Security at Tom Lee Last Night
I just wanted to report my experience last night getting into the event at Tom Lee last night.
There were two sections of lines. One for people with no bags and one for people with bags. While we stood in the no bags line, the group in front of us were holding large fireworks and discussing how they had guns on them.
The security checkpoint was ... one man with a handheld security wand. He was completely by himself with no one assisting him and no police near him if weapons were found, if there was an incident, etc. My partner and I were saying surely these guys in front of us aren't going to be allowed in. Welp. As they held their fireworks proudly in hand while being scanned... strapped with guns... They just... Went right in. The wand either didn't go off or it did and the guy was like well it's literally just me here what can I even do? I don't know.
Hundreds in the no bags line and one security guy.
Who knows how many people went in with guns.
Needless to say, we felt really unsafe and didn't stay in the park long at all. I know there were some incidents, people running en masse, fireworks being lit in the middle of the park with kids and bystanders everywhere, arrests, etc.
I just don't really get it. All the money spent on putting on this event, cops and security everywhere, but no real effort to actually enforce security at the entrypoint? One guy with a wand. I hope we do better next year. It was really sad seeing so many families leaving in the middle of the fireworks show.