Austin at a glance
Population by race and Hispanic origin
Cities in this database with the most similarly-sized populations
Full-time law enforcement staff, Austin Police Department
- 1,488 Officers
- 630 Civilian staff
Full-time law enforcement officers per 1,000 residents
- 2.16 Austin
- 2.4 National average, cities with 250,000+ population
- 2.2 National average
These figures reflect the Austin Police Department only, and do not include state or other police agencies that may be present in this location.
Federal grant funding for Austin
Data was last updated January 6, 2025
We identified over $7.6M in federal grant funding, FY 2015-2025
Grant funding over time
Grant funding by federal department
Recent grants
Military equipment transfers
Data last updated July 11, 2025
$2.7M value of military equipment has been transferred to the Austin Police Department
The highest-value stock number reported is HELICOPTER,FLIGHT TRAINER with 1 item valued at $833,400.00 each
Recent equipment transfers
Ship date | Item and National Stock Number (NSN) | Quantity | Acquisition value, each | Acquisition value, total | DEMIL code | DEMIL IC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2/22/2018 | PANEL,STRUCTURAL,AIRCRAFT 1560-01-547-2060 |
1 | 1 @ $324.80 | $324.80 | Q | 3 |
10/11/2017 | RECON SCOUT XT 1385-01-627-4491 |
5 | 5 @ $11,556.33 | $57,781.65 | Q | 3 |
6/27/2017 | PACKBOT 510 WITH FASTAC REMOTELY CONTROLLED VEHICLE 1385-01-593-6219 |
2 | 2 @ $77,000.00 | $154,000.00 | Q | 3 |
6/22/2017 | PACKBOT 510 WITH FASTAC REMOTELY CONTROLLED VEHICLE 1385-01-593-6219 |
2 | 2 @ $77,000.00 | $154,000.00 | Q | 3 |
Local police misconduct data, consent decrees, and settlements
Data last updated July 9, 2025
Settlements
We identified 5 publicly reported settlements that resulted in policy changes and $14,299,000.00 in monetary compensation to victims.
Year | Description | Outcome |
---|---|---|
2022 |
The City of Austin, Texas, settled a lawsuit with Maredith Drake, a volunteer medic who was injured when a police officer shot a beanbag round at her while she was attempting to give aid to an injured protester during a May 2020 racial justice demonstration. Surrounding officers ignored Drake’s request for help after she was shot. The lawsuit asserted that the officers’ actions violated her First Amendment right to protected speech and to peaceful assembly, and her Fourth Amendment right to be free from excessive force. The City of Austin agreed to pay an $850,000 settlement to Drake, bringing the City’s total settlements with demonstrators against police misconduct to $13.95 million as of May 2022, all paid by taxpayers. |
Compensation
$850,000.00 |
2022 |
Austin, Texas, officials agreed to a $10 million settlement with Justin Howell and Anthony Evans, two protesters who were injured while rallying against police brutality following the murders of George Floyd and Michael Ramos in 2020. Howell and Evans each sustained serious injuries from beanbag rounds shot by police during the demonstrations. Howell, who suffered brain damage, received $8 million, which at the time was the highest amount ever awarded in an excessive force case involving an Austin police officer. Evans received $2 million. The immense backlash to the violent police response to the demonstrations resulted in the indictment of at least nineteen officers accused of excessive force, and it led the Austin Police Department to stop using less-lethal weapons such as beanbag rounds. |
Policy changes
Compensation $10,000,000.00 |
2021 |
Michael Yeager, a California man who was falsely arrested by Austin police officers, filed a lawsuit in December 2019 against the City of Austin. In December 2021, city officials agreed to settle the case for $99,000. In December 2018, Yeager was visiting his girlfriend in Austin when they were robbed. When police officers arrived, the lawsuit alleges that officer Dusty Jester slammed Yeager to the ground and used a stun gun on him and then falsely arrested him. Yeager sustained several injuries, including a concussion, broken nose, and separated shoulder. He filed a lawsuit for wrongful arrest and excessive force against the city in 2019. Two years later, city officials decided to settle the case for $99,000. |
Compensation
$99,000.00 |
2021 |
The parents of Jason Roque, a 20-year-old man, filed a lawsuit against the City of Austin and Officer James Harvel after Harvel fatally shot their son. In September 2021, the Austin City Council agreed to pay $2.25 million to the Roque family. The lawsuit alleged that Harvel fatally shot Roque in September 2017 when responding to a 911 call where Roque was having a mental health crisis. The Austin City Council reached a settlement of $2.25 million with the Roque family after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit affirmed Harvel did not qualify for immunity for the second and third shot he fired at Roque. |
Compensation
$2,250,000.00 |
2013 - 2015 |
Between 2013 and 2015, Austin paid an average of $1.1 million annually in settlement payouts, including for police misconduct. According to an analysis of data provided by the Austin City Law Department, between 2013 and 2015, Austin paid an average of $1.1 million annually in settlement payouts, including for police misconduct. |
Compensation
$1,100,000.00 |