Inner-City Festival Security: Police, Private Security & Ambassador Model

Urban festivals present unique security challenges. Crowds spill into city streets, local residents live just beyond the barriers, and public infrastructure (like transit or businesses) intermix with event spaces. Keeping an inner-city festival secure and welcoming requires a careful balance. A three-tier security model – involving sworn police officers, licensed private security guards, and hospitality-style ambassadors – can strike that balance effectively. This model clearly defines roles for each group while encouraging teamwork through shared communication channels, de-escalation training, and diligent incident logging. The result is a safety operation that is firm in enforcing rules, friendly in its approach to attendees and neighbors, and thoroughly documented for after-action reviews.

The Challenge of Inner-City Festival Security

Festival producers know that inner-city events come with extra layers of complexity. Unlike fenced-off rural festivals, city-based festivals often have porous boundaries and a mix of attendees and casual passers-by. Streets may remain partially open or need to re-open quickly after the event. Additionally, urban festivals must consider community relations – nearby businesses, residents, and city officials are all stakeholders in the event’s success and safety. A minor incident in a city festival can draw immediate public attention, so proactive planning is critical.

Key challenges include:

• Uncontrolled Perimeters: City festivals often don’t have the luxury of a single controlled entry point. People can join from multiple streets or public areas, making it harder to screen everyone or spot trouble early.
• Diverse Crowds: Urban events typically attract a mix of locals and visitors, with varied backgrounds and expectations. This diversity is wonderful but requires cultural sensitivity and strong communication among the security team.
• Local Regulations and Permits: City authorities usually mandate specific safety measures (permits, emergency vehicle access lanes, crowd capacity limits per block, etc.). Festival producers must coordinate closely with police, fire, and municipal agencies to comply with these rules.
• Community Scrutiny: Noise, trash, or unruly behavior can upset residents. A high-profile police response on a city street can quickly become news. Thus, security efforts should resolve issues before they escalate publicly, whenever possible.

Given these factors, a multi-layered approach to safety is often the best solution. Enter the Police, Private Security & Ambassador Model – a framework that assigns complementary roles to different teams to keep the festival environment safe yet enjoyable.

Defining the Roles: Police, Security Guards & Ambassadors

A successful inner-city festival employs a range of personnel to handle safety, each with distinct authority and strengths:

Sworn Police Officers: Law Enforcement & Oversight

Sworn police officers (whether city police or other law enforcement) are the legal authority at any public event. They carry the power to arrest, enforce laws, and respond to serious offenses. At an inner-city festival, their presence is often required by the city permit – particularly to manage traffic closure points, public disturbances, or any criminal activity.

Primary roles of Police at a festival:

• Law Enforcement: Handling any criminal acts (assaults, thefts, illegal drug dealing, vandalism). If a situation requires arrest or may involve serious charges, police officers step in. For example, if a fight breaks out into a serious assault, or a person is caught carrying a weapon, the police will take control and follow legal procedures.
• Public Order in Surrounding Areas: Police often manage the event perimeter. They may patrol nearby transit stations, block off streets for the event, and deal with issues spilling outside the festival zone. Their presence reassures the public that the city is maintaining order.
• Emergency Response Coordination: In a major incident (medical emergency, fire, or an act of violence), police lead the coordination of emergency services. They might set up a command post unified with fire and EMS. Many large festivals use an incident command system (ICS) or unified command, where a senior police official is embedded with the festival command team to make quick decisions in emergencies.
• Deterrence: Simply having uniformed officers visible can deter some would-be troublemakers. At events in high-risk locations, you might see a higher police presence (sometimes even specialized units) as a preventive measure.

It’s important to deploy police wisely. Officers are often paid detail (overtime) by the event, which can be costly, so festival producers typically assign them to high-impact areas: entry gates, stages during headline moments, and roving units for crowd control. In Melbourne, Australia, for instance, major city festivals station police at train stations and key intersections around the event, ensuring safe arrival and departure for attendees. In Mumbai, India, city police at festivals coordinate closely with private security for bag checks, since police must enforce national laws (like bans on certain items).

Tip: Integrate police into planning early. Bring the local police department into your security planning meetings from the start. Share site maps, schedules, and crowd projections. Building a relationship and understanding with law enforcement well before the festival day prevents friction. It also helps police allocate appropriate resources and know what to expect from the event’s own security staff.

