This Saturday, August 20, the Woodward Corridor will see an influx of visitors and classic cars for the annual Woodward Dream Cruise. Bloomfield Township Police have been preparing for months to ensure visitors and residents have a safe weekend by partnering with local, state, county, federal law enforcement and fire service partners. While cruisers may not necessarily see direct evidence, the security measures taken at large scale events is constantly evolving and improving for optimal safety. BTPD continues to encourage you to “See Something, Say Something.”
Oakland County is unique in that 40 local agencies are members of the Oakland County Tactical Training Consortium (OakTac). Members of OakTac uniformly trains using shared resources to strengthen overall preparedness to major incidents requiring multi-agency responses. BTPD evaluates several “what-if” scenarios related to weather, car accidents and active assailants with other agencies along the Dream Cruise route; and are aided by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan State Police.
Bloomfield Township Police plan in the following ways:
- Mutual aid agreement allowing all Oakland County Agencies to respond to an incident, if needed.
- Increased staffing with dedicated officers to the Dream Cruise for quicker response times.
- No approved time off for Officers & Dispatchers.
- Dedicated communication channels.
- Dedicated supervisory personnel to the Dream Cruise.
- Dedicated Traffic Investigative Units.
“I want all residents to know that BTPD takes their safety seriously and looks forward to a safe and fun Dream Cruise for all,” said Police Chief James Gallagher. The official Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise route is a 16-mile radius running through nine participating municipalities in Oakland County: Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Royal Oak, Pleasant Ridge and Pontiac.