Texas DPS Pauses Partnership with Austin Police Department

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will temporarily halt its partnership with the Austin Police Department (APD) to focus on border cities due to the expiration of Title 42. The initiative, called the Austin Violent Crimes Task Force (AVCTF), began on March 30 to assist APD with its staffing shortage. Since the program began, there have been significant decreases in violent crime, response times, and calls for service. However, the program has also drawn criticism from heavily patrolled communities. DPS' last day will be Saturday, and troopers will likely not return to their Austin patrols for several weeks.