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Staff Briefing on 2018 Officer-Involved Shooting Report and Police Accountability Updates Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission Cristina Tangredi- Program Specialist, Office of Police Oversight July 22, 2020 ATXPoliceOversight.org (512) 974-9090 ATX Police Oversight @ATX_OPO 2018 Officer-Involved Shooting Report Report Overview The Office of Police Oversight reviewed every officer-involved shooting (OIS) incident involving the Austin Police Department (APD) in 2018 to identify any recurring factors and highlight areas for improvement. This report provides summaries of each incident, presents incident-specific and officer-specific data, and offers recommendations in identified areas of concern. Key Findings There were 12 officer involved shooting incidents involving APD officers in 2018 • 11 individuals and 33 officers were involved in the OIS incidents 7 incidents were fatal • • 5 incidents were determined to be fatalities caused by police. • All fatal incidents caused by police involved Black and Latinx individuals. 2 of the fatal incidents were determined to be suicides Geographic Location of Incidents: • The southeast region of Austin experienced the highest concentration of OIS incidents in 2018. • All fatal incidents caused by police took place in central, east, or southeast Austin. • Austin City Council District 2 (southeast Austin) had 5 OIS incidents, the highest concentration of incidents in 2018 • APD’s Frank sector (southeast Austin) had 4 OIS incidents, and was the sector with the highest concentration of incidents CHART 1: CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS WHERE INCIDENTS District 2 District 3 District 4 District 8 District 9 District 10 OCCURRED District 10 1, 9% District 9 2 18% District 8 1 9% District 4 1 9% District 3 1 9% District 2 5 46% Geographic Location of Incidents CHART 2: APD SECTORS WHERE INCIDENTS OCURRED Baker Charlie David Edward Frank George Henry Henry 1 9% George 1 9% Frank 4 37% Baker 2 18% Edward 1 9% Charlie 1 9% David 1 9% Key Findings Demographic Information of Individuals Involved Gender and Ethnicity involved white males • 3 fatalities involved Latinx males • 1 fatality involved a Latinx female • 1 fatality involved a Black male Age . • Latinx individuals were disproportionately impacted by officer-involved shooting incidents in 2018 • 6 incidents involved Latinx males; 1 incident involved a Latinx female; 1 incident involved a Black male; 4 incidents • 5 OIS incidents resulted in fatalities caused by police. Only ethnic minorities were involved in these incidents. • 8 OIS incidents involved individuals between 20-28 years of age. Other individuals were over 45 years old. Key Findings Demographic Information of Involved Officers Gender and Ethnicity • 25 of the 33 involved officers were white males. Age • 18 involved officers were between 30-39 years of age Prior Involvement in OIS Incidents • 3 officers who were involved in OIS incidents in 2018 had been involved in at least 1 prior OIS incident. • 1 officer had been involved in 2 prior incidents. Officer Experience and Rank • 25 of the 33 officers involved had 6 or fewer years of APD experience. • 32 involved officers held the rank of Officer. • 1 held the rank of Sergeant. Key Findings Incidents Involving Mental Health Components • At least half of the OIS incidents in 2018 involved a mental health component. • 2 of the 5 fatal OIS incidents involve a mental health component. Presence of Weapons • 10 of the 12 officer-involved shooting incidents involved an individual observed to be armed with a weapon at the time of the shooting. Weapons in these incidents included firearms, knives, pickaxes, and improvised explosive devices/bombs. Use of “Less-Lethal” Force • In only 1 of the 12 incidents did officers use “less-lethal” force before using their firearms Conclusion Every OIS incident requires a thorough analysis and review. The Austin Police Department was involved in 12 officer-involved shooting (OIS) incidents in 2018, a historically high number. Identified Patterns: • Failure to use de-escalation tactics in many of the incidents • Failure to use “less-lethal” force options in all but one incident • Disparate concentration of officer-involved shooting incidents affecting Black and Latinx individuals, as well as in areas of Austin that are historically minority-majority. Areas of Recommendation • Civilian Oversight Access • Reporting Requirements • Training • Mental Health Response • Personnel Safety and Wellness Recommendations Civilian Oversight Access: Increase the Office of Police Oversight’s access to officer-involved shooting incident data. • APD to provide OPO with unprompted access to ballistics