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

This includes security planning that law enforcement agencies, casinos, hotels and other consulting firms have been working on for almost a year.

Last year’s inaugural race, according to race officials brought in approximately 315,000 fans.

Retired New Jersey Police Chief and former Emergency Management Director Walter Kimble says that as crowds of this size come to town, there is an increase in the number of victims of crimes such as room theft, pickpocketing, an increase in date rape drugs, and human trafficking.

“Sheriff McMahill got this last year very seriously. Kimble contacted more than 200 victims, detained 70 people, and had seven teenagers rescued,” Kimble said. “(Recognizing the signs) needs to continue throughout the entire city of Las Vegas, from valet parkers to people in the stands to people in hotels.”

He added that the most important thing people need to know is that it is a universal sign for help.

This sign is when someone raises their open hand, tucks their thumb in, and closes their fingers to make a fist.

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“If you see this, keep that person in mind and call 911,” Kimble said. “You don’t want to let them out of your sight because this might be their last chance to get help.”

Cyber ​​attacks have also been a potential concern due to the number of incidents in the valley in the past year. This includes MGM, Caesar’s PalaceAnd Findlay Auto Group.

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

“We’re pulling 1.5 terabytes of data over the weekend and running 50 million simulations over the weekend, and I’ll break down the importance of cybersecurity into a few different groups,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown said. I told Wired last year. “We own the design IP for our race car, and that’s highly confidential trade secrets that we move around a lot. We work with third parties and race around the world. And then we have all the data that goes out.” on a racetrack where we literally make split-second decisions.”

Kimble manages nationwide risk management operations for motorsport events and advises on tourism safety and security. I asked him how he thought year one went in terms of safety operations during race week.

“I think Sheriff McMahill and his people and all their allied law enforcement partners did a great job last year security-wise. I think Governor Lombardo Activating the National Guard He was extremely cautious because this was the first year that was brand new, not just an event, but an event of some kind, Kimble said. “(It) was an event international in scope, which could make it attractive on both counts.” foreign or domestic terrorist target. We found that this did not happen. Most of the time, thanks to intelligence, we know that events may have been planned. However, through proactive policing, these plans were not realized. “There’s no doubt they’ll increase that again this year.”

Heading into year two, Kimble says he sees room for improvement. One example is the removal of fans after the first training session.
The session went late. This was due to Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. pass over a valve coverincident that damaged his vehicle and caused the session to be paused while the course was inspected and repaired.

Last year race officials sent me a statement He said the fans were removed due to safety concerns.

The statement read in part: “We were concerned about our long-serving public safety and security officers who were asked to work the next three nights.” “We were concerned about our transportation staff, who are responsible for transporting our fans back to hotels. Under federal law, they are limited in the amount of time they can legally and safely operate buses. Finally, our hospitality staff needed the skills to clean and supply our guest areas to ensure the fan experience is ideal for everyone in the coming days.” We will supply it.”

According to Kimble, urgent measures need to be taken this year to avoid a similar situation.

“Safety is always the right call. The issue was managing staffing properly so that everyone wasn’t starting their shift and ending their shift at a different time,” Kimble explained. “This shouldn’t get to the point where you have to negate your fan base because there aren’t enough people to protect them. That’s not a good look. I think there needs to be more proactive planning throughout the event in anticipation of something like this. I think they learned a lesson from this incident and made the right decision with these fans.” I hope.”

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

“Last year, communication was sorely lacking on many different levels, such as how employees could get to work, where they could park safely. But more importantly, how long would it take them to get to work? Maintaining a constant flow of information. At this point, this year should be better.” “It looks like it’s going to be very important in making this a better event for working people and other tourists in the city.”

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

• Have a buddy system
• Check in on late employees
• Post information about accidents, deviations and bad weather throughout the workday
• Review emergency operations for their facility
• Verify and test employee communication systems before the event

And if you’re going racing, Kimble says you should always be aware of your surroundings.
In addition to the race, city officials also planned the Neon City Festival to increase business in the downtown area. I asked Kimble if he thought this would create any security issues or challenges.

“In addition to Metro, you’ll have Fremont Street Experience officers. You’ll have Las Vegas City Police Chiefs, and you’ll have a unit; that’s the downtown area,” Kimble said. “I wonder if this is optimal for this time, not just from a policing standpoint, but also from a standpoint of being able to move around the city and wherever it may be. I think it’s a challenge, but it’s certainly a manageable challenge.”

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

It was rumored that they would hold a press conference to discuss security measures before the event.

As of Friday, the date of the press conference has not yet been determined.

But law enforcement is reminding the public that if you see something, you should say it.

You can report emergencies by calling 911, and non-emergencies by calling 311. For terrorism-related threats/incidents, you can contact the Counterterrorism Specialist by calling 702-828-7777. Moreover Prepare online reports at snctc.org.