The Wheel of Justice moves by very slow degrees, and thus far the OPM has won more public-relations battles than judicial ones – but a journey of several thousand miles has to begin somewhere. Austin’s cops are rightly proud of their standards and practices, but there is plenty of room for improvement – and simply having an official source for public input and output is a small but important leap forward. There is still a long way to go – procedures, training, and oversight all need work – but if we are to get there from here, the monitor’s office will provide a cutting edge.
