California Police Prepare Security Plan for Coachella

California Police Prepare Security Plan for Coachella

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Apr 15, 2016

When someone thinks about Coachella, the popular music festival set over two weekends in Indio, California, security usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Music, dancing and fashion are big topics of the event but mass notification and access control usually are not at the forefront of the minds of the attendees. For police, however, they’ve been thinking about Coachella security for over six months.

Due to recent world events in Paris, Brussels and even closer to home in San Bernardino, Indio police are taking extra precautions to ensure that the attendees are at no more of a threat while at the event than any other place they would normally be.

The event sells over 100,000 tickets for shows spanning over a two-weekend time period, so big crowds are unavoidable. Police say they aren’t worried about the amount of people attending, in fact, they believe that because of the crowds the event will be easier to secure.

“In some ways, bigger events are protected better because they occur at a particular time at a particular place,” director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, Brian Levin said. “That allows authorities to allocate personnel at key times.”

The Indio Police Department will be teaming up with other local law enforcement to remain adequately staffed for the event. They will be patrolling the perimeter of the event as well as placing themselves within the event to look out for suspicious activity. They will also be patrolling shuttle stations, local hotels and even throughout the city.

This year, police will be implementing a mass notification system via smartphone texting. Authorities will be able to send text alerts to festival-attendees and the general public in the area containing important information about traffic, safety, weather and emergency situations. Users of the app, Nixle, can text “Coachella” to 888777 to sign up for the service.

“We really want everyone to get in tune with the pulse of what’s going on,” said Sgt. Dan Marshall, Indio Police spokesman. “Our number one concern is public safety.”

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services

  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • 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.