With the Chevron Houston Marathon just 16 days away, safety concerns have escalated following the terror attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
Retired HPD Captain Greg Fremin said while Houston has been fortunate in avoiding attacks during large public gatherings, the risk of a lone wolf or coordinated attack remains a significant concern.
“We have to be right 100% of the time, and we hope they don’t get it right one time,” Fremin said, underscoring the importance of vigilance. “That’s our fear that you’re going to have other open areas that are in here. Can somebody infiltrate the race route? Would it be possible for someone to do that? Absolutely. But we have contingency plans in place for that.”
As in previous years, the Chevron Houston Marathon will draw a crowd of around 300,000 people to the area surrounding Discovery Green and along the race route.
In light of recent events, Fremin believes that law enforcement agencies are considering additional safety measures, such as the creation of “no-drive zones” around key areas like Discovery Green to prevent vehicles from getting too close to the crowds.
“You’re going to have a footprint,” Fremin said. “But it could be expanded, and you might see some more additional road closures coming into this area downtown. So, I would definitely look for something like that happening, and that’s going to basically secure this area from vehicle traffic. It’ll be open for pedestrians, but it’ll be shut down for vehicles.”
Despite these preparations, Fremin acknowledged that ensuring total security for such an open event is challenging. However, he stressed that authorities are committed to minimizing risks and responding to any threats promptly.
The Chevron Houston Marathon did not comment on this story.
KPRC 2 did reach out to the Mayor’s Office and HPD for comment but were unable to reschedule an interview or get a statement, but further details are expected as the marathon draws nearer.
