Denver Police Describe Levels Of Safety, Planning Around MLB All-Star Game
DENVER (CBS4) - Law enforcement agencies are on high alert working to keep the All-Star Game safe. The event that moved to Denver after a voting controversy in Atlanta left the city with just a few months to plan and address any security concerns.
On Monday night, ahead of one of the more popular events at Coors Field, police were widely visible.
"We actually noticed right away there was a big presence of just firemen, police officers, security," Angel Mendoza said.
Mendoza and James Higgins say safety was top of mind when it came to taking their 4-year-old son to the Home Run Derby.
"We kind of established a family plan, we have a family in the neighborhood we know, so if anything were to happen, we would have a place to go, it definitely had us thinking," Mendoza said.
According to Denver Police Division Chief Joe Montoya, city agencies would typically spend a year or more planning for an event like the All-Star Game.
The sudden move from Atlanta however left them with just 13 weeks and a political controversy that only added to safety concerns.
"Because of how it ended up here we thought that could spark some people coming into town wanting to be disruptive, but we really did monitor that closely and we didn't see any of that type of activity developing," Montoya said.
Working with federal and state partners, he says they have teams both behind the scenes and on the streets, who are continuously working to identify any potential issues.
"There have not been any high-level threats. We are continually gauging that with our federal and local state partners. We have a very good network to scan and look for those types of threats," he said.
For Mendoza and Higgins, the security in place is just enough to set their worries aside.
Denver police didn't say just how many resources they have devoted to the All-Star game and the events surrounding it, but continue to advocate for the community to always say something if they see something suspicious.
