REGULAR CALLED MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION Monday, August 4, 2025, 4:00 PM Austin City Hall, Boards and Commissions Room, #1101 301 West 2nd Street Austin, Texas 78701 Some members of the Public Safety Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely or in person, call or email Christi Vitela, 512-974-2792, christi.vitela@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Nelly Paulina Ramírez, Chair Timothy Ruttan, Vice Chair Rebecca Bernhardt Angel Carroll Enrique Duran II Kimberly Hidrogo David Holmes Pierre Nguyễn Kristy Orr Michael Sierra-Arévalo Yasmine Smith AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first five speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission regular meeting on July 7, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Fire Department. 3. 4. Discussion of the City of Austin Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget and impact on public safety departments. Update on the 89th Texas Legislature and impacts on public safety. Presentation by Carrie Rogers, Intergovernmental Relations Officer, Austin Office of Intergovernmental Relations. WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATION 5. Training Academy Working Group recommendation to the Public Safety Commission. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding implementation, tracking, and transparency of recommendations made for Austin Police Department’s Cadet Training Academy. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Christi Vitela at the Office of the City Clerk Department, at 512-974-2792 for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Public Safety Commission, please contact Christi Vitela at (512-974- 2792 or christi.vitela@austintexas.gov).
Public Safety Commission Meeting Minutes Monday, July 7, 2025 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 7, 2025 The Public Safety Commission convened in a regular called meeting on Monday, July 7, 2025, at Austin City Hall, Boards and Commissions Room, 301 W 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Ramírez called the Public Safety Commission Meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Nelly Paulina Ramírez, Chair Tim Ruttan, Vice Chair Rebecca Bernhardt Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Angel Carroll Enrique Duran II Kimberly Hidrogo David Holmes Yasmine Smith PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Carlos Soto – Community Advancement Network Rubén Rivera Clemente – Harassment APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. 2. Approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission regular meeting on May 5, 2025. The minutes were approved at the July 7, 2025, meeting on Vice Chair Ruttan’s motion, Commissioner Bernhardt’s second on a 7-0 vote. Commissioner Smith abstained. Commissioners Nguyễn, Orr, and Sierra-Arévalo were absent. Approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission regular meeting on June 2, 2025. The minutes were approved at the July 7, 2025, meeting on Vice Chair Ruttan’s motion, Commissioner Bernhardt’s second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioners Nguyễn, Orr, and Sierra-Arévalo were absent. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 7. Approve the Public Safety Commission 2024-2025 Annual Internal Report. 1 Public Safety Commission Meeting Minutes Monday, July 7, 2025 The motion to approve the Public Safety Commission 2024-2025 Annual Internal Report was approved on Vice Chair Ruttan’s motion, Commissioner Bernhardt’s second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioners Nguyễn, Orr, and Sierra-Arévalo were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Police Department and update on the Automated License Plate Reader Program. Presentation by Robin Henderson, Chief of Staff, Austin Police Department. The presentation was made by Robin Henderson, Chief of Staff, Austin Police Department. 4. 5. Chair Ramírez requested the most recent Berry Dunn Report. Commissioner Bernhardt requested the next quarterly update include attrition rates for each of the academies and progress towards the 30 by 30 goal. Vice Chair Ruttan asked if the increases in Kidnapping/Abduction (100) and Drug/Narcotic Offenses (35A, 35B) and Pornography/Obscene Material (370) could be attributed to changes in enforcement patterns or whether it was a random variation. Discussion of bylaw amendment process, current bylaws, and potential changes. Discussed. Discussion of sexual assault data with Austin Police Department Sex Crimes Unit, Austin- Travis County Sexual Assault Response & Resource Team (SARRT), The …
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION Recommendation 20250804-006: Date: August 4, 2025 Subject: Motioned by: Seconded by: Implementation, tracking and transparency of recommendations made for Austin Police Department’s Cadet Training Academy D RAFT WHEREAS, The Austin Public Safety Commission is tasked with reviewing public safety agency budgets and providing policy recommendations to the Austin City Council; and WHEREAS, The City of Austin in conjunction with Austin community members developed a comprehensive plan for reimagining public safety; and WHEREAS, in 2018, multiple former cadets from the Austin Police Academy notified the Austin Police Department of academy curricula they believed was strongly focused on dominance, aggression, and violence in keeping with a “warrior” approach to policing; and WHEREAS a 2020 lawsuit against the City of Austin, the Austin Police Department, and the chief of the Austin Police detailed at least 8 cadets fell ill in APD academy training as a result of policy violations and improperly implemented “Stress Reaction Training,”; and WHEREAS, City Council Resolution 66, the work of the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, and the 2020 Strategic Plan of the APD Training Academy articulate the goal of realizing an Austin Police Academy that transparently addresses issues of racial and gender equity, emphasizes de-escalation tactics that minimize the use of force, and moves away from a regimented, paramilitary culture into an academy which incorporates community partnerships and current evidence-based strategies for the learning of current and future officers; and WHEREAS, on November 12, 2020, the City of Austin’s Office of Police Oversight (OPO), in consultation with the City Manager's Office, retained Kroll Associates, Inc. to review and evaluate the Austin Police Department on the extent to which forms of racism, bigotry, and discrimination are present in the protocols, practices, and behaviors of the APD, beginning with an assessment of the APD training academy; and WHEREAS, Kroll’s assessment of the APD Training Academy recommended: 1. The APD academy shift away from stress-oriented military-style curricula toward a resiliency- based approach supported by adult learning and student-centered instructions 2. That adoption of a “guardian” approach that emphasizes service to the community 3. That APD become an evidence-based learning organization that rigorously tests changes to its training and shares research findings with Academy staff to continually improve Academy curricula; and WHEREAS, Kroll’s assessment recommended several measures for immediate implementation, including (but not limited to): 1. Hiring and onboarding a Training Supervisor to work with the Division Manager in …
Austin Fire Rob Vires | Chief of Staff | Public Safety Commission Quarterly Presentation FY25 Q3 Central Texas Flooding Response • AFD’s first deployment was on July 4, sending three rescue swimmers to serve with the Texas Task Force 1 helicopter search and rescue team (HSART) to perform water rescues in San Angelo, Kerrville and Seguin. • During July 5-8, AFD deployed additional units and personnel, including: • On July 5 and 6, one battalion chief, a rescue truck and an AFD boat were assigned to assist ESD 1 with water rescue and search efforts. • Six additional personnel to augment Texas Task Force 1 • One Engine for drone assistance to Williamson County • Four Engines to Marble Falls/Burnet County to assist search and rescue • One Battalion Chief to Texas Department of Emergency Management to assist with communications infrastructure • Two-person drone team to Liberty Hill and Leander • During July 8-9, AFD sent a battalion chief and six units per day in support of search efforts in Marble Falls. Texas Task Force 1 performing search and rescue. Photos courtesy of AFD Public Information Office. FY25 Q3 | AUSTIN FIRE | PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION QUARTERLY PRESENTATION 2 Emergency Response Time Trends As the City of Austin grows – and the demand for fire services increases – response times continue to increase. 84,473 86,641 89,541 89,563 81,973 86,636 87,935 92,612 89,797 Incident Volume 103,626 109,280 110,304 108,750 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 89,101 FY25 YTD *incomplete year: Jan 1-July 18 8:41 8:43 8:51 9:00 9:13 Response Time Standard: 8 minutes Response Times 9:35 9:24 9:12 9:58 10:28 9:55 10:28 10:32 10:26 120,000 70,000 11:00 10:00 9:00 8:00 7:00 6:00 5:00 4:00 3:00 2:00 1:00 0:00 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 Q2 | AUSTIN FIRE | PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION QUARTERLY PRESENTATION FY25 YTD *incomplete year: Jan 1-July 18 3 Facility Improvement Projects Recently Completed Projects: • • • • Station 8 – Completed May 12, 2025 Station 20 – Completed May 12, 2025 Station 21 – Driveway replacement completed May 13, 2025 Station 29 – Completed May 12, 2025 Station 25 Projects Nearing Completion: • Station 23 • • All units and crews have returned as of May 17, 2025 Renovations complete pending a small number of warranty items • Station 25 • …
