Philadelphia police prep for potential fan celebrations if Phillies win NLCS and go to World Series
Police are asking store owners to remove flower pots and trash cans ahead of potential celebrations if the Phillies clinch the NLCS. And officers can't take days off.
Stores are being asked to batten down the hatches, shutter their establishments, and remove outdoor trash cans. At bars, plastic cups are replacing glasses and glass bottles to reduce the potential for dangerous debris.
And Philadelphia police officers are being restricted from taking days off for a week or so, readying for a massive event.
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No, it’s not a destructive storm, though we’re all bracing for a city littered with refuse (read: assorted Phillies fan swag tossed in the streets).
It’s the potential for the Phillies to clinch the National League Championship Series and go to their first World Series in 13 years. If the Phillies — who last won the World Series in 2008 — have another chance this year, the city is ready (hopefully) for the boisterous celebrations.
In a letter sent Tuesday, the 15th Police District asked residents and business owners on Frankford and Cottman Avenues to pull down and lock grates and to remove anything outside their buildings such as trash cans and flowerpots on Saturday, the earliest that the NLCS series could wrap up (and potentially set off celebratory mayhem).
It was unclear what other police districts have planned. But if the celebrations when the Eagles reached the Super Bowl in 2018 are any indication, fans could fill the streets across the city to enjoy the moment — and climb light poles.
Police also asked bars to sell drinks in plastic containers rather than in glass, to minimize the risk of people smashing their drinks while belting out “Dancing on My Own.”
Police also warned revelers that they would be enforcing open-container laws for Phillies fans who want to take their libations out onto the streets. Police in the 15th District also said there would be “no parking” signs along the 7100, 7200, and 7300 blocks of Frankford Avenue, the 3500 and 4000 blocks of Cottman Avenue, and the 3500 block of Ryan Avenue from Friday at 3 p.m. until 3 a.m. Tuesday.
Hours and enforcement would depend on the outcome of the next few games, police said.
To shore up their ranks, police have been told they won’t be able to take days off starting Saturday and going through Tuesday, which would be the day of Game 7 of the league series.
Police also warned that if the Phillies make it to the World Series, officers will also not be able to take off from Oct. 28 to Nov. 8.