AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- As the investigation into a number of "street takeover" incidents across Austin Saturday night continues, renewed focus is being put on an ongoing issue for the city - a short-staffed 911 call center.
According to an interview with the Austin American-Statesman, District 10 Council Member Alison Alter sat on hold for 28 minutes Saturday night when she called 911 to report the takeover at Barton Springs and South Lamar.
Police officials said two arrests were made, with further charges possible as the investigation continued.
Mayor Kirk Watson, in his first remarks on the incidents Monday afternoon, said the city's 911 dispatchers received four times the normal number of calls during the incidents Saturday night. In a statement, he said he was working with interim city manager Jesus Garza and Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon to begin work on solutions to the city's staffing problems.
Watson also used the opportunity to push back on a tweet from the Austin Police Association, which blamed City Council's 9-2 vote to pursue a one-year labor agreement with the APA instead of a longer-term four-year agreement that negotiators from both sides reached a tentative agreement on.
"The Austin Police Association posted some false comments on Sunday that appeared to wrongly conflate this illegal incident with important community conversations about safety and oversight," said Watson. "Twitter is not an appropriate forum for contract negotiations, and no Austinite should ever accept the false choice between public safety and responsible policing — Austin can, and will, have both."
City Council is scheduled to take up an ordinance during Thursday's meeting, sponsored by council member Ryan Alter and co-sponsored by Watson, that aims to maintain pay and benefits for officers should the contract expire on March 31.
"I believe this ordinance can accomplish our goals, protect and provide security for our police officers, and allow for a robust and effective civilian oversight," said Watson. "But let me be clear – this is not a better outcome than a one-year agreement with the police association."
The ordinance would also establish the Director of the Office of Police Oversight (OPO) and other OPO personnel as designated investigato
