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Rowdy Packers game
Rowdy Packers game
GREEN BAY (WITI) -- For the first time since Saturday's rowdy playoff game at Lambeau Field, Packers officials are talking about the effectiveness of changes to their alcohol policy. Fans at the Packers vs. Vikings Wild Card playoff game set a record for behaving badly. 21 were arrested and 91 were ejected from the game.
Police say the Packers playoff game at Lambeau Field had the makings of a perfect storm.
"Playing a division rival on a Saturday night, where people didn't have to work the next morning," Lt. Jody Buth with the Green Bay Police Department said.
Packers security and Green Bay police had a plan. For the first time, alcohol sales stopped at the end of halftime. Fans and vendors had to make adjustments.
"If they were in line at that point, and then we cut it off at the end. Obviously there were still people coming to the line beyond the kick, so that's were some of the confusion lied. There were some that were upset you know, feeling that they had the right to have another drink, but I think in the end, they understand that we're just trying to be responsible," Packers Director of Security Doug Collins said.
Fans were encouraged to report any problems via text, talking to ushers or talking to officers, and police enforced zero tolerance before the game.
"If anybody came up to the gate and was obviously intoxicated to the point where we felt they were going to be causing some problems inside the game, during the game, we ejected them early, in a proactive approach," Lt. Buth said.
Police say they don't know how many people were ejected before the game. Security officials say this game was a learning experience, and any future changes will be on a game-by-game basis.
"Knowing ahead that there was a potential that we could have some issues going on, the planning and everything that we did for it, I thought it went very well," Lt. Buth said.
There is a playoff scenario where the Packers could still have one more home game. Police say if the Packers host the NFC Championship game, they will be ready.