ATLANTA — Some 700,000 people are expected to pour into Atlanta over the weekend, as several big events get underway.
They include Dragon Con, Atlanta Black Gay Pride and the Chick-fil-A Kick-Off Classic between Auburn and Washington at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Channel 2's Lauren Pozen walked through downtown Thursday and said there is a definite excitement in the air as the streets are packed with people.
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“Everybody is wearing their Dragon Con badges and their T-shirts and some of them are already dressed up. It’s awesome,” said Samantha Dubbel, who is visiting from Alabama.
You can't miss the cast of characters walking down Peachtree Street as Dragon Con kicks off Thursday night.
[READ: How to survive Dragon Con 2018]
Atlanta police told Pozen they are prepared for the busy weekend and said it will be all hands on deck.
“We want everyone to contact APD through 911 or 311 if they see something suspicious or feel uncomfortable about something they see,” Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Scott Kreher said.
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Police are also using all of their resources to keep everyone safe. Pozen got an inside look at the police departments video integration center -- a network of nearly 10,000 cameras.
[READ: Stars from 'Stranger Things' to appear at Dragon Con].
The technology is so advanced, operators can zoom in on different areas of the city for a closer look at what is going on. If there are any problems, police will be called out.
You will also see a lot more police officers walking the streets.
“The pedestrian traffic is so heavy and congested we want to make sure we have the resources on the ground to make sure they can react to anything we need downtown,” Kreher said.
Police and visitors agree this will be a weekend to remember.
“Have fun, take it all In, be happy. It’s a good time to be here,” said Steven Page, who is in town from Florida.
Police warn people visiting this weekend to leave purses at home and only bring what you need. They recommend taking MARTA to avoid traffic.
Cox Media Group
