Security at Dragon*Con 2011

[m-cubicle.livejournal.com]

EDIT: With the great response this post is getting, let's try and make something happen here. Send Dragon*con security any ideas you may have in ways to improve security for the 2011 show. Go to the contact security form through the D*Con web page. Get as many people as you can to do the same. Pass the word along. Select "security" from the drop down menu. The hotels and Dragon*con MUST agree to start checking badges or room keys at the hotel entrances  to keep the non-con goers out.  Why should we pay and others not?!

dragoncon.org/dc_contact.php

Since it doesn't seem like anyone has addressed this issue for D*Con 2011 recently, I will go ahead and put it on the table.

As I'm sure many others noticed, last year there were several security concerns during the convention. I remember reading all the different posts of women being accosted and "felt up" by individuals who had no badge and nothing to do with the convention itself. Letters were mailed to the hotel and complaints filed. Since then, it has all gone quiet.... Has anything been done by the hotel or Dragon*Con to alleviate this problem? Or, are the powers that be just hoping we would all forget about it and just deal for next year?

I have noticed every year the convention getting more and more filled with people who have come to the hotels thinking they would be getting a free "freaks on parade" show. Individuals include: Football fans, nearby college students, and random people off the street hoping to get a free good time at the expense of those who paid to be there. It's not the same convention it was 5 years ago, the con is changing and not for the good.

Before I go dumping more hard earned money on a convention that is already getting ridiculously priced, are any of these issues going to be addressed? What is to keep random grabby pervs away from my girlfriend or friends? With everything getting expensive these days, I need some re-assurances that this will be a safe convention and the money will be well spent. I wonder what the ratio is of people who just wander in off the streets is, to those who actually paid for a badge?

Comments

[pixiekingtom.livejournal.com]

Actually, most of those staying in the hotels were alumni or behaved BECAUSE they were able to be tracked. Most of the issues came when word got out to those from other hotels or who drove into town just for the game.
Thatr's why I bleieve restricting access will do a LOT for cutting down on issues.

[trybutez.livejournal.com]

There's some truth to this. Those staying at the hotels have something to lose in participating in bad behavior... namely... their rooms. Those off the streets or from other hotels don't have that concern.

I'm also all for limiting the hotels (From the evening on) to people with badge or room key. This will also help with the perpetual Fire Marshall issues.

[paladyn.livejournal.com]

The biggest problem with posting security at entrances to check for badges and room keys is that the security detail is always going to be mobbed by people. And people will get through. Not to mention the fact that not everyone who stays at a hotel is going to get a room key.

[trybutez.livejournal.com]

This is true. People will *always* get by.... other people will have friends/cohorts let them in through the side entrances... whatever.

But firstly, it's an obvious attempt at doing something. Secondly, it *will* deter some. And C: Even if it only stops 75% of people who would have gotten in otherwise, I'd still call it a success.

[pixiekingtom.livejournal.com]

Actually, when they started doing this last year it was pretty efficient. there were multiple guards at each entrance, very polite, did a quick scan and traffic flowed pretty well. It helps that there's multiple ways in through the skywalks now.

[hxcpunkchick.livejournal.com]

I was about to say the same thing. The times that I came across it at the entrances, it definitely wasn't any more bottlenecked than before. I'm just glad that I didn't run across it on a night that my dumbbutt forgot my badge/roomkey...

[abby-i.livejournal.com]

It always worked well when the used to do it too, though the con wasn't quite as busy then. Once you got used to needing to have your badge/key ready, things worked out fine.