Police sniper deploying large caliber rifle for vehicle attack scenario. Photo courtesy of Jason Lang.
Aerial platform overwatch can enhance overall public venue security. Photo courtesy of Laura Fogarty.
took place in Las Vegas. The suspect targeted the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in an open-air venue with more than 20,000 attend- ing. For this event only, security and uniformed Las Vegas Metro Po- pre-deployed, and those assets were in a reactionary mode once the shooting began. Much can be learned from this tragedy, as it relates to preparedness. No one could foresee the events occurring that eve- ning; however, some 50-plus years before, a similar event occurred in Austin, Texas, as Charles Whitman went to the top of the Tower Building at the University of Texas campus and began to shoot those below him. We must be students of history and plan our security accordingly. Although the Las Vegas massacre took place in a dif- ferent manner from a vehicle attack, imagine if a rental truck with 1,000 lbs. of explosives parked itself right next to this open-air venue and exploded. There is no full proof means to prevent a deliberate attack, and areas that host open air events present their own unique challenges when compared with closed venues.
SWAT DEPLOYMENT AND RESPONSE
As tragic events continue to occur at public venues worldwide, the thought of requesting local SWAT resources is becoming more com- monplace. Once thought of as not necessary, with concerns about guest perception, we no longer live in that environment. This is the New Normal. When one thinks of vehicle intrusion at public ven- ues, many do not think of the assets that the local SWAT may have to assist. Keep in mind that SWAT teams stay busy with warrant service, barricaded subjects, and collateral duties. For your public venue to utilize their resources, there should be a deployment matrix law enforcement to determine what events qualify for the proactive deployment of SWAT resources. Without a matrix, it is merely left up to arbitrary decisions which does not serve either side well.
LARGE CALIBER CAPABILITY SWAT teams have many capabilities that the public is not aware
of. It is advisable for the venue industry to network with local law enforcement and establish working relationships with SWAT team commanders. Fostering a good relationship can go a long way in protecting your product. Some common resources that many SWAT teams have are armored rescue vehicles (ARV’s), police sniper teams, and personnel trained to deal with active threats and move in envi-
ronments that may have improvised explosive devices to contact any active threats. SWAT teams train to operate in environments where there is chaos. Chaos is what will be present during and after a ve- hicular attack. One prodigious asset that some teams have is large .338 Lapua and .50 BMG. Properly placed by police sniper teams displace a vehicle and bring it to a stop. More and more SWAT teams deployed for large scale events.
AERIAL PLATFORM OPERATIONS Another specialized asset that can assist public venues is the de-
ployment of Aerial Platform Operations. Aerial Platform operations is the operational capability of a law enforcement helicopter unit to provide armed overwatch on demand for any incident that may be required and/or requested for the safety of citizens and /or law enforcement personnel. This specialty is used less frequently by law enforcement agencies, due to many agencies not having helicopters. Those that do operate helicopters may or may not have APO. If your local law enforcement agency operates helicopters, contact your liaison and inquire if they have this capability.
SUMMARY The aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing was shocking to
many in the venue industry and continues to drive new security mea- sures. How easy is it for someone to get into a vehicle, drive to a ven- ue, and begin to run over guests as they ingress or egress? This should not be shocking to you, even though a directed vehicular attack has not occurred at a public venue. It is only a matter of time before one does. As a venue manager and/or security director, a plan should be in place to address this emerging threat. The plan should incor- porate best practices that involve input from law enforcement and local SWAT teams. Security plans must be adaptable and regularly reviewed in light of world events and tragedy. Only with incorporat- ing a solid plan with law enforcement assets will you be prepared to stop or mitigate a terrorist vehicular attack at your public venue. FM
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