Short-staffed Austin police urge robbery victims not to call 911 as crime ravages city

The New York Post ^ | 09/05/2023 | Andrea Vacchiano

[thegagline]

Austin police in Texas are asking residents to call 311 if they get robbed near an ATM as the department struggles amid an increase in urban crime and staffing shortages.

The Austin Police Department posted a graphic in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, to urge residents to call 311 or make an online report if they’re robbed – 311 is a number usually used for non-emergency requests, as opposed to 911.

“Even if you are cautious & follow all the safety advice, you may still become the unfortunate victim of a robbery,” the Austin Police Department wrote on X. “Do you know what your next steps should be?”

“Make a police report & provide as much information as possible so we can recover your property quickly and safely,” the post added.

***

The new protocol comes as the Texas capital grapples with an increase in crime.

Compared to 2020, Austin has had a 77% increase in auto thefts, an 18% increase in aggravated assaults, and a 30% increase in murders. *** “We’re a growing city, a city that should be up around 2,000 officers and growing right now,” Villarreal said. “I’ve got about 1,475 officers in our police department and, you know, we’re moving in the wrong direction. There’s less and less and less resources to go out and do the job.” ***

[hanamizu]

If you shoot the robber, should you call 911 or 311?

[BigFreakinToad]

I feel for the good citizens that are disenfranchised by the liberal city government, that being said, Austin can burn to the ground. I’ll sit in my front yard up the I35 and watch the glow.

[CodeToad]

Austin, the city of Bostom liberals.

[depressed in 06]

Austin Police are telling criminals to commit robberies.

[arthurus]

Be armed everywhere. Burglar proof your doors and windows if you can afford it. Have your gun in easy reach when you are abed. But this is Austin. People don’t understand such speech. One might as well be talking Chinese.

[frank ballenger]

911 message:
Your call is important to us. We can’t answer you right now, or actually ever, so please leave a recorded message.
Press 1 to donate to the mayor’s re-election campaign. Press 2 to give to the police foundation. Press 3 to record a “I love Austin” message for advertising use. Press 4 to say “I give up. I’ll confront the attackers myself and go to prison.”

[Bounced2X]

It is always a shame that the total incompetence of law enforcement, the corruption of judges and the inferiority of juries makes the system of pseudo justice so bad that good people have to risk their lives and future freedom to do the jobs the others should have done.

Yep. Back in the days of the "wild west" and the territories, many times, people had to take it upon themselves to impose order. Could be history is ready to "circle back". (To quote an infamous former White House press secretary)

[frank ballenger]

Good one.

Like the huge roomful of detectives to hear the description of Paul Kersey to get him, contrasted with Kersey earlier trying to get someone to look up from their desks to answer if they were getting anywhere with the search for his wife’s killer and daughgter’s attacker/rapist. Or the hospital employee saying, oh, yeah she’s dead.

[rfreedom4u]

Police are NOT the first responders. WE ARE! Arm yourselves and put a stop to this crap.

[OSHA]

“If you shoot the robber, should you call 911 or 311?”

Call 811 before you dig the grave.

[dfwgator]

911 is a joke!

[zeugma]

There is no revenue in police responding to citizens victimized by crime, but Lord help you if you are speeding.

[zeugma]

Please don’t call 9-1-1, call 8-1-1.
You’ll need to know where it’s safe to dig...

LOL. Excellent!

[sauropod]

.

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

“”$87.2 million.........deeply affordable housing””

So, the Welfare and Homeless Industrial Complex will be VERY well funded.

Deeply safe neighborhoods would never occur to them. In the leftist, liberal mindset, anyone who has anything stole it from the poor. The liberals go into politics while living in their mother’s basement, and end up millionaires with many houses (Way to go Bernie).

[Paladin2]

[LOL....]

[EliRoom8]

July 12, 2023

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Austin has suspended its controversial partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety to police the streets of the capital city, an official announced Wednesday.

The program, aimed at helping fill staffing shortages and decrease 911 call response times, is being suspended. Earlier this week, a state trooper pointed a gun at a 10-year-old who exited a vehicle during a traffic stop Sunday, reported Fox station KTBC. On Monday, another state police officer shot a man in the arm after a car chase, reported NBC station KXAN.

[Wilderness Conservative]

No sympathies for the people who voted in the Austin City gov.

[HandBasketHell]

Austin is DEEP BLUE.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

DPS is still patrolling Austin, taking calls for service - I've seen them. On the first go-round DPS was there got interrupted by a deployment to the border for a number of weeks. After they came back the whining going on from the usual suspects got louder and more ridiculous - the most pathetic was the white blonde soccer mom who blubbered in front of the city council that her children were afraid to go out because of the scary DPS. So the official coordination deal was off again - but the governor said they're not going anywhere, they're there to stay until he says otherwise. And now the city and police department are back to coordinating with the DPS again, maybe not officially, but they're doing it. Austin news media has even been admitting crime has taken a 58% drop since the DPS has taken up the slack.