Licensed Private Security Guards: Front-Line Event Safety

Private security guards form the backbone of most festival security operations. These are typically staff from a professional security firm (or in-house security team) who are licensed (where required by law, such as SIA licensing in the UK or state guard certifications in the US). They do the heavy lifting of routine safety tasks so that police focus on law enforcement rather than event rules.

Primary roles of Private Security at a festival:

• Access Control: Guarding entrances and exits, checking tickets or credentials, conducting bag searches and pat-downs for prohibited items. Private guards ensure only authorized people enter VIP or backstage zones, and that festival-goers aren’t bringing in glass, weapons, or other banned items.
• Crowd Management: Stationing at stages, monitoring crowd density, and keeping egress routes clear. For example, guards might form a human barrier in front of a stage to prevent dangerous surges, or gently redirect a crowd that starts blocking a fire lane. They are trained in basic crowd psychology and know to watch for signs of distress or agitation in the audience.
• Incident Response & Intervention: Handling minor altercations or issues before they escalate. If two attendees have a shouting match or someone is excessively intoxicated, security guards intervene to calm the situation or remove the person if needed. Their training often includes de-escalation techniques (like speaking calmly, maintaining non-threatening body language) to defuse conflicts (chesleybrown.com) (chesleybrown.com). By resolving small problems through dialogue, guards can avoid resorting to force in many cases.
• Protecting People & Property: Patrolling the festival grounds to deter theft, vandalism, or unauthorized backstage access. Guards protect equipment, vendor booths, and infrastructure. At night, they may secure the site when attendees leave.
• Liaison with Police: Private security acts as the event’s eyes and ears, alerting police when a situation exceeds their scope. For instance, if a guard detains someone for pickpocketing, they will call police to handle the legal process. In many countries, guards have citizen’s arrest powers but must hand over offenders to police quickly. Close coordination ensures smooth transfer of responsibility.

A good practice is to hire security supervisors who have festival experience and ideally some law enforcement or military background. They can manage the guard team effectively and communicate in the language police understand. Many top security firms assign team leaders who have worked on similar big events worldwide – their insight is invaluable in an inner-city context where crowd dynamics can change rapidly.

Case Example: At Carnaval de Bahidorá in Mexico, the festival organizers contract a security company that provides both plainclothes and uniformed guards. The uniformed guards staff the entrances and visible posts, while plainclothes guards mingle with the crowd. One year, when a group attempted to rush an entry gate, security guards swiftly contained the situation, communicated via radio to call additional staff, and calmed the crowd without needing police. This quick, trained response prevented a potentially dangerous surge. Police officers stationed nearby were notified but arrived to find the situation already under control – a testament to well-prepared private security handling a job that didn’t require full police intervention.

Tip: Right-size the security team. Determine the number of guards by assessing your festival footprint, crowd size, and risk factors. A common guideline for large events is one security staff per 250 attendees as a starting point, then adjust for factors like alcohol availability or multiple stages. For smaller community festivals (a few thousand people), a handful of guards plus some volunteer ambassadors might suffice if the crowd is mostly families. Always err on the side of a little more security – it’s easier to scale back or reassign guards on the fly than to be caught understaffed during an incident.

Hospitality-Style Ambassadors: Friendly Eyes on the Ground

Ambassadors are the hospitality and community relations arm of festival safety. These can be volunteers or staff specifically trained to be approachable, helpful, and attentive to the festival atmosphere. They often wear distinct, friendly uniforms (like brightly colored shirts with “Here to Help” logos) rather than traditional security gear. Their mandate is to create a welcoming vibe while also acting as extra “eyes and ears” to spot issues early.

Primary roles of Ambassadors at a festival:

