Residents of Austin, Texas, are grappling with the consequences of police department defunding, experiencing staffing shortages and delayed 911 responses since a 2020 decision by the city council.
Last week, a portion of Austin was left without police presence for hours due to shortages.
“Previous councils and leadership have actively worked against our officers and department, which has now put us in a free-falling staffing crisis,” said Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock. “Twice now we’ve had our contract voted down or it has been allowed to expire. Each year since 2017, we’ve lost more officers than we’ve hired.”
The department faced a staffing crisis last year when 40 officers retired after the council scrapped a four-year contract, opting for a rejected one-year agreement.
“As a result,” Bullock added, “our staffing has been set back at least 15 years and at the same time we’ve dealt with a population growth of over 250,000 new residents.”
In 2020, following Black Lives Matter protests, the city council voted to cut up to $150 million from the police budget and redirect funds. A subsequent state law compelled the city to restore funding, but the officer shortage persists.
Lauren Klinefelter, an Austin resident, recounted an incident where she couldn’t get timely help after a car accident involving her children.
“We needed an ambulance and some emergency assistance because not only was my car totaled, but my children were both bleeding and visibly injured,” she said. “I called 911 and, to my surprise, it rang and rang endlessly, only to be routed to a 311 operator for non-emergencies.”
Nick Kantor, whose brother was killed in a mass shooting in 2021, blames police defunding. The shooting occurred amid concerns about defunding anti-gang measures due to targeting concerns.
