Caught on Mic:
“There could be a day when we don’t need police and I eagerly hope for the day…” - Mayor Adler
The City Cut 30% From Our Police
Austin doesn't feel as safe recently. Because it isn't. We've seen a series of city policy decisions over the last 2 years that have led to a surge in both violent crime and property crime against Austinites. A 200% increase in murders this year. A double-digit increase in property crimes such as burglaries and carjackings. And a massive increase in reports of “soft crimes” that make us uncomfortable, especially us women. This isn’t the Austin we know and love, and it doesn’t have to be.
There is much work to be done, and our petition to restore safety to Austin is a critical first step. Our newest citizen’s petition, if passed, will ensure that the city council and our police are held to account for public safety; it will ensure that we have adequate police staffing and public safety funds cannot be chopped without Austinites’ input; it will ensure that officers receive double the training; it will ensure that our police officers are rewarded for committing to diversity. Public safety is nonpartisan but it is the most important thing we do together, as citizens.
Why Must We Act Now?
These Policies Have Led To An Unprecedented Crime Wave
Austin is in the midst of a crime surge. Why? Every day, Austinites are suffering from the free-for-all associated with the City’s recent public safety deregulations.
911 Response Times Are Now Over 10 Minutes!
Every neighborhood in Austin has seen property crimes such as burglaries soar. With the number of public safety officers sitting at 1999 levels, calling for help is now taking longer than ever. The average 911 response time in 2011 was under 6 minutes but today is more than 10 minutes. If you can imagine how it feels to wait that long for help, you can see why so many Austinites are at the end of their rope with City Council’s recent policy decisions.
Austin’s Murder Rate Is Up 200% in 2021!
Numbers like this deserve to be called what they are: Nothing less than a total catastrophe. We believe in core principles, including:
Making sure our city has an adequate number of police officers based on its size.
Making sure police training is reformed to emphasize the areas that we all know need more focus.
Making sure our police force is more diverse in its perspectives and people.
Read The #SafeAustin Public Safety Law Now:
Common Sense Policy For a Safe, Clean Austin
Despite the partisan attacks, Save Austin Now PAC continues to fight for the broad majority of Austinites. As a non-partisan citizen’s group, we’re successfully pushing back against the extreme and destructive policies of this mayor and city council: Policies that a strong majority of Austinites disagree with, such as deregulated public camping, de-funding of law enforcement, and more. Stand with us as we continue to give Austinites a direct voice in our democracy, including fighting for a safer city on the November Ballot.
This Law Will Stop Our Crime Wave
By Putting Officers In The Community, Not The Office
City Council is putting our police behind desks. The new law will mandate officers spend 35% of their time on Community Engagement; this means a minimum standard by which police officers shall be out in the community doing everything from serving in specific units like the DWI task force all the way to walking a neighborhood on patrol. We included this 35% requirement after gathering expert feedback on the most effective use of officers’ time - and it’s not behind a desk!
By Mandating a Safe City Standard
The law establishes officers per resident requirement of 2 officers per 1000, the nationally recognized "Safe City Standard" as defined by the US Justice Department. Austin is now far and away the least staffed department. We currently are at mid-2000's levels of staffing and are expected to hit mid-1990's levels of staffing by the end of the year according to the Austin Police Association. Obviously, the city has grown considerably since the '90s and this is why we’re seeing crime increase, cases go unsolved, and 911 response times of over 13 minutes.