• Attendee Assistance: Ambassadors answer questions (“Where is the nearest water station?”), give directions, and help festival-goers navigate the event. This reduces frustration in the crowd – a known factor in conflicts. A guest who quickly finds help is less likely to get upset or cause a scene.
• Early Conflict Diffusion: Because ambassadors roam and mingle, they might notice small disagreements or signs of discomfort before anyone else. With customer-service training, they can politely intervene. For instance, if two attendees are arguing over a spot on the street viewing area, an ambassador might step in with a friendly approach: “Hey folks, everything okay? Let’s sort this out,” and guide them to a resolution or get a security guard if it starts to escalate. They are essentially practicing proactive de-escalation, using conversation and empathy to calm people down.
• Eyes and Ears for Security: Ambassadors carry radios or have a direct line to the security team. When they observe something concerning – like someone who looks ill, or a suspicious bag left unattended – they promptly report it. In many downtowns worldwide, community “safety ambassadors” patrol public areas and act as the eyes and ears for police (downtowncleveland.org). At a festival, ambassadors serve a similar liaison function between attendees and the formal security apparatus.
• Hospitality and Community Relations: Ambassadors often handle situations that require a softer touch. If a neighboring shop owner is upset about festival-goers blocking their doorway, an ambassador can apologize and help move the crowd along, preserving community goodwill. In one example, during Singapore’s Night Festival, organizers deployed ambassadors to visit open businesses along the festival route hourly, checking if they had concerns and ensuring festival-goers weren’t causing trouble outside. This hospitality-style approach prevented complaints and made local businesses feel heard and respected.
• Minor First Aid or Wellness Support: While they are not medics, ambassadors can be trained in basic first aid or at least know where to direct people for medical help. They might carry band-aids, water, or earplugs to give out. Some festivals also train ambassadors in harm reduction – for example, recognizing signs of overheating, over-intoxication, or anxiety, and guiding the person to the medical tent or a calm area (sometimes called a “chill-out tent”).

Ambassadors are especially valuable at family-friendly or cultural festivals where a heavy security presence can feel out of place. By having a team of smiling, helpful ambassadors visible, the festival environment feels safe but not oppressive. They complement the work of guards and police by handling the human touch aspects of safety.

Training Ambassadors: Festival producers should invest time in training their ambassador crew. Content should include local city knowledge (so they can answer common tourist-type questions), conflict de-escalation role-play, diversity and inclusion awareness, and radio protocol. Ambassadors need to know when to call in the professionals – they are not there to physically intervene in dangerous situations, but rather to prevent and report. Proper training empowers them to act confidently and effectively as the first line of friendly defense.

Case Example: The Notting Hill Carnival in London, one of the world’s largest inner-city festivals, historically uses community stewards in addition to police. These stewards (akin to ambassadors) come from local community groups. They dance, celebrate with attendees, but also subtly encourage positive behavior (e.g., kindly redirecting overly rowdy revelers and keeping sidewalks clear). While London’s Metropolitan Police maintain order on the outskirts, the community ambassadors inside the event help maintain a cultural vibe and trust. This dual approach has been credited with keeping Carnival largely peaceful even amid huge crowds, by blending firm security measures with community-led friendliness.

Unified Communication: Shared Radio Channels and Coordination

No matter how well-defined each role is, communication is the glue that holds this safety model together. All security layers – police, private guards, and ambassadors – must stay in sync, especially in a fast-moving urban environment. Establishing shared communication protocols (often via radio networks) is therefore a top priority.

Shared Radio Channels: It’s wise to have a common radio channel (or an interconnected system) that key members of each group can access during the event. Many festivals designate a primary emergency channel for any critical incident, monitored by the police commander, the head of security, and the festival control center. For general operations, separate channels can exist (e.g., one for all security staff and ambassadors, another for logistics/production). The important part is that there is a way for information to flow quickly between teams:
– If an ambassador spots something suspicious, they should be able to call it out on a radio channel that security supervisors hear immediately.
– If a security guard needs police backup, a quick call on the shared channel alerts nearby officers.
– If police receive information about an external threat (like a protest moving toward the festival), they can instantly warn the event security team via the unified communications line.

At large events, a Joint Operations Center (JOC) is often established – essentially a command post where representatives from police, fire, medical, and event security sit together. This physical proximity means that even if everyone isn’t on the exact same radio frequency, they can relay messages in person. For example, during New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York City’s Times Square, police, city officials, and private event security staff all share an operations center, ensuring instant relay of any issue.

