etired Monterey Police Officer Capt. Rick Buvia initially anticipated what he describes as “a scary experience,” even for a former big-city cop.

“The department wasn't given much preparation, and once the crowds flooded in, it was everyone for themselves,” Buvia recalls of the 1967 Pop Festival. “The size of the crowd was a complete surprise to everyone, from the people of Monterey to the department to the event organizers and the performers themselves. I was prepared for the worst.”

But Buvia quickly came to understand that there was an invisible wall between he and the festival-goers. The batten-toting, gun-carrying uniformed officer noticed that the crowd wielded an abundance of flowers. He also sensed that most attendees avoided any contact with him whatsoever.

Buvia believed that bridging the gap would be a much more productive approach than an “us-versus-them” mentality. He drove to a florist a few blocks from the Fairgrounds, and picked up enough floral inventory to decorate his uniform and his bike.

“As soon as I approached the Fairgrounds, the attitude was different,” Buvia says. “People were smiling and coming up to shake my hand. The mood lightened.”

Now, Buvia had the support of the hippies. Some even assisted in the arrest of a drunk and disorderly man.

“I was nervous initially, but after I changed my attitude and my appearance, people accepted me,” Buvia recalls. “In the minds of the flower children, I went from being a pig to being a flower cop.”

Monterey Police Chief of Police Dave Hober says the eighth iteration of the popular California Roots Festival last month went as smoothly as possible considering the city welcomed an additional 30,000-plus people.

“We had a few arrests for some people who were under the influence or selling illicit drugs, but there were very few of those,” Hober says. “Overall, I think festivals are very safe. Times have changed—maybe society is a little different. I think [Monterey International Pop] is going to be very positive.

"[Police] are there to make sure people are safe. The officers will be highly visible, interacting and making sure everyone’s enjoying themselves. If there’s any need for emergency services, we’re there to provide that as well.”

Sometimes with large crowds, those services are needed: The Monterey County Sheriff's Office recently began a probe to uncover the cause of death of a 20-year-old college student who died last March after attending the Lightning in a Bottle festival at Lake San Antonio in South County just a few weeks ago.

Hober remains positive: “Realistically, the crowds are here to enjoy the music. They’re usually not here to do anything else but have fun.”