Police stepping up security, training for Buckeyes game

BY BEN GARBAREK, Fox 28 News, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH 2015

COLUMBUS (Ben Garbarek) -- Columbus Police is stepping up its security for the Ohio State game this weekend in light of the recent attacks in Paris. Bike cops said this is the first time they have trained for a specific event.

"We knew it was going to be two high-ranking teams," said Sgt. Duane Mabry. "We knew it was something we needed to be prepared for."

Bicycle officers will be patrolling during the game. Cops said the bikes are not only more mobile than an officer on foot, but they can control big crowds with fewer officers.

"One or two officers are not going to be able to manage a large crowd very well," Mabry said. "We can take maybe ten officers (on a bike) and manage several thousand people."

If anything gets out of hand on Saturday, they said they can calm a crowd down.

"It's a softer approach than having that militarized look, turtle suits and helmets and shields and all that," he said. "It's a group of officers that are already out there in the community face to face with the people who are regularly out there."

Columbus Police has 129 full-time bike officers. They said that makes them the largest bike patrol in the country.

Watch the video:  http://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/police-stepping-up-security-training-for-buckeyes-game

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