Sen. Clinton Visits California State University, Northridge

Published: March 16, 2008

By Ashley Willis

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — As part of her campaign, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D – N.Y.) visited the 356-acre campus of California State University, Northridge (CSUN) on Jan. 17.

The CSUN University Police Division (UPD), headed by Chief of Police Anne Glavin, gathered building plans, intelligence and reviewed crowd management issues to share with the Secret Service. Glavin and her team researched Clinton’s history of visiting certain venues to establish if there had been any incidents. The research reflected that there were no grave concerns, so the UPD looked at local factors in the area, such as protestors, to make sure potential problems could not escalate.

Senator Requests an Intimate Setting
Glavin and her team were not given much time to prepare for Clinton’s arrival. Because the senator’s appearance occurred during the winter break, only 10 of Glavin’s 27 officers were available. She then enlisted help from 10 California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers to assist.

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The location of the event continually changed. Initially, the event was to be held at the Matadome, the university’s gymnasium that seats roughly 1,600 people. However, when Clinton decided she wanted a more intimate setting to meet with the people, the venue was changed to the Grand Salon, which has a maximum occupancy of 400 people.

Managing 1,500 Students a Challenge
The UPD knew that crowd control was going to be a problem, especially when it was determined that the senator was going to stand at a microphone and speak to the public, as opposed to the round-table discussion that was originally planned. With space reserved for the media, only 50 members of the general public were going to be able to see Clinton.

The chief says students began lining up to meet Clinton three to four hours prior to the event. “Around 1,500 or so [stood in line]. I’m not even sure of the exact amount because we couldn’t see it from where we were,” she says. Having that many people in line, Glavin knew there was the potential for numerous complaints, particularly, when those in line discovered there were two entrances — one for the invited guests and the other for the general public.

The invited guests line was continually moving, while the general public remained inactive. Those standing in the general public line soon realized that their chances of meeting the senator were dwindling as more guests entered the venue. Glavin told the officers guarding the entrances to run both lines at the same time to avoid a conflict and set up a crowd control barrier for each line. “They started to funnel people from both gates, and that helped immensely,” she says.

Campaign managers were asked to inform the public that there was little possibility to see the senator. Taking her advice, the campaign managers passed out t-shirts and buttons to appease the crowd, which Glavin says worked quite well.

The media also had a separate entrance to accommodate equipment. The UPD used their canine bomb detection dog to check bags for any explosives. Each person was then either scanned using a hand-held wand or walking through the magnetometer.

Glavin advises other campus safety officials to be well prepared when a high-profile guest attends the campus. “Know the history behind the person visiting. What kind of crowds does he/she garner?” she says. Additionally, campuses should provide the Secret Service with building plans so that the person they are protecting is their main focus.

Ashley Willis is assistant editor for Campus Safety Magazine. She can be reached at (310) 533-2486.

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