Austin Appoints Members To Community Police Review Commission

AUSTIN, TX — The City of Austin on Thursday announced the appointment of the first members of the inaugural Community Police Review Commission tasked with oversight of local law enforcement.

The appointments come amid a growing movement aimed at police reform, but the roots of the initiative predate current calls for bolstered oversight of law enforcement. Rather, the creation of a civilian review panel was a part of the 2018 meet and confer agreement between the Austin Police Association and the City of Austin, officials explained in an advisory.

The following individuals have agreed to serve on the Commission:

• Ryan Carlino.
• Elizabeth Castaneda.
• Joao Paulo Connolly.
• Erica Flores.
• Jessica Gonzales-Bricker.
• Sukyi McMahon.
• Tania Rosamond.
• Amani Seay.
• Richard Segovia.
• Grayson Turner.

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of these commissioners,” Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk said in a prepared statement. “In this instance, we certainly look forward to having these important voices at the table as the city reimagines public safety.”

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Added Office of Police Oversight Director Farah C. Muscadin: “I am always grateful to members of our community who answer the call of public service to help make our city a safer place. These men and women bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and commitment to this work. I look forward to this meaningful collaboration with them as they will bring an additional layer of civilian police oversight of APD."

As part of the in-depth selection process, city officials said, more than 70 applications were screened, with input from a panel of City leaders, community members and oversight consultants. The applicants were interviewed by city and community leaders.

Muscadin said the primary purpose of the Community Police Review Commission will be to:

• Make policy level recommendations regarding discipline, training, community relations and the citizen complaint process;
• address community concerns;
• review patterns and practices of the Austin Police Department;
• assess critical incidents and review individual cases of police misconduct; and
• assess the effectiveness of the Office of Police Oversight (OPO).

The commission meetings will take place on the first Monday of each month from 6 p.m. to 8 pm. The commission's first public meeting has been tentatively scheduled for Monday, Oct. 5.

Muscadin also announced the creation of a new website, atxpolicecommission.org, and a resource email account, cprc@austintexas.gov, for questions from the public.

“Thanks to our staff and consultants, I am confident that the CPRC will begin on a strong and collaborative footing with the goal of improving and maintaining public trust in the Austin Police Department by providing an additional layer of oversight that is community-driven,” Cronk said.