M E M O R A N D U M TO: Mayor and City Council THROUGH: T.C. Broadnax, City Manager Ed Van Eenoo, Chief Financial Officer Eddie Garcia, Assistant City Manager FROM: Kerri Lang, Director, Budget and Organizational Excellence Chief Joel G. Baker, Austin Fire Department DATE: July 28, 2025 SUBJECT: Proposed Adjustments to Fire Staffing Model The purpose of this memorandum is to provide additional context to the proposed adjustment to the fire staffing model as included in the FY 2026 Budget. It is important to note that the proposal does not recommend rescinding the four-person staffing model. Rather, it is the intent to maintain the four- person staffing model while providing flexibility to maintain continuous operations and avoiding unnecessary service reductions or excessive overtime. A draft of the recommended changes to the existing four-person staffing ordinance is attached for your reference. Current Staffing Model. Austin Fire Department’s operations staffing model is designed to ensure that an adequate number of sworn personnel are scheduled and available to provide fire/emergency response 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Austin Fire operates three firefighter shifts across a 19-day work period. Each shift is scheduled on-duty for 24 hours and then off-duty for 48 hours. The department currently has 54 fire stations across the city, with 50 engines and 17 specialized apparatuses strategically assigned at these stations. In total, the department has 67 firefighting units. Four firefighters are currently required to staff each unit on each shift. With a total of 67 firefighting units, the department must staff 268 positions for each of the three firefighter shifts. The Department currently assigns 355 firefighters to each shift, which is 87 firefighters (32%) above the required 268 positions to meet four-person staffing levels. The current staffing model allows for 25% of firefighters to be absent from their scheduled shift before the Department needs to begin backfilling absent positions—often using overtime—to ensure four-person staffing on each apparatus. High Absentee Rate. Over the past several years, Austin Fire has begun to experience significant increases in the rate of firefighters absent from their scheduled shifts, with the absentee rate reaching 39% in FY 2023 and remaining above 36% since FY 2022. Although the Department schedules 87 more firefighters than the minimum of 268 firefighters required per shift, the number of firefighters actually in attendance for their scheduled shift is frequently less than the number of personnel …
Austin Fire Rob Vires | Chief of Staff | Public Safety Commission Quarterly Presentation FY25 Q3 Central Texas Flooding Response • AFD’s first deployment was on July 4, sending three rescue swimmers to serve with the Texas Task Force 1 helicopter search and rescue team (HSART) to perform water rescues in San Angelo, Kerrville and Seguin. • During July 5-8, AFD assisted with additional units and personnel, including: • On July 5 and 6, one Battalion Chief, a rescue truck and an AFD boat were assigned to assist ESD 1 with water rescue and search efforts. • On July 7 deployed Six additional personnel to augment Texas Task Force 1 (Urban Search and Rescue team) • On 8 July deployed one Battalion Chief to Texas Department of Emergency Management to assist with communications infrastructure • On 11 July deployed One Boat Team to Childress, Tx. • Drone teams were sent to Liberty Hill, Leander, and Williamson County. • During July 8-9, AFD sent a Battalion Chief and six units per day in support of search efforts in Marble Falls. Texas Task Force 1 performing search and rescue. Photos courtesy of AFD Public Information Office. FY25 Q3 | AUSTIN FIRE | PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION QUARTERLY PRESENTATION 2 Emergency Response Time Trends As the City of Austin grows – and the demand for fire services increases – response times continue to increase. 84,473 86,641 89,541 89,563 81,973 86,636 87,935 92,612 89,797 Incident Volume 103,626 109,280 110,304 108,750 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 89,101 FY25 YTD *incomplete year: Jan 1-July 18 8:41 8:43 8:51 9:00 9:13 Response Time Standard: 8 minutes Response Times 9:35 9:24 9:12 9:58 10:28 9:55 10:28 10:32 10:26 120,000 70,000 11:00 10:00 9:00 8:00 7:00 6:00 5:00 4:00 3:00 2:00 1:00 0:00 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 Q2 | AUSTIN FIRE | PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION QUARTERLY PRESENTATION FY25 YTD *incomplete year: Jan 1-July 18 3 Facility Improvement Projects Recently Completed Projects: • • • • Station 8 – Completed May 12, 2025 Station 20 – Completed May 12, 2025 Station 21 – Driveway replacement completed May 13, 2025 Station 29 – Completed May 12, 2025 Station 25 Projects Nearing Completion: • Station 23 • • All units and crews have returned as of May 17, 2025 Renovations complete pending a small number …
