Anyone headed to downtown Houston for this weekend's World Series games can expect to see a large police presence in and around Minute Maid Park.
Police Chief Art Acevedo says HPD will use downtown cameras as well as uniformed and undercover officers for crowd control. Fencing also has been erected to create a perimeter around the stadium.
Fans with tickets are being told to expect delays getting into the ballpark.
“Do not bring to the stadium big backpacks, packages and purses because that's going to create a problem for you trying to get into the stadium and slow down the process,” says Acevedo.
The chief says they aim to keep the peace whether you're wearing Astros or Dodgers gear.
“We will come down very quickly and very hard on anybody, whether it's inside or outside the stadium, who harasses, accosts or assaults anyone simply because they're wearing somebody else's team jersey or they just don't like anything about them,” he says.
Meanwhile, Harris County Sheriff's deputies will be out in force as well.
“Our Skywatch Tower will be used to monitor activity on game days from 30 feet above the ground and the sheriff's office bomb sniffing dogs will be sweeping the area and our special response group is also on standby as needed,” says Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
“Our patrol deputies will have an increased presence on roadways leading to and from the stadium watching for potential drunk drivers,” he says. “I would encourage all Astros fans to celebrate responsibly and to make transportation plans ahead of time.”
That's why city officials urge fans to take advantage of MetroRail's park-and-ride to get into and out of downtown.
A large homeless encampment beneath I-69 that has grown since Harvey is also on law enforcement's radar.
“The vast majority of people in those camps are homeless and don't bother anybody, but we also know we have criminal transients in those camps, and I assure you we will have a police presence in the camps to ensure the safety of everyone in and around them,” says Chief Acevedo.