Dear Neighbor, The Central Texas Public Safety Commission believes Mayor Kirk Watson’s recently announced agreement with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is a lesson in leadership. We also thank the city council and Interim City Manager Jesús Garza for supporting the partnership. Our local and state leaders put political differences aside to develop a plan… Read more »
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Central Texas Public Safety Commission
The Central Texas Public Safety Commission was established in 1997
to support Central Texas first responders
and promote public safety planning.
About
Founded in 1997, the Greater Austin Crime Commission was established to support the first responders of the City of Austin and promote public safety planning. Now, after decades of growth and transformation throughout Austin and the surrounding communities, the Commission seeks to broaden its purpose and vocation to support the public safety, justice, and security of the entire Central Texas region. Just as the Commission brought together community leaders over 25 years ago with a common purpose, the re-dedicated Central Texas Public Safety Commission seeks to connect Central Texas governments, citizens, and community organizations with the common goal of promoting public safety, engagement, and the striving for the common good. Our goal is to support and enhance the efforts of Central Texas emergency medical responders, firefighters, police officers, and all first responders as we all aim towards creating safer communities throughout Central Texas.
Mission
The mission of the Central Texas Public Safety Commission is to promote the public safety of the region by working with all community stakeholders – local governments, public safety agencies, emergency responders, community organizations, and citizens – to create policies and initiatives that build trust, promote justice, and reduce crime. We advocate for the region’s emergency medical responders, firefighters, police officers, and public safety officers as well as the citizens they serve.
Vision
The Central Texas Public Safety Commission envisions a future where all residents of the Central Texas area can live, work, and thrive in a safe and secure environment. We strive to build a regional community where safety emergencies are addressed quickly, crime is minimized, justice is upheld, and the well-being of every individual is protected.
Core Values
1. Safety and Security: We prioritize the safety and security of all community members and aim to create an environment where everyone feels protected from crime and victimization.
2. Collaboration and Partnership: We believe in the power of collaboration and actively seek partnerships with public safety agencies, community organizations, and individuals to address safety-related challenges collectively.
3. Transparency and Accountability: We operate with transparency, maintaining accountability to the community, stakeholders, and the public, ensuring that our actions and decisions are guided by ethical principles.
4. Advocacy and Policy Reform: We actively engage in advocating for effective public safety policies. We promote innovative approaches to crime prevention and reduction and emergency responsiveness.
5. Crime Prevention: We are committed to promoting crime prevention by promoting community engagement, education, and the implementation of evidence-based strategies.
6. Justice and Fairness: We advocate for a fair and equitable criminal justice system that upholds the principles of justice, respects the rights of all individuals, and addresses the underlying causes of crime.
7. Empowerment and Engagement: We strive to empower community members by providing resources, education, and opportunities for engagement, recognizing that active involvement is crucial to building safer neighborhoods.
8. Proactivity: We take a proactive approach to crime prevention and emergency responsiveness by staying ahead of emerging trends, identifying potential risks, and recommending strategic measures to mitigate them.
10. Equity: We are committed to promoting fairness, inclusivity, and equal access to safety and justice for all members of the community, regardless of background or circumstances.
11. Innovation: We embrace innovation and technology as catalysts for advancing public safety, constantly seeking new approaches, solutions, and best practices to address evolving challenges in our community.
Key Objectives and Methods
1. Community Engagement and Programming:
- Cultivate community involvement and participation in public safety programs and neighborhood cooperation organizations.
- Support collaborative initiatives and partnerships between community organizations, public safety agencies, businesses, and citizens.
- Engage the community via philanthropic and educational initiatives with distribution through digital, social, and print media and community programming.
- Assess and elevate the level of public awareness and support for advocated policies through surveys and informational campaigns.
2. Advocacy for Effective Policies:
- Engage with policymakers and legislators, providing evidence-based data to inform better approaches and methods to public safety policy.
- Measure the impact of advocated policies on crime rates, emergency responsiveness, equitable justice, and community safety.
