From the cover
Austin police embrace local business owners’ call for security
How we got here
Current situation
Downtown response times Below are APD’s response times to priority 3 calls which are for nonemergencies, such as shoplifting.
Henderson said APD’s shortcomings are due to a staffing “crisis” that has persisted for years. The department is budgeted for 1,812 officers, and they had 1,483 as of Nov. 2. Short-staffing led APD to pause responding to nonurgent calls in 2021 and regularly pull homicide detectives away from their duties to patrol downtown, officers said. APD is also seeing fewer cadets make it through to graduation, Henderson said. Many cadets drop out because they will not be able to telework, Henderson said. Others leave over the extensive background check, or they fail the polygraph, physical, academic or drug tests.
In late September, Interim Police Chief Robin Henderson ordered four to six more police officers to patrol hot spots downtown. Officers are also encouraging businesses to report crimes every time they happen and have offered help vetting private security companies. The changes are in the early stages, and some business owners are feeling their impact more than others. “My staff feels like they’re a nuisance when they call in, so I don’t think they’re feeling like there’s any particular camaraderie or support,” Hahn said. “I know my staff feels defeated and like there’s nothing to be done.” Luci Rau, store manager at Royal Blue Grocery’s Congress Avenue location, said she feels optimistic about the new patrols. “Communication is a lot more smooth; response time is a lot quicker than it was in the past,” she said.
Priority 3 calls Jan.-March 2022
64:13 min.
April-June 2022
74:26 min.
July-Sept. 2022
64:18 min.
Oct.-Dec. 2022
61:05 min.
Jan.-March 2023
60:34 min.
April-June 2023
64:59 min.
July-Sept. 2023
of most recent training cohort dropped out 44%
2 years without nonurgent call response
300+ officer vacancies
57:33 min.
SOURCE: AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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