Tag: police officers

AUSTIN, Texas — Prominent voices blamed liberal, anti-cop policies for chaos in the city over the weekend after street racers took over city intersections, attacking law enforcement and setting people on fire in wild scenes which were caught on video.

“Austin voters wanted a Mayor, City Council, and [George] Soros [funded] DA who treat cops as criminals and criminals as victims,” tweeted the National Police Association, referring to the left wing billionaire, who is said to have funded Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza.

“This was not only predictable, it was predicted,” they added.

The public statement from the law enforcement organization came after one officer was injured, following four separate street racing incidents Saturday night into Sunday morning in the Texas state capital, Austin police said.

Reckless drivers blocked off intersections, doing donuts, terrorizing other motorists, throwing glass bottles, setting off fire works and starting fires. One Austin cop was hospitalized after being hit with rocks and bottles, but has since been released.

In another scene of mayhem, a vandals climbed on top of two sheriff’s patrol cruisers, using traffic signs to shatter the windows.

The Austin Police Department said it took officers 22 minutes to respond to 911 calls by scared citizens “due to no units nearby.”

The department is currently understaffed by about 200 officers, something the Austin Police Association has previously warned could pose a threat to public safety. In October, the union said its ability to respond to Austin City Limits Music Festival and a popular college football game on the same weekend was at a “critical level.”

“This is why it is vital that city leadership prioritizes funding and staffing for [Austin Police Department],” the union tweeted.

After the weekend bedlam, union leaders slammed woke elected officials who campaigned on anti-police rhetoric.

“Austin policy makers are directly responsible for the overall safety of their citizens & visitors,” the tweet stated. “Looks like they failed to make the right decisions & continue to defund, destroy, & demoralize public safety. Austin was one of the safest cities, NOT anymore.”

Garza has clashed with police officials ever since he took office in 2021 and promised police reform in the city.

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WARNING: With the UT football game and Austin City Limits falling on the same weekend, the influx of football game attendees and festival goers, has stretched Austin police staffing to critical levels. pic.twitter.com/yxjkebym7j

— Austin Police Association (@ATXPOA) October 14, 2022

In August 2020, the city local council voted to defund cops by $150 million, slashing its budget by a third in the months after protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of the police, which sparked protests and clashes around the country between protestors and police. A year later they chose to refund it.

Additionally, the local district attorney announced the indictment of 19 police officers accused of using excessive force against protestors in summer 2020.

Elected officials also nixed three cadet classes and cut 150 officers from the budget in 2020, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Mayor Kirk Watson, who had not previously commented on the chaos in his city, claimed to The Post on-going issues between police and the city have nothing to do with what happened on Austin streets this weekend.

“The Austin Police Association posted some false comments on Sunday that appeared to wrongly conflate this illegal incident with important community conversations about safety and oversight,” Watson said in a statement to The Post.

“Twitter is not an appropriate forum for contract negotiations, and no Austinite should ever accept the false choice between public safety and responsible policing — Austin can, and will, have both.”

Meanwhile residents lamented how they say their town has changed in recent times.

“Austin Texas street racing at Lakeline Mall. Racing every night across from my place. No police available, ” tweeted @Artchyk, adding that the drivers were “terrorizing’ her neighborhood.