- Raise awareness within the business and activist communities of Central Texas about public safety issues and goals and drive cooperation in pursuit of those goals.
- Emergency Responsiveness:
- Advocate for the procurement of necessary resources needed by emergency responders within the Central Texas region including fire departments, emergency medical departments, and all law enforcement agencies.
- Crime Reduction:
- Promote the effective and efficient public safety of the Central Texas Region
- Work with and in support of public safety agencies including law enforcement and first responders at the City, County, and State levels.
- Measure the overall crime rate and track its trend over time, categorizing data to provide the most significance for Central Texas residents.
5. Data-Driven Approach:
- Utilize technologically based data collection systems to identify crime and emergency patterns and service delivery.
- Monitor the availability and accessibility of safety data and statistics to the public, to policy makers, and promote transparency and accountability.
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Programs
- Sponsoring the Austin Police Department’s Guns4Groceries program, which has collected nearly 800 unwanted weapons and raises public awareness about firearm safety
- Partnering with the University of Texas at Austin to sponsor the Longhorn Leaders program, which encourages seventh graders to “make good choices” by staying in school, off drugs, and out of trouble
- Supplying Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services with specially-equipped motorcycles to improve downtown, highway, and special event response Partnering with The University of Texas at Austin and the Austin Independent School District to sponsor the Longhorn Leaders program, which emphasizes academic excellence and life success skills
- Co-sponsoring an annual Global Security Summit with the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at The University of Texas at Austin
- Hosting a Public Safety Series featuring law enforcement and policy experts, such as Governor Greg Abbott, Admiral Bobby R. Inman, USN (Ret), former Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, Congressman Michael T. McCaul, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven C. McCraw, former New York Police Department Commissioner Howard Safir, and State Senator Kirk Watson.
- Working with the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation to provide protective vests and tactical equipment to twenty-five area law enforcement agencies
- Marketing the Austin Police Department’s 3-1-1 response system, which significantly reduced emergency calls and providing technology to support the Amber Alert program
- Providing life-saving trauma kits for Austin Police Department patrol vehicles
- Offering specialized DNA collection, homeland security, WMD, and K-9 medical, training for regional law enforcement
- Supplying equipment to create the nation’s first K-9 chembio and radiation detection programs Starting the state’s first 401K-9 program to assist with medical expenses for retired law enforcement animals
- Sponsoring youth outreach programs, including the “Do the Write Thing” national middle school essay contest, Kids and Cops™, and Safe Schools Week
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Eduardo Margain*
Founder and CEO, PIXIU Investments
VICE PRESIDENT
Pam Madere*
Partner, Jackson Walker
SECRETARY
Keith E. Gamel*
Attorney and Partner,
Naman Howell Smith & Lee LLP
TREASURER
Brad B. Hawley*
Partner, Locke Lord LLP
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Corby Jastrow*
Vice President and Partner, Prominent Title
Brian A. Bailey
Brian A. Bailey Homes Inc.
Tim Berry
President and CEO, Pennybacker Capital
Rob Bridges
Managing Director, Marsh Wortham
Laurie Brown
Vice President,
Brown Distributing Co.
Ben Bufkin
Principal, Endeavor Real Estate Group
Fred Burton
Executive Director, Ontic Center for Protective Intelligence
PAST PRESIDENT
Paul J. Bury III*
Edward S. Butler
Butler Family Interests
Scott A. Carr
President, Carr Development Inc.
Elizabeth Christian
Of Counsel, Elizabeth Christian Public Relations LLC
Stephen Clark
Partner, Cypress Invest LLC
Tim Crowley
Austin Regional President, Frost
PAST PRESIDENT
Dr. William H. Cunningham*
James L. Bayless Chair For Free Enterprise, The University of Texas at Austin
Former Chancellor, The University of Texas System
Former President, The University of Texas at Austin
Alex Davis
Founder and CEO, Disruptive
Brian DeRoeck
Managing Director, Focus Strategies Investment Banking
Gary S. Farmer
President, Heritage Title Company of Austin Inc.
