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The owner of Headspace Salon said it usually took more than an hour for Austin police to arrive, even though the attacks were still active.
AUSTIN, TX — Business owners in South Austin say aggressive people are experiencing homelessness and slow police response is making it difficult to stay in business.
Laura North calls on Austin police to respond quickly to aggressive attacks and calls on the city to act quickly to find housing for the homeless.
“I wanted to keep my heart beat in South Austin and keep old Austin alive,” said Headspace Salon and Coop owner Laura North.
In 2019, North opened Headspace Salon and Co-op, making sure the inside embodies the warmth of Austin, but it’s outside the business that North has cooled.
“We have men hiding in bushes waiting to leave work at night,” North said. “We’ve had rape and murder threats.”
Next to the saloon is a large homeless camp, with tents scattered under the highway near Ben White Boulevard and Pack Saddle Pass.
North said some of the people there have become very aggressive.
“He picked up a huge rock and broke our plumbing cleaning line. He just started smashing them to pieces,” North said. “He was throwing stones at customers and staff.” rice field”
The latest attack was caught on camera on Monday. A man can be seen pulling a pole out of the ground, walking into a saloon, and acting as if he were about to break a window.
“We make 15 to 20 calls before the police arrive,” North said. “At that time, we’ll build barricades inside and just hope they show up before something really bad happens.”
She said it usually takes an hour or more for Austin police to arrive, even though the attacks are still active.
“We know there are big challenges in the region,” said District 5 Councilor Ryan Alter.
Alter is the councilor of this area. According to him, TxDOT cleans this camp often, but will be back soon. He said making improved housing plans is a top priority.
“Make sure you have a safe place to live and get services to actually start your journey to housing,” Alter said.
This is a promise North has heard from city leaders from the beginning. At this point, I’m hoping that at least the response time from his APD will be faster.
“It’s very violent and unsafe for all of us and we need police assistance,” North said. You’ll feel a lot better knowing you have 24/7 police support that shows up at.”
North said he fears he’s lost customers and employees and it’s his business that’s next.
“I don’t feel safe here,” said North. “I don’t think it’s safe to ask other people to work here. I feel sorry for clients who have to go through it. [this], and if something is not done, we will have to make really hard choices. ”
A spokesperson for Austin’s Homeless Strategy Division declined to say whether there were any concrete plans to move people out of that particular camp. Moved nearby unhoused people from camps to local bridge shelters and permanent housing.
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