A plan endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott to place the Austin Police Department under state control would require Austin to foot the entire bill for policing in the city but have no say on how policing would be done.
Abbott hinted at the potential takeover Monday, posting on Twitter that the Texas Legislative Council — a nonpartisan agency that assists legislators in drafting legislation — had crafted a plan to transfer Austin Police Department control to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The governor did not provide details, and it was not clear from his tweet if he was referring to a proposal he had floated recently to have the state take over policing in only the middle part of Austin, including the downtown district and the area near the University of Texas. His spokesman said he did not know what Abbott meant in the tweet.
