WACO, Texas — “Right now, we just don’t know what’s going to happen,” said McLennan County Sheriff, Parnell McNamara.
As the solar eclipse inches closer and closer, city leaders in Central Texas communities are preparing for a influx of people.
“This is a phenomenon that we haven’t dealt with before, but we’re excited about it,” Sheriff McNamara said.
But with bigger crowds comes increased chances of crime.
The City of Waco is encouraging people to celebrate the eclipse while still being careful.
Sheriff McNamara says his deputies are preparing for any and all circumstances.
"We are always vigilant when we get large numbers of people together, to see if there’s any type of crime whether it be human trafficking drugs or whatever, but we are going to be on the lookout for all of that,” he said.
McNamara tells 25 News that there will be increased police presence in Central Texas neighborhoods the day of the eclipse.
“We’re going to be monitoring that along with Waco Police, Woodway Police, and our surrounding police departments, but if they need help we will be ready to dispatch assistance to them and likewise,” Sheriff McNamara said.
McNamara says they will have at least two helicopters in the air to provide information back to the command post in the case of an emergency.
"We’re going to do the best we can to keep our citizens safe, and the people that come in to watch this event," Sheriff McNamara said.
"We’re excited about it — it’s going to be really a cool thing."
