Last Updated: Friday, January 08, 2010 Chicago’s New Soldier Field Stadium Opens With SMG Security Controversy Updated: Monday, September 29, 2003 The new 61,500 seat Soldier Field stadium (with Chicago's skyline in the background) opens September 29. Photo: CMS c2003 Today, Chicago’s new Soldier Field stadium opens, as the Chicago Bears football team welcomes the Green Bay Packers. The new stadium built within the outer walls of the old venue has a lot to offer—more seats, better views for more people, new public amenities and parking facilities. What Soldier Field doesn’t appear ready to provide Chicagoans and tourists is an experienced crowd safety staff. For this failure, one can blame stadium facility managers SMG. In a story that broke in both major Chicago newspapers earlier this month, it was learned that SMG chose Monterrey Security Consultants for a lucrative 36-month Soldier Field security and crowd management contract. Monterrey Security was selected in a “no-bid” process over at least five other competitors. In a no-bid competition, a firm is not required to prove itself better than other candidates. Crowdsafe.com folks think that after the E2 club tragedy and in light of Soldier Field’s poor crowd management record, SMG would not be willing to gamble with public safety. The problem is, Monterrey Security has no prior experience with large crowds such as Chicago’s 61,500 seat stadium is likely to attract. Or, any significant experience with smaller event crowds, for that matter. On the company’s website, Monterrey Security Consultants says “protecting property and business operations” are at the “heart of [it’s]…service.” The track record of Monterrey Security is equally controversial. In 2001, the new company paid the state of Illinois $22,000 in fines when it was caught operating without a license for 21 months. The company was founded in 1999. (You do the math.) The state also put the security firm on a two-year probation. That same year, Monterrey Security was awarded a $2.9 million security contract by the City of Chicago. When it was publicized that both Monterrey Security owners worked for the city—-a flagrant municipal government ethics violation—-Mayor Richard M. Daley canceled the contract. Soldier Field General Manager and SMG executive Tim Lefevour dismissed Monterrey Security Consultants prior history of corruption. He told the Chicago Sun-Times, “We understood that they [the owners of Monterrey Security] were two young men trying to start a company. They made an error like a lot of people do, but they corrected it.” SMG’s LeFevour went on to laud the company in a SMG news release, where he called Monterrey Security “one of the best companies I’ve ever had the chance to work with...” SMG is one of the largest facility management firms in the US and Europe. [ home ][ crowdcafe ][ new ][ crowdshop ][ contact ] Crowd Management Strategies © 1997 - 2006. All rights reserved. Crowdsafe is a registered trademark of Crowd Management Strategies © 2006.