Jump to content

Austin cops tell victims NOT to call 911 if they're robbed near ATMs

tennisluvrredux

By tennisluvrredux
in Discussions

 Share

Recommended Posts

tennisluvrredux Celebrity

tennisluvrredux

Posted
Posted

Austin cops tell victims NOT to call 911 if they're robbed near ATMs as they grapple with staffing crisis and crime surges after defund the police movement

  • The police department issued a statement directing citizens to instead call 311
  • Crime has surged as the department struggles with staffing shortages and a lack of funds since the 'defund the police' movement 
  • Since 2017, more than 800 officers have left the APD 

 

Austin police have told the city's residents to not call 911 if they fall victim to a robbery near a bank or ATM, as officials struggle with a shortage of cops and a surge in crime following cries to defund the police.

The police department issued a statement on Friday directing citizens to instead call  311 - a number usually reserved for nonemergency situations such as questions about citywide services and information.

'Did you get robbed on your way back from a bank or ATM?

 
 

'Call 3-1-1 or make an online report,' the graphic said, adding that citizens should mention they were coming from a bank when the robbery happened in the report and include the time and date of the cash withdrawal. 

'Even if you are cautious & follow all the safety advice, you may still become the unfortunate victim of a robbery,' the Austin Police Department wrote on X alongside the graph.

A criimesurge has happened while the department struggles with staffing shortages and a lack of funds since the 'defund the police' movement.
  •  

A criimesurge has happened while the department struggles with staffing shortages and a lack of funds since the 'defund the police' movement.

Social medias users took to the comment to slam the department's instructions, with many mocking the message.

One comment read: 'I’m calling 811 then if you don’t want to help'

Another angrier one added: 'No, you should be able to call 911 and a real live police officer should be dispatched to see you in 15 minutes or less. 

'You are setting up everyone in the community as targets for criminals with the process you have implemented.'

The message from authorities comes as Austin has seen a significant increase in crime, with a 77 percent increase in car thefts, an 18 percent increase in aggravated assaults and a 30 percent increase in murders.

The surge has happened while the department struggles with staffing shortages and a lack of funds since the 'defund the police' movement.

Former Austin Police Department Chief Joseph Chacon resigned from his position last month, saying it was the 'right time' to retire.

George Floyd's killing by a Minneapolis cop and the resulting Black Lives Matter riots led to widespread demonization of police forces across the US
  •  

George Floyd's killing by a Minneapolis cop and the resulting Black Lives Matter riots led to widespread demonization of police forces across the US

Previously the AP Association said the lasting impacts of the defund movement has ripped the ranks apart. A billboard along IH35 south of Austin warns of cuts to police budgets
  •  

Previously the AP Association said the lasting impacts of the defund movement has ripped the ranks apart. A billboard along IH35 south of Austin warns of cuts to police budgets

In a statement, he said: 'Honor the profession by keeping the citizens of this city safe and thank you for making this department look so good through your tireless and selfless service, and for making this one of the safest big cities in the country. '

His announcement comes amid ongoing complaints by the department's union of 'miserable conditions' faced by officers.

They say that the 'defund the police' movement has stripped down funding for departments and gutted the workforce.

George Floyd's killing by a Minneapolis cop and the resulting Black Lives Matter riots led to widespread demonization of police forces across the US.

Austin PD's budget was hammered with a $150million cut approved by the Texas city's council after its own scandal following the shooting of an unarmed black man in April 2020 - just weeks before Floyd's death.

Previously the AP Association told DailyMail.com that the lasting impacts of the defund movement has ripped the ranks apart, driving officers to quit and making it increasingly difficult to recruit replacement staff.

Since the BLM protests, crime has soared with homicide rates booming and the city ranked 15 out of 45 for the most homicide rates nationwide, while desperate 911 callers are being left on hold for up to half an hour. 

Austin Police Department's Chief Joseph Chacon said he would be retiring with a 'heavy heart' on Monday, saying it was 'the right moment' to step down
  •  

Austin Police Department's Chief Joseph Chacon said he would be retiring with a 'heavy heart' on Monday, saying it was 'the right moment' to step down

Austin City Council approved a $443.1million budget for APD for the fiscal year 2021 - 2022, raising it from $309.7million in 2020 after it had been slashed
  •  

Austin City Council approved a $443.1million budget for APD for the fiscal year 2021 - 2022, raising it from $309.7million in 2020 after it had been slashed

Meanwhile, the mother of a shooting victim sent a scathing letter to members of the city council - partly blaming them for her son's death after they defunded the police.

Julia Kantor wrote an email to Austin City Council members calling them cowards just days before her son's alleged killer De'Ondre White went on trial for murder.

