Austin Police Plans to Beef Up Security after Weekend of Violent Incidents

Austin Police Department plans to beef up downtown security following South by Southwest festival weekend that included five shootings, two crashes involving pedestrians and a suspicious death

• By Jessica Davis
• Mar 21, 2019

Austin Police Department plans to beef up security in downtown Austin following multiple violent incidents during the South by Southwest festival weekend.

During the weekend, Austin experienced five shootings, two crashes involving pedestrians and a suspicious death. Austin Police are still working to track down several suspects involved in these various incidents.

During a press conference, APD Chief Brian Manley shared plans to avoid future shootings and prevent violent crime downtown.

Manley said APD plans to work with South by Southwest festival promoters and the Downtown Austion Alliance on the security plan for next year’s festival.

It’s not clear whether all five of the shootings that took place were related to the festival, but Manley said it’s important to work with DAA and SWSW because some of the incidents took place near the festival area.

According to Manley, police will be monitoring unofficial SXSW events to make sure they have adequate security in place. In addition, police plan to review the post-incident reports to see what could have been improved.

Manley said he plans to identify any venues that book acts with a history of violence at their shows and concerts, and that the department plans to increase staffing downtown during the festival in future.