By Alan Lytle
Lexington, KY – Police in Lexington have a message for the crowds of people that are likely to take to the streets should the Kentucky Wildcats win their Final Four game on Saturday: "Have fun, but be safe". To ensure everyone's safety, the division of police, Fayette County Sheriff's Office, and UK police will combine forces to have over 200 uniformed officers patrolling areas around campus and downtown. UK Police Chief Joe Monroe says people can celebrate all they want, they just have to not lose their heads in the process.
"We want to celebrate another National Championship. But, we want to do it the right way. We don't want to have headlines on the national news with a small group of revelers bringing national attention to us for something that is un-needed. We don't need any cars turned over, or couches set on fire. We don't want anybody hurt. But we want everybody to have a great time and celebrate this."
Incident Chief Mike Bosse, says uniformed officers from Lexington P.D. the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, and UK Police will be patrolling the fan hotspots to make sure the revelry doesn't get out of hand.
"Damaging other people's property is not only wrong, but it's against the law and we will enforce that. Throwing bottles into the air into the crowd hurts other people. We are going to be watching for that. Tipping peoples cars over while it may look fun at the time is damaging other people's property and it presents a danger when the gasoline spills out onto the roadway."
You may remember the mob scene at Woodland and Euclid that took place after the Wildcats won the title in 1996. Several celebrants that night overturned a television news van. Police say video evidence proved essential in prosecuting the offenders. They're asking people who observe out of control, or dangerous behavior, to take pictures with their cellphones and share the images with authorities.