We trace the journey of John Leas from a San Diego Police Lieutenant to MLB security director and unpack the real work behind safe, seamless large-scale events. We share hard lessons on budgets, training, terrorism risks, and how to build teams that protect people without breaking the fan experience.
• early path from explorer and cadet to SDPD lieutenant
• discovery of special events operations and motors
• coordination of parades, runs, conventions, and VIP movements
• transition to Padres security and stakeholder alignment
• private venue policies versus public law enforcement norms
• technology upgrades, metal detection, cameras, and fencing
• staffing models, overtime realities, and 24/7 site security
• managing budget cuts and making risk-based tradeoffs
• terrorism threats, fusion center intel, and soft target defenses
• training pipelines and how to break into event security
• mentoring, talent spotting, and building high-reliability teams
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