Officer Abbink has worked for the Austin Police Department since December of 2003 and is currently assigned as a Continuing Education Instructor at their Training Academy.  Officer Abbink has taken part in not only developing several courses of study for APD but in writing departmental policy concerning respectful engagement and interaction with all segments of the LGBTQ+ community.  Officer Abbink played a role in writing his department’s search policy so that it is in line with national best practices when searching transgender and gender non-binary individuals.  He has also created a unique class to teach cadets and officers how to engage the transgender, gender non-binary, and gender-fluid members of the community with respect and dignity.  In addition to the transgender class Officer, Abbink developed, he teaches other in-service classes such as Tactical Report Writing, Police Legitimacy, CPR/First Aid, Community Policing, as well as police emergency driving and Precision Immobilization Technique.

Officer Abbink likes to describe his ‘Interacting with Transgender Individuals’ class as an introduction course where students can identify some of the basic terminology used in the LGBTQ+ community, specifically as it relates to transgender individuals and the unique challenges and barriers they face in health care, employment, housing and engaging the criminal justice system.   

Over the past several years, Officer Abbink has worked on implementing new policies and procedures within the Austin Police Department and took part in developing a human resources guidebook to assist City of Austin employers and employees titled, ‘Guidelines Supporting Transgender, Gender Non-Binary, and Gender-Diverse Employees’.  He has been a driving force in the Austin Police Department’s continuing efforts to make sure all segments of Austin’s diverse community are treated with the same amount of professionalism, respect, and dignity.  Officer Abbink will discuss the steps that law enforcement can take to better their understanding of people’s individual identities and how our respectful interactions can have a significant impact on gaining trust and legitimacy with members of a community who are still very marginalized.

Before joining APD, Officer Abbink proudly served four years in the United States Army as a linguist. Officer Abbink enjoys spending time with his wife and their 11-year-old foster son on their 17 acres, caring for their rescued goats and donkeys.

Sergeant Crumrine is a founding member and current President of the Lesbian and Gay Peace Officers Association - Austin, the first and only LGBTQ+ Peace Officers Association in Texas.  Sergeant Crumrine has written and trained nationally on the subject of intimate partner violence and sexual assault in the LGBTQ+ community. He continues to create training and policies for the Austin Police Department in regard to their interaction with the LGBTQ+ community. 

Sergeant Crumrine has trained nationally for many organizations, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the United States Department of Defense, the United States Department of Justice, the Office of Violence Against Women, the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, the Tribal Governments Program Summit, and the United States Office for Victims of Crime. Sergeant Crumrine consults on a national level in the field of sexual and intimate partner violence.