Item #7 Draft Public Safety Commission 2024-2025 Annual Internal Review — original pdf

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Annual Internal Review This report covers the time period of 7/1/2024 to 6/30/2025 Public Safety Commission ____________________________________ The Public Safety Commission of the City of Austin meets the first Monday of each month. The Commission’s task is reviewing the City of Austin’s needs and concerns with regards to public safety through presentations, documents, and data provided by the three public safety departments– Austin Fire Department, Austin PoliceDepartment, and Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services – and from advocates, community organizations, and citizens. The three public safety departments offered quarterly updates on staffing, response times, improvements, departmental priorities and needs, and other timely topics. DISCUSSION ITEMS Regular called meetings between July 2024 and June 2024, committed agenda items and discussions to the following topics of concern to the commissioners, the city council, the community and advocates: • Presentations by Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services and Fleet Mobility Services on Public Safety Vehicles. • Discussion of Forensic Nursing with representatives from The Safe Alliance (SAFE) and Sexual Assault Response and Resource Team (SARRT). • Approve a Recommendation to Council to include members of the Public Safety Commission and other Boards and Commission members in stakeholder groups meeting the Austin Police Department Chief Candidates. • Update on allowing a single stairway for multifamily development up to five stories. Public Safety Commission Annual Review and Work Plan 2024 - Page 2 • Discussion of Workers’ Compensation insurance program with Public Safety Unions and City of Austin representatives. • Update from Public Safety Commissioner on Austin Police Department Police Chief interview panel. • Update on Text to 911. • Approve a Recommendation to Council for Workers’ Compensation for Public Safety sworn staff to adopt a policy to remove barriers and reduce impact on staffing. • Update on the license plate reader program. • Update on Wildfire Readiness by Austin Fire Department, including an update on the PANO AI system by Austin Energy. • Discussion and overview of the Community Police Review Commission with the Office of Police Oversight and consideration of a Recommendation to Council. • Update on the October 2024 wildfire in East Austin. • Presentation regarding the new Public Safety Headquarters by Kimberly Olivares, Financial Services Department. • Presentation regarding the Death Notification Process within Victim Services by Kachina Clark, Austin Police Department. • Approve a Public Safety Commissioner to serve on the Downtown Commission as a non- voting member per City Code 2-1-140-C. • Discussion of commissioner appointments in 2025, the holdover capacity, and quorum for the Public Safety Commission. • Presentation regarding Public Safety Department mental health services and support for sworn staff. • Presentation regarding Public Safety Department demographics and diversification efforts. • Presentation regarding the inclement winter weather plans including communication and partnerships with area organizations. Presentation by Bill Wilson, Interim Director, Homeland Security and Emergency Management. • Presentation regarding the work of the Office of Violence Prevention, including partnerships with public safety agencies and review of the Gun Violence Problem Analysis. Presentation by Michelle Myles, Senior Business Process Consultant, Austin Public Health. • Discussion of City of Austin Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 Budget timeline and process and formation of a working group to draft budget recommendations. • update on the support of the Los Angeles County wildfire fighting and mental health support for firefighters. Public Safety Commission Annual Review and Work Plan 2024 - Page 3 • Update from the Downtown Commission representative on the recent presentation by Austin Police Department’s Downtown Area Command on East 6th Street security measures and pedestrian safety. • Discussion of the Homeless Strategy Office (HSO) coordination with public safety departments with David Gray, Homeless Strategy Officer. • 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 (CSCRM) Project. • Approve a Recommendation to Council for the presentation of aggregated sexual assault case data to the Public Safety Commission on a quarterly basis, to add case data as backup for relevant Public Safety Commission meeting agendas, and for the Collective Sex Crimes Response Model to work with the City Manager’s Office and Council to develop a proposed budget and cost analysis for the posting of quarterly sexual assault case data to a neutral organization to improve accessibility to and provide a permanent repository for the data. • Discussion of opioid use and mitigation efforts by Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services Department. • Discussion of Office of Police Oversight's implementation of the Austin Police Oversight Act (APOA) and update on vacancies and hiring. • Discussion of Austin Police Training Academy’s chain of command and progress of data- informed analytics as they relate to Kroll Report recommendations. • Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget. • 2026 Bond Development Update. Presentation by Eric Bailey, Assistant Director, Capital Delivery Services, Marcus Hammer, Assistant Director, Capital Delivery Services, Robin Henderson, Chief of Staff, Austin Police Department, Wesley Hopkins, Chief of Staff, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services Department, and Rob Vires, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire Department. • Biannual Wildfire Readiness Update, Austin Fire Department. • Presentation on the SIMLAB trailer, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services Department. • Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair. • Presentation on firefighter cancer prevention and changes in funding for continued tracking of efforts by Austin Fire Department. • 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. Public Safety Commission Annual Review and Work Plan 2024 - Page 4 • 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. • 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. WORKING GROUPS The Public Safety Commission formed and continued its work through the following working groups for the year in review: • Austin Police Department Cadet Training Academy Recommendations Working Group. • Collective Sex Crimes Response Model (CSCRM) Working Group to devise recommendations in support of the CSCRM’s project objectives until completion. • Public Safety Wellness Center Working Group • Bylaws Amendment Working Group RECOMMENDATIONS The Commission issued the following recommendations to City Council: • Recommendation 20240701-007: Participation in stakeholder group meetings with Austin Police Department Chief Candidates 1 • Recommendation 20240909-005: Workers' Compensation Program for Public Safety Sworn Staff 2 • Recommendation 20250203- 007 - Collective Sex Crimes Response Model Aggregated Sexual Assault Case Data Reporting 3 • Recommendation 20250303-006 - Budget Recommendations for FY25-26 Budget 4 • Recommendation 20250602-006 - Austin Police Department (APD) Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Program 5 ——- All Public Safety Commission actions complied with the purpose and duties outlined in Article 2 of its bylaws.6 In the coming year, the Public Safety Commission’s goals and 1 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=431158 2 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=436510 3 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=445233 4 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=446733 5 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=452847 6 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=387474 Public Safety Commission Annual Review and Work Plan 2024 - Page 5 actions will include the continuation of: • Discussion and and analyzing of existing and emerging public safety issues in Austin. • Examining the functioning, long-range planning, budget requests, and needs of the City of Austin’s public safety departments within an evidence and data-based context. • Seeking the input of the community by engaging with and hearing from citizens, advocates, experts, and community organizations. • Responding to requests from City Council related to public safety matters. • Collaborating with and supporting the City Council’s Public Safety Committee.