Thousands of costumed superheroes will fly into San Diego this weekend for Comic-Con and the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said security around the high-profile event will be tighter than ever.
With more than 100,000 attendees expected at the multi-day pop culture expo at the San Diego Convention Center, large crowds will gather all over downtown.
This brings major concerns over security, especially in light of recent attacks all over the world, including Orlando, Florida and Nice, France.
On Wednesday – Comic-Con’s preview day – SDPD officers were already setting up security around the convention center, carrying out their plan to keep everyone safe.
The SDPD said the public will see a larger presence of uniformed officer out in full force around Comic-Con this weekend. Cameras and plainclothes officers will also be placed strategically around the event.
Police said a major concern is the realistic-looking weapons used as props by the many costumed Comic-Con attendees. To avoid confusion, the SDPD said officers plan to tag those props and place wristbands on attendees who have been properly checked and cleared.
Still, the SDPD is asking all superheroes at the event to do their part. SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman said that anyone who sees any kind of suspicious activity around Comic-Con should immediately contact authorities.
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“Public safety is a shared responsibility. Please make sure you’re also vigilant,” Zimmerman said.
“Be aware of your surroundings and if something just seems out of the ordinary – out of place – please, no matter how insignificant you think it might be, don’t say, ‘Oh, it’s nothing.’ If you think it was something then please don’t hesitate to say something,” the chief added.
On Thursday, a San Diego police sniper was spotted by a Los Angeles Times photographer standing guard above the activity of the convention.
Comic-Con’s preview day kicks off at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The convention continues through Sunday. NBC 7 will bring you coverage of the event in our special online Comic-Con section here.
