Police plan for half-million visitors
With a half-million people expected to descend on Downtown on Monday for the annual Red, White & Boom festival, police are urging safety, preparation and patience.
Columbus Police Sgt. Greg DeRosier advised people to plan for traffic, one of the biggest obstacles of the day, and to pack lightly. Taking COTA routes into and out of Downtown is recommended to ease the congestion.
“The key issue here is for everybody to plan their activities,” DeRosier said at a news conference Thursday. “Take a look at the maps for Red, White & Boom, take a look at the street maps for the Downtown area. Plan where you want to go to, plan how you’ll get in here and get out of here.”
Some visitors stake out their spots Downtown on Monday morning, well ahead of the 6 p.m. kickoff parade.
COTA will operate seven express Park & Ride stations, with buses entering Downtown from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. They will carry riders out of Downtown immediately after the fireworks — scheduled to start at 10 p.m. — and run until midnight.
DeRosier also said that police will have five child-registration booths set up to help parents keep track of their kids. The booths will double as lost-andfound hubs.
Five children were reported missing in 2015; none were last year. Officers hope the registration effort can maintain that success.
Sgt. Denise Reffitt, head of the Missing Persons Unit, advised parents to take photographs of their children on Monday and write down a description of their clothes.
DeRosier said the department also is concerned about common street crimes such as theft. His advice: pack lightly and limit what you carry. Additionally, he advised limiting drinking to designated areas.
DeRosier said police aren’t expecting protests like the one that disrupted the Pride Parade this month and resulted in four arrests.
“If some do pop up, an unexpected protest or rally or something like that, our officers will take care of that,” DeRosier said. “If people want to have a protest or rally, get the proper permits for it.”