Dialogue and a blue vest: Austin Police Department's latest tools to manage crowd safety

Dialogue and a blue vest: Austin Police Department's latest tools to manage crowd safety

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 wi…