From Orchard City to Garlic Town: Campbell PD Assists at Annual Gilroy Garlic Festival

It takes a lot of man power to keep 100,000 people over the course of three days safe.

The is in its 33rd year and has been lending a hand for the last six years.

"We originally got involved a few years back after Gilroy requested outside agency assistance in order to help field the necessary number of officers for the event," says Campbell Police Capt. Dave Carmichael.

Campbell PD sends over a group of officers that get paid overtime to man the Gilroy Garlic Festival. The city of Gilroy reimburses the city of Campbell for its personnel costs associated with the festival.

"We are always happy to help out other law enforcement agencies and know that they will return the favor should a future need arise," Carmichael says.

Campbell joins Gilroy Police as well as departments from Morgan Hill and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department.

"Generally, that’s the group we draw from," says Gilroy Garlic Festival spokesman Peter Ciccarelli.

Police will also devote a separate “repeating channel” to the festival, bringing in special radio equipment that will allow long-distance communication for the assigned officers and leave the city’s existing channel open for police work elsewhere, says Jim Gillio, captain in the Gilroy Police Department and chairman of the festival’s security committee.

The festival will reimburse the different agencies for their work, he says. The specific number of officers involved isn’t being released out of security concerns.

The numerous police departments are a more proactive approach to the festival, Ciccarelli says, and in his 15 years as the spokesman, he hasn't seen a major incident take place.

"Occasionally there’s a fist fight, but nothing more drastic," Ciccarelli says. "Our biggest challenge is sending people home with garlic breath."