Report: APD investigated less than 7% of external complaints in 2022
The City of Austin's Office of Police Oversight released its 2022 annual report Wednesday, a document highlighting work done by the office over the past year.
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin's Office of Police Oversight (OPO) released its 2022 annual report Wednesday, a document highlighting work done by the office over the past year. OPO's divisions specialize in work related to complaints, policy and research, as well as communications and community engagement for public safety efforts in Austin.
OPO's 2022 annual report found the Austin Police Department investigated 6.8% of external complaints submitted by OPO to the department. Of 689 external complaints submitted, 47 of them were investigated, the report stated.
Back in 2019, OPO's release said APD investigated 62.2% of external complaints; that figure dropped to 50.8% in 2020 and declined to 40.9% in 2021.
“The decrease in the number of external complaints investigated by APD reflects an opportunity for APD to build trust with the community,” OPO Director Gail McCant said in the release. “Complaints and compliments are the community’s way of starting an open and honest dialogue with APD and OPO can help facilitate this conversation. OPO and APD can work in conjunction to respond to these forms of community feedback and enter into this dialogue in good faith. In doing so, our two departments can reverse this downward trend and restore community trust."
Other findings documented by OPO's report included 132 APD officers receiving discipline, with 113 subject to internal complaints and 19 the result of external complaints. OPO's policy and research division also provided 140 recommendations "to improve APD's body-worn and dashboard camera policies," with 17 larger recommendations to modify APD's policy development work.
The complete report is available online.
APD issued the below statement in response to a request for comment:
The Austin Police Department works in partnership with the Office of Police Oversight and has seen the 2022 OPO annual report. We recognize the importance of their contributions and appreciate the role they serve in partnership with our organization. Together, we are able to make positive impacts in our community.
APD Public Information Office