Despite ongoing investigations into allegations of racism within the ranks of Austin police that threatened to scuttle a police academy class slated for June, police leaders are planning to continue training new cadets as scheduled.
The June class would add dozens of officers to Austin’s police force as the department struggles with 180 vacant officer positions amid a spike in violent crime. But many critics remain concerned about the claims of racism and investigations into the department’s culture.
As 2019 rolled to a close, explosive accusations that former Austin police Assistant Chief Justin Newsom used racist language to describe his subordinates, colleagues and elected officials over the course of years led Austin City Council members to call for a comprehensive investigation into whether a culture of racism and bigotry permeated the department.
A separate report from the Office of Police Oversight released Thursday that found Austin police continue to disproportionately stop people who are black and Hispanic renewed many of those concerns.
The resolution calling for the investigation was approved unanimously Dec. 5, and it included a provision that could delay the June cadet class depending upon preliminary findings from the report and the department’s ability to implement any necessary changes. Those findings are expected to be presented in February and could still influence whether the class will be postponed.
“All signs are pointing towards us having that June class,” said Austin police Capt. Mark Spangler, who has overseen the academy since 2016. “We already have a bank of applications that we are going through and are doing background phases anticipating starting a June class with up to 80 cadets.”
Police leaders said canceling or stalling the class would further hinder a department already struggling to put boots on the ground, and they vowed to work with the city to make necessary changes to continue filling the ranks.
After a series of violent attacks in downtown Austin in mid-January, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said officers would increase their presence in the entertainment district and would tap at least 20 Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to help police downtown Austin. Gov. Greg Abbott already had called on state troopers to increase patrols in certain areas of Austin, and the University of Texas Police Department said more police resources are needed near campus to curb crime.
“I think we’ve well documented that a visible police presence is one of the strongest deterrents to crime, so we, at this point in time, when we have 180 vacancies, it’s a little bit more difficult to be as visible as we want,” Manley said.
Manley said the department saw a 9% reduction in violent crime at the halfway point of 2019, but, by the end of the year, that gain had been erased, and several violent attacks racked up through January.
“We are taking significant steps to try and address what has been a turn in the wrong direction for violent crime in this community, and we are willing to bring in anyone that is willing to assist, and we are grateful the DPS has offered that assistance,” Manley said.
Cadet classes already were moving through the academy when the allegations against Newsom and the department surfaced. Those classes graduated Friday with 67 cadets, of whom 43, or 64%, are white.
Another class begins in February with 58 cadets. Provided no one drops out, that would put 125 new officers on patrol within the next year, as those coming from the academy still have to complete probationary periods between 12 and 16 weeks before patrolling on their own.
Another class then would begin in the fall.
But police leaders say they expect to lose six officers each month through normal attrition. So an entire class of cadets could be canceled out by officer departures by year’s end.
“We are so far behind that we just absolutely have to have that June class; even at our increased tempo putting on classes every 16 weeks, it will take us 24 to 30 months to get that (vacancy) number close to zero,” Spangler said.
While the city’s investigations into the department have been ongoing, Austin police have continued recruiting for the June class, sharing social media posts advertising the June class and holding events at military installations, career fairs and universities.
Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, who drafted the resolution calling for the investigation, said the city needs to keep Austin’s police force appropriately staffed as well as to take seriously the community’s concerns about potential racism.
“We need to anticipate that the results of the investigation will help to inspire what we do best as a city, and what APD does next as a department. That’s all the while recognizing that we have vacancies in our police department and we’re an ever-growing city. We absolutely need to fill those vacancies,” she said.
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