Metal detectors have been installed at walk-through gates at MetLife Stadium for New York Jets and New York Giants games this season.
The new security measure will remain in place for all upcoming events — including NFL preseason and regular-season games — at the stadium, which has a seating capacity of 82,500.
Walk-through magnetometers, a more effective and less intrusive form of screening, will replace hand-held magnetometers as the primary screening device.
Fans will not need to remove their shoes, belts, coins, watches or jewelry, as required at airports. They will have to place cell phones, cameras and keys on a security table prior to walking through the metal detector.
Eventually, all NFL stadiums will use walk-through metal detectors at all gates. The league’s Committee on Stadium Security mandated in May that all NFL stadiums install walk-through magnetometers within the next two years.
The safety measure, recently required by Major League Baseball, is being used at other major sports venues in the New York area, including Yankee Stadium, Citi Field and Barclays Center.
“The safety and security of our guests has always been our utmost priority,” Daniel DeLorenzi, MetLife Stadium director of security and safety services, said in a statement Monday. “The addition of walk-through magnetometers is part of the progression of stadium security and adds to our already robust public safety and security procedures. We continue to look for ways to provide a world-class experience for all guests attending events at MetLife Stadium.”