One thing was made clear in this year’s election in Austin: The majority of voters were against increasing the city’s police force at the risk of other cuts, as Proposition A was voted down handily with 68.4% against, The Texas Tribune reported.
If Proposition A had been approved, Austin police staffing would have increased to two officers per 1,000 citizens, according to KVUE. It also would have increased yearly training along with minority hiring and community engagement. The city said it would have a price tag of $54.3 million to as much as $119.8 million each year for five years straight. This would reportedly have been on top of the budget of $443 million approved for this fiscal year.
One opponent to Proposition A was Mayor Steve Adler, who felt there could be a financial catastrophe if it was passed. He said cuts in the city budget would lead to fewer firefighters, medics and librarians. In agreement with Adler were the Austin firefighters and Austin-Travis County EMS Unions, according to KVUE.
“This election reaffirms our community’s belief that public safety for all requires a comprehensive system that includes properly staffing our police, but also our fire, EMS and mental health responses as well," Adler tweeted.
KVUE reported that Carol Cuthrie, who is the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employee business manager, felt there could be “severe layoffs" if the proposition had passed.
A group called “No Way on Prop A” said this was a victory for Austin residents, with campaign manager Laura Hernandez Holmes saying that the safest cities rely on more resources rather than upping the police force.
However, those who were in favor of Proposition A felt the city had the money to implement the additions without hurting fire and EMS personnel. Groups like Save Austin Now feel there is a need for between 300 and 350 more police officers to combat the growing homicide and crime rates, as well as lagging response times, KVUE reported.
The Austin Police Association released a statement requesting the hiring of 300 more officers and thanked Save Austin Now, those who voted “yes.”
“We kept hearing Mayor Adler and council members say the budget already exists to hire 300 more officers, so let’s get to work and get the process moving forward,” the Austin Police Association tweeted.
The Texas Tribune reported that this year the city has recorded 75 homicides, which is the highest in 20 years. However, the report added that other areas of crime has dropped and overall the city has less crime than a decade ago.