AUSTIN -- In light of recent events, an Austin City Council member is pushing for the steps to appoint Interim Chief Brian Manley as the permanent Austin Police Department Chief once the City Manager gains approval.
In a letter posted on the City of Austin Council Message Board, Council Member Delia Garza is asking the council to put their full support behind two measures:
- Approve the appointment of Interim Chief Brian Manley as our permanent Chief (if/when the City Manager seeks this approval)
- Negotiate and APPROVE a contract with the Austin Police Association as quickly as possible.
“I’m well aware of the Council and community conversations about making a decision regarding our next Chief of Police," said Cronk in a statement released by the City of Austin. "Throughout this incident, I’ve witnessed incredible leadership throughout our public safety departments. The trust and relationships they have with the community and our partner agencies is unquestionable. Our focus right now is on the important investigatory work that is continuing. I would expect that you will hear from me more on the status of my selection process in the coming weeks.”
Manley was placed as the Interim Police Chief after former APD Chief Art Acevedo left his position in Austin to become Houston's police chief in November 2016. Manley is a native of Austin and has been a part of the APD for the past 26 years.
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Garza added, "As our community begins to heal in what we all hope is the beginning of a calm in the last 3 weeks, I wanted to thank Chief Manley and the men and women of our public safety agencies – Austin Police Department, Austin-Travis County EMS, and the Austin Fire Department. Also to the ATF and FBI and Travis County for your help during this crisis."
In the message board, Garza also elaborates on the City's recent vote delays on the controversial police contract.
"I ask my colleagues to stop slow playing council resolutions in an attempt to bring an appearance of support for our law enforcement," she states. "Weeks ago we had the opportunity to restore the pay that our officers lost because of the lack of a contract, and the motion I made to fully restore that pay was defeated."
Acevedo also tweeted his support for Manley, saying, "Now let’s remove that interim title & build the Department which is long overdue."