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APD body, dashboard camera feedback from community requested

By FOX 7 Austin Digital Team
Published  February 16, 2022 8:54am CST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 7 Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin City Council and City Manager Spencer Cronk are asking the public's opinion on the Austin Police Department's rules related to how and when officers use their camera equipment. The Office of Police Oversight (OPO) is organizing events and a survey to collect feedback from community members.

The survey will be open for all until April 1, 2022. The virtual community meetings are taking place in February and March and will include an educational presentation on current APD body-worn camera and dashboard policies and provide a space for community members to offer feedback in real-time.

  • The meetings will begin at 6 p.m. on February 23, March 2, March 9, and March 16. To participate, community members can RSVP here.
  • The survey is available on the city's SpeakUp Austin feedback portal in English and Spanish until April 1, 2022.
  • More information about the survey and the virtual community listening sessions is available in the How to Get Involved in Police Oversight section of the OPO website.
  • Spanish and American Sign Language interpretation services will be available at the events. Additional interpretation services and accommodations may be available upon request. To request these services, please email opo.outreach@austintexas.gov.

In January 2022, the OPO released its report "Body Worn Camera and Digital Mobile Audio Video: Policy Review and Recommendations," which examined how APD's current body-worn and in-car camera policies compare to national best practices of policing. OPO is now requesting community input on the proposed recommendations to improve those areas.

In response to the Austin City Council resolutions passed in June 2020, the city manager directed the OPO to provide recommendations on APD's General Orders. The January 2022 report responds to that directive. OPO is utilizing a three-phase approach to facilitate the rewrite of APD's General Orders. The approach includes a preliminary analysis of APD's current policies, a community engagement campaign to seek public input about these policies and OPO's recommendations, and a final analysis discussing the input received and sharing the findings with the city manager and APD.

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MORE HEADLINES: 
Report raises concerns with APD’s body-worn, in-car cameras

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