Doug Greco Statement on Initial Details of Proposed Police Contract

On Monday the City and the Austin Police Association reached a tentative agreement for a new contract, and though it has not been made public, based on initial details it appears the Mayor and city are negotiating away a key transparency measure approved by 80% of Austin voters.

Our police contract should maintain voter approved and court ordered transparency, including elimination of the G-File. Neither the voters in Austin nor the court supported “grandfathering” the current G-File from transparency. Mayor Watson should stand with Austin voters and defend the transparency they approved.  

In terms of compensation, we need to pay our public safety officers competitively, compared to our peer group of cities, because of the work they do to keep our community safe. I support pay increases in a contract to this end. But we need balance in our budget, and I’m concerned the overall cost of the contract could undermine community investments that prevent crime and keep our community safe such as investment in education, workforce, living wages, mental health, and addressing homelessness.