As the Falcons and New England Patriots face off in Super Bowl 51, public safety officials have already taken precautions to ensure fans can enjoy Super Bowl 51— win or lose.
Drivers can expect to see more patrols and sobriety checkpoints along highways this weekend, Georgia Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mark McDonough told Channel 2 Action News.
“It's going to be an awesome day, but there's some responsibility with it if that celebration if you're going to be drinking,” he said.
The warning comes after Mayor Kasim Reed signed a temporary order allowing Atlanta bars to sell alcohol from 12:30 p.m. Sunday to 2:30 a.m. Monday.
Atlanta police have already began putting up barricades, spokesman Sgt. Warren Pickard said.
“Even though the game's not here, our security plan has not changed,” he told Channel 2. “We're using the security plan that we use on a game day Sunday when the game is in Atlanta.”
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Pickard said Atlanta police will work in 12-hour shifts and that their Joint Operations Center will also be open.
“We do not want to impede on anyone's ability to have fun or to enjoy themselves,” Atlanta police spokeswoman Stephanie Brown said. “We are simply asking that all restaurants, sports bars and similar (businesses) adhere to their occupancy capacity.”
As for post-Super Bowl celebrations, Atlanta police have already hammered out potential championship parade plans, Pickard said: “We started working on it the day we beat Green Bay.”
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