REGULAR MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 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 participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Chelsea Pfeifer at chelsea.pfeifer@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2498. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Enrique Duran II, Chair Rebecca Bernhardt Daniel Godwin David Holmes Michael Sierra-Arévalo CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Nelly Paulina Ramírez, Vice Chair Denise L Eger Kimberly Hidrogo Timothy Ruttan Yasmine Smith 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 July 6, 2026. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. 4. Quarterly Report from Austin Fire Department. Presentation by Chief Tom Vocke, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire. Presentation by Austin Equity Inclusion regarding the Human Rights Impact Review. Presented by Shafina Khaki, Human Rights Officer, Austin Equity and Inclusion. Discussion regarding the TRUST act and its application to public safety technologies and data sharing between governmental entities. Presented by Mackenzie Rhine, Attorney and Board Member, Electric Frontier Foundation. 5. Discussion regarding Key Performance Indicators as a part of the City Budget for Safety Departments. Presented by Lee Rogers, Chief of Staff, Austin Police, Wesley Hopkins, Chief of Staff, Austin-Travis County EMS, Tom Vocke, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. 7. Approve a recommendation to the Austin City Council Regarding Austin Police Department’s 2027 Budget and Lack of Performance Metrics for the Austin Police Department Training Academy. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding public safety surveillance technology and data sharing. 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 …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Public Safety Commission Recommendation Number: 20260803-006: Recommendation to the Austin City Council Regarding the Austin Police Department’s 2027 Budget and Lack of Performance Metrics for the Austin Police Department Training Academy Recommendation: The Public Safety Commission recommends that the Austin City Council approve the 2027 budget for the Austin Police Department with no increase above the 2026 funding level, except for the funds necessary to fulfill labor contract obligations; and add detailed performance metrics to the training and recruitment programs at Austin Police Department. WHEREAS, the Austin Police Department Training Academy has been a locus of concern among city leaders and community advocates for over eight years; WHEREAS, despite this focus, there are no meaningful performance metrics linked to the Training Academy and the Training Academy continues to be a black box that for every 100 cadets who enter, fewer than 62 Austin Police Officers complete the Academy. WHEREAS, in December 2019, the Austin City Council suspended APD’s Training Academy to facilitate a review and over hall of the curriculum; WHEREAS, City Council and community leaders’ concerns focused on training materials and teaching that reinforced racially biased policing, reducing incidents of inappropriate and excessive use of force by APD, and the academy’s role in instilling a “warrior” mentality in officers charged with keeping Austinites safe; WHEREAS, the Training Academy re-opened in June of 2021, without completion of the independent curriculum review, without clearly addressing council members and community concerns and without permitting independent community monitors to observe classes in the academy; WHEREAS, the Austin Public Safety Commission has monitored and repeatedly expressed concern regarding the lack of verifiable changes in the curriculum and training provided by the academy, as well as no indication that the culture of the academy had been transformed; WHEREAS, the Austin Public Safety Commission has monitored and expressed repeated concerns regarding regular cadet academy retention rates; WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2026, 26.5% to 52.7% of cadets new to policing failed to complete the nine-month Training Academy because they either quit or were terminated from the program, resulting in a total of 220 cadets dropping out of the Training Academy; . WHEREAS, if the Training Academy had a dropout rate at the national average of 15%, Austin would have 134 more police officers on the force today; WHEREAS, the Austin Police Department also has a significant attrition problem during the first two years …
