Bend venues react to Manchester concert bombing

The terrorist attack at a concert that rocked Manchester on Monday night is prompting the U.S. government to consider beefing up homeland security. But representatives of venues in Central Oregon said Tuesday they are generally pleased with the security they already have in place.

It seems that no one wants to consider a knee-jerk reaction to the deadly attack, easy as that may be. Les Schwab Amphitheater, in particular, is confidently sticking with what’s worked for years.

“The policies and procedures that we have in place at the amphitheater have been sufficient for the past 16 years,” amphitheater Director Marney Smith said. “We review them frequently throughout every single year.”

Smith also cited strong relationships with the Bend Police and Fire departments and the three different security companies they use for events.

“We have teams of people who have been doing this for decades and understand the nature of crowds and how they move, and what we need to do to keep those crowds safe,” she said.

Other local venues echoed that line of thought.

The Bend Athletic Club added security officers last fall, but isn’t expecting to add any more because of the incident. Deschutes County Fairgrounds officials said they will discuss the Manchester attack in their yearly security meeting, but aren’t expecting radical changes.

Law enforcement officials say they are hoping the community will be able to help keep the venues safe.

“If we all work together and we understand what to look for, and if there’s something suspicious, talk to somebody,” Bend Police Lt. Clint Burleigh said. “If you start seeing something suspicious, talk to somebody. Call non-emergency. Call law enforcement. We’ll go check it out.”

He added, “20,000 eyes are better than 20.”