Robin Henderson, chief of staff presenting the Austin Police Department quarterly report, told the Public Safety Commission on Oct. 6 that auto theft incidents are down about 31% from the same time last year and about 18% compared with the five‑year mean.

Henderson described targeted initiatives: partnerships with vehicle dealerships, new outreach to storage facilities and residential garage theft prevention (including an outreach magnet campaign to remind residents to secure garage doors), motors unit enforcement and cooperation with TxDOT on speeding and reckless driving along RM 2222.

Henderson said the department is using “place‑network” investigations to analyze locations that contribute to criminal activity and is coordinating enforcement and prosecution with the Travis County District Attorney and County Attorney where repeat offenders are identified. She added the mounted unit has been redeployed to increase patrols at parks and hard‑to‑reach areas.

On records requests, Henderson said APD had received 184 G‑file requests through mid‑September, with 139 closed and 45 open. She said processing time varies with the number of redactions required and the length of an officer’s service record. APD averages roughly 633 public information requests per week across systems, she said, and legal review is part of the redaction process.

Henderson reviewed staffing and academy updates: sworn vacancy rate was reported at 17.6%, professional staff vacancies at 9.3% and emergency communications at 6.7%. A cadet class recently graduated and 34 officers are still in field‑training; the department expects to place newly solo officers into sectors with the highest vacancy rates when they complete probation. APD added reporting of academy attrition for recent classes and said attrition was higher for classes hired while the department was out of contract; newer classes hired under contract have lower attrition so far.

The department described steps to support cadets and reduce attrition: enhanced onboarding, early academic intervention and tutoring, standardized lesson plans, optional physical fitness sessions, victim‑services counseling, and dog‑therapy visits. Henderson said the department expects to run four cadet classes per year and aims to graduate about 50 cadets per class; APD projects full staffing by the end of calendar year 2028 under current plans.

Henderson also reported on Narcan administrations: across five years the department recorded 254 reported Narcan administrations but noted a sharp decline in 2025 with only 17 reported uses through mid‑year. She said APD is investigating whether the decline reflects under‑reporting or a real decline in uses.

Henderson discussed a public‑messaging review after a Zilker Park shooting, saying APD and partners including AISD and emergency communications are reviewing protocols for verification and rescission of community notices and will report back at a future meeting.

Commissioners questioned vehicle rebranding and recognition: Henderson said uniform patches and badges will not change, but vehicle liveries will be updated over time as cars are replaced; the department plans public messaging before any new liveries are put into service. She noted early mockups had unintended visual results and the rollout will be gradual to avoid confusion.

Henderson closed with community programming highlights (Community Police Academy, multi‑housing safety program, Coffee with a Cop, National Night Out and trunk‑or‑treat events) and said APD will report further on place‑network investigations related to car burglaries at future meetings.

Ending: Henderson committed to provide a follow‑up on G‑file fulfillment counts (how many requests were paid and completed), a weather‑radio/alert follow‑up where relevant, and a future report on place‑network work on vehicle burglaries.