Austin proposes giving police $32 million extra this budget cycle. Here's what to know.

The Austin Police Department could get a hefty increase in its budget this year, largely driven by wage increases as part of the city's one-year deal reached with the police union in February.

If approved by Austin City Council members, the nearly $32 million increase would make this the largest budget in the department's history. It would be the largest increase to the police budget in three years, after the council has voted to increase the police budget for the past three years.

Because of a state law that bars cities from cutting police funding, Austin will be bound to pay the $476,508,288 — or more — to police every year in the future. Austin police's budget as it stands accounts for 35.6% of the budget's general fund.

That state law was passed in 2021 after civil rights advocates called on cities to reduce what they spend on policing in the wake of police officers' killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Mike Ramos in Austin.

Austin cut its police budget in 2020 by about $150 million and reallocated that money to other public safety initiatives. The Police Department's budget totaled about $309.2 million that year.

This year's budget for police totaled about $444.9 million, which was a nearly $7 million increase from the 2021-22 budget.

At Wednesday's budget session, numerous people spoke out against the proposed changes to the police budget, asking instead for more investment into other public safety initiatives such as homelessness services, Austin-Travis County EMS and the 911 call center.

The increase comes as the Police Department deals with a nearly 15% vacancy rate in its sworn positions, according to the city. But Austin-Travis County EMS is dealing with a higher vacancy rate at about 20% and is getting a nearly $12 million increase in its budget.

Nothing in the proposed police budget indicates that its increased funding would go toward the 911 call center. The city has about a 45% vacancy rate of its 911 call takers, according to data provided to the American-Statesman earlier this month.

Austin Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo said the city's human resources department is working to increase 911 call takers' pay.

More: Austin City Council looks to establish reserve police force amid officer shortage

What is APD getting in the proposal?

The largest chunk of the increase would come from a 4% wage increase for all sworn officers, including a 3% raise for people who have been at the department for at least 23 years. This comes at a cost of nearly $8.3 million.

Austin's police retirement system is also getting a large increase, costing the city about $7.7 million, nearly double what the city paid last year.

The proposed budget does not include wages for any additional sworn officers because of the department's high number of vacancies.

As part of the one-year deal reached in February, the city agreed to a one-time payment to sworn officers to bring the Austin Police Association, the union that represents most of the city's sworn officers, back to the bargaining table to work out a long-term contract. The city has since agreed to pay all officers a one-time payment of $2,500 by January 2024, at a cost of nearly $4.2 million to the city.

Another driver in police costs comes from the transfer of 25½ positions formerly housed in the city's human resources department to the Police Department, at a cost of nearly $2.9 million.

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Van Eenoo said these positions were part of the Police Department at one point and then were moved to human resources. He said the funds for the positions were still coming from the Police Department's budget, but the positions were not a part of the police, despite the employees physically working in the department.

Additionally, interim City Manager Jesús Garza said this decision was made due to issues with police not getting overtime pay.

The city is also offering new cadets a $15,000 signing bonus to help pay for the cost of the police academy, which comes at a cost to the city of nearly $2.6 million.

An additional $2 million would be used to move positions from the city's building services department to the police. Other positions currently in the city's public information office also would be moved to the police, costing about half a million dollars.

This year's budget would also create 11 new positions in the Police Department for "improved training and data reporting," per the recommendation of a report by the consulting firm Kroll, costing about $737,000. The city hired Kroll to review various aspects of policing in the city, including the police academy.

Austin police are also getting about $440,000 for "various technology contracts," which are largely related to body-worn cameras and forensic storage.

More: Watch bodycam footage at center of Austin police and Texas DPS breakup

Advocates call for investment in other public safety measures

Numerous people asked council members to reject the proposed police budget at Wednesday's public input session for the budget. Many of the speakers included community advocates who helped put together the community investment budget before the proposed budget was released.

Many people asked for the council to invest more in EMS, mental health services and homelessness prevention strategies.

"More money thrown at the Police Department will not solve our public safety challenges, and they will not solve the staffing issue," said Chris Harris, policy director of the Austin Justice Coalition. "Money to 911 and EMS will help our public safety challenges and will help this community."

The next public comment session will be 3 p.m. Aug. 1.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin police budget could get $32 million increase this year