City of Austin 89th State Legislature: Post-Session Briefing Public Safety Commission Government Relations Office Agenda 01 Introduction 02 Special Session 03 89th Regular Session: Public Safety Bills 04 89th Regular Session: Other City Bills 1 89th First Special Session Quick Overview of Upcoming Special Session Before Regular Session Recap 2 89th First Special Session: Basics • 89th First-Called Special Session Began July 21, 2025 • Special Sessions cannot last more than 30 days. They can adjourn early. • Only topics within the Governor’s call may be considered. • However: • Governor can add additional items to the call at any time. • Legislators can still file any bill – it does not have to be on the call to be filed. • Governor can call for additional special sessions. 3 89th First Special Session: Items on Call Flood Warning Systems Flood Emergency Communications Natural Disaster Preparation & Recovery Cut Property Taxes & Expenditure Caps Protect Children From THC Regulate Hemp- Derived Products Ban Taxpayer- Funded Lobbying Police Personnel Records Water Project Incentives Redistricting Title Theft & Deed Fraud Relief Funding For Hill Country Floods Eliminate Staar Test Protect Unborn Children Protect Human Trafficking Victims Protect Women’s Spaces Attorney General Election Powers State Judicial Department 4 89th Regular Session Overview 5 89th Regular Session: Overarching Issues • Many recurring issues: pre-emption on elections, guns, historical markers and inclusion programming • Land use and Housing • Efforts to reduce city funding and limit use of debt • Firefighters pension and collective bargaining • Water future • Homelessness Successfully stopping or amending negative legislation is just as – if not more – impactful to the City as passing positive legislation. 6 89th Session: By the Numbers Stat Bills and Joint Resolutions Filed 9,014 (88th Session: 8,345) Bills & Joint Resolutions Sent to Governor 1,231 (88th Session: 1,259) Tracked by IGRO / Assigned to Departments 1,499 (88th Session: 978) % of Bills Sent to Governor Bills Vetoed by the Governor 14% of Filed Bills & JRS Sent to Governor* 26 (88th Session: 76) *Veto Period Ended June 22 7 89th Regular Session Key Passed Public Safety Legislation 8 89th Regular Session: Key Public Safety Bills Passed HB 2802 (Bucy / Schwertner) SB 777 (Hughes / Lujan) Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund Reform Austin Firefighters Collective Bargaining HB 33 (McLaughlin / Flores) Active Shooter Response SB 1164 (Zaffirini / Moody) Emergency Mental Detention Criteria SB 2570 …
REGULAR CALLED MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION Monday, June 2, 2025, 4:00 PM Austin City Hall, Boards and Commissions Room, #1101 301 West 2nd Street Austin, Texas 78701 Some members of the Public Safety Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Christi Vitela, 512- 974-2792, christi.vitela@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Nelly Paulina Ramírez, Chair Timothy Ruttan, Vice Chair Rebecca Bernhardt Angel Carroll Enrique Duran II Kimberly Hidrogo David Holmes Pierre Nguyễn Kristy Orr Michael Sierra-Arévalo Yasmine Smith AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first five speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission regular meeting on May 5, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. 4. 5. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services Department. Discussion of current bylaws and update from the Bylaws Working Group on possible changes and next steps. Discussion of the Office of the City Auditor’s audit and report of the Austin Police Department recruiting and hiring. Presentation by the Office of the City Auditor and Austin Police Department. Discussion of the Office of the City Auditor’s audit and report of automated license plate reader program. Presentation by the Office of the City Auditor and Austin Police Department. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. Approve a Recommendation to Council to halt the automated license plate reader program while conducting a full audit and report to share with City Council and the Public Safety Commission and securing data in accordance with Resolutions 20220915-056 and 20230608-085. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Christi …
