The Texas Department of Public Safety said it will continue patrols in Austin despite city leaders' call to end the criticized partnership that placed state troopers there due to staffing shortages.
the partnership in May to send troopers to the border after the end of Title 42.
Staffing challenges had plagued the Austin Police Department when state troopers stepped in. There were more than 300 officer vacancies as of April, and that number is expected to grow with retirements, Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon told the City Council. Residents had also criticized the city for slow response times when they made 911 calls. City officials like Watson initially believed the state troopers could help.
But according to April data from the Travis County Attorney’s Office, about 9 out of every 10 people arrested were Black or Latino. State and local officials at a May City Council meeting said DPS was largely patrolling predominantly Latino neighborhoods; Austin Police Department leaders said they requested patrolling of those areas because they have the highest crime rates and largest number of 911 emergency callsemerged when Abbott sent DPS to Dallas after a spate of homicides four years ago.
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