Austin's City Council and City Manager request 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. In January 2022, the Office of Police Oversight released their 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. The survey is available on the City's SpeakUp Austin feedback portal in English and Spanish until April 1, 2022.
The meetings will begin at 6 p.m. on March 9, and March 16. To participate, community members can RSVP here. 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 response to the Austin City Council resolutions passed in June 2020, the City Manager directed the Office of Police Oversight to provide recommendations on Austin Police Department's General Orders. This report responds to that directive. OPO utilizes a three-phase approach to facilitate the rewrite of APD's General Orders. This 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. | 
