NCS⁴ Gameday Security Magazine – Fall 2023

ABOUT NCS4 NCS is the nation’s only academic center devoted to the study and practice of spectator sports safety and security.

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MISSION🔗 We support the sports and entertainment industries through innovative research, training, and outreach programs. Our mission is realized by working closely with a diverse group of organizations and subject matter experts to better understand the threat environment, identify vulnerabilities, communicate risk-mitigation techniques, and close capability gaps.

VISION🔗 We will be a leading partner with government, private sector, and sports and entertainment organizations to create and deliver critical resources for enhancing safety and security.

The NCS4 collaborates with professional associations, government agencies, academic entities, and the private sector to develop critical resources and networking opportunities, such as the annual conference and forums, as well as best practices, guidelines, and technology solution whitepapers. The NCS4 also provides industry engagement opportunities through an international technology alliance, product review and operational exercise program, and exhibitor and sponsorship options at events.

National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security 118 College Drive #5193 | Hattiesburg, MS 39406 | 601-266-6183

ncs4.usm.edu

CONTENTS

4 NCS4 UPDATE

A Note From the Executive Director, Dr. Stacey A. Hall

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NCS4 TEAM

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DEMYSTIFYING AI

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NCS4 IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS

As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves, two experts weigh in on how safety and security personnel can best leverage the technology.

SPORTS LEAGUE EXPANSION

As the NFL, NBA, NCAA and other major sports organizations play more games beyond U.S. borders, security planning requires ‘checking your ego at the door.’

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EXPLOITING SPORTS

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SPECTATOR INSIGHTS

Human trafficking is associated with large sporting events, but it tragically is an everyday crime that demands education, awareness and vigilance.

The NCS4 publishes industry research report on spectator perceptions of security practices, threats, technologies, and game-day experiences.

NCS4 UPDATE

A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dr. Stacey A. Hall GREETINGS, FELLOW SAFETY AND SECURITY PROFESSIONALS! We are excited to present our Fall edition of the Gameday Security magazine. This issue covers the significant role of artificial intelligence (AI) in security management, human trafficking trends and the association with large sporting events, and the security and business considerations for professional sports teams or players competing on foreign soil.

The NCS4 mission is to support the sports and entertainment industries through training and education, research, and outreach programs. The NCS4 continues to be a significant resource in helping advance safety and security practices, and I would like to share our impact and progress on some items since the summer, including: • The 2023 Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX, was a tremendous success. Keynote speaker Kimberly Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, opened the conference proceedings to a sold-out event with the most exhibitors and attendees in conference history.

• Planning is complete for the forthcoming Industry Forums. The interscholastic forum will be hosted by the Katy Independent School District (ISD) in Katy, TX, in January 2024, and the University of Notre Dame will host the professional and entertainment forum in February 2024. There are a few spots left, so please register soon!

• Approximately 40,000 people have been trained through the DHS/FEMA training program.

Recertification for the advanced risk management course was granted, and the development of a new FEMA-approved course in Staff Training and Development is underway.

• A train-the-trainer program was hosted at the NCS4 headquarters on the Southern Miss campus to train new and experienced instructors on FEMA courses.

• A new eLearning course, ‘Foundational Skills for Frontline Staff,’ has been developed and will soon be added to our suite of eLearning options, including crowd management, venue staff training, and the senior leader course in sports and entertainment security.

• The online Best Practices have been updated to include editions/additions from the marathon and intercollegiate communities.

• The NCS4 Technology Alliance members participated in a Tech Webinar titled “An Introduction to Artificial

Intelligence in Security” which is available on our website.

• The 2023 Spectator Sports Safety and Security Industry Research Report is now available, highlighting spectator perceptions of technologies, threats, and game-day experiences.

• A specialized eLearning course in fan conduct for Major League Soccer is in its final approval stages.

• The NCS4 is leading a National Task Force on Lightning Safety. The task force has completed the initial research stage of gathering literature and collecting feedback from industry professionals. It is now beginning the development of a best practices guide for sports and outdoor events.

• A new CSSP app was launched earlier this year, and we have experienced a 98% increase in applications.

• The NCS4 staff and research affiliates presented at conferences and professional meetings, conducted workshops, and were invited guest speakers for academic programs and educational podcasts.

• An eBrochure highlighting the NCS4 programs and services is available, and we encourage our stakeholders to share it with other interested parties.

It is the season for giving thanks, and the NCS4 team is grateful for our partnerships with professional associations, government agencies, solution providers, and academic entities. We also appreciate the support of our membership base. The National Advisory Board, Advisory Committees, and Technology Alliance continue to be a tremendous asset in helping shape our strategic priorities to address the challenges and needs of our industry.

The NCS4 wishes you and your loved ones peace and happiness during the holiday season. l Kind Regards,

Stacey A. Hall, Ph.D. NCS4 Executive Director and Professor of Sport Management

NCS4 LEARN Professional Development at Your Fingertips

NCS4 STAFF EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Dr. Stacey A. Hall Executive Director and Professor of Sport Management Lauren Cranford Director of Operations Daniel Ward Director of Training and Exercise

MANAGEMENT TEAM Michael Broadus Curriculum Manager Traci Johnson Instructional Design Specialist Sara Priebe Event and Membership Manager Jonathan Ruffin Training Manager Tymika Rushing Business Affairs Manager Jonathan Stanford Training Manager Natalie Williams Training Manager/Project Specialist

NCS4 LEARN provides eLearning professional development opportunities for front-line staff, supervisors, and organizational leaders. Organizations can enroll and monitor their teams in asynchronous and customizable learning experiences.

