APD commander updates Downtown Commission on Safer Sixth Street pilot; data review pending

Commander Carrie Chaudhwar of the Austin Police Department briefed the Austin Downtown Commission on April 21, 2025, on the department’s Safer Sixth Street initiative, the pilot reopening of Sixth Street to vehicular traffic on weekend nights, recent changes to pedestrian barricades and a pending independent review of crime data.

The Safer Sixth Street initiative, launched in 2022, aims to reduce violent incidents and improve safety on Sixth Street through a mix of short- and long-term strategies involving APD, Austin-Travis County EMS and city planning staff. Chaudhwar said the pilot that reintroduced vehicular traffic on weekend nights started in December 2024 and that APD will keep the road open when safe but close it again if crowding or unsafe conditions occur.

Chaudhwar said temporary metal fencing and flexible posts were initially used to widen sidewalks but proved structurally inadequate after crowd contact and vehicle strikes. In May 2025 the city replaced the temporary fencing with more durable, water-filled orange-and-white plastic barricades. Chaudhwar said preliminary feedback indicates some people feel safer with the new barricades but that occasional behaviors — for example, people sitting on the barricades — require enforcement and engagement by officers.

She said APD is not yet releasing a full dataset because the department is conducting an independent verification of its crime data “so we want to make sure they’re verified and accurate before we present that data.” Chaudhwar provided preliminary, generalized figures: the top three arrest charges downtown are warrant arrests (requests to apprehend), public intoxication and criminal trespass. She said about 48% of arrests by the downtown geographic patrol occur during the weekend (Friday–Sunday), 46% of those arrests occur in the East Sixth Street area (roughly Brazos to I‑35 and East Fifth to Seventh Streets), and more than half occur between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. She also said roughly one‑fifth of arrests are for public intoxication.

Chaudhwar said APD has increased visible patrols in the downtown area — including mounted units, bicycles and ATVs — as part of the pilot to improve officer presence and deterrence. She said officers may close Sixth Street on weekend nights when crowds grow too large for safe pedestrian or vehicle circulation and gave a recent example in which officers closed the street around 12:30 a.m. when vehicle traffic could not cycle and crowds were spilling into the roadway.

When asked whether the new water‑filled barricades are permanent, Chaudhwar said they are temporary and that city departments are working with stakeholders on concepts for a permanent, more attractive solution that would both beautify Sixth Street and preserve safety. She said APD staff are meeting with stakeholders including property owners and commercial interests, and that she has scheduled meetings with Stream Realty and the Red River Cultural District and has already met the Downtown Austin Alliance.

Chaudhwar asked commissioners for patience while she completes an initial orientation in the downtown command; she said she will return with verified data and can provide more detail about resource deployment, costs and staffing for the pilot when that information is available.

The briefing closed with commissioners thanking Chaudhwar for attending and offering the commission’s assistance as she settles into the downtown command.