On May 15, the Downtown Austin Alliance held its monthly virtual Safety Forum. The event focused on updates regarding safety, crime data, and upcoming initiatives affecting downtown Austin.
Assistant Chief Scott Askew from the Austin Police Department introduced a pilot program using automated license plate readers (ALPRs). This technology captures and analyzes license plate numbers of passing vehicles to identify those linked to active investigations, such as outstanding warrants or stolen vehicles. “Results from the first year show that ALPR’s helped APD recover over 176 stolen vehicles and contributed to 165 arrests,” said Assistant Chief Askew. The department plans to seek City Council approval on June 5 to make ALPRs a permanent tool for public safety.
Bill Brice, senior vice president of investor relations, provided an update on the HEART Austin program. This initiative connects homeless individuals with housing resources and social services. As of May 1, it has become a permanent program operating six days a week. “The Downtown Austin Alliance is providing additional support through a dedicated team,” noted Brice.
Brandon Fahy, director of public space experience at the Downtown Austin Alliance, shared findings from an unsheltered homeless count conducted on April 23. The count revealed approximately 469 individuals living unsheltered downtown, marking an 8% increase since February. Fahy pointed out that despite this rise, “the number of tents and vehicles used for shelter remains significantly lower than pre-ordinance levels.”
Fahy also presented data from the latest Downtown Dashboard metrics for April 2025. These include power-washing over 1.7 million square feet and handling more than 6,400 hospitality contacts.
The next Downtown Austin Safety Forum is set for Thursday, June 19 at 8:30 a.m.
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