Item 8 - Draft Recommendation - APD Immigration Data Transparency — original pdf

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COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION | C ITY OF AUSTIN APD Immigration Data Transparency Recommendation COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION FORMAL RECOMMENDATION TO: Austin City Council • City Manager • Austin Police Department RE: Transparency, Accessibility, and Public Presentation of Data Concerning Austin Police Department Interactions with Federal Immigration Authorities WHEREAS CLAUSES — FINDINGS OF FACT WHEREAS, The Community Police Review Commission (CPRC) was established pursuant to the voter-approved Austin Police Oversight Act to strengthen civilian oversight, transparency, and public accountability in policing practices within the City of Austin; and WHEREAS, the CPRC serves as an advisory oversight body charged with promoting public understanding of policing practices and improving access to information necessary for meaningful community oversight; and WHEREAS, transparent and accessible public information is essential to maintaining community trust, ensuring accountability, and enabling residents to understand how public safety policies are implemented in practice; and WHEREAS, the Austin Public Safety Commission adopted Recommendation 20260202-007 requesting expanded data collection and publication regarding interactions between the Austin Police Department (APD) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); and WHEREAS, community concerns and public testimony have highlighted gaps between required data collection and the accessibility, clarity, and usability of publicly available information; and WHEREAS, the publication of raw datasets alone does not constitute meaningful transparency without contextual explanation, accessible presentation, and equitable public access; and WHEREAS, effective civilian oversight requires that data be understandable to residents without specialized technical expertise while maintaining appropriate privacy protections and compliance with applicable federal, state, and local law; and WHEREAS, consistent and comprehensible reporting supports both informed policymaking and responsible public discourse regarding public safety practices; and WHEREAS, the CPRC recognizes staffing, operational, and administrative constraints faced by APD while affirming that transparency is a core, non-discretionary component of public accountability; Drafted by: Vice-Chair Laura Cortes Franco | Sponsored by: Commissioner Terry Flood Page 1 COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION | C ITY OF AUSTIN APD Immigration Data Transparency Recommendation WHEREAS, these recommendations are intended to strengthen public trust, improve policy implementation, and ensure that transparency efforts meaningfully support civilian oversight and informed community engagement; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, The Community Police Review Commission recommends coordinated action by the Austin City Council, the City Manager, and the Austin Police Department to ensure that data related to APD interactions with federal immigration authorities is publicly accessible, clearly presented, and structured to support meaningful civilian oversight consistent with existing Council resolutions, the Austin Police Oversight framework, applicable City of Austin Open Data and Public Information policies, and state law governing the release of law enforcement records. DEFINITION For purposes of this recommendation, "interactions with federal immigration authorities" include, but are not limited to: information sharing, detainer requests, joint operations, notification practices, and any communication or coordination with federal immigration agencies, including ICE, to the extent such information may be lawfully disclosed. SECTION I — GUIDING PRINCIPLES The Commission affirms that public safety transparency should adhere to the following principles: Meaningful Transparency Accessibility & Equity Public reporting should enable understanding, not solely disclosure. Inf ormation must be accessible to diverse communities, including residents with varying language prof iciency, technological access, and f amiliarity with government datasets, including immigrant communities, mixed-status f amilies, and communities historically impacted by over- policing. Privacy & Legal Compliance Transparency practices must protect personally identif iable inf ormation and comply with applicable law. Consistency & Reliability Public datasets should align with internal reporting practices and remain regularly updated. Oversight Enablement Data presentation should support review by oversight bodies and inf ormed participation by the public. SECTION II — RECOMMENDATIONS TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL A. Policy Implementation Oversight • Affirm implementation of existing Council resolutions governing immigration-related data collection and reporting. Drafted by: Vice-Chair Laura Cortes Franco | Sponsored by: Commissioner Terry Flood Page 2 COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION | C ITY OF AUSTIN APD Immigration Data Transparency Recommendation • Direct the City Manager to establish citywide standards for public safety data transparency and accessibility. B. Transparency Standards • Require that datasets connected to policing oversight include, at a minimum: ◦ Plain-language summaries, ◦ Public explanations of purpose and limitations, ◦ Clearly defined terminology and methodology descriptions. C. Equity and Accessibility Expectations • Ensure public safety reporting aligns with established City accessibility practices, including multilingual access and ADA-compliant formats. D. Reporting Accountability • Require periodic implementation updates to relevant Council committees and oversight commissions regarding progress toward transparency objectives, provided on at least a biannual basis. SECTION III — RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY MANAGER A. Implementation Structure • Designate responsible offices for