Office of Police Oversight briefs Mayor’s Committee on investigations, training and community outreach

The Office of Police Oversight on July 11 told the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities that it has expanded investigative access, is publishing complaint records and is working with the Austin Police Department (APD) to revise academy training and outreach.

Cooper Thompson, a community engagement specialist with the Office of Police Oversight (OPO), told the committee the office’s mission is “to provide impartial oversight of the Austin Police Department’s conduct, practices, and policies in order to enhance accountability, inform the public to increase transparency, and create sustainable partnerships throughout the community.”

Why it matters: Committee members pressed OPO staff about whether people with disabilities are represented in complaint data and how training and policy recommendations reach APD officers. The committee’s members said better data and training could reduce harmful encounters involving people with disabilities.

OPO structure and authority OPO staff described three core divisions: complaints and investigations, policy and research, and…