'It’s a hostile place’: Policing crisis worsens in 'woke' Texas as 300 cops quit jobs
AUSTIN, TEXAS: The policing crisis in Austin city keeps getting worse as more and more cops quit their job. According to reports, many former officers allegedly said that they feel disrespected at work. “We’re right there with Portland and Seattle and San Francisco as being one of those places where if you’re at all conservative or in law enforcement, it’s become a hostile place,” said Lt Brian Moon, who retired last month after serving for 23 years. This month itself, over 77 officials will be wearing their uniforms for the last time.
In a New York Post report, the Austin Police Association already has 264 existing vacancies to fill. The situation is critical as several 911 calls in the city get redirected to 311 non-emergency numbers due to a lack of cops to address crimes. “If you come home and find your home burglarized, calls like that are now going to 311,” told police union president Thomas Villarreal. “You’re not getting a police response to many property crimes if it’s not a violent crime that is currently ongoing.” He also claims that many detectives are now serving as patrol officers in the city to meet the challenge faced by the department.
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'Attitude towards its police department had started to shift'
“You could see that the city’s attitude towards its police department had started to shift and, personally speaking, I didn’t feel that the city was really appreciating us the way they used to,” said Moon. He further added, “Austin had always been a pretty liberal-leaning city, but it was pro-law enforcement at the same time. They expected us to do things the right way, obviously, but they weren’t hyper-critical like they became.”
'Who wants to work for someone that belittles you'
In a 2020 move, the city council voted to defund cops by $150 million, cutting their budget by a third in the months. The decision was taken amid large protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a white police officer. Furthermore, elected officials also got rid of three cadet classes and cut 150 officers from its budget. Last year, the local district attorney revealed that 19 police officers are indicted for allegedly using excessive force against protesters in the 2020 protests. “Who wants to work for someone that belittles you and demonizes you or disrespects you,” said Justin Berry, one of the indicted officers, as per The New York Post.