Frequency Planning and Equipment: Don’t leave radio coordination to chance. A lack of proper communication planning can have dire consequences – one infamous example is the Love Parade festival tragedy in 2010, where communication breakdown and crowd mismanagement contributed to a deadly crowd crush (www.criticalcomms.com). To avoid such catastrophe:
– Equip each team with compatible radios. Test them in the city environment ahead of time (urban areas can have interference or dead spots).
– Program channels and distribute clear channel lists to all supervisors. For instance, Channel 1: Festival Security Operations, Channel 2: Medical and Welfare, Channel 3: Production, Channel 4: Police/Joint Emergency.
– Ensure key personnel carry multichannel radios or multiple units so they can monitor both their internal group channel and the joint emergency channel.
– Use plain language or agreed code words for essential alerts (avoid ten-codes or jargon that the other groups won’t understand). A simple code like “Code Red at Gate 2” can alert everyone to a serious incident without confusion, as long as it’s defined in advance.

Regular Briefings: In addition to real-time communications, schedule coordination meetings during the festival. A short check-in at the start of each day or shift, where police and security leads share any intel (e.g., expected VIP visits, weather alerts, or community protests nearby) keeps everyone mentally prepared. Mid-event briefings can be arranged if the festival spans many hours or days, to adapt to emerging situations.

Remember, successful collaboration also relies on breaking down silos. Encourage a culture where no group hesitates to reach out to another. Private guards should never feel that calling police is an admission of failure – it’s a strength to use all resources. Likewise, police officers should respect the on-the-ground knowledge that security and ambassadors have about the event layout and crowd. When everyone talks to each other, responses to incidents become faster and more effective, preventing small issues from becoming big problems.

Training for De-Escalation and Conflict Resolution

A core pillar of the “firm but friendly” approach is de-escalation training for all personnel. Festivals are meant to be joyful, and heavy-handed security responses can ruin the atmosphere or even trigger chaos. By training police, security guards, and ambassadors in modern conflict resolution techniques, festivals can maintain safety with a lighter touch.

What De-Escalation Entails: De-escalation is all about using communication and psychology to reduce the intensity of a conflict, rather than using force or authority immediately (chesleybrown.com). Key techniques include:
– Calm Communication: Speaking slowly, calmly, and politely, even if the other person is agitated. The tone can influence whether a situation explodes or diffuses.
– Active Listening and Empathy: Letting the upset person feel heard. Often, a festival-goer might be angry about something (long lines, lost items, someone shoving them in the crowd). Training staff to listen, nod, and say things like “I understand this is frustrating” can defuse anger by validating feelings (hogonext.com) (hogonext.com).
– Non-Threatening Body Language: Security personnel are trained to use a stance that is non-aggressive (open hands, relaxed posture) and to avoid aggressive gestures. A friendly ambassador naturally adopts this, appearing more like a helper than an authority figure.
– Finding Solutions or Alternatives: Even if a guest must be told “no” (e.g., they can’t enter a VIP area without a pass), staff can offer an alternative or help solve the underlying problem. For example: “I can’t let you into this section, but let me call an event manager to see if there’s another way we can help,” or “I know you’re upset about losing your phone – why don’t we go to the Info Booth and see if someone turned it in?” This approach shifts the focus from conflict to problem-solving.
– Knowing When to Step Back: De-escalation doesn’t mean one never calls for backup. The training also teaches cues for when a situation is beyond talk (e.g., a person is displaying violent behavior or there’s an immediate safety threat). In those cases, security must act or call police quickly. But the overall goal is to maximize the situations that can be resolved without physical force.

Training Exercises: A practical training session might involve role-playing common festival scenarios: an ambassador practices calming an irritated attendee who’s upset about a schedule change; a security guard enacts how to handle a belligerent drunk trying to start a fight, using words first. Even police officers assigned to the event can join these exercises – it helps them switch from a law-enforcement-first mindset to a more community policing style appropriate for a festival. In fact, when police departments adopt de-escalation training broadly, they see significant drops in use-of-force incidents (chesleybrown.com). Bringing that mindset to a festival can prevent a minor incident from ending in injuries or headlines.

Global Variations: Across different countries, the style of engagement can vary. In some places, like Japan, law enforcement at events often emphasizes polite interactions and patience rooted in cultural norms. In Germany, event security might include “stewards” who are trained mostly to guide and report, leaving any confrontation to police – but those stewards still benefit from de-escalation know-how to stall conflict until police arrive. In the United States, where private security and off-duty police co-mingle at events, many teams now require conflict resolution certification, understanding that a softer approach prevents lawsuits and bad publicity.

By prioritizing de-escalation, festival producers cultivate an atmosphere where attendees feel respected, not just controlled. This improves the overall festival experience – attendees who have a positive interaction with a helpful security member or ambassador often comment that the event “had a great vibe and felt safe.” That positive word-of-mouth is invaluable for an inner-city festival’s reputation.

