Los Angeles police saturated the increasingly popular Art Walk downtown Thursday evening as thousands of people descended on the area.
The increased police presence came after a 2-month-old boy was killed at an event in July when his stroller was struck by a car that accidentally jumped a curb near Spring and 4th streets.
The officers -- patrolling on horses, motorcycles, bicycles and Segways -- were on hand to help deal with the massive crowds expected at the event, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
"We have absolutely dedicated more resources," LAPD Officer Sara Faden said. "We want to ensure the safety of that community."
For the first time, food trucks and other street vendors were banned from setting up along the event's core. The decree, according to the city's new Art Walk task force, is intended to keep lines of customers waiting for their food orders from blocking sidewalks, and to encourage art walkers to explore the perimeter.
On Thursday evening, more than a dozen food trucks, along with portable bathrooms and tables, were set up in a parking lot on Main Street next to the former St. Vibiana's Cathedral. The lot was packed with people who ate, mingled and waited in line at their favorite food trucks.
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— Robert J. Lopez
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