AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin voters will get to cast their ballots next May on a citizen-led ordinance aiming to increase oversight of the Austin Police Department.
City Council members voted to advance the Austin Police Oversight Act ordinance to the ballot Thursday, after listening to dozens of speakers and activists calling for increased police accountability.
The petition, which garnered roughly 33,000 signatures, was certified by the City Clerk's office last week - too late for council members to consider its inclusion on the November ballot. Under the city's charter, once a petition has been certified, council members have two options - approve the ordinance immediately, or put it before voters at the next municipal election.
Council members Natasha Harper-Madison, Ann Kitchen, Vanessa Fuentes and Paige Ellis voted in favor of immediately adopting the measure; the rest of the dais voted against it.
The debate over the role of civilian oversight comes as the city continues its negotiations with the Austin Police Association. Several council members indicated Thursday that they would refuse to vote for any labor agreement that does not include steps to strengthen the role of the oversight office, after an arbitrator's decision last year stripped the office of much of its power under the current police contract.
Council members Mackenzie Kelly and Alison Alter pointed to potential legal concerns with the proposed ordinance; another lingering question is what action, if any, may come out of the upcoming Texas Legislature session in 2023.
The council also voted 8-3 Thursday to reinstate APD's use of automated license plate readers, after the technology was shelved in 2020 due to privacy concerns. Council members have been debating the program for months, with Kelly spearheading the effort to reactivate what the law enforcement community has called an important investigative tool.
Following some behind-the-scenes negotiation, council settled on a final proposal that allows the readers and the data they collect to only be used for potential felony and Class A misdemeanor offenses, with the data only being retained for 30 days.