The course catalog includes the following: • Crowd Manager Fundamentals – prepares venue staff to support crowd management needs and assist occupants.

• Venue Staff Training – provides a foundational understanding of safety and security principles for frontline venue and event staff with role-specific add-ons (i.e. guest services, parking management, concessions, ticket-takers).

• Senior Leader Course: Sports and Entertainment Security – outlines security leadership fundamentals in business management, emergency management, planning considerations, legal and regulatory guidance, crowd management, and security procedures. This course is also recommended as a preparatory course for the CSSP examination.

Please visit the website or contact us at NCS4Learn@usm.edu if you have any questions or would like to inquire about bulk registration.

STUDENT ASSOCIATES Arianna Barksdale Graduate Assistant Enzo F. Ferreira Graduate Assistant Aayush Gautam Web Developer Ryan Theriot Graduate Assistant

Scan the QR code or visit the website to learn more.

NCS4.USM.EDU/ELEARNING

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DEMYSTIFYING AI

As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves, two experts weigh in on how safety and security personnel can best leverage the technology.

By Michael Popke ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MADE DRASTIC LEAPS IN 2023 — from the rise of ChatGPT, which uses natural language processing to create human-like conversations and text, to significant advances in generative AI that allow users to quickly generate data, videos and other content — and it’s become the focus of much discussion.

“AI is a big, broad topic, but it has been around since the 1950s,” says Chad Wallace, Microsoft’s senior business strategy manager for worldwide public safety and justice. He notes that machine learning, in which systems improve performance based on the data they’re fed, dates back to 1959.

“It’s just been building and building and building. We now have the power to start tailoring the response [we receive from systems] based on the specificity of the question, and the more specific and tailored we make that question, the better that response can be.”

Jumbi Edulbehram, who oversees global business development for Smart Cities and Spaces at accelerated computing pioneer NVIDIA, uses the most basic of analogies when discussing the rise of AI. “It’s like when we started using calculators,” he says. “It’s not that people forgot how to do math; it’s just that calculators enable them to do it quicker, better and faster. AI is now at the point where it can assist in doing a bunch of tasks, which is why I like to call it ‘assisted intelligence.’”

Regardless of what you call it, there’s no question that the “bunch of tasks” to which Edulbehram refers includes keeping stadiums and arenas safer and more secure with AI tools. In fact, entire articles could be written about each of the countless AI applications used for everything from intruder alerts to weapon, abandoned object and smoke detection; to license plate identification, facial authentication and concessions-line wait-time data; and to heatmaps, crowd panic alerts and illegal stopping notifications. Suffice to say the technology is rapidly changing the way facilities operate.

“The reality is security is not a high-dollar operation,” Wallace says. “So this is the power of generative AI: You can start doing more with less. Now, you really can start throwing the power of data over almost any question.”

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DEMYSTIFYING AI “The reality is security is not a high-dollar operation.

So this is the power of generative AI: You can start doing more with less.”

Chad Wallace MICROSOFT Yet AI does not replace human intellect, tech experts say. After all, output quality is only as good as the quality of input; in other words, some AI systems could provide inaccurate or harmful information if they are fed biased or incomplete information by its programmers.

HOW AI CAN HELP YOUR VENUE While Edulbehram says hard data about how many professional and collegiate sports venues are using AI isn’t available (yet), he believes most probably are using it to some extent. AI essentially is comprised of training a computer model to do what you want it to do and then using inferencing to run live data through that trained AI model to make predictions or solve tasks.

Take, for example, a security breach involving an individual jumping over a barrier to gain unauthorized access.

“Typically, what people will do is collect a lot of video of what they want to detect, and tell the model: ‘Look, this is what I want you to detect. This is what someone jumping over a fence looks like,’” Edulbehram explains.

“But I don’t want a false alert when a dog or a deer jumps over a fence. I just want it to know what a person jumping over a fence looks like. So you can keep refining the model to make it more accurate. Once it’s trained, you’ve got an inference, which means you can put it on a camera that takes the video, and the AI model keeps looking at the video until it finds someone jumping over a fence. And then it sends you an alert.”

NVIDIA makes hardware and software that AI application developers can use to create, say, weapons detection applications. The company’s cloud services platforms include NVIDIA Omniverse™, which enables development, deployment and management of advanced 3D applications by creating a digital twin that helps simulate real-world situations and their outcomes, which ultimately can result in better decision-making. Other NVIDIA platforms help harness data and video analytics, generate conversational AI and perform other tasks.

“AI software is obviously not 100 percent [accurate], so we help these application providers make their software quicker, better, faster and more accurate,” Edulbehram says.

In May, NVIDIA announced the integration of its AI Enterprise software into Microsoft’s Azure Machine Learning cloud platform to help enterprises accelerate their AI initiatives.

