Police officers in one of the largest cities in Texas are no longer responding to calls that are deemed non-emergencies as of Oct. 1. In situations including when there is no immediate threat to life or property, residents and others in Austin are being told to submit a report online or call 311 because a call to 911 will not yield a response. The change in policy stems from recommendations from the Reimagining 911 and Non-Police Crisis Response, interim Austin Chief of Police Joseph Chacon told a briefing this week. He also cited concerns about COVID-19 exposure for officers and the public, a lack of manpower due to challenges hiring enough officers, and a jump in 911 calls this year from previous years. “A non-emergency is an incident in which the incident is no longer in progress, the suspect or the people involved are no longer on scene, and there is …