Austin Police Recruits in Limbo as City Cancels Classes
The move to cancel APD cadet classes through June 2021 capped off Austin’s budget process. But it also capped off several months of waiting for cadets, some of whom moved from other places like California, Florida and Washington, D.C. Many of them left jobs to join the force.
As Austin city leaders scrutinized the Austin Police Department’s training, culture and leadership this year, those who expected to be a part of the 144th cadet class waited in limbo.
“I just think it is so unfortunate,” one recruit told KXAN. “We stopped everything in our lives, because this is what [we] wanted to do.”
The move to cancel APD cadet classes through June 2021 capped off Austin’s budget process, and its initial phase of "re-imagining public safety."
But it also capped off several months of waiting for cadets, some of whom moved from other places like California, Florida and Washington, D.C. Many of them left jobs.
Now that the decision regarding several future classes has been made, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said positions will be reshuffled to make up for the lack of new officers, and that the department will respond to 911 calls at the same level as it has.
He added the cadets who moved from out of state were contacted and offered temporary jobs within the department.
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