AUSTIN, Texas — More people than ever before died on Austin's roads last year as traffic enforcement plummeted.
But an internal document obtained by the KVUE Defenders shows City staff is working on a temporary solution for the lack of enforcement because “analysis of citations and fatal/serious injury crashes shows a need for enforcement at times when severe crashes occur most frequently.”
The possible solution was discussed during a City Audit and Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday morning.
Two City departments could bring an agreement to the Austin City Council for consideration in the coming months, Transportation Safety Officer Lewis Leff told some council members on Wednesday.
The interlocal agreement would allow Travis County sheriff’s deputies and constables to help fill the enforcement gap by participating in overtime shifts, according to the document.
Money from the Austin Transportation Department (ATD) is already used to pay police officers overtime, but staffing shortages mean they need to expand and get additional help, Austin Transportation Director Robert Spillar told council members during the meeting.
According to the document, the outside help would primarily be between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. – typically some of the most dangerous hours on Austin's roads – and would aim to crack down on speeding and impaired drivers.
According to the document, the record number of 116 fatalities in 2021 occurred as the level of traffic enforcement dropped 90% over a five-year period.
“I don’t want to leave anyone with the impression that traffic laws aren’t being enforced right now,” Spillar told the committee.
But that's not exactly what the agency responsible for enforcement told the KVUE Defenders about the issue last month.
Austin Police Department Lt. William White, part of the Highway Enforcement Command and lead of the Vehicular Homicide Unit, said a “staffing crisis” at APD is making it difficult to enforce traffic laws.
“The chances of them being able to proactively enforce traffic laws are slim to none,” he said. “Nothing's going to change on our end that I'm aware of as far as staffing goes, especially with proactive traffic enforcement.”
APD is still dealing with major staffing shortages after cadet classes were put on hold and with an increase in officers leaving the department.
Earlier this week, the KVUE Defenders reported on the sharp decline in traffic enforcement. Overall traffic citations dropped by about 45,000 from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2021, according to data from the Austin Municipal Court.
The City Auditor's Office found that the City is falling short when it comes to enforcing traffic laws.
The ATD and APD shared this joint statement with the Defenders:
“Austin Transportation staff are briefing Council Member offices on a potential strategy to address short-term enforcement needs. This is one approach being considered jointly by ATD and the Austin Police Department to overcome the lack of proactive traffic enforcement resources provided by APD amid the significant increase in traffic-related fatalities. Should this become a viable strategy there are still many steps to move this forward, including coordination discussions with Travis County and public input opportunities at future City Council meetings."
Councilmember Kathie Tovo (District 9) expressed support for the program partnering with the County. She encouraged Spillar to speed up the timetable on the issue.
An interlocal agreement does typically come with a cost, ATD Spokesperson Jack Flagler said. But, at this time, it’s too early to know what this one could cost.
A long-term solution, based on initial discussions, includes creating a dedicated traffic enforcement group within ATD, similar to how current sworn APD officers work within the Austin airport, according to the document.
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