State Police Step Up Waterway Patrols as Super Bowl Approaches [AUDIO]

With the Super Bowl -- which is being played in the Meadowlands -- now less than two weeks away, the New Jersey State Police are stepping up security patrols on waterways near the stadium and along a portion of the Hudson River in Jersey City, where the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks will be staying as they prepare for the big game.

"Everything along the waterway will be watched to make sure that nothing suspicious is happening on the waterway," said the NJSP Super Bowl Incident Commander, Lt. Col. Ed Cetnar, during a news conference held on a patrol boat in the middle of the Hudson River.

Cetnar said several boats are now in operation, including the state-of-the-art Moose Patrol boat that was purchased with federal Homeland Security funding.

"That boat has all the capabilities, from any night vision to infrared, to radiological detection to underwater detection capabilities," he said.

He stressed the the troopers on the Hudson will be working with the Coast Guard and other allied partners, who are all trained in maritime security.

"They know what counter-measures they have to take to mitigate a threat or address a threat that may be coming at them or if they stop a vessel," the Colonel said. "They do this every day of the year."

The Super Bowl is considered a level one homeland security event, which means the NJSP, as the lead agency, can secure any resources that are needed from the feds.

So what kind of suspicious activity are they most concerned about?

"You're always concerned with anybody coming in with any type of threat, whether it's a lone wolf, whether it's somebody -- a violent extremist who may be coming in to do harm because they know the Super Bowl is such a big event," he said.

He stressed the Super Bowl is an American tradition, and 164 million people worldwide will be watching the game, "so the eyes are on New Jersey for Super Bowl week, and we want to make sure, with our federal and allied partners that we're doing everything we can so folks don't even have a concern in their mind."