It appears that Community Policing by District Representatives is on the chopping block at APD.  In an effort to put more officers on the street, several position/staffing changes are being considered. The city council for the past several years has not provided funding for the full number of positions in the APD budget request, therefore this year, APD budget considerations include cycling “inside” sworn officers through patrol duties several times per year; for now we are told detectives, with other positions to be determined. During the budget discussions last year, APD requested additional positions in order to build up the community policing program in Austin; about half of the requested number was approved.  The recruiting, hiring, and training process to get new officers on the street can take 18-24 months.
 
The latest discussion we have heard about is converting approximately 48 sworn officer positions to civilian jobs – the District Representatives’ positions would be filled by civilians.  There is talk about retaining one sworn DR in each region, but as with many of these changes, no final decisions have been made.  The DRs would be transferred to patrol or other positions within the Department – we would loose the most important and knowledgeable individuals who provide specialized services to our neighborhoods and our schools, who are liaisons to our communities, and serve our residents with the level of response which requires a sworn peace officer.  Even if some of the duties can be handled by civilians, the sworn officers are our connection we need in difficult situations.
 
The City Council hired Matrix Consulting Group to conduct a Community Policing Study to determine what APD’s community policing plan will be and what measures are required to implement a comprehensive, effective program to serve the people of Austin.  The study includes input from law enforcement personnel, elected officials, and community members. Please take the survey to give your thoughts and opinions – it’s on the APD website: www.austintexas.gov/department/police. Deadline is May 9 - it is possible that the deadline could be extended, but go ahead and do it now.   The survey results will be produced in early June.
 
In addition, City Council members are having town hall meetings in their districts to gather feedback.  D1, D4, and D6 have already had their meetings. D2 is on May 10, D5 is on May 11, D7 is on May 21.  CM Gallo and Troxclaire indicate they will not be having a meeting; you can check with your CM if a meeting for your district is not shown here.  Participate if you can.
 
If you believe that keeping the sworn officers as District Representatives that we now have is vital to our city, contact the Mayor, City Manager, all of the City Council Members, and APD.  If you believe that public safety in Austin is important enough to be staffed at the needed levels, do the same.  Tell them how DRs are important to your neighborhood and what the effect will be if these officers are taken away.  Yes, patrol officers are absolutely needed, but taking our DRs cannot be the only option.
 
The schedule for upcoming Council budget action is: projected budget provided to the Council on July 27.  The new fiscal year begins October 1, so the vote will be taken prior to that date.  City Council meeting dates and agendas are on the city’s website.
 
This is the contact information for your use:
 
marc.ott@austintexas.gov
steve@adlerforaustin.com
ora.houston@austintexas.gov
delia.garza@austintexas.gov
sabino.renteria@austintexas.gov
greg.casar@austintexas.gov
ann.kitchen@austintexas.gov
don@donzimmerman.org
leslie@lesliepoolforaustin.com
info@ekkenforaustin.com
kathie.tovo@austintexas.gov
sheri.gallo@austintexas.gov
art.acevedo@austintexas.gov
brian.manley@austintexas.gov
 
Our efforts:  in late March, representatives of CLASP met with Chief Art Acevedo to talk about neighborhood and public safety matters, express our concerns about the DR changes, and to make recommendations we feel would be helpful as Austin increases its Community Policing Program.  Our discussions included APD’s efforts to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the face of budget issues and population growth, our belief that the education and direct services provided and the good will generated by District Reps is as valuable and important as what patrol and other units provide, the benefits of improving and expanding Neighborhood Watch training, coordinating the DRs and community engagement, and establishing an Advisory Board on Community Policing composed of experienced community members, APD staff, and other stakeholders. We look forward to a continuing dialogue as the process continues.

 The Austin Police Department Regions are resuming their public meetings in 2016 to provide information on their activities and get feedback from people in their areas.  The Forum information is shown below and you can check the web for updates at www.austintexas.gov/department/police; click on Divisions, scroll down to APD District Representatives (maps available also).
 
