Austin PD graduates 67 cadets, bringing vacancies to 122

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Police Department welcomed 67 new officers Friday, making a dent in the number of open positions they are trying to fill. 

Police Chief Brian Manley said prior to the graduation there were 189 unfilled positions at APD. Following it, that number is now down to 122. However, with five to seven officers leaving each month to retirement, injury or termination, it won't be long before the number of vacancies climbs back up.

“The timing could not be better to have a graduation. We have 189 vacancies in the department today. So the 67 men and women will go a long way towards filling those positions, but we will still have many vacancies in the department,” Manley said. 

The cadets just finished eight months of tough training. Still, the real test is just beginning. 

“It must be recognized that the city is at a crossroads in terms of violent crime. My greatest wish for you is that those in power recognize that you're professionals with a great chief, but APD is in need of support right now, both in terms of additional officers, equipment and technology, but also in terms of supporting policy,” said University of Texas at Austin Police Chief David Carter who spoke at Friday’s ceremony.  

The graduating class will spend another week in a classroom for mental health training before riding with a field training officer for three months. 
                
Meanwhile, the Austin Police Department will work with the next group of cadets who begin their training in February. 
                
“Even after these cadets become officers today, we will still have 122 vacancies in the police department. And that is significant. That's what we're trying to get caught up with. That's why we have been aggressively recruiting and we've got a very aggressive schedule that is laid out for the upcoming cadet classes. And that's why we've been emphasizing so much the importance that each one of these classes needs to start on the proposed start date so that we don't fall further and further behind,” Manley said.

However, that schedule is still somewhat up in the air. City council passed a resolution last month that will investigate training policies and procedures at the academy. Any suggested changes will need to be implemented before a planned June 2020 class can begin. 
                
By then the officers who graduated Friday will be on patrol.

“This day is very special because, in a way, we're seeing the future of the department,” said Manley.