Maryland State Police Trooper Eric White sets up flares to block traffic after Wednesday nights basketball game.

As the No. 19 men’s and No. 5 Terrapins women’s basketball teams move closer to the NCAA tournament, University Police expect to draw larger crowds and will devote extra time and resources to maintain them. 

University Police Capt. Laura Dyer said police prepare weeks in advance of sporting events and often collaborate with the athletic department, the city of College Park, Prince George’s County Police and Campus Recreation Services to ensure gamedays run smoothly.  

“There’s a lot of planning and coordination that goes into effect well before the gameday operations,” Dyer said. “A lot of that will happen in advance when we look at a season and what’s coming ahead and who those opponents will be.”

Located at the top of Xfinity Center is a security control room, where police representatives monitor the entire arena and its surrounding area during basketball games with camera footage as they respond to any emergency calls reported.

University Police spokeswoman Sgt. Rosanne Hoaas said police usually receive calls related to disorderly conduct or the separation of a child from a parent at games.

Police are also responsible for controlling traffic through the city, managing seating areas and making themselves available to attendees who need assistance during games.

Prior to basketball games with high attendance, like last night’s game, officers redirect traffic and encourage drivers to take alternative routes to avoid Route 1 when driving to the game. At some point during the second half, police prepare to guide exiting traffic, which is much more difficult in games that are more competitive toward the end. 

Dyer said traffic control preparation is different for a game that starts at 9 p.m. versus one that starts at 7 p.m., because for 7 p.m. start times, there is usually a higher concentration of people trying to access the campus at one time.

“Whenever there is a concern, we bring it to the university and county police departments to see if there’s any way they can help out,” said Robert Ryan, College Park director of public services. “That’s probably the greatest impact of the community off campus — the volume of traffic.”

Ryan often meets with police to discuss safety procedures and policies on behalf of the citizens of College Park. Ryan said he was especially appreciative of how police handled Maryland’s upset win over Duke in February 2013.

“[The Duke game] was the most successful we’ve seen in the last 10 years,” Ryan said. “Police are always ready to intervene if there is destruction or violence, but I think everyone’s preference is to have a peaceful celebration rather than a riot.”

Before that game, police asked the fire department to empty and water down garbage cans, worked with the Student Government Association to prepare a large bonfire on Chapel Lawn and asked local bars to serve drinks in plastic cups. This was all in an effort to reduce the risk of a riot and keep people safe in what could have been a chaotic situation.

“The university provided alternative activity after the game and I think that’s important. If you don’t give people something to do, they’ll find something to do,” Ryan said. “As long as there is no violence or destruction, then all agencies are pretty much willing to close down for a short period of time.”

Hoaas said police have also adopted a policy of choosing to not equip the officers with riot gear in situations with mass crowds, in an effort to send a positive and welcoming message to fans.

“We were talking to students and some were saying when you show up in the gear, it sends a different message that we don’t want to send,” she said. “It’s not different than any other day for us. People see us in our uniform of the day; they expect it.”