Over 40 Agencies Provide Security for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta

Over 40 Agencies Provide Security for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta

A Joint Operations Center has been created for more efficient communication and security as fans defend on Atlanta for the annual Super Bowl game.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Jan 29, 2019

The Super Bowl is widely recognized as one of the most viewed sporting events in American culture with the host city expecting at least one million fans to watch the game play out live. This year, Super Bowl LIII is to be played in Atlanta, Ga. and like most other host cities in past years, security is top of mind. 

The men and women at the Atlanta Police Department are working around the clock to ensure the safety of the fans coming to the Peach State to see the New England Patriots take on the Los Angeles Rams. 

Around 75 to 100 officers and agents will be manning the city's Joint Operations Center, keeping an eye on all Super Bowl activities. The JOC was created to act as a base center for the over 40 agencies that are coming together to secure the event. In the event of an emergency, various personnel can use the the center to share information and create a coordinated response plan. 

"We have about 40 different agencies working with us, so you'll see every asset from a patrol car to a horse to a motorcycle to a foot patrol," Atlanta Police Department Chief Scott Kreher said. "You won't see a lot of our undercover resources."

The JOC is positioned inside the Atlanta Public Safety Center and will house what Chief Kreher says are "incident commanders."

"Those incident commanders are at 13 different locations throughout the city that specifically deal with a particular event that is related to the Super Bowl. Every morning we have a big briefing to talk about what they have the next 24 hours and what they saw in the last 24 hours." 

In addition to the officers and agents, the city has also installed a network of thousands of cameras. The cameras provide a live feed to the JOC so that officials can look out for suspicious behavior. More than 40 officers are monitoring the cameras at all times and staying in close contact with the officers on patrol.

Security preparations have been underway for nearly two years now and the security plan for the event is a culmination of procedures that officials saw work well at previous Super Bowl games in Houston and Minneapolis. 

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

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