Marietta Police Chief Dan Flynn presented the “Winter Wonderland” security plan Thursday to city officials during their agenda work session.
Through the Branding Project, the city is presenting new but nostalgic events for Glover Park, starting Nov. 20 through Jan. 4.
Flynn was the security consultant for Woodstock ‘99 in Rome, New York, attended by 200,000 people, and the former chief of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, overseeing security for the St. Patrick’s Day Festival which attracted 300,000 people this year.
With the Marietta Square holding 31,000 people at one time, Flynn said facets of the security plan will include traffic checkpoints, a crisis management center, camera coverage, parking lot patrols, an Uber partnership, Nixle alerts, maps and an evacuation plan.
“Right now, we are not where we will search people’s coolers and backpacks - though we may get to that if security concerns are heightened,” Flynn said.
Also, “we don’t want to frighten people by seeing a lot of officers,” who instead will be on reserve, he added.
Events include an open-air ice skating rink that opens today, Santa Claus visits in a twice-as-large Santa Claus House starting Dec. 3, a free Santa’s Workshop, a Christmas tree, a Menorah lighting on Dec. 13 and a New Year’s Eve Party.
For New Year’s Eve 2016, family-friendly activities and a children’s ball drop will last from 2 to 7 p.m. followed by Whiskey Gentry performing from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., a Late Night Party from 11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. and the Ball Drop at midnight.
Information: WinterWonderlandMariettaSquare.com.
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