Final Four, Hash Bash have University of Michigan police preparing for busy Saturday
The convergence of several events in Ann Arbor, as well as the possibility of post-game rowdiness after Michigan's appearance in the Final Four, will prompt increased police presence throughout the city Saturday.
More police will be out than usual on Saturday as the Final Four and Hash Bash fall on the same day.
John Counts | AnnArbor.com
Ann Arbor police and University of Michigan police officials said there will be more uniformed officers on patrol than usual Saturday, comparing the deployment to a football Saturday. Ann Arbor police Deputy Chief Greg Bazick said officers from other local police agencies will be in the city to help out as well.
“They will see enhanced uniformed officer presence in the business district … much like what happens in fall for football season,” he said. “It’s the same type of operational plan that we have for that. People should expect to see an increased uniform patrol presence.”
Hash Bash 2013 takes place from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday on the Diag on the University of Michigan’s campus. The U-M men’s basketball team plays Syracuse in the national semifinals at 8:49 p.m.
University of Michigan Police spokeswoman Diane Brown said there are a tremendous amount of events on campus Saturday that will demand a police presence.
The Crisler Center plays host to the 41st annual Dance For Mother Earth Powwow and the 15th annual Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at the university’s Indoor Track and Field Building. In addition, there are athletic events on campus, theater events and several conferences.
Brown said the university police are putting together their own staffing plan but are working with the Ann Arbor police to coordinate a plan. She said she expects the city to be very busy Saturday with the various events going on and encouraged people to plan ahead.
“We aren’t overwhelmed, but we do encourage people to get to their locations early because the streets and parking areas will be dramatically more crowded,” Brown said.
Officers from the Ypsilanti Police Department, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety will be in Ann Arbor Saturday, helping add to the corps of police in town, Bazick said.
He said it’s unknown how much the increased staffing levels are going to cost the city in overtime.
“The bottom line will be what it is by the end of the year,” he said. “With overtime, it’s one of those things we have to manage. We can’t ever budget for (potentially making the Final Four) in advance.”
Bazick said police are planning for every situation, but he does not expect the local streets to explode in a haze of tear gas, as has happened at other Michigan schools after April basketball success.
He said it’s expected that fans will be respectful to city property and each other and he’s hoping the police presence will discourage any rowdiness.
“Our focus is going to be on being visible and prevention, instead of reaction,” he said.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Jack Gladney
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 5:25 p.m.
Man, I will tell you this: This Moroccan hash I picked up from a gal at The Bash is working wonders on my chronic mygerticulitimibus. I gots to see if my caregiver can get me more of this.
genetracy
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 5:08 p.m.
The Hash Bash. Ann Arbor's annual meeting of the mindless.
Milton Shift
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 7:32 p.m.
What a mindless comment.
David
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 3:38 p.m.
"Pick and roll" has two meanings today
hotpotato
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 11:31 a.m.
What is AAFD doing to prepare???????
Paul
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 10:29 a.m.
Who decides Hash Bash is only 90 mins long and not an all day event ?
Roadman
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 10:05 p.m.
U-M has granted permits for the event in the past. The key consideration is that the Diag at U-M is state property and state law rather than Ann Arbor's pot ordinance controls, so organizers urge attendees to wait until they go to the Monroe Street Fair to enjoy their marijuana as that venue is under the jurisdiction of the Ciy of Ann Arbor. Nevertheless, plenty of reefer smoking occurs among attendees during Hash Bash.
Milton Shift
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 3:10 a.m.
"Officers from the Ypsilanti Police Department, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office and Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety will be in Ann Arbor Saturday" This is foreboding for Hash Bash. Will they be showing only for the later events, or will they be present during Hash Bash? Will they be making arrests around town for marijuana?
mady
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 6:49 p.m.
God is perfect, man is not, man made beer, but God made pot!
Paul
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 10:28 a.m.
You can OD off beer, you can't OD off weed.
sheepyd
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 3:33 p.m.
Sounds like it should be fairly nice tomorrow, around 60 degrees. In stead of sucking a bunch of harmful marijuana smoke into your lungs why don't you try some physical fitness. Perhaps a hike in one of our beautiful state parks, a nice bike ride. Oh wait thats right, years of marijuana smoking have left you weak, lazy and incapable of any type of hard work. I fully support the legalization of marijuana because I think it is a waste of police resources, I however believe that any person that smokes marijuana should not be entitled to medicare/medicaid/ bridge cards/welfare etc.... Marijuana contributes to laziness, poor health, poor physical fitness and we shouldn't have to foot the bill for this type of lazy behavior. I don't want to hear from all the "I have a good job and smoke pot" people". Good for you, there are far more lazy, useless, marijuana addicts than productive ones, the proof is the working stiffs out there have to take Drug Tests, so good luck pot heads. I hope it gets legalized, you get kicked off welfare forcing you to get a job, which means you will have to take a drug test, and just as you can't go to work drunk on alcohol, a legal drug, you can't go to work high. So you will have to quit smoking weed and grow up. Oh potheads, you're so pathetic. The revolution is over, you win. You can sit home all day play video games, eat cheetos and listen to Dark Side of the Moon. The rest of us will go on living, just please stop making us pay for your habit. Get a job, get off welfare, get off bridge cards and pay your own way.
