Two years of planning have produced a comprehensive plan for North Texas Super Bowl security, officials said Friday.
The plan is intended to safeguard locations around the region when an estimated 200,000 visitors join local residents at hundreds of events during the week of the February 6th Super Bowl.
Officials with a dozen federal, state and local law enforcement agencies demonstrated parts of the plan Friday in an Arlington parking lot near Cowboys Stadium where the game will be played.
"Not one agency, not one city could do this alone, and so it takes an incredible amount of coordination, preparation and planning," Assistant Arlington Police Chief James Hawthorne said.
Included in the demonstration was everything from high tech to horses.
Arlington Police have acquired some new equipment with homeland security grants including unmanned helicopters to watch over the stadium site.
Deputy Arlington Police Chief Lauretta Hill will be the commander for stadium operations the day of the game.
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"When we go operational, we know we have all these other tools and partnerships that are available to us," Hill said.
Bomb grabbing robots were on display from several agencies including Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Police.
"Our primary responsibility will be DFW Airport, however we still have the resources that will be lent out to other agencies," DFW Airport Police Lt. Lonnie Freeman said.
Mounted officers from the Dallas Police Department participated in the Arlington demonstration although they are likely to stay busy in Dallas.
"Most of our work I think would be dealing with the crowds, large number of people in the downtown area," said Dallas Police Sr. Cpl. Andre Taylor.
Officials with the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said the number of bomb sniffing dogs working Cowboys Stadium prior to the game is expected to set a new Super Bowl record because the place is so big.
"Just imagine the nooks and crannies in a place that size that we need to check," said ATF Special Agent Randall Dockens, a K-9 handler.
Several officers at the demonstration said the Super Bowl security planning has generated a higher level of cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
"So long term I think it will benefit everybody in the Metroplex because we understand how they’re working," Fort Worth Police Sergeant Richard Bruno said.