reports and autopsy reports related to officer-involved shooting • APD to inform OPO in writing of the total number of sworn employees present at the scene of each incident, both at the time incidents when they become available of the shooting and afterward Reporting by Austin Police Department: Publish annual reports related to officer-involved shooting incidents • APD to begin publishing annual officer-involved shooting reports that identify characteristic data points, outline the steps taken by APD immediately following the incidents, and include preventative measures the department will implement (or has already implemented) as a result of the incidents • APD to present findings annually to Boards and Commissions and community stakeholders Recommendations Post-Academy Training Requirements: Increase continuing education for patrol officers. • Out of the 12 officer-involved shooting incidents in 2018, 10 of the incidents originated as calls for service. In these cases, the initial responders were patrol officers not part of any specialized unit. • Given this data, the Office of Police Oversight recommends that the Austin Police Department institute consistent and ongoing training for patrol officers in the following areas: • de-escalation; • • response to resistance; and crisis intervention and mental health response Mental Health Response: Ensure mental health response training, policies, and procedures follow best practices and address shortcomings found in the 2018 City Auditor report. • Austin Police Department to engage in substantive efforts to meet or exceed the requirements for best practices in the area of mental health and crisis response. Training specific to mental health and crisis response is critical. Recommendations Personnel Safety and Wellness: Ensure the Austin Police Department’s policies and procedures align with best practices for personnel safety and wellness. • Austin Police Department to align its personnel safety and wellness policies and procedures with national best practices that support proactive wellness programs. • Austin Police Department to review its current health and wellness programs and provide a written assessment considering whether they are in alignment with best practices and supportive of the department’s stated goals for community policing. Police Accountability Updates City Council Resolutions- June 11, 2020 • Resolution 50 • Adopts zero disparity goals for Strategic Direction 2023 as outlined in the 2020 Joint Analysis of APD Racial Profiling Data • Joint Analysis of Racial Profiling Data will be the baseline metric • Resolution 95 • Prohibits use of chokeholds, tear gas and impact munition on crowds, and acoustic devices as sonic weapons • Restricts use of deadly force on person fleeing, use of beanbag rounds, tasers, and rubber bullets, no-knock warrants, and facial recognition • Use of force should incorporate de-escalation • OPO-led review of General Orders to better outline alternative response to resistance • Reduces use, stockpile, and purchase of military equipment ‘to the greatest extent possible’ • Delays summer cadet class • Resolution 96 • Directs the City Manager to bring forth a budget that: • Includes no additional sworn APD positions • Eliminates sworn positions that cannot be filled in FY 2020-2021 & reallocated unused funds • Explores reallocating positions and roles from APD to other departments, including new city departments, • Does not include additional funding for militarized equipment • Includes funding to rewrite APD’s general orders in collaboration with Office of Police Oversight and and outside entities utilizing community input • Use of force, de-escalation, search and seizure, body worn camera and dashboard camera, discipline matrix, on duty reporting requirements, language and courtesy, bias, and mental health response • Funds an audit of APD disciplinary records & implement scoring mechanism to identify at-risk officers and assign appropriate interventions for use of force guidelines and equity outcomes • Increases staffing for mental health first response • Provides funding for First Responder Mental Health Calls for Service program • Funding for the expansion of programs designed to reduce or eliminate arrests, including harm reduction strategies Additional Updates • City Manager Memo: Reimagining Public Safety • Core Leadership Team • Advisory Working Groups: What is a ‘reimagined public safety system in Austin and how do we get there? • Delays July 2020 cadet class • Public dashboard to track progress on recent resolutions and Tatum report recommendations • Boards and Commissions Resolutions Questions Website: ATXPoliceOversight.org Phone: (512) 972-2OPO or (512) 972-2676 ATX Police Oversight ATX_OPO