Paul
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 10:26 a.m.
Huh, I thought soda, beer and fast food causes people t become unfit. So I guess anybody who eats those things should be cut off welfare too by your logic ?
Michigan Man
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 10:58 p.m.
Sheep - Solid work! Like the way you think!
rutrow
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 7:39 p.m.
You got some data there? OR just dreaming these"facts" up?
mady
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 6:48 p.m.
hey sheep, what's it like to be perfect and in a position to judge others?
Mitch
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 2:16 p.m.
The hash bash is coming to town and I am skipping town.
mady
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 6:47 p.m.
don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 3:05 p.m.
Cya
Paul Wiener
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 2 p.m.
Another rare opportunity for the A2 and U-M police to feel important, effective, moralistic, necessary and even occupied. Hash Bash is the one day in the year when police should be given a vacation, or at the very least permission to smoke with the harmless, happy, good-natured, healthy people they're supposedly protecting and serving. Try to ignore them whenever possible.
tdw
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 2:07 p.m.
Ignore who ? the police or the smokers ? And the Ann Arbor Police don't do much (they can only write tickets) it's U-M,WCSD and the State Police who will arrest.
tdw
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 12:45 p.m.
Oh com'on A2.com.Did I get deleted for all caps ? here I'll try it again.Wha hoo party on !!!
tdw
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 1:52 p.m.
bwp...who said my name is Timmy ? do I know you ?
bwp
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 1:42 p.m.
Party on, Timmy!
ToddAustin
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 1:29 p.m.
A2.com will happily excoriate its readers for posting in all caps, and yet their billboards SCREAM at you on the street in all caps. hmmm...
Fordie
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 12:16 p.m.
Excellent "other Michigan schools" link at the end! That's the highlight of my day so far. Granted, it is only 8:16...
sheepyd
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 12:03 p.m.
marijuana is the coolest we should definately encourage more young people to take up the habit. It definately hasn't had a negative impact on any portion of society, specifically urban areas and minority populations. Let me be the first to applaud the organizers of hash bash for this time honored tradition of bringing the unemployed, unbathed masses to Ann Arbor. I for one believe it is time for the first annual Ann Arbor "Crack Attack" where we celebrate the use of everyones favorite street drug and then we can start planning for Ann Arbor's "Heroin Palooza", we need to hurry up and snag those events before Ypsilanti steals the idea. Get ready Ann Arbor business, you will soon be overrun by a group of patchouli wearing zombies; area waiters and waitresses you can write Hash Bash of as a loss; as any of us that have worked down there can confirm the rumor, hippies are cheap and they don't tip. Good Luck Ann Arbor, what a sad joke.
Paul
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 10:23 a.m.
Yeah, California is doing so poorly, who wants to live there ?
263456
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 3:51 p.m.
great logic there sheep. I bet you also believe prohibition worked with alcohol. I dont understand why so many people are interested in what others choose to put into their bodies.
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 1:10 p.m.
Or drunk
GoNavy
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 11:43 a.m.
Be smart: Don't light up on campus. The State Police send their burliest, most intimidating officers to the Diag each time this year, and they are specifically looking for those thinking they can light up. Move over to Monroe or William Streets.
nickcarraweigh
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 10:51 a.m.
The Hash Bash ends hours before Michigan's Final Four appearance even begins, likely meaning untold numbers of Wolverine fans will miss the Big Game and wake up in Tibet with no idea how they acquired a new spouse, several children, and some intricate tattoos fashioned from burnt yak fur. Pass the Cheetohs.
Paul
Sat, Apr 6, 2013 : 10:20 a.m.
More like waking up and forgetting who you went to bed with is from too much drinking vs too much puffing.
GoNavy
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 11:44 a.m.
I'm sorry that's what marijuana does to you.
music to my ear
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 11:08 a.m.
oh to be young again
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Apr 5, 2013 : 10:23 a.m.
Who's more dangerous the stoned peace loving hippie pot heads or booze fueled drunken sports fans whose team just lost or just won? Oh by the way ya have to luv where clicking on "other Michigan schools" takes you!
music to my ear
Sun, Apr 7, 2013 : 2:20 a.m.
thats so fun -ney