Austin Police Oversight Unit Receives 'Unprecedented' Complaints

AUSTIN, TX — Amid continued civil unrest over abuse from law enforcement, the Office of Police Oversight officials this week published complaints related to recent protests — an "unprecendented" level of such reports, officials said.

The list of complaints that began being compiled on May 29 numbers 227 such reports from citizens logged at atxpoliceoversight.org range from concerns about use of force against protesters to specific complaints about injuries to individuals, officials said.

Formal complaints are organized by date and redacted to protect individual privacy, officials added. Last week, Director Farah Muscadin reported to Austin City Council that the Office of Police Oversight received an unprecedented number of complaints about interactions between protesters and the Austin Police Department, according to an advisory announcing the complaints portal.

In previous years, the Office of Police Oversight received an average of 50 formal complaints, officials noted in the way of comparison. Over the last two weeks, officials added, the department received hundreds of contacts related to local protests via phone, email, and the online complaint form.

"This volume of complaints and the pattern of alleged behavior echoes the sentiment expressed at recent city council meetings,” Office of Police Oversight Director Farah Muscadin said in a prepared statement. “Residents are concerned about the use of force by the Austin Police Department and are calling for transparency and accountability.”

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