From pickpockets and prostitutes to dirty bombs and exploding manhole covers, authorities are bracing for whatever threat the first Super Bowl in downtown Indianapolis might bring. Some — nuclear terrorism, for instance — are likely to remain just hypothetical. But others, like thieves and wayward manhole covers, are all too real. Though Indianapolis has ample experience hosting large sporting events — the Indianapolis 500 attracts more than 200,000 fans each year, and the NCAA’s men’s Final Four basketball tournament has been held here six times since 1980— the city’s first Super Bowl poses some unique challenges. Unlike the Final Four, which is compressed into a weekend, the Super Bowl offers crowd, travel and other logistical challenges over 10 days leading up to the Feb. 5 game. And unlike the 500, where events are largely concentrated at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway about seven miles from Lucas Oil Stadium, the NFL’s showcase event will consume 44 blocks — about a mile square — in t …
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Daniels signs new penalties for sex trafficking By TOM LoBIANCO January 30, 2012 12:04PM
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Mitch Daniels and Indiana leaders are giving prosecutors more tools to battle the human sex trafficking they expect to follow football fans to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl.
Daniels said Monday the measure amounts to a “Don’t Try It Here” sign to anyone trafficking prostitutes ahead of Sunday’s football championship.
Prosecutors and other supporters say the bill would make it easier to prosecute sex trafficking cases involving victims younger than 16 and broaden the law for cases with older victims. The bill makes recruiting, transporting or harboring anyone younger than 16 for prostitution a felony punishable by 20 years to 50 years in prison.
The measure won unanimous support in the House and Senate and was the first bill signed by Daniels this year.
See the full article from “Oak Park Leaves”
Officer David Bryant, right, of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police, watches the crowd at the Super Bowl Village in Indianapolis on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. From pickpockets and prostitutes to dirty bombs and exploding manhole covers, authorities are bracing for whatever threat Super Bowl XLVI might bring.
See the full article from “Rockford Register Star”
Security Officials Prepare For Manhole Explosions, Other Dangers At Super Bowl
January 30, 2012 11:01 AM
Thieves have stolen eight storm drain covers in Arlington Heights, each worth about $100 and weighing 100 pounds. (CBS)
INDIANAPOLIS (CBS) — Indianapolis is gearing up for next Sunday’s Super Bowl, and not just from a tourism and fan standpoint.
As WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports, when it comes to security risks, the federal government ranks the Super Bowl just below national events involving the president.
That has Indianapolis police and Homeland Security officials on their toes. They are preparing for everything from the usual – pickpockets and prostitution – to terrorist attacks and even blown manhole covers.
In December, Indiana Power and Light began installing 150 new locking manhole covers around Lucas Oil Stadium, at a cost of $2,000 each.
See the full article from “CBS Local”
Daniels signs human trafficking bill into law
INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a bill into law Monday that should make it easier to prosecute and punish people who force others into the sex trade or other service.
The move comes less than one week before the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, an even expected to bring a significant sex trade to the city.
It’s also the first bill Daniels has signed into law this year. State officials say that in states that have hosted previous Super Bowls, organized crime groups have promoted underage prostitution to out-of-town visitors.
“The message we send today is: Don’t try it here,” Daniels said in prepared remarks. “Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis is where this practice ends.”
See the full article from “The Statehouse File”
INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the first bill of the legislative session into law Monday – a measure meant to crack down on human sex trafficking during the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
“Indiana…will have a new law that makes it easier to prosecute these crimes and toughens our penalties,” he said.
Daniels said he hopes the new law works as a deterrent against exploiting young boys and girls in the sex trade during the Super Bowl and in the future.
The governor had sought the changes as part of his legislative agenda.
The bill makes it a felony to recruit, harbor or transport a child younger than 16 with the intent to engage in prostitution. It also increases the penalty for anyone who sells or transfers custody of a child.
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Said Sr. Ann Oestreich of CCRIM, “This was a real grassroots effort on behalf of the 11 CCRIM congregations which included contacting 220 hotels within a 50 mile radius of the Stadium. We asked hotels what they were doing to educate their staffs, and we are hand-delivering anti-trafficking materials to hotel management.”
ICCR members have been in dialogue with companies in the travel and tourism sector regarding anti-trafficking policies for several years.
Said Mark Regier of Everence Financial, “As investors, we believe that human trafficking poses a significant business risk, wherever and whenever it occurs. Unlike the annual Super Bowl Championship, human trafficking takes place year-round across the globe.”
ICCR’s campaign began with the 2010 World Cup in
South Africa
when investors wrote the hotels, airlines and event sponsors in their portfolios to alert them to the risks of trafficking and request that they adopt formal human rights policies including the ECPAT code against child sex tourism. The Super Bowl initiative, which began last year, is a continuation of this campaign.
See the full article from “PR Newswire (press release)”
Said Sr. Ann Oestreich of CCRIM, “This was a real grassroots effort on behalf of the 11 CCRIM congregations which included contacting 220 hotels within a 50 mile radius of the Stadium. We asked hotels what they were doing to educate their staffs, and we are hand-delivering anti-trafficking materials to hotel management.”
ICCR members have been in dialogue with companies in the travel and tourism sector regarding anti-trafficking policies for several years.
Said Mark Regier of Everence Financial, “As investors, we believe that human trafficking poses a significant business risk, wherever and whenever it occurs. Unlike the annual Super Bowl Championship, human trafficking takes place year-round across the globe.”
ICCR’s campaign began with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa when investors wrote the hotels, airlines and event sponsors in their portfolios to alert them to the risks of trafficking and request that they adopt formal human rights policies including the ECPAT code against child sex tourism. The Super Bowl initiative, which began last year, is a continuation of this campaign.
See the full article from “MarketWatch (press release)”
From pickpockets and prostitutes to dirty bombs and exploding manhole covers, authorities are bracing for whatever threat the first Super Bowl in downtown Indianapolis might bring.
Some _ nuclear terrorism, for instance _ are likely to remain just hypothetical. But others, like thieves and wayward manhole covers, are all too real.
…
The city has invested millions of dollars and worked with local, state and federal agencies to try to keep all those people safe. Up to 1,000 city police officers will be in the stadium and on the street, carrying smartphones and other electronic hand-held devices that will enable them to feed photos and video to a new state-of-the-art operations center on the city’s east side or to cruisers driven by officers providing backup, Straub said. Hundreds of officers from other agencies, including the state police and the FBI, will be scanning the crowd for signs of pickpocketing, prostitution or other trouble.
See the full article from “STLtoday.com”
From pickpockets and prostitutes to dirty bombs and exploding manhole covers, authorities are bracing for whatever threat the first Super Bowl in downtown Indianapolis might bring.
See the full article from “TheNewsTribune.com”