APD Boosts Mosque Patrols

Austin police said on May 21 that officers will maintain a visible presence at local mosques and related events across the city in the days around Eid al-Adha. The Austin Police Department said the move was being taken “out of an abundance of caution” after a deadly attack at a mosque in San Diego earlier this week. Police said there were no known or credible threats in Austin. The added patrols are meant to reassure worshipers as the Muslim holiday begins on May 27. ### Why did Austin police increase patrols this week? The Austin Police Department said the decision followed “the recent act of violence that occurred in San Diego,” where authorities said three people were shot and killed at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday. APD said it was coordinating with state and federal partners and with local faith communities as it prepared for Eid gatherings next week. (yahoo.com) APD said in its statement that “there are no known or credible threats to the City of Austin” at this time. Even so, the department said officers would be stationed at mosques and at related events throughout the city as a precaution. ### What exactly did APD say it will do? APD said it will “maintain a visible presence at local Mosque’s and at related events taking place throughout our city” as Eid al-Adha begins on May 27, 2026. (yahoo.com) The department also urged residents to “remain alert” and to call 9-1-1 if they observe suspicious behavior or become aware of a potential threat. The department said the patrols are part of a broader public-safety posture tied to places of worship and major community gatherings. In the same statement, APD said it remained committed to “fostering a secure and inclusive Austin” and pointed residents to the city’s hate-incident reporting resources. (yahoo.com) ### Has Austin dealt with mosque-related incidents before? Three Austin mosques were vandalized on May 22, 2025, according to CAIR-Austin and local news reports from the time. CAIR-Austin said Nueces Mosque, the Islamic Ahlul Bayt Association and the Austin Diyanet Center were targeted in the same night, with spray-painted symbols including Stars of David reported at Nueces Mosque. APD said then that it had set up directed patrols at mosque locations while investigators looked into the incidents. (yahoo.com) Rawand Abdelghani, a board member at Nueces Mosque, said in 2025 that the mosque had reported four hate incidents since October and that the site serves Muslim students at the University of Texas at Austin as well as the wider community. Austin City Council members Zo Qadri and Krista Laine said at the time that harassment at religious centers had “no place in Austin.” (kvue.com) ### Which communities are involved this time? APD’s statement referred broadly to “local mosques” and related events across Austin, but did not identify specific houses of worship in its May 21 announcement. The department said it was working with “communities of faith,” a phrase that signaled coordination beyond a single congregation or neighborhood. (kvue.com) Austin’s Muslim community is preparing for Eid al-Adha, one of the two major holidays in the Islamic calendar. The holiday begins on the evening of May 26, with APD’s statement saying the visible police presence would be in place as observances begin on May 27. ### What should residents do if they see something concerning? (yahoo.com) APD told residents to call 9-1-1 if they see suspicious behavior or learn of a potential threat. The department also directed people seeking information about hate crimes and related incidents to the City of Austin’s reporting resources. (yahoo.com) May 27 is the next key date in the department’s plan, because that is when APD said Eid-related mosque events begin and the added patrol presence will be visible across the city. (yahoo.com)