NBC has rolled out major new security measures at 30 Rockefeller Center to protect“Today”show staffers, and the reasons behind it are sobering. In February, co-anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, was kidnapped from her Arizona home. She remains missing. Then in July, a man named Andrew Truelove got past security, confronted co-anchor Craig Melvin, asked where to find Al Roker, and called Melvin a racial slur before being arrested. A security guard was fired after the breach.
Insiders describe the new protocols as fortress-like, and say they took longer to implement than many had hoped. Even so, the mood inside the building has reportedly shifted for the better. One source put it simply: it’s a relief, and it feels a lot better now. Staffers are following the new rules without complaints, seeing them as necessary rather than inconvenient.
The update also keeps attention on the bigger story that started all of this. Nancy Guthrie’s case is still unsolved, and the search for answers continues months later. For a morning show that America watches over coffee, the reality of keeping its people safe has become a permanent part of the job.
Do you think workplaces should tighten security after high-profile incidents, or does it go too far?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.