Max for Mayor

Austin Police Association Questionnaire

Public Safety Candidates Questionnaire

Please take the time to answer the following questionnaire and forward your answers to [the APA-PAC Chairman] no later than 3-19-97. Your answers will help assist both the Police and Fire Association PACs in making our endorsement decisions. When responding to the questions please reference your answers to the question number on a separate sheet of paper. Thank you for taking the time to respond and please accept our apologies for the extremely short notice.

1. Do you believe that public safety is the top priority in Austin? Why or why not?

Yes. The public's health, safety, and welfare is the main purpose of government. The people must be able to feel safe and their property secure, in their homes and on the streets.

2. Do you believe that it is proper for Police Officers and Fire Fighters to have Civil Service protection, as opposed to being the subjects of political spoils?

Yes. Public safety is too important to be dependent on shifting political winds.

3. When Fire Fighters or Police Officers are promoted to higher paying positions, do you believe they should be selected through a competitive and objective process, including written exams and job tenure?

Yes. Promotions should be based on merit performance, and experience.

4. When Police Officers or Fire Fighters are subjected to disciplinary actions, should they have the right to appeal the propriety of the discipline to an independent third party, and should that impartial decision be abided by all parties?

Yes. Disciplinary actions should be subject to appeal to an independent third party, whose decision should be final.

5. Do you vow to support the statutory rights of the Austin Police Association and the Austin Professional Fire Fighters Association to meet and confer and reach binding agreements with the City of Austin as provided by Local Government Code?

Yes.

6. What kind of relationship should exist between the Police and Fire Associations and the City of Austin?

The Police and Fire Associations and the City share goals of protecting the public's health, safety, and welfare. Keeping this mutual mission in mind should promote a cooperating working relationship, rather than an adversarial one, which could be detrimental to our community.

7. When the Austin City Council and the Austin Police or Fire Fighter Associations are unable to agree on an issue related to the working conditions of Police Officers and/or Fire Fighters, would you support the issue being submitted to the Austin voters for final resolution?

I don't think so. Those issues should be worked out and resolved by the Associations and the City through negotiation.

8. When was the last time you had official contact with the Austin Fire Department? What were the circumstances, and what impressions of the Fire Department did you come out with from that contact?

I met with Scott Toupin, VP of AAPF, a couple of weeks ago to give him a questionnaire I had completed. We met informally at a downtown coffee shop and discussed Fire Department issues. He was very helpful, informative, and represented AAPF and the Department very well. The Fire Department seemed to be working with the City to resolve long-standing issues about pay.

9. When was the last time you had official contact with the Austin Police Department? What were the circumstances, and what impressions of the Police Department did you come out with from that contact?

A month ago I attended Chief Watson's farewell party in the basement of headquarters. The event was well-attended, especially by many other law-enforcement agencies with whom APD cooperates. Everybody seemed pretty happy.

10. What areas, if any, do you believe Public Safety (Fire and Police) could improve upon?

Public safety could be improved by adding more personnel and better equipment. The management of the Police Department could be improved, according to the recent audit.

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