Seattle police prepared for ‘spontaneous celebrations’ after NFC Championship game

The Seattle Police Department has ordered increased patrols citywide ahead of the NFC Championship Game in Seattle Sunday and are prepared should fans take to the streets after a Seahawks win – or loss.

Officers will patrol on foot, in vehicles, and while riding horseback. The department will also send detectives undercover dressed in San Francisco 49ers gear to catch unruly fans in the act.

“We wouldn’t normally increase staffing citywide for a regular-season game, but we recognize that this is a big deal,” said Det. Mark Jamieson with Seattle PD. “We want to show the rest of the country that this is a great place to host a championship game.”

Jamieson said patrols will extend beyond the stadium as many fans will watch the game elsewhere.

“Wherever there’s a big-screen television people will be gathered watching the game. We want to be prepared so that if there is some sort of disturbance we can respond to it quickly,” he said. “We’re not anticipating that, but we want to be prepared.”

While there have been no major incidents involving fans during the season, Jamieson said officers understand that the rivalry between Seattle and San Francisco is unique.

“The fans all season long have been great,” he said. “That being said, we do recognize that it’s a big game and we’re more concerned about the spontaneous celebrations that break out when the Seahawks win.”