APD detectives say Austin isn't immune to biker gangs

There are documented biker gang members living here in Austin. Gang Unit detectives are constantly working their sources to stop any violence before it starts.

Within a few weeks, tens of thousands of motorcycles will roll into town as the Republic of Texas Rally kicks off.

Until then, Austin police will monitor for rumblings of any trouble.

"We're staying in contact of our usual sources of information in regards to anything coming up to violence that may happen in the city," said APD Detective Dave Smith.

Detective Dave Smith, as we'll call him, works undercover in the gang unit. He says there are around 50 documented biker gang members in the city.

"Some of them actually hold legitimate jobs like each one of us do. That's how a lot of them make their money. Some of them are involved in illegal activity, narcotics, sales of firearms, fencing for stolen motorcycles, parts, any type of crime you can think of that would make you money."

Smith says the majority of the local gang members are affiliated with the Compinaros, Latin Steel and the Bandidos. The Bandidos were involved a mass brawl turned mass casualty event in Waco Sunday.

Smith says fortunately, the biker gangs, who are known for their violent tendencies, like to keep to themselves and direct their aggression toward each other not innocent civilians.

He says APD has done a good job in the past ten years of keeping a lid on that violence.

"Through investigations we've conducted as far as any type of violence that we knew was coming up we either made the arrest and put them in jail as they needed to be," said Smith.

Smith doesn't anticipate any issues during ROT Rally week.

"You can't be 100 percent saying that we're going to prevent every crime that happens but the citizens should know us in the organized crime division are in contact with out sources and that we're going to do everything we can to protect the citizens to make sure this type of crime doesn't happen in our city."