APD gets the win –– now what?
Will this actually improve public safety?
After hearing testimony from hundreds of supporters and opponents, City Council voted 10-1 to approve a five-year police contract with the Austin Police Association. Zo Qadri was the lone dissenting vote.
A number of Council members who might have been considered swing votes on the issue –– Chito Vela, Vanessa Fuentes, Paige Ellis, Alison Alter –– said they believe the contract WILL implement all of the civilian oversight provisions approved by voters last year and that it was a necessary investment in public safety.
The vote is a major victory and something of a comeback for the police association, which in the wake of the 2020 protests was so politically marginalized that every City Council member pledged to refuse campaign contributions from it. APA's two recent attempts to appeal directly to voters –– first in a ballot initiative on police staffing and then on police oversight –– had also ended in humiliating defeats.
The "victory" is of course what every good labor union always wants: big pay raises.
