Policing & Community Safety

Press Advisory: Houston Event Will Highlight System-Impacted Leaders, Build Community for Formerly Incarcerated Locals

Press Advisory: Houston Event Will Highlight System-Impacted Leaders, Build Community for Formerly Incarcerated Locals

On January 29, a group of formerly incarcerated and justice system-impacted Texans will convene in Houston. The event, “From Prison to Power: Finding Your Voice After Incarceration,” is organized by the Texas Center for Justice and Equity’s Statewide Leadership Council (SLC) and partners.

Read the rest of this press advisory here.

Role of police in planned emergency response team draws dissent

Role of police in planned emergency response team draws dissent

The City of San Antonio is planning to deploy a new emergency response team that will likely include a police officer, mental health clinician and an emergency medical technician for 911 calls that involve mental health as soon as April. Before City Council’s Public Safety Committee reviewed the pilot program Tuesday, they heard from mental health advocates and several residents with mental health issues. 

Analysis of Austin-Area Drug Possession Arrest Data Shows Place-Based Policing Is Tied to Social Vulnerability

A screengrab from our Travis County possession of a controlled substance arrest visualization, mapping arrests against demographic data

Today, the Texas Center for Justice and Equity (TCJE) released a data visualization on drug possession arrests in Travis County. The data story, created with January Advisors, maps 2,900 cases for possession of a controlled substance (POCS) of less than one gram, a state jail felony.

Texas Criminal Justice Coalition Releases 2021 Bill Analysis Guide

Texas Criminal Justice Coalition Releases 2021 Bill Analysis Guide

Today, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC) released a guide analyzing positive justice legislation that became law during Texas’ 2021 regular session. The majority of bills go into effect on Wednesday, September 1.

Read the rest of this press release here.

San Antonio plans to send a cop to all mental health calls, but activist groups want an alternative

San Antonio plans to send a cop to all mental health calls, but activist groups want an alternative

Local and national activist groups are calling on San Antonio officials to reject a plan to send a police officer, along with a mental health clinician and a paramedic, to respond to 911 calls involving mental health.

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