DPS/APD Partnership Update (Austin, Round Rock: violent crime, home, stats)

[verybadgnome]

https://www.austintexas.gov/news/cit...-public-safety


"In the first week of the joint operation by the Austin Police Department (APD) and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to increase safety in the Capital City, the number of violent crimes dropped 25 percent from the average weekly number of violent crimes for the past year. In areas of the city where DPS officers were specifically deployed due to a high volume of calls for assistance, APD recorded a 58 percent reduction in violent crime."


I can say anecdotally commuting past Riverside and Oltorf there was a change of behavior that took root not long after regular DPS patrols were put in place. Most of the difference I have seen relates to speeding and yielding ROW which don't seem as prevalent now. Also to be perfectly frank, it has modified my driving as well, for the better. I don't see DPS presence lasting forever and one horrific event will cause the whole thing to disappear, but I do like the changes I have seen.



Side note at city council several CMs talked about the distribution of enforcement and targeted groups. DPS said they would provide the stats but that their effort is call-based and will react to the number and distribution of call around the city. Even if that is true I am sure some will have problems with that approach.

[Need4Camaro]

I've had to slow down some, otherwise I personally am glad they did it.

I saw one guy get pulled over for 75 in a 65 on MoPac though. Most people on MoPac are doing 70 + when possible. Sadly though most of their presence seems to be concentrated in Downtown and anywhere east of I-35.

183 used to have a few cops clocking people just south of the TX-45 interchange but I haven't seen that in years now.

I-35 itself between Round Rock and Downtown is pretty much still a free for all too.

[Need4Camaro]

Well that didn't last very long

https://cbsaustin.com/amp/news/local...s-announcement

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Well that didn't last very long

https://cbsaustin.com/amp/news/local...s-announcement

Not because they didn’t want to stay and work from home but because Greg abbott’s pet project changed to taking care of the border instead of sticking it to Austin for its “defunding of the police.”

But, outside of the snark, it’s because they’re needed at the border. When/if this need lowers it might be nice to have them back. Despite the perceived racial profiling (whether it was due to crime reports or truly it was done implicitly or explicitly) crime did go down for the month they were here. https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texa...ontroversy.amp

[Need4Camaro]

Yeah I know. I was commenting on it because verybadgnome mentioned earlier in this topic that he didnt expect it to last and I found it kind of funny when I saw the headline and remembered his comment.