Police say to expect ‘Super Bowl’ level of security at Charlie Kirk memorial on Sunday

PHOENIX — Turning Point USA has told attendees to expect “TSA-level” security at the memorial for co-founder Charlie Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

The city’s police department is taking a step further.

“This is at the level of the Super Bowl,” Glendale Police Department spokesman Jose Santiago told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

The city is familiar with hosting massive events, such as the Super Bowl, as it has hosted the NFL’s championship game three times, most recently in February 2023.

However, Sunday’s memorial poses a different challenge when it comes to public safety.

“When we’ve had these mega events, we’ve had upwards of two years to plan for these events,” Santiago said. “For this particular event, we’ve had about a week to get prepared. The good news is that Glendale knows how to handle these mega events and we handle them well.”

Why is security heightened for Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Glendale?

Security at State Farm Stadium will be heightened for several reasons, including:

• The high-profile nature of Kirk’s death in a shooting at a Utah college on Sept. 10.
• The dignitaries who will be in attendance, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
• A possible crowd of about 100,000 people.

Glendale police are working with federal authorities, including the Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI, along with other West Valley police agencies and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, on security for the event.

“Right now, it’s all hands on deck,” Santiago said. “Pretty much everyone that we have that can work is working to make sure that this event goes off successfully and safely.”

To ensure safety, all attendees will go through metal detectors and they may be searched, according to Santiago.

The event will also follow State Farm Stadium’s prohibited items policy. Bags, strollers and signs will not be allowed inside.

“If there’s something that you don’t think you will need with you, I would suggest you not to bring it,” Santiago said.

Differences in securing a Super Bowl and Charlie Kirk’s memorial

Along with a quicker timeline, Santiago said there is another major difference between securing a Super Bowl and Sunday’s memorial.

“The challenge that we’re facing here is that when we have something like the Super Bowl, that is a ticketed event. So we know exactly how many people are going to be attending,” Santiago said. “This particular event is not a ticketed event.”

Turning Point USA is asking anyone interested in attending Kirk’s memorial to register on FightForCharlie.com. Santiago said this is being done just to get an idea of how many people will be in Glendale on Sunday.

“Even though they are registering folks, there are going to be people that won’t register and still will want to attend,” Santiago said. “So really, that’s where the challenge lies.”

Both State Farm Stadium and the secondary indoor location, Desert Diamond Arena, will have capacities set for the number of people allowed inside. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Santiago stressed that no one will be allowed to camp outside State Farm Stadium on Saturday night and that attendees will be allowed to start parking at 7 a.m. Sunday.

“You can arrive early that morning, but you cannot spend the night prior to,” Santiago said.

Doors at State Farm Stadium for the memorial will open at 8 a.m. Sunday. The service is expected to begin at 11 a.m.

For anyone unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed on Kirk’s Rumble account.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.  

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