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Police, fire and regional partners describe multiagency Haunted Happenings safety operation
Summary
Chiefs said the city runs a temporary second command center, relies on regional mutual aid including NEMLAC and state police, and expects overtime and other public-safety expenses to increase for the next October season.
Salem police and fire chiefs told the Council committee that public safety during Haunted Happenings is a multiagency operation that creates a temporary second command structure and draws on regional partners.
Police Chief Miller said the department “in effect create[s] a second police department” during the busiest October nights, operating a command center that also hosts mutual-aid and federal partners. He said the city relies on the Northeast Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLAC), state police, county and federal agencies for specialty teams and additional patrols.
Chief Miller reported total October calls for service were “pretty flat,” down about 67 calls (roughly 1.5%) from 2023. On Halloween night specifically the department made three criminal arrests and three protective-custody actions; he described those figures as consistent with recent years. He said towing declined about 19% and that Salem Police overtime rose about 7% compared with the prior year, while costs for out-of-town officers were lower because many mutual-aid agencies did not bill Salem.
Fire Chief Allen described expanded medical-cart deployment and said city medical carts responded to 156 calls in 2024, a roughly 41% increase year over year; those carts are equipped to begin patient care and to get through dense crowds. He said the department will continue mutual-aid preplanning to position additional engines and ladders nearer neighborhoods when downtown access is restricted.
Chief Miller told the committee he plans to increase fixed protections on car-free (“frozen”) pedestrian areas after learning from incidents elsewhere and reiterated a preference for having Salem officers on downtown streets while using outside units for specialized functions. He said the department will continue to use mutual aid for specialized capabilities including anti-drone units, bomb squad, and plainclothes counterterrorism teams.
Councilors pressed chiefs about tour buses, barricade staffing and the number of officers assigned to barricade points; Miller said he cannot station an officer at every barricade but will prioritize critical chokepoints and intends to keep or increase Salem officers on the street next October.
