Beefing Up Security For Bulldog Bash Weekend

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- The official start of the 2018 Bulldog Bash Weekend in Starkville is less than 24 hours away.

“For Bulldog Bash we’re expecting thousands of people to flood Main Street,” said Corporal Brandon Lovelady, PIO with the Starkville Police Department.

With visitors pouring in from all over, police believe there could be an even bigger crowd than last year.

“Typically we do have travelers from all over,” said Lovelady. “Some just come for the main concert. This is one of the largest, if not the largest in Mississippi outdoor concert that’s free.”

So to help control the large crowd this weekend, Lovelady said majority of Starkville police will be working the event.

“We’ll have administrative personnel monitoring camera systems that oversee the event, and we will also have numerous officers throughout the crowd and in the immediate area,” said Lovelady.

SPD is also bringing in members of the Mississippi State University Police Department to assist them this weekend.

They’ll serve as bicycle patrol in the dense areas that will be used throughout the event

“Their task is to patrol all of these areas whether they be parking lots, any dark places outside of the event area, that’s kind of the things they’re going to do,” Lovelady explained. “They can move faster, they can cover a lot more ground.

Police will also have access control at the main entrances of Lampkin and Lafayette Streets.

Loevelady said they want everyone to have a fun time and enjoy themselves.

However, making sure everyone is safe is their number one priority.

“We will have walk through metal detectors,” said Lovelady. “We will be checking for firearms and illegal substances, we will also be doing random bag inspections to ensure everyone is safe.”

For more information about parking and street closures for the festivities this weekend visit https://www.msubulldogbash.com/fest-info for more information.