Police decline further contract talks for now
The Austin Police Association on Tuesday resoundingly rejected the City Council’s request that it continue its current contract for a few months and return to the negotiating table.
Some APD officers already putting in for retirement after contract was stalled
Austin police officers have exactly two weeks to decide whether or not they will keep hashing out a new contract with the city.
Austin City Council Takes a Step Toward Police Reform, Rejects Union Contract
Activists said the contract would perpetuate a broken system of citizen oversight and shield cops who engage in misconduct.
Social justice groups take a knee at Austin City Council meeting
Members of the Austin Justice Coalition and Grassroots Leadership took a knee as Austin City Council members listened to the invocation before the meeting.
Austin Says New Contract With Police Will Bring Accountability
Interim Police Monitor Deven Desai opened negotiations between the city and police last week with a nod to a crowd of activists gathered in one corner of the room. “I’ve sat in these negotiations since '08 and I can’t remember a time we had even one person from the community come in and actually observe the negotiations," he said.
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It’s Time to End Austin’s Failed Experiment in Police Oversight, Activists Say
APD’s refusal to act on recommendations given by a citizen review panel suggests that the city's 16-year experiment in police oversight has failed.
New Report Finds Important Policing Reforms Recommended by Citizen Review Panel, Largely Ignored by APD and City Manager
Austin’s Citizen Review Panel (CRP) has special access to certain internal investigations of police officer-involved shootings and other incidents. The Panel reviews the incident and may issue a letter of recommendation calling for policy or procedural changes at the Austin Police Department (APD), even if the officer is found to have violated no rules.
Texas' murder rate went up again last year, remains relatively low
Violent crimes — including murder — jumped up again last year in Texas and across the nation, according to new FBI data. It's the second year violent crime has increased from record low levels in 2014.
Overall Crime Rates Down in Texas According to 2016 National Crime Report Released Today
The FBI released its 2016 Crime in the United States report today and, although there are pockets of increased crime, the data indicates that Texas crime rates have dropped statewide.
DPS hears plea to change arrest rules to prevent another Sandra Bland case
Sandra Bland wasn't mentioned by name. But it was clear that her highly publicized death, which helped galvanize the Black Lives Matter movement, was a key part of a hearing Thursday aimed at stopping police from locking up Texans over minor traffic offenses.