The cops are on high alert after recent attacks on crowds…
At first read of a headline featured on a local Michigan news page about police preparing for the Woodward Dream Cruise, I admittedly rolled my eyes. Maybe it’s because I’m fresh off the feeling of bitterness towards the Mayor of Myrtle Beach for throwing shade at Mustang Week, but when I hear more police around cars, I think they’re taking drivers to jail, but that’s not exactly the case here. After a SUV driver killed parade goers and a shooter opened fire into a crowd recently, the local Sheriff’s offices are not taking any chances.
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Bloomfield Township Police Department Chief James Gallagher shares that security plans have been updated to account for a mass shooter and/or mass casualty event. They recently reviewed incidents like those at the July 4th Highland Park, Illinois parade where seven people were killed, and dozens of others were injured.
Specific precautioned were not outlined, for obvious reasons, but commercial vehicles, trailers, and any vehicle over 10,000 pounds are banned from the area. As far as the officers themselves, it’s all hands on deck, with no approved time off during the event.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said that there has not been any issues with Woodward Dream Cruise in the past. This, again, highlights the emphasis on protecting the crowd from threats, not so much patrolling the innocent event goers.
“My gut tells me it’s gonna be very well attended, especially if it’s a nice day,” Bouchard said. “You try to anticipate what you can’t predict. You can never be 100% prepared for the unknowns but we try to look at what’s happened around the world and get the equipment, training and personnel and be able to mitigate it.”
