TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Travis County commissioners and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office participated in the final of three gun violence prevention briefings Tuesday.
The first briefing took place Sept. 8 and focused on the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network or NIBIN. The program uses a pooled database to help law enforcement more efficiently analyze ballistic evidence, which can streamline investigations.
Right now, the Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety have the tech to enter local ballistic evidence into the database. Travis County can use the machines, but DA José Garza said access can be difficult.
During the second briefing, which took place Sept. 13, county leaders discussed intervention programs and criminal justice, hearing from two groups: the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform and the Health Alliance for Violence Prevention.
Tuesday’s presentation focused on how the Travis County District Attorney’s Office’s Gun Violence Prevention Strategy and community-based programs can work together to reduce gun violence.
Partners from across the country, including the University of Chicago and Giffords Law Center, spoke about a diversion program that has been used in Minneapolis as an alternative to incarceration for people charged with certain nonviolent gun crimes.
“That includes understanding trauma, anger management and decision making,” said Mike McLively with Giffords. “What they’ve seen in Minneapolis is many folks are carrying guns because of trauma and fear and this program is about understanding the role of trauma and the decision to carry a firearm.”
The idea of the initiative is that someone charged with a certain nonviolent gun crime could opt to participate in the program instead of going to jail. Upon successful completion of that program, A list of gun crimes that would make a defendant eligible for the program was not provided.
The Austin Police Association (APA) expressed some concerns about the program.
“If we create a county where criminals know that there is a low chance of being held criminally liable for their actions, the people wo will suffer the most are the citizens,” said Vice President Thomas Villareal.
He said APA is not against diversion programs and second chances, but the group wants more information on which charges would apply and to know it’s “not diverting people who have a history of serious felonious behavior.”
District Attorney Garza said some intervention and diversion programs already exist, but they are geared toward lower-risk defendants.
“The more difficult question is what to do about people who may be on the path to committing an act of gun violence but who haven’t yet, the question is – what is the most effective way to intervene,” he said.
