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Austin's City Council and City Manager want to know your opinion on how best to meet the security needs of Austin’s Municipal Court and the Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC).
The City currently utilizes sworn Austin Police Department (APD) officers, alongside civilian private security staff in the following ways:
APD officers are responsible for situations at the courts that only sworn officers can address, such as transporting, restraining, and arresting individuals, or responding to threats when no other alternatives are possible.
Private security staff are responsible for monitoring the facilities’ entrances and patrolling inside and around the outside of the buildings.
The duties that each of these groups perform are vital in helping ensure the courts are safe and welcoming for the public and for the staff who serve in these facilities.
In 2020, the City began looking at ways to realign City services and resources to allow APD to focus on its core mission of law enforcement. The Courts, APD, and Building Services analyzed duties performed by court security staff and conducted research on court security structures used nationally. Research results indicated that the main operational structure considered a best practice at courts across the country is to use a combination of sworn law enforcement officers and civilian security staff. This hybrid approach is the current system Austin’s courts utilize today.
Austin's City Council and City Manager want to know your opinion on how best to meet the security needs of Austin’s Municipal Court and the Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC).
The City currently utilizes sworn Austin Police Department (APD) officers, alongside civilian private security staff in the following ways:
APD officers are responsible for situations at the courts that only sworn officers can address, such as transporting, restraining, and arresting individuals, or responding to threats when no other alternatives are possible.
Private security staff are responsible for monitoring the facilities’ entrances and patrolling inside and around the outside of the buildings.
The duties that each of these groups perform are vital in helping ensure the courts are safe and welcoming for the public and for the staff who serve in these facilities.
In 2020, the City began looking at ways to realign City services and resources to allow APD to focus on its core mission of law enforcement. The Courts, APD, and Building Services analyzed duties performed by court security staff and conducted research on court security structures used nationally. Research results indicated that the main operational structure considered a best practice at courts across the country is to use a combination of sworn law enforcement officers and civilian security staff. This hybrid approach is the current system Austin’s courts utilize today.
While Austin is committed to continue using a hybrid approach to provide security at our courts, we are seeking your input to ensure that we are offering security to the courts in a customer-centered and comprehensive manner that reflects our community’s values.
You are invited to join this conversation by completing the following survey. Alternatively, you can provide feedback by calling 3-1-1. Thanks for participating.
Consultation has concluded
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