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[Police Contract News Conference]
RIGHT, WELL, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.I'M CITY MANAGER SPENCER CRONK, AND I'M JOINED TODAY BY AUSTIN POLICE CHIEF JOSEPH CHACON AND AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT THOMAS BIAL.
KEEPING OUR CITY SAFE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HAVING A STRONG, WELL-STAFFED POLICE DEPARTMENT IS CRITICAL IN ACHIEVING THAT GOAL.
WE DO ALREADY HAVE A BEST IN CLASS POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I WANT TO THANK ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO SERVE EVERY DAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY, THEIR DEDICATION, PROFESSIONALISM, AND SERVICE IS BEST IN CLASS, BUT HAVING A SOLID AGREEMENT WITH OUR POLICE ASSOCIATION IS ANOTHER CRITICAL STEP IN KEEPING OUR DEPARTMENT RELIABLE FOR YEARS TO COME.
I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT TODAY AFTER OVER A YEAR OF NEGOTIATIONS, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS AGREED IN PRINCIPLE WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION FOR A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT THAT INCORPORATES THE GOALS OF ATTAINING A STABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR AUSTIN POLICE OFFICERS, ATTRACTIVE RECRUITMENTS AND RETENTION STRATEGIES, AND A PROGRESSIVE POLICE OVERSIGHT PROVISION THAT IS LIKELY TO BECOME A MODEL ACROSS TEXAS AND THE NATION.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO OUR COUNCIL, OUR COMMUNITY, AND THE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION REGARDING THIS AGREEMENT AND LOOK FORWARD FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
I WILL NOW PASS IT OVER TO CHIEF CHIKO.
I AM JUST INCREDIBLY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT THIS MORNING OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION FOR A FOUR YEAR LONG-TERM LABOR AGREEMENT.
AS A MANAGER MENTIONED, THIS IS THE PRODUCT OF OVER A YEAR OF WORK, AS BOTH SIDES HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO ARRIVE AT THIS AGREEMENT, BOTH THE ASSOCIATION AND THE CITY HAVE CONSIDERED AND WEIGHED ALL THE ISSUES, AND WE FIND OURSELVES WITH AN AGREEMENT THAT ONCE APPROVED WILL BOTH PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENTS TO THE PAY AND BENEFITS OF THE POLICE OFFICERS, AS WELL AS POWERFUL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
OPERATIONS IMPROVEMENTS, UH, ARE INCLUDED IN THE PROMOTIONAL PROCESS, WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE PROMOTING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF THE DEPARTMENT INTO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, BUT THAT WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING THE VERY BEST OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE THE DIVERSITY OF THAT LEADERSHIP STAFF.
THE NEW AGREEMENT WILL ALSO PROVIDE A SYSTEM OF POLICE OVERSIGHT THAT IS SECOND TO NONE, NOT SINCE THE INCEPTION OF POLICE OVERSIGHT IN AUSTIN OVER 20 YEARS AGO.
HAS SUCH A PROGRESSIVE STEP BEEN TAKEN TO ENSURE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH AN INDEPENDENT DEPARTMENT THAT HAS A GREATER ABILITY TO MONITOR POLICE COMPLAINT INVESTIGATIONS THAN EVER BEFORE? IMPORTANTLY, IT FULFILLS AS MANY OF THE TENANTS OF THE CITIZEN INITIATED PETITION AS ALLOWABLE UNDER LAW AND WITHOUT A PROTRACTED LEGAL BATTLE.
AND THIS AGREEMENT WILL ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO SHOWCASE THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AS A WORLD-CLASS DEPARTMENT IN A WORLD-CLASS CITY OFFICER.
RETENTION IS AN ISSUE FOR EVERY POLICE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, AND THIS AGREEMENT WILL LOCK IN OFFICER RIGHTS AND BENEFITS FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, PROVIDING THE STABILITY AND ASSURANCE THAT OFFICERS REQUIRE TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY DO THEIR JOBS, AND PROVIDING THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO NOT ONLY RETAIN THE HIGH QUALITY OFFICERS IT HAS, BUT ALSO TO RECRUIT THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST TALENT FOR THE FUTURE.
I WANT TO THANK THE MANAGER MEMBERS OF THE A P D TEAM WHO WORKS SO HARD ON THIS DEAL, MS. ERIC GRIFFIN.
