JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The deadly terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, on Monday, has raised safety concerns for people planning to attend the opening show at the Daily's Place amphitheater connected to EverBank Field this weekend.
The big question had been whether the concert venue being built in front of the Jacksonville Jaguars' stadium will be opened as scheduled Saturday for the Tedeschi Trucks Band with John Cleary concert, and Sunday's Train concert with O.A.R. and Natasha Bedingfield. But now some are asking about the security at the facility.
RELATED: City ready to inspect Daily's Place venue for big opening
On Tuesday, Clark Graham was watching workers finishing up construction on the amphitheater. He told News4Jax that he hopes they are finished in time for the concerts this weekend, but he's also wondering about the safety.
"I don't know what you can do about things like this. You can only do so much," Graham said. "I think we all worry about things like this nowadays."
Like EverBank Field, Daily's Place amphitheater will have security screening, including bag checks and magnetometers.
IMAGES: Sky 4 drone looks down on Daily's Place construction
But one thing that News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said people need to start thinking about is what happens after the event is over.
Survivors of the suicide bombing that killed 22 people at a Manchester concert hall say security screening ahead of the Ariana Grande show was haphazard. Nikola Trochtova said she was leaving the venue when she heard the explosion. She told Czech radio that there was almost no security screening ahead of the concert.
It is still unclear how the bomber was able to enter the area undetected. The blast happened right after Grande left the stage and the arena lights went back up.
In Jacksonville, Smith said, he believes police may need to check the area before they let mass crowds exit.
"If they find these bombs are being detonated near the stadium, or right outside the stadium, they may need to widen the parameters," Smith said.
Law enforcement officers have always stressed, "See something, say something." Smith explained what types of things people should be looking out for now.
"It's not a certain type of person you're looking at. It's not any type of race or nationality, because these things are occurring from people all over the world," Smith said. "What you're looking for is what they're actually carrying, particularly in weather like this when it's 90 degrees and someone's wearing very heavy clothing, heavy coats, and it may be very bulky or something like that. Don't hesitate to let law enforcement know."
SMG Jacksonville, the group that manages these facilities, had no comment and would not talk about security and what people can expect.
Jaguars front office staff on Tuesday issued a statement, which reads in part, "The safety of our guests is paramount, whether it’s at EverBank Field or Daily’s Place. To ensure a safe environment, comprehensive security protocols for Daily’s Place have been in development for many months in conjunction with Bold Events, Live Nation, the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office, SMG Jacksonville and state and federal law enforcement."
Pre-event security protocols vary country by country and according to venues. Security experts say one protective measure that could have been taken was extending the security perimeter around the Manchester arena.
READ: Sheriff Mike Williams' statement on Manchester attack, public safety in Jacksonville
Police ask for public's help to ensure safety at Jazz Fest
It will be a big weekend in Jacksonville with the Daily's Place amphitheater opening, as well as the Jacksonville Jazz Festival.
But the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office reassured people who plan on attending the four-day event that security measures will be in place.
“We've been asked this question a lot: 'Am I safe at events?' And that answer is, 'Yes,'” JSO Chief Leonard Propper said at a news conference Wednesday. “We take the welfare and the safety of all of our citizens very seriously at the Sheriff's Office, as well as City Hall.”
RELATED: 2017 Jacksonville Jazz Fest: What you need to know |
WATCH: Memorial Day weekend safety, traffic
Propper asked the attendees to help law enforcement officers by being cooperative if they're stopped to be wanded or have their bag checked.
“There's a reason behind that. It's not intended to be disruptive. We have to have compliance when it comes to that. This is what creates a safe environment, especially an outdoor environment that's very, very porous, that's open in all directions," he said. "So please, everybody that's coming down, it's going to be a wonderful experience. There's going to be a little bit of vetting that goes on. There's going to be people watching. There's going to be people in locations that's observing, and every interaction that we have for somebody is based on a reason for your safety.”
Propper also reiterated the importance of "see something, say something."
"Your eyes, your ears, what you see and telling somebody is absolutely paramount in providing a safe environment. Anybody that sees anything that looks suspicious, that looks creepy, that just doesn't look right, you tell somebody and we'll check it out. That's what we're here for," Propper said. "We don't want anything bad to happen, and we need your help to make sure that that doesn't happen. Report anything suspicious and we'll be glad to investigate that."
Every venue at the Jazz Fest will have people in place to prevent and react, Propper said.
St. Augustine Amphitheatre to take extra precautions
The St. Augustine Amphitheatre will also be taking extra precautions for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
The venue has recently increased security because of terror incidents during the last year.
A spokesperson told News4Jax that they have have more security staff and the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office continues to work with them, adding that bag searches, metal detectors and wanding are now standard procedure.
The amphitheatre used to be open to the public during the week when events were not taking place because it's on park property, but that, too, has changes and it's now a secured or closed venue.
Idina Menzel, the voice behind the "Let It Go" song from "Frozen," will perform this weekend at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, and Paul Simon will perform later next week.