ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Mystery mailers and text messages are targeting residents of Round Rock.
"We appreciate our Round Rock Police Department," the mailer reads. "We need the mayor and city council to fully support them. Until now they haven't been."
It states the city needs to "reduce 911 call response times," "hire more detectives" and "[the city needs] a specialized unit focused on human trafficking, drug trafficking and sex trafficking along the I-35 corridor."
The city's most recent Fiscal Year 2025 budget allocated approximately $50 million for 10 new police officers and other public safety initiatives.
The city said it is a "significant part of the city's general fund."
The mailers encourage people to email a Gmail address to "let us know your thoughts."
The name of the email address is very similar to a group called "Keep Round Rock Safe" which pushed for new billboards around Round Rock earlier this year. However, it's not known if there is a connection.
A similar message is also being sent to phone numbers from a 512 area code. There is no way to opt-out of the messages.
KXAN reached out to both the phone number and the email address multiple times but have not received a reply.
There is no other identifying information about who is behind the campaign or any other contact information.
The city of Round Rock issued a statement to KXAN:
The City of Round Rock is aware that residents have received mailers and text messages regarding the safety of our community, but does not currently have information on their source.
Round Rock remains consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the nation, and the City Council and leadership remain committed to prioritizing public safety.
The City’s most recent FY 2025 budget allocated approximately $50 million directly to the Police Department, including additional funding for 10 new police officers and other public safety initiatives, representing a significant portion of the City’s General Fund.
Detailed annual reports from the Round Rock Police Department, which include crime statistic summaries, are available at https://www.roundrocktexas.gov/city-departments/police/divisions/office-of-the-chief/reports-and-accreditation/.
City of Round Rock
KXAN will update this story if we get a response from the group.
