Along with football fans, electronic and physical security
was out in force for Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Fla.
The Feb. 6 game – which saw the New England Patriots beat
the Philadelphia Eagles to win their third title in four
years – continued the stepped-up security surrounding the
NFL’s championship game since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

According to CNN, surveillance cameras were been placed
throughout Alltel Stadium, site of the big game, and were
constantly monitored during the game. They were capable of
zooming in on one of the 83,000 fans in attendance.

Like any Super Bowl held since the attacks, fans weren’t
able to just walk or drive up to the stadium gates. Traffic
around the stadium was rerouted.

However, one difference from other recent Super Bowls is
Alltel Stadium sat next to a body of water – Johns River –
that was patrolled by U.S. Coast Guard ships before, during
and after the game.

As for the fans on foot, several gates and barriers were
been erected around the stadium. Fans needed to go to a
designated drop-off site and take shuttle buses to the
stadium. When they arrived, fans went through a 1,000-foot
battery of pat-downs, bag searches and airport-style X-ray
machines at three checkpoints before they were allowed to
enter the stadium. The NFL urged fans to get to the stadium
five hours before the game to deal with all the security
measures.

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