Wallace suggests venue operators can begin to more fully integrate generative AI technology by using it to run penetration tests to detect vulnerabilities.

“That’s such a simple use across every vulnerability risk, such as infrastructure, weather or even security,” he says. “I want to look at all of those in a holistic manner, so I want you — AI — to look at them and tell me the true vulnerabilities. Where are the areas that I should focus on the most?’”

AI also can help identify vulnerabilities that might be overlooked if they were only looked at individually rather than collectively. Such data inherently removes the “myopic lenses,” Wallace says, and allows venue operators to begin viewing risk assessment through clearer ones.

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DEMYSTIFYING AI

“At this point, the technology isn’t so expensive for a school or school district to deploy AI for basic safety security applications. It’s literally in the hundreds of dollars.”

Jumbi Edulbehram NVIDIA

Another example of where AI can save time and resources involves the vetting of personnel that work at a venue, including vendors.

“Think about the risk factors associated with how many vendors you have,” Wallace says. “What are your policies and procedures to vet vendors? Then compare those to how many vendors have been appropriately vetted and cleared. You might find a correlation of data that you’d never looked at before. Where are the vendors placed? How many vendors [are] in each area of the venue? Are there any procedures that oppose or overlap each other?”

Eventually, he notes, all that data will be in bucket, so to speak — allowing security personnel and others to exam datasets and update best practices for their security operations ranging from dayto-day business to gameday incident planning.

“You start uncovering or exposing areas that most likely would have gotten missed,” Wallace says, adding that feeding those new datasets into, say, Microsoft Azure, can result in valuable (and sometimes previously overlooked) context extraction and summarization.

THE FUTURE, WITH CAVEATS It’s likely that the majority of AI in sports venues is being deployed at the professional and collegiate levels. But it doesn’t have to be that way, Edulbehram notes, referencing security and safety concerns at large high school stadiums that might benefit from the technology.

“There are different ways to deploy these solutions,” he says. “Some schools and stadiums don’t really have the ability to put a bunch of servers on site, but they can run it in another data center or in the cloud.”

The cost to do so, while previously a significant potential deterrent, might be less than people think.

“At this point, to be honest with you, the technology isn’t so expensive for a school or school district to deploy AI for basic safety security applications,” Edulbehram says. “It’s literally in the hundreds of dollars for a sophisticated application running on one channel of video. A very basic application – running people-counting or something like that could cost tens of dollars.”

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DEMYSTIFYING AI

He cautions, however, that because it is now cheaper than ever to stream large amounts of video directly to the cloud, the cost of leveraging a cloud services provider must be weighed against acquiring and enhancing a venue’s AI technology infrastructure. As an example, he cites facial authentication technology, which an increasing number of venues are introducing to enhance the fan experience by reducing gatewait times and creating an evolving “frictionless” gameday-operations dynamic.

“If a venue is leveraging facial ticketing/access control, then it needs to make sure that data and images are managed in a way that doesn’t compromise privacy and are in compliance with local regulations,” Edulbehram says.

Privacy concerns are among the biggest issues facing generative AI as it relates to safety and security at sports venues, adds Wallace.

“If you are not doing a risk analysis across the security posture of whatever companies you’re working with, Microsoft included, and not doing a deep dive into what they consider secure, you’re already off on the wrong foot,” he says. “How do they look at the security of your data?”

For its part, Microsoft leaders acknowledge the security of its own systems and data is critical to the security strategies of its platform users.

“Early in the software industry, security was not a foundational part of the development lifecycle, and

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we saw the rise of worms and viruses that disrupted the growing software ecosystem. Learning from those issues, today we build security into everything we do,” wrote Charlie Bell, Microsoft’s executive vice president of security on LinkedIn in March. “In AI’s early days, we’re seeing a similar situation. We know the time to secure these systems is now, as they are being created. To that end, Microsoft has been investing in securing this next frontier. We have a dedicated group of multi-disciplinary experts actively looking into how AI systems can be attacked, as well as how attackers can leverage AI systems to carry out attacks.”

AI in all its forms continues to evolve rapidly.

ChatGPT’s userbase reportedly skyrocketed 9,900 percent in its first 60 days after launching in November 2022, and by August 2023 it had 180.5 million users. And the global generative AI market size — valued at $8.2 billion in 2021 — is projected to reach $126.5 billion by 2031, according to the market research firm Valuates Reports.

The technology already has reached the point at which regulation of the AI industry is “inevitable,” Microsoft President Brad Smith told 60 Minutes in March: “I think we’re going to need governments, we’re gonna need rules, we’re gonna need laws,” he said.

For now, as Wallace and Edulbehram attest, AI’s expansive but often confusing and controversial landscape offers previously uncharted opportunities for venue security and safety personnel. l

AGENDA AVAILABLE ONLINE – Register now to secure your spot!

Objective: To address key safety and security challenges facing interscholastic athletics and afterschool activities and to share best practices for continuous improvement.

Confronted with the incredible task of ensuring the safety and security of those involved in high school athletics and after-school programs, high school officials must respond to emerging challenges by integrating and leveraging new resources and information. Discussing current issues and exploring solutions in a forum environment will help high school and athletic administrators, school resource officers, and law enforcement enhance safety and security plans and operations.

