Mayor and Councilmembers

FYI, for a police accountability perspective on Mike Levy's running dialogue: If it's true that current screening for APD recruits is letting in people with records of abusive behavior or criminal activity, then you MUST get on top of this issue immediately. MAJOR HIRING PERIODS ARE WHEN LONG-TERM PROBLEMS START.

Please do not take this lightly, and please do not defer to the APA or the chief's say-so that it's okay. Ask for detailed reports; satisfy yourself that these officers don't know what they're talking about, because it sounds to me like they do. It's far too expensive to train new officers and much too hard to fire them not to ensure you're hiring the right people.

Austin is going to hire a lot more cops in the near future; I can't over-emphasize the importance of not hiring bad apples in preventing police misconduct. I beg you -- don't blow this.

Scott Henson