Texas DPS says it will continue to patrol despite City of Austin announcing partnership suspension
AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin has suspended its partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Interim City Manager Jesús Garza announced Wednesday that he had suspended the partnership in consultation with Mayor Kirk Watson.
"From the start of this partnership with DPS, I said I wanted Austinites to feel safe and be safe. Recent events demonstrate we need to suspend the partnership with DPS. The safety of our community is a primary function of City government, and we must keep trying to get it right," Watson said. "This partnership was an innovative approach to address acute staffing shortages that were years in the making. However, any approach must be in sync with Austin values."
Wednesday night, DPS said troopers will continue to patrol the Austin area "as part of its responsibility to protect and serve Texas."
The partnership was first announced on March 27, originally forged through conversations with Watson, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov Dan Patrick to support Austin Police as the department builds back its ranks.
The City of Austin says the support has resulted in a decrease in violent and gun crime, fewer traffic fatalities, shorter response times to calls for assistance, and seizures of significant amounts of illicit drugs, including fentanyl and heroin.
But the partnership has been controversial. Critics point to data showing nine in 10 misdemeanor arrests by DPS in Austin during the initial deployment were of people of color—many of them in East Austin. The City had said things were different now, with DPS being deployed at APD’s direction.
On July 10, the Austin Public Safety Commission unanimously approved a recommendation calling for more accountability around the partnership.
This suspension comes just two days later.
"Public safety is at the very core of what we do in city government and this partnership was a practical approach as the Austin Police Department faces serious staffing challenges," Garza said. "We have heard Mayor and Council’s concerns about recent events and agree that we must have absolute certainty that any solution we put in place maintains the trust and wellbeing of our community members and that all law enforcement officers working to keep our city safe are on the same page when it comes to policing practices."
RECENT NEWS INVOLVING TEXAS DPS:
- DPS troopers point gun at 10-year-old, his dad in South Austin
- Shooting involving Texas DPS trooper being investigated; suspect arrested
- Public safety commission calls for more accountability in DPS, APD partnership
- Nearly 90% of DPS misdemeanor arrests are people of color, data shows
The initiative was temporarily paused in mid-May as DPS officers were reassigned to Texas border cities but resumed July 2 with new deployment strategies in response to recommendations from the Mayor and City Council.
Different organizations shared their reactions to the announcement.
"This partnership was helping. It was helping the officers. It was helping the citizens in terms of response and certainly based on the facts that violent crime is down. Gun crime is down. We're able to respond to calls quicker," Jennifer Szimanski with Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas said. "We think this decision is unfathomable."
"I'm glad they're gone, and I hope it stays this way," Chas Moore with Austin Justice Coalition said. "DPS is not used to Austin culture. They're not used to Austin values in how we try to do things."
"It is my hope that this is just a momentary pause while both agencies are able to discuss the issues at hand," District 6 Council Member Mackenzie Kelly said.
The mayor's office says he doesn't foresee renewed partnership.