Progressive congressman Greg Casar, who is associated with “The Squad,” is facing backlash after requesting police patrols at his home in Austin. This is the same police department that he voted to defund when he was a city council member. Casar even criticized the department last week for alleged racist practices.
The Austin Police Retired Officers Association called Casar’s request hypocritical in a post on X. The post said, “Maybe he should hire private security like his fellow squad members do. Sure seems like he wants the police in his neighborhood just not yours.”
Casar’s request for enhanced patrols was made through the United States Capitol Police in Washington, D.C., which forwarded the request to the Austin Police Department. While this raised eyebrows, it is a common practice for lawmakers to receive extra protection from the Capitol Police.
In 2020, Casar was perhaps the most vocal advocate of defunding the Austin Police Department while he was a member of the city council. This resulted in a police shortage and a wave of officer retirements, which critics say that the city has still not recovered from. Casar celebrated this achievement on X by saying, “Austin City Council just reduced APD’s budget by over $100 million and reinvested resources into our community’s safety and well-being.”
Last week, Casar sent a letter to the Justice Department highlighting alleged issues within the Austin Police Department. In the letter, he emphasized the need for systemic reforms to the department’s policies and practices, including excessive and lethal use of force, racial discrimination, and discrimination against people with mental health conditions.
Casar’s request for police patrols at his home has reignited the debate over defunding the police. While some argue that it shows hypocrisy, others say that it is an example of how everyone wants to feel safe in their own homes, regardless of their stance on policing. Regardless, Casar’s request has sparked a conversation about the effectiveness of defunding the police and reallocating resources towards community safety and well-being.