The Austin City Council cuts deeply into the Austin Police Department
The council unanimously agreed APD will not see any more staff for officer positions in the upcoming budget cycle. On top of that, any open officer positions they have by the end of the 2021 fiscal year will be eliminated.
“It is just the first step in what we know will be a long journey away from our compromised public safety system. I fully intend to take a good hard look at every single opportunity to transform our spending priorities,” says Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison.
The council also fully banned the use of tear gas by police.
Austin Council member Pio Renteria has called for the disbanding of the Austin Police Association. He says the union is a problem that helps bad cops stay cops. Local activist Chris Harris likes the sound of that.
“I was inspired by calls today to dismantle these police unions, which has been a constant source of fear in the lives in this community and an impediment to justice and the Black Lives Matter movement,” says Harris.
The Austin Police Association President Ken Casaday is quick to remind counsel it does not control hiring. He says the union never tries to stand in the way of good people who want to wear the badge.
The University of Texas demands police removal
The University of Texas Senate demanded the immediate removal of all police officers from campus. That comes following numerous complaints over the years about threats and harassment from nearby homeless people. Despite schools having used race as a driving factor in admissions for the past 17 years, the Senate’s also demanding a more equitable admission process focused on non-white students.
State leaders discuss police reform
Texas Senator John Cornyn headed to Dallas today to host a roundtable with local leaders on police reform. Cornyn was recently appointed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to a group of senators. They are tasked with developing a police reform proposal. Cornyn says he reached out to Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson last week.
“I wanted to get some insight not only from him but also from leadership in the Dallas community about their perspective. Obviously, this is a very tragic occurrence, which has led to a lot of introspection and reflection,”
Cornyn has also contacted Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner to set up a round table discussion with local leaders there as well.
COVID-19 update
In Travis County, coronavirus numbers are rising. 112 people in the hospital this morning and the county has seen its 103rd death. Confirmed cases now stand a total of 4,238. 3,316 of which have made full recoveries.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler is set to extend the local stay-at-home order even further. He says he’s hopeful Governor Greg Abbott will finally side with Austin and begin to lock the state back down as well.
“My hope and my expectation is that the state sees the kind of surging that we’re having in hospitals. If it continues, the state will also be acting with us.
Adler says also he doesn’t want to slow down the economy, but he’ll do whatever he can if the numbers get too high. Critics say after weeks of protests, with thousands of people standing shoulder to shoulder, getting people to stay home may be a futile effort.
Fourth of July fireworks cancelled
It’s not really clear whether or not there will be a fireworks display this year at Auditorium Shores. Roadway Productions officially canceled the symphony that was supposed to accompany the Austin Fourth of July celebration. Of course, the reason is coronavirus. The city has not given any further information on those fireworks.
Austin schools consider a blended approach
The Austin School District will take a blended approach to the new school year. Kids will split learning between on campus and at home settings. Laura Olson with a task force working on logistics tells KXAN and they’re having to consider every possible scenario.
“Children at home alone, we have families that are working. We are looking to make sure that those kinds of things are being thought through,” says Olson.
She says they also have to consider after school activities and bus routes.
Reduced speed limits in Austin
Get ready to drive even slower through Austin neighborhoods. Streets 36 feet or less in width will be reduced to 25 mph. Downtown streets within the boundaries of Lamar, MLK, I-35, and Town Lake will go down to 25 mph. Within the boundaries of 183, 71, and Mopac most arterial streets will be cut down to 35 mph.
This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-6-12-20
