Evansville Police are promoting safety at the Fall Festival, while also urging festival-goers to have a good time.
EPD Sgt. Jason Cullum tells WNIN the security plan at the West Side Nut Club event hasn’t changed since the deadly shooing at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas.
But he says these days, security at the festival includes officers on rooftops…
("Just so they have an overview of the crowd. That helps if we're trying to locate anybody for any reason, which includes persons who are causing problems or a missing kid.")
Cullum says police visibility has become a big part of Fall Festival security…
("Ten years ago we didn't have people up on roofs looking down on the crowd, keeping an eye on it. We have a big command vehicle that we park at 10th and Franklin.)
Sgt. Cullum hopes the tragedy in Las Vegas doesn’t deter people from attending the local festival…
("Enjoy yourself, support all these local non-profits so they can continue with their programs and serving the community, but be a little bit more vigilant than maybe you used to be. That's the biggest thing for our officers. They make sure they remain vigilant.)
Cullum says agencies prepare for numerous scenarios behind the scenes, as part of a months-long process.