Specialized security at the Super Bowl

Jan 30, 2007 3:36 PM

           

A task force of 50 local, state and federal agencies has spent the better part of a year getting ready for the week of the Super Bowl in Miami, leading up to Sunday's game. They have been planning for 8 months -- trying to walk a tightrope between keeping the fans safe, and trying not to spoil the party.

More than 70,000 people are expected to attend the Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium, and thousands more will visit Miami to take part in pre-game festivities.

Because of the high-profile nature of the Super Bowl, police and security agencies in the host cities typically employ the latest technology to ensure the security and safety of those attending the event. Moreover, because of the demands that these large-scale events place on personnel, police agencies need specialized equipment and tools to make each of their officers more productive and efficient.

Segway Inc. has announced that the Miami-Dade Police Department will be using its Personal Transporters (PTs) to aid in the security effort. The department will use them to patrol the walkways, parking lots and exhibition areas around Dolphin Stadium. In addition, the City of Miami Police Department recently purchased six Segway PTs that it will use to patrol NFL-sponsored events throughout the city.

There will be a 30-mile no-fly zone around Dolphin Stadium, and an army of security guards. The NFL alone spent $6 million on private security. Even the waterways near Super Bowl sites are severely restricted.

"We consider our events, particularly Super Bowl, so attractive, so high profile that they would just be an attractive target for terrorists," vice president of NFL Security Milt Ahlerich says.

"There's not been a single threat nor has there been an indicator that we're going to encounter that kind of a situational problem," Director Robert Parker of the Miami Dade Police said at a news conference Monday.

There will also be unseen high-tech surveillance: The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms national response team is in Miami with the latest bomb detection and detonation devices available, and long distance x-rays and bomb disposal units are ready if needed.

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