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Federation Updates Event Security Best Practices

Jewish Federation Security Initiatives recently updated and shared with organizations throughout the heart of New Jersey best practices for planning and implementing event security.

This is a brief overview for event, organization, and security leadership to discuss in their event planning ways to assess and manage security risks associated with various events. 

June 2025 Best Practices: Event Security

Define All Event Details

  • Security planning is about assessing and managing risk
  • Know your event details and logistics including indoors/outdoors, stationary/moving


Communicate with Law Enforcement and Jewish Federation Heart of NJ Security Initiatives

Notify your local police department and Federation’s Security Initiatives about any planned major events, highlighting those that are public facing, Israel programing and/or involve controversial speakers.

  • Request local law enforcement to be present
  • Increase patrols during your events
  • Hire appropriate event security personnel
  • Share all event details (date, time, location, expected attendance) with us.

 

Control Access and Screen Attendees

  • Limit events to vetted, identifiable guests
  • Require pre-registration for all attendees individually, not in groups
  • Collect title, home address, cellphone
  • Verify the registration list
  • Have shared policy for walk-ins
  • Consider ticketing process and whether photo ID required
  • Share event details only with vetted, confirmed attendees (after vetting registrants)
  • Implement on-site access control: locked doors, staffed entrances, and ID checks where appropriate; evaluate whether to include bag check
  • Limit access to confirmed, pre-screened guests, staff and vendors
  • Utilize trained volunteers or security personnel to assist with guest verification and perimeter awareness
  • When possible, utilize different locations or doors for different purposes, such as ingress and egress
  • Implement secondary security checks, wristbands, pins, stickers, or stamps known only to security, staff, and law enforcement

Harden Your Perimeter

  • Conduct pre-event security sweep of buildings and surrounding areas
  • Review exterior camera coverage, door locks, and lighting
  • Consider additional physical security measures like bollards or parked vehicles to prevent vehicle-based attacks
  • Position security personnel (volunteer or professional) visibly at entrances and throughout the site; when feasible, consider armed law enforcement or trained security personnel on-site
  • Post event security at perimeter as guests leave an event; the ability for bad actors to infiltrate the crowd increases and the ability to recognize a threat through the crowd decreases

Coordinate an event and security Operations and Emergency Plan

  • Designate a security coordinator or planning committee for the event
  • Draft and communicate post orders to staff and volunteers — including instructions for active threats
  • Develop an event timeline; share with “need to know” individuals
  • Know the exits and where they lead at the facility
  • Review and practice lockdown and evacuation procedures
  • Identify secure areas in case of shelter-in-place situation
  • Know where the AED and Stop the Bleed kits are located
  • Plan for medical emergencies and account for individuals with mobility limitations
  • Designate multiple people to call 911 if there’s an incident


Technology and Communication Preparedness

  • Ensure staff, volunteers, and security personnel have radios or phones for instant communication
  • Protect Zoom or livestream feeds with passwords and avoid sharing links publicly


Be Proactive in Threat Detection

  • Review surveillance footage regularly (for example, during event, before event to establish a baseline)
  • Remain alert to suspicious persons, vehicles, or behavior
  • Understand, in advance, what constitutes suspicious behavior (outside the norms for a given situation or location)
  • Report any concerning activity immediately to local law enforcement — and to Heart of NJ Federation’s Security Initiatives once it is safe to do so

 

NOTE: If it feels off – it probably is.

Engage Community Partners

  • Notify local community patrol organizations or volunteers (e.g., CSS) of upcoming events
  • Extend awareness to neighboring institutions and coordinate plans if appropriate


Assessing Risk

  • Every event has risk
  • Assess risk and manage it as much as possible
  • Does your event involve:
  • Controversial topic, political figures
  • Pro-Israel or Israeli government
  • Israel real estate
  • Israel Bonds, IDF, ZAKA, JNF, Hadassah
  • LGBT, Pride Shabbat
  • HIAS, Refugee Shabbat
  • Religious service or observance


Common Mistakes that Increase Your Risk

·Waiting for the last minute

  • Equating guards with security
  • Assuming someone else is taking care of it
  • Not notifying law enforcement or agency of the event type, programing, promotion, estimated attendees
  • Not budgeting for security
  • Underestimating need for security planning

Jewish Federation in the Heart of NJ Security Initiatives is Here to Help.

Contact us at 732-588-1817; amyk@jewishheartnj.org

 

 

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