CPRC debates public dashboard of APD interactions with federal immigration authorities

Commissioner Terry Flood reopened a prior briefing on March 20 and urged the Community Police Review Commission to explore the feasibility of a public dashboard displaying Austin Police Department interactions with federal immigration authorities.

"So we were briefed by the chief, and we understood the parameters of what state law says… I would like to see the feasibility of developing the dashboard so we can see have transparency and understand what is going on and how often these things are happening," Flood said, framing the dashboard as a tool for situational awareness rather than officer identification.

Commissioners voiced differing concerns about design and harms. One commissioner warned that broken‑out data by sector or neighborhood could be politically weaponized or make officers targets, arguing any public display should avoid granular sector breakdowns. The commissioner urged a citywide view or careful aggregation to reduce the risk of misuse.

Commissioner Flood and others responded that APD already records the interactions under its general order and that the dashboard would repurpose existing reporting rather than collect new types of data. "Chief Davis said they already track it, and it is available. It's just not available in the form of a dashboard," a commissioner said. Several commissioners supported drafting a formal recommendation and involving legal counsel to ensure compliance with the Texas Public Information Act.

The Commission did not vote; Flood volunteered to draft a recommendation for the next meeting and asked for volunteers to collaborate. Commissioners agreed to involve legal staff early in the drafting process and to seek input from APD and community stakeholders about aggregation levels, privacy constraints and implementation details.

Next steps: Commission members will collaborate on a draft recommendation to present for committee review and a future vote.