The Downtown Austin Alliance hosted its monthly Downtown Safety Forum on August 20, 2026, bringing together Downtown stakeholders, public safety officials and community partners for updates on crime trends, public safety initiatives, community prosecution and homelessness in Downtown Austin.
The forum featured an update from Austin Police Department Downtown Area Command Commander Christopher Juusola, a presentation from Bianca Bentzin, Chief Prosecutor and Division Chief with the City Attorney’s Office, results from the latest Downtown PID Unsheltered Count and a look at major upcoming events expected to bring increased activity downtown.
See the full Safety Forum presentation.
Community Announcements
The meeting began with several announcements about upcoming events and opportunities for Downtown stakeholders to stay engaged.
Light Downtown Green
Downtown Austin businesses and properties were encouraged to Light Downtown Green in recognition of PBR Gambler Days, taking place August 21–23 at Moody Center.
Issues & Eggs
The Downtown Austin Alliance also highlighted the next Issues & Eggs, scheduled for September 15 from 7:30–9 a.m. at St. David’s Episcopal Church.
The event, No Wrong Door: Breaking the Homelessness & Mental Health Cycle, will focus on the intersection of homelessness and mental health and the collaborative approaches needed to address these challenges.
Austin Police Department Downtown Area Command Update
Commander Christopher Juusola provided an update on crime trends, enforcement activity and ongoing safety initiatives within the Downtown Area Command.
APD’s latest data included a comparison of the most recent 28-day period with the same period in 2025 as well as a comparison of the most recent 365 days with the previous year.
Violent Crime
During the most recent 28-day reporting period, APD recorded 21 violent offenses, compared with 23 during the same period one year earlier, representing an 8.7% decrease.
The period included:
- 0 homicides, down from one
- 4 rapes, up from two
- 7 aggravated assaults, down from 15
- 10 robberies, up from five
Looking at the most recent 365-day period, APD recorded 254 violent offenses, compared with 221 during the previous 365 days.
APD also reported that shooting incidents were down 20% over the most recent 365-day comparison, with eight incidents compared with 10 during the previous period.
Property Crime
Property and society offenses showed a significant decline during the most recent 28-day comparison.
APD recorded 93 offenses, compared with 163 during the same period one year earlier, a decrease of approximately 43%.
The decline included:
- 75 larceny and theft offenses, down 41%
- 6 burglary and breaking-and-entering offenses, down 65%
- 7 motor vehicle thefts, down 50%
- 5 weapon law violations, unchanged from the previous year
Theft from motor vehicles also declined, with nine offenses during the latest 28-day period compared with 20 during the same period last year.
APD’s year-to-date property crime charts also showed a substantial decline in reported pocket picking since the beginning of 2026. The presentation noted that August data was only through August 16 and therefore did not represent a complete month.
Drug and Weapon Enforcement
Drug and narcotic offenses continued to represent a significant portion of downtown enforcement activity.
APD recorded 140 drug and narcotic offenses during the most recent 28 days, compared with 86 during the same period last year, an increase of approximately 63%.
Across the most recent 365-day period, APD reported 1,606 drug and narcotic offenses, compared with 1,011 during the previous period.
APD also presented year-to-date trends for narcotics and weapon law violations. Weapon violations experienced a significant spike during March, coinciding with SXSW, before declining through the summer months.
Violent Crime Activity
Commander Juusola also reviewed violent crime incidents reported between July 19 and August 15.
During that period, APD reported:
- 6 aggravated assaults
- 4 rapes
- 12 robberies, with 11 occurring during the reporting period
- 3 strangulation incidents
The presentation mapped incidents throughout Downtown Austin and identified arrests associated with several cases.
APD continues to use this incident-level information to identify patterns, direct enforcement resources and focus patrol activity in areas experiencing recurring public safety concerns.
Downtown Safety Hotspots
APD identified two primary areas of focus based on current Downtown activity.
Republic Square
Republic Square remains a focus area, particularly in connection with activity around the Austin Public Library and Shoal Creek.
APD reported that incidents within Republic Square Park itself have slightly decreased while incidents associated with the nearby bus stop have shown an upward trend.
In response, Downtown Area Command conducted directed patrols at Republic Square on approximately 12 of the previous 14 days, resulting in what APD described as a 92% proactivity rate with reporting.
East Sixth Street and Neches
The area around East Sixth Street and Neches Street also remains a priority, with APD monitoring activity associated with Waller Creek and the East Sixth Street alleys.
These areas are being addressed through a combination of proactive enforcement, environmental design and community and City partnerships.
The Downtown Area Rapid Response Team and Public Order Team are also involved in these efforts.
Austin Central Library Safety Initiative
APD provided an update on a safety initiative surrounding the Austin Central Library at 710 W. Cesar Chavez St.
The initiative began in June 2026 and includes increased directed patrols and coordination around recurring safety concerns.
APD reported:
- 48 directed patrols in June
- 63 directed patrols in July
- 22 directed patrols in August as of the presentation
The presentation noted that reports for drug offenses had more than doubled month over month while trespass reports had nearly tripled, reflecting increased enforcement and reporting activity associated with the initiative.
APD also highlighted a July 13 directed patrol during which an officer arrested an individual for possession of two pieces of PCP and possession of a stolen firearm.
Waller Creek
APD also shared an update on activity around Waller Creek.
The department has been tracking both general offense reports and calls for service in the area as part of its ongoing efforts to better understand activity along the creek corridor.
Waller Creek was listed as a completed major project, while several other Downtown safety initiatives remain underway or in planning.
