UTPD and APD face challenges in Austin

The University of Texas at Austin Police Department and the Austin Police Department are both understaffed with a limited budget. These two issues affect the way in which both forces are able to patrol West Campus, leaving UTPD and APD in a bind.


Ofc. Layne Brewster, member of the crime prevention unit of APD, said that APD has jurisdiction over West Campus, including Guadalupe Street. Brewster explained that West Campus falls within the Central West Region of APD’s Austin zoning, which is split into a total of five parts. UTPD is allowed to intervene if they witness a crisis firsthand. Also, UTPD has various properties beyond West Campus, which require UTPD officers to pass through the area in order to access them. This gives UTPD the opportunity to patrol the area frequently. Despite this double patrol, however, crime still seems to be an issue, said APD Central West District Representative Sgt. Alfred Trejo.


APD Lt. Tyson McGowan acknowledged a possible explanation for this circumstance. He said that “manpower is an issue in West Campus.”


McGowan explained that APD’s budget is not what it once was, and that the department as whole is understaffed. When assigning officers to various regions throughout Austin, there isn’t enough to go around. West Campus is assigned officer patrol, however, there aren’t enough officers patrolling the area that are actually needed. APD doesn’t have the luxury or mobility of having enough to fill each region of Austin in the way that it is needed.


Trejo said that APD is 40 to 50 officers short, and it takes a full year to prepare a new police officer to go into the field by themselves. That time requirement in conjunction with the steady retirement rate of current APD officers results in the said difficulty of keeping the police department at capacity.


APD Operations Lt. Mason James, said, “We are understaffed citywide and always need more officers. West Campus just like all other parts of the city is policed by uniform officers.” (He said uniform- meaning they try to evenly disperse them.)


Luckily, APD has gained some recent help from UTPD.


James continued, “Since this summer, we have been working with UTPD to welcome their bike unit that patrols West Campus. We have a good working relationship with UTPD.”


Trejo said that throughout the summer, APD advised UTPD on how to create the bike unit, and how to turn UTPD’s idea into a reality. The bike unit patrols West Campus five days a week during daytime hours. This extra manpower helps APD’s understaffing issue become not as problematic. UTPD’s backup strengthens their police presence, and allows West Campus to be patrolled more thoroughly.


Despite the obstacles that APD faces, they do have 86 officers stationed to the Central West Region. These officers are split into shifts; 22 officers patrol during the daytime, 44 patrol in the evening, and 20 patrol at night. The Central West Region is broken up in four parts, or “slivers of pie” as described by Trejo, with each “slice” containing a varying number of officers. West Campus specifically makes up one piece of the Central West pie.


“There are always extra officers added and assigned to varying shifts if possible,” Trejo said. He added that within West Campus, transient disturbances and property theft are the most common crimes.


Brewster said that it is important that all individuals within West Campus remain aware at all times.


“Each person in West Campus needs to have a cell phone at the ready and only wear one earbud.,” Brewster said. “If walking alone at night, carry pepper spray and don’t walk by bushes. Someone could be hiding in them, waiting for you to pass by.”


“Our main goal is keeping students safe. We offer safety training to all staff and students,” Joshua Cook, assistant director of the university Office of Student Affairs, said.


The university also offers alternative safety measures, for circumstances in which APD or UTPD might not be able to cover. Sure Walk, a nighttime escort service, hires university students to walk home their fellow students in groups, in order to make sure their peers arrive home safely. University students are encouraged by UTPD to call the Sure Walk phone number (512-232-9255) for assistance at any time during the night.