July 4th was a long night for the city of Raleigh, including Sgt. Phil Falco.
The veteran Raleigh police officer, with 13 years of experience working downtown, found himself in the middle of the chaos, as thousands of teens and young adults descended on Glenwood South, and as fights and shootings broke out.
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“A lot of us were out there until six in the morning just making sure that we had talked to everyone we needed to talk to that night,” said Falco. “It was a lot going on.”
That experience helps underscore the message he shared Tuesday at Millbrook Exchange Park: tips to keep people safe who want to enjoy Raleigh’s nightlife.
The tips came as part of Raleigh’s “Summer Safety Series,” a string of talks designed to teach people from all walks of life how to stay safe, from the city’s trails to taverns. The talks were planned long before the July 4th chaos.
“Tonight, specifically with nightlife, I hope that they think about the vibrancy of Raleigh, and that it really is an honor to be a community where people travel from all over and want to come here,” said Amanda Rolle, RPD’s Chief of Staff, who helped organize the talks. “We need to let them know that when you come, you have to do it safely. You have to follow our rules.”
Among the tips, Sgt. Falco shared were common-sense measures: have a designated driver, know where you’re going, and always lock your car doors.
“A lot of the vehicle break-in reports that I have responded to or incidents, a lot of times it started out with a suspicious person call where someone saw someone walking in a parking deck or where vehicles are parked in a big group, just pulling on door handles as the person goes down the line of cars,” said Falco. “So sometimes just locking your car and hiding the valuables is all you need to not become a victim of a car break-in.”
Falco also stressed the community should see RPD as a resource, and shouldn’t be afraid to call police, both if they see something suspicious, or if they see someone who needs help.
“Call us. We'll be happy to come out and evaluate each situation individually, because charging someone with a crime isn't always the best answer,” said Falco. “If we really want to help folks get out of that cycle and reduce the amount of recidivism we see with activity like that, getting someone off the street and taking advantage of some resources that could help with those substance abuse issues, mental health issues they may be having, that's a great strategy that we try to incorporate.”
RPD says the goal with these meetings is also to start a conversation with the community and learn what people want to see from their officers to keep everyone safe - teens and adults alike.
“What I will say is that our ears are open, and we are willing to listen to young people as well, not just those who are complaining about the problems of teens. How do we solve it? You know, it requires all of us,” said Amanda Rolle.
RPD has another Summer Safety Series meeting planned for July 28. The meeting will focus on trail safety. It’s scheduled for the Millbrook Exchange Park at 6:30 pm.