In Light Of Boston Bombing, Security Heightened At OKC Arts Festival

Oklahoma City police officers are on high alert ahead of Tuesday's opening of the city's annual Festival of the Arts at the Myriad Gardens.

The festival begins at 11 a.m., but police have been at the event site since Sunday making sure nothing goes wrong. Police say this year, they plan to have a large number of officers – both in and out of uniform – saturating the area.

Also this year, the city's bomb squad technicians are playing a more significant role in the security preparations than they have in previous years. This isn't due to any specific threat. It's simply the department's way of being overly cautious, especially in light of the bombing at the Boston Marathon.

"Officers will be actually, physically, there 24 hours a day," said Capt. Dexter Nelson. "It will be one of the highest concentrations of police in the city of Oklahoma City during the Arts Festival that is going on."

Police say they'll not only be there on the ground, but they'll be stationed in nearby buildings and in watch towers so they get a good view of what's happening all around them.

Police are also asking festival goers to be aware of their surroundings, and to tell an officer if they see anything suspicious.