Expand / Collapse search
☰

APD SUV decorated with rainbows in honor of Pride and LGBTQ community

Published  July 14, 2016 9:28pm CDT
News
FOX 7 Austin

For the first time in honor of Pride and the LGBTQ Community, the Austin Police Department has temporarily decked out one of their SUV's with rainbows. Something Austin Pride President Paul Huddelston said is amazing to see. “I think it's essential for the police department to be supportive of all minority communities whether it's African American, Hispanic, LGBTQ,” he said.

Michael Crumrine is a detective for APD and also serves as president of the Lesbian Gay Peace Officers Association; he said this is just one way to show APD supports diverse communities, “Law enforcement has not been the kindest to the LGBTQ community. And that's definitely something that when Chief Acevedo got here, he wanted to go ahead to send a statement that that wasn't going to be the position of the Austin Police Department.

On the vehicle you'll see words such as: pride, equality, and peace, and rainbow stripes on the hub caps.
It will be driven in the pride parade at the end of August. “It sends a very strong signal to the community that the Austin Police Department supports you, trusts you, you're valued, you're heard,” Det. Crumrine said.             .

But the Pride ride has been getting mixed reviews. 

Chase Agnew said he supports the new wheels “I am happy to see it; we need more peace obviously in our country right now and people promoting this, especially the City of Austin. It's very well recommended and very well easily taken on the eyes when you see it,” he said.

Some have taken to the Fox 7’s Facebook page not so happy.  Theresa Covarrubia said "I hate the fact that my tax dollars are being spent putting gay pride symbols on public vehicles. No wonder America is the laughing stock of the world."

Det. Crumrine said he was told it didn’t cost a lot to outfit the car with Pride colors. “The cost that we paid for this right now compared to the lasting memory that we are making with the LGBTQ Community here in Austin, it's making up for itself several times over,” he said.