REGULAR CALLED MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026, 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 remotely, contact Christi Vitela at participation by christi.vitela@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2792. telephone. To to speak register CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Nelly Paulina Ramírez, Chair Rebecca Bernhardt Enrique Duran II Kimberly Hidrogo CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Timothy Ruttan, Vice Chair David Holmes Michael Sierra-Arévalo Yasmine Smith AGENDA The first 5 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 December 1, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Police. Presentation by Robin Henderson, Chief of Staff, Austin Police. Update on the Counsel at First Appearance Program. Presentation by Travis County Public Defender’s Office, Capital Area Private Defender Service, and Equity Action. 4. 5. Discussion of the Collective Sex Crimes Response Model (CSCRM) status of the project as of Q3 2025. Presentation by Hannah Senko, Project Manager, CSCRM Project. Discussion of Public Safety Commission officer roles, agenda, and succession planning. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Christi Vitela at the Austin City Clerk’s Office, at 512-974-2792 or christi.vitela@austintexas.gov, to request service or for additional information. For more information on the Public Safety Commission, please contact Christi Vitela at the Austin City Clerk’s Office, at 512-974-2792 or christi.vitela@austintexas.gov.
Public Safety Commission Meeting Minutes Monday, December 1, 2025 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Monday, December 1, 2025 The Public Safety Commission convened in a regular called meeting on Monday, December 1, 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 Enrique Duran II Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Kimberly Hidrogo Pierre Nguyễn Michael Sierra-Arévalo PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Joel Beder – Chicano Park Lori Renteria – Martin Park Carlos León - CapMetro APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission regular meeting on November 3, 2025. The motion to approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission regular meeting on November 3, 2025, was approved on Commissioner Bernhardt’s motion, Commissioner Duran’s second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Carroll, Holmes, Orr, and Smith were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services. 1 Public Safety Commission Meeting Minutes Monday, December 1, 2025 3. 4. The presentation was made by Wesley Hopkins, Chief of Staff, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Presentation regarding Vision Zero by Joel Meyer, Transportation Safety Officer, Austin Transportation and Public Works. The presentation was made by Joel Meyer, Transportation Safety Officer, Austin Transportation and Public Works. Introduction and overview of Austin Equity and Inclusion. Presentation by Dr. Lindsey Wilson, Director, Austin Equity and Inclusion; Shafina Khaki, Human Rights Officer, Austin Equity and Inclusion; and Emi Johnson, Interim Civil Rights Officer, Austin Equity and Inclusion. The presentation was made by Dr. Lindsey Wilson, Director, Austin Equity and Inclusion; Shafina Khaki, Human Rights Officer, Austin Equity and Inclusion; and Emi Johnson, Interim Civil Rights Officer, Austin Equity and Inclusion. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Budget Counsel at First Appearance Inclement Weather Response Public Safety Headquarters Whole Blood Wheelchair exits Sobering Center First Pilot Budget/Efficiency Improvements Community Member access to APD ADJOURNMENT Chair Ramírez adjourned the meeting at 6:00 p.m. without objection. 2
APD Quarterly Update to PSC Austin Police | January 5, 2026 Crimes Against Persons by Offense Type June - November Offense Type Aggravated Assault Simple Assault, Intimidation Homicide Offenses Kidnapping/Abduction Sex Offenses Human Trafficking 5-Year Mean Jun-Nov Jun-Nov, 2024 Jun-Nov, 2025 1-Year Change Difference from 5-Year Mean 1,700 7,734 40 126 499 7 1,512 7,523 40 144 493 11 1,343 7,953 28 131 495 3 -11% 6% -30% -9% 0% -73% -21% 3% -31% 4% -1% -58% Source: Versadex 2 Crimes Against Property/Society by Offense Type June - November 5-Year Mean Jun-Nov, 2024 Jun-Nov, 2025 1-Year Change Offense Type Robbery Arson Burglary/Breaking & Entering Larceny/Theft Offenses Motor Vehicle Theft Counterfeiting/Forgery Fraud Offenses Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property Drug/Narcotic Offenses Pornography/Obscene Material Prostitution Offenses Weapon Law Violations Animal Cruelty Jun-Nov 497 76 2,294 12,231 2,693 450 3,167 3,321 1,935 142 26 436 156 424 64 2,032 10,989 2,637 288 2,733 2,973 2,824 154 16 480 225 396 43 2,107 11,203 2,168 283 2,409 2,921 4,119 181 23 482 176 -7% -33% 4% 2% -18% -2% -12% -2% 46% 18% 44% 0% -22% Difference from 5-Year Mean -20% -43% -8% -8% -20% -37% -24% -12% 113% 28% -13% 11% 13% Source: Versadex 3 Crime Reduction Focus Areas Auto Theft Auto Thefts continue to decrease and have reached their lowest numbers since 2018-2019 Seen 36.44% decrease from 2023 to 2025 Auto Theft Unit is actively using proactive initiatives and community engagement to further support this decrease PNI Place Network Investigation (PNI) was recently piloted around E. Braker Lane September 2025, various Austin Police units and several other organizations launched a large- scale operation, focused on two establishments, resulting in three arrests Since that time, only one criminal incident was reported which was the result of a proactive enforcement effort Also seen a reduction in major Calls for Service and no violent crimes have been reported in the area 4 Crime Reduction Focus Areas Encampment Management Cleanup Multiple City Departments engaged in a month-long collaborative effort to support the unhoused population and address safety at local encampments Over 950 individuals were engaged across 585 sites 144 individuals were sheltered and 76 were connected to supportive services Only 64 citations were issued and 21 arrests made Over 563 tons of debris was collected Chicano Park- Car Clubs Residents in East …
