BUFFLAO, NY (WKBW) — The terror attack in New Orleanson New Year’s Day brings up deep concerns about public safety. But many precautions are taken at the events you attend in Western New York.
“We are constantly vigilant as to every single target,” said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia.
We often step into many venues hosting events throughout the year in the region and forget about our safety, but thankfully those in charge are looking out for us.
I sat down with Sheriff Garcia who told me his office patrols every county building and many major events.
“All the major events at Highmark Stadium, at Key Bank Stadium, Erie County Fair. We have a week and a half of a million people going through the gates, and, you know, we're called to help every single law enforcement agency for all the heritage festivals,” Sheriff Garcia explained.
And when 70,000 Buffalo Bills fans come into Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, sheriff deputies are keeping a close watch.
"What we do is we go there hours before, and we have our canines go through there and make sure there's no explosives and so forth and then we provided a strong presence out in the perimeter, and that makes people not only feel safe, but they are safe,” Garcia noted.
Sheriff Garcia said the NFL voted Highmark Stadium, the “safest stadium” in the league last year.
“What they do is they send their red teams in there, and these red teams, what they do is quality assurance checks. they try to get in through a certain gate, they try to bring their car into a certain area,” Garcia commented. “This red team goes beyond the Bills. They check hardware stores for unusual products that are bought in bulk, and to check infrastructure, sort of like the water treatment plant and, you know, some of the bridges and so forth.”
In Downtown Buffalo, safety measures are in place at buildings. Bollards are permanently outside of City Hall to provide an excellent measure against a ramming vehicle.
A new bollard system was recently constructed outside the Buffalo Convention Center on Franklin Street to help protect the main entrance.
"We take every precaution that we can to make sure that our customers are safe,” said Jeff Calkins general manager of the Buffalo Convention Center.
The convention center hosts many events throughout the year with more than 200,000 people walking into this facility annually.
Calkins told me they take every precaution to make sure visitors remain safe.
"Then as you enter the building, we've also added an evolv system inside where you enter through similar to a detection system you walk through the airport, but it's a very detailed and very thorough view of anything that could possibly be brought into the facility," said Calkins. "We use that for all public shows.”
Calkins told me he also has a big security team and more than 70 cameras to help keep watch.
“We're a main player in the public venue space, and we want to make sure that we set the bar, and we make sure that our clients and our customers feel safe when they enter,” Calkins responded.
Calkins said they recently worked with the state police who offered advice on any weak spots within the building.
Sheriff Garcia said you can lend a hand by making sure you speak up if you see something suspicious.
“If you see something, say something," said Garcia. "Don't think you're imposing on us or bothering us by calling 9-1-1, if you see something suspicious, please notify us, because intel is gold.”
