Human trafficking, cyber attacks, theft among security concerns ahead of Formula 1 race

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The lights go out in Las Vegas less than a month away as preparations continue for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

That includes security planning, which law enforcement agencies, casinos, hotels and other consulting companies have been working on for nearly a year.

According to race officials, last year’s inaugural race brought in about 315,000 fans.

With crowds of this size coming to town, Walter Kimble, a retired New Jersey police chief and former emergency management director, says there tends to be an increase in the number of victims of crimes such as burglaries, theft from pockets, an increase in date-rape drugs. , and human trafficking.

“Sheriff McMahill took this very seriously last year. They had over 200 victim contacts, 70 arrests and had seven juveniles that were rescued,” Kimble said. “(Sign recognition) needs to be happening all over the city of Las Vegas, from valet parking to people in the stands to people. in hotels.”

He added that the main thing people should know is a universal sign of help.

The sign is when someone raises an open hand, sticks their thumb in, and closes their fingers to make a fist.

“If you see that, keep that person in sight and call 911,” Kimble said. “You don’t want to lose sight of them because it could be the last chance they have to call for help.”

Cyber attacks have also been a potential concern due to the number of incidents across the valley in the past year. That includes MGM, Caesars Palaceand Findlay Auto Group.

Because of these concerns, companies like Darktrace offer digital defense services.

“We crunch 1.5 terabytes of data in a weekend and run 50 million simulations over the course of a weekend and I would break down the importance of cyber security into a few different compartments,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown said Wired last year. “We have our race car design IP and those are highly confidential trade secrets that we move around a lot. We deal with third parties and compete worldwide. And then, we have all the data flowing on a racetrack where we literally make split-second decisions.”

Kimble handles nationwide risk management operations for motorsports events and provides tourism safety and security consulting. I asked him how he thought the first year went in terms of race week security operations.

“I think Sheriff McMahill and his people and all of his law enforcement allies did a great job safety-wise last year. I think Governor Lombardo activation of the National Guard was extremely cautious because this was the first year at a brand new, not just an event, but a type of event,” Kimble said. “(This was) a major international event that can make and attractive, both a foreign and domestic terrorist target. Many times we know that things may have been planned. But by proactive policing, those plans were not carried out there’s no doubt they’ll step it up again this year.”

Going into year two, Kimble says he sees room for improvement. An example is the removal of fans after the first practice
the session is late. That was thanks to Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz passing over a valve coverwhich damaged his vehicle and caused the session to be interrupted while the track was inspected and repaired.

Last year, race officials sent me a statement saying fans were turned away for safety reasons.

“We were concerned about our public safety and security officials who were on duty for a long time and are being asked to work the next three nights,” the statement read in part. “We have worried about our transport staff who are responsible for driving our fans back to their hotels. Under federal law, they were facing the time they could legally and safely drive the buses. Finally, our hospitality staff needed the ability to clean and restock our guest areas to ensure the fan experience is optimal for everyone in the coming days.”

According to Kimble, contingencies should be put in place for this year to avoid a similar situation.

“Safety is always the right call. The question is was the staff properly managed in that not everyone starts their shift and ends their shift at a different time,” Kimble explained. “It shouldn’t be at a point where you have to write off your fan base because there aren’t enough people to protect them. It’s not a good picture. I think there needs to be more proactive programming throughout the event in anticipation of something like this happening, I think they learned a lesson there and I hope they’ve dealt with those fans.”

Communication was another sticking point last year and Kimble says it has improved.

“Communication was sorely lacking last year on a number of different levels from how employees can get to work, where they can park safely. But more than that, how long will it take them to get to work. Keeping a constant flow of information, which looks to be better this year at the moment, will be key to making this a better event for the people who work it and the other tourists who are in town .”

Kimble says employers should consider the following policies to help employees have a better and safer race week experience.

You have a buddy system
Check overdue employees
Report accidents, detours and bad weather during the working day
Go over emergency operations for their unit
Check and test employee communication systems before the event

And if you’re going for a run, Kimble says you should always be aware of your surroundings.
In addition to the race, city officials have scheduled the Neon City Festival to drive more businesses downtown. I asked Kimble if he thought that would create security issues or challenges.

“In addition to Metro, you will also have the Fremont Street Experience officers. You’ll also have the Las Vegas City Marshals and you’ll have a contingent, which is part of that command that polices the downtown area,” Kimble said. “I wonder if this was the best fit for this period, not only from a policing standpoint, but just being able to move around the city and all the places that are going to be. I think it’s a challenge, but it’s a totally manageable challenge.”

We asked the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department what their security plans are for the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix.

I was told they will have a press conference before the event to discuss safety measures.

The date of the press conference has not been set, as of Friday.

However, law enforcement is reminding the public that if you see something, say something.

You can report emergencies by calling 911 and I can report non-emergencies by calling 311. For terrorist threats/incidents, you can contact a counterterrorism expert by calling 702-828-7777. You can also report online at snctc.org.