Super Bowl; Super Security

DETROIT -- Sunday is D-Day.

The FBI and Detroit Police will open one of the largest security operations in U.S. history, guarding against any threats to Super Bowl XL and aided by more than 50 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Including private security guards, there will be upward of 10,000 security personnel on duty in Detroit for the Super Bowl, rivaling the security for any other one-day event in U.S. history and on a scale with a presidential inauguration, the FBI says, capping 18 months of intensive preparations. It would be a larger force than any previous Super Bowl.

At 8 a.m. Sunday -- a week before the big game -- the FBI will open its Joint Operation Center at the McNamara Federal Building and will staff it around the clock for seven straight days.

The FBI even knocked down a few walls on the 20th floor to make room for security preparation.

"This is really a cooperative effort and everyone is working together," said William Kowalski, the assistant special agent in charge of the Detroit FBI, who oversees terror investigations.

The Detroit Police is the lead agency and has the bulk of the manpower, with hundreds of police to be stationed in and around the stadium. All officers will be on duty on Super Bowl Sunday.

Radiation detectors will be stationed near the stadium, as they were during the baseball All-Star Game -- machines so sensitive they could tell how many people had undergone recent medical tests involving a radioactive substance.

SWAT teams, bomb removal and other law enforcement officials underwent a dry run during the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving game. The FBI will have 18-wheeler backup command centers ready if power is lost to the main center. Detroit Police and Michigan State Police will have undercover units in and around the stadium.

High-definition monitors are still being installed, cameras at Ford Field are being hooked into the law enforcement network. A security perimeter fence 300 feet around the stadium is being installed -- and officials will begin limiting access to the area Feb. 3.

The Canadian government in the last month agreed to enforce a 30-nautical mile "air cap" around Ford Field that extends into Canadian airspace, Kowalski said.

The cap, which begins and ends two hours before and after the game, bars most private planes from flying lower than 18,000 feet in that area. Canadian air marshals and other Canadian law enforcement officials are involved in the security preparations.

Nick McMahon, director of operations for Canton Township-based McMahon Helicopter Services, which provides passenger transportation in Detroit, criticized the restrictions and said it will prevent his company from ferrying many people near the game -- or even to city airport.

"It's probably going to cost us in the neighborhood of $10,000 or more," McMahon said.

Despite a recent taped message from terror mastermind Osama bin Laden "there are no credible threats against the Super Bowl," Kowalski said. The FBI, Michigan State Police and other agencies continue to collect intelligence on potential threats. "Obviously, since the Super Bowl is one of the most watched events worldwide, we know it's an attractive target to terrorists."

On Tuesday a reporter and photographer from The Detroit News were allowed to tour the facility. The FBI demonstrated crystal-clear video monitors that showed dozens of live shots in and around Cobo Center, among other locations in Detroit.

There's a classified center, which includes representatives of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which will provide real-time satellite imagery in and around Ford Field, if necessary.

The weather continues to be an issue. If it stays above freezing, the National Football League may bring in gravel to cover grass lots, where limousines and buses are to be parked.

In addition, 36th District Court -- which is the state's busiest court and next to Ford Field -- will close for four days beginning Feb. 2, said Chief Judge Marilyn Atkins. Judges will be on duty those days at a former Detroit Police precinct on East Jefferson to conduct felony arraignments and process people charged under city ordinances.

Atkins volunteered to conduct arraignments during the game.

"I'm probably not going to watch any of the game or the commercials," Atkins said.

Wayne County Jail has contingency plans to hold at least 100 extra prisoners, if necessary.

Officials will close the Cobo roof to regular parking for much of the week because of the NFL Experience. Vehicles parked in the Cobo garage will be subjected to a security screening.

One big issue is getting people through security quickly. Unlike Jacksonville or Phoenix, where people wear shorts and T-shirts, visitors to potentially frigid Detroit may be wearing heavy coats -- and could be standing in the cold trying to get into the game.

You can reach David Shepardson at (313) 222-2028 or dshepardson@detnews.com">dshepardson@detnews.com.