APD staffing CMT events with officers working overtime

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Roads are already closed in preparation for the several CMT Music Awards events that kick off Wednesday in downtown Austin.

The show airs live from the Moody Center April 2, but outdoor concerts begin Wednesday.

“I heard it was country music, so I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s about,” said Gianfranco Mastrangelo, owner of Quattro Gatti – a restaurant on Congress Avenue near the Capitol. “Got a letter saying this was going to happen and wanted to know if they could show our place in the background and I said yeah and now it’s happening.”

The Austin Police Department (APD) said it will staff the event with officers working overtime.

“APD staffs multiple large-scale events throughout the year, and we analyze the needs for each event as plans are put in place,” the department said in an email.

APD said due to operational security, it will not disclose further specifics on the public safety plan.

The event comes the same week the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said it would send resources to Austin amid the city’s police staffing shortages. A City spokesperson said the DPS partnership was not prompted by the CMT Awards coming to town in particular.

Entrance gates for the CMT awards stretch across Congress Avenue.Crews put the finishing touches on the CMT stage Tuesday.A side view of CMT setup outside the Capitol.

We asked if DPS assistance would help limit how much overtime APD has to work during the CMT events. APD could not answer that question directly, and said APD and DPS are still working out the details of the agreement. APD said, as of Tuesday night, the extra troopers were not in place just yet.