The Austin Police Department celebrated the graduation of 54 new officers last Friday, marking a stride towards addressing their vacancy issue which stands around 350 positions. According to KVUE, this is the first cadet class to graduate under the new police chief, Lisa Davis. With these additional officers, APD expects to end the year with more officers than they started with, something that hasn't occurred in about five years, as Interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson stated in a CBS Austin interview.
Overcoming a challenging period of operating without a contract and with an understaffed force, Chief Lisa Davis expressed optimism about the future of APD. Having improved the academy and with more cadets enrolling, Davis hopes that more cadets will be enticed to join the force, especially with new management on the horizon which hopes to bring a contract that will include higher pay and bonuses for officers. "With this class, we're still short 300 officers and recruiting is a big deal," Davis told CBS Austin.
The recent graduation also saw a first batch of cadets trained under a revamped 32-week program, seeking to strike a balance between traditional military-esque discipline and education-focused strategies. Rosalie Callejas, one of the graduating cadets said, "It was definitely a good mixture of the boot camp style and a heavy focus on academics" in a statement obtained by CBS Austin. The curriculum overhaul came in the wake of a third-party Kroll report, highlighted by KVUE, that underscored a necessary shift towards de-escalation tactics and the incorporation of anti-racism training.
APD's leadership shakeup also includes the support casting behind Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia as Austin's Assistant City Manager. Acting alongside a new city manager, T.C. Broadnax, the pair is poised to reinforce policy expertise and support within the department. "To have someone who already has a good working background with T.C. Broadnax and to bring that knowledge of policing," Davis praised Garcia's extensive experience of heading police departments in two major cities in a conversation with CBS Austin.
With the graduation of 117 officers and losses amounting to 80 through resignations and retirements, the department is keen on filling its ranks. APD is currently appealing to potential recruits, with a starting annual salary of $65,411 at graduation, as cited by CBS Austin, and the promise of an upcoming contract aimed at continuing this upwards recruitment trend.
