Festivalgoers listen to music during the 2019 WAMMfest in Greenwood.
Daily Journal File Photo
With July’s shooting at the Greenwood Park Mall in the back of people’s minds, people may be concerned about safety and security at events and festivals across Johnson County.
Local police say they do not see any additional threats and believe that events across the county will continue to be as safe as possible.
In Greenwood, a city that has seen an abnormal increase in violent crime this year, police officials say they are well-equipped and prepared to keep both residents and visitors safe at public events. Since June, the city has experienced a mass shooting at the Greenwood Park Mall, which left four dead including the gunman in July, and three homicides.
Outside of the mall shooting, the majority of the crimes were targeted at specific people who were known to the gunman or were the result of a dispute, said Jim Ison, police chief.
“Despite the recent incidents, Greenwood is still a very safe community,” Ison said.
When it comes to public events, the city is well-equipped and prepared to keep both residents and visitors at public events. Ison himself does not believe there is a larger safety threat in Greenwood after the mall shooting, he said.
“The unfortunate reality is that mass shootings are occurring more frequently across the nation,” Ison said. “They are not isolated to big cities and major landmarks. They are occurring in small towns and suburbs more often. … What we need to keep in mind is that this type of event can happen anywhere and at any time.”
Franklin Police Chief Kirby Cochran also does not believe there’s a larger safety threat looming in Johnson County, and Franklin in particular. The city has hundreds of events each year, and the more events the city has, the more police learn about how to make them safe.
“We learn something from every event,” Cochran said.
Before the opening of the DriveHubler.com Amphitheater at Young’s Creek Park, the police department met with the city’s parks and recreation and fire departments and the mayor’s office, along with Johnson County 911 and Emergency Management to discuss how best to protect residents and visitors at the new facility, he said.
Franklin police usually have a contingent of officers on site, including bicycle officers, officers on foot and plainclothes officers. This presence is sometimes supplemented by outside security, which was the case during a larger concert last month, Cochran said.
“The biggest thing for us and what we tell our guys is the visibility piece,” he said. “We don’t mind if you take a break, but we want you moving around. It keeps folks second guessing what they may try to do.”
The amphitheater also has parking bollards in place, which restrict vehicle movement within the park. While there was some apprehensiveness about moving events from the Johnson County Courthouse Square and putting all of the events in a central area, events are “far more secure” now, Cochran said.
The department is always concerned about the possibility of threats, but officers plan to appropriately respond to a threat, Cochran said.
“We worry about it for sure … but we try not to let it hinder citizens from having fun,” he said. “We’re prepared to handle what we need to.”
Johnson County has several joint resources, such as the SWAT team, and they’re just a call away, he said.
“When you make the phone call, people are coming quick,” Cochran said.
Across the county, many, if not all, officers have taken part in at least one active shooter training. Additionally, all of the public safety agencies in Johnson County have signed memorandums of understanding, or MOUs, so different agencies understand what their roles are in certain situations, he said.
Whenever there is an active shooting event in the United States, departments often look to them and see if there’s anything that can be learned from the police response that could benefit local agencies. For example, local departments are planning to discuss their responses to the mall shooting to see if anything could be improved, Cochran said.
Prior to an event, Ison encourages event organizers to coordinate with local law enforcement to create a safety management plan. These plans should address several issues, including security staffing levels, traffic control, emergency evacuation plans and the deployment of specialized equipment, Ison said.
When events come to Franklin’s amphitheater, the parks department acts as the gatekeeper as it’s their facility, Cochran said. Once a plan for the event is submitted to the parks department, officials then notify the police department so they are aware of what’s going on and can plan for security needs, Cochran said.
It’s a matter of teamwork for planning and making sure events are safe, he said.
“Every department in the city has a part in it. … It’s total teamwork,” Cochran said.
While out at events, members of the public should make sure they are aware of their surroundings, both Ison and Cochran said. If someone sees something or someone that could be suspicious, they should report it, Ison said.
People should also pay attention to where they can exit an event and have a plan in mind in case they do need to leave quickly, Ison said.
Additionally, people should also make sure to know their limits when they are out in the sun or drinking alcohol. While first responders are not there to create a problem for people who are having fun, people need to be responsible and willing to notify both medics and police when a situation does arise, Cochran said.
