The Californiacation of the Texas has begun, the city of Austin has unveiled new “reimagining” polices to transform the city.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler announced that he is going to make changes to public safety in the city. The mayor is planning to gut $150 million from the Austin Police Department’s budget despite a soaring crime rate in a once peaceful city that was known for its culture. Two Austin Police cadet classes were also canceled as part of the new program.
The city has seen 22 homicides, four police officers shot this year, and officers are retiring or resigning faster than they can be replaced. Travis County DA Jose Garza is also prosecuting police officers for old closed cases instead of focusing on the spike in violence in the city.
Adler’s “reimagine” task force includes members from local left wing groups and only includes one member that represents victims of violent crimes, there are no business owners or leaders.
Some of the recommendations from the group include defunding cadet training to fund an immigrant defense fund through the public defender’s office. They wish to cut the cities gang suppression unit to give direct cash assistance for overpriced communities. The group also wishes to defund the cities K-9 unit to pay for housing for the homeless.
Members of the Austin Police Association condemned the proposals:
The Patrol & Surveillance Working Group Recommendations from the City of Austin have surfaced, recommending an almost wholesale defunding of the Austin Police Department. With violent crimes on the rise in Austin, now is the time for our community and law enforcement to work together, not against each other. City leadership must stop allowing these kinds of extremist views to guide their policy decisions and help us all unite toward protecting the people of our city.
We saw the same proposals in LA and now the city is pumping money back into the police department because things are getting out of control.
Keep in mind the mayor pushing these changes is the same person who during a tropical vacation did a Facebook live stream telling residence to not travel during the pandemic last year.
