TX Gov. Abbott Receives Draft Language for Law for State to Take Over Austin Police
Austin voted to strip a significant of money away from the police department in August even though violent crimes were already on the rise.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed he received draft language for a law for the Texas Department of Public Safety (TDPS) to take over the Austin Police Department (APD).
Abbott’s decision comes a few months after the Austin City Council voted to strip APD’s budget by almost one-third.
Just in time for Christmas:
The Legislative Council has sent draft language for a proposed law that would transfer control of the Austin Police Department to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
One way or another we will pass a law to keep Austin safe.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 21, 2020
Gov @GregAbbott_TX confirming @quorumreport's story this morning #txlege pic.twitter.com/RfI4IKxMRa
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) December 21, 2020
Abbott already promised he would pass this legislation in the upcoming session.
U.S. Attorney says “defunding the Austin Police Department” is contributing to the dramatic increase in violent crimes in Austin.
The state will fix this.
Texas will pass a law this session supporting law enforcement and defunding cities that defund police.#BackTheBlue https://t.co/OmWqBUiLwj
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 18, 2020
In August, the Austin City Council, the capital of Texas, voted in September “to cut $20 million from APD’s budget, in addition to transitioning $130 million out over a year.”
Abbott did not approve of the move. He mentioned that the TDPS could take over the APD.
The legislature sent him a proposal almost right away in September:
“This proposal for the state to takeover the Austin Police Department is one strategy I’m looking at,” Abbott tweeted in response to an article from Reform Austin. “We can’t let Austin’s defunding & disrespect for law enforcement to endanger the public & invite chaos like in Portland and Seattle.”
The cities have experienced months of sometimes violent protests and controversial intervention of federal agents. In Portland, protesters and counter-protesters clashed after a President Donald Trump rally last month, and a member of a far-right political organization was fatally shot.
The potential legislation, sent last week to Abbott by former Texas House members and parliamentarians Terry Keel and Ron Wilson, would allow for a city with a population over 1 million and less than two police officers per 1,000 residents — a bucket Austin falls into — to have its police force consolidated with the Texas Department of Public Safety. The state’s law enforcement branch would take over the local police department and form a new entity if the governor decided there were “insufficient municipal resources being appropriated for public safety needs,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Texas Tribune.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler claimed “Austin is the safest big city in Texas and one of the safest in the country.”
However, statistics show that Austin’s “murder rate increased by 55% over 2019” even before the council stripped the APD’S budget.
But “murders were up by 54% in July and aggravated assaults were also up by 17%.”
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Hear Hear!
And Arrest all the Austin Criminals starting with the city and county Pols.
Austin is a product of liberal college ideas.
A great move, as long as the state government remains sane. With state control of the police the leftist morons who run the city won’t be able to use police to protect BLM and Antifa thugs, and give them free rein to loot, burn, assault, etc. There would have been no riots in major cities if police had been used properly to beat the rioters down before they got out of hand.
FYI
“Big News Coming Out Of Pennsylvania”- Trump Tweets: “Very Big Illegal Ballot Drop”
Published December 21, 2020
Gateway Pundit
This is why l9iberalism from Liberalfionia (the cancer) it is can not be allowed to infect Texas.
That’s perfect. Transfer the cost of their bad decision to the whole state, that’ll show ’em. If I was Adler, what would be my next move?
Maybe tax the crap out of Austin. This could get interesting quickly as the usual slobs are no longer protected by the Mayor and city council.
ROBIN BULLOCK:
GOD SAYS: “STOP WORRYING. I HAVE SET UP A SURPRISE.
WE WILL ALL LAUGH TOGETHER.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClXjc1ybIxQ
Let us hope that the funding for this increased expenditure by the TPDS is taken out of the Austin wine and cheese budget, somewhere they will feel the punch at the top of the income stream rather than the bottom. Otherwise, it’s just free money for the Leftists who have begun to infest the nice town.
Take it all out of the funding for their state Colleges.
Is this the end of Austin as a sanctuary city? Does the state send Austin the bill for babysitting them?
Would be better to seize all their personal assets and sell them off. Those Criminal Pols will have no need for assets as they sit on Death Row.
Austin hasn’t been a “sanctuary city” for a long time. Since the state passed a law banning them.
I am pretty sure there is a direct correlation with the influx of California liberals and the increase in violence.
Oh, thank goodness! I was afraid it might be liberals from New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, following their jobs as their employers bail.
FYI
If you sent every America that $900 Billion they would EACH get $2,800. So why is it just $600?
We already know about the $600 checks for each adult and dependent. This time, however, ‘mixed-status’ households
where eligible citizens live with illegal immigrants, will not only receive payments – they can retroactively claim benefits after being left out of the last round.
