UPDATE: 28 Days to Go // 7,500 Petitions Collected // Austin Murders Up 79% // Ways to Help

Petition updateRescind the homeless camping ordinance in Austin.UPDATE: 28 Days to Go // 7,500 Petitions Collected // Austin Murders Up 79% // Ways to Help

Matt MackowiakAustin, TX, United States

Jun 22, 2021

Good morning --

Here's an update on our effort to #MakeAustinSafe.

A stunning report was released yesterday by Austonia's Emma Freer:

The number of murders increased 79% year-over-year in May, according to the Austin police chief's monthly report.

There were 34 murders in the city of Austin between January and May of this year, compared to 19 over the same period in 2020.

Read the full story here -- https://austonia.com/austin-murders-may-2021.

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On May 26th, Save Austin Now PAC launched our next initiative: Securing the necessary petitions to put an ordinance on the November 2021 ballot to fully restore public safety.

Our ordinance does several things:

1. ENSURES ADEQUATE POLICE STAFFING: Requires a minimum of 2.0 police officers per 1,000 population, a nationally recognized standard for safe cities, combined with a minimum of 35% community response time (or uncommitted time)
2. DOUBLES POLICE TRAINING: Requires an additional 40 hours of post-cadet class training hours per year, making Austin the national model for police training
3. ENACTS POLICE REFORMS: Includes provisions to boost minority hiring (through foreign language proficiency), ensure racially diverse community policing, and provides retention bonuses for officers without police complaints (“Good Conduct Medal” eligible officers)
With exactly 28 days to go until the July 20 deadline, we have received 7,500 signed petitions of the 25,000 we need -- 30% of the way towards our goal.

CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS

Sign the petition here: SaveAustinNowPAC.com.

BACKGROUND

Austin has never been less safe than it is today and we must make Austin safer for everyone who lives here.

The unconscionable 11-0 city council vote in September 2020 cut up to one-third of the police budget ($150 million) and it is having disastrous effects on our city.

Homicides are on track to double last year’s all-time record. Our current police staffing level is equal to 2008, when Austin was 45% as large as it is today. Attrition is harming readiness and response times. Police morale is at an all-time low. We cannot recruit, retain, or pay overtime.

Thankfully, we can fix this.

Mayor Steve Adler and the City Council have once again made our city less safe and they refuse to admit it. We will again clean up their mess.

Organizations supporting the #MakeAustinSafe initiative include:
> SafeHorns
> Austin Police Association (APA)
> Texas Police Association (TPA)
> Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)
> Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas (CLEAT)
> Austin Retired Police Officers Association
> United Hispanic Contractors Association
> Amigos en Azul

WAYS TO HELP:

1. Digitally fill out the petition, receive it emailed to you filled out, print and mail in -- http://www.SaveAustinNowPAC.com.

2. Share our social content on Facebook and Twitter.

3. Donate to our efforts today -- https://secure.anedot.com/save-austin-now-pac/donate.

4. Sign up to volunteer -- https://www.saveaustinnowpac.com/volunteer.

5. Allow your business to be used as a signature collection location -- email logan@potomacstrategygroup.com.

# # #

As I have said before, we have only begun to fight!

Thank you!

-Matt Mackowiak
Co-founder, Save Austin Now PAC

> Questions? Email Matt.
> Learn more: http://www.SaveAustinNowPAC.com

Will you please support our efforts now?