Bay Area Police Increasing Security for Super Bowl 50
Police departments in the Bay Area are working hard to increase security for the upcoming Super Bowl 50 to be held at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, per FOX News. Authorities are doing all they can to gain insight on any potential threats during the week leading to the big showdown between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos on Feb. 7.
More than 100,000 fans are expected to be inside the stadium while thousands more are in the area. Super Bowl weekend is just a few months removed from the deadly shooting in San Bernardino that killed 14 people and the November 2015 Paris attacks that had 130 fatal casualties.
"Those events definitely play a factor in our security plans. They have to. Times have changed and we have to adjust to what's happening around the country and the world," Sgt. Michael Andraychak of the San Francisco Police Department said.
Among law enforcement's fears are attacks against fiber-optic systems, threats from drones, crowds being targeted outside Levi's Stadium and "lone wolf" attackers, according to an internal memo from the FBI and Homeland Security that was obtained by several news agencies.
The report also noted that the FBI sent a memo to Bay Area law enforcement authorities back in January that the so-called "lone-wolf attackers" are one of the main concerns because of the difficulty in detecting them. The police will have F-15 fighter jets on standby as well as helicopters on patrol during the event.
According to NBC 4 Washington, FBI and Homeland Security officials are also investigating a series of attacks on fiber optic systems in California the past few years, which may be interconnected. Authorities also list that drones and game-day attacks are possible during Super Bowl 50.
FBI records indicate that there are at least 10 fiber optic cables cut off between July 2014 and June 2015. The Bay Area region reportedly has 15 recorded cases on the fiber optic cables in 2014 that caused internet and phone reception problems.
"We have been working for more than a year with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state and local level in preparation for Super Bowl 50. We have confidence in our law enforcement and public safety partners and have an effective and comprehensive plan in place to make Super Bowl 50 a safe and exciting event for our fans," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement.
McCarthy added that ever since the 9/11 attack back in 2001, all Super Bowls and other NFL-related events have increased security. FOX News mentioned that Bay Area authorities are not expecting any threats for the upcoming weekend, but FBI agents will be present in different parts of the area.
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