Security News > 2021 > January > On US Capitol Security — By Someone Who Manages Arena-Rock-Concert Security
I was floored on Wednesday when, glued to my television, I saw police in some areas of the U.S. Capitol using little more than those same mobile gates I had the ones that look like bike racks that can hook together to try to keep the crowds away from sensitive areas and, later, push back people intent on accessing the grounds.
That's the same equipment and approximately the same amount of force I was able to use when a group of fans got a little feisty and tried to get backstage at a Vanilla Ice show.
There's not ever going to be enough police or security at any event to stop people if they all act in unison; if enough people want to get to Vanilla Ice at the same time, they're going to get to Vanilla Ice.
Social constructs and basic decency, not lightweight security gates, are what hold everyone except the outliers back in a typical crowd.
Citizens tend to hold each other to certain standards which is why my 40,000-person town does not have 40,000 police officers, and why the 8.3 million people of New York City aren't policed by 8.3 million police officers.
There aren't enough police in your town to handle it if everyone starts acting up at the same time.