Austin American-Statesman

When ‘Live PD’ cameras rolled, Williamson County deputies used more violence

FOIFT2020-10-27T17:24:12-05:00

By Julie Chang and Tony PlohetskiAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published Oct. 23, 2020 The kind of violence Imani Nembhard experienced in April 2019 became increasingly common in Williamson County after Sheriff Robert Chody invited the camera crews of “Live PD” to feature his department. An American-Statesman analysis of 124 use-of-force reports shows that violent encounters between Williamson County sheriff’s deputies and civilians nearly doubled from 43 in 2017 — the year before “Live PD” joined the department — to 82 in 2019. During the weeks when the reality TV show filmed with the department, deputies used force significantly more often than during weeks [...]

When ‘Live PD’ cameras rolled, Williamson County deputies used more violenceFOIFT2020-10-27T17:24:12-05:00

After Statesman inquiry, lawsuit aims to keep Texas Teacher Retirement System’s lease under wraps

FOIFT2020-05-18T14:19:25-05:00

By Bob SechlerAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published May 15, 2020 The Teacher Retirement System of Texas describes itself as committed to public transparency and says it’s no longer trying to prevent disclosure of the full terms of its multimillion-dollar office lease in the luxury Indeed Tower high-rise under construction in downtown Austin. But that hasn’t stopped a development company in which the taxpayer-funded retirement system has a big financial stake from continuing the state agency’s nearly yearlong legal effort to conceal the information following multiple American-Statesman requests for it. The company — TC Austin Block 71 LLC — has filed a lawsuit against [...]

After Statesman inquiry, lawsuit aims to keep Texas Teacher Retirement System’s lease under wrapsFOIFT2020-05-18T14:19:25-05:00

Austin American-Statesman editorial: End the secrecy on virus deaths at nursing homes

FOIFT2020-05-05T16:01:25-05:00

By American-Statesman Editorial BoardAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published May 3, 2020 More than 300 coronavirus deaths in Texas have been tied to nursing homes and other senior living facilities. Which locations? For the most part, no one will say. In an extreme interpretation of state law, Texas officials have refused to tell the public about any COVID-19 outbreak at a specific senior facility — not even the number of cases or the mere existence of a cluster, despite the fact that long-term care facilities have seen 40% of the state’s COVID-19 deaths. Read the full editorial here.

Austin American-Statesman editorial: End the secrecy on virus deaths at nursing homesFOIFT2020-05-05T16:01:25-05:00

Newly enacted Texas law to shine light on spending of taxpayer money

FOIFT2020-01-06T17:18:49-06:00

By Asher PriceAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published Jan. 3, 2020 How much taxpayer money did the University of Texas pay the rapper Ludacris to perform after a spring football game last year? Or how much money is the Teacher Retirement System paying for new digs in downtown Austin? Public entities declined to release information that would answer either of these questions, posed by the American-Statesman, citing rulings handed down by the Texas Supreme Court in 2015. They were among dozens of requests the Statesman made under the Texas Public Information Act over the past four years that were denied, citing the same rulings. [...]

Newly enacted Texas law to shine light on spending of taxpayer moneyFOIFT2020-01-06T17:18:49-06:00

Editorial: Don’t bury police video with those who die in custody

FOIFT2019-01-16T18:48:25-06:00

By American-Statesman Editorial BoardAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published Jan. 10, 2019 Police video has the power to give an unbiased, unflinching view of what really happened — but it works only when the public is allowed to see it. We’ve seen the benefits of police camera footage clearing up the circumstances of officer-involved shootings and allowing for scrutiny of high-profile arrests. Think of what dashboard camera footage meant for our understanding of the 2015 forceful arrest of elementary schoolteacher Breaion King and the 2016 fatal shooting of 17-year-old David Joseph. But in other cases, a pernicious loophole in state law has allowed police agencies to refuse to release videos [...]

Editorial: Don’t bury police video with those who die in custodyFOIFT2019-01-16T18:48:25-06:00

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