Interim Chief: Austin Police Department in ‘Dire Crisis’ After Defunding

Interim Chief: Austin Police Department in ‘Dire Crisis’ After Defunding
Interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon is seen in Austin, Texas, on June 12, 2021. Austin Police Department via AP
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The city of Austin faces a crisis of rising violent crime after the City Council voted last year to drastically reduce the police department’s budget, interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon says.

Last summer, the Austin City Council voted to defund the police department by $150 million, which resulted in canceling multiple cadet classes and disbanding multiple units responsible for responding to DWIs, domestic violence calls, stalking, and criminal interdiction.

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