Salem Ups Security For Halloween Night Festivities
SALEM (CBS) -- While security in Salem is a priority for officials every year, officials were not taking any chances as they worked to make attendees feel safe just hours after officials said a man "deliberately drove a rented truck onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, killing eight people."
Police said no threats have been made towards Salem and they are continuing to monitor the situation in New York.
Heading into the Halloween season, officials in Salem adopted the idea of blocking off certain areas with large trucks to prevent anyone from driving into a crowd.
Barricades and dump trucks are being used to close off side streets.
Downtown newspaper and mailboxes are out of service are out of service in the days around Halloween to eliminate places where dangerous items could potentially be planted.
A significant police presence will be in the area all night. About 200 officers will be in uniform and another 100 will be in plain clothes.
One woman said, "Walking over here, I lost count of how many cops, and police dogs, and stuff like that, so it was great."
A man called the police presence "noticeable" but "not intrusive."
Over the past week, officials have also reminded attendees not to bring any prop weapons.
"It's the first thing we noticed. There's a lot more security than there was a few years ago," said Gretchen Miller, who was visiting from Kansas City. "All the streets are blocked and I saw trucks at the end of each rode. We feel safe."
