PRESS RELEASE:
From a public safety perspective, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game events went very smoothly in Kansas City.
“To say it went well is an understatement,” said Major Rich Lockhart, who coordinated police operations for the event. “It was a huge team effort that showcased Kansas City on a national stage.”
About 300 police personnel were devoted to the events throughout the city, with an additional 85 officers working inside Kauffman Stadium. Regular neighborhood patrols were not affected. Officers working All-Star events were on special assignment.
Most baseball fans seemed to be on their best behavior, too, with police making very few arrests. One person was taken into custody and charged with stealing for breaking into cars. Police also identified a dozen counterfeit game tickets and three victims, and investigation into those continues. The most common problem police encountered – especially at FanFest – were children who became separated from their parents. All were reunited in less than 10 minutes.
Thanks to a change in the weather, fewer than 10 people received medical treatment for heat-related issues.
Major Lockhart said the geographic scope of events presented a special challenge. Other cities that have hosted the All-Star Game had events concentrated in one downtown area. Kansas City had FanFest and the Charity 5K run Downtown, the Chevrolet Red Carpet Parade on the Plaza and the games several miles east at Kauffman Stadium.
“I didn’t hear one bad thing,” he said. “It says a lot about the level of planning and the level of professionalism by everyone.”
The Kansas City City Council will honor the Police and Fire departments with a resolution at 3 p.m. Thursday recognizing their work coordinating All-Star events.
Showing posts with label All Star Game. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All Star Game. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Police are ready for All-Star week
Today marks the official kick-off of Major League Baseball All-Star Game events in Kansas City, and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department is more than ready.
We have been planning for this event for more than a year, when we sent a delegation of KCPD commanders to Phoenix last July to learn how their city handled the event. Since then we have created a comprehensive plan and tested it with both the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and a full-scale exercise in April. The plan even received a U.S. Army “Red Team” review from the staff and students at the prestigious University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies at Fort Leavenworth. We also have set up a text message alert system to keep you aware of traffic issues and any emergencies that may arise. Sign up by texting ALLSTARKC to 888777.
We have ensured we have as many resources available from July 6-10 as possible. Only department members who submitted their requests six months in advance were allowed to take vacation time during All-Star events so we can have the maximum number of personnel on duty. At any given time, there will be about 300 police officers dedicated specifically to All-Star events throughout the city in the next five days. This will not affect regular neighborhood police presence. These officers are on special assignment. We are pulling them from every element of the department – from D.A.R.E. to the Internal Affairs Unit. Even Police Academy Recruits will be assisting. The city has allotted $250,000 for overtime to cover additional staffing costs.
In addition to the many more officers you will see, there will be many officers and non-sworn department members working behind the scenes you won’t. Everyone from dispatchers to commanders will be working in the City’s Emergency Operations Center, command posts, at Kauffman Stadium and in and around hotels and other area attractions. Some will be among the crowds in plain clothes looking for suspicious activity. Others will be watching security camera feeds while still others will be gathering and analyzing intelligence.
The public should be aware of some traffic issues that will take place during All-Star events. Expect congestion around Bartle Hall downtown for the Fan Fest and around Kauffman Stadium. Two big events also will cause road closures: the Charity 5K and Fun Run that will be downtown on the morning of Sunday, July 8, (click to see the 5K route map), and the Red Carpet Parade that will be on the Plaza on Tuesday, July 10 (click to see the parade route map). Cars parked on the Plaza will need to be moved by 10 p.m. July 9. Anyone attending All-Star events should take the same precautions we always give: do not leave items of value in your vehicle and be aware of your surroundings. Trust your gut.
While KCPD has played a big role in planning for the security of Kansas City playing host to the All-Star Game, we could not have done it with our local, state and federal partners. They include: The Kansas City Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management, the Jackson and Platte County Sheriff’s Departments, the Independence Police Department, the Kansas City Royals, Major League Baseball, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas City Regional Terrorism Early Warning Center, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. We all have worked together very well to ensure you have the most fun and safest baseball experience possible.
At KCPD, we are proud to be ambassadors for Kansas City, and we look forward to serving and protecting those who attend the All-Star Game events.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.
We have been planning for this event for more than a year, when we sent a delegation of KCPD commanders to Phoenix last July to learn how their city handled the event. Since then we have created a comprehensive plan and tested it with both the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and a full-scale exercise in April. The plan even received a U.S. Army “Red Team” review from the staff and students at the prestigious University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies at Fort Leavenworth. We also have set up a text message alert system to keep you aware of traffic issues and any emergencies that may arise. Sign up by texting ALLSTARKC to 888777.
We have ensured we have as many resources available from July 6-10 as possible. Only department members who submitted their requests six months in advance were allowed to take vacation time during All-Star events so we can have the maximum number of personnel on duty. At any given time, there will be about 300 police officers dedicated specifically to All-Star events throughout the city in the next five days. This will not affect regular neighborhood police presence. These officers are on special assignment. We are pulling them from every element of the department – from D.A.R.E. to the Internal Affairs Unit. Even Police Academy Recruits will be assisting. The city has allotted $250,000 for overtime to cover additional staffing costs.
In addition to the many more officers you will see, there will be many officers and non-sworn department members working behind the scenes you won’t. Everyone from dispatchers to commanders will be working in the City’s Emergency Operations Center, command posts, at Kauffman Stadium and in and around hotels and other area attractions. Some will be among the crowds in plain clothes looking for suspicious activity. Others will be watching security camera feeds while still others will be gathering and analyzing intelligence.
