Austin, TX
Austin voters pass Prop A, do not pass Prop B
Austin voters go Prop A, don’t go Prop B
Each propositions cope with oversight of Austin police, with Prop A utilizing language that civilian oversight will “deter police misconduct and brutality,” basically strengthening its oversight in comparison with Prop B.
AUSTIN, Texas – As early voting outcomes got here in Saturday, supporters on each side shared their reactions.
“We’re feeling more than happy with the outcomes to this point,” Kathy Mitchell with Fairness Motion mentioned.
“Not stunned. It’s Austin, let’s face it, the Portland, the Seattle, the San Francisco of Texas, however dissatisfied. I believe it must be disheartening for the women and men of the Austin Police Division to see these outcomes,” Kevin Lawrence with the Texas Municipal Police Affiliation mentioned.
The 2 propositions look very comparable, nevertheless it comes all the way down to the extent of oversight.
Prop A consists of the phrase “…deter police misconduct and brutality by strengthening civilian police oversight,” whereas Prop B simply says “…strengthen civilian police oversight.”
Austin voters to determine extent of police division oversight
Prop A, backed by Fairness Motion, is basically extra oversight than Prop B, which is backed by Voters for Oversight and Police Accountability (VOPA) and the Austin Police Affiliation.
“Prop A creates a really cheap however efficient system of civilian oversight. We consider that officers who’re comfy working throughout the guidelines should not have any drawback with it, and I believe that is step one in therapeutic the neighborhood,” Mitchell mentioned.
“I believe we will see litigation out of this. I believe there is no doubt about that. I believe it will make it harder for the for the town and the union to take a seat down and negotiate a brand new contract. However extra importantly, it will make it that rather more troublesome for the Austin Police Division to fill their ranks,” Lawrence mentioned.
APD, Texas DPS give replace on partnership to Austin Metropolis Council
This replace comes after demographic information revealed 9 out of 10 DPS misdemeanor arrests have been folks of colour.
As for voter turnout, Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado says it is on par with different native elections.
About 28,000 folks voted on Election Day, and roughly 50,000 voted early.
“We sometimes anticipate about 5 or seven p.c in a neighborhood election. These outcomes are on monitor with that. We’re about six-and-half p.c or simply over that for turnout,” Limon-Mercado mentioned.