March 2026 Safety Forum Recap

The Downtown Austin Alliance hosted its Downtown Safety Forum on March 19, 2026, bringing together downtown stakeholders, public safety officials and city partners to review recent public safety activity, discuss preparedness efforts and highlight major upcoming events expected to bring increased activity to Downtown Austin.

The forum included updates from the Austin Police Department Downtown Area Command, a presentation from the City of Austin Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, and a preview of upcoming conferences and community events scheduled for the spring.

See the full March 2026 Safety Forum Recap

Austin Police Department Update

Commander Carey Chaudoir with the Austin Police Department provided updates on downtown public safety operations and recent incidents affecting the district.

DTAC Incident Response

APD shared information about the March 1 shooting in front of Buford’s on West 6th Street, which resulted in three fatalities and multiple injuries. The department noted that:

• APD and EMS responded within 57 seconds of the incident.
• The suspect was deceased at the scene.
• The FBI is serving as the lead investigative agency, with the incident involving three APD officers.

Following the incident, the department implemented several support measures, including:

• Victim services counseling provided by APD and the FBI.
• Support resources for employees at Buford’s.
• Peer support, mental health leave and wellness resources for responding officers.

Downtown Crime Data Overview

APD also presented downtown crime data trends from February 2025 through February 2026, highlighting patterns across three major categories: crimes against persons, property crimes and crimes against society.

Crimes Against Persons

The most common reported offenses included:

• Simple assault
• Intimidation
• Aggravated assault

Simple assault represents roughly 65% of reported crimes against persons, while intimidation accounts for about 20%, and aggravated assault makes up approximately 7% of incidents.

Areas with higher activity include Republic Square Park and the entertainment district around East 5th–8th streets and Red River Street.

Crimes Against Property

The most frequently reported property crimes included:

• Theft and other larceny
• Pocket picking
• Property damage or vandalism

Theft and larceny represent about 30% of property crimes, while pocket picking accounts for roughly 20% of reported incidents.

Data shows property crime activity tends to increase during large downtown events or busy weekends, when visitor traffic increases in entertainment areas.

Crimes Against Society

The top offenses in this category include:

• Drug and narcotic violations
• Drug equipment violations
• Weapon law violations

Drug and narcotic violations account for roughly half of all crimes against society reported in the downtown area.

APD noted that increased enforcement activity and targeted operations can lead to temporary increases in reported activity, particularly during large events such as SXSW, ACL Festival and Formula 1.

SXSW 2026 Event Safety Overview

The forum also included a review of public safety operations during SXSW 2026.

APD reported that the Downtown Area Command (DTAC) implemented enhanced staffing and patrol strategies, including:

• Active patrols on East and West Sixth Street
• Special Response Team (SRT) deployments
• Texas Department of Public Safety trooper patrols
• Coordinated staffing across all four DTAC quadrants

Additional safety measures included anti-vehicle barriers to protect pedestrian areas, as well as coordinated enforcement activities involving public health, fire marshals and code enforcement teams.

Officials reported that no incidents during SXSW negatively impacted downtown businesses, events or tourism.

Post-SXSW Public Safety Operations

APD also outlined safety planning for the weekend following SXSW.

The department activated additional public safety measures including:

• Event action plans for continued patrol staffing on Sixth Street
• Public Safety Zone activations along Rio Grande and Neches streets
• Continued use of the satellite public safety office on East 6th Street
• Deployment of additional anti-vehicle barriers to protect high-traffic pedestrian areas

Officers will also increase visibility in entertainment districts, including East Sixth Street, West Sixth Street, Rainey Street and Fourth Street.

DTAC Operational Highlights

The Downtown Area Command also shared several operational updates, including:

• Expanded mounted patrol presence downtown
• Continued work from the Downtown Austin Rapid Response Team (DARRT) to address non-compliant entertainment establishments and pocket-picking activity
• Ongoing proactive patrols by the Public Order Team in areas such as Congress Avenue, Republic Square Park and Brush Square Park

APD also noted continued efforts to increase staffing levels downtown as new cadet classes graduate.

Homeland Security & Emergency Management Update

The forum also featured Jim Redick, Director of the City of Austin Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, who shared information about emergency preparedness programs and resources available to downtown businesses.

Critical Infrastructure Protection

The city’s Homeland Security division continues to expand partnerships with private sector organizations through initiatives including:

• The Liaison Officer (LO) program
• Workshops and information sharing for infrastructure partners
• A Multi-Government Operations Working Group

These programs support coordination between businesses, emergency responders and government agencies during incidents or disasters.

Business Preparedness Resources

Local businesses were encouraged to utilize preparedness resources available through:

• Ready.gov business preparedness tools
• The Texas Department of Public Safety emergency preparedness portal

These resources provide guidance on emergency planning, evacuation procedures and disaster readiness.

Austin Resilience Network

The presentation also highlighted the Austin Resilience Network (ARN), which connects community organizations, government agencies and emergency response partners.

The network focuses on:

• Strengthening community preparedness
• Building partnerships across sectors
• Supporting coordinated response and recovery during disasters or emergencies.

Upcoming Downtown Events

Several conferences and events scheduled this spring are expected to bring increased activity to Downtown Austin.

March

• Rodeo Austin – Travis County Expo Center (March 13–28)
• Staffing Industry Analysts Executive Forum – JW Marriott (March 23–26)
• MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas (March 27–29)
• Austin Junior Volleyball Tournament – Palmer Events Center (March 28–29, approx. 3,000 attendees)

April

• AbbVie National Sales Meeting – Fairmont Austin (April 4–9)
• ESO Solutions Conference – JW Marriott (April 4–6)
• Moontower Comedy Festival – Paramount Theatre (April 8–19)
• ABC Kite Fest – Zilker Park (April 11)
• Capitol 10K – Downtown Austin (April 12)
• Fusebox Festival – Various locations (April 13–19)
• Austin Reggae Festival – Auditorium Shores (April 17–19)
• Austin Blues Festival – Moody Amphitheater (April 25–26)

Several additional professional conferences are also scheduled downtown through late April and early May.

Next Downtown Safety Forum

The next Downtown Safety Forum is scheduled for:

Thursday, April 16, 2026
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. (via Zoom)