The Windsor Police Service is getting ready to handle an influx of people to the region for the NFL Draft in Detroit.
The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in downtown Detroit, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the Motor City for the three-day event that begins next Thursday.
A news conference was held Thursday at the Detroit Police Department to talk about the law enforcement and security partnership for the event.
It included officials from Detroit Police, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Homeland Security, Michigan State Police, and Windsor Police Chief Jason Bellaire.
Bellaire says they support the event as a police service and a community.
"For our part, we'll do whatever we can and whatever they ask us to help strengthen that feeling of safety and security in the area," he says. "We have a full house in Windsor for the event, too. The hotels are full and some events are going on. We have our things to do over here, but we have integration of command staff going back and forth."
Bellaire says Detroit is very well equipped and experienced at staging world-class events.
"We are very experienced at dealing with the overflow crowds that come in for things like a Super Bowl years ago or for something like this," he says. "We have our solid partnerships in place to help with keeping the community safe, keeping the area safe."
Hotel rooms in Detroit and downtown Windsor are packed for the league's second-biggest event, behind only the Super Bowl.
Bellaire says some teams that work in different parts of the city will be temporarily transitioned to downtown patrols as needed during the three-day event
"The need is based on the volume of visitors and people in the downtown area, we would put that corresponding resource addition in place; it's planned for. We've been planning for this, we've been planning for it since the very beginning with U.S. authorities, we're well prepared for it," he says.
The NFL draft is scheduled for April 25-27, with the first round taking place on Thursday night.
The draft will take place on a stage near Cadillac Square and Campus Martius Park, and the celebrations will stretch all the way to Hart Plaza where the NFL Fan Experience will be located.
The Downtown Windsor BIA will also host an all-ages block party in celebration of the NFL Draft.
On Saturday, April 27, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Ouellette Avenue between Park Street and University Avenue will be shut down to traffic for a full slate of on-street live entertainment.
The evening event follows a full day of happenings at City Hall including NFL Canada Fan Experience, NFL Draft Viewing, NFL Fan Competitions, NFL Player Appearances, and Football Skills and Coaching Clinic.
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Today, Chief Bellaire joined the Detroit Police Department and other partner agencies to discuss safety initiatives ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. Windsor will be hosting many visitors during this special event, and we are committed to providing a safe and memorable experience for… pic.twitter.com/kbeu4aHfEX
— Windsor Police (@WindsorPolice) April 18, 2024