Latest news with #DeLaune
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Additional tactical teams, police in New Orleans for Mardi Gras
When people visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year, there will be additional tactical teams and overall a larger police presence than in years past, according to the lead federal coordinator for Mardi Gras. After the terrorist attack in New Orleans on Jan. 1 that killed 14 on Bourbon Street, then-President Joe Biden granted the city's request to give Mardi Gras the top "Special Event Assessment Rating," or SEAR 1. That designation comes with an enhanced federal presence. New Orleans is no stranger to a SEAR 1 event. Eric DeLaune, the lead federal coordinator for Mardi Gras and the special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office, served as federal coordinator for the Super Bowl in New Orleans earlier this month. "With Super Bowl, we had a downtown area, the French Quarter, Marigny and the Warehouse District of the city. And with Mardi Gras, we're talking about events that are going on throughout the city and parades that traverse routes that are as long as six miles in some cases, and there are approximately 32 of them that roll during that 12-day period," he said, noting that compared to the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras is a bigger footprint to secure. MORE: As New Orleans' Mardi Gras goes into full swing, security boosted to historic levels DeLaune said everyone worked together to come up with a "logical" and "effective" security plan. "That enhanced security zone that was put in place by the city and the state [for the Super Bowl] still exists," DeLaune told ABC News on Thursday. "It's going to continue to exist through the Mardi Gras Carnival season. But for the parade routes, the city and the state worked together to put up barriers and barricades that would provide safe standing areas for people along the parade route, and we have additional law enforcement resources that have been placed along the route." He said extra police from surrounding parishes were brought in to help with the security as well. "They'll see those BearCat armored vehicles. They'll see uniformed tactical officers walking around on the backside of the parade route in case they're needed in the city," he explained. During the Super Bowl week, members of the National Guard checked people's bags going into the French Quarter -- something that will continue for Mardi Gras, he said. MORE: A month after terror attack, officials say Super Bowl has 'no credible threats' "Conditions of entry into the Bourbon Street area to the French Quarter area will exist during Mardi Gras," he said. "On parade routes, people might encounter law enforcement officers are asking to take a look in their ice chest or in their bags." DeLaune said the Coast Guard will be manning the Mississippi River and using air assets and that there will also be drones monitoring crowds for any nefarious activity. "Outside of that uniformed law enforcement presence ... there will be a lot of law enforcement officers who are in plainclothes that may not be readily distinguishable as law enforcement," he said. "We working with the city -- the city put together a really good plan, a very sound security plan, for those parade routes." For DeLaune, securing Mardi Gras is personal. "I am a Louisiana native. I grew up and experienced Mardi Gras and Carnival throughout my life -- you could even say it's part of my DNA," he said. "I really have an appreciation for the cultural and historical context of Mardi Gras here in Louisiana. And so, we worked really hard with the city and the state to make sure that we could provide additional security assets for the city for Mardi Gras without changing how it looks and how it feels for the people who come here to celebrate it." Additional tactical teams, police in New Orleans for Mardi Gras originally appeared on
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Super Bowl LIX: Inside elite SWAT team's final sprint to secure New Orleans
FIRST ON FOX – NEW ORLEANS – In the aftermath of the Jan. 1 terrorist attack on Bourbon Street and between major tourist-heavy events in New Orleans, officials with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are preparing to combat any potential threats during Super Bowl LIX. HSI was the lead agency initially assigned to coordinate security for the Super Bowl, and preparations began about a year ago, Eric DeLaune, special agent in charge for HSI in New Orleans, told Fox News Digital. "New Orleans has some unique challenges. The area here is a little more spread out for a Super Bowl," DeLaune, lead federal coordinator for Super Bowl LIX, said. "The elephant in the room is the attack that occurred on Jan. 1. We would be foolish if we didn't use what we've learned from that to inform how we go forward and how we adapt plans … to make sure we can account for gaps and alternative locations that may be of concern now in that post-attack timeline." Just over a month before the Super Bowl, in the early morning hours of New Year's Day, terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed a pickup truck through crowds of people celebrating the holiday on Bourbon Street, killing 14 civilians and injuring 57 others. New Orleans police officers fatally shot Jabbar when he exchanged gunfire with officers. Attorney General Pam Bondi To Travel To New