Item 99 Version 2

[Sara Barge]

On behalf of Council Member Qadri:

Colleagues,

Thank you for the discussion yesterday at our Council Work Session. Attached is Version 2 of the APOA resolution (Item 99).

http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 154138.pdf

Last year, the Council decided to let the voters weigh in on the future of police oversight. On May 6 of this year, those voters overwhelmingly supported Prop A over an alternative measure, Prop B.

Since that time, our contract with our police officers has expired and Council passed in Spring of 2023 an ordinance that would allow for set pay and benefits for APD to extend for one-year.

In the past, many provisions of oversight have been defined through police contracts. Because we currently have no contract, we must abide by Texas code on enacting provisions of Prop A. Since the passage of Prop A ,the City has been parsing through how to enact provisions of Prop A legally without a new contract. There have been many questions from the community and stakeholders seeking clarification on this process and the reasons why full implementation of Prop A has not yet occurred.

This resolution I'm bringing forward serves the purpose of detailing and implementing provisions of Prop A that can be legally done without a meet-and-confer agreement.

Specifically, the resolution directs the following:
-OPO to obtain CJIS certification which allows for direct and unfettered access to body camera footage and will expedite preliminary
investigations conducted by OPO.
-OPO to maintain and manage their own records
-Conduct preliminary investigations, regardless if a sworn affidavit is completed
-Post data concerning all complaints to OPO’s website
-OPO to serve as a liaison to complainants
-Create community engagement meetings for OPO to report on complaint data and answer questions the public may have about the complaint
process

We placed this decision in the hands of the voters in May, and they overwhelmingly supported Prop A. It is now our obligation as their elected representatives to put their will into action. I appreciate my co-sponsors as well as the community advocates and stakeholders who helped us reach this point and I look forward to a robust discussion at our Council meeting tomorrow.

Best,
Zo