Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • The Security Leadership Issue
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!

Protecting Tourist Sites: What Sightseers Don’t See

By Bill Farrar
July 13, 2010

On May 1, 2010, an attempt was made to detonate a car bomb in New York’s Times Square during early evening hours when thousands of theatergoers and tourists were visiting. While this involved an extremist with a political agenda, tourists and landmarks are indeed targets of such activities, as well as crimes ranging from theft to assault and worse. For those often tasked with ensuring safety at popular destinations – private security firms – an industry evolution has resulted in practices to deal with this new age of threats in a way that is effective and discreet for varied reasons.

On the front-line of this approach is the private safety officer. In the past, their physical presence alone was often considered a significant deterrent and much of their time was spent simply conducting surveillance over crowds. However, today’s private safety officers are trained to purposely interact with crowds seemingly as “ambassadors.” While some might consider their friendly actions more in the realm of public relations, the purpose of this approach is actually a serious one. It is meant to draw-out often poorly trained terrorists and criminals who become uncomfortable with such attention. These skilled private safety officers are trained to pick up on specific indicators of their unease.

Private safety officers follow the actions of guests at a much deeper level than in the past. For instance, they scrutinize such simple practices as someone taking a photo, specifically, what is the goal of the photographer? Are they actually taking a photo of a person posing in front of a landmark or is the angle such that they could be trying to capture an image of the site in order to plan future criminal activities? Furthermore, private safety officers keep careful watch over the physical environment of a tourist site itself. Packages or bags left behind – which in the past would have simply required a trip to the “lost and found” – must now be dealt with cautiously whereas they could potentially hold such things as explosives or toxins.

This brings up the subject of crowd control in the event a potential threat is discovered. Panic in a crowd can not only result in injury or death, it can impede emergency services, the pursuit of suspects, contaminate a crime scene and more. As such, private safety officers are trained to follow specific protocols to escort tourists to safe areas quickly, without causing alarm that could make an emergency situation worse.

Naturally in these instances, protocols and communications channels are in place that will facilitate immediate involvement and cooperation with the highest levels of law enforcement, including organizations such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, it should be noted that perhaps the private safety officer’s greatest ally in preventing and resolving threats and crime are strong relationships with local and state police. The reason for this is simple; like the private safety officers, area law enforcement is most familiar with a local environment and is more likely to recognize the unusual and deter someone with malicious intent.
In the case of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building - an act of domestic terrorism that claimed 168 lives - Timothy McVeigh was stopped by an alert and suspicious Oklahoma State Trooper within 90 minutes of the explosion for driving without a license plate. He was then arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon. This opened the floodgates to an investigation that quickly linked McVeigh to co-conspirator Terry Nichols, and eventually other accomplices.

Yet, it’s what sightseers don’t see that is the hallmark of a well-protected tourist destination. Private safety officers initiating friendly discussions, asking about the bag left at a visitor’s feet, commenting on a nicely framed photo - these seemingly innocent interactions are very serious business. And at this very moment - as millions of summer tourists relax and enjoy sites from NY’s Empire State Building to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to the Hollywood & Highland Center in California - it’s clear that this new breed of private safety officer is having a very visible impact.

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Bill Farrar is the senior vice president of Andrews International

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Leadership and Management
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Security Enterprise Services
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Technologies & Solutions
    By: Charles Denyer
Subscribe For Free!
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

  • Duty of Care
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Integrating Technology and Physical Security to Advance Duty of Care

Popular Stories

Pills spilled

More than 20,000 sensitive medical records exposed

Laptop in darkness

Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report shows rise in cyberattacks

Coding on screen

Research reveals mass scanning and exploitation campaigns

White post office truck

Department of Labor Sues USPS Over Texas Whistleblower Termination

Computer with binary code hovering nearby

Cyberattacks Targeting US Increased by 136%

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

May 22, 2025

Proactive Crisis Communication

Crisis doesn't wait for the right time - it strikes when least expected. Is your team prepared to communicate clearly and effectively when it matters most?

September 29, 2025

Global Security Exchange (GSX)

 

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • PCI COMPLIANCE: What you Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

    See More
  • New Newswire Feature Image 3/8/2012

    Consumers Say Organizations Don’t Care About Protecting Their Data

    See More
  • remote work

    What you cannot see you cannot secure: Shining a light on cybersecurity threats in a work-from-home environment

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 150 things.jpg

    The Handbook for School Safety and Security

  • 150 things.jpg

    Physical Security: 150 Things You Should Know 2nd Edition

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing