APD over-reports use of force data: report
APD is over-reporting use of force, data says
The City of Austin held a special meeting on Monday to discuss public safety at Austin City Hall. It came on the heels of the deadly officer-involved shooting over the weekend.
AUSTIN, Texas - The public has received insight into the policing practices, policies, and accountability in the Austin Police Department over the past few years.
The City of Austin held a special meeting on Monday to discuss public safety at Austin City Hall. It came on the heels of the deadly officer-involved shooting over the weekend.
Public safety meeting in Austin
The backstory:
In 2024, APD used force against 2,919 people. When she took over, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis brought in an expert to review the department.
"I think when we're looking at best practices across the country, APD will be at the top of this," said Lisa Davis.
Dr. Robin Engel is a senior research scientist with nearly 30 years of experience. In a presentation, she broke down the numbers and data.
"We want to think about the best ways that we can reduce that risk and that we could reduce officer injury and citizen injury and make police citizen encounters safer for all," said Dr. Robin Engel.
Dig deeper:
After a thorough analysis, she found significant issues with APD.
"Unfortunately, I did find a number of inconsistencies across the Austin Police Department and all aspects of the use of force, including reporting, accountability, and oversight mechanisms," said Dr. Engel.
Dr. Engel believes APD over-reports the use of force, which likely contributed to the higher-than-normal numbers.
"I hope that there's a way as we move through the data, to also see how mental health response, homeless response, that sort of thing is impacting how much use of force is happening," said a council member.
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The levels of force are rated on a scale of 1-4, with level one being the most severe. Dr. Engel said most departments do not report level four, but APD does.
"Now, that does not mean that we are not going to be reporting the level of force or any of them that this number just goes away," said Dr. Engel.
They will likely combine levels four and three into one category or determine better tactics.
"I recommend the development and implementation of an overall strategic plan for the consistent culture of de-escalation across sectors," said Dr. Engel.
Her job is to identify ways to fix these problems and make sure they do not continue to happen. Dr. Engel listed several different recommendations for APD. One is to create an internal APD Use of Force Task Force.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt