Bastrop County is paying to repair a resident’s car after it was reported stolen then found in Austin, where Austin police deployed spikes to immobilize the car.

On July 21, the vehicle was reported stolen to the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, and was entered into a statewide database by the county’s 911 communications staff, according to 911 Communications Director Dawn Adams.

A few days later, the complainant called the department to report that the car had been returned. A deputy was sent to the person’s home where they confirmed the car had been returned and asked over the radio for it to be removed from the database. The dispatcher acknowledged the deputy’s request, saying: "10-4."

"However, my investigation shows that this vehicle was not removed as directed by the deputy," Adams told the Bastrop County Commissioners Court on Monday.

On Sept. 7, nearly eight weeks after the complainant called to report the car had been returned, Austin police encountered the vehicle officers believed to be stolen and, when they attempted to make a traffic stop, the driver of the vehicle — described as an armed male — fled and evaded capture, Adams said.

On Sept. 18, Austin police encountered the vehicle again and deployed spikes to puncture its tires before engaging in a chase. This time, however, the woman who reported in July that the stolen vehicle had been returned was inside the car.

"After that incident, the owner of the vehicle had contacted the sheriff’s office requesting reimbursement for tires," Adams said.

Adams said that the county paid $439 for replacement tires as well as a towing service to bring the vehicle back to Bastrop County from Austin.

"The message here is the communications employee made a mistake in not clearing the vehicle from the TCIC/NCIC," or the national and statewide database of stolen vehicles, Adams said. "Unfortunately, our business — like any business — is not 100 percent error free because it does rely on humans and technology to make it work efficiently."

Adams said that the vehicle owner has been satisfied with the steps the county took to compensate for the damages caused by the department’s error.

The Bastrop County Emergency Communications Center — which processed 123,000 emergency calls this fiscal year — has seen a 4.6 percent increase in call volume over last year as the county’s population continues to grow.

The Commissioners Court has also budgeted for two additional staff members to be added to the 911 call center’s staff, which currently has six employees. A new 911 dispatcher will fill one position in October; the other has yet to be filled.