Austin City Council accepted a $750,000 grant Aug. 4 for Austin Police Department to implement its body-worn camera program in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 31.
Council awarded a five-year, $9.4 million contract to Taser International on June 23, but a lawsuit filed by Utility Associates Inc., a body camera vendor that had competed for the bid, claims that Taser did not meet the requirements of the bid.
Concerns were raised about whether APD would be transparent with the footage captured by the cameras. Austin residents who provided public testimony at the meeting said there are no written policies that specify how the body camera program would be implemented.
Austin resident Zenobia Joseph said APD takes more than 10 days to respond to Texas Public Information Act requests for access to camera footage. The TPIA states a government entity has 10 business days to respond to requests for public information but can file for an extension.
"They’re not complying now," Joesph said. "I don’t see how they are going to comply in the future."
Council Member Don Zimmerman said he agreed policy in connection with the body-worn camera program needed to be clarified but voted in favor of the item because of the need for funding to help pay for the cameras.
The $750,000 in state grant funds will be matched with $187,500—25 percent of the grant—in city funds.
Other actions taken
- Council approved a $3 million increase to the budget for upgrades to the Davis Water Treatment Plant. The 63-year-old plant produces potable water for the central, east and north Austin. Upgrades to the plant's electrical system, which has not been updated since its construction, are expected to be completed by May 22.
- A contract was awarded to Siemens Industry for bicycle detection enhancement and the installment of bicycle signals at locations throughout the city. Twelve bicycle signals will be installed, and bicycle detection will be enhanced at 20 locations. A map of the locations can be found here.
- An urban trail will be constructed from East 12th Street to the Capital Metro MLK Jr. MetroRail station. The project will cost $1.47 million, $1.11 million of which comes from Texas Department of Transportation grant funds and $361,456 of which will be matched by the city of Austin. A map of the trail, known as the Upper Boggy Creek Trail, is provided here.
