Minneapolis officials ask for National Guard help during Super Bowl

Minneapolis officials are calling on Gov. Mark Dayton to mobilize the state National Guard for the Super Bowl, amid questions about whether the city’s police force has enough officers to effectively patrol neighborhoods and handle other demands.

Even with dozens of departments across the state pledging to send officers to help with security, Mayor Betsy Hodges and Mayor-elect Jacob Frey wrote in a letter on Tuesday that the city’s police “cannot by themselves meet of all the safety and security needs of the 10 days of Super Bowl LII while maintaining public-safety operations for the entire city.”

A police spokeswoman referred questions to the city, which didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The Super Bowl Host Committee, which has raised $50 million to cover the cost of hosting the game, said through a spokeswoman that it would cover the cost of the deployment. “Our priority is creating a safe Super Bowl in which all Minnesotans can share in the excitement,” said the spokeswoman, Andrea Mokros.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-officials-ask-for-national-guard-help-during-super-bowl/462154753/