Lollapalooza, nestled along Chicago’s Lake Michigan, ranks among the world’s top music festivals, but its location also makes it susceptible to potential violent threats.
According to previous high-level law enforcement officials, Chicago police and federal agencies collaborate to safeguard festival attendees amidst a challenging national security landscape.
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With large crowds gathering at Grant Park for several days of musical enjoyment, these former officers emphasize to the I-Team the seriousness of security measures in place to ensure public safety.
“Sadly, major gatherings are perennial targets for malicious actors,” remarked Derek Mayer, a law enforcement specialist with ABC7 Chicago and former deputy special agent supervising the Chicago Secret Service office.
He says a large-scale event like this requires unmatched cooperation between local and federal partners.
Mayer explained, “This event operates under a unified command that includes Chicago PD, the FBI, and all city law enforcement agencies, coalesced at a joint command post to ensure synchronized responses in any emergency.”
ABC7 police affairs consultant Bill Kushner says bombs planted beforehand are of particular concern to law enforcement for an event like this.
Kushner added, “Steps like thorough sweeps by CPD and ATF bomb detection dogs, as well as the use of metal detectors and entry screenings, significantly reduce the risk of someone sneaking an explosive into the venue.”
The possibility of using vehicles as weapons against crowds is another concern.
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“There’s going to be portable barricades. There might be trucks loaded with sand blocking roadways. You’ve got barricades on the sidewalks to prevent vehicles from driving down the sidewalks into crowds,” Kushner told the I-Team.
There are also plainclothes officers on the grounds and hundreds of cameras, some permanent, some stood up just for the event, allowing authorities to view the concert venue in a grid system.
“You know, one camera is probably worth 50 coppers, 50 police officers, because you can scan a larger area at a quicker amount of time,” Kushner said.
Other protective assets hovering above are expected to monitor the crowd along with flood lights available to blind potential snipers.
“In any major event, local law enforcement, state law enforcement is going to use aerial assets to include helicopters, drones,” Mayer told the I-Team.
Authorities are taking into consideration current risks, after a tumultuous seven months and a history of high-powered weapons found in hotels surrounding high-profile music venues.
“It’s not a matter of just taking the cookie cutter plan that we used last year, the year before, the year before that and just doing it again. You have to evaluate the threat environment,” Kushner said.
The experts say it’s the partnership they have seen first-hand that will help ensure the safety of Lolla attendees.
“We make the public safer by having that relationship,” Kushner said.
Chicago police would not speak on camera about the specifics of deployment with their manpower and assets in their Lolla safety plan, but said in a statement to the I-Team in part: “In advance of the festival, we participate in planning exercises alongside festival organizers and our City of Chicago partners.”
They said they will have additional officers inside and outside the event to keep people safe.
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