Thousands of basketball fans are expected to follow eight teams to Portland this week for the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, and the Portland Police Bureau is gearing up to facilitate a safe experience for visitors.
Teams and fans are already arriving in Portland for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games that will be played at Moda Center between Friday, March 29, 2024, and Monday, April 1, 2024. Throughout the duration of the tournament games, PPB is committed to increasing its presence in and around Downtown Portland. Beginning Wednesday afternoon, PPB will be conducting high-visibility patrols around the team and fan hotels. In addition, some traffic officers will be escorting team buses around the city, and when not providing that service, the officers will be patrolling city streets. Supplementing these efforts will be PPB’s Entertainment Detail working in Old Town and Downtown, and Central Precinct officers and the Bike Squad on routine patrol in the Downtown core.
“It is wonderful that Portland is one of the host cities for March Madness,” said Chief Bob Day. “It is important that the teams, our visitors, and local basketball fans feel welcomed while enjoying the games and supporting local businesses. This is an opportunity to showcase our city, and PPB members will be out in the community as visible as possible to help assist in making this a positive and safe event.”
PPB would like to congratulate Stanford, North Carolina State, Texas, Gonzaga, USC, Baylor, UConn, and Duke on successful seasons up to this point. Additionally, PPB would like to welcome the teams and their fans to Portland for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tournament games.
Source: Portland Police