08/11/2026
We are pleased to share that we had a very safe and fun 2026 Hop Festival!
This year, you may have noticed some changes in how we protected the event. During last year’s festival, there was a significant increase in fights within the park, particularly in the darker areas near the playground. Several knives were also dropped in the area where these fights occurred.
The Moxee Police Department’s primary focus this year was preventing those problems from continuing and creating a safer environment for everyone and we accomplished that goal. We increased law enforcement presence throughout the park and utilized a mobile command post during the event.
We could not have accomplished this without the tremendous support of our partner agencies, including the Yakima County Sheriff's Office and the Yakima Police Department, Sunnyside Police Department, Selah Police Department, and Union Gap Police Department.
The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office provided personnel and equipment to help keep the event safe, and we cannot thank them enough.
The Yakima Valley Emergency Management also provided equipment to support our safety efforts, and the East Valley School District #90 allowed us to use the Moxee Elementary as a staging area and mobile command post.
We have seen social media posts regarding the use of Flock cameras during the event, including questions about the placement of some of the cameras. We would like to provide some clarification.
The camera trailers used during the festival were temporary and brought in specifically for this event. These trailers did not contain license plate reader cameras. The cameras were no different from the camera trailers commonly used at retail stores and other businesses. They were placed near the park’s primary entrances and in areas where problems had occurred during previous events. We also added lighting in these areas as an additional measure to help prevent problems. Once the festival ended, the camera trailers were returned.
Fortunately, footage from the cameras was not needed because we experienced very few problems, and the issues that did occur were minor.
The Moxee Police Department sincerely thanks all our community and law enforcement partners who helped make the 2026 Hop Festival a safe and enjoyable event. We appreciate everyone who attended and contributed to its success, and we look forward to next year’s Hop Festival!
Thank you!
Chief Mark Lewis
Moxee Police Department