DETROIT, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Crowd predictions for the NFL Draft in Detroit were predicted to be as high as 400,000 people, and while estimates for Green Bay’s draft haven’t been that high, they’ve been far beyond anything the area has ever hosted.
Green Bay safety officials say they feel they’ll be in a better position to handle this event next year after seeing the challenges this particular draft presents.
“Now being here for the event really puts it together for us with what we have coming,” said Captain Ben Allen of the Green Bay Police Department, who is leading the safety operations for Green Bay’s draft.
Non-invasive weapon detectors, a plethora of cameras, and uniformed and undercover officers have eyes all over downtown Detroit for the 2024 NFL Draft.
“We started well over a year ago and we needed every second of that time to get right where we are right now,” said Chief James White of the Detroit Police Department.
White’s department is the lead agency overseeing this year’s draft safety plan. He says Detroit PD has nearly 3,000 officers. That’s compared to about 180 for Green Bay’s police department.
“I think footprints and location is going to be different for us,” said Allen. “We had some initial conversations with Kansas City. Their footprint is similar to what we have, so I think that linear shape is going to help us. We also don’t have the high-rise buildings and some of these safety issues to worry about.”
FOX 11 asked Chief White: Can you imagine a department of that size putting on an event like this?
“I can imagine that they’re really going to have to tap into relationships,” said White. “They’re really going to have to talk collaboration and partnership. This is a tremendous undertaking. I don’t know the location of the footprint there. The unique part of this is this is the heart of the city. This is the downtown area with all the businesses still doing business. So that creates a unique challenge in of itself.”
Green Bay is expected to have the same resources as Detroit, perhaps in greater numbers – help from area sheriff’s departments, the FBI, Homeland Security, and ATF.
Green Bay safety officials say a more wide-open campus that will include Lambeau Field, Titletown, and the Resch Complex should also make it easier than Detroit to get to anyone dealing with an emergency.
“What we’ll do is zone off areas, have different areas of responsibilities for all of our teams to respond and then be able to address any issue very quickly,” said Green Bay Metro Fire Chief Matthew Knott.
Another advantage is planning. That is a repetitive theme when FOX 11 asks Detroit officials for advice they give their counterparts in Green Bay.
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