January at LKPD Means Preparing for a Championship!

“Is Bill Self still the coach? Then yeah, we’re already planning.” – LKPD Deputy Chief Anthony Brixius

When asked why the Lawrence Police Department (LKPD) begins preparing in January for a tournament that doesn’t begin for months, the response from leadership comes with a grin: “Is Bill Self still the coach? Then yeah, we’re already planning,” says Deputy Chief Anthony Brixius. In Lawrence, the pursuit of an NCAA National Championship is more than a series of sporting events; it’s a recurring Lawrence tradition that comes with a lot of behind-the-scenes work.

Behind the Scenes

From a policing perspective, that means putting a structure and safeguards in place using the “Incident Command System” (ICS) and tailoring the work to fit our community. The ICS was developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in response to natural disasters and large-scale emergencies and provides a unified framework for coordinating resources, personnel and communications to manage incidents effectively. That’s an industry explanation for the work overseen by Deputy Chief Anthony Brixius and led by Lieutenant David Ernst.

2022 Emergency Operations Center

The Effect: Celebrating with the Community

More simply, preparation means a safer celebration. But, not in the way you may think. “Commanders aren’t bracing for a confrontation,” says Brixius. “They’re preparing for a number of scenarios to promote a safe and positive celebration.”

“We feel fortunate to police in a town with such a successful program and a byproduct of that is that we get to celebrate with the fans,” Brixius continues.
To which Ernst adds, “The safety of these celebrations is our primary focus, but we police with the community, not against it.”

“It’s an important distinction because it ultimately determines what kind of celebration we have,” Brixius continues. “You see the officers giving high fives to people as they walk by instead of having some sort of conflict.”

Fans pour down the street toward 9th and Massachusetts to celebrate a win during the 2022 NCAA tournament.

The Breadth of the Operation: By the Numbers

The scope of work required to manage a crowd that can swell about 70,000 people is vast. A long lead time is required to manage logistics the public rarely sees— like bringing in officers from several agencies throughout the state and Kansas City Metro. During the 2022 National Championship game, nearly 300 officers were in service. Commanders work to arrange transportation, designate staging areas for hundreds of outside personnel, and identify dedicated routes to ensure emergency vehicles can navigate through a potential sea of people. City departments like Municipal Services Operations prepare road closures and clean up. Nearly all city departments have a hand in creating a safe and secure environment.

The 2022 National Champions, along with Coach Bill Self, are gracious enough to pose for a photo with officers.

Inside the Unified Command Center

At the heart of the operation is the Emergency Operations Center. Imagine a room filled with computer stations, video walls, and the decision-makers from every discipline—police, fire, and emergency management and more —sitting side-by-side.

“The reason we do a unified command is because you have the decision-makers in one room,” says Ernst. “You’re speaking the same language. Whether it’s a medical emergency like a heart attack in the middle of 70,000 people or a fire in a trash can, we can allocate resources much quicker.”

This structure also helps emergency response leaders identify potential dangers while maintaining a celebratory atmosphere.

In addition, it ensures a continuity of operations – meaning the level of service in other parts of the city remains unchanged. Ernst will work to nearly double street presence throughout the city, “We recognize that regardless of this large celebration downtown, but we have a duty to provide service to our entire Lawrence community and make sure we have the ability to respond to calls with the level of service our community members expect absent this celebration.”

Officers from more than a dozen Kansas agencies come to get briefed and support safety efforts during the 2022 NCAA tournament.

The World Cup Connection

While basketball is the more immediate focus, the experience at LKPD provides a decades-long rehearsal for potential World Cup celebrations in Lawrence. “The professional collaborations we’ve built over years of Final Four runs are the same foundations needed for international events,” says Ernst.

Preparations that happen every year, win or lose. “It gives us the ability to practice every year so that when the big moment happens, we’re better at what we do,” says Brixius. “We learn from our mistakes, we learn from our successes, and we get better every single year,” he continues.

Ultimately, no matter the event, law enforcement will work to ensure that when the final whistle blows, the only thing the community has to worry about is the score—not whether LKPD is prepared to protect and serve.

LKPD Officers walk the parade route to support the safety of the NCAA Champions in 2022.