Austin Police Brace For 6th Street Halloween Madness

AUSTIN, TX — The specter of "open carry" in Texas — the law of the land since January 2016 — can have unintended consequences that make make the sometimes anxiety-ridden work of law enforcement even more stressful, particularly at dates marked by large gatherings.

A news advisory by the Austin Police Department on Friday attests to this conflict, appealing to licensed gun owners to leave their weapons at home as they embark on Halloween festivities. While the bill calling for the law's passage was championed by conservative lawmakers (most notably Gov. Greg Abbott) as an expression of 2nd Amendment rights, the open display of firearms is not something police want to see as they set out to protect the public amid Halloween festivities.

Abbott's love of weapons displays could see even greater fruition this year among the Halloween masses given passage of another law he championed involving bladed hardware. As of Sept. 1, a new law enables folks to walk down the streets with their blade of choice in full, glorious display: Bowie knives, daggers, machetes and even spears. If one is so predisposed to do so, one can carry them around now without fear of arrest.

Seriously.

The unintended consequences in creating such weapons-rich zones yield a conundrum. Sure, people can carry their concealed guns, long rifles, machetes and spears now. But this can't be helpful to police at the scene tasked with an already heady charge of protecting the public.

This is particularly true along 6th Street, a bar-lined corridor in Central Austin typically crowded each weekend expected to be exponentially more populated come Halloween night. In conducting media interviews, police have voiced their wish for revelers to leave their weapons at home, please, if only for that night. If costumes require pretend weaponry (what with Game of Thrones and the like) police advise costumed revelers to make such props as fake-looking as possible.

Halloween happens to fall on a Tuesday this year — typically a slow night for 6th Street. But make no mistake, this won't be any ordinary Tuesday.

The APD already is bracing itself for a packed 6th Street, with more street closures than usual taking place to ensure greater levels of safety. Due to expected large crowds on Oct. 31, 6th Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from Brazos Street to the west frontage of Interstate 35, police said in a news advisory.

Moreover, cross streets will be closed between 5th and 7th streets, police said. Closures should be completed by 6 p.m. and towing of vehicles parked on 6th Street and cross streets (Brazos, San Jacinto, Trinity, Neches, Red River and Sabine) will begin at 6 p.m., police said.

The I-35 southbound 8th – 3rd Street exit and the IH-35 northbound 6th Street exit could also be closed, police said. Additional I-35 exit ramps may be closed depending on the amount of vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the 6th Street area. Closures will be dictated by crowd size to ensure pedestrian safety.

Owners of vehicles towed during this time should locate their vehicle using Auto Return’s website (www.autoreturn.com) and have their license plate or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) available, police advised.

Illegal weapons will be confiscated, police said: "APD reminds citizens planning to be on 6th Street that no illegal weapons of any type will be allowed. Anyone with illegal items will be arrested and the property will be seized. In addition, open containers of alcohol will not be allowed on 6th Street. Glass containers are prohibited."

And you thought Halloween wasn't scary anymore.

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