Austin City Councilmembers are pushing police reforms and are set to vote on those proposed policy and ordinance changes in regular session this Thursday.
Some of the changes proposed include dictating when teargas, beanbag rounds and rubber bullets can’t be used, when deadly force can be used, policies surrounding no knock warrants, the procurement of military grade weaponry and more.
Along with these proposed changes are new goals laid out by Mayor Protem Delia Garza. Those goals include no racial disparities in traffic stops, no use of force incidents, and no officer involved deaths. She added, “These Goals of how we hold ourselves accountable and the reforms proposed in my colleagues resolutions are how we achieve them…reforms are the beginning of the process, not the end.”
Austin’s Mayor Steve Adler says, change is uncomfortable and the city should get used to that, if they want to make a difference. “Our efforts at this moment will help shape the character of the city for generations to come.” Councilmember Natasha Harper Madison said if these policies are approved Thursday, the change will not happen overnight. “Those of us who have been in this fight for a while, we already realize we still have along way to go, but letting up is not an option.”
Along with the policy reforms, some on the council are looking at ways to shift more funds away from APD and put them into social services and the like. Protest chants continue on Austin’s streets to, defund the police, Councilmember Greg Casar says that is something he and others on the council are looking into doing.
But that also goes against the Matrix report that tells Council more police and staff are needed for the department to properly practice community policing. Casar said, “if we continue to rely on police officers to be the city’s primary response to virtually all our challenges, then you would continue to need to add to that.” He continued, “But the question is can we start to respond to challenges differently, with something other than just policing.”
Mayor Protem Delia Garza added, the Matrix report was created with the status quo, and the people are saying they are tired of how things are and demand change.
