Local Impact
According to the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2007, the Relays generate US$8 million for local business. Much of this traced to the fact that the event has become a social destination for young African-Americans. A number of groups organize networking and development events for African-Americans to take place in downtown Austin during the Relays.
Following numerous issues involving crime, theft and general violence many local businesses close for the Relays weekend.
Some advocates of the Relays state that there is not a significant increase in crime during the Relays weekend. However, police forces are so overwhelmed with crowd control and keeping the peace that they will generally not take the time to write citations or arrest individuals for less serious offenses. Some businesses have chosen to not operate or to close early because it is more cost effective rather than pay for increased security for crowds who are not spending money or loss of income due to theft. This is largely a race-based claim, though, as the Texas Relays attract a largely African American crowd, and similar local festivals that require significant police presence, such as South By Southwest or Austin City Limits, do not cause an upswing in crime nor lead to businesses closing their doors.
Read more about this topic: Texas Relays
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