KEY IDEAS:
- Large-scale public events require tight coordination between public safety agencies, first response partners, and private organizations.
- Event security is becoming more complicated due to social media, cyber threats, and simultaneous event coverage requirements.
- Interagency coordination requires real-time communication methods, unified technology, and scalable structures.
- Data integration enhances security by increasing situational awareness, enabling instant threat communication, and driving intel-led strategies.
Most communities host their share of large-scale events, whether they’re holiday parades, 4th of July celebrations, or even World Cup matches. No matter the size of the crowd, these events often require seamless coordination between public safety partners, first response agencies, and private organizations.
However, the digital age is rapidly shifting the landscape, making large-scale event security even more complicated. Any event can become a global stage, attracting individuals who want to amplify violent actions.
To keep all participants safe, public safety agencies need productive working relationships with partner organizations, well-trained personnel, intel-led actions, and real-time communication methods. Keep reading for practical, data-driven public safety event planning strategies that enhance communication and accuracy.
🤝 MEET THE EXPERTS: To better understand modern threats and prevention strategies, we spoke to the following experts experienced in managing security for large-scale events.
- Chief Robert Contee III (ret.), D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, Peregrine (moderator)
- Daniel Engelhardt, Deputy Director, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness
- Sasha Larkin, Director of Intelligence and C4 Operations, 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, New Orleans Police Department
Why is securing large-scale public events more difficult today?
“You don't have to be in a major metropolitan community to have this type of conversation. There has to be a change of mindset for today that wasn't here 5–10 years ago. It can happen in any community.” —Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, New Orleans Police Department
During any major event, agencies face challenges that hinder their ability to adequately identify and prepare for potential threats, such as:
- Communication barriers
- Jurisdictional roadblocks
- Real-time technology shortcomings
With the rise of social media, events move quickly, sometimes materializing on short notice. That means many public safety agencies are dealing with major events more frequently than in the past.
Today’s agencies must also consider challenges of the digital age, including:
- Cyber threats and bad actors on social media
- A “lone wolf” weaponizing a large-scale event to gain attention
- Threats to smaller communities, not just major metro areas
“You don't have to be in a major metropolitan community to have this type of conversation,” said New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. “There has to be a change of mindset for today that wasn't here 5–10 years ago. It can happen in any community.”
💡 WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES OF SECURING LARGE-SCALE PUBLIC EVENTS?
- Layering of major events: Agencies in large metropolitan areas navigate multiple large-scale events in the same operational period, all requiring significant resources.
- Language barriers. Major events, like the World Cup, attract an international audience. Public safety agencies must ensure they can communicate urgent information to every participant.
- Lack of common operating picture. Organizations struggle to unite their personnel, technology, and information.
- Lack of real-time communication methods. Without a secure method of sharing critical information in real time, agencies risk delayed responses to emerging threats.
- Increased expectations around transparency. Public safety agencies face heightened scrutiny over their strategies and success metrics.
What does effective multi-agency event coordination look like for major events?
“We all play different parts, but we must be able to come together. If we're all playing independently, you clash. You have disharmony. But when you're working together, it becomes a harmonic sound, and that's why you must begin conversations on the front end.” —Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, New Orleans Police Department
Large-scale events may require collaboration between several organizations, such as:
- Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies
- Fire-rescue and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies
- Private sector organizations
With so many entities involved, leaders need clear communication procedures that synchronize each organization’s skills, priorities, technology, and data sources. Sasha Larkin, Director of Intelligence and C4 Operations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said communication is even more critical for global events like the World Cup, which requires coordination with public and private partners across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
“That is probably the biggest hurdle we have to overcome,” Larkin said. “If we can't communicate, it's going to be an epic failure, and we can't let that happen.”
True collaboration starts long before the event begins, Kirkpatrick said. With mutual respect, communication, and detailed planning, coordinating agencies can respond to crises seamlessly.
“We all play different parts, but we must be able to come together,” Kirkpatrick said. “If we're all playing independently, you clash. You have disharmony. But when you're working together, it becomes a harmonic sound, and that's why you must begin conversations on the front end.”
What are the core principles of data-driven event security?
While the strategic details change depending on the event, the principles of data-driven event security remain the same:
- Agencies should start collaborating early, through tabletop planning scenarios and interagency threat assessments.
- Leaders must unify strategies and technology, ensuring they can share quality data in real time to support an intel-led model.
Let’s explore those core principles in detail.
Start collaboration early, and plan for worst-case scenarios
To ensure harmony between agencies, Kirkpatrick organizes monthly tabletop planning exercises with leadership across different jurisdictions. Leaders have the opportunity to discuss upcoming events, explore potential threats, and create crisis response plans.
“You literally sit in a room face to face, and you start discussing these major events that are coming,” Kirkpatrick said. “Do not underestimate the value of a tabletop for worst-case scenarios.”
The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) relies on strong working relationships built during “blue sky days.” Before a major event, organizations work together to gather intelligence and conduct interagency threat assessments of event sites.
“The focus on preparation, the left of boom, that is our No. 1 priority,” said NJOHSP Deputy Director Daniel Engelhardt. “Having that good analysis, understanding your gaps and vulnerabilities way before the event, so you can mitigate those vulnerabilities, shore up your defense, and harden those targets.”
