Some Bay Area police departments are stepping up patrols around movie theaters to coincide with the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
The Walnut Creek Police Department is adding more officers to patrol the area around the Century 14 Downtown to protect the moviegoers. The Union City and Fremont police departments also confirmed they'd be stepping up patrols around theaters.
"The Force Awakens" is expected to have one of the biggest movie premieres of the last decade. Police said they want to make sure movie fans feel safe so they can enjoy themselves.
Walnut Creek Police Officer Lee Herrington said the department has received calls from parents asking if it's safe to send their children to the movies.
At 5 on @nbcbayarea: The force is building in Walnut Creek for #StarWarsTheForceAwakens...in more ways than one. pic.twitter.com/cQKvrRzBaH
— Ian Cull (@NBCian) December 18, 2015"With recent events in Paris and San Bernardino, that made us think we wanted to dedicate more than we normally would to something like this to make sure people are safe and people feel safe," Herrington said.
There is no specific threat, Herrington said, but police will be around in case something happens.
Walnut Creek moviegoers said they appreciate "the force" protecting them.
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"They all know we're here for the experience," Stephen Freitas said, "and we're glad they're looking out for us."