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 6, 2026 The Public Safety Commission convened in a regular meeting on Monday, July 6, 2026, at Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Duran called the Public Safety Commission Meeting to order at 4:01 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Enrique Duran II, Chair Timothy Ruttan Michael Sierra-Arévalo Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Nelly Paulina Ramírez, Vice Chair Rebecca Bernhardt Daniel Godwin Denise Eger PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Ruben Rivera- Clemente- Harassment of Police APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Public Safety Commission Regular Called Meeting on June 1, 2026. The minutes from the Public Safety Commission meeting were approved with the following amendments on Commission Eger’s motion, Commission Ruttan’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioner Bernhardt was off the dais. Commissioners Hidrogo, Holmes and Smith were absent. The first amendment was to strike “February 2” from the first sentence, and insert the date “June 1” as follows: “The Public Safety Commission convened in a regular meeting on Monday, February 2 June 1, 2026…” The second amendment was to insert Commissioner Denise Eger’s name under Commissioners in Attendance. PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MONDAY JULY 6, 2026 DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. 4. Quarterly Report from Austin Police Department. Presentation by Lee Rogers, Chief of Staff, Austin Police Department. The presentation was made by Lee Rogers, Chief of Staff, Austin Police Department Discussion of Austin Police Association budget and sworn staff priorities. Presented by Michael Bullock, President, Austin Police Association. The presentation was made by Michael Bullock, President, Austin Police Association. Discussion regarding citywide efforts to support vulnerable residents during extreme heat this summer. Presented by Jim Redick, Director, Austin Emergency Management, Greg McCormack, Program Manager II, Homeless Strategies and Operations, Marc Coudert, Climate Action and Adaptation Manager, Climate Action and Resilience, and Ana Urueta, Emergency Management Manager, Austin Public Health. The presentation was made by Jim Redick, Director, Austin Emergency Management, Christopher Anderson, Homeless Strategy Deputy Officer, Homeless Strategies and Operations, Marc Coudert, Climate Action and Adaptation Manager, Climate Action and Resilience, and Ana Urueta, Emergency Management Manager, Austin Public Health. 5. Discussion regarding the process for requesting future agenda items. Discussed. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 6. Update from Collective Sex Crime Response Model Working Group. The update was given by Vice Chair Ramirez. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 7. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding continued funding of The …
Public Safety Commission Quarterly Austin Fire | Tom Vocke | Chief of Staff | FY26 Q2 Emergency Response Time Trends Incident Volume (All Priorities) 103,626 109,280 110,304 108,750 107,659 89,541 89,563 81,973 86,636 87,935 92,612 89,797 85,989 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26* Response Times (Priorities 1-3, 4M) 8:51 9:00 9:13 9:12 9:24 9:35 Response Time Standard: 8 minutes 9:58 10:28 9:55 10:28 10:32 10:25 10:22 130,000 110,000 90,000 70,000 11:00 10:00 9:00 8:00 7:00 6:00 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26* *Projected number based on current call volume and response times, Oct 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2026 On Jul 8, 2025, the Chief Medical Officer evaluated medical dispatching in collaboration with ATCEMS and AFD, which will have an effect on call dispatching/volume. 2 Facility Improvement Projects Recently Completed Projects: Station 33 Internal ceiling replacement completed March 30 Station 21 Maintenance started July 11 Engine 21 temporarily at Station 19 Fire Station 21 3 Automatic Aid Dispatching the closest unit to a 911 call, regardless of department or jurisdiction. Auto Aid contributes to decreased response times for Austin and Travis County. Recent Success: On the morning of April 1st, a fire occurred at 10302 Spring Circle, in the Oak Hill area. Six AFD units responded together with four Oak Hill Fire Department (ESD 3) units. Under Oak Hill FD command, AFD and Oak Hill units coordinated with each other to extinguish the fire. AFD and ESD 3 and other ESD units during training. 4 Overdose Response FY26 Q3 All AFD personnel are trained on Naloxone administration and each unit carries the medication. The increase in FY25 Q3 may be due to new reporting requirements for Narcan use starting Dec 2024. 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 154 115 75 122 117 81 140 106 71 143 86 73 97 66 50 106 76 58 FY25 Q2 FY25 Q3 FY25 Q4 FY26 Q1 FY26 Q2 FY26 Q3 Total calls where Narcan was given Number of times AFD administered or assisted Patient improvement cases 5 Investigations Percent of Arson Fires Cleared: - FY25 Q4: - FY26 Q1: - FY26 Q2: - FY26 Q3: 36% 36% 44% 50% National Clearance Rate: 22% FY26 Q1: 42 total fires investigated FY26 Q2: 34 total fires investigated FY26 Q3: 18 total fires investigated …
