Austin 'at the brink of disaster' as police shortages hit crisis level: 'God help us all'

[mystery-ak]

Austin 'at the brink of disaster' as police shortages hit crisis level: 'God help us all'
A portion of the Texas city was left without a single police officer for a couple of hours in February
By Elizabeth Heckman Fox News
Published March 3, 2024 5:00am EST

Austin, Texas residents are expressing outrage over police staffing shortages and longer 911-call response times in the aftermath of the city council's vote to defund the department in 2020.

In February, a section of the city was notably left without a single police officer for a few hours on a Saturday due to the ongoing shortages.

Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock, who called attention to the vacancy on X, told Fox News Digital that a steady decline in public safety has put the city on the "brink of disaster."

"Previous councils and leadership have actively worked against our officers and department, which has now put us in a free-falling staffing crisis," Bullock warned. "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. We had to gut our specialized units and force detectives to work backfill on patrol just to try and respond to 911 calls."

https://twitter.com/MBullockATX/status/1759050293092749355

more
https://www.foxnews.com/media/austin-brink-disaster-police-shortages-hit-crisis-level-god-help

[libertybele]

Such a crying shame; TX was once so conservative ... now a city on the brink of disaster. This is absolutely horrible!!

[Bigun]

Such a crying shame; TX was once so conservative ... now a city on the brink of disaster. This is absolutely horrible!!

Texas still is conservative but Austin never has been. Maybe the idiots on city council there should have thought through their actions in years past better.

[Wingnut]

Texas still is conservative but Austin never has been. Maybe the idiots on city council there should have thought through their actions in years past better.

Travis County has been a liberal shithole for a long time.  The whole "Keep Austin Weird" was cute for a time.  But now it is just a joke.

[Bigun]

Travis County has been a liberal shithole for a long time.  The whole "Keep Austin Weird" was cute for a time.  But now it is just a joke.

  

[rangerrebew]

Austin ‘at the brink of disaster’ as police staffing shortages set city back over 15 years: ‘Policies epically failed’
By Elizabeth Heckman, Fox News

Published March 3, 2024, 12:47 p.m. ET

Austin, Texas residents are expressing outrage over police staffing shortages and longer 911-call response times in the aftermath of the city council’s vote to defund the department in 2020.

In February, a section of the city was notably left without a single police officer for a few hours on a Saturday due to the ongoing shortages.
 
Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock, who called attention to the vacancy on X, told Fox News Digital that a steady decline in public safety has put the city on the “brink of disaster.”

“Previous councils and leadership have actively worked against our officers and department, which has now put us in a free-falling staffing crisis,” Bullock warned. “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. We had to gut our specialized units and force detectives to work backfill on patrol just to try and respond to 911 calls.”

https://nypost.com/2024/03/03/us-news/austin-at-the-brink-of-disaster-as-police-staffing-shortages-set-back-over-15-years/amp/

[rangerrebew]

All they need to do is deputize all the illegal, uneducated, unqualified aliens they need.

[AllThatJazzZ]

Who remembers when Austin was a great Texas town before leftists descended on it? Just so sad. 

[Free Vulcan]

You voted for it, you eat it.

[libertybele]

Who remembers when Austin was a great Texas town before leftists descended on it? Just so sad. 

I truly feel for those residing in Austin who are right winged and/or conservative.  It sounds like Austin is an absolute disaster.  Yes, very sad.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Time to "defund criminals?" and for "blue lives matter?"

[Mod5]

Merged.

[massadvj]

I live about an hour from Austin. Unfortunately, it has been deteriorating for several years now, like every other Democrat-run metro area in the country. Sixth Street, which used to be a great music destination, is now skid row.

[roamer_1]

Create a problem then offer a solution...

Whipsaw effect.

Enter the jackboots
to local acclaim...

[240B]

The uber-rich Liberal Elites push this 'defund' nonsense in all Blue Cities with full-knowledge of what will happen. Crime and chaos becomes out-of-control, property values plunge, businesses close, and the uber-wealthy swoop in and buy up everything in sight.

Once it is all under their control, the uber-rich Liberal Elites will say that defund was a mistake. They will tell all of their bought and paid for politicians to restore order and to bring everything back to normal.

This is a tactic by the wealthy elite since biblical times. It has been done and played out a hundred times in history. These current times are nothing more than a repeat of this tired old scheme. They keep doing it because it works.

[berdie]

I live about an hour from Austin. Unfortunately, it has been deteriorating for several years now, like every other Democrat-run metro area in the country. Sixth Street, which used to be a great music destination, is now skid row.

I haven't been to Austin in a long, long time. It was always pretty far left. But a beautiful city. I always went for the music or to tube on the rivers. I hate that Sixth Street has degraded. There was some great music there.

[Wingnut]

I stopped staying at hotels in the Austin city limits in  08's when on business.  Car break-ins in the hotel parking lots.  Hookers cruising the the lots asking if I "wanted company".  Had to bolt to Roundrock to get some safety or just leave Fort Worth at 4am to see my clients and not have to spend time .  Even then the panhandlers at the exits were problematic.   

[Fishrrman]

Vulcan spits fire with:
"You voted for it, you eat it."

Yup. This is what the [leftist] voters of Austin WANT... right...?

[massadvj]

I haven't been to Austin in a long, long time. It was always pretty far left. But a beautiful city. I always went for the music or to tube on the rivers. I hate that Sixth Street has degraded. There was some great music there.

I only go there when I have friends come in from out of town. Love Threadgill's North Restaurant, where Janice Joplin and Willie Nelson hung out back in the day.

[Hoodat]

'At the Brink of Disaster' was on the ballot last election.  And the vast majority of Austin voters chose it.

[mountaineer]

UPDATE

Don't worry! All is well in Austin! We don't need cops, anyway, when we have children wanting to have their bodies mutilated in the name of transitioning.

On the May 2nd agenda for Austin Council meeting - a resolution by five members to essentially make Austin a sanctuary city for irreversible chemical and surgical damage to children.

https://twitter.com/ThinkerMichelle/status/1782444712386842864

[AllThatJazzZ]

UPDATE

Don't worry! All is well in Austin! We don't need cops, anyway, when we have children wanting to have their bodies mutilated in the name of transitioning.

On the May 2nd agenda for Austin Council meeting - a resolution by five members to essentially make Austin a sanctuary city for irreversible chemical and surgical damage to children.

https://twitter.com/ThinkerMichelle/status/1782444712386842864

So apparently we're going to play King's X all over the nation for laws we don't like. Nothing like chaos to establish a cohesive nation. 

[dfwgator]

You get what you vote for...good and hard.

[DefiantMassRINO]

After they lower their police recruit standards, Austin will be blessed with corrupt and inept policing scandals.

[libertybele]

You get what you vote for...good and hard.

With election fraud that has happened, I'm not so sure that that is true, but what is occurring is perhaps rather by design.