The Austin Police Department (APD) is set to enhance public access to its inner workings. Interim Chief Robin Henderson announced that APD will be shifting its chief's monthly report from a static PDF to a dynamic online dashboard, according to a memo obtained by the Austin Monitor. The new dashboard, expected to launch on January 18, will provide more in-depth insights into police activities and be available through the city's open data portal.
This transition forms part of the Open Policing Data Release initiative, mandated by the City Council last September, to openly and regularly release critical APD data. Spearheaded by District 4 Council Member Chito Vela, the initiative aims to quickly allow the public to scrutinize a range of information, including arrest records, response times, and incidences of use of force. "With a commitment to openness, accountability, and continuous improvement, the department is allocating all necessary resources to support the successful integration and ongoing maintenance of the Open Policing Data Release," Henderson wrote in the December memo.
The impetus behind the move can be traced back to a lack of openness found in an internal audit, as reported by the Austin Monitor. The audit revealed a sluggish response to public information requests, with many taking, on average, 460 days to fulfill when related to the police department. At the City Council meeting on September 14, Vela stressed the public's and policymakers' need for timely data to assess public safety trends and make informed decisions.
Reform advocates have met the planned dashboard with approval. Kathy Mitchell, the policy coordinator for Just Liberty, criticized past APD action and non-action on data transparency, stating at the Council meeting that this resolution was necessary due to a "long and unfortunate history of inaction or, frankly, backward action." In a statement obtained by the Austin Monitor, Chris Harris of the Austin Justice Coalition highlighted past grievances with APD's transparency, particularly during its defunct partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety, noting that APD occasionally published "extremely dubious information."
While the initial release of data is set for this month, the APD has indicated that additional data sets will be released on March 1. However, some data sets required by the council's resolution, such as those pertaining to workforce assignments, citations, and discretionary arrests, will demand more time due to dependencies on cross-department technology projects. Furthermore, APD has requested funding from the council to continue staffing the Open Policing Data Release with four full-time employees in the future, signaling a commitment to long-term data accessibility and transparency.
