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Last week’s bombing at the Boston Marathon does not necessarily force UNM to re-examine its security protocols for sports and other public events, but officials said it does reinforce the importance of security, and could lead to reviews of current policies.
Three people died and more than 180 were injured when two bombs exploded during the April 15 Boston Marathon, one of the largest and most well-known running events in the country. The explosions and ensuing manhunt for suspects garnered national attention.
While UNM does not host events on that scale, UNM Associate Athletics Director Tim Cass said the bombing demonstrates how vital security is for Lobo Athletics and other public events.
“I think this is an opportunity to review things. I don’t think it’s an opportunity for us to panic or change,” he said. “I think we’ve been proactive over the years in managing our different events.”
Mike Haggerty, UNM’s assistant athletics director for events management, would not discuss specific details about the University’s tactical procedures in the interest of preserving safety. However, he said those procedures are already reviewed on a regular basis. For football, officials review them before every game; for basketball, every couple of games.
For Lobo football and basketball games, which draw the largest crowds, patrons are inspected for weapons and contraband before they enter the game. On a per-game average, 22,299 patrons attended football games and 14,996 attended men’s basketball games during this school year.
“Being a university, there is a lot of pressure from the public for the way we search fans for the way they enter The Pit and the football stadium,” Haggerty said. “They’re thinking we’re trying to stop water bottles and soda pop from coming in. But we’re actually doing it for their safety.”
UNMPD officer Tim Stump said his department is in charge of security for events, and works in conjunction with the Athletics Department. UNM’s contractual security provider JLS Security & Investigations Inc., and the Albuquerque Police Department are also on hand at events, Cass said.
Other agencies. such as the Bernalillo County Sheriff, New Mexico State Police, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security are involved in planning as well, Haggerty said.
“It’s always evolving, but they take precursory measures to make sure,” Stump said. “Ever since 9/11, we’re always trying to make sure we’re on top of this stuff. We’re always trying to taking preventative measures in every event.”
Stump said UNM events are safe for patrons. According to information provided by UNMPD, between January 2012 and April 2013, the department made two arrests at University Stadium. So far in 2013, the department has made one arrest, which was at The Pit during the state high school basketball championships.
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Stump said many incidents at sporting events involve intoxication, and Cass added that fan-on-fan conflicts also arise. Haggerty said security checks for suspicious packages before games.
Security staffing numbers vary depending on the size of the crowd each sport draws, Cass said. Police officers are on-hand for football and basketball, as well as soccer, which Haggerty said is gaining fan interest. Haggerty would not disclose how many security and police officers are on hand, which again was in the interest of preserving security.
For uniformed police officers, security, and first responders on scene, Haggerty said UNM paid $41,000 for last year’s home football game against Boise State. He said it usually costs more for games against New Mexico State, UNM’s in-state rival.
Football games can be more complicated for security, not only because more fans attend, but tailgate parties are also involved, he said.
“In that example, certainly we have a plan in place to monitor the parking lot,” Cass said. “I think security for anyone hosting public events is of number one concern, the safety of your patrons.”
Uniformed police presence cost $6,000 for last year’s UNM-NMSU men’s basketball game, and a single soccer game costs $600, Haggerty said. All law enforcement officers at events are state certified to make arrests, Stump said, but JLS Security employees are not.
According to UNM’s contract with JLS Security, the company pays employees roughly $14 per hour to work events. Those positions include ushers, ticket takers, entry control-point monitors, and parking and traffic staff. JLS Security also has a presence courtside and on the field.
ASUNM President Caroline Muraida said she has not heard many complaints from students regarding security on campus and that during her one-year term she’s only heard positive things about security at the events.
“It’s necessary to point at that we’re a University with school spirit. Students get riled up about our Lobos, whether it be the ski team or our basketball team,” she said. “It’s nice to know we have a strong presence there to protect us if anything goes awry.”
