Former cop blasts Austin, Texas decision to fund CRT training for officers: 'Either stupid or evil'

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'Either stupid or evil': Former cop blasts department pushing CRT on officers

Former Tucson police officer Brandon Tatum says Austin, Texas, leaders should be 'ashamed of themselves' for funding police equity training while the department is understaffed.

The Austin, Texas, Police Department is pumping money into equity training for officers after the city council cut the police budget in 2020. Former Tucson police officer Brandon Tatum criticized the decision to fund race-based trainings while 150 positions at the police department remain empty.

The city is reportedly spending $10,000 per day on "anti-racist" equity training for officers, which is based on critical race theory. 

"On top of spitting in the officers' faces by having them be understaffed, you push critical race theory, which is a complete racist ideology, a theory that is rooted in evilness and anti-American principles," Tatum said in an interview with Fox News’ Steve Doocy. 

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Tatum railed against Austin city leaders, saying their interest is not in the safety of citizens.

"The city leaders in Austin are either stupid or they’re evil because there's no way in the world that you care about your citizens when you're putting them in danger by defunding the police and putting the police in a bad situation where they don’t have enough staff," Tatum said on "Fox & Friends." 

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"These leaders should be ashamed of themselves for what they've done to the police department." 

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In the wake of national protests demanding that police be defunded, the Austin City Council cut the police budget by $150 million in August of 2020, leaving the department with a massive understaffing problem.

"Diverting millions of dollars from the police department is going to leave them at an incredible deficit," Tatum said. "The police officers are going to have to make some crucial cuts and that's going to be to investigative units and all of the above that really create a violent environment for police and also make the city unsafe."

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"It's obvious that police are doing an incredible job in most cities, bar the few bad apples," he said. "But city leaders are completely out of touch."