In 2014, Lakeway responded to 19,700 calls for service and made 324 arrests, Lakeway Chief of Police Todd Radford said during a June 17 Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce meeting that focused on first responders’ view of local issues. Radford has served in law enforcement since 1987 and announced his candidacy for Travis County sheriff at the meeting. He joined Bee Cave Police Chief Gary Miller and Robert Abbott, Lake Travis Fire Rescue chief as the group’s guest speakers. On June 19, Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton addressed members of the Four Points Chamber of Commerce and provided information on what was happening in their area.

Innovative thinking

Radford said he has always thought “outside of the box.” “We were the first ones in the state of Texas—3 1/2 years ago—to institute body cameras on all of our police officers ... before what is now a turning point in our profession,” he said. “We led that charge in Texas.” Radford said the LPD was also the first Texas force to be certified as mental health officers to better understand people in crisis. The force has 35 law enforcement officers, and the city has one of the lowest fatality and serious injury rates among Central Texas residents, he said. “We are managing our crime rate well despite our growth,” Radford said. The department’s website posts statistics relevant to crime in the area, a nod to the agency’s integrity, he said. “We are being completely transparent,” Radford said.

Fire department improvements

Abbott, who began his career with LTFR in 1996, is in charge of a territory that covers about 110 square miles of incorporated and unincorporated areas—Lakeway, Bee Cave, The Hills, and the land from River Place to RR 12 and into Hays County. The department is in the process of hiring 10 to 15 more employees, a staffing increase that may also lower the insurance rates of area homeowners, he said. LTFR is slated to be reassessed during the next year, he said. “The added personnel may correlate to a better rating of the fire department,” Abbott said. Safety amid the threat of wildfire is an issue, with the region earning a high fire rating—meaning threat of fire—in 2013, he said. The rating, reflective of the drought, was unusual for a demographic that includes affluent, educated residents who take care of their properties, he said. This year marks the agency’s fourth fuel mitigation program, which adds 10 employees for six months who work to reduce the wildland fire threat in public areas, Abbott said.

Traffic incidents

Miller, who was sworn in as Bee Cave’s police chief Sept. 19 and previously served Burnet for 22 years, said he has “been blessed to work in great places,” with Bee Cave topping the list. The department divides the area it covers into geographic districts including Hwy. 71, he said. “Not surprisingly, the top number [of incidents] is Hwy. 71,” Miller said. “That’s where the vast majority of traffic is.” Dispatch for the department is provided by Lakeway, and the city of Bee Cave pays its share for the cost of its service calls, Miller said. A portion of traffic crashes will continue to rise, he said. “Through the years, as [RR] 620 has become more crowded and [Hwy.] 71 becomes more crowded, the more entry and exit points you have—the more opportunities for people to turn, stop and start—lead to an increase in traffic accidents,” Miller said. The department focuses on community service with 2014 marking the city’s first National Night Out, he said.

Inmate programs, aging officers

Hamilton, who is serving his third term at the helm of the Central Texas law enforcement community, said all of the area’s police officers bring their arrestees to the Travis County jail. However, the jail is not full, he said. “I believe that one of the reasons [the jail is not full] is because we are a jail that is on steroids when it comes to programs that help the inmates make better decisions,” Hamilton said. “I am all about trying to help these individuals be a positive influence in our community instead of having a negative impact.” He said the Travis County area is a safe community, and citing the donations made to the 2011 Steiner Ranch wildfire victims, said the neighborhoods and businesses within the county are very giving. Hamilton, who is not running for re-election, said he was concerned the Travis County law enforcement population is aging and nearing retirement for about 65 to 70 percent of personnel.