Gun safety at the Fall Festival: EPD 'encourages' you to keep firearms at home

EVANSVILLE — You might not be able to bring a squirt gun to the Fall Festival, according to the rules, but you can bring a real gun. That said, the Evansville Police Department has a few gun safety points festival patrons should keep in mind.

The Fall Festival is Evansville's largest mass gathering, attracting tens of thousands of people to a bustling, fried-food-laden Franklin Street. Security is a major concern for local police, who are tasked with everything from breaking up fights to responding to a mass casualty event, in the event one should occur.

Evansville fall festival 2022What to know about the West Side Nut Club event

EPD spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Gray told the Courier & Press patrons are allowed to bring legal firearms to the Fall Festival. But the department is advising guests to think twice before carrying at the event.

"We encourage people to keep their weapons at home and let the large presence of officers handle situations that arise," Gray said. "However, we also understand that it is their right to carry if they so choose. We just want everyone to consider some negative outcomes if they do choose to carry a firearm around the Fall Festival."

What are those potential negative outcomes? To start, the sheer density of the crowd — which includes large numbers of children — increases the chance of collateral damage if a weapon is discharged.

Gray also said the open carrying of a firearm, such as in a visible hip holster, can and does lead to misunderstandings between festivalgoers. That can divert police attention.

"If someone feels the need to have their firearm down at the Fall Festival, we really encourage them to carry concealed so they do not cause a panic and for other safety reasons," Gray said.

As of July 1, legal gun owners in Indiana no longer need a permit to carry a concealed handgun.

The EPD is discouraging patrons from openly carrying for several reasons. For one, open carrying in a large crowd increases the chance of a gun being dropped, stolen, accidentally discharged or misinterpreted by the public or police as a threat.

The dense crowd also complicates any potential situation where an armed patron may feel justified in legally discharging their firearm.

"If someone thinks they are in the right to draw their weapon because they feel their life is in danger, they need to consider the amount of people at the event," Gray said.

The department, as it has many times before, is also reminding anyone wishing to store a firearm in a vehicle to lock the vehicle. Firearms are routinely stolen from unlocked cars in the Evansville area.

Security at the Evansville Fall Festival

The EPD has a large presence along Franklin Street, and the department is asking the public to leave security to trained law enforcement officers.

Gray said there will be lots of officers in "plain sight" so that festivalgoers can flag them down if they need assistance. There are also officers who will be harder to see, for "tactical reasons."

"We start planning for this event months in advance, and we have meetings with West Side Nut Club and other first responders so we are all on the same page," Gray said. "Months in advance, we discuss safety concerns and there are tabletop discussions and mock incidents to go over safety protocols and how we will respond to certain incidents."

Festival attendees will also see officers on bikes and motorcycles patrolling side streets. Gray said these officers can help with parking problems, and they're also meant to provide extra security as people walk to their cars.

After the festival officially closes each night, EPD officers hang around to make sure crowds peacefully disperse.

"Our number one goal is to provide safety to everyone who is down at the Fall Festival," Gray said.

Houston Harwood can be contacted at walter.harwood@courierpress.com with story ideas and questions. Twitter: @houston_whh