Dear Neighbor, Last week, Travis County District Attorney José Garza announced felony indictments against nineteen Austin police officers related to the riots during the summer of 2020. The charges carry prison sentences of five to ninety-nine years or life. There are legitimate questions about what evidence was presented to the grand jury. To ensure public confidence in the… Read more »
401K-9 Program
Highly-trained law enforcement dogs are one of the most effective non-lethal aids in the prevention and detection of crime. Acting as patrol partners, in search and rescue, and in the detection of explosives, narcotics, and biological and chemical weapons, many of these dogs are injured and physically stressed for their entire lives. Like their human counterparts, these certified police dogs deserve to be safe in the field and receive benefits once they are no longer able to serve.
The 401K-9 Program Thanks Their Sponsors:
K-9 SUPPORT
In 2002, the Greater Austin Crime Commission responded to a critical need for services and equipment to support active and retired canines and their handlers. The state’s first 401 K-9 program was born. The program has since been called upon to provide first aid trauma kits, bullet-proof vests, medication, disaster relief, emergency veterinarian services and numerous other types of support.
Each year the Crime Commission works diligently to match resources with canine/handler team needs. Through the creation of veterinarian provider networks and access to low-cost medications and supplies, the Commission offers financial relief to law enforcement agencies and officers who provide lifelong care for retired animals. Additionally, the Crime Commission offers education and training to law enforcement through annual conferences and hands-on opportunities. Some of the issues covered during the annual Police K-9 Emergency Medical Conference
are international response procedures, decontamination procedures, heat stroke, snakebites, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, and canine training to detect chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. Participation at the conference includes a diverse mix of law enforcement agencies: local police departments, Department of Homeland Security/TSA, Texas Department of Public Safety, FEMA, ATF, FBI, University of Texas, and Austin ISD Police Department.
GACC continues to partner with K-9 units to raise awareness in the community and the media in support of worthy causes such as the thousands of animals displaced by natural disasters, most recently witnessed during the tragic Bastrop, Texas wildfires. Their constituency includes numerous local, state, and federal agencies. The 401 K-9 program has been recognized for its accomplishments by law enforcement agencies and leaders such as Kay Bailey Hutchison, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell and local police and fire leaders. In 2004, former Austin Mayor Will Wynn of proclaimed June 29, 2004 the K-9 Medical Training Conference day.
In the News
Neighborhood Network
February 16, 2022
Dear Neighbor, Since the Austin Police Department patrol staffing model was released last month, the Greater Austin Crime Commission has met with city council members and community groups to review the research. The Austin Chamber of Commerce board voted unanimously to support the patrol staffing model recommendations. The second research phase is underway to model administrative and specialized units, including… Read more »
Blog, News
APD Staffing Project
Austin Police Department Staffing ProjectPatrol Model and Community SurveyJanuary 2022 Austin is the first city to use machine learning to model police staffing. The Greater Austin Crime Commission funded research at the University of New Haven and Texas State University to develop a patrol model and conduct a community survey for the Austin Police Department.… Read more »