Austin Police changes how it will respond to non-emergency calls
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Some Austin community advocates and local residents say that the Austin police force’s shift to a more civilian response to certain calls is negating the needs of Austin’s most vulnerable communities, creating a sense of fear and insecurity.
Others viewed the move, which the police attributed to staff shortages, as political and wondered whether the police had reviewed this strategy or whether the non-emergency aid staff were ready to handle the calls.
Newly appointed Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon announced Wednesday that police would stop answering emergency calls as of Friday. Rather than dial 911, residents should call 311 or go to iReportAustin.com to report an incident that “does not pose an imminent threat to life or property; when a crime is no longer ongoing and when the suspect.” “No longer at the crime scene or in sight.”
That change is also the result of a review of the department’s reimagining public safety task force recommendations and recent staff shortages, Chacon said. This move will allow patrol officers to respond more quickly to emergency calls that “threaten life and property”.
The new policy also aligns with the department’s COVID-19 protocols, which aim to reduce patrolmen’s exposure to the public “while continuing to provide essential services,” he said.
Chacon did not say whether the department has enough staff to handle the 311 emergency calls and reports.
“I ask for your patience,” said Chacon, who was officially named the city’s new police chief on Thursday. “We will only work to do our best, given the circumstances, in terms of staffing, to still respond in a timely manner and to ensure that people have the opportunity to report crimes.”
Amy Mok, a decade-long advocate for the Asian-American community in Austin, said the move was an afterthought with Austin’s most vulnerable communities – the elderly immigrants who do not speak English.
“That just wasn’t very thoughtful,” said Mok. “And it adds an extra level of fear, confusion and suspicion that was already there.”
Asian Americans across the country, as well as Texas and Austin, became the target of racial aggression sparked by the coronavirus pandemic last year. In the past few months, police have made significant efforts to reach and build trust in the Austin’s Asian-American community through workshops and community forums.
“How are people supposed to assess any emergency, any situation that is stressful enough,” she said. “You must provide a full introduction to this policy. Will 311 responders be able to help non-English speakers? Are they properly trained? Who are they?”
In a series on police reform, the American Statesman reported that more than 130 officers had left the police by June last year. City council members also canceled three cadet courses last year to give officers time to change the police academy’s training so that there were no freshmen in the department to replace them. A group of about 70 cadets will begin patrols early next year.
Some Austin residents fear that redirecting calls that aren’t emergencies will increase crime.
Jill Ramirez owns the Coronado Print Studio in southeast Austin. Her business was broken into at least four times in the past year, she said. Ramirez chose to board up the windows of her building, and she paid once for security to guard her property at night.
She said police patrols were no longer as visible in the neighborhood near Vargas Road and Felix Avenue as they were in previous years. She fears the break-ins in the area will not stop.
“I’m sad. If cops don’t come out, it will likely get worse. People will know the cops won’t come out, and that will make it worse,” Ramirez said. “It only makes me feel more insecure. There is more uncertainty. I don’t even go to my studio when it gets dark, but I should be able to. I should be able to feel safe in my neighborhood, in every neighborhood. “
The announcement on the Austin Police Department’s Facebook page on Wednesday received more than 500 comments from the public, many against the move, saying the department urgently needed more staff.
Some community supporters said the change in the department’s emergency response measures was a response to criticism and a political move.
Nelson Linder, president of the NAACP Austin Chapter, who opposed Chacon’s appointment as chief of police, was among community leaders unite over concerns about police training, the way sexual assaults are investigated, and how the division treats the coloreds called for a significant change in the leadership of the police department.
He said the move does not prioritize restoring confidence in Austin’s disenfranchised communities.
“It’s worrying,” said Linder. “There has to be a cultural reset to understand the communities that don’t fully trust the police. There is work to be done that has not yet been done on the street. This just seems like a quick fix for criticism. “
Use 311 for these types of calls
The following is a list of incidents that Austin residents can report through iReportAustin.com or by calling 311.
- Animal services
- Car theft
- Burglary into your home, business or vehicle
- Wrecked cars that do not require towing; if there are no injuries; if both drivers have proof of insurance and a driver’s license and if neither driver is disabled
- COVID-19 violations
- Verbal disorders
- prostitution
- Suspicious person or vehicle
- vandalism
- Theft
Austin American Statesman reporter Natalia Contreras can be reached at 512-626-4036 or ncontreras@statesman.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook, @NataliaECG.
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