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Increased security planned for Columbus gay pride event

Posted at 4:26 PM, Jun 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-17 18:14:17-04

A heavy police presence is expected at a massive gay pride event in Ohio this weekend.

The Columbus Pride Festival attracts thousands of people from across the region. It starts Friday and goes through Sunday.

In the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando, the Columbus police chief says to expect a significant increase in patrols.

Newschannel5's security expert Tim Dimoff says you can expect twice as many officers on duty than in previous years. But you should still be alert.

"We're not going to cancel events," said Dimoff. "We're going to increase the security, but as individuals, we have to participate in that security and in that reaction more than we did before."

Dimoff says that goes for any large event.