KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, police are mobilizing for the big crowds anticipated at entertainment districts around the city for the Super Bowl.
Ivy Gohn and her friends from Florida were in town this week for a cheerleading competition. On Sunday, they will join in Super Bowl fever with the thousands of fans expected to watch the big game on the big screens at the Kansas City Power and Light District.
"All the food and the excitement and the football fans and everybody," Gohn said.
KCPD plans to beef up staffing on Sunday to keep the city safe as fans celebrate.
"We have dozens, if not over a hundred, additional officers that will be working Sunday night," KCPD spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said.
Entertainment districts like Westport also hire off-duty officers to keep the peace.
While officers in uniform can act as deterrents, security experts believe undercover officers will help as well.
"They're looking for behavioral indicators of people that may be exhibiting signs of carrying concealed arms with ill intent," said Mark Warren, executive vice president of Strategos International in Grandview.
How Sunday night ends may come down to how fans react to the game.
"What's the intent of the crowd? Is it celebratory, is it becoming more aggravated?" Warren said. "If I feel that tension is becoming aggravating, I definitely want to be on the outside skirts of that crowd and then determining if it's moving that way, I probably want to move the opposite direction."
If things do get out of hand, Warren has some words of advice.
"Don't be afraid to walk, you know, in around that police line," he said. "Because if it's starting to get really rowdy, they're going to form a line because they're going to try and start pushing their crowd one way or the other where they need to move them."
41 Action News reached out to representative for the Kansas City Power and Light District and the Westport Regional Business League on Thursday to see if there are any additional security measures in place for Sunday, such as checking bags or going through metal detectors
"We do not comment on our security protocols. The safety of our guests and team members is our biggest priority, and we are working closely with the Kansas City Police Department to ensure the festivities are safe and enjoyable," a Power and Light District spokesperson said.
The Westport Regional Business League did not respond to the request for comment.
