MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Thousands of people will fill the Market Common Sunday night to ring in the new year in a Southern Time Square Celebration. After attacks at several big events across the country this year, Myrtle Beach Police are taking extra steps to keep people in the Market Common, and across the city.
“We do learn from events that have happened across the country. So there are things that we’re doing tonight that we’re doing differently than we’ve done last year,” said Myrtle Beach Police Capt. Joey Crosby. Though he can’t share all the details of their security plan, Crosby says there’ll be more officers than usual on patrol tonight.
Police are also keeping an extra eye out by tapping into city cameras and stationing officers in their sky watch tower at the Market Common. “We’ll have officers at various locations. Watch how the crowd’s flowing, where the crowd is forming and moving, so that way we can deploy our officers where we need to,” Crosby explained.
With extra officers on the roads Myrtle Beach Police are also cracking down on drunk driving tonight, so Capt. Crosby urges all drivers to think twice before getting behind the wheel. “Officers are being mindful of DUIs to along the roadways to keep motorists safe so we’re encouraging motorists, before you go out tonight, have a plan in place,” said Crosby.