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS: EVENT SECURITY PLANNING
- Start planning as early as possible.
- Hold regular tabletop planning exercises with leaders from different agencies.
- Gather intelligence and conduct threat assessments of event sites.
- Understand and address your gaps and vulnerabilities.
Unify and scale your existing structures
“We try to really focus, invest, and prioritize what we already have, and pull in all sorts of partners. We have our space, we have our expertise, and we add our perspective to the larger picture, and it works. Nothing's perfect, but you have that unified focus.” —Deputy Director Daniel Engelhardt, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness
Agency leaders must create cohesive, scalable structures for coordination, communication, and technology long before a major event occurs. You can’t start from scratch right before a large-scale event.
“Really utilize those existing platforms and the structure that you have,” Engelhardt said. “You can't change your game plan for a major event. You just have to enhance, hopefully, what you already have in place.”
Over many years, NJOHSP used flat, fast information sharing to build strong relationships with:
- External partners
- Fusion centers
- Real-time information centers (RTICs)
When needed, these organizations can quickly unify their efforts and plug into existing command structures.
“We try to really focus, invest, and prioritize what we already have, and pull in all sorts of partners,” Engelhardt said. “We have our space, we have our expertise, and we add our perspective to the larger picture, and it works. Nothing's perfect, but you have that unified focus.”
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS: USING EXISTING STRUCTURES TO SECURE EVENTS
- Solidify structures for coordination, communication, and technology far in advance of an event.
- Leverage those existing structures for each large-scale event plan rather than reinventing the wheel each time.
- Share information with external partners, fusion centers, and RTICs to build relationships ahead of time.
Share threat intelligence in real time
To ensure a safe event, agencies need:
- Efficient ways of scraping open source information, such as social media posts
- Structures in place for monitoring physical threats
- Strategies to communicate emerging threats immediately and securely so personnel can take decisive action to prevent and mitigate harm
A data integration platform can address those needs by unifying partner agencies’ data sources. With a shared data integration and analytics solution, agency leaders can see a comprehensive picture of emerging threats, resource requirements, and top priorities. HIPAA- and CJIS-compliant platforms like Peregrine allow personnel to securely share intelligence in easily digestible formats, increasing situational awareness.
🛄 CASE STUDY: INFORMATION SHARING FOR THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP
Events for the World Cup span three countries, making information sharing particularly complex. With so many disparate sources of intelligence, Larkin needed a shared platform that maintained compliance without compromising speed.
Ultimately, participating organizations joined the FBI’s threat exchange platform, allowing security partners to stay ahead of possible threats moving from city to city.
“We're only as good as the information we're sharing,” Larkin said. “That common operating picture is the most important thing. We need people to get on there and share and really talk about threats or potential threats before they become an issue.”
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS: SHARING DATA TO COMMUNICATE THREATS IN REAL TIME
- Establish strategies and structures for scraping open source information sources and monitoring physical threats onsite.
- Create procedures for communicating any detected threats to partner agencies quickly and safely.
- Consider using a data integration platform that supports seamless information sharing to improve situational awareness and interagency collaboration.
Use an intel-led model to guide operations
Intelligence-led security relies on data analysis and threat assessments to inform:
- Crime prevention
- Resource allocation
- Data-driven actions
With an intel-led approach, the key is to get new information in quickly. Using reliable data, personnel can ask better questions and make data-informed resource allocation decisions.
“Ensure that flat, fast communication for the creation of a unified picture of what you're dealing with as fast as possible, taking into account fog of war,” Engelhardt said. “But that's the whole point: to diminish that time where the fog of war is reigning supreme.”
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAY ABOUT INTELLIGENCE-LED EVENT SECURITY: Intel-led security is a data-driven crime prevention strategy focused on real-time information sharing among partner agencies and organizations. An intel-led model helps ensure your agency has the resources it needs to secure events effectively.
What is the role of data integration in event security planning?
Large-scale event security has become challenging in recent years due to:
- Heightened tensions
- More frequent spontaneous events
- An increase in potentially violent individuals seeking a spotlight
To protect communities, public safety agencies must tighten their interagency coordination. A data integration solution can help by:
- Creating a common operating picture for participating organizations
- Delivering detailed analyses of vulnerabilities
- Streamlining real-time threat intelligence sharing
Peregrine, a data integration and analytics platform, brings together organizations’ previously siloed data sources to create a unified view of event conditions. Peregrine delivers:
- Advanced data analysis in digestible formats, including maps and visualizations
- High-level visualizations of mission-critical information
- Interactive capabilities allowing personnel to drill down into granular details for deeper insights
- Seamless information sharing and entity resolution among participating partner agencies
To learn more about how leaders can adopt intel-led event security strategies, watch our experts’ full discussion on the Police1 webinar.
Put it all together: How can public safety agencies secure large-scale events?
- Collaborate with partner agencies to gather preliminary information, conduct tabletop planning exercises, and identify vulnerabilities.
- Establish scalable structures that unify efforts, communication, and technology among coordinating agencies.
- Monitor potential threats and share intelligence in real time using secure data sharing platforms.
- Adopt an intel-led model, leveraging data analysis to inform preventative actions.
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