Category: Neighborhood Network

Neighborhood Network

May 11, 2021

Dear Neighbor, Last week, the Austin City Council voted to start a police cadet class next month. The training academy begins in early June. The 144th Cadet Class is tentatively scheduled to graduate on January 28, 2022. The Central Texas Public Safety Commission and its public safety coalition partners have worked for more than a year to… Read more »

Neighborhood Network

May 3, 2021

Dear Neighbor, The Austin City Council will consider a resolution to restart a police cadet class next month on Thursday. Please email your council member and urge them to vote YES on Item 10. In response to community concerns and city council direction, the Austin Police Department has overhauled recruiting and training. Restarting cadet classes is the best opportunity to improve police… Read more »

Neighborhood Network

April 26, 2021

Dear Neighbor, On May 6, the Austin City Council will consider a resolution to authorize starting the next police cadet class. The city manager outlined the steps to restart the training academy in a blueprint adopted last month. A contract amendment with Kroll Associates Inc. to evaluate the training academy is also on the council agenda next week. In response to city council… Read more »

Neighborhood Network

April 14, 2021

Dear Neighbor, Public safety issues are a priority at the State Capitol this spring. With forty-six days left in the session, several high-profile bills are moving through the legislative process: HB 1900 (Goldman) and HB 2362 (Harris) prevent municipalities from cutting law enforcement budgets. Any local cuts in four areas (general budget, officer positions, overtime, or training budget) will result… Read more »

Neighborhood Network

April 7, 2021

Dear Neighbor, Gun violence in Austin increased by 47 percent in 2020, according to a report released last week by the Austin Police Department. There was a 69 percent spike in non-family aggravated assaults involving firearms, which is an indicator of violent crime trends. Gun violence in Austin is up 124 percent since 2015. Two weeks ago, the Austin… Read more »

Neighborhood Network

March 22, 2021

Dear Neighbor, After seven outside reviews and more than a year since the last cadet class started, Austin is ready to restart the police training academy. This Thursday, the Austin City Council will vote on a resolution (Item 37) to restart police cadet classes no later than June 7. The city manager provided an update and “blueprint” for a “reimagined cadet training academy” to the… Read more »

Neighborhood Network

March 15, 2021

Dear Neighbor Austin is ready to restart police cadet classes. On March 25, the Austin City Council will consider a resolution that restarts the police training academy no later than June 7. In response to community concerns and city council direction, the Austin Police Department has overhauled recruiting and training. Restarting cadet classes is the best opportunity to change police culture… Read more »

Neighborhood Network

March 1, 2021

Dear Neighbor, Two weeks ago, as a winter storm threatened lives, firefighters, medics, and police officers responded. When power and water failed, first responders didn’t. Many first responders could not get home to their families, sleeping in EMS, fire, and police stations. The city manager and staff worked tirelessly to coordinate emergency relief and maintain essential services.… Read more »

Neighborhood Network

February 2, 2021

Dear Neighbor, It has been 102 days since the last class of forty-two cadets graduated from the Austin Police Department Training Academy. The police department now has seventy-six vacancies, on top of the 150 positions cut by the Austin City Council in the current fiscal year budget. Much work has been done to improve police recruiting and… Read more »

Neighborhood Network

January 26, 2021

Dear Neighbor, Austin faces serious public safety challenges, notably homelessness and police staffing. This week, let’s discuss police patrol shortages and academy training. The first round of Austin Police Department staffing reassignments went into effect this month, which moved eighty-nine officers from specialized units back to patrol. These reallocations were made to adjust the patrol workload to account… Read more »