Public Safety Commission Regular Meeting of the Public Safety Commission

Agenda — original pdf

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).

Item #1 Draft Meeting Minutes July 7, 2025 — original pdf

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 …

Item #6 Draft Recommendation - Implementation, tracking and transparency of recommendations made for Austin Police Department’s Cadet Training Academy — original pdf

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 …

Item #2 Austin Fire Department FY 25 Q3 Data — original pdf

Austin Fire Department | Public Safety Commission Quarterly Report July 22, 2025 Public Safety Commission Austin Fire Department Quarterly Report FY25 Q3 Data Fire Operations Requests for Service Q3 Comparison - By Council District (All incidents, regardless of priority) 6 6 2 3 , 4 6 0 3 , 9 6 0 3 , 2 1 9 2 , 6 5 3 3 , 6 1 3 3 , 8 3 1 4 , 9 3 6 3 , 5 3 7 2 , 9 6 3 2 , 8 9 3 2 , 8 7 2 2 , 3 4 7 2 , 2 4 7 2 , 0 1 7 1 , 2 4 6 1 , 3 7 3 1 , 5 8 4 1 , 6 6 8 1 , 3 3 9 1 , 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 District 7 District 8 District 9 District 10 FY24 Q3 FY25 Q3 Requests for Service Q3 Comparison - By Call Type (All incidents, regardless of priority) 1,420 1,220 FY25 Q3 FY24 Q3 17,726 17,581 138 133 158 134 6,985 6,539 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Fire Medical Rescue HazMat Other This document was created by the Austin Fire Department Research & Data Analytics section. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. Austin Fire Department | Public Safety Commission Quarterly Report July 22, 2025 Emergency Incidents Q3 Comparison - By Council District (Includes Priority 1, 2, 3, and 4M responses) 3 9 0 2 , 0 7 9 1 , 6 3 7 1 , 5 1 8 1 , 1 5 1 2 , 2 7 1 2 , 4 4 8 1 , 8 1 6 1 , 2 2 5 1 , 1 4 4 1 , 8 2 6 1 , 3 1 6 1 , 1 5 0 1 , 1 7 0 1 , 2 7 0 2 , 8 9 8 1 , 3 0 8 2 5 8 0 1 0 1 , 7 9 9 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 District 7 District 8 District 9 District 10 FY24 Q3 FY25 Q3 Emergency Incidents Q3 Comparison - By Call Type (Includes …

Item #2 Austin Fire Department Q3 Presentation — original pdf

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 • …

Item #3 Draft BerryDunn - APD Investigations and Supplemental Unit Staffing Report — original pdf

City of Austin Police Department Investigations and Supplemental Unit Staffing Report Submitted By: BerryDunn 2211 Congress Street Portland, ME 04102-1955 207.541.2200 Doug Rowe, Principal drowe@berrydunn.com Michele Weinzetl, Senior Manager mweinzetl@berrydunn.com Submitted: June 3, 2025 Draft Table of Contents Section Page Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... i List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. ii 1. Introduction and Summary .................................................................................................. 5 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 5 Key Observations ...................................................................................................................... 5 Other General Observations ................................................................................................... 9 2. Staffing Assessment ..........................................................................................................10 Observations by Unit/Division ...................................................................................................10 Specialty/Support Unit Summary ............................................................................................10 Investigations Summary ........................................................................................................11 Opportunities in Investigations ..............................................................................................16 Additional Factors.................................................................................................................17 3. Support Unit Details ...........................................................................................................20 4. Investigation Unit Details ....................................................................................................43 Appendix A: Reallocation Crosswalk .........................................................................................66 Appendix B: Acronyms ..............................................................................................................70 Appendix C: Consolidated Observations and Recommendations ..............................................73 Table of Contents | i Draft List of Tables Table 1.1: Percentage of Officers in Patrol and Investigations ................................................... 5 Table 1.2: Investigations Case Routing Totals Calendar Years (CY) 2022-2025 (summary totals – see Table 2.1) .................................................................................................................. 6 Table 1.3: APD and BerryDunn Position Recapture Comparison ............................................... 7 Table 2.1: Investigations Case Assignments by Unit/Year ........................................................11 Table 2.2: Investigations Case Assignments by Case Type/Year (top 20) .................................13 Table 2.3: Current and Preferred Caseloads .............................................................................14 Table 2.4: Case Closure Timelines ...........................................................................................14 Table 2.5: Position Recapture Opportunity ................................................................................16 Table 2.6: Other Operational Observations ...............................................................................17 Table 2.7: Structure and Performance Observations .................................................................18 Table 3.1: Position Recapture Opportunity Scale ......................................................................20 Table 3.2: DAART .....................................................................................................................21 Table 3.3: Force Review ...........................................................................................................22 Table 3.4: Recruiting .................................................................................................................23 Table 3.5: Professional Standards – Internal Affairs (IA) ...........................................................25 Table 3.6: Training Academy – Cadet Training .........................................................................26 Table 3.7: Training Academy – Advanced Education / Leadership ............................................27 Table 3.8: Training Academy – Defensive Tactics/Firearms ......................................................28 Table 3.9: Air Ops .....................................................................................................................29 Table 3.10: E-Comms (Dispatch/Emergency Communications) ................................................29 Table 3.11: Police Technology ..................................................................................................30 Table 3.12: Special Events........................................................................................................31 Table 3.13: Emergency Management Unit ................................................................................32 Table 3.14: Executive Protection Unit .......................................................................................33 List of Tables | ii Draft Table 3.15: Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) ......................................................34 Table 3.16: Motors Auxiliary Unit ..............................................................................................34 Table 3.17: Real Time Crime Center (RTCC)/Backfill ................................................................35 Table 3.18: Court Services ........................................................................................................36 Table 3.19: Airport ....................................................................................................................36 Table 3.20: Explosive Ordinance Division (EOD) / K9 Bomb .....................................................37 Table 3.21: Lake Patrol .............................................................................................................38 Table 3.22: Mounted Parol ........................................................................................................39 Table 3.23: Patrol K9 ................................................................................................................39 Table 3.24: Risk Management/Inspections/Explorers/Police Athletic League ............................40 Table 3.25: SWAT .....................................................................................................................41 Table 3.26: SWAT – Unmanned Aerial Systems .......................................................................41 Table 3.27: Counter Assault Strike Team (CAST) .....................................................................42 Table 4.1: ARIC ........................................................................................................................43 Table 4.2: Violent Crimes Task Force …

Item #3 Proposed Adjustments to Fire Staffing Model — original pdf

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 …

Item #2 Revised - Austin Fire Department Q3 Presentation — original pdf

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 …

Item #4 Government Relations Office - 89th State Legislature: Post-Session Briefing — original pdf

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 …