APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Appleton Police Chief Polly Olson talked with Local Five’s Kaitlin Corbett on Thursday morning to discuss the City’s upcoming Oktoberfest event happening this Saturday.

Chief Olson first talked about how the city is preparing for the event, “Similar to years past, there is extensive planning that goes into getting ready for this event from a safety perspective. Our staff has been working really hard to get all of the appropriate resources in place to try and ensure the best we can so everyone can come and have a great time while also being safe.”

One of the key aspects of preparing for the event is staffing.

“We make sure we have enough staffing to ensure that we can maintain safety within the crowds and have enough staff to just be sure that people are following all the designated rules,” explained Chief Olson. “Just encouraging people to really be mindful of how much they are consuming.”

Another recommendation from Chief Olson pertains to Ride Share programs and for everyone enjoying the event to plan ahead and make sure they have a safe ride home.

There are some changes taking place during Oktoberfest this year as well, including the License to Cruise event on Friday, which will now take place three hours earlier than it ever has in the past.

The earlier start time for the License to Cruise may impact traffic for those traveling in Appleton on Friday afternoon