Downtown Orlando is bracing for crowds over Halloween weekend. Police are promising stepped-up patrols, two years after a shooting that left two people dead.
Events downtown this weekend include the Downtown Orlando Halloween Bar Crawl and the annual Thornton Park Block Party. The Orlando Police Department (OPD) will deploy both uniformed and plainclothes officers.
Bar owners say they will check bags, use hand-held metal detectors and scan IDs. Venues that sell alcohol between midnight and 2 a.m. are required to do so under city rules in effect since 2023.
Two years ago on Halloween, a shooting in downtown Orlando killed two people and wounded seven. The 19-year-old gunman, Jaylen Edgar, was sentenced to life in prison this week. Some residents admit they still avoid downtown.
Police insist, however, that the area is safer. Crime downtown has fallen 20 percent compared with last year, and violent crime has dropped 4 percent. Over 10 months, officers have arrested 2,848 people and seized 69 illegal firearms. The city has also invested in better lighting, additional patrols and controlled entry points during large events.
Police urge the public to report any suspicious situation by calling 911.
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Source: Słoneczne Radio