Who Will Be There: Superintendents, principals, athletic administrators, school resource officers, and other school personnel, local and state law enforcement, emergency managers, fire, HAZMAT, facility administrators, and board of education members are invited to register as attendees for the Forum.

Private sector companies may only attend the forum as Solution Partners. To learn more, contact Sara.

Priebe@usm.edu or call 601-266-6858.

MODERATED BREAKOUT DISCUSSIONS • Access Control and Screening • Extreme Weather Planning • Emergency Medical Planning • Emergency Communications • Staff Training and Development • Recovery Planning

THANK YOU TO OUR FORUM SOLUTION PARTNER! SIGNATURE PARTNER

TO REGISTER, VISIT: NCS4.USM.EDU/INTERSCHOLASTIC Full agenda online. Limited seating available.

2023 SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE MEMBERS

The NCS4 industry safety and security best practices are available online. Search for and find best practices at your fingertips – on gameday, in a meeting, wherever you need them.

The NCS4 recognizes the need to help protect people, infrastructure, and information by sharing safety and security best practices. General best practices applicable to all types of venues and events are presented with the capability to navigate to industry-specific best practices, including professional sports and entertainment events, intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic athletics, and marathon and endurance events.

Scan the QR code or visit our website to view the Best Practices.

NCS4.USM.EDU/RESOURCES/BEST-PRACTICES

SPORTS LEAGUE EXPANSION

As the NFL, NBA, NCAA and other major sports organizations play more games beyond U.S. borders, security planning requires ‘checking your ego at the door.’

By Michael Popke IT WAS A BUSY YEAR FOR U.S. SPORTS OVERSEAS. Notre Dame and Navy played a college football game in Dublin, Ireland; the National Basketball Association’s Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic tipped off in Mexico City, with another NBA matchup slated for Paris in January between the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers; Major League Baseball held a two-game series in both Mexico City and London and will expand to Seoul, South Korea, in 2024; and the National Football League played three games in London in October with two more in Frankfurt, Germany, in early November. Cities in Spain and Brazil also are under consideration to host future NFL games, and commissioner Roger Goodell has said he won’t rule out a Super Bowl in London one day.

Each of those international games requires a series of detailed security procedures to assess vulnerabilities and risks — from crime data and political stability to venue and transportation infrastructure and much more. The entire assessment process needs the cooperation of league officials, venue operators, local law enforcement leaders and representation from myriad other organizations.

“Checking your ego at the door — going in with the goal of being a full partner rather than being the boss — is really important,” says G.B. Jones, who until mid-November was the NFL’s international security director and now is chief safety and security officer for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ (which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada).

“The security teams that we work with are experts in their markets. We do a gap analysis to identify where the gaps “Checking your ego at the door — going in are, and we fill the gaps together. It’s not about coming in and replacing what they do with what we do; it’s really with the goal of being a full partner rather about leveraging what we can do together.”

than being the boss — is really important.”

G.B. Jones FORMER NFL INTERNATIONAL SECURITY DIRECTOR

The league’s best practices for things like stadium security, fan conduct and cybersecurity then can be combined with resources of the host venue and host city.

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SPORTS LEAGUE EXPANSION

Security, of course, is just “one tool in the toolbox” that sports league officials use when making decisions about which countries and cities to engage for overseas competition and brand expansion, according to Jeannette Neyses, a former Secret Service agent who is founder and chief executive officer of The Baghera Group, a strategic planning and risk management firm.

“But I think from a proactive stance of maintaining fiscal responsibility, as well as ensuring [the safety] of the athlete and fan experiences, security should be involved very early on — and that’s not often the case,” says Neyses, who also spent six years as deputy chief security officer for the NBA and its affiliates (including the WNBA, the G League and the Basketball Africa League).

The challenge, she adds, is for security professionals to work with other entities — including those on the business operations side of international competition — to ensure security efforts are scalable and fit within the mission and objectives of a given event.

“Take the time to understand the impact of what some of your asks are to the business side of things. It’s about building that credible voice and showing that you’re bringing positive value and not coming in only when something bad happens,” Neyses says. “Not everyone is thinking about security. So get to know people and understand what they’re trying to accomplish so you’re able to support them in a way that is of value to them. Then give them time and space to understand your why.”

Diplomacy, cultural awareness and attention to geopolitical components are critical to the process, too.

“Our organization has ‘United States’ in its name, and I’m very mindful of that.”

“All countries are different, and going to the [United Kingdom] is much simpler than going to Russia or China or Uzbekistan — where we played the Davis Cup earlier this year,” says Michael Rodriguez, senior advisor to the executive staff of the United States Tennis Association, who coordinates overseas travel for the Davis Cup and Billie Jean Cup international tournaments. Rodriguez also spent two decades as security director for the USTA and the U.S. Open.

Michael Rodriguez

He emphasizes the importance of working with federal agencies to help secure the safety of USTA players and personnel. Not only does Rodriguez UNITED STATES require them to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program TENNIS ASSOCIATION (STEP) to receive alerts about potential protests, labor shutdowns or other notifications related to a given country, he also informs the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) — a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and security professionals from U.S. organizations operating abroad.

