Austin DWI arrests will likely spike during SXSW 2013
March 9th, 2013 by Kyle LoweIt has arrived. The much anticipated yearly convergence of all things high tech, indie and musical known as SXSW. The ten day annual conference/festival draws folks from around the world and the number of visitors is projected to be in the hundreds of thousands. With the increase in visitors comes an increase in crime, but nothing that APD foresees as unmanageable. According to APD Assistant Chief Raul Munguia, the biggest spike will be seen in thefts. Typically the scenario for thefts consists of people setting their cell phones, purses or bags down one minute then turning back around to find them gone. Last year saw seven aggravated assaults, four aggravated robberies and four sexual assaults. The alcohol fueled fest is also expected to produce an increase in DWI and alcohol related offenses. DWI arrests shot up 100% (from 15-30) between 2011 and 2012. Conversely, arrests for public intoxication decreased from 83 in 2011 to 49 in 2012. This dip is attributed to a change in APD’s protocol as it relates to Austin’s tourism boom. Munguia stated, “With PI’s, our goal is not to arrest them and throw them in jail. Our goal is to make sure everyone’s safe. When people come down to SXSW and most of these events, they come in groups. And oftentimes what we’ll do is release a person who is intoxicated to a sober person that’s with them that’s going to take charge of them and get them out of there. And that’s what we prefer to do.” Munguia calls this approach “tourism-centered policing”, police presence that implies law-abiding expectations delivered with a congenial, non-confrontational tone. Feedback from our city’s first ever F1 event was very positive. Munguia says all he heard was how pleasant the APD officers were. Given that Austin has become what Munguia refers to as an “events city”, APD’s new approach to public safety appears to be both effective and well received.