Planning And Managing Security For Major Special Events: Guidelines for Law Enforcement

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Planning And Managing Security For Major Special Events: Guidelines for Law Enforcement | By Edward Connors IL Institute for Law and Justice Alexandria, Virginia www.ilj.org Planning and Managing Security for Major Special Events: Guidelines for Law Enforcement March 2007 Prepared for the Ofice of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. Prepared by Edward Connors Institute for Law and Justice Alexandria, Virginia This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement #2004-CK-WX-K004 awarded by the Ofice of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions contained herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the oficial position of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the author or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. v Executive Summary Background The U.S. Department of Justice Ofice of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) was directed by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, to submit a report to Congress on “best practices” developed by law enforcement to secure special events of national or regional importance, such as sporting events, concerts, and cultural exhibitions. The report, “Planning and Managing Security for Major Special Events: Guidelines for Law Enforcement,” was prepared after a nationwide study that included: • Consultations with representatives of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other agencies charged with providing high levels of security for major national events. • Interviews with private security experts regarding such events as National Football League and National Basketball Association games. • On-site observations of security planning and management for the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, Kentucky Derby, and other major events. • Extensive telephone interviews with more than 40 local law enforcement agencies concerning best practices for securing major events in their jurisdictions. • Reviews of relevant security plans, reports, articles, guidelines, and other documents produced by experts in event security planning and management. Purpose of the Guidelines Report The guidelines report provides a framework to assist local law enforcement in planning and managing security for events that attract large numbers of people. It includes examples of best practices employed by federal agencies with security responsibilities, as well as strategies that have been effective for local law enforcement and private security. The focus is on national and regional events, which often include a variety of VIPs and may be targets for terrorists, other criminals, and protestors. The variety of approaches discussed can be tailored to large or small local special events. Challenges and Principles In planning and managing major special events, law enforcement must: • Plan for worst-case scenarios—extraordinary crimes, violence by protestors, a possible terrorist attack, natural disasters—but also be thoroughly prepared to deal with ordinary crimes and incidents (fights, drunkenness, etc.). • Weigh the security measures that conceivably could be taken (e.g., street closures, searches, highly visible tactical units) against the jurisdiction’s desire to produce events that are enjoyable, well attended, and profitable. • Ensure that the event continues safely and at the same time respect Constitutional rights, including freedom of speech and assembly. • Establish new and effective—but temporary—organizational arrangements, management structures, and methods of communication. Executive Summary ... - tailieumienphi.vn