Public Safety Commission Meeting Minutes Monday, May 5, 2025 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Monday, May 5, 2025 The Public Safety Commission convened in a regular called meeting on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Austin City Hall, Boards and Commissions Room, 301 W 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Ramírez called the Public Safety Commission Meeting to order at 4:03 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Nelly Paulina Ramírez, Chair Timothy Ruttan, Vice Chair Rebecca Bernhardt Kimberly Hidrogo Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Angel Carroll Enrique Duran II David Holmes Pierre Nguyễn Kristy Orr Michael Sierra-Arévalo PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission regular meeting on April 7, 2025. The motion to approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission regular meeting on April 7, 2025, was approved on Vice Chair Ruttan’s motion, Commissioner Bernhardt’s second on a 10-0 vote. Commissioner Smith was absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Fire Department. The presentation was made by Rob Vires, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire Department. Chair Ramírez asked for a follow up on what percentage of fire stations now have portable generators. 1 Public Safety Commission Meeting Minutes Monday, May 5, 2025 3. 4. Discussion of sexual assault data with Austin Police Department, The SAFE Alliance, Travis County District Attorney's Office, Austin Travis County Sexual Assault Response and Resource Team (SARRT), and members of the Collective Sex Crimes Response Model Project (CSCRM). Withdrawn. Presentation on firefighter cancer prevention and changes in funding for continued tracking of efforts by Austin Fire Department. The presentation was made by Rob Vires, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire Department and Heather Arispe, Public Safety Wellness Administrator, Austin Fire Department. Vice Chair Ruttan asked for a follow up on whether the City of Austin tracks or screens for certain cancers that may be considered a presumptive disability. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 5. Update from the Training Academy Working Group on scheduled tour of APD Training Academy. Discussed. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. Approve updates to the membership of the Training Academy Working Group. The motion to approve Commissioner Hidrogo’s addition to the Training Academy Working Group was approved on Vice Chair Ruttan’s motion, Commissioner Bernhardt’s second, on a 10-0 vote. Commissioner Smith was absent. 7. Discussion and update on the work of the Wellness Center Working Group and approve the dissolution of the Wellness Center Working Group. …
Emergency Medical Services Incident and Response Data FY25 Q2 Wesley Hopkins, Chief of Staff 1 Incidents, Patient Contacts, Transports January 2021 – April 2025 Incidents | Patient Contacts | Patient Transports January 2021 - April 2025 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 1 2 - n a J 1 2 - r a M 1 2 - y a M 1 2 - l u J 1 2 - p e S 1 2 - v o N 2 2 - n a J 2 2 - r a M 2 2 - y a M 2 2 - l u J 2 2 - p e S 2 2 - v o N 3 2 - n a J 3 2 - r a M 3 2 - y a M 3 2 - l u J 3 2 - p e S 3 2 - v o N 4 2 - n a J 4 2 - r a M 4 2 - y a M 4 2 - l u J 4 2 - p e S 4 2 - v o N 5 2 - n a J 5 2 - r a M Incidents Patient Contacts Patient Transports 2 P1 Compliance by District FY25 Q2 Priority 1 Compliance by District FY25 Q2 77.32% 81.03% 66.50% 65.93% 71.94% 72.52% 69.19% 89.59% 77.78% 61.84% 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 % Goal Met 3 P1 Response Interval by District FY25 Q2 Priority 1 Response Interval by District FY25 Q2 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 12.92 11.82 11.07 12.78 12.80 12.32 12.70 11.00 10.18 8.83 8.00 7.92 9.23 8.40 8.30 8.43 8.28 13.65 9.35 6.58 7.64% 6.50% 8.80% 6.98% 7.51% 7.55% 7.62% 6.32% 8.85% 4.86% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 90th Percentile (Minutes) Average (Minutes) % of Total for District 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 4 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Priority Percentage By District FY25 Q2 Priority Percentage by District FY25 Q2 12.84% 11.87% 14.08% 11.20% 12.80% 11.64% 12.89% 12.17% 11.22% 12.33% 27.87% 30.37% 28.82% 30.03% 29.00% 29.22% 30.12% 30.11% 30.59% 12.81% 13.62% 13.07% 13.39% 12.34% 13.31% 12.10% 11.23% 13.23% 38.84% 37.65% 35.24% 38.40% 38.35% 38.27% 37.27% 40.17% 36.11% …
