Exclusive: Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon to resign from department. Here what we know.

Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon is stepping down and retiring from the department, something he said was a "personal decision" that he had been contemplating for a few months.

The timing of Chacon’s departure was not immediately clear, but he probably will vacate the position by early to mid-September.

"It's just a very personal decision about my career, my family and just figuring out that it was just my time," Chacon said at a news conference Monday. "It should not be viewed as something that is going to destabilize this department."

Interim City Manager Jesús Garza named Chacon’s chief of staff, Robin Henderson, interim chief during the search for a replacement. The timing of the hiring process and whether Henderson will seek the job permanently are unclear. Chacon said he will stay on to help Henderson shift to the new role.

Chacon said Henderson "leads with her heart," which is something he would advise the next chief to do also.

Interim Assistant City Manager Bruce Mills said Chacon's retirement would leave a "hole" in the department, but that it's in good hands with Henderson. It's uncertain when a search for another chief will begin or how it will be done, and Mills said there's "no urgency."

"For as tough as this decision is, I take a little bit of comfort in knowing that the organization is in very good hands with Chief Henderson," Chacon said. "She will be as responsive, if not more so, to the community, to stakeholders to all the principal players in keeping this city safe."

Chacon, 55, was named interim chief in the spring of 2021 after the retirement of Brian Manley and appointed to the position six months later after a national search that yielded more than 50 applicants.

He took the position as the city and department were still reeling from the Black Lives Matter protests of May 2020 after the police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Michael Ramos in Austin. In demonstrations in downtown Austin, police crowd-control tactics injured more than a dozen protesters. The use of “less lethal shotguns” led to the indictment of 19 police officers — most cases are still pending — and the city has settled civil lawsuits totaling nearly $19 million.

More: Austin settles with another injured protester bringing payout to $18.9 million

During his confirmation process, Chacon, the city’s 10th police chief, faced two hours of questioning by City Council members about how an internal candidate could reform the department, including its training and culture. He was appointed by a 9-2 vote.

During his tenure, Chacon has taken steps to improve departmental transparency, including a policy in which the department releases body camera video from police shootings within 10 days, a move that police watchdogs widely supported.

But three years later, the aftermath of the protests looms in the department.

The use of “less lethal shotguns” remains an ongoing topic of debate. Recently, the department banned officers from deploying the guns, which use beanbag rounds as ammunition, after details of a 2021 incident surfaced in which officers used the weapons on a 15-year-old girl who was not armed and not accused of any crime, and amid objections by District Attorney José Garza and prosecutors. Chacon did not discipline the officers.

Chacon said at Monday's news conference that he believes relationships with the community have improved during his tenure.

Policing in general remains a controversial issue in Austin. Earlier this year, Mayor Kirk Watson announced a new partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety for its troopers to help patrol parts of the city — an arrangement that sparked community backlash amid data showing most citations and arrests were occurring in minority parts of the city. Chacon called it a success during its early weeks, saying violent crime had dropped 25% from the weekly average.

More: Exclusive: Overwhelmed and understaffed, Austin police urgently turn to DPS to help patrol city

Watson abruptly ended the partnership in July amid allegations that troopers pulled a gun on a 10-year-old — a claim that video did not support. Chacon has said he was not part of the decision to end the relationship, and at Monday's news conference he called for the city to "get back to that" in reference to the partnership.

Chacon said his relationship with the mayor and council has been stable and this decision was not something he made due to strained relationships with anyone at City Hall, adding that he was asked by officials to stay in his role. He said there was "no hint" he would have been removed had he decided to stay.

During his tenure, Chacon has seen unprecedented levels of officers leave the department, which prompted the DPS partnership. The department currently has about 330 vacancies — 240 of which are on patrol. Chacon said staffing levels are one of the biggest disappointments of his tenure, and he wants the department to fill the vacancies.

Chacon said one of the easiest ways to begin filling those positions is for the Austin Police Association, the union that represents Austin police, to work out a long-term contract with the city. Austin police have been without a contract with the city since the end of March after the previous contract ended and negotiations fell apart.

Chacon, a two-decade department veteran who has worked in law enforcement for more than 30 years, served as an assistant police chief for five years, overseeing an array of departmental operations, before being elevated to the top position. He said he's not certain what his next job will be, although he did say he had some prospects. Ultimately, he intends to remain in Austin and work in policing in some capacity, he said.

"I'm glad to be leaving in my time and on my terms with my head up," Chacon said. "I ask that all my officers do the same. The citizens of this city depend on you, and I know you won't let them down."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon resigns from police force