On Thursday morning, Dallas authorities believe they will be better prepared for the Mavericks' championship parade than they were back in 1993 for the Cowboys' Super Bowl celebration that erupted into violence. Dallas Police Chief David Brown is putting all of the responsibility on himself, but new lines of communication will help keep order. This includes a Fusion Center that brings a wide array of intelligence together to combat problems.
Dallas Prepares For Mavericks’ Parade, Ready To Avoid Cowboys’ Sour Celebration
Most of the new protocols are adapted from post-Sept. 11 security changes, so fans will see SWAT teams, uniformed police officers, haz-mat teams and bomb-sniffing dogs. If anyone in the crowd spots a plain-clothed police office, well, that’s an issue. Medical tents will be set up along the route.
While the story linked above mentions a crowd of 200,000 for the Cowboys’ parade in 1993, an article at the time reports the crowd was closer to 400,000 individuals. And, well, mob violence erupted to a degree. Emmitt Smith had a fan jump into the car he was riding in, fights broke out, a man was stabbed in the neck and there were gunshots heard in some places. Only 350 police officers started the day and extra 100 joined later on, which still wasn’t enough.
Two hundred fifty thousand fans are expected to join Thursday’s parade, but if 1993’s celebration is any indication there will be plenty more than that.
For more on the Mavericks’ NBA title run, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.
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