Can Brian Manley weather the storm?

Outrage, shock and disgust are words that have been thrown around with frequency since news of alleged racist comments and homophobia from some of Austin’s top law enforcement officers surfaced in November.

The allegations have shaken the Police Department.

When Brian Manley was being considered for Austin police chief in 2018, detractors questioned whether a homegrown cop who spent his entire career in Austin could be an agent of change. A year and a half later, critics now wonder how he will navigate the turmoil.

“My sister is a police officer. She's married to a police officer. I have cousins. I have uncles. My father was a firefighter, and I was an Austin firefighter. I have tremendous respect for our public safety,” Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza said. “But repeated incidences by our department have really shaken my faith in many ways, and in some ways, I've lost a lot of faith.”

Since Manley took the helm of the Police Department in June 2018, four assistant chiefs have been accused of racism, homophobia or engaging in conduct considered out of bounds for officers, especially those within the upper echelons of the department.

Former Assistant Chief Jason Dusterhoft was fired in December 2018 after an investigation into allegations he choked a woman to a state of unconsciousness during “rough sex,” according to a disciplinary memo. He previously was demoted from assistant chief to commander.

Allegations of racism from former Assistant Chief Justin Newsom came in November.

Newsom abruptly retired shortly before anonymous complaints accusing him of using racist language, including the N-word, to describe, subordinates, city leaders and others over the course of years.

As investigations into those allegations began, another complaint filed at the end of November accused Assistant Chief Jennifer Stephenson of making a racist remark about a Hispanic officer while she served as a narcotics supervisor from 2011 to 2012.

The allegations came in the form of anonymous complaints filed with the Austin Office of Police Oversight.

Austin City Council members last week approved a top-to-bottom investigation into the department’s culture.

Just before the council approved the investigation, Garza said she deeply respects and supports public safety officers, but the recent allegations, among others, left her shaken.

Garza said she was an early supporter of Manley when he was being considered to move from his role as interim chief in 2018 to the permanent role. But now, Garza said she has been “incredibly disappointed” — a sentiment she shared at a Hispanic quality of life meeting in the fall and with City Manager Spencer Cronk.

“I would say the easiest thing is to replace the leadership. That's the easy thing,” Garza said. “I think the hard thing is part of what we're doing tonight. We're not just looking at getting rid of one person and saying, ‘OK, we fixed the problem.’ We're looking deeper, and we're taking this seriously, and I'm proud of this council.”

Manley officially took the reins of Austin police in the wake of the series of bombings that left two dead and several wounded in 2018. Many lauded him as a levelheaded source of stability during the chaotic, fear-filled episode, and some rushed to give their support to his bid to become Austin permanent chief.

In April, he was named 49th on Fortune’s sixth-annual “World’s Greatest Leaders” list.

But Manley now finds himself besieged by questions about whether he acted quickly enough in responding to the serious allegations of racism, and an independent investigation into exactly what he knew and when. Police union leaders and community criminal justice advocates have said Manley should have opened an investigation into Newsom and placed him on restricted duty.

Manley apologized to the department in mid-November for not acting to address the issue more quickly after allegations surfaced. He also said he missed a few key opportunities to step in before the situation exploded.

“I was focused so much on the process of handling the issue that I lost sight of impacts this had on so many in our community and within our department,” Manley said in a message to the department on Nov. 18. “While we all strive for perfection, that is a goal that is rarely achievable as the human condition is such that we all make mistakes along the way, including myself.”

On Friday, Manley said he’s committed to working with community members and groups to take on the issues the department faces right now.

He said he has discussed the steps the city manager has taken to look into the allegations, and will remain in discussions regarding the council’s resolution and the steps the department needs to take moving forward.

“My focus right now is not on my job or the security of my job,” he said. “My focus is on the safety of this community and the operations of this department.”

Austin police Sgt. Chandra Ervin, president of the Austin Chapter of the Texas Peace Officers Association, which represents black officers, laid the blame for a broken culture at the department with the executive offices.

She said all Austin police officers want to have a strong culture in which they can work together with counterparts of every race.

“Right now, some of those counterparts feel like they have been tainted by the actions or inactions of retired (Assistant Chief) Newsom and our current chief Brian Manley,” Ervin said. “Our culture that we had is no longer there and this is why: Culture is destroyed when great leaders allow behavior that is incongruent with mission, vision and values. When that one element to cause that incongruency is not there, then it all falls apart.”

How Manley will come out of the investigations has yet to be seen, but police union leaders, including Ervin and Austin police union President Ken Casaday say they support the process and want the investigations to run their course.

“The Austin Police Association fights for officers rights and makes sure due process is upheld,” Casaday said. “Chief (Manley) has been here for about 30 years, and he has the same rights as every officer does. We’re not going to ask for something for him that we wouldn't ask for anybody else.”

Garza said whatever the investigations uncover, she is committed to making sure people are held accountable for their actions in end.

Thus far, no one has called on Manley to resign, and he said shortly after the City Council approved the investigation into the department that he was not aware of concerns that his job was in jeopardy.

“I am understanding of the concerns that exist, both within the department and the community, and I stand ready to serve and to implement whatever comes out of these recommendations.”