Vancouver Riot: Fail to Plan, or Plan to Fail?

The rioting that followed the Vancouver Canucks’ Stanley Cup final series loss stunned many, but was entirely predictable and avoidable.

In what could only have seemed to be a good idea to the worst security and civic planners, an estimated 100,000 people were permitted to congregate on city streets and watch the hockey game live on large screen televisions.

The largely uncontrolled fan zones offered contract security pat-downs for contraband, which were proven to be completely ineffective when at the moment the game ended, beer bottles and other missiles were hurled at the giant flat screens in a show of unmatched ingratitude.

Police clearly missed an opportunity to make a last minute transition into riot gear well before the end of the game. Several people later told media they left after the second period with their small children because they believed the crowd’s mood had changed and they thought violence might ensue.

Following a similar riot in 1994, a police-contracted researcher made over 100 recommendations to prevent a repeat occurrence of hockey fan violence. That same expert watched the recent riots erupt live on television, and saw nearly every one of his recommendations ignored or forgotten, from the presence street furniture and parked cars, several of which were later burned, to a lack of coordinated public transit and unprepared police.

Police were especially criticized for their “meet and greet” approach to crowd control. Vancouver’s chief, Jim Chu, stated officers had to withdraw from streets to don riot gear when the mood turned ugly, causing a delay in responding to events. Shockingly, the chief’s strategy ignored the fact that law enforcement is almost universally reviled in the Lower Mainland of B.C., where Canada has its only publicly funded safe drug injection site, marijuana grow operations are at the highest per capita rate, and a violent gang war has raged over the lucrative hard drug market for six years.

Instead, the chief and civic planners should have torn a page from the UK where public disorder and its police response, particularly surrounding large sporting events, is an art form.

Almost any premier football match in England involves upwards of 100,000 fans all brought to and from the event in a carefully planned manner, under the intense and watchful eyes of police. While many of those officers may be wearing a standard uniform and a smile, around nearly every corner in crowded fan areas are riot-ready officers and teams of public order cops in vans ready to respond to trouble immediately.

Known trouble makers are proactively sought out long before match time, and either apprehended or reminded via personal visits from police that their presence is both unwelcome and noticed.

Finally, there is a distinct absence of anything like a public “fan zone” or outdoor large screen television that might encourage large crowds of people to gather. This daft idea is not even contemplated, as it is a public order nightmare.

Instead, those lucky enough to have tickets to a match are kept moving through designated routes to and from the stadiums. Those attending without tickets are expected to watch the game down at the local, effectively distributing the crowds into smaller, confined groups that are easier for police resources to manage.

Another riot, another opportunity to learn, for Vancouver, which had seen through the Olympics without much of a fuss and was lulled into a false sense of security. Should the Canucks find themselves flirting with another NHL championship final, hopefully the public order plan will be one of keeping order, and not planned failure as was the case in June of 2011.

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Royal Wedding An Exercise In Mass Event Security

 

TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Official photograph of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on April 29, 2011, shown in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace. Photo: Hugo Burnand/St. James's Palace

The Royal wedding yesterday, watched by an estimated 2 billion people around the world, was a smashing success, both from the perspective of the royal couple, and the vast security apparatus in place to ensure the event went off without a hitch.

The marriage between His Royal Highness The Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton – now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – was not only a happy occasion joining two families, but a well executed exercise in mass event security planning.

It has been reported that an estimated 5,000 police officers were on duty providing security for the big day, including 1,000 lining the processional route from Westminster Abbey, the location of the marriage, to Buckingham Palace, where the two receptions for the royal couple were held.

Aside from road closures, there were airspace restrictions, undercover police officers, and a large military presence, both ceremonial, and it can be presumed, operational.  It has also been reported that 56 people were arrested, and a number of demonstrations were monitored closely by police, a resoundingly uneventful result considering an estimated 1 million people were present to witness the event, albeit from afar, in person.

Central London, in particular the ceremonial area that includes Buckingham Palace, The Mall, the royal palaces of St. James’ and Clarence House, Horse Guards Parade, Admiralty Arch, and Westminster Abbey, are blanketed by CCTV and other security operations even on the most mundane of days.

This is in part to a 30-year conflict with Irish nationalists, and a more recent Islamic extremist threat.  But also because Britain has had much practice and experience with mass protests and civil disturbance, which were promised by various groups who were opposed to the royal wedding in the weeks leading up to it.

Some may also recall the near-miss experience of Marcus Sarjeant, who fired a blank firing pistol at The Queen during the 1981 Trooping the Colour ceremony.  Inspired by the assassination attempt on U.S. President Ronald Reagan a year earlier, Sarjeant simply wanted to be famous for something.

There was also one tragic direct hit for the Royal Family.  In 1979, the Earl of Mountbatten of Burma, an uncle of Prince Philip, was killed when a bomb planted by Irish republican nationalists in his fishing boat exploded on a lake in County Sligo.  Despite warnings from intelligence and security agents, Lord Mountbatten continued to holiday in an area of Ireland where there was large republican sentiment.

