Austin E. Sanders

Austin

Senior Staff Writer at The Austin Chronicle

Mastering the who, what, where and why like Guru. Staff Writer @AustinChronicle. Get at me. [email protected] or text/Signal: 512-666-0903.

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Articles

Two Years After Voters Approved Austin Police Oversight Act, the Measure Remains Unfulfilled

1 week ago | austinchronicle.com | Austin E. Sanders

The Office of Police Oversight still has many documents left to publish, as mandated by the Oversight Act Two years ago, on May 6, Austin voters approved an overhaul of the city’s civilian police oversight system in a landslide election victory.
City Council Contemplates $100 Million Homeless Spending Plan

1 week ago | austinchronicle.com | Austin E. Sanders

Homeless camping in Austin As City Hall kicks into high gear in the months leading up to adoption of the city’s budget, the Homeless Strategy Office has laid out a $100 million spending plan. They say the plan would allocate money to programs at every stage of the homeless response system in a way that will reduce the number of people forced to live on Austin’s streets.
Pivotal Vote on Future of I-35 Approaches

1 week ago | austinchronicle.com | Austin E. Sanders

A rendering of a cap over I-35 at 11th Street With a gloomy financial forecast top of mind, City Council is preparing to take one of the most consequential infrastructure votes of our era. By May 31, Council will decide whether or not to put a down payment toward a future in which a portion of I-35 is covered with amenities including a park, non-car transportation infrastructure, and small buildings.
APD Chief Lisa Davis Reorganizes Department Top Brass

2 weeks ago | austinchronicle.com | Austin E. Sanders

Only three assistant chiefs from previous admin staying on Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis has reshaped the executive team at the Austin Police Department. Six of the seven assistant chiefs who currently serve on Davis’ executive team are on their way out of the building following a job re-application process initiated by the chief, an APD spokesperson has confirmed to the Chronicle. Not all of the departing assistant chiefs wanted to leave.
Suburban Voters Head to the Polls

3 weeks ago | austinchronicle.com | Austin E. Sanders

Nearby city councils, school board seats, and bonds on the ballot A voting center at Southpark Meadows Early voting began this week in a slew of May 3 local elections across Austin’s suburbs, though none in the city itself. Voters in Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Leander will all elect City Council members, while a number of other municipalities will vote on local ordinances.
Trial Date Set in Lawsuit Brought Against City Over Fatal Police Shooting

3 weeks ago | austinchronicle.com | Austin E. Sanders

One plaintiff has settled, the other expects to go to trial A flier posted after Alex Gonzales Jr.'s death in 2021 The city of Austin is set to stand trial on June 23 in a civil lawsuit where plaintiffs argue that the city allowed a “culture of impunity” at the Austin Police Department that contributed to an off-duty officer’s decision to shoot a man following a road rage incident in 2021.
The City Budget Deficit Is Finally Here

4 weeks ago | austinchronicle.com | Austin E. Sanders

At City Hall, the current $33 million deficit looms After years of city budget staff warning of impending budget deficits, the trouble has finally arrived, and City Council will have to confront it over the next four months leading up to their adoption of the city’s next budget. It’s a worrisome situation for Council members and one that they have been anticipating for the past several years.
City May Face Trial Over APD “Culture of Impunity” in Misconduct Investigations

1 month ago | austinchronicle.com | Austin E. Sanders

A flier posted near the memorial for Alex Gonzales on January 12, 2021 In a rare decision, a federal judge decided that the plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit over a fatal police shooting can take the city of Austin itself to trial, based on allegations that the shooting was the direct result of the city creating a “culture of impunity” among officers “by under-investigating and under-disciplining” officers accused of using excessive force.
Texas Law Would Make Law Enforcement Misconduct Records More Secretive

1 month ago | austinchronicle.com | Austin E. Sanders

New law would create “G file” for all state law enforcement agencies The state G file law would close up certain open records at APD Texas lawmakers are considering bills that would allow law enforcement agencies throughout the state hide certain disciplinary records from public view and create an avenue for the Austin Police Department to regain secrecy they lost when Austin voters approved the Austin Police Oversight Act in 2023.
Travis County’s Public Defenders Win More Pay for Early-Career Attorneys

1 month ago | austinchronicle.com | Austin E. Sanders

But without more funding, other pay disparities will persist People at the Travis County Commissioners Court demand pay increase for public defenders Sitting at a table beneath Travis County’s commissioners, Robert Saulter explained to the five elected leaders how he views his job as an attorney in the county’s public defender’s office, why it’s important to him, and how the lack of competitive pay is making it harder and harder for him and his colleagues to continue doing that work. “What I...