After months of reviewing the death of a 5-year-old girl during this year's Tucson Rodeo Parade, officials have determined that the nearly century-old tradition will go on β with some changes.
The Tucson Police Department and the Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee announced revisions on Friday that they hope will increase the safety of both parade participants and spectators, said Police Chief Richard Miranda.
However, the father of the child who was killed said that while he was pleased with some of the changes, he believes that the Parade Committee's refusal to update the brakes on parade wagons is an indication that the committee values authenticity over public safety.
On Feb. 22, 5-year-old Brielle Boisvert suffered fatal injuries when horses pulling a wagon behind her were spooked and ran into the horse she was riding. Brielle was thrown from her horse and crushed under an oncoming wagon.
Parade rules state that all riders must be at least 8 years old. Brielle's parents said they were not aware of the rule, as someone else from the group they were riding with filled out the entry application.
Some changes that will be seen in the 2008 parade include:
βΒ An additional 100 police officers who will focus on crowd control. In the past there have 138 officers assigned to work the event, Police Chief Miranda said.
βΒ More barriers in place β especially around corners where horses may get distracted. According to a Tucson police investigation, the horses involved may have been spooked by a woman in an 1860s-era dress who tried to cross the street between parade entries.
βΒ New standards for driver-team familiarity in which drivers must have worked with the horses for at least three years.
βΒ Lowering the age requirement of all participants in the parade to be at least 6 years old; this does not apply to children riding horses, who still must be at least 8 years old. Additionally, no children under 14 may walk in the parade.
βΒ Riders between the ages of 8 and 12 must be accompanied by a parent or adult. They must wear equestrian protective head gear.
βΒ Having one person walk with each team of horses.
βΒ Having one person for each entry be declared a responsible adult, which means they must ensure that everyone in the group is abiding by the rules.
The changes are the result of much research, which included forming review teams and enlisting the help of parade officials from outside cities and states, the Parade Committee said.
But even with the revisions, there is always a chance that something will go wrong, Police Chief Miranda said.
"Horses, by their nature, are unpredictable in their behavior and have enormous physical power," he said in a memo to City Manager Mike Hein. "This coupled with the fact that this event attracts a large number of participants and spectators, there will always be margin for human error or negligence."
While Brielle's father says it is obvious that steps have been taken to make next year's event safer, he is not completely satisfied. One suggestion that Tom Boisvert made was that the brake system on the wagons be upgraded to use rubber wheels and hydraulic brakes.
The Parade Committee, however, stated that the existing brakes do work and that doing so would "remove the historical value" from the wagons, which are from the late 1800s.
"I feel they are putting authenticity before public safety," Boisvert said. "Why they would stick with technology from the 1800s is beyond me."
He also was concerned about the fact that there is no outside group overseeing the Parade Committee to ensure that the rules are being enforced.
Tucson police do not have that authority. However, City Councilwoman Nina Trasoff said the council is discussing changes that would give the department more authority.
"It took a 5-year-old girl to die to realize that these things should be implemented when they should have been in place long ago," Boisvert said. "They are hoping that without any oversight, these people will do the right thing, but for the last two years in a row they have had serious accidents.
"I don't understand how they could put so much confidence in these folks."
Brielle's death was the first fatality in the parade's history. Her death came after an incident a year earlier in which a runaway wagon crashed into the rear of the horse-drawn carriage carrying Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup and his wife, Beth. Beth Walkup was left with painful injuries.
