During a contentious Public Safety Commission meeting last month, Commissioner Rebecca Bernhardt expressed her deep worry that a retired police officer had been assigned to handle community complaints regarding the police.
During the meeting, the OPO was supposed to deliver an overdue annual report for 2023, which has previously caused friction for the commission. The majority of this presentation, however, was delayed because appointees expressed additional dissatisfaction with the office, which looks into civilian accounts of police encounters and recommends policies.
The OPO’s complaint handling procedure particularly irritated commissioners. Complaint Supervisor Kevin Masters was informed by Bernhardt that she had researched him on LinkedIn. Bernhardt said she was uneasy about putting someone with over thirty years of law enforcement experience in charge of civilian complaints after Masters verified that he had worked for the Kansas City Police Department for 27 years.
Nelly Paulina Ramrez, the chair of the commission, stated that she wanted to ensure that complainants knew all of their alternatives before filing a report. She pointed out that most complaints are sent to the Austin Police Department for internal resolution after requesting supervisor referrals.
Are the complainants aware—and have they been explicitly informed—that asking for a supervisor referral entails that no inquiry will be conducted? She enquired.
According to Masters, some complainants want their experience to be recorded in the public domain, others want the officer’s supervisor to be notified, and some want the OPO to start a thorough inquiry that is launched outside of APD. “We let the complainant make the final decision,” he stated.
Complainants do not receive copies of the material the OPO examined (such as body cam footage) when a complaint is closed; instead, they only receive an overview of the inquiry process.
Ram Rez remarked, “I don’t think I like that answer.” Seeing proof as a complainant is, in my opinion, a step in the process of (someone’s) resolution.
Every complaint from 2024 is currently available online. In addition to a backlog for 2023, the department is aiming to publish complaints from the first half of 2025.
Concerns about the dearth of easily available industry and demographic data related to complaints were addressed by OPO Director Gail McCant.According to her, our complaint form has always included the option for demographic data because demanding it would make access more difficult. She said that a new case management system might offer some answers to the reporting gap caused by the absence of information on the APD sectors related to complaints.
Updates on Austin’s Community Police Review Commission, another long-standing point of controversy, were also given by OPO officials. To recommend policies, this 11-member volunteer body functions independently of the OPO and APD. The commission’s (slow) reformation was prompted by the voter-approved Austin Police Oversight Act of 2023, which reset the commission’s standards. The Community Police Review Commission has finally started holding regular sessions again after a two-year hiatus.The staff also mentioned a community gathering scheduled for July and mentioned that the 2024 annual report is anticipated to be released in September.
Although there was not enough time to finish the presentation for the 2023 report, McCant gave an overview of its contents by characterizing 2023 as a year of transition.
Our dedication to our goal of impartially supervising the Austin Police Department is at the core of our work, she said. Opposition is not the foundation of oversight. It is about integrity, collaboration, and improving systems.
Commissioner Yasmine Smith requested whether the OPO may return for another meeting as the conversation was coming to an end. She said, “I’m feeling very tense.” Ramrez affirmed that she would schedule a follow-up meeting with McCant.
The OPO can receive complaints or favorable comments from Austinites regarding their interactions with the police by mail, phone (512-972-2676), email ([email protected]), or in person. Anonymous concerns are still thoroughly investigated, Masters said.
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