UM, MS. SYLVIA HARDMAN WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, UM, THE LABOR RELATIONS PERSONNEL AND THOMAS VILLAREAL, UH, IN THE AUSTIN, UH, POLICE ASSOCIATION FOR ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO COME TO THIS TENTATIVE AGREEMENT.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT, UH, NOT ONLY AS A STRONG SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR OUR OFFICERS FROM OUR CITY, BUT TO ENSURE THE SECURITY OF OUR COMMUNITY BY ASSURING THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT REMAINS STRONG AND FULLY STAFFED.
I WANT TO NOW INTRODUCE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION, PRESIDENT THOMAS VIGOR, WHO WILL SAY A FEW WORDS.
UM, I I DON'T HAVE PREPARED MARKS.
UM, I'VE SAT AT THE TABLE FOR MANY MONTHS NOW, UM, AND I'VE GIVEN STATEMENTS TO, TO SOME OF YOU IN HERE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA.
THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION IS NOT AFRAID OF OVERSIGHT.
UM, WE BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THAT THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ITSELF, THE DEPARTMENT ARE MEMBERS, ARE
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ALL BETTER OFF UNDER CONTRACT.WE'VE WORKED FOR ALMOST A YEAR, UH, TO NEGOTIATE TO WHAT'S A FAIR DEAL FOR OUR PEOPLE AND, UM, A, A DEAL THAT'S FAIR FOR THE CITY, AND I THINK THAT WE GOT THERE.
I'M PROUD, UM, OF THE WORK OF OUR TEAM.
I, I THANK OUR TEAM VERY, VERY MUCH.
I'M VERY, UH, APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT THE CITY'S TEAM HAS DONE.
UM, IT'S A, A LONG ROAD TO GET HERE.
HAPPY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE FINALLY, UH, AT A TA AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, DOING THE WORK NEEDED TO EDUCATE COUNCIL MEMBERS, EDUCATE THE POLICE OFFICERS, UH, TO GET THIS THING RATIFIED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO, I KNOW OVERSIGHT WAS A POINT OF CONTENTION THROUGHOUT THESE NEGOTIATIONS.
HOW DID WE REACH THAT COMPROMISE AND WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS NEW PROCESS? WELL, WE HAD PRINCIPLES FROM THE BEGINNING THAT WERE REALLY IMPORTANT TO HOW WE APPROACHED OVERSIGHT, AND THOSE REMAIN AS PART OF HOW WE HAVE COME TO THIS AGREEMENT WITH THE ASSOCIATION.
I'M GONNA ASK OUR CHIEF, UH, UH, LABOR RELATIONS, UH, OFFICER TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DETAILS REGARDING THAT.
UH, BUT HAVING A STRONG OVERSIGHT SYSTEM HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE A KEY TENANT AS PART OF THIS AGREEMENT.
SARAH GRIFFIN, ACTING LABOR RELATIONS OFFICER.
SO SOME OF THE CHIEF TENANTS THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR, UH, STEMMED FROM ISSUES WE HAD WITH THE LAST LABOR AGREEMENT.
WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR WAS TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO HAVE THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT GO SOMEWHERE THEY'D NEVER GONE BEFORE, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY TO BE IN THE ROOM INVESTIGATING OFFICER MISCONDUCT, BOTH AT A PRELIMINARY LEVEL AND AT THE ACTUAL, UH, FORMAL INVESTIGATION.
WE WANTED THEM IN THE ROOM ASKING QUESTIONS OF THE ACTUAL SUBJECT OFFICER AND HAVING THE OFFICER HAVE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS SEPARATELY FOR, AND, AND WE HAVE ATTAINED THAT IN OUR TENTATIVE AGREEMENT.
SEPARATE FROM THAT, WE ALSO WANTED THE, UH, OPO, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE DIRECT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CHIEF IN RELATION TO HOW EACH OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS WERE CLASSIFIED AND HOW THE ACTUAL DISCIPLINE WAS GOING TO COME OUT.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, NOT ONLY CAN OVERSIGHT BE IN THE ROOM INVESTIGATING, BUT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEPARATELY GIVE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE ON THE DISCIPLINARY ACTION ITSELF.
