By MIKE RUSSO
Scannell called a special hearing of the Legislature's Public Safety Committee, which he heads, on Dec. 10 and spoke with experts in the police department, the retail industry, the security field and the county's own office of emergency management, asking for suggestions on how to keep events such as Black Friday under control.
"Black Friday was a terrible tragedy, and we would like to shine a light on what happened so we can prevent it from happening in the future," said Scannell. "The holidays are supposed to be a special season for families in getting together, but it was a complete tragedy for the Damour family."
Nassau County Police Inspector Thomas Krumpter, who represented Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey at the hearing, said that planning and providing security for these types of events falls on the retailers themselves, though the police department is available to provide assistance if necessary. Mulvey was scheduled to host a meeting at police headquarters with big-box retailers on Dec. 15, to discuss how the stores could improve their safety and security plans.
"The Nassau County Police Department has taken a position that we will work with [big-box] retailers in Nassau County," said Krumpter, though he later stated that the police have historically let stores handle their own security. "They have to communicate with the police department when they're having these sales so we can provide them with assistance as far recommending security protocols."
Krumpter described some of the security procedures that the Police Department would be suggesting to the retailers at Monday's meeting. First off, he said, stores should plan for a minimum of 100-200 people when advertising such door-buster sales. The police are advocating the use of corrals -preferably interlocking gates - which would hold no more than 200 people, and be set back from the store a minimum of 100 feet. Krumpter said that a certain number of people could be let in to a corral at a time, to prevent everyone from entering the store at once. On that note, he also suggested that stores use numbered wristbands, so people looking for a particular item would be let into the store at one time. Krumpter said that no level of preparation would guarantee that a "horrific event" wouldn't take place, but having an appropriate plan in place well before an event will minimize that risk.
"You have to look at history, you have to look at expected crowds, and that's how you come up with what the appropriate security ratio should be," said Krumpter. "You can't have a major event without planning for not only the appropriate staffing in the store, but more important, assuring the safety of customers in the store."
James Callahan, commissioner of the county's office of emergency management, said that having the right communication system in place is an integral part of managing a major event like Black Friday. One of the things that went wrong at the Valley Stream Wal-Mart, Callahan said, was that the line of people was misleading, as many more people were sitting in their cars until shortly before the store's opening. If the store had a security officer patrolling the parking lot, he might have informed workers on the inside about how many more people were going to be entering the store. Communication breakdown, he said, is usually to blame for a loss of control over a large crowd. He agreed on the use of interlocking gate-corrals to guide people into the store in an organized fashion, saying that it puts people at ease both physically and psychologically.
"You can always move a perimeter closer," said Callahan. "It's harder to move it back. People feel better psychologically knowing that they are moving. Interlocking barriers would be the best way to deal with a crowd."
Representing retail establishments was Ted Potrikus, executive vice president and director of government relations for the Retail Council of New York state. Potrikus referred to Black Friday as the "Super Bowl" for retailers, and that those stores need to prepare for the large crowds. He said that while most stores do have plans in place on that day to keep shoppers safe, the economy may have had something to do with the larger-than-usual turnout.
"Fueled by weeks and weeks of nothing but negative economic news and its very tangible impact on consumers, this year's Black Friday watch seemed more intense than ever," said Potrikus. "Stores everywhere prepared in advance for the crowds to the extent that they could. Seeing the crowds come out of Black Friday was a little bit of a surprise as far as the numbers."
Dennis Farrell, of Federal Shields Security, which does investigation and security consulting services, essentially reiterated what the previous speakers had said. He did raise one new point, however, when he suggested that stores advertising the door-buster sales should also explain what their customers would experience that day. They should be informed of policies beforehand, such as the wristband system or the fact that they may be waiting a long time outside the store in the cold. "An informed audience is more controlled," said Farrell. "Chaos cannot exist with order."
Comments about this story? MRusso@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
