ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
All-Star week is finally here but All-Star security started long before fans started lining up for FanFest downtown. We go one on one with the FBI, learning how they protect thousands of people, without those people really even knowing."For the St. Louis community this is a big deal. For the FBI we're involved in special events throughout the year," explains Special Agent in Charge John Gillies. "For all the events whether it's the Superbowl, presidential inauguration, democrat and republican parties."
The All Star Game is baseball's version of all those things. It is in St. Louis and so are a lot of law enforcement tools fans won't even see.
"The St. Louis Police Department has the all over security, for the game. The FBI IS one of its partners," says Gillies. "From the police department's aspect, you'll see them, they will be very visible on the street. From the FBI's perspective, we're out there, you will not see most of what we're doing."
You might call it "invisible security". You won't know all the FBI does, but you'll feel it.
"We have tactical teams that we've brought in from other field offices, bomb techs that we've brought in," Gillies explains. "When it comes to hazardous materials, the Department of Energy helps us on those issues. We're talking dozens and dozens of partners: Coast Guard, TSA, right on down."
The crowd inside Busch Stadium will be no bigger than most any other game, but the people in it will be different. Secret Service will take care of presidential security and when it comes to the stars, Gillies says the FBI takes care of them like it takes care of the rest of us.
"It's what we do everyday," he says." "We prepare and we protect and provide the adequate security that is required."
"There is international exposure and because of that we know from our practices that that's what terrorists are targeting, the big things, so we've had analysts who are going through all kinds of intelligence streams looking for those tidbits that might affect the events here. I can let the citizens know that we have not seen any of that."
