Police union backs using citation authority at Austin PD

It pleased me to see the Austin Police Association came out in favor of using citations instead of arrests for low-level offenders in an article on the topic in this week's Austin Chronicle:

Given the stresses on the city's budget, "if we really want to be fiscally responsible, we have to have all these options on the table," said Austin Police Association Vice Presid­ent Wuthipong "Tank" Tantaksinanukij. "This is really talking about, in reality, expanding the resources available to officers. We're open to anything that will help us do the job better and free up the manpower of our officers."

APA's parent union, the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, also backed the original legislation at the Legislature.

See more from the recently formed group Austin Public Safety Solutions, and also related recent Grits coverage:

• With safety costs rising, why won't Austin use new citation authority for low-level offenses?
• Self-inflicted wounds: Police contract costs driving need for Austin library closures, new fee hikes