Sant’ Yago Knight Parade: Tampa PD, Ybor City businesses gear up for this weekend’s event

Sant' Yago Knight Parade security preparations

Ariel Plasencia reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Police Department and Ybor City businesses are gearing up for Saturday’s Sant’ Yago Knight Parade.

Since 1974, the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago have hosted this tradition, celebrating Tampa’s long Latin heritage and civic pride. In the past, this parade has drawn 100,000 people to 7th Avenue in Ybor to catch beads and watch the floats make their way through the neighborhood.

READ: Florida shooting leaves at least 2 dead during Halloween celebrations

After the recent tragedy in New Orleans on New Years and the deadly shooting in Ybor during Halloween 2023, keeping crowds safe during highly trafficked events like Saturday’s parade is top of mind for TPD.

Dig deeper:

"Just because you don't see an officer doesn't mean that you're not being observed at that time," TPD Sgt. James Valentino said on Thursday.

Officers and dispatchers will be watching Saturday’s festivities from TPD’s real-time crime center, which includes several live cameras positioned throughout Ybor.

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"It could be something proactive," Valentino said when describing what they’re watching for. "Or we see maybe a disturbance is occurring. Get officers there so they can prevent it from escalating. It could be something suspicious that we see to have officers investigate it."

Overall security in Ybor has generally increased over the last two years after the 2023 Halloween shooting left two people dead and 16 injured.

"Obviously, we have our assets in [the real-time crime center]," Valentino said. "And then there's been additional barricade efforts on the streets."

What they're saying:

Carmine Iavarone, who owns Carmine’s Restaurant on 7th Avenue in Ybor City, showed FOX 13 some of these barricades near his restaurant Thursday afternoon.

READ: Ybor City shooting: Police gear up for Halloween weekend crowds one year after 2 killed, 16 injured

"We feel very safe, but we are aware that we have to be aware, and we have to always look around and try to make every day a safer day here in Tampa," Iavarone said.

Staff at Carmine’s Restaurant spent Thursday getting ready to feed the large crowd expected on Saturday.

"More things that people eat with their hands: More fries, more mozzarella sticks, Cuban sandwiches," Carmine’s Restaurant general manager Frank Sierra said. "So just kind of a different style prep. But, that's actually what everybody's working on right now."

The staff knows the drill: After all, they’ve been in Ybor for more than 40 years.

"We're feeling great. We're ready. We're looking forward to a very happy, safe event," Iavarone said.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered through interviews with officials from TPD and the owner and manager of Carmine's Restaurant.

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