Texas DPS to resume partnership with APD on July 2
AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will resume its partnership with the Austin Police Department (APD) on Sunday, July 2.
APD said its partnership with DPS ended on May 13 "due to the expiration of Title 42 and the related issues at the border." The partnership was first announced on March 27.
"After speaking with the assistant city manager, we should anticipate DPS being back in Austin a week from this Sunday," says District 6 council member Mackenzie Kelly.
The partnership was originally forged through conversations with Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov Dan Patrick to support Austin police as the department is facing historical staffing challenges.
DPS officers have statewide jurisdiction and have provided additional support in other Texas cities to reduce crime rates.
Data from first two weeks of APD, Texas DPS partnership presented to city council
Chief Chacon says there are more than 300 vacant officer positions and that number grows every day. He says this partnership between APD and DPS is proving to be extremely valuable when it comes to keeping Austin safe during the staffing shortage.
"The partnership with DPS has already proven valuable to reducing crime and shortening response times," APD Police Chief Joseph Chacon said. "This new iteration will ensure we continue that while taking Council direction into account and pivoting the deployment strategy."
According to APD Chief Joseph Chacon, troopers will be deployed at his direction, and the deployment strategy will be based on need in the following three priority areas:
- Traffic — DPS will continue to monitor roadways with high rates of crashes resulting in injury and/or deadly crashes
- Violent crime — A focus will remain on ares with higher reports of violent crime
- Staffing levels — DPS troopers will be distributed across multiple APD patrol sectors to support shifts staffed with fewer officers
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Data from first two weeks of APD, Texas DPS partnership presented to city council
- Title 42 expiration at border cited for Austin police, Texas DPS ending partnership
- Nearly 90% of DPS misdemeanor arrests are people of color, data shows
Chief Chacon said DPS criminal investigators and crime analysts will partner with violent crime investigation units to reduce gun crime.
"This partnership has proven to be a practical way to begin addressing Austin's call volume and crime," Chacon said, in his statement. "We welcome DPS back to the city utilizing a different development approach. I will continue assessing the data and deploying DPS alongside APD to protect and serve."
Also, APD will attend shift briefings with DPS, and DPS can monitor local radio channels, however, DPS activity will not be call driven.
During the six-week partnership from March 30 to May 13, data showed the crime rate in Austin decreased.
"Previously DPS was working in Austin, and they had great success in decreasing those response times and responding to calls for service," says Kelly.
But, during that brief period of time, many activists in Austin criticized the partnership, saying DPS troopers were targeting people of color.
"They claim to be in a partnership with DPS, and yet have been unable to provide any information request to either public or counsel requests to that information," says Chris Harris with Austin Justice Coalition.
"So many testimonies that we heard in west Austin saying, 'why aren't DPS here?' Here we had a community crying for the DPS when east Austin, we're feeling like we were being just targeted," says Susana Almanza with Poder.
Activists are wondering where these DPS troopers be deployed.
According to Chacon, troopers will be deployed at his direction.
"My understanding, after talking with the assistant city manager over public safety is that the majority of the response to calls for service in the area will be focused on the downtown area," says Kelly.