Police chief promises welcoming Super Bowl experience, not 'military occupation'

With game day in sight, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo reassured City Council members Thursday that an increased police presence will not hinder the fun in the 10-day lead-up to Super Bowl LII.

What sort of law enforcement presence should residents expect during Super Bowl week "on the spectrum from really fun party to military occupation?" Council Member Steve Fletcher asked during a meeting of the Public Safety Committee, drawing a smattering of laughter in council chambers Thursday. He pointed to Gov. Mark Dayton's recent decision to deploy an as-yet-undisclosed number of National Guard troops across the city.

"It will not be a military occupation," Arradondo told the committee, while acknowledging that people may notice more officers on the streets. Furthermore, he added, while National Guard troops will be stationed around downtown to guard key areas — U.S. Bank Stadium, Nicollet Mall and the convention center — Minneapolis police will handle most law enforcement duties leading up to and during the game.

Riders on the Blue Line, which on game day will be restricted to Super Bowl ticket holders, can expect a "rigorous security presence," he said.

With the game and its ancillary events expected to draw more than a million visitors to downtown, hundreds of police officers will be needed to secure the area. Security will be especially tight around the stadium, which will be surrounded by a roughly 2 ½-block perimeter on the weekend of the game.

More than 60 agencies from around the state — from Ely to Rochester — have agreed to send officers. Federal agencies, like the FBI and ICE, will also be involved.

All told, the cost to the city is expected to be at least $4.9 million for extra police personnel and other game-related security expenses. That figure is far below what last year's host city, Houston, spent. The state's host committee has a contract to reimburse Minneapolis for that amount, although some at City Hall have expressed worry about cost overruns.

Several council members, including Phillipe Cunningham, also raised worries about how authorities would respond to any protests that materialize on game day.

Arradondo assured committee members that if protests happen, the department would work with protesters to ensure that peaceful demonstrators are able to voice their views.