A small fleet of drones was seen monitoring the traffic at the music and arts festival, Coachella. Over 120,000 people are expected at the camping area daily but after the killings at a Las Vegas music festival, law enforcement, and other federal agencies are on alert with aerial surveillance.  There will be drones monitoring the traffic and looking out for the attendees at the festival. In reality, it usually takes a few minutes to get law enforcement officers to a perimeter breach, but with a drone, it will only take 45 seconds stated police sergeant Dan Marshall.

He also explained that the drones will give them the ability to monitor the traffic more effectively. Law enforcement will be using an experienced company to operate the drones for this event and this will be so much cheaper than calling in a police chopper.  The incident that took place in Las Vegas is still fresh in the minds of everyone. It came right after the attack in Manchester and Paris, so it is obvious to law enforcement that when there is a gathering of this nature, security must be a priority.

Public safety is important no matter the kind of event Marshall said, and because this festival is expecting a huge crowd every day, law enforcement will have their hands full just keeping a watchful eye on the ground.  Security will be deployed round the clock and the drones will be an added advantage. Thankfully, all security costs will be covered by the festival promoter.

Coachella’s local security forces have been trained extensively for terrorist attacks or natural disasters. So now that the festival footprint has increased and they’ve gotten a larger camp area, all their training will be put into practice.  In Las Vegas, escape routes were a significant issue as the gunman fired into the crowd.  People found it difficult to make their escape because there were few gates to run through.

Coachella may not be a prime location for terrorism, but the police believe that they are well prepared. They will have a lot of undercover officers in the crowd and can spot trouble before it happens.  Marshall stated that police, fire, and emergency responders are all prepared and ready for any incidents. And even though there is an extensive list of rules for the festival, the police have laid down four major rules: don’t bring drones, don’t bring animals, don’t bring drugs, and don’t bring weapons.

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