Council direction

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Greg Casar
Posts: 189
Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2015 3:20 pm

Council direction

Post by Greg Casar »

Colleagues,

Below please find the additional direction I wish to give today regarding the sworn officer positions and the DNA lab.

Thanks,
Greg




In authorizing but not funding the 12 sworn officer positions, it is the intent of the City Council that the City Manager will provide staff support to a stakeholder process to review recommendations made in Chapter 3 “Community Policing Leadership and Management” and Chapter 4 “Support for Community Policing in the Department” and community recommendations including those submitted recently by the Austin Justice Coalition. The Austin Justice Coalition recommendations include updating officer training protocols shown to reduce use of force, including prioritizing de-escalation and principles of proportionate response.

The Council intends for the stakeholder group to evaluate the above Matrix recommendations and Austin Justice Coalition recommendations. Stakeholders should work together to identify strategies to achieve various recommendations, and include a work plan, processes and an implementation timeline for recommendations, with specific attention to recommendations regarding recruitment, training, leadership, and metrics to measure community policing at the Austin Police Department.

The City Manager is directed to provide an update on the stakeholder process no later than February 9, 2017, a final report to Council no later than June 15, 2017. The Council requests that the stakeholder group provide an additional briefing to Council.


PS1.04

It is the intent of the City Council that a team of experts should conduct a review of the operation of the Austin Police Department’s own DNA lab measured against the formation of an independent lab. Other feasible options in delivering forensic services should also be reviewed.

It is the priority of the City Council that all evidence related to sexual assault cases be tested until there is no evidence for sexual assault cases waiting to be tested. The Council intends for the City Manager to provide quarterly updates to Council with the status of the sexual assault evidence backlog and provide the Department’s goals for turnaround time for processing incoming evidence related to sexual assault.
Gregorio "Greg" Casar
Council Member District 4