The Golden State Warriors — who lead the Boston Celtics 3-2 in the NBA Finals — have a chance to win their seventh NBA title on Thursday night, and the San Francisco Police Department said it has a plan prepared to ensure safe celebrations in San Francisco if the Dubs win in Boston.
“We expect fans to celebrate respectfully and responsibly, but we are prepared to respond to areas in the City that experience criminal acts and violent behavior,” SFPD spokesperson Robert Rueca told SFGATE in an email on Thursday morning. “We are working with our local, state and federal partners including the: San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, San Francisco Fire Department, the Department of Emergency Management, the Department of Public Works and The San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency. If the need arises we will call out to additional law enforcement partners for mutual aid.”
The Warriors are hosting a watch party at Chase Center, and Rueca said the department is providing police services in and around the center.
“Visitors can expect a police presence on foot and in other modes of transportation to handle the needs of the arena and the surrounding neighborhood to address issues of public safety,” Rueca wrote.
Like many cities across the country, San Francisco has a history with outbreaks of violence and vandalism after big sports wins. After the Giants took home the World Series win in 2014, at least 40 people were arrested as victory celebrations spun out into drunken debauchery and occasional violence in the Mission District. Vandals burned bonfires, smashed police car windows and threw bottles at officers. The neighborhood saw similar chaos in 2012 after a Giants World Series win, when people torched a Muni bus, flipped cars and burned garbage.
“Here in the city, we’ve been blessed with having successful winning teams,” Rueca told CBS Bay Area. “But with that we know that crowds come out and they want to celebrate and they want to enjoy the moment and that’s all great, but we also want to remind people that we’re not going to tolerate violence. We’re not going to tolerate destruction of property.”
Game 6 starts at 6 p.m. PST.