Orleans To Survey Super Bowl Lix Security DeLaune has doubled his request for "tactical resources and assets" from the Department of Homeland Security since the attack. Read On The Fox News App "We're going to have a significantly larger presence here in New Orleans in the way of tactical teams and also just special agents working in the area. People who are going to the game or going to the special events associated with the Super Bowl will see a much larger presence of HSI special agents and of HSI tactical assets, as well, walking around downtown, the French Quarter," he said. New Orleans Sued Over Bourbon Street Terror Attack, Accused Of Negligence That Cost Lives President Donald Trump is expected to be in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. DeLaune said the president's visit doesn't fundamentally change the agency's security plans, but Secret Service will be working with state and local counterparts. Trump's anticipated attendance will actually enhance security in the city because of the inclusion of more federal law enforcement personnel, he explained. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem visited New Orleans Monday and told reporters there have been "no credible threats" targeting Super Bowl LIX. Homeland Security Committee Says 'National Security Blunders' Of Past 4 Years Have Emboldened Terrorists A Justice Department official also confirmed to Fox News Thursday that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi would travel to New Orleans on her first day in office to survey security for the upcoming game with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry. A team of HSI agents based in nine states across the Southeast, which regularly responds to high-risk criminal activity, trains for specific threat scenarios about 16 hours every month. What We Know About Victims Of New Orleans Terrorist Attack In mid-January, the federal agency's Special Response Team (SRT) trained at the St. John's Parish SWAT center near New Orleans about a month ahead of Super Bowl LIX and two weeks after the ISIS-inspired terrorist attack on Bourbon Street. While the SRT officers train every month, they added specific threat scenarios in January that they might encounter as the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Big Easy. Bourbon Street Terror Victims Sue New Orleans As Louisiana Ag Investigates Security Lapses The SRT walked Fox News Digital through its training operations, during which officers conduct mock operations for scenarios, such as serving a search warrant, rescuing a hostage and responding to a suspicious vehicle or suspicious person in a crowd. The team is typically deployed to respond to high-risk targets, including suspects who have an extensive criminal history, are hiding in a fortified building, are experiencing mental instability or are gang members. In the hostage rescue scenario that Fox News Digital participated in by acting as a "victim," officers responded to a hypothetical call for help, entered the training center, deployed a flashbang, shot a "suspect" dummy with simulation rounds and rescued the "victim." The center is set up to resemble a home or building officers might enter during a response. "They are law enforcement. They're not police, but they [are all] law enforcement," DeLaune said. "We're trained to deal with an active weapon threat. We're trained to deal with mass casualty events. And we're trained to deal with medical emergencies to an extent. So, those agents are prepared to go out there and work with our state and local partners and support them." During training operations, HSI officers wear full tactical gear, including helmets, multiple first-aid kits, bullet-proof vests, microphones and training magazines, which are the same guns officers use regularly. But they are converted to fire simulation rounds during training, the team explained to Fox News Digital. The SRT also showed Fox News Digital how officers use drones and cameras extended on long poles to search inside threat areas before entering. Bourbon Street Attack, Trump Tower Cybertruck Explosion Probe Launched By Senate Committee In the search warrant scenario, the SRT demonstrated how officers would arrive in a BearCat vehicle and make their presence known at a location before shooting pepper balls at an entrance, instead of physically knocking on an entrance, to protect officers and civilians. Officers would then enter and search each room at the location for threats or victims. The SRT officers described themselves as a family because of how much time they spend working together, typically away from their homes and real families. The team spends an average of three weeks out of every month together. American Radicalized By Isis Expressed 'Excitement' About Traveling Overseas To Support Terrorist Group: Fbi The Jan. 1 attack was "a pretty painful experience for" HSI New Orleans agents, DeLaune said. "That weighs heavily on the minds of our people here, but they're committed … to providing a safe and secure atmosphere for the Super Bowl. And they're committed to providing a safe and secure atmosphere for Mardi Gras, which is unique to us," DeLaune explained, adding that HSI New Orleans is comprised of a lot of locals and Louisiana natives. Body Language Expert Says New Orleans Attacker Exhibited 'Red Flags' Before Attack "They have an emotional personal investment here in the city and in traditions such as