ORLANDO, Fla. – On Monday, the City of Orlando began blocking off event areas and setting up barricades ahead of Tuesday’s “Fireworks at the Fountain” show for the Fourth of July.
Last year, thousands of people panicked and rushed away from Lake Eola after someone had yelled there was some sort of incident. However, law enforcement said there was no actual safety threat outside of the unnecessary panic.
Orlando Police Chief Erik Smith released a statement to News 6 on Monday that says in part, “This year, the city has added additional resources to further safety at the event. It’s important to note that our security measures are both visible and non-visible. Aside from officers patrolling, there will be other resources out there that are less identifiable.”
Chief Smith also said the public is their greatest asset in preventing criminal activity.
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Former Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said technology continues to outpace expectations in regard to use within law enforcement.
“The quality of the video of those cameras — all of that, even the private sector — they are enhancing their systems,” Rolon said.
With the advances in video technology, Rolon said anyone conducting criminal activity near downtown should expect to be captured on video.
“For the criminal to keep in mind: that technology keeps improving. Therefore, if you are going to go out there and do something wrong, the likelihood is you are going to be recorded,” Rolon said.
Rolon said that too often, people speak with law enforcement after an incident and admit they had either seen threatening social media post or say the person appeared suspicious but never notified anyone.
“Those days are over. We have got to be proactive in ensuring that if someone is in crisis or intends to hurt someone, that it is brought to someone’s attention,” Rolon said.
Rolon also advised people make an emergency plan with their friends and family to include where they would reunite if they became separated in a crowd.
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