TAMPA, Fla. — It’s all hands on deck ahead of Saturday, when pirates will invade Tampa for one of the largest parades in the country.
With Gasparilla bringing in hundreds of thousands of people, a lot is happening behind the scenes to make sure you and your family stay safe. While officers from all over the state will be working to keep people safe on the ground and the water, they’ll also be getting help from above.
At Tampa Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center, officers from TPD and other state and federal agencies will be monitoring an undisclosed number of cameras, positioned all over the city and parade route.
“We work in the same room so that we can share information and try to expedite getting that information to people who are working in the field," TPD RTCC Corporal Erica Collum said.
During large-scale events, officers can’t literally be everywhere, so these cameras are used to stay on top of issues and deploy officers to pinpoint locations in the event of emergencies.
“We're able to focus solely on getting that high-quality information that they need that's going to help them find what they need to find as fast as possible and keep everybody safe,” Collum explained.
The RTCC has been effective in years past helping get ambulances to folks in need, even helping reunite lost kids with parents.
“To make sure that everybody stays safe no matter what portion of the event that they're going to be attending,” Collum added.
A lot of what they do in RTCC is helping respond to those emergency calls, so if you are out on Saturday, police ask that you keep a close eye on your location, and remember nearby cross streets and landmarks in the event you do need help.