Mardi Gras and in supporting big events such as the Super Bowl. So, there's a lot of pride here for these agents, and they're getting the work done every day," he said. DeLaune also had a message for the public ahead of the Super Bowl. "Don't hold on to it, and don't be embarrassed to report something," he said. "Don't dismiss your instincts. If there's something that's not right, let us know. Let us decide whether or not it's something to be concerned about." The FBI continues to investigate the terrorist attack that left 15 people dead on Jan. 1, including the perpetrator. Federal authorities said Jabbar had previously visited New Orleans twice, once on Oct. 30, 2024, and once on Nov. 10, 2024. He also visited Cairo and Toronto prior to the attack, the FBI said. While Jabbar apparently acted alone, authorities are investigating whether he had any article source: Super Bowl LIX: Inside elite SWAT team's final sprint to secure New Orleans
CNN
06-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
K9s, snipers and BearCats: How New Orleans is prepping to keep the Super Bowl safe
Security for the Super Bowl in New Orleans will feature more boots on the ground, more tech and more intelligence – spearheaded by a federal official who grew up 40 miles from where kickoff will take place. Eric DeLaune, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations' New Orleans office and the lead federal coordinator for the Super Bowl, has been heading meetings with local police, city officials and leaders from federal law enforcement agencies – many of whom are from Louisiana and want to make sure the horrors of the New Year's truck attack in the city won't happen again. 'I did take (the attack) personally. And my people take it personally,' DeLaune told CNN. 'This whole security effort. Not a single person involved in the planning of the security effort for the Super Bowl was unaffected by this. They all take this very personally, and what I saw was a level of renewed commitment and renewed passion for the implementation of this plan.' That security plan is already visible in the French Quarter ahead of Sunday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. There are armored vehicles, scores of heavily armed police officers, street blockades, drones and more – transforming the party-friendly, pedestrian-heavy Bourbon Street to a scene akin to the presidential inauguration. 'To be honest with you, this is very similar to what we had in Washington, DC, just a matter of 10 days or two weeks ago,' said US Rep. Dale Strong, a Republican from Alabama who visited the French Quarter on Monday. He particularly noted the number of K9s in place – 'every dog you could imagine.' The security plan comes just over a month after a terrorist attack in which a man drove a pickup truck at high speed on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring dozens more before he crashed into construction equipment and was fatally shot by police. The assailant also placed two improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, on the street, with one in a rolling cooler and one in a bucket cooler. They did not explode. The attack raised questions as to why the city didn't have functional security bollards or use certain other vehicle barriers on one of the most walkable streets in the country. In the wake of that attack, Super Bowl security officials went back and reviewed their plans, said Cathy Lanier, NFL chief security officer. 'Naturally there's a question of whether we have made adjustments in our security plan in light of the events of January 1, and the answer is an unequivocal, 'Yes,'' she said this week. 'We have reviewed and re-reviewed all the details of what happened on January 1. We have reviewed and re-reviewed each of our roles within the overarching security plan, and we have reassessed and stress-tested our timing, our communication protocols, our contingency measures and our emergency response plans multiple times over the past several weeks.' Even before the January 1 attack, the Super Bowl – which President Donald Trump is expected to attend, according to a White House official – had one of the federal government's highest security assessments for special events, which unlocks significant federal resources and support. After the attack, federal officials not only helped tweak Super Bowl security plans, but also granted this special status and support – known as SEAR-1 – to New Orleans' Mardi Gras festivities from February 21 to March 4. Security efforts are evident for anyone walking Bourbon Street this week. Notably, the city created a 'French Quarter Enhanced Security Zone' in which coolers and vehicles are prohibited, and any backpacks are subject to law enforcement search. 'In the days ahead there will be a significant increase in law enforcement presence in New Orleans, some of which will be visible and obvious,' DeLaune said on Monday. 'This includes special response teams, drone technology, tactical personal and equipment, intelligence analyses and covert assets.' Here's a look at some of the increased security around the French Quarter, the nearby Caesars Superdome where the game will be, and surrounding areas. There are 'no specific credible threats' around this weekend's Super Bowl, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Monday. Still, with tens of thousands of football fans from Philadelphia, Kansas City and elsewhere headed to the Big Easy, a significant law enforcement presence will be in New Orleans just in case. The biggest change in the safety plan since the New Year's attack is the visibility of the security, Lanier said last week. 