Austin Officials Criticized After Defund the Police Initiatives Take Hold
Austin residents are criticizing city officials for supporting defund the police initiatives as crime concerns grow.
From business owners to residents, Texans like Rupal Chaudhari are speaking out. Fox News reported that Chaudhari owns a business near a hotel which was recently turned into a homeless shelter.
She has witnessed thieves steal her patio furniture and other materials.
Chaudhari noted that a lack of proper police resources has allowed this to go on in broad daylight, stating, “We reported, but police never came. We just filed a report.”
“I’ve seen this since 2020. The Progressive Zealots on Austin City Council, they pushed to defund the police and, we saw a crime wave go on,” she described.
“To make matters worse, they actually went ahead and cut millions of dollars from 911 staffing, and one of the zealots got a taste of their own medicine, I would say, when she was on hold for 28 minutes to speak to 911 call dispatcher,” she added.
Resident Joell McNew is also experiencing issues. She is the president of the SafeHorns organization and crime prevention organization Safeguard Strategy.
She stated, “I love Austin, and it’s very frustrating that we go to City Hall, we take time off from work, we go up there, and we advocate to our city leaders to address public safety, and they only listen to the anti-police activists who hate the police, who’ve made it very clear that their goal is to dismantle our police department.”
She argued that aiding the homeless has become a guise for sheltering criminals, which led to the rape and murder of a freshman at UT Austin.
Remembering Haruka Weiser. 🧡Thinking of the Weiser family today & always. We will never forget. #HarukaWeiser #HookemForever #WalkWithMe #BrightFaith @UTAustin https://t.co/Z7yu6stGgw pic.twitter.com/QvW0vuvfiq
— SafeHorns (@safehorns) April 3, 2023
McNew noted how the homeless population includes many individuals who arm themselves with machetes, guns, and box cutters.
She called the lack of oversight regarding this issue a “revolving door of lawlessness.”
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