Valley cities amp up security at holiday events
It is the holiday season and crowded events across the Coachella Valley are about to be underway.
Holiday parades are planned this year in Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs and Coachella – each with dozens of motorized float entries and thousands of spectators expected.
As organizers prepare to dazzle crowds, officials in Palm Springs and Coachella are preparing for the possibility that something could go wrong.
Desert Hot Springs did not answer KESQ's questions about safety at its parade.
Lt. Gustavo Araiza said extra police will staff the annual Festival of Lights parade this weekend through downtown Palm Springs.
"It could be potentially a target for anybody that wants to have a mass casualty incident," Araiza said.
Safety measures will include snipers staged on the roofs of buildings, like they were seen doing last month at an LGBTQ vigil downtown.
And other key measures include vetting drivers and sweeping vehicles and floats for explosives.
"Our fire department and our special events team will be out there inspecting vehicles," Lt. Araiza said. "They'll also be making sure that the drivers will be licensed and that they have valid insurance for this event."
Araiza said his department is reviewing and learning from a holiday parade in Raleigh earlier this year that turned deadly after the driver of a truck pulling a float lost control and crashed into parade participants, killing a young girl.
Charges against the 20-year-old driver include misdemeanor death, reckless driving and improper equipment.
In Coachella, Public Works Director Maritza Martinez said walkers and dancers will be mixed among cars and trucks throughout the parade route.
"If you're going to be incorporating a moving vehicle into a parade or into any event, you want to make sure you have the securities in place," Martinez said. "The schools may have a dance group that plays to music that's on a float, so they do request that that be together... We do have the securities in place that...they have to provide us driver's license information and insurance before the entry."
Unlike in Palm Springs, police in Coachella will not search for explosives, Martinez said.
News Channel 3 asked the same questions to Desert Hot Springs officials about their holiday parade. Interview requests were declined, and officials did not provide a written response.
