Fort Myers Police talk Art Walk safety after...

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

The New Orleans terror attack on New Year's Day has some people in Fort Myers rethinking if they should attend Art Walk on Friday.

I just don't think it's safe for people to gather in large gatherings anymore, because you never know what's going to happen," said Cindy Wildey visiting from Canada.

"I mean, it was bad enough when we came down after Covid-19, getting used to being around people again, and now this is just going to keep people away even more and more," she added.

Art Walk draws people from all over to the downtown area, to celebrate all things art. NBC2 has seen time and time again just how crowded it can get.

"Nowadays it does make you stop and think when things like this happen," said Bambi Delattre, visiting from Maine.

NBC2 asked Fort Myers Police Department what they are doing to keep you safe, Captain Sean Yates telling us that they're prepared.

"I think any type of event is obviously going to raise anybody's awareness that any of these things can happen anywhere at any time from our side." From the city, we take these events and the security very seriously, and there is a lot of planning that goes into those events," said Yates.

Police will put up road barricades that will be scattered around the downtown area, they also will keep an eye on bomb threats or people with guns.

"If something does happen, that we have emergency services readily available and laid out by working with our other law enforcement agencies, our EMS providers, our hospitals," said Yates. "We all linked up into these, just in case we do have some kind of mass casualty incident, that we have things to readily get that needed medical care to these people as fast as possible."

Others don't want even want to take the chance, despite the security.

"Made me think twice of me and may not go, definitely not going tomorrow, I may go weeks in the future," said Wildey.

Fort Myers Police confirmed with NBC2 that security watchtowers will be set in the downtown area on Friday, the towers were approved by a grant from the city to help beef up security in events with large crowds.