Share Input

Join the conversation about Reimagining Public Safety in Austin

Para ver esta información en español, haga clic aquí

As the City explores ways to transform the public safety experience in Austin, your input is critically important to ensuring that policing meets the needs of all our residents.

New Input Opportunity: Victim/Survivor Feedback

The RPS City-Community Task Force consists of several work groups, including one dedicated to improving services to the victims and survivors of violence. The work group is considering resources both within criminal legal system and outside of it.  
 
If you are a violence survivor, the work group would like your input. You may participate in a variety of ways, including small group listening sessions, 1:1 phone calls, and an online survey. Facilitators are specialized in this field and respondents will remain anonymous.  
 
The deadline to participate is 4/20/21.  For more information please click here.  

New Input Opportunity: APD Use of Force

The Community Police Review Commission (CPRC) will host the 8 Can't Wait Town Hall focusing on the national "8 Can't Wait" campaign on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, from 6–7:30 p.m. The town hall will be held virtually on Zoom and is open to the public to attend.

The event will be an opportunity for the community to learn more about how the City of Austin is addressing public safety and  provide feedback on the Austin Police Department's Use-of-Force Policies.

To RSVP for the 8 Can't Wait Town Hall, visit atxpolicecommission.org.  

New Input Opportunity: Police Academy Recommendations

The RPS leadership team wants your input on a series of short and long term recommendations to improve training courses, address racial bias, and foster greater equity and inclusion within the Austin Police Department Training Academy. Your feedback and suggestions will help the RPS leadership team develop the final set of recommendations to share with City Council along with a plan to ensure the improvements are made, and a timeline for resuming the APD training academy.

Click here to jump right to the recommendations and share your thoughts.

Learn More

The recommendations were developed as part of an initial assessment of the APD training academy by Kroll Associates, Inc, an independent consultant hired by the City. A report on the initial assessment, presented to City Council on March 2, 2021, covers the APD Training Academy's ability to prepare cadets for policing in a multi-ethnic, diverse, urban population, consistent with best practices.

Click here to read more about the findings and next steps.

Click here to watch the Office of Police Oversight present the initial assessment findings and take community Q&A.

Ways to share your thoughts and ideas

Community Conversations

Please note that an RPS Task Force Community Listening Session has been scheduled for April 10, 2021. See above for details.

The first phase of what will be ongoing conversations on Reimagining Public Safety between the community and City leaders concluded on January 31. These scenario-based conversations were launched in September 2020 to help inform City leaders’ decisions on public safety reform.

Each of Austin’s ten Council Districts hosted a session, plus there were three citywide sessions (including one fully in Spanish) and dozens of sessions hosted by a diverse range of community organizations and neighborhood associations across the city. Nearly 1,000 people participated in a community conversation and/or submitted their feedback through one of the input options listed above like the Listening Session for One.

We’re currently going through the broad-based feedback we gathered from this first round of community conversations. The City Manager will present this input to Council in the March 2021 update on public safety reforms.

While the first round of community conversations has ended, you can still host a community conversation with your organization, neighbors, or friends. Sign up here to request a Reimagining Public Safety Community Conversation Kit. You can also provide feedback directly to your council district office or the RPS team. We’ll continue to gather input throughout the Reimagining Public Safety process and will include input in future updates to City leadership.

 

You may view all the input options and more information on the SpeakUp Austin Transforming Public Safety in Austin page. Your feedback will be shared with City leaders to help guide their decisions on public safety priorities and policies.