SPOKANE, Wash. – The Spokane Police Department (SPD) is well into their Expo 74′ 50th anniversary preparations to make sure the community is as safe as possible for the big events.
Thankfully, when you think about Bloomsday, The Lilac Festival, and Hoopfest the Spokane Police Department has a lot of experience preparing for large events and they are drawing on that experience as they prepare.
It all starts with staffing. You can expect to see an increase in uniform presence which will include more foot and bike patrols around the city.
They are also working on things behind the scenes like specialty units ready to take action at a moment’s notice if need-be.
Undercover officers will also be walking the streets of Spokane in the crowds. Video surveillance will also be used to help aide officers as well.
But even with the increase in police presence, SPD wants the public to take a moment to make a plan.
Identify a meet-up point for if you and your family get separated. Make sure your kids know what an officer in uniform looks like, so they know who to talk to for help if they need it.
Make sure everyone is on the same page, kind of like what they do when you first get on an airplane, and they talk about what to do in case of emergency.
“That’s not because they don’t want you to fly on an aircraft,” says Spokane Police Lieutenant Terry Preuninger. “And they certainly don’t want you to be paranoid. They just want you to be prepared. Taking that little ounce of preparation at the outset will give you a much better chance at a better outcome if something doesn’t go the way you want it to go.”
SPD wants everyone to safely enjoy the celebration and they are doing what they can to protect you.
