APD: Be on the lookout for suspected pickpockets

Protect your purses, phones, wallets and, bags.

Austin police report three suspected pickpockets are headed to town. They're believed to have stolen from people in bars and nightclubs in the Nashville area and could be part of a larger crew.

APD said the suspects are not wanted by the department at this time as they haven't committed a crime locally, they just want people to be aware. According to APD it is alleged these suspects were involved in pick pocking incidents in the Nashville area last weekend and have booked flights to Austin this weekend. “Infrequent that we get a notice from APD of a suspect however when something like this does come in we take it extremely seriously,” said Matt Macioge the Downtown Austin Alliance operations director.

The Downtown Austin Alliance received word from APD some suspected pick pockets may be turning their sticky fingers on Austin. “It's not often we get any notice about pickpockets, pick pocketing is not common in Austin in that nature and not in an organized fashion,” said Macioge, “We believe in our partnership with APD and when an alert like this comes into play we take it seriously.”

When notices like this come out the Downtown Austin Alliance is able to get the word out across the area relatively quickly. “We actually have a data base of all our property managers, their security teams, as well as the entertainment industry, the hotel, and we make sure we do a mass mail to those people when an alert like this comes in,” said Macioge.

They're ambassadors on the streets are also keeping an eye out. “We work really closely with the Austin Police department and our ambassadors out in the field. Our ambassadors are well aware of this information and they are one of the front pieces on the street to make sure we have a clean and safe environment,” said Macioge.

In general, APD said you should pay attention to the location of your valuables and belongings, particularly if you're in a high traffic area or you've been bumped into by someone. Always remove valuables from your vehicle, take your keys and lock your car doors.

“Be alert, be aware, dial 911 if you see a crime in progress, dial 311 if it's after the fact but most importantly know your surroundings and be safe,” said Macioge.

These people are not wanted by APD at this time.

According to APD this information is for the public's situational awareness.

If you see something say something.