“Before I took over, [people with USTA] were traveling all over the place and never notifying the government,” Rodriguez says. “Now, the government knows that if something happens in Uzbekistan, they’re aware of a U.S. contingency traveling in that country. Our organization has ‘United States’ in its name, and I’m very mindful of that.”

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AGENDA AVAILABLE ONLINE – Register now to secure your spot!

Objective: To address key safety and security challenges facing the professional sports and entertainment industry and to share best practices for continuous improvement.

The threat environment surrounding high-profile sport and entertainment events is continually evolving.

Discussing current issues and exploring solutions in a forum environment will help safety and security managers, operations managers, and local and state law enforcement enhance safety and security plans and operations.

Who Will Be There: Safety and security managers, operation managers, event managers and facility

operators, local and state law enforcement, emergency managers, fire, HAZMAT, emergency medical services, guest services, and government officials are invited to register as attendees for the Forum.

Private sector companies may only attend the forum as Solution Partners. To learn more, contact Sara.

Priebe@usm.edu or call 601-266-6858.

MODERATED BREAKOUT DISCUSSIONS • Access and Functional Needs • Fire and Emergency Medical Planning • Staff Training and Development

• Fan Behavior • Emergency Communications • Perimeter Security

THANK YOU TO OUR FORUM SOLUTION PARTNERS! PRESENTING PARTNER

SIGNATURE PARTNERS

TO REGISTER, VISIT: NCS4.USM.EDU/PROFESSIONAL Full agenda online. Limited seating available.

SPORTS LEAGUE EXPANSION

‘ALWAYS BE MINDFUL OF WHERE YOU ARE’ The first regular-season NFL game played outside of the United States was at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in 2005 (although dozens of preseason games previously were played on foreign soil). Two years later, in 2007, the NFL launched the International Series at London’s Wembley Stadium. Since then, one of the league’s long-term strategies has been building its global brand while driving growth of team fanbase’s beyond America’s borders.

When he was with the NFL, Jones says one of his earliest objectives would be to gather all safety and security personnel in a room to provide an initial assessment of a potential new international destination. That included representatives from the would-be stadium’s operations and security teams, local public safety and law enforcement officials, and often federal intelligence authorities. If he was unable to bring those representatives together, that might have signaled a disconnect between stadium and public authorities — and an early indication of potential safety and security obstacles.

“The business development people, the events management people, the ticketing personnel, the IT and Wi-Fi folks will all take a look at things, too,” Jones says, echoing Neyses by referencing numerous other business-related factors that go into international discussions. “The football operations team will evaluate the field and whether the stadium meets the requirements for the NFL in terms of length and width and seating capacity. My assessment is considered in addition to all those other things, and a business decision is made by senior leaders of the NFL.” Sometimes, security-related pivots are necessary. As an example, Jones cites the NFL’s best practice of having armed law enforcement officers at every public-facing stadium gate as a precautionary measure. In the UK, though, only a small percentage of police officers are armed, according to Jones, because over there people with guns make others “feel a little bit unsafe.”

“So, we can’t put armed officers at every gate [in the UK],” he says. “And they won’t even dispatch armed officers to our games as dedicated resources. Through our collaboration, they may put some armed security forces on patrol in the neighborhood, but the folks we get for security and public order are unarmed foot officers. That’s a deviation from our best practices, but it’s just not possible in the UK to have armed guards…The threat picture is different; one threat doesn’t necessarily translate internationally.”

“There might be areas where you need to enhance or augment what the existing capabilities are, and that obviously takes budgets and people power,” Neyses adds. “But you also need to be respectful of the environment that you’re going into, knowing that you may be pulling a lot of resources and not wanting to be disruptive to the needs of that community.”

SEVEN SAFETY AND SECURITY TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL l Provide all travelers with a laminated two-sided business card containing important phone numbers and addresses for easy reference while abroad.

l When vetting individuals to provide close protection for players, coaches and other personnel, insist on someone who is bilingual.

l Equip all cellphones with a security app to protect against mobile attacks.

l Develop signage in the native language, followed by the English translation. Doing so can convey to locals they are valued members of the fan base.

l As a precaution, encourage everyone to make sure their cellphones are not connected to Wi-Fi when charging. l To reduce susceptibility to hacking, use Chromebooks instead of a Windows- or MacOSbased laptop computer.

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l If possible, consider local holidays when scheduling events, as fewer local law enforcement officers, emergency medical service providers, firefighters and security personnel might be available.

“There might be areas where you need to enhance or augment what the existing capabilities are, and that obviously takes budgets and people power.”

Jeannette Neyses THE BAGHERA GROUP

SPORTS LEAGUE EXPANSION

for 10 months on drug smuggling charges. Customs officials allegedly found vape cartridges in her luggage containing a small amount of medicinal cannabis that was prescribed for chronic pain in Arizona but illegal in Russia.

Once a determination to travel to a specific country is made, it is vital to become familiar with its cultural nuances.

“I feel for her, but where was her agent? Where was her medical person saying, ‘You can’t take this’? You’re not going to Florida or Georgia; you’re going to Russia,’” Rodriguez says. “That’s a prime example of knowing what you can take, medically, into a country.”

