City of Austin

Due to an increase in cell phone thefts from pickpocketing in the downtown area during periods of peak crowd density, Austin Police (APD) is sharing tips to help prevent community members from becoming victims.

The sign pictured above will be visible at various high-density pedestrian locations in the Downtown area. They may be in areas where many of these thefts are reported or on a pedestrian travel route. They will be affixed to temporary signs and will be moved frequently to increase the number of pedestrians that see them. Their purpose is to be a visible reminder to everyone to place your valuables, such as your cell phone, in places that are less likely to be easy targets for pickpocketing.

• Data supports that activity is likely taking place between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. and is most frequent between 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. - especially on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
• Data supports that each year (2023, 2024, and 2025 so far), over 50% of pickpocketing activity takes place between the hours of 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. - especially on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

In an effort to help prevent our community members from becoming victims, APD wants to share the following safety tips:

• Keep your phones, wallets, and other valuables in your front pants pockets if you have them.
• Avoid keeping these items in cross body purses for those who carry purses.
• If you carry a purse, consider purchasing festival purse latches/locks that will make it extremely difficult for pickpocketers to get into your purse.
• Keep your screen lock password separate from your settings/cloud passwords.
• Keep your credit cards or identification cards separate from your phone case when you are at crowded events.

If you fall victim to this crime, please file a report as soon as possible by calling 3-1-1 or creating an online report at www.ireportaustin.com.