On November 19, the Downtown Austin Alliance hosted “Issues & Eggs: Meet the Chief,” an installment of our ongoing breakfast series designed to foster dialogue on critical local issues. This event featured new Austin police Chief Lisa Davis, who shared her strategic vision for public safety through her 100-Day Plan.
Mayor Kirk Watson gave opening remarks followed by a Q&A session facilitated by Robert Clark, executive director of the Central Texas Public Safety Commission. The session provided the community with an opportunity to learn about Chief Davis’ priorities, hear her approach to addressing pressing safety concerns and engage in a meaningful conversation about the future of downtown Austin.
Below is a recap of the event.
Chief Davis’ 100-Day Plan: A Framework for Progress
The session kicked off with Chief Davis outlining her 100-Day Plan as a roadmap to strengthen public safety in Austin. The plan is built on three core priorities: enhancing recruitment and officer morale, rebuilding community trust and developing proactive crime prevention strategies.
The plan is structured into four actionable phases:
- Listen: Engage with both internal stakeholders and external community groups to gather insights and perspectives.
- Learn: Conduct comprehensive assessments to inform data-driven policing strategies.
- Look: Identify collaborative opportunities and solutions that align with Austin’s unique needs.
- Launch: Implement strategic initiatives and maintain transparent communication throughout the process.
Chief Davis highlighted downtown Austin as a key area of focus, emphasizing that “the health of downtown reflects the health of the city as a whole.”
Tackling Downtown’s Public Safety Challenges
Chief Davis addressed several challenges facing the downtown area, including crime hotspots, homelessness and issues surrounding Sixth Street. To combat these challenges, key initiatives were outlined, such as increasing the police presence to enhance officer visibility downtown. Chief David explained that this helps deter criminal activity and fosters stronger connections with the community. Another initiative is the Sixth Street Safety Pilot Program, a thoughtful and collaborative effort designed to safely reopen parts of East Sixth Street to traffic while addressing both structural and safety concerns.
To tackle safety issues in Austin, Chief Davis highlighted the importance of data-driven approaches to effectively prioritize resources, ensuring that the police department is focused on the areas most in need.
Building Trust and Partnerships
Rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the community remains a cornerstone of Chief Davis’ leadership. She emphasized the importance of active listening, consistent engagement, and delivering on promises. Chief Davis acknowledged that achieving these goals wouldn’t be possible without the community’s support and strategic collaboration with city agencies, local businesses and organizations like the Downtown Austin Alliance. She explained this is how creating sustainable solutions is possible.
Through close collaboration with civic organizations, underrepresented communities, and business leaders, Chief Davis envisions a cooperative effort to shape a safer, more inclusive Austin.
A New Era for Public Safety
Chief Davis acknowledged the urgent need to improve officer recruitment, retention and training. As the 100-Day Plan has commenced and with initiatives already underway, the Downtown Alliance looks forward to our continued partnership with APD to foster a more secure and vibrant downtown Austin.
For more information about Chief Davis’ 100-Day plan, visit: https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Police/APD-Chief-Davis100-Day-Action-Plan.pdf
See Chief Lisa Davis’s Presentation here: Chief Davis Issues & Eggs Powerpoint
