SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Thousands of people will flood in downtown San Diego for Comic-Con, which is set to start July 20.
10News spoke with Ray Shay, a retired San Diego Police Department SWAT commander about security outside the Convention Center. It comes after a man was arrested at the Phoenix Comic-Con in May. He dressed up as a comic book character but had real guns.
He was taken down by police after they say he posted threats on social media against police and a performer.
Shay says lone wolf attackers are the biggest threat to large crowd events. He assures the public that officers will be out. Some will be visible, and others won’t be as visible. There will be officers out of uniform to blend in with the crowds.
The San Diego Police Department posted a video about safety on its Twitter feed.
It's coming... are you ready? We are!#comiccon2017 @Comic_Con pic.twitter.com/ZTiJzMoNAP
— San Diego Police (@SanDiegoPD) July 17, 2017
And while you may not be able to tell real weapons from fake ones, those officers will be trained to recognize them.
Shay also reminds people that may be headed downtown to shop or eat, that it’s a good idea to know where the exits are. He also says to wear good shoes, just in case you find yourself in a situation where you might have to run or move quickly.
He also reminds people that tips are essential in detecting threats. So it’s important that people say something when they see something.
