AUSTIN, Texas — The controversial partnership between the Austin Police Department (APD) and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) resumed on July 2 after it was put to a halt in May when Gov. Greg Abbot sent DPS troopers to the Texas-Mexico border following the expiration of Title 42.
While some welcome the return of the partnership, others are less than pleased.
"We're really disappointed that they're making the decision to to restart this partnership," Chris Harris with the Austin Justice Coalition said earlier this week.
Jennifer Smith-Gonnabathula lives in North Austin and is the vice president of the North Austin Civic Association (NACA). She said when the collaboration first started in March, she and other neighbors saw that crime dwindled.
"With the uptick in crime in summer, that is something that we think about and we have to be aware of just for the safety of our neighbors," Smith-Gonnabathula said, adding, "I would encourage anyone who has a negative opinion about this to come up to areas like this or go to the areas where they are patrolling, where DPS is going to be sent … I mean, you won't experience it in the daytime probably, but just listen at night, we don't hear the gunshots. That's a result for me."
The City of Austin noted that APD and DPS will focus on three areas where there is the most need – neighborhoods impacted most by crashes and violent crime, as well as communities that don't have enough police officers.
The approach shifted at the direction of the mayor and city council after the collaboration came under scrutiny once data revealed DPS troopers were targeting minorities at disproportionately higher rates. Nearly nine out of 10 people who were arrested on misdemeanor charges by DPS were either Black or Hispanic.
It's a concern Harris believes won't change.
"We saw that in the results of who got pulled over, who got arrested, who got searched, and so we're really concerned," Harris said.
KVUE reached out to the mayor and city council members about their thoughts over the agencies coming together again.
Mayor Kirk Watson acknowledged a need for the partnership due to the staffing shortage APD continues to face, while pointing to what DPS will be focused on – traffic safety and violent crime.
Councilmember Mackenzie Kelly (District 6) expressed support toward the partnership resuming, while Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes (District 2) took to Twitter to say that although it is a step in the right direction, "There’s more work to be done if we want this partnership to be fair & effective."