Austin Police Say They Aren't Part of the F1 Escorts: Private Companies Hire Off-Duty Officers From Across Texas, and APD Wants the Law Looked At
The convoys that shut down Austin traffic on race weekend weren't an APD operation, the department says. They were a private business built on a provision of Texas law - and city leaders want state lawmakers to revisit it.
The Austin Police Department is largely not involved in the police-escort operations that disrupted traffic around the Formula 1 weekend, the department told the Austin Current, in a report read in full by this desk. Private companies instead hire off-duty peace officers from across the state to conduct the escorts, for thousands of dollars.
In a statement to the Current, Assistant Police Chief JJ Schmidt said APD is aware of the escorts and shares concerns about these activities, has contacted state and local agencies to better understand which agencies were involved, and is working with agencies and stakeholders to discuss potential legislative changes. APD said the weekend escorts - unmarked vehicles with sirens and flashing red and blue lights moving race attendees to and from Circuit of the Americas during the Oct. 22-25 event - were coordinated through an F1 representative; neither Formula One nor COTA replied to the Current's interview requests. One business advertised a police escort package for $6,000 during the weekend, and Visit Austin estimates the 2026 event could generate more than $1 billion in economic activity.
The legal basis is a gap city leaders say they cannot close alone. Texas law allows peace officers to use emergency lights and sirens in certain circumstances, including conducting a police escort - the provision that appears to allow the operations. Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, whose district includes COTA, said Texas law has left a gap in accountability and urged state leaders to work with APD and local partners to bring real legislative oversight to police escorts. Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock told the Current that very few APD officers are permitted to conduct escorts under department policy - qualified motor officers, approved through the chain of command - and that the vast majority of what people saw was outside agencies, not Austin.
