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[Austin Sip Safely Launch News Conference]
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.I'M THE NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT MANAGER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I'M SO PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY TO SHARE AN UPDATE ON THE ONGOING EFFORTS TO CREATE SAFE AND WELCOMING ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS.
AS PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2324 BUDGET, AUSTIN MAYOR AND COUNCIL ALLOCATED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE CREATION OF A DRINK SPIKING AWARENESS PILOT PROGRAM.
THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM PARTNERED WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, TO CREATE THE SIP SAFELY PROGRAM.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS SIP SAFELY CAMPAIGN IS TO RAISE AWARENESS AMONG BAR STAFF AND PATRONS IN THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT DRINK SPIKING IS, HOW TO REDUCE THE THREAT SUPPORT VICTIMS AND KEEP THEM SAFE IF IT OCCURS, AND REPORT INCIDENTS BY BECOMING A SIP SAFELY PARTNER.
THESE BAR AND VENUE PARTNERS HAVE AGREED TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION TO STAFF AND TO POST AN AWARENESS RAISING FLYER FOR PATRONS IN THE BAR, AND THAT PROVIDES PREVENTION TIPS.
AND THERE HAVE ALSO AGREED TO DISTRIBUTE DRINK TESTING KITS TO PATRONS UPON REQUEST.
THIS COLLABORATIVE APPROACH DEMONSTRATES THE STRENGTH OF OUR NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY AND THE COMMITMENT OF THE INDUSTRY TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER THEIR STAFF TO REDUCE THE THREAT OF DRINKS, BIKING, KEEP VICTIMS SAFE IF IT OCCURS, AND REPORT SUSPECTED INCIDENTS TO THE POLICE.
THE CITY IS ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE SOBERING CENTER TO CONDUCT OUTREACH IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS WHERE THEY'LL DISTRIBUTE TEST KITS AND EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION, AS WELL AS DRINK COVERS TO THE PUBLIC AND PATRONS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
KEEPING IN MIND THAT WE SERVE A DIVERSE CITY, WE'VE PRINTED EDUCATIONAL FLYERS IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, CHINESE, VIETNAMESE, ARABIC, AND KOREAN FOR DISTRIBUTION AT THE SOBERING CENTER TABLING EVENTS.
THESE MATERIALS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE SIP SAFELY WEBPAGE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV SLASH CAF.
THE FUNDING ALSO SUPPORTS SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION TRAINING THROUGH A NEW PARTNERSHIP BEING DEVELOPED WITH THE SAFE ALLIANCE AND FOR NALOXONE OVERDOSE AWARENESS TRAINING WITH THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITIES FOR RECOVERY.
WE SEE THESE TRAININGS AS CRUCIAL, GIVEN THAT DRINKS SPIKING, OFTEN PRECEDES OTHER TYPES OF CRIME.
THESE TRAININGS ALSO PROVIDE A FOUNDATION FOR US TO DEEPEN OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH BARS AND VENUES, AND CONTINUE TO BUILD OUT THE NIGHTLIFE ESTABLISHMENT TRAINING PROGRAM, WHICH, WHICH PROVIDES TRAINING, SUPPORT, GUIDANCE TO BARS AND CLUBS, INCREASES COORDINATION WITH THE CITY, AND ENHANCES SAFETY IN AUSTIN'S ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENTS AND DISTRICTS.
MOVING FORWARD, WE WANNA CONTINUE THESE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS AND ENSURE THAT AUSTIN'S NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT SCENE IS SUPPORTED AND RECOGNIZED AS SAFE AND WELCOMING FOR ALL RESIDENTS, COMMUNITIES AND VISITORS.
WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE WHO CHAMPIONED THIS EFFORT.
I WANT TO THANK BRIAN, UH, FOR PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF THE SIP SAFELY AND FOR COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY'S PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS AND THE SOBERING CENTER.
TO BRING THIS PROGRAM TO, UH, TO REALITY SIP SAFELY REFLECTS THE PRIOR PRIORITIES I LAID OUT.
UH, WHEN I PROPOSED THE BUDGET AMENDMENT AND AS IT WAS PREVIOUSLY STATED, IT WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BUDGET AMENDMENT TO PROACTIVELY EDUCATE AND PROTECT ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT PATRONS TO THE CRIME OF DRINK SPIKING AS PART OF OUR ONGOING SAFER SIX INITIATIVE.
UH, AND I ALSO WANNA TAKE THIS TIME TO, TO THANK SARAH BARGE FROM OUR OFFICE FOR WORKING ON THIS ITEM.
UH, MY FOCUS AS A DISTRICT NINE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS BEEN ABOUT BUILDING, BUILDING HOUSING, BUILDING EQUITABLE TRANSIT BUILDING OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT MUST INCLUDE BUILDING AN ATMOSPHERE OF SAFETY TO MAXIMIZE, UH, THOSE MANY INVESTMENTS.
AUSTIN'S ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT
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DRAWS LOCALS AND VISIT, VISIT, UH, VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.UH, AND I'M SO PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED A PART ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL AND HELPING REDUCE THIS PILOT PROGRAM THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPACT ALL OF THEM IN SUCH A POSITIVE WAY.
