Despite recent polls that indicate a majority of Austinites support maintaining full funding for law enforcement, multiple sources are reporting the Austin City Council approved $150 million in cuts to the Austin Police Department.
The unanimous vote of the all-liberal Council gave a preliminary but definitive nod to a $4.2 billion city budget. The cuts came after a hearing Wednesday in which current Council member supporters and Black Lives Matter activists spoke in favor of diverting law enforcement funds to other entities or cutting them entirely.
According to the Austin American-Statesman the cuts came in the form of:
- $129 million -- moved into a transitional fund to explore "alternative policing."
- $21.5 million -- three upcoming police cadet classes.
- $3 million -- overtime payroll costs
- $3 million -- "commodities and contractuals"
- $1 million -- records management
- $220,000 -- equine patrol and license plate reader program.