Region 1 – Baker: date not set; phone number 974-5340
Region 1 – Ida: date not set; phone number 974-5722
Region 1 – Downtown: date not set
Region 2 – Edward: February 2, at 6:30 pm, Holy Word Lutheran Church
                 phone 974-5598
Region 2 – Adam: February 9, at 6:30 pm, Spicewood Springs Library
                  phone 974-5743
Region 3 – 1st Monday of each month, at 6:30 pm, 812 Springdale Road
                  Charlie – phone 974-8106; Henry – phone 974-5902
Region 4 – January 21, April 21, July 21, October 20, at 6:30 pm
                404 Ralph Ablanedo Sub
                 David and Frank – phone 974-8100
 
Please note that Region 4 conducts Neighborhood Watch training on the 1st Tuesday of each month beginning in February; contact the District Rep in your sector for Neighborhood Watch training in your area.  CLASP also can provide assistance in setting up Neighborhood Watch programs.
 
Open Carry Comes to Texas
 
People licensed to carry can now legally have holstered handguns unconcealed in locations where guns are permitted.  Private businesses can ban guns on their premises.  Training for new license to carry permits will include using restraint holsters and methods to secure carrying of handguns.  The current law does not require restraint holsters.  It should be noted that law enforcement agencies were not in favor of this law.

Have ideas on how to improve the look of I-35 from Rundberg Lane to Woodland Avenue?

Texas Department of Transportation would like to hear your ideas.Take this very short survey to share your thoughts.The survey will be available through Jan. 15, 2016. We look forward to hearing from you!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3XJGL2CThank you, 

​https://www.facebook.com/txdot

This Saturday in Austin there will be a peaceful march to show that Police Lives Matter – hope you can be there.  We will gather in front of APD Main Headquarters at 715 East 8th Street and walk west on 8th to Congress, then north on Congress to the Capitol steps.  It is about a 15 minute walk (.7 mile).  The march beings at 10:00 am, but get there early to find a parking space under the IH 35 bridge at 8th.
 
Wear blue and come out to show your support for our law enforcement officers and their families.
 

The “Increasing Neighborhood Safety” Forum on August 8 at the Windsor Park Branch Library drew many people from neighborhoods all around Austin for informational presentations and discussions among participants on partnering with law enforcement, police funding requirements, neighborhood watch, and community policing.

The comprehensive presentation on ‘APD 2016 Funding and Police Force Strength’ was made by APD Chief Art Acevedo who explained the $393.9 million budget needs with increases to include 82 new sworn officer positions with their vehicles and equipment, and specific unmet needs of staff for property crimes and PAL, open records specialists, 911 call takers, telecommunications, and communications training.  He discussed the new police force strength model using ‘community engagement time’ to determine the number of officers needed to provide services for our large and growing population in Central Texas and that community policing methods will be utilized in the new staffing.  He covered other topics and answered questions on a large number of public safety and police issues.  We appreciate the Chief making time in his schedule to come to the meeting and talk with concerned neighbors about crime prevention, police services, and working together on safety for our city.
 
Cary Roberts of the Greater Austin Crime Commission thanked CLASP and neighborhood watch groups for their efforts in crime prevention and in educating the public about public safety issues and partnerships with law enforcement.
 
‘Reducing Crime and Building Community Relationships’ presented by Officer Joshua Visi covered the many duties of District Reps and services they provide, Neighborhood Watch Training in Region 4, benefits of community engagement as carried out by DRs, and establishing ties within neighborhoods.
 
‘Track Your Neighborhood’s Unique Crime Patterns’ by Jack Darby was an in depth look at how to use krimelabb in discovering what is happening around your area and learning more about types, frequency, time, and location of crimes.
 
Attendees were encouraged to contact their city council representatives regarding funding support for police services and to remain active and engaged in safety awareness and crime prevention in their neighborhoods.  We also urge all residents of Austin to contact their representative about adequate funding for police, fire, and EMS services in Austin.
 
CLASP is dedicated to sustaining a network of neighborhood watch coordinators, providing information and opportunities for dialogue, and fostering relationships with law enforcement to develop and implement citizen led community policing engagement initiatives in Austin.  We welcome your comments and suggestions.  Our website iswww.claspatx.com.

