Austin police shortages leave section of city without single officer: 'unsustainable path'

A section of Austin, Texas was left without a single police officer for a couple of hours Saturday, and the police union’s president is blaming ongoing staffing shortages. 

Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock tweeted Saturday that an entire sector in East Austin went two hours without a patrol officer assigned to the sector. He said that the department’s backfill shift made up of detectives and specialized units pulling double duty had to provide coverage. 

Bullock blamed these circumstances on "staffing woes." He said APD’s staffing was at 2006 levels – when the city had a quarter million fewer residents. Austin's population is hovering just under 1 million now. 

Bullock told Austin’s FOX 7 that the situation on Saturday was "not normal," as APD would typically have "anywhere from 10 to 14 officers that might be available or working that particular time." 

A few days prior, Bullock said APD’s downtown dayshift had only six officers and four "got pulled to guard city council." 

"So, only 2 officers were available to answer 9-1-1 calls," Bullock said. "Officers want to help Austinites – the City wants body guards." 

Bullock told Fox News Digital that APD is about 500 officers down from where staffing once was, and around 700 to 800 officers short of what the city’s own studies have previously recommended. 

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He said the problem has reached a point where it has become "extremely difficult for us to continue to re-arrange our department to meet the needs of our community." 

"We are starting to see more and more examples of the consequences of short staffing," Bullock said. 

In an aerial view, the Sturgeon Supermoon rises over the downtown skyline on August 01, 2023 in Austin, Texas.  (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

He traced the current state of affairs to City Council voting to defend the department by unanimous vote in August 2020, and refusing to renew a five-year contract with APD in 2023. That has led, Bullock said, to APD losing more people than it’s been able to recruit each year. 

"The negative actions by prior councils and elected officials have gotten us to this point where we are in crisis mode trying to just respond to 9-1-1 calls. We’ve disbanded units, mandated that detectives pull double duty not only investigating their cases but also responding to 9-1-1 calls, consolidated shifts, and more. We have bent over backwards trying to keep our city safe because we care about the people who visit and call Austin home, but we can only bend so much before breaking," Bullock said, adding: "The bottom line is we are on an unsustainable path." 

The Texas legislature passed a law in 2021 that essentially forced Austin to restore the funding it cut in 2020, but the officer shortage persists. 

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Austin City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly of District 6, elected to council after the defunding vote, told Fox News Digital that rebuilding the police force will be a "gradual process." 

"The morale of our department is crucial, and as city leaders, it is imperative that we prioritize providing the necessary resources to support recruitment and retention efforts," Kelly said in a statement. "With 79 cadets currently in the police academy, we are taking steps towards strengthening our police department for the future."

An Austin Police Department officer-involved shooting on Dec. 16, 2023, resulted in one death and three injuries. (FOX 7 in Austin)

A city spokesperson told Fox News Digital that APD "faces some of the most pressing departmental concerns in the organization, particularly in the area of staffing and training." 

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"The need for additional resources for APD remains a top priority and the Interim City Manager will be assessing what options are available to the city," the spokesperson said, adding: "The Austin City Council has provided additional support to APD by authorizing significant investments for staffing and specifically retention bonuses as well as approving additional resources related to cadet classes."