Moviegoers can likely expect to see an increase of security for Friday night showings and maybe more down the road.
Employees at both the Century Lakewood Belmar 16 and the United Artists Denver Pavilions 15 said extra security had been ordered for Friday, but could not offer specifics or say whether security would increase over the long term.
The Century Lakewood Belmar 16 is owned by Cinemark, which also owns the Century Aurora 16 where a gunman killed 12 and wounded 59 during a midnight showing of the “Dark Knight Rises.”
AMC Theatres, which has 12 theaters in the metro area, released a statement on their website stating they will be beefing up security at their locations and will not permit guests to wear masks or to bring in any fake weapons to shows. They also will not allow costumes that may make other patrons uncomfortable.
“We’re reinforcing our security procedures with our theatre teams, which we cannot discuss in detail for obvious, safety reasons,” a representative stated on the website. “Local law enforcement agencies, our landlords and their and our local security teams are stepping up nationwide to ensure we provide the safest environment possible for our guests. We couldn’t be more grateful for their collective support.”
Harkins Theatres, which has theaters at Northfield, will monitor the security situation and make adjustments if needed.
“We recognize that in our theatres we entertain and employ our friends, neighbors and families. Their safety is always of paramount concern to us,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our security procedures as necessary.”
