Security at the Big Bay Boom, the biggest Fourth of July fireworks show on the West Coast, is the culmination of a year’s worth of planning. The event is also the biggest day of the year for the San Diego Harbor Police. Many of their tactics are withheld from the public for security purposes.
“We do have additional security measures in place. Many you will not see. You will not know about,” Capt. John Forsythe of the San Diego Harbor Police tells NBC 7.
Through a sting operation, FBI agents arrested a man on Monday charged with plotting a Fourth of July terrorist bombing in Cleveland. “I think as a human being, it's disgust,” Forsythe says of the arrest in Ohio. “When I grew up as a child, things were not like that.”
Tracy Hardy of Las Vegas likes crowds and San Diego. "I'm used to this. I love this type of stuff," she says. But even she is cautious. Last October 1 she decided to stay home instead of going to the Mandalay Bay Resort.
"It kind of makes you scared for crowds," she admits.
For the Harbor Police, it's all hands on deck. "Just about everybody that can work does work on the Fourth of July," Forsythe assures.
But he says they’re ready. “I feel very confident that we're going to keep the public safe.” He also reminds people to “be aware of your surroundings.”
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Forsythe also recommends going early and staying late to avoid the worst of the traffic.
Organizers predict 300,000-500,000 people go to the fireworks each year.
