Austin Police Crack Down On 'Dangerous' Car Club Gatherings

AUSTIN, TX — The Austin Police Department say they have noted "significant levels" of dangerous and criminal activity in an area parking lot where car club gatherings take place.

The police investigation is centered at 12625 N. IH-35, where incidents — some leading to arrests — have occurred since the beginning of the summer. In an emailed advisory, the Austin Police Department said 10 arrests have been made from June 1 to Sept. 9. During that time period, officers responded to 19 reports of shots fired, seized seven firearms, documented one auto theft, one robbery along with three instances of unlawful carry, among other crimes.

These activities are occurring in conjunction with car-club gatherings, police officials noted. "A quick online search yields hours of Snapchat, YouTube and Facebook footage of the unlawful behavior taking place at these events," police wrote in their advisory. "Most alarming is the presence of children and their close proximity to cars performing burnouts, the prevalence of illegal guns and drugs, the ongoing damage to private property like this and the fear these activities are creating for area residents and business owners."

Police provided videos of what they say is the dangerous and illegal behavior seen at such gatherings:

Provided videos show drivers spinning their vehicles at fast speed, and in proximity to spectators:

In response to community concerns and the uptick in violence, police conducted an operation on Sept. 12 in partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Travis County District Attorney’s Office, Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Round Rock Police Department and the Pflugerville Police Department.

The goal of the operation, police added, was to interrupt the illegal activity associated with these car clubs that draw individuals from all over the state. The planning for this initiative has been ongoing for weeks, officials added.

Police added the multi-jurisdictional team conducted extensive research to identify individuals engaging in criminal behavior in order to take them in to custody. "We are working to compile arrest numbers and will provide those once they are available," police said.