Security begins to tighten for Albright's visit

University Police are beefing up security for former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's visit tonight in the hopes that the event will run smoothly, without any security threats. Albright, who was chosen as Connaissance's annual spring speaker this year, is scheduled to appear in Irvine Auditorium tonight at 8 p.m. Penn Police will be handling security for the event almost exclusively. "We have a dignitary protection detail of detectives and an emergency response team that are going to be handling the event," Interim Chief of Police Michael Fink said. However, Fink declined to disclose further details about the University Police presence at the event for fear of jeopardizing security. Penn Police have handled security for other high-profile speakers who have come to campus, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who came to Penn in October of 1999. For Netanyahu's visit, University Police collaborated with members of the Philadelphia Police Department's Dignitary Protection Unit as well as the U.S. State Department, the federal Diplomatic Security Service and the Israeli Secret Service. But according to Connaissance Co-Director Nishchay Maskay, security for Albright will be "reasonably light compared to Netanyahu." For example, the metal detector screenings and bag checks that were mandatory when Netanyahu visited will not be in place for Albright. "It's pretty low-key," Maskay said. "It will be primarily Penn Police handling the security and it won't be quite as restrictive as it was for Netanyahu." "She is a former high-profile person," Det. Supervisor Frank DeMeo said. "But now she's just Ms. Albright." "Neither PPD or the State Department will be involved this time, and that was the call of the State Department," Maskay said. The layout of Irvine Auditorium was also a concern when Netanyahu spoke, since the building's design posed unusual security challenges. But DeMeo said that there is no such concern with Irvine's design this time. "We had a concern about [Irvine], but it has been well taken care of," DeMeo said. "We're not aware of any problems now, and we don't anticipate any big security threats." Maskay agreed. "Everyone is very used to doing events like this at Irvine," he said. "Last year [when Netanyahu came] Irvine had just reopened. But now everyone is very comfortable with the auditorium."

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