Advertisement

Police vow to step up security for this year's St. Pete LGBT Pride Parade

 
St. Petersburg police Chief Tony Holloway said the city’s extra measures for St. Pete LGBT Pride include more uniformed and undercover officers, mobile observation towers and assistance from the FBI, Homeland Security and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. [SCOTT KEELER | Times]
St. Petersburg police Chief Tony Holloway said the city’s extra measures for St. Pete LGBT Pride include more uniformed and undercover officers, mobile observation towers and assistance from the FBI, Homeland Security and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. [SCOTT KEELER | Times]
Published June 17, 2016

ST. PETERSBURG — Last year, tens of thousands packed the city's streets during the annual St. Pete LGBT Pride Parade and celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage.

This year, the three-day St. Pete LGBT parade and festival will be held amid much tighter security in light of the deadly attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando.

Mayor Rick Kriseman said at a news conference Thursday that there will be an increased police presence when more than 200,000 are expected to attend the June 25 parade and festival from June 24 to 26 in the city's Historic Kenwood and Grand Central District neighborhoods.

"We have to recognize what happened and adjust accordingly," Kriseman said.

The mayor and his staff plan to march in the parade, billed as the largest LGBT pride parade in Florida. Eric Skains, the executive director of St. Pete Pride, said he is confident this year's event will be safe for attendees.

"We want people to avoid not coming," Skains said. "That's the last thing that we want.

"Just be assured this will be as safe of an event as it always has been. You'll see that very visually this year."

Across the bay, Tampa police said they're keeping a close watch on LGBT clubs there and plan this weekend to step up security for clubs in Ybor City.

"As a result of the mass shootings in Orlando and because of the nightclub that was targeted, we made a decision immediately that we were going to reach out to all the nightclubs and establishments that have an LGBT clientele," Tampa police spokesman Steve Hegarty said.

During drag queen bingo night at Hamburger Mary's in Ybor City on Thursday evening, many vowed that what happened in Orlando will not keep them from attending this year's parade in St. Petersburg.

"I'm not going to let anyone stop me from living my life," said Allen Pulido, 48, of Tampa. "St. Pete Pride has always been a positive thing."

John Brantley, 48, said his family fears for his safety if he attends the parade. But he's going anyway.

"If it's my time to go, it's my time," he said, then shrugged.

St. Petersburg police Chief Tony Holloway on Thursday described what extra measures the city plans to take for St. Pete LGBT Pride:

More uniformed and undercover officers will work security. St. Petersburg will be assisted by Tampa officers and Hillsborough and Pinellas sheriff's deputies.

Two mobile observation towers will be set up to help officers monitor the crowd.

City officials will make sure Bayfront Health St. Petersburg, which has a 24-hour trauma center, will be prepared.

St. Petersburg police will also coordinate with the FBI, Homeland Security and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, agencies that have helped the city secure the parade in the past.

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines

Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter

We’ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

However, St. Petersburg police spokesman Rick Shaw could not say how many more officers will be deployed than at last year's event.

Holloway cautioned those who plan to attend the festival and parade to not arm themselves with concealed weapons, legal or otherwise, or hire private security for their parade floats.

"Folks, we have enough law enforcement here that are going to be here," the chief said. "We do not need that. We have a hard time trying to identify who each other are, and if someone else pulls out a weapon, we're going to be looking at you. You're going to slow us down on our response time."

This year's events will kick off with a free concert at 7 p.m. June 24 at 2600 Central Ave. A block party will start at 5 p.m. June 25 and the parade will begin at sunset and run along Central Avenue. A festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 26 in the Grand Central District.

There will also be a "free speech zone" set up on the north and south sides of Central Avenue and 27th Street.

"If people want to come and protest, they have that right," Holloway said. "They can come stand in that zone and they can protest there. But other than that, they're going to have to stay in that free-speech zone."

St. Petersburg's vigilance is being replicated across the bay area, as police agencies step up daily patrols around venues that cater to the LGBT community.

Steve Pearson, the manager of Pro Shop Pub in Clearwater, said police visited the bar seven times in three days after the Orlando attack.

"We are hopeful that our presence is both a deterrent and a reassurance in these times," Clearwater police spokesman Rob Shaw said.

Times staff writer Ariana Figueroa contributed to this report.