As St. Pete prepares for Pride, police chief urges vigilance

It may be hard to look away from the dazzling floats, but St. Petersburg’s police chief urged Pride festival attendees to be on the lookout for anything suspicious this weekend.

Police expect 200,000 people to attend this year’s Pride celebrations, Police Chief Anthony Holloway said at a press conference on Tuesday. Officers, surveillance equipment and police boats will be deployed to ensure security at the event.

This year, the St. Pete’s Pride Festival will take place on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. in North and South Straub Park. The parade begins at 6 p.m. and goes from Albert Whitted Park along Bayshore Drive to Vinoy Park.

Holloway said police will rely on the community to ensure a safe Pride celebration for all.

“I don’t want you to be the person who says, ‘I should have called,'” Holloway said. “If you see anything suspicious, call, let us know, let us investigate.”

He declined to say how many police officers would be present at the Pride parade and related events, but said both uniformed and plainclothes police would be present.

During Baltimore’s Pride parade on Saturday, a chemical agent and fireworks sprayed into the crowd sparked a panicked flight that left several people injured, according to the New York Times. Police later said the substance was pepper spray and was sprayed during a fight between two groups.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security warned in May that this year’s Pride celebrations could become a target for terrorist organizations. The warning referred to an attempted attack on a Pride parade in Vienna last year by three suspected ISIS supporters.

Holloway said there are currently no credible threats to the St. Petersburg Pride Parade, but the department is working with the FBI to monitor any threats. He added that license plate readers will be used to track all vehicles arriving at the Pride celebration.

“We’ve been very lucky,” Holloway said of the 10 years he’s been in charge of security at Pride. “Last year we arrested maybe one person for disturbing the peace. But other than that, it’s been a really great 10 years.”

Byron Green-Calisch, chairman of the St. Pete Pride board, said participants should leave any weapons in their cars before joining the festivities.

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There will be security checks at Pride events again this year. At the entrances, participants will be searched for weapons or knives using portable metal detectors. These security measures were introduced for last year’s Pride events as there have been increasing threats to Pride events in recent years.

Green-Calisch said Pride festival attendees must also beware of another danger: the Florida heat.

He said attendees should use sunscreen and drink water regularly, adding they should not bring dogs to the Pride festival as it is too hot for them to stay outside.

The St. Petersburg Fire Department treated more than 40 people for heat-related injuries during Pride weekend last year, nine of whom were hospitalized. Fire Chief Garth Swingle said visitors should watch for symptoms of heat exhaustion, which include headaches, dizziness, nausea and thirst.

“Drink water consistently, before, during and after the event – ​​especially if you drink alcohol,” Swingle said.

Several refrigeration tents would be available along the parade route, Swingle said, and medical teams would be stationed at various locations to ensure they could respond quickly in the event of an emergency.

Green-Calisch said he was grateful to the police and fire departments for their efforts to ensure safety at this year’s celebration.

“I’m a new father and now more than ever I’m concerned about making sure everyone who comes to our event gets home,” said Green-Calisch. “I want to make sure we keep fighting the next day.”