FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – Graduation guests were greeted with extra security at the Florence Civic Center for Florence School District One’s graduation Saturday. Those who attended noticed additional safety measurements including additional security wand metal detectors, deputies from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals.
“We have increased our security protocol, which again tends to slow things down but the world we live in today we want to do everything we can as all SMG buildings are now currently doing.” said Paul Beard, Assistant General Manager for the Florence Civic Center.
SMG, the property owners of the Florence Civic Center also manage the venue in Manchester, England where a suicide bomber killed 22 concert-goers on May 22nd at the Manchester Arena following a concert by American singer Ariana Grande.
News 13 reached out to SMG to find out if the increased security at the Florence Civic Center had to do with the May 22nd attack in Manchester but they have not returned our calls. Officials mentioned most of the increased security at the center began earlier this year.
“We began back in February where we wind on all public major events we do winding and bag checks and now SLED has agreed that they would come to every major public ticketed event that we have from now going forward and do a building suite prior to the event for,” added Beard.
Civic Center representatives say they plan on increasing security with measures like walk-through metal detectors.
