DHS Partners with NFL for Super Bowl XLVI
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano recently traveled to Indianapolis to highlight the Department’s “If You See Something, Say Something” public awareness campaign’s continued partnership with the National Football League (NFL) to help ensure the safety and security of employees, players and fans during the regular season, and Super Bowl XLVI.
“At a major national event like the Super Bowl, security is a shared responsibility and everybody has a role to play in identifying and reporting suspicious activities and threats,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Our partnership with the NFL on the “If You See Something, Say Something” public awareness campaign during the Super Bowl is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the safety of every employee, player and fan.”
As part of the Department's “If You See Something, Say Something” partnership with Super Bowl XLVI, campaign graphics will appear on the videoboard and televisions throughout Lucas Oil Stadium on game day. Safety messaging will also be printed in game programs and fan guides for staff, players, and volunteers. Indiana and the City of Indianapolis have continued to expand and support the campaign over the past year since initially partnering with DHS. In addition, "If You See Something, Say Something" advertisements will be seen throughout Indianapolis at the airport, hotels, restaurants, bars, and on buses, magazines and visitor guides.
While Secretary Napolitano was in Indianapolis, she toured the security operations at Lucas Oil Stadium and saw how the Department of Homeland Security is working with state and local law enforcement partners and the NFL to provide additional security assets to screen cargo, secure the air space and provide personnel security screening training to event security officers.
Secretary Napolitano also participated in a roundtable discussion with representatives from the NCAA, National Federation of High Schools, Indiana Sports Corporation, USA Track & Field, USA Gymnastics, USA Synchronized Swimming and USA Diving, to discuss DHS’ collaboration with amateur sports organizations.
The “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign—originally implemented by New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and now licensed to DHS for a nationwide campaign—is a simple and effective program to engage the public and key frontline employees to identify and report indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime to the proper transportation and law enforcement authorities.
The Department launched the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative—an administration effort to train state and local law enforcement to recognize behaviors and indicators related to terrorism and terrorism-related crime; standardize how those observations are documented and analyzed; and ensure the sharing of those reports with the Federal Bureau of Investigation-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces for further investigation.
Recent expansions of the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign include partnerships with numerous sports teams and leagues, transportation agencies, private sector partners, states, municipalities, and colleges and universities. DHS also unveiled new public service announcements which have been distributed to television and radio stations across the country.
DHS will continue to expand the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign nationally to ensure America’s businesses, communities, and citizens remain vigilant and play an active role in keeping the country safe.