July 10, 2025
Academy Curriculum Recommendation: Basic Peace Officer Course (BPOC), Code of Criminal Procedure (Chapter 9)
The Office of Police Oversight (OPO) is collaborating with the Educational Development Unit of the Austin Police Department (APD) to enhance the academy's curriculum. The OPO recommends changes to APD's Texas Code of Criminal Procedure curriculum, recommending the correction of outdated information and the removal of questionable information.
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P.O. BOX 1088, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78767
OFFICE OF
WWW.ATXPOLICEOVERSIGHT.ORG
POLICEOVERSIGHT@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV
POLICE OVERSIGHT
PHONE: 512.974.9090 I TTY: 711 FAX: 512.974.6306
FOUNDED
GEBY
COMPLAINT HOTLINE: 512-972-20PO
ACADEMY CURRICULUM RECOMMENDATION
TO:
Chief Lisa Davis, Austin Police Department
FROM:
Director Gail McCant, Office of Police Oversight
DATE:
Thursday, July 10, 2025
SUBJECT:
BPOC Chapter 9: Code of Criminal Procedure
Dear Chief Davis:
The Office of Police Oversight (OPO) is collaborating with the Educational Development Unit
of the Austin Police Department (APD) to enhance the academy's curriculum. OPO's Policy
Compliance Consultant is a member of the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC), which is
responsible for reviewing, evaluating, and providing feedback for improvement.
In addition to the subject matter experts hired by APD, the OPO has reviewed APD's
curriculum for the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and provided the following
recommendations for improvement:
BPOC (Basic Peace Officer Course) Chapter 9- Code of Criminal Procedure
Course Goal: This unit covers sections of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP)
that are not covered in other sections.
1. Outdated General Orders and Instructor Source Materials-Several APD General
Orders used in the instructor's curriculum are outdated and should be corrected to
ensure cadets are being taught the most updated, relevant information.
Slide 13: Use of Force:
The slide references General Order #200.1.3 "Duty to Intercede" dated March 31,
2012, which is outdated. The updated General Order is #200.1.3 "Duty to Intervene,"
which contains updated policy language.
D
Other outdated General Orders referenced in Instructor Materials:
General Order #200.3 "Response to Resistance" is now General Order #200.4 and
should reflect updated language concerning neck restraints and strangleholds.
General Order #200.6.2 "Duty to Give Aid and Medical Care" also contains outdated
policy language and needs to be revised in the lesson plan.
2. Questionable Source Material-The lesson plan includes additional source
materials whose credibility and relevance are questionable. These are not required
sources and should be removed.
1
CTTL OF AUSTIN
P.O. BOX 1088, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78767
OFFICE OF
WWW.ATXPOLICEOVERSIGHT.ORG
POLICEOVERSIGHT@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV
POLICE OVERSIGHT
PHONE: 512.974.9090 I TTY: 711 I FAX: 512.974.6306
FOUNDED
GERY
COMPLAINT HOTLINE: 512-972-20PO
ACADEMY CURRICULUM RECOMMENDATION
Texas Marital Law Reference Material:
The lesson plan cites a 2018 blog post by a private attorney on Texas marital law.
It's unclear why this was selected, and its relevance to the curriculum is
questionable.
Domestic Violence Reference Material:
A 2015 article about the domestic violence movement of the 1970s is used. This
reference lacks relevance to current laws and contemporary training objectives.
3. Outdated Legal References- The source for the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure
language is not current. A source that is updated with the current CCP language
should be used. Example: Texas Constitution and Statutes website
(https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
Code of Criminal Procedure:
The instructor's curriculum cites the Texas District & County Attorneys Association
website, dated 2019 to 2021, as the source for the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure
language.
4. Content in Visual Materials-The PowerPoint uses images from the Austin 2020
protests as an example of riots. OPO recommends that these images be removed.
Duties of officers relating to suppression of riots and other disturbances
(Slides # 36, 38, 39, 40):
The PowerPoint includes images from the 2020 Austin protests to illustrate riots.
Given the controversy and ongoing litigation, using these images without contextual
notes is problematic. Clear and objective guidance should accompany any such
material to ensure appropriate instruction.
The Office of Police Oversight appreciates the chance to offer constructive feedback on the
Austin Police Department's academy curriculum, recognizing that there is room for
improvement. We look forward to ongoing collaboration on current and future curriculum
development to ensure continuous improvement and effectiveness.