'So you're talking about thousands of sworn law enforcement that will be very visible, some not as visible,' she said. The security package for the Super Bowl includes as many as 600 uniformed law enforcement members on the ground, patrolling the city, with emphasis around the French Quarter, DeLaune said. That includes tactical teams with long guns that will also be on patrol, with the idea that their presence is a deterrent. Checkpoints will be set up in the areas all around NFL-related events that take place in the week leading up to the game, DeLaune said. Armored tactical vehicles known as BearCats will also be deployed throughout the area, with as many as 16 being used to block street access to vehicles, DeLaune said. And these will be in addition to strong temporary barriers that were missing during the January 1 attack but started blocking off streets more than a week ahead of the Super Bowl. Even blast shields will be featured at certain high-risk areas, DeLaune said. Drones will be flying overhead, relaying images of crowds in real time to a cadre of law enforcement members who are analyzing the images, looking for any potential threats. And this is all in addition to investigators who have been combing through intelligence, looking for possible bad actors or even the most common fear among law enforcement, the lone wolf attacker. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration has generally prohibited drone flights for the public around the Superdome for much of the next week. 'The FBI will have a drone detection system in place, monitoring the skies over the Superdome,' said Stephen Cyrus, FBI special agent who was asked to assist in Super Bowl security, said in a news conference Monday. Outside the French Quarter's streets, there will be a massive show of force, including helicopters in the air and tactical boats in the water. What the French Quarter from a security perspective will look like once these major events are over remains to be seen. New Orleans had been working since before the attack to install new street bollards intended to block vehicle access to Bourbon Street ahead of the Super Bowl. The removable bollards would help close the street to cars during pedestrian-only times but be stored away when cars are allowed, according to the city. The bollard work was expected to be completed by the end of last week, the city said. However, those new barriers are designed to only withstand vehicle impacts of 10 mph, according to a Reuters report. Last month, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced a plan to ask a tactical expert to review the city's security plans 'to determine whether or not these bollards are sufficient.' 'If they're not, how, and what, and where do they need to be placed?' she said. 'This is a work in progress, and we're committed to doing everything necessary to ensure public safety measures.' Other security barriers, such as those that can be temporarily placed on a sidewalk to prevent a vehicle from advancing there, have also been present along Bourbon Street since the New Year's attack. 'We harden the places we can as best we can,' DeLaune said. Gun violence is a key concern as well, particularly at such a mass gathering. At a Kansas City Super Bowl parade last year, a shootout stemming from a personal grievance left a woman dead, wounded about two dozen others and cast a pall on what had been a celebratory day. In New Orleans, raucous parades and celebrations during the Mardi Gras period – which take place all around the city – have sometimes been the site of gun violence. A shooting along a parade route in 2023, for example, left one dead and four others injured, police said. The Super Bowl does come amid a sharp decline in murders in the city since peaking in late 2022. From January to November 2024, New Orleans recorded 117 murders – a decline from the 188 in that same period a year before, according to the Real-Time Crime Index. Cities across the US have seen similar sharp drops in murders the last couple of years, since the end of Covid-related shutdowns, according to FBI data. One new challenge for New Orleans law enforcement will be a law that began last summer allowing anyone over 18 to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Still, guns are not allowed in bars, casinos, government buildings or the Superdome, and some businesses around the French Quarter have posted signs saying, 'No weapons allowed.' Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, confirmed concealed guns will generally be allowed in the French Quarter's Enhanced Security Zone. 'Look, we went through great lengths … to balance the freedoms and constitutional rights that are enshrined in this state while making sure that we had enough security to protect our citizens,' he said Monday. Even with the added security measures, the key is the average person walking by who might see a suspicious package or abandoned cooler, DeLaune said. 'The most important person in this whole event are the people here to enjoy it, that they would keep their eyes open,' DeLaune said. CNN's Eric Levenson wrote and reported from New York, while CNN's Mark Morales, Ryan Young and Jason Morris reported from New Orleans.
