Inside Mississippi State’s security plan for football gamedays after recent bomb threats

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State was amongst a string of colleges within the Magnolia State to obtain a bomb risk two weeks in the past. This got here a day after an identical collection of threats in Alabama at faculties together with Auburn.

The threats proved to be false, however Mississippi State nonetheless reacted in an, “abundance of warning” by evacuating the Barnes & Noble and utilizing Okay-9s to verify for any explosives.

This course of was effectively carried out on a late-July day when campus is barren, however how does Mississippi State reply if such a risk is made on a school soccer gameday? It begins on Fridays.

“We take lots of precautions earlier than the sport ever begins,” MSUPD chief Vance Rice informed the Clarion Ledger. “All three of our canine are available and spend hours scouring the stadium the evening earlier than the occasion.”

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As soon as the search is full, the stadium is locked down. Any particular person coming into the stadium following the search is understood and monitored. Some portion of gameday safety is already in place, and cameras are used to patrol as nicely.

When Saturday arrives, the safety procedures are frequent. Followers, media and others undergo steel detectors and have luggage searched. When gear vehicles arrive for groups, the Okay-9s are round to smell these giant luggage.

Air monitoring gear can be arrange across the stadium. If somebody is utilizing a nuclear drugs remedy, Rice says this gear is delicate sufficient to choose it up.

The number of gear and canine is met by officers who’re in Starkville on Saturdays. Together with the native police departments, Mississippi Freeway Patrol and cops from surrounding communities present assist. Conferences are held previous to video games to make sure all events are on the identical web page.

“If it’s about fan security, Mississippi State has mentioned, ‘If it’s going to make it safer, let’s do it,’” Rice mentioned. “They’ve been excellent.”

A part of the safety course of consists of decision-making with such threats. Rice says bomb threats are sometimes false as a result of these with true malicious intent don’t name to say the place an explosive is positioned.

With a stadium holding 60,000 followers, producing panic and evacuating Davis Wade Stadium may create a stampede with worse outcomes than a faux risk being referred to as in such because the one two weeks in the past triggered by a juvenile.

“It’s an actual high-quality line between safely evacuating the stadium or staying put and never telling as a result of it’s seemingly there’s nothing there,” Rice mentioned. “Plenty of issues are going to be thought-about, for sure.”

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat author for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or observe him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.