Residents of Austin, Texas, voted Tuesday against hiring hundreds more police officers despite the city having its highest homicide rate in 20 years last year.
Proposition A, requesting more officers in the police department to post two officers on patrol for every 1,000 residents, was rejected by 68% of voters, according to the Texas Tribune.
Supporters of the measure said it was needed to keep the city safe amid the increase in homicides. Matt Mackowiak, co-founder of the political action committee Save Austin Now, said the rejection was a setback but not a defeat.
“We will triple our commitment to making Austin a great place to live, work & raise a family,” Mackowiak tweeted. “We haven’t saved Austin yet. But we will.”
.@dallaslatina & I want to thank alll who stood with us to make Austin safe for all residents. Tonight was a setback. But we are not defeated.
We will triple our commitment to making Austin a great place to live, work & raise a family.
We haven’t saved Austin yet. But we will.
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) November 3, 2021
MINNEAPOLIS VOTES TO KEEP POLICE DEPARTMENT
Opponents said the proposition supported what Austin Mayor Steve Adler called an “antiquated police staffing model” instead of supporting other emergency response teams.
“This election reaffirms our community’s belief that public safety for all requires a comprehensive system that includes properly staffing our police, but also our fire, EMS, and mental health responses as well,” Adler tweeted in a thread.
This election reaffirms our community’s belief that public safety for all requires a comprehensive system that includes properly staffing our police, but also our fire, EMS, and mental health responses as well.
— Mayor Adler | Get vaccinated! (@MayorAdler) November 3, 2021
There have been 76 homicides reported in Austin so far this year, according to local news station KXAN. Despite the higher homicide rates, the overall crime rate in Austin has gone down.
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Voters in other cities in the United States also made decisions about public safety Tuesday night.
Voters in Albany and New York City supported more civilian oversight of their police forces, with Cleveland voting to form a civilian oversight committee.
Minneapolis, which has led the country’s conversation on policing after the killing of George Floyd, rejected an overhaul of its police system with 57% of the vote. The measure sought to get rid of the police department and replace it with a department of public safety.
