Metal Detectors - Required at all games starting 2015

[Bombers]

I guess I don't remember seeing this anywhere until today when I heard the Brewers will have metal detectors at games this week. (Thursday Sept 11th and Saturday Sept 13th) ... So if you are going to either of these games, it is advised to head in early.

 

http://www.wisn.com/sports/brewers-organization-prepares-fans-for-metal-detectors/27365904

[DocLuna7]

Overreaction.

[jerichoholicninja]

Oh great. Not looking forward to having to explain every time I go to a Brewer game that these sharp metal objects are medically necessary.

[TURBO]

Obviously, there are certain drawbacks to metal detectors, but if they stop just one foolish and senseless act, I'm all for them...

[AZBrewCrew]

There are so many other vulnerable areas that should be addressed long before we start implementing metal detectors at baseball games. Its all for show in my opinion.

[monty57]

There are so many other vulnerable areas that should be addressed long before we start implementing metal detectors at baseball games. Its all for show in my opinion.

 

Baseball is a private enterprise. The MLB can't stop actions elsewhere, but if they feel that it is in the best interest of everyone involved to put in the metal detectors, than that's their prerogative. Now, if this is a government mandate, then that's another story, but if baseball is doing it of their own volition, that's fine. If someone doesn't like this, either because of the hassle/wait/invasion of privacy, or for some political reason, they can choose not to attend. That's the risk baseball will take by putting in the detectors.

 

Now they just need to develop a "Cub fan detector" to wheedle those guys out and really improve the quality of games :-)

[AZBrewCrew]

It doesnt specifically say it was government mandated, but every article ive read says "MLB, in conjunction with Dept of Homeland Security..."

[jerichoholicninja]

They probably need to put metal detectors for the fans on the way out of Dodger Stadium.

[AZBrewCrew]

I can see if they are concerned about someone bringing a firearm inside the stadium, sure, but anything more than that you really need to restrict access to the stadiums surrounding areas. Tour buses, RVs, hell even ambulances never get a second look when approaching a stadium. Like i said, its all smoke and mirrors

[folly412]

"We're picking random gates, and random games between now and the end of the year with the hopes of having the most efficient way to get people in starting on opening day 2015," said Jason Hartlund, vice president of Brewer Enterprises.

 

I hope they discover the "most efficient way". Been to a couple events recently where they had not and getting in has been unbearable. Think MP is set up well enough that it won't be too terrible. Common sense measures will help too, i.e. if there is a "Club / Preferred" lane with literally nobody in line and security people standing around and the main line has a 20 minute wait, I pray they use logic to help get people in the door where other stadiums don't.

[AZBrewCrew]

Its going to be horrible on giveaway days

[pebadger]

Target Field already has their metal detectors in place, but only because they were required as part of the AS Game security package.

[TURBO]

Target Field already has their metal detectors in place, but only because they were required as part of the AS Game security package.

 

Yup, and when I was there in late August, it was a piece of cake getting in. Quick and painless.

[Lee16]

This will save lives as Brewer fans will be unable to shoot themselves after seeing yet another ugly home loss.

[Baldkin]

Target Field already has their metal detectors in place, but only because they were required as part of the AS Game security package.

 

Yup, and when I was there in late August, it was a piece of cake getting in. Quick and painless.

 

Was it a sellout? After watching the ineptitude of getting fans into the gates on giveaway days (seriously, 1/2 of the time, the turnstyles are empty, because so many people bring bags to get checked) I can't imagine this will be efficient at all.

 

It's also a complete overreaction, if someone wants to do something, they will find a way to do it. Metal detectors or not.

[thebruce44]

I should probably keep my thoughts to the political forum...

[MJLiverock]

I can see if they are concerned about someone bringing a firearm inside the stadium, sure, but anything more than that you really need to restrict access to the stadiums surrounding areas. Tour buses, RVs, hell even ambulances never get a second look when approaching a stadium. Like i said, its all smoke and mirrors

 

 

Exactly. If a nut job wants to shoot a bunch of people or blow up a bomb they can easily just do it to the line of people waiting to get into the stadium and kill/wound many just like if they were inside the stadium.