Mayor s Committee for People with Disabilities Human Rights Impact Review Austin Equity and Inclusion Public Safety Commission Monday, August 3, 2026, 4:00 PM (City Hall) What is a Human Rights Framework? A huma n right s fra me work e va lua t e s gove rnme nt pe rforma nc e t hrough t he le ns of residents’ rights, dignity, a nd equitable access to services. Ra t he r t ha n a s king whe t he r progra ms e xis t , it a s ks whe t he r pe ople 's right s a re be ing fulfille d a nd whe re barriers re ma in. Why is it necessary and how does it support the City? Policies and services can exist without reaching those who need them most. A human rights framework helps identify gaps, improve accountability, and ensure that city decisions advance dignity, equity, and access for all residents. 2 Co-Created Impact Review The City engaged He ne kom Group, a huma n right s c ons ult ing firm, t o c onduc t a n inde pe nde nt Huma n Right s Impa c t Re vie w. The re vie w inc lude d re s e a rc h a c ros s 160+ sources , e nga ge me nt wit h more t ha n 300 stakeholders , a nd a c ommunit y works hop wit h 120 participants priorit ize huma n right s ris ks a nd t o ide nt ify a nd opport unit ie s a c ros s 12 ke y is s ue a re a s . The re s ult ing re c omme nda t ions we re c o- c re a t e d, re fle c t ing c ommunit y input a nd be s t pra c t ic e from int e rna t iona l huma n right s s t a nda rds . 3 City of Austin - Human Rights Framework "Design and implement a Human Rights framework for assessing existing City services and programs to improve accessibility and responsiveness for residents' needs." 160+ 300+ Sources and commissions reviewed Stakeholders identified and engaged 120 Registered workshop attendees 92 Issues identified 69 Propos e d mit iga t ion for s a …
FY 2027–2028 Public Safety Performance Overview Chief of Staff Wesley Hopkins, Austin Travis County EMS | Chief of Staff Lee Rogers, Austin Police Department | Chief of Staff Tom Vocke, Austin Fire Department Public Safety Commission | August 3, 2026 Agenda Topic: Austin Travis County Emergency Medical Services - Key Performance Indicators and Milestones Time: -- minutes Austin Police – Key Performance Indicators and Milestones -- minutes Austin Fire – Key Performance Indicators and Milestones --minutes Citywide Strategic Plan – Public Safety Measures and Milestones --minutes 2 Austin Travis County Emergency Medical Services Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | Austin Travis County EMS July 2026 Key Performance Indicator Percent of potentially life-threatening responses in City of Austin (Priority 1) within 9 minutes and 59 seconds Percent of patients in cardiac arrest from cardiac causes delivered to an appropriate medical facility with a return of circulation Percent of 911 calls dispositioned without the use of a frontline MICU (Mobile Intensive Care Unit) ambulance Percent of opiate overdose patients receiving Narcan prior to EMS arrival FY24 Actual Result FY25 Actual Result FY26 Estimate FY26 Target FY27 Target FY28 Target 73.00 75.50 77.00 75.00 80.00 85.00 28.60 29.20 25.00 30.00 31.00 32.00 4.48 7.07 7.98 9.00 11.00 14.00 49.00 51.00 55.00 55.00 55.00 60.00 4 Key Milestones | Austin Travis County EMS July 2026 Key Milestone Target Completion Launch a real-time dispatch record correction and annotation system to improve data accuracy and operational reporting for authorized personnel Implement a comprehensive recruitment and onboarding strategy to improve hiring efficiency and retention for Field and Communications personnel Launch a comprehensive communication strategy designed to enhance internal staff engagement, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and build public trust Implement a data-driven, targeted tiered dispatch model across all service zones in the City of Austin and Travis County to optimize ambulance utilization, improve response coverage, reduce unnecessary transports, and inform future staffing and deployment decisions Implement sustainable alternative revenue strategies that fund innovative emergency and non- emergency response models-including community outreach, preventative care, and mental health services FY27 FY27 FY27 FY28 FY28 5 Austin Police Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | Austin Police July 2026 Key Performance Indicator Number of minutes for police response for emergency and urgent violent crime calls FY24 Actual Result FY25 Actual Result FY26 Estimate FY26 Target FY27 Target FY28 Target 7.26 7.03 7.12 7.12 7.11 7.03 Percent change in violent crime incidents within designated priority hot …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Public Safety Commission Recommendation Number: [YYYYMMDD-XXX] Recommendation to the Austin City Council Regarding the Austin Police Department’s 2027 Budget and Lack of Performance Metrics for the Austin Police Department Training Academy Recommendation: The Public Safety Commission recommends that the Austin City Council approve the 2027 budget for the Austin Police Department with no increase