Aloha Stadium officials said they are re-examining security plans in the wake of the Manchester concert bombing and other terrorist attacks.
Chairman Ross Yamasaki told the Stadium Authority on Thursday, “The unfortunate situation in Manchester (England) highlights how different the times are and how we operate as a venue for a large gathering. That is something that we have to consider.”
At 50,000 seats, Aloha Stadium is the state’s largest entertainment venue, and Yamasaki said, “I know the current procedures are (something) the managers take very seriously. I mean, they have looked at every event.” But he noted, “We are not just focusing on what are the operating procedures now, but more on what is the climate and what we will have to add in the future.”
Stadium manager Scott Chan said the review began Thursday and that the stadium would look at security outside the stadium as well. “After Manchester that is something that we are going to take a close look at, no doubt.”
Chan said the stadium usually has “70 to 100” people, including special-duty police officers, working security for events such as University of Hawaii football games.
The stadium’s private security contract with G4S Secure Solutions is scheduled to expire in August.
UH pays the stadium $80,000-$100,000 per game in operational costs, including box office staffing, cleanup, ushers, security and utilities.
Chan said, “We need to speak with those clients to see what we can do that is different from what we do now and see whether or not it fits into the budget. We all know that is a big cost, but we don’t want to sacrifice the safety of our guests.”
