Whenever I am asked by a guest about the safety of the Las Vegas Strip, I always tell them that the Las Vegas Strip is probably the safest tourist corridor in America if not the world. Last night we saw why. Last night and into today, we saw law enforcement, private security, and first responders all fell into proper place very rapidly and it was all very organized. It’s because they and the rest of the city have been preparing for this day since September 11, 2001. It’s also why something like this has not happened before. We were prepared and that saved lives.
Yes, there was loss of life. That could have been avoided. However, if we had not such an open communication and organization between all the agencies and security operations on the Las Vegas Strip, it could have been much worse and much more chaotic.
Think about it: Twenty-one thousand people in a small confined spaced just a click away from a very busy international airport.
Kudos to Our Sheriff and Metro
The way everything fell into place so quickly, the way our Sheriff took control, kept the news briefings accurate, professional and did not offer any speculation or allow any conjectures by the media. He was on point and kept it focused on what they knew not what they think. He gave credit to other agencies and individuals when they were involved. While also defending and shielding those in the investigation from media and tourist “lookie lou’s”. Letting them do their jobs without any grandstanding. The crime scene was secured and that isn’t easy when everything is so close together and you have so many other things happening in that small space.
Vegas could not and would not stop being Vegas. Lives had to go on, people had to move and look after the living. That’s what Vegas is famous for. Trying to help people forget about reality and live a few days in an imaginary land of lights, sounds, and experiences.
A Large Community Becomes a Small Community
Las Vegas is a valley with over 2 million people who live work and call this valley home. It’s not always the best place and it’s not an easy place to live in. Today was amazing to watch how total strangers, neighbors, and people from foreign lands, came out to show their support. To offer up everything and anything that would help those left behind, struggling or just unsure of what happened or where their loved ones are. We became that small town that we once were. People helping people like we have never really seen before.
Everything fell into place and was quickly running like a well well-oiled machine. Why? Because we have been preparing for this day since September 11, 2001. All the agencies involved, all the security people from the private casinos and other associations have been breaking down barriers and cross communicating with each other like never before.
Unlike similar tragedies in other cities and countries, there was no confusion on who was speaking on the record, who was getting the spotlight or who was doing what. We were prepared.
Why Now?
Social media was all aflutter with armchair detectives trying to figure out this could have happened and what new laws we will need to prevent this in the future, as well as their continued disbelief that it took this long for something like this to happen. When you think about it, it should have happened years early. Las Vegas is an international tourist destination, it’s on everyone’s radar for many different reasons.
The reason it took sixteen years t happen and why many lives were saved was because of an unprecedented amount of cooperation and communication between so many different entities that have been jointly rehearsing for such an incident, that today we were ready. And that saved many lives. That preparedness is what has kept tourist in Las Vegas so safe for the past 16 years. Because it hadn’t happened means they were doing their job.
A Fine Line
Security in Las Vegas walks a very fine line. They work diligently and behind the scenes in so many different ways to make sure the tourist is safe when they are in Las Vegas. Yet they need to keep as low of a profile as possible as to not make the tourist feel they are being watched over by big brother and taking the thrill out of coming to a place known as a mirage in the desert. How do you do that effectively and efficiently? That is the line they must walk daily.
Final Thoughts
Many people were looking at this as if it were the local Holiday Inn with one security camera and a rent a cop patrolling the parking lot. This is Vegas. The security technology here is the top of the line, military grade. The best people in the business are always coming here to work and to learn from others who do work here…
I don’t care what you think about what may have happened or how it may have happened. It happened in one of the safest tourist districts in the land. let them do their investigations and stop blaming gun laws and thinking a few more metal detectors at the doors will stop a madman. It won’t.
In Las Vegas, you are safe. Had this happened in any other place, I believe the death toll would have been triple if not higher. You are safe here. Vegas is safe and open for business. When we finally see the timeline for the events that unfolded, you will be surprised at just how fast the threat was isolated and contained. How fast everyone got what they needed to do their jobs and how nobody was wanting to stand out and be THE hero of the day. Lives were saved because we as a community came together and said this will not define us and will not stop us from living our lives.
We don’t “need” a lot of things, but they are created out of the spirit of making something better, bigger and better. What you “nee” is also different than what I “need” but I am not going to tell you that my “need” is more important than your “need”. I don’t “need” a pressure cooker, but that’s what was used in the Boston Marathon bombing. Not to mention the simple concept that crooks don’t follow the law. Just look at Chicago or even France. You will alway shave people doing horrible things to other people.
“…stop blaming gun laws…” Is there really a need for military weapons, automatic and semi-automatic rifles? I’ll bet there were hundreds if not thousands of armed citizens at the concert. They were useless from 1000 feet away on the 32nd floor. This madman did not have these guns for protection. Their sole purpose is to murder as many people as possible in as short a time as possible.