above the 2026 funding level, except for the funds necessary to fulfill labor contract obligations; and add detailed performance metrics to the training and recruitment programs at Austin Police Department. WHEREAS, the Austin Police Department Training Academy has been a locus of concern among city leaders and community advocates for over eight years; WHEREAS, in spite of this focus, there are no meaningful performance metrics linked to the Training Academy and the Training Academy continues to be a black box that for every 100 cadets who enter, fewer than 70 Austin Police officers complete the Academy. WHEREAS, in December 2019, the Austin City Council suspended APD’s Training Academy to facilitate a review and over hall of the curriculum; WHEREAS, City Council and community leaders concerns focused on training materials and teaching that reinforced racially biased policing, reducing incidents of inappropriate and excessive use of force by APD, and the academy’s role in instilling a “warrior” mentality in cadets charged with keeping Austinites safe; WHEREAS, the Training Academy re-opened in June of 2021, without completion of the independent curriculum review, without clearly addressing council members and community concerns and without permitting independent community monitors to observe classes in the academy; WHEREAS, the Austin Public Safety Commission has monitored and repeatedly expressed concern regarding the lack of verifiable changes in the curriculum and training provided by the academy, as well as no indication that the culture of the academy had been transformed; WHEREAS, the Austin Public Safety Commission has monitored and expressed repeated concerns regarding regular cadet academy retention rates, which have varied from 26.5% to 44% of cadets failing to complete the nine month training academy because they either quit or were terminated from the program; . WHEREAS, when asked to explain the inordinately high dropout rates for academy classes, Austin Police Department provided vague answers and lacked specific reasons for why a large proportion of dropouts leave the academy for “personal reasons;” WHEREAS, on October 6, 2025, the Austin Public Safety Commission issued a Resolution recommending a complete audit of the Training …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Public Safety Commission Recommendation Number: [YYYYMMDD-XXX] Recommendation to the Austin City Council Regarding the Austin Police Department’s 2027 Budget and Lack of Performance Metrics for the Austin Police Department Training Academy Recommendation: The Public Safety Commission recommends that the Austin City Council approve the 2027 budget for the Austin Police Department with no increase above the 2026 funding level, except for the funds necessary to fulfill labor contract obligations; and add detailed performance metrics to the training and recruitment programs at Austin Police Department. WHEREAS, the Austin Police Department Training Academy has been a locus of concern among city leaders and community advocates for over eight years; WHEREAS, despite this focus, there are no meaningful performance metrics linked to the Training Academy and the Training Academy continues to be a black box that for every 100 cadets who enter, fewer than 62 Austin Police Officers complete the Academy. WHEREAS, in December 2019, the Austin City Council suspended APD’s Training Academy to facilitate a review and over hall of the curriculum; WHEREAS, City Council and community leaders’ concerns focused on training materials and teaching that reinforced racially biased policing, reducing incidents of inappropriate and excessive use of force by APD, and the academy’s role in instilling a “warrior” mentality in officers charged with keeping Austinites safe; WHEREAS, the Training Academy re-opened in June of 2021, without completion of the independent curriculum review, without clearly addressing council members and community concerns and without permitting independent community monitors to observe classes in the academy; WHEREAS, the Austin Public Safety Commission has monitored and repeatedly expressed concern regarding the lack of verifiable changes in the curriculum and training provided by the academy, as well as no indication that the culture of the academy had been transformed; WHEREAS, the Austin Public Safety Commission has monitored and expressed repeated concerns regarding regular cadet academy retention rates; WHEREAS, between 2022 and 2026, 26.5% to 52.7% of cadets new to policing failed to complete the nine-month Training Academy because they either quit or were terminated from the program, resulting in a total of 220 cadets dropping out of the Training Academy; . WHEREAS, if the Training Academy had a dropout rate at the national average of 15%, Austin would have 134 more police officers on the force today; WHEREAS, the Austin Police Department also has a significant attrition problem during the first two years …
