LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - New safety upgrades have arrived at War Memorial Stadium ahead of next month's Arkansas vs. Ole Miss game.
Stadium employees spent Thursday, Sept. 20 assembling new walk-through metal detectors that were purchased in response to the Salt Bowl scare in August.
“We're very, very excited they're here as soon as they are,” said Meg Matthews, Arkansas State Parks public information coordinator.
Arkansas State Parks ordered 18 metal detectors last week after Gov. Asa Hutchinson allotted $60,000 from his discretionary fund to purchase them.
Matthews said by replacing handheld “wand” scanners, the new walk-through metal detectors should speed up the entry process.
“Having them here will give us one extra level of security, and you can't really have a great time if you're not feeling safe,” Matthews said.
Parkview and Beebe fans will be the first to walk through the new metal detectors as they enter the stadium for Friday night's game. They will also be in place at entrances as War Memorial hosts the Arkansas-Ole Miss game.
“The SEC is going to require by 2020 every venue to have metal detectors at every event where they are playing, and so we are ahead of the game,” Matthews said.
In response to the Salt Bowl scare, Parks and Tourism also enacted a clear bag policy for all athletic events at War Memorial and banned loitering in the concourse.
People planning to attend an event at War Memorial Stadium are urged to visit the stadium’s website ahead of time for a list of specific security requirements.