Lollapalooza Music Festival Increases Security

Lollapalooza Music Festival Increases Security

Lollapalooza will be one of the country’s largest urban festivals to take place since the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino shooting, which left 58 people dead and is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

The music festival Lollapalooza begins in Grant Park, Ill., tomorrow, and attendees should expect to see increased security, including a larger police presence and airport-style security screenings at entrances. The festival, which usually attracts about 100,000 people each of its four days, worked to enhance its security measures in light of the deadly mass shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas last October.

Lollapalooza will be one of the country’s largest urban festivals to take place since the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino shooting, which left 58 people dead and is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Rich Guidice, first deputy of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications, said he and his team took the Vegas shooting and other incidents into consideration when creating their security plan for this year’s festival.

This year’s Lollapalooza will have an increased Chicago police presence, Guidice said, and officers and Chicago Fire Department personnel have undergone active shooter training. He said some officers will be patrolling via bicycle, while SWAT teams with sniper capabilities will also be on hand.

Law enforcement are keeping an eye on high-rise buildings overlooking the park as well. According to Guidice, officers have been talking to and offering safety and security training to businesses along the perimeter of Grant Park.

The entrance gates, performance stages, and park camera system for Lollapalooza will be monitored by three security firms. In addition to the 8-foot-high fences that usually surround the festival grounds, extra concrete barriers will be in place.

At the entrance gates, festivalgoers will subject to a security screening process similar to that at the airport, including full-body pat-downs, walk-through metal detectors, and handheld metal detectors. Bags will be searched, and only small purses, toes, fanny packs, and single-pocket drawstring bags are allowed. Backpacks, bags with multiple pockets, and bottles of water will not be allowed.

Guidice also called attention to Lollapalooza’s alert system, which distributes messages through video screens, social media, and notifications on the festival’s mobile app. The app has been used in the past to notify attendees of weather-related evacuations.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said there were no known threats to the festival, but that they wanted to be prepared.

“We have pushed back the perimeter and we'll have eyes in the sky, so we'll be keeping a close look on it. But I just want to caution people, that with things of this nature, you can never have 100 percent guaranteed security, but what you do is try to be prepared in the event that something does go astray,” Johnson said.

“So I think that we put things in place now to keep everybody safe. We want everybody to have an enjoyable time."

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Allegion, Comfort Technologies Implement Mobile Credentials at the Artisan Apartment Homes in Florida

    Artisan Apartment Homes, a luxury apartment complex in Dunedin, Florida, recently transitioned from mechanical keys to electronic locks and centralized system software with support from Allegion US, a leading provider of security solutions, technology and services, and Florida-based Comfort Technologies, which specializes in deploying multifamily access control, IoT devices and software management solutions. Read Now

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.