From Planning to Prevention: Minimizing Security Risks at Large-Scale Events

When violence occurs at mass gathering venues—such as concerts, large celebrations, and sporting events—it can seem overwhelming to identify every vulnerability an adversary may have exploited. Even with gates, barriers, bollards, and armed personnel in place, gaps can still emerge without comprehensive, proactive security strategy, planning, and preparation.

The recent tragedy in New Orleans,, where an attacker drove a vehicle into New Year’s Eve crowds gathered ahead of the Sugar Bowl, underscores the critical importance of proactive measures to protect attendees. Even with strong safety protocols and the best intentions, there are always opportunities to enhance protection and anticipate potential risks. As the football season continues and other large-scale events occur throughout the year, organizations should reflect on practical strategies to help prevent similar incidents and strengthen overall safety.

From Bystanders to Upstanders: Strengthening Threat Detection

When an event takes an unexpected turn, it’s easy to point fingers. However, proactive measures can help engage both local law enforcement and the community in threat detection. An engaged community that knows what to look for and feels empowered to act can transition from passive bystanders to active upstanders, playing a critical role in prevention.

Behavioral Threat Assessments provide a systematic, fact-based approach to identifying, evaluating, and intervening before situations escalate. The FBI’s Making Prevention a Reality guide supports this proactive shift, offering practical strategies for assessing and managing targeted threats to prevent violence. By promoting consistent evaluation over assumptions or missed signals, these assessments play a crucial role in securing large-scale events and reducing soft targets for attackers.

Equally important is alignment with local and federal agencies to ensure that potential threats are taken seriously. With limited resources and a high volume of reports, evaluating every alert can be challenging. Centralizing observations in a shared system makes it easier to identify patterns and clusters of concerning activity, enabling teams to recognize individuals exhibiting behaviors associated with the Pathway to Violence  and take preventive action.

 

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Case Study: Ariana Grande Concert (Manchester, England)

On May 22, 2017, during the attack at a packed Ariana Grande concert, several threat detection opportunities were overlooked in the days leading up to and on the day of the incident that could have been prevented by proper training of security teams and more alignment with local officials.

• Pre-Event Surveillance: The attacker, Salman Abedi, visited the venue multiple times and was captured on CCTV pacing near the arena doors, visibly observed by two security staff members.
• Suspicious Behavior: The day before the concert, Abedi, carrying a large backpack, mingled oddly with crowds of young girls and their parents outside the venue.
• Day of the Incident: On the event day, Abedi was seen loitering behind security officers, again wearing a large backpack and exhibiting unusual behavior.
• Public Report: A concertgoer reported Abedi to security, noting his strange behavior, black clothing, and oversized rucksack.

 

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A Layered Approach to Event Security

The notion that it’s too late to intervene once an attacker decides to act is far from true. While no strategy can eliminate all risk, there are effective ways to minimize it. By placing security at the center of event planning and implementing a layered approach — addressing operational, physical, and technological security domains — organizers can strengthen defenses and improve their response to potential threats. Here’s how each layer plays a critical role in comprehensive event protection.

1) Operational Security Domain: Involves protocols, staffing, training, and coordination with local law enforcement and emergency services to ensure readiness and rapid response.

Key considerations for a strong operational plan include:

• Planning and Preparation: All incidents of mass violence involve some level of premeditation and planning. Complex attacks can take weeks or even months of preparation, including surveillance of routines and security measures. Visible threat detection measures can deter attackers by signaling robust security.
• Behavioral Threat Detection: While behavioral threat detection on the day of or immediately before the event is valuable, it is not enough. Proactive threat detection must be part of a broader, ongoing strategy.
• Communication and Collaboration: A strong communication plan is essential and should include coordination with local businesses and law enforcement.

 

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Case Study: Super Bowl LIVE 52

In preparation for Super Bowl LIVE 52 in Minneapolis, Rozin Security partnered with event organizers to develop and execute a comprehensive security strategy over an eight-month period. It included key elements such as:

• Security Concept of Operations (CONOPS): A detailed security plan was created and validated with stakeholders to ensure feasibility.
• Behavior Detection Officers: Trained officers were deployed to monitor attendees’ behavior for potential signs of malicious intent and threats of targeted violence. The system proved effective by detecting suspicion indicators and mitigating potential security incidents.
• Enhanced Surveillance and Response: Strategically position precision marksmen at high-risk events to quickly neutralize active threats if attacks unfold.
• Resource Leveraging: Existing security assets, including nearby commercial properties, were integrated into the security plan.

 

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2) Physical Security Domain: Focuses on barriers, access control, crowd flow management, and surveillance to deter and detect potential threats.

Once operational risks are addressed, the next step is identifying areas with the highest concentration of assets. In mass gathering events like New Orleans, attendees themselves are the key assets that need protection. To assess physical risks effectively, it’s important to adopt an attacker’s perspective and consider potential vulnerabilities.

Key areas to focus on when evaluating physical risk:

• Barriers and Perimeter Control: Install crash-rated bollards and secure vehicle access points to prevent unauthorized vehicle entry. Use law enforcement vehicles and other physical barriers to fortify the perimeter.
• Crowd Flow and Exit Planning: Ensure multiple entry and exit points to facilitate quick and safe evacuation if needed.Plan egress and ingress routes in advance to prevent congestion during emergencies.
• Elimination of Concealment Areas: Remove or secure objects that could conceal weapons, such as benches, garbage cans, and storage areas.

3) Technological Security Domain: Leverages advanced tools such as real-time monitoring, threat detection software, and communication systems to enhance situational awareness and incident response.

Technology serves as a critical layer of support in any modern security plan, strengthening threat detection and enabling faster, more effective action during large-scale events. Here are key ways technology can be utilized:

• Real-Time Monitoring and Threat Detection: Implement tools for real-time surveillance and threat detection to enhance situational awareness during the event. Use advanced communication systems to ensure rapid coordination between security teams and law enforcement. Use smart systems to detect suspicious behavior, persons of concern and maintain situational awareness.
• Pre-Event Screening: Deploy technology to screen vehicles and individuals ahead of time, ensuring staff are aware of potential threats. This includes using License Plate Reader (LPR) technology at perimeter checkpoints to monitor and restrict vehicle access for persons of interest.
• Facial Recognition and Surveillance: Use facial recognition technology to identify individuals of concern in real-time. Integrate surveillance systems with law enforcement databases to detect and track persons of interest near the event venue.
• Centralized Incident Reporting: Maintain a central database to log suspicious activity leading up to and during the event. Even a simple tool, such as a shared spreadsheet, can help security teams track and surface patterns of concern.

By addressing each of these areas, event organizers can build a more comprehensive and resilient security strategy and can significantly reduce vulnerabilities and enhance overall readiness and response.

To learn more about how your organization can minimize risk at large-scale events, contact Rozin Security to speak with one of our senior consultants.