Toronto police officers say concerns over the size of the crowds at Do West Fest and issues with illegally parked cars led to a decision that forced the annual event to shut down earlier than expected on Saturday.
In a statement to CityNews, a representative for the Toronto Police Service said Saturday’s crowd was “larger than in previous years and posed challenges.”
“As the night went on, it became clear that vehicular traffic around the event was at a standstill with hundreds of vehicles parked illegally in the area,” the statement said.
“As a result of the risk this posed, particularly on the ability of emergency services to navigate through the area, officers made the decision to begin closing the event down at approximately [10 p.m.].”
Anah Shabbar, the managing director of Do West Fest and the Little Portugal Toronto Business Improvement Area, told CityNews police officers asked amplified sound and vendor stalls to stop at 10 p.m. Operations were set to go until 11 p.m.
“The festival was not shut down all at once,” Shabbar said in a written statement.
“Closures were implemented progressively at specific intersections as crowd management measures were put in place based on conditions on the ground and the direction of Toronto police.”
While attendance figures won’t be confirmed until the week of June 15, Shabbar said organizers believe more than one million visitors attended throughout the duration of the festival.
Toronto police responded to multiple reports of thefts, assaults
In the same statement, Toronto police officers said they received 66 calls for service from Do West Fest attendees throughout the duration of the festival.
They said there were 41 reported instances of theft under $5,000, and 36 of those calls involved cellphone pickpocketing.
In all, officers said seven arrests occurred. Of those arrests, they said five involved assaults.
Meanwhile, the Toronto police statement said the event will be reviewed with various involved stakeholders “to determine what changes are needed moving forward to ensure public safety remains a top priority.”
Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
