Super Bowl XXXVIII - Panthers vs. Patriots

January 30, 2004

Super Secure

Hosts want visitors to enjoy Super Bowl despite security

By Richard Craver | JOURNAL REPORTER

HOUSTON

Security at the Super Bowl is all about trying to put out of fans' minds what is plainly in sight. The city of Houston has closed downtown streets and placed hundreds of concrete barriers around Reliant Stadium and high-profile gathering places.

Metal detectors are about as common as Super Bowl XXXVIII signs.

About 5,000 law-enforcement officers from 25 federal, state and local agencies will be on site, in uniform and in plainclothes, when the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots start the big game at 6:25 p.m. Sunday.

"This is much different than any other game, and that means the preparations have to be as well," Milt Ahlerich, the vice president of security for the National Football League, said yesterday. "Our commissioner (Paul Tagliabue) has said repeatedly that security takes an extraordinarily high profile and we want this type of security to become like heating and air conditioning in that it just goes with the territory," he said.

Ahlerich said that the NFL has not been told by the federal government of any credible terrorist threats against the game. But the NFL is well aware of the symbolism of having the Super Bowl, a slice of Americana being watched by nearly a billion people worldwide, take place in the back yard of President Bush.

The goal is to make every potential target a hot spot for security, and thus a deterrent for terrorists, said Dennis Storemski, an executive assistant chief for the Houston Police Department.

That is why no airplane flights will be permitted over a seven-mile radius of downtown Houston from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.

There will be no tailgating allowed in the stadium parking lot.

Fans won't be able to take umbrellas, strollers or beach balls into the game, and any electronic device they bring will be inspected and potentially confiscated.

"Reliant Stadium will be one of the most secure places in our country during the Super Bowl," Storemski said.

"Sufficient monitoring will be in place," Storemski said, including devices able to detect traces of weapons of mass destruction.

Ahlerich said, "We want the fans to arrive early, as early as 1 p.m., and travel light, be aware of what items are being prohibited and discouraged so that the screening process will go smoothly and they can enjoy the game," he said.

Ahlerich said that NFL officials have spoken to the players on both teams to put their minds at ease about security issues.

"We make sure that the players and their families and friends know that 'you are safe' at the Super Bowl," Ahlerich said. "We told them, 'You have one of the most elaborate security plans in place with extraordinary resources. Don't be distracted. Go out and play your best game.'"

The city of Houston has tried to balance security needs without spoiling the fun and revelry of a five-day civic Super Bowl party that is expected to generate about $300million in spending, according to the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. Main Street has a Bourbon Street feel to it, with window dancers beckoning fans and souvenir shops rivaling bars downtown.

The city has spent about $15 million on its yearlong Super Bowl preparations, said Jordy Tollett, the president and chief executive of the visitors bureau. That includes $1.5 million for overtime pay for police and fire personnel.

The rest comes from private contributions and sponsorships fees.

"Having the Super Bowl in town is such a boost to the civic confidence of Houston considering that the city lost professional football for a number of years when the Oilers left," Tollett said. "It was like a part of our fabric had been torn off.

"This is a grand opportunity to showcase the city, that we can handle an event of this magnitude safely and smoothly. The national and international exposure we're receiving can't be calculated from an advertising standpoint."

• Richard Craver can be reached at 727-7376 or at rcraver@wsjournal.com