That yesterday’s royal wedding could at once be so public and exposed, and take place in such proximity to large crowds, and go off without any problems is a testament to great security planning.

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World Cup Rife with Security Risks: Report

World Cup 2010: the unforeseen security risks

By Sarah Herman | 06/10/10 – 14:38

Huge unanticipated security risks are posed to companies by cyber criminals who have taken full advantage of the upcoming World Cup, via targeted malicious PDFs/malware serving campaigns, blackhat SEO and fraudulent propositions, as well as fake lottery winning notifications and letters of claim-themed scams, and these security risks are likely to increase once the event gets underway.

Full article on Financial Services Technology magazine’s website.

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The Toronto G20 Impact Zone

The RCMP-led Integrated Security Unit, which has responsibility over security for the G8/G20 Summits in Huntsville and Toronto this month, recently released road closure information.

Toronto G20 Summit road map of security barrier and traffic changes. (RCMP G8-G20 ISU website)

Toronto G20 Summit road map of security barrier and traffic changes. (RCMP G8-G20 ISU website)

The area within the orange box will be generally inaccessible to the public, and access will be restricted to G20 delegates, accredited media, and other authorized persons.  Residents who live within this area are asked by the ISU to register and obtain a pass, however, unregistered persons will still be able to access the zone provided they are willing to show identification and give specific information about where they are going, and are willing to wait or possibly be escorted.

This area contains the CBC building, the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre, and several business that are mostly restaurants and commercial office towers.

According to the CN Tower website, the attraction will close during the G8/G20 summit, from June 25 to 27, as a result of anticipated security restrictions on travel in the area.  It is also worth noting that the main observation deck altitude of 346 metres, and proximity to the G20 site, provide for an ideal observation post for security forces to coordinate and observe activities in and around the summit facility.

The CBC is a 24 hour news media operation, and is unlikely to be significantly impacted overall.  Its vehicle entrance does not face Front St, which is likely to be closed entirely to vehicle traffic.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced on May 11 they will play their three game series against the Phillies in Philidelphia, instead of at home as originally scheduled, and issue refunds to ticket holders.  Their last home game before the summit will be June 24.  It is expected that the Rogers Centre will be closed for the duration of the summit.

Because Bremner Blvd provides direct access to the convention centre’s south building, it is probable that it will be closed or access severely restricted.  Such closures may affect businesses like the Steam Whistle Brewery, who declined to comment on G20 matters, and other businesses and condos in the area.

The Royal Bank building at 325 Front St W is also likely to see access restrictions, as vehicle access to the buildings underground parking is from Front St, which is likely to be closed betweek Blue Jays Way and York Street.  The banks headquarters is adjacent to the Royal York Hotel, which is also located within the security zone and is a likely location for accomodations for delegates.

The security zone is not as large as previously projected by some media outlets, including the Globe and Mail, which suggested the security zone would extend as far as Queen Street to the north, and Queen’s Quay to the south, and Spadina to Yonge to the west and east.

Access within the blue “traffic” zone will be permitted, according to the ISU, however at this point vehicles can expect to “engage with a Toronto Police Service officer”.  It is within this zone that the heaviest police presence can be expected, and the removal of street furniture such as mail and newspaper boxes, and transit shelters, will take place.  Utility access covers will likley be welded shut and the bulk of the 77 additional CCTV cameras monitored by Toronto Police will cover this zone.

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Security On Hiring Rush for G8/G20 Summits

Commissionaires Great Lakes are hiring guards for a two week period coinciding with the G8/G20 summits. Image: Commissionaires website

Commissionaires Great Lakes are hiring guards for a two week period coinciding with the G8/G20 summits. (Image: Commissionaires website)

The G8 and G20 summits this June could prove lucrative for some private security firms in Toronto, many of whom are on hiring blitzes to fill short term jobs next month.

During the summits, world leaders and their officials, along with media, will descend on Toronto and Hunstville, located in the Muskoka region north of the city, and will at least in part be protected by private security companies.

The Commissionaires Great Lakes is seeking to “fill short term positions” in and around Toronto in June, from the 14th to the 28th.  The Muskoka 2010 G8 Summit runs on June 25 and 26, followed immediately by the Toronto 2010 G20 Summit, which runs from June 26 to 27.

The company is looking for candidates who have been residents of Canada for at least 5 years, which would enable government security clearances to be processed without delays.

Originally the Corps of Commissionaires, the security company was at one time known to favour employing former RCMP and military members, and for providing security services to public sector clients. The organization is now made up of several branches, employs a wider demographic, and sells security services to both private and public sector clients.

The RCMP-led Integrated Security Unit is responsible for the overall security program, and involves a partnership of police officers from their own agency, along with Peel Region and Toronto police, and the Department of National Defence. 

A similar ISU was formed for the 2010 Vancouver Games in February, where private security officers saw wide involvement in venue entry point screening roles.

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