Coordinated effort will manage expected crowds
By SUSAN LEATHERS
Brentwood Home Page
Franklin Police Sgt. Charlie Warner has one hope for tonight’s appearance by Taylor Swift at Belk Cool Springs: That she doesn’t draw the same size crowd that Justin Bieber did several weeks ago in downtown Franklin.

Warner is serving as commander of the security detail for today's event at Belk Cool Springs. He will have personnel on hand as early as 9 a.m. The store is the third of three stops across the nation the young superstar is making to launch her first fragrance, Wonderstruck.

The store quickly sold out of $153 “tickets with gift bag purchases” last Sunday that allow lucky ticketholders to meet Swift and get their picture taken with her. Belk and Elizabeth Arden did not release an exact number of tickets sold. Additional $113 gift packages which allow purchasers to “view” the 21-year-old singer/songwriter were offered later.

Though the meet-and-greet doesn’t officially begin until 5 p.m., Warner said officers will be on hand hours earlier. “We know it will help establish where the line will go. It’s always easier to establish a line than to move one,” he said.

Belk has hired “in excess of 30” Franklin officers to provide security. Those officers are working in conjunction and have coordinated with the CoolSprings Galleria’s own security force as well as Swift’s personal security and Elizabeth Arden officials to ensure everything goes smoothly, Warner said.

“There are two reasons security is so important,” Warner said. First, to protect Swift, of course. But also all of the people in the mall who are coming to see her and also those in the mall to shop. “We need to protect the patrons whether or not they are there to see Taylor.”

The officers and related security will be on site until Swift and the crowd have departed, Warner added.

“I really don’t know what to expect,” he said when asked about the size of the crowd he expects. Because advance tickets were sold, the number of people actually able to meet and/or “view” Swift is limited. But Warner knows from recent experience that that may not be enough to keep Taylor Swift fans away.

When teen-throb Bieber arrived in downtown Franklin recently to shoot a music video, word quickly spread via cell phones, Twitter and Facebook.

Warner said grew exponentially as the late afternoon and evening wore on. “Five, 25, 50, 500, 5000,” he said. “And they knew they were not going to meet him.”

“We had to bring in heavy-duty crowd control barriers purchased with Homeland Security funds,” Warner said. But he called those who flocked to the historic Main Street “a classy group of fanatic Justin Bieber fans” who were very gracious and “extremely cooperative.”