On the 20th of January 2009, America will come to a stand still as Barack Obama’s inauguration as the next President of the United States takes place. One thing is for sure, it will be a security nightmare to manage. Normally, an inauguration of a new president is considered a National Special Security Event, which means the Secret Service is in charge of the countries security for that day. However, given the circumstances, as America makes history by electing its first black president, the country will be under the control of the Secret Service for 4 days.

Record crowds are set to flock into Washington D.C, an estimated 2 million people are expected. Concerns over the size of the crowds have raised public safety concerns. The Police will have over 8,000 officers in and around the City on the day of inauguration. Thousands of CCTV Systems will be fed live into a multi-agency command center.

Unprecedented security has also seen the Department of Homeland Security elevate the risk of a threat to the Nation to yellow on its colour-coded scale. With Obama about to inherit Bush’s legacy it’s not going to be an easy ride for him. Tuesday, the 20th of January, 2009, is going to be a day we will never forget.