Sincerely,
Dail
MccaD
Gail McCant
Director, Office of Police Oversight
2
P.O. BOX 1088, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78767
OFFICE OF
WWW.ATXPOLICEOVERSIGHT.ORG
POLICEOVERSIGHT@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV
POLICE OVERSIGHT
PHONE: 512.974.9090 I TTY: 711 FAX: 512.974.6306
FOUNDED
GEBY
COMPLAINT HOTLINE: 512-972-20PO
ACADEMY CURRICULUM RECOMMENDATION
TO:
Chief Lisa Davis, Austin Police Department
FROM:
Director Gail McCant, Office of Police Oversight
DATE:
Thursday, July 10, 2025
SUBJECT:
BPOC Chapter 9: Code of Criminal Procedure
Dear Chief Davis:
The Office of Police Oversight (OPO) is collaborating with the Educational Development Unit
of the Austin Police Department (APD) to enhance the academy's curriculum. OPO's Policy
Compliance Consultant is a member of the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC), which is
responsible for reviewing, evaluating, and providing feedback for improvement.
In addition to the subject matter experts hired by APD, the OPO has reviewed APD's
curriculum for the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and provided the following
recommendations for improvement:
BPOC (Basic Peace Officer Course) Chapter 9- Code of Criminal Procedure
Course Goal: This unit covers sections of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP)
that are not covered in other sections.
1. Outdated General Orders and Instructor Source Materials-Several APD General
Orders used in the instructor's curriculum are outdated and should be corrected to
ensure cadets are being taught the most updated, relevant information.
Slide 13: Use of Force:
The slide references General Order #200.1.3 "Duty to Intercede" dated March 31,
2012, which is outdated. The updated General Order is #200.1.3 "Duty to Intervene,"
which contains updated policy language.
D
Other outdated General Orders referenced in Instructor Materials:
General Order #200.3 "Response to Resistance" is now General Order #200.4 and
should reflect updated language concerning neck restraints and strangleholds.
General Order #200.6.2 "Duty to Give Aid and Medical Care" also contains outdated
policy language and needs to be revised in the lesson plan.
2. Questionable Source Material-The lesson plan includes additional source
materials whose credibility and relevance are questionable. These are not required
sources and should be removed.
1
CTTL OF AUSTIN
P.O. BOX 1088, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78767
OFFICE OF
WWW.ATXPOLICEOVERSIGHT.ORG
POLICEOVERSIGHT@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV
POLICE OVERSIGHT
PHONE: 512.974.9090 I TTY: 711 I FAX: 512.974.6306
FOUNDED
GERY
COMPLAINT HOTLINE: 512-972-20PO
ACADEMY CURRICULUM RECOMMENDATION
Texas Marital Law Reference Material:
The lesson plan cites a 2018 blog post by a private attorney on Texas marital law.
It's unclear why this was selected, and its relevance to the curriculum is
questionable.
Domestic Violence Reference Material:
A 2015 article about the domestic violence movement of the 1970s is used. This
reference lacks relevance to current laws and contemporary training objectives.
3. Outdated Legal References- The source for the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure
language is not current. A source that is updated with the current CCP language
should be used. Example: Texas Constitution and Statutes website
(https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
Code of Criminal Procedure:
The instructor's curriculum cites the Texas District & County Attorneys Association
website, dated 2019 to 2021, as the source for the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure
language.
4. Content in Visual Materials-The PowerPoint uses images from the Austin 2020
protests as an example of riots. OPO recommends that these images be removed.
Duties of officers relating to suppression of riots and other disturbances
(Slides # 36, 38, 39, 40):
The PowerPoint includes images from the 2020 Austin protests to illustrate riots.
Given the controversy and ongoing litigation, using these images without contextual
notes is problematic. Clear and objective guidance should accompany any such
material to ensure appropriate instruction.
The Office of Police Oversight appreciates the chance to offer constructive feedback on the
Austin Police Department's academy curriculum, recognizing that there is room for
improvement. We look forward to ongoing collaboration on current and future curriculum
development to ensure continuous improvement and effectiveness.
Sincerely,
Dail
MccaD
Gail McCant
Director, Office of Police Oversight
2