UM-OSU game costs police, fire $562,416 in overtime

11/29/2006

COLUMBUS, Ohio More than $500,000 was spent on police and fire overtime for the Ohio State-Michigan football game, according to reports released this week.

Rick Amweg, assistant university police chief, said the $562,416 was well spent considering the post-game celebration went smoother than past years.

Top-ranked Ohio State advanced to the Jan. 8 national championship game with its 42-39 victory over then-No. 2 Michigan on Nov. 18.

It s hard to put a price tag on prevention. You can t do that. You prevented serious injury, maybe death, and definitely property damage, Amweg said.

There were about 40 arrests and dozens of fires set in student neighborhoods but not a repeat of the rioting that followed Ohio State s 2002 win over Michigan en route to the national championship.

To prepare for the latest matchup of the archrivals, the city banned parking, emptied trash bins and removed couches from porches in some neighborhoods near campus.

Those measures likely will be repeated leading up to the national championship game in Glendale, Ariz., although plans haven t been finalized, university and police officials said.

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