Watson Wire: New Chapter on Public Safety

Last night, the Austin City Council approved a long-term, five-year contract with our police on a vote of 10 to 1.?

This contract has been a priority of mine because it is critical for us to achieve our staffing goals as well as our goal of assuring Austinites are safe and feel safe. We got it done.

The contract includes the robust police oversight approved by voters last year while also providing the long-term protections and assurances needed to address our staffing challenges and help officers afford to live in the city they serve.

The members of the Austin Police Association will be voting on the contract over the next several days.

There have been lots of twists and turns along the way to get to an agreement with the Austin Police Association, including ensuring that voters would have their say on the important police oversight provisions. Council Member Chito Vela has been a dogged champion for the Austin Police Oversight Act, and, as an attorney, scoured the agreement to ensure it was in full compliance with the voter-approved ordinance.?

“This contract is a huge victory for police transparency and oversight in Austin,” Council Member Vela said from the dais on Thursday night. “This contract accomplishes everything the APOA requires. This contract completely opens up the G file for the entire duration of its term. It permits anonymous complaints from everyone, including APD officers themselves. It more than doubles the statute of limitations for discipline, and makes sure the clock only starts once a complaint is actually submitted. These are important victories, and I want to celebrate them.”

Under the Texas civil service law, important parts of the police oversight ordinance can only be enacted under a negotiated contract with the Austin Police Association. The contract is also essential for recruiting and hiring new officers who embrace the values of Austin and want to be the future of policing.?

“The officers that I've seen when I attend APD graduations, they're younger, they're more diverse, and they're more open to issues that people are facing, like mental health issues and homelessness. And I think that's a promising step forward for our department,” Council Member Paige Ellis said.

Council Member Alison Alter also highlighted the contract provisions governing promotions, leadership choices, and recruiting so that the newly hired Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis can, well, lead the way forward.?

“We recently entrusted Lisa Davis with the important role of police chief. For her to succeed, she needs to be able to build her team to align with the vision and values for how officers should comport themselves at work and off duty. Absent this contract, I believe her hands will be tied over the years,” said Council Member Alter, who has served on the Council for the past eight years. “I've seen how much our police leadership matters, both for our officers and our community. Cultural change simply will not work without a chief who prioritizes it. Focused leadership is the only way that we can turn the page to create the police force that our community has asked for, and where our officers thrive.”

I see this contract as a major Austin win because it gives all of us – as a community – the opportunity to move forward from a contentious stalemate and start making progress on a whole lot of other public safety issues that affect the lives of Austinites. It is time to turn the page to a positive new chapter on the future of public safety in Austin.?

We needed to get this done and I’m proud we did.