DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit police say their number one priority during the draft is to keep people safe.
“This is a gun-free, weapons-free event, CPO or otherwise you are not to bring a weapon into this event,” said Chief James White.
White says his teams have been working on a safety plan for the draft for over a year.
Watch the law enforcement press conference addressing draft security:
“We are committed, we are excited for our city, we are on an international stage and I’m excited to show the world that we are prepared both with law enforcement and community,” said White.
More than 300,000 people are expected to come to the city for the draft.
Watch a timelapse of the latest stage construction and system testing:
In an effort to make sure visitors and residents are safe during the event, DPD is joining forces with the FBI, Michigan State Police and the Wayne, Oakland and Macomb county sheriff's offices, and that’s just naming some.
“We will be out there in numbers. We have about 70 or so deputies that will be around the footprint of the NFL Draft,” said Sheriff Washington.
MSP will be providing at least 50 troopers daily to help DPD patrol the downtown area.
“In addition to that, we will have other resources such as our K-9, our bomb squad, our emergency support team, and any other resources to keep people safe,” said Col. James Brady of Michigan State Police.
I caught up with some people who plan to attend draft events next week.
They told me their thoughts on the police’s efforts to keep people safe.
“Seeing the police presence, it makes us feel safe and we’re excited to go down there,” said Nathan Sears of Sterling Heights.
“Detroit’s such a different city even when they had the Super Bowl, this is a great city,” said Doug McLeod of Romeo.
