Denver police are bracing for the World Series but plan to handle the event without the help of suburban police departments.
Officials are calling agencies that have policed other World Series to find out the best way to oversee security, said Sonny Jackson, spokesman for the Denver Police Department.
“Public safety is our main concern,” Jackson said. “We want to make sure people can leave the game safely and get home.”
Officers made seven arrests in the wake of the Rockies’ National League Championship win at Coors Field Monday night. Two involved felony charges for two men who jumped on a police car.
“For 40,000-plus coming downtown, things went relatively smoothly,” he said.
Policing the World Series also will serve as a good run up to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, when officers will be expected to handle 30,000 to 35,000 visitors, Jackson said.
“Any time you have a mass deployment of officers, it’s always good to train and learn from the experience,” Jackson said.
Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said his department will keep an eye on Centennial Airport because of the extra traffic the World Series will attract there. Deputies will keep tabs on hotels and motels in Arapahoe County but will leave the downtown area to Denver police.
The Rockies will be on the hook for any costs associated with policing inside Coors Field.
The Democratic National Convention will be a much larger policing project, and suburban departments are being called on to assist in that effort.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
