The following is being released on behalf of Kennywood Park and the Allegheny Country District Attorney’s office:
PITTSBURGH— On April 5, 2023, a joint meeting was held with representatives from Kennywood Park, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office, and the Pennsylvania State Police, to discuss ongoing security enhancements at the park. The meeting was hosted by the District Attorney.
During the closed-door session, Kennywood shared with law enforcement and participants the extent of the efforts it had undertaken to upgrade security at the park over the past eight months, including a significant increase in police presence, improvements to the fence line surrounding the park and the implementation of a chaperone policy. These improvements are in addition to several other park-wide security measures that Kennywood has already completed, many of which were identified by Kennywood to the Allegheny Police Department following last year’s tragic shooting and reflected in the memorandum recently highlighted by the District Attorney on March 24, 2023.
Furthermore, in the interest of public safety, the parties pledged to work together to advance the shared goal of maintaining a safe and secure environment at Kennywood for all employees and guests. Toward that end, Kennywood committed to continuing to work with law enforcement, and state police specifically, to conduct a full security review, offering its full cooperation and full access to the park. In addition, Kennywood has also retained an independent security expert to provide further guidance in parallel with the state police review.
The District Attorney informed the park that it had also requested that the Allegheny County Chiefs of Police Association review the Association’s Model Active Shooter and Critical Incident Command protocols and training to ensure “best current practices” and Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) standards by the Association.
For security reasons, the findings and specifics of new security measures to be implemented following these reviews will remain confidential.
The intent of the meeting and future steps is to demonstrate the shared commitment the park, law enforcement and the District Attorney have to overall public safety so guests can enjoy a best-of-class entertainment experience at Kennywood.
Both Kennywood and the District Attorney look forward to a safe and enjoyable summer when Kennywood Park opens for its 125th Season on April 22, 2023.
###
Thank you,
Tasha Pokrzywa
Communication Manager