ATLANTA — As the crowds enjoy Super Bowl LIII, an army of law enforcement officials is all around Mercedes-Benz Stadium and throughout downtown Atlanta to make sure all fans are safe for the big game.
The massive safety operation has been two years in the making.
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So far, fans are giving high marks.
"Unfortunately, you need it, so I'm glad to see it," Patriots fan Kim Bailey told Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant.
Coverage of Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta continues, on Channel 2 Action News This Morning
Dozens of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are being led by Atlanta police to make sure nothing goes wrong this Super Bowl Sunday.
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“It’s nice to see the plan work and all the pieces come in play,” said Atlanta police Deputy Chief Scott Kreher.
Hours before kickoff, Diamant spotted a U.S. Department of Energy helicopter on a radiation-sensing sweep.
On the ground, there was an army of officers and agents in uniform and in plain clothes keeping a close eye on the crowds heading to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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“Some people complain, and I say I never complain. I welcome it. I want to feel safe,” Bailey said.
As fans lined up to enter screening tents for scans and pat-downs, behind the scenes at APD’s joint operations center, leaders monitored feeds from 10,000 surveillance cameras inside and outside the stadium.
“We have probably over 200 officers assigned inside the stadium, along with other stadium personnel security forces. We also have NFL there to communicate with our area command,” Kreher said.
With federal special response teams and Blackhawk helicopters among the resources ready to respond should a major incident happen, the message to them from every fan Diamant spoke with was thank you.
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By all accounts, the plan worked as it was supposed to as leaders inside APD's Joint Operations Center guided the officers and agents in the field.
“Thank you very much for all you do for us, for keeping us safe in there. I mean, we love you,” Rams fan Sandra Valenzuela said.
As soon as the game ended, the security operation made a big shift toward protecting the crowds heading to MARTA, bars and restaurants.
“We’ll push a lot of resources out to our airport tomorrow morning, so beginning around 4 a.m., you’ll see a very high," Kreher said.
Then it’s into the home stretch with another shift on Monday for massive crowds headed to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Cox Media Group
