Top Austin Headlines of 2021: Manley Finally Finds the Exits

Brian Manley (r) (Photo by John Anderson)

After two decades on Austin's police force and three years as its chief, Brian Manley finally called it quits in early spring, long after justice advocates and a unanimous City Council had expressed "no confidence" in his leadership. The first calls for Manley's ouster had come 15 months earlier, after whistleblower complaints shone a light on a toxic Austin Police Department culture that enabled casual racism and suppressed dissent through retaliation. After the brutality of APD's response to Black Lives Matter protests against police violence, following the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Michael Ramos in Southeast Austin, Manley's departure was inevitable, if prolonged.

Just days before the chief peaced out in late March, City Manager Spencer Cronk anointed Assistant Chief Joseph Chacon as Manley's interim successor, disappointing activists and the Austin Police Association alike. Both sides continued (for much different reasons) to push for an outside hire during the nationwide search for a permanent chief, winnowed from 46 applicants down to three finalists in August: Chacon, Dallas' Avery Moore (preferred by advocates), and Los Angeles' Emada Tingarides (preferred by the union). When Cronk decided to elevate Chacon (as he had Manley in 2018), the new chief faced a grilling at Council in late September on APD's staffing shortfalls, police training, the department's many missteps in handling sexual assault cases, and other issues before being confirmed. Since then, Chacon's shaken up APD's executive ranks and has elevated the role of its successful Victim Services Division in responding to assaults and supporting survivors; meanwhile, his department continues to grapple with record numbers of homicides and traffic fatalities in 2021.