The Austin City Council approved a plan last week to move its 911 call-taking system from the Austin Police Department to a standalone office in an effort to improve response times.<\/p>\n
The plan, laid out as part of the city\u2019s $6.6 billion budget<\/a>, comes after years of debate over how to improve emergency response times in Austin.<\/p>\n Supporters, including Council Member Krista Laine, say the new office will ensure that people who call 911 get the help that they need \u2014 and that it arrives more quickly. She voted along with five other council members to set aside more than $1 million for the office and hire four people to get it started.<\/p>\n But Austin\u2019s police, fire, and emergency medical services chiefs all said they opposed the measure. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson also voted against it, arguing that response times have already improved as the city has addressed staffing shortages across its various public safety departments.<\/p>\n \u201c911 response times at our call center have improved significantly since 2023,\u201d Watson said in a written statement. \u201cIn fact, we now meet the national average. That\u2019s thanks to the good work of our APD recruiting efforts, which cut long time vacancies and improved employee morale.\u201d<\/p>\n A 2024 city audit<\/a> found that about 77% of 911 calls in Austin were being answered within a 15-second window, compared to the standard of 90% recommended by the National Emergency Number Association. During peak times, like nights, weekends, and holidays, that number dropped to 50%<\/a>. It\u2019s now above 90% because of improved staffing, Austin Police Department Chief Lisa Davis said<\/a>.<\/p>\n But Laine said more improvements are needed.<\/p>\n \u201cI did this because the 911 response in my district \u2014 in far North and Northwest Austin \u2014 has been an ongoing problem,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Laine said response times aren\u2019t the only issue. In her district, calls for help often get bounced between various law enforcement agencies, including Austin Police, the Round Rock ISD Police Department, and two different county sheriff’s offices. <\/p>\n As an example, she relayed the story of a constituent who called 911 following a car crash on FM 620, which sits on the edge of both Travis and Williamson counties. She said the caller was transferred several times between each county’s sheriff’s office. Council Member Paige Ellis said the edge of her Southwest Austin district, which shares a border with Hays County, faces similar issues.<\/p>\n Laine said a standalone office could provide an executive-level supervisor to work out such problems. That\u2019s why she authored a resolution during last year’s budget process<\/a> that directed city staff to explore the possibility.<\/p>\n The staff has taken much longer than expected. They were supposed to produce a report with their findings last year, but now say it will be ready next month. Watson and public safety officials say it\u2019s premature to take any action before that report is ready, but Laine says Austinites can\u2019t wait any longer.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was intended to refocus us on improving where people \u2014 our people in this city \u2014 have been left behind, where families have been traumatized and where response times have cost lives,\u201d Laine said.<\/p>\n Recent police shooting death spurs more calls for change<\/p>\n When someone calls 911, a call taker asks if they need police, fire, emergency medical services or mental health services. From there, the call taker will connect them with the requested agency. A dispatcher then sends out a response team.<\/p>\n But Council Member Mike Siegel said the right agency doesn\u2019t always respond, and creating a 911 call system independent of APD can ensure it does.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a lot of concern that sometimes we send police officers to a mental health crisis,\u201d Siegel said. \u201cAnd unfortunately that can make the crisis worse and more dangerous for the individual who’s in crisis and for the officers themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n The latest example of this is the death of 17-year-old Anthoneil Williams II<\/a>, who was killed by Austin police<\/a> at a park in Northeast Austin last month. Police said Williams allegedly called 911 to report someone brandishing a gun. Austin Police officers responded to the call and shot him as he was reaching for his waistband. He was unarmed. <\/p>\n Chief Davis characterized the shooting as a potential “suicide by police.” Activists have called on city leaders<\/a> to coordinate better response for mental health emergencies. <\/p>\n \u201cThe big benefit of a standalone office or department is that you have a civilian leader who is in charge of best practices and making all the details of the work better,\u201d Siegel said. \u201cWe know the chief of police has a lot of other priorities so we just give 911 the attention it deserves by having a civilian leader on top of that work.\u201d<\/p>\n The pushback<\/p>\n But public safety officials and other city leaders disagree.<\/p>\n Assistant City Manager Ram\u00f3n Batista, who oversees public safety, said improvements to the system are already underway, and creating a separate office could be problematic.<\/p>\n