Music Friday's - This is how security for music concerts will change in the aftermath of the Man

Tight security measures may get tighter, and law enforcement may even push for concert goers to participate in their own security following a deadly attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England.

An explosion killed an estimated 22 people, including children, and injured at least 59 more after Grande exited the stage and attendees were leaving the Manchester Arena. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, although reports indicated there was no evidence to support that claim. The alleged suicide bomber — named as 22-year-old Salman Abedi by police in the U.K. — detonated a homemade bomb near the box office after the pop concert, and another suspect, a 23-year-old man found in South Manchester, was in custody as of Tuesday morning, according to the Greater Manchester Police.

People immediately took to Twitter, posting videos of the scene and photos of missing loved ones and highlighting venue security. Though existing security measures, such as metal detectors and bag checks, are standard procedure at most large venues, more needs to be done, specifically in training of safety personnel, venue staff and concert attendees themselves, said Mark Herrera, director of education at the International Association of Venue Managers, a Coppell, Texas–based member association for executives of arenas, convention centers, stadiums and exhibit halls. Part of Herrera’s job is to go from venue to venue training staff to identify potential security threats.

In the short term, concert and sporting venues will review their security protocols and ramp up screenings, as has occurred in the wake of other recent terrorist incidents including the 2015 attacks in Paris. “Madison Square Garden has increased security measures, including a greater police presence, and is continuing to work closely with local law enforcement to ensure we remain informed of any potential concerns,” the concert and sports venue in Midtown Manhattan said in an emailed statement.

While the incident in Manchester drew comparisons to the 2015 Bataclan shooting in Paris, some argued that security concerns in this case were far different. “The better analogy than the Paris shooting at Bataclan is to the Boston Marathon bombing a few years ago,” said Steven Adelman, vice president of the Event Safety Alliance, a trade association focused on promoting safety in the live-event business. “It was on a city street, and there were police around, but there were so many people it was difficult to identify people with heinous intents.”

And terrorists who target crowds surrounding — rather than inside — events are becoming a worrying conundrum for security experts. Amid this threat, major venues are rethinking where security procedures occur. More venues are positioning bag checks and security screenings further away from the entrances to stadiums and arenas to maintain a greater buffer zone, Adelman said. “If somebody has a weapon or a bomb, the first time they will be in contact with a security person is well outside the doors, which means that even if they set off the device or take out their weapon there are fewer targets for them to hit,” Adelman said.

More venues are installing bollards and other obstacles such as metal barricades around where people queue for events to prevent vehicles from getting onto sidewalks — a tactic used in terrorist attacks in Nice and Stockholm. Lighting is also being improved, and more technologically advanced security cameras are being put up to assist law enforcement and security guards in identifying potential threats more readily. Venues are also now gaining the assistance of federal and local or state agencies in doing so, Herrera said.

In the longer term, security screenings at major sporting and concert venues will begin to resemble the security procedures at airports, added David Yorio, managing director of Citadel Security Agency, a New York–based private security firm. Bomb-sniffing dogs trained to detect improvised explosive devices are becoming more common, and security firms are investing in new technology that can identify bombs and other weapons from a distance.

But a challenge that security companies face is in managing expectations of attendees and organizers. “We could check every single person and bag as they do at an airport, but the show may not start on time or people may not get in at time,” Yorio said.

These improvements don’t come cheap. Yorio predicted venues will begin to explore expedited security procedures like TSA pre-check, which would allow guests to pay extra to go through a separate entrance and avoid the long line at bag check. “We’re getting away from a concert with 20,000 people where everyone is coming in and out of the same two entrances,” he said.

As for concert goers? They need to be vigilant, Herrera said. This includes looking for anomalies on the streets and at these venues, such as someone wearing a bulky overcoat on a hot summer day, or someone constantly looking around for exits or asking about the venue’s security. “People see that behavior, but they don’t act on it and report it, and that’s a critical component,” he said. “We neglect it. We avoid it. We downplay situations.”

Attendees can also play a role in making security processes go more smoothly. As bag checks and rules regarding what can be brought into a venue become more commonplace, concert goers need to take heed, Adelman said. “Be prepared to open your bags, don’t bring objects that can’t go in, and have all the stuff in your pockets in your hands,” he said. “Don’t make the security people ask you to do everything as if it’s the first time you’ve heard this request.”

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