Austin’s city council voted this afternoon to slash $11.3 million from the city’s police budget.
Note the tone in this piece, which is supposed to be a news story from local station KVUE:
The proposed budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year of $4.2 billion – the same size as last year’s – adjusts to new fiscal constraints and community expectations, with focused investments in core programs and City infrastructure, according to the city manager’s office. The proposed $1.1 billion general fund budget supports re-imagining public safety through a reallocation of police funding to health, housing, and other critical social services. The capital budget includes $1.2 billion in planned spending.
That’s not a news story, it’s a press release.
The APD cuts come just two days after a routine police call in McAllen, Texas, turned deadly in a flash. Audon Ignacio Camarillo, 23, ambushed officers Edelmiro Garza, 45, and Ismael Chavez, 39, during a routine call — killing them both. – READ MORE
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