When Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour kicks off for the final three shows on Friday, public safety will be top of mind.
Vancouver police said approximately 700 officers will be deployed in the downtown core and more will be called if necessary.
“We do have thousands upon thousands of people who are arriving in Vancouver who are here for three sold-out Taylor Swift concerts,” Vancouver police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison told Global News.
“We’re expecting huge crowds in and around the downtown core, hundreds of thousands of people over the course of the weekend because there’s not just Taylor Swift, it’s Vancouver Canucks, it’s Cirque du Soleil. It’s a busy weekend.”
Addison said incidents like the one in downtown Vancouver on Wednesday where officers shot a suspect can be concerning for the public, but police will be highly visible this weekend.
“We don’t have any specific information or current information about a specific threat, but we’re going to be there,” he said. “We’re going to have a very highly-visible police presence. And we’re there to make this a weekend that people can enjoy and a weekend that’s memorable because we know a lot of people have been looking forward to this for for many, many months.”
Addison said they want people attending any events or doing anything in the city to feel safe.
“We’ll have officers there and if somebody feels unsafe, they can approach one of our officers who are inside the venue or outside,” he said.
“(We) will be wearing high-visibility vests. They can call 911. We’re going to have a significant police presence there so we can respond right away. We’re there for people’s comfort and safety.”