By Joanna Putman
Police1
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis has launched a 100-day plan to tackle staffing shortages, response times, crime prevention and community trust as part of her new role leading the Austin Police Department, KVUE reported.
Davis aims to improve emergency response times, which averaged 12 minutes in September, above the department’s goal of 10 minutes and 44 seconds, according to the report. The new five-year, $218 million police contract will support these efforts by enhancing recruitment strategies, including outreach in other states, to build up patrol numbers.
A central component of Davis’ plan is a listening campaign designed to foster trust between the community and police. Through town halls, ride-alongs, community meetings and an online survey, she intends to identify neighborhood-specific concerns and learn more about issues directly from residents and local organizations, according to the report. Davis also seeks input from officers’ families on their experiences and challenges.
“I’m not going to solve everything. We’re not going to solve everything. But working together, we can solve a lot,” said Davis.