AND IN THAT WAY, THEY WILL HAVE A BETTER OVERALL CONCEPT OF WHETHER OR NOT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS DOING A GOOD JOB OF INVESTIGATING ITS OWN OFFICERS AND THEY WILL BE IN THE ROOM ASKING THE QUESTIONS, KNOWING THE ANSWERS TO GET THAT DATA BACK TO THE CITY MANAGER AND TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
DOES THIS HAS ANY DIFFERENT IMPACT ON HOW THE DEPARTMENT TAKES THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS? SO THERE ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, MINUSCULE DETAILS AND THERE ARE CHANGES IN ALL OF THAT OVERARCHING THE DIFFERENCE IS GOING TO BE THAT THE, UH, OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT CAN STILL TAKE THE ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS.
IT CAN STILL BE FROM A POLICE OFFICER.
THE INTERNAL COMPLAINTS WILL STILL BE INTERNAL COMPLAINTS.
UM, THE DIFFERENCE WILL BE THAT AT THE ACTUAL FORMAL INVESTIGATIVE LEVEL, OPIO WILL BE IN THE ROOM WITH INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATIONS DURING THE INVESTIGATIONS, THE INTAKE PROCESS WON'T BE SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM HOW IT IS CURRENTLY.
KIND OF ON THAT NOTE, COULD, UM, CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO JUST HOW AND WHEN ANYTHING IN EITHER OF THOSE, UH, PROPOSITIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE IN MADE WOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO, INTO POLICY IF, IF THEY PASSED? SO, SURE.
I MEAN, I, I BELIEVE THAT THE OVERARCHING TENANTS OF THE FIRST PROPOSITION, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS ALREADY CERTIFIED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, ARE INCORPORATED IN IT.
UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE DID NOT THINK COULD BE LEGALLY ACCOMPLISHED AND OR ACCOMPLISHED UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE A P A, WHICH IS NECESSARY UNDER THE STATE STATUTE TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
SO WE DO HAVE THE OPIO INVESTIGATING.
WE HAVE, UH, AGREED TO A MODIFIED DISCIPLINARY TIMELINE OF 365, WHICH WAS IN THE PETITION.
UM, I THINK THE OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES ARE FOR THE MOST PART, THERE, THERE ARE SMALL DETAILS THAT DIFFER, UH, CERTAIN DEFINITIONS, THAT SORT OF THING.
THE DETAILS THAT ARE DIFFERENT IN THE STATE STATUTE THAN ARE IN THE PETITION THAT HAVE TO BE NEGOTIATED ARE MORE TO THE, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT STYLISTICALLY, BUT, BUT THE OVERARCHING TENANTS ARE THERE.
ARE YOU GUYS ABLE TO TELL US, UM, HOW THE, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS AND THE SALARIES COMPARE TO CONTRACTS PASSED? SURE.
UM, IT IS CLOSE TO DOUBLE THE TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT.
WHAT WE HAVE IS A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT, AND IT'S A 14% OVER THE FOUR YEARS.
UM, AND THAT INCLUDES SOME RETENTION AND SOME HIRING, UH, INITIATIVES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT OUR AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT GETS CLOSER TO FULL STAFFING THAN WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THE CHIEF'S MAIN GOALS AND THE MANAGER'S MAIN GOALS WAS TO GET THE STAFFING LEVELS BACK TO WHERE WE HAD TO SAY FOR AUSTIN.
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COULD YOU PLEASE EXPAND ON WHAT YOU FELT COULDN'T BE LEGALLY ACCOMPLISHED? I'M SORRY.YOU MENTIONED THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT YOU FELT COULDN'T BE LEGALLY ACCOMPLISHED.
THEY WERE BROUGHT UP, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDER THAT PETITION.
COULD YOU JUST EXPAND ON THAT? UM, SURE.
AND KEEPING IN MIND THAT I'M NOT THE ATTORNEY WHO ADVISES THE CITY, BUT FROM OUR LABOR OFFICE PERSPECTIVE, THE THINGS THAT CAN'T BE LEGALLY ACCOMPLISHED CAN'T BE LEGAL, LEGALLY ACCOMPLISHED, ABSENT AGREEMENT FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN THE STATE STATUTE THAT CAN ONLY BE OVERRIDDEN THROUGH A MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENT OR A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
THINGS SUCH AS RELEASE OF THE G FILE MATERIAL CAN'T BE ACCOMPLISHED SOLELY BY THE VOTERS OR SOLELY BY CITY COUNCIL PASSING AN ORDINANCE.
THEY HAVE TO BE DONE THROUGH A MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENT.
