Monday, April 29, 2024
Following the total solar eclipse that was witnessed last Monday, in which Gatesville was expecting a massive influx of visitors, Gatesville Police Chief Brad Hunt commented on the historic eclipse weekend from the police department’s perspective.
Regarding the high volume of traffic that was expected, Hunt said, “Traffic certainly did not pan out across our area, nor across the state, as expected, which was a blessing. I spoke to leaders throughout the day on Sunday and Monday in Waco, Copperas Cove, Hillsboro, Temple, Bosque County, and others who stated the same. We saw some local congestion on Monday morning, as people seemed to quickly shift their plans based on the forecasted cloud cover. We ended up being one of the recommended places in Texas for clearer skies. So, on Monday, between about 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., there was a large influx of day trippers into our town. After the event, traffic was heavier than usual until about 4 p.m., and it then went back to relatively normal.”
The Block out the Sun Party that was held on the courthouse square the Saturday and Sunday prior to the eclipse was commented on by Chief Hunt, “Our crowds were lighter than we’d hoped, but that was likely due to the existing or forecast weather. Nothing usual occurred. Cheri Shepherd and her event volunteers did an amazing job, and I received many comments about how organized and fun the event turned out.”
Chief Hunt addressed the department’s early planning stages for the eclipse. “Our goal from day one of planning was to make sure our citizens and visitors had a safe and organized experience. Our planning focused on the issues related to the number of people we knew would come here, since were directly in the centerline of the totality, regardless of whether we advertised ourselves as a destination. Our events were designed to give those folks a safe and fun place to be, and we met that goal. I stated that a safe eclipse is a successful eclipse, and we met that goal as well. From the perspective of public safety, we were more than ready. For the sake of our local businesses and economy, I was actually hopeful for more visitors than we eventually saw.”
According to Hunt, due to the expected influx of visitors to the area, the Gatesville Police Department received additional law enforcement assistance. “All our available Gatesville Police Officers took part in patrolling day and night, as well as five Officers from Stephenville PD, three Officers from Gatesville ISD PD, two of our Reserve Officers, and one Dispatcher loaned to us via a mutual aid agreement with the Central Texas Council of Governments.”
The Gatesville Police Chief was able to visit with many of the eclipse visitors who arrived in the community. “It is hard to put into words how amazing it was to visit with folks from around the U.S. and the world. I met folks from Washington D.C. to Oregon, and south Texas to Michigan. I had great conversations with folks from Ireland, Korea, Norway, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and many other countries. Every single person I talked to mentioned how wonderful the people of Gatesville had been, how friendly everyone was, and how much they appreciated being here in our community.”
Chief Hunt said that he is very appreciative of the support of city and county officials and for those who have worked for months/years to ensure that this past week was a success.
When asked why he believed that it was important for the community to experience the solar eclipse event, Hunt replied, “I would put that as ‘the world got the chance to experience our community.’ I had said to our department heads and my folks that this was our time to shine, and I am happy to report that we did so. Our city, county, businesses, and community received countless positive reviews from visitors.”
