Austin Police Shortage Leaves Section of City Without Patrol Officers

Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock tweeted Saturday that an entire sector in East Austin went two hours without a patrol officer assigned to the sector.

February 21, 2024

A section of Austin, Texas, was left without a single police officer for a couple of hours Saturday, and the police union’s president is blaming ongoing staffing shortages.

Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock tweeted Saturday that an entire sector in East Austin went two hours without a patrol officer assigned to the sector. He said that the department’s backfill shift made up of detectives and specialized units pulling double duty had to provide coverage, Fox News reports.

Bullock blamed these circumstances on "staffing woes." He said APD’s staffing was at 2006 levels – when the city had a quarter million fewer residents. Austin's population is hovering just under 1 million now.

Bullock told Austin’s FOX 7 that the situation on Saturday was "not normal," as APD would typically have "anywhere from 10 to 14 officers that might be available or working that particular time."

Maximizing Fleet Efficiency and Accountability with Traka Key Management Solutions

Maximizing Fleet Efficiency and Accountability with Traka Key Management Solutions

Banner Final Gettyimages 1310108875 170667a

Staying Ahead of the Curve: Navigating Emerging Drugs for Law Enforcement

Banner Final Gettyimages 470407026 170667a

How to Support More Effective De-Escalation and Use-of-Force Training

Web Graphic Thumbnail Rtcc Checklist 375x480

Build Your Real-Time Crime Center

Texas Officer Dies from Wounds Suffered in Domestic Response Shooting

The man who reportedly shot and killed Officer Kyle Hicks was identified Tuesday by the Nueces County Medical Examiner’s officer as 26-year-old Colton Foster. He was fatally shot by officers responding with Hicks.

Officer Kyle Hicks of the Corpus Christi, Texas, Police Department died Wednesday from wounds he suffered during a Saturday domestic response shooting.

Texas Sheriff’s Investigator Fatally Struck After Stopping to Help at Crash

A white Chevrolet truck was nearing the deputy's patrol vehicle and attempted to swerve to avoid it. Still, the Chevrolet hit the deputy despite the deputy trying to get out of the way, the sheriff said.

Harris County, Texas, Sheriff's investigator John Hampton Coddou was fatally struck at an accident scene Tuesday.

Murder of Chicago Officer Driving Home from Shift Will be Classified Line of Duty

The death of Officer Luis M. Huesca will be classified as line of duty. Huesca was driving home from his shift Sunday when he was slain in an apparent carjacking.

Chicago Officer Luis M. Huesca was murdered Sunday while he drove home from his shift. The department says the murder will be considered line of duty.

New York Officer Shot in the Leg Last Week Faces Long Recovery

“The surgeons had to insert a rod to secure the broken femur, but were unable to remove all of the fragments of the bullet as they were too close to his femoral artery,” a supporter wrote on GoFundMe.

California Motor Deputy Shot in Back at Intersection, Saved by Armor

Deputy Samuel Aispuro was in uniform and was riding a department-issued motorcycle at the time of the shooting. The round did not penetrate the vest, and he is in stable condition at a local hospital.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announces the arrest of a suspect in the shooting of a motorcycle patrol deputy. Deputy Samuel Aispuro was protected by his body armor during the Monday ambush.

Axon Introduces AI-Powered, Automated Police Reporting Tool

Agency trials have resulted in roughly one hour of time saved per day on paperwork, the company says. For every eight officers who use Draft One during their day, that translates to an extra eight-hour shift or more.

Officer using Draft One. The new Axon tool transcribes audio from the company's current body-worn cameras and uses artificial intelligence to produce a police report.

Chicago Officer Shot and Killed Driving Home from Shift

Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert just before 3 a.m. and found Officer Luis Huesca outside of his vehicle and wounded. He died at a local hospital.

Texas Officer Critically Wounded at Domestic, Fighting for Life

Officer Kyle Hicks was responding to a domestic disturbance call at 12:32 a.m. Saturday at the. At the location a man and woman were involved in a disturbance with shots fired.

Corpus Christi, Texas, Police Officer Kyle Hicks was critically wounded at a domestic Saturday.

Oklahoma Investigator Dies After On-Duty Medical Event

Investigator Brian Herbert, 56, was on the range during annual firearms qualification when he felt chest pains and lost consciousness.

Idaho Deputy Shot and Killed During Traffic Stop

Boise Police said the suspect fled and was located at a residence in Boise less than an hour later, but was "uncooperative." Shortly before midnight, police said the suspect shot at officers, who returned fire.

Deputy Tobin Bolter of the Ada County (Idaho) Sheriff's Office was shot and mortally wounded Saturday. He died in the hospital Sunday.

Albany Police Say Man who Shot Officer Killed Self

The officer wounded early Wednesday morning was Jonathan Damphier, police confirmed Thursday. Damphier has been with the department since 2021, and is recovering from a successful surgery.

Memphis Officer Killed Last Week in Shootout May Have been Hit by Friendly Fire

"Although current information indicates friendly fire, we believe the 17-year-old’s reprehensible actions are still the real cause of Officer McKinney’s death..." the DA's office said in a statement.

Page 1 of 2354