AUSTIN, Texas — Despite Austin’s relative statistical safety, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott seems intent on transferring control of the Austin Police Department to the state.

The governor on Monday tweeted that the issue could be addressed during the upcoming legislative session.

“Just in time for Christmas: The Legislative Council has sent draft language for a proposed law that would transfer control of the Austin Police Department to the Texas Department of Public Safety,” Abbott wrote. “One way or another we will pass a law to keep Austin safe.”

Abbott is referencing the Austin City Council’s September move to remove $21.5 million from APD’s budget and eventually reallocate $130 million.

That vote came in the wake of police protests over the death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police and APD’s handling of local protests.

Abbott, critical of the move, likened it to the so-called “Defund the Police” movement, which calls on cities to reduce police budgets and reallocate those funds in order to address crime and other community issues.

As of Tuesday morning, neither Austin Mayor Steven Adler nor Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley had publicly responded to Abbott’s statement. APD has reported an uptick in violent crime in the city since 2019 but has noted that, overall, crime has leveled off slightly. 

Abbott in September clarified that the move would involve shifting supervision of APD to the Texas Department of Public Safety, writing, “This proposal for the state to takeover [sic] the Austin Police Department is one strategy I’m looking at. We can’t let Austin’s defunding & disrespect for law enforcement to endanger the public & invite chaos like in Portland and Seattle.”

Abbott earlier threatened legislation that would freeze property tax increases for any city that defunds its police department. Austin City Council member Greg Casar responded to Abbott’s proposal on Twitter, claiming Austin is the safest big city in Texas and characterizing the governor’s tweet as “authoritarian.”

Whether such a bill would make it out of committee remains to be seen.