AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- As a staffing crisis continues to blanket the Austin Police Department, officials say there will be some changes to how non-emergency calls are handled beginning October 1.
Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon detailed the changes Wednesday afternoon, which the department says are a result of a recent review of COVID mitigation protocols and recommendations from the Reimagining Public Safety (RPS) Task Force.
Under the plan, APD will encourage the community to submit police reports for "non-emergency situations" - which are defined as when there is no immediate threat to life or property, where crimes are no longer in progress, and when the suspect(s) are no longer on scene or in sight - by calling 3-1-1 or submitting the report online at iReportAustin.com.
“Safety is our department’s number one priority,” said Chacon during a media Q&A session Wednesday afternoon. “APD will still respond to emergency situations and thoroughly investigate crimes reported to the Department.”
Some examples of calls, according to APD, that will now be handled as non-emergency situations when the criteria above are met, include calls for animal services, attempted theft of property, burglary, verbal disturbances, prostitution, suspicious people, vandalism, or theft. Crashes are also included when none of the vehicles involved require towing, all drivers have insurance and a driver's license, and none of the drivers are impaired.
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"Again, if any on that list are still in progress, and there is an immediate threat to public safety, then a call to 911 is appropriate, and we will dispatch an officer," said Chacon.
A group aiming to pass an ordinance on November's ballot that would require the city to increase its police staffing calls the change "unimaginable." Matt Mackowiak and Cleo Petricek, co-founders of Save Austin Now, called the changes a direct effect of "the police staffing crisis unleashed our city by Steve Adler and Greg Casar with their second failed social experiment."
"Today’s announcement should be an urgent wake up call to every Austin resident and taxpayer who must demand that we become a safe city for everyone by voting for Prop A on Nov. 2nd, with early voting beginning Oct. 18," the group said in a statement. "By passing Prop A we can ensure adequate police staffing, increase community policing, double police training and enact police reforms."