August 8 – Attend this year’s CLASP Information Forum, “Increasing Neighborhood Safety” at the Windsor Park Branch Library located at 5833 Westminster Drive from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Presentations on the APD budget, new force strength recommendations, community policing, neighborhood watch, and tracking your neighborhood’s unique crime patterns. 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33745611/Increasing%20Neighborhood%20Safety%20in%20Austin.pdf



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Save The Date! Aug 8th, Info Forum - Reducing Neighorhood Crime7/25/2015

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SAVE THIS DATE:  August 8 – Attend this year’s CLASP Information Forum, “Reducing Neighborhood Crime,” at the Windsor Park Branch Library located at 5833 Westminster Drive from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Presentations on the APD budget, new force strength recommendations, community policing, neighborhood watch, and tracking your neighborhood’s unique crime patterns. 


https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33745611/Increasing%20Neighborhood%20Safety%20in%20Austin.pdf



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Austin Police Department FY 2016-17 Budget Overview and Forecast7/17/2015

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The Greater Austin Crime Commission, in partnership with the University of Texas, this spring produced a comprehensive review and analysis of police force strength issues which is invaluable in considering public safety funding.  The points brought up in the overview of the Austin Police Department staffing are:

- Austin is one of the nation’s safest cities, but rapid growth strains public safety resources;
- New metro resident estimates range from 110-158 net arrivals daily;
- While the violent crime rate is lower than cities of comparable size, property crime is 8 percent higher and theft is 28 percent higher;
- Traditional police staffing formulas based on population are outdated;
- Police force strength should be based on community engagement time which is the time patrol officers have for community policing when not responding to calls for service;
- During the past five years, the APD’s total community engagement (or ‘uncommitted’) time for patrol officers citywide declined from 33 to 19 percent;
- Studies of best practices show community engagement time goals ranging from 25-50 percent;
- Hiring 82 additional officers per year between Fiscal year 2016-2020 will make it possible for the APD to reach a goal of 30 percent community engagement time over five years.
 
The budget forecast for FY 2016 includes 82 officer positions for $10.4 million, but does not include other requested commissioned positions including two for the Property Crimes Task Force, one for the Police Activities League, and 18 for investigative and support units (auto theft, burglary, computer forensics, DWI, and robbery).  


An additional 67 civilian personnel are not included in the FY 2016 forecast generally including 911 call takers, communications and system support staff, evidence control specialists, latent print examiners, crime scene specialists, records analyst, property crime technicians, victim/witness counselors, open records specialists, and various administrative support personnel.  The staffing and workload analysis suggests 410 additional patrol officers are needed over the next five years to reach police department goal of 30 percent community engagement time.
 
We urge you contact your District’s City Council member and Mayor Adler to express your support for funding of commissioned and civilian personnel of the Austin Police Department for FY 2016 and encourage your city council representative and the Mayor to vote in favor of the APD budget request. 


 This is the budget schedule: council work sessions through August 13; Department presentations to the council are August 12 and 13; first public hearing on the budget is August 20; budget adoption set for Sept. 8-10.  The council is not in session during July.

Here is the email addresses for all City Council members:

Steve.Adler@austintexas.gov 
Ora.Houston@austintexas.gov 
Delia.Garza@austintexas.gov 
Sabino.Renteria@austintexas.gov 
Gregorio.Casar@austintexas.gov 
Ann.Kitchen@austintexas.gov 
Don.Zimmerman@austintexas.gov 
Leslie.Pool@austintexas.gov
Ellen.Troxclair@austintexas.gov
Kathie.Tovo@austintexas.gov 
Sheri.Gallo@austintexas.gov



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Risk to Public Safety in CM’s Initial Budget Info7/17/2015

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Last month the City Manager’s Office provided information on potential cuts to City services in the budget preparations. The $23 million in cuts to the FY 2016 budget included various public safety services and other departments.  

However, it appears that the initial reductions to public safety may not be included in the budget presentations to be made in August.  It is advisable to monitor the final CM budget to verify that public safety services will not be harmed.  The following is the initial information:
 
Police Department – Eliminate 93 positions: District Representatives (44)

 Highway Enforcement-DWI (38); Office of Community Liaison (11)


Fire Department – Cut overtime and services; not fill vacancies; cut back 50% on wildfire fuel mitigation; eliminate five civilian and support positions

EMS – Eliminate 13 positions in various roles including three sworn, and civilians including training, support, and warehouse personnel

Other cuts would be in Parks and Recreation, Communications and Technology Management, as well as other Departments.



