With the countdown to Super Bowl XLV underway, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has deployed resources in support of the North Texas Regional Public Safety Planning Committee to begin securing Super Bowl venues.
From boots on the ground to large scale enforcement equipment, CBP plays an integral part of providing security for the more than 100,000 fans that will make their way to Cowboys Stadium on game day.
In addition to the three mobile large scale non-intrusive inspection units and nearly a dozen Office of Air and Marine aircraft, CBP has deployed additional staff to various interagency task forces. CBP officers were ready to scan vehicles before dawn Monday morning, with a steady stream of vehicles arriving just after sunrise. By noon, more than 125 vehicles had been scanned.
"This is my first experience assisting with Super Bowl events," said Chief CBP Officer Terence Hudson, of the Houston seaport. "So far it has been very rewarding as we work with other federal, state, and local law enforcement officers."
Hudson and other CBP officers and agents braved freezing weather Tuesday as the temperature dipped to 19 degrees and the roads were covered with ice and snow.
"Safety during these conditions is paramount," said Jeffrey O. Baldwin Sr., CBP lead field coordinator. "We are accomplishing the task at hand, in a safe manner. We continue to monitor the weather conditions to ensure officer safety and equipment operability."
While the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers may feel at home in this type of weather, Texans throughout the area were bundled up as their vehicles slipped and slid on the ice. The weather prediction for Super Bowl Sunday is a cloudy but warm 60 degrees.