maintaining and publishing required datasets. • Establish standardized timelines for dataset updates and quality review, not to exceed quarterly publication intervals unless otherwise justified. B. Data Presentation Standards • Develop uniform guidance for: ◦ Data documentation and metadata, ◦ Definitions and classification standards, ◦ Explanation of data limitations or exclusions. C. Public-Facing Communication Tools • Direct the development or enhancement of public dashboards that: ◦ Summarize trends over time, ◦ Allow filtering and lawful disaggregation, ◦ Provide contextual interpretation alongside data. D. Cross-Department Coordination • Establish and enforce consistency between APD reporting practices, Open Data Portal publication, and City transparency policies. Drafted by: Vice-Chair Laura Cortes Franco | Sponsored by: Commissioner Terry Flood Page 3 COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION | C ITY OF AUSTIN APD Immigration Data Transparency Recommendation SECTION IV — RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT A. Data Completeness • Publish all data elements required by existing Council resolutions to the extent permitted by law. • Clearly identify documented interactions with federal immigration authorities, as defined in this recommendation, and associated outcomes where legally allowable. B. Responsible Disaggregation • Provide disaggregated reporting by relevant characteristics such as: geography, incident type, call characteristics, and demographic categories, while excluding personally identifiable information. C. Contextual Transparency • Accompany datasets with: ◦ Plain-language summaries, ◦ Definitions of operational terminology, ◦ Explanations of applicable General Orders and procedures. D. Public Communication • Conduct regular public briefings, at least quarterly when feasible, presenting data trends and responding to community questions regarding published information. SECTION V — ONGOING OVERSIGHT AND REVIEW The CPRC recommends: • Regular presentation of immigration-related reporting updates to both the Public Safety • • Commission and the Community Police Review Commission. Inclusion of CPRC, within its oversight role, in reviewing the accessibility and clarity of publicly released data. Incorporation of community feedback mechanisms, such as public comment portals or listening sessions, to improve transparency practices over time. • Periodic reassessment of reporting practices to ensure continued alignment with Council policy and oversight goals. • Development of a public-facing feedback mechanism specifically tied to transparency and data accessibility, allowing residents to identify gaps, request clarification, and suggest improvements. SECTION VI — INTEGRATION WITH PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION FINDINGS Drafted by: Vice-Chair Laura Cortes Franco | Sponsored by: Commissioner Terry Flood Page 4 COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION | C ITY OF AUSTIN APD Immigration Data Transparency Recommendation Basis for Integration: PSC Recommendation 20260202-007 The Austin Public Safety Commission adopted Recommendation 20260202 -007 requesting expanded data collection and publication regarding APD–ICE interactions. The CPRC affirms this recommendation and integrates its findings into the operational framework belo w to ensure coordinated, non-duplicative civilian oversight. A. Coordinated Oversight Structure • The CPRC and PSC shall establish a joint working group, meeting at minimum quarterly, to coordinate review of APD immigration-related data. • Findings and concerns identified by either commission shall be cross-shared within 15 business days of adoption. • Joint recommendations may be issued to the City Council when both commissions identify a shared concern requiring unified guidance. B. Unified Reporting Framework The following aligns PSC Recommendation 20260202-007 data requirements with CPRC oversight responsibilities: Data Element PSC 20260202-007 Requirement CPRC Oversight Role Encounter Type Collect and categorize all APD-ICE interaction types Verif y completeness and public accessibility Disposition Outcomes Geographic Distribution Track transf ers, ref errals, and releases Review f or consistency with General Orders Map encounters by district and census tract Assess equity patterns; f lag concentrations Demographic Breakdown Disaggregate by race, ethnicity, gender (no PII) Evaluate disparate impact; civil rights compliance Trend Analysis Quarterly trend reporting to City Council Present at biannual public briefings Policy Alignment Conf irm adherence to Council immigration resolutions Review compliance; flag deviations to Council C. Transparency Integration Points • Both the CPRC and PSC shall be named recipients of all APD immigration-related data reports issued pursuant to this recommendation. • A combined annual transparency report synthesizing CPRC and PSC findings shall be published and presented to Austin City Council. • The public dashboard shall include a dedicated section linking PSC findings and CPRC reviews, allowing citizens to trace the full chain of oversight. SECTION VII — IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE Drafted by: Vice-Chair Laura Cortes Franco | Sponsored by: Commissioner Terry Flood Page 5 COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION | C ITY OF AUSTIN APD Immigration Data Transparency Recommendation The Community Police Review Commission requests that an initial implementation update be provided within 90 days of adoption of this recommendation, with subsequent updates provided on a biannual basis thereafter. ADOPTED BY THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION Date of Approval _______________________________ Motioned By _______________________________ Seconded By _______________________________ Vote _______________________________ Attest — Staff Liaison _______________________________________________ Drafted by: Vice-Chair Laura Cortes Franco | Sponsored by: Commissioner Terry Flood Drafted by: Vice-Chair Laura Cortes Franco | Sponsored by: Commissioner Terry Flood Page 6