Many Toronto concert and sporting venues are ramping up security in the wake of the deadly Manchester attack on Monday, despite authority’s reassurances that there has been no change in the city’s terror threat levels.
This comes a day after 22 people were killed and dozens more injured in a suicide bombing outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England – a venue comparable to Air Canada Centre, Rogers Centre and the Budweiser Stage.
As a result, British Prime Minister Theresa May has elevated the United Kingdom’s terror threat risk to its highest ranking – critical – for the first time in nearly a decade.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said our city is not facing the same threat.
“There has been no alteration to the security level in the city at this time,” Tory said after speaking with security intelligence officials today.
Nonetheless, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders says the city is taking extra steps to ensure an attack like this does not happen here.
“We do have a plan,” he told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “Our response is not reactive it is proactive. We are continuously having resources in place, doing certain things, different levels of intelligence that make me feel assured that the city of Toronto is a safe place.”
But fear that’s being expressed amongst concertgoers and sports fans and a renewed focus on security is typical after dozens of lives are taken, public safety analyst Chris Lewis says.
“That is what terrorism is all about – wound as many as you can, kill as many as you can and scare everybody else,” Lewis told CTV News Toronto.
While some experts say the city is low on the list of possible targets for similar attacks, venues are doing what they can to alleviate fears.
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), which operates the Air Canada Centre and BMO Field says it will roll out “heightened security measures.”
“There will be additional security staffing at upcoming events to ensure all fans feel safe in light of yesterday’s tragic events,” MLSE told CTV News Toronto in a statement.
They added that strict security and interaction with law enforcement is “the highest priority at all times.”
MLSE already uses metal detectors and wands, performs bag checks and deploys bomb-sniffing dogs during events.
The Toronto Blue Jays, operator of the Rogers Centre, did not indicate if they are making any immediate security changes.
“The Toronto Blue Jays are constantly reviewing its security policies in conjunction with the Toronto Police Services, [Major League Baseball] Security and other law enforcement agencies,” the Blue Jays said in a statement. “The disturbing and tragic events of [Monday] evening will only reinforce our efforts.”