Documenting Incidents: Evidence Logging and Post-Event Review

Even with the best prevention and training, incidents will happen. When they do, thorough documentation is essential. Logging incidents and collecting evidence serves two major purposes: it creates a record for any legal or insurance follow-up, and it provides data to improve future festivals through after-action reviews.

Incident Reporting: Every security team member (guards, police, and key ambassadors) should be briefed on the importance of reporting any noteworthy incident. This could be anything from a medical emergency, a fight that was broken up, an intoxicated person evicted from the venue, to a minor property damage. A standard incident report includes:
– Date, time, and location of the incident (e.g., “10:45 PM at Food Court on 5th Street”).
– Parties involved (description of individuals, or ticket numbers if relevant, without breaching privacy unnecessarily).
– Description of what happened and how it was resolved. This should be objective and factual (“Security personnel observed A and B arguing, intervened, and escorted B out for cooling down. No further action.”).
– Names of staff who responded (so they can be consulted later if needed).
– Any evidence gathered (photos, video, confiscated items).

Many festivals issue pocket notebooks or use mobile incident logging apps to their security and ambassador teams. For example, at a large street festival in Toronto, Canada, volunteer ambassadors use a simple mobile form to submit incident details and photos to a central database in real-time. This real-time logging allowed the festival command center to spot patterns (like noticing multiple reports of pickpockets in one area) and dispatch resources accordingly, as well as have a full log ready by the festival’s end.

Evidence Collection: In more serious cases, evidence may go beyond a written report:
– Photography/Video: If a fight occurred or property was vandalized, taking photos (when safe to do so) helps document injuries or damage. However, be mindful: police will handle evidence for any criminal matters. Security should secure the scene and wait for law enforcement if a crime happened, rather than disturbing evidence. In the case of a crime, an evidence log noting things like “Item X (e.g., a knife) found on ground, handed to Police Sgt. Jones at 8:05PM” is crucial for chain-of-custody.
– CCTV and Body Cameras: Urban festivals might tie into city CCTV systems or deploy their own cameras on site. These recordings can be reviewed later. Some events equip security staff with body cameras for liability protection – if so, those recordings must be saved and catalogued. Make sure your team knows the privacy laws and gets necessary consent/permits for any surveillance.
– Witness Statements: Train ambassadors and security to politely identify witnesses of significant incidents and either get their contact info or guide them to speak with the police. A short notation like “Witness: Jane Doe, phone number, saw the fall from the stage” could be extremely helpful later.

Everything logged should funnel to centralized storage – whether that’s a digital system or a physical binder in the command post. Keep it organized by incident type or time. During the festival, this helps track unfolding issues. After the festival, it becomes the raw material for analysis.

After-Action Reviews (AAR): Within a few days to a week after the festival, it’s wise to convene a safety debrief meeting. Invite representatives from your team (security chief, volunteer coordinator, operations manager) as well as police and any city officials who were involved. Go through the incident logs and evidence:
– Discuss what went well. For instance, “All minor medical incidents were handled on-site without needing ambulance transport – great job by our first-aid partners.” Successes indicate procedures that should be repeated or expanded.
– Analyze what could improve. Maybe the logs show five separate scuffles in one corner of the festival grounds where lighting was poor and crowd flow was cramped. That might suggest adding lights and redesigning that area next time. Perhaps communication logs reveal that some ambassadors didn’t have direct radio contact and information got delayed – a sign to equip more staff with radios or create a better reporting tree.
– Involve the city stakeholders. Police and city officials might have additional data (e.g., police had to make two arrests outside the venue or residents made noise complaints at 11 PM). Incorporating their perspective ensures the festival’s impact on the broader community is considered.

Document the outcomes of the AAR itself – create a short report of key lessons learned and recommended actions. This becomes part of your planning toolkit for the next event. It also shows accountability; if you seek to renew permits for next year, demonstrating that you recorded incidents and addressed all issues proactively will instill confidence in authorities and sponsors.

Moreover, a thorough documentation culture can protect the festival legally. If an attendee files a complaint or suit claiming they were injured due to negligence, your detailed reports and evidence can show how the team responded responsibly. It’s an organizer’s insurance policy in many ways.

