Dallas mayor's tweet to recruit Austin police officers triggers backlash from city leaders

Just days after the Austin City Council approved an ordinance that would offer a pay increase for Austin police and cadets to encourage retention on the force, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson posted on Twitter over the weekend an alternative for officers looking to leave or retire.

Johnson wrote: “If you work for Austin PD, are still interested in protecting and serving, and are considering retiring from the profession, don’t. Come work for the residents of ⁦@CityOfDallas⁩ by joining ⁦@DallasPD⁩. We want and need you. #BigDallasEnergy.”

Austin city officials say they are pushing back on that comment as they continue to find ways to compensate police officers and honor the will of the voters.

What are the issues behind Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson's tweet?

The city and the Austin Police Association, the union that represents most of the city's sworn officers, have been at odds over a contract for a few weeks.

The existing contract with Austin police officers is set to expire March 31; a four-year contract was reached by tentative agreement in February but the city has not agreed to it. The council instead opted for a one-year extension of the current contract to allow voters a chance in May to weigh in on two ballot measures regarding police oversight.

More:Austin to negotiate one-year extension on police contract ahead of May vote on oversight

How much do Austin police officers make?

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson turned the debate back to Johnson, asking: “Who really values officers more?”

He said Austin police officers are the highest-paid in the state, and are offered more benefits and compensation that make it a better place to work than another police department.

“Experienced officers here are making, on average, 17% more than they would in Dallas,” Watson told the American-Statesman. “When you look at the compensation numbers side by side, it begs the question: Who really values officers more?”

A starting police officer in Austin starts with a base pay of $70,580, while Dallas offers $68,986 for the same experience. A corporal in Austin makes $113,977, while in Dallas the same position pays $95,659. The cost-of-living gap between the cities is not far apart, but housing prices can differ greatly, according to city data.

More:Austin City Council passes ordinance to increase pay for police, cadets

Watson noted that the council also passed an ordinance Thursday that includes increased base pay for police officers below the rank of assistant chief and a signing bonus for new cadets in an effort to retain officers if contract negotiations with the police union fail.

“Actions speak louder than tweets,” Watson said.

Council Member Ryan Alter agreed, saying that policy over public safety can’t be reached over Twitter and that the city takes public safety seriously and was working hard to address the concerns.

While the size of the pay increase and the incentives have yet to be determined, Alter said the move was proof that the city values its officers.

“There were some questions after we shifted to one-year contract about what that would do, and officers had questions about what that would mean for pay and benefit,” Alter said. “This lets them know that we continue to value them by preserving their pay and benefits because we want you and need you.”

How is the Austin Police Department's staffing?

The Austin Police Department has struggled with staffing issues for the last few years, Police Chief Joe Chacon has said. The department always has vacancies, but after May 2020, the vacancy rate increased rapidly, and it's been seen across all job roles, including 911 dispatchers and patrol officers, he said.

According to Chacon, the police force has a total of 1,548 officers currently employed and 264 vacancies. Additionally, several vacancies exist among 911 callers, and many others on the force have retired or are considering retirement by the end of the year, he said.

Pattie Featherston, executive director for the Austin Police Retirement System, said 50 officers have signed for retirements, and 27 additional packets are out for signature, for a potential total of 77 retirements in 2023 so far.

For many years before 2020, Austin police saw an average of 48 to 50 retirements each year. That number doubled beginning in 2020 to 97, then grew to 116 in 2021, and 97 in 2022.

Is the staffing issue limited to Austin?

“Big cities particularly are struggling with meeting staffing levels,” Chacon said. “But even for small departments, and I will tell you in the state of Texas, the average size police department is about seven to 12 police officers, even having one or two missing. I mean you do the percentage, it's a similar thing for them. So, all the police departments right now are struggling."

About 12% of sworn positions are unfilled in Austin's police, fire and emergency medical services departments. The Texas Department of Public Safety is currently down 550 troopers and unable to fill all its recruiting classes, according to testimony from DPS Col. Steve McCraw in a House committee hearing Monday.

Dallas is also struggling to recruit and retain officers with more than 3,000 officers currently employed, down from the 3,500 it had in 2013, according to a Dallas Morning News article.

Austin City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, who was one of two council members who voted against negotiating an extension to the current contract, said it was disheartening to see officers leave and other agencies taking advantage of the situation in Austin.

“We have incredible and talented officers,” she said. “I can’t blame Mayor Johnson for wanting to recruit the best of the best for his city.”

Kelly is hopeful that the Austin Police Association, which refused to negotiate a one-year extension deal, will come back to the bargaining table to work out a contract to provide officers the support and pay they deserve, she said.

Watson said the city’s ordinance ensures that Austin residents can vote on two competing ballot initiatives related to police oversight this May.

“Many people who want the City Council to just approve a four-year contract don’t appreciate or accept that doing so would effectively silence Austin voters in May,” Watson said. “As mayor, I need to protect their rights, too. This ordinance is how we strike a balance that serves the needs of the officers and the community.”

How is pay affecting vacancies among dispatchers?

Recruitment and retention in law enforcement has become a larger issue as police departments face criticism over police violence and a lack of oversight. Another issue is pay rates, especially for dispatchers, Chacon said.

The starting pay for dispatchers used to be $18 an hour, which was not competitive, the chief said. But the starting pay has risen to $24 an hour, and that has helped. The proposed four-year contract would have increased salaries by 12%, but that agreement has been put on hold, he said.

The other barrier is the need to be a licensed telecommunicator from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which is the same license required to be a police officer.

“To get that license is pretty tough,” Chacon said. “It requires a great deal of training. You have to be able to go through a background check, the psychological test, all the same things that the police officers do. So, for a civilian position that does not pay, say, what a police officer pays, it's an onerous kind of thing to go through to get to get to that level for that level of pay.”

But the department is working on recruiting people and offering incentives for candidates, including offering double time for night shifts and streamlining training. It takes about 2½ months to fully train someone, Chacon said.

How are vacancies affecting fire and EMS staffing?

Staffing issues at the Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County EMS are just as dire. In a public safety commission meeting Tuesday, police, fire and EMS officials told city leaders about the challenges they're facing.

Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker pointed to about 27 vacancies on the civilian side — information technology and administrative positions — as well as 74 vacancies among firefighters.

With more fire stations coming online as the city grows, the need for more staff will be necessary, he said, adding that more money would be needed.

Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said his agency had vacancy rates of 21% for sworn-in staff and certified paramedics, and 20% for civilian jobs, including medical dispatchers who must be EMT-trained and certified.

He said the department is now trying to address this by providing internships to get people trained as EMTs before entering the academy, and by finding people in community who are specifically drawn to the career. It is also reaching out to military personnel, and recruiting candidates at industry conferences and through international contacts.

More:Austin plans campaign to fill 2,500 open city jobs. Here's what we know.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Kirk Watson fires back at Dallas mayor tweets to recruit Austin police