AUSTIN, Texas — Starting Dec. 23, Austinites will no longer see Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers patrolling the streets due to their need at the Texas-Mexico border.
The partnership in line with the Austin Police Department (APD) has created controversy in its short time, and while some feel the ending of patrol by DPS is for the best, others are worried for what lies ahead without the extra help in the city.
Incoming Austin Police Association (APD) President Michael Bullock praised the support DPS troopers have given to officers, but noted without their presence, APD is headed toward an 'unsustainable path.'
"I'm definitely concerned about the impact that it's going to have, not just on our officers and their ability to meet the demands of our call load, but also the crime and the impact that it's going to have on Austinites," said Bullock. "My heart goes out to the troopers that have been here helping us out because it's definitely been helpful for us."
The controversial pairing started in March, but was paused between May and July as DPS troopers were sent to the border. However, once patrols resumed, the City of Austin formally ended the partnership after an incident where troopers were shown to have pulled a gun on a child.
Despite the action made by city leaders, DPS troopers continued their patrol.
It's a presence Chas Moore with the Austin Justice Coalition said he is happy to see go.
"We just knew that this partnership was going to result in some of the things it did, which we saw how this disproportionately affected black and brown communities," said Moore. "So I think prematurely we are happy again that DPS is leaving, but we won't hold our breath."
Moore referred to data released in April, which revealed that DPS troopers were citing and arresting minorities at disproportionately higher rates.
Following the announcement that they were ending their efforts in the city, the department applauded the results made throughout the months.
Data released showed as of Dec. 15, 2023 the Austin Violent Crime Task Force resulted in:
- 4,081 custodial arrests
- 2,421 felony charges
- 2,716 misdemeanor charges
- 417 felony warrants served
- 193 Misdemeanor warrants served
- 311 stolen vehicles recovered
- 377 firearms seized
- 84,048 traffic stops
- 647 crash investigations
The data also summarized multiple drug seizures.
Bullock said conversations with city leaders have not been proactive when it comes to finding a middle ground, but will keep his head up high for his fellow officers.
"I have still been trying to speak with our elected officials and with city leaders in order to convey the resources that we need in order to try to stem the tide of officers that are leaving the Austin Police Department," said Bullock. "We're still here to make sure that the job gets done, even if we don't have elected officials that are standing behind us."
As for Moore, he feels APD needs to get to the root of its issues before it's too late.
"I hope that elected officials, the police department takes this as opportunity to come back to the table to talk about [the] policing contract, talk about Prop A that passed and to talk about what public safety in Austin looks like moving forward in a way that's not redundant or repetitive of what we've been doing."