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Austin, Texas residents are expressing outrage over police staffing shortages and longer 911-call response times in the aftermath of the city council's vote to defund the department in 2020. In February, a section of the city was notably left without a single police officer for a few hours on a Saturday due to the ongoing shortages. Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock, who called attention to the vacancy on X, told Fox News Digital that a steady decline in public safety has put the city on the "brink of disaster."

Reports were coming in from forums and elsewhere that the Austin PD and the BATFE have mandated no private sales will be allowed. Thing is, there is no federal or state law giving them this authority. So I asked them if the reports were true and how they could do this:

COMMENTARY: ALBERTA PHILLIPS Phillips: Austin's white leaders shouldn't turn way from this tragedy Alberta Phillips, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESWOMAN Recent columns * Phillips: Austin's white leaders shouldn't turn way from this tragedy * Phillips: Trying to ease tensions, even while the fires rage * Phillips: After club fire, police comments still smolder * Phillips: Abortion should be rare – and here's how to make that happen * Phillips: The politics of forgiveness: Practicing it won't make you weak * Phillips: Bush missed chances to win over African Americans voters * Phillips: GOP tries new tactics to recruit black voters * Phillips: Texas...

Hundreds push for answers in shooting death; Knee hears calls to quit Police chief, city leaders meet with East Austin residents. Ralph Barrera/AMERICAN-STATESMAN (enlarge photo) Bobby Taylor, the Rocha family's lawyer, asked the crowd to be patient and let the Police Department finish their presentation at the meeting. MORE ON THIS STORY * Photo gallery: Police shooting victim memorial, 06.11.05 * Police fatally shoot man in drug sting, 06.10.05 * Austin Police Department release on officer-involved shooting (PDF) * Get Acrobat Reader * Special report: Unequal force In a typical weekend scene, this one in the early morning of Oct....

City, police leaders will talk to neighbors about shooting Visits will happen in coming weeks * Photo gallery: Police shooting victim memorial, 06.11.05 * Police fatally shoot man in drug sting, 06.10.05 * Austin Police Department release on officer-involved shooting (PDF) * Get Acrobat Reader * Special report: Unequal force By Tony Plohetski AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Tuesday, June 14, 2005 Austin city and police leaders on Tuesday said they have developed plans to reach out to residents of a Southeast Austin neighborhood where an officer fatally shot a teen, hoping to calm growing community anger. Police Chief Stan Knee said officers,...

New details emerge in shooting of teen suspect Officer feared she and sergeant were about to be shot with stun gun before fatal shooting, sources say Advertisement By Tony Plohetski, Claire Osborn AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Tuesday, June 14, 2005 An Austin police officer told internal affairs investigators that she fatally shot a teenager during a scuffle because she feared that he had taken her Taser stun gun and was about to use it against her or her sergeant, a source close to the investigation said Monday. Officer Julie Schroeder said she had been trying to subdue Daniel Rocha, 18, seconds before...

One lieutenant, two sergeants among those suspended By Jeffrey Gilbert and Tony Plohetski Thursday, November 6, 2003 While they were supposed to be protecting a power plant against possible terrorism, five Austin police officers went fishing. The officers, including a lieutenant and a sergeant, were suspended last month for fishing at the Decker Creek Power Plant at Lake Walter E. Long while on duty, according to disciplinary memos obtained Wednesday. A second sergeant was suspended for not reporting the others. The men, in uniform, were seen at least once cleaning the fish they had just caught, according to the reports....