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] __________________________________
RESOLUTION NO. 20220915-056 WHEREAS, license plate readers gather objective and unbiased facts about vehicles; and WHEREAS, license plate reader technology focuses solely on extracting empirical data, primarily the license plate numbers which Texas state law requires to be affixed to every vehicle; and WHEREAS, license plate readers only record the vehicle make, model, and license plate number of a vehicle; and WHEREAS, license plate readers are not a "live eainera" and cannot be used for surveillance, traffic enforcement, or any other purpose; and WHEREAS, these cameras do not capture images of vehicle drivers; and WHEREAS, maintaining the privacy of the data collected through license plate readers is paramount; and WHEREAS, the license plate readers historically used by the Austin Police Department are categorically objective and cannot collect information in ways that discriminate against any resident in the City; and WlIEREAS, the use of license plate readers assist>; police departments across the country by increasing their investigative efficacy while reducing unnecessary delays in pursuing leads; and WHEREAS, camera data helps solve crimes when crimes occur; and WHEREAS, license plate readers previously helped the Austin Police Department locate stolen or wanted vehicles, vehicles connected to AMBER Page 1 of 11 Alerts, Silver Alerts, missing person reports, abductions reports, and vehicles connected to other crimes; and WHEREAS, the use of license plate readers bolsters the capability of local law enforcement to act and apprehend criminals swiftly, leading to the deterrence of crimes; and WHEREAS, re-introducing license plate readers to the Austin Police Department will help reduce crime, will prevent residents and visitors to the City from being victimized, particularly from car and property thefts, and will lead to deterrence of crime; and WHEREAS, license plate readers can notify Austin Police Department officers within seconds that a license plate has passed within the device's range, allowing Austin Police Department officers to take immediate action in furtherance of public safety; and Wl-IEREAS, the rrexas Penal Code creates a criminal offense for an officer or other public servant who intentionally or knowingly misuses information from the license plate reader with the intent of obtaining a benefit, harming, defrauding, oppressing another person, or disclosing the information for a nongovernmental purpose that has not otherwise been made public; and WHEREAS, the Austin Police Department's General Orders include rules on the Security and Release of Records and Information, General Conduct and Responsibilities, Racial or Biased Profiling, Responsibility to the …
RESOLUTION NO. 20230608-085 WHEREAS, Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology is used as an investigative and real time crime tool that improves the effectiveness of police operations by locating violent offenders quickly as well as identifying missing persons; and WHEREAS, on September 15, 2022, City Council adopted Resolution No. 20220915-056 directing the development of a revised ALPR policy and providing guidance on that policy that ensures the privacy and civil rights of the residents of Austin are protected; and WHEREAS, Resolution No. 20220915-056 directs that the "Hot List" used by the ALPR program is limited to license plates listed as stolen, B.O.L.O., SILVER and AMBER alerts, wanted individuals with any Class A misdemeanor offense or greater warrant, Class B and Class C misdemeanor hate crimes, or Class B and Class C misdemeanor sex crimes; and WHEREAS, Resolution No. 20220915-056 directs a reduction of the prior data retention period from one year to 30 days and authorizes a pilot program that terminates at the end of Fiscal Year 2022-2023; and WHEREAS, on March 31,2023, the Office of Police Oversight (OPO) provided a thorough memorandum outlining changes necessary to the Austin Police Department's initially proposed policy regarding the use of ALPR technology; and WHEREAS, the Public Safety Commission adopted Recommendation No. 20230515-002 that requests that the ALPR policy be consistent with the Council direction in Resolution No. 20220915-056 and OPO feedback; and Page 1 of 3 WHEREAS, the Austin Police Department has provided a revised ALPR policy with safeguards that are consistent with the Public Safety Commission recommendation, OPO feedback, and prior Council direction as documented in Resolution No. 20220915-056; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: The Council amends its prior direction and directs the City Manager to update proposed draft policy regarding the Automated License Plate Reader program to reflect that data collected by the program will be kept for a maximum of seven days and destroyed thereafter except for the following circumstances: • The ALPR data is related to ongoing criminal investigations or criminal investigations that contain ALPR as evidence and has been downloaded and recorded into the relevant case file; or • The ALPR data is related to an endangered person, missing person, or criminal investigation and must be retained for a period consistent with the City Code, Chapter 2-11, and any applicable City Records Control Schedules or the State and …
