PRESS RELEASE:
Police are prepared for Kansas City’s 40th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and holiday, and they want residents to be ready, as well.
The parade begins at 11 a.m. and lasts about two hours. The actual parade is on Broadway, beginning at 33rd Street and going south to 43rd Street. Broadway will be closed from 31st Street to 47th Street. The parade staging area also will be closed prior to and during the parade. This includes Linwood from Main to Broadway and 33rd Street from Broadway to Pennsylvania. All cars parked in any of these areas must be moved before 6 a.m. Saturday.
Nearly 200 uniformed officers will be on or near the parade route. Most of these officers are on special assignment, so police service in other parts of the city will not be affected. Officers on horseback and ATVs also will patrol the outskirts of the parade route, as will canine officers. Police also have installed security cameras along the route and will be monitoring any dangerous or suspicious activity from those, as well. The police helicopter will be monitoring traffic flow in and around the parade and will assist as needed. Under-cover detectives also will be in the crowd to enforce liquor laws.
“We hope that with police taking all of these safety measures, families and revelers will be free to enjoy the parade and other activities on what promises to be a beautiful day,” said Major Rich Lockhart, commander of the Special Operations Division.
For the first time, police will be using the City’s Emergency Operations Center for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Joining them will be the City’s EOC director, and staff from the Kansas City Fire Department, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security. Lockhart said the parade will serve as a dry run for the Major League Baseball All Star Game in July.
After the parade, police will dedicate numerous officers to provide extra security in Westport.
Police also will conduct multiple sobriety checkpoints in the course of the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
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