(U-WIRE) KINGSTON, R.I. – After last Tuesday’s My Chemical Romance concert ended in an arrest, several fights, injuries and the ejection of at least 20 people from the Ryan Center, questions were raised about the University of Rhode Island security protocol during public events. The concert aftermath even led to a meeting Friday between URI campus police personnel and Global Spectrum employees, the company that manages the arena, to review their procedures and improve upon them if necessary.
It is safe to assume that none of the respective parties involved in coordinating last night’s Kanye West concert wanted a repeat performance of last week. From the Cigar’s point of view in the Ryan Center, Global Spectrum security personnel could be seen stationed at every intersection of the floor, as well as Ryan Center staff located throughout various sections of the arena.
The preparation of the Ryan Center and Global Spectrum staffs apparently paid off. As of 11:15 p.m., URI campus police made no arrests, and there appeared to be no major injuries in the audience. Security personnel did not have to break up any major physical altercations, although at least one person was escorted out of the arena for unknown reasons.
Overall, it seems as though the Kanye West concert was a success in every respect. Not only was the event safe for all who attended, it also sold 4,835 tickets, a considerable amount higher than the roughly 3,000 sold for the My Chemical Romance show. It is impressive to note that there were little to no security problems with 1,800 more attendants to watch over. It goes without saying that when roughness can be avoided, it makes the job of security employees easier and students have a lot more fun when they can focus on the music and don’t have to worry about being punched in the face.
Both Ryan Center staff and Global Spectrum employees should be highly commended for the job they did at last night’s concert. For a public event as large as it was, everything looks as if it ran relatively smooth. URI students are to be applauded as well for their respectful and considerate behavior during and after the concert. Hopefully the cooperation between students and security staff will continue throughout future events, and the university will be able to anticipate large public events without having to worry about safety problems.
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