How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?
Responsible police officers are vital and serve an extremely important role in providing a safe community for all of our families to live in. Policing is a tough job, and we ask too much of our police officers these days. In addition to enforcing our laws, we expect them to fulfill the roles of social workers, conflict negotiators, and medical responders. Before we move forward with our policing strategy, we must take a hard look at our current approach to public safety and discuss and debate in an open and democratic forum the systemic changes that are needed. Everything from onboarding and training processes for new cadets to handling of complaints and citizen oversight needs to be re-examined. We must transition away from the current warrior-mindset and encourage a more guardian-mindset. Officers should be trained to de-escalate situations. For too long we have not had a police force that adequately reflects the diversity of our community, and while we are slowly making progress on that front, we still have a ways to go. We need programs that work to build a bridge between our populace and our police, and help restore trust on both sides.
Misael Ramos
What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?
I would first introduce policy that expedites the voucher process for 100 homeless families a year. This would allow for non-profits to house homeless families quicker. Without an income you can’t get housing in most parts of the city so folks get stuck in a homelessness cycle. If we provide the homeless vouchers, though, they can receive housing which puts them one step closer to getting back on their feet.
How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?
I believe the police are doing the best they can but I also believe policing can be better. I’m for police oversight and feel there should be more transparency as it concerns APD.
I think we also ask our cops to do too much as well. I would hire more mental health professionals to alleviate the burden from our police. I would also look into extending the length of time recruits are in cadet school and use that time to have them meet with the people in the neighborhood(s) they’ll be serving. I would also have the City Manager explore other options when someone calls into APD too. We ask police officers to assess and make decisions in a very short amount of time which can mean life or death. If someone goes into a situation thinking there’s a potential threat, then that person is more likely to anticipate a conflict which could escalate a situation. The city has done a good job with its mental health diversion program but even with that, it’s still unclear at times what situation a police officer may be getting into when they’ve been called in.
Clinton Rarey
What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?
I wouldn’t be partnering with companies from out of state that don’t have a track record of reducing the homelessness in the cities they provide services in. I would end guaranteed housing programs and move to a treatment and temporary shelter approach. The goal is to reduce homelessness not supply free housing, which will attract more people to come to Austin that are facing homelessness.
Setting up temporary shelters using the same tents we used in Afghanistan would be able to give shelter to 10,000 people for under $25 million versus the money they’ve spent on one hotel which was supposed to house just under 90 people. Working with organizations like Community First Village, Salvation Army Rehab Center, church leaders and other local nonprofits we can start organizing as a community to get the services these individuals need to get back on their feet and become self-sufficient.
How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?
The rate of quality of policing services has drastically declined due to the police departments’ depleted officers. Bringing the staffing levels back to what they were before 2018 will only partly fix the issue by having a higher presence on the streets. What needs to be addressed is how the Travis County district attorney and judges continue to release violent offenders back onto the street in the name of prison reform/progress. This has led to a significantly higher increase in crimes and fewer people reporting them as officers don’t respond or they have long wait times if your life is not in immediate danger.
