AUSTIN, Texas — A report from KVUE's media partner the Austin American-Statesman shows an increasing number of officers and cadets leaving the Austin Police Department (APD).
According to the Statesman, the average number of officers and cadets leaving the APD per month has more than doubled since the end of 2017 and also increased by nearly 34% through mid-June when compared to 2019.
The Statesman's report comes as city leaders are set to discuss the budget, which may include major cuts to the police department. Three city councilmembers have proposed additional cuts to the APD's budget.
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The most recent proposal came from District 7 councilmember Leslie Pool, who suggested, among other things:
- Closing the police academy for a year
- Cutting the department’s overtime budget
- Getting rid of the lake patrol unit, except for emergency search and rescue operations
- Cutting the bomb squad budget by $1.8 million
The Austin City Council is set to start the budget adoption process on Aug. 12.
Meanwhile, the Statesman report also stated that at the end of May 2019, Austin police had seen 45 officers leave, including cadets and sworn officers, whether through resignation, retirement or termination. Comparing that year-to-date through May of this year, the department has lost 66 officers, according to the Statesman, which is 21 more than in 2019.
You can read the Statesman's full report here.
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