PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING May 2, 2022 @ 4:00PM City Hall Boards and Commissions Room 301 W 2nd Street, Austin Texas 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 by 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. To register please call (512) 974-5747 before noon on May 1, 2022 or email Janet.jackson@austintexas.gov AGENDA Kathleen Hausenfluck John T. Kiracofe Rocky Lane Amanda Lewis Rebecca Webber CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Rebecca Bernhardt, Chair Nelly Paulina Ramirez, Vice Chair Michael Sierra-Arevalo Queen Austin Rebecca Gonzales Cory Hall-Martin CALL TO ORDER 4:00-4:05pm Public Communication 4:05-4:20pm (from speakers signed up to speak) Items for Presentation, Discussion and Possible Action: 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April 4, 2022 4:20pm-4:25pm 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Public Safety Organizations Quarterly Report – Austin Police Department (sponsors: Commissioner Hausenfluck and Gonzales) 4:25pm-4:40pm Speaker(s): - Dr. Jonathan Kringen, Research and Planning- Austin Police Department b. Introduction of new Chief, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services (sponsors: Commissioner Gonzales and Ramirez) 4:40pm-4:55pm Speaker(s): - Robert Luckritz, Chief - Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services c. Labor Negotiations Update and EMS Public Safety Pay Equity Recommendation (sponsors: Commissioner Webber and Bernhardt) 4:55pm-5:20pm Speaker(s): - Lee Crawford, Law Department, City of Austin - Kenneth Casaday, President, Austin Police Association - Selena Xie, President, Austin EMS Association - Chris Harris, Director of Policy, Austin Justice Coalition d. Discussion of Hazard Mitigation Plan in Public Safety Departments (sponsors: Commissioner Gonzales and Bernhardt) 5:20pm-5:50pm Speaker(s): - Rachel Scott and Richard Brimer, Environmental Commissioners - James Mason, Assistant Chief, Austin Police Department - Jeff Kennedy, Chief, Austin Fire Department - Teresa Gardner Assistant Chief, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Service 3. Future Agenda Items 5:50-6:00pm Adjourn @ 6pm 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 Janet Jackson at Austin Police Department, at 512-974-5747, for additional information; TTY users …
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION May 2, 2022 WHEREAS, the City of Austin has become synonymous with the housing crisis facing the Proposal that the Austin City Council pay the Austin EMS Equitably with Public Safety Unions Date: Subject: Motioned by: Rebecca Bernhardt Seconded by: Rebecca Webber Recommendation: The Public Safety Commission recommends that the City Council direct the City Manager’s Office to prioritize negotiations with the Austin EMS Association and offer substantial additional compensation as part of the union contract, in line with the cost of living in Austin, the compensation of credentialed staff with comparable workloads at Texas EMS agencies, and the compensation of sworn staff of the Austin Police Department and Austin Fire Department. United States and has become the least affordable housing market outside of California, surpassing notoriously expensive cities including Boston, Miami and New York City for cost of housing; yet, the current living wage of $15.00 per hour was established in 2018 and is outdated. The City of Austin’s Living Wage Working Group, which includes representatives from the City’s Department of Human Resources, has recommended a living wage of $22.00 per hour for 2022; WHEREAS, 26.4 percent of EMS sworn staff are considered low-income. Single parents will not stop being low-income until they reach 11 years of service with EMS if they have one child, 17 years of service if they have two children; WHEREAS, a great deal is made of the police labor shortage, the Austin EMS labor shortage is more severe. Austin EMS is currently operating at 75.3 percent of authorized sworn capacity. Austin EMS has lost 26 experienced medics to attrition so far during calendar year 2022; in all of calendar year 2019, Austin EMS lost 28 experienced medics to attrition; WHEREAS, the City of Austin has a long-time commitment to supporting a living wage; WHEREAS, Austin EMS cannot effectively recruit new sworn staff because of substandard wages. Although authorized for 30 medics, the December 2021 EMS Academy was only able to recruit 18 cadets. The March 2022 EMS Academy was able to recruit 17 cadets. At this rate, Austin EMS will be unable to fill its vacancies and Austin EMS will remain structurally understaffed and become increasingly understaffed into the foreseeable future, creating an increasing public safety crisis for city emergency health services; WHEREAS, Austin EMS has performed valiantly and faced unprecedented risks during the Covid-19 pandemic. Before vaccines were available, …
` PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES April 4, 2022 The Public Safety Commission convened a hybrid in person and videoconferencing meeting Monday, April 4, 2022 at City Hall 301 W. 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Commissioner Nelly Ramirez called the Board Meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Kathleen Hausenfluck Cory Hall-Martin Nelly Ramirez John Kiracofe Rebecca Bernhardt Amanda Lewis Rebecca Webber Rebecca Gonzales Absent: Commissioners Lane, Sierra-Arevalo, and Queen Austin Executive Liaison Present: Robin Henderson,and Rob Vires, Theresa Gardner Public Communications - Citizens signed up to speak: none 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Commissioner Ramirez called for any edits/corrections to the March 7, 2022 minutes and hearing none the minutes were deemed approved. 2. OLD BUSINESS a. Update from Austin Police Department on actions from the Kroll Report and potential recommendation (sponsored by Commissioner Bernhardt and Ramirez) 4:04pm-4:31pm Speaker(s): -Joseph Chacon, Chief, Austin Police Department Chief Chacon provided an update to changes that have been made. With regards to recruitment, he stated that the incoming 144th and 145th Cadet Class saw increased rates of black cadets and female cadets. APD has committed to trying increase female officers by 30% by 2030. They are also working with James Joyce to set diversity metrics. APD is working to modify fitness testing and qualification criteria. APD has updated their policies around use of force. This includes adding language, definitions, and clarifying language around shooting at moving vehicles, firearm discharge situations, and response to resistance, de-escalation and duty to intervene. All 20 use of 1 force cases flagged by Kroll were previously reviewed by APD. Chief Chacon introduced the Force Review Unit, which is outside of the officer’s chain-of-command and reviews use of force cases who are trained to investigate these cases. Commissioner Bernhardt asked if there had ever been the opportunity for an all-female cadet class with all female trainers. Chief responded no, mostly based on class size and trainer availability. Commissioner Webber asked for clarifications around the Force Review Unit. Chief Chacon provided a brief history of the review process. The Force Review Unit has nine dedicated sergeants and one lieutenant who are receiving training to review these cases in a consistent, unbiased manner. Commissioner Gonzales requested that APD continue to provide updates on these recommendations on a monthly basis. 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Public Safety Organizations Quarterly Report – Austin Fire Department (sponsors: Commissioner Hausenfluck and …
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION May 2, 2022 WHEREAS, the City of Austin has become synonymous with the housing crisis facing the Proposal that the Austin City Council pay the Austin EMS Equitably with Public Safety Unions Date: Subject: Motioned by: Rebecca Bernhardt Seconded by: Rebecca Webber Recommendation: The Public Safety Commission recommends that the City Council direct the City Manager’s Office to prioritize negotiations with the Austin EMS Association and offer substantial additional compensation as part of the union contract, in line with the cost of living in Austin, the compensation of credentialed staff with comparable workloads at Texas EMS agencies, and the compensation of sworn staff of the Austin Police Department and Austin Fire Department. United States and has become the least affordable housing market outside of California, surpassing notoriously expensive cities including Boston, Miami and New York City for cost of housing; yet, the current living wage of $15.00 per hour was established in 2018 and is outdated. The City of Austin’s Living Wage Working Group, which includes representatives from the City’s Department of Human Resources, has recommended a living wage of $22.00 per hour for 2022; WHEREAS, 26.4 percent of EMS sworn staff are considered low-income. Single parents will not stop being low-income until they reach 11 years of service with EMS if they have one child, 17 years of service if they have two children; WHEREAS, a great deal is made of the police labor shortage, the Austin EMS labor shortage is more severe. Austin EMS is currently operating at 75.3 percent of authorized sworn capacity. Austin EMS has lost 26 experienced medics to attrition so far during calendar year 2022; in all of calendar year 2019, Austin EMS lost 28 experienced medics to attrition; WHEREAS, the City of Austin has a long-time commitment to supporting a living wage; WHEREAS, Austin EMS cannot effectively recruit new sworn staff because of substandard wages. Although authorized for 30 medics, the December 2021 EMS Academy was only able to recruit 18 cadets. The March 2022 EMS Academy was able to recruit 17 cadets. At this rate, Austin EMS will be unable to fill its vacancies and Austin EMS will remain structurally understaffed and become increasingly understaffed into the foreseeable future, creating an increasing public safety crisis for city emergency health services; WHEREAS, Austin EMS has performed valiantly and faced unprecedented risks during the Covid-19 pandemic. Before vaccines were available, …
