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Barclays Center Ditches Metal Detectors After Racism Charges
By
Ben Yakas
Published Oct 14, 2012
Modified Oct 14, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Oct 14, 2012
Modified Oct 14, 2012
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Well, that was quick: yesterday, the NY Post suggested that Barclays Center might have a racist metal detector policy, since they were there for Jay-Z's eight shows but not for Barbra Streisand's two shows this week. We suggested the arena might be experimenting with various security policies, since their chief security director had left recently. And lo and behold, that's exactly the story Barclays Center is sticking to: “We utilized the first two weeks since the arena opened as an opportunity to test different security methods,” David Anderson, Barclays Center General Manager, told the Post today.
“After witnessing long lines during events in which we used walk-through magnetometers, we began to utilize hand-held magnetometers at the Barbra Streisand concert Thursday evening. We found that this strategy allowed for quicker access into the arena, while maintaining safety and security,” Anderson said. Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James, who criticized the arena yesterday for having a "double standard," praised them for making the policy change official: “It should be one arena, one standard—safety. I congratulate Barclays Center for realizing we are all one.” But can we really all be one when some of us aren't getting the same amount of toilet paper?
Tagged
barbra streisand
barclays center
brooklyn
jay-z
metal detectors
racism
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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