Tragedy struck on Wednesday as the Kansas City Chiefs were celebrating their second straight Super Bowl win. This was after a shooting incident went down during the team’s championship parade in Kansas City, which took the life of one individual, while also injuring at least 22 others.
With the 2024 NFL Draft just a couple of months away, the City of Detroit as well as the league have now spoken out about the security measures they have in place for the highly-anticipated event, as they assured the public of the safety of the event.
Detroit City Guarantees Safety of Upcoming 2024 NFL Draft
Detroit Police Chief James E. White issued a statement on Thursday expressing their confidence in handling the event, which is expected to bring in hundreds of thousands of fans from all over the country. White believes that the city’s experience in past events has prepared them for whatever challenges the upcoming NFL Draft might bring to the table:
“We have been in full preparation mode for months and are confident in our safety plan,” White said in a statement (h/t Mike Jones of The Athletic). “The City of Detroit has hosted several large-scale, successful events recently, including the Ford Fireworks, the Detroit Grand Prix, America’s Thanksgiving Parade and Lions games with more than 70,000 fans in attendance, as well as many other events and concerts. Taking from those experiences, we have built our safety strategy and are confident this plan will ensure the safety of all in attendance at the draft and the surrounding areas.”
Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s vice president of communications, “expressed similar confidence in the NFL’s security team and the plans set in place in partnership with White’s department and other Detroit officials.”
“The priority of the Downtown Detroit Partnership has always been to ensure a downtown that is safe and welcoming,” said Eric B. Larson, CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, in a joint statement with White. “We proactively build on our safety strategy, as it is the primary focus of DDP’s plans in coordination with the Detroit Police Department and the Sports Commission Host Committee for the NFL Draft in Detroit. We are confident in the plans we have in place and will continue to evolve them over the next two months to ensure every effort has been made for a safe event that everyone can enjoy.”
This year’s draft is expected to take on the usual fan festivities of past events, which include the NFL Draft experience, a football theme park, player interactions, and concerts, among others.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims of this recent senseless act of violence as well as with Kansas City.
For More Of My Content
Follow me on Twitter at @PaoloSongcoNBA. You may also reach out to me personally at pao.songco@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and NFL news, click here!