[hawing]

It's hard to imagine the threat level (for lack of a better phrase) being the same for Milwaukee as for, say, New York, Boston or LA, but I can see why MLB wants to keep it consistent. I'm not a fan of the decision, but will aim not to take it out on the employees who are staffing the entrances. We already tend to arrive on the early side, so I'll hope that makes it less likely we'll miss a first pitch or the like.

 

If an employee is checking my bag anyway, do I take the bag through the detector or put it in a tray?

 

Saturday night, with the Hank crowd, will be a pretty solid test of the whole system. I wonder how many will come in long enough to get their Hank merchandise and head right out.

[Patrick425]

I had no idea that Saturday was a Hank Bobblehead promotion until I read your post Hawing. Ughhh...we have tix to that game. I always wondered why they only do bobbleheads on Sundays. Sure, the day they do one on a Saturday (we have the Saturday season tix package) it has to be a Hank Bobblehead.

[bani1717]

I went into the game about the time it was starting last night. No lines at the outfield entrances but there were lines by the club and home plate entrances. Bags were checked like normal, and then the bags and anything metal in your pockets did not go through the metal detector. The metal detectors were the full ones like they have at the airport. I had wondered if they'd just be using the wand like I've seen at NFL and NBA games before, but it is the full stand-up metal detector that you have to walk through. After going through the metal detector, you get your ticket scanned, but there were no turnstiles to go through on Thursday.

 

On Saturday I'd expect that there will be long lines everywhere as there usually are for the giveaways. The big difference though is that it's a Saturday night instead of a Sunday afternoon. So there will probably be more party-ers and fewer families (so more people heading in after first pitch). There will also probably be more people getting there early since it's generally easier to arrive early for a Saturday night game than a Sunday afternoon game.

[AZBrewCrew]

Donning the tinfoil hat for a moment so bear with me...but all of those airport walk thru metal detectors that were replaced by the body scanners needed to go somewhere...

[AdvantageSchneider]

Went to the game tonight. Here's the funny thing, I think the metal detectors actually make Miller Park less secure. Before the metal detectors the ushers would do a pretty good check of every bag that entered the stadium. With the new security process I did not see them look in my bag, or my wife's purse at all. If I was looking to cause trouble I'd put whatever I was looking to sneak in at the bottom of a bag. Tonight it would have gotten through without a problem.

 

It certainly appears that those metal detectors aren't the finely tuned. I went through with my glasses with metal frames, a ring and a belt and not a peep. I always have to take off my glasses when I go through the airport security.

 

So in conclusion, this is all a big joke. So sad. Between this and the Brewers collapse I'm seriously considering not renewing season tickets for next year.

[AdvantageSchneider]

Donning the tinfoil hat for a moment so bear with me...but all of those airport walk thru metal detectors that were replaced by the body scanners needed to go somewhere...

 

No, I'm sure this is crony capitalism at it's finest. I'd bet anything those are new metal dectors paid for by a government grant.

[Eye Black]

Target Field already has their metal detectors in place, but only because they were required as part of the AS Game security package.

The scary thing is the All Star Game should have been MLB's most secure event outside of the World Series, and yet this year a protester gained access to the top of the scoreboard overlooking the entire seating area by jumping into the stadium from a nearby parking ramp. They hung a "Love Water, Not Oil" banner over the scoreboard which remained hanging for between 10-12 minutes while they escaped back into the parking ramp. If this was someone with a different agenda it could have been a potentially tragic outcome.

 

Protester jumps from parking ramp, hangs banner over video screen at All-Star Game

[AZBrewCrew]

Granted it was right after 9/11,but at the World Series at least in Phoenix there were several snipers walking the roof of Bank One Ballpark as well as across the street on top of the parking garage. I can imagine it was 3x that in New York. Anyway, the incident at Target Field proves there are still security loopholes