Taylorsville Dayzz kicks off with increased police presence

TAYLORSVILLE — Less than two weeks after a gang-related shooting death at WestFest in West Valley City, Taylorsville police are not leaving anything to chance for the Taylorsville Dayzz celebration.

Taylorsville police are going to great lengths to ensure a safe environment — drones in the sky, and officers placed in strategic undisclosed locations on foot and bicycles throughout Valley Regional Park.

“We’ve just bolstered the amount of officers that we have here. We have increased it probably by about 20 officers here at the carnival per night,” said Lt. Jeron Fowler, with the Taylorsville Police Department.

He said collaboration is key, and one of the reasons a multi-unit huddle happens every couple of hours. The huddle includes a multi-county gang unit, working together to ensure everyone’s safety.

“We have stationary posts throughout the carnival, and then, we have our side by side — our rangers that are going to be out driving around, with two to four officers in there, so that we can just react to a situation that might transpire,” Fowler said.

But what “might” happen is not the focus.  It’s fun, rides, family, and celebration, Mayor Kristie Overson wants folks to count on.

“This is a fun event,” she said. “We celebrate 29 years as a city. We have the carnival, we have the main stage, lots of singers, lots of family. This is a great place to bring family.”

A place where smiles are seen at just about every turn, and screams of glee echo throughout the park.

“I love the fireworks. The fireworks tomorrow night and Saturday night are amazing, and anyone who’s been to Taylorsville Dayzz knows,” Overson said.

Another safety measure in place will impact the adult rides, with the closing time set on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., rather than 11 p.m. Taylorsville Dayzz has more safety information for planning purposes on its website.