The atmosphere at North Catasauqua William J. Albert Memorial Park, 701 Grove St., was overwhelmingly one of family-friendly fun during the Amish Outlaws’ festive performance on the comfortably warm and partly cloudy summer evening of July 10.

With a crowd of about 2,500 dispersed throughout the park and several food trucks lining Grove Street, the feisty Lancaster County six-piece group - established in 2002 and an annual favorite at Musikfest in Bethlehem - encouraged eager attendees to rise from their lawn chairs, covering up-tempo hit songs that spanned multiple genres and eras.

However, the placement of an officer visibly armed with a sniper rifle atop the nearby Masonic Lodge for the duration of the event subsequently provoked discussion within the community about what North Catasauqua Police Chief Christopher Wolfer called his department’s “multiple pro-active steps to ensure the safety of our citizens and our community.”

On the morning of July 11 and after a photo of the man drew attention on many Lehigh Valley social media pages, Wolfer and the department issued a statement explaining the decision, which he said was made at his discretion due to the “potential for a crowd in excess of 5,000 people.”

The chief’s statement added that the marksman (identified only as an officer within the department) never pointed his rifle in the vicinity of the crowd, only touched it once during the event (to adjust its optic as the sun went down) and “wore a tactical vest, which stated ‘police’ on both the front and back.”

Wolfer further said it was “brought to [his] attention that members of the community felt uneasy about” the officer’s presence, as it is unusual to have a tactical sniper so openly visible in plain view and that there was no advance public advisory.

Although a visible police presence was on the ground for the duration of the event, it is unclear how many attendees noticed the officer before and during the performance itself, rather than via social media afterward.

Regarding Wolfer’s decision, state Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-133rd, said, “When I initially saw [the sniper] on the roof, it shook me - not because he was there, but because things have changed so drastically where we have to be prepared for a possible shooter” at public events such as a concert.

McNeill also expressed her support for the chief’s approach, adding, “I commend Chief Wolfer and the (recreation) committee on putting together such a fine event and for having the wherewithal to look at the big picture and make sure everyone was safe.”