Naperville police Cmdr. Michaus Williams said that in addition to close to 30 officers being assigned to the city’s Memorial Day Parade, the department will be using a new tool — a tethered drone — to provide crowd security Monday.
The device will allow police to observe the scene and identify potential threats using an aerial view, Williams said.
“(The drone) gives you the advantage of being able to see something that doesn’t look right ahead of time,” he said.
It’s something the police plan to use at most special events going forward, Williams said.
Otherwise, the department’s approach to security largely remains the same as previous years, with streets blocked off and rooftop checks done along the parade route, he said.
“We’ve always prepared for the worst-case scenario because parades are the certain type of special events that are vulnerable to any type of attack, whether it be a mass shooting or any kind of terrorist attack,” Williams said. “So our approach really hasn’t changed much.”
