The Law Enforcement Solution That Cops Won’t Like

And the policy they won’t talk about…

Jon Carter
Aug 9, 2017 · 3 min read
Via KUT 90.5, Austin’s NPR station

The Austin Police Department (APD) is one of the most forward-thinking police departments and maintain a dramatically low crime rate in the city of Austin, Texas. That being said, like most police departments that serve large metropolitan areas (Austin is the 11th largest city in the US) it is plagued by a litany of complaints from Austinites.

Police Chief Brian Manley, interim successor to former APD Chief Art Acevedo (now heading the Houston Police Department) has made conscious efforts to publicly recognize some failings of the Austin Police Department. He has vocalized support for the vision of working social justice activists outlined by his predecessor.

However.

There is a particularly effective policy that police unions around the country are either vehemently fighting against, or quietly locking in the closet — I’m talking about residency requirements.

In short, residency requirements mandate that police officers reside with the city they serve. This is not about what the police are doing wrong, it is about what the police can do better. The policy is advocated by many social justice advocates, but some studies suggest that criticism of residency requirements may have some substance (see here).

This is not about what the police are doing wrong, it is about what the police can do better

Residency requirements are mandated in 15 of the 75 largest police forces in the US. Several are in cities more populous than Austin, but several aren’t.

Critics claim that such a mandate places a crippling burden on recruitment efforts by drastically limiting the pool of candidates. Additionally, critics have argued that a police officer shouldn’t be forced to “**** where they eat.”

The policy, which can be implemented as a city ordinance by a city council, is purported by advocates to boost the tax base of a city (many police departments are accused of aggressively ticketing drivers to meet a revenue quota), and ensure that law enforcement officers have a stake in the community that they’re charged with protecting.

Barely a Quarter of Austin’s Police Force are Local

Austin, like many other cities on this list doesn’t inspire confidence. Via FiveThirtyEight.com

Austin has a long history of segregation (read more about it here). Only 49% of Austin residents are white. The majority of Austinites are not white, and for every white person you see, on average you should see a person who is not white. If you’re reading this in public, look up for a moment and test this.

In a city as segregated as Austin, police officers are often tempted to over-patrol the economically underprivileged south and east regions of the city, sometimes over hour away from their own home in a racially homogenous suburb.

Even the language of patrol reinforces in both law enforcement officers and residents that the police are a foreign occupying force.

Police officers earn a solid, middle class income from APD even while in the academy, which is why arguments that living in Austin is too expensive don’t carry much weight.

Considering that the median income in much of east and south Austin is at or below the APD starting salary, and in light of the massive student population, the individual financial arguments are tenuous at best.

City Council Member Kathy Tovo and Council Member Ora Houston have in the past considered doing something about the appalling residency rates in APD.

As is often the case, the most practical solution would be a compromise — no residency mandates, but instead, enforce an explicit residency preference policy with incentives to reward APD and resident applicants.

Not everybody will be onboard, and as it is put in an article by the American Constitutional Society for Law and Policy, Harvard Law School Chapter;

“…residency requirements — modest as I think they are — quickly run into a major obstacle, an obstacle that the progressive community has discussed little in the wake of recent events: the strength of police unions.”

Despite this, Austin’s City Council is continually growing more progressive, residents can realistically call for an ordinance that tackles residency in APD and strengthens a community policing program that is trending in the right direction.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade