University Times

Pitt and the City of Pittsburgh are taking preventive measures to minimize any post-Super Bowl crowd damage should the Steelers defeat Green Bay Feb. 6.

Some 400 additional police officers will be on duty, including about 100 from agencies such as the Pitt and CMU police, as well as state and county sheriff police departments. DUI checkpoints will be established in and around the city and officers will be enforcing special parking restrictions, according to Bill Bochter, the city’s assistant chief of police for operations.

Kick off for the game will be approximately 6:30 p.m. at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex.

In Oakland, parking will not be permitted after 4 p.m. on Forbes Avenue between McKee Place and Bigelow Boulevard (inclusive) and on all side streets in that area between Fifth Avenue and Sennott Street. Cars will be tagged and towed, Bochter said at a Feb. 1 press conference.

At 9 p.m., those same streets will be closed to vehicles for a period to be determined by officers, Bochter said. Exit ramps from the Parkway to Oakland in both directions also will be closed beginning at 9 p.m.

Similar restrictions will apply to East Carson Street: No parking after 4 p.m. on East Carson between 10th and 22nd streets or on side streets between Sarah Street and Sidney/Bingham Street; that area will be closed to vehicles at 9 p.m. and reopened at officers’ discretion.

“The reason we’re closing those streets after the game is so those who are leaving bars, restaurants and other venues can safely transit from that area to where their car is parked and on to their final destination,” Bochter said.

“The message we really want to get out is: Enjoy the Super Bowl, enjoy your friends and family — whoever you’re with — safely celebrate where you’re at,” Bochter said. “Coming Downtown to celebrate is not a wise move. Don’t come to the South Side after the game. Our plan after the game is to get everyone safely out of the South Side, safely out of Oakland, safely out of Downtown Pittsburgh. Our suggestion is please don’t come to those places.”

He cautioned that having alcohol in an open container on any Pittsburgh street is a city ordinance violation; that ordinance will be enforced, he said.

Officials want to avoid a repeat of the damage that followed the Steelers’ 2009 Super Bowl victory. Thousands of people took to the Oakland streets, where some revelers overturned cars, broke windows and set fires, causing an estimated $48,000 in damages to the Pittsburgh campus. (See Feb. 5 and Feb. 19, 2009, University Times.)

Following that disturbance, Pitt established a celebration task force, comprising University police, administrators in Student Affairs and student leaders, to develop strategies that promote responsible behavior by students after events like the Super Bowl.

Pitt has designated the area on Bigelow between the Cathedral of Learning and the William Pitt Union (WPU) as the only place on campus where students will be allowed to congregate, according to officials in Student Affairs.

The approved celebration will last for one hour beginning at the conclusion of the game, after which those celebrating will be told to disperse.

Pitt officials noted that the Student Code of Conduct will be enforced; failure to disperse when ordered and possessing alcohol are violations of the code.

Kenyon Bonner of Student Affairs said  a large outdoor screen near the Cathedral will show the post-game Super Bowl celebration and awards. There also will be a DJ playing music and prize giveaways.

Pitt Police Chief Tim Delaney said WPU and Hillman Library will be locked during and after the game, and an officer will be stationed at the Cathedral entrances. Intensity lighting will be positioned on the Bigelow Boulevard and WPU lawns. Campus surveillance equipment will be operated as always, he said.

Delaney added that the city will distribute a letter to Oakland residents reminding them that all furniture must be removed from porches and outdoor areas. “This ban has already been established by the City Council and will be enforced,” Delaney said.

Pitt’s celebration task force also has developed a marketing campaign to discourage student misbehavior. The task force has posted flyers across the campus, has taken out ads in The Pitt News and has posted videos on YouTube and Facebook from student leaders encouraging responsible celebratory behavior. In addition, the task force plans an email blast to all undergraduates on Feb. 4.

Letters will be placed under the doors of rooms in all the residence halls reminding students of student code violations, including throwing objects from windows.

The Oakland business community is looking at the Super Bowl event as a two-edged sword, said Georgia Petropoulos Muir, executive director of the Oakland Business Improvement District (OBID).

“OBID is embracing the event as a huge opportunity for celebration and encouraging business owners to deck out their establishments, to show their black and gold pride.” Noting that many of the neighborhood’s bars and restaurants expect to be filled with game-watching patrons, Muir said, “We want people to come in and celebrate responsibly.”

On the other hand, she said business owners who have surveillance cameras in their establishments are being asked to train them on their storefronts and sidewalks. They also are being advised to be cautious with awnings that could be pulled down and Dumpsters that could be used to cause damage, Muir said.

Extra OBID cleaning crew staff will be on the job Monday morning to clear away any litter and debris, she added.

At the Feb. 1 press conference, Bochter said the Pittsburgh police are requesting that Oakland and South Side stores remove anything that could be a projectile from their storefronts. “We will be removing trash cans and other city property — basically, anything not nailed down,” he said.

Bars in Oakland and the South Side are asked to serve alcohol only in plastic containers during and after the game to minimize potential property damage or injury, Bochter said.

—Kimberly K. Barlow & Peter Hart