SO THAT'S NOT MY LEGAL OPINION, BUT THAT'S OUR OPINION FROM THE LABOR RELATIONS OFFICE.
WHAT'S THE STAFF GOAL FOR, UM, I MEAN, JUST STARTING WITH THE END OF THIS YEAR, I KNOW STAFFING IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT IN RETENTION AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE CAN'T DO A LOT OF PROACTIVE THINGS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
IS THERE SPECIFIC STAFFING GOALS OVER THE FOUR YEARS? SURE.
I'M GONNA REFER TO THE CHIEF ON THAT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN CONCENTRATED OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS ABOUT, AS WE HAVE SEEN A GREATER NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO RETIRE OR TO RESIGN, UM, ON HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THOSE LEVELS BACK UP.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT IN PRINCIPLE, WERE AGREED TO WITHIN THE CONTRACT THAT WILL HOLD, UM, THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE AND IN, AND, AND KIND OF BE, UH, A, UM, REALLY PUSH THE CITY TO, TO MEET THOSE HIRING GOALS.
UM, AND WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT STRATEGIES, PARTICULARLY TO RECRUIT LOCALLY.
UM, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE RECRUITING FROM OUR COMMUNITY WITH PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO KNOW OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AND I'M RUNNING MORE ACADEMY CLASSES THAN WE'VE EVER RUN BEFORE.
UH, SO, UH, THE PLAN IS TO RUN, UH, FOUR TO FIVE ACADEMIES PER YEAR, UH, BEFORE WE WERE RUNNING TWO.
SO, UH, THE MORE FOLKS THAT WE CAN GET INTO THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR VERY HIGH STANDARDS WHEN IT COMES TO THE HIRING PROCESS, UH, GETTING 'EM, UH, FULLY TRAINED, UH, AND THEN OUT THERE IS GOING TO HELP US MEET THAT GOAL OF FILLING THE VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
ARE YOU GUYS STILL WORKING ON SOME OF THOSE STRATEGIES OR HAVE THOSE STRATEGIES BEEN LAID OUT AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING PUT IN PLACE? YEAH, UH, TO, TO SOME DEGREE.
THEY'RE STILL, I MEAN, THE CITY OVERALL IS, IS IN A, IN A HIRING PUSH RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE WORKING, UH, WITH THE CITY ON, ON HOW WE CAN, UH, BE AT THE FAIRS, HOW WE CAN BE AT COLLEGES, HOW WE CAN BE AT THE DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE WE'RE RECRUITING, UH, REALLY GOOD FOLKS TO COME AND WORK FOR THE CITY, INCLUDING THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN TARGETED STRATEGIES REALLY ON, UM, FINDING PEOPLE WHO HAVE A HEART TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK, UH, AND HOW WE CAN GET 'EM IN THE DOOR.
AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS HAS BEEN KIND OF A LONG INVOLVED PROCESS.
UM, DID, DID Y'ALL FEEL ANY KIND OF RUSHING OR PRESSURE TO GET SOMETHING DONE THIS WEEK BASED ON WHAT'S THE, THE ONE YEAR PROPOSAL COUNCIL HAD OR IS THIS JUST KIND OF THE NATURAL END POINT OF WHAT YOU WERE WORKING ON? SURE.
UM, PRIOR TO ANYTHING BEING FILED WITH THAT, WE HAD NEGOTIATION DATE SET FOR THE EIGHTH AND THE NINTH AND THE 14TH AND THE 15TH.
AND OUR INTERNAL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NEVER A CUTOFF DATE UNTIL YOU END THE CONTRACT, BUT OUR INTERNAL CUTOFF DATE WAS THE 15TH.
WE HAD ANTICIPATED AND HAD SHARED WITH THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WE BELIEVED THAT WE WOULD BE, BE DONE BY TODAY AND WE WERE DONE BY YESTERDAY.
SO WE WERE RIGHT ON OUR OWN TARGET.
JUST WANT TO CONCLUDE BY AGAIN SAYING THAT WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE CITY AND I HAVE SEEN OVER AND OVER OUR COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN BE SAFE, THAT WE CAN GROW AND RAISE OUR FAMILIES AND BE THE ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN HAVING THIS AGREEMENT IN PLACE ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE ON THAT SO WE CAN REMAIN SAFE, THAT WE CAN REMAIN A WORLD-CLASS DESTINATION AND A CITY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.