Community advocates urge enforcement of de-escalation policy, raise ICE and less‑lethal-weapons concerns

Speakers from neighborhood and civil‑rights organizations told the Commission on Police Oversight on June 20 that enforcing APD’s de‑escalation policy and robust review of serious‑misconduct investigations should be top priorities.

Chaz Moore, founder and organizing director of the Austin Justice Coalition, said the city’s de‑escalation policy — a one‑sentence requirement that officers de‑escalate — has not been enforced. He urged the commission to scrutinize incidents in which officers allegedly failed to de‑escalate and to use the commission’s review power in cases of death or serious injury. Moore described high‑profile local cases under litigation, saying families and video evidence in several incidents raise questions about…