Emergency Medical Services Public Safety Commission Meeting FY25 Q2 Wesley Hopkins, Chief of Staff 1 Current EMS Department Staffing Authorized Strength Filled Sworn Sworn Vacancies 714 626 88 Medic Openings 20 Field 2 Communications March 31, 2025 Rank EMS Assistant Chief EMS Captain - Communications EMS Captain - Field EMS Clinical Spec - Comm EMS Clinical Spec - Field EMS Commander - Communications EMS Commander - Field EMS Division Chief EMS Medic - Communications EMS Medic - Field EMS Chief Paramedic Practitioner EMS Paramedic Practitioner TOTAL Q2 AVERAGE Authorized Sworn Staffing 4 11 83 35 302 5 40 10 8 211 1 4 714 Vacancies Vacancy Rate 0 1 1 9 54 0 1 0 2 20 0 0 88 0.00 9.09 1.20 25.71 17.88 0.00 2.50 0.00 25.00 9.48 0.00 0.00 12.32 14.75 2 Sworn Separations Sworn Separations by Type 8 4 8 2 2 2 1 EMS Assistant Chief EMS Captain - Comm EMS Captain - Field EMS Clinical Spec - Comm EMS Clinical Spec - Field EMS Commander - Comm EMS Commander - Field EMS Division Chief EMS Medic - Comm EMS Medic - Field Resigned Retired 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 3 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Sworn Tenure at Separation Sworn Tenure at Separation 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 6 1 1 1 d e n g i s e R d e r i t e R d e n g i s e R d e r i t e R d e n g i s e R d e r i t e R d e n g i s e R d e r i t e R 11 d e n g i s e R d e r i t e R d e n g i s e R d e r i t e R d e n g i s e R d e r i t e R d e n g i s e R d e r i t e R d e n g i s e R d e r i t e R d e n g i s e R d e r i t e R EMS Assistant Chief EMS Captain - Comm EMS Captain - Field EMS Clinical Spec - Comm EMS Clinical Spec - Field …
Austin Police Department: Recruiting & Retention Lisa Davis| Chief of Police | June 2, 2025 By the Numbers: Staffing and Separations SWORN PERSONNEL 1,816 Authorized 1,484 Sworn FTE’s 332 Vacancies SWORN SEPARATIONS BY YEAR Year 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total 148 161 98 38* *As of May 28, 2025 2 Sworn Authorization & Vacancy Rate: Year 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Authorized Vacancies Vacancy Rate 1908 1929 1959* 1959* 1809** 1812 1812 1816 1816 121 122 178 198 231 249 358 329 332 6.34% 6.32% 9.08% 10% 12.76% 13.74% 19.75% 18.12% 18.28% 5/30/20 25 PRESENTATION TITLE *30 Additional positions approved from City Council. **150 positions removed from FY2021 by City Council. 3 APD Recruiting Team Sworn: • 1 Commander • 1 Lieutenant • 2 Sergeants • 16 Officers Professional Staff: • 1 Recruitment Coordinator • 2 Administrative Staff • 11 Background Investigators 4 Hiring Cycles & Contract Transitions Under Contract: November 15, 2018 – March 31, 2023 • 144th – 152nd hiring cycles No Contract (Civil Service): April 1, 2023 – October 28, 2024 • 153rd & 154th hiring cycles Under Contract: October 29, 2024 – September 30, 2029 • 155th to current When Not Under Contract: Governed by Civil Service Regulations Single testing dates for written and physical exams Candidates are ranked on an eligibility list based on their written exam scores Hiring must follow the rank order unless there are more spots available than applicants Next hiring cycle can begin only after the current eligibility list is exhausted Limited flexibility for in-person recruiting and testing opportunities 5 Council Questions • 144th Cadet Class was paused in August of 2020 • 144th Pilot Cadet Class was started June 2021 • Recruiting is looking at filming content that includes footage from Officers on patrol. All released footage will be in accordance with the legal requirements. • Utilizing current Officers to boost Recruiting applications • 3rd most effective recruiting tool for the 155th Cadet Class • 89 applications from this source. • Hold employee recruiting open house events. 5/30/20 25 PRESENTATION TITLE 6 AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT RECRUITING AND HIRING AUDIT Office of the City Auditor 5/30/20 25 7 Recommendation One To create a more effective recruitment strategy and better determine the impact of recruitment efforts, the Chief of Police should work with the Recruiting Unit to: • Create action plans with measurable targets to make progress towards …
AUDIT REPORT APD License Plate Reader Audit Background • Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) scan license plates and vehicle details • ALPR alerts against hotlists • Data flows into a searchable database May 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 2 Background • APD has 40 cameras in fixed-locations and ~500 cameras on vehicles • APD conducts quarterly audits of ALPR program 2020: ALPR Discontinued 2023: Policy Revisions March 2025: Trial Ends Sept. 2022: Resolution Passed March 2024: Trial Begins June 2025: Council Decision May 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 3 About This Audit Responded to 8 Resolution-required items Compared ALPR across peer police departments Assessed potential emergent risks May 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 4 Finding 1 Audits generally complied with requirements but could be improved Resolution Metrics : Key Takeaways Metric Total Scans Alerts Generated