SARAH ASCH Published October 20, 2022
Article edited for brevity, includes only candidate stances on public safety issues.
The American-Statesman surveyed the candidates in the upcoming Austin City Council District 8 race to get their positions on some of the key issues facing the city and their district.
Here are the candidates’ responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity:
Paige Ellis, incumbent
What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?
More progress updates to council and the public. When we tasked the city manager with establishing a plan for public space management in 2019, I held him accountable to not producing that plan. When people began camping in parks (which has never been legal) we had multiple instances of identifying the issues surrounding a lack of enforcement of the rules. Due to the pandemic, the dashboard still references 2019 numbers. The public can’t see the day-to-day progression of transitioning people out of homelessness. Big steps have been taken to get people off the streets and into housing. I’ve increased funding for the Other Ones Foundation’s Workforce First job program, approved fee waivers for the Community First Village run by Mobile Loaves and Fishes, and created the Clean Creeks Crew which is a collaboration between ARR and Watershed Protection to work within creeks. There are many aspects of solving homelessness including having a place to take people, case workers to help people get back on their feet and health care service needs that jail and citations will only make worse. If the progress is not being shown, and the policies aren’t being enforced, there’s an issue with implementation.
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?
Since the reinstatement of the cadet classes with a new curriculum, we are seeing fewer retirements and more new cadets who are reflective of the community’s values. I supported the reinstatement of the cadet classes and have been working collaboratively with the chief of police on tools that can help detectives solve crimes faster (license plate reader policy). We aim to see fewer police brutality settlements than we’ve had over the last four years due to a better training program, and as those vacancies are filled, response times will improve.
Richard Smith
What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?
I would work to change the perceived problem associated with homelessness, namely that homelessness is caused by a lack of housing and that it can be solved by housing. But having worked with the homeless for years through Mobile Loaves & Fishes, I know that homelessness is fundamentally a human issue, not a housing issue.
Understanding homelessness in this way changes the focus from housing to treatment and recovery for trauma, loss of family/community, mental illness, addiction, and despair. This is done by moving people off the streets into temporary or emergency shelters for assessment and (hopefully) a path of recovery. But unlike the current homelessness policy of the city, the homeless would be required to receive help and pursue a path to recovery to remain in a shelter.
Unfortunately, for those homeless who choose not to seek help or do not want to get off the streets, the path is one of continued homelessness, subject to the public camping bans of the city and state. For many homeless, this may mean no longer living in Austin, but that is the path they chose.
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?
Our police officers are outstanding, but the quality of services has been substantially degraded by the actions of the City Council. Due to reduced numbers of sworn officers, response times are longer, crime has increased, and traffic fatalities are at record levels due to unabated speeding. The reduced number of officers has naturally led to greater stress on and demoralization of remaining officers, leading increasing numbers of officers to retire or seek employment elsewhere.
Austin must make public safety a priority again. Specifically, the number of police classes should be doubled and 911, EMS and APD should be fully staffed. Our public safety personnel should be given the resources necessary to effectively do their jobs. Senior personnel should be incentivized to stay on the job longer.