BETHLEHEM, Pa. – All week long, thousands of people have been attending and enjoying Musikfest, and while you may have noticed large crowds, that comes hand-in-hand with an increase of security.<\/p>\n
69 News Reporter Sydney Kay was at the Southside of Musikfest with more on how the city prepares for this type of event.<\/p>\n
Running across ten days and hosting more than one million people, Musikfest is the largest event the city of Bethlehem hosts each year.<\/p>\n
We spoke to the Chief of Police, Michelle Kott, who tells us it takes months of planning and working with other agencies to keep everyone safe.<\/p>\n
Police officers patrolling Musikfest is a sight festivalgoers will see as frequent as performers filling the stages across the city.<\/p>\n
“Any given night, it depends on anticipated crowd sizes, the weather. On Tuesday, for example, we had 70 officers out throughout the day at Musikfest,” Kott said.<\/p>\n
Keeping everyone safe, Kott says the department teams up with local, state, and federal partners for the 10-day event.<\/p>\n
That includes setting up an Operations Center, manned by the chief herself.<\/p>\n
“You can’t see me, but I am everywhere and anywhere I need to be to make sure that we are getting resources to where we need to be,”\u00a0Kott said.<\/p>\n
Whether it’s helping people find the shuttle or a lost loved one, she says she’s grateful for her officers answering the call to take care of the community.<\/p>\n
That also includes reminding the public to be vigilant and take extra steps to keep themselves safe.<\/p>\n
“If you’re going with your family, make sure you guys have a point where you’re going to meet if you get separated. Maybe take a picture of the kids when you first arrive so you know what kind of clothing they were wearing,” said\u00a0Bethlehem Police Capt. William Audelo.<\/p>\n
Safety spreads across security, but health as well, with trained professionals onsite and ready in case of an emergency.<\/p>\n
“It’s very hot out, so make sure you’re hydrating and you’re taking rests and taking breaks and getting out of the sun a little bit to be safe here and having a good time at fest,” said\u00a0LVHN\u00a0per diem Physical Therapist\u00a0Donna Passno.<\/p>\n
If you see something, say something is what all first responders want festivalgoers to remember here at Musikfest.<\/p>\n
They also say patrol doesn’t stop throughout the event, they still have units out on the roads in the city, so they encourage everyone to plan ahead and utilize a rideshare to prevent drinking and driving.<\/p>\n