Calgary Stampede security plan to include overhead drones, vehicle mitigation measures
More than 1.3 million people are expected to attend the 10-day rodeo and exhibition, which begins with a parade on Friday.
The Stampede grounds will be temporarily turned into a police district with a headquarters, incident commander, dispatcher and officers from across the city.
And vehicle access to the grounds will be extremely limited, said Kerrie Blizard, director of public safety and environment at the Stampede.
'We're always making changes … at the entrances specifically. We've actually been utilizing vehicle mitigation barriers and strategies since before 2019,' Blizard told a news conference Wednesday.
Eleven people were killed and nearly 30 were injured in April when an SUV rammed into Vancouver's crowded Lapu Lapu street festival celebrating the Filipino-Canadian community.
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The man accused in that attack, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, faces several counts of second-degree murder.
Acting Insp. Scott Campbell, incident commander at the Stampede, said plenty of officers will be monitoring the parade route as well as the grounds.
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A vehicle attack is unlikely, he said.
'There aren't going to be any vehicles. There's good vehicle mitigation and we don't expect any issues on that,' Campbell said.
'District 1 surrounds the Stampede grounds, and District 1 is going to be fully staffed during Stampede to respond to any events in the downtown core and in the grounds.'
Campbell said the public is urged to report any suspicious activity, including bags left unattended.
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Police will also be using new drones that were purchased for the recent G7 leaders' summit in nearby Kananaskis, he said. Drone use, other than by officers, will not be allowed in the downtown.
'Large events are a challenge for the police but we're used to planning for these large events every year, including our recent experience with G7. And we are confident we'll be ready for Stampede.'
He said the biggest concerns for police will be people partying too much, thefts and drugs.
The Stampede runs to July 13.
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