Reimagining Public Safety

The City of Austin has made numerous reforms to public safety over the years, including conducting an investigation of systemic discrimination and bias within APD and establishing the Office of Police Oversight.

The April 24, 2020 death of Mr. Michael Ramos during an interaction with APD officers amplified calls to end disparities in how communities of color are treated when they interact with officers. Those calls became part of a moment of national racial reckoning with the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

In August 2020, after hours of community testimony, the City Council passed a historic budget to redefine public safety. Also, the City Manager charged his Executive Leadership Team with creating a City-Community Reimagining Public Safety Task Force to consider new ways to help and support the community in times of crisis.

The City of Austin is committed to implementing policy and cultural changes to address the disproportionate impact of police violence on people of color and other affected communities.

Reforms

Subtext

In this historic moment, the City Manager and City Council have acted on a series of public safety changes.

Reform	Status
Police department budget	Budget Approved
Use of force policies, equipment & technology	In Progress
End racial disparities in policing	In Progress
Investigate racism within APD	In Progress
Sexual assault case investigation process	In Progress

Reimagining Public Safety Timeline 2020-2021

Description

What's New

March 2021

Kroll Associates, Inc. Releases Initial Assessment of the APD Training Academy

The initial report, delivered on March 2nd, covers the APD Training Academy's ability to prepare cadets for policing in a multi-ethnic, diverse, urban population, consistent with best practices. To read more about the findings and next steps, click here.

APD Releases 2020 Racial Profiling Report

The Austin Police Department publishes a yearly report which analyzes demographic data relating to motor vehicle stops. The 2020 report was released on March 1, 2021. Read the report.

February 2021

Mental Health Services Option Added to 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. This addition is in response to community requests, and Austin represents the first department in the country to include mental health crises in the emergency call triage process. Read more about the initiative.

Reimagining Public Safety Comprehensive Quarterly Update Released

The Reimagining Public Safety (RPS) leadership team has published the first RPS quarterly update summarizing significant milestones in the RPS initiative and from spring 2020 through the end of January 2021. The report is organized by RPS priority categories: Decoupling, Reimagining and Reinvestment. Read the report.

January 2021

Community Video Review Panel Recommendations Released

A community panel assembled by the City of Austin Equity Office conducted a review of selected Austin Police Department (APD) Training Academy videos to determine their suitability from an equity perspective. The group has issued recommendations for improvement as a result of that review. Those recommendations are outlined in the APD Training Videos Community Review Report drafted by the community representatives serving on the panel as well as the Video Review Panel Facilitator Final Report from the facilitator of the video review process. The review and recommendations are one of the outcomes resulting from City Council Resolution 66: Investigate Racism within APD.

Read the updates