AUSTIN, Texas – In a sit-down interview with FOX 7 Austin, reporter Angela Shen asked DA Jose Garza about some of the criticism he has faced.
Conversation with DA Jose Garza
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ANGELA: You have some critics, like the attorney general, the governor, accusing you of being soft on crime, not going after violent criminals. Do you consider yourself soft on crime?
GARZA: I think this is one of the safest communities in the country. I think it is because of our approach here in the District Attorney’s office, but it’s also because of the approach of our entire community, of our Commissioner’s Court, of our City Council, of law enforcement partners. I think everyone here in Austin knows what public safety is. What public safety is, is access to good jobs. It’s access to good schools to send our kids, it’s access health care and mental health care. What public safety is, is stability. This is one of the safest communities in the country because our leadership at the request of the people who live here have invested in the stability of this community. That’s what the District Attorney’s office does as well. Obviously, we have a responsibility to hold people accountable who commit harm in this community, and we do. But we recognize that our responsibility doesn’t stop there. We have a responsibility to make sure that innocent people aren’t in our jails. We have the responsibility to make sure that families and children have the resources they need to thrive. We have responsibility to make sure people struggling with substance-use needs or with unmet mental health needs have the resource they need thrive. Again, not just because it’s the right thing to do but because it’s good for our public safety and I think we can see the results.…