RESOLUTION NO. 20250327-103 WHEREAS, Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology is used as an investigative and real time crime tool that improves the effectiveness of police operations by locating violent offenders quickly as well as identifying missing persons; and WHEREAS, Texas state law requires license plate numbers affixed to every vehicle and ALPR technology focuses solely on extracting the vehicle make, model, and license plate number; and WHEREAS, in Resolution No. 20220915-056, Council authorized and directed the City Manager to: • Develop a revised ALPR policy that incorporated many safeguards recommended by Council, the Office of Police Oversight (OPO), and the Public Safety Commission on the use of and retention o f ALPR data; Implement those changes in a ALPR pilot program that would end at the end of the fiscal year 2023 unless extended by Council; and • • Allow the City Auditor to audit the pilot program and provide a report to Council with specified information by end of the pilot program; and WHEREAS, in Resolution No. 20230608-085, the Council amended its prior direction and directed the City Manager to update the proposed draft policy regarding the Automated License Plate Reader program to reflect that data collected by the program be kept for a maximum of seven days and destroyed thereafter except for the following circumstances: Page 1 of 3 • The ALPR data is related to ongoing criminal investigations or criminal investigations that contain ALPR as evidence and has been downloaded and recorded into the relevant case file; or • The ALPR data is related to an endangered person, missing person, or criminal investigation and must be retained for a period consistent with the City Code, Chapter 2-11, and any applicable City Records Control Schedules or the State and Local Government Retention Schedules; and WHEREAS, the Austin Police Department has both provided a revised ALPR policy and implemented a pilot program with safeguards that are consistent with the Council's direction in Resolution No. 20220915-056 and Resolution No. 20230608-085, the Public Safety Commission Recommendation No. 20230515- 002, and the Office of Police Oversight's feedback; and WHEREAS, prior to the termination o f the pilot period, the City Manager was directed in Resolution No. 20230608-085 to present to Council a recommendation on the continuation of the program, including any proposed adjustments to data retention or other elements of the associated policy; and WHEREAS, APD implemented the pilot program on …
APD Recruiting and Hiring Audit OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR JUNE 2, 2025 Vacancy Rates 17.90% 15.40% 10.40% 7.40% 3.30% 20.00% 18.00% 16.00% 14.00% 12.00% 10.00% 8.00% 6.00% 4.00% 2.00% 0.00% FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 JUNE 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 2 APD attributes vacancy issues to: NO CONTRACT LOW PAY LACK OF COMMUNITY TRUST JUNE 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 3 FINDING 1 APD does not have an effective recruitment or social media strategy Office of the City Auditor JULY 2024- 4 APD’s Recruitment Strategy No measurable objectives No detailed recruitment plan No process to evaluate efforts Not using social media effectively to broaden reach Does have relevant recruitment activities JUNE 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 5 FINDING 2 APD does not have a recruitment pipeline Office of the City Auditor JULY 2024- 6 APD has one recruitment program 1 2 3 Elementary School Age Programs Middle & High School Age Programs • Criminal Justice Pathways program Programs for Youth Age 18-21 JUNE 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 7 Recommendations Craft recruitment strategy with measurable goals Update standard operating procedures and train staff Coordinate recruitment posts on social media Create recruitment pipeline JUNE 2025 OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR 8 APD Recruiting and Hiring Audit OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR JUNE 2, 2025
