For all you baseball fans, the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be hosted by the Cincinnati Reds and played at the Great American Ball Park. This is the 86th edition and it’s sure to draw huge crowds; therefore, as the city actively prepares to take national spotlight, this will be one of the biggest security challenges Cincinnati has seen in a while.
For months now, city, state and federal agencies have been working on developing effective security plans for this event.
The security operation will stretch from the river to the bridges to the air space above the ballpark. Roaming the streets of downtown will be police and FBI agents while a command center in South Fairmont will use cameras and radio reports to keep an eye on the crowds. The command center is the heart of the whole security operation and includes a two-story video screen, state-of-the-art communications equipment and anti-terrorism gear. It’s up to federal officials to monitor the barge, rail and air traffic. And, as for drones, high-tech jamming equipment will be on hand to knock them down.
Additionally, dozens of local, state and federal agencies will keep an eye on all events, including the week-long festival consisting of a concert, street fair, home run derby and “legends” game as well as a 5K race with an expected 20,000 runners. If more security resources are needed, these agencies will bring them in.
For game day, police will handle crowd control as thousands of people pour into and out of the stadium. Firefighters will be available for emergencies and the FAA is in charge of regulating air traffic. The Coast Guard will protect the river, while the FBI will provide intelligence on potential threats.
Of course, safety is the top priority, but even people working in security don’t want to have an in-your-face presence toward baseball lovers.
“This city’s desire is that when people turn off their TVs or drive out of the city and look in their rearview mirror, what comes to their mind is ‘Wow!,’” said Mike Neville, Cincinnati Police Captain.
In total, Cincinnati expects to drop anywhere from $600,000 to $1 million on security for this huge event.
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