The law enforcement veteran wonders why more officials – and, for that matter, Joe Biden – aren’t doing anything when it comes to this crisis.
It’s a rough time for police officers right now – and the problem is now affecting citizens of major cities like San Francisco, Seattle and Portland.
Now you can add Austin to the list.
A new report from Fox News reveals that the city’s police department has reached an all-time low, to the point that there was a two-hour window in February, in which a single police officer couldn’t answer emergency calls. As a result, its citizens have become outraged.
Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock has noted that this decline in numbers has affected safety, to the point that the city is on the “brink of disaster.”
He noted, “Previous councils and leadership have actively worked against our officers and department, which has now put us in a free-falling staffing crisis. Twice now we’ve had our contract voted down or it has been allowed to expire. Each year since 2017, we’ve lost more officers than we’ve hired. We had to gut our specialized units and force detectives to work backfill on patrol just to try and respond to 911 calls.”
Last year, Austin officials chose to scram a four-year contract to fund its police force in a whopping 9-2 vote, which later led to 40 officers filing for retirement and others leaving their posts.
Bullock noted that, because of this, “our staffing has been set back at least 15 years and at the same time we’ve dealt with a population growth of over 250,000 new residents. Combine that with a district attorney who has made it very clear that targeting officers and releasing criminals is his priority – not public safety.”
Several citizens have also spoken up about the matter. However, only one city council member, Mackenzie Kelly, has responded to it. Which is awful, to say the least.
Joining us now to discuss this further is Michael Letts, a law enforcement veteran with over 30 years of experience under his belt. Letts is President, Founder and CEO of InVest USA, an organization that provides bulletproof vests to police officers through various charitable groups and sponsorships. His expertise in all things law and order make him an ideal subject for this interview.
Q&A:
- What does the situation in Austin say about how certain city councils and governors feel about their police departments?
- Why do so many officials continue to hang onto their “defund the police” rhetoric, despite the fact that crime has increased within their cities?
- For that matter, why hasn’t Biden gone through with a funding plan to bring the police back to full stature? Is he saving that for his re-election bid? Or has he lost interest?
- Can anything be done to save Austin at this point? A reshuffling of City Council, for example?
- What will happen if City Council members continue to blackball police contracts and decisions such as this? Could it eventually come back to bite them when it comes to their re-election?
- You’re the creator of InVest USA, an organization that provides bulletproof vests to police officers across a number of programs. Tell us more about it.
- Where can we learn more about InVest USA, and how those interested can help their fellow officers?
- You can visit our official InVest USA website, and learn more on the official Invest USA Twitter account. You can also learn about my new initiative at RestoringJustice.US, where we discuss lawful issues surrounding citizens of the United States.
About Michael Letts…
Michael Letts is the Founder, President, and CEO of InVest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue. Officer Letts has been a frequent guest on Fox Business News, NewsMax TV, One America News and hundreds of radio programs. Those interested in learning more about Letts can visit his official website here.
CONTACT: Jerry McGlothlin at: geraldmcg@outlook.com or 919-437-0001.