Kent Ferguson
President, HealthCare Facilities Development Corporation
N. Rudy Garza
Founder and Managing General Partner, G51 Capital Management
Rudy Garza
President, GarzaEMC
Louis Granger
Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo Advisors
Brian Haley
Co-Founder, CB Capital
PAST PRESIDENT
Richard S. Hill*
Founding Partner, HPI Real Estate Services & Investments
PAST PRESIDENT
Joe E. Holt*
Former Chairman (Austin Region), JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.
PAST PRESIDENT
Adm. Bobby R. Inman, USN (Ret)*
Managing Director, Limestone Ventures
Lyndon B. Johnson Centennial Chair in National Policy,
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
Chairman and Managing Partner, Gefinor Ventures
Former Chairman, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Former Deputy Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Former Director, National Security Agency
Kenneth M. Jastrow II
Former Chairman and CEO, Temple-Inland Inc.
Bradley S. Knippa
Attorney and CPA, Jackson Walker LLP
J. Winston Krause
Attorney, Krause & Associates LP
Dr. Michael L. Lauderdale
Professor Emeritus, The University of Texas at Austin
Derek S. Lewis
Co-Managing Partner, Lincoln Property Company
Fred Ligarde*
Ligarde & Associates
Federal Bureau of Investigation (Ret)*
Troy Marcus
Founder and CEO, Evergen Equity
Laura Matz
President, Matz and Company LLC
Linda McCaul
Clear Channel Communications Inc.
Demetrius McDaniel
Co-Regional Operating Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Bryce Miller
Managing Principal, Endeavor Real Estate Group
Mark Newberry
President, Tarrytown Pharmacy
Catherine L. Newell
General Counsel, Dimensional Fund Advisors
Patricia C. Ohlendorf
Patrick Oles
President and CEO, Barshop & Oles
Harriet O’Neill
Former Justice, Supreme Court of Texas
Gamble J. Palmer Jr.
President, Palmco Inc.
Donald J. Reese
President, Riverside Resources Corporation
Mike M. Reynolds
Reynolds Interests
Dr. Randa S. Safady
Vice Chancellor for External Relations, The University of Texas System
Bryan Sheffield
Managing Partner, Formentera Partners LLC
Jennifer Stevens
Chief Executive Officer, JHL
James E. Stone
Timothy C. Taylor
Partner, Jackson Walker LLP
Tom Terkel
Founder and principal, FourT Realty
Timothy T. Timmerman
President, Commerce Texas Properties Inc.
PAST PRESIDENT
Hon. Ralph Wayne*
Former Chairman, Texas Ethics Commission
Former Chief Deputy Comptroller, Comptroller of Public Accounts, State of Texas
Former Member, Texas House of Representatives
Former President, Texas Civil Justice League
Ray A. Wilkerson
President and CEO, Ray Wilkerson Companies Inc.
PAST PRESIDENT
Hon. Pamela P. Willeford*
Former U.S. Ambassador to
Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Neel White
Chairman, White Construction Company
PAST PRESIDENT
Pete Winstead*
Founding Shareholder, Winstead PC
*Executive Committee
In the News
Neighborhood Network
September 14, 2022
Dear Neighbor, The Austin City Council will consider three police-related items tomorrow that will have far-reaching effects on law enforcement in our community. Every public safety decision by city leaders is now even more consequential. The impact of budget cuts and canceling police cadet classes is evident. The Austin Police Department currently has 278 operational vacancies, creating… Read more »
Neighborhood Network
August 11, 2022
Dear Neighbor, The Austin City Council will adopt a budget for the upcoming fiscal year starting next Wednesday. Public safety spending has declined in recent years. In 2015, public safety was 72 percent of the General Fund. The proposed budget lowers it to 62 percent. That reduction represents $422 million less in public safety spending as a percentage of… Read more »