Open Letter to APD on Public Safety
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2020 5:12 pm
Greetings Council Colleagues,
We have all received multiple requests about APD’s plans to keep Austin safe in the probability of free speech/free assembly activity after election day. In many of those requests, we’ve received specific questions about what will be done differently from APD’s approach to protests earlier this year during demonstrations and more recent events. This morning, the Public Safety Committee sent an open letter to APD Chief Brian Manley requesting a written response on three primary topics:
• While ensuring the safety of community members and officers, how Chief Manley will ensure that the tactics that so needlessly harmed peaceful demonstrators and escalated conflict are not used again;
• How Chief Manley will ensure that real threats of violence, such as those posed by domestic terrorist and white supremacist groups, are addressed with the seriousness they deserve, given recent reports that these extremist groups were treated differently and less forcefully than peaceful protestors;
• How Chief Manley will ensure the department will begin to rebuild trust with the public as it relates to safety at First Amendment events through clear communication and accountability.
It is important that we have clear and transparent communication about how our police department will work to do things better than in the past, so that everything goes as smoothly and safely as possible in the period following the election. We believe community trust, calm in the public arena, and safety are all best served by Council Members making this public request and by the City making a transparent and public response. We will keep the Council apprised of any updates on this matter.
Please see the attached public letter outlining this request: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 170909.pdf
Sincerely,
Council Member Greg Casar, Vice Chair
Council Member Jimmy Flannigan, Chair
We have all received multiple requests about APD’s plans to keep Austin safe in the probability of free speech/free assembly activity after election day. In many of those requests, we’ve received specific questions about what will be done differently from APD’s approach to protests earlier this year during demonstrations and more recent events. This morning, the Public Safety Committee sent an open letter to APD Chief Brian Manley requesting a written response on three primary topics:
• While ensuring the safety of community members and officers, how Chief Manley will ensure that the tactics that so needlessly harmed peaceful demonstrators and escalated conflict are not used again;
• How Chief Manley will ensure that real threats of violence, such as those posed by domestic terrorist and white supremacist groups, are addressed with the seriousness they deserve, given recent reports that these extremist groups were treated differently and less forcefully than peaceful protestors;
• How Chief Manley will ensure the department will begin to rebuild trust with the public as it relates to safety at First Amendment events through clear communication and accountability.
It is important that we have clear and transparent communication about how our police department will work to do things better than in the past, so that everything goes as smoothly and safely as possible in the period following the election. We believe community trust, calm in the public arena, and safety are all best served by Council Members making this public request and by the City making a transparent and public response. We will keep the Council apprised of any updates on this matter.
Please see the attached public letter outlining this request: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 170909.pdf
Sincerely,
Council Member Greg Casar, Vice Chair
Council Member Jimmy Flannigan, Chair