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Austin Police report 29% drop in auto thefts; warns staffing and response-time pressures remain
Summary
Austin Police Department officials told the Public Safety Commission that auto thefts declined sharply from 2023 to 2024 after outreach and targeted operations, but the department flagged persistent vacancies, changes to the commander promotion process and fluctuations in priority-call response times.
Robin Henderson, chief of staff for the Austin Police Department, told the Public Safety Commission on the department's quarterly report that auto thefts fell 29% from 2023 to 2024, a decline she attributed to a mix of community events, policy changes and targeted enforcement.
"There has been a dramatic decrease in our auto thefts from 2023 to 2024. There's been a 29% decrease," Henderson said, describing anti-theft events run with Hyundai, bait-car operations and updated recovery procedures.
The department said two Hyundai events distributed nearly 1,000 steering-wheel locks and provided 943 free anti-theft software upgrades. APD also described bait operations and a shoplifting enforcement effort run by the North Metro Tactical Team that the department said included five operations in November and December, 22 calls for service, roughly 32 arrests or citations and more than $12,000 in recovered merchandise.
Henderson also highlighted crime categories that rose. APD reported an 8% increase in kidnapping and abductions from 2023 to 2024 and a 24% rise versus a…
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