HANCOCK COUNTY — It was an all-hands-on-deck kind of day for law enforcement officials in Hancock County. Administrators with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department (HCSD) and Greenfield Police Department (GPD) brought all officers and deputies in early and planned to have their full forces working throughout the day and evening.
Their main task — handle what was expected to be large crowds of people in vehicles coming and going from the area to watch the total eclipse. However, it ended up being a pretty laid-back, easy-going spring day for law enforcement in Hancock County.
“We’ve got the full manpower to be able to handle any traffic issues or anything else,” HCSD’s Major Bobby Campbell said just prior to the eclipse starting Monday. “We’ve got deputies to also cover our regular business stuff, too.”
Officials with the GPD scheduled their normally off night shift to come in around 2 p.m. Monday and then the regular night shift to come in at 6 p.m. Monday evening to make sure everything was covered and running smoothly.
“We had five officers assigned to Depot Street Park and both of our day shifts are working,” GPD Deputy Chief Chuck McMichael said prior to the eclipse. “It’s definitely an all-hands-on-deck kind of day in an abundance of caution to be sure that traffic doesn’t get really bad.”
Around lunch time, a couple of hours before the eclipse, McMichael said he was somewhat surprised and noted it was actually business as usual for law enforcement with no additional traffic in the area.
“I just took a lap around the city and there were some busy pockets up north, but it was like normal busy, and it was kind of eerily quiet — not too many people were out and about,” McMichael said.
As the solar eclipse slid through, HCSD officials kept a close eye on the roads and said it was a far less traveled day than anticipated.
“It was really a low level traffic event in the county for sure,” Campbell said. “It kind felt like it was a Sunday.”
Sheriff’s officials were watching the interstate cameras after the event and noted traffic did start picking up on those roads, but county-wise things were flowing fairly smoothly late afternoon.
“We didn’t have any issues during the eclipse, and as I was patrolling around the county I could see lots of families out in their yards gathering enjoying the afternoon and that was nice to see people getting together experiencing the event,” Campbell said.
McMichael note it was the same smooth sailing in Greenfield leading right up to the eclipse, during and even after.
“Overall, traffic leading up to the event was minimal and so far outbound wise it hasn’t changed,” McMichael said. “We’re monitoring things through our cameras and it’s not bad at all.”
Other than keeping an eye on traffic and dealing with crowds associated with an eclipse, law enforcement patrolled city and county roads checking on vehicles and pockets of people who they thought might have stopped to witness the eclipse or pick up a souvenir at one of the impromptu shops set up along the road way.
Jimmy Kriener of L & G Concessions, Speedway, had a massive souvenir shop in the 2600 block of W. Main Street selling eclipse hats and shirts. He said that while crowds were not as large as he was anticipating, he was making some money.
“It’s been a steady,” Kriener said. “We’re selling a little bit of everything and it’s kind of interesting because I’ve never worked a solar eclipse before.”
He was selling shirts and hats that said things like “I got mooned,” with the April 4, 2024 date on them.
Kriener picked up a permit from officials with the City of Greenfield earlier in the week in order to set up the souvenir shop. McMichael noted officers wouldn’t be bothering pop up shops as long as they didn’t interfere with traffic trying to come into or leave the area.
In the Southern part of the county, New Palestine Police chief Bob Ehle said they experienced less than Sunday traffic.
“New Palestine was dead traffic-wise,” Ehle said. “A few minutes before the eclipse started, I pulled right into the center of town and stopped and was able to take a photo because no one was driving in town.”
Traffic was so non existent Ehle sent three officers home early and told his night shift officers to come in at their regular time.
“I stopped past a couple of churches in New Palestine and saw a couple places that looked like they had their congregations out there, and while people were out in their yards, nobody was driving around,” Ehle said. “It was a pretty neat experience and a good day.”