“Listen, it doesn’t matter if you’re the NFL or if you’re a mom-and-pop organization,” Rodriguez says. “The bottom line is you should have a basic security and safety plan for international travel, and you should always be mindful and aware of where you are.”

Security planning for international travel involves a lot of work and often requires considerably complex and cumbersome strategies. But, according to Neyses, the payoff can be big.

That includes having candid conversations with players, staff and other members of the traveling entourage about a particular country’s positions on race, gender roles and LGBTQ status. Similarly, medicine and other substances that are legal in the United States might not be in another country.

Take the case of WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner, who was arrested in Moscow in February 2022 and imprisoned

“The power of sport is amazing, and it can unify across so many boundaries,” she says. “It sounds cheesy, but when you see the fans smile or you see kids in the stands spending time with their parents and giving each other high fives — that’s why we do it. Because for whatever period of time, everybody comes together in one building or one stadium, for one event, and is just able to enjoy themselves outside of all the other things that are happening in this world.” l

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EXPLOITING SPORTS

Human trafficking is associated with large sporting events, but it tragically is an everyday crime that demands education, awareness and vigilance.

By Michael Popke LAST JANUARY, IN ADVANCE OF SUPER BOWL LVII, the nonprofit organization It’s a Penalty launched a campaign in Phoenix to educate sports fans and the public on how to identify human trafficking and report it. NFL All-Pros like Andy Dalton and Aaron Rodgers, plus Collette V. Smith — the league’s first Black female coach and now an ambassador for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence — also helped raise awareness.

While large sporting events, especially the Super Bowl and its underground network of activities, often are cited as hot spots for human trafficking, the practice dates back to the Olympic Games of ancient Greece, according to Doug Gilmer, senior law enforcement liaison for the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking. He dismisses the notion “When we put all the attention on large sporting that more people are trafficked on Super Sunday than any other day of the year, citing events, we’re really taking attention away from a lack of hard data.

the fact that this is an everyday issue.”

“But I think as we’ve gotten better at detecting human trafficking and working these cases, we began to place more DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY emphasis on some of those big events,” he says. “It’s not just large sporting events; it can be a large trade show or a concert that creates an increase in demand. Anytime you’ve got a large number of people with money in an environment in which people’s inhibitions may be reduced, you open the door to an increase in the probability of exploitation.”

Doug Gilmer

The reality, Gilmer emphasizes, is that human trafficking is a daily travesty – that involves children and adults, women and men, U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. “When we put all the attention on large sporting events or whatever the case might be, we’re really taking attention away from the fact that this is an everyday issue,” he says.

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EXPLOITING SPORTS

“Think of human trafficking as a business, and the business is going to go where the most customers are.”

Chief Lee Bercaw TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT

“Think of human trafficking as a business, and the business is going to go where the most customers are,” says Lee Bercaw, chief of the Tampa (Fla.) Police Department, who wrote a 145-page paper on sex trafficking at the Super Bowl for his Doctor of Criminal Justice from Saint Leon University right around the same time Tampa hosted Super Bowl LV in 2021. “Yeah, Super Bowls do have steep hikes in human trafficking, but in some of the research, I found it’s not the highest. Memorial Day weekend in Myrtle Beach was higher…It all depends on the study you look at.”

This much is clear: In 2022, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received more than 19,000 reports of possible child sex trafficking. And one in six of the more than 25,000 cases of children reported missing to the center last year who had run away likely were victims of child sex trafficking.

“I think what’s really important in the messaging is that it’s not only during these events [like the Super Bowl], and we don’t want that spotlight to turn off after the event happens — or for people to think it’s only happening at these large events,” says Melissa Snow, executive director of child sex trafficking programs for NCMEC, which was established by Congress in 1984. “Because then what happens is traffickers are going to capitalize on the fact that everybody’s focused on a specific location.”

That said, as part of the local preparation for large-scale events, federal officials, NCMEC personnel, local law enforcement, venue operators and other agencies work together to identify and recover victims of human trafficking.

And those efforts can “galvanize a community,” according to Snow.

“The opportunity to shine a spotlight on this particular crime generates interest in finding a solution,” she says, noting that training hotel staff, transportation providers, venue workers and others in how to identify potential trafficking increases overall awareness. “Everyone in those positions has a chance to be eyes and ears in a way and in a place and in a moment that another person may not.”

‘A MODERN-DAY FORM OF SLAVERY’ The two primary forms of human trafficking in the United States are sex and labor, and both types involve force, fraud or coercion into performing an act or task in exchange for money, drugs, alcohol, secrecy or something else, Gilmer says.

As an example of labor trafficking in sports, he cites construction workers who helped build stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In October, dozens of Filipino workers sued a United States construction firm alleging it “forced workers to live in cramped, dirty barracks and work up to 72 hours straight in blistering heat without food and water,” according to Reuters.

“It may not be construction; it could be janitorial services, it could be vending,” Gilmer says, adding that the majority of labor trafficking victims usually are foreign nationals. “There are a lot of different ways people can be forced to do work or perform a service, based on whatever vulnerability can be exploited at that time. We just don’t recognize it for what it is, because oftentimes it looks just like people going to work.”

