20200615-002b: Recommendation to Austin City Council regarding recent activities surrounding police brutality from Austin Police Department. — original pdf
Recommendation
COLLEGE STUDENT COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Recommendation Number: 20200615-001b: Addressing the History of Austin Police Department's Police Brutality and Its Effects on College Students WHEREAS, the City of Austin College Student Commission has been established and authorized to advise the members of the Austin City Council on topics that affect college students here in the City of Austin; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin both historically and in present time continues to have a young college student population that is greater than or equal to approximately 100,000+ students; and WHEREAS, the officers of the Austin Police Department have a very basic and primary responsibility and that is to ensure that the protection of ALL citizens here in the City of Austin is safely upheld; and WHEREAS, on May 31, 2020, an unarmed 20-year-old black college student by the name of Justin Howell was critically injured by a sworn Austin Police Department officer during a well-intended peaceful protest against police brutality; and WHEREAS, nearly a month before the above mentioned incident (in April 2020), Lisa Tatum of Tatum Law Partners released a very thorough investigative report that examined both the historic and present day existence of racism and homophobia that exists within the Austin Police Department; and WHEREAS, a very exhaustive historical pattern of officer involved shootings against unarmed people of color here in the City of Austin does exist and it speaks for itself: Sophia King (2002), Jessie Lee Owens, Jr. (2003), Daniel Rocha (2005), Kevin Brown (2007), Nathaniel Sanders (2009), Byron Carter, Jr. (2011), Ahmede Bradley (2012), Larry Jackson, Jr. (2013), David Joseph (2016), Landon Nobles (2017), Mike Ramos (2020); and WHEREAS, we know that people of all ages and races are killed by law enforcement, yet black people (especially males) under the age of 30 are far more likely to be killed by a law enforcement officer than any other race; and WHEREAS, last but certainly not least, we, the members of the College Student Commission, strongly affirm the following statement: Black Lives Matter. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the College Student Commission recommends that Austin City Council take the following actions: 1.Pledge to reallocate funds from the Austin Police Department budget (a minimum of $30 million) and reapply those funds back into the Austin community in the form of college scholarships for low-income and racial minority college students here in the City of Austin. 2.Demand APD Chief Brian Manley to resign from his current public safety leadership position if and only if he does not agree to do both fire and bring forth charges against the officers involved in several recent officer involved critical incidents (including but not limited to the incidents involving both Justin Howell and Mike Ramos). 3.Direct the City Manager to publicly release a statement (with legal documentation) on why he does or does not believe that APD Chief Brian Manley, APD Chief of Staff Troy Gay, and Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano should continue to serve in their respective roles given the constant threat to public safety and little to no accountability for officers involved in incidents resulting in the death of young black citizens here in the City of Austin; Date of Approval: June 15, 2020 Record of the vote: 8-0-0; Commissioner Wendy Rodriguez motioned. Co-Chair Jessica Riley seconded. Voting in favor were Chair Jared Breckenridge, Vice-Chair Jessica Riley, Commissioner Matthew Barron, Commissioner Brandon Barrows, Commissioner Kindle Kreis, Commissioner Kristen Marx, Commissioner Bryan Nya, and Commissioner Wendy Rodriguez. Commissioner Denise Basore, Commissioner Malachi Peterson, and Commissioner Kate Tyler were absent. Attest: ________________________________________ Jared D. Breckenridge Chair, College Student Commission