Louis police to increase security for baseball playoffs

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson says officers will be in greater numbers for the best-of-five series that gets under way Friday. Game 2 on Saturday also will be at Busch Stadium.

The increased police presence comes in the wake of the Chris Sanna shooting. “We saw he was a Cubs fan, so we’re going to take care of him“, a few Cardinals fans told KTVI.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police will have extra personnel in downtown this weekend as the St. Louis Cardinals begin postseason play – a little earlier than usual.

The organization Downtown STL, Inc., known for its guide program, will also be around downtown to help walk people to their vehicles before and after the game. You’ll see many more police probably than you are used to seeing.

In downtown St. Louis this year through September, total crime is up 15 percent over the same period in 2014, according to the police department’s online statistics. Molina was injured on a tag play in Chicago last month. Game four, if necessary, will be Tuesday and if there is a Game five, it will be on Thursday in St. Louis.

Slay has acknowledged recently that it is impossible to have officers everywhere, and Dotson said Thursday that “there’s always a chance a crime will occur”. “And so we are filling as many of those spots in the districts, and down here as we can with overtime, so we will have staffing in the neighborhoods, staffing in the districts, and staffing downtown”. “Sure. But they’d staff for that anyway”, she said.