Police Brace for Rowdy Black and Gold Crowds

As the Bruins prepare to hoist the Stanley Cup above their heads in the final game against the Vancouver Canucks, Boston and state police are prepared for revelry and potential riots.

Three people have died during sports related celebrations since 2004.

“Sadly, we now have a playbook to deal with these situations, and the Police Department has put together responsible plans to ensure everyone’s safety,” Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, told the Globe.

People will see hundreds of officers patrolling the city, and barriers will block off the streets around the Garden and Fenway to stop people from entering the area after the game.

State police will be specifically positioned along Boylston Street, to south of Fenway Park for “crowd control, traffic management and tactical support.” Also, officials will be on the lookout of public drinking, and driving under the influence. Surveillance cameras will be on, and police suggest taking the T or a cab.

Once at the bar, managers there have a checklist of their own for out-of-town championships. 

In includes:

• Lock or remove outdoor furniture before the game ends
• Black out windows to keep people from trying to peek in at televisions
• Ban people from entering after the second period.

While no departments will release exactly how many officers they expect to deploy, this list of units from the State Police help put it into perspective:

• Troopers from the Special Emergency Response Team
• Troopers and horses from the State Police Mounted Unit
• State Police K-9 teams
• Members of the State Police Special Tactical Operations (STOP) Team
• The Troop H Community Action Team
• State Police Motorcycle Unit
• State Police helicopter to provide surveillance and digital video downlink to the command posts.

Go Bruins!