MINNEAPOLIS — A massive security effort is in full effect in Minneapolis for Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant traveled to Minneapolis to join local leaders who are getting ideas for next year, when Atlanta will host the big game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Diamant went with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents as they did an aerial tour in a Blackhawk helicopter over the area around U.S. Bank Stadium.
“This is a chance of a lifetime for everyone involved," Customs and Border Patrol Supervisory Officer Lee Takaki said. The group is “making sure that everything going towards U.S. Bank Stadium is absolutely safe.”
Inside federal tents at the Minnesota Fairgrounds, put up just for the Super Bowl, CBP agents use high tech mobile X-ray equipment to screen every vehicle that needs stadium access.
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“It drastically increases the speed in which we can do inspections. It helps us detect the legitimate cargo and separate maybe the illicit cargo,” Takaki told Diamant.
The equipment screens semitrucks in just seconds, looking for what Takaki called anomalies.
“That could be explosives, weapons, or anything harmful or hazardous,” Takaki said.
Each cleared vehicle gets a military escort back to U.S. Bank Stadium.
Earlier in the day, Diamant flew with CBP’s air and Marine operations. The Blackhawk helicopter crew Diamant flew with Wednesday is just one of three that will be circling the frigid game day skies above downtown Minneapolis.
The quick reaction force will be able to provide critical aerial support and surveillance to local and federal law enforcement on the ground.
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“It’s basically a forced multiplier, so while ground law enforcement is restricted by moving through large crowds, we can get there quickly from the air,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent Michael Fuller said.
But despite the long, cold hours for the agents in the air and on the ground, they said they couldn’t be happier to help.
“This is great. The Super Bowl is part of America and honestly, to have a chance to be part of that is amazing. I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Takaki said.
While CBP told Diamant that both air and ground ops take a year to plan, the strategies they use will be nearly identical to what we'll see next year in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Super Bowl 53.
Cox Media Group
