What is Proposition A?

Proposition A covers the entire City of Austin and reinstates our laws from 2019 that ensured adequate public safety. It also enacts important policing reforms. It will restore the safety that we lost when Mayor Adler and Councilman Casar cut our public safety by 30% without making any meaningful reforms. Prop A is on the Nov 2nd ballot. What all does it cover?

• It restores an adequate number of police for a city our side according to a national “Safe City Standard” to end the surge in 911 response times and unsolved crimes.

• It doubles mandatory training hours - to 40 hours - for Austin police.

• It aligns community policing with the diversity of our neighborhoods, including officer foreign-language proficiency requirements.

  The Exact Ballot Language is Below:

The exact ballot language for this proposition, Proposition A on the November 2nd ballot, is as follows [highlights are for clarity and broken into sections]:

“A PETITIONED ORDINANCE TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY AND POLICE OVERSIGHT, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY BY ADDING NEW CHAPTER 2-16 TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SAFETY AND PROTECT RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO AUSTIN, AND PRESCRIBING MINIMAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ACHIEVING THE SAME.”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN PRACTICE? THE BILL DOES THE FOLLOWING:

BEGINS TO REBUILD AFTER THE DE-FUNDING BY MANDATING “SAFE CITY STANDARD” STAFFING LEVELS WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO BRING BACK THE SLASHED UNITS SUCH AS GANGS UNIT, LAKE PATROL, SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, AND DWI UNIT.

ENDS THE PRACTICE OF GIVING AUSTIN POLICE JUST MINIMAL TRAINING ON THE MOST DIFFICULT SITUATIONS: MANDATES 40 HOURS EVERY YEAR OF NEW TRAINING.

ENDS THE PRACTICE OF SENDING OFFICERS INTO NEIGHBORHOODS WHO DON’T KNOW THEM OR SPEAK THE LANGUAGE BY ENSURING COMMUNITY-BASED DIVERSITY AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY OF THE OFFICERS IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.