The teams are here, the fans are arriving, and the Sweet 16 excitement continues to build, but police and MECA want to give you some advice before heading downtown.
Thousands will attend the sold out games at the Centurylink Center featuring Duke, Kansas, Clemson, and Syracuse.
OPD's uniformed officers, mounted patrol and swat team members will handle the thousands of fans downtown. They expect it to be similar to a Creighton home game for locals, but will be on the lookout for added crime.
"We have an extra contingency of officers that will be in the area 'A' just as visibility but also to make sure that we're deterring crime and stopping people that need to be stopped, etc," OPD Commander Kathy Gonzalez explained.
OPD says they shouldn't be any lane closures downtown but give yourself extra time and know which lot you're trying to get to. After parking, they say, store your valuables out of sight because more people in the area means increased opportunities for theft.
There will be 50 metal detectors at the Centurylink Center that will be used this weekend. Also, their clear bag policy is in place for all events which means items must be in clear bags no bigger than 12 x 12 x 6. You can bring a small or clutch-sized purse that is no bigger than 4.5 x 6.5 long.
