Myrtle Beach police reflect on successful Carolina Country Music Fest weekend

Yahoo

2 days ago

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The Myrtle Beach Police Department said this year's Carolina Country Music Fest was a great one when it came to public safety.
Police department spokesperson Randolph Angotti said this year's new, late-night traffic pattern helped significantly in creating an easy walking space for country music fans. Thursday through Sunday last week, police diverted traffic from northbound on Kings Highway to 7th Avenue North, as well as moving flowing southbound Kings Highway traffic onto Mr. Joe White Avenue.
'That allowed us to have an unobstructed intersection at 9th Avenue North. So when gates were opened as people were exiting, they were able to safely and more freely cross the intersection here, and it also allowed the shuttle buses to move very quickly to get the spectators that were using the shuttle service,' he said.
Angotti said this system was highly effective, and he hopes to use it again for next year's CCMF. Working with all the city departments, Angotti said the multiple perspectives help with how to progress safety protocols for years to come.
'If the police department ends up needing help or needs a quick hand with something, even if it's not directly public safety-related, other city departments jump in really quickly,' he said. 'We also had extra traffic units throughout the city because we do know that there's extra traffic in our area for an event such as the size.'
As months go into planning public safety for CCMF, in addition to the late night traffic pattern changes, hydro and vehicle barriers were placed surrounding the perimeter of the event.
'Those hydro barriers really create the first barrier between vehicles and the pedestrians, wherever they are,' he said. 'Those vehicle barriers just add that reassurance so that there's there's no vehicles entering into a space where there shouldn't be, potentially endangering those that were inside.'
Those who have been attending CCMF for all 10 years said that they feel police presence has gotten better each year, adding that they feel that police could be seen inside and outside the event, protecting those in attendance.
'They know more of what's going on and how it's going to happen,' Amanda Crump said. 'So they've been able to better assist us as far as safety as the years progressed.'
Jensine Coggin, who lives in Myrtle Beach, said she feels crime has worsened near the Boulevard. She added that she feels less safe walking downtown as the sun goes down.
'I'm going to be honest. I don't walk down here at night by myself. I've never been down here at night by myself,' Coggin said.
Coggin said living in the community since 2022, she's felt the police have gotten stronger down by the Boulevard. She said that when there are larger events like CCMF, police are on top of responding to crime.
'But as for like police response, I think they do a great job handling it because, I mean, obviously they don't know when something's going to happen,' she said. 'But you see police guards rotating areas, especially at night, and like areas and stuff like that, you know, that more crime does happen, especially here on the strip is one of them.'
Angotti said Ocean Boulevard is still closed between 8th and 9th avenues North as production teams break down the CCMF stage and will reopen Thursday.
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Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here.
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