City of Austin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASERelease Date:
Contact: APD Public Information Office 512-974-5017 Email
The Austin Police Department is in need of an Incident Command Vehicle (ICV) to continue safety efforts in the city of Austin. Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon sent a memo to Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Austin City Councilmembers informing them of APD's intent to use $1,120,222, which is a part of APD's FY23 Asset Forfeiture budget to buy an ICV.
The ICV will replace an aging incident command vehicle that has reached the end of its useful life. Once acquired, APD will use and deploy the ICV in planned large-scale events, such as sporting events and festivals, as well as in unplanned large-scale events, such as weather and man-made catastrophic events. The ICV will serve as a mobile command post for APD, ensuring the proper resources have a place to manage such events. It will provide a location where incident command systems and best practices are leveraged to safely and effectively manage emergent and non-emergent situations. The ICV will include open spaces for meetings, equipment, and technology. APD's training unit will develop a training regimen for APD end users of the ICV. That training will ensure end-users can take maximum advantage of the technology and equipment installed in the ICV. The ICV will be managed and maintained by two groups in the City of Austin. APD will keep the vehicle daily, while the City of Austin's Fleet Department will be responsible for ongoing maintenance of the vehicle's long-term mechanical upkeep.
Executive Order 14074, "Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices To Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety," issued by President Biden on May 25, 2022, places new requirements on police departments seeking to expend federal asset forfeiture funds on certain "controlled equipment," like the ICV. This communication is intended to satisfy the requirement for APD to inform the Mayor and Council of its intent to purchase the ICV with federal asset forfeiture funds. APD will also notify the local community of the intended purchase and will translate that notification for individuals of limited English proficiency.