What Austin Wants in Their Next Police Chief

Austin Residents Want a Police Chief Who Will Support and Hold Officers Accountable, Survey Shows

Nearly 1,230 people responded to an anonymous survey on what characteristics and priorities are important for Austin's next police chief.

Link to survey results: https://data.austintexas.gov/Public-Safety/Police-Chief-Candidate-Survey-Responses/tc9i-wu5i

The survey, which closed on June 10, asked participants to rank Austin's safety compared to five years ago, and identify the most important characteristics and priorities for the next police chief.

Here's what the survey revealed:

• Safety in Austin: 75% of respondents said Austin is less safe now than it was five years ago. Only 4% felt the city is safer.

• Desired Characteristics in the Police Chief:

  • 19.5% want a chief with the courage to defend and hold officers accountable
  • 17% seek a strong leader with credibility
  • 12.5% prioritize honest and effective communication

• Other desired traits include:

  • Modern policing methods (8%)
  • Experience with oversight (7.8%)
  • Commitment to professional development (7.3%)

• Priorities for the Police Chief:

  • 21.1% ranked crime prevention and reduction as the top priority
  • 16% want a focus on recruiting and retaining officers
  • 13.4% emphasized better officer training in de-escalation, use of force, and racial profiling
  • Only 4.2% prioritized increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the department.

The city is still accepting applications for the police chief position, which has been vacant since September 2021. Officials aim to select a candidate by the end of July.