Without citing specific reasons, the City of Austin announced it has suspended the partnership between the Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
While the partnership has been credited for a reduction in violent and gun crimes, as well as traffic fatalities, it has created controversy. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Austin Justice Coalition filed Texas Public Information Act requests on April 4 for the arrangement’s “lack of transparency.” ACLU said the decision regarding the partnership was made with no public input and Austin City Council wasn’t even aware of the deal.
Black and Latino residents have complained about their communities being unfairly targeted by DPS, according to Spectrum News 1 media partner the . Data from the Travis County Attorney’s Office showed 90% of Austin arrests were Black and Latino. “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,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in Wednesday’s news release. “This partnership was an innovative approach to address acute staffing shortages that were years in the making.
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