Police oversight reports and recommendations

The Office of Police Oversight has issued a memo in response to the Austin Police Department’s investigations into police misconduct during recent protests against police brutality. These investigations were initiated from more than 300 complaints submitted by the OPO.

In response to the Office of Police Oversight's 2018 Officer-Involved Shooting Report, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley issued a memo to address the report's findings.

This report analyzes Austin Police Department officer-involved shootings (OIS) taking place in 2018, focused on analyzing data and patterns related to these events. The data clearly reveals a disparate concentration of OIS incidents affecting individuals who are ethnic minorities, as well as areas of Austin that are historically minority majority.

The Office of Police Oversight has submitted an objection to the March 16, 2020 changes made to Austin Police Department General Order 903. These changes reduce the discipline level for violations of body worn camera systems and digital mobile audio and video recording policies. The OPO contends that the changes undermine the discipline process by downplaying significant policy violations.

In January 2020, the Office of Police Oversight, the Office of Innovation, and the Equity Office released "Joint Report: Analysis of APD Racial Profiling Data," which examined the Austin Police Department's motor vehicle stop data from 2015 to 2018. This addendum provides more data analysis on the reasons for motor vehicle stops in 2018.

On February 22, 2020, the Office of Police Oversight, Office of Innovation, and Equity Office hosted an event to listen to and gather community feedback regarding the findings of the January 2020 "Joint Report: Analysis of APD Racial Profiling Data." This PDF includes a memo with a high-level summary of the community feedback from the event and recommendations for action and next steps, as well as the full community feedback report.

The Office of Police Oversight has submitted an objection to the recent changes in Austin Police Department General Orders 902. These general orders concern the handling of administrative investigations. The OPO contends the revisions undermine their ability to perform oversight and provide transparency to the public.

The Office of Police Oversight partnered with UT School of Law to develop a new curriculum for the Austin Police Department Training Academy. The purpose of the course is to provide historical context to interactions between future and current officers and the communities they serve.

This report analyzes Austin Police Department motor vehicle stop data from 2015 to 2018, focusing on the race and ethnicity of the people pulled over. The report concludes that Black/African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos in Austin are disproportionately stopped in their motor vehicles. This report is a collaboration between the Office of Police Oversight, the Office of Innovation, and the Equity Office.

In response to the "Joint Report: Analysis of APD Racial Profiling Data," Austin Police Chief Brian Manley issued three memos to address the report's findings. The first memo was sent to City Manager Spencer Cronk on January 14, 2020. The second memo was sent to the City Council's Judicial Committee on April 23, 2020. The third memo was sent to the City Council's Judicial Committee on May 7, 2020.