The city of Elgin plans to buy two anti-vehicle barricade systems to keep people safer at special events, officials said.
A $312,089 contract for MP5000 mobile wedge barricades from Delta Scientific Corp. has been tentatively approved by the Elgin City Council. They primarily will be used at Riverside Drive and North Grove Avenue but can be placed anywhere as needed, said Amanda Harris, director of cultural arts and special events.
“They accommodate emergency vehicle access, deploy quickly and can be used across various locations in the city,” said Harris, who would not agree to be interviewed and answered all questions by email. “This solution allows staff to maximize existing barrier resources while ensuring public safety.”
The purchase is expected to be formally approved at the council’s Feb. 26 meeting.
The MP5000 was designed to meet the needs of the U.S. Army at checkpoints in Afghanistan, according to Delta’s website. They’ve been been used to protect life and property nationally and worldwide, the site said.
Each has its own trailer and can be deployed within 30 minutes, the online description said. Emergency vehicles can be given access by pushing a button, and the devices have gone through full-scale crash tests by an independent lab, the website said.
Previously, the city purchased 51 physical barricades that were used almost weekly last summer and fall, Harris said in her email. Those barricades will be used this year as well.
Elgin has increased the number special events it’s been holding in recent years and is seeing larger attendance, Harris said. Among the largest of the city’s 50 or so fests, parades and other gatherings are the Fourth of July parade and fireworks display, Nightmare on Chicago Street, La Fiesta de Elgin and the End of Summer Bash.
The city also holds Movies in the Park and Concerts in the Park as well several events co-sponsored with other groups, Harris said.
Attendance can range greatly depending on the kind of event, she said. While smaller attractions will bring out between 150 and 300 people, the city’s largest — Nightmare on Chicago Street — drew about 21,000 people last year, she said.
The Downtown Association of Elgin held its Farmers Market on the Riverside Drive promenade every Friday last summer, attracting about 22,800 over the course of the season, according to its annual report. That was a 13.8% increase over 2023. The largest attendance day was Sept. 13 when about 3,500 people visited, the report said.
Efforts to strengthen safety during events has been something the Elgin Police Department has made a priority since a man drove through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in November 2021, killing six and injuring 62.
More recently, 10 people were killed and dozens were injured when a man drove a pickup truck into a New Year’s Eve crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and two people died last week during a vehicle ramming attack in Munich, Germany.
Harris said the MP5000 will be used with the existing barricades to provide a “multi-layered security approach that includes various types of barriers, like concrete jersey walls and public safety vehicles, as part of our comprehensive security plan.
“These measures are designed to enhance crowd safety, control traffic flow and provide an effective deterrent to potential threats,” Harris said. “Our comprehensive security planning is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure community safety.”
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