Balancing Firm Security with a Friendly Atmosphere

At the heart of the police-security-ambassador model is a philosophy: safety can be achieved without sacrificing the festival spirit. Inner-city festivals succeed when attendees feel both protected and relaxed. Achieving this balance requires deliberate effort across all roles:
– Set the Right Tone: In briefings, emphasize to police and security teams that this is a celebratory environment. While rules must be enforced, everyone can do so with courtesy and respect. A smile from a guard or a friendly greeting from an officer (“Hello! Enjoy the festival, we’re here if you need anything.”) goes a long way.
– Visibility and Approachability: Ambassadors naturally take the lead here, making themselves easy to spot (distinct uniforms) and initiating help. However, police and security can also engage in positive interactions. In some festivals in the United States, police have been known to take photos with attendees or even dance for a moment when invited – showing they are human and part of the community. Such moments break down the barrier and can transform public perception of the event’s security presence from intimidating to supportive.
– Consistency in Enforcement: Being friendly doesn’t mean being a pushover. The teams must consistently enforce important rules (e.g., alcohol areas, entry checkpoints) so that those who are behaving badly know they can’t get away with it. The difference is in how enforcement is done. A firm but polite removal of a troublemaker (with clear communication: “Sir, for the safety of everyone, I’m going to escort you out now.”) is often enough. Later, that person might reflect that they were treated fairly, which can diffuse lingering anger.
– Cultural Sensitivity: Inner-city festivals often celebrate specific cultures or bring together multiple communities. Ambassadors and security should be briefed on cultural do’s and don’ts. For example, a religious street festival might have areas where shoes must be removed – an ambassador can remind people gently, which is more culturally palatable than a police officer barking an order. Having a diverse security and ambassador team that reflects the audience’s demographics can also help; people respond better to those who they feel understand them.
– Adapting to the Crowd Mood: Great festival teams “read the room.” If the crowd is getting rowdy (perhaps the headliner act is very intense), security might subtly increase their presence at hot spots while ambassadors slip into the crowd to be ready to assist anyone feeling overwhelmed. If the vibe is calm (a Sunday afternoon family event), the police might hang back at the perimeter to remain low-profile, letting ambassadors be the face of security unless needed.

Ultimately, when a festival wraps up with no major safety incidents and guests expressing how safe and fun they felt it was, you’ve achieved the goal. The police, private security, and ambassador model is not about any one group taking credit – it’s a team victory. Each part of the team plays its role: police provided the necessary authority and emergency response readiness, private security maintained order and handled the tough stuff, and ambassadors kept the atmosphere positive and troubles minor. The synergy of those roles, supported by shared communication and training, creates a resilient safety net.

As a veteran festival organizer would affirm, preparation and collaboration are everything. Plan thoroughly, train your people, and foster mutual respect among the teams. The next generation of festival producers who embrace these principles will find that even in the busiest city streets, a festival can be both safe and magical.

Key Takeaways

• Three Layers of Security: Combining sworn police officers, private security guards, and hospitality-style ambassadors gives you a robust yet welcoming security team. Each layer has distinct responsibilities – use police for law enforcement, security guards for primary crowd control, and ambassadors for friendly assistance and early conflict diffusion.
• Clear Role Definitions: Avoid overlap and confusion by defining roles clearly. Police handle crimes and major incidents; security guards enforce festival rules and intervene in minor incidents; ambassadors guide and help attendees, reporting issues as needed. This clarity prevents gaps or turf wars in the middle of an event.
• Shared Communication Channels: Establish unified radio communications or a joint command center so information flows freely between all security personnel. Quick, coordinated responses are only possible when everyone hears critical updates in real time. Plan your radio frequencies and protocols in advance – don’t let a communication breakdown jeopardize safety.
• De-Escalation is Essential: Train all staff in de-escalation and conflict resolution techniques. A calm word and a friendly approach can prevent most incidents from exploding. Emphasize a “firm but friendly” attitude – enforce the rules, but do it with courtesy and respect. This keeps the festival atmosphere positive and avoids unnecessary use of force.
• Document Everything: Keep diligent incident logs and collect evidence for any noteworthy event (medical issues, ejections, altercations, property damage). Detailed documentation not only protects you legally, but it’s gold for the after-action review. Analyze these records with your team and city partners post-event to learn and improve safety protocols for future festivals.