TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police will have officers on land, water, in the air, and in plain clothes for the city's Liberty by the Bay celebration at Julian B. Lane Park on July 4.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said the department is deploying every available resource for the event, which celebrates America's 250th anniversary.
"The majority of every police officer going to be working on that day, and we have a huge contingent downtown and assigned to JBL," Bercaw said. "We'll have officers that are on Marine Patrol, we'll have officers that are in the sky in our helicopter, we'll have our drones up, we'll have our specialty teams out."
Bercaw said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will also assist with security.
The chief urged attendees to avoid drinking and driving, designate a driver, and follow boat safety guidelines.
"We don't want this day, the celebration, for you to end up behind bars, or even worse, hurting someone else by driving or boating impaired," Bercaw said.
Bercaw also asked the public to stay alert and report anything suspicious.
"See something, say something, so we can do something," Bercaw said. "It could be something as simple as a package that's left unattended for us to check out."
Officer Dan Spears, who oversees Marine Patrol, said every boat on the water will be staffed with rescue divers and that emergency action plans are in place.
"Make sure you have all your safety equipment on your vessels, life vests, fire extinguishers, sound-making devices," Spears said. "Keep your head on a swivel, pay attention. That goes for the operators and the passengers as well."
Spears said officers on the water will focus on keeping vessel traffic flowing and identifying hazards before they become problems.
"What hazards can we prevent or intersect before it becomes an issue? That's really what we're focusing on," Spears said.
Plainclothes officers will also be watching for anything out of place, Bercaw said.
"Anything that looks out of place, like an unattended package, or somebody that maybe looks like they're up to some nefarious activity, they'll have their eyes and ears out there as well," Bercaw said.
Some Tampa residents said the heavy police presence factors into their Fourth of July plans. Ahmaad Smith, a Tampa native now living in Tallahassee, said he decided to keep his family's celebration private rather than attend a large public event.
"Big crowds are hard to control, and Tampa does not like big crowds," Smith said.
Smith said keeping his children safe is the priority.
"Whatever keeps them safe, it keeps me safe," Smith said.
Liberty by the Bay is free and open to the public. The event runs from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Julian B. Lane Park. A 250-drone light show and fireworks finale are scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.
Event schedule:
- 4–4:30 p.m. — DJ
- 4–8:30 p.m. — Kids Zone, food trucks and beer garden
- 4:30–5:15 p.m. — Live performance from the Beat Down Band
- 5:15–5:30 p.m. — DJ entertainment
- 5:15–5:45 p.m. — Patriotic Pet Show, hosted by the Humane Society of Tampa Bay
- 5:30–6:15 p.m. — Live performance from the Beat Down Band
- 6:15–7 p.m. — Water ski show, hosted by Friends of the Riverwalk, and DJ
- 6:45–7:15 p.m. — Kids Liberty Procession, hosted by Glazer Children's Museum
- 7–7:45 p.m. — Live performance by Phoenix5
- 7:45–8 p.m. — DJ entertainment
- 8–8:45 p.m. — Live performance by Phoenix5
- 8:45–9 p.m. — Closing remarks from Mayor Jane Castor
- 9–9:30 p.m. — 250-drone light show followed by fireworks display
Additional Riverwalk activities include:
- Friends of the Riverwalk Patriotic Boat Parade
- The Heights District Fourth of July at Armature Works
- Friends of the Riverwalk VIP experience and fireworks at Jackson's Bistro
- Freedom Fest aboard the American Victory Ship in Port Tampa Bay
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