There’s no question about it.

Saturday, July 22, 2000

There’s no question about it. Austin needs more police officers. And there’s no time like the present to hire a few more men and women to protect and serve.

The recent double homicide of two roofers at a motel points to the need for more police protection in our community. The two men were slain when men connected to alleged prostitutes turning tricks in Austin sought to steal a large sum of money one of the roofers was seen with when he paid one of the hookers for sex.

Police Chief Paul Philipp makes no bones about it. He needs more officers on the streets. When he joined the department, Austin had 34 cops. Today there are 24 sworn officers, or four less than the 28 that the Austin City Council allows to be employed.

It’s not unusual for the Police Department to have only three cops on the street for some shifts. That means if there is a domestic or medical emergency, situations that require the response of two cops, there remains one officer on patrol to handle all other calls within the city.

How can we start eliminating crimes like prostitution from our streets and parking lots when we can’t keep enough police officers on patrol? The answer: We can’t.

Unless the city has the foresight to hire more cops and get them on the streets, problems like hookers blatantly working grocery store parking lots and homicides will continue to plague our community.

Philipp says he’ll be asking the council to expand the police force. It should be a no-brainer. Maybe taxes will have to go up slightly to accommodate the chief’s request. Perhaps the city should be looking at grant money to initiate the hirings.

Residents need to let the council know that they’re willing to pay a few more bucks on their tax bills so our city is safer.

If the council isn’t willing to spend the money on increased police protection, the city might as well hang signs out on the interstate highway: "Crime tolerated here."