Hmmm, I wonder who created the Austin Listening site advertising Austin Police Department’s chief search?
Jesus, everything about this endeavor screams “budget” at the top of its lungs – from the crass wallpaper advertising public-sector pimps MGT of America (who I suppose was tasked with doing “community outreach”) to creation of a Statesman blog (free, natch) to having the contact e-mails be freebie Gmail accounts. I’m surprised there are no Google AdWords up on that piece to turn a quick buck.
Now I’m not saying these community sites need to be gleaming, tag-able Web 2.0 monsters that will crash any computer older than three months. But a little effort would be nice. With disturbing details leaking out about the police shooting in East Austin this weekend, the Austin blogosphere all abuzz today about an UT student documentary on APD’s use of force, and the impending Justice Department investigation of the department, it would be nice if the APD search info didn’t look like it was cobbled together by that cousin of yours who’s “good with computers.”
But with people like Texas Monthly publisher/Public Safety Task Force member Mike Levy complaining that the entire police chief search has been done on the cheap, you can’t be too surprised.
This article appears in June 1 • 2007.