Page 84 - Security Today, July/August 2019

Shielding the Attendees
Vehicle tragedies emphasize need for pedestrian protection at large events
By Greg Hamm
y their very nature, terrorist attacks and errant driv- ers, who can also create untold damage, are unpre- dictable and predicated on surprise. Staying one step ahead by identifying vulnerable areas, and securing them, is critical to staving off vehicular attacks. That
means being able to deploy security equipment in tough conditions, at a moment’s notice.
Terrorists typically don’t go where they see barricades, so plac- ing them wherever possible attacks can happen reduces security risks dramatically. Temporary barriers are often used to protect facilities while permanent ones are being built. Plus, they’ve even been effec- tive for the long-term where physical conditions preclude permanent solutions. Such are the cases at two very different events thousands of miles apart, New Orleans’ annual Mardi Gras and the Common- wealth Games held four years apart at varying British common- wealth nations.
This has been happening for some time—vehicles being used as weapons. Several years ago, on Dec. 19, 2016, the news exploded with information about a vehicle attack on a Christmas market in Berlin that killed at least 12 and injured more than 50. Less than a month before, the U.S. State Department had warned about such attacks in public places throughout Europe, saying that extremist groups in- cluding the Islamic State and Al Qaeda were planning to focus on such locales during the Holiday Season.
76
JULY/AUGUST 2019 | SECURITY TODAY
According to Aaron Miller, New Orleans’ director of homeland
security and preparedness, said three barriers were initially towed into location just prior to the 2017 NBA All-Star game. Miller said that in certain situations the portable barriers are more efficient than current measures. Instead of police officers using patrol cars to close streets, the barriers free officers to take care of other important po- lice matters. Miller also stated that the city intends to purchase more portable barriers to block additional French Quarter intersections.
Unfortunately, in New Orleans, obtaining extra vehicle protection quickly became a focal point since an intoxicated driver injured at least 28 people when smashing into the Krewe of Endymion parade, the largest at Mardi Gras, at one of the yet unprotected intersections. Just as a terrorist can use a vehicle as a weapon to harm many people quickly as in Berlin, the same results can be caused by an errant driver.
As a result, temporary vehicle barriers were later erected in New Orleans’ French Quarter to restrict vehicle access to Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. The barriers, which were placed along cross streets intersecting Bourbon, helped ensure no vehicles had access to the heavily traveled walkways as Mardi Gras participants celebrat- ed in the Quarter. The barriers were raised at 5 p.m. from Feb. 22 through Mardi Gras‚ which ended on Feb. 28, and lowered at 5 a.m. or earlier depending on crowds. New Orleans plans to continue use of the portable barriers during special events in the future.
In the Land Down Under
In Australia, the Commonwealth Games, held in April 2018, on the
EVENT SECURITY