Bob Hartley, Calgary police warn Flames fans on Red Mile to behave
Calgary police have prepared for all contingencies in anticipation of larger crowd of Red Mile revellers
Calgary police and the coach of the Calgary Flames are asking fans to keep it clean Saturday during Game 6 of the team's NHL playoff series.
The Red Mile - the popular gathering spot for Flames fans on 17th Avenue southwest has seen its fair share of sexual harassment and violence during the playoffs in the past.
"It's not negative behaviour, it's stupid," said Bob Hartley. "I'm sorry for my language but there's a few jerks there that are tarnishing the reputation of our organization and city."
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Police say they have a plan in place to deal with the large crowds anticipated Saturday night on the Red Mile. They have seen crowds of up to 5,000 people during certain games.
Supt. Ray Robitalle promises fans who choose to celebrate this weekend will notice the police presence.
"It's going to be hard not to see an officer down there," he said.
Police say the vast majority of fans have been respectful, but they have had to deal with a few troublemakers. Last night one man was charged with impaired driving, and the police are also investigating an incident that happened during Game 3 of an assault with a weapon.
Police will be working with its other security partners including the RCMP, Calgary Transit and the Calgary Emergency Management Agency to ensure Red Mile revellers don't get out of hand.
"We're preparing for all contingencies that may happen on Saturday," Robitaille said. "We've got tremendous co-operation with City of Calgary to look at addressing some of the concerns here to make sure that everyone is safe and that everyone has a good time during this Flames celebration."
Robitaille isn't expecting any major problems, giving credit to Calgarians who just want to go out and have a good time for the duration of the Flames' playoff run.
"We've had voluntary pour outs of alcohol in public, and people are being co-operative," he said. "It's fantastic. It's huge testimony to the people that we have in this city."