A chilling account from a retired Austin police officer underscores the severity of the city's ongoing police shortage. Robert A. Gross, who served with the Austin Police Department (APD) for over two decades, recounted a distressing incident where he discovered a deceased woman in a resident's backyard. He claims he called 911 multiple times without a response, ultimately sending his wife to the nearest fire station to get help. This delay lasted over seventeen minutes, during which time the woman's husband, recently hospitalized and vulnerable, was left alone with her body.
Gross's letter, addressed to Mayor Kirk Watson and shared on social media by another retired officer, Dennis Farris, describes the scene as shocking. Fire and EMS personnel arrived swiftly, but even they were reportedly astonished by the 911 unresponsiveness. Gross criticized the city's failure to provide adequate public safety services, a sentiment echoed by Farris. Farris attributes the ongoing staffing crisis to a perception among potential recruits that city leadership lacks support for law enforcement. He believes this sentiment hinders recruitment and retention within both the police department and the 911 call centers.
This incident comes amid a backdrop of dwindling police numbers in Austin, a trend that has persisted despite the city's population growth. The situation was exacerbated by budget cuts in 2020 and subsequent struggles to attract and retain officers. The staffing shortages have reportedly impacted 911 call centers significantly, with sergeants reportedly filling in as dispatchers to address the gaps.
The APD partnered with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) earlier this year to address rising crime, a collaboration that was temporarily suspended but has since been reinstated. This partnership highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the city in maintaining adequate public safety resources. The lack of timely response in this specific incident raises serious concerns about the potential consequences of the police shortage on the safety and well-being of Austin residents.
An Austin police cruiser. A retired officer said he was unable to get ahold of 911 for seventeen minutes and twenty-two seconds when he was trying to reach them about a woman he had found dead. (Austin Police Department)
