Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office personnel took to the San Francisco Bay Area this week for Super Bowl LX. They weren’t attending as spectators though. Deputy Sheriff Foy Melendy and Corp. Nathan Cumbow from the county’s bomb squad were stationed near the Moscone Center, guarding the venue that hosted San Francisco’s “Super Bowl LX Experience.”
The center hosted a variety of events throughout the weekend, including a 2,000 capacity viewing party, exhibits featuring the Vince Lombardi Trophy and all previous Super Bowl rings and the Super Bowl’s media center, which featured NFL analysts, Hall of Famers, and coaches. Additionally, Melendy told the Times-Standard, Pro Bowl festivities were held at the center, with the best football players in the world stopping by the Moscone Center from the Hyatt hotel nearby.
“The Humboldt Sheriff Bomb Squad rolled down to the Bay Area to assist with security operations around Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara and related events across the region,” an HCSO Facebook post shared Monday said. “As part of a multiagency effort to protect fans, teams and the public, specialized units like bomb squads and explosive detection teams conduct proactive sweeps and stand ready to respond to suspicious items so everyone can enjoy the game safely!”
Humboldt County Deputy Sheriff Foy Melendy poses with a sculpture depicting the Super Bowl LX logo this weekend. (HCSO/Contributed)
“Overall, it was a great experience,” Melendy told the Times-Standard by phone Tuesday afternoon. “… We didn’t actually get to make it to Santa Clara (to Levi’s Stadium) for the Super Bowl, but … we basically did vehicle checks at 3rd Street and Folsom.”
Melendy said that he was there to work and that most of the players were anonymous in rented Cadillac Escalades and other limousines or cabs. He did spot San Francisco 49ers legends Steve Young and Jerry Rice as well as current ‘Niner George Kittle.
HCSO Deputy Melendy and Corporal Cumbow worked at a checkpoint to the East of the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco. (HCSO/Contributed)
No stranger to large operations, Melendy, a nearly 11-year veteran of the HCSO and veteran of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard before, worked aboard a boat during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver early in his career. He also worked with security for Hillary Clinton’s 2021 trip to Humboldt County and a number of large regional events like Sara Bareilles’ 2022 concert in Halvorsen Park.
Melendy said that one of the best parts of the experience for him was working with the San Francisco Police Department — who “took great care of us” — to see how they worked to ensure public safety at the massive event and what kinds of equipment and tactics were employed that HCSO could implement to make future events safer and smoother.
Robert Schaulis can be reached at 707-441-0585.