The attack in Nice, France, is re-igniting the debate over how to protect so-called soft targets.
Nice is very similar to St. Augustine in that they both attract tourists from all over the globe and have similar waterfront promenades.
Thousands of people were walking the promenade in Nice watching the fireworks display to celebrate Bastille Day when the unthinkable happened.
The horrific scene comes just 32 days after the deadly attack in Orlando that left 49 people dead.
Since then, the St. Augustine Police Department’s Sgt. Brandon Embrey said more concerned citizens have reached out to them.
“We've had some of our regular businesses that employ officers, some of them have increased the number of officers they're hiring for events,” said Embrey.
The increased number of tourists who travel to St. Augustine year round plays a crucial role in how police protect the city.
WJAX Law & Safety Expert Dale Carson said there's only so much law enforcement can do so the first line of defense starts with the individual.
“All of us need to be somewhat aware of our surroundings and we ultimately are responsible for our own protection,” said Carson.
Carson said it’s important to have an exit strategy.
“This is concrete, you're not going get hit here but you're trapped -- there's no place to go, this door won't open. So if you get assaulted from here, you're done” said Carson.
Embrey said ultimately, people shouldn’t be afraid to alert police about suspicious behavior.
“I get so many calls of people saying ‘I may be wasting your time,’ they're never wasting our time,” said Embrey.
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