AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin has publicly released its tentative five-year agreement with the Austin Police Association (APA).
The contract includes a 28% pay raise for officers over the course of the contract, additional field training officer pay and a stipend for officers working the night shift, according to the city of Austin.
The agreement also appears to allow the public to submit anonymous complaints and extends the statute of limitations on the discipline of officers to a year.
Austin City Council members are asking the city to clarify or confirm other elements of the agreement, specifically whether or not the department's controversial "g-file" will be eliminated.
The "g-file" contains records of primarily unsubstantiated misconduct complaints against officers that did not result in discipline. The Austin Police Oversight Act (APOA), which voters passed in May 2023, called for those records to no longer remain sealed, and for the public to have access to them by means of filing an official public information request. This issue made its way through the courts for months, until a judge issued a temporary injunction late August saying the city was unlawfully keeping the records confidential.
Community advocates say the public has a right to this information and the decision-making process that goes into not disciplining an officer. The Austin Police Association said this complaints are typically "outlandish" and have the potential to create an untrue negative picture of a police officer.
Earlier this month, the City Manager's Office informed the mayor and council during a private special-called meeting that the City would begin to release the records to people who requested them under the Texas Public Information Act.
Since questions remained on the nature of this, Some council members are calling for further clarification on the matter, and want to get those answers before voting the contract through.
"The language governing the anonymous complaint process and the 365-day rule appears to meet the requirements of the APOA; the language regarding the public availability of police personnel records appears to be satisfactory, but I want clarification from the City Attorney about the availability of information previously maintained in the G-file," Council Member Jose "Chito" Vela said.
Vela wants confirmation that both new and old "g-file" information will be released and would like more information about how that information will be made available to the public.
It's a sentiment that Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri echoed.
"I read the G-file section the same way and would also like clarification before we move forward. We need access to all G-file info, past and present, and a transparent system moving forward that allows for public availability of personnel records," he wrote on social media.
The city released a statement from City Manager T.C. Broadnax and said in part “The City of Austin no longer maintains G-files. Prop A and the current court ruling confirm and further provide assurance that there are no G-files."
The statement goes on to say "Further, based on the recent court decision as it relates to G-files, the City is – and will – release any information requested through a public information request in the same way all other such requests are processed. These measures comply with Prop A.”
If passed, it would be the first multi-year contract passed since 2018. Since March of 2023, Austin police have been without a long-term contract.
The city council is set to vote for approval on Oct. 10. APA members will also be asked to vote.
