Pride Toronto said it will be taking action to ensure festival guests’ safety because of increased security risks in the last few weeks. .“We are authorizing our security to check for weapons using a security wand for all individuals as they enter the designated spaces,” said Pride Toronto executive director Sherwin Modeste in a Tuesday public safety announcement. .Modeste said enhanced security might result in a slower check-in process. .“We are hoping individuals understand that our priority is everyone’s safety and we are only introducing this to ensure our stage areas are safe for all individuals,” he said. .This move comes after Pride Toronto indicated they would ramp up security to respond to violent threats made against the LGBT community in the United States. .A 17-year-old Canadian boy was arrested for allegedly threatening a mass shooting at a Florida Pride event..The boy was arrested after an international investigation involving the FBI, Toronto and Peel Region police, and West Palm Beach Police. .The teen threatened to shoot participants at the Pride on the Block event in West Palm Beach, Fla., while streaming on Omegle. .He showed a gun in the video, which included him making anti-LGBT statements and claiming to live in West Palm Beach..Toronto police chief James Ramer said Pride Month is a period for the force to reflect. .“There is still a lot of work to be done on our journey to strengthen relationships and repair trust with diverse communities in our city and that certainly includes the LGBTQ2S+ community,” said Ramer. .“Effective policing is based on trust and that trust depends on every person in this city being treated equally and with dignity and respect.”.Uniformed police officers have been barred from participating in the Toronto Pride Parade since 2019. .Pride Toronto returned to in-person events for the first time in the last two years. The full month of programming began on June 1, and it will conclude with the festival weekend running from Friday to Sunday.
