidates currently completing a PL5 credentialing academy in October.

Hopkins reported transitions of grant-funded opioid work: the SAMHSA grant for Narcan rescue kits is closed and supplies are now supported by opioid settlement funding. In Q3 the department distributed 4,308 Narcan rescue kits; 172 of those were reported used prior to EMS arrival by law enforcement or fire personnel. Hopkins referenced a multi‑agency response to an overdose cluster on Sixth Street and said the system worked as intended with law enforcement, fire and EMS administering Narcan.

Hopkins described facility milestones: all five EMS stations funded by the 2018 bond — stand‑alone stations 1 and 5 and co‑located stations 7, 10 and 13 — are complete and staffed. A handful of smaller renovation projects remain, such as work at Station 3 (15th and Red River).

Regional computer‑aided dispatch integration and auto‑aid. Hopkins said Travis and Williamson counties, plus ESD1 Lago Vista and ESD2 Pflugerville, migrated CAD systems to a cloud environment in September and that interlocal agreements cleared legal review. The plan is to start with auto‑aid for the highest‑acuity calls only, run extensive testing in February 2026, and aim for a March 2026 go‑live.

Deployments and after‑action planning. Hopkins outlined the department’s Kerr County flood deployment with Texas Task Force 1 and the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force: Austin‑Travis County EMS supplied swiftwater boat teams, an AMBUS, an ambulance strike team (five ambulances) and multiple incident management roles. He said the last deployed medic returned the week of Aug. 25 and that the department will conduct a large after‑action review.

Advanced life‑support (ALS) squads and staffing strategy. To reduce overtime and maintain credentialing for non‑transport specialists, EMS has been flexing existing community health paramedics, mental‑health responders, opioid‑use‑disorder staff and training personnel into 911 coverage for roughly 10 hours per week. Hopkins described those staff as able to preserve their primary program duties while keeping operational skills current. He said the move reduced reliance on overtime — which had reached unsustainable levels earlier in the year — and that ALS‑style squads can respond to both high and lower‑acuity calls.

Dispatch reprioritization and outcomes. Hopkins described a multi‑year, multidisciplinary review of three years of outcome data that compared dispatch priority assignments to clinical and hospital outcomes. The department implemented updated dispatch determinants and a priority 1–5 matrix to reserve the highest priorities for cases requiring critical interventions. Hopkins said the changes reduced overtriage: before the project “we went lights and sirens to 89% of our calls,” he said; after the changes about 55% of calls are responded to with lights and sirens. He added that priority 2 calls — previously a catch‑all — shrank substantially and that priority 4 and 5 calls increased as more calls were routed through the collaborative care communications center (C4) and alternative response pathways.

Hopkins emphasized the changes are iterative. Call takers retain authority to upgrade priorities when warranted and the department will maintain continuous QA/QI review with medical direction. He said the overall work aims to improve safety for the public and providers by reducing unnecessary lights‑and‑sirens responses and matching resources to patient needs.

Commissioner questions and follow‑up. Commissioners asked about changing measurement priorities from raw response time to outcome data; Hopkins said outcome measures are now possible and desirable. Commissioner Bernhardt asked about collaboration with Central Health on low‑acuity calls; Hopkins agreed that a focused agenda item with integrated services and Central Health staff would be useful and offered to schedule it. Commissioner Carroll asked which software produced the opioid heat maps; Hopkins said he would confirm but believed ArcGIS and OD Maps had been used and that integrated services plots opioid alert locations to guide outreach. On morale for staff assigned to squads, Hopkins said feedback is mixed but generally manageable, and that the squads helped keep administrative leaders conversant with field work.

Scaling back the squad program. Hopkins said the department intends to reduce the squad cadence as staffing improves but does not plan to eliminate operational time for non‑transport staff entirely. He pointed to plans beginning Oct. 1 to ramp down squad tempo and to a budget year review to reduce overtime pressure while preserving some operational flexibility.

Why it matters. The EMS changes touch staffing, frontline safety and how limited emergency resources are dispatched in high‑demand conditions. The department’s shift to more evidence‑driven dispatch determinants, cross‑jurisdiction CAD integration and targeted use of ALS squads represent operational choices that will affect response patterns across the city and county.","At the Public Safety Commission meeting, Austin-Travis County EMS reported falling civilian vacancies, ongoing paramedic training classes, distribution of Narcan, station completions, a planned March 2026 CAD auto‑aid go‑live and a dispatch reprioritization that reduced lights‑and‑sirens responses from about 89% to 55%.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public Safety Commission forwards recommendation on Office of Police Oversight compliance, reads 25 questions into record

Director Dana Cataby outlines Austin Forensic Science Group: staffing, accreditations and caseload

Austin-Travis County EMS reports lower vacancies, wider use of advanced life‑support squads and fewer lights‑and‑sirens responses