Her son Douglas, a 25 year-old Ford IT worker, died in agonizing pain after he was one of 14 people shot at random while enjoying themselves on Austin's bustling 6th Street in June 2021.

Julia blamed the council - who voted to defund the police in 2020 - for their role in the lawlessness that spewed on to the streets on the night of her son's fatal injury.

Her blistering letter, which coincided with the Austin Police Chief handing in his resignation, told the council members that they have 'killed and ruined thousands of lives' and 'couldn't care less as long as you stay in power.'

APA President Thomas Villareal told DailyMail.com that the union has been shunned after more than two decades of negotiating contracts with the city.

In 2017, for the first time in its history a proposed pay deal was voted down.

Villareal said that by this time the clamoring to defund the police had started to emerge.

Julia Kantor with her son Douglas who was shot and killed on the streets of Austin in June 2021
  •  

Julia Kantor with her son Douglas who was shot and killed on the streets of Austin in June 2021

'Our officers worked without a contract for the first time in almost 20 years and this downward slide began in terms of both officer staffing as well as morale,' Villareal said.

'Throughout 2018, the city engaged in a process to "reimagine police oversight". This reimagining process further damaged morale as officers felt like they had no say in how these oversight processes were going to play out.

'We eventually worked with the activists to agree on a contract that would accomplish their stated goals.

'This collaboration with the activists was short lived and the same people who supported the 2018 contract, later came out against us in 2020.'

The state legislature passed a law in 2021 forcing Austin to restore the funding it had cut, but by then the exodus of police officers retiring or choosing to depart in huge numbers had already started to take shape.

The $150million cut represented a third of the police force's budget - by far the largest proportion of any American city which slashed funding after the BLM riots.

The city has proposed a budget of $476.5million for 2023-2024 but when adjusted for inflation this is around $50million less than was allocated back in 2019.

Since 2017, more than 800 officers have left the APD. Villareal attributed a bulk of those numbers to defunding and contractual vagueness. As of today, the force has around 1,445 officers but that number continues to decline.

'One main theme that comes across in almost all of them is that people are ready to be done working for a City that they feel doesn't support them,' he said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tennisluvrredux Celebrity

tennisluvrredux

Posted
  • Author
Posted
3 minutes ago, anna_gari_maata said:

Republican state lo entha ghoram...

Austin isn't republican, it's extremely blue. Just because a city is in a state that's republican doesn't mean every city in it should be or would be. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
pakeer_saab Celebrity

pakeer_saab

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, tennisluvrredux said:

Austin cops tell victims NOT to call 911 if they're robbed near ATMs as they grapple with staffing crisis and crime surges after defund the police movement

  • The police department issued a statement directing citizens to instead call 311
  • Crime has surged as the department struggles with staffing shortages and a lack of funds since the 'defund the police' movement 
  • Since 2017, more than 800 officers have left the APD 

 

Austin police have told the city's residents to not call 911 if they fall victim to a robbery near a bank or ATM, as officials struggle with a shortage of cops and a surge in crime following cries to defund the police.

The police department issued a statement on Friday directing citizens to instead call  311 - a number usually reserved for nonemergency situations such as questions about citywide services and information.

'Did you get robbed on your way back from a bank or ATM?

 
 

'Call 3-1-1 or make an online report,' the graphic said, adding that citizens should mention they were coming from a bank when the robbery happened in the report and include the time and date of the cash withdrawal. 

'Even if you are cautious & follow all the safety advice, you may still become the unfortunate victim of a robbery,' the Austin Police Department wrote on X alongside the graph.

A criimesurge has happened while the department struggles with staffing shortages and a lack of funds since the 'defund the police' movement.
  •  

A criimesurge has happened while the department struggles with staffing shortages and a lack of funds since the 'defund the police' movement.

Social medias users took to the comment to slam the department's instructions, with many mocking the message.

One comment read: 'I’m calling 811 then if you don’t want to help'

Another angrier one added: 'No, you should be able to call 911 and a real live police officer should be dispatched to see you in 15 minutes or less. 

'You are setting up everyone in the community as targets for criminals with the process you have implemented.'

The message from authorities comes as Austin has seen a significant increase in crime, with a 77 percent increase in car thefts, an 18 percent increase in aggravated assaults and a 30 percent increase in murders.

The surge has happened while the department struggles with staffing shortages and a lack of funds since the 'defund the police' movement.

Former Austin Police Department Chief Joseph Chacon resigned from his position last month, saying it was the 'right time' to retire.

