The Las Vegas casino industry has transformed since the 2017 mass shooting as operators have made drastic security changes on their premises. Some of them have made several recommendations in the last five years as Saturday marked the shooting’s fifth anniversary.
The shooter was at the Mandalay Bas as concertgoers left the 2017 Harvest country music festival in Vegas. Some properties on the Strip have contracted highly trained security forces to respond to serious threats. They resemble SWAT teams in different police departments, according to Tommy J. Burns, an experienced security consultant.
Leading hotels in Vegas have efficient rapid response teams. Burns adds that they are adequately trained and heavily armed. He is a former security director at The Flamingo Hotel & Casino, and Harrah’s Las Vegas. Also, he served as the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center’s privacy officer.
Hotel security personnel have to identify contents in bulk or large baggage. Also, they can enter hotel rooms to assess the current situation if “do not disturb” signs remain on doors for over 24 hours.
Besides, security forces now identify broken windows fast as the last mass shooting comprised many broken windows. Burns stated that casino and hotel operators have numbered windows thus making it easy to locate them.
Is There a Significant Security Change?
Robert Jarvis, Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard College of Law’s law professor, says that there has been a subtle change since the past mass shooting in the area. The country is still experiencing mass casualty scenarios.
Such incidents were rare in the past but they are common today. This scares some people as shootings can occur when someone is taking a stroll on the streets.
Jarvis informed some reporters that he has counted more than 9 deadly incidents since the Harvest Music festival shooting. He asked whether people can solve the problem for parents to stop worrying about the next likely shooting and eliminate active shooter drills in schools. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) released a self-assessment in 2019 that reviewed the department’s response and the incident.
The 93 Recommendations
The LVMPD’s 158-page document had 93 findings, one of them being the importance of securing high-rise buildings that overlook large open spaces. This includes the MGM Resorts Mandalay Bay hotel. Stephen Paddock fired many rounds at the concertgoers from the 32nd floor.
He shot more than a hundred people in the incident. The police department’s report advocated for an increase in officers with loaded rifles to neutralize a shooter perched at a high building.
Still, it is essential to have regular planning and training of other coroner, health, fire, and police teams. Such officers shouldn’t wear reflective vests to prevent a shooter from targeting them.
The Associated Press recounts the report as it recommended for large public events to have more paramedics in the future. They need trauma kits as officers didn’t identify his killing motive. The 64-year-old shot himself as officers approached his room.
The department fired Cordell Hendrex, a Metro officer, because of his response. He delayed reacting to the shooting despite being one floor below Paddock.
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