Austin’s public police oversight panel has been suspended by the interim city manager following the expiration of the labor contract between the city and the police union, according to a memo released on Tuesday. The Citizen Review Panel—a five-member panel of volunteers that has provided oversight of Austin Police Department’s disciplinary practices since 2001—has been rendered ineffective due to a failure to renew the meet and confer agreement between the city and the Austin Police Association, or APA, according to the memo sent out by Interim City Manager Elaine Hart on Jan. 23. The meet and confer agreement was a customized labor contract between the city and APA that began in 2001 and through which the citizen review panel and its abilities were created. Expiration of the agreement in December places the Austin Police Department under the state’s civil service law. Austin City Council voted to reject the proposed renewal of the meet and confer agreement Dec. 13 following hours of public testimony. Many speakers claimed the proposed contract did not go far enough in making social justice reforms and enhancing the transparency of the police department. According to the memo, expiration of meet and confer means the review panel no longer has access to confidential internal investigation information that was paramount to its effectiveness. Under the state’s civil service law, this information, known as g-file material, usually cannot be disclosed to anyone outside of the city unless an investigation is completed and results in a police officer receiving suspension or serious disciplinary action. Under meet and confer, agreed-upon access to these materials allowed the panel to recommend the police chief take specific disciplinary action of an officer; further investigate a case; review or change department policies; or bring in an independent or outside investigator for the case. Expiration of meet and confer means the review panel can no longer ask questions about the g-files or receive case briefings from the department’s internal affairs personnel. “Without access to the g-file materials as provided in the meet and confer agreement, the [Citizens Review Panel] simply cannot fulfill [its] responsibilities,” Hart stated in the memo. “The only way for the city to achieve any effective measure of public oversight for ongoing investigations of potential police misconduct is through a negotiated agreement with the APA that is ratified by both [APA] and [City Council].” Read the full memo here.