Safety Officials Look to Enhance Gillette Stadium Security

The NFL’s safest stadium is expected to heighten its security of future events in the aftermath of the attacks on the Boston Marathon in April.

Foxborough Police Chief Edward O’Leary and Gillette Stadium Security Director Mark Briggs are working on a plan to enhance security measures, including security check protocol, at Gillette Stadium.

Among the enhancements will be upgrading the stadium’s pat down procedure and adjusting security checkpoint locations, according to Stadium Advisory Committee chair George Bell. Also being discussed is to include scanning at bag check stations.

On April 27^th – just 12 days after the bombings at the Boston Marathon – Gillette Stadium operated the New England Revolution match under heightened security.

According to a security advisory issued by the team, fans were asked to arrive to the stadium early as entry would take longer than usual.

“Each person entering the stadium will be screened, and all bags will be searched and tagged before being allowed through the gates,” according to the team advisory.

The NFL has recognized Gillette Stadium as the league’s best in terms of security, according to O’Leary and Bell via a May 14^th memo to selectmen.

 “[Gillette Stadium is considered] the most consistently secure [stadium] of all NFL sites,” Bell said in the memo.

Foxborough Town Manager Kevin Paicos echoed a similar message during a public hearing for the 2011 Patriots season at Gillette Stadium.

"The NFL security audit for Gillette Stadium commended Foxborough's law enforcement measures highly,” Paicos said.

O'Leary is also expected to attend NFL safety conferences to further enhance public safety at Gillette Stadium.

In addition to overall security, the New England Patriots are also the league’s leader in designated driver pledges.

Nearly 22,000 fans in the stands at Gillette Stadium pledged to be designated drivers during the 2012 season, ensuring families and friends a safe ride to and from Patriots games. The Patriots finished again in the top spot among all NFL teams after first doing so in 2010 and then breaking a single-season NFL record for pledges with 23,000 in 2011.

In 2009, the New England Patriots, the New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium, the Ensign John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers and TEAM Coalition came together to educate fans about the importance of using a designated driver, buckling up and demonstrating positive fan behavior.

The designated-driver program is one of many fan behavior initiatives offered by the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

Other components include:

• A Fan Code of Conduct posted in and around Gillette Stadium
• Text messaging (text “CONDUCT” + message to 78247) that empowers fans to anonymously report disruptive behavior to security
• Certification of over 1,700 employees across every department operating in Gillette Stadium in effective alcohol management training
• Alcohol service policies, including ID checks for all fans, no more than two alcoholic beverages per person per transaction and alcohol cut-off 15 minutes into the third quarter

"It’s important to all of us and by working together it helps us get fans home safely, which at the end of the day is my most important job," said Jim Nolan, New England Patriots Senior Vice President of Operations, Finance and Administration. "My success is when people come here, enjoy themselves and then get home. It’s not what happens on the field."