Arrests Prosecutions Data Shares Plates Approved for Hotlist Non-Correlating Matches Number ~117 million +16,000 228 Observations Data gaps x x ~133 (Q1-Q3) Delays requesting data 6 24 3 APD RM unaware x Class B misdemeanors May 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 5 Finding 1 (cont.) Audits generally complied with requirements but could be improved Audit Process Observations • Audit roles could be clearer • User compliance review process could be better organized • Better communication with stakeholders May 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 6 Recommendation Continue conducting regular audits, but include: Automated data pulls and requests Clearly defined audit roles and responsibilities Regular reviews of user compliance A defined reporting timeline May 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 7 Finding 2 We are generally aligned with peer programs Structural similarities Austin has more frequent audit and training Austin has the shortest data retention period May 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 8 Additional Observation “non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free right and license… to (i) use and distribute Aggregated Data to improve and enhance the Services and for other development, diagnostic, and corrective purposes, other Flock offerings, and crime prevention efforts, and (ii) disclose the Agency Data (both inclusive of any Footage) to enable law enforcement monitoring against law enforcement hotlists as well as provide Footage search access to law enforcement for investigative purposes only” The City’s contract with Flock Safety may leave motorists’ data open to unintended use Expansive language, unclear definitions May 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 9 AUDIT REPORT Questions
City of Austin Office of the City Auditor Audit Report APD License Plate Reader May 2025 The Austin Police Department (APD) has a new Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) program approved under a trial period from March 2024-March 2025. As a part of departmental policy, APD’s Risk Management Unit audits the program against Resolution- informed criteria quarterly. APD Risk Management generally reported accurate ALPR metrics and ensured compliance with policy requirements. However, there were issues with missing or late data that could be fixed with increased clarity and scheduling in the audit process. Also, we found that APD’s ALPR program and audit requirements are generally aligned with selected peer police departments. Additionally, the City should make changes to APD’s contract with Flock Safety, APD’s ALPR vendor, to ensure that it could not lead to unauthorized data sharing in Resolution-directed instances. Audit Highlights May 2025 City of Austin Office of the City Auditor APD License Plate Reader Objectives The objectives of this audit were to: 1. Evaluate APD’s ALPR Risk Management audits for reliability and effectiveness 2. Compare the ALPR program with peer police departments 3. Monitor for additional emergent risks. What We Found We found APD’s Risk Management quarterly audits generally reported accurate numbers for the Resolution-mandated metrics and ensured compliance with policy requirements. We found some small discrepancies that were ultimately corrected. However, there were instances where there were gaps in required items due to not pulling data on-time, not requesting information from prosecution entities on-time, or from unfamiliarity with policy requirements. We also noted that there were several opportunities for APD Risk Management to improve their audit process, namely on 1) audit program roles, 2) user compliance review process, and 3) stakeholder communication. APD’s ALPR program is generally aligned with peer police departments. Most peers audit their ALPR programs, are governed by their General Orders, and assign someone at the Lieutenant-level to run the program. APD audits their program more frequently and has more frequent training than peers. Austin also has the shortest data retention of assessed peers at seven days. The City’s contract with the ALPR vendor, Flock Safety, may leave motorist data open to unintended use. The contract’s language in some sections is unclear and lacks definition of key phrases. This may allow Flock Safety to retain some elements of scan data beyond the seven-day deletion requirement and then share them with outside law enforcement agencies …
