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A lockdown is an emergency protocol to prevent people or information escaping, which usually can only be ordered by someone in command. They are also used to protect people inside a facility from a dangerous external event: schools practice lockdown drills in the wake of the Columbine High School shootings in which students with guns entered the school; or from an internal event: prison facilities also practice lockdown procedure on their inmates when faced with rioting or unrest. It is a common anti-terrorism measure in the wake of an atrocity and a popular plot-device in fiction.

The term 'lockdown' can be defined as an emergency course of action taken by an agent of authority, such as police or prison personnel, to contain a problem or incident within the area of its origin by controlling the movement of people.

Confining prisoners to their cells to prevent a riot from spreading to other parts of a prison is a good example of a 'lockdown'.

Contents 1 Example: Sydney, Australia 2 Examples in fact 3 Fictional lockdowns 4 See also

In December 2005 the New South Wales Police Service initiated a 'lockdown' of the Sutherland Shire and other beach areas of New South Wales to contain race rioting (and retaliative strikes).

The New South Wales Labor government, in an emergency sitting of parliament, passed an array of amendments to legislation giving the New South Wales Police Service additional powers to 'lockdown' targeted areas and roads within New South Wales. The legislation introduced to deal with the Cronulla riots was the Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (Public Safety) Act 2005 (NSW).

The Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (Public Safety) Act 2005 (NSW) amended four separate pieces of legislation:

• Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (NSW)
• Crimes Act 1900 (NSW)
• Bail Act 1978 (NSW)
• Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW).

Under their new powers, the New South Wales Police Service 'locked down' targeted areas and roads at Cronulla, Bondi, Coogee, Maroubra and Brighton-le-Sands to prevent persons of middle eastern appearance from committing reprisal attacks and prevent white supremacist agitators from further violence.

When you initate a digital lockdown, you prevent all outward flow of information on your computer, inculding internet acess, and internal applications. It is used to prevent the spread of viral infections, and gliches in the computer, or to keep a computer hijacker from stealing information.

• In the wake of the September 11th attacks a three day lockdown of American airspace was initiated to prevent any remaining perpatrators escaping.
• Similarly in the case of the 7th July Bombings where London was locked down. In this case it was also a precaution to cut-off any further attacks.

Lockdowns are often used as a dramatic plot-device, which may explain the popularity of the term. Below are some famous examples:

• CTU is locked down in 24 (seasons 1 and 5).
• In the Doctor Who episode Aliens of London, the British Government initiates a lockdown around Albion Hospital, where the comatose alien is being held, until exobiologists can examine it.
• In Lost episode "Lockdown", the hatch's blast doors lockdown the building for unknown reasons.
• In Men in Black 2 the base initiates a 'code 101' lockdown which seals off the building. The heroes escape by being 'flushed'.
• In Prison Break, the prison was placed in lockdown twice - in episodes "Allen" and "Riots, Drills and the Devil".
• In the Stargate SG-1 episode "Lockdown," Stargate Command is put on lockdown due to the infiltration of Anubis' essence.
• In the Star Trek fictional universe starships can be locked down in order to prevent hijackings, notably the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Rascals".
• In a Scrubs episode the ICU goes in to lock down when JD says that a patient might have SARS
• The Grid at Thames House was locked down in two episodes of Spooks. The first was a training exercise, the second when the building was infiltrated by a rogue ex-spy.

• Curfew
• Terrorism
• Last Resort
• Martial Law