By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The NFL modified their security plans for next month’s Super Bowl after the New Year’s Day attack in the New Orleans host city, a league official said on Wednesday, including adding more law enforcement support.
A U.S. Army veteran killed 14 people and injured dozens by ramming a truck into a crowd of revelers in the early hours of January 1 in the crowded French Quarter area that is popular with tourists.
The NFL is set to host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles facing off at New Orleans’ Superdome. Thousands of football fans are expected to travel to the area.
“It’s natural to ask if we’ve changed things since the attacks on January 1 and of course the short answer is yes,” NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier told reporters.
“I want to remind people to be clear that our planning and security is continually reviewed. We review, enhance and modify our security plans based on the latest information that we have.”
Lanier declined to comment on specific security measures but said that law enforcement would number in the “thousands” between state, local and federal agencies.
Lanier said there have not been any credible threats made on the event since Jan. 1.
“In the weeks since the New Year’s Day attack we have asked for and received some additional law enforcement support,” she said. “And we’ve really polished up a robust intelligence information-sharing plan with all of our partners.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry this week renewed a state of emergency established after the New Year’s Day attack and said that checkpoints would be in place around the French Quarter.
The state of emergency brought in more state resources to the city, Lanier said.
“We had an allotment of state police that we were working with, but there’s additional resources that have come with that declaration,” said Lanier.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Sonali Paul)
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