Cardinals Request Security Certification for Busch Stadium

The certification would give the stadium legal protections in the event of a terrorist attack.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Oct 13, 2017

The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to ensure the safety of their stadium and their fans with a request to the Department of Homeland Security for a certification that would give the team certain legal protections in the event of terrorist attack at Busch Stadium.

The request was submitted in July under the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technoliges Act, known as the Safety Act. The act, which was passed shortly after the 9/11 attacks, is aimed at encouraging businesses to develop anti-terrorism technologies and practices. In return, the act places limits on lawsuits that could be filed if a terrorist incident was to happen on the premises.

On Wednesday, October 11, Sen. Claire McCaskill asked DHS to give "full consideration" to he request.

"With recent terrorist attacks around the world on stadiums, concert venues, and other public spaces, it's more important than ever that we've got robust counterterrorism efforts in place," McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, wrote in a letter to acting Homeland Security director Elaine Duke.

The stadium is hoping to upgrade security by doing background checks on all employees and vendors as well as installing barricades to prevent vehicle attacks.

In 2012, the Yankee Stadium became the first sports venue to be certified through the Safety Act. Several other sports franchises have followed suit, most recently NFL's Tennessee Titans in September 2017.