Comprehensive Security Plan for Final Four

Comprehensive Security Plan for Final Four

  • Mar 31, 2017

College basketball season is almost over, but first the final four teams, North Carolina, Gonzaga, South Carolina and Oregon, will face off to determine the NCAA March Madness champion. While these men look to bring home the big win for their schools, security officials in Phoenix will be maintaining a safe and protective environment for players, coaches and fans.

Glendale and Phoenix officials have done this before. After hosting the College Football Playoffs and two Super Bowls, they feel up to the challenge. At a security briefing on Monday, authorities said they’d be treating the four-day event as if it were the professional football championship.

The area around the University of Phoenix Stadium, where the games will take place, will be placed on lockdown, Glendale Police Chief Rick St. John said. Everyone who enters and exits will be subjected to security screenings. This includes not only the stadium but the vendors at the Westgate District next door.

The scope of security will extend past the campus of the university as many of the events will be held in downtown Phoenix. Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers believes Sunday is “probably going to be the busiest night in the history of downtown Phoenix.” In fact, tens of thousands of people are expected to flood the city on Sunday, April 3 as the final two teams face off for the championship.

The security briefing included officials from Phoenix and Glendale as well as representatives from the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  They spoke often of remaining vigilant and reporting things that may seem suspicious to attendees.

Hundreds of police officers will be deployed around the stadium and throughout the events around town. Security officials told reporters that staffing is key to a comprehensive security plan.

"We staff properly according to the needs of the event and the number of people that are coming and that's the biggest lesson is make sure you have enough staffing to accommodate the needs of everyone that are coming here," officials said.

A joint terrorism task force will be in place to respond to any potential threats, but at this time the FBI reported no specific or credible threats against any of the games or weekend events.

Featured

  • Security Industry Association Announces the 2026 Security Megatrends

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has identified and forecasted the 2026 Security Megatrends, which form the basis of SIA’s signature annual Security Megatrends report defining the top 10 factors influencing both near- and long-term change in the global security industry. Read Now

  • The Future of Access Control: Cloud-Based Solutions for Safer Workplaces

    Access controls have revolutionized the way we protect our people, assets and operations. Gone are the days of cumbersome keychains and the security liabilities they introduced, but it’s a mistake to think that their evolution has reached its peak. Read Now

  • A Look at AI

    Large language models (LLMs) have taken the world by storm. Within months of OpenAI launching its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, it amassed more than 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Read Now

  • First, Do No Harm: Responsibly Applying Artificial Intelligence

    It was 2022 when early LLMs (Large Language Models) brought the term “AI” into mainstream public consciousness and since then, we’ve seen security corporations and integrators attempt to develop their solutions and sales pitches around the biggest tech boom of the 21st century. However, not all “artificial intelligence” is equally suitable for security applications, and it’s essential for end users to remain vigilant in understanding how their solutions are utilizing AI. Read Now

  • Improve Incident Response With Intelligent Cloud Video Surveillance

    Video surveillance is a vital part of business security, helping institutions protect against everyday threats for increased employee, customer, and student safety. However, many outdated surveillance solutions lack the ability to offer immediate insights into critical incidents. This slows down investigations and limits how effectively teams can respond to situations, creating greater risks for the organization. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.