San Diego police are ramping up security at Pride weekend events and San Diego International Comic-Con this year in wake of recent tragedies.
The events come at the tail end of a busy month for San Diego, following the MLB All-Star Game and recent visit by Vice President Joe Biden.
SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman said that heading into Pride and San Diego International Comic-Con, many residents and attendees will notice an increased police presence.
“You'll see quite a visual police presence but also there's going to be a lot of officers that are working plainclothes that you wont see, and again that’s to make sure that it’s a safe environment for everyone," Zimmerman said.
More law enforcement officers at the local, state and federal level from across various agencies will be helping to keep San Diego safe, Zimmerman said. Authorities will be on foot, on bikes and will even launch a helicopter during Pride weekend.
"Part of those contingency plans is that we will be able to ramp up at a moment’s notice more resources at any given time throughout the entire city or keep things at status quo in real time," Zimmerman said, referring to plans the police have in place for large events such as Comic-Con and Pride.
This year's Pride weekend marks the first time metal detectors will be in place at every entrance, a move organizers announced days after the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history in Orlando at the LGBTQ nightclub Pulse.
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Zimmerman said that as police reviewed their contingency plans from last year, this year's mass shooting in Orlando played a role in deciding how to stretch and alter their plan. It prompted them to ramp up security.
“We're all very mindful as to what happened in Orlando and that tragedy," Zimmerman said.
Public safety is a shared responsibility, Zimmerman said. She said if someone sees something, they should say something.
“Don’t say, 'Oh it's nothing,'" she said. "If you think it was something, then please don’t hesitate to say something."
Zimmerman said police will exercise a similar level of vigilance when San Diego International Comic-Con rolls into town the following week. The popular event kicks off Thursday, July 21 and runs through the weekend.
For security reasons, Zimmerman would not elaborate on the exact security measures police would be taking at either event. However, she said "different events prompt different security", including metal detectors and wands.
