Austin Police urge robbery victims to contact 311 for assistance following the introduction of AI-based reporting service amidst staffing shortage.

Residents of Austin,‌ Texas, Urged to Report Robberies Near ATMs

Residents of Austin, Texas, who ⁤are robbed near ATMs are being told to report the incident to a non-emergency phone ⁣number instead ⁢of police amid ongoing staffing shortages at the Austin‍ Police Department (APD).

In a post on⁢ X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sept. 1, the ‍department asked victims to either make a report online or call 311 as opposed to 911; with the former giving callers access to non-emergency municipal services.

“Even if you are cautious & follow all the safety advice, you may still become the unfortunate victim of a robbery,” ‌the police department⁢ wrote in its⁣ post. “Do you know what ⁣your next steps should be?”

“Make a police report & provide as much ​information as possible so ⁤we can recover your property quickly⁤ and ⁣safely,” ⁣the post added.

The post was shared⁣ alongside a graphic that included advice on what victims should mention when calling 311 or their⁣ bank⁢ to inform‍ them of the⁤ robbery, such as the date and ⁢time of the cash withdrawal.

It comes as staffing issues continue to plague the police department ​while crime and violent crime have skyrocketed ‌across the city.

Austin ​has seen a 77 percent increase in ⁤auto thefts, ⁤a 30 percent increase in‌ murders, and an 18 percent rise in ‍aggravated assaults compared to 2020, according to Fox News.

Calls to‌ defund the police in the wake of ⁤the ⁤death of George Floyd prompted the Democrat-run Texas city’s council to ⁣slash APD’s budget by a third in 2020 and sparked widespread resignations as‌ well as⁣ the disbanding of multiple police units.

Police ⁢Chief Resigns

While its budget was restored in 2021, the shortages remained, with former ​Police Chief Joe Chacon warning in April that the department had more ⁢than 300 officer vacancies and was struggling to effectively tackle crime.

Mr. Chacon himself abruptly resigned last month, although he stopped short of stating exactly why.

Officials have sought ⁣to counter the shortages via a‌ partnership with the⁢ Texas Department ‍of Public Safety (DPS) under which ⁤DPS troopers provide support⁣ across the⁣ city.

The ​joint operation has helped improve safety, decrease​ traffic fatalities, ⁣and enable faster responses to⁤ calls⁤ for⁢ help in ⁢the ‍capital city,⁣ according to officials.

Elsewhere, the Austin Police Department earlier this year also launched a non-emergency online reporting system⁣ for victims that⁤ is powered by an artificial ⁣intelligence (AI) assistant.

That system allows members of the community who fall victim to various incidents deemed a “non-emergency” by police to report​ them via voice, mobile, web, and ⁢text, according to police.

AI System⁣ Will ‘Alleviate’ Backlogs

The AI​ reporting system is‌ able to conduct “full⁢ interviews” with the person filing a report and⁢ provide key information to the police ⁣department, with that report entering the official ⁢database “within hours or a​ similar time frame as if​ an‌ officer wrote the report,” officials said.

“This platform reduces​ wait times for community members and speeds up the investigation process,” APD ⁣said in a March‌ statement‍ announcing​ the AI-powered system.

Incidents⁤ that can be reported through the system ‍include assault⁣ resulting in ​minor or no injury, burglary that does not⁢ involve fire or arson, ⁢theft that⁢ does not include⁤ firearms, explosives, vehicle license plates, and motor vehicles of any kind, damaged property or graffiti,⁣ fraud, harassment, threats (excluding domestic violence), trespassing, and shoplifting reports.