Austin, Texas, defunded its police department. Now voters will decide if city needs more officers

Amid nationwide protests seeking police reforms last summer, the Austin, Texas, city council decided to cut about one-third of its police budget – the largest cut of any major city in America. 

Councilman Greg Cesar, a progressive who spearheaded the push to cut funding, said the vote offered a moment to "celebrate what the movement has achieved for safety, racial justice and democracy." 

But since the budget cut, Austin has gotten much less safe. According to statistics compiled by the data analysis firm AH Datalytics, the city has seen a nearly 71% increase in...