Police prepared for Flyers’ NCAA celebrations

Dayton police are planning for a possible intense celebration at the University of Dayton campus should the Flyers win Friday night and advance in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

For two nights in a row, about 20 additional Dayton police officers were assigned to the campus to supplement the university officers as students celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and the Flyers’ first win against Boise State in the in teh First Four tournament. Several hundred people flocked to Kiefaber Street just before midnight after the UD team won. For the most part, revelers were peaceful — cheering from porches and honking horns until just after 1 a.m.

However, with the Flyers’ game against Providence on Friday, police are expecting bigger crowds. There are no classes on Saturday, and with tip off around 10 p.m., fans may be in a more celebratory mood by the time the game ends, said Lt. Andrew Booher.

“We do hope they win and continue on but we hope the celebrations are like they have been for the last two events — calm,” he said.

Dayton and UD officers will patrol the streets on foot. Area jurisdictions, such as Kettering and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, have been notified that they could be called in as mutual aid if needed for crowd control. Police will focus on keeping the streets clear for safety reasons, and making sure any celebrations are orderly, Booher said.

The Dayton police department has incurred little overtime this year, even with extra officers assigned to the campus. Most officers have adjusted their schedules or taken other days off in order to fill the extra shifts, Booher said. Last year, Dayton police paid out more than $35,000 in overtime providing extra officer support at the UD campus during the Flyers’ run in the NCAA tournament.

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