CNN
06-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
K9s, snipers and BearCats: How New Orleans is prepping to keep the Super Bowl safe
Security for the Super Bowl in New Orleans will feature more boots on the ground, more tech and more intelligence – spearheaded by a federal official who grew up 40 miles from where kickoff will take place. Eric DeLaune, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations' New Orleans office and the lead federal coordinator for the Super Bowl, has been heading meetings with local police, city officials and leaders from federal law enforcement agencies – many of whom are from Louisiana and want to make sure the horrors of the New Year's truck attack in the city won't happen again. 'I did take (the attack) personally. And my people take it personally,' DeLaune told CNN. 'This whole security effort. Not a single person involved in the planning of the security effort for the Super Bowl was unaffected by this. They all take this very personally, and what I saw was a level of renewed commitment and renewed passion for the implementation of this plan.' That security plan is already visible in the French Quarter ahead of Sunday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. There are armored vehicles, scores of heavily armed police officers, street blockades, drones and more – transforming the party-friendly, pedestrian-heavy Bourbon Street to a scene akin to the presidential inauguration. 'To be honest with you, this is very similar to what we had in Washington, DC, just a matter of 10 days or two weeks ago,' said US Rep. Dale Strong, a Republican from Alabama who visited the French Quarter on Monday. He particularly noted the number of K9s in place – 'every dog you could imagine.' The security plan comes just over a month after a terrorist attack in which a man drove a pickup truck at high speed on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring dozens more before he crashed into construction equipment and was fatally shot by police. The assailant also placed two improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, on the street, with one in a rolling cooler and one in a bucket cooler. They did not explode. The attack raised questions as to why the city didn't have functional security bollards or use certain other vehicle barriers on one of the most walkable streets in the country. In the wake of that attack, Super Bowl security officials went back and reviewed their plans, said Cathy Lanier, NFL chief security officer. 'Naturally there's a question of whether we have made adjustments in our security plan in light of the events of January 1, and the answer is an unequivocal, 'Yes,'' she said this week. 'We have reviewed and re-reviewed all the details of what happened on January 1. We have reviewed and re-reviewed each of our roles within the overarching security plan, and we have reassessed and stress-tested our timing, our communication protocols, our contingency measures and our emergency response plans multiple times over the past several weeks.' Even before the January 1 attack, the Super Bowl – which President Donald Trump is expected to attend, according to a White House official – had one of the federal government's highest security assessments for special events, which unlocks significant federal resources and support. After the attack, federal officials not only helped tweak Super Bowl security plans, but also granted this special status and support – known as SEAR-1 – to New Orleans' Mardi Gras festivities from February 21 to March 4. Security efforts are evident for anyone walking Bourbon Street this week. Notably, the city created a 'French Quarter Enhanced Security Zone' in which coolers and vehicles are prohibited, and any backpacks are subject to law enforcement search. 'In the days ahead there will be a significant increase in law enforcement presence in New Orleans, some of which will be visible and obvious,' DeLaune said on Monday. 'This includes special response teams, drone technology, tactical personal and equipment, intelligence analyses and covert assets.' Here's a look at some of the increased security around the French Quarter, the nearby Caesars Superdome where the game will be, and surrounding areas. There are 'no specific credible threats' around this weekend's Super Bowl, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Monday. Still, with tens of thousands of football fans from Philadelphia, Kansas City and elsewhere headed to the Big Easy, a significant law enforcement presence will be in New Orleans just in case. The biggest change in the safety plan since the New Year's attack is the visibility of the security, Lanier said last week. 'So you're talking about thousands of sworn law enforcement that will be very visible, some not as visible,' she said. The security package for the Super Bowl includes as many as 600 uniformed law enforcement members on the ground, patrolling the city, with emphasis around the French Quarter, DeLaune said. That includes tactical teams with long guns that will also be on patrol, with the idea that their presence is a deterrent. Checkpoints will be set up in the areas all around NFL-related events that take place in the week leading up to the game, DeLaune said. Armored tactical vehicles known as BearCats will also be deployed throughout the area, with as many as 16 being used to block street access to vehicles, DeLaune said. And these will be in addition to strong temporary barriers that were missing during the January 1 attack but started blocking off streets more than a week ahead of the Super Bowl. Even blast shields will be featured at certain high-risk areas, DeLaune said. Drones will be flying overhead, relaying images of crowds in real time to a cadre of law enforcement members who are analyzing the images, looking for any potential threats. And this is all in addition to investigators who have been combing through intelligence, looking for possible bad actors or even the most common fear among law enforcement, the lone wolf attacker. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration has generally prohibited drone flights for the public around the Superdome for much of the next week. 