SIDNEY — In the wake of Sunday’s mass shooting during a concert in Las Vegas, local event managers are giving thought to security measures at their various venues.
Not that they weren’t thinking about them before.
“We’ve talked about that on a regular basis,” Sheriff John Lenhart told the Sidney Daily News, Wednesday.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for some or all of the security of the Shelby County Fair, Country Concert and local schools’ sporting events.
He noted that the Shelby County Agricultural Society controls the number of personnel his office can have on the fairgrounds during the fair, because the board controls how much money can be spent.
“We need to talk another year about that,” he said. “But the vast majority of people (at the fair) — they know us; we know them. I don’t think we need screening tests on the way in or the way out. We don’t want to make it like an armed fortress. I don’t want people to think, ‘I can’t go to the fair or Hickory Hills. I won’t be safe.’ They will be.”
Ellen Keyes, executive director of Gateway Arts Council, echoed his sentiments.
“I want people to feel at home and at ease,” she said of the concerts and gallery receptions the council presents. “Nobody wants to take anything for granted. Safety is very important to us. If there are ways to increase security, we will. But I don’t want us to change our lifestyle. You have to weigh that against what changes we’d make.”
The event that draws the largest crowd in Shelby County is the annual Country Concert in Newport. Paul Barhorst, Country Concert president, works closely with the sheriff to keep security operations up to date.
“First and foremost, our thoughts, prayers, love and support are with the victims, everyone in attendance, first responders, performers and everyone involved with the event in Las Vegas,” Barhorst said. “Safety is our highest priority. We want fans to make friends and awesome memories in a safe, fun environment.
“We have developed multiple layers of security at our event over the past 37 years. Shelby County Sheriff John Lenhart has been involved as our sheriff, adviser or head of our security for each event. He brings with him experience as former superintendent of Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation and second in command at the Ohio Attorney General’s office. He’s presided over Ohio’s crime labs, chaired Ohio’s Organized Crime Unit and peace officers training office. We are fortunate to have many highly qualified, experienced men and women return to our security team year after year. We continue to monitor, learn and improve our safety techniques every year and use the best safety options possible,” he added.
Lenhart said the concert employs uniformed and plain-clothes officers, as well as private security forces and canines.
“Management has allowed us to do what we need to do. We tweak it every year. We have multiple checkpoints. We check coolers going in,” he said.
When asked if there were a danger of someone’s sneaking weapons into the campground in a camper, Lenhart said concert-goers should not be concerned.
“Most of the campers camp there every year. They request the same campsites. It’s more like a neighborhood. If there’s something wrong out there, people will tell us,” he said. The force uses “a lot” of technology at Hickory Hills, too.
“That’s a permanent setting, so they’re able to do that,” Lenhart said.
Concerning safety in schools and at school events, including football games, discussions are ongoing between law enforcement and school officials, the sheriff said.
“That’s talked about on a regular basis. We update security plans on a routine basis,” he said. Those plans are devised based on how many spectators are expected at any given event and what challenges any particular venue might present.
Sarah Barr, executive director of Raise the Roof for the Arts, which manages the Historic Sidney Theatre, and Amy Breinich, director of Sidney Alive!, could not be reached for comment on security measures planned for theater performances and the annual Winter Wonderland Parade, respectively.
