With a 100-day action plan, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis is reorienting the agency to tackle important problems like crime prevention, staffing shortages, and building community trust. Chief Davis emphasized the value of listening to Austin’s varied neighborhoods as a crucial component of her approach in an open discussion with Kelsey Sanchez of KVUE. “I have to hear what’s important to other people, and you can’t just assume those things,” Davis stated at the meeting.
After taking office last month, Chief Davis is eager to address the city’s need for additional patrol officers in order to speed up response times. According to the most recent data from the Austin Police Department (APD), emergency responses are taking longer than expected—on average, 12 minutes and 6 seconds, more than a minute longer than the goal. According to Davis, “those wait times are ‘not tolerable’,” as CNN reported. By expanding the recruitment pool, including out of state, the recently authorized police contract, valued at over $218 million, is expected to help ease these problems and has “just opened the door,” in Davis’s words.
Recent events have sparked hope as the department attempts to recover from a roughly 300 officer shortage. Chief Davis said, “The numbers are coming,” alluding to the roughly 55 graduates of the most recent police academy class and the next classes. Chief Davis noted that in order to reduce the city’s alarming homicide rate, the strategy goes beyond officer numbers and includes reinstating dissolved units and enforcing targeted enforcement. Davis said, “Sixty homicides, that’s too much,” according to a statement from FOX 7 Austin.
In addition to these tactical changes, Chief Davis is placing a high value on candid communication and useful input from Austin citizens. She encourages the public to voice their issues and experiences by attending town halls, taking part in ride-alongs, and completing an online survey on the city’s website. She said, “I’m excited to hear what [Austinites] have to say — good, bad, ugly, all of it,” during her one-on-one interview with KVUE. As Chief Davis promotes a cooperative effort to advance change within the APD and the larger community it serves, this feedback will be crucial in determining the department’s future strategy.
The success of the ambitious plan for change within the APD depends on how well it is implemented after the first 100 days. Although Chief Davis is aware of the timeframe’s constraints, she is unwavering in her resolve to make long-term changes. “I won’t be able to solve every problem. Not every problem will be resolved by us. But we can fix a lot if we work together,” she said honestly. Under Chief Davis’ direction, Austin’s capital city is at a turning point in its history when creative enforcement techniques and community involvement are coming together to usher in what many believe will be a time of reform and revitalization.
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