George Floyd's killing by a Minneapolis cop and the resulting Black Lives Matter riots led to widespread demonization of police forces across the US
  •  

George Floyd's killing by a Minneapolis cop and the resulting Black Lives Matter riots led to widespread demonization of police forces across the US

Previously the AP Association said the lasting impacts of the defund movement has ripped the ranks apart. A billboard along IH35 south of Austin warns of cuts to police budgets
  •  

Previously the AP Association said the lasting impacts of the defund movement has ripped the ranks apart. A billboard along IH35 south of Austin warns of cuts to police budgets

In a statement, he said: 'Honor the profession by keeping the citizens of this city safe and thank you for making this department look so good through your tireless and selfless service, and for making this one of the safest big cities in the country. '

His announcement comes amid ongoing complaints by the department's union of 'miserable conditions' faced by officers.

They say that the 'defund the police' movement has stripped down funding for departments and gutted the workforce.

George Floyd's killing by a Minneapolis cop and the resulting Black Lives Matter riots led to widespread demonization of police forces across the US.

Austin PD's budget was hammered with a $150million cut approved by the Texas city's council after its own scandal following the shooting of an unarmed black man in April 2020 - just weeks before Floyd's death.

Previously the AP Association told DailyMail.com that the lasting impacts of the defund movement has ripped the ranks apart, driving officers to quit and making it increasingly difficult to recruit replacement staff.

Since the BLM protests, crime has soared with homicide rates booming and the city ranked 15 out of 45 for the most homicide rates nationwide, while desperate 911 callers are being left on hold for up to half an hour. 

Austin Police Department's Chief Joseph Chacon said he would be retiring with a 'heavy heart' on Monday, saying it was 'the right moment' to step down
  •  

Austin Police Department's Chief Joseph Chacon said he would be retiring with a 'heavy heart' on Monday, saying it was 'the right moment' to step down

Austin City Council approved a $443.1million budget for APD for the fiscal year 2021 - 2022, raising it from $309.7million in 2020 after it had been slashed
  •  

Austin City Council approved a $443.1million budget for APD for the fiscal year 2021 - 2022, raising it from $309.7million in 2020 after it had been slashed

Meanwhile, the mother of a shooting victim sent a scathing letter to members of the city council - partly blaming them for her son's death after they defunded the police.

Julia Kantor wrote an email to Austin City Council members calling them cowards just days before her son's alleged killer De'Ondre White went on trial for murder.

Her son Douglas, a 25 year-old Ford IT worker, died in agonizing pain after he was one of 14 people shot at random while enjoying themselves on Austin's bustling 6th Street in June 2021.

Julia blamed the council - who voted to defund the police in 2020 - for their role in the lawlessness that spewed on to the streets on the night of her son's fatal injury.

Her blistering letter, which coincided with the Austin Police Chief handing in his resignation, told the council members that they have 'killed and ruined thousands of lives' and 'couldn't care less as long as you stay in power.'

APA President Thomas Villareal told DailyMail.com that the union has been shunned after more than two decades of negotiating contracts with the city.

In 2017, for the first time in its history a proposed pay deal was voted down.

Villareal said that by this time the clamoring to defund the police had started to emerge.

Julia Kantor with her son Douglas who was shot and killed on the streets of Austin in June 2021
  •  

Julia Kantor with her son Douglas who was shot and killed on the streets of Austin in June 2021

'Our officers worked without a contract for the first time in almost 20 years and this downward slide began in terms of both officer staffing as well as morale,' Villareal said.

'Throughout 2018, the city engaged in a process to "reimagine police oversight". This reimagining process further damaged morale as officers felt like they had no say in how these oversight processes were going to play out.

'We eventually worked with the activists to agree on a contract that would accomplish their stated goals.

'This collaboration with the activists was short lived and the same people who supported the 2018 contract, later came out against us in 2020.'

The state legislature passed a law in 2021 forcing Austin to restore the funding it had cut, but by then the exodus of police officers retiring or choosing to depart in huge numbers had already started to take shape.

The $150million cut represented a third of the police force's budget - by far the largest proportion of any American city which slashed funding after the BLM riots.

The city has proposed a budget of $476.5million for 2023-2024 but when adjusted for inflation this is around $50million less than was allocated back in 2019.

Since 2017, more than 800 officers have left the APD. Villareal attributed a bulk of those numbers to defunding and contractual vagueness. As of today, the force has around 1,445 officers but that number continues to decline.

'One main theme that comes across in almost all of them is that people are ready to be done working for a City that they feel doesn't support them,' he said.

Lol, that is the price to pay for turning Austin to Blue

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tennisluvrredux Celebrity

tennisluvrredux

Posted
  • Author
Posted
21 hours ago, pakeer_saab said:

Lol, that is the price to pay for turning Austin to Blue

 

It's been blue for a long time though, this is a direct consequence of defund the police movement

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...