By ACACIA CORONADO
Report for America/Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Austin would cut 100 police officer vacancies and postpone the graduation of its July cadets as part of a broader effort to overhaul its police department. City Manager Spencer Cronk on Thursday sent a memo to the City Council in which he proposed several changes to how the police department should operate. Among other things, he proposed creating a team to lead the city’s police reform efforts that would be made up of city leaders focused on safety, health, environment and culture. The council voted last week to eliminate the police vacancies and to not hire additional officers until after the next fiscal year, at the earliest.

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