It’s going to be a busy weekend in the City of Vancouver but officials want to assure everyone that police will be out in full force and everyone will be safe.
This follows the tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Day festival last Saturday where an SUV drove into a crowd of people, killing 11.
Insp. Jeff Neuman, who is in charge of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) emergency response and planning section, said there are 12 protests and 10 special events in the city this weekend, in addition to the BMO marathon and half-marathon, which are expected to attract 25,000 people.
Neuman said there will be 200 members deployed to the marathon alone, and they will be responsible for securing heavy vehicle barriers, light vehicle barriers and increasing security along the route.
Neuman said that while this is an escalation of security from last year, it is not in response to the Lapu Lapu tragedy.
He said that this is due to ongoing risk assessments of big events.
Thousands of people are expected to converge on downtown Vancouver for the marathon and to watch the event.
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Following the tragic events at the Filipino festival on April 26, questions have been raised about security surrounding big events.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said the city suffered its “darkest day” on Saturday when a man drove an SUV into a crowd of people at the Lapu Lapu Day festival.
Thirteen people remained in hospital on Thursday following the Lapu Lapu incident.
One person has been downgraded from critical to serious condition, Vancouver police Sgt. Steve Addison said in a media briefing on Thursday.
All streets have now reopened and the area has been cleared.
The community support centre, located at East 33rd Avenue and St. George Street, remains open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Addison said 115 people visited the centre on Wednesday.
Vancouver police are still urging witnesses to contact them.
No further charges have been laid against the suspect but he remains in custody.
On April 26, the victims were gathered on the grounds of a school at East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, celebrating Filipino culture and heritage.
Vancouver police confirmed that the driver entered an area of the festival from East 43rd Avenue that was not blocked off by concrete barriers.
Questions are being raised about security at the event and why the suspect was able to easily access the site.
“Public safety has been our key priority since day one, and I want to know how we can avoid an incident like this from ever happening again,” Sim said.
Vancouver police interim chief Const. Steve Rai said a risk assessment is conducted every time there is an event and that it was undertaken in this case.
Race routes will impact traffic on Saturday, May 3, in Vancouver’s Riley Park, Coal Harbour and Downtown area, and on Sunday, May 4, in the Riley Park, South Cambie, Oakridge, Fairview, Kerrisdale, Dunbar, UBC, Point Grey, Kitsilano, West End, Coal Harbour, Chinatown, Yaletown, Cambie, False Creek and Downtown neighbourhoods.
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