Is Super Bowl security ready for a potential Taylor Swift appearance?
LAS VEGAS ‒ The Super Bowl 58 security team is ready for Taylor Swift if she does decide to make an appearance, according to officials.
While the Sunday game is designated as a SEAR 1 high-risk event by the Department of Homeland Security, officials told members of the media on Wednesday that there are no known specific or credible threats to the game or any of the surrounding events, and no known additional threats related to Swift.
Security officials are already “extraordinarily vigilant” when bringing together 65,000 people in one stadium, even without Swift’s presence, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Our priorities (are) of safety and security for everyone in attendance, and that is what we are focused upon. And when there’s an additional celebrity who will bring more attention, we are already at a heightened state of vigilance,” Mayorkas said.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt: Swift ‘obviously’ security issue
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But Hunt noted that Swift’s security team has experience moving her in and out of stadiums after the regular season, when Swift attended a dozen NFL games to cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
“She has a really talented security team,’ Hunt said. ‘They liaison with our security team, and we make sure we get her into and out of the stadium safely.”
Security around Las Vegas for Super Bowl
Sports security experts say the Super Bowl is always considered a potential target by bad actors, but that’s especially true this year given the United States’ role in recent conflicts in the Middle East.
“There are so many different parties that want to inflict harm to America. What better way to generate publicity than one of the biggest games in the United States?” said Gil Fried, a professor at the University of West Florida and a specialist in sports facility management.
“I think the fact that Taylor Swift is there will enhance how this target could be more attractive,” he added.
Despite the concerns, Fried said the people in charge of security at the game “know their stuff.”
Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said security officials are ‘well-prepared,’ noting that preparations started as soon as the event was announced.
“I would feel comfortable bringing my family to the game,” Fried said. ‘That’s probably the gold standard. Most of the time, I would not feel comfortable taking my family or young kids, grandkids, to an NFL game.’
And Las Vegas’ history of hosting large events makes it well-equipped to handle Super Bowl security, noted Bobby McDonald, a lecturer in criminal justice at the University of New Haven and a former supervisory Secret Service agent.
“You couldn’t have a better infrastructure already in place,” McDonald said.
Will Taylor Swift be at the Super Bowl?
It’s still not clear whether Swift will make an appearance at Sunday’s game.
The artist kicks off the 2024 leg of her Eras Tour on Wednesday in Tokyo, but it’s possible she lands in Las Vegas before kickoff. (One possible hiccup? Finding parking. Spots available for private aircraft at airports in and around Las Vegas are already spoken for, according to the Associated Press.)