Ongoing Downtown Safety Projects
APD outlined several major projects currently underway across Downtown Austin.
Current projects include:
- Central Library and surrounding area safety
- Republic Square safety
- East Sixth Street and surrounding parking lots
Future projects in the planning stage include:
- Rainey Street traffic
- Alley environmental design
APD emphasized that addressing these areas requires more than enforcement alone, with environmental design, stakeholder engagement and partnerships between public agencies and the Downtown community playing an important role.
Stakeholder Engagement
Commander Juusola also highlighted a series of meetings held with Downtown stakeholders throughout July and August.
Those conversations included meetings related to Waller Creek, Shoal Creek, the Austin Central Library, Republic Square, Downtown hotels, office buildings, residential towers and Rainey Street.
APD also participated in discussions around criminal trespass notices, Great Streets design and issues affecting people experiencing homelessness.
The meetings are part of the Downtown Area Command’s broader strategy of working directly with property managers, businesses, residents and other stakeholders to identify problems and develop coordinated responses.
Preparing for Major Downtown Events
APD is also preparing for several upcoming events expected to increase activity in and around Downtown Austin.
Those include:
- Austin Pride Parade
- University of Texas home football games
- ACL Music Festival
- Labor Day, Halloween and New Year’s celebrations
- The 90th Regular Texas Legislative Session
The department also continues to monitor demonstrations and protests that could impact Downtown activity.
Community Prosecution
The forum featured a presentation from Bianca Bentzin, Chief Prosecutor and Division Chief with the City Attorney’s Office, on the City’s approach to community prosecution.
Community prosecution is designed as a proactive approach to improving quality of life in Austin communities by bringing together City departments, other government agencies, private entities, community organizations and stakeholders to develop long-term solutions to recurring problems.
A Proactive Approach to Public Safety
Unlike a model focused primarily on reacting to individual cases, community prosecution emphasizes problem solving and prevention.
The approach focuses on:
- Quality-of-life issues
- Community-driven priorities
- Long-term solutions
- Partnerships with local organizations and agencies
- Varied enforcement methods
- Vertical prosecution
The goal is to identify the root causes of recurring problems and develop strategies that can produce lasting improvements.
Principles of Community Prosecution
Bentzin outlined four primary principles guiding the City’s community prosecution efforts:
- Recognize the community’s role in public safety
- Engage in problem solving
- Establish and maintain partnerships
- Evaluate outcomes and activities
Community engagement is central to the model. Prosecutors work to understand neighborhood concerns, help law enforcement prioritize community needs and build partnerships with stakeholders.
The approach also recognizes that priorities can vary significantly between neighborhoods and may shift over time.
Working With the Community
Community members can play an active role in identifying problems and helping public safety agencies develop solutions.
Community prosecution encourages prosecutors to work directly with residents, businesses and stakeholders to better understand local conditions.
This includes identifying community priorities, determining the root of recurring problems and developing long-term strategies rather than relying solely on individual enforcement actions.
The City also works to educate and train law enforcement and other City departments while participating in community meetings and maintaining ongoing partnerships.
Community Prosecution Tools
The City Attorney’s Office can use several approaches to address persistent community problems.
Proactive Problem Solving
The City can work proactively with property owners to encourage voluntary compliance while partnering with community organizations and City departments to identify problem properties or areas.
Nuisance Abatement
Nuisance abatement can provide temporary or permanent injunctive relief in certain circumstances.
The City may pursue abatement lawsuits in District Court to close a business or require repairs or remediation. The presentation noted that this strategy is already being used in Austin, including with Downtown bars.
Prosecution
Traditional prosecution remains another available tool, but the community prosecution model emphasizes that successful problem solving does not necessarily have to result in convictions.
Instead, outcomes are evaluated based on whether the underlying community problem has been addressed.
Quarterly Downtown PID Unsheltered Count
The Downtown Austin Alliance also presented results from its latest Quarterly Downtown PID Unsheltered Count.
The July 2026 count estimated 449 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Downtown Austin.
That represents an increase from the 383 estimated in April 2026, though the latest estimate remains below several previous counts, including:
- 514 in October 2025
- 547 in July 2025
- 568 in October 2024
- 583 in July 2023
The quarterly count tracks unsheltered individuals as well as tents or structures and automobiles to provide a broader picture of unsheltered homelessness within the Downtown Public Improvement District.
Upcoming Downtown Events
Downtown Austin is preparing for a busy end to August and September, with several large events, conferences and university football games expected to bring increased activity.
August
- Raintree Systems – TherapyCon – JW Marriott, August 19–21
- PBR Team Series – Gambler Days – Moody Center, August 21–23
- Austin Pride Parade & Festival – August 22
- Austin Area Quilt Guild 2026 QuiltFest – August 23
- Austin Home Show – August 23
- 2026 Le Garage Sale – August 29–30
- 2026 Austin Train Show – August 29–30
September
Several major conferences are scheduled throughout September at Downtown hotels including Fairmont Austin, JW Marriott, Hilton Austin, Hyatt Regency, The LINE and Austin Marriott Downtown.
Texas Longhorns home football games are also scheduled for:
- September 5 – Texas State
- September 12 – Ohio State
- September 19 – UTSA
Public safety agencies and Downtown stakeholders will continue coordinating around increased visitors, traffic and activity associated with these events.
Next Downtown Safety Forum
The next Downtown Safety Forum is scheduled for:
Thursday, September 17, 2026
8:30 a.m.
The forum will feature Rachid Sow, Founder and Executive Director of the Sow Family Foundation.