By Elizabeth Christian and David L. Roche – Special to the American-Statesman Updated: 5:18 p.m. Wednesday, September 06, 2017 The Austin City Council thinks we’re safe enough. Otherwise, how do you explain a reduction in public safety spending as a percentage of the city’s budget next year? Despite population growth, increases in violent crime, emergency… Read more »
Greater Austin Crime Commission
The Greater Austin Crime Commission was established in 1997
to support Central Texas first responders
and promote public safety planning.
Programs
- Sponsoring the Austin Police Department’s Guns4Groceries program, which has collected nearly 800 unwanted weapons and raises public awareness about firearm safety
- Partnering with the University of Texas at Austin to sponsor the Longhorn Leaders program, which encourages seventh graders to “make good choices” by staying in school, off drugs, and out of trouble
- Sponsoring the Austin Police Department’s Guns4Groceries program, which has collected nearly 800 unwanted weapons and raises public awareness about firearm safety
- Supplying Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services with specially-equipped motorcycles to improve downtown, highway, and special event response Partnering with The University of Texas at Austin and the Austin Independent School District to sponsor the Longhorn Leaders program, which emphasizes academic excellence and life success skills
- Co-sponsoring an annual Global Security Summit with the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at The University of Texas at Austin
- Hosting a Public Safety Series featuring law enforcement and policy experts, such as Governor Greg Abbott, Admiral Bobby R. Inman, USN (Ret), former Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, Congressman Michael T. McCaul, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven C. McCraw, former New York Police Department Commissioner Howard Safir, and State Senator Kirk Watson.
- Working with the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation to provide protective vests and tactical equipment to twenty-five area law enforcement agencies
- Marketing the Austin Police Department’s 3-1-1 response system, which significantly reduced emergency calls and providing technology to support the Amber Alert program
- Providing life-saving trauma kits for Austin Police Department patrol vehicles
- Offering specialized DNA collection, homeland security, WMD, and K-9 medical, training for regional law enforcement
- Supplying equipment to create the nation’s first K-9 chembio and radiation detection programs Starting the state’s first 401K-9 program to assist with medical expenses for retired law enforcement animals
- Sponsoring youth outreach programs, including the “Do the Write Thing” national middle school essay contest, Kids and Cops™, and Safe Schools Week
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
David L. Roche*
Principal, Endeavor Real Estate Group
VICE PRESIDENT
John C. Schweitzer*
Campbell Capital Ltd.
SECRETARY
Keith E. Gamel*
Attorney and Partner,
Naman Howell Smith & Lee LLP
TREASURER
Brad B. Hawley*
Partner, Locke Lord LLP
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Paul J. Bury III*
PAST PRESIDENT
Hon. Pamela P. Willeford*
Former U.S. Ambassador to
Switzerland and Liechtenstein
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Pete Winstead*
Founding Shareholder, Winstead PC
Brian A. Bailey
Brian A. Bailey Homes Inc.
David G. Booth
Chairman and Co-CEO,
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Laurie Brown
Vice President,
Brown Distributing Co.
Tony Budet
President and CEO,
University Federal Credit Union
Fred Burton
Vice President for Intelligence, Stratfor
Edward S. Butler
Butler Family Interests
Scott A. Carr
President, Carr Development Inc.
Elizabeth Christian
President, Elizabeth Christian Public Relations LLC
Stephen Clark
Chairman,
Cypress Real Estate Advisors Inc.
Tim Crowley
Austin Regional President, Frost
Ashton Cumberbatch Jr.
Vice President/Industry and Governmental Relations, Seton Family of Hospitals
Dr. William H. Cunningham*
James L. Bayless Chair For Free Enterprise, The University of Texas at Austin
Former Chancellor, The University of Texas System
Former President, The University of Texas at Austin
Brian DeRoeck
Principal, Noram
Douglas D. Dodds
Managing Partner, McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore LLP
Hon. John W. Fainter Jr.
President and CEO, Association of Electric Companies of Texas Inc.
Former Secretary of State, State of Texas
Gary S. Farmer
President, Heritage Title Company of Austin Inc.
Kent Ferguson
President, HealthCare Facilities Development Corporation
Dr. Gonzalo Garza
Former Superintendent, Austin Independent School District
Rudy Garza
Founder and Managing General Partner, G51 Capital Management
Louis Granger
Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo Advisors
Bryan Hardeman
Richard S. Hill*
Founding Partner, HPI Real Estate Services & Investments
Joe E. Holt*
Chairman (Austin Region), JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.
Craig S. Hughes
Principal, Oden Hughes LLC
Bobby R. Inman, Admiral, USN (Ret)*
Managing Director, Limestone Ventures
Lyndon B. Johnson Centennial Chair in National Policy,
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
Chairman and Managing Partner, Gefinor Ventures
Former Chairman, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Former Deputy Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Former Director, National Security Agency
Corby Jastrow*
Vice President and Partner, Prominent Title
Kenneth M. Jastrow II
Former Chairman and CEO, Temple-Inland Inc.
Bill Jones
Attorney, The Jones Firm
Bradley S. Knippa
Attorney and CPA, Jackson Walker LLP
Dr. Michael L. Lauderdale
Clara Pope Willoughby Centennial Professor, The University of Texas at Austin
Fred Ligarde*
Ligarde & Associates
Federal Bureau of Investigation (Ret)*
Eduardo Margain
President, Noctua Investments
Linda McCaul
Clear Channel Communications Inc.
Bryce Miller
Managing Principal, Endeavor Real Estate Group
Catherine Q. Morse
General Counsel and Senior Director of Public Affairs
Samsung Austin Semiconductor LLC
Patricia C. Ohlendorf
Vice President for Legal Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
Patrick Oles
President and CEO, Barshop & Oles
Harriet O’Neill
Former Justice, Supreme Court of Texas
Gamble J. Palmer Jr.
President, Palmco Inc.
Juan Portillo
President, Tramex Travel
Mike M. Reynolds
Reynolds Interests
Dr. Randa S. Safady
Vice Chancellor for External Relations, The University of Texas System
Hon. Philip E. Sanders
Attorney
Former Municipal Judge, City of Austin
Former Federal Magistrate
Allan Shivers Jr.
Chairman, Shivers Group Inc.
James E. Stone
President and Director, Frost HR Consulting
Timothy C. Taylor
Partner, Jackson Walker LLP
Tom Terkel
Founder and principal, FourT Realty
F. Gary Valdez
President, Focus Strategies Investment Banking
Hon. Ralph Wayne*
Former Chairman, Texas Ethics Commission
Former Chief Deputy Comptroller, Comptroller of Public Accounts, State of Texas
Former Member, Texas House of Representatives
Former President, Texas Civil Justice League
Neel White
CEO, White Construction Company
Ray A. Wilkerson
President and CEO, Ray Wilkerson Companies Inc.
*Executive Committee
In the News
Blog, News
Austin Police Staffing Studies
Since 2012, three Austin Police Department staffing studies have recommended adding patrol positions. Copies of the reports (2012 PERF, 2015 GACC, and 2016 Matrix) and a transcript of the 2016 Matrix Group presentation to the Austin City Council are available below. A complete copy of the 2016 Matrix analysis and recommendations (12MB) is available here. 2012 PERF… Read more »
News
Survey Reveals Austin Voters Support Added Police Officers to Improve Public Safety
Respondents want improved response times, decreased criminal activity and more community policing AUSTIN, TEXAS — May 16, 2017 — A majority of likely Austin voters believe that increasing the number of police officers on Austin streets would improve overall public safety. A survey sponsored by the Greater Austin Crime Commission found 75 percent of respondents believe… Read more »