SAN ANTONIO — Some tall hats stood out among the crowds on the River Walk Saturday.
As part of a new training exercise this summer, cadets are shadowing Bexar County deputies to help keep the peace in downtown San Antonio.
“They’re wearing cowboy hats, everyone loves a cowboy,” said Alyssa Gonzalez, who works at a restaurant along the River Walk and said she appreciates the extra police nearby after what she says was a crazy past two weeks with Fiesta and the Fourth of July. “This weekend, like, everybody went home. I’m feeling a little calmness."
Officials with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office say six deputies will be patrolling the area on Saturdays, helping visitors find their way around—visitors like Mallory Kiger, visiting the Alamo City for the first time.
“I feel generally pretty safe here, which I like," Kiger said. "There’s a lot of unique people that I feel like we’re all united and we’re all enjoying everything."
BCSO has said restaurants have shared concerns with crowds during the day and night.
The crowds are part of concerns for workers like Gonzalez.
“We all get out at 1 a.m. or 1 a.m.-ish and walking home, a lot of the girls walking home by themselves, the parking garages, there’s people waiting in them, a lot of girls feel uneasy walking to their cars,” Gonzalez said.
People working on and visiting the River Walk say they hope to see the law enforcement presence continue.
“In some ways it makes me feel safer because I feel like they’re going to do their job and they’re going to protect me if something does come up,” Kiger said.