For the fourth time since the City of Austin relaxed its rules and enforcement of homeless ordinances, a town hall was held to address public concerns, as well as to allow for city leaders to continue to state their positions. Despite heavy pushback and an ever-increasing sense of anger among a growing number of Austin residents, the city council has shown no signs of walking back its decision, and at Tuesday’s public forum, actually appeared to dig in even further.
Among the chief concerns from the public remains safety and a rise in crime. Much like Chief of Police Brian Manley told KLBJ in August, Mayor Steve Adler said he has only heard through word-of-mouth about an increase in crime, but the raw data he’s seen from the police department shows no such evidence.
“The law enforcement people I’ve always been with in those situations always tell me that that’s not true, but I understand the perception,” Adler said.
That perception, Adler says, is one of the reasons the city must find a way to spend as much money as possible to find housing solutions, from emergency shelters to permanent homes.
“We’ve satisfied ourselves with moving people around,” Adler said. “So, we send in our law enforcement folks, and they say, ‘You can’t be here, and if you stay here, we’re going to ticket or arrest you.’”
While APD may not be seeing an increase in crime, Austin’s 311 has seen an incredible spike in calls. According to city data, there was a 460-percent increase in calls to 311 between June 20 and August 29 compared to that same time period last year.
Adler also took a hardline stance over anecdotal claims by Austin police officers who have said the city council has made it very difficult to continue to enforce the law, telling the crowd to act as watchdosg and report back to him any time they might overhear an officer making such claims.
“I don’t believe it, but if there is a police officer out there who is saying that, I would appreciate you getting his badge number and giving it to me,” he said. “Nothing that the council did takes away from the police the ability, and the obligation to arrest or ticket people that are breaking the law. Adler also wants badge numbers to be given to Chief of Police Brian Manley.
Public frustration was perhaps more palpable at Tuesday’s forum than at any of the previous town halls the mayor and council members have attended. At one point, police had to escort out a man who began shouting at the crowd and the panelists about failed leadership. At other times, the conversation devolved into a shouting match between members of the audience with opposing viewpoints. The moderator struggled to regain civility.
The issue of a new planned shelter in South Austin was also a major topic of discussion on Tuesday. Council member Ann Kitchen, who represents the district in which that new shelter is planned, tried to calm the public’s fears that it would become just another source of crime and drugs, as has been the case with the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless in downtown. Kitchen said the city will bind itself to a legal document.
“Sort of like a restrictive covenant, it says, if this place operates as a shelter, it will not be drop-in services. It will only provide services to people who are staying there. There will be no camping around it. There will be security provisions,” Kitchen told KLBJ.
Kitchen said the council will put everything in writing and make it all legally enforceable before the shelter opens its doors.
As for the ongoing debate over the homeless ordinances, which, since July, have allowed people to sleep, sit, or set up an encampment virtually anywhere on public grounds, it’s not expected the city will see anymore changes until next month when the new Homeless Strategy Officer makes her recommendations.
