ATLANTA — Hundreds of Atlanta police officers are preparing to descend on the downtown area ahead of Monday’s national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
On Tuesday, representatives from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as city and state leaders, joined Mayor Andre Dickens at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a news conference addressing safety and security as tens of thousands of people are expected to be in town for the big game and MLK Jr. Day.
Notre Dame and Ohio State will play in the College Football Playoff National Championship at the stadium on Monday.
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“We will not rest until all of residents and visitors leave safe with a positive experience and great stories to tell when they get back home,” said Dickens.
Channel 2′s Michael Seiden was there as Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said that he and his team have stayed in close contact with state and federal law enforcement agencies since the terror attack in New Orleans and will implement any intel they can use from the New Year’s Day tragedy.
“If anyone is intending to do harm, we try to anticipate all we can,” said Schierbaum. “They need to be lucky one time. We need to be right all the time.”
Police officers are planning on cracking down on illegal vendors who may be using coolers to sell drinks and snacks. After the deadly attack in New Orleans, investigators learned that the suspect planted two improvised explosive devices inside coolers near Bourbon Street.
“If a vehicle, if an individual or a package doesn’t look right, call 911,” Schierbaum added.
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Atlanta police say off days have been canceled and officers will be working 12-hour shifts. APD will also activate its specialized units, including the bomb squad.
Atlanta Fire Rescue will also be working overtime with specialized units ready to be deployed in case of an emergency.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been no reports of credible threats, according to law enforcement.
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