By Lieutenant Jon Zimmer and Captain John Mocello
“We have always done things this way!”
“We cannot afford that in our budget!”
Sound familiar? Planning is underway for an upcoming summer music and arts street festival and these are the responses from an event organizer adamantly defending why they feel the recommendation — to utilize mobile vehicle barricades around the parking lot to protect the attendees — is complete overkill.
It is hard to imagine a pre-planned large public gathering or special event today without immediately thinking about security. The days of simply cordoning off a street and letting the crowds gather are long gone.
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Recent tragic incidents at public events have underscored the evolving threats and the need for robust and well-managed public safety posture.
News outlets and social media played videos of the 2024/2025 New Year’s Eve terror attack in New Orleans, where a pickup truck was intentionally driven over a sidewalk and veered onto a crowded Bourbon Street, resulting in 14 fatalities. A fatal shooting at a busy Juneteenth Festival in Tulsa, Oklahoma, resulted in some nationwide jurisdictions re-scheduling and even canceling similar festivals over security concerns.
These incidents prompted a reevaluation among public safety agencies and event organizers on how special events are conceptualized, planned and executed. In response to these heightened concerns, a growing number of agencies are now implementing formalized special event permit processes. The goal is increased safety through a proactive approach that emphasizes communication and collaboration before an event.
A unified approach to event security
Special events are not new. Larger events, such as professional sporting events, road races and holiday gatherings have always involved a public safety component. Yet the smaller community-focused events often fell under the radar or were minimally planned and staffed.
A youth baseball program would be permitted to march down the local streets of their town in an annual parade to kick off the season with little-to-no collaborative input from involved stakeholders. Their safety was taken for granted!
Those days are behind us. A unified approach to both planning and managing public events is now a necessity for all events, large and small. Success has been found in jurisdictions when these groups come together and collaborate as a multi-disciplinary stakeholder group. By integrating the expertise and resources of these various entities, event safety planning moves beyond a reactive stance to a proactive and preventative one, aiming to mitigate risks and ensure the well-being of all attendees.
Event security collaboration and communication
Stakeholders should meet on a regular basis to discuss and plan upcoming events. These committees can be the first step in the approval process, deciding whether to support an event. This committee is also the body responsible for conducting thorough debriefs and after-action reports aimed at generating avenues for improvement.
These meetings can be in person or virtual, which is arguably the most popular method.
The frequency of these meetings is dependent on time of year and cadence in which your jurisdiction is sponsoring events. For instance, during the busiest months, a weekly virtual meeting may be necessary, whereas during slower periods, a monthly meeting may be sufficient.
During these meetings, stakeholders work collaboratively to review planning updates, identify vulnerabilities, discuss staffing and equipment needs, and develop strategies for improvement. In this setting, every stakeholder’s voice is heard and respected. All participants are recognized as valuable contributors.
Special event legislation
Consider working with local government officials to implement special event legislation that provides oversight into the permit process and addresses key issues such as agency reimbursement for personnel costs. A primary stakeholder should be appointed to oversee the special event process.
Formalized event application process
Agencies are increasingly leveraging online portal programs in collaboration with other government entities, such as Offices of Emergency Management and Inspection and Permits Offices, to formalize and streamline the process for event organizers to submit permit requests. This digital approach centralizes applications, making it easier for organizers to navigate the necessary steps and work with each stakeholder to meet logistical requirements to execute the event. It acts as a historical record to assist with planning repeat annual events.
Assessing event impact and risk
Once an event request is submitted, it undergoes a thorough review by the special event stakeholders committee. A thorough assessment, informed by best practices and historical data from previous events with the same organization, is essential. While all events warrant full vetting, staffing and resource allocation, those decisions should always be dictated by analysis and a realistic appraisal of potential risks, not by an organizer’s budget. This collaborative and systematic review process ensures that all potential safety and logistical concerns are addressed proactively, leading to safer and more efficiently managed public events.
Agencies should consider developing and implementing a risk assessment matrix to aid with determining the size and scope of the event, and to assess the level of impact. Police agencies and other stakeholders involved in planning special events must prioritize public safety more than anything else.
“ It is crucial not to compromise or sacrifice necessary security measures, even when event organizers push to reduce costs or claim police presence is not needed. ”
Each stakeholder must meticulously review the event details to identify any potential issues or areas requiring their involvement. This form helps them analyze critical factors such as:
- The estimated number of attendees
- The event’s location
- Whether alcohol will be served
- The need for traffic control measures
- The requirement for medical stations or EMS on standby
Special event planning process
The team will need to review each application and event assessment to determine all the needed resources and logistics. If the scope of the event’s needs exceeds staffing and logistical capabilities, a recommendation may be made to deny or postpone the event. Clarification should be determined early as to who has the final say to approve or deny an event.
Emergency procedures and action plans for each event should be established and briefed. Plans should also cover practical coordination, such as staffing placement, barricades, EMS stations, signage and avenues for ingress and egress. For example, a public works truck and barricade may be used instead of a police officer to manage an intersection, saving money and personnel time.
These plans are formulated from the input of everyone involved. Communication and collaboration are key!
Putting it all together
In short, by streamlining the events process planning process and improving the communication and collaboration amongst varying stakeholders in the planning process, communities will not only increase the safety of the event, but we will also be supporting smarter, more secure and more highly executed events that will save time, improve the quality for attendees, and save lives.
About the authors
Lieutenant Jon Zimmer has over 21 years of law enforcement experience with the Anne Arundel County Police Department in Maryland. He has served in various command assignments, including patrol, special operations, special events and internal affairs. Over the past 2 years, he was instrumental in developing his agency’s new Special Events Unit and collaborating with various government agencies to implement new event legislation and a standardized special event permit process. Lt. Zimmer is a graduate of Saint Louis University and FBI National Academy Session 295. Connect with Lt. Zimmer on LinkedIn.
Captain John Mocello has served as a law enforcement officer in the Commonwealth of Virginia since 2007. Before his sworn service, he worked with a regional criminal justice training academy, where he developed online programs and instructed a variety of courses.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session 295) and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police Professional Executive Leadership School (Session 55).
Throughout his career, Captain Mocello has held a wide range of assignments, including patrol officer, field training officer, detective, forensic interviewer, FBI Safe Streets Task Force officer, detective sergeant and lieutenant. He currently commands the Patrol Operations Division for the City of Winchester, Virginia. His previous command roles have included oversight of the Traffic Management, Special Enforcement, Emergency Response (tactical and negotiations), K-9 and Civil Disturbance units, among several other specialized programs. He has also served as the department’s emergency management liaison and special events coordinator.
An experienced investigator and leader, Captain Mocello has led complex investigations at the local, state, national and international levels, addressing crimes such as homicide, narcotics, sex crimes, juvenile offenses and human trafficking. He is a frequent presenter to local, state and federal partners on topics including homicide, overdose and gang investigations, as well as best practices in report writing. Connect with Captain Mocello on LinkedIn.
