Louisiana National Guard specialist Janyria Cutno mans a post at a security barrier on Bienville Street near Bourbon Street in the French Quarter Monday, Feb. 3, in advance of the upcoming Super Bowl to be played Sunday, Feb. 9, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — After a New Year’s Day terror attack struck New Orleans’ historic French Quarter, city officials say they are confident in the security plans they have in place for Sunday’s Super Bowl.
More than 125,000 visitors — including President Donald Trump — are expected to converge on the Big Easy this week for days of revelry capped off by the clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome to crown this season’s NFL champion.
Following the truck-ramming attack that killed 14 people and injured dozens more along Bourbon Street, one of the city’s most famous thoroughfares, alleged security lapses triggered multiple lawsuits and investigations. But the city, the NFL and law enforcement officials insist that after more than a year of preparations, they are ready to play host.
“We’re going above and beyond what we’ve seen in the past when we’ve hosted previously,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said. “We know we’re safer than we’ve ever been before.”
What will the security presence look like?
Approximately 2,000 law enforcement officers will be present for the Super Bowl, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters Wednesday.
No vehicle traffic will be allowed on the Bourbon Street, and the city will block intersections leading to the most popular areas, Kirkpatrick said.
Security has had to “heighten” with Trump’s visit announced on Tuesday, and the city “will have to shut down some additional streets a little longer in order to provide a safe corridor for him,” Kirkpatrick said.
Drones are prohibited above downtown New Orleans and around the Superdome in the days leading up to the game, and there will be flight restrictions up to 18,000 feet (5,486 meters), according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Armed federal air marshals will be stationed around the city’s transportation hubs, scanning for suspicious people or activities and guarding against drones, said Noel Curtin, supervisory air marshal in charge with the Transportation Security Administration.
Super Bowl events will sprawl across neighborhoods far beyond the stadium, said Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune, who is leading federal coordination of security.
Federal agencies from the FBI to the Secret Service are bringing in rooftop snipers and will position armored SWAT vehicles around the stadium, the French Quarter and downtown, DeLaune said.
No one will be allowed inside a cordoned-off area surrounding the Superdome without credentials, and the city already has begun shutting down and limiting traffic on roads near the stadium. The perimeter will include blast barriers and trucks will be required to pass through giant X-ray machines typically used at border crossings, DeLaune said.
Dozens of technicians and more than 100 bomb-sniffing dogs are conducting a days-long effort to scour the 400,000 square feet (37,161 square meters) of the Superdome and each of its more than 70,000 seats prior to game day, DeLaune said.
“They’re going to go from top to bottom on that building to make sure it’s clear and it’s safe. They open every door, check under every seat,” DeLaune said.
Much of the security infrastructure will carry over to the Mardi Gras season, which has been upgraded to Homeland Security’s highest risk rating to receive more manpower and resources.
How the New Year’s Day attack has changed security plans
Multiple lawsuits have claimed city authorities were aware of Bourbon Street’s vulnerabilities to the kind of truck-ramming attack that the Islamic State group-inspired Shamsud-Din Jabbar carried out. He drove his F-150 around a police car parked as a makeshift barricade and plowed into pedestrians before he crashed and was killed by police.
The bollard system of steel columns installed to block vehicle traffic was being replaced at the entrance to Bourbon Street at the time of the attack. It remains on track for completion before the Super Bowl, officials said.
Authorities say they have brought in more types of physical barriers to protect entry points resulting from concerns that the new bollard system was not strong enough to block vehicle attacks.
The NFL and federal and city agencies “put a fresh set of eyes” on their plans post-Jan. 1, DeLaune said, noting the New Orleans Police Department hired former New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton and his team from high-profile security firm Teneo.
“No specific or credible threats” have surfaced, NFL security chief Cathy Lanier said Wednesday.
In January, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry ordered the removal of multiple homeless encampments near the stadium and moved dozens of unhoused people into a temporary warehouse shelter.
He also announced the creation of an “enhanced security zone” along Bourbon Street to bookend Super Bowl weekend and said he would deploy 350 National Guard members.
After authorities found Jabbar had planted ice chests containing undetonated improvised explosive devices around the French Quarter, Landry declared a ban on coolers and ice chests in these areas and ordered mandatory searches of bags for anyone entering the Bourbon Street zone during Super Bowl weekend.
In accordance with state law, firearms including permitless concealed carry guns will be allowed on Bourbon Street but not inside bars, city and state police say.
“Booze and firearms don’t mix” Kirkpatrick said, adding that officers will monitor for anyone “negligently carrying,” such as having a gun tucked in a waistband instead of a holster.
“People will be extremely unwise to bring a firearm into our hospitality areas,” Kirkpatrick said. “Don’t do it, there’s no need for it folks.”
AI and mobile apps will play a security role
The Superdome’s owner, ASM Global, has contracted New York-based artificial intelligence firm Dataminr to monitor potential and emerging threats in real time.
The company will draw from over 1 million sources of public data across 150 languages, from social media to dark web forums to traffic cameras, Dataminr Chief Security Officer Robert Crowley said.
Dataminr uses generative AI to produce memos alerting Superdome officials of trending patterns, such as an influx of posts showing swelling crowds or public disturbances as they unfold.
“It’s stitching together all these little pieces of the puzzle to get a holistic, comprehensive view of what has just happened,” Crowley said. “The faster you know what is occurring, the quicker you can take better action.”
Visitors also can report suspicious activities and receive security updates with the city’s NOLA Ready Public Safety App.