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EXPLOITING SPORTS

“The opportunity to shine a spotlight on this particular crime generates interest in finding a solution.”

Melissa Snow NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN

Meanwhile, sex trafficking differs from prostitution, Gilmer says, because “prostitution is a crime of choice — albeit it’s a choice for those who often have the fewest choices.” And it rarely happens the way it’s portrayed in pop culture, such as in the 2008 movie Taken, in which a pair of teenage girls are kidnapped by Albanian human traffickers while vacationing in France.

“Stranger abduction happens in less than 1 percent of the cases that we see,” Snow says. “But those tend to get the most attention. In general, traffickers are most successful when they are identifying a need — or an absence of a need — in a child’s life, and then presenting themselves in a way where they’re going to meet that need…There is the building of what that child perceives as a trusting relationship if it’s a non-familial offender.”

She adds that the “very intentional process of targeting, recruiting and grooming” creates a sense of obligation in victims when they are asked to do things they would never otherwise consider. And while girls are the most frequent victims of sex trafficking, boys and LGBTQ youth also are actively targeted and exploited by traffickers, Snow says.

Much trafficking takes place online these days, which has helped law enforcement and NCMEC officials track down traffickers and their victims.

“Child sex trafficking is demand-driven, and any large event that brings together a group of people means an increase in demand. So, traffickers are going to follow the money,” Snow says, noting that NCMEC’s team of analysts tracks missing kids and finds images online similar to those of the missing.

“There’s usually some connection…that we can then say with certainty, through talking with law enforcement or the child’s parent or legal guardian, that this is, in fact, the [missing] child. When we know that there’s a large sporting event, and if we know there’s a trafficker that has control of a child and is inclined to travel to follow that demand, we can actually watch that child’s online escort ads move from one part of the United States and then end up in the location where that large event is happening.”

That’s an oversimplification of the process, but it’s critical to note that human trafficking victims are being recovered.

Bercaw recounts the story of a 17-year-old female that Tampa police recently recovered. In late September, NCMEC notified the department that images of the girl were posted on an online prostitution website, and detectives subsequently determined the photographs had been posted from a location in the northern part of Tampa. On Oct. 4, detectives from the department’s Special

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EXPLOITING SPORTS Victims Unit recovered the teen and helped her access programs to assist human trafficking survivors. No arrests were made at the time of the announcement, however, and the investigation remained active.

“Without that effort of us working together with NCMEC and using software to help us EDITORIAL CREDIT: SUDARSHAN JHA | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM identify where people are, we wouldn’t have been able to recover the 17-year-old in that case,” Bercaw says, adding that human trafficking now is the secondmost profitable crime worldwide (behind drug dealing), with Florida ranking third among states with the highest number of human trafficking cases. “If you think about it, human trafficking is actually the modern-day form of slavery, and [a trafficker gets] to sell the victim over and over again. Then there’s the anonymity; the trafficker doesn’t even have to make contact with anybody involved. So, it’s much more difficult to get caught.”

EDUCATION AND RESOURCES The Tampa Police Department is one of 23 agency members of the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force, which was developed by the St. Petersburg Police Department with a U.S. Department of Justice grant and includes federal, state, county and city officials.

Prior to hosting Super Bowl LV, task force members worked together to train commercial truckers, hotel

staffers, Uber and Lyft drivers, and others to identify signs of human trafficking and report them. They were taught to especially keep an eye out for people who appeared afraid, anxious or spoke as if they were being coached.

“It’s very subtle if you’re not aware of the cues,” Bercaw says. “The victim is looking down, not engaging in eye contact, not having communication. The victim wants to pay for something and has to get the money from the trafficker. It would be like that controlling environment.

We [created] a text line and a 1-800 line for anybody to call. The more tips we get in, whether the tips turn out to be something or not, the better the chance that we’re going to be able to recover victims and arrest traffickers.”

“Education really is the first step toward prevention — just making yourself aware and knowing what’s going on,” Gilmer says. “We will provide training for anybody who wants it, and we sent out millions of pieces of educational and outreach material last year to partners around the country.”

Additionally, the national public awareness Blue Campaign offers free training materials that include small plastic indicator cards listing in multiple languages common signs of trafficking and how to report them.

DHS also offers an abundance of resources via its Center for Countering Human Trafficking website.

“EMS workers, stadium workers and others can keep the card in their pocket and, if something doesn’t look right, they can refer to that card and call the number on it,” Gilmer says. “I don’t think the public has a full knowledge and understanding of the crime…But I think education and enforcement can lead to a change in the public mentality, to the point where the public no longer is willing to tolerate this kind of activity, which deeply goes against the moral grain of society.” l

To report suspected human trafficking to federal law enforcement, call 1-866-347-2423.

To report information about a missing child, call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678).

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National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center

NATIONAL CENTER FOR SPECTATOR SPORTS SAFETY AND SECURITY

DHS/FEMA Approved Training Workshops SPORT AND SPECIAL EVENT RISK MANAGEMENT AWR-167

Building capabilities for multi-agency collaboration, intact teams are immersed in a collaborative environment incorporating basic concepts relative to planning, risk assessment, training, exercising plans, and recovery/ business continuity through scenario-based training modules.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR SPECTATOR SPORTS SAFETY AND SECURITY Develops athletic department staffs, facility management personnel, campus public safety personnel, emergency

SPORTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT MGT-404

response supervisors, and others involved in sports and special event management to better prepare for, manage, and recover from incidents that could occur during a sporting event or other special event.

