DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — With the 9th Mardi Gras parade just days away, the Krewe of Kolosse is working with law enforcement to make sure there is heightened security, so that trouble doesn’t ruin a festive day in Dothan.

“We’re expecting a large turnout even larger than last year we have been planning on this for months on what route we are going to take,” Captain Lynn Watkins said.

The event will feature close to a thousand people in the parade and around 40 thousand people watching along parade routes — most of them being in the downtown area.

The last parade similar to the status of mardi gras parade was the National Peanut Festival parade in downtown Dothan — that’s, when a group of people got into a fight, shots, rang out, leaving one person injured and one dead.

Harry Hall, the Mardi Gras organization founder said he doesn’t believe that shooting posed too much of a fear in people that they will not want to enjoy themselves downtown.

“No, I do not think that should be a concern I think that was a one-off but even though we think that we have a very robust law enforcement presence,” Hall said.

Dothan Police Department will keep its eyes on the cameras they have in the downtown area and close to 40 officers are assigned to the parade routes — that is about 10 to 15 more than they had last year.

Watkins and Hall say when it comes to safety, they are mostly worried about people getting too close to the floats which was a problem last year but prevented this year.

“We ask that nobody jump the barricade or put your kid over,” Captain Watkins said.

“We will throw it to you but we won’t if you come too close we need everybody to stay back so nobody gets hurt in our parade,” Hall said.