The Emmy Awards bring together the best and brightest in television each year, and as such, it’s always a tightly secured event. This year will be no exception.
The security measures for Sunday’s awards ceremony, which will be held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in the heart of downtown, was reviewed with close eyes this week in light of Wednesday’s fatal shooting of political commentator Charlie Kirk in Utah.
With any large event, law enforcement officials and organizers take caution with security measures, but the recent spate recent of political violence targeting elected officials and those in the public eye have brought increased attention to how these large and highly publicized events are secured.
Though LAPD did not offer specifics about the security measures it was taking, an official for the department said they are ready for the event. “For security reasons, the Department does not discuss protective measures for special events or any public gatherings. What I can assure you is that we are appropriately staffed and fully prepared,” said Jennifer Forkish, LAPD communications director.
For several years, the LAPD has had a SWAT team at the scene, and numerous Metro officers and counter snipers have been visibly stationed on rooftops. Law enforcement officials also design a vehicle approach with barriers that prevents car bombings and vehicle attacks.
Since the attacks on 9/11, the 24th anniversary of which were recognized this week, the department has applied an extensive layer of security to the biggest awards ceremonies with large red carpets. The Peacock Theater also has security personnel who use metal-detector screening, visual inspection and bag inspection to keep guests safe.
The Television Academy revisited its security system for the weekend in light of Kirk’s shooting death at a speaking event on a college campus.
“We’re absolutely relooking at all of our security plans, but we always have a very robust security plan in place,” Television Academy president and chief executive Maury McIntyre told Variety on Thursday. “I know that basically once things happened yesterday, our security personnel all gathered together to just recheck things like that. Sitting with the LA Police Department, sitting with our department of transportation, just to make sure that we felt buttoned up. We are confident in the plans we’ve got in place.”
Stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze is hosting the 77th Emmy Awards, which begin at 5 p.m. PDT Sunday and will be broadcast live on CBS and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.