The public should be aware of some traffic issues that will take place during All-Star events. Expect congestion around Bartle Hall downtown for the Fan Fest and around Kauffman Stadium. Two big events also will cause road closures: the Charity 5K and Fun Run that will be downtown on the morning of Sunday, July 8, (click to see the 5K route map), and the Red Carpet Parade that will be on the Plaza on Tuesday, July 10 (click to see the parade route map). Cars parked on the Plaza will need to be moved by 10 p.m. July 9. Anyone attending All-Star events should take the same precautions we always give: do not leave items of value in your vehicle and be aware of your surroundings. Trust your gut.
While KCPD has played a big role in planning for the security of Kansas City playing host to the All-Star Game, we could not have done it with our local, state and federal partners. They include: The Kansas City Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management, the Jackson and Platte County Sheriff’s Departments, the Independence Police Department, the Kansas City Royals, Major League Baseball, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas City Regional Terrorism Early Warning Center, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. We all have worked together very well to ensure you have the most fun and safest baseball experience possible.
At KCPD, we are proud to be ambassadors for Kansas City, and we look forward to serving and protecting those who attend the All-Star Game events.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Baseball fans encouraged to sign up for All Star Game text alerts
PRESS RELEASE:
The Kansas City Missouri Police Department urges anyone who plans to attend any events surrounding the Major League Baseball All Star Game (Fan Fest, Home Run Derby, Red Carpet Parade, etc.) from July 6-10 to sign up for text message alerts by texting ALLSTARKC to 888777.
Police will use text alerts to keep baseball fans up to date on traffic, road closures and emergency notifications. The text alerts are provided free (although cellular plans may charge for them), and those who sign up will only receive alerts related to the All Star Game and its events. Once signed up, users also can opt to receive the messages by e-mail by going to nixle.com.
To receive all KCPD text alerts, text KCPD or your zip code to 888777.
The Kansas City Missouri Police Department urges anyone who plans to attend any events surrounding the Major League Baseball All Star Game (Fan Fest, Home Run Derby, Red Carpet Parade, etc.) from July 6-10 to sign up for text message alerts by texting ALLSTARKC to 888777.
Police will use text alerts to keep baseball fans up to date on traffic, road closures and emergency notifications. The text alerts are provided free (although cellular plans may charge for them), and those who sign up will only receive alerts related to the All Star Game and its events. Once signed up, users also can opt to receive the messages by e-mail by going to nixle.com.
To receive all KCPD text alerts, text KCPD or your zip code to 888777.
Friday, June 1, 2012
All Star Game security plan gets military "Red Team" review
PRESS RELEASE:
The Kansas City Police security plan for the Major League Baseball All Star Game has received a military review from people who instruct U.S. Army officers how to review battle plans.
Instructors and students at the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies at Fort Leavenworth volunteered to analyze the plan and met Thursday with members of KCPD, Kansas City Fire and Emergency Management Departments, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium to report their findings in a process called “Red Teaming.”
“We wanted them to find the things we didn’t think of and point out the vulnerabilities in the plan,” Major Rich Lockhart said.
The Red Team concept arose about six years ago from lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Retired Army Col. Steve Rotkoff, deputy director of the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies at Fort Leavenworth. The Army found groupthink had taken over in a lot of situations, and an outside perspective was needed to really analyze military strategies.
“A Red-Teamer is someone who has been trained, educated and given the tools to serve as an in-house skeptic,” Rotkoff said.
That was exactly what police wanted going into the All Star game, Lockhart said – an outside perspective to find any holes in the security plan.
Five U.S. Army officers – majors and above – in the Red Team Course analyzed the All Star plan. Rotkoff said it was one of the few civilian plans they’ve ever reviewed.
“They confirmed for us this is a solid plan,” Lockhart said. “They made some really good suggestions; like that we should have a no-communications plan in the event radios and cell phones don’t work. We’re going to work on putting that together next week.”
The Kansas City Police security plan for the Major League Baseball All Star Game has received a military review from people who instruct U.S. Army officers how to review battle plans.
Instructors and students at the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies at Fort Leavenworth volunteered to analyze the plan and met Thursday with members of KCPD, Kansas City Fire and Emergency Management Departments, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium to report their findings in a process called “Red Teaming.”
“We wanted them to find the things we didn’t think of and point out the vulnerabilities in the plan,” Major Rich Lockhart said.
The Red Team concept arose about six years ago from lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Retired Army Col. Steve Rotkoff, deputy director of the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies at Fort Leavenworth. The Army found groupthink had taken over in a lot of situations, and an outside perspective was needed to really analyze military strategies.
“A Red-Teamer is someone who has been trained, educated and given the tools to serve as an in-house skeptic,” Rotkoff said.
That was exactly what police wanted going into the All Star game, Lockhart said – an outside perspective to find any holes in the security plan.
Five U.S. Army officers – majors and above – in the Red Team Course analyzed the All Star plan. Rotkoff said it was one of the few civilian plans they’ve ever reviewed.
“They confirmed for us this is a solid plan,” Lockhart said. “They made some really good suggestions; like that we should have a no-communications plan in the event radios and cell phones don’t work. We’re going to work on putting that together next week.”
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