The Austin Police Department will implement changes to call routing and non-emergency response services beginning tommorrow, Friday, October 1. Officials have said the change is a direct response to a growing staffing shortage and the City of Austin’s effort toward “reimagining” public safety.
According to APD, change will impact non-emergency situations such as:
•When there is no immediate threat to life or property
•Where crimes are no longer in progress
•When the suspect(s) are no longer on scene or in sight
In these types of situations, APD will no longer take the calls through the traditional 9-1-1. Instead, the public is being asked to submit a police report online at iReportAustin.com, or by calling 3-1-1.
“Safety is our department’s number one priority,” Interim Chief of Police Joseph Chacon said. “APD will still respond to emergency situations and thoroughly investigate crimes reported to the Department.”
APD says the following incidents can be reported via iReportAustin.com:
•Animal Service
•Auto Theft
•Burglary of residence, business or vehicle
•Crashes not requiring a tow, when there are not injuries, both drivers have proof of insurance and a driver’s license, and when neither driver is impaired
•COVID-19 Violations
•Verbal Disturbances
•Prostitution
•Suspicious Person / Vehicle
•Vandalism
•Theft
“These response changes will ensure that we will bring all of our resources to bear, including officers and technical experts, to respond to all situations as appropriate,” Chief Chacon said. “We recognize the staffing challenges our department faces, and we are trying to be innovative in how we respond.”
The change has been met with anger from public safety proponents, including the local nonprofit Save Austin Now, which helped get an item onto the November ballot allowing voters to decide whether or not to force the city to increase police staffing to two officers per 1000 residents. In a joint statement, Save Austin Now co-founders Matt Mackowiak and Cleo Petricek said, “Interim Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon has made the excruciating decision to stop sending uniformed police officers to respond to certain 911 calls beginning Oct. 1 due to the profound police staffing crisis unleashed our city by Steve Adler and Greg Casar with their second failed social experiment.”