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION Recommendation 20250602-006: Date: June 2, 2025 Subject: Austin Police Department (APD) Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Program Motioned by: Seconded by: WHEREAS, The Austin Public Safety Commission is tasked with reviewing public safety agency budgets and providing policy recommendations to the Austin City Council; and WHEREAS, on September 15, 2022, City Council adopted Resolution No. 20220915-056 directing the development of a revised Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) policy and providing guidance to ensure the privacy and civil rights of the residents of Austin are protected1; and WHEREAS, on March 31, 2023, the Office of Police Oversight released the results of their preliminary review of the Austin Police Department ALPR policy and procedures and provided recommendations for policy language/procedure improvements to safeguard privacy and mitigate misuse, documentation, data retention, data integrity, data sharing, and auditing among others2; and WHEREAS, the Office of Police Oversight’s Analysis made recommendations based on the review of Axon Fleet 3 cameras contract3; and WHEREAS, on May 15, 2023, the Public Safety Commission recommended approval of the ALPR program contingent on adherence with both Resolution 56 & OPO March 31, 2023 Memo and sharing of quarterly ALPR audit data with the Public Safety Commission. 4 1 RESOLUTION NO. 20220915-056 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=392730 2 Office of Police Oversight Analysis of the Austin Police Department’s Proposed Policy on Automatic License Plate Readers (General Order 344) 3 Office of Police Oversight Analysis of the Austin Police Department’s Proposed Policy on Automatic License Plate Readers (General Order 344) 4 Public Safety Commission Recommendation #20230515-002 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=408819 WHEREAS, on June 8 2023, City Council amended Resolution 56 to reflect that data collected by APD be kept for a maximum of seven days and destroyed, with a few carved out exceptions for the trial period5; and WHEREAS, an additional vendor, Flock Safety, has been contracted to augment and scale APD’s ALPR program; and WHEREAS, on March 27, 2025, City Council approved an extension of the ALPR trial to allow the City Auditor to complete an audit and provide a report to Council with specified information by end of the pilot program6; and WHEREAS, the Office of the City Auditor conducted a review of the first 9 months of the ALPR program to evaluate APD’s risk management audits for reliability and effectiveness, to compare the ALPR program with other departments, and to monitor for additional emergent risks7; and WHEREAS the audit found that although …
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION #20230515-002 Date: May 15, 2023 Subject: Proposal of pilot program for Automated License Plate Readers Motioned by: Commissioner Nelly Paulina Ramirez Seconded by: Commissioner Timothy Ruttan Recommendation: The Public Safety Commission recommends that the City Council WHEREAS, The City of Austin is planning to approve Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) for use by the Austin Police Department; WHEREAS, In an effort to ensure that the privacy and civil rights of the residents of Austin are protected, in September 2022, the Austin City Council passed Resolution #20220915- 056 , providing APD with direction in how to use the ALPR technology and what protections needed to be put in place; WHEREAS, On March 31, 2023, the Office of Police Oversight of the City of Austin provided a thorough memorandum outlining changes necessary to the Austin Police Department’s proposed policy regarding the use of ALPR technology in order for the policy to be consistent with Resolution 56 and address the concerns of the Office of Police Oversight; WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s values include responsibility and accountability, diversity and inclusion, and ethics and integrity. We aspire to make Austin the most livable city in the nation. In order to be true to our vision and our values, the City of Austin should; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RECOMMENDED BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT: • If the Austin City Council approves the proposed ALPR program, the Austin City Council require the Austin Police Department to revise and implement a policy regarding the use of ALPR technology that is perfectly consistent with both Austin City Council Resolution 56 and addresses all of the concerns raised by the Office of Police Oversight memo from March 31, 2023. • The Austin Police Department share the report and/or results of the APD Risk Management Unit’s quarterly audit of ALPR system data with the Public Safety Commission. Vote: For: Commissioners Rebecca Bernhardt, Cory Hall-Martin, David Holmes, John Kiracofe, Pierre Nguyen, Nelly Paulina Ramirez, and Timothy Ruttan Against: n/a Abstain: Lauren Peña Absent: Kristy Orr Attest: [Staff or board member can sign] __________________________________
