While Lansing’s Police and Fire Departments, private security company DK Security and Sparrow Hospital are prepared to deal with the safety and security concerns associated with the influx of visitors to Lansing, officials said in past years there hasn’t been much of an increase in crime or other safety issues because of the festival.
City of Lansing Fire Department Emergency Management Director Michael Hamel said Common Ground Music Festival is “really a pretty uneventful venue” when it comes to dealing with safety concerns.
“Many of the safety issues we have, we have security procedures in place (for) and work with DK Security on the ground, and have support with our fire and medical staff,” Hamel said.
In addition to Lansing police patrolling the area, Common Ground Music Festival hires its own security company to keep an eye out for disturbances.
Common Ground Music Festival Marketing Director Jenna Meyer said about 80 personnel make up the Common Ground security team, and the festival “has yet to have any issues.”
While Sparrow Hospital has not seen a sizable increase in the number of patients because of the festival, Sparrow Emergency Department Manager Lea Curtiss said Sparrow Hospital staff will be on-site to handle minor incidents at the first-aid tent and transport any injured to the hospital.
In previous years, Lansing police reported only a handful of arrests during Common Ground. Out of the seven-day event in 2013, Lansing police only reported five incidents involving crime.
In 2013, Lansing Police Public Information Officer Robert Merritt reported only two arrests related to the music festival.
