SafeTX, a nonprofit, educates Austin and Travis County voters on public safety issues.

A city as vibrant and thriving as Austin must also be safe. EMS, Fire, and Police departments face staffing crises. Police patrol vacancies are at historic highs and exceed annual training academy capacity. As a result, response times and public safety have suffered. 

Unless the Austin City Council acts, public safety will end up like affordability, homelessness, and transportation: too far behind to catch up. As of mid-October, EMS has 162 vacancies (24 percent), Fire has 87 vacancies (7 percent), and Police has 277 vacancies (15 percent).

Austin needs significant investments to improve public safety.