Communities of Color United: Call to ACTION!

CCU is outraged at the lack of transparency and intentional shut-out of our community’s participation on issues of public safety in our community!

Austin City Council is exploiting the vulnerability of this moment to quickly redirect money and power to the Austin Police Department. We are encouraging everyone to contact city staff and representatives to let them know that this is irresponsible and unacceptable.

Some context and talking points:
1. Last December, hundreds of people showed up to city hall to voice their opposition to the approval and extension of the police contract without additional accountability measures for officers abusing their power. The police union walked away from the negotiating table, effectively scrapping the contract.

2.Recently, Black and Latino communities were targeted in a series of bombings, leaving community members in terror without any impactful relief from institutional actions.
Once the bomber was identified, Austin Police Department members become overnight heroes above any question or critique. Interim Police Chief refers to the white, conservative bomber as a “challenged” young man and does not release the audio of his confession.

3. Austin city council wielded the narrative of this recent threat to push forward a resolution to immediately hire 12 additional officers. Council members are also urging to fast-track the interim police chief to a permanent position and to push for an immediate resolution to that same contract the police union previously walked away from. This is in direct opposition to the problems of overpolicing and lack of oversight and review that our communities have brought up.

4.Council voted on this resolution at a 10:30AM meeting on March 22nd, despite many community members’ request for an evening vote to allow community participation. The resolution passed.

5. To further inhibit oversight and accountability of police, the Austin Police Association is currently suing the City of Austin, claiming that the police monitor should not have access to complaints/allegations against officers without a contract. They want us to believe that they can hold themselves accountable, while doing everything in their power to cover up their tracks.

6. This is unacceptable. What APD needs is more oversight and accountability, not more money. We see that city council is intentionally exploiting the vulnerability of the moment to excessively further fund and empower the police, which they know is exactly what all of our communities have organized against for so long.

Join us in amplifying our outrage by inundating city council, the mayor, and the city manager with emails and calls. These actions are harmful, wrong, and irresponsible.

To email all council members at once: https://www.austintexas.gov/email/all-council-members

City Manager: spencer.cronk@austintexas.gov 512-974-2200
Mayor: steve.adler@austintexas.gov 512 978 2100
District 1: ora.houston@austintexas.gov 512 978 2101
District 2: delia.garza@austintexas.gov 512 978 2102
District 3: sabino.renteria@austintexas.gov 512 978 2103
District 4: greg.casar@austintexas.gov 512 978 2104
District 5: ann.kitchen@austintexas.gov 512 978 2105
District 6: jimmy.flannigan@austintexas.gov 512 978 2106
District 7: leslie.pool@austintexas.gov 512 978 2107
District 8: ellen.troxclair@austintexas.gov 512 978 2108
District 9: kathie.tovo@austintexas.gov 512 978 2109
District 10: alison.alter@austintexas.gov 512 978 2110