Both the Department of Public Safety and the Syracuse Police Department are preparing for the upcoming NCAA regional basketball tournament this Friday and Sunday to ensure the safety of the events attendants, department officials said.

Public Safety and Syracuse police will have more officers at the tournament, said Lt. John R. Sardino of Public Safety and Sgt. Tom Connellan of the Syracuse Police. Both Sardino and Connellan declined to disclose the exact number of officers that will be in attendance for security reasons.

‘The last thing that I want is for someone to know all the details of my plan,’ Sardino said.

Public Safety has been planning for the regional tournament since January, Sardino said.

‘Of course you always hope you don’t have to utilize the things but it’s good to be prepared,’ said Marlene Hall, director of Public Safety. ‘In the back of your mind you’re hoping it’ll go smoothly and everyone can enjoy the game and have a good night.’

Syracuse Police will station more officers around the university and in Armory Square to handle greater traffic, Connellan said.

The County Sheriff’s Office, the County Emergency Management Division and the FBI will also be collaborating with Public Safety and Syracuse police for the tournament, Sardino said. FBI officers will advise Public Safety from a security command center, although there will not be any FBI officers stationed inside the Dome.

‘It’s a national thing and (the FBI) will have an interest,’ Sardino said.

Public Safety will increase security for the Carrier Dome to meet NCAA security standards and to better accommodate an out-of-town crowd, Sardino said.

‘The NCAA like to have an increased uniformed presence,’ Sardino said.

Public Safety, following NCAA security guidelines, will station a uniformed officer in both teams’ locker rooms, Sardino said.

Sardino said he intends to continue to use the security plan used for prior sporting events, except with more officers.

‘We have a good plan that’s already in place,’ Sardino said. ‘This was the same model that was used at the Super Bowl, the same model that was used at World Series, the same model that is used for every national game. … I have people all over the country looking to do what we have here at the Dome.’

Public Safety has prepared for a number of incidents that could possibly occur, Hall said, ranging everywhere from hazardous chemical spills to threatening phone calls to lost children.

‘When we know that we’re gonna have a large event that will attract several attendees, you are always refreshing everyone about what is the purpose of the event and what they might expect,’ Hall said. ‘A lot of times you can take care of smaller things before they get bigger.’

Published on March 21, 2005 at 12:00 pm