'The FBI will have a drone detection system in place, monitoring the skies over the Superdome,' said Stephen Cyrus, FBI special agent who was asked to assist in Super Bowl security, said in a news conference Monday. Outside the French Quarter's streets, there will be a massive show of force, including helicopters in the air and tactical boats in the water. What the French Quarter from a security perspective will look like once these major events are over remains to be seen. New Orleans had been working since before the attack to install new street bollards intended to block vehicle access to Bourbon Street ahead of the Super Bowl. The removable bollards would help close the street to cars during pedestrian-only times but be stored away when cars are allowed, according to the city. The bollard work was expected to be completed by the end of last week, the city said. However, those new barriers are designed to only withstand vehicle impacts of 10 mph, according to a Reuters report. Last month, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced a plan to ask a tactical expert to review the city's security plans 'to determine whether or not these bollards are sufficient.' 'If they're not, how, and what, and where do they need to be placed?' she said. 'This is a work in progress, and we're committed to doing everything necessary to ensure public safety measures.' Other security barriers, such as those that can be temporarily placed on a sidewalk to prevent a vehicle from advancing there, have also been present along Bourbon Street since the New Year's attack. 'We harden the places we can as best we can,' DeLaune said. Gun violence is a key concern as well, particularly at such a mass gathering. At a Kansas City Super Bowl parade last year, a shootout stemming from a personal grievance left a woman dead, wounded about two dozen others and cast a pall on what had been a celebratory day. In New Orleans, raucous parades and celebrations during the Mardi Gras period – which take place all around the city – have sometimes been the site of gun violence. A shooting along a parade route in 2023, for example, left one dead and four others injured, police said. The Super Bowl does come amid a sharp decline in murders in the city since peaking in late 2022. From January to November 2024, New Orleans recorded 117 murders – a decline from the 188 in that same period a year before, according to the Real-Time Crime Index. Cities across the US have seen similar sharp drops in murders the last couple of years, since the end of Covid-related shutdowns, according to FBI data. One new challenge for New Orleans law enforcement will be a law that began last summer allowing anyone over 18 to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Still, guns are not allowed in bars, casinos, government buildings or the Superdome, and some businesses around the French Quarter have posted signs saying, 'No weapons allowed.' Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, confirmed concealed guns will generally be allowed in the French Quarter's Enhanced Security Zone. 'Look, we went through great lengths … to balance the freedoms and constitutional rights that are enshrined in this state while making sure that we had enough security to protect our citizens,' he said Monday. Even with the added security measures, the key is the average person walking by who might see a suspicious package or abandoned cooler, DeLaune said. 'The most important person in this whole event are the people here to enjoy it, that they would keep their eyes open,' DeLaune said. CNN's Eric Levenson wrote and reported from New York, while CNN's Mark Morales, Ryan Young and Jason Morris reported from New Orleans.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New Orleans will be the 'safest city in America' for Super Bowl LIX, officials say
With more than 2,500 law enforcement officers from the state, local and federal law enforcement agencies, New Orleans will be the "safest city in America," according to the lead federal coordinator for Super Bowl security. "We will have more federal assets, more federal law enforcement, more state and local law enforcement, probably, than any other Super Bowl," New Orleans Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune told ABC News. DeLaune said that in the aftermath of the New Year's Day terrorist attack -- when a man inspired by ISIS drove his truck down Bourbon Street -- federal officials reviewed the security plans "and see where we can tweak them and add bodies or add equipment or technology to shore up that plan." The Super Bowl 59 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles comes one month after the attack, which killed 14 people and injured dozens more. MORE: A month after terror attack, officials say Super Bowl has 'no credible threats' "We would be foolish if we didn't use the events of January 1 to inform the plans we can put forward for the Super Bowl," he said. Joshua Jackson, the special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives New Orleans field office, told ABC News there will be covert and overt assets protecting those who visit and attend the game in New Orleans. "We have plenty of resources to respond, with our explosive detection canines, with our bomb techs and our agents to respond to make sure everybody's safe," he said. Those assets include bomb-sniffing dogs, undercover agents and tactical teams which are comprised of Special Agents from the SWAT team, medics and fire inspectors. "You're going to see uniform law enforcement, tactically. See helicopters, drones, see additional camera locations. You can see armored vehicles like Bearcats that are placed throughout the city," DeLaune said. "You will see people on rooftops, spotters on rooftops. We're going to bring everything we have to bear to make sure that people can feel comfortable." He also urged those who see something to say something both at the event and if they are elsewhere. "We want to make sure that the community is very vigilant -- over report anything that you see that's suspicious, unattended coolers, unattended bags, as people normally see, unintended bags and backpacks, we're used to that, but coolers are used to conceal those explosive devices during the terrorist attack. So over report, give us a call," he said. MORE: Donald Trump planning to attend Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday Adding to the security presence, President Donald Trump is planning to attend the Super Bowl, marking the first time a sitting president will appear at the game. Following the announcement, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters in New Orleans on Monday that there are no credible threats to the game or its many surrounding events. "We recognize the importance of making sure that we're doing due diligence and being prepared for events as proactive as possible, and pre-deploying resources and partnerships that will help us make sure that these events come off safely and with a focus on security," Noem said. New Orleans will be the 'safest city in America' for Super Bowl LIX, officials say originally appeared on
