Chapel Hill Police Prepare for Potential Final Four Weekend Celebrations

Franklin Street is always the life of the party at UNC.

After a win against Duke.

On Halloween night.

Or, if all goes well, after a national championship just a few days from now.

Keeping people safe during a rush of Franklin Street is a tall task for Chapel Hill Police. But Captain Josh Mecimore says they’ve dealt with this before.

“The planning that we do is very similar to the planning we do for Halloween,” Mecimore said. “Crowd sizes might be a little different and certainly they’ve varied over the years for Halloween.”

That Halloween planning and the plan for Friday – and possibly Monday night – includes bringing in law enforcement from surrounding towns and counties. Authorities will also be stationing officers to check for prohibited items as people come onto the street, including alcohol or weapons.

Mecimore also asked that people avoid climbing light poles or making fires once they’re on Franklin Street.

“Act responsibly,” Mecimore advised. “Behave responsibly. Don’t drink excessively, if you’re going to drink at all. And try to be respectful of other people and their property.”

Fortunately, Mecimore said property damage is rarely an issue after a win or a loss.

“There are lots of communities where that kind of celebration goes much worse.”

Students likely won’t rush Franklin if the Heels win the Final Four game against Oregon Saturday night. But Mecimore said police will still be ready and that road closures may occur.

“We discourage people from trying to get downtown after the game is done,” Mecimore said. “There aren’t any buses that are busing people downtown. There aren’t parking spaces likely to be available at that point.”

That will also definitely be the case Monday, if the Tar Heels are able to get the win over Oregon.

Chapel Hill Police Prepare for Potential Final Four Weekend Celebrations

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