DES MOINES, Iowa — Following deadly mass shootings around the country on the Fourth of July, some event goers are apprehensive about attending large-scale festivities.
This weekend, 80/35 in downtown Des Moines and Summerfest in Ankeny will bring thousands out to enjoy music, food and more. Ahead of the events, police departments across the metro are taking extra steps to make crowd safety their number one priority.
“It's not unusual to have a little apprehension about going out after you see the things that you're seeing on the news, around the nation,” said Sgt. Paul Parizek with the Des Moines Police Department.
Though the fears of festival goers are valid, Parizek emphasized that there are protocols in place to ensure safety.
“Understand that we've got plans in place to respond to those things. We've got strategies to mitigate those and prevent them from occurring. So don't live your life, you know, sheltered, get out and enjoy some of the great things that the city has to offer,” he said.
Mickey Davis, the festival director for 80/35, said he takes the events’ security very seriously.
“You'll get wanded, like metal detector wanded, and then there will be bag searches as well. We not only have security and off-duty Des Moines Police who will be at the festival, but this year, for the first time, we have an entire kind of event ambassador team,” Davis said.
Twenty minutes north of Des Moines in Ankeny, Summerfest 2022 is getting ready to kick off. Sgt. Corey Schnedan with the Ankeny Police Department said the organizers of the event have called on others for enhanced security.
“We have an extensive planning committee and process that we go through. And the process we go through every year includes the Fire Department, people from the Summerfest committee and other folks like that, (including) emergency management. We include other law enforcement agencies,” Schnedan said.
Both departments mentioned that the responsibility for safe fun is not just on law enforcement. They encourage everyone attending large events to follow the law and reach out to police departments if something suspicious happens during or before the events.