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NFL To Super Bowl Attendees: Don't Bring Fireworks, Frisbees Or Missiles To The Super Bowl
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 29, 2014
Modified Jan 29, 2014
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 29, 2014
Modified Jan 29, 2014
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As Times Square is under a weeklong lockdown for Super Bowl Boulevard, there's also a lot of security for the actual Super Bowl. Today the NFL gathered federal, NJ state and NYC law enforcement to reassure everyone that they've got things covered—and that all the different agencies have been working well with each other. NYPD Commissioner William Bratton even suggested to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson that he check out the toboggan run.
NFL Chief Security Officer Jeffrey Miller emphasized that the league's usual, heightened security rules about no bags (you can use clear bags, especially official NFL ones). Plus, these things are not allowed:
- Alcohol
- Animals (except assistive animals)
- Banner (object that obstructs the view of another)
- Beach Balls
- Beverage
- Camcorders
- Any containers such as: aerosol cans, coolers of any size, bottles
- Food
- Footballs
- Fireworks
- Frisbees
- Laser Lights and Pointers
- Mace / Pepper Spray
- Noisemakers and Horns
- Poles, Sticks, Missile-like objects of any kind
- Strollers
- Tripods
- Umbrellas (sorry)
- Weapons, Knives and Explosives
And while small cameras are fine, no spectator cameras with lenses more than six inches long will be allowed. At the MetLife Stadium, fans will go through metal detectors and be subject to a pat down search, plus will have to unzip their outerwear. Miller estimated that it would take attendees about 15 minutes to go through and that they wanted to keep folks moving, versus waiting.
As for terrorist threats, officials say they don't know of any specific threats. NJ State Police Superintendent Colonel Rick Fuentes said, "We've had meetings over the last couple of weeks. Of particular concern to us was what was going on overseas in Volgograd (Russia) related to the Sochi Olympics."
Fuentes also noted that the state police have been in charge of protecting football games for 38 years, plus the 1994 World Cup and 1995 papal visits, and with three years of planning for the Super Bowl, security will be to the 10th power. Not only will there be hundreds of state troopers at MetLife Stadium, there will be many at rail platforms and bus stations as this is a "mass transit" Super Bowl, with about 30,000 of 80,000 spectators coming via train, bus or light rail.
Police Commissioner Bratton at the security briefing (Getty Images)
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos said, "New York is the #1 [terrorism] target," so law enforcements needs "the public every day...if you see something, say something," and it's a real help. Bratton said while there were no specific threats, "We have run a number of table top exercises that take into account any type of scenario that could unfold, a lone wolf type of situation up to and including nuclear radiation issues," adding, "One of the benefits of hosting this event here in this region is… the NYPD and its colleagues in the area have some of the most extensive counter terrorism capabilities. … not only detection but response."
"We have worked tirelessly to create a seamless, security conscious event," Bratton said, explaining there are uniformed and plainclothes police officers alike present for NYC's share of festivities. No matter which team wins, he proclaimed, "Everybody will be a winner because we will have had an extraordinary event."
As for an encore of last Super Bowl's blackout, Miller said, "This year we're going to try to go blackout free and go through the whole thing. So we've done a lot with power redundancy (backup). In planning for this event, New Jersey authorities have done an excellent job there."
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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