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Activity Level Ramping Up6/5/2015

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CLASP is involved in a variety of issues including neighborhood watch training, police budget needs and staffing model, and developing an education forum planned for later this year.

Neighborhood Watch: New neighborhood watch groups for single family homes and for apartment complexes are being developed and CLASP representatives will be providing instruction and training. In addition, CLASP representatives have recently made joint watch training presentations with APD.  

There is no charge for this training and any neighborhoods that would like information on setting up their groups are encouraged to contact CLASP for details.   

Budget: This is City of Austin budget season and public safety budget forecast presentations been made to the Council and the Public Safety Commission.  City Manager required that all departments submit forecasts with 5% reductions for 2016.  

Word is that the Austin Police Department could face a reduction in the District Rep Program and Highway Enforcement Unit.  Proposed budgets are due June 5.  The City Council is out during most of the month of July, with the first budget work session on July 30.  There will be two work sessions and two public hearings during August, and in September another work session and, in the second week of September, adoption of the budget and tax rate.  

Watch your email for information and updates on how you can participate as this process moves along!

Police Force Strength: The Greater Austin Crime Commission partnered with the University of Texas to produce an extensive analysis of police force strength models.  The report made a compelling recommendation for an effective method of determining staffing using patrol officers’ “uncommitted time” (time used for interacting with the public) rather than basing size of the force on population figures as currently used (2 officers per 1,000 people).  

The GACC plans to discuss force strength and APD funding in its contacts with the council members during the budget cycle.   

Forum: Planning is in process for a CLASP Education Forum to be held later this year in North Austin with potential topics to include details on the APD budget request, an explanation of police force strength using community engagement time, and the District Representative Program. 

Watch your email for date, place, and programs for this year’s Forum!



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CLASP Assists with Watch Training 3/1/2015

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Representatives of CLASP participated in two Neighborhood Watch Training Classes which were provided recently.  In January, the Austin Police Department conducted Part 1 of Watch Training for the Avery Ranch Neighborhood and in February, the Travis County Sheriff’s Department conducted their Training Session for residents of The Reserve at Westcreek near Pflugerville.  In March, CLASP will be assisting APD with Watch Training for River Oaks Neighborhood.

Anyone who would like to have CLASP provide free Neighborhood Watch Training can get in touch with us atwww.claspatx.com.



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Nearly 100 !!!3/1/2015

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Yes, that’s right – there were almost 100 applications for the session of the APD Citizen Police Academy which began this month!  And over 80 people were accepted into this session.  Just a short three years ago, one CPA class had 19 people in it!  The Austin Police Department committed to holding two classes per week in order to accommodate all of the people who wanted to come and learn about APD.  This will require double work by the officers who instruct the classes and by Officer Scanlon in preparing, coordinating, and managing this large group for 14 weeks.  We appreciate their dedication and service to the CPA Program.  The 82nd class started on February 10 and the 83rd class started on February 12.  Chief Acevedo spoke to attendees at both of the classes, with Chaplain Services as the topic of the presentation for the evening.
 
Officer Surei Scanlon, the CPA Coordinator, has continued to enhance the program, materials, and environment of the classes.  Participants now have free parking during their class time and classes have meals provided.  Generous donations come from a variety of restaurants and sponsors and are much appreciated by the participants.  For the 2015 class, APD provided the binders and is providing meals for about half of the class sessions.  This support for the CPA Program is vital to producing a high quality program for the people of Austin who attend the classes.
 
Anyone interested in attending the CPA class can get information atwww.austintexas.gov or at www.austincpaaa.org. Graduates of the Citizen Police Academy who are members of the Austin CPA Alumni Association are also eligible to participate in a number of volunteer opportunities within APD which are only available to CPA graduates.



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March 2nd - APD Region III South Central / Central East District Representatives Commander's Forum2/28/2015

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On Monday, March 2, 2015, at 6:30pm, the Austin Police Department's Region III South Central / Central East District Representatives invite you to attend our monthly Commander's Forum to sharae significant events, crime stats and updates.

The forum will be held at the Austin Police Department East Substation and Forensics Center, 812 Springdale Rd., Austin TX 78702.  A question and answer sessions with the District Representatives and Command Staff will follow. For additional information, please contact Region III District Representatives at 512.974.5902 or 512.974.816. Thank you for your support.
 
