SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane is gearing up for one of its most beloved traditions, the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade.
This year, local authorities are emphasizing their readiness. Spokane Police have assured that they are well-prepared for the event.
“They’ve been in this business a long time and staff according to the size of the event,” said police officials.
Uniformed officers will be stationed along the parade route to ensure safety. Organizers of the Lilac Festival are confident about security measures in place.
“They have great barricades, that they are putting up in place to make sure that no unauthorized vehicle gets through,” they stated.
Security preparations are already visible with no parking notices displayed along the parade route. Road closures in some parts of the city will begin as early as 7:00 a.m. on Saturday.
These measures come a year after a shooting incident impacted the parade route.
“Last year we decided to condense it, reroute it and finish with the parade because we knew this event was adjacent to ours and it didn’t impact our event,” said event organizers.
The shooting was later determined to be an act of self-defense in response to a robbery. The store owner involved, who preferred not to be on camera, mentioned experiencing various crimes, including theft, vandalism, and harassment.
In response to crime concerns, the city launched the CORE initiative in October to target crime in the downtown area.
The store owner noted improvements since the initiative, stating he feels “90% safer now.”
ComStat data from Spokane Police reports show a positive trend, with violent crime reports in the downtown core down nearly 18% compared to a year ago.
