Cuts to Austin Public Safety - Voice your opinion to the City Council

[txgolfer130]

Originally Posted by gb0610

You aren't getting it!

Yes, they obviously hire folks who have LE experience....they just make them go back through the full academy. So even if you are a saaay, Dallas SWAT Officer with 10 yrs on, you still need to go back through an academy with all of the new boots. There is talk of a modified academy, but it is not in place yet.

Um, no. You're not getting it. APD will just have to wait to get another class in. Plain and simple. End of story.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

APD can save lots of money by cutting the budget for in patrol car cameras and their maintenance. They don't use seem to use them much.

I agree. Plus, they could save a lot of money by eliminating the whole "internal investigations" process (and any related employees), to be replaced by a rubber stamp reading: "No evidence of wrongdoing found."

[CptnRn]

APD could free up numerous officers for more beneficial tasks like patrolling by eliminating speed traps. No need to have 2 or 3 officers tied up at every speed trap location just so they can write numerous tickets for driving 6 miles over the limit.

The only time I see officers in my neighborhood is when they are operating a speed trap in a 35 mph zone that really doesn't have much of a traffic problem. You never see them set up 6 blocks away at the school zone where it much more beneficial.

I'd rather see them out patrolling, that would be a huge deterrent for the rising property crimes we are seeing across town. If while patrolling they came across someone speeding, write the ticket, but do something more useful meanwhile.

[woodinvilleguy]

In my old neighborhood in the Seattle area. Last year they cut back on police services to the point that they will only investigate crimes of over $10k.

/rant (Ron Sims is a crook! And now he has moved up higher in national government, god help us all.) /rant off

Since they have done this, property crime including home burglaries have increased greatly and the criminals are being more brazen than before. It isn't due to population growth, it is directly related to the lack of police patrols and response. I used to not have a security system but now I can't imagine not having one.

It is sad. We are in great shape compared to the Seattle area, police, fire, and schools have taken a huge cut and they are paying for it, California is in even worse shape, I can't imagine what Vegas is like.

[Trainwreck20]

The only time I see officers in my neighborhood is when they are operating a speed trap in a 35 mph zone that really doesn't have much of a traffic problem. You never see them set up 6 blocks away at the school zone where it much more beneficial.

Are you talking about out on Davis lane? The street has quite a few kids that head home down those sidewalks (on foot and on bike) and although the traffic isn't heavy, I would consider it somewhat of an issue due to pedestrian traffic. Almost every day that I go down that street (which is pretty much daily), someone passes me at 45-50 mph (zoned 35). It is hard to 'recalibrate' after coming off MoPac. I suspect that they patrol prior to the school because the traffic coming off mopac will at least think about slowing down when they see a patrol car (even the ones that don't get stopped). I haven't yet seen more than one, but there may be more than one that I cannot see.

Anyway, since this all started in regards to funding, reducing tickets just reduces cash flow!

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Are you talking about out on Davis lane? The street has quite a few kids that head home down those sidewalks (on foot and on bike) and although the traffic isn't heavy, I would consider it somewhat of an issue due to pedestrian traffic. Almost every day that I go down that street (which is pretty much daily), someone passes me at 45-50 mph (zoned 35). It is hard to 'recalibrate' after coming off MoPac. I suspect that they patrol prior to the school because the traffic coming off mopac will at least think about slowing down when they see a patrol car (even the ones that don't get stopped). I haven't yet seen more than one, but there may be more than one that I cannot see.

Anyway, since this all started in regards to funding, reducing tickets just reduces cash flow!

Yes that is one of the locations, however I rarely see anyone going 50. They never set that speed trap up over near the school, its always over close to Mopac, East of Beckett, instead of near the school where pedestrian traffic is heaviest. You also rarely ever see them on Escarpment which has a much worse speeding problem and goes right past the school.

Another of their favorite locations is out on MoPac where there are no pedestrians and I have never seen an accident.

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

Another of their favorite locations is out on MoPac where there are no pedestrians and I have never seen an accident.

Usually the MOPAC speed traps are from about 10-2, when you can actually drive the speed limit.

[gb0610]

Originally Posted by txgolfer130

Um, no. You're not getting it. APD will just have to wait to get another class in. Plain and simple. End of story.

What???

What the heck point are you making?

Is it that if Austin doesn't hire current cops for an abreviated academy than they'll have to wait to hire some new ones later. Ya, thanks for that Sherlock.

???

[Trainwreck20]

its always over close to Mopac, East of Beckett,

I usually see them either a little east or a little west of Beckett, but yeah, I think the speed trap is actually 'triggered' by the number of accidents at the Davis/Mopac stop-sign intersection. Seems to be one a month or so there. I think the police might actually be writting tickets for running the stop sign as much as for speeding, I don't know.

Escarpment does get going pretty fast sometimes, and it has bike lanes next to it. It is almost TOO nice of a road and makes it easy to speed.