The overview
Council member Mackenzie Kelly said the opening of the new public safety center, a city trailer stationed at 10800 Pecan Park Blvd., came as a result of residents' calls for a heightened public safety presence in the area. She called the new addition a "milestone" for a community that never had its own dedicated public safety resource center or substation.
As representative for City Council District 6, Kelly had formally requested the creation of a police substation in Northwest Austin back in March 2023. At that time, she'd asked then-interim City Manager Jesús Garza to consider setting up a station on the city-owned Pecan Gardens property—a supportive housing facility for the homeless that's expected to open this year, and that's drawn controversy and pushback in the community.
The new engagement center across the street from Pecan Gardens will now serve as a "temporary stopgap," Kelly said, while plans for a permanent police substation in Northwest Austin remain in development.
The facility also represents the city's partnership with Williamson County law enforcement officials, given that much of District 6 is located north of the Travis County line, Kelly said. Williamson County Sheriff Mike Gleason noted that while his office's long-range plans call for more substations to be built across his 1,124-square-mile service area, the city's new center serves as a support in the meantime.
“We utilize centers like this all over the county," he said. "It's not just to come in and write a report or a place for the officers to relax, but it's also part of the engagement."
According to the District 6 office, the public safety trailer was pulled from the city's fleet and comes with no additional startup costs. Ongoing expenses such as fuel and maintenance will be covered by the Austin Police Department. The center won't be staffed 24/7, and officials said residents should still call 911 first in case of an emergency.
“The trailer behind us is going to allow us to be closer to you when you need us, when you call us and also when you just want to chat," APD Assistant Chief Jeff Greenwalt said.
Quote of note
“District 6 has always been historically underserved by a police presence because we are one of the largest districts, and we are the furthest from the center of the city," Kelly said. "It has always been my goal to further public safety in the community. I believe one way that we can do that is just like we're doing today; put assets and resources here to give the officers a reason to stop by so we have a more visible presence in the area.”
Zooming in
Kelly and others said the new addition is needed to address local safety concerns and the lack of APD or county sheriff facilities nearby. The only existing APD station closer than downtown is about 10 miles away in far North Austin, while the nearest Travis or Williamson county sheriff's offices are even farther away.
Northwest Austin continues to experience some of the longest response times for priority 911 calls citywide, according to police data.As of this spring, the APD took more than 12 1/2 minutes on average to respond to emergency, or P0, calls in District 6. For urgent, or P1, calls, response times averaged more than 20 minutes—the highest of any council district.
