With thousands of people coming to Ayrton to watch the Ayronton-Lawrence Memorial Parade, Police Chief Pam Wagner said her department would do everything possible to keep things safe.
“We want to encourage everyone to come to the Remembrance Day parade and enjoy all our holidays from Navy Night to the parade,” she said.
There will be additional patrol officers to make sure people are safe during the festivities.
“We don’t want people to drive with disabilities or anything like that,” she said.
Wagner said Memorial Day fireworks on Saturday would close the city’s Center Street and pedestrian walkways in the area at noon for safety reasons.
“There will be no permitted pedestrian traffic or vehicle traffic,” she said. “This is an insurance problem for the fireworks company.”
Wagner reminded everyone not to leave valuables in their cars and to make sure their cars are locked, as the department sees a jump in car theft during the Remembrance Day parade.
She said the thieves were targeting vehicles looking for electronics and other things.
“IPads, phones, change, all kinds of money, credit cards,” she said, adding that it’s best not to leave purses or backpacks in a vehicle. “Thieves are looking for personal information, such as driver’s licenses and social security cards.”
Wagner said people attending the parade should lock their houses and get a neighbor or trustee to watch their house while they are gone.
“And we ask companies with cameras to turn them on during the parade,” Wagner said. “And if you see something, say something. Call 911 or the sheriff’s office at 740-532-3525.
Once the parade was over, she advised people to leave the city on routes other than the Park Avenue exit.
“It’s usually a big traffic jam,” Wagner said. “We want to encourage everyone who can possibly participate in a car.