In the wake of the terrorist attack in Manchester, the Boston Calling music festival will be stepping up security at its new venue —Harvard University’s athletic complex.
The concert, which will have multiple stages, is set to be much larger than in years past. Law enforcement officials say keeping concert goers safe is always a priority, but when terrorism strikes the threat level, invariably, heightens.
"We’ll step up the visibility, the number of officers and obviously we’ll have our bomb technicians and the dogs, really sweeping those places," said Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans.
As I walked around Harvard's athletic fields, I watched as a massive security contingent of Boston police — along with contractor RSIG Security — toured the various facilities, including the Harvard hockey arena. They were looking at vulnerable areas in the building — entrances and exits, windows and cubby holes, garbage cans and recycling bins. Reporters were not welcome, and I was asked to leave.
Harvard’s athletic complex is enormous. So the question becomes, how do you keep an area like that safe? Police say they will be checking all bags and you should leave knap sacks at home. Boston Calling, meanwhile, released a statement saying, “The safety of our fans remains our number one priority.”
And, Boston Police note that they know of no immediate threat to the city.
