'We prepare for the worst': How WNY law enforcement prepare for mass gatherings

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Securing large mass gatherings is top of mind for some as the spring season nears in Western New York. Local law enforcement and security experts say they stand ready to protect people at the upcoming St. Patrick's Day Parade, during the Eclipse, and other spring festivals.

One woman was killed and more than 20 people were injured at Union Station during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory celebration on Wednesday. The shooting appears to have stemmed from a dispute, police said Thursday.

"We're always trying to stay ahead of the game. We learn from other incidents about how to get better," Erie County Sheriff John Garcia said.

Garcia says his offices has been planning for several mass gatherings and that these plans are developed over a long period of time. He also says they are layered with a strong external border with uniformed and undercover deputies inside the event.

"These security details are not something that we come up with on parade day, or on game day. We do tabletop exercises. What happens, worst case scenarios. We prepare with fire, we prepare with EMTs, we prepare with our partners in law enforcement," Garcia said.

As the Bills advanced into the playoffs, the sheriff's office said it was already going through plans for a potential Super Bowl parade through downtown Buffalo.

Forseti Protection Group focuses on using new technology to monitor these large gatherings. President Mario Rodriguez says it is important to make events secure, while not making them appear hardened. Using different monitoring systems could prove helpful to achieve that goal, according to Rodriguez.

"We're going to apply a crowd management system. We're going to apply that with robotics," Rodriguez explained. "You have magnetometers similar to what we've seen at amusement parks now where they are actually allowing you to walk through and you don't have to stop and empty your pockets. When you add all those together and you have that approach that gives you the opportunity to put together a strategic plan."

He says businesses and other small events can leverage technology could make people not only feel safe, but truly be safe.

"We're not going to stop all of these things that are happening in our community, but we can mitigate the risk and we can mitigate the circumstances," Rodriguez added.

Kansas City Police said there were 800 officers at the event and about a million people celebrating at Union Station. Garcia says more officers may not be the answer.

"There's never going to be a one on one between law enforcement and the citizens. We don't need it because the vast majority of the people there are there to have a good time," Garcia explained.

If you do head out to a mass event, security experts say to make sure you have a plan and take notice of your surroundings. The sheriff adds that people should feel safe going out and living their lives normally, but that they should be aware of their surroundings and if you see something, say something.

"I can guarantee you this. We're on it. We're trying to stay a step ahead and ensure the safety of everyone," Garcia concluded.