In November of 2020, as directed by Council Resolution No. 20191205-066, the Office of Police Oversight, in consultation with the Office of the City Manager, retained Kroll Associates, Inc. to review and evaluate the Austin Police Department on the extent to which racism and discrimination are present in the protocols, practices, and behaviors of the department.
The initial phase of the review was an assessment of the APD Training Academy and its ability to prepare cadets for policing in a multi-ethnic, diverse, urban population consistent with best practices.
Among the findings of this initial evaluation are the need for APD to:
- Increase racial, gender an…
The City of Austin has responded to longstanding requests from the community for a more appropriate response to mental health crises that are assigned to APD through 9-1-1. As of February 1, 2021, 9-1-1 callers are now asked if they need police, fire, EMS, or mental health services. Implementing this important fourth option to the 9-1-1 call triage process is part of what is now called the Austin CARES initiative.
The program is an outcome of a series of…
The commitment to maintaining public safety and making sure all people in Austin feel safe in their communities is a core value of the City of Austin. The city has focused on policing reform before the Reimagining Public Safety (RPS) initiative was launched in the summer of 2020, and some of the city entities that are part of RPS today were in place before.
This blog is designed to identify and provide a short description of the key teams that are working on RPS. Future posts will go into further detail about each of these teams and what they do.
Resident Input is a Cornerstone
Ultimately, you may be surprised to learn that YOU are in charge…
Welcome to the Reimagining Public Safety (RPS) Blog! We'll be posting here regularly to provide insight on the latest developments in the City of Austin's RPS initiative. The blog is also designed to help you navigate this website and the wealth of information it offers.
The Reimagining Public Safety (RPS) initiative is a multi-faceted and collaborative effort focused on ensuring our public safety system meets the needs of all those who live and work in Austin. This initiative builds on a number of public safety reforms implemented over the last several years.
While the blog offers up-to-date news and information about RPS, the website is designed t…
Because resident input is so critical to the reimagining effort, we have created a variety of ways to provide your thoughts:
- Council District RPS Community Conversations – these are virtual meetings held in each Council District. Visit the Share Input…