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Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon announces retirement

Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon released a statement that he is stepping down.

Photo courtesy of KVUE

Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon will step down from his position and retire from the department, the KVUE Defenders have learned. [The chief also tweeted a statement.]

Interim City Manager Jesús Garza will appoint Chacon's chief of staff, Robin Henderson, to serve in the position until what is expected to be a months-long national search is performed. It is unclear whether Henderson will seek the permanent job.

It is also not immediately clear when Chacon will vacate his position, but he likely will depart by early September.

Chacon, 55, has been Austin's top police leader for two years, taking over the department at a time of turmoil following the social justice protests of May 2020 and an ongoing community debate about policing.

The actions of officers – primarily involving the use of what police call "less lethal shotguns" with bean bag rounds as ammunition – resulted in the indictments of 19 officers, most of which are pending. The city also settled multiple lawsuits against injured protesters for nearly $19 million.

Chacon also has served as chief during a turbulent period both inside the department and on the street.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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Texas races to the bottom in new list of best states for cyclists

Photo by Justin Wallace on Unsplash

If you've ridden your bicycle in Austin, you already know how true this is.

In what will come as no surprise to cyclists around Austin, the state of Texas is not a good place for bicycle riding. According to a new report of the "Most Cycling-Friendly States in the U.S.," Texas comes in at No. 47 — meaning that only three other states are worse.

The report, from Philadelphia personal injury law firm KaplunMarx, examines all 50 states based on six metrics: Air quality index, the number of cyclist deaths per one million residents, bike routes per square mile, local government actions supporting cycling, federal funding for cycling projects, and bicycle laws.

Texas musters a mere 31 points out of 100 for its "cycling friendly score."

The most cycling-friendly state in the U.S.: Minnesota, which earned 84 points to claim the title.

According to the report's findings, there have been 15 local government actions per capita in Texas that integrate pedestrians and cyclists in transportation projects. Texas' has a 41 air quality index value, and there are approximately 1.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles in the state.

On cyclist deaths, Texas does a little better, with three cyclist deaths per one million residents in Texas — about nine percent lower than the national average.

According to KaplunMarx founding partner Ted Kaplun, there is an average of 857 cyclist fatalities in the U.S. every year. He adds that every measure or community effort to improve cyclist-friendliness is beneficial for all Americans.

"It's crucial for all states to continually assess and enhance their cycling provisions, learning from both high-ranking peers and their own experiences," he says.

Top-ranking Minnesota has only one cyclist death per one million state residents. It also has about 27.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles.

After Minnesota, the remaining top five best states for cyclists are Massachusetts (No. 2), Rhode Island (No. 3), Washington (No. 4), and Iowa (No. 5).

At the bottom of the list are Nevada (No. 48), Arizona (No. 49), and Utah (No. 50) — all of which performed far worse than Texas to be declared the three least cycling-friendly states.

The entire country still has areas for improvement when it comes to creating a safer environment for cyclists, regardless of where each state landed on the list, according to Kaplun.

"With over 53 million Americans riding bicycles regularly, the importance of cycling-friendly infrastructure and safety measures cannot be overstated," said Kaplun in the report. "This isn't just about rankings – it's about enhancing the quality of life, promoting sustainable transportation, and most crucially, saving lives."

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