December 21, 2020 at 6:44 pm
Family members of unauthorized immigrants are now eligible to get stimulus checks under the $900 billion deal reached last night. That eligibility is retroactive, so adults excluded last time could get up to $1800 now
http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=391793
Pork laden…
I’m good with defunding irresponsible municipalities but not so good with the idea of centralizing law enforcement just because local government cannot appeal directly for support instead of being held hostage to a collective.
Better that the perverse Austin government should be relieved of their expansive imposition in favor of a more equitable investment in community diversity!
Amen on defunding the state education collective masquerading as Penn State South aka any state sponsored union operated “school” of every sort.
The Austin police should only be allowed to assist and protect citizens wearing a MAGA hat. This way government police protection will not be forced on the WOKE people who want no police in their lives.
Better for both sides.
Upside: Law and order comes back to the city.
Downside: The mayor claims credit while simultaneously suing the state for failing to follow his preferred policies. Gets re-elected in a landslide.
Although I’m sure this is for the safety of the residents of Austin, I doubt if they’ll appreciate it, especially if they believe the laughable comments by the mayor that crime has gone down.
Interesting thought. Austin is a large city, specifically a large Democrat city. It has been functionally Democrat ruled for decades, even though it is officially non-partisan. Where you have Democrat politicians in a big city with no real oversight, you get a Butt-load [132 US gallons] of corruption, which the local police are cognizant of but deliberately look the other way for their own safety or participate in for career advancement. Suddenly, the cops will not be working for the Mayor but for the State and the Governor. Revealing the corruption suddenly becomes a career booster instead of career ender.
Sehr Interessantes
Subotai Bahadur
There is nothing partisan about Austin. When they expanded the city council IIRC 2014, a libertarian was elected. 6 Dems and one Libertarian and half the city lost their shit.
*non partisan
The Peoples Democratic Republic of Austin was a drug and crime-infested s**thole in the 1980s when I lived and worked there. Unlike a fine wine the burg has not improved with age.
I moved back from Austin to Chicago about 18 months ago. It was because my father’s health was failing. He passed two week ago. It’s been hard and I have a lot in front of me, but I’m going to get back to Texas as soon as I can. And it won’t be Austin. I’m not a huge fan of Abbott but anything he can do to scrape the scum of ATX govt off the shoe of Texas is 100% okay with me.
Austin is full of escapees from California. The problem is that they still vote for the same types of people they elected in CA. So they will inevitably convert Austin into New Berkeley.
Sounds good, so long as the cost comes entirely out of funds the state would have been giving Austin for one thing or another. Or a special state tax on Austin residents to pay for their policing.
One of those downticks is mine. It was meant to be an uptick.
The draft legislation specifically sets out that it will be funded through a portion of city tax revenue.
Maybe the enlightened people of Austin should get it good and hard. This is what they voted for, let them enjoy the fruits of their labors.
Republican Governor Abbott demonstrates the courage Demorat Governors in other states lack. The Austin political officials should be removed from office for failure to honor their oath to protect and preserve the safety of citizens. The cost of the action to manage Austin’s police force should be charged back to the city.
The explosion of homelessness, quality-of-life crimes and spikes in robberies and homicides will continue and worsen for the citizens of Austin and ALL Texans in the capital city as long as Austin’s local politicians remain in charge of the police department.
Former Sheriff Keel: Remove Austin City Council authority over APD
Every city in Texas derives its power and authority from the State of Texas, via our Constitution and statutes. Local governments, whatever their form, are creatures of the state, which determines what powers they have, what their obligations are, what privileges they hold, and what restrictions are held to limit their power. At any time, the state can disband any local government, or create a new one.
Texans: Email Governor Abbott, your state representative and state senator. Remove Austin’s City Council Entirely from Governing the Austin Police Department (APD)
1. Have APD Chief of Police answer to DPS Director, NOT the city manager
2. Have DPS Commission, NOT the city council, set the APD budget
3. Fund through a portion of Austin city tax revenue
https://youtu.be/zpMduDmx6fQ
Austin has really gone to hell over the last 20 years. Increased population along with the homeless living in the medians and under the crossovers. No other community in the area puts up with these tent cities everywhere.
one of the reasons you haven’t seen much of the full-on blm/antifa/leftist nonsense in austin is because austin is the capitol and headquarters of the rangers–they are truly a no bs organization–when the boys with the cinco peso arrive you know you’re dealing with the varsity
dps is not far behind in their professionalism–would be glad to see them assume police responsibilities in austin as still have family there–apd is a good department but, like any municipal department in a leftist/liberal city, is subject to the whims/edicts of an out-of-control city council–not the case with dps and definitely not the rangers
abbott continues to lead from the front