Taking advantage of Austin police shortage

 Fox News:

Austin police, 911 staffing levels questioned after street racers take over major intersection, injure cop

An Austin City Council member was reportedly on hold with 911 for 28 minutes after calling about the street racing takover

Some Austin City Council members are speaking out about the police department's vacancies and ongoing problems at the 911 call center after a chaotic scene unfolded downtown on Saturday night.

Street racers took over an intersection at South Lamar Boulevard and Barton Springs Road, drifting in the middle of the street and setting off fireworks as throngs of people looked on at the mayhem.

One law enforcement officer was injured and several police cars were damaged in the fracas.
...

 Austin's city council and then-Mayor Steve Adler voted to slash APD's funding by about one-third during the 2020 riots at the height of the "defund the police" movement. That vote was supported by an activist coalition led by groups including the Austin Justice Coalition. APD's funding was later restored in order to comply with a state law passed in 2021, but by then, officers had left APD in droves, specialized units were reduced or disbanded, and cadet classes had been canceled, so the departed officers could not be replaced. 

...

Austin made the mistake of electing liberals to run city government decades ago and has never really recovered from that mistake.  It was a safer city when it was electing business leaders to office. 

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