Patrolling increased in areas of Austin after Jason John and Jonathan Honey drownings
AUSTIN, TEXAS: The City of Austin has enhanced patrols in the area of Rainey Street and the Ann and Butler Hike and Bike Trail in response to the drowning fatalities of Jason John and Jonathan Honey. Along the path, more park rangers will be stationed, and Austin Police will be on duty in the well-known nightlife district.
John was pulled from Lady Bird Lake in February. About a month later, early April saw Honey's evacuation from the lake. According to the police, both cases are still being looked into, but there is no indication of wrongdoing.
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'Stay safe by staying together'
Interim Manager Jesus Garza said in a press release, "As a city, we recognize we need to do more to keep people safe in this area. We are moving quickly to do so and are reaching out to businesses on Rainey Street and other state agencies to partner with us in this crucially important effort. We also ask visitors to Rainey Street to drink responsibly and stay safe by staying together." Following John's death, council member Zo Qadri, who has pushed for better safety measures, announced he would present a motion at the meeting that will install HALO cameras nearby.
'No one should ever have any level of fear'
The report also advises city should collaborate with the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission, stakeholders, and Rainey Street bar owners to develop methods to raise awareness and restrict alcohol sales. The council announced on April 21 that they are looking into putting EMS workers at the trailhead. Qadri said, "No one should ever have any level of fear when they're going out for the night with friends," as reported by KUVE.
Caitlyn Jackson manages the Half Step bar on Rainey Street. She told KVUE that she knows how "rowdy" the area can become and appreciates the new security measures. Jackson said, "The biggest thing for us is just keeping our head on a swivel constantly and making sure that we're looking out for everybody who enters our establishments."
Jackson said she can only speak for her business when working with the city to stop overserving clients, but it all comes down to training. Jackson said, "Teaching and training people how to like know that just because we haven't been overserved in your establishment doesn't mean that they're not coming in from three other bars down the street or that they may be on some other sort of substance."
'Make sure that the deaths like those don't happen again'
According to Qadri, the increased patrols and park rangers will continue to be on duty until further notice. Qadri said, "We should do everything we can as a city to take those deaths seriously and to be proactive, and to come up with solutions, and to make sure that the deaths like those don't happen again."