click to enlarge SF Weekly photo illustration

Who's in charge? Make no mistake.

If Peyton Manning, Roger Goodell, and Cam Newton all want to stroll arm-in-arm down Market Street ahead of their big game Sunday, San Francisco police will be there to protect them — free of charge.In addition to providing all the free security for Super Bowl City, the "fan village" that's occupying most of the Financial District, and other SF-located Super Bowl events, the San Francisco Police Department have also guaranteed free security escorts for the NFL and its teams while they're in town for the Super Bowl "without limitation," according to an agreement signed by SFPD Chief Greg Suhr.You'll recall how San Francisco, at the NFL's demand, agreed to pay for the police protection, cleanup, and transit costs for the Super Bowl festivities out of pocket, an estimated $5.3 million bill. (If you do, you'll probably also recall how Santa Clara, where the game is being played Sunday, demanded that the NFL pay it $3.6 million up front — and that Santa Clara has a signed host city agreement in place, whereas SF welcomed the Super Bowl on little more than a handshake .)But the NFL, it appears, has more than just a safe place in which to party. The SFPD has signed up to be the NFL's at-will security guards. SFPD were out in force over the weekend at Super Bowl City, where members of the tactical squad outfitted with kevlar and AR-15 assault rifles observed the much lighter than expected crowds strolling through the Super Bowl City at Market Street and "NFL Experience" at the Moscone Center.But the deal with the NFL, signed in 2013 before the NFL named San Francisco as the host area for the Super Bowl, goes further than that.Suhr agreed to give the NFL, "without limitation... police escorts from time to time as requested by the NFL... at no cost, expense or liability to the NFL or the Teams," according to the agreement. Meaning, if Roger Gooddell feels like an escort home, he gets one. Without limitation.A request for comment from SFPD was not immediately returned by press time. But, hey, Peyton — at least you'll be safe off of the field, if not on it.

SFPD Super Bowl Memo