In light of the recent tragedy in Manchester, where a bomb exploded as concertgoers left an arena, local venues are taking another look at their own safety protocols.
The Aurora Civic Center Authority covers RiverEdge Park, Paramount Theater, and Copley Theater: venues that can house over 10,500 people combined. Though security at all is diligent, the recent attack in England has raised some security concerns.
Jim Jarvis, V.P. of Sales & Programming for the Aurora Civic Center Authority, noted a change in tactics.
“The focus now turns to the outside,” said Jarvis. “We’ve always looked to the inside to make sure that we’re keeping people safe, that we can control this area, and now we have to focus more on the outside.”
In addition to pat downs, bag checks, and multiple levels of security already in place, officials will now be taking some extra precautions. At RiverEdge, that means increasing security at all the main entrances, and increasing the number of uniformed police officers both inside and outside.
Their Downtown Aurora venues will see the same heightened security, with both Aurora police and private security officials on hand the night of shows. But their first line of defense comes from the audience members heading out for a night of fun.
“We’re all in this together,” said Jarvis. “Keep an eye out, keep in communication – if you see something out of the ordinary, we’d rather have you err on the side of safety.”
The Aurora Civic Center Authority meets regularly with the Aurora Police Department and the city of Aurora to review security plans and make improvements where necessary.
Naperville News 17’s Kim Pirc reports.
