Over the last years, UWSA has been a part of a large community network organizing against white supremacy in Austin’s police department. In both 2016 and 2017, we advocated with Communities of Color United against increasing the APD’s budget; and this last winter, you all turned out with the Austin Justice Coalition, Black Sovereign Nation and Grassroots Leadership at community forums and the historic vote against the Meet and Confer contract.
This week, there is one final chance to speak out about the type of leadership you expect for Austin’s Police Department. Decarcerate ATX is working to pack the room with voices that are going to ask the hard questions.
As UWSA, we have questions for Interim Chief Manley:
- What is your commitment to protecting Austin’s shrinking Black population, and how do you intend to make anti-racism a part of your tenure as Police Chief?
- How will you work to demilitarize the Austin Police Department?
- As Chief, would you support an audit of the Police Department to find out how much money could be saved and redistributed to mental health services pools and parks on East Side?
- How do you intend to shift the abusive culture of the cadets training?
- Will you continue arresting homeless individuals under no sit no lie ordinances even as more families are displaced from their homes under gentrifying plans like the East Riverside corridor developments, where tenants have already been given eviction notices, or will you support community efforts to end this pipeline to jail and stop displacement?