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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – “Vela,” a German shephard, is one of the working dogs tasked with keeping Speed Street safe. New this year, visitors will see local K9 teams unload out of their vehicles and walk the festival every hour. Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Sherwin says Vela’s trained to check for explosives and if she smells one, she’ll sit and not budge.
There are also scores of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers. Speed Street’s “extraordinary event” status gives them more authority to stop and question people. Of the 100s of thousands of people who attend the three day festival, many are from out of town. But CMPD says they aren’t put off by the police presence. Major Jeff Estes says with a smile, “We find that folks coming in from out of town, they like to see the police presence. In fact, they converse with the officers. Now, that may be sometimes the level of intoxication, but in general, they find it very positive.”
The safety campaign seems to be paying off. Charlotte resident Dom Powell tells WCCB, “I feel much safer than the time I’ve come before.” Powell and her friends say they come for the people watching and new this year, they’ll be able to watch a whole different kind of spectacle come Saturday: competitive eating. “One thing that is absolutely new is we are now a regional qualifier for the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest,” says 600 Festival Association President Jay Howard.
Howard says even though the 20-year-old festival has evolved over the years, consistency is what keeps people coming back. He says, “To make it 20 years today with a free family festival event like this, it speaks to the popularity and the economic support that motorsports gets in our market.”
Last year, CMPD says there were 13 calls about packages left unattended, 29 arrests and three curfew citations. We’ll have this year’s crime stats for you on WCCB News @ Ten on Monday.
