New Year’s weekend

By AMY S. LANSDON

News Editor

Dec. 30, 1999 8 p.m.

Tonight’s New Year’s event don’t rally have the Troy Police Department worried, but they are stepping up security just in case something comes up in the city this weekend.

"We will have a lot of officers on duty this weekend," said Benny Scarbrough, public information officer for the Troy Poilce Department. "We are going to start running a 12-hour shift for a few days. That way we will have more officers on the street at one time. We will be running two 12-hour shifts instead of three 8-hour shifts."

Scarbrough said he is not sure how long the police department will continue the 12-hour shifts, but he thinks it will be no more than two or three days.

"We don’t expect anything to prolong the extended shifts, but we are prepared if it does," he said. "We will have seven or eight and up to ten officers on duty at a time. It will probably be closer to seven or eight, but others will be ready if we need them."

The Troy Millennium Celebration on the square in downtown Troy and the city streets will be patrolled heavily by the Troy Police Department.

"We will be out patrolling traffic, assisting pedestrians and visitors to the events on the square," Scarbrough said. "We will make sure traffic control is taken care of and we ask that citizens coming down to the event on the square to be cautious. If they will not get in a hurry and be patient it will help us out and keep everyone safer."

Even though the city is sponsoring an event to welcome the new millennium Scarbrough said all laws will still be enforces as usual, including driving under the influence of alcohol, open container and public intoxication.

"There is an ordinance against open containers in the city of Troy," he said. "If you get caught drinking in violation of the open container ordinance or are intoxicated in public you usually go to jail."

Scarbrough said he didn’t want to scare people out of having a good time, but the Troy Police want everyone to have a good and safe new year.

"’We really want to reiterate the alcohol use on the square," he said. "We want everyone to have a safe and happy new year and we don’t want anything to happen that might deter that. Have a good time tonight, but be careful."