Tempe Police will deploy new barricades this weekend for Pat's Run to ensure safety.
Lieutenant Dane Sorensen says Tempe police is the first police department in Arizona to get these barricades that make it more difficult for a car to drive through a crowd.
"They’re eight feet across and they weigh 650 pounds a piece,” said Sorenson. "You can put three of them together and that will cover an entire length of an intersection.”
Sorenson says the barricades are in response to recent attacks in Europe where a truck was used to kill innocent people in public areas. He says his department is always looking to add more security measures for large events --especially since Tempe hosts more than 350 every year.
Last weekend, Tempe police sent some officers to Indio, California to learn more about the security measures at Coachella, a huge outdoor music festival.
This year, Coachella added more armed security guards, deployed drones and gave electronic wristbands to concert-goers.
The wristbands contain chips that help emergency officials to count the number of people in an area and identify when they come in and out of different parts of a concert.
Officials said the drones were used to monitor traffic problems and any potential issues.
The ramped up security measures follow the 2017 attack that left 58 people dead at a Las Vegas outdoor music festival.
Sorenson says Tempe Police is also looking into new wristbands.
Click here for information on road closures and other restrictions for Pat's Run.
