PWT36
Cheesehead
Posted November 11, 2007
Purple pride means overtime for Green Bay police
Vikings-Packers rivalry has a history of high arrests at Lambeau
By Andy Nelesen
[email protected]
"The Minnesota Vikings' annual trip to Lambeau Field has topped the list of rowdy crowds at 1265 Lombardi Ave., besting the Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears crowds in arrests and ejections.
Over the last five seasons, Green Bay police have arrested an average of 12.5 people per game when the Vikings are in town, according to a Green Bay Press-Gazette analysis of Lambeau Field arrests — slightly higher than the 11.6-person average for the Bears' visits.
Most arrests are for unlawful conduct at a public event, a municipal ordinance encompassing such offenses as fighting, cussing and smuggling booze. The citation usually carries the potential of an $865 fine and a trip to jail to post bail.
Skewing the Bears' average was the perfect storm for arrests created on Christmas 2005 when 25 people were arrested. The 4 p.m. kickoff, a division rivalry, a legal holiday the next day and a Packers loss all contributed.
Without the Christmas game arrests, the Bears' average drops to about eight arrests per game, 1.5 arrests shy of the 10-year average for Bears games at Lambeau.
Only six of the fans arrested during the most recent Bears and Vikings visits were from out of state. Seventeen were from Wisconsin.
But the arrests don't tell the whole story.
Police ejected an average of 28 people a game during the last six visits from the Bears, which pales in comparison to the 44-person ejection average from the last six Vikings visits.
Green Bay police are aware the Lambeau crowd gets rowdy during Vikings games. However, that doesn't change their game plan.
"We have a history of having staff that can adequately handle even the most troublesome games," said Lt. Bill Bongle, who supervises the game day planning. "I am aware we have an increased level of activity with the Vikings games, and we'll be ready.
"But that one factor doesn't cause us to spill over and put on extra staff because it's a rowdy game."
Purple pride means overtime for Green Bay police
Vikings-Packers rivalry has a history of high arrests at Lambeau
By Andy Nelesen
[email protected]
"The Minnesota Vikings' annual trip to Lambeau Field has topped the list of rowdy crowds at 1265 Lombardi Ave., besting the Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears crowds in arrests and ejections.
Over the last five seasons, Green Bay police have arrested an average of 12.5 people per game when the Vikings are in town, according to a Green Bay Press-Gazette analysis of Lambeau Field arrests — slightly higher than the 11.6-person average for the Bears' visits.
Most arrests are for unlawful conduct at a public event, a municipal ordinance encompassing such offenses as fighting, cussing and smuggling booze. The citation usually carries the potential of an $865 fine and a trip to jail to post bail.
Skewing the Bears' average was the perfect storm for arrests created on Christmas 2005 when 25 people were arrested. The 4 p.m. kickoff, a division rivalry, a legal holiday the next day and a Packers loss all contributed.
Without the Christmas game arrests, the Bears' average drops to about eight arrests per game, 1.5 arrests shy of the 10-year average for Bears games at Lambeau.
Only six of the fans arrested during the most recent Bears and Vikings visits were from out of state. Seventeen were from Wisconsin.
But the arrests don't tell the whole story.
Police ejected an average of 28 people a game during the last six visits from the Bears, which pales in comparison to the 44-person ejection average from the last six Vikings visits.
Green Bay police are aware the Lambeau crowd gets rowdy during Vikings games. However, that doesn't change their game plan.
"We have a history of having staff that can adequately handle even the most troublesome games," said Lt. Bill Bongle, who supervises the game day planning. "I am aware we have an increased level of activity with the Vikings games, and we'll be ready.
"But that one factor doesn't cause us to spill over and put on extra staff because it's a rowdy game."