Governor Greg Abbott threatens Texas cities again over police funding
Gov. Greg Abbott continued to rail against efforts to cut police funding and called for bail reform that would keep “dangerous criminals” off the streets following a Thursday meeting with representatives of law enforcement groups.
“It is shocking that some cities are turning their backs on our law enforcement officers,” Abbott said from a conference table at an Austin DPS office. “In Texas, we do not turn our backs on law enforcement officers.”
Abbott in September announced a proposal that would remove annexation powers from cities that cut police funding. Under the proposal as described by Abbott, residents annexed in the past would also be able to vote to undo the move.
Abbott and state leaders have also proposed legislation that would freeze property tax revenue in cities that cut police funding.
The proposals came after Austin City Council unanimously voted in August to redirect about $150 million from its police department’s budget, with roughly $20 million cut immediately.
The governor on Thursday also said he supports bail reform proposals following the death of Texas State Trooper Damon Allen, who was killed in 2017 after a traffic stop in Freestone County. The “Damon Allen Act” was filed last legislative session but did not become law.
The man accused of killing Allen was out on bail after an arrest on charges of evading arrest and aggravated assault on a public servant, according to Abbott’s office.
“The fact is that Texas has a broken bail system that allows dangerous criminals to go free,” Abbott said. “I’m working with the legislature on strategies to end the revolving door bail system that we have in Texas.”
Members of a roundtable, which included Manny Ramirez, president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, discussed ideas like “expanding the criteria” judges consider when setting bail, increasing the qualifications of judges tasked with setting bail and the use of a uniform court management system to make sure judges have the full criminal history of a defendant, Abbott said.
The death of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody amplified discussions on police funding and police brutality nationally. In Fort Worth, there were calls for policing reforms after Atatiana Jefferson, a Black woman, was fatally shot by a white Fort Worth officer in her home in October 2019.
Many advocates of “defunding” police say the term refers to reallocating police funding for community services.
Ramirez said he supports Abbott’s proposals related to bail and the funding of police departments.
“What it does is, it ensures that the revenues that a city brings in, the proportion they spend on public safety isn’t altered in a significant way based on the political winds of the day,” Ramirez said.
Bail reform needs to be “all encompassing,” he said. Ramirez said reforms can focus on stopping people from being held in jail simply due to lack of funds for bond, while also cracking down on violent offenders.
“You can walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said.
Members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus are advocating for the “George Floyd Act,” which includes banning chokeholds, ending arrests for non-jailable, fine-only offenses and requiring officers to intervene and render aid when excessive force is used.
