On October 17, the Downtown Austin Alliance hosted its monthly virtual Safety Forum, where officials provided updates on safety, crime data and upcoming initiatives impacting downtown Austin.
Austin Police Department Update
At the forum, Austin Police Department Commander Craig Smith shared the latest downtown crime statistics and staffing updates. Overall, crimes against persons and property have remained steady or continued to decrease over time. Commander Smith also noted that although crimes against society (such as drug and weapon-related offenses) have increased, this is a positive change as APD has adopted new proactive efforts in making more arrests and working to keep drugs and weapons off the streets.
Smith shared that pickpocketing, particularly phone thefts downtown, has significantly decreased thanks to the deployment of officers in high-traffic areas to monitor and apprehend offenders. He also advised the public to change the settings in their phone to require a password to turn on airplane mode, as this is how the perpetrators are able to block people from tracking the location of their phone.
Smith also discussed the APD’s current staffing levels, which currently reside at over 300 vacancies. However, he noted that this may be the first year since 2019 where more officers joined the force than left. While the Downtown Area Command still has the highest staffing levels out of all of the APD sectors, they are experiencing their lowest staffing levels yet, sitting at a 72.1% staffing rate, compared to their average of 80%. Smith shared that if the long-term police contract is approved, a portion of the budget will go toward retaining more officers.
EMS Updates
Robert Luckritz, chief of Austin-Travis County EMS, joined the forum to discuss their current initiatives downtown and their role in addressing social services, such as people experiencing mental health crises and homelessness. One of their primary initiatives is to break the cycle of reliance on the 911 system by providing alternative support systems and resources. Luckritz spoke to the additional programs EMS has adopted, such as Community Health Paramedics, who specialize in mental health and substance abuse services, and the Collaborative Care Program, which deploys paramedics in SUVs to manage non-urgent cases, reserving ambulances for more critical emergencies.
EMS has also partnered with APD on weekend nights and during special events to ensure rapid response to acts of violence downtown, providing safe treatment for individuals with the added protection of officers. In addition to the expanded safety resources, stationed medical trailers have been added in high-traffic areas such as the entertainment district to provide on-site assessment and transport of patients to the appropriate care facilities, including hospitals, sobering centers or alternate care arrangements.
HEART Austin Update
The HEART Austin program, initially launched as a pilot, was extended through September 30 after receiving funding for 2025. It will now transition into a permanent initiative with expanded geographic reach and operational hours. In preparation of this, the Downtown Austin Alliance has started working with the Homeless Strategy Office at the City of Austin to develop the scope, including the geographical expansion to begin January 2025.
Downtown Safety Team
The Downtown Safety Team continues to make significant progress in enhancing downtown safety. Since entering Phase 3 of the program on October 1, the team has expanded to 23 full time employees, with eight members on patrol daily, overnight patrol in Republic Square and one nightly mobile patrol unit Wednesday through Sunday.
Data from May through September reveals over 5,000 requests for compliance and a 92% overall compliance rate. In September, 1,350 requests for compliance were made, resulting in a 94% overall compliance rate. This program is designed to ensure that downtown remains a safe and welcoming space for all, while also helping to build relationships and address immediate needs, de-escalate potentially violent situations and allow law enforcement to shift their focus on violent crimes.
Join Us for More
The next Downtown Austin Safety Forum will be an in-person presentation and discussion featuring APD Chief Lisa Davis at our Issues and Eggs series, and is scheduled for Tuesday, November 19 at 7:30 a.m. Register for the event here.