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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

    Security increased for weekend

    Molecular and cellular biology junior Quincy Johnson, left, and pre-business sophomore Kyle Speck participate in a four-square game in Alumni Plaza yesterday. A couple of students taped off the court on the ground, and several students walking by joined in.
    Molecular and cellular biology junior Quincy Johnson, left, and pre-business sophomore Kyle Speck participate in a four-square game in Alumni Plaza yesterday. A couple of students taped off the court on the ground, and several students walking by joined in.

    The University of Arizona Police Department will not modify its traffic control plan for this year’s Homecoming game, but it does aim to step up security for Homecoming events.

    “”All of them are going to require additional staffing,”” said Sgt. Eugene Mejia, UAPD spokesman.

    UAPD will assign more of its officers to patrol events, but outside agencies such as the Tucson Police Department and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department will also be brought in to help when support is needed, Mejia said.

    TPD will assist in securing the Homecoming game by providing officers, K-9 units and a SWAT team.

    Like at other games, K-9 units will ensure that Arizona Stadium is free from explosives prior to the game, and they will also be on hand during the game, TPD Sgt. Decio Hopffer said.

    A SWAT team will be on standby in case of an emergency, and TPD officers will contribute to securing the area.

    UAPD, however, will remain in charge of the overall security plan throughout the weekend’s events, and TPD will not increase patrols surrounding the UA campus because of Homecoming, Hopffer said.

    “”They’ve been doing this for years,”” Hopffer said.

    Mejia said that UAPD does not anticipate any problems over the weekend, but he did say that UAPD wants to be ready if anything does happen.

    “”It’s more like prevention,”” Mejia said.

    Fans commuting to the football game will not have to worry about any unusual road closures, Mejia said. UAPD will close the same roads it does before every football game.

    But the roads along the Homecoming parade route, which circles the UA Mall from North Campbell Avenue to Old Main and back to Campbell Avenue, will be closed for the duration of the parade, which starts at 10 a.m.

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