City of Austin Office of the City Auditor Audit Report Austin Police Department Recruiting and Hiring Audit April 2025 The Austin Police Department (APD) is experiencing staff shortages and is struggling to attract enough applicants to fill vacancies. APD’s vacancy rate for police officers more than doubled to 18% between 2020 and 2024. However, APD does not have an effective recruitment strategy to address hiring challenges. APD also does not have a measurable objective or goal, action plans to reach its objective, or a thorough process to evaluate efforts. Additionally, APD lacks a recruitment pipeline that could give interested applicants more opportunities to explore a career with the department. City of Austin Office of the City Auditor APD Recruiting and Hiring Audit Highlights April 2025 Objective Is Austin’s Police Department effectively, efficiently, and equitably recruiting and hiring sworn staff? What We Found The Austin Police Department (APD) is experiencing staff shortages and is struggling to attract enough cadets to fill the vacancies. Between 2020 and 2024, APD’s police vacancy rate increased from 7.4% to 18%. As of January 2025, APD had over 330 vacancies among its sworn officers,1 with over 41% of those positions open for over a year. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) says an effective recruitment strategy is vital in addressing hiring challenges and should contain four things: objectives, a strategy, relevant recruitment actions, and a process to measure results and evaluate efforts. However, APD does not have a specific recruitment plan or social media strategy to guide their efforts and measure success. The 2024-2029 Strategic Plan lists three strategies that APD plans to follow to achieve their objective of recruiting a diverse and skilled sworn workforce. However, the strategies are broad, lack measurable targets, and the Recruiting Unit does not have action plans for these strategies. Additionally, APD recruiting staff are manually entering data inconsistently, limiting their ability to measure the success of their efforts. Without an effective recruitment strategy and accurate data, APD cannot effectively determine if their efforts are helping the department reach its recruitment objective. Recruitment pipelines are a series of programs that provide opportunities for the community, usually youth, to engage with the department. The Department of Justice says that recruitment pipelines can increase the applicant pool. APD does not have a recruitment pipeline or programs that retain interest in the department. APD has two programs that engage and build positive …
TO: FROM: DATE: Jesús Garza, Interim City Manager Sylvia Hardman, Interim Director March 31, 2023 SUBJECT: Preliminary Analysis of APD’s Proposed License Plate Reader Policy and Processes In accordance with directives from the City Manager’s Office in relation to Resolution No. 20220915-056 (Resolution 56), the Office of Police Oversight (OPO) has conducted a preliminary analysis of the proposed policy for Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), which the Austin Police Department (APD or the Department) provided to OPO on Thursday, March 16, 2023. As part of this process, OPO met and communicated with APD to discuss our questions, concerns, and recommendations. In summary, OPO finds that the proposed ALPR policy and processes are still in a state of development and may not yet be ready to support the use of ALPR systems in accordance with the letter and intent of Resolution 56. As a result, OPO recommends that APD take additional time to develop its policy and processes, focusing on areas including, but not limited to, the following: • Adherence to Resolution 56, especially the incorporation of meaningful community input and the 11 enumerated safeguards; • Further development and implementation of front- and back-end solutions to mitigate and analyze disparate impacts from the placement and use of ALPRs; • Clear processes and accountability for all APD personnel handling ALPR systems and data; and • Balance between enhanced protocols for data privacy and the need for effective audits. Attached to this memorandum is OPO’s preliminary assessment, which includes our initial findings, recommendations, and remaining questions. We have also provided a copy of APD’s proposed policy. In conclusion, additional time may be necessary to fully assess and execute the remaining actions necessary to realize the letter and intent of Resolution 56. Please contact OPO if you have any questions or would like additional information. Enclosures: 1. OPO’s analysis of APD’s proposed ALPR policy 2. APD’s proposed ALPR policy cc: Bruce Mills, Interim Assistant City Manager Joseph Chacon, Chief of Police Jeff Greenwalt, Assistant Chief Analysis of the Austin Police Department’s Proposed Policy on Automatic License Plate Readers (General Order 344) Introduction Based on Resolution No. 20220915-056 (Resolution 56), the City Manager’s Office directed APD “to re- evaluate its former policy and/or procedure on license plate readers; work with the Office of Police Oversight and coordinate a minimum of two community input sessions related to the policy; and take appropriate steps to ensure the …
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION Recommendation 20250602-006: Date: June 2, 2025 Subject: Austin Police Department (APD) Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Program Motioned by: Commissioner Smith Seconded by: Commissioner Bernhardt 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 …
