AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texans who attended protests at the Capitol this summer were greeted by a new sight: a team of five officers from the Austin Police Department clad in bright blue mesh vests, standing shoulder to shoulder with protesters.
Led by Commander Lawrence Davis, APD’s dialogue policing team has been deployed to protests throughout the spring and summer. But instead of monitors, the team works as facilitators — building relationships with protest organizers to help them safely execute their demonstrations.
“It’s a way to make sure we’re hearing the people and to make sure we’re able to respond back in a meaningful way,” he said. “Dialogue is the simplest de-escalation tool you can have.”…