CONTACT
Gwen McLennan
gwen.mclennan@austintexas.gov
512.974.8106



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Region II Commander's Forum, Feb 3rd, 6:30pm1/30/2015

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The Northeast Commander's Forum will be held Tuesday, February 3, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. at the Settlement Home, located at 1607 Colony Creek. The forum will give information about what the police are doing in Northeast Austin to include but not limited to, police stats, upcoming programs, and initiatives. The special guest speaker will be Sgt. Sam Shurley of the Austin Police Department Metro Tactical Unit. We encourage you to come and bring a friend!


www.austintexas.gov/department/commanders-forums



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APD Region III - Commander's Forum is Feb 2nd1/30/2015

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On Monday, February 2, 2015, the Austin Police Department's Region III South Central / Central East District Representatives invite you to attend our Commander's Forum to share significant events, crime stats, initiatives and updates.

The forum will be held at the Austin Police Department Central East Substation and Forensics Center, 812 Springdale Rd., Austin, TX 78702. A question and answer session with the District Representatives and Command Staff will follow. For additional information, please contact Region III District Representatives at512-974-8106 or 512-974-5902. Thank you for your support.

more info: www.austintexas.gov/department/commanders-forums



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August 8 – Attend this year’s CLASP Information Forum, “Reducing Neighborhood Crime,” at the Windsor Park Branch Library located at 5833 Westminster Drive from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Presentations on the APD budget, new force strength recommendations, community policing, neighborhood watch, and tracking your neighborhood’s unique crime patterns. 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33745611/Increasing%20Neighborhood%20Safety%20in%20Austin.pdf

The Greater Austin Crime Commission, in partnership with the University of Texas, this spring produced a comprehensive review and analysis of police force strength issues which is invaluable in considering public safety funding.  The points brought up in the overview of the Austin Police Department staffing are:

- Austin is one of the nation’s safest cities, but rapid growth strains public safety resources;
- New metro resident estimates range from 110-158 net arrivals daily;
- While the violent crime rate is lower than cities of comparable size, property crime is 8 percent higher and theft is 28 percent higher;
- Traditional police staffing formulas based on population are outdated;
- Police force strength should be based on community engagement time which is the time patrol officers have for community policing when not responding to calls for service;
- During the past five years, the APD’s total community engagement (or ‘uncommitted’) time for patrol officers citywide declined from 33 to 19 percent;
- Studies of best practices show community engagement time goals ranging from 25-50 percent;
- Hiring 82 additional officers per year between Fiscal year 2016-2020 will make it possible for the APD to reach a goal of 30 percent community engagement time over five years.
 
The budget forecast for FY 2016 includes 82 officer positions for $10.4 million, but does not include other requested commissioned positions including two for the Property Crimes Task Force, one for the Police Activities League, and 18 for investigative and support units (auto theft, burglary, computer forensics, DWI, and robbery).  


An additional 67 civilian personnel are not included in the FY 2016 forecast generally including 911 call takers, communications and system support staff, evidence control specialists, latent print examiners, crime scene specialists, records analyst, property crime technicians, victim/witness counselors, open records specialists, and various administrative support personnel.  The staffing and workload analysis suggests 410 additional patrol officers are needed over the next five years to reach police department goal of 30 percent community engagement time.
 
We urge you contact your District’s City Council member and Mayor Adler to express your support for funding of commissioned and civilian personnel of the Austin Police Department for FY 2016 and encourage your city council representative and the Mayor to vote in favor of the APD budget request. 


 This is the budget schedule: council work sessions through August 13; Department presentations to the council are August 12 and 13; first public hearing on the budget is August 20; budget adoption set for Sept. 8-10.  The council is not in session during July.

Here is the email addresses for all City Council members:

Steve.Adler@austintexas.gov 
Ora.Houston@austintexas.gov 
Delia.Garza@austintexas.gov 
Sabino.Renteria@austintexas.gov 
Gregorio.Casar@austintexas.gov 
Ann.Kitchen@austintexas.gov 
Don.Zimmerman@austintexas.gov 
Leslie.Pool@austintexas.gov
Ellen.Troxclair@austintexas.gov
Kathie.Tovo@austintexas.gov 
Sheri.Gallo@austintexas.gov