With the news of Osama bin Laden’s death and law enforcement warnings to stay vigilant still fresh, the timing couldn’t have been more appropriate for the 18th annual International Tourism Safety Conference at the Golden Nugget this week.
More than 200 security officers and safety experts, the largest turnout ever for the locally organized event, converged to discuss crime, safety, medical and natural disasters and terrorism and how to protect a tourism-based economy from the world’s bad guys.
How the resort industry can pitch in to assist law enforcement and Homeland Security officials and the newest extension of the Metro Police “See something, say something” program was one of the highlights Tuesday, the second day of the three-day conference. It is sponsored by the Southern Nevada Tourist Safety Association, the Las Vegas Security Chiefs Association, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and Metro.
Collaborating with UNLV’s Institute for Security Studies, Metro is producing a series of videos that detail what types of things employees in a wide range of tourism jobs can watch out for to help them make a decision on what to report to authorities.
“We’re not asking the industry to spy on people or take action themselves,” said Ross Bryant, deputy director of the institute at UNLV that is part of the Division of Educational Outreach. “We look at it as a bridge between public safety and the private sector that’s like Neighborhood Watch.”
Only the stakes for this Neighborhood Watch are far greater for a community that thrives on tourists who depend on their hosts to keep them safe.
Capt. Brett Primas, who heads Metro’s counterterrorism bureau, said Las Vegas ranks as the ninth likeliest target for a terrorist attack in the United States because it has several of the characteristics terrorists seek to maximize damage — large congregations of people, iconic images and symbols that represent personal freedom.
Primas said there have been 70 terrorist attacks on hotels and resorts worldwide since Sept. 11, 2001, and as home to some of the world’s largest hotels, Las Vegas is “a target-rich environment.”
Hotels, amusement parks, theaters and sports arenas are all potential terrorist targets.
Southern Nevada also is a target because it is home to Nellis and Creech air force bases. Pilotless drone aircraft that have been used in attacks on overseas terrorist camps are controlled remotely from Creech.
But Las Vegas also has more surveillance than most cities to protect its investments and Metro is hoping to have even more eyes and ears keeping watch to prevent a catastrophe.
The series of videos, produced in English and Spanish, describe “seven signs of terrorism” and give specific pointers to guest-room attendants, valets, bellmen, desk clerks and bus, limousine and taxi drivers on what to watch for.
Additional videos are being produced to give specific direction to facilities engineers, food and beverage workers, utility company inspectors and retail sales representatives.
The seven signs of terrorism described in the videos are:
• Surveillance. People who appear to be taking a greater interest than normal of operations, including videotaping employees at work.
• Information gathering. Efforts by people to locate maps and blueprints of local buildings.
• Testing security. People who plant objects to see how long it takes for an employee to react or for security to be alerted.
• Planning. Observations by people of the procedures taken to control a situation and gathering materials for a terrorist action.
• Suspicious behavior. People who request specific rooms or seek multiple room changes or ask questions about access points that are not in public view.
• Rehearsals. People who appear to be making practice runs for a destructive act.
• Getting into position. The last opportunity to possibly prevent a tragedy when a group or individual mobilizes to carry out a plot.
Not every tip prevents a tragedy and there are occasional false alarms. A room attendant at one resort recently reported seeing a high-powered telescope in a room trained on McCarran International Airport.
The room occupant turned out to be an aviation buff who likes to track aircraft by registry number.
But counterterrorism officials say they would prefer to check out suspicious activity and be wrong than ignore someone who could bring loss of life and economic damage to the city.
The hot line to report suspicious activity locally is 828-8386. A toll-free number for activity anywhere in the state is (877) 828-8386.