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Dem who defunded Austin police under fire for requesting enhanced patrols around his home

December 20, 2023 | | Print Article

In what is being blasted as the “height of hypocrisy” for Democrats, a progressive congressman is under fire for requesting police patrols at his home after previously calling to defund the same department.

Just days after Rep. Gregorio “Greg” Casar of Texas openly criticized the Austin Police Department, and following his stint on the city council where he called to defund the same department, Casar reportedly “requested enhanced patrols around his house,” according to the Austin Police Retired Officers Association.

“It’s come to our attention that Anti police king of the defund movement in Austin @GregCasar who only last week called APD an agency with racist practices has requested enhanced patrols around his house for the next week,” APROA posted Tuesday on X.

“We want everyone in Austin to feel safe,” the group’s post continued. “But this seems to us as the height of hypocrisy from the congressman. 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.”

The Austin Police Department received Casar’s forwarded request from the United States Capitol Police in Washington, D.C., and it was confirmed by Fox News Digital which noted that a spokesperson for the federal agency said it “does not discuss any of the potential security measures that are available to all of the members of Congress” because of “safety reasons.”

Austin is still feeling the effects of the police shortage and officer retirements that followed the 2020 nationwide riots in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. As a city council member at the time, and like “Squad” members in Congress, Casar had been a vocal proponent of defunding the police.

Just last week, Casar reportedly unloaded on the police department in a letter to the Justice Department. The progressive Democrat called attention to the “need for systemic reforms to the Department’s policies and practices of excessive and lethal use of force, racial discrimination, and discrimination against people with mental health conditions.”

Casar’s blatant hypocrisy set off a wave of criticism.

“A week ago, he was calling the Austin Police Department a racist department that targeted Black and brown people, and this week he’s asking the exact same department to do enhanced patrols around his house,” Dennis Farris, APROA president, told Fox News Digital.

“It doesn’t matter what political party they’re in. If they ask us for our help, we will give it to them,” Farris continued. “The last thing we want is something happening to them. My issue with it and the issue that most of my members are going to have with it is the fact that this guy, you know, it’s the whole squad thing, right? It’s the whole, ‘We hate the cops, we hate the cops, we hate the cops. Oh, please, come help us now.’ He is the architect. He is the architect of defund the cops in Austin. He started this whole mess.”

Travis County GOP Chairman Matt Mackowiak blasted Casar as a “fraud.”

Attorney Adam Loewy noted the hypocrisy as an “Interesting juxtaposition.”

The Austin Police Department is “aware of the request made by Representative Greg Casar,” according to a spokesperson who told Fox News Digital that they are “following the same protocol and assessment we would as with all requests.”

“Our agency takes all public safety concerns seriously. Our priority is having a secure and safe community for everyone to feel protected while maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, in response to Fox News Digital, Casar’s office said it does “not comment on active security matters related to the Congressman.”

“Our office has not been in communication with the Austin Police Department on this matter because these issues are handled by the United States Sergeant at Arms, who then works with U.S. Capitol Police and local law enforcement agencies,” the lawmaker’s office added, noting a statement from U.S. House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland.

“The Sergeant at Arms takes the safety of Members of Congress very seriously,” the statement said. “We ask the public and law enforcement agencies to not comment on specific security measures or active cases because doing so exposes potential vulnerabilities.”

Frieda Powers
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