Crime & Safety
Creepy Clowns, Extra Cops, Terrorist Threats: Security for Cubs Playoffs
Chicago police will increase its presence around Wrigley Field, adding about 30 more officers for Game 1 of the NLDS.
CHICAGO, IL — The Chicago Police Department will have about 30 extra uniformed officers patrolling outside Wrigley Field when the Chicago Cubs take on the San Francisco Giants in Friday's Game 1 of the National League Division Series, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
An increase of cops around Wrigley is part of the security measures the Chicago Police Department is taking for the Cubs' first playoff game this postseason. Normally, the department has about 40 officers working a game, but for Game 1 of the NLDS, there will be around 70, which is on par with Opening Day or a game against the White Sox, the report stated.
Earlier this week, the Office of Alderman Tom Tunney (44th Ward) announced street closings and parking restrictions around the ballpark during the Cubs' home playoff games. Fans and residents can expect parts of Irving Park Road and Sheffield, Waveland and Belmont avenues to be closed starting about three hours before the first pitch.
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RELATED: Chicago Cubs 2016 Playoffs: Street Closings and Parking Restrictions Around Wrigley Field
Along with monitoring possible terrorist actions, Chicago police will be on the lookout for "creepy clowns" in the crowds, the Sun-Times reports. That threat might sound ridiculous, but authorities have been on alert after a recent flood of reports of individuals dressed as clowns menacing people, the report added.
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The level of security for Game 1 and Saturday's Game 2 dramatically changes, however, if President Barack Obama, who will be in Chicago this weekend, decides to drop by to catch the Cubs, the report stated. A surprise visit from the president — a vocal White Sox fan — would throw Secret Service agents into the mix when it comes to added security in and around the ballpark, the report added.
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Security also will be increased the further the Cubs get in the playoffs and reach the Promised Land of the World Series.
"We’d treat it like any other championship: Bulls, Sox, Bears," a Chicago police source told the Sun-Times. "We’ve seen these things in the city before. It’s just been a while."
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