UH, AND I'M, AND I'M SO EXCITED TO SAY THAT AUSTIN'S THE LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, AND THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 BUSINESSES WHO HAVE JUMPED ON, UH, AT THE CHANCE TO BE A PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, TALKING TO BRIAN, 40 OF THEM HAVE ALREADY, UH, GOTTEN, UH, THE NECESSARY MATERIALS.
IT'S GRATIFYING TO SEE THAT KIND OF RESPONSE AND REAFFIRMS THAT THERE IS A COLLECTIVE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE ALL PART OF A SOLUTION, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS IMPORTANT WORK.
SO WITH THAT, UH, I'LL HAND HAND IT BACK TO BRIAN.
THANKS SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
SO FAR, THE MAJORITY OF BARS AND VENUES THAT HAVE, UH, JOINED UP TO PARTICIPATE ARE IN THE DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS.
SIXTH STREET, RED RIVER, RAINY WEST SIXTH, BUT THE PROGRAM IS OPENED TO BARS AND CLUBS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND WHILE 70% ARE DOWNTOWN IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS, 30% SO FAR ARE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.
THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN REALLY SUPPORTIVE.
50 BARS AND VENUES GOT ON BOARD WITHIN THE LAST WEEK, AND WE THINK THAT THAT'S GONNA INCREASE AS WE GO THROUGH THE PILOT THROUGH THIS FISCAL YEAR.
THE CITY CAN BE HARD TO TRACK HOW BIG A PROBLEM.
UM, I CAN GIVE THE COUNCIL MEMBER A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT WHY HE INITIATED THE PROGRAM, OR I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
SURE, YEAH, I CAN, I CAN SPEAK TO IT REALLY QUICK.
WE HAD HEARD, UH, FROM MANY CONSTITUENTS WHO BOTH FREQUENTED SIXTH STREET AND RAINY STREET ABOUT WHETHER THEY THEMSELVES HAD GOTTEN A DRINK SPIKED OR, OR A LOVED ONE.
UH, SO IT WAS, IT WAS A BIG ENOUGH PROBLEM.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, FOR ME, IF IT'S ONE PERSON, IT'S ONE PERSON TOO MANY.
UH, SO THAT'S WHY WE TOOK, UH, NOTICE AND, AND WORKED ON THIS ITEM AND TO MEASURE THE SUCCESS.
YEAH, I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE, WE'VE READ REPORTS, UH, YOU KNOW, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH A PD AND CONVERSATIONS WITH CONSTITUENTS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, A A A NIGHT OUT THAT SHOULD HAVE ENDED AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE BEEN AS CAREFREE AS POSSIBLE, UH, AT TIMES ENDING IN TRAGEDY.
SO, UH, OUR OUR HOPE IS THAT THOSE STORIES, UH, AREN'T, AREN'T POPPING UP ANYMORE.
AND, AND JUST GOING OFF OF WHAT BRIAN WAS SAYING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BUY-IN IS THERE FROM, FROM FOLKS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE, UH, BAR OWNERS, I, I HEARD BEFORE, I, I I CAME UP HERE, UH, THAT SAFE FORUMS, WHICH IS AN ORGANIZATION AROUND UT IS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRAM, UH, AND WANTS TO BE INVOLVED AND BE ABLE TO TALK TO STUDENTS.
UH, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF THIS PROGRAM.
SO, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, UH, LASTLY, HOW MUCH OF THIS COST, SIR, DID YOU GO THROUGH ALL OF THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR IS THERE STILL, UH, MONEY LEFT TO BE SPENT? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO, SO WE HAVE, UH, PURCHASED THE FIRST ROUND OF DRINK TESTING KITS, UH, PREPARED AND PRINTED FLYERS AND OUTREACH MATERIALS, UH, PURCHASED DRINK COVERS TO DISTRIBUTE, BUT THE PROGRAM GOES THROUGH THE REST OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND WE WILL BE SPENDING REPLENISHING, UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THROUGH THE, THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE'VE SPENT MAYBE ROUGHLY HALF AND HALF TO GO WHO ARE FOUND NEGATIVE OUTCOMES IDENTIFIED AS STAFF OR BAR OWNER SEEING THAT TO ONE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY'S.
WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? WANNA RESPOND? HOW MIGHT EMS OR POLICE POTENTIALLY GET INVOLVED IF ISSUES? YOU WANNA TAKE THIS ONE? GO FOR IT.
ALRIGHT, WELL, I MEAN, YOU ALWAYS CALL, YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL 9 1 1 IF, IF YOUR DRINK IS SPIKED.
IF IT, IF IT SHOWS THAT IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THEY SPIKED, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL COME OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE THAT, I MEAN, WE'LL JUST DIS DISCARD THE DRINK.
BUT, UM, AS FAR AS DATA TRACKING, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW THEY SET ALL THAT UP, BUT IF IT, IF IT IS SPIKED, WE'LL JUST GET RID OF IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YOU GUYS ARE EASY.
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THANK YOU.