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Residents voice concerns about 6th Street
Thousands of people visit the Sixth Street Entertainment District every weekend. But after recent shootings in the bar district, some visitors are feeling unsafe.
AUSTIN, Texas - The bars and clubs on Sixth Street draw many people from out of town to downtown Austin.
"It's just a fun place to be," said Paul Mazurek, who is visiting Austin. "It kind of reminds me a little bit of Main Street in Ann Arbor."
"A lot of it is a vibe. And that it’s a very friendly vibe," said Rob Fires, who is also visiting Austin. "The people working at the establishments are very friendly."
While these people say they come for entertainment, they don't like to stay out too late because of safety reasons.
"If I'm staying here for a few days, I usually come probably about seven, eight, nine at night," said Mazurek.
"Every time I've been out here at night, there have been plenty of people. But if it were just me walking by myself at night without a bunch of people, no, I probably would not feel that safe," said Tonya Smith, who is visiting Austin.
In 2021, the Austin Police Department started a Safer Sixth Street initiative after a mass shooting left one man dead and 14 others injured.
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The initiative added a rescue task force on Sixth Street.
"I mean, there's police everywhere. So, there I mean, this is, it's very safe. It's fun," Mazurek said. "I've never had a problem any time that I've ever been on Sixth Street."
But for one Austin woman, that's not the case.
"The last time the shooting happened, we were actually at one of the clubs. We didn't hear the gunshots, but we were very aware of the commotion happening. So, we just kind of stayed put. And then just when it all died down, just hustled back home," said Rebecca Stephens, an Austin resident who was near the officer-involved shooting on Sixth Street on Dec. 16.
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FOX 7 asked her what more could be done for her to feel safe in the entertainment district.
"I'm honestly not even sure what we could do more, because there are a lot of cops and there's good amount of security. And I don't want to add more police officers to this. I honestly, I don't know," Stephens said. "Do better. People, don't bring out your guns."
Bar owners previously told FOX 7 the city needs to do more for people to feel safe in the entertainment district.