A new layer of security added for Clemson games

Students in Clemson’s communication department this football season will use the university’s Social Media Listening Center to provide a first-time service for the game day security team. Assistant professor Andrew Pyle has been named the university’s first Division of Public Safety Faculty Fellow and he will head the social media monitoring efforts before, during and after all 2019 home football games. The listening center’s software allows it to monitor and measure social media conversations using some of the most powerful social analytics software available. In the case of game day monitoring, Pyle said his team will build “profiles” to look out for both unexpected, spontaneous threats and issues that the game day security team has flagged as potential issues. The need for this type of monitoring, it’s believed, has never been more apparent. A recent report from the U.S. Secret Service, which found that 79 percent of those who perpetrated mass attacks in 2017 did so after engaging in threatening or concerning communications, much of which occurred over social media. He said it is now incumbent upon law enforcement to monitor these types of communications leading up to large events. CUPD and Clemson Athletics have instituted comprehensive measures to help ensure the safety of everyone at Memorial Stadium for the in 2019 games. Walk-through metal detectors will be present at all entrances in addition to the clear bag policy instituted in 2016. As a result, Clemson is asking fans to plan ahead and allow extra time to enter the stadium and listen to security personnel at the gates for instructions.