Apply to be a Commission Member
Deadline to apply is 11:59PM on Friday, May 22, 2026
Apply to serve on the Community Police Review Commission
- The Community Police Review Commission is now accepting applications to serve on the commission.
- Community members can apply to serve on the commission with the form below. The deadline to apply is 11:59PM on Friday, May 22, 2026.
- Learn more about the eligibility requirements, role, and responsibilities below.
Learn more about applying to serve on the commission
- The Community Police Review Commission is now accepting applications to serve on the commission.
- Community members can apply to serve on the commission at atxpolicecommission.org. The deadline to apply is 11:59PM on Friday, May 22, 2026.
- Learn more about the eligibility requirements, role, and responsibilities below.
- The Community Police Review Commission is a board of the City that is independent of and separate from the Austin Police Department and Austin Police Oversight.
- The commission consists of eleven unpaid volunteers selected from a pool of qualified candidates from the community at large. Commissioners are appointed by the City Manager and serve for a term of four years.
- The commission meets publicly in person on the third Friday of the month. Meetings are held in the Boards and Commissions Room at Austin City Hall (301 W 2nd St #1120, Austin, TX).
- Commission meetings are also recorded and broadcast on ATXN, the City of Austin’s public access channel. Community members can watch live or archived videos at atxn.gov.
- The commission operates in accordance with the regulations of City Code Chapter 2-1 ("City Boards").
- Community Police Review Commission members are unpaid volunteers from across the community.
- The responsibilities for serving on the commission (outlined below) are a significant time commitment. Different life circumstances, like work or family responsibilities, have led commissioners to step away from service.
- To ensure the commission is fully operational, it is accepting applications to build a pool of potential candidates to backfill open positions.
Per the Austin Police Oversight Act, to be eligible to serve on the commission, an applicant must attest that:
- They are independent of and unconnected to any member of a police department or association representing police officers,
- They have never been employed or contracted by any police department or association,
- They have not held employment in a police department or police association at any time.
Additionally, per State Senate Bill 1957, commissioners are required to complete a Criminal Background Investigation (CBI). Under this law, a person is not eligible to serve if they have been:
- Convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for a felony offense; or
- Convicted of a crime of moral turpitude.
- Per the Austin Police Oversight Act, the Austin City Auditor reviews submitted applications to ensure eligibility. Applicants who do not meet eligibility requirements will be removed from the candidate pool.
- Eligible applicants will be entered into a candidate pool from which new commissioners will be selected randomly. The City Manager will announce when candidates are randomly selected.
- If selected, commissioners must attend 20 hours of training created by Austin Police Oversight within 90 days of their appointment. The training will focus on the laws, rules, and policies governing the conduct of police officers in Austin, in accordance with recommendations from the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement. Members may begin serving before completing training.
- Commissioners may not be absent for more than three consecutive meetings in a twelve-month timeframe, except for extenuating circumstances. Additional service requirements may apply, per the Community Police Review Commission bylaws.
The commission meets publicly in person on the third Friday of the month. Meetings are held in the Boards and Commissions Room at Austin City Hall (301 W 2nd St #1120, Austin, TX).
Per the Austin Police Oversight Act, the commission’s responsibilities include:
- review any investigation of death in custody, serious bodily injury, or other serious misconduct after the completion of any investigation and prior to the issuance of discipline, and/or in response to the request for review by a complainant
- recommend to the Police Chief discipline that should be issued in the cases it reviews
- request to be briefed by the Director and/or an Internal Affairs Department representative concerning the facts of a particular case under review by the commission
- advise the Police Chief, the Director of Austin Police Oversight, the City Manager, and the City Council on the effectiveness and appropriateness of the department's policies and procedures concerning complaints of police officer misconduct, police officer training, use of force by police officers, community relations, and any other activities of the department
- address other department activities of public concern
- assess the effectiveness of Austin Police Oversight and this ordinance and suggest improvements
- report at least annually to the public on the results of its activities, releasing to all interested parties and the public at the same time
- conduct community engagement activities.
Community members can apply to serve on the commission at atxpolicecommission.org. The deadline to apply is 11:59PM on Friday, May 22, 2026.