The 2024 Presidential Campaign is quickly nearing its conclusion. Voters in the United States will go to the polls on Tuesday, November 5. In addition to the presidential contest, voters will choose candidates for a dizzying number of local, state, and federal offices, as well as many local ballot questions and state referenda.
As in the last several presidential election cycles, political passions are running high with polls showing the electorate sharply divided between parties and candidates. Adding to this year’s escalating tensions are economic stresses and international crises, including high prices for food and other goods, an uncertain job market, soaring home costs, the bloody war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and recent assassination attempts on one presidential candidate.
The Gaza conflict in particular has become a rallying point for many in the U.S. The war has raged for almost a year following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in more than one thousand civilian deaths and the capture of hundreds of Israelis, many of whom remain in captivity. Israel’s ongoing military response to the attack has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths in Gaza, many of them civilians.
In the U.S. there have been hundreds of protests and counter protests by support groups of both Israel and Palestine, including highly confrontational demonstrations at major universities, including Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and Cornell, among others. These impassioned protests have led to violent encounters, reports of vandalism, police intervention to clear protest camps, and a growing number of lawsuits.
More evidence of the volatile political climate in the U.S. came in August when a would-be assassin shot and wounded Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. A month later, Secret Service agents discovered a man with a rifle hiding in shrubbery at the edge of the Trump International Golf Club in Florida as the candidate was playing golf. Other candidates across the political spectrum have reported a rise in violent threats aimed at themselves.
The combination of political division, national political candidates trading highly charged insults, and the current international situation will likely exacerbate public tensions as we approach Election Day. A poll of almost 4,000 American adults by Reuter/Ipsos in May of this year found that two-thirds were concerned that political violence could erupt in the election’s wake.
In fact, since 2021, Reuters has tracked 300 incidents of political violence in the U.S., including 51 incidents in 2024. This
marks the largest increase in political violence in the U.S. since the 1970s, according to experts. A Scripps News poll, conducted in October, found that 62% of Americans expected political violence after Election Day. Shockingly, 8% of respondents to the polls indicated that they “would prefer their candidate to win by any means necessary, even if it involves violence.”
Given the escalating tensions, how can security managers and property/business owners ensure that the locations, staff, clients, and reputation remain secure during this period of potential civil disorder?
Points of Concern
In the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, there were several days of protests in major cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, Denver, Portland (Oregon), New York City, Philadelphia, Louisville (Kentucky), Minneapolis, and Madison (Ohio). These protests, while mostly peaceful, resulted in heated clashes with police, scores of arrests, and reported vandalism to property across the country. Political protests also followed the 2020 election, culminating in the storming of the U.S. Capitol Building by protesters in January 2021.
Protests and other forms of civil unrest pose several potential threats for security managers to consider:
- Vandalism: Businesses with offices, stores, warehouses, studios, or research laboratories could see these facilities damaged when protests turn violent. Some organizations especially those that are seen as friendly to one side of the political divide or that have ties to Israel – may have their facilities deliberately targeted by political extremists.
- Looting: When protests become violent, looting often follows. Once windows are smashed or doors forced open, property is vulnerable to theft. Looting often follows violent protests and unrest. Stores are especially vulnerable since high-value items are prominently displayed, but offices and other facilities
- Injuries: Beyond the fear of physical damage to private property, there is the real possibility of people being injured during such incidents. The events, and the resulting media coverage, can cause additional damage to the reputation of organizations that own or operate the affected properties. That damage can include reduced traffic or lost sales as well as lawsuits arising from injuries sustained during the violence.
- Targeting High-Profile Individuals: Aside from damage to physical property, there is concern that prominent executives or high-profile spokespeople could be targeted by activists at their organizations’ locations, while out in public, or at their own private residences. Incidents in which organizational leaders are accosted in such incidents may result in injuries and can also result in press coverage that is potentially damaging to an organization’s reputation.
- Slow Police Response Times: During large-scale protests or civil unrest, law enforcement resources may be stretched to the limit. There are only so many police officers available, even in the largest cities. Those officers will be busy trying to restore order or contain any conflict in the event of major unrest or civil disturbance. That means they may not be able to respond quickly – or at all – to reports of vandalism, theft, or break-ins. Organizations cannot count on the police to protect their property in the event protests escalate to violence.
Securing your organization’s facilities and people against these possibilities involves consulting
with an experienced security services provider. One that knows the area surrounding your
facilities; has the required personnel and resources; and whose leadership has the expertise to
deliver the right services to ensure that your facilities, people, and reputation are fully protected.
Protection Options
Given the array of potential threats arising from election-related violence, how can organizations respond in a way that mitigates the possibility of negative events?
- Visible Security Presence: The simplest way to protect your facilities and the people and property inside them from potential vandalism, trespassing, theft, and violent encounters is to deploy uniformed security officers. A robust number of security personnel will enhance the overall feeling of security and protection for those inside your facility and can respond to changing conditions outside of it rapidly. These security professionals can control access to your facilities – shutting the doors, if necessary – and ensuring that only authorized individuals get inside. The sight of security officers, especially uniformed officers, often acts as a deterrent since vandals will often seek the easiest opportunities and prefer to inflict damage without being directly observed.
- Electronic Security: Surveillance cameras and alarms for doors and windows may also provide critical security. Some bad actors will be deterred by the presence of cameras – fearing potential prosecution – and the sound of alarms, which may draw the attention of law enforcement. Cameras also allow for remote monitoring, meaning that when the instant vandalism, theft, or trespassing begins, the security personnel assigned to monitor the cameras can notify law enforcement or dispatch physical security personnel to the location to mitigate damage.
- Executive Protection: Many security services providers also offer specialized security protection for high-value individuals, a service that is commonly retained by CEOs and senior executives of major corporations as well as celebrities. Organizations that may be targeted by political protests can retain executive protection for their senior staff or spokespeople. This protection, usually performed by armed former law enforcement officers, can be extended from the workplace to their homes, or during travel, if needed.
- Security Coverage Consulting: Organizations that anticipate significant political protests where their facilities are located or that are concerned about their security coverage given the potential of civil unrest tied to the election, can seek out the advice of dedicated security experts. Most security services providers also offer consulting services that will inspect your facilities, identify vulnerabilities, and provide guidance on how to best protect your locations, people, and assets. Many security services providers have strong ties to local law enforcement agencies and receive intelligence on potential protests and criminal activity. This information can be applied to developing a customized security plan that will offer the best protection and deterrence during times of unrest.
- Be Proactive: Whether you choose to hire security officers, install cameras or alarms, retain protection teams for your executives, or consult with a security provider to analyze the threats and vulnerabilities your organization faces, do not wait. Developing security programs, recruiting personnel, and installing equipment takes time and once events spiral out of control, it may be too late. The sooner you start working with a security services provider to determine your organization’s needs, the sooner resources can be deployed, and the more secure your organization will be in the event unrest occurs.
Conclusions
Unfortunately, the likelihood of political disorder and civil unrest remains high in this election year. While we can hope that political leaders will do their best to defuse conflict and that police will be able to contain any outbreaks of violence, organizations need to take the threat to their staff, executives, assets, and locations very seriously.
Security services providers offer a wide range of services that can be employed to counter the threats posed by political discord. Taking advantage of the resources they offer, and developing security plans ahead of events, can help your organization avoid or mitigate the cost of damage resulting from violent incidents, vandalism, and theft.
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security offers a wide range of tips and strategies for protecting people and facilities from violence.
We encourage all organizations to explore the available options for physical security before, during, and after the upcoming election.
