It is less than 24 hours before Donald Trump will be sworn in as the next president of the United States, and security measures are being taken to ensure no security breaches occur in the nation’s capital.
In an age of new threats and lone wolf attacks, security personnel must be ready for anything, especially with the number of protestors expected along with supporters of the incoming president. A CNN story reported officials expect an estimated 900,000 people will be in attendance. Officials will be closing down more than 100 square blocks to create a protective bubble around the ceremony.
After the recent attacks in Nice and Berlin, precautions are being taken, including placing dump trucks and buses in strategic locations to secure the area from would-be terrorists who might try to ram vehicles into the crowd. Officials have also employed vehicle barriers from Delta Vehicle Barriers like those used here.
The CNN article reported there will be six public security checkpoints, and officials have published a list of more than 40 items banned from the event, including backpacks, squirt guns, umbrellas, balloons and selfie sticks.
Integrated Biometrics, a provider of products used for identity management, voter registration, fraud prevention and border security, reported that police who will be working the presidential inauguration are prepped to handle mass arrests and avoid chaos in the jails with mobile booking stations. Mobile electronic fingerprinting devices, the company reported, will undoubtedly be part of these booking stations, helping to ensure correct identification enrollment and verification for individuals.
These reports seemed to have originated from celebrity gossip site TMZ in a report in which the organization claims sources told it the “city will be littered with mobile booking stations where officers can book, issue citations and release demonstrators they arrest.”
Additionally, CNL Software, a provider of physical security information management (PSIM) software, is announced that its technology will be utilized as part of the multi-agency security program at the inauguration. The company’s IPSecurityCenter PSIM solution is deployed in Washington, D.C., to help secure the city, keep its transportation facilities and networks operational and the people that rely on them safe, as well as to make sense of the huge volume of data and video intelligence generated during inaugural activities. IPSecurityCenter will be used to help ensure inaugural events run smoothly.
Mike Mostow, general manager at CNL Software Americas, said, “IPSecurityCenter is deployed in Washington, D.C., providing real-time situational awareness and decision support to security and law enforcement personnel during large scale special security events like the inauguration. One of IPSecurityCenter’s key capabilities is allowing multi-level collaboration between and across the various safety, security, law enforcement and emergency management agencies working to protect the President and others attending inaugural activities, its spectators, and the wider public.”
According to CNN, the final tab for the security plans described in its article is expected to surpass $100 million.
