Austin calls to suspend partnership with Texas DPS after shooting incident

Some Austin city lawmakers want to suspend their partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) after a trooper pulled a gun on a 10-year-old boy, the city’s Interim City Manager Jesus Garza announced on Wednesday. 

“I feel like we had a partnership that had promise to it,” Mayor Kirk Watson said. “But when you can’t defend certain actions, you have to, as I’ve said from the very beginning, you have to make changes.”

DPS troopers were first sent to Austin in March by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to help support the city’s police department, which was struggling with hundreds of staffing vacancies.

The partnership was temporarily paused in May to send troops to the border following the end of the immigration policy known as Title 42 but they came back to the city a few weeks ago. 

However, on Sunday, a state trooper aimed a gun at a 10-year-old during a traffic stop after they pulled over a vehicle in South Austin because it was missing license plates. The incident was the tipping point, said Austin Mayor Kirk Watson. 

Additionally, troopers have also shot two civilians in the city since the partnership began. On Monday, a trooper shot someone in the arm after a car chase, reported KXAN. In May, another trooper fatally shot a man after a chase. However, the agency said the man fired his weapon first. 

“This partnership was an innovative approach to address acute staffing shortages that were years in the making. However, any approach must be in sync with Austin values,” Watson added. 

Some city Council Members, such as Zo Qadri, said they had similar concerns about the partnership.

“I was against the partnership from day one. I think that for me it was almost the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he said.

Despite the calls from Austin authorities, DPS officials said they will continue to patrol operations in the city of Austin, as is outlined in their partnership.

However, the agency did not elaborate further. 

“DPS will continue patrol operations in the city of Austin as part of its responsibility to protect and serve Texas,” DPS posted in a tweet.