By Max A. Cherney
SANTA CLARA, California Feb 6 (Reuters) – Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium has brought a phalanx of law enforcement of every stripe to the San Francisco Bay Area, including a fleet of unfamiliar, low-flying aircraft buzzing around the region to help with security.
The unusually large presence of military-style hardware is a part of the region-wide effort to provide security for the more than one million people, including celebrities and other dignitaries, expected to attend the Super Bowl or the glitzy parties ahead of Sunday’s game.
The uncommon aircraft being deployed include a helicopter flown by the Energy Department’s Nuclear Emergency Support Team equipped with radiological detection equipment, whichg was spotted by Reuters making flights at roughly 100 feet (30 meters) over some San Francisco neighborhoods.
In addition to the nuclear detection, the Department of Homeland Security plans to fly transport and surveillance helicopters to provide tactical team support and eyes in the sky as needed.
From an undisclosed Bay Area airfield – Reuters was asked not to publish the location due to security concerns – the Air and Marine Operations unit plans to field Airbus AS350 surveillance helicopters in the days ahead of and during NFL’s championship game.
The smooth-flying Airbus helicopters carry infrared detection equipment and video surveillance. On a practice flight with the two-person air crew, it was possible for Reuters to determine what brand of shoes a worker inside the Super Bowl stadium was wearing as the chopper circled more than 250 feet (76 meters) in the air.
“We’ve been providing intel surveillance, reconnaissance that type of air security around the Super Bowl and its venues,” an Air and Marine Operations agent, whose name Reuters was asked to withhold due to security concerns, said in an interview.
On Sunday, in addition to crowd control, the unit will enforce the no-fly zones around the stadium.
Part of the complexity for the 35 agencies involved in securing the National Football League title game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks is that Levi’s Stadium is in Santa Clara, 50 miles (80.5 km) south of San Francisco, where most of the events leading up to the big game take place.
Levi’s Stadium itself is inland, but because of the potential risk the Bay presents and events being held along the San Francisco waterfront, the U.S. Coast Guard has beefed up its deployment.
The marine unit expects more pleasure boaters around the Bay and potentially two large cruise ships to arrive during the week, which necessitates increased security, Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Eddie Kalankiewicz said in an interview.
“By showing a greater presence, we hope to deter any kind of bad actor,” he said.
(Reporting by Max A. Cherney in San Francisco; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
