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    2009 NCAA TOURNEY

Detroit Braces For Rowdy NCAA Celebrations

Michigan State, UNC Playing In NCAA Final

POSTED: 9:38 am PDT April 6, 2009
UPDATED: 9:58 am PDT April 6, 2009

Detroit officials are bracing for what could be a rowdy night on the city's streets Monday.

With Michigan State taking on North Carolina in the final of the men's NCAA basketball tournament at Detroit's Ford Field, police are preparing for fan celebrations that could spill onto the streets.

Detroit police spokesman James Tate told Detroit television WDIV that local police and other law enforcement agencies -- including the FBI -- will be out in full force.

"It's going to be an all-around effort by everybody to ensure safety, but most importantly that everybody enjoys themselves," Tate told WDIV.

Police told the television station that since the NCAA championship game is expected to attract a large amount of college students, officials will be especially be on alert for any alcohol violations that may include minors.

If any fans get out of hand Monday night, police are prepared. According to the Detroit Free Press, officers in Detroit will be armed with Nerf-like grenades -- nonlethal, blue sponge grenades that travel 300 feet per second from a 40 mm gun.

"This is just a precaution," Detroit Police Officer Brandon Cole told the Free Press. "If they know we're out there, we hope they'll stay in line."

The grenades will be used in an attempt to avoid a repeat of a 2008 Michigan State riot -- called the Cedar Fest Riots -- in which police were hit by flying objects from rowdy crowds. The Cedar Fest incident started as a street party organized by an Internet site but later turned into a riot involving 3,000 to 4,000 people, the Michigan Messenger reported. According to the newspaper, 52 people -- many of them MSU students -- were arrested. Police used smoke bombs, stinger grenades, flash bangs and tear gas to get the crowd to disperse.

The campus also had disturbances after the Spartans' Final Four appearances 1999 and 2005. However, fans celebrated peacefully when the team won the national title in 2000.

"I don't want to put any undue pressure on the basketball team, but for those guys to win the championship would do a lot of good for public safety," East Lansing Police Chief Tom Wibert told the Michigan Messenger.

Police said visitors and fans attending Monday's game should use common sense, like not leaving valuables in cars and walking in groups.


Tournament Extras

The NCAA tournament is down to two teams, Michigan State and North Carolina. Get live game updates, scores, news and slideshows here as the tourney wraps up. More


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