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City audit finds the Austin Police Department doesn't have a plan to hire more police
By Andrew Weber
April 16, 2025 at 3:49 PM CDT
Since 2020, Austin Police Department has strained under the weight of staffing shortages. But a report out this week says APD hasn't had a plan to fix the problem and fully staff the department.
City auditors told Austin City Council members Wednesday the department "does not have an effective strategy" to hire more officers. But APD leaders say recruitment efforts are ongoing.
Chief Lisa Davis said recruiting new officers is a "big priority" for her and, she said, was partly the reason the city brought her on to lead the department last year. Davis said APD has been able to better retain the staff it already has, even without a recruitment plan. The department says its retirements and resignations in 2024 were half what they were in 2023.
"That was a big thing: the recruitment and the retention," she said. "We are keeping people here, and [as far as] the recruitment effort, it's happening. It's a slow process, but it is happening."
Mayor Kirk Watson said he appreciates the department's efforts to hold onto officers, but stressed the need for a longterm plan to get APD fully staffed.
"It's going to take a little while to get out of where we were, but we're doing all of those things to do that," he said. "So, what I want us to take away from this is that we are doing the things ... to get where ... we need to get."
Currently, the department has around 330 open positions. Vacancies have risen steadily since 2020, and staffing shortages have led to longer response times and huge payouts for officer overtime.
APD has argued there were a few reasons for its staffing woes: the city cut police funding, officers left the department and the city struggled for years to get a longterm labor contract with its police union.
Those reasons may be true, but the audit notes APD's lack of coordination has been an obstacle to filling those positions.
The auditor’s office said, while the department has made a pledge to hire more women, there hasn’t been a broader recruitment strategy. On top of that, APD hasn’t had measurable targets to fill that years-long gap in staffing, despite pledging to do so in its recent five-year plan.
Davis said department staff will finalize plan and present it to the council, but she did not give a timeline on when that would happen.
"At this point, it's about putting that plan together," she said. "So, we will absolutely bring something back to you."
City auditors told Austin City Council members Wednesday the department "does not have an effective strategy" to hire more officers. But APD leaders say recruitment efforts are ongoing.
Chief Lisa Davis said recruiting new officers is a "big priority" for her and, she said, was partly the reason the city brought her on to lead the department last year. Davis said APD has been able to better retain the staff it already has, even without a recruitment plan. The department says its retirements and resignations in 2024 were half what they were in 2023.
"That was a big thing: the recruitment and the retention," she said. "We are keeping people here, and [as far as] the recruitment effort, it's happening. It's a slow process, but it is happening."
Mayor Kirk Watson said he appreciates the department's efforts to hold onto officers, but stressed the need for a longterm plan to get APD fully staffed.
"It's going to take a little while to get out of where we were, but we're doing all of those things to do that," he said. "So, what I want us to take away from this is that we are doing the things ... to get where ... we need to get."
Currently, the department has around 330 open positions. Vacancies have risen steadily since 2020, and staffing shortages have led to longer response times and huge payouts for officer overtime.
APD has argued there were a few reasons for its staffing woes: the city cut police funding, officers left the department and the city struggled for years to get a longterm labor contract with its police union.
Those reasons may be true, but the audit notes APD's lack of coordination has been an obstacle to filling those positions.
The auditor’s office said, while the department has made a pledge to hire more women, there hasn’t been a broader recruitment strategy. On top of that, APD hasn’t had measurable targets to fill that years-long gap in staffing, despite pledging to do so in its recent five-year plan.
Davis said department staff will finalize plan and present it to the council, but she did not give a timeline on when that would happen.
"At this point, it's about putting that plan together," she said. "So, we will absolutely bring something back to you."