Super Bowl: Increased Security Measures Include TSA's VIPR Team
INGLEWOOD (CBSLA) — On top of the countless security measures in place to ensure public safety in the days surrounding Super Bowl LVI, some known to the public and others kept private, the Transportation Security Administration will be joining the long list of agencies on hand in Inglewood.
"Our job is to make sure that not only the hometown fans here in L.A, but a lot of the out-of-town guests that we might see, have an enjoyable, safe and secure experience," said Daniel Baybor, a TSA representative who spoke with CBS reporters.
The TSA's Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response, otherwise known as The VIPR Team, was deployed to Metro stations countywide, in an effort to provide safer public transportation options with so many people set to descend upon the Southland.
The team is comprised partly of Federal Air Marshalls and Transportation Officers, whose goal is to prevent any active terrorism that may arise in regards to transportation venues in Los Angeles and Inglewood.
Members of the team could be seen at 7th Street's Metro Station Friday evening, and riders could definitely feel the difference of their noted presence.
"I did notice a little yesterday," said Monique Taylor, a regular commuter who convinced her friends to join her at the Super Bowl Experience.
TSA has also stationed 30 teams equipped with K9 units at SoFi Stadium and several airports in the area, including LAX.
"Joker enjoys taking long walks, playing fetch and eating watermelon," said one of the unit's handlers.
They may be cute, but they mean business.
"Every one of the dogs you see here today is a highly-trained, highly-skilled explosives detective canine," another TSA official declared while speaking to reporters on Friday.
Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security deployed an additional 500 members, especially with the looming threat of the "Freedom Convoy," of truckers that are supposedly headed to the area to disrupt traffic on Sunday. The movement began in Canada, where hundreds of truckers joined together in protest of mandatory COVID vaccination.
Officials have disclosed that while they feel comfortable with the amount of measures that have been placed in motion ahead of Sunday, they still want to remind the public - If you see something, say something.
