The agreement multiyear deal gained approval by the City Council worth hundreds of millions impacting civilian oversight. Negotiations centered on staffing levels and pay raises, with delays due to legal challenges surrounding oversight measures. It also intersected with oversight efforts from the Office of Police Oversight and broader public-safety governance in Austin. New leadership began at Austin Police Association, discussing goals in an interview with FOX 7 Austin. The five-year agreement will shape future city decisions.
The Office of Police Oversight’s 2023 Annual Report documents the work of our three divisions: the Complaints Division, the Policy & Research Division, and the Communications & Community Engagement Division.
www.austintexas.govWith a 10-1 vote last week, City Council approved a multiyear contract with the Austin Police Association that will, in the next few years, force city leaders to weigh costly financial decisions. In the more immediate future, the contract could result in a severe disruption to Austin’s civilian police oversight system, which is still fledgling more than a year after voters approved the Austin Police Oversight Act but is beginning to produce the transparency that the local ordinance promised....
lris.comcommunity relations, implementing discipline for sustained policy violations, forming a “violent crime task force,” implementing a “criminal hotspot response strategy,” reorganizing command structure and alignment of some units, beginning the “safe surrender” program, and introducing new uniforms and cruisers. We certainly encourage Chief Acevedo to continue working with Austin’s officers and the community as he assesses and makes changes to better serve the public.
www.justice.govMichael Bullock, the new president of the Austin Police Association, spoke one-on-one with FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis, discussing his goals and what he says needs to happen to ensure the community is safe.
www.fox7austin.com