Police and parking departments rely on students and temporary workers to help them handle game-day crowds.
Getting from 20,000 to 30,000 people and their cars into a residential area is the biggest headache for police on a KU football game day, said Sgt. George Wheeler of the Lawrence Police Department.
Once those fans and their cars are in the vicinity of Kansas University's Memorial Stadium, police have to watch out for crimes involving them and their property, he said. Like people breaking into cars.
About 60 Lawrence police officers will be working the streets today. About half that number will be engaged in traffic control, and the other half will be covering the rest of the city as they would every day.
For parking-lot patrol, officers will be on bicycles and motorcycles, Wheeler said. Officers will be on foot patrol in the 14th and Tennessee and 14th and Ohio areas.
Kansas University Police decline to disclose how many officers will be on duty on campus during game day.
"We'll have more than normal," said Lt. Schuyler Bailey of the university police department.
Officers also will be in Memorial Stadium before the stadium opens as well as performing regular duties on the campus, he said.
Additional security within the stadium comes from ushers provided by Lawrence Manpower Inc. Ushers in the stadium are trained to evacuate spectators in the event of a fire or other problems, said Nancy Slabaugh, branch manager for Manpower.
The Manpower workers also act as extra eyes and ears for the police department, Slabaugh said. If they see a problem -- for instance, children throwing items over the walls of the stadium -- the Manpower personnel can ask them to stop or they can contact the police, as they would probably do if someone brought alcohol into the stadium.
Also, Manpower workers stand on the field at game's end to prevent fans from running on the field, she said.
The biggest headache police officials anticipate is parking, a concern at all large sporting events at the university.
Parking enforcement on campus is the responsibility of 23 student workers, five full-time employees and more Manpower workers.
parking department spokesman.
"If we don't get out there early, it can get away from you," Roose said.
Parking employees are trained to be courteous and helpful but assertive.
Most of the student employees in the parking lot close to stadium have two or more years experience at dealing with the public on game days, Roose said.
Farther away from the stadium, the workers have less experience.
The full-time employees will be roving around the parking lots, available by radio to deal with problems that may arise.
First-time visitors to a KU game are usually those who become the most frustrated with parking regulations and the long wait, Roose said.
-- Erwin Seba's phone message number is 832-7145. His e-mail address is eseba@ljworld.com.
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