Video: What is a Soft Target?

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) –  Sporting events, festivals, and malls.

These events and places are what law enforcement consider to be soft targets.

Thousands fill this stadium during football games, tripling the number of people on campus during the week.

The more people, the harder it is to secure an entire area, causing it to be an easy target for people wanting to cause harm to others.

A soft target can be both people and places.

“It’s usually a venue that is looked at as a soft target, you know, the White House is obviously not a soft target. It’s very much you know, harden with very good fences and things such as that,” says Mississippi State University Police Chief Vance Rice.

Large crowds plus light security measures create a soft target.

“Anyone out and about in public can be considered a soft target, whether they’re an athlete, a politician, you know, anyone that someone would want to target when they’re out an about,” says Rice.

Oktibbeha County Sheriff Steve Gladney has years of experience in making sure people stay safe in public places.

During his time as a state trooper, Gladney guarded everyone from presidents, to governors, to former MSU football coach, Sylvester Croom.

“Wherever the governor was suppose to be at, we were there early. We were, you know, paying attention to surroundings and that type of thing, but it was the same way with football, you know, we made sure that we, depending on where we were at, we made sure that we got the coach off the field and on the field without anybody trying to harm him.”

Protecting coaches and the crowds that come see them, now falls on MSU Police Chief Vance Rice’s shoulders.

Rice says there’s strength in numbers when it comes to stadium security.

“We bring in 60 to 80 additional officers on game weekends, as well as, we have our K9s, but plus, we often bring in additional K9s.”

Both add that people have to understand there is no such thing as the perfect plan.

“Law enforcement can’t be everywhere, you know, we don’t have enough manpower to be everywhere, but we do try to have as much law enforcement presence around these places that we possibly can,” says Gladney.

Gladney says if you see something, say something.

Staying alert and aware of your surroundings can keep things much safer.