Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/1731
AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MAY 2009 59 L ast year, Michigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y senior Brian Mc- Cormick went to an event called Cedar Fest. He was one of lucky ones not to be hurt in the chaos that erupted and people started throwing bottles: he had already been arrested when the serious injuries started taking place. Based on their recent experience with drunken college kids getting entirely out of hand, combined with "worst case scenario" pos- sibilities stemming from the Michigan State University men's basketball team head- ing to the NCAA Final Four, local police were preparing for a riot that they hoped wouldn't happen. The game and whatever happened later had not taken place at the time this article was written. MSU senior McCormick has some advice for his fel- low students that may have planned to go nuts if the home team won. "Just stay away," said McCormick, who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct last summer. "It's not really worth it. Having fun party- ing is great, but if it starts to turn bad, you have to just walk away," McCormick told reporters with the Lan- sing State Journal. The last Cedar Fest was a massive party in East Lansing's Cedar Village Apartments. It went fine until students began pelting police officers with rocks and bottles. They began chanting for tear gas. Needless to say, they got what they wanted. East Lansing police say they have no indication that there will be a repeat performance but they're ready should anyone get out of control. They also say they'll have a massive presence on the streets if MSU wins the big game. If the team advances, police will have to be ready for an even bigger task. The message from the cops to the kids is simple – troublemakers should expect to be arrested. "In the past, we've had big crowds with minimal arrests," East Lansing Police Chief Tom Wibert told the Lansing State News. "People come to East Lansing and tear the place up without consequences. Those days are over," Wil- bert said. Police arrested 52 people during the last Cedar Fest. "It overwhelmed our jail," he said. This year, the de- partment will have access to additional transport vehicles and holding facilities. East Lansing Police say they will bring in officers from MSU, from the Lan- sing Police Department, Michigan State Police and Ingham County Sheriff 's Offi ce and, if need be, from other area agencies. "We think that the vast majority of students don't want to get in trouble," Ginny Haas, community relations director at MSU told reporters. "What they have told us on many, many occasions is they just want the information on how to have a safe and legal cel- ebration." Win or lose, cops prepared for March Madness More often than not, kids celebrating their team's big win turns ugly and law enforcement has to respond Circle number 93 on the Reader Service Card.