Extra 100 FBI personnel will supplement regular staff of 200 agents in N.O.
It's an unprecedented security challenge for New Orleans: The increasingly raucous buildup to Mardi Gras gets suspended for a week as 150,000 visitors pack the city for the Super Bowl.
The two events bring all the usual worries, from petty crime and public drunkenness to random gunfire and, in the case of the big game, heightened vigilance for terrorism.
Joining the NOPD's 1,200-plus officers for Super Bowl week are more than 200 state troopers and about 100 officers from surrounding local jurisdictions.
Also, with the Super Bowl considered a potential terrorist target, there is a beefed-up federal contingent. FBI agent Michael Anderson says that includes close to 100 extra FBI personnel supplementing the regular New Orleans FBI staff of 200 agents and support staff.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
