APD has 400 Fewer Officers than Two Years Ago, No Labor Contract
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – “The announcement that the City of Austin is suspending its partnership with the Texas DPS will have immediate and tragic consequences for public safety,” said Save Austin Now's co-founders, Matt Mackowiak and Cleo Petricek, following the announcement by City Manager Jesus Garza that Austin was "suspending" its partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety to provide troopers to help patrol the city amid the worst police staffing crisis in city history:
“This is a victory for police abolitionists and criminals and a major setback for law abiding citizens and families who only wish to live in a safe city. Austin has roughly 1,400 available officers in a city of 1M people, compared to 1,800 officers just two years ago.
"The DPS partnership resulted in reduced response times, arrests of violent criminals in high crime areas and traffic enforcement in Austin for the first time in over a year. DPS listened to council concerns and adapted their approach in a collaborative manner. If a DPS trooper violated the law or department policy in a recent case, then that trooper should be investigated," said Mackowiak and Petricek.
"There is zero need to throw the baby out with the bath water. Austin residents must rise up and demand Austin reinstate the partnership until we have a four-year labor contract and rapidly improve both recruitment and retention.
"We are nearing a tipping point, and while the DPS partnership is suspended we will see crime increase and criminals feel emboldened. Public safety is about to get much worse in Austin," Mackowiak and Petricek said.
- To learn more about the non-partisan Save Austin Now PAC, visit Save Austin Now PAC
