New Orleans Heightens Security for Super Bowl After New Year’s Day Attack
The Super Bowl is one of the most well-secured sports events in the world. But after a deadly terrorist attack on New Year’s Day, New Orleans is taking security even more seriously for the big game.
Security plans for the Super Bowl have been in the works for about two years, said National Football League (NFL) CSO Cathy Lanier, but the attack on 1 January led to some changes.
“I think the biggest thing that you’ll see that’s different following the attacks is just a lot more visible law enforcement presence,” Lanier told the Associated Press. “We are still prepared to make new modifications should something change between now and the Super Bowl. That’s kind of our job is to be flexible and make changes, as needed.”
This is the 11th time that New Orleans has hosted the Super Bowl, and the game is expected to bring 125,000 visitors to the city. Festivities extend beyond the football game itself, with parties and concerts throughout the week.
A new French Quarter enhanced security zone around Bourbon Street has been set up for between 5-10 February. Law enforcement will conduct bag checks—especially for bags larger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches, the size of a clutch handbag—at checkpoints in the French Quarter for that five-day period around the 9 February game. Anyone refusing a search will be denied entry to the area.
In response to the 1 January vehicle-borne attack, vehicle traffic will be restricted in the area. Residents and visitors with luggage or traveling in cars will need to show proof of residency or an active hotel reservation to travel through the area.
“Securing an open urban environment is never easy,” says Don Aviv, CPP, PCI, PSP, CEO for investigative and security consulting firm Interfor International.
Interfor’s 2019 report on security in New Orleans was frequently cited as a stark warning about the city’s faulty bollard system around Bourbon Street after the January attack.
“Especially in a place like the French Quarter that relies on tourism and is filled with restaurants, bars, stores, and hotels—not to mention thousands of residents,” Aviv adds. “Enhancing security in such a way is extremely disruptive to the flow of life and tourism. It also requires a tremendous number of police and security personnel, which is very cost prohibitive. The benefits are straightforward—the Quarter will be safer and much more secure. But this cannot and will not last.”
New Orleans security has been adjusted to specifically address some of the methods of the 1 January attacker. For instance, coolers and ice chests will be prohibited in the enhanced security zone, Axios reported. The attacker on 1 January disguised improvised explosive devices in coolers placed near Bourbon Street crowds. Although the devices were not detonated, experts remain concerned about the potential for other bad actors to adopt the tactic.
“Copycat attacks are always the number one fear after any successful terrorist attack,” Aviv tells Security Management. “Bad actors and unwell individuals desire to replicate what they deem to be a successful attack and believe they can simply follow a proven playbook. The potential for such an attempt is high, although the probability of a successful attack is very low due to local awareness and increased security precautions.”
In accordance with Louisiana state law, concealed weapons are still allowed in the zone, but they are prohibited in bars, casinos, government buildings, and venues such as the Caesars Superdome, where the Super Bowl will be played.
A security zone will surround the Superdome for the game. Entry sites to the stadium will be staffed by a mix of private security and law enforcement.
This year’s Super Bowl is rated a level one Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) event by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), meaning that the event has a high enough risk and national importance to require extensive federal interagency support. The support can include filling local capability shortfalls, bringing in explosive detection canine teams, performing cyber risk assessments, supporting venue screening and field intelligence teams, and supporting air security and tactical operations.
Federal agencies are stationing rooftop snipers and armored SWAT vehicles around the stadium and the French Quarter, according to Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune, who is leading federal coordination of Super Bowl security. No one will be allowed inside the cordoned-off perimeter around the Superdome without credentials, he said in a report from LMT Online. In addition, technicians and bomb-sniffing dogs are scouring the 400,000 square feet of the Superdome and each of its 70,000 seats prior to game day.
Technology is playing a significant role in gameday security. The Superdome’s owner, ASM Global, contracted Dataminr to monitor potential and emerging threats in real time, ABC News reported.
New Orleans also launched the NOLA Ready Public Safety App. The mobile application from Motorola is designed to keep people in the area informed and prepared for emergencies, including severe weather. It also enables civilians to report emergencies or suspicious activity quickly.
“We are proud to support the City of New Orleans with purposefully designed technology that enhances emergency preparedness and response,” said Jehan Wickramasuriya, senior vice president of artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligence platforms at Motorola Solutions, in a press release. “The NOLA Ready app gives community members an easy way to alert public safety officials to emergencies or suspicious activity, enabling quicker and more accurate responses for a safer community.”
A U.S. congressional delegation is visiting New Orleans today to review Super Bowl security—an unusual step, Axios reported. The delegation will be led by U.S. Representative Dale Strong (R-Alabama), the chair of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology. Lawmakers will visit the site of the 1 January attack and then tour the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the Caesars Superdome before being briefed by NFL and law enforcement officials.
It is unclear how many of the heightened security measures will remain after the Super Bowl. Some of the NFL security infrastructure, such as barricades in the French Quarter, will stay around for Mardi Gras in a few weeks, officials said.
Counterterrorism and security measures continue to be scrutinized in New Orleans following the attack last month. The New Orleans Police Department hired former New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton and his team from security firm Teneo to review the city’s terrorism prevention plans.
But where the Super Bowl is concerned, security professionals will be watching closely to see how the tightened security measures across the city pan out.
“I am watching how authorities balance security with the needs of the event itself,” Aviv says. “How do they plan for potential attacks while making sure that attendees can make it to and from the Super Bowl and all affiliated events throughout the weekend? If they make it too difficult for people to get around the city, then there will be significant backlash. They need to allow for a proper flow while making sure a terrorist can’t pull off an attack.”
Read more about balancing security with the need to attract guests to events and venues in Security Management’ssoft target security focus.
Dig into the criticism and security challenges around the 1 January Bourbon Street terrorist attack with Security Management’s coverage and additional analysis of security plans and technology.
Learn about the broader challenges of sports security in our June 2024 Security Technology coverage.