SPORT VENUE EVACUATION AND PROTECTIVE ACTIONS MGT-412

Prepares venue operators, first responders, emergency managers, law enforcement, contractors, promoters, and owners to effectively collaborate on evacuation and protective action decision-making. The course provides flexible and scalable protective measures for planning, evacuation, and sheltering.

CENTER FOR ENHANCED SPORTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT MGT-440 NATIONAL SPECTATOR SPORTS

Prepares emergency responders, as well as event management personnel, concessionaires, athletic department SAFETY AND SECURITY personnel, and chief executives who would be involved in the preparation for and response to a large-scale incident during sporting or special events.

SPORT AND SPECIAL EVENT ENHANCED RISK MANAGEMENT AND ASSESSMENT MGT-466

Provides participants with tools and methodologies for conducting venue and event-specific risk assessments. In this course, participants will analyze risk and utilize assessment outputs to determine risk mitigation options and their effectiveness.

SPORT AND SPECIAL EVENT PUBLIC INFORMATION AND EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION MGT-467

Prepares participants to identify and navigate the sport and special event communication landscape before, during, and after an incident. This interdisciplinary course brings planners, operators, communication, government, public safety, marketing, and public relations professionals together to prepare and/or enhance venue and event communication programs.

CROWD MANAGEMENT FOR SPORT AND SPECIAL EVENTS MGT-475

Introduces public safety officials, venue operators, event planners, and community stakeholders to key concepts and considerations for crowd management, control, and dynamics. The course content is scalable and applicable to all sports and special events regardless of venue size, capacity, or type of event.

NEW COURSE COMING SOON! SPORT AND SPECIAL EVENT STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT This DHS/FEMA-funded course, expected to be released in the fall of 2024, will bring together first responders, government, and commercial facilities personnel to improve safety and security training and development programs.

The overall goal for this training is to provide tools and methodologies for training and developing staff assigned to and responsible for public safety at sporting and special events.

For more information about hosting or attending, contact the NCS4 Training Department: NCS4Train@usm.edu

Scan the QR code or visit the website to learn more.

ncs4.usm.edu/training

CERTIFIED SPORT SECURITY PROFESSIONAL (CSSP)

OVERVIEW The NCS4 is the only organization that offers a certification recognizing expertise in sport security management.

Earning the Certified Sport Security Professional (CSSP) designation sets you apart from other professionals and highlights your dedication to remaining current with industry trends. Professionals in the sports security industry need to have a firm grasp of public safety measures and understand how to apply those measures in the unique environments created by sports venues and events. The CSSP certification validates expertise in the following domains: •Business and Facility Management •Emergency Planning

•Emergency Management •Legal and Regulatory

•Crowd Management •Security Principles and Practice

The CSSP certification is awarded to individuals who meet experience, education, and professional reference criteria and pass an exam relevant to sports safety and security management. It is maintained through ongoing continuing education and industry contribution requirements every three years.

TARGET AUDIENCE •Venue/Event Security Directors/Managers •Venue/Event Operations Directors/Managers •Law Enforcement •Emergency Managers

•Private Security Practitioners •Fire/HAZMAT •EMS •Other Sports Safety and Security Leaders

BENEFITS

IMPORTANT LINKS

•Expand security knowledge and experience •Strengthen relationships with peers •Broaden career opportunities •Demonstrate a commitment to professional development

• CSSP Application Process • Senior Leader Course: Sports and Entertainment Security •See the CSSP Candidate Handbook for eligibility, application, exam preparation, and recertification details.

The CSSP exam will be offered with no testing fee — a savings of $100 — at the 15th Annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference on July 9-11 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Review the requirements for certification and download the CSSP Candidate Handbook to review and prepare. The NCS4 also offers the online, self-paced Senior Leader Course: Sports and Entertainment Security. Please note that this course does not cover all of the exam content. Registration and acceptance are required in advance of the conference. Be on the lookout for more details.

For more information, contact: CertificationSupport@usm.edu

Scan the QR code or visit the website to learn more.

ncs4.usm.edu/training/cssp

EDITORIAL CREDIT: DAVID PETERLIN | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

SPECTATOR INSIGHTS The NCS4 publishes industry research report on spectator perceptions of security practices, threats, technologies, and game-day experiences.

SPECTATORS’ overall experience and sense of personal safety will significantly determine whether they return; therefore, sports industry professionals must understand both the motivators and challenges of spectator attendance. This study aimed to gauge sport spectators’ perceptions of safety and security practices, industry threats, fan behavior, and technology solutions to enhance safety and the game-day experience. The online survey consisted of 47 questions and was administered in the summer of 2023. Four hundred participants (n=400) who attended a live professional or college sporting event in the last year completed the survey. l

ncs4.usm.edu/research/industry-reports/ LIKE, FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, AND CONNECT WITH NCS4 ONLINE.

National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security

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