ATLANTA — A security check revealed some potentially serious vulnerabilities at the Georgia Dome, Channel 2 Action News learned Friday.
Plain-clothed Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents working an Atlanta Falcons game managed to get into restricted areas, including the field.
Georgia World Congress Center Police Chief John Bauer told Channel 2’s Mark Winne he asked GBI agents working extra-duty jobs with his folks to conduct "intrusive and rigorous inspections" undercover of possible security gaps.
He says the inspection found things to improve, saying, "That's why we did it."
Through an open records request, Winne got his hands on a memo from a GBI assistant special agent in charge to one of the bureau's top officials pertaining to the Monday, Sept. 14 Falcons game. The memo suggests several agents worked off-duty in plain clothes in order to "identify and report potential gaps in dome security by attempting to gain access to restricted areas.”
“(They were) looking at access by fans and also individuals who may wish to do harm at the game or at the dome,” said Scott Dutton with the GBI.
The memo specifies the field, the locker rooms and club level suites.
“In each instance, the off-duty agents reported that they were successful in gaining access to the specified restricted areas by simply walking away from the CSC event staff who challenged them at various controlled-access points, or by bypassing them when they were busy assisting other customers," the memo said.
The memo says the agents were only allowed to remain in the restricted areas for mere moments before being confronted by a CSC event staff member. Dutton says in some cases mere moments is enough to potentially do harm, but says overall that would be a reasonable response by the private security.
The memo says sometimes agents only stood in the doorway long enough to capture a photo of the restricted area.
Bauer, who said he came to the dome in December, says the Congress Center has already taken steps to shore up deficiencies identified.
He says some necessary improvements are still under way, but the dome consistently has one of the highest security ratings in the NFL.
Winne reached out to CSC for a response but hasn’t heard back.
WSBTV