APD Follow Up Drug Offenses Austin Police | February 2, 2026 Follow Up Questions from PSC Can you please help us follow up on the questions we had around the Drug Offense category of APD’s quarterly report? We were looking for: A more detailed breakdown of offense types; Geographic location information; Demographic information; and More information on who is spearheading efforts in this category (patrol v special units, etc) 2 Policing Efforts Pandemic-era disruptions significantly reduced drug enforcement activity through 2021 2025 reflects a return to pre-pandemic activity levels Post-pandemic rebound reflects strategic enforcement shifts, not uniform growth Majority of drug-related activity is identified through patrol-based encounters, often tied to calls for service or proactive policing efforts Specialized units support distribution-level and higher-impact cases, particularly involving delivery or repeat offenders This layered approach allows APD to balance public safety priorities with measured enforcement 3 Drug Offense Types Drug offenses break down into three major categories Delivery and paraphernalia offenses increased most sharply Marijuana possession remains below historical levels In 2025, 80% of these incidents resulted in a suspended or open case, meaning no charges were filed on the individual and the marijuana was seized for disposal Less than 18% resulted in an arrest- typically tied to other charges or possession of a felony amount of marijuana Drug offenses co-occur with other, higher, offenses between 12%-23% of the time (2022-2025) Most often with Weapons Law Violations, Simple Assault, and Theft Please note, these major categories make up the majority of drug offenses. There are other smaller offense types not included in this grouping. 4 Geographic Locations • Districts 3, 4, & 9 consistently represent about 2/3 of all drug offenses each year 5 Demographic Information Percent Suspect/Arrested BLACK HISPANIC OR LATINO WHITE 2022 33% 39% 26% 2023 35% 36% 27% 2024 37% 37% 25% 2025 36% 36% 27% From 2022–2025, the racial and ethnic distribution of individuals identified as suspects or arrested for drug offenses has remained relatively stable Year-to-year changes are modest, with no single group experiencing abrupt shifts 6
Public Safety Commission Meeting Minutes Monday, January 5, 2026 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Monday, January 5, 2026 The Public Safety Commission convened in a regular called meeting on Monday, January 5, 2026, 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 4:04 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Nelly Paulina Ramírez, Chair Timothy Ruttan, Vice Chair Rebecca Bernhardt Enrique Duran II Michael Sierra-Arévalo Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: David Holmes Yasmine Smith PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Scott Johnson – Distracted driving Carlos León - CapMetro APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission regular meeting on December 1, 2025. The motion to approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission regular meeting on December 1, 2025, was approved on Vice Chair Ruttan’s motion, Commissioner Bernhardt’s second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioner Smith abstained. Commissioner Hidrogo was absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Police. Presentation by Robin Henderson, Chief of Staff, Austin Police. The presentation was made by Robin Henderson, Chief of Staff, Austin Police. 1 Public Safety Commission Meeting Minutes Monday, January 5, 2026 3. 4. 5. Update on the Counsel at First Appearance Program. Presentation by Travis County Public Defender’s Office, Capital Area Private Defender Service, and Equity Action. The presentation was made by Adeola Ogunkeyede, Chief Public Defender, Travis County Public Defender’s Office, Ryan Crisler, CAPDS Director of Magistration, Travis County Public Defender’s Office, Katy Jo Muncie, CAPDS Director of Defense Services and Outreach, Travis County Public Defender’s Office, Geoff Burkhart, County Executive, Travis County Public Defender’s Office, Kristen Jernigan, Chief Counsel, Travis County Public Defender’s Office, Bob Batlan, Founding Member, Advocates for Social Justice Reform, Savannah Lee, Director of Policy and Operations, Equity Action. Discussion of the Collective Sex Crimes Response Model (CSCRM) status of the project as of Q3 2025. Presentation by Hannah Senko, Project Manager, CSCRM Project. Presentation by Hannah Senko, Project Manager, CSCRM Project. Discussion of Public Safety Commission officer roles, agenda, and succession planning. Discussed. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Office of Budget and Organizational Excellence G File Open Records Request Regular updates from Public Safety Unions Homeless Strategy Office Homeland Security ADJOURNMENT Chair Ramírez adjourned the meeting at 5:50 p.m. without objection. The minutes were approved at the February 2, 2026 meeting on Commissioner Bernhardt's motion, Commissioner Duran's second, on an …
