How law enforcement agencies are keeping New Orleans safe ahead of the Super Bowl

Around the corner on almost every major street in New Orleans, are barricades and law enforcement as agencies are working around the clock to make sure the city is secure ahead of the Super Bowl.

Rusty Payne, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, describes what his agency is doing to keep both the stadium as well as the people in New Orleans as safe a possible.

“We’re secure from the air, on land, and on sea. We’ve got our air operations that patrol the air above the stadium and around the city. We also have marine vessels that patrol the waterways and make sure things and people aren’t coming in that shouldn’t be and that criminal activity and unsafe activity are detected. Of course we have crowd control. We have special  machines, that all cargo that enters the stadium, we inspect that cargo with non-intrusive machines before it even enters the stadium.”

But security for the city is more than just one organization, it’s a collaboration between state and federal agencies, and with President Trump announcing he’ll be at the big game, working together is as critical as ever.

“There are law enforcement entities everywhere, we are coordinated, we are united. There is a resolve to keep this city safe. There’s a united force right now. New Orleans PD is on the ground right now, entities from Homeland Security, County, State, as well as other federal law enforcement, FBI. Everybody brings a different skill set to the table.”

The scars from the deadly New Year’s Day terror attack are still very fresh in the city, but Rusty Payne assures the people of South Mississippi, New Orleans is as safe ever.

“You’re not going to go very far in this city without running into somebody involved with law enforcement. You’re going to be safe, we’re going to have a good time this week and things are running really smooth. There are no known credible threats right now to the Super Bowl or the city and we’re constantly re-evaluating those threats. Right now I think we’re doing very well, people are having a good time and we’re safe.”