Friday, February 4, 2011

Homeland Security Secretary Inspects Super Bowl Site, Says Fans Have ‘Shared Responsibility’ for Security at Game and Across the Country







“We are partnering this year with the NFL on our ‘If You See Something, Say Something’ campaign and launching that NFL partnership right here at the Super Bowl,” Napolitano said during a press conference on Monday at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas where Sunday’s game will be played.

“The idea is simple,” Napolitano said. “We are simply asking the American people to be vigilant, recognizing that our security is a shared responsibility that all of us must participate in.”

“If a fan at the Super Bowl or any other American at any other place sees something that is potentially dangerous, then say something about it to local law enforcement or someone in authority,” Napolitano said.

Napolitano announced that DHS has trained some 1,200 stadium staffers as “first observers” and that cargo going into the venue also will be screened using “non-intrusive inspection equipment.”

Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, told CNN that millions of dollars were spent to make the stadium secure, including perches for snipers and surveillance cameras to cover every corner of the venue.

Fans both inside the stadium and those watching it outside on big-screen telecasts will be subject to security screenings similar to those at airports.

The NFL, which will pick up half the tab, estimates it cost $10 million to secure the game, according to CNN’s report.

DHS announced in a press release posted on its Web site on Monday that the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign will be rolled out nationally over the coming months “to help America’s businesses, communities and citizens remain vigilant and play an active role in keeping the country safe.”

Napolitano will watch the game at the White House, according to Matt Chandler, the DHS Deputy Press Secretary. Other guests invited to watch the game with President Barack Obama and his family include Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.

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