Police officers stand on Cedar Street during half time of the MSU U-Conn game on Saturday.

EAST LANSING — Police officials are expecting large crowds following tonight’s NCAA men’s basketball game between the Michigan State Spartans and the North Carolina Tar Heels in Detroit.

“We are planning on having a large group of people in downtown or in Cedar Village,” said Lt. Kevin Daley, public information officer for the East Lansing Police Department. Saturday night, following MSU’s win over Connecticut, police said a crowd of 2,000 revelers took over the streets in Cedar Village, an apartment complex near the Michigan State campus. Police arrested 60 people. Cops broke up the crowd about 2 a.m. without incident.

 

Cedar Village had been the location of gathering police termed a riot April 2008 and used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Fifty-two arrests were made. Daley said this weekend’s crowd at the apartment complex was not a riot, even though police made more arrests at Cedar Village this year.

Looking back on Saturday’s celebration, Daley said a decision was made not to break up the crowd. “We felt it would have been a greater problem to break that crowd up,” Daley said, noting officers never felt their safety was in jeopardy Saturday night.

Daley also noted the police have changed their strategy in dealing with crowds. “We are holding individuals responsible. Why punish the whole crowd for the actions of a few?”

No arrests were made under the newly minted anti-rioting ordinance passed by the East Lansing City Council on March 17. The ordinance has been a source of concern for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Lansing branch, as Michigan Messenger reported late last week.

Daley said there will be more officers on duty tonight than on Saturday night. Police said they had 230 officers on the streets on this weekend. With an overnight low of 25 degrees expected tonight, as well as more snow, Daley said the weather could impact the size of any crowds. “Sure it [the cold and snow] will keep the crowds down,” he said.

Check back with Michigan Messenger for updates from East Lansing later tonight.