Avid Philadelphia Eagles fan Eric Kready, CPP, recently met with James DeMeo, best-selling author, internationally recognized sports security expert, and diehard New York Jets fan, for an eye-opening discussion about today’s threats and what’s going on behind the scenes in preparation for one of the biggest events of the year. This weekend, the NFL will host Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Super Bowl regularly sees 70,000 fans in attendance, and as many as 125,000 people are expected to converge in New Orleans to attend the game and pre- and post-event celebrations. Here’s a snapshot of Kready and DeMeo’s discussion…
Kready: James, we’ve known one another for a long time and we’ve both battled over the years supporting our teams. But today I want to focus on a truly professional conversation, that being the upcoming epic event of the year – the Super Bowl. I first want to thank you for your decades of service in law enforcement. I know that experience was fundamental in you becoming an internationally recognized expert in sports security, and the reason you were the first person I thought of when asked to conduct this interview. So, let’s get right into it.
We can’t build an impenetrable bubble around everything, but at the start of the year, an Islamic State-group inspired attacker was able to drive a vehicle into a densely populated area of New Orleans. Without compromising Operational Security (OPSEC), what threats prevail on the ground and in the air surrounding the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA? And a follow-on question is… what overt, proactive measures are being taken to mitigate any calculated threats?
DeMeo: “In this age of global disruption and in particular with the most recent vehicle ramming attack in the French Quarter on New Year’s Day, the importance of properly safeguarding exterior perimeters/entertainment zones, often considered soft targets outside perimeters for the Superdome in New Orleans, is paramount. These densely populated spaces tend to attract nefarious bad actors for terrorist strikes. Additionally, as the global threat continuum evolves, significant safety, security, and cyber challenges exist for sport venue risk managers safeguarding international mega events such as the Super Bowl. These are the primary areas of concern:
- Crowd management, crowd control, crowd surges, stampedes
- Vehicle incursions, vehicles used as weapons, vehicle ramming attacks
- Cybersecurity, facilities/IT critical infrastructure
- Errant/rogue drones dispersing chemical, biological, radiological agents near the venue
- Terrorism-domestic, lone wolf, insider threats
- Geopolitical divisiveness, protests, civil unrest
- Supply chain constraints, food tampering/contamination
Kready: Wow! That’s a lot to digest… Thanks! I want to shift gears for a minute and talk about a different topic. Social media is not only a prolific means of communication, but also an invaluable source of intelligence. How do you expect law enforcement and event security professionals to utilize social media as a force multiplier?
DeMeo: Without question, law enforcement, working in unison with key government stakeholders, will be responsible for monitoring social media platforms before, during, and after the event. All potential threats will be vetted with the mindset that everything is the real thing until proven otherwise. The importance of information sharing, threat and behavioral analysis, and intelligence gathering cannot be underscored. Proactive risk mitigation initiatives are pivotal to ensuring a safe and secure fan experience at the big game.
Kready: We recently saw the coverage of the unfortunate incident in Philadelphia, PA involving the young fan who fell from a street pole during the celebration of the Eagles’ NFC Championship victory. This was an ‘after party’ event, but what types of innovative technologies and solutions are being integrated into the security posture to safeguard mega events such as the Super Bowl?
DeMeo: The integration of physical security with advanced technology integration (convergence) will be key to safeguarding the event. Technologies such as biometrics, fast pass lanes, critical infrastructure/IT protection, data protection, access control systems, CCTV, geofencing, social media monitoring, drones for reconnaissance and crowd monitoring and license plate recognition (LPR) will be utilized to ensure a safe and secure environment. Fans can do their part by being situationally aware of what is happening around them at all times and by following DHS’s mantra of “see something, say something.” Fans can use their smart phones to send an anonymous text to venue security if they see a fan brawl and/or unsafe action occurring during the event. An educated fan is a safe fan: attendees should ensure their safety by reviewing the venue’s code of conduct prior to arriving. Super Bowl security will implement a clear bag policy during the ingress screening stage as fans enter the venue.
Kready: James, I want to thank you for your time today. With your work in higher education, you are a security leader that is passionate about educating future leaders that will safeguard global mega events such as the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and iconic concert events. I truly appreciate you breaking away for a few minutes to discuss what’s going on as we prepare for – in my eyes – the greatest show on earth! Go Birds!!
Mr. Kready (left) currently serves as Director, ASIS International Professional Certification Board.
Mr. DeMeo (right) is the CEO of Unified Sports and Entertainment Security Consulting, LLC. (USESC) and serves as Distinguished Adjunct Faculty at Tulane University-School of Professional Advancement-SoPA.
