Armed Police At SFGAm

Ok I have posted a few things about the lack of security at six flags parks but it looks like they got the hint. On friday the 12th I was at Great America and As I was walking away from Deja Vu I saw a fully uniformed Gurnee Police officer walking through the park on patrol. It looks like they finally are going to be able to preserve the parks dignity when it comes to maintaining a fun Atmosphere.

Call me a little bit strange, but I don't think that armed cops = fun atmosphere.

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"drop rides, not bombs."

People would get nervous that they need cops in the park for it to be safe.

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Sean

chris, the fact that you're a bit strange aside, I agree that ARMED anyone makes me have a little less fun than I might have otherwise....(except of course, the *armed* "mutiny-on-the-bounty-hunters" from Den of Lost Thieves). And for those of you who have not YET gotten the HINT, get to IB, do it quickly, and thank me later....it's not that far from SFGAm, and while both provide a full day's worth of fun, I still have a hard time believing IB is that good...and it IS!

While I didnt see "armed" cops roaming the park on Sunday, I did notice in my last two visits that park security is more present at the park. I noticed them actively patroling the que lines for Raging Bull and Viper this last weekend and Batman on another weekend. They are nailing people for smoking in line, line jumping, and guys not wearing shirts.

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Bob Hansen

A proud CoasterBuzz Member

"So you think your'e really brave, gonna see the DEMONS cave.
You silly dude, your'e only food, for the DEMON"

There were armed cops at Magic Mountain last Saturday night. It makes me feel more nervous then safe that they would need them.

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Top 5: 1)MF, 2)Goliath, 3)Magnum XL 200, 4)Medusa(West), 5)Raptor

I've seen armed cops at Cedar Point and Geauga Lake for years. Why is this unusual?

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"We used to hate people, now we just make fun of them. It's more effective that way." - KMFDM, "Dogma"

I have to agree... "so what?" On busy days SFOG has off-duty officers come in to help patrol. Seeing a uniformed officer in addition to normal security makes me feel alittle better. When I see a police officer, I don't think "gun," or "armed," I think "officer."

Its not unusual I see armed cops at Great America all the time. I also don't think their security has been lacking. On Mothers Day there was almost a fight between two groups on Raging Bulls platform and almost before the Ride Operator put down the phone after calling security they were there. I honestly couldn't belive how quick they got there but Great America does not have a lack of Security I can assure you of that.

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Deja Vu Count = 18
CoasterWorld

I think it's funny when rude guests think that park security is the equivalent of your typical 70 year old security guard. I speak from many experiences at SFOG, they will take you down in a hurry!

They could have undercover cops.

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#1 Steel-Nitro
#1 Wood-Shivering Timbers

A show about CP showed the police station inside of the park where officers are stationed all the time according to the show.
I would perfer not to have armed officers walking around the parks as it doesnt enhance the family atmosphere but if it is needed i have no problem with it. We arent talking about wdw type crowds at a SF park where your security presence can be undercover and not as noticeable. At a SF park you need a visible presence to keep the troublemakers in line.

What's wrong with armed cops? They are armed in the cities where we live, why should an amusement park be any different? Especially at CP, where the park is basically a small city on an isolated penninsula. It's not just the park they protect, but the millions of dollars worth of boats in the marina and the thousands of hotel guests. Imagine what a tempting target an expensive boat would be if CP didn't have a police force?

Jeff's right. I saw armed cops at PGA when I worked there in 1987. Heck...I saw them there earlier...back in the wild west days when kids were getting stabbed etc. Let me tell you all...things are much better now than the "Bad" old days.

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"If the beats were made of meat then they would have to be me ..." - L.L. Cool J

At SFGAm there are never any cops. At Cedar Point they actually have a police station in the park. I think that the real police officers make me feel safer in case if anything does go wrong in the park. Why would they make you nervous? They only would if you were breaking the law otherwise you have nothing to fear.

you wanna see scary? at a twin drive-in near my house, one of the attendants that takes your money, was carrying a gun. not theatre security, cop, or even rent-a-cop. this guy just had a gun holstered without having a title.

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If your really evil in this life, do you come back as toilet paper????
ladies and gentlemen, due to an increase in line jumping, people caught cutting in line will no longer be ejected from the park. u will be ejected from the ride

Armed cops and security are nothing new at Magic Mountain. You gotta go through metal detectors and security checking bags, and if they aren't satisfied with that they have metal detecting wands. The weird thing is, I only see them at the entrance. They are almost nowhere deep in the park. I don't know how many times I've walked down a secluded pathway and smelled the aroma of weed(or maybe it was time for me to do shirt laundry).
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Coasters and Chronic
What a Combo!

Knotts and DL have many armed police officers and security gaurds roaming the park. Disneyland has undercover officers. How many parks use security cameras? Just for shooting the midways and lines? I know knotts and disney both have big security offices with many camera displays.

SFGAm Man said:
At SFGAm there are never any cops.

Never??? Really? Interesting. I suppose those Village of Gurnee police cars that sit outside the main gate really aren't police cars. They're just decoration, right? Oh, yeah, and the Village of Gurnee police officers that walk around the park are just decoration, or figments of my imagination, right? And at orientation for SFGAm employees, I just imagined them telling us that they have uniformed Village of Gurnee police officers working. I just imagined them telling us that SFGAm pays their overtime...

Caution... Absolutes are rarely absolutes! Never say never... unless you know FOR SURE!

:P

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"Getting on Iron Wolf is kind of like going in a blender and pressing PUREE"

--Ever lying in wait for someone to say something stupid.

Being a police officer seeing a police officer doesnt frighten me but i think a heavy presence of police officers would tend to make some people wonder if the park is safe. I have seen few police officers while at SFGAM.. I cant talk about Dl but i have seen seen a armed uniformed office while at WDW or USF . Im sure they are in the parks but they arent visible as those parks attract a different crowd that doesnt need a uniformed presence to keep the guests acting in a civilized manner. I do think a heavy security presence detracts from a parks experience.

The only park i thought it was bad was last year at SFA where it seemed they went to every gym they could find to get muscle bound people to walk around the park so as to scare people into behaving.