A new police contract between the city of Austin and the Austin Police Association could take five to six months of negotiating, said Ron DeLord, an attorney and police union contract consultant involved in the negotiations, at a panel discussion Wednesday hosted by Leadership Austin, a nonprofit that trains and connects local leaders. The Austin Police Department continues to operate without a contract since the previous contract expired Dec. 29, even as officers investigate a series of fatal bombings in East Austin and thousands of visitors attend South by Southwest Conferences & Festivals events. Since then the Austin Police Association's bargaining team has had one preliminary meeting with city staff, according to DeLord. Three more negotiating meetings are scheduled for the next two weeks. City Council members said their reasons for rejecting a proposed contract in December were cost and a lack of accountability. "It doesn't have to be either-or," DeLord said, explaining that a new version of the contract could feasibly include both higher compensation and increased accountability measures. In addition to pay and discipline, the police contract also dictates how APD recruits, hires and promotes its staff. "From a police perspective, we like having a contract," said fellow panelist Andrew Romero, vice president of the APA, which advocates on behalf of APD officers. A new five-year contract would allow the city to make strides in community policing and continue to support the city's growth and development, which Romero attributed to the city's past police contracts, first negotiated in the early 2000s when Texas began to allow city governments and labor unions to negotiate new procedures beyond state civil service law. Another panelist, Kathy Mitchell of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, said the contract negotiation presents an opportunity for the city of Austin to rethink its approach to public safety. "There are alternatives to arrest and jail," she said, citing the cost to taxpayers and the lasting impacts of arrest and incarceration on individuals as reasons to consider new options. Mitchell also suggested that the city invest money in new staff who are trained to respond in situations involving mentally ill individuals. Panelist and local NAACP chapter President Nelson Linder implored the city of Austin to invest in programs that address institutional racism while also advocating for direction on the police contract front. "We can't move forward without City Council leadership," Linder said, calling upon City Council, Mayor Steve Adler and City Manager Spencer Cronk to advance the negotiating process.