Security tightened at Sydney Royal Easter Show after fatal teen stabbing

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is ramping up security at Olympic Park after 17-year-old ride operator employee Utai “Pele” Faletolu was killed on Monday night.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is promising a safer experience for all visitors with “significant” security measures being implemented across the entire park to deter delinquents.

A “major increase” in the number of police personnel patrolling late into the night will occur, and multiple metal detectors will be front and centre at showground entrances for patrons to walk through.

Additional lighting, including large portable street lamps with bright beaming capacities, will be employed in the main Carnival where 17-year-old ride operator employee Utai “Pele” Faletolu was killed, which has now reopened.

More security personnel will search ticket holders at the gates by conducting random bag checks and frequent hand wanding.

Sydney Royal Easter Show and Agriculture General Manager Murray Wilton said event organisers will be beefing up security protocols as of today to deter delinquents from “bringing their mess” into the premises.

Police and forensics officers at the scene of the stabbing at the Sydney Royal Easter Show on Monday night. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“There’s been a significant increase in regard to the amount of police on the ground. You’re going to see a major increase in police,” Mr Murray told The Daily Telegraph.

“We’ll have more security (and) metal detectors are going to be very visible. I almost compare it to speed camera warning signs. We hope it’s going to be a major deterrent for people wanting to bring anything dangerous into the show.

“The Carnival precinct will be a lot lighter with greater visibility for everybody and for police and security people. The majority of them have arrived and all of them will be here today.

“A few people deciding to do the wrong thing has spoiled it for everybody. Everyone else is doing the right thing and not bringing their mess into our place.”

Patrons with Twilight tickets will also be given early access to the show 30 minutes before the agreed 4pm entry time to make up for time lost on the reduced opening hours of the main Carnival.

The popular attraction will now close at 9:30pm as opposed to the usual 10pm or 11pm finish time.

Crowds at the Sydney Royal Easter Show at Sydney Olympic Park. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“(The main) Carnival used to close at 10pm, or sometimes we’d stretch it out until 11pm, but we’ve chosen to close it at 9:30pm for a crowd control issue. The main arena finishes at 9pm after the fireworks, so quite a large portion make their way to Carnival after that. We want to control the amount of people in Carnival,” Mr Wilton said.

“Because we’re closing Carnival at 9:30pm, we’d like to give them the extra opportunity to come on the rides before the end of the show.”

The scene of the stabbing at the Royal Easter Show in the carnival and rides section. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Asked if event organisers would be honouring the young deceased teen in any capacity, Mr Wilton said no plans had been made at this stage.

He said his team had not been in touch with the 17-year-old’s family yet upon receiving police advice that it was “not the best thing” right now.

“We are still yet to make contact with the family and we’ve been advised by NSW Police that it may not be the best thing for us to contact them at this time, but we’d like to contact the family,” Mr Wilton said.

Police and forensics officers at the scene of the stabbing at the Sydney Royal Easter Show on Monday night. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“I’ll definitely do that after being given advice by NSW police and we’ll have a conversation today with the operator that employed the gentleman that lost his life.

Mr Wilton said walking through the closed Carnival yesterday felt “eerie” and he still couldn’t believe the tragedy had occurred.

“I was actually quite angry about what these people have done to us,” he said.

“It’s a rite of passage for young people to carry knives with them and there’s no fear of police. Police are frustrated. It just shouldn’t be happening.”