Video Surveillance and Protecting Big Public Events: A Talk with a Former Secret Service Official

  On Thursday, April 18, the FBI released surveillance photos and video, showing two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing.  The photos are an example of the technical advances in finding people who attack public events.  But the bombings themselves again brought the nation’s attention to the difficulties authorities face when they try to protect wide-open public events, like races and festivals.  Atlanta has the Peachtree Road Race coming up on July 4.  But even before that, this weekend will see a couple of popular festivals:  the Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park and the Sweetwater Festival in Candler Park.  City officials have promised tighter security for both.

Dave Wilkinson is president of the Atlanta Police Foundation.  Before that, he was Special Agent in Charge of the Georgia Region of the U.S. Secret Service.  He spoke with WABE’s Denis O’Hayer about the challenges of protecting open public events, and about the new technology that authorities–including those in the Boston investigation–are now using.